Tectonic setting of Middle Devonian to Lower Carboniferous rocks in the Magdalen Basin

Seismic reflection data in the Gulf of St. Lawrence were used to construct an isopach map of the Horton Group (Middle Devonian-Early Carboniferous) in the Magdalen Basin. The map shows that the Horton Group was deposited in basins that developed parallel to the offshore extension of structural trends in New Brunswick and the Gaspe Peninsula. Horton Group strata were deposited in narrow linear fault bounded basins, presently up to 8 km deep, and in broad sag basins up to 3 km deep. The sag basins may thin latterally to form sedimentary veneers less than 1 km thick. The fault bounded basins are mostly half-grabens and they developed during an early crustal extension phase. The largest and deepest basin strikes northeast-southwest, almost parallel to the Moncton Basin in New Brunswick. Sag basins and thin veneers are not fault controlled and are widespread, underlying most of the Magdalen Basin. They probably formed later than the fault bounded basins in response to the onset of a regional subsidence phase. Deformation of Horton Group rocks in the Magdalen Basin is concentrated in fault zones up to 20 km wide, and mainly affected deep subbasins, where thrust faults and possible flower structures are observed. An early deformation phase occurred towards the end of Horton Group sedimentation (Late Tournaisian-Early Visean) and a later phase occurred, with less intensity, during the deposition of Visean to ?Namurian sediments. The first phase of deformation affected most of the Magdalen Basin, whereas the second phase affected mainly the southern areas. RÉSUMÉ Des données de sismique réflexion dans le Golfe du Saint-Laurent ont été utilisées pour construire une carte isopaque du Groupe d'Horton (Dévonien moyen - Carbonifère précoce) dans le bassin de la Madeleine. Cette carte montre que le Groupe d'Horton a; été déposé dans des bassins développés parallèletnent au prolongement en mer de directions structurales du Nouveau Brunswick et de Gaspesie. Les strates du Groupe d'Horton ont été déposées dans des bassins linéaires étroits hordes de failles, ayant maintenant jusqu'à 8 km de profondeur, et dans de larges bassins d'affaissement ayant jusqu'à 3 km de profondeur. Les bassins d'affaissement peuvent s'amineir latéralement pour former des plaques sédimentaires de moins d'un kilométre d'épaisseur. Les bassins hordes de failles sont surtout des demi-grabens qui se sont développés pendant une première phase d'extension. Le plus grand et le plus profond de ces bassins a une direction nord-est - sud-ouest, presque parallèe au bassin de Moncton au Nouveau Brunswick. Les bassins d'affaissement et les plaques sédimentaires ne sont pas controlés par des failles et sont repartis présque partout sous le bassin de la Madeleine. Us se sont probablement formes après les bassins bordes de failles, en réponse à une phase de subsidence régionale. La déformation des roches du Groupe d'Horton dans le bassin de Madeleine est concentrée dans des zones de failles dont la largeur attend 20 km, et elle a principalement affecte des sous-bassins profonds où des failles de chevauchement et peut-être des "flower structures" sont observées. La première phase de déformation a eu lieu vers la fin de la sédimentation du Groupe d'Horton (Tournesien Tardif-Viseen précoce), puis une autre, moins intense, a eu lieu pendant le dépôt des sédiments du Viseen au Namurien(?). La première phase de déformation a affecté la majeure partie du bassin de la Madeleine, tandis que la seconde en a principalement affecté les régions méridionales. [Traduit par la rédaction

Development of a System for 3D High-resolution Seismic Reflection Profiling on Lakes

A high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) seismic reflection system for small-scale targets in lacustrine settings has been developed. Its main characteristics include navigation and shot-triggering software that fires the seismic source at regular distance intervals (max. error of 0.25m) with real-time control on navigation using differential GPS (Global Positioning System). Receiver positions are accurately calculated (error<0.20m) with the aid of GPS antennas attached to the end of each of three 24-channel streamers. Two telescopic booms hold the streamers at a distance of 7.5m from each other. With a receiver spacing of 2.5m, the bin dimension is 1.25m in inline and 3.75m in crossline direction. To test the system, we conducted a 3D survey of about 1km2 in Lake Geneva, Switzerland, over a complex fault zone. A 5-m shot spacing resulted in a nominal fold of 6. A double-chamber bubble-cancelling 15/15in3 air gun (40-650Hz) operated at 80 bars and 1m depth gave a signal penetration of 300m below water bottom and a best vertical resolution of 1.1m. Processing followed a conventional scheme, but had to be adapted to the high sampling rates, and our unconventional navigation data needed conversion to industry standards. The high-quality data enabled us to construct maps of seismic horizons and fault surfaces in three dimensions. The system proves to be well adapted to investigate complex structures by providing non-aliased images of reflectors with dips up to 30

