220 research outputs found

    A Multi-DSP 96002 board

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    Probing superfluidity in a quasi two-dimensional Bose gas through its local dynamics

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    We report direct evidence of superfluidity in a quasi two-dimensional Bose gas by observing its dynamical response to a collective excitation. Relying on a novel local correlation analysis, we are able to probe inhomogeneous clouds and reveal their local dynamics. We identify in this way the superfluid and thermal phases inside the gas and locate the boundary at which the Berezinskii--Kosterlitz--Thouless crossover occurs. This new analysis also allows to evidence the coupling of the two fluids which induces at finite temperatures damping rates larger than the usual Landau damping

    Coping with Information Disruption in A Simple Multi-Actor Information System

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    Information and knowledge management have become crucial to the development of a competitive edge on the market. This requires the gathering of complete and consistent information in an environment where companies are working increasingly with a vast network of partners. In this paper, we investigate the case of platforms on the tourism market selling trips in boxes thanks to a wide network of partners upstream (service providers) and downstream (distribution network). A particular case feature here is that the product is bought to be gifted which increases the complexity of the information gathering process. The information needs are defined as well as the potential information gaps.  Solutions are discussed in order to reach information consistency through greater Information System integration: bridging information gaps appears to be mostly feasible but still leaves one actor in the shade. Platforms in the tourism market, even though they may get a good degree of qualitative information, will not achieve perfect information

    Seasonal density estimates of common large herbivores in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

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    The monitoring of ecosystem processes and states is a critical step in the management of protected areas. It allows for the assessment of the success or failure of practices ranging from ‘laissez-faire’ to strong hands-on policies. Much effort is for instance devoted to the monitoring of wildlife abundance, particularly when associated with large ecological influence or socio-economical values (Gordon, Hester & Festa-Bianchet, 2004). In Africa, the diversity of large herbivores represents both a major asset of protected areas and a global conservation target as a consequence of the dramatic decline of wildlife populations under other land uses. In addition to the local importance of such monitoring data, collation of data from multiple sites ultimately allows general patterns to be revealed (e.g. Fritz & Duncan, 1994). Here, we contribute to the general knowledge on large African herbivores by reporting on their seasonal abundance, using road transect counts, in Hwange National Park (thereafter HNP), north-western Zimbabwe

    Synchrotron-generated microbeams induce hippocampal transections in rats

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    Synchrotron-generated microplanar beams (microbeams) provide the most stereo-selective irradiation modality known today. This novel irradiation modality has been shown to control seizures originating from eloquent cortex causing no neurological deficit in experimental animals. To test the hypothesis that application of microbeams in the hippocampus, the most common source of refractory seizures, is safe and does not induce severe side effects, we used microbeams to induce transections to the hippocampus of healthy rats. An array of parallel microbeams carrying an incident dose of 600 Gy was delivered to the rat hippocampus. Immunohistochemistry of phosphorylated gamma-H2AX showed cell death along the microbeam irradiation paths in rats 48 hours after irradiation. No evident behavioral or neurological deficits were observed during the 3-month period of observation. MR imaging showed no signs of radio-induced edema or radionecrosis 3 months after irradiation. Histological analysis showed a very well preserved hippocampal cytoarchitecture and confirmed the presence of clear-cut microscopic transections across the hippocampus. These data support the use of synchrotron-generated microbeams as a novel tool to slice the hippocampus of living rats in a minimally invasive way, providing (i) a novel experimental model to study hippocampal function and (ii) a new treatment tool for patients affected by refractory epilepsy induced by mesial temporal sclerosis

    Aboveground biomass density models for NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) lidar mission

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    NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) is collecting spaceborne full waveform lidar data with a primary science goal of producing accurate estimates of forest aboveground biomass density (AGBD). This paper presents the development of the models used to create GEDI's footprint-level (similar to 25 m) AGBD (GEDI04_A) product, including a description of the datasets used and the procedure for final model selection. The data used to fit our models are from a compilation of globally distributed spatially and temporally coincident field and airborne lidar datasets, whereby we simulated GEDI-like waveforms from airborne lidar to build a calibration database. We used this database to expand the geographic extent of past waveform lidar studies, and divided the globe into four broad strata by Plant Functional Type (PFT) and six geographic regions. GEDI's waveform-to-biomass models take the form of parametric Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) models with simulated Relative Height (RH) metrics as predictor variables. From an exhaustive set of candidate models, we selected the best input predictor variables, and data transformations for each geographic stratum in the GEDI domain to produce a set of comprehensive predictive footprint-level models. We found that model selection frequently favored combinations of RH metrics at the 98th, 90th, 50th, and 10th height above ground-level percentiles (RH98, RH90, RH50, and RH10, respectively), but that inclusion of lower RH metrics (e.g. RH10) did not markedly improve model performance. Second, forced inclusion of RH98 in all models was important and did not degrade model performance, and the best performing models were parsimonious, typically having only 1-3 predictors. Third, stratification by geographic domain (PFT, geographic region) improved model performance in comparison to global models without stratification. Fourth, for the vast majority of strata, the best performing models were fit using square root transformation of field AGBD and/or height metrics. There was considerable variability in model performance across geographic strata, and areas with sparse training data and/or high AGBD values had the poorest performance. These models are used to produce global predictions of AGBD, but will be improved in the future as more and better training data become available

    Outcomes of elective liver surgery worldwide: a global, prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study

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    Background: The outcomes of liver surgery worldwide remain unknown. The true population-based outcomes are likely different to those vastly reported that reflect the activity of highly specialized academic centers. The aim of this study was to measure the true worldwide practice of liver surgery and associated outcomes by recruiting from centers across the globe. The geographic distribution of liver surgery activity and complexity was also evaluated to further understand variations in outcomes. Methods: LiverGroup.org was an international, prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study following the Global Surgery Collaborative Snapshot Research approach with a 3-month prospective, consecutive patient enrollment within January–December 2019. Each patient was followed up for 90 days postoperatively. All patients undergoing liver surgery at their respective centers were eligible for study inclusion. Basic demographics, patient and operation characteristics were collected. Morbidity was recorded according to the Clavien–Dindo Classification of Surgical Complications. Country-based and hospital-based data were collected, including the Human Development Index (HDI). (NCT03768141). Results: A total of 2159 patients were included from six continents. Surgery was performed for cancer in 1785 (83%) patients. Of all patients, 912 (42%) experienced a postoperative complication of any severity, while the major complication rate was 16% (341/2159). The overall 90-day mortality rate after liver surgery was 3.8% (82/2,159). The overall failure to rescue rate was 11% (82/ 722) ranging from 5 to 35% among the higher and lower HDI groups, respectively. Conclusions: This is the first to our knowledge global surgery study specifically designed and conducted for specialized liver surgery. The authors identified failure to rescue as a significant potentially modifiable factor for mortality after liver surgery, mostly related to lower Human Development Index countries. Members of the LiverGroup.org network could now work together to develop quality improvement collaboratives

    The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance.

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    Investment in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing in Africa over the past year has led to a major increase in the number of sequences that have been generated and used to track the pandemic on the continent, a number that now exceeds 100,000 genomes. Our results show an increase in the number of African countries that are able to sequence domestically and highlight that local sequencing enables faster turnaround times and more-regular routine surveillance. Despite limitations of low testing proportions, findings from this genomic surveillance study underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic and illuminate the distinct dispersal dynamics of variants of concern-particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron-on the continent. Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve while the continent faces many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century
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