From crisis to crisis: the high cost of the post-soviet institutional lock-in

In this contribution, we shall try to characterise the Russian growth model the way it appears to have emerged in the 2000s, which we believe useful to explain the country's macroeconomic successes at an earlier stage as well as the severe problems it has to face now. We shall begin by presenting the macroeconomic indicators of the Russian Federation between the 1998 crash and up to the recent 2008 crisis, showing their very significant improvements in practically every area (part 1). However, the qualitative aspects of the economic growth suggest asking whether one the main reasons of Russia's economic success (high commodity prices) did not make it seriously sick with the “Dutch disease” (part 2). We shall further show that the impressive growth before the 2008 crisis was followed by a yet more impressive shock hitting the economy to the extent that very few analysts had imagined (part 3). We believe that the propagation of the crisis was amplified by the specific features of the capitalist system that emerged in Russia in the 2000s, particularly its “international regime” (part 4). We conclude our contribution by saying that the Russian model in the 2000 appeared to be intrinsically unstable before suggesting possible scenarios of finding paths to a sustainable growth model.Russia - diversity of Capitalism - exportism - dutch disease - resource curse - post-soviet transformation

From crisis to crisis: the high cost of the post-soviet institutional lock-in

In this contribution, we shall try to characterise the Russian growth model the way it appears to have emerged in the 2000s, which we believe useful to explain the country's macroeconomic successes at an earlier stage as well as the severe problems it has to face now. We shall begin by presenting the macroeconomic indicators of the Russian Federation between the 1998 crash and up to the recent 2008 crisis, showing their very significant improvements in practically every area (part 1). However, the qualitative aspects of the economic growth suggest asking whether one the main reasons of Russia's economic success (high commodity prices) did not make it seriously sick with the “Dutch disease” (part 2). We shall further show that the impressive growth before the 2008 crisis was followed by a yet more impressive shock hitting the economy to the extent that very few analysts had imagined (part 3). We believe that the propagation of the crisis was amplified by the specific features of the capitalist system that emerged in Russia in the 2000s, particularly its “international regime” (part 4). We conclude our contribution by saying that the Russian model in the 2000 appeared to be intrinsically unstable before suggesting possible scenarios of finding paths to a sustainable growth model

Relation between respiratory variations in pulse oximetry plethysmographic waveform amplitude and arterial pulse pressure in ventilated patients.

IntroductionRespiratory variation in arterial pulse pressure is a reliable predictor of fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients with circulatory failure. The main limitation of this method is that it requires an invasive arterial catheter. Both arterial and pulse oximetry plethysmographic waveforms depend on stroke volume. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the relationship between respiratory variation in arterial pulse pressure and respiratory variation in pulse oximetry plethysmographic (POP) waveform amplitude.MethodThis prospective clinical investigation was conducted in 22 mechanically ventilated patients. Respiratory variation in arterial pulse pressure and respiratory variation in POP waveform amplitude were recorded simultaneously in a beat-to-beat evaluation, and were compared using a Spearman correlation test and a Bland-Altman analysis.ResultsThere was a strong correlation (r2 = 0.83; P < 0.001) and a good agreement (bias = 0.8 +/- 3.5%) between respiratory variation in arterial pulse pressure and respiratory variation in POP waveform amplitude. A respiratory variation in POP waveform amplitude value above 15% allowed discrimination between patients with respiratory variation in arterial pulse pressure above 13% and those with variation of 13% or less (positive predictive value 100%).ConclusionRespiratory variation in arterial pulse pressure above 13% can be accurately predicted by a respiratory variation in POP waveform amplitude above 15%. This index has potential applications in patients who are not instrumented with an intra-arterial catheter

L'aménagement d'une cour d'un centre de distribution : optimisation au moyen d'un outil d'aide à la décision

