Centropages Kroyeri egg production rate as a function of lagoon summer conditions

EnDaily egg production of the neritic calanoid copepod Centropages kroyeri was measured from 4 to 23 August 2003 at a site in North lagoon of Tunis and related to summer environmental variables and food availability. Food availability was evaluated by assuming a direct correlation with concentrations of the Chlorophyll a (Chl a), the particulate organic carbon (POC), and some easily extractable macromolecular compounds such as proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, from the seston. The egg production Rate (EPR) was estimated by incubating mature females with natural filtered seawater. The EPR of Centropages kroyeri ranged from 4.2 (± 2.5) to 8.4 (± 6.2) eggs female–1 day–1. This value was positively affected by salinity (r = 0.501, P<0.01). Among indices of food availability, only seston proteins were positively correlated (r = 0.840, P<0.0001) with the daily EPR of the species

La fraction amino-terminale du peptide natriurétique de type B pour prédire le devenir des patients ayant une sténose aortique à bas débit : sa supériorité au peptide natriurétique de type B et son rôle pour aider la décision thérapeutique

La stratégie thérapeutique actuelle pour la sténose aortique à bas débit (SA-BD) n’intègre pas la gradation de la sévérité de la maladie du ventricule gauche (SMVG) pour sélectionner les meilleurs candidats au remplacement valvulaire aortique (RVA). MÉTHODE La SMVG a été gradée par le ratio d’activation du peptide natriurétique de type-B (BNP-ratio) et par celui de la fraction N-terminale de son précurseur (NT-proBNP-ratio). Leurs performances pronostiques ont été étudiées séparément puis en comparaison directe (sous-population avec les deux biomarqueurs). Le meilleur biomarqueur a été utilisé pour étudier le bénéfice cardiovasculaire du RVA en fonction de la SMVG. RÉSULTATS Le NT-proBNP-ratio prédisait la mortalité à 12 et 36 mois avec une aire sous la courbe d’efficacité du récepteur (ASCER) à 0.67±0.04 et 0.66±0.05, respectivement (p=0.001). Il a été indépendamment corrélé à la mortalité (risque relatif ajusté [RRa]=1.39, [1.11-1.74], p=0.004). Le BNP-ratio était significativement discriminant pour la mortalité à 12 mois seulement et tendait à prédire le temps au décès en utilisant un seuil>7.4 (RRa=2.14 [1.00- 4.58], p=0.05). La supériorité du NT-proBNP-ratio a été vérifiée en comparaison directe: i) les ASCER pour la mortalité à 12 et 36 mois étaient supérieures (p11 prédisait un grand bénéfice de survie par RVA (RRa=0.52 [0.31-0.85], p=0.009), tandis qu’avec NT-proBNP-ratio7.4 tended to predict time to death (adjusted HR=2.14 [1.00-4.58], p=0.05). NT-proBNP-ratio significantly predicted one and three-year mortality (AUC=0.67±0.04 and 0.66±0.05, both p=0.001), and independently predicted time to death (HR=1.39 /per one increment of LogNT-proBNP-ratio, [1.11-1.74], p=0.004). In a head-to-head comparison, the AUCs for one and three-year mortality were higher with NT-proBNP-ratio versus BNP-ratio (p11 the adjusted HR of death associated with AVI was 0.52 ([0.31-0.85], p=0.009). On the other hand, NT-proBNP-ratio <11 identified patients (54% with peudosevere AS) in whom short-term event-free survival was excellent under conservative management. Conclusion: NT-proBNP-ratio is a powerful independent predictor of death and should be preferred over BNPratio to risk-stratify CLF-AS patients. The assessment of LV function impairment using NT-proBNP-ratio has important clinical implications and should be complementary to the determination of true AS severity

Identification of the behavioral criteria of dairy cattle on the basis of electronic imaging

The paper deals with the identification of the behavioral criteria of dairy cattle through Imaging. The objective of the study is the optimization of the rate of pregnancy in these cows. Indeed, the gestural behaviors of 200 cows belonging to a stable were observed by giving more attention to cows that show signs of heat known. A camera was used to record the different postures and the different behaviors of these cows. The quantitative data of reproduction studied farm showed that the rate of pregnancy in these cows is far from optimal. This is due essentially to a lack of monitoring and observation of cows in heat negatively affecting the economics of the operation. Detecting cows in heat can be made and improved by using Imaging. This will facilitate the life of farmers and increase their income and decreasing the time for detection of the heat

Multimodality imaging for discordant low-gradient aortic stenosis : assessing the valve and the myocardium

