The sharing of flood waters in the Ksours of Ghardaia and Berriane (Algeria) hydraulic study

The present article deals with two systems of sharing flood waters used in the oases of Ghardaïa and Berriane. Based on bibliographic work, and data collection and investigations performed during the period between 2006 and 2018 near the Ksourian population as the floods are the only source of water for both oases. Ancestral hydraulic systems of sharing and regularizing floods were implemented in both oases. Each hydraulic system is composed of several hydraulic structures (e.g. dams, spillways, galleries, wells) that have been designed taking into considerations the geomorphology and topography of the region. This study compares the two systems and proves that although built 7 centuries ago, both the systems were built with intelligence. They have become parts of the national heritage and must be preserved for future generations

Commodity futures price behaviour following large one-day price changes

This study examines individual commodity futures price reactions to large one-day price changes, or “shocks”. The mean-adjusted abnormal return model suggests that investors in 6 of the 18 commodity futures examined in this study either underreact or overreact to positive surprises. It also detects underreaction patterns in 8 commodity future prices following negative surprises. However, after making appropriate systematic risk and conditional heteroskedasticity adjustments, we show that almost all commodity futures react efficiently to shocks

Low molecular weight compounds from mushrooms as potential Bcl-2 inhibitors: docking and virtual screening studies

Mestrado com dupla diplomação com o Institut Superieur de Biotechnologie de MonastirMushrooms have the ability to promote apoptosis in tumor cell lines, but the mechanism of action is not quite well understood. Inhibition of the interaction between Bcl-2 and pro-apoptotic proteins could be an important step that leads to apoptosis. Therefore, the discovery of compounds with the ability to inhibit Bcl-2 is an ongoing research topic in drug discovery. In this study, we started by analyzing Bcl-2 experimental structures that are currently available in Protein Data Bank database. After analysis of the more relevant Bcl-2 structures, 4 were finally selected. An analysis of the best docking methodology was then performed using a cross-docking and re-docking approach while testing 2 docking softwares: AutoDock 4 and AutoDock Vina. Autodock4 provided the best docking results and was selected to perform a virtual screening study applied to a dataset of 40 Low Molecular Weight (LMW) compounds present in mushrooms, using the selected Bcl-2 structures as target. Results suggest that steroid are the more promising family, among the analyzed compounds, and may have the ability to interact with Bcl-2 and this way promoting tumor apoptosis. The steroids that presented lowest estimated binding energy (ΔG) were: Ganodermanondiol, Cerevisterol, Ganoderic Acid X and Lucidenic Lactone; with estimated ΔG values between -8,45 and -8,23 Kcal/mol. A detailed analysis of the docked conformation of these 4 top ranked LMW compounds was also performed and illustrates a plausible interaction between the 4 top raked steroids and Bcl-2, thus substantiating the accuracy of the predicted docked poses. Therefore, tumoral apoptosis promoted by mushroom might be related to Bcl-2 inhibition mediated by steroid family of compounds.Os cogumelos apresentam a capacidade de promover a apoptose em linhas células tumorais, No entanto o seu mecanismo de ação não é completamente conhecido. A inibição da interação entre Bcl-2 e proteínas pro-apoptóticas pode ser um passo importante na iniciação do processo de apoptose tumoral. Por essa razão, a descoberta de compostos que inibam a proteína Bcl-2 é uma área importante na descoberta de novos fármacos antitumorais. Neste estudo, começou-se por analisar as estruturas experimentais de Bcl-2 atualmente presentes na base de estruturas Protein Data Bank. Após análise das estruturas de Bcl-2 mais relevantes, 4 foram escolhidas. Um estudo de “cross-docking” e “re-docking” foi então realizado para escolher a metodologia de “docking” mais adequada. Testaram-se 2 softwares, o AutoDock 4 e o AutoDock Vina, e verificou-se que o AutoDock 4 apresentava melhores resultados, tendo sido o selecionado para realizar os ensaios de “screening” virtual dos 40 compostos de baixo peso molecular presentes em cogumelos, utilizando as 4 estruturas selecionadas. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que os esteroides são a família de compostos mais prometedores de entre as famílias de compostos estudadas. Os esteroides que apresentaram valores de energia de ligação (ΔG) mais baixos foram: Ganodermanondiol, Cerevisterol, Ácido Ganoderico X and Lactona Lucidénica, com valores de ΔG estimado entre -8,45 e -8,23 Kcal/mol. Uma análise detalhada da conformação de ligação foi também realizada dos 4 melhores compostos de baixo peso molecular melhor classificados. Esta análise demonstra um modo de interação plausível entre os compostos e a estrutura da Bcl-2, consubstanciando a eficácia dos resultados obtidos por “docking”. Conclui-se que o processo inibição de apoptose tumoral observada em cogumelos pode estar relacionado com a inibição da Bcl-2 por esteroides presentes nos cogumelos

Non-global logarithms at finite Nc beyond leading order

We analytically compute non-global logarithms at finite Nc fully up to 4 loops and partially at 5 loops, for the hemisphere mass distribution in e+e- to di-jets to leading logarithmic accuracy. Our method of calculation relies solely on integrating the eikonal squared-amplitudes for the emission of soft energy-ordered real-virtual gluons over the appropriate phase space. We show that the series of non-global logarithms in the said distribution exhibits a pattern of exponentiation thus confirming - by means of brute force - previous findings. In the large-Nc limit, our results coincide with those recently reported in literature. A comparison of our proposed exponential form with all-orders numerical solutions is performed and the phenomenological impact of the finite-Nc corrections is discussed.Comment: 31 pages, 5 figure, uses jheppub.sty, minor corrections to previous version and added some reference

State of the art in the determination of the fine structure constant and the ratio h/muh/m_\mathrm{u}

The fine structure constant $\alpha$ and the ratio $h/m_{\mathrm{u}}$ between the Planck constant and the unified atomic mass are keystone constants for the determination of other fundamental physical constants, especially the ones involved in the framework of the future International System of units. This paper presents how these two constants, which can be deduced from one another, are measured. We will present in detail the measurement of $h/m_\mathrm{Rb}$ performed by atomic interferometry at the Laboratoire Kastler Brossel in Paris. This type of measurement also allows a test of the standard model to be carried out with unparalleled accuracy.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1309.339