Thermal energetics and torpor in the common pipistrelle bat, Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Vespertilionidae: Mammalia).

Rate of metabolism and body temperature were studied between -6°C and 38°C in the common pipistrelle bat Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Vespertilionidae), a European species lying close to the lower end of the mammalian size range (body mass 4.9±0.8g, N=28). Individuals maintained only occasionally a normothermic body temperature averaging 35.4±1.1°C (N=4) and often showed torpor during metabolic runs. The thermoneutral zone was found above 33°C, and basal rate of metabolism averaged 7.6±0.8mL O(2)h(-1) (N=28), which is 69% of the value predicted on the basis of body mass. Minimal wet thermal conductance was 161% of the expected value. During torpor, the rate of metabolism was related exponentially to body temperature with a Q(10) value of 2.57. Torpid bats showed intermittent ventilation, with the frequency of ventilatory cycles increasing exponentially with body temperature. Basal rate of metabolism (BMR) varied significantly with season and body temperature, but not with body mass. It was lower before the hibernation period than during the summer. The patterns observed are generally consistent with those exhibited by other vespertilionids of temperate regions. However, divergences occur with previous measurements on European pipistrelles, and the causes of the seasonal variation in BMR, which has only rarely been searched for among vespertilionids, remain to be examined.

Spatio-temporal population genetic structure of the parasitic mite Spinturnix bechsteini is shaped by its own demography and the social system of its bat host.

Information about the population genetic structures of parasites is important for an understanding of parasite transmission pathways and ultimately the co-evolution with their hosts. If parasites cannot disperse independently of their hosts, a parasite's population structure will depend upon the host's spatial distribution. Geographical barriers affecting host dispersal can therefore lead to structured parasite populations. However, how the host's social system affects the genetic structure of parasite populations is largely unknown. We used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to describe the spatio-temporal population structure of a contact-transmitted parasitic wing mite (Spinturnix bechsteini) and compared it to that of its social host, the Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii). We observed no genetic differentiation between mites living on different bats within a colony. This suggests that mites can move freely among bats of the same colony. As expected in case of restricted inter-colony dispersal, we observed a strong genetic differentiation of mites among demographically isolated bat colonies. In contrast, we found a strong genetic turnover between years when we investigated the temporal variation of mite haplotypes within colonies. This can be explained with mite dispersal occuring between colonies and bottlenecks of mite populations within colonies. The observed absence of isolation by distance could be the result from genetic drift and/or from mites dispersing even between remote bat colonies, whose members may meet at mating sites in autumn or in hibernacula in winter. Our data show that the population structure of this parasitic wing mite is influenced by its own demography and the peculiar social system of its bat host.

Genetic isolation of insular populations of the Maghrebian bat, Myotis punicus, in the Mediterranean Basin

We investigate the population genetic structure of the Maghrebian bat, Myotis punicus, between the mainland and islands to assess the island colonization pattern and current gene flow between nearby islands and within the mainland. Location North Africa and the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Methods We sequenced part of the control region (HVII) of 79 bats across 11 colonies. The phylogeographical pattern was assessed by analysing molecular diversity indices, examining differentiation among populations and estimating divergence time. In addition, we genotyped 182 bats across 10 colonies at seven microsatellite loci. We used analysis of molecular variance and a Bayesian approach to infer nuclear population structure. Finally, we estimated sex-specific dispersal between Corsica and Sardinia. Results Mitochondrial analyses indicated that colonies between Corsica, Sardinia and North Africa are highly differentiated. Within islands there was no difference between colonies, while at the continental level Moroccan and Tunisian populations were highly differentiated. Analyses with seven microsatellite loci showed a similar pattern. The sole difference was the lack of nuclear differentiation between populations in North Africa, suggesting a male-biased dispersal over the continental area. The divergence time of Sardinian and Corsican populations was estimated to date back to the early and mid-Pleistocene. Main conclusions Island colonization by the Maghrebian bats seems to have occurred in a stepping-stone manner and certainly pre-dated human colonization. Currently, open water seems to prevent exchange of bats between the two islands, despite their ability to fly and the narrowness of the strait of Bonifacio. Corsican and Sardinian populations are thus currently isolated from any continental gene pool and must therefore be considered as different evolutionarily significant units (ESU).

