The Plight of Paternalism in French Child Welfare and Protective Policies and Practices

For 40 years, the French child protection system has been based on a structure set up at the dawn of the Fifth Republic, giving a strong role, and a monopoly to the State to support families in trouble. The role of Children’s Judges has been designed to personify the constitutional duty of the State to control and support the role of parents as defined by the civil code. The evolution of the structure of French society (family models, multicultural communities), the impact of more liberal economic and social policies (in a country strongly characterized by centralization and Jacobinism), the growth of the role of local authorities in welfare policies, the impact of the European convention on human rights about judicial proceedings, and the appearance of lobbying by ‘poor families’ organizations’ has led to major policy and service delivery changes in 2002

Une stratégie : l'écrit comme expression d'une identité d'entreprise

Le directeur d'un service de travail social dédié à l'aide à l'enfance explique, ici, sa politique en matière d'écrits produits par les différents services de son établissement. La politique de l'écrit est très réfléchie et développée dans ce centre : quatre fonctions lui sont même dévolues : la fonction de rendre compte d'un travail, la fonction d'expertise (pour la justice notamment), la fonction de représentation de pratiques et la fonction stratégique dans les rapports de pouvoir avec le juge pour enfants. Au terme de cinq années de pratiques réfléchies d'écriture professionnelle ce directeur livre un bilan

Characterisation of a refined rat model of respiratory infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the effect of ciprofloxacin

AbstractBackgroundWe sought to characterise a refined rat model of respiratory infection with P. aeruginosa over an acute time course and test the antibiotic ciprofloxacin.MethodsAgar beads were prepared±SPAN®80. Rats were inoculated with sterile agar beads or those containing 105 colony forming units (cfu) P. aeruginosa via intra-tracheal dosing. Bacterial load and inflammatory parameters were measured.ResultsDiffering concentrations of SPAN® 80 modified median agar bead diameter and reduced particle size distribution. Beads prepared with 0.01% v/v SPAN®80 were evaluated in vivo. A stable lung infection up to 7days post infection was achieved and induced BALF neutrophilia 2 and 5days post infection. Ciprofloxacin (50mg/kg) significantly attenuated infection without affecting the inflammatory parameters measured.ConclusionSPAN® 80 can control the particle size and lung distribution of agar beads and P. aeruginosa-embedded beads prepared with 0.01%v/v SPAN®80 can induce infection and inflammation over 7days

LRRK2 protein levels are determined by kinase function and are crucial for kidney and lung homeostasis in mice

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) cause late-onset Parkinson's disease (PD), but the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and the normal function of this large multidomain protein remain speculative. To address the role of this protein in vivo, we generated three different LRRK2 mutant mouse lines. Mice completely lacking the LRRK2 protein (knock-out, KO) showed an early-onset (age 6 weeks) marked increase in number and size of secondary lysosomes in kidney proximal tubule cells and lamellar bodies in lung type II cells. Mice expressing a LRRK2 kinase-dead (KD) mutant from the endogenous locus displayed similar early-onset pathophysiological changes in kidney but not lung. KD mutants had dramatically reduced full-length LRRK2 protein levels in the kidney and this genetic effect was mimicked pharmacologically in wild-type mice treated with a LRRK2-selective kinase inhibitor. Knock-in (KI) mice expressing the G2019S PD-associated mutation that increases LRRK2 kinase activity showed none of the LRRK2 protein level and histopathological changes observed in KD and KO mice. The autophagy marker LC3 remained unchanged but kidney mTOR and TCS2 protein levels decreased in KD and increased in KO and KI mice. Unexpectedly, KO and KI mice suffered from diastolic hypertension opposed to normal blood pressure in KD mice. Our findings demonstrate a role for LRRK2 in kidney and lung physiology and further show that LRRK2 kinase function affects LRRK2 protein steady-state levels thereby altering putative scaffold/GTPase activity. These novel aspects of peripheral LRRK2 biology critically impact ongoing attempts to develop LRRK2 selective kinase inhibitors as therapeutics for PD

Leishmania infection in cats and feline leishmaniosis: an updated review with a proposal of a diagnosis algorithm and prevention guidelines

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LeishVet update and recommendations on feline leishmaniosis

