A Profile of Families in the Emergency Family Homeless Shelter System in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Compared to the wealth of research on single homeless adults, there is little known about homeless families. This paper describes a study of 75 homeless families in Ottawa, Ontario, conducted in 2012-2013. This sample of homeless families includes a large number of newcomer families, including immigrants and refugees. Participants are poor and unemployed, but many are educated, and there is little evidence of alcohol or substance abuse. Nonetheless, participants report poor mental health and high levels of family stress. Whereas newcomer families tended to be larger and include more two-parent families than did Canadian-born families, there were no differences in the physical and mental health of the participants. These findings add to our growing understanding of homeless families and point to notable similarities and differences in homeless families in this city in Canada, and in the United States

The conversational partner's perspective affects spatial memory and descriptions.

We examined whether people spontaneously represent the partner’s viewpoint in spatial memory when it is available in advance and whether they adapt their spontaneous descriptions accordingly. In 18 pairs, Directors studied arrays of objects while: (1) not knowing about having to describe the array to a Matcher, (2) knowing about the subsequent description, and (3) knowing the Matcher’s subsequent viewpoint, which was offset by 90, 135, or 180. In memory tests preceding descriptions, Directors represented the Matcher’s viewpoint when it was known during study, taking longer to imagine orienting to perspectives aligned with it and rotating their drawings of arrays toward it. Conversely, when Directors didn’t know their Matcher’s viewpoint, they encoded arrays egocentrically, being faster to imagine orienting to and to respond from perspectives aligned with their own. Directors adapted their descriptions flexibly, using partner-centered spatial expressions more frequently when misaligned by 90 and egocentric ones when misaligned by 135. Knowing their misalignment in advance helped partners recognize when descriptions would be most difficult for Directors (at 135) and to mutually agree on using their perspective. Thus, in collaborative tasks, people don’t rely exclusively on their spatial memory but also use other pertinent perceptual information (e.g., their misalignment from their partner) to assess the computational demands on each partner and select strategies that maximize the efficiency of communication

Enantiomerically pure amino-alcohol quinolines: in vitro anti-malarial activity in combination with dihydroartemisinin, cytotoxicity and in vivo efficacy in a Plasmodium berghei mouse model

International audienceBackground: As resistance to marketed anti-malarial drugs continues to spread, the need for new molecules active on Plasmodium falciparum-resistant strains grows. Pure (S) enantiomers of amino-alcohol quinolines previously displayed a good in vitro anti-malarial activity. Therefore, a more thorough assessment of their potential clinical use through a rodent model and an in vitro evaluation of their combination with artemisinin was undertaken. Methods: Screening on a panel of P. falciparum clones with varying resistance profiles and regional origins was performed for the (S)-pentyl and (S)-heptyl substituted quinoline derivatives, followed by an in vitro assessment of their combination with dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on the 3D7 clone and an in vivo assay in a mouse model infected with Plasmodium berghei. Their haemolytic activity was also determined. Results: A steady anti-malarial activity of the compounds tested was found, whatever the resistance profile or the regional origin of the strain. (S)-quinoline derivatives were at least three times more potent than mefloquine (MQ), their structurally close parent. The in vitro combination with DHA yielded an additive or synergic effect for both that was as good as that of the DHA/MQ combination. In vivo, survival rates were similar to those of MQ for the two compounds at a lower dose, despite a lack of clearance of the parasite blood stages. A 50% haemolysis was observed for concentrations at least 1,000-fold higher than the antiplasmodial IC 50 s. Conclusions: The results obtained make those two (S)-amino-alcohol quinoline derivatives good candidates for the development of new artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), hopefully with fewer neurologic side effects than those currently marketed ACT, including MQ

Uso de dren intraabdominal y complicaciones asociadas al sitio operatorio en cirugía por apendicitis, mediante modelo de regresión logística en el Hospital Antonio Lorena del Cusco, 2019

