Mismatch negativity is not correlated with neuroendocrine indicators of catecholaminergic activity in healthy subjects.

The identification of the brain structures and neurotransmitters responsible for the generation and/or modulation of the mismatch negativity (MMN) may contribute to a clearer understanding of its functional significance, and may have clinical implications. In this context, some findings suggest that the scalp-recorded MMN reflects activity from multiple neuronal ensembles within or in the immediate vicinity of the primary auditory cortex and with possible contribution from the frontal cortex. However, few data are available concerning the influence of neurotransmitter systems on the MMN. In this study, the relationship between both noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems and the MMN were investigated in 34 healthy volunteers. Noradrenergic and dopaminergic activities were assessed with the apomorphine and clonidine challenge tests. The results showed no significant relationship between either growth hormone (GH) responses to apomorphine or clonidine and the MMN amplitude or latency. Therefore, this study does not demonstrate the implication of dopaminergic and noradrenergic activities as assessed by GH response to apomorphine and clonidine for the generation and/or the modulation of the MMN. However, given the complexity of the central neurotransmitter systems, these results cannot be considered as definitive evidence against a relationship between dopaminergic and noradrenergic activity and the MMN

Variations of the McEliece Cryptosystem

Two variations of the McEliece cryptosystem are presented. The first one is based on a relaxation of the column permutation in the classical McEliece scrambling process. This is done in such a way that the Hamming weight of the error, added in the encryption process, can be controlled so that efficient decryption remains possible. The second variation is based on the use of spatially coupled moderate-density parity-check codes as secret codes. These codes are known for their excellent error-correction performance and allow for a relatively low key size in the cryptosystem. For both variants the security with respect to known attacks is discussed

Experimenting cross-disciplinary cooperation by an experimental One Health degree program around the triad Animal-Man-Food

Magras Catherine, Diguet Anne-Laure, Lepelletier Didier, Eveillard Mathieu, Couvreur Sébastien, Ruvoen-Clouet Nathalie, Krempf Michel. L’Idefi Man-Imal : une formation One-Health de la pluri- à l’interdisciplinarité. In: Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France tome 171 n°2, 2018. pp. 100-102

Le fonctionnement en réseau : une nouvelle vision de soins en santé mentale.

peer reviewedNous présenterons tout d'abord une mise au point sur les tendances actuelles, les évolutions dans les demandes, les thérapies et l'organisation des soins. Nous tenterons de répondre aux questions : pourquoi un réseau ? Un réseau en santé mental est-il possible au vue de la diversité de l'offre de soins ? Faut-il aiguiser sa différence et renforcer les particularités de chaque courant ou faut-il conjuguer des modalités cliniques différentes ? Nous envisagerons ensuite la place de l'hôpital de jour du centre universitaire provincial "La Clairière" dans le réseau de santé mentale de la province du Luxembourg, région rurale avec une population peu nombreuse et dispersée. Enfin, nous aborderons quelques réflexions suscitées par l'évolution de la politique de soins en santé mentale. Derrière des idées d'optimisation des ressources, d’efficience et de qualité, ne se cache-t-il pas une notion de gestion de l'humain

Utility of Computed Tomographic Angiography for Pulmonary Hypertension Assessment in a Cohort of West Highland White Terriers With or Without Canine Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

West Highland white terriers (WHWTs) affected with canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF) are at risk of developing precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH). In humans, thoracic computed tomography angiography (CTA) is commonly used to diagnose and monitor patients with lower airway diseases. In such patients, CTA helps to identify comorbidities, such as PH, that could negatively impact prognosis. Diameter of the pulmonary trunk (PT), pulmonary trunk-to-aorta ratio (PT/Ao), and right ventricle-to-left ventricle ratio (RV/LV) are CTA parameters commonly used to assess the presence of PH. Pulmonary vein-to-right pulmonary artery ratio (PV/PA) is a new echocardiographic parameter that can be used in dogs to diagnose PH. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the use of various CTA parameters to diagnose PH. An additional aim was to evaluate the correlation of RV/LV measurements between different CTA planes. CTA and echocardiography were prospectively performed on a total of 47 WHWTs; 22 affected with CIPF and 25 presumed healthy control dogs. Dogs were considered to have PH if pulmonary vein-to-right pulmonary artery ratio (PV/PA) measured on 2D-mode echocardiography was less than to 0.7. WHWTs affected with CIPF had higher PT/Ao compared with control patients. In WHWTs affected with CIPF, PT size was larger in dogs with PH (15.4 mm) compared with dogs without PH (13 mm, p = 0.003). A cutoff value of 13.8 mm predicted PH in WHWTs affected with CIPF with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 87% (AUC = 0.93). High correlations were observed between the different CTA planes of RV/LV. Results suggest that diameter of the PT measured by CTA can be used to diagnose PH in WHWTs with CIPF