Limited data is available on feline leishmaniosis (FeL) caused by Leishmania infantum worldwide. The LeishVet group presents in this report a review of the current knowledge on FeL, the epidemiological role of the cat in L. infantum infection, clinical manifestations, and recommendations on diagnosis, treatment and monitoring, prognosis and prevention of infection, in order to standardize the management of this disease in cats. The consensus of opinions and recommendations was formulated by combining a comprehensive review of evidence-based studies and case reports, clinical experience and critical consensus discussions. While subclinical feline infections are common in areas endemic for canine leishmaniosis, clinical illness due to L. infantum in cats is rare. The prevalence rates of feline infection with L. infantum in serological or molecular-based surveys range from 0 % to more than 60 %. Cats are able to infect sand flies and, therefore, they may act as a secondary reservoir, with dogs being the primary natural reservoir. The most common clinical signs and clinicopathological abnormalities compatible with FeL include lymph node enlargement and skin lesions such as ulcerative, exfoliative, crusting or nodular dermatitis (mainly on the head or distal limbs), ocular lesions (mainly uveitis), feline chronic gingivostomatitis syndrome, mucocutaneous ulcerative or nodular lesions, hypergammaglobulinaemia and mild normocytic normochromic anaemia. Clinical illness is frequently associated with impaired immunocompetence, as in case of retroviral coinfections or immunosuppressive therapy. Diagnosis is based on serology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cytology, histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC) or culture. If serological testing is negative or low positive in a cat with clinical signs compatible with FeL, the diagnosis of leishmaniosis should not be excluded and additional diagnostic methods (cytology, histology with IHC, PCR, culture) should be employed. The most common treatment used is allopurinol. Meglumine antimoniate has been administered in very few reported cases. Both drugs are administered alone and most cats recover clinically after therapy. Follow-up of treated cats with routine laboratory tests, serology and PCR is essential for prevention of clinical relapses. Specific preventative measures for this infection in cats are currently not available

Les mineurs, acteurs ou sujets des interventions de protection les concernant. Réflexions issues d'une comparaison entre quelques systèmes européens de protection de l'enfance

Grevot Alain. Les mineurs, acteurs ou sujets des interventions de protection les concernant. Réflexions issues d'une comparaison entre quelques systèmes européens de protection de l'enfance. In: Les jeunes et leur rapport au droit. Paris : L'Harmattan, 2001. pp. 113-127. (Débats Jeunesses, 7

L'enfant, la famille, qui protéger ? [Comparaison France - Angleterre]

Le travail de recherche comparatif mené par l'Association Jeunesse Culture Loisirs Technique (1) sur la protection de l'enfance montre que les différences et similitudes dans les méthodes de travail des praticiens anglais et français sont fortement liées à leurs cultures et normes respectives. Les différences majeures résident dans le pouvoir dont dispose chacun des deux systèmes pour séparer un enfant de la famille naturelle et dans l'importance et la signification que l'on donne à la notion de famille dans chacun des deux pays. En France, l'objectif fondamental à long terme est de maintenir l'enfant au sein de sa famille, et si le retour dans la famille naturelle est impossible le placement de longue durée en internat est envisagé. En Angleterre, l'objectif fondamental est de permettre à l'enfant de vivre dans une famille quelle qu'elle soit, et le retour de l'enfant dans sa famille naturelle ne sera souhaité que si cette solution correspond à l'intérêt de l'enfant. Sinon, la recherche d'une famille substitutive pour l'enfant devient l 'objectif principal.Grevot Alain. L'enfant, la famille, qui protéger ? [Comparaison France - Angleterre]. In: Recherches et Prévisions, n°41, septembre 1995. pp. 1-11

Familles et dispositifs de protection de l’enfance, des relations marquées par les contextes nationaux : mise en perspective France-Québec

This article highlights the importance of taking into account the paradigms which structure the analytical categories on which the child protection systems in France and Quebec are based. It suggests considering two factors in comparing the realities of the two national contexts: the models of democracy and the operational modes of social response. The republican democracy model gives the state a very different role in the private life of individuals and in the organization of the public space, compared to the North American model. As regards the operational modes, relations between knowledge producers and knowledge users differ greatly in both countries, in particular regarding the proximity of these two groups in Quebec. Lastly, the theoretical referents favoured – the psychoanalytical perspective in France and the ecosystemic perspective in Quebec – profoundly influence the conceptions of a child and his or her development, parents and their responsibilities, and the relationship between family and social institutions.Cet article met en relief la pertinence de tenir compte des paradigmes qui structurent les catégories de pensée sur lesquelles se fondent les dispositifs de protection de l’enfance en France et au Québec. Il propose de considérer deux éléments dans la comparaison des réalités des deux contextes nationaux: les modèles de démocratie et les modes opérationnels de réponse sociale. Le modèle de démocratie républicain accorde à l’État une place très différente dans la vie privée des individus et dans l’organisation de l’espace public comparativement au modèle nord-américain. Sur le plan des modes opérationnels, les rapports entre les producteurs de connaissances et les utilisateurs de celles-ci sont fort différents dans les deux pays, notamment en ce qui a trait à la proximité de ces deux groupes au Québec. Finalement, les référents théoriques privilégiés – la perspective psychanalytique en France et la perspective écosystémique au Québec – conditionnent profondément les conceptions de l’enfant et de son développement, des parents et de leurs responsabilités, et du rapport entre la famille et les institutions sociales.Grevot Alain, Lacharité Carl. Familles et dispositifs de protection de l’enfance, des relations marquées par les contextes nationaux : mise en perspective France-Québec. In: Santé, Société et Solidarité, n°1, 2009. Violence et maltraitance envers les enfants. pp. 109-117