West Of France Research Articles

Combining thermal model and kinetics: Implications in dynamic simulation of anaerobic digesters

In this study, ADM1-based kinetics were combined with a thermal model that accounts for various heat transfers inside and through the reactor’s boundaries. Computing the energy of bioreactions based on kinetic rates prevented an overestimation of approximately 20% in the heat demand of the heat exchanger, compared to calculations using feedstock degradation heat. This also improved the representation of the digester’s thermal and reactional inertia. Simulations across different climates demonstrated the necessity to tailor digester construction. In the North West United Kingdom, biogas auto-consumption was 23% higher than that of the same reactor in South West France. Enhancing the thermal insulation of the digester reduced heat losses by 37% in the United Kingdom. Therefore, coupling the kinetic and thermal models expands the insights that can be extracted from simulations, which can be valuable in optimizing the operation and design of biogas digesters.

Hybridization and introgression in deeply differentiated salamander species – molecular genetics and a reappraisal of Dr. Louis Vallée’s osteological data

Abstract Two morphologically and genetically distinct salamander species (the crested newt, Triturus cristatus and the marbled newt, T. marmoratus) engage over a large area in the west of France where they hybridize at ca. 4%. The species interaction is characterized by ecological differentiation and limited gene flow beyond the F1 hybrid generation. Incompletely isolated species like these allow to investigate the genetic mechanisms and evolutionary forces that maintain their identity in the face of ongoing gene flow, to which a large mosaic hybrid zone provides excellent opportunities. A reanalysis of published morphological data supports the partial breakdown of the species barrier whereas extensive genetic data show that introgression is low yet asymmetric, in line with the dynamics of species replacement inferred earlier. The current work, with seven diagnostic nuclear markers studied for a large sample, revises the estimates of introgression in both T. cristatus (to 0.24%) and T. marmoratus (to 0.11%). Difficulties remain in the recognition of potential triploid hybrids versus backcross hybrids. Haldane’s rule is partially supported, but deeper analyses require the use of a molecular marker for sex that is not yet available.

77. Density and vaccination: How do they impact the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in south- west France?

77. Density and vaccination: How do they impact the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in south- west France?

The prevention school diary: Evaluability assessment of a widely adopted intervention in Ile-de-France

ObjectivesThe prevention school diary is distributed each year to children aged between 10 and 11 years old by La Ligue contre le cancer, a French association promoting prevention and research against cancer. While they write their homework in the diary, children can learn about a range of health determinants. This diary promotes health in a fun and educational way, as it integrates drawings made by children about the different themes covered by the diary. This paper aims to present the evaluability assessment of this intervention in Ile-de-France (Paris area), where it is already widely deployed. Material and methodsWe have traced the history of the prevention school diary and assessed how it is currently used in Ile-de-France by leading interviews with county committees of La Ligue contre le cancer. Successive versions of the diary and results of teacher satisfaction surveys were examined. All information collected was integrated into a logic model, which characterizes the main components, actors, and effects of the intervention. ResultsThe prevention school diary was created in the West of France in the late 90s. It was then implemented in Paris and extended to other counties of Ile-de-France. Currently, six counties collaborate on the production of a common diary. Whereas it only dealt with tobacco consumption at the beginning, the prevention school diary now covers nutrition, physical activity, sun exposure, sleep and screen use, addiction, as well as safety in some counties. Three levels of intervention have been identified, depending on whether or not the distribution of the diary is followed by the production of drawings for the next edition or health education sessions. The expected effects of the prevention school diary have been integrated into a logic model emphasizing children, school, and family level. Outcomes include Capabilities (knowledge and skills), Opportunities, and Motivation to adopt healthy Behaviours, according to the theoretical model of behaviour change COM-B. ConclusionThe evaluability assessment phase enabled us to gain a better understanding of the conditions under which the intervention is deployed, and thus to identify the factors to be considered for a broad assessment of its effectiveness. It is especially important since the intervention is already well established in Ile-de-France.

