Combining causal model and focus group discussions experiences learned from a socio-anthropological research on the differing perceptions of caretakers and health professionals on children's health (Bolivia/Peru)

The paper discusses the utility of constructing causal models in focus groups. This was experienced as a complement to an in-depth ethnographic research on the differing perceptions of caretakers and health professionals on child's growth and development in Peru and Bolivia. The rational, advantages, difficulties and necessary adaptations of combining the two techniques are discussed on the basis of concrete examples. Authors conclude that the building of a causal model in a focus group session can be useful in comparing lay etiologies of diseases as perceived by different categories of caretakers and health professionals and in identifying specific health risks faced by children. Causal model building in a focus group can help renew discussions and participants'interest but its use is only justified when the study concerns the perception of the causality of a given phenomenon

Estimation of the oceanic pCO₂ in the North Atlantic from VOS lines in-situ measurements: parameters needed to generate seasonally mean maps

Automated instruments on board Volunteer Observing Ships (VOS) have provided high-frequency pCO₂ measurements over basin-wide regions for a decade or so. In order to estimate regional air-sea CO₂ fluxes, it is necessary to interpolate between in-situ measurements to obtain maps of the marine pCO₂. Such an interpolation remains, however, a difficult task because VOS lines are too distant from each other to capture the high pCO₂ variability. Relevant physical parameters available at large scale are thus necessary to serve as a guide to estimate the pCO₂ values between the VOS lines. Satellites do not measure pCO₂ but they give access to parameters related to the processes that control its variability, such as sea surface temperature (SST). In this paper we developed a method to compute pCO₂ maps using satellite data (SST and CHL, the chlorophyll concentration), combined with a climatology of the mixed-layer depth (MLD). Using 15 401 measurements of surface pCO₂ acquired in the North Atlantic between UK and Jamaica, between June 1994 and August 1995, we show that the parameterization of pCO₂ as a function of SST, CHL and MLD yields more realistic pCO₂ values than parameterizations that have been widely used in the past, based on SST, latitude, longitude or SST only. This parameterization was then used to generate seasonal maps of pCO₂ over the North Atlantic. Results show that our approach yields the best marine pCO₂ estimates, both in terms of absolute accuracy, when compared with an independent data set, and of geographical patterns, when compared to the climatology of Takahashi et al. (2002). This suggests that monitoring the seasonal variability of pCO₂ over basin-wide regions is possible, provided that sufficient VOS lines are available

An Upper Limit on the Mass of the Circumplanetary Disk for DH Tau b

Indexación: Scopus.DH Tau is a young (sim;1 Myr) classical T Tauri star. It is one of the few young PMS stars known to be associated with a planetary mass companion, DH Tau b, orbiting at large separation and detected by direct imaging. DH Tau b is thought to be accreting based on copious Ha emission and exhibits variable Paschen Beta emission. NOEMA observations at 230 GHz allow us to place constraints on the disk dust mass for both DH Tau b and the primary in a regime where the disks will appear optically thin. We estimate a disk dust mass for the primary, DH Tau A of 17.2 ± 1.7 MÅ, which gives a disk to star mass ratio of 0.014 (assuming the usual gas to dust mass ratio of 100 in the disk). We find a conservative disk dust mass upper limit of 0.42M⊕ for DH Tau b, assuming that the disk temperature is dominated by irradiation from DH Tau b itself. Given the environment of the circumplanetary disk, variable illumination from the primary or the equilibrium temperature of the surrounding cloud would lead to even lower disk mass estimates. A MCFOST radiative transfer model, including heating of the circumplanetary disk by DH Tau b and DH Tau A, suggests that a mass-averaged disk temperature of 22 K is more realistic, resulting in a dust disk mass upper limit of 0.09M⊕ for DH Tau b. We place DH Tau b in context with similar objects and discuss the consequences for planet formation models.http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/aa74cd/met

Spatially heterogeneous dynamics in granular compaction

We prove the emergence of spatially correlated dynamics in slowly compacting dense granular media by analyzing analytically and numerically multi-point correlation functions in a simple particle model characterized by slow non-equilibrium dynamics. We show that the logarithmically slow dynamics at large times is accompanied by spatially extended dynamic structures that resemble the ones observed in glass-forming liquids and dense colloidal suspensions. This suggests that dynamic heterogeneity is another key common feature present in very different jamming materials.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Petrology of Matthew and Hunter volcanoes, South New Hebrides island arc (Southwest Pacific)

