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Showing papers by "Paul Sabatier University published in 2017"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, two-dimensional transition metal carbides exhibit high gravimetric, volumetric, and areal capacitance values at high charcoefficients at high temperature.
Abstract: Pseudocapacitors based on redox-active materials have relatively high energy density but suffer from low power capability. Here the authors report that two-dimensional transition metal carbides exhibit high gravimetric, volumetric and areal capacitance values at high char…

1,477 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that metformin affected pathways with common biological functions in species from two different phyla, and many of the met formin-regulated genes in these species encoded metalloproteins or metal transporters, which provides support for the notion that altered gut microbiota mediates some of metformIn's antidiabetic effects.
Abstract: Metformin is widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but its mechanism of action is poorly defined. Recent evidence implicates the gut microbiota as a site of metformin action. In a double-blind study, we randomized individuals with treatment-naive T2D to placebo or metformin for 4 months and showed that metformin had strong effects on the gut microbiome. These results were verified in a subset of the placebo group that switched to metformin 6 months after the start of the trial. Transfer of fecal samples (obtained before and 4 months after treatment) from metformin-treated donors to germ-free mice showed that glucose tolerance was improved in mice that received metformin-altered microbiota. By directly investigating metformin-microbiota interactions in a gut simulator, we showed that metformin affected pathways with common biological functions in species from two different phyla, and many of the metformin-regulated genes in these species encoded metalloproteins or metal transporters. Our findings provide support for the notion that altered gut microbiota mediates some of metformin's antidiabetic effects.

1,022 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Examining four size fractions of debris collected in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre found that the signal was anthropogenic and attributed to a combination of plastics, which could be related to the structural modification of this plastic as a consequence of weathering.
Abstract: Plastics can be found in all ecosystems across the globe. This type of environmental pollution is important, even if its impact is not fully understood. The presence of small plastic particles at the micro- and nanoscales is of growing concern, but nanoplastic has not yet been observed in natural samples. In this study, we examined four size fractions (meso-, large micro-, small micro-, and nanoplastics) of debris collected in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre. To obtain the nanoplastic portion, we isolated the colloidal fraction of seawater. After ultrafiltration, the occurrence of nanoscale particles was demonstrated using dynamic light scattering experiments. The chemical fingerprint of the colloids was obtained by pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. We demonstrated that the signal was anthropogenic and attributed to a combination of plastics. The polymer composition varied among the size classes. At the micro- and nanoscales, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, p...

503 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
31 May 2017-Nature
TL;DR: Biodiversity loss substantially diminishes several ecosystem services by altering ecosystem functioning and stability, especially at the large temporal and spatial scales that are most relevant for policy and conservation.
Abstract: Biodiversity enhances many of nature's benefits to people, including the regulation of climate and the production of wood in forests, livestock forage in grasslands and fish in aquatic ecosystems. Yet people are now driving the sixth mass extinction event in Earth's history. Human dependence and influence on biodiversity have mainly been studied separately and at contrasting scales of space and time, but new multiscale knowledge is beginning to link these relationships. Biodiversity loss substantially diminishes several ecosystem services by altering ecosystem functioning and stability, especially at the large temporal and spatial scales that are most relevant for policy and conservation.

435 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
16 Nov 2017
TL;DR: HEV infections can be diagnosed by measuring anti-HEV antibodies, HEV RNA or viral capsid antigen in blood or stool and management of immunocompromised individuals involves lowering the dose of immunosuppressive drugs and/or treatment with the antiviral agent ribavirin.
Abstract: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection can lead to acute and chronic hepatitis as well as to extrahepatic manifestations such as neurological and renal disease; it is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide. Four genotypes are responsible for most infection in humans, of which HEV genotypes 1 and 2 are obligate human pathogens and HEV genotypes 3 and 4 are mostly zoonotic. Until quite recently, HEV was considered to be mainly responsible for epidemics of acute hepatitis in developing regions owing to contamination of drinking water supplies with human faeces. However, HEV is increasingly being recognized as endemic in some developed regions. In this setting, infections occur through zoonotic transmission or contaminated blood products and can cause chronic hepatitis in immunocompromised individuals. HEV infections can be diagnosed by measuring anti-HEV antibodies, HEV RNA or viral capsid antigen in blood or stool. Although an effective HEV vaccine exists, it is only licensed for use in China. Acute hepatitis E is usually self-limiting and does not require specific treatment. Management of immunocompromised individuals involves lowering the dose of immunosuppressive drugs and/or treatment with the antiviral agent ribavirin.

