Patterns of positive selection in seven ant genomes.

The evolution of ants is marked by remarkable adaptations that allowed the development of very complex social systems. To identify how ant-specific adaptations are associated with patterns of molecular evolution, we searched for signs of positive selection on amino-acid changes in proteins. We identified 24 functional categories of genes which were enriched for positively selected genes in the ant lineage. We also reanalyzed genome-wide data sets in bees and flies with the same methodology to check whether positive selection was specific to ants or also present in other insects. Notably, genes implicated in immunity were enriched for positively selected genes in the three lineages, ruling out the hypothesis that the evolution of hygienic behaviors in social insects caused a major relaxation of selective pressure on immune genes. Our scan also indicated that genes implicated in neurogenesis and olfaction started to undergo increased positive selection before the evolution of sociality in Hymenoptera. Finally, the comparison between these three lineages allowed us to pinpoint molecular evolution patterns that were specific to the ant lineage. In particular, there was ant-specific recurrent positive selection on genes with mitochondrial functions, suggesting that mitochondrial activity was improved during the evolution of this lineage. This might have been an important step toward the evolution of extreme lifespan that is a hallmark of ants.

Arrest de la cour de parlement portant défenses d'exécuter les condemnez à mort ailleurs qu'es places publiques. Avec injonction à tous filloux, soldats et gens sans adveu de vuider de la ville de Paris dans vingt-quatre heures sur peine des galères, et que les arrests donnez contre les pages et laquais seront exécutez

[Acte. 1633-01-19]

Hyperaldostéronisme primaire sur adénome ou hyperplasie de la surrénale: opérer ou non [Primary hyperaldosteronism with adrenal adenoma or hyperplasia: surgical case or not?].

Primary hyperaldosteronism is one of the most frequent causes of secondary hypertension. Cardiovascular morbimortality is higher than in essential hypertonic and justifies diagnostic and specific treatment of this pathology. Therapeutic choice depends of health and desire of the patient. It is either medical with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, or surgical through adrenalectomy. In this case, a pre-surgery exam including a radiologic examination and a venous adrenal catheterism has to be done. Surgery allows a normalisation of kaliema and a blood pressure decrease in 50 to 88% of the patients. Beyond them, 30% are able to stop entirely their medication. Both therapeutic choices decrease cardiovascular risks equally if blood pressure is controlled.

