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International audience; We present here a detailed analysis of a seismic data set recorded by a dense seismological network installed over 6 months in the southeast of France. This experiment was set-up at the boundary between the Ligurian basin and the southern subalpine thrust belt (the Nice arc), which is a complex tectonic region that undergoes low to moderate seismicity. We recorded more than 500 microearthquakes, among which 348 occurred exactly in the centre of the network during a very active seismic sequence that lasted mainly over 2 months. We performed an absolute location of all of the events and calculated the magnitudes. Then we applied a cross-correlation technique to gather similar events and to relocate relatively few of them. This method revealed a very clear alignment of 19 events in a direction N120° oblique to the N20° general trend of seismicity. Focal mechanisms were determined for the four largest events and composite solutions for 32 smaller ones. Both the alignments of the earthquakes and the focal solutions revealed that two oblique segments of the fault were activated during the crisis. The main segment (8 km long) that was oriented NNE with a left-lateral strike slip movement is called the Blausasc fault. Taking into account the tectonic evolution and the relationships between surface structures and the distribution of earthquakes, and through a paleaoreconstruction of the tectonic evolution, we propose that the Blausasc fault is the hidden root of the Peille-Laghet fault, which has a mapped length of at least 15 km. The smaller segment (0.6 km long) that was activated during the crisis could be interpreted as an antithetic Riedel fracture. The active Blausasc fault is located in a densely populated zone, at only 10 km from the crowded cities of Monaco and Nice. It is thus particularly interesting to analyse it for hazard assessment. In the last section, we present a simulation that is aimed at predicting what the ground motion in the city of Nice would be like if an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 occurs on this fault. For this, we used the recordings of the largest event of the seismic sequence (Ml= 3.2) and an empirical Green's function summation scheme to simulate the ground motion at two stations situated in urban environments. The values obtained show that especially on soft soil sites, the effects of such an earthquake would be considerable in the city of Nice.

International audience; Systematic analysis of the chariot image (Fig. 2; 3), its parts (Fig. 9; 11), and attributes of charioteers (Fig. 10) in the context of rock art styles (Fig. 5; 6; 8) and burial traditions dynamics based on radiocarbon dates of burials and ritual structures made it possible to distinguish two stages of chariots’ usage here: (1) cultural complex of Sagsai-type burials (Fig. 7); (2) cultural complex of khirigsuurs and deer stones. The study of the same images in the context of visual compositions allowed us to reconstruct its role in the life and beliefs of herders. On deer stones, a charioteer’s attributes (belt plates with a pair of hooks) are always adjacent to individual sets of weapons, which indicates the use of chariots by warriors. At the same time, the pragmatics of the images of the chariot and chariot team of both periods is connected with funeral and memorial rites and ideas about the posthumous path to the other world.; Проблема использования колесниц в культуре населения эпохи бронзы Центральной Монголии исследована на материалах археологических памятников из одного микрорайона в долине р. Хойд Тамир. Основным источником стали изображения на скалах и каменных стелах.Рассмотрены вопросы возраста этих изображений и их принадлежности к археологическим культурам, выделенным по погребальным памятникам, предложена историческая интерпретация.

Summary The 4,000 year cal. BP pollen and brGDGT sequence from Lake Ayrag documents the Mongolian Late Holocene climate and human impact variations.

