Immune responses to airborne fungi and non-invasive airway diseases.

Inhalation of fungal particles is a ubiquitous way of exposure to microorganisms during human life; however, this exposure may promote or exacerbate respiratory diseases only in particular exposure conditions and human genetic background. Depending on the fungal species and form, fungal particles can induce symptoms in the lung by acting as irritants, aeroallergens or pathogens causing infection. Some thermophilic species can even act in all these three ways (e.g. Aspergillus, Penicillium), mesophilic species being only involved in allergic and/or non-allergic airway diseases (e.g. Cladosporium, Alternaria, Fusarium). The goal of the present review is to present the current knowledge on the interaction between airborne fungal particles and the host immune system, to illustrate the differences of immune sensing of different fungal species and to emphasise the importance of conducting research on non-conventional mesophilic fungal species. Indeed, the diversity of fungal species we inhale and the complexity of their composition have a direct impact on fungal particle recognition and immune system decision to tolerate or respond to those particles, eventually leading to collateral damages promoting airway pathologies

Le front de l’industrialisation de la construction. 1915-1920

La Grande Guerre industrialise le bâtiment pour encaserner les troupes engagées. Les baraques en bois, préfabriquées dans des scieries, à l’arrière, engerbées, transportées par voies terrestres, sont montées par des compagnies spéciales du Génie. Une organisation industrielle militaire de la construction montre son efficacité dans les deux batailles de la Somme et de l’Aisne. Près de 100 000 baraques Adrian françaises, 150 000 baraques Nissen britanniques légères, démontables, occupent la zone alliée, pour loger sommairement, soigner, organiser, nourrir les armées. Quatre millions d’hommes s’y agglomèrent. Une urbanistique de guerre s’élabore dans ces villes nouvelles qui s’égrainent aux lisières des bois et le long des voies ferrées

Sensing and avoiding sick conspecifics requires Gαi2+ vomeronasal neurons

Rodents utilize chemical cues to recognize and avoid other conspecifics infected with pathogens. Infection with pathogens and acute inflammation alter the repertoire and signature of olfactory stimuli emitted by a sick individual. These cues are recognized by healthy conspecifics via the vomeronasal or accessory olfactory system, triggering an innate form of avoidance behavior. However, the molecular identity of the sensory neurons and the higher neural circuits involved in the detection of sick conspecifics remain poorly understood

Male-induced early puberty correlates with the maturation of arcuate nucleus kisspeptin neurons in does

In goats, early exposure of spring-born females to sexually active bucks induces an early puberty onset assessed by the first ovulation. This effect is found when females are continuously exposed well before the male breeding season starting in September. The first aim of this study was to evaluate whether a shortened exposure of females to males could also lead to early puberty. We assessed the onset of puberty in Alpine does isolated from bucks (ISOL), exposed to wethers (CAS), exposed to intact bucks from the end of June (INT1), or mid-August (INT2). Intact bucks became sexually active in mid-September. At the beginning of October, 100% of INT1 and 90% of INT2 exposed does ovulated, in contrast to the ISOL (0%) and CAS (20%) groups. This demonstrated that contact with males that become sexually active is the main factor prompting precocious puberty in females. Furthermore, a reduced male exposure during a short window before the breeding season is sufficient to induce this phenomenon. The second aim was to investigate the neuroendocrine changes induced by male exposure. We found a significant increase in kisspeptin immunoreactivity (fiber density and number of cell bodies) in the caudal part of the arcuate nucleus of INT1 and INT2 exposed females. Thus, our results suggest that sensory stimuli from sexually active bucks (e.g., chemosignals) may trigger an early maturation of the ARC kisspeptin neuronal network leading to gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion and first ovulation

A new class of scorpion toxin binding sites related to an A-type K+ channel: pharmacological characterization and localization in rat brain

AbstractA new scorpion toxin (3751.8 Da) was isolated from the Buthus martensi venom, sequenced and chemically synthesized (sBmTX3). The A-type current of striatum neurons in culture completely disappeared when 1 μM sBmTX3 was applied (Kd=54 nM), whereas the sustained K+ current was unaffected. 125I-sBmTX3 specifically bound to rat brain synaptosomes (maximum binding=14 fmol mg−1 of protein, Kd=0.21 nM). A panel of toxins yet described as specific ligands for K+ channels were unable to compete with 125I-sBmTX3. A high density of 125I-sBmTX3 binding sites was found in the striatum, hippocampus, superior colliculus, and cerebellum in the adult rat brain

L'École supérieure de Topographie et le géomètre urbain (1900-1939). Les débuts de l'enseignement technique de l'aménagement

The Advanced College of Topography and the urban surveyor (1900-1939) The occupation of surveyor began in the XIXth century for cadastral survey work, in an organic bond with the rural world. The rebuilding of towns destroyed by the Great War attracted surveyors into urban planning, where they met up with heavy competition from architects. Geodesy and the building of suburban housing estates form the urban skills of surveyors. In 1929, the creation of a building surveyor's diploma by the Ecole Speciale des Travaux Publics (Specialised Public Works College), via the Ecole Superieure de Topographie (Advanced College of Topography) has legitimised the urbanisation and technology-based nature of this occupation.La profession de géomètre s'est constituée au XIXe siècle autour du travail cadastral dans un lien organique avec la propriété rurale. La reconstruction de villes détruites par la Grande Guerre attire les géomètres vers l'urbanisme où ils rencontrent la sévère concurrence des architectes. La levée de plans et la réalisation de lotissements en banlieue marquent les compétences urbaines des géomètres. La création en 1929 d'un diplôme de géomètre-expert au sein de l'Ecole Spéciale des Travaux Publics, via l'Ecole Supérieure de Topographie, consacre l'urbanisation et la technicisation du métier.Vacher Hélène. L'École supérieure de Topographie et le géomètre urbain (1900-1939). Les débuts de l'enseignement technique de l'aménagement. In: Les Annales de la recherche urbaine, N°88, 2000. Des métiers pour la ville. pp. 121-129

La planification de la sauvegarde et le détour marocain (1912-1925)

La sauvegarde des médinas du Maroc, sous la houlette du résident général Lyautey (1912-1925), relève de la politique d’aménagement qui engloba les cités du « vieux Maroc » dans la révolution spatiale induite par l’occupation coloniale. Dès sa mise en place, l’administration du Protectorat assigna une dimension symbolique à la conservation des monuments et des cités du Maroc. Innovante sur le plan institutionnel, spectaculaire au plan de son impact sur la forme urbaine, la politique de sauvega..