L'Association des Elèves de l'UniCampo (AAUC) : d'un réseau d'acteurs à une organisation de développement

The main objective of APPRI Workshop was to analyse conditions for implementing alternative action-research practices in partnership for development, taking into account the difficulties of "official" research and of the rural world, faced with the major challenges of sustainable development in the South. One originality of APPRI was to compare experiences from rural zones of Africa, with those of the UNICAMPO Peasants' University set up 10 years ago in the Brazilian Nordeste, a semi-arid region where small holders' farms exhibit some major similarities with those in Drylands Africa. The "Peasants' University" concept was unanimously chosen as a place to unify partnership initiatives bringing together research, rural development officers, farmer's organizations and rural communities. These Peasants' Universities will be places of learning where a common vision is shared for implementing development and environmental improvement activities. The APPRI group unanimously accepted that technical and institutional innovation in partnership is paramount. It needs to be co-constructed from local know-how and scientific and technical knowledge. Information and communication between all those involved in development needs to be revised and strengthened for ore interactivity and efficiency in order to contribute to cultural recognition and social economic transformation of rural communities. L'objectif de l'atelier APPRI était principalement d'analyser les conditions de mise en œuvre de pratiques alternatives de recherche-action en partenariat pour le développement, prenant en compte les difficultés de la recherche "officielle" et du monde rural face aux grands enjeux du développement durable au Sud. Une originalité d'APPRI était de confronter les expériences des zones rurales africaines à celles de l'Université Paysanne UNICAMPO mise en place depuis 10 ans dans le Nordeste brésilien, région semi-aride où les petites exploitations familiales présentent de grandes similitudes avec celles des zones sèches d'Afrique. Le concept d' "Université Paysanne" a été retenu à l'unanimité comme lieu de fédération d'initiatives en partenariat regroupant la recherche, les agents du développement rural, les organisations et groupements de producteurs et les communautés rurales. Ces universités paysannes seront des lieux d'apprentissage où se partage une vision commune pour la mise en œuvre d'actions de développement et de valorisation du milieu destinées. De façon unanime, le groupe APPRI2008 admet que l'innovation technique et institutionnelle en partenariat est centrale. Elle doit être co-construite à partir des savoirs locaux et de la connaissance scientifique et technique. L'information et la communication entre tous les acteurs du développement doivent être repensées et renforcées pour être plus interactives et plus efficaces afin de participer à la reconnaissance culturelle et la transformation sociale et économique des communautés rurales

Avaliação da exposição ocupacional ambiental e biomecânica na área das carroçarias numa fábrica da indústria automóvel

Mestrado em ErgonomiaIntrodução: Este trabalho de estágio decorreu numa empresa da indústria automóvel. Objectivo: (1) Avaliação da exposição ao ambiente químico, reconhecido como factor de risco para saúde dos operadores expostos. (2) Avaliação dos factores determinantes das lesões músculo-esqueléticas e relacionadas com a actividade desenvolvida no Clinching e DTB (Doors To Body). Métodos: (1) Foi caracterizada a exposição ocupacional a alguns agentes químicos. Todas as análises foram realizadas de acordo com os métodos National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). (2) Para a análise da exposição biomecánica foi utilizado o AP-Ergo e aplicado o Questionário Nórdico. Resultados: (1) Alguns agentes químicos avaliados em certos postos de trabalho estavam acima dos Valores Limites de Exposição (VLE). (2) O valor de risco da avaliação AP- Ergo é, em média, moderado. Foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre a prevalência de dor e o Índice Massa Corporal (IMC), prática de actividade física, antiguidade, score final EAWS, tipo de contrato e restrição médica. Conclusões: (1) Foi necessária a adoptação de medidas adequadas para controlar os riscos subjacentes a esta exposição. (2) A natureza da actividade de trabalho estudada parece ter um papel decisivo no desenvolvimento de dor.ABSTRACT : Background: This training work took place in an automobile industry. Objective: (1) Assessment of the exposure to chemical agents, recognized as a risk factor for health of exposed workers. (2) Evaluation of the factors that determine musculoskeletal disorders and that are related to their activity in clinching and DTB (Doors To Body). Methods: (1) Occupational exposure was characterized regarding some chemicals. All tests were performed according to the methods National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). (2) For the mechanical exposure analysis it was used the AP-Ergo and Nordic Questionnaire. Results: (1) Some chemical agents were above the TLV (Threshold Limit Values). (2) The value of risk assessment of the AP-Ergo is, on average, moderate. Significant differences were found between the prevalence of pain and BMI (Body Mass Index), physical activity, seniority, EAWS final score, type of contract and medical restrictions. Conclusions: (1) It was implemented corrective measures in order to reduce the TLV. (2) The nature of the work activity studied appears to have a decisive role in the development of pain. Key words: Threshold Limit Values (TLV), Chemicals, “Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs), Prevalence, Pain, AP-Ergo, Exposure Biomechanics, Antiquity, Body Mass Index, Physical Activity

