pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
The Perception for Action Control Theory (PACT): a perceptuo-motor theory of speech perception

International audienceIt is an old-standing debate in the field of speech communication to determine whether speech perception involves auditory or multisensory representations and processing, independently on any procedural knowledge about the production of speech units or on the contrary if it is based on a recoding of the sensory input in terms of articulatory gestures, as posited in the Motor Theory of Speech Perception. The discovery of mirror neurons in the last 15 years has strongly renewed the interest for motor theories. However, while these neurophysiological data clearly reinforce the plausibility of the role of motor properties in perception, it could lead in our view to incorrectly de-emphasise the role of perceptual shaping, crucial in speech communication. The so-called Perception-for-Action-Control Theory (PACT) aims at defining a theoretical framework connecting in a principled way perceptual shaping and motor procedural knowledge in speech multisensory processing in the human brain. In this paper, the theory is presented in details. It is described how this theory fits with behavioural and linguistic data, concerning firstly vowel systems in human languages, and secondly the perceptual organization of the speech scene. Finally a neuro-computational framework is presented in connection with recent data on the possible functional role of the motor system in speech perception
Matching frictions, unemployment dynamics and the cost of business cycles

International audienceWe investigate the welfare cost of business cycles implied by matching frictions. First, using the reduced-form of the matching model, we show that job finding rate fluctuations generate intrinsically a non-linear effect on unemployment: positive shocks reduce unemployment less than negative shocks increase it. For the observed process of the job finding rate in the US economy, this intrinsic asymmetry increases average unemployment, which leads to substantial business cycles costs. Moreover, the structural matching model embeds other non-linearities, which alter the average job finding rate and consequently the welfare cost of business cycles. Our theory suggests to subsidizing employment in order to dampen the impact of the job finding rate fluctuations on welfare
Inferences on the Mesozoic evolution of the North Aegean from the isotopic record of the Chalkidiki block

International audienceThe Chalkidiki block is a major domain in the North Aegean that, contrary to other domains in the region, largely escaped thermal perturbations during Tertiary extension. As a result, the Chalkidiki block is an ideal candidate to glean information related to the timing of Mesozoic thermal events using appropriate geochronological techniques. We have undertaken a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) study (U-Th-Pb on monazites and U-Pb on zircons) coupled with 40Ar/39Ar dating on nine samples from various structural levels within the thrust system of the Chalkidiki block. The eastern, and structurally lower part of the system revealed a complete isotopic reset of Carboniferous – Early Triassic monazites coeval with partial monazite destruction, REE-mobilisation and formation of apatite-allanite-epidote coronas at ~ 132 Ma, a reaction that is commonly observed in amphibolite-facies rocks. These coronas formed after crystallisation of garnet (i.e., at T > 580 °C) and, in all probability, either close to the peak-temperature conditions (~ 620 °C) on a prograde path or during retrogression between the peak-temperature and the low-temperature boundary of the amphibolite facies. Cooling of these rocks and arrival at mid-crustal levels occurred at 95–100 Ma. By contrast, the western, and structurally uppermost part of the system went through the same event by 120–125 Ma. Further structural considerations with respect to medium-temperature geochronology data imply that syn-metamorphic thrusting must have ceased by early Late Cretaceous. We emphasize that, with the sole exception of the Chalkidiki block, no pre-45 Ma medium-temperature geochronology data are preserved in other North Aegean domains, a feature that is clearly related to the extension-induced thermal perturbation of the region during the Tertiary
Geological evidence for fluid overpressure, hydraulic fracturing and strong heating during maturation and migration of hydrocarbons in Mesozoic rocks of the northern Neuquén Basin, Mendoza Province, Argentina

