Remotely Sensing the Biophysical Drivers of Sardinella aurita Variability in Ivorian Waters

The coastal regions of the Gulf of Guinea constitute one of the major marine ecosystems, producing essential living marine resources for the populations of Western Africa. In this region, the Ivorian continental shelf is under pressure from various anthropogenic sources, which have put the regional fish stocks, especially Sardinella aurita, the dominant pelagic species in Ivorian industrial fishery landings, under threat from overfishing. Here, we combine in situ observations of Sardinella aurita catch, temperature, and nutrient profiles, with remote-sensing ocean-color observations, and reanalysis data of wind and sea surface temperature, to investigate relationships between Sardinella aurita catch and oceanic primary producers (including biomass and phenology of phytoplankton), and between Sardinella aurita catch and environmental conditions (including upwelling index, and turbulent mixing). We show that variations in Sardinella aurita catch in the following year may be predicted, with a confidence of 78%, based on a bilinear model using only physical variables, and with a confidence of 40% when using only biological variables. However, the physics-based model alone is not sufficient to explain the mechanism driving the year-to-year variations in Sardinella aurita catch. Based on the analysis of the relationships between biological variables, we demonstrate that in the Ivorian continental shelf, during the study period 1998–2014, population dynamics of Sardinella aurita, and oceanic primary producers, may be controlled, mainly by top-down trophic interactions. Finally, based on the predictive models constructed here, we discuss how they can provide powerful tools to support evaluation and monitoring of fishing activity, which may help towards the development of a Fisheries Information and Management System

1-Acryloyl-2,6-bis­(4-chloro­phen­yl)-3,5-dimethyl­piperidin-4-one

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C22H21Cl2NO2, the piperidinone ring is in a boat conformation

5′′-(4-Chloro­benzyl­idene)-4′-(4-chloro­phen­yl)-5-fluoro-1′,1′′-dimethyl­indoline-3-spiro-2′-pyrrolidine-3′-spiro-3′′-piperidine-2,4′′-dione

The piperidine ring of the title compound, C30H26Cl2FN3O2, adopts a twisted chair conformation. The pyrrolidine ring has a twisted envelope structure with the N atom at the flap [displaced by 0.592 (3) Å]. The fluoro­oxindole, chloro­phenyl and chloro­benzyl­idene groups are planar with r.m.s. deviations of 0.0348, 0.0048 and 0.0048 Å, respectively. The structure is stabilized by inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

OPENMODS 2.0 “Instrument Jamming Meeting” report

Major achievements The feedback provided by potential users on their needs was very much appreciated. They underlined the importance of having: ● an easy to deploy instrument (i.e.: from small fishing boats); ● multi-parameter sensors in ONE device; ● less maintenance effort and prioritized the variables to measure. Although, there are technical limitations and different solutions and there is no one tool that can do everything, which is low cost, has high resolution and low maintenance, the outcomes of the platforms/sensors/communications working group meet the main requirements that emerged. Priority was given to: ● a platform that will operate in drifter mode which is extremely easy to deploy and perfect for studies associated with search and rescue operations (another need that has emerged). It also constantly guarantees the knowledge of the instrument position. The platform can be easily converted into the moored mode. ● temperature and pressure sensors. The sensors will be low -cost with the idea to replace them rather than calibrate them; ● LoRaWAN communications preferably with Bluetooth integration for the in-situ download of the data

Effects of Aflatoxin B1 and Fumonisin B1 on the Viability and Induction of Apoptosis in Rat Primary Hepatocytes

The present study evaluated the effect of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) either alone, or in association, on rat primary hepatocyte cultures. Cell viability was assessed by flow cytometry after propidium iodine intercalation. DNA fragmentation and apoptosis were assessed by agarose gel electrophoresis and acridine orange and ethidium bromide staining. At the concentrations of AFB1 and FB1 used, the toxins did not decrease cell viability, but did induce apoptosis in a concentration and time-dependent manner

