Methodology of the biological risk classification of animal pathogens in Belgium

The biological hazards posed by micro-organisms have lead to their categorisation into risk groups and the elaboration of classification lists. Current classification systems rely on criteria defined by the World Health Organization, which cover the severity of the disease the micro-organism might cause, its ability to spread and the availability of prophylaxis or efficient treatment. Animal pathogens are classified according to the definitions of the World Organization of Animal Health, which also consider economic aspects of disease. In Europe, classification is often directly linked to containment measures. The Belgian classification system however, only considers the inherent characteristics of the micro-organism, not its use, making the risk classification independent of containment measures. A common classification list for human and animal pathogens has been developed in Belgium using as comprehensive an approach as possible. Evolution of scientific knowledge will demand regular updating of classification lists. This paper describes the Belgian risk classification system and the methodology that was used for its peer-reviewed revision (with a focus on animal pathogens)

Adsorption of fullerene and azafullerene on Cu(111) studied by electron energy loss spectroscopy

Fullerene and azafullerene films were studied by electron energy loss spectroscopy in reflection geometry. Compared to C60, (C59N)2 multilayers show additional vibrational modes that are characteristic of the dimer structure. The (C59N)2 is semiconductor-like and giant optically allowed excitonic transitions are found in the gap in drastic contrast with C60. The azafullerene monolayer on Cu(111) no longer shows the presence of dimers, indicating monomer adsorption. Similarly to C60, azafullerene molecules in contact with the metal substrate receive a transferred charge between two and three electrons. However, the C59N appears more covalently bound to Cu because it decomposes when heated above 660 K while C60 only desorbs.

Use and selection of sleeping sites by proboscis monkeys, Nasalislarvatus, along the Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Malaysia

The choice of a sleeping site is crucial for primates and may influence their survival. In this study, we investigated several tree characteristics influencing the sleeping site selection by proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) along Kinabatangan River, in Sabah, Malaysia. We identified 81 sleeping trees used by one-male and all-male social groups from November 2011 to January 2012. We recorded 15 variables for each tree. Within sleeping sites, sleeping trees were taller, had a larger trunk, with larger and higher first branches than surrounding trees. The crown contained more mature leaves, ripe and unripe fruits but had vines less often than surrounding trees. In addition, in this study, we also focused on a larger scale, considering sleeping and non-sleeping sites. Multivariate analyses highlighted a combination of 6 variables that revealed the significance of sleeping trees as well as surrounding trees in the selection process. During our boat surveys, we observed that adult females and young individuals stayed higher in the canopy than adult males. This pattern may be driven by their increased vulnerability to predation. Finally, we suggest that the selection of particular sleeping tree features (i.e. tall, high first branch) by proboscis monkeys is mostly influenced by antipredation strategies

Organisation du contróle de la radiocontamination des produits de la pêche (Ministère de l’Agriculture)

Morre Jean, Janin F., Thiry F. Organisation du contrôle de la radiocontamination des produits de la pêche, par le Ministère de l'Agriculture. In: Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France tome 128 n°9-10, 1975. pp. 431-440

Kymatio: Scattering Transforms in Python

The wavelet scattering transform is an invariant signal representation suitable for many signal processing and machine learning applications. We present the Kymatio software package, an easy-to-use, high-performance Python implementation of the scattering transform in 1D, 2D, and 3D that is compatible with modern deep learning frameworks. All transforms may be executed on a GPU (in addition to CPU), offering a considerable speed up over CPU implementations. The package also has a small memory footprint, resulting inefficient memory usage. The source code, documentation, and examples are available undera BSD license at https://www.kymat.io

Solutions of multigravity theories and discretized brane worlds

We determine solutions to 5D Einstein gravity with a discrete fifth dimension. The properties of the solutions depend on the discretization scheme we use and some of them have no continuum counterpart. In particular, we find that the neglect of the lapse field (along the discretized direction) gives rise to Randall-Sundrum type metric with a negative tension brane. However, no brane source is required. We show that this result is robust under changes in the discretization scheme. The inclusion of the lapse field gives rise to solutions whose continuum limit is gauge fixed by the discretization scheme. We find however one particular scheme which leads to an undetermined lapse reflecting the reparametrization invariance of the continuum theory. We also find other solutions, with no continuum counterpart with changes in the metric signature or avoidance of singularity. We show that the models allow a continuous mass spectrum for the gravitons with an effective 4D interaction at small scales. We also discuss some cosmological solutions.Comment: 19 page

Kaluza-Klein and Gauss-Bonnet cosmic strings

We make a systematic investigation of stationary cylindrically symmetric solutions to the five-dimensional Einstein and Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet equations. Apart from the five-dimensional neutral cosmic string metric, we find two new exact solutions which qualify as cosmic strings, one corresponding to an electrically charged cosmic string, the other to an extended superconducting cosmic string surrounding a charged core. In both cases, test particles are deflected away from the singular line source. We extend both kinds of solutions to exact multi-cosmic string solutions.Comment: 26 pages, LaTex, no figure