Design and fabrication of a low cost implantable bladder pressure monitor

In the frame of the Flemish Community funded project Bioflex we developed and fabricated an implant for short term (< 7 days) bladder pressure monitoring, and diagnosis of incontinence. This implant is soft and flexible to prevent damaging the bladder's inner wall. It contains a standard flexible electronic circuit connected to a battery, which are embedded in surface treated silicone to enhance the biocompatibility and prevent salt deposition. This article describes the fabrication of the pill and the results of preliminary cytotoxicity tests. The electronic design and its tests, implantation and the result of the in-vivo experimentation will be presented in other articles

Role of methylotrophy during symbiosis between Methylobacterium nodulans and Crotalaria podocarpa

Some rare leguminous plants of the genus Crotalaria are specifically nodulated by the methylotrophic bacterium Methylobacterium nodulans. In this study, the expression and role of bacterial methylotrophy were investigated during symbiosis between M. nodulans, strain ORS 2060(T), and its host legume, Crotalaria podocarpa. Using lacZ fusion to the mxaF gene, we showed that the methylotroph genes are expressed in the root nodules, suggesting methylotrophic activity during symbiosis. In addition, loss of the bacterial methylotrophic function significantly affected plant development. Indeed, inoculation of M. nodulans nonmethylotroph mutants in C. podocarpa decreased the total root nodule number per plant up to 60%, decreased the whole-plant nitrogen fixation capacity up to 42%, and reduced the total dry plant biomass up to 46% compared with the wild-type strain. In contrast, inoculation of the legume C. podocarpa with nonmethylotrophic mutants complemented with functional mxa genes restored the symbiotic wild phenotype. These results demonstrate the key role of methylotrophy during symbiosis between M. nodulans and C. podocarpa

Investigating and promoting new local legume symbioses for development in west african and mediterranean countries

In the context of climate change, increasing earth population and burst of energy cost, legumes should contribute more to both food security and sustainable management of natural resources (water, soils) in the next years. A collaborative work with research groups in several developing countries during the past 20 years focused on investigation and sampling of local wild legumes (herbs, shrubs and trees) having environmental/agronomic/forestry potential in West Africa and in the Mediterranean region. New symbiotic systems were discovered, resulting in new models for fundamental research, and new applications. This is, for one part, due to their associated microsymbionts, often belonging to unexpected bacterial groups with original physiological / metabolic properties i.e. photosynthesis, freeliving nitrogen fixation, methylothrophy, tolerance to extreme environmental conditions (salinity, aridity, heavy metals, hydrocarbon breakdown), stem nodulation, beneficial associations with non-legume plants (cereals). This may account for their wider adaptation to a variety of plant species and ecological habitats than previously thought, opening new insights for the domestication of these " multipurpose rhizobia ". Indeed new arable soils are required wordwide, often from degraded lands, affected by aridity, salinity, mining activities, pollution. Rhizobia may thus participate as tools Several examples picked up from our diversity investigations over recent years will be presented to illustrate either success stories of beneficial use of these new symbioses or reasonably good perspectives of application of research in different aspects, soil fertility regeneration/maintenance, food crop production optimization (i.e. green manure, nematode control, associated cultures), sustainable environmental management. Federated farmer organizations at the local, regional and national levels are active collaborative partners in research and dissemination of results to their end user members (small farmers, NGOs, foresters agronomists and cattle breeders, industrials...). (Résumé d'auteur

L’inscription contextuelle de l’activité en course en durée

Cette étude s’intéresse au couplage entre l’activité d’élèves de primaire et un dispositif d’enseignement de course en durée lors d’une leçon d’Education Physique et Sportive. Elle a été conduite selon le cadre théorique et méthodologique du cours d’action. Deux types de données ont été recueillis : (a) des données d’enregistrement vidéo et (b) des données de verbalisations lors d’entretiens d’autoconfrontation. Les données ont été traitées en deux étapes : (a) la reconstruction pour chaque élève de leur cours d’action et (b) la comparaison des cours d’action. Les résultats mettent en avant (a) les préoccupations typiques des élèves lors de la réalisation du parcours de course en durée, et (b) l’évolution de ces préoccupations et des formes d’actions selon la partie du parcours. En pointant l’inscription contextuelle de l’activité des élèves, nous défendons la place des approches centrées sur l’activité comme complémentaires aux approches didactiques.The purpose of this study was to examine in primary school class pupils’activity/teaching device coupling, during a Physical Education’s lesson about running. The study was conducted within the theoretical and methodological framework of the course of action. The results showed (a) typical involvements in the situation when pupils ran on the running course and (b) the dynamic of these involvements and forms of actions according to the part of the running course. By pointing out the impact of the context to the pupils’activity, we defend the place of activity-oriented approaches to enrich the didactic approaches

