Organizing pneumonia: What is it? A conceptual approach and pictorial review

AbstractOrganizing pneumonia (formerly named bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia or BOOP) is a clinical, radiological and histological entity that is classified as an Interstitial Lung Disease. The understanding of this family of diseases has seen great progress over the past twenty years. CT presentation of organizing pneumonia is polymorphous but a few patterns have been recently recognized as being more specific to this diagnosis. The aim of this work is to summarize new understandings of the clinical and histological presentation of the disease and to review the most relevant CT features

Effect of storage relative humidity on germination and vigour of soybean seed

An experiment was conducted during the period from June to November, 2004 with a view to study the effect of storage relative humidity (RH) on germination and vigour of soybean seed. Four different storage relative humidities (viz. 50%, 60%, 70% and 80%) and two soybean varieties (namely, soybean cv. G-2 and soybean cv. PB-1) were included as experimental treatment. Seed moisture content (SMC), germination and vigour tests of seed were done one month interval starting from 10 July up to 10 November while the initial test for SMC and germination was done on 10 June, 2004. The result showed that storage relative humidity, variety and their interaction significantly influenced the seed moisture content, germination percentage and vigour index. The moisture content of soybean seed during storage were found between 7.9-8.5, 9.6-9.8, 12.0-12.3 and 15.3-16.1% for 50, 60, 70 and 80% storage RH, respectively against their initial moisture content of 8.4-9.5% just before storage. The germination and vigour of all the varieties decreased with increasing storage RH. For each of the soybean variety, the highest germination percentage was obtained from 50% storage RH and no seed germination was occurred in any of the variety stored under 80% storage RH after two months of storage. More than 92% seed germination was maintained for all the varieties after 6 months of storage. The seed stored under 70% RH showed 83% germination in July that reduced to 74% in November, 2004

Aero-thermo-mechanical coupling for flame-wall interaction

This paper investigates a flame-wall interaction consisting of a premixed flame impinging on a metallic plate. This is a coupled problem as the heat transfer from the flame increases the temperature of the plate and bends it, which in turn modifies the shape of the flame. This study aims at designing an aero-thermo-mechanical coupling between both codes CEDRE (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and Z-SeT (computational solid mechanics and heat conduction) to simulate this complex system. Numerical results for aero-thermal coupling are compared with experimental data

IMPACT OF TYPE 2 DIABETES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE IN THE MOUSE

Oral Communication presented at the ";;Forum des Jeunes Chercheurs";;, Brest (France) 2011

Geochemical composition of fluvial sediments in the Milo River basin (Guinea): is there any impact of artisanal mining and of a big African city, Kankan?

For the first time, the bed sediments of the Milo River and its tributaries were sampled and analyzed to characterize their geochemical signature in terms of major, trace and rare earth elements and to determine the potential impacts of artisanal mining and of the anthropogenic activities of Kankan city. 24 sites have been sampled along the Milo river from upstream to downstream and on its tributaries during one sampling campaign to assess the spatial variations of the geochemical signature. During one year, the bed sediments have been sampled monthly on the Milo river upstream and downstream Kankan to determine the seasonal variations of their chemical composition and to investigate the potential impacts of Kankan on the fluvial sediment quality. The geochemical signatures of the sediments are mainly controlled by the geological substratum and the lateritic soil cover, showing that there is no impact of the artisanal mining and very few impacts of Kankan, except for As and Sb on two small tributaries draining the urban agglomeration. All the sediments are more concentrated and naturally enriched in Zr, Hf, U and Th compared to PAAS, due to the regional geochemical background. REE distribution patterns show LREE and HREE enrichments and positive Ce and Eu anomalies. The La/Yb ratios are positively correlated to Al and Fe-oxides and negatively to silica. The non-residual fractions (labile) extracted with EDTA represent less than 20% of the total concentration, showing that the threats for aquatic ecosystems and human populations are limited. This study can represent a reference with regard to the potential development of industrial mining and increase of population due the abundant mineral resources within this catchment

Biomarker Preservation and Survivability under extreme Dryness and Mars-like UV flux of a desert Cyanobacterium capable of Trehalose and Sucrose accumulation

Unraveling how long life can persist under extreme dryness and what kind of environmental extremes can be faced by dried microorganisms is relevant to understand Mars habitability and to search for life on planets with transient liquid water availability. Because trehalose and sucrose stabilize dried anhydrobiotes, an in silico survey of the genome of the desert cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis sp. CCMEE 029 was performed to identify pathways for trehalose and sucrose biosynthesis. The expression of the identified genes was induced in response to desiccation, and trehalose and sucrose accumulation was detected in dried cells. This adaptation strategy enabled viability and biomarker permanence under extreme dryness and Mars-like UV flux. Chroococcidiopsis survivors were scored in 7-year dried biofilms mixed with phyllosilicatic Mars regolith simulant and exposed to 5.5 × 103 kJ/m2 of a Mars-like UV flux. No survivors occurred after exposure to 5.5 × 105 kJ/m2 although, in dead cells, photosynthetic pigments, and nucleic acids, both DNA and RNA, were still detectable. This suggests that dried biofilms mixed with phyllosilicatic Martian regolith simulant are suitable candidates to identify biosignatures embedded in planetary analog minerals as planned in the future BioSignatures and habitable Niches (BioSigN) space mission to be performed outside the International Space Station

