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Owing to the far-reaching environmental consequences of agriculture and food systems, such as their contribution to climate change, there is an urgent need to reduce their impact. International and national governments set sustainability targets and implement corresponding measures. Nevertheless, critics of the globalized system claim that a territorial administrative scale is better suited to address sustainability issues. Yet, at the sub-national level, local authorities rarely apply a systemic environmental assessment to enhance their action plans. This paper employs a territorial life cycle assessment methodology to improve local environmental agri-food planning. The objective is to identify significant direct and indirect environmental hotspots, their origins, and formulate effective mitigation strategies. The methodology is applied to the administrative department of Finistere, a strategic agricultural region in North-Western France. Multiple environmental criteria including climate change, fossil resource scarcity, toxicity, and land use are modeled. The findings reveal that the primary environmental hotspots of the studied local food system arise from indirect sources, such as livestock feed or diesel consumption. Livestock reduction and organic farming conversion emerge as the most environmentally efficient strategies, resulting in a 25% decrease in the climate change indicator. However, the overall modeled impact reduction is insufficient following national objectives and remains limited for the land use indicator. These results highlight the innovative application of life cycle assessment led at a local level, offering insights for the further advancement of systematic and prospective local agri-food assessment. Additionally, they provide guidance for local authorities to enhance the sustainability of planning strategies.

Introdução: O transtorno de déficit de atenção (TDAH) é um dos transtornos neuropsiquiátricos mais comuns na infância, afetando em torno de 8% das crianças no mundo. Em muitos casos, os sintomas são somente percebidos quando os infantes ingressam na escola devido às exigências pedagógicas nesse âmbito. Nesse sentido, o professor necessita auxiliar a criança TDAH, em sala de aula, com ferramentas de ensino que diminuam os prejuízos na aprendizagem. Objetivo: Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar uma revisão sobre TDAH e os desafios que as crianças com esse transtorno enfrentam. Além disso, visa apresentar metodologias pedagógicas inclusivas que os docentes podem aplicar para amparar crianças com TDAH, já que a área da Educação enfrenta um desafio significativo para ensinar discentes com esse transtorno. Metodologia: Revisão da literatura com base na análise de artigos científicos publicados no PubMed, SciELO e UpToDate, além de bibliografia da área docente sobre metodologias ativas de aprendizagem. Conclusão: Com base no presente estudo, as metodologias atuais que colaboram para a aprendizagem de alunos TDAH são: a Aprendizagem Personalizada, a Contação de Histórias, a Sala de Aula Invertida e a Gamificação. No entanto, a pesquisa sugere que sejam elaboradas outras ferramentas de ensino com maior critério científico a respeito das particularidades do TDAH.

Actin filaments generate force in diverse contexts, although how they can produce nanonewtons of force is unclear. Here, the authors apply cryo-electron tomography, quantitative analysis, and modelling to reveal the podosome core is a dense, spring-loaded, actin network storing elastic energy.

Abstract Background The crucial role of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) for the immune response to infectious diseases is well-known, but no information is available on the 3D nuclear organization of this gene-dense region in immune cells, whereas nuclear architecture is known to play an essential role on genome function regulation. We analyzed the spatial arrangement of the three MHC regions (class I, III and II) in macrophages using 3D-FISH. Since this complex presents major differences in humans and pigs with, notably, the presence of the centromere between class III and class II regions in pigs, the analysis was implemented in both species to determine the impact of this organization on the 3D conformation of the MHC. The expression level of the three genes selected to represent each MHC region was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR. Resting and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated states were investigated to ascertain whether a response to a pathogen modifies their expression level and their 3D organization. Results While the three MHC regions occupy an intermediate radial position in porcine macrophages, the class I region was clearly more peripheral in humans. The BAC center-to-center distances allowed us to propose a 3D nuclear organization of the MHC in each species. LPS/IFNγ activation induces a significant decompaction of the chromatin between class I and class III regions in pigs and between class I and class II regions in humans. We detected a strong overexpression of TNFα (class III region) in both species. Moreover, a single nucleus analysis revealed that the two alleles can have either the same or a different compaction pattern. In addition, macrophage activation leads to an increase in alleles that present a decompacted pattern in humans and pigs. Conclusions The data presented demonstrate that: (i) the MHC harbors a different 3D organization in humans and pigs; (ii) LPS/IFNγ activation induces chromatin decompaction, but it is not the same area affected in the two species. These findings were supported by the application of an original computation method based on the geometrical distribution of the three target genes. Finally, the position of the centromere inside the swine MHC could influence chromatin reorganization during the activation process.

