Cette thèse présente de nouvelles techniques pour les Constraint Games.La manière de résoudre un Constraint Game est repensée en terme de propagation de contraintes.Les préférences des joueurs sont maintenant considérées comme des contraintes globales permettant une intégration transparente dans les solveurs de contraintes ainsi que d'améliorer l'efficacité du framework.Notre nouveau solveur ConGA est diffusé en open source.Celui-ci est plus rapide que les travaux connexes et est capable de trouver tous les équilibres de Nash, et cela même dans des jeux avec 200 joueurs voir 2000 pour certains jeux graphiques.Grâce à cette perspective, le framework a pu être utilisé pour résoudre un problème de routage dans le domaine des télécommunications. Les aspects centralisé et décentralisé ont été étudiés.La comparaison de ces derniers est très importante pour évaluer la qualité de service dans les applications multi-utilisateurs. L'évaluation de cette dernière peut être très coûteuse, c'est pourquoi nous proposons plusieurs techniques permettant d'améliorer la résolution de ce problème et ainsi d'améliorer la résolution du problème. / This thesis revisits the Constraint games framework by rethinking their solving technique in terms of constraint propagation.Players preferences are considered as global constraints making transparently the integration in constraints solvers.It yields not only a more elegant but also a more efficient framework.We release our new solver ConGA in open source.Our new complete solver is faster than previous state-of-the-art and is able to find all pure Nash equilibrium for some problems with 200 players or even with 2000 players in graphical games.This new perspective enables us to tackle real-worlds Telecommunication problems.This problem is solved with a centralized perspective and a decentralized one.The comparison of the two last approaches is really important to evaluate the quality of service in multi-users application, but computationally consuming.That is why, we propose new techniques in order to improve the resolution process.

O comportamento-doente é uma síndrome comportamental não-específica resultado da ativação do sistema imunitário. Anorexia, letargia e diminuição do comportamento exploratório são alguns dos sintomas que, tomados em conjunto, são responsáveis pela diminuição das atividades físicas do animal doente. O comportamento-doente é visto na literatura científica como uma resposta adaptativa ao desafio de combater o patógeno. Muitos autores assumem que a diminuição de atividade pode ser útil por economizar a energia utilizada com atividades rotineiras, permitindo realocá-la para ativação da resposta imunitária e expressão de febre, que são custosas energeticamente. Contudo, é controversa a teoria de economia de energia, pois, num momento de aumento do gasto energético, é esperado um aumento da procura por alimento- o comportamento-doente motiva o animal a fazer o contrário, diminui a atividade de forrageio. É, também, sugerido na literatura que o comportamento-doente pode conter a transmissão de patógenos. O nosso objetivo foi investigar se é plausível essa hipótese. Criamos um modelo baseado no indivíduo com consumidores e alimentos num ambiente virtual, e acompanhamos a transmissão do patógeno. Como a transmissão se dá pelo contato entre os consumidores, estudamos tipos de movimentação e adotamos a linha reta, que acreditamos ser compatível com o que é visto na natureza, tratamos disso no capítulo 2. Discutimos, também, a anorexia e suas conseqüências na manutenção da reserva energética, verificamos que isso oferece risco de morte ao consumidor doente (capítulo 3). Por fim, no capítulo 4 testamos o comportamento-doente e vimos que este pode conter a transmissão do patógeno de maneira significativa, sob a condição dos consumidores se agregarem na busca por comida. Porém, não concluímos se o comportamento-doente é adaptativo ou não. / Sickness behavior is a non-specific behavioral syndrome resulted from immune system activation. Anorexia, lethargy and decrease in exploratory behavior are just a few of a set of symptoms that, together, decrease the physical activities of a sick animal. Sickness behavior is seen as an adaptive response to the challenge of fighting pathogens invasion. Many authors assume that decrease in animal\'s activities is useful to save energy from daily activities to spending it with immune system activation and fever response, which are energetically costly. However, this theory is controversial. Dealing with a rise in energy consumption due to infection, it is expected a rise in foraging. However, sickness behavior motivate animals to do the opposite. It is also suggested that sickness behavior can prevent pathogen transmission. Our objective was to investigate whether this is possible or not. We used an individual based model to discuss the relation of sickness behavior and pathogen transmission. We modeled consumers in a virtual environment and we observed how many individuals got sick. Since transmission depends on consumers\' contact, we first studied the movement rules to be adopted in our model. We chose the straight line movement, discussed in chapter 2. We discussed also the symptom of anorexia and its consequences in energy supply maintenance. In this sense, we verified that anorexia can be deleterious to sick consumers (chapter 3). In chapter 4, we modeled the sickness behavior and we saw that it can prevent pathogen transmission significantly under the condition that consumers got close during the searching for food. However, we were not able to conclude whether sickness behavior is adaptive or not.

