Resolution limit of the near-field scanning technique

The near-field intensity distribution in a fully-excited fibre is calculated by superposition of propagating modes. It is shown that the resolution of the near-field scanning technique is limited by the number of modes supported by the fibre. Experimental confirmation is given

LESSONS FROM THE MOTORIZED MIGRATIONS

Ten experiments have been conducted to determine if cranes can be led on migration and if those so trained will repeat migrations on their own. Results have been mixed as we have experienced the mishaps common to pilot studies. Nevertheless, we have learned many valuable lessons. Chief among these are that cranes can be led long distances behind motorized craft (air and ground), and those led over most or the entire route will return north come spring and south in fall to and from the general area of training. However, they will follow their own route. Groups transported south and flown at intervals along the route will migrate but often miss target termini. If certain protocol restrictions are followed, it is possible to make the trained cranes wild, however, the most practical way of so doing is to introduce them into a flock of wild cranes. We project that it is possible to create or restore wild migratory flocks of cranes by first leading small groups from chosen northern to southern termini

Facilitating Pupil Thinking About Information Literacy

Whilst information literacy is frequently taught through the imposition on learners of an established framework, this paper suggests a different approach by taking a lead from James Herring’s ideas. Specifically, it provides guidance to school-based information professionals who would like to encourage their pupils to devise their own flexible, information literacy models which are unique to them. Drawing on existing material in information science and wider thought, it proposes areas for coverage and considers how information professionals may support the dynamic process of model construction. It is recommended that those who are intent on facilitating the creation of personal information literacy models help pupils to identify the roles they take on in their lives, to reflect on the information needs that result, to ascertain the information they require in particular situations, to explore their information-seeking activities, to consider means by which information can be captured and to give thought as to how the information they have accessed may be used. This framework is, however, by no means rigid and readers are, of course, free to make their own adjustments

Rapid response to the M_w 4.9 earthquake of November 11, 2019 in Le Teil, Lower Rhône Valley, France

On November 11, 2019, a Mw 4.9 earthquake hit the region close to Montelimar (lower Rhône Valley, France), on the eastern margin of the Massif Central close to the external part of the Alps. Occuring in a moderate seismicity area, this earthquake is remarkable for its very shallow focal depth (between 1 and 3 km), its magnitude, and the moderate to large damages it produced in several villages. InSAR interferograms indicated a shallow rupture about 4 km long reaching the surface and the reactivation of the ancient NE-SW La Rouviere normal fault in reverse faulting in agreement with the present-day E-W compressional tectonics. The peculiarity of this earthquake together with a poor coverage of the epicentral region by permanent seismological and geodetic stations triggered the mobilisation of the French post-seismic unit and the broad French scientific community from various institutions, with the deployment of geophysical instruments (seismological and geodesic stations), geological field surveys, and field evaluation of the intensity of the earthquake. Within 7 days after the mainshock, 47 seismological stations were deployed in the epicentral area to improve the Le Teil aftershocks locations relative to the French permanent seismological network (RESIF), monitor the temporal and spatial evolution of microearthquakes close to the fault plane and temporal evolution of the seismic response of 3 damaged historical buildings, and to study suspected site effects and their influence in the distribution of seismic damage. This seismological dataset, completed by data owned by different institutions, was integrated in a homogeneous archive and distributed through FDSN web services by the RESIF data center. This dataset, together with observations of surface rupture evidences, geologic, geodetic and satellite data, will help to unravel the causes and rupture mechanism of this earthquake, and contribute to account in seismic hazard assessment for earthquakes along the major regional Cévenne fault system in a context of present-day compressional tectonics

Defining the Relationship of Oxygen Delivery and Consumption: Use of Biologic System Models

To determine the most appropriate mathematical description of the relationship between oxygen consumption and oxygen delivery, we compared the statistical validity of a piecewise linear model to two different biologic system models—-Michaelis-Menten (MM) kinetics (used for enzyme systems) and the exponential dose-response relationship (used to describe drug administration and induced response). Nine rabbits underwent five incremental steps of normovolemic hemodilution to progressively decrease D o 2 . V o 2 was measured concurrently by a metabolic gas monitor. All three models (piecewise linear, Michaelis-Menten, and exponential) provided a very close population curve fit to the data points ( r 2 = 0.88, 0.91, and 0.92). However, there were significant differences in maximum predicted V o 2 ( V o 2max )—6.8, 9.9, 7.2 ml O 2·kg -1·min-1( P < 0.0002)—and a wide range in the model-specific parameters for individual rabbits (critical D o 2 6.5-11.8 ml O 2·kg -1·min -1, K m 4.2-11.4 ml O 2·kg -1·min -1, and k 0.12-0.23 ml O -1 2·kg*middot;min). In the curvilinear models, average and population parameters were not significantly different. However, in the piecewise linear model, population critical D o 2 (10.9 ml O 2·kg -1·min -1) was 30% more than the average critical D o 2 (8.4 ml O 2·kg -1·min -1) for the nine rabbits ( P < 0.005). V o 2max values predicted by the piecewise linear and exponential dose-response model were more consistent with those in previous publications than was the higher V o 2max predicted by the MM model. The difference in the average versus population critical D o 2 in the piecewise linear model meant that population modeling was inaccurate because it yielded a critical D o 2 higher than that demonstrated by eight of nine individual rabbits. Despite the high r 2 values for all three models and the historical use of the piecewise linear model, we consider the exponential dose-response model the most appropriate description of the D o 2 / V o 2 relationship given its advantages with regard to V o 2max prediction and population modeling

High resolution seafloor thermometry for internal wave and upwelling monitoring using Distributed Acoustic Sensing

International audienceTemperature is an essential oceanographic variable (EOV) that still today remains coarsely resolved below the surface and near the seafloor. Here, we gather evidence to confirm that Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology can convert tens of kilometer-long seafloor fiber-optic telecommunication cables into dense arrays of temperature anomaly sensors having millikelvin (mK) sensitivity, thus allowing to monitor oceanic processes such as internal waves and upwelling with unprecedented detail. Notably, we report high-resolution observations of highly coherent near-inertial and super-inertial internal waves in the NW Mediterranean sea, offshore of Toulon, France, having spatial extents of a few kilometers and producing maximum thermal anomalies of more than 5 K at maximum absolute rates of more than 1 K/h. We validate our observations with in-situ oceanographic sensors and an alternative optical fiber sensing technology. Currently, DAS only provides temperature changes estimates, however practical solutions are outlined to obtain continuous absolute temperature measurements with DAS at the seafloor. Our observations grant key advantages to DAS over established temperature sensors, showing its transformative potential for the description of seafloor temperature fluctuations over an extended range of spatial and temporal scales, as well as for the understanding of the evolution of the ocean in a broad sense (e.g. physical and ecological). Diverse ocean-oriented fields could benefit from the potential applications of this fast-developing technology