Maison des sciences humaines et environnementales Claude Nicolas Ledoux

International audience

Abstract. On the basis of a multi-proxy approach and a strategy combining lacustrine and marine records along a north–south transect, data collected in the central Mediterranean within the framework of a collaborative project have led to reconstruction of high-resolution and well-dated palaeohydrological records and to assessment of their spatial and temporal coherency. Contrasting patterns of palaeohydrological changes have been evidenced in the central Mediterranean: south (north) of around 40° N of latitude, the middle part of the Holocene was characterised by lake-level maxima (minima), during an interval dated to ca. 10 300–4500 cal BP to the south and 9000–4500 cal BP to the north. Available data suggest that these contrasting palaeohydrological patterns operated throughout the Holocene, both on millennial and centennial scales. Regarding precipitation seasonality, maximum humidity in the central Mediterranean during the middle part of the Holocene was characterised by humid winters and dry summers north of ca. 40° N, and humid winters and summers south of ca. 40° N. This may explain an apparent conflict between palaeoclimatic records depending on the proxies used for reconstruction as well as the synchronous expansion of tree species taxa with contrasting climatic requirements. In addition, south of ca. 40° N, the first millennium of the Holocene was characterised by very dry climatic conditions not only in the eastern, but also in the central- and the western Mediterranean zones as reflected by low lake levels and delayed reforestation. These results suggest that, in addition to the influence of the Nile discharge reinforced by the African monsoon, the deposition of Sapropel 1 has been favoured (1) by an increase in winter precipitation in the northern Mediterranean borderlands, and (2) by an increase in winter and summer precipitation in the southern Mediterranean area. The climate reversal following the Holocene climate optimum appears to have been punctuated by two major climate changes around 7500 and 4500 cal BP. In the central Mediterranean, the Holocene palaeohydrological changes developed in response to a combination of orbital, ice-sheet and solar forcing factors. The maximum humidity interval in the south-central Mediterranean started ca. 10 300 cal BP, in correlation with the decline (1) of the possible blocking effects of the North Atlantic anticyclone linked to maximum insolation, and/or (2) of the influence of the remnant ice sheets and fresh water forcing in the North Atlantic Ocean. In the north-central Mediterranean, the lake-level minimum interval began only around 9000 cal BP when the Fennoscandian ice sheet disappeared and a prevailing positive NAO-(North Atlantic Oscillation) type circulation developed in the North Atlantic area. The major palaeohydrological oscillation around 4500–4000 cal BP may be a non-linear response to the gradual decrease in insolation, with additional key seasonal and interhemispheric changes. On a centennial scale, the successive climatic events which punctuated the entire Holocene in the central Mediterranean coincided with cooling events associated with deglacial outbursts in the North Atlantic area and decreases in solar activity during the interval 11 700–7000 cal BP, and to a possible combination of NAO-type circulation and solar forcing since ca. 7000 cal BP onwards. Thus, regarding the centennial-scale climatic oscillations, the Mediterranean Basin appears to have been strongly linked to the North Atlantic area and affected by solar activity over the entire Holocene. In addition to model experiments, a better understanding of forcing factors and past atmospheric circulation patterns behind the Holocene palaeohydrological changes in the Mediterranean area will require further investigation to establish additional high-resolution and well-dated records in selected locations around the Mediterranean Basin and in adjacent regions. Special attention should be paid to greater precision in the reconstruction, on millennial and centennial timescales, of changes in the latitudinal location of the limit between the northern and southern palaeohydrological Mediterranean sectors, depending on (1) the intensity and/or characteristics of climatic periods/oscillations (e.g. Holocene thermal maximum versus Neoglacial, as well as, for instance, the 8.2 ka event versus the 4 ka event or the Little Ice Age); and (2) on varying geographical conditions from the western to the eastern Mediterranean areas (longitudinal gradients). Finally, on the basis of projects using strategically located study sites, there is a need to explore possible influences of other general atmospheric circulation patterns than NAO, such as the East Atlantic–West Russian or North Sea–Caspian patterns, in explaining the apparent complexity of palaeoclimatic (palaeohydrological) Holocene records from the Mediterranean area.