Diet variations across remote populations of a widely distributed snake species, the Asp viper (Vipera aspis aspis, Linnaeus, 1758)

Abstract Documenting intra-specific diet variations among remote populations, thus across different habitats, is important to address evolutionary (e.g., phenotypic plasticity) and conservation issues (e.g., capacity to adapt to changing prey availability). We compared the diet of different populations of Asp vipers (Vipera aspis aspis; Linnaeus, 1758) living in contrasted habitats of France and Switzerland. We sampled 1680 individuals in five geographical areas, broadly encompassing the distribution range of the species (West to East and North to South): Group 1 = Western Central France; Group 2 = Central France; Group 3 = West France; Group 4 = South France, and Group 5 = Switzerland. We compared mean total body size (TL) of snakes and their diet. We found strong similarities among the groups with a predominance of micromammals in the diet. In mountainous area (Group 5), however, snakes included a substantial number of reptiles and fed occasionally on amphibians and birds. The diet varied ontogenetically (juveniles often consuming lizards, adults heavily feeding on mammals) and sexually (females tending to feed more extensively on mammals). Overall, our results suggest that Asp vipers maintain a diet largely based on micromammals (mostly voles), at least across their continental distribution range.

Standardization of the management ofrheumatoid purpura nephropathy in the West of France. What are the repercussions on the renal sequelae?

Rheumatoid purpura is the most common vasculitis in children, and its renal involvement determines the prognosis. To date, no national protocol exists for its management. A protocol was drafted for the French Grand Ouest inter-region in 2011 in order to standardize practices. The main objective is to evaluate renal sequelae with a median follow-up of 2 years since the implementation of this protocol. The secondary objectives are to evaluate the different therapeutic and diagnostic management. Inclusion of all children from 2006 to 2018 with nephropathy due to rheumatoid purpura followed in the university hospitals of Rennes, Nantes, Tours, Angers and Brest. 169 patients were included, of whom 104 were treated accroding to protocol and 65 differently. Sequels at 2-year follow-up concerned 27.0% of patients with no significant difference according to whether or not the protocol was followed. A significant decrease of 26.1% in the number of renal biopsies was observed in the group that followed the protocol. The latter was performed with a median delay of less than 30 days. The protocol allowed a standardization of practices without deleterious consequences at 2 years of follow-up and a decrease in renal biopsy punctures. It is in agreement with the recommendations of KDIGO (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes) and European experts. On the other hand, in view of recent studies and the physiopathology, immunosuppressive drugs other than corticosteroids could be introduced earlier in severe forms.

Psychological impact of medical evacuation for ICU saturation in Covid-19-related ARDS patients

PurposePsychological impact of Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) in Covid-19 patients is undetermined. The objectives were to evaluate: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in MEDEVAC patients hospitalized in ICU for Covid-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) compared to control group; anxiety, depression rates and outcomes in patients and PTSD in relatives. Material and methodsThis is a retrospective multicentric 1/1 paired cohort performed in 10 ICUs in the West of France. Evaluation was performed 18 months after discharge. Patients and closest relatives performed IES-R (Impact and Event Scale-Revised) and/or HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) scales. ResultsTwenty-six patients were included in each group. Patients were 64 ± 11 years old, with 83% male. We report 12 vs 20% of PTSD in control vs MEDEVAC groups (p = 0.7). Anxiety disorder affected 43.5 vs 28.0% (p = 0.26) and depression 12.5 vs 14.3% (p > 0.99) in control vs MEDEVAC groups. PTSD affects 33.3 vs 42.1% of closest relatives (p = 0.55). Ways of communication were adapted: video calls were more frequent in MEDEVAC patients (8.7 vs 60.9%, p < 0.01) whereas physical visits concerned more control group (45.8 vs 13.0%, p = 0.01). ConclusionsPTSD rate were similar between groups. Adaptive ways of communication, restricted visits and global uncertainties could explain the absence of differences.

Sustainability and resilience against climate change provided by a territorial crop-livestock system

The development of territorial crop-livestock systems where exchanges between crops and livestock farms are managed in a synergistic way is seen as an opportunity to increase the sustainability and resilience of specialized agricultural systems against climatic disturbances. This study presents an innovative integrated assessment and modelling approach, based on the MAELIA platform, to assess the socio-economic and environmental sustainability and resilience of a territorial crop-livestock system. It is applied to a case study in the Vendée region (west France) where arable farms grow pulses to provide livestock farms with rich-protein feeds to achieve protein self-sufficiency, under two contrasting future climate pathways (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) until 2050. Sustainability and resilience of this new organization are evaluated through 12 performances levels, including ecosystem services, and 3 criteria of dynamics for these 12 performances: variability, trend and resistance. Results show that the synergetic organization between farms can be sufficient to achieve protein self-sufficiency and to increase sustainability through the socio-economic performances of farmers and climate mitigation. Conversely, the degradation of some of the environmental performances points for a need to identify improved management practices. Regarding resilience, the new organization showed an overall increase in variability and degraded trends, while demonstrating greater resistance to shocks. We further discuss routes for the improvement of the MAELIA platform to help stakeholder identify the potential impacts and trade-offs of different scenarios in order to make informed decisions, minimize unintended consequences and increase resilience of agricultural systems.

