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Seven Fourier transform spectra of the [v.sub.3] band of oxirane (ethylene oxide) have been recorded with different pressures and used to derive individual line intensities. These line intensities were satisfactorily fit leading to accurate transition moment constants. An atlas of line positions and intensities has been generated. PACS No.: 33.30.Ea. Nous avons enregistre sept spectres a transformee de Fourier de la bande [v.sub.3] d'oxirane (oxyde d'ethylene) a differentes pressions et avons utilise les resultats pour en deduire les intensites individuelles de raie. La modelisation de ces intensites s'est fait avec satisfaction, menant a des valeurs precises des constantes de moment de transition. Nous presentons un atlas de position des raies et de leur intensite., 1. Introduction In a previous paper [1] an extensive analysis of the vibrational bands, [v.sub.15], [v.sub.12], [v.sub.5], [v.sub.3], [v.sub.10], and [v.sub.2] of oxirane was carried out. The upper state ro-vibrational [...]

Absolute individual line intensities of numerous transitions of the fundamental ν15, ν12and ν5bands of oxirane (ethylene oxide, cyc-C2H4O) have been measured in the 750–950 cm−1region using eight high-resolution Fourier transform spectra recorded at 0.002 cm−1resolution and various pressures. These line intensities were least-squares fit using a theoretical model which takes into account the vibration–rotation interactions linking the upper state rotational levels and, therefore, accurate rotational expansions of the transition moments of the ν15, ν12and ν5vibrational bands were derived. Using the coefficients obtained in the fitting, a line list has been generated and used to perform comparisons with the present measurements. Also, comparisons with measurements taken at medium–low resolution of the ν15/ν12/ν5system show excellent agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Seven Fourier transform spectra of the ν3 band of oxirane (ethylene oxide) have been recorded with different pressures and used to derive individual line intensities. These line intensities were satisfactorily fit leading to accurate transition moment constants. An atlas of line positions and intensities has been generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Highlights: [•] Fourier transform spectroscopy of the ν 2 and ν 10 bands of oxirane. [•] Absolute intensities measurements of 139 rovibrational lines of oxirane from 1420 to 1560cm−1. [•] Line intensities calculations and first determination of accurated transition moment constants. [•] Line list of both bands has been generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fourier transform spectra of aziridine (C2H4NH) were recorded at high resolution (0.002 or 0.003 cm−1) in the 600–1750 and 1750–4000 cm−1 regions, using a Bruker IFS125HR (an upgraded version of the IFS120HR) spectrometer, located at the LISA facility in Creteil. In parallel, the harmonic force field of aziridine was evaluated analytically at the optimized geometry with second-order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) together with the correlation-consistent polarized valence triple zeta basis sets cc-pVTZ. These ab initio predictions were used to perform consistent vibrational assignments for the ν 1 to ν 17 fundamental bands of aziridine observed in the infrared spectra recorded during this study. Finally, a first detailed rotational assignment was performed for two B-type bands located at 772.3571 cm−1 (ν 10, CH2 rock) and 997.1592 cm−1 (ν 8, NH bend) and for an A-type band located at 904.0429 cm−1 (ν 17, ring deform). We noticed that the ν 10 band is weakly perturbed, presumably because the v 10 = 1 rotational levels are coupled with those of the v 18 = 1 dark band located around 817 cm−1 through B-type and C-type Coriolis resonances. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To determine the etiology of cervico-vaginal infections by cytobacteriology and the efficacy of qPCR for the diagnosis of sensitive strains such as Streptococcus agalactiae, Borrelia crocidurae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Treponema pallidum., Methodology: This prospective cross-sectional study was performed between January and September 2021 in 346 women who were examined for cervico-vaginal infection at the Hôpital Principal de Dakar (HPD). Cytobacteriological (direct examination, agar culture) and molecular analyses were performed., Results: Vaginal flora imbalances predominated, with a rate of 72.3%. The proportion of type IV vaginal flora was 46.5%. Of the 199 germs isolated, Candida albicans (25.1%), Ureaplasma urealyticum (17.6%), S. agalactiae (7.8%), Gardnerella vaginalis (6.6%) and nonalbicans Candida (5.5%) were the main pathogens responsible for cervico-vaginal infections in patients. Among women tested for mycoplasma, U. urealyticum was identified in 43.3% of patients. Among those tested for C. trachomatis, the proportion of infected women was low (4%). The prevalence of C. albicans was higher in pregnant women (38.3%) than in nonpregnant women (19.2%). S. agalactiae strains showed high resistance to certain beta-lactam antibiotics (pristinamycin 100%, gentamycin 100%, ampicillin 92.5% and cefalotin 85.2%) and to a glycopeptide antibiotic (vancomycin 100%). The Staphylococcus aureus strain had good sensitivity to antibiotics except gentamycin (100%) and kanamycin (100%). The enterobacteria tested were all sensitive to phenicols, carbapenems, cephalosporins and aminoglycosides. However, E. coli showed high resistance to tetracycline. The different methods showed low prevalences of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae, so comparisons Test RapidChlamydia/qPCR for C. trachomatis and culture/qPCR for N. gonorrhoeae were not possible. For S. agalactiae, on the other hand, qPCR was more advantageous than culture. The χ 2 test showed a significant difference (Yates χ 2 = 33.77 and p = 1 -7 ) for the diagnosis of S. agalactiae. S. agalactiae qPCR had a sensitivity of 40.7%, a specificity of 94%, and positive and negative predictive values of 36.7% and 94.9% respectively, as well as a kappa = 0.33., Conclusion: The methods applied enabled us to identify the pathogens that cause cervicovaginal infections. The results suggest that qPCR may be an alternative, at least for the diagnosis of S. agalactiae. However, culture remains indispensable for studying antibiotic sensitivity. In order to improve patient care, molecular techniques need to be integrated into the HPD testing toolbox. To broaden the repertoire of pathogens to be diagnosed by qPCR, targeted comparison studies will be needed to increase the probability of encountering infected individuals., (Copyright © 2024 SFMTSI.)