A lake-level record of Lake Ledro (northern Italy) spans the entire Holocene with a chronology derived from 51 radiocarbon dates. It is based on a specific sedimentological approach that combines data from five sediment profiles sampled in distinct locations in the littoral zone. On a millennial scale, the lake-level record shows two successive periods from 11,700 to 4500 cal yr BP and from 4500 cal yr BP to the present, characterized by lower and higher average lake levels, respectively. In addition to key seasonal and inter-hemispherical changes in insolation, the major hydrological change around 4500 cal yr BP may be related to a non-linear response of the climate system to orbitally-driven gradual decrease in insolation. The Ledro record questions the notion of an accentuated summer rain regime in the northern Mediterranean borderlands during the boreal insolation maximum. Moreover, the Ledro record highlights that the Holocene was punctuated by successive centennial-scale highstands. Correlations with the Preboreal oscillation and the 8.2 ka event, and comparison with the atmospheric 14 C residual record, suggest that short-lived lake-level fluctuations developed at Ledro in response to (1) final steps of the deglaciation in the North Atlantic area and (2) variations in solar activity.

Prior to the eighteenth century, cobalt was exclusively employed as a colouring agent for vitreous materials, and its use appears to be concurrent with the earliest large-scale production of glass during the Late Bronze Age (LBA). LBA cobalt deposits with a distinctive elemental signature have been identified in the oases of the western Egyptian desert, while cobalt mines in Kashan (Iran) and in the Erzgebirge (Germany) are known to have been exploited during the later Middle Ages. For most of the first millennium BCE and CE, however, the identity of cobalt sources and their supply patterns remain elusive. The aim of this study is to characterise the chemical composition of cobalt colorants used during the first millennium CE. Compositional variations indicate the use of different raw materials and/or production processes, which in turn has implications for the underlying exchange networks. Using mainly correlations between cobalt, nickel and zinc as discriminants, our results show that the compositional signature of cobalt underwent two major changes. An increase in the CoO/NiO ratios occurs between the late fourth and the beginning of the sixth century, while a new zinc-rich source of cobalt begins to be exploited during the second half of the eighth century in the Islamic world.

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have demonstrated saccadic eye movement (SEM) abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease (AD) when patients performed prosaccade (PS) and antisaccade (AS) tasks. Some studies have also showed that SEM abnormalities were correlated with dementia rating tests such as the Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE). Therefore, it has been suggested that SEMs could provide useful information for diagnosis. However, little is known about predictive saccades (PreS)-saccades triggered before or very quickly after stimuli appearance-and their relationships with cognition in AD. Here, we aimed to examine the relationships between our usual dementia screening tests and SEM parameters in PS, AS, and also PreS task. METHOD: We compared SEMs in 20 patients suffering from AD and in 35 healthy older adults (OA) in PS, AS, and PreS task. All participants also completed a neuropsychological evaluation. RESULTS: We showed that AD patients had higher latency and latency variability regardless the tasks, and also higher AS cost, in comparison with OA. Moreover, AD patients made more uncorrected AS and took more time-to-correct incorrect AS. In PreS task, AD patients showed higher gain and gain variability than OA when they made anticipated saccades. Close relationships were found between the majority of SEM variables in PS, AS, and PreS tasks and dementia screening tests, especially the MMSE and episodic memory measures. CONCLUSION: Our findings, in agreement with previous studies, demonstrated that AD affects several SEM parameters. SEM abnormalities may reflect selective and executive-attention impairments in AD.

The diffusion decision model (DDM) has been used to investigate the effects of aging on information processing in simple response time (RT) tasks. These analyses have consistently shown that the age-related slowing of RTs can be accounted for by slower processing speed in sensorimotor systems and more cautious responding. However, previous DDM assessments of aging have ignored conflict tasks (e.g., the flanker task), the dominant paradigm for investigating age-related differences in executive control, as the DDM is unable to combine task-relevant and task-irrelevant stimulus information. Our study used two recently developed extensions of the DDM-the diffusion model for conflict tasks (DMC) and the shrinking spotlight diffusion model (SSP)-to provide the first model-based assessment of age-related differences in a flanker task featuring a manipulation of the spacing between target and flanking letters. Consistent with previous findings, older adults were globally slower than younger adults, and the magnitude of the flanker effect was larger for older than younger adults only when the spacing between the target and flanking letters was small. Fits of the models to data revealed a superiority of the DMC over the SSP. The DMC accounts for experimental findings with a 62-ms slowing of the nondecision component of RT for older compared to younger adults, a more cautious decision criterion, and enhanced processing of the target and flanking letters in the near periphery, suggesting a stronger attentional engagement in the task. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Unlike professional pilots who are limited by the FAA's age rule, no age limit is defined in general aviation. Our overall goal was to examine how age-related cognitive decline impacts piloting performance and weather-related decision-making. This study relied on three components: cognitive assessment (in particular executive functioning), pilot characteristics (age and flight experience), and flight performance. The results suggest that in comparison to chronological age, cognitive assessment is a better criterion to predict the flight performance, in particular because of the inter-individual variability of aging impact on cognitive abilities and the beneficial effect of flight experience.

