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This paper presents a review of the use of model reduction techniques for building physics applications. The use of separated representations, the so called Proper Generalised Decomposition (PGD), is particularly investigated. This technique can be applied for efficient building physics modelling at different levels: the wall and multizone models, the whole-building (coupled envelope and air volumes) simulation and their practical applications. The PGD can be formulated as a space-time representation to provide fast and accurate solutions of 2- and 3-dimensional problems at the wall or the whole-building level. Furthermore, the PGD solution allows to treat efficiently parametric problems of practical building applications.

It is of great concern to produce numerically efficient methods for moisture diffusion through porous media, capable of accurately calculate moisture distribution with a reduced computational effort. In this way, model reduction methods are promising approaches to bring a solution to this issue since they do not degrade the physical model and provide a significant reduction of computational cost. Therefore, this article explores in details the capabilities of two model-reduction techniques - the Spectral Reduced-Order Model (Spectral-ROM) and the Proper Generalised Decomposition (PGD) - to numerically solve moisture diffusive transfer through porous materials. Both approaches are applied to three different problems to provide clear examples of the construction and use of these reduced-order models. The methodology of both approaches is explained extensively so that the article can be used as a numerical benchmark by anyone interested in building a reduced-order model for diffusion problems in porous materials. Linear and non-linear unsteady behaviors of unidimensional moisture diffusion are investigated. The last case focuses on solving a parametric problem in which the solution depends on space, time and the diffusivity properties. Results have highlighted that both methods provide accurate solutions and enable to reduce significantly the order of the model around ten times lower than the large original model. It also allows an efficient computation of the physical phenomena with an error lower than 10^{-2} when compared to a reference solution., 42 pages, 14 figures, 1 table, 69 references. Other author's papers can be downloaded at http://www.denys-dutykh.com/. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1704.07607

This paper proposes the use of a Spectral method to simulate diffusive moisture transfer through porous materials as a Reduced-Order Model (ROM). The Spectral approach is an a priori method assuming a separated representation of the solution. The method is compared with both classical Euler implicit and Crank-Nicolson schemes, considered as large original models. Their performance - in terms of accuracy, complexity reduction and CPU time reduction - are discussed for linear and nonlinear cases of moisture diffusive transfer through single and multi-layered one-dimensional domains, considering highly moisture-dependent properties. Results show that the Spectral reduced-order model approach enables to simulate accurately the field of interest. Furthermore, numerical gains become particularly interesting for nonlinear cases since the proposed method can drastically reduce the computer run time, by a factor of 100, when compared to the traditional Crank-Nicolson scheme for one-dimensional applications., 42 pages, 22 figures, 2 tables, 51 references. Other author's papers can be downloaded at http://www.denys-dutykh.com/

When comparing measurements to numerical simulations of moisture transfer through porous materials a rush of the experimental moisture front is commonly observed in several works shown in the literature, with transient models that consider only the diffusion process. Thus, to overcome the discrepancies between the experimental and the numerical models, this paper proposes to include the moisture advection transfer in the governing equation. To solve the advection-diffusion differential equation, it is first proposed two efficient numerical schemes and their efficiencies are investigated for both linear and nonlinear cases. The first scheme, Scharfetter-Gummel (SG), presents a Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) condition but is more accurate and faster than the second scheme, the well-known Crank-Nicolson approach. Furthermore, the SG scheme has the advantages of being well-balanced and asymptotically preserved. Then, to conclude, results of the convective moisture transfer problem obtained with the SG numerical scheme are compared to experimental data from the literature. The inclusion of an advective term in the model may clearly lead to better results than purely diffusive models., 34 pages, 15 figures, 48 references. Other author's papers can be downloaded at http://www.denys-dutykh.com/

If magnetite is a common serpentinization product, centimetric, massive and pure magnetite veins are rarely observed in serpentinites. Unique example, in the Ait Ahmane ultramafic unit (Bou Azzer Neoproterozoic ophiolite, Anti-Atlas, Morocco) allows to assess the hydrothermal processes that prevailed at the ending Precambrian. In this study, rock magnetism, petrography, mineral and bulk chemistry are combined to assess iron behavior in these meta-ultramafics, in order to constrain the serpentinites alteration and magnetite veins formation processes. Very high Cr#, low Mg#, high Fe 3+ # and low Ti content of Cr-spinels cores reflect a supra-subduction zone origin for the Ait Ahmane serpentinites precursor. Typical lizardite/chrysotile pseudomorphic texture in fresh serpentinites reveals an initial oceanic-like serpentinization, involving temperature 200 °C. Magnetic measurements reveal a lower magnetite content in hydrothermalized serpentinites hosting the magnetite veins, with lowest values (down to 0.58 wt%) for bleached serpentinites constituting the wall rock of the veins. These magnetic data are consistent with bulk rock chemistry showing a lower total iron content in hydrothermalized serpentinites. Hysteresis parameters and thermomagnetic measurements denote a magnetic grains size that increases with the alteration, associated with the emergence of a new magnetic phase (Cr-magnetite) produced by Cr-spinels alteration. A new proxy, based on thermomagnetic measurements, the CrM/M ratio, provides a quantification of its contribution to the magnetic susceptibility. Mineral chemistry allowed to identify the Cr-spinels alteration sequence and reveals an important chlorine enrichment in serpentine phases from hydrothermalized serpentinites. These results suggest that a Cl-rich acidic hydrothermal event involving temperatures below 350 °C produced an intense magnetite leaching in the host serpentinite and an advanced Cr-spinels alteration to ferritchromite and Cr-magnetite. Iron provided by this leaching have led to the formation of unique magnetite veins in the Ait Ahmane ultramafic unit. Two different settings are proposed for the hydrothermal event: (1) a continental hydrothermal system as advanced for the Co-Ni-As ores in the Bou Azzer inlier or (2) an oceanic black smoker type hydrothermal vent field on the Neoproterozoic seafloor.

