pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Slip rate on the Dead Sea transform fault in northern Araba valley (Jordan)

International audienceSUMMAR Y The Araba valley lies between the southern tip of the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. This depression, blanketed with alluvial and lacustrine deposits, is cut along its entire length by the Dead Sea fault. In many places the fault is well de®ned by scarps, and evidence for left-lateral strike-slip faulting is abundant. The slip rate on the fault can be constrained from dated geomorphic features displaced by the fault. A large fan at the mouth of Wadi Dahal has been displaced by about 500 m since the bulk of the fanglomerates were deposited 77±140 kyr ago, as dated from cosmogenic isotope analysis (1
Paleo-Tethyan Evolution of Tibet as Recorded in the East Cimmerides and West Cathaysides

International audienceThe Paleozoic-early Mesozoic geology of Tibet was controlled by the rift-drift, seafloor spreading and subduction zone tectonics of a Paleo-Tethyan realm, which evolved between the West Cathaysides (WC) and the East Cimmerides (EC). Different suture zones with ophiolites and ophiolitic mélanges, high-pressure metamorphic belts, magmatic arcs and accretionary prism complexes separating different terranes mark multiple subduction-accretion systems within this Paleo-Tethyan domain, reminiscent of the modern Western Pacific Ocean. Discrete basins separated by different continental blocks and magmatic arcs constituted a complex paleogeography of Paleo-Tethys, and these oceanic strands were closed as a result of subduction with different polarities during the late Paleozoic-Triassic. The Longmu Tso Shuanghu-Changning Menglian Suture zone (LS-CMS) in Tibet represents the main tectonic boundary between the WC and EC that developed in the Devonian. The East Kunlun-A’nyemaqen oceanic slab was subducted northward beneath the East Kunlun terrane in northern Tibet, whereas the Sumdo oceanic slab was subducted northward beneath the South Qiangtang-North Lhasa terrane in southern Tibet. The Longmu Tso Shuanghu-Changning Menglian and Jinshajiang-Ailaoshan-Song Ma ophiolites were developed and emplaced in subduction-accretion systems with opposite polarities (westward and eastward) beneath the North Qiangtang-Qamdo-Simao-Indochina terrane in central Tibet. The Jinshajiang-Ailaoshan-Song Ma oceanic slab was subducted westward beneath the North Qiangtang-Simao-Indochina terrane along the Jinshajiang and Ailaoshan-Song Ma trenches in a trench-ridge-trench triple junction plate configuration. The Emeishan mantle plume produced a large Permian basaltic terrane, developed on the western passive margin of the South China block. The final closure of the Paleo-Tethyan oceanic branches resulted in continental collisions and development of a vast Indosinian orogenic collage in the latest Triassic-Jurassic
Relationships between heavy metals distribution and organic matter cycling in mangrove sediments (Conception Bay, New Caledonia)

International audienceMangroves of New Caledonia act as a buffer between a lagoon of more than 20,000 km2 and the Island, which suffers intense processes of erosion resulting from urbanization and natural resources exploitation. This preliminary study aims at determining how heavy metals are distributed in mangrove sediments and pore-waters in relationship with their organic content. To reach our goal, a series of 50-cm deep cores were collected in the mangrove of Conception Bay. The various coring sites are representative of live forests (Avicennia marina, Rhizophora stylosa), dead forest, and intertidal unvegetated area. The ranges of concentrations in sediments were the following (μmol g−1): Cu (0.08 to 0.51), Co (0.01 to 0.38), Ni (0.03 to 3.55), Cr (0.36 to 3.11), Zn (0.68 to 2.36), Mn (1.13 to 5.0) and Fe (22.64 to 721.69). Heavy metals distribution within sediments and pore-water appear to result from diagenetic processes linked to OM decomposition. Beneath the dead Avicennia forest and in the unvegetated sediments, the higher the organic content, the higher the metal concentration in the solid phase. Beneath living mangrove stands, despite a higher organic content, as well as higher sulphur content, heavy metals concentrations were not higher than those measured in the other sampling sites. Beneath these forests, redox conditions were mainly controlled by the length of waterlogging and the activity of root system. We suggest that, because of the specificity of the Avicennia root system and its position in the intertidal zone, heavy metals are more bioavailable and potentially more mobile than beneath Rhizophora stand
Mono Lake or Laschamp geomagnetic event recorded from lava flows in Amsterdam Island (southeastern Indian Ocean)

