Study of pattern of congenital anomalies at tertiary center in Maharashtra, India

Background: To highlight common pattern of congenital malformation seen at hospital population of tertiary care center in Maharashtra.Methods: The study was a descriptive prospective study and conducted in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology of government medical college Latur, Maharashtra for a period of six months. Study includes all womens coming for 2nd trimester MTP due to congenital anomalies in foetus and women’s admitted in labour having anomalous foetus. Details of maternal age, parity, type of anomaly present and sex of fetus were noted.Results: Total babies born in the study period were 3482 (including the second trimester abortions). Total babies with congenital abnormality were 75, making the prevalence 2.15%. 10 cases (13.33) had multiple anomalies involving more than one system. The predominant system involved was central nervous system 40 (53.33%) followed by gastrointestinal system 15 (20%). In this study male babies affected more than females.Conclusions: Prevalence of the congenital anomalies will be definitely higher at tertiary care center and to know prevalence in community, more community based studies are required. Increased awareness about preventable risk factors may help in reducing the incidence of congenital anomalies

Tree Establishment on Post-Mining Waste Soils: Species, Density, and Mixture Effects

Tree establishment to restore degraded boreal post-mining lands is challenged by low soil productivity, a harsh microclimate, and potentially high contaminant levels. The use of mixed vegetation can facilitate the microclimate but increase competition for soil resources. A statistical accounting of plant–plant interactions and adaptation to multispecies conditions is hard to achieve in field experiments; trials under controlled conditions can distinguish effects of planting density and species interactions in the early stages of plant establishment. A greenhouse trial was established in containers (“mesocosms”) with waste rock or fine tailings from gold mines. Pregerminated (1-week-old) seedlings (Alnus viridis subsp. crispa, Picea glauca, Populus tremuloides, Salix arbusculoides) were planted using a Nelder density gradient design, modified for species combinations. A relative competition effect was estimated as a competitiveness index for each species combination, calculated as a ratio of α coefficients in the Holliday growth equation. The specific leaf area (SLA) was measured to indicate plant water stress adaptation. All species grew better in monoculture on fine tailings, while only P. tremuloides grew better in all mixtures on waste rock. Although net positive effects of density on SLA increment during early growth suggested microclimate improvement on fine tailings, no mixture provided advantages for both species in paired combinations

Géohistoire du massif forestier d’Écouves (Orne, Normandie)

Située à la limite du Massif armoricain et du Bassin parisien, la forêt d’Écouves, de par sa topographie, son évolution diachronique et ses spécificités biopédologiques, s’écarte du corpus des forêts de plaines et de plateaux étudiées ces dernières années en France métropolitaine. L’étude géohistorique du massif forestier d’Écouves repose sur une démarche pluridisciplinaire s’appuyant sur des méthodes propres à l’histoire (dépouillement des archives), l’archéologie (prospection pédestre), l’archéobotanique (palynologie, datation 14C) et la géographie (carto-interprétation, intégration des informations sous SIG). Cet article propose un premier schéma de l’évolution du paysage forestier d’Écouves sur les cinq derniers siècles illustrant la construction de l’espace (dynamiques sylvicoles, transmission des formes) sur la longue durée. Si les traces d’anthropisation semblent plus ténues qu’ailleurs, ce travail souligne néanmoins la nécessité d’appréhender l’espace forestier comme un palimpseste spatial conservant des héritages anthropiques surimposés et des dynamiques biogéographiques qu’il convient de révéler.Situated at the limits of the Armorican Massif and the Paris Basin, the Écouves Forest, due to its topography, its diachronic evolution and its special bio-pedological characteristics, differs from the corpus of forests found on plains and plateaus studied in recent years in metropolitan France. The geohistorical study of the Écouves Forest Massif is based on a multidisciplinary approach using methods employed in the fields of history (archive analysis), archaeology (prospecting on foot), archaeobotany (palynology, carbon-14 dating) and geography (the interpretation of maps and the integration of information generated by GISs). This article proposes an initial outline of the evolution of the Écouves Forest landscape over the last five centuries illustrating the construction of space (silvicultural dynamics, the transmission of forms) over a long period. Although the traces of anthropization appear to be more tenuous than elsewhere, this work stresses the need to understand the forest as a spatial palimpsest preserving superimposed anthropic legacies and bio-geographic dynamics which are of scientific interest

Experiences from southern Quebec provide ecological insights for the implementation of tree-based intercropping systems