Plant growth promoting microbes (PGPMs) play major roles in diverse ecosystems, including atmospheric nitrogen fixation, water uptake, solubilization, and transport of minerals from the soil to the plant. Different PGPMs are proposed as biofertilizers, biostimulants, and/or biocontrol agents to improve plant growth and productivity and thereby to contribute to agricultural sustainability and food security. However, little information exists regarding the use of PGPMs in micropropagation such as the in vitro plant tissue culture. This review presents an overview of the importance of PGPMs and their potential application in plant micropropagation. Our analysis, based on published articles, reveals that the process of in vitro classical tissue culture techniques, under strictly aseptic conditions, deserves to be reviewed to allow vitroplants to benefit from the positive effect of PGPMs. Furthermore, exploiting the potential benefits of PGPMs will lead to lessen the cost production of vitroplants during micropropagation process and will make the technique of plant tissue culture more efficient. The last part of the review will indicate where research is needed in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Soumare, Diédhiou, Arora, Al-Ani, Ngom, Fall, Hafidi, Ouhdouch, Kouisni and Sy.)

Introduction: A novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to all regions of the world. There is great uncertainty regarding how countries' characteristics will affect the spread of the epidemic; to date, there are few studies that attempt to predict the spread of the epidemic in African countries. In this paper, we investigate the role of demographic patterns, urbanisation and comorbidities on the possible trajectories of COVID-19 in Ghana, Kenya and Senegal., Methods: We use an augmented deterministic Susceptible-Infected-Recovered model to predict the true spread of the disease, under the containment measures taken so far. We disaggregate the infected compartment into asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic and severely symptomatic to match observed clinical development of COVID-19. We also account for age structures, urbanisation and comorbidities (HIV, tuberculosis, anaemia)., Results: In our baseline model, we project that the peak of active cases will occur in July, subject to the effectiveness of policy measures. When accounting for the urbanisation, and factoring in comorbidities, the peak may occur between 2 June and 17 June (Ghana), 22 July and 29 August (Kenya) and, finally, 28 May and 15 June (Senegal). Successful containment policies could lead to lower rates of severe infections. While most cases will be mild, we project in the absence of policies further containing the spread, that between 0.78% and 1.03%, 0.61% and 1.22%, and 0.60% and 0.84% of individuals in Ghana, Kenya and Senegal, respectively, may develop severe symptoms at the time of the peak of the epidemic., Conclusion: Compared with Europe, Africa's younger and rural population may modify the severity of the epidemic. The large youth population may lead to more infections but most of these infections will be asymptomatic or mild, and will probably go undetected. The higher prevalence of underlying conditions must be considered., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Advancing the public health insurance system is one of the key strategies of the Senegalese government for achieving universal health coverage. In 2013, the government launched a universal health financial protection programme, la Couverture Maladie Universelle . One of the programme's aims was to establish a community-based health insurance scheme for the people in the informal sector, who were largely uninsured before 2013. The scheme provides coverage through non-profit community-based organizations and by the end of 2016, 676 organizations had been established across the country. However, the organizations are facing challenges, such as low enrolment rates and low portability of the benefit package. To address the challenges and to improve the governance and operations of the community-based health insurance scheme, the government has since 2018 planned and partly implemented two major reforms. The first reform involves a series of institutional reorganizations to raise the risk pool. These reorganizations consist of transferring the risk pooling and part of the insurance management from the individual organizations to the departmental unions, and transferring the operation and financial responsibility of the free health-care initiatives for vulnerable population to the community-based scheme. The second reform is the introduction of an integrated management information system for efficient and effective data management and operations of the scheme. Here we discuss the current progress and plans for future development of the community-based health insurance scheme, as well as discussing the challenges the government should address in striving towards universal health coverage in the country., ((c) 2020 The authors; licensee World Health Organization.)

