Large N limit of O(N) vector models

Using a simple identity between various partial derivatives of the energy of the vector model in 0+0 dimensions, we derive explicit results for the coefficients of the large N expansion of the model. These coefficients are functions in a variable $\rho^2$, which is the expectation value of the two point function in the limit $N=\infty$. These functions are analytic and have only one (multiple) pole in $\rho^2$. We show to all orders that these expressions obey a given general formula. Using this formula it is possible to derive the double scaling limit in an alternative way. All the results obtained for the double scaling limit agree with earlier calculations. (to be published in Physics Letters B)Comment: 12 page

La Province De l’Ituri En République Démocratique Du Congo Face Aux Cycles Des Violences En Répétition. Essai D’une Analyse Comparative Des Dynamiques De 1999 À 2003 Et De 2017 À 2019

Décrite comme une zone ensanglantée de conflit, la province de l’Ituri s’est immergée entre 1998 et 2017, avec des interruptions sporadiques, dans une guerre ethno-tribale et dans un embrasement d’agressions de la RDC par ses voisins (Rwanda et Ouganda), ayant joué aux sapeurs-pompiers pyromanes pour satisfaire leur boulimie des ressources naturelles de cette partie de la République Démocratique du Congo. La pression internationale sur ces pays agresseurs de la RDC pour leur retrait immédiat et la décision d’expédier sans condition une Force Multinationale Intérimaire d’Urgence (FMIU) dont la France fut la première à organiser « l’opération Artémis » en 2002, ont mis en déroute les auteurs des crimes contre l’humanité observés dans la province de l’Ituri. Ainsi le pays recouvra son intégrité territoriale et le processus démocratique s’acheva à l’instauration effective de la troisième république en RDC avec les élections de 2006. Par des formules fortuites, des événements similaires se dupliquent en 2017 et 2019 avec une cadence accélérée que jadis. Un tableau sombre d’insécurité se dresse encore dans la province de l’Ituri, justifié par des hargneux accrochages entre les Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) et les hors la loi qualifiés par le pouvoir public des « assaillants » sans identité au départ, puis identifiés par l’armée nationale à la milice de CODECO d’un sujet Lendu nommé Ngudjolo, comprenant en majorité certains jeunes égarés de la communauté Bbale (Lendu), et qui massacre plusieurs tribus dont principalement le Hema dans le territoire de Djugu et les Alur à Mahagi. Depuis lors, deux ethnies (HEMA et LENDU) font l’histoire belliqueuse du Territoire de DJUGU et plusieurs analystes s’accordent sur l’origine foncière du conflit qui les oppose. S’inscrivant dans la logique de leur dépassement, cette note d’analyse tente d’établir les écarts et les rapprochements de ce conflit à ces deux épisodes évoqués ci-dessus. Described as a bloody zone of conflict between 1998 and 2017, the province of the Ituri experienced sporadic interruptions in an ethno-tribal war and in kindling of aggressions of the DRC by its neighbors (Rwanda and Uganda). These external actors played the role of pyromaniac firemen in this war of the Ituri to satisfy their bulimia of the natural resources of this part of the Republic. The international pressure on the aggressor countries of the DRC based on their immediate withdrawal and the decision to dispatch without condition the Multinational Interim Emergency Force (MIEF), of which France was the first to organize the "Artémis operation", routed the perpetrators of the crimes against humanity observed in the province of the Ituri. As a result, the country regained its territorial integrity and the democratic process ended up at the institution of the third republic in DRC with the elections of 2006. By fortuitous formulas, similar events duplicated themselves in 2017 and 2019 with a more accelerated cadence than previously. A gloomy picture of insecurity still rises in the province of Ituri, justified by snarling clashes between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the outlaws qualified by the public authorities of the "attackers" without identity initially. After then, it was identified by the national army to the CODECO militia of a Lendu subject named Ngudjolo. This comprises of some misguided young people from the Lendu community, and those who massacred several tribes including mainly Hema in the territory of Djugu and the Alur in Mahagi. Ever since then, two ethnic groups (HEMA and LENDU) have made the warlike history of the territory of DJUGU. Also, several analysts agree on the fundamental origin of the conflict that opposes them. Enrolling in the logic of their overtaking, this analytical paper focuses on establishing the gap and the correspondence of this conflict in these two above mentioned episodes

RNA Folding and Large N Matrix Theory

We formulate the RNA folding problem as an $N\times N$ matrix field theory. This matrix formalism allows us to give a systematic classification of the terms in the partition function according to their topological character. The theory is set up in such a way that the limit $N\to \infty$ yields the so-called secondary structure (Hartree theory). Tertiary structure and pseudo-knots are obtained by calculating the $1/N^2$ corrections to the partition function. We propose a generalization of the Hartree recursion relation to generate the tertiary structure.Comment: 29 pages (LaTex), 13 figures (eps). Missing paragraph and figure adde

WfBench: Automated Generation of Scientific Workflow Benchmarks

The prevalence of scientific workflows with high computational demands calls for their execution on various distributed computing platforms, including large-scale leadership-class high-performance computing (HPC) clusters. To handle the deployment, monitoring, and optimization of workflow executions, many workflow systems have been developed over the past decade. There is a need for workflow benchmarks that can be used to evaluate the performance of workflow systems on current and future software stacks and hardware platforms. We present a generator of realistic workflow benchmark specifications that can be translated into benchmark code to be executed with current workflow systems. Our approach generates workflow tasks with arbitrary performance characteristics (CPU, memory, and I/O usage) and with realistic task dependency structures based on those seen in production workflows. We present experimental results that show that our approach generates benchmarks that are representative of production workflows, and conduct a case study to demonstrate the use and usefulness of our generated benchmarks to evaluate the performance of workflow systems under different configuration scenarios

Influence of alphaxalone on motor somatosensory evoked potentials in a female rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta).

