pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Galactic Cosmic Ray–Induced Radiation Dose on Terrestrial Exoplanets

International audienceThis past decade has seen tremendous advancements in the study of extrasolar planets. Observations are now made with increasing sophistication from both ground- and space-based instruments, and exoplanets are characterized with increasing precision. There is a class of particularly interesting exoplanets that reside in the habitable zone, which is defined as the area around a star where the planet is capable of supporting liquid water on its surface. Planetary systems around M dwarfs are considered to be prime candidates to search for life beyond the Solar System. Such planets are likely to be tidally locked and have close-in habitable zones. Theoretical calculations also suggest that close-in exoplanets are more likely to have weaker planetary magnetic fields, especially in the case of super-Earths. Such exoplanets are subjected to a high flux of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) due to their weak magnetic moments. GCRs are energetic particles of astrophysical origin that strike the planetary atmosphere and produce secondary particles, including muons, which are highly penetrating. Some of these particles reach the planetary surface and contribute to the radiation dose. Along with the magnetic field, another factor governing the radiation dose is the depth of the planetary atmosphere. The higher the depth of the planetary atmosphere, the lower the flux of secondary particles will be on the surface. If the secondary particles are energetic enough, and their flux is sufficiently high, the radiation from muons can also impact the subsurface regions, such as in the case of Mars. If the radiation dose is too high, the chances of sustaining a long-term biosphere on the planet are very low. We have examined the dependence of the GCR-induced radiation dose on the strength of the planetary magnetic field and its atmospheric depth, and found that the latter is the decisive factor for the protection of a planetary biosphere. Key Words: RadiationRadiation physicsHabitabilityHabitable zonePlanetary atmospheres
The first estimation of Fleuve Manche palaeoriver discharge during the last deglaciation: Evidence for Fennoscandian ice sheet meltwater flow in the English Channel ca 20–18 ka ago

International audienceThe Fleuve Manche (English Channel) palaeoriver represents the largest river system that drained the European continent during Pleistocene lowstands, particularly during the Elsterian (Marine Isotope Stage 12) and Saalian Drenthe (MIS 6) glaciations when extensive ice advances into the North Sea area forced the central European rivers to flow southwards to the Bay of Biscay (NE Atlantic). Numerous long piston cores and high-resolution acoustic data from the northern Bay of Biscay have been correlated using a well-constrained chronostratigraphical framework, and for the first time allow the estimation of the discharge of the Fleuve Manche palaeoriver at the end of the last glacial period (i.e. Weichselian). Our results, discussed in the light of relationships between river loads and drainage area characteristics, strongly suggest that the Bay of Biscay collected sediment-laden meltwater from the Northern European lowlands and the southern part of the Fennoscandian ice sheet at the end of the last glacial period and particularly during the paroxysmal phase of the European deglaciation ca 20–18 ka ago. This demonstrates that the Fleuve Manche drainage area at that time was equivalent to those dating from the major Elsterian and Saalian Drenthe glaciations. Based on our data, we propose a revision of the palaeogeographical and palaeoglaciological evolution of the North Sea area while showing that the British and Fennoscandian ice sheets entered the North Sea basin until ca 18 ka initiating isostatic adjustment of the basin. This allowed the North Sea fluvial system to flow southwards through the Dover Strait. Finally, we discuss the Fleuve Manche freshwater discharge during the maximum European ice sheet retreat ca 18 ka. The estimated discharge at this time appears important and sufficiently sustained to possibly contribute to the profound destabilisation of the thermohaline circulation recognised in the North Atlantic from ca 18 to 16 ka
Superfast solution of Toeplitz systems based on syzygy reduction

International audienceWe present a new superfast algorithm for solving Toeplitz systems. This algorithm is based on a relation between the solution of such problems and syzygies of polynomials or moving lines. We show an explicit connection between the generators of a Toeplitz matrix and the generators of the corresponding module of syzygies. We show that this module is generated by two elements and the solution of a Toeplitz system T u=g can be reinterpreted as the remainder of a vector depending on g, by these two generators. We obtain these generators and this remainder with computational complexity O(n log^2 n) for a Toeplitz matrix of size nxn
Vertex centred Discretization of Two-Phase Darcy flows on General Meshes

International audienceThis paper concerns the discretization of multiphase Darcy flows, in the case of heterogeneous anisotropic porous media and general 3D meshes used in practice to represent reservoir and basin geometries. An unconditionally coercive and symmetric vertex centred approach is introduced in this paper. This scheme extends the Vertex Approximate Gradient scheme (VAG), already introduced for single phase diffusive problems in \cite{Eymard.Herbin.ea:2010}, to multiphase Darcy flows. The convergence of the VAG scheme is proved for a simplified two-phase Darcy flow model, coupling an elliptic equation for the pressure and a linear hyperbolic equation for the saturation. The ability for the VAG scheme to efficiently deal with highly heterogeneous media and complex meshes is exhibited on immiscible and miscible two phase Darcy flow models
On strongly Petrovskii's parabolic SPDEs in arbitrary dimension and the stochastic Cahn-Hilliard equation

