186 research outputs found

    Reconnaßtre le pluralisme religieux en démocratie libérale : Le cas du Québec

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    Au sein des dĂ©mocraties libĂ©rales contemporaines, la reconnaissance du pluralisme religieux s’est imposĂ©e Ă  l’ordre du jour des grands dĂ©bats de sociĂ©tĂ©. Enjeu politique dorĂ©navant incontournable, elle oblige les États Ă  s’interroger sur la place qu’ils acceptent d’accorder aux expressions religieuses sur la scĂšne publique. C’est ce qui s’est passĂ© au QuĂ©bec durant la « crise » des accommodements raisonnables. Cet article prĂ©sente briĂšvement le modĂšle quĂ©bĂ©cois de reconnaissance de la diversitĂ© religieuse afin d’interroger la philosophie politique libĂ©rale sur ce qui pose problĂšme : les limites de la tolĂ©rance religieuse ainsi que la distinction entre libertĂ© individuelle et droits collectifs en matiĂšre religieuse. Plus profondĂ©ment, le pluralisme des conceptions morales et religieuses, constitutif des sociĂ©tĂ©s modernes, met en question les fondements mĂȘmes du vivre-ensemble.In contemporary liberal democracies, the recognition of religious pluralism is a question of increasing social importance. It is now an unavoidable political issue, and States must look at to what degree they allow the expression of religious beliefs in the public sphere. That is exactly what happened in the province of Quebec during what has been called the “crisis” of the reasonable accommodations. This article briefly presents the Quebec model for recognizing religious diversity, in order to examine liberal political philosophy on important issues such as: the limits of religious tolerance and the distinction between individual and collective rights as concerns religion. Furthermore, the pluralism of moral and religious notions that constitutes modern societies challenges the very foundations of social pluralism

    A Scalable Genome-Editing-Based Approach for Mapping Multiprotein Complexes in Human Cells

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    SummaryConventional affinity purification followed by mass spectrometry (AP-MS) analysis is a broadly applicable method used to decipher molecular interaction networks and infer protein function. However, it is sensitive to perturbations induced by ectopically overexpressed target proteins and does not reflect multilevel physiological regulation in response to diverse stimuli. Here, we developed an interface between genome editing and proteomics to isolate native protein complexes produced from their natural genomic contexts. We used CRISPR/Cas9 and TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) to tag endogenous genes and purified several DNA repair and chromatin-modifying holoenzymes to near homogeneity. We uncovered subunits and interactions among well-characterized complexes and report the isolation of MCM8/9, highlighting the efficiency and robustness of the approach. These methods improve and simplify both small- and large-scale explorations of protein interactions as well as the study of biochemical activities and structure-function relationships

    Pretransplant renal function according to CKD-EPI cystatin C equation is a prognostic factor of death after liver transplantation

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    International audienceBackground & aims - In patients with cirrhosis, cystatin C (CystC) based equations may be more accurate indicators of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) than creatinine (Pcr) based equations. Renal function before liver transplantation (LT) is thought to impact survival after LT. We aimed at assessing pretransplant creatinine and CystC based equations with respect to their predictive value on long-term survival after LT. Methods - From 2001 to 2011, CystC was determined at pre-LT evaluation in 682 patients together with GFR assessed using MDRD-4, MDRD-6, CKD-EPI-cystatin C, CKD-EPI-creatinine and CKD-EPI-creatinine-cystatin C equations. Patients were classified according to the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative classification (KDOQI). Results - Median age at LT was 55 [49-60] years with a median MELD score of 13.5 [8.3-19.2] and a median post-transplant follow-up of 60 [26-89] months. Using CKD-EPI Cystatin C and the KDOQI classification, 21.1% of patients were stage 1, 43.1% stage 2, 29.1% stage 3 and 6.5% stage 4. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were significantly different between KDOQI stages when determined using the CKD-EPI-CystatinC equation. This was not the case when using the other equations. At multivariate analysis, GFR and KDOQI estimated using the CKD-EPI-CystatinC equation were significantly associated with death (HR: 0.992; CI95%: 0.986-0.999 and 1.24; CI95%: 1.02-1.50 respectively). When assessed using the MDRD-4, MDRD-6, CKD-EPI-Creatinine-CystatinC and CKD-EPI-Creatinine equations GFR was not significantly associated with death. Conclusions - Estimated pre-LT renal function is predictive of post-LT survival only when assessed using the CKD-EPI cystatin C equation. This supports the use of Cystatine C and of its related equation for the assessment of renal function before liver transplantation