This paper proposes a reduced order model to simulate heat and moisture behaviour of material based on proper general decomposition (PGD). This innovative method is an a priori model reduction method. It proposes an alternative way for computing solutions of the problem by considering a separated representation of the solution. PGD offers an interesting reduction of numerical cost. In this paper, the PGD solution is first compared with a finite element solution and the commercial validated model Delphin in an 1D case. The results show that the PGD resolution techniques enable the field of interest to be represented with accuracy, with a relative error rate of less than 0.1%. The study remains in the hygroscopic range of the material. As the numerical gain of the method becomes interesting when the space dimension increases, this resolution strategy was then used on a 2D multi-layered test case. The dynamics and amplitude of hygrothermal fields are perfectly represented by the PGD solution. Temperature and...

International audience; Neoproterozoic eclogite and garnet amphibolites, representing retrogressed eclogites, from the Tassendjanet-Tidéridjaouine terrane in the Pan-African Western Hoggar (Tuareg shield, Southern Algeria) form lenses enclosed in 1.8 Ga subalkaline Paleoproterozoic orthogneisses. They lie along a major sinistral shear zone marking the boundary with the Archean/Paleoproterozoic granulitic In Ouzzal terrane and are associated with high-pressure metasediments. According to thermodynamic calculations, peak condition of the eclogitic stage is 650 °C, 20-22 kbar followed by post-peak heating and exhumation at 730 °C, 10-14 kbar and cooling to 610 °C, 7-10 kbar. Their major, trace-element and isotopic compositions are consistent with emplacement of former basalts in the shoulder of a 700-800 Ma continental rift that evolved to an oceanic basin. The eclogite and garnet amphibolites were thus part of the continental portion of a subducting slab that was pulled down by a denser oceanic lithosphere. Sheath and recumbent folds associated with the exhumation of HP units are verging toward the west, meaning that the former slab was dipping to the east. U-Pb zircon dating on metamorphic zircons bordering ilmenite and rutile in the eclogite gave an age of 623 ± 2 Ma, interpreted as the syn-collisional exhumation stage of the high-pressure unit. This event was rapidly followed by transpressional tectonics and abundant magmatism linked to the northward motion of the adjacent In Ouzzal terrane.

P-wave velocities (Vp) have been measured in the laboratory and calculated using thermodynamic modeling for seven representative rock samples from the lower crust to mantle section of the Kohistan paleo-island arc. Lower crustal rocks comprise plagioclase-rich gabbro, garnet-bearing gabbro, and hornblendite; mantle rocks comprise garnetite, pyroxenite, websterite, and dunite. Measurements were performed at confining pressures up to 0.5GPa and temperatures up to 1200 degrees C. Vp were also calculated using rock major element chemistry with the Perple_X software package. Calculated Vp match closely the laboratory measurements. At depths representative for the arc root, Vp of upper mantle rocks vary from 7.7-8.1km/s, whereas the lower crustal rocks have velocities between 6.9-7.5km/s. P-wave anisotropy is small, with exceptions of sheared gabbros. Measured and calculated seismic properties are consistent with, and complement a growing database of published seismic properties from the Kohistan arc. In the light of such data, we discuss seismic imaging of present-day island arcs. Intermediate Vp (7.4-7.7km/s) in arc roots can be explained by pyroxenites and garnet-bearing mafic rocks. Strong seismic reflectors may be related to garnetites (8.0-8.2km/s).

In this paper, the use of Bayesian inference is explored for estimating both the thermal conductivity and the internal convective heat transfer coefficient of an old historic building wall. The room air temperature, as well as the temperatures at the surface and within the wall have been monitored during one year and then used to solve the identification problem. With Bayesian inference, the posterior distributions of the unknown parameters are explored based on their prior distributions and on the likelihood function that models the measurement errors. In this work, the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method is used to explore the posterior distribution. The error of the inadequacy of mathematical model are considered using the approximation error model. The distribution of the estimated parameters have a small standard deviation, which illustrates the accuracy of the method. The parameters have been compared to the standard values from the French thermal regulations. The heat flux at the internal surface has been calculated with the estimated parameters and the standard values. It is shown that the standard values underestimate the heat flux of an order by 10%. This study also illustrates the importance of the preliminary diagnosis of a building with the estimation of the thermal properties of the wall for model calibration.

In the context of estimating material properties of porous walls based on in-site measurements and identification method, this paper presents the concept of Optimal Experiment Design (OED). It aims at searching the best experimental conditions in terms of quantity and position of sensors and boundary conditions imposed to the material. These optimal conditions ensure to provide the maximum accuracy of the identification method and thus the estimated parameters. The search of the OED is done by using the Fisher information matrix and a priori knowledge of the parameters. The methodology is applied for two case studies. The first one deals with purely conductive heat transfer. The concept of optimal experiment design is detailed and verified with 100 inverse problems for different experiment designs. The second case study combines a strong coupling between heat and moisture transfer through a porous building material. The methodology presented is based on a scientific formalism for efficient planning of experimental work that can be extended to the optimal design of experiments related to other problems in thermal and fluid sciences., Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures, 3 tables, 34 references. Other author's papers can be downloaded at http://www.denys-dutykh.com/

The Carboniferous Cherbelezu batholith (Almaj Mountains, Romania) is a well-preserved but poorly studied intrusion belonging to the Upper Danubian Alpine Nappe. This pluton crops out along a pre-existing major verticalized formation, the Corbu Mylonitic Zone (CMZ). Our study investigates the role of the CMZ on the deformation recorded during the mush emplacement and cooling. A detailed microstructural study of this granitic body, coupled with investigations on both Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) and Shape Preferred Orientation (SPO) of biotite subfabric, has been performed. The surrounding rocks preserve evidence that the CMZ has been reactivated as a sinistral strike-slip fault before the pluton emplacement. Microstructural investigations of the granitic facies indicate that the pluton has undergone superimposed deformations during its cooling, from submagmatic to LT conditions. Foliation and lineation patterns obtained by AMS and SPO – both methods giving similar results – reflect either magmatic/submagmatic or solid-state flows. Magmatic flow, preserved in the western and southern parts of the pluton, is characterized by concentric foliation pattern with both divergent and parallel lineations, the latter pointing to an early transcurrent regime. Subsequently, a solid-state deformation, recorded during the pluton cooling and restricted to its eastern and northern parts, argues for the concomitant CMZ activity under a sinistral transpressive regime. This is supported by the P′ and T parameter distributions, especially for SPO results, this technique showing clear advantages for the interpretation of the fabric scalar parameters.

