Search results for " Models"

Evaluation des simulations spatiales

2006

The general topic is the evaluation of prospective scenarios for urban planning, especially for the management of urban built up areas. Several models of land-use and land-cover change (LUCC), based on different assumptions, allow producing realistic simulations of urban growth. Three ways can be distinguished for measuring the quality of modelings: 1. The choice of a model and its calibration; 2. The validation (showing if results are realistic); 3. The evaluation (showing if results respect defined planning goals). Measurement methods must be associated to these three steps.

Spatial Memory Drives Foraging Strategies of Wolves, but in Highly Individual Ways

2022

The ability of wild animals to navigate and survive in complex and dynamic environments depends on their ability to store relevant information and place it in a spatial context. Despite the centrality of spatial memory, and given our increasing ability to observe animal movements in the wild, it is perhaps surprising how difficult it is to demonstrate spatial memory empirically. We present a cognitive analysis of movements of several wolves (Canis lupus) in Finland during a summer period of intensive hunting and den-centered pup-rearing. We tracked several wolves in the field by visiting nearly all GPS locations outside the den, allowing us to identify the species, location and timing of ne…

Tropical Temperate Toughs over southern Africa: mechanisms and evolution in response to climate change

2015

In the Southern Hemisphere, Southern Africa and the south-west Indian Ocean are one of the three preferred regions where interactions between the tropics and midlatitudes develop. This is the South Indian Convergence Zone (SICZ), where northwest-southeast oriented cloud bands form at the synoptic scale (between 3 and 5 days). These bands are mainly found during the austral summer and are commonly referred to as tropical temperate troughs (TTTs). This research aims at improving our knowledge related to TTTs, with a study on the dynamics associated with these systems, and an analysis of their possible evolution during the 21st century.The first part of this thesis aims at identifying favorab…

Modelling of natural synthetic polyelectrolyte interactions in natural waters by using SIT, Pitzer and Ion Pairing approaches

2006

Abstract In this paper SIT and Pitzer models are used for the first time to describe the interactions of natural and synthetic polyelectrolytes in natural waters. Measurements were made potentiometrically at 25 °C in single electrolyte media, such as Et 4 NI and NaCl (for fulvic acid 0.1  − 1 S single salt ” BA, with cation B and anion A representing all the major cations (Na + , K + , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ ) and anions (Cl − , SO 4 2− ) in natural sea water, respectively. The ion pair formation model was also applied to fulvate and alginate in artificial sea water by examining the interaction of polyanions with the single sea water cation. Results were compared with those obtained from previous sp…

Modified Donnan phenomena in polyaniline with poly(vinyl sulphonate) chains

1993

We develop a physical model, based on the modified Donnan phenomena ideas introduced previously by the authors, to describe the acid doping of the conducting polymer polyaniline. The theory is motivated by the experimental work of Asturias et al. [Ber. Bunsenges. Phys. Chem. 95, 1381 (1991)]. Good agreement between theory and experiment is found.

Building molecular models using screw-on bottle caps

2013

Chemical models can be built using screw-on bottle caps. Two identical caps can be joined together by thermal welding to form atoms, and the resulting atoms can be joined together by welding or by hot polymer glue to form molecules. The method is easy, can be applied at every level of chemical education, and gives access to an unlimited number of models at almost no cost. It inspires hands-on activity of pupils and can be used to show the dependence between the three-dimensional structure of molecules and their chemical, physical, and biological features.

Numerical–Analytical Model for Nanotube‐Reinforced Nanocomposites

2013

Energy-stable linear schemes for polymer-solvent phase field models

2017

We present new linear energy-stable numerical schemes for numerical simulation of complex polymer-solvent mixtures. The mathematical model proposed by Zhou, Zhang and E (Physical Review E 73, 2006) consists of the Cahn-Hilliard equation which describes dynamics of the interface that separates polymer and solvent and the Oldroyd-B equations for the hydrodynamics of polymeric mixtures. The model is thermodynamically consistent and dissipates free energy. Our main goal in this paper is to derive numerical schemes for the polymer-solvent mixture model that are energy dissipative and efficient in time. To this end we will propose several problem-suited time discretizations yielding linear scheme…

Antioxidant compound supplementation prevents oxidative damage in a Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease

2013

Loss-of-function mutations in the DJ-1 gene are linked to rare autosomal recessive forms of parkinsonism. In Drosophila, two DJ-1 orthologs have been identified, DJ-1α and DJ-1β. Several studies have shown that DJ-1β mutant flies are viable and fertile but exhibit age-dependent locomotor defects, shortened life span, and enhanced sensitivity to toxins that induce oxidative stress response compared to control flies. We also demonstrated that long-term dietary supplementation with antioxidant compounds was effective at increasing life-span values of DJ-1β mutants. These results, together with high levels of oxidative stress markers detected in newly eclosed DJ-1β mutant flies compared to cont…

On the calculation of free energy of mixing for aqueous polymer solutions with group-contribution models

2010

Abstract Liquid–liquid phase separation processes are currently used as a route to prepare polymeric porous structures for various applications (membranes and scaffolds for tissue engineering). In membrane and foam fabrication technologies, binary and mainly ternary polymer solutions are used. Membrane morphology is strongly affected by phase equilibria of processing solution. In order to achieve a better control of membrane morphology and to explore a wide quantity of solvents, a predictive tool addressing experimentals would be strongly advisable. In this paper, group contribution models were chosen to test the applicability on a PLLA–dioxane–water ternary polymer solution, whose experime…