The state of the Martian climate

60°N was +2.0°C, relative to the 1981–2010 average value (Fig. 5.1). This marks a new high for the record. The average annual surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly for 2016 for land stations north of starting in 1900, and is a significant increase over the previous highest value of +1.2°C, which was observed in 2007, 2011, and 2015. Average global annual temperatures also showed record values in 2015 and 2016. Currently, the Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of lower latitudes

Assistance vibrotactile à l'interception locomotrice de cibles mobiles : étude de faisabilité

Organisateurs : Université de Genève (Germain Poizat, Raphaël Maion, Simon Flandin), Haute Ecole Spécialisée de Suisse Occidentale (Carole Baudin, Bruno Parent, Rafaël Weissbrodt), Centre universitaire de médecine générale et de santé publique (Claire Bauduin), Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois (Vera Bustamante) Hopitaux Universitaire de Genève (Christine Villaret), Optimance (David Bozier).International audienceCan we assist the locomotor actions of intercepting moving targets in the absence of visionusing a tactile sensory augmentation system? When the target to be intercepted is visible, a person canadjust their walking speed so as to null the rate of change of the angle between their direction and thetarget (maintaining constant bearing angle, CBA). We present technological developments and afeasibility study evaluating the usability of a tactile sensory augmentation device intended to assist thelocomotor actions of interception. Our results suggest that CBA coupling, which is naturally observedwhen vision is available, can be maintained when using our device, after a training period. We discussthe preliminary results of this study in the light of the experimental changes we will introduce into ourscientific program in the future.Peut-on assister les actions locomotrices d'interception de cibles mobiles en absence de vision grâce à un dispositif de suppléance sensorielle tactile ? Lorsque la cible à intercepter est visible, une personne peut ajuster sa vitesse de déplacement de façon à annuler le taux de changement de l'angle entre sa direction de déplacement et celle de la cible (constant bearing angle, CBA). Nous présentons ici les développements technologiques et une étude de faisabilité visant à évaluer l'utilisabilité d'un dispositif de suppléance sensorielle tactile destiné à assister les actions locomotrices d'interception. Nos résultats suggèrent que moyennant une période d'apprentissage, le couplage CBA, naturellement observé lorsque la vision est disponible peut être maintenu lors de l'utilisation de notre dispositif. Nous discutons les résultats préliminaires de cette étude au regard des changements expérimentaux que nous introduirons à l'avenir dans notre programme scientifique

Assistance vibrotactile à l'interception locomotrice de cibles mobiles : étude de faisabilité

International audiencePeut-on assister les actions locomotrices d'interception de cibles mobiles en absence de vision grâce à un dispositif de suppléance sensorielle tactile ? Lorsque la cible à intercepter est visible, une personne peut ajuster sa vitesse de déplacement de façon à annuler le taux de changement de l'angle entre sa direction de déplacement et celle de la cible (constant bearing angle, CBA). Nous présentons ici les développements technologiques et une étude de faisabilité visant à évaluer l'utilisabilité d'un dispositif de suppléance sensorielle tactile destiné à assister les actions locomotrices d'interception. Nos résultats suggèrent que moyennant une période d'apprentissage, le couplage CBA, naturellement observé lorsque la vision est disponible peut être maintenu lors de l'utilisation de notre dispositif. Nous discutons les résultats préliminaires de cette étude au regard des changements expérimentaux que nous introduirons à l'avenir dans notre programme scientifique

Contrasting Functions of Mitogen- and Stress-activated Protein Kinases 1 and 2 in Recognition Memory and In Vivo Hippocampal Synaptic Transmission

