Les nouveaux mouvements sociaux : le cas du mouvement écologique en Bulgarie

This study examines the Green Movement in Bulgaria (1987-2014) as a typical and specific example of the New Social Movements. It focuses on the interconnection between environmentalism, politics and participation. We present the movement along with its evolution and analyse it on three levels: macro (through its relation to the most important contemporary issues, phenomena and processes); meso (in the national context during the past three generations); and micro (through the prism of individuals and their experience). Our general approach is interdisciplinary, combining qualitative, comparative and quantitative methods. Bulgaria’s green movement is a citizen and political movement of a new type. In the context of the New Social Movements, it is an actor of challenging the status quo; a moral corrective of the power, which implements a genuine ‘citizen environmental politics.’ Secondly, it introduces and fosters New Culture and New Politics based on a novel set of values, practices and behavioural models: one where the individual is essential. Thirdly, it is one of the pillars of Bulgarian civil society, a key factor in democratizing the socio-political life. Last but not least, it is a vehicle of an Eco-humanism originating in the specific environment that gave birth to the citizens’ movements in Eastern Europe under the totalitarian regimes and during the Democratic Transition. It also embodies a specific national attitude towards nature, traditionally stemming from peculiarities of Bulgarian culture.Le présent travail étudie le mouvement écologique en Bulgarie (1987-2014) comme un représentant typique et spécifique des nouveaux mouvements sociaux. Il s'agit de questionner en particulier les rapports qui lient l'écologie, la politique et l'engagement. L'évolution du mouvement est observée dans sa continuité historique, au niveau macro (dans sa relation avec les enjeux politiques majeurs de notre temps), au niveau méso (dans son contexte structurel et culturel) et au niveau micro (celui de l’individu engagé). L'approche générale est interdisciplinaire, elle réunit histoire politique, anthropologie, sociologie, philosophie et psychologie. L'analyse fait combiner méthodes qualitatives et comparatives et quantitatives. Le mouvement écologique en Bulgarie est un acteur sociopolitique d'un nouveau type qui a ancrage profond et une dimension éthique et politique. En tant que mouvement contestataire et trans-partisan véhiculant une “politique citoyenne” authentique opposée à “la politique politicienne” du statu quo, il fait promouvoir une culture civique participative; la personnalité humaine y joue un rôle fondamental. Il apparaît également comme un des facteur de la démocratisation de fait de la vie politique du pays après la chute du régime totalitaire. Le mouvement se construit en espace de dépassement de la politique héritée du siècle passé annonçant la nécessité d'une nouvelle «politique planétaire», fondée sur de nouvelles synthèses de valeurs et de pratiques. Par ailleurs, il reflète une attitude particulière envers la nature liée aux spécificités de la culture nationale

Rehabilitation of patients with hip joint endoprosthesis

Ставното заместване (ендопротезиране, алопластика) на тазобедрената става е сред най-разпространените оперативни интервенции в ортопедията и травматологията. Реха- билитацията представлява неотменна част от функционалното възстановяване на ендопротезираните пациенти. Целта на настоящото съобщение е да проследим и отчетем резултатите от приложената комплексна рехабилитация в ранния постоперативен период в домашни условия (13-45 ден след оперативната интервенция) при пациенти с ендопротезирана тазобедрена става. Материал и методика: В проучването са включени 152 пациенти (107 жени и 45 мъже) на възраст от 22 до 84 години с ендопротезирана тазобедрена става по повод остеоартроза или фрактура на бедрената шийка. Рехабилитационната програма включва: кинезитерапия (позиционна терапия, изометричните упражнения за глутеална и бедрена мускулатура, мобилизацията на протезно реконструираната тазобедрена става в допустимите обеми, активни упражнения за раменен пояс, горни крайници и контралатерален долен крайник) и ерготерапия (осигуряване на ергономична обстановка, като се приспособят домашните условия за превенция на падания и предизвикване на усложнения, повишаване мобилността и двигателната активност на пациента и възстановяване извършването на дейности от ежедневния живот). Проведоха се изследвания на локомоцията и тест за дейностите от ежедневния живот при изписване от Клиниката по ортопедия и травматология и при приемане на пациентите за лечение в Отделение за болнична рехабилитация, a резултатите са отбелязани в индивидуален фиш. Резултати и обсъждане: Осигуряването на ергономична домашна среда и самостоятелното прилагане на кинезитерапевтични и ерготерапевтични мероприятия (усвоени в периода на ранната рехабилитация) стимулира възстановяване автономността на пациентите, повлиява съществено психо-емоционалното им равновесие и самочувствие и се явява важна основа за по-късните периоди на рехабилитация. Ранната рехабилитация на пациентите с ендопротеза на тазобедрената става води до съкращаване сроковете за функционално възстановяване.Hip joint replacement (endoprosthesis, alloplasty) is one of the most common surgery interventions in orthopedics and traumatology. Rehabilitation is an indispensable part of the funcitional recovery for patients with endoprosthesis. The aim of this study is to track and measure the results of an applied complex rehabilitation program during the early post-surgery period in home setting (13-45 days after surgery) for patients with hip joint alloplasty. Methods and Materials: 152 patients (107 female and 45 male) aged between 22 and 84 with hip joint endoprosthesis due to osteoarthritis or femoral neck fracture participated in the study. The rehabilitation program consists of: kinesitherapy (positional therapy, isometric exercises for gluteal and hip muscles, movement of the artificial hip joint within the allowed volumes, exercises for the shoulder muscles, upper limbs and the healthy lower limb) and ergotherapy (ergonomic home environment adjusted to prevent from falling and complications, increasing the movements and physical activities of the patients and performing the daily activities of life). Locomotion test and DAL test measurements were taken upon discharge from the Orthopedics and Traumatology clinic and upon admittance for treatment at the rehabilitation department, and the results for each patient were stored in a special patient file. Results and Discussion: Ensuring an ergonomic home environment and independent practice of kinesitherapeutic and ergotherapeutic activities (learned during the early rehabilitation period) stimulate the recovery of the patients` self-reliance, significantly improve the psycho-emotional balance and self-respect, and serves as an important basis for the latter stages of rehabilitation. Early rehabilitation for patients with hip joint endoprosthesis shortens the period of functional recovery overall. Key words: endoprosthesis, hip joint, rehabilitatio

