Caractérisation Palynologique et Palynofaciologique de la Marge Est (Marge d’Abidjan) du Bassin Sédimentaire de Côte d’Ivoire

Des dépôts offshores localisés à l’Est de la marge d’Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) ont fait l’objet d’analyse palynologique et palynofaciologique. Elle à porté sur des déblais de forage à partir desquels trente-deux (32) paires de lames minces palynologiques ont été confectionnées. L’objectif était de mettre en évidence les étages du Tertiaire et la limite K-Pg par les palynomorphes stratigraphiques et de déterminer les environnements de dépôt à travers le palynofaciès. Cinq étages ont ainsi été mis en évidence. Ce sont le Maastrichtien supérieur, le Paléocène inferieur, le Paléocène supérieur, l’Eocène inférieur et l’Eocène moyen sur la base des palynomorphes tels que Cerodinium granulostriatum, Andalusiella mauthei, Andalusiella rhomboïdes,  Andalusiella polymorpha, Andalusiella gabonensis, Retitricolporites irregularis, Psilatricolporites sp., Laevigatosporites ovatus, Retistephanocolpites williamsii, Apectodinium homomorphum, Adnatosphaeridium multispinosum etc. Trois (3) types de palynofaciès dont le palynofaciès 1 à phytoclastes dominants dans laquelle les spores et les grains de pollen dominent évoquant un environnement littoral au Maastrichtien et au Paléocène, un palynofaciès 2 à phytoclastes et matière organique amorphe dominant à l’Eocène déposé dans un milieu marin marginal et un palynofaciès 3 à matière organique amorphe dominant au paléocène supérieur et à l’Eocène indiquant un milieu de plateau continental interne à externe.   Offshore deposits located to the East of Abidjan margin (Côte d’Ivoire) have been the subject of palynological and palynofaciological analysis. It focused on drill cuttings from which thirty-two (32) pairs of palynological thin sections were made. The objective was to highlight the Tertiary stages and the K-Pg boundary by stratigraphic palynomorphs and to determine the deposition environments by palynofacies. Five stages were thus highlighted. These are the Upper Maastrichtian, the Lower Paleocene, the Upper Paleocene, the Lower Eocene and the Middle Eocene based on palynomorphs such as Cerodinium granulostriatum, Andalusiella mauthei, Andalusiella rhomboïdes, Andalusiella polymorpha, Andalusiella gabonensis, Retitricolporites irregularis, Psilatricolporites sp., Laevigatosporites ovatus, Retistephanocolpites williamsii, Apectodinium homomorphum, Adnatosphaeridium multispinosum etc. Three (3) types of palynofacies including palynofacies 1 with dominant phytoclasts in which spores and pollen grains dominate, evoking a coastal environment in the Maastrichtian and Paleocene, a palynofacies 2 with phytoclasts and amorphous organic matter dominant in the Eocene deposited in a marginal marine environment and an amorphous organic dominant palynofacies 3 in the Upper Paleocene and Eocene indicating an inner to outer continental shelf environment

Caractérisation Palynologique et Palynofaciologique de la Marge Est (Marge d’Abidjan) du Bassin Sédimentaire de Côte d’Ivoire