A platform approach for the production of Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease vaccines

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is an endemic childhood disease in Southeast Asia, with substantial disease burden affecting millions of children each year. Occasionally the central nervous system is involved causing serious and sometimes fatal neurological complications. HFMD outbreaks are also observed outside the Asia-Pacific countries. HFMD can be caused by multiple enteroviruses of which the best known virus is EVA71. However, also other enteroviruses such as CVA6, CVA10 and CVA16 can cause the disease. Inactivated EVA71 vaccines are registered in China, but in order to prevent all HFMD cases, multivalent vaccines are warranted. Intravacc is developing an HFMD combination vaccine. Here we used our rescue platform to generate the starting materials required for vaccine production. Infectious clones from EVA71_B4, EVA71_C4, CVA6, CVA10 and CVA16 were constructed and the corresponding enteroviruses were rescued. Virus seeds were produced on Vero cells in animal component free medium. Rescued enteroviruses could efficiently replicate, resulting in seed lots with high viral titers. This rescue platform has the major advantage that clinical isolates are not required to obtain the starting material to produce a vaccine, thus mitigating the risk that other, unwanted, viruses are also present. Next to that, the virus source is pre-designed, controlled and well documented. Please click Download on the upper right corner to see the full abstract

Third generation vaccine for world eradication of poliomyelitis

Great efforts have been undertaken by the World Health Organization to achieve eradication of poliomyelitis, a paralytic disease. At present, two different vaccines are available: inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) developed by Salk based on chemical inactivation of the virus and oral polio vaccine (OPV) developed by Sabin based on live attenuated virus strains. The risks associated with IPV concern the safety of the production process as it is based on highly virulent wild type strains, and in contrast, the OPV risks are associated with the reversibility of the attenuated viruses to a transmissible paralytic form. There is therefore a need for a new generation polio vaccines capable to overcome outbreaks and manufacturing risks. With the evolution of molecular virology of Sabin vaccine strains, it is now possible to design extremely genetically stable and hyperattenuated strains without the associated reversion risks. Sabin poliovirus strains were therefore genetically modified giving rise to the third generation of polio vaccine strains [1, 2]. In the present work we have explored the possibility of using the already well-established IPV production process, developed at our site [3] and integrated worldwide [4] for the production and manufacturing of third generation of IPV strains. Specifically, we have produced third generation vaccines in animal component free medium and at 50-L pilot scale. The product obtained did show acceptable yields and was immunogenic in rats. Together, our results indicate that the third generation vaccine strains produced under the flexible platform process are potential candidates which provide increased biosafety during manufacturing which is necessary after polio eradication. In addition, the flexibility and scalability of the process constitute a platform for the production of a large range of vaccines worldwide. 1. Knowlson, S., et al., New Strains Intended for the Production of Inactivated Polio Vaccine at Low-Containment After Eradication. PLoS Pathog, 2015. 11(12): p. e1005316. 2. Macadam, A.J., et al., Rational design of genetically stable, live-attenuated poliovirus vaccines of all three serotypes: relevance to poliomyelitis eradication. J Virol, 2006. 80(17): p. 8653-63. 3. Thomassen, Y.E., et al., Scale-down of the inactivated polio vaccine production process. Biotechnol Bioeng, 2013. 110(5): p. 1354-65. 4. Wezel, v., Monolayer growth systems: Homogeneous unit processes. Spier, R. E. and Griffiths, J. B., eds., 1985: p. 266-281