The structure of plant–pollinator networks is affected by crop type in a highly intensive agricultural landscape

In agricultural landscapes, bipartite networks formed by pollinators and the flowers they forage on, are characterised by the presence of honeybees (Apis mellifera) or crop plants. These managed species can affect the structural properties of these networks because of spatial and temporal variation in the availability of resources, and competition for these resources; for example, crop plants such as oilseed rape and sunflower produce a large number of flowers during a short blooming period. Here, we examined the structure of plant–pollinator networks in an intensive agricultural landscape, the Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre (West of France). We compiled a six-year monitoring dataset of plant–pollinator interactions, sampling by sweep-nets along transects in the main six crop types (811 fields in total). To describe networks, we computed six metrics: connectance, nodes number, modularity, specialisation and a nestedness measure. We found that the degree distribution (number of partners per species in the network) fitted better to Fisher’s log-series rather than Power law. Strong differences between crops were observed in nestedness and specialisation, even when accounting for the effect of sample size: in oilseed rape, networks were much more nested and much less specialised than in sunflower. In addition, the link ‘honeybee–crop flower’ differed between the two mass-flowering crops. Honeybees and sunflowers appeared as specialist species in sunflower crops, interacting strongly and almost exclusively with each other, whereas they are usually considered highly generalist species. Indeed, sunflower pollination may be almost entirely driven by honeybees, conversely to oilseed rape crops, where the presence of wild bees and other insects tended to produce a more diversified network.

Robotics at the Service of Wheelchair Mobility for People with Disabilities: Story of a Clinical-Scientific Partnership.

The mobility of people with motor disabilities combined with sensory or cognitive disabilities, sometimes leads to safety issues that make independent travel impossible. In this context, teams based in Rennes in the west of France have been working together for several years to design two devices: - an power wheelchair simulator to promote learning to drive in an immersive virtual environment - a driving assistance module that can be added to an power wheelchair to pass and avoid obstacles. This transdisciplinary work was made possible by the geographical and human proximity of the scientific, technical and clinical teams in order to best meet the needs of the end users who were integrated into this co-design approach. This article describes the evolution of this work and future prospects.

Navigation pattern extraction from AIS trajectory big data via topic model

AbstractThis paper introduces a novel approach for extracting vessel navigation patterns from very large automatic identification system (AIS) trajectory big data. AIS trajectory data records are first converted to a series of code documents using vector quantisation, such as k-means and PQk-means algorithms, whose performance is evaluated in terms of precision and computational time. Therefore, a topic model is applied to these code documents from which vessels’ navigation patterns are extracted and identified. The potential of the proposed approach is illustrated by several experiments conducted with a practical AIS dataset in a region of North West France. These experimental results show that the proposed approach is highly appropriate for mining AIS trajectory big data and outperforms common DBSCAN algorithms and Gaussian mixture models.

Investigation of the possible valorization of dredged sediments in compressed earth blocks

The construction sector is currently facing an environmental challenge and construction materials with low CO₂ emissions are needed. In view of this ecological transition, earth constructions are an interesting solution given their low environmental impact and their hygrothermal properties. On the other hand, the ports must be regularly maintained by dredging operations in order to provide the necessary water depth for navigation. This induces huge amounts of sediments that should be valorized as they cannot be discharged in the sea with the evolution of dredging practices laws. This study investigates the potential use of “Arcachon Bay” dredged sediments in South West France in Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB). Several sediment samples were collected from eight different locations along the bay to take into consideration their variability. The characterization of the sediments has been conducted in a cross way by laboratory and field tests to provide a feedback on the limitations and the complementarity of the two approaches and improve the current practices. The correlation between geotechnical and field tests has been also analysed. The field tests allow the characterization of sediments through sensory and cohesion tests such as appearance, smell, plasticity, clay content, cigar, pellet, shine, hand washing and adhesion. The conducted laboratory tests were wet sieving granulometry, sedimentation, Atterberg limits, Organic Matter (OM) content and Methylene Blue Value (MBV). The GTR classification has been also determined and the results showed that most of the sediments are silty clay of class A2 or A3. Based on those data, the compliance of these sediments with the CEB manufacturing recommendations is analysed. Several mix optimization techniques have been proposed to improve the mechanical properties such as adapting the granulometry by adding sand or opting for a chemical stabilization. In addition, a machine learning model based on a dataset collected from the literature has been developed to predict the compressive strength of CEB and optimize the mix and fabrication conditions.

