Review of economic bubbles

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This paper investigates the history of economic bubbles and attempts to identify whether there are direct correlations between different bubbles. To support this research, literature has been consulted on historical and recent bubbles, theories surrounding speculation, the market for venture capital, and bubbles in the technology sector. By analysing a range of bubbles, rather than just those in the technology sector, general bubble-principles are also identified. All the economic bubbles are classified under "uncontrolled risk" and a recommended method that can detect and analyse full impacts by uncontrolled risk will be presented, together with future directions to be discussed

French Roadmap for complex Systems 2008-2009

This second issue of the French Complex Systems Roadmap is the outcome of the Entretiens de Cargese 2008, an interdisciplinary brainstorming session organized over one week in 2008, jointly by RNSC, ISC-PIF and IXXI. It capitalizes on the first roadmap and gathers contributions of more than 70 scientists from major French institutions. The aim of this roadmap is to foster the coordination of the complex systems community on focused topics and questions, as well as to present contributions and challenges in the complex systems sciences and complexity science to the public, political and industrial spheres

Diagnosis and treatment of urticaria and angioedema: a worldwide perspective

Urticaria and angioedema are common clinical conditions representing a major concern for physicians and patients alike. The World Allergy Organization (WAO), recognizing the importance of these diseases, has contributed to previous guidelines for the diagnosis and management of urticaria. The Scientific and Clinical Issues Council of WAO proposed the development of this global Position Paper to further enhance the clinical management of these disorders through the participation of renowned experts from all WAO regions of the world. Sections on definition and classification, prevalence, etiology and pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis are based on the best scientific evidence presently available. Additional sections devoted to urticaria and angioedema in children and pregnant women, quality of life and patient-reported outcomes, and physical urticarias have been incorporated into this document. It is expected that this article will supplement recent international guidelines with the contribution of an expert panel designated by the WAO, increasing awareness of the importance of urticaria and angioedema in medical practice and will become a useful source of information for optimum patient management worldwide

High yield synthesis of the bovine leukemia virus (BLV) p24 major internal protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) p24 gene was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of the PHO5 (encoding repressible acid phosphatase, rAPase) promoter. Yeast cells were transformed by a yeast-E. coli shuttle vector carrying the PH05 promoter, the p24 gene and the CYC1 transcription terminator. After low inorganic phosphate (Pi) induction of the PHO5 promoter, p24 accumulated in the producing cells up to a concentration representing 10% of total soluble proteins. The expression level of p24 gene was not increased by insertion of the positive regulatory gene PHO4 on the p24 expression vector. The p24 produced in this system and incubated in crude yeast extract showed a remarkably high resistance to proteolytic degradation, a feature that presumably correlates with the compact globular conformation of the protein combined to the stabilizing effect of the N-terminal residue. © 1989.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Data from marine grab samples collected during the AUPASED surveys

