Architectures adaptatives basse consommation pour les communications sans-fil

This thesis work takes part in the connected objects theme, also known as the Internet of Things (IoT). It emerges from the Internet democratization since the early 2000's and the shift to highly mobile devices, made possible by the miniaturization of embedded systems. In this context, the energy efficiency is mandatory since today's projections are around tens of billions of connected devices in 2020. However for ease of deployment and usage, a large part of the data transfers in these networks is wireless, which implementation represents a significant part of the power consumption. Indeed, the energy efficiency question is addressed in general as a fine tuning of hardware architectures, which is often associated with a favorable technology evolution. Nevertheless, this design paradigm quickly reached its limits since it necessary implies a highly constrained sizing to be compatible with the worst operating conditions, even if they are not effective most of the time. It's typically the case with wireless communications since the radio channel is a medium characterized by a strong variability due to propagations effects and interferences. Thus, our study focused on the design of a communication chain whose link budget can be dynamically tuned depending on the actual signal attenuation, in order to reduce the system power consumption. The thesis has contributed to the design of a self-adaptive receiver dedicated to IEEE 802.15.4 standard, by proposing both a reconfigurable digital baseband architecture and an automatic control method of the operating mode. More precisely, the work relied on two approaches, the compressive sampling and the partial sampling, to reduce the data's size to process, decreasing the internal activity of arithmetics operators. In return, the demodulation processing needs a higher SNR, degrading in the same time the receiver sensitivity and thus the link budget. This solution, implemented in an STMicroelectronics CMOS 65 nm LP process, offers a low hardware overhead compared to conventional architecture with only 23,4 kgates. Thanks to the circuit physical model that has been developed, the power consumption for a packet demodulation is estimated to 278 uW when the baseband is fully activated. It can however be gradually decreased down to 119 uW, corresponding to a sensitivity reduction of 10 dB. Thus, the proposed digital baseband and its control loop save 30 % of energy in average in a typical use case.Ces travaux de thèse s'inscrivent dans la thématique des objets connectés, désormais connue sous le nom de Internet of Things (IoT). Elle trouve son origine dans la démocratisation d'Internet depuis le début des années 2000 et la migration vers des appareils hautement mobiles, rendue possible grâce à la miniaturisation des systèmes embarqués. Dans ce contexte, l'efficacité énergétique est primordiale puisque les projections actuelles parlent de dizaines de milliards de composants connectés à l'horizon 2020. Or pour une question de facilité de déploiement et d'usage, une grande partie des échanges de données dans ces réseaux s'effectue via une liaison sans-fil dont l'implémentation représente une part importante de la consommation. Effectivement, la question de l'efficacité énergétique est en général considérée comme un problème de perfectionnement des architectures matérielles, souvent associé à une évolution favorable de la technologie. Toutefois, ce paradigme atteint rapidement ses limites puisqu'il implique nécessairement un dimensionnement fortement contraint pour être compatible avec les pires conditions d'utilisation, même si elles ne sont pas effectives la plupart du temps. C'est typiquement le cas avec les communications sans-fil puisque le canal radio est un milieu caractérisé par une forte variabilité en raison des phénomènes de propagation et de la présence d'interférences. Notre étude a donc porté sur la conception d'une chaîne de transmission dont le budget de liaison peut être dynamiquement modifié en fonction de l'atténuation réelle du signal, afin de réduire la consommation du système. La thèse a notamment contribué à la mise au point d'un récepteur auto-adaptatif spécifique à la norme IEEE 802.15.4, en proposant à la fois une architecture de modem numérique reconfigurable et à la fois une méthode de contrôle automatique du point de fonctionnement. Plus précisément, le travail s'est appuyé sur deux approches, l'échantillonnage compressif et l'échantillonnage partiel, pour réduire la taille des données à traiter, diminuant ainsi l'activité interne des opérateurs arithmétiques. En contrepartie, le processus de démodulation nécessite un SNR supérieur, dégradant la sensibilité du récepteur et donc le budget de liaison. Cette solution, portée sur une technologie STMicroelectronics CMOS 65 nm LP, offre une faible empreinte matérielle vis-à-vis d'une architecture classique avec seulement 23,4 kcellules. Grâce au modèle physique du circuit qui a été développé, la consommation pour la démodulation d'un paquet est estimée à 278 uW lorsque le modem est intégralement utilisé. Elle peut toutefois être abaissée progressivement jusqu'à 119 uW, correspondant à une baisse de la sensibilité de 10 dB. Ainsi, le modem implémenté et sa boucle de contrôle permettent d'économiser en moyenne 30 % d'énergie dans un cas d'utilisation typique

