Les bâtiments voyageurs édifiés le long de la ligne impériale

L’architecture des anciennes compagnies a été confiée, ligne par ligne, à des maîtres d’œuvre. Nous allons faire la connaissance de quelques-uns d’entre eux et évaluer leur apport dans le domaine de l’architecture ferroviaire.Nous étudions des bâtiments voyageurs prestigieux de grandes villes, des gares de moindre importance, voire de petits édifices dont l’architecture était définie par des modèles, établis par les compagnies et répétés à l’identique le long des lignes. Ces modèles évoluent par la réalisation de variantes constituant des types présentant de nombreux points communs.La gare constitue un nouveau programme autour duquel se sont articulés de multiples réflexions qui ont généré les formes d’une architecture nouvelle. Pour certaines compagnies l’architecture présente des types originaux significatifs en grand nombre. Le patrimoine que nous ont légué ces compagnies est précieux et cette étude met l’accent sur l’ambition esthétique qui a si souvent dominé les cheminements de la recherche architecturale. La variété et l’intérêt qui en découlent méritent d’être démontrés.We will study significant passenger terminals in large cities, as well as stations of less significant size, and also small buildings, whose architecture was set according to a standard design created by the railway companies that was exactly repeated along their routes. But variations to these designs evolved into different models that share many common features.Stations represented a new programme that gathered various ideas that gave rise to new architectural forms. Some companies created a great number of significant original buildings that represent a valuable legacy. This study will thus emphasise the aesthetic ambition that so often prevailed in the development of architectural research. Their ensuing variety and topical interest should be studied in detail. Résumé traduit du français par Maïca Sanconie

Wave overtopping and overflow hazards: application on the Camargue sea-dike

Hydrodynamic

Dynamique tourbillonnaire dans un champ de houle

Cette étude présente des résultats préliminaires sur la dynamique de tourbillons générés par une plaque plane horizontale dans un canal à houle. Sous l'effet de l'écoulement orbital et fortement cisaillé de la houle, les tourbillons ondulent et se déstabilisent. Les caractéristiques des tourbillons sont déterminées, dans un premier temps, dans un plan 2D perpendiculaire à l’axe du tourbillon par méthode PIV

Impact of Agriculture on the Selection of Insecticide Resistance in the Malaria Vector Anopheles gambiae : A Multigenerational Study in Controlled Conditions.

Resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides is mainly attributed to their adaptation to vector control interventions. Although pesticides used in agriculture have been frequently mentioned as an additional force driving the selection of resistance, only a few studies were dedicated to validate this hypothesis and characterise the underlying mechanisms. While insecticide resistance is rising dramatically in Africa, deciphering how agriculture affects resistance is crucial for improving resistance management strategies. In this context, the multigenerational effect of agricultural pollutants on the selection of insecticide resistance was examined in Anopheles gambiae. An urban Tanzanian An. gambiae population displaying a low resistance level was used as a parental strain for a selection experiment across 20 generations. At each generation larvae were selected with a mixture containing pesticides and herbicides classically used in agriculture in Africa. The resistance levels of adults to deltamethrin, DDT and bendiocarb were compared between the selected and non-selected strains across the selection process together with the frequency of kdr mutations. A microarray approach was used for pinpointing transcription level variations selected by the agricultural pesticide mixture at the adult stage. A gradual increase of adult resistance to all insecticides was observed across the selection process. The frequency of the L1014S kdr mutation rose from 1.6% to 12.5% after 20 generations of selection. Microarray analysis identified 90 transcripts over-transcribed in the selected strain as compared to the parental and the non-selected strains. Genes encoding cuticle proteins, detoxification enzymes, proteins linked to neurotransmitter activity and transcription regulators were mainly affected. RT-qPCR transcription profiling of candidate genes across multiple generations supported their link with insecticide resistance. This study confirms the potency of agriculture in selecting for insecticide resistance in malaria vectors. We demonstrated that the recurrent exposure of larvae to agricultural pollutants can select for resistance mechanisms to vector control insecticides at the adult stage. Our data suggest that in addition to selected target-site resistance mutations, agricultural pollutants may also favor cuticle, metabolic and synaptic transmission-based resistance mechanisms. These results emphasize the need for integrated resistance management strategies taking into account agriculture activities

Investigation of mechanisms of bendiocarb resistance in Anopheles gambiae populations from the city of Yaoundé, Cameroon

BACKGROUND Resistance to the carbamate insecticide bendiocarb is emerging in Anopheles gambiae populations from the city of Yaoundé in Cameroon. However, the molecular basis of this resistance remains uncharacterized. The present study objective is to investigate mechanisms promoting resistance to bendiocarb in An. gambiae populations from Yaoundé. METHODS The level of susceptibility of An. gambiae s.l. to bendiocarb 0.1 % was assessed from 2010 to 2013 using bioassays. Mosquitoes resistant to bendiocarb, unexposed and susceptible mosquitoes were screened for the presence of the Ace-1(R) mutation using TaqMan assays. Microarray analyses were performed to assess the pattern of genes differentially expressed between resistant, unexposed and susceptible. RESULTS Bendiocarb resistance was more prevalent in mosquitoes originating from cultivated sites compared to those from polluted and unpolluted sites. Both An. gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii were found to display resistance to bendiocarb. No G119S mutation was detected suggesting that resistance was mainly metabolic. Microarray analysis revealed the over-expression of several cytochrome P450 s genes including cyp6z3, cyp6z1, cyp12f2, cyp6m3 and cyp6p4. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis supported the detoxification role of cytochrome P450 s with several GO terms associated with P450 activity significantly enriched in resistant samples. Other detoxification genes included UDP-glucosyl transferases, glutathione-S transferases and ABC transporters. CONCLUSION The study highlights the probable implication of metabolic mechanisms in bendiocarb resistance in An. gambiae populations from Yaoundé and stresses the need for further studies leading to functional validation of detoxification genes involved in this resistance

