Editorial: Exploiting wheat biodiversity and agricultural practices for tackling the effects of climate change

Editorial: Exploiting wheat biodiversity and agricultural practices for tackling the effects of climate chang

Statut phospho-calcique en hémodialyse chronique dans l’Oriental Marocain: évaluation de l’adhésion aux recommandations K/DOQI et KDIGO

Les troubles phosphocalciques sont fréquents en hémodialyse chronique. Leurs conséquences justifient une prévention et un traitement adaptés aux recommandations des sociétés savantes. L'objectif de notre étude était de déterminer le statut phosphocalcique de nos patients hémodialysés chroniques (HDC) et l'évaluation des taux de conformité des indicateurs aux recommandations K/DOQI et KDIGO. Ainsi, nous avons réalisé une étude transversale incluant les 83 patients HDC du centre d'hémodialyse de l'hôpital Al Farabi d'Oujda. L'âge moyen de nos patients était de 49.8±15.6 ans. Une prédominance masculine a été notée. La conformité des indicateurs du bilan phosphocalcique chez nos patients hémodialysés chroniques par rapport aux recommandations KDIGO était de l'ordre de 21.6%. Le pourcentage des patients ayant des données phosphocalciques conformes aux cibles recommandées par les K/DOQI était Les patients répondants simultanément aux quatres critères recommandés par les K/DOQI n'étaient que 8.4%

Le sujet âgé en hémodialyse chronique: expérience d’un centre hospitalier marocain

De plus en plus de patients âgés sont pris en charge en hémodialyse chronique. L'augmentation de l'incidence de la maladie rénale chronique, du diabète et l'amélioration de la survie cardio-vasculaire expliquent en grande partie ce constat. Les conséquences de la prise en charge de ces patients âgés en en hémodialyse chronique sont multiples. Elles sont dominées par les comorbidités et les troubles d'autonomie. Le but de notre étude est de décrire le profil épidémiologique et clinique des patients âgés traités par HDC dans notre centre. Nous avons réalisé une étude transversale, en Novembre 2011, incluant tous les patients hémodialysés chroniques de l'Hôpital Al Farabi d'Oujda, dans la région de l'Oriental Marocain. Nous avons analysé chez les patients âgés de 65 ans et plus les paramètres démographiques, clinico-biologiques et dialytiques. L'analyse statistique est réalisée par le logiciel SPSS 17,0. Parmi 94 patients hémodialysés chroniques actuellement pris en charge dans notre centre, 31patients sont âgés de 65 ans et plus (32,9%). La néphropathie causale était diabétique dans 6,4% des cas, vasculaire dans 19,35% des cas, et glomérulaire dans 20% des cas. Les comorbidités sont observées chez 65% de ces patients. 29% de patients avaient une comorbidité cardiovasculaire, 55% étaient hypertendus, alors que 6,4% avaient des troubles cognitifs. Les sujets âgés en hémodialyse chronique représentent une population de patients fragiles. Ils nécessitent une surveillance particulière et régulière afin de prévenir certaines complications propres au sujet âgé et améliorer ainsi leur qualité de vie.Key words: Sujet âgé, hémodialyse, insuffisance rénale chronique, comorbidité cardiovasculaire, troubles cognitif

Léiomyosarcome pleural primitif: à propos d’un cas

Nous rapportons le cas d'un léiomyosarcome pleural primitif, localement avancé, chez un homme de 64 ans, traité par chimiothérapie. La circonstance de découverte est une masse intra-thoracique, augmentant progressivement de volume, dans un contexte de fièvre et d'altération de l'état général. La tomodensitométrie abdominale a objectivé la tumeur. L'exploration chirurgicale a révélé une tumeur pleurale, très localement avancée, envahissant le médiastin. Une simple biopsie a été réalisée. L'examen anatomopathologique avec complément immunohistochimique était en faveur d'un léiomyosarcome de haut grade. Notre patient a reçu une chimiothérapie à base de Doxorubicine à la dose de 60 mg / m², administrée tous les 21 jours. L'évaluation après 6 cycles de chimiothérapie a retrouvé un bénéfice clinique et une réponse partielle radiologique estimée à 30%. Actuellement, il est en bon contrôle.Key words: Léiomyosarcome, plèvre, chimiothérapi

Adenosine A2A receptor modulation of hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapse plasticity during associative learning in behaving mice