Mycobacterium abscessus and Children with Cystic Fibrosis

We prospectively studied 298 patients with cystic fibrosis (mean age 11.3 years; range 2 months to 32 years; sex ratio, 0.47) for nontuberculous mycobacteria in respiratory samples from January 1, 1996, to December 31, 1999. Mycobacterium abscessus was by far the most prevalent nontuberculous mycobacterium: 15 patients (6 male, 9 female; mean age 11.9 years; range 2.5–22 years) had at least one positive sample for this microorganism (versus 6 patients positive for M. avium complex), including 10 with >3 positive samples (versus 3 patients for M. avium complex). The M. abscessus isolates from 14 patients were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis: each of the 14 patients harbored a unique strain, ruling out a common environmental reservoir or person-to-person transmission. Water samples collected in the cystic fibrosis center were negative for M. abscessus. This major mycobacterial pathogen in children and teenagers with cystic fibrosis does not appear to be acquired nosocomially

High ecosystem service delivery potential of small woodlands in agricultural landscapes

Global forest loss and fragmentation have strongly increased the frequency of forest patches smaller than a few hectares. Little is known about the biodiversity and ecosystem service supply potential of such small woodlands in comparison to larger forests. As it is widely recognized that high biodiversity levels increase ecosystem functionality and the delivery of multiple ecosystem services, small, isolated woodlands are expected to have a lower potential for ecosystem service delivery than large forests hosting more species. We collected data on the diversity of six taxonomic groups covering invertebrates, plants and fungi, and on the supply potential of five ecosystem services and one disservice within 224 woodlands distributed across temperate Europe. We related their ability to simultaneously provide multiple ecosystem services (multiservice delivery potential) at different performance levels to biodiversity of all studied taxonomic groups (multidiversity), forest patch size and age, as well as habitat availability and connectivity within the landscape, while accounting for macroclimate, soil properties and forest structure. Unexpectedly, despite their lower multidiversity, smaller woodlands had the potential to deliver multiple services at higher performance levels per area than larger woodlands of similar age, probably due to positive edge effects on the supply potential of several ecosystem services. Biodiversity only affected multiservice delivery potential at a low performance level as well as some individual ecosystem services. The importance of other drivers of ecosystem service supply potential by small woodlands in agricultural landscapes also depended on the level of performance and varied with the individual ecosystem service considered. Synthesis and applications. Large, ancient woodlands host high levels of biodiversity and can therefore deliver a number of ecosystem services. In contrast, smaller woodlands in agricultural landscapes, especially ancient woodlands, have a higher potential to deliver multiple ecosystem services on a per area basis. Despite their important contribution to agricultural landscape multifunctionality, small woodlands are not currently considered by public policies. There is thus an urgent need for targeted policy instruments to ensure their adequate management and future conservation in order to either achieve multiservice delivery at high levels or to maximize the delivery of specific ecosystem services

High ecosystem service delivery potential of small woodlands in agricultural landscapes

Global forest loss and fragmentation have strongly increased the frequency of forest patches smaller than a few hectares. Little is known about the biodiversity and ecosystem service supply potential of such small woodlands in comparison to larger forests. As it is widely recognized that high biodiversity levels increase ecosystem functionality and the delivery of multiple ecosystem services, small, isolated woodlands are expected to have a lower potential for ecosystem service delivery than large forests hosting more species. We collected data on the diversity of six taxonomic groups covering invertebrates, plants and fungi, and on the supply potential of five ecosystem services and one disservice within 224 woodlands distributed across temperate Europe. We related their ability to simultaneously provide multiple ecosystem services (multiservice delivery potential) at different performance levels to biodiversity of all studied taxonomic groups (multidiversity), forest patch size and age, as well as habitat availability and connectivity within the landscape, while accounting for macroclimate, soil properties and forest structure. Unexpectedly, despite their lower multidiversity, smaller woodlands had the potential to deliver multiple services at higher performance levels per area than larger woodlands of similar age, probably due to positive edge effects on the supply potential of several ecosystem services. Biodiversity only affected multiservice delivery potential at a low performance level as well as some individual ecosystem services. The importance of other drivers of ecosystem service supply potential by small woodlands in agricultural landscapes also depended on the level of performance and varied with the individual ecosystem service considered. Synthesis and applications. Large, ancient woodlands host high levels of biodiversity and can therefore deliver a number of ecosystem services. In contrast, smaller woodlands in agricultural landscapes, especially ancient woodlands, have a higher potential to deliver multiple ecosystem services on a per area basis. Despite their important contribution to agricultural landscape multifunctionality, small woodlands are not currently considered by public policies. There is thus an urgent need for targeted policy instruments to ensure their adequate management and future conservation in order to either achieve multiservice delivery at high levels or to maximize the delivery of specific ecosystem services

Present eternity : quests of temporality in the literary production of the "extrême contemporain" in France (The Writings of Dominique Fourcade and Emmanuel Hocquard)

