User Guide for AutoCSM: Automated Capacity Spectrum Method of Analysis

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A multiple replica approach to simulate reactive trajectories

A method to generate reactive trajectories, namely equilibrium trajectories leaving a metastable state and ending in another one is proposed. The algorithm is based on simulating in parallel many copies of the system, and selecting the replicas which have reached the highest values along a chosen one-dimensional reaction coordinate. This reaction coordinate does not need to precisely describe all the metastabilities of the system for the method to give reliable results. An extension of the algorithm to compute transition times from one metastable state to another one is also presented. We demonstrate the interest of the method on two simple cases: a one-dimensional two-well potential and a two-dimensional potential exhibiting two channels to pass from one metastable state to another one

Stacking order dynamic in the quasi-two-dimensional dichalcogenide 1T-TaS2_2 probed with MeV ultrafast electron diffraction

Transitions between different charge density wave (CDW) states in quasi-two-dimensional materials may be accompanied also by changes in the inter-layer stacking of the CDW. Using MeV ultrafast electron diffraction, the out-of-plane stacking order dynamics in the quasi-two-dimensional dichalcogenide 1T-TaS$_2$ is investigated for the first time. From the intensity of the CDW satellites aligned around the commensurate $l$ = 1/6 characteristic stacking order, it is found out that this phase disappears with a 0.5 ps time constant. Simultaneously, in the same experiment, the emergence of the incommensurate phase, with a slightly slower 2.0 ps time constant, is determined from the intensity of the CDW satellites aligned around the incommensurate $l$ = 1/3 characteristic stacking order. These results might be of relevance in understanding the metallic character of the laser-induced metastable "hidden" state recently discovered in this compound

Management of natural resources through automatic cartographic inventory

The author has identified the following significant results. Significant results of the ARNICA program (February - December 1973) were: (1) The quantitative processing of ERTS-1 data was developed along two lines: the study of geological structures and lineaments of Spanish Catalonia, and the phytogeographical study of the forest region of the Landes of Gascony (France). In both cases it is shown that the ERTS-1 imagery can be used in establishing zonings of equal quantitative interpretation value. (2) In keeping with the operational transfer program proposed in previous reports between exploration of the imagery and charting of the object, a precise data processing method was developed, concerning more particularly the selection of digital equidensity samples computer display and rigorous referencing

Relations entre l'état d'une ressource et son exploitation via la compréhension et la formalisation des interactions de socio-écosystèmes. Application à la palourde japonaise (Venerupis philippinarum) du bassin d'Arcachon.

