Rites, marges et usages des drogues : représentations sociales et normativité contextuelle

L’article se penche sur les représentations et les statuts des usages néo-traditionnels des psychotropes. Il aborde dans un premier temps les contextes et les fonctions des usages dits traditionnels en insistant sur les facteurs qui contribuent à leur normalisation et à leur transformation. Parmi ces facteurs sont examinées de plus près les dimensions marginales et identitaires des usages dans leurs rapports dynamiques avec le groupe d’appartenance et la société englobante. L’exemple du chamanisme et du néo-chamanisme est ensuite étudié afin d’illustrer la mouvance des traditions et la difficulté à distinguer l’ancien du nouveau, l’indigène de l’exogène, lorsqu’il s’agit de les légitimer tant sur le plan social et culturel qu’auprès de leurs adeptes. Il s’en dégage une multiplicité de façons de concevoir les pratiques néo-traditionnelles selon leur intégration, leur tolérance et leurs statuts normatifs dans la société. L’article se termine en soulignant l’importance des rôles joués par les intellectuels et les « auteurs-guides » dans la construction des représentations, le processus de normalisation et la promotion des usages néo-traditionnels des psychotropes.This article focuses on the models and statuses of neo-traditional uses of psychotropic agents. It begins by examining the contexts and functions of so-called traditional uses, emphasizing the factors which contribute to their normalization and transformation. Among these factors, the marginal and identificatory dimensions of uses are examined in their dynamic relations with the membership group and surrounding society. The example of shamanism and neo-shamanism is then studied to illustrate the shift in traditions and the difficulty in distinguishing the old from the new, the indigenous from the exogenous, when it involves legitimizing these uses on the social and cultural level as well as among their proponents. The examination reveals a wide range of ways of conceiving neo-traditional practices depending on their integration, tolerance and normative status in society. The article closes by emphasizing the importance of the roles played by intellectuals and “author-guides” in constructing models, the normalization process and the promotion of neo-traditional uses of psychotropic agents.El artículo se refiere a las representaciones y el estatuto de los usos neotradicionales de los psicofármacos. Aborda en primer lugar los contextos y las funciones de los usos llamados tradicionales, insistiendo en los factores que contribuyen a su normalización y a su transformación. Entre estos factores se examinan con más detenimiento las dimensiones marginales e identitarias de los usos en sus relaciones dinámicas con el grupo de pertenencia y la sociedad que los engloba. Se analiza luego el ejemplo del chamanismo y del neochamanismo con el fin de ilustrar el cambio en las tradiciones y la dificultad de distinguir lo antiguo de lo nuevo, lo indígena de lo exógeno, cuando se trata de legitimarlos tanto en el plano social y cultural como entre sus adeptos. Se desprenden del análisis una multiplicidad de maneras de concebir las prácticas neotradicionales según su integración, su tolerancia y su estatuto normativo en la sociedad. El artículo concluye destacando la importancia del papel que juegan los intelectuales y los “autores-guía” en el desarrollo de las representaciones, el proceso de normalización y la promoción de los usos neotradicionales de los psicofármacos

Espaces, règles et jeux : mythes intellectuels, "carnavalisation du monde" et invention de l'identité brésilienne

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal

Development of a highly optimized procedure for the discovery of RNA G-quadruplexes by combining several strategies

Abstract : RNA G-quadruplexes (rG4s) are non-canonical secondary structures that are formed by the selfassociation of guanine quartets and that are stabilized by monovalent cations (e.g. potassium). rG4s are key elements in several post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms, including both messenger RNA (mRNA) and microRNA processing, mRNA transport and translation, to name but a few examples. Over the past few years, multiple high-throughput approaches have been developed in order to identify rG4s, including bioinformatic prediction, in vitro assays and af nity capture experiments coupled to RNA sequencing. Each individual approach had its limits, and thus yielded only a fraction of the potential rG4 that are further con rmed (i.e., there is a signi cant level of false positive). This report aims to bene t from the strengths of several existing approaches to identify rG4s with a high potential of being folded in cells. Brie y, rG4s were pulled-down from cell lysates using the biotinylated biomimetic G4 ligand BioTASQ and the sequences thus isolated were then identi ed by RNA sequencing. Then, a novel bioinformatic pipeline that included DESeq2 to identify rG4 enriched transcripts, MACS2 to identify rG4 peaks, rG4-seq to increase rG4 formation probability and G4RNA Screener to detect putative rG4s was performed. This work ow uncovers new rG4 candidates whose rG4-folding was then con rmed in vitro using an array of established biophysical methods. Clearly, this work ow led to the identi cation of novel rG4s in a highly specic and reliable manner

Structured Learning in Time-dependent Cox Models

Cox models with time-dependent coefficients and covariates are widely used in survival analysis. In high-dimensional settings, sparse regularization techniques are employed for variable selection, but existing methods for time-dependent Cox models lack flexibility in enforcing specific sparsity patterns (i.e., covariate structures). We propose a flexible framework for variable selection in time-dependent Cox models, accommodating complex selection rules. Our method can adapt to arbitrary grouping structures, including interaction selection, temporal, spatial, tree, and directed acyclic graph structures. It achieves accurate estimation with low false alarm rates. We develop the sox package, implementing a network flow algorithm for efficiently solving models with complex covariate structures. Sox offers a user-friendly interface for specifying grouping structures and delivers fast computation. Through examples, including a case study on identifying predictors of time to all-cause death in atrial fibrillation patients, we demonstrate the practical application of our method with specific selection rules.Comment: 49 pages (with 19 pages of appendix),9 tables, 3 figure

Pharmacological interventions for agitation in patients with traumatic brain injury: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a worldwide leading cause of mortality and disability. Among TBI complications, agitation is a frequent behavioural problem. Agitation causes potential harm to patients and caregivers, interferes with treatments, leads to unnecessary chemical and physical restraints, increases hospital length of stay, delays rehabilitation, and impedes functional independence. Pharmacological treatments are often considered for agitation management following TBI. Several types of agents have been proposed for the treatment of agitation. However, the benefit and safety of these agents in TBI patients as well as their differential effects and interactions are uncertain. In addition, animal studies and observational studies have suggested impaired cognitive function with the use of certain antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. Hence, a safe and effective treatment for agitation, which does not interfere with neurological recovery, remains to be identified. Methods/design With the help of Health Sciences librarian, we will design a search strategy in the following databases: PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE®, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Directory of Open Access Journals, LILACS, Web of Science, and Prospero. A grey literature search will be performed using the resources suggested in CADTH’s Grey Matters. We will include all randomized controlled, quasi-experimental, and observational studies with control groups. The population of interest is all patients, including children and adults, who have suffered a TBI. We will include studies in which agitation, not further defined, was the presenting symptom or one of the presenting symptoms. We will also include studies where agitation was not the presenting symptom but was measured as an outcome variable and studies assessing the safety of these pharmacological interventions in TBI patients. We will include studies evaluating all pharmacological interventions including beta-adrenergic blockers, typical and atypical antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, dopamine agonists, psychostimulants, antidepressants, alpha-2-adrenergic agonists, hypnotics, and anxiolytics. Discussion Although agitation is frequent following TBI and pharmacological agents that are often used, there is no consensus on the most efficacious and safest strategy to treat these complications. There is a need for an updated systematic review to summarize the evidence in order to inform practice and future research. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD4201603314

A comprehensive map of the mTOR signaling network

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a central regulator of cell growth and proliferation. mTOR signaling is frequently dysregulated in oncogenic cells, and thus an attractive target for anticancer therapy. Using CellDesigner, a modeling support software for graphical notation, we present herein a comprehensive map of the mTOR signaling network, which includes 964 species connected by 777 reactions. The map complies with both the systems biology markup language (SBML) and graphical notation (SBGN) for computational analysis and graphical representation, respectively. As captured in the mTOR map, we review and discuss our current understanding of the mTOR signaling network and highlight the impact of mTOR feedback and crosstalk regulations on drug-based cancer therapy. This map is available on the Payao platform, a Web 2.0 based community-wide interactive process for creating more accurate and information-rich databases. Thus, this comprehensive map of the mTOR network will serve as a tool to facilitate systems-level study of up-to-date mTOR network components and signaling events toward the discovery of novel regulatory processes and therapeutic strategies for cancer