Gabon's results at the CAMES CCI 2023? A wealth of information to improve teaching and research

Making data available (infor mation) for private or public access (e.g. on the Internet) is a lengthy process. Data needs to be created (collection, measurement, sampling), organized (database, files, folders), reduced in size (compression, archiving) and disseminated (emailing, website access). The way in which disseminated data are presented (data history, file type, data formatting) can facilitate or complicate their future exploitation. For various reasons, we decided to study the results file corresponding to teachers and researchers promoted at the 23rd session of the CAMES CCI. In our case, we restricted ourselves to those promoted in Gabon in July 2023. A series of procedures, including simple statistical analyses using pivot tables in MS Excel 2021, enabled us to obtain some results. Significantly more teacher-researchers than researchers were promoted. Assistant professors were the most numerous. Profiles in Humanities and Languages accounted for the lion's share, with 50% of those promoted rated A. Historic establishments were the most successful. Regardless of rank, category, establishment, rating or CTS, women promoted in Gabon generally represented only a third of men. We have attempted to justify the results observed and, above all, to propose remedial actions, in particular those aimed at improving the current presentation of CAMES data.  Keywords: Data access, information processing, statistical analysis, professional career, African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES), Inter-African Consultative Committees (IACC)

Gabon's results at the CAMES CCI 2023? A wealth of information to improve teaching and research

Rendre des données disponibles (information) en accès privé ou public (par exemple sur internet) est un long processus. Il faut créer les données (collecte, mesure, échantillonnage), les organiser (base de données, fichiers, dossiers), réduire leur taille (compression, archivage) et les diffuser (envoi par email, accès via site web). La manière dont les données diffusées sont présentées (historique des données, type de fichiers, formatage des données) peut faciliter ou compliquer leur exploitation future. Diverses raisons nous ont poussés à étudier le fichier de résultats correspondant aux enseignants-chercheurs et chercheurs promus à la 23ème session des CCI du CAMES. Dans notre cas, nous nous sommes restreints aux promus du Gabon, en juillet 2023. Un ensemble de procédures, notamment de simples analyses statistiques, via des tableaux croisés dynamiques sous MS Excel 2021, nous ont permis d’obtenir quelques résultats. Il y a eu nettement plus d’enseignants-chercheurs que de chercheurs promus. Les Maîtres assistants étaient les plus nombreux. Les profils en Lettres et Langues se sont taillés la part du lion. 50% des promus ont eu la cote A. Les établissements historiques ont connu le plus de réussite. Peu importe le grade, la catégorie, l’établissement, la cote et le CTS, les femmes promues au Gabon ne représentaient en général que le tiers des hommes. Nous avons tenté de justifier les résultats observés et surtout de proposer des actions curatives, en particulier celles visant à améliorer la présentation actuelle des données du CAMES. Mots-clefs : Accès aux données, traitement de l’information, analyse statistique, carrière professionnelle, Conseil Africain et Malgache pour l’Enseignement Supérieur (CAMES), Comités Consultatifs Interafricains (CCI).Making data available (infor mation) for private or public access (e.g. on the Internet) is a lengthy process. Data needs to be created (collection, measurement, sampling), organized (database, files, folders), reduced in size (compression, archiving) and disseminated (emailing, website access). The way in which disseminated data are presented (data history, file type, data formatting) can facilitate or complicate their future exploitation. For various reasons, we decided to study the results file corresponding to teachers and researchers promoted at the 23rd session of the CAMES CCI. In our case, we restricted ourselves to those promoted in Gabon in July 2023. A series of procedures, including simple statistical analyses using pivot tables in MS Excel 2021, enabled us to obtain some results. Significantly more teacher-researchers than researchers were promoted. Assistant professors were the most numerous. Profiles in Humanities and Languages accounted for the lion's share, with 50% of those promoted rated A. Historic establishments were the most successful. Regardless of rank, category, establishment, rating or CTS, women promoted in Gabon generally represented only a third of men. We have attempted to justify the results observed and, above all, to propose remedial actions, in particular those aimed at improving the current presentation of CAMES data.  Keywords: Data access, information processing, statistical analysis, professional career, African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES), Inter-African Consultative Committees (IACC)

Study of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) gonads receptiveness to estradiol and androgen : isolation and use of homologous cDNA probes

National audienc

Differential regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase and estradiol receptor expression in the rainbow trout brain.

