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Avec la pandémie, les pratiques de surveillance numérique ont explosé sur les lieux de travail physiques et virtuels, modifiant les rapports de force professionnels, au profit de l'employeur. Tant les travailleurs essentiels que les télétravailleurs ont fait les frais de cette évolution, qui risque de survivre à la crise. Dans ce contexte, les auteurs s'interrogent sur l'adéquation du cadre juridique européen sur la protection des données. Pour eux, le dialogue social, l'autonomisation des travailleurs et la maîtrise des techniques numériques figurent parmi les moyens à mobiliser pour améliorer la protection des travailleurs tout en promouvant la flexibilité, le bien-être et la compétitivité.

Species invasion and range expansion are currently under scrutiny due to increasing anthropogenic impact on the natural environment. This is also true for harmful algal blooms, which have been reported to have increased in frequency. However, this research is challenging due to the ephemeral nature, small size and mostly low concentrations of microalgae in the environment. One such species is the nuisance microalga Gonyostomum semen (Raphidophyceae), which has increased in occurrence in northern Europe in recent decades. The question of whether the species has expanded its habitat range or if it was already present in the lakes but was too rare to be detected remains unanswered. The aim of the present study was to determine the genetic structure and dispersal pathways of G. semen using RAD (restriction-site-associated DNA) tag sequencing. For G. semen, which has a huge genome (32 Gbp), we faced particular challenges, but were nevertheless able to recover over 1000 single nucleotide polymorphisms at high coverage. Our data revealed a distinct population genetic structure, demonstrating a divide of western and eastern populations that probably represent different lineages. Despite significant genetic differentiation among lakes, we found only limited isolation-by-distance. While we had expected a pattern of recent expansion northwards, the data demonstrated gene flow from the northeast/east towards the southwest/west. This genetic signature suggests that the observed gene flow may be due to dispersal by autumn migratory birds, which act as dispersal vectors of resistant resting propagules that form at the end of the G. semen blooms.

La transformacion digital y la reorganizacion de la empresa han generado formulas distintas de la relacion de trabajo tipica. Frente al modelo de disrupcion digital que proclama la inadecuacion del marco juridico a los modelos de trabajo y de negocio «innovadores», en este articulo se aboga por la reglamentacion laboral como factor de innovacion. La relacion de trabajo es un instrumento flexible y las formas tipicas de empleo resultan rentables y eficientes. Ademas de permitir el pleno ejercicio de la prerrogativa empresarial y la flexibilidad interna en la gestion del trabajo, constituyen un mecanismo eficaz de formacion y capacitacion.

Oligomers assembled from designed building blocks to fold in novel ways have emerged as tools and allow the creation of new structures and molecular properties. Herein, we describe the use of a highly constrained adamantane moiety with one amino group and three carboxylic acids as a monomer. It can be viewed as a constrained, α,α-dialkylated ?-amino tri-acid with side-chains that mimic glutamic acid. We alternated this amino acid with glycine to synthesize a heteropeptide adamantane-based oligomer. An N-terminal l- or d-tyrosine was included to investigate possible chirality induction. The oligomer was assembled by solid-phase peptide synthesis using Fmoc- and Boc-protection strategies. This novel oligomer was characterized by circular dichroism spectroscopy, which revealed a clear effect from the chirality of the N-terminal tyrosine. Molecular dynamics simulation indicated that the adamantane oligomers populated compact conformations, with a subset forming cyclic geometries by hydrogen bonding. Through these interactions the chirality of Tyr induced an overall chirality in the cyclic conformations, which is in agreement with the spectroscopic data. This points to the use of adamantane building blocks in novel chirality switches.

