Coinfection by Ureaplasma spp., Photobacterium damselae and an Actinomyces-like microorganism in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with pleuropneumonia stranded along the Adriatic coast of Italy

A case of pleuropneumonia is reported in an adult male bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) found stranded in 2014 along the Central Adriatic coast of Italy. A severe pyogranulomatous pneumonia and thoracic lymphadenopathy were present at necropsy. Numerous Splendore-Hoeppli bodies were found microscopically scattered throughout the lung. Histochemical evidence of Actinomyces-like organisms was obtained from the pulmonary parenchyma, with a strain of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida and Ureaplasma spp. being also isolated from the same tissue. For the latter, a genome fragment of approximately 1400 bp from the 16s rDNA was amplified and sequenced. BLAST analysis revealed 100% identity with an uncultured Ureaplasma spp. (JQ193826.1)

Dolphin Morbillivirus Associated with a Mass Stranding of Sperm Whales, Italy

In September 2014, 7 sperm whales stranded along the Adriatic Italian coastlines. Postmortem investigations on 3 dead females dead and in 1 fetus harbored by the largest one revealed molecular and immunoistochemical evidences of dolphin morbillivirus infection. A possible role of the virus in the stranding event was considered

A Simulation Software for the Analysis of Cropping Systems in Livestock Farms

n/

Library of model components for process simulation relevant to production activities, Prototype 1 versions

Production Economics,

Agricultural Production and Externalities Simulator (APES) prototype to be used in Prototype 1 of SEAMLESS-IF

Production Economics,

High feasibility and antileukemic efficacy of fludarabine, cytarabine, and idarubicin (FLAI) induction followed by risk-oriented consolidation: A critical review of a 10-year, single-center experience in younger, non M3 AML patients

About 105 consecutive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients treated with the same induction-consolidation program between 2004 and 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Median age was 47 years. The first induction course included fludarabine (Flu) and high-dose cytarabine (Ara-C) plus idarubicin (Ida), with or without gemtuzumab-ozogamicin (GO) 3 mg/m2 (FLAI-5). Patients achieving complete remission (CR) received a second course without fludarabine but with higher dose of idarubicin. Patients not achieving CR received an intensified second course. Patients not scheduled for early allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (HSCT) where planned to receive at least two courses of consolidation therapy with Ara-C. Our double induction strategy significantly differs from described fludarabine-containing regimens, as patients achieving CR receive a second course without fludarabine, to avoid excess toxicity, and Ara-C consolidation is administrated at the reduced cumulative dose of 8 g/m2 per cycle. Toxicity is a major concern in fludarabine containing induction, including the recent Medical Research Council AML15 fludarabine, cytarabine, idaraubicin and G-CSF (FLAG-Ida) arm, and, despite higher anti-leukemic efficacy, only a minority of patients is able to complete the full planned program. In this article, we show that our therapeutic program is generally well tolerated, as most patients were able to receive subsequent therapy at full dose and in a timely manner, with a 30-day mortality of 4.8%. The omission of fludarabine in the second course did not reduce efficacy, as a CR rate of 83% was achieved and 3-year disease-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 49.6% and 50.9%, respectively. Our experience shows that FLAI-5/Ara-C + Ida double induction followed by risk-oriented consolidation therapy can result in good overall outcome with acceptable toxicity. Am. J. Hematol. 91:755\u2013762, 2016. \ua9 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Gut Microbiota, Metabolome, and Body Composition Signatures of Response to Therapy in Patients with Advanced Melanoma

Despite the recent breakthroughs in targeted and immunotherapy for melanoma, the overall survival rate remains low. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the gut microbiota and other modifiable patient factors (e.g., diet and body composition), though their role in influencing therapeutic responses has yet to be defined. Here, we characterized a cohort of 31 patients with unresectable IIIC-IV-stage cutaneous melanoma prior to initiation of targeted or first-line immunotherapy via the following methods: (i) fecal microbiome and metabolome via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, respectively, and (ii) anthropometry, body composition, nutritional status, physical activity, biochemical parameters, and immunoprofiling. According to our data, patients subsequently classified as responders were obese (i.e., with high body mass index and high levels of total, visceral, subcutaneous, and intramuscular adipose tissue), non-sarcopenic, and enriched in certain fecal taxa (e.g., Phascolarctobacterium) and metabolites (e.g., anethole), which were potentially endowed with immunostimulatory and oncoprotective activities. On the other hand, non-response was associated with increased proportions of Streptococcus, Actinomyces, Veillonella, Dorea, Fusobacterium, higher neutrophil levels (and a higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), and higher fecal levels of butyric acid and its esters, which also correlated with decreased survival. This exploratory study provides an integrated list of potential early prognostic biomarkers that could improve the clinical management of patients with advanced melanoma, in particular by guiding the design of adjuvant therapeutic strategies to improve treatment response and support long-term health improvement

