Un pastiche de l’écrivain québécois Jacques Poulin

Ce projet de pastiche a commencé à l’été 2014 pendant mon cours indépendant avec le professeur François Paré sur les œuvres de Jacques Poulin. Mon récit, dont les premières pages ont été écrites pendant ce cours, s’inspire de certaines structures des romans de Poulin : le roman de la route, les chapitres courts, la simplicité du texte. Ces quelques pages à l’état de projet ont été grandement révisées et augmentées pour devenir ma thèse de maîtrise. L’action de mon récit se situe au Québec. Les deux premiers chapitres nous présentent Julie et Lucien. L’histoire, qui se passe en 1985, est celle d’une jeune femme qui s’intéresse à l’écriture sur un sujet qui lui est proche, celui de la diaspora québécoise en Amérique. Elle vit au Québec dans un petit appartement avec son chat Hugo et est voisine de l’homme qui deviendra son ami Lucien. Celui-ci décide de se joindre à Julie dans son voyage de recherche à travers les États-Unis pour étudier la diaspora canadienne-française, en vue d’écrire un roman sur l’histoire de ses ancêtres. Le pastiche joue indéniablement un grand rôle dans mon texte, car mon but a été d’écrire comme Jacques Poulin; dans un style qui semblait très simple, mais qui engendrait plusieurs éléments intertextuels et qui lui donnait une profondeur littéraire acquise différemment selon le lecteur. C’est cet aspect qui est ouvert à l’interprétation qui m’intéressait le plus. La diaspora québécoise en Amérique a joué également un grand rôle dans mon texte, car mes personnages, y compris le personnage autochtone d’Abequa, voulaient suivre les traces des immigrants en cherchant à se renseigner sur leur histoire, à la manière de Jacques Poulin qui le fait dans Volkswagen Blues avec Jack et la Grande Sauterelle. La majorité de mes recherches pour cette fiction ont donc porté sur les traces de l’émigration québécoise vers le Maine, le New Hampshire, le Massachusetts et le Rhode Island. Comme Poulin, je tenais aussi à explorer l’intertextualité en m’appuyant surtout sur l’histoire littéraire et culturelle du Québec et sur certains auteurs québécois, français et acadiens. Ces éléments apparaissent à la fois dans les titres de mes chapitres et dans le déroulement du texte lui-même. La partie de création littéraire dans cette thèse ne formera qu’une partie d’un livre plus vaste, car j’ai l’intention d’écrire un récit que je vais tenter de publier. Les dernières pages de réflexion critique, enfin, se concentrent sur mon expérience du pastiche, les stratégies narratives utilisées pour imiter Poulin, les effets de simplicité recherchés, la structure des chapitres et le développement des personnages.1 yea

THE PREPARATION OF POLISH SOCIAL WORKERS TO WORK WITH PERSON EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES

Today’s social worker has to face many new challenges that arise due to socio-economic and cultural changes. One of the extremely important and difficult areas of social workers' job is to work with people who are experiencing domestic violence. The aim of the following article is to show previous experience in the field of theoretical and practical social worker's training in work with people experiencing domestic violence and the difficulties arising because of the imperfections of the system (i.e. due to lack of appropriate diagnostic tools, intervention strategies and supporting institutions). To show the weaknesses of education, a secondary analysis of the data (including programs, study plans) was made and expert interviews with employees who undertake work with a person experiencing violence were conducted. The analysis allowed to propose a concept of social workers’ training in working with a person experiencing domestic violence (child, woman, elderly person), based on best practices, i.e. from Israel and Canada.

Indukowane poronienie jako problem medyczny, psychologiczny i prawny

This study is an attempt to collect data concerning cases of abortions induced due to medical reasons. Although Polish legislation allows a possibility to terminate a pregnancy, information presented in literature still does not explain, in a clear and comprehensive way, what the indications for such medical procedures are.Praca ta jest próbą zebrania danych dotyczących przypadków poronień wywołanych z przyczyn medycznych. Chociaż polskie ustawodawstwo dopuszcza przerwanie ciąży, informacje przedstawione w literaturze nadal nie wyjaśniają w sposób jasny i wyczerpujący, jakie są wskazania do takich procedur medycznych

