Constraint Techniques for Authoring Multimedia Documents

Authoring a multimedia document requires to specify both its spatial layout and its temporal organization, i.e. when and where objects such as pictures, texts and videos appear/disappear on /from the screen and when objects such as audios and videos start/end to play. In this paper, we present some benefits authors can gain when using an authoring tool in which constraints are used to specify these two kinds of information. We describe our experience in building Madeus, a constraint-based environment to design multimedia documents and we point out technical problems that still need to be solved to more completely satisfy author requirements.     

Optics: finding the best fit in telecom transport networks

This paper aims at looking beyond the gloomy current market evolution of the optical industry. Based on an analysis of the telecom transport market evolution (metropolitan as well as backbone), taking benefit of very significant technological breakthroughs in optics in recent years, this paper will suggest promising, yet pragmatic applications in telecom transport networks where optics will play a significant role beyond pure optical transmission.     

A new damascene architecture for high-performance metal–insulator–metal capacitors integration

As high-performance metal–insulator–metal capacitors are required for new technologies, an innovative architecture was developed with standard damascene processes used for copper interconnect realization. Low-cost damascene capacitors were integrated with thin Si₃N₄ films, leading to 2.9 fF/μm² capacitance values and low leakage currents, demonstrating this architecture ability to reduce the insulators thickness, thus achieving high-performance passive implementation for mixed integrated circuits.     

Percutaneous biopsy of operable liver lesions: is it necessary or advisable?

AIM: The necessity and desirability of performing percutaneous biopsy of potentially resectable liver tumours is called into question. METHODS: Two cases are reported in which percutaneous biopsy of resectable liver tumours was performed unnecessarily and resulted in needle track seeding. RESULTS: In both instances patients who underwent potentially curative liver resection were rendered incurable because of biopsy track recurrence. CONCLUSION: The common practice of performing percutaneous ultrasound or CT guided biopsy of potentially resectable lesions in the liver is generally neither necessary nor desirable.     

Metaheuristics and cooperative approaches for the Bi-objective Ring Star Problem

This paper presents and investigates different approaches to solve a new bi-objective routing problem called the ring star problem. It consists of locating a simple cycle through a subset of nodes of a graph while optimizing two kinds of cost. The first objective is the minimization of a ring cost that is related to the length of the cycle. The second one is the minimization of an assignment cost from non-visited nodes to visited ones. In spite of its obvious bi-objective formulation, this problem has always been investigated in a single-objective way. To tackle the bi-objective ring star problem, we first investigate different stand-alone search methods. Then, we propose two cooperative strategies that combine two multi-objective metaheuristics: an elitist evolutionary algorithm and a population-based local search. We apply these new hybrid approaches to well-known benchmark test instances and demonstrate their effectiveness in comparison to non-hybrid algorithms and to state-of-the-art methods.     

Nanoscopic characterization of a plastisol gelation and fusion process utilizing scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy

Understanding the physical properties associated with the gelation and fusion of a PVC plastisol will help to improve process efficiency. Plastisol gelation and fusion were characterized by using both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) and were compared with the tensile properties developed at various temperatures. Both SEM and AFM showed good agreement during the early stages of gelation. However, AFM continued to show particle boundaries during the latter stages of gelation and fusion that provided a more nearly accurate comparison with the resulting tensile properties. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Inclusion Behavior During the Electron Beam Button Melting Test

The high mechanical performance of alloys developed for the manufacture of turbine disks depend upon the size and the number density of the inclusions. The electron beam button method has been practiced since the 1980s as a technique to quantify the cleanliness of the superalloys as well as to identify the nature and the size of the inclusions. The technique involves melting the sample into a hemispherical water-cooled crucible and the low density inclusions (mainly oxides) are concentrated by a combination of Marangoni and buoyancy forces into an area at the top surface of the button referred to as the raft. We have experimentally studied the behavior of oxide inclusions in special steels using both high definition video and infrared cameras. We have observed the inversion of the Marangoni effect due to the presence of sulfur, which leads to a positive temperature coefficient of the surface tension. A mathematical modeling has been carried out to simulate the turbulent fluid flow associated with the temperature field in the metallic pool of the button. The surface temperature profile has been successfully compared with the measured data. A post-processor numerical tool calculates the inclusion trajectories taking into account the turbulent fluctuation velocity by a stochastic approach. Hence, the behavior of a population of inclusions has been statistically studied, and the dependence of the capture efficiency on the inclusion size has been analyzed.     

Mobilisation of healthy donors with lenograstim and transplantation of HLA-genoidentical blood progenitors in 54 patients with hematological malignancies: a pilot study

Blood cell transplantation (BCT) is now common practice in the autologous setting. We performed a pilot study of allogeneic BCT, collected after the priming of an HLA-identical sibling with a glycosylated rhu-G-CSF (lenograstim) (10 microg/kg). Fifty-four patients were included (38 +/- 11; M/F = 33/21; CML (n = 17), AML (n = 14), ALL (n = 15); MDS (n = 8)). Transplant procedures were standard (TBI regimen = 47 (87%); MTX-CsA: n = 37; CsA-PDN: n = 17). No serious adverse events were reported in donors. A median of 11 (3.5-29.1) x 10(6)/kg CD34+ cells, 332 (33-820) x 10(6)/kg CD3+ cells were collected. Four patients did not engraft (early death: n = 2; graft failure: n = 2). Fifty-one patients initially recovered 0.5 x 10(9)/l ANC and 25 x 10(9)/l platelets at 15 (10-30) and 13 (9-188) days. 29/51 and 29/38 experienced grade > or =2 acute and chronic GVHD. With a median follow-up of 25 months (18-36), relapse rate is 16% +/- 8, survival and DFS probabilities are similar (50% +/- 13). A better outcome is documented for patients under 45 years and in the early phase of the disease (n = 28), with an identical survival and DFS of 71% +/- 13. In conclusion, lenograstim is a potent rhu-G-CSF for mobilisation of allogeneic hematopoietic progenitors. Two-year follow-up indicates good haematological recovery but some concerns about graft failure and chronic GVHD have arisen deserving prospective evaluation.