North Of France Research Articles

Improving the environmental impact of empty containers in water-road hubs: a physical internet approach

The efficient and sustainable movement of goods within the supply chain is a cornerstone of global trade, and the Physical Internet (PI) paradigm presents a transformative approach to achieving this goal. This paper examines the environmental impact of empty containers (EC) within a water-road hub in the context of PI. An agent-based simulation approach through negotiation in Netlogo is proposed and applied to the multi-modal hub ”Halluin II” in the north France. Results indicate that PI-containers lower CO2 emissions by 27%, with ANOVA testing confirming the statistical significance of these outcomes. Furthermore, the analysis of simulation results highlights an improvement in efficiency when using PI-containers. This implies that the PI model not only enhances environmental sustainability but also improves operational efficiency.

PB1439 Diversity of Hereditary Protein C Deficiency in North France: A Genotype-Phenotype Correlation

PB1439 Diversity of Hereditary Protein C Deficiency in North France: A Genotype-Phenotype Correlation

On spatial interpolation of ocean energy source variables: A comparative analysis

In the context of wave energy systems development, the estimation of wave parameters such as significant wave height (Hs) and energy period (Te) over the entire ocean surface is of paramount importance. These information are crucial for estimating the energy harvesting potential of deployment sites, designing wave energy converters (WECs), planning optimal maintenance intervention frequency, and assessing the impact of waves on coastal communities. However, measuring Hs and the Te at every point in the ocean is impossible due to the vastness of the ocean and due to the cost and difficulties of installing and maintaining wave instrumentation buoys, since these have to survive in marine environment, which is particularly hostile. As a consequence, the amount of data is too limited and sparse in space for the practical and precise performance of these analyses. To address such data scarcity and sparsity, we analyse in this paper various spatial interpolation techniques employed to fill the spatial gaps in the wave parameter datasets. These techniques are compared in their performances in estimating the wave parameters in space given a set of known measurements in limited sampling locations. Three types of interpolators are considered: linear interpolator, spline interpolator, and radial basis functions (RBFs) interpolator. These algorithms are trained and tested on a public dataset of wave parameters from Copernicus Marine Service in an area between the coastlines of South England and North France. To simulate the available data scarcity and sparsity, only limited percentages of the ocean area are considered covered and available in the training stage (from 0.01% to 1%). The performance of each interpolator is evaluated on the remainder of the considered area in terms of Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) and on the Normalized Mean Absolute Error (NMAE) achieved by the algorithm in reconstructing the parameters at these unsampled locations. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of spatial gap-filling of wave parameters, and demonstrates that the RBF algorithm outperforms the other two algorithms both in performances and, even more, in terms of robustness to different training points sampling.

The Care Coordinator’s Tasks During the Implementation of an Integrated Care Pathway for Older Patients: A Qualitative Study Based on the French National “Health Pathway of Seniors for Preserved Autonomy” Pilot Program

Background:Although integrated care and care coordination are known to be beneficial for older adults’ population, the specific tasks of a Care Coordinator (CC) for integrated care pathways for this population have not been studied in detail.Setting & Subjects:The French national pilot program PAERPA provided an integrated care pathway for older adults. In North France, a CC was recruited to support patients and professionals.Objectives:(i) To analyse the CC’s tasks in an integrated care pathway for older patients, and (ii) to record perceptions on the CC’s tasks among the participating general practitioners (GP) and community pharmacists.Design & MethodsQualitative, two-phase study: (i) Task analysis of the CC’s tasks, to compare the planned and actual tasks; (ii) semi-structured interviews among GPs and community pharmacists involved in the pathway.Results:(i) The task analysis showed that the CC’s actual tasks differed from planned tasks. The CC was only meant to be involved in the early stages of the process; actually, the CC undertook more or even unforeseen tasks in coordination, communication, and administrative support throughout the care pathways. (ii) The 28 interviewed healthcare professionals considered the CC’s tasks to be essential to the success of pathways. They appreciated the CC’s administrative support. However, CC’s tasks related to interprofessional communication, and patient and family information, were controversially perceived among GPs and pharmacists.Conclusions:The CC’s tasks in an integrated care pathway for older adults showed that the CC’s overall workload was greater than expected and appreciated by healthcare professionals.