Ecologie trophique de deux espèces jumelles et sympatriques de chauves-souris: Myotis myotis et Myotis blythii (Chiroptera : Vespertilionidae). Premiers résultats

M. myotis and M. blythii are two sibling species of bats that live sympatrically over wide areas of the Western Palearctic region, and which often coexist intimately in their nursery roosts. According to the principle of <<limiting similarity>> this cohabitation should imply an interspecific ecological differentiation. The hypothesis of a niche separation at the trophic level is tested here. The fecal analysis of 300 droppings collected from a zone of sympatry shows a clear interspecific differentiation in diets : M. myotis eats mostly Carabidae (Coleoptera), whereas M. blythii captures essentially Tettigoniidae, Gryllidae and Acrididae (Orthoptera). Because they consume exclusively terrestrial arthropods, M. myotis and M. blythii are typical ground and/or grass gleaning bats. However, despite their narrow niches they are probably not specialized in the predation of only some definite categories of prey. The narrow diets probably reflect the high specialization of their modes of resource exploitation: M. myotis and M. blythii prey upon ground arthropods and they are likely to select for different foraging;g habitats. M. myotis probably prefers wooded feeding grounds (Carabidae) whereas M. blythii exploits herbaceous habitats (Orthoptera). The strong trophic segregation observed in sympatry between M. myotis and M. blythii shows that the interspecific competition is distinctly much weaker than the intraspecific one. This would explain the stable, intimate co-existence of these two virtual competitors.

Conjuring the Curse of Repetition or « Sleeping Beauty » Revamped : Angela Carter's Vampirella and The Lady of the House of Love

Abstract:This article illustrates Angela Carter's literary practice through her utilization of "Sleeping Beauty" in the radio play Vampirella and its prose variation The Lady of the House of Love. It argues that she vampirised European culture as she transfused old stories into new bodies to give them new life and bite. Carter's experiments with forms, genres and mediums in her vampire fiction capture the inherent hybridity of the fairy tale as it sheds new light on her main source, Charles Perrault's La Belle au bois dormant, bringing to the fore the horror and terror as well as the textual ambiguities of the French conte that were gradually obscured in favor of the romance element. Carter's vampire stories thus trace the 'dark' underside of the reception of the tale in Gothic fiction and in the subculture of comic books and Hammer films so popular in the 1970s, where the Sleeping Beauty figure is revived as a femme fatale or vamp who takes her fate in her own hands.Résumé:Cet article s'attache à montrer comment l'utilisation de La Belle au bois dormant dans deux histoires de vampire d'Angela Carter, la pièce radiophonique Vampirella et sa réécriture en prose The Lady of the House of Love, illustre la pratique littéraire de l'auteur, qui consiste à vampiriser la culture européenne et à transfuser les vieilles histoires dans de nouvelles formes, genres, et médias afin de leur donner une nouvelle vie. Le traitement du conte de fée permet d'aborder un aspect essentiel de la démarche créative de l'auteur, tout en offrant un éclairage inédit sur le conte de Perrault. En effet, Carter met en évidence les éléments inquiétants et l'atmosphère de menace qui caractérisent la deuxième partie du conte, tout en jouant sur les ambiguités du texte français souvent négligés au profit de la veine romanesque. A cet égard, ses histoires de vampire peuvent se lire comme une réflexion sur la réception 'obscure' du conte de fées dans la culture populaire, qui voit le personnage de la Belle au bois dormant prendre son destin en main et se réinventer en femme fatale ou vamp dans la bande dessinée et les séries B des années 1970.

Mites as biological tags of their hosts.