A xenolith made of exceptionally Cr-rich minerals (mostly omphacite, kyanite and minor rutile) has been found in the diamondiferous Mbuji-Mayi kimberlite province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Chromium contents (Cr2O3) are hetero- geneously distributed in the bulk sample, as well as in a single crystal: 3.34-5.70 wt% in omphacite, 4.45-11.81 wt% in kyanite and 2.68-4.65 wt% in rutile. Such Cr-rich kyanite is extremely rare; only grospydite xenoliths from the Zagadochnaya kimberlite (Yakutia) have been reported with kyanite containing up to 12.86 wt% Cr2O3. However, unlike typical grospydites, no garnet is observed in the Mbuji-Mayi Cr-rich kyanite-bearing clinopyroxenite. The textural features of this rock and the tentative thermobarometric equilibration conditions (25-35 kbar, 700-800 � C) argue for an origin related to that of eclogites, which are the predominant xenoliths in the Mbuji-Mayi kimberlites. The calculated whole-rock composition suggests an Al-, Ca- and Cr-rich protolith that resembles Cr-rich leucogabbros or anorthosites commonly found in Archean anorthosite massifs. The peak P-T conditions registered by this unusual rock can be reached either by Archean subduction or by mafic magma underplating at the crust-to-mantle boundary with subsequent delamination into the upper mantle.

La connaissance de l'effort de contact entre le pantographe et la catenaire est un element essentiel de l'evaluation de la qualite du captage du courant. La SNCF etudie cet effort pour qualifier le materiel et les infrastructures nouvelles, ou en vue de detecter les defauts dans la catenaire. La methode de mesure utilisee jusqu'a present, basee sur une hypothese d'archet rigide, a une bande passante limitee bien en deca de la premiere frequence propre de l'archet. Pour franchir cette limitation, notamment pour les trains a grande vitesse, et pour la detection de defaut par analyse de la signature vibratoire, une nouvelle methodologie, basee sur la prise en compte des modes propres de l'archet, est proposee. Vibratec developpe depuis plusieurs annees des methodes inverses [6,7] pour remonter aux efforts injectes a partir des vibrations mesurees. L'originalite du contact pantographe catenaire reside dans le fait que la position du point de contact est une inconnue du probleme. La methode inverse utilisee est basee sur l'analyse modale des premiers modes de l'archet. L'ecriture de l'equilibre dynamique de l'archet permet d'aboutir a un systeme d'equations dont la resolution donne le module de l'effort et son point d'application. Les resultats obtenus sur un dispositif experimental de validation, a partir d'une base modale limitee aux 3 premiers modes de l'archet, montrent un gain important sur la bande utile de la mesure, qui passe de 45 Hz a 120 Hz. Par la suite, la bande passante pourra encore etre etendue en considerant davantage de modes de deformation de l'archet. Un utilitaire a ete developpe sous Matlab pour la mise en œuvre de la methode a partir de donnees experimentales.

We used quantitative textural measurement, electron microprobe microanalysis and thermobarometry on clinopyroxene from a Cenozoic pyroxene-nephelinite flow located along the northern boundary of the West African craton to decipher magma differentiation processes in underlying magma chambers. The crystal size distributions of clinopyroxene phenocrysts show straight but also curved and kinked patterns and the clinopyroxene show large compositional variations in a single flow (Mg-number 48-88). These observations are strong evidence for magma mixing between a nephelinite magma and a more differentiated phonolitic melt at depth. Detailed thermobarometry on these clinopyroxene shows that at least three magma chambers are present below Saghro and that they are emplaced at the main physical interface within the lithosphere: (1) at the crust-mantle boundary, where the mantle-derived nephelinite has been mixed with a pre-existing phonolitic magma chamber; (2) at the lower-upper crust boundary; (3) close to the surface in a sub-volcanic magma chamber. Some high-pressure phenocrysts (up to 14 kbar) have also probably crystallized within the upper lithospheric mantle. The high clinopyroxene proportion in samples from the base of the flow is thought to reflect crystal settling during cooling of the nephelinite flow at the surface. © The Geological Society of London 2008.

Excessive levels of moisture in buildings lead to building pathologies. Moisture also has an impact on the indoor air quality and the hygrothermal comfort of the building's occupants. A comprehensive list of the possible types of damage caused by moisture in buildings is discussed in the present paper. Damage is classified into four types: damage due to the direct action of moisture, damage activated by moisture, damage that occurred in a moist environment and deterioration of the indoor environment. Since moisture pathologies strongly depend on the hygrothermal fields in buildings, integrating these factors into a global model combining heat air and mass transfers and building energy simulation is important. Therefore, the list of moisture damage types is completed with a proposal of factors governing the risk of occurrence of each type of damage. The methodology is experimented on a simple test case combining hygrothermal simulations with the assessment of possible moisture disorders.

Introduction This chapter of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 350 Proceedings volume documents the procedures and tools employed in the various shipboard laboratories of the R/V JOIDES Resolution during Expedition 350. This information applies only to shipboard work described in the Expedition Reports section of this volume. Methods for shore-based analyses of Expedition 350 samples and data will be described in the individual scientific contributions to be published in the open literature or in the Expedition Research Results section of this volume. This section describes procedures and equipment used for drilling, coring, and hole completion; core handling; computation of depth for samples and measurements; and sequence of shipboard analyses. Subsequent sections describe specific laboratory procedures and instruments in more details.

Ultramafic and mafic xenoliths of magmatic origin, sampled in the Beaunit vent (northern French Massif Central), derive from the Permian (257 Ma) Beaunit layered complex (BLC) that was emplaced at the crust-mantle transition zone (∼1 GPa). These plutonic xenoliths are linked to a single fractional crystallisation process in four steps: peridotitic cumulates; websteritic cumulates; Al-rich mafic cumulates (plagioclase, pyroxenes, garnet, amphibole and spinel) and finally low-Al mafic cumulates. This sequence of cumulates can be related to the compositional evolution of hydrous Mg basaltic magma that evolved to high-Al basalt and finally to andesitic basalt. Sr and Nd isotopic compositions confirm the co-genetic character of the various magmatic xenoliths and argue for an enriched upper mantle source comparable to present mantle wedges above subduction zones. LILE, LREE and Pb enrichment are a common feature of all xenoliths and argue for an enriched sub-alkaline transitional parental magma. The existence of a Permian magma chamber at 30 km depth suggests that the low-velocity zone observed locally beneath the Moho probably does not represent an anomalous mantle but rather a sequence of mafic/ultramafic cumulates with densities close to those of mantle rocks.

