Evaluation du patrimoine des ouvrages d'irrigation

International audienceLa maintenance des canaux d'irrigation est une activité indispensable pour une gestion rationnelle de l'eau, afin d'assurer la pérennité du bon fonctionnement du réseau. De plus, les considérations économiques, notamment le manque de ressources financières publiques, incitent à conserver les ouvrages existants. Dans cette étude, la méthodologie proposée par le CEMAGREF nous permet d'établir un classement des défauts des ouvrages hydrauliques en vue de l'appliquer au contexte marocain et de concevoir une base de donnée qui servira de guide pour la maintenance. Cette méthode consiste à mettre en évidence les défauts éventuels, à préciser leur nature ainsi que leur typologie, à énumérer les causes possibles et à préconiser les réparations appropriées. Pour ce faire, des visites sur terrain ont été effectuées dans les périmètres des Doukkala et du Tadla. Les causes de ces détériorations sont diverses, elles proviennent d'erreurs sur la connaissance géologique et hydrodynamique des sols, de l'absence ou de l'insuffisance d'études préalables sur les sols (sur le site ou en laboratoire), d'erreurs commises sur les hypothèses de calcul et la définition des ouvrages, du manque d'information sur la qualité des eaux (notamment leur agressivité), de l'effet “ barrage ” imprévu provoqué par l'ouvrage, et de malfa¸cons. Les procédés de réparation diffèrent selon le degré de dégradations de l'ouvrage. Cet article met en évidence l'importance d'inventorier le patrimoine marocain des ouvrages d'irrigation et l'intérêt de répertorier leurs défauts sous la forme d'une base de donnée qui constituera une référence des types d'ouvrages existant au Maroc et de leur état

Golabi-Ito-Hall syndrome results from a missense mutation in the WW domain of the PQBP1 gene

Background: Golabi, Ito, and Hall reported a family with X linked mental retardation (XLMR), microcephaly, postnatal growth deficiency, and other anomalies, including atrial septal defect, in 1984.Methods: This family was restudied as part of our ongoing study of XLMR, but significant linkage to X chromosome markers could not be found. Extreme short stature and microcephaly as well as other new clinical findings were observed. Mutations in the polyglutamine tract binding protein 1 gene (PQBP1) have recently been reported in four XLMR disorders (Renpenning, Hamel cerebro-palato-cardiac, Sutherland-Haan, and Porteous syndromes) as well as in several other families. The clinical similarity of our family to these patients with mutations in PQBP1, particularly the presence of microcephaly, short stature, and atrial septal defect, prompted examination of this gene.Results: A missense mutation in PQBP1 was identified which changed the conserved tyrosine residue in the WW domain at position 65 to a cysteine (p.Y65C).Conclusions: This is the first missense mutation identified in PQBP1 and the first mutation in the WW domain of the gene. The WW domain has been shown to play an important role in the regulation of transcription by interacting with the PPxY motif found in transcription factors. The p.Y65C mutation may affect the proper functioning of the PQBP1 protein as a transcriptional co-activator

In vivo nematicidal potential of camel milk on Heligmosomoides polygyrus gastro-intestinal nematode of rodents

Following our previous fi ndings on the in vitro anthelmintic effect of camel milk on Haemonchus contortus, the current study aimed at investigating its in vivo effect. Investigations were carried out using mice infected with Heligmosomoides polygyrus which is a parasite commonly used to test the effi cacy of anthelmintics. Thirty six Swiss white mice of both sexes aged 5 – 6 weeks old, and weighing between 20 and 25 g were orally infected with 0.5 ml dose of 100, 1-week-old H. polygyrus infective larvae (L3 ). After the pre-patent period, infected animals were randomly divided into 6 groups of 6 animals each. The nematicidal effi cacy of camel milk was monitored through faecal egg count reduction (FECR) and total worm count reduction (TWCR). Four doses (8.25; 16.5; 33.0; 66.0 ml/kg body weight (bw)) for fresh camel milk and 22 mg/kg bw for albendazole were studied using a bioassay. Albendazole and 4 % dimethylsulfoxide were included in the protocol as reference drug and placebo, respectively. For all tested doses except 8.25 ml/kg bw, camel milk was effective in vivo against H. polygyrus reducing both faecal egg count and worm count (p < 0.05). The dose 66 ml/kg bw showed the highest nematicidal activity causing a 76.75 % FECR and a 69.62 % TWCR 7 day after initiating the treatment. These results support the possible use of camel milk in the control of gastro-intestinal helminthiasis