Matthew and Hunter, the two southernmost active volcanoes of the New Hebrides island arc (southwest Pacific) differ markedly from the other (mainly tholeitic) Quaternary volcanoes of this arc. Geodynamically related to the New Hebrides subduction zone, they also lie close to the southern limb of the active expanding ridge of the North Fiji Basin. Both volcanoes are made up of acid, medium-K, calcalkaline orogenic andesites, containing a variety of inclusions (pyroxene- and gabbroic cumulates, as well as doleritic cognate inclusions). This paper presents the first systematic petrographic and chemical study of these volcanics and their inclusions. Trace-element geochemistry and rare-earth element modelling suggest that the two volcanoes developed from successive batches of similar parental magmas, originating from limited partial fusion of garnet peridotite in the mantle wedge. Various degrees of fractional crystallization ot these batches led to the formation of three volcanic suites: Hunter (little fractionated), West-Matthew (moderately fractionated) and East-Matthew (highly fractionated). Moreover, on Matthew island, no correlation exists between the degree of fractionation and the eruptive chronology, the youngest edifice (West-Matthew) being less evolved than the older on (East-Matthew). (Résumé d'auteur

Investigations of OTR screen surfaces and shapes

Optical transition radiation (OTR) has proven to be a flexible and effective tool for measuring a wide range of beam parameters, in particular the beam divergence and the transverse beam profile. It is today an established and widely used diagnostic method providing linear real-time measurements. Measurements in the CLIC Test Facility (CTF3) showed that the performance of the present profile monitors is limited by the optical acceptance of the imaging system. In this paper, two methods to improve the systems' performance are presented and results from measurements are shown. First, the influence of the surface quality of the OTR screen itself is addressed. Several possible screen materials have been tested to which different surface treatment techniques were applied. Results from the measured optical characteristics are given. Second, a parabolic-shaped screen support was investigated with the aim of providing an initial focusing of the emitted radiation and thus to reduce the problem of aperture limitation

Steady State Behavior of Mechanically Perturbed Spin Glasses and Ferromagnets

A zero temperature dynamics of Ising spin glasses and ferromagnets on random graphs of finite connectivity is considered, like granular media these systems have an extensive entropy of metastable states. We consider the problem of what energy a randomly prepared spin system falls to before becoming stuck in a metastable state. We then introduce a tapping mechanism, analogous to that of real experiments on granular media, this tapping, corresponding to flipping simultaneously any spin with probability $p$, leads to stationary regime with a steady state energy $E(p)$. We explicitly solve this problem for the one dimensional ferromagnet and $\pm J$ spin glass and carry out extensive numerical simulations for spin systems of higher connectivity. The link with the density of metastable states at fixed energy and the idea of Edwards that one may construct a thermodynamics with a flat measure over metastable states is discussed. In addition our simulations on the ferromagnetic systems reveal a novel first order transition, whereas the usual thermodynamic transition on these graphs is second order.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure

Tapping Spin Glasses

We consider a tapping dynamics, analogous to that in experiments on granular media, on spin glasses and ferromagnets on random thin graphs. Between taps, zero temperature single spin flip dynamics takes the system to a metastable state. Tapping, corresponds to flipping simultaneously any spin with probability $p$. This dynamics leads to a stationary regime with a steady state energy $E(p)$. We analytically solve this dynamics for the one dimensional ferromagnet and $\pm J$ spin glass. Numerical simulations for spin glasses and ferromagnets of higher connectivity are carried out, in particular we find a novel first order transition for the ferromagnetic systems.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, RevTe

Recent MOST space photometry

The Microvariability and Oscillations of STars (MOST) photometric satellite has already undertaken more than 64 primary campaigns which include some clusters and has obtained observations of >850 secondary stars of which ~180 are variable. More than half of the variables pulsate, with the majority being of B-type. Since 2006 January, MOST has operated with only a single CCD for both guiding and science. The resulting increase in read-out cadence has improved precision for the brightest stars. The 2007 light curve for Procyon confirms the lack of predicted p-modes with photometric amplitudes exceeding 8 ppm as we found in 2004 and 2005. p-modes have been detected in other solar-type stars as well as pre-main sequence objects, roAp and delta Scuti variables. g-modes have been detected in a range of slowly pulsating B stars, Be stars and beta Cephei variables. Differential rotation has been defined for several spotted solar-type stars and limits set to the albedo of certain transiting planets and the presence of other perturbing planets. The mission is expected to continue as long as the experiment operates.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, from HELAS-II meetin