Évolution morpho-sédimentaire de la barre de déferlement : un exemple dans le golfe du Saint-Laurent, Québec

Le littoral de la région de Mingan (moyenne Côte-Nord du golfe du Saint-Laurent), se caractérise par un ensemble de cinq barres d'avant-côte parallèles se succédant depuis le littoral jusqu'à une profondeur de 12 m. Ces barres s'apparentent, selon la classification de Greenwood et Davidson-Arnott (1979), aux barres décrites par Evans (1940) et Hom-ma et Sonu (1962). Ce type de barres diffère des crêtes et sillons prélittoraux tels que définis par King et Williams (1949). La première barre du système de Mingan, qui fait l'objet de ce travail, représente un type particulier; elle est partiellement exondée à marée basse et soumis au déferlement des vagues à marée haute. L'étude comprend un échantillonnage des sédiments de surface, des prélèvements de carottes et des relevés topographiques. Le haut de plage est composé de sable fin à moyen bien trié et le bas de plage, de sable grossier et mal classé. Le creux est constitué de matériel très grossier et de sable fin provenant du transfert sédimentaire de la barre vers le creux. Les sédiments de la crête et des pentes marine et terrestre de la barre sont constitués de sable moyen, modérément à bien classé. Le sommet de la barre s'érode sur une épaisseur de 20 à 25 cm sous l'action des houles de tempête et une fraction de sédiments fins se dépose dans le creux. Par temps calme, la barre tend à reprendre son profil initial (avant tempête) sous l'action des courants de marée et de dérive littorale qui siègent dans le creux et qui transportent le sédiment parallèlement à la côte. Les épaisseurs de remaniement sont alors réduites (5 cm sur la crête et 15 cm au bas de la pente terrestre et sur la pente marine).The Mingan area shoreline (North Shore of the Gulf of St-Lawrence) is characterized by five parallel nearshore bars from the beach to a depth of 12 m. These bars are related, in the classification of Greenwood and Davidson-Arnott (1979), to the bars described by Evans (1940) and Homma and Sonu (1962). This bar type is different from the ridge and runnel defined by King and Williams (1949). The first bar of the Mingan area, wich is studied in this paper is particular in that it is partially exposed at low tide level and submitted to breaking waves at high tide level. The study includes surface sediment sampling, coring and topographic survey. Upper beach sediments consist of well sorted fine to medium sand whereas lower beach sands are coarse grained and poorly sorted. The trough is made up of coarse material and fine sand transfered from the top of the bar. Sediments from landward slope, crest and seaward slope are medium grained and moderately to well sorted. The crest of the bar is eroded to a depth of 20 cm to 25 cm under storm wave action. During post-storm regime, the bar shifts from storm profile to post-storm profile in response to longshore currents with transport sediments. Then, the depth of reworking is reduced to 5 cm on the crest of the bar and 15 cm on both landward and seaward slopes.El litoral de la region de Mingan (sector medio de la costa norte del San Lorenzo), se caracteriza por un conjunto de cinco barras litorales paralelas, las cuales van desde el litoral hasta una profundidad de 12 m. Dichas barras pueden caracterizarse segun la clasificacion de Greenwood y Davidson-Arnott (1979) como las barras descritas por Evans (1940) y Hom-ma y Sonu (1962). Este tipo de barras difiere de crestas y corredores prelitorales tal como Io definiera King y Williams (1949). La primera barra, objeto de este estudio, représenta un tipo en particular; ella esta emergida a marea baja y expuesta a la rompiente de las olas a marea alta. El estudio comprende un muestreo de sedimentos de superficie, toma de testigos y mediciones topogrâficas. El sector alto de la playa esta compuesto por arena de talla fina a intermedia bien clasificada y el sector bajo por arena gruesa mal clasificada. La depresiôn entre la playa y la barra esta constituida por material grueso ademâs de arena fina proveniente del transporte sedimentario de la barra. Los sedimentos de la pendiente terrestre, de la cresta y de la pendiente marina estan constituidos por arena fina a intermedia, la cual se présenta de moderada a bien clasificada. La cresta de la barra se erosiona hasta un espesor de 20 a 25 cm bajo la acciôn de olas de tempestad, cuando esto ocurre, una fracciôn de sedimentos finos se adicionara a la grava de la depresiôn. Durante los periodos de calma, la barra tiende a recuperar su pert il inicial (antes de la tempestad) bajo la acciôn de corrientes de marea y de dériva litoral présentes en la depresiôn, las cuales transportan los sedimentos en forma paralela a la costa. Por otro lado, los espesores son retrabajados y reducido (5 cm sobre la cresta y 15 cm bajo la pendiente terrestre y sobre la pendiente marina)

