Accuracy of distributed timestamps

Projet ARCHIVarious timestamping mechanisms has been provided in order to characterize the partial order between events occuring in a distributed computation. Using the order induced by such timestamping mechanisms, one can reasonn about causal or concurrent relation-ships between events. However comparisons between timestamps can induce false assumptions on these relationships. The order induced by the timestamps is not always the existing partial one in a distributed execution. It is in these terms that we study the accuracy of three timestamping mechanisms, showing the type of compromise (space-accuracy tradeoffs) one has to make when using them

Human cryptosporidiosis in immunodeficient patients in France (2015-2017)

Cryptosporidiosis is a common disease in children and immunodeficient individuals. In 2006, a national network was set up on the surveillance of human cryptosporidiosis in France. Since January 2015, the 41 tertiary care hospitals and the 3 private laboratories of the French National Network on the surveillance of human cryptosporidiosis have been able to declare confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis online. Between 2015 and 2017, 210 cases of cryptosporidiosis were declared in immunodeficient patients in France; Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis represented 66% and 22% of cases, respectively. A peak was observed in autumn. Cryptosporidiosis occurred mainly in a context of solid organ transplantation (SOT) (49%) and of HIV infection (30%). In SOT recipients, cryptosporidiosis appeared more frequently in the first 6 months post transplantation. Regarding cases declared in SOT recipients, mycophenolate mofetil was used in 68%. A mortality rate of 6% was observed. Present results underline the importance of screening for cryptosporidiosis in immunocompromised patients suffering from diarrhea, especially in the course of major cell mediated immunodeficiency or even systematic screening before SOT. Exclusive Cryptosporidium free water feeding could be suggested during major cell mediated immunodeficiency

Rapid diagnostic tests relying on antigen detection from stool as an efficient point of care testing strategy for giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis? Evaluation of a new immunochromatographic duplex assay

Microscopy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal parasites but is time-consuming and dependent on operator skills. Rapid diagnostic tests represent alternative methods but most evaluations have been conducted on a limited number of samples preventing their implementation in the clinical setting. We evaluated a new CE-IVD marked immunochromatographic assay (Crypto/Giardia K-SeT®, Coris Bioconcept) for the detection of G. intestinalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in 2 phases (retrospective and prospective) on a set of 482 stool samples including rare Cryptosporidium species. Besides G. intestinalis, this test could represent a rapid and reliable alternative to the modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining for the diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis (sensitivity/specificity were 89.2%/99.3% and 86.7%/100% for G. intestinalis and Cryptosporidium resp.), reducing diagnostic delays. Such strategy would also be time-saving by avoiding wet mount microscopy and concentrations steps, being particularly appropriate for laboratories having little expertise in microscopy or not able to implement molecular diagnostic methods

Environmental metabarcoding reveals contrasting belowground and aboveground fungal communities from poplar at a Hg phytomanagement site

Characterization of microbial communities in stressful conditions at a field level is rather scarce, especially when considering fungal communities from aboveground habitats. We aimed at characterizing fungal communities from different poplar habitats at a Hg-contaminated phytomanagement site by using Illumina-based sequencing, network analysis approach, and direct isolation of Hg-resistant fungal strains. The highest diversity estimated by the Shannon index was found for soil communities, which was negatively affected by soil Hg concentration. Among the significant correlations between soil operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the co-occurrence network, 80% were negatively correlated revealing dominance of a pattern of mutual exclusion. The fungal communities associated with Populus roots mostly consisted of OTUs from the symbiotic guild, such as members of the Thelephoraceae, thus explaining the lowest diversity found for root communities. Additionally, root communities showed the highest network connectivity index, while rarely detected OTUs from the Glomeromycetes may have a central role in the root network. Unexpectedly high richness and diversity were found for aboveground habitats, compared to the root habitat. The aboveground habitats were dominated by yeasts from the Lalaria, Davidiella, and Bensingtonia genera, not detected in belowground habitats. Leaf and stem habitats were characterized by few dominant OTUs such as those from the Dothideomycete class producing mutual exclusion with other OTUs. Aureobasidium pullulans, one of the dominating OTUs, was further isolated from the leaf habitat, in addition to Nakazawaea populi species, which were found to be Hg resistant. Altogether, these findings will provide an improved point of reference for microbial research on inoculation-based programs of tailings dumps

The Arabidopsis ABA-Activated Kinase OST1 Phosphorylates the bZIP Transcription Factor ABF3 and Creates a 14-3-3 Binding Site Involved in Its Turnover

indicates that members of the Snf1-Related Kinases 2 family (SnRK2) are essential in mediating various stress-adaptive responses. Recent reports have indeed shown that one particular member, OPEN STOMATA (OST)1, whose kinase activity is stimulated by the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA), is a direct target of negative regulation by the core ABA co-receptor complex composed of PYR/PYL/RCAR and clade A Protein Phosphatase 2C (PP2C) proteins. and that phospho-T451 is important for stabilization of ABF3. on T451 to create a 14-3-3 binding motif. In a wider physiological context, we propose that the long term responses to ABA that require sustained gene expression is, in part, mediated by the stabilization of ABFs driven by ABA-activated SnRK2s

Plant lectins: the ties that bind in root symbiosis and plant defense

Lectins are a diverse group of carbohydrate-binding proteins that are found within and associated with organisms from all kingdoms of life. Several different classes of plant lectins serve a diverse array of functions. The most prominent of these include participation in plant defense against predators and pathogens and involvement in symbiotic interactions between host plants and symbiotic microbes, including mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. Extensive biological, biochemical, and molecular studies have shed light on the functions of plant lectins, and a plethora of uncharacterized lectin genes are being revealed at the genomic scale, suggesting unexplored and novel diversity in plant lectin structure and function. Integration of the results from these different types of research is beginning to yield a more detailed understanding of the function of lectins in symbiosis, defense, and plant biology in general

Random media with temperature controlled connectivity

We show that the electrical resistance of a percolating medium made of a polymer filled with conductive particles may undergo a steep increase over a narrow temperature range above room temperature. We demonstrate that a likely mechanism for the effect is the loss of interparticle electrical contact inducing a weakening of the connectivity of the medium as temperature is increased