A Methodology for the Diagnostic of Aircraft Engine Based on Indicators Aggregation

Aircraft engine manufacturers collect large amount of engine related data during flights. These data are used to detect anomalies in the engines in order to help companies optimize their maintenance costs. This article introduces and studies a generic methodology that allows one to build automatic early signs of anomaly detection in a way that is understandable by human operators who make the final maintenance decision. The main idea of the method is to generate a very large number of binary indicators based on parametric anomaly scores designed by experts, complemented by simple aggregations of those scores. The best indicators are selected via a classical forward scheme, leading to a much reduced number of indicators that are tuned to a data set. We illustrate the interest of the method on simulated data which contain realistic early signs of anomalies.Comment: Proceedings of the 14th Industrial Conference, ICDM 2014, St. Petersburg : Russian Federation (2014

Signaux de transitions de phase des systèmes finis

Phase transitions are universal properties of interacting matter. They are well described if the considered system in infinite, by using standard thermodynamics. But in the case of small systems like atomic nuclei, this formalism cannot be applied anymore. Our aim is to propose a statistical mechanics approach in order to define the thermodynamical features of small open system subject to non-saturating forces. We concentrate in particular on the definition and characterization for such systems of phase transitions belonging to the liquid gas universality class. Theoretical and experimental observables are defined to signal the occurrence and the order of this transition without any ambiguity. One of the most relevant and experimentally accessible observables consists in the study of kinetic energy fluctuations for a fixed value of the total deposited energy. In a first order phase transition such fluctuations become anomaly high and at the same time the size distribution appears to behave critically. All our results are obtained within numerical simulations of the lattice gas model with a nearest neighbors attractive interaction. Finally we check the influence of non-saturating forces, developing the specific example of the Coulomb interaction in the nucleus. Future improvements and perspectives at this work consist in the analysis of specific effects occurring in nuclei : isospin and quantum mechanics.Les transitions de phase sont des phénomènes communs à tous les systèmes en interaction. Pour des systèmes infinis, elles sont bien décrites par la thermodynamique mais celle-ci ne peut être utilisée pour des petits systèmes comme le noyau de l'atome. Nous proposons dans cette thèse une approche de mécanique statistique, afin d'extraire les caractéristiques thermodynamiques des petits systèmes ouverts et soumis à des forces non saturantes. Nous nous concentrons en particulier sur la définition et la mise en évidence pour de tels systèmes d'une transition de phase de type liquide gaz. Nous définissons des observables théoriques et expérimentales qui permettent de signer sans ambiguïté la présence et l'ordre de la transition. Une observable pertinente et accessible expérimentalement est la fluctuation d'énergie cinétique, pour une valeur fixée de l'énergie totale. Nous vérifions qu'à l'intérieur de la zone de coexistence, ces fluctuations deviennent anormalement grandes et s'accompagnent de comportements pseudo critiques pour la distribution en taille des fragments. Nous obtenons ces résultats dans le cadre du modèle du gaz sur réseau, avec un hamiltonien de plus proche voisins. Afin de compléter cette étude, nous analysons le comportement des observables lorsque les interactions sont à longue portée. Nous nous concentrons sur la problématique nucléaire en considérant l'effet des interactions coulombiennes. Enfin nous abordons en perspective des points spécifiques à la physique nucléaire : le rôle de l'isospin et des effets quantiques

Doped dialkylated phenazines : a novel series of highly conducting organic solids

Doping dimethylphenazine (M2P)-TCNQ and diethylphenazine (E2P)-TCNQ with phenazine gave rise to new conducting compounds with segregated stacks : (M2P)0.5 (P)0,5 TCNQ and (E2P)0,55 (P)0,45 TCNQ. The room temperature electrical conductivities are in the range 10-100 Ω-1 cm-1 for (1) and 1-10 Ω-1cm-1 for (2). The paramagnetism of both compounds could be separated into contributions from TCNQ and Phenazine stacks. The structural electrical and magnetic similarities of (1) with the well-known N-methylphenazinium (NMP)-TCNQ led to a reexamination of its magnetic properties. It was shown that an estimate of the charge transfer can be obtained from the temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility

A novel molecular metal: (oxamide oximato)(oxamide oxime)nickel(II) tetracyanoquinodimethanide, [Ni(oaoH)(oaoH2)]tcnq, and physical properties of its semiconducting Pt analogue

(C4H11N8NiO4)+(C12H4N4)-, Mr = 498.09 is triclinic, p1, a -=3.7718(6), b = 7.436(2), c =17.511(4) A, a=88.67(2), β=86.93(2), γ=85.05(2), γ= 488.51 A 3, Z = 1, d c=1.69 gcm -3, final R w= 0.035 for 1454 observed independent reflections. The crystals consist of segregated regular parallel stacks of planar metal complex cations and tcnq - counterions with intermolecular H bonds stabilizing the structure. The compound is metallic at room temperature. A metal to semiconductor transition around 230 K shows up in thermopower data, in the microwave conductivity and epr around 170 K. It is not visible in the static magnetic susceptibility

Direct Electrochemistry and Electrocatalysis of Hemoglobin at Mesoporous Carbon Modified Electrode

The novel highly ordered mesoporous carbon (known as FDU-15), prepared by the organic-organic self-assembly method was been used for first time for the immobilization of hemoglobin (Hb) and its bioelectrochemical properties were studied. The resulting Hb/FDU-15 film provided a favorable microenvironment for Hb to perform direct electron transfers at the electrode. The immobilized Hb also displayed its good electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. The results demonstrate that mesoporous carbon FDU-15 can improve the Hb loading with retention of its bioactivity and greatly promote the direct electron transfer, which can be attributed to its high specific surface area, uniform ordered porous structure, suitable pore size and biocompatibility. Our present study may provide an alternative way for the construction of nanostructure biofunctional surfaces and pave the way for its application to biosensors

Diagnosing tuberculosis in the 21st century – Dawn of a genomics revolution?

