Quand l'immobilisme coûte plus cher que l'échange

International audienceDans cet article nous présentons un modèle en programmation linéaire permettant de déployer un réseau aérien à moindre coût pour la collecte de données de capteurs mobiles. Nous utilisons un modèle énergétique réaliste afin d'étudier le compromis entre distance parcourue et énergie dépensée. Ce modèle montre que l'état stationnaire d'un drone est plus coûteux en énergie que le déplacement à une vitesse modérée, ce qui se répercute dans nos résultats par des échanges de positions entre les drones au cours du temps afin de limiter leur consommation énergétique

Optimizing the trajectory of drones: trade-off between distance and energy

International audienceThe use of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones has emerged to efficiently collect data from mobile sensors when there is no infrastructure available. The drones can form a flying ad-hoc network through which the sensors can send their data to a base station at any time. In this paper, we present a mixed integer linear program to find the drones' optimal trajectories to form and maintain this network through time while minimizing their movements and energy consumption. Furthermore we analyze the trade-off between distance and energy, where increasing the drones' mobility can reduce their energy consumption, and derive a fair trade-off optimal solution to balance the two opposite objectives

Formulation Mixte Vitesse-Déplacement pour Viscoélasticité - Confrontation Expérimentale et Numérique

National audienceL'objectif de ce travail est de modéliser le comportement des matériaux polymère injectés sous sollicitations dynamiques par une approche monolithique. Basé sur les équations de Navier-Stokes, nous proposons une méthode des éléments finis mixtes avec une interpolation P1+/P1 utilisant le déplacement (ou la vitesse) et la pression en tant que principales variables. La technique implémentée utilise un maillage composé de triangles (2D) ou de tétraèdres (3D) [6]. Le but de cette approche est de modéliser le comportement viscoélastique des matériaux polymère où les milieux visqueux et élastiques sont mélangés en utilisant une approche multiphasique en vitesse et déplacement. L'idée de base est d'utiliser une formulation mixte (u, v, p) avec un modèle de fermeture F(du / dt,v) = 0 , où les deux champs u et v représentent les principales variables de la déformation et de la vitesse de déformation.See http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/59/26/75/ANNEX/r_ABQP7S30.pd

Optimizing FANET deployment for mobile sensor tracking in disaster management scenario

International audienceThis paper addresses the data collection problem using the minimum number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a disaster management scenario where mobile sensors are investigating the devastated area. Critical information needs to be quickly gathered for processing by the rescue team, so the use of UAVs in this situation is of great interest. We propose an optimal model for computing the trajectories of the UAVs while guaranteeing the total coverage of the ground mobile sensors and connectivity among the UAVs with a central base station dedicated to data processing. Our model is based on a decomposition model and is solved effectively using column generation. We show that we can provide a plan for deploying the UAVs minimizing the total traveled distance

Trajectory Optimization for Fast Sensor Energy Replenishment using UAVs as RF sources

International audienceThe problem of the lifetime of connected objects, in most use cases (Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), disaster management, etc.) is an essential element of the proposed solutions. Radio frequency (RF) harvesting of sensor batteries is an attractive solution, however, it does not scale up if it has to be done by human operators, and becomes impossible if the objects are located in unreachable places. An innovative solution consists of using fleets of drones to take care of this regular recharge. In this paper, we focus on the self-organised deployment of a fleet of drones to solve this problem, taking into account the multiple constraints involved. We propose a two-step optimization framework based on an optimal orchestration solution to reduce the recharging time of a complete sensor system, by optimizing the number of drones, the overall flight time and their energy consumption. We illustrate the performance of our framework that ensures the drones avoid conflicts to guarantee a higher energy harvesting efficiency (establishment of optimal drone positions and planning of the global flight plan)

Distributed fibre optic sensing for sinkhole early warning : experimental study

This paper presents experimental work aimed at proving the feasibility of using distributed fibre optic sensing (DFOS) as an early warning system for sinkhole detection. The 1g experiments were conducted using a plane-strain trapdoor and scaled to provide insight into the formation of a sinkhole in sand, in which DFOS cables were laid at selected depths. The DFOS data are compared with the geomechanics of the soil displacement, recorded using particle image velocimetry (PIV). It was demonstrated that the DFOS exhibits a signature strain profile at the location of the sinkhole, allowing a sinkhole to be located using the DFOS data. Differences in the PIV and DFOS data are, however, apparent – notably the strain magnitudes. Nonetheless, it is possible to estimate the size and location of the sinkhole at depth using the DFOS data. Using a preliminary study of the development of the zone of subsidence, for a range of relative densities, it is then possible to predict the extent of the damage zone at the ground surface. Such results show the potential for the incorporation of DFOS in the construction of critical infrastructure to enable early detection of sinkhole formation and thus provide an opportunity for remedial action to prevent catastrophic failures.CSIC and Innovate UK.https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/toc/jgeot/currenthj2023Civil Engineerin

