Quantitative developmental response to the length of exposure to long photoperiod in wheat and barley

The present study was designed to analyse the effect of the length of exposure to a long photoperiod imposed c. 3 weeks after sowing in spring wheat (cv. UQ189) and barley (cv. Arapiles) to (i) establish whether the response to the number of cycles of exposure is quantitative or qualitative, (ii) determine the existence of a commitment to particular stages well before the stage has been observable, and (iii) study the interrelationships between the effects on final leaf number and phyllochron when the stimulus is provided several days after seedling emergence. Both wheat and barley seemed to respond quantitatively to the number of long-day cycles they were exposed to. However, wheat showed a requirement of approximately 4 long-day cycles to be able to produce a significant response in time to heading. The barley cultivar used in the study was responsive to the minimum length of exposure. The response to extended photoperiod cycles during the stem elongation phase was due to the ‘ memory’ photoperiod effects being related, in the case of wheat, to the fact that the pre-terminal spikelet appearance phase saturated its photoperiod response well before that stage was reached. Therefore, the commitment to the terminal spikelet appearance in wheat may be reached well before this stage could be recognized. As the response in duration to heading exceeded that of the final leaf number, and the stem elongation phase responded to memory effects of photoperiod, the phyllochron of both cereals was responsive to the treatments accelerating the average phyllochron when exposed to longer periods of long days. The response in average phyllochron was due to a switch from bi-linear to linear models of leaf number v. time when the conditions were increasingly inductive, with the phyllochron of the initial (6–8) leaves being similar for all treatments (within each species), and from then on increased.

Bioinspired electronic white cane implementation based on a LIDAR, a tri-axial accelerometer and a tactile belt

This work proposes the creation of a bioinspired electronic white cane for blind people using the whiskers principle for short-range navigation and exploration. Whiskers are coarse hairs of an animal's face that tells the animal that it has touched something using the nerves of the skin. In this work the raw data acquired from a low-size terrestrial LIDAR and a tri-axial accelerometer is converted into tactile information using several electromagnetic devices configured as a tactile belt. The LIDAR and the accelerometer are attached to the user’s forearm and connected with a wire to the control unit placed on the belt. Early validation experiments carried out in the laboratory are promising in terms of usability and description of the environment.

Des faux documents d'identité au renseignement forensique : développement d'une approche systématique et transversale du traitement de la donnée forensique à des fins de renseignement criminel

