Pair-bonding in birds and the active role of females: a critical review of the empirical evidence

Over the recent years the role of females in maintaining or breaking the pair-bond in socially monogamous birds has received growing attention. Here, we review the overall evidence for a direct and predominant role of female behaviour in initiating or preventing divorce and its relevance for the understanding of both interspecific and intraspecific variation in divorce rate in monogamous bird species. The evidence is so far limited to a few species. We discuss the relevance of some alternative explanations and confounding factors. We conclude that the possible predominance of females in both initiating divorce or limiting its occurrence deserves further consideration. Future studies should favour experimental approaches, such as mate-removal experiments.     

Multicenter Testing of the Rapid Quantification of Radical Oxygen Species in Cerebrospinal Fluid to Diagnose Bacterial Meningitis

Purpose

Meningitis is a serious concern after traumatic brain injury (TBI) or neurosurgery. This study tested the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to diagnose meningitis in febrile patients several days after trauma or surgery.

Methods

Febrile patients (temperature > 38°C) after TBI or neurosurgery were included prospectively. ROS were measured in CSF within 4 hours after sampling using luminescence in the basal state and after cell stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). The study was conducted in a single-center cohort 1 (n = 54, training cohort) and then in a multicenter cohort 2 (n = 136, testing cohort) in the Intensive Care and Neurosurgery departments of two teaching hospitals. The performance of the ROS test was compared with classical CSF criteria, and a diagnostic decision for meningitis was made by two blinded experts.

Results

The production of ROS was higher in the CSF of meningitis patients than in non-infected CSF, both in the basal state and after PMA stimulation. In cohort 1, ROS production was associated with a diagnosis of meningitis with an AUC of 0.814 (95% confidence interval (CI) [0.684–0.820]) for steady-state and 0.818 (95% CI [0.655–0.821]) for PMA-activated conditions. The best threshold value obtained in cohort 1 was tested in cohort 2 and showed high negative predictive values and low negative likelihood ratios of 0.94 and 0.36 in the basal state, respectively, and 0.96 and 0.24 after PMA stimulation, respectively.

Conclusion

The ROS test in CSF appeared suitable for eliminating a diagnosis of bacterial meningitis.     

Cholesteryl oligoethyleneglycol glycosides: fluidizing effect of their embedment into phospholipid bilayers

Glycosides of cholesteryl oligoethyleneglycols have been synthesized and embedded in liposome bilayers. Several methods as steady-state fluorescence polarization, differential scanning calorimetry, zeta potential, and agglutination have been used to describe the physicochemical outcome of the incorporation of these synthetic glycolipids within phospholipid layers. From calorimetry and fluorescence experiments, it is apparent that the glycolipids decrease the transition temperature of the bilayers in a more important extent than cholesterol. Furthermore, the thickness of the aqueous layer fixed around the liposome is independent of the presence of glycolipids, suggesting that their hydrophilic parts (tetraethyleneglycol spacer and sugar moiety) are not completely extended towards the aqueous phase. Nevertheless, an important and specific interaction has been observed between such glycosylated liposomes and vegetal lectins.     

Potentialités prédatrices de Forficula auricularia sur le psylle du poirier Cacopsylla pyri

Résumé Reconnu comme agent régulateur des populations aphidiennes de diverses cultures,Forficula auricularia L. est également décrit comme potentiellement actif sur les Homoptères Psyllidae. Nous avons évalué en conditions de laboratoire puis semi-contr?lées en verger les composantes numériques et spatiales de la prédation deF. auricularia sur le psylle du poirier,Cacopsylla pyri (L.). Pour de faibles densités de proies, le poids consommé par une larve du 3ème stade est équivalent sur oeufs de psylles et sur une proie alternative constituée d'oeufs d'Ephestia kuehniella Zeller. Le maximum journalier s'établit à 10 mg pour ce stade larvaire, soit plus d'un millier d'oeufs de psylles. Les tests révèlent une réponse de type densité — dépendant, aboutissant à une forte réduction de la taille des agrégats de la proie. La prédation des larves de 3ème et 4ème stade deF. auricularia s'exerce sur tous les stades préimaginaux deC. pyri. La colonisation au printemps de la strate arborée par les larves du 3 ème stade quittant le terrier maternel co?ncide avec les pontes de 2ème génération de psylles, phase de multiplication la plus intense de ce ravageur. Les effectifs en vergers de ce prédateur polyphage et univoltin sont souvent élevés et peu dépendants de ceux de la proie. Compte tenu de sa capacité prédatrice sur le psylle, il para?t justifié de raisonner les interventions chimiques de manière à préserver ses populations en vergers de poiriers.      

