Towards a priori mesh quality estimation using Machine Learning Techniques

Since the quality of FE meshes strongly affects the quality of the FE simulations, it is known to be very important to generate good quality meshes. Thus, it is crucial to be able to estimate very early what can be the expected quality of a mesh without having to play in loop with several control parameters. This paper addresses the way the quality of FE meshes can be estimated a priori, i.e. before meshing the CAD models. In this way, designers can generate good quality meshes at first glance. Our approach is based on the use of a set of rules which allow estimating what will be the mesh quality according to the shape characteristics of the CAD model to be meshed. Those rules are built using Machine Learning Techniques, notably classification ones, which analyse a huge amount of configurations for which the shape characteristics of both the CAD models and meshes are known. For an unknown configuration, i.e. for a CAD model not yet meshed, the learnt rules help understanding what can be the expected classes of quality, or in another way what are the control parameters to be set up to reach a given mesh quality. The proposed approach has been implemented and tested on academic and industrial examples

Richard Labunski, James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights

C’est la biographie intellectuelle d’un homme politique et d’un juriste à l’influence discrète mais certaine, James Madison, qu’a publiée Richard Labunski, docteur en sciences politiques et licencié en droit, aujourd’hui enseignant à l’Université du Kentucky, qui est également auteur d’un ouvrage sur la Constitution américaine et de deux essais sur le Premier Amendement. Sa biographie de James Madison se concentre sur le rôle central que joua ce dernier, au milieu de sa vie (1751-1836), dans ..

Hanna Sonkajärvi, Qu’est-ce qu’un étranger ? Frontières et identifications à Strasbourg (1681‑1789)

Le livre d’Hanna Sonkajärvi, analyse subtile de la condition des étrangers à Strasbourg sous l’Ancien Régime, tend à démontrer la difficulté d’appréhender le concept de nationalité dans l’histoire par le biais d’une étude purement juridique. En effet, la principale thèse de cet ouvrage est que la nationalité, entendue dans la division « régnicole/étranger », qui avait été construite par la jurisprudence des parlements, n’est pas une caractérisation prééminente de l’histoire de l’Ancien Régime..

Richard Labunski, James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights

C’est la biographie intellectuelle d’un homme politique et d’un juriste à l’influence discrète mais certaine, James Madison, qu’a publiée Richard Labunski, docteur en sciences politiques et licencié en droit, aujourd’hui enseignant à l’Université du Kentucky, qui est également auteur d’un ouvrage sur la Constitution américaine et de deux essais sur le Premier Amendement. Sa biographie de James Madison se concentre sur le rôle central que joua ce dernier, au milieu de sa vie (1751-1836), dans ..

Tronchet et la réorganisation constituante des institutions judiciaires

François Denis Tronchet, connu pour sa participation au procès du roi et sa contribution à la rédaction du Code civil de 1804, joua un rôle important, pendant la Constituante, dans la réorganisation des institutions judiciaires d’Ancien Régime, et, notamment, dans la réforme de la procédure criminelle. Bien que très tôt qualifié de « Nestor de l’aristocratie », il apparaît à la fois comme attaché à certaines traditions et ardent promoteur de la réforme, aussi peut-il être qualifié d’homme de la transaction. En fait, Tronchet utilise l’expérience qu’il a acquise dans sa pratique du métier d’avocat pour élaborer des solutions pragmatiques, concrètes et humaines. Ces solutions de compromis sont souvent inspirées par un idéal de modération, de défense de l’équilibre et du refus de la « barbarie », ce concept repoussoir qui désigne à la fois l’Ancien Régime et certaines pratiques étrangères ; cet ensemble d’idées est étroitement associé au modèle de l’avocat, qu’il glorifie, tout en rejetant le corporatisme judiciaire.François Denis Tronchet, known for his participation in the Trial of the King and for his contribution to the writing of the Civil Code of 1804, played an important role during the Constituent Assembly in the reorganization of judicial institutions of the Old Regime, notably in the reform of criminal procedure. Though he was soon called the “Nestor of the Aristocracy”, he appears at the same time as attached to certain traditions and as an ardent promoter of reform, and as such could be considered as a man of compromise and transition. In fact, Tronchet used the experience he acquired as a lawyer to develop pragmatic solutions, concrete and humane. These solutions for compromise were often inspired by the ideal of moderation, by a defense of equability, and a rejection of barbarity, a repellent concept designing at once the Old Regime and certain foreign practices; this set of ideas is closely associated with the model of a lawyer, that he incarnates, while rejecting judicial corporate structure

Attentes de motivation et comportements différenciés de l'enseignant d'Éducation Physique et Sportive à l'égard de ses élèves : une étude en contexte naturel d'enseignement.

