Using R to Teach Econometrics.

R, an open-source programming environment for data analysis and graphics, has in only a decade grown to become a de-facto standard for statistical analysis against which many popular commercial programs may be measured. The use of R for the teaching of econometric methods is appealing. It provides cutting-edge statistical methods which are, by R's open-source nature, available immediately. The software is stable,available at no cost, and exists for a number of platforms. This review focuses on using R for teaching econometrics. Since R is an extremely powerful environment, this review should also be of interest to researchers.Econometrics; Statistical software; Teaching

Hydrogen maser development at Laval University

The physical construction of two hydrogen masers is described and results of measurements made on one of the masers are given. These include: cavity Q, thermal time constant, line Q, signal power output, magnetic shielding factor. Preliminary results indicate that the frequency stability will be mainly affected by the thermal of the cavity. The magnetic field and the barometric fluctuations should not affect the maser at the stability level above a few parts in 10 to the 15th power, which is the goal for averaging times of several hours

Géographie urbaine et aménagement urbain

Le phénomène urbain est l'un des traits les plus frappants de notre civilisation contemporaine, dont la ville est le creuset. Son importance est telle qu'il devrait être au premier plan des préoccupations de la géographie humaine. L'auteur a donc fait une enquête auprès d'Instituts de géographie français pour connaître la place de la géographie urbaine dans la formation des jeunes géographes et leurs recherches ultérieures. Il a rencontré des professeurs qui participent à l'action par des travaux en urbanisme et en aménagement urbain pour des agences ou des organismes gouvernementaux. Ce sont les résultats de cette enquête et les réflexions qu'elle a, suscitées que nous livre ici l'auteurThe urban phenomenon is one of the most striking features of contemporary civilisation and, as such, should merit a priority status in human geography. With this in mind the author undertook a survey of the various French institutes of geography in order to determine the place of urban geography in the curriculum and in research. Professors active in government-sponsored urbanism and town planning studies were also interviewed. The results of this survey are analysed and discussed in this article

Preliminary vegetation map of the Espenberg Peninsula, Alaska, based on an Earth Resources Technology Satellite image

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Study of the Growth of Entropy Modes in MSSM Flat Directions Decay: Constraints on the Parameter Space

We study how the resonant decay of moduli fields arising in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) could affect large scale curvature perturbations in the early universe. It has been known for some time that the presence of entropy perturbations in a multi-component system can act as seeds for the curvature perturbations on all scales. These entropy perturbations could be amplified exponentially if one of the moduli decays via stochastic resonance, affecting the curvature power spectrum in the process. By imposing the COBE normalization on this power spectrum, one could put constraints on the masses and couplings of the underlying particle physics model without having to rely on collider experiments. We discuss in detail the case of the MSSM but this method could be applied to other theories beyond the Standard Model.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, revtex4, comments added in section II, 1 reference adde

Interaction of yeast eIF4G with spliceosome components Implications in pre-mRNA processing events

International audienceAs evidenced from mammalian cells the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4G has a putative role in nuclear RNA metabolism. Here we investigate whether this role is conserved in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo methods, we show that, similar to mammalian eIF4G, yeast eIF4G homologues, Tif4631p and Tif4632p, are present both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. We show that both eIF4G proteins interact efficiently in vitro with UsnRNP components of the splicing machinery. More specifically, Tif4631p and Tif4632p interact efficiently with U1 snRNA in vitro. In addition, Tif4631p and Tif4632p associate with protein components of the splicing machinery, namely Snu71p and Prp11p. To further delineate these interactions, we map the regions of Tif4631p and Tif4632p that are important for the interaction with Prp11p and Snu71p and we show that addition of these regions to splicing reactions in vitro has a dominant inhibitory effect. The observed interactions implicate eIF4G in aspects of pre-mRNA processing. In support of this hypothesis, deletion of one of the eIF4G isoforms results in accumulation of un-spliced precursors for a number of endogenous genes, in vivo. In conclusion these observations are suggestive of the involvement of yeast eIF4G in pre-mRNA metabolism

Setting and motivation in the decision to participate: An approach to the engagement of diverse samples in mobile research.

Internet and mobile based research are powerful tools in the creation of large, cohort studies (eCohort). However, recent analysis indicates that an underrepresentation of minority and low income groups in these studies might exceed that found in traditional research [1-5]. In this report, we present findings from an experiment in research engagement using the Eureka Research Platform developed to enroll diverse populations in support of biomedical clinical research. This experiment involved the recruitment of African American and Latino participants in a smartphone based survey at a temporary, charitable, dental event sponsored, in part, by the research team, in order to explore the impact of setting and approach on recruitment outcomes. 211 participants enrolled including a significant representation of African Americans (51%) and Latinos (31%) and those with education levels at high school or less (37%). Interviews conducted after the study confirmed that our recruitment efforts within the context of a service event affected the decision to participate. While further research is necessary, this experiment holds promise for the engagement of underrepresented groups in research

De l’idéologie de l’espace à l’idéologie dans l’espace

Plutôt que d'étudier les dimensions idéologiques du discours des géographes, cet article s'interroge sur la pertinence et les méthodes possibles d'une lecture de l'inscription de la dimension idéologique d'une société dans l'espace que celle-ci a produit. Rappelant l'importance d'une réflexion géographique sur les caractéristiques spatiales liées à l'idéologie d'une formation sociale, les auteurs s'appuient sur les études ayant pour but de mesurer la qualité de la vie, telle que perçue par les habitants, ainsi que sur celles portant sur la perception et l'économie politique du risque nucléaire pour reconnaître l'intérêt et la possibilité, sous certaines conditions, d'une étude scientifique des faits idéologiques, tels qu'en dernière analyse ils se lisent dans l'espace géographique lui-même.Rather than studying the ideological dimension of geographical discourse, this article addresses the question of the relevance and possible methodology for analyzing ideological dimensions, within the space created by a given society. Recalling the importance of a geographical approach to spatial characteristics linked to the ideologies of social formations, the authors base their work on studies whose aim is to measure the quality of life, as perceived by the population, as well as those dealing with the awareness and political economy of nuclear risks, to define the relevance and feasibility, under certain circumstances, of the scientific study of ideological phenomena, such as can be ascertained, in the final analysis, from a given geographical space