Abstract Can climate affect societies? This question, of both past and present importance, is encapsulated by the major socioeconomic crisis that affected the Mediterranean 3200 yr ago. The demise of the core civilizations of the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean during the Late Bronze Age and the early Iron Age (Dark Ages) is still controversial because it raises the question of climate-change impacts on ancient societies. Although evidence for this climate shift has gradually gained currency, recent attempts to quantify its magnitude remain equivocal. Here we focus on the northern Levant (coastal Syria) where the economic, political, and cultural changes were particularly acute. We quantify past climate changes and find that mean annual temperatures attained anomalies of − 2.3 ± 0.3 °C to − 4.8 ± 0.4 °C compared to present-day conditions. Rainfall regimes displayed an important shift in seasonality, with a 40% decrease in winter precipitation. A 300 yr period of dry and cool climate started ∼3200 yr ago and was coeval with deep social changes in the eastern Mediterranean. These “Little Ice Age”–type conditions affected harvests, leading to severe food shortages that probably aggravated the sociopolitical tensions. This crisis highlights the fragility of societies, both past and present, to major climate-change episodes and their broader consequences.

Most recent research highlights how a specific form of causal understanding, namely technical reasoning, may support the increasing complexity of tools and techniques developed by humans over generations, i.e., the cumulative technological culture (CTC). Thus, investigating the neurocognitive foundations of technical reasoning is essential to comprehend the emergence of CTC in our lineage. Whereas functional neuroimaging evidence started to highlight the critical role of the area PF of the left inferior parietal cortex (IPC) in technical reasoning, no studies explored the links between the structural characteristics of such a brain region and technical reasoning skills. Therefore, in this study, we assessed participants' technical-reasoning performance by using two ad-hoc psycho-technical tests; then, we extracted from participants' 3 T T1-weighted magnetic-resonance brain images the cortical thickness (i.e., a volume-related measure which is associated with cognitive performance as reflecting the size, density, and arrangement of cells in a brain region) of all the IPC regions for both hemispheres. We found that the cortical thickness of the left area PF predicts participants' technical-reasoning performance. Crucially, we reported no correlations between technical reasoning and the other IPC regions, possibly suggesting the specificity of the left area PF in generating technical knowledge. We discuss these findings from an evolutionary perspective, by speculating about how the evolution of parietal lobes may have supported the emergence of technical reasoning in our lineage.

A method for describing landscape in the countryside and evaluating its impact on the real-estate market is suggested. Four databases with different resolutions (7, 30, 150, and 1,000 m) are used to simulate the visual properties of landscape in the depth of the field of view. The databases, comprising digital elevation models and land use images, are processed by a raster geographical information system. A model that simulates the relationship of visibility among all the points in a given space is devised and used to produce variables that are taken as explanatory variables in a hedonic regression. On this basis, the significant contribution of several landscape features to housing prices is estimated and then mapped. The study area is located in the urban fringe of Dijon (France). A total of 4,352 houses with known price, position, and landscape amenities provide the information for calibrating the hedonic model. The results confirm that landscape amenities influence house prices. Landscapes and visible features more than 100 to 200 m away all have insignificant hedonic prices. In this study area, forests and farmland in the immediate vicinity of houses have positive prices, whereas roads have negative ones.