Background Urinary schistosomiasis, the result of infection by Schistosoma haematobium (Sh), remains a major global health concern. A schistosome vaccine could represent a breakthrough in schistosomiasis control strategies, which are presently based on treatment with praziquantel (PZQ). We report the safety and efficacy of the vaccine candidate recombinant 28-kDa glutathione S-transferase of Sh (rSh28GST) designated as Bilhvax, in a phase 3 trial conducted in Senegal. Methods and findings After clearance of their ongoing schistosomiasis infection with two doses of PZQ, 250 children aged 6–9 years were randomized to receive three subcutaneous injections of either rSh28GST/Alhydrogel (Bilhvax group) or Alhydrogel alone (control group) at week 0 (W0), W4, and W8 and then a booster at W52 (one year after the first injection). PZQ treatment was given at W44, according to previous phase 2 results. The primary endpoint of the analysis was efficacy, evaluated as a delay of recurrence of urinary schistosomiasis, defined by a microhematuria associated with at least one living Sh egg in urine from baseline to W152. During the 152-week follow-up period, there was no difference between study arms in the incidence of serious adverse events. The median follow-up time for subjects without recurrence was 22.9 months for the Bilhvax group and 18.8 months for the control group (log-rank p = 0.27). At W152, 108 children had experienced at least one recurrence in the Bilhvax group versus 112 in the control group. Specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G1, IgG2, and IgG4, but not IgG3 or IgA titers, were increased in the vaccine group. Conclusions While Bilhvax was immunogenic and well tolerated by infected children, a sufficient efficacy was not reached. The lack of effect may be the result of several factors, including interference by individual PZQ treatments administered each time a child was found infected, or the chosen vaccine-injection regimen favoring blocking IgG4 rather than protective IgG3 antibodies. These observations contrasting with results obtained in experimental models will help in the design of future trials. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT 00870649, Author summary Vaccines represent an attractive tool in the fight against schistosomiasis. Pre-clinical immunization studies with the schistosome enzyme 28 kDa glutathione S-transferase (28GST) have shown a significant reduction of schistosome egg production and subsequent pathology. The objective of the present phase 3 trial was to assess the efficacy and safety of vaccination with the recombinant 28GST of Schistosoma haematobium (rSh28GST) named Bilhvax, in infected school children. After Praziquantel treatment before inclusion and three administrations of rSh28GST at one month interval as primo-vaccination, subjects received a boost injection one year after the first administration. The efficacy was evaluated as a delay of recurrence of urinary schistosomiasis. While immunological analysis showed that Bilhvax induced a consistent immune response characterized by antibodies able to inhibit 28GST enzymatic activity, the efficacy endpoint was not reached. This lack of significant effect may be due to the negative conjunction of a too challenging recurrence criterion associated with safety measures ensuring repeated PZQ treatment. The control of these main factors will be essential for the subsequent trials and must provide evidence of the Bilhvax efficacy as a safe vaccine against uro-genital schistosomiasis.

Introduction Lateral tenodesis (LT) is performed to limit the risk of iterative tear following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in at-risk patients. By adding an extra procedure to isolated ACL graft, LT reconstruction increases operating time and may complicate postoperative course. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the rate of early complications. The study hypothesis was that associating ALL reconstruction to ACL reconstruction does not increase the complications rate found with isolated ACL reconstruction. Material and methods A prospective multicenter study included 392 patients: 70% male; mean age, 29.9 years; treated by associated ACL and LT reconstruction. All adverse events were inventoried. Results Mean hospital stay was 2 days, with 46% day-surgery. Walking was resumed at a mean 27 days, with an advantage for patients treated by the hamstring technique. The early postoperative complications rate was 12%, with 1.7% specifically implicating LT reconstruction: pain, hematoma, stiffness in flexion and extension, and infection. There was a 5% rate of surgical revision during the first year, predominantly comprising arthrolysis for extension deficit. The 1-year recurrence rate was 2.8%. Discussion The complications rate for combined intra- and extra-articular reconstruction was no higher than for isolated intra-articular ACL reconstruction, with no increase in infection or stiffness rates. The rate of complications specific to ALL reconstruction was low, at 1.7%, and mainly involved fixation error causing lateral soft-tissue impingement. Level of evidence IV, prospective multicenter study.

International audience; This study focuses on traces of paint on stone stelae ("deer stones") of Mongolia, dating from the late second to the mid-fi rst millennia BC. The painting was made in various shades of red. In all cases, remains of paint were found on facets which had been protected from weathering because the stelae had collapsed or been reused. Additional protection might have been provided by a calcite crust formed where the stelae were in contact with the ground. On the basis of the role of painting in visual imagery, two groups of paintings are described: supportive (fi lling in the engraved fi gures) and independent. The fi rst group is the largest. In terms of composition, stelae fall into two types: 1) those whose front is on the narrow vertical facet, carrying images of deer in the Mongolian-Transbaikalian style; 2) and those whose front is on the wide vertical facet, where the upper tier is emphasized, and neither deer nor belts with weapons are represented. The relative chronology of the two types is established by the fact that in certain instances, stelae of the fi rst type were reshaped into those of the second type. The fi rst type is related to funerary and memorial sites of the Khereksur and Deer Stone culture of Central Mongolia; the second, to burials of the Slab Grave culture. The tradition of decorating engraved fi gures with red mineral paint originated among eastern Eurasian steppe pastoralists in the Early Bronze Age.

