scholarly journals Evidence for extensive anaerobic dechlorination and transformation of the pesticide chlordecone (C10Cl10O) by indigenous microbes in microcosms from Guadeloupe soil

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Line Lomheim ◽  
Laurent Laquitaine ◽  
Suly Rambinaising ◽  
Robert Flick ◽  
Andrei Starostine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
West Indies ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Microbial Community Analysis ◽  
French West Indies ◽  
Parent Molecule ◽  
Field Samples ◽  
Anaerobic Dechlorination ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTChlordecone (C10Cl10O) is a bishomocubane molecule, that has been used as pesticide, in many countries in Europe, America, and Africa, from the 1960’s to 1990’s. In the French West Indies, the historic use of chlordecone to control banana weevil infestations has resulted in pollution of large land areas. Although currently banned, chlordecone persists because it adsorbs strongly to soil and its complex structure is stable, particularly under aerobic conditions. A leaching model established that CLD pollution will last in French west indies soils several decades to half a millennium depending on soil type. However, abiotic chemical transformation catalyzed by reduced vitamin B12 has been shown to break down chlordecone by opening the cage structure to produce C9 polychloroindenes, and more recently these C9 polychloroindenes were also observed as products of anaerobic microbiological transformation byCitrobacter. To assess the potential for bioremediation, the anaerobic biotransformation of chlordecone by microbes native to soils from the French West Indies was investigated. Anaerobic microcosms were constructed from chlordecone impacted Guadeloupe soil and sludge to mimic natural attenuation and eletron donor-stimulated reductive dechlorination. Original microcosms and transfers were incubated over a period of 8 years, during which they were repeatedly amended with chlordecone and electron donor (ethanol and acetone). Using LC/MS, chlordecone and degradation products were detected in all the biologically active microcosms. Observed products in active incubations included monohydro-, dihydro- and trihydrochlordecone derivatives (C10Cl10−nO2Hn, n= 1,2,3), as well as “open cage” C9 polychloroindene compounds (C9Cl5−nH3+n, n=0,1,2) and C10 carboxylated polychloroindene derivatives (C10Cl4−nO2H4+n, n=0−3). Products with as many as 9 chlorine atoms removed were detected. These products were not observed in sterile incubations. Chlordecone concentrations decreased in active microcosms as concentrations of products increased, indicating that anaerobic dechlorination processes have occurred. An crude estimation of partitioning coefficients between soil and water showed that carboxylated intermediates sorb poorly, and as a consequence may be flushed away while polychlorinated indenes sorb strongly to soil. Microbial community analysis in microcosms showed enrichment of anaerobic fermenting and acetogenic microbes possibly involved in anaerobic chlordecone biotransformation. It thus should be possible to stimuilate anaerobic dechlorination through donor amendment to contaminated soils, particularly as some metabolites (in particular pentachloroindene) were already detected in field samples as a result of intrinsic processes. Extensive dechlorination in the microcosms, with evidence for up to 9 Cl atoms removed from the parent molecule is game-changing, giving hope to the possibility of using bioremediation to reduce the impact of CLD contamination.

scholarly journals How Would the Potential Collapse of the Cumbre Vieja Volcano in La Palma Canary Islands Impact the Guadeloupe Islands? Insights into the Consequences of Climate Change

Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Gael E. Arnaud ◽  
Yann Krien ◽  
Stéphane Abadie ◽  
Narcisse Zahibo ◽  
Bernard Dudon
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Canary Islands ◽  
West Indies ◽  
Subduction Zones ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
French West Indies ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
La Palma ◽  
Cumbre Vieja ◽  
The Impact

Tsunamis are among the deadliest threats to coastal areas as reminded by the recent tragic events in the Indian Ocean in 2004 and in Japan in 2011. A large number of tropical islands are indeed exposed due to their proximity to potential tsunami sources in tectonic subduction zones. For these territories, assessing tsunamis’ impact is of major concern for early warning systems and management plans. The effectiveness of inundation predictions relies, among other things, on processes engaged at the scale of the local bathymetry and topography. As part of the project C3AF that aimed to study the consequences of climate change on the French West Indies, we used the numerical model SCHISM to simulate the propagation of several potential tsunamis as well as their impacts on the Guadeloupe islands (French West Indies). Working from the findings of the most recent studies, we used the simulations of four scenarios of collapse of the Cumbre Vieja volcano in La Palma, Canary islands. We then used FUNWAVE-TVD to simulate trans-Atlantic wave propagation until they reached the Guadeloupe archipelago where we used SCHISM to assess their final impact. Inundation is quantified for the whole archipelago and detailed for the most exposed areas. Finally, in a climate change perspective, inundation is compared for different sea levels and degrees of vegetation cover deterioration using modified friction coefficients. We then discuss the results showing that climate change-related factors would amplify the impact more in the case of smaller inundation along with model limitations and assumptions.