International audiencePrevious research set in both educational and sport settings has examined the relationship between, teacher's and coach's expectancies and differential behaviors issued to students and athletes. The purpose of the present study was to extend this line of research by analyzing consequences of a not much studied pre-existing expectation (i.e., non induced) – the one related to motivation – on the frequency, content, and style (i.e., controlling vs. autonomy-supportive) of interactions between PE teacher and his pupils. 144 pupils and their teachers from 7 classes were examined during physical education classes. The teacher's expectancies were assessed at the beginning of the academic cycle. Teacher-students interactions were taped and systematically coded with two instruments at 4 different occasions. Results showed that teacher's expectancies were related (1) positively to technical instruction and autonomy-supportive style, and (2) negatively to negative affective feedback and controlling style. These different dimensions could constitute important mediators of Pygmalion effect in PE.Le rôle des attentes du superviseur (e.g., enseignant d'EPS, entraîneur) sur les comportements qu'il manifeste à l'égard des supervisés (e.g., élèves, athlètes), est un thème qui a été largement appréhendé en contexte éducatif et sportif. L'objectif de cette étude est d'étendre cette ligne de recherche en analysant les conséquences d'une attente préexistante (i.e., non induite) peu étudiée – celle relative à la motivation – sur la fréquence, le contenu, et le style motivationnel (i.e., contrôlant vs. soutenant l'autonomie) des interactions qu'un enseignant d'EPS entretient avec les élèves. 144 élèves issus des 7 classes et leurs enseignants ont été observés en cours d'EPS. Les attentes de l'enseignant ont été mesurées au début de la séquence d'enseignement. Les interactions enseignant – élève ont été enregistrées durant 4 leçons, et codées à l'aide de deux instruments. Les résultats montrent que les attentes de l'enseignant sont associées (1) positivement aux informations techniques et à un style soutenant l'autonomie, et (2) négativement aux feedback affectifs négatifs et à un style contrôlant. Ces différentes dimensions pourraient constituer des médiateurs importants de l'effet Pygmalion en EPS

Towards a priori mesh quality estimation using Machine Learning Techniques

Since the quality of FE meshes strongly affects the quality of the FE simulations, it is known to be very important to generate good quality meshes. Thus, it is crucial to be able to estimate very early what can be the expected quality of a mesh without having to play in loop with several control parameters. This paper addresses the way the quality of FE meshes can be estimated a priori, i.e. before meshing the CAD models. In this way, designers can generate good quality meshes at first glance. Our approach is based on the use of a set of rules which allow estimating what will be the mesh quality according to the shape characteristics of the CAD model to be meshed. Those rules are built using Machine Learning Techniques, notably classification ones, which analyse a huge amount of configurations for which the shape characteristics of both the CAD models and meshes are known. For an unknown configuration, i.e. for a CAD model not yet meshed, the learnt rules help understanding what can be the expected classes of quality, or in another way what are the control parameters to be set up to reach a given mesh quality. The proposed approach has been implemented and tested on academic and industrial examples

Meta-analysis of predictive models to assess the clinical validity and utility for patient-centered medical decision making: application to the CAncer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA)

Background: The Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA) score was designed and validated several times to predict the biochemical recurrence-free survival after a radical prostatectomy. Our objectives were, first, to study the clinical validity of the CAPRA score, and, second, to assess its clinical utility for stratified medicine from an original patient-centered approach. Methods: We proposed a meta-analysis based on a literature search using MEDLINE. Observed and predicted biochemical-recurrence-free survivals were compared to assess the calibration of the CAPRA score. Discriminative capacities were evaluated by estimating the summary time-dependent ROC curve. The clinical utility of the CAPRA score was evaluated according to the following stratified decisions: active monitoring for low-risk patients, prostatectomy for intermediate-risk patients, or radio-hormonal therapy for high risk patients. For this purpose, we assessed CAPRA’s clinical utility in terms of its ability to maximize time-dependent utility functions (i.e. Quality-Adjusted Life-Years – QALYs). Results: We identified 683 manuscripts and finally retained 9 studies. We reported good discriminative capacities with an area under the SROCt curve at 0.73 [95%CI from 0.67 to 0.79], while graphical calibration seemed acceptable. Nevertheless, we also described that the CAPRA score was unable to discriminate between the three medical alternatives, i.e. it did not allow an increase in the number of life years in perfect health (QALYs) of patients with prostate cancer. Conclusions: We confirmed the prognostic capacities of the CAPRA score. In contrast, we were not able to demonstrate its clinical usefulness for stratified medicine from a patient-centered perspective. Our results also highlighted the confusion between clinical validity and utility. This distinction should be better considered in order to develop predictive tools useful in practice