The French Atlantic Littoral and the Massif Armoricain

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

The French Atlantic Littoral

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

The French Atlantic Littoral and the Massif Armoricain

The author has identified the following significant results. Diachronic use of LANDSAT data time series will in time allow study of statistically submerged frequencies in tidal areas. This is an essential element of coastal geomorphology and of coastal zone management, being particularly useful in siting shellfish farms. Maps at useable scales and simple user oriented legends should become an essential document for coastal planning agencies

The French Atlantic Littoral and the Massif Armoricain

The author has identified the following significant results. Diachronic use of LANDSAT data time series will in time allow statistical study of submersion frequencies in tidal areas. This is an essential element of coastal geomorphology and of coastal zone management being particularly useful in siting shellfish farms. Maps are being obtained at useable scales and simple, user oriented legends which can be used for coastal planning

Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins and IGFBP proteases: A dynamic system regulating the ovarian folliculogenesis

International audienceThe aim of the present article is to update our understanding of the expression of the insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs), IGFBP proteases and their implication in the different processes of ovarian folliculogenesis in mammals. In the studied species, IGFs and several small-molecular weight IGFBPs (in particular IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4) are considered, respectively, as stimulators and inhibitors of follicular growth and maturation. IGFs play a key role in sensitizing ovarian granulosa cells to FSH action during terminal follicular growth. Concentrations of IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4 in follicular fluid strongly decrease during follicular growth, leading to an increase in IGF bioavailability. Inversely, atresia is characterized by an increase of IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4 levels, leading to a decrease in IGF bioavailability. Changes in intrafollicular IGFBPs content are due to variations in mRNA expression and/or proteolytic degradation by the pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), and likely participates in the selection of dominant follicles. The identification of PAPP-A2, as an IGFBP-3 and -5 protease, and stanniocalcins (STCs) as inhibitors of PAPP-A activity extends the IGF system. Studies on their implication in folliculogenesis in mammals are still in the early stages

Sea surface winds from sun glitter observations

International audienceSolar light reflected by the surface of the sea depends strongly on the sea state which is driven by the wind. The relationship between reflected light and wind speed is described by the well-known model of Cox and Munk. Using their model, a method is derived for the retrieval of the synoptic field of wind magnitude from measurements of the glitter pattern from space. The method is applied to data obtained by the TIROS-N satellite series. Comparison of the wind estimated in this way and the wind derived from isobaric charts shows very close agreement. The method is simple and has application over broad geographical areas

Reflectance contrast observed by LANDSAT between a calm and a rough sea

International audienceA model is used to predict changes in reflection coefficient as a function of wind spee

The French Atlantic littoral and the Massif Armoricain, part 1

The author has identified the following significant results. For interpretation of Isle of Jersey imagery, two types of taxons were defined according to their variability in time. On the whole, taxons with a similar spectral signature were opposed to those with strongly varying spectral signature. The taxon types were low diachronic variations and strong diachronic variation. Imagery interpretation was restricted to the landward part of the Fromentine area, including the sand beaches which were often difficult to spectrally separate from the barren coastal dunes in the southern part of Noirmoutier Island as well as along the Breton marsh. From 1972 to 1976, sandbanks reduced in area. Two high river discharge images showed over a two year period an identical outline for the Bilho bank to seaward, whereas upstream, the bank has receeded in the same time to a line joining Paimboeuf to Montoir. The Brillantes bank has receeded at both ends, partly due to dredging operations in the access channel to Donges harbor

Evolution and functional divergence of NLRP genes in mammalian reproductive systems

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>NLRPs (Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, Leucine rich Repeat and Pyrin domain containing Proteins) are members of NLR (Nod-like receptors) protein family. Recent researches have shown that <it>NLRP </it>genes play important roles in both mammalian innate immune system and reproductive system. Several of <it>NLRP </it>genes were shown to be specifically expressed in the oocyte in mammals. The aim of the present work was to study how these genes evolved and diverged after their duplication, as well as whether natural selection played a role during their evolution.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>By using <it>in silico </it>methods, we have evaluated the evolution and functional divergence of <it>NLRP </it>genes, in particular of mouse reproduction-related <it>Nlrp </it>genes. We found that (1) major <it>NLRP </it>genes have been duplicated before the divergence of mammals, with certain lineage-specific duplications in primates (<it>NLRP7 </it>and <it>11</it>) and in rodents (<it>Nlrp1</it>, <it>4 </it>and <it>9 </it>duplicates); (2) tandem duplication events gave rise to a mammalian reproduction-related <it>NLRP </it>cluster including <it>NLRP2</it>, <it>4</it>, <it>5</it>, <it>7</it>, <it>8</it>, <it>9</it>, <it>11</it>, <it>13 </it>and <it>14 </it>genes; (3) the function of mammalian oocyte-specific <it>NLRP </it>genes (<it>NLRP4</it>, <it>5</it>, <it>9 </it>and <it>14</it>) might have diverged during gene evolution; (4) recent segmental duplications concerning <it>Nlrp4 </it>copies and vomeronasal 1 receptor encoding genes (<it>V1r</it>) have been undertaken in the mouse; and (5) duplicates of <it>Nlrp4 </it>and <it>9 </it>in the mouse might have been subjected to adaptive evolution.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In conclusion, this study brings us novel information on the evolution of mammalian reproduction-related <it>NLRPs</it>. On the one hand, <it>NLRP </it>genes duplicated and functionally diversified in mammalian reproductive systems (such as <it>NLRP4</it>, <it>5</it>, <it>9 </it>and <it>14</it>). On the other hand, during evolution, different lineages adapted to develop their own <it>NLRP </it>genes, particularly in reproductive function (such as the specific expansion of <it>Nlrp4 </it>and <it>Nlrp9 </it>in the mouse).</p

Involving stakeholders in transboundary water resource management: The Mesta/Nestos ‘HELP’ basin

Alternative options for new private and public investment projects in the transboundary Mesta/Nestos River catchment between Bulgaria and Greece involve new dams and water storage reservoirs, agricultural irrigation systems, new touristresorts and various water-related facilities for urban and industrial water supply. These developments are designed to be implemented in both parts of the basin (in Greece and Bulgaria), where different socio-economic conditions prevail, resulting in each country having different preferences and objectives. Alternative options should consider environmental consequences, to the impact on ecosystems and human health, and also financial and social risks. Any negative impacts on the environment, and whether these negative impacts can be prevented, should be weighted against the economic and social benefits foreseen.Sustainable implementation of private or public utility projects cannot be achieved without public participation and a clear consensus between stakeholders. The UNESCO HELP (Hydrology for the Environment, Life and Policy) initiative provides a rationale for breaking the ‘paradigm lock’ existing between the most recent scientific findings on the one side and the public, stakeholders and decision makers on the other. In this paper stakeholder involvement in the decision making process is promoted firstly by communicating the results of integrated modelling of water resource management at the basin scale, and secondly by suggesting alternative models and software in order to facilitate negotiations and final decision making processes in transboundary water resource management These models help to rank alternative projects according to the attributes of stakeholders in each country; the aggregated attributes of the stakeholders in both countries; and the aggregated goals of each country.Keywords: integrated water management, modelling, public participation, decision support, conflict resolutio