pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
A potential biomarker of androgen exposure in European bullhead (Cottus sp.) kidney

International audienceThe aim of this study was to identify a signal that could be used as an androgen exposure indicator in the European bullhead (Cottus sp.). For this purpose, the ultra-structure of the kidney was characterized to identify normal structure of this organ, and histological changes previously described in the kidney of breeding male bullheads were quantified using the kidney epithelium height (KEH) assay previously developed and validated for the stickleback. In the next step, the effect of trenbolone acetate (TbA), a model androgen, was assessed to identify potential androgenic regulation of bullhead kidney hypertrophy. Measurement of KEH performed on adult non-breeding male and female bullheads exposed for 14 and 21 days to 0, 1.26 and 6.50 mu g/L showed that kidney hypertrophy is induced in a dose-dependent manner, confirming the hypothesis that the European bullhead possesses a potential biomarker of androgen exposure. Combined with the wide distribution of the European bullhead in European countries and the potential of this fish species for environmental toxicology studies in field and laboratory conditions, the hypothesis of a potential biomarker of androgen exposure offers interesting perspectives for the use of the bullhead as a relevant sentinel fish species in monitoring studies. Inducibility was observed with high exposure concentrations of TbA. Further studies are needed to identify molecular signals that could be more sensitive than KE
Parvovirus 4 in French in-patients: a study of haemodialysis and lung transplant cohorts

International audienceThe epidemiology and the clinical implication of human parvovirus 4 (PARV4) in human populations is still under evaluation. The distribution of PARV4 DNA was determined in cohorts of French haemodialysis and lung transplant patients. Plasma samples (n=289) were tested for PARV4 by real-time PCR assay (ORF2), and amplification products selected at random were sequenced. Analysis of available serological and biological markers was also undertaken. Fifty-seven samples out of 185 (30.8%) were positive for PARV4 DNA in the cohort of haemodialysis patients. A higher prevalence of the virus was identified in individuals with markers of HBV infection. PARV4 was also identified in 14 out of 104 samples (13.5%) from lung transplant recipients, with no clear-cut association with available clinical markers. Point mutations located on the zone of real-time detection were identified for some amplification products. This study describes the detection of PARV4 in the blood of haemodialysis and lung transplanted patients with significant difference in prevalence in these two cohorts. Further studies will be needed in order to understand better both the potential implication in host health and the natural history of this virus
How summit calderas collapse on basaltic volcanoes: New insights from the April 2007 caldera collapse of Piton de la Fournaise volcano

International audienceIn April 2007, Piton de la Fournaise volcano experienced a caldera collapse during its largest historical eruption. We present here a structural analysis both of the caldera and the surrounding area, and precise GPS data recorded with a dense GPS network specifically dedicated to the analysis of deformation related to the summit collapse structures. Despite a collapse of more than 300 m in the central zone, the geometry of the new caldera is similar in map view to that of the pre-existing collapsed structure, which was formed from the coalescence of several pit craters. The caldera shows an asymmetric inner geometry with sub-vertical walls in the NW quadrant and steep scarps composed of inward tilted blocks in the southern half. The presence of preserved polished surfaces on the lower part of the sub-vertical scarp indicates that it corresponds to the caldera north-western ring fault. The April 2007 caldera collapse led to the development and the reactivation of concentric fractures on the caldera rim, mostly along the southern limit of the caldera. GPS data show that fractures result from radial extensional stresses that are restricted within the first tens of meters of the caldera edge. GPS data also reveal that the caldera collapse was coeval with a centripetal deflation, whose magnitude is largest along the southern half of the caldera. The displacements recorded by GPS result from both a general deflation, due to magma withdrawal from Piton de la Fournaise's summit magma chamber, and additional local effects related to the caldera collapse. Comparison of the caldera collapses at Piton de la Fournaise, Miyakejima and Fernandina reveals striking similarities, with cyclic seismic signals accompanying small-scale deflation–inflation cycles. This strongly suggests a common mode of collapse. Hence, we propose a unifying model of caldera collapse in basaltic setting, in which the inward deflation due to magma withdrawal from the magma chamber prevents the collapse of the caldera roof until the gravitational stress acting on the rock column above the magma chamber exceeds the shear strength along pre-existing ring faults. The downward displacement stops when the pressure increase into the magma chamber is able to again sustain the rock column. The succession of (1) inward deflation that prevents the collapse, (2) collapse due to gravitational stress and (3) stopping of the downward motion is repeated many times. The frequency of the cycles is influenced by the rate of magma withdrawal and by the amount of intrusion of magma along the ring faults
Estimating the transition matrix of a Markov chain observed at random times

