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Since the release of genetically engineered (GE) crops, there has been increased concern about the introduction of GE genes into non-GE fields of a crop and their spread to feral or wild cross-compatible relatives. More recently, attention has been given to the differential impact of distinct pollinators on gene flow, with the goal of developing isolation distances associated with specific managed pollinators. To examine the differential impact of bee species on gene movement, we quantified the relationship between the probability of getting a GE seed in a pod, and the order in which a flower was visited, or the cumulative distance traveled by a bee in a foraging bout. We refer to these relationships as ‘seed curves’ and compare these seeds curves among three bee species. The experiments used Medicago sativa L. plants carrying three copies of the glyphosate resistance (GR) allele as pollen donors (M. sativa is a tetraploid), such that each pollen grain carried the GR allele, and conventional plants as pollen recipients. Different foraging metrics, including the number of GR seeds produced over a foraging bout, were also quantified and contrasted among bee species. The lowest number of GR seeds set per foraging bout, and the GR seeds set at the shortest distances, were produced following leafcutting bee visits. In contrast, GR seeds were found at the longest distances following bumble bee visits. Values for honey bees were intermediate. The ranking of bee species based on seed curves correlated well with field-based gene flow estimates. Thus, differential seed curves of bee species, which describe patterns of seed production within foraging bouts, translated into distinct abilities of bee species to move genes at a landscape level. Bee behavior at a local scale (foraging bout) helps predict gene flow and the spread of GE genes at the landscape scale.

Background The current study aimed to determine the association between timing and completion of adjuvant chemotherapy and outcomes in real-world patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer. Methods In this multi-center cohort study patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer who were diagnosed from 2007–2017 and underwent complete resection in the province of Saskatchewan were examined. Cox proportional multivariate analyses were performed for correlation with recurrence and survival. Results Of 168 patients, 71 eligible patients with median age of 69 years and M:F of 37:34 were identified. Median time to the start of adjuvant therapy from surgery was 73 days. Of all patients, 49 (69%) patients completed adjuvant chemotherapy and 22 (31%) required early treatment discontinuation. Median recurrence-free survival of patients who completed treatment was 22 months (95%CI:15.8–28.2) vs. 9 months (3.3–14.7) if treatment was discontinued early (P Conclusions Early discontinuation but not the timing of adjuvant chemotherapy correlates with inferior outcomes.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is currently causing a global pandemic. Infection may result in a systemic disease called COVID-19, affecting primarily the respiratory tract. Often the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys also become involved. Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) serves as the receptor for SARS-CoV-2. The membrane proteins, Transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) and Neuropilin 1 (NRP1) are accessory proteins facilitating the virus entry. In this study we show that the human proximal kidney tubules, express these factors. We hypothesized that cancers derived from proximal tubules as clear cell (CCRCC) and papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC), retain the expression of the SARS-CoV-2 entry factors making these cancers susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We used bioinformatics, western blotting, and assessment of tissue micro arrays (TMA) including 263 cases of CCRCC, 139 cases of PRCC and 18 cases of chromophobe RCC to demonstrate that the majority of CCRCC and PRCC cases retained the RNA and protein expression of the entry factors for SARS-CoV-2. We furthermore show that SARS-CoV-2 virus propagated robustly in primary cultures of CCRCC and PRCC cells with a visible virus cytopathogenic effect correlating with viral RNA expression levels. We also noted that the delta-variant of SARS-CoV-2 causes cancer cells to form syncytia in-vitro. This phenomenon was also identified histologically in CCRCC tissue from a patient that had been hospitalized for COVID-19, twelve months prior to nephrectomy. Our data provide insights into SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in renal cell carcinoma and that the virus causes a distinct cytopathogenic effect.