Le déplacement de remorques dans la cour d'un centre de distribution représente un travail considérable qui doit être effectué par un nombre de ressources limité qui représente une source de coûts importants. L'aménagement des espaces de stationnements, c'est-à-dire, quel serait le meilleur emplacement pour stationner les remorques vides, ou encore celles qui sont prêtes pour leur tournée de livraison, a un impact sur la distance que ces remorques parcourent. Plus une remorque parcourt de distance, plus cela prend du temps et nécessite un plus grand nombre de ressources, ce qui coûte d'avantage d'argent. Outre l'amélioration de l'aménagement de la cour, cette recherche inclut aussi l'exploration des technologies actuellement disponibles pour assister les gestionnaires de cour. Il est intéressant de voir comment ces technologies peuvent mener les entreprises à réaliser des économies de temps et d'argent. Finalement, un lien est fait entre l'amélioration de l'aménagement du stationnement de la cour et l'utilisation de ces technologies. Ce mémoire vise l'atteinte de trois objectifs principaux. Le premier consiste à réaliser une étude sur un sujet qui est encore peu documenté, la gestion de la cour, afin de le faire connaître davantage à la communauté scientifique. Le deuxième consiste à améliorer l'aménagement d'une cour de centre de distribution selon différents scénarios de demande et contraintes spécifiques au partenaire de cette recherche. Rona, une grande entreprise canadienne dans le secteur des matériaux de construction et produits de quincaillerie, a acceptée d'être partenaire dans cette recherche afin d'identifier des pistes possibles de solutions permettant ainsi d'améliorer la performance de leur cour. Le troisième consiste à évaluer l'impact que pourrait avoir l'utilisation des nouvelles technologies disponibles dans le domaine de la gestion de la cour sur la performance de l'organisation. Du côté de la méthodologie, un modèle mathématique présentant le problème d'optimisation de l'aménagement de la cour des centres de distribution est proposé. Par la suite, une étude de cas est réalisée. Différents cas sont chacun représentés par un ensemble de scénarios générés à l'aide d'une simulation Monte Carlo. Pour chaque cas, des aménagements sont conçus. Pour ce faire, un outil de conception en aménagement, HoloDesign, est utilisé. Les principaux résultats de cette étude démontrent que l'amélioration de l'aménagement peut mener à une réduction entre 31 et 44% de la distance totale parcourue par les remorques, la valeur variant selon le cas étudié. Cette étude démontre aussi que la diminution de la distance que parcourent les remorques dans la cour peut aussi être influencée par la modification des processus d'affaires. Lorsque l'on combine la modification des processus et l'amélioration de l'aménagement, l'économie peut atteindre plus de 60%. De plus, grâce aux fonctionnalités offertes par certains logiciels de gestion de la cour, il est aussi possible de faire des économies sans nécessairement être dans l'obligation de modifier l'aménagement de la cour. Cependant, en ajoutant l'utilisation des nouvelles technologies à l'amélioration de l'aménagement et aux modifications aux processus, les économies peuvent être encore plus importantes. Finalement, pour qu'une entreprise soit en mesure d'améliorer son aménagement, il est fortement recommandé d'utiliser un logiciel de gestion de la cour afin d'être en mesure de garder la traçabilité en temps réel sur les remorques qui sont dans la cour et sur leur contenu.\ud ______________________________________________________________________________ \ud MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Gestion de la cour, aménagement, simulation Monte Carlo, système de gestion de cou

Persistent enhancement of the carrier density in electron irradiated InAs nanowires

We report a significant and persistent enhancement of the conductivity in free-standing non intentionnaly doped InAs nanowires upon irradiation in ultra high vacuum. Combining four-point probe transport measurements performed on nanowires with different surface chemistries, field-effect based measurements and numerical simulations of the electron density, the change of the conductivity is found to be caused by the increase of the surface free carrier concentration. Although an electron beam of a few keV, typically used for the inspection and the processing of materials, propagates through the entire nanowire cross-section, we demonstrate that the nanowire electrical properties are predominantly affected by radiation-induced defects occuring at the nanowire surface and not in the bulk.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure

Mise au point d'un dispositif de mesure d'impédance complexe, micro-onde et cryogénique

