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International audience; This work is dedicated to solving the adaptive fuzzy decentralized tracking control issue of large-scale nonlinear systems with full-state constraints. Different with barrier Lyapunov function, the main difference is that a novel nonlinear state-dependent function (NSDF) is introduced to prevent the state constraints being overstepped. Based on NSDF, the necessary feasibility conditions for virtual controllers are completely removed. Then, the prior knowledge of the unknown virtual control coefficients is no longer required since the original system is transformed via the new affine variable. Under the control strategy, three objectives on system performance are achieved: (a) all signals of the closed-loop system are bounded; (b) the subsystem output closely tracks the reference trajectory and original error is ultimately uniformly bounded; (c) the full-state constraints are not violated for all the time. At the end, two simulation examples are shown to verify the effectiveness of the control method.

International audience; This article studies the fault estimation problem for a class of continuous-time nonlinear Markovian jump systems with unmeasured states, unknown bounded sensor faults, and unknown nonlinearities simultaneously. In this article, a new adaptive fuzzy observer design scheme is developed, where the completely unknown nonlinear terms are approximated by adaptive fuzzy logic systems. By means of a novel online adaptive mechanism, the asymptotic stability of the error dynamic system is guaranteed despite of sensor faults and unknown nonlinear terms. Moreover, the sliding surface switching problem in the traditional sliding mode observer techniques can be avoided for Markovian jump systems. Finally, two practical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Extracting features for early failure detection in rotating machinery of nuclear power plants (NPPs) is difficult because in the early stages of failure the impact on the vibration signals is weak. To improve early fault detection in rotating machinery, a fault feature extraction method based on the combination of parameter-adaptive Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) and Teager energy operator (TEO) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, we introduce the maximum weighted kurtosis index (WKI) as the objective function, and the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) is used to optimize the VMD parameters. Then, the optimized VMD is used to decompose the vibration signal into multiple intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Finally, TEO is used to demodulate the sensitive mode with the maximum WKI and identify the fault frequencies. Simulation and experiment show that the early fault features in vibration signals can be effectively extracted by the proposed method, and the comparisons with other three methods highlight the advantages of the proposed method.

In this paper, a weakly compressible updated Lagrangian particle hydrodynamics (ULPH) model [1] has been developed for multiphase flows with high density ratios and viscosity ratios. To enhance computation stability and prevent penetrations near the multiphase flow interface, a new surface tension resultant formulation based on the Continuum Surface Force (CSF) formulation [2] , combined with the interface sharpness force, is also developed within the framework of ULPH method. The intermediate configuration is considered in the computational algorithm, and a modified predictor-corrector scheme is adopted to solve governing equations, which significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of the ULPH model. Several numerical examples are presented to compare with either analytical or computational results obtained by using different numerical methods such as Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method, Moving Particle Semi-implicit (MPS) method and Level Set (LS) method within the framework of Finite Element Method (FEM). The results indicate that the ULPH method has good accuracy, stability, and convergence properties in simulations of multiphase flows.

In recent years, graphene oxide (GO), prepared by the modified Hummers’ method, and its derivatives have become a focus of research owing to their outstanding physical and chemical properties and low cost. Drawing inspiration from the mussel protein, a facile and environmentally-friendly method was employed to fabricate superhydrophobic/superoleophilic reduced graphene oxide (rGO) derivative. The preparation comprises two steps: coating GO nanosheets with polydopamine (PDA) and subsequent reaction with 1 H ,1 H ,2 H ,2 H -perfluorodecanethiol. Due to the excellent adhesive ability of PDA, the resulting f PDA modified rGO nanosheets (rGO- f PDA) were firmly immobilized onto polyurethane (PU) sponge skeleton by a simple drop-coating method. The as-prepared rGO- f PDA functionalized sponge exhibited superhydrophobic behavior with a water contact angle of 162°±2°, high organic adsorption capacity, recyclability and stable oil/water separation behavior under different acidic/alkaline conditions. Due to its facile fabrication technique and outstanding properties, the superhydrophobic-superoleophilic PU-rGO- f PDA sponge holds great promise as an oil adsorbent for cleaning up large-scale pollution of oil and organic solvents, and dehydrating crude oil.