Des dépôts offshores localisés à l’Est de la marge d’Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) ont fait l’objet d’analyse palynologique et palynofaciologique. Elle a porté sur des déblais de forage à partir desquels trente-deux (32) paires de lames minces palynologiques ont été confectionnées. L’objectif était de mettre en évidence les étages du Tertiaire et la limite K-Pg par les palynomorphes stratigraphiques et de déterminer les environnements de dépôt à travers le palynofaciès. Cinq étages ont ainsi été mis en évidence. Ce sont le Maastrichtien supérieur, le Paléocène inferieur, le Paléocène supérieur, l’Eocène inférieur et l’Eocène moyen sur la base des palynomorphes tels que Cerodinium granulostriatum, Andalusiella mauthei, Andalusiella rhomboïdes,  Andalusiella polymorpha, Andalusiella gabonensis, Retitricolporites irregularis, Psilatricolporites sp., Laevigatosporites ovatus, Retistephanocolpites williamsii, Apectodinium homomorphum, Adnatosphaeridium multispinosum etc. Trois (3) types de palynofaciès dont le palynofaciès 1 à phytoclastes dominants dans laquelle les spores et les grains de pollen dominent évoquant un environnement littoral au Maastrichtien et au Paléocène, un palynofaciès 2 à phytoclastes et matière organique amorphe dominant à l’Eocène déposé dans un milieu marin marginal et un palynofaciès 3 à matière organique amorphe dominant au paléocène supérieur et à l’Eocène indiquant un milieu de plateau continental interne à externe.   Offshore deposits located to the East of the Abidjan margin (Côte d’Ivoire) have been the subject of palynological and palynofaciological analysis. It focused on drill cuttings from which thirty-two (32) pairs of palynological thin sections were made. The objective was to highlight the Tertiary stages and the K-Pg boundary by stratigraphic palynomorphs and to determine the deposition environments by palynofacies. Five stages were thus highlighted. These are the Upper Maastrichtian, the Lower Paleocene, the Upper Paleocene, the Lower Eocene, and the Middle Eocene based on palynomorphs such as Cerodinium granulostriatum, Andalusiella mauthei, Andalusiella rhomboïdes, Andalusiella polymorpha, Andalusiella gabonensis, Retitricolporites irregularis, Psilatricolporites sp.,Laevigatosporites ovatus, Retistephanocolpites williamsii, Apectodinium homomorphum, Adnatosphaeridium multispinosum etc. Three (3) types of palynofacies including palynofacies 1 with dominant phytoclasts in which spores and pollen grains dominate, evoking a coastal environment in the Maastrichtian and Paleocene, a palynofacies 2 with phytoclasts and amorphous organic matter dominant in the Eocene deposited in a marginal marine environment and an amorphous organic dominant palynofacies 3 in the Upper Paleocene and Eocene indicating an inner to outer continental shelf environment

Caractérisation Palynologique et Palynofaciologique de la Marge Est (Marge d’Abidjan) du Bassin Sédimentaire de Côte d’Ivoire

Des dépôts offshores localisés à l’Est de la marge d’Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) ont fait l’objet d’analyse palynologique et palynofaciologique. Elle à porté sur des déblais de forage à partir desquels trente-deux (32) paires de lames minces palynologiques ont été confectionnées. L’objectif était de mettre en évidence les étages du Tertiaire et la limite K-Pg par les palynomorphes stratigraphiques et de déterminer les environnements de dépôt à travers le palynofaciès. Cinq étages ont ainsi été mis en évidence. Ce sont le Maastrichtien supérieur, le Paléocène inferieur, le Paléocène supérieur, l’Eocène inférieur et l’Eocène moyen sur la base des palynomorphes tels que Cerodinium granulostriatum, Andalusiella mauthei, Andalusiella rhomboïdes,  Andalusiella polymorpha, Andalusiella gabonensis, Retitricolporites irregularis, Psilatricolporites sp., Laevigatosporites ovatus, Retistephanocolpites williamsii, Apectodinium homomorphum, Adnatosphaeridium multispinosum etc. Trois (3) types de palynofaciès dont le palynofaciès 1 à phytoclastes dominants dans laquelle les spores et les grains de pollen dominent évoquant un environnement littoral au Maastrichtien et au Paléocène, un palynofaciès 2 à phytoclastes et matière organique amorphe dominant à l’Eocène déposé dans un milieu marin marginal et un palynofaciès 3 à matière organique amorphe dominant au paléocène supérieur et à l’Eocène indiquant un milieu de plateau continental interne à externe.   Offshore deposits located to the East of Abidjan margin (Côte d’Ivoire) have been the subject of palynological and palynofaciological analysis. It focused on drill cuttings from which thirty-two (32) pairs of palynological thin sections were made. The objective was to highlight the Tertiary stages and the K-Pg boundary by stratigraphic palynomorphs and to determine the deposition environments by palynofacies. Five stages were thus highlighted. These are the Upper Maastrichtian, the Lower Paleocene, the Upper Paleocene, the Lower Eocene and the Middle Eocene based on palynomorphs such as Cerodinium granulostriatum, Andalusiella mauthei, Andalusiella rhomboïdes, Andalusiella polymorpha, Andalusiella gabonensis, Retitricolporites irregularis, Psilatricolporites sp., Laevigatosporites ovatus, Retistephanocolpites williamsii, Apectodinium homomorphum, Adnatosphaeridium multispinosum etc. Three (3) types of palynofacies including palynofacies 1 with dominant phytoclasts in which spores and pollen grains dominate, evoking a coastal environment in the Maastrichtian and Paleocene, a palynofacies 2 with phytoclasts and amorphous organic matter dominant in the Eocene deposited in a marginal marine environment and an amorphous organic dominant palynofacies 3 in the Upper Paleocene and Eocene indicating an inner to outer continental shelf environment

