The Israeli strain IS-98-ST1 of West Nile virus as viral model for West Nile encephalitis in the Old World

West Nile virus (WNV) recently became a major public health concern in North America, the Middle East, and Europe. In contrast with the investigations of the North-American isolates, the neurovirulence properties of Middle-Eastern strains of WNV have not been extensively characterized. Israeli WNV strain IS-98-ST1 that has been isolated from a white stork in 1998, was found to be highly neuroinvasive in adult C57BL/6 mice. Strain IS-98-ST1 infects primary neuronal cells from mouse cortex, causing neuronal death. These results demonstrate that Israeli strain IS-98-ST1 provides a suitable viral model for WNV-induced disease associated with recent WNV outbreaks in the Old World

La bioadsorption sur amidon réticulé pour enlever des métaux des effluents industriels

L’industrie de traitement de surface utilise de nombreux produits chimiques, en particulier des métaux toxiques et des substances organiques, qui sont connus pour être nocifs vis-à-vis des humains et de l’environnement. En raison d’une réglementation de plus en plus stricte, les effluents contenant des métaux lourds doivent être traités. Il existe une grande variété de procédés de traitement des eaux usées provenant de la filière traitement de surface. En général, les systèmes conventionnels de détoxification se composent principalement d’un ajustement de pH, d’une oxydation des cyanures et d’une réduction des chromes, suivi d’une précipitation sous forme d’hydroxydes et d’une clarification, et parfois d’une étape d’adsorption sur charbon. Cependant, la technologie sur charbon actif présente plusieurs problèmes tels que la saturation rapide et des problèmes de colmatage des réacteurs. Comme les résines d'échange d’ions, leur utilisation est restreinte due au coût élevé. Pour ces raisons, la plupart des petites et moyennes entreprises ne peuvent pas utiliser de tels traitements. Ainsi, afin de répondre à ces problématiques, de nombreuses études sont menées pour trouver des alternatives peu coûteuses, qui soient efficaces et acceptables pour un usage industriel. Dans cette étude, la bioadsorption sur un adsorbant d’amidon réticulé a été utilisée pour retenir les métaux contenus dans des effluents industriels. L’adsorption a été étudiée en fonction du temps de contact, de la masse d’adsorbant et de la charge polluante. L’influence de ces paramètres sur l’efficacité d’adsorption a été évaluée en utilisant une méthode conventionnelle en mode cuvée. Les résultats ont montré que le matériau présente des capacités d’adsorption élevées vis-à-vis des ions métalliques, ce qui permet de diminuer les concentrations métalliques en dessous des valeurs réglementaires. Des mesures de taux de germination sur des graines de Lactuca sativa, utilisé comme test de phytotoxicité, ont été réalisées sur les rejets industriels avant et après adsorption. Ces tests ont confirmé l’efficacité du procédé pour diminuer fortement la toxicité du rejet. L’abattement chimique et la réduction de la toxicité ont montré que la bioadsorption sur un matériau non conventionnel peut être une étape de finition intéressante pour la détoxification des rejets industriels.The surface-treatment industry consumes and discharges an important range of chemicals, in particular toxic metals and organics, that are known to be harmful to humans and the environment. Because of more and more stringent regulations, effluents polluted with heavy metals must be treated. There are a variety of treatment processes for wastewater from the surface-treatment industry. In general, conventional treatment and detoxification systems consist mainly of pH adjustments, oxidation of cyanide and reduction of chromium bearing wastewaters, followed by hydroxide precipitation, clarification, and sometimes carbon sorption. However, active carbon technology presents several problems such as rapid saturation and clogging of the reactors. Like ion-exchange resins, their widespread use is restricted due to high cost. For these reasons, most small and medium-size enterprises cannot employ such treatments. Thus, in order to overcome these problems, many attempts have been made to find inexpensive alternative sorbents, which are both effective and acceptable for industrial use. In this study, biosorption with a starch-based cross-linked adsorbent was used for the removal of heavy metals from industrial effluents. The adsorption of metals was studied as a function of contact time, adsorbent mass and pollutant load. The influence of these parameters on the adsorption efficiency was evaluated using a conventional batch method. Batch experiments showed that the material exhibited high sorption capacities toward metal ions, leading to concentrations that were below current regulatory values. Measurements of the germination rate of Lactuca sativa seeds, used as a phytotoxicity test, were carried out on discharged industrial waters before and after the finishing sorption treatment. Germination tests confirmed the ability of the sorption step to radically decrease the effluent toxicity. Both the chemical abatement and toxicity mitigation of waste water showed that biosorption onto a non-conventional sorbent may constitute an interesting additional treatment step for the detoxification of industrial wastewater