Background Young adults aged 18–39 years commonly experience persistent side effects following cancer treatment that can impair their quality of life. Physical activity (PA) holds promise as a behavioral intervention to mitigate persistent side effects and improve quality of life. Yet, few young adults are active enough to incur these benefits and efforts to promote PA after cancer treatment ends are lacking. Therefore, we developed a novel theory-driven behavior change intervention to promote PA via videoconferencing technology in young adults who have completed cancer treatment, and are undertaking a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to gather evidence to inform the design of a large, full-scale RCT. The specific aims of this parallel, two-arm pilot RCT are to: (1) assess intervention and trial protocol feasibility and acceptability; and (2) generate data on PA behavior. To promote transparency, improve reproducibility, and serve as a reference for forthcoming publication of results, we present the study protocol for this pilot RCT (version 7) within this paper. Methods Young adults who have completed cancer treatment are being recruited from across Canada. After informed consent is obtained and baseline assessments are completed, participants are randomized to the intervention group (i.e., a 12-week behavior change intervention delivered via videoconferencing technology by trained PA counsellors) or usual care group (i.e., no intervention). Several feasibility outcomes covering enrollment, allocation, follow-up, and analysis are tracked by study staff. Acceptability is assessed through interviews exploring participants’ experiences, thoughts, and perspectives of the trial protocol (i.e., intervention and usual care groups), as well as participants’ views of the intervention and its mode of delivery (i.e., intervention group only) and PA counsellors’ experiences delivering the intervention. PA behavior is measured using accelerometers at baseline (pre-randomization), post-intervention, and at follow-up (24 weeks post-baseline). Discussion There are growing calls to develop interventions to support young adults’ motivation to engage in PA and adopt an active lifestyle to improve their quality of life after cancer treatment ends. Real-time videoconferencing shows promise for disseminating behavior change interventions to young adults and addressing participation barriers. Considering the importance of establishing intervention and trial protocol feasibility and acceptability prior to evaluating intervention efficacy (or effectiveness), this pilot RCT is critical to understand how participants embrace, engage with, and complete the intervention and trial protocol. Indeed, these data will help to determine which refinements, if any, are required to the intervention and trial protocol (e.g., implementation approach, evaluation methods) prior to a large, full-scale RCT aiming to test the effects of the intervention on PA behavior. Additionally, the PA behavior data collected will be useful to inform the sample size calculation for a large, full-scale RCT. Trial registration The trial was registered with the ClinicalTrials.gov database (ID: NCT04163042) on November 14, 2019, prior to the start of the trial in February, 2021.

The salmon louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, is an ectoparasitic crustacean that annually inflicts substantial losses to the aquaculture industry in the northern hemisphere and poses a threat to the wild populations of salmonids. The salmon louse life cycle consists of eight developmental stages each separated by a molt. Fushi Tarazu Factor-1 (FTZ-F1) is an ecdysteroid-regulated gene that encodes a member of the NR5A family of nuclear receptors that is shown to play a crucial regulatory role in molting in insects and nematodes. Characterization of an FTZ-F1 orthologue in the salmon louse gave two isoforms named αFTZ-F1 and βFTZ-F1, which are identical except for the presence of a unique N-terminal domain (A/B domain). A comparison suggest conservation of the FTZ-F1 gene structure among ecdysozoans, with the exception of nematodes, to produce isoforms with unique N-terminal domains through alternative transcription start and splicing. The two isoforms of the salmon louse FTZ-F1 were expressed in different amounts in the same tissues and showed a distinct cyclical expression pattern through the molting cycle with βFTZ-F1 being the highest expressed isoform. While RNA interference knockdown of βFTZ-F1 in nauplius larvae and in pre-adult males lead to molting arrest, knockdown of βFTZ-F1 in pre-adult II female lice caused disruption of oocyte maturation at the vitellogenic stage. No apparent phenotype could be observed in αFTZ-F1 knockdown larvae, or in their development to adults, and no genes were found to be differentially expressed in the nauplii larvae following αFTZ-F1 knockdown. βFTZ-F1 knockdown in nauplii larvae caused both down and upregulation of genes associated with proteolysis and chitin binding and affected a large number of genes which are in normal salmon louse development expressed in a cyclical pattern. This is the first description of FTZ-F1 gene function in copepod crustaceans and provides a foundation to expand the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of molting in the salmon louse and other copepods.

