Production rates for cosmogenic krypton and argon isotopes in H-chondrites with known ^<36>Cl-^<36>Ar ages

We present physical model calculations for the production of cosmogenic Kr isotopes in stony meteorites and compare the model results with measured data for bulk samples of 12 H-chondrites which recently had been investigated for their ^Cl-^Ar cosmic-ray exposure ages and light noble gas production rates. The correlation between P(^Kr)P(^Kr) and P(^Kr)P(^Kr) modelled here is significantly different from the classical relation commonly used to derive ^Kr-Kr exposure ages. For both relations, the ^Kr ages scatter considerably around the respective ^Cl-^Ar ages, but the new relation on average yields a somewhat better agreement between ^Kr-Kr and ^Cl-^Ar ages. The calculations combined with concentration measurements of the main target elements for the production of cosmogenic Kr (Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, and Nb) show that target element chemistry does hardly influence the isotopic composition of cosmogenic Kr in bulk chondrites. These calculations also confirm earlier conclusions that the isotopic systematics of cosmogenic Kr in lunar samples are applicable for chondrites too. We derived an average ^Ar production rate at average shielding (^Ne^Ne=1.11) of (0.0431±0.0035)×10^ cm^3 STP(g×Myr)

Haemosporidian parasites of Antelopes and other vertebrates from Gabon, Central Africa

Re-examination, using molecular tools, of the diversity of haemosporidian parasites (among which the agents of human malaria are the best known) has generally led to rearrangements of traditional classifications. In this study, we explored the diversity of haemosporidian parasites infecting vertebrate species (particularly mammals, birds and reptiles) living in the forests of Gabon (Central Africa), by analyzing a collection of 492 bushmeat samples. We found that samples from five mammalian species (four duiker and one pangolin species), one bird and one turtle species were infected by haemosporidian parasites. In duikers (from which most of the infected specimens were obtained), we demonstrated the existence of at least two distinct parasite lineages related to Polychromophilus species (i. e., bat haemosporidian parasites) and to sauropsid Plasmodium (from birds and lizards). Molecular screening of sylvatic mosquitoes captured during a longitudinal survey revealed the presence of these haemosporidian parasite lineages also in several Anopheles species, suggesting a potential role in their transmission. Our results show that, differently from what was previously thought, several independent clades of haemosporidian parasites (family Plasmodiidae) infect mammals and are transmitted by anopheline mosquitoes

Genomes of all known members of a Plasmodium subgenus reveal paths to virulent human malaria

Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent agent of human malaria, shares a recent common ancestor with the gorilla parasite Plasmodium praefalciparum. Little is known about the other gorilla- and chimpanzee-infecting species in the same (Laverania) subgenus as P. falciparum, but none of them are capable of establishing repeated infection and transmission in humans. To elucidate underlying mechanisms and the evolutionary history of this subgenus, we have generated multiple genomes from all known Laverania species. The completeness of our dataset allows us to conclude that interspecific gene transfers, as well as convergent evolution, were important in the evolution of these species. Striking copy number and structural variations were observed within gene families and one, stevor, shows a host-specific sequence pattern. The complete genome sequence of the closest ancestor of P. falciparum enables us to estimate the timing of the beginning of speciation to be 40,000–60,000 years ago followed by a population bottleneck around 4,000–6,000 years ago. Our data allow us also to search in detail for the features of P. falciparum that made it the only member of the Laverania able to infect and spread in humans