Exposure modelling in Europe : how to pave the road for the future as part of the European Exposure Science Strategy 2020-2030

Exposure models are essential in almost all relevant contexts for exposure science. To address the numerous challenges and gaps that exist, exposure modelling is one of the priority areas of the European Exposure Science Strategy developed by the European Chapter of the International Society of Exposure Science (ISES Europe). A strategy was developed for the priority area of exposure modelling in Europe with four strategic objectives. These objectives are (1) improvement of models and tools, (2) development of new methodologies and support for understudied fields, (3) improvement of model use and (4) regulatory needs for modelling. In a bottom-up approach, exposure modellers from different European countries and institutions who are active in the fields of occupational, population and environmental exposure science pooled their expertise under the umbrella of the ISES Europe Working Group on exposure models. This working group assessed the state-of-the-art of exposure modelling in Europe by developing an inventory of exposure models used in Europe and reviewing the existing literature on pitfalls for exposure modelling, in order to identify crucial modelling-related strategy elements. Decisive actions were defined for ISES Europe stakeholders, including collecting available models and accompanying information in a living document curated and published by ISES Europe, as well as a long-term goal of developing a best-practices handbook. Alongside these actions, recommendations were developed and addressed to stakeholders outside of ISES Europe. Four strategic objectives were identified with an associated action plan and roadmap for the implementation of the European Exposure Science Strategy for exposure modelling. This strategic plan will foster a common understanding of modelling-related methodology, terminology and future research in Europe, and have a broader impact on strategic considerations globally.Peer reviewe

Articles putaclics et journalisme sensationnaliste : le Courrier résiste encore et toujours à l’envahisseur

Dans une période qui voit croître à une vitesse exponentielle les différentes manières de consommer l’information, il paraît pertinent d’établir un diagnostic du métier de journaliste. La montée en puissance des réseaux sociaux depuis les années 2010 semble avoir eu un impact tantôt positif, tantôt négatif sur l’exercice d’écriture des journalistes. L’accès à l’information est grandement facilité par des moyens de communication de plus en plus performants mais cette évolution s’accompagne paradoxalement par une chute de l’emploi dans le secteur, ou du moins par une inquiétude grandissante sur le futur du métier. Les nouveaux moyens offerts au journalisme de presse s’incarnent dans l’utilisation des métriques, des outils de statistiques permettant de quantifier leurs impacts sur les réseaux sociaux et leurs propres sites web. Le travail de l’audience a donc pris une part grandissante au sein du métier de journaliste. Dans cette optique, cette recherche vise à comprendre comment une rédaction de presse écrite a subi ces changements et a modifié, ou non, sa manière de modeler et produire de l’information. Pour ce faire, une enquête a été menée au sein de la rédaction du Courrier, quotidien romand basé à Genève, qui utilise très peu voire aucune métrique pour produire de l’information. Sept entretiens semi-directifs ont été organisés avec des journalistes de la rubrique locale afin de déterminer si le journal avait quand même pris ce tour de l’audience et avait modifié ses façons de composer des articles. L’occasion pour les journalistes de nous faire part de leurs inquiétudes quant à l’avenir du quotidien et du journalisme en général mais aussi de donner des clés de lecture supplémentaires. Les résultats démontrent que le Courrier a un profil bien particulier à Genève, tant au niveau de sa ligne éditoriale que dans sa manière de proposer de l’information. Seul journal à ne pas suivre le nombre de clics, le taux de rebond ou encore le nombre de visite par jour sur le site web, les journalistes font face à une grande liberté rédactionnelle et à un climat de travail très agréable. Cela étant, ces aspects positifs entraînent des conséquences plus négatives sur leurs motivations, leurs satisfactions quotidiennes ou encore leurs sentiments quant à leur place dans l’univers médiatique genevois et suisse.</p