Induced miscarriage as a medical, psychological and legal problem

This study is an attempt to collect data concerning cases of abortions induced due to medical reasons. Although Polish legislation allows a possibility to terminate a pregnancy, information presented in literature still does not explain, in a clear and comprehensive way, what the indications for such medical procedures are.Praca ta jest próbą zebrania danych dotyczących przypadków poronień wywołanych z przyczyn medycznych. Chociaż polskie ustawodawstwo dopuszcza przerwanie ciąży, informacje przedstawione w literaturze nadal nie wyjaśniają w sposób jasny i wyczerpujący, jakie są wskazania do takich procedur medycznych

Nasal bone in screening for Trisomy 18 and 13 at 11–13 + 6 weeks of gestation — own experiences

Objectives: The objective of the paper is the suitability assessment of screening for Trisomy 18 and 13 on the basis of NTmeasurement, FHR, double test and assessment of Nasal Bone.Material and methods: The study was performed in 6,661 singleton pregnancies. In each fetus NT, FHR, DV-PIV wereexamined. Double test from maternal blood was examined. These ultrasound and biochemical factors were in combinedscreening investigated. Additional ultrasound marker — Nasal Bone was and its impact on Trisomies 18 and 13 screeningwas examined.Results: Two groups of patients were compared — with chromosomal normal and chromosomal abnormalities — Trisomy18 and 13. Detection Rate of Trisomies 18 and 13 at the risk cutoff 1/300 using combined screening was 84.1% and FPRwas 7.1%. Detection Rates of examined chromosomal abnormalities using screening with additional marker — NB was93.2% and False Positive Rate — 5.6%.Conclusions: It should be noted that the qualitative analysis of the assessment of NB in the first trimester significantlyinfluences the improvement of screening values focusing on Trisomy 18 and 13 detection. In summary, our research indicatesa more effective type of Trisomy 13 and 18 screening using NT, double test, maternal age, CRL and FHR as well asnasal bone presence and absence

Quantitative and qualitative Ductus Venosus blood flow evaluation in the screening for Trisomy 18 and 13 — suitability study

Objectives: The objective of the paper is the suitability assessment of screening for Trisomy 18 and 13 on the basis ofnuchal translucency (NT) measurement, Fetal Heart Rate (FHR), double test, quantitative [Ductus Venosus (DV) PulsatilityIndex for Veins (PIV)] and qualitative (the A-wave assessment) blood flow evaluation in the DV.Material and methods: The study was performed in 7296 singleton pregnancies. In each fetus NT, FHR, DV-PIV wereexamined. Double test from maternal blood was examined. These ultrasound and biochemical factors were in combinedscreening investigated. Additional doppler ultrasound markers such as abnormal a-wave in Ductus Venosus and PusatilityIndex for Veins of Ductus Venosus were and their impact on Trisomies 18 and 13 screening were examined.Results: Two groups of patients were compared — with chromosomal normal and chromosomal abnormalities — Trisomy18 and 13. Detection Rate of Trisomies 18 and 13 at the risk cutoff 1/300 using combined screening was 90.2% and FPR was6%. Detection Rates of examined chromosomal abnormalities using contingent screening were: 92.1% using DV abnormala-wave and 94.84% using DV-PIV. FPR’s for booths parameters 5.8% and 5.4% respectively.Conclusions: Quantitative analysis of the flow — assessment of DV-PIV in the first trimester significantly influences theimprovement of screening values focusing on Trisomy 18 and 13 detection

Ocena wartości stężeń neuropeptydu Y, leptyny oraz receptora leptyny u nastolatek chorych na anoreksję