The author discusses an experiment where the main challenge lay in breaking away from a field saturated with overly deterministic and tautological discourse to write for an audience of young female students, evoking another frame of reference where the imaginary is welcome and opening the door to dissemination and sharing. The author describes the key steps that all start with a research training group. This research is supported by a media, Internet, radio, and textual review hinging on a few key emerging references that are consolidated and reworked along the way.

The spatial organization of the genome in the nucleus plays a crucial role in eukaryotic cell functions, yet little is known about chromatin structure variations during late fetal development in mammals. We performed in situ high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) sequencing of DNA from muscle samples of pig fetuses at two late stages of gestation. Comparative analysis of the resulting Hi-C interaction matrices between both groups showed widespread differences of different types. First, we discovered a complex landscape of stable and group-specific Topologically Associating Domains (TADs). Investigating the nuclear partition of the chromatin into transcriptionally active and inactive compartments, we observed a genome-wide fragmentation of these compartments between 90 and 110 days of gestation. Also, we identified and characterized the distribution of differential cis- and trans-pairwise interactions. In particular, trans-interactions at chromosome extremities revealed a mechanism of telomere clustering further confirmed by 3D Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH). Altogether, we report major variations of the three-dimensional genome conformation during muscle development in pig, involving several levels of chromatin remodeling and structural regulation.

Summary: Current super-resolution microscopy (SRM) methods suffer from an intrinsic complexity that might curtail their routine use in cell biology. We describe here random illumination microscopy (RIM) for live-cell imaging at super-resolutions matching that of 3D structured illumination microscopy, in a robust fashion. Based on speckled illumination and statistical image reconstruction, easy to implement and user-friendly, RIM is unaffected by optical aberrations on the excitation side, linear to brightness, and compatible with multicolor live-cell imaging over extended periods of time. We illustrate the potential of RIM on diverse biological applications, from the mobility of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in U2OS cells and kinetochore dynamics in mitotic S. pombe cells to the 3D motion of myosin minifilaments deep inside Drosophila tissues. RIM's inherent simplicity and extended biological applicability, particularly for imaging at increased depths, could help make SRM accessible to biology laboratories. Motivation: Super-resolution optical microscopy (SRM) has been instrumental to rapid progress in cell biology. Many SRM variants are now available with different compromises between phototoxicity, spatiotemporal resolutions, and sensitivity to aberrations. Yet, established SRM techniques, even implemented as expensive turn-key systems, require expert know-how at the instrumentation or image reconstruction levels to operate at the best of their capabilities. The present challenge is to develop a simple, easy to use, and low-cost SRM technique that would combine artifact-free super-resolution, robustness to aberration, low toxicity, and good temporal resolution for routine functional imaging of live cells within normal or pathological tissues.

The actomyosin cytoskeleton plays an important role in polarised cell migration. Here the authors identify lymphocyte-specific protein (LSP)-1 as a regulator of actomyosin contractility in macrophages, by competing with supervillin for myosin IIA activators acting specifically on the β-actin isoform.

This paper contains two parts: the description of a real electrical system, with many redundancies, reconfigurations and repairs, then the description of a reliability model of this system, based on the BDMP (Boolean logic Driven Markov Processes) formalism and partial results of a reliability and availability calculation made from this model.

Climate change requires forest managers to explore new concepts in reforestation. High-elevation sites are posing challenges because the range of tree species that can cope with present and future conditions is small and limited experience with candidate species is available. Methods: We selected a mountain site with nutrient-poor silicatic soils. The previous Norway spruce (Picea abies) stand performed poorly. We established a reforestation experiment with 27 tree species that were planted in different combinations in order to evaluate silvicultural options. Site preparation activities and planting techniques reflected the locally applied regular procedures. After planting, we monitored height growth and phenological characteristics of needle/leaf development in spring. The presently dominant Norway spruce was genetically characterized. Results: Tree seedlings planted at high elevation are highly vulnerable. The temporal course of needle/leaf sprouting varies widely. Early developers are vulnerable to frost, impairing tree development. Biotic stressors such as high population densities of weevils or mice can cause high mortality. Conclusion: we suggest a conservative approach to tree species selection because present site conditions in mountain areas may impair the development of many tree species that could be viable options in a considerably warmer climate.

Aims: Thermo-treatment of grapes, followed by pressing and fermentation in liquid phase, is a growing practice in red winemaking to obtain light and fruity wines. Must clarification before fermentation, a key step to get the expected wine profile, is hardly controlled and strongly varies between different musts. To better understand this variability and its potential impact on quality, suspended solids in several red musts were characterized and the performances of different clarification techniques compared. Methods and results: Results show a large variability in turbidity and total wet suspended solids between different raw and clarified musts, and a lack of correlation between these values. Clarification is always higher for vacuum filtration than for disk-stack or decanter centrifugation, with strong differences between musts for a given process. Despite a large size distribution, most of suspended particles are micronic and sub-micronic. TEM observations and analyses indicate that they are mostly membrane and organelle fragments along with (macro)molecular aggregates formed during juice extraction. Their overall composition differs from that found in white musts. Conclusion: Particle heterogeneity and size distribution account for the difficulties encountered in red must clarification. Results also raise the question of the relationship between must turbidity and content in compounds likely to affect wine quality. Significance and impact of the study: This study constitutes a first characterization of suspended solids in thermo-treated red musts. It provides elements to (i) reason their clarification and (ii) identify the technological and qualitative impact of must suspended solids.