    Comparison of reconstruction methods used during liver transplantation in case of a graft with replaced or accessory right hepatic artery:A retrospective study

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    Variations in graft arterial anatomy can increase the risk of postoperative hepatic arterial thrombosis (HAT), especially in presence of a replaced or accessory right hepatic artery (RHA). We retrospectively analyzed 223 cases of liver transplantations with the presence of an RHA on the graft. Patient outcomes were compared according to the four different reconstruction methods used: (i) the re-implantation of the RHA into the splenic or gastroduodenal artery (n = 106); (ii) the interposition of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) (n = 83); (iii) dual anastomosis (n = 24); (iv) use of an aortic patch including the origins of both the SMA and the coeliac trunk (n = 10). A competing risk analysis and Inverse Probability Weighting (IPW) were used. We found that the interposition of the SMA method was associated with a significantly lower incidence of HAT, at 4.8% compared to the re-implantation method at 17.9%, dual anastomosis at 12.5%, and aortic patch at 20%, p =.03. In the competing risk analysis with IPW, the only risk factor for RHA thrombosis was the type of reconstruction. Taking the SMA interposition group as the reference, the sub-hazard ratio (sHR) was 5.05 (CI 95 [1.72; 14.78], p &lt;.01) for the re-implantation group, sHR = 2.37 (CI 95 [0.51; 11.09], p =.27) for the dual anastomosis group and sHR = 2.24 (CI 95 [0.35; 14.33], p =.40) for the aortic patch group. There were no differences for intraoperative transfusion, hospitalization duration (p =.37) or incidence of severe complications (p =.1). The long-term graft (p =.69) and patient (p =.52) survival was not different. In conclusion, the SMA interposition method was associated with a lower incidence of RHA thrombosis.</p

    Comparison of reconstruction methods used during liver transplantation in case of a graft with replaced or accessory right hepatic artery:A retrospective study

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    Variations in graft arterial anatomy can increase the risk of postoperative hepatic arterial thrombosis (HAT), especially in presence of a replaced or accessory right hepatic artery (RHA). We retrospectively analyzed 223 cases of liver transplantations with the presence of an RHA on the graft. Patient outcomes were compared according to the four different reconstruction methods used: (i) the re-implantation of the RHA into the splenic or gastroduodenal artery (n = 106); (ii) the interposition of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) (n = 83); (iii) dual anastomosis (n = 24); (iv) use of an aortic patch including the origins of both the SMA and the coeliac trunk (n = 10). A competing risk analysis and Inverse Probability Weighting (IPW) were used. We found that the interposition of the SMA method was associated with a significantly lower incidence of HAT, at 4.8% compared to the re-implantation method at 17.9%, dual anastomosis at 12.5%, and aortic patch at 20%, p =.03. In the competing risk analysis with IPW, the only risk factor for RHA thrombosis was the type of reconstruction. Taking the SMA interposition group as the reference, the sub-hazard ratio (sHR) was 5.05 (CI 95 [1.72; 14.78], p &lt;.01) for the re-implantation group, sHR = 2.37 (CI 95 [0.51; 11.09], p =.27) for the dual anastomosis group and sHR = 2.24 (CI 95 [0.35; 14.33], p =.40) for the aortic patch group. There were no differences for intraoperative transfusion, hospitalization duration (p =.37) or incidence of severe complications (p =.1). The long-term graft (p =.69) and patient (p =.52) survival was not different. In conclusion, the SMA interposition method was associated with a lower incidence of RHA thrombosis.</p

    Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in 13 Belgian hospitals: a survey from the french association of belgian hospital pharmacists