A two-species distribution model for parapatric newts, with inferences on their history of spatial replacement

AbstractRelated species often engage in abutting or overlapping contact zones with various strengths of interspecific competition. Biotic interactions such as these preclude the registration of the full profile of environmental variables that would describe the otherwise larger species ranges. Here, I advocate to forego full range species distribution modelling and instead focus on the ecography of the contact zone, for example with ‘two-species distribution models’ (TSDMs), in which presence data are contrasted against the background of environmental data. The newts Triturus cristatus and Triturus marmoratus meet in the west of France. A countrywide TSDM suggests that the contact zone of the species is located at a climatic gradient, in line with their north-eastern vs. south-western ranges. The species are also ecologically segregated by elevation and forestation, which is in line with a documented movement of the contact zone caused by hedgerow removal in lowland areas. Hindcasts for the Holocene suggest that the species contact zone was positioned at either the same place as at present or more to the south, depending on the amount of forestation. A forecast under climate warming predicts a fast movement to the north, but this scenario is deemed unrealistic. One reason is that recent habitat loss compromises dispersal and range expansion. Other species pairs to which TSDMs have been applied are listed for comparison.

Who and Where Are the Observers behind Biodiversity Citizen Science Data? Effect of Landscape Naturalness on the Spatial Distribution of French Birdwatching Records

The study of spatial bias in opportunistic data produced by citizen science programs is mainly approached either from a geographical angle (site proximity, accessibility, habitat quality) or from the angle of human behavior and volunteer engagement. In this study we linked both by analyzing the effect of observer profile on spatial distribution of recordings. We hypothesized that observer profile biases spatial distribution of records and that this bias can be explained by landscape naturalness. First, we established observer profiles from analysis of the temporal and spatial distributions of their records as well as record contents. Second, we mapped a naturalness gradient at regional and local scales. Using a dataset of more than 7 million bird records covering a time span of 15 years from the west of France, we defined four types of observer: garden-watchers, beginners, naturalists, and experts. We found that recording intensity could be related to naturalness at regional level; most visited areas were those where naturalness was on average lower i.e., close to population basins and highly accessible due to well-developed road infrastructure. At local level (neighborhood of recording sites), we found that experts and naturalists recorded in areas of higher naturalness index than those of garden-watchers and beginners. These results highlight how records contributed by different types of observer may lead to complementary coverage of different areas of the landscape. Future studies should therefore fully consider observer heterogeneity and how different observer profiles are influenced by local landscape naturalness.

Perceptions of Russia’s ‘return’ to Africa: Views from West Africa

ABSTRACT The article focuses on the perception of Russia’s ‘return’ to Africa through an analysis of field research data from three African states: Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, gathered in late 2021. In this article, the authors argue that the Russian ‘return’ to Africa, which is primarily seen in the provision of security services through the presence of Russian private military companies (PMCs), is perceived positively in West Africa. An important role is played in these perceptions by the Soviet legacy on the continent, which is remembered positively among Africans. Perceptions among the youths surveyed appear significantly influenced by the crisis in relations between West African countries and France, as well as the experience of Russian involvement in the field of securitisation since 2014. The net effect is that Russian engagement in West Africa, and specifically by PMCs, is welcome.

Great connections of a small town: Novomoskovsk in the international economic relations of Ukraine in the 1950s – 1980s

