La compétence en matière contractuelle selon le règlement 44/2001 "Bruxelles I" et la Convention de Lugano révisée à la Suite de l'arrêt CJCE Color Drack

Ce volume recueille les actes du colloque qui sest tenu le 16 mars 2007 à lInstitut suisse de droit comparé (Lausanne) à loccasion de la 19e Journée de droit international privé. Le processus de révision de la Convention de Lugano, instrument dimportance centrale dans le contentieux international impliquant la Suisse, aura duré plus de dix ans. La signature de la Convention révisée est intervenue, pour le compte de la Suisse, le 30 octobre 2007. Le texte a subi un remodelage à laune du droit européen, tout en consacrant sans bouleversement majeur les acquis de la jurisprudence. Limportance de cet événement a incité une dizaine dexperts suisses et étrangers, spécialistes chevronnés et jeunes chercheurs à faire le point sur les quelques innovations du texte ainsi quà rappeler les solutions originelles qui ont résisté au temps.

Grapheme-color synaesthesia is associated with a distinct cognitive style

In this study we investigated whether synaesthesia is associated with a particular cognitive style. Cognitive style refers to preferred modes of information processing, such as a verbal style or a visual style. We reasoned that related to the enriched world of experiences created by synaesthesia, its association with enhanced verbal and visual memory, higher imagery and creativity, synaesthetes might show enhanced preference for a verbal as well as for a visual cognitive style compared to non-synaesthetes. In Study 1 we tested a large convenience sample of 1046 participants, who classified themselves as grapheme-color, sound-color, lexical-gustatory, sequence-space, or as non-synaesthetes. To assess cognitive style, we used the revised verbalizer-visualizer questionnaire (VVQ), which involves three independent cognitive style dimensions (verbal style, visual-spatial style, and vivid imagery style). The most important result was that those who reported grapheme-color synaesthesia showed higher ratings on the verbal and vivid imagery style dimensions, but not on the visual-spatial style dimension. In Study 2 we replicated this finding in a laboratory study involving 24 grapheme-color synaesthetes with objectively confirmed synaesthesia and a closely matched control group. Our results indicate that grapheme-color synaesthetes prefer both a verbal and a specific visual cognitive style. We suggest that this enhanced preference, probably together with the greater ease to switch between a verbal and a vivid visual imagery style, may be related to cognitive advantages associated with grapheme color synaesthesia such as enhanced memory performance and creativity.

Robust Denoising using Feature and Color Information

We propose a method that robustly combines color and feature buffers to denoise Monte Carlo renderings. On one hand, feature buffers, such as per pixel normals, textures, or depth, are effective in determining denoising filters because features are highly correlated with rendered images. Filters based solely on features, however, are prone to blurring image details that are not well represented by the features. On the other hand, color buffers represent all details, but they may be less effective to determine filters because they are contaminated by the noise that is supposed to be removed. We propose to obtain filters using a combination of color and feature buffers in an NL-means and cross-bilateral filtering framework. We determine a robust weighting of colors and features using a SURE-based error estimate. We show significant improvements in subjective and quantitative errors compared to the previous state-of-the-art. We also demonstrate adaptive sampling and space-time filtering for animations.

Female preference for male color is necessary and sufficient for assortative mating in 2 cichlid sister species

A critical step for speciation in the face of gene flow is the origination of reproductive isolation. The evolution of assortative mating greatly facilitates this process. Assortative mating can be mediated by one or multiple cues across an array of sensory modalities. We here explore possible cues that may underlie female mate choice in a sympatric species pair of cichlid fish from Lake Victoria, Pundamilia pundamilia and Pundamilia nyererei. Previous studies identified species-specific female preferences for male coloration, but effects of other cues could not be ruled out. Therefore, we assessed female choice in a series of experiments in which we manipulated visual (color) and chemical cues. We show that the visibility of differences in nuptial hue (i.e., either blue or red) between males of the 2 species is necessary and sufficient for assortative mating by female mate choice. Such assortment mediated by a single cue may evolve relatively quickly, but could make reproductive isolation vulnerable to environmental changes. These findings confirm the important role of female mate choice for male nuptial hue in promoting the explosive speciation of African haplochromine cichlids.