Alzheimer’s disease is an insidious neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Currently, there are no determinants that can accurately predict the onset cognitive decline in AD. This thesis investigates and defines changes in the lipidome that are linked to symptomatic onset and cognitive impairment in mouse models of AD. Using a targeted lipidomic approach employing high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandom mass spectrometry, direct biochemical assessments, and behavioural evaluation, I was able to (a) profile and quantify cortical and hippocampal glycerophosphocholine and glycerophosphoethanolamine metabolites and signaling molecules in the APPSwe/PS1dE9 and the N5 TgCRND8 murine models of AD and (b) associate changes in lipid metabolism with learning and memory impairment. I demonstrate that glycerophosphocholine metabolism in the cortex but not the hippocampus is altered at symptomatic onset in both mouse models. These same metabolic changes were seen in younger animals exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia, an environmental risk factor that accelerates their phenoconversion. In fully impaired transgenic mice, I defined metabolic changes associated with disease progression. To further assess the impact of sex, another risk factor of Alzheimer’s disease cognitive decline, I characterized an AD model of sex-specific cognitive resistance. I demonstrated that transgenic males but not females exhibit behavioural indices of cognitive reserve when tested in the Morris Water Maze. Using this mouse line, I then investigated how measures of learning and memory associated with glycerophosphocholine and glycerophosphoethanolamine metabolism. I identified increases in critical glycerophosphoethanolamine metabolites linked to spatial learning and memory impairment in the cortex of N5 TgCNRD8 mice and demonstrated that these changes could be predicted by profiling the plasma glycerophosphoethanolamine lipidome. Taken together, this thesis links glycerophospholipid metabolism to the onset and progression of learning and memory impairment in experimental models of AD and provides the first evidence that changes in cortical lipid metabolism can be predicted by changes in the plasma lipidome.

Objective to systematically review randomized trials that compared methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy to MTX in combination with other non-biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic Drugs (DMARD) and to compare the performances of PubMed versus MEDLINE (Ovid®) and EMBASE. Methods We performed a systematic review of randomized trials comparing MTX alone and MTX in combination with other non-biologic DMARDs. Heterogeneity was investigated and explored. The performances of Pubmed and MEDLINE were evaluated. The EMBASE unique trials were identified and investigated. Results A total of 19 trials were included and grouped by the type of patients randomized. Trials in DMARD naive patients showed no significant advantage of the MTX combination versus monotherapy. The recall was 85% vs. 90% for Ovid and PubMed, respectively, while the precision and number-needed-to read of Ovid and Pubmed were comparable. Only 23% of trials were EMBASE unique trials Conclusions In DMARD naive patients, the balance of efficacy/toxicity favours MTX monotherapy.

Objective to systematically review randomized trials that compared methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy to MTX in combination with other non-biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic Drugs (DMARD) and to compare the performances of PubMed versus MEDLINE (Ovid®) and EMBASE. Methods We performed a systematic review of randomized trials comparing MTX alone and MTX in combination with other non-biologic DMARDs. Heterogeneity was investigated and explored. The performances of Pubmed and MEDLINE were evaluated. The EMBASE unique trials were identified and investigated. Results A total of 19 trials were included and grouped by the type of patients randomized. Trials in DMARD naive patients showed no significant advantage of the MTX combination versus monotherapy. The recall was 85% vs. 90% for Ovid and PubMed, respectively, while the precision and number-needed-to read of Ovid and Pubmed were comparable. Only 23% of trials were EMBASE unique trials Conclusions In DMARD naive patients, the balance of efficacy/toxicity favours MTX monotherapy.