The purpose of the article is to define the place of Novomoskovsk in the international economic relations of Ukraine in the 1950s – 1980s, and main participants of these relations at the city level, directions, content and features. Research methods: historical-chronological, historical-genetic, comparative, descriptive. Main results. the article reveals the importance of Novomoskovsk, Dnipropetrovsk region, one of the small cities in the development of international economic relations of Ukraine as a part of the USSR. It is defined that the main factor that determined the place of Novomoskovsk in the international economic relations is the Novomoskovsk Pipe Plant activity. The role of the plant in these relations consisted of the production for export, business trips abroad, their admission to study and exchange experiences. The USSR, Ukraine in particular with its powerful industrial complex, played an important role in the reconstruction, formation, and development of the metallurgical industry in the countries of “people’s democracy” in Europe, Asia, countries whose governments were loyal to the USSR. The Novomoskovsk Pipe Plant and its employees contributed to the construction and operation of the first metallurgical complexes in Bulgaria and China. Since 1963, the enterprise has been one of the leaders in Ukraine and the USSR in the production of large diameter pipes for main gas and oil pipelines, which has strengthened its presence in the execution of export orders. The relations of the plant were not limited to the countries of the socialist camp, but also included countries with market economies. These relations were particularly influenced by political and ideological factors, as shown by the example of the USSR’s relations with West Germany, France and Japan. The Novomoskovsk Pipe Plant served as a base for holding international UN seminars on the training of metallurgical specialists, and its employees participated in international exhibitions, presenting the plant’s products. The course of the Cold War and international crises led to the appearance of a peculiar phenomenon of the Soviet era – the inclusion of production in propaganda campaigns, which were joined by groups of enterprises. From the side of the pipe plant, these were rallies in support (of Algeria, Cuba, Vietnam, etc.) and commitments on additional working days, increased production rates, early deadlines for implementation of plans, and the deduction of products in favor of support facilities. The importance of industrial relations for the development of the non-productive sphere is emphasized: contacts with foreigners in the city during business trips served as a window to the world, contributed to the expansion of worldview. In addition, with the help of people’s diplomacy there were formed trustworthy relationships between nations and people, which promoted the positive international image of the USSR in the best way possible. Practical significance: the results of the research can be used to form the theme of scientific research on regional, Ukrainian, world history of the second half of the 20th century implied into the practice of teaching relevant disciplines in higher education institutes, used to create / update museum exhibitions in Novomoskovsk. Scientific novelty: a significant part of published and unpublished sources on the topic of international economic relations of Novomoskovsk is generalized and processed for the first time, some of the sources are introduced into scientific circulation firstly and are interpreted considering the latest research on the history of the Cold War. Type of article: research.

Field and Landscape Risk Factors Impacting Flavescence Dorée Infection: Insights from Spatial Bayesian Modeling in the Bordeaux Vineyards.

Flavescence dorée (FD) is a quarantine disease threatening European vineyards. Its management is based on mandatory insecticide treatments and the uprooting of infected plants identified during annual surveys. Field surveys are currently not optimized because the drivers affecting FD spread in vineyard landscapes remain poorly understood. We collated a georeferenced dataset of FD detection, collected from 34,581 vineyard plots over 5 years in the South West France wine region. Spatial models fitted with integrated nested Laplace approximation were used to identify local and landscape factors affecting FD detection and infection. Our analysis highlights the importance of sampling period on FD detection and of local practices and landscape context on FD infection. At field scale, altitude and cultivar choice were the main factors affecting FD infection. In particular, the odds ratio of FD infection in fields planted with the susceptible Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, or Muscadelle varieties were approximately twice those in fields planted with the less susceptible Merlot. Field infection was also affected by the field's immediate surroundings (within a circle with a radius of 150 to 200 m), corresponding to landscapes of 7 to 12 ha. In particular, the probability of FD infection increased with the proportions of forest and urban land and with the proportion of susceptible cultivars, demonstrating that the cultivar composition impacts FD epidemiology at landscape scale. The satisfactory predictive performance of the model for identifying districts with a prevalence of FD detection >10% of the fields suggests that it could be used to target areas in which future surveys would be most valuable.

The Life of Saint Eufrosine: In Old French Verse with English Translation ed. by Amy V. Ogden