Ce mémoire rapporte la mise au point d’un montage de mesure de l’impédance complexe d’un échantillon micro fabriqué au travers de son coefficient de réflexion Γ, et ce sur une gamme de fréquences de 200 MHz à 25 GHz et à une température pouvant aller jusqu’à (T∼1, 5 K). Ce montage repose sur l’utilisation de procédures de calibration et d’une sonde micro-onde cryogénique. Le montage est utilisé pour caractériser plusieurs types d’échantillons micro fabriqués : inductance, capacitance, mais aussi une jonction tunnel et une jonction Josephson. Ce mémoire ouvre la porte à une multitude d’expériences à haute fréquence qui permettront d’explorer par exemple la dynamique de systèmes mésoscopiques

Sunfleck properties from time series of fluctuating light

Light in canopies is highly dynamic since the strength and composition of incoming radiation is determined by the wind and the Sun's trajectory and by canopy structure. For this highly dynamic environment, we mathematically defined sunflecks as periods of high irradiance relative to the background light environment. They can account for a large proportion of the light available for photosynthesis. Based on high-frequency irradiance measurements with a CCD array spectroradiometer, we investigated how the frequency of measurement affects what we define as sunflecks. Do different plant canopies produce sunflecks with different properties? How does the spectral composition and strength of irradiance in the shade vary during a sunfleck? Our results suggest that high-frequency measurements improved our description of light fluctuations and led to the detection of shorter, more frequent and intense sunflecks. We found that shorter wind-induced sunflecks contribute most of the irradiance attributable to sunflecks, contrary to previous reports from both forests and crops. Large variations in sunfleck properties related to canopy depth and species, including distinct spectral composition under shade and sunflecks, suggest that mapping canopy structural traits may help us model photosynthesis dynamically.Peer reviewe

Quantification and Variation of Microclimatic Variables Within Tree Canopies-Considerations for Epiphyte Research

Forest canopies are incredibly complex self-maintaining biological structures. Conditions above and within the canopy can differ vastly, often resulting in a vertical gradient of microclimate conditions. Canopy epiphytic plants have to deal with climatic variability on much more variable scales compared to many other plant groups. The difficulty of sensor installation and their high cost can explain why it has been ignored in many studies on canopy epiphytes. Direct measurements of microenvironmental conditions are the only accurate way to assess specific intra-canopy environmental conditions, as there is also still a lack of methodologically and financially viable alternatives to allow the collection of this type of data. This study aims to make recommendations for the direct use of microclimate measurements in epiphyte research and to summarize key discussion points concerning the number and placement of sensors required for different types of epiphyte studies. In addition, we presented high-resolution field data from the United Kingdom, where we employed over 56 microclimate sensors, to demonstrate the spatial and temporal variability of radiation, temperature, and relative humidity (RH) in a tree canopy. Our data demonstrated that sensor height in the tree and leaf-set were the most important factors determining microclimate variability in the canopy. For the first time, we have made recommendations regarding the placement and number of sensors required in studies that specifically require the use of microclimate sensors in epiphyte studies in forest canopies.Peer reviewe

Quantification and Variation of Microclimatic Variables Within Tree Canopies-Considerations for Epiphyte Research

Forest canopies are incredibly complex self-maintaining biological structures. Conditions above and within the canopy can differ vastly, often resulting in a vertical gradient of microclimate conditions. Canopy epiphytic plants have to deal with climatic variability on much more variable scales compared to many other plant groups. The difficulty of sensor installation and their high cost can explain why it has been ignored in many studies on canopy epiphytes. Direct measurements of microenvironmental conditions are the only accurate way to assess specific intra-canopy environmental conditions, as there is also still a lack of methodologically and financially viable alternatives to allow the collection of this type of data. This study aims to make recommendations for the direct use of microclimate measurements in epiphyte research and to summarize key discussion points concerning the number and placement of sensors required for different types of epiphyte studies. In addition, we presented high-resolution field data from the United Kingdom, where we employed over 56 microclimate sensors, to demonstrate the spatial and temporal variability of radiation, temperature, and relative humidity (RH) in a tree canopy. Our data demonstrated that sensor height in the tree and leaf-set were the most important factors determining microclimate variability in the canopy. For the first time, we have made recommendations regarding the placement and number of sensors required in studies that specifically require the use of microclimate sensors in epiphyte studies in forest canopies.Peer reviewe