Evaluation of head-free eye tracking as an input device for air traffic control

International audienceThe purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility to integrate a free head motion eye-tracking system as input device in air traffic control (ATC) activity. Sixteen participants used an eye tracker to select targets displayed on a screen as quickly and accurately as possible. We assessed the impact of the presence of visual feedback about gaze position and the method of target selection on selection performance under different difficulty levels induced by variations in target size and target-to-target separation. We tend to consider that the combined use of gaze dwell-time selection and continuous eye-gaze feedback was the best condition as it suits naturally with gaze displacement over the ATC display and free the hands of the controller, despite a small cost in terms of selection speed. In addition, target size had a greater impact on accuracy and selection time than target distance. These findings provide guidelines on possible further implementation of eye tracking in ATC everyday activity

Dissecting genetic architecture of grape proanthocyanidin composition through quantitative trait locus mapping

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Proanthocyanidins (PAs), or condensed tannins, are flavonoid polymers, widespread throughout the plant kingdom, which provide protection against herbivores while conferring organoleptic and nutritive values to plant-derived foods, such as wine. However, the genetic basis of qualitative and quantitative PA composition variation is still poorly understood. To elucidate the genetic architecture of the complex grape PA composition, we first carried out quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis on a 191-individual pseudo-F1 progeny. Three categories of PA variables were assessed: total content, percentages of constitutive subunits and composite ratio variables. For nine functional candidate genes, among which eight co-located with QTLs, we performed association analyses using a diversity panel of 141 grapevine cultivars in order to identify causal SNPs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Multiple QTL analysis revealed a total of 103 and 43 QTLs, respectively for seed and skin PA variables. Loci were mainly of additive effect while some loci were primarily of dominant effect. Results also showed a large involvement of pairwise epistatic interactions in shaping PA composition. QTLs for PA variables in skin and seeds differed in number, position, involvement of epistatic interaction and allelic effect, thus revealing different genetic determinisms for grape PA composition in seeds and skin. Association results were consistent with QTL analyses in most cases: four out of nine tested candidate genes (<it>VvLAR1</it>, <it>VvMYBPA2</it>, <it>VvCHI1</it>, <it>VvMYBPA1</it>) showed at least one significant association with PA variables, especially <it>VvLAR1 </it>revealed as of great interest for further functional investigation. Some SNP-phenotype associations were observed only in the diversity panel.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study presents the first QTL analysis on grape berry PA composition with a comparison between skin and seeds, together with an association study. Our results suggest a complex genetic control for PA traits and different genetic architectures for grape PA composition between berry skin and seeds. This work also uncovers novel genomic regions for further investigation in order to increase our knowledge of the genetic basis of PA composition.</p

Identification of stable QTLs for vegetative and reproductive traits in the microvine (Vitis vinifera L.) using the 18 K Infinium chip

UMR AGAP - équipe DAAV - Diversité, adaptation et amélioration de la vigne[b]Background[/b] [br/]The increasing temperature associated with climate change impacts grapevine phenology and development with critical effects on grape yield and composition. Plant breeding has the potential to deliver new cultivars with stable yield and quality under warmer climate conditions, but this requires the identification of stable genetic determinants. This study tested the potentialities of the microvine to boost genetics in grapevine. A mapping population of 129 microvines derived from Picovine x Ugni Blanc flb, was genotyped with the Illumina® 18 K SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) chip. Forty-three vegetative and reproductive traits were phenotyped outdoors over four cropping cycles, and a subset of 22 traits over two cropping cycles in growth rooms with two contrasted temperatures, in order to map stable QTLs (Quantitative Trait Loci). [br/][b]Results[/b] [br/]Ten stable QTLs for berry development and quality or leaf area were identified on the parental maps. A new major QTL explaining up to 44 % of total variance of berry weight was identified on chromosome 7 in Ugni Blanc flb, and co-localized with QTLs for seed number (up to 76 % total variance), major berry acids at green lag phase (up to 35 %), and other yield components (up to 25 %). In addition, a minor QTL for leaf area was found on chromosome 4 of the same parent. In contrast, only minor QTLs for berry acidity and leaf area could be found as moderately stable in Picovine. None of the transporters recently identified as mutated in low acidity apples or Cucurbits were included in the several hundreds of candidate genes underlying the above berry QTLs, which could be reduced to a few dozen candidate genes when a priori pertinent biological functions and organ specific expression were considered. [br/][b]Conclusions[/b] [br/]This study combining the use of microvine and a high throughput genotyping technology was innovative for grapevine genetics. It allowed the identification of 10 stable QTLs, including the first berry acidity QTLs reported so far in a Vitis vinifera intra-specific cross. Robustness of a set of QTLs was assessed with respect to temperature variatio

Interaction homme-machine et mémoire : perspectives pour la gestion des situations à risques

International audienc

What Is Consciousness? Review of The Science Of Consciousness by Max Velmans (ed.)

