Description of two new species of the genus Micranurida Börner, 1901 (Collembola: Neanuridae, Pseudachorutinae) from Russia, with notes on the genus Lanzhotia Rusek, 1985

Micranurida rassica sp. n. and Micranarida potapovi sp. n. from the Russian Far East are fully illustrated and described. Both new species belong to a small group of Micranurida species characterized by thick globular sensilla on thorax II and abdomen IV. Remarks on Lanzhotia braclzycera Rusek, 1985 are also included

The Bioactive Phenolic Agents Diaryl Ether CVB2-61 and Diarylheptanoid CVB4-57 as Connexin Hemichannel Blockers

Inflammation mediators enhance the activity of connexin (Cx) hemichannels, especially in the epithelial and endothelial tissues. As potential release routes for injury signals, such as (oligo)nucleotides, Cx hemichannels may contribute to long-lasting inflammation. Specific inhibition of Cx hemichannels may therefore be a mode of prevention and treatment of long-lasting, chronic sterile inflammation. The activity of Cx hemichannels was analysed in N2A and HeLa cells transfected with human Cx26 and Cx46 as well as in Calu-3 cells, using dye uptake as functional assay. Moreover, the possible impacts of the bioactive phenolic agents CVB2-61 and CVB4-57 on the barrier function of epithelial cells was analysed using Calu-3 cells. Both agents inhibited the dye uptake in N2A cells expressing Cx26 (>5 µM) and Cx46 (>20 µM). In Calu-3 cells, CVB2-61 and CVB4-57 reversibly inhibited the dye uptake at concentrations as low as 5 µM, without affecting the gap junction communication and barrier function, even at concentrations of 20 µM. While CVB2-61 or CVB4-57 maintained a reduced dye uptake in Calu-3 cells, an enhancement of the dye uptake in response to the stimulation of adenosine signalling was still observed after removal of the agents. The report shows that CVB2-61 and CVB4-57 reversibly block Cx hemichannels. Deciphering the mechanisms of the interactions of these agents with Cx hemichannels could allow further development of phenolic compounds to target Cx hemichannels for better and safer treatment of pathologies that involve Cx hemichannels

Integration of oral health into primary care : a scoping review protocol

Integrated care has been introduced as a means of improving health outcomes and access to care, and reducing the cost of healthcare. Despite its importance, the integration of oral health into primary care is still an emerging healthcare pathway. This scoping review protocol has been developed and funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to provide an evidence-based synthesis on a primary oral healthcare approach and its effectiveness in improving oral health outcomes

Diversité, structure et endémicité des communautés de vers de terre et de collemboles dans une hêtraie peu aménagée des Pyrénées (France)

