The changing global distribution and prevalence of canine transmissible venereal tumour.

BACKGROUND: The canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) is a contagious cancer that is naturally transmitted between dogs by the allogeneic transfer of living cancer cells during coitus. CTVT first arose several thousand years ago and has been reported in dog populations worldwide; however, its precise distribution patterns and prevalence remain unclear. RESULTS: We analysed historical literature and obtained CTVT prevalence information from 645 veterinarians and animal health workers in 109 countries in order to estimate CTVT's former and current global distribution and prevalence. This analysis confirmed that CTVT is endemic in at least 90 countries worldwide across all inhabited continents. CTVT is estimated to be present at a prevalence of one percent or more in dogs in at least 13 countries in South and Central America as well as in at least 11 countries in Africa and 8 countries in Asia. In the United States and Australia, CTVT was reported to be endemic only in remote indigenous communities. Comparison of current and historical reports of CTVT indicated that its prevalence has declined in Northern Europe, possibly due to changes in dog control laws during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Analysis of factors influencing CTVT prevalence showed that presence of free-roaming dogs was associated with increased CTVT prevalence, while dog spaying and neutering were associated with reduced CTVT prevalence. Our analysis indicated no gender bias for CTVT and we found no evidence that animals with CTVT frequently harbour concurrent infectious diseases. Vincristine was widely reported to be the most effective therapy for CTVT. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide a survey of the current global distribution of CTVT, confirming that CTVT is endemic in at least 90 countries worldwide. Additionally, our analysis highlights factors that continue to modify CTVT's prevalence around the world and implicates free-roaming dogs as a reservoir for the disease. Our analysis also documents the disappearance of the disease from the United Kingdom during the twentieth century, which appears to have been an unintentional result of the introduction of dog control policies.This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final version of this article has been published by BioMed Central: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/10/168

Structural modifications of Callovo-Oxfordian argillite under hydration/dehydration conditions

Abstract The clay minerals are among the first silicated minerals to be transformed physically and chemically during changes of temperature, pressure, relative humidity and fluid composition. One of the first physical processes, extremely rapid, is the hydration and/or dehydration of swelling clays minerals. These processes could generate changes of the clay structure and consequently the texture of an argillaceous rock. In order to observe in situ structural modifications on a deep argillaceous rock ''argillite'' (Parisian basin, in France) according hydration -dehydration cycles, an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) was used. This instrument allows the possibility to observe geological samples in their natural state without preliminary preparation or modification. Two types of samples were prepared, parallel and perpendicular to the lithology. Then, each sample was submitted to three water condensation/evaporation cycles. The observed samples were from the Callovo-Oxfordian formations in HTM 80743, HTM 983, HTM 02618 and EST 2159 cores. ESEM observations show that the water sensitivity of these bulk samples depends directly on the clay mineral proportion in the rock, and on the clay family present. It is also obvious that the water sensitivity depends on the anisotropy of the pore structure and the particle size and total porosity. The main structural modifications observed were the cracking of the surface, particles aggregation/disaggregating and opening/closing of pores and/or cracks.

Dry Atmospheric Contribution to the Plant-Soil System Around a Cement Factory: Spatial Variations and Sources-a Case Study from Oman

International audienceThe present study determines the source of dust particles and investigates their impact on the chemical compositions of plants and soils around a cement factory in Oman within a radius of 10 km of this disturbed ecosystem. A total number of nine samples of the species of plants (Rhazya stricta), nine samples of soils, and nine samples of dust were collected and analyzed for major ions and trace elements including rare earth elements (REEs). Principal component analysis applied to the major and trace element concentrations in the dust indicated the input of at least two sources to the dust in the study area: ophiolites and cement. The REE distribution in the plants and soils revealed that the most available elements to plants originated dominantly from ophiolites rather than from cement. The contribution of cement industry is significant only in the zone located at about 0.500 to 2 km around the cement factory, whereas the contribution of ophiolites increases with distance from the cement factory

Activated kaolin’s potential adsorbents for the removal of Derma Blue R67 acid dye: kinetic and thermodynamic studies

International audienceIn the present work, two Algerian clay samples, Djebel Debagh (DD3) and Tamazert (KT2), were used as adsorbents for the removal from the water of Derma Blue R67, which is an acid dye commonly used in the tanning industry. The two clay samples used were first treated by acid in order to enhance their retention capacities, and then characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, surface area measurements (Brunauer, Emmett et Teller method (BET)), surface charge (points of zero net proton charge), and electrophoretic mobility (Zetaphoremeter). Further, the adsorption experiments of the acid dye from water onto the clay surface were carried out by investigating various parameters such as, the contact time, the initial dye concentration, the aqueous phase pH, the clay amount and the temperature. The results indicate that the two adsorbents are efficient and that the anionic dye removal from water is mainly feasible at ambient temperature. Further, the comparison of the experimental adsorption data to the prediction models has shown that the Langmuir model gives the best fit, indicating the formation of a monolayer by the acid dye molecules on the clay surface. Finally, the adsorption kinetics follows a two-type process onto KT2 kaolinite, whereas onto DD3, it only follows the pseudo-second order model. From the overall data, it is concluded that the Algerian local kaolin clays are good adsorbent candidates for wastewater treatments