Mafic xenoliths, sometimes interlayered with magmatic peridotites, are abundant in the scoria cones of Puy Beaunit in the French Massif Central. These are mainly layered gabbronorites with some norites, pyroxenites and anorthosites; they probably derive from a Permian differentiated deep layered intrusion. Crystallisation conditions were estimated at about 1000°C and 1 GPa. The rocks underwent sub-solidus re-equilibration at about 770°C and 1 GPa (isobaric cooling) in the lowermost crust. Two distinct symplectitic textures (pyroxene-plagioclase-spinel intergrowths) have been observed; they result from the destabilization of magmatic garnet (750-800°C, 0.55-0.8 GPa) and amphibole (990°C

The origin of magmatic layering is still hotly debated. To try to shed some light on this problem, two ultramafic–mafic layered xenoliths from Puy Beaunit (French Massif Central) were investigated in detail. The nodules belong to a stratiform intrusion emplaced in the deep crust during the Permian (257 ± 6 Ma; Femenias, O., Coussaert, N., Bingen, B., Whitehouse, M., Mercier, J.-C., Demaiffe, D., 2003. A Permian underplating event in late- to post-orogenic tectonic setting. Evidence from the mafic–ultramafic layered xenoliths from Beaunit (French Massif Central). Chem. Geol. 199 293–315. ). The 3 to 5 cm thick nodules have, in common, a central orthopyroxenite layer; the succession of layers is, respectively, norite–orthopyroxenite–norite (PBN 00-01) and norite–orthopyroxenite–harzburgite (PBN 00-03). The variations of both major (by electron microprobe) and trace, essentially the RE, elements (by LA-ICP-MS) were measured in major mineral phases (orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, spinel) along cross-section perpendicular to the layering. Strong grain size, chemical and textural variations occur along these sections: they can be continuous or discontinuous, symmetrical or asymmetrical. Such complex variations cannot be solely related to a single magmatic history (fractional crystallisation, mineral sorting). Other processes such as element enrichment by residual liquid channelling along layer boundaries and/or sub-solidus recrystallisation and element redistribution must be invoked. It appears, in particular, that element distribution in the central orthopyroxenite layer could result from the injection of micro-sills of orthopyroxene-rich liquid between previously consolidated layers.

Mantle xenoliths from Puy Beaunit (French Massif Central) are compositionally varied, ranging from relatively fertile spinel lherzolites to refractory spinel dunites. Fertile peridotites have registered a modal (amphibole-bearing lherzolites) and cryptic metasomatic event that took place before the last Permian (257 Ma) melting episode. Depletion processes have been constrained by chemical modelling: the depletion is related to different degrees of partial melting, but two major melt extraction episodes are needed to explain the range of major element composition. The second event was responsible for the local large-scale dunitification of former residues. The first melting event (F≈25%) and metasomatic enrichment are attributed to an ancient fluid and/or liquid infiltration that could be related to a pre-Variscan regional subduction (located to the north of the Beaunit area). Texture acquisition and major deformation of the mantle xenoliths were sub-contemporaneous of the subduction and would result from lithospheric delamination. The second melting event (F≈17%) produced high-Mg basalts with calc-alkaline trace element signature that gave rise to the Permian underplating episode recognised in western Europe.

International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Hole U1436A (proposed Site IBM-4GT) lies in the western part of the Izu fore-arc basin, ~60 km east of the arc-front volcano Aogashima, ~170 km west of the axis of the Izu-Bonin Trench, 1.5 km west of Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 792, and at 1776 meters below sea level (mbsl). It was drilled as a 150 m deep geotechnical test hole for potential future deep drilling (5500 meters below seafloor [mbsf]) at proposed Site IBM-4 using the D/V Chikyu. Core from Site U1436 yielded a rich record of Late Pleistocene explosive volcanism, including distinctive black glassy mafic ash layers that may record large-volume eruptions on the Izu arc front. Because of the importance of this discovery, Site U1436 was drilled in three additional holes (U1436B, U1436C, and U1436D), as part of a contingency operation, in an attempt to get better recovery on the black glassy mafic ash layers and enclosing sediments and to better constrain the thickness of the mafic ash layers. IODP Site U1437 is located in the Izu rear arc, ~330 km west of the axis of the Izu-Bonin Trench and ~90 km west of the arc-front volcanoes Myojinsho and Myojin Knoll, at 2117 mbsl. The primary scientific objective for Site U1437 was to characterize “the missing half of the subduction factory”; this was because numerous ODP/Integrated Ocean Drilling Program sites had been drilled in the arc to fore-arc region (i.e., ODP Site 782A Leg 126), but this was the first site to be drilled in the rear part of the Izu arc. A complete view of the arc system is needed to understand the formation of oceanic arc crust and its evolution into continental crust. Site U1437 on the rear arc had excellent core recovery in Holes U1437B and U1437D, and we succeeded in hanging the longest casing ever in the history of R/V JOIDES Resolution scientific drilling (1085.6 m) in Hole U1437E and cored to 1806.5 mbsf. The stratigraphy at Site U1437 was divided into seven lithostratigraphic units (I–VII) that were distinguished from each other based on the proportions and characteristics of tuffaceous mud/mudstone and interbedded tuff, lapilli tuff, and tuff breccia. The section is much more mud rich than expected, with ~60% tuffaceous mud for the section as a whole (89% in the uppermost 433 m) and high sedimentation rates of 100–260 m/My for the upper 1320 m (Units I–V). The proportion (40%) and grain size of tephra are much smaller than expected for an intra-arc basin, composed half of ash/tuff and half of lapilli tuff of fine grain size (clasts < 3 cm). These were deposited by suspension settling through water and from density currents, in relatively distal settings. Volcanic blocks are only sparsely scattered through the lowermost 25% of the section (Units VI and VII, 1320–1806.5 mbsf), which includes hyaloclastite, in situ quench-fragmented blocks, and a rhyolite peperite intrusion (i.e., proximal deposits). The transition from unconsolidated to lithified rocks occurred progressively; however, sediments were considered lithified from 427 mbsf (top of Hole U1437D) downward. Alteration resulted in destruction of fresh glass from ~750 mbsf downward, but minerals are less altered. Because of the alteration, the deepest biostratigraphic datum was at ~850 mbsf and the deepest paleomagnetic datum was at ~1300 mbsf. Additional age control deeper than this depth is provided by an age range of 10.97–11.85 Ma inferred from a nannofossil assemblage at ~1403 mbsf and a preliminary U-Pb zircon concordia intercept age of 13.6 +1.6/–1.7 Ma, measured postcruise on a rhyolite peperite in Unit VI at ~1390 mbsf. Based on the seismic profiles, the Miocene–Oligocene hiatus (~17–23 Ma) was predicted to lie at ~1250 mbsf, but strata at that depth (Unit V, 1120–1312 mbsf) are much younger (~9 Ma), indicating that we recovered a thicker Neogene section of volcaniclastics and associated igneous rocks than anticipated. Our preliminary interpretation of shipboard geochemistry is that arc-front versus rear-arc sources can be distinguished in the upper, relatively distal 1320 m of section (Units I–V), whereas the lower, proximal 25% of the section (Units VI–VII) may be geochemically heterogeneous, suggesting that the rear-arc magmas only fully compositionally diverged after ~13 Ma.

