Rhythmanalysis of Urban Events: Empirical Elements from the Montreux Jazz Festival

This article proposes an original approach to urban events mapping. At the theoretical level, the article is based on rhythmanalysis and recent research on urban rhythms. It contrasts with previous research by departing from everyday rhythms to tackle the specific rhythms of urban events. Drawing on this theoretical framework, the article proposes to analyse the rhythms of the Montreux Jazz Festival. The article proposes two main types of rhythmic scales, linked with the historical development of the Festival and its annual performance. The methodology is based on a mixed method of data collection and an original analysis framework. The analysis of the historical rhythm is carried out based on the analysis of the festival archives and interviews with experts. The analysis uses the Time Machine visualisation device that reveals three processes of urban resonance: the spread, which shows how the festival is integrated into the existing urban fabric; the openness, which shows accessibility; and the grip, which seeks to evaluate the urban sphere of influence of the event. These different visualisations are enriched by the addition of other data, including ticket scanning and commercial transactions that show the alternance between high and low-intensity periods. These allowed us to not only confirm the impact of programming on flows, but also the effects of the wider organisation of the leisure system. The results of the analysis show that the intertwining of the two rhythmic scales produces a hyper-place that resonates both internationally and locally

Sex differences in lipid and glucose kinetics after ingestion of an acute oral fructose load

The increase in VLDL TAG concentration after ingestion of a high-fructose diet is more pronounced in men than in pre-menopausal women. We hypothesised that this may be due to a lower fructose-induced stimulation of de novo lipogenesis (DNL) in pre-menopausal women. To evaluate this hypothesis, nine healthy male and nine healthy female subjects were studied after ingestion of oral loads of fructose enriched with 13C6 fructose. Incorporation of 13C into breath CO2, plasma glucose and plasma VLDL palmitate was monitored to evaluate total fructose oxidation, gluconeogenesis and hepatic DNL, respectively. Substrate oxidation was assessed by indirect calorimetry. After 13C fructose ingestion, 44·0 (sd 3·2)% of labelled carbons were recovered in plasma glucose in males v. 41·9 (sd 2·3)% in females (NS), and 42·9 (sd 3·7)% of labelled carbons were recovered in breath CO2 in males v. 43·0 (sd 4·5)% in females (NS), indicating similar gluconeogenesis from fructose and total fructose oxidation in males and females. The area under the curve for 13C VLDL palmitate tracer-to-tracee ratio was four times lower in females (P<0·05), indicating a lower DNL. Furthermore, lipid oxidation was significantly suppressed in males (by 16·4 (sd 5·2), P<0·05), but it was not suppressed in females (−1·3 (sd 4·7)%). These results support the hypothesis that females may be protected against fructose-induced hypertriglyceridaemia because of a lower stimulation of DNL and a lower suppression of lipid oxidatio

Sea ice diatom contributions to Holocene nutrient utilization in East Antarctica

Combined high-resolution Holocene δ30Sidiat and δ13Cdiat paleorecords are presented from theSeasonal Ice Zone, East Antarctica. Both data sets reflect periods of increased nutrient utilization by diatomsduring the Hypsithermal period (circa 7800 to 3500 calendar years (cal years) B.P.), coincident with a higherabundance of open water diatom species (Fragilariopsis kerguelensis), increased biogenic silica productivity(%BSi), and higher regional summer temperatures. The Neoglacial period (after circa 3500 cal years B.P.) isreflected by an increase in sea ice indicative species (Fragilariopsis curta and Fragilariopsis cylindrus,upto50%) along with a decrease in %BSi and δ13Cdiat(< 18‰ to 23‰). However, over this period, δ30Sidiatdata show an increasing trend, to some of the highest values in the Holocene record (average of +0.43‰).Competing hypotheses are discussed to account for the decoupling trend in utilization proxies including ironfertilization, species-dependent fractionation effects, and diatom habitats. Based on mass balance calculations,we highlight that diatom species derived from the semi-enclosed sea ice environment may have a confoundingeffect upon δ30Sidowncorecompositions of the seasonal sea ice zone. A diatom composition, with approximately28% of biogenic silica derived from the sea ice environment (diat-SI) can account for the increased averagecompo sition of δ30Sidiatduring the Neoglacial. These data highlight the significant role sea ice diatoms can playwith relation to their export in sediment records, which has implications on productivity reconstructions fromthe seasonal ice zone

Cellular transfection of small interfering ribonucleic acids. Electroporation as an alternative to liposome-based delivery transfection methods

RNA interference has become an increasingly important tool for all aspects of molecular biology. Nevertheless, there is a technological challenge for performing gene knock-down with chemical transfection agents, as many relevant cell types are refractory to efficient transport of short interfering RNA (siRNA) into cytosol using these classical carrier-based methods. The aim of this project was to evaluate the potential of electroporation as a generic transfection method and to compare it with a standard and well-established chemical reversetransfection using cationic lipids as carriers for short-interfering RNAs. We have used an automated cell electroporation instrument from a swedish company, Cellectricon. The Cellaxess HT instrument is able to perform electroporation in 384 wells plates. We compared cell viability, transfection efficiency and extend of gene silencing caused by electroporation, with reverse-transfection using Lipofectamine RNAiMAX. Gene knock down efficiency has been measured at the protein function level by targeting ubiquitously expressed genes that are essential to cell survival. Cell viability and transfection efficiency are, then, opposed with this strategy. Results clearly showed a net improvement of "difficult-to-transfect" cell transfection but this improvement comes at the price of consuming up to ten fold more siRNAs. For "normal" cell line, lipofection remains the preferred methodology as it is more efficient and less expensive. Furthermore, the Cellaxess HT instrument has some serious drawbacks that pervert easy and reproducible result acquisition

Targeting Mitochondrial Calcium Uptake with the Natural Flavonol Kaempferol, to Promote Metabolism/Secretion Coupling in Pancreatic beta-cells

Pancreatic beta-cells secrete insulin to lower blood glucose, following a meal. Maintenance of beta-cell function is essential to preventing type 2 diabetes. In pancreatic beta-cells, mitochondrial matrix calcium is an activating signal for insulin secretion. Recently, the molecular identity of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), the transporter that mediates mitochondrial calcium uptake, was revealed. Its role in pancreatic beta-cell signal transduction modulation was clarified, opening new perspectives for intervention. Here, we investigated the effects of a mitochondrial Ca2+-targeted nutritional intervention strategy on metabolism/secretion coupling, in a model of pancreatic insulin-secreting cells (INS-1E). Acute treatment of INS-1E cells with the natural plant flavonoid and MCU activator kaempferol, at a low micromolar range, increased mitochondrial calcium rise during glucose stimulation, without affecting the expression level of the MCU and with no cytotoxicity. Enhanced mitochondrial calcium rises potentiated glucose-induced insulin secretion. Conversely, the MCU inhibitor mitoxantrone inhibited mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and prevented both glucose-induced insulin secretion and kaempferol-potentiated effects. The kaempferol-dependent potentiation of insulin secretion was finally validated in a model of a standardized pancreatic human islet. We conclude that the plant product kaempferol activates metabolism/secretion coupling in insulin-secreting cells by modulating mitochondrial calcium uptake

Satellite ocean color of the coastal zones around Pacific Islands

International audienc

Satellite ocean color of the coastal zones around Pacific Islands

International audienc