Ecosystem service assessment for urban planning: a French case study

Cabral, P., Levrel, H., Féger, C., Chambolle, M., & Basque, D. (2015). Ecosystem service assessment for urban planning: a French case study. In Annual Meeting of the French Economic Association (pp. 1-26)Ecosystems provide a varied range of services to people known as ecosystem services (ES) which contributepositively to human well-being. Thus, their quantification and integration into planning decisions has become increasingly important.In this study we analyzed ES provided by the landscape of the Urban Community of Bordeaux (CUB) in France. These ES were selected using a participatory approach with local stakeholders and involved the creation of scenarios of land use and cover change (LUCC) expressing alternative planning options. Only open data was used. Results show that allthe analyzed ES, except erosionregulation, have decreased as a consequence of LUCC between 1990 and 2006. For year 2030, the "Plan" scenario, which integrates approved urban local plans, is the one that will cause more negative impacts on the CUB ES. Both "Conservation" scenarios present a more balanced situation allowing to choose between carbon storage improvement or agriculture preservation with a degradation on nitrogen and phosphorous retention ES. We also found that there is little or no tradeoff on nutrient and sediment retention services regardless of the scenario used. This spatial explicit approach to ES modeling enables an informed discussion with the stakeholders about different planning options and their impact on ES and tradeoffs. Additionally, it may be used to effectively implement, monitor and communicate planning policies.publishersversionpublishe

The basal ganglia and thalamus of the long-tailed macaque in stereotaxic coordinates. A template atlas based on coronal, sagittal and horizontal brain sections

A stereotaxic brain atlas of the basal ganglia and thalamus of Macaca fascicularis presented here is designed with a surgical perspective. In this regard, all coordinates have been referenced to a line linking the anterior and posterior commissures (ac–pc line) and considering the center of the ac at the midline as the origin of the bicommissural space. The atlas comprises of 43 different plates (19 coronal levels, 10 sagittal levels and 14 horizontal levels). In addition to ‘classical’ cyto- and chemoarchitectural techniques such as the Nissl method and the acetylcholinesterase stain, several immunohistochemical stains have been performed in adjacent sections, including the detection of tyrosine hydroxylase, enkephalin, neurofilaments, parvalbumin and calbindin. In comparison to other existing stereotaxic atlases for M. fasicularis, this atlas has two main advantages: firstly, brain cartography is based on a wide variety of cyto- and chemoarchitectural stains carried out on adjacent sections, therefore enabling accurate segmentation. Secondly and most importantly, sagittal and horizontal planes are included. Sagittal planes are very useful for calculating oblique trajectories, whereas, clinical researchers engaged in neuroimaging studies will be more familiar with horizontal sections, as they use horizontal (also called “axial”) brain images in their daily routine of their clinical practices

Clinical Impact of Antifungal Susceptibility, Biofilm Formation and Mannoside Expression of Candida Yeasts on the Outcome of Invasive Candidiasis in ICU: An Ancillary Study on the Prospective AmarCAND2 Cohort

Background: The link between Candida phenotypical characteristics and invasive candidiasis (IC) prognosis is still partially unknown.Methods:Candida strains isolated during the AmarCAND2 study were centrally analyzed for species identification, antifungal susceptibility, biofilm formation, and expression of surface and glycoconjugate mannosides. Correlation between these phenotypical features and patient outcome was sought using a multivariable Cox survival model.Results:Candida albicans was predominant (65.4%, n = 285), with a mortality rate significantly lower than that in patients with non-albicans strains [HR 0.67 (0.46–1.00), p = 0.048]. The rate of fluconazole-resistant strains was low (C. albicans and Candida glabrata: 3.5 and 6.2%, respectively) as well as caspofungin-resistant ones (1 and 3.1%, respectively). Early biofilm formation was less frequent among C. albicans (45.4%) than among non-albicans (81.2%). While the strains of C. albicans showed variable levels of surface mannosides expression, strains isolated from candidemia exhibited a high expression of β-man, which was correlated with an increased mortality (p = 0.02).Conclusion:Candida albicans IC were associated with lower mortality, and with strains that exhibited less frequently early biofilm formation than non-albicans strains. A high expression of β-man was associated with increased IC mortality. Further studies are warranted to confirm this data and to evaluate other virulence factors in yeasts

