A selection of reference genes and early-warning mRNA biomarkers for environmental monitoring using Mytilus spp. as sentinel species.

mRNA biomarkers are promising tools for environmental health assessment and reference genes are needed to perform relevant qPCR analyses in tissue samples of sentinel species. In the present study, potential reference genes and mRNA biomarkers were tested in the gills and digestive glands of native and caged mussels (Mytilus spp.) exposed to harbor pollution.

Environmental nutrient supply alters prevalence and weakens competitive interactions among coinfecting viruses.

The rates and ratios of environmental nutrient supplies can determine plant community composition. However, the effect of nutrient supplies on within-host microbial interactions is poorly understood. Resource competition is a promising theory for understanding microbial interactions, because microparasites require nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) for synthesis of macromolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins.

A novel benzonitrile analogue inhibits rhinovirus replication.

Objectives: To study the characteristics and the mode of action of the anti-rhinovirus compound 4-[1-hydroxy-2-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrophenyl)ethyl]benzonitrile (LPCRW_0005).

Methods: The antiviral activity of LPCRW_0005 was evaluated in a cytopathic effect reduction assay against a panel of human rhinovirus (HRV) strains. To unravel its precise molecular mechanism of action, a time-of-drug-addition study, resistance selection and thermostability assays were performed.

Effects of iron supplementation on dominant bacterial groups in the gut, faecal SCFA and gut inflammation: a randomised, placebo-controlled intervention trial in South African children.

Fe supplementation is a common strategy to correct Fe-deficiency anaemia in children; however, it may modify the gut microbiota and increase the risk for enteropathogenic infection. In the present study, we studied the impact of Fe supplementation on the abundance of dominant bacterial groups in the gut, faecal SCFA concentration and gut inflammation in children living in rural South Africa. In a randomised, placebo-controlled intervention trial of 38 weeks, 6- to 11-year-old children with Fe deficiency received orally either tablets containing 50 mg Fe as FeSO₄ (n 22) for 4 d/week or identical placebo (n 27).

Surgical management of an epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the superior vena cava protruding into the right atrium.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EH) is a rare malignant tumor of vascular origin that often involves soft tissues and visceral organs, and less commonly, large veins. We report a case of EH of the superior vena cava protruding into the right atrium and its surgical management.

Development of an innovative and "green" stir bar sorptive extraction-thermal desorption-gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in marine biota.

There is a growing awareness of the need to reduce the negative impact of chemical analyses on the environment and to develop new eco-friendly and sustainable analytical methods without compromising performance. In this study, we developed a "green" analytical method enabling the accurate and simultaneous routine analysis of 21 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in reduced quantities (100mg and 1g wet weight (WW)) of marine biota samples (fish muscle, mussel and oyster tissues) using alkaline digestion combined with stir bar sorptive extraction-thermal desorption-gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SBSE-GC-MS/MS). The innovative method provides good selectivity and specificity for most compounds.

Pharmacology, immunogenicity, and efficacy of a novel pegylated recombinant Erwinia chrysanthemi-derived L-asparaginase.

Bacterial L-asparaginase (ASNase), hydrolyzing L-asparagine (Asn), is an indispensable component used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and certain lymphoma entities. Native Erwinia chrysanthemi-derived ASNase (n-crisantaspase) has been approved as a second-line drug for treating patients exhibiting allergy syndromes to native and pegylated Escherichia coli-derived ASNase (EC-ASNase). However, it still induces hypersensitivity in at least 17 % of treated patients.

Mitotic index, microvascular proliferation, and necrosis define 3 groups of 1p/19q codeleted anaplastic oligodendrogliomas associated with different genomic alterations.

Background: The aim of this study was to correlate histological features and molecular characteristics in anaplastic oligodendrogliomas (AOs).

Methods: The histological characteristics of 203 AO patients, enrolled in the French national network POLA, were analyzed. The genomic profiles of 191 cases were studied using genomic arrays.

In vitro continuous fermentation model (PolyFermS) of the swine proximal colon for simultaneous testing on the same gut microbiota.

In vitro gut modeling provides a useful platform for a fast and reproducible assessment of treatment-related changes. Currently, pig intestinal fermentation models are mainly batch models with important inherent limitations. In this study we developed a novel in vitro continuous fermentation model, mimicking the porcine proximal colon, which we validated during 54 days of fermentation.

Salmonella adhesion, invasion and cellular immune responses are differentially affected by iron concentrations in a combined in vitro gut fermentation-cell model.

In regions with a high infectious disease burden, concerns have been raised about the safety of iron supplementation because higher iron concentrations in the gut lumen may increase risk of enteropathogen infection. The aim of this study was to investigate interactions of the enteropathogen Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica Typhimurium with intestinal cells under different iron concentrations encountered in the gut lumen during iron deficiency and supplementation using an in vitro colonic fermentation system inoculated with immobilized child gut microbiota combined with Caco-2/HT29-MTX co-culture monolayers.

Synthesis, biological activity and structure-activity relationship of 4,5-dimethoxybenzene derivatives inhibitor of rhinovirus 14 infection.

