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BackgroundAdapted physical activity programs have shown promising results in reducing the physical, social and psychological side effects associated with breast cancer, but the extent to which they can be effectively adopted, implemented and maintained is unclear. The aim of this study is to use the framework to guide the planning and evaluation of programs according to the 5 following keys: Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to evaluate a fencing program under the French acronym RIPOSTE (Reconstruction, Image de soi, Posture, Oncologie, Santé, Thérapie, Escrime) literally in English (Reconstruction, Self-Image, Posture, Oncology, Health, Therapy, Fencing). This program is an innovative intervention focused on improving the quality of life (QoL) of breast cancer surgery patients through fencing.MethodsA convergent mixed methods pilot study was conducted to preliminary evaluate the different RE-AIM dimension of the pilot program. Twenty-four participants who have just undergone surgery for invasive breast cancer were randomly allocated in two groups: one group started immediately after their inclusion (Early RIPOSTE group) and the other started 3 months following their inclusion (Delayed RIPOSTE group). Participants answered a questionnaire at inclusion and at the end of the program on QoL, shoulder functional capacity, fatigue, anxiety-depression and physical activity.ResultsRIPOSTE program was able to reach mainly young and dynamic participants, attracted by the originality of fencing and keen to improve their physical condition. Regarding effectiveness, our results suggest a trend to the improvement of QoL, shoulder functional capacity, fatigue and anxiety-depression state, even without any significant differences between the Early RIPOSTE group and the Delayed RIPOSTE group.DiscussionsThe cooperation, exchanges and cohesion within the group greatly facilitated the adoption of the program, whereas interruptions during school vacations were the main barriers. The intervention was moderately well implemented and adherence to the protocol was suitable.ConclusionRIPOSTE is an acceptable and effective program for involving breast cancer survivors in physical activity, that needs to be tested at a larger scale to investigate its effectiveness, but has the potential to be transferred and scaled up worldwide.

Abstract Perkinsea constitutes a lineage within the Alveolata eukaryotic superphylum, mainly composed of parasitic organisms. Some described species represent significant ecological and economic threats due to their invasive ability and pathogenicity, which can lead to mortality events. However, the genetic diversity of these described species is just the tip of the iceberg. Environmental surveys targeting this lineage are still scarce and mainly limited to the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we aim to conduct an in depth exploration of the Perkinsea group, uncovering the diversity across a variety of environments, including those beyond freshwater and marine ecosystems. We seek to identify and describe putative novel organisms based on their genetic signatures. In this study, we conducted an extensive analysis of a metabarcoding dataset, focusing on the V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene (the EukBank dataset), to investigate the diversity, distribution and environmental preferences of the Perkinsea. Our results reveal a remarkable diversity within the Perkinsea, with 1568 Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) identified across thousands of environmental samples. Surprisingly, we showed a substantial diversity of Perkinsea within soil samples (269 ASVs), challenging the previous assumption that this group is confined to marine and freshwater environments. In addition, we revealed that a notable proportion of Perkinsea ASVs (428 ASVs) could correspond to putative new organisms, encompassing the well-established taxonomic group Perkinsidae. Finally, our study shed light on previously unveiled taxonomic groups, including the Xcellidae, and revealed their environmental distribution. These findings demonstrate that Perkinsea exhibits far greater diversity than previously detected and surprisingly extends beyond marine and freshwater environments. The meta-analysis conducted in this study has unveiled the existence of previously unknown clusters within the Perkinsea lineage, solely identified based on their genetic signatures. Considering the ecological and economic importance of described Perkinsea species, these results suggest that Perkinsea may play a significant, yet previously unrecognized, role across a wide range of environments, spanning from soil environments to the abyssal zone of the open ocean with important implications for ecosystem functioning.

