Body Shape and Life Style of the Extinct Balearic Dormouse Hypnomys (Rodentia, Gliridae): New Evidence from the Study of Associated Skeletons

Hypnomys is a genus of Gliridae (Rodentia) that occurred in the Balearic Islands until Late Holocene. Recent finding of a complete skeleton of the chronospecies H. morpheus (Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene) and two articulated skeletons of H. cf. onicensis (Late Pliocene) allowed the inference of body size and the calculation of several postcranial indexes. We also performed a Factorial Discriminant Analysis (FDA) in order to evaluate locomotory behaviour and body shape of the taxa. Using allometric models based on skull and tooth measurements, we calculated a body weight between 173 and 284 g for H. morpheus, and direct measurements of articulated skeletons yielded a Head and Body Length (HBL) of 179 mm and a Total Body Length of 295 mm for this species. In addition to the generally higher robustness of postcranial bones already recorded by previous authors, H. morpheus, similar to Canariomys tamarani, another extinct island species, displayed elongated zygopodium bones of the limbs and a wider distal humerus and femur than in an extant related taxon, Eliomys quercinus. Indexes indicated that Hypnomys was more terrestrial and had greater fossorial abilities than E. quercinus. This was also corroborated by a Discriminant Analysis, although no clear additional inference of locomotory abilities could be calculated

The International Studies Encyclopedia. Vol. III

Gisela Gil-Egui is a contributing author, E‐Government . Book description: The International Studies Encyclopedia and its online version, International Studies Online, published in association with the International Studies Association (ISA), is the most comprehensive reference work of its kind for the fields of international studies and international relations. The print version is arranged across 12 volumes in an A-Z format and brings together specially commissioned, peer reviewed essays, written and edited by an international team of the world\u27s best scholars and teachers.https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/communications-books/1010/thumbnail.jp

Environmental and Operational Performance of CO2-EOR as a CCUS Technology: A Cranfield Example with Dynamic LCA Considerations

Bureau of Economic Geolog

Environmental and Operational Performance of CO₂-EOR as a CCUS Technology: A Cranfield Example with Dynamic LCA Considerations

This study evaluates the potential of carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without compromising oil production goals. A novel, dynamic carbon lifecycle analysis (d-LCA) was developed and used to understand the evolution of the environmental impact (CO2 emissions) and mitigation (geologic CO2 storage) associated with an expanded carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) system, from start to closure of operations. EOR operational performance was assessed through CO2 utilization rates, which relate usage of CO2 to oil production. Because field operational strategies have a significant impact on reservoir engineering parameters that affect both CO2 storage and oil production (e.g., sweep efficiency, flood conformance, fluid saturation distribution), we conducted a scenario analysis that assessed the operational and environmental performance of four common and novel CO2-EOR field development strategies. Each scenario was evaluated with and without stacked saline carbon storage, an EOR/storage combination strategy where excess CO2 from the recycling facility is injected into an underlying saline aquifer for long-term carbon storage. The dynamic interplay between operational and environmental performance formed the basis of our CCUS technology analysis. The results showed that all CO2-EOR evaluated scenarios start operating with a negative carbon footprint and, years into the project, transitioned into operating with a positive carbon footprint. The transition points were significantly different in each scenario. Water-alternating-gas (WAG) was identified as the CO2 injection strategy with the highest potential to co-optimize EOR and carbon storage goals. The results provide an understanding of the evolution of the system’s net carbon balance in all four field development strategies studied. The environmental performance can be significantly improved with stacked storage, where a negative carbon footprint can be maintained throughout the life of the operation in most of the injection scenarios modelled. This information will be useful to CO2-EOR operators seeking value in storing more CO2 through a carbon credit program (e.g., the 45Q carbon credit program in the USA). Most importantly, this study serves as confirmation that CO2-EOR can be operationally designed to both enhance oil production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere

Plxnd1 expression in thymocytes regulates their intrathymic migration while that in thymic endothelium impacts medullary topology

An important role for plexinD1 in thymic development is inferred from studies of germline Plxnd1 knockout (KO) mice where mislocalized CD69+ thymocytes as well as ectopic thymic subcapsular medullary structures were observed. Given embryonic lethality of the Plxnd1-/- genotype, fetal liver transplantation was employed in these prior analyses. Such embryonic hematopoietic reconstitution may have transferred Plxnd1 KO endothelial and/or epithelial stem cells in addition to Plxnd1 KO lymphoid progenitors, thereby contributing to that phenotype. Here we use Plxnd1flox/flox mice crossed to pLck-Cre, pKeratin14-Cre or pTek-Cre transgenic animals to create cell-type specific conditional knockout (CKO) lines involving thymocytes (D1ThyCKO), thymic epithelium (D1EpCKO) and thymic endothelium (D1EnCKO), respectively. These CKOs allowed us to directly assess the role of plexinD1 in each lineage. Loss of plexinD1 expression on double positive (DP) thymocytes leads to their aberrant migration and cortical retention after TCR-mediated positive selection. In contrast, ectopic medulla formation is a consequence of loss of plexinD1 expression on endothelial cells, in turn linked to dysregulation of thymic angiogenesis. D1EpCKO thymi manifest neither abnormality. Collectively, our findings underscore the non-redundant roles for plexinD1 on thymocytes and endothelium, including the dynamic nature of medulla formation resulting from crosstalk between these thymic cellular components