Structural trends and basement rock subdivisions in the western Gulf of St. Lawrence, northern Appalachians

We compiled industry seismic and LTTHOPROBE deep seismic data in the southwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence, and interpreted them together with gravity, magnetic and industry well data, to study the deepest sediments, which are assignable to the Horton Group of Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous age, and the basement rocks of the northern Appalachians. Three upper crustal basement blocks with differing seismic character and orientation of geological structures were identified. South of the Appalachian structural front and parallel to it, two blocks with a northwest regional strike were interpreted to be allochthonous on Grenvillian crust. The basement block immediately south of the Appalachian structural front (Laurent) shows deformations compatible with Acadian or older northward thrusting, whereas the second (Bradelle) displays north dipping reflections, possibly related to formation of the Magdalen Basin. These basement blocks may contain the offshore extensions of either the Humber or Dunnage Appalachian terranes, or both. The Catamaran, Fredericton, and Belleisle faults in New Brunswick appear to extend to the northeast across the third basement block (Shediac), parallel to the main structural trends in this block. The Shediac block contains the extensions of the Gander and Avalon terranes, and the deep seismic data suggest that the Gander/Avalon boundary cuts through the entire crust This compilation enabled us to address the problem of the formation of the Magdalen Basin. Several Horton Group subbasins, bounded by normal faults, indicate a widespread crustal extension phase which coincided with the early development of the Magdalen Basin. Compressive strike-slip movement inferred from the seismic data along the Belleisle Fault suggested that this fault played a major role in the formation of the basin, but crustal stretching occurred in an area not bounded by this fault The overall asymmetry of the Magdalen Basin suggests that dip-slip movement occurred along a fault (the Hollow Fault?) bounding the basin to the east. The existence of a "Canso Fault" at the location proposed by several authors is not supported by our work. A better candidate for its location may be along the Bradelle/Shediac basement block boundary. R&#xC9;SUM&#xC9; Nous avons compil&#xE9; les donn&#xE9;es acquises &#xE0; l'aide de la sismique industrielle et de la sismique &#xE0; forte p&#xE9;n&#xE9;tration LTTHOPROBE en provenance du sud-ouest du Golfe du Saint-Laurent, les avons interpr&#xE9;t&#xE9; en conjonction avec les donn&#xE9;es gravitaires, magn&#xE9;tiques et de forage industriel, et ce dans le but d'&#xE9;tudier les s&#xE9;diments les plus profonds, attribuables au Groupe de Horton d'&#xE2;ge d&#xE9;vonien tardif &#xE0; carbonif&#xE8;re pr&#xE9;coce, ainsi que les roches constituant le socle dans les Appalaches septentrionales. On identifia trois blocs de socle supracrustaux montrant des configurations sismiques et une orientation des structures g&#xE9;ologiques diff&#xE9;rentes. On interpr&#xE8;te comme allochtones stir une cro&#xFB;te grenvillienne deux blocs ayant une direction r&#xE9;gionale nord-ouest, situes au sud du front structural appalachien et parall&#xE8;le les &#xE0; ce dernier. Le bloc de socle sis juste au sud du front structural appalachien (bloc de Laurent) montre des d&#xE9;formations compatibles avec un chevauchement vers le nord acadien ou plus ancien, alors que l’autre bloc (bloc de Bradelle) pr&#xE9;sente des r&#xE9;flexions pent&#xE9;es nord et reli&#xE9;es possiblement &#xE0; la formation du Bassin de la Madeleine. Ces blocs de socle pourraient contenir les extensions vers le large des lanieres appalachiennes de Humber et/ou de Dunnage. Les failles de Catamaran, de Fredericton et de Belleisle, au Nouveau-Brunswick, semblent se prolonger vers le nord-est par-dela le troisi&#xE8;me bloc de socle (bloc de Shediac); elles sont parall&#xE8;les aux principales tendances structurales &#xE0; l'int&#xE9;rieur de ce bloc. Le bloc de Shediac contient les prolongements des lani&#xE8;res de Gander et d'Avalon; les donn&#xE9;es de la sismique &#xE0; forte p&#xE9;n&#xE9;tration sugg&#xE8;rent que la frontiere Gander/Avalon traverse toute l'ecorce. Cette compilation nous &#xE0; permis d'envisager le probl&#xE8;me de la formation du Bassin de la Madeleine. Plusieurs petits sous-bassins, appartenant au Groupe de Horton et limites par des failles normales, indiquent une phase r&#xE9;pandue d'extension crustale qui coiincida avec l'amorce du Bassin de la Madeleine. Un d&#xE9;crochement en compression, inf&#xE9;r&#xE9; des donn&#xE9;es sismiques, le long de la Faille de Belleisle sugg&#xE8;re que cette faille joua un role majeur dans la formation du bassin bien que retirement crustal survint dans une r&#xE9;gion non limit&#xE9;e par cette faille. L'asymettie d'ensemble du Bassin de la Madeleine sugg&#xE8;re que le mouvement selon le rejet-pente se produisit le long d'une faille (Faille de Hollow?) limitant le bassin a Test. Nos travaux ne confortent pas l'hypoth&#xE8;se d'une "Faille de Canso" &#xE0; l'endroit avarice1 par phisieurs auteurs. Un meilleur site pour sa localisation serait le long de la fronti&#xE8;re entre les blocs de socle de Bradelle et de Shediac. [Traduit par le journal