Sediment database form marine grab samples collected during the three AUPASED surveysGround truth data are considered as highly valuable inputs for seabed sediment mapping. The AUPASED project (Faisabilité de la détermination automatique de paramètres sédimentaires dans le contexte de domaines estuariens - CNRS/OFB - France) aims to test and explore cartographic methods to map estuarine domains. These domains are considered as transitions between the continent and the marine domain. It implies a complex processes and high physical, hydrodynamic, sedimentary and biologic gradient which influence the sediment and morphological variations of the seabed. Cartography of three systems, Orne estuary, Somme Bay and the Belon estuary (Atlantic and English Channel coast of France) has been performed with acoustic mapping tools. The interpretation of the seabed backscatter for seabed sediment mapping requires ground truth data and especially sediment samples.During the three AUPASED surveys, a total of 196 sediment samples were collected with a 50 kg Shipek grab (operated form the R/V “Haliotis”, 15 samples) and with a 25 kg Van Veen grab (operated from the R/V “Monod”, 161 samples). Once aboard, supernatant was removed after a short period of decantation. Then, each sediment samples were transferred into a plastic bag stored into attached lid containers. The 20 remaining samples have been collected at low tide and directly transferred into plastic bags.Granulometric analyses of sediment samples have been performed at Caen University, in M2C laboratory. The first granulometric analysis is a mechanical sieving of the sediments performed with a Retsch AS300 Control. Before the mechanical sieving, sediment samples were washed to separate the sediment fraction smaller than 63 µm from the bulk sample. Then both fractions were dried, weighted and stored. Sediment fractions coarser than 63 µm were sifted by using a column of 26 sieves with mesh size ranging from 20 mm to 63 µm (full list is: 20 mm – 16 mm – 12.5 mm – 10 mm – 8 mm – 6.3 mm – 5 mm – 4 mm – 3.150 mm – 2.5 mm – 2 mm – 1.6 mm – 1.250 mm – 1 mm – 0.800 mm – 0.630 mm – 0.500 mm – 0.400 mm – 0.315 mm – 0.250 mm – 0.200 mm – 0.160 mm – 0.125 mm – 0.100 mm – 0.080 mm – 0.063 mm). For each sieve, the sieve residual was weighted and stored. The sediment fraction smaller than 2 mm was also analysed by Laser Granulometry with a particle size analyser LS13320 and the Aqueous Liquid Module (ALM) from Beckman Coulter. Calcimetric analyses have been performed on bulk sample using a Bernard Calcimeter.All granulometry results from mechanical sieving and Laser Granulometry have been processed with GRADISTAT v8.0 (Blott & Pye, 2001). Data processing have been performed by using the ‘Single Sample Data Input’. All ‘Single Sample Statistics’ results produced were exported as PDF and have been synthetized within this published database.The present CSV files corresponds each to one sediment sample database associated to one survey. All CSV database includes the same following information ; Survey name, Sample ID, Longitude, Latitude, X, Y, Sampling tool, Analysis method (mechanical sieving or laser), Total sample weight sieved (g), % of weight for each sieve mesh size (mm) listed above and % in volume for Laser analysis, Textural group, Sediment Name, Gravel content (%), Sand content (%), Mud content (%), Lithoclastic content (%) for sediment fraction larger than 2mm, Shell content (%) for sediment fraction larger than 2mm and total bulk carbonate (%). Samples with label starting at 100 correspond to those collected by the R/V ‘Haliotis’ during the AUPASED2 and AUPASED3 surveys. Samples with label starting at 200 are those sampled at low tide during the AUPASED3 survey. Samples collected at low tide during AUPASED1 are included in the global list. All D50, D90, Mean grain size, Sorting and Skewness parameters are included in both geometric (µm) and logarithmic (phi) units. Gravel, Sand and Mud are defined in GRADISTAT v8.0 by following the sediment size scale modified from Udden (1914) and Wentworth (1922). Textural group and Sediment Name are defined in GRADISTAT v8.0 according to Folk (1954). Coordinates are expressed in World Mercator WGS84 decimal degrees for Latitude and Longitude and in meters for X and Y with Lambert-93 RFG93 projection. CSV cells filled with n.a. corresponds to samples without information in the specified column

Evaluation des risques de compaction des sols en Région Wallonne (Belgique)

The proposed Soil Framework Directive COM(2006)232 requires Member States to identify areas at risk of erosion, decline in organic matter, salinisation, compaction, sealing and landslides, as well as to set up an inventory of contaminated sites. The present project aims to identify the susceptibility to compaction of soils of the Walloon Region (Belgium) and to recommend good farming practices avoiding soil compaction as far as possible. Within this scope, the concept of precompression stress (Pc) (Horn and Fleige, 2003) was used. Pc is defined as the maximum major principal stress that a soil horizon can withstand against any applied external vertical stress. If applied stress is higher than Pc, the soil enters in a plastic state, not easily reversible. For a given soil, the intensity of soil compaction is mainly due to the applied load which depends on vehicle characteristics (axle load, tyre dimensions, tyre inflation pressure, and vehicle velocity). To determine soil precompression stress, pedotransfert functions of Lebert and Horn (1991) defined at two water suctions (pF 1.8 and 2.5) were used. Parameters required by these functions were found within several databases (Aardewerk and Digital Map of Walloon Soils) and literature. The validation of Pc was performed by measuring stress-strain relationships using automatic oedometers. Stresses of 15.6, 31, 3, 62.5, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 kPa were applied for 10 min each. In this study, the compaction due to beet harvesters was considered because the axle load can exceed 10 tons and these machines are often used during wet conditions. The compaction at two depth levels was considered: 30 and 50 cm. Compaction of topsoil was not taken into account because, under conventional tillage, the plough depth is lower than 25 cm. Before and after the passage of the machines, following measurements were performed: granulometry, density, soil moisture, pF curve, Atterberg limits, ... The software Soilflex (Keller et al., 2007) was used to estimate the distribution of the vertical stresses sigma z in the soil. Comparison was performed between sigma z and Pc. The following data simulated the passage of a beet harvester machine (mass: 23 580 kg; load: 18 000 kg) in a silty soil located in Hesbaye and classified as Aba (Sirjacobs et al., 2000). The passage of the machine would create a Pc of around 100 kPa at 30 cm depth, while the stress induced by the machine would reach 240 kPa. In the field borders, where more vehicle traffic was usually observed and where the soil was over consolidated, Pc would reach 180 kPa, while sigma z would be 220 kPa. In both cases, the risk of compaction created by the passage of the machine would be high.Evaluation des risques de compaction des sols en Région wallonn

