Development and Longer Term In Situ Evaluation of Fiber-Optic Sensors for Monitoring of Structural Concrete

In this paper, new solutions to the problem of making measurements, of carbonation and chloride ingress, in particular, in concrete structures are considered. The approach has focused on the design, development, and use of fiber-optic sensors (FOSs), recognizing the need in that conventional devices are often either inaccurate, expensive, or unsuitable for encapsulation in the material. The sensors have been designed to monitor, in situ and nondestructively, relevant physical, and chemical changes in cementitious materials. Three different types of FOS were constructed, tested, and evaluated specifically for this application, these being a temperature sensor (based on the fluorescence decay) and pH and chloride sensors, based on sol-gel (solidified gel) technology with appropriate impregnated indicators. The sensors were all designed to be inserted into the structures and evaluated under the harshest conditions, i.e., being mounted when the mortar is poured and thus tested in situ, with the temperature and pH sensors successfully embedded in mortar. The outcomes of these tests have shown that both the temperature sensor and the pH sensor were able to function correctly for the duration of the work - for over 18 months after placement. The laboratory tests on the chloride sensor showed it was able to make measurements but was not reversible, limiting its potential utility for in situ environments. Research is ongoing to refine the sensor performance and extend the testing.

Alpha emitter radium-223 and survival in metastatic prostate cancer

Radium-223 dichloride (radium-223), an alpha emitter, selectively targets bone metastases with alpha particles. We assessed the efficacy and safety of radium-223 as compared with placebo, in addition to the best standard of care, in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer and bone metastases.

Effect of radium-223 dichloride on symptomatic skeletal events in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer and bone metastases: results from a phase 3, double-blind, randomised trial

BACKGROUND: Bone metastases frequently cause skeletal events in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Radium-223 dichloride (radium-223) selectively targets bone metastases with high-energy, short-range α-particles. We assessed the effect of radium-223 compared with placebo in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer and bone metastases.

METHODS: In this phase 3, double-blind, randomised ALSYMPCA trial, we enrolled patients who had symptomatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with two or more bone metastases and no known visceral metastases, who were receiving best standard of care, and had previously either received or were unsuitable for docetaxel. Patients were stratified by previous docetaxel use, baseline total alkaline phosphatase level, and current bisphosphonate use, then randomly assigned (2:1) to receive either six intravenous injections of radium-223 (50 kBq/kg) or matching placebo; one injection was given every 4 weeks. Randomisation was done with an interactive voice response system, taking into account trial stratification factors. Participants and investigators were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was overall survival, which has been reported previously. Here we report on time to first symptomatic skeletal event, defined as the use of external beam radiation to relieve bone pain, or occurrence of a new symptomatic pathological fracture (vertebral or non-verterbal), or occurence of spinal cord compression, or tumour-related orthopeadic surgical intervention. All events were required to be clinically apparent and were not assessed by periodic radiological review. Statistical analyses of symptomatic skeletal events were based on the intention-to-treat population. The study has been completed and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00699751.

FINDINGS: Between June 12, 2008, and Feb 1, 2011, 921 patients were enrolled, of whom 614 (67%) were randomly assigned to receive radium-223 and 307 (33%) placebo. Symptomatic skeletal events occurred in 202 (33%) of 614 patients in the radium-223 group and 116 (38%) of 307 patients in the placebo group. Time to first symptomatic skeletal event was longer with radium-223 than with placebo (median 15·6 months [95% CI 13·5-18·0] vs 9·8 months [7·3-23·7]; hazard ratio [HR]=0·66, 95% CI 0·52-0·83; p=0·00037). The risks of external beam radiation therapy for bone pain (HR 0·67, 95% CI 0·53-0·85) and spinal cord compression (HR=0·52, 95% CI 0·29-0·93) were reduced with radium-233 compared with placebo. Radium-223 treatment did not seem to significantly reduce the risk of symptomatic pathological bone fracture (HR 0·62, 95% CI 0·35-1·09), or the need for tumour-related orthopaedic surgical intervention (HR 0·72, 95% CI 0·28-1·82).

INTERPRETATION: Radium-223 should be considered as a treatment option for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer and symptomatic bone metastases.

FUNDING: Algeta and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals.

Personalised placement in networked video

Personalised video can be achieved by inserting objects into a video play-out according to the viewer's profile. Content which has been authored and produced for general broadcast can take on additional commercial service features when personalised either for individual viewers or for groups of viewers participating in entertainment, training, gaming or informational activities. Although several scenarios and use-cases can be envisaged, we are focussed on the application of personalised product placement. Targeted advertising and product placement are currently garnering intense interest in the commercial networked media industries. Personalisation of product placement is a relevant and timely service for next generation online marketing and advertising and for many other revenue generating interactive services. This paper discusses the acquisition and insertion of media objects into a TV video play-out stream where the objects are determined by the profile of the viewer. The technology is based on MPEG-4 standards using object based video and MPEG-7 for metadata. No proprietary technology or protocol is proposed. To trade the objects into the video play-out, a Software-as-a-Service brokerage platform based on intelligent agent technology is adopted. Agencies, libraries and service providers are represented in a commercial negotiation to facilitate the contractual selection and usage of objects to be inserted into the video play-out.

