The impact of eye contact on the sense of agency

Recent research suggests that eye contact can lead to enhanced self-awareness. A related phenomenon, the sense of agency deals with the notion of the self as the origin of our actions. Possible links between eye contact and agency have been so far neglected. Here, we investigated whether an implicit sense of agency could be modulated by eye gaze. We asked participants to respond (button press) to a face stimulus: looking or not at the participant (experiment 1); or displaying distinct eye gaze before or after a mask (experiment 2). After each trial, participants estimated the time between their key press and the ensuing effects. We found enhanced intentional binding for conditions that involved direct compared to averted gaze. This study supports the idea that eye contact is an important cue that affects complex cognitive processes and suggests that modulating self-processing can impact the sense of agency

Interfacial photochemistry at the ocean surface is a global source of organic vapors and aerosols

The surface of the oceans acts as a global sink and source for trace gases and aerosol particles. Recent studies suggest that photochemical reactions at this air/water interface produce organic vapors, enhancing particle formation in the atmosphere. However, current model calculations neglect this abiotic source of reactive compounds and account only for biological emissions. Here we show that interfacial photochemistry serves as a major abiotic source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on a global scale, capable to compete with emissions from marine biology. Our results indicate global emissions of 46.4-184 Tg C yr-1 of organic vapors from the oceans into the marine atmosphere and a potential contribution to organic aerosol mass of more than 60% over the remote ocean. Moreover, we provide global distributions of VOC formation potentials, which can be used as simple tools for field studies to estimate photochemical VOC emissions depending on location and season

Author Correction: Interfacial photochemistry at the ocean surface is a global source of organic vapors and aerosols

[no abstract available

Perceptual modelling of environmental Indicators to assess land uses impacts on water quality

International audienceStreams’ functioning is closely influenced by land uses along the stream itself and throughout the catchment. Land uses could both translate the natural environment or results of increasing human activities. These different land uses generate various (positive or negative) pressures depending on kind and intensity that alter river water quality for different scales of time and space. The objective of this research, applied on the Saône River (France) is to conceptualize and quantify the interactions between river water quality and land use through spatial modelling. Our methodology is based on (i) the design of indicators’ system using the DPSIR framework (EEA) (ii) the development of relevant environmental indicators able to characterize spatio-temporal evolution of the water quality, land uses and their interactions. The conceptual framework DPSIR helps to understand the global nature and the complexity of the problem; however it constrains the selection and development of environmental indicators. Water quality state is characterized by a bioindicator based on the abundance and the sensitivity of benthic invertebrates that are able to integrate different kinds of pressures at different time scales. The identification of the pressure indicators has been done thanks a literature review. They were built according to the nature of the land use, distance to rivers and location in the watershed. The indicators’ construction has been limited by the representativeness and homogeneity of data gathered from national databases. These data were supplemented by a work of very high spatial resolution land use mapping and by the results of a spatio-temporal change detection analysis

Heterogeneous photochemistry of dicarboxylic acids on mineral dust

SSCI-VIDE+CARE+CEM:CGOInternational audienceDicarboxylic acids have low volatilities and hence are present mostly in the particulate phase, including the surface of dust particles. Mineral dust, globally the mostemitted aerosol, has photocatalytic properties that can initiate photo-induced heterogeneous chemistry of organic compounds, which is still poorly characterized. Weinvestigated the photochemistry offive dicarboxylic acids (DCA) i.e., succinic (butanedioic) acid, glutaric (pentanedioic) acid, adipic (hexanedioic) acid, pimelic(heptanedioic) acid and suberic (octanedioic) acid on Arizona test dust (ATD) particles upon UV-A light irradiation (0–1.4 mW cm−2). Gas-phase products weremonitored by a high-resolution proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS), and surface sorbed products were extracted and analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a heated electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometer (UHPLC-HESI-HRMS). Monoacids and aldehydeswere the main observed and quantified gaseous products. In contrast, shorter chain DCA and highly oxygenated products were found at the surface of the dustparticles. Interestingly, the photochemistry of these DCAs presented an even-odd alternation concerning their heterogeneous reactivity, with odd-numbered carbondiacids being more reactive than their even-numbered homologous ones. We present and discuss a reaction mechanism for the C4–C8DCA heterogeneous photo-oxidation catalysed by TiO2/Fe2O3-rich dust particles. Our results suggest that photochemical processing on dust surfaces should be regarded as a possible efficient pathway for altering their surface properties impacting ice nucleation and cloud condensation propertie

Evaluation de l’influence de l’occupation du sol sur la qualité des cours d’eau en utilisant le cadre DPSIR : application sur le bassin de la Saône

