RESTRICTION RESPECTUEUSE ET RECONSTRUCTION DES CHAINES ET DES RELATIONS INFINITES

We show a faithful restriction theorem among infinite chains which implies a reconstructibility conjecture of Halin. This incite us to study the reconstructibility in the sense of Fraïssé and to prove it for orders of cardinality infinite or ≥ 3 and for multirelations of cardinality infinite or ≥ 7, what improves the theory obtained by G. Lopez in the finite case. For this work we had to study the infinite classes of difference which have to be a linear order of type ω, ω* or ω* + ω; this complete the theory made by G. Lopez for the finite case ([13]). We show also Ulam-reconstructibility for linear orders which have a fixed point.     

A novel approach to study the inclusion mechanism of imidazole derivatives in micellar chromatography

A chromatographic approach was proposed to describe the existence of surfactant micelles in a surfactant/hydroorganic phosphate buffer mobile phase. Using this mixture as a mobile phase, a novel mathematical theory is presented to describe the inclusion mechanism of imidazole derivatives in surfactant micelles. Using this model, enthalpy, entropy and the Gibbs free energy were determined for two chromatographic chemical processes: (i) the transfer of the imidazole derivative from the mobile phase to the stationary phase; and (ii) the imidazole derivative inclusion in surfactant micelles. These thermodynamic data indicate that the main parameter determining chromatographic retention is distribution of the imidazole derivatives to micelles of surfactant while the interaction with the stationary phase play a minor role.     

Analyse destructive de traces de rubidium dans des echantillons mineralogiques par radioactivation au moyen de neutrons de 14 MeV

Increasing interest is devoted in geochemistry to the determination of minor elements in rocks and minerals with the best analytical precision. The use of different methods is quite useful to point out and overcome the systematic and specific interferences of the geological matrix. 14 MeV neutron activation analysis can be used for such a purpose as an additional check method. A successful attempt has been made in the determination of rubidium in different geochemical standards. A sensitivity of 100 ppm can be reached with a 5% precision without any interference problem.     

Millimeter-Wave Spectroscopy of Methylfuran Isomers: Local vs. Global Treatments of the Internal Rotation

Methylfurans are methylated aromatic heterocyclic volatile organic compounds and primary or secondary pollutants in the atmosphere due to their capability to form secondary organic aerosols in presence of atmospheric oxidants. There is therefore a significant interest to monitor these molecules in the gas phase. High resolution spectroscopic studies of methylated furan compounds are generally limited to pure rotational spectroscopy in the vibrational ground state. This lack of results might be explained by the difficulties arisen from the internal rotation of the methyl group inducing non-trivial patterns in the rotational spectra. In this study, we discuss the benefits to assign the mm-wave rotational-torsional spectra of methylfuran with the global approach of the BELGI-Cs code compared to local approaches such as XIAM and ERHAM. The global approach reproduces the observed rotational lines of 2-methylfuran and 3-methylfuran in the mm-wave region at the experimental accuracy for the ground vt=0 and the first torsional vt=1 states with a unique set of molecular parameters. In addition, the V3 and V6 parameters describing the internal rotation potential barrier may be determined with a high degree of accuracy with the global approach. Finally, a discussion with other heterocyclic compounds enables the study of the influence of the electronic environment on the hindered rotation of the methyl group.     

Microwave-Assisted Desulfation of the Hemolytic Saponins Extracted from Holothuria scabra Viscera

Saponins are plant and marine animal specific metabolites that are commonly considered as molecular vectors for chemical defenses against unicellular and pluricellular organisms. Their toxicity is attributed to their membranolytic properties. Modifying the molecular structures of saponins by quantitative and selective chemical reactions is increasingly considered to tune the biological properties of these molecules (i) to prepare congeners with specific activities for biomedical applications and (ii) to afford experimental data related to their structure–activity relationship. In the present study, we focused on the sulfated saponins contained in the viscera of Holothuria scabra, a sea cucumber present in the Indian Ocean and abundantly consumed on the Asian food market. Using mass spectrometry, we first qualitatively and quantitatively assessed the saponin content within the viscera of H. scabra. We detected 26 sulfated saponins presenting 5 different elemental compositions. Microwave activation under alkaline conditions in aqueous solutions was developed and optimized to quantitatively and specifically induce the desulfation of the natural saponins, by a specific loss of H₂SO₄. By comparing the hemolytic activities of the natural and desulfated extracts, we clearly identified the sulfate function as highly responsible for the saponin toxicity.     

