Structure and evolution of the Neogene Guercif Basin at the junction of the Middle Atlas Mountains and the Rif thrust belt

Copyright 2000, AAPG. See also: http://www.aapg.org/bulletin/index.cfm; http://atlas.geo.cornell.edu/morocco/publications/gomez2000AAPG.htmThe Guercif basin of northern Morocco occupies a 50 x 60 km area where the transpressional Middle Atlas mountains terminate and abut the Rif thrust belt. Analysis of over 800 km of 2-D (two-dimensional) seismic reflection profiles and eight exploratory wells, in combination with existing geological data, suggests a late Miocene episode of extension (4%, or 1.7 km, maximum) and a subsequent episode of contraction since the end of the Miocene. Most of the late Miocene deposition was concentrated in a narrow graben (herein referred to as the Guercif graben), which contrasts with the wider physiographic expression of the basin today. Geohistory analysis indicates that tectonic subsidence persisted until the Messinian, and sediment loading continued to drive subsidence even after extension stopped. Timing constraints demonstrate the contemporaneity of the Guercif graben and west-southwest-vergent thrust tectonics of the Rif thrust belt. Similar timing and proximity with the Rif, as well as the graben geometry, suggest that extension in the Guercif basin, in addition to other smaller extensional basins in the northern Middle Atlas region adjacent to the Rif, may represent the distal effects of a broad lateral shear zone bounding the thrust belt. The Neogene Guercif basin is superimposed on the Mesozoic Middle Atlas rift, which experienced basin inversion during the Cenozoic, and seismic reflection interpretations in the southern Guercif basin depict old Mesozoic rift faults reactivated as reverse faults. Unconformities illustrate that the uplift of the Middle Atlas appears to be primarily a late Cenozoic phenomenon. The Guercif basin offers a special opportunity for petroleum exploration within an aborted rift basin such as the Middle Atlas. Mesozoic source rocks in the Middle Atlas may have been sufficiently buried beneath Neogene basin sediments to reach maturity, and the late Cenozoic timing of contraction can produce suitable structural traps

Évaluation de l'intégration du genre dans le DSRP du Rwanda

La Banque Mondiale a choisi d'inscrire l'intégration transversale de la dimension genre comme l'un des critères clés pour l'obtention de financement par les pays bénéficiaires, notamment dans le cadre de sa plus récente politique de développement qui a pour objectif premier la réduction de la pauvreté. Les modifications au sein des politiques de développement de la Banque Mondiale, ont obligé les pays tributaires de son aide à réorienter leur stratégie de développement en élaborant des documents de stratégies pour la réduction de la pauvreté (DSRP). L'objectif de ce mémoire est d'analyser les politiques de réduction de la pauvreté adoptées par le Rwanda dans son DSRP de 2002 et d'évaluer si l'intégration de la dimension genre est bien appliquée par le gouvernement rwandais de façon transversale. Plus précisément, le DSRP ainsi que les rapports annuels consécutifs élaborés par le Rwanda entre les années 2000 et 2005 ont été analysés grâce à des critères d'évaluation spécifiques et au cadre méthodologique de la planification selon le genre développé par Caroline Moser. La conclusion du mémoire est que l'intégration de la dimension genre n'est effective que dans certains domaines. De plus, les mesures adoptées en faveur de l'égalité des sexes ont essentiellement des impacts à court terme sur le renforcement des capacités des femmes. En somme, l'approche genre intégrée dans la stratégie de réduction de la pauvreté du Rwanda ne vise pas une transformation en profondeur de la société rwandaise, elle a plutôt pour objectif de combler des besoins de base (matériels etc.) immédiats de la population. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Genre et développement, Document de stratégies pour la réduction de la pauvreté, Banque Mondiale, Rwanda, Planification pour le développement

Développement et caractérisation de revêtements bioactifs d'apatite obtenus par projection plasma à basse énergie : application aux implants biomédicaux