Contribution A La Caracterisation Diagraphique Des Depots Carbonates Du Cretace Du Bassin Sedimentaire De Cote D’ivoire

To know the petrophysical characteristics associated with sedimentary facies gammay ray logs providing information on the natural radioactivity of sedimentary rocks and the sonic logs which document on facies and petrophysical variations rocks were studied. This study focused on three (3) wells (BH-X, DH-X and MR-X) bored in the offshore basin of Abidjan margin (Côte d’Ivoire) for which the lithogy is constituted of clay alternating with sand an sandstone at the base surmounted by limestone and marls which are covered by clay series. It reveals that two deposits phases occurred during the carbonate sedimentation. Through the gamma ray logs, it appears that the clay phases have low radioactivity, which often progress to average values. This radioactivity recorded in clays would be linked to the low organic matter content and leaching reworked elements. In marl phases radioactivity is medium to high indicating a high content of uranium, thorium and potassium deriving from clay minerals. The gamma ray log varies significantly in limestone phases reflecting the heterogeneity of deposits. Strong radioactivity values in some limestone layers are related to their homogeneity and the present of organic matter. Fluctuations result from long-term changes in submarine hydrothermal flow and may indicate significant variations in facies (crystalline limestone, marl and clay). There are more or less dolomitised layers alternating with more homogeneous chemical limestone benches, biogenic limestone debris of organisms and past clay. The sonic log has two phases in the marl and limestone interval. In the marl phase, the acoustic wave velocity is almost constant, but in the limestone phase velocities fluctuate. Indeed, marl interval contains heterogeneous deposits. Generally the velocity is still low in impermeable and little porous clay. In marls, relatively high propagation velocity implies that they are less penetrable as clays because of the presence of fluid. The sonic log fluctuations in the limestone stage reflect the heterogeneity of deposits. Calcareous layers generally have a shorter time of wave propagation, suggesting that they are indurated, recrystallized and homogeneous. By against certain layers are poorly penetrable and show the presence of fluid. The limestone is fractured, so more porous than clay and marl. The porosity may be related to diagenesis after being dessoluted

Treatment outcomes and associated factors for hospitalization of children treated for acute malnutrition under the OptiMA simplified protocol: a prospective observational cohort in rural Niger