Evaluation of the circadian rhythm of anti-Leishmania IgG2 and IgA antibodies in serum and saliva of dogs with clinical leishmaniosis

In this study, the circadian rhythm of IgG2 and IgA specific antibodies in serum and saliva samples of 6 dogs experimentally infected with Leishmania infantum was assessed. Sampling was performed at 8.00, 12.00, 16.00, 20.00, and 00.00 h on two consecutive days. Anti-Leishmania antibody levels in serum were expressed without any correction, whereas in saliva were shown in different ways: without any correction, adjusted by protein concentration and corrected by the salivary flow rate. No significant differences in anti-Leishmania IgG2 antibody levels in serum and saliva samples with or without correction were found. Significant differences were found when anti-Leishmania IgA levels were corrected by the salivary flow rate. In addition, a greater intra-individual variation of antibody levels was observed in saliva than in serum. However, this variation did not modify the serological status of the dogs. Therefore, it could be concluded that there is no circadian rhythm in serum and saliva samples and sampling can be performed at any time of the day.We thank ADL-Bionatur for supplying the dogs for the study. ACB is supported by a pre-doctoral FPU fellowship from the University of Murcia,Spain.DE held a post-doctoral“Juandela Cierva Formación ”fellowship from“Ministerio de Economíay Competitividad”(MINECO),Spain. AE and MCL were supported by grants RTC-2016-50005-1 and SAF2016-81003-R from the “Programa Estatal I+D+I” from MINECO and by the Network of Tropical Diseases Research RICET(RD16/0027/0005)funded by ISCIII and FEDER.This project was supported by grant 19894/GERM/15 of the Seneca Foundation of Murcia Region (Groups of Excellence)

Desarrollo de biomarcadores serológicos para la evaluación de la eficacia terapéutica del tratamiento con benznidazole de pacientes con enfermedad de Chagas

La enfermedad de Chagas, causada por Trypanosoma cruzi, afecta aproximadamente a 7 millones de personas en el mundo, existiendo actualmente mas de 50.000 casos en Espa~na. Esta enfermedad parasitaria presenta dos fases claramente diferenciadas, aguda y cronica. La mayora de los pacientes permanecen en una fase cronica asintomatica denominada fase indeterminada, que deriva (en un 30-40% de los pacientes) a una fase sintomatica caracterizada, principalmente, por alteraciones cardacas, digestivas, neurologicas o mixtas. En la fase cronica indeterminada Benznidazol y Nifurtimox son los farmacos de eleccion. Si bien se recomienda su administracion, los efectos secundarios son frecuentes. Ademas, el impacto del tratamiento solo puede ser determinado a traves de la seroconversion medida con test serologicos convencionales, lo cual tarda decadas en establecerse. Es por ello, que un reto para el control de la enfermedad de Chagas es el establecimiento de biomarcadores (BMKs) que permitan determinar la e#12;cacia del tratamiento en un corto periodo de tiempo. En los ultimos a~nos se han llevado a cabo numerosos estudios para evaluar diferentes moleculas candidatas como BMKs de progresion y de e#12;cacia terapeutica en la enfermedad de Chagas. En nuestro laboratorio identi#12;camos los antgenos KMP11, PFR2, HSP70 y 3973d de T. cruzi los cuales son reconocidos con una alta especi#12;cidad y sensibilidad por el suero de pacientes en fase cronica de la enfermedad, produci endose una cada de la reactividad del suero frente a ellos tras un corto periodo de tiempo tras el tratamiento con benznidazol (6 a 9 meses). En este contexto y, con el #12;n de evaluar la utilidad de estos BMKs como herramienta para determinar la e#12;cacia terapeutica, se ha analizado la reactividad del suero de 66 pacientes con Chagas cronico en fase indeterminada, frente al mencionado set de antgenos, antes (T0) y tras el tratamiento con benznidazol (a T9, T24 y T48 meses). Se establecio un algoritmo de medida sobre la base del criterio de e#12;cacia terapeutica asociado al hecho de detectar una cada continua en la reactividad frente a los 4 BMKs, as como que la disminucion en la reactividad a los 24/48 meses post-tratamiento debe de ser, al menos, para dos de los biomarcadores del 40% (para los antgenos KMP11, PFR2 y 3973d) o del 30% (para HSP70), respecto a la reactividad observada previamente al tratamiento. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que un 42.4% de los pacientes cumplen el criterio de e#12;cacia terapeutica a 24 meses (con valor predictivo del 85 %) y un 68.8% de pacientes a los 48 meses. Ninguno de los pacientes que cumplen el criterio de e#12;cacia terapeutica presenta una PCR positiva tras el tratamiento con benznidazol. En resumen, estimamos que el mencionado set de BMKs constituye una herramienta util para monitorizar, en un corto periodo de tiempo, el impacto del tratamiento en pacientes con Chagas cronico