International audience; The main research objective of this study is to examine how coastal urban communities in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF) organize the sustainable development (and emerging blue economy) strategy planning process. Along with this general objective, this study focuses on four more specific questions: First, to examine whether the sustainable development and blue economy concepts are integrated into the urban development strategies and whether they are a real priority for the northern coastal communities? Second, to figure out which local government and civil society institutions are involved in the policy planning process and whether this sphere of local politics is transparent and open to public discussions? Third, to find out which specific aspects of the sustainable development and coastal blue economy concepts are given priority in the municipal development strategies? Finally, to discuss whether the AZRF coastal sustainable development/blue economy strategies aim to solve short-term/most pressing problems or they suggest long-term policies built on sustainability principles and are oriented to solve fundamental socioeconomic and ecological problems of the AZRF coastal communities? The hypothesis of this study is that a properly designed strategy planning system would be helpful for both familiarizing northern municipalities with the blue economy concept and its effective implementation. This research is based on several empirical cases, including major Arctic coastal urban centers/ports-Anadyr, Arkhangelsk, Dudinka, Murmansk, Naryan-Mar, Pevek, Sabetta, and Severodvinsk.

International audience; In this article, we present an ultrasonic method based on diffuse ultrasound with successive excitation amplitudes. This method provides amplitude-dependent parameters of diffuse ultrasound using coda wave interferometry, and these parameters can be used to characterize mechanical change in metallic materials. The localized mechanical change caused by an instantaneous 400°C thermal shock in a meter-scale aluminum alloy slab was characterized by measuring the diffuse-wave velocity change and decorrelation coefficient as functions of the excitation amplitude. The potential mechanisms and spatial distribution that cause the observed amplitude-dependent diffuse waveform modification are discussed. Combining the method presented here with complementary approaches will enhance the ability to nondestructively detect early-stage damage in the laboratory or in the field.

International audience; In this paper, the dissipativity-based consensus problem for polynomial fuzzy multi-agent systems is considered. First, a novel fuzzy modeling method is proposed to describe the error dynamics. By establishing the changing topologies by Markov process, a new consensus protocols are designed. By polynomial Lyapunov function and sum of squares, sufficient condition is given to assure even-square consensus with dissipative performance. Finally, an illustrative example is employed to verify the proposed dissipativity-based even-square consensus design schemes.

Context. High-mass star formation typically takes place in a crowded environment, with a higher likelihood of young forming stars affecting and being affected by their surroundings and neighbours, as well as links between different physical scales affecting the outcome. However, observational studies are often focused on either clump or disc scales exclusively.\udAims. We explore the physical and chemical links between clump and disc scales in the high-mass star formation region W3 IRS4, a region that contains a number of different evolutionary phases in the high-mass star formation process, as a case-study for what can be achieved as part of the IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) large programme named CORE: “Fragmentation and disc formation in high-mass star formation”.\udMethods. We present 1.4 mm continuum and molecular line observations with the IRAM NOEMA interferometer and 30 m telescope, which together probe spatial scales from ~0.3−20′′ (600−40 000 AU or 0.003−0.2 pc at 2 kpc, the distance to W3). As part of our analysis, we used XCLASS to constrain the temperature, column density, velocity, and line-width of the molecular emission lines.\udResults. The W3 IRS4 region includes a cold filament and cold cores, a massive young stellar object (MYSO) embedded in a hot core, and a more evolved ultra-compact (UC)H II region, with some degree of interaction between all components of the region that affects their evolution. A large velocity gradient is seen in the filament, suggesting infall of material towards the hot core at a rate of 10−3−10−4 M⊙ yr−1, while the swept up gas ring in the photodissociation region around the UCH II region may be squeezing the hot core from the other side. There are no clear indications of a disc around the MYSO down to the resolution of the observations (600 AU). A total of 21 molecules are detected, with the abundances and abundance ratios indicating that many molecules were formed in the ice mantles of dust grains at cooler temperatures, below the freeze-out temperature of CO (≲35 K). This contrasts with the current bulk temperature of ~50 K, which was obtained from H2CO.\udConclusions. CORE observations allow us to comprehensively link the different structures in the W3 IRS4 region for the first time. Our results argue that the dynamics and environment around the MYSO W3 IRS4 have a significant impact on its evolution. This context would be missing if only high resolution or continuum observations were available.