To test the hypothesis that cycling exercise modulates heart rate variability (HRV), we applied a short-time Fourier transform on the electrocardiogram of subjects performing a maximal graded cycling test. A pedaling frequency component (PFC) in HRV was continuously observed over the time course of the exercise test and extracted from R-R interval series obtained from 15 healthy subjects with a heterogeneous physical fitness, exercising at three different pedaling frequency ( n = 5): 70, 80, and 90 rpm. From 30 to 50% of the maximal power output (Pmax), in the 90 rpm group, spectral aliasing caused PFC to overlap with the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) band, significantly overestimating the PFC amplitude ( APFC). In the meantime, APFC did not increase significantly from its minimal values in the 70 rpm (∼1.26 ms) and 80 rpm (∼1.20 ms) groups. Then, from 60 to 100% maximal power output (Pmax), workload increase caused a significant ∼2.8-, ∼3.3-, and ∼3.4-fold increase in APFC in the 70, 80, and 90 rpm groups, respectively, with no significant difference between groups. At peak exercise, APFC accounted for ∼43, ∼39, and ∼49% of the total HRV in the 70, 80, and 90 rpm groups, respectively. Our findings indicate that cycling continuously modulates the cardiac chronotropic response to exercise, inducing a new component in HRV, and that workload increase during intense exercise further accentuates this cardiolocomotor coupling. Moreover, because PFC and RSA overlapped at low workloads, methodological care should be taken in future studies aiming to quantify RSA as an index of parasympathetic activity.

International audience; To perform their specific functional role, B and T lymphocytes, cells of the adaptive immune system of jawed vertebrates, need to express one (and, preferably, only one) form of antigen receptor, i.e. the immunoglobulin or T-cell receptor (TCR), respectively. This end goal depends initially on a series of DNA cis-rearrangement events between randomly chosen units from separate clusters of V, D (at some immunoglobulin and TCR loci) and J gene segments, a biomolecular process collectively referred to as V(D)J recombination. V(D)J recombination takes place in immature T and B cells and relies on the so-called RAG nuclease, a site-specific DNA cleavage apparatus that corresponds to the lymphoid-specific moiety of the VDJ recombinase. At the genome level, this recombinase's mission presents substantial biochemical challenges. These relate to the huge distance between (some of) the gene segments that it eventually rearranges and the need to achieve cell-lineage-restricted and developmentally ordered routines with at times, mono-allelic versus bi-allelic discrimination. The entire process must be completed without any recombination errors, instigators of chromosome instability, translocation and, potentially, tumorigenesis. As expected, such a precisely choreographed and yet potentially risky process demands sophisticated controls; epigenetics demonstrates what is possible when calling upon its many facets. In this vignette, we will recall the evidence that almost from the start appeared to link the two topics, V(D)J recombination and epigenetics, before reviewing the latest advances in our knowledge of this joint venture.

International audience; The volume contains the materials of the conference “Cultures of the Steppe Zone of Eurasia and Their Interaction With Ancient Civilizations”, dedicated to the 110th birth anniversary of Mikhail Petrovich Gryaznov, doctor of historical sciences, Honored Science Worker of the RSFSR, laureate of the State Prize of the USSR, corresponding member of the German Archaeological Institute, a scholar of an encyclopedical knowledge, whose works are rightly included into the “gold reserves” of Russian archaeology. He studied the Eneolithic, Bronze Age and Early Iron Age sites in different regions of Eurasia, and created their historical and cultural periodization. The papers presented to the Conference take the study of the various subjects M. P. Gryaznov worked on to a new level of inquiry. The materials of the Conference sum up the results of the research conducted by Russian and foreign scholars in the last decade (2002–2010). During this period mane new archaeological sites have been studied on a huge territory from the North Black Sea region to Transbaikalia. The newly obtained evidence greatly contributes to our better understanding of the origins and chronology of numerous ancient cultures ranging from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. Considered are also the problems of paleoanthropology and the evolution of ancient art. In addition, much attention is paid to the use of natural science methods in archaeological research. The presented discussion of current issues in the archaeology of the Eurasian steppe cultures and their interactions with ancient civilizations gives I a new impulse to the study of the earliest past of this tremendous area. Volume 1 includes the materials of sessions I and III–V.