Paper presented at the 11th North American Agroforesty Conference, which was held May 31-June 3, 2009 in Columbia, Missouri.In Gold, M.A. and M.M. Hall, eds. Agroforestry Comes of Age: Putting Science into Practice. Proceedings, 11th North American Agroforestry Conference, Columbia, Mo., May 31-June 3, 2009.Recent experiments in Quebec aimed to provide scientific arguments favouring the adoption of tree-based intercropping (TBI) systems in eastern Canada's rural landscape. The specific objectives of this research were to: (1) test whether a soybean intercrop between tree rows increases soil microbial biomass C, soil N fertility and tree growth compared to a harrowing treatment between tree rows; (2) determine the effects of the soybean intercrop on the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (assessed using SSU rRNA genes) compared to harrowing; and (3) determine whether TBI increases soil microbial beta-diversity (assessed using extractable phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles) compared to an adjacent conventional monocropping system. The TBI field was set in 2000 in southwestern Quebec using alternating rows of hybrid poplars (Populus spp.) and hardwood species spaced 8 m apart. Soybean (Glycine max L. (Merr.)) was grown between tree rows since 2004. During the 2005-2006 study period, soil microbial biomass C and N availability were higher in the soybean intercrop treatment or on par with those in the harrowing treatment. Hybrid poplar biomass increment in the soybean intercrop treatment was greater by 51 [percent] to that in the harrowing treatment and diagnostic of leaf nutrient status indicated that hybrid poplars were positively affected by the increase in N supply provided through intercrop management. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity, as expressed by the Shannon-Wiener indices, were 0.82 for the soybean and 0.70 for hybrid poplar under the soybean intercrop treatment, and 0.53 for hybrid poplar under the harrowing treatment. The neighboring trees and soybean plants hosted different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities, suggesting that TBI systems may enhance arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal richness compared to monocultures. The soil microbial beta-diversity, based on a measure of dispersion among the PLFA profiles within each sampled grid, was higher in the TBI than in the conventional soybean monocropping system, suggesting that TBI systems could play an important ecological role in the conservation of microbial functions (e.g., nutrient cycling), even in the face of wide variations of environmental conditions and inputs.David Rivest (1), Vincent Chifflot (2), Simon Lacombe (3), Alain Cogliastro (4), Robert Bradley (3), Anne Vanasse (1), Damase Khasa (2) and Alain Olivier (1) ; 1. De_partement de phytologie, Universit� Laval, Qu�bec (QC), Canada. 2. D�partement des sciences du bois et de la for�t, Universit� Laval, Qu�bec (QC), Canada. 3. D�partement de biologie, Universit� de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke (QC), Canada. 4. Institut de recherche en biologie v�g�tale, Universit� de Montr�al & Jardin botanique de Montr�al, Montr�al (QC), Canada.n and 0.70 forIncludes bibliographical references

Hiring in Malagasy companies: analysis of the subjective criteria prioritized by recruiters

Le recrutement regroupe un processus comprenant un ensemble d’étapes non négligeable afin de trouver le meilleur profil parmi un bon nombre de candidatures. Depuis la définition du besoin jusqu’à l’intégration du nouveau recru, chaque étape du processus se doit être objectivé pour limiter les risques d’erreur. Cependant, bien qu’une fiche de poste ait été établie au préalable, des critères de choix subjectifs submergent pendant la sélection. Mis à part les critères de performance recherchés chez un candidat, d’autres facteurs subjectifs influencent la décision des professionnels du métier. Ces critères subjectifs sont générés par des normes sociales propres à chaque recruteur. Elles peuvent provenir d’une similarité observateur-observé, de la norme d’internalité ou de l’appartenance à un groupe social, etc.  Cet article hiérarchise les critères subjectifs émergents au moment du choix final d’un candidat à l’embauche grâce à une méthodologie d’analyse qualitative. Afin d’expliquer l’apparition de facteurs subjectifs difficilement admis dans la pratique, l’article s’appuie sur  une étude comparative de la littérature traitant sur le sujet  et le résultat de traitement des discours collectés auprès de divers professionnels en recrutement grâce à l’utilisation du logiciel Nvivo. Le résultat de traitement des données pointe la primauté du critère de l’apparence physique reflétant à première vue la personnalité d’un candidat puisqu’il est considéré par tous comme étant le premier indicateur de jugement social dans les premières secondes suivant la première rencontre entre le recruteur et le candidat. C’est ce phénomène qu’on entend par effet de halo. Mais bien qu’il soit aperçu comme un biais cognitif, il occupe une place considérable lors de la sélection du meilleur candidat à l’embauche.   Classification JEL: M51  Type de l’article : Recherche appliquéeRecruitment is a process that includes a number of important steps in order to find the best profile among a large number of candidates. From the definition of the need to the integration of the new recruit, each step of the process must be objective to limit the risks of error. However, although a job description has been drawn up beforehand, subjective selection criteria overwhelm the selection process. Apart from the performance criteria sought in a candidate, other subjective factors influence the decision of the trade professionals. These subjective criteria are generated by social norms specific to each recruiter. They can be derived from observer-observed similarity, norms of internality or membership of a social group, etc.  This article prioritizes the subjective criteria that emerge when making the final choice of a job candidate using a qualitative analysis methodology. In order to explain the appearance of subjective factors that are difficult to accept in practice, the article relies on a comparative study of the literature on the subject and the result of processing the speeches collected from various recruitment professionals using the Nvivo software. The result of the data processing points to the primacy of the criterion of physical appearance reflecting at first sight the personality of a candidate since it is considered by all as being the first indicator of social judgment in the first seconds following the first meeting between the recruiter and the candidate. This phenomenon is known as the halo effect. But although it is seen as a cognitive bias, it plays a considerable role in selecting the best candidate for the job.   JEL Classification: M51 Paper type: Empirical researc

