Chemotaxonomy of Tapinoma and some Dolichoderinae Ants from Europe and North Africa

Cuticular hydrocarbons of some Dolichoderinae species from France and various places like Spain, North Africa, and Italy were studied. The Tapinoma nigerrimum group was particularly analyzed and replaced in the genus Tapinoma. All species were correctly discriminated and a new hydrocarbons profile was found in Spanish mountains in the T. nigerrimum group, which was provisionally named T. sp. Spain. We added numerous unknown spots for the distribution of these ants. We also tested aggression between some T. magnum colonies and it appeared that this species forms supercolonies like other invasive species, but does not form giant supercolonies like the Argentine an

Utility of Quantitative 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT for 90yttrium-Labelled Microsphere Treatment Planning: Calculating Vascularized Hepatic Volume and Dosimetric Approach

Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of SPECT/CT for volume measurements and to report a case illustrating the major impact of SPECT/CT in calculating the vascularized liver volume and dosimetry prior to injecting radiolabelled yttrium-90 microspheres (Therasphere). Materials and Methods. This was a phantom study, involving volume measurements carried out by two operators using SPECT and SPECT/CT images. The percentage of error for each method was calculated, and interobserver reproducibility was evaluated. A treatment using Therasphere was planned in a patient with three hepatic arteries, and the quantitative analysis of SPECT/CT for this patient is provided. Results. SPECT/CT volume measurements proved to be accurate (mean error <6% for volumes ≥16 cm3) and reproductive (interobserver agreement = 0.9). In the case report, 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT identified a large liver volume, not previously identified with angiography, which was shown to be vascularized after selective MAA injection into an arterial branch, resulting in a large modification in the activity of Therasphere used. Conclusions. MAA SPECT/CT is accurate for vascularized liver volume measurements, providing a valuable contribution to the therapeutic planning of patients with complex hepatic vascularization

Usefulness and pitfalls of MAA SPECT/CT in identifying digestive extrahepatic uptake when planning liver radioembolization

International audiencePURPOSE: Identifying gastroduodenal uptake of (99m)Tc-macroaggregated albumin (MAA), which is associated with an increased risk of ulcer disease, is a crucial part of the therapeutic management of patients undergoing radioembolization for liver tumours. Given this context, the use of MAA single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT may be essential, but the procedure has still not been thoroughly evaluated. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the effectiveness of MAA SPECT/CT in identifying digestive extrahepatic uptake, while determining potential diagnostic pitfalls. METHODS: Overall, 139 MAA SPECT/CT scans were performed on 103 patients with different hepatic tumour types. Patients were followed up for at least 6 months according to standard requirements. RESULTS: Digestive, or digestive-like, uptake other than free pertechnetate was identified in 5.7% of cases using planar imaging and in 36.6% of cases using SPECT/CT. Uptake sites identified by SPECT/CT included the gastroduodenal region (3.6%), gall bladder (12.2%), portal vein thrombosis (6.5%), hepatic artery (6.5%), coil embolization site (2.1%) as well as falciform artery (5.0%). For 2.1% of explorations, a coregistration error between SPECT and CT imaging could have led to a false diagnosis by erroneously attributing an uptake site to the stomach or gall bladder, when the uptake actually occurred in the liver. CONCLUSION: SPECT/CT is more efficacious than planar imaging in identifying digestive extrahepatic uptake sites, with extrahepatic uptake observed in one third of scans using the former procedure. However, more than half of the uptake sites in our study were vascular in nature, without therapeutic implications. The risk of coregistration errors must also be kept in mind

F NMR spectroscopy using chiral solvating agents

Abstract. Studies of the perturbing effect of chiral solvating agents (CSAs) namely the fluoroalcohols 5a and 5b upon the NMR spectra of chiral ∆ 2 -thiazolines 1 presenting interesting insecticidal properties demonstrated the ability of these CSAs to afford diastereomeric solvates from these substrates providing their enantiomeric discrimination. Thus, for five of the six tested ∆ 2 -thiazolines 1A and 1B there is at least one possibility to proceed to their enantiomeric discrimination either by 1 H or 19 F NMR using mostly 5b as CSA

Un gisement de l'interstade würmien en Gironde : le gisement de Camiac à Camiac-et-Saint-Denis.

Actes du colloque "Centenaire de l'Homme de Spy" (Liège), Décembre 1986.<br />4 fig., 1 tab.International audienc

In-vitro susceptibility pattern and characterization of resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa serotype O12 isolated in Belgium in 1986

SCOPUS: le.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Differentiation of the ant genus Tapinoma from the Mediterranean Basin by species-specific cuticular hydrocarbon profiles.