Phytohormones play a crucial role in regulating plant developmental processes. Among them, ethylene and jasmonate are known to be involved in plant defense responses to a wide range of biotic stresses as their levels increase with pathogen infection. In addition, these two phytohormones have been shown to inhibit plant nodulation in legumes. Here, exogenous salicylic acid (SA), jasmonate acid (JA), and ethephon (ET) were applied to the root system of Casuarina glauca plants before Frankia inoculation, in order to analyze their effects on the establishment of actinorhizal symbiosis. This protocol further describes how to identify putative ortholog genes involved in ethylene and jasmonate biosynthesis and/or signaling pathways in plant, using the Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR), Legume Information System (LIS), and Genevestigator databases. The expression of these genes in response to the bacterium Frankia was analyzed using the gene atlas for Casuarina-Frankia symbiosis (SESAM web site).

Plants able to establish a nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis with the actinobacterium Frankia are called actinorhizal. These interactions lead to the formation of new root organs, called actinorhizal nodules, where the bacteria are hosted intracellularly and fix atmospheric nitrogen thus providing the plant with an almost unlimited source of nitrogen for its nutrition. Like other symbiotic interactions, actinorhizal nodulation involves elaborate signalling between both partners of the symbiosis, leading to specific recognition between the plant and its compatible microbial partner, its accommodation inside plant cells and the development of functional root nodules. Actinorhizal nodulation shares many features with rhizobial nodulation but our knowledge on the molecular mechanisms involved in actinorhizal nodulation remains very scarce. However recent technical achievements for several actinorhizal species are allowing major discoveries in this field. In this review, we provide an outline on signalling molecules involved at different stages of actinorhizal nodule formation and the corresponding signalling pathways and gene networks.

Actinorhizal plants are able to establish a symbiotic relationship with Frankia bacteria leading to the formation of root nodules. The symbiotic interaction starts with the exchange of symbiotic signals in the soil between the plant and the bacteria. This molecular dialog involves signaling molecules that are responsible for the specific recognition of the plant host and its endosymbiont. Here we studied two factors potentially involved in signaling between Frankia casuarinae and its actinorhizal host Casuarina glauca: (1) the Root Hair Deforming Factor (CgRHDF) detected using a test based on the characteristic deformation of C. glauca root hairs inoculated with F. casuarinae and (2) a NIN activating factor (CgNINA) which is able to activate the expression of CgNIN , a symbiotic gene expressed during preinfection stages of root hair development. We showed that CgRHDF and CgNINA corresponded to small thermoresistant molecules. Both factors were also hydrophilic and resistant to a chitinase digestion indicating structural differences from rhizobial Nod factors (NFs) or mycorrhizal Myc-LCOs. We also investigated the presence of CgNINA and CgRHDF in 16 Frankia strains representative of Frankia diversity. High levels of root hair deformation (RHD) and activation of Pro CgNIN were detected for Casuarina -infective strains from clade Ic and closely related strains from clade Ia unable to nodulate C. glauca . Lower levels were present for distantly related strains belonging to clade III. No CgRHDF or CgNINA could be detected for Frankia coriariae (Clade II) or for uninfective strains from clade IV.

