Path-tracing Monte Carlo Library for 3D Radiative Transfer in Highly Resolved Cloudy Atmospheres

Interactions between clouds and radiation are at the root of many difficulties in numerically predicting future weather and climate and in retrieving the state of the atmosphere from remote sensing observations. The large range of issues related to these interactions, and in particular to three-dimensional interactions, motivated the development of accurate radiative tools able to compute all types of radiative metrics, from monochromatic, local and directional observables, to integrated energetic quantities. In the continuity of this community effort, we propose here an open-source library for general use in Monte Carlo algorithms. This library is devoted to the acceleration of path-tracing in complex data, typically high-resolution large-domain grounds and clouds. The main algorithmic advances embedded in the library are those related to the construction and traversal of hierarchical grids accelerating the tracing of paths through heterogeneous fields in null-collision (maximum cross-section) algorithms. We show that with these hierarchical grids, the computing time is only weakly sensitivive to the refinement of the volumetric data. The library is tested with a rendering algorithm that produces synthetic images of cloud radiances. Two other examples are given as illustrations, that are respectively used to analyse the transmission of solar radiation under a cloud together with its sensitivity to an optical parameter, and to assess a parametrization of 3D radiative effects of clouds.Comment: Submitted to JAMES, revised and submitted again (this is v2

Les effets de la règlementation de la culture : l’exemple de la production de vin en Calabre

Based on ethnographical fieldwork conducted in Calabria, Italy, this paper studies the effects of regulations aimed to protect a cultural practice, the production of wine, over a period of forty years. More precisely, it seeks to demonstrate how state regulation of a cultural practice transforms the way the people view and relate to the cultural process in question. Some aspects of the cultural heritage tend to become more rigid, while other aspects continue to evolve.L’objectif de cet article consiste à analyser les effets sur une période de plus de quarante ans de la mise en place de règlementations visant à protéger une pratique culturelle, la production de vin. Plus spécifiquement, il cherche à démontrer comment l’inscription d’une pratique culturelle dans un règlement oriente au fil du temps les manières dont les personnes en viennent à se représenter l’activité culturelle en question. Les dimensions explicites inscrites dans les règlements se rigidifient et ne doivent plus évoluer, tandis que d’autres, non inscrites, peuvent continuer à évoluer et se transformer. Cet article s’appuie sur une recherche ethnographique effectuée en Calabre, Italie

Les règles de dévolution successorale et la propriété foncière au Maroc

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal

Le développement de l'industrie vitivinicole et les représentations du vin à Cirò en Calabre : une anthropologie du particulier

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal

Matériau composite à base de matière naturelle lignocellulosique

L'invention concerne un matériau composite à base de particules d'une matière naturelle lignocellulosique, notamment de bois. Ces particules sont dispersées dans une matrice d'un polymère thermoplastique choisi parmi les polyamides et les copolymères à blocs comprenant au moins un bloc polyamide. Un procédé de préparation de ce matériau composite comprend le mélange desdites particules et dudit polymère thermoplastique et la mise en forme de ce mélange

Diets containing shrimp protein hydrolysates provided protection to European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) affected by a Vibrio pelagius natural infection outbreak

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of the dietary supplementation of shrimp protein hydrolysate (SPH) on somatic growth performance, innate immune response in juvenile European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and their differential cumulative mortality when affected by a Vibrio pelagius natural infection outbreak. A diet containing 20% fish meal (FM) was used as a control, whereas three other diets differing in the level of FM inclusion (75 and 25% FM replacement by plant protein sources) and the inclusion of the additive (5% FM, 5% FM + 5% SPH and 15% FM + 5% SPH) were tested. After 110 days, there were no statistically significant differences in somatic growth parameters nor proximate composition in fish fed different experimental diets (P > 0.05), while the humoral non-specific immune responses (lysozyme, bacteriolytic and complement activities) were significantly enhanced by the inclusion of SPH in diets (P < 0.05). Additionally, an outbreak of the pathogenic bacteria V. pelagius, a bacterial species previously described as producer of the virulence factor hemolysin, occurred in all experimental tanks (4 replicates per diet) due to crowding and repeated handling stress for fish sorting. Survival rates among different experimental groups ten days after the bacterial epizootic differed depending on the diets, with groups containing SPH showing the best results (P < 0.05). In particular, fish fed the 15% FM + 5% SPH diet showed the highest survival rate (96.4 ± 5.0%), followed by those fed the 5% FM5 + 5% SPH5 (61.8 ± 16.3%). In contrast, survival rates in fish fed diets deprived of the additive (20% FM and 5% FM5 diets) were the lowest ones (32.0 ± 6.7% and 38.2 ± 13.5%, respectively). The present study showed that SPH can be incorporated in aquafeeds with high levels of FM substitution by PP sources without detrimental impact on the somatic growth performance of fish. In addition, the non-specific humoral immunity in seabass and their survival when affected by an epizootic outbreak of V. pelagius were positively affected, which showed the immunomodulatory benefits of shrimp protein hydrolysate to promote health and prevent diseases in fish.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

COMBINED CONDUCTIVE-RADIATIVE HEAT TRANSFER ANALYSIS IN COMPLEX GEOMETRY USING THE MONTE CARLO METHOD

Deterministic methods are commonly used to solve the heat balance equation in three-dimensional (3D) geometries. This article presents a preliminary study to the use of a stochastic method for the computation of the temperature in complex 3D geometries where the combined conductive and radiative heat transfers are coupled in the porous solid phase. The Monte Carlo algorithm and its results are validated by a comparison with the results obtained with a conventional finite-volume method

Development of coronary dysfunction in adult progeny after maternal engineered nanomaterial inhalation during gestation

Maternal exposure to environmental contaminants during pregnancy can profoundly influence the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in adult offspring. Our previous studies have demonstrated impaired cardiovascular health, microvascular reactivity, and cardiac function in fetal and young adult progeny after maternal inhalation of nano-sized titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) aerosols during gestation. The present study was designed to evaluate the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases later in adulthood. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to nano-TiO2 aerosols (similar to 10 mg/m(3), 134 nm median diameter) for 4 h per day, 5 days per week, beginning on gestational day (GD) 4 and ending on GD 19. Progeny were delivered in-house. Body weight was recorded weekly after birth. After 47 weeks, the body weight of exposed progeny was 9.4% greater compared with controls. Heart weight, mean arterial pressure, and plasma biomarkers of inflammation, dyslipidemia, and glycemic control were recorded at 3, 9 and 12 months of age, with no significant adaptations. While no clinical risk factors (i.e., hypertension, dyslipidemia, or systemic inflammation) emerged pertaining to the development of cardiovascular disease, we identified impaired endothelium-dependent and -independent arteriolar dysfunction and cardiac morphological alterations consistent with myocardial inflammation, degeneration, and necrosis in exposed progeny at 12 months. In conclusion, maternal inhalation of nano-TiO2 aerosols during gestation may promote the development of coronary disease in adult offspring