We assessed and compared patterns of biodiversity and the composition of two soil invertebrate communities (Collembola and Lumbricidae) in three slightly managed plots in a beech forest of the French Pyrenees. The plots were managed in three different ways: an even-aged (REG), a closed unevenaged stand (NAT ), and an open uneven-aged full-grown stand (IRR ). At each sampling point, earthworms and Collembola from litter, soil, and pitfall traps were collected, and nine edaphic and environmental parameters were measured. The fauna collected was rich in species, and endemic and rare taxa. No clear-cut differences in species richness appeared between plots. Nevertheless, (1) the less disturbed plot, i.e. NAT , hosted a slightly larger number of endemic and rare species than IRR and REG; (2) the structure of both communities in NAT, REG and IRR differed significantly depending on the site elevation and organic nitrogen content (higher in NAT ), soil surface temperature and soil pH level (higher in IRR ), and humus index and soil water content (higher in REG ). Those factors, except elevation, may be explained by the canopy opening partly controlled by management practices; (3) a side aspect of the study was to show that sampling exhaustiveness required more sampling effort for soil than for litter, and more for Lumbricidae than for Collembola. In a broader context, the case documented in this study suggests that management practices with limited clearing of forest cover affect soil biodiversity only slightly, which is in sharp contrast with the collapse in endemic biodiversity induced by reafforestationNous avons évalué et comparé les patrons de biodiversité et la composition de deux communautés d'invertébrés du sol (collemboles et lombrics) dans trois parcelles peu aménagées d'une hêtraie-sapinière dans les Pyrénées françaises. Ces parcelles sont gérées selon trois modalités différentes: une futaie régulière (REG), une futaie irrégulière fermée (NAT) et une futaie irrégulière ouverte (IRR). À chaque point d'échantillonnage les vers de terre et les collemboles ont été collectés dans la litière, le sol et au moyen de pièges Barber, et neuf paramètres édaphiques et environnementaux ont été mesurés. La faune récoltée était riche en espèces ainsi qu'en taxons rares et endémiques. Aucune différence marquée de la richesse spécifique n'est apparue entre les parcelles. Néanmoins (1) le site le moins perturbé, i.e. NAT, hébergeait un nombre légèrement plus élevé d'espèces endémiques et rares que IRR et REG; (2) la structure des deux communautés différait significativement entre NAT, REG et IRR selon l'altitude du site et la teneur en azote organique (plus forte dans NAT), la température à la surface du sol et le pH du sol (plus élevés dans IRR), ainsi que l'indice d'humus et la teneur en eau du sol (plus élevés en REG). Ces facteurs, à l'exception de l'altitude, peuvent s'expliquer par l'ouverture de la canopée partiellement contrôlée par les pratiques de gestion; (3) un à-côté de cette étude est d'avoir montré que l'exhaustivité de l'échantillonnage requiert plus d'efforts pour le sol que pour la litière, et plus pour les lombrics que pour les collemboles. Dans un contexte plus large, le cas traité dans cette étude suggère que des pratiques de gestion avec un éclaircissement limité du couvert forestier n'affectent que légèrement la biodiversité du sol, ce qui contraste fortement avec l'effondrement de la biodiversité endémique qu'induit la reforestation

Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis versus bacteremia strains: Subtle genetic differences at stake

AbstractInfective endocarditis (IE)(1) is a severe condition complicating 10–25% of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Although host-related IE risk factors have been identified, the involvement of bacterial features in IE complication is still unclear. We characterized strictly defined IE and bacteremia isolates and searched for discriminant features. S. aureus isolates causing community-acquired, definite native-valve IE (n=72) and bacteremia (n=54) were collected prospectively as part of a French multicenter cohort. Phenotypic traits previously reported or hypothesized to be involved in staphylococcal IE pathogenesis were tested. In parallel, the genotypic profiles of all isolates, obtained by microarray, were analyzed by discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC)(2). No significant difference was observed between IE and bacteremia strains, regarding either phenotypic or genotypic univariate analyses. However, the multivariate statistical tool DAPC, applied on microarray data, segregated IE and bacteremia isolates: IE isolates were correctly reassigned as such in 80.6% of the cases (C-statistic 0.83, P<0.001). The performance of this model was confirmed with an independent French collection IE and bacteremia isolates (78.8% reassignment, C-statistic 0.65, P<0.01). Finally, a simple linear discriminant function based on a subset of 8 genetic markers retained valuable performance both in study collection (86.1%, P<0.001) and in the independent validation collection (81.8%, P<0.01). We here show that community-acquired IE and bacteremia S. aureus isolates are genetically distinct based on subtle combinations of genetic markers. This finding provides the proof of concept that bacterial characteristics may contribute to the occurrence of IE in patients with S. aureus bacteremia

Cuticular Compounds Bring New Insight in the Post-Glacial Recolonization of a Pyrenean Area: Deutonura deficiens Deharveng, 1979 Complex, a Case Study

