Aix-Marseille University

About: Aix-Marseille University is a education organization based out in Marseille, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Galaxy. The organization has 24326 authors who have published 54240 publications receiving 1455416 citations. The organization is also known as: University Aix-Marseille & université d'Aix-Marseille.

Geology of Western Gondwana (2000 - 500 Ma) : Pan-African-Brasiliano Aggregation of South America and Africa

Abstract: PREFACE -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- 1 INTRODUCTION -- 1.1 Subject matter and organization -- 1.2 Investigated area and time span -- 1.3 Major structural units or geological provinces -- 1.3.1 The Amazonian craton and adjacent fold belts -- 1.3.2 The West-Afdcan craton and adjacent fold belts -- 1.3.3 The Congo or Zaire-Sao Frangisco craton and adjacent fold belts -- 1.3.4 The Kalahari craton and adjacent fold belts -- 1.3.5 The Rio de la Plata craton and adjacent fold belts -- 1.3.6 The particular case of Northeast Brazil and its African Extension -- 1.4 Geodynamic evolution of Western Gondwana -- 1.5 Location of Pan-African-Brasiliano sutures -- PART 1: THE PAN-AFRICAN-BRASILIANO CRATONS -- 2 THE BASEMENT OR INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE PAN-AFRICAN-BRASILIANO CRATONS -- 2.1 The West-African craton -- 2.1.1 The Reguibat block -- 2.1.2 The Man-Leo block and its extension in Brazil -- 2.1.3 Conclusions -- 2.2 The Amazonian or Amazon craton -- 2.2.1 The Guyana or Rio Branco block -- 2.2.2 The Guapore or Central Brazil block -- 2.2.3 Conclusions -- 2.3 The Congo (Zaire)-Sao Francisco craton -- 2.3.1 The Sao Francisco massif or craton -- 2.3.2 The Congo or Zaire block or craton -- 2.4 The Rio de la Plata craton -- 2.5 The Kalahari or South-African craton -- 3 LATE EARLY-MIDDLE PROTEROZOIC COVER AND METASEDIMENTARY SEQUENCES 3.1 The West-African craton -- 3.1.1 The Adrar of Mauritania -- 3.1.2 TheGourma -- 3.1.3 The Volta Basin -- 3.1.4 Conclusions to the study of the Pan-African cover rocks of the West-African craton -- 3.2 The Amazonian or Amazon craton -- 3.2.1 The cover rocks of the Amazonian craton north of the 13 Degrees south parallel -- 3.2.2 The southern extension of the Guapore block south of the 13 Degrees south parallel -- 3.2.3 Conclusions to the study of the late Early-Middle-Late Proterozoic sequences -- 3.3 The Congo (Zaire)-Sao Francisco craton -- 3.3.1 The Sao Francisco block or craton (Brazil) -- 3.3.2 The Congo or Zaire block or craton -- 3.3.3 Conclusions to the study of the Late-Early-Middle-Proterozoic sequences -- 3.4 The Rio de la Plata craton -- 3.5 The Western portion ofthe Kalahari craton -- PART 2: THE PAN-AFRICAN-BRASILIANO FOLD BELTS -- 4 DEFINITION, PRESENTATION -- 5 THE TRANS-S AH ARAN MEGA-OROGEN -- 5.1 Recognition of a suture -- 5.2 The slightly tectonized passive margin of the West-African craton -- 5.3 The highly tectonized passive margin and the active margin -- 5.3.1 The materials -- 5.3.2 Geodynamic evolution: Granitization and molassic deposits -- 5.4 Conclusions -- 5.5 Extension of the Trans-Saharan mega-fold belt into Brazil -- 6 THEWEST-CONGO-ARAgUAI AND RIBEIRAFOLD BELTS -- 6.1 The West-Congo-Araguai fold belt -- 6.1.1 The metasediments ofthe external units -- 6.1.2 The materials of the granitized and highly metamorphosed central zone -- 6.1.3 The structure of the Araguai-West-Congo fold belt and conclusions -- 6.2 The Ribeira-Mantiqueira fold belt -- 6.2.1 The materials -- 6.2.2 The structure -- 6.2.3 Conclusion: The geodynamic evolution -- 7 THE BRASILIA FOLD BELT: THE