Integration of Genotoxic Biomarkers in Environmental Biomonitoring Analysis Using a Multi-Biomarker Approach in Three-Spined Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus, 1758).

Water is impacted by a variety of increasing pressures, such as contaminants, including genotoxic pollutants. The proposed multi-biomarker approach at a sub-individual level gives a complementary indicator to the chemical and ecological parameters of the Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC). By integrating biomarkers of genotoxicity and erythrocyte necrosis in the sentinel fish species the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) through active biomonitoring of six stations of the Artois-Picardie watershed, north France, our work aimed to improve the already existing biomarker approach. Even if fish in all stations had high levels of DNA strand breaks, the multivariate analysis (PCA), followed by hierarchical agglomerative clustering (HAC), improved discrimination among stations by detecting an increase of nuclear DNA content variation (Etaing, St Rémy du Nord, Artres and Biache-St-Vaast) and erythrocyte necrosis (Etaing, St Rémy du Nord). The present work highlighted that the integration of these biomarkers of genotoxicity in a multi-biomarker approach is appropriate to expand physiological parameters which allow the targeting of new potential effects of contaminants.

DETERMINING EFFICIENCY OF TOURISM SECTOR IN CERTAIN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND REGIONS BY APPLYING DEA ANALYSIS

Abstract: The paper presents research results of efficiency of tourism sector in certain European countries and regions obtained by applying DEA method. The primary goal of the paper is to determine to what extent tourism sector in certain European countries and regions is efficient in relation to set parameters, while the secondary goal is aimed at providing recommendations for its improvement. In relation to this, the methodology of the DEA analysis is based on the input and output parameters which were used to determine the efficiency. The input parameters included: number of hotels and similar accommodation capacities, number of rooms and number of bed places, whereas the output parameters included: number of inbound tourists, number of bed-nights and tourism expenditure during their stay abroad. One of the conclusions of the paper is that the total efficiency was shown in Croatia, Belgium, and Denmark, while the technical efficiency was also present in North Macedonia, France, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical activity during the lockdown in North France: A single center experience.

e13594 Background: During the French COVID-19 pandemic, clinical activity for cancer care has declined and modified the management of patients in cancer institute. France has imposed two national lockdowns of the population (from March 17 to May 11 and from October 30 to December 15 2020). We evaluate the impact of the lockdown period in North France on clinical activity. Methods: We measured and compared key-indicators of clinical activity between different periods: 2019 versus 2020; before and during the first and second lockdown. Results are given as percentage of changes with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The comparative analysis between 2019 and 2020 showed that most clinical activities except hospitalizations (-0.0% [-0.2; +0.1%] has changed. There was a significant increase in overall treated patients (+0.4% [+0.3; +0.5], telemedicine +99.9% [+99.4; +99.7], MRI (+8.8% [+8.2; +9.5], ambulatory chemotherapy (+3.5% [+3.3; +3.8]), number of chemotherapies prepared (+2.0 [+.1.9; +2.2]) and admission in palliative care unit (+15.3%, [+10.8; +19.8]). On the contrary, a significant decrease in treated patients aged > 65 years old (-6.4% [-6.9; -5.9]), incidence rate (-3.1% [-3.6; -2.7]), multidisciplinary team meeting on patient assessment (-3.1% [-3.5;-2.5]), pathology reports (-2.9% (-3.3;-2.6]), radiotherapy (-4.6% [-4.7;-4.4]) and surgery (-6.7% [-7.4;-5.6]) were observed. In 2020, before and during the first lockdown all key-indicators declined except telemedicine (+40,400%) and admission in palliative care unit (+35.5% [+31.0-+49.7]). During the first lockdown, key-indicators decreased from -63.0% [-70.3-59.2] for outpatient visits to -5.1% [-7.0-3.8] for chemotherapy. The impact caused by the second lockdown was non-significant compared to the first one since all key-indicators has increased during the second lockdown: from +23.8% [+22.2; +25.5] for radiotherapy to +76.6% [+72.5; +79.5] for the management of new cases. Conclusions: Dramatic changes occurred in 2020 during the COVID-19-related lockdown compared to 2019. An Increase in chemotherapy treatment and admission on palliative care unit and a decrease in surgery and radiotherapy strongly suggests that the clinical activity was changed in 2020 compared to 2019. This was in line with the reduction of cancer screening in 2020. The impact of the first lockdown on clinical activities was higher compared to the second one. These observations should be investigated further in order to better understand the effects of a pandemic-related lockdown on cancer care.