La fabrication, la distribution et l'usage de fausses pièces d'identité constituent une menace pour la sécurité autant publique que privée. Ces faux documents représentent en effet un catalyseur pour une multitude de formes de criminalité, des plus anodines aux formes les plus graves et organisées. La dimension, la complexité, la faible visibilité, ainsi que les caractères répétitif et évolutif de la fraude aux documents d'identité appellent des réponses nouvelles qui vont au-delà d'une approche traditionnelle au cas par cas ou de la stratégie du tout technologique dont la perspective historique révèle l'échec. Ces nouvelles réponses passent par un renforcement de la capacité de comprendre les problèmes criminels que posent la fraude aux documents d'identité et les phénomènes qui l'animent. Cette compréhension est tout bonnement nécessaire pour permettre d'imaginer, d'évaluer et de décider les solutions et mesures les plus appropriées. Elle requière de développer les capacités d'analyse et la fonction de renseignement criminel qui fondent en particulier les modèles d'action de sécurité les plus récents, tels que l'intelligence-led policing ou le problem-oriented policing par exemple. Dans ce contexte, le travail doctoral adopte une position originale en postulant que les fausses pièces d'identité se conçoivent utilement comme la trace matérielle ou le vestige résultant de l'activité de fabrication ou d'altération d'un document d'identité menée par les faussaires. Sur la base de ce postulat fondamental, il est avancé que l'exploitation scientifique, méthodique et systématique de ces traces au travers d'un processus de renseignement forensique permet de générer des connaissances phénoménologiques sur les formes de criminalité qui fabriquent, diffusent ou utilisent les fausses pièces d'identité, connaissances qui s'intègrent et se mettent avantageusement au service du renseignement criminel. A l'appui de l'épreuve de cette thèse de départ et de l'étude plus générale du renseignement forensique, le travail doctoral propose des définitions et des modèles. Il décrit des nouvelles méthodes de profilage et initie la constitution d'un catalogue de formes d'analyses. Il recourt également à des expérimentations et des études de cas. Les résultats obtenus démontrent que le traitement systématique de la donnée forensique apporte une contribution utile et pertinente pour le renseignement criminel stratégique, opérationnel et tactique, ou encore la criminologie. Combiné aux informations disponibles par ailleurs, le renseignement forensique produit est susceptible de soutenir l'action de sécurité dans ses dimensions répressive, proactive, préventive et de contrôle. En particulier, les méthodes de profilage des fausses pièces d'identité proposées permettent de révéler des tendances au travers de jeux de données étendus, d'analyser des modus operandi ou d'inférer une communauté ou différence de source. Ces méthodes appuient des moyens de détection et de suivi des séries, des problèmes et des phénomènes criminels qui s'intègrent dans le cadre de la veille opérationnelle. Ils permettent de regrouper par problèmes les cas isolés, de mettre en évidence les formes organisées de criminalité qui méritent le plus d'attention, ou de produire des connaissances robustes et inédites qui offrent une perception plus profonde de la criminalité. Le travail discute également les difficultés associées à la gestion de données et d'informations propres à différents niveaux de généralité, ou les difficultés relatives à l'implémentation du processus de renseignement forensique dans la pratique. Ce travail doctoral porte en premier lieu sur les fausses pièces d'identité et leur traitement par les protagonistes de l'action de sécurité. Au travers d'une démarche inductive, il procède également à une généralisation qui souligne que les observations ci-dessus ne valent pas uniquement pour le traitement systématique des fausses pièces d'identité, mais pour celui de tout type de trace dès lors qu'un profil en est extrait. Il ressort de ces travaux une définition et une compréhension plus transversales de la notion et de la fonction de renseignement forensique. The production, distribution and use of false identity documents constitute a threat to both public and private security. Fraudulent documents are a catalyser for a multitude of crimes, from the most trivial to the most serious and organised forms. The dimension, complexity, low visibility as well as the repetitive and evolving character of the production and use of false identity documents call for new solutions that go beyond the traditional case-by-case approach, or the technology-focused strategy whose failure is revealed by the historic perspective. These new solutions require to strengthen the ability to understand crime phenomena and crime problems posed by false identity documents. Such an understanding is pivotal in order to be able to imagine, evaluate and decide on the most appropriate measures and responses. Therefore, analysis capacities and crime intelligence functions, which found the most recent policing models such as intelligence-led policing or problem-oriented policing for instance, have to be developed. In this context, the doctoral research work adopts an original position by postulating that false identity documents can be usefully perceived as the material remnant resulting from the criminal activity undertook by forgers, namely the manufacture or the modification of identity documents. Based on this fundamental postulate, it is proposed that a scientific, methodical and systematic processing of these traces through a forensic intelligence approach can generate phenomenological knowledge on the forms of crime that produce, distribute and use false identity documents. Such knowledge should integrate and serve advantageously crime intelligence efforts. In support of this original thesis and of a more general study of forensic intelligence, the doctoral work proposes definitions and models. It describes new profiling methods and initiates the construction of a catalogue of analysis forms. It also leverages experimentations and case studies. Results demonstrate that the systematic processing of forensic data usefully and relevantly contributes to strategic, tactical and operational crime intelligence, and also to criminology. Combined with alternative information available, forensic intelligence may support policing in its repressive, proactive, preventive and control activities. In particular, the proposed profiling methods enable to reveal trends among extended datasets, to analyse modus operandi, or to infer that false identity documents have a common or different source. These methods support the detection and follow-up of crime series, crime problems and phenomena and therefore contribute to crime monitoring efforts. They enable to link and regroup by problems cases that were previously viewed as isolated, to highlight organised forms of crime which deserve greatest attention, and to elicit robust and novel knowledge offering a deeper perception of crime. The doctoral research work discusses also difficulties associated with the management of data and information relating to different levels of generality, or difficulties associated with the implementation in practice of the forensic intelligence process. The doctoral work focuses primarily on false identity documents and their treatment by policing stakeholders. However, through an inductive process, it makes a generalisation which underlines that observations do not only apply to false identity documents but to any kind of trace as soon as a profile is extracted. A more transversal definition and understanding of the concept and function of forensic intelligence therefore derives from the doctoral work.