Association of mast cell-derived VEGF and proteases in dengue shock syndrome

Background: Recent in-vitro studies have suggested that mast cells are involved in Dengue virus infection. To clarify the role of mast cells in the development of clinical Dengue fever, we compared the plasma levels of several mast cell-derived mediators (vascular endothelial cell growth factor [VEGF], soluble VEGF receptors [sVEGFRs], tryptase, and chymase) and -related cytokines (IL-4, -9, and -17) between patients with differing severity of Dengue fever and healthy controls. Methodology/Principal Findings: The study was performed at Children\u27s Hospital No. 2, Ho Chi Minh City, and Vinh Long Province Hospital, Vietnam from 2002 to 2005. Study patients included 103 with Dengue fever (DF), Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), and Dengue shock syndrome (DSS), as diagnosed by the World Health Organization criteria. There were 189 healthy subjects, and 19 febrile illness patients of the same Kinh ethnicity. The levels of mast cell-derived mediators and -related cytokines in plasma were measured by ELISA. VEGF and sVEGFR-1 levels were significantly increased in DHF and DSS compared with those of DF and controls, whereas sVEGFR-2 levels were significantly decreased in DHF and DSS. Significant increases in tryptase and chymase levels, which were accompanied by high IL-9 and -17 concentrations, were detected in DHF and DSS patients. By day 4 of admission, VEGF, sVEGFRs, and proteases levels had returned to similar levels as DF and controls. In-vitro VEGF production by mast cells was examined in KU812 and HMC-1 cells, and was found to be highest when the cells were inoculated with Dengue virus and human Dengue virus-immune serum in the presence of IL-9. Conclusions: As mast cells are an important source of VEGF, tryptase, and chymase, our findings suggest that mast cell activation and mast cell-derived mediators participate in the development of DHF. The two proteases, particularly chymase, might serve as good predictive markers of Dengue disease severity

Pédagogie et thérapie : convergence des chemins /

Bibliogr. à la fin des textesIndex: p. 305-31

À la recherche de thérapeutique innovante pour les pathologies neuropsychiatriques : le cas des maladies neurodégénératives

International audienceThe recent medical literature highlights the lack of new drugs able to prevent or treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease or Parkinson disease. Yet, the prevalence of these diseases is growing, related to increasing life expectancy, and is leading to a rise in their economic and social cost. At the same time, pharmaceutical companies are reducing or halting their investment in neuropharmacological research. Why have advances in basic neuroscience and our understanding of these diseases not allowed innovative discoveries in drug research? This review will try to explain this failure and suggest possible solutions: develop basic and clinical research but with the emphasis on translational and truly collaborative research; improve preclinical studies by developing more appropriate animal models, using new biomarkers and methodologies such as imaging suitable for clinical trials, providing worthwhile information on the ability of the drug to reach its intended target and induce significant pharmacological changes; build a new system of research management, based on stronger interdisciplinary relations between preclinical and clinical research and including the introduction of international precompetitive research between academic teams, start-up companies and pharmaceutical laboratories; hold early discussions with the regulatory authorities during preclinical studies and at the beginning of clinical trials in order to validate the methodological approaches; involve patients’ associations in this new organization of research. These changes should help to ensure the discovery of effective treatments for these pathologies.La littérature médico-scientifique récente a souligné l’absence de médicaments innovants pour les pathologies neurodégénératives comme la maladie de Parkinson ou d’Alzheimer. Or la forte prévalence de ces pathologies, revers de l’allongement de l’espérance de vie, entraîne un coût économique et social considérable. Malgré cela, les grandes firmes pharmaceutiques réduisent leurs activités de recherche en neuropharmacologie. Pourquoi la progression indiscutable des connaissances en neurosciences et sur la physiopathologie de ces maladies ne s’est pas traduite en innovations ? Cette revue propose quelques explications sur l’origine possible de cette impasse et expose quelques solutions envisageables pour accélérer l’identification de médicaments innovants : poursuivre l’effort des recherches fondamentales et cliniques mais avec une approche translationelle et réellement collaborative ; améliorer considérablement les études précliniques en construisant de meilleurs modèles animaux de ces pathologies, en introduisant l’emploi de nouveaux marqueurs et méthodologies donnant l’assurance que la molécule testée atteint bien sa cible et avec efficacité ; instaurer une nouvelle organisation de recherche renforçant les interactions entre recherche préclinique et clinique avec une ouverture transdisciplinaire, la mise en place de structures de recherche précompétitives dépassant le niveau national et associant équipes de recherche académiques à celles des start-up et des laboratoires pharmaceutiques ; renforcer l’ouverture de relations avec les autorités réglementaires dès le stade préclinique et surtout au moment du passage vers des études cliniques ; reconnaître la place des associations de patients dans cette nouvelle organisation. Ces nouvelles dispositions devraient assurer la découverte de médicaments efficaces pour lutter contre ces pathologies