Combined genetic, genomic and physiological approaches to characterize flowering in Fragaria [W324]

Flowering is a key event for production of seeds or fruits. To date, studies of this process were mainly focused on the molecular mechanisms involved in the control of flowering until now. In perennial plants, few studies have taken into account the large variability in flowering patterns along plant development. Fragaria stands as an interesting model for studying flowering and perpetual flowering and its relationships with vegetative plant reproduction in perennial plants. In this talk, we will show how complementary approaches in genetics, genomics and plant physiology can be integrated to provide a better understanding of flowering in Fragaria. Besides giving a better insights into these poorly known processes, our results will provide new tools for controlling that trait in strawberry and, consequently, fruit production. (Résumé d'auteur

The Public Spectacle Of Italian Masculinity: Nonverbal Display Of Gender Identity

Italian masculine identity is examined by looking at the following influences: history and structure of Italian society, the public places used for the performance and the culture surrounding the display of masculinity. This research uses an approach similar to an ethnography of communication. Initial data and ideas were gathered through observational fieldwork and interviews that took take place in Italy during July 2006 and July 2007. A methods section describes interviews that later took place with Americans in order to compare and contrast responses with ones previously collected from Italians. The data gathered from these interviews will be used to highlight and substantiate the components of cultural identity that are unique to Italian masculinity. In analyzing the research data, the social meaning model is applied to elaborate a culturally shared set of meanings for a particular nonverbal act in an Italian piazza. Finally, findings are organized using four aspects of cultural identity to understand an Italian definition of masculinity. Two contributions emerged from the research: cultural sense making and cultural change. Cultural sense making provides a context for Italian masculine behavior, and cultural change describes the transformation of Italian ideology between the generations in regards to gender roles

Orthographic Similarity and False Recognition for Unfamiliar Words

There is evidence of false recognition (FR) driven by orthographic similarities within languages (Lambert, Chang, & Lin, 2001; Raser, 1972) and some evidence that FR crosses languages (Parra, 2013). No study has investigated whether FR based on orthographic similarities occurs for unknown words in an unknown language. This study aimed to answer this question. It further explored whether FR based on orthographic similarities is more likely in a known (English) than in an unknown (Spanish) language. Forty-six English monolinguals participated. They studied 50 English and 50 Spanish words during a study phase. A recognition test was given immediately after the study phase. It consisted of 40 Spanish and 40 English words. It included list words (i.e., words presented at study); homographs (i.e., words not presented at study, orthographically similar to words presented at study); and unrelated words (i.e., words not presented at study, not orthographically similar to words presented at study). The LSD post-hoc test showed significant results supporting the hypothesis that false recognition based on orthographic similarities occurs for words in a known language (English) and in an unknown language (Spanish). Further evidence was provided by the LSD post-hoc test supporting the hypothesis that false recognition based on orthographic similarities was more likely to occur in a known language than an unknown language. Results provided evidence that the meaning and orthographic form are used when information is encoded thereby influencing recognition decisions. Furthermore, these results emphasize the significance of orthography when information is encoded and retrieved

A Methodological Approach to Nautical Chart Design

The need for improved nautical chart design has recently been identified. Cumulative addition of various data and the resulting visual clutter are examples of actual problems calling for studies in this field. As has been demonstrated in studies of aeronautical charting, effective communication of navigational information can be achieved through the choice of appropriate graphic solutions. Research on effective graphic encoding should permit optimization of information transfer from the cartographer to the navigator and other users. Cartographic communication theory can provide an organized framework to initiate studies on improved chart encoding. In the past, cartographers’ personal impressions and experience have led the way in nautical chart design. Such indirect research methods were lacking in objectivity. Better ways must now be sought and an approach relying on objective chart evaluation should lead the way. Thus, practical measurement of the reliability of proposed chart designs must be achieved through systematic testing with subjects. The normal chart use conditions are then investigated and simulated to measure the perceptual reactions of the users on specific problems needing investigation. Adoption of an adequate methodology — hence, following closely the successive steps of scientific experimentation — can also bring the marine cartographer to the realm of scientific research

Identification d'un profil de marqueurs périphériques lié aux scores cognitifs dans le plasma et les vésicules extracellulaires durant le développement de la maladie d'Alzheimer: évolution de marqueurs liés au stress oxydatif et aux mécanismes physiopathologiques.