During early mammalian development, transient pools of pluripotent cells emerge that can be immortalised upon stem cell derivation. The pluripotent state, ‘naïve’ or ‘primed’, depends on the embryonic stage and derivation conditions used. Here we analyse the temporal gene expression patterns of mouse, cattle and porcine embryos at stages that harbour different types of pluripotent cells. We document conserved and divergent traits in gene expression, and identify predictor genes shared across the species that are associated with pluripotent states in vivo and in vitro. Amongst these are the pluripotency-linked genes Klf4 and Lin28b. The novel genes discovered include naïve- (Spic, Scpep1 and Gjb5) and primed-associated (Sema6a and Jakmip2) genes as well as naïve to primed transition genes (Dusp6 and Trip6). Both Gjb5 and Dusp6 play a role in pluripotency since their knockdown results in differentiation and downregulation of key pluripotency genes. Our interspecies comparison revealed new insights of pluripotency, pluripotent stem cell identity and a new molecular criterion for distinguishing between pluripotent states in various species, including human.

Abstract Introduction: Bacterial or viral diseases are one of the major causes of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). These patients show a quantitative reduction of levels of antibodies over time. Among the infectious diseases that affect CKD patients, stands out hepatitis B (HB). Immunization and control of antibodies levels against the hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) are ways to prevent the HB infection in this population. Patients with anti-HBs levels ≥10 IU/ml are considered adequate responders, whereas those with anti-HBs levels ≥ 100 IU/ml are considered excellent responders. Objective: To analyze the variation of the anti-HBs levels obtained after vaccination against HB in children and adolescents in the pre-dialysis stage of CKD. Methods: A retrospective cohort study on anti-HBs levels of children and adolescents in the pre-dialysis stage of CKD. Correlation between levels of anti-HBs titers and time since the vaccination were estimated. Results: From the total of 116 studied patients most of the studied patients were considered excellent responders, obtaining in the three anti-HBs titers percentages of 70.7%, 62.1% and 54.9% respectively. The anti-HBs titer levels showed a negative correlation with the time since vaccination (Kendall Tau-b = -0.16; p = 0.02). Conclusion: The majority of the studied population was vaccinated by PNI and showed excellent anti-HBs titer levels, even experiencing a progressive reduced response over the time.

Summary In animal cells the centrosome is commonly viewed as the main cellular structure driving microtubule (MT) assembly into the mitotic spindle apparatus. However, additional pathways, such as those mediated by chromatin and augmin, are involved in the establishment of functional spindles. The molecular mechanisms involved in these pathways remain poorly understood, mostly due to limitations inherent to current experimental systems available. To overcome these limitations we have developed six new Drosophila cell lines derived from Drosophila homozygous mutants for DSas-4, a protein essential for centriole biogenesis. These cells lack detectable centrosomal structures, astral MT, with dispersed pericentriolar proteins D-PLP, Centrosomin and γ-tubulin. They show poorly focused spindle poles that reach the plasma membrane. Despite being compromised for functional centrosome, these cells could successfully undergo mitosis. Live-cell imaging analysis of acentriolar spindle assembly revealed that nascent MTs are nucleated from multiple points in the vicinity of chromosomes. These nascent MTs then grow away from kinetochores allowing the expansion of fibers that will be part of the future acentriolar spindle. MT repolymerization assays illustrate that acentriolar spindle assembly occurs “inside-out” from the chromosomes. Colchicine-mediated depolymerization of MTs further revealed the presence of a functional Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC) in the acentriolar cells. Finally, pilot RNAi experiments open the potential use of these cell lines for the molecular dissection of anastral pathways in spindle and centrosome assembly.

A doença renal crônica (DRC) é um grave problema de saúde pública cuja prevalência tem aumentado nos últimos anos. Apresenta caráter progressivo e está associada à elevada morbidade e mortalidade. Inúmeros fatores estão associados à instalação e progressão da DRC, tais como obesidade, hipertensão arterial e diabetes mellitus. Além desses fatores, existem evidências de inflamação na fisiopatologia da DRC. Diversas citocinas e quimiocinas têm sido detectadas no plasma e urina de pacientes em estágios precoces da DRC e também relacionadas às complicações da doença. A expressão desses mediadores e a lesão renal sofrem interferência de fármacos como inibidores de enzima conversora de angiotensina (ECA), estatinas e antagonistas de receptores de citocinas. A modulação da resposta imuno-inflamatória pode se tornar alvo para tratamento da DRC. O objetivo deste artigo de revisão foi resumir as evidências científicas do pa-pel da inflamação na DRC, destacando-se os efeitos de citocinas e quimiocinas.

