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

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

La collection d’archives orales "Mémoire des Arméniens des quartiers de Marseille et des Bouches-du-Rhône" : comment la valoriser, comment la faire évoluer ? Étude d’un corpus sonore en ligne

Reconnu par la loi française en 2001, quatorze ans après sa reconnaissance par le Parlement européen, le génocide arménien de 1915-1916 a eu, entre autres conséquences, la constitution à Marseille et dans l’ensemble du département des Bouches-du-Rhône, d’une importante communauté arménienne. Aujourd’hui, ces immigrés et leurs descendants portent encore la mémoire de ce génocide, mais surtout de l’exil, des savoir-faire notamment culinaires, d’une certaine forme desociabilité qui disparaît peu..

Challenging students into developing accelerator-based innovations to protect the environment

International audienceThe I.FAST CBI is an immersive challenge-based innovation program funded by the H2020 I.FAST project. The 10-day face-to-face challenge brings together students of different disciplines from all over Europe to work together on innovative projects using accelerator technology applied to environmental challenges. We report on the first edition of the I.FAST CBI, the proposed projects and feedback from the students

Bulletin n°37

Éditorial Jean-Noël Pelen vient de partir à la retraite. Pour rendre hommage au travail de cet ancien chercheur du CNRS, grand spécialiste des récits de tradition orale et auteur de nombreuses publications dans ce domaine, l'AFAS lui donne la parole dans ces pages en republiant l'introduction qu'il fit à des rencontres sur l'oralité tenues en 1990. Deux fonds d'archives sont aussi présentés dans le Bulletin, suite au travail de jeunes chercheures ayant effectué, qui un stage, qui un devoir dans le cadre de leurs études. Elles mettent en lumière des fonds oraux, l'un venant de Radio France, touchant au social et à la solidarité, l'autre lié au recueil de la mémoire de la communauté arménienne des Bouches-du-Rhône. Deux sujets d'une grande actualité. Enfin, bilan et compte rendu au programme, celui de l'association pour l'année 2010 et de notre dernière journée d'étude consacrée aux archives orales elle aussi. Cela nous montre combien ce domaine, de plus en plus valorisé, est désormais considéré comme constitutif de sources incontournables pour les sciences humaines qui s’intéressent au monde contemporain.   Marie-Barbara Le Gonidec Présidente de l'AFA

The risk of COVID-19 death is much greater and age dependent with type I IFN autoantibodies

International audienceSignificance There is growing evidence that preexisting autoantibodies neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) are strong determinants of life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia. It is important to estimate their quantitative impact on COVID-19 mortality upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, by age and sex, as both the prevalence of these autoantibodies and the risk of COVID-19 death increase with age and are higher in men. Using an unvaccinated sample of 1,261 deceased patients and 34,159 individuals from the general population, we found that autoantibodies against type I IFNs strongly increased the SARS-CoV-2 infection fatality rate at all ages, in both men and women. Autoantibodies against type I IFNs are strong and common predictors of life-threatening COVID-19. Testing for these autoantibodies should be considered in the general population

The risk of COVID-19 death is much greater and age dependent with type I IFN autoantibodies

International audienceSignificance There is growing evidence that preexisting autoantibodies neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) are strong determinants of life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia. It is important to estimate their quantitative impact on COVID-19 mortality upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, by age and sex, as both the prevalence of these autoantibodies and the risk of COVID-19 death increase with age and are higher in men. Using an unvaccinated sample of 1,261 deceased patients and 34,159 individuals from the general population, we found that autoantibodies against type I IFNs strongly increased the SARS-CoV-2 infection fatality rate at all ages, in both men and women. Autoantibodies against type I IFNs are strong and common predictors of life-threatening COVID-19. Testing for these autoantibodies should be considered in the general population

Rare predicted loss-of-function variants of type I IFN immunity genes are associated with life-threatening COVID-19

BackgroundWe previously reported that impaired type I IFN activity, due to inborn errors of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I interferon (IFN) immunity or to autoantibodies against type I IFN, account for 15-20% of cases of life-threatening COVID-19 in unvaccinated patients. Therefore, the determinants of life-threatening COVID-19 remain to be identified in similar to 80% of cases.MethodsWe report here a genome-wide rare variant burden association analysis in 3269 unvaccinated patients with life-threatening COVID-19, and 1373 unvaccinated SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals without pneumonia. Among the 928 patients tested for autoantibodies against type I IFN, a quarter (234) were positive and were excluded.ResultsNo gene reached genome-wide significance. Under a recessive model, the most significant gene with at-risk variants was TLR7, with an OR of 27.68 (95%CI 1.5-528.7, P=1.1x10(-4)) for biochemically loss-of-function (bLOF) variants. We replicated the enrichment in rare predicted LOF (pLOF) variants at 13 influenza susceptibility loci involved in TLR3-dependent type I IFN immunity (OR=3.70[95%CI 1.3-8.2], P=2.1x10(-4)). This enrichment was further strengthened by (1) adding the recently reported TYK2 and TLR7 COVID-19 loci, particularly under a recessive model (OR=19.65[95%CI 2.1-2635.4], P=3.4x10(-3)), and (2) considering as pLOF branchpoint variants with potentially strong impacts on splicing among the 15 loci (OR=4.40[9%CI 2.3-8.4], P=7.7x10(-8)). Finally, the patients with pLOF/bLOF variants at these 15 loci were significantly younger (mean age [SD]=43.3 [20.3] years) than the other patients (56.0 [17.3] years; P=1.68x10(-5)).ConclusionsRare variants of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I IFN immunity genes can underlie life-threatening COVID-19, particularly with recessive inheritance, in patients under 60 years old