Approche spatialisée dans la modélisation hydrogéologique d’un ancien secteur minier

La présente recherche concerne l’étude d’un site situé dans le nord-est de la France dont le régime hydrogéologique est perturbé par la présence des galeries d’une ancienne mine de fer. Ce site a fait l’objet d’une modélisation hydrodynamique en trois dimensions. Quatre couches représentant le système aquifère et les formations imperméables sont numérisées; le réseau de galeries est représenté de manière explicite dans la couche ferrifère au moyen d’une option du code MARTHE qui intègre la géométrie des galeries. Après un calage sur près de six ans se basant sur deux critères, l’évolution de la charge hydraulique, en un point, et les volumes débordés par la mine, en un autre point, la simulation a permis de vérifier le caractère prédictif du modèle, au moins en un point. De plus, l’analyse de sensibilité prouve une certaine robustesse du modèle. Malgré un certain manque de données, l’étude montre qu’une modélisation en trois dimensions est envisageable.The present study deals with the specific hydrogeology of an old iron mining sector in north-eastern France. We modelled flows in three dimensions, particularly disturbed by the presence of old mine galleries. Four layers, representing the aquifer system and impermeable formations, were digitalized; the network of galleries was implemented in the iron-bearing formation by using an option of the code MARTHE, which takes into account the geometry of the network of galleries. After a history matching based on two criteria - the hydraulic head at a point of the network of galleries and the overflowed volumes over about six years at another point - a simulation over six years correctly forecasts the changes in hydraulic head evolution at one point. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses demonstrate that the model is rather robust. Even though the amount of available data is low, our study shows that a three dimensional modelling is not impossible to achieve

Modelling the long-term evolution of groundwater's quality in a flooded iron-ore mine using a reactive transport pipe network model

International audienceOver the past 25 years, underground mine flooding in the lorraine iron Basin (France) has resulted in a high concentration of dissolved sulphate and have made the water unsuitable for human consumption. this problematic issue has led to the development of numerical tools to support waterresource management in mining contexts. as water flows mainly in galleries and collapsed zones, we consider the flooded mine as a network of pipes and tanks. the software used for simulating flow andreactive transport in this network is the ePanet 2 code. a simplified sulphate dissolution-precipitation model, based on previous works, is included as source/sink in the tanks. Flow rates are calculated by processing data records with a rainfall-discharge model. the simulator gives good agreement between the calculated and observed sulphate concentrations

3D geomodelling combining implicit surfaces and Voronoi-based remeshing: A case study in the Lorraine Coal Basin (France)

International audienceIn this paper we demonstrate how recent geomodelling techniques can be combined and used to build a 3D geological model on a real case study: the former coal mine of Merlebach (France), that is targeted to be exploited for low-temperature geothermal energy production. From geological maps, cross-sections, borehole and mine exploitation data, we build a 3D model in which are identified the rocks and infrastructures having significantly different permeabilities. First, a structural model of the main geological interfaces in our area of interest (2 horizons and 13 faults) is built with classical geomodelling techniques. Then, we propose to model by surfaces the 71 irregularly stacked, very close and very thin, subvertical coal beds. To ease their construction, we use an implicit method which represents 3D surfaces as isovalues of a scalar field defined in a 3D tetrahedral grid of the area. The corresponding triangulated surfaces are remeshed with a recently proposed method based on Voronoi diagrams so that the exploited parts of the coal beds, now filled by sand, can be computed. The 3D surface-based geological model, in which infrastructures can be inserted as piecewise lines, can be volumetrically meshed. It is available for download as supplemental material, as well as a volumetric grid

Association of the interferon-β gene with pericentromeric heterochromatin is dynamically regulated during virus infection through a YY1-dependent mechanism

Nuclear architecture as well as gene nuclear positioning can modulate gene expression. In this work, we have analyzed the nuclear position of the interferon-β (IFN-β) locus, responsible for the establishment of the innate antiviral response, with respect to pericentromeric heterochromatin (PCH) in correlation with virus-induced IFN-β gene expression. Experiments were carried out in two different cell types either non-infected (NI) or during the time course of three different viral infections. In NI cells, we showed a monoallelic IFN-β promoter association with PCH that strongly decreased after viral infection. Dissociation of the IFN-β locus away from these repressive regions preceded strong promoter transcriptional activation and was reversible within 12 h after infection. No dissociation was observed after infection with a virus that abnormally maintained the IFN-β gene in a repressed state. Dissociation induced after virus infection specifically targeted the IFN-β locus without affecting the general structure and nuclear distribution of PCH clusters. Using cell lines stably transfected with wild-type or mutated IFN-β promoters, we identified the proximal region of the IFN-β promoter containing YY1 DNA-binding sites as the region regulating IFN-β promoter association with PCH before as well as during virus infection

Dynamic assembly of chromatin complexes during cellular senescence: implications for the growth arrest of human melanocytic nevi

The retinoblastoma (RB)/p16INK4a pathway regulates senescence of human melanocytes in culture and oncogene-induced senescence of melanocytic nevi in vivo. This senescence response is likely due to chromatin modifications because RB complexes from senescent melanocytes contain increased levels of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity and tethered HDAC1. Here we show that HDAC1 is prominently detected in p16INK4a-positive, senescent intradermal melanocytic nevi but not in proliferating, recurrent nevus cells that localize to the epidermal/dermal junction. To assess the role of HDAC1 in the senescence of melanocytes and nevi, we used tetracycline-based inducible expression systems in cultured melanocytic cells. We found that HDAC1 drives a sequential and cooperative activity of chromatin remodeling effectors, including transient recruitment of Brahma (Brm1) into RB/HDAC1 mega-complexes, formation of heterochromatin protein 1β (HP1β)/SUV39H1 foci, methylation of H3-K9, stable association of RB with chromatin and significant global heterochromatinization. These chromatin changes coincide with expression of typical markers of senescence, including the senescent-associated β-galactosidase marker. Notably, formation of RB/HP1β foci and early tethering of RB to chromatin depends on intact Brm1 ATPase activity. As cells reached senescence, ejection of Brm1 from chromatin coincided with its dissociation from HP1β/RB and relocalization to protein complexes of lower molecular weight. These results provide new insights into the role of the RB pathway in regulating cellular senescence and implicate HDAC1 as a likely mediator of early chromatin remodeling events

Epigenetic engineering shows that a human centromere resists silencing mediated by H3K27me3/K9me3

Centromeres are characterized by the centromere-specific H3 variant CENP-A, which is embedded in chromatin with a pattern characteristic of active transcription that is required for centromere identity. It is unclear how centromeres remain transcriptionally active despite being flanked by repressive pericentric heterochromatin. To further understand centrochromatin’s response to repressive signals, we nucleated a Polycomb-like chromatin state within the centromere of a human artificial chromosome (HAC) by tethering the methyltransferase EZH2. This led to deposition of the H3K27me3 mark and PRC1 repressor binding. Surprisingly, this state did not abolish HAC centromere function or transcription, and this apparent resistance was not observed on a noncentromeric locus, where transcription was silenced. Directly tethering the reader/repressor PRC1 bypassed this resistance, inactivating the centromere. We observed analogous responses when tethering the heterochromatin Editor Suv39h1-methyltransferase domain (centromere resistance) or reader HP1α (centromere inactivation), respectively. Our results reveal that the HAC centromere can resist repressive pathways driven by H3K9me3/H3K27me3 and may help to explain how centromeres are able to resist inactivation by flanking heterochromatin