A Tree Logic with Graded Paths and Nominals

Regular tree grammars and regular path expressions constitute core constructs widely used in programming languages and type systems. Nevertheless, there has been little research so far on reasoning frameworks for path expressions where node cardinality constraints occur along a path in a tree. We present a logic capable of expressing deep counting along paths which may include arbitrary recursive forward and backward navigation. The counting extensions can be seen as a generalization of graded modalities that count immediate successor nodes. While the combination of graded modalities, nominals, and inverse modalities yields undecidable logics over graphs, we show that these features can be combined in a tree logic decidable in exponential time

2-D Prony-Huang Transform: A New Tool for 2-D Spectral Analysis

This work proposes an extension of the 1-D Hilbert Huang transform for the analysis of images. The proposed method consists in (i) adaptively decomposing an image into oscillating parts called intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) using a mode decomposition procedure, and (ii) providing a local spectral analysis of the obtained IMFs in order to get the local amplitudes, frequencies, and orientations. For the decomposition step, we propose two robust 2-D mode decompositions based on non-smooth convex optimization: a "Genuine 2-D" approach, that constrains the local extrema of the IMFs, and a "Pseudo 2-D" approach, which constrains separately the extrema of lines, columns, and diagonals. The spectral analysis step is based on Prony annihilation property that is applied on small square patches of the IMFs. The resulting 2-D Prony-Huang transform is validated on simulated and real data.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figure

Expressive Logical Combinators for Free

International audienceA popular technique for the analysis of web query languages relies on the translation of queries into logical formulas. These formulas are then solved for satisfiability using an off-the-shelf satisfiabil-ity solver. A critical aspect in this approach is the size of the obtained logical formula, since it constitutes a factor that affects the combined complexity of the global approach. We present logical combi-nators whose benefit is to provide an exponential gain in succinctness in terms of the size of the logical representation. This opens the way for solving a wide range of problems such as satisfiability and containment for expressive query languages in exponential-time, even though their direct formulation into the underlying logic results in an exponential blowup of the formula size, yielding an incorrectly presumed two-exponential time complexity. We illustrate this from a practical point of view on a few examples such as numerical occurrence constraints and tree frontier properties which are concrete problems found with semi-structured data

Exploration of the global antioxidant capacity of the stratum corneum by cyclic voltammetry

Cyclic voltammetry is proposed as a new method for evaluating the antioxidant capacity of skin based on the reducing properties of low molecular weight antioxidants (LMWA). Experiments were performed simply by recording the anodic current at 0.9 V/SCE of a platinum microelectrode placed directly on the epidermis surface without any gel or water. This method ensured a direct, rapid (less than 1 min), reliable (accuracy 12%) and non-invasive measurement of the global antioxidant capacity of the stratum corneum with a high spatiotemporal resolution. At the same time, the pH of the skin surface was determined by recording the cathodic current at 0 V/SCE. Based on an exploratory study involving nine volunteer subjects, the evolution of the amperometric response of the microelectrode with time revealed a periodic modification of the redox properties

Accountability for Human Rights Violations by International Organisations

With the proliferation of international organisations and their ever increasing role in a wide range of policy fields, situations multiply in which human rights are threatened or violated through the actions, operations or policies of such organisations. The present book, with carefully selected contributions from many prominent scholars and practitioners, is the first to explore these problems in a comprehensive manner and to examine the accountability mechanisms that are available. In a first, cross-cutting part, the contributions study general concepts, such as the accountability of international organisations as an evolving legal concept, international organisations as independent actors, the logic of sliding scales in the law of international responsibility and the relations between the international organisations and their Member States in regard to their respective obligations and responsibilities. The subsequent parts of the book focus on the accountability for human rights violations attributable to international organisations in four areas: (i) peace and humanitarian operations; (ii) international civil administration; (iii) economic governance; and (iv) staff of international organisations

Une langue en situation de handicap

In France, sign language is nowadays legitimated through a “disability law”. Considered either as a victory or as a pitfall, its diverse interpretations invite us to question the categorization of deafness as a disability, so that we might achieve a better understanding of why deaf people reject it and why institutionalized links between sign language and disability are disturbing. Looking for discourses and social movements which have contributed to the emergence of such a law, we will first pay attention to the shifting point initiated by the disability studies and then to the progress of the political agenda of the “réveil sourd”. We will then share our thoughts about the stigmatization of sign language implied by the law. This will lead us to discuss the position of the “militant” researcher and the relations between politics, society and research.La langue des signes est aujourd’hui reconnue en France au sein d’une loi dite sur le handicap. Victoire pour certains, impasse pour d’autres, la diversité de ses inter-prétations nous invite à réfléchir aux conditions de la catégorisation de la surdité comme handicap afin de mieux comprendre pourquoi les sourds la refusent, et pourquoi l’institutionnalisation de liens entre langue des signes et handicap est inquiétante. En premier lieu, à la recherche de discours et mobilisations ayant contribué à l’émergence d’une telle législation, nous prêterons attention au tournant initié par les « disability studies » puis à l’état des lieux de l’agenda politique du « réveil sourd ». Nous poursuivrons en exposant la stigmatisation de la langue des signes qui caractérise selon nous la loi, ce qui nous amènera à discuter la position du chercheur « militant » ainsi que les relations entre le politique, le social et la recherche