Ultrasonographic features of the mule embryo, fetus and fetal-placental unit

The aim of this study was to establish baseline ultrasound data concerning the mule conceptus during gestation. Ten multiparous Trotter mares were artificially inseminated with chilled semen from an Amiatino jack donkey. Daily transrectal ultrasonography was carried out from the day of ovulation until Day 50 of gestation to determine the following: first detection of the embryonic vesicle (EV), mobility phase, EV diameter, day of EV fixation, changes in EV shape, date of yolk sac regression and embryo crown-rump length. Monthly ultrasonic assessments from Day 50 of gestation to term were carried out. These assessments included an evaluation of fetal well-being and the growth of the mule conceptus, which were monitored using the following variables: cardiac activity, fetal activity and presentation, fetal fluid echogenicity, combined thickness of the utero-placenta unit and fetal orbital and aortic diameter. Mule EV first detection was observed earlier (37% at Day 8) than that observed in the equine pregnancy. EV diameter at first detection was 4.6 ± 1.1 mm. At Day 10, 75% of EVs were detected. EV fixation occurred on Day 17.1 ± 1.1, with a mean EV diameter of 2.5 ± 0.2 cm. EV growth rate was 4.04 mm/day from Days 11 to 16, 0.4 mm/day from Days 16 to 28 and 1.78 mm/day from Days 28 to 45 of pregnancy. The embryo proper was first detected on Day 19.9 ± 1.9 (average length 2.4 ± 1.4 mm), and the embryonic heartbeat was first detected on Day 24 ± 2.4. The fetal carotid pulse was observed at six months of gestation and provided a good means by which to estimate fetal cardiac activity in advanced gestation. The fetal heart rate was recorded from Month 2 of gestation to term. The mean ± SD of the combined uteroplacental thickness was assessed at the cervical-placental junction and at the ventral abdomen in mares between Months 2 and 5 until term, respectively. An abnormal fetal-placental unit and fetal inactivity was observed in association with abortion. Mule-conceptus biometric measurements correlated significantly with the gestational age, and these data were used to predict an unusually large mule fetus, which might result in dystocia. In conclusion, we can assume that early diagnosis of pregnancy failure and assessment of fetal biophysical profile and growth charts could improve the chances of gestation completion in mule-pregnant mares. The early detection of mares at risk for an abnormal pregnancy or delivery may increase the success of prompt treatments, therefore preventing costly emergency procedures and allowing proper obstetrical and neonatal assistance.     

DNA methylation changes associated with risk factors in tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract

Cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) are common forms of malignancy associated with tobacco and alcohol exposures, although human papillomavirus and nutritional deficiency are also important risk factors. While somatically acquired DNA methylation changes have been associated with UADT cancers, what triggers these events and precise epigenetic targets are poorly understood. In this study, we applied quantitative profiling of DNA methylation states in a panel of cancer-associated genes to a case-control study of UADT cancers. Our analyses revealed a high frequency of aberrant hypermethylation of several genes, including MYOD1, CHRNA3 and MTHFR in UADT tumors, whereas CDKN2A was moderately hypermethylated. Among differentially methylated genes, we identified a new gene (the nicotinic acetycholine receptor gene) as target of aberrant hypermethylation in UADT cancers, suggesting that epigenetic deregulation of nicotinic acetycholine receptors in non-neuronal tissues may promote the development of UADT cancers. Importantly, we found that sex and age is strongly associated with the methylation states, whereas tobacco smoking and alcohol intake may also influence the methylation levels in specific genes. This study identifies aberrant DNA methylation patterns in UADT cancers and suggests a potential mechanism by which environmental factors may deregulate key cellular genes involved in tumor suppression and contribute to UADT cancers.Key words: DNA methylation, upper aerodigestive tract, cancer, risk factors, biomarkers     

No Difference in the Incidence of Malaria in Human-Landing Mosquito Catch Collectors and Non-Collectors in a Senegalese Village with Endemic Malaria

