Biological characteristics of sperm in European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis)

In brooding mollusc species that incubate larvae before their release in seawater, the biology of gametes remains poorly explored. The present study describes some biological characteristics of sperm of the European flat oyster, a native species that has been over-exploited in the past and is nowadays classified as an endangered species in Europe. Flat oysters were collected by divers in the Rade de Brest (Finistère, France), during its natural reproduction period. Gonadal pH is acidic (6.31 ± 0.10). Spermatozoa are clustered in spermatozeugmata, an acellular structure in which the sperm heads are embedded. After their transfer in seawater, spermatozeugmata have a mean diameter of 64 ± 3 μm and they release free spermatozoa for a mean duration of 21 ± 3 min. Immediately after their release, the mean percentage of motile spermatozoa was 48.5 ± 12.6%. At 10 min after dilution in seawater, movement of spermatozoa was no more observed. Biological characteristics of European flat oyster sperm are compared to those observed in the Pacific oyster, regarding the unique reproductive behaviour of the former species and the role of spermatozoa transfer played by spermatozeugmata. The present results aim to improve the knowledge of reproduction and natural recruitment processes, support conservation and restoration measures and favour the establishment of management protocols of gametes and larvae in this endangered species

Adipose Tissue Is a Neglected Viral Reservoir and an Inflammatory Site during Chronic HIV and SIV Infection

International audienceTwo of the crucial aspects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are (i) viral persistence in reservoirs (precluding viral eradication) and (ii) chronic inflammation (directly associated with all-cause morbidities in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-controlled HIV-infected patients). The objective of the present study was to assess the potential involvement of adipose tissue in these two aspects. Adipose tissue is composed of adipocytes and the stromal vascular fraction (SVF); the latter comprises immune cells such as CD4+ T cells and macrophages (both of which are important target cells for HIV). The inflammatory potential of adipose tissue has been extensively described in the context of obesity. During HIV infection, the inflammatory profile of adipose tissue has been revealed by the occurrence of lipodystrophies (primarily related to ART). Data on the impact of HIV on the SVF (especially in individuals not receiving ART) are scarce. We first analyzed the impact of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection on abdominal subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues in SIVmac251 infected macaques and found that both adipocytes and adipose tissue immune cells were affected. The adipocyte density was elevated, and adipose tissue immune cells presented enhanced immune activation and/or inflammatory profiles. We detected cell-associated SIV DNA and RNA in the SVF and in sorted CD4+ T cells and macrophages from adipose tissue. We demonstrated that SVF cells (including CD4+ T cells) are infected in ART-controlled HIV-infected patients. Importantly, the production of HIV RNA was detected by in situ hybridization, and after the in vitro reactivation of sorted CD4+ T cells from adipose tissue. We thus identified adipose tissue as a crucial cofactor in both viral persistence and chronic immune activation/inflammation during HIV infection. These observations open up new therapeutic strategies for limiting the size of the viral reservoir and decreasing low-grade chronic inflammation via the modulation of adipose tissue-related pathway

Evaluation of Cynomolgus Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) Endogenous Retrovirus Expression Following Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Human endogenous retrovirus type K (HERV-K) transcripts are upregulated in the plasma of HIV-infected individuals and have been considered as targets for an HIV vaccine. We evaluated cynomolgus macaque endogenous retrovirus (CyERV) mRNA expression by RT-qPCR in PBMCs isolated from a cohort of animals previously utilized in a live attenuated SIV vaccine trial. CyERV env transcript levels decreased following vaccination (control and vaccine groups) and CyERV env and gag mRNA expression was decreased following acute SIV-infection, whereas during chronic SIV infection, CyERV transcript levels were indistinguishable from baseline. Reduced susceptibility to initial SIV infection, as measured by the number of SIV challenges required for infection, was associated with increased CyERV transcript levels in PBMCs. In vitro analysis revealed that SIV infection of purified CD4+ T-cells did not alter CyERV gene expression. This study represents the first evaluation of ERV expression in cynomolgus macaques following SIV infection, in an effort to assess the utility of cynomolgus macaques as an animal model to evaluate ERVs as a target for an HIV/SIV vaccine. This non-human primate model system does not recapitulate what has been observed to date in the plasma of HIV-infected humans suggesting that further investigation at the cellular level is required to elucidate the impact of HIV/SIV infection on endogenous retrovirus expression

Le tapis de l\u27oeil du Coelacanthe (Latimeria anjouanae [Smith])

Volume: 26Start Page: 460End Page: 46

Sentencing of Sex-Offenders: A Survey Study Investigating Judges' Sentences and Community Perspectives

This study asked a representative sample from Victoria, Australia, to rate four cases of sexual assault on applicability of sentence type and recommended sentence. The four cases included male child sexual assault, female child sexual assault, opportunity rape and "blitz" rape. Participants' responses were analysed as a whole and also by gender, victimization history and educational level. Results suggest that judges' sentences in these cases are reflected rather well in public sentiment, irrespective of gender, educational level and victimization history. For child sex offences only, people were more inclined to advocate a criminogenic needs approach to offender treatment than a good lives model of treatment - although the differences were very small. In the case of "blitz" rape people displayed a small preference for a good lives model of treatment

Caractéristiques biologiques des gamètes et larves d'huître plate européenne (Ostrea edulis): données préliminaires

      The biology of gametes and larvae in brooding mollusc species remains little explored. The aim of this study is to present the results obtained in 2016, on biological characteristics of gametes and larvae of European flat oyster.       Measurements were carried out on 50 oysters, collected by divers in the Rade de Brest (Finistère, France), during the spawning period of this species. Gonad pH is acidic (6.58±0.54). After the dissociation of spermatozeugmata, an acellular structure to which the spermatozoa are clustered, the percentage of motile spermatozoa ranged from 20 to 34% and the Velocity of the Average Path from 70 to 85µm/s. Spermatozeugmata were shed after serotonin injection. Oocytes (mean diameter: 129.4±19.1µm) were rarely observed (2 oysters/50). White (mean quantity: 2.14 106 larvae/oyster) and grey (1.23 106) larvae were collected. After incubation in beakers, the survival rates ranged from 39 to 59%.       Biological characteristics of European flat oyster gametes and larvae are compared to those observed in other mollusc species. The present results would improve the knowledge of reproduction, support the protection and favour the establishment of management protocols of gametes and larvae in this species.       Les connaissances disponibles sur les gamètes et larves des espèces de mollusques incubant leurs embryons restent limitées. Le présent rapport expose les résultats obtenus en 2016 sur les caractéristiques biologiques des gamètes et larves de l’huître plate européenne.       Les mesures sont réalisées sur une cinquantaine d’individus, récoltés en plongée dans la rade de Brest (Finistère) et durant la saison de reproduction de l’espèce. Le pH des gonades est acide (6,58±0,54). Après dissociation des spermatozeugmata, dans lesquels les gamètes mâles sont insérés, un pourcentage de spermatozoïdes mobiles de 20 à 34% est observé et la vitesse de déplacement est comprise entre 70 et 85µm/s (Velocity of the Average Path). L’émission de spermatozeugmata est constatée après injection de sérotonine. Des ovocytes (taille moyenne : 129,4±19,1µm) ne sont récoltés que chez 2 huîtres sur 50. Des larves blanches (quantité moyenne : 2,14 106 larves/huître) et ardoisées (1,23 106) sont  observées chez quelques reproducteurs en phase d’incubation. Des survies comprises entre 39 et 59% sont enregistrées après incubation des larves en béchers.  Les caractéristiques biologiques des gamètes et larves d’huître plate européenne sont comparées à celles d’autres mollusques. Ces données descriptives devraient améliorer la connaissance de la reproduction de l’espèce, aider à sa protection dans le milieu naturel et favoriser la mise en place de procédures de gestion de ses gamètes et larves

How do field workers in poverty craft meaningful roles to achieve social impact? female teachers in slums in India

Prior research has adopted a job-crafting perspective to explain why employees attempt to craft their roles meaningfully (Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001). We explore this theoretical lens in a new context that is particularly challenging for workers and where it would seem unlikely to apply: poverty. More specifically, we study female teachers in slums in India. We use a mixed-methods approach—first qualitative research, then quantitative research—to contextualize job-crafting theorizing by identifying, conceptualizing, and testing situational challenges and enablers in regard to meaningful work in this context. More specifically, we develop and corroborate new theory suggesting that poverty- and gender-related stressors deplete teachers’ energy and resources, limiting relational job crafting, but that teachers’ identification with the community helps to counteract this challenge, ultimately increasing their social impact. More fundamentally, we show how job-crafting theorizing, contextualized in a poverty setting, helps to understand how social organizations, through their fieldworkers (e.g., female teachers), create social impact

Mcl-1 Is a Key Regulator of Apoptosis during CNS Development and after DNA Damage

Despite the importance of Mcl-1, an anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member, in the regulation of apoptosis, little is known regarding its role in nervous system development and injury-induced neuronal cell death. Because germline deletion of Mcl-1 results in peri-implantation lethality, we address the function of Mcl-1 in the nervous system using two different conditional Mcl-1 mouse mutants in the developing nervous system. Here, we show for the first time that Mcl-1 is required for neuronal development. Neural precursors within the ventricular zone and newly committed neurons in the cortical plate express high levels of Mcl-1 throughout cortical neurogenesis. Loss of Mcl-1 in neuronal progenitors results in widespread apoptosis. Double labeling with active caspase 3 and Tuj1 reveals that newly committed Mcl1 deficient neurons undergo apoptosis as they commence migration away from the ventricular zone. Examination of neural progenitor differentiation in vitro demonstrated that cell death in the absence of Mcl1 is cell autonomous. Although conditional deletion of Mcl-1 in cultured neurons does not trigger apoptosis, loss of Mcl-1 sensitizes neurons to an acute DNA damaging insult. Indeed, the rapid reduction of Mcl-1mRNAand protein levels are early events afterDNAdamage in neurons, and maintaining high Mcl-1 levels can protect neurons against death. Together, our results are the first to demonstrate the requirement of Mcl-1, an anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein, for cortical neurogenesis and the survival of neurons after DNA damage

