Analyse du développement du tourisme pour tous dans le Val d’Anniviers

Cette étude vise à offrir une image actuelle du développement du tourisme pour tous dans le Val d’Anniviers. Cette activité touristique permet aux destinations de proposer leur offre à un public très large. S’adressant tout d’abord à une clientèle en situation de handicap, le tourisme pour tous peut également bénéficier à toute personne ayant des besoins particuliers en termes d’accessibilité. Son implantation dans une région touristique exige de franchir un certain nombre de barrières. Quelles sont celles présentes dans le Val d’Anniviers ? La région dispose-elle de ressources intéressantes lui permettant de franchir ces obstacles ? Des questionnaires, des communications personnelles et une analyse qualitative du matériel promotionnel régional auront permis de répondre à ces questions. Au terme de ce travail, il a été démontré que plusieurs barrières en matière d’offre et de communication empêchent un bon développement du tourisme pour tous dans le Val d’Anniviers. Malgré le manque d’initiatives de la plupart des prestataires locaux, certaines sociétés proposent une accessibilité intéressante et témoignent d’un réel intérêt pour cette clientèle en situation de handicap. Les sociétés ne proposent cependant pas une communication adéquate mettant en valeur leurs produits. Afin d’offrir un paysage d’Anniviers aussi large que possible les lieux d’hébergements, les restaurants et les remontées mécaniques ont été interrogées. La communication est quant à elle liée à la société Sierre Anniviers marketing

Maternal outcomes and risk factors for COVID-19 severity among pregnant women.

Pregnant women may be at higher risk of severe complications associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which may lead to obstetrical complications. We performed a case control study comparing pregnant women with severe coronavirus disease 19 (cases) to pregnant women with a milder form (controls) enrolled in the COVI-Preg international registry cohort between March 24 and July 26, 2020. Risk factors for severity, obstetrical and immediate neonatal outcomes were assessed. A total of 926 pregnant women with a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 were included, among which 92 (9.9%) presented with severe COVID-19 disease. Risk factors for severe maternal outcomes were pulmonary comorbidities [aOR 4.3, 95% CI 1.9-9.5], hypertensive disorders [aOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.0-7.0] and diabetes [aOR2.2, 95% CI 1.1-4.5]. Pregnant women with severe maternal outcomes were at higher risk of caesarean section [70.7% (n = 53/75)], preterm delivery [62.7% (n = 32/51)] and newborns requiring admission to the neonatal intensive care unit [41.3% (n = 31/75)]. In this study, several risk factors for developing severe complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection among pregnant women were identified including pulmonary comorbidities, hypertensive disorders and diabetes. Obstetrical and neonatal outcomes appear to be influenced by the severity of maternal disease

The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics' resources: focus on curated databases

The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (www.isb-sib.ch) provides world-class bioinformatics databases, software tools, services and training to the international life science community in academia and industry. These solutions allow life scientists to turn the exponentially growing amount of data into knowledge. Here, we provide an overview of SIB's resources and competence areas, with a strong focus on curated databases and SIB's most popular and widely used resources. In particular, SIB's Bioinformatics resource portal ExPASy features over 150 resources, including UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, ENZYME, PROSITE, neXtProt, STRING, UniCarbKB, SugarBindDB, SwissRegulon, EPD, arrayMap, Bgee, SWISS-MODEL Repository, OMA, OrthoDB and other databases, which are briefly described in this article

Evaluation colorimétrique "in vitro" de l'efficacité de différentes méthodes et produits de blanchiment

L'efficacité de différents produits et protocoles de blanchiment a été évaluée in-vitro. Des échantillons de dents bovines ont été colorés avec du sang humain, avant d'être soumis à l'action de produits de blanchiment pour le domicile (Opalescence 10%, 15% et 20% de peroxyde de carbamide (CP), NiteWhite Excel II 10% et 16% CP, NiteWhite Excel II 10% en fine couche, DayWhite 2 7,5% H2O2, Whitestrips 5.3% H2O2) ou au fauteuil (Opalescence XtraBoost 30% H2O2, OpalescenceQuick 35% CP, BriteSmile 15% H2O2 avec photo activation LED). Des mesures colorimétriques (CIE L*a*b*) on été effectuées avant et après coloration, et également après chaque série de 5 applications du produit blanchissant. Les mesures du côté dentinaire ont présenté des différences significatives quant à l'effet d'éclaircissement ; les produits de blanchiment au fauteuil, le gel en couche mince et les strips auto adhésifs se sont révélés moins efficaces que les produits pour blanchiment à domicile

