Inventaire des mollusques d'eau douce de la Réunion. Conséquences sanitaires

L'absence de trématodoses majeures à La Réunion, situation paradoxale compte tenu de leur incidence dans les terres voisines de Madagascar et de Maurice et des liens commerciaux étroits qui ont jalonné l'histoire de ces îles justifiait d'établir le bilan des gastéropodes aquatiques vivant actuellement à La Réunion. Cent cinquante-deux stations ont ainsi été prospectées et 5 141 gastéropodes appartenant à 17 espèces récoltés. Leur écologie est évoquée. Quatre espèces pourraient être impliquées dans le cycle de trématodoses humaines et animales dont Limnaea mauritiana qui pullule dans tous les cours d'eau et Bulinus cernicus mis en évidence à Grand Etang et signalé pour la première fois dans l'île. Les mesures destinées à éviter l'implantation des bilharzioses, paramphistomoses et fascioloses humaines et animales dont le cycle passe par ces mollusques sont indiquée

Relative age, biological maturation and anaerobic characteristics in elite youth soccer players

Being relatively older and having an advanced biological maturation status have been associated with increased likelihood of selection in young elite soccer players. The aims of the study were to investigate the presence of a relative age effect (RAE) and the influence of birth quarter on anthropometry, biological maturity and anaerobic parameters in 374 elite Belgian youth soccer players. The sample was divided into 3 age groups, each subdivided into 4 birth quarters (BQ). Players had their APHV estimated and height, weight, SBJ, CMJ, sprint 5 and 30 m were assessed. Overall, more players were born in BQ1 (42.3%) compared with players born in BQ4 (13.7%). Further, MANCOVA revealed no differences in all parameters between the 4 BQ's, controlled for age and APHV. These results suggest that relatively youngest players can offset the RAE if they enter puberty earlier. Furthermore, the results demonstrated possible differences between BQ1 and BQ4, suggesting that caution is necessary when estimating differences between players because of large discrepancies between statistical and practical significance. These findings also show that coaches should develop realistic expectations of the physical abilities of younger players and these expectations should be made in the context of biological characteristics rather than chronological age-based standards. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart. New York

Development and validation of the characteristics of resilience in sports teams inventory

This multi-study paper reports the development and initial validation of an inventory for the Characteristics of Resilience in Sports Teams (CREST). In four related studies, 1225 athletes from Belgium and the United Kingdom were sampled. The first study provided content validity for an initial item set. The second study explored the factor structure of the CREST, yielding initial evidence but no conclusive results. In contrast, the third and fourth study provided evidence for a two-factor measure, reflecting (a) the team’s ability to display resilient characteristics and (b) the vulnerabilities being displayed under pressure. Overall, the CREST was shown to be reliable at the between-players and the between-teams level, as well as over time. Moreover, its concurrent validity was verified by linking the characteristics of team resilience with various relevant team processes. Its discriminant validity was established by comparing the CREST measures with individual athletes’ resilient traits. In conclusion, the CREST was argued to be a usable state-like measure of team-level resilient characteristics and vulnerabilities. To gain further understanding of team resilience as a process, this measurement could be used in future process-oriented research examining adverse events and sports team’s pre- and post-adversity functioning

Observation of isotonic symmetry for enhanced quadrupole collectivity in neutron-rich 62,64,66Fe isotopes at N=40

The transition rates for the 2_{1}^{+} states in 62,64,66Fe were studied using the Recoil Distance Doppler-Shift technique applied to projectile Coulomb excitation reactions. The deduced E2 strengths illustrate the enhanced collectivity of the neutron-rich Fe isotopes up to N=40. The results are interpreted by the generalized concept of valence proton symmetry which describes the evolution of nuclear structure around N=40 as governed by the number of valence protons with respect to Z~30. The deformation suggested by the experimental data is reproduced by state-of-the-art shell calculations with a new effective interaction developed for the fpgd valence space.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Lifetime determination of excited states in Cd-106

Two separate experiments using the Differential Decay Curve Method have been performed to extract mean lifetimes of excited states in 106 Cd. The inedium-spin states of interest were populated by the Mo-98(C-12, 4n) Cd-106 reaction performed at the Wright Nuclear Structure Lab., Yale University. From this experiment, two isomeric state mean lifetimes have been deduced. The low-lying states were populated by the Mo-96(C-13, 3n)Cd-106 reaction performed at the Institut fur Kernphysik, Universitat zu Koln. The mean lifetime of the I-pi = 2(1)(+) state was deduced, tentatively, as 16.4(9) ps. This value differs from the previously accepted literature value from Coulomb excitation of 10.43(9) ps

Reduced capacity of antibodies from patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) group O to neutralize primary isolates of HIV-1 group M viruses

Neutralizing antibody patterns in sera of persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) groups M and a to their homologous and heterologous primary isolates were determined in a peripheral blood mononuclear cell-based neutralization assay and correlated with their ability to bind to V3 loop synthetic peptides. Most HIV-1 group M sera (9/16) neutralized HIV-1 group a viruses, whereas fewer group a sera (3/13) only weakly neutralized HIV-1 group M viruses. Group M sera neutralizing HIV-1 group a viruses neutralized other HIV-1 group M viruses with titers of 1:10-1:1280. V3 loop binding capacity of sera did not reflect their neutralizing capacity of the homologous isolate. Despite the reduced neutralizing capacity of group a-infected patients ' sera to group M viruses, some group M- infected patients ' sera neutralized both HIV-1 group M and a isolates, suggesting that they share some conserved neutralizing epitopes. Nucleic acid sequence analysis of the envelope gene of hu-man immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates has thus far distinguished at least 8 subtypes, A-H [1-3], which to-gether are referred to as HIV-1 group M (for major). However, the relevance of these genetic subtypes in terms of neutraliza

Laser treatments for skin diseases:Towards an international registry

De snelle ontwikkeling van lasertechnologie in het afgelopen decennium heeft geleid tot de introductie van veel nieuwe indicaties voor laser behandelingen. Lasertherapie is een onmisbare therapeutische modaliteit geworden in de dermatologie. Dit komt tot uiting in het aantal artikelen waarin specifieke indicaties worden beschreven die vaak onder de zeldzame ziekten in de dermatologie behoren. Er zijn echter beperkte gegevens over de rol van laserbehandelingen binnen het gehele spectrum van huidziekten. Over de effectiviteit van lasertherapie bij zeldzame ziekten is voornamelijk weinig informatie. Momenteel meten individuele onderzoekers uitkomsten die ze geschikt achten voor laser studies. Bij het samenvatten zien we dat er veel heterogeniteit is in de laser studies. Met het gebruik van diverse uitkomsten is het lastig om laserbehandelingen te vergelijken en te combineren. Een internationaal register kan helpen om laserbehandelingen in de loop van de tijd te evalueren. Een standaardisatie van uitkomstmeting in deze studie is hiervoor essentieel. Dit proefschrift bestaat uit twee delen. Het eerste deel behandelt de ontwikkeling van de Generic Outcome Set (GOS) voor het internationale Laser trEAtments in Dermatology (LEAD) register. Het tweede deel beschrijft de effectiviteit van lasers voor epidermale naevi op lange termijn. Daarnaast worden verschillende aspecten van veiligheid besproken, variërend van het evalueren van laser-geïnduceerde rook tijdens laser ontharingsbehandelingen, tot de perceptie en het gebruik van veiligheidsmaatregelen door artsen

Identification of mixed-symmetry states in an odd-mass nearly-spherical nucleus

The low-spin structure of 93Nb has been studied using the (n,n' gamma) reaction at neutron energies ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 MeV and the 94Zr(p,2n gamma)93Nb reaction at bombarding energies from 11.5 to 19 MeV. States at 1779.7 and 1840.6 keV, respectively, are proposed as mixed-symmetry states associated with the coupling of a proton hole in the p_1/2 orbit to the 2+_1,ms state in 94Mo. These assignments are derived from the observed M1 and E2 transition strengths to the symmetric one-phonon states, energy systematics, spins and parities, and comparison with shell model calculations.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure