Convergence of the Latest Standards Addressing Safety and Security for Information Technology

International audienceSafety and Security have always been considered separately in most industrial process. Actually, there is a growing consensus that for many applications, Safety as well as Security demands have to be observed in a coherent manner. Risk analysis to counter malicious attacks can be also reused with appropriate modification for unplanned system failure

Exoplanet Diversity in the Era of Space-based Direct Imaging Missions

This whitepaper discusses the diversity of exoplanets that could be detected by future observations, so that comparative exoplanetology can be performed in the upcoming era of large space-based flagship missions. The primary focus will be on characterizing Earth-like worlds around Sun-like stars. However, we will also be able to characterize companion planets in the system simultaneously. This will not only provide a contextual picture with regards to our Solar system, but also presents a unique opportunity to observe size dependent planetary atmospheres at different orbital distances. We propose a preliminary scheme based on chemical behavior of gases and condensates in a planet's atmosphere that classifies them with respect to planetary radius and incident stellar flux.Comment: A white paper submitted to the National Academy of Sciences Exoplanet Science Strateg

Communications dans le systeme distribue oriente objet CSA

SIGLEAvailable from INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : TD 78248 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc

Spatio-temporal distribution of soil surface moisture in a heterogeneously farmed Mediterranean catchment

Correspondance: [email protected] audienceObservation and interpretation of spatial soil surface moisture patterns are fundamental to spatially distributed modelling of runoff generation, soil evaporation, and plant transpiration. Compared to natural basins, man-made managements in farmed basins, such as field limits, agricultural practices and the networks of ditches, Lead to great spatial heterogeneity in hydrological processes at the catchment scale. The aim of this study was to identify the factors controlling the spatio-temporal variability of the surface soil moisture in the farmed Mediterranean catchment of Roujan (0.91 km(2)) located in southern France. Intensive measurements of soil moisture patterns were recorded during two drying sequences, respectively, in dry and wet seasons. Results show that the soil surface characteristics (SSC), which result in part from the agricultural practices such as soil tillage, chemical weed control or grass covering, are the main factors controlling the spatio-temporal distribution of the soil surface moisture during both the wet and dry drying sequences. However, in this study, none of the local factors such as the soil insolation (sunlight reaching soil surface through the plant canopy if there is one), the slope, the aspect and the soil texture is correlated to the soil moisture spatial variability. Only local factors control the spatio-temporal variability of soil surface moisture because agricultural operations like tillage influence greatly the local surface runoff by altering soil hydrologic properties. Also, the ditch networks influence the water transfer from the fields to the catchment outlet by routing runoff directly to the catchment outlet without modifying the soil surface moistures of downslope fields. Consequently, in farmed catchments the agricultural managements and practices strongly modify the spatio-temporal soil moisture distribution and must be taken into account in the understanding and in the modelling of hydrological processe

Postmortem redistribution of THC in the pig

Chantier qualité GA This work was presented in part at the 14th Annual Meeting of the Société Française de Toxicologie Analytique, Le Touquet, France, 2006, and at the 44th International Meeting of the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2006.International audienceTo improve the knowledge of the postmortem redistribution of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an animal model using the Large White pig has been developed, whereby 15 pigs received an intravenous injection of THC (200 µg/kg body weight) and were euthanized 2 h after administration. An autopsy was performed on three pigs immediately after being euthanized while the others were stored in supine position at ambient temperature for 6, 15, 24, or 48 h. THC concentration in blood from the vena cava decreased after death whereas left or right cardiac blood concentrations increased. No blood specimens collected from different sites of the carcasses adequately reflected the perimortem THC concentrations. The highest concentrations of THC at anytime were observed in lung tissue, and brain tissue seemed to present the most stable concentrations over time. This study can assist toxicologists in determining which specimens can, most appropriately, be used for interpretation of cannabinoid concentrations in postmortem specimens

Toxicocinétique et distribution tissulaire du delta-9-tétrahydrocannabinol : étude chez le porc