325 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It was concluded that the morphology of marine microplastic was much altered and that an unambiguous shortening of the polymer chains took place even for this supposedly robust and inert polymer.

280 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The main features of ICI–ILD are reported with a focus on clinical presentation, radiological patterns and therapeutic strategies, and oncologists need to diagnose and adequately treat this adverse event.
Abstract: Immunotherapy is becoming a standard of care for many cancers. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) can generate immune-related adverse events. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) has been identified as a rare but potentially severe event.Between December 2015 and April 2016, we conducted a retrospective study in centres experienced in ICI use. We report the main features of ICI-ILD with a focus on clinical presentation, radiological patterns and therapeutic strategies.We identified 64 (3.5%) out of 1826 cancer patients with ICI-ILD. Patients mainly received programmed cell death-1 inhibitors. ILD usually occurred in males, and former or current smokers, with a median age of 59 years. We observed 65.6% grade 2/3 severity, 9.4% grade 4 severity and 9.4% fatal ILD. The median (range) time from initiation of immunotherapy to ILD was 2.3 (0.2-27.4) months. Onset tended to occur earlier in lung cancer versus melanoma: median 2.1 and 5.2 months, respectively (p=0.02). Ground-glass opacities (81.3%) were the predominant lesions, followed by consolidations (53.1%). Organising pneumonia (23.4%) and hypersensitivity pneumonitis (15.6%) were the most common patterns. Overall survival at 6 months was 58.1% (95% CI 37.7-73.8%).ICI-ILD often occurs early and displays suggestive radiological features. As there is no clearly identified risk factor, oncologists need to diagnose and adequately treat this adverse event.

275 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors performed a randomized controlled trial to determine the effects of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) with stents covered with polytetrafluoroethylene in these patients.

273 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The study indicated that the bacteria inhabiting plastics harboured distinct metabolisms from those present in the surrounding water, and the metabolic pathway involved in xenobiotic degradation was overrepresented on the plastic surface.