Human rhinoviruses are a common cause of respiratory infections, and thus constitute an important target for medicinal chemistry. Still, no drug has been approved for clinical use. We report herein the discovery of dibenzenic derivatives with potent and specific in vitro anti-rhinoviral 14 activity.

Iron supplementation promotes gut microbiota metabolic activity but not colitis markers in human gut microbiota-associated rats.

The global prevalence of Fe deficiency is high and a common corrective strategy is oral Fe supplementation, which may affect the commensal gut microbiota and gastrointestinal health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of different dietary Fe concentrations on the gut microbiota and gut health of rats inoculated with human faecal microbiota. Rats (8 weeks old, n 40) were divided into five (n 8 each) groups and fed diets differing only in Fe concentration during an Fe-depletion period (12 weeks) and an Fe-repletion period (4 weeks) as follows: (1) Fe-sufficient diet throughout the study period; (2) Fe-sufficient diet followed by 70 mg Fe/kg diet; (3) Fe-depleted diet throughout the study period; (4) Fe-depleted diet followed by 35 mg Fe/kg diet; (5) Fe-depleted diet followed by 70 mg Fe/kg diet.

Neuropathologic characterization of INF2-related Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: evidence for a Schwann cell actinopathy.

The association of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease with renal dysfunction is uncommon but has long been recognized in several families. Recently, mutations in the INF2 gene, which encodes inverted formin-2, were identified in patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and a dominant intermediate form of CMT (CMTDIE, OMIM #614455). We describe the pathologic lesions of nerve biopsies from 6 patients with INF2-related CMTDIE.

Probiotics tailored to the infant: a window of opportunity.

Initial neonatal gut colonization is a crucial stage for developing a healthy physiology, beneficially influenced by breast-feeding. Breast milk has been shown not only to provide nutrients and bioactive immunological compounds, but also commensal bacteria, including gut-associated anaerobic bacteria such as Bifidobacterium species. Infant formulas are increasingly supplemented with probiotic bacteria despite uncertainties regarding their efficacy, and lack of mechanistic understanding.

Statistical analysis of multi-b factor diffusion weighted images can help distinguish between vasogenic and tumor-infiltrated edema.

Purpose: The diffusion model can be transformed into a multicompartment model by means of multi-b factor diffusion-weighted sequences. We adapted a method of statistical analysis of these images and evaluated its performance to distinguish tumor-infiltrated edema from vasogenic edema.

Materials And Methods: Forty-nine patients with infiltrating tumors (38 patients: low to high-grade gliomas) or vasogenic edema (11 patients: metastases, abscess, extra-axial lesions) were studied by multi-b factor diffusion-weighted imaging.

Application of a cell-based protease assay for testing inhibitors of picornavirus 3C proteases.

Proteolytical cleavage of the picornaviral polyprotein is essential for viral replication. Therefore, viral proteases are attractive targets for anti-viral therapy. Most assays available for testing proteolytical activity of proteases are performed in vitro, using heterologously expressed proteases and peptide substrates.

Antimicrobial susceptibility and antibiotic resistance gene transfer analysis of foodborne, clinical, and environmental Listeria spp. isolates including Listeria monocytogenes.

The aims of this study were to assess antibiotic resistance pheno- and genotypes in foodborne, clinical, and environmental Listeria isolates, as well as to elucidate the horizontal gene transfer potential of detected resistance genes. A small fraction of in total 524 Listeria spp. isolates (3.

Non-random biodiversity loss underlies predictable increases in viral disease prevalence.

Disease dilution (reduced disease prevalence with increasing biodiversity) has been described for many different pathogens. Although the mechanisms causing this phenomenon remain unclear, the disassembly of communities to predictable subsets of species, which can be caused by changing climate, land use or invasive species, underlies one important hypothesis. In this case, infection prevalence could reflect the competence of the remaining hosts.

Stability of the maternal gut microbiota during late pregnancy and early lactation.

Scarce research has been performed to assess whether the human maternal gut microbiota undergoes changes during the perinatal period. Therefore, in the present study, gut microbiota composition of seven healthy mothers(to-be) was assessed at different time points during the perinatal period (i.e.

Novel Polyfermentor intestinal model (PolyFermS) for controlled ecological studies: validation and effect of pH.

In vitro gut fermentation modeling offers a useful platform for ecological studies of the intestinal microbiota. In this study we describe a novel Polyfermentor Intestinal Model (PolyFermS) designed to compare the effects of different treatments on the same complex gut microbiota. The model operated in conditions of the proximal colon is composed of a first reactor containing fecal microbiota immobilized in gel beads, and used to continuously inoculate a set of parallel second-stage reactors.

Outpatient hemithyroidectomy.

Unlabelled: Outpatient surgery consists of performing an elective surgical procedure in the context of a day-only admission. This type of management is the result of sociological changes and allows a reduction of the cost. Hemithyroidectomy is a well-defined surgical procedure with known complications.

[Regional survey of peripheral nerve block practice by French residents].

Objectives: There are limited data on peripheral nerve block (PNB) practices by residents in France, especially with after introduction of ultrasound. A survey was conducted on PNB practices by French residents.

Study Design: Multicenter prospective descriptive study.