263 research outputs found
Macroeconomic imbalances and comparative advantages in the Euro Area
No full textThe emergence of macroeconomic imbalances among EU member states is often seen as a major underlying factor of the recent European debt crisis. In order to identify and tackle these imbalances, the European authorities established, in 2011, a new surveillance tool incorporating rules to prevent future imbalances and labelled the Excessive Imbalance Procedure (EIP).
Stefan Collignon argues that the premises of the Excessive Imbalance Procedure are in fact wrong, and its implementation therefore misguided, in that they take for granted the policy framework of the nation state whereas the Euro Area economy is, in reality, integrated into a single market with a single currency, such that so-called ‘foreign’ debt is, effectively, debt to other residents in the Euro Area.
The author demonstrates, furthermore, that strict adherence to the EIP could, in conjunction with other new economic governance instruments, entail devastating consequences for peripheral countries in the European Union.
Following his observation that current indicators used by the Commission fail to provide a correct or accurate assessment of imbalances in the Euro Area, the author devises a new ‘Competitive Index’, calculated as the difference between actual and equilibrium unit labour costs, which he recommends as an alternative and better indicator in the context of the Alert Mechanism Reports to be issued by the European Commission in the future
Lower and Middle Cenomanian ammonites from the Morondava Basin, Madagascar
No full textLower and Middle Cenomanian ammonite assemblages have been collected on a bed-by-bed basis from localities at Vohipaly and Mahaboboka, Madagascar, as well as from outcrops around Berekata, all in the Morondava Basin, southwest Madagascar. These collections demonstrate the presence of the upper Lower Cenomanian Mantelliceras dixoni Zone and the lower Middle Cenomanian Cunningtoniceras inerme Zone of the north-western European standard sequence. These records indicate that the striking anomalies in the zonal assemblages of the classic divisions of the Madagascan Cenomanian are based on mixed assemblages, rather than a succession that differs radically from that elsewhere in the world. The dixoni Zone fauna is: Desmoceras cf. latidorsatum (Michelin, 1838), Pachydesmoceras kossmati Matsumoto, 1987, Forbesiceras sp., F. baylissiWright & Kennedy, 1984, F. largilliertianum (d'Orbigny, 1841), Mantelliceras cantianum Spath, 1926a, M. dixoni Spath, 1926b, M. mantelli (J. Sowerby, 1814), M. picteti Hyatt, 1903, M. saxbii (Sharpe, 1857), Sharpeiceras sp., S. falloti (Collignon, 1931), S. mocambiquense (Choffat, 1903), S. cf. florencae Spath, 1925, Acompsoceras renevieri (Sharpe, 1857), A. tenue Collignon, 1964, Calycoceras sp., Mrhiliceras lapparenti (Pervinquičre, 1907), Mariella (Mariella) stolizcai (Collignon, 1964), Hypoturrilites taxyfabreae (Collignon, 1964), Turrilites scheuchzerianus Bosc, 1801, Sciponoceras cucullatum Collignon, 1964, and Sciponoceras antanimangaensis (Collignon, 1964). The presence of Calycoceras in a Lower Cenomanian association represents a precocious appearance of a genus typically Middle and Upper Cenomanian in occurrence, and matches records from Tunisia. The inerme Zone yields a more restricted assemblage: Pachydesmoceras kossmati, Forbesiceras baylissi, Acanthoceras sp. juv., Cunningtoniceras cunningtoni (Sharpe, 1855) and Hypoturrilites taxyfabreae
Participation au plateau télé SEMAE : La cuisine au village, sélecton et attente sociétales
No full textParticipation au plateau télé SEMAE "VillageSemences" animé par P. Collignon au salon de l'agriculture : "La cuisine au village, sélecton et attente sociétales
Faune albo-cénomanienne de la formation des marnes de Kazhdumi, région du Fars - Khuzestan (Iran)
No full textThe author gives a detailed account of a large fauna in the marls of Kazdhumi in Iran. This fauna includes : 15 species of ammonites (six of which being new species) all belonging to the Engonoceratidae family and divided into the genera Knemiceras, Parengonoceras and Protengonoceras ; a new sub-genus is defined : Iranoknemiceras - 3 species of gastropoda and 16 species of bivalvia, five of which being new species - 1 new echinoid Epiaster romani. A microfauna essentially planktonic is mixed up with them.