Aim: In the past, observations of protostellar shocks have been able to set constraints on the formation route of formamide (NH2CHO), exploiting its observed spatial distribution and comparison with astrochemical model predictions. In this work, we follow the same strategy to study the case of acetaldehyde (CH3CHO). Method: To this end, we used the data obtained with the IRAM-NOEMA interferometer in the framework of the Large Program SOLIS to image the B0 and B1 shocks along the L1157 blueshifted outflow in methanol (CH3OH) and acetaldehyde line emission. Results: We imaged six CH3OH and eight CH3CHO lines which cover upper level energies up to 30 K. Both species trace the B0 molecular cavity as well as the northern B1 portion, i.e. the regions where the youngest shocks (1000 yr) occurred. The CH$_3$OH and CH$_3$CHO emission peaks towards the B1b clump, where we measured the following column densities and relative abundances: 1.3 x 10^16 cm-2 and 6.5 x 10-6 (methanol), and 7 x 10^13 cm-2 and 3.5 x 10-8 (acetaldehyde). We carried out a non-LTE LVG analysis of the observed CH3OH line: the average kinetic temperature and density of the emitting gas are Tkin = 90 K and nH2 = 4 x 10^5 cm-3, respectively. The CH3OH and CH3CHO abundance ratio towards B1b is 190, varying by less than a factor 3 throughout the whole B0-B1 structure. Conclusions: The comparison of astrochemical model predictions with the observed methanol and acetaldehyde spatial distribution does not allow to distinguish whether acetaldehyde is formed on the grain mantles or rather on the gas-phase, as its gas-phase formation, dominated by the reaction of ethyl radical (CH3CH2) with atomic oxygen, is very fast. Observations of acetaldehyde in younger shocks, e.g. 10^2 yr old, or/and of the ethyl radical, whose frequencies are not presently available, are necessary to settle the issue., A&A, in press

We disclose the unprecedented hybrid‐ruthenium catalysis for distal meta‐C−H activation. The hybrid‐ruthenium catalyst was recyclable, as was proven by various heterogeneity tests, and fully characterized with various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, highlighting the physical and chemical stability. Thereby, the hybrid‐ruthenium catalysis proved broadly applicable for meta‐C−H alkylations of among others purine‐based nucleosides and natural product conjugates. Additionally, its versatility was further reflected by meta‐C−H activations through visible‐light irradiation, as well as para‐selective C−H activations., Don't say goodbye! Recyclable ruthenium catalyst enabled diverse distal C−H functionalization. State‐of‐the‐art spectroscopic and spectrometric characterizations highlighted physical and chemical stability of reusable hybrid‐ruthenium catalyst. Robustness and versatility of hybrid‐ruthenium catalysis was further reflected by meta‐ and para‐selectivity as well as visible‐light‐induced reactivity.

This paper presents an improved particle shifting technology (IPST) for smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). It allows particles in the vicinity of the free-surface to be shifted in all the directions in case they are not uniformly distributed, rather than just shifted tangentially to the free-surface in some conventional particle shifting technologies. Therefore, with the new technique, the imprecise shifting due to the inaccurate evaluations of the local normal and tangential vectors of the free-surface can be avoided, and a more uniform particle distribution near the free-surface can be obtained even for long-term simulations, which improves the accuracy and stability of the SPH method. Besides, by combining the advantages of two existing free-surface detection methods, an optimized detection approach is provided. It is capable of detecting the free-surface particles accurately, and meanwhile, it is easier to implement and requires lower computational costs, especially for three-dimensional problems. Several numerical tests show that the proposed IPST and the optimized free-surface detection method are robust and accurate for the simulation of a variety of free-surface flows.

