Post-Newtonian prediction for the (2,2) mode of the gravitational wave emitted by compact binaries

We present our 3.5PN computation of the (2,2) mode of the gravitational wave amplitude emitted by compact binaries, on quasi-circular orbits and in the absence of spins. We use the multipolar post-Newtonian wave generation formalism, extending and building on previous works which computed the 3PN order. This calculation required the extension of the multipolar post-Minkowskian algorithm, as well as the computation of the mass source quadrupole at 3.5PN order. Our result will allow more accurate comparisons to numerical relativity, and is a first step towards the computation of the full 3.5PN waveform amplitude, which would improve the estimation of the source parameters by gravitational wave detectors.Comment: 5 pages; proceeding of the 9th LISA Symposium, Pari

The third and a half post-Newtonian gravitational wave quadrupole mode for quasi-circular inspiralling compact binaries

We compute the quadrupole mode of the gravitational waveform of inspiralling compact binaries at the third and a half post-Newtonian (3.5PN) approximation of general relativity. The computation is performed using the multipolar post-Newtonian formalism, and restricted to binaries without spins moving on quasi-circular orbits. The new inputs mainly include the 3.5PN terms in the mass quadrupole moment of the source, and the control of required subdominant corrections to the contributions of hereditary integrals (tails and non-linear memory effect). The result is given in the form of the quadrupolar mode (2,2) in a spin-weighted spherical harmonic decomposition of the waveform, and may be used for comparison with the counterpart quantity computed in numerical relativity. It is a step towards the computation of the full 3.5PN waveform, whose knowledge is expected to reduce the errors on the location parameters of the source.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figure; minor corrections, including some rephrasing in the introduction and in section III

Heat transfer and pressure distributions at M equals 8 on 0.029 scale models of the Viking entry vehicle

An investigation in the Langley Research Center Mach-8 Variable Density Hypersonic Tunnel was made of the pressure distributions and heat transfer rate distributions on two 0.029 scale Viking Entry Vehicle models. Comparable ranges of test Reynolds number were exercised for the two tests between run conditions around 4 million and conditions of about 1.6 million. At angles of attack less than 20 degrees the pressure ratio distribution referenced to stagnation pressure appeared invariant with Reynolds number. Increasing angle of attack results in a flatter distribution of both the windward and leeward pressure distributions; in addition, the stagnation point shifted into the windward plane. A subsequent rise in the heating rate profile on the leeward side with further increase in angle of attack is attributed to boundary layer natural transition to turbulent flow. Schlieren photographs were taken for flow field visualization and to correct model angle of attack

Exploring the Impact of the E. coli Proteostasis Network on the Folding Fate of Proteins with Different Intrinsic Biophysical Properties

The three-dimensional (3D) native structure of most proteins is crucial for their functions. Despite the complex cellular environment and the variety of challenges that proteins experience as they fold, proteins can still fold to their native states with high fidelity. The reason for this is the presence of the cellular proteostasis network (PN), consisting of molecular chaperones and degradation enzymes, that collaborates to maintain proteostasis, in which the necessary levels of functional proteins are optimized. Although extensive research has been carried out on the mechanisms of individual components of the proteostasis network, little is known about how these components contribute to the functioning of the network as a whole. A new protein can have three folding fates: natively folded, aggregated, or degraded. The fate is determined by both a protein’s intrinsic biophysical properties and the cellular proteostasis network through kinetic partitioning. To understand the interplay between a protein’s intrinsic biophysical properties and the cellular proteostasis network, an integrated computational and experimental approach was used. The folding fates of model proteins with different intrinsic biophysical properties under varying conditions of the proteostasis network were determined. Using FoldEco, the effects of the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of proteins on their folding fates were investigated systematically, and predictions were consistent with wet lab experiments. The folding fate of a protein is under a thermo-kinetic limitation, which indicates that the fate depends on either the kinetics or thermodynamics, but (for the most part) not on both at the same time. Different proteins behave according to the values of their limiting properties. Furthermore, up-regulation of the entire proteostasis network through the σ32 transcription factor has beneficial effects on model proteins with low stabilities and high aggregation propensities. However, the effects of up-regulation of individual chaperones or the major degradation enzyme, Lon are substrate-dependent and are related to their biophysical properties. Furthermore, KJE, GroELS, and Lon form an efficacious triad for maintaining proteostasis, and their contributions depend on the biophysical properties of their substrates, and on the concentrations of these PN components and substrates at any given time

Estimating the burden of malaria in Senegal : Bayesian zero-inflated binomial geostatistical modeling of the MIS 2008 data

The Research Center for Human Development in Dakar (CRDH) with the technical assistance of ICF Macro and the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) conducted in 2008/2009 the Senegal Malaria Indicator Survey (SMIS), the first nationally representative household survey collecting parasitological data and malaria-related indicators. In this paper, we present spatially explicit parasitaemia risk estimates and number of infected children below 5 years. Geostatistical Zero-Inflated Binomial models (ZIB) were developed to take into account the large number of zero-prevalence survey locations (70%) in the data. Bayesian variable selection methods were incorporated within a geostatistical framework in order to choose the best set of environmental and climatic covariates associated with the parasitaemia risk. Model validation confirmed that the ZIB model had a better predictive ability than the standard Binomial analogue. Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods were used for inference. Several insecticide treated nets (ITN) coverage indicators were calculated to assess the effectiveness of interventions. After adjusting for climatic and socio-economic factors, the presence of at least one ITN per every two household members and living in urban areas reduced the odds of parasitaemia by 86% and 81% respectively. Posterior estimates of the ORs related to the wealth index show a decreasing trend with the quintiles. Infection odds appear to be increasing with age. The population-adjusted prevalence ranges from 0.12% in Thille-Boubacar to 13.1% in Dabo. Tambacounda has the highest population-adjusted predicted prevalence (8.08%) whereas the region with the highest estimated number of infected children under the age of 5 years is Kolda (13940). The contemporary map and estimates of malaria burden identify the priority areas for future control interventions and provide baseline information for monitoring and evaluation. Zero-Inflated formulations are more appropriate in modeling sparse geostatistical survey data, expected to arise more frequently as malaria research is focused on eliminatio

