A Natural Seismic Isolating System: The Buried Mangrove Effects

The Belleplaine test site, located in the island of Guadeloupe (French Lesser Antilles) includes a three-accelerometer vertical array, designed for liquefac- tion studies. The seismic response of the soil column at the test site is computed using three methods: the spectral ratio method using the vertical array data, a numerical method using the geotechnical properties of the soil column, and an operative fre- quency domain decomposition (FDD) modal analysis method. The Belleplaine test site is characterized by a mangrove layer overlaid by a stiff sandy deposit. This con- figuration is widely found at the border coast of the Caribbean region, which is exposed to high seismic hazard. We show that the buried mangrove layer plays the role of an isolation system equivalent to those usually employed in earthquake engineering aimed at reducing the seismic shear forces by reducing the internal stress within the structure. In our case, the flexibility of the mangrove layer reduces the distortion and the stress in the sandy upper layer, and consequently reduces the potential of liquefaction of the site

New articulated asteroids (Echinodermata, Asteroidea) and ophiuroids (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea) from the Late Jurassic (Volgian / Tithonian) of central Spitsbergen

The Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous Slottsmøya Member of the Agardhfjellet Formation in central Spitsbergen has yielded two new species of asteroids and two species of ophiuroids, one of which is described as new. Polarasterias janusensis Rousseau & Gale gen. et sp. nov. is a forcipulatid neoasteroid with elongated arms, small disc and very broad ambulacral grooves with narrow adambulacrals. Savignaster septemtrionalis Rousseau & Gale sp. nov. is a pterasterid with well-developed interradial chevrons. The Spitsbergen specimens are the first described articulated material of Savignaster and reveal the overall arrangement of the ambulacral groove ossicles. Ophiogaleus sp. is an ophiacanthid with relatively long jaws and lateral arm plates, with a coarsely reticulate outer surface. Here again, we report the first articulated skeletons of this genus, providing unprecedented insights into the disc morphology. Ophioculina hoybergia Rousseau & Thuy gen. et sp. nov. is an ophiopyrgid with a well-developed arm comb and tentacle pores reduced to within-plate perforations starting at median arm segments. These new finds are important additions to the asterozoan fossil record with regard to their good degree of articulation and the high latitudinal position of the localities. They significantly add to the set of exhaustively known fossil asterozoan taxa which play a key role in the phylogenetic analysis and reconstruction of evolutionary history

Les polymorphismes des gènes encodant les protéines apoptotiques Bim et Bax : leur rôle dans la réponse thérapeutique chez les enfants ayant la leucémie lymphoblastique aiguë

INTRODUCTION Des réponses thérapeutiques variables aux glucocorticoïdes (GCs) sont observées parmi les patients atteints de la leucémie lymphoblastique aiguë (LLA). Les protéines Bax et Bim ont déjà montré un rôle important dans l’apoptose des cellules leucémiques. L’expression de Bax était plus basse chez les patients leucémiques résistants au médicament, de même une sensibilité diminuée aux GCs a été associée avec une expression réduite de Bim. La différence dans l’expression pourrait être due à des polymorphismes présents dans ces gènes et donc être associés avec la résistance aux GCs. MÉTHODE Dix-huit polymorphismes en régions régulatrices, 2 polymorphismes exoniques et 7 polymorphismes en région 3’UTR de ces gènes ont été analysés chez les témoins (n=50) et ont permis de déterminer un nombre minimal de polymorphismes suffisants pour définir les haplotypes (tagSNPs). Ces 8 polymorphismes ont ensuite été génotypés chez 286 enfants atteints de la LLA et ont été testés pour l’issue de la maladie par l’analyse de survie. RÉSULTATS Une survie sans évènement et une survie sans rechute diminuées ont été observées pour l’haplotype 3 (p=0,03 et p=0,02). Une survie globale diminuée a été associée avec l’homozygotie pour l’allèle exonique T298C>T (p=0,03), de même que pour les haplotypes 1 et 4 (p=0,04 et p=0,02) du gène Bim. CONCLUSION Les polymorphismes ont été associés avec une survie diminuée chez des enfants atteints de LLA. Il reste à tester d’autres polymorphismes présents dans ces deux gènes ainsi qu’à définir leurs fonctions afin de comprendre leurs rôles dans la réponse aux GCs.INTRODUCTION Variable therapeutic responses to glucocorticoids (GCs) are observed for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. Proteins Bax and Bim have already shown to play a major role in mediating GC-induced apoptosis in leukemia cells. Bax expression was lower in drug-resistant leukemia samples; likewise lower sensitivity to GC was associated with reduced Bim expression. The difference in the expression can be due to polymorphisms in these genes and therefore associated to GC resistance. METHOD Eighteen polymorphisms in the regulatory region, two exonic polymorphisms and seven polymorphisms in 3’UTR of these genes were analysed in controls (n=50) and have permitted to determine a minimal number of polymorphisms sufficient to define haplotypes (tagSNPs). These 8 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were then genotyped in 286 LLA children and were tested for disease outcome by survival analysis. RESULTS A diminished event free survival and a diminished relapse free survival were observed for haplotype 3 (p=0,03 and p=0,02). A diminished overall survival was associated with the exonic T298C>T allele (p=0,03) and with haplotypes 1 and 4 (p=004 and p=0,02) of Bim gene. CONCLUSION Bax and Bim were associated with a diminished survival in LLA children. We still have to test other polymorphisms located in these genes and to define their functions in order to understand their roles in GC response

