Mantle cell lymphoma of the larynx: Primary case report

INTRODUCTION: Primary laryngeal lymphomas are exceedingly rare. Only about a hundred cases have been reported. They consist mainly of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, especially of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. We report the first case of a primary laryngeal mantle cell lymphoma. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a primary mantle cell lymphoma of the larynx in a 70-year-old North African non-smoker male. We present a detailed report of his clinical and paraclinical data as well as treatment options. CONCLUSIONS: Mantle cell lymphoma is a very aggressive lymphoma subset associated with poor prognosis. Laryngeal mantle cell lymphoma is exceedingly rare. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case to ever be reported

Le traitement chirurgical des adénocarcinomes de la jonction oesogastrique: Expérience marocaine à travers une série de 149 cas

Introduction: L'incidence du cancer de la Jonction oesogastrique (JOG) ne cesse d'augmenter depuis les deux dernières décades aussi bien dans les pays industrialisés que dans les pays en voie de développement notamment le Maroc. Le rapprochement sur le plan étiopathogénique des adénocarcinomes (ADK) du cardia et ceux du bas oesophage reste un sujet de controverse posant le problème du choix thérapeutique chirurgical, notamment l’étendu de la résection. Le but de ce travail est de dresser le profil épidémiologique des patients opérés pour un ADK du cardia et analyser les gestes chirurgicaux réalisés par l’équipe chirurgicale A du centre hospitalier universitaire IBN SINA à Rabat à travers une série de 149 cas. Méthodes: Il s'agit d'une étude rétrospective ayant intéressé les malades opérés pour un ADK de la JOG sur une période de 15 années (1990-2004) en chirurgie A du CHU IBN SINA à Rabat. Résultats: 149 cas d'ADK de la JOG ont été retenus. L'âge moyen était de 55 ans, 76% étaient de sexe masculin avec un sex-ratio de 3/1. Les signes cliniques les plus fréquemment observés sont la dysphagie (70%), les douleurs épigastriques (67%) et le reflux gastro-oesophagien (15.5%). La notion de tabagisme n’a été rapportée que chez 20% des cas et l'oesophage de barret chez 10% des patients. Le type I de Siewert a concerné 65 cas (43.5%), le type II 40 cas (27 %), et le type III 44 cas (29.5%). Dans le type I une oesophagectomie transhiatale a été proposée, alors que les type II et III ont été traité comme un cancer de l'estomac par une gastrectomie totale. Les suites opératoires étaient simples chez 80 % des patients, la mortalité globale était de 8.5%. Conclusion: L’oesophagectomie par voie transhiatale chez les patients fragiles avec un ADK de la JOG de type I permet des résultats carcinologiques satisfaisants avec réduction de la morbidité postopératoire par rapport à la voie transthoracique. La gastrectomie totale est le traitement de choix pour les types III, alors que le débat est toujours ouvert quant à la meilleure stratégie chirurgicale pour la prise en charge des tumeurs de type II.Key words: Cardia, adénocarcinome, Siewert, chirurgie, Maro

Linking Chromosomal Silencing With Xist Expression From Autosomal Integrated Transgenes

Xist is the master regulator of X-Chromosome Inactivation (XCI), the mammalian dosage compensation mechanism that silences one of the two X chromosomes in a female cell. XCI is established during early embryonic development. Xist transgene (Tg) integrated into an autosome can induce transcriptional silencing of flanking genes; however, the effect and mechanism of Xist RNA on autosomal sequence silencing remain elusive. In this study, we investigate an autosomal integration of Xist Tg that is compatible with mouse viability but causes male sterility in homozygous transgenic mice. We observed ectopic Xist expression in the transgenic male cells along with a transcriptional reduction of genes clustered in four segments on the mouse chromosome 1 (Chr 1). RNA/DNA Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (FISH) and chromosome painting confirmed that Xist Tg is associated with chromosome 1. To determine the spreading mechanism of autosomal silencing induced by Xist Tg on Chr 1, we analyzed the positions of the transcriptionally repressed chromosomal sequences relative to the Xist Tg location inside the cell nucleus. Our results show that the transcriptionally repressed chromosomal segments are closely proximal to Xist Tg in the three-dimensional nucleus space. Our findings therefore support a model that Xist directs and maintains long-range transcriptional silencing facilitated by the three-dimensional chromosome organization

Bovine cryptosporidiosis: impact, host-parasite interaction and control strategies

