Are Invasive Genotypes Superior? An Experimental Approach Using Native and Invasive Genotypes of the Invasive Grass Phalaris Arundinacea

International audienceThe admixture and recombination of individuals from the native range into a new range may lead to the production of invasive genotypes that have higher fitness and wider climatic tolerances than the native genotypes. In this paper, we compare the survival and growth of native EU and invasive NA genotypes when planted back into the native EU range near where the EU genotypes were collected. We test this hypothesis using the invasive wetland grass Phalaris arundinacea. If invasive genotypes have evolved to have higher survival and growth, then they should outperform the native EU genotypes under field conditions that are better suited to the EU genotypes. Individual plants of the wetland grass, Phalaris arundinacea collected from native Europe (Czech Republic (CZ) and France (FR)) and North America (Vermont (VT) and North Carolina (NC)) were planted into common gardens in Trebon, Czech Republic (49.0042°N, 14.7721°E) and Moussac, France (43.9808°N, 4.2241°E). Invasive genotypes from North Carolina (NC) survived as well or better than native genotypes in both the Trebon and Moussac garden. Additionally, invasive NC genotypes suffered higher herbivore damage than native genotypes but their growth and survival were not significantly different than genotypes from the other re-gions. A companion field experiment that simulated biomass removal through grazing indicated that invasive NC genotypes recovered faster following grazing than genotypes from other regions. Our results suggest that not all invasive genotypes are superior and regional differences in aggressiveness between invasive genotypes are as great as differences between individuals from native and invasive populations. Introduction of genotypes leading to invasion depends upon the environmental conditions and the suitability of the climate for the introduced individuals

Genetic polymorphisms influence on sports injuries and muscle damage

International audienceA review was achieved to identify genetic polymorphisms which increase injuries and muscle damage susceptibility. Several genetic polymorphisms have been identified during the last decade involving muscles, ligaments, or tendons-related genes. These genetic polymorphisms can impact, positively or negatively the risk, the incidence, and the severity of injuries. Among them, the major genes identified were ACE, ACTN3, COL5A1, IL6, MCT1, MMP3, and HGF. The present study supports the interest to assess genetic polymorphisms in athletes to better individualize training strategies.Une revue a été réalisée pour identifier les polymorphismes génétiques qui augmentent la susceptibilité aux blessures et aux dommages musculaires. Plusieurs polymorphismes génétiques ont été identifiés au cours de la dernière décennie, impliquant des gènes en relation avec les muscles, les ligaments ou les tendons. Ces polymorphismes génétiques peuvent avoir un impact positif ou négatif sur le risque, l'incidence et la gravité des blessures. Parmi eux, les principaux gènes identifiés sont ACE, ACTN3, COL5A1, IL6, MCT1, MMP3 et HGF. Le présent poster confirme l'intérêt d'évaluer les polymorphismes génétiques chez les athlètes afin de mieux individualiser les stratégies d'entraînement

Inattentional Deafness in Simulated Air Traffic Control Tasks : A Behavioral and P300 Analysis

International audienceThe acoustic environment is critical in Air Traffic Control (ATC), as operators exchange information with planes and must also be aware of the occurrence of auditory alarms. In such situations, observing inattentional deafness is likely. In this study, we aimed to identify the physiological indicators of inattentional deafness through the analysis of the P300 evoked potential, known to be an indicator of attention allocation, an important step to a stimulus reaching consciousness. Based on the assumption that the high mental load generated by an ATC task may reduce the alarm detection rate, we wished to test whether this effect would be reflected in the alarm-evoked P300 amplitude. Participants had to perform simulated ATC tasks within the LABY microworld while electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded. Simultaneously to the LABY tasks, participants were asked to respond to target tones (the “alarm”) and to ignore standard tones. Behavioral results showed that 4.6% of alarms were not reported. For these alarm detection failures, the EEG analysis showed a diminution of the P300 amplitude in comparison to a control condition in which participants only focused on the tones. These results suggest that the P300 amplitude seems to be a valid physiological indicator of vulnerability to inattentional deafness in complex environments. Relevant applications include the prevention of alarm omission and the assessment of warning designs

Optimisation strategies of antibiotic lipopeptide production by Bacillus subtilis

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Sea-level change and free gas occurrence influencing a submarine landslide and pockmark formation and distribution in deepwater Nigeria

A series of pockmarks observed at the seabed matches well the perimeter of a large submarine landslide, called NG1, located on the outer shelf and continental slope of the Eastern Gulf of Guinea. NG1 extends over 200 km2, is covered by a 120-m thick sedimentary layer which tapers downslope, and has an internal structure clearly identified in 3D seismic data consisting of three adjacent units on the upper continental slope. The pockmarks above NG1 have a diameter of several tens of meters and reveal distinct origins: (1) linked to >500 m deep fluid reservoirs, (2) rooted in NG1 internal discontinuities between NG1 units, and (3) well above NG1, superficially rooted in a regional conformity (D40), which marks the lowest sea level of the Marine Isotope Stage 6. The regional stratigraphic pattern of the study area is composed of muddy sedimentary sequences separated by correlative conformities and transgressive condensed units of coarser grain size. Mud-confined coarser-grained units constitute transient gas reservoirs favoring lateral gas migration and formation of pockmarks rooted in the condensed units. The buried NG1 landslide modifies the layered structure of the sedimentary column providing (1) overall, a barrier to fluid migration, and (2) localized pathways for fluid migration. The triggering factor for the formation of pockmarks above NG1 can be the variation of hydrostatic pressure driven by relative sea-level fall during Marine Isotopic Stages 6 and 2 and consequent gas exsolution and fluid flow. We anticipate our result to be a starting point for understanding the role of gas seeps on climate change worldwide. Furthermore, gas release intensifies during lowstands with relevant implication on global warming after ice ages