L’accompagnement parental dans l’apprentissage en lecture des élèves canadiens

Parmi l’ensemble des facteurs ayant une influence sur le niveau d’apprentissage des élèves, le statut socio-économique familial est celui qui retient souvent l’attention des milieux scientifiques et politiques. Par ailleurs, bon nombre de recherches soulignent que les caractéristiques familiales ont un impact moindre sur les résultats scolaires que les variables du processus familial. Plus spécifiquement, le soutien affectif des parents semble être la dimension la plus probante en matière de facteur de protection dans le contexte de la réussite scolaire. Nous nous avons voulu savoir : (1) Quelle est la relation entre chacun des modes d’accompagnement parental évalué par le Programme international de l’OCDE pour le suivi des aquis des élèves (Pisa 2000) et le rendement en lecture de l’ensemble des élèves canadiens? (2) La relation entre chacun de ces modes d’accompagnement parental et la réussite académique est-elle plus importante que celle du niveau socioéconomique familial et dans quelle mesure ces relations sont-elles liées? La communication culturelle semble être le mode d’accompagnement parental le plus important. En outre, l’effet de la communication culturelle et de la communication sociale semblent être en partie expliqué par le niveau socioéconomique familial même si l’effet du mode d’accompagnement parental est relativement indépendant de celui-ci.Among the factors that influence students’ level of learning, the family’s socio-economic status often receives attention from scientists and politicians. Many studies suggest that family characteristics have less of an impact on success in school than family process variables. More specifically, the emotional support of parents seems to be the most conclusive dimension with regard to protection factors for success at school. We wanted to find out: (1) what is the relationship between each of the methods of parental guidance assessed by the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA 2000) and the reading performance of Canadian children; (2) whether the relationship between each of these methods of parental guidance and academic success is more important than the family’s socio-economic level and to what extent these relationships are connected. Cultural communication seems to be the most important method of parental support. Furthermore, the effect of cultural communication and social communication seems to be in part explained by the socio-economic level of the family, even if the effect of the method of parental guidance is relatively independent of this sort of communication

Trainees’ views of physician workforce policy in Quebec and their impact on career intentions

Background: The physician workforce in Quebec is regulated by a government-controlled plan. Many specialty trainees expressed concerns about securing a position. Our objective was to analyze physicians’ employment issues in Quebec and their impact on residents’ training in specialty programs.Methods: We distributed a web-based self-administrated survey to all Quebec residents training in specialty programs to capture data about residents’ ability to find employment, career plans and perceptions regarding the workforce policy. Three groups were considered: graduates, non-graduating senior residents, and junior residents.Results: The overall response rate was 41.5% (985/2372). 47.3% of graduates did not have a position two months before finishing their training. Among residents without a position, 27.1% of graduates intend to leave Quebec, and 19.6% to complete a fellowship to postpone their start in practice. Overall, 77.9% of respondents believed there are not enough job opportunities for the number of trainees.Conclusion: Quebec specialty residents experience significant difficulties obtaining a position in the province and perceive that there are not enough job opportunities, which impacts their career plans and could drive them to complete a fellowship or plan to practice outside the province. Trainees' experience in finding employment needs to be considered in planning the physician workforce

Trainees’ views of physician workforce policy in Quebec and their impact on career intentions

Background: The physician workforce in Quebec is regulated by a government-controlled plan. Many specialty trainees expressed concerns about securing a position. Our objective was to analyze physicians’ employment issues in Quebec and their impact on residents’ training in specialty programs.Methods: We distributed a web-based self-administrated survey to all Quebec residents training in specialty programs to capture data about residents’ ability to find employment, career plans and perceptions regarding the workforce policy. Three groups were considered: graduates, non-graduating senior residents, and junior residents.Results: The overall response rate was 41.5% (985/2372). 47.3% of graduates did not have a position two months before finishing their training. Among residents without a position, 27.1% of graduates intend to leave Quebec, and 19.6% to complete a fellowship to postpone their start in practice. Overall, 77.9% of respondents believed there are not enough job opportunities for the number of trainees.Conclusion: Quebec specialty residents experience significant difficulties obtaining a position in the province and perceive that there are not enough job opportunities, which impacts their career plans and could drive them to complete a fellowship or plan to practice outside the province. Trainees' experience in finding employment needs to be considered in planning the physician workforce

Divisibility of polynomials and degeneracy of integral points

We prove several statements about arithmetic hyperbolicity of certain blow-up varieties. As a corollary we obtain multiple examples of simply connected quasi-projective varieties that are pseudo-arithmetically hyperbolic. This generalizes results of Corvaja and Zannier obtained in dimension 2 to arbitrary dimension. The key input is an application of the Ru-Vojta's strategy. We also obtain the analogue results for function fields and Nevanlinna theory with the goal to apply them in a future paper in the context of Campana's conjectures.Comment: 26 pages. Comments welcom

Dosimetry and characterization of a 25‐MeV proton beam line for preclinical radiobiology research

International audienc

Anatomic features underlying wood density, in 110 rainforest tree species from central Congo basin

Investigate the influence of fiber thickness and vessel diameter on the wood density in 110 rainforest tree species, and the relationships between wood density, wood water content and shrinking ratio.COBIMF