We report a survey carried out on basalt flows from Amsterdam Island in order to check the presence of intermediate directions interpreted to belong to a geomagnetic field excursion within the Brunhes epoch, completing this paleomagnetic record with paleointensity determinations and radiometric dating. The directional results corroborate the findings by Watkins and Nougier (1973) : normal polarity is found for two units and an intermediate direction, with associated VGPs close to the equator, for the other two units. A notable result is that these volcanic rocks are well suited for absolute paleointensity determinations. Fifty percent of the samples yields reliable intensity values with high quality factors. An original element of this study is that we made use of the PTRM-tail test of Shcherbakova et al. (2000) to help in the interpretation of the paleointensity measurements. Doing thus, only the high temperature intervals, beyond 400 degres C, were retained to obtain the most reliable estimate of the strength of the ancient magnetic field. The normal units yield Virtual Dipole Moments (VDM) of 6.2 and 7.7 10e22 Am2 and the excursional units yield values of 3.7 and 3.4 10e22 Am2. These results are quite consistent with the other Thellier determinations from Brunhes excursion records, all characterized by a decrease of the VDM as VGP latitude decreases. 40Ar/39Ar isotopic age determinations provide an estimate of 26+-15 Kyr and 18+-9 Kyr for the transitional lava flows, which could correspond to the Mono Lake excursion. However, the large error bars associated with these ages do not exclude the hypothesis that this event is the Laschamp
Ensuring message embedding in wet paper steganography

International audienceSyndrome coding has been proposed by Crandall in 1998 as a method to stealthily embed a message in a cover-medium through the use of bounded decoding. In 2005, Fridrich et al. introduced wet paper codes to improve the undetectability of the embedding by nabling the sender to lock some components of the cover-data, according to the nature of the cover-medium and the message. Unfortunately, almost all existing methods solving the bounded decoding syndrome problem with or without locked components have a non-zero probability to fail. In this paper, we introduce a randomized syndrome coding, which guarantees the embedding success with probability one. We analyze the parameters of this new scheme in the case of perfect codes
On the Use of Wireless Technologies for Shipboard Monitoring Systems

International audienceCurrent shipboard monitoring systems use extensive lengths of cables to connect sensors to control units. Replacing wired connections by wireless ones may be an efficient solution to reduce the ship weight and cost. Ships are characterized by a specific metallic environment which can severely decrease the efficiency of wireless networks due to signal attenuation and multipath effects. In this paper, we present a feasibility study of a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) using ubiquitous technologies on board vessels. A measurement campaign has been conducted on board a ferry to investigate the radio propagation challenges of wireless communications in this particular environment. Path loss models have been obtained for typical shipboard environments. Engineering rules concerning the placement and the number of communication nodes needed to cover the decks and maintain the network connectivity have been determined. Based on these results, an IEEE 802.15.4 compliant WSN has been tested on board the same ferry. Sensor nodes have been placed on the four decks of the ferry and the base station has been placed in the control room located in the bottom deck. Results show an excellent performance with respect to transmission ratio of sensor nodes and a significant connectivity between nodes located in different compartments and decks separated by metallic watertight doors
Efficient Padding Oracle Attacks on Cryptographic Hardware

