pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Experimental investigation of tack coat fatigue performance: Towards an improved lifetime assessment of pavement structure interfaces

International audienceThis paper focuses on investigating the bonding fatigue performance between two asphalt concrete (AC) layers. For purposes of this experimental campaign, a customised double shear testing device was designed. Two interface conditions have been analysed herein: with and without a tack coat. Moreover, the corresponding fatigue behaviour has been analysed at two temperatures: 10 °C and 20 °C. As expected, the absence of a tack coat leads to a decrease in bonding fatigue performance. Since fatigue tests are highly time-consuming, a method that allows predicting the conventional interface fatigue law from accelerated shear fatigue tests has been proposed. Other novel findings on interface fatigue behaviourwill also be discussed. In addition to these fatigue results, an interface failure model is proposed to evaluate the interface lifetime. Incorporating interface fatigue performance into pavement analysis proves to be a key parameter in describing in situ pavement conditions and assessing pavement durability
Who's favored by evaluative voting? An experiment conducted during the 2012 French presidential election

Under evaluative voting, the voter freely grades each candidate on a numerical scale, with the winning candidate being determined by the sum of the grades they receive. This paper compares evaluative voting with the two-round system, reporting on an experiment, conducted during the 2012 French presidential election, which attracted 2,340 participants. Here we show that the two-round system favors “exclusive” candidates, that is candidates who elicit strong feelings, while evaluative rules favor “inclusive” candidates, that is candidates who attract the support of a large span of the electorate. These differences are explained by two complementary reasons : the opportunity for the voter to support several candidates under evaluative voting rules, and the specific pattern of strategic voting under the two-round voting rule
Plasmon channels in the electronic relaxation of diamond under high-order harmonics femtosecond irradiation.

We used high order harmonics of a femtosecond titanium-doped sapphire system (pulse duration 25 fs) to realise Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy (UPS) measurements on diamond. The UPS spectra were measured for harmonics in the range 13 to 27. We also made ab initio calculations of the electronic lifetime of conduction electrons in the energy range produced in the UPS experiment. Such calculations show that the lifetime suddenly diminishes when the conduction electron energy reaches the plasmon energy, whereas the UPS spectra show evidence in this range of a strong relaxation mechanism with an increased production of low energy secondary electrons. We propose that in this case the electronic relaxation proceeds in two steps : excitation of a plasmon by the high energy electron, the latter decaying into individual electron-hole pairs, as in the case of metals. This process is observed for the first time in an insulator and, on account of its high efficiency, should be introduced in the models of laser breakdown under high intensity
Learning from global emissions scenarios

Scenarios of global greenhouse gas emissions have played a key role in climate change analysis for over twenty years. Currently, several research  communities are organizing to undertake a new round of scenario development  in the lead-up to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). To help inform this process, we assess a number of  past efforts to develop and learn from sets of  global greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. We conclude that while emissions scenario exercises have likely had substantial benefits for participating modeling teams and produced insights from individual models, learning from  the exercises taken as a whole has been more limited. Model comparison  exercises have typically focused on the production of large numbers of  scenarios while investing little in assessing the results or the production  process, perhaps on the assumption that later assessment efforts could play this role. However, much of this assessment potential remains untapped. Efforts such as scenario-related chapters of IPCC reports have been most  informative when they have gone to extra lengths to carry out more specific  comparison exercises, but in general these assessments do not have the remit  or resources to carry out the kind of detailed analysis of scenario results necessary for drawing the most useful conclusions. We recommend that  scenario comparison exercises build-in time and resources for assessing  scenario results in more detail at the time when they are produced, that these exercises focus on more specific questions to improve the prospects for  learning, and that additional scenario assessments are carried out separately  from production exercises. We also discuss the obstacles to better assessment that might exist, and how they might be overcome. Finally, we recommend that  future work include much greater emphasis on understanding how scenarios are actually used, as a guide to improving scenario production
New experimental data and semi-empirical parameterization of H2O-CO2 solubility in mafic melts

