Maîtrise de la fécondité et planification familiale au Sud

L'utilisation des méthodes modernes de planification des naissances reste encore limitée dans les pays de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, notamment au Sénégal. Pourtant, les campagnes d'IEC (Information, Education et Communication) en matière de planification familiale et santé de la reproduction ont largement investi dans la promotion de la parenté responsable et de certaines pratiques élémentaires visant à améliorer la santé de la mère et de l'enfant. La majeure partie des femmes sénégalaises est informée de l'existence des méthodes modernes de régulation des naissances. L'article s'interroge sur le rôle des réseaux informels dans la diffusion des informations en matière de santé de la reproduction et de planification familiale et de l'impact qu'ils ont sur le comportement des femmes. Ces réseaux constituent un système d'aide à la décision, mais peuvent générer des phénomènes de résistance à certaines méthodes. Il importe donc d'avoir une bonne connaissance des messages qu'ils diffusent et des rumeurs négatives qu'ils véhiculent pour une meilleure conception des messages d'IEC. (Résumé d'auteur

Measuring a population of spin waves from the electrical noise of an inductively coupled antenna

We study how a population of spin waves can be characterized from the analysis of the electrical microwave noise delivered by an inductive antenna placed in its vicinity. The measurements are conducted on a synthetic antiferromagnetic thin stripe covered by a micron-sized antenna that feeds a spectrum analyser after amplification. The antenna noise contains two contributions. The population of incoherent spin waves generates a fluctuating field that is sensed by the antenna: this is the "magnon noise". The antenna noise also contains the contribution of the electronic fluctuations: the Johnson-Nyquist noise. The latter depends on all impedances within the measurement circuit; this includes the antenna self-inductance. As a result, the electronic noise contains information about the magnetic susceptibility, though it does not inform on the absolute amplitude of the magnetic fluctuations. For micrometer-sized systems at thermal equilibrium, the electronic noise dominates and the pure magnon noise cannot be determined. If in contrast the spinwave bath is not at thermal equilibrium with the measurement circuit, and if the spinwave population can be changed then one could measure a mode-resolved effective magnon temperature provided specific precautions are implemented

Interleukin 7 from Maternal Milk Crosses the Intestinal Barrier and Modulates T- Cell Development in Offspring

Background Breastfeeding protects against illnesses and death in hazardous environments, an effect partly mediated by improved immune function. One hypothesis suggests that factors within milk supplement the inadequate immune response of the offspring, but this has not been able to account for a series of observations showing that factors within maternally derived milk may supplement the development of the immune system through a direct effect on the primary lymphoid organs. In a previous human study we reported evidence suggesting a link between IL-7 in breast milk and the thymic output of infants. Here we report evidence in mice of direct action of maternally-derived IL-7 on T cell development in the offspring. Methods and Findings  We have used recombinant IL-7 labelled with a fluorescent dye to trace the movement in live mice of IL-7 from the stomach across the gut and into the lymphoid tissues. To validate the functional ability of maternally derived IL- 7 we cross fostered IL-7 knock-out mice onto normal wild type mothers. Subsets of thymocytes and populations of peripheral T cells were significantly higher than those found in knock-out mice receiving milk from IL-7 knock-out mothers. Conclusions/Significance Our study provides direct evidence that interleukin 7, a factor which is critical in the development of T lymphocytes, when maternally derived can transfer across the intestine of the offspring, increase T cell production in the thymus and support the survival of T cells in the peripheral secondary lymphoid tissue

Parametrizations of Inclusive Cross Sections for Pion Production in Proton-Proton Collisions

Accurate knowledge of cross sections for pion production in proton-proton collisions finds wide application in particle physics, astrophysics, cosmic ray physics and space radiation problems, especially in situations where an incident proton is transported through some medium, and one requires knowledge of the output particle spectrum given the input spectrum. In such cases accurate parametrizations of the cross sections are desired. In this paper we review much of the experimental data and compare to a wide variety of different cross section parametrizations. In so doing, we provide parametrizations of neutral and charged pion cross sections which provide a very accurate description of the experimental data. Lorentz invariant differential cross sections, spectral distributions and total cross section parametrizations are presented.Comment: 32 pages with 15 figures. Published in Physical Review D62, 094030. File includes 6 tex files. The main file is paper.tex which has include statements refering to the rest. figures are in graphs.di