COLLISION BETWEEN THE CONGO-S AO FRANCISCO ANDAMAZONPLATES -- 7.1 The materials -- 7.1.1 The basement -- 7.1.2 The late Early-Middle Proterozoic metasediments -- 7.1.3 The late Middle and Late Proterozoic metasediments -- 7.2 Structure and geodynamic evolution -- 7.3 Conclusions -- 8 THE DOM FELICIANO, KAOKO (ATLANTIC DAM ARA), GARIEP AND MALMESBURY FOLDBELTS -- 8.1 TheSouthAmericanDomFelicianofoldbelt -- 8.1.1 The northern segment or Tyucas fold belt -- 8.1.2 The median segment in Rio Grande do Sul -- 8.1.3 The southern segment in Uruguay -- 8.2 The Kaoko or Atlantic branch of the Damara fold belt -- 8.3 The Gariep fold belt -- 8.4 The Malmesbury fold belt -- 8.5 Conclusions on South-Atlantic Pan-African-Brasiliano fold belts -- 9 THE DAMARA (S .L.) FOLD BELTS: THE INTERNAL AND THE ATLANTIC OR KAOKO BRANCHES -- 9.1 The filling of the internal Damara 'geosyncline' -- 9.2 Structure, metamorphism, and granitoids -- 9.3 Dynamic evolution: proposed models -- 9.4 The Kaokoveld fold belt or Atlantic branch of the Damara -- 10 THE E-W OUBANGUIDE-SERGIPE MEGA-OROGEN -- 10.1 The Sergipane(s.L) or Sergipe fold belt -- 10.1.1 The general structure -- 10.1.2 Thematerials -- 10.1.3 The geodynamic evolution -- 10.2 The Oubanguide fold belt -- 10.2.1 The general structure -- 10.2.2 Thematerials -- 10.2.3 The geodynamic evolution -- 10.3 Conclusions -- 11 THE FESTOON OF WEST-AFRICAN TRANS SOUTH-AMERICAN FOLD BELTS -- 11.1 The Pan-African Bassaride and Rokelide fold belts -- 11.2 The Araguaia and Paraguay fold belts -- 11.2.1 The Paraguay fold belt -- 11.2.2 The Araguaia fold belt -- 11.2.3 Conclusions: Geodynamic models -- 11.3 The Sierras Pampeanas fold belt in Argentina -- 11.4 Conclusions -- PART 3: AMOSAIC OF PAN-AFRICAN-BRASILIANO MEMI-CRATONS AND MINI-FOLD BELTS: NORTHEAST BRAZIL AND THE CENTRAL-WESTERN PORTION OF AFRICA -- 12 NORTHEAST BRAZIL AND ITS AFRICAN CONTINUATION: STRUCTURE AND INVOLVED MATERIALS -- 12.1 The southern lateral or frontal zone -- 12.2 The central fan -- 12.2.1 The Serido fold belt, NE Brazil: A type Brasiliano metasedimentaiy sequence? -- 12.2.2 The Ceara Group, NE Brazil -- 12.2.3 The'Schist Belts'of Western Nigeria -- 12.2.4 The central and eastern Hoggar -- 12.3 The lateral western zone -- 12.4 The Pemambuco-Patos shear band and its African extension -- 12.5 The molassic deposits -- 12.6 The granitoids -- 12.7 Conclusions -- PART 4: C ONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSIONS -- 13 THE AMALGAMATION OF WESTERN GONDWANA(~ 600 Ma): ITS SUTURING (~ 500 Ma) WTTHEASTERNGONDWANA -- 13.1 Pre-Pan-African Brasiliano geological evolution -- 13.1.1 The example of the West-Africa, Amazon and Rio de la Plata mega-craton -- 13.1.2 The example of the Congo (Za5fre)-Sao Francisco craton -- 13.1.3 The infrastructure of some Pan-African-Brasiliano fold belts -- 13.1.4 Diversity of geodynamic evolution in Western Gondwana -- 13.2 The Pan-African-Brasiliano sedimentation -- 13.2.1 Variable ages of metasedimentaiy fills: Comparison with cratonic cover sequences -- 13.2.2 Rifting, glaciation, and ferruginous sedimentation during the late Proterozoic -- 13.3 Hie Pan-African-Brasiliano orogeny -- 13.3.1 The Trans-Saharan mega-fold belt -- 13.3.2 The set of fold belts fringing the South- Adantic Ocean -- 13.3.3 The Oubanguide-Seigipe mega-fold belt -- 13.3.4 The NE-Brazil-Central west-Africa Plate -- 13.3.5 The festoon of the West-Afncan Trans South-American fold belts -- 13.3.6 The amalgamation of West Gondwana and its collision with East Gondwana -- 13.4 Tectonic inheritance in the opening of the South Atlantic -- REFERENCES -- INDEX.