This work analyzes the thermogenic flux induced by the very long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) lignoceric acid (C24:0) in isolated peroxisomes. Specific metabolic alterations of peroxisomes are related to a variety of disorders, the most frequent one being the neurodegenerative inherited disease X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD). A peroxisomal transport protein is mutated in this disorder. Due to reduced catabolism and enhanced fatty acid (FA) elongation, VLCFA accumulates in plasma and in all tissues, contributing to the clinical manifestations of this disorder. During peroxisomal metabolism, heat is produced but it is considered lost. Instead, it is a form of energy that could play a role in molecular mechanisms of this pathology and other neurodegenerative disorders. The thermogenic flux induced by lignoceric acid (C24:0) was estimated by isothermal titration calorimetry in peroxisomes isolated from HepG2 cells and from fibroblasts obtained from patients with X-ALD and healthy subjects. Heat flux induced by lignoceric acid in HepG2 peroxisomes was exothermic, indicating normal peroxisomal metabolism. In X-ALD peroxisomes the heat flux was endothermic, indicating the requirement of heat/energy, possibly for cellular metabolism. In fibroblasts from healthy subjects, the effect was less pronounced than in HepG2, a kind of cell known to have greater FA metabolism than fibroblasts. Our hypothesis is that heat is not lost but it could act as an activator, for example on the heat-sensitive pathway related to TRVP2 receptors. To investigate this hypothesis we focused on peroxisomal metabolism, considering that impaired heat generation could contribute to the development of peroxisomal neurodegenerative disorders.

Digital transformation and the reorganization of the firm have given rise to new forms of work that diverge significantly from the standard employment relationship. Advocates of digital disruption suggest that the existing legal framework cannot accommodate “innovative” working templates and business models. This article, however, argues that labour regulation can continue to facilitate innovation, presenting the employment relationship as a flexible instrument, and standard forms of employment as the means of achieving efficiencies and cost advantages. First, they allow for the full exercise of managerial prerogative and attendant internal flexibility in workforce deployment, and, second, they constitute an effective device to deliver training and develop skills.

Pain evoked by tangential movement across the skin is usually defined as dynamic mechanical allodynia (DMA). Some patients complain of DMA as troublesome as spontaneous pain and refer a marked interfering with activities of daily living and sleep. Pathophysiology of DMA is complex and can be related to several mechanisms, both nociceptive and neuropathic. Five exemplificative clinical cases of DMA are presented, each associated to a possible specific mechanism: injured skin DMA, peri-injured skin DMA, far injury DMA, nerve-confined DMA and fear DMA (pseudo allodynia). The identification of these subcategories of DMA can stimulate further studies aimed at evaluating the usefulness of a mechanism-based therapy for the different clinical forms of DMA.

We developed an index of egg and larval maturation for Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens to incrementally chart development over time. To evaluate the relationship between temperature and development rate, eggs and larvae from the Wolf River were incubated at four constant water temperatures. The time required for neural tube closure, hatch, and exogenous feeding were monitored. The number of hours from incubation to each development stage and mean water temperature were related by predictive exponential regression equations for neural tube closure (R2 = 0.96), start hatch (R2 = 0.97), end hatch (R2 = 0.97), and exogenous feeding (R2 = 0.99). Calculated hourly development was used to create an index capable of predicting specific daily development. Daily development from incubation to exogenous feeding ranged from 2.0% to 8.3% at 10°C to 19.9°C. This index was used to predict the rate of development of sturgeon eggs and larvae from the St. Lawrence River reared in water with varying temperatures....

Objectives The purpose of this study was to establish reference charts for fetal corpus callosum length in a convenience sample. Methods A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Artemisia Fetal–Maternal Medical Center between December 2008 and January 2012. Among 16,975 fetal biometric measurements between 19 weeks and 37 weeks 6 days’ gestation, 3438 measurements of the corpus callosum (20.3%) were available. After excluding 488 measurements (14.2%), a total of 2950 fetuses (85.8%) were considered and analyzed only once. Parametric and nonparametric quantile regression models were used for the statistical analysis. To evaluate the robustness of the proposed reference charts with respect to various distributional assumptions on the sonographic measurements at hand, we compared the gestational age (GA)-specific reference curves produced by the statistical methods used. Results The mean corpus callosum length was 26.18 mm (SD, 4.5 mm; 95% confidence interval, 26.01–26.34 mm). The linear regression equation expressing the length of the corpus callosum as a function of GA was length (mm) = −11.17 + 1.62 × GA. The correlation between the dimension and gestation was expressed by the coefficient r = 0.83. Normal mean lengths according the parametric and nonparametric methods were defined for each week of gestation. Conclusions This work provides new quantile-based reference charts for corpus callosum length measurements that may be useful for diagnosis of congenital corpus callosum anomalies in fetal life.

