Atlas de sensibilité du littoral aux pollutions marines, dispositif opérationnel ORSEC départemental de La Réunion. Annexe technique du dispositif spécifique Polmar-Terre.

Cet atlas de sensibilité du littoral aux pollutions marines a été produit dans le cadre du projet "Elaboration des Atlas Polmar et DCE" confié par l'Etat (DEAL -La Réunion) au laboratoire universitaire LETG-Brest Géomer en lien avec la délégation IFREMER Océan Indien. Le dispositif spécifique Polmar constitue un volet spécifique du dispositif opérationnel ORSEC départemental. Théoriquement révisé tous les cinq ans, il doit notamment fournir "un inventaire précis et hiérarchisé des zones à protéger en priorité". Etabli sous la forme d'un atlas de sensibilité des littoraux, annexe obligatoire du dispositif spécifique Polmar-Terre, cet inventaire est un document synthétique d'aide à la décision dans le contexte préparatoire et opérationnel de la lutte anti-pollution

Solving Linux Upgradeability Problems Using Boolean Optimization

Managing the software complexity of package-based systems can be regarded as one of the main challenges in software architectures. Upgrades are required on a short time basis and systems are expected to be reliable and consistent after that. For each package in the system, a set of dependencies and a set of conflicts have to be taken into account. Although this problem is computationally hard to solve, efficient tools are required. In the best scenario, the solutions provided should also be optimal in order to better fulfill users requirements and expectations. This paper describes two different tools, both based on Boolean satisfiability (SAT), for solving Linux upgradeability problems. The problem instances used in the evaluation of these tools were mainly obtained from real environments, and are subject to two different lexicographic optimization criteria. The developed tools can provide optimal solutions for many of the instances, but a few challenges remain. Moreover, it is our understanding that this problem has many similarities with other configuration problems, and therefore the same techniques can be used in other domains.Comment: In Proceedings LoCoCo 2010, arXiv:1007.083

The state of OAI-PMH repositories in Canadian Universities

This article presents a study of the current state of Universities Institutional Repositories (UIRs) in Canada. UIRs are vital to sharing information and documents, mainly Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETDs), and theoretically allow anyone, anywhere, to access the documents contained within the repository. Despite calls for consistent and shareable metadata in these repositories, our literature review shows inconsistencies in UIRs, including incorrect use of metadata fields and the omission of crucial information, rendering the systematic analysis of UIR complex. Nonetheless, we collected the data of 57 Canadian UIRs with the aim of analyzing Canadian data and to assess the quality of its UIRs. This was surprisingly difficult due to the lack of information about the UIRs, and we attempt to ease future collection efforts by organizing vital information which are difficult to find, starting from addresses of UIRs. We furthermore present and analyze the main characteristics of the UIRs we managed to collect, using this dataset to create recommendations for future practitioners.Comment: Published at DCMI -- International conference on dublin core and metadata applications, 202

Des indices pour hiérarchiser la sensibilité du littoral aux pollutions marines par les hydrocarbures : l’exemple normand

Établis dans le cadre du volet Polmar-terre des plans Orsec, les atlas de sensibilité des littoraux doivent fournir « un inventaire précis et hiérarchisé des zones à protéger en priorité ». Les atlas existants sont produits à l’échelle départementale et, de fait, présentent une grande hétérogénéité de formats, de contenus ainsi que de méthodes de représentation et de hiérarchisation des enjeux. À partir de l’expérience acquise lors de la mise à jour des trois atlas normands, cet article propose des éléments de réflexion pour harmoniser les atlas de sensibilité et les indices employés, notamment pour faciliter la préparation des interventions concernant plusieurs départements.Prepared in the framework of the French Polmar-terre oil spill contingency plan, sensitivity atlas must provide a detailed inventory of areas to protect in priority. As their production is under the supervision of local authorities (département), the available atlases are quite heterogeneous in their formats, their contents and their methods of classification and representation of sites and stakes. This paper is based on the experience acquired while updating three sensitivity atlases of Normandy coastal zone. It aims to provide practical considerations about the standardization of sensitivity atlases and the indexes that are used to assess coastal zone stakes. We hope to contribute to a better integration of contingency plans at interregional scale

Des indices pour hiérarchiser la sensibilité du littoral aux pollutions marines par les hydrocarbures : l’exemple normand

Établis dans le cadre du volet Polmar-terre des plans Orsec, les atlas de sensibilité des littoraux doivent fournir « un inventaire précis et hiérarchisé des zones à protéger en priorité ». Les atlas existants sont produits à l’échelle départementale et, de fait, présentent une grande hétérogénéité de formats, de contenus ainsi que de méthodes de représentation et de hiérarchisation des enjeux. À partir de l’expérience acquise lors de la mise à jour des trois atlas normands, cet article propose des éléments de réflexion pour harmoniser les atlas de sensibilité et les indices employés, notamment pour faciliter la préparation des interventions concernant plusieurs départements.Prepared in the framework of the French Polmar-terre oil spill contingency plan, sensitivity atlas must provide a detailed inventory of areas to protect in priority. As their production is under the supervision of local authorities (département), the available atlases are quite heterogeneous in their formats, their contents and their methods of classification and representation of sites and stakes. This paper is based on the experience acquired while updating three sensitivity atlases of Normandy coastal zone. It aims to provide practical considerations about the standardization of sensitivity atlases and the indexes that are used to assess coastal zone stakes. We hope to contribute to a better integration of contingency plans at interregional scale

Quorum Sensing Inhibition Selects for Virulence and Cooperation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

