Extracts of the seaweed Bifurcaria bifurcata display antifungal activity against human dermatophyte fungi

Bifurcaria bifurcata is a seaweed of the Order Fucales(Ochrophyta, Phaeophyceae) that can be found all year round along the Portuguese Atlantic shore. Although it is considered edible in some countries,its biotechnological potential has not yet been assessed in detail and here we report its antimicrobial potential against human dermatophyte fungi. Three samples were harvested from Baleal Island(Peniche, Portugal)harvested in winter(BbPe); from Aguda Beach(Arcozelo, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal), harvested in autumn(BbAg) and a sample obtained by culturing the Aguda sample under laboratory conditions(BbLC).A broth macrodilution assay was applied to determine the MIC(minimum inhibitory concentration) and MLC(minimum lethal concentration) of the B. bifurcata extracts. Results show that the BbPe MeOH extracts were the most effective and had higher antifungal activity against all the tested dermatophyte strains than the BbLC and BaAg extracts [Epidermophyton floccosum FF9(100-200 μg/mL MIC; 200 μg/mL MLC), Microsporum canis FF1(400 μg/mL MIC; 400 μg/mL MLC), Trichophyton mentagrophytes FF7(100 μg/mL MIC; 800 μg/mL MLC), M. gypseum CECT 2908(800 μg/mL MIC; 800 μg/mL MLC), T.mentagrophytes var. interdigitale CECT 2958(800 μg/mL MIC; 800 μg/mL MLC), T. rubrum CECT 2794(200 μg/mL MIC; 400 μg/mL MLC)]. In fact, only E. floccosum FF9 was sensitive to BbAg and BbLC MeOH extracts. To our knowledge, this is the first report of antifungal activity of B. bifurcata against human dermatophyte fungi.     

Results of UHF radar observation of the nocturnal low-level jet for wind energy applications

We use two series of eight-month UHF radar observations collected during the dry and wet seasons of AMMA field campaign. The ultimate goal is to do preliminary work to know whether the lowest layers are suitable for wind energy applications. Surface wind is usually weak in West Africa, but the regular occurrence of a nocturnal low level jet (NLLJ) could provide interesting conditions for wind energy. This work is two-fold: it first aims at improving our knowledge about the NLLJ in West Africa regarding its structure and its variability during the year. Then, special attention is paid to the first 200 m agl, to study the possibility to use the sub-jet wind as a source of energy. A set of enhanced radio-soundings is taken to help to understand the dynamics and thermodynamics and to find a way to extrapolate the wind at low level, where the UHF radars do not provide data.     

Physical and chemical control of the phytoplankton of Ahe lagoon, French Polynesia

The environmental characteristics of Ahe deep lagoon (Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia) were studied over 3 years with the aim of explaining the spatial and temporal variability of the natural food available for pearl oysters with a special focus on phytoplankton biomass and global photosynthesis/respiration ratio of the lagoon. Chlorophyll averaged 0.34±0.01 μg L(-1) and our findings did not confirm increased phytoplankton biomass in deep lagoonal waters. Phytoplankton production appears to be limited firstly by nitrogen and respiratory processes overpass photosynthetic processes at least in the north-eastern edge of the atoll. Grazing by pearl oysters in culture seems to decrease the POC concentration but not the phytoplankton biomass. Oysters graze mainly on non chlorophyllian particles.     

Pearl oysters Pinctada margaritifera grazing on natural plankton in Ahe atoll lagoon (Tuamotu archipelago, French Polynesia)

In atoll lagoons of French Polynesia, growth and reproduction of pearl oysters are mainly driven by plankton concentration. However, the actual diet of black-lip pearl oysters Pinctada margaritifera in these lagoons is poorly known. To fill this gap, we used the flow through chamber method to measure clearance rates of P. margaritifera in Ahe atoll lagoon (Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia). We found: (i) that pearl oysters cleared plankton at a rate that was positively related to plankton biovolume, (ii) that nanoflagellates were the main source of carbon for the pearl oysters, and (iii) that the quantity and origin of carbon filtrated by pearl oysters was highly dependent on the concentration and composition of plankton. These results provide essential elements for the comprehension of growth and reproduction variability of pearl oysters in atoll lagoons of French Polynesia.     