Engineering Melon Plants with Improved Fruit Shelf Life Using the TILLING Approach

Background: Fruit ripening and softening are key traits that have an effect on food supply, fruit nutritional value and consequently, human health. Since ethylene induces ripening of climacteric fruit, it is one of the main targets to control fruit over ripening that leads to fruit softening and deterioration. The characterization of the ethylene pathway in Arabidopsis and tomato identified key genes that control fruit ripening. [br/] Methodology/Principal Findings: To engineer melon fruit with improved shelf-life, we conducted a translational research experiment. We set up a TILLING platform in a monoecious and climacteric melon line, cloned genes that control ethylene production and screened for induced mutations that lead to fruits with enhanced shelf life. Two missense mutations, L124F and G194D, of the ethylene biosynthetic enzyme, ACC oxidase 1, were identified and the mutant plants were characterized with respect to fruit maturation. The L124F mutation is a conservative mutation occurring away from the enzyme active site and thus was predicted to not affect ethylene production and thus fruit ripening. In contrast, G194D modification occurs in a highly conserved amino acid position predicted, by crystallographic analysis, to affect the enzymatic activity. Phenotypic analysis of the G194D mutant fruit showed complete delayed ripening and yellowing with improved shelf life and, as predicted, the L124F mutation did not have an effect. [br/] Conclusions/Significance: We constructed a mutant collection of 4023 melon M2 families. Based on the TILLING of 11 genes, we calculated the overall mutation rate of one mutation every 573 kb and identified 8 alleles per tilled kilobase. We also identified a TILLING mutant with enhanced fruit shelf life. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of TILLING as a reverse genetics tool to improve crop species. As cucurbits are model species in different areas of plant biology, we anticipate that the developed tool will be widely exploited by the scientific community

Dolutegravir twice-daily dosing in children with HIV-associated tuberculosis: a pharmacokinetic and safety study within the open-label, multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority ODYSSEY trial

Background: Children with HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB) have few antiretroviral therapy (ART) options. We aimed to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of dolutegravir twice-daily dosing in children receiving rifampicin for HIV-associated TB. Methods: We nested a two-period, fixed-order pharmacokinetic substudy within the open-label, multicentre, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority ODYSSEY trial at research centres in South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Children (aged 4 weeks to <18 years) with HIV-associated TB who were receiving rifampicin and twice-daily dolutegravir were eligible for inclusion. We did a 12-h pharmacokinetic profile on rifampicin and twice-daily dolutegravir and a 24-h profile on once-daily dolutegravir. Geometric mean ratios for trough plasma concentration (Ctrough), area under the plasma concentration time curve from 0 h to 24 h after dosing (AUC0–24 h), and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) were used to compare dolutegravir concentrations between substudy days. We assessed rifampicin Cmax on the first substudy day. All children within ODYSSEY with HIV-associated TB who received rifampicin and twice-daily dolutegravir were included in the safety analysis. We described adverse events reported from starting twice-daily dolutegravir to 30 days after returning to once-daily dolutegravir. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02259127), EudraCT (2014–002632-14), and the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN91737921). Findings: Between Sept 20, 2016, and June 28, 2021, 37 children with HIV-associated TB (median age 11·9 years [range 0·4–17·6], 19 [51%] were female and 18 [49%] were male, 36 [97%] in Africa and one [3%] in Thailand) received rifampicin with twice-daily dolutegravir and were included in the safety analysis. 20 (54%) of 37 children enrolled in the pharmacokinetic substudy, 14 of whom contributed at least one evaluable pharmacokinetic curve for dolutegravir, including 12 who had within-participant comparisons. Geometric mean ratios for rifampicin and twice-daily dolutegravir versus once-daily dolutegravir were 1·51 (90% CI 1·08–2·11) for Ctrough, 1·23 (0·99–1·53) for AUC0–24 h, and 0·94 (0·76–1·16) for Cmax. Individual dolutegravir Ctrough concentrations were higher than the 90% effective concentration (ie, 0·32 mg/L) in all children receiving rifampicin and twice-daily dolutegravir. Of 18 children with evaluable rifampicin concentrations, 15 (83%) had a Cmax of less than the optimal target concentration of 8 mg/L. Rifampicin geometric mean Cmax was 5·1 mg/L (coefficient of variation 71%). During a median follow-up of 31 weeks (IQR 30–40), 15 grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred among 11 (30%) of 37 children, ten serious adverse events occurred among eight (22%) children, including two deaths (one tuberculosis-related death, one death due to traumatic injury); no adverse events, including deaths, were considered related to dolutegravir. Interpretation: Twice-daily dolutegravir was shown to be safe and sufficient to overcome the rifampicin enzyme-inducing effect in children, and could provide a practical ART option for children with HIV-associated TB