Les objets rituels des sociétés initiatiques chez les Wuli du Cameroun Occidental

Les sociétés initiatiques appelées Ro sont au centre de la lutte incessante des Wuli contre la sorcellerie et la transgression. Les initiés détiennent le pouvoir d'affaiblir par la maladie les transgresseurs, de les guérir, et de tuer les sorciers par la manipulation des rövö, « choses du Rö ». Chacune de ces choses abrite un esprit de l'eau chargé des guérisons et une lignée de fantômes maléfiques qui répandent les maladies. Certaines sociétés Ro participent à des rites de fertilité ; d'autres inaugurent la chasse ; une autre « légifère ». Cette différentiation rituelle s'éclaire si elle est mise en parallèle avec les mythes d'une part, les matériaux et procédés de fabrication des rövö d'autre part. Certaines de ces sociétés sont associées au cru, à la saison des pluies et à la fertilité du monde végétal tandis que d'autres détiennent des objets « cuits » au four ou à la forge et sont liées à la saison sèche, au règne animal et à la chasse.The Ro initiatory societies are at the center of the Wuli's endless struggle against witchcraft and transgression. Initiates have the power to weaken transgressors with illness, to heal them, and to kill witches by manipulating the « things of Ro », rövö. In each such thing dwells a water spirit that heals and a lineage of evil fantoms that spread sickness. Some Rö societies participate in fertility rites; others inaugurate hunting; another makes « laws ». This ritual differentiation becomes clear if a parallel is established between, on one hand, myths and, on the other, the materials and processes for making rövö. Certain Ro societies are associated with what is raw, with the rainy season and with the fertility of the plant kingdom whereas others use objects that, « cooked » in ovens or forges, have to do with the dry season, hunting, and the animal kingdom

Sorcellerie, sociétés secrètes et sacrifice chez les Wuli du Cameroun occidental

Des sociétés initiatiques alliées des esprits de l’eau utilisent les pouvoirs des fantômes mank’a. Leurs membres s’attachent à combattre la sorcellerie et diverses transgressions.Deux formes de sacrifice mettent en valeur le traitement de la victime animale vivante. Le premier fait intervenir l’écoulement du sang d’un poulet afin d’établir la communication entre les hommes et les esprits de l’eau à travers les autels portatifs des sociétés initiatiques. Le second consiste, lorsque le rite concerne une personne vivante, à briser les articulations des membres d’un poulet afin d’écarter les mank’a dangereux, ou, lorsque le rite met en jeu des objets inanimés, des défunts ou des crânes, à brûler de la résine. À la lisière des activités de ces sociétés secrètes, une troisième forme de sacrifice fait intervenir un devin associé à un initié, et l’accent est mis sur la mort : ce rite met en scène l’exécution symbolique de sorciers par décapitation d’un poulet.Initiatory societies allied to water spirits use the powers of the mank’a phantoms; their numbers endeavor to fight against witchcraft and various transgressions.Two types of sacrifice emphasize the treatment of a living animal victim. During the first one, blood is drawn from a chicken, and the aim is to communicate with the water spirits by means of the portable altars used by their societies. In the second type of sacrifice, if it is performed for a living person, the joints of a chicken’s wing and legs are broken in order to ward of the dangerous mank’a; but if it has to do with objects, the deceased or skulls, the mank’a are warded off by burning resin. On the borderline of these secret society activities is a third type of sacrifice wherein a diviner participates along with an initiate; the animal victim’s death is emphasized through a rite for a symbolically executing witches by beheading a chicke

Comparison between Apicystis cryptica sp. n. and Apicystis bombi (Arthrogregarida, Apicomplexa): Gregarine parasites that cause fat body hypertrophism in bees

The molecular divergence, morphology and pathology of a cryptic gregarine that is related to the bee parasite Apicystis bombi Lipa and Triggiani, 1996 is described. The 18S ribosomal DNA gene sequence of the new gregarine was equally dissimilar to that of A. bombi and the closest related genus Mattesia Naville, 1930, although phylogenetic analysis supported a closer relation to A. bombi. Pronounced divergence with A. bombi was found in the ITS1 sequence (69.6% similarity) and seven protein-coding genes (nucleotide 78.05% and protein 90.2% similarity). The new gregarine was isolated from a Bombus pascuorum Scopoli, 1763 female and caused heavy hypertrophism of the fat body tissue in its host. In addition, infected cells of the hypopharyng ealgland tissue, an important excretory organ of the host, were observed. Mature oocysts were navicular in shape and contained four sporozoites, similar to A. bombi oocysts. Given these characteristics, we proposed the name Apicystis cryptica sp. n. Detections so far indicated that distribution and host species occupation of Apicystis spp. overlap at least in Europe, and that historical detections could not discriminate between them. Specific molecular assays were developed that can be implemented in future pathogen screens that aim to discriminate Apicystis spp. in bees. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH

Defining the clinical, molecular and ultrastructural characteristics in occipital horn syndrome : two new cases and review of the literature

Occipital horn syndrome (OHS) is a rare connective tissue disorder caused by pathogenic variants in ATP7A, encoding a copper transporter. The main clinical features, including cutis laxa, bony exostoses, and bladder diverticula are attributed to a decreased activity of lysyl oxidase (LOX), a cupro-enzyme involved in collagen crosslinking. The absence of large case series and natural history studies precludes efficient diagnosis and management of OHS patients. This study describes the clinical and molecular characteristics of two new patients and 32 patients previously reported in the literature. We report on the need for long-term specialized care and follow-up, in which MR angiography, echocardiography and spirometry should be incorporated into standard follow-up guidelines for OHS patients, next to neurodevelopmental, orthopedic and urological follow-up. Furthermore, we report on ultrastructural abnormalities including increased collagen diameter, mild elastic fiber abnormalities and multiple autophagolysosomes reflecting the role of lysyl oxidase and defective ATP7A trafficking as pathomechanisms of OHS

dietary supplementation with high doses of regular vitamin d3 safely reduces diabetes incidence in nod mice when given early and long term

High doses of the active form of vitamin D3, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) prevent diabetes in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse but also elicit unwanted calcemic side-effects. Because immune cells themselves can convert vitamin D3 into 1,25(OH)2D3 locally, we hypothesized that dietary vitamin D3 can also prevent disease. Thus, we evaluated whether dietary administration of high doses of regular vitamin D3 (800 IU per day) during different periods of life (pregnancy and lactation, early-life (3-14 weeks of age), or lifelong (3-35 weeks of age)) safely prevents diabetes in NOD mice. We found that only lifelong treatment raised serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 from 173 nmol/L in controls to 290 nmol/L, without inducing signs of calcemic or bone toxicity, and significantly reduced diabetes development in both male and female NOD mice. This diabetes protection by vitamin D3 correlated with preserved pancreatic insulin content and improved insulitis scores. Moreover, vitamin D3 treatment decreased interferon-γ-positive CD8+ T-cells and increased CD4+(CD25+)FoxP3+ T-cells in pancreatic draining lymph nodes. In conclusion, this study shows for the first time that high doses of regular dietary vitamin D3 can safely prevent diabetes in NOD mice when administered lifelong, although caution is warranted with regards to administering equivalently high doses in humans

Methylation of the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) Gene, Together with Genetic Variation, Race, and Environment Influence the Signaling Efficacy of the Toll-Like Receptor 2/1-VDR Pathway

BackgroundThe disparity in prevalence of infectious diseases across the globe is common knowledge. Vitamin D receptor (VDR)-mediated toll-like receptor (TLR) 2/1 signaling produces antimicrobial peptides, which is critical as a first line of defense in innate immunity. Numerous studies disclosed the independent role of genetic polymorphisms in this pathway, vitamin D status or season and more recently epigenetics, as factors contributing to infectious disease predisposition. Few studies address the interaction between environment, genetics, and epigenetics. Here, we hypothesized that VDR-mediated TLR2/1 signaling is influenced by a combination of environment, epigenetics and genetics, collectively influencing differential innate immunity.MethodsHealthy Black and White South Africans (n = 100) donated blood, while ultraviolet index (UVI) was recorded for the duration of the study. LC-MS/MS supported 25(OH)D3 quantification. Monocyte/macrophage cultures, supplemented with/without 1,25(OH)2D3, were activated with the TLR2/1 elicitor, Pam3CSK4. VDR, cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, hCAP-18, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase expression were quantified by RT-qPCR or flow cytometry. Pyrosequencing facilitated VDR methylation analysis and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping in regions pinpointed through a bioinformatics workflow.ResultsSeason interacted with race showing 25(OH)D3 deficiency in Blacks. UVI correlated with 25(OH)D3 and VDR methylation, likely influencing race differences in the latter. Regarding the TLR2/1 pathway, race differences in SNP genotype distribution were confirmed and functional analysis of VDR-mediated signaling showed interaction between race, season, and 25(OH)D3 status. Multivariate OPLS-DA mirrored several interactions between UVI, 25(OH)D3 status, DNA sequence, and methylation variants. Methylation of the third cytosine-phosphate-guanine dinucleotide (CpG) in the promoter CpG island (CGI) 1062, CGI 1062 CpG 3, significantly discriminated a 5.7-fold above average mean in VDR protein level upon TLR2/1 elicitation, the variation of which was further influenced by 25(OH)D3 status and the VDR SNP TaqI.ConclusionRegulation of VDR-mediated TLR2/1 signaling is multifactorial, involving interaction between environment [UVI and consequent 25(OH)D3 status], epigenetics (VDR methylation at key regulatory sites), and genetics (TLR1, TIRAP, and VDR SNPs)