Congenital Zika virus syndrome…what else? Two case reports of severe combined fetal pathologies.

Zika virus (ZIKV) has recently emerged as a teratogenic infectious agent associated with severe fetal cerebral anomalies. Other microorganisms (TORCH agents) as well as genetic disorders and toxic agents may lead to similar anomalies. In case of fetal anomalies, the exact etiology might be difficult to establish, especially in ZIKV endemic countries. As the risks associated with maternal infection remain unclear adequate parental counseling is difficult. We present two cases of severe fetal pathologies managed in our multidisciplinary center during the ZIKV outbreak in Martinique, a French Caribbean Island. Both fetuses had congenital ZIKV infection confirmed by RT-PCR. While one case presented with significant cerebral anomalies, the other one presented with hydrops fetalis. A complete analysis revealed that the fetal lesions observed resulted from a combination of ZIKV congenital infection and a genetic disorder (trisomy 18) in case 1 or congenital Parvovirus B19 infection in case 2. We highlight the difficulties related to adequate diagnosis in case of suspected ZIKV congenital syndrome. Additional factors may contribute to or cause fetal pathology, even in the presence of a confirmed ZIKV fetal infection. An exact diagnosis is mandatory to draw definitive conclusions. We further emphasize that, similarly to other congenital infections, it is very likely that not all infected fetuses will become symptomatic

Rationale, design and methodology for Intraventricular Pressure Gradients Study: a novel approach for ventricular filling assessment in normal and falling hearts

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Intraventricular pressure gradients have been described between the base and the apex of the left ventricle during early diastolic ventricular filling, as well as, their increase after systolic and diastolic function improvement. Although, systolic gradients have also been observed, data are lacking on their magnitude and modulation during cardiac dysfunction. Furthermore, we know that segmental dysfunction interferes with the normal sequence of regional contraction and might be expected to alter the physiological intraventricular pressure gradients. The study hypothesis is that systolic and diastolic gradients, a marker of normal left ventricular function, may be related to physiological asynchrony between basal and apical myocardial segments and they can be attenuated, lost entirely, or even reversed when ventricular filling/emptying is impaired by regional acute ischemia or severe aortic stenosis.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p><it>Animal Studies: </it>Six rabbits will be completely instrumented to measuring apex to outflow-tract pressure gradient and apical and basal myocardial segments lengthening changes at basal, afterloaded and ischemic conditions. Afterload increase will be performed by abruptly narrowing or occluding the ascending aorta during the diastole and myocardial ischemia will be induced by left coronary artery ligation, after the first diagonal branch.</p> <p><it>Patient Studies: </it>Patients between 65-80 years old (n = 12), both genders, with severe aortic stenosis referred for aortic valve replacement will be selected as eligible subjects. A high-fidelity pressure-volume catheter will be positioned through the ascending aorta across the aortic valve to measure apical and outflow-tract pressure before and after aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthesis. Peak and average intraventricular pressure gradients will be recorded as apical minus outflow-tract pressure and calculated during all diastolic and systolic phases of cardiac cycle.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>We expect to validate the application of our method to obtain intraventricular pressure gradients in animals and patients and to promote a methodology to better understand the ventricular relaxation and filling and their correlation with systolic function.</p

Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage 4 comprises globally distributed and geographically restricted sublineages

Generalist and specialist species differ in the breadth of their ecological niches. Little is known about the niche width of obligate human pathogens. Here we analyzed a global collection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage 4 clinical isolates, the most geographically widespread cause of human tuberculosis. We show that lineage 4 comprises globally distributed and geographically restricted sublineages, suggesting a distinction between generalists and specialists. Population genomic analyses showed that, whereas the majority of human T cell epitopes were conserved in all sublineages, the proportion of variable epitopes was higher in generalists. Our data further support a European origin for the most common generalist sublineage. Hence, the global success of lineage 4 reflects distinct strategies adopted by different sublineages and the influence of human migration.We thank S. Lecher, S. Li and J. Zallet for technical support. Calculations were performed at the sciCORE scientific computing core facility at the University of Basel. This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grants 310030_166687 (S.G.) and 320030_153442 (M.E.) and Swiss HIV Cohort Study grant 740 to L.F.), the European Research Council (309540-EVODRTB to S.G.), TB-PAN-NET (FP7-223681 to S.N.), PathoNgenTrace projects (FP7-278864-2 to S.N.), SystemsX.ch (S.G.), the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF; S.N.), the Novartis Foundation (S.G.), the Natural Science Foundation of China (91631301 to Q.G.), and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (5U01-AI069924-05) of the US National Institutes of Health (M.E.)

Produção de farinha de larvas e pupas de zângão

A técnica da remoção dos quadros de zângão, utilizada no controlo do ácaro Varroa destructor, pode proporcionar uma fonte alternativa de alimento, sendo para isso necessário desenvolver técnicas simples e viáveis de extração e utilização das larvas e pupas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo testar dois métodos de extração, o método de extração a frio e a quente. Após a recolha os quadros foram congelados para garantir a sua conservação. Seguiu-se a extração das larvas e pupas através de métodos de extração a frio e extração quente (imersão em água a ferver). A extração a frio foi realizada manualmente com duas condições: sala fria (61ºC); superfície fria. Os rendimentos de extração variaram entre 62,57,5% e 84,94,0%, respetivamente para a superfície fria e para a extração a quente. Os tempos de extração mais elevado foi para a extração a frio em sala fria (336,342,4 segundos) e o mais baixo para a superfície fria (246,830,1 segundos). As larvas e pupas foram submetidas a dois tipos de desidratação: vaporização e liofilização. A vaporização escureceu demasiado as larvas e pupas não se revelando um bom processo de secagem. Deste modo, a farinha foi produzida a partir da trituração das larvas e pupas secadas por liofilização (até peso constante). Nutricionalmente as farinhas apresentaram-se ricas em proteína e gordura. Este novo produto poderá proporcionar o aumento do rendimento da atividade apícola, benefícios nutricionais e usos na produção de novos produtos à base de farinha de zângão.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development and characterization of healthy gummy jellies containing natural fruits

The reduction of sugar and the addition of healthier ingredients in gummy jellies brings some improved health characteristics to a product that usually is devoid of nutrition. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop gummy jellies using natural ingredients, without added sugars or additives, in two varieties: one including orange juice and slightly sweetened with honey (ORH) and the other including puree made from a mixture of berries (BEM). These were submitted to physicochemical, microbiological, and sensorial analyses. Results of microbiological analyses showed that both gummies were suitable for consumption accordingly to EU legislation. The physicochemical analyses allowed making a nutritional evaluation, so that ORH and BEM presented 73.8 kcal/100 g and 39.8 kcal/100 g, respectively, five and nine times lower than similar commercial products. The contribution of macronutrients of ORH and BEM was as follows: 78.0 and 67% from carbohydrates, 21.7 and 33% from proteins, respectively. Regarding the potential functional properties, the antioxidant capacity was 50.4  ±  4.5 mg/L TE for ORH and 83.7  ±  7.6 mg/L for BEM. Sensorial evaluation showed that although the developed gummy jellies were slightly less appreciated than a commercial counterpart, still they were appreciated by members of a panel and particularly the ORH, which was rated with scores almost equal to those of the commercial sample. In addition, the developed gummies showed lower caloric values and higher antioxidant capacity than similar commercial candies. Overall, ORH and BEM gummy jellies could represent an opportunity to provide consumers with a healthier alternative to the common jelly candies available in the market.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Flour from drone broods: A viable alternative?

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tectono-Sedimentary Evolution of Shale-Related Minibasins in the Karvandar Basin (South Sistan, SE Iran): Insights From Magnetostratigraphy, Isotopic Dating, and Sandstone Petrology

Sediments deposited into foreland basins can provide valuable insights related to the geological evolution of their hinterlands. Located in the peripheral foreland of the South Sistan Suture Zone (SE Iran), the Karvandar Basin exhibits a several-kilometer-thick shallow-marine to continental clastic sedimentary sequence forming elongated sub-circular synclines. These synclines overlie a mud-dominated formation with exotic volcanic blocks that hosts one of Iran's largest mud volcano, known as Pirgel. In this study, we present a ∼3.5-km-thick magnetostratigraphic section and U-Pb zircon ages of interlayered tuffs that constrain a depositional age of the Karvandar Basin of ∼24–17 Ma. Sandstone and microconglomerate framework analyses and paleocurrent directions suggest a first-cycle active volcanic arc source to the northeast of the basin. We interpret the mud-dominated lithology with volcanic blocks as an olistostrome originating from a similar source as the overlying clastic sequence. The deposition of the olistostrome is dated at ∼24.5 Ma by a U-Pb calcite age from a coral block. The absence of large-scale anticlines and the occurrence of angular unconformities suggest that the sub-circular synclines in the Karvandar Basin formed by gravity-driven downbuilding into the unconsolidated fluid-saturated olistostrome, resembling salt-related minibasins. Integrated results indicate that a late Oligocene to early Miocene Makran volcanic arc represents the source of the clastic sequence. Hence, our results provide new constraints on the initiation of arc volcanism related to the Makran subduction zone, predating earliest reported ages from the Mirabad pluton (19 Ma) to the northeast of the Karvandar Basin by ∼5 Myr

