Early-life adversity predicts performance and fitness in a wild social carnivore.

Studies on humans indicate that encountering multiple sources of adversity in childhood increases the risk of poor long-term health and premature death. Far less is known about cumulative effects of adversity during early life in wildlife. Focusing on the spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta, a social mammal with small litters, extensive maternal care, slow development and access to resources determined by social rank, we determined the contribution of ecological, maternal, social and demographic factors during early life on performance and fitness, and tested whether the impact of early-life adversity is cumulative.

Age at first reproduction in wolves: different patterns of density dependence for females and males.

Age at first reproduction constitutes a key life-history trait in animals and is evolutionarily shaped by fitness benefits and costs of delayed versus early reproduction. The understanding of how intrinsic and extrinsic changes affects age at first reproduction is crucial for conservation and management of threatened species because of its demographic effects on population growth and generation time. For a period of 40 years in the Scandinavian wolf () population, including the recolonization phase, we estimated age at first successful reproduction (pup survival to at least three weeks of age) and examined how the variation among individuals was explained by sex, population size (from 1 to 74 packs), primiparous or multiparous origin, reproductive experience of the partner and inbreeding.

Direct Synthesis of Cyclopropanes from -Dialkyl Groups through Double C-H Activation.

Cyclopropanes are important structural motifs found in numerous bioactive molecules, and a number of methods are available for their synthesis. However, one of the simplest cyclopropanation reactions involving the intramolecular coupling of two C-H bonds on -dialkyl groups has remained an elusive transformation. We demonstrate herein that this reaction is accessible using aryl bromide or triflate precursors and the 1,4-Pd shift mechanism.

Positive impact of simulation training of residents on the patients' psychological experience following pregnancy loss.

Objective: Our study aimed to assess the impact of a simulation training program for residents for the disclosure of diagnosis on the psychological experience of couples following a first trimester pregnancy loss (PL).

Methods: We performed an uncontrolled prospective single center, before-after study, at the gynecological emergency department of Angers University Hospital in France, between May 2014 and April 2015. We included all patients who had a confirmed diagnosis of first trimester PL.

Inhibition of p53-Murine Double Minute 2 (MDM2) Interactions with 3,3'-Spirocyclopentene Oxindole Derivatives.

3,3'-Spirocyclopentene oxindoles structurally related to Wang's spiropyrrolidine oxindoles have been highlighted as a new class of antiproliferative agents against cancer cell lines with wild-type p53 status (IC up to 0.96 μM on SJSA-1 and 2.9 μM in HCT116 p53-wt).

Site- and Enantioselective C-H Oxygenation Catalyzed by a Chiral Manganese Porphyrin Complex with a Remote Binding Site.

A chiral manganese porphyrin complex with a two-point hydrogen-bonding site was prepared and probed in catalytic C-H oxygenation reactions of 3,4-dihydroquinolones. The desired oxygenation occurred with perfect site selectivity at the C4 methylene group and with high enantioselectivity in favor of the respective 4S-configured secondary alcohols (12 examples, 29-97 % conversion, 19-68 % yield, 87-99 % ee). Mechanistic studies support the hypothesis that the reaction proceeds through a rate- and selectivity-determining attack of the reactive manganese oxo complex at the hydrogen-bound substrate and an oxygen transfer by a rebound mechanism.

Synthesis and evaluation of 1,2-trans alkyl galactofuranoside mimetics as mycobacteriostatic agents.

The simple octyl β-D-galactofuranoside was previously described as a good bacteriostatic agent against Mycobacterium smegmatis, a non-pathogenic model of M. tuberculosis. In order to decipher its mechanism of action, STD NMR on whole M.

Phosphahelicenes in asymmetric organocatalysis: [3+2] cyclizations of γ-substituted allenes and electron-poor olefins.

The first use of phosphahelicene in enantioselective organocatalysis is reported. New chiral phosphahelicenes have been prepared and enable highly enantioselective [3+2] cyclization reactions between arylidene- or alkylidenemalononitriles and γ-substituted allenoates or cyanoallenes. These reactions afford cyclopentene derivatives in both high yields and diastereoselectivities, with enantiomeric excesses of up to 97 %.

[Psychology and pregnancy loss].

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between psychology and pregnancy loss.

Methods: A literature review was conducted by consulting Medline until April 2014.

Results: Psychological factors appear to be significantly associated with the risk of recurrent miscarriage.

[The treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in practice].

Aim: The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the diagnosis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) based on current guidelines.

Methods: A study was conducted on a sample of French AMD patients covered by the RSI (public health insurance for self-employed workers), who received a first reimbursement in 2008 for treatments including verteporfin (Visudyne®), pegaptanib (Macugen®) and/or ranibizumab (Lucentis®). Data were collected retrospectively from the ophthalmologist by the medical adviser.

Synthesis of 3,3'-spirocyclic oxindoles via phosphine catalyzed [4 + 2] cyclizations.

Triphenylphosphine promoted reactions between 3-arylideneoxindoles and δ-aryl-substituted penta-2,3-dienoates afford an unprecedented access to spirocyclic oxindoles with functionalized six-membered rings. In these new [4 + 2] cyclization processes, the allenoates operate as the four-carbon synthons, thanks to the involvement of the substituted δ-carbons. These reactions give excellent control of the relative stereochemistry of the three stereogenic centers.

Phosphine-catalyzed synthesis of 3,3-spirocyclopenteneoxindoles from γ-substituted allenoates: systematic studies and targeted applications.