258 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A global database of 108753 trees for which stem diameter, height and crown diameter have all been measured is compiled and it is found that a single equation predicts stem diameter from these two variables across the world's forests.
Abstract: Remote sensing is revolutionizing the way we study forests, and recent technological advances mean we are now able - for the first time - to identify and measure the crown dimensions of individual trees from airborne imagery. Yet to make full use of these data for quantifying forest carbon stocks and dynamics, a new generation of allometric tools which have tree height and crown size at their centre are needed. Here, we compile a global database of 108753 trees for which stem diameter, height and crown diameter have all been measured, including 2395 trees harvested to measure aboveground biomass. Using this database, we develop general allometric models for estimating both the diameter and aboveground biomass of trees from attributes which can be remotely sensed - specifically height and crown diameter. We show that tree height and crown diameter jointly quantify the aboveground biomass of individual trees and find that a single equation predicts stem diameter from these two variables across the world's forests. These new allometric models provide an intuitive way of integrating remote sensing imagery into large-scale forest monitoring programmes and will be of key importance for parameterizing the next generation of dynamic vegetation models.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Clinical trials with anti-angiogenic drugs, mainly anti-VEGF/VEGFR, used in anti-cancer therapy show cardiovascular adverse effects, and require additional investigations.
Abstract: Atherosclerosis is a multifocal alteration of the vascular wall of medium and large arteries characterized by a local accumulation of cholesterol and non-resolving inflammation. Atherothrombotic complications are the leading cause of disability and mortality in western countries. Neovascularization in atherosclerotic lesions plays a major role in plaque growth and instability. The angiogenic process is mediated by classical angiogenic factors and by additional factors specific to atherosclerotic angiogenesis. In addition to its role in plaque progression, neovascularization may take part in plaque destabilization and thromboembolic events. Anti-angiogenic agents are effective to reduce atherosclerosis progression in various animal models. However, clinical trials with anti-angiogenic drugs, mainly anti-VEGF/VEGFR, used in anti-cancer therapy show cardiovascular adverse effects, and require additional investigations.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Anthropocene Working Group on the Anthropocene (AWG for Anthropocene) has been critically analysing the case for formalization of this proposed but still informal geological time unit as discussed by the authors, and a preliminary summary of evidence and interim recommendations was presented by the Working Group at the 35th International Geological Congress in Cape Town, South Africa in August 2016, together with results of voting by members of the AWG indicating the current balance of opinion on major questions surrounding the anthropocene.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an R package designed to compute both AGB/AGC estimate and its associated uncertainty from forest plot datasets, using a Bayesian inference procedure.
Abstract: 1. Estimating forest above-ground biomass (AGB), or carbon (AGC), in tropical forests has become a major concern for scientists and stakeholders. However, AGB assessment procedures are not fully standardized and even more importantly the uncertainty associated with AGB estimates is seldom assessed. 2. Here, we present an R package designed to compute both AGB/AGC estimate and its associated uncertainty from forest plot datasets, using a Bayesian inference procedure. The package builds upon previous work on pantropical and regional biomass allometric equations and published datasets by default but it can also integrate unpublished or complementary datasets in many steps. 3. BIOMASS performs a number of standard tasks on input forest tree inventories: i) tree species identification, if available, is automatically corrected; ii) wood density is estimated from tree species identity; iii) if height data are available, a local height-diameter allometry may be built; else height is inferred from pantropical or regional models; iv) finally, AGB/AGC are estimated by propagating the errors associated with all the calculation steps up to the final estimate. R code is given in the paper and in the appendix for illustration purpose. 4. The BIOMASS package should contribute to improved standards for AGB calculation for tropical forest stands, and will encourage users to report the uncertainties associated with stand-level AGB/AGC estimates in future studies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Both animal and human epidemiological studies support the idea that air pollutants cause defects during gametogenesis leading to a drop in reproductive capacities in exposed populations.
Abstract: Air pollution is involved in many pathologies. These pollutants act through several mechanisms that can affect numerous physiological functions, including reproduction: as endocrine disruptors or reactive oxygen species inducers, and through the formation of DNA adducts and/or epigenetic modifications. We conducted a systematic review of the published literature on the impact of air pollution on reproductive function. Eligible studies were selected from an electronic literature search from the PUBMED database from January 2000 to February 2016 and associated references in published studies. Search terms included (1) ovary or follicle or oocyte or testis or testicular or sperm or spermatozoa or fertility or infertility and (2) air quality or O3 or NO2 or PM2.5 or diesel or SO2 or traffic or PM10 or air pollution or air pollutants. The literature search was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We have included the human and animal studies corresponding to the search terms and published in English. We have excluded articles whose results did not concern fertility or gamete function and those focused on cancer or allergy. We have also excluded genetic, auto-immune or iatrogenic causes of reduced reproduction function from our analysis. Finally, we have excluded animal data that does not concern mammals and studies based on results from in vitro culture. Data have been grouped according to the studied pollutants in order to synthetize their impact on fertility and the molecular pathways involved. Both animal and human epidemiological studies support the idea that air pollutants cause defects during gametogenesis leading to a drop in reproductive capacities in exposed populations. Air quality has an impact on overall health as well as on the reproductive function, so increased awareness of environmental protection issues is needed among the general public and the authorities.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work presents the functional traits that have already been used to assess the key functions played by fish and highlights how a trait-based framework could provide valuable insights on the mechanistic links between global changes, functional diversity of fish assemblages, and ecosystem services.
Abstract: Fish communities face increasing anthropogenic pressures in freshwater and marine ecosystems that modify their biodiversity and threaten the services they supply to human populations. To address these issues, studies have been increasingly focusing on functions of fish that are linked to their main ecological roles in aquatic ecosystems. Fish are indeed known to control other organisms through predation, mediate nutrient fluxes, and can act as ecosystem engineers. Here for each of the key functions played by fish, we present the functional traits that have already been used to assess them. We include traits measurable from observations on living individuals, morphological features measured on preserved organisms or traits categorized using information from the literature, and we discuss their respective advantages and limitations. We then list future research directions to foster a more complete functional approach for fish ecology that needs to incorporate functional traits describing, food provisioning and cultural services while accounting more frequently for intraspecific variability. Finally, we highlight ecological and evolutionary questions that could be addressed using meta-analyses of large trait databases, and how a trait-based framework could provide valuable insights on the mechanistic links between global changes, functional diversity of fish assemblages, and ecosystem services.