International audienceThe mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) are major signaling components of intracellular pathways required for memory consolidation. Mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinases 1 and 2 (MSK1 and MSK2) mediate signal transduction downstream of MAPK. MSKs are activated by Extracellular-signal Regulated Kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38 MAPK. In turn, they can activate cyclic AMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB), thereby modulating the expression of immediate early genes crucial for the formation of long-term memories. While MSK1 has been previously implicated in certain forms of learning and memory, little is known concerning MSK2. Our goal was to explore the respective contribution of MSK1 and MSK2 in hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity and hippocampal-dependent recognition memory. In Msk1- and Msk2-knockout mice, we evaluated object and object-place recognition memory, basal synaptic transmission, paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) and inhibition (PPI), and the capacity to induce and sustain long-term potentiation (LTP) in vivo. We also assessed the level of two proteins downstream in the MAPK/ERK1/2 pathway crucial for long-term memory, CREB and the immediate early gene (IEG) Early growth response 1 (EGR1). Loss of Msk1, but not of Msk2, affected excitatory synaptic transmission at perforant path-to-dentate granule cell synapses, altered short-term presynaptic plasticity, impaired selectively long-term spatial recognition memory, and decreased basal levels of CREB and its activated form. LTP in vivo and LTP-induced CREB phosphorylation and EGR1 expression were unchanged after Msk1 or Msk2 deletion. Our findings demonstrate a dissimilar contribution of MSKs proteins in cognitive processes and suggest that Msk1 loss-of-function only has a deleterious impact on neuronal activity and hippocampal-dependent memory consolidation

Spherical Agglomeration of Safinamide Mesylate: A Case Study of a Simultaneous Control of Crystalline Landscape and Micromeritic Properties

International audienceSafinamide mesylate (SAFIM) is a drug used in its anhydrous form as an add-on treatment for Parkinson′s disease. This work demonstrates the feasibility of a spherical agglomeration process on a molecule exhibiting an agglomeration′s unfavorable crystalline landscape, due to the high stability of SAFIM hydrate. After a comprehensive characterization of the crystalline landscape of SAFIM, conditions to obtain anhydrous SAFIM during the agglomeration process are presented. Temperature, stirring rate, the concentration of the slurry, and the amount of bridging liquid were studied to obtain spherical agglomerates with desirable micromeritic properties

Cerebral Asymmetry and Behavioral Lateralization in Rats Chronically Lacking n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

International audienc

Preservation of long-term memory and synaptic plasticity despite short-term impairments in the Tc1 mouse model of Down syndrome

Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder arising from the presence of a third copy of the human chromosome 21 (Hsa21). Recently, O’Doherty and colleagues in an earlier study generated a new genetic mouse model of DS (Tc1) that carries an almost complete Hsa21. Since DS is the most common genetic cause of mental retardation, we have undertaken a detailed analysis of cognitive function and synaptic plasticity in Tc1 mice. Here we show that Tc1 mice have impaired spatial working memory (WM) but spared long-term spatial reference memory (RM) in the Morris watermaze. Similarly, Tc1 mice are selectively impaired in short-term memory (STM) but have intact long-term memory (LTM) in the novel object recognition task. The pattern of impaired STM and normal LTM is paralleled by a corresponding phenotype in long-term potentiation (LTP). Freely-moving Tc1 mice exhibit reduced LTP 1 h after induction but normal maintenance over days in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation. Biochemical analysis revealed a reduction in membrane surface expression of the AMPAR (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-propionic acid receptor) subunit GluR1 in the hippocampus of Tc1 mice, suggesting a potential mechanism for the impairment in early LTP. Our observations also provide further evidence that STM and LTM for hippocampus-dependent tasks are subserved by parallel processing streams

A new G-quadruplex-specific photosensitizer inducing genome instability in cancer cells by triggering oxidative DNA damage and impeding replication fork progression

Abstract Photodynamic therapy (PDT) ideally relies on the administration, selective accumulation and photoactivation of a photosensitizer (PS) into diseased tissues. In this context, we report a new heavy-atom-free fluorescent G-quadruplex (G4) DNA-binding PS, named DBI. We reveal by fluorescence microscopy that DBI preferentially localizes in intraluminal vesicles (ILVs), precursors of exosomes, which are key components of cancer cell proliferation. Moreover, purified exosomal DNA was recognized by a G4-specific antibody, thus highlighting the presence of such G4-forming sequences in the vesicles. Despite the absence of fluorescence signal from DBI in nuclei, light-irradiated DBI-treated cells generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), triggering a 3-fold increase of nuclear G4 foci, slowing fork progression and elevated levels of both DNA base damage, 8-oxoguanine, and double-stranded DNA breaks. Consequently, DBI was found to exert significant phototoxic effects (at nanomolar scale) toward cancer cell lines and tumor organoids. Furthermore, in vivo testing reveals that photoactivation of DBI induces not only G4 formation and DNA damage but also apoptosis in zebrafish, specifically in the area where DBI had accumulated. Collectively, this approach shows significant promise for image-guided PDT.Depto. de Química InorgánicaFac. de Ciencias QuímicasTRUEpu