Abstract Administrative databases are an alternative to disease registries as a research tool to study multiple sclerosis. However, they are not initially designed to fulfill research purposes. Therefore, an evaluation of their performance is necessary. Our objective was to assess the performance of the French administrative database comprising hospital discharge records and national health insurance databases in identifying individuals with multiple sclerosis, in comparison with a registry that exhaustively compiles resident multiple sclerosis cases in Lorraine, northeastern France, as reference. We recorded all individuals residing in the Lorraine region who were identified by the administrative database or the registry as having multiple sclerosis from 2011 to 2016. We calculated the Matthews correlation coefficient and other concordance indicators. For identifying individuals with multiple sclerosis, the Matthews correlation coefficient by the administrative database was 0.79 (95% CI 0.78–0.80), reflecting moderate performance. The mean time to identification was 5.5 years earlier with the registry than the administrative database. Administrative databases, although useful to study multiple sclerosis, should be used with caution because results of studies based on them may be biased. Our study highlights the value of regional registries that allow for a more exhaustive and rapid identification of cases.

The parasitic species Perkinsus olseni (= atlanticus) (Perkinsea, Alveolata) infects a wide range of mollusc species and is responsible for mortality events and economic losses in the aquaculture industry and fisheries worldwide. Thus far, most studies conducted in this field have approached the problem from a “one parasite-one disease” perspective, notably with regards to commercially relevant clam species, while the impact of other Perkinsus species should also be considered as it could play a key role in the disease phenotype and dynamics. Co-infection of P. olseni and P. chesapeaki has already been sporadically described in Manila clam populations in Europe. Here, we describe for the first time the parasitic distribution of two Perkinsus species, P. olseni and P. chesapeaki, in individual clam organs and in five different locations across Arcachon Bay (France), using simultaneous in situ detection by quantitative PCR (qPCR) duplex methodology. We show that P. olseni single-infection largely dominated prevalence (46–84%) with high intensities of infection (7.2 to 8.5 log-nb of copies. g−1of wet tissue of Manila clam) depending on location, suggesting that infection is driven by the abiotic characteristics of stations and physiological states of the host. Conversely, single P. chesapeaki infections were observed in only two sampling stations, Ile aux Oiseaux and Gujan, with low prevalences 2 and 14%, respectively. Interestingly, the co-infection by both Perkinsus spp., ranging in prevalence from 12 to 34%, was distributed across four stations of Arcachon Bay, and was detected in one or two organs maximum. Within these co-infected organs, P. olseni largely dominated the global parasitic load. Hence, the co-infection dynamics between P. olseni and P. chesapeaki may rely on a facilitating role of P. olseni in developing a primary infection which in turn may help P. chesapeaki infect R. philippinarum as a reservoir for a preferred host. This ecological study demonstrates that the detection and quantification of both parasitic species, P. olseni and P. chesapeaki, is essential and timely in resolving cryptic infections and their consequences on individual hosts and clam populations.

Abstract Background The Generic Adherence for Chronic Diseases Profile is a French generic scale (GACID-P) developed to measure adherence in several disease areas such as cardiology, rheumatology, diabetes, cancer and infectiology. Method We aimed to study the measurement invariance of the Generic Adherence for Chronic Diseases Profile by an item response model, optimize the new instrument version from item response model and qualitative content analyses results, and validate the instrument. The metric properties of the optimized version were studied according to classical test theory and item response model analysis. Results A sample of 397 patients consulting at two French hospitals (in diabetes, cardiology, rheumatology, cancerology and infectiology) and in four private practices was recruited; 314 (79%) patients also completed the questionnaire 15 days later. Factor analyses revealed four dimensions: “Forgetting to take medication”, “Intention to comply with treatment”, “Limitation of risk-related consumer habits” and “Healthy lifestyle”. The item response model and content analyses optimized these four dimensions, regrouping 32 items in four dimensions of 25 items, including one item conditioned on tobacco use. The psychometric properties and scale calibration were satisfactory. One score per dimension was calculated as the sum of the items for the dimensions “Forgetting to take medication” and “Intention to comply with treatment” and as a weighted score according to the item response model analysis for the two other dimensions because of differential item functioning found for two items. Conclusion Four adherence profile scores were obtained. The instrument validity was documented by a theoretical approach and content analysis. The Generic Adherence for Chronic Diseases Profile is now available for research targeting adherence in a broad perspective.