Background: In most Arthropod groups, the study of systematics and evolution rely mostly on neutral characters, in this context cuticular compounds, as non-neutral characters, represent an underexplored but potentially informative type of characters at the infraspecific level as they have been routinely proven to be involved in sexual attraction. Methods and Findings: The collembolan species complex Deutonura deficiens was chosen as a model in order to test the utility of these characters for delineating four infraspecific entities of this group. Specimens were collected for three subspecies (D. d. deficiens, D. d. meridionalis, D. d. sylvatica) and two morphotypes (D. d. sylvatica morphoype A and B) of the complex; an additional species D. monticola was added. Cuticular compounds were extracted and separated by gas chromatography for each individual. Our results demonstrate that cuticular compounds succeeded in separating the different elements of this complex. Those data allowed also the reconstruction of the phylogenetic relationships among them. Conclusions: The discriminating power of cuticular compounds is directly related to their involvement in sexual attraction and mate recognition. These findings allowed a discussion on the potential involvement of intrinsic and paleoclimatic factors in the origin and the diversification of this complex in the Pyrenean zone. This character type brings the first advanc

Comparison of prognostic factors between bacteraemic and non-bacteraemic critically ill immunocompetent patients in community-acquired severe pneumococcal pneumonia: a STREPTOGENE sub-study.

BACKGROUND: The presence of bacteraemia in pneumococcal pneumonia in critically ill patients does not appear to be a strong independent prognostic factor in the existing literature. However, there may be a specific pattern of factors associated with mortality for ICU patients with bacteraemic pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We aimed to compare the factors associated with mortality, according to the presence of bacteraemia or not on admission, for patients hospitalised in intensive care for severe pneumococcal CAP. METHODS: This was a post hoc analysis of data from the prospective, observational, multicentre STREPTOGENE study in immunocompetent Caucasian adults admitted to intensive care in France between 2008 and 2012 for pneumococcal CAP. Patients were divided into two groups based on initial blood culture (positive vs. negative) for Streptococcus pneumoniae. The primary outcome was hospital mortality, which was compared between the two groups using odds ratios according to predefined variables to search for a prognostic interaction present in bacterial patients but not non-bacteraemic patients. Potential differences in the distribution of serotypes between the two groups were assessed. The prognostic consequences of the presence or not of initial bi-antibiotic therapy were assessed, specifically in bacteraemic patients. RESULTS: Among 614 included patients, 274 had a blood culture positive for S. pneumoniae at admission and 340 did not. The baseline difference between the groups was more frequent leukopaenia (26% vs. 14%, p = 0.0002) and less frequent pre-hospital antibiotic therapy (10% vs. 16.3%, p = 0.024) for the bacteraemic patients. Hospital mortality was not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.11). We did not observe any prognostic factors specific to the bacteraemic patient population, as the statistical comparison of the odds ratios, as an indication of the association between the predefined prognostic parameters and mortality, showed them to be similar for the two groups. Bacteraemic patients more often had invasive serotypes but less often serotypes associated with high case fatality rates (p = 0.003). The antibiotic regimens were similar for the two groups. There was no difference in mortality for patients in either group given a beta-lactam alone vs. a beta-lactam combined with a macrolide or fluoroquinolone. CONCLUSION: Bacteraemia had no influence on the mortality of immunocompetent Caucasian adults admitted to intensive care for severe pneumococcal CAP, regardless of the profile of the associated prognostic factors

Lepidonella lecongkieti n. sp., premier Collembole cavernicole du Vietnam (Collembola, Paronellidae)

Lepidonella lecongkieti n.sp. (Paronellidae), first cavernicolous Collembola collected in Indochina, is described from caves of Ha Tien in South-Vietnam and from Kompong Trach in Kampuchea. The genus Lepidonella Yosii, 1960, is rehabilitated in place of Microparonella Carpenter, 1916 ; the type species of which, M. caerulea Carpenter, 1916, from Seychelles islands, is a typical Troglopedetes Joseph, 1872.Lepidonella lecongkieti n. sp. (Paronellidae), premier Collembole cavernicole rencontré en Indochine, est décrit de cavités souterraines des régions de Ha Tien au Sud-Vietnam et de Kompong Trach au Cambodge. Le genre Lepidonella Yosii,1960, est réhabilité pour remplacer Microparonella Carpenter, 1916 dont l'espèce-type décrite des îles Seychelles (M. caerulea Carpenter, 1916) est un vrai Troglopedetes Joseph, 1872.Deharveng Louis, Bedos Anne. Lepidonella lecongkieti n. sp., premier Collembole cavernicole du Vietnam (Collembola, Paronellidae). In: Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, volume 100 (1), mars 1995. pp. 21-24