Composante importante de l écosystème marin benthique, les bivalves exploités sont surtout situés dans la zone littorale dont les caractéristiques spatiales et temporelles engendrent des fluctuations populationnelles naturelles et contribuent à de fortes variations de biomasse et de structure démographique s ajoutant aux effets d activités anthropiques. La compréhension des interactions entre l espèce, son environnement et son exploitation est cruciale. Leur formalisation, y compris pour la gestion, passe par le développement de modèles mathématiques qui visent à décrire le fonctionnement du système, expliquer des phénomènes observés en termes de cause à effet ou prédire l effets de nouvelles causes. Espèce introduite en France dans les années 1980, la palourde japonaise (Venerupis philippinarum) constitue une ressource économique importante pour des zones littorales. Pour le bassin d Arcachon, les pêcheurs à pied professionnels capturent quelques 600 tonnes par an. Outre la réglementation européenne qui fixe une taille minimale de capture, des mesures de gestion complémentaires sont établies par les structures professionnelles locales de la pêche dans un cadre de cogestion impliquant ces structures, scientifiques et administration.Ce travail de thèse s inscrit dans ce contexte en intégrant les traits d histoire de vie de la population dans le modèle de simulation utilisé à des fins de gestion. A l échelle locale, l analyse de forme conventionnelle basée sur des mesures métriques et pondérales établit des relations d allométrie entre des paires de descripteurs avec un changement significatif de morphologie à partir d une longueur de 16-20 mm. La variabilité phénotypique intra-site s articule en trois patrons morphologiques. Dans le bassin d Arcachon, le caractère globuleux, décrit pour la première fois ici, est associé à de faibles densités et à de fortes proportions d individus affectés par la maladie du muscle marron, maladie émergente sur le bassin. A l échelle de la façade atlantique française, trois ratios morphométriques (indices d élongation, de densité de la valve et de poids de la valve sur sa longueur) discriminent les populations des sites nord (Banc du Guer, golfe du Morbihan) de celles des sites sud (Bellevue, bassin d Arcachon). Une corrélation significative entre ces ratios et les conditions trophiques approchées par la concentration en chlorophylle a ainsi qu un lien entre l indice de densité de la valve et le pourcentage de températures comprises entre 12 et 20C sont démontrés. La complexité des facteurs intervenant sur la morphologie intra et inter-sites laisse supposer l intervention d autres facteurs comme la nature du substrat, ce qui est conforté par des premières analyses de contours. Les travaux ont confirmé l importance de la température sur les variables d état du stock notamment lors de la période de reproduction. Pour ces mêmes variables, un rôle majeur des ressources trophiques a aussi été démontré avec des réponses différant selon les stades. Une partie de ces résultats a contribué à des modifications dans le modèle de simulation. Elles ont surtout concerné l intégration de l effet des ressources trophiques sur le recrutement, la révision de la production de juvéniles et des taux de croissance par classe de taille, la précision de données de captures et l ajout d un effet prix sur les stratégies de pêche. En parallèle à la validation du modèle, l analyse de sensibilité a mis en évidence la sensibilité du modèle aux paramètres environnementaux et aux variables relatives aux stades les plus jeunes. Dans un contexte de cogestion, l outil a été utilisé pour réaliser des projections sur le devenir de la population selon différents scénarios de gestion. Les différences de tendances d évolution de la biomasse en réponse à ces dispositifs d action ont servi aux gestionnaires pour la définition des mesures de gestion actuellement en vigueur. Au final, le modèle renforce la démarche participative engagée.Significant component of the marine benthic ecosystem, exploited bivalves are mainly located inside the coastal area, which temporal and spatial features generate natural population fluctuations and contribute to considerable biomass and demographic structure changes added to anthropogenic activities effects (fishing, pollution, ). Understanding of the relationships between the species, its environment and its exploitation is crucial and their formalization, including for management purposes, requires development of mathematical models that aim at describing the functioning of the system, to explain the observed phenomenon in terms of cause and effect or predict effects of new causes. Originating from venerid culture trials carried out in France in the 80s, Manila clam (Venerupis philippinarum) is an important economic resource for coastal areas. Inside the Arcachon Bay, professional fishermen catch about 600 tonnes annually. Whereas the minimum legal harvest size is set by European legislation, complementary management measures are established by regional and departmental professional organizations in the framework of a co-management approach involving professional, scientists and administration. This doctoral thesis is part of this objective of co-management by integrating life history traits of the population in a simulation model used for management purposes. At local scale, conventional shape analysis methods using metric weights and measures establish allometric relationships between pairs of descriptors with a significant morphological change detected from a length of ca. 16-20 mm. Intra-site phenotypic variability is structured in three morphological patterns. Occurrence of globular character inside the Arcachon Bay, described here for the first time, is associated to low densities and to high proportions of individuals affected by brown muscle disease, an emerging disease in the Bay. At the scale of the French Atlantic coast, three morphological ratios (elongation, valve density and weight related to length indices) discriminate populations from northern (Banc du Guer and Morbihan Gulf) and southern sites (Bellevue and Arcachon Bay). Significant relationships between those ratios and trophic conditions expressed by chlorophyll a concentrations, as well as a link between weight surface ratios and percentage of seawater temperature ranging from 12 to 20C are demonstrated. Complexity of factors involved in intrasite and intersite morphology suggests intervention of other factors such as sediment characteristics, which is supported by a first outlines analysis. This work confirmed the importance of seawater temperature on stock state variables particularly during the reproduction period. For those same variables, a major role of trophic conditions has also been demonstrated with answers depending on development stages. Part of this result contributed to modifications within the simulation model dedicated to this population. The modifications mainly concerned integration of trophic resources effect on recruitment level, juveniles production and growth rates per length class revision, accuracy of catches by professional fishermen and addition of a price effect on the fishing strategies. In conjonction with the model validation, the sensitivity analysis undertaken highlighted the sensitivity of the model to environmental parameters and to variables related to the younger stages. In a co-management context, this tool was used to perform projections on the future of the population according to various management scenarios. The differences in the patterns of biomass evolution in response to those action schemes were used by the stakeholders to identify management measures currently in force. In the end the model reinforces the engaged participatory process.PAU-BU Sciences (644452103) / SudocSudocFranceF

