Suggestions for a systematic regulatory approach to ocean plastics

The research investigates the problems and maps the solutions to the serious threat that plastics pose to the oceans, food safety, and human health, with more than eight million tons of plastic debris dumped in the sea every year. The aim of this study is to explore how to better improve the regulatory process of ocean plastics by integrating scientific results, regulatory strategies and action plans so as to limit the impact of plastics at sea. Adopting a problem-solving approach and identifying four areas of intervention enable the establishment of a regulatory framework from a multi-actor, multi-issue, and multi-level perspective. The research methodology consists of a two-pronged approach: 1. An analysis of the state-of-the-art definition of plastics, micro-, and nanoplastics (respectively, MPs and NPs), and 2. The identification and discussion of loopholes in the current regulation, suggesting key actions to be taken at a global, regional and national level. In particular, the study proposes a systemic integration of scientific and regulatory advancements towards the construction of an interconnected multi-tiered (MT) plastic governance framework. The milestones reached by the project SECURE at UiT - The Arctic University of Norway provide evidence of the strength of the theory of integration and rights-based approaches. The suggested model holds substantial significance for the fields of environmental protection, food security, food safety, and human health. This proposed MT plastic governance framework allows for the holistic and effective organization of complex information and scenarios concerning plastics regulation. Containing a clear definition of plastics, grounded on the precautionary principle, the MT plastic framework should provide detailed mitigation measures, with a clear indication of rights and duties, and in coordination with an effective reparatory justice system

Genetic and dietary modulators of the inflammatory response in the gastrointestinal tract of the BXD mouse genetic reference population.

peer reviewedInflammatory gut disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), can be impacted by dietary, environmental, and genetic factors. While the incidence of IBD is increasing worldwide, we still lack a complete understanding of the gene-by-environment interactions underlying inflammation and IBD. Here, we profiled the colon transcriptome of 52 BXD mouse strains fed with a chow or high-fat diet (HFD) and identified a subset of BXD strains that exhibit an IBD-like transcriptome signature on HFD, indicating that an interplay of genetics and diet can significantly affect intestinal inflammation. Using gene co-expression analyses, we identified modules that are enriched for IBD-dysregulated genes and found that these IBD-related modules share cis-regulatory elements that are responsive to the STAT2, SMAD3, and REL transcription factors. We used module quantitative trait locus analyses to identify genetic loci associated with the expression of these modules. Through a prioritization scheme involving systems genetics in the mouse and integration with external human datasets, we identified Muc4 and Epha6 as the top candidates mediating differences in HFD-driven intestinal inflammation. This work provides insights into the contribution of genetics and diet to IBD risk and identifies two candidate genes, MUC4 and EPHA6, that may mediate IBD susceptibility in humans

High Level of Soluble HLA-G in the Female Genital Tract of Beninese Commercial Sex Workers Is Associated with HIV-1 Infection

Most HIV infections are transmitted across mucosal epithelium. Understanding the role of innate and specific mucosal immunity in susceptibility or protection against HIV infection, as well as the effect of HIV infection on mucosal immunity, are of fundamental importance. HLA-G is a powerful modulator of the immune response. The aim of this study was to investigate whether soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) expression in the female genital tract is associated with HIV-1 infection.Genital levels of sHLA-G were determined in 52 HIV-1-uninfected and 44 antiretroviral naïve HIV-1-infected female commercial sex workers (CSWs), as well as 71 HIV-1-uninfected non-CSW women at low risk of exposure, recruited in Cotonou, Benin. HIV-1-infected CSWs had higher genital levels of sHLA-G compared with those in both the HIV-1-uninfected CSW (P = 0.009) and non-CSW groups (P = 0.0006). The presence of bacterial vaginosis (P = 0.008), and HLA-G*01:01:02 genotype (P = 0.002) were associated with higher genital levels of sHLA-G in the HIV-1-infected CSWs, whereas the HLA-G*01:04:04 genotype was also associated with higher genital level of sHLA-G in the overall population (P = 0.038). When adjustment was made for all significant variables, the increased expression of sHLA-G in the genital mucosa remained significantly associated with both HIV-1 infection (P = 0.02) and bacterial vaginosis (P = 0.03).This study demonstrates that high level of sHLA-G in the genital mucosa is independently associated with both HIV-1 infection and bacterial vaginosis

Plasma membrane microdomains in plants: for which physiological roles?