Transcriptome response to pollutants and insecticides in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti using next-generation sequencing technology

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The control of mosquitoes transmitting infectious diseases relies mainly on the use of chemical insecticides. However, mosquito control programs are now threatened by the emergence of insecticide resistance. Hitherto, most research efforts have been focused on elucidating the molecular basis of inherited resistance. Less attention has been paid to the short-term response of mosquitoes to insecticides and pollutants which could have a significant impact on insecticide efficacy. Here, a combination of LongSAGE and Solexa sequencing was used to perform a deep transcriptome analysis of larvae of the dengue vector <it>Aedes aegypti </it>exposed for 48 h to sub-lethal doses of three chemical insecticides and three anthropogenic pollutants.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Thirty millions 20 bp cDNA tags were sequenced, mapped to the mosquito genome and clustered, representing 6850 known genes and 4868 additional clusters not located within predicted genes. Mosquitoes exposed to insecticides or anthropogenic pollutants showed considerable modifications of their transcriptome. Genes encoding cuticular proteins, transporters, and enzymes involved in the mitochondrial respiratory chain and detoxification processes were particularly affected. Genes and molecular mechanisms potentially involved in xenobiotic response and insecticide tolerance were identified.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The method used in the present study appears as a powerful approach for investigating fine transcriptome variations in genome-sequenced organisms and can provide useful informations for the detection of novel transcripts. At the biological level, despite low concentrations and no apparent phenotypic effects, the significant impact of these xenobiotics on mosquito transcriptomes raise important questions about the 'hidden impact' of anthropogenic pollutants on ecosystems and consequences on vector control.</p

Exploring the molecular basis of insecticide resistance in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti: a case study in Martinique Island (French West Indies)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The yellow fever mosquito <it>Aedes aegypti </it>is a major vector of dengue and hemorrhagic fevers, causing up to 100 million dengue infections every year. As there is still no medicine and efficient vaccine available, vector control largely based on insecticide treatments remains the only method to reduce dengue virus transmission. Unfortunately, vector control programs are facing operational challenges with mosquitoes becoming resistant to commonly used insecticides. Resistance of <it>Ae. aegypti </it>to chemical insecticides has been reported worldwide and the underlying molecular mechanisms, including the identification of enzymes involved in insecticide detoxification are not completely understood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The present paper investigates the molecular basis of insecticide resistance in a population of <it>Ae. aegypti </it>collected in Martinique (French West Indies). Bioassays with insecticides on adults and larvae revealed high levels of resistance to organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides. Molecular screening for common insecticide target-site mutations showed a high frequency (71%) of the sodium channel 'knock down resistance' (<it>kdr</it>) mutation. Exposing mosquitoes to detoxification enzymes inhibitors prior to bioassays induced a significant increased susceptibility of mosquitoes to insecticides, revealing the presence of metabolic-based resistance mechanisms. This trend was biochemically confirmed by significant elevated activities of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, glutathione S-transferases and carboxylesterases at both larval and adult stages. Utilization of the microarray <it>Aedes Detox Chip </it>containing probes for all members of detoxification and other insecticide resistance-related enzymes revealed the significant constitutive over-transcription of multiple detoxification genes at both larval and adult stages. The over-transcription of detoxification genes in the resistant strain was confirmed by using real-time quantitative RT-PCR.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest that the high level of insecticide resistance found in <it>Ae. aegypti </it>mosquitoes from Martinique island is the consequence of both target-site and metabolic based resistance mechanisms. Insecticide resistance levels and associated mechanisms are discussed in relation with the environmental context of Martinique Island. These finding have important implications for dengue vector control in Martinique and emphasizes the need to develop new tools and strategies for maintaining an effective control of <it>Aedes </it>mosquito populations worldwide.</p

Sensitivity analysis of erosion on the landward slope of an earthen flood defense located in southern France submitted to wave overtopping

The study aims to provide a complete analysis framework applied to an earthen dike located in Camargue, France. This dike is regularly submitted to erosion on the landward slope that needs to be repaired. Improving the resilience of the dike calls for a reliable model of damage frequency. The developed system is a combination of copula theory, empirical wave propagation, and overtopping equations as well as a global sensitivity analysis in order to provide the return period of erosion damage on a set dike while also providing recommendations in order for the dike to be reinforced as well as the model to be self-improved. The global sensitivity analysis requires one to calculate a high number of return periods over random observations of the tested parameters. This gives a distribution of the return periods, providing a more general approach to the behavior of the dike. The results show a return period peak around the 2-year mark, close to reported observation. With the distribution being skewed, the mean value is higher and is thus less reliable as a measure of dike safety. The results of the global sensitivity analysis show that no particular category of dike features contributes significantly more to the uncertainty of the system. The highest contributing factors are the dike height, the critical velocity, and the coefficient of seaward slope roughness. These results underline the importance of good dike characterization in order to improve the predictability of return period estimations. The obtained return periods have been confirmed by current in situ observations, but the uncertainty increases for the most severe events due to the lack of long-term data.</p