Compte tenu de leur bioactivité et de leur ostéoconduction, les revêtements d’hydroxyapatite (HA) favorisent le développement de tissu osseux et contribuent à l’adhérence et à la prolifération des cellules osseuses tout en préservant l’intégrité mécanique du dispositif métallique de l’implant. Toutefois, des signes de résorption de cette couche ont été constatés et l’introduction du procédé de projection plasma pour la réalisation de dépôts d’HA a donné lieu à plusieurs controverses. Certaines études ont montré que les dépôts d’HA par projection plasma présentent une mauvaise adhérence sur le titane, une dégradation et écaillage avec le temps. Ce phénomène est attribuable à la décomposition de l'HA au cours de la projection et à l'existence de phases secondaires cristallisées ou amorphes qui fragilisent le dépôt. A l’heure actuelle, les recherches de nouvelles apatites thermiquement plus stables se développent. Ainsi des dépôts à base de fluorapatite ou de fluorhydroxyapatite fournissent des dépôts plus stables et plus adhérents. Il existe d’autres formes d’apatites comme la chlorapatite (ClA) qui fond sans se décomposer ce qui permettrait d’éviter la formation des phases étrangères qui provoquent l’écaillage du dépôt. Ce travail porte sur la synthèse et la caractérisation de phosphates de calcium apatitiques destinés au recouvrement de prothèses ostéoarticulaires et/ou d’implants dentaires métalliques. L’élaboration des poudres d’apatite a été réalisée par réaction solide-solide, en solution aqueuse ou en sel fondu. Plusieurs apatites ont été étudiées : la fluorapatite, la fluorhydroxyapatite, la chlorapatite et l’apatite calcostrontique. On obtient des poudres pures, bien cristallisées et stoechiométriques. Nous avons ensuite étudié la stabilité thermique des poudres d’apatite par analyse thermogravimétrique. La stabilité thermique de la ClA et sa fusion sans décomposition permettent d’obtenir des dépôts sans phases secondaires avec un taux de cristallinité élevé. Parmi toutes les poudres étudiées, nous avons choisi de sélectionner la chlorapatite pour la suite de l’étude ainsi que l’hydroxyapatite comme référence. La poudre de ClA est déposée sur un substrat en titane via une mini-torche plasma mobile à basse énergie, conçue pour les implants dentaires ou orthopédiques de petites tailles et de géométries complexes. La projection par la mini-torche plasma permet de réaliser des dépôts fins et adhérents. Les propriétés structurales et microstructurales des dépôts de ClA et d’HA effectués dans les mêmes conditions ont été évaluées par diffraction des rayons X, spectroscopies FTIR et Raman. L’analyse des revêtements de ClA et d’HA par diffraction des rayons X atteste de la présence d’une seule phase cristalline. Néanmoins, le rapport de cristallinité des dépôts de ClA est largement supérieur à celui des dépôts d’HA, pour lesquels le rapport de cristallinité est supérieur à la norme requise. Ce résultat est du à la stabilité thermique de la ClA par rapport à l’HA. Les spectroscopies FTIR et Raman montrent la présence d’un faible taux de phase amorphe et d’oxyapatite. Nous avons également développé une nouvelle méthode semi-quantitative par cartographie Raman permettant de déterminer l’homogéneité de composition du dépôt. Enfin, nous avons montré que l’adhérence des dépôts de ClA au substrat déterminée suivant la norme ASTM C633 est équivalente à celle de l’HA. La réponse biologique des dépôts a été étudiée in vitro avec des cellules pré-ostéoblastes humaines sur les deux compositions ClA et HA. Les tests montrent que quelle que soit la composition du dépôt, la prolifération cellulaire augmente au cours du temps d’incubation. Une étude in vivo a été menée sur un modèle animal ovin en site fémur et humérus pour des durées de 2 et 6 mois afin d’évaluer le potentiel ostéoconducteur des dépôts d’HA et de ClA. Aucune réaction inflammatoire n’a été observée et l’interprétation des résultats d’analyses histologiques et physico-chimiques est en cours. ABSTRACT : Plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) has been shown to enhance bone apposition as compared with uncoated metal implants. In spite of their good clinical performances, implant bio-integration is still limited due to the poor adhesion of HA-coating on the titanium surface and the decomposition of HA into several foreign phases during plasma spray. The plasmaspray process was thus considered not to be optimum for HA coatings. To circumvent these disadvantages, other types of calcium phosphates have been proposed to replace HA, such as tricalcium phosphate or biphasic calcium phosphate with little improvement. Chlorapatite (ClA) however has never been tested despite its ability to melt without decomposition which could be a decisive advantage to avoid apatite decomposition and could increase coating crystallinity. This work concern the synthesis and the characterization of apatitic calcium phosphate as coating for endoprostheses and dental implants. The syntheses of the different apatite powders were performed by solid-solid reaction, in aqueous solution or by molten salt reaction. Several apatites were studied: fluorapatite, fluorhydroxyapatite, chlorapatite and strontium substituted apatite. The as-synthesized powders are pure, well crystallized and stoechiometric. The thermal properties of apatite powders were compared using thermogravimetric analysis. The thermal stability of ClA and its melting without decomposition allows to obtain deposits with no secondary phases and with a degree of crystallinity close to 100 %. We have therefore chosen ClA and HA as feedstock powders to achieve coatings. The as-synthesized ClA powder was deposited on a titanium substrate using a novel low energy plasma mini-gun characterized by a low power range (<13 kW) and portability allowing in-situ coating deposition designed for dental and orthopedic small implants with complex geometry. The plasma spray with the mini-gun gives thin and adherent coatings. It also provides economic benefits such as low energy and a higher yield of feedstock powder than conventional gun. The structural and microstructural properties of ClA and HA coatings performed under the same conditions were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, Raman and infrared spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction analyses on the ClA and HA coatings indicate the presence of crystalline apatite as the only crystalline phase. However, the crystallinity ratio of ClA coatings was much higher than that of HA coatings but superior to the required standard in both cases. This difference is due to the thermal stability of ClA powder. IR and Raman spectroscopy shows the presence of low levels of amorphous phase and oxyapatite. We have also developed a new semiquantitative method by Raman imaging in order to determine coating homogeneity. The mechanical properties of coatings were determined according to the standard test measurements ASTM C633. The adhesion of ClA coatings to the substrate is equivalent to HA coatings. The biological response of the coatings was studied in vitro with human preosteoblast cells on both ClA and HA coatings. Tests show that wathever the composition of coating, cell proliferation increases with time of incubation. The in vivo osteoconductive properties of coatings were studied in femur and humerus sites of an ovine animal model during 2 and 6 months. No inflammatory reaction has been observed and the interpretation of histological and physico-chemical results is in progress