Expert clinical reasoning and pain assessment in mechanically ventilated patients: A descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Pain assessment in mechanically ventilated patients is challenging, because nurses need to decode pain behaviour, interpret pain scores, and make appropriate decisions. This clinical reasoning process is inherent to advanced nursing practice, but is poorly understood. A better understanding of this process could contribute to improved pain assessment and management. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the indicators that influence expert nurses' clinical reasoning when assessing pain in critically ill nonverbal patients. METHODS: This descriptive observational study was conducted in the adult intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary referral hospital in Western Switzerland. A purposive sample of expert nurses, caring for nonverbal ventilated patients who received sedation and analgesia, were invited to participate in the study. Data were collected in "real life" using recorded think-aloud combined with direct non-participant observation and brief interviews. Data were analysed using deductive and inductive content analyses using a theoretical framework related to clinical reasoning and pain. RESULTS: Seven expert nurses with an average of 7.85 (±3.1) years of critical care experience participated in the study. The patients had respiratory distress (n=2), cardiac arrest (n=2), sub-arachnoid bleeding (n=1), and multi-trauma (n=2). A total of 1344 quotes in five categories were identified. Patients' physiological stability was the principal indicator for making decision in relation to pain management. Results also showed that it is a permanent challenge for nurses to discriminate situations requiring sedation from situations requiring analgesia. Expert nurses mainly used working knowledge and patterns to anticipate and prevent pain. CONCLUSIONS: Patient's clinical condition is important for making decision about pain in critically ill nonverbal patients. The concept of pain cannot be assessed in isolation and its assessment should take the patient's clinical stability and sedation into account. Further research is warranted to confirm these results.

Dissatisfaction of hospital patients, their relatives, and friends: Analysis of accounts collected in a complaints center.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze complaints of patients, their relatives, and friends who consulted a complaints center based (Espace Patients & Proches (EPP)) in a hospital so as to better understand the reasons that motivated them and their underlying expectations. METHODS: This study was based on the analysis of written accounts of the 253 situations that occurred during the first year of operation of the EPP. The accounts were analyzed qualitatively using an inductive, thematic analytic approach. RESULTS: We identified 372 different types of complaints and 28 main analytic themes. Five clustered themes emerged from the analysis of the interconnections among the core themes: (1) interpersonal relationship (N=160-the number of accounts including a complaint related to this general theme); (2) technical aspects of care (N=106); (3) health-care institution (N=69); (4) billing and insurance; (5) access to information (N=13). CONCLUSION: The main reason for patients, their relatives, and friends going to EPP was related to the quality of the interpersonal relationship with health-care professionals. Such complaints were markedly more frequent than those concerning technical aspects of care. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: These results raise important questions concerning changing patient expectations as well as how hospitals integrate complaints into the process of quality health care.

The first SEPServer event catalogue 68-MeV solar proton events observed at 1 AU in 1996-2010

SEPServer is a three-year collaborative project funded by the seventh framework programme (FP7-SPACE) of the European Union. The objective of the project is to provide access to state-of-the-art observations and analysis tools for the scientific community on solar energetic particle (SEP) events and related electromagnetic (EM) emissions. The project will eventually lead to better understanding of the particle acceleration and transport processes at the Sun and in the inner heliosphere. These processes lead to SEP events that form one of the key elements of space weather. In this paper we present the first results from the systematic analysis work performed on the following datasets: SOHO/ERNE, SOHO/EPHIN, ACE/EPAM, Wind/WAVES and GOES X-rays. A catalogue of SEP events at 1 AU, with complete coverage over solar cycle 23, based on high-energy (~68-MeV) protons from SOHO/ERNE and electron recordings of the events by SOHO/EPHIN and ACE/EPAM are presented. A total of 115 energetic particle events have been identified and analysed using velocity dispersion analysis (VDA) for protons and time-shifting analysis (TSA) for electrons and protons in order to infer the SEP release times at the Sun. EM observations during the times of the SEP event onset have been gathered and compared to the release time estimates of particles. Data from those events that occurred during the European day-time, i.e., those that also have observations from ground-based observatories included in SEPServer, are listed and a preliminary analysis of their associations is presented. We find that VDA results for protons can be a useful tool for the analysis of proton release times, but if the derived proton path length is out of a range of 1 AU < s[3 AU, the result of the analysis may be compromised, as indicated by the anti-correlation of the derived path length and release time delay from the asso ciated X-ray flare. The average path length derived from VDA is about 1.9 times the nominal length of the spiral magnetic field line. This implies that the path length of first-arriving MeV to deka-MeV protons is affected by interplanetary scattering. TSA of near-relativistic electrons results in a release time that shows significant scatter with respect to the EM emissions but with a trend of being delayed more with increasing distance between the flare and the nominal footpoint of the Earth-connected field line.