User-friendly extraction and multistage tandem mass spectrometry based analysis of lipid-linked oligosaccharides in microalgae

International audienc

Edema Toxin Impairs Anthracidal Phospholipase A2 Expression by Alveolar Macrophages

Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax, is a spore-forming Gram-positive bacterium. Infection with this pathogen results in multisystem dysfunction and death. The pathogenicity of B. anthracis is due to the production of virulence factors, including edema toxin (ET). Recently, we established the protective role of type-IIA secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-IIA) against B. anthracis. A component of innate immunity produced by alveolar macrophages (AMs), sPLA2-IIA is found in human and animal bronchoalveolar lavages at sufficient levels to kill B. anthracis. However, pulmonary anthrax is almost always fatal, suggesting the potential impairment of sPLA2-IIA synthesis and/or action by B. anthracis factors. We investigated the effect of purified ET and ET-deficient B. anthracis strains on sPLA2-IIA expression in primary guinea pig AMs. We report that ET inhibits sPLA2-IIA expression in AMs at the transcriptional level via a cAMP/protein kinase A–dependent process. Moreover, we show that live B. anthracis strains expressing functional ET inhibit sPLA2-IIA expression, whereas ET-deficient strains induced this expression. This stimulatory effect, mediated partly by the cell wall peptidoglycan, can be counterbalanced by ET. We conclude that B. anthracis down-regulates sPLA2-IIA expression in AMs through a process involving ET. Our study, therefore, describes a new molecular mechanism implemented by B. anthracis to escape innate host defense. These pioneering data will provide new molecular targets for future intervention against this deathly pathogen

Anemia, iron status, and associated protective and risk factors among children and adolescents aged 3 to 19 years old from four First Nations communities in Quebec

