Evaluation of a potential candidate for heavy metal phytostabilization in polluted sites of the Mediterranean littoral (SE Marseille): endomycorrhizal status, fitness biomarkers and metal content of Atriplex halimus spontaneous populations

This study showed that Atriplex halimus forms endomycorrhizae on heavy metal polluted-soils. But no variation of chlorophylls content in leaves was observed. Only low concentrations of heavy metals were found in leaves compared with the high levels of pollutants in the soil. A. halimus appears as a good candidate for phytostabilization of heavy metals in brackish soils

Classical approach in duodenopancreatectomy - the key to success of a controversial intervention

Secția IV Chirurgie, Secția Radiologie, Secția Gastoenterologie, Spital ”Sf. Spiridon”, U.M.F. “Grigore T. Popa”, Iași, România, Al XIII-lea Congres al Asociației Chirurgilor „Nicolae Anestiadi” și al III-lea Congres al Societății de Endoscopie, Chirurgie miniminvazivă și Ultrasonografie ”V.M.Guțu” din Republica MoldovaIntroducere: Duodenopancreatectomia cefalică (DPC) este considerată tratamentul standard pentru tumorile periampulare. În pofida evoluției în chirurgia pancreatică, morbiditatea postoperatorie după DPC rămâne crescută. În timp ce rata mortalității asociate intervenției chirurgicale a scăzut la mai puțin de 4%, morbiditatea postoperatorie se menține la mai mult de 50%, datorate în special anastomozei pancreaticojejunale, principala vulnerabilitate a chirurgiei pancreatice. Material și metode: Autorii prezintă un studiu pe 5 ani, între ianuarie 2014 și aprilie 2019, pe un lot de 17 pacienți la care s-a practicat DPC cu reconstrucție clasică tip Whipple Child, cu 2 variante de anastomoză pancretico-jejunală. Media de vârstă a fost de 58,5. Rezultate: Mortalitatea imediat postoperatorie în lotul studiat a fost de 0%, iar morbiditatea a fost reprezentată de 1 caz de fistulă pancreatică și 2 cazuri de hemoragii postoperatorii. Supraviețuirea la 1 an a fost de 64,7%, 5 pacienți fiind pierduți din supraveghere și 1 deces. Concluzii: Fistula pancreatică, prin complicațiile cu pericol vital ca de exemplu hemoargia și peritonita, este principala cauză de morbiditate și mortalitate după duodenopancreatectomie cefalică. Factorii care contribuie la această complicație sunt reprezentați de textura moale a țesutului pancratic și de diametrul subțire al ductului pancreatic.Introduction: Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is considered the standard treatment for periampullary tumors. Despite progresses in pancreatic surgery, the postoperative morbidity after PD remains high. While the operation-associated mortality rate of pancreatic surgery has decreased to less than 4%, the postoperative morbidity rate is reported to be as high as 50%, largely due to the pancreaticojejunal anastomosis, the major vulnerability of pancreatic surgery. Material and methods: The authors present a study between January 2014 and April 2019, on a series of 17 patients with PD with classical reconstruction type Whipple Child, with 2 types of pancreaticojejunal anatomosis. The median age was 58,5. Results: Postoperative mortality in the study was 0%, and morbidity was 1 case of pancreatic fistula and 2 postoperative bleeding. The survival at 1 year was about 64,7%, 5 patients were lost under surveillance and one death. Conclusions: Pancreatic fistula, with life-threatening complications, such as postoperative hemorrhage and peritonitis, is the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in PD. Factors contributing to this complication are: soft pancreatic tissue texture and small pancreatic duct diameter

CAD/CAM CHAIR-SIDE MATERIAL OPTIONS FOR ANTERIOR CROWNS

Aim of the study. This article present today options for materials utilized with chair-side CAD/CAM technology. Selection of the most appropriate material for anterior crowns depends on each individual clinical situation. Materials and methods. Dental ceramics and processing technologies have been significantly improved in recent years, offering to opportunities for different type of restorations. Classification of materials for chair-side CAD/CAM technology is based on different criteria, like microstructure, characteristics, cementation protocol. When anterior region is involved, which case is presented in this article, selecting the most convenient material and following the precise protocol, can lead to smile design enhancement. Conclusions. Successful restorations of frontal teeth with CAD/CAM technology depends on good knowledge and understanding of the materials properties and clinical parameters, together with the precision of every step involved, from preparation, to scanning, designing, milling, to the final adhesive cementation

