Trois cas graves de rickettsiose humaine à R. conori sans transmission entomologique avérée

Bertoye A., Royer J., Vincent P., Joubert L., Guillermet F. N., Garin J. P. Trois cas graves de Rickettsiose humaine à R. Conori, sans transmission entomologique avérée. In: Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France tome 123 n°6, 1970. pp. 247-256

Administration of 188Re-loaded nanocapsules into the hepatic artery involves neoangiogenesis alterations in a rat hepatocellular carcinoma model

International audienc

The two-component system BvrR/BvrS essential for Brucella abortus virulence regulates the expression of outer membrane proteins with counterparts in members of the Rhizobiaceae

The Brucella BvrR/BvrS two-component regulatory system is homologous to the ChvI/ChvG systems of Sinorhizobium meliloti and Agrobacterium tumefaciens necessary for endosymbiosis and pathogenicity in plants. BvrR/BvrS controls cell invasion and intracellular survival. Probing the surface of bvrR and bvrS transposon mutants with monoclonal antibodies showed all described major outer membrane proteins (Omps) but Omp25, a protein known to be involved in Brucella virulence. Absence of Omp25 expression was confirmed by two-dimensional electrophoresis of envelope fractions and by gene reporter studies. The electrophoretic analysis also revealed reduction or absence in the mutants of a second set of protein spots that by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization MS and peptide mass mapping were identified as a non-previously described Omp (Omp3b). Because bvrR and bvrS mutants are also altered in cell-surface hydrophobicity, permeability, and sensitivity to surf ace-targeted bactericidal peptides, it is proposed that BvrR/BvrS controls cell envelope changes necessary to transit between extracellular and intracellular environments. A genomic search revealed that Omp25 (Omp3a) and Omp3b belong to a family of Omps of plant and animal cell-associated alpha-Proteobacteria, which includes Rhizobium leguminosarum RopB and A. tumefaciens AopB. Previous work has shown that RopB is not expressed in bacteroids, that AopB is involved in tumorigenesis, and that dysfunction of A. tumetaciens ChvI/ChvG alters surface properties. It is thus proposed that the BvrR/BvrS and Omp3 homologues of the cell-associated a-Proteobacteria play a role in bacterial surface control and host cell interactions

Bladder cancer index: cross-cultural adaptation into Spanish and psychometric evaluation

BACKGROUND: The Bladder Cancer Index (BCI) is so far the only instrument applicable across all bladder cancer patients, independent of tumor infiltration or treatment applied. We developed a Spanish version of the BCI, and assessed its acceptability and metric properties. METHODS: For the adaptation into Spanish we used the forward and back-translation method, expert panels, and cognitive debriefing patient interviews. For the assessment of metric properties we used data from 197 bladder cancer patients from a multi-center prospective study. The Spanish BCI and the SF-36 Health Survey were self-administered before and 12 months after treatment. Reliability was estimated by Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was assessed through the multi-trait multi-method matrix. The magnitude of change was quantified by effect sizes to assess responsiveness. RESULTS: Reliability coefficients ranged 0.75-0.97. The validity analysis confirmed moderate associations between the BCI function and bother subscales for urinary (r = 0.61) and bowel (r = 0.53) domains; conceptual independence among all BCI domains (r ≤ 0.3); and low correlation coefficients with the SF-36 scores, ranging 0.14-0.48. Among patients reporting global improvement at follow-up, pre-post treatment changes were statistically significant for the urinary domain and urinary bother subscale, with effect sizes of 0.38 and 0.53. CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish BCI is well accepted, reliable, valid, responsive, and similar in performance compared to the original instrument. These findings support its use, both in Spanish and international studies, as a valuable and comprehensive tool for assessing quality of life across a wide range of bladder cancer patients

Transfert de gestion dans les périmètres irrigués du Nordeste, Brésil : une difficile participation des usagers ?