Spectral energy distribution of the gamma-ray microquasar LS 5039

The microquasar LS 5039 has recently been detected as a source of very high energy (VHE) $\gamma$-rays. This detection, that confirms the previously proposed association of LS 5039 with the EGRET source 3EG~J1824$-$1514, makes of LS 5039 a special system with observational data covering nearly all the electromagnetic spectrum. In order to reproduce the observed spectrum of LS 5039, from radio to VHE $\gamma$-rays, we have applied a cold matter dominated jet model that takes into account accretion variability, the jet magnetic field, particle acceleration, adiabatic and radiative losses, microscopic energy conservation in the jet, and pair creation and absorption due to the external photon fields, as well as the emission from the first generation of secondaries. The radiative processes taken into account are synchrotron, relativistic Bremsstrahlung and inverse Compton (IC). The model is based on a scenario that has been characterized with recent observational results, concerning the orbital parameters, the orbital variability at X-rays and the nature of the compact object. The computed spectral energy distribution (SED) shows a good agreement with the available observational data.

Single acquisition electrical property mapping based on relative coil sensitivities: A proof-of-concept demonstration.

PURPOSE: All methods presented to date to map both conductivity and permittivity rely on multiple acquisitions to compute quantitatively the magnitude of radiofrequency transmit fields, B1+. In this work, we propose a method to compute both conductivity and permittivity based solely on relative receive coil sensitivities ( B1-) that can be obtained in one single measurement without the need to neither explicitly perform transmit/receive phase separation nor make assumptions regarding those phases. THEORY AND METHODS: To demonstrate the validity and the noise sensitivity of our method we used electromagnetic finite differences simulations of a 16-channel transceiver array. To experimentally validate our methodology at 7 Tesla, multi compartment phantom data was acquired using a standard 32-channel receive coil system and two-dimensional (2D) and 3D gradient echo acquisition. The reconstructed electric properties were correlated to those measured using dielectric probes. RESULTS: The method was demonstrated both in simulations and in phantom data with correlations to both the modeled and bench measurements being close to identity. The noise properties were modeled and understood. CONCLUSION: The proposed methodology allows to quantitatively determine the electrical properties of a sample using any MR contrast, with the only constraint being the need to have 4 or more receive coils and high SNR. Magn Reson Med, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

RF Field Immunity of a Network Terminating Unit at Over One Gigaherz Frequencies

Työssä tutkitaan telepäätelaitteen yli gigahertsin taajuisen säteilevän RF kentän sietoisuutta. Mittauksissa testattava laite on Tellabs Oy:n valmistaman CTU modeemin tuotekehitysversio. Teoriaosassa käydään läpi sähkömagneettisten aaltojen teoriaa, sekä säteilevän RF kentän aiheuttamien sähkömagneettiset häiriöiden syntymekanismeja. Myös säteilevien häiriöiden EMC mittauksiin tarvittavien mittalaitteiden tärkeimmät ominaisuudet esitellään, sekä pohditaan yli gigahertsin taajuuksille sopivien EMC mittalaitteiden vaatimuksia. EMC standardit eivät tällä hetkellä aseta vaatimuksia telelaitteiden RF kentän sietoisuudelle yli gigahertsin taajuudella. Tämän vuoksi työssä käsitellään myös todennäköisimpiä häiriölähteitä tällä taajuusalueella. Mittauksissa tutkittiin CTU:n RF kentän sietoisuutta taajuusalueella l - 4.2 GHz. Mittaukset suoritettiin sekä radiokaiuttomassa kammiossa että GTEM solussa. Myös metallisten lisäsuojien vaikutusta CTU:n kentänsietoisuuteen tutkittiin GTEM solussa.

Innovative implementation by non-state actors in environment-related areas : towards a positive implementation gap ?

This contribution (presented in the first International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP) in Grenoble in June 2013) explores the phenomena of innovation in action ("innovative implementation"). To do so, we operationalize "innovative implementation" as a strategy by which (coalitions of) non-state actors seek to develop ad hoc solutions to address a given environmental issue, going beyond what is provided for in formal policy designs. Following an inductive research strategy, we elaborate a conceptual framework whose main advantage is to bring the actors and their coalition (in all their diversity) back in the analysis. More concretely, we state that perceiving implementation as broader 'social interaction processes' (De Boer & Bressers 2011) within which actors play strategic 'games' (Bardach 1977, Scharpf 1997) opens interesting lines of research to better account for their innovative and strategic behaviours. In a second step, we apply this framework to three strategies of innovative implementation in different contexts, and identify on this basis empirical regularities in the individual pathways related to the emergence and success (or failure) of these strategies.