Osteolysis, that is, progressive periprosthetic bone loss, is responsible for approximately 70% of aseptic loosening and implant failure. Usually, it is due to a granulomatous reaction wear-induced, leading to macrophage and osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. At present, there is no established prophylaxis or treatment for this process. For this purpose, as a preliminary investigation, we aimed to study the effects in two directions, inhibition of proinflammatory signals, and bone remodeling activity, of two newly synthesized anthraquinone molecules [N,N'-Diethylamino-2,6-anthraquinone-disulfonamide (GR375) and N,N'-(p-ethoxyphenyl)-2,6-anthraquinone-disulfon amide (GR377)]. Among the pro-inflammatory signals, the ability of the two anthraquinones to interfere with the production of superoxide anion (O(2) (-)), which was assumed as a marker of reactive oxygen species (ROS), was evaluated in an in vitro cell model by testing phagocytes, such as human neutrophils, challenged by the chemotactic agent N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). Both compounds inhibited O(2) (-) production, in a dose-dependent way, without exerting scavenger effects. An in vivo model was applied to investigate their effect on bone remodeling. Fifty-four female Wistar rats were divided into eight groups of six animals each, and a 4-week treatment was applied in two phases. A 25 mg/kg/os dose in the first phase and 12.5-6.25 mg/kg/os doses in the second one were employed. The tibia trabecular bone at the secondary spongiosa level was analyzed, and trabecular bone volume (%TBV), trabecular thickness (TbTh), and apatite lattice parameters were measured. At the highest doses of GR375 and GR377 the %TBV and the TbTh increased by 33.2, 34.6%, and 3.6 and 9.1%, respectively, whereas crystallographic parameters were not significantly different from the untreated group. Our results suggest a simultaneous antiinflammatory and antiosteoclastic activity of both drugs that encourages to perform further research. If it will be confirmed, they could be proposed in a variety of bone diseases, in particular, when acute inflammation is associated to osteolytic processes and, eventually, in the prevention and treatment of periprosthetic osteolysis.

An excessive food supply has resulted in an increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity, conditions accompanied by serious health problems. Several studies have confirmed the significant inverse correlation between testosterone and obesity. Indeed after decades of intense controversy, a consensus has emerged that androgens are important regulators of fat mass and distribution in mammals and that androgen status affects cellularity in vivo. The high correlation of testosterone levels with body composition and its contribution to the balance of lipid metabolism are also suggested by the fact that testosterone lowering is associated with important clinical disorders such as dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. In contrast, testosterone supplementation therapy in hypogonadic men has been shown to improve the lipid profile by lowering cholesterol, blood sugar and insulin resistance. Leptin, ghrelin and adiponectin are some of the substances related to feeding as well as androgen regulation. Thus, complex and delicate mechanisms appear to link androgens with various tissues (liver, adipose tissue, muscles, coronary arteries and heart) and the subtle alteration of some of these interactions might be the cause of correlated diseases. This review underlines some aspects regarding the high correlations between testosterone physiology and body fat composition.

Patients with 46,XY complete gonadal dysgenesis (Swyer syndrome) are characterized by the presence of female internal genital tract and bilateral streak gonads in a phenotypic female. These women have a high risk of developing rare type II malignant germ cell tumors. We report a rare case of a 33-year-old 46,XY female patient, who presented with an adnexal mass suspected for dysgerminoma, with a novel mutation of the sex-determining region on the Y chromosome consisting in the variant c.301C> G (p.L101V). Considering that effective screening is not available and the high risk of developing malignant neoplasm, prophylactic gonadectomy is mandatory.