Rurbanités contemporaines en Bulgarie et en France

En France, est considérée comme rurale toute commune qui compte moins de cinq mille habitants agglomérés. Pour l’aménageur, l’espace rural est, au sens étymologique du terme (rus), la campagne. Il regroupe l’espace naturel - c’est-à-dire les surfaces non aménagées par l’homme - et l’espace agricole - c’est-à-dire la portion de l’espace aménagée en vue de la production agricole. On peut aussi tenter de définir le rural comme la partie de l’espace qui n’est pas urbaine. Mais, de Marx à Tönnies,..

Resistance to crown gall disease in transgenic grapevine rootstocks containing truncated virE2 of Agrobacterium

A truncated form of the Ti-plasmid virE2 gene from Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains C58 and A6, and A. vitis strain CG450 was transferred and expressed in somatic embryos of grapevine rootstocks 110 Richter (Vitis rupestris×V. berlandieri), 3309 Couderc (V. rupestris×V. riparia) and Teleki 5C (V. berlandieri×V. riparia) via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to confer resistance to crown gall disease. Transformation was confirmed in 98% of the 322 lines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the neomycin phosphotransferase II protein and 97% of 295 lines by polymerase chain reaction for the truncated virE2 transgene. Southern blot analysis revealed the insertion of truncated virE2 at one to three loci in a subset of seven transgenic 110 Richter lines. In vitro resistance screening assays based on inoculations of shoot internode sections showed reduced tumorigenicity and very small galls in 23 of 154 transgenic lines. Non-transformed controls had a 100% tumorigenicity rate with very large galls. Disease resistance assay at the whole plant level in the greenhouse revealed seven transgenic lines (3 lines of 110 Richter, 2 lines of 3309 Couderc and 2 lines of Teleki 5C) were resistant to A. tumefaciens strain C58 and A. vitis strains TM4 and CG450 with a substantially reduced percentage of inoculation sites showing gall as compared to controls. No association was found between the level of resistance to crown gall disease and the source Agrobacterium strain of virE2. Taken together, our data showed that resistance to crown gall disease can be achieved by expressing a truncated form of virE2 in grapevine

Transformation of five grape rootstocks with plant virus genes and a virE2 gene from Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Summary: To facilitate the development of transgenic grapevines that are resistant to grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), grapevine leafroll-associated closterovirus (GLRaV-3) and crown gall diseases, we developed a rapid system for regenerating root-stocks: Couderc 3309, Vitis riparia ‘Gloire de Montpellier', Teleki 5C, Millardet et De Grasset 101-14, and 110 Richter via somatic embryogenesis. Embryo culture and grape regeneration were accomplished with four media. Embryogenic calluses from anthers were induced in the initiation medium [MS basic medium containing 20 g sucrose per L, 1.1 mg 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) per L, 0.2 mg N6-benzyladenine (BA) per L, and 0.8% Noble agar). The percentage of anthers that developed into embryogenic calli ranged from 2 to 16.3% depending on the rootstock. Calluses with early globular stage embryos were cocultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain C58Z707 containing the gene constructs of interest. The genes were sense-oriented translatable and antisense coat protein genes from GFLV and GLRaV-3, a truncated HSP90-related gene of GLRaV-3 (43K), and a virE2 del B gene from A. tumefaciens strain C58. Twenty independent transformation experiments were performed on five rootstocks. After 3-4 mo. under kanamycin selection, secondary embryos were recovered on differentiation medium (1/2 MS salts with 10 g sucrose per L, 4.6 g glycerol per L, and 0.8% Noble agar). Embryos that were transformed were regenerated on a medium containing MS salts with 20 g sucrose per L, 4.6 g glycerol per L, 1 g casein hydrolysate per L, and 0.8% Noble agar. Elongated embryos were then transferred to a rooting medium supplemented with 0.1 mg BA per L, 3 g activated charcoal per L, 1.5% sucrose, and 0.65% Bacto agar. A total of 928 independent putative transgenic plants were propagated in the greenhouse. All plants were tested for neomycin phosphotransferase II expression by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The presence of transgenes was assessed by polymerase chain reaction and Southern analysis. ELISA revealed various levels of expression of GFLV coat protein in transgenic plants of Couderc 3309. The transgenic rootstocks that have been generated are being screened to determine whether transgenes have conferred resistance to the virus and crown gall disease