Capacités PGPR et MHB de Bradyrhizobium symbiotiques d'Acacia spirorbis

Trois souches (STM7788, STM7791 et STM7802) de Bradyrhizobium symbiotiques fixatrice d'azote d'Acacia spirorbis endémique de Nouvelle- Calédonie présentent, en plus de leur caractère symbiotique, des fonctions associées à la promotion de la croissance des plantes (effet PGPR : Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria) comme la production d'acide indole acé tique, d'ACC déaminase, d'ammoniac, de sidérophores et solubilisation des phosphates ainsi que la capacité d'accroitre la vitesse de croissance in vitro du mycélium d'un des principaux champignons ectomycorhiziens d'A. spirorbis : Pisolithus albus. Afin de comprendre les rôles de ces souches dans l'adaptation d'A. spirorbis à ses environnements, les bactéries ont été inoculées dans différentes conditions, à des espèces non-fixatrice d'azote. Des germinations de colza, Arabidopsis thaliana (Columbia) et Eucalyptus robusta ont été inoculé in vitro en boîte de Pétri pour décrire les effets de ces trois bactéries sur le développement des jeunes plantes et notamment de leurs systèmes racinaires (effet PGPR). Un dispositif statistique à trois facteurs contrôlés : i) l'espèce d'arbre inoculée par la souche MD06-337 de P. albus avec deux niveaux : E. globulus et E. robusta, ii) la souche inoculée avec trois niveaux : STM7788, STM7791 et STM7802, iii) la concentration de l'inoculum bactérien avec trois niveaux : DO = 1, 0.5 et 0.1), avec quatre répétitions par modalité pour décrire une éventuelle amélioration de l'ectomycorhization de ces plants (effet MHB : Mycorrhiza Helper Bacteria ). Les jeunes plants de colza inoculés par les souches STM7788, STM7791 et STM7802 présentent une amélioration de la croissance (biomasse) qui reste néanmoins peu significative par rapport au témoin. Les résultats de vitesse d'élongation de la racine et de son architecture sont en cours d'analyse et il en est de même pour A. thaliana et E. robusta. L'essai mis en place pour révéler un éventuel effet MHB est en cours d'analyse. (Résumé d'auteur

APROXIMAÇÕES E DISTANCIAMENTOS ENTRE AS COPAS DE 1950 E DE 2014: APONTAMENTOS SOBRE TRANSFORMAÇÕES NO FUTEBOL E NO BRASIL

Resumo: O presente trabalho busca analisar as duas Copas do Mundo sediadas no Brasil, em 1950 e 2014. O objetivo do estudo é apontar semelhanças e diferenças na organização dos dois eventos, nos debates que eles suscitaram na época da sua realização e nos usos políticos decorrentes deles. Para isso, serão explicitados os contextos nacionais e internacionais em que os dois eventos estavam inseridos, para que se possa entender seus pontos de contato e de distanciamento. Nesse sentido,para compreender as análises foram utilizados como fontes dois jornais de grande circulação, além de peças propagandísticas e discursos políticos. O artigo propõe, por meio dessa análise, perceber como cada Copa do Mundo se configura como uma rica janela para analisar as transformações pelas quais passou o Brasil e o futebol nesses 64 anos entre as Copas de 1950 e de 2014.Palavras-Chave: Copa do Mundo; Política; Futebol.Abstract: This paper seeks to analyse the two world cups based in Brazil: one in 1950 and again in 2014. The objective of this study is pointing out similarities and differences, in the Organization of the two events, in discussions that they raised at the time of its completion and the resulting political uses of them. For this, the national and international contexts be given in which the two events were inserted, in order to understand their points of contact and distance. In this sense two mass circulation newspapers were used as a source, besides propaganda pieces and political speeches to understand the analysis. The article proposes through this analysis, realize how every FIFA World Cup â„¢ is configured as a rich window to examine the transformations through Brazil and soccer, in those 64 years between 1950 and the World Cup of 2014.Keywords: World Cup; Politics; Football

Matérialité et formes d’interaction entre élèves : une étude empirique lors de leçons d’EPS en course d’orientation

Cette étude en course d’orientation s’intéresse aux liens entre les propriétés physiques et fonctionnelles de la carte, son mode d’utilisation par les élèves et la dynamique des interactions entre élèves regroupés en dyades. Elle a été conduite selon le cadre théorique et méthodologique du cours d’action. Deux types de données ont été recueillis : (a) des données d’enregistrement audio-visuel des élèves et (b) des données de verbalisations post-action de ces élèves. Les données ont été traitées en deux étapes : (a) la reconstruction pour chaque élève de leur cours d’action et (b) la reconstruction de l’articulation collective de leurs cours d’action au sein de chaque dyade. Les résultats mettent en avant (a) trois modes d’utilisation de la carte par les élèves en relation avec ses propriétés physiques et fonctionnelles, (b) trois formes typiques d’interaction entre les élèves et (c) une dynamique de ces formes d’interaction entre les élèves indexée à certaines propriétés physiques et fonctionnelles de la carte. Sur cette base, la discussion vise à nourrir les réflexions sur le rôle et le potentiel des objets matériels dans l’activité collective.This study investigates on the links between the physical and functional properties of the map, on the way pupils use it and the dynamic of interactions between pupils grouped in dyads in orienteering. It was lead according to the theoritical and methodological framework of the course-of-action. Two types of data were gathered: (a) both audio and video recordings and (b) post-action verbalizations of pupils. The data were processed in two step: (a) reconstructing each pupil’s course-of-action and (b) reconstructing collective course-of-action from each dyad. The results highlight (a) three uses for the map by pupils in relation to its physical and functional properties, (b) three typical forms of interactions between pupils and (c) dynamics of these forms of interaction between pupils indexed to certain physical and functional properties of the map. The discussion contributes to ideas on the role and potential of material objects in collective activity

