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In this work, Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE)/graphite micro-composite coatings were deposited on an LLDPE substrate using the thermo-compression technique. The studied values of the mass f...

International audience; The Lebanese Baladi goat dairy production sector suffers from food availability problems due to the dependence on natural rangelands and the scarcity of crop residues and forage pastures, leading to lower production. Thus, the nutritional values of the pastures were evaluated in an observational study where 48 Baladi lactating goats were selected and kept within a farm in Qâa er Rîm located in the region of Zahleh, Lebanon. Animal responses in feeding behavior were measured on four different circuits of natural rangelands (NR1, NR2, NR3, and NR4) surrounding the farm site, during a period of ≈75 d (from April to mid-June). Observations and measures consisted of evaluating the rangeland's botanical composition, selective feeding and analysis of forage nutritional values, recording of daily foraging dynamic, and estimation of daily intake. Natural rangelands revealed a large botanical diversity that changed according to season and altitude: From NR1 to NR4, as summer season advanced and animals were moved to higher altitudes, bushes increased, whereas grasses retreated. In parallel, mean diet nutritional value decreased; dry matter (DM) content increased, as well as acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber contents, while crude protein levels decreased. The animals, however, adapted their feeding dynamics on the rangelands accordingly: With the advancement of summer time, total duration of grazing day was increased in order to compensate for longer resting periods at noon and longer walking periods in higher altitudes, without a decrease in total feeding duration. On the other hand, animals were able to adjust their feeding regimen to the available plant species by increasing their daily intake of 0.56 kg/d between NR1 and NR3 and by substituting grasses with shrubby species; a shift from 25% to 28% to 53% to 54% DM in the animals’ diet. These adaptive behavioral responses explain the capacity of Baladi goats to survive in their harsh environment and even tolerate feeding perturbations.

Substitution of synthetic polymers by polymers prepared from renewable resources as well as synthetic fibers by natural fibers is a current research topic. They target various sectors of application such as the automotive industry, transport, packaging, building, and so on, that can offer a solution of lightness, great performance, and a minimum impact on the environment. In the present study, biocomposites based on linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) reinforced with nonchemically treated and noncompatibilized almond shell powder (ASP) particles were prepared by an elaboration process based on mixing polymer powder with ASP particles having similar density in solid state. For consolidation, thermocompression technique has been used. The mass ratio of ASP in the LLDPE/ASP composites varied from 10 wt% to 40 wt%. Effects of ASP wt% on the mechanical and structural properties of biocomposites have been explored through tensile and shore D hardness tests as well as microscopic observations. Homogenous repartition of ASP particles in the polymer matrix was observed for less than 20 wt% ASP. For more than 20 wt% ASP, agglomeration of fillers particles has been observed. Also, it has been found that elastic modulus of the biocomposites increases with ASP particles wt%, while tensile strength and ductility decrease when the ASP wt% increases.

Background: In Tunisia, water deficit and heat stress during the end of cycle are more frequent and causes significant yield losses. Selection of short cycle lines could be a good solution to escape the effect of heat and drought during the end of cycle. Furthermore, there is little published information on the effect of the sowing date on yield and its components in lentils. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the sowing date on yield and its components of some lentil lines. The best productive and early lines will be selected and therefore proposed for registration in the official catalog of plant varieties. The availability of these varieties to farmers could increase lentil production. Methods: Sixteen genotypes of lentil out of which 14 were advanced lines and 2 were checks varieties were used in this study. The field experiment was conducted during the 2017-2018 cropping season at Kef research station located in a semi-arid zone in north western Tunisia. Genotypes were sown on December 15th, 2017 and February, 7th, 2018. Seventeen agro-morphological parameters were recorded. Result: Based on agro-morphological analysis, lentil lines exhibited considerable genetic variability. Among the tested lines, L3 line seem to be the earliest lines. It showed high yield as well in timely and late sown dates. This line deserves more attention to develop short-cycle and high yielding variety.

Surface treatment technologies are constantly evolving. Increasingly, surface functionalisation is of major concern to lighten structures, improve product performance and reduce costs. To f...