This paper investigates interval estimation methods for discrete-time linear time-invariant systems. We propose a novel interval estimation method by integrating robust observer design with reachability analysis. By introducing $H_{\infty }$ design into interval estimation, the proposed method is effective in improving the accuracy of interval estimation. Moreover, the comparisons and relationships between the existing methods and the proposed method are discussed in detail. Finally, simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

During the process of wave slamming on a structure with sharp corners, the wave receding after wave impingement can induce strong negative pressure (relative to the atmospheric pressure) at the bottom of the structure, which is called the suction effect. From the practical point of view, the suction force induced by the negative pressure, coinciding with the gravity force, pulls the structure down and hence increases the risk of structural damage. In this work, the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method, more specifically the δ+SPH model, is adopted to simulate the freak wave slamming on a fixed platform with the consideration of the suction effect, i.e., negative pressure, which is a challenging issue because it can cause the so-called tensile instability in SPH simulations. The key to overcome the numerical issue is to use a numerical technique named tensile instability control (TIC). Comparative studies using SPH models with and without TIC will show the importance of this technique in capturing the negative pressure. It is also found that using a two-phase simulation that takes the air phase into account is essential for an SPH model to accurately predict the impact pressure during the initial slamming stage. The freak wave impacts with different water depths are studied. All the multiphase SPH results are validated by our experimental data. The wave kinematics/dynamics and wave impact features in the wave-structure interacting process are discussed, and the mechanism of the suction effect characterized by the negative pressure is carefully analyzed.

International audience

In this paper, we study robust invariant set characterizations of discrete-time descriptor systems and propose an active mode detection mechanism for discrete-time descriptor systems considering multiple modes of operation. The considered class of descriptor systems assumes regularity, stability and is affected by unknown-but-bounded disturbances. As a first theoretical result, we establish a general framework for robust invariant sets for discrete-time descriptor systems in both causal and non-causal cases. Particular transformations are subsequently proposed for handling causal and non-causal descriptor systems and will be used to characterize the effects of disturbances. Based on these set-theoretic notions and a designed input signal for active set separations, we propose an active mode detection mechanism by exploiting the strong invariance properties., This work was partially funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERFD) through the project DEOCS (ref. DPI2016-76493-C3-3-R), the FPI grant (ref. BES-2014-068319), the FPI mobility grants (ref. EEBB-I-17-12257 and EEBB-I-18-12900), and by a grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS - UEFISCDI, Romania project number PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2016-0862, MOSCBIOS, within PNCDI III.

The present work is dedicated to an accurate modeling of violent Fluid-Structure-Interaction (FSI) problems using a coupled Lagrangian particle method combining a multi-phase δ-SPH scheme and a Total-Lagrangian-Particle (TLP) method. Advanced numerical techniques, e.g. Adaptive-Particle-Refinement (APR), have been included in the particle method for improving the local accuracy and the overall numerical efficiency. On one hand, this paper aims to demonstrate the capability of the proposed numerical method in modeling FSI flows with large density-ratios, strong fluid impacts, complex interfacial evolutions and considerable wall-boundary movements and deformations; On the other hand, the numerical results presented in this paper show the importance of considering the existence of air-phase in some complex FSI problems. The entrapped air-bubble, after the free-surface rolling and closing, plays an important role in the overall flow evolution and hence the hydrodynamic load on the structure. Although a density ratio as large as 1000 has been adopted, clear and sharp multi-phase interfaces, which undergo violent breakups and reconnections, are present in the numerical results, and more importantly, stable and smooth pressure fields are obtained. This contributes to an accurate prediction of the structural response, as validated by both the experimental data and other numerical results.

Sensitivity and resolution together determine the quality of NMR spectra in biological solids. For high-resolution structure determination with solid-state NMR, proton-detection emerged as an attractive strategy in the last few years. Recent progress in probe technology has extended the range of available MAS frequencies up to above 100 kHz, enabling the detection of resolved resonances from sidechain protons, which are important reporters of structure. Here we characterise the interplay between MAS frequency in the newly available range of 70-110 kHz and proton content on the spectral quality obtainable on a 1 GHz spectrometer for methyl resonances. Variable degrees of proton densities are tested on microcrystalline samples of the alpha-spectrin SH3 domain with selectively protonated methyl isotopomers (CH3, CH2D, CHD2) in a perdeuterated matrix. The experimental results are supported by simulations that allow the prediction of the sensitivity outside this experimental frequency window. Our results facilitate the selection of the appropriate labelling scheme at a given MAS rotation frequency.