In vitro colorimetric evaluation of the efficacy of various bleaching methods and products

Various bleaching modalities are now offered to patients, either monitored by the dental office or self-directed, for which relative efficacy is unknown. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the ability of different bleaching products and protocols to lighten enamel and dentin

Confrontation à des cas réels de déstabilisations de versant rocheux pour accéder à la représentation d’un risque émergent lié au permafrost de montagne ::enjeux de construction d’une gouvernance

La communication présente les premiers résultats d’une étude en cours, visant à comprendre la façon dont des acteurs hétérogènes et – pour certains – peu reliés entre eux (experts, autorités locales, citoyens, guides de montagne, etc.) de trois territoires de montagne, en Suisse (Valais) et en France (massif du Mont Blanc, massif de la Vanoise), se représentent le risque associé à la dégradation du permafrost. Un guide d’entretien, élaboré conjointement entre chercheurs en ergonomie et géosciences, permet de confronter chaque acteur à sa représentation, en fonction de son activité professionnelle ou de pratiquant de montagne. Le dispositif d’enquête repose sur une présentation de cartes du permafrost, spécifiques au lieu de vie ou de travail de la personne, et de 3 cas réels de déstabilisation du permafrost ayant eu des conséquences croissantes : un écroulement rocheux, la déstabilisation d’une infrastructure, et un cas avec des processus géomorphologiques en cascade et des dégâts importants. Une mesure de la perception de la gravité et de la possibilité de maîtriser l’aléa est réalisée à deux reprises, au moyen d’échelles graduées : une première fois avant la présentation des cartes du permafrost et des 3 cas, et une seconde fois à la fin de l’entretien. La comparaison des réponses avant/après permet d’identifier une éventuelle évolution des perceptions, du fait de la confrontation avec le matériau présenté. Des changements sont également notés, dans la manière dont la personne définit le permafrost. Les participants sont également invités à réfléchir aux actions de prévention à envisager, en fonction de leur activité spécifique. Le dépouillement des données étant en cours, cette communication se concentre uniquement sur les réponses aux échelles d’évaluation des risques. Dans le futur, cette recherche souhaite réunir les différents acteurs, par territoire, pour favoriser l’élaboration d’un référentiel opératif commun et participer à construire une gouvernance de ce risque naturel qui s’accroît.The paper presents the first results from an ongoing study, aiming to understand the way in which heterogeneous and – for some – poorly connected stakeholders (experts, local authorities, citizens, mountain guides, etc.) in three mountain territories, in Switzerland (Valais) and in France (Mont Blanc massif, Vanoise massif), perceive the risk linked to rocky slope movements associated with the degradation of permafrost. An interview guide, developed jointly by researchers in ergonomics and geosciences, was used to confront each person with his or her representation, based on their professional activity or mountain practices. The survey is based on a presentation of maps of permafrost, specific to the person's place of residence or work, and three real cases of permafrost destabilisation with increasing consequences: a rock fall, the destabilisation of an infrastructure, and a case with cascading geomorphological processes and significant damage. An evaluation of the perception of the severity and the controllability of the hazard is carried out twice, using graduated scales: once before the presentation of the permafrost maps and the 3 cases, and a second time at the end of the interview. Comparing the responses before and after allows us to identify any changes in perceptions, resulting from the confrontation with the material presented. Changes are also noted in the way the person defines permafrost. The participants are also asked to think about what preventive actions to consider, depending on their specific activity. As the data analysis is still in progress, this paper focuses only on the responses to the risk assessment scales. In the future, this research aims to bring together the various actors, by territory, to promote the development of a shared understanding and to participate in building a governance of this growing natural risk

Comparative proteomic analysis of extracellular matrix proteins secreted by two types of skin fibroblasts