Stable sea surface temperatures in the western Pacific warm pool over the past 1.75 million years

Abstract: The first high-resolution record of Pleistocene climate changes from the western Pacific warm pool provides important information about climate change in the region, and will have implications for our understanding of how Earth's climate went into the mode of glacial/interglacial transition that has persisted for the past 800,000 years. The record uses Mg/Ca ratios in planktonic foraminifera as a proxy of sea surface temperatures during the past 1.75 million years. The results reveal a long period of stability in the region, which is not consistent with a gradual decrease in atmospheric CO2 as the trigger for glaciation. Rather, redistribution of Pacific sea surface temperatures by changes in zonal circulation could have affected the global climate, supporting recent concerns about the responses of the tropics to future changes. About 850,000 years ago, the period of the glacial cycles changed from 41,000 to 100,000 years. This mid-Pleistocene climate transition has been attributed to global cooling, possibly caused by a decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations1,2. However, evidence for such cooling is currently restricted to the cool upwelling regions in the eastern equatorial oceans3,4, although the tropical warm pools on the western side of the ocean basins are particularly sensitive to changes in radiative forcing5,6. Here we present high-resolution records of sea surface temperatures spanning the past 1.75 million years, obtained from oxygen isotopes and Mg/Ca ratios in planktonic foraminifera from the western Pacific warm pool. In contrast with the eastern equatorial regions, sea surface temperatures in the western Pacific warm pool are relatively stable throughout the Pleistocene epoch, implying little long-term change in the tropical net radiation budget. Our results challenge the hypothesis of a gradual decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations as a dominant trigger of the longer glacial cycles since 850,000 years ago. Instead, we infer that the temperature contrast across the equatorial Pacific Ocean increased, which might have had a significant influence on the mid-Pleistocene climate transition.

Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Colonization: An Update on Mechanisms, Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Subsequent Infections.

Abstract: Up to 30% of the human population are asymptomatically and permanently colonized with nasal Staphylococcus aureus. To successfully colonize human nares, S. aureus needs to establish solid interactions with human nasal epithelial cells and overcome host defense mechanisms. However, some factors like bacterial interactions in the human nose can influence S. aureus colonization and sometimes prevent colonization. On the other hand, certain host characteristics and environmental factors can predispose to colonization. Nasal colonization can cause opportunistic and sometimes life-threatening infections such as surgical site infections or other infections in non-surgical patients that increase morbidity, mortality as well as healthcare costs.

Toward inline multiplex biodetection of metals, bacteria, and toxins in water networks: the COMBITOX project.

Abstract: This special issue of Environmental Science and Pollution Research highlights selected papers whose results have been obtained in the course of the COMBITOX project. COMBITIOX is an interdisciplinary research project funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) aiming at conceiving an inline multiparametric device for the surveillance of water networks using biosensors. This device is not intended to fully replace chemical methods, but when compared to analytical chromatographic methodologies, biological sensors can offer rapid and on-site monitoring of even trace levels of targeted compounds (Sun et al. 2015) and can quickly raise the alarm in the event of an accidental or intentional pollution. Numerous developments have been published to improve the sensitivity, specificity, and time response of various biosensors in laboratory conditions (Xiong et al. 2012) (der Meer et al. 2010), but their actual transfer into technological devices for the surveillance of water networks remains at a conceptual level. Thus, the challenge here is to go a step beyond and validate biosensors under real-life field conditions by incorporating them in a single inline detector. During the course of COMBITOX, we could define the interface between the biosensors and a common light detector as well as the physical conditioning of the bioreagents and usage protocol. Our resulting prototype allow the detection of bioavailable toxic compounds as well as microorganisms, impacting human health through the drinking water network or interfering with the biological process of modern wastewater treatment plants. We also plan to propose this system to meet the emerging threats such as bioterrorism. COMBITOX focuses on three families of Bobjects^ to detect: metals (cadmium, mercury, arsenic, nickel, etc.), environmental and/or food toxins, and pathogenic microorganisms. Whole-cell biosensors based on reporter gene under the control of an inducible promoter are used to detect various metals (Hynninen and Virta 2010), the antibody/antigen interaction for toxins (Makaraviciute and Ramanaviciene 2013), and the specific infection of bacteria by bacteriophages for pathogenic microorganisms (Smartt et al. 2012) (Vinay et al. 2015). In all cases, the signal measured is photochemical (fluorescence, bioluminescence, or chemo-luminescence): such a method to transduce the biological recognition is very sensitive and a single photodetector can be used for all biosensors included in the device. The challenge here rather lies in the design and the optimization of the different biological compounds for their use in the field while maintaining a high sensibility and robustness. As a consequence, the different articles presented in this special issue focus on original strategies for the optimization and the adaptation of the three types of biosensors for their use in a semi-autonomous inline water analyzer. In the case of whole-cell biosensors, improvement of the dose-responses Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Measurement of the Bs0 →μ+μ- Branching Fraction and Effective Lifetime and Search for B0 →μ+μ- Decays

Abstract: A search for the rare decays B0s→μ+μ− and B0→μ+μ− is performed at the LHCb experiment using data collected in pp collisions corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb−1. An excess of B0s→μ+μ− decays is observed with a significance of 7.8 standard deviations, representing the first observation of this decay in a single experiment. The branching fraction is measured to be B(B0s→μ+μ−)=(3.0±0.6+0.3−0.2)×10−9, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The first measurement of the B0s→μ+μ− effective lifetime, τ(B0s→μ+μ−)=2.04±0.44±0.05 ps, is reported. No significant excess of B0→μ+μ− decays is found and a 95 % confidence level upper limit, B(B0→μ+μ−)<3.4×10−10, is determined. All results are in agreement with the Standard Model expectations.