Different dark conformations function in color-sensitive photosignaling by the sensory rhodopsin I-HtrI complex.

The haloarchaeal phototaxis receptor sensory rhodopsin I (SRI) in complex with its transducer HtrI delivers an attractant signal from excitation with an orange photon and a repellent signal from a second near-UV photon excitation. Using a proteoliposome system with purified SRI in complex with its transducer HtrI, we identified by site-directed fluorescence labeling a site (Ser(155)) on SRI that is conformationally active in signal relay to HtrI. Using site-directed spin labeling of Ser(155)Cys with a nitroxide side chain, we detected a change in conformation following one-photon excitation such that the spin probe exhibits a splitting of the outer hyperfine extrema (2A'(zz)) significantly smaller than that of the electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum in the dark state. The dark conformations of five mutant complexes that do not discriminate between orange and near-UV excitation show shifts to lower or higher 2A'(zz) values correlated with the alterations in their motility behavior to one- and two-photon stimuli. These data are interpreted in terms of a model in which the dark complex is populated by two conformers in the wild type, one that inhibits the CheA kinase (A) and the other that activates it (R), shifted in the dark by mutations and shifted in the wild-type SRI-HtrI complex in opposite directions by one-photon and two-photon reactions.

High-sensitivity rod photoreceptor input to the blue-yellow color opponent pathway in macaque retina.

Small bistratified cells (SBCs) in the primate retina carry a major blue-yellow opponent signal to the brain. We found that SBCs also carry signals from rod photoreceptors, with the same sign as S cone input. SBCs exhibited robust responses under low scotopic conditions. Physiological and anatomical experiments indicated that this rod input arose from the AII amacrine cell-mediated rod pathway. Rod and cone signals were both present in SBCs at mesopic light levels. These findings have three implications. First, more retinal circuits may multiplex rod and cone signals than were previously thought to, efficiently exploiting the limited number of optic nerve fibers. Second, signals from AII amacrine cells may diverge to most or all of the approximately 20 retinal ganglion cell types in the peripheral primate retina. Third, rod input to SBCs may be the substrate for behavioral biases toward perception of blue at mesopic light levels.

School Based Health Centers Should Provide Contraception to Teens

Many students are sexually active, and hundreds of thousands experience pregnancy every year. Smith, Novello, and Chacko’s research found that students at a school where contraception is available on site were more likely to access contraception and less likely to experience pregnancy – illustrating the power of school based health centers (SBHCs) to help students take responsibility and protect their own futures. Yet the majority of SBHCs are prohibited from dispensing contraception. To remove barriers in access to contraception and help reduce teen pregnany, policymakers, school administrators, and health providers should ensure that SBHCs follow youth-friendly protocols and provide confidential access to contraception.

Trastuzumab treatment beyond progression in advanced breast cancer: patterns of care in six Swiss breast cancer centers.

BACKGROUND Trastuzumab is an established treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer (BC). We analyzed Swiss patterns of care in patients with HER2-positive BC after disease progression on trastuzumab-containing therapy for metastatic BC (MBC). PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed in six Swiss BC centers. Patients with HER2-positive MBC treated with at least one infusion of trastuzumab for advanced disease between January 2006 and December 2007 were identified. Treatment patterns in first and further lines were analyzed. RESULTS All of the 72 identified patients received trastuzumab as their first palliative anti-HER2 therapy, either as monotherapy (n = 23) or in combination with chemotherapy (typically taxane or vinorelbine; n = 49). Median time to progression was 8.1, 8.0 and 7.9 months in the monotherapy, trastuzumab-taxane and trastuzumab-vinorelbine cohorts, respectively. After progression on first-line anti-HER2 therapy, trastuzumab was continued in 67 of 68 patients who received further therapy. One patient received second-line lapatinib plus capecitabine. The median duration of anti-HER2 therapy was 20 months. Patients received a median of 4 lines of anti-HER2 therapy. CONCLUSIONS Durable responses were achieved with repeated exposure to anti-HER2 therapy. In a selected patient population, trastuzumab monotherapy appears to be a reasonable first-line treatment option.