Summary. The history behind the production of clotting factor concentrates produced differences in the prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and other blood-borne infections in haemophilic patients. Prevalence rates of HCV infection up to 100% were reported in patients treated with concentrates before 1985. Conversely, nowadays, viral inactivation and recombinant technologies have effectively prevented transfusion-transmitted viral pathogens. Recently, new HCV infections in three young brothers were observed. In the absence of any other risk of transmission, their HIV/HCV coinfected uncle, who was living in the same house, was subject to study. Plasma samples of the four relatives were investigated in order to test whether the infections have a common source. A phylogenetic approach using the most variable (E2) viral sequences was carried out using samples from the four family members. The HCV sequences from the study resulted highly related, being those obtained from the uncle the most ancestral ones. Because of the chronological order in which the infections occurred and the relatedness of the sequences, an infection from the uncle to his nephews is the most likely explanation. Special cares must be applied in the case of household contact among members of a family with inherited bleeding disorders.

Objective Prominent inflammation with formation of ectopic B-cell follicle-like structures in the meninges in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) (SPMS) is associated with extensive cortical pathology and an exacerbated disease course. Our objective was to evaluate the cellular substrates of the cortical damage to understand the role of meningeal inflammation in MS pathology. Methods Using >600 tissue blocks from 37 cases of SPMS and 14 non-neurological controls, we carried out a detailed quantitative analysis of cortical atrophy and layer-specific changes in cell populations in SPMS cases with (F+ SPMS) and without (F− SPMS) B-cell follicle-like structures. Results B-cell follicle-like structures were detected in the inflamed meninges of 20 of 37 SPMS cases (54%) and were associated with increased subpial cortical demyelination and cortical atrophy. A clear gradient of neuronal loss was observed in grey matter lesions and normal-appearing grey matter in the motor cortex of F+ SPMS cases. The density of pyramidal neurons was significantly reduced in layers III and V of the motor cortex. Neuronal loss was accompanied by glia limitans damage with astrocyte loss and an opposite gradient of increased density of activated microglia. No gradient of neuronal loss was seen in F− SPMS cases. Interpretation We demonstrate substantial cortical neurodegeneration and generalized cell loss in progressive MS in association with meningeal inflammation and lymphoid tissue formation, supporting the hypothesis that cytotoxic factors diffusing from the meningeal compartment contribute to grey matter pathology and the consequent increase in clinical disability. Ann Neurol 2010;68:477–493

Despite the increasing clinical use of transdermal buprenorphine, questions have persisted about the possibility of a ceiling effect for analgesia, its combination with other μ-opioid agonists, and the reversibility of side effects. In October 2008, a consensus group of experts met to review recent research into the pharmacology and clinical use of buprenorphine. The objective was to achieve consensus on the conclusions to be drawn from this work. It was agreed that buprenorphine clearly behaves as a full μ-opioid agonist for analgesia in clinical practice, with no ceiling effect, but that there is a ceiling effect for respiratory depression, reducing the likelihood of this potentially fatal adverse event. This is entirely consistent with receptor theory. In addition, the effects of buprenorphine can be completely reversed by naloxone. No problems are encountered when switching to and from buprenorphine and other opioids, or in combining them. Buprenorphine exhibits a pronounced antihyperalgesic effect that might indicate potential advantages in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Other beneficial properties are the compound's favorable safety profile, particularly in elderly patients and those with renal impairment, and its lack of effect on sex hormones and the immune system. The expert group agreed that these properties, as well as proven efficacy in severe pain and favorable tolerability, mean that buprenorphine can be considered a safe and effective option for treating chronic cancer and noncancer pain.

