Search Results (170)

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is a toxic sulfur-containing by-product generated in refining, gas processing, and decomposition processes. Its electrochemical treatment under alkaline conditions offers a potential route for simultaneous hydrogen production and sulfide conversion. Although alkaline sulfide electrolysis has been investigated for several decades, quantitative information on the performance of industrial corrosion-resistant electrodes remains limited. In this work, industrial NiCrMo276 alloy electrodes were evaluated for hydrogen production in a batch alkaline sulfide electrolysis system. Graphite was used as a reference material in an initial electrode screening, in which NiCrMo276 exhibited a substantially higher current response under identical electrolysis conditions. Based on this screening, NiCrMo276 was selected for subsequent evaluation of the effects of applied cell voltage and NaHS concentration on the electrochemical response. At an applied cell voltage of 1.8 V and a NaHS:NaOH molar ratio of 1.25:1, hydrogen was produced at 200 mL h⁻¹, corresponding to a current density of 33 mA cm⁻² and a Faradaic efficiency of 92%. The specific electricity consumption was 52.4 kWh kg⁻¹ H₂. Complementary sulfur analyses indicated incomplete sulfide conversion and a marked evolution of the dissolved sulfur composition, particularly toward thiosulfate, although the measured sulfur distribution could not be attributed exclusively to electrochemical reactions. Post-electrolysis SEM–EDX observations showed that NiCrMo276 retained a relatively well-defined surface morphology, particularly at the cathode, while the graphite surface exhibited substantial intrinsic heterogeneity. Overall, the combination of high Faradaic efficiency, hydrogen productivity, and substantially higher current response than graphite highlights NiCrMo276 as a promising electrode material for alkaline sulfide electrolysis. Full article

Background/Objectives: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a condition with complex management, and several guidelines exist to guide clinicians. Adherence to these recommendations varies and could even be described as poor. The aim of this study was to determine whether the medical specialty of the unit that initiated first-line treatment for IE was associated with risk factors of non-adherence to the 2015 ESC treatment guidelines in a population of patients aged 75 years and over. Method: We analysed data from patients with possible or definite IE included in the ENDOLA cohort, an observational, longitudinal, retrospective, nationwide, real-life cohort study involving 34 French hospitals. Logistic regression was performed using a manual stepwise method to identify variables independently associated with non-compliance of antibiotic treatment of IE with the recommendations of the 2015 ESC guidelines. Results: In total, 899 patients were included (Mean age: 83 ± 5 years, mean Charlson comorbidity score: 3 ± 2). The distribution across the medical units was 51.9% infectious disease (n = 467), 19.8% geriatric ward (n = 178), 18.5% cardiology (n = 166), and 9.8% other wards (n = 88). Patients admitted to geriatric wards were older (p < 0.0001) and were more likely to be dependent for activities of daily living (p < 0.0001). Admission to a geriatric unit was associated with a higher rate of non-compliance with the ESC guidelines (OR 1.6 (1.1–2.4); p: 0.03); prescriptions by cardiologists were more often in compliance with the guidelines (OR 0.6 (0.4–1.0); p: 0.04). Conclusions: The first-line antibiotic treatment prescribed for IE varies considerably depending on the unit responsible for providing care at the time of initial admission. Full article

This research addresses the reception and variations in the Modern Movement in the French Caribbean, focusing on the urban transformation of Fort-de-France, Martinique, between 1927 and 1986. Through a critical methodology based on decentralized perspectives and “situated gazes,” this study challenges traditional historiographical narratives that often subordinate tropical architecture to mere simplified derivatives of European metropolises. Utilizing the development and implementation of the ARMOMA platform (Architecture du Mouvement Moderne en Martinique)—a specialized digital archive and cartographic database—this work documents, spatially visualizes, and analyzes the region’s modern heritage. Methodologically, it examines a specific sample of 77 state-owned buildings divided into three key typologies—educational (34), institutional (30), and sanitary (13)—extracted from a wider urban universe of 332 modern works, evaluating their spatial relations with 171 residential architectures. Rather than constituting simple transpositions of metropolitan models, these infrastructures reveal processes of climatic, material, and cultural adaptation that contributed to the emergence of a specific form of Caribbean tropical modernism. The findings show how this localized practice reinterpreted Western rationalism through hybrid construction techniques, passive environmental strategies, and local building knowledge. In conclusion, the study highlights that, while architecture commonly serves as an instrument of institutional representation, in Martinique this role acquired particular relevance following the 1946 Departmentalisation. Within this framework, the French state promoted a range of public architectural typologies in Fort-de-France that materialized the expansion of welfare policies and administrative modernization. These developments accompanied the consolidation of the Welfare State in Martinique and continued until the implementation of the Decentralization Laws of 1982–1983. Full article