Aim: The main aim of the study was to assess concentrations of neuropeptide Y, leptin and leptin receptor in teenagers treated for anorexia nervosa. Materials and methods: The study was conducted between 2007- 2011 in a group of 45 female teenagers with anorexia nervosa and a control group consisting of 59 healthy, regularly menstruating female age peers. Concentrations of leptin, leptin receptor, and neuropeptide Y (NPY) have been determined by using immunoenzymatic tests. Blood samples were obtained in fasting state. The Ethics Committee of the Medical University of Lodz approved of the study. Results: There were statistically significant differences between mean values of BMI (14.6 vs. 19.83), median value of leptin concentration (3.79 vs. 12.09), proportions of LEP/BMI (0.1986 vs. 0.5701) in the study group whe compared to controls. Higher values were found in the study group if compared to the percentage of body mass insufficiency - (23.09 vs. 3.91), neuropeptide Y concentration – (0.33 vs. 0.19), proportions of NPY/BMI – (0.023 vs. 0.0095), concentration of leptin receptor – (30.25 vs. 19.45), proportions of LR/BMI – (2.1048 vs. 0.9744). Conclusions: Low concentrations of leptine correlate to high concentrations of leptin receptor. A positive correlation between low body mass index and leptin receptor concentration and proportions of LR to BMI was found. A negative correlation was found between body mass loss and leptin concentration. The increasing concentration of neuropeptide Y, correlated to body mass defficency with existing high concentrations of leptin, could suggest disturbances of their regulatory axis.Cel pracy. Ocena wartości stężeń neuropeptydu Y, leptyny oraz receptora leptyny u nastolatek chorych na jadłowstręt psychiczny. Materiał i metody. Badanie przeprowadzono w latach 2007 –2011 w grupie nastolatek chorych na jadłowstręt psychiczny. Grupa badana liczyła 45 nastolatek leczonych z powodu anoreksji. Grupę kontrolną liczącą 59 osób stanowiły zdrowe, miesiączkujące regularnie od co najmniej roku dziewczęta, w podobnym wieku. Na przeprowadzenie badań uzyskano zgodę Komisji Bioetycznej Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Łodzi. Do wykonania oznaczeń hormonalnych pobierano krew żylną. Stężenia leptyny, Wyniki: W grupie badanej w porównaniu z grupą kontrolną stwierdzono istotnie niższe wartości następujących parametrów: średnie BMI – (14,6 vs.19,83),medianę stężenia leptyny – (3,79 vs. 12,09), wskaźnik LEP/BMI – (0,1986 vs. 0,5701). Wyższe wartości w grupie badanej stwierdzono oceniając: niedobór masy ciała liczony w % – (23,09 vs. 3,91), stężenie neuropeptydu Y – (0,33 vs. 0,19), wskaźnik NPY/BMI – (0,023 vs. 0,0095), stężenie receptora leptyny – (30,25 vs. 19,45), wskaźnik LR/BMI – (2,1048 vs. 0,9744). Wnioski. Niskie wartości stężenia leptyny korelują ze wzrostem stężeń receptora leptyny. Stwierdzono dodatnią korelację niedoboru masy ciała z wartościami stężeń receptora dla leptyny i wskaźnika LR/BMI. Obserwowano znamienną ujemną zależność między ubytkiem masy ciała a stężeniem leptyny. Rosnące wraz niedoborem masy ciała stężenie neuropeptydu Y przy jednoczesnych wysokich stężeniach leptyny mogą sugerować zaburzenia ich osi regulacyjnej

PD-L1 Overexpression, SWI/SNF Complex Deregulation, and Profound Transcriptomic Changes Characterize Cancer-Dependent Exhaustion of Persistently Activated CD4+ T Cells

Growing tumors avoid recognition and destruction by the immune system. During continuous stimulation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) by tumors, TILs become functionally exhausted; thus, they become unable to kill tumor cells and to produce certain cytokines and lose their ability to proliferate. This collectively results in the immune escape of cancer cells. Here, we show that breast cancer cells expressing PD-L1 can accelerate exhaustion of persistently activated human effector CD4+ T cells, manifesting in high PD-1 and PD-L1 expression level son T cell surfaces, decreased glucose metabolism genes, strong downregulation of SWI/SNF chromatin remodelingcomplex subunits, and p21 cell cycle inhibitor upregulation. This results in inhibition of T cell proliferation and reduction of T cell numbers. The RNAseq analysis on exhausted CD4+ T cells indicated strong overexpression of IDO1 and genes encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Some interleukins were also detected in media from CD4+ T cells co-cultured with cancer cells. The PD-L1 overexpression was also observed in CD4+ T cells after co-cultivation with other cell lines overexpressing PD-L1, which suggested the existence of a general mechanism of CD4+ T cell exhaustion induced by cancer cells. The ChIP analysis on the PD-L1 promoter region indicated that the BRM recruitment in control CD4+ T cells was replaced by BRG1 and EZH2 in CD4+ T cells strongly exhausted by cancer cells. These findings suggest that epi-drugs such as EZH2 inhibitors may be used as immunomodulators in cancer treatment

Laser Ablation ICP-MS Analysis of Chemically Different Regions of Rat Prostate Gland with Implanted Cancer Cells