Aortic stenosis (AS) is a disease of the valve and the myocardium. A correct assessment of the valve disease severity is key to define the need for aortic valve replacement (AVR), but a better understanding of the myocardial consequences of the increased afterload is paramount to optimize the timing of the intervention. Transthoracic echocardiography remains the cornerstone of AS assessment, as it is universally available, and it allows a comprehensive structural and hemodynamic evaluation of both the aortic valve and the rest of the heart. However, it may not be sufficient as a significant proportion of patients with severe AS presents with discordant grading (i.e., an AVA ≤1 cm2 and a mean gradien

Comparison of early surgical or transcatheter aortic valve replacement versus conservative management in low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis sing Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting: Results From the TOPAS Prospective Observational Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: No randomized comparison of early (ie, ≤3 months) aortic valve replacement (AVR) versus conservative management or of transcatheter AVR (TAVR) versus surgical AVR has been conducted in patients with low-flow, low-gradient (LFLG) aortic stenosis (AS). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 481 consecutive patients (75±10 years; 71% men) with LFLG AS (aortic valve area ≤0.6 cm2/ m2 and mean gradient <40 mm Hg), 72% with classic LFLG and 28% with paradoxical LFLG, were prospectively recruited in the multicenter TOPAS (True or Pseudo Severe Aortic Stenosis) study. True-severe AS or pseudo-severe AS was adjudicated by flow-independent criteria. During follow-up (median [IQR] 36 [11–60] months), 220 patients died. Using inverse probability of treatment weighting to address the bias of nonrandom treatment assignment, early AVR (n=272) was associated with a major overall survival benefit (hazard ratio [HR], 0.34 [95% CI, 0.24–0.50]; P<0.001). This benefit was observed in patients with true-severe AS but also with pseudo-severe AS (HR, 0.38 [95% CI, 0.18–0.81]; P=0.01), and in classic (HR, 0.33 [95% CI, 0.22–0.49]; P<0.001) and paradoxical LFLG AS (HR, 0.42 [95% CI, 0.20–0.92]; P=0.03). Compared with conservative management in the conventional multivariate model, trans femoral TAVR was associated with the best survival (HR, 0.23 [95% CI, 0.12–0.43]; P<0.001), followed by surgical AVR (HR, 0.36 [95% CI, 0.23–0.56]; P<0.001) and alternative-access TAVR (HR, 0.51 [95% CI, 0.31–0.82]; P=0.007). In the inverse probability of treatment weighting model, trans femoral TAVR appeared to be superior to surgical AVR (HR [95% CI] 0.28 [0.11–0.72]; P=0.008) with regard to survival. CONCLUSIONS: In this large prospective observational study of LFLG AS, early AVR appeared to confer a major survival benefit in both classic and paradoxical LFLG AS. This benefit seems to extend to the subgroup with pseudo-severe AS. Our findings suggest that TAVR using femoral access might be the best strategy in these patients

Impact of sex and sex hormones on pathophysiology and progression of aortic stenosis in a murine model

The lesions observed in AS have been shown to be sex specific, with women presenting extensive fibrotic remodeling while men developing more calcification deposit. We thus aimed to evaluate the influence of sex and sex hormones on the pathophysiology of aortic valve stenosis (AS) in our mouse model of AS. LDLr-/- ApoB100/100 IGF-II+/- mice (n = 210) were separated in six different groups: (1) intact male (IM), (2) intact female (IF), (3) castrated male (CM), (4) ovariectomized females (OF), (5) CM with testosterone supplementation (CMT), and (6) OF with 17β-estradiol supplementation (OFE). Mice were fed a high-fat/high-sucrose/high-cholesterol diet for 6 months. Hemodynamic progression of AS was followed by transthoracic echocardiography (at 12 and 36 weeks) and analyzed in all mice alive at 36 weeks. Aortic valves were collected for histological and digital droplet PCR* analysis. Increases in peak velocity were comparable in IF and IM (24.2 ± 5.7 vs. 25.8 ± 5.3 cm/s; p = 0.68), but IF presented with less severe AS. Between the three groups of male mice, AS progression was more important in IM (increase in peak velocity: 24.2 ± 5.7 cm/s; p < 0.001) compared to CM (6.2 ± 1.4; p = 0.42), and CMT (15.1 ± 3.5; p = 0.002). In the three groups of female mice, there were no statistical differences in AS progression. Digital PCR analysis revealed an important upregulation of the osteogenic gene RunX2 in IM (p < 0.0001) and downregulation of the pro-calcifying gene ALPL in IF (p < 0.05). Male sex and testosterone play an important role in upregulation of pro-calcifying genes and hemodynamic progression of AS. However, female mice appeared to be protected against calcification, characterized by downregulation of pro-osteogenic genes, but presented a similar AS hemodynamic progressio

Effect of regional upper septal hypertrophy on echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular mass and remodeling in aortic stenosis

