Etude phenomenologique sur la convection naturelle au dessus d’un disque rainure par voie optique

Parmi toutes les méthodes expérimentales, l’optique a toujours occupé une place de choix grâce à son caractère non intrusif : la traversée d’un écoulement par un faisceau lumineux n’entraine pas de perturbation dans les conditions requises par la visualisation ou la mesure. C’est ce qui explique l’importance de la technique que nous allons décrire. Cette étude vise la mise en place d'un banc d'essai en vue de visualiser et traiter numériquement la convection naturelle induite par un disque rainuré et chauffée par le bas dans un système ouvert. La méthode de visualisation choisie est l'ombroscopie comme méthode non intrusive afin de ne pas perturber la convection. Il est utile aussi de rappeler que cette dernière technique délivre en fait des images qu'il faudra lire et éventuellement traiter. Ainsi, dans pratiquement tous les cas de contrôle optique, il faut, pour obtenir des images reconstituées de bonne qualité et envisager une vision nette, mettre en oeuvre un système élaboré de traitement d'images. Ce système a pour premier but d'améliorer la qualité de l'image sur le plan du contraste et du niveau de bruit; il doit en seconde lieu très souvent prendre en compte la morphologie des objectifs recherchés afin de rendre l'image reconstituée parfaitement exploitable.Mots clés: Convection naturelle, Disque rainuré, Ombroscopie, Traitement d’image, thermographi

Morning melatonin ingestion and diurnal variation of short-term maximal performances in soccer players

Aim Very few studies have investigated the temporal specificity of melatonin (MEL) ingestion upon short-term maximal athletic performances. The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of morning MEL ingestion on cognitive and physical performances measured in the afternoon. Methods Twelve soccer players from a Tunisian squad (17.9 ± 1.3 years, 1.74 ± 0.06 m and 62.0 ± 8.8 kg) participated in the present study. They performed two testing sessions at 08:00 h, 12:00 h and 16:00 h after either MEL (5mg) or placebo (PLA) ingestion, in a randomized order. During each period, the participants performed the following cognitive and physical tests: reaction time and vigilance tests, medicine-ball throw (MBT), five jumps, handgrip strength (HG), and agility tests. Results cognitive and physical performances were significantly higher at 16:00 h compared to 08:00 h during the two conditions (p < 0.05). Moreover, performances of MBT and HG were lower in the morning with MEL in comparison to PLA (p < 0.05). However, MEL ingestion did not affect physical and cognitive performances measured at 12:00 h and 16:00 h. Conclusion morning MEL ingestion has no unfavourable effect on afternoon physical and cognitive performances in soccer players

Effect of melatonin ingestion on physical performance, metabolic responses, and recovery after an intermittent training session

Objectives Fatigue is a limiting factor for sport performance. For this reason, optimal recovery after training is just as critical as the training program itself, if not more. Indeed, there is a need for strategies that can facilitate recovery after training, and one such strategy is the ingestion of supplements like melatonin (MEL). This study aimed to evaluate if MEL intake could improve recovery of athletes after an intermittent training session (ITS). Methods Fifteen elite female athletes (17.4 ± 0.4 years, 76.4 ± 5.6 kg, 1.76 ± 0.04 m; mean ± standard deviation) participated in two testing campaigns. During each period, they performed a battery of physical and cognitive tests before and after an ITS, as well as after ingesting MEL (6 mg tablet) or placebo in a randomized design. The ITS comprised the modified agility T-test, squat jump, counter movement jump, maximum standing ball-throw velocity test, maximum jump ball-throw velocity test, and 20-m sprint. Oral temperature (OT) and vigilance were evaluated before and after the ITS. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE), blood lactate [La], and glucose [Gl] were recorded after each ITS. Results Short-term performance, recovery of physical performance, and OT were not affected by MEL ingestion after the ITS. Moreover, MEL did not affect cognitive performance or RPE scores after the ITS. However, [La] and [Gl] (p < 0.05 for both) were decreased after MEL ingestion. Conclusion: MEL has no effect on the recovery of physical performance but may affect glucose utilization and lactate metabolism during the team-handball training session

SANS polarization analysis with nuclear-spin-polarized He-3

A neutron spin filter based on transmission through nuclear-spin-polarized He-3 gas has been applied to polarization analysis of small angle neutron scattering (SANS). Such spin filters, which are based on the large spin dependence of the absorption of neutrons by He-3, make SANS polarization analysis possible because of their large angular acceptance. In the present experiment, a He-3-based analyzer was employed to separate nuclear scattering into its coherent and spin-incoherent components. Polarized He-3 analyzers were prepared by two different optical pumping methods and installed on the NG3 SANS instrument at the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR). Measurements were taken on cellophane tape and silica gel, for which the scattering is almost completely incoherent and coherent, respectively, and on a combined sample. For the combined sample, separation of the coherent part from the incoherent part was successfully demonstrated using polarization analysis

Morphological Transformations in the Magnetite Biomineralizing Protein Mms6 in Iron Solutions: A Small-Angle X-ray Scattering Study

Magnetotactic bacteria that produce magnetic nanocrystals of uniform size and well-defined morphologies have inspired the use of biomineralization protein Mms6 to promote formation of uniform magnetic nanocrystals in vitro. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies in physiological solutions reveal that Mms6 forms compact globular three-dimensional (3D) micelles (approximately 10 nm in diameter) that are, to a large extent, independent of concentration. In the presence of iron ions in the solutions, the general micellar morphology is preserved, however, with associations among micelles that are induced by iron ions. Compared with Mms6, the m2Mms6 mutant (with the sequence of hydroxyl/carboxyl containing residues in the C-terminal domain shuffled) exhibits subtle morphological changes in the presence of iron ions in solutions. The analysis of the SAXS data is consistent with a hierarchical core–corona micellar structure similar to that found in amphiphilic polymers. The addition of ferric and ferrous iron ions to the protein solution induces morphological changes in the micellar structure by transforming the 3D micelles into objects of reduced dimensionality of 2, with fractal-like characteristics (including Gaussian-chain-like) or, alternatively, platelet-like structures