The Mozambique channel revisited

Le flux méridien à travers le Canal de Mozambique est étudié en utilisant la différence entre les niveaux moyens des deux côtés du Canal et en estimant l'influence des composantes du vent mesuré sur deux îles basses situées dans le Canal. Les flux méridiens dans le nord et le sud du Canal de Mozambique sont à peu près en phase et le transport méridien est soumis à un cycle saisonnier. Trois croisières inédites (1974-1975) dans le Canal de Mozambique révèlent dans la partie nord (12°-16°S) un tourbillon anticyclonique soumis à des variations saisonnières et interannuelles et un fort flux portant au sud à l'endroit le plus étroit du Canal. (Résumé d'auteur

Consommation en eau d'une culture de manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz) à l'échelle de la parcelle

Sur une parcelle expérimentale de manioc, variété CB (Congo Brazzaville), plantée sur sables tertiaires en Basse Côte d'Ivoire, des mesures neutroniques d'humidité sont effectuées hebdomadairement en vue d'établir le bilan hydrique de la culture. On a pu estimer ainsi, sur une période de 12 mois (d'octobre à octobre), la consommation en eau (ETR) de la plante par la méthode de la "variation des stocks hydriques du sol" (ou méthode du "bilan global"). Les valeurs moyennes de l'ETR varient de 4,0 mm/jour en début de cycle (6 semaines après plantation) à 3,0 mm/jour en milieu de cycle (20ème à 26ème semaine) et 2,5 mm/jour en fin de cycle (46ème semaine). Simultanément, l'évapotranspiration est déterminée par une méthode de mesure au-dessus du couvert végétal, la méthode du rapport de Bowen couplée au bilan d'énergie. Sauf en début de cycle, on obtient des valeurs de l'ETR reliées linéairement aux précédentes. (Résumé d'auteur

Innovative public-private partnerships to maximize the delivery of anti-malarial medicines: lessons learned from the ASAQ Winthrop experience

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This case study describes how a public-private partnership initiated to develop a new anti-malarial combination, ASAQ Winthrop, has evolved over time to address issues posed by its effective deployment in the field.</p> <p>Case description</p> <p>In 2002, DND<it>i </it>created the FACT project to develop two fixed-dose combinations, artesunate-amodiaquine and artesunate-mefloquine, to meet the WHO anti-malarial treatment recommendations and international regulatory agencies approval standards. In 2002, Sanofi-aventis had started a development programme for a fixed-dose combination of artesunate and amodiaquine, to replace its co-blister combination. DND<it>i </it>and sanofi-aventis joined forces in 2004, with the objective of developing within the shortest possible time frame a non-patented, affordable and easy to use fixed-dose combination of artesunate and amodiaquine adapted to the needs of patients, in particular, those of children. The partners developed Coarsucam^®/Artesunate Amodiaquine Winthrop^®("ASAQ Winthrop") which was prequalified by the WHO in 2008. Additional partnerships have since been established by DND<it>i </it>and sanofi-aventis to ensure: 1) the adoption of this new medicine by malaria-endemic countries, 2) its appropriate usage through a broad range of information tools, and 3) the monitoring of its safety and efficacy in the field through an innovative Risk Management Plan.</p> <p>Discussion and evaluation</p> <p>The partnership between DND<it>i </it>and sanofi-aventis has enabled the development and pre-qualification of ASAQ Winthrop in a short timeframe. As a result of the multiple collaborations established by the two partners, as of late 2010, ASAQ Winthrop was registered in 30 sub-Saharan African countries and in India, with over 80 million treatments distributed in 21 countries. To date, 10 clinical studies, involving 3432 patients with ASAQ Winthrop were completed to document efficacy and safety issues identified in the Risk Management Plan.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The speed at which ASAQ Winthrop was adopted in the field shows that this drug fits the needs of patients and health authorities. It also demonstrates the power of partnerships that combine different sets of strengths and skills, and that evolve to include additional actors to meet new global health challenges for poverty-related diseases.</p

Pseudoscalar Vertex, Goldstone Boson and Quark Masses on the Lattice

We analyse the Structure Function collaboration data on the quark pseudoscalar vertex and extract the Goldstone boson pole contribution, in 1/p2. The strength of the pole is found to be quite large at presently accessible scales. We draw the important consequences of this finding for the various definitions of quark masses, and point out potential problems with the operator product expansion.Comment: 13 pages, 6 eps figures, LaTeX. Minor modifications to the text, and corrections to Fig.

The adipocyte differentiation protein APMAP is an endogenous suppressor of Aβ production in the brain

The deposition of amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregates in the brain is a major pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ is generated from the cleavage of C-terminal fragments of the amyloid precursor protein (APP-CTFs) by γ-secretase, an intramembrane-cleaving protease with multiple substrates, including the Notch receptors. Endogenous modulation of γ-secretase is pointed to be implicated in the sporadic, age-dependent form of AD. Moreover, specifically modulating Aβ production has become a priority for the safe treatment of AD because the inhibition of γ-secretase results in adverse effects that are related to impaired Notch cleavage. Here, we report the identification of the adipocyte differentiation protein APMAP as a novel endogenous suppressor of Aβ generation. We found that APMAP interacts physically with γ-secretase and its substrate APP. In cells, the partial depletion of APMAP drastically increased the levels of APP-CTFs, as well as uniquely affecting their stability, with the consequence being increased secretion of Aβ. In wild-type and APP/ presenilin 1 transgenic mice, partial adeno-associated virus-mediated APMAP knockdown in the hippocampus increased Aβ production by ∼20 and ∼55%, respectively. Together, our data demonstrate that APMAP is a negative regulator of Aβ production through its interaction with APP and γ-secretase. All observed APMAP phenotypes can be explained by an impaired degradation of APP-CTFs, likely caused by an altered substrate transport capacity to the lysosomal/autophagic syste