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The energy transition is expected to significantly increase the share of renewable energy sources whose production is intermittent in the electricity mix. Apart from key benefits, this development has the major drawback of generating a mismatch between power supply and demand. The innovative dynamic pricing approach may significantly contribute to mitigating that critical problem by taking advantage of the flexibility offered by the demand side. At its core, this idea consists in providing the consumer with a price signal which is evolving over time, in order to influence its consumption. This novel approach involves a challenging decision-making problem that can be summarised as follows: how to determine a price signal maximising the synchronisation between power supply and demand under the constraints of maintaining the producer/retailer’s profitability and benefiting the final consumer at the same time? As a contribution, this research work presents a detailed formalisation of this particular decision-making problem. Moreover, the paper discusses the diverse algorithmic components necessary to efficiently design a dynamic pricing policy: different forecasting models together with an accurate statistical modelling of the demand response to dynamic prices.

ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility and validate the use of video-electroencephalography (EEG) in conscious dogs and cats and to propose guidelines of routine EEG in veterinary clinical practice.DesignProspective clinical study.DataOne hundred and fifty EEG recordings were carried out to validate the clinical adding-value, reproducibility, and guidelines on 140 owned animals. One hundred and one EEGs were performed on dogs and 49 on cats.ProceduresWe compared recordings performed with 8 EEG unwired stud Ag/AgCl electrodes held by elastic straps and 8 EEG wired cup Ag electrodes held by a tailor-made manufactured headset combined with a wired video-EEG device. Electrodes placement was determined according to previously published animal EEG protocols. Physiological sensors, such as electrocardiography, electromyography, and respiratory sensors were added. Stimulation protocols were tested. Quality and interpretability were evaluated.ResultsHeadsets and recording procedures appeared suitable for all skull shapes and sizes. Video-EEG recordings were successfully performed without tranquilization or anesthesia except for 9 animals. Median EEG recordings time was 40 min. Impedance remained below 20 kΩ in 99% of dog EEGs and 98% of cat EEGs. Isosynchrony was reported in 6% of the channels. Seventy-five percent of dog EEGs and 83% of cat EEGs were readable for more than 50% (to 100%) of their duration. Successful discrimination of vigilance states from rhythm analysis (wakefulness, drowsiness, and sleepiness) was possible in 99% of dog EEGs and 91% of cat EEGs. Photic driving responses during photic stimulations were observed in 11% of dog EEGs and 85% of cat EEGs. Electroencephalography recordings were directly informative in 32% of the examinations: in 25% EEG abnormalities were associated with clinical signs and 7% concerned EEG abnormalities without clinical symptoms during recording. Thirteen percent of dogs subjected to photic stimulation exhibited epileptic anomalies. Among 9 EEGs with other history-based stimulations, three displayed epileptic graphoelements.ConclusionsWe have developed a standardized unanesthetized video-EEG procedure easily performed and reproducible in dogs and cats. Qualitative and quantitative technical and medical criteria were evaluated and were in accordance with human EEG recommendations. Moreover, we have demonstrated its relevance and accuracy for diagnostic purposes, providing further arguments for the use of EEG as a first-line neurological functional exploration test.

Summary: Six infant human teeth and 112 animal tooth pendants from Borsuka Cave were identified as the oldest burial in Poland. However, uncertainties around the dating and the association of the teeth to the pendants have precluded their association with an Upper Palaeolithic archaeological industry. Using

Abstract Background Suspected immune‐mediated polyneuropathy has been increasingly reported in cats, especially in the last decade, but the condition remains poorly understood. Objectives Refine the clinical description and review the classification of this condition based on electrodiagnostic investigation and evaluate the benefit of corticosteroid treatment and L‐carnitine supplementation. Animals Fifty‐five cats presented with signs of muscular weakness and electrodiagnostic findings consistent with polyneuropathy of unknown origin. Methods Retrospective, multicenter study. Data from the medical records were reviewed. The owners were contacted by phone for follow‐up at the time of the study. Results The male‐to‐female ratio was 2.2. The median age of onset was 10 months, with 91% of affected cats being

