European birth cohorts for environmental health research

Many pregnancy and birth cohort studies investigate the health effects of early-life environmental contaminant exposure. An overview of existing studies and their data is needed to improve collaboration, harmonization, and future project planning

Evolutionary origins of abnormally large shoot sodium accumulation in non-saline environments within the Caryophyllales

The prevalence of sodium (Na) “hyperaccumulator” species, which exhibit abnormally large shoot sodium concentrations ([Na]shoot) when grown in non-saline environments, was investigated among angiosperms in general and within the Caryophyllales order in particular. Shoot Na concentrations were determined in 334 angiosperm species, representing 35 orders, grown hydroponically in a non-saline solution. Many Caryophyllales species exhibited abnormally large [Na]shoot when grown hydroponically in a non-saline solution. The bimodal distribution of the log-normal [Na]shoot of species within the Caryophyllales suggested at least two distinct [Na]shoot phenotypes within this order. Mapping the trait of Na-hyperaccumulation onto the phylogenetic relationships between Caryophyllales families, and between subfamilies within the Amaranthaceae, suggested that the trait evolved several times within this order: in an ancestor of the Aizoaceae, but not the Phytolaccaceae or Nyctaginaceae, in ancestors of several lineages formerly classified as Chenopodiaceae, but not in the Amaranthaceae sensu stricto, and in ancestors of species within the Cactaceae, Portulacaceae, Plumbaginaceae,Tamaricaceae and Polygonaceae. In conclusion, a disproportionate number of Caryophyllales species behave as Na51 hyperaccumulators and multiple evolutionary origins of this trait can be identified within this order

Cervical determinants of anal HPV infection and high-grade anal lesions in women: a collaborative pooled analysis

Cervical cancer screening might contribute to the prevention of anal cancer in women. We aimed to investigate if routine cervical cancer screening results-namely high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cytohistopathology-predict anal HPV16 infection, anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and, hence, anal cancer.International Agency for Research on Cance

Electromagnetic Properties of Substituted Ba - Ferrites by Selected Cations

The powdered samples of barium hexaferrite BaFe12-2x(Me1Me2) with x varying from 0.0 to 0.6 were prepared by citrate precursor method. The cation preference of mainly four-valence Me1=(Zr, Ti, Sn) ions and two-valence Me2=(Co, Ni, Zn) ions and their combinations in substituted Ba ferrites were investigated by the thermomagnetic analysis, Mossbauer spectroscopy and measurement of the magnetic properties. Mossbaur studies reveal that Zr4+, Sn4+ and less Co2+, Zn2+ ions have a strong preference to occupy 2b position, this position has the greatest contribution to the magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The La3+, Ti4+, Ni2+ ions preferently enter 4f2 sites and Zn2+, Co2+ ions also prefer to occupy 4f1 tetrahedral sites. The specific saturation magnetic polarisation Js-m and remanence Js-r increased with small x due to th substitution of non-magnetic and less magnetic ions in 4f1 and 4f2 sites. The coercivity Hc was casily controllable by the sustituions level x

Magnetic and Electric Properties of Magneto polymer Composites

Permeability spectra of MnZn ferrite composite materials, prepared by mixing ferrite particles with PVC, have been studied. As the ferrite filler content decreases in composite, the quasistatic permeability of the rotation component decreases and relaxation and the resonance frequency shift is higher. The real part of the permeability in the ferrite composite materials becomes larger than of sintered ferrite in high frequency region

Detection of virulence factors in high-level gentamicin-resistant <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i> and <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> isolates from a Tunisian hospital

Phenotypic and genotypic determination of virulence factors were carried out in 46 high-level gentamicin-resistant (HLGR) clinical Enterococcus faecalis (n = 34) and Enterococcus faecium (n = 12) isolates recovered from different patients in La Rabta Hospital in Tunis, Tunisia, between 2000 and 2003 (all these isolates harboured the aac(6′)–aph(2″) gene). The genes encoding virulence factors (agg, gelE, ace, cylLLS, esp, cpd, and fsrB) were analysed by PCR and sequencing. The production of gelatinase and hemolysin, the adherence to caco-2 and hep-2 cells, and the capacity for biofilm formation were investigated in all 46 HLGR enterococci. The percentages of E. faecalis isolates harbouring virulence genes were as follows: gelE, cpd, and ace (100%); fsrB (62%); agg (56%); cylLLS (41.2%); and esp (26.5%). The only virulence gene detected among the 12 HLGR E. faecium isolates was esp (58%). Gelatinase activity was detected in 22 of the 34 E. faecalis isolates (65%, most of them with the gelE+–fsrB+ genotype); the remaining 12 isolates were gelatinase-negative (with the gelE+–fsrB– genotype and the deletion of a 23.9 kb fragment of the fsr locus). Overall, 64% of the cylLLS-containing E. faecalis isolates showed β-hemolysis. A high proportion of our HLGR E. faecalis isolates, in contrast to E. faecium, showed moderate or strong biofilm formation or adherence to caco-2 and hep-2 cells

Les apports de la littérature et des analyses préalables pour définir une intervention visant un report modal durable

International audienc

<i>Bacillus velezensis</i>: A Treasure House of Bioactive Compounds of Medicinal, Biocontrol and Environmental Importance

Bacillus velezensis gram-positive bacterium, is frequently isolated from diverse niches mainly soil, water, plant roots, and fermented foods. B. velezensis is ubiquitous, non-pathogenic and endospore forming. Being frequently isolated from diverse plant holobionts it is considered host adapted microorganism and recognized of high economic importance given its ability to promote plant growth under diverse biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Additionally, the species suppress many plant diseases, including bacterial, oomycete, and fungal diseases. It is also able after plant host root colonization to induce unique physiological situation of host plant called primed state. Primed host plants are able to respond more rapidly and/or effectively to biotic or abiotic stress. Moreover, B. velezenis have the ability to resist diverse environmental stresses and help host plants to cope with, including metal and xenobiotic stresses. Within species B. velezensis strains have unique abilities allowing them to adopt different life styles. Strain level abilities knowledge is warranted and could be inferred using the ever-expanding new genomes list available in genomes databases. Pangenome analysis and subsequent identification of core, accessory and unique genomes is actually of paramount importance to decipher species full metabolic capacities and fitness across diverse environmental conditions shaping its life style. Despite the crucial importance of the pan genome, its assessment among large number of strains remains sparse and systematic studies still needed. Extensive knowledge of the pan genome is needed to translate genome sequencing efforts into developing more efficient biocontrol agents and bio-fertilizers. In this study, a genome survey of B. velezensis allowed us to (a) highlight B. velezensis species boundaries and show that Bacillus suffers taxonomic imprecision that blurs the debate over species pangenome; (b) identify drivers of their successful acquisition of specific life styles and colonization of new niches; (c) describe strategies they use to promote plant growth and development; (d) reveal the unlocked strain specific orphan secondary metabolite gene clusters (biosynthetic clusters with corresponding metabolites unknown) that product identification is still awaiting to amend our knowledge of their putative role in suppression of pathogens and plant growth promotion, and (e) to describe a dynamic pangenome with a secondary metabolite rich accessory genome