Formation des étudiantes sages-femmes sur la prise en charge de la détresse respiratoire en salle de naissances

Eight to 10% of newborns suffer from acute respiratory failure syndrome at birth. Midwives, present at each delivery, may find themselves initiating resuscitation alone. Is their undergraduate training sufficient to allow them to be efficient? In order to gather their opinions on this matter, we wrote and sent out a survey to midwives who were graduated less than three years prior to this study. Theoretical, pratical and clinical training was covered, as well as their first year as professionals. We found that midwives are generally satisfied with their student training, which is of good quality but seems insufficient in certain aspects. Practical training sessions organized within the school are comprehensive but difficult to repeat during internships, as certain procedures and situations have never been encountered. Thus, undergraduate training on respiratory distress management is lacking in certain areas. We have proposed several ideas in order to improve this training, suggesting the implementation of new teaching methods.8 à 10% des nouveau-nés ont une détresse respiratoire à la naissance. Les sages-femmes, présentes à chaque naissance, peuvent être amenées à débuter seules la réanimation néonatale. La formation initiale qui leur est proposée est-elle alors suffisante pour être efficaces ? Afin de connaître leurs sentiments à ce sujet, nous avons élaboré puis adressé un questionnaire à des sages-femmes diplômées depuis moins de 3 ans. L'enseignement théorique, pratique et clinique y est abordé, ainsi que la première année en tant que professionnelle. Nous verrons que les sages-femmes sont globalement satisfaites de la formation initiale qui est de bonne qualité mais qui semble insuffisante à certains égards. La pratique au sein de l'école est exhaustive mais difficile à reproduire en stage, certains gestes et situations cliniques n'étant jamais rencontrés. La formation initiale sur la prise en charge des détresses respiratoires comporte donc certaines lacunes. Nous avons tenté de proposer des idées afin de l'améliorer et nous avons évoqué la possibilité de mette en place de nouveaux moyens pédagogiques

Turning body and self inside out: visualized heartbeats alter bodily self-consciousness and tactile perception

Prominent theories highlight the importance of bodily perception for self-consciousness, but it is currently not known whether bodily perception is based on interoceptive or exteroceptive signals or on integrated signals from these anatomically distinct systems. In the research reported here, we combined both types of signals by surreptitiously providing participants with visual exteroceptive information about their heartbeat: A real-time video image of a periodically illuminated silhouette outlined participants' (projected, "virtual") bodies and flashed in synchrony with their heartbeats. We investigated whether these "cardio-visual" signals could modulate bodily self-consciousness and tactile perception. We report two main findings. First, synchronous cardio-visual signals increased self-identification with and self-location toward the virtual body, and second, they altered the perception of tactile stimuli applied to participants' backs so that touch was mislocalized toward the virtual body. We argue that the integration of signals from the inside and the outside of the human body is a fundamental neurobiological process underlying self-consciousness