Correction to: Landslide susceptibility mapping of the Sera River Basin using logistic regression model

Natural Hazards - The article “Landslide susceptibility mapping of the Sera River Basin using logistic regression model,” written by Nussaïbah B. Raja, Ihsan Çiçek, Necla...     

Automatic change detection of buildings in urban environment from very high spatial resolution images using existing geodatabase and prior knowledge

The updating of geodatabases (GDB) in urban environments is a difficult and expensive task. It may be facilitated by an automatic change detection method. Several methods have been developed for medium and low spatial resolution images. This study proposes a new method for change detection of buildings in urban environments from very high spatial resolution images (VHSR) and using existing digital cartographic data. The proposed methodology is composed of several stages. The existing knowledge on the buildings and the other urban objects are first modelled and saved in a knowledge base. Some change detection rules are defined at this stage. Then, the image is segmented. The parameters of segmentation are computed thanks to the integration between the image and the geodatabase. Thereafter, the segmented image is analyzed using the knowledge base to localize the segments where the change of building is likely to occur. The change detection rules are then applied on these segments to identify the segments that represent the changes of buildings. These changes represent the updates of buildings to be added to the geodatabase. The data used in this research concern the city of Sherbrooke (Quebec, Canada) and the city of Rabat (Morocco). For Sherbrooke, we used an Ikonos image acquired in October 2006 and a GDB at the scale of 1:20,000. For Rabat, a QuickBird image acquired in August 2006 has been used with a GDB at the scale of 1:10,000. The rate of good detection is 90%. The proposed method presents some limitations on the detection of the exact contours of the buildings. It could be improved by including a shape post-analysis of detected buildings. The proposed method could be integrated into a cartographic update process or as a method for the quality assessment of a geodatabase. It could be also be used to identify illegal building work or to monitor urban growth.     

Water balance prediction in stormwater infiltration basins using 2-D modeling: An application to evaluate the clogging process

Sustainable urban drainage systems are built along roads and in urban areas to collect urban runoff and avoid flooding, and to filter water pollutants. Sediment collected by runoff is deposited in the stormwater basin and progressively reduces water infiltration efficiency, leading to the clogging of the basin. To help stormwater basin managers and stakeholders better understand and predict clogging rates in order to elaborate maintenance plans and schedules, water transport prediction models are necessary. However,because of the heterogeneous sediment hydrodynamic properties inside the stormwater basin, a twodimensional(2-D) water flow model is required to predict water levels and possible overflow as accurately as possible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity(Ks) and sediment water retention curves were measured in the overall sediment layer of the stormwater basin, in addition to sediment layer thickness and organic matter content(11 sampling points). Sediment depth was used to predict organic matter(OM) content, and the OM was used to predict Ks. Water height in the basin was modeled with the HYDRUS-2 D model by taking into account the sediment hydrodynamic properties distribution. The HYDRUS-2 D model gave a satisfactory representation of the measured data. Scenarios of the hydraulic properties of stormwater basin sediment were tested over time, and hydraulic resistance, R, was calculated to assess the stormwater basin performance. Presently, after 20 years of functioning, the stormwater basin still ensures efficient water infiltration, but the first outflow(Hydraulic resistance,R 24 h)) is expected to appear in the next 5 years, and clogging(R 47 h) in the next 13 years. This 2-D water balance model makes it possible to integrate the hydrodynamic heterogeneity of a stormwater basin. It gives interesting perspectives to better predict 2-D/3-D contaminant transport.     