Emergency treatment of a ruptured huge omphalocele by simple suture of its membrane

Background: The rupture of a huge omphalocele is an emergency that threatens the newborn baby’s life. It constitutes a therapeutical concern in the absence of prosthesis especially in developing countries. Methods: We are reporting herein the case of a newborn baby that we managed in emergency successfully thanks to a simple treatment. Results: It was a huge omphalocele, ruptured during delivery, in a male newborn baby. We conducted a simple and conservative surgical treatment without prosthesis, which consisted of reconstruction of the omphalocele’s membrane by closing it with absorbable suture materials. The suture of the omphalocele’s membrane was followed by treatment with the Grob’s method. This treatment saved the newborn baby’s life. The total skinning was obtained after 3 months. Conclusions: In case of rupture of huge omphalocele in absence of prosthesis, it is better to suture the membrane, and continue the treatment according to the Grob’s method; the residual disembowelment can be repaired later. Keywords: Ruptured omphalocele, Huge omphalocele, Grob’s method, Developing countries Backgroun

Improving public health training and research capacity in Africa: a replicable model for linking training to health and socio-demographic surveillance data

Background: Research training for public health professionals is key to the future of public health and policy in Africa. A growing number of schools of public health are connected to health and socio-demographic surveillance system field sites in developing countries, in Africa and Asia in particular. Linking training programs with these sites provides important opportunities to improve training, build local research capacity, foreground local health priorities, and increase the relevance of research to local health policy. Objective: To increase research training capacity in public health programs by providing targeted training to students and increasing the accessibility of existing data. Design: This report is a case study of an approach to linking public health research and training at the University of the Witwatersrand. We discuss the development of a sample training database from the Agincourt Health and Socio-demographic Surveillance System in South Africa and outline a concordant transnational intensive short course on longitudinal data analysis offered by the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Colorado-Boulder. This case study highlights ways common barriers to linking research and training can be overcome. Results and Conclusions: This collaborative effort demonstrates that linking training to ongoing data collection can improve student research, accelerate student training, and connect students to an international network of scholars. Importantly, the approach can be adapted to other partnerships between schools of public health and longitudinal research sites

Second Workshop on Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) (WKCOLIAS2)

The Atlantic chub mackerel Scomber colias has become an increasingly important commercial species in the European Atlantic waters in the last 10–15 years, probably through an expansion process from NW African waters and due to market needs. However, at present there are no assessment or advice requirements. In the WK framework, available information of the species in the West Atlantic waters has been compiled in order to evaluate possible geographical differences and trends, and the feasibility to describe its population structure. Though the Atlantic chub mackerel is not routinely included among the target species in the acoustic surveys performed in the Atlantic Iberian waters and the Mediterranean Sea, a synoptic overview of the species is possible over all its West Atlantic distribution. Moreover, the data available have indicated latitudinal trends, mainly in the landings’ length composition, L50 and the spawning periods. Nevertheless, even if some degree of connectivity likely exists and migrations are occurring between adjacent areas, some subunits could be considered for management purposes. From the assessment models’ trials carried out, the results or reference points obtained for the European fisheries cannot be retained at present. Therefore, continuing collating information from fisheries and biological sampling of the species, obtaining reliable biomass estimations from scientific surveys and identifying management units seem the main priorities to address in future research work and in case of assessment requirements

Tungsten oxide thin film for room temperature nitrogen dioxide gas sensing

Tungsten oxide (WO3) thin films for gas sensing have been successfully deposited using reactive direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering at different deposition temperatures (300 °C, 400 °C and 500 °C). The structural, morphological properties, thickness and composition have been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) techniques. To investigate the effect of deposition temperature on the gas sensing properties of deposited thin films on alumina substrates, was conducted using the Kenosistec gas sensing unit. WO3 thin film deposited at 500 °C exhibited a higher response when sensing Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at room temperature as compared to the thin films prepared at 300 °C and 400 °C, respectively. However, as deposited WO3 thin films exhibited low sensitivity when sensing reducing gases such as hydrogen (H2) and ammonia (NH3), which was an indication of good selectivity properties of WO3 related sensors