This paper is about the handling of challenging terminology within the technical field of structural engineering. The translation of two texts on structural systems "Antiquated Structural Systems Series", published in STRUCTURE magazine, serves as the basis for this study. The analysis focuses on the search and textual strategies for a selection of difficult terms. The terms are divided into four groups: terms with no Swedish equivalent; terms with more than one Swedish equivalent; acronyms; and measurements. The analysis shows that the search strategies are the same, regardless of term type, and that they involve many steps, including looking for terms in dictionaries and term banks; comparing terms in encyclopedias and parallel texts; and confirming usage. The textual strategies that were helpful in the translation were procedures based on the theories of Vinay and Darbelnet (in Munday 2008) and Ingo (2007), such as literal translation, borrowing, calque, adaptation and addition. The result shows that the chosen textual strategy for each challenging term differed greatly and depended on, for example, context and translator preference.

O comportamento-doente é uma síndrome comportamental não-específica resultado da ativação do sistema imunitário. Anorexia, letargia e diminuição do comportamento exploratório são alguns dos sintomas que, tomados em conjunto, são responsáveis pela diminuição das atividades físicas do animal doente. O comportamento-doente é visto na literatura científica como uma resposta adaptativa ao desafio de combater o patógeno. Muitos autores assumem que a diminuição de atividade pode ser útil por economizar a energia utilizada com atividades rotineiras, permitindo realocá-la para ativação da resposta imunitária e expressão de febre, que são custosas energeticamente. Contudo, é controversa a teoria de economia de energia, pois, num momento de aumento do gasto energético, é esperado um aumento da procura por alimento- o comportamento-doente motiva o animal a fazer o contrário, diminui a atividade de forrageio. É, também, sugerido na literatura que o comportamento-doente pode conter a transmissão de patógenos. O nosso objetivo foi investigar se é plausível essa hipótese. Criamos um modelo baseado no indivíduo com consumidores e alimentos num ambiente virtual, e acompanhamos a transmissão do patógeno. Como a transmissão se dá pelo contato entre os consumidores, estudamos tipos de movimentação e adotamos a linha reta, que acreditamos ser compatível com o que é visto na natureza, tratamos disso no capítulo 2. Discutimos, também, a anorexia e suas conseqüências na manutenção da reserva energética, verificamos que isso oferece risco de morte ao consumidor doente (capítulo 3). Por fim, no capítulo 4 testamos o comportamento-doente e vimos que este pode conter a transmissão do patógeno de maneira significativa, sob a condição dos consumidores se agregarem na busca por comida. Porém, não concluímos se o comportamento-doente é adaptativo ou não. / Sickness behavior is a non-specific behavioral syndrome resulted from immune system activation. Anorexia, lethargy and decrease in exploratory behavior are just a few of a set of symptoms that, together, decrease the physical activities of a sick animal. Sickness behavior is seen as an adaptive response to the challenge of fighting pathogens invasion. Many authors assume that decrease in animal\'s activities is useful to save energy from daily activities to spending it with immune system activation and fever response, which are energetically costly. However, this theory is controversial. Dealing with a rise in energy consumption due to infection, it is expected a rise in foraging. However, sickness behavior motivate animals to do the opposite. It is also suggested that sickness behavior can prevent pathogen transmission. Our objective was to investigate whether this is possible or not. We used an individual based model to discuss the relation of sickness behavior and pathogen transmission. We modeled consumers in a virtual environment and we observed how many individuals got sick. Since transmission depends on consumers\' contact, we first studied the movement rules to be adopted in our model. We chose the straight line movement, discussed in chapter 2. We discussed also the symptom of anorexia and its consequences in energy supply maintenance. In this sense, we verified that anorexia can be deleterious to sick consumers (chapter 3). In chapter 4, we modeled the sickness behavior and we saw that it can prevent pathogen transmission significantly under the condition that consumers got close during the searching for food. However, we were not able to conclude whether sickness behavior is adaptive or not.

