Analysis by in Situ Hybridization of Cells Expressing mRNA for Tumor-Necrosis Factor in the Developing Thymus of Mice

We have used in situ hybridization to investigate the expression of TNF-α genes by thymic cells during fetal development in mice. In 14-day-old fetal thymuses, very scarce cells produce TNF-α mRNA. A second phase of cytokine gene expression starts on day 16. The density of positive cells progressively increases up to day 20. Thymuses at 15 days of gestation and after birth do not express detectable cytokine mRNA. In an attempt to identify the nature of the TNF-α mRNA-producing cells, acid phosphatase activity, which is characteristic of the macrophage lineage, was studied in the same thymuses. Acid phosphatase-positive cells only appear on day 15. Their frequency increases up to birth. However, no correlation can be established between acid phosphatase—and TNFα mRNA— positive cells. The results indicate that a small subset of thymic cells is responsible for TNF-α mRNA production during ontogeny: These cells are not yet identified. The possible role of TNF-α in thymic ontogeny is discussed

Etude de l'empoussièrement des poudres par un test de fluidisation

National audienceThe aim of this study is to use a fluidized bed as a dustiness test based on entrainment and elutriation phenomena for a reconstructed model system. Once the operating conditions were identified, a simple phenomenological model was established, able to predict the amount of dust initially present in a mixture. In order to do that, a parametric study was conducted with bimodal powder mixtures. Thus, large particles simulate the powder and the fine dust. The experimental study was carried out with Geldart A and C particles, in a fluidized bed. Furthermore, the influence of some intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of the bulk on the dust emission was studied. Subsequently, different models present in the literature were tested in order to predict the dustiness. This comparison allowed choosing the model of Santana et al. (1999) which showed a better match with the results of this study.L'objectif de ce travail est d'utiliser un lit fluidisé comme test d'empoussièrement en se basant sur les phénomènes d'entraînement et d'élutriation pour un système modèle reconstitué. Suite à l'identification des conditions opératoires, un modèle phénoménologique simple capable de prédire la quantité de poussière initialement présente dans un mélange, a été établit. Une étude paramétrique a été réalisée avec des mélanges de poudres et de poussières de tailles différentes ; ainsi, les grosses particules simuleront la poudre et les fines les poussières. Par ailleurs, nous avons étudié l'influence de certains paramètres intrinsèques du mélange sur l'empoussièrement et testé différents modèles rencontrés dans la littérature permettant de prédire l'empoussièrement. Cette comparaison a permis de choisir le modèle de Santana et al. (1999) qui a montré une meilleure adéquation avec les résultats de cette étude

Geographic distribution, age pattern and sites of lesions in a cohort of buruli ulcer patients from the mapé basin of cameroon

Buruli ulcer (BU), a neglected tropical disease of the skin, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, occurs most frequently in children in West Africa. Risk factors for BU include proximity to slow flowing water, poor wound care and not wearing protective clothing. Man-made alterations of the environment have been suggested to lead to increased BU incidence. M. ulcerans DNA has been detected in the environment, water bugs and recently also in mosquitoes. Despite these findings, the mode of transmission of BU remains poorly understood and both transmission by insects or direct inoculation from contaminated environment have been suggested. Here, we investigated the BU epidemiology in the Mapé basin of Cameroon where the damming of the Mapé River since 1988 is believed to have increased the incidence of BU. Through a house-by-house survey in spring 2010, which also examined the local population for leprosy and yaws, and continued surveillance thereafter, we identified, till June 2012, altogether 88 RT-PCR positive cases of BU. We found that the age adjusted cumulative incidence of BU was highest in young teenagers and in individuals above the age of 50 and that very young children (>5) were underrepresented among cases. BU lesions clustered around the ankles and at the back of the elbows. This pattern neither matches any of the published mosquito biting site patterns, nor the published distribution of small skin injuries in children, where lesions on the knees are much more frequent. The option of multiple modes of transmission should thus be considered. Analyzing the geographic distribution of cases in the Mapé Dam area revealed a closer association with the Mbam River than with the artificial lake