Antecedentes: Hoy en día el uso de drenaje quirúrgico en pacientes con apendicitis aguda sigue siendo un tema controversial, debido a que ha sido relacionado con complicaciones en el sitio operatorio, es por ello que se toma como un incentivo para realizar más estudios. Objetivo: Determinar si existe relación entre el uso de drenaje intra abdominal en la cirugía por apendicitis y la aparición de complicaciones en el sitio operatorio asociadas a dicha intervención quirúrgica realizada en el Servicio de Cirugía General en el Hospital Antonio Lorena durante los meses de enero a diciembre del año 2019. Material y métodos: Estudio Descriptivo con componente analítico, longitudinal, mediante modelo de regresión logística realizado en el Hospital Antonio Lorena durante el periodo enero-diciembre del año 2019 en 292 pacientes admitidos en el Servicio de Cirugía según los criterios de selección. Resultados: En nuestro estudio se tuvo una población de 292 pacientes, la edad promedio fue de 34,6712 años. La frecuencia del uso de drenaje quirúrgico fue de 50,3%(n=147) frente a un 49,7%(n=145) que no utilizaron drenaje de la población total. Del grupo de los casos (n=36) un 66,7% (n=24) tuvieron complicaciones asociadas al uso de drenaje quirúrgico; y en el grupo de los controles (n=256) el 52.0% (n=133) no presentaron complicaciones sin el uso de drenes intraabdominales. Conclusiones: Se demuestra que si existe asociación entre las complicaciones en el sitio operatorio posterior al uso de drenaje quirúrgico; a su vez el uso de drenaje quirúrgico condiciona un riesgo 2.16 veces mayor de presentar complicaciones frente al no uso de drenaje quirúrgico. La complicación postquirúrgica más frecuente es absceso residual. La presencia de complicaciones postquirúrgica asociadas al uso de drenaje quirúrgico condiciona una mayor estancia hospitalaria y una mayor duración de la terapia antibiótica.Background: Nowadays the use of surgical drainage in patients with acute appendicitis remains a controversial issue, because it has been related to complications in the operative site, which is why it is taken as an incentive to carry out further studies. Objetive: To determine if there is a relationship between the use of intra-abdominal drainage in appendicitis surgery and the appearance of complications in the operative site associated with said surgical intervention performed in the General Surgery Service at the Antonio Lorena Hospital during the months of January to December of the year 2019. Material and methods: Descriptive study with a analytical component, longitudinal, using a logistic regression model carried out at the Antonio Lorena Hospital during the January- December period of the year 2019 in 292 patients admitted to the general surgery service according to the selection criteria. Results: In our study we had a population of 292 patients, the average age was 34.6712 years. The frequency of the use of surgical drainage was 50,3% (n=147) versus 49,7% (n=145) who did not use drainage of the total population. Of the group of cases (n=36), 66.7% (n = 24) had complications associated with the use of surgical drainage; and in the group of controls (n = 256) 52.0% (n = 133) did not present complications without the use of drains. Conclusions: It is shown that there is an association between complications at the operative site after the use of surgical drainage; In turn, the use of surgical drainage determines a 2.16 times greater risk of presenting complications compared to the non-use of surgical drainage. The most frequent post-surgical complication is residual abscess. The presence of post- surgical complications associated with the use of surgical drainage determines a longer hospital stay and a longer duration of antibiotic therapy.Tesi

(Not) Keeping the stem straight: a proteomic analysis of maritime pine seedlings undergoing phototropism and gravitropism

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Plants are subjected to continuous stimuli from the environment and have evolved an ability to respond through various growth and development processes. Phototropism and gravitropism responses enable the plant to reorient with regard to light and gravity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We quantified the speed of maritime pine seedlings to reorient with regard to light and gravity over 22 days. Seedlings were inclined at 15, 30 and 45 degrees with vertical plants as controls. A lateral light source illuminated the plants and stem movement over time was recorded. Depending on the initial angle of stem lean, the apical response to the lateral light source differed. In control and 15° inclined plants, the apex turned directly towards the light source after only 2 h. In plants inclined at 30° and 45°, the apex first reoriented in the vertical plane after 2 h, then turned towards the light source after 24 h. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry was then used to describe the molecular response of stem bending involved in photo- and gravi-tropism after 22 hr and 8 days of treatment. A total of 486 spots were quantitatively analyzed using image analysis software. Significant changes were determined in the protein accumulation of 68 protein spots. Early response gravitropic associated proteins were identified, which are known to function in energy related and primary metabolism. A group of thirty eight proteins were found to be involved in primary metabolism and energy related metabolic pathways. Degradation of Rubisco was implicated in some protein shifts.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study demonstrates a rapid gravitropic response in apices of maritime pine seedlings inclined >30°. Little or no response was observed at the stem bases of the same plants. The primary gravitropic response is concomitant with a modification of the proteome, consisting of an over accumulation of energy and metabolism associated proteins, which may allow the stem to reorient rapidly after bending.</p

Chronique de jurisprudence constitutionnelle française 2015

Désormais traditionnelle dans cette revue, la chronique de jurisprudence constitutionnelle vise à faire un état des lieux annuel des décisions rendues par le Conseil constitutionnel. Sous un angle critique, les auteurs présentent les continuités et ruptures de jurisprudence, ainsi que la variabilité du contrôle exercé par le Conseil selon les droits en cause.Now traditional in this journal, the chronicle of constitutional jurisprudence aims to make an annual inventory of the Constitutional Council’s decisions. The authors present, from a critical point of view, the continuity and discontinuity of case law, and the variability of the control exercised by the Council according to the rights in question

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Inpatient Antibiotic Consumption in Switzerland.

The aim of this study was to analyze inpatient antibiotic consumption during the first 16 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland. The entire period (January 2018-June 2021) was divided into the prepandemic period, the first and second waves, and the intermediate period. In the first year of the pandemic, total overall inpatient antibiotic consumption measured in defined daily doses (DDD) per 100 bed-days remained stable (+1.7%), with a slight increase in ICUs of +4.2%. The increase in consumption of broad-spectrum antibiotics was +12.3% overall and 17.3% in ICUs. The segmented regression model of monthly data revealed an increase in overall antibiotic consumption during the first wave but not during the second wave. In the correlation analysis performed in a subset of the data, a significant positive association was found between broad-spectrum antibiotic consumption and an increasing number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients (p = 0.018). Restricting this dataset to ICUs, we found significant positive correlations between the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients and total antibiotic consumption (p = 0.007) and broad-spectrum antibiotic consumption (p &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, inpatient antibiotic use during the different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic varied greatly and was predominantly notable for broad-spectrum antibiotics