This communication reports the effect of alphaxalone on motor somatosensory evoked potential (SEPs) in a rhesus macaque. The animal was deeply anaesthetised with an infusion of ketamine, medetomidine, midazolam and alfentanil. The median nerve was stimulated, and SEPs were recorded from the motor cortex. The successive administration of three doses of alphaxalone (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg) induced an increase of the latency time and a decrease of the amplitude of the SEPs. However, the structure of the waveforms was conserved, and hence alphaxalone might represent a suitable general anaesthetic option in neuroscience research as well as veterinary or human medicine

EpCAM immunotherapy versus specific targeted delivery of drugs

The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), or CD326, was one of the first cancer associated biomarkers to be discovered. In the last forty years, this biomarker has been investigated for use in personalized cancer therapy, with the first monoclonal antibody, edrecolomab, being trialled in humans more than thirty years ago. Since then, several other monoclonal antibodies have been raised to EpCAM and tested in clinical trials. However, while monoclonal antibody therapy has been investigated against EpCAM for almost 40 years as primary or adjuvant therapy, it has not shown as much promise as initially heralded. In this review, we look at the reasons why and consider alternative targeting options, such as aptamers, to turn this almost ubiquitously expressed epithelial cancer biomarker into a viable target for future personalized therapy

Similar at-sea behaviour but different habitat use between failed and successful breeding albatrosses

Breeding failure is expected to induce behavioural changes in central place foragers. Indeed, after a failed reproductive attempt, breeding individuals are relieved from having to return to their breeding site for reproductive duties and thus are less constrained than successful breeders in their movements during the remainder of the breeding season. Accordingly, they are expected to adjust their behaviour, travelling longer in distance and/or time to reach foraging grounds. They are also expected to use different foraging areas to decrease local intra-specific competition with successful breeders. We compared the at-sea behaviour and habitat use of successful and failed Indian yellow-nosed albatrosses nesting in Amsterdam Island, Southern Indian Ocean, during 2 chick-rearing seasons. Failed breeders exhibited the same at-sea foraging behaviour, travelling as far and as long as successful breeders. They also spent the same amount of time on their nest between at-sea trips. Nevertheless, habitat models revealed partial spatial segregation of failed breeders, which used specific foraging areas characterized by deeper and colder waters in addition to the areas they shared with successful breeders. Our study shows the importance of combining a range of analytical methods (spatial analysis, behavioural inferences with advanced movement models and habitat models) to infer the at-sea behaviour and habitat use of seabirds. It also stresses the importance of considering individual breeding status when aiming to understand the spatial distribution of individuals, especially when this information may have conservation implications

Pleasure and meaningful discourse: an overview of research issues

The concept of pleasure has emerged as a multi-faceted social and cultural phenomenon in studies of media audiences since the 1980s. In these studies different forms of pleasure have been identified as explaining audience activity and commitment. In the diverse studies pleasure has emerged as a multi-faceted social and cultural concept that needs to be contextualized carefully. Genre and genre variations, class, gender, (sub-)cultural identity and generation all seem to be instrumental in determining the kind and variety of pleasures experienced in the act of viewing. This body of research has undoubtedly contributed to a better understanding of the complexity of audience activities, but it is exactly the diversity of the concept that is puzzling and poses a challenge to its further use. If pleasure is maintained as a key concept in audience analysis that holds much explanatory power, it needs a stronger theoretical foundation. The article maps the ways in which the concept of pleasure has been used by cultural theorists, who have paved the way for its application in reception analysis, and it goes on to explore the ways in which the concept has been used in empirical studies. Central to our discussion is the division between the ‘public knowledge’ and the ‘popular culture’ projects in reception analysis which, we argue, have major implications for the way in which pleasure has come to be understood as divorced from politics, power and ideology. Finally, we suggest ways of bridging the gap between these two projects in an effort to link pleasure to the concepts of hegemony and ideology

Effect of pre-partum feed supplementation on post-partum ovarian activity, milk production and calf growth of small holder dairy cattle in Cameroon

Seventy-two cows were selected for an on-farm study on the effect of feed supplementation before calving on milk production, ovarian activity and calf growth of Holstein, indigenous Red Fulani cows and their crosses. Prepartum feed supplementation was done using cotton seed cake (80 %), maize (18 %), bone meal (1 %) and kitchen salt (1 % NaCl). Supplementation levels consisted of a low supplementation fed at 1 kg per animal per day and high supplementation fed at 2 kg per animal per day. In addition, Red Fulani cows received the supplements in two different ways namely a prepartum supplementation consisting of 1 kg per cow per day and pre- and post-partum supplementation consisting of 1 kg per cow per day before calving and 1 kg per cow per day postpartum up to 30 days after calving. Blood samples were analysed using ELISA Progesterone kits to determine the length of post-partum anoestrus. Results show that prepartum levels of feeding did not have any effect (P>0.05) on body condition score (BCS) at 12 weeks after calving, calf birth weight, average daily weight gain of calves, milk production and post-partum anoestrus. High BCS at calving was shown to influence BCS at 12 weeks of lactation. Holstein cows had bigger calves (P<0.01) at birth (45 kg) compared to traditional cows (36 kg) and crosses (34 kg). There was little benefit of pre-partum supplementation on the parameters investigated in this study. Consequently, low income farmers are advised to concentrate their efforts of supplementation early in lactation.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the African Development Bank.http://link.springer.com/journal/112502015-10-30hj201