To a sampling and personal fertility advice, the tools for decision support

À l’heure où les questions environnementales et agronomiques imposent à l’agriculteur une gestion toujours plus précise de ses intrants agricoles, l’analyse de terre reste un des outils indispensables d’aide à la décision. Cependant, pour qu’une analyse de terre donne des renseignements valables, il est primordial que l’échantillon soit représentatif de la parcelle étudiée. Sans cette représentativité, un résultat analytique, aussi précis soit-il, perdrait de son sens et pourrait induire l’agriculteur en erreur. Sur le terrain, la principale difficulté pour l’échantillonneur réside dans la reconnaissance des critères pédologiques qui sont pourtant primordiaux pour l’évaluation du conseil de fumure, surtout en Wallonie (Belgique) où la variabilité des sols est très importante. Disposant de la Carte Numérique des Sols de Wallonie (CNSW), levée à l’échelle du 1/5 000, il paraissait opportun de mettre cette mine d’information à la disposition des échantillonneurs, sous une forme facilement et directement utilisable dans le cadre d’un travail de routine. C’est ainsi qu’un portail cartographique, REQUACARTO, a été conçu pour une utilisation par les laboratoires provinciaux d’analyses de terre, membres de l’ASBL REQUASUD. Cet outil répond à un réel besoin en Wallonie : la réalisation d’un échantillonnage de qualité permettant l’élaboration de conseils de fertilisation personnalisés.Environmental and agronomic issues require always more well thought and suited farmer management of agricultural inputs; soil analysis is therefore an essential tool to support decision. However, for a soil analysis to provide valuable information, it is essential for the sample to be representative of the studied field. Without this representativeness, an analytical result, as accurate as it could be, would not be of interest if it could mislead the farmer. In practice, the main difficulty for the sampler is the recognition of soil criteria which are essential to provide a fertility advice, especially in Wallonia (Belgium) where soil variability is very important. With the Digital Soil Map of Wallonia (DSMW), drowned at the scale 1/5,000, it seems appropriate to give these information to the samplers in an useful form for routine works. That is why a mapping tool for decision support, named REQUACARTO, was designed to be used for soil analysis by provincial laboratories, members of the REQUASUD laboratories network. This tool responds to a real requirement in Wallonia: achieving a quality sampling for the development of personalized soil fertility advice

ROS implication in a new antitumor strategy based on non-thermal plasma

International audienceNon-thermal plasma (NTP) is generated by ionizing neutral gas molecules/atoms leading to a highly reactive gas at ambient temperature containing excited molecules, reactive species and generating transient electric fields. Given its potential to interact with tissue or cells without a significant temperature increase, NTP appears as a promising approach for the treatment of various diseases including cancer. The aim of our study was to evaluate the interest of NTP both in vitro and in vivo. To this end, we evaluated the antitumor activity of NTP in vitro on two human cancer cell lines (glioblastoma U87MG and colorectal carcinoma HCT-116). Our data showed that NTP generated a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to the formation of DNA damages. This resulted in a multiphase cell cycle arrest and a subsequent apoptosis induction. In addition, in vivo experiments on U87MG bearing mice showed that NTP induced a reduction of bioluminescence and tumor volume as compared to nontreated mice. An induction of apoptosis was also observed together with an accumulation of cells in S phase of the cell cycle suggesting an arrest of tumor proliferation. In conclusion, we demonstrated here that the potential of NTP to generate ROS renders this strategy particularly promising in the context of tumor treatment

Folha rota, de Machado de Assis: mulheres livres e pobres na ordem patriarcal = Folha rota: free and poor women within patriarchal order

Este artigo analisa o conto Folha rota (1878), de Machado de Assis, levando-se em conta o processo de transformação do patriarcalismo, haja vista sua decadência no contexto de crescente urbanização durante o século XIX. Pautamo-nos na representação que a narrativa faz do cotidiano das personagens femininas para discutir as situações de violência vividas por mulheres livres e pobres envolvidas nas relações de poder inerentes àquela sociedade. Dessa forma, procuramos apontar tanto uma interpretação da obra literária como instrumento de crítica social quanto contribuir para a maior compreensão da obra deMachado de Assis, sobretudo de seus contos.<br><br>This article analyzes the short story Folha rota (1878) by Machado de Assis, taking to account the transformation process of the patriarchy, bearing in mind it’s decadence within the increasing urbanization context through 19th century. From the representation of female characters and their everyday’s life in the narrative, we discuss the violence experienced by free and poor women involved in the inherent power relations in that society. In this perspective, we intend to indicate an interpretation of literary work as an important device of social criticism, as much as, to give a contribution to an accurate comprehension of Machado de Assis’s work, especially his short stories