This dissertation focuses on developing inspection schedules to detect non-self- announcing events which can only detected by inspections. Failures of protective sys- tems ,such as electronic equipments, alarms and stand-by systems, incipient failures and the emergence of certain medical diseases are examples of such events. Inspec- tions are performed at pre-determined times to detect whether or not the event has occurred, and necessary actions are taken upon the detection. In this research, my interest is in developing effective inspection schedules to detect non-self-announcing events that balance system downtime and inspection effort. To evaluate the quality of an inspection schedule, I use the availability (for re- placeable) and the detection delay (for non-replaceable systems) as performance mea- sures. When the monetary cost of inspection and the cost of delay are difficult to determine, non-monetary performance measures become more meaningful. In this research, the focus is on maximizing availability or minimizing detection delay given a limited number of inspections or a limited inspection rate. I show that for replace- able and non-replaceable systems, it is possible to construct inspection schedules that perform better than periodic inspection with respect to our performance measures. The occurrence of the event I would like to detect may be influenced by certain individual characteristics. For instance, the risk of developing a certain type of dis- ease might be different for different subgroups within the population. In this case, because of the non-homogeneity in the population, benefits of performing screening tests may not be fully achieved for each sub-group by using an inspection strategy developed for the entire population. Thus, it may be of value for an individual to learn more information about his/her likehood to have the disease. To address this issue, I analyze the change in the expected delay if schedules are based on the whole population information or the individual information and provide numerical results.

Selon nous, la face cachée des Rougon-Macquart réside dans l’articulation de deux histoires : l’une légitime, affichée, déclarée - l’histoire naturelle et sociale d’une famille sous le Second Empire - l’autre cachée, illégitime, non déclarée - l’histoire culturelle et intellectuelle également sous le Second Empire. Cette histoire a culturelle a pu être mise en place car elle repose sur les deux aspects développés par cet auteur : l’aspect social en découpant la société en cinq mondes et l’aspect naturel ou héréditaire (la reproduction). En effet, avec cette histoire culturelle, nous retrouvons ce même découpage en cinq mondes : le monde des arts et des lettres, le monde des sciences, le monde des sciences humaines, le monde de l’information et de la communication et un monde à part (la mythologie et la religion). Cette histoire culturelle a également été envisagée sous l’angle de la reproduction textuelle et non plus sexuelle avec la mise en place d’une véritable machinerie à reproduire les textes-sources (ou textes insérés). La bande-reproductrice ou la bande-annonce qui définit le type de texte ; l’annonce (ou le texte reproduit). Le roman expérimental résiderait davantage dans la mise en place de cette autre histoire qui, de manière souterraine, a permis à Zola de réfléchir sur les différentes méthodes de composition et d’écriture qu’impliquent cette reproduction textuelle comme l’acte de reproduire. Si nous avons défini ces cinq mondes culturels , nous nous sommes davantage attachées à étudier le monde de l’information et de la communication, et en particulier le monde journalistique. Une telle approche nécessite sa prise en compte pour redéfinir tant l’esthétique zolienne que naturaliste. / According to our view, the hidden of the Rougon-Macquart lies in expression of two histories : a legitimate one, which is stated, declared – the natural and social history of family under the Second Empire – and the other one, which is hidden, illegitimate and undeclared – the cultural and intellectual history under the Second Empire as well. The set up of this cultural history was made possible because it relies on the two aspects developpedby this autor :the social aspect by dividing society into five worlds and the natural or hereditary one (reproduction). Indeed, with this cultural history, wie find the same division :the world of Arts and literature, the world of sciences, the world of human sciences, the world of information and of communication and a world apart (mythology and religion). This cultural history was also considered from the angle of textual reproduction, and not fromthe angle of sexual reproduction with the setting up of an authenthic machinery able to reproduce the source texts (or inserted texts). This machinery includes an announcer or reproducer, the announce or reproduction verb in charge of defining the source text ; the reproductive or announcing substance which definies the sort of text ; the announce (or the reproduced text).The experimental novel would more streuously reside in the setting up of this other history which in an underlying way enabled Zola to ponder on the different compsition and writing methods wich this textual reproduction involves as the act of reproducing. If we have defined these five cultural worlds, we have even more studied the world ofinformation and of communication, and the journalistic world in particular. This sort of approach requieres to take it into account in order to redefine Zola’s and Naturalim’s aesthetics.