International audienceIn the northern Neuquén Basin of Argentina (especially in Mendoza Province), there is strong geological evidence for fluid overpressure in the past. The evidence takes the form of bitumen veins and bedding-parallel veins of fibrous calcite ('beef'). Such veins are widespread in the fold-and-thrust belt of the Malargűe area, where bitumen mining has been active for a century or so. So as to collect information on the development of fluid overpressure in this part of the Neuquén Basin, several old mines were visited and studied in the Malargűe area. Here the bitumen veins have intruded mainly the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Mendoza Group, but also the Late Cretaceous Neuquén Group. The veins have the forms of bedding-parallel sills or dykes and they are especially thick within anticlines, forming saddle-reefs in several places. Beef veins are also numerous in the Malargűe area. They contain bitumen and therefore seem to have formed at the same time as the bitumen veins. Near many outcrops of bitumen and beef, we have found fine-grained volcanic intrusive bodies. The best examples are from the La Valenciana syncline. According to 39 Ar-40 Ar dating, these bodies are mainly of Mid-Miocene age. More generally, volcanism, deformation and maturation of source rocks seem to have reached a climax in Miocene times, when the subducting Pacific slab became relatively flat
On the role of the difference in surface tensions involved in the allosteric regulation of NHE-1 induced by low to mild osmotic pressure, membrane tension and lipid asymmetry.

International audienceThe sodium-proton exchanger 1 (NHE-1) is a membrane transporter that exchanges Na(+) for H(+) ion across the membrane of eukaryotic cells. It is cooperatively activated by intracellular protons, and this allosteric regulation is modulated by the biophysical properties of the plasma membrane and related lipid environment. Consequently, NHE-1 is a mechanosensitive transporter that responds to osmotic pressure, and changes in membrane composition. The purpose of this study was to develop the relationship between membrane surface tension, and the allosteric balance of a mechanosensitive transporter such as NHE-1. In eukaryotes, the asymmetric composition of membrane leaflets results in a difference in surface tensions that is involved in the creation of a reservoir of intracellular vesicles and membrane buds contributing to buffer mechanical constraints. Therefore, we took this phenomenon into account in this study and developed a set of relations between the mean surface tension, membrane asymmetry, fluid phase endocytosis and the allosteric equilibrium constant of the transporter. We then used the experimental data published on the effects of osmotic pressure and membrane modification on the NHE-1 allosteric constant to fit these equations. We show here that NHE-1 mechanosensitivity is more based on its high sensitivity towards the asymmetry between the bilayer leaflets compared to mean global membrane tension. This compliance to membrane asymmetry is physiologically relevant as with their slower transport rates than ion channels, transporters cannot respond as high pressure-high conductance fast-gating emergency valves
The impact of inertial effects on solute dispersion in a channel with periodically varying aperture

International audienceWe investigate solute transport in channels with a periodically varying aperture, when the flow is still laminar but sufficiently fast for inertial effects to be nonnegligible. The flow field is computed for a two-dimensional setup using a finite element analysis, while transport is modeled using a random walk particle tracking method. Recirculation zones are observed when the aspect ratio of the unit cell and the relative aperture fluctuations are sufficiently large; under non-Stokes flow conditions, the flow in non-reversible, which is clearly noticeable by the horizontal asymmetry in the recirculation zones. After characterizing the size and position of the recirculation zones as a function of the geometry and Reynolds number, we investigate the corresponding behavior of the longitudinal effective diffusion coefficient. We characterize its dependence on the molecular diffusion coefficient Dm, the P'eclet number, the Reynolds number, and the geometry. The proposed relation is a generalization of the well-known Taylor-Aris relationship relating the longitudinal dispersion coefficient to Dm and the P'eclet number for a channel of constant aperture at sufficiently low Reynolds number. Inertial effects impact the exponent of the P'eclet number in this relationship; the exponent is controlled by the relative amplitude of aperture fluctuations. For the range of parameters investigated, the measured dispersion coefficient always exceeds that corresponding to the parallel plate geometry under Stokes conditions; in otherwords, boundary fluctuations always result in increased dispersion. The transient approach to the asymptotic regime is also studied and characterized quantitatively. We show that the measured characteristic time to attain asymptotic conditions is controlled by two competing effects: (i) the trapping of particles in the near-immobile zone and, (ii) the enhanced mixing in the central zone where most of the flow takes place (mainstream), due to its thinning
Dynamic distribution of Spatial during mouse spermatogenesis and its interaction with the kinesin KIF17b.

