Alien Registration- Nevers, Georgia G. (Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/22010/thumbnail.jp

A comparative study of Tam3 and Ac transposition in transgenic tobacco and petunia plants

Transposition of the Anthirrinum majus Tam3 element and the Zea mays Ac element has been monitored in petunia and tobacco plants. Plant vectors were constructed with the transposable elements cloned into the leader sequence of a marker gene. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated leaf disc transformation was used to introduce the transposable element constructs into plant cells. In transgenic plants, excision of the transposable element restores gene expression and results in a clearly distinguishable phenotype. Based on restored expression of the hygromycin phosphotransferase II (HPTII) gene, we established that Tam3 excises in 30% of the transformed petunia plants and in 60% of the transformed tobacco plants. Ac excises from the HPTII gene with comparable frequencies (30%) in both plant species. When the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene was used to detect transposition of Tam3, a significantly lower excision frequency (13%) was found in both plant species. It could be shown that deletion of parts of the transposable elements Tam3 and Ac, removing either one of the terminal inverted repeats (TIR) or part of the presumptive transposase coding region, abolished the excision from the marker genes. This demonstrates that excision of the transposable element Tam3 in heterologous plant species, as documented for the autonomous element Ac, also depends on both properties. Southern blot hybridization shows the expected excision pattern and the reintegration of Tam3 and Ac elements into the genome of tobacco plants.

Splitting technique for analytical modelling of two-phase multicomponent flow in porous media

In this paper we discuss one-dimensional models for two-phase Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) floods (oil displacement by gases, polymers, carbonized water, hot water, etc.). The main result presented here is the splitting of the EOR mathematical model into thermodynamical and hydrodynamical parts. The introduction of a potential associated with one of the conservation laws and its use as a new independent coordinate reduces the number of equations by one. The (n) × (n) conservation law model for two-phase n-component EOR flows in new coordinates is transformed into a reduced (n − 1) × (n − 1) auxiliary system containing just thermodynamical variables (equilibrium fractions of components, sorption isotherms) and one lifting equation containing just hydrodynamical parameters (phase relative permeabilities and viscosities). The algorithm to solve analytically the problem includes solution of the reduced auxiliary problem, solution of one lifting hyperbolic equation and inversion of the coordinate transformation. The splitting allows proving the independence of phase transitions occurring during displacement of phase relative permeabilities and viscosities. For example, the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) and transitional tie lines are independent of relative permeabilities and phases viscosities. Relative motion of polymer, surfactant and fresh water slugs depends on sorption isotherms only. Therefore, MMP for gasflood or minimum fresh water slug size providing isolation of polymer/surfactant from incompatible formation water for chemical flooding can be calculated from the reduced auxiliary system. Reduction of the number of equations allows the generation of new analytical models for EOR. The analytical model for displacement of oil by a polymer slug with water drive is presented.Adolfo P. Pires, Pavel G. Bedrikovetsky, Alexander A. Shapir

Gestion municipale et pouvoir local en milieu rural

The comparative analysis of budgetary date for a long period of time (1950-1980) shows that in spite of local finance crisis aggravation since 1965, there subsists some marginal autonomy which allows rural municipalities to develop some different administration models reflecting choices between local competitive requests

e-Pilly TROP Maladies infectieuses tropicales

L’e-Pilly TROP est un ouvrage d’infectiologie tropicale destiné aux médecins et aux étudiants en médecine des pays francophones du Sud. La prise en compte des différents niveaux de la pyramide sanitaire dans ces pays le rend aussi accessible aux infirmiers des centres de santé communautaires urbains et des structures de santé intermédiaires des zones rurales. Par définition, les Pays En Développement accroissant progressivement leurs capacités de diagnostic biologique et de traitement, les outils de prise en charge correspondent aux moyens des niveaux périphériques comme à ceux des niveaux hospitaliers de référence

Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of the global response of Wolbachia to doxycycline-induced stress

The bacterium Wolbachia (order Rickettsiales), representing perhaps the most abundant vertically transmitted microbe worldwide, infects arthropods and filarial nematodes. In arthropods, Wolbachia can induce reproductive alterations and interfere with the transmission of several arthropod-borne pathogens. In addition, Wolbachia is an obligate mutualist of the filarial parasites that cause lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis in the tropics. Targeting Wolbachia with tetracycline antibiotics leads to sterilisation and ultimately death of adult filariae. However, several weeks of treatment are required, restricting the implementation of this control strategy. To date, the response of Wolbachia to stress has not been investigated, and almost nothing is known about global regulation of gene expression in this organism. We exposed an arthropod Wolbachia strain to doxycycline in vitro, and analysed differential expression by directional RNA-seq and label-free, quantitative proteomics. We found that Wolbachia responded not only by modulating expression of the translation machinery, but also by upregulating nucleotide synthesis and energy metabolism, while downregulating outer membrane proteins. Moreover, Wolbachia increased the expression of a key component of the twin-arginine translocase (tatA) and a phosphate ABC transporter ATPase (PstB); the latter is associated with decreased susceptibility to antimicrobials in free-living bacteria. Finally, the downregulation of 6S RNA during translational inhibition suggests that this small RNA is involved in growth rate control. Despite its highly reduced genome, Wolbachia shows a surprising ability to regulate gene expression during exposure to a potent stressor. Our findings have general relevance for the chemotherapy of obligate intracellular bacteria and the mechanistic basis of persistence in the Rickettsiales