A melhoria da atenção médica resultou em um aumento da sobrevida de pacientes pediátricos com doença renal crônica (DRC). Entretanto, as repercussões clínicas e as consequências do tratamento são inúmeras. O objetivo deste estudo foi a realização de uma revisão desta temática, incluindo estudos publicados desde 1980 até a atualidade, que abordam também a influência de outras doenças crônicas na população pediátrica. Foram revisadas as repercussões clínicas e as alterações neurológicas e neurocognitivas da DRC que podem influenciar na saúde mental e qualidade de vida destes pacientes. Estudaram-se também os efeitos emocionais e sociais da DRC e a sua influência na adesão à terapêutica e controle clínico nas diferentes modalidades de tratamento conservador, dialítico e transplante. Observa-se um comprometimento da qualidade de vida e da saúde mental desses pacientes. A compreensão das repercussões psicossociais e a tentativa de minimizá-las amenizam o impacto da doença renal no paciente. Esse cuidado mais adequado, completo e humanizado pode resultar na melhora da adesão e do controle clínico.In the last decades there was a striking improvement in survival of children with chronic kidney disease. As life expectancy has increased in children with CKD, concern has risen about its physical, psychological, and social consequences. The aim of this study was to perform a review of the psychological consequences of CKD in the pediatric population, with the focus on mental disorders and on quality of life. We also reviewed studies regarding emotional and social effects and their possible influences on treatment adhesion. Several studies have shown impairment on quality of life and on mental health of these patients. A better understanding of emotional consequences of CKD in pediatric population possibly can reduce the impact of the renal disease on children. Moreover, a comprehensive approach of children and adolescents with CKD might result in a better clinical control and improve treatment adhesion.

Using a new 3-D physical modelling technique we investigated the initiation and evolution of large scale landslides in presence of pre-existing large scale fractures and taking into account the slope material weakening due to the alteration/weathering. The modelling technique is based on the specially developed properly scaled analogue materials, as well as on the original vertical accelerator device enabling increases in the 'gravity acceleration' up to a factor 50. The weathering primarily affects the uppermost layers through the water circulation. We simulated the effect of this process by making models of two parts. The shallower one represents the zone subject to homogeneous weathering and is made of low strength material of compressive strength σl. The deeper (core) part of the model is stronger and simulates intact rocks. Deformation of such a model subjected to the gravity force occurred only in its upper (low strength) layer. In another set of experiments, low strength (σw) narrow planar zones sub-parallel to the slope surface (σwl) were introduced into the model's superficial low strength layer to simulate localized highly weathered zones. In this configuration landslides were initiated much easier (at lower 'gravity force'), were shallower and had smaller horizontal size largely defined by the weak zone size. Pre-existing fractures were introduced into the model by cutting it along a given plan. They have proved to be of small influence on the slope stability, except when they were associated to highly weathered zones. In this latter case the fractures laterally limited the slides. Deep seated rockslides initiation is thus directly defined by the mechanical structure of the hillslope's uppermost levels and especially by the presence of the weak zones due to the weathering. The large scale fractures play a more passive role and can only influence the shape and the volume of the sliding units.

In mammals, the non-random organization of the sperm nucleus supports an early function during embryonic development. Altering this organization may interfere with the zygote development and reduce fertility or prolificity. Thus, rare studies on sperm cells from infertile patients described an altered nuclear organization that may be a cause or a consequence of their respective pathologies. Thereby, chromosomal rearrangements and aneuploidy can be studied not only for their adverse effects on production of normal/balanced gametes at meiosis but also for their possible impact on sperm nuclear architecture and the epigenetic consequences of altered chromosome positioning. We decided to compare the global architecture of sperm nuclei from boars, either with a normal chromosome composition or with a Robertsonian translocation involving chromosomes 13 and 17. We hypothesized that the fusion between these chromosomes may change their spatial organization and we examined to what extend it could also modify the global sperm nuclear architecture. Analysis of telomeres, centromeres and gonosomes repartition does not support a global nuclear disorganization. But specific analysis of chromosomes 13 and 17 territories highlights an influence of chromosome 17 for the positioning of the fused chromosomes within the nucleus. We also observed a specific clustering of centromeres depending of the chromosome subtypes. Altogether our results showed that chromosome fusion does not significantly alter sperm nucleus architecture but suggest that centromere remodelling after chromosome fusion locally impacts chromosome positioning.