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the reference method for evaluation of aortic stenosis (AS), and it is extensively used to quantitate left ventricular (LV) mass and volumes. Regional upper septal hypertrophy (USH) or septal bulge is a frequent finding in patients with AS and may lead to overestimation of LV mass when using linear measurements. The objective of this study was to compare estimates of LV mass obtained by two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic LV dimensions measured at different levels of the LV cavity with those obtained by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Methods: One hundred six patients (mean age, 63 6 15 years; 68% men) with AS were included in this subanalysis of the PROGRESSA study. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic measurements of LV dimensions were obtained at the basal level (BL; as recommended in guidelines), immediately below the septal bulge (BSB), and at a midventricular level (ML). Regional USH was defined as a basal interventricular septal thickness $ 13 mm and >1.3 times the thickness of the septal wall at the ML. Agreement between transthoracic echocardiographic and CMR measures was evaluated using Bland-Altman analysis. Results: The distribution of AS severity was mild in 23%, moderate in 57%, and severe in 20% of patients. Regional USH was present in 28 patients (26%). In the whole cohort, two-dimensional TTE overestimated LV mass (bias: BL, +60 6 31 g; BSB, +59 6 32 g; ML, +54 6 32 g; P = .02). The biplane Simpson method slightly but significantly underestimated LV end-diastolic volume (bias 10 6 20 mL, P < .001) compared with CMR. Overestimation of LV mass was more marked in patients with USH when measuring at the BL and was significantly lower when measuring LV dimensions at the ML (P < .025 vs BL and BSB). Conclusions: Two-dimensional TTE systematically overestimated LV mass and underestimated LV volumes compared with CMR. However, the bias between TTE and CMR was less important when measuring at the ML. Measurements at the BL as suggested in guidelines should be avoided, and measurements at the ML should be preferred in patients with AS, especially in those with USH

ScenaLand: a simple methodology for developing land use and management scenarios

Scenarios serve science by testing the sensitivity of a system and/or society to adapt to the future. In this study, we present a new land use scenario methodology called ScenaLand. This methodology aims to develop plausible and contrasting land use and management (LUM) scenarios, useful to explore how LUM (e.g. soil and water conservation techniques) may afect ecosystem services under global change in a wide range of environments. ScenaLand is a method for constructing narrative and spatially explicit land use scenarios that are useful for end-users and impact modellers. This method is innovative because it merges literature and expert knowledge, and its low data requirement makes it easy to be implemented in the context of inter-site comparison, including global change projections. ScenaLand was developed and tested on six diferent Mediterranean agroecological and socioeconomic contexts during the MASCC research project (Mediterranean agricultural soil conservation under global change). The method frst highlights the socioeconomic trends of each study site including emerging trends such as new government laws, LUM techniques through a qualitative survey addressed to local experts. Then, the method includes a ranking of driving factors, a matrix about land use evolution, and soil and water conservation techniques. ScenaLand also includes a framework to develop narratives along with two priority axes (contextualized to environmental protection vs. land productivity in this study). In the context of this research project, four contrasting scenarios are proposed: S1 (business-as-usual), S2 (market-oriented), S3 (environmental protection), and S4 (sustainable). Land use maps are then built with the creation of LUM allocation rules based on agroecological zoning. ScenaLand resulted in a robust and easy method to apply with the creation of 24 contrasted scenarios. These scenarios come not only with narratives but also with spatially explicit maps that are potentially used by impact modellers and other endusers. The last part of our study discusses the way the method can be implemented including a comparison between sites and the possibilities to implement ScenaLand in other contexts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Open questions and research needs in the adoption of conservation agriculture in the mediterranean area

This article aims to provide a review of major challenges and research needs for the diffusion of conservation agriculture (CA) and the improvement of crop–soil–water conditions in Southern Europe and Northern Africa. A multidisciplinary study and a participatory approach are at the basis of an international project of research and innovation action, “Research-based participatory approaches for adopting conservation agriculture in the Mediterranean Area-CAMA”. It aims to understand the reasons and the research needs that limit a large CA diffusion in the Mediterranean countries. CAMA aims to provide significant advances to CA through multidisciplinary research at the field and farm scales (with main emphasis on smallholder), encompassing a socio-economic analysis of the reasons that obstacle the CA diffusion, legume crop improvement as a component of improved CA cropping systems, and a network of long-term experiments on CA and soil characteristic modification. Its results will be available to scientific and farming communities.This research received the financial funding by PRIMA (Grant Agreement n. 1912), a programme supported by the European Union, research project “Research-based participatory approaches for adopting Conservation Agriculture in the Mediterranean Area – CAMA”, coord. Dott. Michele Rinaldi. Special thanks to Fabrice Dentressangle, CAMA Project Officer and to “Italian PRIMA Secretariate” office