Building a new brand community through online media: The transition from print to online platforms at \u3cem\u3eLe 10 Sport\u3c/em\u3e

As online media increasingly assumes dominance in the marketplace, we use the case study of French company Le 10 Sport to explore the complexities associated with transition from print to online media and the impact on brand community. Le 10 Sport is a sport media company that has successfully gone online. As traditional print media outlets are increasingly pressured by the need to abandon existing readerships and go online, the essential question explored in this paper is can a sports media producer build and maintain its brand community while transitioning to the online platform? The findings suggest the transition from print to online was ultimately positive for this company, enabling them to differentiate from competitors and re-position after a tumultuous start. Le 10 Sport’s experience is instructive for seeing how transition to online poses particular challenges for media marketers, particularly those seeking to transition their product and their marketing. Therefore, some general implications are discussed

Effet des acides gras polyinsaturés EPA et DHA dans un modèle d’infarctus du myocarde

Plusieurs études montrent que les acides gras (AG) oméga-3 sont bénéfiques pour la santé cardiovasculaire. Une étude antérieure dans notre laboratoire a montré que l’administration des acides gras oméga-3 réduit la taille de l'infarctus du myocarde (IM). Cependant, la question demeure de savoir si les deux principaux acides gras oméga-3 à longue chaîne, l'acide eicosapentaénoïque (EPA) et l'acide docosahexaénoïque (DHA) possèdent la même efficacité à réduire la taille de l'infarctus. Le but de ce projet sera de déterminer l’efficacité relative de chacun de ces acides gras oméga-3 à protéger le cœur dans un modèle d’ischémie/reperfusion et d’étudier certaines voies de cardioprotection. Des rats mâles adultes Sprague-Dawley ont été nourris pendant 14 jours avec une diète comprenant l'un: 1- aucun AG oméga-3; 2- 5 g d'EPA / kg de nourriture; 3- 5 g de DHA / kg de nourriture; 4- 2,5 g de chaque oméga-3 AG / kg de nourriture; 5- 5 g chaque AG oméga-3 / kg de nourriture. Par la suite, les animaux ont été soumis à une ischémie pendant 40 minutes, causée par l'occlusion de l'artère coronaire gauche descendante. Au bout de 24 heures de reperfusion, la taille de l'infarctus est déterminée. Dans un sous-groupe d'animaux, l'activité d’Akt et des caspase-3 sont mesurées dans la région ischémique après 30 minutes de reperfusion. Finalement, à 15 minutes de reperfusion, l'ouverture du pore de transition de perméabilité mitochondriale mPTP est déterminée dans un autre sous-groupe. Les résultats indiquent que les diètes EPA ou DHA réduisent de manière significative la taille de l'infarctus par rapport à la diète sans AG oméga-3, tandis que la combinaison de deux acides gras oméga-3 n'a pas montré de diminution de la taille de l'infarctus. L'activité de la caspase-3 est réduite pour le groupe DHA puis, l'activité d'Akt est augmentée avec les diètes EPA et DHA seules. Finalement, en présence d’une diète enrichie uniquement de DHA, l'ouverture des mPTP est retardée comparativement aux autres diètes.Several studies show that fatty acids (FA) Omega-3 are beneficial for cardiovascular health. A previous study in our laboratory has shown that omega-3 intake AG reduced the size of the myocardial infarction. However the question remains whether the two main omega-3 long chain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are also effective in reducing infarct size. The purpose of this project is to determine the mechanisms by which one or other of the FA Omega-3 act to protect the myocardium. For this purpose, Sprague-Dawley adult male rats were fed for 14 days with diets comprising one of: 1- Any FA omega-3; 2- 5 mg EPA / kg diet; 3- 5 mg DHA / kg feed; 4- 2.5 mg of each omega-3 AG / kg diet; 5- 5 mg each AG omega-3 / kg of feed. Thereafter, the animals were subjected to ischemia for 40 minutes, caused by occlusion of the left coronary artery descending. At 24 hours of reperfusion, the infarct size is determined. In a subgroup of animals, the activity of caspase-3 and the activation levels of Akt are measured in the ischemic region to 30 minutes of reperfusion. And finally at 15 minutes of reperfusion, the opening of the permeability transition pore mitochondrial mPTP is determined. The results indicate that diets EPA or DHA significantly reduce the infarct size compared to the diet without FA omega-3 while the combination of two FA omega-3 did not show reduction of the infarct size. The activity of caspase-3 is reduced to the DHA group, then AKT activity is increased with EPA and DHA diets and DHA individually confers a resistance to the opening of the pore mPTP. EPA and DHA are individually effective in reducing infarct size while the combination of 2 FA is not at low concentrations