Minimal requirements for parameters to be used for the development of predictive models for microbial source tracking. The example of the pair somatic coliphages and phages infecting Bacteroides

Several methods and approaches for measuring parameters to determine fecal sources of pollution in water have been developed in recent years. No single microbial or chemical parameter has proved sufficient to determine the source of fecal pollution. Combinations of parameters involving at least one discriminating indicator and one universal fecal indicator offer the most promising solutions for qualitative and quantitative analyses. The universal (nondiscriminating) fecal indicator provides quantitative information regarding the fecal load. The discriminating indicator contributes to the identification of a specific source. The relative values of the parameters derived from both kinds of indicators could provide information regarding the contribution to the total fecal load from each origin. It is also essential that both parameters characteristically persist in the environment for similar periods. Numerical analysis, such as inductive learning methods, could be used to select the most suitable and the lowest number of parameters to develop predictive models. These combinations of parameters provide information on factors affecting the models, such as dilution, specific types of animal source, persistence of microbial tracers, and complex mixtures from different sources. The combined use of the enumeration of somatic coliphages and the enumeration of Bacteroides-phages using different host specific strains (one from humans and another from pigs), both selected using the suggested approach, provides a feasible model for quantitative and qualitative analyses of fecal source identification.

Behavior of propagating and evanescent components in azimuthally polarized non-paraxial fields

The contribution of the propagating and the evanescent waves associated with freely propagating non-paraxial light fields whose transverse component is azimuthally polarized at some plane is investigated. Analytic expressions are derived for describing both the spatial shape and the relative weight of the propagating and the evanescent components integrated over the transverse plane. The analysis is carried out within the framework of the plane-wave angular spectrum approach. These results are used to illustrate the behavior of a kind of donut-like beams with transverse azimuthal polarization at some plane.

Johdinhäviöiden määrittäminen mikroliuskarakenteessa

Tässä diplomityössä on käsitelty mikroliuskarakenteen johdinhäviöiden määrittämistä kokeellisin ja analyyttisin menetelmin. Työssä on käyty läpi mikroliuskarakenteen ominaisuudet sekä esitetty tärkeimmät kirjallisuudessa esitellyt menetelmät johdinhäviöiden laskemiseksi. Mikroliuskarakenteen häviöitä mallinnettiin modernilla momenttimenetelmään perustuvalla kenttälaskentasimulaattorilla. Simulaattorin toimintaperiaate on esitelty ja sen soveltaminen mikroliuskarakenteen simuloimiseen on käyty läpi. Eräs mikroliuskarakenne mallinnettiin taajuusalueella 1-10 GHz ja simuloituja johdinhäviöitä verrattiin analyyttisesti määritettyihin. Mikroliuskarakenteen vaste mitattiin ja sitä verrattiin mallinnetun mikroliuskarakenteen vasteeseen. Tulosten perusteella on pohdittu simulaattorin soveltuvuutta mikroliuskarakenteen johdinhäviöiden mallintamiseen. Mikroliuskarakenteen johdinhäviöiden määrittämiseen mittausten avulla on esitetty ideoita jatkotutkimusta varten.

Observer reactions to workplace mistreatment

This study explored observer reactions to workplace interpersonal mistreatment using an inductive analysis approach. I conducted 32 interviews with a wide sample of working professionals from various backgrounds and industries to examine how observers react to the unfolding process of workplace interpersonal mistreatment incidents. Specifically, the goal of this study was to gain a deeper and closer understanding of observer reaction processes by examining first-hand accounts of employees who have witnessed co-workers being mistreated by others. I generated typologies of reported observer affective, cognitive, and behavioral reactions that emerged from their stories, and I identified what employees believe are important factors that inhibit or enable intervention. Results reveal that a majority of employees are not inclined to intervene during an ongoing mistreatment incident, and that observers who intervened during the incident reported different appraisal processes than observers who only intervened afterwards, or who did not intervene at all. From these personal accounts of observing workplace mistreatment, I interpreted that observers generally react to interpersonal mistreatment incidents in two phases, and that how targets reacted after an incident was an important trigger that propelled observers to become involved afterwards, even if they did not have the desire or the intention to do so. These findings have implications for current theories on observer intervention to mistreatment in the workplace.

Synthesis of highly focused fields with circular polarization at any transverse plane

We develop a method for generating focused vector beams with circular polarization at any transverse plane. Based on the Richards-Wolf vector model, we derive analytical expressions to describe the propagation of these set of beams near the focal area. Since the polarization and the amplitude of the input beam are not uniform, an interferometric system capable of generating spatially-variant polarized beams has to be used. In particular, this wavefront is manipulated by means of spatial light modulators displaying computer generated holograms and subsequently focused using a high numerical aperture objective lens. Experimental results using a NA=0.85 system are provided: irradiance and Stokes images of the focused field at different planes near the focal plane are presented and compared with those obtained by numerical simulation.