Long-term field metal extraction by pelargonium:phytoextraction efficiency in relation to plant maturity

The long length of periods required for effective soil remediation via phytoextraction constitutes a weak point that reduces its industrial use. However, these calculated periods are mainly based on short-term and/or hydroponic controlled experiments. Moreover, only a few studies concern more than one metal, although soils are scarcely polluted by only one element.In this scientific context, the phytoextraction of metals and metalloids (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu,and As) by Pelargonium was measured after a long-term field experiment. Both bulk and rhizosphere soils were analyzed in order to determine the mechanisms involved in soil-root transfer. First, a strong increase in lead phytoextraction was observed with plant maturity, significantly reducing the length of the period required for remediation. Rhizosphere Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and As accumulation was observed (compared to bulk soil), indicating metal mobilization by the plant, perhaps in relation to root activity. Moreover, metal phytoextraction and translocation were found to be a function of the metals’ nature. These results, taken altogether, suggest that Pelargonium could be used as a multi-metal hyperaccumulator under multi-metal soil contamination conditions, and they also provide an interesting insight for improving field phytoextraction remediation in terms of the length of time required, promoting this biological technique

COVID-19: What Iodine Maps From Perfusion CT can reveal—A Prospective Cohort Study.

Indexación:Scopus.Background: Subtraction CT angiography (sCTA) is a technique used to evaluate pulmonary perfusion based on iodine distribution maps. The aim of this study is to assess lung perfusion changes with sCTA seen in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and correlate them with clinical outcomes. Material and methods: A prospective cohort study was carried out with 45 RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients that required hospitalization at three different hospitals, between April and May 2020. In all cases, a basic clinical and demographic profile was obtained. Lung perfusion was assessed using sCTA. Evaluated imaging features included: Pattern predominance of injured lung parenchyma in both lungs (ground-glass opacities, consolidation and mixed pattern) and anatomical extension; predominant type of perfusion abnormality (increased perfusion or hypoperfusion), perfusion abnormality distribution (focal or diffuse), extension of perfusion abnormalities (mild, moderate and severe involvement); presence of vascular dilatation and vascular tortuosity. All participants were followed-up until hospital discharge searching for the development of any of the study endpoints. These endpoints included intensive-care unit (ICU) admission, initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and death. Results: Forty-one patients (55.2 ± 16.5 years, 22 men) with RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and an interpretable iodine map were included. Patients with perfusion anomalies on sCTA in morphologically normal lung parenchyma showed lower Pa/Fi values (294 ± 111.3 vs. 397 ± 37.7, p = 0.035), and higher D-dimer levels (1156 ± 1018 vs. 378 ± 60.2, p < 0.01). The main common patterns seen in lung CT scans were ground-glass opacities, mixed pattern with predominant ground-glass opacities and mixed pattern with predominant consolidation in 56.1%, 24.4% and 19.5% respectively. Perfusion abnormalities were common (36 patients, 87.8%), mainly hypoperfusion in areas of apparently healthy lung. Patients with severe hypoperfusion in areas of apparently healthy lung parenchyma had an increased probability of being admitted to ICU and to initiate IMV (HR of 11.9 (95% CI 1.55–91.9) and HR 7.8 (95% CI 1.05–61.1), respectively). Conclusion: Perfusion abnormalities evidenced in iodine maps obtained by sCTA are associated with increased admission to ICU and initiation of IMV in COVID-19 patients. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2020, The Author(s).https://ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-020-03333-

Molecular phenomics and metagenomics of hepatic steatosis in non-diabetic obese women

The role of molecular signals from the microbiome and their coordinated interactions with those from the host in hepatic steatosis – notably in obese patients and as risk factors for insulin resistance and atherosclerosis – needs to be understood. We reveal molecular networks linking gut microbiome and host phenome to hepatic steatosis in a cohort of non diabetic obese women. Steatotic patients had low microbial gene richness and increased genetic potential for processing of dietary lipids and endotoxin biosynthesis (notably from Proteobacteria), hepatic inflammation and dysregulation of aromatic and branched-chain amino acid (AAA and BCAA) metabolism. We demonstrated that faecal microbiota transplants and chronic treatment with phenylacetic acid (PAA), a microbial product of AAA metabolism, successfully trigger steatosis and BCAA metabolism. Molecular phenomic signatures were predictive (AUC = 87%) and consistent with the gut microbiome making an impact on the steatosis phenome (>75% shared variation) and, therefore, actionable via microbiome-based therapies