646 research outputs found
Polynomial growth of volume of balls for zero-entropy geodesic systems
The aim of this paper is to state and prove polynomial analogues of the
classical Manning inequality relating the topological entropy of a geodesic
flow with the growth rate of the volume of balls in the universal covering. To
this aim we use two numerical conjugacy invariants, the {\em strong polynomial
entropy } and the {\em weak polynomial entropy }. Both are
infinite when the topological entropy is positive and they satisfy
. We first prove that the growth rate of the volume of
balls is bounded above by means of the strong polynomial entropy and we show
that for the flat torus this inequality becomes an equality. We then study the
explicit example of the torus of revolution for which we can give an exact
asymptotic equivalent of the growth rate of volume of balls, which we relate to
the weak polynomial entropy.Comment: 22 page
Combined assimilation of IASI and MLS observations to constrain tropospheric and stratospheric ozone in a global chemical transport model
Accurate and temporally resolved fields of free-troposphere ozone are of
major importance to quantify the intercontinental transport of pollution and
the ozone radiative forcing. We consider a global chemical transport model
(MOdèle de Chimie Atmosphérique à Grande Échelle, MOCAGE) in
combination with a linear ozone chemistry scheme to examine the impact of
assimilating observations from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and the
Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). The assimilation of the
two instruments is performed by means of a variational algorithm (4D-VAR) and
allows to constrain stratospheric and tropospheric ozone simultaneously. The
analysis is first computed for the months of August and November 2008 and
validated against ozonesonde measurements to verify the presence of
observations and model biases. Furthermore, a longer analysis of 6 months
(July–December 2008) showed that the combined assimilation of MLS and IASI is
able to globally reduce the uncertainty (root mean square error, RMSE) of the
modeled ozone columns from 30 to 15% in the
upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UTLS, 70–225 hPa). The assimilation of
IASI tropospheric ozone observations (1000–225 hPa columns, TOC – tropospheric O<sub>3</sub> column)
decreases the RMSE of the model from 40 to 20% in the tropics
(30° S–30° N), whereas it is not effective at higher latitudes.
Results are confirmed by a comparison with additional ozone data sets like the
Measurements of OZone and wAter vapour by aIrbus in-service airCraft (MOZAIC)
data, the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) total ozone columns and several
high-altitude surface measurements. Finally, the analysis is found to be
insensitive to the assimilation parameters. We conclude that the combination
of a simplified ozone chemistry scheme with frequent satellite observations
is a valuable tool for the long-term analysis of stratospheric and
free-tropospheric ozone
Impact of diet in shaping gut microbiota revealed by a comparative study in children from Europe and Rural Africa
peer reviewe
Midlatitude stratosphere - troposphere exchange as diagnosed by MLS O3 and MOPITT CO assimilated fields
International audienceThis paper presents a comprehensive characterization of a very deep stratospheric intrusion which occurred over the British Isles on 15 August 2007. The signature of this event is diagnosed using ozonesonde measurements over Lerwick, UK (60.14 N, 1.19 W) and is also well characterized using meteorological analyses from the global operational weather prediction model of Météo-France, ARPEGE. Modelled as well as assimilated fields of both ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) have been used in order to better document this event. O3 and CO from Aura/MLS and Terra/MOPITT instruments, respectively, are assimilated into the three-dimensional chemical transport model MOCAGE of Météo-France using a variational 3-DFGAT (First Guess at Appropriate Time) method. The validation of O3 and CO assimilated fields is done using selfconsistency diagnostics and by comparison with independent observations such as MOZAIC (O3 and CO), AIRS (CO) and OMI (O3). It particularly shows in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere region that the assimilated fields are closer to MOZAIC than the free model run. The O3 bias between MOZAIC and the analyses is −11.5 ppbv with a RMS of 22.4 ppbv and a correlation coefficient of 0.93, whereas between MOZAIC and the free model run, the corresponding values are 33 ppbv, 38.5 ppbv and 0.83, respectively. In the same way, for CO, the bias, RMS and correlation coefficient between MOZAIC and the analyses are −3.16 ppbv, 13 ppbv and 0.79, respectively, whereas between MOZAIC and the free model run, the corresponding values are 33 ppbv, 38.5 ppbv and 0.83, respectively. In the same way, for CO, the bias, RMS and correlation coefficient between MOZAIC and the analyses are −3.16 ppbv, 13 ppbv and 0.79, respectively, whereas between MOZAIC and the free model they are 6.3 ppbv, 16.6 ppbv and 0.71, respectively. The paper also presents a demonstration of the capability of O3 and CO assimilated fields to better describe a stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE) event in comparison with the free run modelled O3 and CO fields. Although the assimilation of MLS data improves the distribution of O3 above the tropopause compared to the free model run, it is not sufficient to reproduce the STE event well. Assimilated MOPITT CO allows a better qualitative description of the stratospheric intrusion event. The MOPITT CO analyses appear more promising than the MLS O3 analyses in terms of their ability to capture a deep STE event. Therefore, the results of this study open the perspectives for using MOPITT CO in the STE studies
Discriminant Analysis of Geographical Origin of Cork Planks and Stoppers by Near Infrared Spectroscopy