© 2009 Nature Publishing Group All rights reservedPrevious in vitro studies have characterized the electrophysiological and molecular signaling pathways of adenosine tonic modulation on long-lasting synaptic plasticity events, particularly for hippocampal long-term potentiation(LTP). However, it remains to be elucidated whether the long-term changes produced by endogenous adenosine in the efficiency of synapses are related to those required for learning and memory formation. Our goal was to understand how endogenous activation of adenosine excitatory A2A receptors modulates the associative learning evolution in conscious behaving mice. We have studied here the effects of the application of a highly selective A2A receptor antagonist, SCH58261, upon a well-known associative learning paradigm - classical eyeblink conditioning. We used a trace paradigm, with a tone as the conditioned stimulus (CS) and an electric shock presented to the supraorbital nerve as the unconditioned stimulus(US). A single electrical pulse was presented to the Schaffer collateral–commissural pathway to evoke field EPSPs (fEPSPs) in the pyramidal CA1 area during the CS–US interval. In vehicle-injected animals, there was a progressive increase in the percentage of conditioning responses (CRs) and in the slope of fEPSPs through conditioning sessions, an effect that was completely prevented (and lost) in SCH58261 (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.)-injected animals. Moreover, experimentally evoked LTP was impaired in SCH58261- injected mice. In conclusion, the endogenous activation of adenosine A2A receptors plays a pivotal effect on the associative learning process and its relevant hippocampal circuits, including activity-dependent changes at the CA3-CA1 synapse.This study was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Research (BFU2005-01024 and BFU2005-02512), Spanish Junta de Andalucía (BIO-122 and CVI-02487), and the Fundación Conocimiento y Cultura of the Pablo de Olavide University (Seville, Spain).B. Fontinha was in receipt of a studentship from a project grant (POCI/SAU-NEU/56332/2004) supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal), and of an STSM from Cost B30 concerted action of the EU

Diversity, distribution, and density of marine mammals along the Saudi waters of the Arabian Gulf: update from a multi-method approach

Despite the important role of marine mammals in marine ecosystems and the imperative for their conservation, there is still a great lack of information on the diversity, distribution, and density of these animals in the Saudi waters of the Arabian Gulf. To fill this gap, an integrative data-collection approach including fishermen’s questionnaires, opportunistic sighting reports, and directed boat-based surveys, was undertaken between 2016 and 2020, leading to the first scientific report of marine mammal diversity, distribution, and density in the region. The results of the different approaches carried out during the study confirmed a high diversity of cetaceans on the west coast of the study area, with bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus), humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) and dugongs (Dugong dugon) as the most common species. While the two dolphin species were found to be widely distributed in both coastal and offshore waters, D. dugon appears to occur exclusively in coastal waters in the southern part of the study area, mainly in the Gulf of Salwah. The presence of both species of dolphins increased during the summer months and in the vicinity of the numerous oil and gas facilities in this region. The distribution of the observed dolphins was found mostly within a 10–20 km radius around each facility. Other cetacean species observed less frequently in the area include Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni), killer whale (Orcinus orca), common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides). Regarding the density of marine mammals in the region, boat-based surveys confirmed the results of fishermen’s questionnaires and reports of opportunistic sightings, with bottlenose and humpback dolphins being the most abundant species. These results provide a baseline for policies oriented to the conservation of mammals in the Saudi waters of the Arabian Gulf.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Structural Analysis of the Essential Resuscitation Promoting Factor YeaZ Suggests a Mechanism of Nucleotide Regulation through Dimer Reorganization