Abstract Aims We aimed to identify prognostic individual factors in patients with first acute heart failure (HF) hospitalization, considering both death and readmission as part of the natural history of HF. Methods and results We used data from the observational, prospective, multicentre EPICAL2 cohort study from which we selected incident cases of acute HF alive at discharge. We relied on an illness‐death model to identify prognostic factors on first readmission and on mortality before and after readmission. In 451 patients hospitalized for first acute HF, we observed within the year after discharge, 23 (5.1%) deaths before readmission and 270 (59.9%) first readmissions, of which 60 (22.2%) were followed by death of any cause. First, among patient characteristics, only Charlson index ≥ 8 was associated with first readmission [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.1–2.3), P = 0.011]. Second, Charlson index ≥ 8 [aHR = 4.2, 95% CI (1.2–14.8), P = 0.025], low blood pressure (BP) [aHR = 12.2, 95% CI (1.9–79.6), P = 0.009], high BP [aHR = 6.9, 95% CI (1.3–36.4), P = 0.023], and prescription of recommended dual or triple HF therapy at index discharge [aHR = 0.2, 95% CI (0.1–0.7), P = 0.014] were associated with mortality before any readmission. Third, Charlson index ≥ 8 [aHR = 2.4, 95% CI (1.1–5.6), P = 0.037] and the time to first readmission (per 30 days additional) [aHR = 1.2; 95% CI (1.1–1.4), P = 0.007] were associated with mortality after readmission. Conclusions Regardless of the prognostic state considered, we showed that comorbidities are of critical prognostic value in a real‐world cohort of incident HF cases. This argues in favour of multidisciplinary care in HF.

Morphometric indices of body condition are assumed to reflect an animal’s health and ultimately its fitness, but their physiological significance remains a matter of debate. These indices are indeed usually considered as proxies of energy reserves, ignoring other physiological processes involved in animal health such as nutritional, immune and hormonal states. Given the wide variety of ecological processes investigated through morphometric body condition indices in marine sciences, there is a clear need to determine whether morphometric indices reflect primarily individuals’ energy reserves or their broader integrated physiological status. To address this issue, we used morphometric and physiological data (cortisol level, oxidative stress, digestive enzymes activity, and both fatty acids percentage and total amount) collected in three stocks of the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) presenting contrasted patterns of growth and body condition. We found that morphometric body condition indices are indeed mainly and consistently linked to a proxy of the amount of lipid reserves (i.e., fatty acids amount), but also significantly to quality of lipid reserves (i.e., fatty acids percentage) and fish chronic stress (scale cortisol levels). We found no significant relationship between morphometric indices of body condition and both oxidative stress proxies and variables measuring digestive enzymes activity. Our study confirmed that morphometric body condition indices primarily reflect the variance in individuals’ lipid reserves and to a lesser extent the actual composition of these reserves (linked to differences in fish diet) and scale cortisol levels (indicating fish metabolism and/or their chronic stress levels). Therefore, some non-energetic aspects should be considered when studying individuals’ responses to environmental changes and other key physiological processes (oxidative stress proxies, activity of digestive enzymes) should be investigated directly to support scientific-based decision-making in the context of climate change.

Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. An increase in MS incidence over time is reported in several regions of the world. We aimed to describe the evolution of the annual MS incidence in the Lorraine region, France, from 1996 to 2015 and to analyze potential components of a possible change by a temporal effect of age at MS onset, MS onset period, and birth cohort, overall and for each sex. Cases were identified from ReLSEP, a population-based registry of MS cases living in Lorraine, northeastern France, with MS onset between 1996 and 2015. Age-period-cohort modeling was used to describe trends in MS incidence. Annual age- and sex-standardized incidences were relatively stable: 6.76/100 000 population (95%CI [5.76–7.91]) in 1996 and 6.78/100 000 (95%CI [5.72–7.97]) in 2015. The incidence ratio between women and men was 2.4. For all time periods, the peak incidence occurred between ages 25 and 35 years. Age-period–adjusted cohort and age-cohort–adjusted period analyses did not reveal a period or cohort effect. The incidence of MS remained stable over the study period in Lorraine, and we could not identify any particular effect of disease onset period or birth period on this evolution.

