Aix-Marseille Université

Foreign aid and power play: Political cycles in world bank’s procurement allocation

This paper examines the existence of political cycles in the awarding of World Bank procurement contracts around elections. We analyze elections in the home country of firms winning these contracts, distinguishing between firms based in the aid recipient country (i.e., domestic f...

Gravitational entropy in Petrov Type I spacetimes

Abstract The gravitational entropy proposal of Clifton, Ellis and Tavakol (CET) is based on an effective energy momentum tensor formed by the algebraic decomposition of the 4th order Bel-Robinson tensor. So far the application of the CET proposal has been limited to spacetimes of...

Assessing plant area index and 3D plant area distribution in wheat canopies from a terrestrial LiDAR system for high-throughput plant phenotyping

This study investigates a new methodology to estimate plant area index ( PAI ) and its spatial distribution from 3D point clouds acquired by a system of 3 LiDARs (2 nadir-viewing and one at 45°) mounted on the Phenomobile Unmanned Ground Vehicle designed for high-throughput pheno...

A survey of actuarial climate indices: a new index for France and its insurance applications

Abstract Climate change is often defined as the long-term fluctuations in climate patterns affecting the planet. Among its observed effects are: increased average temperatures and higher frequency/severity of extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, floods, or windst...

JWST Nebular Spectroscopy of SN 2023qov: Circumstellar Dust Emission in a Normal Type Ia Supernova

Abstract We present panchromatic observations of the Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2023qov, ranging from ∼2 weeks before to ∼1 yr after maximum light. JWST near- and mid-infrared spectra at +276 and +363 days show ∼400 K dust emission that cools by ∼75 K between epochs, the first una...

Unveiling Plasmon-Enhanced Localized Fields of Titanium Nitride via Complementary Electron Microscopy Techniques

Abstract Titanium nitride nanoparticles (TiN NPs) are promising alternatives to noble metals for visible-range plasmonic applications, yet their structure–property relationships remain insufficiently understood. Here, we combine ultrafast transmission electron microscopy (UTEM) a...

Palliative and end-of-life care on the battlefield: a scoping review

Abstract Background Modern conflicts have brought about a paradigm shift in military medicine. In Prolonged Field Care, recommendations have so far focused on damage control and care aimed at ensuring survival. But, particularly in large scale combat operation, not all patients w...

Large-scale electrophysiological signatures of Williams syndrome: evidence from oscillatory power and brain fluidity

Evidence suggests that Williams syndrome (WS) may be associated with atypical cortical oscillatory activity and large-scale structural and functional anomalies. However, links between whole-brain electrophysiological measures and cognitive performance in WS remain scarce. This st...

Faster Hamiltonian Monte Carlo by learning leapfrog scale: an offline randomized solution

Abstract We introduce a Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) methodology based on an offline empirical calibration of randomized leapfrog parameters. The approach, referred to as eHMC, where e stands for empirical, leverages importance sampling to construct an empirical distribution on...

Adapting Mediterranean forests to climate change by testing alternative species: Insights from recent planting trials across an elevational gradient in southeastern France

To adapt Mediterranean forests to climate change-induced disturbances—such as severe droughts and temperature extremes—introducing "alternative" tree species whose field performance remains poorly tested is a critical management option. This study evaluated the early survival and...

Surface Plasmons in the Continuum

Abstract The interest to foster plasmonic applications at energies in the ultraviolet has escalated research initiatives in clusters of unconventional plasmonic materials like aluminum and indium, for which the surface-plasmon resonance appears above the ionization potential. Nat...

Impact of input modality on task-switching cost: A behavioural investigation of domain general versus modality-specific account of cognitive flexibility

Cognitive flexibility is one of the main executive functions, traditionally considered as part of domain-general, modality-independent, processes. Nevertheless, evidence from behavioural and brain-imaging studies suggests that this central ability remains sensitive to the modalit...

Measurement error and peer effects in networks

In many practical applications, only noisy proxies for the true regressors are available, which is commonly believed to induce an attenuation bias. In the linear-in-means model, however, estimated peer effects might be inflated, potentially leading to false positives. This paper...

Psychometric Properties of the French Version of the Physical Literacy Self-Description (PLSD) Questionnaire Among Children

This study sought to document the psychometric properties of scores on the French Version of the Physical Literacy Self-Description questionnaire. A sample of 191 French-speaking Canadian and French children, aged 5–12 years, participated in this study. Results from an explorator...

THE “CAPSULAR INSERTION LINE” CAN BE A SAFE AND RELIABLE LANDMARK FOR THE TIBIAL CUT IN UNICOMPARTMENTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY: A RADIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL STUDY AT A MINIMUM THREE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

Introduction The extramedullary guides for the tibial resection during medial unicompartmental kneearthroplasty (UKA) are inaccurate, with an error risk in coronal and sagittal planes and in cut thickness. A previously published demonstrated the radiological accuracy of a simple...

The NPIS model: a consensus-based framework for evaluating non-pharmacological interventions

The term non-pharmacological intervention (NPI) refers to health prevention and care protocols supervised by healthcare professionals. However, no precise and widely adopted definition currently exists. Additionally, unlike drugs, NPIs do not have a global evaluation framework be...

Effects of radiative heat transfer on premixed spherically expanding NH3-air flames

This article numerically investigates the effects of radiation on the laminar burning velocity (LBV) extrapolated from microgravity spherical expanding NH 3 /air premixed flames, with equivalence ratios and pressures ranging from 0.7 to 1.3 and 1 to 50 atm, respectively. The simu...

Photovoltaic panels affect arthropod and plant communities: a systematic review

Due to climate change, photovoltaic facilities are being rapidly scaled up. However, such a development can come at a cost for biodiversity. We conducted a systematic review, including a critical appraisal, and meta-analyses to better understand the effects of photovoltaic panels...

Data-driven mean-field within whole-brain models

Mean-field models provide a link between microscopic neuronal activity and macroscopic brain dynamics. Their derivation depends on simplifying assumptions, such as all-to-all connectivity, limiting their biological realism. Here, we introduce a data-driven framework in which a mu...

Micro-scale organization of non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs drives nitrogen fixation in marine particles

Abstract Dinitrogen (N₂) fixation supplies reactive nitrogen to the ocean, and non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs (NCDs) are increasingly recognized as contributors. Marine particles have been theorized as hotspots where low oxygen and labile carbon favor N₂ fixation by NCDs, but emp...