Study of wine tartaric salt stabilization by addition of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). Comparison with the « protective colloïds » effect

Aims : Inhibition of potassium hydrogen tartrate (KHT) crystallization by carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) is tested in a model solution and in wines. Tartaric acid salt crystallization risk is assessed by computing the supersaturation, saturation temperature and excess KHT with respect to the saturation equilibrium using MEXTAR® (Mesure de l’EXces de TARtre) software. Materials and results : Firstly, the time for crystals to appear was recorded by monitoring the conductivity in a model solution and in a wine, and the inhibition ratio was computed. At 11,5 °C, 0,5 mg.L-1 CMC inhibited KHT crystallization. The inhibitory effect increased exponentially with increasing CMC concentration and was several times greater than that of polysaccharides and polyphenols, the protective colloids in wine (Gerbaud et al., 1997). At 2 °C, 30 mg.L-1 CMC had the same inhibitory effect than 10 mg.L-1 at 11.5°C.Secondly, 20 red and white wines were refrigerated for 3 weeks at -4 °C with CMC or metatartaric acid. Results show that the addition of 20 mg.L-1 CMC has an inhibitory effect at least equivalent to 100 mg.L-1 metatartaric acid. Furthermore, for 10 wines preheated for 8 days at 30 °C and then refrigerated for 2 months at 0 °C, 5 and 20 mg. L-1 CMC maintains its inhibitory efficiency, unlike metatartaric acid which is hydrolysed Significance and impact of the study : The OIV-OENO 366-2009 and OIV-OENO 02/2008 resolutions recently authorized the use of CMC to prevent tartaric acid salt precipitation. With no impact on health, and stable under heating and in acid solution, CMC is an efficient candidate for tartaric stabilization. The optimal concentration of 20 mg.L-1 (2 g.hL-1) should however be adapted to local wine storage conditions and KHT crystallization risk

Description des pratiques pédagogiques différenciées mises en place par les enseignants de musique à l’égard des élèves du primaire présentant un trouble d’anxiété

Inclusion of students with anxiety issues in music classes is a challenge for teachers. To ensure the success of all students, the school must look into the means available in educational environments. Differentiated instruction appears as a preferred measure. However, the studies reported mention that teachers seldom use them systematically. In this context, this article aims to describe the differentiated pedagogical practices implemented within music classes. To achieve this, self-reported data from 101 respondents were analyzed. Keywords: differentiated instruction, teaching practices, music teaching, anxiety disorders, elementary studentsL’inclusion des élèves présentant des troubles d’anxiété dans les classes de musique constitue un défi pour les enseignants. Pour assurer la réussite de tous les élèves, l’école doit se pencher sur les moyens disponibles en milieu scolaire. La différenciation pédagogique apparait comme une mesure à privilégier. Toutefois, les études recensées mentionnent que les enseignants y recourent rarement de façon systématique. Dans ce contexte, cet article vise à décrire les pratiques pédagogiques différenciées mises en place à l’intérieur des classes de musique. Pour y parvenir, les données autorapportées de 101 répondants ont été analysées. Mots-clés : pédagogie différenciée, pratiques pédagogiques, enseignement de la musique, troubles anxieux, élèves du primair

Down-regulation of the Mixed-lineage Dual Leucine Zipper-bearing Kinase by Heat Shock Protein 70 and Its Co-chaperone CHIP

Dual leucine zipper-bearing kinase (DLK) is a mixed-lineage kinase family member that acts as an upstream activator of the c-Jun N-terminal kinases. As opposed to other components of this pathway, very little is currently known regarding the mechanisms by which DLK is regulated in mammalian cells. Here we identify the stress-inducible heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) as a negative regulator of DLK expression and activity. Support for this notion derives from data showing that Hsp70 induces the proteasomal degradation of DLK when both proteins are co-expressed in COS-7 cells. Hsp70-mediated degradation occurs with expression of wild-type DLK, which functions as a constitutively activated protein in these cells but not kinase-defective DLK. Interestingly, the Hsp70 co-chaperone CHIP, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, seems to be indispensable for this process since Hsp70 failed to induce DLK degradation in COS-7 cells expressing a CHIP mutant unable to catalyze ubiquitination or in immortalized fibroblasts derived from CHIP knock-out mice. Consistent with these data, we have found that endogenous DLK becomes sensitive to CHIP-dependent proteasomal degradation when it is activated by okadaic acid and that down-regulation of Hsp70 levels with an Hsp70 antisense attenuates this sensitivity. Therefore, our studies suggest that Hsp70 contributes to the regulation of activated DLK by promoting its CHIP-dependent proteasomal degradation