Determining efficiency of tourism sector in certain European countries and regions by applying DEA analysis

The paper presents research results of efficiency of tourism sector in certain European countries and regions obtained by applying DEA method. The primary goal of the paper is to determine to what extent tourism sector in certain European countries and regions is efficient in relation to set parameters, while the secondary goal is aimed at providing recommendations for its improvement. In relation to this, the methodology of the DEA analysis is based on the input and output parameters which were used to determine the efficiency. The input parameters included: number of hotels and similar accommodation capacities, number of rooms and number of bed places, whereas the output parameters included: number of inbound tourists, number of bed-nights and tourism expenditure during their stay abroad. One of the conclusions of the paper is that the total efficiency was shown in Croatia, Belgium, and Denmark, while the technical efficiency was also present in North Macedonia, France, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

Analysis of potential low frequency resonance between a 1GW MMC HVDC and a nearby nuclear generator

This paper presents a comprehensive analytical eigenvalue stability study of subsynchronous torsional interactions between the 1 GW Eleclink MMC HVDC and the 1.12 GW Gravelines turbine-generator in north France. It revalidates the conclusions of previous studies on VSC-based HVDC systems by showing that the risk of SSTI may be of significance when the HVDC is based on the MMC and not the two level VSC technology. The study demonstrates that in the case of the weak French grid and the rated HVDC power flow from France to England, the HVDC can destabilize the dominant low frequency, 6.3 Hz, torsional mode. The analysis also expands the work of previous studies on MMC and reveals that the case of the HVDC power flow from the English to the French grid may also introduce the risk of destabilizing the lower frequency mode. Furthermore, it also reveals a noticeable impact of the PLL and that increasing the gains has an opposite effect on the two HVDC power flow directions. Moreover, participation factors are analyzed for the 6.3 Hz mode indicating that the main cause of the torsional interactions is the HVDC power control loop. The main findings are verified on the detailed EMTP model.

Suicide mortality in people with mental disorders: a register-based study in north France.

Suicide is very common among people with mental disorders. In addition, suicide mortality rates are stable in this group, while they are decreasing in the general population. The vital statuses of adult inpatients admitted to French psychiatry departments in 2008-2009 were researched in death databases on 31 December 2013. Suicide probability was calculated using a Kaplan-Meier analysis, and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated in relation to the population of the study area. Among the 13,979 patients included in the study, (7416 men and 6563 women; mean age 43.6 ± 14.6years), 1454 died in total, among whom 286 died by suicide an average of 4.9years after the date of their enrolment. The cumulative probability of suicide was 0.8% at 1 year, 1.3% at 2years and 2.5% at 6years. The SMR value, which was 1492 for the whole group of patients and was twice as high in women (2494) as in men (1220), decreased with age (from 2078 in patients aged 18-34years to 1278 in patients aged 75years or more). Our study confirms that suicide mortality is higher in inpatients admitted to French psychiatry units than in the general population and advocates specific prevention programmes for this group.

Emergence of new genetic lineage, ST-9316, of Neisseria meningitidis group W in Hauts-de-France region, France 2013–2018