International audience

Non-reflecting boundary conditions (NRBCs) play an important role in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A novel NRBC based on the method of characteristics using timeline interpolations is proposed for fluid dynamics solved by smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). It is performed by four layers of particles whose pressures and velocities are obtained through the Lagrange interpolation in the time domain which is derived from the propagation of characteristic waves between particles. The proposed NRBC can allow outward travelling pressure and velocity messages to pass through the boundary without obvious reflection. That is, with the implementation of the NRBC, the solution in a finite computational domain of interest is close to that in an infinite domain. Several numerical tests show that this NRBC is robust and applicable for a broad variety of hydrodynamics ranging from low to high speed.

Ditching often takes place for a ground-effect wing (WIG) ship. During the ditching, the extreme load developed by water impacts may cause damages to structures, posing a great threat to the safety of crew and passengers. In the paper, a weakly compressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) model combined with enhanced numerical techniques has been adopted to tackle the ditching problems. In order to handle the motion of a rigid body in the three-dimensional ditching problems, the six degrees-of-freedom (6-DOF) equations of motion are incorporated into the SPH scheme. The accuracy of the SPH model is validated through two benchmarks, respectively, the two-dimensional wedge water entry and the three-dimensional stone-skipping. The former is aimed to validate the prediction of pressures during the free surface impact while the latter is a good case for testing the coupling motions of the rigid body. Furthermore, the ditching of the real scale WIG ship under different conditions is simulated with the established SPH model, through which some useful conclusions are drawn.

The numerical studies conducted in this paper are based on our previous research (Chen et al., 2017); through use of the spectral element method, parametric sensitivity studies of Nonlinear Coda Wave Interferometry (NCWI) are established here and divided into two parts. In the first part, CWI observables are found to be proportional to the product of the changes in elastic modulus within the Effective Damaged Zone (EDZ) and the EDZ surface area. The modifications to intrinsic properties are quantified via an overall wave velocity variation, as probed by a reverberated coda wave. However, for high-level changes, CWI may fail due to meaningless decorrelation values. In this context, parametric studies are conducted to yield a maximum range for EDZ contrast and area. To further validate these observations using a more realistic numerical model, instead of introducing a homogeneous EDZ model, the second part of this paper adds random cracks with random orientations into the EDZ of a material sample. The influence of a strong pump wave on localized nonlinear damage is reestablished; results show that the cracks added into the EDZ reduce the property changes required to match the previous experimental dataset.

The present work is dedicated to the detection of Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs) in viscous flows through the Finite-Time Lyapunov Exponents (FTLEs) which have been addressed by several works in the recent literature. Here, a novel numerical technique is presented in the context of the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) models. Thanks to the Lagrangian character of SPH, the trajectory of each fluid particle is explicitly tracked over the whole simulation. This allows for a direct evaluation of the FTLE field supplying a new way for the data analysis of complex flows. The evaluation of FTLE can be either implemented as a post-processing or nested into the SPH scheme conveniently. In the numerical results, three test-cases are presented giving a proof of concept for different conditions. The last test-case regards a naval engineering problem for which the present algorithm is successfully used to capture the submerged vortical tunnels caused by the splashing bow wave.

International audience; The main aim of the paper is to evaluate the mechanical behavior or lattice specimens subjected to quasi-static and dynamic compression tests. Both regular and three different variants of SS 316L lattice structures with gradually changed topologies (discrete, increase and decrease) have been successfully designed and additively manufactured with the use of the selective laser melting technique. The fabricated structures were subjected to geometrical quality control, microstructure analysis, phase characterization and compression tests under quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions. The mismatch between dimensions in the designed and produced lattices was noticed. It generally results from the adopted technique of the manufacturing process. The microstructure and phase composition were in good agreement with typical ones after the additive manufacturing of stainless steel. Moreover, the relationship between the structure relative density and its energy absorption capacity has been defined. The value of the maximum deformation energy depends on the adopted gradient topology and reaches the highest value for a gradually decreased topology, which also indicates the highest relative density. However, the highest rate of densification was observed for a gradually increasing topology. In addition, the results show that the gradient topology of the lattice structure affects the global deformation under the loading. Both, static and dynamic loading resulted in both barrel- and waisted-shaped deformation for lattices with an increasing and a decreasing gradient, respectively. Lattice specimens with a gradually changed topology indicate specific mechanical properties, which make them attractive in terms of energy absorption applications.