Hydroxyapatite coating on titanium by a low energy plasma spraying mini-gun

Plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings are used on metallic implants to improve osseointegration and bone growth. The purpose of this work was to determine the microstructure and composition of HA coatings obtained with a newly developed low energy plasma spray mini-gun employing an HA feedstock powder with smaller granulometry than that commonly used. The microstructure and the phase composition of the coatings obtained by varying the number of mini-gun runs were examined using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared and micro-Raman spectroscopy. In all cases, the results indicate the presence of an amorphous phase and oxyapatite in the coatings due to hydroxyl group removal. No other foreign crystalline phases were detected. The absence of foreign phases was attributed to the fast cooling rate of the small particles used in the experiments and the low amount of energy employed with the mini-gun. Decomposition in the υ1PO4 region of the Raman spectra allowed a semi-quantitative evaluation of the phase contents as a function of the number of runs. Micro-Raman spectroscopy appears to be a powerful technique providing comprehensive and localised information concerning calcium phosphate phases in coatings

Inversion of synrift normal faults in the High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Copyright 1997, Society for Exploration Geophysics. See also: http://segdl.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=LEEDFF000016000008001171000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=Yes; http://atlas.geo.cornell.edu/morocco/publications/beauchamp1997.htmStructural inversion related to intracontinental rifting occurs when extensional rift faults reverse their sense of motion during subsequent episodes of compressional tectonics. Features generated by extension, such as half grabens, are uplifted to form positive anticlinal structures

First record of the genus Scelio (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae, Scelionidae, Scelioninae) egg parasitoids in tomato greenhouses of southeastern Algeria