IntroductionGlobally, access to treatment for severe and moderate acute malnutrition is very low, in part because different protocols and products are used in separate programs. New approaches, defining acute malnutrition (AM) as mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) < 125 mm or oedema, are being investigated to compare effectiveness to current programs. Optimizing Malnutrition treatment (OptiMA) is one such strategy that treats AM with one product – ready-to-use therapeutic food, or RUTF – at reduced dosage as the child improves.MethodsThis study aimed to determine whether OptiMA achieved effectiveness benchmarks established in the Nigerien National Nutrition protocol. A prospective cohort study of children in the rural Mirriah district evaluated outcomes among children 6-59 months with uncomplicated AM treated under OptiMA. In a parallel, unconnected program in one of the two trial sites, all non-malnourished children 6-23 months of age were provided small quantity lipid-based nutritional supplements (SQ-LNS). A multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with hospitalization.ResultsFrom July-December 2019, 1,105 children were included for analysis. Prior to treatment, 39.3% of children received SQ-LNS. Recovery, non-response, and mortality rates were 82.3%, 12.6%, and 0.7%, respectively, and the hospitalization rate was 15.1%. Children who received SQ-LNS before an episode of AM were 43% less likely to be hospitalized (ORa=0.57; 0.39-0.85, p = 0.004).DiscussionOptiMA had acceptable recovery compared to the Nigerien reference but non-response was high. Children who received SQ-LNS before treatment under OptiMA were less likely to be hospitalized, showing potential health benefits of combining simplified treatment protocols with food-based prevention in an area with a high burden of malnutrition such as rural Niger

Simplifying and optimising the management of uncomplicated acute malnutrition in children aged 6–59 months in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (OptiMA-DRC): a non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Global access to acute malnutrition treatment is low. Different programmes using different nutritional products manage cases of severe acute malnutrition and moderate acute malnutrition separately. We aimed to assess whether integrating severe acute malnutrition and moderate acute malnutrition treatment into one programme, using a single nutritional product and reducing the dose as the child improves, could achieve similar or higher individual efficacy, increase coverage, and minimise costs compared with the current programmes. METHODS: We conducted an open-label, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Acutely malnourished children aged 6-59 months with a mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) of less than 125 mm or oedema were randomly assigned (1:1), using specially developed software and random blocks (size was kept confidential), to either the current standard strategy (one programme for severe acute malnutrition using ready-to-use therapeutic food [RUTF] at an increasing dose as weight increased, another for moderate acute malnutrition using a fixed dose of ready-to-use supplementary food [RUSF]) or the OptiMA strategy (a single programme for both severe acute malnutrition and moderate acute malnutrition using RUTF at a decreasing dose as MUAC and weight increased). The primary endpoint was a favourable outcome at 6 months, defined as being alive, not acutely malnourished as per the definition applied at inclusion, and with no further episodes of acute malnutrition throughout the 6-month observation period; the endpoint was analysed in the intention-to-treat (all children) and per-protocol populations (participants who had a minimum prescription of 4 weeks' RUTF, received at least 90% of the total amount of RUTF they were supposed to receive as per the protocol, or were prescribed RUSF rations for a minimum of 4 weeks [ie, minimum of 28 RUSF sachets], and had a maximum interval of 6 weeks between any two visits in the 6-month follow-up). The non-inferiority analysis (margin 10%) was to be followed by a superiority analysis (margin 0%) if non-inferiority was concluded. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03751475, and is now closed. FINDINGS: Between July 22 and Dec 6, 2019, 912 children were randomly assigned; after 16 were excluded, 896 were analysed (446 in the standard group and 450 in the OptiMA group). In the intention-to-treat analysis, 282 (63%) of 446 children in the standard group and 325 (72%) of 450 children in the OptiMA group had a favourable outcome (difference -9.0%, 95% CI -15.9 to -2.0). In the per protocol analysis, 161 (61%) of 264 children in the standard group and 291 (74%) of 392 children in the OptiMA group had a favourable outcome (-13.2%, -21.6 to -4.9). INTERPRETATION: In this non-inferiority trial treating children with MUAC of less than 125 mm or oedema, decreasing RUTF dose according to MUAC and weight increase proved to be a superior strategy to the standard protocol in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These results demonstrate the safety and benefits of an approach that could substantially increase access to treatment for millions of children with acute malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa. FUNDING: Innocent Foundation and European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. TRANSLATION: For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section

A General Strategy to Endow Natural Fusion-protein-Derived Peptides with Potent Antiviral Activity

