Racionalidades campesinas en los Andes del Sur : reflexiones en torno al cultivo de la quinua y otros vegetales andinos

International audienceThis book originated in a workshop organised in La Paz (Bolivia) in December 2008, as part of the Franco-Bolivian ANR-EQUECO programme, with the aim of reflecting on socio-environmental changes in agriculture in the southern Andes over the last 1,000 years. Subsequently, as a result of international collaborations, including the Franco-Argentine ECOS programme, the editors invited other experts to contribute their work to these reflections. The authors of this book - archaeologists, anthropologists, geographers, geneticists, agronomists and ecologists - represent a balanced panel of human and biophysical sciences. All have direct and recent experience of the current or past reality of the societies and natural environment of the Southern Andes. Despite the diversity of their respective disciplines and perspectives, the authors have endeavoured to make their contributions accessible to a non-specialist audience, presenting tables and figures to facilitate understanding of the data and using a glossary to define, where necessary, certain technical or vernacular terms. The temporal scope of the book covers pre-Hispanic periods to the present, while geographically, it covers the southern altiplano and inter-Andean valleys of southern Bolivia, the puna and valleys of northwestern Argentina, and the contrasting regions of Chile.Este libro tuvo su origen en un taller cuyo objetivo fue reflexionar sobre los cambios socio ambientales en la agricultura del sur andino en los últimos 1.000 años, encuentro organizado en La Paz (Bolivia) en diciembre de 2008, en el marco del programa franco-boliviano EQUECO. Luego, como fruto de colaboraciones internacionales entre ellas el programa franco-argentino ECOS, los editores invitaron a otros expertos más para que aporten con sus trabajos a estas reflexiones.Los autores de este libro –arqueólogos, antropólogos, geógrafos, genetistas, agrónomos y ecólogos– representan un panel equilibradoentre ciencias humanas y biofísicas. Todos cuentan con una experiencia directa y reciente de la realidad actual o pasada de las sociedades y del ambiente natural de los Andes del Sur. A pesar de la diversidad de sus respectivas disciplinas y perspectivas, los autores se aplicaron en hacer sus contribuciones accesibles al público no especializado, presentando tablas y figuras que faciliten la comprensión de los datos y utilizando un glosario para definir, cuando necesario, ciertos términos técnicos o vernaculares. El alcance temporal del libro cubre desde los períodos prehispánicos hasta el presente mientras que en lo geográfico, recorre desde el altiplano sur y los valles interandinos del sur de Bolivia, hasta la puna y los valles del noroeste de Argentina pasando por las contrastadas regiones de Chile

Crosspresentation by dendritic cells,”

MHC class I-loading complex A series of endoplasmic reticulum chaperone proteins that stabilize empty MHC class I molecules and control the loading of high-affinity peptides onto MHC class I molecules. Cross-presentation by dendritic cells Abstract | The presentation of exogenous antigens on MHC class I molecules, known as cross-presentation, is essential for the initiation of CD8 + T cell responses. In vivo, cross-presentation is mainly carried out by specific dendritic cell (DC) subsets through an adaptation of their endocytic and phagocytic pathways. Here, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the intracellular mechanisms of cross-presentation and discuss its role in immunity and tolerance in the context of specialization between DC subsets. Finally, we review current strategies to use cross-presentation for immunotherapy

Cholesterol-Independent Effects of Methyl-β-Cyclodextrin on Chemical Synapses

The cholesterol chelating agent, methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD), alters synaptic function in many systems. At crayfish neuromuscular junctions, MβCD is reported to reduce excitatory junctional potentials (EJPs) by impairing impulse propagation to synaptic terminals, and to have no postsynaptic effects. We examined the degree to which physiological effects of MβCD correlate with its ability to reduce cholesterol, and used thermal acclimatization as an alternative method to modify cholesterol levels. MβCD impaired impulse propagation and decreased EJP amplitude by 40% (P<0.05) in preparations from crayfish acclimatized to 14°C but not from those acclimatized to 21°C. The reduction in EJP amplitude in the cold-acclimatized group was associated with a 49% reduction in quantal content (P<0.05). MβCD had no effect on input resistance in muscle fibers but decreased sensitivity to the neurotransmitter L-glutamate in both warm- and cold-acclimatized groups. This effect was less pronounced and reversible in the warm-acclimatized group (90% reduction in cold, P<0.05; 50% reduction in warm, P<0.05). MβCD reduced cholesterol in isolated nerve and muscle from cold- and warm-acclimatized groups by comparable amounts (nerve: 29% cold, 25% warm; muscle: 20% cold, 18% warm; P<0.05). This effect was reversed by cholesterol loading, but only in the warm-acclimatized group. Thus, effects of MβCD on glutamate-sensitivity correlated with its ability to reduce cholesterol, but effects on impulse propagation and resulting EJP amplitude did not. Our results indicate that MβCD can affect both presynaptic and postsynaptic properties, and that some effects of MβCD are unrelated to cholesterol chelation

