Insects in fluctuating thermal environments.

All climate change scenarios predict an increase in both global temperature means and the magnitude of seasonal and diel temperature variation. The nonlinear relationship between temperature and biological processes means that fluctuating temperatures lead to physiological, life history, and ecological consequences for ectothermic insects that diverge from those predicted from constant temperatures. Fluctuating temperatures that remain within permissive temperature ranges generally improve performance. By contrast, those which extend to stressful temperatures may have either positive impacts, allowing repair of damage accrued during exposure to thermal extremes, or negative impacts from cumulative damage during successive exposures. We discuss the mechanisms underlying these differing effects. Fluctuating temperatures could be used to enhance or weaken insects in applied rearing programs, and any prediction of insect performance in the field-including models of climate change or population performance-must account for the effect of fluctuating temperatures

Spotlight on the invasion of a carabid beetle on an oceanic island over a 105-year period island

The flightless beetle Merizodus soledadinus, native to the Falkland Islands and southern South America, was introduced to the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Islands in the early Twentieth Century. Using available literature data, in addition to collecting more than 2000 new survey (presence/absence) records of M. soledadinus over the 1991–2018 period, we confirmed the best estimate of the introduction date of M. soledadinus to the archipelago, and tracked subsequent changes in its abundance and geographical distribution. The range expansion of this flightless insect was initially slow, but has accelerated over the past 2 decades, in parallel with increased local abundance. Human activities may have facilitated further local colonization by M. soledadinus, which is now widespread in the eastern part of the archipelago. This predatory insect is a major threat to the native invertebrate fauna, in particular to the endemic wingless flies Anatalanta aptera and Calycopteryx moseleyi which can be locally eliminated by the beetle. Our distribution data also suggest an accelerating role of climate change in the range expansion of M. soledadinus, with populations now thriving in low altitude habitats. Considering that no control measures, let alone eradication, are practicable, it is essential to limit any further local range expansion of this aggressively invasive insect through human assistance. This study confirms the crucial importance of long term biosurveillance for the detection and monitoring of non-native species and the timely implementation of control measures

Rift Valley Fever, Mayotte, 2007–2008

After the 2006–2007 epidemic wave of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in East Africa and its circulation in the Comoros, laboratory case-finding of RVF was conducted in Mayotte from September 2007 through May 2008. Ten recent human RVF cases were detected, which confirms the indigenous transmission of RFV virus in Mayotte

Continuous Multi-image Preprocessing for Euclidean Reconstruction

We address the problem of performing 3D motion and structure analysis along long video sequences (mpeg animation, surveillance recording television programs, etc..) in which we want to : - be able to segment the sequence in smaller pieces of image sets corresponding to homogeneous parts of the sequence, - stabilize the sequence in order to reduce the disparity between two consecutive frame, - detect unexpected events such as moving objects or close obstacles, - reconstruct the 3D shape of some predefined objects, which implies the self calibration of the image sequence. Such data have two characteristics : (a) they have been recorded using cameras with unknown and possibly varying optical parameters\footnote{ We are in the un-calibrated case quoted before.} and (b) cameras are moving while some objects are also moving in the scene. It is, in general, not possible to entirely analyze such sequences automatically because of the complexity of the contained information. On the other hand, a complete manual analysis is also not possible because of the huge amount of data. Here, the idea is to pre-process the image sequence, in order to ease its interactive analysis and provide to the user an enhanced image sequence in which: - the image sequence have been stabilized to ease its observation, so that. - first order approximations of usual motion equations could be numerically valid, - disparity not related to object motion or object depth parallax displacement could be eliminated, - regions of disparities corresponding to close obstacles or objects in motion have been segmented,i.e. their contour have been extracted and the relative location/size of these objects have been computed

Impact of high-power ultrasound for barrel regeneration on the extraction of wood volatile and non-volatile compounds

High-power ultrasound (HPU) is an innovative cleaning method used in wineries for oak barrel sanitation and regeneration. The process is associated with hot water (HPUhw ) to ensure microbial stabilization and has been proved to be highly effective in recent years. This study thus examines the impact of different cleaning treatments on the subsequent extraction of wood compounds in wine and their impact on organoleptic properties. Red wines aging in barrels treated (HPUhw and steam) in different years (1, 2, and 3 years) were examined during the first 12 months for chemical exchange from wood to wine. Specific analyses were realized on ellagitannins, the physicochemical composition, and oak wood volatile compounds. Only a small increase in some wood volatile compounds occurred in the case of HPUhw, including furfural, 5-methylfurfural, trans-whisky lactone, vanillin, and syringaldehyde. The sensory analysis carried out by a panel of experts showed that the impact on the organoleptic properties of wines is similar with both processes (HPUhw and steam). However, since HPUhw treatment requires lower energy for the same efficiency, it could be an interesting alternative to steam treatment, given the promising prior microbial results

