Comparing the Sensitivity of Bank Retreat to Changes in Biophysical Conditions between Two Contrasting River Reaches Using a Coupled Morphodynamic Model

Morphodynamic models of river meandering patterns and dynamics are based on the premise that the integration of biophysical processes matching those operating in natural rivers should result in a better fit with observations. Only a few morphodynamic models have been applied to natural rivers, typically along short reaches, and the relative importance of biophysical parameters remains largely unknown in these cases. Here, a series of numerical simulations were run using the hydrodynamic solver TELEMAC-2D, coupled to an advanced physics-based geotechnical module, to verify if sensitivity to key biophysical conditions differs substantially between two natural meandering reaches of different scale and geomorphological context. The model was calibrated against observed measurements of bank retreat for a 1.5 km semi-alluvial meandering reach incised into glacial till (Medway Creek, Ontario, Canada) and an 8.6 km long sinuous alluvial reach of the St. François River (Quebec, Canada). The two river reaches have contrasting bed and bank composition, and they differ in width by one order of magnitude. Calibration was performed to quantify and contrast the contribution of key geotechnical parameters, such as bank cohesion, to bank retreat. Results indicate that the sensitivity to key geotechnical parameters is dependent on the biophysical context and highly variable at the sub-reach scale. The homogeneous sand-bed St. François River is less sensitive to cohesion and friction angle than the more complex Medway Creek, flowing through glacial-till deposits. The latter highlights the limits of physics-based models for practical purposes, as the amount and spatial resolution of biophysical parameters required to improve the agreement between simulation results and observations may justify the use of a reduced complexity modelling approach

Rethinking the Monster : the condemnation of rape culture through the female monstrous body in Myriam Gurba's Mean and Carmen Maria Machado's "The Husband Stitch"

Ce projet analyse le mémoire hybride Mean de Myriam Gurba et la nouvelle « The Husband Stitch » de Carmen Maria Machado en se concentrant sur différentes itérations de monstruosité féminine dans des récits portant sur la culture du viol. Je démontre comment les corps féminins codés comme monstrueux deviennent le site d'un contre-discours qui perturbe et élargi les conceptions sociales qui sont faites de la violence sexuelle. Les écrits de Nathalie Wilson et Sara Ahmed informent la théorisation des monstres et de leurs rôles prescrits, tandis que les idées de corporéalité, embodiment, et abjection illuminent les possibilités représentatives du corps féminin et insistent sur ses capacités comme agent de changements culturels. Le premier chapitre examine la notion de corporéalité à travers différentes descriptions des traitements du corps féminin monstrueux. Les concepts d'embodiment et d'abjection signalent l'impact de la culture du viol sur le corps, considèrent tous les espaces comme potentiellement dangereux, et illustrent les similarités entre l'acte physique de viol et certaines techniques narratives. Le deuxième chapitre analyse la multiplicité de façons de régulariser le corps féminin monstrueux et de le subjuguer à des fins patriarcales. Par la juxtaposition délibérée de plusieurs moments clés à l'inclusion de cautionary tales subversifs, la nouvelle élabore une épistémologie radicalement politisée. Dans ce chapitre, l'abjection est perçue comme une technique expérimentale qui dérange la conception que le lecteur se fait de sa propre corporéalité et subjectivité.This thesis analyzes Myriam Gurba's hybrid memoir Mean and Carmen Maria Machado's short story "The Husband Stitch" through a focus on different iterations of female monstrosity in narratives about rape culture. I demonstrate how female bodies coded as monstrous become the site of a counter-discourse that disrupts and enlarges the social conceptions of sexual violence. The writings of Nathalie Wilson and Sara Ahmed inform the theorization of monsters and their prescribed roles, while the ideas of corporeality, embodiment, and abjection engage the representative possibilities of the female body and insist on its possibilities as agent of cultural change. The first chapter examines the notion of corporeality through different descriptions of the treatment of the monstrous female body. The concepts of embodiment and abjection signal the impact of rape culture on the body, consider all spaces as potentially dangerous, and illustrate the similarities between the physical act of rape and certain narrative techniques. The second chapter analyzes the multiple ways of regularizing the monstrous female body and of subjugating it for patriarchal purposes. Through the deliberate juxtaposition of several key moments with the inclusion of subversive cautionary tales, the short story elaborates a radically politicized epistemology. In this chapter, abjection is understood as an experimental technique that disturbs the reader's conception of their own corporeality and subjectivity