This article reflects on an ongoing artistic research practice that deals with sound, gender, power, spatiality, and human–nonhuman entanglement. Sparked by a sound design for a less crunchy “lady-friendly” crisp, the research inquires the relationship between gender and sound at human–nonhuman encounter through making and thinking. Drawing on queer theory, sound studies, and posthumanism, it aims to transcend essentialist, vision-focused, and anthropocentric conceptualisations of gender and, as an insight gained from working with low-frequency sound waves, it reflects on sound as material-philosophically demonstrating human–nonhuman interconnectedness. The latter, as this article proposes, may encourage us to horizontalise hierarchies between the human and nonhuman. Finally, this text situates sonic thinking as a mode of trans*formative thinking: a process-oriented philosophy that aims to embrace the messy, queer ways of human–nonhuman relationality, which characterises a vibrant space from which this artistic research will further develop.

The increasing need of portable electrical resources requires to develop post-Li batteries, in which redox reactions are then based on the different alkali or earth alkaline ions. Keeping in mind the specific advantages of electrolytes based on ionic liquid (electrochemical properties, safety, stability …), this paper focuses on the specific properties of those obtained by mixing alkali or earth alkaline salts (Li+, Na+, K+, Cs+ and Mg2+) in a prototypical ionic liquid, the 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl sulfonyl) imide (BMImTFSI). Transport properties of these electrolytes are deciphered from viscosity, ionic conductivity and individual self-diffusion coefficients. At room temperature, change of electrolyte composition (nature of ion, concentration) induces some large variations of these transport properties. However, if these measurements are scaled towards glass transition temperatures, master curves are obtained with only slight differences between monovalent alkali and divalent earth alkaline ions. Further information is obtained from the Walden approach and evidences that these electrolytes are 'good ionic conductors'. These results are confirmed from self-diffusion coefficients which also allows to retrieve contributions of each species to ionic transport and then dissociation ratio inside these mixtures. Slight differences between alkali and earth alkali ions may be related to solvation mechanisms, as proposed from infrared spectroscopy measurements.

Objective: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) are designed to be rigorous research methodologies that synthesize information and inform practice. An increase in their publication runs parallel to quality concerns and a movement toward standards to improve reporting and methodology. With the goal of informing the guidance librarians provide to SR/MA teams, this study assesses online journal author guidelines from an institutional sample to determine whether these author guidelines address SR/MA methodological quality. Methods: A Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate) search identified SRs/MAs published in 2014–2019 by authors affiliated with a single institution. The AMSTAR 2 checklist was used to develop an assessment tool of closed questions specific to measures for SR/MA methodological quality in author guidelines, with questions added about author guidelines in general. Multiple reviewers completed the assessment. Results: The author guidelines of 141 journals were evaluated. Less than 20% addressed at least one of the assessed measures specific to SR/MA methodological quality. There was wide variation in author guidelines between journals from the same publisher apart from the American Medical Association, which consistently offered in-depth author guidelines. Normalized Eigenfactor and Article Influence Scores did not indicate author guideline breadth. Conclusions: Most author guidelines in the institutional sample did not address SR/MA methodological quality. When consulting with teams embarking on SRs/MAs, librarians should not expect author guidelines to provide details about the requirements of the target journals. Librarians should advise teams to follow established SR/MA standards, contact journal staff, and review SRs/MAs previously published in the journal.