We designed a phase I/II clinical study to determine safety and efficacy of thymosin alpha1 (Talpha1) administration in recipients of one HLA haplotype (haploidentical) stem cell transplants for hematologic malignancies. Talpha1 administration did not cause acute or chronic graft versus host disease and was associated with significant improvement in polymorphonuclear (phagocytosis) and dendritic cell (phagocytosis, expression of costimulatory molecules, and cytokine production) functions. It was also associated with increased T-cell counts and earlier appearance of functional pathogen-specific T cell responses (by a sensitive limiting dilution assay that detects frequency of T cells specific for Aspergillus, Candida, CMV, ADV, VZV, HSV, Toxoplasma). Five of six haploidentical transplant recipients who received Talpha1 are alive and disease free at a median follow-up of 10 months after transplantation (range: 5-20). They experienced only a single nonlethal infectious episode and one patient developed fatal immune hemolytic anemia. At this very early stage of the clinical trial, we conclude Talpha1 administration is safe and may impact favorably on immune function. Larger numbers of patients and longer follow-up are, of course, needed to assess its impact on survival.

After a recharge phase that began in 2007, on 13 May 2008, a new eruption started on Mt. Etna volcano. The final intrusion was very fast, accompanied by a violent seismic swarm and marked by ground deformation recorded at permanent tilt and GPS stations. The violence of the eruptive event generated concern that the eruptive fissures might propagate downslope towards populated areas. The ground deformation modelling explains both the mechanism of the intrusion as well as the attempt of the dyke to propagate in the shallower part of the northern sector of the volcano. We show that the 2008 intrusion was characterized by a mechanism, which is new and different to the ones modelled in previous eruptions, following the path of the central conduit in the first part of the intrusion (below 1.6 km) and then breaking off towards the east in the last shallow part.

Aim To study the effect of 17β-estradiol (E2) as a neuroprotective agent in male and female rat urinary bladders subjected to Anoxia-Glucopenia and Reperfusion (A/G-R) damage. Methods Rat urinary bladders were exposed to 1 hour of A—G and 2 hours of reperfusion (R). Intrinsic nerves underwent electrical field stimulation. The effect of E2 on the contractile response and its recovery in R phase, was monitored by adding it to the bath medium, at different concentrations, 60 min before A—G, during the A—G and the first 30 min of R. Furthermore, on both genders, in vivo treatments with E2, testosterone, IC1 182,780 and anastrozole were performed. Results After A—G the recovery of the nerve function in female bladders were significantly higher than in male. E2 given both in vivo (increased of E2 plasma levels were monitored) and in vitro, resulted to be neuroprotective in male bladder subjected to A—G/R damage. When rats were treated with anastrozole, a lower recovery of nerve responses both in male and female bladders was observed. Finally, treatments with E2 receptor antagonist ICI 182,780 increased E2 plasma levels and showed to abolished E2 neuroprotection, thus suggesting that E2 promotes nelronal survival likely through a rapid estrogen receptor mediated response. Conclusions Male rat urinary bladder serves are more susceptible to A—G/R damage than female. E2 exhibits neuroprotective properties and could be a lead for novel agents capable to protect the urinary bladder from ischaemia/reperfusion damage associated with urinary bladder disorders. Neurourol. Urodyn. 28:535–541, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Individuals with haemophilia who received non heat-treated factor concentrates were likely to undergo multiple exposures to the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Therefore, HCV mixed-genotype infections might be more frequent in these patients than in the general population. Their prevalence is extremely variable in similar groups of patients tested by different assays due to the fact that currently available genotyping techniques are not suitable to detect multiple HCV genotypes in a viral population. As an HCV viral reservoir, the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) might harbor viral variants distinct from the genotypes detected in plasma. We investigated the presence of HCV genotypes in a group of chronically infected haemophilic patients in the PBMC compartment using a non-stimulated cell culture system that allows the detection of the HCV genome in culture supernatants. We compared them to the HCV genotypes found in plasma samples. Cell culture experiments performed with PBMC demonstrated the presence of additional HCV genotypes that were undetected in the corresponding plasma samples with the same genotyping technique. Although mixed infections at HCV genotype level became evident in 5.6% of the patients (16/288), the culture methodology increased the number of HCV infections with multiple genotypes to 62.5% (10/16) (P < 0.0001). Once more, the role of mononuclear cells as HCV viral reservoirs is emphasized. Considering minor strains could influence the outcome of treatment, detection of covert HCV mixed-genotype infections might be essential for choosing the adequate therapeutic regimen.

