The ELAN Architecture: ELAN Deliverables WP3

The ELAN project is a distributed language resources system, offering access to existing resources to their potential users throughout Europe. In order to serve the electronic multilingual resource market, our task is to specify and elaborate a network of inter-connected resource servers. This documentdefines the technical specifications of each nodes that form the ELAN network: the user interface of the ELAN client; the resource servers and the network management unit

A general XML-based distributed software architecture for accessing and sharing ressources

Colloque avec actes et comité de lecture.International audienceThis paper presents a general xml-based distributed software architecture in the aim of accessing and sharing resources in an opened client/server environment. The paper is organized as follows : First, we introduce the idea of a "General Distributed Software Architecture". Second, we describe the general framework in which this architecture is used. Third, we describe the process of information exchange and we introduce some technical issues involved in the implementation of the proposed architecture. Finally, we present some projects which are currently using, or which should use, the proposed architecture

Conjunctival Proinflammatory and Proapoptotic Effects of Latanoprost and Preserved and Unpreserved Timolol: An Ex Vivo and In Vitro Study

PURPOSE. To compare the toxicity of latanoprost and preserved and unpreserved timolol on conjunctival cells. Expression of inflammatory markers and MUC5AC-related mucin production were evaluated by impression cytology in a case-control ex vivo study. The proapoptotic effect of the same drugs was also evaluated in vitro in a conjunctival cell line and compared with that of benzalkonium chloride (BAC). METHODS. Impression cytology (IC) specimens were obtained from a series of normal subjects and from patients with glaucoma treated for at least 1 year with latanoprost eye drops or preserved or unpreserved timolol. All groups were comparable in age and duration of treatment. Expression of HLA-DR, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, and mucin was evaluated in a masked manner by flow cytometry. For the in vitro study, a human conjunctiva-derived cell line was treated with 0.02% BAC-containing latanoprost or timolol, unpreserved timolol, or 0.02% BAC alone for 15 minutes, followed or not by 4 or 24 hours of cell recovery in normal medium. Cell viability and chromatin condensation were evaluated using microplate cold light cytofluorometry with the neutral red and the Hoechst 33342 tests, respectively. The Hoechst-neutral red ratio was defined for the apoptosis assay, and cytoskeleton changes were assessed by confocal microscopy. RESULTS. No difference was found between normal eyes and those receiving unpreserved timolol. Preserved latanoprost and timolol significantly increased the inflammatory marker expression and decreased MUC5AC expression, but to a significantly higher extent in the preserved timolol group compared with latanoprost. In vitro, 0.02% BAC-containing timolol and latanoprost triggered conjunctival cell apoptosis-however, to a significantly lesser extent than did 0.02% BAC alone. Unpreserved timolol did not cause any cell toxicity. CONCLUSIONS. These ex vivo and in vitro studies demonstrate that BAC-containing latanoprost and timolol exhibit higher proinflammatory and proapoptotic effects on conjunctival cells than does unpreserved timolol. Latanoprost caused less toxicity, however, than preserved timolol, and both drugs were less toxic than BAC alone. These results suggest a potential protective effect of the prostaglandin analogue and to a lesser extent of timolol against the toxicity of BAC in conjunctival cells. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci

Control of the Arc Motion in DC Plasma Spray Torch with a Cascaded Anode

International audienceTwo common concerns in DC plasma torches are stability of plasma jet and anode erosion. The challenge is how to get a stable plasma jet with minimal anode erosion. This study tackles this question by using either a swirling gas injection or an external axial magnetic field applied to the Oerlikon SinplexPro™ plasma torch. A 3-D, time-dependent MHD model of the plasma torch operation was used to predict the value of the external magnetic field and its effect on the heat flux to the anode and plasma jet stability. The special feature of the model is to couple the gas phase and electrodes that makes it possible to follow the anode temperature evolution. For specific operation conditions (anode of Ø9 mm, 500 A, Ar 60 NLPM), the model predicted that the maximal value of the azimuthal self-magnetic field inducted by the arc current was 0.055 T; it also showed that an external magnetic field of 0.05 to 0.1 T could make it possible to limit the anode erosion without noticeably disturbing the plasma jet issuing from the plasma torch. We expect this approach to help to better understand the arc behavior in commercial plasma torches and control anode erosio

Effect of Boundary conditions on the reliability of DC plasma model

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Effect of an external magnetic field on a DC plasma spray torch with a cascaded anode,

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From transferred arc to plasma torches

International audienceThermal plasma generated either by transferred arc or by plasma torches are involved in many industrial processes including, for example, cutting, welding, powder synthesis or coating elaboration by plasma spray techniques. The common feature is that electrical energy is converted into thermal energy, which must be transferred differently following the goal of the technique. Cutting requires a high thermal flux density to the anode in order to optimize both the accuracy and the speed of cutting. On the opposite, heat transfer to the anode of a plasma spray torch needs to be reduced, as much as possible, in order to slow down the nozzle erosion which is responsible, among other problems, of the monotonic deviation of the torche performances over a long time scale. This presentation is devoted to a general approach of the physical processes concerning an electric arc, thermally constricted and confined in the channel of a plasma torch nozzle. Experimental results characterizing both stationnary and transient behaviour of the generated plasma flow will be described. General tendancies observed for the shift of the torch performances and connected to the anode erosion, will be commented