The term \uab extr\ueame contemporain \ubb is an expression currently used by scholars to indicate the French literary production of the last 20 years. This term was used in a work of literature for the first time by the French poet Dominique Fourcade in 1986 (\uc9l\ue9gie L apostrophe E.C.) in reference to an epoch, but also to a new sense of experiencing time and space in the so-called \uab age of digital reproducibility \ubb. The aim of this paper is to consider how the change in temporal protocols due to the triumph of Big Optics (Paul Virilio) affects the sense of teleology (destiny) and the quest for experience in French contemporary poetry (in particular, in the genre of the elegy). Including both memory and anticipation, the \uab extr\ueame contemporain \ubb production seems to prefer the \u201ctime of now\u201d, Jetz-zeit in Benjamin\u2019s words, to past or testimony, and speaks to the present, whose responsibility is to give voice to a space where everything is simply allowed to happen

High Resolution Genome-Wide Analysis of Chromosomal Alterations in Burkitt's Lymphoma

Additional chromosomal abnormalities are currently detected in Burkitt's lymphoma. They play major roles in the progression of BL and in prognosis. The genes involved remain elusive. A whole-genome oligonucleotide array CGH analysis correlated with karyotype and FISH was performed in a set of 27 Burkitt's lymphoma-derived cell lines and primary tumors. More than half of the 145 CNAs<2 Mb were mapped to Mendelian CNVs, including GSTT1, glutathione s-transferase and BIRC6, an anti-apoptotic protein, possibly predisposing to some cancers. Somatic cell line-specific CNVs localized to the IG locus were consistently observed with the 244 K aCGH platform. Among 136 CNAs >2 Mb, gains were found in 1q (12/27), 13q (7/27), 7q (6/27), 8q(4/27), 2p (3/27), 11q (2/27) and 15q (2/27). Losses were found in 3p (5/27), 4p (4/27), 4q (4/27), 9p (4/27), 13q (4/27), 6p (3/27), 17p (3/27), 6q (2/27),11pterp13 (2/27) and 14q12q21.3 (2/27). Twenty one minimal critical regions (MCR), (range 0.04–71.36 Mb), were delineated in tumors and cell lines. Three MCRs were localized to 1q. The proximal one was mapped to 1q21.1q25.2 with a 6.3 Mb amplicon (1q21.1q21.3) harboring BCA2 and PIAS3. In the other 2 MCRs, 1q32.1 and 1q44, MDM4 and AKT3 appeared as possible drivers of these gains respectively. The 13q31.3q32.1 <89.58–96.81> MCR contained an amplicon and ABCC4 might be the driver of this amplicon. The 40 Kb 2p16.1 <60.96–61> MCR was the smallest gained MCR and specifically encompassed the REL oncogene which is already implicated in B cell lymphomas. The most frequently deleted MCR was 3p14.1 <60.43–60.53> that removed the fifth exon of FHIT. Further investigations which combined gene expression and functional studies are essential to understand the lymphomagenesis mechanism and for the development of more effective, targeted therapeutic strategies

Mathematics and biology: a Kantian view on the history of pattern formation theory

Driesch’s statement, made around 1900, that the physics and chemistry of his day were unable to explain self-regulation during embryogenesis was correct and could be extended until the year 1972. The emergence of theories of self-organisation required progress in several areas including chemistry, physics, computing and cybernetics. Two parallel lines of development can be distinguished which both culminated in the early 1970s. Firstly, physicochemical theories of self-organisation arose from theoretical (Lotka 1910–1920) and experimental work (Bray 1920; Belousov 1951) on chemical oscillations. However, this research area gained broader acceptance only after thermodynamics was extended to systems far from equilibrium (1922–1967) and the mechanism of the prime example for a chemical oscillator, the Belousov–Zhabotinski reaction, was deciphered in the early 1970s. Secondly, biological theories of self-organisation were rooted in the intellectual environment of artificial intelligence and cybernetics. Turing wrote his The chemical basis of morphogenesis (1952) after working on the construction of one of the first electronic computers. Likewise, Gierer and Meinhardt’s theory of local activation and lateral inhibition (1972) was influenced by ideas from cybernetics. The Gierer–Meinhardt theory provided an explanation for the first time of both spontaneous formation of spatial order and of self-regulation that proved to be extremely successful in elucidating a wide range of patterning processes. With the advent of developmental genetics in the 1980s, detailed molecular and functional data became available for complex developmental processes, allowing a new generation of data-driven theoretical approaches. Three examples of such approaches will be discussed. The successes and limitations of mathematical pattern formation theory throughout its history suggest a picture of the organism, which has structural similarity to views of the organic world held by the philosopher Immanuel Kant at the end of the eighteenth century

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

A History of Universalism: Conceptions of the Internationality of Science from the Enlightenment to the Cold War

That science is fundamentally universal has been proclaimed innumerable times. But the precise geographical meaning of this universality has changed historically. This article examines conceptions of scientific internationalism from the Enlightenment to the Cold War, and their varying relations to cosmopolitanism, nationalism, socialism, and 'the West'. These views are confronted with recent tendencies to cast science as a uniquely European product