La brume de poussières sahariennes aux Antilles françaises et en Guyane

2020 ◽  
pp. 034
Author(s):  
Julien Cottereau
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
West Indies ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
French West Indies ◽  
Climate Oscillations ◽  
Desert Dust ◽  
Operational Forecasting ◽  
The Impact

Devant l'importance des enjeux en termes de climat, de santé publique ou d'activités économiques, la brume de poussières fait l'objet d'un intérêt croissant avec de nombreuses recherches menées depuis maintenant plusieurs décennies. Les régions ultramarines françaises des Antilles et de la Guyane sont particulièrement exposées aux poussières désertiques issues du Sahara. Celles-ci sont composées de divers éléments, notamment minéraux, pouvant favoriser les impacts sanitaires néfastes de certains virus et bactéries. La brume de poussières revêt un intérêt particulier dans la prévision opérationnelle, en raison de son rôle sur la convection atmosphérique, dont la compréhension, l'observation et la modélisation nécessitent d'être approfondies. Nous mettons en exergue la fréquence de ce phénomène aux Antilles et en Guyane, dépendant majoritairement de la variabilité naturelle du climat et des oscillations climatiques, mais pouvant également être en partie lié à l'impact de certaines activités humaines (comme la désertification). Given its importance in terms of climate, public health or economic activities, dust haze is subject to a growing interest with a lot of research carried out for several decades now. The French overseas regions of the Antilles and Guyana are particularly exposed to desert dust from the Sahara, which carries various elements, in particular minerals, and can favour the harmful health impacts of certain viruses and bacteria. Dust haze is of particular interest in operational forecasting because of its role in convection, which requires further understanding, observation and modeling. Through this article, we highlight the frequency of this phenomenon in the French West Indies and Guyana, depending mainly on the natural variability of climate and the climate oscillations, but which can also be partly linked to the impact of certain human activities (such as desertification).

‘Colonial livery’ and the chemise à la reine, 1779–1784

Costume ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Ashelford
Keyword(s):  
West Indies ◽  
Jane Austen ◽  
French West Indies ◽  
Cotton Industry ◽  
Saint Domingue ◽  
Marie Antoinette ◽  
White Elite

When Jane Austen wrote in January 1801 that ‘Mrs Powlett was at once expensively and nakedly dressed’, the fashion for muslin dresses had existed for some eighteen years. This article examines the crucial period between 1779 and 1784 when the muslin garment, which became known as the chemise à la reine, was developed and refined. Originating in the French West Indies, the gaulle was the ‘colonial livery’ worn by the wives of the white elite, the ‘grands blancs’, and first appeared as a costume in a ballet performed in Paris in 1779. The version worn by Queen Marie Antoinette in Vigée Le Brun's controversial portrait of 1783 provoked, according to the Baron de Frénilly, ‘a revolution in dress’ which eventually destabilized society. The article focuses on the role played by Saint-Domingue, France's most valuable overseas possession, in the transference of the gaulle from colonial to metropolitan fashion, and how the colony became one of the major providers of unprocessed cotton to the French cotton industry.

Experimental Study of the Impact of Alisma plantago-aquatica Secretions on Pathogenic Bacteria

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-7
Author(s):  
O. Zhukorskyy ◽  
O. Hulay
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Initial Density ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Erysipelothrix Rhusiopathiae ◽  
Natural Focus ◽  
Test Species ◽  
Popula Tions ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Aim. To estimate the impact of in vivo secretions of water plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica) on the popula- tions of pathogenic bacteria Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. Methods. The plants were isolated from their natural conditions, the roots were washed from the substrate residues and cultivated in laboratory conditions for 10 days to heal the damage. Then the water was changed; seven days later the selected samples were sterilized using fi lters with 0.2 μm pore diameter. The dilution of water plantain root diffusates in the experimental samples was 1:10–1:10,000. The initial density of E. rhusiopathiae bacteria populations was the same for both experimental and control samples. The estimation of the results was conducted 48 hours later. Results. When the dilution of root diffusates was 1:10, the density of erysipelothrixes in the experimental samples was 11.26 times higher than that of the control, on average, the dilution of 1:100 − 6.16 times higher, 1:1000 – 3.22 times higher, 1:10,000 – 1.81 times higher, respectively. Conclusions. The plants of A. plantago-aquatica species are capable of affecting the populations of E. rhusiopathiae pathogenic bacteria via the secretion of biologically active substances into the environment. The consequences of this interaction are positive for the abovementioned bacteria, which is demon- strated by the increase in the density of their populations in the experiment compared to the control. The intensity of the stimulating effect on the populations of E. rhusiopathiae in the root diffusates of A. plantago-aquatica is re- ciprocally dependent on the degree of their dilution. The investigated impact of water plantain on erysipelothrixes should be related to the topical type of biocenotic connections, the formation of which between the test species in the ecosystems might promote maintaining the potential of natural focus of rabies. Keywords: Alisma plantago-aquatica, in vivo secretions, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, population density, topical type of connections.