: = Les Arnajons (Le-Puy-Sainte-Réparade, Bouches-du-Rhône): a new long chambered tomb of south-east France

International audienceA new dolmen was discovered in the Bouches-du-Rhône département during surveys and test trenches performed by Inrap prior to setting up a pipeline. The archaeological potential of the structure was only assessed and the project amendment allowed avoiding a complete excavation. The monument is located on a piedmont, in the Northern part of the Bouches-du-Rhône département, approximately 15 km North-northeast of Aix-en-Provence on the edge of the Durance valley. Embedded in a pit, the structure comprises three walls and the covering slab is missing. The test trenches show that the chamber contained at least two levels of deposits. The little series of furnishings are subjected to detailed studies, particularly with regard to the lithic industry (materials, technology, microwear analysis). The furniture and the radiocarbon dating corroborate the attribution of this monument to the Final Neolithic. The discussion pertains to integrating this dolmen into megalithism in the Provence region. It looks into the issues of chronology and cultural allocation. The potential links with other types of monuments, particularly with hypogeum such as Fontvieille's, remain an fundamental source of debate.Un nouveau dolmen a été découvert dans les Bouches-du-Rhône à l'occasion de prospections et sondages réalisés par l'Inrap. Le potentiel archéologique de la structure a seulement été évalué et la modification du projet d'aménagement a permis d'en éviter la fouille. Au nord du département des Bouches-du-Rhône, en bordure de la vallée de la Durance, le monument est localisé sur un piémont. Implantée en fosse, la structure de forme trapézoïdale orientée est-ouest est matérialisée par trois murs, la dalle de couverture a disparu. Les sondages montrent que la chambre contenait au moins deux niveaux de dépôts. La petite série de mobilier fait l'objet d'études détaillées, en particulier pour l'industrie lithique (matériaux, technologie, tracéologie). Le mobilier et la datation radiocarbone confirment que le monument a été utilisé pendant les premières phases du Néolithique final. La discussion porte sur l'intégration de ce dolmen au mégalithisme provençal. Elle examine les questions de chronologie et d'attribution culturelle. Les relations avec les autres types de monuments, en particulier avec les hypogées de type Fontvieille, restent une source essentielle de débat

Adsorption des protéines sur les nanomatériaux. Biochimie et physico-chimie d'un nouveau stress