Pièces relatives à l'histoire de la ville de TULLE. I

Contient : Copies de bulles, lettres royaux, etc., concernant l'histoire de la ville de Tulle (1372-1547), extraites des archives et de la Bibliothèque du Roi, des archives de l'église de Tulle et d'originaux en la possession de Baluze ; Accord entre l'évêque et le chapitre de Tulle (1429), extrait du « Codex magnorum statutorum » ; Accords entre Louis d'Aubusson, évêque de Tulle, et Guichard de Comborn, abbé d'Uzerche (1456-1465) ; Hommage fait par Charles de Malemont à Clément de Brillac, évêque de Tulle (18 avril 1503) ; « Acta primi ingressus Hugonis de Albuconia, episcopi Tutellensis » (1451) ; « Acta primi ingressus Dionysii de Barro, episcopi Tutelensis » (1472) ; Serments prêtés par les évêques de Tulle de respecter les libertés de la ville (1495-1561) ; Description de l'église cathédrale de Tulle ; Copie figurée d'une inscription de l'église de Moissac, relative à la dédicace de cette église en 1063 (Cf. Gall. christ., t. I, col. 158) ; Pièces relatives à l'envoi du comte de Ventadour comme gouverneur du Limousin (1634) ; originaux ; Catalogus abbatum et episcoporum Tullensium, par Et. Baluze (placard imprimé ; Tulle, 1669) ; Procès-verbaux « touchant l'argent que la ville a prins des coffres du Roi » (31 octobre 1685) ; copies contemporaines ; Lettres royaux portant convocation de l'assemblée des trois ordres à Tulle pour l'envoi de députés aux Etats généraux (août 1614) ; placard imprimé ; Confirmation par Louis XIII du droit, pour les habitants de Tulle, de percevoir un octroi aux portes de la ville (16 mars 1611-22 novembre 1612) ; Défense faite aux curés de Saint-Pierre et de Saint-Jacques de Tulle de marier des étrangers sans autorisation du maire et des consuls (10 mars 1586) ; Extrait des registres de la Maison de ville de Tulle (1587-1588) ; « Estat de la recette que j'ay fait durant mon quartier, qui a commencé le 1er de septembre 1599 et finy le dernier de novembre audit an ; » original, sans indication de provenance ; Etat de sommes à percevoir dans les diverses parroisses de l'évêché de Tulle (1589) ; original ; Inventaire de titres concernant les vicomtes de Comborn (1441-1489) ; Accensement des revenus de la prévôté de Clergoux (21 janvier 1531-1532 n. st.) ; copie contemporaine ; Pièces relatives au différend entre le vicaire général et le chapitre de Tulle au sujet de l'ouverture du jubilé (avril 1656) ; Lettre du vicaire général, Guillaume Dumas, à M. Javel, sénéchal de Turenne (21 juillet 1655) ; Bulletins de service pour la garde des portes de la ville de Tulle (1586) ; originaux ; Lettre écrite de Tulle [à Baluze ?] par M. Collier (13 mars 1679) ; Mémoires sur la ville de Tulle, par M. Brivazat, vissenéchal de Tulle ; Procès-verbal d'une assemblée de conseillers de ladite ville (20 mars 1586) ; Lettre de G. de Juré aux consuls de la ville de Tulle (s. d.) ; original ; Requête présentée à « nossieurs des Comptes » par Bertrand Fagerdie (s. d.) ; original ; Mémoire sur la gestion du même au siège royal de Tulle (1551) ; Accord entre les habitants de Tulle et ceux de Brive pour le rétablissement du siège royal (1553) ; copie contemporaine ; Lettre d'Etienne de l'Estang à [Antoine] de Noailles, lieutenant du roi en Guyenne, relative à la même affaire (1551) ; copie donnée à Baluze par vyon d'Herouval en 1684 ; Accord entre B. Fagerdie et Antoine de La Tour, chanoine de Tulle (1561) ; original ; Enquête faite au sujet de l'anoblissement de Guillaume de Marne, lieutenant-général au siège de Tulle (1597) ; original ; Anoblissement de Pierre Geneste et de divers autres jurats de la ville de Bordeaux (juin 1589) ; Rôle de taille et taillon de la ville de Tulle (février 1595) ; original ; Factum pour le syndic du clergé du diocèse de Tulle contre les prétendus reformez d'Argentat ; imprimé de 4 p. in-4°, s. d., avec une note relative à la destruction du temple d'Argentat en 1682 ; Mandements et ordonnances des évêques et des vicaires généraux de Tulle (1668-1696) ; placards imprimés

Evolução do desempenho cognitivo dos jovens brasileiros no Pisa

O artigo analisa a evolução das habilidades cognitivas dos jovens brasileiros medidas pelo Programa Internacional de Avaliação de Alunos - Pisa. Reporta-se a resultados bem positivos. Apesar de um aumento considerável na porcentagem dos jovens aptos a fazer o Pisa e, portanto, uma forte redução na seletividade, a nota média brasileira subiu 33 pontos ao longo dos últimos nove anos. A posição relativa do país também aumentou: nossa nota média foi de 75% para 80% da nota média do grupo original de países que fizeram o Pisa em 2000. Em termos distributivos, a melhora foi mais proeminente na parte inferior da distribuição de habilidades cognitivas. Os centésimos na cauda inferior da distribuição de matemática viram suas notas aumentarem em torno de 70 pontos contra em torno de 30 pontos para os centésimos na cauda superior.

An integrated encyclopedia of DNA elements in the human genome.

The human genome encodes the blueprint of life, but the function of the vast majority of its nearly three billion bases is unknown. The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project has systematically mapped regions of transcription, transcription factor association, chromatin structure and histone modification. These data enabled us to assign biochemical functions for 80% of the genome, in particular outside of the well-studied protein-coding regions. Many discovered candidate regulatory elements are physically associated with one another and with expressed genes, providing new insights into the mechanisms of gene regulation. The newly identified elements also show a statistical correspondence to sequence variants linked to human disease, and can thereby guide interpretation of this variation. Overall, the project provides new insights into the organization and regulation of our genes and genome, and is an expansive resource of functional annotations for biomedical research.