REVIEW OF: Max Velmans (Ed.) (1996). The Science of Consciousness: Psychological, Neuropsychological and Clinical Reviews. Routledge. xii +207pp. ISBN 0-4151-1082-3.International audienceMax Velmans is very clear about what a scientific understanding of consciousness must be: Thus, to understand what consciousness is, we need to understand what causes it, what its function(s) may be, how it relates to nonconscious processing in the brain and so on (p. 3). After pointing to structural features of this new book (section 1), I try to highlight its contribution to the different questions raised by this quotation (sections 2, 3, 4) and then signal some difficulties I had when reading the book and questions I have after reading it (section 5). In the final section (section 6) I give a snapshot of the book

Implication des lymphocytes B auto-réactifs et de l'environnement cytokinique au cours des maladies auto-immunes

La physiopathologie des maladies auto-immunes fait intervenir des perturbations de l homéostasie lymphocytaire B et T, avec d une part une activation souvent polyclonale des lymphocytes B et l émergence de cellules auto-réactives, et d autre part un déséquilibre de la balance entre les lymphocytes T effecteurs et régulateurs.Les vascularites cryoglobulinémiques associées au virus de l hépatite C (VHC) et le syndrome de Sjögren primaire (pSS) sont des modèles intéressants pour étudier le rôle de l activation lymphocytaire B et des lymphocytes B auto-réactifs au cours des maladies auto-immunes. Nous avons ainsi identifié au cours de ces pathologies une expansion de lymphocytes B auto-réactifs caractérisés par l expression faible ou absente du marqueur CR2/CD21. Ces lymphocytes B étaient insensibles à la stimulation via le récepteur à la cellule B, contrôlée par un mécanisme d anergie fonctionnelle. Cependant, ces cellules semblaient sensibles à la stimulation par la voie des TLR, pouvant ainsi être à l origine d une rupture de tolérance et de l expression de la maladie. A l inverse, les vascularites des vaisseaux de gros calibre sont caractérisées par l infiltration de la paroi vasculaire par des lymphocytes T, dont la nature n est pas bien connue. Nous avons ainsi observé au cours de la maladie de Behçet et la maladie de Horton des perturbations de la balance Th17/T régulateurs, liées en partie à une augmentation de la production d interleukine-21 dans l environnement cytokinique qui constitue ainsi une cible thérapeutique potentiellePathophysiology of autoimmune disorders implies perturbations in B cell and T cell homeostasis. In one hand there is a polyclonal activation of B cells and the emergence of autoreactive B cells, and in the other hand an imbalance between effector and regulatory T cells related to the cytokine environment. Cryoglobulinemia vasculitis related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) and primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) represent interesting models for analyzing the role of B cell activation and autoreactive B cells in autoimmune disorders, the causal antigen being identified in the case of HCV-related cryoglobulinemia. We observed in these diseases an expansion of autoreactive B cells characterized by the absence or the weak expression of the CR2/CD21 surface marker. These cells were unresponsive to BCR stimulation controlled by the tolerizing mechanism of functional anergy. In constrast, thse cells remained responsive to TLR9 stimulation, what could create a favorable environment for breaking tolerance. Finally, large-vessel vasculitis are characterized the infitlration of the vessel wall by T cells. The nature of T cells and cytokine environment modulating the balance between effector and regulatory T cells and driving inflammatory lesions remains elusive. In Behçet disease and giant cell arteritis, we observed an imbalance between effector and regulatory T cells related to the cytokine environment, and in particular an increased production of interleukin-21, providing a promising target for novel therapyPARIS-BIUSJ-Biologie recherche (751052107) / SudocSudocFranceF

Temporal awareness: pivotal in performance?

International audienceThis paper describes an experiment where operators have to deal with various parallel asynchronous processes. The authors were interested in the level of 'temporal awareness' developed by the operator. By temporal awareness, one means the ability of the operator to build a representation of the situation including the recent past and the near future. The hypothesis was that this ability is linked to other elements of performance. The authors also looked at the effects of an aid aimed at supporting the construction of temporal representation. The experiment showed that this support system was largely ineffective, but that the presence of temporal awareness proves to be a good indicator of performance, both in terms of errors committed and multiple-goal optimization

Le rôle de la mise en forme matérielle dans le traitement cognitif de consignes

Fait partie d'un numéro spécial sur le textes procédurauxInternational audienc