Screening biological traits and fluoride contents of native vegetations in arid environments to select efficiently fluoride-tolerant native plant species for in-situ phytoremediation

International audienceHigh fluoride pollution has been detected in the surrounding soils of the coastal superphosphate industries in the Gulf of Gabes (Southeast of Tunisia). A study was conducted in vicinity of factories analysing plant functional traits combined with plant fluoride accumulation and soil metal concentrations aiming to screen more efficiently native plant species tolerant to this pollution. Aerial parts of 18 plant species out of the 10 most abundant species per site were harvested on two polluted sites of Gabes and Skhira at the vicinity of the factories and on the less polluted site of Smara. Native plant species accumulated fluoride following the gradient of soil pollution. Fluoride contents of plant aerial parts ranged from 37 mg kg(-1) to 360 mg kg(-1) and five plant species were only found in the most polluted site. However these latter had low biomass and soil cover. Crossing biological traits and fluoride contents, a selection grid for potentially restorative plant species enabled the selection of three native perennials i.e. Rhanterium suaveolens, Atractylis serratuloides and, Erodium glaucophyllum as potential candidates for an in-situ phytoremediation program on arid fluoride-polluted sites. This approach may be used in other fluoride-polluted Mediterranean environments. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

As, Pb, Sb, and Zn transfer from soil to root of wild rosemary: do native symbionts matter?

International audienceThis is an in natura study aimed to determine the potential of Rosmarinus officinalis for phytostabilization of trace metal and metalloid (TMM)-contaminated soils in the Calanques National Park (Marseille, southeast of France). The link between rosemary tolerance/accumulation of As, Pb, Sb, and Zn and root symbioses with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and/or dark septate endophytes (DSE) was examined. Eight sites along a gradient of contamination were selected for soil and root collections. TMM concentrations were analyzed in all the samples and root symbioses were observed. Moreover, in the roots of various diameters collected in the most contaminated site, X-ray microfluorescence methods were used to determine TMM localization in tissues. Rosemary accumulated, in its roots, the most labile TMM fraction in the soil. The positive linear correlation between TMM concentrations in soil and endophyte root colonization rates suggests the involvement of AM fungi and DSE in rosemary tolerance to TMM. Moreover, a typical TMM localization in root peripheral tissues of thin roots containing endophytes forming AM and DSE development was observed using X-ray microfluorescence. Rosemary and its root symbioses appeared as a potential candidate for a phytostabilization process of metal-contaminated soils in Mediterranean area

Lipolytic biocatalyst based on recyclable magnetite-polysiloxane nanoparticles

This work presents a novel hydrophobic magnetizable nanosupport able to load and valorize the lipase derived from Candida cylindracea (CCL). Nude magnetite nanoparticles (MP) were coated by covalent binding with an ester-polysiloxane (PS). The chemical composition, dimensions, morphology and magnetic properties of the resulted core-shell nanoparticles (MP-PS-CCL) are analyzed. The amount of immobilized lipase increase when loaded from aqueous solutions of up to 12.8 mg/mL CCL, when a lipolytic activity of 74.76 U/g is achieved. For higher concentrations of the loading solution, the activity of immobilized lipase decreases, probably due to the enzyme steric hindrance. MP-PS-CCL exhibits a good lipolytic activity against 4-nitrophenyl laurate (4-NPL), which allows the kinetic study of lipolysis reaction by measuring the amount of released 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), when working at room temperature, in TRIS buffer (pH 8.2). Even after three months of storage, the product is able to sustain up to 4 reusing cycles. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Insights on metal-tolerance and symbionts of the rare species Astragalus tragacantha aiming at phytostabilization of polluted soils and plant conservation