Emergent dynamic chirality in a thermally driven artificial spin ratchet

Modern nanofabrication techniques have opened the possibility to create novel functional materials, whose properties transcend those of their constituent elements. In particular, tuning the magnetostatic interactions in geometrically frustrated arrangements of nanoelements called artificial spin ice1, 2 can lead to specific collective behaviour3, including emergent magnetic monopoles4, 5, charge screening6, 7 and transport8, 9, as well as magnonic response10, 11, 12. Here, we demonstrate a spin-ice-based active material in which energy is converted into unidirectional dynamics. Using X-ray photoemission electron microscopy we show that the collective rotation of the average magnetization proceeds in a unique sense during thermal relaxation. Our simulations demonstrate that this emergent chiral behaviour is driven by the topology of the magnetostatic field at the edges of the nanomagnet array, resulting in an asymmetric energy landscape. In addition, a bias field can be used to modify the sense of rotation of the average magnetization. This opens the possibility of implementing a magnetic Brownian ratchet13, 14, which may find applications in novel nanoscale devices, such as magnetic nanomotors, actuators, sensors or memory cells

Production of η′\eta\prime Mesons in the pp→ppη′pp \to pp\eta\prime Reaction at 3.67 GeV/c

The ratio of the total exclusive production cross sections for $\eta\prime$ and $\eta$ mesons has been measured in the $pp$ reaction at $p_{beam}=3.67$ GeV/c. The observed $\eta\prime/\eta$ ratio is $(0.83\pm{0.11}^{+0.23}_{-0.18})\times 10^{-2}$ from which the exclusive $\eta\prime$ meson production cross section is determined to be $(1.12\pm{0.15}^{+0.42}_{-0.31})\mu b$. Differential cross section distributions have been measured. Their shape is consistent with isotropic $\eta\prime$ meson production.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, accepted by Phys.Lett.

Identification and characterization of dairy cows with different backfat thickness antepartum in relation to postpartum loss of backfat thickness: a cluster analytic approach

The objectives of this study were (1) to characterize the interindividual variation in the relationship between antepartum (ap) backfat thickness (BFT) and subsequent BFT loss during early lactation in a large dairy herd using cluster analysis; (2) to compare the serum concentrations of metabolites (nonesterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate), metabolic hormones (leptin and adiponectin), and an inflammatory marker (haptoglobin) among the respective clusters; and (3) to compare lactation performance and uterine health status in the different clusters. An additional objective was (4) to investigate differences in these serum variables and in milk yield of overconditioned (OC) cows that differed in the extent of BFT loss. Using data from a large study of 1,709 multiparous Holstein cows, we first selected those animals from which serum samples and BFT results (mm) were available at d 25 (±10) ap and d 31 (±3 d) postpartum (pp). The remaining 713 cows (parity of 2 to 7) were then subjected to cluster analysis: different approaches based on the BFT of the cows were performed. K-means (unsupervised machine learning algorithm) clustering based on BFT-ap alone identified 5 clusters: lean (5–8 mm BFT, n = 50), normal (9–12 mm, n = 206), slightly fat (SF; 13–16 mm, n = 203), just fat (JF; 16–22 mm, n = 193), and very fat (VF; 23–43 mm, n = 61). Clustering by difference between BFT-ap and BFT-pp (ΔBFT) also revealed 5 clusters: extreme loss (17–23 mm ΔBFT, n = 16), moderate loss (9–15 mm, n = 119), little loss (4–8 mm, n = 326), no loss (0–3 mm, n = 203), and gain (−8 to −1 mm, n = 51). Based on the blood variables measured, our results confirm that cows with greater BFT losses had higher lipid mobilization and ketogenesis than cows with less BFT loss. The serum variables of cows that gained BFT did not differ from normal cows. Milk yield was affected by the BFT-ap cluster, but not by the ΔBFT cluster. Cows categorized as VF had lesser milk yield than other clusters. We further compared the OC cows that had little or no BFT loss (i.e., 2% of VF, 12% of JF, and 31% of SF, OC-no loss, n = 85) with the OC cows that lost BFT (OC-loss, n = 135). Both NEFA and BHB pp concentrations and milk yield were greater in OC-loss cows compared with the OC-no loss cows. The serum concentration of leptin ap was greater in OC-loss than in the OC-no loss cows. Overall, OC cows lost more BFT than normal or lean cows. However, those OC cows with a smaller loss of BFT produced less milk than OC cows with greater losses