Enhanced gene transfer efficiencies and higher yields of transplantable transduced human hematopoietic stem cells are continuing goals for improving clinical protocols that use stemcell-based gene therapies. Here, we examined the effect of the HSC agonist UM171 on these endpoints in both in vitro and in vivo systems. Using a 22-hr transduction protocol, we found that UM171 significantly enhances both the lentivirus-mediated transduction and yield of CD34 + and CD34 + CD45RA - hematopoietic cells from human cord blood to give a 6-fold overall higher recovery of transduced hematopoietic stem cells, including cells with long-term lympho-myeloid repopulating activity in immunodeficient mice. The ability of UM171 to enhance gene transfer to primitive cord blood hematopoietic cells extended to multiple lentiviral pseudotypes, gamma retroviruses, and non-integrating lentiviruses and to adult bone marrow cells. UM171, thus, provides an interesting reagent for improving the  ex vivo production of gene-modified cells and for reducing requirements of virus for a broad range of applications.

Background: Soil salinization is a worldwide problem that is intensifying because of the effects of climate change. An effective method for the reclamation of salt-affected soils involves initiating plant succession using fast growing, nitrogen fixing actinorhizal trees such as the Casuarina. The salt tolerance of Casuarina is enhanced by the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis that they form with the actinobacterium Frankia. Identification and molecular characterization of salt-tolerant Casuarina species and associated Frankia is imperative for the successful utilization of Casuarina trees in saline soil reclamation efforts. In this study, salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive Casuarina associated Frankia strains were identified and comparative genomics, transcriptome profiling, and proteomics were employed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of salt and osmotic stress tolerance., Results: Salt-tolerant Frankia strains (CcI6 and Allo2) that could withstand up to 1000 mM NaCl and a salt-sensitive Frankia strain (CcI3) which could withstand only up to 475 mM NaCl were identified. The remaining isolates had intermediate levels of salt tolerance with MIC values ranging from 650 mM to 750 mM. Comparative genomic analysis showed that all of the Frankia isolates from Casuarina belonged to the same species (Frankia casuarinae). Pangenome analysis revealed a high abundance of singletons among all Casuarina isolates. The two salt-tolerant strains contained 153 shared single copy genes (most of which code for hypothetical proteins) that were not found in the salt-sensitive(CcI3) and moderately salt-tolerant (CeD) strains. RNA-seq analysis of one of the two salt-tolerant strains (Frankia sp. strain CcI6) revealed hundreds of genes differentially expressed under salt and/or osmotic stress. Among the 153 genes, 7 and 7 were responsive to salt and osmotic stress, respectively. Proteomic profiling confirmed the transcriptome results and identified 19 and 8 salt and/or osmotic stress-responsive proteins in the salt-tolerant (CcI6) and the salt-sensitive (CcI3) strains, respectively., Conclusion: Genetic differences between salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive Frankia strains isolated from Casuarina were identified. Transcriptome and proteome profiling of a salt-tolerant strain was used to determine molecular differences correlated with differential salt-tolerance and several candidate genes were identified. Mechanisms involving transcriptional and translational regulation, cell envelop remodeling, and previously uncharacterized proteins appear to be important for salt tolerance. Physiological and mutational analyses will further shed light on the molecular mechanism of salt tolerance in Casuarina associated Frankia isolates.