Cette étude présente un nouveau modèle animal, le porc de race Large White, utilisé pour mettre en œuvre des expérimentations pouvant aider à mieux connaître la distribution tissulaire du $\Delta ^{9}$-tétrahydrocannabinol (THC) notamment au niveau du cerveau. Les cinétiques réalisées chez le porc après administration de THC par voie intrajugulaire ont montré une similitude avec l'évolution des concentrations en THC rencontrée chez l'homme. La demi-vie terminale d'élimination du THC a été calculée à 10,6 h ainsi que le volume de distribution à 32 L/kg. Pour étudier la distribution tissulaire des cannabinoïdes, 8 porcs ont reçu 200 $\mu$g/kg de THC par injection. Deux porcs ont été sacrifiés 30 min après injection puis 2 autres après 2, 6 et 24 heures. L'élimination du THC est la plus rapide au niveau du foie, et la plus lente au niveau de la graisse où les concentrations sont encore importantes 24 heures après l'injection. L'élimination au niveau du cerveau semble plus lente que dans le sang total. Après 30 min, au niveau du cerveau la plus forte concentration en THC est retrouvée au sein du cervelet et la plus faible au niveau du bulbe rachidien. Au niveau des autres organes (rein, rate, cœur, muscle et poumon), l'élimination est comparable à celle observée dans le plasma. Cette étude confirme la rétention prolongée du THC dans les tissus lipophiles (graisse et cerveau), déjà observée chez l'homme. La corrélation entre les résultats obtenus et les données connues chez l'homme montre que le porc est un bon modèle animal en vue d'études plus approfondies sur le métabolisme et la distribution des cannabinoïdes

Recessive Mutations in RTN4IP1 Cause Isolated and Syndromic Optic Neuropathies

Autosomal-recessive optic neuropathies are rare blinding conditions related to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) and optic-nerve degeneration, for which only mutations in TMEM126A and ACO2 are known. In four families with early-onset recessive optic neuropathy, we identified mutations in RTN4IP1, which encodes a mitochondrial ubiquinol oxydo-reductase. RTN4IP1 is a partner of RTN4 (also known as NOGO), and its ortholog Rad8 in C. elegans is involved in UV light response. Analysis of fibroblasts from affected individuals with a RTN4IP1 mutation showed loss of the altered protein, a deficit of mitochondrial respiratory complex I and IV activities, and increased susceptibility to UV light. Silencing of RTN4IP1 altered the number and morphogenesis of mouse RGC dendrites in vitro and the eye size, neuro-retinal development, and swimming behavior in zebrafish in vivo. Altogether, these data point to a pathophysiological mechanism responsible for RGC early degeneration and optic neuropathy and linking RTN4IP1 functions to mitochondrial physiology, response to UV light, and dendrite growth during eye maturation

Relative Frequencies of Inherited Retinal Dystrophies and Optic Neuropathies in Southern France: Assessment of 21-year Data Management

International audiencePURPOSE:Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) and inherited optic neuropathies (IONs) are rare diseases defined by specific clinical and molecular features. The relative prevalence of these conditions was determined in Southern France.METHODS:Patients recruited from a specialized outpatient clinic over a 21-year period underwent extensive clinical investigations and 107 genes were screened by polymerase chain reaction/sequencing.RESULTS:There were 1957 IRD cases (1481 families) distributed in 70% of pigmentary retinopathy cases (56% non-syndromic, 14% syndromic), 20% maculopathies and 7% stationary conditions. Patients with retinitis pigmentosa were the most frequent (47%) followed by Usher syndrome (10.8%). Among non-syndromic pigmentary retinopathy patients, 84% had rod-cone dystrophy, 8% cone-rod dystrophy and 5% Leber congenital amaurosis. Macular dystrophies were encountered in 398 cases (30% had Stargardt disease and 11% had Best disease). There were 184 ION cases (127 families) distributed in 51% with dominant optic neuropathies, 33% with recessive/sporadic forms and 16% with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. Positive molecular results were obtained in 417/609 families with IRDs (68.5%) and in 27/58 with IONs (46.5%). The sequencing of 5 genes (ABCA4, USH2A, MYO7A, RPGR and PRPH2) provided a positive molecular result in 48% of 417 families with IRDs. Except for autosomal retinitis pigmentosa, in which less than half the families had positive molecular results, about 75% of families with other forms of retinal conditions had a positive molecular diagnosis.CONCLUSIONS:Although gene discovery considerably improved molecular diagnosis in many subgroups of IRDs and IONs, retinitis pigmentosa, accounting for almost half of IRDs, remains only partly molecularly defined