BackgroundThe human landing catches is the gold standard method used to study the vectors of malaria and to estimate their aggressiveness. However, this method has raised safety concerns due to a possible increased risk of malaria or other mosquito-borne diseases among the mosquito collectors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of malaria attacks among mosquito collectors and to compare these results with those of non-collectors in a Senegalese village.MethodsFrom July 1990 to December 2011, a longitudinal malaria study involving mosquito collectors and non-collectors was performed in Dielmo village, Senegal. During the study period, 4 drugs were successively used to treat clinical malaria, and long-lasting insecticide-treated nets were offered to all villagers in July 2008. No malaria chemoprophylaxis was given to mosquito collectors. Incidence of uncomplicated clinical malaria and asymptomatic malaria infection were analyzed among these two groups while controlling for confounding factors associated with malaria risk in random effects negative binomial and logistic regression models, respectively.ResultsA total of 3,812 person-trimester observations of 199 adults at least 15 years of age were analyzed. Clinical malaria attacks accounted for 6.3% both in collectors and non-collectors, and asymptomatic malaria infections accounted for 21% and 20% in collectors and non-collectors, respectively. A non-significant lower risk of malaria was observed in the collector group in comparison with the non-collector group after adjusting for other risk factors of malaria and endemicity level (Clinical malaria: adjusted incidence rate ratio = 0.89; 95% confidence interval = 0.65-1.22; p= 0.47).ConclusionBeing a mosquito collector in Dielmo was not significantly associated with an increased risk of malaria both under holoendemic, mesoendemic and hypoendemic conditions of malaria epidemiology. This result supports the view that HLC, the most accurate method for evaluating malaria transmission, may be used without health concerns in Dielmo.     

A Prospective Controlled Trial of Routine Opt-Out HIV Testing in a Men's Jail

Background

Approximately 10 million Americans enter jails annually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends routine opt-out HIV testing in these settings. The logistics for performing routine opt-out HIV testing within jails, however, remain controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the optimal time to routinely HIV test newly incarcerated jail detainees using an opt-out strategy.

Methods

This prospective, controlled trial of routine opt-out HIV testing was conducted among 298 newly incarcerated male inmates in an urban men''s jail in New Haven, Connecticut. 298 sequential entrants to the men''s jail over a three week period in March and April 2008 were assigned to be offered routine opt-out HIV testing at one of three points after incarceration: immediate (same day, n = 103), early (next day, n = 98), or delayed (7 days, n = 97). The primary outcome was the proportion of men in each group consenting to testing.

Results

Routine opt-out HIV testing was significantly higher for the early (53%: AOR = 2.6; 95% CI = 1.5 to 4.7) and immediate (45%: AOR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.3 to 4.0) testing groups compared to the delayed (33%) testing group. The immediate and early testing groups, however, did not significantly differ (p = 0.67). In multivariate analyses, factors significantly associated with routine opt-out HIV testing were assignment to the ‘early’ testing group (p = 0.0003) and low (bond ≥$5,000, immigration or federal charges or pre-sentencing >30 days) likelihood of early release (p = 0.04). Two subjects received preliminary positive results and one of them was subsequently confirmed HIV seropositive.

Conclusions

In this men''s jail where attrition was high, routine opt-out HIV testing was not only feasible, but resulted in the highest rates of HIV testing when performed within 24 hours of incarceration.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00624247","term_id":"NCT00624247"}}NCT00624247     

Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. root-nodulating bacteria isolated from soils in the dryland part of Senegal

Aims:  We characterized phenotypically and genotypically root-nodulating bacteria associated with Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. isolated from the soils surrounding A. senegal trees in the dry land area of Senegal.
Methods and Results:  The phenotypical and genotypical characterizations we carried out showed a high diversity of A. senegal root-nodulating bacteria. Phenotypic patterns showed adaptations of the rhizobial strains to many environmental stresses such as heat, drought, and salinity. Twelve molecular groups were distinguished by profiles obtained using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques from intergenic spacer region rDNA. The highest genetic diversity was found around the A. senegal rhizosphere. Therefore, A. senegal seemed to have a positive influence on occurrence and genotypical diversity of rhizobial populations. Rhizobial isolates obtained in this study belonged phylogenetically to the genera Mesorhizobium and Rhizobium .
Conclusions:  Our results provided information about the genetic diversity of the rhizobial strains associated with A. senegal and suggested the adaptability of natural rhizobial populations to major ecological environmental stress within these soil environments.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  These results suggested a potential selection of compatible and well adapted strains under stress conditions as inoculants for successful A. senegal growth in arid lands.     

Variability according to the individual of the efficacy of repellents with a base of vegetable oils in the individual protection against Simulium damnosum s. l. bites

In Ivory Coast, treatments against black flies larva are interrupted since December 1998 and these flies are back everywhere in abundance. They are now a severe source of discomfort, so it is therefore very important to propose to rural populations a personal protection method against their bites. This article is about the individual attraction of fly boys on the efficiency of lotions and creams of the different repellents (coconut, palm nut, gobi). Our works were carried out in savanna zone (Niakaramandougou) and in forest zone (Soubré) in Ivory Coast. The methodology consisted in capturing black flies on volunteers whose legs were rubbed with repellent. Coconut, palm nut and gobi formulas (lotions and creams) were tested on Simulium damnosum s.l. During each session, which lasted from 07:00 am to 12:00 and from 03:00 pm to 06:00 pm, one person without repellent was used as a control person. The results show that the least efficient repellent (gobi) ensures nonetheless a reduction of 90% of the number of bites that an individual would have received if he was not protected by the repellent. Experimentations allows to say that for a given repellent and formulas (lotion and cream), there is no significant difference between the number of Simulium damnosum s. l. bites received by fly boys.     