The present study assessed the incidence and histopathological features of incidentally diagnosed prostate cancer (PCa) in specimens from radical cystoprostatectomy (RCP) for bladder cancer. The patient outcomes also were evaluated.We retrospectively reviewed the histopathological features and survival data of 4,299 male patients who underwent a RCP for bladder cancer at 25 French centers between January 1996 and June 2012. No patients had preoperative clinical or biological suspicion of PCa.Among the 4,299 RCP specimens, PCa was diagnosed in 931 patients (21.7%). Most tumors (90.1%) were organ-confined (pT2), whereas 9.9% of them were diagnosed at a locally advanced stage (≥pT3). Gleason score was6 in 129 cases (13.9%), 6 in 575 cases (61.7%), 7 (3 + 4) in 149 cases (16.0%), 7 (4 + 3) in 38 cases (4.1%), and7 in 40 cases (4.3%). After a median follow-up of 25.5 months (interquartile range 14.2-47.4), 35.4% of patients had bladder cancer recurrence and 23.8% died of bladder cancer. Only 16 patients (1.9%) experienced PCa biochemical recurrence during follow-up, and no preoperative predictive factor was identified. No patients died from PCa.The rate of incidentally diagnosed PCa in RCP specimens was 21.7%. The majority of these PCas were organ-confined. PCa recurrence occurred in only 1.9% of cases during follow-up.

International audience; The Archean Guelb el Azib layered complex (GAC) in the West African craton of Mauritania is composed of an association of serpentinites, chromitites, amphibolites and anorthosites with few fine-grained amphibolite dykes. The complex forms tectonic slices in 2.9–3.5 Ga TTG gneiss terrains in close association with supracrustal rocks (BIFs, impure marbles, amphibolites). It was affected by a main granulite-facies grade metamorphism (up to 900 °C at 5–6 kbar) with subsequent retrogression in amphibolite and greenschist facies conditions.The preserved igneous macrostructures, the mineral compositions and the nature of relic magmatic assemblages have been used to constrain the composition of the parental melts and the conditions of crystallization. According to petrological observations and to comparison with experimental data, the formation of the complex can be explained by fractionation of a slightly hydrous high-alumina basaltic melt at low pressure. The early fractionation of olivine and the absence of massive clinopyroxene fractionation before plagioclase saturation led to crystallization of highly calcic plagioclase with Fe-, Al-rich but Cr-poor chromite from a hydrous tholeiitic parental magma, similar to worldwide Archean tholeiites.The complex shares many similarities with Archean anorthosite layered complexes, possibly formed in a supra-subduction zone environment according to results obtained on similar 2.9–3.0 Ga complexes from Greenland and India (namely Fiskenaesset and Sittampundi). Three phases of PGE mineralization affected the GAC chromitites: (i) igneous crystallization of laurite; (ii) formation of late magmatic IPGE sulpho-arsenides (irarsite–hollingworthite) and (iii) hydrothermal Pt–Pd mineralization represented by sperrylite and rustenburgite.

Each year, a few cracking of small bore piping systems occurs in French Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) due to vibratory fatigue. The particular design of such small bore piping system (basically composed of a socket, a small pipe and a valve with or without tubing) allows the crack initiation at two different locations of the socket weld toes: on the main pipe or on the small bore piping. The favored location depends on specific features, from geometrical and material characteristics to the weld quality. The knowledge of the favored location with its related vibratory limit is an important issue in terms of inspection plans, plant availability and integrity of safeguard systems. The main purpose of the present work is to provide analytical expressions for estimating the location of a potential failure by cracking fatigue and its initiation. This threshold is given by a vibratory limit expressed in terms of root mean square velocity. Inherent uncertainties (e.g. preload, weld quality…) impose to consider the proposed expressions as guidelines for the prediction of the crack location and initiation.

To evaluate the overall survival postnephrectomy for renal cancer for patients aged over 80 years, and to identify preoperative prognostic factors that might influence therapeutic strategies.In a retrospective study in five French departments of urology, 179 patients aged over 80 years with renal cell carcinoma underwent radical nephrectomy between 1990 and 2011. The following data were collected: age, sex, body mass index, Charlson Comorbidity Index, American Society of Anesthesiology class, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, type of surgery, period of follow-up, survival, death etiology, symptoms, Fuhrman grade and tumor-nodes-metastasis stage.After a 29.6-month follow up, 89 patients (49.7%) died. Death etiologies were: cancer for 46 (52%) patients, immediate or distant perioperative complications for five patients (6%) and three patients (3%) respectively, cardiovascular disease for 16 patients (18%), other cancers for three patients (3%) and unknown for 16 patients (18%). In a multivariate analysis, T-stage, M-stage and Charlson Comorbidity Index were identified as independent prognostic factors. Patients were divided into three groups (good, intermediate and bad prognosis) with significantly different survivals of 91, 36 and 22 months (P0.0001), respectively.Preoperative data, including T-stage, M-stage and Charlson Comorbidity Index represent significant independent prognostic factors for survival for patients aged over 80 years. These data might help the clinician in selecting the most suitable candidates for radical nephrectomy among elderly patients with renal cancer.