L’accentuation québécoise : une approche tonale

Cet article basé sur une analyse de trois locuteurs cherche à apporter des éléments d’éclaircissement sur les notions d’accent tonal et d’accent dynamique et sur les modalités de réalisation des accents tonals complexes dans le français québécois spontané.This article based on an analysis of three speakers aims at clarifying the distinction between stress accent and pitch accent in French and contributes evidence on the modalities of phonetic implementation of a complex pitch accent in spontaneous Quebec French

Sensitivity of simulated flow fields and bathymetries in meandering channels to the choice of a morphodynamic model

Morphodynamic models are used by river practitioners and scientists to simulate geomorphic change in natural and artificial river channels. It has long been recognized that these models are sensitive to the choice of parameter values, and proper calibration is now common practice. This paper investigates the less recognized impact of the choice of the model itself. All morphodynamic models purport to simulate the same flow and sediment dynamics, often relying on the same governing equations. Yet in solving these equations, the models have different underlying assumptions, for example regarding spatial discretization, turbulence, sediment inflow, lateral friction, and bed load transport. These differences are not always considered by the average model user, who might expect similar predictions from calibrated models. Here, a series of numerical simulations in meandering channels was undertaken to test whether six morphodynamic codes (BASEMENT, CCHE-2D, NAYS, SSIIM-1, TELEMAC-2D and TELEMAC-3D) would yield significantly different equilibrium bathymetries if subjected to identical, initial flow conditions. We found that, despite producing moderately similar velocity patterns on a fixed-flat bed (regression coefficient r of 0.77 ± 0.20), the codes disagree substantially with respect to simulated bathymetries (r = 0.49 ± 0.31). We relate these discrepancies to differences in the codes' assumptions. Results were configuration specific, i.e. codes that perform well for a given channel configuration do not necessarily perform well with higher or lower sinuosity configurations. Finally, limited correlation is found between accuracy and code complexity; the inclusion of algorithms that explicitly account for the effects of local bed slope and channel curvature effects on transport magnitude and direction does not guarantee accuracy. The range of solutions obtained from the evaluated codes emphasises the need for carefully considering the choice of code. We recommend the creation of a central repository providing universal validation cases and documentation of recognized fluvial codes in commonly studied fluvial settings. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

The neural correlates of referential communication : taking advantage of sparse-sampling fMRI to study verbal communication with a real interaction partner

This paper introduces an innovative functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) protocol to study real verbal interactions while limiting the impact of speech-related movement artefacts. This protocol is based on a sparse sampling acquisition technique and allowed participants to complete a referential communication task with a real interaction partner. During verbal interactions, speakers adjust their verbal productions depending on their interlocutors' knowledge of the referents being mentioned. These adjustments have been linked to theory of mind (ToM), the ability to infer other's mental states. We thus sought to determine if the brain regions supporting ToM would also be activated during a referential communication task in which participants have to present movie characters that vary in their likelihood of being known by their interlocutor. This pilot study establishes that the sparse sampling strategy is a viable option to study the neural correlates of referential communication while minimizing movement artefacts. In addition, the brain regions supporting ToM were recruited during the task, though specifically for the conditions where participants could adjust their verbal productions to the interlocutor's likely knowledge of the referent. This study therefore demonstrates the feasibility and relevance of a sparse-sampling approach to study verbal interactions with fMRI, including referential communication

Molecular and functional characterization of a new X-linked chronic granulomatous disease variant (X91+) case with a double missense mutation in the cytosolic gp91phox C-terminal tail