Retroviral integration site analysis and barcoding have been instrumental for multiplex clonal fate mapping, although their use imposes an inherent delay between sample acquisition and data analysis. Monitoring of multiple cell populations in real time would be advantageous, but multiplex assays compatible with flow cytometric tracking of competitive growth behavior are currently limited. We here describe the development and initial validation of three generations of lentiviral fluorescent genetic barcoding (FGB) systems that allow the creation of 26, 14, or 6 unique labels. Color-coded populations could be tracked in multiplex in vitro assays for up to 28 days by flow cytometry using all three vector systems. Those involving lower levels of multiplexing eased color-code generation and the reliability of vector expression and enabled functional in vitro and in vivo studies. In proof-of-principle experiments, FGB vectors facilitated in vitro multiplex screening of microRNA (miRNA)-induced growth advantages, as well as the in vivo recovery of color-coded progeny of murine and human hematopoietic stem cells. This novel series of FGB vectors provides new tools for assessing comparative growth properties in in vitro and in vivo multiplexing experiments, while simultaneously allowing for a reduction in sample numbers by up to 26-fold., (Copyright © 2017 The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Soil salinization is a major threat to agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions, where water scarcity and inadequate drainage of irrigated lands severely reduce crop yield. Salt accumulation inhibits plant growth and reduces the ability to uptake water and nutrients, leading to osmotic or water-deficit stress. Salt is also causing injury of the young photosynthetic leaves and acceleration of their senescence, as the Na + cation is toxic when accumulating in cell cytosol resulting in ionic imbalance and toxicity of transpiring leaves. To cope with salt stress, plants have evolved mainly two types of tolerance mechanisms based on either limiting the entry of salt by the roots, or controlling its concentration and distribution. Understanding the overall control of Na + accumulation and functional studies of genes involved in transport processes, will provide a new opportunity to improve the salinity tolerance of plants relevant to food security in arid regions. A better understanding of these tolerance mechanisms can be used to breed crops with improved yield performance under salinity stress. Moreover, associations of cultures with nitrogen-fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi could serve as an alternative and sustainable strategy to increase crop yields in salt-affected fields.

Symbiotic nitrogen-fixing associations between Casuarina trees and the actinobacteria Frankia are widely used in agroforestry in particular for salinized land reclamation. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of salinity on the establishment of the actinorhizal symbiosis between C. glauca and two contrasting Frankia strains (salt sensitive; CcI3 vs. salt tolerant; CeD) and the role of these isolates in the salt tolerance of C. glauca and C. equisetifolia plants. We show that the number of root nodules decreased with increasing salinity levels in both plants inoculated with CcI3 and CeD. Nodule formation did not occur in seedlings inoculated with CcI3 and CeD, at NaCl concentrations above 100 and 200 mM, respectively. Salinity also affected the early deformation of plant root hairs and reduced their number and size. In addition, expression of symbiotic marker Cg12 gene, which codes for a subtilase, was reduced at 50 mM NaCl. These data suggest that the reduction of nodulation in C. glauca under salt stress is in part due to inhibition of early mechanisms of infection. We also show that prior inoculation of C. glauca and C. equisetifolia with Frankia strains CcI3 and CeD significantly improved plant height, dry biomass, chlorophyll and proline contents at all levels of salinity tested, depending on the Casuarina-Frankia association. There was no correlation between in vitro salt tolerance of Frankia strains and efficiency in planta under salt-stressed conditions. Our results strongly indicate that increased N nutrition, photosynthesis potential and proline accumulation are important factors responsible for salt tolerance of nodulated C. glauca and C. equisetifolia.

