Oxidative stress biomarkers are associated with visible clinical signs of a disease in frigatebird nestlings

Infectious diseases are one of the most common threats for both domestic and wild animals, but little is known about the effects on the physiological condition and survival of wild animals. Here, we have tested for the first time in a wild vertebrate facing a viral disease possibly due to herpesvirus (i) whether nestlings with either low levels of oxidative damage or high levels of antioxidant protection are less susceptible to develop visible clinical signs, (ii) whether the disease is associated with the nestlings' oxidative status, (iii) whether the association between the disease and oxidative status is similar between males and females (iv), and whether cloacal and tracheal swabs might be used to detect herpesvirus. To address our questions, we took advantage of a population of Magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) whose nestlings have experienced high mortality rates in recent times. Our work shows that (i) blood lipid oxidative damage is associated with observable clinical signs and survival probabilities of nestling frigatebirds, and (ii) that high glutathione levels in red blood cells are associated with the emergence of visible clinical signs of the disease. Our work provides evidence that differences in the oxidative status of nestlings might underlie individual health and survival

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P < 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

La mise en visibilité des eaux souterraines au Maroc : un processus historiquement lié aux politiques de développement de l’irrigation

International audienceLes eaux souterraines sont devenues indispensables pour l’agriculture dans les pays semi-arides et dont les ressources en eau sont sous forte pression. À de rares exceptions près, elles sont longtemps restées invisibles. Leur mise en visibilité – sur les plans physique, social, économique, territorial, et institutionnel – résulte d’un processus de construction historique dont nous décortiquons les multiples facettes. Dans le cas du Maroc, cette mise en visibilité des eaux souterraines est directement liée au développement de l’irrigation, encouragée par les pouvoirs publics. Dans ce contexte, un problème de surexploitation des eaux souterraines est désormais défini et mis en avant par l’État. Malgré des discours prônant la préservation des ressources, les solutions retenues reflètent en réalité les objectifs historiques des politiques hydrauliques et agricoles. Ce problème de surexploitation des eaux souterraines est finalement redéfini en un problème de manque de ressources en eau permettant de justifier des politiques d’aménagement hydraulique destinées à augmenter l’offre globale de ressource en eau

Les productions lithiques du Paléolithique moyen de Belgique (variabilité des systèmes d'acquisition et des technologies en réponse à une mosaïque d'environnements contrastés)

Voir le résumé français sur le CD-RomVoir le résumé anglais sur le CD-RomPARIS-Museum Hist.Naturelle (751052304) / SudocSudocFranceF

Food supplementation protects Magnificent frigatebird chicks against a fatal viral disease

International audienceOutbreaks of wildlife diseases are occurring at an unprecedented rate. In French Guiana, recurrent episodes of frigatebird chicks’ mortality due to a viral disease that first appeared in 2005 have recently turned into massive mortality episodes (85–95%) of chicks. One of the suggested hypotheses behind the appearance of the disease is food limitation due to the recent decline of local shrimp fishery boats on which frigatebirds rely for opportunistic feeding. We therefore experimentally fish‐supplemented frigatebird chicks with and without clinical signs of the disease. Food supplementation protected all chicks from the appearance of clinical signs of the disease and increased survival perspectives of sick chicks. These results suggest that food shortage might decrease resistance of chicks to infectious diseases and that using a specifically tailored food supplementation regime could be a complimentary tool to protect frigatebirds and other endangered birds from disease outbreaks threatening them with extinction

Designing a New Coronal Magnetic Field Energy Diagnostic

International audienceIn the solar corona, the free energy, i.e., the excess in magnetic energy over a ground-state potential field, forms the reservoir of energy that can be released during solar flares and coronal mass ejections. Such free energy provides a measure of the magnetic field nonpotentiality. Recent theoretical and observational studies indicate that the presence of nonpotential magnetic fields is imprinted into the structures of infrared, off-limb, coronal polarization. In this paper, we investigate the possibility of exploiting such observations for mapping and studying the accumulation and release of coronal free magnetic energy, with the goal of developing a new tool for identifying "hot spots" of coronal free energy such as those associated with twisted and/or sheared coronal magnetic fields. We applied forward modeling of infrared coronal polarimetry to three-dimensional models of nonpotential and potential magnetic fields. From these we defined a quantitative diagnostic of nonpotentiality that in the future could be calculated from a comparison of infrared, off-limb, coronal polarization observations from, e.g., the Coronal Multi-channel Polarimeter or the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, and the corresponding polarization signal forward-modeled from a potential field extrapolated from photospheric magnetograms. We considered the relative diagnostic potential of linear and circular polarization, and the sensitivities of these diagnostics to coronal density distributions and assumed boundary conditions of the potential field. Our work confirms the capacity of polarization measurements for diagnosing nonpotentiality and free energy in the solar corona

FunctEcol2018_Dataset frigatebirds

This table contains data on physiological traits (oxidative stress, immune markers, corticosterone) of nestling frigatebirds

Specific fragmentation of mechanically interlocked peptides

National audienc

Resveratrol supplementation reduces oxidative stress and modulates the immune response in free-living animals during a viral infection

International audience1. Diet quality may have an important effect on the regulation of oxidative statusand the immune system during an infectious disease. However, the relationshipamong intake of specific dietary molecules, an individual’s oxidative status and theoccurrence and progress of a viral disease remains almost unexplored in free‐livingorganisms.2. Here, we study a wild, long‐lived animal, the Magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificensto investigate: (a) the differences in a number of physiological traits (biomarkersof blood oxidative status, corticosterone (CORT), immunity andinflammation) between sick and healthy nestlings; and (b) whether experimentallyincreased intake of resveratrol (a polyphenol with antioxidant and antiviral properties)affects these physiological markers during the progress of a severe viraldisease.3. Birds with visible clinical signs showed higher oxidative damage, haemolysis andhaemagglutination scores and lower antioxidant defences in comparison withbirds without clinical signs. At the end of the experiment, supplemented birdsshowed the following: (a) increased plasma haptoglobin levels and circulating antioxidantdefences; (b) reduced generation of lipid oxidative damage; and (c) negligibleto no influence on immune markers, baseline CORT levels and activity ofantioxidant enzymes.4. Our work illustrates how the availability of specific organic molecules in the dietmay constrain the individuals’ capacity to cope with viral infections in free‐livinganimal

Data from: Resveratrol supplementation reduces oxidative stress and modulates the immune response in free-living animals during a viral infection

1. Diet quality may have an important effect on the regulation of oxidative status and the immune system during an infectious disease. However, the relationship among intake of specific dietary molecules, an individual’s oxidative status and the occurrence and progress of a viral disease remains almost unexplored in free-living organisms. 2. Here, we study a wild, long-lived animal, the Magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens to investigate: i) the differences in a number of physiological traits (biomarkers of blood oxidative status, corticosterone (CORT), immunity, and inflammation) between sick and healthy nestlings; and ii) whether experimentally increased intake of resveratrol (a polyphenol with antioxidant and antiviral properties) affects these physiological markers during the progress of a severe viral disease. 3. Birds with visible clinical signs showed higher oxidative damage, hemolysis and hemagglutination scores, and lower antioxidant defenses in comparison to birds without clinical signs. At the end of the experiment, supplemented birds showed: i) increased plasma haptoglobin levels and circulating antioxidant defenses; ii) reduced generation of lipid oxidative damage; and iii) negligible to no influence on immune markers, baseline CORT levels, and activity of antioxidant enzymes. 4. Our work illustrates how the availability of specific organic molecules in the diet may constrain the individuals’ capacity to cope with viral infections in free-living animals