Study of a growth instability of γ-In[sub 2]Se[sub 3]

γ-In[sub 2]Se[sub 3] thin film are deposited for various substrate temperatures in the range of 523–673 K. This study shows that at 573 and 673 K the thin films are well crystallized with grains aligned along the c axis. Between these temperatures, a domain of instability appears where the γ-In[sub 2]Se[sub 3] thin films have a randomly orientation and the c-lattice parameter increases. The presence of the metastable phase κ-In[sub 2]Se[sub 3], during the growth, can explain the existence of this domain of instability. The insertion of Zn during the preparation process allows us to stabilize the phase κ at room temperature which confirms our hypothesis that the presence of κ-In[sub 2]Se[sub 3] perturbs the crystallization of γ-In[sub 2]Se[sub 3]. The increase of the c-lattice parameter can be explain by the fact that κ-In[sub 2]Se[sub 3] has a larger unit cell than γ-In[sub 2]Se[sub 3] or by a competition during the growth between the grains of both phases which could generate constraints along the c axis. During the cooling, the κ phase disappears in favor of the γ phase

Evaluation of milk yield losses associated with Salmonella antibodies in bulk-tank milk in bovine dairy herds

The effect of Salmonella on milk production is not well established in cattle. The objective of this study was to investigate whether introduction of Salmonella into dairy cattle herds was associated with reduced milk yield and the duration of any effect. Longitudinal data from 2005 through 2009 were used, with data from 12 months before until 18 months after the estimated date of infection. Twenty-eight case herds were selected based on an increase in the level of Salmonella specific antibodies in bulk-tank milk from < 10 corrected optic density percentage (ODC%) to ≥ 70 ODC% between two consecutive 3-monthly measurements in the Danish Salmonella surveillance program. All selected case herds were conventional Danish Holstein herds. Control herds (n = 40) were selected randomly from Danish Holstein herds with Salmonella antibody levels consistently < 10 ODC%. A date of herd infection was randomly allocated to the control herds. Hierarchical mixed effect models with the outcome test day energy corrected milk yield (ECM)/cow were used to investigate the daily milk yield before and after the estimated herd infection date for cows in parity 1, 2 and 3+. Control herds were used to evaluate whether the effects in the case herds could be reproduced in herds without Salmonella infection. Herd size, days in milk, somatic cell count, season, and year were included in the models. The key results were that first parity cow yield was reduced by a mean of 1.4 kg (95% CI: 0.5 to 2.3) ECM/cow per day from seven to 15 months after the estimated herd infection date, compared with first parity cows in the same herds in the 12 months before the estimated herd infection date. Yield for parity 3+ was reduced by a mean of 3.0 kg (95% CI: 1.3 to 4.8) ECM/cow per day from seven to 15 months after herd infection compared with parity 3+ cows in the 12 months before the estimated herd infection. There were minor differences in yield in second parity cows before and after herd infection, and no difference between cows in control herds before and after the simulated infection date. There was a significant drop in milk yield in affected herds and the reduction was detectable several months after the increase in bulk-tank milk Salmonella antibodies. It took more than a year for milk yield to return to pre- infection levels

Characterization of the boundary layer at Dome C (East Antarctica) during the OPALE summer campaign

The regional climate model MAR was run for the region of Dome C located on the East Antarctic plateau, during Antarctic summer 2011–2012, in order to refine our understanding of meteorological conditions during the OPALE observation campaign. A very high vertical resolution is set up in the lower troposphere, with a grid spacing of roughly 2 m. Comparisons are made with observed temperatures and winds near the surface and from a 45 m high tower as well as sodar and radiation data. MAR is generally in very good agreement with the observations but sometimes underestimates cloud formation, leading to an underestimation of the simulated downward long-wave radiation. Absorbed short-wave radiation may also be slightly overestimated due to an underestimation of the snow albedo and this influences the surface energy budget and atmospheric turbulence. Nevertheless the model provides sufficiently reliable information that represent key parameters when discussing the representativeness of chemical measurements made nearby the ground surface during field campaigns conducted at the Concordia site located at Dome C (3233 m a.s.l.)