Liste des espèces de &lt;i&gt;Yuukianura&lt;/i&gt; Yosii, 1955 du monde (Collembola: Neanuridae: Neanurinae: Lobellini), avec la description d’une nouvelle espèce de l’île de Santo (Vanuatu) à l’écologie inhabituelle

Nous redéfinissons le genre Yuukianura Yosii, 1955, et nous donnons une liste mise à jour de ses neuf espèces. Quatre de ces espèces initialement décrites dans d’autres genres sont transférées dans Yuukianura : Lobella (Lobella) yasudai Yosii, 1966, Lobella pacifica Yosii, 1971, Protanura hawaiiensis Bellinger &amp; Christiansen, 1974, et Pseudocolonavis rosea Kim &amp; Lee, 2000. Deux autres espèces décrites comme Yuukianura (Yuukianura cavicola Yosii, 1956 et Y. nomurai Yosii, 1956) sont considérées comme des Lobellini incertae sedis. Une nouvelle espèce, Yuukianura judithae n. sp., est décrite de l’île de Santo au Vanuatu, Mélanésie. Elle diffère des autres espèces du genre par la combinaison de caractères suivante : yeux complètement absents, deux soies sur le tubercule oculaire (Ocp absent), (5 + 5) soies dorsales sur Th. I, (3 + S) soies dans le groupe DL de Th. II-III, deux soies dans le groupe Di d’Abd. I-IV (Di3 absent) et une griffe inerme. L’espèce possède en outre trois caractères inhabituels pour un Neanurinae Boerner, 1901 : une forte réduction de la chétotaxie tibiotarsale, l’absence du macrochète De1 sur Abd. I-IV et la présence de structures en boutonnières bien visibles dorsalement sur la tête, Abd. I et Abd. IV. La nouvelle espèce se rencontre à la fois en sols forestiers et en grottes, mais pas en mangroves ni en habitats littoraux, contrairement à la plupart des espèces du genre. En grotte, elle est souvent très abondante sur les accumulations de guano de chauves-souris ou de salanganes, et représente la seule citation d’un Neanuridae Yosii, 1956 dans un tel habitat.We redefine the genus Yuukianura Yosii, 1955, and we give an updated list of its nine species. Four of these species initially described in other genera are transferred to Yuukianura: Lobella (Lobella) yasudai Yosii, 1966, Lobella pacifica Yosii, 1971, Protanura hawaiiensis Bellinger &amp; Christiansen, 1974, and Pseudocolonavis rosea Kim &amp; Lee, 2000. Two species described as Yuukianura (Yuukianura cavicola Yosii, 1956 and Y. nomurai Yosii, 1956) are considered as Lobellini incertae sedis. A new species, Yuukianura judithae n. sp., is described from Santo Island in Vanuatu, Melanesia. It differs from other species of the genus by a combination of characters including total lack of eyes, two chaetae on the ocular tubercle (Ocp absent), (5 + 5) dorsal chaetae on Th. I, (3 + S) chaetae in chaetal group DL of Th. II-III, two chaetae in group Di of Abd. I-IV (Di3 absent) and untoothed claw. The species also shows three characters unusual for Neanurinae Boerner, 1901: a strong reduction of tibiotarsal chaetotaxy, the absence of macrochaeta De1 on Abd. I-IV and the presence of conspicuous buttonhole structures dorsally on head, Abd. I and Abd. IV. The new species occurs in both forest and cave habitats, not in mangrove or seashore habitats, in contrast to most members of the genus. In caves, it often lives in large number on guano piles of bats or swiftlets, and is the first record of a Neanuridae Yosii, 1956 in such an habitat.</p