Born-Infeld Theory and Stringy Causality

Fluctuations around a non-trivial solution of Born-Infeld theory have a limiting speed given not by the Einstein metric but the Boillat metric. The Boillat metric is S-duality invariant and conformal to the open string metric. It also governs the propagation of scalars and spinors in Born-Infeld theory. We discuss the potential clash between causality determined by the closed string and open string light cones and find that the latter never lie outside the former. Both cones touch along the principal null directions of the background Born-Infeld field. We consider black hole solutions in situations in which the distinction between bulk and brane is not sharp such as space filling branes and find that the location of the event horizon and the thermodynamic properties do not depend on whether one uses the closed or open string metric. Analogous statements hold in the more general context of non-linear electrodynamics or effective quantum-corrected metrics. We show how Born-Infeld action to second order might be obtained from higher-curvature gravity in Kaluza-Klein theory. Finally we point out some intriguing analogies with Einstein-Schr\"odinger theory.Comment: 31 pages, 4 figures, LaTex; Some comments and references adde

Prediction of interaction between a side overflow and bed-load transport in a channel with semi-empirical approaches

Les seuils a deversoir lateral sont des structures de controle et de detournement a ecoulement libre regulierement utilisees en ingenierie de lutte contre les inondations. La perte laterale d'eau permet de reduire la capacite de transport de la charge de fond dans le chenal principal, engendrant ainsi une deposition locale des sediments pres du deversoir lateral. Le debordement servant aux calculs est donc augmente de maniere non controlee. Des experiences systematiques de canal sur appuis ont ete realisees puisque cette interaction ecoulement-sediments dans un tel canal n'avait jamais ete etudiee. Base sur ces experiences, un modele empirique bidimensionnel a ete developpe afin de decrire l'evolution longitudinale de la portion du canal alluvial a proximite du deversoir. De plus, une approche simple et explicite d'estimation directe de l'ecoulement lateral avec transport de la charge de fond a ete determinee. Pour etre applicables a l'ingenierie, les variables d'entree sont exprimees en termes de parametres sans dimensions. Finalement, l'utilisation des modeles est demontree sur une etude de cas du Rhone en Suisse

On the integrability of symplectic Monge-Amp\'ere equations

Let u be a function of n independent variables x^1, ..., x^n, and U=(u_{ij}) the Hessian matrix of u. The symplectic Monge-Ampere equation is defined as a linear relation among all possible minors of U. Particular examples include the equation det U=1 governing improper affine spheres and the so-called heavenly equation, u_{13}u_{24}-u_{23}u_{14}=1, describing self-dual Ricci-flat 4-manifolds. In this paper we classify integrable symplectic Monge-Ampere equations in four dimensions (for n=3 the integrability of such equations is known to be equivalent to their linearisability). This problem can be reformulated geometrically as the classification of 'maximally singular' hyperplane sections of the Plucker embedding of the Lagrangian Grassmannian. We formulate a conjecture that any integrable equation of the form F(u_{ij})=0 in more than three dimensions is necessarily of the symplectic Monge-Ampere type.Comment: 20 pages; added more details of proof

La prévision hydrométéorologique sur le bassin versant du Rhône en amont du Léman

The main goal of the 3(rd) Rhone Correction project is to improve the flood protection in the Upper Rhone River basin. In this context, the MINERVE project aims contributing to a better flow control during flood events, taking advantage from the multireservoirs system existing in the watershed. For this purpose, a hydrometeorological forecast model has been developed as well as a decision support tool for the hydropower plants preventive management

Spillway discharge capacity upgrade at Gloriettes dam

In many countries dams are found to have insufficient flood discharge capacity with respect to updated design floods. Upgradig of spillway discharge capacity has therefore become a significant issue for operators of hydropower plants. The Gloriettes concrete arch dam in the French Pyrenees, operated by EDF, shows a deficit of 80m3/s for the new design flood of 150m3/s. Therefore a complementary spillway on the right bank is to be implemented. The type of labyrinth weir known as the Piano Key Weir (PKW) was selected