International audienceA large body of evidence supports the existence, in membrane from animal and yeast cells, of functional microdomains playing important roles in protein sorting, signal transduction, or infection by pathogens (1). We demonstrated the presence, in plants, of detergent resistant fractions isolated from plasma membrane, with a lipidic composition similar to animal microdomains (2). Electrophoresis experiments indicated that these fractions were able to recruit a specific set of plasma membrane proteins and exclude others. We used mass spectrometry to give an extensive description of a tobacco plasma membrane microdomains. This led to the identification of 145 proteins whose functional and physico-chemical characteristics were analysed in silico (3). This analysis indicated that if a primary function of the plasma membrane, such as transport, seems under-represented in microdomains, others, such as signalling and response to biotic and abiotic stress, undergo a significant increase of their relative importance. This suggests that these domains are likely to constitute, as in animal cells, signalling platforms involved in particular physiological processes. These results and others recently published (4) lead us to investigate more precisely the putative role played by such microdomains in the early interactions between plants and microorganisms, with a particular attention to reactive oxygen species metabolism. (1) Rajendran & Simons (2005) Journal of Cell Science 118, 1099-1102 (2) Mongrand et al (2004) Journal of Biological Chemistry 279 (35), 36277-36286 (3) Morel et al (2006) Molecular and Cellular Proteomics 5 (8), 1396-1411 (4) Bhat & Panstruga (2005) Planta 223 (1), 5-1

Rôle des microdomaines du plasmalemme dans la réponse de la cellule végétale au stress biotique

National audienc

A microscopic model of the dose distribution in hepatocellular carcinoma after selective internal radiation therapy

International audienceThe dosimetry evaluation for the selective internal radiation therapy is currently performed assuming a uniform activity distribution, which is in contrast with literature findings. A 2D microscopic model of the perfused liver was developed to evaluate the effect of two different 90Y microspheres distributions: i) homogeneous partitioning with the microspheres equally distributed in the perfused liver, and ii) tumor-clustered partitioning where the microspheres distribution is inferred from the patient specific images.Methods: Two subjects diagnosed with liver cancer were included in this study. For each subject, abdominal CT scans acquired prior to the SIRT and post-treatment 90Y positron emission tomography were considered. Two microspheres partitionings were simulated namely homogeneous and tumor-clustered partitioning. The homogeneous and tumor-clustered partitionings were derived starting from CT images. The microspheres radiation is simulated by means of Russell's law.Results: In homogenous simulations, the dose delivery is uniform in the whole liver while in the tumor-clustered simulations a heterogeneous distribution of the delivered dose is visible with higher values in the tumor regions. In addition, in the tumor-clustered simulation, the delivered dose is higher in the viable tumor than in the necrotic tumor, for all patients. In the tumor-clustered case, the dose delivered in the non-tumoral tissue (NTT) was considerably lower than in the perfused liver.Conclusions: The model proposed here represents a proof-of-concept for personalized dosimetry assessment based on preoperative CT images

Plant lipid rafts : from proteic composition to physiological roles

International audienceA large body of evidence supports the existence, in membrane from animal and yeast cells, of functional microdomains playing important roles in protein sorting, signal transduction, or infection by pathogens (1). We demonstrated the presence, in plants, of detergent resistant fractions isolated from plasma membrane, with a lipidic composition similar to animal microdomains (2). Electrophoresis experiments indicated that these fractions were able to recruit a specific set of plasma membrane proteins and exclude others. We used mass spectrometry to give an extensive description of a tobacco plasma membrane microdomains. This led to the identification of 145 proteins whose functional and physico-chemical characteristics were analysed in silico (3). This analysis indicated that if a primary function of the plasma membrane, such as transport, seems under-represented in microdomains, others, such as signalling and response to biotic and abiotic stress, undergo a significant increase of their relative importance. This suggests that these domains are likely to constitute, as in animal cells, signalling platforms involved in particular physiological processes. These results and others recently published (4) lead us to investigate more precisely the putative role played by such microdomains in the set up of plant defense reactions, using tobacco and the fungal elicitor cryptogein as a model. (1)Rajendran & Simons (2005) Journal of Cell Science 118, 1099-1102 (2)Mongrand et al (2004) Journal of Biological Chemistry 279 (35), 36277-36286 (3)Morel et al (2006) Molecular and Cellular Proteomics 5 (8), 1396-1411 (4) Bhat & Panstruga (2005) Plant 223 (1), 5-1

Plant lipid rafts : from proteic composition to physiological roles

International audienceA large body of evidence supports the existence, in membrane from animal and yeast cells, of functional microdomains playing important roles in protein sorting, signal transduction, or infection by pathogens (1). We demonstrated the presence, in plants, of detergent resistant fractions isolated from plasma membrane, with a lipidic composition similar to animal microdomains (2). Electrophoresis experiments indicated that these fractions were able to recruit a specific set of plasma membrane proteins and exclude others. We used mass spectrometry to give an extensive description of a tobacco plasma membrane microdomains. This led to the identification of 145 proteins whose functional and physico-chemical characteristics were analysed in silico (3). This analysis indicated that if a primary function of the plasma membrane, such as transport, seems under-represented in microdomains, others, such as signalling and response to biotic and abiotic stress, undergo a significant increase of their relative importance. This suggests that these domains are likely to constitute, as in animal cells, signalling platforms involved in particular physiological processes. These results and others recently published (4) lead us to investigate more precisely the putative role played by such microdomains in the set up of plant defense reactions, using tobacco and the fungal elicitor cryptogein as a model. (1)Rajendran & Simons (2005) Journal of Cell Science 118, 1099-1102 (2)Mongrand et al (2004) Journal of Biological Chemistry 279 (35), 36277-36286 (3)Morel et al (2006) Molecular and Cellular Proteomics 5 (8), 1396-1411 (4) Bhat & Panstruga (2005) Plant 223 (1), 5-1