International audience; We show here that the Amalaoulaou complex, in the Pan-African belt of West Africa (Gourma, Mali), corresponds to the lower and middle sections of a Neoproterozoic intra-oceanic arc. This complex records a 90-130-Ma-long evolution of magmatic inputs and differentiation above a subducting oceanic slab. Early c. 793 Ma-old metagabbros crystallised at lower crustal or uppermost mantle depths (25-30 km) and have geochemical characteristic of high-alumina basalts extracted from a depleted mantle source slightly enriched by slab-derived sedimentary components ((La/Sm)(N) < 1; epsilon(Nd): +5.4-6.2; Sr-87/Sr-86: 0.7027-0.7029). In response to crustal thickening, these mafic rocks were recrystallised into garnet-granulites (850-1,000A degrees C; 10-12 kbar) and subject to local dehydration-melting reactions, forming trondhjemititic leucosomes with garnet-clinopyroxene-rutile residues. Slightly after the granulitic event, the arc root was subject to strong HT shearing during partial exhumation (detachment faults/rifting or thrusting), coeval with the emplacement of spinel- and garnet-pyroxenite dykes crystallised from a high-Mg andesitic parental magma. Quartz and hornblende-gabbros (700-660 Ma) with composition typical of hydrous volcanic rocks from mature arcs ((La/Sm)(N): 0.9-1.8; epsilon(Nd): +4.6 to +5.2; Sr-87/Sr-86: 0.7028-0.7031) were subsequently emplaced at mid-arc crust levels (similar to 15 km). Trace element and isotopic data indicate that magmas tapped a depleted mantle source significantly more enriched in oceanic sedimentary components (0.2%). Exhumation occurred either in two stages (700-660 and 623 Ma) or in one stage (623 Ma) with a final exhumation of the arc root along cold P-T path (550A degrees C, 6-9 kbar; epidote-amphibolite and greenschist facies conditions) during the main Pan-African collision event (620-580 Ma). The composition of magmas forming the Cryogenian Amalaoulaou arc and the processes leading to intra-arc differentiation are strikingly comparable to those observed in the deep section of exposed Mezosoic oceanic arcs, namely the Kohistan and Talkeetna complex. This evolution of the Amalaoulaou oceanic arc and its accretion towards the West African craton belong to the life and closure of the Pharusian Ocean that eventually led to the formation of the Greater Gondwana supercontinent, a similar story having occurred on the other side of the Sahara with the Mozambique Ocean.

To compare urinary continence following radical prostatectomy (RP) between open (Op), laparoscopic (Lap), and robotic (Ro) approaches.Urinary continence of the first 59 patients operated by Ro RP between May 2008 and August 2009 was evaluated by self-questionnaires. Results were compared to those obtained in 2006 using the same questionnaire from patients operated by Lap RP or Op RP in the same institution. Patients treated by radiotherapy were excluded from the analysis.Fifty-one of the 59 operated by RP Ro answered the questionnaire. Op and Lap groups included 82 and 100 patients respectively. No significant difference was observed between the three groups in terms of age, body mass index, preoperative PSA, prostate gland weight, and TNM stage on pathology. Overall incontinence rate was 8%, 32%, and 21% for Ro, Lap, and Op RP, respectively. Median duration to recover continence after surgery was three weeks in the Ro group, versus eight weeks in the two other groups.In our experience, patients operated by a Ro approach had a lower risk of incontinence and a shorter duration to recover continence compared to those operated by Op and Lap RP. Our previous experience of laparoscopy might explain these findings. Evaluation of overall functional and oncological results is necessary before concluding to a possible superiority of Ro RP.

Kyanite and zoisite eclogites from the Limousin area in the Variscan French Massif Central (FMC) have been formed by deep subduction to 100 km depth at peak pressure-temperature conditions around 660 degrees C and 2.9 GPa. They belong to a thin tectonic unit comprising ophiolitic bodies devoid of HP-UHP markers and forming a transported suture zone now separating the two main lithotectonic units of the FMC with contrasted tectono-metamorphic features (namely the lower and upper allochthons). Composition of kyanite-eclogites is similar to supra-subduction-zone basalts found in back-arc basins or island arcs (LREE depleted, negative Nb-Ta anomalies, epsilon Nd: +6 to + 9). Zoisite eclogites have the major-element fingerprint of ultrabasic iron-rich plagioclase cumulates common in continental intrusions or forming Fe-Ti oceanic gabbros. The distribution of immobile trace-elements is however more comparable to alkaline Si-undersaturated rocks, but the Sr-Nd isotopic composition (Sr-87/Sr-86: 0.706; epsilon Nd: -3 to -5) suggests the intervention of an old radiogenic crustal component during their petrogenesis. The chemical composition of hydrous zoisite eclogites does not correspond closely to a common magmatic precursor. It is thus suggested that, by analogy with well exposed worldwide HP-UHP terranes, at least a part of the trace-element signature and the isotopic compositions are controlled by channelled fluid-rock interaction at UHP conditions, leading to localised segregation of zoisite that hosts nearly all Sr and LREE budgets of the bulk eclogite. Sr-Nd isotopic composition of these samples is thus controlled by zoisite and probably represents the isotopic composition of the fluid phase present during UHP recrystallisation. Zircons extracted from a zoisite eclogite were dated in-situ by LA-ICP-MS. Crystallisation of the magmatic precursor is bracketed between 489 and 475 Ma and the UHP event is dated at 412 +/- 10 Ma, in agreement with published ages for the Eo-Variscan HP stage in the FMC. A late resetting of the U-Pb isotopic system at 382 +/- 7 Ma is related to an anatectic high pressure-medium pressure event, well known in the Limousin area. The oceanic eclogites dated in this study are tentatively linked to the Galicia-South Brittany Lower Paleozoic Ocean; they show evidence of the existence of an intra-oceanic subduction zone at the Lower Ordovician and of partial closure of this oceanic domain by ocean-continent subduction during Early Devonian.