Human plague: An old scourge that needs new answers

Yersinia pestis, the bacterial causative agent of plague, remains an important threat to human health. Plague is a rodent-borne disease that has historically shown an outstanding ability to colonize and persist across different species, habitats, and environments while provoking sporadic cases, outbreaks, and deadly global epidemics among humans. Between September and November 2017, an outbreak of urban pneumonic plague was declared in Madagascar, which refocused the attention of the scientific community on this ancient human scourge. Given recent trends and plague’s resilience to control in the wild, its high fatality rate in humans without early treatment, and its capacity to disrupt social and healthcare systems, human plague should be considered as a neglected threat. A workshop was held in Paris in July 2018 to review current knowledge about plague and to identify the scientific research priorities to eradicate plague as a human threat. It was concluded that an urgent commitment is needed to develop and fund a strong research agenda aiming to fill the current knowledge gaps structured around 4 main axes: (i) an improved understanding of the ecological interactions among the reservoir, vector, pathogen, and environment; (ii) human and societal responses; (iii) improved diagnostic tools and case management; and (iv) vaccine development. These axes should be cross-cutting, translational, and focused on delivering context-specific strategies. Results of this research should feed a global control and prevention strategy within a “One Health” approach

Brain imaging of the cortex in ADHD: a coordinated analysis of large-scale clinical and population-based samples

Objective: Neuroimaging studies show structural alterations of various brain regions in children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although nonreplications are frequent. The authors sought to identify cortical characteristics related to ADHD using large-scale studies. Methods: Cortical thickness and surface area (based on the Desikan–Killiany atlas) were compared between case subjects with ADHD (N=2,246) and control subjects (N=1,934) for children, adolescents, and adults separately in ENIGMA-ADHD, a consortium of 36 centers. To assess familial effects on cortical measures, case subjects, unaffected siblings, and control subjects in the NeuroIMAGE study (N=506) were compared. Associations of the attention scale from the Child Behavior Checklist with cortical measures were determined in a pediatric population sample (Generation-R, N=2,707). Results: In the ENIGMA-ADHD sample, lower surface area values were found in children with ADHD, mainly in frontal, cingulate, and temporal regions; the largest significant effect was for total surface area (Cohen’s d=−0.21). Fusiform gyrus and temporal pole cortical thickness was also lower in children with ADHD. Neither surface area nor thickness differences were found in the adolescent or adult groups. Familial effects were seen for surface area in several regions. In an overlapping set of regions, surface area, but not thickness, was associated with attention problems in the Generation-R sample. Conclusions: Subtle differences in cortical surface area are widespread in children but not adolescents and adults with ADHD, confirming involvement of the frontal cortex and highlighting regions deserving further attention. Notably, the alterations behave like endophenotypes in families and are linked to ADHD symptoms in the population, extending evidence that ADHD behaves as a continuous trait in the population. Future longitudinal studies should clarify individual lifespan trajectories that lead to nonsignificant findings in adolescent and adult groups despite the presence of an ADHD diagnosis

Analysis of structural brain asymmetries in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in 39 datasets

Objective Some studies have suggested alterations of structural brain asymmetry in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but findings have been contradictory and based on small samples. Here, we performed the largest ever analysis of brain left-right asymmetry in ADHD, using 39 datasets of the ENIGMA consortium. Methods We analyzed asymmetry of subcortical and cerebral cortical structures in up to 1,933 people with ADHD and 1,829 unaffected controls. Asymmetry Indexes (AIs) were calculated per participant for each bilaterally paired measure, and linear mixed effects modeling was applied separately in children, adolescents, adults, and the total sample, to test exhaustively for potential associations of ADHD with structural brain asymmetries. Results There was no evidence for altered caudate nucleus asymmetry in ADHD, in contrast to prior literature. In children, there was less rightward asymmetry of the total hemispheric surface area compared to controls (t = 2.1, p = .04). Lower rightward asymmetry of medial orbitofrontal cortex surface area in ADHD (t = 2.7, p = .01) was similar to a recent finding for autism spectrum disorder. There were also some differences in cortical thickness asymmetry across age groups. In adults with ADHD, globus pallidus asymmetry was altered compared to those without ADHD. However, all effects were small (Cohen’s d from −0.18 to 0.18) and would not survive study-wide correction for multiple testing. Conclusion Prior studies of altered structural brain asymmetry in ADHD were likely underpowered to detect the small effects reported here. Altered structural asymmetry is unlikely to provide a useful biomarker for ADHD, but may provide neurobiological insights into the trait

