A synchronous, middle early Aptian age for the demise of the Helvetic Urgonian platform related to the unfolding oceanic anoxic event 1a ("Selli event")

Un âge synchrone (partie moyenne de l'Aptien inférieur) de l'ennoiement de la plate-forme Urgonienne helvétique en relation avec l'événement océanique anoxique 1a ("événement Selli"). - La fin de la plate-forme urgonienne, calibrée par analyse des isotopes stables du carbone sur roche totale et par biostratigraphie basée sur les ammonites, est datée du milieu de l'Aptien inférieur (Près de la limite des zones weissi et deshayesi). Cet arrêt, synchrone dans des coupes représentatives du domaine helvétique alpin, est un événement environemental majeur renregistré en France, en Espagne, au Protugal, en Oman, au Mexique et dans le domaine Pacifique. En tenant compte des limites de résolution de la biostatrigraphie et des autres techniques de datation, cet épisode semble également être synchrone à l'échelle globale. Pour beaucoup d'auteurs, la disparition de récifs de coraux et de rudistes corrélée à la fin de la sédimentation urgonienne correspond à la mise en place de conditions anoxiques à l'Aptien inférieur. Celles-ci caractérisent un événement d'importance global: l'événement anoxique OAE 1a.

Subsidy design: wealth versus benefits

A government would like to subsidize an indivisible good. Consumers' valuations of the good vary according to their wealth and benefits from the good. A subsidy scheme may be based on consumers' wealth or benefit information. We translate a wealth-based policy to a benefit-based policy, and vice versa, and give a necessary and sufficient condition for the pair of policies to implement the same assignment: consumers choose to purchase the good under the wealth-based policy if and only if they choose to do so under the translated benefit-based policy. General taxation allows equivalent policies to require the same budget.

A design science approach to support the assessment of disruptive technology : the Swiss mobile payment case

Abstract In this thesis we present the design of a systematic integrated computer-based approach for detecting potential disruptions from an industry perspective. Following the design science paradigm, we iteratively develop several multi-actor multi-criteria artifacts dedicated to environment scanning. The contributions of this thesis are both theoretical and practical. We demonstrate the successful use of multi-criteria decision-making methods for technology foresight. Furthermore, we illustrate the design of our artifacts using build and-evaluate loops supported with a field study of the Swiss mobile payment industry. To increase the relevance of this study, we systematically interview key Swiss experts for each design iteration. As a result, our research provides a realistic picture of the current situation in the Swiss mobile payment market and reveals previously undiscovered weak signals for future trends. Finally, we suggest a generic design process for environment scanning.

Computer-Aided Business Model Design

There is a lack of dedicated tools for business model design at a strategic level. However, in today's economic world the need to be able to quickly reinvent a company's business model is essential to stay competitive. This research focused on identifying the functionalities that are necessary in a computer-aided design (CAD) tool for the design of business models in a strategic context. Using design science research methodology a series of techniques and prototypes have been designed and evaluated to offer solutions to the problem. The work is a collection of articles which can be grouped into three parts: First establishing the context of how the Business Model Canvas (BMC) is used to design business models and explore the way in which CAD can contribute to the design activity. The second part extends on this by proposing new technics and tools which support elicitation, evaluation (assessment) and evolution of business models design with CAD. This includes features such as multi-color tagging to easily connect elements, rules to validate coherence of business models and features that are adapted to the correct business model proficiency level of its users. A new way to describe and visualize multiple versions of a business model and thereby help in addressing the business model as a dynamic object was also researched. The third part explores extensions to the business model canvas such as an intermediary model which helps IT alignment by connecting business model and enterprise architecture. And a business model pattern for privacy in a mobile environment, using privacy as a key value proposition. The prototyped techniques and proposition for using CAD tools in business model modeling will allow commercial CAD developers to create tools that are better suited to the needs of practitioners.

Lake dwellers occupation gap in Lake Geneva (France-Switzerland) possibly explained by an earthquake-mass movement-tsunami event during Early Bronze Age

High-resolution seismic and sediment core data from the 'Grand Lac' basin of Lake Geneva reveal traces of repeated slope instabilities with one main slide-evolved mass-flow (minimum volume 0.13 km3) that originated from the northern lateral slope of the lake near the city of Lausanne. Radiocarbon dating of organic remains sampled from the top of the main deposit gives an age interval of 1865-1608 BC. This date coincides with the age interval for a mass movement event described in the 'Petit Lac' basin of Lake Geneva (1872-1622 BC). Because multiple mass movements took place at the same time in different parts of the lake, we consider the most likely trigger mechanism to be a strong earthquake (Mw 6) that occurred in the period between 1872 and 1608 BC. Based on numerical simulations, we show the major deposit near Lausanne would have generated a tsunami with local wave heights of up to 6 m. The combined effects of the earthquake and the following tsunami provide a possible explanation for a gap in lake dwellers occupation along the shores of Lake Geneva revealed by dendrochronological dating of two palafitte archaeological sites.

Respiratory viruses in HIV-infected patients with suspected respiratory opportunistic infection.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence and epidemiological pattern of respiratory viruses in HIV-infected patients and to evaluate their potential clinical impact. DESIGN AND METHODS: A prospective population-based cohort study was conducted at three Swiss university hospitals. Study participants were HIV-infected patients who underwent a bronchoalveolar lavage to rule out an opportunistic event. All bronchoalveolar lavage specimens were screened using a set of real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assays targeting 17 different respiratory viruses. RESULTS: Between November 2003 and November 2006, 59 bronchoalveolar episodes from 55 HIV-infected patients were analysed. Eleven of 59 episodes (18.6%) were positive for at least one respiratory virus. Coronavirus OC43 was identified in three cases (27.3%) followed by influenza A in two (18.2%). Parainfluenza virus (PIV) 2, PIV 3, PIV 4, bocavirus, human rhinovirus A and human metapneumovirus were each identified in one case (9%). In the majority of these cases (63.6%) no other concomitant microorganism was isolated. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical investigation of respiratory viral infections in HIV-infected patients should not be restricted to prototype viruses and also need to target all the different family of viruses as it seems likely that these viruses contribute to pulmonary complications and morbidity in this population.