Mutations in components of complement influence the outcome of Factor I-associated atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome

Genetic studies have shown that mutations of complement inhibitors such as membrane cofactor protein, Factors H, I, or B and C3 predispose patients to atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Factor I is a circulating serine protease that inhibits complement by degrading C3b and up to now only a few mutations in the CFI gene have been characterized. In a large cohort of 202 patients with aHUS, we identified 23 patients carrying exonic mutations in CFI. Their overall clinical outcome was unfavorable, as half died or developed end-stage renal disease after their first syndrome episode. Eight patients with CFI mutations carried at least one additional known genetic risk factor for aHUS, such as a mutation in MCP, CFH, C3 or CFB; a compound heterozygous second mutation in CFI; or mutations in both the MCP and CFH genes. Five patients exhibited homozygous deletion of the Factor H-related protein 1 (CFHR-1) gene. Ten patients with aHUS had one mutation in their CFI gene (Factor I-aHUS), resulting in a quantitative or functional Factor I deficiency. Patients with a complete deletion of the CFHR-1 gene had a significantly higher risk of a bad prognosis compared with those with one Factor I mutation as their unique vulnerability feature. Our results emphasize the necessity of genetic screening for all susceptibility factors in patients with aHUS

Breast Cancer Risk Estimation and Personal Insurance: A Qualitative Study Presenting Perspectives from Canadian Patients and Decision Makers

Genetic stratification approaches in personalized medicine may considerably improve our ability to predict breast cancer risk for women at higher risk of developing breast cancer. Notwithstanding these advantages, concerns have been raised about the use of the genetic information derived in these processes, outside of the research and medical health care settings, by third parties such as insurers. Indeed, insurance applicants are asked to consent to insurers accessing their medical information (implicitly including genetic) to verify or determine their insurability level, or eligibility to certain insurance products. This use of genetic information may result in the differential treatment of individuals based on their genetic information, which could lead to higher premium, exclusionary clauses or even the denial of coverage. This phenomenon has been commonly referred to as “Genetic Discrimination” (GD). In the Canadian context, where federal Bill S-201, An Act to prohibit and prevent genetic discrimination, has recently been enacted but may be subject to constitutional challenges, information about potential risks to insurability may raise issues in the clinical context. We conducted a survey with women in Quebec who have never been diagnosed with breast cancer to document their perspectives. We complemented the research with data from 14 semi-structured interviews with decision-makers in Quebec to discuss institutional issues raised by the use of genetic information by insurers. Our results provide findings on five main issues: (1) the reluctance to undergo genetic screening test due to insurability concerns, (2) insurers' interest in genetic information, (3) the duty to disclose genetic information to insurers, (4) the disclosure of potential impacts on insurability before genetic testing, and (5) the status of genetic information compared to other health data. Overall, both groups of participants (the women surveyed and the decision-makers interviewed) acknowledged having concerns about GD and reported a need for better communication tools discussing insurability risk. Our conclusions regarding concerns about GD and the need for better communication tools in the clinical setting may be transferable to the broader Canadian context

Genotypic variability enhances the reproducibility of an ecological study

Many scientific disciplines are currently experiencing a “reproducibility crisis” because numerous scientific findings cannot be repeated consistently. A novel but controversial hypothesis postulates that stringent levels of environmental and biotic standardization in experimental studies reduces reproducibility by amplifying impacts of lab-specific environmental factors not accounted for in study designs. A corollary to this hypothesis is that a deliberate introduction of controlled systematic variability (CSV) in experimental designs may lead to increased reproducibility. We tested this hypothesis using a multi-laboratory microcosm study in which the same ecological experiment was repeated in 14 laboratories across Europe. Each laboratory introduced environmental and genotypic CSV within and among replicated microcosms established in either growth chambers (with stringent control of environmental conditions) or glasshouses (with more variable environmental conditions). The introduction of genotypic CSV led to lower among-laboratory variability in growth chambers, indicating increased reproducibility, but had no significant effect in glasshouses where reproducibility was generally lower. Environmental CSV had little effect on reproducibility. Although there are multiple causes for the “reproducibility crisis”, deliberately including genetic variation may be a simple solution for increasing the reproducibility of ecological studies performed in controlled environments

Accumulation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Adipocytes: Selective Targeting to Lipid Droplets and Role of Caveolin-1

Background : Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent environmental pollutants that preferentially accumulate in lipid-rich tissues of contaminated organisms. Although the adipose tissue constitutes a major intern reservoir of PCBs and recent epidemiological studies associate PCBs to the development of obesity and its related disorders, little is known about the mechanisms involved in their uptake by the adipose tissue and their intracellular localization in fat cells