Paris Dauphine University

About: Paris Dauphine University is a education organization based out in Paris, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Context (language use) & Population. The organization has 1766 authors who have published 6909 publications receiving 162747 citations. The organization is also known as: Paris Dauphine & Dauphine.

Multicriterion analysis for sustainable water resources planning: a case study in spain

Abstract: The present article demonstrates the implementation of Multicriterion Decision Making (MCDM) analysis for a case study of Flumen Monegros irrigation area in the Huesca province of Spain. The criteria used to rank alternativesconsist of (1) economic factors including initial cost ofirrigation system, maintenance cost, profitability of crops,extent of European subsidies; (2) environmental factors whichcomprise water volume, water quality after irrigation, efficiency of the use of water, resistance to floods or droughts; (3) Social factors including employment of rurallabour, area non-cultivated. Alternative policies areformulated by mixing factors such as irrigation system, waterpricing, water allocation, crop distribution, fertiliser use,subsidies received. Multicriterion Sorting Technique (MCST)ELECTRE-TRI is employed to reduce the large size payoff matrixto predefined categories for further usage of MCDM techniques.Five MCDM techniques, namely, PROMETHEE-2, EXPROM-2, ELECTRE-3, ELECTRE-4, and Compromise Programming (CP) are employed torank the alternatives. Spearman rank correlation coefficientis employed to assess the correlation coefficient between theranking patterns obtained by the above MCDM techniques.Additive ranking principle is used for group decision makinganalysis. Results indicate that five MCDM techniques choosethe same alternative strategy as the preferred one.

On a non linear partial differential equation having natural growth terms and unbounded solution

Abstract: We prove the existence of a solution of the nonlinear elliptic equation: A(u) + g(x, u, Du) = h(x), where A is a Leray-Lions operator from W 0 1 , p ( Ω ) into W−1, p′(Ω) and g is a nonlinear term with “natural” growth with respect to Du [i.e. such that |g(x, u, ξ)| ≦ b(|u|) (|ξ|p + c(x))], satisfying the sign condition g(x, u, ξ)u ≧ 0 but no growth condition with respect to u. Here h belongs to W−1, p′(Ω), thus the solution u of the problem does not in general be more smooth than W 0 1 , p ( Ω ) . The existence of a solution is also proved for the corresponding obstacle problem.

Constraining the thick disc formation scenario of the Milky Way

Abstract: Aims. More than 30 years after its discovery, the thick disc of the Milky Way is not fully explored. We examine the shape of the thick disc in order to gain insight into the process of its formation.Methods. The shape of the thick disc is studied in detail using photometric data at high and intermediate latitudes from SDSS and 2MASS surveys. We adopted the population synthesis approach using an approximate Bayesian computation – Markov chain Monte Carlo (ABC-MCMC) method to determine the potential degeneracies in the parameters that can be caused by the mixing with the halo and the thin disc. We characterised the thick-disc shape, scale height, scale length, local density, and flare, and we investigated the extent of the thick-disc formation period by simulating several formation episodes. Results. We find that the vertical variation in density is not exponential, but much closer to a hyperbolic secant squared. Assuming a single formation epoch, the thick disc is better fitted with a sech 2 scale height of 470 pc and a scale length of 2.3 kpc. However, if one simulates two successive formation episodes, which mimicks an extended formation period, the older episode has a higher scale height and a longer scale length than the younger episode, which indicates a contraction during the collapse phase. The scale height decreases from 800 pc to 340 pc, the scale length from 3.2 kpc to 2 kpc. The likelihood is much higher when the thick disc formation extends over a longer period. We also show that star formation increases from the old episode to the young and that there is no flare in the outskirt of the thick disc during the main episode. We compare our results with formation scenarios of the thick disc. During the fitting process, the halo parameters are determined as well. If a power-law density is assumed, it has an exponent of 3.3 and an axis ratio of 0.7. Alternatively, a Hernquist shape would have an exponent of 2.76, an axis ratio of 0.77, and a core radius of 2.1 kpc. The constraint on the halo shows that a transition between an inner and outer halo, if it exists, cannot be at a distance shorter than about 30 kpc, which is the limit of our investigation using turnoff halo stars. Finally, we show that extrapolating the thick disc towards the bulge region explains well the stellar populations observed there that there is no longer need to invoke a classical bulge.Conclusions. The facts that the thick-disc episode lasted for several billion years, that a contraction is observed during the collapse phase, and that the main thick disc has a constant scale height with no flare argue against the formation of the thick disc through radial migration. The most probable scenario for the thick disc is that it formed while the Galaxy was gravitationally collapsing from well-mixed gas-rich giant clumps that were sustained by high turbulence, which prevented a thin disc from forming for a time, as proposed previously. This scenario explains well the observations in the thick-disc region and in the bulge region.

The economic cost of obesity: the French situation.

Abstract: Objective To estimate the economic burden of obesity in France. Design A prevalence-based approach identifying the costs incurred during a given year (1992) by obese subjects. Measurements Direct costs (personal health care, hospital care, physician services, drugs) and indirect costs (lost output as a result of cessation or reduction of productivity caused by morbidity and mortality); economic benefits due to the reduced incidence of hip fractures. Results The direct costs of obesity (BMI > or = 27) were 11.89 billion French Francs (FF), which corresponded to about 2% of the expenses of the French care system. Hypertension represented 33% of the total amount and cancer 2.5% of the direct cost of obesity. Indirect costs represented FF 0.6 billion. These are conservative estimates as far as all obesity-related diseases and all health care and indirect costs were not included due to missing information. Conclusion These results were remarkably similar to previous reports on the economic costs of obesity in other western countries (USA, Sweden, Netherlands, Australia) which concluded that the cost of obesity amounted to around 2% to 5% of the total cost of health care in industrialized societies.