Dust exposure and health of workers in duck hatcheries

Objectives The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to investigate dust exposure and respiratory health of workers in duck hatcheries in western France. Material and Methods Ninety volunteer workers, who work in sorting rooms and/or incubation rooms, participated in exposure assessments and medical examinations. Medical examinations were performed by occupational health practitioners.They filled-in a questionnaire with the workers, followed by a lung function test on each worker. General characteristics and prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms were described in each type of working rooms. Associations between symptoms and exposure (working room or dust level) were studied in GEE multivariate models. Results Overall prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms (cough, phlegm) and chronic bronchitis were similar or lower than in the reference population. However, prevalence of these symptoms was higher for those working in sorting rooms, that were associated with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms and decreased lung function. Respirable dust was also significantly associated with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms. The prevalence of asthma and rhinitis were well above those in the reference population, but did not vary among working rooms. Descriptive data suggested an occupational origin for some cases. Conclusions Hatchery workers were at increased risk of compromised respiratory health due to dust exposure, particularly those who work in sorting rooms. Asthma and rhinitis were in excess in this population of workers. Thorough clinical examination of these workers should be performed and all exposures assessed

Exposition des travailleurs en élevages de porcs et de volailles de chair à l’ammoniac et aux particules

The air of pig and poultry farms contains ammonia and dust. To characterize the exposure of workers to these pollutants, data were collected on farms. Measurements were carried out in 20 pig farms during piglet care, weaning, feeding of piglets and sorting pigs and in 21 poultry farms during inspection of animals, catching birds, the manure disposal and litter distribution in the building. In general, particulate matter and ammonia are not considered as occupational hazards by workers. The risk is often minimized but measurements showed that exposure to particulate matter and ammonia poses a risk to their health (increased respiratory symptoms and decreased respiratory capacity). In addition, 15% of pig farms had an ammonia content above the occupational exposure limit (20 ppm for 15 minutes) on at least one of the tasks monitored. In poultry farming, 17% of the ammonia measurements during the tasks followed without mulching, and 3% of all the measurements of particles carried out exceeded the maximum recommended value (5 mg / m3 of cellular particles). It is necessary to sensitize the actors of the field on the respiratory risks. For this purpose, an AIR Eleveur YouTube channel was created as well as 2 brochures (protection equipment and AIR Eleveur results).L'air des bâtiments porcins et avicoles contient de l’ammoniac et des particules. Pour caractériser l'exposition des travailleurs à ces polluants, des données ont été collectées dans des exploitations agricoles. Les mesures ont été effectuées dans 20 exploitations porcines pendant des tâches considérées comme exposantes : les soins aux porcelets, le sevrage, l'alimentation des porcelets et le tri des porcs. 21 exploitations avicoles ont également été suivies pendant la surveillance en fin de bande, le ramassage, le curage du fumier et le paillage du bâtiment. En général, les particules et l'ammoniac ne sont pas considérés comme des risques professionnels par les travailleurs. Le risque est souvent minimisé mais les mesures montrent que l'exposition aux particules et à l'ammoniac impacte leur santé (augmentation des symptômes respiratoires et diminution de la capacité respiratoire). En outre, 15% des exploitations porcines ont une teneur en ammoniac supérieure à la limite d'exposition professionnelle (20 ppm pendant 15 minutes) pour au moins une des tâches contrôlées. En aviculture, 17% des mesures d'ammoniac au cours des tâches suivies sans paillage et 3% de toutes les mesures de particules effectuées dépassent la valeur maximale recommandée (5 mg/m3 de particules alvéolaires). Il est nécessaire de sensibiliser les acteurs du terrain aux risques respiratoires. À cette fin, une chaîne YouTube AIR Eleveur a été créée, ainsi que 2 brochures (équipement de protection et résultats AIR Eleveur)

Le Forum, Vol. 44 #4

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/francoamericain_forum/1106/thumbnail.jp

