Bioavailability of Macro and Micronutrients Across Global Topsoils: Main Drivers and Global Change Impacts

Understanding the chemical composition of our planet\u27s crust was one of the biggest questions of the 20th century. More than 100 years later, we are still far from understanding the global patterns in the bioavailability and spatial coupling of elements in topsoils worldwide, despite their importance for the productivity and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we measured the bioavailability and coupling of thirteen macro- and micronutrients and phytotoxic elements in topsoils (3–8 cm) from a range of terrestrial ecosystems across all continents (∼10,000 observations) and in response to global change manipulations (∼5,000 observations). For this, we incubated between 1 and 4 pairs of anionic and cationic exchange membranes per site for a mean period of 53 days. The most bioavailable elements (Ca, Mg, and K) were also amongst the most abundant in the crust. Patterns of bioavailability were biome-dependent and controlled by soil properties such as pH, organic matter content and texture, plant cover, and climate. However, global change simulations resulted in important alterations in the bioavailability of elements. Elements were highly coupled, and coupling was predictable by the atomic properties of elements, particularly mass, mass to charge ratio, and second ionization energy. Deviations from the predictable coupling-atomic mass relationship were attributed to global change and agriculture. Our work illustrates the tight links between the bioavailability and coupling of topsoil elements and environmental context, human activities, and atomic properties of elements, thus deeply enhancing our integrated understanding of the biogeochemical connections that underlie the productivity and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems in a changing world

Coronal and Interplanetary Structures Associated with Type III Bursts

International audienceThis paper pursues former studies of the coronal structures that are associated with radio type III bursts by taking advantage of the new capabilities of STEREO/SECCHI. The data analysis has been performed for 02 and 03 June 2007. During these two days several type III bursts, which were detected in the corona and in the interplanetary medium, occurred during the observing time of the Nançay radioheliograph. Electron beams accelerated in the same active region and producing type III emissions almost at the same time, can propagate in different well defined coronal structures below 15 R&sun;. Then, these structures become imbedded in the same plasma sheet which can be tracked up to 0.25 AU. Inhomogeneities travel along these structures; their velocities measured between 15 and 35 R&sun; are typical of those of a slow solar wind. Comparison with PFSS magnetic field extrapolation shows that its connection with the IP magnetic field is different from what is suggested by the present observations. These results are consistent with those obtained in the IP medium formerly by Buttighoffer ( Astron. Astrophys. 335, 295, 1998) who identified by in situ measurements at 1 AU and beyond, the sites where Langmuir waves, associated with local type III emissions, are excited

Transanal irrigation is a better choice for bowel dysfunction in adults with spina bifida: a randomized controlled trial

International audienceAim: To compare transanal irrigation with conservative bowel management for the treatment of bowel dysfunction in Spina bifida (SB) patients.Methods: Patients with SB and bowel dysfunction were randomly assigned to receive either transanal irrigation or conservative bowel management. The effectiveness of the treatment was defined as a decrease of 4 points in the neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) score at week 10. Data on incontinence (Cleveland scores; Jorge-Wexner [JW]) and constipation (Knowles-Eccersley-Scott Symptom Constipation Score [KESS]) were recorded at 10 and 24 weeks after inclusion. Data were analysed on an intention-to-treat basis.Results: A total of 34 patients were randomised: 16 patients to conservative bowel management and 18 patients to transanal irrigation. A total of 19/31 (61%) patients improved at week 10, 13 (76%) in the transanal irrigation group versus six (43%) in the conservative group (p = 0.056). In the irrigation group, the decrease in NBD score was -6.9 (-9.9 to -4.02) versus -1.9 (-6.5 to -2.8) in the conservative group (p = 0.049 in univariate and p = 0.004 in multivariate analysis). The NBD, Cleveland (JW and KESS) and Rosenberg scores were significantly lower in the transanal irrigation group than in the conservative bowel management group at week 10.Conclusions: This prospective, randomised, controlled, multicentre study in adult patients with SB suggests that transanal irrigation may be more effective than conservative bowel management

Cutaneous Kaposi sarcoma during treatment with superpotent topical steroids and methotrexate for bullous pemphigoid: three cases

International audienceIatrogenic Kaposi sarcoma (KS) has previously been reported in patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP), in relation to systemic steroids. Objectives: To report three cases of previously unreported cutaneous KS during treatment with superpotent topical steroids (STS) and methotrexate (MTX). Patients and Methods: All patients were elderly men with BP treated with STS for 2 to 32 months (cumulative doses: 2,700-9,150 g) before MTX was introduced (dosage: 10-12.5 mg/week). Results: KS occurred one to nine months after the combined therapy. In one case, KS rapidly resolved after withdrawal of MTX. In two cases, vinblastine and/or radiotherapy were required to achieve regression of KS. Human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) latency-associated nuclear antigen was not expressed in BP lesions biopsied prior to development of KS (n = 3), but HHV8 DNA was detected in BP lesions from the patient with the most aggressive KS. Conclusion: Several predisposing factors were identified, including sex and age, high cumulative doses of STS, combination with MTX, and impaired immune status. In such cases, serum antibodies against HHV8 infection may be investigated in BP patients before introduction of MTX in order to guide clinical monitoring

Le MMP-2 urinaire est significativement associé à l’échec de la toxine botulique intradétrusorienne chez les patients spina bifida

National audienc

Somatostatin Receptors 2A and 5 Are Expressed in Merkel Cell Carcinoma with No Association with Disease Severity

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare high-grade neuroendocrine tumour of the skin. It has been speculated that MCCs express somatostatin receptors (SSTRs), but this has never been assessed in a large series of MCCs. The main aim of this study was to assess the expression of SSTR2A and SSTR5 in MCC tumours. The secondary aims were to assess whether expression of SSTR was associated with the Ki67 proliferative index, Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) status, clinical characteristics and outcome.Clinical data and tumours were collected from an ongoing cohort of French patients with MCC. Immunohistochemistry was performed with anti-SSTR2A and anti-SSTR5 monoclonal antibodies, and tumours were classified into 3 groups: 'no expression', 'low expression' and 'moderate expression' using an SSTR staining score.SSTR expression was assessed for 105 MCC tissue samples from 98 patients, and clinical characteristics were available for 87 of them. SSTR expression was consistent between the primary skin tumour and the corresponding metastases for SSTR2A and SSTR5 in 3/7 and 6/7 cases, respectively. SSTR2A and SSTR5 were expressed in 58 cases (59.2%) and in 44 cases (44.9%), respectively. Overall, at least one SSTR was expressed in 75 tumours (76.5%). SSTR expression was not associated with clinical characteristics, Ki67 proliferative index, recurrence-free survival or MCC-specific survival. Expression of SSTR2A was associated with MCPyV status in MCC tumours but not SSTR5.SSTRs were expressed in a high proportion of MCCs, although expression was heterogeneous between tumours and was not associated with disease severit