Geostatistical Evaluation of Fracture Frequency and Crushing

International audienceThis work details how to estimate the Fracture Frequency (FF), ratio of a number of fractures divided by a sample length. The difficulty is that often, a part of the sample cannot be analyzed by the geologist because it is crushed, a characteristics of the rock strength that must also be considered for the Rock Mass Rating. After analyzing the usual practices, the paper describes the (geo)statistical link between fracturing and crushing and the resulting method to obtain a unbiased estimate of FF at a block or point support scale. Some concepts are introduced: "True" FF, "Crushed" FF, crushing probability and crushing proportion. The study is based on a real data set containing more than 13,000 samples. An appendix gives a very general formal demonstration on how to obtain an unbiased ratio estimation

MODERN MINING GEOSTATISTICS - CONVENTION WITH CODELCO YEAR 10 (2015) - ANNIVERSARY REPORT

During the 10th year of the convention between CODELCO and the Ecole des Mines of Paris, effort has been made to promote the work done the last two years by attending four congresses in three countries (Chile, France, Germany), two presentations being made by engineers of Codelco.This anniversary report is presented as a catalog containing the papers and the relevant oral presentations with comments. This report is not confidential and can be distributed in the good will of managers and engineers. Topics are :1 Geostatistical comparison between blast and drill holes in a porphyry copper deposit (Sampling congress 2015, Bordeaux, France)2 Diamond Drill Holes, Blast Holes & Cokriging (Mine-Planning 2015, Antofagasta, Chile)3 Anisotropy of the Rock Quality Designation (RQD) & its Geostatistical Evaluation (Geomin 2015, Antofagasta, Chile)4 Geostatistical Evaluation of Rock-Quality Designation and its link with Linear Fracture Frequency (IAMG 2015, Freiberg, Germany)5 Breccia Pipe Prediction: a new approach using non-stationary covariance (IAMG 2015, Freiberg, Germany

Resničen in idealen evropski morski transfer ob Atlantski obali v neolitiku

The history of research on the Neolithic of the Atlantic façade shows how speculation about prehistoric mobility, especially across the sea, is mainly based on three types of archaeological evidence: megalithic monuments, rare stones, and pottery decoration. With the aim of approaching the issue from other perspectives, we have focused on the Morbihan area, a focal point of the European Neolithic during the mid-5th millennium BC. The analysis of this area has allowed us to grasp which objects, ideas and beliefs may have been desired, adopted and imitated at the time. We shall begin with an architectural concept, the standing stone. These were sometimes engraved with signs that can be directly compared between Brittany, Galicia (NW Spain) and Portugal, but for which there are no intermediate parallels in other areas of the French or Spanish coast. The unique accumulation and transformation of polished blades made of Alpine rocks and found inside tombs or in other sort of depositions in the Carnac region allowed us to establish a second link with Galicia and the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, where certain types of the axes were imitated using a set of different rocks (sillimanite, amphibolite). Finally, the variscites and turquoises from different Spanish regions were used for the manufacture of beads and pendants at the Carnacean tombs, without it being possible – once again – to retrieve similar objects in the intermediate areas. The mastery ofdirect Atlantic sea routes is posed as an explanation for this geographical distribution. But, beyond the information drawn from specific artefacts – whose presence/absence should not be used in excess as an argument to endorse or underrate such movements across the ocean – we will return to a more poetic and universal phenomenon: the spell of the sea. Therefore, we will focus on the depictions of boats on the stelae of Morbihan to open such a debate.Zgodovina raziskav obdobja neolitika ob Atlantski obali kaže na to, da so domneve o premikih ljudi v prazgodovini, predvsem premiki po morju, osnovani predvsem na treh vrstah arheoloških podatkov: na megalitskih spomenikih, na redkih kamninah in na okrasu na lončenini. V članku se bomo te teme lotili iz drugega vidika, in sicer se bomo osredotočili na območje departmaja Morbihan, ki je bil v središču dogajanja v evropskem neolitiku v sredini 5. tisočletja pr. n. št. Z analizo tega območja lažje razumemo, katere objekte, ideje in verovanja so v tem obdobju ljudje najbolj pogosto želeli, posvojili in posnemali. Začeli bomo z arhitekturnim konceptom, menhirji/stoječimi kamni. Takšni kamni imajo občasno gravure z znaki, ki jih lahko neposredno vežemo na območje Bretanje, Galicije (SZ Španija) in Portugalske, medtem ko nimajo primerjav v vmesnih območjih ob francoski in španski obali. Enkraten zbir in preoblikovanje glajenih rezil, izdelanih na kamninah iz Alp, ki so bila odkrita v grobnicah ali drugih depozicijah na območju Carnaca, predstavlja drugopovezavo z območjem Galicije in Atlantsko obalo na Iberskem polotoku, kjer so bili najdeni posnetki nekaterih tipov sekir, izdelani iz različnih kamnin (silimanit, amfibolit). Tudi jagode in obeski, najdeni v grobnicah v Carnacu v Bretanju, so bili izdelani iz mineralov variscita in turkiza, ki izvirata iz španskih regij, medtem ko takšni predmeti – ponovno – na vmesnih območjih niso bili odkriti. Takšna geografska porazdelitev se razlaga z obvladovanjem neposrednih morskih poti po Atlantiku v prazgodovini. Kljub informacijam, ki jih dobimo s takšnimi posebnimi najdbami – katerih prisotnost/odsotnost naj ne bi preveč pogosto uporabljali kot argument v podporo ali podcenjevanje takšnih premikov po oceanu – se bomo vrnili na bolj poetičen in univerzalen fenomen: čarobnost morja. Pri tem se bomo osredotočili in razpravljali predvsem na upodobitve ladij na stelah, najdenih na območju departmaja Morbihan

