Revue du genre Coquilletidia (Diptera : Culididae) à Madagascar et description de la larve de Cq. grandidieri (Blanchard, 1905)

International audienceRESUME : Le genre Coquilletidia regroupe des moustiques impliqués dans la transmission de nombreuses arboviroses. Les adultes sont localement abondants et très agressifs pour l'homme. A Madagascar, ce genre concerne 3 espèces dont 2 endémiques qui n'ont pas encore été décrites au stade larvaire. Les auteurs décrivent une unique larve de Coquilletidia récoltée à Ankazobe, dans le Moyen Ouest malgache, à une altitude de 1200 mètres. La répartition des captures d'adultes de Coquilletidia dans les différentes zones bio-climatiques de Madagascar, d'une part, et les critères morphologiques différentiels, d'autre part, permettent d'attribuer cette larve à Cq. grandidieri

Photometry of dust grains of comet 67P and connection with nucleus regions

Aims. Multiple pairs of high-resolution images of the dust coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko have been collected by OSIRIS onboard Rosetta allowing extraction and analysis of dust grain tracks. Methods. We developed a quasi automatic method to recognize and to extract dust tracks in the Osiris images providing size, FWHM and photometric data. The dust tracks characterized by a low signal-to-noise ratio were checked manually. We performed the photometric analysis of 70 dust grain tracks observed on two different Narrow Angle Camera images in the two filters F24 and F28, centered at λ = 480.7 nm and at λ = 743.7 nm, respectively, deriving the color and the reddening of each one. We then extracted several images of the nucleus observed with the same filters and with the same phase angle to be compared with the dust grain reddening. Results. Most of the dust grain reddening is very similar to the nucleus values, confirming they come from the surface or subsurface layer. The histogram of the dust grain reddening has a secondary peak at negative values and shows some grains with values higher than the nucleus, suggesting a different composition from the surface grains. One hypothesis comes from the negative values point at the presence of hydrated minerals in the comet. © ESO, 2016.The support of the national funding agencies of Germany (DLR), Italy (ASI), France (CNES), Spain (MEC), Sweden (SNSB), and the ESA Technical Directorate is gratefully acknowledged. We thank the ESA teams at ESAC, ESOC, and ESTEC for their work in support of the Rosetta mission.Peer Reviewe

The Agilkia boulders/pebbles size-frequency distributions: OSIRIS and ROLIS joint observations of 67P surface

By using the images acquired by the OSIRIS (Optical, Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System) and ROLIS (ROsetta Lander Imaging System) cameras, we derive the size¿ frequency distribution (SFD) of cometary pebbles and boulders covering the size range 0.05¿ 30.0 m on the Agilkia landing site. The global SFD measured on OSIRIS images, reflects the different properties of the multiple morphological units present on Agilkia, combined with selection effects related to lifting, transport and redeposition. Contrarily, the different ROLIS SFD derived on the smooth and rough units may be related to their different regolith thickness present on Agilkia. In the thicker, smoother layer, ROLIS mainly measures the SFD of the airfall population which almost completely obliterates the signature of underlying boulders up to a size of the order of 1 m. This is well matched by the power-law index derived analysing coma particles identified by the grain analyser Grain Impact Analyser and Dust Accumulator. This result confirms the important blanketing dynamism of Agilkia. The steeper SFD observed in rough terrains from 0.4 to 2 m could point out intrinsic differences between northern and southern dust size distributions, or it may suggest that the underlying boulders `peek through¿ the thinner airfall layer in the rough terrain, thereby producing the observed excess in the decimetre size range. Eventually, the OSIRIS SFD performed on the Philae landing unit may be due to water sublimation from a static population of boulders, affecting smaller boulders before the bigger ones, thus shallowing the original SFD.The support of the national funding agencies of Germany (DLR), France(CNES), Italy(ASI), Spain(MEC), Sweden(SNSB) and the ESA Technical Directorate is gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

Geologic mapping of the Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's Northern hemisphere

The Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS), the scientific imaging system onboard the Rosetta mission, has been acquiring images of the nucleus of the comet 67P/Churyumov¿Gerasimenko since 2014 August with a resolution which allows a detailed analysis of its surface. Indeed, data reveal a complex surface morphology which is likely the expression of different processes which occurred at different times on the cometary nucleus. In order to characterize these different morphologies and better understand their distribution, we performed a geologic mapping of comet¿s 67P Northern hemisphere in which features have been distinguished based on their morphological, textural and stratigraphic characteristics. For this purpose, we used narrow-angle camera images acquired in 2014 August and September with a spatial scale ranging from 1.2 to 2.4 m pixel¿1. Several different geologic units have been identified on the basis of their different surface textures, granulometry and morphology. Some of these units are distinctive and localized, whereas others are more common and distributed all over the Northern hemisphere. Moreover, different types of linear features have been distinguished on the basis of their morphology. Some of these lineaments have never been observed before on a comet and can offer important clues on the internal structures of the nucleus itself. The geologic mapping results presented here will allow us to better understand the processes which affected the nucleus¿ surface and thus the origin and evolutionary history of comet 67P/Churyumov¿Gerasimenko. © 2016 The Authors.The support of the national funding agencies of Germany (DLR), France(CNES), Italy(ASI), Spain(MEC), Sweden(SNSB) and the ESA Technical Directorate is gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

Spectrophotometry of the Khonsu region on the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko using OSIRIS instrument images

Our work focuses on the spectrophotometric analysis of selected terrain and bright patches in the Khonsu region on the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Despite the variety of geological features, their spectrophotometric properties appear to indicate a similar composition. It is noticeable that the smooth areas in Khonsu possess similar spectrophotometric behaviour to some other regions of the comet. We observed bright patches on Khonsu with an estimation of > 40 per cent of normal albedo and suggest that they are associated with HO ice. One of the studied bright patches has been observed to exist on the surface for more than 5 months without a major decay of its size, implying the existence of potential sub-surface icy layers. Its location may be correlated with a cometary outburst during the perihelion passage of the comet in 2015 August, and we interpret it to have triggered the surface modifications necessary to unearth the stratified icy layers beneath the surface. A boulder analysis on Khonsu leads to a power-law index of -3.1 +0.2/-0.3 suggesting a boulder formation, shaped by varying geological processes for different morphological units.© 2016 The Authors.The support of the national funding agencies of Germany (DLR), France(CNES), Italy(ASI), Spain(MEC), Sweden(SNSB) and the ESA Technical Directorate is gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

Mutation in NSUN2, which Encodes an RNA Methyltransferase, Causes Autosomal-Recessive Intellectual Disability

Causes of autosomal-recessive intellectual disability (ID) have, until very recently, been under researched because of the high degree of genetic heterogeneity. However, now that genome-wide approaches can be applied to single multiplex consanguineous families, the identification of genes harboring disease-causing mutations by autozygosity mapping is expanding rapidly. Here, we have mapped a disease locus in a consanguineous Pakistani family affected by ID and distal myopathy. We genotyped family members on genome-wide SNP microarrays and used the data to determine a single 2.5 Mb homozygosity-by-descent (HBD) locus in region 5p15.32–p15.31; we identified the missense change c.2035G>A (p.Gly679Arg) at a conserved residue within NSUN2. This gene encodes a methyltransferase that catalyzes formation of 5-methylcytosine at C34 of tRNA-leu(CAA) and plays a role in spindle assembly during mitosis as well as chromosome segregation. In mouse brains, we show that NSUN2 localizes to the nucleolus of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. The effects of the mutation were confirmed by the transfection of wild-type and mutant constructs into cells and subsequent immunohistochemistry. We show that mutation to arginine at this residue causes NSUN2 to fail to localize within the nucleolus. The ID combined with a unique profile of comorbid features presented here makes this an important genetic discovery, and the involvement of NSUN2 highlights the role of RNA methyltransferase in human neurocognitive development

PIK3CA mutations, phosphatase and tensin homolog, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor and adjuvant tamoxifen resistance in postmenopausal breast cancer patients