We show how to exploit the encrypted key import functions of a variety of different cryptographic devices to reveal the imported key. The attacks are padding oracle attacks, where error messages resulting from incorrectly padded plaintexts are used as a side channel. In the asymmetric encryption case, we modify and improve Bleichenbacher’s attack on RSA PKCS#1v1.5 padding, giving new cryptanalysis that allows us to carry out the ‘million message attack’ in a mean of 49 000 and median of 14 500 oracle calls in the case of cracking an unknown valid ciphertext under a 1024 bit key (the original algorithm takes a mean of 215 000 and a median of 163 000 in the same case). We show how implementation details of certain devices admit an attack that requires only 9 400 operations on average (3 800 median). For the symmetric case, we adapt Vaudenay’s CBC attack, which is already highly efficient. We demonstrate the vulnerabilities on a number of commercially available cryptographic devices, including security tokens, smartcards and the Estonian electronic ID card. The attacks are efficient enough to be practical: we give timing details for all the devices found to be vulnerable, showing how our optimisations make a qualitative difference to the practicality of the attack. We give mathematical analysis of the effectiveness of the attacks, extensive empirical results, and a discussion of countermeasures and manufacturer reaction
Temporal variations of perfluoroalkyl substances and polybrominated\ud
diphenyl ethers in alpine snow

The occurrence and temporal variation of 18 perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and 8 polybrominated\ud
diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the European Alps was investigated in a 10 m shallow firn core from Colle\ud
Gnifetti in the Monte RosaMassif (4455mabove sea level). The firn core encompasses the years 1997e2007.\ud
Firn core sections were analyzed by liquid chromatographyetandem mass spectrometry (PFASs) and gas\ud
chromatographyemass spectrometry (PBDEs). We detected 12 PFASs and 8 PBDEs in the firn samples.\ud
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA; 0.3e1.8 ng L1) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA; 0.2e0.6 ng L1) were the\ud
major PFASs while BDE 99 (<MQLe4.5 ng L1) and BDE 47 (n.d.e2.6 ng L1) were the major PBDEs. This\ud
study demonstrates the occurrence of PFASs and PBDEs in the European Alps and provides the first evidence\ud
that PFASs compositions may be changing to PFBA-dominated composition
Pack light on the move: Exploitation and exploration in a dynamic environment

This paper revisits a recent study by Posen and Levinthal (Man Sci 58:587–601, 2012) on the exploration/exploitation tradeoff for a multi- armed bandit problem, where the reward probabilities undergo random shocks. We show that their analysis suffers two shortcomings: it assumes that learning is based on stale evidence, and it overlooks the steady state. We let the learning rule endogenously discard stale evidence, and we perform the long run analyses. The comparative study demonstrates that some of their conclusions must be qualified
The Messinian Salinity Crisis in the Dacic Basin (SW Romania) and early Zanclean Mediterranean-Eastern Paratethys high sea-level connection

International audienceNew field observations and fossil analyses complete and clarify the strong impact of the Mediterranean sea-level changes linked to the peak of the Messinian Salinity Crisis on the Dacic Basin in southwestern Romania. In addition to the Gilbert-type fan delta already evidenced along the Danube River in the area of Turnu Severin, a new Gilbert-type fan delta is described northward. Early Zanclean bottomset beds are evidenced and dated based on nannofossils at the junction of the two coalescing Gilbert-type fan deltas. A clear sedimentological, morphological and chronologic differentiation is established in the area between the Carpathians Late Miocene piedmont alluvial fans and the early Zanclean Gilbert-type fan deltas. The early Zanclean age of the Hinova clays, where the bottomset beds of the Gilbert-type fan deltas are mostly developed, is confirmed by the occurrence of nannofossil markers of Subzone NN12b and a Bosphorian mollusk macrofauna. Early Zanclean inflow of Mediterranean marine waters into the Dacic Basin is also supported by the record of planktonic foraminifers. In the Dacic Basin, the Messinian Salinity Crisis resulted in the cutting of the Iron Gates by a Carpathians river. Fluvial erosion also affected the residual Pannonian Basin and probably catched the paleo-Tisza River which contributed to the erosion of the Iron Gates and to the fluvial drainage of the partly desiccated Dacic Basin. Arguments are reinforced in favor of a marine gateway between the Mediterranean and Dacic Basin through the Balkans before and after the Messinian Salinity Crisis
Corn cob lightweight concrete for non-structural applications