First Astronaut- Rover Interaction Field Test

The first Astronaut - Rover (ASRO) Interaction field test was conducted successfully on February 22-27, 1999, in Silver Lake, Mojave Desert, California in a representative planetary surface terrain. This test was a joint effort between the NASA Ames Research Center , Moffett Field, California and the NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas. As prototype advanced planetary surface space suit and rover technologies are being developed for human planetary surface exploration , it has been determined that it is important to better understand the potential interaction and benefits of an EVA astronaut interacting with a robotic rover . This interaction between an EVA astronaut and a robotic rover is seen as complementary and can greatly enhance the productivity and safety of surface excursions . This test also identified design requirements and options in an advanced space suit and robotic rover. The test objectives were: 1. To identify the operational domains where the EVA astronauts and rover are complementary and can interact and thus collaborate in a safe , productive and cost- effective way, 2. To identify preliminary requirements and recommendations for advanced space suits and rovers that facilitate their cooperative and complementary interaction, 3. To develop operational procedures for the astronaut-rover teams in the identified domains, 4. To test these procedures during representative mission scenarios during field tests by simulating the exploration of a planetary surface by an EVA crew interacting with a robotic rover, 5. To train a space suited test subject, simulated Earth-based and l or lander-based science teams, and robotic vehicle operators in mission configurations, and 6. To evaluate and understand socio-technical aspects of the astronaut - rover interaction experiment in order to guide future technologies and designs. Test results and areas for future research in the design of planetary space suits will be discussed

Stimulation d'une microflore des eaux souterraines : évaluation de l'innocuité environnementale dans une perspective de biocolmatage d'un milieu géologique fracturé

Eaux souterraines et nappes aquifères de roc fracturé -- Les barrières verticales de confinement des eaux souterraines -- L'innocuité des biotechnologies environmentales -- Approvisionnement en eau souterraine et conservation de la microflore -- Détermination des effets des facteurs physico-chimiques sur le développement d'un biofilm sur une surface reproduisant un roc -- Évaluation écotoxicologique des composantes eau et biofilm -- Observation des changements de diversité microbienne suite à la biostimulation -- Mesure du biocolmatage d'une fracture simple dans un bloc de calcaire -- Évaluation écotoxicologique et effets des facteurs physico-chimiques sur le développements d'un biofilm en conditions d'eau souterraine -- Stimulation d'une communauté d'ultramicrobactéries des eaux souterraines pour la formation d'un biofilm : comparaison des changements de diversité génétique et fonctionnelle -- Biocolmatage d'un calcaire fracturé avec une microflore indigène des eaux souterraines

Sloan Digital Sky Survey III Photometric Quasar Clustering: Probing the Initial Conditions of the Universe using the Largest Volume

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey has surveyed 14,555 square degrees of the sky, and delivered over a trillion pixels of imaging data. We present the large-scale clustering of 1.6 million quasars between z = 0.5 and z = 2.5 that have been classified from this imaging, representing the highest density of quasars ever studied for clustering measurements. This data set spans ~11,000 square degrees and probes a volume of 80(Gpc/h)^3. In principle, such a large volume and medium density of tracers should facilitate high-precision cosmological constraints. We measure the angular clustering of photometrically classified quasars using an optimal quadratic estimator in four redshift slices with an accuracy of ~25% over a bin width of l ~10 - 15 on scales corresponding to matter-radiation equality and larger (l ~ 2 - 30). Observational systematics can strongly bias clustering measurements on large scales, which can mimic cosmologically relevant signals such as deviations from Gaussianity in the spectrum of primordial perturbations. We account for systematics by employing a new method recently proposed by Agarwal et al. (2014) to the clustering of photometrically classified quasars. We carefully apply our methodology to mitigate known observational systematics and further remove angular bins that are contaminated by unknown systematics. Combining quasar data with the photometric luminous red galaxy (LRG) sample of Ross et al. (2011) and Ho et al. (2012), and marginalizing over all bias and shot noise-like parameters, we obtain a constraint on local primordial non-Gaussianity of fNL = -113+/-154 (1\sigma error). [Abridged]Comment: 35 pages, 15 figure

The Omega-3 Fatty Acids EPA and DHA, as a Part of a Murine High-Fat Diet, Reduced Lipid Accumulation in Brown and White Adipose Tissues.