Abstract A 3‐year‐old female German Shepherd dog was presented with generalized tonic‐clonic epileptic seizures, right‐sided central vestibular syndrome, and right trigeminal nerve dysfunction. Acute lacunar ischemic strokes within both thalami, right side of the mesencephalon, left side of the myelencephalon, both sides of the cervical spinal cord, and acute hemorrhagic strokes within the rostral part of the right cerebellar hemisphere and right rostral colliculus were identified on magnetic resonance imaging. Additional evaluation identified multiple renal infarcts and complete splenic torsion, with entrapment of the left pancreatic lobe. Medical management, splenectomy, partial pancreatectomy, and intensive physical rehabilitation led to clinical improvement. The histology of the spleen was consistent with hemorrhagic infarction. Three months after onset, neurological examination identified only mild vestibular sequelae. The final diagnosis was multiple ischemic strokes secondary to primary splenic torsion. Spontaneous early hemorrhagic transformation, a well‐known condition in human medicine, also was found in this case.

The occurrence and seasonality of the Critically Endangered great hammerhead shark, Sphyrna mokarran, is data deficient in the Central Pacific region. Using photo-identification and laser-photogrammetry, we describe the seasonal population of great hammerhead sharks in the Tiputa pass (Rangiroa atoll) and Tuheiava pass (Tikehau atoll) in the Tuamotu archipelago of French Polynesia. During the austral summer of 2020 and 2021, we recorded a female-biased aggregation of at least 55 individuals (54 females; 1 unknown sex), representing an unprecedented number of S. mokarran in one study. All measured sharks were likely mature with pre-caudal lengths ranging from 147 cm to 297 cm (n = 35). Videos from citizen scientists recorded over a 15-year period enable us to identify 30 additional individuals between 2006 and 2019, with strong evidence of sexual segregation during the year. Our findings revealed seasonal residency (n = 32) of up to 6 days/month and for up to 5 months at the study site during the austral summer. We also demonstrated site fidelity with 32 individuals returning to the same atoll for up to 12 years between the first and last sighting, and with limited evidence of connectivity between the two sites. Our analysis also provides preliminary insight into the environmental factors driving S. mokarran aggregation in the Tiputa pass, suggesting a marked influence of the lunar cycle and of ocellated eagle rays (Aetobatus ocellatus) abundance. This study, conducted in situ with non-invasive methods offers a unique opportunity to study a great hammerhead shark population in a near-pristine ecosystem and provides important life-history elements for the Central Pacific region.

The purpose of this study is to generate some experimental data associated with the thermal heat exchange between an oil jet flow and a rotating gear. To this end, a specific test bench was designed. The principle of this test bench is to inject oil heated to a temperature of about 80 °C onto a rotating test sample at ambient temperature. Temperature measurements of the oil via injection nozzles and the rotating component allow the determination of the heat flow between these elements using a numerical method developed to this end. This test rig enables the study of the parameters that may affect heat exchange, such as oil flow rate and injection temperature, nozzle geometry and position, gear rotational speed and tooth geometry, or oil characteristics. In this study, three of these parameters were investigated, namely the test sample rotational speed, the oil flow rate, and the oil jet velocity. The experiments were conducted on an aluminum disc and spur gear. Subsequently, the experimental results were compared with existing models that represent the convective exchanges between oil and a gear. Some discrepancies between existing models and experimental results appear at high rotational speeds, underlining that the convective heat transfer does not always increase with this parameter.

Abstract Background The imaging and electrodiagnostic (EDX) characteristics of traumatic brachial plexus injury (TBPI) are incompletely reported. Objectives To describe the epidemiological, clinical, and EDX characteristics of TBPIs in a series of cases in dogs and cats; to determine the association between clinical data, EDX findings, and clinical outcomes; and to assess the sensitivity and specificity of EDX studies to classify nerve lesions. Animals One hundred and seventy‐five dogs and 51 cats with TBPI and EDX exploration of radial nerve, ulnar nerve, or both nerves. Methods Retrospective case series. All medical records were searched for dogs and cats presenting with TBPIs that underwent EDX exploration. Epidemiological, clinical, EDX, and follow‐up data were extracted. Association between clinical data, EDX findings, and clinical outcomes was explored. Results Forty‐six percent of affected animals were injured before 2 years of age and 57% of dogs weighed more than 20 kg. The radial compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude for dogs and cats that had clinical improvement was higher than in animals without improvement (4.3 mV [0‐23.6] vs 0 mV [0‐2.4], respectively, P = .02). A discriminating radial CMAP amplitude threshold value of 5 mV had a specificity of 93% (95% CI [80‐100]) to predict recovery. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Electrodiagnostic studies, particularly measurement of radial CMAP amplitude, are valuable diagnostic tests to refine the prognosis of these animals.