Gamete quality in triploid Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Triploidy induction in shellfish aims to obtain faster growth and sterility of reared individuals. Triploid Pacific oysters are most often not totally sterile, but have greatly reduced reproductive capacities compared to those recorded in diploid individuals. The description of gamete output in triploid aquatic animals is most often confined to the assessment of fecundity in females. The present work aims at further describing gamete quality of triploid Pacific oysters and comparing it to values observed in diploid individuals. Diploid and triploid oysters (produced by mating tetraploid males × diploid females) were reared in standard conditions and then transferred to the wild to allow the offspring to attain reproductive maturity. At the end of gametogenesis, the reproductive characteristics of both groups were estimated. After gonad sampling, gametes could be observed in 92.9% diploid oysters compared with 42.0% in triploids. A higher number of spermatozoa was produced in diploids (344 ± 106 × 109 spermatozoa) compared with triploids (5 ± 7 × 109 spermatozoa). Furthermore, the percentage of motile sperm and sperm swimming speed were higher in diploids compared with triploids. In contrast, a higher intracellular ATP content was found in triploids (99.1 ± 34.0 nmole 10− 9 sperm) than in diploids (63.6 ± 20.7 nmole 10− 9 sperm). A higher number of oocytes was collected from diploid oysters (19.1 ± 3.8 × 106 oocytes), than from triploid ones (0.1 ± 0.1 × 106 oocytes). The D-larval yield was 45% higher for crosses (female × male) triploid × diploid, than the control (diploid × diploid). Furthermore, the lowest D-larval yield was measured for triploid × triploid crosses. Considering the present data, a partial estimation of the reproductive potential of triploid Pacific oysters (triploid × triploid crosses) could be close to 0.06% of that of diploid individuals. However, this estimation is probably over-evaluated because it does not take into account the low sperm production of triploids (1.5% compared to diploids), the unknown frequency of spontaneous spawning in triploids and the low viability of the progeny. The consequences of the low reproductive potential of triploid Pacific oysters on natural populations and on hatchery practices are discussed. In conclusion, the present work confirms that triploidy leads to a limited reproductive potential as estimated by gamete characteristics and embryo developmental success. Statement of relevance This study is relevant to aquaculture because triploids are produced by aquaculture and the consequences of their low gamete quality, described in this paper, on the natural environment but also on hatchery practices are discussed

Establishment of microbiota in larval culture of Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas

00000 ăWOS:000383370300057International audienceThis study has two main objectives: (1) to implement a recycling aquaculture system (RS) for the larvae of the oyster Crassostrea gigas, and (2) to characterise the bacterial communities established in different compartments of this system. An RS with 25% fresh seawater addition per hour and another with no addition (0%) were compared with a flow-through system (FT). Larval survival was equivalent in RS and FT, but growth rate was 17% slower in RS than in FT. The physical chemical parameters remained stable, except for pH that decreased to 7.75 and salinity that increased to 37.5% in the RS 0%. In both systems, the cultivable bacteria were present in similar numbers in seawater (around 10(5) ml(-1)) and in larvae (10(3) larva(-1)) on day 15. Bacterial assemblages, characterised by 454 pyrosequencing of the V1-V3 region of 16S rRNA, were highly similar (50-65%) for compartments, regardless of rearing system and sampling time, but the compartments were clearly different from one another. At the beginning of rearing, larval microbiota was mostly composed of Proteobacteria (similar to 90%), with 47% Rhodobacteraceae (gamma-Proteobacteria). beta-Proteobacteria, including Pseudoalteromonas, Alteromonas and a few vibrios, declined in the rearing period (25% on day 7 to 9% on day 15). At the end of rearing, colonisation by two members of the Burkholderiales (beta-Proteobacteria), 45% on average on day 15, had decreased overall diversity. Seawater microbiota was more stable with in all batches as one unclassified bacterium present in all batches (27 +/- 7%), 42 OTUs of alpha-Proteobacteria (19 +/- 7%) and 26 of gamma-Proteobacteria (14%). Change was due notably to a species of Cryomorphaceae (Flavobacteria) that reached 15 +/- 7% on day 15. Predatory bacteria, Bdellovivrio spp. and Bacteriovorax spp. were present (3-12%) and could participate in the regulation of bacterial populations. Bacterial assemblages in RS bioreactors remained stable and were mainly composed of Rhodobacteraceae, Rhizobiales and Planctomycetes. Only a few nitrite oxidisers were detected and no ammonia oxidisers, although nitrification was efficient in RS without addition of new water. The larval microbiota was made up of bacteria growing in seawater, but some such as the Burkholderiales could have come from the broodstock. Several bacteria predominant in seawater were first harboured in the algal culture. Finally, despite sanitary measures in the hatchery (UV treatment and frequent cleaning), the diversity of microbiota remained high, and it did not contain pathogenic bacteria. The presence of this microbiota might even be indispensable to ensure normal ontogenesis, as suggested by the holobiont concept. Statement of relevance RAS and control of microbiota should improve bivalve larval culture