Excess energy intake can trigger an uncontrolled inflammatory response, leading to systemic low-grade inflammation and metabolic disturbances that are hypothesised to contribute to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFAs) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are suggested to mitigate this inflammatory response, but the mechanisms are unclear, especially at the tissue level. Adipose tissues, the first tissues to give an inflammatory response, may be an important target site of action for EPA and DHA. To evaluate the effects of EPA and DHA in white and brown adipose tissues, we fed male C57Bl/6J mice either a high fat diet (HFD) with 5% corn oil, an HFD with 40% of the corn oil substituted for purified EPA and DHA triglycerides (HFD-ED), or normal chow, for 8 weeks. Fatty acid profiling and transcriptomics were used to study how EPA and DHA affect retroperitoneal white and brown adipose tissues. HFD-EDfed mice showed reduced lipid accumulation and levels of the pro-inflammatory fatty acid arachidonic acid in both white and brown adipose tissues, compared withHFD-cornoil fed animals. The transcriptomic analysis showed changes inβ-oxidation pathways, supporting the decreased lipid accumulation in the HFD-ED fed mice. Therefore, our data suggests that EPA and DHA supplementation of a high fat diet may be anti-inflammatory, as well as reduce lipid accumulation in adipose tissues

Road-Edge Effects on Herpetofauna in a Lowland Amazonian Rainforest

The impact of roads on the flora and fauna of Neotropical rainforest is perhaps the single biggest driver of habitat modification and population declines in these ecosystems. We investigated the road-edge effect of a low-use dirt road on amphibian and reptile abundance, diversity, and composition within adjacent lowland Amazonian rainforest at San José de Payamino, Ecuador. The road has been closed to vehicle traffic since its construction in 2010. Thus, effects from vehicle mortality, vehicle-related pollution, and road noise were not confounding factors. Herpetofauna were surveyed using both visual encounter surveys and drift fences with pitfall and funnel traps at varying distances from the road. Structural and microclimate features of the forest were measured at each sampling distance. Several habitat variables were found to differ at intermediate and interior sampling distances from the road compared to forest edge conditions, suggesting the road-edge effect began to attenuate by the intermediate sampling distance. However, the edge effect on amphibians and reptiles appeared to extend 100 m from the road edge, as abundance and diversity were significantly greater at the interior forest compared to the forest edge. Additionally, assemblage composition as well as the hierarchical position of species shifted between sampling distances. Habitat predictor models indicate that amphibian abundance was best predicted by vine abundance, while both vine and mature tree abundance were the best predictors for species richness and diversity. Overall, and contrary to what might otherwise be expected, our results demonstrate that small, little-used road disturbances can nonetheless have profound impacts on wildlife

An Innovative Approach to Impacting Student Academic Achievement and Attitudes: Pilot Study of the HEADS UP Virtual Molecular Biology Lab

Introduction: The Virtual Molecular Biology Lab is an innovative, computer-based educational program designed to teach advanced high school biology students how to create a transgenic mouse model in a simulated laboratory setting. It was created in an effort to combat the current decrease in adolescent enthusiasm for and academic achievement in science and science careers, especially in Hispanic students. Because studies have found that hands-on learning, particularly computer-based instruction, is effective in enhancing science achievement, the Virtual Lab is a potential tool for increasing the number of Hispanic students that choose to enter science fields. [See PDF for complete abstract

Splenic Immune Response Is Down-Regulated in C57BL/6J Mice Fed Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid Enriched High Fat Diet

