128 research outputs found

    A NUMERICAL STUDY OF EXTREME WAVE RUNUP BEHAVIOR: SPECTRAL AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

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    International audienceA numerical study using SWASH model is realized on a multi-barred beach in order to explore spectral and statistical behavior of wave runup caused by moderate to extreme offshore wave conditions. Numerical experiments based on bathymetric characteristics, wave climate and tidal level of the Aquitanian coast, are compared to collected field data from the bibliography and derivate parametric models. Correlations between runup and several environmental parameters are estimated and discussed and a hybrid model (based on observations and simulated results) is proposed. We analyse the longshore spatial variability of incident and infragravity swash heights and R2%, in order to identify hot spot of runup related to the near shore morphology. Depending on wave conditions and tidal level, local positive anomaly of R2% varies between 10 to 36 % and are in average 22% higher than longshore mean values at high tide

    How historical information can improve estimation and prediction of extreme coastal water levels: application to the Xynthia event at La Rochelle (France)

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    International audienceThe knowledge of extreme coastal water levels is useful for coastal flooding studies or the design of coastal defences. While deriving such extremes with standard analyses using tide-gauge measurements, one often needs to deal with limited effective duration of observation which can result in large statistical uncertainties. This is even truer when one faces the issue of outliers, those particularly extreme values distant from the others which increase the uncertainty on the results. In this study, we investigate how historical information , even partial, of past events reported in archives can reduce statistical uncertainties and relativise such outlying observations. A Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method is developed to tackle this issue. We apply this method to the site of La Rochelle (France), where the storm Xynthia in 2010 generated a water level considered so far as an outlier. Based on 30 years of tide-gauge measurements and 8 historical events, the analysis shows that (1) integrating historical information in the analysis greatly reduces statistical uncertainties on return levels (2) Xynthia's water level no longer appears as an outlier, (3) we could have reasonably predicted the annual exceedance probability of that level beforehand (predictive probability for 2010 based on data until the end of 2009 of the same order of magnitude as the standard es-timative probability using data until the end of 2010). Such results illustrate the usefulness of historical information in extreme value analyses of coastal water levels, as well as the relevance of the proposed method to integrate heterogeneous data in such analyses

    An AHP-derived method for mapping the physical vulnerability of coastal areas at regional scales

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    International audienceAssessing coastal vulnerability to climate change at regional scales is now mandatory in France since the adoption of recent laws to support adaptation to climate change. However, there is presently no commonly recognised method to assess accurately how sea level rise will modify coastal processes in the coming decades. Therefore, many assessments of the physical component of coastal vulnerability are presently based on a combined use of data (e.g. digital elevation models, historical shoreline and coastal geomorphology datasets), simple models and expert opinion. In this study, we assess the applicability and usefulness of a multi-criteria decision-mapping method (the analytical hierarchy process, AHP) to map physical coastal vulnerability to erosion and flooding in a structured way. We apply the method in two regions of France: the coastal zones of Languedoc-Roussillon (north-western Mediterranean, France) and the island of La Réunion (south-western Indian Ocean), notably using the regional geological maps. As expected, the results show not only the greater vulnerability of sand spits, estuaries and low-lying areas near to coastal lagoons in both regions, but also that of a thin strip of erodible cliffs exposed to waves in La Réunion. Despite gaps in knowledge and data, the method is found to provide a flexible and transportable framework to represent and aggregate existing knowledge and to support long-term coastal zone planning through the integration of such studies into existing adaptation schemes

    The Application of X-Band Radar for Characterisation of Nearshore Dynamics on a Mixed Sand and Gravel Beach

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    Remote sensing using X-band radar allows the estimation of wave parameters, near surface currents and the underlying bathymetry. This paper explores the use of radar to derive nearshore bathymetry at a complex site, at Thorpeness in Suffolk, UK. The site has a history of sporadic and focused erosion events along the beach frontage and as part of the X-Com project (X-band Radar and Evidence-Based Coastal Management Decisions) a radar system was deployed with the aim of further understanding the complex nearshore sediment processes influencing erosion. Initially, the bathymetric variation at the site is quantified through analysis of current and historic multibeam surveys. These indicate depth changes approaching 3 m. Subsequently, validation of the radar data against concurrent multibeam survey data has been undertaken. Results show that the radar derived bathymetry has a precision of ±1m at the site, with the largest errors being associated with areas of more complex bathymetry and where wave data quality was less suitable for analysis by the X-band radar bathymetry algorithms. It is concluded that although the accuracy of radar-derived bathymetry is lower than traditional multibeam survey, the low cost for high temporal coverage can be utilised for long-term monitoring of coastal sites where a cost-effective means of quantifying large-scale bathymetric changes is required