BACKGROUND: Active videogames or exergames have been used as an innovative way to promote physical activity (PA) among various populations. A player's interest in active videogames is associated with the fun and entertaining nature of the games and may trigger situational interest, thus increasing engagement. The goal of this study was to examine the impact of situational interest dimensions on college students' PA when playing the design-based bike exergame Greedy Rabbit (Vescape, Berlin, Germany). METHODS: Sixty undergraduate students (age: 20.8 ± 1.3 years, mean ± SD, 18-25 years old; 51.7% males) were recruited from the kinesiology department of a university located in the southern region of Belgium. The participants were assigned to an experimental group (n = 41) or a control group (n = 19) based on an incremental cycling test. Students in the experimental group engaged in 1 session of Greedy Rabbit (Vescape) while students in the control group engaged in 1 session of a placebo version of Greedy Rabbit (Vescape). The length of the sessions ranged from 24 min to 31 min. RESULTS: Results for the control group indicated that the players' PA metrics (cadence: F(19, 360) = 1.43, p = 0.11; heart rate: F(19, 360) = 1.16, p = 0.29; oxygen consumption: F(19, 360) = 0.83, p = 0.67) were stable during the exergame. Results for the experimental group demonstrated the effects of time on the players' PA metrics and revealed significant associations between the change in the players' situational interest dimensions and PA metrics (cadence: F(19, 800) = 26.30, p < 0.01; heart rate: F(19, 800) = 19.77, p < 0.01; oxygen consumption: F(19, 800) = 10.04, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: An approach using a design-based exergame may be a relevant strategy for promoting levels of PA that yields positive health-related outcomes among college students.

Conflict tasks are one of the most widely studied paradigms within cognitive psychology, where participants are required to respond based on relevant sources of information while ignoring conflicting irrelevant sources of information. The flanker task, in particular, has been the focus of considerable modeling efforts, with only 3 models being able to provide a complete account of empirical choice response time distributions: the dual-stage 2-phase model (DSTP), the shrinking spotlight model (SSP), and the diffusion model for conflict tasks (DMC). Although these models are grounded in different theoretical frameworks, can provide diverging measures of cognitive control, and are quantitatively distinguishable, no previous study has compared all 3 of these models in their ability to account for empirical data. Here, we perform a comparison of the precise quantitative predictions of these models through Bayes factors, using probability density approximation to generate a pseudolikelihood estimate of the unknown probability density function, and thermodynamic integration via differential evolution to approximate the analytically intractable Bayes factors. We find that for every participant across 3 data sets from 3 separate research groups, DMC provides an inferior account of the data to DSTP and SSP, which has important theoretical implications regarding cognitive processes engaged in the flanker task, and practical implications for applying the models to flanker data. More generally, we argue that our combination of probability density approximation with marginal likelihood approximation-which we term pseudolikelihood Bayes factors-provides a crucial step forward for the future of model comparison, where Bayes factors can be calculated between any models that can be simulated. We also discuss the limitations of simulation-based methods, such as the potential for approximation error, and suggest that researchers should use analytically or numerically computed likelihood functions when they are available and computationally tractable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Au printemps 2020, le confinement provoqué par la COVID-19 a conduit à la fermeture des établissements scolaires français, au maintien à domicile des acteurs scolaires et à la mise en place d’une continuité pédagogique. Dès lors et soudainement, de nombreux enseignants ont eu à maintenir leur activité professionnelle via les Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication (TIC) tout en gérant simultanément leur vie privée. C’est dans ce contexte que l’enquête intitulée « Expériences et Ressentis du Confinement et de la Continuité Pédagogique » (ERCCP) a été menée. La présente étude qui en découle avait pour objectif de questionner l’activité enseignante médiatisée par les TIC ainsi que le lien entre ces outils et la santé au travail. En appui sur un corpus qualitatif recueilli auprès de 394 enseignants, les analyses mettent notamment en exergue : l’expérience fréquente de la juxtaposition d’outils numériques sans mise en cohérence préliminaire, la nécessité de faire appel à sa propre subjectivité pour gérer un quotidien professionnel inédit, les inégalités matérielles et techniques pour mener à bien la continuité pédagogique ou encore l’émergence de risques psychosociaux face à cette situation singulière.