International audienceLes cours d’eau sont des systèmes fragiles et complexes dont le fonctionnement peut être altéré par les activités anthropiques. Guidée par des cadres législatifs stricts et ambitieux, la gestion des cours d’eau implique de nombreux acteurs ayant chacun des objectifs propres en fonction des échelles auxquelles ils opèrent. La littérature identifie clairement l’occupation du sol comme une variable clé de l’estimation des pressions qu’elles soient positives ou négatives. Evaluer les impacts multi échelle de l’occupation du sol sur la qualité des cours d’eau est une question majeure pour les gestionnaires et les scientifiques. L’objectif de notre communication est de présenter l’adaptation du cadre conceptuel DPSIR (" driving forces, pressures, state, impact, responses ") de l’Agence Européenne de l'environnement pour structurer les informations et la construction des indicateurs. Les drivers et les pressions sont estimés à partir des données d'occupation du sol et les données d'états et d'impacts sont estimées par les valeurs d'IBGN et de l'EQR-IBGN, les réponses sont exprimées en termes de potentialités de restauration. Le bassin de la Saône a été choisi comme bassin d’application, en raison de ses caractéristiques hydrogéographiques (superficie de 30 000km² et 9000km de cours d’eau) et de la diversité des activités anthropiques présentes. / Rivers’ functioning can be altered by human activities. Guided by ambitious and rigorous legislative frameworks, rivers management involves many actors, each with specific objectives depending on the scales at which they operate. The literature clearly shows land use as a key variable in the estimation of positive and negative pressures. Assess multi-scale impacts of land use on river water quality is a major issue for water managers and scientist. The aim of our paper is to present the adaptation of DPSIR conceptual framework ("driving forces, pressures, state, impact, responses") promoted by the European Environment Agency to structure the information and the way to build indicators. Drivers and pressures indicators are estimated by land use data. State indicators and impacts indicators are respectively estimated by IBGN and EQR-IBGN values. Responses indicators are characterized by a riverside restoration potentiality. The study case is the Saone catchment because of its hydrogeographical characteristics (area of 30 000km ² and 9000km of rivers) and because of the diversity of human activities in the basin

The Economic Impacts of Port Activity in Antwerp: A Disaggregated Analysis

The importance of ports is usually measured by indicators such as added value, employment and investment on a much aggregated level. This paper tries to define the importance of the port of Antwerp for the regional and national economy on a disaggregated level. It attempts to identify, quantify and locate the mutual relationships between the different players in the port and between these players and other industries. Finally, it proposes a method to calculate the effects of changes in port activity at a detailed level. A sector analysis is done by means of a reduced regional input-output table, through a bottom-up approach. The most important customers and suppliers of the port's key players or stakeholders are identified. A geographical analysis is feasible by using data on a disaggregated level. Each customer or supplier can be located by means of their postcode. In this way, the extent of the economic impact of the port of Antwerp is quantified.

Structure, Evolution, and Functions of Bacterial Type III Toxin-Antitoxin Systems.

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are small genetic modules that encode a toxin (that targets an essential cellular process) and an antitoxin that neutralises or suppresses the deleterious effect of the toxin. Based on the molecular nature of the toxin and antitoxin components, TA systems are categorised into different types. Type III TA systems, the focus of this review, are composed of a toxic endoribonuclease neutralised by a non-coding RNA antitoxin in a pseudoknotted configuration. Bioinformatic analysis shows that the Type III systems can be classified into subtypes. These TA systems were originally discovered through a phage resistance phenotype arising due to a process akin to an altruistic suicide; the phenomenon of abortive infection. Some Type III TA systems are bifunctional and can stabilise plasmids during vegetative growth and sporulation. Features particular to Type III systems are explored here, emphasising some of the characteristics of the RNA antitoxin and how these may affect the co-evolutionary relationship between toxins and cognate antitoxins in their quaternary structures. Finally, an updated analysis of the distribution and diversity of these systems are presented and discussed.Work in the Salmond lab is supported by the BBSRC, UK; N.G. was supported by the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg (9118191); B.C. was supported by a Cambridge International Scholarship from the Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust; and A.D. was supported by a BBSRC -DTP studentship.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Molecular Diversity Preservation International via https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins810028

MCAM and its Isoforms as Novel Targets in Angiogenesis Research and Therapy

Melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) (CD146) is a membrane glycoprotein of the mucin family. It is one of the numerous proteins composing the junction of the vascular endothelium, and it is expressed in other cell types such as cancer cells, smooth muscle cells, and pericytes. Some recent works were designed to highlight its structural features, its location in the endothelium, and its role in angiogenesis, vascular permeability, and monocyte transmigration, but also in the maintenance of endothelial junctions and tumor development. MCAM exists in different splice variants and is shedded from the vascular membrane by metalloproteases. Studies about MCAM spliced and cleaved variant on human angiogenic physiological and pathological models permit a better understanding on the roles initially described for this protein. Furthermore, this knowledge will help in the future to develop therapeutic and diagnostic tools targeting specifically the different MCAM variant. Recent advances in research on angiogenesis and in the implication of MCAM in this process are discussed in this chapter