International audienceWe present here new experimental data on H2O-CO2 solubility in mafic melts with variable chemical compositions (alkali basalt, lamproite and kamafugite) that extend the existing database. We show that potassium and calcium-rich melts can dissolve ∼ 1 wt% CO2 at 3500 bar (350 MPa) and 1200°C, whereas conventional models predict solubilities of 0.2-0.5 wt%, under similar P-T conditions. These new data, together with those in the literature, stress the fundamental control of melt chemical composition on CO2 solubility. We present a semi-empirical H2O-CO2 solubility model for mafic melts, which employs simplified concepts of gas-melt thermodynamics coupled with a parameterization of both chemical composition and structure of the silicate melt. The model is calibrated on a selected database consisting of 289 experiments with 44 different mafic compositions. Statistical analyses of the experimental data indicate that, in mafic melts, the chemical composition and therefore the structure of the melt plays a fundamental role in CO2 solubility. CO2 solubility strongly depends on the amount of non-bridging oxygen per oxygen (NBO/O) in the melt, but the nature of the cation bonded to NBO is also critical. Alkalis (Na+K) bonded to NBO result in a strong enhancement of CO2 solubility, whereas Ca has a more moderate effect. Mg and Fe bonded to NBO have the weakest effect on CO2 solubility. Finally, we modelled the effect of water and concluded that H2O dissolution in the melt enhances CO2 solubility most likely by triggering NBO formation. In contrast with CO2 but in agreement with earlier findings, H2O solubility in mafic melts is negligibly affected by melt composition and structure: it only shows a weak correlation with NBO/O
Porosities accessible to HTO and iodide on water-saturated compacted clay materials and relation with the forms of water: A low field proton NMR study

International audienceThe aim of the present work was to quantify accessible porosities for iodide and for a water tracer (HTO) on water-saturated compacted clay samples (illite, montmorillonite and MX-80 bentonite) and to relate these macroscopic values to the forms of water in these porosities (surface/bulk water, external/internal water). Low field proton NMR was used to characterize and quantify the forms of water. This enabled the three different populations (structural OH, external surface and internal surface water) to be differentiated on hydrated clays by considering the difference in proton mobility. An accurate description of the water forms within the different populations did not appear possible when water molecules of these populations were in contact because of the occurrence of rapid exchange reactions. For this reason, it was not possible to use the low resolution NMR method to quantify external surface and bulk water in fully water-saturated compacted clay media at room temperature. This latter information could however be estimated when analyzing the samples at -25°C. At this temperature, a distinction based on the difference in mobility could be made since surface water remained in a semi-liquid state whereas bulk water froze. In parallel, accessible porosities for anions and HTO were determined by an isotopic dilution method using capillaries to confine the materials. HTO was shown to probe the whole pore volume (i.e. the space made of surface and bulk water). When the surface water volume was mainly composed of interlayer water (case of montmorillonite and bentonite), iodide was shown to be located in the pore space made of bulk water. When the interlayer water was not present (case of illite), the results showed that iodide could access a small fraction of the surface water volume localized at the external surface of the clay particles
Evaluation of trace metal fluxes to soils in hinterland of Porto Marghera, industrial zone: comparisons with direct  measurements in the Lagoon of Venice

Trace metal (As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Hg, Pb) concentrations in soil samples collected around the Porto Marghera (Italy) industrial district (2-40  km)  near  the  city  of  Venice  were  compared  with  direct measurements  of  atmospheric  deposition  measured  at  comparable distances from the same source. Concentrations of Cd and Pb in soils decreased exponentially with increasing distance from the source; less clear signals were detected for As, Cr and Ni. Significant differences were  found  among  the  soils,  which  were  partially  resolved  when applying    normalisation    to    their    clay    contents.    Preliminary comparisons  of  fluxes  of  Cd  and  Pb  derived  from  soil  with  direct deposition   measurements   show   increasing   values   with   longer integration times. Annual Cd and Pb flux values of one year of direct deposition were 5 to 10 times lower than mean annual fluxes derived from soils, integrating 50 to 100 years. Values range from ~ 0.1-0.4 to 1-2  mg  m -2 yr -1   for  Cd,  and  from  3-18  to  50-100  mg  m -2 yr -1   for  Pb. These  results  fit  information  on  “historical”  emission  trends  as recorded in sediments of the lagoon
Adsorption of small organic solutes from beet distillery condensates on reverse-osmosis membranes: Consequences on the process performances

International audienceReverse osmosis (RO) is an attractive process for the detoxification of distillery condensates before their recycling at the fermentation stage. However, transfer mechanisms through dense NF and RO membranes are still not well understood for the organic solutes to eliminate, and rejection results could be disappointing. This study aims at correlating the membrane and solute characteristics (polarity, surface charge, molecular weight, etc.) to the transfer results and further to the process performances. This was achieved through the study of the sorption isotherms of five target inhibitory compounds (acetic and butanoic acids, furfural, 2-phenethyl alcohol and 2,3-butanediol) on three commercial RO membranes (ESPA2, CPA2 and BW30), the compounds being alone as well as mixed in order to evaluate the competition effects. Results reveal that acetic acid and 2,3-butanediol develop few interactions with the membrane material while furfural and 2-phenethyl alcohol present strong sorption of Langmuir type. Extended Langmuir equation succeeded in accounting for the solutes' sorption in mixtures insofar as acetic acid is not considered as competitor since it follows a different transfer mechanism. Coupled with their molecular weight (MW), low rejections obtained for acetic acid and furfural at pilot-scale as well as high rejection results for 2,3-butanediol and 2-phenylethanol could be explained
Extreme wave run-up on a vertical cliff