International audienceIn this paper we show that the Cahn-Hilliard stochastic SPDE has a function valued solution in dimension 4 and 5 when the perturbation is driven by a space-correlated Gaussian noise. This is done proving general results on SPDEs with globally Lipschitz coefficients associated with operators on smooth domains of $\mathbb{R}^d$ which are parabolic in the sense of Petrovskii}, and do not necessarily define a semi-group of operators. We study the regularity of the trajectories of the solutions and the absolute continuity of the law at some given time and position
Surface specific peptide immobilization on radiografted polymers as potential screening assays for antiangiogenic immunotherapy

International audienceAngiogenesis is a key process of cancer development and metastasis. It's inhibition is an important and promising strategy to block tumor growth and invasion. One of these approaches, based on antiangiogenic immunotherapy, is the recognition of a specific region of an angiogenic growth factor, called VEGF-A, by monoclonal antibodies. Thus, we aimed to design a novel assay to screen potential monoclonal antibodies directed against VEGF-A. In a first approach, we chose to perform covalent coupling of angiogenesis active cyclopeptides onto biocompatible thermoplastic transparent PVDF films and to fully characterize the chemical structure, the surface state and the biochemical properties of the synthesized devices. Electron beam radiation created radical sites on PVDF films without adding any toxic chemicals. These primary radicals and some induced peroxides were used as initiators for acrylic acid polymerization. Under our experimental conditions, surface grafting was favoured. Functionalization of PVDF-g-PAA films with peptides via a spacer arm was possible by performing two subsequent coupling reactions. EDC was used as coupling agent. Spacer arm saturation of the film surface was achieved for 25 mol% yield meaning that one spacer arm on four carboxylic acids were covalently bound. Peptide immobilization resulted in binding 10 times less leading to a final 3 mol% yield. Binding densities are governed by their individual space requirements. Each chemical step has been followed by FTIR in ATR mode, NMR using HR MAS technique and XPS. From XPS results, a layer of peptide covered PVDF-g-PAA film surface. The amounts of covalently immobilized peptide were determined using indirect UV spectroscopy on supernatant reaction solution. Yields were correlated with high resolution NMR results. The peptide/antibody recognition validated our system showing the conservation of peptide tridimensional structure with a positive response to specific antibodies. Because of the covalent protein linkage to PVDF films, a simple cleaning with immunoaffinity chromatography buffer allows the films to be reused
Estimating least-developed countries' vulnerability to climate-related extreme events over the next 50 years

When will least developed countries be most vulnerable to climate change, given the influence of projected socio-economic development? The question is important, not least because current levels of international assistance to support  adaptation lag more than an order of magnitude below what analysts estimate to be needed, and scaling up support could take many years. In this paper, we examine this question using an empirically derived model of human losses to climate-related extreme events, as an indicator of vulnerability and the need for  adaptation assistance. We develop a set of 50-year scenarios for these losses in one country, Mozambiue, using high-resolution climate projections, and then  extend the results to a sample of 23 least-developed countries. Our approach takes into account both potential changes in countries' exposure to climatic  extreme events, and socio-economic development trends that influence countries' own adaptive capacities. Our results suggest that the effects of socio- economic development trends may begin to offset rising climate exposure in the second quarter of the century, and that it is in the period between now and then that vulnerability will rise most quickly. This implies an urgency to the need for international assitance to finance adaptation
Which group of smokers is more vulnerable to the economic crisis?

Objectives: Studies investigating whether smoking increases or decreases during economic downturn   provided contrasting results. For the first time, we used direct questions to analyse changes  in smoking behaviour due to the 2008 financial crisis, comparing socio-economic  characteristics of smokers who changed with those who kept their smoking intensity. \ud
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Study Design: Cross-sectional survey. \ud
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Methods: We used data from three annual surveys conducted in Italy in 2012-2014 on representative samples of te Italian general population aged >_15 years. \ud
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Results: A total of 1919 current smokers were asked specific questions on the influence of the economic crisis that started in 2008 on their smoking behaviour. Overall, 77.4% of 1919 current smokers reported not to have changed their smoking ehaviour, 19.1% to have  reduced, and 3.5% to have increased their smoking intensity as a consequence of the economic crisis. The reduction in cigarette smoking increased with age: compared to the respondents aged <25 years, the multivariate odds ratio (R) for those aged 25-44, 45-64  and >_65 years were 0.65, 0.46 and 0.33, respectively (P for trend<0.001). Reduction was significantly lower among intermediate (OR = 0.68 compared to low) and high education levels (OR = 0.28; P for trend<0.001). A significant inverse tren for increasing consumption  was observed with age (P = 0.022), education (P = 0.003) and family income (P < 0.001). \ud
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Conclusions: The large majority of current smokers did not change their smoking habit following the economic crisis. However, there are  specific vulnerable subgroups of smokers, constituted by the young and subjects with low socio-economic status, that were reactive to the global  economic crisis. These groups are more prone to change their smoking behaviours, either for better or-, in a smaller proportion -, for worse
P-type and N-type multi-gate polycrystalline silicon vertical thin film transistors based on low-temperature technology