The Amalaoulaou Neoproterozoic island-arc massif belongs to the Gourma belt in Mali. The metagabbros and pyroxenites forming the main body of this arc root show the pervasive development of garnet. In the pyroxenites, the latter has grown by reaction between pyroxene and spinel during isobaric cooling. By contrast, in the metagabbros, garnet textures and relations to felsic veins exclude an origin through solid-state reactions only. It is proposed that garnet has grown following dehydration and localized melting of amphibole-bearing gabbros at the base of the arc. The plagioclase-saturated melts represented by anorthositic veins in the metagabbros and by trondhjemites in the upper part of the massif provide evidence for melting in the deep arc crust, which locally generated high-density garnet–clinopyroxene–rutile residues. Garnet growth and melting began around 850 °C at 10 kbar and the tonalitic melts were most probably generated around 1050 °C at P ≥ 10 kbar. This HT granulitic imprint can be related to arc maturation, leading to a P–T increase in the deep arc root and dehydration and/or dehydration-melting of amphibole-bearing gabbros. Observation of such features in the root of this Neoproterozoic island arc has important consequences, as it provides a link to models concerning the early generation of continental crust.

The Limousin ophiolite is located at the suture zone between two major thrust sheets in the western French Massif Central. This ophiolitic section comprises mantle-harzburgite, mantle-dunite, wehrlites, troctolites and layered gabbros. It has recorded a static metamorphic event transforming the gabbros into undeformed amphibolites and the magmatic ultramafites into serpentinites and/or pargasite-bearing chloritites. With various thermobarometric methods, it is possible to show that the different varieties of amphibole have registered low-P (c. 0.2 GPa) conditions with temperature ranging from high-T, late- magmatic conditions to greenschist-zeolite metamorphic facies. The abundance of undeformed metamorphic rocks (which is typical of the lower oceanic crust), the occurrence of Ca-Al (-Mg) metasomatism illustrated by the growth of Ca-Al silicates in veins or replacing the primary magmatic minerals, the P-T conditions of the metamorphism and the numerous similarities with oceanic crustal rocks from Ocean Drilling Program and worldwide ophiolites are the main arguments for an ocean-floor hydrothermal metamorphism in the vicinity of a palaeo-ridge. Among the West-European Variscan ophiolites, the Limousin ophiolites constitute an extremely rare occurrence that has not been involved in any HP (subduction-related) or MP (orogenic) metamorphism as observed in other ophiolite occurrences (i.e. France, Spain and Germany).

Recent advances in 3D printing techniques are allowing for new ways to manufacture sensors with materials and geometries previously not exploited. In this work we present a fabrication approach for fully 3D printed soft mechanical pressure sensors, as well as their characterisation. These sensors were created out of soft materials only using the Direct Ink Writing (DIW) printing technique. The applicability of both piezoresistive and capacitive transducing mechanisms were evaluated for the sensing of normal pressures. The produced sensors were tested by means of automated mechanical tests and compared based on their performance. In this way, we determined and analysed both their static and dynamic behaviours.

The Nkob talc deposit, located in the Siroua inlier (central Anti-Atlas), is hosted by the metasedimentary formations of the Taghdout Group in the contact aureole of the Ediacaran granite of Amassine. It consists of a stratified succession of green serpentine-rich marbles, black dolomitic marbles, talcitites and phlogopitites (eventually retrogressed into chloritites) enclosed within andalusite metapelite and quartzite. Two main metamorphic stages have been defined for the formation of the marbles and talcitites : (1) high-temperature recrystallization occurred under amphibolite facies conditions (>500°C). Temperature increase during granite emplacement led to the formation of forsterite, tremolite, phlogopite (±diopside) bearing assemblages in siliceous marbles and to transformation of dolomitic (calcite-free) marbles from pure dolostones. This high temperature stage is also characterized by the growth of andalusite porphyroblasts in the metapelites surrounding the deposit. (2) A low temperature retrograde hydrothermal stage characterized by the reactive infiltration of aqueous silica-rich fluid (presumably derived from the granitic body), occurred in greenschist facies conditions ( 500°C). L'augmentation de la température pendant la mise en place du granite a conduit à la formation d'assemblages contenant de la forstérite, de la trémolite et de la phlogopite (±diopside) dans les marbres, ainsi que la formation de marbres dolomitiques purs, dépendant de la nature du protolithe pré-métamorphique, et la distribution de la température dans l'auréole de l'intrusion. Ce stade à haute température est également caractérisé par la croissance de porphyroblastes d'andalousite dans les métapélites entourant le gisement. (2) Un stade hydrothermal rétrograde à basse température caractérisé par l'infiltration d'un fluide aqueux riche en silice (vraisemblablement dérivé du pluton). Il s'est produit dans des conditions de faciès schiste vert (

