Earthshine observation of vegetation and implication for life detection on other planets - A review of 2001 - 2006 works

The detection of exolife is one of the goals of very ambitious future space missions that aim to take direct images of Earth-like planets. While associations of simple molecules present in the planet's atmosphere ($O_2$, $O_3$, $CO_2$ etc.) have been identified as possible global biomarkers, we review here the detectability of a signature of life from the planet's surface, i.e. the green vegetation. The vegetation reflectance has indeed a specific spectrum, with a sharp edge around 700 nm, known as the "Vegetation Red Edge" (VRE). Moreover vegetation covers a large surface of emerged lands, from tropical evergreen forest to shrub tundra. Thus considering it as a potential global biomarker is relevant. Earthshine allows to observe the Earth as a distant planet, i.e. without spatial resolution. Since 2001, Earthshine observations have been used by several authors to test and quantify the detectability of the VRE in the Earth spectrum. The egetation spectral signature is detected as a small 'positive shift' of a few percents above the continuum, starting at 700 nm. This signature appears in most spectra, and its strength is correlated with the Earth's phase (visible land versus visible ocean). The observations show that detecting the VRE on Earth requires a photometric relative accuracy of 1% or better. Detecting something equivalent on an Earth-like planet will therefore remain challenging, moreover considering the possibility of mineral artifacts and the question of 'red edge' universality in the Universe.Comment: Invited talk in "Strategies for Life Detection" (ISSI Bern, 24-28 April 2006) to appear in a hardcopy volume of the ISSI Space Science Series, Eds, J. Bada et al., and also in an issue of Space Science Reviews. 13 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl

Development of a practice guideline for dietary counselling of children with IgE-mediated food allergy

Purpose The incidence of food allergy is increasing globally and whilst there is consensus that dietitians should be involved in its management, the roles that dietitians should fulfill differ between different guidelines and the description of tasks remains unclear. Currently, no Swiss guideline exists to assist dietitians in counselling children with food allergies. There is a need for recommendations that will guide dietitians through the counselling process. The aim of this project was to create a practice guideline for dietary counselling of children with food allergy. Methods Practice guidelines were developed following the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics stepwise approach. The process consisted of six steps: (1) Determine the scope oft he guideline. (2) Conduct a systematic review. (3) Draft the guideline recommendations using the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) as a framework. (4) Finalise the guideline during a face-to-face meeting. (5) Conduct internal and external review and revise accordingly. (6) Publish guideline. Results The process resulted in 25 recommendations for dietary counselling. Most recommendations are based on expert opinion only, due to the lack of studies in this field and showed similar levels of consensus between the expert group and external review by allergists. However, there were nine recommendations where the consensus differed. Conclusion This guideline provides a comprehensive guide to dietary counselling for food allergy by dietitians in Switzerland. It will inform best practice and improve patient-centred care and encourage a consistent approach, but it will need to be reviewed and updated as more robust evidence is produced

International Science Foresight Workshop: Global Challenges and Research Gaps. The Royaumont process.

How scientists might better contribute to SDGs in the land sector? At the invitation of INRAE, a group of high-level international experts delivers a comprehensive and systemic approach

Stella

En 1897, année de la publication de Stella, Camille Flammarion (1862-1925) est l'un des vulgarisateurs scientifiques les plus célèbres du continent européen, voire de la planète Terre. Ses ouvrages d'astronomie populaire sont traduits dans toutes les langues, publiés sous toutes les formes, vendus à tous les prix. Stella, couronnant une carrière qui est à son apogée, est moins un roman de vulgarisation supplémentaire qu'une mise en abyme de la pratique pédagogique. S'y donnent à voir les motivations de Flammarion, son désir de reconnaissance et sa prétention de modifier le destin de ses lecteurs : mystérieux roman qui semble dépolitiser les enjeux de la vulgarisation de la seconde moitié du XIXe siècle en les confinant dans l'orbe restreint d'un couple amoureux

Astronomie populaire : éruption volcanique : Frontispice chromolithographique illustrant la page de titre de : Astronomie populaire , par Camille Flammarion. Paris, C. Marpon et E. Flammarion, 1880., Camille Flammarion (1842-1925)

Autodidacte passionné par la science, Camille Flammarion (1842-1925) mena de front des travaux de recherche, un enseignement d'astronomie et la rédaction de livres de vulgarisation. Son Astronomie populaire , dédiée à François Arago, contient six livres, consacrés à la Terre, la Lune, le Soleil, les mondes planétaires, les comètes et étoiles filantes, enfin les étoiles et l'univers sidéral. Cet ouvrage simple, mais rigoureux sur la plan scientifique, est illustré par de superbes lithographies (ici une éruption volcanique en frontispice). Il fut un des grands succès de la maison d'édition Flammarion que son frère Ernest avait fondé en 1875. Plus de 125 000 exemplaires seront vendu avant 1914.téléchargeabl