Energy dissipation downstream of Piano Key Weirs – Case of study of Gloriettes Dam (France)

The Gloriettes concrete arch dam in the French Pyrenees showed a deficit of 80 m3/s for the new design flood of 150 m3/s. To address the problem, a Piano Key Weir (PKW) as an additional spillway was designed. The existence of a geotechnically unstable zone downstream of the PKW site, as well as requirements for environmental integration, did not allow a direct trajectory of the tailrace channel, but imposed an abrupt change in direction halfway. A stepped channel including an intermediate stilling basin was conceived for this purpose. The energy dissipation over the total length of the restitution channel for this condition was found to be about 90 per cent. Since the construction works could only be carried out in summer, the works were split into two stages: summer 2009 (excavation of the stepped reaches and the stilling basin) and summer 2010 (construction of the PKW and completion)

A naming convention for the Piano Key Weirs geometrical parameters

Flood management is more than ever an issue for dam designers and engineering consulting firms in charge of rehabilitation works. Piano Key Weirs are a new cost-effective type of spillway designed to improve dams discharge capacity. These structures are particularly attractive: they can easily be built on existing structures and enable very high discharge capacities. Therefore, Piano Key Weirs are nowadays studied worldwide. Piano Key Weir description involves a lot of geometrical parameters (more than 30), which designations are not already universally defined. A naming convention is required to enhance exchanges and cooperation between the numerous developers. A naming convention has been developed at EDF – Hydro Engineering Center in cooperation with the Laboratory of Hydraulic Constructions (LCH), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and the Laboratory of Hydrology, Applied Hydrodynamics and Hydraulic Constructions (HACH), University of Liege. This paper describes the proposed naming convention and gives definitions and notations of the various geometrical parameters. This work represents a first attempt which should be updated with the contribution of stakeholders involved in this topic

Retrospective study on the usefulness of pulse oximetry for the identification of young children with severe illnesses and severe pneumonia in a rural outpatient clinic of Papua New Guinea.

This secondary analysis of data of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) retrospectively investigated the performance of pulse oximetry in identifying children with severe illnesses, with and without respiratory signs/symptoms, in a cohort of children followed for morbid episodes in an intervention trial assessing the efficacy of Intermittent Preventive Treatment for malaria in infants (IPTi) in Papua New Guinea (PNG) from June 2006 to May 2010. The IPTi study was conducted in a paediatric population visiting two health centres on the north coast of PNG in the Mugil area of the Sumkar District. A total of 669 children visited the clinic and a total of 1921 illness episodes were recorded. Inclusion criteria were: age between 3 and 27 months, full clinical record (signs/symptoms) and pulse oximetry used systematically to assess sick children at all visits. Children were excluded if they visited the clinic in the previous 14 days. The outcome measures were severe illness, severe pneumonia, pneumonia, defined by the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) definitions, and hospitalization. Out of 1921 illness episodes, 1663 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A total of 139 severe illnesses were identified, of which 93 were severe pneumonia. The ROC curves of pulse oximetry (continuous variable) showed an AUC of 0.63, 0.68 and 0.65 for prediction of severe illness, severe pneumonia and hospitalization, respectively. Pulse oximetry allowed better discrimination between severe and non-severe illness, severe and non-severe pneumonia, admitted and non-admitted patients, in children ≤12-months of age relative to older patients. For the threshold of peripheral arterial oxygen saturation ≤ 94% measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2), unadjusted odds ratios for severe illness, severe pneumonia and hospitalization were 6.1 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 3.9-9.8), 8.5 (4.9-14.6) and 5.9 (3.4-10.3), respectively. Pulse oximetry was helpful in identifying children with severe illness in outpatient facilities in PNG. A SpO2 of 94% seems the most discriminative threshold. Considering its affordability and ease of use, pulse oximetry could be a valuable additional tool assisting the decision to admit for treatment