Movements and spatial distribution of host populations are expected to shape the genetic structure of their parasite populations. Comparing the genetic patterns of both interacting species may improve our understanding of their evolutionary history. Moreover, genetic analyses of parasites with horizontal transmission may serve as indicators of historical events or current demographic processes that are not apparent in the genetic signature of their hosts. Here, we compared mitochondrial variation in populations of the ectoparasitic mite Spinturnix myoti with the genetic pattern of its host, the Maghrebian bat Myotis punicus in North Africa and in the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Mite mitochondrial differentiation among populations was correlated with both host mitochondrial and nuclear differentiation, suggesting spatial co-differentiation of the lineages of the two interacting species. Therefore our results suggest that parasite dispersal is exclusively mediated by host movements, with open water between landmasses as a main barrier for host and parasite dispersal. Surprisingly the unique presence of a continental European mite lineage in Corsica was inconsistent with host phylogeographical history and strongly suggests the former presence of European mouse-eared bats on this island. Parasites may thus act as biological tags to reveal the presence of their now locally extinct host.

Fortuitous infestation or wide host range? The case of Spinturnicidae and their bat hosts: Reply to Guiller and Deunff (2010)

Defining the degree of host specificity in host-parasite studies can greatly inform cophylogenetic history. In a recent paper, Guiller and Deunff (2010) cast doubt on some points and conclusions drawn from a cophylogenetic study between European bats and Spinturnicid mites (Bruyndonckx et al., 2009a). Here we answer their criticisms and discuss the notion of specificity in Spinturnicid mites.

Trophic resource partitioning and competition between the two sibling bat species Myotis myotis and Myotis blythii

1. Niche theory predicts that the stable coexistence of species within a guild should be associated, if resources are limited, with a mechanism of resource partitioning. Using extensive data on diets, the present study attempts: (i) to test the hypothesis that, in sympatry, the interspecific overlap between the trophic niches of the sibling bat species Myotis myotis and M. blythii-which coexist intimately in their roosts-is effectively lower than the two intraspecific overlaps; (ii) to assess the role played by interspecific competition in resource partitioning through the study of trophic niche displacement between several sympatric and allopatric populations. 2. Diets were determined by the analysis of faecal samples collected in the field from individual bats captured in various geographical areas. Trophic niche overlaps were calculated monthly for all possible intraspecific and interspecific pairs of individuals from sympatric populations. Niche breadth was estimated from: (i) every faecal sample; (ii) all the faecal samples collected per month in a given population (geographical area). 3. In every population, the bulk of the diets of M. myotis and M. blythii consisted of, respectively, terrestrial (e.g. carabid beetles) and grass-dwelling (mostly bush crickets) prey. All intraspecific trophic niche overlaps were significantly greater than the interspecific one, except in Switzerland in May when both species exploited mass concentrations of cockchafers, a non-limiting food source. This clearcut partitioning of resources may allow the stable, intimate coexistence observed under sympatric conditions. 4. Relative proportions of ground-and grass-dwelling prey, as well as niche breadths (either individual or population), did not differ significantly between sympatry and allopatry, showing that, under allopatric conditions, niche expansion does not take place. This suggests that active interspecific competition is not the underlying mechanism responsible for the niche partitioning which is currently observed between M. myotis and M. blythii.

Signs of a vector's adaptive choice: on the evasion of infectious hosts and parasite-induced mortality

Laboratory and field experiments have demonstrated in many cases that malaria vectors do not feed randomly, but show important preferences either for infected or non-infected hosts. These preferences are likely in part shaped by the costs imposed by the parasites on both their vertebrate and dipteran hosts. However, the effect of changes in vector behaviour on actual parasite transmission remains a debated issue. We used the natural associations between a malaria-like parasite Polychromophilus murinus, the bat fly Nycteribia kolenatii and a vertebrate host the Daubenton's bat Myotis daubentonii to test the vector's feeding preference based on the host's infection status using two different approaches: 1) controlled behavioural assays in the laboratory where bat flies could choose between a pair of hosts; 2) natural bat fly abundance data from wild-caught bats, serving as an approximation of realised feeding preference of the bat flies. Hosts with the fewest infectious stages of the parasite were most attractive to the bat flies that did switch in the behavioural assay. In line with the hypothesis of costs imposed by parasites on their vectors, bat flies carrying parasites had higher mortality. However, in wild populations, bat flies were found feeding more based on the bat's body condition, rather than its infection level. Though the absolute frequency of host switches performed by the bat flies during the assays was low, in the context of potential parasite transmission they were extremely high. The decreased survival of infected bat flies suggests that the preference for less infected hosts is an adaptive trait. Nonetheless, other ecological processes ultimately determine the vector's biting rate and thus transmission. Inherent vector preferences therefore play only a marginal role in parasite transmission in the field. The ecological processes rather than preferences per se need to be identified for successful epidemiological predictions.