Preliminary studies of acute and sub-chronic toxicity of the aqueous extract of Guibourtia tessmannii (Harms) J. Leonard stem barks (Caesalpiniaceae) in mice and rats

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the toxicity of aqueous extract of Guibourtia tessmannii (Harms) J. Leonard (G. tessmannii) and evaluate its safety.MethodsNMRI mice were used to determine the acute toxicity of G. tessmannii. Increasing concentrations of the plant extracts were administered intraperitoneally or by force-feeding. General behavior and death were monitored and recorded daily for 7 days. In order to determine the sub-acute toxicity of the extract, several doses were administered by oral gavage daily for 28 days in adult Wistar rats. Different parameters were assessed including body weight, food and water intake, biochemical parameters and several vital organ weights.ResultsLD50 of 328.78 mg/kg was obtained by i.p. route and more than 5000 mg/kg was obtained in acute toxicity by oral route. In sub-acute toxicity, no significant alteration was observed in body weight or vital organs, food and water intake, and biochemical parameters.ConclusionsThe results showed that the aqueous extract of G. tessmannii has low toxicity intraperitoneally and no sub-acute toxicity via oral intake

An overview of anti-diabetic plants used in Gabon: Pharmacology and Toxicology

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Ethnopharmacological relevance: The management of diabetes mellitus management in African communities, especially in Gabon, is not well established as more than 60% of population rely on traditional treatments as primary healthcare. The aim of this review was to collect and present the scientific evidence for the use of medicinal plants that are in currect by Gabonese traditional healers to manage diabetes or hyperglycaemia based here on the pharmacological and toxicological profiles of plants with anti-diabetic activity. There are presented in order to promote their therapeutic value, ensure a safer use by population and provide some bases for further study on high potential plants reviewed. Materials and methods: Ethnobotanical studies were sourced using databases such as Online Wiley library, Pubmed, Google Scholar, PROTA, books and unpublished data including Ph.D. and Master thesis, African and Asian journals. Keywords including ‘Diabetes’ ‘Gabon’ ‘Toxicity’ ‘Constituents’ ‘hyperglycaemia’ were used. Results: A total of 69 plants currently used in Gabon with potential anti-diabetic activity have been identified in the literature, all of which have been used in in vivo or in vitro studies. Most of the plants have been studied in human or animal models for their ability to reduce blood glucose, stimulate insulin secretion or inhibit carbohydrates enzymes. Active substances have been identified in 12 out of 69 plants outlined in this review, these include Allium cepa and Tabernanthe iboga. Only eight plants have their active substances tested for anti-diabetic activity and are suitables for further investigation. Toxicological data is scarce and is dose-related to the functional parameters of major organs such as kidney and liver. Conclusion: An in-depth understanding on the pharmacology and toxicology of Gabonese anti-diabetic plants is lacking yet there is a great scope for new treatments. With further research, the use of Gabonese anti-diabetic plants is important to ensure the safety of the diabetic patients in Gabon.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Mechanisms bywhich dietary fatty acids regulate mitochondrial structure-function in health and disease

Mitochondria are the energy-producing organelles within a cell. Furthermore, mitochondria have a role in maintaining cellular homeostasis and proper calcium concentrations, building critical components of hormones and other signaling molecules, and controlling apoptosis. Structurally, mitochondria are unique because they have 2 membranes that allow for compartmentalization. The composition and molecular organization of thesemembranes are crucial to the maintenance and function of mitochondria. In this review, we first present a general overview of mitochondrial membrane biochemistry and biophysics followed by the role of different dietary saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in modulatingmitochondrial membrane structure-function.We focus extensively on long-chain n-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids and their underlyingmechanisms of action. Finally,we discuss implications of understanding molecular mechanisms by which dietary n-3 fatty acids targetmitochondrial structure-function in metabolic diseases such as obesity, cardiac-ischemia reperfusion injury, obesity, type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and select cancers

