Маніпулятивні та комунікативні елементи суспільно-політичної діяльності мас-медіа

No Phlebotomine sandflies had ever been reported in the Comoros Archipelago, including the three islands of the Republic of the Union of Comoros (Grande Comore, Moheli and Anjouan) and the French oversea department of Mayotte. During three field surveys carried out in 2003, 2007 and 2011, we provided the first record of Phlebotomine sandflies in this area. A total of 85 specimens belonging to three species were caught: a new species S. (Vattieromyia) pessoni n. sp. (two females from Grande Comore), a new subspecies of Sergentomyia (Rondanomyia) goodmani (80 specimens from Grande Comore and one from Anjouan) and Grassomyia sp. (two females from Moheli). The individualisation of chese taxa was inferred both from morphological criteria and sequencing of a part of the cytochrome b of the mitochondrial DNA. These taxa are closely related to Malagasy sandflies

Comparison of established and emerging biodosimetry assays

Rapid biodosimetry tools are required to assist with triage in the case of a large-scale radiation incident. Here, we aimed to determine the dose-assessment accuracy of the well-established dicentric chromosome assay (DCA) and cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay (CBMN) in comparison to the emerging γ-H2AX foci and gene expression assays for triage mode biodosimetry and radiation injury assessment. Coded blood samples exposed to 10 X-ray doses (240 kVp, 1 Gy/min) of up to 6.4 Gy were sent to participants for dose estimation. Report times were documented for each laboratory and assay. The mean absolute difference (MAD) of estimated doses relative to the true doses was calculated. We also merged doses into binary dose categories of clinical relevance and examined accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the assays. Dose estimates were reported by the first laboratories within 0.3-0.4 days of receipt of samples for the γ-H2AX and gene expression assays compared to 2.4 and 4 days for the DCA and CBMN assays, respectively. Irrespective of the assay we found a 2.5-4-fold variation of interlaboratory accuracy per assay and lowest MAD values for the DCA assay (0.16 Gy) followed by CBMN (0.34 Gy), gene expression (0.34 Gy) and γ-H2AX (0.45 Gy) foci assay. Binary categories of dose estimates could be discriminated with equal efficiency for all assays, but at doses ≥1.5 Gy a 10% decrease in efficiency was observed for the foci assay, which was still comparable to the CBMN assay. In conclusion, the DCA has been confirmed as the gold standard biodosimetry method, but in situations where speed and throughput are more important than ultimate accuracy, the emerging rapid molecular assays have the potential to become useful triage tools

The interaction between a sexually transferred steroid hormone and a female protein regulates oogenesis in the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae

Molecular interactions between male and female factors during mating profoundly affect the reproductive behavior and physiology of female insects. In natural populations of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae, blood-fed females direct nutritional resources towards oogenesis only when inseminated. Here we show that the mating-dependent pathway of egg development in these mosquitoes is regulated by the interaction between the steroid hormone 20-hydroxy-ecdysone (20E) transferred by males during copulation and a female Mating-Induced Stimulator of Oogenesis (MISO) protein. RNAi silencing of MISO abolishes the increase in oogenesis caused by mating in blood-fed females, causes a delay in oocyte development, and impairs the function of male-transferred 20E. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments show that MISO and 20E interact in the female reproductive tract. Moreover MISO expression after mating is induced by 20E via the Ecdysone Receptor, demonstrating a close cooperation between the two factors. Male-transferred 20E therefore acts as a mating signal that females translate into an increased investment in egg development via a MISO-dependent pathway. The identification of this male–female reproductive interaction offers novel opportunities for the control of mosquito populations that transmit malaria

Spleen plays a major role in DLL4-driven acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia.

