Note de cadrage Mali

International audienceThe present communication assesses the general agricultural conditions in Mali, the main actors in the agriculture sector, the existing agriculture policies, the environmental issues, the energy context, and the potential for biofuels in this environmental, socio-economic et political contex.La présente communication dresse un état des lieux des conditions générales de l'agriculture au Mali, des acteurs principaux du secteur agricole, des politiques agricoles existantes, des importations et exportations agricoles, des enjeux environnementaux, du contexte énergétique, et de la place des biocarburants dans cet environnement écologique, socio-économique et politique

Incidental pseudolymphomatous bladder inflammatory polyp revealing urinary schistosomiasis

SummaryA 25-year-old female who had returned from a trip to Madagascar that was not reported, underwent an endoscopic bladder polyp resection. Histopathology examination revealed an intense pseudolymphomatous inflammatory polyp caused by a Schistosoma infection. Bladder polyps due to schistosomiasis represent a rare condition in developed countries and have to be ruled out in the case of any intense unexplained inflammation

Two caesium vanadium hydrogenphosphates with tunnelled structures: Cs2V2O3(PO4)(HPO4) and Cs2[(VO)3(HPO4)4(H2O)].H2O

International audienceDicaesium divanadium trioxide phosphate hydrogenphosphate, Cs2V2O3(PO4)(HPO4), (I), and dicaesium tris[oxidovanadate(IV)] hydrogenphosphate dihydrate, Cs2[(VO)3-(HPO4)4(H2O)] H2O, (II), crystallize in the monoclinic system with all atoms in general positions. The structures of the two compounds are built up from VO6 octahedra and PO4 tetrahedra. In (I), infinite chains of corner-sharing VO6 octahedra are connected to V2O10 dimers by phosphate and hydrogenphosphate groups, while in (II) three vanadium octahedra share vertices leading to V3O15(H2O) trimers separated by hydrogenphosphate groups. Both structures show three-dimensional frameworks with tunnels in which Cs+ cations are located

Using near infrared spectroscopy and heart rate variability to detect mental overload

Mental workload is a key factor influencing the occurrence of human error, especially during piloting and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations, where safety depends on the ability of pilots to act appropriately. In particular, excessively high or low mental workload can lead operators to neglect critical information. The objective of the present study is to investigate the potential of functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) – a non-invasive method of measuring prefrontal cortex activity – in combination with measurements of heart rate variability (HRV), to predict mental workload during a simulated piloting task, with particular regard to task engagement and disengagement. Twelve volunteers performed a computer-based piloting task in which they were asked to follow a dynamic target with their aircraft, a task designed to replicate key cognitive demands associated with real life ROV operating tasks. In order to cover a wide range of mental workload levels, task difficulty was manipulated in terms of processing load and difficulty of control – two critical sources of workload associated with piloting and remotely operating a vehicle. Results show that both fNIRS and HRV are sensitive to different levels of mental workload; notably, lower prefrontal activation as well as a lower LF/HF ratio at the highest level of difficulty, suggest that these measures are suitable for mental overload detection. Moreover, these latter measurements point towards the existence of a quadratic model of mental workload

Measurement of particle and bubble accelerations in turbulence

4 pagesWe use an extended laser Doppler technique to track optically the velocity of individual particles in a high Reynolds number turbulent flow. The particle sizes are of the order of the Kolmogorov scale and the time resolution, 30 microseconds, resolves the fastest scales of the fluid motion. Particles are tracked for mean durations of the order of 10 Kolmogorov time scales. The fastest scales of the particle motion are resolved and the particle acceleration is measured. For neutrally buoyant particles, our measurement matches the performance of the silicon strip detector technique introduced at Cornell University~\cite{Voth,MordantCornell}. This reference dynamics is then compared to that of slightly heavier solid particles (density 1.4) and to air bubbles. We observe that the acceleration variance strongly depends on the particle density: bubbles experience higher accelerations than fluid particles, while heavier particles have lower accelerations. We find that the probability distribution functions of accelerations normalized to the variance are very close although the air bubbles have a much faster dynamics

Trade integration and trade imbalances in the European Union: a network perspective

We study the ever more integrated and ever more unbalanced trade relationships between European countries. To better capture the complexity of economic networks, we propose two global measures that assess the trade integration and the trade imbalances of the European countries. These measures are the network (or indirect) counterparts to traditional (or direct) measures such as the trade-to-GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and trade deficit-to-GDP ratios. Our indirect tools account for the European intercountry trade structure and follow (i) a decomposition of the global trade flow into elementary flows that highlight the long-range dependencies between exporting and importing economies and (ii) the commute-time distance for trade integration, which measures the impact of a perturbation in the economy of a country on another country, possibly through intermediate partners by domino effect. Our application addresses the impact of the launch of the Euro. We find that the indirect imbalance measures better identify the countries ultimately bearing deficits and surpluses, by neutralizing the impact of trade transit countries, such as the Netherlands. Among others, we find that ultimate surpluses of Germany are quite concentrated in only three partners. We also show that for some countries, the direct and indirect measures of trade integration diverge, thereby revealing that these countries (e.g

Waist circumference does not predict circulating adiponectin levels in sub-Saharan women

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Because of previously reported ethnic differences in determinants and markers of obesity and related metabolic disorders, we sought to investigate circulating levels of adiponectin and their correlates in a sub-Saharan African (sSA) population.</p> <p>Subjects and Methods</p> <p>We studied 70 non-diabetic volunteers (33M/37F) living in Yaoundé, Cameroon, aged 24–69 yr, with BMI 20–42 kg/m². In all participants we measured waist circumference and total body fat by bioimpedance, and obtained a fasting venous blood sample for measurement of plasma glucose, serum insulin and adiponectin concentrations. We performed a euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp in 1/4 subjects, and HOMA_IRwas used as surrogate of fasting insulin sensitivity index since it best correlates to clamp measurements.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Males had lower adiponectin levels than females (8.8 ± 4.3 vs. 11.8 ± 5.5 μg/L). There was no significant correlation between adiponectin and total body fat (r_s= -0.03; NS), whereas adiponectin was inversely correlated with waist circumference (r_s= -0.39; p = 0.001). Adiponectin correlated negatively with insulin resistance (r_s= -0.35; p = 0.01). In a regression analysis using fasting adiponectin concentration as the dependent variable, and age, HOMA_IR, waist circumference, and fat mass as predictors, waist circumference (β = -3.30; p = 0.002), fat mass (β = -2.68; p = 0.01), and insulin resistance (β = -2.38; p = 0.02) but not age (β = 1.11; p = 0.27) were independent predictors of adiponectin. When considering gender, these relations persisted with the exception of waist circumference in females.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Adiponectin correlates in this study population are comparable to those observed in Caucasians with the exception of waist circumference in women. The metabolic significance of waist circumference is therefore questioned in sSA women.</p