Evaluation of car traffic reduction potential in urban area, Paris and Lyon case-studies

The private car currently dominates travel in large metropolitan areas and its use is on the increase, in spite of the fact that public opinion is generally in favour of the development of public transport and political statements which reflect this opinion. Furthermore, the available projections and an analysis of the potential effect of conventional policies indicate that although such policies are able to exert some control, it is limited.Then, the question, that this research directed by INRETS will attempt to answer, is: could a major metropolitan area operate with a radically different transport system that is based principally on the use of modes other than the automobile? By "radically different", we mean a system in which use of the conventional automobile would be reduced in a non-marginal manner, by, say, between a third and a half of all private car vehicle-kilometres.This research does not attempt to justify a move towards a radically different system a lot as already been said on it. Instead, the project will perform different transport simulations and assess on based-rules the effect on the use of modes.Transport scenarios have been designed to incorporate a progressive improvement in public transport supply in the following respects: increase in speeds on the roads, increase in service frequencies during off-peak periods, creation of exclusive public transport lanes, reserving radial roads for public transport, extension of metro and regional express rail and reorganisation of bus routes in response to this. We have also devised and simulated a set of appropriate accompanying strategies that are intended to improve the effectiveness of public transport supply, for example policies to encourage the use of the bicycle or park and ride schemes. The methodology, developed by INRETS has been applied on Paris and Lyon region based on the last household travel survey conducted in each area. For each transport scenario, Paris and Lyon models are used to calculate public transport time for all trips whatever is the actual mode of transport. We then applied the procedure of mode transfer to assess the effect of each of these scenario on mode choice. The procedure is based on automatic rules. Trips, or more precisely round trips, are assigned to one or other of the alternative modes on the basis of elimination rules (no walking for distances over 2 kilometres, no cycling over 8 kilometres, no modal transfer if the purpose of the round trip is for escorting purposes...) and on the basis of constraints (individual travel-time budgets, the length of each trip and round trips, the existence of transport supply...). This system of rules and constraints constitutes the core of the modal transfer procedure.The paper will present both the methodology and results obtain from Paris and Lyon case studies.Urban transport ; Modal split ; modal split simulation method ; Transportation policy ; Car use reduction ; Paris (France) – Lyon (France)

Etude de faisabilité d'un système de transport radicalement différent sur les zones denses parisienne et lyonnaise

L'usage privé de l'automobile domine largement les déplacements dans les grandes aires métropolitaines. Son usage y est croissant, et ce malgré une opinion publique généralement favorable au développement des transports publics et des prises de position politiques qui reflètent cette opinion. En outre, les projections disponibles et l'examen des potentiels de régulation liés aux politiques traditionnellement envisagées (maîtrise du stationnement, développement des transports publics, instruments économiques (péage urbain) ou fiscaux (TIPP)) montrent que l'impact de ces politiques reste limité.La question à laquelle nous souhaitons répondre dans le cadre de cette communication est la suivante : peut-on envisager un fonctionnement satisfaisant d'une grande aire métropolitaine fondé sur un système de transport radicalement différent, reposant principalement sur l'usage d'autres modes que la voiture particulière ? Par « radicalement différent », nous entendons un système dans lequel l'usage de la voiture particulière pourrait être réduit de manière non marginale, d'au moins la moitié des véhicules * kilomètres automobiles, pour fixer les idées.Dans ce travail, nous ne cherchons pas à justifier l'orientation vers un système radicalement différent. Notre objet consiste à mettre en œuvre différents scénarios de transport, afin d'évaluer sur la base de règles de transfert les effets sur l'usage d'autres modes que la voiture dans les zones denses des agglomérations parisienne et lyonnaise.Les scénarios de transport ont été mis en œuvre en simulant une amélioration progressive de l'offre en transports publics : croissance des vitesses commerciales sur les lignes de surface, croissance du service en généralisant à la journée l'offre de la période de pointe du soir, mise en site propre des lignes de bus, création de nouvelles lignes de transports publics, extension des lignes de métro et des lignes de trains express régionaux et restructuration du réseau de bus. Nous avons également identifié et simulé une série de mesures d'accompagnement qui sont susceptibles d'améliorer l'efficacité de l'offre en transports publics, telles que la mise en œuvre de rabattements en vélo ou en voiture vers les lignes de transports publics ou de stratégies d'information pour les usagers.La méthode, développée par l'INRETS depuis 1996, a été appliquée aux agglomérations parisienne et lyonnaise sur la base des dernières enquêtes ménages déplacements de chacune des agglomérations. Pour chaque scénario de transport, des modèles sont utilisés afin de calculer les temps en transports publics de l'ensemble des déplacements, quel que soit le mode de déplacement utilisé dans les enquêtes ménages déplacements. Nous appliquons ensuite une procédure de transfert modal pour évaluer les effets de chacun des scénarios sur l'usage des modes doux. Les déplacements, ou plus précisément les boucles de déplacements, sont assignés à un des modes alternatifs sur la base de règles éliminatoires (pas de transfert vers la marche pour des distances supérieures à 2 kilomètres, pas de transfert vers le vélo pour des distances supérieures à 8 kilomètres, pas de transfert si le motif de déplacement des boucles est « accompagnement »...) et sur la base de contraintes (respect des budgets-temps de déplacement des individus, distance de chaque déplacement et boucle, existence d'une offre en transports publics...). Ce système de règles et de contraintes constituent le cœur de la procédure de transfert modal, qui examine les possibilités de transfert dans le contexte de scénarios d'offre en transport.Evaluation ; système de transport ; transfert modal ; mode de déplacement ; politique de déplacements urbains ; simulation ; transport collectif ; voiture particulière ; aire métropolitaine ; Paris (France) ; Lyon (France)

Étude de l’influence de la densité de peuplement sur le fonctionnement du sol dans des chênaies par la mesuredes rapports isotopiques du carbone (13C/12C) et de l’azote (15N/14N) en EA-IRMS

International audienc

Functional Assemblages of Collembola Determine Soil Microbial Communities and Associated Functions

Soil processes such as decomposition are mainly performed by soil biota. Although soils worldwide are extremely biodiverse, the relationship between decomposers (fauna and microorganisms), and ecosystem function is poorly understood. Collembola are abundant and ubiquitous microarthropods that are found in terrestrial ecosystems. They can affect the amount of biomass and the activity of microbial communities, either directly through selectively feeding on fungi and bacteria, or indirectly by dissemination of microbial propagules, and the alteration of nutrient availability. However, despite the functional role they play in belowground food webs, the interactions between natural assemblages of soil microbes and Collembola receive little attention. This study, conducted in microcosm conditions, examines the effects of two distinct natural assemblages of functional groups of Collembola (ep- and euedaphic) upon microbial communities using PLFA markers and their associated soil functions (e.g., enzymatic activities and C mineralization rate) over a 2-month period. Our principal objective was to determine whether different functional groups of Collembola had varying effects on microbial soil community abundance, structure and activity, resulting in potentially important effects on ecosystem processes. Our findings show that the interactions of the functional groups of Collembola with microbial communities vary significantly whether they are alone or combined. A distinct response in the composition of the microbial communities was found at the end of the 2-month period. The communities were significantly different from each other in terms of PLFA marker composition. We found that the epedaphic species were related to and promoted Gram+ bacteria whereas euedaphic species were related to Gram- bacterial markers. This had further repercussions on soil function, such as nutrient recycling. Combining both functional groups did not lead to a complementary effect on soil microbial properties, with a drastically different outcome between the first and the second month of the experiment. Additional research dealing with the interactions between decomposers using natural assemblages will help to predict the functional outcomes of soil biota structure and composition

Pre-operative Concomitant Radio-chemotherapy in Bulky Carcinoma of the Cervix: A Single Institution Study

Objective To evaluate the treatment results of patients (pts) with FIGO stage IB2, IIA, IIB cervical carcinoma (CC) treated with pre-operative radio-chemotherapy, followed by extended radical hysterectomy. Methods Retrospective study of 148 women treated to the Institut Curie for operable FIGO Stage IB2 to IIB, biopsy proved CC. Among them, 70 pts, median age 46 years, were treated using the same regimen associating primary radio-cisplatinum based chemotherapy, intracavitary LDR brachytherapy, followed by extended radical hysterectomy. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to draw survival curves. Comparisons of survival distribution were assessed by the log-rank test. Results Complete histological local-regional response was obtained in 56% of the pts (n = 39). Residual macroscopic or microscopic disease in the cervix was observed in 28 pts (40%). All but one had in-situ microscopic residual CC. Lateral residual disease in the parametria was also present in 9 pts, all with residual CC. Pelvic lymph nodes were free from microscopic disease in 56 pts (80%). Eight of 55 (11%) radiological N0 patients had microscopic nodal involvement, as compared to 6/15 (40%) radiological N1 (p = 0.03). Seventeen pts (25%) had residual cervix disease but negative nodes. After median follow-up of 40 months (range, 8–141), 38/70 patients (54.1%) are still alive and free of disease, 6 (8.6%) alive with disease, and 11 (15.8%) patients were lost for follow-up but free of disease. In Conclusion The treatment of locally advanced CC needs a new multidisciplinary diagnostic and treatment approach using new therapeutic arms to improve the survival and treatment tolerance among women presenting this disease

HSAF-induced antifungal effects in Candida albicans through ROS-mediated apoptosis

Heat-stable antifungal factor (HSAF) belongs to polycyclic tetramate macrolactams (PTMs), which inhibits many fungal pathogens and is effective in inhibiting Candida albicans (C. albicans). In this study, we found that HSAF induced the apoptosis of C. albicans SC5314 through inducing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Nevertheless, we validated the efficacy of HSAF against candidiasis caused by C. albicans in a murine model in vivo,and HSAF significantly improved survival and reduced fungal burden compared to vehicles. A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was also investigated, revealing the theoretical binding mode of HSAF to the β-tubulin of C. albicans. This study first found PTMs-induced fungal apoptosis through ROS accumulation in C. albicans and its potential as a novel agent for fungicides

The Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer Book 2018

(Abridged) This is the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer 2018 book. It is intended as a concise reference guide to all aspects of the scientific and technical design of MSE, for the international astronomy and engineering communities, and related agencies. The current version is a status report of MSE's science goals and their practical implementation, following the System Conceptual Design Review, held in January 2018. MSE is a planned 10-m class, wide-field, optical and near-infrared facility, designed to enable transformative science, while filling a critical missing gap in the emerging international network of large-scale astronomical facilities. MSE is completely dedicated to multi-object spectroscopy of samples of between thousands and millions of astrophysical objects. It will lead the world in this arena, due to its unique design capabilities: it will boast a large (11.25 m) aperture and wide (1.52 sq. degree) field of view; it will have the capabilities to observe at a wide range of spectral resolutions, from R2500 to R40,000, with massive multiplexing (4332 spectra per exposure, with all spectral resolutions available at all times), and an on-target observing efficiency of more than 80%. MSE will unveil the composition and dynamics of the faint Universe and is designed to excel at precision studies of faint astrophysical phenomena. It will also provide critical follow-up for multi-wavelength imaging surveys, such as those of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Gaia, Euclid, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, the Square Kilometre Array, and the Next Generation Very Large Array.Comment: 5 chapters, 160 pages, 107 figure

Comparative Transcriptional Profiling of Bacillus cereus Sensu Lato Strains during Growth in CO2-Bicarbonate and Aerobic Atmospheres

Bacillus species are spore-forming bacteria that are ubiquitous in the environment and display a range of virulent and avirulent phenotypes. This range is particularly evident in the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group; where closely related strains cause anthrax, food-borne illnesses, and pneumonia, but can also be non-pathogenic. Although much of this phenotypic range can be attributed to the presence or absence of a few key virulence factors, there are other virulence-associated loci that are conserved throughout the B. cereus group, and we hypothesized that these genes may be regulated differently in pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains.Here we report transcriptional profiles of three closely related but phenotypically unique members of the Bacillus cereus group--a pneumonia-causing B. cereus strain (G9241), an attenuated strain of B. anthracis (Sterne 34F(2)), and an avirulent B. cereus strain (10987)--during exponential growth in two distinct atmospheric environments: 14% CO(2)/bicarbonate and ambient air. We show that the disease-causing Bacillus strains undergo more distinctive transcriptional changes between the two environments, and that the expression of plasmid-encoded virulence genes was increased exclusively in the CO(2) environment. We observed a core of conserved metabolic genes that were differentially expressed in all three strains in both conditions. Additionally, the expression profiles of putative virulence genes in G9241 suggest that this strain, unlike Bacillus anthracis, may regulate gene expression with both PlcR and AtxA transcriptional regulators, each acting in a different environment.We have shown that homologous and even identical genes within the genomes of three closely related members of the B. cereus sensu lato group are in some instances regulated very differently, and that these differences can have important implications for virulence. This study provides insights into the evolution of the B. cereus group, and highlights the importance of looking beyond differences in gene content in comparative genomics studies

A genomic and transcriptomic approach for a differential diagnosis between primary and secondary ovarian carcinomas in patients with a previous history of breast cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The distinction between primary and secondary ovarian tumors may be challenging for pathologists. The purpose of the present work was to develop genomic and transcriptomic tools to further refine the pathological diagnosis of ovarian tumors after a previous history of breast cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sixteen paired breast-ovary tumors from patients with a former diagnosis of breast cancer were collected. The genomic profiles of paired tumors were analyzed using the Affymetrix GeneChip^®Mapping 50 K Xba Array or Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 6.0 (for one pair), and the data were normalized with ITALICS (ITerative and Alternative normaLIzation and Copy number calling for affymetrix Snp arrays) algorithm or Partek Genomic Suite, respectively. The transcriptome of paired samples was analyzed using Affymetrix GeneChip^®Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Arrays, and the data were normalized with gc-Robust Multi-array Average (gcRMA) algorithm. A hierarchical clustering of these samples was performed, combined with a dataset of well-identified primary and secondary ovarian tumors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In 12 of the 16 paired tumors analyzed, the comparison of genomic profiles confirmed the pathological diagnosis of primary ovarian tumor (n = 5) or metastasis of breast cancer (n = 7). Among four cases with uncertain pathological diagnosis, genomic profiles were clearly distinct between the ovarian and breast tumors in two pairs, thus indicating primary ovarian carcinomas, and showed common patterns in the two others, indicating metastases from breast cancer. In all pairs, the result of the transcriptomic analysis was concordant with that of the genomic analysis.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In patients with ovarian carcinoma and a previous history of breast cancer, SNP array analysis can be used to distinguish primary and secondary ovarian tumors. Transcriptomic analysis may be used when primary breast tissue specimen is not available.</p