Herein we demonstrate that oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) potently activates human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to lyse leukemic cell lines and primary acute myeloid leukemia samples, but not healthy allogeneic lymphocytes. Intriguingly, we found that UV light-inactivated HSV-1 (UV-HSV-1) is equally effective in promoting PBMC cytolysis of leukemic cells and is 1000- to 10 000-fold more potent at stimulating innate antileukemic responses than UV-inactivated cytomegalovirus, vesicular stomatitis virus, reovirus, or adenovirus. Mechanistically, UV-HSV-1 stimulates PBMC cytolysis of leukemic cells, partly via Toll-like receptor-2/protein kinase C/nuclear factor-κB signaling, and potently stimulates expression of CD69, degranulation, migration, and cytokine production in natural killer (NK) cells, suggesting that surface components of UV-HSV-1 directly activate NK cells. Importantly, UV-HSV-1 synergizes with interleukin-15 (IL-15) and IL-2 in inducing activation and cytolytic activity of NK cells. Additionally, UV-HSV-1 stimulates glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation-dependent oxygen consumption in NK cells, but only glycolysis is required for their enhanced antileukemic activity. Last, we demonstrate that T cell-depleted human PBMCs exposed to UV-HSV-1 provide a survival benefit in a murine xenograft model of human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Taken together, our results support the preclinical development of UV-HSV-1 as an adjuvant, alone or in combination with IL-15, for allogeneic donor mononuclear cell infusions to treat AML., (© 2016 by The American Society of Hematology.)

Frankia sp. strain Allo2 is a member of Frankia lineage Ib, which is able to reinfect plants of the Casuarinaceae family, and exhibits a high level of salt tolerance compared to other isolates. Here, we report the 5.3-Mbp draft genome sequence of Frankia sp. strain Allo2 with a G+C content of 70.0% and 4,224 candidate protein-encoding genes., (Copyright © 2016 Oshone et al.)

Frankiastrain CeD is a member ofFrankialineage Ib that is able to reinfect plants of theCasuarinafamilies. Here, we report a 5.0-Mbp draft genome sequence with a G+C content of 70.1% and 3,847 candidate protein-encoding genes., (Copyright © 2016 Ngom et al.)

Introduction: The Ebola outbreak emerged in a remote corner of Guinea in December 2013, and spread into Liberia and Sierra Leone in the context of weak health systems. In this paper, we report on the main challenges faced by frontline health services and by communities including their perceptions and views on the current Ebola response in the Prefectures of Coyah and Forecariah in Guinea., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2014 using mixed approaches: (i) Desk review; (ii) Interviews; and (iii) Direct observation., Results: Almost one year after the beginning of the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa, the perceptions of stakeholders and the observed reality were that the level of preparedness in the two health districts was low. The study identified poor coordination mechanisms, inadequate training of human resources and lack of equipment and supplies to field teams and health facilities as key elements that affected the response. The situation was worsened by the inadequate communication strategy, misconceptions around the disease, ignorance of local culture and customs and lack of involvement of local communities in the control strategies, within the context of poor socioeconomic development. As a result distrust developed between communities and those seeking to control the epidemic and largely contributed to the reluctance of the communities to participate and contribute to the effort., Conclusion: There is a need to rethink the way disease control interventions in the context of an emergency such as Ebola virus disease are designed, planned and implemented in low income countries.

The small number of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in cord blood units limits their widespread use in human transplant protocols. We identified a family of chemically related small molecules that stimulates the expansion ex vivo of human cord blood cells capable of reconstituting human hematopoiesis for at least 6 months in immunocompromised mice. The potent activity of these newly identified compounds, UM171 being the prototype, is independent of suppression of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, which targets cells with more-limited regenerative potential. The properties of UM171 make it a potential candidate for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene therapy., (Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.)

Degraded lands are defined by soils that have lost primary productivity due to abiotic or biotic stresses. Among the abiotic stresses, drought, salinity, and heavy metals are the main threats in tropical areas. These stresses affect plant growth and reduce their productivity. Nitrogen-fixing plants such as actinorhizal species that are able to grow in poor and disturbed soils are widely planted for the reclamation of such degraded lands. It has been reported that association of soil microbes especially the nitrogen-fixing bacteria Frankia with these actinorhizal plants can mitigate the adverse effects of abiotic and biotic stresses. Inoculation of actinorhizal plants with Frankia significantly improves plant growth, biomass, shoot and root N content, and survival rate after transplanting in fields. However, the success of establishment of actinorhizal plantation in degraded sites depends upon the choice of effective strains of Frankia. Studies related to the beneficial role of Frankia on the establishment of actinorhizal plants in degraded soils are scarce. In this review, we describe some examples of the use of Frankia inoculation to improve actinorhizal plant performances in harsh conditions for reclamation of degraded lands.