Journal ArticleDOI
Martin J. P. Sullivan1, Joey Talbot1, Simon L. Lewis2, Simon L. Lewis1, Oliver L. Phillips1, Lan Qie1, Serge K. Begne1, Serge K. Begne3, Jérôme Chave4, Aida Cuni-Sanchez2, Wannes Hubau1, Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez1, Lera Miles5, Abel Monteagudo-Mendoza6, Bonaventure Sonké3, Terry Sunderland7, Terry Sunderland8, Hans ter Steege9, Hans ter Steege10, Lee J. T. White11, Kofi Affum-Baffoe12, Shin-ichiro Aiba13, Everton Cristo de Almeida14, Edmar Almeida de Oliveira15, Patricia Alvarez-Loayza16, Esteban Alvarez Dávila, Ana Andrade17, Luiz E. O. C. Aragão18, Peter S. Ashton19, Gerardo A. Aymard C, Timothy R. Baker1, Michael Balinga8, Lindsay F. Banin, Christopher Baraloto20, Jean-François Bastin, Nicholas J. Berry21, Jan Bogaert22, Damien Bonal23, Frans Bongers24, Roel J. W. Brienen1, José Luís Camargo17, Carlos Cerón25, Victor Chama Moscoso6, Eric Chezeaux, Connie J. Clark16, Alvaro Cogollo Pacheco, James A. Comiskey26, James A. Comiskey27, Fernando Cornejo Valverde28, Eurídice N. Honorio Coronado28, Greta C. Dargie1, Stuart J. Davies29, Charles De Cannière30, Marie Noel Djuikouo K.31, Jean-Louis Doucet22, Terry L. Erwin27, Javier Silva Espejo6, Corneille E. N. Ewango32, Sophie Fauset33, Sophie Fauset1, Ted R. Feldpausch18, Rafael Herrera34, Rafael Herrera35, Martin Gilpin1, Emanuel Gloor1, Jefferson S. Hall29, David Harris36, Terese B. Hart37, Kuswata Kartawinata38, Lip Khoon Kho39, Kanehiro Kitayama40, Susan G. Laurance7, William F. Laurance7, Miguel E. Leal32, Thomas E. Lovejoy41, Jon C. Lovett1, Faustin Mpanya Lukasu42, Jean-Remy Makana32, Yadvinder Malhi43, Leandro Maracahipes44, Beatriz Schwantes Marimon15, Ben Hur Marimon Junior15, Andrew R. Marshall45, Paulo S. Morandi15, John Tshibamba Mukendi42, Jaques Mukinzi32, Reuben Nilus, Percy Núñez Vargas6, Nadir Pallqui Camacho6, Guido Pardo, Marielos Peña-Claros24, Pascal Petronelli, Georgia Pickavance1, Axel Dalberg Poulsen37, John R. Poulsen16, Richard B. Primack46, H. Priyadi47, H. Priyadi8, Carlos A. Quesada17, Jan Reitsma, Maxime Réjou-Méchain4, Zorayda Restrepo, Ervan Rutishauser, Kamariah Abu Salim48, Rafael de Paiva Salomão49, Ismayadi Samsoedin50, Douglas Sheil8, Douglas Sheil51, Rodrigo Sierra, Marcos Silveira52, J. W. Ferry Slik, Lisa Steel53, Hermann Taedoumg3, Sylvester Tan19, John Terborgh16, Sean C. Thomas54, Marisol Toledo, Peter M. Umunay55, Luis Valenzuela Gamarra, Ima Célia Guimarães Vieira49, Vincent A. Vos, Ophelia Wang56, Simon Willcock57, Simon Willcock58, Lise Zemagho3 
University of Leeds1, University College London2, University of Yaoundé I3, Paul Sabatier University4, United Nations Environment Programme5, National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot in Cuzco6, James Cook University7, Center for International Forestry Research8, Utrecht University9, Naturalis10, University of Stirling11, Forestry Commission12, Kagoshima University13, Federal University of Western Pará14, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso15, Duke University16, National Institute of Amazonian Research17, University of Exeter18, Harvard University19, Florida International University20, University of Edinburgh21, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech22, Institut national de la recherche agronomique23, Wageningen University and Research Centre24, Central University of Ecuador25, National Park Service26, Smithsonian Institution27, Amazon.com28, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute29, Université libre de Bruxelles30, University of Buea31, Wildlife Conservation Society32, State University of Campinas33, Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research34, University of Vienna35, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh36, American Museum of Natural History37, Indonesian Institute of Sciences38, Malaysian Palm Oil Board39, Kyoto University40, George Mason University41, University of Kisangani42, University of Oxford43, Universidade Federal de Goiás44, University of York45, Boston University46, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences47, Universiti Brunei Darussalam48, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi49, Ministry of Forestry50, Norwegian University of Life Sciences51, Universidade Federal do Acre52, World Wide Fund for Nature53, University of Toronto54, Yale University55, Northern Arizona University56, University of Southampton57, Bangor University58
TL;DR: In this article, a pan-tropical dataset of 360 plots located in structurally intact old-growth closed-canopy forest, surveyed using standardised methods, allowing a multi-scale evaluation of diversity-carbon relationships in tropical forests.
Abstract: Tropical forests are global centres of biodiversity and carbon storage. Many tropical countries aspire to protect forest to fulfil biodiversity and climate mitigation policy targets, but the conservation strategies needed to achieve these two functions depend critically on the tropical forest tree diversity-carbon storage relationship. Assessing this relationship is challenging due to the scarcity of inventories where carbon stocks in aboveground biomass and species identifications have been simultaneously and robustly quantified. Here, we compile a unique pan-tropical dataset of 360 plots located in structurally intact old-growth closed-canopy forest, surveyed using standardised methods, allowing a multi-scale evaluation of diversity-carbon relationships in tropical forests. Diversity-carbon relationships among all plots at 1 ha scale across the tropics are absent, and within continents are either weak (Asia) or absent (Amazonia, Africa). A weak positive relationship is detectable within 1 ha plots, indicating that diversity effects in tropical forests may be scale dependent. The absence of clear diversity-carbon relationships at scales relevant to conservation planning means that carbon-centred conservation strategies will inevitably miss many high diversity ecosystems. As tropical forests can have any combination of tree diversity and carbon stocks both require explicit consideration when optimising policies to manage tropical carbon and biodiversity.

Journal ArticleDOI
03 Nov 2017-Science
TL;DR: It is shown that individuals at Sunghir derive from a population of small effective size, with limited kinship and levels of inbreeding similar to HG populations, suggesting that Upper Paleolithic social organization was similar to that of living HGs, withlimited relatedness within residential groups embedded in a larger mating network.
Abstract: Present-day hunter-gatherers (HGs) live in multilevel social groups essential to sustain a population structure characterized by limited levels of within-band relatedness and inbreeding. When these wider social networks evolved among HGs is unknown. To investigate whether the contemporary HG strategy was already present in the Upper Paleolithic, we used complete genome sequences from Sunghir, a site dated to ~34,000 years before the present, containing multiple anatomically modern human individuals. We show that individuals at Sunghir derive from a population of small effective size, with limited kinship and levels of inbreeding similar to HG populations. Our findings suggest that Upper Paleolithic social organization was similar to that of living HGs, with limited relatedness within residential groups embedded in a larger mating network.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that Coulombic ordering reduces when the pores can only accommodate a single layer of ions, and equally-charged ion pairs are formed due to the induction of an electric potential of opposite sign in the carbon pore walls.
Abstract: Ionic liquids are composed of equal quantities of positive and negative ions. In the bulk, electrical neutrality occurs in these liquids due to Coulombic ordering, in which ion shells of alternating charge form around a central ion. Their structure under confinement is far less well understood. This hinders the widespread application of ionic liquids in technological applications. Here we use scattering experiments to resolve the structure of a widely used ionic liquid (EMI–TFSI) when it is confined inside nanoporous carbons. We show that Coulombic ordering reduces when the pores can accommodate only a single layer of ions. Instead, equally charged ion pairs are formed due to the induction of an electric potential of opposite sign in the carbon pore walls. This non-Coulombic ordering is further enhanced in the presence of an applied external electric potential. This finding opens the door for the design of better materials for electrochemical applications.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Expanded‐Baveno VI criteria performed well in patients with cACLD with hepatitis C virus and alcoholic and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and would potentially spare more endoscopies than the original criteria with a minimal risk of missing VNT in most of the main etiologies of cAC LD.


