75 research outputs found
Paving the Way to Eureka-Introducing "Dira" as an Experimental Paradigm to Observe the Process of Creative Problem Solving
âDiraâ is a novel experimental paradigm to record combinations of behavioral and metacognitive measures for the creative process. This task allows assessing chronological and chronometric aspects of the creative process directly and without a detour through creative products or proxy phenomena. In a study with 124 participants we show that (a) people spend more time attending to selected vs. rejected potential solutions, (b) there is a clear connection between behavioral patterns and self-reported measures, (c) the reported intensity of Eureka experiences is a function of interaction time with potential solutions, and (d) experiences of emerging solutions can happen immediately after engaging with a problem, before participants explore all potential solutions. The conducted study exemplifies how âDiraâ can be used as an instrument to narrow down the moment when solutions emerge. We conclude that the âDiraâ experiment is paving the way to study the process, as opposed to the product, of creative problem solving
Validation of the Body Concealment Scale for Scleroderma (BCSS): Replication in the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) Cohort
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd Body concealment is an important component of appearance distress for individuals with disfiguring conditions, including scleroderma. The objective was to replicate the validation study of the Body Concealment Scale for Scleroderma (BCSS) among 897 scleroderma patients. The factor structure of the BCSS was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis and the Multiple-Indicator Multiple-Cause model examined differential item functioning of SWAP items for sex and age. Internal consistency reliability was assessed via Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was assessed by comparing the BCSS with a measure of body image distress and measures of mental health and pain intensity. Results replicated the original validation study, where a bifactor model provided the best fit. The BCSS demonstrated strong internal consistency reliability and construct validity. Findings further support the BCSS as a valid measure of body concealment in scleroderma and provide new evidence that scores can be compared and combined across sexes and ages
Da certificação para as concessÔes florestais: organizaçÔes não governamentais, empresas e a construção de um novo quadro institucional para o desenvolvimento da exploração florestal na AmazÎnia brasileira
New models to study phenotypic heterogeneity of Cryptococcus neoformans
Les champignons sont soumis aux changements de leur lâenvironnement que ce soit par compĂ©tition avec dâautres microorganismes ou des facteurs de stress et dĂ©veloppent des stratĂ©gies complexes pour assurer leur survie. Notamment, lâhĂ©tĂ©rogĂ©nĂ©itĂ© phĂ©notypique dĂ©clenchĂ©e par l'interaction avec l'hĂŽte est remarquable chez la levure Cryptococcus neoformans (C.n.). Lâexistence dâun phĂ©notype dormant / quiescent a Ă©tĂ© caractĂ©risĂ©e chez C.n. Ă partir dâun faisceau dâarguments cliniques, Ă©pidĂ©miologiques et expĂ©rimentaux. Cette population se situerait au sein dâun granulome pulmonaire. En faisant un parallĂšle avec la privation en nutriments et lâhypoxie rĂ©gnant au sein du granulome, il a Ă©tĂ© mis au point un protocole in vitro faisant intervenir ces deux paramĂštres. Ce protocole a permis une caractĂ©risation biologique du phĂ©notype dormant, sous la forme de cellules viables mais non cultivables (VBNC). Par diffĂ©rentes approches protĂ©omiques, le rĂŽle de voies de signalisation comme mTOR et du mĂ©tabolisme des acides gras avec la participation de lâacĂ©tyl-coenzyme A ont Ă©tĂ© dĂ©terminĂ©es. Avec le prĂ©curseur de ce coenzyme, lâacide pantothĂ©nique (vitamine B5) par ailleurs facteur de « quorum sensing » secrĂ©tĂ© chez C.n., il a Ă©tĂ© possible de rendre Ă nouveau cultivable une proportion de cette population VBNC. Au cours de l'infection, dans le tissu pulmonaire, une augmentation de la taille des cellules a Ă©tĂ© observĂ©e. Passant de 5-7”m Ă plus de 10 ?m, ces cellules sont devenues des cellules titans. Cependant, la gĂ©nĂ©ration reproductible de ces cellules Ă©tait seulement possible durant lâinfection expĂ©rimentale. Nous avons donc dĂ©veloppĂ© un protocole in vitro de gĂ©nĂ©ration de cellules titans qui a permis lâĂ©tude des facteurs influençant leur gĂ©nĂ©ration (facteurs dâhĂŽte, de champignon, environnementaux). Une Ă©tude gĂ©nĂ©tique comparative a liĂ© le phĂ©notype avec le gĂ©notype. Dans un premier temps, lâutilisation de souches provenant de la lignĂ©e H99, parmi lesquelles peu de diffĂ©rences gĂ©nĂ©tiques sont Ă©tĂ© dĂ©crites, a montrĂ© que la formation de cellules titans dĂ©pendait de Lmp1, Sgf29 et des protĂ©ines Gpr4 / 5-Rim101. Ensuite, lâĂ©tude dâisolats cliniques a dĂ©montrĂ© le rĂŽle de Pkr1 comme rĂ©gulateur nĂ©gatif de la gĂ©nĂ©ration de cellules titans. Le dĂ©veloppement de ces nouveaux modĂšles a constituĂ© une approche originale pour Ă©tudier en laboratoire lâhĂ©tĂ©rogĂ©nĂ©itĂ© phĂ©notypique de C.n. avec en particulier deux phĂ©notypes : les cellules dormantes et les cellules titans. Nos rĂ©sultats fournissent de nouvelles perspectives sur la biogenĂšse de