Discrimination of coral reflectance spectra in the Red Sea

Benthic populations can potentially be mapped from remotely acquired spectral imagery, provided that they have distinctive reflectance signatures. We examined the spectral reflectance characteristics of 14 genera of Red Sea coral using a submersible spectroradiometer. Coral spectra varied quantitatively and qualitatively over the depth interval 5-20 m. Tissue pigment content had a larger effect on reflectance than colony morphology. Ten coral genera could be discriminated with a statistical probability of 52% on the basis of their absolute reflectance. Six groups of two to three coral genera could be discriminated with a probability of 60% on the basis of their rates of change in reflectance at specific wavelengths. All coral genera could be discriminated with a minimum probability of 59% on the basis of their proportionate reflectance at one wavelength as compared with another. Ratio analysis holds significant potential for interpretation of remotely sensed imagery because measurement of reflectance at six wavelengths generates 15 different parameters that can be used to identify and discriminate the component classes. The method distinguishes spectra on the basis of their shape rather than their amplitude, which helps to factor out light-induced variation in pigment concentration, exposing taxon-specific differences in pigment composition and morphology.     

An Epidemic of Dengue-1 in a Remote Village in Rural Laos

In the Lao PDR (Laos), urban dengue is an increasingly recognised public health problem. We describe a dengue-1 virus outbreak in a rural northwestern Lao forest village during the cool season of 2008. The isolated strain was genotypically “endemic” and not “sylvatic,” belonging to the genotype 1, Asia 3 clade. Phylogenetic analyses of 37 other dengue-1 sequences from diverse areas of Laos between 2007 and 2010 showed that the geographic distribution of some strains remained focal overtime while others were dispersed throughout the country. Evidence that dengue viruses have broad circulation in the region, crossing country borders, was also obtained. Whether the outbreak arose from dengue importation from an urban centre into a dengue-naïve community or crossed into the village from a forest cycle is unknown. More epidemiological and entomological investigations are required to understand dengue epidemiology and the importance of rural and forest dengue dynamics in Laos.     

AMPKalpha2 counteracts the development of cardiac hypertrophy induced by isoproterenol

As AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) controls protein translation, an anti-hypertrophic effect of AMPK has been suggested. However, there is no genetic evidence to confirm this hypothesis. We investigated the contribution of AMPKα2 in the control of cardiac hypertrophy by using AMPKα2−/− mice submitted to isoproterenol. The isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy, measured by left ventricular mass and histological examination, was significantly higher in AMPKα2−/− than in WT animals. Moreover, the intensification of cardiac hypertrophy found in AMPKα2−/− mice can be linked to the abnormal basal overstimulation of the p70 ribosomal S6 protein kinase, an enzyme known to regulate protein translation and cell growth. In conclusion, this work shows that AMPKα2 plays a role of brake for the development of cardiac hypertrophy.     

Mechanical stress and prostaglandin E2 synthesis in cartilage

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) results, at least in part, from overloading and inflammation leading to cartilage degradation. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is one of the main catabolic factors involved in OA in which metalloproteinase (MMP) is crucial for cartilage degradation. Its synthesis is the result of cyclooxygenase (COX) and prostaglandin E synthase (PGES) activities whereas NAD+-dependent 15 hydroxy-prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) is the key enzyme implicated in the catabolism of PGE2. Among the isoforms described, COX-1 and cytosolic PGES are constitutively expressed whereas COX-2 and microsomal PGES type 1 (mPGES-1) are inducible in an inflammatory context. We investigated the regulation of the COX, PGES and 15-PGDH and MMP-2, MMP-9 and MMP-13 genes by mechanical stress applied to cartilage explants. Mouse cartilage explants were subjected to compression (0.5 Hz, 1 MPa) from 2 to 24 h. After determination of the PGE2 release in the media, mRNA and proteins were extracted directly from the cartilage explants and analyzed by real-time RT-PCR and western blot respectively. Mechanical compression of cartilage explants significantly increased PGE2 production in a time dependent manner. This was not due to the synthesis of IL-1, since pretreatment with IL1-Ra did not alter the PGE2 synthesis. Interestingly, COX-2 and mPGES-1 mRNA expression significantly increased after 2 hours, in parallel with protein expression. Moreover, we observed a delayed overexpression of 15-PGDH just before the decline of PGE2 synthesis after 18 hours suggesting that PGE2 synthesis could be altered by the induction of 15-PGDH expression. MAPK are involved in signaling, since specific inhibitors partially inhibited COX-2 and mPGES-1 expressions. Lastly, compression induced MMP-2, -9, -13 mRNA expressions in cartilage. We conclude that dynamic compression induces pro-inflammatroy mediators release and matrix degradating enzymes synthesis. Notably, compression increases mPGES-1 mRNA and protein expression in cartilage explants. Thus, the mechanosensitive mPGES-1 enzyme represents a potential therapeutic target in osteoarthritis.