Dans le "Gyron" de Marguerite de Croy, comtesse de Lalaing (1508-1549)

peer reviewe

Microwaves enable activated plasma figuring for ultra-precision fabrication of optics

Activated plasma figuring using microwaves aims at providing highly efficient activated energy beams for rapid fabrication of optics. The chemical nature of this type of energy beam leads to targeting silicon-based materials. Furthermore this technology is proposed to address the needs of ultra-precision optical components. In this paper, we present a novel ADTEC microwavegenerated plasma torch design which is operated at atmospheric pressure. In this study, the plasma torch is fed with either argon or helium carrier gas. However this novel design for Plasma Figuring is targeted at local surface correction of crystal quartz which is a material of great interest for optical systems, such as acousto-optic devices. Also this novel design is targeted at reducing midspatial frequency errors such as waviness, ripple errors and residual sub-aperture tool footprints. These are responsible for the scattering of light at small angles, resulting in optical hazing effects, photonic energy loss and pixel cross-talk. Also the results of a preliminary investigation using Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) are reported and discussed. These results show the operat ing range when the main processing parameters are changed: microwave forward power values, gas flow rates and the types of gasses

Wavelet Transform for Real-Time Detection of Action Potentials in Neural Signals

We present a study on wavelet detection methods of neuronal action potentials (APs). Our final goal is to implement the selected algorithms on custom integrated electronics for on-line processing of neural signals; therefore we take real-time computing as a hard specification and silicon area as a price to pay. Using simulated neural signals including APs, we characterize an efficient wavelet method for AP extraction by evaluating its detection rate and its implementation cost. We compare software implementation for three methods: adaptive threshold, discrete wavelet transform (DWT), and stationary wavelet transform (SWT). We evaluate detection rate and implementation cost for detection functions dynamically comparing a signal with an adaptive threshold proportional to its SD, where the signal is the raw neural signal, respectively: (i) non-processed; (ii) processed by a DWT; (iii) processed by a SWT. We also use different mother wavelets and test different data formats to set an optimal compromise between accuracy and silicon cost. Detection accuracy is evaluated together with false negative and false positive detections. Simulation results show that for on-line AP detection implemented on a configurable digital integrated circuit, APs underneath the noise level can be detected using SWT with a well-selected mother wavelet, combined to an adaptive threshold

The medieval romance of French expression in the former Low Countries between 1550 and 1600

peer reviewedIn recent years, the dissemination of medieval-inspired French texts through the printing press has received renewed attention from the scientific community. This research has shown, inter alia, that the Gutenberg revolution, although considered to be one of the thresholds of modernity, did not sound the death knell for the Middle Ages. On the contrary, the medieval legacy found an opportunity to perpetuate itself for several decades through this new medium. My own work in this field has made it possible to point out that the caesura of the years 1530-1540, often put forward as a moment of rupture with the literary tradition of the Middle Ages, was not as abrupt as some might have thought, at least in Hainaut. In the case of the former Low Countries, many areas still remain unexplored. This is notably the case for the production of medieval romances in French during the second half of the sixteenth century, which I propose to examine. This particular period is all the more interesting to study because it lies between the supposed rupture with the medieval literary tradition of the mid-16th century and the renewal brought about by the 17th-century publishing phenomenon known as the 'Bibliothèque bleue'. An analysis of the titles printed between 1550 and 1600 and their peritexts, as well as the material examination of these editions, will contribute to a better understanding of this complex publishing phenomenon, navigating between 'old romances' and 'new language'