Quality of abstracts in 3 clinical dermatology journals

Background Structured abstracts have been widely adopted in medical journals, with little demonstration of their superiority over unstructured abstracts.Objectives: To compare abstract quality among 3 clinical dermatology journals and to compare the quality of structured and unstructured abstracts within those journals. Design and Data Sources: Abstracts of a random sample of clinical studies (case reports, case series, and reviews excluded) published in 2000 in the Archives of Dermatology, The British Journal of Dermatology, and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology were evaluated. Each abstract was rated by 2 independent investigators, using a 30-item quality scale divided into 8 categories (objective, design, setting, subjects, intervention, measurement of variables, results, and conclusions). Items applicable to the study and present in the main text of the article were rated as being present or absent from the abstract. A global quality score (range, 0-1) for each abstract was established by calculating the proportion of criteria among the eligible criteria that was rated as being present. A score was also calculated for each category. Interrater agreement was assessed with a {kappa} statistic. Mean ± SD scores were compared among journals and between formats (structured vs unstructured) using analysis of variance. Main Outcome Measures: Mean quality scores of abstracts by journal and by format. Results: Interrater agreement was good ({kappa} = 0.71). Mean ± SD quality scores of abstracts were significantly different among journals (Archives of Dermatology, 0.78 ± 0.07; The British Journal of Dermatology, 0.67 ± 0.17; and Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 0.64 ± 0.15; P = .045) and between formats (structured, 0.71 ± 0.11; and unstructured, 0.56 ± 0.18; P = .002). The setting category had the lowest scores. Conclusions: The quality of abstracts differed across the 3 tested journals. Unstructured abstracts were demonstrated to be of lower quality compared with structured abstracts and may account for the differences in quality scores among the journals. The structured format should be more widely adopted in dermatology journals

The pretext of foresight to debate on irrigation groundwater management: lessons from six cases studies in France

International audienceThe transcription of the 2000’s European Water Framework Directive in France has led to define maximum volumes that can be abstracted in water bodies. In many French contexts, it requires reducing more or less drastically current water consumption, especially in agriculture where farmers were granted permits by the water policy authority, regardless the real level of water availability. To do so, French water law imposes, where water bodies are structurally in water scarcity, to create irrigation associations charged to share available water between farmers. And the challenge is particularly high in the groundwater case, where farmers are not embedded in collective irrigation schemes. Sharing rules have then to be designed from the ground up.This communication presents and critics the way that innovative management instruments were explored in six cases’ studies representative of the diversity of agricultural products and hydrogeological situations. These instruments were debated during 18 foresight workshops held with institutional representatives (50) and farmers (87). Foresight workshops had the advantages to make credible institutional and resource changes, and to retrieve from current but side-debates. In five cases, researchers took the lead of these workshops, and in the last one it was directly carried by a stakeholder (an Agriculture Chamber), which allows to test the transferability of such a method in real context with a direct implementing goal.Lessons are drawn at several levels. Firstly, debating on contrasted scenarios is a robust way to facilitate discussions on something not implemented yet in France. Secondly, the context highly matters, in particular the perception of the reality of groundwater scarcitylevel. Thirdly, to debate on groundwater management tools has to be firstly embedded in a more general discussion, on the future of agriculture or at least on more broadly water challenges (like in terms of quantity and quality)

A petunia GRAS transcription factor controls symbiotic gene expression and fungal morphogenesis in arbuscular mycorrhiza

Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is a mutual symbiosis that involves a complex symbiotic interface over which nutrients are exchanged between the plant host and the AM fungus. Dozens of genes in the host are required for the establishment and functioning of the interaction, among them nutrient transporters that mediate the uptake of mineral nutrients delivered by the fungal arbuscules. We have isolated in a genetic mutant screen a petunia GRAS-type transcription factor, ATYPICAL ARBUSCULE (ATA), that acts as the central regulator of AM-related genes and is required for the morphogenesis of arbuscules. Forced mycorrhizal inoculations from neighbouring wild type plants revealed an additional role of ATA in restricting mycorrhizal colonization of the root meristem. The lack of ATA, which represents the orthologue of RAM1 in Medicago truncatula, renders the interaction completely ineffective, hence demonstrating the central role of AM-related genes for arbuscule development and function

The primary cilium protein folliculin is part of the autophagy signaling pathway to regulate epithelial cell size in response to fluid flow

Autophagy is a conserved molecular pathway directly involved in the degradation and recycling of intracellular components. Autophagy is associated with a response to stress situations, such as nutrients deficit, chemical toxicity, mechanical stress or microbial host defense. We have recently shown that primary cilium-dependent autophagy is important to control kidney epithelial cell size in response to fluid flow induced shear stress. Here we show that the ciliary protein folliculin (FLCN) actively participates to the signaling cascade leading to the stimulation of fluid flow-dependent autophagy upstream of the cell size regulation in HK2 kidney epithelial cells. The knockdown of FLCN induces a shortening of the primary cilium, inhibits the activation of AMPK and the recruitment of the autophagy protein ATG16L1 at the primary cilium. Altogether, our results suggest that FLCN is essential in the dialog between autophagy and the primary cilium in epithelial cells to integrate shear stress-dependent signaling

Rod-derived Cone Viability Factor-2 is a novel bifunctional-thioredoxin-like protein with therapeutic potential