A lightweight concrete using granulated corn cob (without corn) as an aggregate is proposed in this
research work. Taking into account that corn cob, after extracting the corn, is generally considered an
agricultural waste, an interesting economic and sustainable benefit may result by using it as a building
material. Therefore, it can be an alternative sustainable lightweight aggregate solution in comparison
to the most currently applied ones such as expanded clay, particles of cork, particles of expanded polystyrene
(EPS), among others. The density, the compressive strength and the thermal insulation properties
of a corn cob concrete were experimentally quantified. An expanded clay concrete was also studied as
reference. The main results obtained are presented and discussed showing that the proposed corn cob
concrete may have the adequate material properties required for a lightweight concrete for non-structural
application purposes
Atiyah-Manton approach to skyrmion matter

We propose how to approach, and report on the first results in our effort for, describing nuclear matter starting from the solitonic picture of baryons which is supposed to represent QCD for large number of colors. For this purpose, the instanton-skyrmion connection of Atiyah and Manton is exploited to describe skyrmion matter. We first modify 't Hooft's multi-instanton solution so as to suitably incorporate proper dynamical variables into the skyrmion matter and then by taking these variables as variational parameters, we show that they cover a configuration space sufficient to adequately describe the ground state properties of nuclear matter starting from the skyrmion picture. Our results turn out to be comparable to those so far found in different numerical calculations, with our solution reaching stability at high density for a crystal structure and obtaining a comparable value for the energy per baryon at the minimum, thus setting the stage for the next step
Convolutional Neural Networks Applied to Neutrino Events in a Liquid
  Argon Time Projection Chamber

We present several studies of convolutional neural networks applied to data
coming from the MicroBooNE detector, a liquid argon time projection chamber
(LArTPC). The algorithms studied include the classification of single particle
images, the localization of single particle and neutrino interactions in an
image, and the detection of a simulated neutrino event overlaid with cosmic ray
backgrounds taken from real detector data. These studies demonstrate the
potential of convolutional neural networks for particle identification or event
detection on simulated neutrino interactions. We also address technical issues
that arise when applying this technique to data from a large LArTPC at or near
ground level
Multi-step optimization strategy for fuel-optimal orbital transfer of low-thrust spacecraft

An effective method for the design of fuel-optimal transfers in two- and three-body dynamics is presented. The optimal control problem is formulated using calculus of variation and primer vector theory. This leads to a multi-point boundary value problem (MPBVP), characterized by complex inner constraints and a discontinuous thrust profile. The first issue is addressed by embedding the MPBVP in a parametric optimization problem, thus allowing a simplification of the set of transversality constraints. The second problem is solved by representing the discontinuous control function by a smooth function depending on a continuation parameter. The resulting trajectory optimization method can deal with different intermediate conditions, and no a priori knowledge of the control structure is required. Test cases in both the two- and three-body dynamics show the capability of the method in solving complex trajectory design problems
Translating HbA1c measurements into estimated average glucose values in pregnant women with diabetes

Aims/hypothesis: This study aimed to examine the relationship between average glucose levels, assessed by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and HbA1c levels in pregnant women with diabetes to determine whether calculations of standard estimated average glucose (eAG) levels from HbA1c measurements are applicable to pregnant women with diabetes. Methods: CGM data from 117 pregnant women (89 women with type 1 diabetes; 28 women with type 2 diabetes) were analysed. Average glucose levels were calculated from 5–7 day CGM profiles (mean 1275 glucose values per profile) and paired with a corresponding (±1 week) HbA1c measure. In total, 688 average glucose–HbA1c pairs were obtained across pregnancy (mean six pairs per participant). Average glucose level was used as the dependent variable in a regression model. Covariates were gestational week, study centre and HbA1c. Results: There was a strong association between HbA1c and average glucose values in pregnancy (coefficient 0.67 [95% CI 0.57, 0.78]), i.e. a 1% (11 mmol/mol) difference in HbA1c corresponded to a 0.67 mmol/l difference in average glucose. The random effects model included gestational week as a curvilinear (quadratic) covariate fitted best, allowing calculation of a pregnancy-specific eAG (PeAG). This showed that an HbA1c of 8.0% (64 mmol/mol) gave a PeAG of 7.4–7.7 mmol/l (depending on gestational week), compared with a standard eAG of 10.2 mmol/l. The PeAG associated with maintaining an HbA1c level of 6.0% (42 mmol/mol) during pregnancy was between 6.4 and 6.7 mmol/l, depending on gestational week. Conclusions/interpretation: The HbA1c–average glucose relationship is altered by pregnancy. Routinely generated standard eAG values do not account for this difference between pregnant and non-pregnant individuals and, thus, should not be used during pregnancy. Instead, the PeAG values deduced in the current study are recommended for antenatal clinical care
The problem of collective identity in a fuzzy environment