Tuberculosis (TB) ranks alongside HIV as the leading cause of death worldwide, killing 1.5 million people in 2014. Traditional laboratory techniques do not provide sufficiently rapid results to inform clinicians on appropriate treatment, especially in the face of increasingly prevalent drug-resistant TB. Rapid molecular methods such as PCR and LAMP are vital tools in the fight against TB, however, rapid advances in next generation sequencing (NGS) technology are allowing increasingly rapid and accurate sequencing of entire bacterial genomes at ever decreasing cost, providing unprecedented depth of information. These advances mean NGS stands to revolutionise the diagnosis and epidemiological study of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. This review focuses on current applications of NGS for TB diagnosis including sequencing cultured isolates to predict drug resistance and, more desirably, direct diagnostic metagenomic sequencing of clinical samples. Also discussed is the potential impact of NGS on the epidemiological study of TB and some of the key challenges that need to be overcome to enable this promising technology to be translated into routine use

Trends of Antibacterial Resistance at the National Reference Laboratory in Cameroon: Comparison of the Situation between 2010 and 2017

INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial resistance represents a growing public health threat. One of the World Health Organization's strategic objectives is "strengthening knowledge through surveillance and research." Sub-Saharan African countries are still far from achieving this objective. We aimed to estimate and compare the prevalence of antibacterial resistance in 2010 and 2017 in Cameroon. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on all clinical specimens cultured in Centre Pasteur du Cameroun (CPC) in 2010 and 2017. Data were extracted from the CPC's laboratory data information system software and then managed and analyzed using R. Bacterial resistance rates were calculated in each year and compared using chi-square or Fisher's tests, and relative changes were calculated. Outcomes included acquired resistance (AR), WHO priority resistant pathogens, some specific resistances of clinical interest, and resistance patterns (multi, extensively, and pan drug resistances) for five selected pathogens. RESULTS: A total of 10,218 isolates were analyzed. The overall AR rate was 96.0% (95% CI: 95.4-96.6). Most of WHO priority bacterial resistance rates increased from 2010 to 2017. The most marked increases expressed as relative changes concerned imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter (6.2% vs. 21.6%, +248.4%, p = 0.02), imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.5% vs. 23.5%, +74.1%, p < 0.01), 3rd generation-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (23.8% vs. 40.4%, +65.8%, p < 10(-15)), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (27.3% vs. 46.0%, +68.6%, p < 0.002), fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella (3.9% vs. 9.5%, +142.9%, p = 0.03), and fluoroquinolone-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (32.6% vs. 54.0%, +65.8%, p < 10(-15)). For selected pathogens, global multidrug resistance was high in 2010 and 2017 (74.9% vs. 78.0% +4.1%, p = 0.01), intensively drug resistance rate was 5.8% (7.0% vs. 4.7%; p = 0.07), and no pan drug resistance has been identified. CONCLUSION: Bacterial resistance to antibiotics of clinical relevance in Cameroon was high and appeared to increase between 2010 and 2017. There is a need for regular surveillance of antibacterial resistance to inform public health strategies and empirically inform prescription practices

Health-related physical fitness of adolescents and young adults with myelomeningocele

To assess components of health-related physical fitness in adolescents and young adults with myelomeningocele (MMC), and to study relations between aerobic capacity and other health-related physical fitness components. This cross-sectional study included 50 adolescents and young adults with MMC, aged 16–30 years (25 males). Aerobic capacity was quantified by measuring peak oxygen uptake (peakVO2) during a maximal exercise test on a cycle or arm ergometer depending on the main mode of ambulation. Muscle strength of upper and lower extremity muscles was assessed using a hand-held dynamometer. Regarding flexibility, we assessed mobility of hip, knee and ankle joints. Body composition was assessed by measuring thickness of four skin-folds. Relations were studied using linear regression analyses. Average peakVO2 was 1.48 ± 0.52 l/min, 61% of the participants had subnormal muscle strength, 61% had mobility restrictions in at least one joint and average sum of four skin-folds was 74.8 ± 38.8 mm. PeakVO2 was significantly related to gender, ambulatory status and muscle strength, explaining 55% of its variance. Adolescents and young adults with MMC have poor health-related physical fitness. Gender and ambulatory status are important determinants of peakVO2. In addition, we found a small, but significant relationship between peakVO2 and muscle strength

Rapid determination of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance from whole-genome sequences

Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance (DR) challenges effective tuberculosis disease control. Current molecular tests examine limited numbers of mutations, and although whole genome sequencing approaches could fully characterise DR, data complexity has restricted their clinical application. A library (1,325 mutations) predictive of DR for 15 anti-tuberculosis drugs was compiled and validated for 11 of them using genomic-phenotypic data from 792 strains. A rapid online ‘TB-Profiler’ tool was developed to report DR and strain-type profiles directly from raw sequences. Using our DR mutation library, in silico diagnostic accuracy was superior to some commercial diagnostics and alternative databases. The library will facilitate sequence-based drug-susceptibility testing