L'homme et l'animal dans le bassin du lac Tchad

La mobilité des hommes et de leur bétail est une caractéristique ancienne et toujours vivace dans certaines régions d'Afrique semi-aride : des recherches en géographie et en anthropologie ont montré comment la mobilité des troupeaux et des hommes se développe dans des milieux naturels et sociaux aux ressources incertaines. Dans le cas de la plaine du Logone à l'Extrème-Nord du Cameroun, des politiques économiques et des projets de développement ont bouleversé l'environnement pastoral : les terres communes pâturables, éléments importants dans la mobilité des troupeaux et des hommes, ont vu leur surface décroître au cours des vingt dernières années. L'accès à ces pâturages communs semblait réglé par des accords entre les éleveurs mobiles, les autorités coutumières, les agriculteurs et le pouvoir central. Mais d'autres règles émergent, le poids relatif de ces divers partenaires ayant évolué. L'analyse des coûts d'accès aux pâturages et à l'eau pour les pasteurs mobiles nous porte à nous interroger sur l'efficacité relative de ce mode d'élevage. Dans une approche historique et dans le contexte de développement de la zone étudiée, on tente d'identifier les modes de coordination entre les différents acteurs. (Résumé d'auteur

Four dimensional observations of clouds from geosynchronous orbit using stereo display and measurement techniques on an interactive information processing system

Simultaneous Geosynchronous Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) 1 km resolution visible image pairs can provide quantitative three dimensional measurements of clouds. These data have great potential for severe storms research and as a basic parameter measurement source for other areas of meteorology (e.g. climate). These stereo cloud height measurements are not subject to the errors and ambiguities caused by unknown cloud emissivity and temperature profiles that are associated with infrared techniques. This effort describes the display and measurement of stereo data using digital processing techniques

The GEMPAK Barnes objective analysis scheme

GEMPAK, an interactive computer software system developed for the purpose of assimilating, analyzing, and displaying various conventional and satellite meteorological data types is discussed. The objective map analysis scheme possesses certain characteristics that allowed it to be adapted to meet the analysis needs GEMPAK. Those characteristics and the specific adaptation of the scheme to GEMPAK are described. A step-by-step guide for using the GEMPAK Barnes scheme on an interactive computer (in real time) to analyze various types of meteorological datasets is also presented

Évolution de la qualité de l'eau dans le réseau de distribution de la ville de Montréal

Dans la présente étude, nous montrons l'évolution de l'eau dans un réseau de distribution. Ce réseau a été construit dans les années 70 à l'aide de conduites d'acier ou de fonte ductile munies d'un revêtement intérieur de ciment. Il est alimenté par des eaux de très bonne qualité qui circulent d'abord dans une suite de conduites maîtresses (de 2 700 mm à 900 mm) jusqu'à un secteur de petites conduites maillées (200 et 300 mm). Des échantillons d'eau ont été prélevés à 14 reprises durant une année, le long de la conduite maîtresse (le temps de séjour y varie de 0 h à 13,6 h) et dans le secteur de petites conduites (de 13,6 h à 18,4 h). Nous avons mesuré la température, le pH, plusieurs sous-produits de désinfection dont les trihalométhanes et les aldéhydes, le carbone organique total et biodégradable ainsi que les concentrations de bactéries hétérotrophes aérobies et anaérobies facultatives (BHA) et les comptes directs totaux mesurés en épifluorescence. Le réseau a très peu d'effet sur l'évolution des sous-produits de désinfection. En effet, les résultats obtenus à partir des échantillons témoins (eaux traitées conservées dans un flacon propre à la même température que dans le réseau) sont semblables à ceux obtenus à partir des eaux prélevées dans le réseau de distribution.Les concentrations de bactéries ainsi que les concentrations de CODB sont assez stables dans le réseau. Il est intéressant de noter qu'il y a de 0,2 à 0,45 mg/l de CODB, ce qui est supérieur à la concentration minimale de 0,15 mg/l requise pour la croissance des bactéries. Par contre, le chlore résiduel libre est toujours supérieur à 0,20 mg/l. Une seule exception, le 11 juillet 1994, dans le secteur de petites conduites, le chlore résiduel a baissé jusqu'à 0,16 mg/l. Durant cette journée, nous avons observé une légère augmentation des comptes directs totaux mesurés en épifluorescence.Studies were performed to follow the changes in water quality along a distribution system. The distribution system under study is divided into two parts: main pipes starting from the plant (from 2 700 mm to 900 mm diameter) feeding a small pipes sector (200 mm and 300 mm diameter). Residence times range from 0 to 13.6 hours in main pipes and from 13.6 h to 18.4 h in small pipes. All pipes are made of steel or ductile iron and their interior is lined with concrete; there is therefore little corrosion. Since the raw water is of such high quality, the treatment plant is very simple: a direct filtration on sand followed by ozonation and chlorine disinfection. Samples were taken on 14 occasions, during a full year period, in the distribution system and in the treatment plant after chlorination. These last samples were incubated in clean flasks at the network temperature. Measurements of temperature, pH, disinfection by-products (trihalomethanes, aldehydes, haloacetonitriles, haloacetones and chloropicrine), total organic carbon (TOC), biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) and number of bacteria (heterotrophic plate count and total direct count by epifluorescence) were completed.The distribution network seems to have very little effect on chlorine demand and disinfection by-products. Results from water incubated in flasks are similar to those from distribution network. After more than 18 hours contact time, the chlorine residual is still higher than 0.2 mg/l in most of the samples taken in the distribution network and in the flask. It should be noted that the initial chlorine concentrations range from 0.65 mg/l (cold water) to 1.00 mg/l (warm water). Chlorine demand and trihalomethane (THM) curves are typical, a rapid increase with time followed by a relatively stable level. THM concentrations in the distribution network are low: a typical value of 14 µg/l after 13.6 hours contact time is detected. The maximum concentration of 43 µg/l of total THM was measured in a dead end. In this latter sample, 42 % of the THM was present as bromodichloromethane and 39 % as chloroform. Other by-products such as haloacetonitrile, haloacetone and chloropicrine were always detected in very small concentrations.Aldehyde concentrations in treated water were low, between 21 and 42 µg/l. These concentrations were stable throughout the distribution system. Fixed and free biomass seems to have very little effect on these biodegradable compounds. These results were confirmed by BDOC results. BDOC in treated water ranges from 0.2 to 0.45 mg/l and remains stable in the distribution system. These low BDOC concentrations and the chlorine residual of approximately 0.2 mg/l seem to be sufficient to prevent regrowth in the distribution system. Total direct counts by epifluorescence showed almost no increase of bacterial density except for the July 11th sample. This is the only day where the free chlorine residual dropped below 0.2 mg/l, with values of free chlorine residual dropping as low as 0.16 mg/l