The fragmentation mode of high-mass molecular clumps and the properties of the central rotating structures surrounding the most luminous objects have yet to be comprehensively characterised. Using the IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) and the IRAM 30-m telescope, the CORE survey has obtained high-resolution observations of 20 well-known highly luminous star-forming regions in the 1.37 mm wavelength regime in both line and dust continuum emission. We present the spectral line setup of the CORE survey and a case study for W3(H2O). At ~0.35" (700 AU at 2 kpc) resolution, the W3(H2O) clump fragments into two cores (West and East), separated by ~2300 AU. Velocity shifts of a few km/s are observed in the dense-gas tracer, CH3CN, across both cores, consistent with rotation and perpendicular to the directions of two bipolar outflows, one emanating from each core. The kinematics of the rotating structure about W3(H2O) W shows signs of differential rotation of material, possibly in a disk-like object. The observed rotational signature around W3(H2O) E may be due to a disk-like object, an unresolved binary (or multiple) system, or a combination of both. We fit the emission of CH3CN (12-11) K = 4-6 and derive a gas temperature map with a median temperature of ~165 K across W3(H2O). We create a Toomre Q map to study the stability of the rotating structures against gravitational instability. The rotating structures appear to be Toomre unstable close to their outer boundaries, with a possibility of further fragmentation in the differentially-rotating core W3(H2O) W. Rapid cooling in the Toomre-unstable regions supports the fragmentation scenario. Combining millimeter dust continuum and spectral line data toward the famous high-mass star-forming region W3(H2O), we identify core fragmentation on large scales, and indications for possible disk fragmentation on smaller spatial scales., Comment: 23 pages, 26 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Understanding demographic trends and patterns of gene flow in an endangered species is crucial for devising conservation strategies. Here, we examined the extent of population structure and recent evolution of the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis). By analysing genetic variation at the mitochondrial and nuclear microsatellite loci for 148 individuals, we identified three populations along the Yangtze River, each one connected to a group of admixed ancestry. Each population displayed extremely low genetic diversity, consistent with extremely small effective size (≤92 individuals). Habitat degradation and distribution gaps correlated with highly asymmetric gene-flow that was inefficient in maintaining connectivity between populations. Genetic inferences of historical demography revealed that the populations in the Yangtze descended from a small number of founders colonizing the river from the sea during the last Ice Age. The colonization was followed by a rapid population split during the last millennium predating the Chinese Modern Economy Development. However, genetic diversity showed a clear footprint of population contraction over the last 50 years leaving only ~2% of the pre-collapsed size, consistent with the population collapses reported from field studies. This genetic perspective provides background information for devising mitigation strategies to prevent this species from extinction.

International audience

Summary Type 1 diabetes is characterized by the destruction of pancreatic β cells, and generating new insulin-producing cells from other cell types is a major aim of regenerative medicine. One promising approach is transdifferentiation of developmentally related pancreatic cell types, including glucagon-producing α cells. In a genetic model, loss of the master regulatory transcription factor Arx is sufficient to induce the conversion of α cells to functional β-like cells. Here, we identify artemisinins as small molecules that functionally repress Arx by causing its translocation to the cytoplasm. We show that the protein gephyrin is the mammalian target of these antimalarial drugs and that the mechanism of action of these molecules depends on the enhancement of GABAA receptor signaling. Our results in zebrafish, rodents, and primary human pancreatic islets identify gephyrin as a druggable target for the regeneration of pancreatic β cell mass from α cells., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • Artemisinins inhibit ARX function and impair α cell identity • Compounds act by stabilizing gephyrin, thus enhancing GABAA receptor signaling • Artemisinins increase β cell mass in zebrafish and rodent models • Functional and transcriptional data indicate a conserved phenotype in human islets, The anti-malarial drug Artemisinin can drive the in vivo conversion of pancreatic α cells into functional β-like cells through enhanced GABA signaling and may have potential as a therapeutic for diabetes.

