Appuis et obstacles dans l'usage didactique des modélisations d'accompagnement pour une éducation au développement durable

International audienceCompanion modelling1 associates simulation using a Multi agent system, a Geographical Information System and role playing in order to create a model and to simulate dynamics of eco-socio-systems. Their main aims are to help taking decision about complex problems related to management of resources, natural patrimonies and biodiversity. We have enlightened different supports and obstacles for their didactic transposition in vocational teaching in agriculture. The companion modellings can allow to sensitize to eco-socio-system dynamics ; their internal transposition is necessary to make them considered by the learner as a mirror of the reality and to allow him to be involved and to change during the game.Les modélisations d'accompagnement, en tentant de prendre en compte la dynamique d'écosocio-systèmes, se veulent être un outil d'aide à la décision dans le cadre de problématiques complexes telles que la gestion de la biodiversité. Conçues par et avec les acteurs du territoire, elles associent un système multi-agent, un jeu de rôle et un système d'information géographique qui visualise l'évolution du territoire en fonction des choix pris par les acteurs durant le jeu. Nous avons mis en évidence différents appuis et obstacles à la transposition didactique dont elles font l'objet dans l'enseignement agricole. Si les modélisations peuvent permettre de répondre à des objectifs de sensibilisation relatifs au fonctionnement d'écosocio-systèmes complexes, une transposition interne se justifie pour leur permettre d'être conçues comme miroir d'une réalité, pouvant permettre l'implication et l'évolution de l'élève dans le jeu

Panorama des bibliothèques au Québec

Emmenés par Patrick Megel et Cécile Michel, onze bibliothécaires de toutes catégories, dont une représentante des BU et une autre des BDP, ont fait le voyage du midi au grand nord d\u27outre-Atlantique. Quatre jours à Québec, et autant à Montréal pour se livrer au jeu des différences

The Role of the SMA and the Contingent Negative Variation in Interval Timing

Over the last decades, many studies have been published that have been interpreted in favour of the view that the Contingent Negative Variation (CNV) reflects the subjective experience of time. However, a number of papers have recently appeared that question this direct link, but at the same time new studies using new methodologies have solidified the original claims. In this symposium, both views will be presented. Frank Vidal and Laurence Casini will present the original literature and link the EEG findings to more recent fMRI data. Martin Wiener will discuss new data that demonstrates that supplementary motor area (SMA) activity reflects both the experience of the current trial and the perceived difference between the current and previous trials. Trevor Penney and Kwun Kei Ng will discuss the extend to which duration bisection tasks support and question the view that the CNV reflects the accumulator. Finally, Hedderik van Rijn and Tadeusz Kononowicz will present data that question the prominent role of the CNV in the subjective temporal experience. The titles and abstracts of the four talks are given below

No evidence for a putative involvement of platelet-activating factor in systemic lupus erythematosus without active nephritis.

BACKGROUND: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) seems to be implicated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with associated renal diseases. AIMS: In this study, we ensured the role of PAF in SLE patients without renal complications. METHODS: Blood PAF and acetylhydrolase activity, plasma soluble phospholipase A(2), and the presence of antibodies against PAF were investigated in 17 SLE patients without active nephritis and in 17 healthy controls. RESULTS: Blood PAF levels were not different (p=0.45) between SLE patients (6.7+/-2.8 pg/ml) and healthy subjects (9.6+/-3.1 pg/ml). Plasma acetylhydrolase activity (the PAF-degrading enzyme) was significantly (p=0.03) elevated in SLE patients (57.8+/-6.4 nmol/min/ml) as compared with controls (37.9+/-2.6 nmol/min/ml). Plasma soluble phospholipase A(2) (the key enzyme for PAF formation) was not different (p=0.6) between SLE patients (59.1+/-5.1 U/ml) and controls (54.7+/-2.4 U/ml). Antibodies against PAF were detected only in 3/17 SLE patients. Flow cytometry analysis did not highlight PAF receptors on circulating leukocytes of SLE patients. CONCLUSION: This clinical study highlights no evidence for a putative important role of PAF in SLE patients without active nephritis

Myrmecological community and assessment of Linepithema humile invasion on Marseille Islands (Bouches-du-Rhône, France)