In this paper we develop a statistical estimation technique to recover the transition kernel $P$ of a Markov chain $X=(X_m)_{m \in \mathbb N}$ in presence of censored data. We consider the situation where only a sub-sequence of $X$ is available and the time gaps between the observations are iid random variables. Under the assumption that neither the time gaps nor their distribution are known, we provide an estimation method which applies when some transitions in the initial Markov chain $X$ are known to be unfeasible. A consistent estimator of $P$ is derived in closed form as a solution of a minimization problem. The asymptotic performance of the estimator is then discussed in theory and through numerical simulations
A beam to 3D model switch in transient dynamic analysis

International audienceTransient structural dynamic analyses often exhibit different phases, which enable one to use an adaptive modeling. Thus, a 3D model is required for a better understanding of local or non-linear effects, whereas a simplified beam model is sufficient for simulating the linear phenomena occurring for a long period of time. This paper proposes a method which enables one to switch from a beam to a 3D model during a transient dynamic analysis, and thus, allows one to reduce the computational cost while preserving a good accuracy. The method is validated through comparisons with a 3D reference solutioncomputed during all the simulation
Hydrogen bonding to the cysteine ligand of superoxide reductase: acid–base control of the reaction intermediates

International audienceSuperoxide reductase SOR is a non-heme iron metalloenzyme that detoxifies superoxide radical in microorganisms. Its active site consists of an unusual non-heme Fe2+ center in a [His4 Cys1] square pyramidal pentacoordination, with the axial cysteine ligand proposed to be an essential feature in catalysis. Two NH peptide groups from isoleucine 118 and histidine 119 establish H-bondings with the sulfur ligand (Desulfoarculus baarsii SOR numbering). In order to investigate the catalytic role of these H-bonds, the isoleucine 118 residue of the SOR from Desulfoarculus baarsii was mutated into alanine, aspartate or serine residues. Resonance Raman spectroscopy showed that the mutations specifically induced an increase of the strength of the Fe3+-S(Cys) and S-Cβ(Cys) bonds as well as a change in conformation of the cysteinyl side chain, which was associated  with the alteration of the NH hydrogen bonding to the sulfur ligand. The effects of the isoleucine mutations on the reactivity of SOR with O2●- were investigated by pulse radiolysis. These studies showed that the mutations induced a specific increase of the pKa of the first reaction intermediate, recently proposed to be an Fe2+-O2●- species. These data were supported by DFT calculations carried out on three models of the Fe2+-O2●- intermediate, with one, two or no H-bonds on the sulfur ligand. Our results demonstrated that the hydrogen bonds between the NH (peptide) and the cysteine ligand tightly control the rate of protonation of the Fe2+-O2●- reaction intermediate to form an Fe3+-OOH species
Comparison of three downscaling methods in simulating the impact of climate change on the hydrology of Mediterranean basins

International audienceStudies of the impact of climate change on water resources usually follow a top to bottom approach: a scenario of emissions is used to run a GCM simulation, which is downscaled (RCM and/or stastistical methods) and bias-corrected. Then, this data is used to force a hydrological model. Seldom, impact studies take into account all relevant uncertainties. In fact, many published studies only use one climate model and one downscaling technique. In this study, the outputs of an atmosphere-ocean regional climate model are downscaled and bias-corrected using three different techniques: a statistical method based on weather regimes, a quantile-mapping method and the method of the anomaly. The resulting data are used to force a distributed hydrological model to simulate the French Mediterranean basins. These are characterized by water scarcity and an increasing human pressure, which cause a demand in assessments on the impact of climate change hydrological systems. The purpose of the study is mainly methodological: the evaluation of the uncertainty related to the downscaling and bias-correction step. The periods chosen to compare the changes are the end of the 20th century (1970-2000) and the middle of the 21st century (2035-2065). The study shows that the three methods produce similar anomalies of the mean annual precipitation, but there are important differences, mainly in terms of spatial patterns. The study also shows that there are important differences in the anomalies of temperature. These uncertainties are amplified by the hydrological model. In some basins, the simulations do not agree in the sign of the anomalies and, in many others, the differences in amplitude of the anomaly are very important. Therefore, the uncertainty related to the downscaling and bias-correction of the climate simulation must be taken into account in order to better estimate the impact of climate change, with its uncertainty, on a specific basin. The study also shows that according to the RCM simulation used and to the periods studied, there might be significant increases of winter precipitation on the Cévennes region of the Massif Central, which is already affected by flash floods, and significant decreases of summer precipitation in most of the region. This will cause a decrease in the average discharge in the middle of the 21st in most of the gauging stations studied, specially in summer. Winter and, maybe spring, in some areas, are the exception, as discharge may increase in some basins
Characterization of organic matter in the Oligocene (Chattian) turbiditic fine grained deposits, offshore Angola

