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The research reported in this paper was carried out as part of the CARISMAND project, which has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (2014–20), Grant Agreement Number 653748. This exploratory study investigates the relationships between the disaster preparedness of citizens and cultural factors in Romania and Malta. With regard to methodology, quantitative and qualitative data were collected during two Citizen Summits, which consisted of a real-time survey and focus group discussions. The results point to two specific cultural factors that may bridge this ‘gap’ and be operationalised to enhance people's readiness for a disaster event. In Malta, the findings reveal how community cohesion is altered from a personal to a cultural value, which has the potential to encourage the transformation of preparedness intentions into actual preparedness behaviour. In Romania, meanwhile, the findings highlight the ambivalent aspects of trusting behaviour as a cultural norm on the one hand, and distrust in authorities based on experience and unmet expectations on the other hand. Social media use may reduce this tension between trust and distrust, and thus foster successful disaster risk-related communication. Publisher PDF

Jarrett used a piece of 11 x 8.5 graph paper which he ended up cutting to make even weight because the paper had holes and plastic reinforcement on one side. (see attached picture).

In Mali, the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is estimated at 56 cases per 100 000 people, with a prevalence of multidrug-resistant TB in new cases of 1.7% (range, 0.3–3.1%) and in retreatment cases of 17% (range, 4.4–30%). Appropriate biosafety conditions for performing routine TB culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing have been lacking. In 2015, a biosafety level 3 (BSL3) laboratory set up in a shipping container was donated to the Malian Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene to provide capacity for TB testing. This laboratory is now managed by Malian laboratory staff and is processing samples at the national level. We explain the necessary steps for establishing and running a BSL3 laboratory. Despite the acute need for functioning and sustainable BSL3 laboratories, low- and middle-income countries are faced with a complex process and must overcome many challenges. Keywords: biosafety, BSL3, capacity-building, culture, DST, LMICs, Mali, Tuberculosis

republié par P. Bonte et H. Claudot-Hawad (éds) dans les Cahiers de l'IREMAM, n° 13/14 (« Elites du monde nomade touareg et maure »), 2000, Aix-en-Provence, pp. 167-184; International audience; Dans la Mauritanie contemporaine, la revendication de l'arabe fait figure de principe fondamental de l'entité maure. Pourtant les populations sahariennes du Sahara occidental furent longtemps berbérophones et mirent sans doute plusieurs siècles à changer de « langue maternelle ». C'est d'abord sur cette arabisation dialectale que je m'interroge, en montrant qu'on ne peut pas la couper complètement du mouvement d'islamisation qui l'a précédée et qui semble avoir influé fortement sur l'image que ces populations pouvaient se faire d'elles-mêmes. Si, à partir du 18ᵉ siècle, l'arabité culturelle de cette région prend des contours plus nets, il faut prêter attention au fait que, derrière l'unité apparente du terme « arabe », se cache une dualité mouvante — ce qu'on appelle la diglossie arabe littéraire/dialecte —, à laquelle correspondent deux formes culturelles distinctes. Je propose ici de caractériser la culture savante des zwâye comme « aurale » (par delà la dichotomie écrit/oral) par opposition à l'oralité de la culture populaire en dialecte, telle qu'elle s'incarne notamment chez les musiciens-chanteurs. Dans la dernière partie, j'étudie l'évolution récente de la diglossie et les tentatives faites pour échapper aux difficultés posées par cette opposition, qu'elles restent à l'intérieur du domaine arabe ou qu'elles choisissent d'en sortir. Là encore le poids de l'idéologie se fait sentir et les représentations des locuteurs influent sur leurs productions langagières.

Paper, like all other cultural heritage materials, degrades over time, but conservation slows down the rate of its deterioration. There is a long history of cooperation between microbiologists and conservators of libraries and archival materials, but current approaches addressing paper deterioration need urgent reassessment to take full advantage of modern microbiological methodologies. The present article discusses what we believe are the current priority research areas in assessing microbial risk to paper heritage, and reports studies on a 13th century Italian manuscript and on Leonardo da Vinci's Atlantic Codex which illustrate the problems and challenges encountered when dealing with microbial investigations of paper artworks. The potential of using a more advanced microbiological approach is highlighted.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the suitability of a nested PCR-DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) method for the detection of Desulfovibrionales-related sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) from paper mill samples. The samples were also analyzed with culturing. SRB cause/enhance industrial problems, namely creation of foul-smelling gases (hydrogen sulfide) and biological corrosion, and so far there has not been a simple method to study these bacteria in paper mill laboratories. In our study, culturing was able to detect Desulfovibrionales-related bacteria from two different white waters, two different brokes, pulp, clay, and slime. Out of the isolated Desulfovibrionales, 23 enrichment cultures were further characterized with Desulfovibrionales-selective PCR-DGGE. An identical Desulfovibrio species sequence was found from paper machine I (broke I, slime, and pulp) and from paper machine II (broke II and white water II), suggesting an in-house contamination with the same strain. Desulfovibrionales-selective PCR-DGGE was also performed from DNA templates extracted directly from the paper mill samples. The DGGE profiles derived from the samples without prior enrichment were more diverse and the sequenced amplicons proved to belong to the Desulfovibrionales order. Moreover, molecular techniques were able to detect Desulfovibrionales-related bacteria from calcium carbonate samples whereas culture did not. Altogether, the nested PCR-DGGE method used in this study was suitable for the detection of Desulfovibrionales-related SRB directly from different paper mill samples and it could be used for the rapid identification of SRB-contaminated industrial sites and, when combined with sequencing, for tracing of the contamination routes.