Ethnic Identity, Intergroup Relations and Welfare Policy in the Canadian Context: A Comparative Discourse Analysis

This paper illuminates the negotiation of group identities and intergroup relations in the Canadian context. It presents an empirical, comparative analysis of group claims around social assistance policy using discourse analysis. Lexical, semantic and narrative analyses of Aboriginal and multicultural documents show a complex organization of intergroup relations, with distinct and at times conflicting claims. In view of the tensions, responsive policy development requires that historical specificity, complexity, and even incompatibilities be taken into account

Correlation measures for color images

Matching is a difficult task in stereoscopic reconstruction. The present paper deals with dense correlation-based matching. Few papers mention the use of color for dense correlation-based matching but those have shown the increase of efficiency with color images. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to take into account color in dense correlation-based matching. The main novelty of our work is to set up a protocol that generalizes dense correlation-based matching to color by choosing a color system and by generalizing the correlation measures to color. Nine color systems have been evaluated and three different methods have been compared. The evaluation and comparison protocol we have proposed highlights the behavior of the methods with each color system. The results show what to do in order to take into account color and how using color can improve the efficiency.Une des manières de réaliser la mise en correspondance, tâche cruciale dans tout algorithme de reconstruction stéréoscopique, est d'utiliser une mesure de corrélation. Habituellement, seules des images de niveaux de gris sont prises en compte et peu de travaux utilisent la couleur pour la mise en correspondance dense par corrélation, mais ceux-ci ont mis en évidence un gain de performance. Cet article s'inscrit dans la continuité de ces travaux. Sa contribution principale est l'établissement d'une stratégie de généralisation à la couleur de la mise en correspondance par corrélation. Cette généralisation passe par le choix d'un système de représentation de la couleur et par l'adaptation des mesures de corrélation à la couleur. Neuf systèmes différents, parmi les plus utilisés, sont testés et trois méthodes de généralisation différentes sont proposées. Nous avons mis en place un protocole d'évaluation et de comparaison pour étudier le comportement de chacune de ces méthodes, suivant chaque système de couleur. Les résultats obtenus mettent en évidence les choix à faire effectuer pour prendre en compte les images couleur ainsi que le gain de performance obtenu par rapport à l'utilisation des images en niveaux de gris

Understanding the Effects of a Tannin Extract on Forage Protein Digestion in the Rumen and Abomasum Using a Dynamic Artificial Digestive System Coupled to a Digestomic Approach

Improving the use efficiency of dietary protein in ruminants is a major challenge to decrease feed supplementation and significantly decrease nitrogen (N) losses to the environment. The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of tannins on protein digestion in the rumen and in conditions simulating the abomasum, using a dynamic in vitro digestive system coupled to a digestomic approach. Three ruminally-cannulated sheep fed with alfalfa hay were infused daily with a solution of tannins, while three other sheep were infused with water (control). Standardized ruminal fluid was introduced into the digester, which simulated the transit of digesta under physicochemical conditions mimicking the abomasum in terms of pH regulation, digestive enzyme infusions and transit rate. Protein degradation in the rumen and in the simulated abomasum was analyzed by determination of fermentation end-products, and identification and quantification of peptides (Label Free Quantification) by LC-MS/MS high resolution (Orbitrap). The analysis of rumen samples showed that tannins result in a clear decrease of fermentation end-products related to protein degradation, namely ammonia (NH3) and iso-volatile fatty acids (VFA), and a greater abundance of the Rubisco, a major plant protein. In the simulated abomasal compartment, the peptidomic analysis showed that the hydrolysis intensity of Rubisco was higher in the presence of tannins compared to the control group. These results indicate that protein-tannin complexes could be dissociated in the physico-chemical conditions of the abomasum, increasing the flow of peptides to the intestine after protection of protein by tannins in the rumen

Information about action outcomes differentially affects learning from self-determined versus imposed choices

