Design of Multi-Antenna System for UMTS Clamshell Mobile Phones with Ground Plane Effects Considerations

In this paper, the influence of the ground plane dimensions on the port-to-port isolation of two closely-spaced Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Planar Inverted-F Antennas (PIFAs) with and without neutralization line is first presented. Parametric studies show the existence of an optimal size of the ground plane allowing optimizing the isolation and the efficiency of the considered antenna-system. The results obtained with this study are used in the second part to develop an efficient neutralized multi-antenna system for clamshell-type mobile phones. The obtained results, in terms of isolation, matching and diversity for the two possible configurations of the clamshell system in use namely the open and the closed states, show that good performance are obtained in the open state and preserved in the closed state. Prototypes of these two configurations are realized and measurement results are in good agreement with the simulations

Dynamics of plasma blobs in a shear flow

The global dynamic of plasma blobs in a shear flow is investigated in a simple magnetized torus using the spatial Fourier harmonics (k-space) framework. Direct experimental evidence of a linear drift in k space of the density fluctuation energy synchronized with blob events is presented. During this drift, an increase of the fluctuation energy and a production of the kinetic energy associated with blobs are observed. The energy source of the blob is analyzed using an advection-dissipation-type equation that includes blob-flow exchange energy, linear drift in k space, nonlinear processes, and viscous dissipations. We show that blobs tap their energy from the dominant E B vertical background flow during the linear drift stage. The exchange of energy is unidirectional as there is no evidence that blobs return energy to the flow

Evaluation of B3LYP, X3LYP, and M06-class density functionals for predicting the binding energies of neutral, protonated, and deprotonated water clusters

In this paper we assess the accuracy of the B3LYP, X3LYP, and newly developed M06-L, M06-2X, and M06 functionals to predict the binding energies of neutral and charged water clusters including (H_2O)_n, n = 2−8, 20), H_3O+(H_2O_)n, n = 1−6, and OH−(H_2O)_n, n = 1−6. We also compare the predicted energies of two ion hydration and neutralization reactions on the basis of the calculated binding energies. In all cases, we use as benchmarks calculated binding energies of water clusters extrapolated to the complete basis set limit of the second-order Møller−Plesset perturbation theory with the effects of higher order correlation estimated at the coupled-cluster theory with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations in the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. We rank the accuracy of the functionals on the basis of the mean unsigned error (MUE) between calculated benchmark and density functional theory energies. The corresponding MUE (kcal/mol) for each functional is listed in parentheses. We find that M06-L (0.73) and M06 (0.84) give the most accurate binding energies using very extended basis sets such as aug-cc-pV5Z. For more affordable basis sets, the best methods for predicting the binding energies of water clusters are M06-L/aug-cc-pVTZ (1.24), B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) (1.29), and M06/aug-cc-PVTZ (1.33). M06-L/aug-cc-pVTZ also gives more accurate energies for the neutralization reactions (1.38), whereas B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) gives more accurate energies for the ion hydration reactions (1.69)

Evaluation in vitro de la sensibilité de Pythium aphanidermatum aux fongicides utilisés dans les plantations de papayers en Côte d’Ivoire

La pourriture des racines et du collet du papayer en Côte d’Ivoire sévit dans les plantations, causant des pertes énormes. Cependant, malgré les traitements fongiques, la maladie persiste. L’objectif de cette étudeest de tester in vitro la sensibilité de Pythium aphanidermatum, responsable de la maladie, aux fongicides utilisés dans les plantations de papaye. Ainsi, l’efficacité des fongicides Callomil, Aliette, Volley, Opal et Callicuivre a été testé in vitro sur P. aphanidermatum. Ces pesticides ont été incorporés dans le milieu synthétique PDA, avec le milieu témoin constitué de PDA sans fongicide. Le diamètre moyen du mycélium du champignon a été mesuré. Puis, l’inhibition de la croissance du champignon a été déterminée en fonction du fongicide utilisé. Pythium aphanidermatum s’est montré hautement sensible à Callomil, sensible à Aliette, résistant à Volley et hautement résistant à Opal et Callicuivre. La sensibilité du pathogène vis-à-vis des fongicides varie également en fonction de la quantité de matière active (μg/ml) apportée en boîte de Pétri à l’exception de Callicuivre pour lequel le champignon s’est révélé hautement résistant à toutes les doses utilisées. Les résultats confirment l’inefficacité de l’oxychlorure de cuivre observée en plantation. Des tests in vivo permettront de confirmer les résultats.© 2009 International Formulae Group. All rights reservedMots clés : Champignon; pesticides ; milieu synthétique ; résistant

Financial services for resilience: how to assess the impacts

This is the final version. Available from BRACED via the link in this recordkey messages • Niger is a least developed country prone to recurrent drought, which affects a large share of the population and results in severe food security issues. • Support mechanisms, including access to adequate financial resources, are important for individuals and communities to better prepare for and cope with climate extremes. • Village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) are implemented as a means to support rural communities, address livelihood shocks and strengthen social capital. • Two innovative research methods – financial diaries and serious games – have been carried out in Niger, to help support a better understanding of VSLAs’ contribution to climate resilience. • These innovative tools reveal behavioural changes that help complete our understanding of how VSLAs can contribute to resilience-building in dimensions that are often unexplored, including (i) gender empowerment; (ii) social trust; and (iii) natural resource management. • This paper paves the way for further analysis of the role of VSLAs in building communities’ resilience by documenting the linkages between financial inclusion and resilience to climate extremes. • These methods, based on community participation, provide a complementary alternative to traditional monitoring and evaluation methods. They contribute to the ‘monitoring–evaluation–learning’ trinity by blending evaluation and learningDFI

Fruit and seed production in a natural population of a dioecious plant: Piliostigma reticulatum HOSCHT (Caesalpinioïdeae)

Plant fruit/seed production is a central subject of many questions in plant evolutionary and conservation biology. In the Sudano-Sahelian forest of Burkina Faso, fruit and seed production of a common dioecious shrub, Piliostigma reticulatum, were assessed by considering plant size, fruiting success and distance between male and female individuals. The results showed that P. reticulatum has a low production of fruits and seeds (17.63 g ± 3.33 SE of fruit per plant and 0.1045 g ± 0.0018 SE per seed). A large percentage of the seeds aborted (40%) and were damaged by herbivory (10%). The fruiting success ranged from 0.1 to 0.4. The percentage of seeds attacked by insects was negatively correlated with the mean diameter of the canopy and the height of trees. When the female of P. reticulatum was more than 10 meters from the male, fruit and seed productions were greater. The conclusion was that losses of flowers and fruits were important and suggested further information on pollination limitation or genetic studies to identify the cause of the insufficient quality and quantity of fruit and seed productions of P. reticulatum.Keywords: Piliostigma reticulatum, dioecious, fruiting success, soudanian forest, Burkina Fas