Insights into the role of DNA methylation in diatoms by genome-wide profiling in Phaeodactylum tricornutum

DNA cytosine methylation is a widely conserved epigenetic mark in eukaryotes that appears to have critical roles in the regulation of genome structure and transcription. Genome-wide methylation maps have so far only been established from the supergroups Archaeplastida and Unikont. Here we report the first whole-genome methylome from a stramenopile, the marine model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Around 6% of the genome is intermittently methylated in a mosaic pattern. We find extensive methylation in transposable elements. We also detect methylation in over 320 genes. Extensive gene methylation correlates strongly with transcriptional silencing and differential expression under specific conditions. By contrast, we find that genes with partial methylation tend to be constitutively expressed. These patterns contrast with those found previously in other eukaryotes. By going beyond plants, animals and fungi, this stramenopile methylome adds significantly to our understanding of the evolution of DNA methylation in eukaryotes.Fil: Veluchamy, Alaguraj. Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure; FranciaFil: Lin, Xin. Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure; Francia. Xiamen University; ChinaFil: Maumus, Florian.Fil: Rivarola, Maximo Lisandro.Fil: Bhavsar, Jaysheel.Fil: Creasy, Todd.Fil: O'Brien, Kimberly.Fil: Sengamalay, Naomi A..Fil: Tallon, Luke J..Fil: Smith, Andrew D..Fil: Rayko, Edda.Fil: Ahmed, Ikhlak.Fil: Crom, Stéphane Le.Fil: Farrant, Gregory K..Fil: Sgro, Jean-Yves.Fil: Olson, Sue A..Fil: Bondurant, Sandra Splinter.Fil: Allen, Andrew.Fil: Rabinowicz, Pablo D..Fil: Sussman, Michael R..Fil: Bowler, Chris.Fil: Tirichine, Leïla

A new multidimensional AMR Hydro+Gravity Cosmological code

A new cosmological multidimensional hydrodynamic and N-body code based on an Adaptive Mesh Refinement scheme is described and tested. The hydro part is based on modern high-resolution shock-capturing techniques, whereas N-body approach is based on the Particle Mesh method. The code has been specifically designed for cosmological applications. Tests including shocks, strong gradients, and gravity have been considered. A cosmological test based on Santa Barbara cluster is also presented. The usefulness of the code is discussed. In particular, this powerful tool is expected to be appropriate to describe the evolution of the hot gas component located inside asymmetric cosmological structures.Comment: 15 latex pages with mn.sty, 8 eps figures; accepted for publication in MNRA

Platinum drugs in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer

The use of chemotherapy is considered standard therapy in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer that cannot be treated with radiotherapy and in those with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer and good performance status. This approach is also accepted in patients with earlier stage disease, when combined with radiotherapy in those with non-resectable locally advanced disease, or in the preoperative setting. Randomised clinical studies and meta-analyses of the literature have confirmed the beneficial survival effect of platinum-based chemotherapy. Cisplatin and carboplatin have been successfully used with other drugs in a wide variety of well-established two-drug combinations while three-drug combinations are still under investigation. Cisplatin and carboplatin use is limited by toxicity and inherent resistance. These considerations have prompted research into new platinum agents, such as the trinuclear platinum agent BBR3464, the platinum complex ZD0473 and oxaliplatin. These compounds could be developed in combination with agents such as paclitaxel, gemcitabine or vinorelbine in patients with advanced and/or refractory solid tumours

Sandy coastlines under threat of erosion

Sandy beaches occupy more than one-third of the global coastline(1) and have high socioeconomic value related to recreation, tourism and ecosystem services(2). Beaches are the interface between land and ocean, providing coastal protection from marine storms and cyclones(3). However the presence of sandy beaches cannot be taken for granted, as they are under constant change, driven by meteorological(4,5), geological(6) and anthropogenic factors(1,7). A substantial proportion of the world's sandy coastline is already eroding(1,7), a situation that could be exacerbated by climate change(8,9). Here, we show that ambient trends in shoreline dynamics, combined with coastal recession driven by sea level rise, could result in the near extinction of almost half of the world's sandy beaches by the end of the century. Moderate GHG emission mitigation could prevent 40% of shoreline retreat. Projected shoreline dynamics are dominated by sea level rise for the majority of sandy beaches, but in certain regions the erosive trend is counteracted by accretive ambient shoreline changes; for example, in the Amazon, East and Southeast Asia and the north tropical Pacific. A substantial proportion of the threatened sandy shorelines are in densely populated areas, underlining the need for the design and implementation of effective adaptive measures. Erosion is a major problem facing sandy beaches that will probably worsen with climate change and sea-level rise. Half the world's beaches, many of which are in densely populated areas, could disappear by the end of the century under current trends; mitigation could lessen retreat by 40%.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Introducing Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures

Whilst there is little argument that coasts are on the frontline when it comes to the impacts of near-future global environmental change, is there a need for yet another coastal journal? Emphatically ‘yes’. There is an unfilled niche here for a forum that promotes and presents cross-disciplinary research, from fundamental science to impact-orientated approaches. We wish to see a journal that informs pathways away from unsustainable practices towards more socially just and equitable futures for the world’s coastlines and their communities. We set out below some of the questions that arise when articulating this pathway, using the high-level categories in the journal’s topic map as some of the stepping stones that will be encountered along the way.</jats:p

Introducing Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures

Whilst there is little argument that coasts are on the frontline when it comes to the impacts of near-future global environmental change, is there a need for yet another coastal journal? Emphatically ‘yes’. There is an unfilled niche here for a forum that promotes and presents cross-disciplinary research, from fundamental science to impact-orientated approaches. We wish to see a journal that informs pathways away from unsustainable practices towards more socially just and equitable futures for the world’s coastlines and their communities. We set out below some of the questions that arise when articulating this pathway, using the high-level categories in the journal’s topic map as some of the stepping stones that will be encountered along the way

Sensitivity of a one-line longshore shoreline change model to the mean wave direction

International audienc

Euro-Atlantic teleconnection patterns, weather regimes and inter-annual shoreline variability at a high-energy sandy beach

International audienceOn coasts dominated by cross-shore sediment-transport, incident wave-energy primarily controls temporal shoreline variability (Splinter et al., 2014). Truc Vert beach (SW France) is a high-energy meso-macrotidal multiple-barred beach where monthly to bimonthly surveys have been performed since May 1998. Surveys with an alongshore coverage larger than 350 m (from May 2005 to May 2014) are used to calibrate an equilibrium shoreline model (Castelle et al., 2014). The calibrated model explains 66% of the observed shoreline variability over the calibration period. Over the entire survey period (1998-2014), the model skilfully reproduces the observed shoreline evolution patterns. Especially, the intra-annual shoreline variability driven by the seasonal wave climate as well as shoreline response to individual storms and storm groups are well reproduced. A significant shoreline inter-annual variability (blue arrows in Figure 1) is also found, which is likely driven by the climate variability over the North Atlantic Ocean