The last century has witnessed an increasing rate of new disease emergence across the world leading to permanent loss of biodiversity. Perkinsea is a microeukaryotic parasitic phylum composed of four main lineages of parasitic protists with broad host ranges. Some of them represent major ecological and economical threats because of their geographically invasive ability and pathogenicity (leading to mortality events). In marine environments, three lineages are currently described, the Parviluciferaceae, the Perkinsidae, and the Xcellidae, infecting, respectively, dinoflagellates, mollusks, and fish. In contrast, only one lineage is officially described in freshwater environments: the severe Perkinsea infectious agent infecting frog tadpoles. The advent of high-throughput sequencing methods, mainly based on 18S rRNA assays, showed that Perkinsea is far more diverse than the previously four described lineages especially in freshwater environments. Indeed, some lineages could be parasites of green microalgae, but a formal nature of the interaction needs to be explored. Hence, to date, most of the newly described aquatic clusters are only defined by their environmental sequences and are still not (yet) associated with any host. The unveiling of this microbial black box presents a multitude of research challenges to understand their ecological roles and ultimately to prevent their most negative impacts. This review summarizes the biological and ecological traits of Perkinsea—their diversity, life cycle, host preferences, pathogenicity, and highlights their diversity and ubiquity in association with a wide range of hosts.

Multidrug sensitivity is an autosomal recessive disorder in dogs caused by a 4-bp deletion in the ABCB1 gene, often referred to as the ABCB1-1Δ variant. This disease has a high prevalence in some breeds and causes adverse reactions to certain drugs when given in normal doses. Though most dogs known to be at risk are of the collie lineage or were traced back to it, the variant has also been described in several seemingly unrelated breeds. It is generally advised to genotype dogs at risk before treating them. However, there seems to be a discrepancy between the advice and current veterinary practices, as a recent study in Belgium and the Netherlands showed that most veterinarians never order a DNA test. To assess the possible risk of not testing for multidrug sensitivity in a clinical setting, the ABCB1-1Δ variant allele frequency was established in a sample of 286 dogs from a veterinary clinic. This frequency was compared to the allelic frequency in 599 samples specifically sent for genetic testing. While the allelic frequency in the sample for genetic testing was high (21.6%) and in line with the general reports, the allelic frequency in the clinical setting was low (0.2%), demonstrating an enormous difference between laboratory and clinical frequencies. Because of the low frequency of the disease-causing variant in the general clinical population, the risk of encountering a dog displaying multidrug sensitivity despite not genotyping seems to be low. As the variant was only found in an at-risk breed, the current recommendation of routinely genotyping at-risk breeds before treatment seems justified.

Abstract Background Perfusing fixatives through the cerebrovascular system is the gold standard approach in animals to prepare brain tissue for spatial biomolecular profiling, circuit tracing, and ultrastructural studies such as connectomics. Translating these discoveries to humans requires examination of postmortem autopsy brain tissue. Yet banked brain tissue is routinely prepared using immersion fixation, which is a significant barrier to optimal preservation of tissue architecture. The challenges involved in adopting perfusion fixation in brain banks and the extent to which it improves histology quality are not well defined. Methodology We searched four databases to identify studies that have performed perfusion fixation in human brain tissue and screened the references of the eligible studies to identify further studies. From the included studies, we extracted data about the methods that they used, as well as any data comparing perfusion fixation to immersion fixation. The protocol was preregistered at the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/cv3ys/. Results We screened 4489 abstracts, 214 full-text publications, and identified 35 studies that met our inclusion criteria, which collectively reported on the perfusion fixation of 558 human brains. We identified a wide variety of approaches to perfusion fixation, including perfusion fixation of the brain in situ and ex situ, perfusion fixation through different sets of blood vessels, and perfusion fixation with different washout solutions, fixatives, perfusion pressures, and postfixation tissue processing methods. Through a qualitative synthesis of data comparing the outcomes of perfusion and immersion fixation, we found moderate confidence evidence showing that perfusion fixation results in equal or greater subjective histology quality compared to immersion fixation of relatively large volumes of brain tissue, in an equal or shorter amount of time. Conclusions This manuscript serves as a resource for investigators interested in building upon the methods and results of previous research in designing their own perfusion fixation studies in human brains or other large animal brains. We also suggest several future research directions, such as comparing the in situ and ex situ approaches to perfusion fixation, studying the efficacy of different washout solutions, and elucidating the types of brain donors in which perfusion fixation is likely to result in higher fixation quality than immersion fixation.