This is the first record of genus Scelio (Latreille, 1805) in Algeria. Two species of Scelio poecilopterus (Priesner, 1951) and Scelio vulgaris (Kieffer, 1908), were collected in tomato greenhouses from El Alia and El Hadjeb regions in the province of Biskra, southeastern Algeria in 2019-2020, using yellow pan traps, yellow bottles and Barber traps for sampling specimens, followed by laboratory methods to preserve and identify the samples.  Photographic material and information on these species are presented and described, on female specimens, in order to expand the knowledge about the distribution and biodiversity of egg parasitoids in our country

Injectability, microstructure and release properties of sodium fusidate-loaded apatitic cement as a local drug-delivery system

The introduction of an antibiotic, sodiumfusidate (SF), into the liquid phase of calcium carbonate–calcium phosphate(CaCO3–CaP) bone cement was evaluated, considering the effect of the liquid to powder ratio (L/P) on the composition and microstructure of the set cement and the injectability of the paste. In all cases, we obtained set cements composed mainly of biomimetic carbonated apatite analogous to bone mineral. With this study,we evidenced a synergistic effect of the L/P ratio and SF presence on the injectability (i.e., the filter-pressing phenomenon was suppressed) and the setting time of the SF-loaded cement paste compared to reference cement(without SF). In addition, the in vitro study of SF release, according to the European Pharmacopoeia recommendations, showed that, regardless of the L/P ratio, the cement allowed a sustained release of the antibiotic over 1 month in sodiumchloride isotonic solution at 37 °C and pH 7.4; this release is discussed considering the microstructure characteristics of SF-loaded cements (i.e., porosity, pore-size distribution) before and after the release test. Finally, modelling antibiotic release kinetics with severalmodels indicated that the SF releasewas controlled by a diffusion mechanism

Synthesis of fluor-hydroxyapatite powder for plasma sprayed biomedical coatings: Characterization and improvement of the powder properties

Fluor-hydroxyapatite (FHA) powder was synthesized by double decomposition in a view to produce bioactive and thermally stable coatings by plasma spray process. This work aims at studying the influence of chemical composition, microstructure and surface energy on the flowability of the FHA particles which is known as a determinant property during plasma spraying for the quality of the product in terms of yield and homogeneity of composition. The as-synthesized FHA powder was sieved in order to obtain two ranges of particles size: 50– 80μm and 80–100μm. The phase composition and structure and physical characteristics of FHA particles have been determined by complementary analytical techniques (X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron spectroscopy and laser granulometry). Then, the FHA flowability was determined as recommended by the European Pharmacopeia. The results showed that the 80–100μm FHA powder has a longer flow time compared to a reference hydroxyapatite powder whereas the 50–80μm FHA particles did not flow. We propose a simple treatment of the FHA particles using ethanol as solventwhich showed to significantly improve the flowability of FHA powders

Intracontinental rifting and inversion: Missour Basin and Atlas Mountains, Morocco

An edited version of this paper was published by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). Copyright 1996, AAPG. See also: http://www.aapg.org/bulletin/index.cfm; http://atlas.geo.cornell.edu/morocco/publications/beauchamp1996.htmThe intracontinental High and Middle Atlas mountain belts in Morocco intersect to form the southern and western margins of the Missour Basin, an intermontane basin formed as a result of the uplift and inversion of the Mesozoic Atlas paleorifts. These rifts were areas where the crust was greatly attenuated and more subject to deformation in response to nearby plate boundary tectonics. Data from observations based on seismic reflection profiles and wells over the Missour basin for hydrocarbon exploration and field mapping were used to understand the basin evolution, structural styles, and inversion timing of the nearby Atlas Mountains. Hercynian and Mesozoic normal faults were reactivated into high-angle reverse and thrust faults in the Mesozoic during the Jurassic, early Cretaceous (early Alpine phase), and the Paleogene (late Alpine phase). The reactivation of synrift normal faults of the paleo-Atlas rifts inverted previous half grabens into anticlinal structures, with the axis of the half graben centered below the axis of the inverted anticline. The resulting inverted fold geometries are controlled by the geometries of the extensional planar or listric faults