Logique floue Appliquée à la gestion à long terme des ressources en eau

Dans le contexte de la rareté des ressources en eau, une approche globale de la gestion à long terme d'un système de stockage/transfert/distribution d'eau est proposée. L'objectif principal de la gestion d'un tel type de système est de gérer les réserves et les délestages de manière à minimiser les écarts entre offre et demande, ceci à partir d'une prédiction de la demande et des apports.Ainsi, on propose une approche à horizon glissant et surtout une procédure d'adaptation des pondérations du critère fondée sur la logique floue. Cette notion d'adaptation du critère parait tout à fait judicieuse quand on connaît la difficulté de définir les pondérations de tels problèmes d'optimisation et son influence sur la pertinence de la solution obtenue. On vérifie ici l'apport essentiel de la logique floue qui permet d'appréhender finement les enjeux en présence dans la gestion de long terme du système stockage/transfert/distribution d'eau. Le problème de gestion à long terme est résolu par une heuristique améliorée utilisant la programmation linéaire et la programmation dynamique pour réduire les effets de la discrétisation spatiale qui est si limitative dans ce contexte.L'approche de gestion proposée est effectivement appliquée à un cas d'étude qui permet de mettre en évidence sa relative simplicité de mise en œuvre.Since the origins of history, irrigation of agricultural lands has been reported to be an activity of great concern for many human societies. At the beginning, natural irrigation systems such as the Nile River flowing through the sands of Egypt have provided to neighbouring populations some amenities in their hard life. However irregular cycles of floods and droughts were a serious impediment to permanent settlements and to a continuous improvement of life conditions. Consequently human ingenuity has been continuously challenged by the development of new ways and means to master water resource system (WRS).During the last century, improved civil engineering techniques and the development of digital control systems and techniques have dramatically increased the power of human societies over their water resources. However many problems, which received some attention in the past, now require new approaches, given the steady increase in water demand and the introduction of environmental conservation considerations. Today, intelligent systems techniques appear to be able to give some insight in this direction by improving the efficiency of the different decision steps involved in the management and control of such systems. This paper focuses on the problem of the long-term management of a water resource system composed of a network of dams and river reaches. This system is viewed as a hybrid dynamic system, called here a storage/transfer/distribution system. The main long-term management objective of such a system is to manage reserves and releases so as to minimise the deficit between supply and demand by taking into account predictions of demand and contributions.Thus, in the present context of water resource scarcity, a complete approach for long-term management of a storage/transfer/distribution system is proposed. To take into account major uncertainties related to the operations of this kind of system, a sliding horizon approach (it consists of readjusting each week the release plan over the whole coming year, according to the present reserves, the most recent long-term demand estimation and the programmed release for the next week). In addition, an adaptation procedure of weighting parameters of the minimisation criterion based on fuzzy logic is implemented. The definition of an optimisation objective function is in this case a very intricate question since it involves competition, uncertainty and geographical dispersion. However, it is crucial to guarantee the quality of long-term management. This is why Fuzzy Logic is used as a particularly appropriate means to refine on-line the formulation of the objective function of the recurrent optimisation problem. Fuzzy Logic is also shown to be very useful in defining what is at stake in the long-term management. This criterion adaptation concept seems judicious, in view of the difficulty of defining the weighting parameters of such optimisation problems and their influence on the relevant solution obtained.The long-term management problem is solved with improved heuristics using linear programming and dynamic programming in order to reduce the effects of spatial discretisation, which is so restrictive in this context. The suggested approach is applied to a case study, which highlights its relative simplicity of implementation

Novelty Induces Behavioural And Glucocorticoid Responses In A Songbird Artificially Selected For Divergent Personalities

Stress physiology is thought to contribute to individual differences in behaviour. In part this reflects the fact that canonical personality measures consist of responses to challenges, including novel objects and environments. Exposure to novelty is typically assumed to induce a moderate increase in glucocorticoids (CORT), although this has rarely been tested. We tested this assumption using great tits, Parus major, selected for divergent personalities (bold-fast and shy-slow explorers), predicting that the shy birds would exhibit higher CORT following exposure to a novel object. We also scored behavioural responses to the novel object, predicting that bold birds would more frequently approach the novel object and exhibit more abnormal repetitive behaviours. We found that the presence of a novel object did induce a moderate CORT response, but selection lines did not differ in the magnitude of this response. Furthermore, although both selection lines showed a robust CORT elevation to a subsequent restraint stressor, the CORT response was stronger in bold birds and this effect was specific to novel object exposure. Shy birds showed a strong positive phenotypic correlation between CORT concentrations following the novel object exposure and the subsequent restraint stress. Behaviourally, the selection lines differed in their response during novel object exposure: as predicted, bold birds more frequently approached the novel object and shy birds more strongly decreased overall locomotion during the novel object trial, but birds from both selection lines showed significant and similar frequencies of abnormal repetitive behaviours during novel object exposure. Our findings support the hypothesis that personality emerges as a result of correlated selection on behaviour and underlying endocrine mechanisms and suggest that the relationship between endocrine stress physiology and personality is context dependent