One-year follow-up of anti-Leishmania antibody concentrations in serum and saliva from experimentally infected dogs

The quantification of anti-Leishmania antibodies in serum and saliva by a time-resolved immunofluorometric assay is useful for the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of dogs with clinical leishmaniasis. We compared the kinetics of anti-Leishmania IgG2 and IgA antibodies in serum and saliva from 11 Beagle dogs experimentally infected with Leishmania infantum. Most dogs showed detectable concentrations of anti-Leishmania IgG2 earlier in serum (between 3 and 4 months p.i.) than in saliva (between 4 and 6 months p.i.). Overall, a high correlation between concentrations of anti-Leishmania IgG2 in serum and saliva (r = 0.853; P < 0.0001) was observed. The quantification of anti-Leishmania IgA showed less diagnostic value than IgG2, since detectable amounts of IgA were not observed in the saliva of four dogs and in the serum of one dog. In addition, a very low correlation between anti-Leishmania IgA in serum and saliva (r = 0.289; P < 0.001) was observed. Our results indicate that the antibodies against L. infantum in saliva appear approximately 1 month later than in serum, and suggest that there is a threshold for the passing of immunoglobulins from serum to saliva in dogs. These facts should be taken into consideration for a proper interpretation of saliva assays for quantification of antibodies

A proportion of CD4+ T cells from patients with chronic Chagas disease undergo a dysfunctional process, which is partially reversed by benznidazole treatment.

Background: Signs of senescence and the late stages of differentiation associated with the more severe forms of Chagas disease have been described in the Trypanosoma cruzi antigen-specific CD4+ T-cell population. However, the mechanisms involved in these functions are not fully known. To date, little is known about the possible impact of benznidazole treatment on the T. cruzi-specific functional response of CD4+ T cells. Methodology/principal findings: The functional capacity of CD4+ T cells was analyzed by cytometric assays in chronic Chagas disease patients, with indeterminate form (IND) and cardiac alterations (CCC) (25 and 15, respectively) before and after benznidazole treatment. An increase in the multifunctional capacity (expression of IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α, perforin and/or granzyme B) of the antigen-specific CD4+ T cells was observed in indeterminate versus cardiac patients, which was associated with the reduced coexpression of inhibitory receptors (2B4, CD160, CTLA-4, PD-1 and/or TIM-3). The functional profile of these cells shows statistically significant differences between IND and CCC (p<0.001), with a higher proportion of CD4+ T cells coexpressing 2 and 3 molecules in IND (54.4% versus 23.1% and 4.1% versus 2.4%, respectively). A significant decrease in the frequencies of CD4+ T cells that coexpress 2, 3 and 4 inhibitory receptors was observed in IND after 24-48 months of treatment (p<0.05, p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively), which was associated with an increase in antigen-specific multifunctional activity. The IND group showed, at 9-12 months after treatment, an increase in the CD4+ T cell subset coproducing three molecules, which were mainly granzyme B+, perforin+ and IFN-γ+ (1.4% versus 4.5%). Conclusions/significance: A CD4+ T cell dysfunctional process was detected in chronic Chagas disease patients, being more exacerbated in those patients with cardiac symptoms. After short-term benznidazole treatment (9-12 months), indeterminate patients showed a significant increase in the frequency of multifunctional antigen-specific CD4+ T cells.The authors have received funding from the following sources: MCL, grant SAF2016-81003-R from the Programa Estatal I+D+i (Agencia Estatal de Investigación-MINECO) and grant RD16/(0027/0005 from the Network of Tropical Diseases Research RICET (Instituto de Salud Carlos III)) and FEDER; MCT, grant SAF2016-80998-R from the Programa Estatal I+D+i (Agencia Estatal de Investigación - MINECO); MS, grant RD16/0027/0016 from the Network of Tropical Diseases Research RICET (Instituto de Salud Carlos III) and FEDER. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript