Contribution \ue0 l\u27\ue9tude anatomique et caryologique des Orchidaceae : le genre Cyrtorchis Schltr

Volume: 17Start Page: 75End Page: 9

Observatory of Central African Forests: National and Regional Estimate of Forest Cover and Forest Cover Change for 1990, 2000 and 2005 / La Cartographie Forestière et le Changement d'Occupation et Utilisation du Sol: Description de la Méthodologie

Tropical forests, although covering less than 10% of the total land surface of the Earth, represent the largest terrestrial reservoir of biological diversity1, changes in these biome have major impacts on climate change and biodiversity loss. The Congo Basin hosts the second-largest contiguous block of tropical forest after the Amazon2. To assess these impacts, dynamic forest cover change is more than ever a challenge. Today, optical earth observations methods are fully operational for forest type definitions, mapping and forest cover changes over local scale. National and international decision makers need reliable, objective, verifiable according to international standards and up-to-date information to define and monitor forest policies and to report to international conventions. Only satellite images can provide enough information on processes such as deforestation at the scale of Congo Basin. In this context the Observatory of Forests of Central Africa (OFAC) and the Forest Resources Assessment (FRA-2010) led by FAO, invited each country to work together to estimate forest cover changes for years 1990-2000-2005 (and later 2010).JRC.DDG.H.3-Global environement monitorin

Kinetics of Phase Separation of Oat β-Glucan/Whey Protein Isolate Binary Mixtures

The kinetics of phase separation and microstructure of oat β-glucan/whey protein binary mixtures varying in concentration (4–16% w/v protein, 0.3–1.2% w/v β- glucan) and β-glucan molecular weight (1.3×106, 640× 103, 180×103, and 120×103 g/mol) was investigated by turbidimetry and fluorescent microscopy. The phase separation of the mixed systems was followed at pH 7.0 and at room temperature under quiescent conditions. Application of first principles revealed that phase separation of the systems follows first-order kinetics. Acceleration of the phase-separation process was observed with increase of β- glucan concentration for the three lowest-MW samples but\ud the highest molecular weight (1.3×106 g/mol) exhibited the opposite trend. Changes in the polysaccharide molecular weight resulted in considerable differences in β-glucan aggregate morphology in the mixed systems. The change in the continuity of the mixed system from polysaccharide-, to bi-, to protein-continuous was confirmed for a wide range of mixed systems differing in biopolymer concentration, and β-glucan molecular weigh

Training-induced changes in the pattern of triceps to biceps activation during reaching tasks after chronic and severe stroke

This exploratory study was undertaken to investigate the mechanisms that contributed to improvements in upper limb function following a novel training program. Surface electromyography (EMG) was used to examine training-induced changes in the pattern of triceps and biceps activation during reaching tasks in stroke survivors with severe paresis in the chronic stage of recovery. The EMG data were obtained in the context of a single blind randomised clinical trial conducted with 42 stroke survivors with minimal upper limb muscle activity and who were more than 6 months post-stroke. Of the 33 participants who completed the study, 10 received training of reaching using a non-robotic upper limb training device, the SMART Arm, with EMG triggered functional electrical stimulation (EMG-stim), 13 received training of reaching using the SMART Arm alone, and 10 received no intervention. Each intervention group engaged in 12 1-h training sessions over a 4-week period. Clinical and laboratory measures of upper limb function were administered prior to training (0 weeks), at completion (4 weeks) and 2 months (12 weeks) after training. The primary outcome measure was 'upper arm function' which is Item 6 of the Motor Assessment Scale (MAS). Laboratory measures consisted of two multijoint reaching tasks to assess 'maximum isometric force' and 'maximum distance reached'. Surface EMG was used to monitor triceps brachii and biceps brachii during the two reaching tasks. To provide a comparison with normal values, seven healthy adults were tested on one of the reaching tasks according to the same procedure. Study findings demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in upper limb function for stroke participants in the two training groups compared to those who received no training however no difference was found between the two training groups. For the reaching tasks, all stroke participants, when compared to normal healthy adults, exhibited lower triceps and biceps activation and a lower ratio of triceps to biceps activation. Following training, stroke participants demonstrated increased triceps activation and an increased ratio of triceps to biceps activation for the task that was trained. Better performance was associated with greater triceps activation and a higher ratio of triceps to biceps activation. The findings suggest that increased activation of triceps as an agonist and an improved coordination between triceps and biceps could have mediated the observed changes in arm function. The changes in EMG activity were small relative to the changes in arm function indicating that factors, such as the contribution of other muscles of reaching, may also be implicated