Direction Générale de l'Armement

Environmental context Plastics production has increased considerably in recent years, leading to pollution by plastics, including microplastics (comprising particles smaller than 5 mm). This work addresses the issue of microplastics from urban sources and in receiving waters in Greater Paris. Microplastics were found in all urban compartments investigated, namely atmospheric fallout, waste- and treated water, and surface water. Abstract This study investigates the microplastic contamination of both urban compartments (wastewater and total atmospheric fallout) and surface water in a continental environment. These first investigations on an urban environment confirm the presence of microplastics in sewage, fresh water and total atmospheric fallout and provide knowledge on the type and size distribution of microplastics in the 100–5000-µm range. For the first time, the presence of microplastics, mostly fibres, is highlighted in total atmospheric fallout (29–280 particles m–2 day–1). High levels of fibres were found in wastewater (260–320 × 103 particles m–3). In treated effluent, the contamination significantly decreased to 14–50 × 103 particles m–3. In the River Seine, two sampling devices were used to collect both large and small microplastic particles: (i) a plankton net (80-µm mesh), and (ii) a manta trawl (330-µm mesh). Sampling with the plankton net showed a predominance of fibres, with concentrations ranging from 3 to 108 particles m–3. A greater diversity of both microplastic shapes and types was found during manta trawl sampling but at much lower concentrations (0.28–0.47 particles m–3). This combined approach could be relevant and implemented in future studies to provide an accurate overview of microplastic distribution in freshwater.

Despite recent interest in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), sparked by their straightforward fabrication and high performance, the fundamental mechanism behind their operation remains largely unexplored. OECTs use an electrolyte in direct contact with a polymer channel as part of their device structure. Hence, they offer facile integration with biological milieux and are currently used as amplifying transducers for bioelectronics. Ion exchange between electrolyte and channel is believed to take place in OECTs, although the extent of this process and its impact on device characteristics are still unknown. We show that the uptake of ions from an electrolyte into a film of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with polystyrene sulfonate ( PEDOT: PSS) leads to a purely volumetric capacitance of 39 F/cm(3). This results in a dependence of the transconductance on channel thickness, a new degree of freedom that we exploit to demonstrate high-quality recordings of human brain rhythms. Our results bring to the forefront a transistor class in which performance can be tuned independently of device footprint and provide guidelines for the design of materials that will lead to state-of-the-art transistor performance.

Machine learning classification is used in numerous settings nowadays, such as medical or genomics predictions, spam detection, face recognition, and financial predictions.Due to privacy concerns, in some of these applications, it is important that the data and the classifier remain confidential.In this work, we construct three major classification protocols that satisfy this privacy constraint: hyperplane decision, Naïve Bayes, and decision trees.We also enable these protocols to be combined with AdaBoost.At the basis of these constructions is a new library of building blocks for constructing classifiers securely; we demonstrate that this library can be used to construct other classifiers as well, such as a multiplexer and a face detection classifier.We implemented and evaluated our library and classifiers.Our protocols are efficient, taking milliseconds to a few seconds to perform a classification when running on real medical datasets.

Using dynamic Searchable Symmetric Encryption, a user with limited storage resources can securely outsource a database to an untrusted server, in such a way that the database can still be searched and updated efficiently. For these schemes, it would be desirable that updates do not reveal any information a priori about the modifications they carry out, and that deleted results remain inaccessible to the server a posteriori. If the first property, called forward privacy, has been the main motivation of recent works, the second one, backward privacy, has been overlooked.

The aim of this paper is to describe the theory and implementation of the Elliptic Curve Primality Proving algorithm. Problema, numeros primos a compositis dignoscendi, hosque in factores suos primos resolvendi, ad gravissima ac utilissima totius arithmeticae pertinere, et geometrarum tum veterum tum recentiorum industriam ac sagacitatem occupavisse, tam notum est, ut de hac re copiose loqui superfluum foret.