Analysis of blood from Zika virus-infected fetuses: a prospective case series.

Zika virus has spread through the Americas and the Caribbean since early 2015 and was rapidly declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO because of the potential association with fetal anomalies. We analysed fetal and maternal fluids and tissues in fetuses with confirmed Zika virus infection prospectively monitored in Martinique, a French Caribbean island. Since the beginning of the Zika virus outbreak in Martinique, all pregnant women undergo monthly fetal ultrasound examination surveillance. In this study, we prospectively studied all patients with fetal anomalies and a positive amniotic fluid for Zika virus by RT-PCR. Maternal and fetal blood, urine, amniotic fluid, placenta, and fetal tissues were tested for Zika virus by RT-PCR. Fetal blood was analysed to identify haematological and biological anomalies. Between Jan 1, 2016, and Nov 10, 2016, we recruited eight cases of Zika virus infection. All but two cases were symptomatic during the first trimester. Fetal anomalies were only detected after 20 weeks' gestation. After an initial positive result, amniocentesis became negative in two cases and fetal blood was transiently Zika virus-positive in six cases. Fetal blood analyses showed a cholestatic pattern, anaemia, and infectious response. Normalisation of amniotic fluid and fetal blood for Zika virus, as well as maternal blood and urine, shows the limitations of the performance of these investigations, due to the possibility of false negative results. Abnormal fetal blood needs to be investigated further to establish prognostic factors of severe Zika virus infections. None

Tectono-Sedimentary Evolution of Shale-Related Minibasins in the Karvandar Basin (South Sistan, SE Iran): Insights From Magnetostratigraphy, Isotopic Dating, and Sandstone Petrology

28 pages, 16 figures, supporting information https://doi.org/10.1029/2023TC007971.-- Data Availability Statement: All isotopic, fossil, sandstone petrological and paleomagnetic data used for to constrain the magnetostratigraphy in the study are available in Supporting Information S1 and at the ETH Research Collection via https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000636892 in copyright—non-commercial use permitted (Ruh et al., 2023)Sediments deposited into foreland basins can provide valuable insights related to the geological evolution of their hinterlands. Located in the peripheral foreland of the South Sistan Suture Zone (SE Iran), the Karvandar Basin exhibits a several-kilometer-thick shallow-marine to continental clastic sedimentary sequence forming elongated sub-circular synclines. These synclines overlie a mud-dominated formation with exotic volcanic blocks that hosts one of Iran's largest mud volcano, known as Pirgel. In this study, we present a ∼3.5-km-thick magnetostratigraphic section and U-Pb zircon ages of interlayered tuffs that constrain a depositional age of the Karvandar Basin of ∼24–17 Ma. Sandstone and microconglomerate framework analyses and paleocurrent directions suggest a first-cycle active volcanic arc source to the northeast of the basin. We interpret the mud-dominated lithology with volcanic blocks as an olistostrome originating from a similar source as the overlying clastic sequence. The deposition of the olistostrome is dated at ∼24.5 Ma by a U-Pb calcite age from a coral block. The absence of large-scale anticlines and the occurrence of angular unconformities suggest that the sub-circular synclines in the Karvandar Basin formed by gravity-driven downbuilding into the unconsolidated fluid-saturated olistostrome, resembling salt-related minibasins. Integrated results indicate that a late Oligocene to early Miocene Makran volcanic arc represents the source of the clastic sequence. Hence, our results provide new constraints on the initiation of arc volcanism related to the Makran subduction zone, predating earliest reported ages from the Mirabad pluton (19 Ma) to the northeast of the Karvandar Basin by ∼5 MyrWe acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI). JBR is supported by a Ramón y Cajal scholarship (RYC2021-031331-I) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and InnovationWith the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)Peer reviewe