Electronic structure of the Ca3Co4O9\rm Ca_3Co_4O_9 compound from ab initio local interactions

We used fully correlated ab initio calculations to determine the effective parameters of Hubbard and t - J models for the thermoelectric misfit compound $\rm Ca_3Co_4O_9$. As for the $\rm Na_xCoO_2$ family the Fermi level orbitals are the $a_{1g}$ orbitals of the cobalt atoms ; the $e'_g$ being always lower in energy by more than 240\,meV. The electron correlation is found very large $U/t\sim 26$ as well as the parameters fluctuations as a function of the structural modulation. The main consequences are a partial $a_{1g}$ electrons localization and a fluctuation of the in-plane magnetic exchange from AFM to FM. The behavior of the Seebeck coefficient as a function of temperature is discussed in view of the ab initio results, as well as the 496\,K phase transition

Thermodynamic consistency of quantum master equations

Starting from a microscopic system-baths description, we derive the general conditions for a time-local quantum master equation (QME) to satisfy the first and second laws of thermodynamics at the fluctuating level. Using counting statistics, we show that the fluctuating second law can be rephrased as a generalized quantum detailed balance condition (GQDB), i.e., a symmetry of the time-local generators which ensures the validity of the fluctuation theorem. When requiring in addition a strict system-bath energy conservation, the GQDB reduces to the usual notion of detailed balance which characterizes QMEs with Gibbsian steady states. However, if energy conservation is only required on average, QMEs with non-Gibbsian steady states can still maintain a certain level of thermodynamic consistency. Applying our theory to commonly used QMEs, we show that the Redfield equation breaks the GQDB, and that some recently derived approximation schemes based on the Redfield equation (which hold beyond the secular approximation and allow one to derive a QME of Lindblad form) satisfy the GQDB and the average first law. We find that performing the secular approximation is the only way to ensure the first and second laws at the fluctuating level

Huge Seebeck coefficients in non-aqueous electrolytes

The Seeebeck coefficients of the non-aqueous electrolytes tetrabutylammonium nitrate, tetraoctylphosphonium bromide and tetradodecylammonium nitrate in 1-octanol, 1-dodecanol and ethylene-glycol are measured in a temperature range from T=30 to T=45 C. The Seebeck coefficient is generally of the order of a few hundreds of microvolts per Kelvin for aqueous solution of inorganic ions. Here we report huge values of 7 mV/K at 0.1M concentration for tetrabutylammonium nitrate in 1-dodecanol. These striking results open the question of unexpectedly large kosmotrope or "structure making" effects of tetraalkylammonium ions on the structure of alcohols.Comment: Submitted to J. Chem. Phy

Infrared study of the charge-ordered multiferroic LuFe(2)O(4)

The reflectivity of a large LuFe(2)O(4) single crystal has been measured with the radiation field either perpendicular or parallel to the c axis of its rhombohedral structure, from 10 to 500K, and from 7 to 16000 cm-1. The transition between the two-dimensional and the three-dimensional charge order at T_(CO) = 320 K is found to change dramatically the phonon spectrum in both polarizations. The number of the observed modes above and below T_(CO), according to a factor-group analysis, is in good agreement with a transition from the rhombohedral space group R{bar 3}m to the monoclinic C2/m. In the sub-THz region a peak becomes evident at low temperature, whose origin is discussed in relation with previous experiments.Comment: Physical Review B in pres

Multiple time-scale approach for a system of Brownian particles in a non-uniform temperature field

The Smoluchowsky equation for a system of interacting Brownian particles in a temperature gradient is derived from the Kramers equation by means of a multiple time-scale method. The interparticle interactions are assumed to be represented by a mean-field description. We present numerical results that compare well with the theoretical prediction together with an extensive discussion on the prescription of the Langevin equation in overdamped systems.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Vegetal diamine oxidase alleviates histamine-induced contraction of colonic muscles

Excess of histamine in gut lumen generates a pronounced gastrointestinal discomfort, which may include diarrhea and peristalsis dysfunctions. Deleterious effects of histamine can be alleviated with antihistamine drugs targeting histamine receptors. However, many antihistamine agents come with various undesirable side effects. Vegetal diamine oxidase (vDAO) might be a relevant alternative owing to its histaminase activity. Mammalian intestinal mucosa contains an endogenous DAO, yet possessing lower activity compared to that of vDAO preparation. Moreover, in several pathological conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, this endogenous DAO enzyme can be lost or inactivated. Here, we tested the therapeutic potential of vDAO by focusing on the well-known effect of histamine on gut motility. Using ex vivo and in vitro assays, we found that vDAO is more potent than commercial anti-histamine drugs at inhibiting histamine-induced contraction of murine distal colon muscles. We also identified pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (the biologically active form of vitamin B6) as an effective enhancer of vDAO antispasmodic activity. Furthermore, we discovered that rectally administered vDAO can be retained on gut mucosa and remain active. These observations make administration of vDAO in the gut lumen a valid alternative treatment for histamine-induced intestinal dysfunctions