International audienceIn numerous fish species, dopamine has been found to strongly inhibit gonadotropin release. Among the enzymes that regulate dopamine turnover, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting anabolic enzyme, could be a target for endocrine feedback regulation. Since dopamine turnover is stimulated by estradiol in rainbow trout, we have investigated the effect of estradiol on TH and estradiol receptor expression. In situ hybridization was used to quantify mRNA levels in the brain of ovariectomized female rainbow trout implanted or not with estradiol pellets. We demonstrated that preoptic TH and estradiol receptor mRNA levels are greatly decreased by gonadectomy during vitellogenesis. For TH expression, this effect was reversed in part by estradiol supplementation. We have also confirmed the existence of an inhibitory gonadal feedback on FSH secretion, mediated by estradiol. The stimulating effect of estradiol on TH expression found in this study could be a pathway involved in gonadal feedback on gonadotropin release

Etude de la réceptivité gonadique aux oestrogènes et de leurs potentialités de synthèse durant la différenciation sexuelle chez la truite-arc-en-ciel <em>(Oncorhynchus mykiss)</em>

National audienc

Etude de la réceptivité gonadique aux oestrogènes et de leurs potentialités de synthèse durant la différenciation sexuelle chez la truite-arc-en-ciel <em>(Oncorhynchus mykiss)</em>

National audienc

Effects of progesterone and estradiol on the reproductive axis in immature diploid and triploid rainbow trout.

International audienceIn fish species, many studies demonstrated the crucial role of estradiol (E2) in the development of the reproductive axis, but progesterone (P) has been described mainly as a precursor steroid and no clear role by itself has been reported. Moreover, a cooperative effect of P (or another progestin) and E2 in fish has never been reported to our knowledge. In the present work, we investigated the effects of P, alone or in combination with E2, on the reproductive-axis of immature rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Liver vitellogenin and estradiol receptor (rtER) mRNA levels increased after E2 treatment, but were unchanged by P treatments as a reflection of peripheral action of steroids. In contrast, at the pituitary level, LH contents increased after E2 and/or P treatments. Focusing on the brain level, we confirmed a clear up regulation of rtER expression by E2 in sterile triploid females, and we also demonstrated a similar stimulating effect of P alone but no cooperative effect together with E2. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that in immature trout, prior to the beginning of the first reproductive cycle, unlike E2, P is able to stimulate the reproductive brain-pituitary axis without affecting vitellogenin synthesis in the liver

Comparaison des modèles LSTM et Transformée en ondelettes pour la prédiction de la température dans une partie du Bassin du Congo

International audienceCurrently, the Congo Basin represents the most important center in terms of biodiversity concentration, especially with the increasing deforestation observed in the Amazon. The available climate models are mostly at larger scales, and few of them focus on specific areas of the Congo Basin, such as the locality of Makokou in Gabon. A new approach is therefore needed to predict temperatures changes in this particular region. Although some work focus on temperature prediction, most do not use deep learning algorithms. This contribution aims to compare the predictions of a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model with those from the combination of Wavelet Transform and LSTM (WT-LSTM). The developed LSTM model includes two LSTM layers, two Dropout layers (with a rate of 50 %) and a Dense layer to outpout the predicted value. The WT-LSTM model shows superior results compared to the LSTM model, with a root mean square error of 0.45 °C, a mean absolute error of 0.35 °C, and a Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.97 °C. These results highlight the importance of using advanced approaches to improve climate forecasts in areas crucial for biodiversity conservation. The increased accuracy of predictions could help better anticipate and mitigate the impacts of of local climate change, thereby contributing to the sustainable management of this ecologically sensitive region

Proposition d’une nouvelle approche d’estimation d’éléphants basée sur les algorithmes de l’Intelligence Artificielle dans les forêts gabonaises