This various fauna allows to determine the age of the formation which is essentially upper Albian and the underground Cenomanian.
The authors concludes by a critical history of Engonoceratidae which appeared as early as the upper Aptian in North Africa and disappeared only in the beginning of the Cenomanian ; their distribution is essentially tethysian. Curiously the thin forms are to be found in the western regions and the thickest in the East, which would suggest some difference in the depth of the seas.Une importante faune des marnes de Kazhdumi en Iran est décrite en détail. Elle comprend : 15 espèces d'ammonites, dont 6 nouvelles, appartenant toutes à la famille des Engonocératidés et se répartissant dans les genres Knemiceras, Parengonoceras et Protengonoceras ; un sous-genre nouveau est défini : Iranoknemiceras. S'y ajoutent 3 espèces de gastéropodes et 16 de lamellibranches dont une nouvelle et 1 échinide nouveau, Epiaster romani. Une microfaune essentiellement planctonique leur est associée.
Cette faune variée permet de préciser l'âge du gisement : essentiellement Albien supérieur et base du Cénomanien.
L'auteur rappelle en conclusion l'histoire critique des Engonocératidés, qui, apparus dès l'Aptien supérieur en Afrique du Nord, ne disparaissent qu'au début du Cénomanien ; leur répartition est essentiellement téthysienne. Curieusement les régions ouest ont fourni des formes plates, alors qu'à l'Est les formes sont plus massives, ce qui indiquerait une différence dans la profondeur des mers.Collignon Maurice. Faune albo-cénomanienne de la formation des marnes de Kazhdumi, région du Fars - Khuzestan (Iran). In: Documents des Laboratoires de Géologie, Lyon. Hors-série n°6, 1981. Mémoire Maurice Collignon - Notice, bibliographie, notes posthumes. pp. 251-291
Mitchell D., Cultural Geography - A Critical Introduction, 2000, Oxford / Malden (Mass.), Blackwell, 325 p.
No full textDon Mitchell's Cultural Geography is more than just an introduction to that burgeoning field: it is a critical introduction, as the author claims from the first page to the last. Indeed, this is a book that is built from a very clear and strong position on cultural geography: that of a Marxist geographer for whom culture consists of relationships that, more often than not, are full of tension, leading to what the author calls "culture wars". Culture wars are being fought daily around the worl..
Efficient Iterative Solution of Large Linear Systems on Heterogeneous Computing Systems
No full textThis dissertation deals mainly with the design, implementation, and analysis of efficient iterative solution methods for large sparse linear systems on distributed and heterogeneous computing systems as found in Grid computing. First, a case study is performed on iteratively solving large symmetric linear systems on both a multi–cluster and a local heterogeneous cluster using standard block Jacobi precondi- tioning within the software constraints of standard Grid middleware and within the algorith- mic constraints of preconditioned Conjugate Gradient–type methods. This shows that global synchronisation is a key bottleneck operation and in order to alleviate this bottleneck, three main strategies are proposed: exploiting the hierarchical structure of multi–clusters, using asyn- chronous iterative methods as preconditioners, and minimising the number of inner products in Krylov subspace methods. Asynchronous iterative methods have never really been successfully applied to the solution of extremely large sparse linear systems. The main reason is that the slow convergence rates limit the applicability of these methods. Nevertheless, the lack of global synchronisation points in these methods is a highly favourable property in heterogeneous computing systems. Krylov subspace methods offer significantly improved convergence rates, but the global synchronisation points induced by the inner product operations in each iteration step limits the applicability. By using an asynchronous iterative method as a preconditioner in a flexible Krylov subspace method, the best of both worlds is combined. It is shown that this hybrid combination of a slow but asynchronous inner iteration and a fast but synchronous outer iteration results in high convergence rates on heterogeneous networks of computers. Since the preconditionering