International audience; Pattern recognition of Acoustic Emission (AE) data is generally performed based on prior knowledge about the acoustic signatures of material damage mechanisms. Traditionally, these signatures are implicitly assumed to be unaffected by damage accumulation during the fatigue life of the material. This study investigates the influence of cumulated damage under cyclic loading on the acoustic signatures of local fracture mechanisms in composites. Artificial AE sources are created using an ultrasonic transmitter and a Pencil Lead Break in order to reproduce various real-like AEs, such that the waveforms, measured at the sensor level, are characterized as similar to real acoustic signatures of local fractures in carbon/epoxy composites. It is shown that these waveforms are distorted with damage accumulation in both time and frequency domains, leading to important changes in the AE-features used in data classification. Consequently, this can engender unreliable statistical representation of the AE sources in such non-stationary media.

In the present study, characterization of strigolactones (SLs) produced by some Tunisian faba bean genotypes partially resistant to Orobanche foetida Poir. and O. crenata Forsk. was conducted by LC–MS/MS and the results were compared with that of a susceptible genotype. Among the eight partially resistant genotypes grown hydroponically, only the genotype G5 and the susceptible one G9 (Badi) exuded into growth media similar mixture of three SLs, orobanchol, orobanchyl acetate, and a novel SL at amounts detectable by LC–MS/MS. This implies that, for the resistant genotypes except for G5, impaired SL production confers resistance to Orobanche. The amounts of orobanchol and orobanchyl acetate exuded by G5 and G9 were quantified by LC–MS/MS. Results showed that the susceptible genotype G9 produced larger amount of orobanchol than did the resistant genotype G5, and in both genotypes the amounts of orobanchol were significantly higher than that of orobanchyl acetate. Other mechanisms, acting after induction of Orobanche seeds germination, could be implied in the resistance of genotype G5. Since nutrient availabilities have been shown to affect SL production, effects of N, P and K deficiencies on SL production were studied for genotypes G5 and G9. Both N and P deficiencies enhanced SL exudation in both genotypes, while K deficiency did not affect it.

This work aims at managing the levels of CO2 inside King Abdulaziz Road Tunnel in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, by using heterogeneous systems and devices that can interact with each other autonomously through various communication media. This can be achieved by providing a tunnel with sensors that can detect the increased levels of CO2 and then search for available devices that can help in achieving the goal which is providing a tunnel with a good ventilation system. The sensors should be able to interact with fans to refine the air inside the tunnel and a warning message is sent to the billboard inside the tunnel to be displayed for drivers to take precautions. This can be done by using oppnet virtual machine (OVM). OVM can be downloaded to any device making it oppnet-enabled. Our goal of managing the levels of CO2 inside the tunnel can be achieved by making the sensors, fans and the billboard oppnet-enabled devices to interact with each other and share resources autonomously. The results show that the success rate is 93%, and the time required for our oppnet to succeed is within seven seconds.

In this study, the friction and wear behaviours of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based composites were comparatively evaluated under dry sliding and oil-lubricated conditions. Two PTFE composites filled with bronze and bronze + molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) were considered. These composites were used as guide rings for hydraulic actuating cylinder. Friction and wear tests of the composite specimens sliding against high chromium steel ball were conducted using reciprocating linear tribometer. The wear mechanisms of the composites under the two different sliding conditions were analysed and discussed based on scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examinations of the worn surface and optical micrographs of the steel counterface. Under the oil-lubricated condition, the friction and wear behaviours of the composites were considerably improved if compared to that under the dry sliding. The oil adsorbed layer limited the transfer of the composite to the steel counterface and avoided the oxidation of the MoS2 during the sliding test.

This paper accounts for the commercial polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based composites, filled with molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and/or bronze particles. Fire loss technique followed by atomic absorption analyses is used here to identify the weight fractions of their constituents. The mechanical properties of the composites are characterized using tensile and hardness tests. The results show that the ultimate strength decreases with the addition of MoS2. Friction and wear behaviors of the different types of PTFE composites sliding against 100Cr6 steel ball are investigated under dry conditions using reciprocating linear tribometer. Experimental results show that the addition of MoS2 in the PTFE–bronze composite reduces the wear of this composite. Its friction coefficient undergoes a sharp increase at the end of the test. Scanning electron microscopy examination shows some micro cracks and flake pieces on its worn surface and an abrasive wear mechanism is identified on the steel counter face using an optical microscope.