International audienceThe Spatial gene is expressed in highly polarized cell types, such as epithelial cells in the thymus, neurons in the brain and germ cells in the testis. In this study, we report the characterization and distribution of Spatial proteins during mouse spermatogenesis. Besides Spatial-epsilon and -delta, we show that the newly described short isoform Spatial-beta is expressed specifically in round spermatids. Using indirect immunofluorescence, we detected Spatial in the cytosol of the early round spermatid. By the end stages of round spermatids, Spatial is concentrated at the opposite face of the acrosome near the nascent flagellum and in the manchette during the elongation process. Finally in mature sperm, Spatial persists in the principal piece of the tail. Moreover, we found that Spatial colocalizes with KIF17b, a testis-specific isoform of the brain kinesin-2 motor KIF17. This colocalization is restricted to the manchette and the principal piece of the sperm tail. Further, coimmunoprecipitation experiments of native proteins from testis lysates confirmed Spatial-KIF17b association through the long Spatial-epsilon isoform. Together, these findings imply a function of Spatial in spermatid differentiation as a new cargo of kinesin KIF17b, in a microtubule-dependent mechanism specific to the manchette and the principal piece of the sperm tail
Emulators for stochastic simulation codes

Numerical simulation codes are very common tools to study complex phenomena, but they are often time-consuming and considered as black boxes. For some statistical studies (e.g. asset management, sensitivity analysis) or optimization problems (e.g. tuning of a molecular model), a high number of runs of such codes is needed. Therefore it is more convenient to build a fast-running approximation - or metamodel - of this code based on a design of experiments. The topic of this paper is the definition of metamodels for stochastic codes. Contrary to deterministic codes, stochastic codes can give different results when they are called several times with the same input. In this paper, two approaches are proposed to build a metamodel of the probability density function of a stochastic code output. The first one is based on kernel regression and the second one consists in decomposing the output density on a basis of well-chosen probability density functions, with a metamodel linking the coefficients and the input parameters. For the second approach, two types of decomposition are proposed, but no metamodel has been designed for the coefficients yet. This is a topic of future research. These methods are applied to two analytical models and three industrial cases
Boundary element based formulations for crack shape sensitivity analysis

The present paper addresses several BIE-based or BIE-oriented formulations for sensitivity analysis of integral functionals with respect to the geometrical shape of a crack. Functionals defined in terms of integrals over the external boundary of a cracked body and involving the solution of a frequency-domain boundary-value elastodynamic problem are considered, but the ideas presented in this paper are applicable, with the appropriate modifications, to other kinds of linear field equations as well. Both direct differentiation and adjoint problem techniques are addressed, with recourse to either collocation or symmetric Galerkin BIE formulations. After a review of some basic concepts about shape sensitivity and material differentiation, the derivative integral equations for the elastodynamic crack problem are discussed in connection with both collocation and symmetric Galerkin BIE formulations. Building upon these results, the direct differentiation and the adjoint solution approaches are then developed. In particular, the adjoint solution approach is presented in three different forms compatible with boundary element method (BEM) analysis of crack problems, based on the discretized collocation BEM equations, the symmetric Galerkin BEM equations and the direct and adjoint stress intensity factors, respectively. The paper closes with a few comments
Superconducting transition and phase diagram of single-crystal MgB2

International audienceThe superconducting phase diagram of MgB2 was determined from magnetization, magnetotransport, and single-crystal specific-heat measurements. A zero-temperature in-plane coherence length of 9.4 nm is determined. The superconducting anisotropy g increases from a value around 2 near Tc to above 4.5 at 22 K. For Hic a pronounced peak effect in the critical current occurs at the upper critical field. Evidence for a surface superconducting state is presented for Hic that might account for the widespread in reported values of g
Non-clairvoyant reduction algorithms for heterogeneous platforms