Subcortical brain volume, regional cortical thickness, and cortical surface area across disorders: findings from the ENIGMA ADHD, ASD, and OCD Working Groups

Objective Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are common neurodevelopmental disorders that frequently co-occur. We aimed to directly compare all three disorders. The ENIGMA consortium is ideally positioned to investigate structural brain alterations across these disorders. Methods Structural T1-weighted whole-brain MRI of controls (n=5,827) and patients with ADHD (n=2,271), ASD (n=1,777), and OCD (n=2,323) from 151 cohorts worldwide were analyzed using standardized processing protocols. We examined subcortical volume, cortical thickness and surface area differences within a mega-analytical framework, pooling measures extracted from each cohort. Analyses were performed separately for children, adolescents, and adults using linear mixed-effects models adjusting for age, sex and site (and ICV for subcortical and surface area measures). Results We found no shared alterations among all three disorders, while shared alterations between any two disorders did not survive multiple comparisons correction. Children with ADHD compared to those with OCD had smaller hippocampal volumes, possibly influenced by IQ. Children and adolescents with ADHD also had smaller ICV than controls and those with OCD or ASD. Adults with ASD showed thicker frontal cortices compared to adult controls and other clinical groups. No OCD-specific alterations across different age-groups and surface area alterations among all disorders in childhood and adulthood were observed. Conclusion Our findings suggest robust but subtle alterations across different age-groups among ADHD, ASD, and OCD. ADHD-specific ICV and hippocampal alterations in children and adolescents, and ASD-specific cortical thickness alterations in the frontal cortex in adults support previous work emphasizing neurodevelopmental alterations in these disorders

Realisation d'un spectrometre d'emission resolue en temps a l'echelle de la picoseconde : application a l'etude des processus de relaxation des etats excites de derives stilbeniques en solution

SIGLECNRS T Bordereau / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc

Numerical and Physical Modelling of Wave Overtopping on a Smooth Impermeable Dike with Promenade under Strong Incident Waves

This paper presents a study of run-up/overtopping over a smooth impermeable dike with promenade using 2D and 3D mesh-based and mesh-free numerical models and results from 2D physical modelling for strong energetic incident waves. These waves induce plunging wave breaking and a complex water/air mixture turbulent flow before overtopped the dike, a challenging configuration for numerical models. The analysis is structured in two phases: (i) evaluates the results of 2D numerical and physical models for run-up and overtopping; (ii) compares qualitatively the results of 3D numerical models for overtopping over a dike with promenade between groins located in front of a slope beach. The results indicate that the main differences obtained in run-up and overtopping are due to differences in wave generation and active absorption systems used in physical and numerical models and in turbulent models used by the numerical models. These differences lead to changes on incident wave height and on wave breaking and, consequently, on reflection, run-up and overtopping over the structure. For 3D simulation, even if larger discrepancies were found on overtopping along the dike, mean wave overtopping discharge and water flow height at the crest of the groin head show a similar order of magnitude.CYTED, 917PTE0538, 2017-202, project “Protection of Coastal Urban Fronts against Global Warming (PROTOCOL)

Development of a new facility for dating old ground waters and ice cores using 81Kr.

Krypton-81 is produced by nuclear reactions induced by cosmic rays in atmosphere while Krypton-85 is released from nuclear installations. With respective halflifes of 229 ky and 10.76 y, these isotopes are considered as ideal tracers for dating groundwater or ice core [1-6]. The measurement of 81Kr from a groundwater sample was first demonstrated using several isotopic enrichment steps followed by RISTOF technique [1-3]. Due to the very low abundance of 81Kr in groundwater - 1200 atoms/l in modern water - the dating generally requires sample volumes of at least several hundred liters [5,7]. Since 2003, in a collaborative work with IRIM, CNAB is developing a set of four instruments in order to measure 81Kr in groundwater using reasonable volume of water (20 l). Each instrument is dedicated to perform important steps in the dating process