Extent: 8p.Background: The yeaZ gene product forms part of the conserved network YjeE/YeaZ/YgjD essential for the survival of many Gram-negative eubacteria. Among other as yet unidentified roles, YeaZ functions as a resuscitation promoting factor required for survival and resuscitation of cells in a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. Methodology/Principal Findings: In order to investigate in detail the structure/function relationship of this family of proteins we have performed X-ray crystallographic studies of Vibrio parahaemolyticus YeaZ. The YeaZ structure showed that it has a classic actin-like nucleotide-binding fold. Comparisons of this crystal structure to that of available homologues from E. coli, T. maritima and S. typhimurium revealed two distinctly different modes of dimer formation. In one form, prevalent in the absence of nucleotide, the putative nucleotide-binding site is incomplete, lacking a binding pocket for a nucleotide base. In the second form, residues from the second subunit complete the nucleotide-binding site. This suggests that the two dimer architectures observed in the crystal structures correspond to a free and a nucleotide-bound form of YeaZ. A multiple sequence alignment of YeaZ proteins from different bacteria allowed us to identify a large conserved hydrophobic patch on the protein surface that becomes exposed upon nucleotide-driven dimer re-arrangement. We hypothesize that the transition between two dimer architectures represents the transition between the ‘on’ and ‘off’ states of YeaZ. The effect of this transition is to alternately expose and bury a docking site for the partner protein YgjD. Conclusions/Significance: This paper provides the first structural insight into the putative mechanism of nucleotide regulation of YeaZ through dimer reorganization. Our analysis suggests that nucleotide binding to YeaZ may act as a regulator or switch that changes YeaZ shape, allowing it to switch partners between YjeE and YgjD.Inci Aydin, Yumiko Saijo-Hamano, Keiichi Namba, Connor Thomas and Anna Roujeinikov

Evaluation of Spatially Targeted Strategies to Control Non-Domiciliated Triatoma dimidiata Vector of Chagas Disease

Chagas disease is one of the most important parasitic diseases in Latin America. Since the 1980's, many national and international initiatives have contributed to eliminate vectors developing inside human domiciles. Today's challenge is to control vectors that are non-adapted to the human domicile, but still able to transmit the parasite through regular short stay in the houses. Here, we assess the potential of different control strategies applied in specific spatial patterns using a mathematical model that reproduces the dynamic of dispersion of such ‘non-domiciliated’ vectors within a village of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. We show that no single strategy applied in the periphery of the village, where the insects are more abundant, provides satisfying protection to the whole village. However, combining the use of insect screens in houses at the periphery of the village (to simultaneously fight insects dispersing from the garden and the forest), and the cleaning of the peri-domicile areas of the centre of the village (where sylvatic insects are absent), would provide a cost-effective control. This type of spatially mixed strategy offers a promising way to reduce the cost associated with the repeated interventions required to control non-domiciliated vectors that permanently attempt to infest houses

Phenotypic Characterization of a Genetically Diverse Panel of Mice for Behavioral Despair and Anxiety

Animal models of human behavioral endophenotypes, such as the Tail Suspension Test (TST) and the Open Field assay (OF), have proven to be essential tools in revealing the genetics and mechanisms of psychiatric diseases. As in the human disorders they model, the measurements generated in these behavioral assays are significantly impacted by the genetic background of the animals tested. In order to better understand the strain-dependent phenotypic variability endemic to this type of work, and better inform future studies that rely on the data generated by these models, we phenotyped 33 inbred mouse strains for immobility in the TST, a mouse model of behavioral despair, and for activity in the OF, a model of general anxiety and locomotor activity.We identified significant strain-dependent differences in TST immobility, and in thigmotaxis and distance traveled in the OF. These results were replicable over multiple testing sessions and exhibited high heritability. We exploited the heritability of these behavioral traits by using in silico haplotype-based association mapping to identify candidate genes for regulating TST behavior. Two significant loci (-logp >7.0, gFWER adjusted p value <0.05) of approximately 300 kb each on MMU9 and MMU10 were identified. The MMU10 locus is syntenic to a major human depressive disorder QTL on human chromosome 12 and contains several genes that are expressed in brain regions associated with behavioral despair.We report the results of phenotyping a large panel of inbred mouse strains for depression and anxiety-associated behaviors. These results show significant, heritable strain-specific differences in behavior, and should prove to be a valuable resource for the behavioral and genetics communities. Additionally, we used haplotype mapping to identify several loci that may contain genes that regulate behavioral despair

Metabolism of halophilic archaea

In spite of their common hypersaline environment, halophilic archaea are surprisingly different in their nutritional demands and metabolic pathways. The metabolic diversity of halophilic archaea was investigated at the genomic level through systematic metabolic reconstruction and comparative analysis of four completely sequenced species: Halobacterium salinarum, Haloarcula marismortui, Haloquadratum walsbyi, and the haloalkaliphile Natronomonas pharaonis. The comparative study reveals different sets of enzyme genes amongst halophilic archaea, e.g. in glycerol degradation, pentose metabolism, and folate synthesis. The carefully assessed metabolic data represent a reliable resource for future system biology approaches as it also links to current experimental data on (halo)archaea from the literature