Textiles as Material Gestalt: Cloth as a Catalyst in the Co-designing Process

Textiles is the common language within Emotional Fit, a collaborative research project investigating a person-centred, sustainable approach to fashion for an ageing female demographic (55+). Through the co-designing of a collection of research tools, textiles have acted as a material gestalt for exploring our research participants' identities by tracing their embodied knowledge of fashionable dress. The methodology merges Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, co-design and a simultaneous approach to textile and garment design. Based on an enhanced understanding of our participants textile preferences, particular fabric qualities have catalysed silhouettes, through live draping and geometric pattern cutting to accommodate multiple body shapes and customisation. Printedtextiles have also been digitally crafted in response to the contours of the garment and body and personal narratives of wear. Sensorial and tactile interactions have informed the engineering and scaling of patterns within zero-waste volumes. The article considers the functional and aesthetic role of textiles

Mycorrhizae and Rhizobacteria on Precambrian Rocky Gold Mine Tailings: II. Mine-Adapted Symbionts Alleviate Soil Element Imbalance for a Better Nutritional Status of White Spruce Seedlings

In the context of a phytorestoration project, the purpose of this study was to assess the respective contribution to the nutritional status of Picea glauca seedlings of ectomycorrhizae and rhizobacteria native or not to the Sigma-Lamaque gold mine wastes in northern Quebec, Canada. In a glasshouse experiment, inoculated plants were grown for 32 weeks on coarse waste rocks or fine tailings obtained from the mining site. The survival, health, growth, and nutritional status of plants were better on coarse waste rocks than on fine tailings. Fe and Ca were especially found at high levels in plant tissues but at much lower concentrations on waste rocks. Interestingly, inoculation of microsymbionts had only minimal effects on N, P, K, and Mg plant status that were indeed close or within the concentration range encountered in healthy seedlings. However, both fungal and bacterial treatments improved Fe and Ca concentrations in plant tissues. Fe concentration in the foliage of plants inoculated with the fungi Tricholoma scalpturatum Tri. scalp. MBN0213 GenBank #KC840613 and Cadophora finlandia Cad. fin. MBN0213 GenBank #KC840625 was reduced by >50%. Both fungi were isolated from the mining site. The rhizobacteria, Azotobacter chroococcum, also improved plant Fe level in some cases. Regarding Ca nutritional status, the native bacterial strain Pseudomonas putida MBN0213 GenBank #AY391278 was the only symbiont that reduced foliar content by up to 23%. Ca concentration was negatively correlated with the fungal mycorrhization rate of seedling roots. This relation was especially strong (r = -0.66, p-value ≤ 0.0001) in the case of C. finlandia. Also, a similar relationship existed with root Fe concentration (r = -0.44, p-value ≤ 0.0001). In fact, results showed that seedling performance was more correlated with elevated Ca and Fe concentration in planta than with nutrient deficiency. Also, native microsymbionts were capable of regulating seedling nutrition in the poor substrate of the Sigma-Lamaque gold mine tailings

Anthropisation Et Dynamique Des Paysages En Pays Agonlin Au Bénin

The temporal dynamics of landscapes in pays Agonlin zone of south Benin (West Africa) were studied through a diachronic analysis of three Landsat images (TM 1986, ETM 2000 et OLI TIR, 2015), supported by field visits. The results indicate that the forest cover was reduced from 35.46 % in 1986 to 9.97 % in 2016. This decrease of forest area went together with a loss of savannah area. On the other hand, agricultural areas increased up to 23.21% over the same period. Landscape pattern analysis by means of configuration metrics revealed a fragmentation of natural and seminatural vegetation by agricultural activities, leading to an aggregation of agricultural patches. As general trend, human activities and demographic growth have caused significant changes to the landscapes of the study region