Lovastatin Protects against Experimental Plague in Mice

Background: Plague is an ectoparasite-borne deadly infection caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium classified among the group A bioterrorism agents. Thousands of deaths are reported every year in some African countries. Tetracyclines and cotrimoxazole are used in the secondary prophylaxis of plague in the case of potential exposure to Y. pestis, but cotrimoxazole-resistant isolates have been reported. There is a need for additional prophylactic measures. We aimed to study the effectiveness of lovastatin, a cholesterol-lowering drug known to alleviate the symptoms of sepsis, for plague prophylaxis in an experimental model. Methodology: Lovastatin dissolved in Endolipide was intraperitoneally administered to mice (20 mg/kg) every day for 6 days prior to a Y. pestis Orientalis biotype challenge. Non-challenged, lovastatin-treated and challenged, untreated mice were also used as control groups in the study. Body weight, physical behavior and death were recorded both prior to infection and for 10 days post-infection. Samples of the blood, lungs and spleen were collected from dead mice for direct microbiological examination, histopathology and culture. The potential antibiotic effect of lovastatin was tested on blood agar plates. Conclusions/Significance: Lovastatin had no in-vitro antibiotic effect against Y. pestis. The difference in the mortality between control mice (11/15; 73.5%) and lovastatin-treated mice (3/15; 20%) was significant (P,0.004; Mantel-Haensze

Structured Grading

This paper describes a compromise between the idealism of criterion based grading and the pragmatism of a norm based approach. The discussion is supported by a series of computer programs that are deliberately devoid of packaging clutter so that the users can clearly comprehend the processes and adapt the code to suit their particular purposes. The input data can be in numerical, alphabetical or categorical form and the primary output is a matrix of standardized marks. Additional analyses provide frequency distributions, rank order and alphabetic grade matrices, component correlations and categorical item analyses. The programs are designed to provide timely and appropriate information for final grade allocation.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Imported malaria in pregnancy in Madrid

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malaria in pregnancy is associated with maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality in endemic areas, but information on imported cases to non-endemic areas is scarce.</p> <p>The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of malaria in pregnancy in two general hospitals in Madrid, Spain.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Retrospective descriptive study of laboratory-confirmed malaria in pregnant women at the Fuenlabrada University Hospital and the Príncipe de Asturias University Hospital, in Madrid, over a six- and 11-year period, respectively. Relevant epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data was obtained from medical records.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were 19 pregnant women among 346 malaria cases (5.4%). The average age was 27 years. The gestational age (trimester) was: 53% 3^rd, 31% 1st, 16% 2^nd. All but one were multigravidae. Three were HIV positive. All were sub-Saharan immigrants: two were recently arrived immigrants and seventeen (89%) had visited friends and relatives. None had taken prophylaxis nor seeked pre-travel advice. Presentation: 16 symptomatic patients (fever in fourteen, asthenia in two), three asymptomatic. Median delay in diagnosis: 7.5 days. Laboratory tests: anaemia (cut off Hb level 11 g/dl) 78.9% (mild 31.6%, moderate 31.6%, severe 15.8%) thrombocytopaenia 73.7%, hypoglycaemia 10.5%. All cases were due to <it>Plasmodium falciparum</it>, one case of hyperparasitaemia. Quinine + clindamycin prescribed in 84%. Outcomes: no severe maternal complications or deaths, two abortions, fifteen term pregnancies, no low-birth-weight newborns, two patients were lost to follow-up.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Though cases of malaria in pregnancy are uncommon, a most at risk group is clearly defined: young sub-Saharan mothers visiting friends and relatives without pre-travel counselling and recently-arrived immigrants. The most common adverse maternal and foetal effects were anaemia and stillbirth. Given that presentation can be asymptomatic, malaria should always be considered in patients with unexplained anaemia arriving from endemic areas. These findings could help Maternal Health programme planners and implementers to target preventive interventions in the immigrant population and should create awareness among clinicians.</p

Persisting Mixed Cryoglobulinemia in Chikungunya Infection

Chikungunya virus is present in tropical Africa and Asia and is transmitted by mosquito bites. The disease is characterized by fever, headache, severe joint pain and transient skin rash for about a week. Most patients experience persisting joint pain and/or stiffness for months to years. In routine practice, diagnosis is based upon serology. Since 2004 there has been an ongoing giant outbreak of Chikungunya fever in East Africa, the Indian Ocean Islands, India and East Asia. In parallel, more than 1,000 travelers were diagnosed with imported Chikungunya infection in most developed countries. Considering the clinical features of our patients (joint pain), we hypothesized that cryoglobulins could be involved in the pathophysiology of the disease as observed in chronic hepatitis C infection. Cryoglobulins, which are immunoglobulins that precipitate when temperature is below 37°C, can induce rheumatic and vascular disorders. From April 2005 through May 2007, we screened all patients with possible imported Chikungunya infection for cryoglobulins. They were present in over 90% of patients, and possibly responsible for the unexpected false negativity of serological assays. Cryoglobulin frequency and levels decreased with time in recovering patients