Brief communication: On direct impact probability of landslides on vehicles

Abstract. When calculating the risk of railway or road users of being killed by a natural hazard, one has to calculate a temporal spatial probability, i.e. the probability of a vehicle being in the path of the falling mass when the mass falls, or the expected number of affected vehicles in case such of an event. To calculate this, different methods are used in the literature, and, most of the time, they consider only the dimensions of the falling mass or the dimensions of the vehicles. Some authors do however consider both dimensions at the same time, and the use of their approach is recommended. Finally, a method considering an impact on the front of the vehicle is discussed

Molecular and immunological evaluation of the expression of cancer/testis gene products in human colorectal cancer

Tumor-specific gene products, such as cancer/testis (CT) antigens, constitute promising targets for the development of T cell vaccines. Whereas CT antigens are frequently expressed in melanoma, their expression in colorectal cancers (CRC) remains poorly characterized. Here, we have studied the expression of the CT antigens MAGE-A3, MAGE-A4, MAGE-A10, NY-ESO-1 and SSX2 in CRC because of the presence of well-described HLA-A2-restricted epitopes in their sequences. Our analyses of 41 primary CRC and 14 metastatic liver lesions confirmed the low frequency of expression of these CT antigens. No increased expression frequencies were observed in metastatic tumors compared to primary tumors. Histological analyses of CRC samples revealed heterogeneous expression of individual CT antigens. Finally, evidence of a naturally acquired CT antigen-specific CD8+ T cell response could be demonstrated. These results show that the expression of CT antigens in a subset of CRC patients induces readily detectable T cell response

Insights from quantitative and mathematical modelling on the proposed WHO 2030 goals for Chagas disease

article publié sur la plateforme Gates Open researchChagas disease (CD) persists as one of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) with a particularly large impact in the Americas. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently proposed goals for CD elimination as a public health problem to be reached by 2030 by means of achieving intradomiciliary transmission interruption (IDTI), blood transfusion and transplant transmission interruption, diagnostic and treatment scaling-up and prevention and control of congenital transmission. The NTD Modelling Consortium has developed mathematical models to study Trypanosoma transmission dynamics and the potential impact of control measures. cruzi Modelling insights have shown that IDTI is feasible in areas with sustained vector control programmes and no presence of native triatomine vector populations. However, IDTI in areas with native vectors it is not feasible in a sustainable manner. Combining vector control with trypanocidal treatment can reduce the timeframes necessary to reach operational thresholds for IDTI (<2% seroprevalence in children aged <5 years), but the most informative age groups for serological monitoring are yet to be identified. Measuring progress towards the 2030 goals will require availability of vector surveillance and seroprevalence data at a fine scale, and a more active surveillance system, as well as a better understanding of the risks of vector re-colonization and disease resurgence after vector control cessation. Also, achieving scaling-up in terms of access to treatment to the expected levels (75%) will require a substantial increase in screening asymptomatic populations, which is anticipated to become very costly as CD prevalence decreases. Further modelling work includes refining and extending mathematical models (including transmission dynamics and statistical frameworks) to predict transmission at a sub-national scale, and developing quantitative tools to inform IDTI certification, post-certification and re-certification protocols. Potential perverse incentives associated with operational thresholds are discussed. These modelling insights aim to inform discussions on the goals and treatment guidelines for CD

Effect of the isoelectronic substitution of Sb for As on the magnetic and structural properties of LaFe(As1−xSbx)O

International audienceThe antiferromagnetic (AFM) order and structural distortion in the LaFe(As1−xSbx)O system have been investigated by neutron powder diffraction and physical properties measurements. Polycrystalline samples of LaFe(As1−xSbx)O (x < 0.5) were prepared using solid state synthesis at ambient and high pressure. We find that the isoelectronic substitution of Sb for As decreases the structural and magnetic transition temperatures, but, contrary to the effects of phosphorus substitution, superconductivity is not induced. Instead a slight increase in the Fe-magnetic moment is observed

Genetic Variant in HK1 Is Associated With a Proanemic State and A1C but Not Other Glycemic Control–Related Traits