Journal ArticleDOI
06 Jan 2017-Science
TL;DR: Nuclear spectroscopy data acquired by NASA’s Dawn mission determined the concentrations of elemental hydrogen, iron, and potassium on Ceres, and show that surface materials were processed by the action of water within the interior, confirming theoretical predictions that ice can survive for billions of years just beneath the surface.
Abstract: The surface elemental composition of dwarf planet Ceres constrains its regolith ice content, aqueous alteration processes, and interior evolution. Using nuclear spectroscopy data acquired by NASA’s Dawn mission, we determined the concentrations of elemental hydrogen, iron, and potassium on Ceres. The data show that surface materials were processed by the action of water within the interior. The non-icy portion of Ceres’ carbon-bearing regolith contains similar amounts of hydrogen to those present in aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites; however, the concentration of iron on Ceres is lower than in the aforementioned chondrites. This allows for the possibility that Ceres experienced modest ice-rock fractionation, resulting in differences between surface and bulk composition. At mid-to-high latitudes, the regolith contains high concentrations of hydrogen, consistent with broad expanses of water ice, confirming theoretical predictions that ice can survive for billions of years just beneath the surface.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 May 2017-Gut
TL;DR: It is identified that insulin resistance in the high-fat fed mouse is enhanced by pathogen-induced periodontitis, caused by an adaptive immune response specifically directed against pathogens and associated with a periodontal dysbiosis.
Abstract: Objective To identify a causal mechanism responsible for the enhancement of insulin resistance and hyperglycaemia following periodontitis in mice fed a fat-enriched diet. Design We set-up a unique animal model of periodontitis in C57Bl/6 female mice by infecting the periodontal tissue with specific and alive pathogens like Porphyromonas gingivalis ( Pg ), Fusobacterium nucleatum and Prevotella intermedia . The mice were then fed with a diabetogenic/non-obesogenic fat-enriched diet for up to 3 months. Alveolar bone loss, periodontal microbiota dysbiosis and features of glucose metabolism were quantified. Eventually, adoptive transfer of cervical (regional) and systemic immune cells was performed to demonstrate the causal role of the cervical immune system. Results Periodontitis induced a periodontal microbiota dysbiosis without mainly affecting gut microbiota. The disease concomitantly impacted on the regional and systemic immune response impairing glucose metabolism. The transfer of cervical lymph-node cells from infected mice to naive recipients guarded against periodontitis-aggravated metabolic disease. A treatment with inactivated Pg prior to the periodontal infection induced specific antibodies against Pg and protected the mouse from periodontitis-induced dysmetabolism. Finally, a 1-month subcutaneous chronic infusion of low rates of lipopolysaccharides from Pg mimicked the impact of periodontitis on immune and metabolic parameters. Conclusions We identified that insulin resistance in the high-fat fed mouse is enhanced by pathogen-induced periodontitis. This is caused by an adaptive immune response specifically directed against pathogens and associated with a periodontal dysbiosis.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In animal models, a specific set of ileum bacteria impairing the GLP-1-activated gut-brain axis for the control of insulin secretion and gastric emptying is identified and identified bacterial pathways related to amino acid metabolism and transport system modules associated to GLp-1 resistance.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The data highlight the pathogenetic importance of this interaction and indicts EPHB4-RAS-ERK signaling pathway as a major cause for AVMs.