Reviewed by: The Life of Saint Eufrosine: In Old French Verse with English Translation ed. by Amy V. Ogden Joan Tasker Grimbert amy v. ogden, ed. and trans., The Life of Saint Eufrosine: In Old French Verse with English Translation. MLA Texts and Translations. New York: MLA, 2021. Pp. 192. isbn: 978-1-60329-505-5. $17. A new edition (and translation) of the Vie de sainte Eufrosine (VSE) was long overdue, and doubtless no one was in a better position to undertake it than Amy Ogden. Early in her graduate studies, she read Raymond T. Hill's 1919 edition of the poem (Romanic Review 10: 159–69 and 191–232) and eventually chose to write her dissertation on VSE's clerical and secular culture, a study she published in 2003 as Hagiography, Romance and La Vie de sainte Eufrosine (Princeton: Edward C. Armstrong Monographs). The VSE is contained in four manuscripts and Ogden based her edition on the oldest one, which is catalogued as Canon. Misc. MS 74 in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University (O). It contains anonymous saints' lives and other didactic texts, including the Vie de saint Alexis and the Vie de sainte Marie l'Egyptienne. Linguistic features suggest that the VSE was composed around 1200 in the West of France or Wallonia and copied in western Wallonia shortly thereafter. Although Ogden uses the same base manuscript as Hill, she has taken a considerably less interventionist approach. MS O presents stanza-laisses of variable lengths (nine to forty lines), an arrangement that Ogden preserves, whereas Hill had reordered them as a series of ten-line stanzas and filled in 'missing lines' based on the other three codices. Ogden limits her corrections to nonsensical words or phrases and preserves the text's linguistic idiosyncrasies. The goal of her 'single-manuscript edition' is to replicate as much as possible the experience of someone reading MS O around 1200. Given current interest in LGBTQ concerns, this new edition is quite timely because Eufrosine is one of a group of saints known as monachoparthenoi ('monk virgins'), women who, eschewing the traditional role reserved for young ladies of their time (marriage and motherhood), don men's clothing and leave their parents' home to pursue a religious vocation. The VSE poet, though anonymous, was clearly someone who was educated in clerical subjects but also conversant with secular culture and knew how to apply some of the poetic techniques of epic and romance to hagiography. Since Eufrosine chooses to enter a Benedictine monastery, the poet may have been a Benedictine monk, or even a nun. Speculation that the poet was a woman has been fueled by certain passages in the VSE, but since the text offers contradictory clues to authorial gender, Ogden suggests referring to the author as neither she nor he. By using they, she notes, 'we not only [End Page 107] acknowledge the indeterminacy of the anonymous poet's gender but also respect the poet's apparent efforts to convey an identity that exceeds binary gender categories' (p. xiii). Ogden's excellent translation is idiomatic but hews closely to the Old French text. She is scrupulous about respecting the poet's indications of gender. But, as she explains (pp. xlvi–vii), it's a tricky business: possessive adjectives in Old French are ambiguous since they agree with the gender of the noun they modify rather than that of the subject, and the subject pronoun is often omitted. Moreover, Eufrosine herself complicates matters. She presents herself at the abbey dressed as a knight and claims to have served at court as a eunuch. When the abbot gives her the name 'Emerald,' he notes that it is a name given to both men and women. Since everyone at the monastery sees the new recruit as a man (albeit so beautiful that Emerald must live isolated from the other monks lest their sexual desires be aroused!), Ogden follows the VSE poet in referring to Emerald as a woman only when conveying her private thoughts or when she finally reveals her identity to her father. There is no evidence for the historical existence of Eufrosine (or 'Euphrosyne'), but she has been celebrated as a model...

Pesticide toxicity towards microalgae increases with environmental mixture complexity.

Effect-directed analysis (EDA) aims at identifying the compound(s) responsible for toxicity in a complex environmental sample where several dozens of contaminants can be present. In this study, we used an environmental mixture extracted from the Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler (POCIS) previously immersed downstream a landfill (River Ponteils, South West France), to perform an EDA approach using a microalgal bioassay based on the photosynthetic capacities of diatom (Nitzschia palea) cultures. Adverse effects on photosynthetic capacities were recorded when algae were exposed to the entire POCIS extract (> 85% inhibition at the highest concentration tested). This result was coherent with the detection of diuron and isoproturon, which were the 2 most concentrated herbicides in the extract. However, the EDA process did not allow pointing out the specific compound(s) responsible for the observed toxicity but rather suggested that multiple compounds were involved in the overall toxicity and caused mixture effects.

Mass Media and the Colonial Informant: Messaoud Djebari and the French Empire, 1880–1901

Abstract The nineteenth century saw an explosion of mass media as well as an expansion of colonial states. These two processes mutually influenced each other, and at the intersection lay a thin layer of individuals who could gain inordinate power to influence global information flows. This article follows the career of one such individual, Messaoud Djebari, an Algerian man who generated several controversies by fabricating information first in Tunisia in 1881, and then across West Africa and France in 1892–5. Djebari’s case suggests that some men trained to act as colonial intermediaries could end up playing important roles in shaping the circulation of information well beyond their territory of origin. Colonial informants were defined less by their role within a given colonial territory than by an ability to portray themselves as conduits to valuable information inaccessible to Europeans, irrespective of the location. Beyond the colonial context, this calls our attention to a particular practice of information manipulation characteristic of this age: the art of making oneself into a conduit by passing off one’s opinions as somebody else’s information.