Bibliothèques et autoformation

Dans un univers où les nouvelles technologies évoluent constamment et où l'individu est régulièrement amené à se recycler dans sa carrière professionnelle ou à maîtriser les outils de développement personnel, la bibliothèque est aujourd'hui le lieu d'expression d'une demande nouvelle en autoformation. Cette demande, dépendante pour partie de l'offre de la bibliothèque et du niveau de formation de l'usager, remet également en question le rôle des bibliothécaires et de leur médiation. Reprenant les actes du colloque organisé à la Bibliothèque publique d'information en décembre 2005, ainsi que le rapport de l'enquête réalisée par le service Études et recherche de la Bpi sur l'espace Autoformation de la Bpi, cet ouvrage se veut un outil de réflexion pour les professionnels des bibliothèques. Reformulant les questions auxquelles les bibliothécaires sont confrontées dans leur pratique quotidienne, s'appuyant sur leurs expériences et sur l'analyse théorique de chercheurs en sciences de l'information, il tente d'ouvrir de nouvelles pistes de travail pour établir à l'avenir, peut-être une « charte de l'autoformation en bibliothèque »

Micro-trottoir

Ce micro-trottoir a été réalisé aux alentours du Centre Pompidou en juin 2005. L’équipe « Autoformation » de la Bibliothèque publique d’information, avec l’aide d’un preneur de son, a posé la question : « Si je vous dis autoformation, à quoi cela vous fait-il penser ? » Les réponses à ces questions, dont nous vous proposons ici une sélection, ont été diffusées en toile de fond lors du colloque. Nous remercions celles et ceux qui ont accepté de prendre le temps de nous répondre. « Se former so..

Conclusion

L’autoformation à la Bpi, lorsqu’elle est évoquée par nos usagers, est dotée de significations différentes. Si cette notion se réfère parfois pour eux à une façon d’apprendre spécifique, reposant sur un projet autogéré, l’autoformation renvoie également à une norme d’usage qui consiste à se débrouiller seul. L’autonomie est alors vécue comme un point de passage obligé, pour accéder à des ressources difficiles d’accès et pourtant nécessaires. Nos usagers ressentent une certaine gratitude à l’é..

Identification of a New Rhoptry Neck Complex RON9/RON10 in the Apicomplexa Parasite Toxoplasma gondii

Apicomplexan parasites secrete and inject into the host cell the content of specialized secretory organelles called rhoptries, which take part into critical processes such as host cell invasion and modulation of the host cell immune response. The rhoptries are structurally and functionally divided into two compartments. The apical duct contains rhoptry neck (RON) proteins that are conserved in Apicomplexa and are involved in formation of the moving junction (MJ) driving parasite invasion. The posterior bulb contains rhoptry proteins (ROPs) unique to an individual genus and, once injected in the host cell act as effector proteins to co-opt host processes and modulate parasite growth and virulence. We describe here two new RON proteins of Toxoplasma gondii, RON9 and RON10, which form a high molecular mass complex. In contrast to the other RONs described to date, this complex was not detected at the MJ during invasion and therefore was not associated to the MJ complex RON2/4/5/8. Disruptions of either RON9 or RON10 gene leads to the retention of the partner in the ER followed by subsequent degradation, suggesting that the RON9/RON10 complex formation is required for proper sorting to the rhoptries. Finally, we show that the absence of RON9/RON10 has no significant impact on the morphology of rhoptry, on the invasion and growth in fibroblasts in vitro or on virulence in vivo. The conservation of RON9 and RON10 in Coccidia and Cryptosporidia suggests a specific relation with development in intestinal epithelial cells

The global abundance of tree palms

Aim Palms are an iconic, diverse and often abundant component of tropical ecosystems that provide many ecosystem services. Being monocots, tree palms are evolutionarily, morphologically and physiologically distinct from other trees, and these differences have important consequences for ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration and storage) and in terms of responses to climate change. We quantified global patterns of tree palm relative abundance to help improve understanding of tropical forests and reduce uncertainty about these ecosystems under climate change. Location Tropical and subtropical moist forests. Time period Current. Major taxa studied Palms (Arecaceae). Methods We assembled a pantropical dataset of 2,548 forest plots (covering 1,191 ha) and quantified tree palm (i.e., ≥10 cm diameter at breast height) abundance relative to co‐occurring non‐palm trees. We compared the relative abundance of tree palms across biogeographical realms and tested for associations with palaeoclimate stability, current climate, edaphic conditions and metrics of forest structure. Results On average, the relative abundance of tree palms was more than five times larger between Neotropical locations and other biogeographical realms. Tree palms were absent in most locations outside the Neotropics but present in >80% of Neotropical locations. The relative abundance of tree palms was more strongly associated with local conditions (e.g., higher mean annual precipitation, lower soil fertility, shallower water table and lower plot mean wood density) than metrics of long‐term climate stability. Life‐form diversity also influenced the patterns; palm assemblages outside the Neotropics comprise many non‐tree (e.g., climbing) palms. Finally, we show that tree palms can influence estimates of above‐ground biomass, but the magnitude and direction of the effect require additional work. Conclusions Tree palms are not only quintessentially tropical, but they are also overwhelmingly Neotropical. Future work to understand the contributions of tree palms to biomass estimates and carbon cycling will be particularly crucial in Neotropical forests