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Most arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are localized and occur sporadically. However, they also can be multifocal in autosomal-dominant disorders, such as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and capillary malformation (CM)-AVM. Previously, we identified RASA1 mutations in 50% of patients with CM-AVM. Herein we studied non-RASA1 patients to further elucidate the pathogenicity of CMs and AVMs. METHODS: We conducted a genome-wide linkage study on a CM-AVM family. Whole-exome sequencing was also performed on 9 unrelated CM-AVM families. We identified a candidate gene and screened it in a large series of patients. The influence of several missense variants on protein function was also studied in vitro. RESULTS: We found evidence for linkage in 2 loci. Whole-exome sequencing data unraveled 4 distinct damaging variants in EPHB4 in 5 families that cosegregated with CM-AVM. Overall, screening of EPHB4 detected 47 distinct mutations in 54 index patients: 27 led to a premature stop codon or splice-site alteration, suggesting loss of function. The other 20 are nonsynonymous variants that result in amino acid substitutions. In vitro expression of several mutations confirmed loss of function of EPHB4. The clinical features included multifocal CMs, telangiectasias, and AVMs. CONCLUSIONS: We found EPHB4 mutations in patients with multifocal CMs associated with AVMs. The phenotype, CM-AVM2, mimics RASA1-related CM-AVM1 and also hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. RASA1-encoded p120RASGAP is a direct effector of EPHB4. Our data highlight the pathogenetic importance of this interaction and indicts EPHB4-RAS-ERK signaling pathway as a major cause for AVMs.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This dataset represents a comprehensive resource of sponge-associated microbial communities based on 16S rRNA gene sequences that can be used to address overarching hypotheses regarding host-associated prokaryotes, including host specificity, convergent evolution, environmental drivers of microbiome structure, and the sponge- associated rare biosphere.
Abstract: Marine sponges (phylum Porifera) are a diverse, phylogenetically deep-branching clade known for forming intimate partnerships with complex communities of microorganisms. To date, 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies have largely utilised different extraction and amplification methodologies to target the microbial communities of a limited number of sponge species, severely limiting comparative analyses of sponge microbial diversity and structure. Here, we provide an extensive and standardised dataset that will facilitate sponge microbiome comparisons across large spatial, temporal, and environmental scales. Samples from marine sponges (n = 3569 specimens), seawater (n = 370), marine sediments (n = 65) and other environments (n = 29) were collected from different locations across the globe. This dataset incorporates at least 268 different sponge species, including several yet unidentified taxa. The V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced from extracted DNA using standardised procedures. Raw sequences (total of 1.1 billion sequences) were processed and clustered with (i) a standard protocol using QIIME closed-reference picking resulting in 39 543 operational taxonomic units (OTU) at 97% sequence identity, (ii) a de novo clustering using Mothur resulting in 518 246 OTUs, and (iii) a new high-resolution Deblur protocol resulting in 83 908 unique bacterial sequences. Abundance tables, representative sequences, taxonomic classifications, and metadata are provided. This dataset represents a comprehensive resource of sponge-associated microbial communities based on 16S rRNA gene sequences that can be used to address overarching hypotheses regarding host-associated prokaryotes, including host specificity, convergent evolution, environmental drivers of microbiome structure, and the sponge-associated rare biosphere.