Classical reinforcement learning (RL) techniques are generally concerned with the design of decision-making policies driven by the maximisation of the expected outcome. Nevertheless, this approach does not take into consideration the potential risk associated with the actions taken, which may be critical in certain applications. To address that issue, the present research work introduces a novel methodology based on distributional RL to derive sequential decision-making policies that are sensitive to the risk, the latter being modelled by the tail of the return probability distribution. The core idea is to replace the Q function generally standing at the core of learning schemes in RL by another function, taking into account both the expected return and the risk. Named the risk-based utility function U, it can be extracted from the random return distribution Z naturally learnt by any distributional RL algorithm. This enables the spanning of the complete potential trade-off between risk minimisation and expected return maximisation, in contrast to fully risk-averse methodologies. Fundamentally, this research yields a truly practical and accessible solution for learning risk-sensitive policies with minimal modification to the distributional RL algorithm, with an emphasis on the interpretability of the resulting decision-making process.

Background Identifying which octogenarians could benefit most from continuing critical care is challenging. We aimed to see if responses to therapies using the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score on day 4 after unplanned admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) could be associated with short-term mortality. Methods In this prospective observational cohort study, data from 4 ICUs in a University Hospital included SOFA scores on admission and day 4, along with preadmission measurements of frailty, comorbidities, nutritional status and number of medications. Outcome measures included mortality and loss of autonomy on day 90 after admission. Results Eighty-seven critically ill patients aged 80 years or older with preadmission functional independence and no missing SOFA score data on day 4 were studied (primary analyses). The mortality rate on day 90 was 30%. In a univariate Cox model, the SOFA score on day 4 was significantly associated with mortality rate: hazard ratio = 1.18 per one-point increase, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08 to 1.28 (pConclusion Measuring SOFA score on day 4 and preadmission frailty could help predict mortality and loss of autonomy on day 90 in octogenarians after their acute admission to the ICU.

Created on the 3 August 1824, at the very end of Louis XVIII’s reign – in anticipation of the payments that would be required on his imminent death and the elevation of his brother, the Count of Artois, to the throne – the Archives de la Couronne sought to gather all “titles, deeds and documents” relating to state domains, the king’s private domain, and the ministerial archives of the royal household. Located in the Louvre from 1825, these archives remain relatively unknown: the product of earlier peregrinations, this court administration “arsenal”, perpetuated and transformed by the July Monarchy, became the repository for most of the archives listed after 1903 under the O classification. This article aims to trace the Archives birth and to understand the logical functioning, particularly through a little-used document: “Travaux d’Archives. Tableau figuratif des Salles des anciennes Archives.” This series of plans, created in 1832, allow a contribution to the vast administrative archaeology project initiated by Pierre Jugie. The Archives de la Couronne, receptacle for the masses of documents produced and collected by increasingly bureaucratic monarchies, reveal some aspects of the work of archivists in the first half of the nineteenth century in France, and shed light on a period still sadly reputed, in archival history, as “inglorious”.

Retailers and major consumers of electricity generally purchase an important percentage of their estimated electricity needs years ahead in the forward market. This long-term electricity procurement task consists of determining when to buy electricity so that the resulting energy cost is minimised, and the forecast consumption is covered. In this scientific article, the focus is set on a yearly base load product from the Belgian forward market, named calendar (CAL), which is tradable up to three years ahead of the delivery period. This research paper introduces a novel algorithm providing recommendations to either buy electricity now or wait for a future opportunity based on the history of CAL prices. This algorithm relies on deep learning forecasting techniques and on an indicator quantifying the deviation from a perfectly uniform reference procurement policy. On average, the proposed approach surpasses the benchmark procurement policies considered and achieves a reduction in costs of 1.65% with respect to the perfectly uniform reference procurement policy achieving the mean electricity price. Moreover, in addition to automating the complex electricity procurement task, this algorithm demonstrates more consistent results throughout the years. Eventually, the generality of the solution presented makes it well suited for solving other commodity procurement problems.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection causes acute liver disease, but severe infections are rare in immunocompetent patients. We describe a case of HEV infection in a previously healthy male trauma patient in France who received massive transfusions. Genotyping confirmed HEV in a transfused platelet pool and the donor.