Deficit in memory consolidation (abnormal forgetting rate) in childhood temporal lobe epilepsy. Pre and postoperative long-term observation.

Deficits in memory consolidation have been reported in adult patients with epilepsy but, not to our knowledge, in children. We report the long-term follow-up (9 y. o. to 18 y. o.) of a boy who suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy and underwent a left temporal lobectomy with amygdalo-hippocampal resection at the age of 10. He showed an abnormal forgetting rate when trying to encode new information and a significant deficit for retrieving remote episodic memories (when compared with his twin brother), both consistent with a consolidation disorder. His memory condition slightly improved after cessation of the epilepsy, nevertheless did not normalize. No standard memory assessment could pinpoint his memory problem, hence an adapted methodology was needed. We discuss the nature of the memory deficit, its possible causes and its clinical implications.

Temporal changes in mosquito abundance (Culex pipiens), avian malaria prevalence and lineage composition

Background: Knowledge on the temporal dynamics of host/vector/parasite interactions is a pre-requisite to further address relevant questions in the fields of epidemiology and evolutionary ecology of infectious diseases. In studies of avian malaria, the natural history of Plasmodium parasites with their natural mosquito vectors, however, is mostly unknown. Methods: Using artificial water containers placed in the field, we monitored the relative abundance of parous females of Culex pipiens mosquitoes during two years (2010-2011), in a population in western Switzerland. Additionally, we used molecular tools to examine changes in avian malaria prevalence and Plasmodium lineage composition in female C. pipiens caught throughout one field season (April-August) in 2011. Results: C. pipiens relative abundance varied both between years and months, and was associated with temperature fluctuations. Total Plasmodium prevalence was high and increased from spring to summer months (13.1-20.3%). The Plasmodium community was composed of seven different lineages including P. relictum (SGS1, GRW11 and PADOM02 lineages), P. vaughani (lineage SYAT05) and other Plasmodium spp. (AFTRU5, PADOM1, COLL1). The most prevalent lineages, P. vaughani (lineage SYAT05) and P. relictum (lineage SGS1), were consistently found between years, although they had antagonistic dominance patterns during the season survey. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the time window of analysis is critical in evaluating changes in the community of avian malaria lineages infecting mosquitoes. The potential determinants of the observed changes as well as their implications for future prospects on avian malaria are discussed.

Variabilidad temporal de algunas propiedades químicas en un suelo sometido a distintas sucesiones de cultivo

El presente trabajo ha sido realizado en la Finca Experimental "La Poveda" en Arganda del Rey (Madrid), con las siguientes coordenadas geográficas: latitud 40º19' N; longitud 3º19' W Gr; y altitud 550 m. El objetivo principal consiste en el estudio de la variabilidad temporal de algunas propiedades químicas en un suelo sometido a distintas sucesiones de cultivo. Para el estudio de la variabilidad temporal de las características químicas el muestreo se realizó en los meses de febrero y septiembre de 1993 y febrero y septiembre de 1994. La materia orgánica del sistema Prado/Veza-Avena presenta el menor coeficiente de variación con respecto a los sistemas monocultivo de Cebada y Veza-Avena/Girasol. El menor contenido de materia orgánica a lo largo del tiempo lo presenta el sistema Cebada/Cebada. Los sistemas Prado/Veza-Avena y Veza-Avena/Girasol presentaron contenidos de materia orgánica 42,86% y 40,54% superiores al del sistema Cebada/Cebada.

CT angiography helps to differentiate acute from chronic carotid occlusion: "carotid ring sign".

INTRODUCTION: Currently, there is no reliable method to differentiate acute from chronic carotid occlusion. We propose a novel CTA-based method to differentiate acute from chronic carotid occlusions that could potentially aid clinical management of patients. METHODS: We examined 72 patients with 89 spontaneously occluded extracranial internal carotids with CT angiography (CTA). All occlusions were confirmed by another imaging modality and classified as acute (imaging <1 week of presumed occlusion) orchronic (imaging >4 weeks), based on circumstantial clinical and radiological evidence. A neuroradiologist and a neurologist blinded to clinical information determined the site of occlusion on axial sections of CTA. They also looked for (a) hypodensity in the carotid artery (thrombus), (b) contrast within the carotid wall (vasa vasorum), (c) the site of the occluded carotid, and (d) the "carotid ring sign" (defined as presence of a and/or b). RESULTS: Of 89 occluded carotids, 24 were excluded because of insufficient circumstantial evidence to determine timing of occlusion, 4 because of insufficient image quality, and 3 because of subacute timing of occlusion. Among the remaining 45 acute and 13 chronic occlusions, inter-rater agreement (kappa) for the site of proximal occlusion was 0.88, 0.45 for distal occlusion, 0.78 for luminal hypodensity, 0.82 for wall contrast, and 0.90 for carotid ring sign. The carotid ring sign had 88.9% sensitivity, 69.2% specificity, and 84.5% accuracy to diagnose acute occlusion. CONCLUSION: The carotid ring sign helps to differentiate acute from chronic carotid occlusion. If further confirmed, this information may be helpful in studying ischemic symptoms and selecting treatment strategies in patients with carotid occlusions.