Porträt als Massenphänomen / Le Portrait comme Phénomène de Masse

Hatte sich die Forschung zum antiken Porträt traditionell um die Darstellungen berühmter Personen bemüht, so rückten im letzten Drittel des 20. Jahrhunderts die Bildnisse der Vielen, der historisch Unwichtigen und Unbekannten, ins Interesse der Forschung. Mit ihnen beschäftigen sich die Beiträge dieses Bandes. In vielen Gattungen der antiken Grabplastik waren Darstellungen der Verstorbenen und ihrer Angehörigen üblich, so dass Bildnisköpfe in diesem Bereich seriell gearbeitet und zu einem Massenphänomen wurden. Die Untersuchungen lokaler Gruppen, die hier vorgelegt werden, vermögen ein Spektrum von Unterschieden aufzuzeigen, in denen die jeweiligen Identitäten und Traditionen evident werden. In ihrem lokalen Kontext erweisen sich die Grabmonumente als Ausdruck gemeinsamer und geteilter Werte. Wenn sie in der römischen Kaiserzeit in vielen Teilen der Reiches Vorbildern des Kaiserhauses folgen, so erscheinen sie als Ausdruck der politischen Loyalität und der kulturellen Einheit

Mémento 2 : Résidences 1999-2000

This richly illustrated catalogue documents the work of 35 artists who took part in six residencies (including two events - La Cueillette and La Ruche) that took place in 1999 and 2000 at Centre Est-Nord-Est. The centre’s director, F. Michel, describes the nature and purpose of the residencies as well as that of the catalogue : to reflect each participant’s experience. Includes brief comments by the artist on their work and on their stay. Text in French and English. Biographical notes

Functional annotations of diabetes nephropathy susceptibility loci through analysis of genome-wide renal gene expression in rat models of diabetes mellitus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hyperglycaemia in diabetes mellitus (DM) alters gene expression regulation in various organs and contributes to long term vascular and renal complications. We aimed to generate novel renal genome-wide gene transcription data in rat models of diabetes in order to test the responsiveness to hyperglycaemia and renal structural changes of positional candidate genes at selected diabetic nephropathy (DN) susceptibility loci.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Both Affymetrix and Illumina technologies were used to identify significant quantitative changes in the abundance of over 15,000 transcripts in kidney of models of spontaneous (genetically determined) mild hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance (Goto-Kakizaki-GK) and experimentally induced severe hyperglycaemia (Wistar-Kyoto-WKY rats injected with streptozotocin [STZ]).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Different patterns of transcription regulation in the two rat models of diabetes likely underlie the roles of genetic variants and hyperglycaemia severity. The impact of prolonged hyperglycaemia on gene expression changes was more profound in STZ-WKY rats than in GK rats and involved largely different sets of genes. These included genes already tested in genetic studies of DN and a large number of protein coding sequences of unknown function which can be considered as functional and, when they map to DN loci, positional candidates for DN. Further expression analysis of rat orthologs of human DN positional candidate genes provided functional annotations of known and novel genes that are responsive to hyperglycaemia and may contribute to renal functional and/or structural alterations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Combining transcriptomics in animal models and comparative genomics provides important information to improve functional annotations of disease susceptibility loci in humans and experimental support for testing candidate genes in human genetics.</p

Outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation with haploidentical versus HLA-matched donors in patients with higher-risk MDS.

peer reviewedAllogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains the best curative option for higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. The presence of monosomal karyotype and/or complex karyotype abnormalities predicts inferior survival after allo-SCT in MDS patients. Haploidentical allo-SCT has been increasingly used in acute leukemia (AL) and has similar results as using HLA-matched donors, but data on higher-risk MDS is sparse. We compared outcomes in 266 patients with higher-risk MDS after HLA-matched sibling donor (MSD, n = 79), HLA-matched unrelated donor (MUD, n = 139) and HLA haploidentical donor (HID, n = 48) from 2010 to 2019. Median donor age differed between the three groups (p < 0.001). The overall survival was significantly different between the three groups with a better OS observed in the MUD group (p = 0.014). This observation could be explained by a higher progression-free survival with MUD (p = 0.014). The cumulative incidence of grade 2-4 acute GvHD was significantly higher in the HID group (p = 0.051). However, in multivariable analysis, patients transplanted using an HID had comparable mortality to patients transplanted using a MUD (subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR]: 0.58 [0.32-1.07]; p = 0.080) and a MSD ([sHR]: 0.56 [0.28-1.11]; p = 0.094). MUD do not remain a significant positive predictor of survival, suggesting that beyond the donor-recipient HLA matching, the donor age might impact recipient outcome