Objectives: Anemia and iron deficiency (ID) are frequent among Indigenous children of Canada, but few data are available in Quebec. The present study aimed to characterize anemia and ID prevalence and associated protective and risk factors among First Nations youth in Quebec. Methods: The 2015 First Nations (JES!-YEH!) pilot study was conducted among children and adolescents (3 to 19 years; n=198) from four First Nations communities in Quebec. Blood and urine samples and anthropometric measurements were collected. Hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin (SF), plasma hs-CRP, and urinary cotinine levels were measured. Factors associated with anemia and ID (including traditional and market food consumption) were assessed using an interview-administered food frequency questionnaire, based on which nutritional intakes were calculated. Structural equation models were used totest associations. Results: The prevalence of anemia and ID was elevated (16.8% and 20.5% respectively). Traditional meat, fruit, and fruit juice (naturaland powdered)—via their positive association with vitamin C intake—were the only food variables positively associated with SF (coefficient [95% CI] 0.017 [0.000, 0.114]; 0.090 [0.027, 0.161]; and 0.237 [0.060, 0.411]). Male sex was also associated with higher SF (0.295 [0.093, 0.502]). Inflammation status (hs-CRP > 5 mg/L) was inversely associated with Hb (−0.015 [−0.025,−0.005]), whereas SF was positively associated with Hb (0.066 [0.040, 0.096]). Fruit and juice consumption was also positively associated with Hb, via vitamin C intake and SF (0.004 [0.001, 0.010]; 0.008 [0.003, 0.017]). Conclusions: Interventions fostering healthier food environments as well as higher consumption of traditional meats and foods naturally rich in vitamin C, which is known to enhance iron absorption, and fighting inflammation could contribute to decrease the high prevalence of anemia and ID in this young Indigenous population.Objectifs : L’anémie et la carence en fer sont fréquentes chez les enfants autochtones au Canada, mais peu de données sont disponibles au Québec. La présente étude visait à caractériser la prévalence de l’anémie et de la carence en fer et les facteurs protecteurs et des risques associés chez des jeunes des Premières Nations du Québec. Méthodes : En 2015, l’étude pilote Jeunes Environnement et Santé (JES! - YEH!) a été menée chez des enfants et des adolescents (3 à 19 ans,n= 198) de quatre communautés de Premières Nations au Québec. Des échantillons de sang et d’urine et des mesures anthropométriques ont été recueillis. Les concentrations d’hémoglobine, de ferritine sérique, de hs-CRP plasmatique et decotinine urinaire ont été mesurées. Les facteurs associés à l’anémie et à la carence en fer (y compris la consommation d’aliments traditionnels et de marché) ont été évalués à l’aide de questionnaires de fréquences alimentaires administré par un assistant de recherche, à partir desquels les apports nutritionnels ont été calculés. Des modèles d’équations structurelles ont été utilisés pour tester les associations. Résultats : La prévalence de l’anémie et de la carence en fer était élevée (16,8 % et 20,5 % respectivement). La viande traditionnelle, les fruits et les jus de fruits (naturels et en poudre) − par l’intermédiaire de leur association positive avec l’apport en vitamine C − étaient les seules variables alimentaires positivement associées à la ferritine sérique (coefficient [IC à 95 %] : 0,017 [0,000, 0,114]; 0,090 [0,027, 0,161]; et 0,237 [0,060, 0,411]). Le sexe masculin était également associé à une ferritine sérique plus élevée (0,295 [0,093, 0,502]). Le statut inflammatoire (hs-CRP > 5 mg/L) était inversement associé à l’hémoglobine (−0,015 [−0,025,−0,005]) alors que la ferritine sérique était positivement associée à l’hémoglobine (0,066 [0,040, 0,096]). La consommation de fruits et de jus était aussi positivement associée à l’hémoglobine via l’apport en vitamine C et la ferritine sérique (0,004 [0,001, 0,010]; 0,008 [0,003, 0,017]). Conclusions : Les interventions favorisant des environnements alimentaires plus sains ainsi qu’une consommation plus élevée de viandes et d’aliments traditionnels naturellement riches en vitamine C, qui sont connus d’améliorer l’absorption de fer, ainsi que luttant contre l’inflammation pourraient contribuer à diminuer la prévalence élevée d’anémie et de la carence en fer dans cette jeune population autochtone

Characterizing, modelling and understanding the climate variability of the deep water formation in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea

Observing, modelling and understanding the climate-scale variability of the deep water formation (DWF) in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea remains today very challenging. In this study, we first characterize the interannual variability of this phenomenon by a thorough reanalysis of observations in order to establish reference time series. These quantitative indicators include 31 observed years for the yearly maximum mixed layer depth over the period 1980–2013 and a detailed multi-indicator description of the period 2007–2013. Then a 1980–2013 hindcast simulation is performed with a fully-coupled regional climate system model including the high-resolution representation of the regional atmosphere, ocean, land-surface and rivers. The simulation reproduces quantitatively well the mean behaviour and the large interannual variability of the DWF phenomenon. The model shows convection deeper than 1000 m in 2/3 of the modelled winters, a mean DWF rate equal to 0.35 Sv with maximum values of 1.7 (resp. 1.6) Sv in 2013 (resp. 2005). Using the model results, the winter-integrated buoyancy loss over the Gulf of Lions is identified as the primary driving factor of the DWF interannual variability and explains, alone, around 50 % of its variance. It is itself explained by the occurrence of few stormy days during winter. At daily scale, the Atlantic ridge weather regime is identified as favourable to strong buoyancy losses and therefore DWF, whereas the positive phase of the North Atlantic oscillation is unfavourable. The driving role of the vertical stratification in autumn, a measure of the water column inhibition to mixing, has also been analyzed. Combining both driving factors allows to explain more than 70 % of the interannual variance of the phenomenon and in particular the occurrence of the five strongest convective years of the model (1981, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2013). The model simulates qualitatively well the trends in the deep waters (warming, saltening, increase in the dense water volume, increase in the bottom water density) despite an underestimation of the salinity and density trends. These deep trends come from a heat and salt accumulation during the 1980s and the 1990s in the surface and intermediate layers of the Gulf of Lions before being transferred stepwise towards the deep layers when very convective years occur in 1999 and later. The salinity increase in the near Atlantic Ocean surface layers seems to be the external forcing that finally leads to these deep trends. In the future, our results may allow to better understand the behaviour of the DWF phenomenon in Mediterranean Sea simulations in hindcast, forecast, reanalysis or future climate change scenario modes. The robustness of the obtained results must be however confirmed in multi-model studies

Multidisciplinary investigation on cold seeps with vigorous gas emissions in the Sea of Marmara (MarsiteCruise): Strategy for site detection and sampling and first scientific outcome

MarsiteCruise was undertaken in October/November 2014 in the Sea of Marmara to gain detailed insight into the fate of fluids migrating within the sedimentary column and partially released into the water column. The overall objective of the project was to achieve a more global understanding of cold-seep dynamics in the context of a major active strike-slip fault. Five remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives were performed at selected areas along the North Anatolian Fault and inherited faults. To efficiently detect, select and sample the gas seeps, we applied an original procedure. It combines sequentially (1) the acquisition of ship-borne multibeam acoustic data from the water column prior to each dive to detect gas emission sites and to design the tracks of the ROV dives, (2) in situ and real-time Raman spectroscopy analysis of the gas stream, and (3) onboard determination of molecular and isotopic compositions of the collected gas bubbles. The in situ Raman spectroscopy was used as a decision-making tool to evaluate the need for continuing with the sampling of gases from the discovered seep, or to move to another one. Push cores were gathered to study buried carbonates and pore waters at the surficial sediment, while CTD-Rosette allowed collecting samples to measure dissolved-methane concentration within the water column followed by a comparison with measurements from samples collected with the submersible Nautile during the Marnaut cruise in 2007. Overall, the visited sites were characterized by a wide diversity of seeps. CO2- and oil-rich seeps were found at the westernmost part of the sea in the Tekirdag Basin, while amphipods, anemones and coral populated the sites visited at the easternmost part in the Cinarcik Basin. Methane-derived authigenic carbonates and bacterial mats were widespread on the seafloor at all sites with variable size and distributions. The measured methane concentrations in the water column were up to 377 μmol, and the dissolved pore-water profiles indicated the occurrence of sulfate depleting processes accompanied with carbonate precipitation. The pore-water profiles display evidence of biogeochemical transformations leading to the fast depletion of seawater sulfate within the first 25-cm depth of the sediment. These results show that the North Anatolian Fault and inherited faults are important migration paths for fluids for which a significant part is discharged into the water column, contributing to the increase of methane concentration at the bottom seawater and favoring the development of specific ecosystems

1963

Trees for a Beautiful Golf Course by Philip Scott (page 1) The Golf Course\u27s Worst Enemy by Charles Amorim and Hal Haskell (2) Message from the President by James f. Gilligan (2) Turf Management Club News (3) Quotes from 1962 Freshman (4) When I consider How my Night is Spent Leonard Mailloux(5) Protection of a Golf Course by Pay Lucas Jr. (6) Safety - The Superintendents\u27 Responsibility by Gerald Peters (7) Picture - Senior Stockbridge Turf Majors (8) Picture - Freshmen Stockbridge Turf Majors (9) Kansas - In the Transition Zone by Carl Beer (10 Seeds by Don Daigle (11) Picture - Dean F. P. Jeffrey, Dr. W.G. Colby and Director J. R. Beattie (12) Picture - Graduates of Winter School for Turf Managers - 1963 (13) The Effect of Last Year\u27s Weather Upon This Year\u27s Incidence of Turf Insects by John C. Schread (A-1) Labor-Management Relations by Mortimer H. Gavin S.J. (A-4) Massachusetts Labor Laws by Andrew C. SInclair (A-7) Golf Course Budget by John Espey (A-10) Golf Course Budgets by Robert St. Thomas (A-12) Purpose & Method of Budgeting by Leon St. Pierre (A-13) The Committee Chairman, His Duties by Charles Connelly (A-16) Long-range vs. Short-range Planning by George Farber (A-18) The Golf Course Superintendent, His Duties by Sherwood Moore (A-20) The Budget by Leo Kowalski (A-25) Public Relations by Leon St. Pierre (A-26) A Study of WIlt by Harry Meusal (A-28) Specifications for a Method of Putting Green Construction by Alexander Radko (A-33) Management of Kentucky Bluegrass & Grass Mixtures for Turf by F.V. Juska (A-38) What\u27s New in Fertilizers by Geoffrey S. Cornish (A-40) Methylene Ureas by Harvey Stangel (A-42) Plastic Coated Fertilizers by Louis I. Hansen (A-44) The Role of Sewage Sludge by James Latham Jr. (A-49) The Role of Ureaforms in the Turf Fertilizer Industry by Robert T. Miller (A-51) Why Low Phosphorus & Higher Potassium by L. J. Sullivan (A-55) Uptake of Potassium by Evangel Bredakis (A-59) Responsibility of Industry & Community in Land Usage & Plantings by Joseph L. Beasley (A-61) Turf & Other Planting Problems by H. Thurston Handley Jr. (A-65) Weeds & Diseases by Dominic Marini (A-67) General Maintenacne & Equipment by Lewis Hodgkinson (A-68) Fertilizer Problems by William J. Bennett (A-70) Lawn Construction & Insect Problems by herbert C. Fordham (A-71

Mesenchymal Transition and PDGFRA Amplification/Mutation Are Key Distinct Oncogenic Events in Pediatric Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is one of the most frequent malignant pediatric brain tumor and its prognosis is universaly fatal. No significant improvement has been made in last thirty years over the standard treatment with radiotherapy. To address the paucity of understanding of DIPGs, we have carried out integrated molecular profiling of a large series of samples obtained with stereotactic biopsy at diagnosis. While chromosomal imbalances did not distinguish DIPG and supratentorial tumors on CGHarrays, gene expression profiling revealed clear differences between them, with brainstem gliomas resembling midline/thalamic tumours, indicating a closely-related origin. Two distinct subgroups of DIPG were identified. The first subgroup displayed mesenchymal and pro-angiogenic characteristics, with stem cell markers enrichment consistent with the possibility to grow tumor stem cells from these biopsies. The other subgroup displayed oligodendroglial features, and appeared largely driven by PDGFRA, in particular through amplification and/or novel missense mutations in the extracellular domain. Patients in this later group had a significantly worse outcome with an hazard ratio for early deaths, ie before 10 months, 8 fold greater that the ones in the other subgroup (p = 0.041, Cox regression model). The worse outcome of patients with the oligodendroglial type of tumors was confirmed on a series of 55 paraffin-embedded biopsy samples at diagnosis (median OS of 7.73 versus 12.37 months, p = 0.045, log-rank test). Two distinct transcriptional subclasses of DIPG with specific genomic alterations can be defined at diagnosis by oligodendroglial differentiation or mesenchymal transition, respectively. Classifying these tumors by signal transduction pathway activation and by mutation in pathway member genes may be particularily valuable for the development of targeted therapies