Context During the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions were imposed on visits in hospitals in the province of Quebec, Canada in an effort to reduce the risk of viral exposure by minimizing face-to-face contact in order to protect patients, visitors and staff. These measures led to social isolation for patients. In order to reduce this isolation, CHUM (the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, a teaching hospital) shifted from in-person visits to courtesy telephone calls delivered by volunteers from CHUM’s Volunteers, Recreation and Leisure Department. Objectives To study: (1) the contribution made by these calls to reducing isolation and their limitations, (2) how the calls can be improved, and (3) whether they should be maintained, based on the views of patients and volunteers. Methodology This study examined two populations. The first one consisted of 189 adult patients hospitalized at CHUM who received a courtesy phone call from a volunteer and the second one consisted of the 25 CHUM volunteers who made these calls. Quantitative data were collected from patients and volunteers through questionnaires and a Smartsheet. The patient questionnaire evaluated isolation, the courtesy phone calls, the relationship of trust with the volunteer and sociodemographic questions. The volunteer questionnaire evaluated the appropriateness of the technology for the intervention, the support and training received, the impacts of the courtesy phone call on both the patients and the volunteers, an experience report and sociodemographic information. In addition, a focus group was held with 7 volunteers. Then the verbatim were transcribed and analyzed using QDA miner software. Results From April 27, 2020 to September 5, 2020 more than 11,800 calls were made, mainly concerning hospitalization conditions or home follow-ups (n = 83), and relationships with relatives, friends, and family (n = 79). For 73.6% of hospitalized patients, the courtesy calls from volunteers were a good response to their needs, and 72% of volunteers agreed. 64.5% of patients felt less isolated and 40% of volunteers felt useful. Conclusion Our data suggest that patients felt less isolated during their hospitalization because of the courtesy calls made by the volunteers, that smartphones could also be used for video calls and, finally, that maintaining this type of service seems as relevant after as during a pandemic to provide social interactions to people isolated for medical reasons.

In insect-pollinated crops, gene flow is affected by numerous factors including crop characteristics, mating system, life history, pollinators, and planting management practices. Previous studies have concentrated on the impact of distance between genetically engineered (GE) and conventional fields on adventitious presence (AP) which represents the unwanted presence of a GE gene. Variables other than distance, however, may affect AP. In addition, some AP is often present in the parent seed lots used to establish conventional fields. To identify variables that influence the proportion of AP in conventional alfalfa fields, we performed variable selection regression analyses. Analyses based on a sample-level and a field-level analysis gave similar, though not identical results. For the sample-level model, distance from the GE field explained 66% of the variance in AP, confirming its importance in affecting AP. The area of GE fields within the pollinator foraging range explained an additional 30% of the variation in AP in the model. The density of alfalfa leafcutting bee domiciles influenced AP in both models. To minimize AP in conventional alfalfa seed fields, management practices should focus on optimizing isolation distances while also considering the size of the GE pollen pool within the pollinator foraging range, and the foraging behavior of pollinators.

Objective Pneumothorax development can cause precipitous deterioration in ICU patients, therefore quick and accurate detection is vital. Portable chest radiography is commonly performed to exclude pneumothoraces but is hampered by supine patient position and overlying internal and external material. Also, the initial evaluation of the chest radiograph may be performed by a relatively inexperienced physician. Therefore, a tool that could significantly improve pneumothorax detection on portable radiography would be helpful in patient care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of novel enhancement software for pneumothorax detection in readers with varied clinical experience of detecting/excluding pneumothoraces on portable chest radiographs in ICU patients. Subjects and methods 206 portable ICU chest radiographs, 103 with pneumothoraces, were processed with and without enhancement software and reviewed by 5 readers who varied in reading experience. Images were grouped for different complexity levels. Results The mean AUC for pneumothorax detection increased for 4/5 readers from 0.846–0.957 to 0.88–0.971 with a largest improvement for the reader with least experience. No significant change was noted for the reader with the longest reading experience. The image complexity had no impact on the interpretation result. Conclusion Pneumothorax detection improves with novel enhancement software; the largest improvement is seen in less experienced readers.

Introduction Recent randomised controlled trials suggest that on-line hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) improves survival, provided that it reaches high convective volumes. However, there is scant information on the feasibility and the consequences of modifying convection volumes in clinics. Methods Twelve stable dialysis patients were treated with high-flux 1.8 m2 polysulphone dialyzers and 4 levels of convection flows (QUF) based on GKD-UF monitoring of the system, for 1 week each. The consequences on dialysis delivery (transmembrane pressure (TMP), number of alarms, % of achieved prescribed convection) and efficacy (mass removal of low and high molecular weight compounds) were analysed. Results TMP increased exponentially with QUF (p56,000 monitoring values). Beyond 21 L/session, this resulted into frequent TMP alarms requiring nursing staff interventions (mean ± SEM: 10.3 ± 2.2 alarms per session, p 20L) is feasible by setting an HDF system at its optimal conditions based upon the GKD-UF monitoring. Prescribing higher convection volumes resulted in instability of the system, provoked alarms, was bothersome for the nursing staff and the patients, rarely achieved the prescribed convection volumes and increased removal of high molecular weight compounds, notably albumin.