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    Background: Since 2002, the Belgian Antibiotic Policy Coordibnation Committee (BAPCOC) has supported the development of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) teams in Belgian hospitals with policy guidance and federal funding. A Royal Decree of 12 February 2008 has consolidated the minimum composition, mandate and tasks of AMS teams. However, between 2017 and 2019, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE) emphasized flaws in our national strategies and policies on antimicrobial resistance. This survey evaluated if the essential and the minimum standards for AMS programs in Belgian hospitals were fulfilled after more than 10 years of activities. Materials/methods: A questionnaire survey was performed based on the international consensus approach developed by Pulcini et al. in 2019. Seven core elements and their related 29 checklist items for global hospital AMS programs were assessed. All the items are weighted identically: 1 point per hospital regardless of the type of hospital or the number of beds. The results are expressed in percentages. Results: Completed questionnaires were provided by 13 hospitals (8 primary, 3 secondary and 2 tertiary hospitals). Figure 1 showed the results of the seven core elements. The core elements number 3 (Available expertise on infection management) and 6 (Monitoring and surveillance) gained good scores. The core elements number 1 (Senior hospital management leadership towards antimicrobial stewardship) and number 7 (Reporting and feedback) have to be improved in the future. The sub-analysis of the 29 items emphasized within the core elements which questions can still be improved. Conclusions: This survey confirmed on the ground what is reflected in the ECDC and KCE reports: the effectiveness of the belgian AMS teams could be improved. This survey could help BAPCOC to easily underline which core elements need improvement

    Elucidating pathways of Toxoplasma gondii invasion in the gastrointestinal tract: involvement of the tight junction protein occludin

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    Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite infecting one third of the world’s population. The small intestine is the parasite’s primary route of infection, although the pathway of epithelium transmigration remains unclear. Using an in vitro invasion assay and live imaging we showed that T. gondii (RH) tachyzoites infect and transmigrate between adjacent intestinal epithelial cells in polarized monolayers without altering barrier integrity, despite eliciting the production of specific inflammatory mediators and chemokines. During invasion, T. gondii co-localized with occludin. Reducing the levels of endogenous cellular occludin with specific small interfering RNAs significantly reduced the ability of T. gondii to penetrate between and infect epithelial cells. Furthermore, an in vitro invasion and binding assays using recombinant occludin fragments established the capacity of the parasite to bind occludin and in particular to the extracellular loops of the protein. These findings provide evidence for occludin playing a role in the invasion of T. gondii in small intestinal epithelial cells

    Charting the course for a Blue Economy in Peru: A Research Agenda

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    Ocean- and coastal-based economic activities are increasingly recognised as key drivers for supporting global economies. This move towards the “blue economy” is becoming globally widespread, with the recognition that if ocean-based activities are to be sustainable, they will need to move beyond solely extractive and exploitative endeavours, aligning more closely with marine conservation and effective marine spatial planning. In this paper we define the “blue economy” as a “platform for strategic, integrated and participatory coastal and ocean development and protection that incorporates a low carbon economy, the ecosystem approach and human well-being through advancing regional industries, services and activities”. In Peru, while the seas contribute greatly to the national economy, the full potential of the blue economy has yet to be realised. This paper presents the findings of an early career scientist workshop in Lima, Peru, in March 2016. The workshop “Advancing Green Growth in Peru” brought together researchers to identify challenges and opportunities for green growth across three Peruvian economic sectors—tourism, transport and the blue economy with this paper exploring in detail the priorities generated from the “blue economy” stream. These priorities include themes such as marine spatial planning, detailed evaluations of existing maritime industries (e.g. guano collection and fisheries), development of an effective MPA network, support for sustainable coastal tourism, and better inclusion of social science disciplines in understanding societal and political support for a Peruvian blue economy. In addition, the paper discusses the research requirements associated with these priorities. While not a comprehensive list, these priorities provide a starting point for future dialogue on a co-ordinated scientific platform supporting the blue growth agenda in Peru, and in other regions working towards a successful “blue economy”

    Non-invasive stimulation of the social brain: the methodological challenges

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    Use of non-invasive brain stimulation methods (NIBS) has become a common approach to study social processing in addition to behavioural, imaging and lesion studies. However, research using NIBS to investigate social processing faces challenges. Overcoming these is important to allow valid and reliable interpretation of findings in neurotypical cohorts, but also to allow us to tailor NIBS protocols to atypical groups with social difficulties. In this review, we consider the utility of brain stimulation as a technique to study and modulate social processing. We also discuss challenges that face researchers using NIBS to study social processing in neurotypical adults with a view to highlighting potential solutions. Finally, we discuss additional challenges that face researchers using NIBS to study and modulate social processing in atypical groups. These are important to consider given that NIBS protocols are rarely tailored to atypical groups before use. Instead, many rely on protocols designed for neurotypical adults despite differences in brain function that are likely to impact response to NIBS
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