La maladie d’Alzheimer (MA) représente la première cause de démence qui affectent actuellement 47,5 millions de personnes dans le monde et qui devrait tripler d’ici 2050 en absence de moyens de prévention et de traitements. Malgré plus de 100 ans de recherches et de grandes découvertes, la MA représente un véritable problème de santé mondial. Chaque année ce sont plus de 9,9 millions de nouveaux cas de démence qui sont diagnostiqués dans le monde, soit un nou veau cas tous les 3 secondes. De nombreux défis sont à relever pour prévenir, ralentir ou traiter la maladie. Les deux principales caractéristiques neuropathologiques de la MA sont les plaques séniles extracellulaires composées du peptide Amyloïde beta (Aβ) et les dégénérescences neurofibrillaires (DNF) liées à2 l’hyperphosphorylation de la protéine Tau au niveau intracellulaire. Celles-ci vont se propager aux différentes régions cérébrales de façon organisée. Des études récentes ont indiqué qu’une des hypothèses pouvant expliquer ce phénomène de propagation neuronale serait l’implication des vésicules extracellulaires (EVs). Dans le cerveau, les EVs libérées par les différents types cellulaires sont importantes dans le maintien neuronal et la communication. Elles permettent également aux cellules d’éliminer et de transmettre leur contenu comme l’Aβ et Tau aux cellules avoisinantes propageant ainsi les lésions toxiques et la mort neuronale. Les plaques Aβ et les DNF représentent les critères du diagnostic dit certain de la MA par une analyse du cerveau en post-mortem. Pourtant, le bilan du développement thérapeutique de ces dernières années, ciblant ces deux voies importantes, affiche un taux d’échec frôlant les 100% et souligne la complexité et l’hétérogénéité de la MA. L’augmentation du taux de réussite des traitements de la MA dépend d’un meilleur développement thérapeutique et de l’identification de biomarqueurs fiables et certains pour diagnostiquer les patients aux stades pré-démentiels et intervenir avant l’apparition altérations irréversibles. Comme toutes les maladies chroniques, la MA se développe insidieusement et engendre des dommages irréversibles au système nerveux central (SNC) entrainant une altération neuronale, une perte synaptique et un déclin des fonctions cognitives globales. La démence est précédée d’un stade asymptomatique (préclinique) et d’une phase de transition avec des troubles cognitifs légers, appelée MCI. Ces stades représentent un espoir pour le diagnostic précoce de la maladie et pour le développement de moyens de prévention et de nouveaux traitements efficaces. Malgré la mise à jour des critères de diagnostic, la redéfinition de la MA comme un « continuum » débutant par des phases pré démentielles et l’introduction des biomarqueurs, les moyens actuels pour sa détection présentent de nombreuses limites. Le diagnostic probabiliste du vivant des patients de la MA est basé sur une combinaison de tests cliniques incluant des tests cognitifs, l’imagerie cérébrale structurelle et fonctionnelle ainsi que le dosage dans le liquide céphalorachidien des deux protéines responsables des lésions caractéristiques de la MA (Aβ et Tau). Cependant, l’utilisation des biomarqueurs est restreinte en routine car les techniques sont invasives, couteuses et leur accès est limité. Ils n’ont leur place que dans certaines situations pour conforter ou infirmer le diagnostic. Par conséquent, il est urgent d’identifier des biomarqueurs périphériques précoces (au stade pré démentiel), peu coûteux, non-invasifs et adaptés à des mesures répétées tout au long de l'évolution de la maladie. À l’heure actuelle, aucun biomarqueur sanguin n’a dépassé le stade de « candidat » dans le diagnostic de la MA. De plus, au vu des nombreux échecs thérapeutiques et de l’hétérogénéité clinique des patients atteints de la MA, il est également essentiel d'élargir notre vision de la pathogenèse au-delà de l’hypothèse de la protéine Tau et de l’Aβ pour l’identification de nouveaux biomarqueurs potentiels. Dans ce contexte d’urgence, le projet ci-contre s’est intéressé à l’identification de nouveaux biomarqueurs périphériques potentiels pour la détection du stade MCI et l’évaluation de la progression de la maladie à différents stades. Ce projet est basé sur les échantillons plasmatiques de patients recrutés par l’Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Sherbrooke. Dans un premier temps, l’importance du stress oxydatif dans les différents mécanismes pathogéniques de la MA et son implication précoce, nous a amené à nous intéresser à l’identification d’un profil de biomarqueurs