It is now recognized that several rounds of whole genome duplication (WGD) have occurred during the evolution of vertebrates, but the link between WGDs and phenotypic diversification remains unsolved. We have investigated in this study the impact of the teleost-specific WGD on the evolution of the sox gene family in teleostean fishes. The sox gene family, which encodes for transcription factors, has essential role in morphology, physiology and behavior of vertebrates and teleosts, the current largest group of vertebrates. We have first redrawn the evolution of all sox genes identified in eleven teleost genomes using a comparative genomic approach including phylogenetic and synteny analyses. We noticed, compared to tetrapods, an important expansion of the sox family: 58% (11/19) of sox genes are duplicated in teleost genomes. Furthermore, all duplicated sox genes, except sox17 paralogs, are derived from the teleost-specific WGD. Then, focusing on five sox genes, analyzing the evolution of coding and non-coding sequences, as well as the expression patterns in fish embryos and adult tissues, we demonstrated that these paralogs followed lineage-specific evolutionary trajectories in teleost genomes. This work, based on whole genome data from multiple teleostean species, supports the contribution of WGDs to the expansion of gene families, as well as to the emergence of genomic differences between lineages that might promote genetic and phenotypic diversity in teleosts.

International audience; Introduction: Recent randomised controlled trials suggest that on-line hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) improves survival, provided that it reaches high convective volumes. However, there is scant information on the feasibility and the consequences of modifying convection volumes in clinics.Methods: Twelve stable dialysis patients were treated with high-flux 1.8 m2 polysulphone dialyzers and 4 levels of convection flows (QUF) based on GKD-UF monitoring of the system, for 1 week each. The consequences on dialysis delivery (transmembrane pressure (TMP), number of alarms, % of achieved prescribed convection) and efficacy (mass removal of low and high molecular weight compounds) were analysed.Results: TMP increased exponentially with QUF (p56,000 monitoring values). Beyond 21 L/session, this resulted into frequent TMP alarms requiring nursing staff interventions (mean ± SEM: 10.3 ± 2.2 alarms per session, p 20L) is feasible by setting an HDF system at its optimal conditions based upon the GKD-UF monitoring. Prescribing higher convection volumes resulted in instability of the system, provoked alarms, was bothersome for the nursing staff and the patients, rarely achieved the prescribed convection volumes and increased removal of high molecular weight compounds, notably albumin.

Foraging behaviors that impact gene flow can guide the design of pollinator strategies to mitigate gene flow. Reduced gene flow is expected to minimize the impact of genetically engineered (GE) crops on feral and natural populations and to facilitate the coexistence of different agricultural markets. The goal of this study is to link foraging behavior to gene flow and identify behaviors that can help predict gene flow for different bee species. To reach this goal, we first examined and compared the foraging behaviors of three distinct bee species, the European honey bee, Apis mellifera L., the common eastern bumble bee, Bombus impatiens Cr., and the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata F., foraging on Medicago sativa flowers. Each foraging behavior investigated differed among bee species. Both social bees exhibited directionality of movement and had similar residence, in contrast to the random movement and shorter residence of the solitary bee. Tripping rate and net distance traveled differed among the three bee species. We ranked each behavior among bee species and used the relative ranking as gene flow predictor before testing the predictions against empirical gene flow data. Tripping rate and net distance traveled, but not residence, predicted relative gene dispersal among bee species. Linking specific behaviors to gene flow provides mechanisms to explain differences in gene flow among bee species and guides the development of management practices to reduce gene flow. Although developed in one system, the approach developed here can be generalized to different plant/pollinator systems.

The FOXP3 gene encodes for a protein (Foxp3) involved in the development and functional activity of regulatory T cells (CD4+/CD25+/Foxp3+), which exert regulatory and suppressive roles over the immune system. After allogeneic stem cell transplantation, regulatory T cells are known to mitigate graft versus host disease while probably maintaining a graft versus leukemia effect. Short alleles (, This work was partially supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness ISCIII-FIS grants PI08/1463, PI11/00708, PI14-01731 and RD12/0036/0061, co-financed by ERDF (FEDER) Funds from the European Commission, as well as grants from the Fundacion LAIR and Asociacion Madrilena de Hematologia y Hemoterapia (AMHH). Sequencer 3130xl Genetic Analyzer was partially supported by ISCIII-FIS grants PI01-3624, PI08-36173. VN and CML were partially supported by a Post-Residency Research Fellowship from the Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria Gregorio Maranon (IiSGM).