International audience; Over the next decade, the IVS is on the cusp of dramatic changes transitioning from using large, slow moving antennas observing at S/X (``legacy'' systems) to using small, fast antennas with broad-band receivers, the so-called VGOS systems. Never has there been a time when so many antennas specifically designed for geodetic VLBI are scheduled to come on line in such a short period. VGOS observing will change all aspects of VLBI, from scheduling, to correlation, to observing strategy, to analysis. Compared to current observing, a typical VGOS session will have 1-2 orders of magnitude more data. In this strategic plan we outline some of the operational concepts of VGOS observing, our goals for data accuracy and latency, and some of the challenges and issues we will face during this transition.

International audience; This paper proposes a mode domain beamforming method for a 3 × 3 uniform rectangular array of two-dimensional (2D) acoustic vector sensors with inter-sensor spacing much smaller than the wavelengths in the working frequency band. The acoustic modes are extracted from the particle velocity observations in light of the source-sink pictures of the Taylor's series multipoles [Wikswo and Swinney, J. Appl. Phys. 56(11), 3039–3049 (1984)]. Then, similar to other mode domain methods, the modes are synthesized to obtain the desired beam pattern. The proposed method is limited to the cases where five is the maximum order of the modes for pattern synthesis, meaning that the directivity index in the 2D isotropic noise case can reach up to 10.4 dB. The proposed method has been validated by field experiments.

In this study, high-quality mesoporous Fe 3 O 4 nanocages (MFONs) have been synthesized by a facile complex-coprecipitation method at 100 °C with addition of triethanolamine and ethylene glycol. The as-prepared Fe 3 O 4 nanocages possess a mesoporous structure and highly uniform dispersion. When used as an anode material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, MFONs anode shows high specific capacities and excellent cycling performance at high and low current rates. At a current density of 200 mA g −1 , the discharge specific capacities are 876 mAh g −1 at the 2nd cycle and 830 mAh g −1 at the 100th cycle. Even at the high current density of 1000 mA g −1 , MFONs anode still retains a stable capacity of 573 mAh g −1 after 300 cycles. This superior electrochemical performance is attributed to the unique mesoporous cage-like structure and high specific surface area (133 m 2 g −1 ) of MFONs, which may offer large electrode/electrolyte contact area for the electron conduction and Li + storage. Furthermore, the good mechanical flexibility of the mesoporous nanocages can readily buffer the massive volume expansion/shrinkage associated with the reversible electrode reaction. These results indicate that MFONs can be used as a promising high-performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. M. Kristan et al., "The Visual Object Tracking VOT2015 Challenge Results," 2015 IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision Workshop (ICCVW), Santiago, 2015, pp. 564-586. doi: 10.1109/ICCVW.2015.79, The Visual Object Tracking challenge 2015, VOT2015, aims at comparing short-term single-object visual trackers that do not apply pre-learned models of object appearance. Results of 62 trackers are presented. The number of tested trackers makes VOT 2015 the largest benchmark on shortterm tracking to date. For each participating tracker, a short description is provided in the appendix. Features of the VOT2015 challenge that go beyond its VOT2014 predecessor are: (i) a new VOT2015 dataset twice as large as in VOT2014 with full annotation of targets by rotated bounding boxes and per-frame attribute, (ii) extensions of the VOT2014 evaluation methodology by introduction of a new performance measure. The dataset, the evaluation kit as well as the results are publicly available at the challenge website.