Correct species identification is a precondition for biological study; yet despite a long history of morphological investigations, the systematic position of many ant species remains unclear. Identifying cryptic or sibling species is essential because morphological similarity may mask great differences in behavior and ecology. Consequently, their reliable identification requires elaborate methods in multi-modal approaches such as high morphology analysis, DNA analysis or cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) compositions. Like any phenotypic character, CHCs are reliable indicators of species identity. Here, we identified by GC and compared cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of workers of several species of Tapinoma from Algeria, Morocco, Israel, France and Spain and identified five Tapinoma species: T. erraticum, T. israele, T. madeirense, T. nigerrimum and T. simrothi. The species-specific hydrocarbon profiles were found to remain remarkably stable between Morocco and Northern France and between Israel and Algeria. They seem not to be influenced by ecological factors such as vegetation type, soil and climate. In Tapinoma genus, cuticular hydrocarbon profiles were found to have a high diversity in CHC composition determined by GC-MS. These five identified Tapinoma species shared only three CHC. The findings from our work clearly show how using chemical facilitates the study of these species, by allowing precise differentiation and identification. The chemistry of the CHC blend is shown to be a good tool for taxonomists, being species-stable over thousands of kilometers

Differentiation of the ant genus Tapinoma (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Mediterranean Basin by species-specific cuticular hydrocarbon profiles

International audienceCorrect species identification is a precondition for biological study, yet despite a long history of morphological investigations, the systematic position of many ant species remains unclear. Here, we compared and identified cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of workers of several species of Tapinoma from Algeria, Morocco, Israel, France (mainland and Corsica) and Spain. We used the CHC profiles of workers to identify five Tapinoma species: T. erraticum, T. israele, T. madeirense, T. nigerrimum and T. simrothi. No cryptic species were detected. The species-specific hydrocarbon profiles were found to remain remarkably stable between Morocco and Northern France and between Israel and Algeria. They were not influenced by ecological factors such as vegetation type, soil and climate. In Tapinoma genus, cuticular hydrocarbon profiles were found to have a high diversity in CHC composition. These five identified Tapinoma species shared only three CHC. Combined with morphological analyses, this result confirms the species status of T. madeirense, T. nigerrimum and T. israele. This study also clarifies the geographical distribution of T. simrothi and T. israele and gives some indication of the preponderant frequency of T. nigerrimum

Differentiation of the ant genus Tapinoma (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Mediterranean Basin by species-specific cuticular hydrocarbon profiles

International audienceCorrect species identification is a precondition for biological study, yet despite a long history of morphological investigations , the systematic position of many ant species remains unclear. Here, we compared and identified cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of workers of several species of Tapinoma from Algeria, Morocco, Israel, France (mainland and Corsica) and Spain. We used the CHC profiles of workers to identify five Tapinoma species: T. erraticum, T. israele, T. madeirense, T. nigerrimum and T. simrothi. No cryptic species were detected. The species-specific hydrocarbon profiles were found to remain remarkably stable between Morocco and Northern France and between Israel and Algeria. They were not influenced by ecological factors such as vegetation type, soil and climate. In Tapinoma genus, cuticular hydrocarbon profiles were found to have a high diversity in CHC composition. These five identified Tapinoma species shared only three CHC. Combined with morphological analyses, this result confirms the species status of T. madeirense, T. nigerrimum and T. israele. This study also clarifies the geographical distribution of T. simrothi and T. israele and gives some indication of the preponderant frequency of T. nigerrimum

Using chemical tools to discriminate Tapinoma species.

Communication among social insects is fundamental between individuals, castes and societies. This is achieved through chemical recognition and ensures that altruistic acts are directed towards relatives. The nestmate and species discrimination in ants is based on antennal detection of non-volatile chemicals found on the cuticle. These cuticular compounds are species specific and can be used as biosystematic tools. Actually, discriminating some of the Tapinoma species is a difficult undertaking with only variations in the clypeal cleft shape of queen or workers. Currently male genitalia analysis provides the only secure method for differentiation. In order to simplify the differentiation of five species of Tapinoma (T. erraticum, T. israelis, T. madeirense, T. nigerrimum, and T. simrothi) we used gas chromatography coupled with GC-mass spectrometry to identify, compare and quantify cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). We found that each species possess unique pattern of CHCs. Across the five species, 154 CHCs were identified. We found n-alkanes, monomethylalkanes, dimethylalkanes and trimethylalkanes occurring between C23 and C33. Unlike the n-alkanes and monomethylalkanes, there was a large diversity of specific dimethylalkanes that makes them likely candidates for nestmate and species discrimination signals