Probabilistic evaluation to improve design of impact–echo sources

The aim of the study reported in this paper was to provide rational aid tools to quantify the performance of nondestructive testing (NDT) tools. This study focused on the quantification of the performance of impact-echo sources (steel balls of varied diameters), applied with a new, contactless robot, for duct void detection and thickness measurements in a reinforced concrete wall. Because of uncertainties during the testing, the data were analyzed in a probabilistic context, with the knowledge that on-site inspections were affected by uncertainties. The αδ method was used in this regard, where the probabilities of detection and false alarm rates were used to build receiver operating characteristic curves. The methodology was applied to data measured on the same wall with two steel ball diameters: 0.16 and 0.125 m. The quantity analyzed here was the impact-echo method (resonance) frequency. This methodology could be extended to other parameters of the impact-echo setup as well as to other NDT methods

Basis convergence of range-separated density-functional theory

Range-separated density-functional theory is an alternative approach to Kohn-Sham density-functional theory. The strategy of range-separated density-functional theory consists in separating the Coulomb electron-electron interaction into long-range and short-range components, and treating the long-range part by an explicit many-body wave-function method and the short-range part by a density-functional approximation. Among the advantages of using many-body methods for the long-range part of the electron-electron interaction is that they are much less sensitive to the one-electron atomic basis compared to the case of the standard Coulomb interaction. Here, we provide a detailed study of the basis convergence of range-separated density-functional theory. We study the convergence of the partial-wave expansion of the long-range wave function near the electron-electron coalescence. We show that the rate of convergence is exponential with respect to the maximal angular momentum L for the long-range wave function, whereas it is polynomial for the case of the Coulomb interaction. We also study the convergence of the long-range second-order M{{\o}}ller-Plesset correlation energy of four systems (He, Ne, N2, and H2O) with the cardinal number X of the Dunning basis sets cc-p(C)VXZ, and find that the error in the correlation energy is best fitted by an exponential in X. This leads us to propose a three-point complete-basis-set extrapolation scheme for range-separated density-functional theory based on an exponential formula

LMDS base station antenna design

The design of a feed network for a 24 x 2 stratified linearly polarized patch array is presented in this article. This design is a candidate for an LMDS Base Station antenna and complies with ETSI Standard requirements such as polarization, bandwidth, gain, -3 dB beamwidths and Side lobe levels. The feed network has been designed to produce appropriate unequal power excitation for each patch and a match condition at the feed point. Unequal distribution of the power improves the side lobe level. From simulation, the array antenna yields -23 dB return loss in the LMDS band, narrow -3 dB beamwidths of 2.9° and 46° in the elevation plane and azimuth plane respectively, high gain of 23 dB and 7.5 % bandwidth satisfying with ETSI Standard

Combining NDT tools for analysing the efficiency of repair techniques of wharves: the MAREO project

ISBN: 9780415669863Repair of structures in concrete is still a challenge, especially when access and environment offer a difficult context such as the case of wharves. Concerning the repair of concrete for marine structures, European standards give the requirements in predefined and standardised conditions. However, repair of wharves is performed in harsh conditions such as access, humidity and operator position. These conditions do not enable the direct application of standards. By accounting for these requirements, the repair technique consists in rebuilding the concrete cover and in some cases using protective coating for some beams. In this paper, we focus on the concrete repair techniques. The aim of MAREO project (French project of the National competitive cluster in Civil Engineering and Eco-Building) is to compare several repair techniques carried out in the most complex area for repair: the tidal zone. The project deals with initial performance, sustainability, cost of durability and concrete properties monitoring by Destructive Testing (DT) and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques. The studied NDT techniques are: impact-echo, surface waves, multi-offset radar, and capacitive method. Both, beams placed in natural exposure and slabs specimens placed in accelerated conditions in laboratory are considered. For all the beams, the contaminated concrete was removed using high-velocity water jets (hydro-demolition). The selected techniques are wet shotcrete, dry shotcrete, formed concrete and manual repair. This paper focuses on the ability of NDT techniques to evaluate the changes of properties related to the chloride ingress in concrete both on site and in accelerated laboratory conditions. The interest of each technique and its sensitivity to several physical factors are highlighted. The need of NDT-combination is illustrated

IIAC – Laboratoire d’anthropologie et d’histoire de l’institution de la culture (LAHIC)

Marie Scarpa, professeur à l’Université de Metz/Paul-VerlaineJean-Marie Privat, professeur à l’Université de Metz/Paul-VerlaineThierry Wendling, chargé de recherche au CNRSDaniel Fabre, directeur d’étudesFranck Beuvier, Odile Vincent, ingénieurs d’études Marie Scarpa, professeur à l’Université de Metz/Paul-Verlaine Jean-Marie Privat, professeur à l’Université de Metz/Paul-Verlaine Ethnocritique de la littérature Marie Scarpa a poursuivi son étude de la situation de ces personnages des seuils ..