Journal ArticleDOI
28 Apr 2017-Science
TL;DR: Early domestication selection patterns supporting the neural crest hypothesis are found, which provides a unified developmental origin for common domestic traits and reveals that Iron Age Scythian steppe nomads implemented breeding strategies involving no detectable inbreeding and selection for coat-color variation and robust forelimbs.
Abstract: The genomic changes underlying both early and late stages of horse domestication remain largely unknown. We examined the genomes of 14 early domestic horses from the Bronze and Iron Ages, dating to between ~4.1 and 2.3 thousand years before present. We find early domestication selection patterns supporting the neural crest hypothesis, which provides a unified developmental origin for common domestic traits. Within the past 2.3 thousand years, horses lost genetic diversity and archaic DNA tracts introgressed from a now-extinct lineage. They accumulated deleterious mutations later than expected under the cost-of-domestication hypothesis, probably because of breeding from limited numbers of stallions. We also reveal that Iron Age Scythian steppe nomads implemented breeding strategies involving no detectable inbreeding and selection for coat-color variation and robust forelimbs.

Journal ArticleDOI
09 Jun 2017-Science
TL;DR: Xenon isotope ratios in a comet demonstrate that some of Earth’s atmosphere comes from impacting comets, which constrains the amount of other materials delivered to the authors' planet by comets.
Abstract: The origin of cometary matter and the potential contribution of comets to inner-planet atmospheres are long-standing problems. During a series of dedicated low-altitude orbits, the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) on the Rosetta spacecraft analyzed the isotopes of xenon in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The xenon isotopic composition shows deficits in heavy xenon isotopes and matches that of a primordial atmospheric component. The present-day Earth atmosphere contains 22 ± 5% cometary xenon, in addition to chondritic (or solar) xenon.

Journal ArticleDOI
29 Nov 2017
TL;DR: The scale and extent of the physical technosphere, defined here as the summed material output of the contemporary human enterprise, has been assessed in this article, which suggests a technosphere mass of approximately 30 trillion tonnes (Tt).
Abstract: We assess the scale and extent of the physical technosphere, defined here as the summed material output of the contemporary human enterprise. It includes active urban, agricultural and marine components, used to sustain energy and material flow for current human life, and a growing residue layer, currently only in small part recycled back into the active component. Preliminary estimates suggest a technosphere mass of approximately 30 trillion tonnes (Tt), which helps support a human biomass that, despite recent growth, is ~5 orders of magnitude smaller. The physical technosphere includes a large, rapidly growing diversity of complex objects that are potential trace fossils or ‘technofossils’. If assessed on palaeontological criteria, technofossil diversity already exceeds known estimates of biological diversity as measured by richness, far exceeds recognized fossil diversity, and may exceed total biological diversity through Earth’s history. The rapid transformation of much of Earth’s surface mass into th...

Journal ArticleDOI
10 Mar 2017-ACS Nano
TL;DR: The demonstration that the interlayer spacings of MXenes can be fine-tuned by creating pillared structures based on the spontaneous intercalation of surfactants opens new perspectives in the field of electrochemical energy storage.
Abstract: In this issue of ACS Nano, Luo et al. report the preparation of pillared two-dimensional (2D) Ti3C2 MXenes with controllable interlayer spacings between 1 and 2.708 nm. These materials were further intercalated by ion exchange with Sn(+IV) ions. The results show improved electrochemical performance due to improved ion accessibility into the 2D structure as well as the confinement effect, which limits volume expansion during the Li-alloying reaction. Beyond this specific example, the demonstration that the interlayer spacings of MXenes can be fine-tuned by creating pillared structures based on the spontaneous intercalation of surfactants opens new perspectives in the field of electrochemical energy storage.