In Brazil, public irrigation schemes have been designed in the semi-arid Nordeste with both an economic development and land reform objectives. In the 1980s, water management was transferred to users to solve budget deficit problems. Irrigation Districts are now responsible for water management and technical and financial sustainability of the irrigation schemes. But users` participation to irrigation management, in particular to water pricing reforms faces many problems - access to information and capacity to use it, understanding of problems and dialogue between stakeholders. Water pricing reforms encompasses the entire set of problems related to irrigation, from irrigation scheme design to input management, including commercialisation or water turns management. How can the discussion of water pricing reform then contribute to a better participation of users in the irrigation scheme management process? The approach developed focuses on the analysis of the water pricing reform and on the interface between producers and water districts. The analysis, based on the institutional approach developed by Ostrom, highlights the key issues related to users` participation in the pricing reform and irrigation management transfer. A role-playing game was developed to share the diagnostic of problems and to help stakeholders discuss water management challenges and issues. Stakeholder involvement and discussion of problems are greatly facilitated by the game. The game appears as a good representation and simplification tool, in which players can project themselves although the game «is not their field reality ». Finally, it can be used for diagnosis, dialogue on possible solutions and learning potential capacities.Au Brésil, les périmètres irrigués publics ont été conçus dans les zones semi-arides du Nordeste dans une double perspective de développement économique et de réforme agraire. Dans les années 1980, le transfert de gestion aux usagers a été mis en oeuvre pour résoudre le problème de déficit budgétaire. Le district d`irrigation, doit alors gérer la ressource en eau et assurer la durabilité financière et technique du périmètre, Mais la participation des usagers au processus de gestion, notamment à la réforme de la tarification de l`eau se heurte à de nombreux problèmes. L'évolution du système tarifaire met en jeu l'ensemble des problèmes de l'irrigation depuis la conception des ouvrages à la gestion des intrants en passant par la commercialisation ou l'organisation des tours d'eau. Comment faire que la discussion sur la reforme du système tarifaire permette une participation accrue des usagers au processus de gestion des systèmes irrigués? L`approche développée est basée sur une analyse du processus de réforme tarifaire engagé par le District d`irrigation du périmètre irrigué de Maniçoba et sur le développement d`un jeu de rôle. Une analyse du processus de réforme tarifaire basée sur le cadre de l`analyse institutionnelle développé par Ostrom permet d`expliciter les règles de gestion et les institutions et de mettre évidence les problèmes liés au transfert de gestion à des communautés rurales. Un jeu de rôle a ensuite été développé afin de partager le diagnostic des problèmes et de faciliter la participation des acteurs à la discussion des enjeux de la gestion du périmètre

DÉTECTION DE PARTICULES AU MINIMUM D'IONISATION PAR ÉMISSION D'ÉLECTRONS SECONDAIRES

L'émission d'électrons secondaires comme moyen de détection des particules de haute énergie est employée. Des cibles de chlorure de potassium poreux ont été testées avec des protons d'énergie supérieure à 400 MeV ainsi qu'avec des deutons et tritons de haute énergie. Les efficacités et les spectres d'électrons secondaires émis sont présentés. Des mesures de temps obtenues avec ces cibles associées à des galettes de microcanaux sont présentées. Les résultats justifient l'emploi de ces cibles poreuses pour la détection des particules au minimum d'ionisation.The use of secondary electron emission to detect high energy particles is investigated. Low density KCl layers have been tested to detect MeV electrons, 500 MeV proton and high energy deuterons and tritons. The efficiency and the secondary electron spectrum are presented. The results justify the use of low-density KCl layer to detect minimum ionizing particles. Actually the timing resolution for different KCl thicknesses is lower than 250 ps

Simulation de l'impact d'une tarification de l'eau sur le comportement des ménages : la tentation d'utiliser de l'eau non traitée

International audienceRecent studies on urban water demand have suggested that the water price increase observed during the last ten years in France has led to a reduction in the consumption of urban water by households. Whereas certain households have reduced their water consumption, others have turned to substitute water resources (collection of rainwater, borehole drilling, wells supplied with untreated mains water, grey water recycling systems, etc.). This article presents the results of a case study, which describes and analyses the phenomenon of resorting to untreated groundwater as a complement to or a substitute for the urban water supply. After highlighting the risks associated with uncontrolled development of private boreholes, the paper presents a survey conducted in Southern France to understand the motivations of households drilling boreholes. The results of this survey are utilised to develop a micro-economic model of households` behaviour, which is then used to assess the probability of development of private boreholes on a regional scale. The impact of various economic and regulatory scenarios on borehole development and the related impact on urban water demand and financial sustainability of water and wastewater management utilities are assessed