International audience; We present a novel analysis tool for time delay estimation in electrocardiographic signal processing. This tool enhances PR interval estimation (index of the atrioventricular conduction time) by limiting the distortion effect of the T wave overlapping the P wave at high heart rates. Our approach consists of modeling the T wave, cancelling its influence, and finally estimating the PR intervals during exercise and recovery with the proposed generalized Woody method. Different models of the T wave are presented and compared in a statistical summary that quantitatively justifies the improvements introduced by this study. Among the different models tested, we found that a piecewise linear function significantly reduces the T wave-induced bias in the estimation process. Combining this modeling with the proposed time delay estimation method leads to accurate PR interval estimation. Using this method on real ECGs recorded during exercise and its recovery, we found: 1) that the slopes of PR interval series in the early recovery phase are dependent on the subjects' training status (average of the slopes for sedentary men = 0.11 ms/s, and for athlete men = 0.28 ms/s), and 2) an hysteresis phenomenon exists in the relation PR/RR intervals when data from exercise and recovery are compared.

Campaign 2009 report of the Monaco-Mongolian joint archaeological expedition Keywords.-Mongolia, Tsatsiin Ereg, burials, Late Bronze age, engraving art rocks. Abstract.-Under the Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II and under the aegis of UNESCO, the 2009 joint archaeological mission was carried out at June 22 to July 29. It was the fourth campaign on Tsatsiin Ereg site in Arkhangaï province. Archaeological researches were undertaken on funerary structure A92, a late Bronze age grave. The team continued the map of necropolis and finished the plan of the big funerary complexes B10 and B100. The archaeological campaigns are financed by the Office of International Cooperation of the Principality of Monaco., Placée sous le Haut Patronage de S.A.S. le Prince Albert II et sous l'Egide de l'UNESCO, la mission archéologique conjointe 2009 s'est déroulée du 22 juin au 29 juillet. Ce fut la quatrième campagne sur le site de Tsatsiin Ereg dans la province de l'Arkhangaï. Des fouilles archéologiques ont été menées sur la structure funéraire A92, une tombe de la fin de l'âge du Bronze. L'équipe a continué la carte de la nécropole et a fini le relevé des grands complexes funéraires B10 et B100. Les campagnes archéologiques sont financées par la Direction de la Coopération Internationale de la Principauté de Monaco.