Volcanic eruptions are usually preceded by measurable signals of growing unrest, the most evident of which are the increase in seismicity and ground deformation. It is also important to identify precursors of a possible renewal of the volcanic activity and to distinguish between an eruptive activity characterized by an intrusion (with the related destructive power) and a migration of magma stored in the main conduits. The 2005– 2006 eruption at Mt. Augustine (Alaska, USA) is a good example of a massive migration of magmatic fluids from depth (about 1 km b.s.l.) under the effect of gas overpressure. The movements, recorded by High Rate GPS (HRGPS) data (15 s of sampling and processing rate) from the stations deployed on the volcano, define the dimensions and the characteristics of the shallow plumbing system. In this study, we propose a model of the different stages preceding the effusive phase (the � precursory phase� ), where gas overpressure in the body of the volcano opens the terminal conduit.

Dramatic removal of potassium during hemodialysis sessions can induce changes in the electrical properties of nerve cells or muscle fibers, which may underlie neuromuscular symptoms referred by end-stage renal disease patients. The primary aim of our study was to investigate the effects of acetate-free biofiltration (AFB) on the amplitude of compound motor action potential (cMAP) obtained after stimulation of the ulnar nerve at the wrist. The secondary aim was to compare the effect of two different potassium removal modalities on cMAP amplitude and to analyze the effects on muscular force by specific dynamometric tests. Twenty-eight patients received dialysis for 4 h, 3 times per week, first with standard AFB with constant potassium (AFB) and then with AFB with a variable concentration of potassium in the dialysis bath (AFB(K)). The amplitude of cMAP was determined after ulnar nerve stimulation at the wrist at different time intervals: at the start of dialysis; at 15, 45, 90, and 120 min after beginning the session; and at the end of treatment. At the same time intervals, muscle force generation was determined using a dynamometer. Finally, we measured plasma electrolytes, intraerythrocytic potassium, and the electrical membrane potential at rest (REMP) of the erythrocytic membrane. The main finding of this study was a significant reduction of cMAP amplitude in the first 45 min after AFB, which paralleled the reduction in serum potassium levels. Moreover, there was a reduction of muscular strength determined with dynamometric measurements. Potassium removal induced by the two different modalities of AFB may significantly affect myocardial and fibromuscular cells by modulating the electrochemical balance of cell membranes. The transient alteration of the electrical properties on voluntary striated muscle fibers may contribute to the brief reduction in muscular strength we detected in patients who underwent AFB. AFB(K) can minimize the negative effects of standard AFB treatment on neuromuscular excitability, most likely through a more gentle variation of potassium levels during dialysis.

Surface deformations on the western flank of Mt Etna volcano, spanning 1980‐2004, have been analysed as they pertain to stress interactions between magma intrusions within the shallow crust along the S‐SE Rift and faulting sensitivity. During this period, an accurate analysis of strain parameters, computed by inversion of SW electro-optical distance data, suggested that the observed strong displacements on this flank of the edifice can also be related to dextral shear movements along a roughly NE‐SW buried fault crossing the area covered

Mussel biologists and fisheries managers have developed propagation techniques to duplicate the natural glochidia infestation on host fish. However, in intensive culture situations, fish diseases may threaten the survival of both fish and their attached glochidia and chemical treatments may be required to control a disease epizootic. Five therapeutants were evaluated for their safety to largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides encysted with mussel glochidia by comparing the number of sloughed glochidia in the chemical treatment groups with that of an untreated control group. Largemouth bass were infested with glochidia from the plain pocketbook mussel Lampsilis cardium and treated with 20 mg chloramine-T/L, 2 mg Cutrine/L, or 200 mg formalin/L (trial 1) and 200 mg formalin/L, 100 mg hydrogen peroxide/L, or 20,000 mg sodium chloride/L (trial 2). Chemicals were applied for 60 min (15 min in the case of sodium chloride in trial 2) once every other day, for a total of three treatments (six in the case o...