The comparison of tissues analyzed by LA-ICP-MS is challenging in many aspects, both medical and mathematical. The concept of distinguishing regions of interest (ROIs) was proposed in the literature, allowing for data reduction and targeted comparative analysis. ROIs can be drawn before any analysis, by indicating the anatomical parts of tissue, or after the first step of analysis, by using elemental distribution maps and characteristic regions of enrichment in selected elements. A simple method for identifying different regions, without the manual extraction of image fragments, is highly needed in biological experiments, where large groups of individuals (with samples taken from each of them) is very common. In the present study, two ROIs were distinguished: (1) tissue-rich in fat (and tissue-poor in water); and (2) tissue-rich in water (and tissue-poor in fat). ROIs were extracted mathematically, using an algorithm based on the relationship between 13C and 23Na signal intensities. A cut-off point was indicated in the point of the simultaneous decrease in 13C and increase in 23Na signal intensity. Separate analyses of chemically different ROIs allow for targeted comparison, which is a great advantage of laser ablation over liquid introductions to ICP-MS. In the present experiment, tissues were provided from animals with implanted prostate cancer cells as well as supplemented with mineral compounds particularly important both for prostate gland functions (Zn and Se) and neoplastic processes (Ca, Fe, and Cu). One of the goals was to try to determine whether dietary supplementation qualitatively and quantitatively affects the mineral composition of the prostate gland

Vliv suplementace mědi a selenu na úroveň prvků ve stehenních kostech potkanů v neoplastických podmínkách

A study was conducted to determine the effect of long-term supplementation with selenium and copper, administered at twice the level used in the standard diet of rats, on the content of selected elements in the femoral bones of healthy rats and rats with implanted LNCaP cancer cells. After an adaptation period, the animals were randomly divided into two experimental groups. The rats in the experimental group were implanted with prostate cancer cells. The rats in the control group were kept in the same conditions as those in the experimental group and fed the same diet, but without implanted cancer cells. The cancer cells (LNCaP) were intraperitoneally implanted in the amount of 1 x 10(6) (in PBS 0.4 mL) at the age of 90 days. The content of elements in the samples was determined by a quadrupole mass spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma ionization (ICP-MS). In the femoral bones of rats with implanted LNCaP cells, in the case of the standard diet and the copper-enriched diet, there was a marked decreasing trend in the content of the analysed elements relative to the control rats. This may indicate slow osteolysis taking place in the bone tissue. Contrasting results were obtained for the diet enriched with selenium; there was no significant reduction in the level of these elements, and there was even an increase in the concentrations of Fe and K in the bones of rats with implanted LNCaP cells. Particularly, numerous changes in the mineral composition of the bones were generated by enriching the diet with copper. The elements that most often underwent changes (losses) in the bones were cobalt, iron, manganese and molybdenum. The changes observed, most likely induced by the implantation of LNCaP cells, may indicate a disturbance of mineral homeostasis.Byla provedena studie, jejímž cílem bylo zjistit vliv dlouhodobé suplementace selenem a mědí, podávanými ve dvojnásobné výši, než jaká je použita ve standardní stravě potkanů, na obsah vybraných prvků femorálních kostí zdravých potkanů a potkanů s implantovanými nádorovými buňkami LNCaP. Po adaptačním období byla zvířata náhodně rozdělena do dvou experimentálních skupin. Potkanům v experimentální skupině byly implantovány buňky rakoviny prostaty. Potkani v kontrolní skupině byli chováni ve stejných podmínkách jako v experimentální skupině a krmeni stejnou stravou, avšak bez implantovaných nádorových buněk. Nádorové buňky (LNCaP) byly intraperitoneálně implantovány v množství 1 x 10(6) (v PBS 0,4 ml) v rozsahu 90 dnů. Obsah prvků ve vzorcích byl určen kvadrupólovým hmotnostním spektrometrem s indukčně vázanou plazmatickou ionizací (ICP-MS). Ve stehenních kostech potkanů s implantovanými LNCaP buňkami byl v případě standardní stravy a stravy obohacené mědí v porovnání s kontrolními potkany znatelně klesající trend v obsahu analyzovaných prvků. To může naznačovat pomalou osteolýzu probíhající v kostní tkáni. U potravy obohacené selenem byly získány kontrastní výsledky; nedošlo k významnému snížení hladiny těchto prvků a dokonce došlo ke zvýšení koncentrací Fe a K v kostech potkanů s implantovanými LNCaP buňkami. Zejména četné změny minerálního složení kostí vznikly při obohacení potravy mědí. Prvky, které nejčastěji prošly změnami (ztrátami) v kostech, byly kobalt, železo, mangan a molybden. Pozorované změny, které byly s největší pravděpodobností vyvolány implantací buněk LNCaP, mohou naznačovat poruchu minerální homeostázy