reliés au stress oxydatif dans le plasma de sujets MCI et de patients atteints de la MA à différents stades. Nous avons testé la relation entre les marqueurs périphériques étudiés et la performance cognitive globale pour mettre en évidence une relation possible entre le stress oxydatif systémique et les altérations cérébrales. Dans un deuxième temps, en se basant sur les études indiquant l’implication des EVs dans le développement de la MA et leur passage à travers la barrière hémato encéphalique, nous avons mis au point une technique pour isoler les vésicules extracellulaires plasmatiques totales (pEVs). Ainsi nous avons pu tester le potentiel du contenu protéique des pEVs comme un nouvel outil dans le diagnostic du continuum de la MA. Nous avons évalué la performance de l’Aβ, de Tau et d’autres protéines d’origine cérébrale renfermés dans les pEVs pour différencier les stades de la MA et leur relation avec les données cliniques comme la performance cognitive globale. Nos résultats montrent que le profil plasmatique des altérations de l’homéostasie redox diffère en fonction des stades de la MA. Au stade pré démentiel, le plasma révèle une faiblesse dans sa capacité antioxydante qui engendre l’accumulation de protéines oxydées, de protéines chaperonnes et de protéines réponse au stress au stade de démence. Cette étude démontre pour la première fois qu’en parallèle de l’augmentation des protéines oxydées plasmatiques, l’activité du système de dégradation de celles-ci est affaiblie. En effet, l’activité du protéasome 20S circulant a pour la première fois été investiguée dans le domaine de la MA. Nous avons également pu mettre en évidence une corrélation entre ces phénomènes périphériques et la performance cognitive globale analysée par les tests complémentaires MMSE (mini mental state examination) et MoCA (Montreal cognitive assessment). Ces résultats confirment l’implication précoce du stress oxydatif dans la MA et souligne l’importance des désordres systémiques dans la MA et la nécessité d’élargir la vision de la maladie au-delà du compartiment du SNC. Dans un deuxième temps, nos résultats mettent en évidence pour la premières fois la pertinence du dosage du contenu protéique des pEVs totales dans le cas du diagnostic de la MA. Nous montrons que l’utilisation de différents profils de protéines renfermées dans les pEVs permet de distinguer les sujets MCI des participants témoins, les sujets MCI des patients atteints de la MA et de séparer les sujets témoins des patients atteints de la MA. La concentration de l’APP (précurseur de l’Aβ), le ratio de Tau totale/Tau phosphorylée (T181) ou encore le niveau de la NSE (Neuron-Specific Enolase), de la Progranulin et du S100B dans les pEVs représentent des biomarqueurs potentiels pour le diagnostic du stade MCI. À l’inverse, le niveau de l’Aβ40 et de l’Aβ42 dans le pEVs ne sont pas utiles en termes de diagnostic. In fine, la standardisation des techniques d’isolation et de normalisation révèlera tout le potentiel des pEVs dans le domaine du diagnostic des maladies neurodégénératives. Pris ensemble, ces travaux montrent la pertinence de l’utilisation des biomarqueurs périphériques associés aux données cliniques pour pallier aux difficultés techniques que représentent les marqueurs centraux dans les maladies du SNC comme la MA. Les biomarqueurs périphériques sont le reflet d’un processus pathologique systémique présent au cours de la maladie. Ces résultats confirment également la nécessité d’utiliser plusieurs combinaisons de biomarqueurs pour différencier les stades de la maladie. À terme différents profils de biomarqueurs pourront distinguer les personnes à risque de développer la MA et les sous-populations de patients atteints de la MA afin de prévenir efficacement le développement de la maladie et de proposer des traitements adaptés à l’hétérogénéité des patients.Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia affecting more than 47.5 million people worldwide and this number is projected to triple by 2050 in the absence of new effective treatment or early diagnosis. Despite more than 100 years of research and several discoveries in the field, AD represents a serious public health problem. Every year, more than 9.9 million new cases of dementia are diagnosed in the world, a new case every 3 seconds. AD is a complex progressive neurodegenerative disorder leading to memory loss and cognitive decline with high clinicopathologic heterogeneity. AD is characterized neuropathologically by synaptic loss and the brain propagation of extracellular amyloid Beta (Aβ) aggregates and