International audienceAbstractGastrointestinal disease caused by the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum is one of the most important diseases of young ruminant livestock, particularly neonatal calves. Infected animals may suffer from profuse watery diarrhoea, dehydration and in severe cases death can occur. At present, effective therapeutic and preventative measures are not available and a better understanding of the host–pathogen interactions is required. Cryptosporidium parvum is also an important zoonotic pathogen causing severe disease in people, with young children being particularly vulnerable. Our knowledge of the immune responses induced by Cryptosporidium parasites in clinically relevant hosts is very limited. This review discusses the impact of bovine cryptosporidiosis and describes how a thorough understanding of the host–pathogen interactions may help to identify novel prevention and control strategies

Chickpea plant responses to polyphosphate fertiliser forms and drip fertigation frequencies: effect on photosynthetic performance and phenotypic traits.

peer reviewedPhotosynthesis is the main biophysiological process that governs plant growth and development. Under nutrient deficiency in crops and soils, many photosynthetic reactions can be disturbed. We compared two polyphosphates (Poly-A and Poly-B) and an orthophosphate fertiliser (Ortho-P) to an unfertilised treatment under three drip fertigation frequencies. Results showed that the electron transport chain between PSII and PSI was significantly enhanced in fertigated chickpea plants compared with the control treatment. The polyphosphate fertiliser (Poly-A) enhanced the number of electron acceptors of the photosynthetic linear electron transport chain compared with the other fertiliser forms. Furthermore, the time for reaching the maximum intensity Fm was shortened in the fertilised chickpea plant indicating that the rate of light trapping and electron transport was enhanced under phosphorus drip fertigation. Also, the energy needed to close all reaction centres was decreased with P fertigated treatments, as revealed by the electron acceptor pool size of PSII (Sm/tFmax). However, no significant effects of fertiliser forms or fertigation frequencies were observed on the energetic demand for reaction centres closure. Plants grown under polyphosphate fertigation absorbed significantly more phosphorus. Positive correlations between phosphorus uptake, photosynthetic yield, chickpea podding dynamic, and grain yield showed the beneficial effects of adequate phosphorus nutrition on chickpea growth and productivity.SoilPhorlLife Projec

Reproductive senescence in polar bears in a variable environment

International audienceReproductive senescence is ubiquitous in mammals. However, patterns of senescence vary across reproductive traits, even within populations, perhaps because of differences in selection pressures, physiological constraints, and responses to environmental conditions. We investigated reproductive senescence in wild female polar bears (Ursus maritimus), using 31 years of capture-recapture data from the Svalbard area. We studied the influence of environmental conditions on age-specific litter production and litter size using generalized linear mixed models. Further, using a capture-recapture model that handles the dependency between vital rates of individuals belonging to the same family unit, we assessed maternal-age-related changes in first year cub and litter survival. We provide clear evidence for reproductive senescence in female polar bears. Litter production and litter size peaked in middle-aged females and declined sharply afterward. By contrast cub and litter survival did not decline after prime age. We found no evidence of terminal investment. The reproductive output of all females was affected by sea-ice conditions during the previous year and the Arctic Oscillation, with some effects differing greatly between age groups. Old females were affected the most by environmental conditions. Our results suggest that the decline in reproductive output is a combination of fertility and body-condition senescence, with a weak contribution of maternal-effect senescence, possibly due to benefits of experience. Further, as predicted by evolutionary theory, senescence appears to be a consequence of failures in early stages of the reproductive cycle rather than in late stages, and environmental variation affected old females more than prime-aged females. Our study emphasizes the need to study several reproductive traits and account for environmental variation when investigating reproductive senescence. Differences in senescence patterns across reproductive traits should be interpreted in light of evolutionary theory and while considering underlying physiological drivers

Phosphorus fertilizer form and application frequency affect soil P availability, chickpea yield, and P use efficiency under drip fertigation

peer reviewedPhosphorus (P) fertilizer properties and nutrient management strategies substantially affect soil P availability as well as uptake and consequently crop yield. The present study aims to study the potential use of inorganic soluble polyphosphates (Poly‐P) as slow‐release fertilizer under drip fertigation. A pot experiment was conducted using an alkaline soil. Two Poly‐P fertilizers, differing in their polymerization rate (Poly‐53 with 53% and Poly‐100 with 100% Poly‐P of the total‐P content), were compared to an orthophosphate (Ortho‐P) and a treatment without P application (control) under three drip fertigation frequencies (Fsow: P fertilizer applied at sowing, Fweek: once a week, and F3days: every 3 days). Soil samples were taken at 40 days after sowing and at harvest from 3 layers (0–5, 5–10, and 10–20 cm) to determine P availability in soil (Olsen‐P) and its relocation into deeper soil layers. Furthermore, plant growth, yield, P uptake, P use efficiency, as well as water productivity were investigated. Soil P availability varied significantly between fertilizer forms and fertigation frequencies. At higher polymerization rate of the Poly‐P fertilizer, P becomes less mobile in the soil, but its availability is maintained until harvest. The analysis of Olsen‐P at harvest showed that the higher P availability in soil was obtained with Poly‐P forms with higher values in the 0–5 and 5–10 cm soil layers than in the 10–20 cm. In addition, weekly fertigation (Fweek) revealed the best results in terms of P availability compared to other P fertigation regimes, and all P fertilizers significantly improved chickpea grain yield, seed quality, and water productivity, compared to the unfertilized control. Poly‐P fertilizers can be recommended as an effective source of phosphorus for plants, due to their slow‐release properties. Using Poly‐P, the frequency of P application through the drip fertigation system can be reduced while ensuring high crop yields.SoilPhorLif