ERS International Congress, Madrid, 2019: highlights from the Sleep and Clinical Physiology Assembly

The 2019 European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress took place in Madrid, Spain, and served as a platform to find out the latest advances in respiratory diseases research. The research aims are to understand the physiology and consequences of those diseases, as well as the improvement in their diagnoses, treatments and patient care. In particular, the scientific sessions arranged by ERS Assembly 4 provided novel insights into sleep-disordered breathing and new knowledge in respiratory physiology. This article, divided by session, will summarise the most relevant studies presented at the ERS International Congress. Each section has been written by Early Career Members specialising in the different fields of this interdisciplinary assembly

IL-4/IL-13 independent goblet cell hyperplasia in experimental helminth infections

BACKGROUND: Intestinal mucus production by hyperplasic goblet cells is a striking pathological feature of many parasitic helminth infections and is related to intestinal protection and worm expulsion. Induction of goblet cell hyperplasia is associated with TH2 immune responses, which in helminth infections are controlled primarily by IL-13, and also IL-4. In the study presented here we examine the goblet cell hyperplasic response to three experimental parasitic helminth infections; namely Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Syphacia obvelata and Schistosoma mansoni. RESULTS: As expected N. brasiliensis infection induced a strong goblet cell hyperplasia dependent on IL-4/IL-13/IL-4Ralpha expression. In contrast, and despite previously published transiently elevated IL-4/IL-13 levels, S. obvelata infections did not increase goblet cell hyperplasia in the colon. Furthermore, induction of goblet cell hyperplasia in response to S. mansoni eggs traversing the intestine was equivalent between BALB/c, IL-4/IL-13-/- and IL-4Ralpha-/- mice. CONCLUSION: Together these data demonstrate that intestinal goblet cell hyperplasia can be independent of TH2 immune responses associated with parasitic helminth infections

IL-22 mediates goblet cell hyperplasia and worm expulsion in intestinal helminth infection.

Type 2 immune responses are essential in protection against intestinal helminth infections. In this study we show that IL-22, a cytokine important in defence against bacterial infections in the intestinal tract, is also a critical mediator of anti-helminth immunity. After infection with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, a rodent hookworm, IL-22-deficient mice showed impaired worm expulsion despite normal levels of type 2 cytokine production. The impaired worm expulsion correlated with reduced goblet cell hyperplasia and reduced expression of goblet cell markers. We further confirmed our findings in a second nematode model, the murine whipworm Trichuris muris. T.muris infected IL-22-deficient mice had a similar phenotype to that seen in N.brasiliensis infection, with impaired worm expulsion and reduced goblet cell hyperplasia. Ex vivo and in vitro analysis demonstrated that IL-22 is able to directly induce the expression of several goblet cell markers, including mucins. Taken together, our findings reveal that IL-22 plays an important role in goblet cell activation, and thus, a key role in anti-helminth immunity

Changes in the mucosal barrier during acute and chronic Trichuris muris infection

The intestinal mucosal barrier, part of the innate immune defence, is responsive to the external environment and changes in response to infection. There is disparate evidence for the epithelial and goblet cell products within the intrinsic barrier being part of a response to resolve infection. We comprehensively analysed the changes of mucosal glycoconjugates during acute and chronic infection by utilising the Trichuris muris (T. muris) model. Transcription factors, atonal homolog 1 (Math-1) and SAM pointed domain containing ETS transcription factor (Spdef) were activated during acute infection, which promoted stem cell fate towards a secretory cell phenotype. The thickness of the intermediate barrier, the carbohydrate-rich glycocalyx, composed of cell surface mucins increased with exposure to T. muris, with an increase in Muc4, Muc13 and Muc17. Overall, hypersecretion of glycoproteins into the extrinsic barrier (mediated by IL-13) via the gamma amino-butyric acid-α3 receptor (GABA-α3), was observed during acute infection. Furthermore, altered glycosylation was observed during acute and chronic infection; mucins were more highly charged during acute infection than during chronic infection. This study readdresses the changes within the mucosal barrier, in particular in the cell surface and secreted mucins during acute and chronic nematode infection