The regularized 3D Boussinesq equations with fractional Laplacian and no diffusion

In this paper, we study the 3D regularized Boussinesq equations. The velocity equation is regularized \`a la Leray through a smoothing kernel of order $\alpha$ in the nonlinear term and a $\beta$-fractional Laplacian; we consider the critical case $\alpha+\beta=\frac{5}{4}$ and we assume $\frac 12 <\beta<\frac 54$. The temperature equation is a pure transport equation, where the transport velocity is regularized through the same smoothing kernel of order $\alpha$. We prove global well posedness when the initial velocity is in $H^r$ and the initial temperature is in $H^{r-\beta}$ for $r>\max(2\beta,\beta+1)$. This regularity is enough to prove uniqueness of solutions. We also prove a continuous dependence of the solutions on the initial conditions.Comment: 28 pages; final version accepted for publication in Journal of Differential Equation

Antibody RING-Mediated Destruction of Endogenous Proteins

International audienc

Proceedings of the Second workshop on scientific results of FORV Sagar Sampada

Since inception in 1984, the Fisheries and Oceanographic Research Vessel Sagar Sampada, with sophisticated modern facilities onboard, has undertaken more than 140 cruises all over the Indian Ocean primarily in our Exclusive Economic Zone for fishery and oceanographic survey. Scientists from many institutions have made use of this facility to explore the resource potential in our sea and to understand its correlation with the environmental parameters. These survey and exploration efforts are continuing. This volume contains many papers which are the outcome of research work carried out onboard 'Sagar Sampada' during last five years (1989-1993) and presented in a Workshop to evaluate the scientific work. About 60 papers, included in this volume, bring out the results pertaining to environmental assessment, hydrology, productivity estimates, fishery resources availability, fishing technology, pollution monitoring etc. These relate mainly to the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands groups in the EEZ of India. These efforts along with other mission-oriented cruises have yielded valuable information on the fishery resources and their distribution in space and time

Analysis of CLDN14 gene in deaf Moroccan patients with non-syndromic hearing loss

Mutations in the CLDN14 gene, encoding the tight junction claudin 14 protein has been reported to date in an autosomal recessive form of isolated hearing loss DFNB29. In order to identify the contribution of CLDN14 to inherited deafness in Moroccan population, we performed a genetic analysis of this gene in 80 Moroccan familial cases. Our results show the presence of 7 mutations: 6 being conservative and one leading to a missense mutation (C11T) which was found at heterozygous and homozygous states, with a general frequency of 6.87%. The pathogenicity of the resulting T4M substitution is under discussion. Finally, our study suggests that CLDN14 gene can be implicated in the development of hearing loss in the Moroccan population

Drug resistance profile and biofilm forming potential of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from contact lenses in Karachi-Pakistan

BACKGROUND: The contaminated contact lens provides Pseudomonas aeruginosa an ideal site for attachment and biofilm production. Continuous contact of the eye to the biofilm-infested lens can lead to serious ocular diseases, such as keratitis (corneal ulcers). The biofilms also prevent effective penetration of the antibiotics, which increase the chances of antibiotic resistance. METHODS: For this study, 22 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were obtained from 36 contact lenses and 14 contact lens protective fluid samples. These isolates were tested against eight commonly used antibiotics using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. The biofilm forming potential of these isolates was also evaluated using various qualitative and quantitative techniques. Finally, a relationship between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance was also examined. RESULTS: The isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa tested were found resistant to most of the antibiotics tested. Qualitative and quantitative biofilm analysis revealed that most of the isolates exhibited strong biofilm production. The biofilm production was significantly higher in isolates that were multi-drug resistant (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that multi-drug resistant, biofilm forming Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates are mainly involved in contact lens associated infections. This appears to be the first report from Pakistan, which analyzes both antibiotic resistance profile and biofilm forming potential of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from contact lens of the patients with contact lens associated infections