Producción CientíficaWe define the problem of group identication in a fuzzy environment. We concentrate on the case where the society is required to self-determine the belongingness of each member to a speci_c group, characterized by a single attribute. In general terms, this case consists of a collective identity issue that can be regarded as an aggregation problem of individual assessments within a group. Here we introduce the possibility that both the original assessments and the resulting output attach partial memberships to the collectivity, for each potential member. We propose relevant classes of rules, and some are axiomatically characterized. Our new approach provides a way to circumvent classical impossibility results like Kasher and Rubinstein's.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (Project ECO2012-32178
Appraising the impact and role of platform models and Government as a Platform (GaaP) in UK Government public service reform: towards a Platform Assessment Framework (PAF)

The concept of “Government as a Platform” (GaaP) (O’Reilly 2009) is coined frequently, but interpreted inconsistently: views of GaaP as being solely about technology and the building of technical components ignore GaaP’s radical and disruptive embrace of a new economic and organisational model with the potential to improve the way Government operates – helping resolve the binary political debate about centralised versus localised models of public service delivery. We offer a structured approach to the application of the platforms that underpin GaaP, encompassing not only their technical architecture, but also the other essential aspects of market dynamics and organisational form. Based on a review of information systems platforms literature, we develop a Platform Appraisal Framework (PAF) incorporating the various dimensions that characterise business models based on digital platforms. We propose this PAF as a general contribution to the strategy and audit of platform initiatives and more specifically as an assessment framework to provide consistency of thinking in GaaP initiatives. We demonstrate the utility of our PAF by applying it to UK Government platform initiatives over two distinct periods, 1999-2010 and 2010 to the present day, drawing practical conclusions concerning implementation of platforms within the unique and complex environment of the public sector
Modeling delayed processes in biological systems

Delayed processes are ubiquitous in biological systems and are often characterized by delay differential equations (DDEs) and their extension to include stochastic effects. DDEs do not explicitly incorporate intermediate states associated with a delayed process but instead use an estimated average delay time. In an effort to examine the validity of this approach, we study systems with significant delays by explicitly incorporating intermediate steps. We show that such explicit models often yield significantly different equilibrium distributions and transition times as compared to DDEs with deterministic delay values. Additionally, different explicit models with qualitatively different dynamics can give rise to the same DDEs revealing important ambiguities. We also show that DDE-based predictions of oscillatory behavior may fail for the corresponding explicit model
Intra-chromosomal estimates of inbreeding and coancestry in the Spanish Holstein cattle population

In recent years, inbreeding and coancestry are being estimated from genome-wide molecular information using a large number of SNPs. Molecular inbreeding and coancestry can be calculated for the whole genome or for particular regions of the genome. In this study, genome-based inbreeding and coancestry were estimated per chromosome and at intra-chromosomal level in a group of Holstein animals genotyped with the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip. After applying filtering criteria, the genomic dataset included 36,693 autosomal SNPs and 10,569 animals. Genome-based inbreeding and coancestry at intra-chromosomal level were calculated using sliding windows of approximately 5 Mb. The results showed differential patterns of inbreeding and coancestry on specific chromosome regions. These patterns provide a more detailed picture of genetic diversity that could be used, for example, for the detection of regions with low levels of genetic diversity that require a specific genetic management in conservation programmes