Le Traitement des Eaux de Consommation : La Nécessité d'une Recherche en Chimie de l'Eau

L'objectif principal de cet article est de montrer que les travaux de recherche en chimie de l'eau sont absolument nécessaires à la compréhension des phénomènes régissant la qualité des eaux de consommation produites et distribuées, ainsi qu'au développement de technologies innovantes dans le domaine du traitement de ces eaux. Pour l'atteindre, il a été choisi de présenter trois exemples des recherches menées à l'Université de Poitiers et à l'École Polytechnique de Montréal : deux exemples de recherche fondamentale, sur les matières organiques naturelles et sur les mécanismes d'oxydation par les radicaux hydroxyle et un exemple de la recherche d'application, sur l'évolution de la qualité de l'eau lors de son traitement biologique par ozonation couplée à la filtration sur charbon actif en grains.The main purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that a better understanding of chemical reactions and a better technologies development for the drinking water treatment absolutly needs research in water chemistry. In order to reach this objective, two examples of recent fundamental research works in water chemistry and one example of research applied to drinking water treatment have been selected.The first one concerns a fundamental research on characterization and analysis of natural organic matter. Nowadays, the main analytical tools used for quantification of NOM are DOC (BDOC for the biodegradable fraction) and UV-absorbance. However, a better knowledge of NOM would be useful to predict water quality and determination of doses of some treatment chemicals, such as coagulants and oxidants. This paper presents some data about (i) NOM fractionning by XAD macroporous resins and relationship between UV-absorbance and 13C-NMR, and (ii) study of chlorination of the isolated fractions. Based on these results, one can suppose that aquatic NOM could be soon easily fractionnated and characterized by simples analytical tools. However, many research works are still necessary, particularly on the field of relationships between data of "heavy" analytical tools (13C-NMR, pyrolysis/GC/MS, etc.) and more simple others (UVA/DOC, BDOC, fluorescence etc.).The second paragraph of the paper relates oxidation mechanisms by hydroxyl radicals. In ozonation of drinking water, currently applied in the drinking water treatment, OH radicals production is a necessary consequence, considered as the main action of ozone by some authors. So, disinfection quality, bromate production, BDOC formation, pesticides removal will never be entirely understood as long as hydroxyl radicals participation in ozonation processes will not be really cleared up. To illustrate this purpose, the example of ozonation of a free aminoacid (glycine) by molecular ozone and by OH radicals is shown. Oxidation by "pure" OH radicals, produced by radiolysis, as compared to oxidation by molecular ozone, (at acidic pH in the presence of radical scavengers) shows that two mechanisms are really different. So, some works published some years ago, mixed up the two pathways. Such mechanisms on aminoacids oxidation should allow to understand some more descriptive data on water disinfection and pesticides oxidation.The third example concerns the changes of water quality during ozone/GAC treatment. It is well known that ozonation of naturel waters leads to an enhancement of water biodegradability, in terms of BDOC increase. So, if this BDOC is not removed in the plant, it can be the origin of bacteria regrowth in distribution system. The solutions are either to include, after ozonation step, a biological treatment step on activated carbon (BAC), or to increase chlorination doses applied in final disinfection. The effects of BAC treatment on BDOC and ozonation by-products removals, in the case of the drinking water treatment plant of Sainte-Rose (City of Laval, Quebec, Canada), are described. Finally, taking into account the cost of such a process, the last paragraph of this paper gives some recommandations for conception on BAC treatment.As for general conclusion, some new research topics in water chemistry for the drinking water treatment are enumerated and some ideas about organization and development of applied and fundamental researches in water chermistry for the drinking water treatment, are given

