Using 137 Cs as a tool for the assessment and the management of erosion/sedimentation risks in view of the restoration of the Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) fish population in the Boyer River basin (Québec, Canada)

The Boyer River (Québec, Canada) drains a 217 km 2 watershed that is under cultivation at 60%. The last 2 km of the river bed has always been used as a spawning ground by Rainbow Smelts (Osmerus mordax). This fish population, which plays an important ecological role in the St.Lawrence River estuary, has dramatically declined over the last decades. Siltation and excessive algal growth in the spawning area were identified as the most probable causes of the fish population decline; suggesting that soil erosion, nutrient and sediment transport are major factors underlying the environmental problem . In this context, 137Cs provides an effective tool for investigating the magnitude and spatial distribution of long-term soil redistribution taking place in the watershed. Sampling of cultivated fields, riverbanks, bottom sediments and forested sites were thus undertaken to help understand the erosive behaviour of the watershed. Results obtained so far suggest in-field erosion rates of up to 13 t ha-1 yr-1 with net outputs reaching 11 t ha-1 yr-1. These results agree well with estimates obtained from the USLE. The 137Cs data indicate that fields located in the upstream half of the basin produce smaller sediment loadings than those in the downstream portion, despite higher soil erodibilities and more frequent ose for annual crops. They also suggest that more than 75% of the sediment deposited in the spawning area originates from cultivated fields, and less than 25% from streambanks

High incidence of vertebral fractures in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia 12 months after the initiation of therapy

Purpose: Vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis are a potential complication of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). To date, the incidence of vertebral fractures during ALL treatment has not been reported. Patient and Methods: We prospectively evaluated 155 children with ALL during the first 12 months of leukemia therapy. Lateral thoracolumbar spine radiographs were obtained at baseline and 12 months. Vertebral bodies were assessed for incident vertebral fractures using the Genant semiquantitative method, and relevant clinical indices such as spine bone mineral density (BMD), back pain, and the presence of vertebral fractures at baseline were analyzed for association with incident vertebral fractures. Results: Of the 155 children, 25 (16%; 95% CI, 11% to 23%) had a total of 61 incident vertebral fractures, of which 32 (52%) were moderate or severe. Thirteen (52%) of the 25 children with incident vertebral fractures also had fractures at baseline. Vertebral fractures at baseline increased the odds of an incident fracture at 12 months by an odds ratio of 7.3 (95% CI, 2.3 to 23.1; P = .001). In addition, for every one standard deviation reduction in spine BMD Z-score at baseline, there was 1.8-fold increased odds of incident vertebral fracture at 12 months (95% CI, 1.2 to 2.7; P = .006). Conclusion: Children with ALL have a high incidence of vertebral fractures after 12 months of chemotherapy, and the presence of vertebral fractures and reductions in spine BMD Z-scores at baseline are highly associated clinical features. © 2012 by American Society of Clinical Oncology

Translational Control through eIF2alpha Phosphorylation during the Leishmania Differentiation Process

The parasitic protozoan Leishmania alternates between an invertebrate and a mammalian host. Upon their entry to mammalian macrophages, Leishmania promastigotes differentiate into amastigote forms within the harsh environment of the phagolysosomal compartment. Here, we provide evidence for the importance of translational control during the Leishmania differentiation process. We find that exposure of promastigotes to a combined elevated temperature and acidic pH stress, a key signal triggering amastigote differentiation, leads to a marked decrease in global translation initiation, which is associated with eIF2α phosphorylation. Interestingly, we show that amastigotes adapted to grow in a cell-free medium exhibit lower levels of protein synthesis in comparison to promastigotes, suggesting that amastigotes have to enter a slow growth state to adapt to the stressful conditions encountered inside macrophages. Reconversion of amastigotes back to promastigote growth results in upregulation of global translation and a decrease in eIF2α phosphorylation. In addition, we show that while general translation is reduced during amastigote differentiation, translation of amastigote-specific transcripts such as A2 is preferentially upregulated. We find that A2 developmental gene regulation is triggered by temperature changes in the environment and that occurs mainly at the level of translation. Upon elevated temperature, the A2 transcript is stabilized through its association with polyribosomes leading to high levels of translation. When temperature decreases during amastigote to promastigote differentiation, the A2 transcript is not longer associated with translating polyribosomes and is being gradually degraded. Overall, these findings contribute to our better understanding of the adaptive responses of Leishmania to stress during its development and highlight the importance of translational control in promastigote to amastigote differentiation and vice-versa