Secular variation in Africa and Mexico

Pour comprendre l’origine du champ géomagnétique et anticiper son évolution future, il est essentiel de connaître sa variation séculaire durant les derniers millénaires. Les mesures directes de cette variation ne sont disponibles que depuis le XIXème siècle pour l’intensité et le XVIème siècle pour la direction. Il est toutefois possible d’obtenir des données pour les périodes plus anciennes, en ayant recours à l’archéomagnétisme sur des terres cuites archéologiques et coulées volcaniques car ils acquièrent une aimantation thermorémanente (ATR) parallèle et proportionnelle au champ géomagnétique environnant au cours de leur dernière chauffe à haute température. L’étude au laboratoire de cette ATR permet de retrouver la direction et l’intensité du champ ancien. Pour compléter la base de données africaines, nous avons travaillé, au Kenya et au Tchad, sur quatorze bas-fourneaux respectivement datés des XV-XVIème et XVII-XXème siècles. Au total, quatorze données directionnelles moyennes ont été obtenues. Une intensité a aussi été obtenues sur un four archéologique du Kenya en utilisant le protocole de Thellier-Thellier et appliquer les corrections d’anisotropie et de vitesse de refroidissement. Une autre limite de la base de données archéomagnétique est la qualité inégale des données, notamment des paléo-intensités. Neuf directions moyennes et huit intensités ont pu être obtenues sur les fours archéologiques de Casas de Fuego. Ce travail a permis d’obtenir des données du champ magnétique en Afrique et au Mexique, qui plus est vecteur total, qui vont enrichir les bases de données archéomagnétiques et permettront d’améliorer les courbes régionales de la variation séculaireTo understand the origin of the geomagnetic field and anticipate its future evolution, it is essential to know its secular variation over the last millennia. Direct measurements of this variation are only available since the 19th century for intensity and the 16th century for direction. However, it is possible to obtain data for earlier periods using archaeomagnetism on archaeological baked clays and volcanic flows because they acquire a thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) parallel and proportional to the ambient geomagnetic field during their last heating at high temperature. The laboratory study of this TRM makes it possible to recover the direction and intensity of the past field. In this context, this work presents archaeomagnetic studies in Africa and in Mexico. To complete the African database, we worked, in Kenya and Chad, on fourteen iron furnaces dated in the 15th-16th and 17th-20th centuries respectively. A total of fourteen mean directional data were obtained after alternating field and / or thermal demagnetization. We also obtained a mean intensity on a furnace from Kenya using the Thellier-Thellier protocol after applying the correction for anisotropy and the effect of the cooling rate. Another limitation of the archaeomagnetic database is the unequal data quality, especially the paleointensities. Nine mean directions and eight intensities were obtained on the kilns from Casas de Fuego. This work has allowed us to obtain high quality full vector data that will enhance the archaeomagnetic database and will improve the regional curves. He also highlights the interest of archaeomagnetic dating, which is more precise than radiocarbon datin

Vulnérabilité des forêts tropicales humides aux changements climatiques prévus en Afrique

Climate is the main factor influencing tree species distribution. Across Africa global climate projections predict significant and rapid changes in the coming decades and these changes could affect the composition, structure and functioning of tropical African forests. Here, we used occurrence data from the RAINBIO database for native plants in Africa, combined with climatic layers, to infer the climatic tolerances of tropical forest tree and shrub species. This enabled us to assess the vulnerability of African tropical forests to changes in mean annual temperature, precipitation, and water deficit by 2080 under different climate scenarios. We formed communities (tree and shrub species coexisting in a pixel) using a multiple-resolution mask covering the tropical forests of the Congo Basin and West Africa. The climatic vulnerability was assessed using three parameters: the exposure (anomaly between current and future climate conditions), the safety margin (potential tolerance to changing climate conditions of species) and the risk (potential negative consequences of climate change on species). A total of 1009 communities were created, with resolutions ranging from 0.125 to 1°C, incorporating 3536 forest tree and shrub species. Under the RCP 4.5, a general warming trend is predicted in the tropical African forest, with over 73% of communities projected to be at risk from temperature increase by 2080. Around 11% of communities are projected to be at risk from increase in water deficit, while the risk from precipitation decrease is negligible. In terms of perspectives, we will include forest plot data in the vulnerability framework and investigate shifts in the floristic composition. This approach holds promise for understanding the complex dynamics of tropical African forests in the face of climate change and provide critical information for conservation and management strategies integrating future environmental challenges