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cone degeneration is the hallmark of the inherited retinal disease retinitis pigmentosa. We have previously identified a trophic factor "Rod-derived Cone Viability Factor (RdCVF) that is secreted by rods and promote cone viability in a mouse model of the disease.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we report the bioinformatic identification and the experimental analysis of RdCVF2, a second trophic factor belonging to the Rod-derived Cone Viability Factor family. The mouse RdCVF gene is known to be bifunctional, encoding both a long thioredoxin-like isoform (RdCVF-L) and a short isoform with trophic cone photoreceptor viability activity (RdCVF-S). RdCVF2 shares many similarities with RdCVF in terms of gene structure, expression in a rod-dependent manner and protein 3D structure. Furthermore, like RdCVF, the RdCVF2 short isoform exhibits cone rescue activity that is independent of its putative thiol-oxydoreductase activity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Taken together, these findings define a new family of bifunctional genes which are: expressed in vertebrate retina, encode trophic cone viability factors, and have major therapeutic potential for human retinal neurodegenerative diseases such as <it>retinitis pigmentosa</it>.</p

SARGOS: Securing Offshore Infrastructures Through a Global Alert and Graded Response System

International audienceThe purpose of the project SARGOS is to develop a global alert and graded response system to answer the recent but strong need for securing critical civilian offshore infrastructures, vulnerable to piracy or terrorist actions from the sea. The challenge of protecting these infrastructures against malevolent intrusions requires to develop innovative strategies so as to ensure in a coordinate way the whole processing line: automatic surveillance, robust detection, continuous adjustment of the reaction plan and graded implementation of the relevant set of reactions. The system handles : Automatic and robust detection and classification of small size maritime targets in rough sea; Detection of suspicious behaviors in a security zone around the platform; Formalization and modeling of graded internal and external reactions, adapted to the dangerousness of the detected intrusion and taking into account security rules in force on the platform, geopolitical environment and legal aspects; Activation of progressive and reversible reactions, according to an intelligent situation analysis process. Reactions can go from a simple alert up to bringing non lethal reaction means into play. The project will materialize with the implementation of all the processing line in a single platform that will be used to carry out experimentations and to validate the overcoming of critical issues and the appropriateness of the proposed concept with regards to users' needs. SARGOS has been selected by the French Nationa

SARGOS : Système d'Alerte et Réponse Graduée Off Shore

National audienceLes champs de production d'hydrocarbures deviennent de plus en plus une cible de choix pour la piraterie maritime voire la menace terroriste. Or si les plates-formes et navires associés forment un réseau industriellement abouti en ce qui concerne l'exploitation, ils sont démunis face aux actes de malveillance intentionnels : de ce point de vue, ce sont des cibles isolées et exposées. Le projet SARGOS vise à répondre à l'émergence du besoin de sûreté des infrastructures offshore civiles vulnérables aux actions de malveillance, de piraterie ou de terrorisme menées à partir de la mer. Il propose le développement d'un système assurant de manière coordonnée la chaîne globale de protection : veille et surveillance automatisées ; détection d'intrusion ; évaluation de dangerosité ; plan de réaction gradué et piloté en temps réel pour rester constamment adapté au niveau de menace représenté par l'intrusion détectée. Une des capacités clefs est l'élaboration d'une stratégie complète et mutualisée de défense, incluant la mise en sûreté des personnes, la diffusion de l'alarme, la coordination des moyens d'assistance extérieure et la mise en oeuvre de moyens de dissuasion non létaux. Un enjeu fort est mis sur la prise en compte des modes de fonctionnement de l'infrastructure et des contraintes règlementaires et juridiques. SARGOS apporte une réponse nouvelle et innovante dans ce domaine de la sûreté maritime pour lequel il n'existe pas aujourd'hui de système opérationnel. Après un rappel de la problématique, cet article fait le point sur les différentes approches innovantes mises en oeuvre dans le développement du projet

Comorbidities of COPD

International audienceBy 2020, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be the third cause of mortality. Extrapulmonary comorbidities influence the prognosis of patients with COPD. Tobacco smoking is a common risk factor for many comorbidities, including coronary heart disease, heart failure and lung cancer. Comorbidities such as pulmonary artery disease and malnutrition are directly caused by COPD, whereas others, such as systemic venous thromboembolism, anxiety, depression, osteoporosis, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, sleep disturbance and anaemia, have no evident physiopathological relationship with COPD. The common ground between most of these extrapulmonary manifestations is chronic systemic inflammation. All of these diseases potentiate the morbidity of COPD, leading to increased hospitalisations and healthcare costs. They can frequently cause death, independently of respiratory failure. Comorbidities make the management of COPD difficult and need to be evaluated and treated adequately. Extrapulmonary comorbidities are common in COPD and influence prognosis; we propose an exhaustive comorbidities revie

"SARGOS" : Système d'Alerte et Réponse Graduée Off Shore

International audienceLe projet SARGOS répond à l'émergence du besoin de sûreté des infrastructures offshore civiles vulnérables aux actes de malveillance, de piraterie ou de terrorisme menées à partir de la mer. Il propose le développement d'un système assurant de manière coordonnée la chaîne globale de protection : veille et surveillance automatisées ; détection d'intrusion ; évaluation de dangerosité ; plan de réaction gradué et piloté en temps réel pour rester constamment adapté au niveau de menace représenté par l'intrusion détectée. Une des capacités clefs est l'élaboration d'une stratégie complète et mutualisée de défense, incluant la mise en sûreté des personnes, la diffusion de l'alarme, la coordination des moyens d'assistance extérieure et la mise en oeuvre de moyens de dissuasion non létaux pour apporter une réponse complète à la menace. Un démonstrateur du système SARGOS illustrant toute la chaîne de protection a été déployé sur site pour des expérimentations en vraie grandeur selon des scénarios définis avec les opérationnels. Les essais ont permis de valider tous les points clefs : détection de petites embarcations - levée d'alertes pertinentes couplant analyse de comportement des embarcations et évaluation de dangerosité - Assistance intuitive à l'opérateur pour l'activation de procédures de réaction proposées en dynamique suivant une logique prédéfinie propre aux moyens disponibles