AbstractWe report here two atypical cases of X-linked CGD patients (first cousins) in which cytochrome b558 is present at a normal level but is not functional (X91+). The mutations were localized by single-strand conformational polymorphism of reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction amplified fragments and then identified by sequence analysis. They consisted in two base substitutions (C919 to A and C923 to G), changing His303 to Asn and Pro304 to Arg in the cytosolic gp91phox C-terminal tail. Mismatched polymerase chain reaction and genomic DNA sequencing showed that mothers had both wild-type and mutated alleles, confirming that this case was transmitted in an X-linked fashion. A normal amount of FAD was found in neutrophil membranes, both in the X91+ patients and their parents. Epstein–Barr virus-transformed B lymphocytes from the X91+ patients acidified normally upon stimulation with arachidonic acid, indicating that the mutated gp91phox still functioned as a proton channel. A cell-free translocation assay demonstrated that the association of the cytosolic factors p47phox and p67phox with the membrane fraction was strongly disrupted. We concluded that residues 303 and 304 are crucial for the stable assembly of the NADPH oxidase complex and for electron transfer, but not for its proton channel activity

Culture et santé mentale en Haïti : une revue de littérature

Cet article passe en revue et résume l’ensemble de la littérature sur la santé mentale et les services de santé mentale en Haïti. Ce compte rendu a été rédigé à la suite du tremblement de terre qui a frappé Haïti en janvier 2010. Nous avons effectué des recherches dans Medline, Google Scholar et d’autres bases de données disponibles en vue de recueillir la littérature scientifique pertinente sur la santé mentale en Haïti. La consultation d’ouvrages de référence et de la littérature grise sur Haïti a complété les recherches. La première partie décrit les principales données historiques, économiques, sociologiques et anthropologiques qui permettent de comprendre sommairement Haïti et sa population. La démographie, la structure familiale, l’économie haïtienne et la religion y sont abordées. La deuxième partie est axée sur la santé mentale et les services de santé mentale. L’épidémiologie élémentaire des maladies mentales, les croyances au sujet des maladies mentales, les modèles explicatifs, les idiomes de détresse, les comportements de recherche d’aide, la configuration des services de santé mentale et l’étude des relations entre la religion et la santé mentale y sont examinés.This paper reviews and summarizes the available literature on Haitian mental health and mental health services. This review was conducted in light of the Haitian earthquake in January 2010. We searched Medline, Google Scholar and other available databases to gather scholarly literature relevant to mental health in Haiti. This was supplemented by consultation of key books and grey literature relevant to Haiti. The first part of the review describes historical, economic, sociological and anthropological factors essential to a basic understanding of Haiti and its people. This includes discussion of demography, family structure, Haitian economics and religion. The second part of the review focuses on mental health and mental health services. This includes a review of factors such as basic epidemiology of mental illness, common beliefs about mental illness, explanatory models, idioms of distress, help-seeking behavior, configuration of mental health services and the relationship between religion and mental health.Este artículo revisa y resume la literatura sobre la salud mental y los servicios de salud mental en Haití. Este informe fue redactado después del terremoto que sacudió a Haití en enero de 2010. Realizamos búsquedas en Medline, Google Scholar y otras bases de datos disponibles a fin de recopilar la literatura científica pertinente acerca de la salud mental en Haití. La investigación fue completada con obras de referencia y literatura gris acerca de Haití. La primera parte describe los principales datos históricos, económicos, sociológicos y antropológicos que permiten comprender someramente a Haití y a su población. Se abordan la demografía, la estructura familiar, la economía haitiana y la religión. La segunda parte se centra en la salud mental y los servicios de salud mental. Se examinan la epidemiología elemental de las enfermedades mentales, las creencias con respecto a las enfermedades mentales, los modelos explicativos, las expresiones de angustia, los comportamientos de búsqueda de ayuda, la configuración de los servicios de salud mental y el estudio de las relaciones entre la religión y la salud mental.Este artigo passa em revista e resume a literatura sobre a saúde mental e os serviços de saúde mental no Haiti. Este resumo foi redigido após o tremor de terra que atingiu o Haiti em janeiro de 2010. Realizamos pesquisas no Medline, no Google Scholar e em outros bancos de dados disponíveis visando reunir a literatura científica pertinente sobre a saúde mental no Haiti. A consulta de obras de referência e da literatura “cinzenta” sobre o Haiti completou as pesquisas. A primeira parte descreve os principais dados históricos, econômicos, sociológicos e antropológicos que permitem entender sumariamente o Haiti e sua população. São abordadas a demografia, a estrutura familiar, a economia haitiana e a religião. A segunda parte trata da saúde mental e dos serviços de saúde mental. São examinados: a epidemiologia elementar das doenças mentais, as crenças sobre as doenças mentais, os modelos explicativos, as demonstrações de desespero, os comportamentos de busca de auxílio, a configuração dos serviços de saúde mental e o estudo das relações entre a religião e a saúde mental