<i>Wolbachia</i> springs eternal: symbiosis in Collembola is associated with host ecology

Wolbachia are endosymbiotic alpha-proteobacteria infecting a wide range of arthropods and nematode hosts with diverse interactions, from reproductive parasites to obligate mutualists. Their taxonomy is defined by lineages called supergroups (labelled by letters of the alphabet), while their evolutionary history is complex, with multiple horizontal transfers and secondary losses. One of the least recently derived, supergroup E, infects springtails (Collembola), widely distributed hexapods, with sexual and/or parthenogenetic populations depending on species. To better characterize the diversity of Wolbachia infecting springtails, the presence of Wolbachia was screened in 58 species. Eleven (20%) species were found to be positive, with three Wolbachia genotypes identified for the first time in supergroup A. The novel genotypes infect springtails ecologically and biologically different from those infected by supergroup E. To root the Wolbachia phylogeny, rather than distant other Rickettsiales, supergroup L infecting plant-parasitic nematodes was used here. We hypothesize that the ancestor of Wolbachia was consumed by soil-dwelling nematodes, and was transferred horizontally via plants into aphids, which then infected edaphic arthropods (e.g. springtails and oribatid mites) before expanding into most clades of terrestrial arthropods and filarial nematodes. </jats:p

MICROSCOPE mission analysis, requirements and expected performance

The MICROSCOPE mission aimed to test the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) to a precision of $10^{-15}$. The WEP states that two bodies fall at the same rate on a gravitational field independently of their mass or composition. In MICROSCOPE, two masses of different compositions (titanium and platinum alloys) are placed on a quasi-circular trajectory around the Earth. They are the test-masses of a double accelerometer. The measurement of their accelerations is used to extract a potential WEP violation that would occur at a frequency defined by the motion and attitude of the satellite around the Earth. This paper details the major drivers of the mission leading to the specification of the major subsystems (satellite, ground segment, instrument, orbit...). Building upon the measurement equation, we derive the objective of the test in statistical and systematic error allocation and provide the mission's expected error budget.Comment: References update

Open access in Southern European countries

The Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) is a public foundation under the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation whose mission is to strengthen the value chain of knowledge by fostering science and innovation and trying to integrate them and bring them closer to society, in response to the needs and expectations of the Spanish science, technology and enterprise system. The Foundation’s goal is to be recognized by Spanish society as a key reference in the dissemination, information and measurement of science and innovation. It also wishes to contribute to the development of a knowledge-based economy. One of the main challenges of the Foundation is to lead the integration and rationalization of scientific information and science, technology and innovation metrics, described as the “integrate and measure vector” in its 2010- 2012 strategic plan. FECYT already has considerable experience in managing national scientific information. It is the national licensee of the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge accessed by the Spanish scientific community. It is also firmly committed to establishing itself as the Spanish hub in favour of the open access (OA) movement (for free access to scientific information available on the Internet), in combination with supporting the traditional markets of scientific information. In 2010 FECYT organized the 5th International Conference on Open Repositories in Madrid, with the aim of positioning Spain in the debate on emerging trends in the management of scientific information. The authorities are opening the door to the open access movement, under the belief that publicly funded research should be freely available. Among other initiatives, the 2010 Spanish Bill on Science, Technology and Innovation urges researchers to deposit their research papers produced with public funding in institutional repositories