The size of topographic depressions in a Sahelian savanna is a driver of woody vegetation diversity

In drylands, water availability is the main limiting factor for plant growth. Topographic depressions in the Sahel that reveal a more favorable water balance display greater tree diversity compared to their surroundings. However, the environmental factors that drive differences in botanical composition between depressions remain unknown. Here, we investigated the depression features, and the landscape and connectivity metrics responsible for woody vegetation composition in a savanna of Senegal. We mapped depressions in a 700 km2 area and inventoried woody vegetation in 61 depressions varying in area. Simple linear models were applied between (i) indicators of richness and botanical composition and (ii) depression attributes, landscape and connectivity metrics. We found that the area of a depression increased species richness. The number of vegetation strata and the presence of a temporary pond also positively influenced species richness. Yet, while large depressions always had high richness, some small depressions did too. We were not able to identify additional factors to explain this diversity between small depressions. In the context of decreasing richness and composition shift observed in the Sahel over recent decades, depressions, as biodiversity hotspots, are key elements in ecosystem functioning. Further studies are needed to understand other potential drivers of species diversity, such as soil water availability

First Full Vector Archeomagnetic Data From Northern Mexico

International audienceSeveral regional secular variation curves of the geomagnetic field have been proposed for Mexico over the last millennia. Despite a fairly large number of archeomagnetic data, these curves remain imprecise because of an uneven quality and geographic distribution, with a lack of data in Northern Mexico. Nine pottery kilns were sampled in Casas de Fuego, an archeological site in the Chihuahua state. These kilns belong to the Casas Grandes culture and were in use between 1250 and 1450 CE. Rock magnetic experiments indicate that the main magnetic phase is a Ti-poor titanomagnetite in the SD range. Mean characteristic directions per kiln were estimated by alternating field and/or thermal demagnetization, and archeointensities with the Thellier-Thellier protocol, after correction for anisotropy and cooling effects. The nine directions and eight intensities agree with data from USA and Mexico but do not support the peak in inclination modeled by the Mexican secular variation curve around 1200–1300 CE. For the last millennium, the Western North American curve is consistent with the SHAWQ2k global model, and better reflects the secular variation in Northern Mexico. For intensity, neither the SHAWQ2k model nor the regional intensity curve can depict the rapid secular variation that likely occurs circa 1500 CE. The Casas de Fuego results are the first full vector determinations obtained in Northern Mexico

A high omega-3 fatty acid diet rapidly changes the lipid composition of cardiac tissue and results in cardio-protection

The present study was designed to ascertain the effects of 3 diets with different omega-3/6 fatty acid ratios on infarct size and the modifications that these diets induce in the lipid composition of cardiac tissue. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed omega-3/6 fatty acid diets with 1:1, 1:5 or 1:20 ratios for at least 10 days, followed by occlusion of the left anterior descending artery for 40 min and 24 h of reperfusion. Infarct size was significantly smaller in the 1:1 group compared to the other groups. Significantly higher concentrations of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid were found in the 1:1 and other groups. Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels were similar between groups, although they were higher in the 1:5 and 1:20 groups compared to the 1:1 group. Margaric acid concentrations were higher in the 1:1 group than in both other groups. Docosahexaenoic acid levels in cardiac tissue and infarct size were significantly correlated with no other significant links being apparent. In conclusion, the present study indicated that a 1:1 omega-3/6 fatty acid ratio protected against ischemia and was associated with increased omega-3 fatty acid composition of cardiac tissue.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author