The Notch pathway is highly active in almost all patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), but the implication of Notch ligands in T-ALL remains underexplored. Methods: We used a genetic mouse model of Notch ligand delta like 4 (DLL4)-driven T-ALL and performed thymectomies and splenectomies in those animals. We also used several patient-derived T-ALL (PDTALL) models, including one with DLL4 expression on the membrane and we treated PDTALL cells in vitro and in vivo with demcizumab, a blocking antibody against human DLL4 currently being tested in clinical trials in patients with solid cancer. Results: We show that surgical removal of the spleen abrogated T-ALL development in our preclinical DLL4-driven T-ALL mouse model. Mechanistically, we found that the spleen, and not the thymus, promoted the accumulation of circulating CD4+CD8+ T cells before T-ALL onset, suggesting that DLL4-driven T-ALL derives from these cells. Then, we identified a small subset of T-ALL patients showing higher levels of DLL4 expression. Moreover, in mice xenografted with a DLL4-positive PDTALL model, treatment with demcizumab had the same therapeutic effect as global Notch pathway inhibition using the potent γ-secretase inhibitor dibenzazepine. This result demonstrates that, in this PDTALL model, Notch pathway activity depends on DLL4 signaling, thus validating our preclinical mouse model. Conclusion: DLL4 expression in human leukemic cells can be a source of Notch activity in T-ALL, and the spleen plays a major role in a genetic mouse model of DLL4-driven T-ALL.We thank Drs. Susan Schwab, Dan Littman, Sherif Ibrahim, Angel Pellicer, Susanne Tranguch and Adolfo Ferrando for helpful discussions and/or critically comments on the manuscript. Elisabetta Andermarcher professionally edited the manuscript. We are indebted to Dr. M. Yan (Genentech) for the anti-DLL4 antibody for cytometry. We are also in debt with Christopher Murriel from Oncomed who provided the therapeutic murine anti-DLL4 antibody and demcizumab (anti-human DLL4 antibody). We thank the NYU School of Medicine Flow Cytometry Core facility, particularly Dr. Peter Lopez, Keith Kobylarz and Michael Gregory, and also the NYU School of Medicine Confocal imaging facility, particularly Yan Deng. We also thank Henry Alexandre Michaud for his great help with the FACS analysis of PDTALL cells. We thank Nelly Pirot and the rest of members of the IRCM IHC platform for their fantastic work. M.M. is supported by a contract from Fondation ARC. The NYU Cancer Institute Center Support Grant partially funded this core through grant NIH/NCI 5 P30CA16087-31. Work in JJL's laboratory is supported by the NIH/NIAID, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Helmsley Charitable Trust. Work in AM's laboratory is supported by the Fondation ARC (PJA 20131200405), the European Commission (CIG631431), the Institute de Cancer de Montpellier Fondation, and the Institut National du Cancer (INCa_9257 and INCa-DGOS-Inserm 12553).S

Dynamics of transmission of Plasmodium falciparum by Anopheles arabiensis and the molecular forms M and S of Anopheles gambiae in Dielmo, Senegal

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The adaptation of <it>Anopheles gambiae </it>to humans and its environment involves an ongoing speciation process that can be best demonstrated by the existence of various chromosomal forms adapted to different environments and of two molecular forms known as incipient taxonomic units.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The aim of this study was to compare the epidemiologic role of <it>Anopheles arabiens </it>is and the molecular forms M and S of <it>Anopheles gambiae </it>in the transmission of Plasmodium in a rural areas of southern Senegal, Dielmo. The sampling of mosquitoes was carried out monthly between July and December 2004, during the rainy season, by human volunteers and pyrethrum spray catches.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>Anopheles arabiensis</it>, <it>An. gambiae </it>M and S forms coexisted during the rainy season with a predominance of the M form in September and the peak of density being observed in August for the S form. Similar parity rates were observed in <it>An. arabiensis </it>[70.9%] (n = 86), <it>An</it>. <it>gambiae </it>M form [68.7%] (n = 64) and <it>An</it>. <it>gambiae </it>S form [81.1%] (n = 156). The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) rates were 2.82% (n = 177), 3.17% (n = 315) and 3.45% (n = 405), with the mean anthropophilic rates being 71.4% (n = 14), 86.3% (n = 22) and 91.6% (n = 24) respectively for <it>An</it>. <it>arabiensis </it>and <it>An</it>. <it>gambiae </it>M and S forms. No significant difference was observed either in host preference or in <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>infection rates between sympatric M and S populations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>No difference was observed either in host preference or in <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>infection rates between sympatric M and S populations, but they present different dynamics of population. These variations are probably attributable to different breeding conditions.</p

An mRNA decapping mutant deficient in P body assembly limits mRNA stabilization in response to osmotic stress

Yeast is exposed to changing environmental conditions and must adapt its genetic program to provide a homeostatic intracellular environment. An important stress for yeast in the wild is high osmolarity. A key response to this stress is increased mRNA stability primarily by the inhibition of deadenylation. We previously demonstrated that mutations in decapping activators (edc3∆ lsm4∆C), which result in defects in P body assembly, can destabilize mRNA under unstressed conditions. We wished to examine whether mRNA would be destabilized in the edc3∆ lsm4∆C mutant as compared to the wild-type in response to osmotic stress, when P bodies are intense and numerous. Our results show that the edc3∆ lsm4∆C mutant limits the mRNA stability in response to osmotic stress, while the magnitude of stabilization was similar as compared to the wild-type. The reduced mRNA stability in the edc3∆ lsm4∆C mutant was correlated with a shorter PGK1 poly(A) tail. Similarly, the MFA2 mRNA was more rapidly deadenylated as well as significantly stabilized in the ccr4∆ deadenylation mutant in the edc3∆ lsm4∆C background. These results suggest a role for these decapping factors in stabilizing mRNA and may implicate P bodies as sites of reduced mRNA degradation