A fully electronically reconfigurable 400-element transmitarray is studied numerically and experimentally in X-band. The array operates in linear polarization and consists of 20 × 20 unit-cells. A 1-bit phase resolution has been selected for the unit-cell in order to reduce the complexity of the biasing network and steering logic, the insertion loss and the overall cost of the antenna system. The unit-cell stack-up is simple and is made of four metal layers: active side, biasing lines, ground plane and passive side. Two p-i-n diodes are integrated on the active side of each cell in order to control its transmission phase. The active array contains 800 diodes in total. It demonstrates experimentally pencil beam scanning over a 140 × 80-degree window over a 15.8% fractional bandwidth, with a maximum gain of 22.7 dBi at broadside. We also show that the same antenna array can be used for beam shaping applications (flat-top beam). The experimental results presented between 8 and 12 GHz are in good agreement with the theoretical performance calculated using full-wave electromagnetic simulations and an in-house CAD tool based on analytical modeling.

In hyperspectral image (HSI) analysis, classification requires spectral dimensionality reduction (DR). While common DR methods use linear algebra, we propose a multilinear algebra method to jointly achieve denoising reduction and DR. Multilinear tools consider HSI data as a whole by processing jointly spatial and spectral ways. The lower rank-(K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1</sub> , K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> , K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> ) tensor approximation [LRTA-(K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1</sub> , K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> , K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> )] was successfully applied to denoise multiway data such as color images. First, we demonstrate that the LRTA-(K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1</sub> , K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> , K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> ) performs well as a denoising preprocessing to improve classification results. Then, we propose a novel method, referred to as LRTA <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">dr</sub> -(K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1</sub> , K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> , D <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> ), which performs both spatial lower rank approximation and spectral DR. The classification algorithm Spectral Angle Mapper is applied to the output of the following three DR and noise reduction methods to compare their efficiency: the proposed LRTA <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">dr</sub> -(K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1</sub> , K <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> , D <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> ), PCA <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">dr</sub> , and PCA <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">dr</sub> associated with Wiener filtering or soft shrinkage of wavelet transform coefficients.

Searchable Symmetric Encryption aims at making possible searching over an encrypted database stored on an untrusted server while keeping privacy of both the queries and the data, by allowing some small controlled leakage to the server. Recent work shows that dynamic schemes -- in which the data is efficiently updatable -- leaking some information on updated keywords are subject to devastating adaptative attacks breaking the privacy of the queries. The only way to thwart this attack is to design forward private schemes whose update procedure does not leak if a newly inserted element matches previous search queries.

The design, realization, and experimental characterization of a 400-element electronically reconfigurable transmitarray operating in the Ka-band is presented. It is based on linearly polarized unit-cells with 180° phase-shifting capability. Several sequential rotation schemes have been compared numerically to generate a circularly polarized beam over a broad frequency band, and a random distribution has been selected to mitigate spurious cross-polarized side-lobes when scanning the main beam. The 2-D electronic beam-steering capabilities of ±60° have been verified experimentally. The prototype, illuminated by a horn antenna as a focal source, exhibits a broadside gain of 20.8 dBi at 29.0 GHz and a 3-dB bandwidth of 14.6% with radiation efficiency of 58%. The axial ratio remains below 2 dB within this bandwidth. Next, a planar substrate integrated waveguide focal source array was designed in order to reduce the focal distance by about 50% and thereby significantly improve the antenna compactness, and similar radiation performance is demonstrated numerically and experimentally.

An electronically reconfigurable unit cell with 1-bit phase quantization (0°/180°) is proposed for <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">X</i> -band linear polarization transmit arrays. It consists of two rectangular patch antennas loaded by U- and O-slots and connected by a metallized via-hole. The transmission phase is controlled using two p-i-n diode switches integrated in the O-slot. An equivalent lumped-element circuit model is implemented and compared successfully to full-wave simulations. The numerical results are validated experimentally using an ad-hoc waveguide simulator. The prototype exhibits low insertion loss (1.8 dB) with the same level for both phase states, a broad 3-dB transmission bandwidth (14.7%), a 1-dB compression point of 13-15 dBm, and a gain of 5 dBi at 9.75 GHz. The performance and simplicity of the proposed unit cell make it attractive to build electronically steerable transmit arrays in <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">X</i> -band.

