Rodlike Complexes of a Polyelectrolyte (Hyaluronan) and a Protein (Lysozyme) observed by SANS

We study by Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) the structure of Hyaluronan -Lysozyme complexes. Hyaluronan (HA) is a polysaccharide of 9 nm intrinsic persistence length that bears one negative charge per disaccharide monomer (Mmol = 401.3 g/mol); two molecular weights, Mw = 6000 and 500 000 Da were used. The pH was adjusted at 4.7 and 7.4 so that lysozyme has a global charge of +10 and + 8 respectively. The lysozyme concentration was varied from 3 to 40 g/L, at constant HA concentration (10 g/L). At low protein concentration, samples are monophasic and SANS experiments reveal only fluctuations of concentration although, at high protein concentration, clusters are observed by SANS in the dense phase of the diphasic samples. In between, close to the onset of the phase separation, a distinct original scattering is observed. It is characteristic of a rod-like shape, which could characterize "single" complexes involving one or a few polymer chains. For the large molecular weight (500 000) the rodlike rigid domains extend to much larger length scale than the persistence length of the HA chain alone in solution and the range of the SANS investigation. They can be described as a necklace of proteins attached along a backbone of diameter one or a few HA chains. For the short chains (Mw ~ 6000), the rod length of the complexes is close to the chain contour length (~ 15 nm)

Raviart-Thomas finite elements of Petrov-Galerkin type

The mixed finite element method for the Poisson problem with the Raviart-Thomas elements of low-level can be interpreted as a finite volume method with a non-local gradient. In this contribution, we propose a variant of Petrov-Galerkin type for this problem to ensure a local computation of the gradient at the interfaces of the elements. The shape functions are the Raviart-Thomas finite elements. Our goal is to define test functions that are in duality with these shape functions: Precisely, the shape and test functions will be asked to satisfy a L2-orthogonality property. The general theory of Babu\v{s}ka brings necessary and sufficient stability conditions for a Petrov-Galerkin mixed problem to be convergent. We propose specific constraints for the dual test functions in order to ensure stability. With this choice, we prove that the mixed Petrov-Galerkin scheme is identical to the four point finite volumes scheme of Herbin, and to the mass lumping approach developed by Baranger, Maitre and Oudin. Finally, we construct a family of dual test functions that satisfy the stability conditions. Convergence is proven with the usual techniques of mixed finite elements

Coupling Linear Sloshing with Six Degrees of Freedom Rigid Body Dynamics

Fluid motion in tanks is usually described in space industry with the so-called Lomen hypothesis which assumes the vorticity is null in the moving frame. We establish in this contribution that this hypothesis is valid only for uniform rotational motions. We give a more general formulation of this coupling problem, with a compact formulation. We consider the mechanical modeling of a rigid body with a motion of small amplitude, containing an incompressible fluid in the linearized regime. We first establish that the fluid motion remains irrotational in a Galilean referential if it is true at the initial time. When continuity of normal velocity and pressure are prescribed on the free surface, we establish that the global coupled problem conserves an energy functional composed by three terms. We introduce the Stokes - Zhukovsky vector fields, solving Neumann problems for the Laplace operator in the fluid in order to represent the rotational rigid motion with irrotational vector fields. Then we have a good framework to consider the coupled problem between the fluid and the rigid motion. The coupling between the free surface and the ad hoc component of the velocity potential introduces a "Neumann to Dirichlet" operator that allows to write the coupled system in a very compact form. The final expression of a Lagrangian for the coupled system is derived and the Euler-Lagrange equations of the coupled motion are presented.Comment: 23 page

Trajectories from public sector of research to private sector : an analysis using french data on young PhD graduates

The organisation of research is a powerful factor structuring the labour market for recent doctorate recipients. The queue for permanent research positions in the academic sector has created a specific labour market for young doctorates, characterised by a proliferation of postdoctoralprogrammes and fixed-term contracts. In that specific context, our paper deals with the way the young PhD graduates enter the labour market, the way they get a job as researcher in the private or public sector and how much the return of the job mobility from the public academic sector to the private sector is. Using a longitudinal survey provided by the Cereq, our results suggest that even if nearly the half of the cohort has a direct access to jobs in the research sector (private or public), 20% remain in trajectories dominated by under-qualifiedjobs or recurrent unemployment. Our empirical investigation show a negative or non significant returns of the job mobility from the public academic sector to the private sector.Marché du travail; Insertion professionnelle; Post Doctorant; Jeune; Mobilité professionnelle; France

A stochastic individual based model for the growth of a stand of Japanese knotweed including mowing as a management technique

Invasive alien species are a growing threat for environment and health. They also have a major economic impact, as they can damage many infrastructures. The Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), present in North America, Northern and Central Europe as well as in Australia and New Zealand, is listed by the World Conservation Union as one of the world's worst invasive species. So far, most models have dealt with how the invasion spreads without management. This paper aims at providing a model able to study and predict the dynamics of a stand of Japanese knotweed taking into account mowing as a management technique. The model we propose is stochastic and individual-based, which allows us taking into account the behaviour of individuals depending on their size and location, as well as individual stochasticity. We set plant dynamics parameters thanks to a calibration with field data, and study the influence of the initial population size, the mean number of mowing events a year and the management project duration on mean area and mean number of crowns of stands. In particular, our results provide the sets of parameters for which it is possible to obtain the stand eradication, and the minimal duration of the management project necessary to achieve this latter

Synthesis and properties of lipoamino acid/fatty acid mixtures. Influence of the amphiphilic structure.

The acylation of amino acids by acid chlorides with from 8 to 12 carbon atoms, in alkaline aqueous medium following Shotten-Baumann reaction, results in sodium salts of Nα-acylamino acids and fatty acids mixture. These lastest are present in proportion from 40 to 60%. These compositions represent mixtures of amphiphilic anionic surfactants. They contribute together to the properties of the formulation. Measurements of the surface-active properties of these formulations, such as critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface tension at the CMC (TS), foaming capacity (FC) and foaming stability (FS), show that surfactant mixtures with the longest chain have the most desirable properties. They are comparable to commercial petroleum-based surfactants. Thus, the CMC, TS and CM values of the formulation obtained starting from leucine and dodecanoyl chloride (310 mg/L, 30.1 mN/m and 200%, respectively) are similar, even better than, sodium dodecylsulfate (290 mg/L, 39.1 mN/m and 230%, respectively