With the rising development of bacterial resistance the search for new medical treatments beyond conventional antimicrobials has become a key aim of public health research. Possible innovative strategies include the inhibition of bacterial virulence. However, consideration must be given to the evolutionary and environmental consequences of such new interventions. Virulence and cooperative social behaviour of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa rely on the quorum-sensing (QS) controlled production of extracellular products (public goods). Hence QS is an attractive target for anti-virulence interventions. During colonization, non-cooperating (and hence less virulent) P. aeruginosa QS-mutants, benefiting from public goods provided by wild type isolates, naturally increase in frequency providing a relative protection from invasive infection. We hypothesized that inhibition of QS-mediated gene expression removes this growth advantage and selection of less virulent QS-mutants, and maintains the predominance of more virulent QS-wild type bacteria. We addressed this possibility in a placebo-controlled trial investigating the anti-QS properties of azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic devoid of bactericidal activity on P. aeruginosa, but interfering with QS, in intubated patients colonized by P. aeruginosa. In the absence of azithromycin, non-cooperating (and hence less virulent) lasR (QS)-mutants increased in frequency over time. Azithromycin significantly reduced QS-gene expression measured directly in tracheal aspirates. Concomitantly the advantage of lasR-mutants was lost and virulent wild-type isolates predominated during azithromycin treatment. We confirmed these results in vitro with fitness and invasion experiments. Azithromycin reduced growth rate of the wild-type, but not of the lasR-mutant. Furthermore, the lasR-mutant efficiently invaded wild-type populations in the absence, but not in the presence of azithromycin. These in vivo and in vitro results demonstrate that anti-virulence interventions based on QS-blockade diminish natural selection towards reduced virulence and therefore may increase the prevalence of more virulent genotypes in the Hospital environment. More generally, the impact of intervention on the evolution of virulence of pathogenic bacteria should be assessed

Diversified actin protrusions promote environmental exploration but are dispensable for locomotion of leukocytes

Most migrating cells extrude their front by the force of actin polymerization. Polymerization requires an initial nucleation step, which is mediated by factors establishing either parallel filaments in the case of filopodia or branched filaments that form the branched lamellipodial network. Branches are considered essential for regular cell motility and are initiated by the Arp2/3 complex, which in turn is activated by nucleation-promoting factors of the WASP and WAVE families. Here we employed rapid amoeboid crawling leukocytes and found that deletion of the WAVE complex eliminated actin branching and thus lamellipodia formation. The cells were left with parallel filaments at the leading edge, which translated, depending on the differentiation status of the cell, into a unipolar pointed cell shape or cells with multiple filopodia. Remarkably, unipolar cells migrated with increased speed and enormous directional persistence, while they were unable to turn towards chemotactic gradients. Cells with multiple filopodia retained chemotactic activity but their migration was progressively impaired with increasing geometrical complexity of the extracellular environment. These findings establish that diversified leading edge protrusions serve as explorative structures while they slow down actual locomotion

Molecular Analysis of Microbial Communities in Endotracheal Tube Biofilms

Ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most prevalent acquired infection of patients on intensive care units and is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Evidence suggests that an improved understanding of the composition of the biofilm communities that form on endotracheal tubes may result in the development of improved preventative strategies for ventilator-associated pneumonia. (n = 5). DGGE profiling of the endotracheal biofilms revealed complex banding patterns containing between 3 and 22 (mean 6) bands per tube, thus demonstrating the marked complexity of the constituent biofilms. Significant inter-patient diversity was evident. The number of DGGE bands detected was not related to total viable microbial counts or the duration of intubation.Molecular profiling using DGGE demonstrated considerable biofilm compositional complexity and inter-patient diversity and provides a rapid method for the further study of biofilm composition in longitudinal and interventional studies. The presence of oral microorganisms in endotracheal tube biofilms suggests that these may be important in biofilm development and may provide a therapeutic target for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia

Aide à la décision par l’identification de formes d’urbanisation : application au littoral breton

Pour contrôler les effets non désirés de l’urbanisation, des politiques d’aménagement et des dispositifs réglementaires spécifiques ont été progressivement mis en place sur le littoral à partir des années 1970, aboutissant en 1986 à l’adoption de la loi Littoral. Ces réglementations s’appliquent de manière différenciée selon les formes d’urbanisation, distinguées à partir de critères morphologiques, quantitatifs ou qualitatifs. Dans la loi Littoral, ces critères sont volontairement définis de manière imprécise, afin d’en permettre l’appréciation en fonction des spécificités locales et des projets de territoire. Il paraît donc pertinent de mobiliser certaines méthodes simples de la géomatique pour modéliser les critères de délimitation et de caractérisation des zones bâties du littoral, ainsi que des « zones de négociation » au sein desquelles différentes options d’aménagement pourraient s’envisager. Après une présentation des méthodes de délimitation des zones bâties et des concepts qu’elles recouvrent, nous discutons les principes des algorithmes usuels des SIG. Une expérimentation sur le cas de la presqu’île de Crozon et à l’aide de la BD Topo IGN permet de discuter l’intérêt et les limites de ces méthodes, avant de conclure sur leur pertinence.In order to avoid the undesirable effects of urbanisation, development policies and specific regulatory measures were gradually introduced on the French coast from the 1970s onwards, culminating in the adoption of the Coastal Law in 1986. The implementation of these regulations varies according to the different forms of urbanization, distinguished through morphological, qualitative, and quantitative criteria. In the Coastal Law, these criteria are voluntarily defined in an imprecise manner, in order to allow their appreciation according to local specificities and regional planning. It therefore seems relevant to mobilise certain simple geomatic methods to model the criteria for delimiting and characterising the built-up areas of the coastline, as well as "negotiation zones" within which different development options could be considered. After a presentation of the methods for delineating built-up areas and the concepts they cover, we discuss the principles of common GIS algorithms. A case study on the Crozon Peninsula allows us to discuss the interest and limits of these methods, before concluding on their relevance