Impact of exposure to diesel exhaust during pregnancy on mammary gland development and milk composition in the rabbit

Exposure to fine-particulate air pollution is a major global health concern because it is associated with reduced birth weight and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Here we have investigated the potential for exposure to diesel exhaust during pregnancy to influence mammary gland development and milk composition. Female rabbits were therefore exposed by nose-only inhalation to either diluted diesel exhaust fumes (1 mg/m3) or clean air for 2h/day, 5 days/week, from the 3rd to the 27th days of pregnancy. On Day 28 of pregnancy, mammary glands were collected from twelve females (six controls and six diesel-exposed) and assessed for morphological and functional alterations. Milk samples were collected from eighteen dams (nine controls and nine diesel-exposed) during early (days 2 to 4) and established (days 13 to 16) lactation to verify the composition of fatty acids and major proteins and leptin levels. The mammary alveolar lumina contained numerous fat globules, and stearoyl CoA reductase expression was higher in mammary epithelia from diesel exhaust-exposed rabbits, which together suggested increased mammary lipid biosynthesis. Gas chromatography analysis of the composition of milk fatty acids revealed a sharp rise in the total fatty acid content, mainly due to monounsaturated fatty acids. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of milk samples enabled identification and quantification of the main rabbit milk proteins and their main phosphorylated isoforms, and revealed important changes to individual casein and whey protein contents and to their most phosphorylated isoforms during early lactation. Taken together, these findings suggest that repeated daily exposure to diesel exhaust fumes during pregnancy at urban pollution levels can influence lipid metabolism in the mammary gland and the lipid and protein composition of milk. As milk may contribute to metabolic programming, such alterations affecting milk composition should be taken into account from a public health perspective

Occupational exposure to pesticides and central nervous system tumors: results from the CERENAT case-control study

BACKGROUND: The etiology of the central nervous system (CNS) tumors remains largely unknown. The role of pesticide exposure has been suggested by several epidemiological studies, but with no definitive conclusion. OBJECTIVE: To analyze associations between occupational pesticide exposure and primary CNS tumors in adults in the CERENAT study. METHODS: CERENAT is a multicenter case-control study conducted in France in 2004-2006. Data about occupational pesticide uses-in and outside agriculture-were collected during detailed face-to-face interviews and reviewed by experts for consistency and exposure assignment. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated with conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 596 cases (273 gliomas, 218 meningiomas, 105 others) and 1 192 age- and sex-matched controls selected in the general population were analyzed. Direct and indirect exposures to pesticides in agriculture were respectively assigned to 125 (7.0%) and 629 (35.2%) individuals and exposure outside agriculture to 146 (8.2%) individuals. For overall agricultural exposure, we observed no increase in risk for all brain tumors (OR 1.04, 0.69-1.57) and a slight increase for gliomas (OR 1.37, 0.79-2.39). Risks for gliomas were higher when considering agricultural exposure for more than 10 years (OR 2.22, 0.94-5.24) and significantly trebled in open field agriculture (OR 3.58, 1.20-10.70). Increases in risk were also observed in non-agricultural exposures, especially in green space workers who were directly exposed (OR 1.89, 0.82-4.39), and these were statistically significant for those exposed for over 10 years (OR 2.84, 1.15-6.99). DISCUSSION: These data support some previous findings regarding the potential role of occupational exposures to pesticides in CNS tumors, both inside and outside agriculture