The valence of new information influences learning rates in humans: good news tends to receive more weight than bad news. We investigated this learning bias in four experiments, by systematically manipulating the source of required action (free versus forced choices), outcome contingencies (low versus high reward) and motor requirements (go versus no-go choices). Analysis of model-estimated learning rates showed that the confirmation bias in learning rates was specific to free choices, but was independent of outcome contingencies. The bias was also unaffected by the motor requirements, thus suggesting that it operates in the representational space of decisions, rather than motoric actions. Finally, model simulations revealed that learning rates estimated from the choice-confirmation model had the effect of maximizing performance across low- and high-reward environments. We therefore suggest that choice-confirmation bias may be adaptive for efficient learning of action–outcome contingencies, above and beyond fostering person-level dispositions such as self-esteem

New electronic orderings observed in cobaltates under the influence of misfit periodicities

We study with ARPES the electronic structure of CoO2 slabs, stacked with rock-salt (RS) layers exhibiting a different (misfit) periodicity. Fermi Surfaces (FS) in phases with different doping and/or periodicities reveal the influence of the RS potential on the electronic structure. We show that these RS potentials are well ordered, even in incommensurate phases, where STM images reveal broad stripes with width as large as 80\AA. The anomalous evolution of the FS area at low dopings is consistent with the localization of a fraction of the electrons. We propose that this is a new form of electronic ordering, induced by the potential of the stacked layers (RS or Na in NaxCoO2) when the FS becomes smaller than the Brillouin Zone of the stacked structure

A multi-isotope analysis of Neolithic human groups in the Yonne valley, Northern France: insights into dietary patterns and social structure

With the arrival of the Neolithic to Europe, new ways of life and new subsistence strategies emerged. In the Paris Basin (northern France), the appearance of some monumental funerary structures during theMiddle Neolithic highlights in particular the increasing complexity of the social organisation. At the same time, several sites, such as open-air cemeteries, do not display any evidence of such arrangement. In the southeast of this area, the two primary routes of neolithisationmeet. Several funerary parameters attest to the diverse influence received from other surrounding cultures. In order to assess potential differences in diet, and therefore on purported social distinctions at the inter- and intra-site level, stable isotope analyses (carbon, nitrogen and sulphur) were performed on bone collagen of humans (n = 177) and non-human animals (n = 62) fromseven archaeological sites located in the same area (< 10 km). This study is the biggest so far on French Neolithic material and thus allows for an extensive investigation at a regional scale. Results show that the human nitrogen isotopic ratios are relatively enriched in nitrogen-15 comparing to those of the domesticated animals. This reflects a trophic step that is rarely observed elsewhere in the surrounding Neolithic people, particularly for humans of the biggest site Gurgy 'Les Noisats'. Though zooarchaeological data support a predominant cattle consumption, here, we propose a mixed protein consumption of cattle and pig, possibly complemented with some freshwater resources. Furthermore, carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopic ratios suggest some slight differences between sexes and sites. This sexual distinction has rarely been identified in the diet within a Neolithic context. Some variations over time were also detected. On the whole, this study seems to support previous observations made from burial practices about a specific regional Neolithic pattern in the Paris Basin as well as bring new elements into discussion of social organisation in human populations

Neutronic study of slightly modified water reactors and application to transition scenarios

International audienceIn this paper we have studied slightly modified water reactors and their applications to transition scenarios. The PWR and CANDU reactors have been considered. New fuels based on Thorium have been tested : Thorium/Plutonium and Thorium/Uranium- 233, with different fissile isotope contents. Changes in the geometry of the assemblies were also explored to modify the moderation ratio, and consequently the neutron flux spectrum. A core equivalent assembly methodology was introduced as an exploratory approach and to reduce the computation time. Several basic safety analyses were also performed. We have finally developed a new scenario code, named OSCAR (Optimized Scenario Code for Advanced Reactors), to study the efficiency of these modified reactors in transition to GenIV reactors or in symbiotic fleet