A Proof of Concept,Phase II Randomized European Trial,on the Efficacy of ALF-5755, a Novel Extracellular Matrix-Targeted Antioxidant in Patients with Acute Liver Diseases

Objective

No efficient medical treatment is available for severe acute hepatitis (SAH) except N-acetylcysteine for acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure. The human C-type lectin Reg3α, referred to as ALF-5755, improved survival in an animal model of acute liver failure and was well tolerated in a phase 1 trial in humans. We performed a phase 2a trial of ALF5755 in non-acetaminophen induced SAH.

Design

double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. The primary end-point was the improvement in the coagulation protein synthesis assessed by the change of Prothrombin (PR) during the 72 hours following treatment initiation calculated as PRH0 minus PRH72 divided by 72 (PR slope H0H72). Intention to treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analysis of the entire group and the Hepatitis B virus (HBV)/AIH (auto-immune hepatitis) sub-group were done separately.

Results

57 patients were included. Twenty-eight received ALF-5755, 29 the placebo. Etiologies were: Hepatitis A (n = 10), HBV (n = 13), AIH (n = 9), drug-induced (n = 8), other (n = 17). On the whole group, nor the PR slope H0H72 (0.18±0.31 vs 0.25±0.32), nor the transplant-free survival rate at day 21 (75 vs 86%) differed between groups. Conversely, in the HBV-AIH subgroup, in which ALF was more severe, PR slope H0-H72 was higher in the ALF-5755 arm, the difference being significant in PP analysis (0.048±0.066 vs -0.040±0.099, p = 0.04); the median length of hospitalization was lower in the ALF-5755 group (8 vs 14 days, p = 0.02).

Conclusion

ALF-5755 was not efficient in a ITT analysis performed on the whole sample; however it led to a significant, although moderate, clinical benefit in a PP analysis of the sub-group of patients with HBV or AIH related SAH. As HBV is the major cause of SAH in Asia and Africa and AIH a growing cause, this study emphasizes the need to pursuit the evaluation of this novel medical treatment of SAH.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01318525","term_id":"NCT01318525"}}NCT01318525     

Bias and Sampling Error of the Estimated Proportion of Genotypic Variance Explained by Quantitative Trait Loci Determined From Experimental Data in Maize Using Cross Validation and Validation With Independent Samples.

Cross validation (CV) was used to analyze the effects of different environments and different genotypic samples on estimates of the proportion of genotypic variance explained by QTL (p). Testcrosses of 344 F(3) maize lines grown in four environments were evaluated for a number of agronomic traits. In each of 200 replicated CV runs, this data set was subdivided into an estimation set (ES) and various test sets (TS). ES were used to map QTL and estimate p for each run (p(ES)) and its median (p(ES)) across all runs. The bias of these estimates was assessed by comparison with the median (p(TS.ES)) obtained from TS. We also used two independent validation samples derived from the same cross for further comparison. The median p(ES) showed a large upward bias compared to p(TS.ES). Environmental sampling generally had a smaller effect on the bias of p(ES) than genotypic sampling or both factors simultaneously. In independent validation, p(TS.ES) was on average only 50% of p(ES). A wide range among p(ES) reflected a large sampling error of these estimates. QTL frequency distributions and comparison of estimated QTL effects indicated a low precision of QTL localization and an upward bias in the absolute values of estimated QTL effects from ES. CV with data from three QTL studies reported in the literature yielded similar results as those obtained with maize testcrosses. We therefore recommend CV for obtaining asymptotically unbiased estimates of p and consequently a realistic assessment of the prospects of MAS.     

The French Society of Young Radiation Oncologists: History,goals and perspective

The SFjRO was created ten years ago to promote radiation oncology teaching in France. Our society has now more than 120 members from all around the country. Each year, two national courses are organized where all members are invited.