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Our aim, through a comparative study of two populations, one European and the other Afro-Caribbean, was to find out whether there were differences in radiographic measurements of femoral diaphyseal canal diameter, thickness of the medial and lateral cortex, and global diaphyseal diameter. We studied the nailed femurs of adult males in a population of 54 Europeans and 52 Afro-Caribbeans. Both populations were comparable in terms of age, height and weight. The measurements were taken with a ruler on the narrowest area of the hourglass, the isthmus, on an antero-posterior radiograph. The diameter of the femoral canal was classified into three intervals: <13 mm, 13-14 mm and >14 mm. The femoral canal diameter was significantly larger in the European patients, 14.3 (11-19) versus 13.4 (11-15.6), while the thickness of the lateral cortex was significantly larger in the Afro-Caribbean patients, 8.50 (6-12) versus 7.72 (5.4-11.5). Patient distribution according to the intervals was different in both groups: 59% of the Afro-Caribbeans were in the average interval versus 24.1% of the Europeans. For nearly 53.7% of the Europeans, the diameter of the femoral canal fell in the last interval versus 15.4% of the Afro-Caribbeans. The fact that the femoral canal is narrower in the Afro-Caribbean population may be linked to a thicker lateral cortex. The diameters of the nails used were larger in the European population, 12.6 mm (10-15) versus 12.1 mm (11-14) in the Afro-Caribbean population. The global diameters of both populations' femurs were similar (28.9 mm for the European sample vs. 29 mm). The present study may have an impact on the implants used in the orthopedic surgery (intramedullary nailing, arthroplasty implants). The range of usable implants must be complete and there must be precise pre-operative planning. A study of computed tomography scans could complement our measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium is an essential micronutrient for animals and humans, but can be toxic at higher levels. Manipulation of Se metabolism in plants may enable plants to be tailored to enhance Se content for human and animal consumption and to decontaminate Se polluted soils. Here, we generated subtracted cDNA libraries from perennial ryegrass roots and leaves, enriched for genes which expression is enhanced under toxic levels of selenium. The libraries were sequenced using next generation sequencing technologies to characterize the pool of enriched genes. Within these subtracted libraries, there were a large number of genes involved in the calcium–calmodulin signaling network. Furthermore, in the leaf subtracted cDNA library, we identified 28 ABC transporters. Subsequent expression analysis by quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated the significant accumulation of these transcripts in the leaf tissue of perennial ryegrass under toxic levels of Se. These results suggest a role for ABC transporters in selenium movement and accumulation in perennial ryegrass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural soils are a major source of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas (GHG). Because N2O emissions strongly depend on soil type, climate, and crop management, their inventory requires the combination of biophysical and economic modeling, to simulate farmers’ behavior. Here, we coupled a biophysical soil-crop model, CERES-EGC, with an economic farm type supply model, AROPAj, at the regional scale in northern France. Response curves of N2O emissions to fertilizer nitrogen (Nf) inputs were generated with CERES-EGC, and linearized to obtain emission factors. The latter ranged from 0.001 to 0.0225 kg N2O-N kg − 1 Nf, depending on soil and crop type, compared to the fixed 0.0125 value of the IPCC guidelines. The modeled emission factors were fed into the economic model AROPAj which relates farm-level GHG emissions to production factors. This resulted in a N2O efflux 20% lower than with the default IPCC method. The costs of abating GHG emissions from agriculture were calculated using a first-best tax on GHG emissions, and a second-best tax on their presumed factors (livestock size and fertilizer inputs). The first-best taxation was relatively efficient, achieving an 8% reduction with a tax of 11 €/ t-CO2-equivalent, compared to 68 €/t-CO2 eq for the same target with the second-best scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucoid cysts compressing the common peroneal nerve have been reported. Whether these cysts are schwannoma or are synovial in nature is the subject of controversy in the medical literature. To contribute to this debate, the present study was designed to detail the anterior innervation of the proximal tibiofibular joint. We dissected 10 knees of five fresh cadavers after staining the tibiofibular joint under fluoroscopic guidance. Through a lateral approach near the fibular head, the common peroneal nerve was isolated then dissected distally to determine whether it or its branches ramified over the proximal tibiofibular joint. In all 10 legs, only one collateral branch was observed on the common peroneal nerve proximal to its terminal division. This collateral sent a branch to the proximal tibiofibular joint before penetrating the tibialis anterior muscle. The articular branch coursed in a superior and posterior direction approximately 1 cm to attain the tibiofibular joint. In no specimen did the deep or superficial peroneal nerves send a twig to the tibiofibular joint. This study confirms and clarifies prior descriptions of the innervation of the anterior aspect of the proximal tibiofibular joint. It clarifies the mechanisms of compression of the common peroneal nerve by synovial cysts that originate from the proximal tibiofibular joint and provides anatomical landmarks that should facilitate complete resection of these cysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anatomy textbooks say that the motor branch of the long head of the triceps brachii (LHT) arises from the radial nerve. Some clinical observations of traumatic injuries of the axillary nerve with associated paralysis of the LHT have suggested that the motor branch of the LHT may arise from the axillary nerve. This anatomic study was performed, using both cadaver anatomical dissections and a surgical study, to determine the exact origin of the motor branch of the LHT. From the adult cadaver specimens (group I), 20 posterior cords were dissected from 10 subjects (eight embalmed, two fresh) using 3.5× magnification. The axillary nerve was followed from its onset to the posteromedial part of the surgical neck of the humerus and the radial nerve. We looked for the origin of the proximal branch of the LHT by a meticulous double anterior and posterior dissection. From the surgical group (group II), 15 posterior cords were dissected from 15 patients suffering from a C5-C6 injured paralysis, without paralysis of the LHT. During the surgical procedure, we looked for the origins of the motor branch of the LHT with a nerve stimulator. In group I, the motor branch of the LHT arose in 13 cases from the axillary nerve near its origin, in five cases from the terminal division of the posterior cord itself, and in two cases from the posterior cord 10 mm before its terminal division into the radial and axillary nerves. In no case did we find the motor branch of the LHT arising from the radial nerve. In eight cases, we found some accessory branches that arose near the principal branch. In group II, the motor branch of the LHT arose in 11 cases from the axillary nerve near its origin and in four cases from the terminal division of the posterior cord itself. The motor branch of the LHT never originated from the radial nerve. In four cases, we found some accessory branches that arose near the principal branch of the LHT. These results reveal that the motor branch of the LHT seems to originate most often from the axillary nerve. This contribution could be relevant for surgical treatment of traumatic nerve injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]