Micro-dosage automatisé de la céruloplasmine plasmatique par mesure de l'activité oxydasique chez les bovins et les ovins

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Determination of plasma non-esterified fatty acids in herbivores and man : a comparison of values obtained by manual or automatic chromatographic, titrimetric, colorimetric and enzymatic methods

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Feeding performance in heterochronic alpine newts is consistent with trophic niche and maintenance of polymorphism

The feeding performances of two heterochronic morphs of the Alpine newt Triturus alpestris were investigated in laboratory experiments. Although both morphs are able to feed in the aquatic habitat, the hydrodynamics of prey capture differ between morphs. In paedomorphs water sucked with prey is expelled behind the mouth through gill bars. In metamorphs, water is expelled by the mouth as gill slits are closed. Feeding performance was better in paedomorphs than in metamorphs when foraging on aquatic crustaceans, but paedomorphs were less successful when foraging on terrestrial invertebrates caught at the water surface. These differences in prey capture success related to prey type allow the two morphs to use specific resources in their aquatic habitat. These results are consistent with previous studies that showed diet differentiation between morphs in natural populations. Such resource partitioning is a factor favouring the maintenance of facultative paedomorphosis in natural populations

Practical management of frailty in older patients with heart failure: Statement from a panel of multidisciplinary experts on behalf the Heart Failure Working Group of the French Society of Cardiology and on behalf French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology

International audienceAIMS: The heart failure (HF) prognosis in older patients remains poor with a high 5-years mortality rate more frequently attributed to noncardiovascular causes. The complex interplay between frailty and heart failure contribute to poor health outcomes of older adults with HF independently of ejection fraction. The aim of this position paper is to propose a practical management of frailty in older patients with heart failure. METHODS: A panel of multidisciplinary experts on behalf the Heart Failure Working Group of the French Society of Cardiology and on behalf French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology conducted a systematic literature search on the interlink between frailty and HF, met to propose an early frailty screening by non-geriatricians and to propose ways to implement management plan of frailty. Statements were agreed by expert consensus. RESULTS: Clinically relevant aspects of interlink between frailty and HF have been reported to identify the population eligible for screening and the most suitable screening test(s). The frailty screening program proposed focuses on frailty model defined by an accumulation of deficits including geriatric syndromes, comorbidities, for older patients with HF in different settings of care. The management plan of frailty includes optimization of HF pharmacological treatments and non-surgical device treatment as well as optimization of a global patient-centred biopsychosocial blended collaborative care pathway. CONCLUSION: The current manuscript provides practical recommendations on how to screen and optimize frailty management in older patients with heart failure

Diet composition of the Italian crested newt ( Triturus carnifex

In order to evaluate the effects of ecological disturbances, such as climate change, human-induced habitat modification, or species introduction, and in order to adopt appropriate management policies for their conservation, knowledge of the trophic ecology of protected or threatened species is crucial. The Italian crested newt, Triturus carnifex (Laurenti, 1768), is listed in annexes II and IV of the European Habitats Directive. For this species, changes in water quality and habitat loss represent major threats, potentially impairing its breeding and feeding activities. Artificial aquatic habitats, such as cattle-drinking pools, represent valuable refuges and suitable breeding sites for T. carnifex. The aim of this study was to determine the food niche of the Italian crested newt in these habitats, evaluating its prey selection strategy in relation to a range of environmental conditions and differing availability of resources. Stomach contents (indicative of short-term diet) and δ13C and δ15N signatures of tails (indicative of medium-term diet) of adult newts from three artificial ponds in central Italy, where traditional silvo-pastoral activities are still important, were determined. Potential prey were also sampled and processed for stable isotope analysis. Triturus carnifex, similar to other newt species, is an opportunistic predator, feeding on a wide variety of prey that includes terrestrial and aquatic macroinvertebrates. In particular, the opportunistic use of temporally available small zooplankton was identified from stomach contents analysis. Conversely, stable isotope analysis highlighted the consumption of larger, soft-bodied prey that the stomach-contents-based approach underestimated. These included terrestrial oligochaetes, which turned out to be the most important and energy-rich food source in the medium term. These results emphasize the usefulness of combined approaches for studying the trophic ecology of salamanders and also highlight the importance of the integrated management of aquatic breeding habitats and neighbouring terrestrial habitats, as sources of food, for newt conservation