Potential of copper-tolerant grasses to implement phytostabilisation strategies on polluted soils in South D. R. Congo : Poaceae candidates for phytostabilisation.

Phytostabilisation (i.e. using plants to immobilise contaminants) represents a well-known technology to hamper heavy metal spread across landscapes. Southeastern D.R. Congo, Microchloa altera, a tolerant grass from the copper hills, was recently identified as a candidate species to stabilise copper in the soil. More than 50 grasses compose this flora, which may be studied to implement phytostabilisation strategies. However, little is known about their phenology, tolerance, reproductive strategy or demography. The present study aims to characterize the Poaceae that may be used in phytostabilisation purposes based on the following criteria: their ecological distribution, seed production at two times, abundance, soil coverage and the germination percentage of their seeds. We selected seven perennial Poaceae that occur on the copper hills. Their ecological distributions (i.e. species response curves) have been modelled along copper or cobalt gradients with generalised additive models using logic link based on 172 presence-absence samples on three sites. For other variables, a total of 69 quadrats (1 m(2)) were randomly placed across three sites and habitats. For each species, we compared the number of inflorescence-bearing stems (IBS) by plot, the percentage of cover, the number of seeds by IBS and the estimated number of seeds by plot between sites and habitat. Three species (Andropogon schirensis, Eragrostis racemosa and Loudetia simplex) were very interesting for phytostabilisation programs. They produced a large quantity of seeds and had the highest percentage of cover. However, A. schirensis and L. simplex presented significant variations in the number of seeds and the percentage of cover according to site.

[Refusal of application to care in Alzheimer's disease and related diseases: establishment of a mobile unit hospital extra]. / Refus du recours aux soins dans la maladie d'Alzheimer et les maladies apparentées : place d'une unité mobile extra-hospitalière.

UNLABELLED: Refusal of care and support in these patients with Alzheimer's disease and related illnesses at home is a cause of accelerated loss of autonomy and increases the risk of a crisis with early institutionalization. Factors contributing to the denial of care are poorly understood and very few epidemiological data exist. MATERIALS AND METHODS: we compared age, diagnosis, level of severity of the disease, the type of behavioral, family status of 101 patients living in denial of care and support as seen by a mobile home (group UPEPc) to 136 control patients seen at the memory clinic (group CM). Patients living in denial of care appear to significantly low age [82/80.5, p<0.0001], with more advanced disease [average MMSE 18/22, p<0.0001], the presence family conflicts and behavioral disorders [delirious--hallucination, agitation--aggression, depression, apathy, p<0.05]. CONCLUSION: the profile of patients refusing home care is specific and it is important to educate GPs conditions that favor an obstacle to medicalization. The advantage of a mobile extramural to analyze risk factors for refusal of care and propose alternatives should be further investigated.