ces phĂ©notypes avec l'identification de plusieurs facteurs / voies impliquĂ©s. Les conditions identifiĂ©es pour la gĂ©nĂ©ration de ces phĂ©notypes fournissent des systĂšmes robustes qui pourraient ĂȘtre prĂ©cieux pour dissĂ©quer les mĂ©canismes molĂ©culaires qui sous-tendent leurs gĂ©nĂ©rations.Fungi are subject to changes in their environment whether by competition with other microorganisms or stressors and develop complex strategies to ensure their survival. In particular, the phenotypic heterogeneity triggered by the interaction with the host is remarkable in the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans (C.n.). The existence of a dormant / quiescent phenotype was characterized in C.n. from clinical, epidemiological and experimental arguments. This population would be located within a pulmonary granuloma. In parallel with the nutrient deprivation and hypoxia present in the granuloma, an in vitro protocol involving these two parameters has been developed. It allowed a biological characterization of the dormant phenotype. This population is characterized as viable but non-culturable cells (VBNC). By various proteomic approaches it has been determined signaling pathways such as mTOR and also metabolism of fatty acids where acetyl coenzyme A has a central role. Moreover, with a precursor of acetyl-coenzyme A, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), which is also a factor of quorum sensing secreted by C.n., we have been able to make a proportion of this VBNC population culturable again. During infection, in the lung tissue, an increase in cell size is observed, these cells increasing from 5 to 7”m to titan cells (> 10 ”m). However, reproducible generation of these cells was only possible during experimental infection. We set up an in vitro protocol for the generation of titan cells that allowed the study of the factors influencing their generation (host, fungus, environmental factors). The comparative genetic study made possible the link between phenotype and genotype. The use of strains from the H99 lineage, where few genetic differences have been described, have shown that the formation of titan cells depended on Lmp1, Sgf29 and Gpr4 / 5-Rim101 proteins. Then, the study of clinical isolates showed the role of Pkr1 as a negative regulator of the titan cell phenotype. During this work, the development of new models allowed to implement original approaches to study in the laboratory the phenotypic heterogeneity of C.n. with two phenotypes: dormant cells and titan cells. Our results provide new insights into the biogenesis of these phenotypes with the identification of several factors / pathways involved. The conditions identified for the generation of these phenotypes provide robust systems that could be valuable in dissecting the molecular mechanisms that underlie their generations
3D pose estimation using coupled snakes
An extension to the classical concept of active contour models is proposed. Besides the introduction of a new
technique to couple several contours and treat them as one, the coupling of active contours beyond image domains
is presented. The coupling is realized by a force, that controls the mutual attraction or repulsion of each active
contour, depending on its definition. The coupling across the borders of images acquired by different sources
provides a higher integration of information for each extracted image feature implying an appropriate registration
of the images
Auto-anticorps sériques donnant une fluorescence nucléaire mouchetée , cytoplasmique diffuse avec renforcement périnucléaire sur les cellules HEp2 au cours du paludisme (valeur diagnostique et caractérisation des cibles antigéniques)
CHATENAY M.-PARIS 11-BU Pharma. (920192101) / SudocSudocFranceF
Hyposplenism revealed by Plasmodium malariae infection.
International audienceBACKGROUND: Hyposplenism, due to splenectomy, inherited red blood cell disorders or acquired conditions such as celiac disease, has an important impact on the severity of malaria, especially in non-immune patients. Conversely, that malaria may reveal functional hyposplenism has not been described previously. METHODS: A 31-year old gardener was diagnosed with an uncomplicated attack of Plasmodium malariae 11 years after leaving the endemic area. In addition to trophozoites and schizonts, thick and thin smears also showed Howell-Jolly bodies, pointing to functional hyposplenism. This was later confirmed by the presence of a calcified spleen in the context of S/beta + sickle-cell syndrome in a patient previously unaware of this condition. CONCLUSION: Malaria may reveal hyposplenism. Although Howell-Jolly bodies are morphologically similar to nuclei of young Plasmodium trophozoite, distinction on smears is based on the absence of cytoplasm and irregular size of Howell-Jolly bodies. In the patient reported here, hyposplenism was revealed by the occurrence of P. malariae infection relatively late in life. Timely diagnosis of hyposplenism resulted in the implementation of appropriate measures to prevent overwhelming infection with capsulated bacteria. This observation highlights the importance of diagnosing hyposplenism in patients with malaria despite the morphological similarities between ring nuclei and Howell-Jolly bodies on thick smears
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