This work aims to evaluate the efficiency and reliability of two Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods for damage assessment in bridges' anchorages. The Acousto-Ultrasonic (AU) technique is compared to classical Ultrasonic Testing (UT) in terms of defect detection and structural health classification. The AU technique is firstly used on single seven-wire strands damaged by artificial defects. The effect of growing defects on the waves traveling through the strands is evaluated. Thereafter, three specimens of anchorages with unknown defects are inspected by the AU and UT techniques. Damage assessment results from both techniques are then compared. The structural health conditions of the specimens can be then classified by a damage severity criterion. Finally, a damaged anchorage socket with mastered defects is controlled by the same techniques. The UT allows the detection and localization of damaged wires. The AU technique is used to bring out the effect of defects on acoustic features by comparing a healthy and damaged anchorage sockets. It is concluded that the UT method is suitable for local and crack-like defects, whereas the AU technique enables the assessment of the global structural health of the anchorage zones.

Testicular adrenal rest tumours (TARTs) have been described in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of TARTs in patients with CAH, the associated factors and their impact on gonadal function. It is a prospective study concerning six young adult men with CAH, four cases with 21-hydroxylase deficiency and two cases with 11-hydroxylase deficiency. All patients were under glucocorticoid therapy. The mean age was 25 years (range: 20-31). All patients underwent a physical examination with testicular palpation, scrotal ultrasonography, a blood sample for serum testosterone, FSH, LH, inhibin B, ∆4-androstenedione and 17-OH-progesterone measurements and a semen analysis. Ultrasound revealed TARTs in four patients; three were bilateral. The mean tumour size was 6.3 ml (range: 0.02-14.1). The tumours were palpable in two cases. 17-OH-progesterone was

We present a microfluidic apparatus and method for the measurement of asphaltene content in crude-oil samples. The measurement is based on an optical absorption technique, where it was established that asphaltene coloration correlated linearly with asphaltene weight content. The initial absorbance of the oil is measured, and asphaltenes are removed from the oil by the addition of n-alkane, leading to flocculation and subsequent filtration. The absorbance of the deasphalted oil (maltenes) is then measured, and the initial asphaltene content is revealed by the change in absorbance. The asphaltene optical densities correlated linearly with conventional weight measurement results (e.g., ASTM D6560) for 38 crude-oil samples from around the world. Sample measurement repeatability was shown to be within ±2% over several months. Other aspects influencing performance of the system were evaluated, including plug dispersion, flocculation kinetics, membrane degradation, and channel clogging. The microfluidic approach described here permits asphaltene content measurement in less than 30 min as opposed to days required with traditional gravimetric techniques. This many-fold reduction in measurement time will enable more frequent characterization of crude oil samples.

A new spectrophotometry technique for quantifying the asphaltene content of black oil samples improves data quality, reduces measurement time, and reduces solvent volume in comparison with conventional methods. According to this method, asphaltenes are quantified by subtracting the visible spectrum of the maltenes from that of the oil. We found that the difference in spectra of oil and maltenes correlated well with the modified ASTM D6560 method for a large sample set that covered a wide range of geographic locations, which points to the existence of a global correlation between the visible spectrum of asphaltenes and their concentration. The repeatability of the measurements, even for low-asphaltene samples, was far better than that achieved with conventional methods. The measurement time was reduced to less than 3 h from 2 days in conventional measurements, and the solvent volume was reduced from 250 mL using the conventional technique to 40 mL using the optical method, thereby reducing the environmenta...

In this work, the definition and design of a specific wave generator concept is presented. The generator aims at providing well referenced T waves for structural health monitoring applications. A distributed network of piezoelectric patches network is considered. Shear effects is the most pertinent effect. An array of 16 piezoelectric stacks is found to be relevant. The numerical simulation confirms the finding. An experimental test bench is also provided in order to validate the concept. The ability of the distributed system in generating pure T waves is discussed. The concept is also employed in order to assess the distributed system overall performances. Numerical and experimental results confirm some specific features in the wave reflection coefficient based on the interaction between the damaged waveguide dynamics and torsional waves propagation.