The dataset presented in this manuscript consists of physicochemical, nutritional, and functional characteristics of mamey purees from three West-Indian accessions selected for their processability, i.e., Galion, Ti Jacques, and Sonson. Physicochemical analysis comprised measurements of soluble solid contents, titratable acidity, pH, and color. Proximate analysis corresponded to measurements of humidity, protein, ashes, lipid, and dietary fiber contents, and the calculation of sugar contents and energy value. Biochemical analysis consisted of measurements of polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid contents. Antioxidant capacity is also reported by DPPH and ORAC assays, respectively. Raw data and mean values with standard deviations are provided for each characteristic. The data were generated to describe the quality of these mamey purees as an intermediate agrifood industry product. Full article

Public health suffers from noxious gas emitted by massive beached Sargassum algae. Net-barrages deployed in near-shore seas can contain Sargassum, provided they efficiently resist the additional hydrodynamic pressure induced by the catch. Nowadays, the design and installation of net-barrages are empiric. Structural breaks and anchor and mooring chain drifts can arise. We provide a mechanical model to evaluate stresses and loads on a structure made of fishing nets and buoy moorings. Hydrodynamic uncertainties occur through catches, fouling and sea current amplitudes appearing in lagoons or sheltered bays. This study presents a non-linear four-node finite-element model for continuous elastic membranes undergoing large displacements and small strains. The model relies on the Lagrangian linearly elastic membrane theory, employing the non-linear Green strain tensor and a non-updated hydrodynamic loading. We study forcings fixed a priori on a netting section of barrage that is 50 m long and 1 m high with double layer, e.g., two net-faces. We consider low and moderate current velocities, 0.05 and 0.35 m∙s⁻¹, while assuming specific vertical and horizontal catch pressures. A barrage installed in the reef lagoon at Le François on Martinique Island that is observable by satellite imagery could benefit of the computed net and mooring tensions. Full article

Martinique sponge fauna was largely undocumented until 2017, when the first inventory of Porifera colonizing coral reefs, mangroves and caves around the island was published. We performed an integrative classification of sponges in the foraging area of hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in Martinique. Sponge specimens were retrieved as direct or indirect diet items consumed by hawksbill turtles after video observations, and the feeding behaviors of these predators were tracked. Morphology was supplemented with molecular identification (DNA barcoding) based on a multi-locus approach using COI, 28S and ITS genetic markers. Seventeen different species were identified, belonging to seven orders: Poecilosclerida, Dictyoceratida, Verongiida, Agelasida, Haplosclerida, Clionaida, and Tetractinellida. Haplosclerida exhibited the greatest diversity and species abundance, followed by Verongiida. The 28S marker provided the highest confidence in species identification. We provided new barcode records for Hyattella cavernosa and Amphimedon caribica. Among the cataloged sponges, only four of them had been previously reported as food items of E. imbricata (Xestospongia muta, Iotrochota birotulata, Spirastrella coccinea and Cinachyrella kuekenthali). The rest represent newly documented items that are potentially preyed upon by this turtle predator. The characterization of sponges as being part of the feeding habitat of hawksbill turtles underpins management and protection plans for this critically endangered species, and the benthic community on which they feed, by providing criteria for generating networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Caribbean regions. Full article

Background/Objectives: High-grade endometrial cancer (EC) is associated with poor outcomes, particularly in populations with a high burden of aggressive histologies. There is a critical need for accessible biomarkers to improve prognostic assessment and guide clinical management. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the feasibility and clinical relevance of monitoring circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) by tracking somatic TP53 mutations using a routine next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay already implemented in diagnostic practice. Results: Among 21 patients with high-grade EC carrying TP53 mutations in the primary tumor, ctDNA was detectable in over 75% during follow-up. Baseline ctDNA detection strongly correlated with advanced disease: none of the FIGO I tumors were ctDNA-positive at diagnosis, whereas 73% of FIGO > I tumors showed detectable ctDNA. Patients with ctDNA detected at baseline had significantly poorer outcomes, with a 2-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) of 18% versus 60% and a 2-year overall survival (OS) of 40% versus 78%. Longitudinal monitoring revealed that postoperative persistence or reappearance of ctDNA was consistently associated with disease progression, often preceding radiological relapse. Conversely, early ctDNA clearance (at M4–M8) was associated with more favorable clinical trajectories. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential role of ctDNA as a real-time molecular marker of minimal residual disease and tumor dynamics. Our results demonstrate that TP53-based ctDNA tracking using a standard NGS panel is feasible, sensitive, and clinically informative in high-grade EC. This approach may contribute to improving prognostic stratification and enabling more personalized, responsive clinical management, particularly in high-risk populations. Full article

