Analysis and Diversion of Duqu's Driver

The propagation techniques and the payload of Duqu have been closely studied over the past year and it has been said that Duqu shared functionalities with Stuxnet. We focused on the driver used by Duqu during the infection, our contribution consists in reverse-engineering the driver: we rebuilt its source code and analyzed the mechanisms it uses to execute the payload while avoiding detection. Then we diverted the driver into a defensive version capable of detecting injections in Windows binaries, thus preventing further attacks. We specifically show how Duqu's modified driver would have detected Duqu.Comment: Malware 2013 - 8th International Conference on Malicious and Unwanted Software (2013

Progressive Block Graying and Landmarks Enhancing as Intermediate Representations between Buildings and Urban Areas

workshopInternational audienceGeovisualization applications that allow the navigation between maps at different scales while zooming in and out often provide no smooth transition between the individual building level of abstraction and the representation of whole urban areas as polygons. In order to reduce the cognitive load of the user, we seek to add intermediate zoom levels with intermediate and progressive abstractions between buildings and urban areas. This paper proposes a method based on progressive block graying while enhancing building landmarks, to derive these intermediate representations from the individual buildings. Block graying is based on an automatic building classification, and a multiple criteria decision technique to infer inner city blocks. The landmarks identification relies on machine learning and several criteria based on geometry and spatial relations. The method is tested with real cartographic data between the 1:25k (with individual buildings) and the 1:100k scale (with urban areas): transitions with one, two, or three intermediate representations are derived and tested

Assessing the Variation of Visual Complexity in Multi-Scale Maps with Clutter Measures

workshopInternational audienceMapping applications, where a multi-scale navigation is available, display multi-scale maps, i.e. a set of maps at different scales. Across scales, the map levels (Fig. 1) can present large differences in terms of representation, due to cartographic generalisation. In our research project [2], we assume that adding intermediate representations between existing map levels could be one way to reduce these differences and to enable smooth transitions while zooming. Inspired by the literature (§2.b), we believe that smooth zooming requires regular and small variations of map complexity across scales. In this paper, we present our experiments assessing clutter variation in existing multi-scale maps. This study seeks to identify if clutter variations may predict the perceived variation of visual complexity in multi-scale maps. After presenting some research works connected to our experiments (§2), the following sections address our research issues and study procedure (§3), then results analysis (§4). Lastly, we discuss the relevance of clutter measures for our project and presents our future work (§5)

Designing Multi-Scale Maps: Lessons Learned from Existing Practices

International audienceMapping applications display multi-scale maps where zooming in and out triggers the display of different maps at different scales. Multi-scale maps strongly augmented the potential uses of maps, compared to the traditional single-scaled paper maps. But the exploration of the multi-scale maps can be cognitively difficult for users because the content of the maps can be very different at different scales. This paper seeks to identify the factors in the design of map content and style that increase or decrease the exploration cognitive load, in order to improve multi-scales map design. We studied sixteen existing examples of multi-scale maps to identify these factors that influence a fluid zooming interaction. Several different analyses were conducted on these sixteen multiscale maps. We first conducted a guided visual exploration of the maps, and a detailed study of the scales of the maps, to identify general trends of good practices (e.g. the WMTS standard that defines zoom levels is widely used) and potential ways of improvement (e.g. a same map is often used at multiple successive zoom levels). Then, we focused on the visual complexity of the multi-scale maps by analyzing how it varies, continuously or not, across scales, using clutter measures, which showed a peak of complexity at zoom level 12 of the WMTS standard. Finally, we studied how buildings and roads are subject to abstraction changes across scales (e.g. at what zoom level individual buildings turn into built-up areas), which can be one of the causes of exploration difficulties. We identified some good practices to reduce the impact of abstraction changes, for instance by mixing different levels of abstraction in the same map.Les applications cartographiques actuelles affichent des cartes multi-échelles, dans lesquelles une interaction de zoom avant ou arrière déclenche l'affichage d'une nouvelle carte à plus grande ou plus petite échelle. Ces cartes multi-échelles permettent des utilisations beaucoup plus vastes et diverses que les traditionnelles cartes topographiques imprimées sur papier. Mais l'exploration interactive de ces cartes peut entrainer une charge cognitive assez lourde car le contenu des cartes peut varier très fortement entre les différentes échelles, et il devient difficile de se repérer. Cet article cherche à identifier les facteurs du design cartographique qui influent sur cette charge cognitive lors d'un changement d'échelle, avec pour objectif à long terme d'améliorer les pratiques de conception de cartes multi-échelles. Nous avons ainsi étudié seize exemples de cartes multi-échelles pour identifier les facteurs permettant d'influer sur la fluidité du zoom. Plusieurs analyses différentes ont été menées sur ces seize cartes. Nous avons d'abord réalisé une analyse visuelle de ces cartes selon divers critères, et une étude détaillée des différentes échelles utilisées, afin d'identifier des tendances (comme l'utilisation massive du standard WMTS), ou des pistes d'amélioration (par exemple, l'utilisation d'une même carte à plusieurs échelles parait sous-optimale). Nous avons ensuite mesuré la variation de complexité visuelle des cartes quand les échelles varient à l'aide de mesures de l'effet de ≪ clutter ≫ ce qui a notamment montré un pic de complexité pour les cartes présentées au niveau de zoom n∘12 du standard WMTS. Enfin, nous avons étudié les changements de niveau d'abstraction spécifiquement sur les thèmes ≪ bâti ≫ et ≪ routes ≫ (par exemple à quelle échelle la représentation des bâtiments individuels est remplacée par une représentation de l'aire urbaine), ce qui a permis de mettre en valeur une cause possible de ces difficultés d'exploration. Des bonnes pratiques ont été identifiées pour une meilleure transition entre les niveaux d'abstraction, notamment en les combinant dans une même carte à une échelle de transition