International audienceVariations in the abundance and gross composition of the organic matter (OM) content of fine grained turbiditic Chattian sediments off Angola were explored with Rock-Eval pyrolysis of 216 core samples from four wells. The study revealed that the OM in the sediments is immature but is present in sufficient abundance [>1% total organic carbon (TOC)] and with a good enough quality [hydrogen index (HI) around 185 mg hydrocarbon/g TOC on average] to constitute a potential source rock. A deeper insight into the composition of the OM was provided by the extraction and analysis of the kerogen from 15 samples. These samples were submitted to visual inspection and the counting of organic particles under the microscope (palynofacies analysis), elemental analysis and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Although individually the various observations did not provide evidence clearly diagnostic of the origin of the OM, they confirm that it has a mixed marine-terrestrial origin, a notable part of the terrestrial contribution very probably originating from leaves. The good buoyancy of the OM and its richness in lipid components might explain the spreading of terrestrial OM over a large area and its relatively good oil potential
First laboratory measurements of seismo-magnetic conversions in fluid-filled Fontainebleau sand

International audienceSeismic wave propagation in fluid-filled porous materials induces electromagnetic effects due to small relative pore-fluid motions. In order to detect the seismo-magnetic couplings theoretically predicted by Pride (1994), we have designed a small-scale experiment in a low-noise underground laboratory which presents exceptional electromagnetic shielding conditions. Our experiment included accelerometers, electric dipoles and induction magnetometers to characterize the seismo-electromagnetic propagation phenomena. To assess the electrokinetic origin of the measured electric and magneticfields, we compared records obtained in dry and fluid-filled sand. Extra care has been taken to ensure the mechanical decoupling between the sand column and the magnetometers to avoid spurious vibrations of the magnetometers and misinterpretations of the recorded signals. Our results show that seismo-electric and seismo-magnetic signals are associated with different wave propagation modes, thus emphasizing the electrokinetic origin of these effects
Multiphase and multiscale approaches for modelling the injection of textured moulds

International audienceMicro-injection moulding is frequently used for the mass production of devices in micro-medical technologies, micro-optics and micro-mechanics. This work focuses mainly on offering numerical tools to model the injection of micro-textured moulds. Such tools can predict the different filling scenarios of the micro-details and consequently offer optimal operating conditions (mould and melt temperatures, melt flow, stresses, etc.) to analyse the final part quality. To do so, a full Eulerian approach is used to model the injection of textured moulds at both the macroscopic and microscopic scales as usual industrial software cannot handle the filling of micro details. Since heat transfers with the mould are very relevant due to high cooling rates, the coupling between micro-and macro-simulations is primordial to insure a complete and accurate representation of textured mould injection
First direct detection of a Keplerian rotating disk around the Be star $\alpha$ Arae using the VLTI/AMBER instrument.

15 pagesInternational audienceAims. We aim to study the geometry and kinematics of the disk around the Be star $\alpha$ Arae as a function of wavelength, especially across the Br$\gamma$ emission line. The main purpose of this paper is to answer the question about the nature of the disk rotation around Be stars. Methods. We use the VLTI/AMBER instrument operating in the K band which provides a gain by a factor 5 in spatial resolution compared to previous VLTI/MIDI observations. Moreover, it is possible to combine the high angular resolution provided with the (medium) spectral resolution of AMBER to study the kinematics of the inner part of the disk and to infer its rotation law. Results. We obtain for the first time the direct evidence that the disk is in keplerian rotation, answering a question that occurs since the discovery of the first Be star $\gamma$ Cas by father Secchi in 1866. We also present the global geometry of the disk showing that it is compatible with a thin disk + polar enhanced winds modeled with the SIMECA code. We found that the disk around $\alpha$ Arae is compatible with a dense equatorial matter confined in the central region whereas a polar wind is contributing along the rotational axis of the central star. Between these two regions the density must be low enough to reproduce the large visibility modulus (small extension) obtained for two of the four VLTI baselines. Moreover, we obtain that $\alpha$ Arae is rotating very close to its critical rotation. This scenario is also compatible with the previous MIDI measurements
The future of India's urbanization

International audienceIn 2050, urban India will be home to fourteen per cent of the world's urban population. In less than thirty years, half of India's population will have to cope with urban life and there will be tremendous transformation of landscape, economic structure and social life. In order to forecast India's urban future, we assumed that secular and contemporary growth trajectories of all individual urban agglomerations are key drivers of future urbanization trends. We demonstrate that India's city-system conforms to the distributed growth model and that its hierarchical distribution is evolving regularly. India's plurisecular city-system fits well with the canonical model that describes universally the system dynamics. It shares common characteristics with several mature urban structures around the world. We show also that the location of the town has little influence on its growth trajectory. Nevertheless, individual trajectories can be classified, either by the secular trend of towns (1901-2011) or on the basis of the more recent genesis of the contemporary urban agglomerations landscape (1961-2011). These classifications are structured over time and space according to subsystems and regional specificities
Offline parameter estimation using EnKF and maximum likelihood error covariance estimates: Application to a subgrid-scale orography parameterization