Background: In temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), locally reduced glucose metabolism (i.e., hypometabolism) is indicative of the epileptogenic onset zone (EZ). Here, we investigate the potential value of resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) for localizing the EZ with fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) as ground truth. Methods: Twelve PET-positive patients (34.1 ± 13.1 y; 5 females) with unilateral drug-resistant TLE were included. FDG-PET and rs-fMRI were acquired simultaneously at a hybrid 3T PET-MR scanner. Hypometabolic regions were identified on the FDG-PET images by a nuclear medicine expert. The FDG-PET images were compared with a clinical FDG-PET control dataset with normal glucose uptake distribution. The output z-score maps were thresholded at z < −2 to produce a binary mask of the significantly hypometabolic regions. The hypometabolism masks were mirrored onto the contralateral hemisphere for the asymmetry comparison. Regional homogeneity (ReHo), amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), and fractional ALFF (fALFF) were calculated from the rs-fMRI in conventional (0.01–0.1 Hz) and slow-3 (0.073–0.198 Hz) frequency bands. Asymmetry indices (AIs) were calculated using the ipsilateral and contralateral hypometabolic masks in the PET-positive subjects and assessed via the one-sample Wilcoxon test and Spearman correlation coefficients. Results: The AIs of conventional fALFF were significantly lower in the hypometabolic zone (p < 0.05). A significant negative correlation was found between the AIs of FDG-PET and fALFF in the slow-3 band (r = −0.62; p < 0.05). Conclusions: Conventional and slow-3 band fALFF showed a potential to mimic the FDG-PET findings in terms of EZ localization. Further research with extended cohorts and histopathological validation is required to determine the clinical value. Full article

The massive influx and subsequent anaerobic decomposition of pelagic Sargassum on Caribbean coasts release toxic gases, including hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), and pose a real public health hazard, as evidenced by thousands of reported acute exposure cases in Martinique in 2018. To effectively characterize exposure and identify at-risk areas, we utilized the interactive web-based dispersion modeling system C-PORT, representing Sargassum accumulation zones as area sources derived from recent aerial and in situ monitoring data. Inverse modeling, comparing C-PORT output against Madininair observation data from 2024 to 2025, established emission flux rates ranging from 0.45 to 3.58 mg/m² per second for H₂S, depending on Sargassum density. The resulting modeled concentrations exhibit a low average fractional bias (approx. 0.04) when compared to observations. This study demonstrates that C-PORT can be used to estimate spatially resolved concentrations for H₂S, generate health-risk maps for H₂S, evaluate options to mitigate exposure from varying Sargassum intensity levels, and serve as a crucial tool for public health agencies across vulnerable coastal regions. Full article

Recurrent massive strandings of pelagic Sargassum have severely impacted Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico coastlines over the past decade, generating major environmental, sanitary, and socioeconomic consequences. Accurate monitoring of Sargassum dynamics in nearshore waters remains challenging, as most existing satellite products rely on moderate-resolution sensors that inadequately resolve coastal processes. Here, we present a high-spatial- and -temporal-resolution Sargassum detection dataset derived from the VENµS (Vegetation and Environment New Micro-Satellite) mission, providing daily observations at 4 m resolution for five coastal zones in Guadeloupe, Martinique, and the Yucatán Peninsula over the 2022–2024 period. VENµS imagery consists of 12 multispectral bands, and the analysis specifically uses the red, the red-edge/near-infrared and the short-wave infrared bands. Detection is based on the Alternative Floating Algae Index (AFAI), combined with land and cloud masking, background estimation, and adaptive thresholding. We demonstrate the capability of this dataset to resolve fine-scale Sargassum raft dynamics, characterize the seasonal influx of Sargassum along the coastline, and assess exposure across different coastal typologies. By offering the highest combined spatial and temporal resolution currently available for these regions, this dataset provides a novel resource for coastal impact assessment, nearshore drift analysis, and validation of Sargassum transport and stranding models. Full article

Viable but non-culturable (VBNC) cells represent a reversible, metabolically active state that promotes the survival of bacteria under stressful conditions and their persistence in healthcare facilities and food industry. We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA 2020 guidelines to identify in vitro methodologies for inducing and resuscitating VBNC Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and to determine key influencing factors. Eligible studies reported in vitro resuscitation of these species. Searches were performed in MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, and Google Scholar up to July 2025. Two independent reviewers screened and extracted data. Exclusion criteria included absence of original experimental data, focus on other species, or lack of clear VBNC definition. Risk of bias was qualitatively assessed. Analyses were descriptive without meta-analysis. Of the 1041 records, 24 articles (27 studies) were included. Resuscitation protocols typically employed standard culture media with additives and moderate incubation temperatures, with most successful recoveries occurring after 24–48 h. P. aeruginosa generally required less supplementation than Enterobacteriaceae. Reported mechanisms involved metabolic reactivation, oxidative stress modulation, nutrient sensing, and ribosome reactivation. The limitations of our study include protocol heterogeneity, lack of standardization, and selective reporting. While simple resuscitation methods were often effective, tailoring conditions to species-specific ecological preferences appears critical. Standardized approaches of VBNC cells will improve detection, risk assessment, and infection control. Full article