Regulation of virulence in Francisella tularensis by small non-coding RNAs

Using a cDNA cloning and sequencing approach we have shown that Francisella tularensis expresses homologues of several small RNAs
(sRNAs) that are well-conserved among diverse bacteria. We have also discovered two abundant putative sRNAs that share no sequence similarity or conserved genomic context with any previously annotated regulatory transcripts. Deletion of either of these two loci led to significant changes in the expression of several mRNAs that likely include the cognate target(s) of these sRNAs. Deletion of these sRNAs did not, however, significantly alter F. tularensis growth under various stress conditions in vitro, its replication in murine cells, or its ability to induce disease in a mouse model of F. tularensis infection

Quasi-interpretations a way to control resources

International audienceThis paper presents in a reasoned way our works on resource analysis by quasi- interpretations. The controlled resources are typically the runtime, the runspace or the size of a result in a program execution. Quasi-interpretations allow analyzing system complexity. A quasi-interpretation is a numerical assignment, which provides an upper bound on computed func- tions and which is compatible with the program operational semantics. Quasi- interpretation method offers several advantages: (i) It provides hints in order to optimize an execution, (ii) it gives resource certificates, and (iii) finding quasi- interpretations is decidable for a broad class which is relevant for feasible com- putations. By combining the quasi-interpretation method with termination tools (here term orderings), we obtained several characterizations of complexity classes starting from Ptime and Pspace

Commerce vertical et propagation des chocs de prix:Le cas de la zone euro

La décomposition des chaînes de valeur internationales est un aspect important de la mondialisation. Partant d’une hypothèse d’inflation par les coûts, nous examinons la propagation des chocs d’offre sur les prix à partir des tableaux Input-Output mondiaux. Le modèle de Leontief adapté dans le cadre d'une économie monde nous permet d'analyser empiriquement l’impact de chocs de change et de productivité sur la zone euro et sur le reste du monde lorsque ces chocs émanent de la zone euro. Nous montrons que la diffusion des chocs opère principalement au premier tour et dépend de la part des inputs importés dans la production ou les exportations. En outre, les chocs de change sont en partie compensés par une modification des prix des inputs ce qui, en cas d'appréciation, limite la perte de compétitivité. L'ampleur de cette compensation n'est pas négligeable et elle est d’autant plus élevée que les pays de la zone euro sont ouverts. Elle est ainsi plus forte pour l’Allemagne (avec une élasticité des prix d’exportation à un choc de l’euro de -9 %) que pour la France (-8 %). L’impact des chocs de productivité est plus important que celui des chocs de change en raison d’un effet de résonance domestique avant leur diffusion internationale. Parmi les grands pays, l’Allemagne est celui qui bénéficie le plus des chocs positifs de productivité émanant des PECO hors zone euro : dans ce cas, l’élasticité de ses prix d’exportation est de 6 % contre 2,5 % pour la France

Inflammatory bowel diseases and food additives:to add fuel on the flames!

International audienc

Methodology of research in the fight against rockbursts at the Provence colliery

International audienceA research program has been carried out at INERIS aiming to quantify rockburst potential at the Provence colliery. As a part of the research, numerical modeling of fractured rock mass has been undertaken, using the three-dimensional distinct element code 3DEC. Results presented in this paper demonstrate a very good agreement between calculated deformations of modeled faults and the rockburst sequence experienced at the Estaque-sud district of the colliery