Under the patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II and under the aegis of UNESCO, the 2007 archaeological mission inMongolia of the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology of Monaco was carried out at June 12 to July 19. It was the second campaign on Tsatsiin Ereg site in Arkhangaï province. The archaeological team continued the plan of the necropolis and to uncover the carvings on about twenty monoliths named “Deer Stones”. Archaeological researches were undertaken on funerary structures. This campaign was especially marked by the discovery of a new engraved stele and an important site of engraving rock art. This research aims at find out more about the way of life of the first nomadic tribes of the Steppes who lived almost 1000 years B.C. A part of the team has been asked by the Mongolianauthorities to begin a restoration work at the Buddhist Monastery of Tsetserleg’s town. This magnificent building dating back to the XVII century that houses the Museum of History and Ethnography of the region of Arkhangai is in need of urgent intervention. The Permanent Monegasque Delegation to UNESO has agreed to financially support this project with a sum of 10,000 Euros. In the 2007 summer an analysis of the entire building has been product. This cultural heritage-saving project is part of our aim to create well thought out tourist visits at the heart of the Arkhangai Province.Already visited by the public, the Monastery, situated on the Silk Road, could become the focal point of future tourist road that would also feature archaeological sites., Placée sous le Haut Patronage de Son Altesse Sérénissime le Prince Albert II et sous l’Egide de l’UNESCO, l’expédition archéologique 2007 en Mongolie du Musée d’Anthropologie préhistorique de Monaco s’est déroulée du 12 juin au 19 juillet 2007. Ce fut la seconde campagne sur le site de Tsatsiin Ereg situé dans la province de l’Arkhangaï.L’équipe archéologique a continué la cartographie de la nécropole et les relevés des gravures d’une vingtaine de monolithes appelés « pierres à cerf ». Des fouilles archéologiques ont été menées sur des structures funéraires. Cette campagne a surtout été marquée par la découverte d’une nouvelle stèle gravée et d’un important site d’art rupestre. Ces recherches sont destinées à découvrir le mode de vie des premières tribus nomades des steppes qui ont vécu près de 1000 ans avant J.-C. Une partie de l’équipe scientifique a également été mandatée par les autorités mongoles pour commencer une restauration du monastère bouddhique de la ville de Tsetserleg. Cette magnifique architecture du XVIIème siècle, abritant le Musée d’Histoire et d’Ethnographie de la région de l’Arkhangaï, nécessite des interventions urgentes. La Délégation permanente de la Principauté de Monaco auprès de l’UNESCO a tenu à apporter un soutien financier à ce projet de 10 000 euros. Lors de l’été 2007, un diagnostic de l’ensemble des bâtiments a été fait. Cette sauvegarde du patrimoine culturel s’inscrit dans le projet de création d’itinéraires touristiques raisonnés au sein de la province de l’Arkhangaï. Déjà visité par le public, le monastère, placé sur la Route de la soie, pourrait être le point central des futurs parcours passant par les sites archéologiques.

International audience; The analysis of heart period series is a difficult task especially under graded exercise conditions. From all the information present in these series, we are the most interested in the coupling between respiratory and cardiac systems, known as respiratory sinus arrythmia. In this paper, we show that precise patterns concerning the respiratory frequency can be extracted from the heart period series. An evolutive model is introduced in order to achieve tracking of the main respiratory-related frequencies and their time-varying amplitudes. Since respiration acts to modulate the sinus rhythm, we relate the frequencies and amplitudes to this modulation by analyzing in detail its nonlinear transformation giving the heart period signal. This analysis is performed assuming stationary conditions but also in the realistic case where the mean heart period, the amplitude, and the frequency of the respiration are time-varying. Since this paper is devoted to the theoretical and complete presentation of the method used in a physiological study published elsewhere, the capabilities of our method will be illustrated in a realistic simulated case.

International audience; OBJECTIVE: To test whether ventilatory thresholds, measured during an exercise test, could be assessed using time varying analysis of respiratory sinus arrhythmia frequency (f(RSA)). METHODS: Fourteen sedentary subjects and 12 endurance athletes performed a graded and maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer: initial load 75 W (sedentary subjects) and 150 W (athletes), increments 37.5 W/2 min. f(RSA) was extracted from heart period series using an evolutive model. First (T(V1)) and second (T(V2)) ventilatory thresholds were determined from the time course curves of ventilation and ventilatory equivalents for O(2) and CO(2). RESULTS: f(RSA) was accurately extracted from all recordings and positively correlated to respiratory frequency (r = 0.96 (0.03), p