International audience

Extensional tectonics cover a wide range of crustal structures from narrow continental rifts to large continental areas. If we except continental and oceanic rifts, stretched portions of the crust exhibit complex faulting patterns at upper levels with high‐angle and low‐angle normal faults. Very little is known concerning the geometry of structures and physical processes at depth. It is therefore difficult to extrapolate surface observations to the crustal scale. Five general models are proposed that combine continuous and discontinuous deformation and geometrical and geological tests are proposed. Two natural examples, the West Armorican Atlantic margin and Eldorado Mountains (Basin and Range Province), are presented. They are characterized by an association of high‐angle normal faults, tilted blocks, and low‐angle normal faults. Field and geometrical arguments are given to demonstrate that low‐angle faults are controlled by décollement surfaces along preexisting interfaces. Geometrical implications of the tilted block pattern are presented and the gravity gliding hypothesis is proposed as a possible explanation of block tilting when associated with low angle normal faults. In such cases, the amount of stretching cannot be related to bulk thinning of the crust.

Some long work or shift work schedules necessitate an elevated and prolonged level of vigilance and performance but often result in sleep deprivation (SD), fatigue and sleepiness, which may impair efficiency. This study investigated the effects of a slow-release caffeine [(SRC) at the daily dose of 600 mg] on vigilance and cognitive performance during a 64 h continuous wakefulness period. Sixteen healthy males volunteered for this double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled, two-way crossover study. A total of 300-mg SRC or placebo (PBO) was given twice a day at 21:00 and 9:00 h during the SD period. Vigilance was objectively assessed with continuous electroencephalogram (EEG), the multiple sleep latency tests (MSLT) and wrist actigraphy. Cognitive functions (information processing and working memory), selective and divided attention were determined with computerised tests from the AGARD-NATO STRES Battery (Standardised Tests for Research with Environmental Stressors). Attention was also assessed with a symbol cancellation task and a Stroop's test; alertness was appreciated from visual analogue scales (VAS). Tests were performed at the hypo (02:00-04:00 h, 14:00-16:00 h) and hypervigilance (10:00-12:00 h, 22:00-00:00 h) periods during SD. Central temperature was continuously measured and safety of treatment was assessed from repeated clinical examinations. Compared with PBO, MSLT showed that SRC subjects were more vigilant from the onset (P=0.001) to the end of SD (P < 0.0001) whereas some cognitive functions were improved till the thirty third of SD but others were ameliorated through all the SD period and alertness was better from the thirteenth hour of SD, as shown by Stroop's test (P=0.048). We showed that 300-mg SRC given twice daily during a 64-h SD is able to antagonize the impairment produced on vigilance and cognitive functions.

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is a serine hydrolase that is present in all mammalian tissues. It can accommodate larger substrates or inhibitors than acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the enzyme responsible for hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central nervous system and neuromuscular junctions. AChE is the specific target of organophosphorous pesticides and warfare nerve agents, and BChE is a stoichiometric bioscavenger. Conversion of BChE into a catalytic bioscavenger by rational design or designing reactivators specific to BChE required structural data obtained using a recombinant low-glycosylated human BChE expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. This expression system yields ≈ 1 mg of pure enzyme per litre of cell culture. Here, we report an improved expression system using insect cells with a fourfold higher yield for truncated human BChE with all glycosylation sites present. We developed a fast purification protocol for the recombinant protein using huprine-based affinity chromatography, which is superior to the classical procainamide-based affinity. The purified BChE crystallized under different conditions and space group than the recombinant low-glycosylated protein produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The crystals diffracted to 2.5 Å. The overall monomer structure is similar to the low-glycosylated structure except for the presence of the additional glycans. Remarkably, the carboxylic acid molecule systematically bound to the catalytic serine in the low-glycosylated structure is also present in this new structure, despite the different expression system, purification protocol and crystallization conditions.