Alexithymia is usually described by three main dimensions: difficulty identifying feelings (DIF), difficulty describing feelings (DDF), and externally oriented thinking (EOT). The most commonly used questionnaire investigating alexithymia, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), supports this 3-factor structure. One important assumption is that alexithymia severity is associated to vulnerability to somatic diseases, among them gastrointestinal disorders. However, the association between alexithymia and gastrointestinal disorders is not systematic, thus questioning the role of alexithymia as a vulnerability factor for those illnesses. A recent factor analysis suggested another 4-factor structure for the TAS-20: difficulties in awareness of feelings (DAF), difficulties in interoceptive abilities (DIA), externally oriented thinking (EOT), and poor affective sharing (PAS). We assume that DIA and DAF might be more relevant to investigate the association between alexithymia and gastrointestinal disorders. The rationale is that DIA and DAF reflect impairments in emotion regulation that could contribute to an inappropriate autonomic and HPA axis homeostasis in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis (UC), or Crohn’s disease (CD). The aim of this study was to investigate whether DIA and DAF are associated with the presence of IBS, UC or CD, while checking for anxiety, depression, parasympathetic (vagus nerve) activity and cortisol levels. We recruited control participants (n=26), and patients in remission who were diagnosed with IBS (n=24), UC (n=18), or CD (n=21). Participants completed questionnaires to assess anxiety, depression, and alexithymia. A blood sample and an electrocardiogram were used to measure the level of cortisol and parasympathetic activity, respectively. Logistic regressions with the 4-factor structure of the TAS-20 revealed that DIA was a significant predictor of IBS (W(1)=6.27, p=.01). Conversely, DIA and DAF were not significant predictors in CD and UC patients. However, low cortisol level was a significant predictor of UC (W(1)=4.67, p=.035). Additional logistic regressions based on the original 3-factor structure of TAS-20 (DIF, DDF, and EOT) showed that only DDF was a significant predictor of CD (W(1)=6.16, p<.001). The present study suggests that DIA is an important dimension for assessing potential risk for gastrointestinal diseases, in particular for IBS.

Understanding the processes that led to the recent evolution of Mediterranean landscapes is a challenging question that can be addressed with paleoecological data. Located in the White Mountains of Crete, Asi Gonia peat bog constitutes an exceptional 2000-years-long sedimentary archive of environmental change. In this study, we document the making of the White Mountains landscape and assess human impact on ecosystem trajectories. The paleoenvironmental reconstruction is based on high-resolution analyses of sediment, pollen, dung fungal spores and charcoal obtained from a 6-m core collected from the bog. Multiproxy analyses and a robust chronological control have shed light on anthropogenic and natural processes that have driven ecological changes, giving rise to the present-day Mediterranean ecosystem. Our results suggest that sediment accumulation began during the transition from the Hellenistic to the Roman period, likely due to watershed management. The evolution of the peat bog as well as vegetation dynamics in the surrounding area were linked to past climate changes but were driven by human activities, among which breeding was of great importance. Charcoal analysis reveals that fire was largely used for the construction and maintenance of sylvo-agropastoral areas. Pollen data allow the identification of three main vegetation assemblages: 1) evergreen oak forest (before ca. 850 AD), 2) heather maquis (ca. 850 to 1870 AD), 3) phrygana/steppe landscape. Rapid changes between phases in vegetation development are associated with tipping-points in ecosystem dynamics resulting from anthropogenic impact. The modern ecosystem did not get established until the 20th century, and it is characterized by biodiversity loss along with a dramatic drying of the peat bog.

When confronted with an insight problem, some factors limit our capacity to discover the optimal solution. Previous research on problem solving has shown that the first idea that comes to participants’ minds can inhibit them from finding better alternative solutions. We used a magic trick to demonstrate that this mind fixing effect is more general than previously thought: a solution that participants knew to be incorrect and impossible inhibited the discovery of an easy alternative. We show that a simple exposure to an obvious false solution (e.g., the magician hides the card in the palm of his hand to secretly transfer it to his back pocket) can inhibit participants from finding the real secret of the trick (e.g., he used a duplicate card), even if the magician proves that this false solution is impossible (e.g., he shows his hand is empty). We discuss the psychological processes underlying this robust fixing effect.

Résumé Durant les années 1970, la découverte de la Troisième Italie conduit à une réhabilitation du concept marshallien de district industriel et à un grand nombre d’études sur le système productif, dont le développement peut le mieux s’expliquer par la concentration géographique des activités. En premier lieu d’une problématique concernant exclusivement sociologues et économistes, la question des districts industriels est devenue un sujet de préoccupation des autres sciences sociales, parmi lesquelles l’Histoire. Cependant, en dépit du caractère prometteur et stimulant que cette approche peut avoir, elle demeure incomplète et floue. L’Histoire n’a pas été capable de jouer son rôle à part entière parce que l’application du concept à l’histoire soulève nombre de questions théoriques, méthodologiques et empiriques. Il est nécessaire de clarifier les contenus du concept, de décrire comment il a été élaboré, comment il s’est diffusé, et de mesurer son utilité pour la recherche historique.