International audienceThe hair follicle dermal papilla is composed primarily of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins secreted by resident fibroblasts. Dermal papilla is endowed with hair morphogenic properties, yet its composition is poorly characterized. In an attempt to understand its specificity better, we compared the protein composition of ECM secreted by cultured dermal papilla fibroblasts with that of dermal fibroblasts. ECM proteins are generally large, difficult to solubilize, and abundantly post-translationally modified. We thus implemented an original protocol for analyzing them: ECM samples were enzymatically digested directly in the culture flasks and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Sequencing of proteolytic peptides by MS/MS yielded protein identification. The relative abundance of a given protein in dermal fibroblast versus dermal papilla samples was estimated by comparing proteolytic peptide intensities detected by MS. Using this approach, several matrix proteins were found to be present at markedly different levels in each ECM type; in particular, thrombospondin 1 and fibronectin appeared to be overrepresented in the dermal papilla fibroblast ECM. MS results were supported by Western blot and immunostaining experiments. In addition, peptide intensities were processed in two ways, which proved to favor either the quantification accuracy or the information precision at the sequence level

Bioluminescence calcium imaging of network dynamics and their cholinergic modulation in slices of cerebral cortex from male rats

International audienceThe activity of neuronal ensembles was monitored in neocortical slices from male rats using wide‐field bioluminescence imaging of a calcium sensor formed with the fusion of green fluorescent protein and aequorin (GA) and expressed through viral transfer. GA expression was restricted to pyramidal neurons and did not conspicuously alter neuronal morphology or neocortical cytoarchitecture. Removal of extracellular magnesium or addition of GABA receptor antagonists triggered epileptiform flashes of variable amplitude and spatial extent, indicating that the excitatory and inhibitory networks were functionally preserved in GA‐expressing slices. We found that agonists of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors largely increased the peak bioluminescence response to local electrical stimulation in layer I or white matter, and gave rise to a slowly decaying response persisting for tens of seconds. The peak increase involved layers II/III and V and did not result in marked alteration of response spatial properties. The persistent response involved essentially layer V and followed the time course of the muscarinic afterdischarge depolarizing plateau in layer V pyramidal cells. This plateau potential triggered spike firing in layer V, but not layer II/III pyramidal cells, and was accompanied by recurrent synaptic excitation in layer V. Our results indicate that wide‐field imaging of GA bioluminescence is well suited to monitor local and global network activity patterns, involving different mechanisms of intracellular calcium increase, and occurring on various timescales

Regulation of perineuronal nets in the adult cortex by the electrical activity of parvalbumin interneurons

Perineuronal net (PNN) accumulation around parvalbumin-expressing (PV) inhibitory interneurons marks the closure of critical periods of high plasticity, whereas PNN removal reinstates juvenile plasticity in the adult cortex. Using targeted chemogenetic in vivo approaches in the adult mouse visual cortex, we found that transient electrical silencing of PV interneurons, directly or through inhibition of local excitatory neurons, induced PNN regression. Conversely, excitation of either neuron types did not reduce the PNN. We also observed that chemogenetically inhibited PV interneurons exhibited reduced PNN compared to their untransduced neighbors, and confirmed that single PV interneurons express multiple genes enabling cell-autonomous control of their own PNN density. Our results indicate that PNNs are dynamically regulated in the adult by PV neurons acting as sensors of their localmicrocircuit activities. PNN regulation provides individual PV neurons with an activitydependent mechanism to control the local remodeling of adult cortical circuits

Regulation of perineuronal nets in the adult cortex by the activity of the cortical network

International audiencePerineuronal net (PNN) accumulation around parvalbumin-expressing (PV) inhibitory interneurons marks the closure of critical periods of high plasticity, whereas PNN removal reinstates juvenile plasticity in the adult cortex. Using targeted chemogenetic in vivo approaches in the adult mouse visual cortex, we found that transient inhibition of PV interneurons, through metabotropic or ionotropic chemogenetic tools, induced PNN regression. Electroencephalographic recordings indicated that inhibition of PV interneurons did not elicit unbalanced network excitation. Likewise, inhibition of local excitatory neurons also induced PNN regression, whereas chemogenetic excitation of either PV or excitatory neurons did not reduce the PNN. We also observed that chemogenetically inhibited PV interneurons exhibited reduced PNN compared to their untransduced neighbors, and confirmed that single PV interneurons express multiple genes enabling individual regulation of their own PNN density. Our results indicate that PNN density is regulated in the adult cortex by local changes of network activity that can be triggered by modulation of PV interneurons. PNN regulation may provide adult cortical circuits with an activity-dependent mechanism to control their local remodeling