OBJECTIVE The ARUBA study (A Randomized Trial of Unruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformations [AVMs]) on unruptured brain AVMs has been the object of comments and editorials. In the present study the authors aim to systematically review critiques, discuss design issues, and propose a framework for future trials. METHODS The authors performed a systematic review of the French and English literature on the ARUBA study published between January 2006 and February 2015. The electronic search, including the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (PubMed and Ovid), CINAHL, and EMBASE databases, was complemented by hand searching and cross-referencing. The comments were categorized as items related to the design, the conduct, and the analysis and interpretation of the trial. RESULTS Thirty-one articles or letters were identified. The pragmatic design, with heterogeneity of patients and lack of standardization of the treatment arm, were frequently stated concerns. The choice of outcome measures was repeatedly criticized. During the trial, low enrollment rates, selection bias, and premature interruption of enrollment were frequent comments. The short follow-up period, the lack of subgroup analyses, the lack of details on the results of the various treatments, and a contentious interpretation of results were noted at the analysis stage. A fundamental problem was the primary hypothesis testing conservative management. The authors believe that other trials are needed. Future trials could be pragmatic, test interventions stratified at the time of randomization, and look for long-term, hard clinical outcomes in a large number of patients. CONCLUSIONS In the authors' view, the ARUBA trial is a turning point in the history of brain AVM management; future trials should aim at integrating trial methodology and clinical care in the presence of uncertainty.

To assess the impact of preventive measures by the food industry, we analyzed food monitoring data as well as trends in the incidence of listeriosis estimated through three independent sources: the National Reference Center of Listeriosis; a laboratory-based active surveillance network; and two consecutive nationwide surveys of public hospital laboratories. From 1987 to 1997, the incidence of listeriosis decreased by an estimated 68%. A substantial reduction in the proportion of Listeria monocytogenes-contaminated products was observed at the retail level. The temporal relationship between prevention measures by the food industry, reduction in L. monocytogenes-contaminated foodstuffs, and reduction in listeriosis incidence suggests a causal relationship and indicates that a substantial part of the reduction in illness is related to prevention efforts.

This letter presents an electronically reconfigurable, linearly polarized unit cell for transmitarray applications in Ka-band. A 1-bit phase resolution (namely with two phase states 0 ° and 180 °) is obtained using two p-i-n diodes mounted on a slot-loaded patch antenna. The design, realization, and experimental characterization in a standard waveguide simulator are reported. The measured insertion losses only reach 1.09 and 1.29 dB for the two-phase states, respectively, with a 3-dB transmission bandwidth of about 11.2%.

We present here the design and demonstration of a circularly polarized (CP) transmitarray antenna operating in Ka-band and illuminated by a linearly polarized (LP) source. The proposed design is based on a CP unit-cell with simulated insertion loss of 0.2 dB at 30 GHz. In order to improve the axial ratio (AR) bandwidth, the sequential rotation technique is applied to the full array configuration. A model based on a hybrid in-house simulation tool is also proposed to predict accurately the array performance. The realized prototype, formed by 400 unit-cells, has 1 bit of phase resolution. The measured broadside gain is 22.8 dBi at 30 GHz with a 3-dB bandwidth of 20% in right-handed CP (RHCP). The obtained 3-dB AR bandwidth of 24.4% is comparable with higher resolution designs.

The aim of this paper is to present the practical control structure (PCS) and energy management strategy of a testbed hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). This vehicle is equipped with batteries, a supercapacitor system, and a fuel cell system (FCS). The PCS, based on the energetic macroscopic representation methodology, is used to evaluate and compare the different energy management strategies to be implemented in the vehicle. This paper introduces a dynamic strategy to manage the energy in the hybrid electric vehicle; this strategy uses a fuzzy logic controller and considers the slow dynamics in the FCS, the vehicle speed, and the state of charge in the supercapacitors.

In this paper, we investigate the security of the BLISS lattice-based signature scheme, one of the most promising candidates for postquantum-secure signatures, against side-channel attacks. Several works have been devoted to its efficient implementation on various platforms, from desktop CPUs to microcontrollers and FPGAs, and more recent papers have also considered its security against certain types of physical attacks, notably fault injection and cache attacks. We turn to more traditional side-channel analysis, and describe several attacks that can yield a full key recovery.