Abolishing Fees at Health Centers in the Context of Community Case Management of Malaria: What Effects on Treatment-Seeking Practices for Febrile Children in Rural Burkina Faso?

Introduction

Burkina Faso started nationwide community case management of malaria (CCMm) in 2010. In 2011, health center user fees for children under five were abolished in some districts.

Objective

To assess the effects of concurrent implementation of CCMm and user fees abolition on treatment-seeking practices for febrile children.

Methods

This is a natural experiment conducted in the districts of Kaya (CCMm plus user fees abolition) and Zorgho (CCMm only). Registry data from 2005 to 2014 on visits for malaria were collected from all eight rural health centers in the study area. Annual household surveys were administered during malaria transmission season in 2011 and 2012 in 1,035 randomly selected rural households. Interrupted time series models were fitted for registry data and Fine and Gray’s competing risks models for survey data.

Results

User fees abolition in Kaya significantly increased health center use by eligible children with malaria (incidence rate ratio for intercept change = 2.1, p <0.001). In 2011, in Kaya, likelihood of health center use for febrile children was three times higher and CHW use three times lower when caregivers knew services were free. Among the 421 children with fever in 2012, the delay before visiting a health center was significantly shorter in Kaya than in Zorgho (1.46 versus 1.79 days, p <0.05). Likelihood of visiting a health center on the first day of fever among households <2.5km or <5 km from a health center was two and three times higher in Kaya than in Zorgho, respectively (p <0.001).

Conclusions

User fees abolition reduced visit delay for febrile children living close to health centers. It also increased demand for and use of health center for children with malaria. Concurrently, demand for CHWs’ services diminished. User fees abolition and CCMm should be coordinated to maximize prompt access to treatment in rural areas.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and nodulation improve flooding tolerance in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pterocarpus officinalis</Emphasis> Jacq. seedlings

Pterocarpus officinalis (Jacq.) seedlings inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus intraradices, and the strain of Bradyrhizobium sp. (UAG 11A) were grown under stem-flooded or nonflooded conditions for 13 weeks after 4 weeks of nonflooded pretreatment under greenhouse conditions. Flooding of P. officinalis seedlings induced several morphological and physiological adaptive mechanisms, including formation of hypertrophied lenticels and aerenchyma tissue and production of adventitious roots on submerged portions of the stem. Flooding also resulted in an increase in collar diameter and leaf, stem, root, and total dry weights, regardless of inoculation. Under flooding, arbuscular mycorrhizas were well developed on root systems and adventitious roots compared with inoculated root systems under nonflooding condition. Arbuscular mycorrhizas made noteworthy contributions to the flood tolerance of P. officinalis seedlings by improving plant growth and P acquisition in leaves. We report in this study the novel occurrence of nodules connected vascularly to the stem and nodule and arbuscular mycorrhizas on adventitious roots of P. officinalis seedlings. Root nodules appeared more efficient fixing N₂ than stem nodules were. Beneficial effect of nodulation in terms of total dry weight and N acquisition in leaves was particularly noted in seedlings growing under flooding conditions. There was no additive effect of arbuscular mycorrhizas and nodulation on plant growth and nutrition in either flooding treatment. The results suggest that the development of adventitious roots, aerenchyma tissue, and hypertrophied lenticels may play a major role in flooded tolerance of P. officinalis symbiosis by increasing oxygen diffusion to the submerged part of the stem and root zone, and therefore contribute to plant growth and nutrition.     

Evolution of protection after maternal immunization for respiratory syncytial virus in cotton rats

Maternal anti-respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antibodies acquired by the fetus through the placenta protect neonates from RSV disease through the first weeks of life. In the cotton rat model of RSV infections, we previously reported that immunization of dams during pregnancy with virus-like particles assembled with mutation stabilized pre-fusion F protein as well as the wild type G protein resulted in robust protection of their offspring from RSV challenge. Here we describe the durability of those protective responses in dams, the durability of protection in offspring, and the transfer of that protection to offspring of two consecutive pregnancies without a second boost immunization. We report that four weeks after birth, offspring of the first pregnancy were significantly protected from RSV replication in both lungs and nasal tissues after RSV challenge, but protection was reduced in pups at 6 weeks after birth. However, the overall protection of offspring of the second pregnancy was considerably reduced, even at four weeks of age. This drop in protection occurred even though the levels of total anti-pre-F IgG and neutralizing antibody titers in dams remained at similar, high levels before and after the second pregnancy. The results are consistent with an evolution of antibody properties in dams to populations less efficiently transferred to offspring or the less efficient transfer of antibodies in elderly dams.