International audience; A layered perovskite EuBaCo2O5+δ (EBCO) has been prepared by a solid-state reaction, and evaluated as potential cathode for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. Structural characterizations are determined at room temperature using powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy technique. The good fits to the XRD data by Rietveld refinement method are obtained in the orthorhombic space group (Pmmm). The lower average thermal expansion coefficient, 14.9 × 10–6 °C–1 between 100 and 800 °C, indicates its better thermal expansion compatibility with conventional electrolytes, compared with the other cobalt-containing cathode materials. The high electrical conductivity and large oxygen nonstoichiometry at intermediate temperatures suggest the effective charge transfer reactions including electron conduction and oxide-ion motion in cathode. As a result, a highly electrochemical activity towards the oxygen reduction reaction is achieved between 600 and 700 °C, as evidenced by low area-specific resistances, e.g. 0.14–0.5 Ω cm2. In addition, cathodic overpotential and oxygen reduction kinetics of the EBCO cathode have also been studied.

International audience; The layered perovskite PrBaxCo2O5+δ (PBxCO, x = 0.90–1.0) oxides have been synthesized by a solid-state reaction technique, and evaluated as the potential cathode materials for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). Room temperature X-ray diffraction patterns show the orthorhombic structures which double the lattice parameters from the perovskite cell parameter as a ≈ ap, b ≈ ap and c ≈ 2ap (ap is the cell parameter of the primitive perovskite) in the Pmmm space group. There is a good chemical compatibility between the PBxCO cathode and the Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (CGO) electrolyte at 1000 °C. The electrical conductivity and thermal expansion coefficient of PBxCO are improved due to the increased amount of electronic holes originated from the Ba-deficiency. The results demonstrate the high electrochemical performance of PBxCO cathodes, as evidenced by the super low polarization resistances (Rp) over the intermediate temperature range. The lowest Rp value, 0.042 Ω cm2, and the cathodic overpotential, −15 mV at a current density of −25 mA cm−2, are obtained in the PrBa0.94Co2O5+δ cathode at 600 °C in air, which thus allow to be used as a highly promising cathode for IT-SOFCs. A CGO electrolyte fuel cell with the PrBa0.94Co2O5+δ cathode presents the attractive peak power density of ∼1.0 W cm−2 at 700 °C. Furthermore, the oxygen reduction kinetics of the PrBa0.94Co2O5+δ cathode is also studied, and the rate-limiting steps for oxygen reduction reaction are determined at different temperatures.

International audience; This study is focused on the structural characteristics, oxygen nonstoichiometry, electrical conductivity, electrochemical performance and oxygen reduction mechanism of YBa1−xSrxCo2O5+δ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5). The high oxygen nonstoichiometry, δ = 0.18-0.43 at 700 °C, indicates the large oxygen vacancy concentrations in oxides. The electrical conductivity is improved due to the greater amount of electronic holes originated from the increased interstitial oxygen, and the conductivities of all samples are above 100 S cm−1 at 400-700 °C in air. The results demonstrate the promising performance of YBa1−xSrxCo2O5+δ cathodes at intermediate temperatures, as evidenced by low area-specific resistances (ASRs) e.g. 0.21-0.59 Ω cm2 at 700 °C. The lowest ASR, 0.44 Ω cm2, and the cathodic overpotential, −40 mV at a current density of −136 mA cm−2, are obtained in YBaCo2O5+δ cathode at 650 °C. The dependence of polarization resistance on oxygen partial pressure suggests that the charge transfer process is the rate-limiting step for oxygen reduction reaction in YBaCo2O5+δ cathode.

International audience; In the development of embedded systems, Instruction-Set Simulators (ISS) plays an important role. When using an ISS, simulation speed is a significant issue. In this paper, we present experiments and comparison between several dynamic translation techniques. In addition to an existing technique which serves as a reference, we have developed a new on-the-fly translation technique using the LLVM open-source compiler infrastructure to enhance simulation speed. This dynamic translation technique translates hot basic blocks of the target instruction set into LLVM bitcode, then compiles LLVM bitcode into host binary code using the LLVM Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler. As the translation time using LLVM increases to the detriment of the overall simulation speed, we also present a mixed mode, where only the frequently executed chunks of code are compiled. This translation technique was then extended to support larger translation units compared to the previous, Finally the paper ends with presentation of an orthogonal solution to dispatch dynamic translation to a translation server to take advantage of multi-processor hosts.

International audience

International audience