Electronic Support Measures is a discipline of electronic warfare. In electronic support measures, receivers must maintain surveillance over the very wide portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in which threat emitters operate. In current receiver technology, it is not possible to have a receiver which is at once both able to discriminate multiple simultaneous emissions and highly sensitive. A common approach is to use a receiver with a relatively narrow bandwidth that sweeps its centre frequency over the threat bandwidth to search for emitters. The sequence and timing of changes in the centre frequency constitute a search strategy or sensor scheduling problem. A good electronic support receiver should observe the threat emitters, usually radars, very soon after it first begins transmitting, so in designing search strategy we would like to ensure that the intercept time is low or the probability of intercept after a specified time is high. In this thesis, we study the search strategies used in electronic support measures receivers. Moreover, a search strategy based on probability of intercept of the threats is proposed. The performances of the search strategies are compared at the end of the thesis.

Radar systems have been very effective in gathering information in a battlefield, so that the tactical actions can be decided. On the contrary, self-protection systems have been developed to break this activity of radars, for which radar signals must be intercepted to be able to take counter measures on time. Ideally, interception should be done in a certain time with a 100% probability, but in reality this is not the case. To intercept radar signals in shortest time with the highest probability, a search strategy should be developed for the receiver. This thesis studies the conditions under which the intercept time increases and the probability of intercept decreases. Moreover, it investigates the performance of the search strategy of Clarkson with respect to these conditions, which assumes that a priori knowledge about the radars that will be intercepted is available. Then, the study identifies the cases where the search strategy of Clarkson may be not desirable according to tactical necessities, and proposes a probabilistic search strategy, in which it is possible to intercept radar signals with a specified probability in a certain time.

Cette thèse traite de la révision automatique des connaissances contenues dans les systèmes fonctionnant par exploration informée d'arbres d'états. Ces systèmes, de par leur performance, sont employés dans de nombreux domaines applicatifs. En particulier, des travaux ont proposés d’utiliser cette approche dans le cadre de l'automatisation de la généralisation de données géographiques. La généralisation de données géographique s'intéresse à la dérivation, à partir de données géographiques détaillées, de données moins détaillées adaptées à un besoin particulier (e.g. changement d'échelle). Son automatisation, enjeu majeur pour les agences cartographiques telles que l'Institut Géographique National (IGN), est particulièrement complexe. Les performances des systèmes basés sur l’exploration informée d'arbres d'états sont directement dépendantes de la qualité de leurs connaissances (heuristiques). Or, la définition et la mise à jour de ces dernières s'avèrent généralement fastidieuses. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous proposons une approche de révision hors ligne des connaissances basée sur le traçage du système et sur l'analyse de ces traces. Ces traces sont ainsi utilisées par un module de révision qui est chargé d'explorer l'espace des connaissances possibles et d'en modifier en conséquence les connaissances du système. Des outils de diagnostic en ligne de la qualité des connaissances permettent de déterminer quand déclencher le processus de révision hors ligne des connaissances. Pour chaque méthode et approche que nous présentons, une mise en oeuvre est détaillée et expérimentée dans le cadre de l'automatisation de la généralisation de données géographiques / This work deals with automatic knowledge revision in systems based on an informed tree search strategy. Because of their efficiency, these systems are used in numerous fields. In particular, some literature work uses this approach for the automation of geographic data generalisation. Geographic data generalisation is the process that derives data adapted to specific needs (e.g. map scale) from too detailed geographic data. Its automation, which is a major issue for national mapping agencies like Institut Géographique National (IGN), is particularly complex. The performances of systems based on informed tree search are directly dependant on their knowledge (heuristics) quality. Unfortunately, most of the time, knowledge definition and update are fastidious. In this work, we propose an offline knowledge revision approach based on the system logging and on the analysis of these logs. Thus, the logs are used by a revision module which is in charge of the system knowledge revision by knowledge space exploration. Tools for online knowledge quality diagnosis allow to determine when the offline knowledge process should be activated. For each method and each approach presented, an implementation is proposed in the context of geographic data generalisation