In a context of ecological restoration, the use of local source plant populations may be successful for both reclaim of areas polluted with inorganic compounds and biological conservation. Knowing that contaminated sites are generally poor in nutrients and contain a highly altered soil structure, mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobial nodulation are suspected to play an important role in vegetation establishment. The aim of our study was to evaluate the potentiality of an endemic plant species of South-Eastern France, Astragalus tragacantha L. (Fabaceae), to re-colonize an abandoned industrial polluted site. We first grew seedlings of three local populations on soil polluted by heavy metals from the surrounding factory and various growth parameters were measured, after one and two years. Second, arbuscular endomycorrhizal colonization and rhizobial nodulation were determined. Our results are promising because i) A. tragacantha appeared to be heavy metal-tolerant and ii) this is the first report on the occurrence of both endosymbioses for this plant species. This opens new perspectives for dual inoculation with selected rhizobium and arbuscular mycorrhizal strains, in a context of community ecological restoration with this key-species of phryganas from South-Eastern France. This study helps improving the connection between biodiversity conservation and restoration ecology and founding strategies for the propagation of native seeds for ecological restoration resulting in long term population viability.L’utilisation de populations locales comme source de plantes dans le cadre de processus de restauration écologique permet de parvenir à la fois à la réhabilitation de sites pollués par des composés inorganiques et à la conservation biologique. Les sols contaminés étant généralement pauvres en nutriments et présentant une structure hautement altérée, il est supposé que les associations mycorhiziennes et rhizobiennes jouent un rôle non négligeable dans la colonisation végétale. Ainsi, l’objectif de ce travail a été d’évaluer la capacité d’une espèce endémique du sud-est de la France, Astragalus tragacantha L. (Fabaceae) à recoloniser un ancien site industriel pollué. Des plantules issues de graines provenant de trois populations locales ont été transplantées dans du sol pollué prélevé aux alentours du site industriel. Des mesures de croissance ont été réalisées après une et deux années de culture. D’autre part, l’importance des colonisations endomycorhiziennes et rhizobiennes a été évaluée. Nos résultats sont prometteurs parce que 1) A. tragacantha apparaît comme tolérante aux métaux lourds et 2) c’est la première mise en évidence de la présence d’une double endosymbiose chez cette espèce. En effet, cela permet d’envisager une double inoculation de souches rhizobiennes et endomycorhiziennes sélectionnées pour favoriser la restauration écologique des phryganes du sud-est de la France en utilisant cette espèce clé sur des zones polluées par des éléments traces métalliques. Cette étude contribue également à montrer le lien étroit entre conservation de la biodiversité et restauration écologique en étudiant des stratégies de propagation des espèces natives dans un objectif de viabilité des populations à long terme.Laffont-Schwob Isabelle, Dumas Pierre-Jean, Pricop Anca, Rabier Jacques, Miché Lucie, Affre Laurence, Masotti Véronique, Prudent Pascal, Tatoni Thierry. Insights on metal-tolerance and symbionts of the rare species Astragalus tragacantha aiming at phytostabilization of polluted soils and plant conservation. In: Ecologia mediterranea, tome 37 n°2, 2011. Numéro spécial, 7e conférence européenne SER en écologie de la restauration, 23-27 août 2010, Avignon, France. pp. 57-62

Heavy Metal and Arsenic Resistance of the Halophyte Atriplex halimus L. Along a Gradient of Contamination in a French Mediterranean Spray Zone

International audienceElements uptake, histological distributions as well as mycorrhizal and physiological statuses of Atriplex halimus were determined on trace metal and metalloid polluted soils from the surrounding spray zones of a former lead smelter in the South-East coast of Marseille (France). Analyses of heavy metal and arsenic distribution in soil and plant organs showed that A. halimus tolerance is largely due to exclusion mechanisms. No specific heavy metal concentration in leaf or root tissues was observed. However, accumulation of salts (NaCl, KCl, Mg and Ca salts) on leaf bladders and peripheral tissues of roots was observed and may compete with metal element absorption. Occurrence of endomycorrhizal structures was detected in roots and may contribute to lower element transfer from root into the aerial parts of plants. The non-destructive measurements of leaf epidermal chlorophylls, flavonols and phenols showed a healthy state of the A. halimus population on the metal and metalloid polluted sites. Considering the low metal bioaccumulation and translocation factors along with a reduced metal stress diagnosis, A. halimus appeared as a good candidate for phytostabilization of trace metals and metalloids and notably arsenic in contaminated soils of the Mediterranean spray zone. However, its invasive potential has to be determined before an intensive in situ use

Death by SARS-CoV 2: a Romanian COVID-19 multi-centre comorbidity study

Evidence regarding the relation between SARS-CoV-2 mortality and the underlying medical condition is scarce. We conducted an observational, retrospective study based on Romanian official data about location, age, gender and comorbidities for COVID-19 fatalities. Our findings indicate that males, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and chronic kidney disease were most frequent in the COVID-19 fatalities, that the burden of disease was low, and that the prognosis for 1-year survival probability was high in the sample. Evidence shows that age-dependent pairs of comorbidities could be a negative prognosis factor for the severity of disease for the SARS-CoV 2 infection