Instructions du ministre de l'éducation nationale relatives à l'application des arrêtés du 30 août 1937 et du 11 avril 1938 fixant les programmes de l'enseignement du second degré. Fascicule 2 / Direction générale de l'instruction publique, des beaux arts et des antiquités, au Maroc

Collection : Collection d'instructions et de manuels pédagogiques

Instructions du ministre de l'éducation nationale relatives à l'application des arrêtés du 30 août 1937 et du 11 avril 1938 fixant les programmes de l'enseignement du second degré. Fascicule 3 / Direction générale de l'instruction publique, des beaux arts et des antiquités, au Maroc

Collection : Collection d'instructions et de manuels pédagogiques

Multi-sample analysis of moment-structures: Asymptotic validity of inferences based on second-order moments

In moment structure analysis with nonnormal data, asymptotic valid inferences require the computation of a consistent (under general distributional assumptions) estimate of the matrix $\Gamma$ of asymptotic variances of sample second--order moments. Such a consistent estimate involves the fourth--order sample moments of the data. In practice, the use of fourth--order moments leads to computational burden and lack of robustness against small samples. In this paper we show that, under certain assumptions, correct asymptotic inferences can be attained when $\Gamma$ is replaced by a matrix $\Omega$ that involves only the second--order moments of the data. The present paper extends to the context of multi--sample analysis of second--order moment structures, results derived in the context of (simple--sample) covariance structure analysis (Satorra and Bentler, 1990). The results apply to a variety of estimation methods and general type of statistics. An example involving a test of equality of means under covariance restrictions illustrates theoretical aspects of the paper.

Long diagnostic delay in Crohn's disease is associated with complicated disease course and increased operation rate

Background: We have recently shown that the median diagnostic delay to establish Crohn's disease (CD) diagnosis (i.e. the period from first symptom onset to diagnosis) in the Swiss IBD Cohort (SIBDC) was 9 months. Seventy five percent of all CD patients were diagnosed within 24 months. The clinical impact of a long diagnostic delay on the natural history of CD is unknown. Aim: To compare the frequency and type of CD-related complications in the patient groups with long diagnostic delay (>24 months) vs. the ones diagnosed within 24 months. Methods: Retrospective analysis of data from the SIBDCS, comprising a large sample of CD patients followed in hospitals and private practices across Switzerland. The proportions of the following outcomes were compared between groups of patients diagnosed 1, 2-5, 6-10, 11-15, and ≥ 16 years ago and stratified according to the length of diagnostic delay: bowel stenoses, internal fistulas, perianal fistulas, CD-related surgical interventions, and extraintestinal manifestations. Results: Two hundred CD patients (121 female, mean age 44.9 ± 15.0 years, 38% smokers, 71% ever treated with immunomodulators and 35% with anti-TNF) with long diagnostic delay were compared to 697 CD patients (358 female, mean age 39.1 ± 14.9 years, 33% smokers, 74% ever treated with immunomodulators and 33% with anti-TNF) diagnosed within 24 months. No differences in the outcomes were observed between the two patient groups within year one after CD diagnosis. Among those diagnosed 2-5 years ago, CD patients with long diagnostic delay (n = 45) presented more frequently with internal fistulas (11.1% vs. 3.1%, p = 0.03) and bowel stenoses (28.9% vs. 15.7%, p = 0.05), and they more frequently underwent CD-related operations (15.6% vs. 5.0%, p = 0.02) compared to the patients diagnosed within 24 months (n = 159). Among those diagnosed 6-10 years ago, CD patients with long diagnostic delay (n = 48) presented more frequently with extraintestinal manifestations (60.4% vs. 34.6%, p = 0.001) than those diagnosed within 24 months (n = 182). For the patients diagnosed 11-15 years ago, no differences in outcomes were found between the long diagnostic delay group (n = 106) and the one diagnosed within 24 months (n = 32). Among those diagnosed ≥ 16 years ago, the group with long diagnostic delay (n = 71) more frequently underwent CD-related operations (63.4% vs. 46.5%, p = 0.01) compared to the group diagnosed with CD within 24 months (n = 241). Conclusions: A long diagnostic delay in CD patients is associated with a more complicated disease course and higher number of CD-related operations in the years following the diagnosis. Our results indicate that efforts should be undertaken to shorten the diagnostic delay in CD patients in order to reduce the risk for progression towards a complicated disease phenotype.

Thrombose veineuse cérébrale après ponction lombaire et stéroïdes intraveineux chez deux patients souffrant d'une sclérose en plaques [Cerebral venous thrombosis after lumbar puncture and intravenous steroids in two patients with multiple sclerosis]

Two patients affected with a multiple sclerosis developed cerebral venous thrombosis after lumbar puncture and treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone. In one case, the course was favorable. The second patient died in spite of intracerebral thrombolysis. The autopsy confirmed the diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis and multiple sclerosis. We discuss the relationship between lumbar puncture, steroid treatment and cerebral venous thrombosis.

Second ESMO consensus conference on lung cancer: pathology and molecular biomarkers for non-small-cell lung cancer.

To complement the existing treatment guidelines for all tumour types, ESMO organises consensus conferences to focus on specific issues in each type of tumour. The Second ESMO Consensus Conference on Lung Cancer was held on 11-12 May 2013 in Lugano. A total of 35 experts met to address several questions on management of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in each of four areas: pathology and molecular biomarkers, early stage disease, locally advanced disease and advanced (metastatic) disease. For each question, recommendations were made including reference to the grade of recommendation and level of evidence. This consensus paper focuses on recommendations for pathology and molecular biomarkers in relation to the diagnosis of lung cancer, primarily non-small-cell carcinomas.

Forced diuresis improves the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET in abdominopelvic malignancies.

Our aim was to evaluate the role of forced diuresis in improving the diagnostic accuracy of abdominopelvic (18)F-FDG PET. METHODS: Thirty-two patients were enrolled. Besides the presence of known intravesical tumors or undefined renal lesions on the initial PET scan, the inclusion criterion was the appearance of indeterminate or equivocal (18)F-FDG foci that extended along the course of the urinary tract and could not confidently be separated from urinary activity. For each patient, a second abdominopelvic PET study was performed after intravenous injection of 0.5 mg of furosemide per kilogram of body weight (maximum, 40 mg) coupled with parenteral infusion of physiologic saline. RESULTS: Forced diuresis coupled with parenteral hydration eliminated any significant (18)F-FDG activity from the lower urinary tract in 31 (97%) of 32 patients after the bladder had been voided 3 successive times. Twelve intravesical lesions were visualized with outstanding clarity, whereas radiologic suspicion of locally recurrent bladder tumors was ruled out in 3 patients. Among 14 indeterminate or equivocal extravesical foci, 7 were deemed of no clinical value because they disappeared after furosemide challenge, whereas 7 persisting foci were proven to be true-positive PET findings. The performance of (18)F-FDG PET in characterizing 3 renal-space-occupying lesions could not be improved by our protocol. CONCLUSION: Furosemide challenge has the potential to noninvasively resolve the inherent (18)F-FDG contrast handicap in the lower urinary tract.