Les nanomatériaux posent de nouvelles questions en termes de toxicologie humaine et environnementale et représentent une nouvelle interface avec le milieu biologique aux propriétés spécifiques. De nombreuses inconnues demeurent, en particulier à l échelle moléculaire, pour permettre d expliquer certains mécanismes de toxicité. Lorsqu elles entrent en contact avec le milieu biologique, les nanoparticules se couvrent d une couche de protéines adsorbées. Celle-ci leur confère une nouvelle identité biologique qui contrôle la réponse cellulaire et leur devenir au sein de l organisme. Nous avons étudié l adsorption de protéines modèles sur la silice nanostructurée. Après avoir caractérisé la silice nanoporeuse et les nanoparticules de silice utilisées, l adsorption de la myoglobine, de l hémoglobine et des protéines d un extrait cellulaire de levure a été étudiée afin de déterminer les paramètres physico-chimiques et thermodynamiques de l adsorption des protéines sur la silice. Un enrichissement en résidus basiques, regroupés en clusters de charge, favorise l adsorption des protéines grâce à la formation d interactions électrostatiques avec la surface chargée de la silice, indépendamment de la charge globale de la protéine. A l inverse, un enrichissement en résidus aromatiques est défavorable à l adsorption car ces résidus forment des interactions p-p qui rigidifient la structure de la protéine. L identification des protéines adsorbées et non adsorbées à partir d un milieu complexe pourrait également être utilisée pour les études de toxicité cellulaire. A partir de l étude de la structure, de la dynamique et de l activité de la myoglobine et de l hémoglobine adsorbées sur les nanoparticules de silice, nous avons cherché à définir l état d une protéine adsorbée. L étude de la structure, réalisée par dichroïsme circulaire, spectroscopie UV-visible, d absorption X, infrarouge, fluorescence et microcalorimétrie, montre une perte partielle de structure importante des protéines adsorbées associée à une grande hétérogénéité de conformations, sans modification majeure de la structure de l hème. Deux sites potentiels d interaction entre myoglobine et nanoparticules de silice ont été identifiés à l aide d une technique de cartographie de surface par irradiation. L étude de la dynamique de la myoglobine adsorbée par diffusion élastique et inélastique de neutrons a permis de montrer que l adsorption s accompagnait d une diminution importante de la flexibilité de la protéine. Malgré la perte de structure, la metmyoglobine adsorbée conserve une activité de fixation de ligands très proche de celle de la protéine libre. L hémoglobine adsorbée présente de façon inattendue une augmentation de son affinité pour l oxygène et une diminution de sa coopérativité, sans dissociation du tétramère. Cet effet est reproductible lors de l adsorption de l hémoglobine humaine, de l hémoglobine pontée DCL et de l hémoglobine mutée S. Deux effecteurs permettent par ailleurs de moduler l affinité de l hémoglobine adsorbée. Aussi importantes soient-elles, les modifications de structure et d activité observées sont entièrement réversibles après désorption dans des conditions douces. L adsorption des hémoprotéines sur les nanoparticules de silice représente véritablement un nouveau type de stress avec résilience pour les protéines en termes de relations entre structure, dynamique et activité.Nanomaterials raise new questions in environmental and human toxicology and represent a novel interface with specific properties with the biological medium. Several unknown remain to explain all the mechanisms of toxicity, especially at the molecular lever. When they enter the biological medium, nanoparticles get covered by a protein corona. This corona yields to a new biological identity that controls the cellular response to nanoparticles and their fate in the organism. We studied the adsorption of model proteins on nanostructured silica. The first part is dedicated to the characterization of nanoporous silica and silica nanoparticles that we used. Then the adsorption of myoglobin, hemoglobin and protein mixture from yeast cells was studied to determine the thermodynamic and physical-chemical parameters of protein adsorption on silica. The enrichment of basic residues, gathered in charge clusters, favors the adsorption of proteins by the formation of electrostatic interactions with the charged surface of silica, independently of the global charge of the protein. On the contrary, the enrichment in aromatic residues is unfavorable to protein adsorption because they form p-p interactions that rigidify the protein structure. The identification of adsorbed and non-adsorbed proteins from a complex medium could also be used for cellular toxicity studies. From the study of the structure, the dynamics and the activity of myoglobin and hemoglobin adsorbed on silica nanoparticles, we tried to define the state of an adsorbed protein. The structural study, based on circular dichroism, fluorescence, infrared, X-ray and UV-visible spectroscopy and microcalorimetry, shows a substantial partial structure loss of adsorbed proteins together with a high conformational heterogeneity, without major modifications of the heme structure. Two potential interaction sites of myoglobin with silica nanoparticles have been identified by a footprinting technique. The study of adsorbed myoglobin dynamics by elastic and inelastic neutron scattering highlighted the important decrease of protein dynamics that occurs upon adsorption. However, despite the structure loss, adsorbed metmyoglobin retains almost all of its activity of ligand binding. Unexpectedly, adsorbed hemoglobin shows an increase of its oxygen affinity and a decrease of its cooperativity, without any dissociation of the tetramer. This effect can be reproduced on human hemoglobin, cross-linked DCL hemoglobin and variant S hemoglobin. Besides, two effectors allow modulating the affinity of adsorbed hemoglobin. Despite the extent of structural and activity changes, all these modifications are entirely reversible upon desorption in soft conditions. The adsorption of hemoproteins on silica nanoparticles depicts a new sort of stress with resilience for proteins in terms of structure, dynamics and activity relationship.PARIS11-SCD-Bib. électronique (914719901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Combined synchrotron X-rays and image correlation analyses of biaxially deformed W/Cu nanocomposite thin films on Kapton

International audienceAbstract In-situ biaxial tensile tests within the elastic domain were conducted with W/Cu nanocomposite thin films deposited on a polyimide cruciform substrate thanks to a biaxial testing machine developed on the DiffAbs beamline at SOLEIL synchrotron. The mechanical behavior of the nanocomposite was characterized at the micro-scale and the macro-scale using simultaneously synchrotron X-ray diffraction and digital image correlation techniques. Strain analyses for equi-biaxial and non equi-biaxial loading paths have been performed. The results show that the two strain measurements match to within 1 × 10-4 in the elastic domain for strain levels less than 0.3% and for both loading paths