Giving an Account of One’s Pain in the Anthropological Interview

In this paper, I analyze the illness stories narrated by a mother and her 13-year-old son as part of an ethnographic study of child chronic pain sufferers and their families. In examining some of the moral, relational and communicative challenges of giving an account of one’s pain, I focus on what is left out of some accounts of illness and suffering and explore some possible reasons for these elisions. Drawing on recent work by Judith Butler (Giving an Account of Oneself, 2005), I investigate how the pragmatic context of interviews can introduce a form of symbolic violence to narrative accounts. Specifically, I use the term “genre of complaint” to highlight how anthropological research interviews in biomedical settings invoke certain typified forms of suffering that call for the rectification of perceived injustices. Interview narratives articulated in the genre of complaint privilege specific types of pain and suffering and cast others into the background. Giving an account of one’s pain is thus a strategic and selective process, creating interruptions and silences as much as moments of clarity. Therefore, I argue that medical anthropologists ought to attend more closely to the institutional structures and relations that shape the production of illness narratives in interview encounters

Interfacial reactions of glasses for biomedical application by scanning transmission electron microscopy and microanalysis.

récupéré dans HAL-INSERMShort-term physico-chemical reactions at the interface between bioactive glass particles and biological fluids are studied for three glasses with different bioactive properties; these glasses are in the SiO(2)-Na(2)O-CaO-P(2)O(5)-K(2)O-Al(2)O(3)-MgO system. Our aim is to show the difference between the mechanisms of their surface reactions. The relation between the composition and the bioactive properties of these glasses is also discussed. The elemental analysis is performed at the submicrometer scale by scanning transmission electron microscopy associated with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. After different immersion times (ranging from 0 to 96 h) of bioactive glass particles in a simulated biological solution, results show the formation of different surface layers at the glass periphery in the case of two bioactive glasses (A9 and BVA). For the third glass (BVH) we do not observe any surface layer formation or any modification of the glass composition. For the two other glasses (A9 and BVA), we observe the presence of different layers: an already observed (Si, O, Al) rich layer at the periphery, a previously demonstrated thin (Si, O) layer formed on top of the (Si, O, Al) layer and a (Ca, P) layer. We determine the different steps of the mechanisms of the surface reactions, which appear to be similar in these glasses, and compare the physico-chemical reactions and kinetics using the different immersion times. The A9 glass permits the observation of all important steps of the surface reactions which lead to bioactivity. This study shows the important relationship between composition and bioactivity which can determine the medical applicability of the glass

Stage-Specific Changes in the Water, Na+, Cl- and K+ Contents of Organelles during Apoptosis, Demonstrated by a Targeted Cryo Correlative Analytical Approach.

Many studies have demonstrated changes in the levels of several ions during apoptosis, but a few recent studies have reported conflicting results concerning the changes in water content in apoptotic cells. We used a correlative light and cryo-scanning transmission electron microscopy method to quantify water and ion/element contents simultaneously at a nanoscale resolution in the various compartments of cells, from the onset to the end of apoptosis. We used stably transfected HeLa cells producing H2B-GFP to identify the stages of apoptosis in cells and for a targeted elemental analysis within condensed chromatin, nucleoplasm, mitochondria and the cytosol. We found that the compartments of apoptotic cells contained, on average, 10% more water than control cells. During mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, we observed a strong increase in the Na+ and Cl- contents of the mitochondria and a strong decrease in mitochondrial K+ content. During the first step in apoptotic volume decrease (AVD), Na+ and Cl- levels decreased in all cell compartments, but remained higher than those in control cells. Conversely, during the second step of AVD, Na+ and Cl- levels increased considerably in the nucleus and mitochondria. During these two steps of AVD, K+ content decreased steadily in all cell compartments. We also determined in vivo ion status during caspase-3 activity and chromatin condensation. Finally, we found that actinomycin D-tolerant cells had water and K+ contents similar to those of cells entering apoptosis but lower Na+ and Cl- contents than both cells entering apoptosis and control cells

