Mitochondrial polymorphisms in rat genetic models of hypertension

Hypertension is a complex trait that has been studied extensively for genetic contributions of the nuclear genome. We examined mitochondrial genomes of the hypertensive strains: the Dahl Salt-Sensitive (S) rat, the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat (SHR), and the Albino Surgery (AS) rat, and the relatively normotensive strains: the Dahl Salt-Resistant (R) rat, the Milan Normotensive Strain (MNS), and the Lewis rat (LEW). These strains were used previously for linkage analysis for blood pressure (BP) in our laboratory. The results provide evidence to suggest that variations in the mitochondrial genome do not account for observed differences in blood pressure between the S and R rats. However, variants were detected among the mitochondrial genomes of the various hypertensive strains, S, SHR, and AS, and also among the normotensive strains R, MNS, and LEW. A total of 115, 114, 106, 106, and 16 variations in mtDNA were observed between the comparisons S versus LEW, S versus MNS, S versus SHR, S versus AS, and SHR versus AS, respectively. Among the 13 genes coding for proteins of the electron transport chain, 8 genes had nonsynonymous variations between S, LEW, MNS, SHR, and AS. The lack of any sequence variants between the mitochondrial genomes of S and R rats provides conclusive evidence that divergence in blood pressure between these two inbred strains is exclusively programmed through their nuclear genomes. The variations detected among the various hypertensive strains provides the basis to construct conplastic strains and further evaluate the effects of these variants on hypertension and associated phenotypes

Bushfire in Madagascar: natural hazard, useful tool, and change agent

Bushfire does not usually figure on lists of natural hazards in Madagascar, despite being damaging hazard on the island. This chapter argues that the lack of attention to fire comes from the fact that fire is multivalent, ambiguous, and flexible, being simultaneously an occasional 'hazard' for thatch-roof huts or crop fields, a 'useful tool' that farmers and pastoralists use to manage vegetation, and a major transformational force, or 'change agent', that damages land and forest. The chapter builds on the concept of pyric phases, identifying six important pyric phases in which fire serves, or is perceived to serve, different roles as hazard, tool, or change agent

Style attributionnel et burn-out au travail : une analyse en cluster

International audienceIn the domain of the workplace, burnout appears as an important consequence of stressful events experienced by an individual. But how to define it, and what reality does this concept represent? The benefits of optimism, and particularly of an optimistic explanatory style, have also been demonstrated on a set of other variables such as health, performance and resilience. If an optimistic explanatory style is an important variable, what are the relationships that can be observed with burnout? The purpose of this study is to explore the links that exist between explanatory styles and burnout assuming that there are different types of profiles according to the styles of the individuals, whether they are actually optimistic or pessimistic, or neither one nor the other. Through a cluster analysis, the results of this study revealed: 1) the existence of three different profiles of explanatory styles, ranging from optimistic to pessimistic; and 2) it was indeed possible to associate levels of burnout with the profiles of these styles

When the smile is a cue to familiarity.

International audienceThe question discussed in the two following experiments concerns the effect of facial expressions on face recognition. Famous and unknown faces with neutral or smiling expression were presented for different inspection durations (15 ms vs 1000 ms). Subjects had to categorize these faces as famous or unknown (Experiment 1), or estimate their degree of familiarity on a rating scale (Experiment 2). Results showed that the smile increased ratings of familiarity for unfamiliar faces (Experiments 1 and 2) and for famous faces (Experiment 2). These data are discussed in the framework of current face-recognition models and are interpreted in terms of social value of the smile. It is proposed that the smiling bias found here acts at the level of the decision process

Kausale Repräsentation bei Morbus-Crohn-Patienten: Gibt es einen Zusammenhang zwischen psychologischer Belastung und klinischer Aktivität?

Objectives: Because of the fluctuating and occasional character of Crohn's disease (CD), patients have to cope with a changeable condition of health. Personal perceived control is known to be an important element of adaptation to their medical condition. The objectives of this work are to determine if perceived personal control is predictive of the clinical activity of the disease and of psychological distress (depression, anxiety). Methods: The Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), the causal dimension scale and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI; assessing perceived severity) were administered to 160 patients affected by Crohn's disease. Indicators of inflammation (CRP), disease duration and clinical activity of the disease were also asessed. Results: Globally, CD patients perceive their disease as being personally neither controllable nor uncontrollable. Whereas psychological distress is significantly higher when the disease is active, the relationship between the variables appears complex. The feeling of personal control is explained by the clinical activity of the disease (p=.0001) and by the perception that CD is unstable (p<.00001) and globally impacts the life of patients (p=.001). Nevertheless perception of personal control does not explain the clinical activity of the disease. Finally, psychological distress is explained by the perception that the medical team is unable to control the disease (p=.00001) and by the global consequences of the disease on life (p<.005). Conclusions: Psychological treatments should take these dimensions into account so as to improve the well-being and medical conditions of patients.Zielsetzung: Aufgrund des fluktuierenden Charakters des Morbus Crohn (Crohn's disease, (CD)) müssen Patienten mit der Veränderlichkeit ihres Gesundheitszustandes zurechtkommen. Die wahrgenommene, persönliche Kontrollierbarkeit ist ein wichtiges Element der Anpassungsfähigkeit an die Herausforderungen des Krankheitsbildes. In dieser Arbeit wird untersucht, ob wahrgenommene Kontrolle als Prädiktor klinischer Aktivität der Krankheit und psychologischer Belastung (Depression, Angst) angesehen werden kann.Methode: Der HADS (Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale), die Kausale Dimensonsskala und der CGI (Clinical Global Impression, Einschätzung der wahrgenommenen Schwere) wurden an 160 CD-Patienten erhoben. Entzündungsindikatoren (CRP), Krankheitsdauer und klinische Aktivität der Krankheit wurden ebenfalls erhoben.Ergebnisse: Insgesamt scheinen die Patienten ihre Krankheit weder als persönlich ausgeprägt kontrollierbar noch unkontrollierbar zu empfinden. Während die psychologische Belastung bei klinisch aktivem Symptombild höher ist, erweist sich die Beziehung zwischen den Variablen als komplex. Das Gefühl persönlicher Kontrolle weist einen Zusammenhang zu der klinischen Aktivität der Krankkheit auf (p=0,0001), wie auch die Wahrnehmung der Stabilität der CD (p<0,0001) und die Globalität des Einflusses der Krankheit auf das Leben (p=0,001). Ungeachtet dessen zeigte sich die wahrgenommene persönliche Kontrolle nicht als prädiktiv für den Aktivitätsstatus der Krankheit. Schließlich zeigte sich ein Zusammenhang psychologischer Belastung mit der Wahrnehmung der Kontrollierbarkeit der Krankheit durch das medizinische Team (p=0,00001) und der Globalität der Krankheitsfolgen für das Leben (p<0,005)Schlussfolgerung: Psychologische Behandlungen sollten diese Dimensionen berücksichtigen, um das Wohlbefinden und die Gesundheit der Patienten zu verbessern

Ultra thin gate oxide characterization

The increase of the gate leakage current of advanced CMOS technologies makes standard electrical characterization methods as C(V) measurement or charge pumping more complex and uncertain. In this paper, and based on C(V) characteristics, main elements that directly affect the electrical measurements of ultra thin MOS devices are clarified. Then, classical parameter extraction techniques are reviewed, pointing out their absolute limitations or giving potential keys of improvement