Dependence on the phospholipid polyunsaturated fatty acids of the oxidative injury of isolated cardiomyocytes

International audienc

Antimyelin antibodies as predictors of disability after clinically isolated syndrome

There is controversy whether determination of antibodies against myelin, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, and myelin basic protein in serum from patients with a first episode suggestive of multiple sclerosis is of prognostic value. We evaluated whether detection of antimyelin antibodies in serum indicates a worse course with earlier time to a second relapse and increased progression of disability. We conducted a prospective study at the Department of Neurology, Inselspital Bern, Switzerland from 2004 to 2008 in patients presenting with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and a follow-up of at least 4 months. Antimyelin antibodies were assessed by Western blot. Results were correlated with clinical course and sex. Among 93 consecutive patients with a CIS, 74 (80%) were positive for either one or both antimyelin antibodies. A relapse occurred in 49 (53%) and the median EDSS was 2 (range 1-3.5) after a mean observation period of 20 months. Presence of antimyelin antibodies at CIS neither increased the risk for a second relapse nor for progression of disability. Stratification for gender did not reveal differences for any of the clinical surrogates. The sole determination of antimyelin antibodies in serum is of limited prognostic value for the identification of patients with different short-term course

Separation of Geometric Isomers of a Dicopper Complex by Using a 19F-Labeled Ligand: Dynamics, Structures, and DFT Calculations

International audienceIntroducing a fluorine group on two pyridines of the HLCH3 ligand (2,6-bis[(bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino)methyl]-4-methylphenol) allows the separation of two geometric isomers after complexation by two copper(II) ions. Methods for isolating the isomers (1meso and 1rac) as a μ-phenoxo,μ-hydroxo dicopper(II) complex as a crystalline product have been developed. Both isomers (1meso and 1rac) have been characterized by X-ray crystallography and 19F NMR. The isomerism is determined by the disposition of the fluorine atoms with respect to the plane containing the Cu2O2 core. Density functional theory calculations using different functionals were performed to provide additional support for the existence of these two forms. Dissolution of 1meso in acetone or acetonitrile causes its spontaneous isomerization into the 1rac form at room temperature. Combined experimental studies (UV−vis, 19F NMR) and theoretical calculations support this process. Paramagnetic 19F NMR appears as a unique and powerful probe for distinguishing the two isomers and supplying direct evidence of this isomerization process in solution

International workshop on insecticide resistance in vectors of arboviruses, December 2016, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

International audienceVector-borne diseases transmitted by insect vectors such as mosquitoes occur in over 100 countries and affect almost half of the world's population. Dengue is currently the most prevalent arboviral disease but chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever show increasing prevalence and severity. Vector control, mainly by the use of insecticides, play a key role in disease prevention but the use of the same chemicals for more than 40 years, together with the dissemination of mosquitoes by trade and environmental changes, resulted in the global spread of insecticide resistance. In this context, innovative tools and strategies for vector control, including the management of resistance, are urgently needed. This report summarizes the main outputs of the first international workshop on Insecticide resistance in vectors of arboviruses held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 5-8 December 2016. The primary aims of this workshop were to identify strategies for the development and implementation of standardized insecticide resistance management, also to allow comparisons across nations and across time, and to define research priorities for control of vectors of arboviruses. The workshop brought together 163 participants from 28 nationalities and was accessible, live, through the web (> 70,000 web-accesses over 3 days)