Constitutive Expression of Thermobifida fusca Thermostable Acetylxylan Esterase Gene in Pichia pastoris

A gene encoding the thermostable acetylxylan esterase (AXE) in Thermobifida fusca NTU22 was amplified by PCR, sequenced and cloned into the Pichia pastoris X-33 host strain using the vector pGAPZαA, allowing constitutive expression and secretion of the protein. Recombinant expression resulted in high levels of extracellular AXE production, as high as 526 U/mL in the Hinton flask culture broth. The purified enzyme showed a single band at about 28 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after being treated with endo-β-N-acetylglycosaminidase H; this agrees with the predicted size based on the nucleotide sequence. About 70% of the original activity remained after heat treatment at 60 °C for three hours. The optimal pH and temperature of the purified enzyme were 8.0 and 60 °C, respectively. The properties of the purified AXE from the P. pastoris transformant are similar to those of the AXE from an E. coli transformant

Silencing Agrobacterium oncogenes in transgenic grapevine results in strain-specific crown gall resistance

Crown gall disease of grapevine induced by Agrobacterium vitis or Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes serious economic losses in viticulture. To establish crown gall-resistant lines, somatic proembryos of Vitis berlandieri × V. rupestris cv. 'Richter 110' rootstock were transformed with an oncogene-silencing transgene based on iaaM and ipt oncogene sequences from octopine-type, tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid pTiA6. Twentyone transgenic lines were selected, and their transgenic nature was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These lines were inoculated with two A. tumefaciens and three A. vitis strains. Eight lines showed resistance to octopine-type A. tumefaciens A348. Resistance correlated with the expression of the silencing genes. However, oncogene silencing was mostly sequence specific because these lines did not abolish tumorigenesis by A. vitis strains or nopaline-type A. tumefaciens C58

Characterization of the Single Stranded DNA Binding Protein SsbB Encoded in the Gonoccocal Genetic Island

Background: Most strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae carry a Gonococcal Genetic Island which encodes a type IV secretion system involved in the secretion of ssDNA. We characterize the GGI-encoded ssDNA binding protein, SsbB. Close homologs of SsbB are located within a conserved genetic cluster found in genetic islands of different proteobacteria. This cluster encodes DNA-processing enzymes such as the ParA and ParB partitioning proteins, the TopB topoisomerase, and four conserved hypothetical proteins. The SsbB homologs found in these clusters form a family separated from other ssDNA binding proteins. Methodology/Principal Findings: In contrast to most other SSBs, SsbB did not complement the Escherichia coli ssb deletion mutant. Purified SsbB forms a stable tetramer. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and fluorescence titration assays, as well as atomic force microscopy demonstrate that SsbB binds ssDNA specifically with high affinity. SsbB binds single-stranded DNA with minimal binding frames for one or two SsbB tetramers of 15 and 70 nucleotides. The binding mode was independent of increasing Mg 2+ or NaCl concentrations. No role of SsbB in ssDNA secretion or DNA uptake could be identified, but SsbB strongly stimulated Topoisomerase I activity

Single Cycle Structure-Based Humanization of an Anti-Nerve Growth Factor Therapeutic Antibody

Most forms of chronic pain are inadequately treated by present therapeutic options. Compelling evidence has accumulated, demonstrating that Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is a key modulator of inflammatory and nociceptive responses, and is a promising target for the treatment of human pathologies linked to chronic and inflammatory pain. There is therefore a growing interest in the development of therapeutic molecules antagonising the NGF pathway and its nociceptor sensitization actions, among which function-blocking anti-NGF antibodies are particularly relevant candidates

DNA binding polarity, dimerization, and ATPase ring remodeling in the CMG helicase of the eukaryotic replisome

The Cdc45/Mcm2-7/GINS (CMG) helicase separates DNA strands during replication in eukaryotes. How the CMG is assembled and engages DNA substrates remains unclear. Using electron microscopy, we have determined the structure of the CMG in the presence of ATP\u3b3S and a DNA duplex bearing a 3\u2032 single-stranded tail. The structure shows that the MCM subunits of the CMG bind preferentially to single-stranded DNA, establishes the polarity by which DNA enters into the Mcm2-7 pore, and explains how Cdc45 helps prevent DNA from dissociating from the helicase. The Mcm2-7 subcomplex forms a cracked-ring, right-handed spiral when DNA and nucleotide are bound, revealing unexpected congruencies between the CMG and both bacterial DnaB helicases and the AAA+ motor of the eukaryotic proteasome. The existence of a subpopulation of dimeric CMGs establishes the subunit register of Mcm2-7 double hexamers and together with the spiral form highlights how Mcm2-7 transitions through different conformational and assembly states as it matures into a functional helicase