Hyperthyroidism from autoimmune thyroiditis in a man with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The presentation, diagnosis, clinical course and treatment of a man with hyperthyroidism secondary to autoimmune thyroiditis in the setting of type 1 diabetes mellitus has not previously been described.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 32-year-old European-American man with an eight-year history of type 1 diabetes mellitus presented with an unintentional 22-pound weight loss but an otherwise normal physical examination. Laboratory studies revealed a suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration and an elevated thyroxine level, which are consistent with hyperthyroidism. His anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies were positive, and his thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin test was negative. Uptake of radioactive iodine by scanning was 0.5% at 24 hours. The patient was diagnosed with autoimmune thyroiditis. Six weeks following his initial presentation he became clinically and biochemically hypothyroid and was treated with thyroxine.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This report demonstrates that autoimmune thyroiditis presenting as hyperthyroidism can occur in a man with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Autoimmune thyroiditis may be an isolated manifestation of autoimmunity or may be part of an autoimmune polyglandular syndrome. Among patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus who present with hyperthyroidism, Graves' disease and other forms of hyperthyroidism need to be excluded as autoimmune thyroiditis can progress quickly to hypothyroidism, requiring thyroid hormone replacement therapy.</p

Greater Greenland Ice Sheet contribution to global sea level rise in CMIP6

Future climate projections show a marked increase in Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) runoff during the 21st century, a direct consequence of the Polar Amplification signal. Regional climate models (RCMs) are a widely used tool to downscale ensembles of projections from global climate models (GCMs) to assess the impact of global warming on GrIS melt and sea level rise contribution. Initial results of the CMIP6 GCM model intercomparison project have revealed a greater 21st century temperature rise than in CMIP5 models. However, so far very little is known about the subsequent impacts on the future GrIS surface melt and therefore sea level rise contribution. Here, we show that the total GrIS sea level rise contribution from surface mass loss in our high-resolution (15 km) regional climate projections is 17.8 ± 7.8 cm in SSP585, 7.9 cm more than in our RCP8.5 simulations using CMIP5 input. We identify a +1.3 °C greater Arctic Amplification and associated cloud and sea ice feedbacks in the CMIP6 SSP585 scenario as the main drivers. Additionally, an assessment of the GrIS sea level contribution across all emission scenarios highlights, that the GrIS mass loss in CMIP6 is equivalent to a CMIP5 scenario with twice the global radiative forcing.Peer reviewe

Detection of the A189G mtDNA heteroplasmic mutation in relation to age in modern and ancient bones.

International audienceThe aim of this study was to demonstrate the presence of the A189G age-related point mutation on DNA extracted from bone. For this, a peptide nucleic acid (PNA)/DNA sequencing method which can determine an age threshold for the appearance of the mutation was used. Initially, work was done in muscle tissue in order to evaluate the sensitivity of the technique and afterwards in bone samples from the same individuals. This method was also applied to ancient bones from six well-preserved skeletal remains. The mutation was invariably found in muscle, and at a rate of up to 20% in individuals over 60 years old. In modern bones, the mutation was detected in individuals aged 38 years old or more, at a rate of up to 1%, but its occurrence was not systematic (only four out of ten of the individuals over 50 years old carried the heteroplasmy). For ancient bones, the mutation was also found in the oldest individuals according to osteologic markers. The study of this type of age-related mutation and a more complete understanding of its manifestation has potentially useful applications. Combined with traditional age markers, it could improve identification accuracy in forensic cases or in anthropological studies of ancient populations

Mitochondrial DNA footprints from Western Eurasia in modern Mongolia

Mongolia is located in a strategic position at the eastern edge of the Eurasian Steppe. Nomadic populations moved across this wide area for millennia before developing more sedentary communities, extended empires, and complex trading networks, which connected western Eurasia and eastern Asia until the late Medieval period. We provided a fine-grained portrait of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation observed in present-day Mongolians and capable of revealing gene flows and other demographic processes that took place in Inner Asia, as well as in western Eurasia. The analyses of a novel dataset (N = 2,420) of mtDNAs highlighted a clear matrilineal differentiation within the country due to a mixture of haplotypes with eastern Asian (EAs) and western Eurasian (WEu) origins, which were differentially lost and preserved. In a wider genetic context, the prevalent EAs contribution, larger in eastern and central Mongolian regions, revealed continuous connections with neighboring Asian populations until recent times, as attested by the geographically restricted haplotype-sharing likely facilitated by the Genghis Khan’s so-called Pax Mongolica. The genetic history beyond the WEu haplogroups, notably detectable on both sides of Mongolia, was more difficult to explain. For this reason, we moved to the analysis of entire mitogenomes (N = 147). Although it was not completely possible to identify specific lineages that evolved in situ, two major changes in the effective (female) population size were reconstructed. The more recent one, which began during the late Pleistocene glacial period and became steeper in the early Holocene, was probably the outcome of demographic events connected to western Eurasia. The Neolithic growth could be easily explained by the diffusion of dairy pastoralism, as already proposed, while the late glacial increase indicates, for the first time, a genetic connection with western Eurasian refuges, as supported by the unusual high frequency and internal sub-structure in Mongolia of haplogroup H1, a well-known post-glacial marker in Europe. Bronze Age events, without a significant demographic impact, might explain the age of some mtDNA haplogroups. Finally, a diachronic comparison with available ancient mtDNAs made it possible to link six mitochondrial lineages of present-day Mongolians to the timeframe and geographic path of the Silk Route