Edge Computing and Communication for Energy-Efficient Earth Surveillance with LEO Satellites

Modern satellites deployed in low Earth orbit (LEO) accommodate processing payloads that can be exploited for edge computing. Furthermore, by implementing inter-satellite links, the LEO satellites in a constellation can route the data end-to-end (E2E). These capabilities can be exploited to greatly improve the current store-and-forward approaches in Earth surveillance systems. However, they give rise to an NP-hard problem of joint communication and edge computing resource management (RM). In this paper, we propose an algorithm that allows the satellites to select between computing the tasks at the edge or at a cloud server and to allocate an adequate power for communication. The overall objective is to minimize the energy consumption at the satellites while fulfilling specific service E2E latency constraints for the computing tasks. Experimental results show that our algorithm achieves energy savings of up to 18% when compared to the selected benchmarks with either 1) fixed edge computing decisions or 2) maximum power allocation.Comment: Submitted to ICC 202

Satellite edge computing for real-time and very-high resolution Earth observation

In real-time and high-resolution Earth observation imagery, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites capture images that are subsequently transmitted to ground to create an updated map of an area of interest. Such maps provide valuable information for meteorology or environmental monitoring, but can also be employed in near-real time operation for disaster detection, identification, and management. However, the amount of data generated by these applications can easily exceed the communication capabilities of LEO satellites, leading to congestion and packet dropping. To avoid these problems, the Inter-Satellite Links (ISLs) can be used to distribute the data among the satellites for processing. In this paper, we address an energy minimization problem based on a general satellite mobile edge computing (SMEC) framework for real-time and very-high resolution Earth observation. Our results illustrate that the optimal allocation of data and selection of the compression parameters increase the amount of images that the system can support by a factor of 12 when compared to directly downloading the data. Further, energy savings greater than 11% were observed in a real-life scenario of imaging a volcanic island, while a sensitivity analysis of the image acquisition process demonstrates that potential energy savings can be as high as 92%.Comment: submitted for publication to IEEE Transactions in Communication

Lipogenic enzyme activity in growing Rasa Aragonesa lambs

- The lipogenic enzyme activity of the following enzymes was studied: Glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), fatty acids synthetase (FAS), NADP-Malate dehydrogenase (ME) and Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) in five fat depots (omental, OM; mesenteric, MES; kidney knob and channel, KKC; subcutaneous, SC; intermuscular, IM) in 45 male Rasa Aragonesa lambs divided into three groups of 15 lambs (G12, G24, G36). They were slaughtered respectively at 11.70 r 0.67; 24.50 -c 0.57 and 35.80 f 1.74 kg of live weight (LW) and at 32 f 5; 89 f 8, and 123 f 8 days old. The G12 lambs were slaughtered on the day of weaning, having consumed solely their mother's milk; those in the G24 and G36 groups were weaned at 16.20 -c 1.32 and 18.30 i 2.46 kg LW respectively, were fed from then onward increase in the activity of the G3PDH and FAS lipogenic enzymes was observed. The increase inthe 'de novo' synthesis (FAS) at 36 kg LW was matched by G6PDH activity, which indicates greater use of acetate as a precursor of fatty acids. Furthermore, the maintenance of ME activity during the period studied would indicate that the glucose rate utilization for the fatty acids synthesis was not modified throughout this period."Activité enzymatique lipogénique chez l'agneau de race Rasa Aragonesa au cours de la croissance". On a étudié l'activité enzymatique lipogénique des enzymes Glycérol3-phosphate déhydrogénase (G3PDH), Synthétase des acides gras (SAG), NADP-Malate déhydrogénase (EM) et Glucose 6-phosphate déhydrogénase (GGPDH), dans 5 tissus adipeux (omental, OM ; mésentérique, MES ; pelvien-rénal, PVR ; sous-cutané, SC ; et intermusculaire, /M) chez 45 agneaux mâles de race Rasa Aragonesa répartis en trois lots de 15 agneaux (G12, G24, G36), abattus respectivement à 11,70 0,67; 24,50 -t 0,57 et 35,80 1,74 kg de poids vif (PV) et 32 f 5 ; 89 & 8 et 123 8 jours d'âge. Les agneaux du lot G12 ont été abattus le jour du sevrage et ont ingéré uniquement du lait de la mère ; ceux du lot G24 et du lot G36 ont été sevrés à 16,20 1,32 et 18,30 -r- 2,46 kg de PV, et ont ingéré après le sevrage de l'aliment concentré et de la paille d'orge ad libitum jusqu'à l'abattage. Entre 24 et 36 kg de PV, on a observé une augmentation des activités des enzymes G3PDH et SAG. L'augmentation de la synthèse "de novo" (SAG) B 36 kg de PV a éte accompagnée par une augmentation de l'activité de la GGPDH, qui pourrait indiquer une utilisation plus élevée de l'acétate comme précurseur des acides gras. D'autre part, l'absence de variation dans l'activité de I'EM pourrait indiquer que l'utilisation du glucose pour la synthèse des acides gras n'a pas été modifiée pendant la période ét