The evolution of eutrophication parameters (i.e., nutrients and phytoplankton biomass) during recent decades was examined in coastal waters of the Vilaine Bay (VB, France) in relation to changes in the Loire and Vilaine rivers. Dynamic linear models were used to study long-term trends and seasonality of dissolved inorganic nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations (Chl a) in rivers and coastal waters. For the period 1997–2013, the reduction in dissolved riverine inorganic phosphorus (DIP) concentrations led to the decrease in their Chl a levels. However, while dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations decreased only slightly in the Vilaine, they increased in the Loire, specifically in summer. Simultaneously, phytoplankton in the VB underwent profound changes with increase in biomass and change in the timing of the annual peak from spring to summer. The increase in phytoplankton biomass in the VB, manifested particularly by increased summer diatom abundances, was due to enhanced summer DIN loads from the Loire, sustained by internal regeneration of DIP and dissolved silicate (DSi) from sediments. The long-term trajectories of this case study evidence that significant reduction of P inputs without simultaneous N abatement was not yet sufficient to control eutrophication all along the Loire–Vilaine–VB continuum. Upstream rivers reveal indices of recoveries following the significant diminution of P, while eutrophication continues to increase downstream, especially when N is the limiting factor. More N input reduction, paying particular attention to diffuse N sources, is required to control eutrophication in receiving VB coastal waters. Internal benthic DIP and DSi recycling appears to have contributed to the worsening of summer VB water quality, augmenting the effects of anthropogenic DIN inputs. For this coastal ecosystem, nutrient management strategies should consider the role played by internal nutrient loads to tackle eutrophication processes.

Background and Purpose A long clot, defined by a low (0-6) clot burden score (CBS) assessed by T2*-MR sequence, is associated with worse clinical outcome after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for acute ischemic stroke than is a small clot (CBS, 7-10). The added benefit of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) might be higher in patients with long clot. The aim of this pre-specified post hoc analysis of the THRombectomie des Artères CErebrales (THRACE) trial was to assess the association between T2*-CBS, successful recanalization and clinical outcome. Methods Of 414 patients randomized in the THRACE trial, 281 patients were included in this analysis. Associations between T2*-CBS and clinical outcome on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months were tested. Results High T2*-CBS, i.e., small clot, was associated with a shift toward better outcome on the mRS; proportional odds ratio (POR) per point CBS was 1.19 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 to 1.34) in the whole population, 1.34 (95% CI, 1.13 to 1.59) in IVT group, and 1.04 (95% CI, 0.87 to 1.23) in IVTMT group. After adjustment for baseline prognostic variables, the effect of the full scale T2*-CBS was not statistically significant in the whole population and for the IVTMT group but remains significant for the IVT group (POR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.58). Conclusions A small clot, as assessed using T2*-CBS, is associated with improved outcome and may be used as a prognostic marker. Despite the worst outcome with long clot, the relative benefit of MT over IVT seemed to increase with low T2*-CBS and longer clot.

The production of non-fish based docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for feed and food has become a critical need in our global context of over-fishing. The industrial-scale production of DHA–rich Thraustochytrids could be an alternative, if costs turned out to be competitive. In order to reduce production costs, this study addresses the feasibility of the non-axenic (non-sterile) cultivation of Aurantiochytrium mangrovei on industrial substrates (as nitrogen and mineral sources and glucose syrup as carbon and energy sources), and its scale-up from laboratory (250 mL) to 500 L cultures. Pilot-scale reactors were airlift cylinders. Batch and fed-batch cultures were tested. Cultures over 38 to 62 h achieved a dry cell weight productivity of 3.3 to 5.5 g.L−1.day−1, and a substrate to biomass yield of up to 0.3. DHA productivity ranged from 10 to 0.18 mg.L−1.day−1. Biomass productivity appears linearly related to oxygen transfer rate. Bacterial contamination of cultures was low enough to avoid impacts on fatty acid composition of the biomass. A specific work on microbial risks assessment (in supplementary files) showed that the biomass can be securely used as feed. However, to date, there is a law void in EU legislation regarding the recycling of nitrogen from digestate from animal waste for microalgae biomass and its usage in animal feed. Overall, the proposed process appears similar to the industrial yeast production process (non-axenic heterotrophic process, dissolved oxygen supply limiting growth, similar cell size). Such similarity could help in further industrial developments.

Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (hereafter, omega-3), including eicosapentaenoic-acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic-acid (DHA), are essential nutritional compounds for humans, providing several benefits related to cardiovascular and neural health. Human intake of omega-3 occurs mostly via seafood, particularly fish. The primary source of omega-3 in aquatic systems is represented by primary producers, from which omega-3 are transferred throughout the food web. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for primary producers and can be supplied to surface waters as nitrate upwelled from below, or as ammonium and other regenerated nitrogen forms recycled in situ. Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS) are the most productive marine systems on Earth, together covering only 2% of the ocean’s surface area but supporting 25% of the global fish catch, thereby providing food for humans. In EBUS, nitrate and other nutrients are advected to the surface to support the proliferation of a phytoplankton community dominated by known omega-3 producers (i.e., diatoms). Given current climate change-related projections of ocean warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and increased upwelling intensity, phytoplankton community composition in EBUS may change. Additionally, the global production of EPA + DHA is expected to decrease by up to 30%, rendering its supply for human consumption insufficient by 2050. Here we discuss the state of knowledge related to omega-3 transfer from phytoplankton to small pelagic fish in EBUS, including factors that can influence omega-3 production, links to nitrogen cycling, climate change implications for the omega-3 supply to humans, and suggestions for future research directions to improve our understanding of omega-3 in the ocean.

The production of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in Tisochrysis lutea was studied using the gradual incorporation of a 13C-enriched isotopic marker, 13CO2, for 24 h during the exponential growth of the algae. The 13C enrichment of eleven fatty acids was followed to understand the synthetic pathways the most likely to form the essential polyunsaturated fatty acids 20:5n-3 (EPA) and 22:6n-3 (DHA) in T. lutea. The fatty acids 16:0, 18:1n-9 + 18:3n-3, 18:2n-6, and 22:5n-6 were the most enriched in 13C. On the contrary, 18:4n-3 and 18:5n-3 were the least enriched in 13C after long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as 20:5n-3 or 22:5n-3. The algae appeared to use different routes in parallel to form its polyunsaturated fatty acids. The use of the PKS pathway was hypothesized for polyunsaturated fatty acids with n-6 configuration (such as 22:5n-6) but might also exist for n-3 PUFA (especially 20:5n-3). With regard to the conventional n-3 PUFA pathway, Δ6 desaturation of 18:3n-3 appeared to be the most limiting step for T. lutea, “stopping” at the synthesis of 18:4n-3 and 18:5n-3. These two fatty acids were hypothesized to not undergo any further reaction of elongation and desaturation after being formed and were therefore considered “end-products”. To circumvent this limiting synthetic route, Tisochrysis lutea seemed to have developed an alternative route via Δ8 desaturation to produce longer chain fatty acids such as 20:5n-3 and 22:5n-3. 22:6n-3 presented a lower enrichment and appeared to be produced by a combination of different pathways: the conventional n-3 PUFA pathway by desaturation of 22:5n-3, the alternative route of ω-3 desaturase using 22:5n-6 as precursor, and possibly the PKS pathway. In this study, PKS synthesis looked particularly effective for producing long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The rate of enrichment of these compounds hypothetically synthesized by PKS is remarkably fast, making undetectable the 13C incorporation into their precursors. Finally, we identified a protein cluster gathering PKS sequences of proteins that are hypothesized allowing n-3 PUFA synthesis.