Innovative approaches to the correction of chronotrope status of pregnant and lactating women

2016 ◽  
pp. 37-40
Author(s):  
S.I. Zhuk ◽  
◽  
K.K. Bondarenko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Active Form ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Lactating Women ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Prevention And Treatment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
High Bioavailability ◽  
Key Words Mthfr

Most recent studies show the impact of violations in the metabolism of folate and metin period in the pathogenesis of neural tube defects (NTD) of the fetus. Metafolin has a number of advantages, which primarily includes direct intake of substances in biologically active form and the optimum effect, even in the case when the patient homozygote and/or heterozygote genotype 677С T polymorphism in MTHFR. With the aim of prevention and treatment of various pathological conditions related to folate deficiency during pregnancy, it is advisable to apply vitamin-mineral complexes, containing metafolin - active form of folate with high bioavailability. Key words: MTHFR, metafolin, folic acid, pregnancy.

The Impact of Bioconjugation on the Interfacial Activity of a Protein Biosurfactant

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossam H Tayeb ◽  
Marina Stienecker ◽  
Anton Middelberg ◽  
Frank Sainsbury
Keyword(s):  
Polyethylene Glycol ◽  
Colloidal Stability ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Pharmaceutical Formulations ◽  
Industrial Processes ◽  
Parent Molecule ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Interfacial Activity ◽  
Surface Active ◽  
The Impact

Biosurfactants, are surface active molecules that can be produced by renewable, industrially scalable biologic processes. DAMP4, a designer biosurfactant, enables the modification of interfaces via genetic or chemical fusion to functional moieties. However, bioconjugation of addressable amines introduces heterogeneity that limits the precision of functionalization as well as the resolution of interfacial characterization. Here we designed DAMP4 variants with cysteine point mutations to allow for site-specific bioconjugation. The DAMP4 variants were shown to retain the structural stability and interfacial activity characteristic of the parent molecule, while permitting efficient and specific conjugation of polyethylene glycol (PEG). PEGylation results in a considerable reduction on the interfacial activity of both single and double mutants. Comparison of conjugates with one or two conjugation sites shows that both the number of conjugates as well as the mass of conjugated material impacts the interfacial activity of DAMP4. As a result, the ability of DAMP4 variants with multiple PEG conjugates to impart colloidal stability on peptide-stabilized emulsions is reduced. We suggest that this is due to constraints on the structure of amphiphilic helices at the interface. Specific and efficient bioconjugation permits the exploration and investigation of the interfacial properties of designer protein biosurfactants with molecular precision. Our findings should therefore inform the design and modification of biosurfactants for their increasing use in industrial processes, and nutritional and pharmaceutical formulations.

Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Bark and Leaf Extracts of Cupressus sempervirens and Juniperus phoenicea Grown in Al- Jabel Al-Akhdar Region, Libya

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 268-279
Author(s):  
Mohamed E.I. Badawy ◽  
Ibrahim E.A. Kherallah ◽  
Ahmed S.O. Mohareb ◽  
Mohamed. Z.M. Salem ◽  
Hameda A. Yousef
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Plant Extracts ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Cupressus Sempervirens ◽  
Leaf Extracts ◽  
Juniperus Phoenicea ◽  
The Impact