International audienceRecent works show that the parameters controlling the parameterizations of the physical processes in climate models can be estimated from observations using filtering techniques. In this paper, we propose an offline parameter estimation approach, without estimating the state of the climate model. It is based on the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) and an iterative estimation of the error covariance matrices and of the background state using a maximum likelihood algorithm. The technique is implemented in a subgrid-scale orography (SSO) parameterization scheme that works in a single vertical column. First, the parameter estimation technique is evaluated using twin experiments. Then, the technique is used with synthetic observations to estimate how the parameters of the SSO scheme should change when the resolution of the input orography dataset of a general circulation model is increased. Our analysis reveals that when the resolution of the orography dataset increases, the scheme should take into account the dynamical sheltering that can occur at low levels between mountain peaks located within the same gridbox area
Reply to comment on the article "Propagation of a lithospheric tear fault (STEP) through the western boundary of the Calabrian accretionary wedge offshore eastern Sicily (Southern Italy)" by Gallais et al., 2013 Tectonophysics

International audienceIn his Comment, A. Argnani argues that our interpretation of the STEP fault (named STEP-1 fault, in the Comment) is poorly constrained by the seismic data used in Gallais et al. (2013), and he particularly disagrees with our identification north of the Alfeo Seamount. A. Argnani is convinced that the tear fault is expressed by a belt of surface deformation, close to the Malta Escarpment. However, none of the seismic images published by A. Argnani show a crustal scale structure that could be associated with the presence at depth of a lithospheric tear. In that paper we documented the presence of a sub-vertical crustal scale fault, located 50 km east of the Malta Escarpment, with a northward increasing vertical offset (Gallais et al., 2013). The track of this fault towards the north could be extended following the position of the fault "F6", mapped 20 km east of the Malta Escarpment by Nicolich et al. (2000). In fact these authors reported an offset of the crust associated with activity of the fault "F6", suggesting that the lithospheric tear at depth at the edge of the Ionian slab is distinct from the Malta Escarpment
Seasonal variations in Titan’s middle atmosphere during the northern spring derived from Cassini/CIRS observations

International audienceWe analyzed spectra acquired at the limb of Titan in the 2006–2013 period by the Cassini/Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) in order to monitor the seasonal evolution of the thermal, gas composition and aerosol spatial distributions. We are primarily interested here in the seasonal changes after the northern spring equinox and interpret our results in term of global circulation seasonal changes. Data cover the 600–1500 cm−1 spectral range at a resolution of 0.5 or 15.5 cm−1 and probe the 150–500 km vertical range with a vertical resolution of about 30 km. Retrievals of the limb spectra acquired at 15.5 cm−1 resolution allowed us to derive eight global maps of temperature, aerosols and C2H2, C2H6 and HCN molecular mixing ratios between July 2009 and May 2013. In order to have a better understanding of the global changes taking place after the northern spring equinox, we analyzed 0.5 cm−1 resolution limb spectra to infer the mixing ratio profiles of 10 molecules for some latitudes. These profiles are compared with CIRS observations performed during the northern winter. Our observations are compatible with the coexistence of two circulation cells upwelling at mid-latitudes and downwelling at both poles from at last January 2010 to at least June 2010. One year later, in June 2011, there are indications that the global circulation had reversed compared to the winter situation, with a single pole-to-pole cell upwelling at the north pole and downwelling at the south pole. Our observations show that in December 2011, this new pole-to-pole cell has settled with a downward velocity of 4.4 mm/s at 450 km above the south pole. Therefore, in about two years after the equinox, the global circulation observed during the northern winter has totally reversed, which is in agreement with the predictions of general circulation models. We observe a sudden unexpected temperature decrease above the south pole in February 2012, which is probably related to the strong enhancement of molecular gas in this region, acting as radiative coolers. In July and November 2012, we observe a detached haze layer located around 320–330 km, which is comparable to the altitude of the detached haze layer observed by the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) in the UV
Log-linear Convergence and Optimal Bounds for the $(1+1)$-ES

International audienceThe $(1+1)$-ES is modeled by a general stochastic process whose asymptotic behavior is investigated. Under general assumptions, it is shown that the convergence of the related algorithm is sub-log-linear, bounded below by an explicit log-linear rate. For the specific case of spherical functions and scale-invariant algorithm, it is proved using the Law of Large Numbers for orthogonal variables, that the linear convergence holds almost surely and that the best convergence rate is reached. Experimental simulations illustrate the theoretical results