International audienceWe revisit the classical problem of the reduction collective operation in a heterogeneous environment. We discuss and evaluate four algorithms that are non-clairvoyant, i.e., they do not know in advance the computation and communication costs. On the one hand, Binomial-stat and Fibonacci-stat are static algorithms that decide in advance which operations will be reduced, without adapting to the environment; they were originally defined for homogeneous settings. On the other hand, Tree-dyn and Non-Commut-Tree-dyn are fully dynamic algorithms, for commutative or non-commutative reductions. We show that these algorithms are approximation algorithms with constant or asymptotic ratios. We assess the relative performance of all four non-clairvoyant algorithms with heterogeneous costs through a set of simulations. Our conclusions hold for a variety of distributions
Nature and evolution of the dominant carbonaceous matter in interplanetary dust particles: effects of irradiation and identification with a type of amorphous carbon

Aims.Interplanetary dust particle (IDP) matter probably evolved under irradiation in the interstellar medium (ISM) and the solar nebula. Currently IDPs are exposed to irradiation in the Solar System. Here the effects of UV and proton processing on IDP matter are studied experimentally. The structure and chemical composition of the bulk of carbon matter in IDPs is characterized. Methods: .Several IDPs were further irradiated in the laboratory using ultraviolet (UV) photons and protons in order to study the effects of such processing. By means of infrared and Raman spectroscopy, IDPs were also compared to different materials that serve as analogs of carbon grains in the dense and diffuse ISM. Results: .The carbonaceous fraction of IDPs is dehydrogenated by exposure to hard UV photons or 1 MeV protons. On the other hand, proton irradiation at lower energies (20 keV) leads to an efficient hydrogenation of the carbonaceous IDP matter. The dominant type of carbon in IDPs, observed with Raman and infrared spectroscopy, is found to be either a form of amorphous carbon (a-C) or hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H), depending on the IDP, consisting of aromatic units with an average domain size of 1.35 nm (5-6 rings in diameter), linked by aliphatic chains. Conclusions: .The D- and 15N-enrichments associated to an aliphatic component in some IDPs are probably the result of chemical reactions at cold temperatures. It is proposed that the amorphous carbon in IDPs was formed by energetic processing (UV photons and cosmic rays) of icy grains, maybe during the dense cloud stage, and more likely on the surface of the disk during the T Tauri phase of our Sun. This would explain the isotopic anomalies and morphology of IDPs. Partial annealing, 300-400°C, is required to convert an organic residue from ice photoprocessing into the amorphous carbon with low heteroatom content found in IDPs. Such annealing might have occurred as the particles approached the Sun and/or during atmospheric entry heating
Recessive Mutations in RTN4IP1 Cause Isolated and Syndromic Optic Neuropathies

Autosomal-recessive optic neuropathies are rare blinding conditions related to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) and optic-nerve degeneration, for which only mutations in TMEM126A and ACO2 are known. In four families with early-onset recessive optic neuropathy, we identified mutations in RTN4IP1, which encodes a mitochondrial ubiquinol oxydo-reductase. RTN4IP1 is a partner of RTN4 (also known as NOGO), and its ortholog Rad8 in C. elegans is involved in UV light response. Analysis of fibroblasts from affected individuals with a RTN4IP1 mutation showed loss of the altered protein, a deficit of mitochondrial respiratory complex I and IV activities, and increased susceptibility to UV light. Silencing of RTN4IP1 altered the number and morphogenesis of mouse RGC dendrites in vitro and the eye size, neuro-retinal development, and swimming behavior in zebrafish in vivo. Altogether, these data point to a pathophysiological mechanism responsible for RGC early degeneration and optic neuropathy and linking RTN4IP1 functions to mitochondrial physiology, response to UV light, and dendrite growth during eye maturation
Unraveling the simultaneous shock magnetization and demagnetization of rocks