Background/Objectives: Transthyretin cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is frequently associated with conduction disease requiring pacing. Conventional right ventricular pacing may worsen cardiac function, whereas left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) aims to preserve physiological activation. Evidence for LBBAP in ATTR-CM remains limited. Methods: A structured narrative review of PubMed and Google Scholar was performed through November 2025 using predefined terms related to LBBAP and ATTR-CM. Peer-reviewed articles, case reports, case series, and relevant abstracts were included. Studies exclusively on light-chain cardiac amyloidosis were excluded. Results: Ten publications met inclusion criteria, comprising three case reports, five case series, one retrospective cohort without a comparator, and one cohort comparing LBBAP with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). In total, 56 patients with ATTR-CM underwent LBBAP. Implantation success was high, with stable acute and mid-term electrical parameters. Follow-up (typically 3–12 months) showed stable electrical parameters with narrow paced QRS complexes and preserved or improved left ventricular ejection fraction in most reports. Symptomatic improvement and reductions in natriuretic peptides were variably described. No major lead-related complications were reported. Comparative data remain sparse and inconclusive. Conclusions: This review suggests that LBBAP is a feasible and safe pacing approach in patients with ATTR-CM and may help to stabilize or improve heart failure symptoms. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm its clinical effectiveness. Full article

This study investigates the atmospheric corrosion behavior of zinc in tropical marine environments affected by hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), particularly from the decomposition of stranded Sargassum algae. Four exposure sites in Martinique with varying levels of H₂S and marine chlorides were selected. Gravimetric analysis showed that zinc thickness loss reached up to 45 µm after one year at the most impacted site (Frégate Est), compared to only 3–10 µm at less contaminated locations. This degradation level classifies the site as “extremely corrosive” according to ISO 9223. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and linear polarization measurements revealed distinct corrosion behaviors. After 12 months of exposure, the polarization resistance and corrosion current density reached R_p = 916 Ω·cm² and I_corr = 28 µA·cm² at the Frégate Est site and R_p = 1835 Ω·cm² and I_corr = 6 µA·cm² at the Vauclin site. In H₂S-poor environments (Diamant, Vert-Pré, Vauclin), corrosion resistance increased over time due to the formation of protective layers such as hydrozincite and simonkolleite. In contrast, H₂S-rich environments favored the formation of sulfur-based compounds like elemental sulfur and zinc sulfide (ZnS), which exhibit poor protective properties and result in lower polarization resistance and higher corrosion current densities. Polarization curves confirmed a general decrease in anodic and cathodic currents over time, with less significant improvements in passivation at H₂S-impacted sites. The corrosion mechanism is influenced by both pollutant type and exposure duration. Overall, this study highlights the synergistic effect of H₂S and chlorides on accelerating zinc corrosion and underscores the need for adapted protection strategies in tropical coastal zones affected by Sargassum proliferation. Full article

Critics often cast the Creole woman of color in Lafcadio Hearn’s circum-Caribbean writings as a figure of cultural moribundity—an emblem of a Creole world fading under the pressures of modernization. However, Hearn also presents Creole women as vivacious counterdecadent agents, disruptors of the political decline experienced by Martinique’s white Creoles after citizenship was restored to the colony’s men of African descent. Through historical contextualization of Hearn’s periodical writing and his correspondence with journalist Elizabeth Bisland, this paper explains why he employs the strategies of Decadent conservatism to imagine a moment in which formerly enslaved Creole women prevent an iconoclastic Republican attack on a sculpture of the Empress Joséphine. Erected in a reactionary period after slavery’s abolition, this monument originally commemorated the reinstatement of plantocratic dominance over the Black population, but by the time Hearn saw the statue, it had become an ironic reminder of weakened white authority. The imagined actions of Hearn’s Creole women resignify the monument, making its survival attest to the limited victory of Republican egalitarianism and the survival of pre-modern traditions of racial deference. Full article

Artificial intelligence algorithms for automated archaeological site detection have been scarcely applied in the Andean highlands, regions that preserve a significant amount of surface archaeological architecture but have not yet been fully explored or mapped due to the difficult terrain. This paper presents a case study of the application of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to automatically identify archaeological architecture in the Azapa valley in the Arica y Parinacota region of Chile. Using a high-resolution and big regional-scale archaeological geodatabase created through a systematic and detailed photo-interpretation survey of satellite imagery and fieldwork, our study demonstrates the efficiency of CNN-based automated detection in identifying archaeological stone structures such as roundhouses and corrals in the Chilean highlands. After outlining the technical protocol for automated detection, we present the results and discuss the potential of our AI model for archaeological mapping in arid highland environments, from a regional to a more extended and global perspective. Full article