Search

Abstract: The aim of this work was to investigate the stability in vitro, in simulated gastro-intestinal fluids, of beads, made of α-cyclodextrin and soybean oil, and to study the release of progesterone, a model of lipophilic drug. This was evaluated over time by the monitoring of the proportion of intact beads, their volume and the percentage of progesterone dissolved. Their incubation in the simulated gastric fluid provoked a moderate reduction of their number (20%) and a decrease of their volume (50%) after 55min. Whatever the intestinal medium subsequently introduced, bead number and volume decreased more until bead disintegration that appeared faster in sodium taurocholate rich-medium. In such fluid, the amount of progesterone dissolved increased rapidly between 65 and 180min, with both beads and emulsion to be equal after 85min. With soft capsules, the increase was more gradual. In sodium taurocholate free-medium, more progesterone was dissolved from the emulsion than from beads or soft capsules. The release of progesterone from beads resulted from the erosion of their matrix and its partition equilibrium between oily micro-droplets and aqueous phase. The original structure of beads confers to this multiparticulate system interesting properties for the oral delivery of lipophilic drugs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: On April 2009, a new swine-origin A(H1N1) influenza virus, A(H1N1)v, was identified in the United States. Today (June 12, 2009), more than 29,000 cases have been reported in the world, and 73 in France. This is the first report of secondary transmission in France. The three patients presented with common influenza signs including cough, fever, and sore throat. The incubation period could last from two to four days; it should be kept in mind that the first international data mentioned one to seven days. The buildup and maintenance of an infectious focus involve secondary transmissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents the regular variations of terrestrial magnetic field recorded by a new magnetic Observatory Medea, Algeria (geographic latitude: 36.85°N, geographic longitude: 2.93°E, geomagnetic latitude: 27.98°N, geomagnetic longitude: 77.7°E) during 2008–2011. The diurnal and seasonal variations of the solar quiet (Sq) variations are analyzed. The results show differences in the diurnal pattern of the northward-component Sq variation (SqX) at different seasons. The seasonal variation of SqX is similar in different years. The diurnal pattern of SqX from July through September cannot be explained by an equivalent current system that is symmetric about the noon time sector. The observations indicate that the major axis of the elliptic current system is tilted towards the equator in the morning hours during those months. The diurnal pattern of SqY indicates southward currents in the morning and northward currents in the afternoon, except during February–March 2009 when there is apparently no southward current during the morning. For the other months, the observations indicate that the maximum northward current intensity in the afternoon tends to be greater than the maximum southward current intensity in the morning. This is because of the UT variation of the Sq current system. That is, the pattern and strength of the Sq current system are different when SqY is measured in the morning around 8 UT and in the afternoon around 14 UT. The amplitude of these extreme varies linearly with the solar cycle. For the SqY component, the changes in the morning maximum have an annual variation while that of the afternoon minimum has a semi-annual variation. These variations are attributed to seasonal variations in the ionospheric E-region conductivity and atmospheric tidal winds. The field-aligned currents can also contribute to the seasonal variation of SqY. However, the two-dimensional approach used in this article does not allow us to quantitatively determine their influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing aeromagnetic and gravity data were used to study the structure of the Southern Atlas Flexure (SAF) in Algeria. Forward and inverse numerical modelings were applied, giving access to the depth of the Moho and the Curie depth in this area. Our results suggest a maximum crustal thickness of about 48 km, and a Curie depth of about 20 km. We then discuss the implications of those results on the regional structure of the SAF, also using cross-sections built using 2D-geological modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a by-product of the construction of a new World Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map over oceanic areas, we use an original approach based on the global forward modeling of seafloor spreading magnetic anomalies and their comparison to the available marine magnetic data to derive the first map of the equivalent magnetization over the World's ocean. This map reveals consistent patterns related to the age of the oceanic lithosphere, the spreading rate at which it was formed, and the presence of mantle thermal anomalies which affects seafloor spreading and the resulting lithosphere. As for the age, the equivalent magnetization decreases significantly during the first 10–15 Myr after its formation, probably due to the alteration of crustal magnetic minerals under pervasive hydrothermal alteration, then increases regularly between 20 and 70 Ma, reflecting variations in the field strength or source effects such as the acquisition of a secondary magnetization. As for the spreading rate, the equivalent magnetization is twice as strong in areas formed at fast rate than in those formed at slow rate, with a threshold at ∼40 km/Myr, in agreement with an independent global analysis of the amplitude of Anomaly 25. This result, combined with those from the study of the anomalous skewness of marine magnetic anomalies, allows building a unified model for the magnetic structure of normal oceanic lithosphere as a function of spreading rate. Finally, specific areas affected by thermal mantle anomalies at the time of their formation exhibit peculiar equivalent magnetization signatures, such as the cold Australian–Antarctic Discordance, marked by a lower magnetization, and several hotspots, marked by a high magnetization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this work is to interpret aeromagnetic data of the central In Ouzzal terrane and adjacent zone, southern Algeria using the Riesz Transform (RT) method. In this paper, we developed the RT method using the concepts of monogenic functions with Cauchy Riemann conditions. The result, obtained by calculation, led us to the new expression of the Riesz Analytic Signal Amplitude (RASA) and Riesz Local Phase (RLP), respectively. Tests on a synthetic magnetic model showed that the RASA and RLP had a better performance in delineating the geological contacts that were not seen in the original data. The advantage of this RT method is that it is less sensitive to noise. By applying the Euler deconvolution method using the RASA to the aeromagnetic data of the study area, we obtained the West Ouzzalian Fault (WOF), which is below the Paleozoic cover and has a depth of 0.8 km. At a distance of 30 km from the WOF, we find the East Ouzzalian Fault (EOF) with a depth of about 5 km. According to the RLP, the dip of the WOF, the EOF and the Adrar Fault are vertical. The fault systems located inside of the central In Ouzzal terrane are, generally, inclined towards the west. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Maâdna structure is located approximately 400 km south of Algiers (33°19′ N, 4°19′ E) and emplaced in Upper-Cretaceous to Eocene limestones. Although accepted as an impact crater on the basis of alleged observations of shock-diagnostic features such as planar deformation features ( PDFs) in quartz grains, previous works were limited and further studies are desirable to ascertain the structure formation process and its age. For this purpose, the crater was investigated using a multidisciplinary approach including field observations, detailed cartography of the different geological and structural units, geophysical surveys, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, paleomagnetism, and petrography of the collected samples. We found that the magnetic and gravimetric profiles highlight a succession of positive and negative anomalies, ones that might indicate the occurrence of a causative material which is at least in part identical. Geophysical analysis and modeling suggest the presence of this material within the crater at a depth of about 100 m below the surface. Using soil magnetic susceptibility measurements, the shallowest magnetized zone in the central part of the crater is identified as a recently deposited material. Paleomagnetic and rock magnetic experiments combined with petrographic observations show that detrital hematite is the main magnetic carrier although often associated with magnetite. A primary magnetization is inferred from a stable remanence with both normal and reverse directions, carried by these two minerals. Although this is supposed to be a chemical remagnetization, its normal polarity nature is considered to be a Pliocene component, subsequent to the crater formation. The pole falls onto the Miocene-Pliocene part of the African Apparent Polar Wander Path ( APWP). Consequently, we estimate the formation of the Maâdna crater to have occurred during the time period extending from the Late Miocene to the Early Pliocene. Unfortunately, our field and laboratory investigations do not allow us to confirm an impact origin for the crater as neither shatter cones, nor shocked minerals, were found. A dissolved diapir with inverted relief is suggested as an alternative to the impact hypothesis, which can still be considered as plausible. Only a drilling may provide a definite answer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated how the noise in satellite magnetic data affects magnetic lithospheric field models derived from these data in the special case where this noise is correlated along satellite orbit tracks. For this we describe the satellite data noise as a perturbation magnetic field scaled independently for each orbit, where the scaling factor is a random variable, normally distributed with zero mean. Under this assumption, we have been able to derive a model for errors in lithospheric models generated by the correlated satellite data noise. Unless the perturbation field is known, estimating the noise in the lithospheric field model is a non-linear inverse problem. We therefore proposed an iterative post-processing technique to estimate both the lithospheric field model and its associated noise model. The technique has been successfully applied to derive a lithospheric field model from CHAMP satellite data up to spherical harmonic degree 120. The model is in agreement with other existing models. The technique can, in principle, be extended to all sorts of potential field data with "along-track" correlated errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which investigates how noise in satellite magnetic data impacts magnetic lithospheric field models from data where noise is correlated along satellite orbit tracks. The study employs Auroral electrojet, parameterization, and model stimulation. Results suggest an iterative post-processing technique to estimate the lithospheric field model and its noise model.

Abstract: In order to reveal the structural properties at small scale within a geological unit apparently homogeneous at large scale, we explore the stochastic components of petrophysical measurements recorded in a borehole drilled through the Cretaceous siliclastic units of the South-eastern Basin of France. First, we analyse the instantaneous fluctuations of gamma ray log measurements searching for scaling laws in its power spectrum. Power spectra indicate a scaling behaviour with average exponent βa values mostly falling in the range 1< βa<3, a typical fingerprint of fractional Brownian motion. We show that the changes in scaling exponents extracted from the natural gamma ray measurement by a Continuous Wavelet Transform present a close correlation with the stochastic behaviour of radioactive decay processes described by the Poisson''s law. Secondly, we investigate the stochastic component of three different electrical resistivity logs. In the space/frequency domain explored by a Continuous Wavelet Transform, their local spectral densities show self-affine proprieties. An integrated statistical analysis of the local variations of the three pseudo-logs extracted from these measurements allows to point out new petrophysical heterogeneity within the silty unit. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The crustal structure beneath the northeastern continental part of Algeria is still largely unknown. Here we use potential field data processing, modeling and interpretation in order to investigate the deep sedimentary layers of this area and the transition with the basement. Indeed the gravimetric and magnetic field maps unveil the main geological domains of North Algeria: the AlCaPeKa domain, the Tellian Nappes, the Atlas and the South-Atlasic Fault (SAF). Our modeling approach combines the prediction of gravimetric and magnetic field signals along 4 N–S profiles that cross those domains and using constraints from seismic lines. The resulting cross-sections reveal the roots of the main E-W tectonic detachments of this area: the northern Suture Zone, the Tell Front, and the SAF. It seems that they are all initiated in the lower crust, nearby the continental/oceanic crustal transition for the Suture Zone, and several tenths of kilometers south from this transition for the Tell Front and the SAF detachments. Using these detachments, the lower parts of the crust are sometimes uplifted to only 5 km deep in the crust, while the upper crust is sometimes thickened to reach 15 km of thickness. Large magnetization and density contrasts are observed right beneath the Suture Zone. • Potential Field Data and North-eastern Algeria. • Constrained Joint Geophysical Modeling and Crustal structure. • Deep rooting crust of the Algerian Northern Suture Zone, the Tell front and the South Atlasic Fault. • Large magnetization and density contrasts are observed right beneath the Suture Zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]