A Trial of Early Antiretrovirals and Isoniazid Preventive Therapy in Africa

BACKGROUND: In sub-Saharan Africa, the burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated tuberculosis is high. We conducted a trial with a 2-by-2 factorial design to assess the benefits of early antiretroviral therapy (ART), 6-month isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT), or both among HIV-infected adults with high CD4+ cell counts in Ivory Coast. METHODS: We included participants who had HIV type 1 infection and a CD4+ count of less than 800 cells per cubic millimeter and who met no criteria for starting ART according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: deferred ART (ART initiation according to WHO criteria), deferred ART plus IPT, early ART (immediate ART initiation), or early ART plus IPT. The primary end point was a composite of diseases included in the case definition of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), non-AIDS-defining cancer, non-AIDS-defining invasive bacterial disease, or death from any cause at 30 months. We used Cox proportional models to compare outcomes between the deferred-ART and early-ART strategies and between the IPT and no-IPT strategies. RESULTS: A total of 2056 patients (41% with a baseline CD4+ count of ≥500 cells per cubic millimeter) were followed for 4757 patient-years. A total of 204 primary end-point events were observed (3.8 events per 100 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.3 to 4.4), including 68 in patients with a baseline CD4+ count of at least 500 cells per cubic millimeter (3.2 events per 100 person-years; 95% CI, 2.4 to 4.0). Tuberculosis and invasive bacterial diseases accounted for 42% and 27% of primary end-point events, respectively. The risk of death or severe HIV-related illness was lower with early ART than with deferred ART (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.76; adjusted hazard ratio among patients with a baseline CD4+ count of ≥500 cells per cubic millimeter, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.33 to 0.94) and lower with IPT than with no IPT (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.88; adjusted hazard ratio among patients with a baseline CD4+ count of ≥500 cells per cubic millimeter, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.36 to 1.01). The 30-month probability of grade 3 or 4 adverse events did not differ significantly among the strategies. CONCLUSIONS: In this African country, immediate ART and 6 months of IPT independently led to lower rates of severe illness than did deferred ART and no IPT, both overall and among patients with CD4+ counts of at least 500 cells per cubic millimeter. (Funded by the French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis; TEMPRANO ANRS 12136 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00495651.)

: The use of remote sensing and multi-criteria analysis for the assessment of grounwater potentialities of an aquifer in a tropical area of West Africa: the case of Bongouanou area, East of Ivory Coast

article publié en français, avec un résumé étendu en anglais, et des planches couleur hors-texteInternational audienceThe aim of the study is to identify highly potentially productive underground water areas, with a low depth, in the adminsitrative unit ("département" of Bondouarou, Ivory Coast. Radar images of Envista, and Landsat 7 ETM+ images have been processed, merged and interpreted to derive the fracturation spatial pattern of the area. Parameters from drillings have been also taken into account. Two multi-criteria analysis have been done, allowing the production of an aquifer potentiality map, following the method of Jourda, et al. (2006) on one hand, and a map od underground water productivity, following the approach of Saley (2003) on the other hand. Results of thes 2 maps are complementary and show that the southern regions of M'batto and Anoumaba (south)), Tiémelékro (west), Assie-Koumassi (north), André and Arrah (east) are poyentially the most productive in ground water.L'objectif de cette étude est d'identifier les zones à fortes potentialités en eau souterraine, accessibles à faibles profondeurs, dans le département de Bongouanou. Des images radar Envisat et landsat7 ETM+ ont été traitées, fusionnées et interprétées pour extraire les fractures de la zone d'étude. Les paramètres des forages ont été aussi exploités. Leur intégration dans 2 analyses multicritères ont permis de produire d'une part, la carte des potentialités aquifères selon la méthode de JOURDA et al. (2006) et d'autre part, la carte de productivité en eau souterraine selon l'approche de SALEY (2003). Les résultats de ces 2 types de cartes sont complémentaires et montrent que les régions du Sud (M'batto, Anoumaba), de l'Ouest (Tiémelékro) du Nord (Assie-Koumassi) et de l'Est (Andé, Arrah) sont, dans ce milieu fissuré, les zones les plus potentiellement productives en eau souterraine