Les espèces exotiques envahissantes représentent l’une des principales causes de l’érosion de la biodiversité au niveau mondial et plus particulièrement au niveau des systèmes insulaires. Parmi ces espèces, les fourmis invasives sont parmi les plus néfastes. L’une d’entre elles, la Fourmi d’Argentine (Linepithema humile) s’est établie dans le sud de la France métropolitaine depuis plus de 120 ans. En Corse, malgré une forte expansion depuis quinze ans, la Fourmi d’Argentine n’est présente que de façon discontinue le long des côtes. Cette distribution hétérogène pourrait être due à une résistance biotique d’une espèce locale Tapinoma nigerrimum. Récemment, une co-occurrence entre des T. nigerrimum et des L. humile a été observée sur l’archipel du Frioul (Marseille – France). La présence de ces deux espèces, ainsi que l’absence de données disponibles sur la myrmécofaune de l’archipel, nous ont incités à entamer une campagne de prospection. Vingt-six espèces de fourmis ont été observées sur seulement 1,9 km², soit plus de 12 % de la myrmécofaune française sur moins de 0,004 ‰ de sa superficie. Cependant, les L. humile ont envahi près de 3 % de l’archipel dans une zone bordée au sud par la mer Méditerranée, au nord par un milieu naturel à dominance de Messor spp. et au nord-est par un milieu semi-naturel à dominance de T. nigerrimum. Toutefois, la découverte de ce front entre les deux espèces pourrait nous permettre d’étudier, dans le futur, la résistance des T. nigerrimum face aux invasives in natura ainsi que leur vitesse de dispersion et de ce fait mieux évaluer les risques de propagation.On islands even more than on continents, intrusive exotic species represent one of the main causes of the biodiversity erosion. Amid all the exotic species, invasive ants are among the most harmful. About 120 years ago, one of them, the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) settled down on the French Mediterranean coast. In Corsica Island, in spite of a strong expansion since fifteen years, the Argentine ant is only present in a discontinuous way along the coast. This heterogeneous distribution could be due to a biotic resistance of a local species Tapinoma nigerrimum. Recently, a co-occurrence between T. nigerrimum and L. humile was observed on the archipelago of the Frioul (Marseille – France). The presence of these two species, as well as the absence of available data on the myrmecofauna of the archipelago, incited us to begin a prospecting campaign. Twenty-six species of ants were observed on only 1.9 km²; this is more than 12 % of the French myrmecofauna on less than 0.004 ‰ of its territory. Moreover, the area invaded by L. humile (about 3 % of the archipelago) is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, a natural environment (with dominance of Messor spp.) and a semi-natural environment (with dominance of T. nigerrimum). The discovery of a front of invasion between T. nigerrimum and the invasive species might allow us to study, in the future, in natura, the resistance of T. nigerrimum face to L. humile, as well as the speed of propagation and thus, better estimate the risks of L. humile propagation

New and old complex recombinant HIV-1 strains among patients with primary infection in 1996–2006 in France: The French ANRS CO06 primo cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prevalence of HIV-1 non-B subtypes has increased overtime in patients diagnosed at the time of primary infection (PHI) in France. Our objective was to characterize in detail non-B strains which could not be genetically classified into the known subtypes/Circulating Recombinant Forms (CRFs).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Among 744 patients enrolled in the ANRS PRIMO Cohort since 1996, 176 (23.7%) were infected with HIV-1 non-B strains. The subtype/CRF could not be identified in RT for 15 (2%). The V3-V5 <it>env </it>region was sequenced and 3 strains (04FR-KZS, 06FR-CRN, 04FR-AUK) were full-length sequenced. Phylogenetic and bootscan analyses were used to characterize the mosaic structures.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among V3-V5 sequences, 6 were divergent A, 2 distantly related to E or D, 2 C, 1 B and 2 remained unclassified. 04FR-KZS, isolated in a Congolese woman infected in France, clustered with 2 previously described viruses from the Democratic Republic of Congo. They represent CRF27_cpx involving A/E/G/H/J/K/U subtypes. 06FR-CRN, isolated in a homosexual Caucasian patient, was a B/C/U recombinant involving a Brazilian C strain. 04FR-AUK, isolated in a Congolese patient infected in France, was a A/K/CRF09/U recombinant clustering from <it>gag </it>to <it>vif </it>with HIV-1 MAL. Others PHI were further observed in 2006–2007 with 1 KZS and 5 CRN-like viruses, suggesting their spread in France.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study illustrates the increasing HIV-1 diversity in France associating new (06FR-CRN) and old (CRF27_cpx and "MAL-like" 04FR-AUK) strains, which are rare in their region of origin but may have a possible founder effect in France. Our results strengthen the French guidelines recommending viro-epidemiological surveillance of HIV-1 diversity.</p