13 pages, 7 figures, 44 references. Other author's papers can be downloaded from http://www.denys-dutykh.com/International audienceWave impact and run-up onto vertical obstacles are among the most important phenomena which must be taken into account in the design of coastal structures. From linear wave theory, we know that the wave amplitude on a vertical wall is twice the incident wave amplitude with weakly nonlinear theories bringing small corrections to this result. In this present study, however, we show that certain simple wave groups may produce much higher run-ups than previously predicted, with particular incident wave frequencies resulting in run up heights exceeding the initial wave amplitude by a factor of 5, suggesting that the notion of the design wave used in coastal structure design may need to be revisited. The results presented in this study can be considered as a note of caution for practitioners, on one side, and as a challenging novel material for theoreticians who work in the field of extreme wave - coastal structure interaction
Automation Effects on Driver's Behaviour When Integrating a PADAS and a Distraction Classifier

International audienceThe FP7 EU project ISi-PADAS aims at conceiving an intelligent system, called PADAS, to support drivers, which intervenes continuously from warning up to automatic braking in the whole longitudinal control of the vehicle. However, such supporting systems can have some unwanted sideeffect: due to the presence of automation in the driving task, less attention and reaction are needed by the drivers to intervene in the longitudinal control of the vehicle. Such a paper aims at investigating the effects of the level of automation on drivers, in particular on their Situation Awareness, when the user is supported by a specific PADAS application, integrated with a driver's distraction classifier
Public drunkenness as a nuisance in Ghent (Belgium) and Trento (Italy)

This article explores the reality of the nuisance of public drunkenness in one nightlife location of Ghent (Belgium) and in one of Trento (Italy) and inspects the way alcohol-related disorder is viewed and tackled by police officers there. Drawing on the literature arguing for the existence of different "cultures of drinking" in western and southern European countries, a distinct reality of the nuisance of public drunkenness was hypothesized to be present in these two cities. Against the backdrop of cultural criminology scholarship and of the national literature on policing practices, it was expected that the physical/aesthetic appearance of street drinkers would differently impact on the way police officers there represent alcohol-related disorder and enforce national and local nuisance regulations. The gathered data indicate that while drinking patterns and connected disorderly behavior do not significantly vary in Ghent and in Trento, the aesthetic/physical characteristics of certain groups of people play a role in shaping the representations of some police officers in Trento. The study concludes that cultural and context-specific factors, including those linked to the cultures of drinking and to aesthetics, should be considered in criminological research to more fully understand and explain the different policing views on and attitudes to alcohol-related disorder in inner-city nightlife areas. In its conclusions, the article also highlights some directions for future research
Single-layered Complex-Valued Neural Network for Real-Valued Classification Problems

This paper presents two models of complex-valued neurons (CVNs) for real-valued
classification problems, incorporating two newly-proposed activation functions, and presents
their abilities as well as differences between them on benchmark problems. In both models,
each real-valued input is encoded into a phase between 0 and π of a complex number of unity magnitude, and multiplied by a complex-valued weight. The weighted sum of inputs is fed to an activation function. Activation functions of both models map complex values into real values, and their role is to divide the net-input (weighted sum) space into multiple regions representing the classes of input patterns. The gradient-based learning rule is derived for each
of the activation functions. Ability of such CVNs are discussed and tested with two-class
problems, such as two and three input Boolean problems, and symmetry detection in binary sequences. We exhibit here that both the models can form proper boundaries for these linear and nonlinear problems. For solving n-class problems, a complex-valued neural network (CVNN) consisting of n CVNs is also considered in this paper. We tested such single-layered CVNNs on several real world benchmark problems. The results show that the classification and generalization abilities of single-layered CVNNs are comparable to the conventional real-valued neural networks (RVNNs) having one hidden layer. Moreover, convergence of CVNNs is much faster than that of RVNNs in most of the cases
Design rules for antenna placement on MIMO systems

In recent works, it is demonstrated that, depending on the different spatial distributions and distance between elements, there exists a different true polarization diversity (TPD) configuration that provides a high improvement in terms of capacity. This means that it is necessary to choose the appropriate TPD configuration to maximize the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capacity. In this work, a genetic algorithm is used to optimize the element positions for four new different configurations in combination with the TPD technique. It is shown that, for some configurations, the same polarization option is always found to reach the maximum capacity. Based on this, some novel design rules are provided to maximize MIMO capacity when the area for placing the antennas is very small. This is the case for most of the wireless devices, where the antenna design and location is one of the latest design constraints to be taken into consideration in the device design
A clinical method for mapping and quantifying blood stasis in the left ventricle