Pretreatment ischemic location may be an important determinant for functional outcome prediction in acute ischemic stroke. In total, 143 anterior circulation ischemic stroke patients in the THRACE study were included. Ischemic lesions were semi-automatically segmented on pretreatment diffusion-weighted imaging and registered on brain atlases. The percentage of ischemic tissue in each atlas-segmented region was calculated. Statistical models with logistic regression and support vector machine were built to analyze the predictors of functional outcome. The investigated parameters included: age, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, and lesional volume (three-parameter model), together with the ischemic percentage in each atlas-segmented region (four-parameter model). The support vector machine with radial basis functions outperformed logistic regression in prediction accuracy. The support vector machine three-parameter model demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.77, while the four-parameter model achieved a higher area under the curve (0.82). Regions with marked impacts on outcome prediction were the uncinate fasciculus, postcentral gyrus, putamen, middle occipital gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and posterior corona radiata in the left hemisphere; and the uncinate fasciculus, paracentral lobule, temporal pole, hippocampus, inferior occipital gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, pallidum, and anterior limb of the internal capsule in the right hemisphere. In conclusion, pretreatment ischemic location provided significant prognostic information for functional outcome in ischemic stroke.

Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) may bio-accumulate high levels of paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) during harmful algal blooms of the genus Alexandrium. These blooms regularly occur in coastal waters, affecting oyster health and marketability. The aim of our study was to analyse the PST-sensitivity of nerves of Pacific oysters in relation with toxin bio-accumulation. The results show that C. gigas nerves have micromolar range of saxitoxin (STX) sensitivity, thus providing intermediate STX sensitivity compared to other bivalve species. However, theses nerves were much less sensitive to tetrodotoxin. The STX-sensitivity of compound nerve action potential (CNAP) recorded from oysters experimentally fed with Alexandrium minutum (toxic-alga-exposed oysters), or Tisochrysis lutea, a non-toxic microalga (control oysters), revealed that oysters could be separated into STX-resistant and STX-sensitive categories, regardless of the diet. Moreover, the percentage of toxin-sensitive nerves was lower, and the STX concentration necessary to inhibit 50% of CNAP higher, in recently toxic-alga-exposed oysters than in control bivalves. However, no obvious correlation was observed between nerve sensitivity to STX and the STX content in oyster digestive glands. None of the nerves isolated from wild and farmed oysters was detected to be sensitive to tetrodotoxin. In conclusion, this study highlights the good potential of cerebrovisceral nerves of Pacific oysters for electrophysiological and pharmacological studies. In addition, this study shows, for the first time, that C. gigas nerves have micromolar range of STX sensitivity. The STX sensitivity decreases, at least temporary, upon recent oyster exposure to dinoflagellates producing PST under natural, but not experimental environment.

Cultivation of salt-tolerant crops help to face to irreversible global salinization of freshwater and soils. In New-Caledonia, three halophytes are candidates for saline crops, Salsola australis R.Br., Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort and Enchylaena tomentosa R.Br. Their success and quality depend yet on availabilities of salinity and essential nutrients in agrosystems. So, we investigated effects of three salinities, i.e., control moderate and high, and five nitrogen ratios, i.e., 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 or 0:100 NO3−-N:NH4+-N ratio on their growth and functional value for fatty acids and antioxidants. Results show that the leaf fatty acid and antioxidant profiles of species, emphasize their good potential to become functional crop products, based on comparison with other functional plants, dietetic recommendation, or functional indices. However, their total phenolic compounds (TPC) content can be influenced by N-ratio (Suaeda maritima and Enchylaena tomentosa) and their antioxidant activity index (AAI) can be influenced by salinity (Suaeda maritima), N-ratio (Salsola australis) or both (Enchylaenatomentosa). Their quantitative and/or qualitative fatty acid profiles can also be influenced by salinity (Enchylaena tomentosa), N-ratio (Suaeda maritima), or both (Salsola australis). Regarding these variations, involving salt tolerance and nitrogen nutrition mechanisms, we recommend suitable treatments to maintain or optimize the growth and the functional quality of leaves in the three species.