Adaptive capacities of Baladi goats facing situations of food restrictions and re-feeding during lactation have been studied. Three diets were tested: mountain natural rangelands during early lactation, agricultural pastures during mid-lactation and indoor stall feeding during late lactation. Body weight (BW), body condition (BCS) and plasma metabolites (NEFA) as well as milk production (milk yield, milk fat and milk protein contents) were measured in the different feeding situations. Effect of late lactation re-feeding on reproduction was assessed through kids’ birth weight and weight gain from day 0 till day 60 of age. Results showed that on rangelands, goats’ body condition degraded, with initially fat goats loosing more weight and being subject to a greater reserves mobilization than lean ones. These expressed an adaptive behaviour through increasing their daily feed intake and by an intense body reserves replenishment following their transfer to the agricultural pastures and indoor feeding. In late lactation, even goats kept on agricultural pastures showed a similar reconstitution, showing the high priority of body reserves replenishment during late lactation whatever the feeding level. The milk rebounds observed showed a good reactivity from the Baladi goat in response to a feed improvement either on agricultural pasture or indoor. At the end of lactation the milk yield decreased in all feeding situations proving the priority given by the Baladi goats to the body reserves replenishment over the milk production in order to ensure the next cycle. However, even if there was no difference in kids’ birth weights, kids from stall-fed dams had higher weight gains between 0 and 60 days of age when compared to those from underfed ones.

A newly developed characterization protocol was performed in this study on two Canadian heavy oils, Athabasca and Morgan. This protocol focused on the sequential extraction of asphaltene subfractions based on a change of polarity of a binary system, a solvent and a titrant. The selected solvent was tetrahydrofuran, and the titrant was n-hexane boiling at almost the same temperature. The resulting asphaltenes subfractions were separated by a decreasing polarity. This new protocol allowed collection of each asphaltene subfraction in addition to the determination of the asphaltene subfraction that is more responsible for high viscosity. All subfractions originating from both oils were analyzed using different analytical techniques. Trends in polarity and metal contents were observed. The high field NMR allowed detection of differences between the fractions and determination of the fractions characteristics responsible for high viscosity. The maltenes were further fractionated into saturate, aromatic, and res...

One of the most common compositional analyses for petroleum samples is known as the SARA (saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes) fractionation test. SARA fractionation is also used as one of the screening criteria for asphaltene stability of reservoir fluids due to pressure depletion or commingling of different fluids. There are numerous variations of this type of analysis. First, the extraction of asphaltenes is not consistent from method to method. Asphaltenes are extracted using either pentane, hexane, or heptane. There are no specific reasons for selecting one over the other, and usually the users do not associate differences in results with the nature of the solvent. In addition, the extraction temperature could have an impact on the amounts of asphaltenes extracted. The fractionation of maltenes is also a challenge, usually ignored by end-users. Assuring no overlap between fractions and obtaining a very good mass balance are among these challenges. They could be impacted by the type of packi...

This work addresses numerical and experimental investigations on the wave propagation and diffusion of the torsional mode T(0,1) in polyvinyl-chloride (PVC) structures with curved components. The wave finite element method (WFEM) is used to determine dispersion characteristics of the waves traveling in a PVC elbow, and to compute reflection and transmission coefficients from a defect with various sizes and positions in the elbow. The effect of size and location on the wave diffusion properties are examined. Numerical results underscore the sensitivity of the diffusion coefficients with respect to frequency and to the defect geometry. These results are firstly compared to experimental tests carried out using an appropriate test-rig for torsional-wave generation and detection. The experiments consist in evaluating the wave attenuation engendered by the material damping, as well as comparing time responses recorded at different locations for damaged and undamaged curved structures. Finite element simulations are also performed and their results are compared to the WFEM ones. The results bring out some substantial observations on the defect’s detectability in such a structure, and the comparison of WFEM to experiments and FE shows a good agreement.