International audienceP-type and N-type multi-gate vertical thin film transistors (vertical TFTs) have been fabricated, adopting the low-temperature (T ⩽ 600 °C) polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) technology. Stacked heavily-doped polysilicon source and drain are electrically isolated by an insulating barrier. Multi-teeth configuration is defined by reactive ion etching leading to sidewalls formation on which undoped polysilicon active layer is deposited. All the polysilicon layers are deposited from low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) technique. Vertical TFTs are designed with multi gates, in order to have a higher equivalent channel width. Different active layer thicknesses have been attempted, and an ION/IOFF ratio slightly higher than 105 is obtained. P-type and N-type vertical TFTs have shown symmetric electrical characteristics. Different geometrical parameters have been chosen. IOFF is proportional to the single channel width, and to the tooth number. ION is only proportional to the tooth number. These devices open the way of a CMOS-like technology
Molecular characterization of 1q44 microdeletion in 11 patients reveals three candidate genes for intellectual disability and seizures.

International audiencePatients with a submicroscopic deletion at 1q43q44 present with intellectual disability (ID), microcephaly, craniofacial anomalies, seizures, limb anomalies, and corpus callosum abnormalities. However, the precise relationship between most of deleted genes and the clinical features in these patients still remains unclear. We studied 11 unrelated patients with 1q44 microdeletion. We showed that the deletions occurred de novo in all patients for whom both parents' DNA was available (10/11). All patients presented with moderate to severe ID, seizures and non-specific craniofacial anomalies. By oligoarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) covering the 1q44 region at a high resolution, we obtained a critical deleted region containing two coding genes-HNRNPU and FAM36A-and one non-coding gene-NCRNA00201. All three genes were expressed in different normal human tissues, including in human brain, with highest expression levels in the cerebellum. Mutational screening of the HNRNPU and FAM36A genes in 191 patients with unexplained isolated ID did not reveal any deleterious mutations while the NCRNA00201 non-coding gene was not analyzed. Nine of the 11 patients did not present with microcephaly or corpus callosum abnormalities and carried a small deletion containing HNRNPU, FAM36A, and NCRNA00201 but not AKT3 and ZNF238, two centromeric genes. These results suggest that HNRNPU, FAM36A, and NCRNA00201 are not major genes for microcephaly and corpus callosum abnormalities but are good candidates for ID and seizures. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Networked by design: Can policy requirements influence organisations' networking behaviour?

An important, but under-researched, question in relation to policies funding networks of innovators is: what kind of innovation networks should be supported, if the policy objective is not just to sponsor successful innovation projects, but also to encourage the participants to form networks with desirable characteristics? Focusing on a set of policy programmes implemented by the regional government of Tuscany, in Italy, between 2002 and 2008, aimed at funding networks of collaborating organisations, we investigate whether the imposition of requirements on the composition of the networks that would be eligible for funding – in particular, the demand that networks should comply with minimum size and heterogeneity thresholds – influenced the participants' networking behaviour in the context of successive policy interventions. Our results show that these requirements immediately affected the size and composition of the project networks that applied for funding, although not always in the intended direction. However, these effects did not extend to the successive periods, when those requirements were no longer in force. This suggests that the imposition of policy requirements, per se, is unlikely to induce persistent changes in organizations' networking behaviour. Other approaches such as implementing outreach actions in order to encourage new organisations to participate in existing innovation networks and to form new ones, and additional measures designed to foster learning opportunities for the participants, might be more effective tools to influence the networking behaviour of participating organisations
Genetic and morphological sex identification methods reveal a male-biased sex ratio in the Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea

International audienceSex identification of birds is relevant to studies of evolutionary biology and ecology and is often a central issue for the management and conservation of populations. The Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea (Phipps, 1774) is a rare high-Arctic species whose main habitat is sea ice throughout the year. This species is currently listed Near Threatened by the IUCN, because populations have drastically declined in part of the species distribution in the recent past. Here we tested molecular sexing methods with different types of samples. Molecular sexing appeared to be very efficient with DNA extracted from muscle, blood, and buccal swabs, both for adults and young chicks. We also performed morphological analyses to characterize sexual size dimorphism in Ivory Gulls sampled in three distinct regions: Greenland, Svalbard, and Russia. Males were larger than females for all morphometric measurements, with little overlap between sexes. Discriminant analysis based on six morphometric variables correctly classified ~95 % of the individuals, even when using two variables only, i.e., gonys height and skull length. Therefore, both molecular and biometric methods are useful for sexing Ivory Gulls. Interestingly, our results indicate a male-biased sex ratio across all Ivory Gull populations studied, including two samples of offspring (67.8 % males)
Effect of lightweight supports on specific discharge capacity of β-nickel hydroxide

While the performance of βbc (bc: badly crystalline)-nickel hydroxide is relatively unaffected by the use of different lightweight supports, the specific discharge capacity of crystalline β-Ni(OH)2 doubles to approximately 355 mAh g–1 Ni (theoretical, 456 mAh g−1) when pasted to a fibre support compared with 170 mAh g–1 Ni when pasted to a nickel foam. Consequently, the fibre is a superior support as it is unaffected by the quality of the active material and extracts a consistently high performance irrespective of the degree of crystallinity, moisture content, morphology and composition of the active material. Electrochemical impedance measurements indicate that a lower charge-transfer resistance at low states-of-charge is responsible for the superior performance of fibre supported β-Ni(OH)2 electrodes
An Interactive Segmentation Tool for Quantifying Fat in Lumbar Muscles
  using Axial Lumbar-Spine MRI

In this paper we present an interactive tool that can be used to quantify fat
infiltration in lumbar muscles, which is useful in studying fat infiltration
and lower back pain (LBP) in adults. Currently, a qualitative assessment by
visual grading via a 5-point scale is used to study fat infiltration in lumbar
muscles from an axial view of lumbar-spine MR Images. However, a quantitative
approach (on a continuous scale of 0-100\%) may provide a greater insight. In
this paper, we propose a method to precisely quantify the fat deposition /
infiltration in a user-defined region of the lumbar muscles, which may aid
better diagnosis and analysis. The key steps are interactively segmenting the
region of interest (ROI) from the lumbar muscles using the well known livewire
technique, identifying fatty regions in the segmented region based on
variable-selection of threshold and softness levels, automatically detecting
the center of the spinal column and fragmenting the lumbar muscles into smaller
regions with reference to the center of the spinal column, computing key
parameters [such as total and region-wise fat content percentage, total-cross
sectional area (TCSA) and functional cross-sectional area (FCSA)] and exporting
the computations and associated patient information from the MRI, into a
database. A standalone application using MATLAB R2014a was developed to perform
the required computations along with an intuitive graphical user interface
(GUI)
MoocCast: Evaluating Mobile Screencast for Online Courses

The progressive adoption of smartphones and interconnected devices is inspiring students to redesign their physical spaces towards a seamless shift between daily life and learning activities. In the last years, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) represent one of the key resources facilitating universal access to education as they enable students to learn across formal and informal contexts. However, there is little research exploring these alternative ways to present the content offered to learners in MOOCs for improved accessibility from personal contexts. This work presents the first study evaluating mobile-screencast technology as a means to facilitate learning processes in online courses. The contribution from this manuscript is threefold: first, preferred learning spaces for students enrolled to accomplish the activities in a MOOC are identified; second, mobile-screencast is evaluated as a solution for improved accessibility in online courses; third, an open tool for mobile-screencast and initial results from a formative evaluation are presented. This tool can be reused and adapted in further MOOC implementations. Finally, lessons learned are discussed and cues for future implementations are challenged
Occurrence of adverse, often preventable, events in community hospitals involving nephrotoxic drugs or those excreted by the kidney

Medication errors in patients with reduced creatinine clearance are harmful and costly; however, most studies have been conducted in large academic hospitals. As there are few studies regarding this issue in smaller community hospitals, we conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study in six community hospitals (100 to 300 beds) to assess the incidence and severity of adverse drug events (ADEs) in patients with reduced creatinine clearance. A chart review was performed on adult patients hospitalized during a 20-month study period with serum creatinine over 1.5 mg/dl who were exposed to drugs that are nephrotoxic or cleared by the kidney. Among 109,641 patients, 17,614 had reduced creatinine clearance, and in a random sample of 900 of these patients, there were 498 potential ADEs and 90 ADEs. Among these ADEs, 91% were preventable, 51% were serious, 44% were significant, and 4.5% were life threatening. Of the potential ADEs, 54% were serious, 44% were significant, 1.6% were life threatening, and 96.6% were not intercepted. All 82 preventable events could have been intercepted by renal dose checking. Our study shows that ADEs were common in patients with impaired kidney function in community hospitals, and many appear potentially preventable with renal dose checking