Temporal quantification of MAPK induced expression in single yeast cells.

The quantification of gene expression at the single cell level uncovers novel regulatory mechanisms obscured in measurements performed at the population level. Two methods based on microscopy and flow cytometry are presented to demonstrate how such data can be acquired. The expression of a fluorescent reporter induced upon activation of the high osmolarity glycerol MAPK pathway in yeast is used as an example. The specific advantages of each method are highlighted. Flow cytometry measures a large number of cells (10,000) and provides a direct measure of the dynamics of protein expression independent of the slow maturation kinetics of the fluorescent protein. Imaging of living cells by microscopy is by contrast limited to the measurement of the matured form of the reporter in fewer cells. However, the data sets generated by this technique can be extremely rich thanks to the combinations of multiple reporters and to the spatial and temporal information obtained from individual cells. The combination of these two measurement methods can deliver new insights on the regulation of protein expression by signaling pathways.

Seguiment temporal de la reserva marina de les Illes Medes. Informe anual. Any 1997

L'objectiu que marca la Llei 19/1990, de 10 de desembre del Parlament de Catalunya és la conservació de la fauna i flora dels fons marins de les illes Medes. I l¿objectiu dels treballs de seguiment que, des del 1990, ve efectuant l¿equip del Departament d¿Ecologia en la Reserva Marina de les Illes Medes per encàrrec delDepartament d¿Agricultura, Ramaderia i Pesca (primer de la seva Direcció General de Pesca Marítima, i des del 1996 de la Direcció General de Medi Natural) és avaluar els resultats de la dita conservació.

Seguiment temporal de la reserva marina de les Illes Medes. Informe anual. Any 1999

Aquesta Memòria constitueix la novena entrega, corresponent als resultatsobtinguts al llarg de 1999, dels treballs de seguiment que, des del 1990, ve efectuantl'equip del Departament d'Ecologia de la Universitat de Barcelona en laReserva Marina de les Illes Medes, en compliment dels imperatius que marca la Llei19/1990, de 10 de desembre del Parlament de Catalunya. L'objectiu d'aquesta Lleiés la conservació de la fauna i flora dels fons marins de les illes Medes, i el seu Plad'Usos estableix l'obligatorietat de realitzar estudis científics de monitorització que guiïn i avalin l'adequació de la gestió.

Seguiment temporal de l'àrea marina protegida de les Illes Medes. Informe anual. Any 2000

Aquesta Memòria constitueix la desena remesa, corresponent als resultats obtinguts en 2000, dels treballs de seguiment que, des del 1990, ve efectuant l'equip del Departament d'Ecologia en la Reserva Marina de les Illes Medes per encàrrec del Departament d'Agricultura, Ramaderia i Pesca (de 1990 a 1998) i del Departament de Medi Ambient (des de 1999) en compliment dels imperatius que marca la Llei 19/1990, de 10 de desembre del Parlament de Catalunya. L'objectiu de dita Llei és la conservació de la fauna i flora dels fons marins de les illes Medes, i el seu Pla d'Usos estableix l'obligatorietat de realitzar estudis científics de monitoritzacióque guiïn i avalin l'adequació de la gestió.

Seguiment temporal de l'àrea marina protegida de les Illes Medes. Informe anual. Any 2001

Aquesta Memòria constitueix la onzena remesa, corresponent als resultats obtinguts en 2001, dels treballs de seguiment que, des del 1990, ve efectuant l'equip del Departament d'Ecologia en la Reserva Marina de les Illes Medes per encàrrec del Departament d'Agricultura, Ramaderia i Pesca (de 1990 a 1998) i del Departament de Medi Ambient (des de 1999) en compliment dels imperatius que marca la Llei 19/1990, de 10 de desembre del Parlament de Catalunya. L'objectiu de dita Llei és la conservació de la fauna i flora dels fons marins de les illes Medes, i el seu Pla d'Usos estableix l'obligatorietat de realitzar estudis científics de monitorització que guiïn i avalin l'adequació de la gestió.