BackgroundThe epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is continuously changing in incidence, age distribution and/or the expansion of new strains of Neisseria meningitidis. The epidemiology of IMD due to group W (IMDW) has changed recently at a global level with the emergence of isolates belonging to the clonal complex ST-11 (CC11) derived from the South America-UK strain. A more recent change has been detected in France with the emergence of a new genotype distinct from CC11 that we aimed to analyse. MethodsEpidemiological and microbiological surveillance data in France were used in combination with whole genome sequencing (WGS) to detect emerging phenotypes and genotypes of IMD causing strains, and their susceptibility to immunity induced by the 4CMenB vaccine. Transgenic mice expressing the human transferrin were used to analyse the virulence of emerging strain isolates by direct comparison with CC11 isolates. FindingsOur data showed a local increase of IMDW isolates in north France since 2013. The isolates belonged to ST-9316 and few were ST-11 isolates. WGS clustered ST-9316 isolates together and were distantly separated from the isolates of the clonal complex ST-11 (CC11). Unlike cases due to W/CC11 isolates, cases due to W/ST-9316 isolates were mostly observed amongst infants under the age of 1 year but with lower mortality compared to W/CC11 cases. Genomic comparison showed that the W/ST-9316, unlike W/CC11 isolates, lacked the hmbR gene encoding the haemoglobin receptor that is a virulence factor involved in the acquisition of iron from haemoglobin. W/ST-9316 further showed lower virulence in mice compared to W/CC11 isolates. InterpretationWe report the emergence of a novel sequence type (ST-9316) mostly associated with serogroup W, and exhibiting a lower virulence and a distinct age specific incidence profile than W/CC11 isolates. Surveillance requires powerful approaches combining WGS and pathophysiological analysis to adapt control measures.

A practical tool for the stability estimation of underground quarries in North France

Purpose The presence of underground quarries in North France in close proximity to urbanized areas, imposes serious problems in terms of security of both people and constructions at one hand, and induces a strong constraint against planning and urban development on the other hand. The purpose of this paper is to provide a practical tool for the preliminary estimation of the stability of underground quarries. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a numerical stability study of quarries, excavated in chalk of North France with or without joints, by the method of rooms and pillars, is presented. This integrates the data provided from site: mechanical properties of the chalk and geometric characteristics of the quarries (width of the pillar W, height of the pillar H and span between pillars L), as well as the orientation of the joints (α). Numerical parametric analysis is conducted using FLAC 3D. Factors of safety are computed from the numerical models. Then, a second-order regression technique is applied on these numerically obtained factors, to correlate new formulae. Findings As a result, user-friendly formulae for the calculation of factors of safety Fs (ex) are extrapolated. Besides, abacuses to determine the minimum permissible effective width of safe pillars are proposed. Originality/value By this, it becomes possible, knowing only few parameters about geometry and properties, to give a fast estimation of the stability state of any quarry in the region.

Access to mechanical thrombectomy for cerebral ischaemia: A population-based study in the North-of-France

Background and purposeHospitals admitting acute strokes should offer access to mechanical thrombectomy (MT), but local organisations are still based on facilities available before MT was proven effective. MT rates and outcomes at population levels are needed to adapt organisations. We evaluated rates of MT and outcomes in inhabitants from the North-of-France (NoF) area. MethodWe prospectively evaluated rates of MT and outcomes of patients at 3 months, good outcomes being defined as a modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0 to 2 or like the pre-stroke mRS. ResultsDuring the study period (2016–2017), 666 patients underwent MT (454, 68.1% associated with intravenous thrombolysis [IVT]). Besides, 1595 other patients received IVT alone. The rate of MT was 81 (95% confidence interval [CI] 72–90) per million inhabitants-year, ranging from 36 to 108 between districts. The rate of IVT was 249 (95% CI 234–264) per million inhabitants-year, ranging from 155 to 268. After 3 months, 279 (41.9%) patients who underwent MT had good outcomes, and 167 (25.1%) had died. Patients living outside the district of Lille where the only MT centre is, were less likely to have good outcomes at 3 months, after adjustment on age, sex, baseline severity, and delay. ConclusionThe rate of MT is one of the highest reported up to now, even in low-rate districts, but outcomes were significantly worse in patients living outside the district of Lille, and this is not only explained by the delay.

Shallow chalk quarry stability using an original shear strength reduction approach

Unexploited underground quarries may represent a potential hazard for the surrounding urban environment. In this context, this work presents a stability study of quarries in North France. A shear non-uniform non-homogeneous degradation approach is proposed for the stability study. The presence of joints in the chalk continuum is considered by using an anisotropic plasticity model accounting for the accumulation of permanent strains along these joints. Stability analysis using proposed degradation approach is performed and compared with the conventional shear strength reduction approach. The comparison shows that the proposed degradation approach might be an alternative to conventional shear strength reduction approach.