Generalized Dasymetric Mapping Algorithm for Accessing Land-Use Change

Contém resumo

Leges politicae ex Sacrae Scripturae libris collectae, auctore Francisc Raguello... his interpretamenta... adjiciebat Laurent. Bochellus,... accessit ejusdem Laurentii Bochelli... in leges M. T. Ciceronis de jure publico commentarius

Comprend : Accuratus in Leges M. T. Ciceronis de jure publico commentarius

« Antiquités de Lyon, etc. ».

Contient : 1 « Comment le pont d'Avignon fust commensé myraculeusement ». Lettre ; 2 « Pax inter archiepiscopum et capitulum Lugdunenses ex una, et cives ex altera... Actum anno Incarnationis Dominice milesimo ducentesimo octavo mense septembrii ». En latin ; 3 Note sur « ung lac bien profond et appoissonné », qui était autrefois « entre le chasteau » de « Pierrescise et les murailles de la ville » ; A la suite, lavis représentant les deux sceaux de la ville de Lyon : «... sigillum secretum universitatis communitatis Lugduni » ; 4 « Des anciennes pompes funeralles ». Premiers mots : « La vanité supersticieuse des payens ydolastres... ». Derniers mots : « ... il fit graver et entailler des navires » ; 5 Epitaphes et autres curiosités, en latin et en français ; a « Epitaphium Lucrecie : Collatinus Tarquinius dulcissimae conjugi et incomparabili Lucrecie, pudicie decori... » ; b « Rome. D. M. » Epitaphium Euphrosinae. Premier vers : « Quid sibi vult queris tellus congesta viator... » ; c « Aliud Rome. D. M. ». Premier vers : « Hic jacet exiguis Dionisia flebilis annis... » ; d « Rome, et est declaracio epitaphii ejusdem nobilis mulieris de greco in latinum ». Epitaphium Somoneae. Premiers vers : « Ego que cantu eram Syrenis suavior, ego que apud Bachum,... » ; e « Aliud Rome ». Epitaphium ejusdem (?) Somoneae. Premier vers : « Tu qui secura procedis mente parumper... » ; f « Epitaphium Lucrecie nuper repertum in episcopatu Viterbiensy. D. M. S. : Collatinus Tarquinus (sic) dulcissime conjugi et imparabili (sic)... » ; g « Mundus ». Épitaphe en vers ; h Épigramme en vers français. « Rondeau : Vielle mule du temps passé... » ; i Autre épigramme sur la prise de Brescia. « Rondeau : Regina celi letare. Alleluia, car Bresse est prise, Et Venise un chascun desprise. Elle entend très mal son carré... » ; j Autre épigramme contre la république de Venise. « Rondeau : Veniciens de maulvaiz cresme... » ; k « Rondeau : Royalle dame, triomphe des humains... » ; l « Ce que j'ey leu en ung roc au piet de la tour du far près la coloingne en qualité que l'on dit une des bonnes d'Ercules, que fit ediffier ledict Ercules pour sa memoire : Marti Aug... » ; m « Signum Karoli, gloriosi regis, in Ynsulle Barbare, anno ab Incarnacionis (sic) Dominy (sic) DCCCC LXXV » ; n « Le signet du roy Clovis, premier roy crestien » ; o « Le signet du roy Lothaire » ; p « Le signet du roy Pyppin » ; 6 « Des anticquytés de Nostre Dame de l'Isle, près Lion » ; 7 « De anticalia Lugduni ». Recueil d'extraits d'auteurs anciens concernant Lyon (Senèque, Suétone, Ptolemée, Juvénal, Eusèbe, Tacite), et d'inscriptions ou d'épitaphes qui se lisent à Lyon. En latin ; 8 Extrait en latin concernant la tarasque, monstre en forme de dragon, qui autrefois infestait la contrée située le long du Rhône, entre Arles et Avignon, dans les environs de Tarascon, et qui fut dompté par sainte Marthe. En tête on lit : « Je Pierre Sala ey pris se qui s'ensuit sus l'original d'un très ancien livre, qui est en l'eglise de Tarascon, et ce fut environ l'an 1505 ». A cet extrait est joint un portrait de la tarasque, dessiné à la plume ; 9 Extraits, en latin et en français, concernant le squelette du géant « Briart », trouvé le 5 novembre 1456 en la baronnie de Crussol, près S. Peray, « au ruisseau Mederie ». Un de ces extraits est une « epistre » en vers « faicte par monseigneur de MAILLE, en françois, suyvant le latin » qui la précède, « le roy Loys XI estant à séjour à Vallence ». Ces extraits sont précédés d'une peinture donnant une idée de l'endroit où fut trouvé le géant Briart, et dudit géant, peinture qui remplit le revers du feuillet 48, au droit duquel est dessiné le portrait de la tarasque ci-dessus énoncé ; 10 « L'epitre de Senecque à Lucille, du feu qui brulla Lion, qui pour lors estoit sus le mont de Fourvières, et se fut environ 50 ans avant la nativité Nostre Seigneur ». Traduction ; 11 Inscriptions latines à S. Michel auprès d'Aina y et « en l'Anticaille » ; 12 « Des ars qui sont partie à Lyon, partie dehors, près Sainct Hyrinier, Chappono, en plusieurs aultres lieux ». Premiers mots : « Lesdictz ars sont appellées (sic) par le peuple rudde et barbare ars des Sarazins... ». Derniers mots : « ... à l'archediacre de Saluces, etc. »

Le traitement juridique des conjoints de fait : deux poids, deux mesures

Article publié avec l'autorisation de la Chambre des notaires du Québec et dans le cadre des cours de perfectionnement du notariat.