Diode laser induced chemical vapor deposition of WSix on TiN from WF6 and SiH4

Presents a study that reported the development of a compact and inexpensive laser direct writing system for the deposition of tungsten and tungsten silicides using a 1 W diode laser array emitting at 796 nm. Reason for the difficulty to introduce laser processing in a manufacturing environment; Problems related to the use of diode lasers; Characteristics of the lines obtained in both static and dynamic reactors

Optimizing adiabaticity in quantum mechanics

A condition on the Hamiltonian of a time-dependent quantum mechanical system is derived which, if satisfied, implies optimal adiabaticity (defined below). The condition is expressed in terms of the Hamiltonian and in terms of the evolution operator related to it. Since the latter depends in a complicated way on the Hamiltonian, it is not yet clear how the condition can be used to extract useful information about the optimal Hamiltonian. The condition is tested on an exactly-soluble time-dependent problem (a spin in a magnetic field), where perfectly adiabatic evolution can be easily identified.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Existence of global strong solutions to a beam-fluid interaction system

We study an unsteady non linear fluid-structure interaction problem which is a simplified model to describe blood flow through viscoleastic arteries. We consider a Newtonian incompressible two-dimensional flow described by the Navier-Stokes equations set in an unknown domain depending on the displacement of a structure, which itself satisfies a linear viscoelastic beam equation. The fluid and the structure are fully coupled via interface conditions prescribing the continuity of the velocities at the fluid-structure interface and the action-reaction principle. We prove that strong solutions to this problem are global-in-time. We obtain in particular that contact between the viscoleastic wall and the bottom of the fluid cavity does not occur in finite time. To our knowledge, this is the first occurrence of a no-contact result, but also of existence of strong solutions globally in time, in the frame of interactions between a viscous fluid and a deformable structure

Comparaison de techniques d’identification des Erwinia et des Pseudomonas responsables de la pourriture molle

Trois méthodes, soit la caractérisation physiologique, l'utilisation de systèmes miniaturisés d'identification (API 20E, API NFT et Biolog) et l'analyse du profil électrophorétique des protéines sécrétées, ont été expérimentées afin de déterminer une technique précise et rapide d'identification des Pseudomonas et des Erwinia responsables de la pourriture molle. L'analyse des patrons électrophorétiques des protéines sécrétées est une méthode très efficace pour identifier les différentes espèces pectinolytiques de Pseudomonas fluorescents. Le système Biolog reconnaît efficacement le P. marginalis et le P. viridiflava. Le système API NFT est efficace pour l'identification du P. marginalis, du P. viridiflava et du P. syringae. C'est le système API 20E qui s'est avéré le plus efficace pour l'identification des Erwinia. L'électrophorèse des protéines sécrétées et le système API NFT permettent une identification rapide et efficace des Pseudomonas, tandis que pour les Erwinia, seul le système API20E est performant.Three methods, namely physiological characterization, the use of miniaturized identification Systems (API 20E, API NFT, and Biolog) and the analysis of the electrophoretic profile of proteins secreted by the bacteria, were used in order to determine a precise and quick identification technique for the Pseudomonas and Erwinia species causing soft rots in several plant species. The analysis of the electrophoretic profile of the proteins secreted is a very efficient method of identification for the various pectinolytic species of fluorescent Pseudomonas. The Biolog System accurately recognizes P. marginalisand P. viridiflava. The API NFT System is efficient for the identification of P. marginalis, P. viridiflava and P. syringae. The API 20E System was found to be the most reliable System for identifying Erwinia species. The electrophoresis of proteins secreted and the API NFT system allow a quick and efficient identification of Pseudomonas species, while for Erwinia species, only the API 20E System is efficient

Surface induced magnetization reversal of MnP nanoclusters embedded in GaP

We investigate the quasi-static magnetic behavior of ensembles of non-interacting ferromagnetic nanoparticles consisting of MnP nanoclusters embedded in GaP(001) epilayers grown at 600, 650 and 700{\deg}C. We use a phenomenological model, in which surface effects are included, to reproduce the experimental hysteresis curves measured as a function of temperature (120-260 K) and direction of the applied field. The slope of the hysteresis curve during magnetization reversal is determined by the MnP nanoclusters size distribution, which is a function of the growth temperature. Our results show that the coercive field is very sensitive to the strength of the surface anisotropy, which reduces the energy barrier between the two states of opposite magnetization. Notably, this reduction in the energy barrier increases by a factor of 3 as the sample temperature is lowered from 260 to 120 K.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure