Hemosuccus Pancreaticus as a Rare Complication of Bariatric Surgery.

Hemosuccus pancreaticus is a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding from the duct of Wirsung into the duodenum via the ampulla of Vater. Hemosuccus pancreaticus is difficult to diagnose because the bleeding is usually intermittent, and the clinical findings are often discordant. Patients present with pain, either left upper quadrant or epigastric, and bleeding, which may present as melena, bright red blood per rectum, or even shock, if the hemorrhage is severe. Hemosuccus pancreaticus is usually caused by rupture of a pseudoaneurysm of a peri-pancreatic artery, often the splenic artery, in the setting of pancreatitis; other causes are very rare. In this report, for the first time to our knowledge, we present a case of hemosuccus pancreaticus that occurred as a complication of bariatric surgery

Physico-chemical characteristics and methanogen communities in swine and dairy manure storage tanks: Spatio-temporal variations and impact on methanogenic activity

Greenhouse gas emissions represent a major environmental problem associated with the management of manure from the livestock industry. Methane is the primary GHG emitted during manure outdoor storage. In this paper, the variability of two swine and two dairy manure storage tanks was surveyed, in terms of physico-chemical and microbiological parameters. The impact of the inter-tank and spatio-temporal variations of these parameters on the methanogenic activity of manure was ascertained. A Partial Least Square regression was carried out, which demonstrated that physico-chemical as well as microbiological parameters had a major influence on the methanogenic activity. Among the 19 parameters included in the regression, the concentrations of VFAs had the strongest negative influence on the methane emission rate of manure, resulting from their well-known inhibitory effect. The relative abundance of two amplicons in archaeal fingerprints was found to positively influence the methanogenic activity, suggesting that Methanoculleus spp. and possibly Methanosarcina spp. are major contributors to methanogenesis in storage tanks. This work gave insights into the mechanisms, which drive methanogenesis in swine and dairy manure storage tanks

Oil spill preparedness planning: filling critical species data gaps using habitat suitability modelling

Under the World Class Tanker Safety System Initiative (WCTSS) a national framework was developed to identify marine biological organisms most vulnerable to ship-source oil spills. The Pacific regional application of this framework identified 27 highly vulnerable biological groups, with sea grasses, salt marsh grasses/succulents, sea otters, and baleen whales at the top of the list. A gap analysis during the Pacific regional application identified critical species data gaps that must now be filled to ensure effective response in marine oil spill emergencies. In the absence of robust species distribution and abundance data, habitat suitability models can be used to predict this information using environmental spatial data layers and limited species distribution data. The Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) Habitat Suitability Modelling team is developing a workbook of standardized habitat suitability modelling approaches to illustrate how critical species data gaps may be filled. This workbook will include recommendations for data requirements, models to use, and how to deal with modelling challenges. Models will be developed and tested using data from Canada’s North Central Coast study area and then applied in the Salish Sea to the Strait of Georgia study area in support of the south coast Area Response Plan. In addition to the modelling workbook and model predictions, another major output of this project is the extension of bottom type classification layers from 50-200 m depth, which will be useful for other marine spatial planning analyses. The habitat suitability modelling workbook, model predictions, and extended bottom type classification layers will serve as valuable pieces in the larger puzzle of international transboundary ecosystem protection and recovery

Testate Amoebae Examined by Confocal and Two-Photon Microscopy: Implications for Taxonomy and Ecophysiology

Testate amoebae (TA) are a group of free-living protozoa, important in ecology and paleoecology. Testate amoebae taxonomy is mainly based on the morphological features of the shell, as examined by means of light microscopy or (environmental) scanning electron microscopy (SEM/ESEM). We explored the potential applications of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), two photon excitation microscopy (TPEM), phase contrast, differential interference contrast (DIC Nomarski), and polarization microscopy to visualize TA shells and inner structures of living cells, which is not possible by SEM or environmental SEM. Images captured by CLSM and TPEM were utilized to create three-dimensional (3D) visualizations and to evaluate biovolume inside the shell by stereological methods, to assess the function of TA in ecosystems. This approach broadens the understanding of TA cell and shell morphology, and inner structures including organelles and endosymbionts, with potential implications in taxonomy and ecophysiolog

A Role for Nonsense-Mediated mRNA Decay in Plants: Pathogen Responses Are Induced in Arabidopsis thaliana NMD Mutants

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a conserved mechanism that targets aberrant mRNAs for destruction. NMD has also been found to regulate the expression of large numbers of genes in diverse organisms, although the biological role for this is unclear and few evolutionarily conserved targets have been identified. Expression analyses of three Arabidopsis thaliana lines deficient in NMD reveal that the vast majority of NMD-targeted transcripts are associated with response to pathogens. Congruently, NMD mutants, in which these transcripts are elevated, confer partial resistance to Pseudomonas syringae. These findings suggest a biological rationale for the regulation of gene expression by NMD in plants and suggest that manipulation of NMD could offer a new approach for crop protection. Amongst the few non-pathogen responsive NMD-targeted genes, one potential NMD targeted signal, the evolutionarily conserved upstream open reading frame (CuORF), was found to be hugely over-represented, raising the possibility that this feature could be used to target specific physiological mRNAs for control by NMD

Comparative analysis of diversity and environmental niches of soil bacterial, archaeal, fungal and protist communities reveal niche divergences along environmental gradients in the Alps

Although widely used in ecology, comparative analyses of diversity and niche properties are still lacking for microorganisms, especially focusing on niche variations. Quantifying the niches of microbial taxa is necessary to then forecast how taxa and the communities they compose might respond to environmental changes. In this study, we first identified important topoclimatic, edaphic, spatial and biotic drivers of the alpha and beta di-versity of bacterial, archaeal, fungal and protist communities. Then, we calculated the niche breadth and position of each taxon along the important environmental gradients to determine how these vary within and among the taxonomic groups. We found that edaphic properties were the most important drivers of both, community di-versity and composition, for all microbial groups. Protists and bacteria presented the largest niche breadths on average, followed by archaea, with fungi displaying the smallest. Niche breadth generally decreased towards environmental extremes, especially along edaphic gradients, suggesting increased specialization of microbial taxa in highly selective environments. Overall, we showed that microorganisms have well defined niches, as do macro-organisms, likely driving part of the observed spatial patterns of community variations. Assessing niche variation more widely in microbial ecology should open new perspectives, especially to tackle global change effects on microbes.Peer reviewe

Soil protist function varies with elevation in the Swiss Alps

Protists are abundant and play key trophic functions in soil. Documenting how their trophic contributions vary across large environmental gradients is essential to understand and predict how biogeochemical cycles will be impacted by global changes. Here, using amplicon sequencing of environmental DNA in open habitat soil from 161 locations spanning 2600 m of elevation in the Swiss Alps (from 400 to 3000 m), we found that, over the whole study area, soils are dominated by consumers, followed by parasites and phototrophs. In contrast, the proportion of these groups in local communities shows large variations in relation to elevation. While there is, on average, three times more consumers than parasites at low elevation (400-1000 m), this ratio increases to 12 at high elevation (2000-3000 m). This suggests that the decrease in protist host biomass and diversity toward mountains tops impact protist functional composition. Furthermore, the taxonomic composition of protists that infect animals was related to elevation while that of protists that infect plants or of protist consumers was related to soil pH. This study provides a first step to document and understand how soil protist functions vary along the elevational gradient.Peer reviewe

Tipifarnib prevents development of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension

Aims. RhoB plays a key role in the pathogenesis of hypoxia - induced pulmonary hypertension. Farne sylated RhoB promotes growth responses in cancer cells and we investigated whether inhibition of protein farnesylation will have a protective effect. Methods and Results. The analysis of l ung tissues from rodent models and pulmonary hypertensive patients showed increased levels of protein farnesylation. Oral farnesyltransferase inhibitor tipifarnib prevented development of hypoxia - induced pulmonary hypertension in mice. Tipifarnib reduced hypoxia - induced vascular cell proliferation, increased endothelium - dependent vasodilatation and reduced vasoconstriction of intrapulmonary arteries without affecting cell viability. Protective effects of tipifarnib were associated with inhibition of Ras and RhoB, actin depolymerisation and increased eNOS expression in vi tro and in vivo . Farnesylated - only RhoB (F - RhoB) increased proliferative responses in cultured pulmonary vascular cells, mimicking the effects of hypoxia, while both geranylgeranylated - only RhoB (GG - RhoB) and tipifarnib had an inhibitory effect. Label - fre e proteomics linked F - RhoB with cell survival, activation of cell cycle and mitochondrial biogenesis. Hypoxia increased and tipifarnib reduced the levels of F - RhoB - regulated proteins in the lung, reinforcing the importance of RhoB as a signalling mediator. Unlike simvastatin, tipifarnib did not increase the expression levels of Rho proteins. Conclusions. Our study demonstrates the importance of protein farnesylation in pulmonary vascular remodeling and provides a rationale for selective targeting of this pa thway in pulmonary hypertension