Fungal infections of the central nervous system are rare and are more frequently encountered in immunocompromised patients. Cryptococcocal infection is the most common opportunistic fungal infection after Candida and Aspergillus in organ transplant recipients. Atypical manifestations and nonspecific neuroradiological findings due to the lack of inflammatory response in these immunocompromised patients are responsible for a delay in diagnosis. This diagnosis should be considered even in atypical neurological signs, and additional tests (cerebrospinal fluid examination, magnetic resonance, etc) that may help to suggest the correct diagnosis should be used. We report a case of cryptococcal meningitis in a renal transplant recipient, which was misdiagnosed for several months because of an atypical presentation of headaches without fever or neurological signs.

The fretting conditions in a contact between an epoxy thermoset and a glass counterface have been investigated using a specific device which allows in situ observation of the contact area. The critical displacement for transition from partial slip to gross slip conditions was investigated by the in situ detection of the micro-displacements and by the analysis of the fretting loops. Experimental results were in good relation with the theoretical predictions derived from Mindlin's approach of incipient sliding. Depending on the loading conditions, a progressive change from gross slip to partial slip conditions was found to occur during the early stages of the fretting loading, i.e., before the appearance of any macroscopic damage such as cracking or particle detachment. These fretting conditions were synthesized in a fretting map giving the boundary between various fretting regimes as a function of the normal load, the imposed displacement and the number of cycles.

The effects of frequency on the fretting conditions in a glass/PMMA contact have been investigated using experimental analysis and numerical simulations. For partial slip conditions, the changes in the shape of the fretting cycles giving the tangential load as a function of the imposed displacement have been interpreted on the basis of changes in the dynamic modulus of the PMMA as a function of frequency. Using the numerical simulations, the values of the PMMA’s modulus at the various frequencies were determined from the analysis of the fretting cycles. For gross slip conditions, the emphasis was placed on the determination of the range of velocity associated with stick-slip processes. This information has been summarized in a fretting map giving the initial fretting condition as a function of normal load, displacement amplitude, and frequency.

A micro-indentation test has been used to assess the fibre-matrix interfacial shear strength of a unidirectional glass/epoxy composite. The test consists of indenting with a Vickers' indentor the cross-section of a fibre which is perpendicular to the polished section of a real composite specimen. A specific treatment of the indentation curve is proposed to derive a debonding load without the need for a large set of experiments and the necessity of a systematic optical investigation of the indented fibres. This approach was based on the quantification of the two components of the indentor displacement, i.e. the elasto-plastic indentation of the fibre surface by the Vickers' indentor and the displacement of the fibre surface due to compression of the fibre and deflection of the epoxy matrix. This test method was applied to fibres coated with a sizing including an aminosilane as a coupling agent.

We present a state-of-the-art microfluidic technique for measuring the asphaltene content in crude oil samples. The automated microfluidic system improves data quality, reduces turnaround time, and minimizes solvent-volume consumption compared with conventional wet-chemistry measurements. The method is based on conventional precipitation techniques, such as the ASTM D6560, in which n-heptane is used for precipitation. However, instead of using gravimetric techniques commonly utilized in conventional methods, we use a novel spectrophotometry method for quantifying the asphaltenes. The optical technique is based on the spectral difference of crude oil before and after precipitation of asphaltenes using the titrant. We show a strong linear correlation between the optical method and the wet-chemistry technique for a broad selection of samples. The sample set included more than 50 crude oils with asphaltene contents as high as 15 wt.-%. The unique microfluidic platform developed for this study uses a 200 µL sample loop to deliver the crude sample into a microfluidic chaotic mixer, where the sample is mixed with toluene. After dilution, we injected the sample into a 2.5-mm path-length flow cell, where a visible spectrum of the oil is recorded. To measure the spectrum of the maltenes, the sample is mixed with n-heptane in the microfluidic mixer at a predefined volume ratio. The mixture then flows into a reactor channel, where the aggregation process takes place and asphaltene molecules grow into large aggregates. After precipitation, the mixture is passed through a 200-nm-pore membrane, where asphaltenes are trapped and maltenes permeate through the membrane. The spectrum of maltenes is then measured using the 2.5-mm path-length flow cell and a UV-VIS spectrometer. Using the microfluidic technique, a complete measurement takes only 40 minutes, a considerable improvement over conventional wet-chemistry techniques that require a minimum of 2 days. Furthermore, conventional wet-chemistry measurements are highly operator dependent. We show that, for our optical technique, the repeatability of measurement is better than ±0.1 wt.-%. The microfluidic measurements require only 200 µL of sample and 40 mL of solvent, which reduces the environmental impact of measurement. Finally, the small footprint of the apparatus makes it highly desirable for wellsite and offshore applications.