Through a petrochronological study of high-pressure (HP) rocks, this thesis aims to improve the general understanding of variscan dynamics in the french Massif Central (FMC) by addressing different questions: i) Which units record HP metamorphism in the FMC? ii) What is the origin of the diversity in HP metamorphism in the FMC? iii) What is the age of HP metamorphism? iv) What is the number of subduction zones involved in FMC structuration. i) It is generally accepted that eclogites evidencing HP metamorphism in the FMC are localized in the Upper Gneiss Unit (UGU), a unit formed by migmatitic paragneisses containing retrogressed eclogites. However, pressure-temperature (P-T) investigations in the southern part of the massif (Najac-Laguépie units) evidenced a second HP unit. The presence of eclogitic micaschists (570°C, 16 kbar) containing lenses of fresh eclogites in the Najac massif has been attributed to the existence of an Intermediate Unit (IU) which have already been mentionned in the Limousin. The amphibolites of Laguépie that recorded granulitic conditions (710°C, 10 kbar) around 363 Ma have been associated with the UGU. Thus, it is proposed in this work that HP metamorphism in the MCF is localized in two distinct structural units. ii) The subdivision of eclogites in the MCF is based on temperatures of crystallization at the pressure peak. Hence, we distinguish HP/LT eclogites having crystallized below 700°C and HP/HT eclogites having crystallized above 700°C. In the Limousin, a P-T study comparing the two types of eclogites located in the two different tectono-metamorphic units (fresh eclogites of the IU and retrogressed eclogites of the UGU) shows different geothermal gradients at the pressure peak, about 7-8°C/ km for the IU and 8-12°C/ km for the UGU. The plurality in calculated gradients reflect different pressures for comparable temperatures (grossly between 650-700°C). The conditions of exhumation are significantly different between the two units: the IU eclogites characterize an exhumation supported by a decrease in temperature while the UGU eclogites show an exhumation at constant temperature or even with a slight heating. Thus, the diversity in HP metamorphism in the FMC can be mostly attributed to a contrasted post-eclogitic evolution more than to different crystallization temperatures at pressure peak. In comparison with Aegean dynamics, two different exhumation processes are proposed. The UGU eclogites would reflect an exhumation by accretion to the upper plate, driven by a slab roll-back mechanism. This mechanism explains the "hot" exhumation as suggested for some HP rocks of the Cyclades (Naxos). The eclogites of the IU would have been exhumed in the accretionary prism like the HP units of Crete. iii) The geochronological study of the two eclogites allowed to constrain U-Pb age for HP metamorphism by LA-ICP-MS on zircons at 377± 1 Ma in the UGU eclogites, and at 364 ± 3 Ma in the IU eclogites. These upper Devonian ages are younger than the Silurian-Devonian age attributed to the HP metamorphism in the FMC. Nevertheless, they are consistent with the recent studies acquired in the southern parts of the massif and the rest of the variscan belt. iv) Data obtained in this work does not support a Silurian to lower Devonian subduction zone as it was proposed by polycyclique geodynamic model explaining the variscan structuration of the FMC. Consequently, this thesis proposes a monocyclic geodynamic scenario, involving a single middle to upper Devonian subduction.; A travers une étude pétrochronologique des roches de haute-pression (HP), cette thèse a pour objectif de contribuer à la compréhension de la dynamique varisque dans le Massif Central français (MCF) via la réponse à différentes questions : i) Quelles unités ont enregistré le métamorphisme de HP dans le MCF ? ii) Quelle est l'origine de la diversité du métamorphisme de HP dans le MCF ? iii) Quel est l'âge du métamorphisme de HP ? iv) Quel est le nombre de zones de subduction impliquées dans la structuration du MCF ? i) Il est généralement admis que les éclogites témoignant du métamorphisme de HP dans le MCF affleurent dans l'Unité Supérieure des Gneiss (UGU), une unité formée par des paragneiss migmatitiques contenant des éclogites rétromorphosées. Cependant, des investigations pression-température (P-T) dans les terrains sud du massif (unités de Najac-Laguépie) ont permis d'identifier une seconde unité de HP. La présence de micaschistes éclogitiques (570°C, 16 kbar) renfermant des lentilles d'éclogites fraiches dans le Massif de Najac a été attribuée à l'existence d'une Unité Intermédiaire (IU), déjà reconnue dans le Limousin. Les amphibolites de Laguépie ayant enregistré des conditions granulitiques (710°C, 10 kbar) vers 363 Ma ont été associées à l'UGU. Ainsi, il est proposé dans ce travail que le métamorphisme de HP dans le MCF se localise dans deux unités structurales distinctes. ii) La subdivision des éclogites dans le MCF est classiquement basée sur les températures de cristallisation au pic de pression. On distingue ainsi des éclogites de HP/BT ayant cristallisé en dessous de 700°C et des éclogites de HP/HT ayant cristallisé au-delà de 700°C. Dans le Limousin, une étude P-T comparative entre les deux types d'éclogites situées dans les deux unités tectono-métamorphiques différentes (éclogites fraiches de l'IU et éclogites rétromorphosées de l'UGU) montre des gradients géothermiques différents au pic de pression, de 7- 8°C/ km pour l'IU et 8-12°C/ km dans l'UGU. La différence dans les gradients calculés reflète différentes pressions pour des températures comparables (globalement entre 650-700°C). Les conditions d'exhumation sont nettement différentes entre les deux unités : les éclogites de l'IU caractérisent une exhumation accompagnée d'une diminution de température tandis que les éclogites de l'UGU témoignent d'une exhumation à température constante voire avec un léger réchauffement. Ainsi, la diversité du métamorphisme de HP dans le MCF est le résultat d'une évolution post-éclogitique contrastée plus qu'à des températures de cristallisation différentes au pic de pression. Par comparaison avec la dynamique égéenne, deux processus d'exhumation différents sont proposés. Les éclogites de l'UGU seraient liées à une exhumation par accrétion à la plaque supérieure via un mécanisme de retrait du panneau plongeant. Ce mécanisme explique l'exhumation " chaude " à l'instar de certaines roches des Cyclades (Naxos). Les éclogites de l'IU auraient été exhumées dans le prisme d'accrétion, à l'image des unités de Crète. iii) L'étude géochronologique des deux éclogites a permis de contraindre un âge U-Pb du métamorphisme de HP par LA-ICP-MS sur zircons de 377± 1 Ma dans les éclogites de l'UGU et de 364 ± 3 Ma dans celles de l'IU. Ces âges Dévoniens supérieurs plus jeunes que l'âge siluro-dévonien connu pour le métamorphisme de HP dans le MCF sont compatibles avec les données récentes acquises dans les terrains sud du massif. Ils s'inscrivent également dans l'âge de la HP reconnu dans le reste de la chaine varisque. iv) Le modèle polycyclique d'évolution de la convergence varisque, impliquant deux zones de subduction dont une, d'âge Silurien à Dévonien inférieur, ne rend pas compte des données acquises dans ce travail. Par conséquent, un scénario géodynamique monocyclique, impliquant une seule subduction au Dévonien moyen à supérieur, est finalement proposé.