Polar IFS + Individual Genetic Programming = Efficient IFS Inverse Problem Solving

Projet FRACTALESThe inverse problem for Iterated Functions Systems (finding an IFS whose attractor is a target 2D shape) with non-affine IFS is a very complex task. Successful approaches have been made using Genetic Programming, but there is still room for improvement in both the IFS and the GP parts. The main difficulty with non-linear IFS is the efficient handling of contractance constraints. This paper introduces Polar IFS, a specific representation of IFS functions that shrinks the search space to mostly contractive functions. Moreover, the Polar representation gives direct access to the fixed points of the functions, whereas the fixed point of general non-linear IFS can only be numerically estimated. On the evolutionary side, the ''individual'' approach is similar to the Michigan approach of Classifier Systems: each individual of the population embodies a single function rather than the whole IFS. A solution to the inverse problem is then built from a set of individuals. Both improvements show a drastic cut-down on CPU-time: good results are obtained with small populations in few generations

Chronic Eczematous Eruptions of the Elderly Are Associated with Chronic Exposure to Calcium Channel Blockers: Results from a Case–Control Study

It has been suggested that chronic eczematous eruptions of the elderly could be associated with chronic drug exposure. To determine the drugs associated with these eruptions, we conducted a case–control study on 102 cases and 204 controls. Cases were consecutive patients older than 60 years presenting with an eczematous eruption that had evolved continuously or recurrently for more than 3 months without a reliable cause. Two controls were matched to each case on age, sex, in/outpatient origin, and center. Information about drug exposure was obtained from patients and their pharmacists. Drug use for more than 3 months within the year preceding the eruption was compared between cases and controls. An association was found between calcium channel blockers (CCB) and eczema, with a matched OR (odds ratio) of 2.5 (95% CI (confidence interval): 1.3–4.6). To ascertain the course of patients after CCB withdrawal, two ancillary studies were performed on 74 patients with eczematous eruptions from our department before the case–control study period, and on 101 patients registered in the French “Pharmacovigilance” database. Healing of these eruptions after CCB withdrawal occurred in 83 and 68% of these cases, respectively. The long-term use of CCB is a risk factor for chronic eczematous eruptions of the elderly

The effect of long-term unilateral deafness on the activation pattern in the auditory cortices of French-native speakers: influence of deafness side

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In normal-hearing subjects, monaural stimulation produces a normal pattern of asynchrony and asymmetry over the auditory cortices in favour of the contralateral temporal lobe. While late onset unilateral deafness has been reported to change this pattern, the exact influence of the side of deafness on central auditory plasticity still remains unclear. The present study aimed at assessing whether left-sided and right-sided deafness had differential effects on the characteristics of neurophysiological responses over auditory areas. Eighteen unilaterally deaf and 16 normal hearing right-handed subjects participated. All unilaterally deaf subjects had post-lingual deafness. Long latency auditory evoked potentials (late-AEPs) were elicited by two types of stimuli, non-speech (1 kHz tone-burst) and speech-sounds (voiceless syllable/pa/) delivered to the intact ear at 50 dB SL. The latencies and amplitudes of the early exogenous components (N100 and P150) were measured using temporal scalp electrodes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Subjects with left-sided deafness showed major neurophysiological changes, in the form of a more symmetrical activation pattern over auditory areas in response to non-speech sound and even a significant reversal of the activation pattern in favour of the cortex ipsilateral to the stimulation in response to speech sound. This was observed not only for AEP amplitudes but also for AEP time course. In contrast, no significant changes were reported for late-AEP responses in subjects with right-sided deafness.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results show that cortical reorganization induced by unilateral deafness mainly occurs in subjects with left-sided deafness. This suggests that anatomical and functional plastic changes are more likely to occur in the right than in the left auditory cortex. The possible perceptual correlates of such neurophysiological changes are discussed.</p

Dermo-hypodermites nécrosantes aseptiques post-opératoires (une nouvelle forme de dermatose neutrophilique ?)