Persistence of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) has been described in humans during intense exercise and attributed to an increase in ventilation. However, the direct influence of ventilation on RSA has never been assessed. The dynamic evolution of RSA and its links to ventilation were investigated during exercise in 14 healthy men using an original modeling approach. An evolutive model was estimated from the detrended and high-pass-filtered heart period series. The instantaneous RSA frequency ( FRSA, in Hz) and amplitude ( ARSA, in ms) were then extracted from all recordings. ARSA was calculated with short-time Fourier transform. First, measurements of FRSA and ARSA were performed from data obtained during a graded and maximal exercise test. Influences of different ventilation regimens [changes in tidal volume (VT) and respiratory frequency ( FR)] on ARSA were then tested during submaximal [70% peak O2 consumption (V̇o2peak)] rectangular exercise bouts. Under graded and maximal exercise conditions, ARSA decreased from the beginning of exercise to 61.9 ± 3.8% V̇o2peak and then increased up to peak exercise. During the paced breathing protocol, normoventilation (69.4 ± 8.8 l/min), hyperventilation (81.8 ± 8.3 l/min), and hypoventilation (56.4 ± 6.2 l/min) led to significantly ( P < 0.01) different ARSA values (3.8 ± 0.5, 4.6 ± 0.8, and 2.9 ± 0.5 ms, respectively). In addition, no statistical difference was found in ARSA when ventilation was kept constant, whatever the FR-VT combinations. Those results indicate that RSA persists for all exercise intensities and increases during the highest intensities. Its persistence and increase are strongly linked to both the frequency and degree of lung inflation, suggesting a mechanical influence of breathing on RSA.

National audience; Entre 2000 et 2600 mètres d'altitude, les populations de l’âge du Bronze ancien ont répété les mêmes figures schématiques. Près de la moitié de ces dernières sont en effet des formes rectangulaires surmontées de deux cornes,figurations sommaires du boviné. Les autres représentations gravées sont des centaines de poignards, de hallebardes, de parcellaires et de formes géométriques. Ce sont les attelages qui permettent d’identifier le boviné déjà dressé à tirer l'araire ou des charges. L'étude approfondie des araires, des travois et des chariots, déjà engagée par Henri Pellegrini,a recours à l’ethnologie. Les outils encore utilisés aujourd’hui donnent des précisions sur certains instruments représentés sur les roches du mont Bégo. Les deux roches gravées présentées dans cet article, dont la dalle dite de la "Danseuse", sont notamment des cadrans solaires saisonniers marquant certaines dates. Ce type d’instrument n’a rien d’étonnant car la fin du Néolithique européen a été marquée par la construction de monuments qui, tel le cercle mégalithique de Stonehenge (Grande-Bretagne), repèrent le soleil levant solsticial. Plus proche du mont Bégo, au Chalcolithique et à l’âge du Bronze ancien, les allées funéraires des dolmens des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var furent systématiquement orientées vers le soleil couchant.

Around 2000 BC, over 35,000 engravings were carried out on the rocks of the Mount Bego region in the Alpes-Maritimes in Southern France (Commune of Tende). The Bronze Age populations repeated the same figures each summer at between 2,000 and 2,600 meters above sea Jevel.Near/y half of these petroglyphs are rectangular forms with two horns above, schema tic representations of bovines (Fig. 2). Other iconographiethemes are hundreds of daggers, ha/bards and geometric forms, including possible divisions into sections. Engraved harnesses attest thatthere was already domestication of bovids. After a survey andsome ten years of study it would seem that four rocks are measuring instruments for solar time. Two engraved rocks in particular were used as seasonal solar sundials., Aux alentours de 2000 ans avant notre ère, plus de 35 000 gravures rupestres ont été inscrites sur les roches de la région du Mont Bégo dans les Alpes-Maritimes du sud de la France (commune de Tende). Entre 2000 et 2600 mètres d'altitude, les populations de l'Âge du Bronze ont répété chaque été les mêmes figures. Près de la moitié de ces pétroglyphes sont en effet des formes rectangulaires surmontées de deux cornes, représentations schématiques du boviné. Les autres thèmes iconographiques sont des centaines de poignards, de hallebardes et de formes géométriques, dont de possibles parcellaires. Les attelages gravés attestent que le dressage des bovinés était déjà effectif. Après une prospection et une étude d'une dizaine d'années, il s'avère que quatre roches sont des instruments de mesure du temps solaire. Deux roches gravées ont notamment fait office de cadrans solaires saisonniers.

The analysis of heart period series is a difficult task especially under graded exercise conditions. Among all the information present in these series, we are more interested in the coupling between respiratory and cardiac systems, known as respiratory sinus arrythmia. We show in this work that from the heart period series precise patterns concerning the respiratory frequency can be extracted. Evolutive model is introduced in order to achieve the tracking of the main frequencies and their time-varying power.