Durability and outcome of initial antiretroviral treatments received during 2000--2005 by patients in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about time trends, predictors, and consequences of changes made to antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens early after patients initially start treatment. METHODS: We compared the incidence of, reasons for, and predictors of treatment change within 1 year after starting combination ART (cART), as well as virological and immunological outcomes at 1 year, among 1866 patients from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study who initiated cART during 2000--2001, 2002--2003, or 2004--2005. RESULTS: The durability of initial regimens did not improve over time (P = .15): 48.8% of 625 patients during 2000--2001, 43.8% of 607 during 2002--2003, and 44.3% of 634 during 2004--2005 changed cART within 1 year; reasons for change included intolerance (51.1% of all patients), patient wish (15.4%), physician decision (14.8%), and virological failure (7.1%). An increased probability of treatment change was associated with larger CD4+ cell counts, larger human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA loads, and receipt of regimens that contained stavudine or indinavir/ritonavir, but a decreased probability was associated with receipt of regimens that contained tenofovir. Treatment discontinuation was associated with larger CD4+ cell counts, current use of injection drugs, and receipt of regimens that contained nevirapine. One-year outcomes improved between 2000--2001 and 2004--2005: 84.5% and 92.7% of patients, respectively, reached HIV-1 RNA loads of <50 copies/mL and achieved median increases in CD4+ cell counts of 157.5 and 197.5 cells/microL, respectively (P < .001 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: Virological and immunological outcomes of initial treatments improved between 2000--2001 and 2004--2005, irrespective of uniformly high rates of early changes in treatment across the 3 study intervals.

Evaluation of the new photosensitizer Stakel (WST-11) for photodynamic choroidal vessel occlusion in rabbit and rat eyes.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the photodynamic potential of a new hydrosoluble photosensitizer (WST-11, Stakel; Steba Biotech, Toussus-Le-Noble, France), for use in occlusion of normal choroidal vessels in the rabbit eye and CNV (choroidal neovascularization) in the rat eye. METHODS: Occlusive and nonocclusive parameters of Stakel and verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT) were investigated in pigmented rabbits. Eyes were followed by fluorescein angiography (FA) and histology at various intervals after PDT. RESULTS: When occlusive parameters (fluence of 50 J/cm(2), 5 mg/kg drug dose and DLI [distance to light illumination] of 1 minute) were used, Stakel PDT was efficient immediately after treatment without associated structural damage of the RPE and retina overlying the treated choroid in the rabbit eye. Two days later, total occlusion of the choriocapillaries was seen in 100% of the treated eyes, along with accompanying histologic structural changes in the overlying retina. When the occlusive parameters (fluence, 100 J/cm2; drug dose, 12 mg/m2; and DLI, 5 minutes) of verteporfin PDT were used, occlusion of the choriocapillaries was observed in 89% of the treated eyes. Histology performed immediately after treatment demonstrated structural damage of the overlying retina and RPE layer. Weaker, nonocclusive Stakel PDT parameters (25 J/cm2, 5 mg/kg, and DLI of 10 minutes) did not induce choriocapillary occlusion or retinal lesions on FA or histology. Weaker, nonocclusive verteporfin PDT parameters (10 J/cm2, 0.2 mg/kg, and DLI of 5 minutes) did not induce choriocapillary occlusion. However, histology of these eyes showed the presence of damage in the retinal and choroidal tissues. Moreover, preliminary results indicate that selective CNV occlusion can be achieved with Stakel PDT in the rat eye. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike verteporfin PDT, Stakel PDT does not cause direct damage to the RPE cell layer or retina. These observations indicate that Stakel PDT may have a high potential for beneficial therapeutic outcomes in treatment of AMD.

2011 lAAF World Championships in Daegu: blood tests for all athletes in the framework of the Athlete Biological Passport.

The 2011 International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Championships took place in Daegu, Korea. For the first time, all athletes were blood tested prior to the competition in order to give a clear signal to the world athletic community of the wish to enter into the era of the Athlete Biological Passport and fight against doping in their sport. The hematological parameters were measured on site. Thus, a mobile-accredited laboratory for blood testing was created in Daegu. Two serum tubes were collected for clinical chemistry and hormonal analyses in order to build the bases of the endocrine and the androgen (steroid) modules of the Athlete Biological Passport in blood. This paper describes some of the main challenges the project faced with regard to the large number of athletes, competing in different disciplines, and the logistic problems that had to be solved for smart implementation of one of the most complex operations organized in the last decade in the fight against doping.