Placental Plasmodium falciparum sequestration is associated with dysregulated immune function. Placental inflammatory responses via IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha are implicated in functional damage. However, they are needed during placental infection to control asexual stage parasites. To test the hypothesis that placental immunomodulation associated with malaria disturbs cytokine secretion differently in monocytes and lymphocytes, we have determined the proportion of monocytes and/or lymphocytes secreting IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-10 and IL-12. Intervillous and peripheral blood monocyte (CD14+) and lymphocyte (CD3/CD4+; CD3/CD8+) cytokine production was compared between 17 P. falciparum-infected and 12 non-infected Senegalese women. After culture with phorbolmyristate acetate/ionomycin (PMA/iono), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IE), the intracellular expression of cytokines in lymphocytes (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha) and monocytes (IL-10, IL-12, TNF-alpha), was detected. In response to IE, CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells produced IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha at similar rates in both compartments. In response to PMA/iono, the frequencies of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells producing IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha were similar in both compartments, but increased in P. falciparum-infected placentas. In response to LPS or IE, IL-12 secreting monocytes were increased in infected women, while the frequency of TNF-alpha secreting monocytes was decreased compared to that in non-infected placenta. The monocyte IL-12 response is not impaired in infected women. IL-12 is an important factor for inducing IFN-gamma in T-cells. Thus, IL-12 and IFN-alpha responses may synergistically allow a protective immune response in placental malaria. TNF-alpha production by CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells is up-regulated in P. falciparum-infected placentas, suggesting that T-cells actively participate to inflammatory responses.

Background: During healthy pregnancy, T helper (Th) 1-type and inflammatory-type responses are down-regulated, and Th2-type and proinflammatory-type responses predominate. In Plasmodium falciparum-infected females, these responses induce enhanced production of tumor necrosis factor- alpha and interferon- gamma., Methods: To assess the respective implication of monocytes and T cells in this placental immunomodulation, we cocultured cells from delivering females living in an area where malaria is endemic. Monocytes and T cells from both peripheral and intervillous blood were crossed in in vitro cultures, to compare the proliferative response to several antigens. Moreover, monocyte cell-surface molecules were quantified by flow cytometry., Results: Coculture results confirmed placental immunomodulation and suggested that the most affected cells are not the intervillous monocytes, which are as able to present the antigen as the peripheral monocytes, but the intervillous T cells. Monocyte staining showed significant increases in human leukocyte antigen D-related, CD54, CD80, and CD86 surface markers in intervillous blood, compared with peripheral blood, which suggests a relative activation of monocytes in the placenta., Conclusion: A state of T cell deactivation and monocyte activation is present at delivery. The T cell deactivation in reaction to purified protein derivative could be explained by the presence of local T cell immunoregulatory factors.

Most of parodontal diseases have a bacterial aetiology. Their episodic and asynchronic evolution differs from site to site. The "in situs" antimicrobian used in the parodontal bags reduces the systemic administration. Various antibiotics or antiseptics slow liberation systems were experimented. Two patients suffering from advanced parodontitis were treated after radicular scraping by subgingival irrigation with a syringe filled with chlorhexidine. Each patient presented at last four parodontal bags more or less six millimetres (6 mm) deep. The following clinical parameters were noted: Patch index, bleeding index, bag depth. A bacteriological analysis was realized at the beginning and of the treatment. Controls were made at D60. Results showed a significant improvement of clinical parameters. It seems that the chlorhexidine irrigation improves the parodontal treatment efficiency.

Among several factors in preterm low birth weight, we can find pre-conceptional causes and others depending on pregnant women's behaviour. In 1996 a scientific team composed by periodontists, gynaecologists and epidemiologists found that 18% of preterm low birth weight in 250,000 babies are due to periodontal infection. In our survey we used 113 pregnant women in gynaecological clinic in university hospital. By using Community Periodontal Index Treatment Needs (CPITN) in pregnant woman and by weighting babies as soon as accouchement done. In spite of percentage of preterm low birth weight, we registered 33.9% babies of normal birth weight with mother's CPITN under 1.