Vers une plate-forme d'indexation interactive de documents

International audienceCet article décrit comment le logiciel AGORA a été amélioré afin de tenir compte des retours d'usages obtenus lors d'une utilisation intensive de la version 1 du logiciel par les etudiants et les membres du CESR. La nouvelle version propose un module d'assistance aux utiilisateurs afin de rendre plus simple, conviviale et intuitive la phase de mise en place des scenarios d'indexation. L'utilisateur (non expert en traitement d'images) construit simplement des scénarios permettant d'étiqueter, de fusionner et de supprimer les éléments de contenus à indexer. Il localise ainsi les entités qui l'intéressent en ignorant les autres régions de l'image. Les scénarios élaborés peuvent ensuite être sauvegardés, modifiés et appliqués sur différentes images lors de traitements par lots

Characterisation of mixed virus infections in Ribes species in Switzerland

Various virus disease-like symptoms are frequently observed in Ribes sp. in Switzerland but the aetiology remains poorly documented, although a number of viruses infecting Ribes sp. were described elsewhere. Therefore, symptomatic and apparently healthy plants from diverse origins were analysed by electron microscopy (EM), immunoprecipitation electron microscopy (IPEM), Western blot and (RT-)PCR. By EM, at least four different particle types, often in combination, were observed. (1) Bacilliform particles were typical for the Badnavirus genus with dimensions of 145 x 28 nm. This virus was identified by PCR as the Gooseberry vein banding associated virus (GVBaV). (2) Filamentous particles were mainly observed on black currants with downward rolling of leaves with interveinal reddening during summer and fall. We tentatively named this unknown virus Blackcurrant leafroll-associated virus 1 (BCLRaV-1). In phylogenetic analysis of HSP70h nucleotide sequences, BCLRaV-1 felt in the Closterovirus genus. In Western blot analysis, one dominant protein with an estimated molecular weight of about 28 kDa was detectable. The virus was shown to be different from the Raspberry mottle closterovirus (RMoV) by IPEM and RT-PCR. (3) RTPCR and sequencing of products also clearly demonstrated the presence in our Ribes samples of Rubus chlorotic mottle virus (RuCMV), a Sobemovirus recently described in Scotland. This finding correlates with the presence of the 30 nm diameter particles observed by EM. (4) A further structure with isometrical particles of 60 nm could not yet be attributed to a particular genus. Altogether, our data suggest the presence of multiple virus infections i

A robust braille recognition system

Braille is the most effective means of written communication between visually-impaired and sighted people. This paper describes a new system that recognizes Braille characters in scanned Braille document pages. Unlike most other approaches, an inexpensive flatbed scanner is used and the system requires minimal interaction with the user. A unique feature of this system is the use of context at different levels (from the pre-processing of the image through to the post-processing of the recognition results) to enhance robustness and, consequently, recognition results. Braille dots composing characters are identified on both single and double-sided documents of average quality with over 99% accuracy, while Braille characters are also correctly recognised in over 99% of documents of average quality (in both single and double-sided documents)

Bequest intent and the moderating impact of estate planning and self-control on wealth composition: A tax perspective

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Human Ecology-Personal Financial PlanningHanNa LimWhile the relationship between bequest motive and wealth accumulation has been the focus of previous research, less is known about the relationship between bequest motive and wealth composition Specifically, no research has been done to assess how bequest intent impacts the percentage of assets older adults hold in taxable assets e.g. investment accounts, real estate, and businesses, versus tax-deferred accounts, primarily qualified retirement plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) This decision is critical as it can impact the amount of assets future generations assets receive on an after-tax basis. This dissertation examines the relationship between bequest intent and wealth composition, utilizing estate planning and self-control as moderating variables. These two factors are important as they represent external and internal tools, respectively, for translating bequest intent into action. This study utilizes an empirical model based on the behavioral life cycle hypothesis (BLCH), which has been utilized to study saving and dissaving behavior. The study used data from the 2018 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Utilizing a censored regression technique, the study analyzed the relationship between demographic, life cycle, and bequest-related factors and the percentage of total portfolio assets held in taxable accounts. The model found there to be a positive relationship in general between bequest intent and the percentage of portfolio assets in taxable accounts. In addition, self-control and a family history of estate planning were found to have a positive relationship with the percentage of assets held in taxable accounts; estate planning did not have a statistically significant relationship. No evidence was found to support a moderating effect for estate planning or self-control. The target audience for this study is financial planners, counselors, and attorneys, with implications that can help highlight the importance of understanding bequest intent, managing and increasing self-control, and building a family legacy of estate planning

WNT8 and BMP2B co-regulate non-axial mesoderm patterning during zebrafish gastrulation

AbstractDuring vertebrate mesoderm formation, fates are established according to position in the dorsoventral (D/V) axis of the embryo. Initially, maternal signaling divides nascent mesoderm into axial (dorsal) and non-axial (ventral) domains. Although the subsequent subdivision of non-axial mesoderm into multiple D/V fate domains is known to involve zygotic Wnt8 and BMP signaling as well as the Vent/Vox/Ved family of transcriptional repressors, how levels of signaling activity are translated into differential regulation of fates is not well understood. To address this question, we have analyzed zebrafish embryos lacking Wnt8 and BMP2b. Zebrafish wnt8; swr (bmp2b) double mutants display a progressive loss of non-axial mesoderm and a concomitant expansion of axial mesoderm during gastrulation. Mesoderm induction and specification of the axial domain occur normally in wnt8; swr mutants, but dorsal mesoderm genes eventually come to be expressed throughout the mesoderm, suggesting that the establishment of non-axial mesoderm identity requires continual repression of dorsal mesoderm factors, including repressors of ventral genes. Loss-of-function for Vent, Vox, and Ved phenocopies the wnt8; swr mutant phenotype, consistent with Wnt8 and BMP2b maintaining non-axial mesoderm identity during gastrulation through the regulation of these three transcriptional repressors. We postulate that timely differentiation of the mesoderm requires the maintenance of non-axial mesoderm identity by Wnt8 and BMP2b at the onset of gastrulation followed by subdivision of the non-axial mesoderm into different functional domains during gastrulation