Validation of the DRAGON score in 12 stroke centers in anterior and posterior circulation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The DRAGON score predicts functional outcome in the hyperacute phase of intravenous thrombolysis treatment of ischemic stroke patients. We aimed to validate the score in a large multicenter cohort in anterior and posterior circulation. METHODS Prospectively collected data of consecutive ischemic stroke patients who received intravenous thrombolysis in 12 stroke centers were merged (n=5471). We excluded patients lacking data necessary to calculate the score and patients with missing 3-month modified Rankin scale scores. The final cohort comprised 4519 eligible patients. We assessed the performance of the DRAGON score with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve in the whole cohort for both good (modified Rankin scale score, 0-2) and miserable (modified Rankin scale score, 5-6) outcomes. RESULTS Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.84 (0.82-0.85) for miserable outcome and 0.82 (0.80-0.83) for good outcome. Proportions of patients with good outcome were 96%, 93%, 78%, and 0% for 0 to 1, 2, 3, and 8 to 10 score points, respectively. Proportions of patients with miserable outcome were 0%, 2%, 4%, 89%, and 97% for 0 to 1, 2, 3, 8, and 9 to 10 points, respectively. When tested separately for anterior and posterior circulation, there was no difference in performance (P=0.55); areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.84 (0.83-0.86) and 0.82 (0.78-0.87), respectively. No sex-related difference in performance was observed (P=0.25). CONCLUSIONS The DRAGON score showed very good performance in the large merged cohort in both anterior and posterior circulation strokes. The DRAGON score provides rapid estimation of patient prognosis and supports clinical decision-making in the hyperacute phase of stroke care (eg, when invasive add-on strategies are considered).

Relationship between onset-to-door time and door-to-thrombolysis time: a pooled analysis of 10 dedicated stroke centers

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Inverse relationship between onset-to-door time (ODT) and door-to-needle time (DNT) in stroke thrombolysis was reported from various registries. We analyzed this relationship and other determinants of DNT in dedicated stroke centers. METHODS Prospectively collected data of consecutive ischemic stroke patients from 10 centers who received IV thrombolysis within 4.5 hours from symptom onset were merged (n=7106). DNT was analyzed as a function of demographic and prehospital variables using regression analyses, and change over time was considered. RESULTS In 6348 eligible patients with known treatment delays, median DNT was 42 minutes and kept decreasing steeply every year (P<0.001). Median DNT of 55 minutes was observed in patients with ODT ≤30 minutes, whereas it declined for patients presenting within the last 30 minutes of the 3-hour time window (median, 33 minutes) and of the 4.5-hour time window (20 minutes). For ODT within the first 30 minutes of the extended time window (181-210 minutes), DNT increased to 42 minutes. DNT was stable for ODT for 30 to 150 minutes (40-45 minutes). We found a weak inverse overall correlation between ODT and DNT (R(2)=-0.12; P<0.001), but it was strong in patients treated between 3 and 4.5 hours (R(2)=-0.75; P<0.001). ODT was independently inversely associated with DNT (P<0.001) in regression analysis. Octogenarians and women tended to have longer DNT. CONCLUSIONS DNT was decreasing steeply over the last years in dedicated stroke centers; however, significant oscillations of in-hospital treatment delays occurred at both ends of the time window. This suggests that further improvements can be achieved, particularly in the elderly.

An MBLP model for scheduling assessment centers

Firms aim at assigning qualified and motivated people to jobs. Human resources managers often conduct assessment centers before making such personnel decisions. By means of an assessment center, the potential and skills of job applicants can be assessed more objectively. For the scheduling of such assessment centers, we present a formulation as a mixed-binary linear program and report on computational results for four real-life examples.

The Deep Blue Color of HD 189733b: Albedo Measurements with Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph at Visible Wavelengths

We present a secondary eclipse observation for the hot Jupiter HD 189733b across the wavelength range 290-570 nm made using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. We measure geometric albedos of Ag = 0.40 ± 0.12 across 290-450 nm and Ag < 0.12 across 450-570 nm at 1σ confidence. The albedo decrease toward longer wavelengths is also apparent when using six wavelength bins over the same wavelength range. This can be interpreted as evidence for optically thick reflective clouds on the dayside hemisphere with sodium absorption suppressing the scattered light signal beyond ~450 nm. Our best-fit albedo values imply that HD 189733b would appear a deep blue color at visible wavelengths.