    Mitochondrial turnover in liver is fast in vivo and is accelerated by dietary restriction: application of a simple dynamic model

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    ‘Mitochondrial dysfunction’, which may result from an accumulation of damaged mitochondria in cells due to a slowed-down rate of mitochondrial turnover and inadequate removal of damaged mitochondria during aging, has been implicated as both cause and consequence of the aging process and a number of age-related pathologies. Despite growing interest in mitochondrial function during aging, published data on mitochondrial turnover are scarce, and differ from each other by up to one order of magnitude. Here we demonstrate that re-utilization of the radioactively labelled precursor in pulse-chase assays is the most likely cause of significant overestimation of mitochondrial turnover rates. We performed a classic radioactive label pulse-chase experiment using 14C NaHCO3, whose 14C is incorporated into various amino acids, to measure mitochondrial turnover in mouse liver. In this system, the activity of the urea cycle greatly limited arginine dependent label re-utilization, but not that of other amino acids. We used information from tissues that do not have an active urea cycle (brain and muscle) to estimate the extent of label re-utilization with a dynamic mathematical model. We estimated the actual liver mitochondrial half life as only 1.83 days, and this decreased to 1.16 days following 3 months of dietary restriction, supporting the hypothesis that this intervention might promote mitochondrial turnover as a part of its beneficial effects

    The trophectoderm acts as a niche for the inner cell mass through C/EBPα-regulated IL-6 signaling

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    IL-6 has been shown to be required for somatic cell reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). However, how Il6 expression is regulated and whether it plays a role during embryo development remains unknown. Here, we describe that IL-6 is necessary for C/EBPα-enhanced reprogramming of B cells into iPSCs but not for B cell to macrophage transdifferentiation. C/EBPα overexpression activates both Il6 and Il6ra genes in B cells and in PSCs. In embryo development, Cebpa is enriched in the trophectoderm of blastocysts together with Il6, while Il6ra is mostly expressed in the inner cell mass (ICM). In addition, Il6 expression in blastocysts requires Cebpa. Blastocysts secrete IL-6 and neutralization of the cytokine delays the morula to blastocyst transition. The observed requirement of C/EBPα-regulated IL-6 signaling for pluripotency during somatic cell reprogramming thus recapitulates a physiologic mechanism in which the trophectoderm acts as niche for the ICM through the secretion of IL-6.Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

    Muscle inactivation of mTOR causes metabolic and dystrophin defects leading to severe myopathy

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    Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key regulator of cell growth that associates with raptor and rictor to form the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTORC2, respectively. Raptor is required for oxidative muscle integrity, whereas rictor is dispensable. In this study, we show that muscle-specific inactivation of mTOR leads to severe myopathy, resulting in premature death. mTOR-deficient muscles display metabolic changes similar to those observed in muscles lacking raptor, including impaired oxidative metabolism, altered mitochondrial regulation, and glycogen accumulation associated with protein kinase B/Akt hyperactivation. In addition, mTOR-deficient muscles exhibit increased basal glucose uptake, whereas whole body glucose homeostasis is essentially maintained. Importantly, loss of mTOR exacerbates the myopathic features in both slow oxidative and fast glycolytic muscles. Moreover, mTOR but not raptor and rictor deficiency leads to reduced muscle dystrophin content. We provide evidence that mTOR controls dystrophin transcription in a cell-autonomous, rapamycin-resistant, and kinase-independent manner. Collectively, our results demonstrate that mTOR acts mainly via mTORC1, whereas regulation of dystrophin is raptor and rictor independent

    CMS physics technical design report : Addendum on high density QCD with heavy ions

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