Although the relationship between age-related cognitive decline and saccadic eye movement (SEM) deficits has been outlined, specific cognitive alterations underlying age-related changes in saccadic performance remain unclear. This study attempted to better understand the nature of aging effects on SEMs. We compared SEMs in younger and older adults in prosaccade (PS) and antisaccade (AS) tasks under gap, step, and overlap conditions. We also examined relationships between these performances and several neuropsychological scores. Twenty-eight younger adults (YA), 24 older adults under 65 years (OA<65) and 24 over 65 years (OA>65) of age completed a neuropsychological evaluation, PS and AS tasks. Our results showed that latencies, AS cost, time to correct AS errors, and uncorrected AS, increased with aging. YA showed higher overlap effects than OA>65 and OA<65. Importantly, correlations and regressions revealed close relationships not only between latencies and processing speed measures but also between the AS cost and the inhibition process measures. Correct saccades and the time to correct AS errors were closely related to the inhibition process and cognitive flexibility measures. These findings suggest that the progressive age-related decline of processing speed and executive attention are associated with, and can be highlighted though SEMs in PS and AS tasks.

Background: Many studies have been conducted in intensive care units (ICUs) to identify the stress factors involved in the health of professionals and the quality and safety of care. The objectives are to identify the psychometric scales used in these studies to measure stressors and to assess their relevance and validity/reliability. Methods: All peer-reviewed full-text articles published in English between 1997 and 2016 and focusing on an empirical quantitative study of job stressors were identified through searches on seven databases and editorial portals. Results: From the 102 studies analyzed, we identified 59 different scales: 17 “all settings scales” (16 validated scales), 20 “healthcare settings scales” (13 validated scales), and 22 “ICU settings scales” (2 validated scales). All these scales used measured stressors from at least one of the following eight broad categories: High job demands, Problematic relationships with other professionals, Lack of control over work-situations and career, Lack of organizational resources, Problematic situations with users and relatives, Dealing with ethical- and moral-related situations, Risk management issues, and Disadvantages in comparison to other occupational situations. The “all settings scales” and “healthcare settings scales”, most often validated, did not measure, or only slightly measured, the stressors most specific to ICUs. Where these were taken into account, the authors were forced to develop their own tools or modify existing scales without testing the validity of the tool used. Conclusions : This review highlights the lack of a tool that meets both the criteria of validity and relevance with regard to the specificity of work in ICUs. Future research must focus on developing reliable/valid tools covering all types of relevant stressors to ensure the quality of the studies carried out in this field.

Evolution and dispersion history on Earth of organisms can best be studied through biological markers in molecular epidemiological studies. The biological diversity of the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis was investigated in different cladistic approaches. First the morphological aspects were explored in connection with its ecology. More recently, molecular aspects were investigated to better understand the nature of the variations observed among isolates. The study of the tandemly repeated multilocus microsatellite EmsB allowed us to attain a high genetic diversity level where other classic markers have failed. Since 2006, EmsB data have been collected on specimens from various endemic foci of the parasite in Europe (in historic and newly endemic areas), Asia (China, Japan and Kyrgyzstan), and North America (Canada and Alaska). Biological data on the isolates and metadata were also recorded (e.g. host, geographical location, EmsB analysis, citation in the literature). In order to make available the data set of 1,166 isolates from classic and aberrant domestic and wild animal hosts (larval lesions and adult worms) and from human origin, an open web access interface, developed in PHP, and connected to a PostgreSQL database, was developed in the EmsB Website for the Echinococcus Typing (EWET) project. It allows researchers to access data collection, perform genetic analyses online (e.g. defining the genetic distance between their own samples and the samples in the database), consult distribution maps of EmsB profiles, and record and share their new EmsB genotyping data. In order to standardize the EmsB analyses performed in the different laboratories throughout the world, a calibrator was developed. The final aim of this project was to gather and arrange available data to permit to better understand the dispersion and transmission patterns of the parasite among definitive and intermediate hosts, in order to organize control strategies on the ground.