De rares cas de dermo-hypodermites et/ou fasciites nécrosantes aseptiques survenant en post-opératoire sont rapportés dans la littérature. Parfois appelée pyoderma gangrenosum profond , cette pathologie se caractérise par une évolution délabrante malgré une large antibiothérapie et la négativité du bilan infectieux. Le diagnostic tardif et les débridements chirurgicaux répétés aggravent la nécrose et seule une corticothérapie systémique permet d arrêter l extension des lésions. Nous rapportons deux cas de jeunes patientes ayant développé des lésions cutanées ulcéro-nécrotiques profondes, post-opératoires et/ou post-traumatiques. Les tableaux évoquaient initialement une dermo-hypodermite nécrosante bactérienne des seins après réduction mammaire (cas 2), et une fasciite des membres (cas 1). La négativité du bilan infectieux (cas 1), le délai de survenue tardif par rapport à la chirurgie (cas 2), la normalité de la procalcitonine et l absence d évolution favorable sous antibiothérapie ont fait évoquer une dermatose neutrophilique (DN). La corticothérapie générale a permis en quelques heures de contrôler de façon spectaculaire l extension de la nécrose. Ces observations permettent de caractériser cette forme particulière de DN se distinguant du PG classique par une atteinte profonde, aigue, délabrante et une histologie non spécifique. Nous proposons donc pour cette entité le terme de dermo-hypodermite nécrosante neutrophilique (DHNN), avec ou sans fasciite. Les pathologies habituellement associées au PG (hémopathies, rhumatismes inflammatoires, maladies inflammatoires du côlon et de l intestin) sont rarement retrouvées dans ces DHNN. La durée du traitement et la prise en charge en cas de chirurgie ultérieure ne sont pas codifiées dans la littérature.DIJON-BU Médecine Pharmacie (212312103) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF

Eczéma de contact vestimentaire d'origine professionnelle chez une hôtesse de l'air : responsabilité des colorants textiles

DIJON-BU Médecine Pharmacie (212312103) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF

Affectation automatique des relecteurs de la conférence PPSN VI : un exemple d'utilisation du language EASEA

This paper presents an algorithm which has been used by PPSN VI organisers to allocate papers to reviewers, which is typically a Constraint Satisfaction Problem. Its aim is not to present a new revolutionary competitive method to solve CSPs, but rather to show how such a problem can be simply implemented using EASEA, a language designed specifically to write evolutionary algorithms

Projet ECHO, Système de notation automatique pour l'E-Learning.: Étude Comportementale des Hommilières pour l'Optimisation

An Ant Colony Optimisation technique has been implemented in order to help students visit pedagogical items proposed by Paraschool (a French leading e-learning company). The large number of students (more than 250 000) suggested to students as artificial ants, to leave stigmergic information on the web-site graph. This difference brought many changes in the original ACO process, but also a large improvement in the students' guiding system. The concept of Man-Hill has therefore been introduced.At this stage, it becomes necessary to rate the pedagogical items to refine the model and propose the students with items corresponding to their level. The Elo rating (used in Chess competitions) is used for his purpose. As a side effect, it revealed to be also a powerful audit system that can track semantic problem in exercises.Ce travail de recherche se place dans le cadre de l'adaptation du paradigme de l'Optimisation par Colonie de Fourmis (OCF) à l'environnement du logiciel d'e-learning de la société Paraschool (leader français du soutien scolaire sur internet) pour le rendre intelligent et réactif à l'utilisateur. Le grand nombre d'utilisateurs a permis d'associer chaque élève à une fourmi, ce qui signifie que le mécanisme d'optimisation n'est plus basé sur une colonie de fourmis artificielles, mais sur une « colonie d'élèves » que nous appellerons Hommilière.Dans le but d'adapter la force des exercices aux élèves, la notation Elo des échecs a été appliquée afin d'évaluer le niveau des élèves et des items. En plus de cela, le système Elo s'avère être un très bon système d'audit, capable, entre autres, de mettre en évidence les erreurs sémantiques des exercices