Effect of Leucovorin (Folinic Acid) on the Developmental Quotient of Children with Down's Syndrome (Trisomy 21) and Influence of Thyroid Status

International audienceBACKGROUND: Seven genes involved in folate metabolism are located on chromosome 21. Previous studies have shown that folate deficiency may contribute to mental retardation in Down's syndrome (DS). METHODOLOGY: We investigated the effect of oral folate supplementation (daily dose of 1.0+/-0.3 mg/kg) on cognitive functions in DS children, aged from 3 to 30 months. They received 1 mg/kg leucovorin or placebo daily, for 12 months, in a single-centre, randomised, double-blind study. Folinic acid (leucovorin, LV) was preferred to folic acid as its bioavailability is higher. The developmental age (DA) of the patients was assessed on the Brunet-Lezine scale, from baseline to the end of treatment. RESULTS: The intent-to-treat analysis (113 patients) did not show a positive effect of leucovorin treatment. However, it identified important factors influencing treatment effect, such as age, sex, and concomitant treatments, including thyroid treatment in particular. A per protocol analysis was carried out on patients evaluated by the same examiner at the beginning and end of the treatment period. This analysis of 87 patients (43 LV-treated vs. 44 patients on placebo) revealed a positive effect of leucovorin on developmental age (DA). DA was 53.1% the normal value with leucovorin and only 44.1% with placebo (p<0.05). This positive effect of leucovorin was particularly strong in patients receiving concomitant thyroxin treatment (59.5% vs. 41.8%, p<0.05). No adverse event related to leucovorin was observed. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that leucovorin improves the psychomotor development of children with Down's syndrome, at least in some subgroups of the DS population, particularly those on thyroxin treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00294593

Profil des diabetiques de 20 ans a 79 ans de l’enquete nationale sur la prevalence et caracteristiques du diabete en Côte d’Ivoire

Diabetes is a public health problem in Côte d'Ivoire. The general objective of this study is to profile the diabetics of the national survey on the prevalence and characteristics of diabetes in Côte d'Ivoire among people aged 20 to 79 years. This is a cross-sectional study with descriptive and analytical aims based on a secondary analysis&nbsp; of&nbsp; data&nbsp; from&nbsp; the&nbsp; national&nbsp; survey&nbsp; on&nbsp; the&nbsp; prevalence&nbsp; and&nbsp; characteristics&nbsp; of&nbsp; diabetes&nbsp; in&nbsp; Côte d'Ivoire conducted from November 25 to December 22, 2017. It involved 193 diabetics among 197 diabetic respondents of the study. It involved 3,198 subjects aged 20 and 79 years. Factors associated with diabetic status (known or unknown diabetic) were sought by binary logistic regression. The primary study included 3198 individuals aged 20 to 79 years. Most respondents&nbsp; were&nbsp; female&nbsp; (59.05)&nbsp; with&nbsp; an&nbsp; average&nbsp; age&nbsp; of&nbsp; 48.72 years, lived in urban areas (78.1) and had no health insurance (92.51%). In this study, almost half (47.7%) of the people with diabetes were unaware of their chronically high blood sugar status. From the multivariate analysis, the probability of not knowing the chronic hyperglycemic was higher among diabetics living in rural areas, snacking between main meals, not hypertensive and without a history of family diabetes (p&lt;0.05, OR&gt;1). However, it was low among diabetics over 50 years of age (p&lt;0.05, OR&lt;1). This study highlights the need to adopt appropriate strategies and implement interventions for the prevention, screening, diagnosis and early management of diabetes in Côte d'Ivoire, particularly in rural areas.Le diabète constitue un problème de santé publique en Côte d’Ivoire. L'objectif général de la présente étude est de dresser le profil des diabétiques de l’enquête nationale sur la prévalence et les caractéristiques du diabète en Côte d’Ivoire chez les personnes de 20 ans à 79 ans. Il s’agit d’une étude transversale à visée analytique à partir d’une analyse secondaire des données de l’enquête nationale sur la prévalence et les caractéristiques du diabète en Côte d’Ivoire, réalisée du 25 Novembre au 22 Décembre 2017. Elle concerne 193 sujets sur un total de 197 ayant participé à l’étude. Les facteurs associés au statut de diabétique (diabétique connu ou diabétique méconnu) ont été recherchés par la régression logistique binaire. L’étude primaire a porté sur 3198 personnes âgées de 20 ans à 79 ans. Les participants, en majorité de sexe féminin (59,05%), avaient un âge moyen de 48,72 ans, vivaient en milieu urbain (78,1%) et n’avaient pas de protection sociale ou assurance maladie (92,51%). De l’analyse multivariée, la probabilité d’ignorance de l’état d’hyperglycémie chronique chez les personnes âgées de 20 ans et 79 ans était plus élevée chez les diabétiques vivant en zone rurale, grignotant entre les principaux repas, non hypertendus et sans antécédent de diabète familial (p&lt;0,05, OR&gt;1). Cependant celle-ci est faible chez les diabétiques de plus de 50 ans (p&lt;0,05, OR&lt;1). Cette étude souligne la nécessité de l’adoption de stratégies appropriées et de la mise en œuvre d’interventions en faveur de la prévention, du dépistage, du diagnostic du diabète et de la prise en charge précoce des diabétiques en Côte d’Ivoire