Fusion between the viral and target cell membranes is an obligatory step for the infectivity of all enveloped virus, and blocking this process is a clinically validated therapeutic strategy

Large expert-curated database for benchmarking document similarity detection in biomedical literature search

Document recommendation systems for locating relevant literature have mostly relied on methods developed a decade ago. This is largely due to the lack of a large offline gold-standard benchmark of relevant documents that cover a variety of research fields such that newly developed literature search techniques can be compared, improved and translated into practice. To overcome this bottleneck, we have established the RElevant LIterature SearcH consortium consisting of more than 1500 scientists from 84 countries, who have collectively annotated the relevance of over 180 000 PubMed-listed articles with regard to their respective seed (input) article/s. The majority of annotations were contributed by highly experienced, original authors of the seed articles. The collected data cover 76% of all unique PubMed Medical Subject Headings descriptors. No systematic biases were observed across different experience levels, research fields or time spent on annotations. More importantly, annotations of the same document pairs contributed by different scientists were highly concordant. We further show that the three representative baseline methods used to generate recommended articles for evaluation (Okapi Best Matching 25, Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency and PubMed Related Articles) had similar overall performances. Additionally, we found that these methods each tend to produce distinct collections of recommended articles, suggesting that a hybrid method may be required to completely capture all relevant articles. The established database server located at https://relishdb.ict.griffith.edu.au is freely available for the downloading of annotation data and the blind testing of new methods. We expect that this benchmark will be useful for stimulating the development of new powerful techniques for title and title/abstract-based search engines for relevant articles in biomedical research.Peer reviewe

31st Annual Meeting and Associated Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2016) : part two

Background The immunological escape of tumors represents one of the main ob- stacles to the treatment of malignancies. The blockade of PD-1 or CTLA-4 receptors represented a milestone in the history of immunotherapy. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors seem to be effective in specific cohorts of patients. It has been proposed that their efficacy relies on the presence of an immunological response. Thus, we hypothesized that disruption of the PD-L1/PD-1 axis would synergize with our oncolytic vaccine platform PeptiCRAd. Methods We used murine B16OVA in vivo tumor models and flow cytometry analysis to investigate the immunological background. Results First, we found that high-burden B16OVA tumors were refractory to combination immunotherapy. However, with a more aggressive schedule, tumors with a lower burden were more susceptible to the combination of PeptiCRAd and PD-L1 blockade. The therapy signifi- cantly increased the median survival of mice (Fig. 7). Interestingly, the reduced growth of contralaterally injected B16F10 cells sug- gested the presence of a long lasting immunological memory also against non-targeted antigens. Concerning the functional state of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we found that all the immune therapies would enhance the percentage of activated (PD-1pos TIM- 3neg) T lymphocytes and reduce the amount of exhausted (PD-1pos TIM-3pos) cells compared to placebo. As expected, we found that PeptiCRAd monotherapy could increase the number of antigen spe- cific CD8+ T cells compared to other treatments. However, only the combination with PD-L1 blockade could significantly increase the ra- tio between activated and exhausted pentamer positive cells (p= 0.0058), suggesting that by disrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis we could decrease the amount of dysfunctional antigen specific T cells. We ob- served that the anatomical location deeply influenced the state of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. In fact, TIM-3 expression was in- creased by 2 fold on TILs compared to splenic and lymphoid T cells. In the CD8+ compartment, the expression of PD-1 on the surface seemed to be restricted to the tumor micro-environment, while CD4 + T cells had a high expression of PD-1 also in lymphoid organs. Interestingly, we found that the levels of PD-1 were significantly higher on CD8+ T cells than on CD4+ T cells into the tumor micro- environment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions In conclusion, we demonstrated that the efficacy of immune check- point inhibitors might be strongly enhanced by their combination with cancer vaccines. PeptiCRAd was able to increase the number of antigen-specific T cells and PD-L1 blockade prevented their exhaus- tion, resulting in long-lasting immunological memory and increased median survival