Exhumation of eclogite and blueschist (Cyclades,Greece): Pressure–temperature evolution determined by thermobarometry and garnet equilibrium modelling

High‐P rocks such as eclogite and blueschist are metamorphic markers of palaeo‐subduction zones, and their formation at high‐P and low‐T (HP–LT) conditions is relatively well understood since it has been the focus of numerous petrological investigations in the past 40 years. The tectonic mechanisms controlling their exhumation back to the surface are, however, diverse, complex and still actively debated. Although the Cycladic Blueschist Unit (CBU, Greece) is among the best worldwide examples for the preservation of eclogite and blueschist, the proposed P–T evolution followed by this unit within the Hellenic subduction zone is quite different from one study to another, hindering the comprehension of exhumation processes. In this study, we present an extensive petrological data set that permits refinement of the shape of the P–T trajectory for different subunits of the CBU on Syros. High‐resolution quantitative compositional mapping has been applied to support the thermobarometric investigations, which involve semi‐empirical thermobarometry, garnet equilibrium modelling and P–T isochemical phase diagrams. The thermodynamic models highlight the powerful use of reactive bulk compositions approximated from local bulk compositions. The results are also combined with Raman spectrometry of carbonaceous material (RSCM) to retrieve the metamorphic peak temperature distribution at the scale of the island. A major result of this study is the good agreement between all the independent thermobarometric methods, permitting reconstruction of the prograde and retrograde P–T trajectories. Garnet compositional zoning was used to retrieve prograde, peak and retrograde growth stages in line with the results of the P–T isochemical phase diagrams, RSCM temperature and peak‐pressure crystallization of the garnet–omphacite–phengite assemblage. Our results are consistent with previous thermobarometric estimates from other occurrences of CBU rocks (Tinos, Andros), suggesting a multistage exhumation process with (1) early syn‐orogenic exhumation within the subduction channel, (2) isobaric heating at mid‐crustal depths (~10–12 kbar) following thermal re‐equilibration of the lithosphere from a cold syn‐orogenic regime in the subduction zone to a warmer post‐orogenic regime in the back‐arc domain and (3) exhumation and cooling related to a post‐orogenic phase of extension following slab retreat. Expanding to the general aspects of subduction zones, we suggest that such metamorphic evolution of HP–LT units should be regarded as a characteristic feature of exhumation driven by slab rollback.     

Quantification of vertical water fluxes in the vadose zone using particle‐size distribution and pedology‐based approaches to model soil heterogeneities

One‐dimensional flow simulations were conducted at four locations of the shallow alluvial aquifer of the upper Rhine River (at the Erstein polder) to quantify the time‐dependent moisture distribution, the water flux and the water volume infiltrated in the unsaturated zone as a function of soil heterogeneities during a five‐day‐long flooding event. Three methods of estimating the hydraulic parameters of soil in the vadose zone were tested. They are based on the following: (1) experimental data, (2) soil particle‐size distribution and (3) pedology information on soils. Water fluxes calculated from modelling approaches 2 and 3 were compared with those of the experiment‐based values and the effect of these differences on the arrival time and velocity of water at the water table were analysed. Major differences in water fluxes were found among the methods of estimating the hydrodynamic parameters. At the Terrace location, the groundwater recharge predicted using soil data from methods 1 and 2 are approximately 4500 and 2400 mm, respectively. Flow simulations using soil data and the experiment‐based method show the highest velocities of infiltrating water at the soil surface and largest volume of groundwater infiltration but result in the lowest centres of the moisture content mass. The results obtained using soil data based on the pedological method are similar to those calculated using soil parameters based on the particle‐size distribution of extracted soil samples. Water pressure profiles calculated on Terrace and Channel location, 3 and 7 days after the inundation event agreed reasonably well with those observed when using hydrodynamic parameters from the experiment‐based method. However, the flow model using the pedology‐based parameters largely underestimates the time needed to achieve hydrostatic conditions of the soil water profile once water flooding at the soil surface stops. This can be mainly attributed to the low values of estimated van Genuchten parameter α. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.