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Nucleolar Components by Electron Microscope Tomography

International audienc

Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN confers grapevine resistance against Botrytis cinerea via a direct antimicrobial effect combined with a better resource mobilization

Plant innate immunity serves as a surveillance system by providing the first line of powerful weapons to fight against pathogen attacks. Beneficial microorganisms and Microbial-Associated Molecular Patterns might act as signals to trigger this immunity. Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN, a highly efficient plant beneficial endophytic bacterium, promotes growth in a wide variety of plants including grapevine. Further, the bacterium induces plant resistance against abiotic and biotic stresses. However, no study has deciphered triggered-mechanisms during the tripartite interaction between grapevine, B. phytofirmans PsJN and Botrytis cinerea. Herein, we showed that in contrast with classical rhizobacteria, which are restricted in the root system and act through ISR, B. phytofirmans PsJN is able to migrate until aerial part and forms at leaves surface a biofilm around B. cinerea mycelium to restrict the pathogen. Nevertheless, considering the endophytic level of PsJN in leaves, the plant protection efficacy of B. phytofirmans PsJN could not be explained solely by its direct antifungal effect. Deeper investigations showed a callose deposition, H2O2 production and primed expression of PR1, PR2, PR5 and JAZ only in bacterized-plantlets after pathogen challenge. The presence of PsJN modulated changes in leaf carbohydrate metabolism including gene expression, sugar levels and chlorophyll fluorescence imaging after Botrytis challenge. Our findings indicated that protection induced by B. phytofirmans PsJN was multifaceted and relied on a direct antifungal effect, priming of defense mechanisms as well as the mobilization of carbon sources in grapevine leaf tissues

Metabolic, cellular and defense responses to single and co-exposure to carbamazepine and methylmercury in Dreissena polymorpha

Carbamazepine (CBZ) and Hg are widespread and persistent micropollutants in aquatic environments. Both pollutants are known to trigger similar toxicity mechanisms, e.g. reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Here, their effects were assessed in the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha, frequently used as a freshwater model in ecotoxicology and biomonitoring. Single and co-exposures to CBZ (3.9 μg L 1) and MeHg (280 ng L 1) were performed for 1 and 7 days. Metabolomics analyses evidenced that the co-exposure was the most disturbing after 7 days, reducing the amount of 25 metabolites involved in protein synthesis, energy metabolism, antioxidant response and osmoregulation, and significantly altering cells and organelles’ structure supporting a reduction of functions of gills and digestive glands. CBZ alone after 7 days decreased the amount of α-aminobutyric acid and had a moderate effect on the structure of mitochondria in digestive glands. MeHg alone had no effect on mussels’ metabolome, but caused a significant alteration of cells and organelles’ structure in gills and digestive glands. Single exposures and the co-exposure increased antioxidant responses vs control in gills and digestive glands, without resulting in lipid peroxidation, suggesting an increased ROS production caused by both pollutants. Data globally supported that a higher number of hyperactive cells compensated cellular alterations in the digestive gland of mussels exposed to CBZ or MeHg alone, while CBZ + MeHg co-exposure overwhelmed this compensation after 7 days. Those effects were unpredictable based on cellular responses to CBZ and MeHg alone, highlighting the need to consider molecular toxicity pathways for a better anticipation of effects of pollutants in biota in complex environmental conditions

Characterization of electrodeposited calcium phosphate coatings by complementary scanning electron microscopy and sanning-transmission electron microscopy associated to X-ray microanalysis