Linking sea level dynamic and exceptional events to large-scale atmospheric circulation variability: A case of the Seine Bay, France

Summary In this study, the multi-time-scale variability of the South English Channel (case of the Seine Bay, North France) sea level and its exceptional events have been investigated in relation with the global climate patterns by the use of wavelet multi-resolution decomposition techniques. The analysis has been focused on surges demodulating by an envelope approach. The low-frequency components of the interannual (2.1-yr, 4-yr, 7.8-yr) and the interdecadal (15.6-yr and 21.2-yr) time-scales, extracted from 46-years demodulated surges, have been correlated to 36 exceptional stormy events according to their intensity. Results have revealed five categories of storms function on their correlation with the interannual and the interdecadal demodulated surges: events with high energy are manifested at the full scales while moderate events are only observed at the interannual scales. The succession of storms is mainly carried by the last positive oscillations of the interannual and the interdecadal scales. A statistical downscaling approach integrating the discrete wavelet multi-resolution analysis for each time-scale has been used to investigate the connection between the local dynamic of surges and the global atmospheric circulation from SLP composites. This relation illustrates dipolar patterns of high-low pressures suggesting positive anomalies at the interdecadal scales of 15.6-yr and 21.3-yr and the interannual scales of 4-yr while negative anomalies at 7.8-yr should be related to a series of physical mechanisms linked to the North-Atlantic and ocean/atmospheric circulation oscillating at the same time-scales. The increasing storm frequency is probably related to the Gulf Stream variation and its weakening trend in the last years.

Site conditions and recipient plant communities as indicators of the origin of a cryptogenic species. Leucojum vernum L. in North France as a case study

Regional lists of protected species commonly include rare plant species that are found in small, isolated populations at the range margin or disjunct. However, such populations often have suspicious origins and may have been historically introduced and now falsely viewed as native. Here I use a simple community ecology approach to assess whether plant community composition and site features can indicate whether local populations of a rare cryptogenic species are more likely of natural or introduced origin. I took the vernal geophyte Leucojum vernum L. in North France as a case study. Using multivariate analyses I show that L. vernum occurs in various plant communities, which correspond to different sets of environmental conditions. More specifically, several community types clearly reflect an introduced origin, with a discrepancy between L. vernum’s autecology and site features as well as a number of co-occurring anthropophilous species, including xenophytes. These populations are often associated with more or less ancient human artefacts, such as archaeological sites. In contrast, an equal number of community types likely correspond to natural populations, that are all located at the range margin and connected to the core range via a (former) west-flowing river corridor, pleading for a post-glacial recolonization. I conclude that a cryptogenic species, such as L. vernum in this case study, has a “socio-ecological signature” which can indicate whether a given population is more likely native or introduced, and thus informs conservationists on where to prioritize conservation efforts.

What deep‐soil profiles can teach us on deep‐time pH dynamics after land use change?

AbstractSoil profiles keep records of the legacies of historical land uses on soil physicochemical properties with deep‐soil (3‐m depth) profiles providing information on centuries‐old dynamics. By combining geohistorical archives on past land uses and management practices together with soil pH data from 19 plots scattered across five study areas in North France, we analyzed the effect of two contrasting historical land‐use change trajectories (afforestation of former arable land vs. cultivation after deforestation) on the acidification and alkalinization dynamics along 3‐m‐depth loessic Luvisols profiles. An analysis of covariance and a generalized additive model were used to test the interaction effect between depth and the two studied chronosequences levels on soil pH. Results show two contrasting alkalinization dynamics for formerly acidic forest soils converted to arable land depending on past management practices. One century of liming practices based on hydrated lime is enough for a complete deprotonation, whereas alkalinization dynamic was much slower (two to four centuries are necessary to neutralize the relictual acidity below 2 m) under liming based on chalk‐blocks supply. Per contra, afforestation of former arable land cultivated and limed during at least 2–4 centuries keep an alkaline ‘memory’ effect over more than a millennium. The acidification process is progressive through time from the surface to deeper soil horizons. This suggests that soil pH profiles can be used to estimate time since afforestation of former arable land. Linking deep‐soil pH profiles with chronosequences is a powerful tool to understand the potential impact of future land‐use change trajectories on soil physicochemical properties.