Iowa Budget Report, Building on our Progress: Protecting our Priorities, 2009

*********** Some files are large and will take time to load. *********** Seven Files: 1)Report Cover, 2)Table of Contents, 3)Statewide Financial Summaries, 4)Department Budgets, 5)Capitol Projects, 6)Associated Financial Documents, 7)Budget Report. To Members of the 82nd General Assembly, As we begin the second year of our Administration, we are pleased to submit the Fiscal Year 2009 budget for the State of Iowa pursuant to Iowa Code Section 8.21 and our constitutional authority. This budget recognizes the progress that we began last year with improvements in education, economic development, energy independence, and health care; provides funding for new policy initiatives in these areas; and is based on fiscally sound budget practices. Building on last year’s accomplishments, our Fiscal Year 2009 General Fund budget proposes an additional $75 million for increasing teachers’ salaries as part of our goal to move Iowa closer to the national average. We lay the foundation for student achievement by recommending $32.1 million for pre-school education, and we also propose $177.5 million in total for community colleges and $726.2 million in total for Regents universities. To make our State more energy independent, our General Fund budget appropriates the second-year funding of $25 million for the new Iowa Power Fund. The newly established Office of Energy Independence will soon start making awards from the Power Fund. Apart from the budget, we will be making several proposals to implement the new State energy plan. We have pledged to expand the number of Iowans who have health-care coverage. As a result, we are recommending additional funding for enrollment growth in the State Children Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). These additional funds will help the State provide coverage for another 25 percent of children who are eligible but not yet enrolled in hawk-i and the Iowa Medicaid Program. To protect the safety of Iowans, we are recommending issuance of revenue bonds for approximately $260 million in net proceeds to build a new state penitentiary in Ft. Madison, renovate and expand the Women’s Correctional Institution at Mitchellville, upgrade kitchen facilities at the Rockwell City and Mt. Pleasant Correctional Institutions, and expand Community-Based Correctional Facilities in Ottumwa, Sioux City, Waterloo, and Des Moines. Additionally, we are including funding for developing a prototype program for providing parolees and low-risk offenders with mental health and drug abuse treatment and educational services to help them make a crime-free re-entry into our communities. As part of this Capitals Budget, we also propose using $20 million for the State’s matching share for building new facilities at the Iowa Veterans Home. Iowa Budget Report iv Fiscal Year 2009 Importantly, our budget continues to fully fund our State’s Reserve Funds to help buffer Iowa from any future economic downturn. We recommend reimbursing $78.2 million to the Property Tax Credit Fund as part of our multi-year proposal to correct bad budgeting practices and eventually restore $160.0 million to this Fund. To provide more transparency, we are transferring operational expenditures in the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund to the General Fund and expenditures from the Endowment for Healthy Iowans and Healthy Iowans Tobacco Trust Funds to the General Fund. We believe that Iowa has charted a new course of becoming energy independent, providing quality pre-school education, recognizing the importance of our teachers, and providing greater health coverage for children. Our Fiscal Year 2009 budget and policy priorities reflect our continuing faith in Iowa’s ability to be the best state in the nation. We look forward to working with you in a bi-partisan and all-inclusive manner to build on our progress and protect our priorities. Sincerely, Chester J. Culver Governor Patty Judge Lt. Governor

Histoire des variations des églises protestantes. Tome second / par messire Jacques Bénigne Bossuet,...

Collection : French books 1601-1700 ; 54.4-5

Divers écrits ou mémoires sur le livre intitulé "Explication des maximes des saints" ; Préface sur l'instruction pastorale donnée à Cambray le quinzième de Septembre 1697 ; Premier écrit, ou Mémoire de M. l'archevesque de Meaux à M. l'archevesque de Cambray ; Second écrit, ou Mémoire de M. l'evesque de Meaux : pour répondre à quelques lettres, où l'état de la question est détourné ([Reprod.]) / par messire Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet,...

Collection : French books 1601-1700 ; 53.4

On the throughput-WIP trade-off in queueing systems, diminishing returns and the threshold property: A linear programming approach

We present a new unifying framework for investigating throughput-WIP(Work-in-Process) optimal control problems in queueing systems,based on reformulating them as linear programming (LP) problems withspecial structure: We show that if a throughput-WIP performance pairin a stochastic system satisfies the Threshold Property we introducein this paper, then we can reformulate the problem of optimizing alinear objective of throughput-WIP performance as a (semi-infinite)LP problem over a polygon with special structure (a thresholdpolygon). The strong structural properties of such polygones explainthe optimality of threshold policies for optimizing linearperformance objectives: their vertices correspond to the performancepairs of threshold policies. We analyze in this framework theversatile input-output queueing intensity control model introduced byChen and Yao (1990), obtaining a variety of new results, including (a)an exact reformulation of the control problem as an LP problem over athreshold polygon; (b) an analytical characterization of the Min WIPfunction (giving the minimum WIP level required to attain a targetthroughput level); (c) an LP Value Decomposition Theorem that relatesthe objective value under an arbitrary policy with that of a giventhreshold policy (thus revealing the LP interpretation of Chen andYao's optimality conditions); (d) diminishing returns and invarianceproperties of throughput-WIP performance, which underlie thresholdoptimality; (e) a unified treatment of the time-discounted andtime-average cases.

Optimal second-degree price discrimination and arbitrage: On the role of asymetric information among buyers

The traditional theory of monopolistic screening tackles individualself-selection but does not address the possibility that buyers couldform a coalition to coordinate their purchases and to reallocate thegoods. In this paper, we design the optimal sale mechanism which takesinto account both individual and coalition incentive compatibilityfocusing on the role of asymmetric information among buyers. We showthat when a coalition of buyers is formed under asymmetric information,the monopolist can do as well as when there is no coalition. Although inthe optimal sale mechanism marginal rates of substitution are notequalized across buyers (hence there exists room for arbitrage), theyfail to realize the gains from arbitrage because of the transaction costsin coalition formation generated by asymmetric information.