The phosphine-promoted [3 + 2] cyclizations between γ-substituted allenoates and arylideneoxindoles have been applied to the stereoselective synthesis of spiro(cyclopentene)oxindoles with trisubstituted cyclopentene units. It has been demonstrated that PPh(3) operates a very efficient control of the relative stereochemistry of the three stereogenic centers of the final spiranic products. Focused experiments have been carried out then so as to access carbocyclic analogues of an important series of anticancer agents inhibiting MDM2-p53 interactions.

Kinetic transcriptomic approach revealed metabolic pathways and genotoxic-related changes implied in the Arabidopsis response to ionising radiations.

Plants exposed to ionising radiation (IR) have to face direct and indirect (oxidative stress) deleterious effects whose intensity depends on the dose applied and led to differential genome regulation. Transcriptomic analyses were conducted with CATMA microarray technology on Arabidopsis thaliana plantlets, 2 and 26h after exposure to the IR doses 10Gy and 40Gy. 10Gy treatment seemed to enhance antioxidative compound biosynthetic pathways whereas the 40Gy dose up-regulated ROS-scavenging enzyme genes.

Application of proteomics to the assessment of the response to ionising radiation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Ionising radiation (IR) affects cellular and tissue function. However, the biological effects and interactions induced by IR are unclear. The aim of this study was to decipher the proteomic patterns that influence these pathways.

On the origin of the cation templated self-assembly of uranyl-peroxide nanoclusters.

Uranyl-peroxide nanoclusters display different topologies based on square, pentagonal and hexagonal building blocks. Computed complexation energies of different cations (Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Rb(+), and Cs(+)) with [UO(2)(O(2))(H(2)O)](n) (n = 4, 5, and 6) macrocycles suggest a strong cation templating effect. The inherent bent structure of a U-O(2)-U model dimer is demonstrated and justified through the analysis of its electronic structure, as well as of the inherent curvature of the four-, five-, and six-uranyl macrocyles.

Auxin metabolism and function in the multicellular brown alga Ectocarpus siliculosus.

Ectocarpus siliculosus is a small brown alga that has recently been developed as a genetic model. Its thallus is filamentous, initially organized as a main primary filament composed of elongated cells and round cells, from which branches differentiate. Modeling of its early development suggests the involvement of very local positional information mediated by cell-cell recognition.

Direct evaluation of cyclic contributions to the pi energy of conjugated hydrocarbons from strongly localized zero-order pictures.

This paper presents a new procedure for identifying that part of the pi electronic energy of conjugated hydrocarbons which results from cyclic circulation of electrons around a ring. It first shows that one may calculate perturbatively the ground state energy of the Hückel Hamiltonian from a strongly localized Kekulé-type zero-order wave function. The contributions due to cyclic circulation of the electrons appear explicitly, in terms of the interatomic hopping integral t, at the second order in cyclobutadiene (where it is equal to -t (antiaromatic)) and at third order in benzene, where its value is 0.

Carbo-[3]oxocarbon and its isomers: evaluation of the stability and of the electron delocalization.

Various isomers of carbo-[3]oxocarbon C9O3 have been characterized on the singlet and triplet spin state potential energy surfaces. Despite its localized structure, the ring carbo-mer of [3]oxocarbon is thermodynamically protected from subsequent isomerization and stable versus dissociation into C3O. It therefore appears as a reasonable synthetic target.

Description of carbo-oxocarbons and assessment of exchange-correlation functionals for the DFT description of carbo-mers.

Mono- and polycyclic valence isomers of carbo-[3]oxocarbon C(9)O(3) and carbo-[5]oxocarbon C(15)O(5) have been characterized on the singlet spin state potential energy surface. By contrast to their geometry, their relative stability is highly sensitive to the calculation level. The performance of LDA, GGA, meta-GGA, and hybrid functionals is compared to that of HF, post-HF, and multiconfigurational calculations.

An animal model for the study of chronopharmacokinetics of drugs and application to methotrexate and vinorelbine.

An animal model was designed to study the chronopharmacokinetics of intravenous drugs and applied to anticancer agents vinorelbine (VNB) and methotrexate (MTX). Each experiment was performed on four pigs housed in a standardized light-dark cycle (12:12). Four pigs received a 0.

[Tolerability of Asacard--controlled-release aspirin and aspirin-induced asthma].

Asacard is a microcapsulated, controlled-release form of acetylsalicylic acid, which delivers very low but constant amount of the drug directly into the intestine. The dose 162.5 mg Asacard, used in prevention of cardiovascular diseases, is thus sufficient to block platelets in the portal vein from synthesizing thromboxane but not high enough to enter the systemic circulation and block the formulation of prostacyclin and other prostaglandins.

Simultaneous determination of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in animal biological fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography. Application in pharmacokinetic studies in pig and rabbit.

A simple and rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin has been developed in pig and rabbit samples. Solid-phase extraction was applied from samples on a C18 cartridge using a mixture of methanol-hydrochloric acid (98:2, v/v). Analytical separation was performed on a C18 column with UV detection at 277 nm under gradient conditions.

[Bactericidal effect of colistin on Escherichia coli. Model and simulation or the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relation for prediction of efficacy in veterinary antibiotic therapy].

Pharmacodynamics studies consider three main parameters: the size of the bacterial population, the concentration of the antibiotic and the duration of its action. The pharmacodynamic characteristics of colistin were studied in vitro with Escherichia coli. The bacterial kinetics were fitted using differential equations.