Colégio Vasco da Gama: notas para pensar os entrelaçamentos das culturas escolares com as práticas esportivas

O esporte, e mais especificamente, a prática esportiva no Brasil, são elementos considerados pela sociedade como imprescindíveis para a construção de valores e da cidadania, assim com a escola. Além disso, o imaginário social sobre o atleta evidencia que no Brasil o esporte é muitas vezes encarado como uma promessa profissional, arregimentando muitos jovens para formação esportiva. Nesse processo, muitos precisam conciliar, muitas vezes com dificuldades, as rotinas escolares com as rotinas esportivas. O artigo apresenta os resultados obtidos num estudo sobre a escolarização de jovens atletas de alto rendimento no Colégio Vasco da Gama, inserido na agremiação esportiva homônima. Ancorado, principalmente, na utilização de instrumentos etnográficos de pesquisa, (entrevistas semiestruturadas e questionários) e na análise de documentos oficiais. O objetivo do artigo foi indiciar aspectos referentes aos possíveis entrelaçamentos das culturas escolares com as práticas esportivas na instituição de ensino. Os resultados da pesquisa sugerem que as relações entre o colégio e o clube interferem, decisivamente, nos saberes e práticas que, cotidianamente, são construídos através da interpenetração de elementos do esporte no espaço da escola. Juntamente com isso, foi identificado um sentimento de adesão à instituição escolar, por meio da linguagem do esporte.</jats:p

Crotalaria juncea as green manure and for nematode population control in Mediterranean vegetable production

We will present our results obtained in the framework of the recent European project Legume Futures. We tested the tropical non-crop legume Crotalaria juncea for biological control of phytoparasitic root-knot nematode populations and green manure effect in greenhouse tunnel vegetable production in Mediterranean conditions. Results show that C. juncea (1) grows rapidly in Mediterranean conditions producing a significant biomass (2) has a very positive green manure effect on lettuce production in both sites and within two successive campaigns (3) significantly reduce on lettuce gall scores. Mycorrhization index and rate of C. juncea are significantly higher than that of Ray-grass used as a reference mycorrhizogenous plant. Plants nodulate and natural abundance in 15N show that may be equivalent to about 50 Kg of fixed nitrogen per ha in 3 months. (Texte intégral

Nematostatic N2-fixing Crotalaria juncea for sustainable greenhouse vegetable production

We implemented complete randomised block designs over a 3-year rotation in two farm sites of southern France to test the non-crop legume Crotalaria juncea for biological control of phytoparasitic root-knot nematode populations and green manure effect in greenhouse tunnel vegetable production (lettuce) suffering from recurrent and severe nematode infestation problems. Crotalaria intercrop cultivation was introduced as an alternative cover plant to Sorghum. Crotalaria plants were inoculated at sowing with a cocktail of rhizobium strains, grown for 60-65 days, cut and the residues incorporated into soil; lettuces were then planted and harvested after 75-day growth. Several parameters were measured: Crotalaria plant growth, root nodulation, 15N natural abundance, N concentration and percentage of N2 fixed in C. juncea; subsequent lettuce crop yield and nematode infestation (galls); microbiological impact of Crotalaria in soil and roots. Soil samples were analysed for Corg-N-P contents, DNA extraction to monitor bacterial diversity, estimation of microbial catabolic potentialities (substrate induced respiration) and trap cultures of mycorrhizas. Statistical analyses show that C. juncea (1) grows rapidly in Mediterranean conditions producing a significant biomass (2) has a very positive green manure effect on lettuce production in both sites and within two successive campaigns (3) significantly reduce on lettuce gall scores. Mycorrhization index and rate of C. juncea are significantly higher than that of Ray-grass used as a reference mycorrhizogenous plant. Bacterial strains recovered from nodules show a larger diversity than that of the inoculated strains. One of the inoculated Bradyrhizobium sp. strain was still present in soil one year after inoculation. Measurements of natural abundance in 15N show that the proportion of nitrogen fixed is quite low over the whole plot (Ndfa=15%) although it varies a lot between blocks (from 3 to 30%). Nevertheless, this corresponds to about 50 Kg of fixed nitrogen per ha in 3 months. No transfer of fixed N2 from C. juncea necromass to lettuce could be detected during this 1st year of experiment. Possible remnant effect of Crotalaria rotation will be further examined in the 2nd and 3rd year of experiment. A third site of experimentation is being settled in Murcia (Spain) in 2012 (tomato production). (Texte intégral