Endovascular retrieval of two migrated venous stents by means of balloon catheters

AbstractThe usefulness of vascular stenting was demonstrated in both arterial and venous applications to restore patency and improve suboptimal results after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. Dislodgment of venous stents with an embolization into the right cavities or the pulmonary artery, however, is one of the most feared complications of this procedure. Percutaneous removal of these migrated stents is an appealing method of replacing more invasive operative intervention with cardiopulmonary bypass, which may be very hazardous in these often severely ill patients. We describe the cases of two patients with stents that migrated into the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. In one patient, we were able to successfully remove these stents by using an angioplasty balloon with an operative extraction from the iliac vein, thereby obviating the need for a major operative procedure. (J Vasc Surg 1998;28:541-6.

On the parameterisation of the urban atmospheric sublayer in meteorological models

International audienceThe increased resolution of numerical weather prediction models allows nowadays addressing more specifically urban meteorology and air pollution processes and forecasts. This has triggered new interest in modelling and describing experimentally the specific features and processes of urban areas. Recent developments and results performed within the EU-funded project FUMAPEX on integrated systems for forecasting urban meteorology and air pollution are reported here. Issues of optimum resolution, parameterising urban roughness and surface exchange fluxes and the role of the urban soil layers are addressed with advanced meso- or sub-meso meteorological models. Recommendations, especially with respect to advanced urban air quality forecasting and information systems, are given together with an assessment of the needed further research and data

Efficient and versatile manipulation of the peripheral CD4+ T-cell compartment by antigen targeting to DNGR-1/CLEC9A

DC NK lectin group receptor-1 (DNGR-1, also known as CLEC9A) is a C-type lectin receptor expressed by mouse CD8α+ DC and by their putative equivalents in human. DNGR-1 senses necrosis and regulates CD8+ T-cell cross-priming to dead-cell-associated antigens. In addition, DNGR-1 is a target for selective in vivo delivery of antigens to DC and the induction of CD8+ T-cell and Ab responses. In this study, we evaluated whether DNGR-1 targeting can be additionally used to manipulate antigen-specific CD4+ T lymphocytes. Injection of small amounts of antigen-coupled anti-DNGR-1 mAb into mice promoted MHC class II antigen presentation selectively by CD8α+ DC. In the steady state, this was sufficient to induce proliferation of antigen-specific naïve CD4+ T cells and to drive their differentiation into Foxp3+ regulatory lymphocytes. Co-administration of adjuvants prevented this induction of tolerance and promoted immunity. Notably, distinct adjuvants allowed qualitative modulation of CD4+ T-cell behavior: poly I:C induced a strong IL-12-independent Th1 response, whereas curdlan led to the priming of Th17 cells. Thus, antigen targeting to DNGR-1 is a versatile approach for inducing functionally distinct CD4+ T-cell responses. Given the restricted pattern of expression of DNGR-1 across species, this strategy could prove useful for developing immunotherapy protocols in humans

Towards improving the simulation of meteorological fields in urban areas through updated/advanced surface fluxes description

International audienceThe increased resolution of numerical weather prediction models allows nowadays addressing more realistically urban meteorology and air pollution processes. This has triggered new interest in modelling and describing experimentally the specific features and processes of urban areas. Recent developments and results performed within the EU-funded project FUMAPEX on integrated systems for forecasting urban meteorology and air pollution are reported here. Sensitivity studies with respect to optimum resolution, parametrisation of urban roughness and surface exchange fluxes and the role of urban soil layers are carried out with advanced meso- or sub-meso meteorological models. They show that sensible improvements can be achieved by higher model resolution that is accompanied with better description of urban surface features. Recommendations, especially with respect to advanced urban air quality forecasting and information systems, are given together with an assessment of the needed further research and data