Background:Plant extracts are important products in the world and have been widely used for isolation of important biologically active products. Because of their significant environmental impact, extensive research has been explored to determine the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts.Methods:Acetone extracts of the bark and leaf of Cupressus sempervirens and Juniperus phoenicea, collected from three different altitudes (125, 391, and 851 m high of sea level) at Al- Jabel Al-Akhdar area, Libya were obtained and analyzed by GC/MS. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was further evaluated against plant bacteria Rhizobium radiobacter, Erwinia carotovora, Rhodococcus fascians and Ralstonia solanacearum and fungus Botrytis cinerea.Results:The impact of the altitude from the sea level on the quantity and chemical constituents of the extracts was investigated. The yield was largely dependent on tree species and the highest yield (6.50%) was obtained with C. sempervirens L bark of altitude III (851 m of the sea level), while the lowest (1.17%) was obtained with the leaf extract of C. sempervirens L from altitude I (125 m). The chemical composition analyzed by GC/MS confirmed that the leaf extracts of C. sempervirens and J. phoenicea contained a complex mixture of monoterpene hydrocarbons, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, diterpenoids, terpenophenolic, steroids and phthalates. However, the bark extracts of both trees contained a mixture of sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, diterpenoids, terpenophenolics, phthalates, retinol and steroids. These constituents revealed some variability among the extracts displaying the highest interesting chemotype of totarol (terpenophenolic) in all extracts (14.63-78.19% of the total extract). The extracts displayed a noteworthy antifungal potency with varying degrees of inhibition of growth with EC50 values ranged from 78.50 to 206.90 mg/L. The extracts obtained from the leaves of C. sempervirens showed that the highest inhibitory activity was obtained with the extract of altitude II (391 m) with MIC 565, 510, 380 and 710 mg/L against E. carotovora, R. fascians, and R. radiobacter and R. solanacearum, respectively.Conclusion:Based on antimicrobial activity, raw plant extracts can be a cost-effective way to protect crops from microbial pathogens. Because plant extracts contain several antimicrobial compounds, the development of resistant pathogens can be delayed.

scholarly journals Prognostic role of docetaxel-induced suppression of free testosterone serum levels in metastatic prostate cancer patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Kappler ◽  
Michael A. Morgan ◽  
Philipp Ivanyi ◽  
Stefan J. Brunotte ◽  
Arnold Ganser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Metastatic Prostate Cancer ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Specific Antigen ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Free Form ◽  
Total Testosterone ◽  
The Impact

AbstractTo date, only few data concerning the biologically active, free form of testosterone (FT) are available in metastatic prostate cancer (mPC) and the impact of FT on disease, therapy and outcome is largely unknown. We retrospectively studied the effect of docetaxel on FT and total testosterone (TT) serum levels in 67 mPC patients monitored between April 2008 and November 2020. FT and TT levels were measured before and weekly during therapy. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were prostate-specific antigen response and radiographic response (PSAR, RR), progression-free survival (PFS), FT/TT levels and safety. Median FT and TT serum levels were completely suppressed to below the detection limit during docetaxel treatment (FT: from 0.32 to < 0.18 pg/mL and TT: from 0.12 to < 0.05 ng/mL, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression analyses identified requirement of non-narcotics, PSAR, complete FT suppression and FT nadir values < 0.18 pg/mL as independent parameters for PFS. Prior androgen-receptor targeted therapy (ART), soft tissue metastasis and complete FT suppression were independent prognostic factors for OS. FT was not predictive for treatment outcome in mPC patients with a history of ART.

scholarly journals Exploitation of Marine-Derived Robust Biological Molecules to Manage Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 196
Author(s):  
Muhammad Bilal ◽  
Leonardo Vieira Nunes ◽  
Marco Thúlio Saviatto Duarte ◽  
Luiz Fernando Romanholo Ferreira ◽  
Renato Nery Soriano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Bowel Disease ◽  
Clinical Translation ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel ◽  
Functional Features ◽  
Biological Entities ◽  
The Impact

Naturally occurring biological entities with extractable and tunable structural and functional characteristics, along with therapeutic attributes, are of supreme interest for strengthening the twenty-first-century biomedical settings. Irrespective of ongoing technological and clinical advancement, traditional medicinal practices to address and manage inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are inefficient and the effect of the administered therapeutic cues is limited. The reasonable immune response or invasion should also be circumvented for successful clinical translation of engineered cues as highly efficient and robust bioactive entities. In this context, research is underway worldwide, and researchers have redirected or regained their interests in valorizing the naturally occurring biological entities/resources, for example, algal biome so-called “treasure of untouched or underexploited sources”. Algal biome from the marine environment is an immense source of excellence that has also been demonstrated as a source of bioactive compounds with unique chemical, structural, and functional features. Moreover, the molecular modeling and synthesis of new drugs based on marine-derived therapeutic and biological cues can show greater efficacy and specificity for the therapeutics. Herein, an effort has been made to cover the existing literature gap on the exploitation of naturally occurring biological entities/resources to address and efficiently manage IBD. Following a brief background study, a focus was given to design characteristics, performance evaluation of engineered cues, and point-of-care IBD therapeutics of diverse bioactive compounds from the algal biome. Noteworthy potentialities of marine-derived biologically active compounds have also been spotlighted to underlying the impact role of bio-active elements with the related pathways. The current review is also focused on the applied standpoint and clinical translation of marine-derived bioactive compounds. Furthermore, a detailed overview of clinical applications and future perspectives are also given in this review.

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