One of the founding experiments in the field of Neuro-Information-Systems (NeuroIS), which aims at exploring the neural correlates of the technology acceptance model, suggests that perceived ease of use (PEoU) is associated with activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) while perceived usefulness is associated with activity in the insula, caudate nucleus and anterior cingulate cortex. To further assess the link between DLPFC and PEoU, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was applied over bilateral DLPFC (F3 and F4) immediately before an online shopping task. Forty-two participants were divided in three stimulation groups: left anodal/right cathodal, left cathodal/right anodal and sham. No change in PEoU was observed post stimulation but participants in the left anodal/right cathodal stimulation group took longer to make a purchase compared to sham stimulation and had different visual fixation patterns over the buy buttons. This is, to our knowledge, the first use of non-invasive brain stimulation in the field of NeuroIS. Although the involvement of DLPFC in PEoU could not be confirmed, the present study suggests that non-invasive brain stimulation may be a useful research tool in NeuroIS.

Introduction The use of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically reduced HIV-1 associated morbidity and mortality. However, HIV-1 infected individuals have increased rates of morbidity and mortality compared to the non-HIV-1 infected population and this appears to be related to end-organ diseases collectively referred to as Serious Non-AIDS Events (SNAEs). Circulating miRNAs are reported as promising biomarkers for a number of human disease conditions including those that constitute SNAEs. Our study sought to investigate the potential of selected miRNAs in predicting mortality in HIV-1 infected ART treated individuals. Materials and Methods A set of miRNAs was chosen based on published associations with human disease conditions that constitute SNAEs. This case: control study compared 126 cases (individuals who died whilst on therapy), and 247 matched controls (individuals who remained alive). Cases and controls were ART treated participants of two pivotal HIV-1 trials. The relative abundance of each miRNA in serum was measured, by RTqPCR. Associations with mortality (all-cause, cardiovascular and malignancy) were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Correlations between miRNAs and CD4+ T cell count, hs-CRP, IL-6 and D-dimer were also assessed. Results None of the selected miRNAs was associated with all-cause, cardiovascular or malignancy mortality. The levels of three miRNAs (miRs -21, -122 and -200a) correlated with IL-6 while miR-21 also correlated with D-dimer. Additionally, the abundance of miRs -31, -150 and -223, correlated with baseline CD4+ T cell count while the same three miRNAs plus miR-145 correlated with nadir CD4+ T cell count. Discussion No associations with mortality were found with any circulating miRNA studied. These results cast doubt onto the effectiveness of circulating miRNA as early predictors of mortality or the major underlying diseases that contribute to mortality in participants treated for HIV-1 infection.

Background The presence of nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) in the peripheral blood of critically ill patients is associated with a poorer prognosis, though data on cardiovascular critical care patients is lacking. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of NRBCs as a predictor of intensive care unit (ICU) and in hospital all-cause mortality among cardiologic patients. Methods NRBCs were measured daily in consecutive cardiac ICU patients, including individuals with both coronary and non-coronary acute cardiac care. We excluded patients younger than 18 years, with cancer or hematological disease, on glucocorticoid therapy, those that were readmitted after hospital discharge and patients who died in the first 24 hours after admission. We performed a multiple logistic analysis to identify independent predictors of mortality. Results We included 152 patients (60.6 ± 16.8 years, 51.8% female, median ICU stay of 7 [4–11] days). The prevalence of NRBCs was 54.6% (83/152). The presence of NRBC was associated with a higher ICU mortality (49.4% vs 21.7%, P

In response to natural or anthropocentric pollutions coupled to global climate changes, microorganisms from aquatic environments can suddenly accumulate on water surface. These dense suspensions, known as blooms, are harmful to ecosystems and significantly degrade the quality of water resources. In order to determine the physico-chemical parameters involved in their formation and quantitatively predict their appearance, we successfully reproduced irreversible cyanobacterial blooms in vitro. By combining chemical, biochemical and hydrodynamic evidences, we identify a mechanism, unrelated to the presence of internal gas vesicles, allowing the sudden collective upward migration in test tubes of several cyanobacterial strains (Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7005, Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7806 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803). The final state consists in a foamy layer of biomass at the air-liquid interface, in which micro-organisms remain alive for weeks, the medium lying below being almost completely depleted of cyanobacteria. These "laboratory blooms" start with the aggregation of cells at high ionic force in cyanobacterial strains that produce anionic extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Under appropriate conditions of nutrients and light intensity, the high photosynthetic activity within cell clusters leads the dissolved oxygen (DO) to supersaturate and to nucleate into bubbles. Trapped within the EPS, these bubbles grow until their buoyancy pulls the biomass towards the free surface. By investigating a wide range of spatially homogeneous environmental conditions (illumination, salinity, cell and nutrient concentration) we identify species-dependent thresholds and timescales for bloom formation. We conclude on the relevance of such results for cyanobacterial bloom formation in the environment and we propose an efficient method for biomass harvesting in bioreactors., Comment: 16 Pages, 4 figures