International audienceIn the face of ever-increasing climate change, regular estimates of plant and animal species and fauna species remain vital in the Congo Basin region. However, these estimates often require considerable human, financial and technical resources, financial and technical resources. For the countries of the Congo Basin in general, and Gabon in particular in particular, these resources are not always available due to logistical problems. This makes the task more difficult for those involved in biodiversity conservation. The latter face enormous difficulties in regularly estimating wildlife populations such as elephants, which play an important role in ecosystem conservation. The rise of artificial intelligence, with its various applications in key sectors such as health, economics, industry and meteorology, offers a real alternative to traditional methods of counting pachyderm populations. It would therefore be wise for Gabon to take an interest in this technology in order to alleviate the difficulty of recurrent population counts of large mammals. This article therefore has two major objectives. The first is to take stock of the main methods of estimating elephant populations. The second is to highlight some of the applications of artificial intelligence that could stimulate reflection on the development of new methods for inventorying elephant populations. elephant populations.Face à des changements climatiques de plus en plus importants, les estimations régulières des espèces floristiques et fauniques demeurent capitales dans la région du Bassin du Congo. Cependant, la réalisation de ces estimations nécessite souvent d’importants moyens humains, financiers et techniques. Or pour les pays du Bassin du Congo en général, et au Gabon en particulier, lesdits moyens ne sont pas toujours disponibles à cause des problèmes logistiques. Cela rend ainsi la tâche plus difficile pour les acteurs de conservation de la biodiversité. Ces derniers éprouvent d’énormes difficultés à effectuer de façon récurrente l’estimation des populations de la faune comme les populations d’éléphants, qui jouent un rôle important dans la conservation des écosystèmes. La montée de l’intelligence artificielle avec ses différentes applications dans les secteurs clés comme la santé, l’économie, l’industrie et la météorologie laissent entrevoir une véritable alternative aux méthodes traditionnelles de comptages des populations de pachydermes. Il serait alors judicieux pour le Gabon de s’intéresser à cette technologie afin de pallier la difficulté de comptages récurrents de populations des grands mammifères. Le présent article se fixe donc deux objectifs majeurs. Le premier est la réalisation de l’inventaire des principales méthodes d’estimations de populations d’éléphants. Le second, quant à lui, est la mise en évidence de quelques applications de l’intelligence artificielle pouvant susciter une réflexion sur le développement de nouvelles méthodes d’inventaire des populations d’éléphants

Une variation de température favorisant le conflit homme-éléphant dans le parc national de la Lékédi au Gabon

International audienceThe purpose of the study, conducted from August 8 th to 12 th , 2022, in Gabon's Lékédi National Park, was to assess elephant movement in relation to the availability of Moabi tree fruit. The goal was to understand the close connection between fluctuating temperatures and elephant movement toward human habitations. A questionnaire was utilized to gather insights from 53 individuals, primarily adults residing around Lékédi National Park. Statistical analysis of the collected data revealed a significant correlation between the percentage of individuals noticing changes in Moabi tree productivity and variations in mean annual temperature. The mean annual temperature had increased by +0.06°C over the two consecutive 5-year intervals between 2011 and 2020 (study period). The survey indicated that 56.6% of respondents perceived the Moabi fruit harvest as average in the last two years, and around 90% of people had witnessed their own or a relative's field being devastated by elephants during the same period. Notably, 96.23% of respondents believed that present-day elephants are getting closer to human dwellings, compared to 3.77% who thought they were moving farther away. The lack of available Moabi fruit would encourage elephants to venture into secondary forests, thereby escalating the risk of human-elephant conflict.L'objectif de cette étude, menée du 8 au 12 août 2022 dans le parc national de la Lékédi au Gabon, était d'évaluer les déplacements des éléphants en fonction de la disponibilité des fruits de l'arbre Moabi. L'objectif était de comprendre le lien étroit entre la fluctuation des températures et le déplacement des éléphants vers les habitations humaines. Un questionnaire a été utilisé pour recueillir des informations auprès de 53 personnes, principalement des adultes résidant autour du parc national de la Lékédi. L'analyse statistique des données recueillies a révélé une corrélation significative entre le pourcentage d'individus remarquant des changements dans la productivité des arbres Moabi et les variations de la température moyenne annuelle. La température moyenne annuelle a augmenté de +0,06°C au cours des deux intervalles consécutifs de 5 ans entre 2011 et 2020 (période d'étude). L'enquête a indiqué que 56,6% des personnes interrogées ont perçu la récolte de fruits Moabi comme moyenne au cours des deux dernières années, et environ 90% des personnes ont vu leur propre champ ou celui d'un parent être dévasté par les éléphants au cours de la même période. Notamment, 96,23% des personnes interrogées pensent que les éléphants actuels se rapprochent des habitations humaines, contre 3,77% qui pensent qu'ils s'en éloignent. Le manque de fruits Moabi disponibles encouragerait les éléphants à s'aventurer dans les forêts secondaires, augmentant ainsi le risque de conflit entre l'homme et l'éléphant