Interactive effect of soil moisture content and phosphorus fertilizer form on chickpea growth, photosynthesis, and nutrient uptake

Water shortage and soil nutrient depletion are considered the main factors limiting crops productivity in the Mediterranean region characterized by longer and frequent drought episodes. In this study, we investigated the interactive effects of P fertilizer form and soil moisture conditions on chickpea photosynthetic activity, water and nutrient uptake, and their consequent effects on biomass accumulation and nutrient use efficiency. Two P fertilizer formulas based on orthophosphates (Ortho-P) and polyphosphates (Poly-P) were evaluated under three irrigation regimes (I1: 75% of field capacity, I2: 50% FC and I3: 25% FC), simulating three probable scenarios of soil water content in the Mediterranean climate (adequate water supply, medium, and severe drought stress), and compared to an unfertilized treatment. The experiment was conducted in a spilt-plot design under a drip fertigation system. The results showed significant changes in chickpea phenotypic and physiological traits in response to different P and water supply regimes. Compared with the unfertilized treatment, the stomata density and conductance, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis efficiency, biomass accumulation, and plant nutrient uptake were significantly improved under P drip fertigation. The obtained results suggested that the P fertilizer form and irrigation regime providing chickpea plants with enough P and water, at the early growth stage, increased the stomatal density and conductance, which significantly improved the photosynthetic performance index (PIABS) and P use efficiency (PUE), and consequently biomass accumulation and nutrient uptake. The significant correlations established between leaf stomatal density, PIABS, and PUE supported the above hypothesis. We concluded that the Poly-P fertilizers applied in well-watered conditions (I1) performed the best in terms of chickpea growth improvement, nutrient uptake and use efficiency. However, their effectiveness was greatly reduced under water stress conditions, unlike the Ortho-P form which kept stable positive effects on the studied parameters.SoilPhorLif

Data_logistic regressions_Reproductive Senescence in Polar Bears in a Variable Environment

Thise csv files contain the capture data and the environmental data used in the logistic regression of litter production and the logistic regression of litter size. CR_f_lone_or_w_coys.csv: includes all females captured alone or with cubs-of-the-year between 2000 and 2022. unique_ID: unique ID of the capture (ID of the bear and date of capture) date: date of capture year: year of capture day_number: day of year of capture (with 1 corresponding to January 1) ID_NR: ID of the bear lat: latitude (decimal degrees) lon: longitude (decimal degrees) age: age at capture s_length: straight line body length cub_status: reproductive status at capture, "n" = no cubs, "c" = with cubs of the year cub_number: number of cubs accompanying the female at capture CR_f_w_coys.csv: includes all females captured with cubs-of-the-year between 1992 and 2022 unique_ID: unique ID of the capture (ID of the bear and date of capture) date: date of capture year: year of capture day_number: day of year of capture (with 1 corresponding to January 1) ID_NR: ID of the bear lat: latitude (decimal degrees) lon: longitude (decimal degrees) age: age at capture s_length: straight line body length cub_status: reproductive status at capture, "n" = no cubs, "c" = with cubs of the year cub_number: number of cubs accompanying the female at capture sea sea_ice_data: contains the sea ice-related metrics  DateBreakUp: day of year (with 1 corresponding to January 1) of sea-ice break-up.  DateFreezeUp: day of year (with 1 corresponding to January 1) of sea-ice freeze-up. Values superior to 365 (or 366) indicate that freeze-up occured in the following year.   AO_data: contains the Arctic Oscillation-related metrics winter_AO: three-month (Jan, Feb, Mar) average of the AO index for year t prior_winter_AO: three-month (Jan, Feb, Mar) average of the AO index for year t-1 prior_spring_AO: three-month (Apr, May, Jun) average of the AO index for year t-1 </p