In patients at risk of intraventrcular thrombosis, the benefits of chronic anticoagulation therapy need to be balanced with the pro-hemorrhagic effects of therapy. Blood stasis in the cardiac chambers is a recognized risk factor for intracardiac thrombosis and potential cardiogenic embolic events. In this work, we present a novel flow image-based method to assess the location and extent of intraventricular stasis regions inside the left ventricle (LV) by digital processing flow-velocity images obtained either by phase-contrast magnetic resonance (PCMR) or 2D color-Doppler velocimetry (echo-CDV). This approach is based on quantifying the distribution of the blood Residence Time (TR) from time-resolved blood velocity fields in the LV. We tested the new method in illustrative examples of normal hearts, patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and one patient before and after the implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The method allowed us to assess in-vivo the location and extent of the stasis regions in the LV. Original metrics were developed to integrate flow properties into simple scalars suitable for a robust and personalized assessment of the risk of thrombosis. From a clinical perspective, this work introduces the new paradigm that quantitative flow dynamics can provide the basis to obtain subclinical markers of intraventricular thrombosis risk. The early prediction of LV blood stasis may result in decrease strokes by appropriate use of anticoagulant therapy for the purpose of primary and secondary prevention. It may also have a significant impact on LVAD device design and operation set-up
Novel measurements of anomalous triple gauge couplings for the LHC

Finding better ways to prove the Standard Model Effective Field Theory is a
very important direction of research. This paper focuses on measurements of
Electroweak triple gauge couplings, paying special attention on the regime of
validity of the Effective Field Theory (EFT). In this regard, one of our goals
is to find measurements leading to a large increase of the interference between
the SM amplitude and the contribution of irrelevant operators in the EFT. We
propose two such distributions that will lead to a better accuracy.
Improvements compared to the traditional methods as well as LHC high luminosity
prospects are discussed.Comment: 26
Modelling chemotherapy resistance in palliation and failed cure

The goal of palliative cancer chemotherapy treatment is to prolong survival and improve quality of life when tumour eradication is not feasible. Chemotherapy protocol design is considered in this context using a simple, robust, model of advanced tumour growth with Gompertzian dynamics, taking into account the effects of drug resistance. It is predicted that reduced chemotherapy protocols can readily lead to improved survival times due to the effects of competition between resistant and sensitive tumour cells. Very early palliation is also predicted to quickly yield near total tumour resistance and thus decrease survival duration. Finally, our simulations indicate that failed curative attempts using dose densification, a common protocol escalation strategy, can reduce survival times
Alpine ibex (Capra i. ibex) is not a reservoir for chlamydial infections of domestic ruminants and humans

Chlamydophila (C.) abortus is the most common infectious abortigenic agent in small domestic ruminants in Switzerland. In contrast, the knowledge about chlamydiae in wild ruminants is scarce. As interactions between livestock and Alpine ibex (Capra i. ibex) occur on alpine pastures, the question raises if wild ruminants could play a role as carriers of chlamydiae. Thus, we investigated the prevalence of chlamydiae in Alpine ibex in Switzerland. In total, 624 sera, 676 eye swabs, 84 organ samples and 51 faecal samples from 664 ibex were investigated. Serum samples were tested by two commercial ELISA kits specific for C. abortus. Eye swabs, organs and faecal samples were examined by a Chlamydiaceae-specific real-time PCR. Positive cases were further investigated by the ArrayTube (AT) microarray method for chlamydial species determination. Of 624 serum samples investigated, 612 animals were negative, whereas nine sera (1.5%) reacted positively in one of the two tests and three sera showed an inconclusive result. Eye swabs of seven out of 412 ibex (1.7%) were tested positive for Chlamydiaceae by real-time PCR. By AT microarray, Chlamydophila pecorum was identified in two animals, Chlamydophila pneumoniae was detected in one animal and a mixed infection with Chlamydophila abortus and Chlamydophila pecorum was found in four animals. Organs and faecal samples were all negative by real-time PCR analysis. In summary, we conclude that C. abortus is not a common infectious agent in the Swiss ibex population. To our knowledge, this is the first description of C. pneumoniae in ibex. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the situation in other species of wild ruminants as chamois (Rupicapra r. rupicapra), red deer (Cervus elaphus)  and roe deer (Capreolus c. capreolus) in Switzerland
Measurement of the tt̅ production cross section in pp collisions at √s=7  TeV in dilepton final states containing a τ

The top quark pair production cross section is measured in dilepton events with one electron or muon, and one hadronically decaying τ lepton from the decay tt̅ →(ℓνℓ)(τhντ)bb̅ , (ℓ=e,μ). The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.0  fb-1 for the electron channel and 2.2  fb-1 for the muon channel, collected by the CMS detector at the LHC. This is the first measurement of the tt̅ cross section explicitly including τ leptons in proton-proton collisions at √s=7  TeV. The measured value σtt̅ =143±14(stat)±22(syst)±3(lumi)  pb is consistent with the standard model predictions