SHARDS: A global view of the star formation activity at z~0.84 and z~1.23

In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at intermediate redshifts (z~1). We combine the ultra-deep optical spectro-photometric data from the Survey for High-z Absorption Red and Dead Sources (SHARDS) with deep UV-to-FIR observations in the GOODS-N field. Exploiting two of the 25 SHARDS medium-band filters, F687W17 and F823W17, we select [OII] emission line galaxies at z~0.84 and z~1.23 and characterize their physical properties. Their rest-frame equivalent widths (EW$_{\mathrm{rf}}$([OII])), line fluxes, luminosities, star formation rates (SFRs) and dust attenuation properties are investigated. The evolution of the EW$_{\mathrm{rf}}$([OII]) closely follows the SFR density evolution of the universe, with a trend of EW$_{\mathrm{rf}}$([OII])$\propto$(1+z)$^3$ up to redshift z~1, followed by a possible flattening. The SF properties of the galaxies selected on the basis of their [OII] emission are compared with complementary samples of SFGs selected by their MIR and FIR emission, and also with a general mass-selected sample of galaxies at the same redshifts. We demonstrate observationally that the UVJ diagram (or, similarly, a cut in the specific SFR) is only partially able to distinguish the quiescent galaxies from the SFGs. The SFR-M$_*$ relation is investigated for the different samples, yelding a logarithmic slope ~1, in good agreement with previous results. The dust attenuations derived from different SFR indicators (UV(1600), UV(2800), [OII], IR) are compared and show clear trends with respect to both the stellar mass and total SFR, with more massive and highly star-forming galaxies being affected by stronger dust attenuation.Comment: Replaced to match the accepted version (24 pages, 1 table, 17 figures). Published in ApJ, 812, 155 (2015): http://stacks.iop.org/0004-637X/812/15

Decreasing the Expression of GABAA[alfa]5 Subunit-Containing Receptors Partially Improves Cognitive, Electrophysiological, and Morphological Hippocampal Defects in the Ts65Dn Model of Down Syndrome

Trisomy 21 or Down syndrome (DS) is the most common cause of intellectual disability of a genetic origin. The Ts65Dn (TS) mouse, which is the most commonly used and best-characterized mouse model of DS, displays many of the cognitive, neuromorphological, and biochemical anomalies that are found in the human condition. One of the mechanisms that have been proposed to be responsible for the cognitive deficits in this mouse model is impaired GABAmediated inhibition. Because of the well-known modulatory role of GABAA ?5 subunit-containing receptors in cognitive processes, these receptors are considered to be potential targets for improving the intellectual disability in DS. The chronic administration of GABAA ?5-negative allosteric modulators has been shown to be procognitive without anxiogenic or proconvulsant side effects. In the present study, we use a genetic approach to evaluate the contribution of GABAA ?5 subunit-containing receptors to the cognitive, electrophysiological, and neuromorphological deficits in TS mice.We show that reducing the expression of GABAA ?5 receptors by deleting one or two copies of the Gabra5 gene in TS mice partially ameliorated the cognitive impairments, improved longterm potentiation, enhanced neural differentiation and maturation, and normalized the density of the GABAergic synapse markers. Reducing the gene dosage of Gabra5 in TS mice did not induce motor alterations and anxiety or affect the viability of the mice. Our results provide further evidence of the role of GABAA ?5 receptor-mediated inhibition in cognitive impairment in the TS mouse model of DS.This work was supported by the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, Fundación Tatiana Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (PSI2016-76194-R/ AEI/FEDER/UE

Dynamics of solid-electrolyte interphase formation on silicon electrodes revealed by combinatorial electrochemical screening

Revealing how formation protocols influence the properties of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) on Si electrodes is key to developing the next generation of Li-ion batteries. SEI understanding is, however, limited by the low-throughput nature of conventional characterisation techniques. Herein, correlative scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) and shell-isolated nanoparticles for enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) are used for combinatorial screening of the SEI formation under a broad experimental space (20 sets of different conditions with several repeats). This novel approach reveals the heterogeneous nature and dynamics of the SEI electrochemical properties and chemical composition on Si electrodes, which evolve in a characteristic manner as a function of cycle number. Correlative SECCM/SHINERS has the potential to screen thousands of candidate experiments on a variety of battery materials to accelerate the optimization of SEI formation methods, a key bottleneck in battery manufacturing