The contribution of BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations to hereditary breast cancer in the Tunisian population has not been accurately estimated. The purpose of our study was to estimate the incidence and spectrum of pathogenic mutations in BRCA1/2 genes in early onset and familial breast/ovarian cancer among Tunisian women. To identify predictive factors for BRCA1/2 mutations, we screened the entire coding sequences and intron/exon boundaries of BRCA1/BRCA2 genes in 48 patients by direct sequencing. Twelve pathogenic mutations were detected (25%); three in BRCA1 (c.211dupA in four families, c.5266dupC in three families and c.1504_1508delTTAAA in one family) and two novel mutations in BRCA2 (c.1313dupT in two families and c.7654dupT in two families). We also identified 23 different polymorphisms and unclassified variants. These results indicate that our population has a spectrum of recurrent BRCA mutations.

The fretting conditions in a contact between poly (methylmethacrylate) and a rigid counterface have been investigated using both experiments and finite elements computations. The computation of the microdisplacements in the contact area during a tangential loading allowed the determination of the critical displacement for transition from partial sliding to gross sliding conditions. These conditions were mapped in friction maps as a function of the contact loading parameters (i.e., normal load and displacement amplitude) and the friction coefficient. This analysis was performed assuming that the polymer behaved elastically and that the friction obeyed Coulomb's law. Experimental results were found to be in accordance with the numerical predictions, despite the fact that some plastic deformation of the polymer surface occurred during tangential loading.

The fatigue behaviour of Sheet Moulding Composites (SMC) has been investigated under a flexural loading. It has been shown that a classical three-points bending test performed under deflection control was well suited to the characterisation of the fatigue behaviour of SMC materials. Nevertheless, the stiffness evolution of SMC during fatigue is very complex and the lifetime criterions usually used for unidirectional composites are no more valid for SMC. A new lifetime criterion has been thus developed on the basis of a detailed analysis of damage mechanisms during fatigue life. Complementary damage indicators such as superficial microscopic analysis, acoustic-emission and damping capacity were used in addition to stiffness measurements. The derived lifetime criterion presents a simple mechanical meaning and corresponds to a transition from microscopic damage nucleation to macroscopic damage propagation.

Review on Alport syndrome and diffuse leiomyomatosis, with data on clinics, and the genes involved.

De novo tumors are common complications after solid organ transplantation. Lymphoma and skin cancers are the most frequently observed malignancies. However, graft carcinomas can be observed to be five times more frequent after kidney transplantation compared to their incidence in the general population. We report a case of a 49-year-old female who developed an early adenocarcinoma of the graft as revealed by acute renal failure. She underwent transplantectomy and chemotherapy with hemodialysis therapy. Carcinoma of the graft is a rare but serious complication usually occurring late after transplantation. Close monitoring of a kidney recipient using abdominal ultrasound may detect this complication at early stages, which may improve the prognosis. Similarly, good screening of donors may prevent tumor transmission.

The main goal of this study is to lay out the map of the soil radionuclide activity concentrations and the terrestrial outdoor gamma dose rates in the western Mazandaran Province of Iran, and to present an evaluation scheme. Mazandaran Province was selected due to its special geographical characteristics, high population density and the long terrestrial and aquatic borders with the neighbouring countries possessing nuclear facilities. A total of 54 topsoil samples were collected, ranging from the Nour to Ramsar regions, and were based on geological conditions, vegetation coverage and the sampling standards outlined by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The excess lifetime cancer risks (ELCRs) were evaluated and the coordinates of sampling locations were determined by the global positioning system. The average terrestrial outdoor gamma dose rate was 612.38 ± 3707.93 nGy h(-1), at 1 m above the ground. The annual effective gamma dose at the western part of Mazandaran Province was 750 μSv, and the ELCR was 0.26 × 10(-2). Soil samples were analysed by gamma spectrometry with a high-purity germanium detector. The average (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K and (137)Cs activities were 1188.50 ± 7838.40, 64.92 ± 162.26, 545.10 ± 139.42 and 10.41 ± 7.86 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The average soil radionuclide concentrations at the western part of Mazandaran Province were higher than the worldwide range. The excess lifetime risks of cancer and the annual effective gamma doses were also higher than the global average.