Bedforms in a tidally modulated ridge and runnel shoreface (Berck-Plage; North France): implications for the geological record

Tidally modulated shoreface (TMS) corresponds to peculiar costal environments. The general morphology and the expressed bedforms are provided by the interplay of both waves and tides. The recognition of TMS in the fossil record still remains a difficult task. The study of one mega-tidal modern TMS in the north of France (Berck-Plage) provides new key criteria to identify this kind of coastal system in the rock record. Field investigation and digital mapping were realized at lowest tide during spring tide under fair-weather condition. The intertidal zone is characterized by a succession of several sand banks shore parallel separated by topographic lows that are defined as ridges and runnels. Seven distinct dominant bedforms are recognized: 3D current ripples, 3D asymmetrical ripples, 2D symmetrical ripples, 2D small symmetrical dunes, 2D large symmetrical dunes, 3D symmetrical dunes and plane beds. The upper stage plane bedding mainly composed the ridges while the six other bedforms are commonly found within the runnels or on the flanks of the ridges. Comparison of the bedforms of Berck-Plage with previous experimental studies on bedforms genesis proves that the necessary flow parameters for generating these bedforms belong to an oscillatory flow except for the 3D current ripples, which are formed by a unidirectional flow. This study confirms the dominance of oscillatory structures through the intertidal zone in a mega-tidal context and show that wave processes are more powerful than tide processes for bedform generation although during fair weather conditions. Based on the timing of genesis, the description and the repeated pattern of distribution of bedforms between two ridges is highlighted thus helping to propose a theoretical facies sequence for an intertidal zone characterized by ridges and runnels applicable to ancient sedimentary successions.

Rehafutur – Insitu instrumentation for a comprehensive building analysis

The building industry is called to a generalized use of eco friendly materials for a climate change limitation. In this context, the EU project ‘Rehafutur’ aims to promote the use of bio-based materials in building. Thus, a traditional north France house was renovated using 8 bio-based materials and was instrumented. The instrumentation allows different parameters monitoring during several months and seasons. In this article, we present an over view of the project and the first recorded data. Then, we focus on the south-east wall data to apply an inverse heat transfer method. The method was developed and applied in our laboratory, it allows thermophysical properties estimation.

Optimal sampling design and minimal effort for soil charcoal analyses considering the soil type and forest history

Soil charcoal analysis is of particular interest for reconstructing and interpreting past forest landscapes. However, whether soil charcoal spectra are representative of past forest communities or not remains unclear. Here we sampled three types of soils from two ancient forests in North France (six sites in total), using a single 1.5 × 1.5 m pit vs. several auger cores regularly distributed over a 1,000 m2 area (i.e. stand scale). Soil charcoals were extracted to compute specific anthracomasses (SA) and, for one of the two ancient forests studied, to determine taxonomic composition. We compared the two sampling methods (pit vs. auger) according to SA distribution within a pit and between auger cores using Moran’s I index. To determine the minimal sampling effort according to taxonomic richness, we used rarefaction curves. Except in the upper horizons of the podzol pits, within-pits SA distribution showed no spatial structure as a plausible effect of soil disturbance and biological activity. At the stand scale, between-augers SA distribution did not show spatial pattern. The pit method retrieved more species than the auger one, but the sampling effort was sometimes insufficient to be representative and has to be adapted according to the anthracomass. A minimal sampling effort of 500–600 charcoals was required to reach a full picture of the soil charcoal assemblage, corresponding to a volume of 30–60 litres depending on the sampling method. Historical land use and site management, together with the type of soil, should be taken into account when designing a sampling strategy for soil charcoals. The sampling design and effort should be adapted to the goal of the study, the biological activity of the soils and the expected density of charcoals.