Vegetative endocarditis in equids (1994--2006).

peer reviewedBACKGROUND: Endocarditis is a rare heart condition with variable clinical expressions in equids. Risk factors for this disease are incompletely understood. OBJECTIVE: Describe risk factors for endocarditis in equids. ANIMALS: One hundred and fifty-three equids admitted to Liège University, 9 diagnosed with endocarditis and 144 free from endocarditis but admitted to the hospital with a differential diagnosis including this disease. METHODS: Retrospective case-control study. RESULTS: Equids with endocarditis were significantly younger (mean age = 4.84 +/- 5.74 years) than control equids (mean age = 10.8 +/- 7.73 years) (P = .01). No sex or breed predisposition was observed. Animals with hyperthermia (odds ratio [OR] = 24.4; confidence interval [CI] = 1.40-428), synovial distension (OR = 13.4; CI = 3.00-59.8), lameness (OR = 6.52; CI = 1.63-26.1), hyperglobulinemia (OR = 26.4; CI = 3.03-229), hypoalbuminemia (OR = 11.4; CI = 1.34-96.8), hyperfibrinogenemia (OR = 9.81; CI = 1.16-82.7), or leukocytosis (OR = 7.12; CI = 1.40-36.4) presented a significantly higher risk of having endocarditis than control horses. The presence of two of the clinical signs mentioned above significantly increased the probability of a diagnosis of endocarditis (P< or = .05). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Age is associated with equine endocarditis. The diagnostic value of certain clinical signs and abnormalities in blood parameters in this disease are described

Cellular and humoral immune responses and protection against schistosomes induced by a radiation-attenuated vaccine in chimpanzees

The radiation-attenuated Schistosoma mansoni vaccine is highly effective in rodents and primates but has never been tested in humans, primarily for safety reasons. To strengthen its status as a paradigm for a human recombinant antigen vaccine, we have undertaken a small-scale vaccination and challenge experiment in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Immunological, clinical, and parasitological parameters were measured in three animals after multiple vaccinations, together with three controls, during the acute and chronic stages of challenge infection up to chemotherapeutic cure. Vaccination induced a strong in vitro proliferative response and early gamma interferon production, but type 2 cytokines were dominant by the time of challenge. The controls showed little response to challenge infection before the acute stage of the disease, initiated by egg deposition. In contrast, the responses of vaccinated animals were muted throughout the challenge period. Vaccination also induced parasite-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG, which reached high levels at the time of challenge, while in control animals levels did not rise markedly before egg deposition. The protective effects of vaccination were manifested as an amelioration of acute disease and overall morbidity, revealed by differences in gamma-glutamyl transferase level, leukocytosis, eosinophilia, and hematocrit. Moreover, vaccinated chimpanzees had a 46% lower level of circulating cathodic antigen and a 38% reduction in fecal egg output, compared to controls, during the chronic phase of infection

Sensitivity of the current Antarctic surface mass balance to sea surface conditions using MAR

Estimates for the recent period and projections of the Antarctic surface mass balance (SMB) often rely on high-resolution polar-oriented regional climate models (RCMs). However, RCMs require large-scale boundary forcing fields prescribed by reanalyses or general circulation models (GCMs). Since the recent variability of sea surface conditions (SSCs, namely sea ice concentration, SIC, and sea surface temperature, SST) over the Southern Ocean is not reproduced by most GCMs from the 5th phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), RCMs are then subject to potential biases. We investigate here the direct sensitivity of the Antarctic SMB to SSC perturbations around the Antarctic. With the RCM "Modele Atmospherique Regional" (MAR), different sensitivity experiments are performed over 1979-2015 by modifying the ERA-Interim SSCs with (i) homogeneous perturbations and (ii) mean anomalies estimated from all CMIP5 models and two extreme ones, while atmospheric lateral boundary conditions remained unchanged. Results show increased (decreased) precipitation due to perturbations inducing warmer, i.e. higher SST and lower SIC (colder, i.e. lower SST and higher SIC), SSCs than ERA-Interim, significantly affecting the SMB of coastal areas, as precipitation is mainly related to cyclones that do not penetrate far into the continent. At the continental scale, significant SMB anomalies (i.e greater than the interannual variability) are found for the largest combined SST/SIC perturbations. This is notably due to moisture anomalies above the ocean, reaching sufficiently high atmospheric levels to influence accumulation rates further inland. Sensitivity experiments with warmer SSCs based on the CMIP5 biases reveal integrated SMB anomalies (+5 % to +13 %) over the present climate (1979-2015) in the lower range of the SMB increase projected for the end of the 21st century