Análisis de la asignatura Matemática Discreta de las Ingenierías Informáticas en vistas a su adaptación al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior

Este trabajo se centra en una de las asignaturas de primer curso de Ingeniería Informática de la Universidad de Alicante: Matemática Discreta, y el objetivo principal es la preparación del marco para adaptar dicha asignatura a las directrices europeas de educación superior para su posterior puesta en marcha como proyecto piloto. Nos planteamos, por un lado, valorar cuál es el tiempo y el esfuerzo de aprendizaje dedicado, actualmente, por el alumnado en la asignatura Matemática Discreta y por otro, analizar cuál es el grado de aceptación de la metodología docente utilizada actualmente, y el de los cambios que se proponen para el proyecto piloto, especialmente aquellos relacionados con el uso de nuevas herramientas de software diseñadas específicamente para esta asignatura con el fin de que la tarea de aprendizaje sea menos ardua

Estrategias Docentes para motivar al alumnado de Matemática Discreta de las titulaciones de Informática

Desde el curso 2003-2004, los autores de este trabajo iniciaron un proyecto de redes de investigación en docencia universitaria diseñando una guía docente de la asignatura Matemática Discreta, siguiendo la orientación ECTS [1]. Se planteaban estrategias docentes innovadoras basadas en la integración de las TIC, como actividades on-line y uso de herramientas de software para ayudar a entender la asignatura. El objetivo de este artículo es intentar evaluar la implantación de la metodología planteada, a partir de su puesta en marcha durante el curso 2004-2005, centrándose especialmente en la actitud del alumnado

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Long-Term Decrease in VLA-4 Expression and Functional Impairment of Dendritic Cells during Natalizumab Therapy in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (mDCs, pDCs) are central to the initiation and the regulation of immune processes in multiple sclerosis (MS). Natalizumab (NTZ) is a humanized monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of MS that acts by blocking expression of VLA-4 integrins on the surface of leukocytes. We determined the proportions of circulating DC subsets and analyzed expression of VLA-4 expression in 6 relapsing-remitting MS patients treated with NTZ for 1 year. VLA-4 expression levels on pDCs and mDCs decreased significantly during follow-up. In vitro coculture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and pDCs, with different doses of NTZ in healthy controls (HC) and MS patients showed dose-dependent down-regulation of VLA-4 expression levels in both MS patients and HC, and reduced functional ability to stimulate antigen-specific T-lymphocyte responses. The biological impact of NTZ may in part be attributable to inhibition of transmigration of circulating DCs into the central nervous system, but also to functional impairment of interactions between T cells and DC

Nutritional quality of food as represented by the FSAm-NPS nutrient profiling system underlying the Nutri-Score label and cancer risk in Europe : Results from the EPIC prospective cohort study

Background Helping consumers make healthier food choices is a key issue for the prevention of cancer and other diseases. In many countries, political authorities are considering the implementation of a simplified labelling system to reflect the nutritional quality of food products. The Nutri-Score, a five-colour nutrition label, is derived from the Nutrient Profiling System of the British Food Standards Agency (modified version) (FSAm-NPS). How the consumption of foods with high/low FSAm-NPS relates to cancer risk has been studied in national/regional cohorts but has not been characterized in diverse European populations. Methods and findings This prospective analysis included 471,495 adults from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC, 1992-2014, median follow-up: 15.3 y), among whom there were 49,794 incident cancer cases (main locations: breast, n = 12,063; prostate, n = 6,745; colon-rectum, n = 5,806). Usual food intakes were assessed with standardized country-specific diet assessment methods. The FSAm-NPS was calculated for each food/beverage using their 100-g content in energy, sugar, saturated fatty acid, sodium, fibres, proteins, and fruits/vegetables/legumes/nuts. The FSAm-NPS scores of all food items usually consumed by a participant were averaged to obtain the individual FSAm-NPS Dietary Index (DI) scores. Multi-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were computed. A higher FSAm-NPS DI score, reflecting a lower nutritional quality of the food consumed, was associated with a higher risk of total cancer (HRQ5 versus (Q1) = 1.07; 95% CI 1.03-1.10, P-trend <0.001). Absolute cancer rates in those with high and low (quintiles 5 and 1) FSAm-NPS DI scores were 81.4 and 69.5 cases/10,000 person-years, respectively. Higher FSAm-NPS DI scores were specifically associated with higher risks of cancers of the colon-rectum, upper aerodigestive tract and stomach, lung for men, and liver and postmenopausal breast for women (all P <0.05). The main study limitation is that it was based on an observational cohort using self-reported dietary data obtained through a single baseline food frequency questionnaire; thus, exposure misclassification and residual confounding cannot be ruled out. Conclusions In this large multinational European cohort, the consumption of food products with a higher FSAm-NPS score (lower nutritional quality) was associated with a higher risk of cancer. This supports the relevance of the FSAm-NPS as underlying nutrient profiling system for front-of-pack nutrition labels, as well as for other public health nutritional measures.Peer reviewe