OBJECTIVE A1C is widely considered the gold standard for monitoring effective blood glucose levels. Recently, a genome-wide association study reported an association between A1C and rs7072268 within HK1 (encoding hexokinase 1), which catalyzes the first step of glycolysis. HK1 deficiency in erythrocytes (red blood cells [RBCs]) causes severe nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia in both humans and mice. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The contribution of rs7072268 to A1C and the RBC-related traits was assessed in 6,953 nondiabetic European participants. We additionally analyzed the association with hematologic traits in 5,229 nondiabetic European individuals (in whom A1C was not measured) and 1,924 diabetic patients. Glucose control–related markers other than A1C were analyzed in 18,694 nondiabetic European individuals. A type 2 diabetes case-control study included 7,447 French diabetic patients. RESULTS Our study confirms a strong association between the rs7072268–T allele and increased A1C (β = 0.029%; P = 2.22 × 10−7). Surprisingly, despite adequate study power, rs7072268 showed no association with any other markers of glucose control (fasting- and 2-h post-OGTT–related parameters, n = 18,694). In contrast, rs7072268–T allele decreases hemoglobin levels (n = 13,416; β = −0.054 g/dl; P = 3.74 × 10−6) and hematocrit (n = 11,492; β = −0.13%; P = 2.26 × 10−4), suggesting a proanemic effect. The T allele also increases risk for anemia (836 cases; odds ratio 1.13; P = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS HK1 variation, although strongly associated with A1C, does not seem to be involved in blood glucose control. Since HK1 rs7072268 is associated with reduced hemoglobin levels and favors anemia, we propose that HK1 may influence A1C levels through its anemic effect or its effect on glucose metabolism in RBCs. These findings may have implications for type 2 diabetes diagnosis and clinical management because anemia is a frequent complication of the diabetes state

Covid cherche cospatialité: Modèles géographiques pour un événement hybride

International audienceCet article propose quelques pistes interprétatives pour répondre à la question : en quoi la dimension spatiale de la pandémie de Covid-19 permet-elle de comprendre cet événement à travers trois déclinaisons différentes : la prévalence de l’épidémie est-elle plutôt proportionnelle ou plutôt inversement proportionnelle au niveau d’urbanité ? En conséquence, les citadins sont-ils menacés ou protégés par leurs pratiques urbaines ? Enfin, les politiques des États face à l’épidémie ont-elles créé une différenciation significative dans la carte de l’épidémie ? La réponse à ces trois sous-questions correspond aux trois parties de l’article. Ce texte se veut aussi une réflexion sur les causalités dans les phénomènes à la fois biologiques et sociaux comme l’est sans équivoque cette pandémie. La notion de cospatialité (Lévy & Lussault, 2013) est mobilisée pour éclairer ce questionnement

Implementation and computing performances of NEMO ORCA-KM configuration

Popularity of one kilometre scale global geophysical models is continuously growing in Europe. In this study, we increase the resolution of the NEMO ocean model, to better identify technical limitations of the present implementation and deduce, from the performance measured on one of our top supercomputers, the hardware characteristics needed to routinely use a global ocean one kilometre configuration. 24,000 Intel Broadwell cores of the Météo-France supercomputer are required to measure the performance of a simplified version of NEMO global kilometre scale. From them, assuming a perfect scaling up to 9,000,000 (nine million) computing cores, we infer that we could target a maximum speed of approximately 2 SYPD with the ORCA-Km global model. This configuration needs, at least, 4 (four) orders of magnitude more CPU power and energy than one of the most demanding coupled model of the community (CNRM-CM6-HR). It is premature to start considering the possibility of any production run based on the global one kilometre scale NEMO model, because no present day machine can fulfil the ORCA-Km memory/bandwidth/computing power requirements. And without a major breakthrough in ocean modelling science paradigms (to strongly reduce the amount of calculations and time to solution required), a simultaneous revolution affecting microprocessor industry (to reduce supercomputer energy consumption) and a code rewriting to fit the unconventional requirements of such energy-efficient chips, it is, from some point of view, not advisable to do s

De l’aménageur chef d’orchestre à l’improvisateur. Ce que les savoirs de l’improvisation font à l’aménagement

International audienceTo be interested in a discipline such as improvisation in jazz makes it possible to show the structuring knowledge which positions improvisation at the crossroads between an artistic form relying on memory and one based on hope. The improviser acts with the constant concern of listening attentively and of letting himself go, between the mastering of an already existing work and its repetition, and the tensions which exist with new creations. It is also possible to observe collective organisational forms which put into practice a form of “diagonal” management which opens up opportunities to redefining the role of the orchestra director. By the interaction of knowledge of improvisation and that of development and planning, which in theory resists the idea of improvisation, this article concerns the characteristics which would enable improvisation to be seen as a new source of meaning and legitimacy for the profession of urban planner. The analysis of different emblematic forms of improvisation opens up ways to reflect on these questions.S'intéresser à une discipline comme l'improvisation en jazz permet de mettre en évidence des savoirs structurants qui la situent à la croisée entre un art de la mémoire et un art d'espérer. L'improvisateur agit dans un souci constant d'écoute attentive et de lâcher-prise, entre maîtrise d'un corpus préalable et répétition, en tension vers quelque chose de toujours autre. On observe également des formes d'organisation collectives mettant en pratique un mode de direction « diagonal », qui ouvrent des pistes pour redéfinir la figure du chef d'orchestre. En croisant ces savoirs de l'improvisation avec ceux de l'aménagement, a priori rétifs à l'idée d'improvisation, cet article s'intéresse aux caractéristiques qui permettraient de la voir comme une nouvelle source de sens et de légitimation du métier d'aménageur-urbaniste. L'analyse de quelques espaces emblématiques de l'improvisation ouvre des pistes en ce sens