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Free radicals are implicated in the aetiology of some gastrointestinal disorders such as gastric ulcer, colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. In the present study we investigated the antioxidant and genoprotective activity of some rotenoids (i.e. boeravinones) isolated from the roots of Boerhaavia diffusa, a plant used in the Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Antioxidant activity has been evaluated using both chemical (Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy, ESR) and Caco-2 cells-based (TBARS and ROS) assays. DNA damage was evaluated by Comet assay, while pERK(1/2) and phospho-NF-kB p65 levels were estimated by western blot. Boeravinones G, D and H significantly reduced the signal intensity of ESR induced by hydroxyl radicals, suggesting a scavenging activity. Among rotenoids tested, boeravinone G exerted the most potent effect. Boeravinone G inhibited both TBARS and ROS formation induced by Fenton's reagent, increased SOD activity and reduced H(2)O(2)-induced DNA damage. Finally, boeravinone G reduced the levels of pERK(1) and phospho-NF-kB p65 (but not of pERK(2)) increased by Fenton's reagent. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that boeravinone G exhibits an extraordinary potent antioxidant activity (significant effect in the nanomolar range). The MAP kinase and NF-kB pathways seem to be involved in the antioxidant effect of boeravinone G. Boeravinone G might be considered as lead compound for the development of drugs potentially useful against those pathologies whose aetiology is related to ROS-mediated injuries.

Studies focusing on neuropsychological impairments in Wilson's disease (WD) have highlighted that patients showing neurological signs present significant deficits in a wide range of cognitive domains. Attentional and executive impairments have also been described in people with hepatic WD. However, social cognition abilities, i.e. cognitive processes required to perceive the emotions, intentions and dispositions of other people, have not been clearly investigated in WD. In this study we examined the social cognitive functioning in 19 patients with WD depending on their clinical status-Neurological versus Non-Neurological ("hepatic") forms-compared to 20 healthy controls. For the very first time, results highlighted that patients with WD had significant impairments in the three major components of social cognition: emotion recognition, Theory of Mind and attributional style. However, these deficits differ depending on the form of the disease: patients with neurological signs showed a wide range of deficits in the three components that were assessed-results notably revealed impairments in recognizing "fear", "anger", and "disgust", a significant Theory of Mind deficit and an "aggression bias"-whereas Non-Neurological patients only showed deficits on test assessing attributional bias, with a trend to react more "aggressively" to ambiguous social situations than healthy controls, as observed in Neurological WD patients, and a specific impairment in "anger" recognition. Our findings are discussed in the light of both neurocognitive impairments and brain damages, and especially those affecting the basal ganglia, as observed in people with WD.

Phytoplankton, such as diatoms, experience great variations of photon flux density (PFD) and light spectrum along the marine water column. Diatoms have developed some rapidly-regulated photoprotective mechanisms, such as the xanthophyll cycle activation (XC) and the non-photochemical chlorophyll fluorescence quenching (NPQ), to protect themselves from photooxidative damages caused by excess PFD. In this study, we investigate the role of blue fluence rate in combination with red radiation in shaping photoacclimative and protective responses in the coastal diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata. This diatom was acclimated to four spectral light conditions (blue, red, blue-red, blue-red-green), each of them provided with low and high PFD. Our results reveal that the increase in the XC pool size and the amplitude of NPQ is determined by the blue fluence rate experienced by cells, while cells require sensing red radiation to allow the development of these processes. Variations in the light spectrum and in the blue versus red radiation modulate either the photoprotective capacity, such as the activation of the diadinoxanthin-diatoxanthin xanthophyll cycle, the diadinoxanthin de-epoxidation rate and the capacity of non-photochemical quenching, or the pigment composition of this diatom. We propose that spectral composition of light has a key role on the ability of diatoms to finely balance light harvesting and photoprotective capacity.