In this work, the definition and design of a specific wave generator concept is offered. The generator aims at providing well referenced T waves for structural health monitoring applications. A distributed network of piezoelectric patches network is considered. Shear effects is the most pertinent effect. An array of 16 piezoelectric stacks is found to be relevant. The numerical simulation confirms the finding. An experimental test bench is also provided in order to validate the concept. The ability of the distributed system in generating pure T waves is discussed. The concept is also employed in order to assess the distributed system overall performances.

Un erratum est paru dans Small Ruminant Research 2011, 96 (2) : 217. The author regrets that during the publication of this paper an error occurred within a reference. In Section 4, paragraph 1 the reference Chilliard et al., 1999 should have read Chilliard et al., 2000.; International audience; Two diets were tested on Baladi lactating goats during mid-lactation in order to determine their adaptive capacities facing feed restrictions: a low nutritive value pasture (LP) and a high nutritive value pasture (HP). During early lactation on natural pastures, goats’ body condition (BCS) degraded, as initially fat goats lost more weight (BW) and were subject to a greater body reserves mobilization (BCS and NEFA) than lean ones. An intense compensation for all goats followed their transfer to the HP whereas the mobilization continued in LP, but only for fat goats. The lean goats managed to maintain their body condition by increasing their feed intake. When moved to mixed agricultural pastures at late lactation, all goats showed a full reconstitution of body reserves, particularly intense for those coming from LP, showing their strong capacities to recover their body reserves at this period. In parallel, milk production decreased for all goats on natural pastures, as the milk fat and milk proteins content. After transfer to HP, the high lactation rebound (+36%) showed the good reactivity of the Baladi goat in response to a feed improvement. Another rebound appeared in groups coming from LP after being transferred to a better feeding condition. However, during the reproduction phase, the milk yields decrease showing the highest priority given to the body reserves recovery.

This chapter discusses lentil breeding with reference to: history; constraints to production addressable by breeding; genetic resources and their variation in key traits; breeding strategies and approaches; major agroecology and specific breeding objectives; breeding methodologies; breeding achievements in (i) broadening the genetic base in South Asia, (ii) identification and exploitation of resistance to abiotic stresses (winter hardiness, drought and salt tolerances, and mineral imbalances), (iii) gene mining and utilization to combat biotic stresses (such as diseases), (iv) construction of suitable plant type for mechanical harvest, (v) development of micronutrient-dense cultivars, and (vi) varietal releases by national programmes; and evolution of the international breeding programme. Future directions are given.

Alport syndrome is an inherited disease resulting in kidney failure, hearing loss, and ocular abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to describe the incidence and type of ocular abnormalities and to determine inheritance of this syndrome in our population.A total of 32 patients, from ten different families in South Tunisia, underwent a complete ocular examination. Inheritance was determined using pedigrees and genotyping.The best corrected visual acuity was 7.6/10. Biomicroscopy showed polymorphous dystrophy in 3%, anterior lenticonus in 28%, lens opacities in 3%, cataract in 19%, and retinal flecks in 37%. The genetic survey found five families with X-linked Alport syndrome, four families with recessive autosomal disease, and one family with dominant autosomal disease.Ocular abnormalities have been reported in 9%-82% of Alport syndrome patients. They are rare in childhood and increase in frequency and severity with age. The types of ocular defects described mostly involve the lens, the retina and more rarely the cornea. The most common changes are anterior lenticonus and perimacular retinal flecks. In approximately 85%, Alport syndrome is X-linked. In the remaining 15%, the transmission is autosomal recessive and exceptionally autosomal dominant.Ocular examination is a precious help for Alport syndrome diagnosis. It can also determine the prognosis of nephropathy.