The objective of this study was to assess the potential of visible and near infrared spectroscopy (VIS+NIRS) combined with multivariate analysis for identifying the geographical origin of cork. The study was carried out on cork planks and natural cork stoppers from the most representative cork-producing areas in the world. Two training sets of international and national cork planks were studied. The first set comprised a total of 479 samples from Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, while the second set comprised a total of 179 samples from the Spanish regions of Andalusia, Catalonia, and Extremadura. A training set of 90 cork stoppers from Andalusia and Catalonia was also studied. Original spectroscopic data were obtained for the transverse sections of the cork planks and for the body and top of the cork stoppers by means of a 6500 Foss-NIRSystems SY II spectrophotometer using a fiber optic probe. Remote reflectance was employed in the wavelength range of 400 to 2500 nm. After analyzing the spectroscopic data, discriminant models were obtained by means of partial least square (PLS) with 70% of the samples. The best models were then validated using 30% of the remaining samples. At least 98% of the international cork plank samples and 95% of the national samples were correctly classified in the calibration and validation stage. The best model for the cork stoppers was obtained for the top of the stoppers, with at least 90% of the samples being correctly classified. The results demonstrate the potential of VIS + NIRS technology as a rapid and accurate method for predicting the geographical origin of cork plank and stopper
Sequential schemes for frequentist estimation of properties in statistical model checking
National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapor
Comparison of multivariate calibration techniques applied to experimental NIR data sets
The present study compares the performance of different multivariate calibration techniques applied to four near-infrared data sets when test samples are well within the calibration domain. Three types of problems are discussed: the nonlinear calibration, the calibration using heterogeneous data sets, and the calibration in the presence of irrelevant information in the set of predictors. Recommendations are derived from the comparison, which should help to guide a nonchemometrician through the selection of an appropriate calibration method for a particular type of calibration data. A flexible methodology is proposed to allow selection of an appropriate calibration technique for a given calibration problem.54460862
<i>Gaia</i> Data Release 1. Summary of the astrometric, photometric, and survey properties
Context. At about 1000 days after the launch of Gaia we present the first Gaia data release, Gaia DR1, consisting of astrometry and photometry for over 1 billion sources brighter than magnitude 20.7.
Aims. A summary of Gaia DR1 is presented along with illustrations of the scientific quality of the data, followed by a discussion of the limitations due to the preliminary nature of this release.
Methods. The raw data collected by Gaia during the first 14 months of the mission have been processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) and turned into an astrometric and photometric catalogue.
Results. Gaia DR1 consists of three components: a primary astrometric data set which contains the positions, parallaxes, and mean proper motions for about 2 million of the brightest stars in common with the HIPPARCOS and Tycho-2 catalogues – a realisation of the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) – and a secondary astrometric data set containing the positions for an additional 1.1 billion sources. The second component is the photometric data set, consisting of mean G-band magnitudes for all sources. The G-band light curves and the characteristics of ∼3000 Cepheid and RR-Lyrae stars, observed at high cadence around the south ecliptic pole, form the third component. For the primary astrometric data set the typical uncertainty is about 0.3 mas for the positions and parallaxes, and about 1 mas yr−1 for the proper motions. A systematic component of ∼0.3 mas should be added to the parallax uncertainties. For the subset of ∼94 000 HIPPARCOS stars in the primary data set, the proper motions are much more precise at about 0.06 mas yr−1. For the secondary astrometric data set, the typical uncertainty of the positions is ∼10 mas. The median uncertainties on the mean G-band magnitudes range from the mmag level to ∼0.03 mag over the magnitude range 5 to 20.7.
Conclusions. Gaia DR1 is an important milestone ahead of the next Gaia data release, which will feature five-parameter astrometry for all sources. Extensive validation shows that Gaia DR1 represents a major advance in the mapping of the heavens and the availability of basic stellar data that underpin observational astrophysics. Nevertheless, the very preliminary nature of this first Gaia data release does lead to a number of important limitations to the data quality which should be carefully considered before drawing conclusions from the data
Dextran-Coated Magnetic Supports Modified with a Biomimetic Ligand for IgG Purification
The authors thank the financial support from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia through Grant PEst-C/EQB/LA0006/2011 and contracts no. PTDC/EBB-BIO/102163/2008, PTDC/EBB-BIO/098961/2008, PTDC/EBB-BIO/118317/2010, SFRH/BD/72650/2010 for V.L.D, and Santander Totta Bank - Universidade Nova de Lisboa for the Scientific Award 2009/2010. The authors are grateful to Dr. Abid Hussain and M. Telma Barroso (REQUIMTE, FCT-UNL, Portugal) for the preparation of the synthetic affinity ligands, to Lonza Biologics, U.K. (Dr. Richard Alldread), and the Animal Cell Technology Unit of ITQB-UNL/IBET (Dr. Paula M Alves and Dr. Ana Teixeira) for providing the cells and the culture bulks and to Mr. Filipe Cardoso and Prof. Paulo Freitas (INESC-MN, Lisbon, Portugal) for the help with the VSM measurements.Dextran-coated iron oxide magnetic particles modified with ligand 22/8, a protein A mimetic ligand, were prepared and assessed for IgG purification. Dextran was chosen as the agent to modify the surface of magnetic particles by presenting a negligible level of nonspecific adsorption. For the functionalization of the particles with the affinity ligand toward antibodies, three methods have been explored. The optimum coupling method yielded a theoretical maximum capacity for human IgG calculated as 568 ± 33 mg/g and a binding affinity constant of 7.7 × 10⁴ M⁻¹. Regeneration, recycle and reuse of particles was also highly successful for five cycles with minor loss of capacity. Moreover, this support presented specificity and effectiveness for IgG adsorption and elution at pH 11 directly from crude extracts with a final purity of 95% in the eluted fraction.proofpublishe
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