iteration is performed on heterogeneous computing hardware, it varies in each iteration step. Therefore, a flexible iterative method which can handle a varying preconditioner has to be employed. This partially asynchronous algorithm is implemented on two different types of Grid hardware applied to two different applications using two different types of Grid middleware. The IDR(s) method and its variants are new and powerful algorithms for iteratively solving large nonsymmetric linear systems. Four techniques are used to construct an efficient IDR(s) variant for parallel computing and in particular for Grid computing. Firstly, an efficient and robust IDR(s) variant is presented that has a single global synchronisation point per matrix– vector multiplication step. Secondly, the so–called IDR test matrix in IDR(s) can be chosen freely and this matrix is constructed such that the work, communication, and storage involving this matrix are minimised in the context of multi–clusters. Thirdly, a methodology is presented for a priori estimation of the optimal value of s in IDR(s). Finally, the proposed IDR(s) variant is combined with an asynchronous preconditioning iteration. By using an asynchronous preconditioner in IDR(s), the IDR(s) method is treated as a flexible method, where the preconditioner changes in each iteration step. In order to begin analysing mathematically the effect of a varying preconditioning operator on the convergence properties of IDR(s), the IDR(s) method is interpreted as a special type of deflation method. This leads to a better understanding of the core structure of IDR(s) methods. In particular, it provides an intuitive explanation for the excellent convergence properties of IDR(s). Two applications from computational fluid dynamics are considered: large bubbly flow prob- lems and large (more general) convection–diffussion problems, both in 2D and 3D. However, the techniques presented can be applied to a wide range of scientific applications. Large numerical experiments are performed on two heterogeneous computing platforms: (i) local networks of non–dedicated computers and (ii) a dedicated cluster of clusters linked by a high–speed network. The numerical experiments not only demonstrate the effectiveness of the techniques, but they also illustrate the theoretical results.Numerical AnalysisElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
Patton Richard (Dominique, seigneur de Clévant)
No full textDominique Patton Richard, seigneur de Clévant (ou Clevant), Vandières, Jouy-sous-les-Côtes, Pagny et Maidières (ou Madières), a été adopté par le second mari de sa mère, Collignon Richard, anobli en 1600 par le duc Charles III de Lorraine. Dominique Patton Richard détient les charges de capitaine-prévôt et de gruyer de Pont-à-Mousson. Il a épousé Anne Maillet (ou Mailler). L’une de leurs filles, Claude, épouse, le 13 novembre 1631, Abraham II Fabert, marquis d’Esternay en 1650, maréchal de F..
Is East Asia Safe from Financial Crises?
No full textThis paper looks at the measures taken by East Asian countries since the 1997-8 crisis to reduce the odds of a new crisis. It finds that odds are low, but far from zero. Much progress has been done to deal with the vulnerabilities that have been identified so far, but some remain. The massive accumulation of foreign exchange reserves is raising the threshold at which markets would trigger speculative attacks, but the threshold is still well within reach of international markets. Efforts at building a regional defense system are slow and unlikely to come to fruition in the near future.International Economics, Exchange Rates, Currency rises, Foreign exchange reserves
FIG 2014 : Café géo. De la cave au grenier. Habiter les coins et les recoins des espaces domestiques.
No full textFIG 2014 : Café géo. De la cave au grenier. Habiter les coins et les recoins des espaces domestiques. Béatrice Collignon et Jean-François Staszak. La cabane au Darou, 4/10/14, 18h-19h15 Quelle bonne idée que d’avoir programmé ce Café Géo à la Cabane au Darou ! Ce bar au décor de grange, sorte de grenier de l’enfance, se prêtait parfaitement à l’exercice que les deux organisateurs ont proposé à leur public : faire un vrai Café Géo en s’interdisant de parler plus de 10 minutes chacun et de do..
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