Calcium phosphate (CAP) coatings on Ti6A14V substrate were elaborated by electrodeposition at different current densities (2,5 and 10 mA/cm2). The surface morphology and the chemical composition of the coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy associated to X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDXS). However, these CAP coatings are irregular specimens (rough surface, porosity, variable thickness), so the SEM-EDX analysis becomes limited. Therefore, we carried out an experimental procedure to minimize these effects which is based on global analysis by SEM-EDXS confirmed by a nanometer scale analysis using scanning transmission electron microscopy associed to X-ray microanalysis. Moreover, phase analysis was performed by X-ray diffraction in order to corroborate the chemical characterization and to identify the different calcium phosphate phases as a function of current density. The results showed that at 2 m/cm2 current density, the coating is composed of an octacalcium phosphate: Ca8H2(PO4)6 and its amorphous phase called OCPam. At 5 mA/cm2, the coating is a mix of calcium deficient hydroxyapatite (Ca-def HAP): Ca10-x(HPO4)x(PO4)6-X(OH)2-x with 0< x <2 and its amorphous phase called Ca-def HAPam. And, at 10 mA/cm2, the coating is mainly composed of an amorphous phase of Ca-def HAPam. Furthermore, cathodic reaction mechanisms of electrolytic CaP coatings on Ti6A14V are proposed to explain the different kinds of calcium phosphate obtained

Simultaneous imaging of cell shape, mitochondrial potential and nuclear modifications at the onset and during the various stages of apoptosis.

<p>HeLa cells stably expressing H2B-GFP were stained with TMRE to study mitochondrial polarization. Simultaneous time-lapse confocal imaging of cell shape (DIC), TMRE and H2B-GFP was performed by two-photon excitation every five minutes for 7 hours and 15 minutes after the induction of apoptosis by the addition of 500 ng/mL AMD. (A) Traces for TMRE intensity (red line, relative to value reached at time 0.91 h) and nuclear volume (green line, relative to value at time 0 h) in a representative cell (cell #9 on <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0148727#pone.0148727.s004" target="_blank">S1</a>–<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0148727#pone.0148727.s006" target="_blank">S3</a> Movies). Mitochondrial depolarization began at 6 h 05 minutes and ended at 6 h 25 minutes, when nuclear volume began to decrease. (B) Cell shape, 3D structure of the TMRE signal, chromatin and nucleus. For each time point, one DIC image (left), one optical section for the red and green signals, a 3D view (surface rendering) of the TMRE signal and a 3D view (surface rendering) of both TMRE signal (red) and H2B-GFP (green) are shown. On DIC image, yellow dotted line indicates the limit of the cell. On 3D view of both TMRE signal (red) and H2B-GFP (green), the relative intensity of the red signal and the volume of the nucleus are indicated by the red and green labels, respectively. Typical chromatin and nucleus structures defined the main stages of apoptosis: stage 1 (ST 1) to stage 5 (ST 5). At the far right of the bottom row, one cell unaffected by AMD after 7 h and 15 minutes is defined as a stage 0 cell (ST 0). In this cell, TMRE staining appears as a 3D network of filaments and the angular nucleus contains a segregated nucleolus. The scale bar represents 10 μm.</p

“Elemental descriptors” gathering concentration of all the elements/ions considered, for each compartment (condensed chromatin, nucleoplasm, cytosol and mitochondria) in control cells, in cells during each stage of apoptosis and during stage 0.

<p>In the histograms, concentration of nitrogen was divided by 10 (N/10), whereas the concentration of sodium and chloride was multiplied by 3 (Na x 3 and Cl x 3).</p

Simultaneous 3D localization of cytochrome-<i>c</i> (Cc) and H2B-GFP showing Cc redistribution during specific stages of apoptosis.

<p>Anti-cytochrome-<i>c</i> antibody binding was imaged on fixed HeLa cells stably expressing H2B-GFP after the induction of apoptosis by 500 ng/mL AMD, for 7h and 15 minutes. Four images are shown for the same cell, at a given stage. On the first image, differential interference contrast (DIC) shows the shape of the cell, nucleus and nucleolus. The second image is an optical section passing through the middle of the nucleus showing the merge of images for Cc (red) and H2B-GFP (green). The third image is a 3D surface rendering of Cc alone (red). The last image is a simultaneous 3D transparent volume rendering of both Cc (red) and H2B-GFP (green). The scale bar represents 10 μm.</p