Gustav Hasford's Gothic Poetics of Demystification

Gustav Hasford is the author of two important Vietnam War novels: The Short-Timers (1979), which was adapted by Stanley Kubrick into Full Metal Jacket (1987), and The Phantom Blooper (1990), its sequel. Relentlessly critical of the war that destroyed his generation, Hasford uses an array of Gothic themes, tropes and figures - such as the werewolf, vampire, and ghost - to describe the transformation of men into monsters that begins with basic training and can never be reversed. These and other Gothic devices allow Hasford to demystify and disenchant the Vietnam War, to strip it of euphemisms and official myths, and to reveal the violence that lays beneath. Unlike other well-known writers of the same generation, such as Michael Herr and Chris O'Brien, Hasford eschews postmodern techniques in order to pursue a rhetorical strategy of horror combined with black humor. The results are two novels of extraordinary ferocity, critical acumen and wit. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the specifically Gothic reading experience of ethical dilemma - a Gothic exercise in judgment - choreographed by both narratives.

Etude de l'évolution des patients porteurs d'une cardiomyopathie hypertrophique obstructive (CMHO) après alcoolisation septale

La cardiomyopathie hypertrophique (CMH) est la maladie cardiaque monogénique la plus fréquente, touchant environ 1 individu sur 500 dans la population (1,2). L'étiologie est familiale dans la majorité des cas avec une transmission de type autosomal dominant à pénétrance variable. Deux gènes principaux sont à l'origine de la maladie chez 70% des patients avec un test génétique positif. Il s'agit des gènes qui codent pour la chaine lourde β de la myosine (MYH7) et la protéine C liant la myosine (MYBPC3) (1-3). La CMH est définie par la présence d'une hypertrophie myocardique « inadéquate » car se développant en l'absence d'une cause d'augmentation de la post-charge (HTA, sténose aortique, membrane sous-aortique), d'une pathologie infiltrative ou d'un entrainement physique (4,5). Le plus souvent asymétrique et affectant préférentiellement le septum, cette hypertrophie s'accompagne dans près de deux tiers des cas d'une obstruction dynamique sous-aortique de la chambre de chasse du ventricule gauche par la valve mitrale (systolic anterior motion ou SAM). Cette obstruction est à la fois la conséquence du rétrécissement de la chambre de chasse par l'hypertrophie septale mais également d'un malpositionnement de la valve mitrale (6-8). On parle alors de Cardiomyopathie Hypertrophique et Obstructive (CMHO). L'obstruction - présente au repos dans 50% des cas et uniquement après manoeuvres de provocation dans l'autre moitié des cas (manoeuvre de Valsalva, test de vasodilatation par nitrite d'amyle) est à l'origine d'un gradient de pression entre le ventricule gauche et l'aorte, et donc d'une surcharge de pression pour le ventricule gauche. Cette surcharge de pression est à l'origine des symptômes classiquement rencontrés soit dyspnée et angor d'effort, présyncope voire syncopes à l'effort. Un gradient sous-aortique de plus de 50 mmHg (mesuré au repos ou après provocation) est considéré comme un gradient à valeur pronostique (6-8) et justifiant un traitement si associé à des symptômes. Le traitement médical des formes obstructives repose sur l'administration de substances inotropes négatives et/ou susceptibles de favoriser la relaxation myocardique tels que les béta-bloqueurs, les antagonistes du calcium et le disopyramide - pris isolément ou en association. Pour les nombreux patients qui deviennent réfractaires ou intolérants à ces traitements, deux interventions peuvent leur être proposées pour lever l'obstruction : une myotomie-myectomie chirurgicale du septum (9,10) ou une alcoolisation du septum par voie percutanée (7,8). Les indications à ces interventions sont les suivantes (7,8,11) : 1. Symptômes (dyspnée de classe fonctionnelle NYHA III ou IV, angor de classe fonctionnelle CCS III ou IV, syncope, ou présyncope) réfractaires au traitement médical ou intolérance du patient au traitement. Une dyspnée de classe II est considérée suffisante dans le cas de jeunes patients. 