International audienceIn the natural case of an hypervelocity impact on a planetary or asteroidal surface, two competing phenomena occur: partial or complete shock demagnetization of pre-existing remanence and acquisition of shock remanent magnetization (SRM). In this paper, to better understand the effects of shock on the magnetic history of rocks, we simulate this natural case through laser shock experiments in controlled magnetic field. As previously shown, SRM is strictly proportional to the ambient field at the time of impact and parallel to the ambient field. Moreover, there is no directional or intensity heterogeneity of the SRM down to the scale of ∼0.2mm. We also show that the intensity of SRM is independent of the initial remanence state of the rock. Shock demagnetization and magnetization appear to be distinct phenomena that do not necessarily affect identical populations of grains. As such, shock demagnetization is not a limiting case of shock magnetization in zero field
Structure of the carbon layers deposited on the toroidal pump limiter of Tore Supra

International audienceScanning and transmission electron microscopy analyses have been performed for tiles extracted from the toroidal pump limiter of Tore Supra for erosion- and deposition-dominated zones. Deposit thicknesses have been estimated for the plasma-facing top and the gap side lateral surfaces. Deposit thickness profiles have been measured inside gaps, showing that deposition mainly occurs in the first millimetre and that both poloidal and toroidal gap deposition is asymmetric. Quantitative information on the deposit volume and on D-retention are thus obtained from these measurements. Carbon probed at the tile top surfaces is mainly amorphous carbon, due either to the amorphization induced by ion bombardment in the erosion dominated zone, or to deposit formation processes in the deposition-dominated zones. Deposits are tip-shaped and are oriented, which should give information on transport processes
Study of water stress and droughts with indicators using daily data on the Bani river (Niger basin, Mali)

International audienceAs in most parts of Africa, the Bani basin (Niger River, Mali) is threatened by climate changes. This study focuses on drought hazards and its indicators as derived from the climatic moisture index using the monthly data for the period (1963–2000) in order to examine the Bani basin's vulnerability to water stress. In this study, water deficit (drought) was logically addressed using the standardized precipitation index on a 10-day time step. The inadequacies in the standardized precipitation index while estimating water deficit within the basin based on technical issues result in the usage of the effective drought index (EDI). This robust index is specially designed for daily data computation and uses daily data efficiently while estimating water deficit. Three regions were identified to be threatened by droughts (length, number, and evolution in time) within the basin, using EDI as a tool of investigation. It also shows that droughts seem to be less frequent but of a longer duration due to the increasing trend of total dry days over the study perio
Height growth reconstruction of a boreal forest canopy over a period of 58 years using a combination of photogrammetric and lidar models

Field data describing the height growth of trees or stands over several decades are very scarce. Consequently, our capacity of analyzing forest dynamics over large areas and long periods of time is somewhat limited. This study proposes a new method for retrospectively reconstructing plot-wise average dominant tree height based on a time series of high-resolution canopy height maps, termed canopy height models (CHMs). The absolute elevation of the canopy surface, or digital surface model (DSM), was first reconstructed by applying image-matching techniques to stereo-pairs of aerial photographs acquired in 1945, 1965, 1983, and 2003. The historical CHMs were then created by subtracting the bare earth elevation provided from a recent lidar survey from the DSMs. A method for estimating average dominant tree height from these historical CHMs was developed and calibrated for each photographic year. The accuracy of the resulting remote sensing height estimates was compared to ageheight data reconstructed based on dendrometric measurements. The height bias of the remote sensing estimates relative to the verification data ranged from 0.52 m to 1.55 m (1.16 m on average). The corresponding root-mean-square errors varied between 1.49 m and 2.88 m (2.03 m average). Despite being slightly less accurate than historical field data, the quality of the remote sensing estimates is sufficient for many types of forest dynamics studies. The procedures for implementing this method, with the exception of the calibration phase, are entirely automated such that forest height growth curves can be reconstructed and mapped over large areas for which recent lidar data and historical photographs exist