Introduction: Inhibitors of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) pathway can overcome endocrine resistance in estrogen receptor (ER) α-positive breast cancer, but companion diagnostics indicating PI3K/AKT/mTOR activation and consequently endocrine resistance are lacking. PIK3CA mutations frequently occur in ERα-positive breast cancer and result in PI3K/AKT/mTOR activation in vitro. Nevertheless, the prognostic and treatment-predictive value of these mutations in ERα-positive breast cancer is contradictive. We tested the clinical validity of PIK3CA mutations and other canonic pathway drivers to predict intrinsic resistance to adjuvant tamoxifen. In addition, we tested the association between these drivers and downstream activated proteins.Methods: Primary tumors from 563 ERα-positive postmenopausal patients, randomized between adjuvant tamoxifen (1 to 3 years) versus observation were recollected. PIK3CA hotspot mutations in exon 9 and exon 20 were assessed with Sequenom Mass Spectometry. Immunohistochemistry was performed for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R). We tested the association between these molecular alterations and downstream activated proteins (like phospho-protein kinase B (p-AKT), phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR), p-ERK1/2, and p-p70S6K). Recurrence-free interval improvement with tamoxifen versus control was assessed according to the presence or absence of canonic pathway drivers, by using Cox proportional hazard models, including a test for interaction.Results: PIK3CA mutations (both exon 9 and exon 20) were associated with low tumor grade. An enrichment of PIK3CA exon 20 mutations was observed in progesterone receptor- positive tumors. PIK3CA exon 20 mutations were not associated with downstream-activated proteins. No significant interaction between PIK3CA mutations or any of the other canonic pathway drivers and tamoxifen-treatment benefit was found.Conclusion: PIK3CA mutations do not have clinical validity to predict intrinsic resistance to adjuvant tamoxifen and may therefore be unsuitable as companion diagnostic for PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors in ERα- positive, postmenopausal, early breast cancer patients

Competing Orders in Coupled Luttinger Liquids

We consider the problem of two coupled Luttinger liquids both at half filling and at low doping levels, to investigate the problem of competing orders in quasi-one-dimensional strongly correlated systems. We use bosonization and renormalization group equations to investigate the phase diagrams, to determine the allowed phases and to establish approximate boundaries among them. Because of the chiral translation and reflection symmetry in the charge mode away from half filling, orders of charge density wave (CDW) and spin-Peierls (SP) diagonal current (DC) and $d$-density wave (DDW) form two doublets and thus can be at most quasi-long range ordered. At half-filling, umklapp terms break this symmetry down to a discrete group and thus Ising-type ordered phases appear as a result of spontaneous breaking of the residual symmetries. Quantum disordered Haldane phases are also found, with finite amplitudes of pairing orders and triplet counterparts of CDW, SP, DC and DDW. Relations with recent numerical results and implications to similar problems in two dimensions are discussed.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables. Revised manuscript; a misprint in Eq. B3 has been corrected. The paper is already in print in PR

A multilevel neo-institutional analysis of infection prevention and control in English hospitals: coerced safety culture change?

Despite committed policy, regulative and professional efforts on healthcare safety, little is known about how such macro-interventions permeate organisations and shape culture over time. Informed by neo-institutional theory, we examined how inter-organisational influences shaped safety practices and inter-subjective meanings following efforts for coerced culture change. We traced macro-influences from 2000 to 2015 in infection prevention and control (IPC). Safety perceptions and meanings were inductively analysed from 130 in-depth qualitative interviews with senior- and middle-level managers from 30 English hospitals. A total of 869 institutional interventions were identified; 69% had a regulative component. In this context of forced implementation of safety practices, staff experienced inherent tensions concerning the scope of safety, their ability to be open and prioritisation of external mandates over local need. These tensions stemmed from conflicts among three co-existing institutional logics prevalent in the NHS. In response to requests for change, staff flexibly drew from a repertoire of cognitive, material and symbolic resources within and outside their organisations. They crafted 'strategies of action', guided by a situated assessment of first-hand practice experiences complementing collective evaluations of interventions such as 'pragmatic', 'sensible' and also 'legitimate'. Macro-institutional forces exerted influence either directly on individuals or indirectly by enriching the organisational cultural repertoire