2. Obstruction sous-aortique avec gradient supérieur ou égal à 50 mmHg, au repos ou après manoeuvre de provocation, associée à une hypertrophie septale et à un mouvement systolique antérieur de la valve mitrale (effet SAM) 3. Anatomiecardiaquefavorableàuntraitementinvasif(épaisseurduseptumde plus de 16 mm) Si la myectomie chirurgicale reste la méthode de référence (12-18), l'alcoolisation septale du myocarde par voie percutanée est devenue un des traitements de choix dans la thérapie de la Cardiomyopathie Hypertrophique Obstructive réfractaire. Elle consiste à repérer par coronarographie l'artère septale nourrissant le septum basal hypertrophié, puis à y introduire un petit ballon pour isoler ce territoire du reste du lit coronaire avant d'y injecter une dose d'alcool à 95% comprise entre 1 et 5 cc. On crée ainsi un infarctus chimique, technique qui fut dans le passé utilisée pour le traitement de certaines tumeurs. Les effets ne sont pas immédiats et nécessitent généralement 2-3 semaines avant de se manifester. On assiste alors à une diminution progressive de l'épaisseur du myocarde nécrosé (7), à la disparition progressive de l'obstruction et à l'amélioration / disparition des symptômes. La question de savoir qui de la chirurgie ou de l'alcoolisation est le plus efficace a été source de nombreux débats (7,11-13,18). Par rapport à la chirurgie, les avantages de la méthode percutanée sont les suivants (11,14,15,18,19) : - Efficacités hémodynamique et fonctionnelle jugées comparable à la chirurgie selon les études - Taux de morbidité et de mortalité très faible et non supérieure à la chirurgie - Absence de sternotomie - Diminution de la durée de l'hospitalisation et surtout de la période de convalescence, le patient pouvant reprendre une activité dès son retour à domicile Certains experts émettent néanmoins des doutes quant à l'innocuité à long terme de la méthode, les zones nécrotiques pouvant servir de terrain arythmogène. Pour ces raisons, la méthode n'est pas recommandée chez les patients de moins de 40 ans (6,8). Le risque majeur de l'alcoolisation du septum proximal réside dans l'induction d'un bloc atrio-ventriculaire complet chimique, le noeud atrio-ventriculaire étant justement situé dans cette région. Ce risque augmente avec la quantité d'alcool administrée et nécessite, si persistance après trois jours, l'implantation d'un pacemaker à demeure. Selon les centres, le taux d'implantation d'un stimulateur varie ainsi entre 7% et 20% (7,14,20). L'efficacité clinique et l'incidence des complications est donc en partie liée à la compétence technique et à l'expérience de l'opérateur (7,14), mais aussi aux choix des patients. Il peut donc varier grandement selon les centres médicaux. L'étude proposée vise à analyser les résultats de l'alcoolisation obtenus à Lausanne, jusqu'à présent pas encore été étudiés, et à les comparer à ceux de la littérature.

La technologie a-t-elle un sexe?

Si la technologie fait aujourd'hui pleinement partie de notre quotidien au point de prolonger nos organes des sens, l'histoire nous rappelle que son apparition à l'ère moderne n'est pas allée sans débats, controverses et résistances. Technophobes et technophiles s'affrontent régulièrement à l'avènement d'une technique ou d'un média responsable de bouleverser notre perception du monde et nos repères cognitifs. Or, les affrontements sur la nécessité du progrès social reposent systématiquement sur un socle idéologique qui confère une lecture genrée des rapports entre nature et culture. En étudiant les discours, les pratiques et les représentations qui accompagnent l'arrivée d'un artefact, on s'avise en effet que la technologie est très souvent appréhendée en termes sexués, qu'elle soit référée à la féminité ou, plus rarement, à la masculinité. Partant de ce constat, nous proposons de parcourir une série d'exemples qui cristallisent cette association implicite entre technique et genre, tels le train, le cinéma, la télévision, la haute fidélité (hi-fi) audio et le téléphone portable.