A framework to perform high-order deconvolution for finite-volume method on simplicial meshes

In this article, a new framework to design high-order approximations in the context of node-centered finite volumes on simplicial meshes is proposed. The major novelty of this method is that it relies on very simple and compact differential operators, which is a critical point to achieve good performances in the High-performance computing context. This method is based on deconvolution between nodal and volume-average values, which can be conducted to any order. The interest of the new method is illustrated through three different applications: mesh-to-mesh interpolation, levelset curvature computation, and numerical scheme for convection. Higher order can also be achieved within the present framework by introducing high-rank tensors. Although these tensors feature much symmetries, their manipulation can quickly become an overwhelming task. For this reason and without loss of generality, the present articles are limited to third-order expansion. This method, although tightly connected to the k-exact schemes theory, does not rely on successive corrections: the high-order property is obtained in a single operation, which makes them more attractive in terms of performances.     

Computation of high order derivatives in optimal shape design

Summary. In shape optimization problems, each computation of the cost function by the finite element method leads to an expensive analysis. The use of the second order derivative can help to reduce the number of analyses. Fujii ([4], [10]) was the first to study this problem. J. Simon [19] gave the second order derivative for the Navier-Stokes problem, and the authors describe in [8], [11], a method which gives an intrinsic expression of the first and second order derivatives on the boundary of the involved domain. In this paper we study higher order derivatives. But one can ask the following questions: -- are they expensive to calculate? -- are they complicated to use? -- are they imprecise? -- are they useless? \medskip\noindent At first sight, the answer seems to be positive, but classical results of V. Strassen [20] and J. Morgenstern [13] tell us that the higher order derivatives are not expensive to calculate, and can be computed automatically. The purpose of this paper is to give an answer to the third question by proving that the higher order derivatives of a function can be computed with the same precision as the function itself. We prove also that the derivatives so computed are equal to the derivatives of the discrete problem (see Diagram 1). We call the discrete problem the finite dimensional problem processed by the computer. This result allows the use of automatic differentiation ([5], [6]), which works only on discrete problems. Furthermore, the computations of Taylor's expansions which are proposed at the end of this paper, could be a partial answer to the last question. Received January 27, 1993/Revised version received July 20, 1993     

Dual-mode registration of dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound combining tissue and contrast sequences

This study proposes a new method for automatic, iterative image registration in the context of dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) imaging. By constructing a cost function of image registration using a combination of the tissue and contrast-microbubble responses, this new method, referred to as dual-mode registration, performs alignment based on both tissue and vascular structures. Data from five focal liver lesions (FLLs) were used for the evaluation. Automatic registration based on the dual-mode registration technique and tissue-mode registration obtained using the linear response image sequence alone were compared to manual alignment of the sequence by an expert. Comparison of the maximum distance between the transformations applied by the automatic registration techniques and those from expert manual registration reference showed that the dual-mode registration provided better precision than the tissue-mode registration for all cases. The reduction of maximum distance ranged from 0.25 to 9.3 mm. Dual-mode registration is also significantly better than tissue-mode registration for the five sequences with p  -values lower than 0.03$0.03$. The improved sequence alignment is also demonstrated visually by comparison of images from the sequences and the video playbacks of the motion-corrected sequences. This new registration technique better maintains a selected region of interest (ROI) within a fixed position of the image plane throughout the DCE-US sequence. This should reduce motion-related variability of the echo-power estimations and, thus, contribute to more robust perfusion quantification with DCE-US.     

Photoinduced magnetization in copper octacyanomolybdate

This article describes the studies of a photomagnetic cyanide-bridged Cu-Mo bimetallic assembly, Cu(II)(2)[Mo(IV)(CN)(8)].8H(2)O (Cu(II), S = (1)/(2); Mo(IV), S = 0) (1), which has an intervalence transfer (IT) band from Mo(IV)-CN-Cu(II) to Mo(V)-CN-Cu(I) around 480 nm. Wide-angle X-ray scattering and X-ray spectroscopic studies provide precise information about the 3D connectivity and the local environment of the transition metal ions. Irradiating with blue light causes solid 1 to exhibit a spontaneous magnetization (Curie temperature = 25 K). The thermal reversibility is carefully studied and shows the long-time stability of the photoinduced state up to 100 K. Photoreversibility is also observed; i.e., the magnetization is induced by irradiation with light below 520 nm, while the magnetization is reduced by irradiation with light above 520 nm. The UV-vis absorption spectrum after irradiation shows a decrease of the IT band and the appearance of the reverse-IT band in the region of 600-900 nm (lambda(max) = 710 nm). This UV-vis absorption spectrum is recovered to the original spectrum by irradiation with 658-, 785-, and 840-nm light. In this photomagnetic effect, the excitation of the IT band causes an electron transfer from Mo(IV) to Cu(II), producing a ferromagnetic mixed-valence isomer of Cu(I)Cu(II)[Mo(V)(CN)(8)].8H(2)O (Cu(I), S = 0; Cu(II), S = (1)/(2); Mo(V), S = (1)/(2)) (1'). 1' returns to 1 by irradiation of the reverse-IT band, which obeys the scheme for the potential energy surface in mixed-valence class II compounds.