Dietary n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are associated with reduction of inflammation, although the mechanisms are poorly understood, especially how the spleen, as a secondary lymphoid organ, is involved. To investigate the effects of EPA and DHA on spleen gene expression, male C57BL/6J mice were fed high fat diets (HFD) differing in fatty acid composition, either based on corn oil (HFD-CO), or CO enriched with 2 g/100 g EPA and DHA (HFD-ED), for eight weeks. Spleen tissue was analyzed using transcriptomics and for fatty acids profiling. Biological processes (BPs) related to the immune response, including T-cell receptor signaling pathway, T-cell differentiation and co-stimulation, myeloid dendritic cell differentiation, antigen presentation and processing, and the toll like receptor pathway were downregulated by HFD-ED compared with control and HFD-CO. These findings were supported by the down-regulation of NF-κB in HFD-ED compared with HFD-CO fed mice. Lower phospholipid arachidonic acid levels in HFD-ED compared with HFD-CO, and control mice suggest attenuation of pathways via prostaglandins and leukotrienes. The HFD-ED also upregulated BPs related to erythropoiesis and hematopoiesis compared with control and HFD-CO fed mice. Our findings suggest that EPA and DHA down-regulate the splenic immune response induced by HFD-CO, supporting earlier work that the spleen is a target organ for the anti-inflammatory effects of these n-3 fatty acids

The large-scale Quasar-Lyman \alpha\ Forest Cross-Correlation from BOSS

We measure the large-scale cross-correlation of quasars with the Lyman \alpha\ forest absorption in redshift space, using ~ 60000 quasar spectra from Data Release 9 (DR9) of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). The cross-correlation is detected over a wide range of scales, up to comoving separations r of 80 Mpc/h. For r > 15 Mpc/h, we show that the cross-correlation is well fitted by the linear theory prediction for the mean overdensity around a quasar host halo in the standard \Lambda CDM model, with the redshift distortions indicative of gravitational evolution detected at high confidence. Using previous determinations of the Lyman \alpha\ forest bias factor obtained from the Lyman \alpha\ autocorrelation, we infer the quasar bias factor to be b_q = 3.64^+0.13_-0.15 at a mean redshift z=2.38, in agreement with previous measurements from the quasar auto-correlation. We also obtain a new estimate of the Lyman \alpha\ forest redshift distortion factor, \beta_F = 1.1 +/- 0.15, slightly larger than but consistent with the previous measurement from the Lyman \alpha\ forest autocorrelation. The simple linear model we use fails at separations r < 15 Mpc/h, and we show that this may reasonably be due to the enhanced ionization due to radiation from the quasars. We also provide the expected correction that the mass overdensity around the quasar implies for measurements of the ionizing radiation background from the line-of-sight proximity effect.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures, published in JCA

Detection of Ly\beta auto-correlations and Ly\alpha-Ly\beta cross-correlations in BOSS Data Release 9

The Lyman-$\beta$ forest refers to a region in the spectra of distant quasars that lies between the rest-frame Lyman-$\beta$ and Lyman-$\gamma$ emissions. The forest in this region is dominated by a combination of absorption due to resonant Ly$\alpha$ and Ly$\beta$ scattering. When considering the 1D Ly$\beta$ forest in addition to the 1D Ly$\alpha$ forest, the full statistical description of the data requires four 1D power spectra: Ly$\alpha$ and Ly$\beta$ auto-power spectra and the Ly$\alpha$-Ly$\beta$ real and imaginary cross-power spectra. We describe how these can be measured using an optimal quadratic estimator that naturally disentangles Ly$\alpha$ and Ly$\beta$ contributions. Using a sample of approximately 60,000 quasar sight-lines from the BOSS Data Release 9, we make the measurement of the one-dimensional power spectrum of fluctuations due to the Ly$\beta$ resonant scattering. While we have not corrected our measurements for resolution damping of the power and other systematic effects carefully enough to use them for cosmological constraints, we can robustly conclude the following: i) Ly$\beta$ power spectrum and Ly$\alpha$-Ly$\beta$ cross spectra are detected with high statistical significance; ii) the cross-correlation coefficient is $\approx 1$ on large scales; iii) the Ly$\beta$ measurements are contaminated by the associated OVI absorption, which is analogous to the SiIII contamination of the Ly$\alpha$ forest. Measurements of the Ly$\beta$ forest will allow extension of the usable path-length for the Ly$\alpha$ measurements while allowing a better understanding of the physics of intergalactic medium and thus more robust cosmological constraints.Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures; matches version accepted by JCA