neurofibrillary tangles. Recent studies reveal that the spread of these pathogenic proteins can occur via extracellular vesicles (EVs). During the progression of the disease, some alterations occur in the brain like oxidative stress, a deficiency of cellular survival factors, inflammation and a metabolic disorder. Like most chronic diseases, AD begins insidiously and no clear event defines onset of the disease. AD starts as a preclinical stage followed by a prodromal phase called mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This transition offers an important opportunity for possible diagnosis, prevention and therapeutic interventions. However, the current standardized criteria for the diagnosis of MCI and AD including cognitive changes, abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of pathogenic proteins (Aβ, tTau and pTau-T181), and MRI scan and PET bioimaging data, have some limits. Clinicopathologic heterogeneity, high costs of imaging and the invasive nature of CSF collection limit their usefulness for routine clinical testing. Thus, there is a strong necessity to identify non-invasive blood biomarkers easily measurable that could facilitate early and accurate diagnosis, as well as to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of new treatments. Consequently, all efforts focus on the identification and development of specific biomarkers to detect the disease as early as possible. It is now recognized that only a combination of biomarkers will define a patient-specific signature to diagnose AD in the future. Despite intense research in the field, there is no peripheral biomarker that has got beyond the discovery stage. Although the brain accumulation of Aβ and Tau proteins is considered the core pathologic hallmarks for AD, other factors such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and lifestyle also contribute to its complex pathophysiology. It is now well established that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology and the progression of AD. In the brain, oxidative damages to biomolecules are largely reported in AD, MCI patients and in different transgenic mouse models for AD. In addition, there is convincing evidence that oxidative alterations in AD and in MCI patients are not limited to the brain but is extended to the blood compartment. Some common genes are dysregulated in entorhinal cortex, hippocampus and in blood. In addition, markers of oxidative stress were consistently identified as elements of blood-based signatures in AD. Interestingly, oxidative stress can precede the development of the neuropathological hallmarks of AD. However, defining the right pattern of oxidative markers remain a challenge and is still an ongoing process for peripheral markers in AD. Therefore, the following work focus on the identification of some redox biomarkers in plasma from MCI and their evolution in AD from the early to the severe stages of the disease. We found an early peripheral reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging activity, a subsequent elevation of stress response proteins including ApoJ and Klotho in plasma from MCI subjects. Additionally, our findings highlight, for the first time, that the elevation of the plasma oxidized proteins reflects the impairment of circulating proteasome activity in mild AD stage. Finally, the present study provides evidence that some markers related to oxidative stress are associated with two cognitive scores, MoCA and the MMSE assays. Our data highlight the importance and the impact of peripheral antioxidant status and homeostasis systems during the early cognitive decline leading to dementia. Overall, our results strengthen the notion that oxidative markers could be considered as drivers behind the AD-related metabolic deregulation. Moreover, our study strengthens the notion that different strategies to improve the plasma antioxidant capacity could be effective intervention to prevent or to delay cognitive decline. In the diagnostic field, some studies brought to light the potential for the protein cargo of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in blood to serve as a readily accessible source of central nervous system (CNS) biomarkers. A growing number of researches indicate that EVs could contribute to the brain function and the pathogenesis of AD. EVs can be secreted by most cell types, including neurons, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, and are detectable in different body fluids such plasma due to their transportation throught the blood-brain barrier between the brain and bloodstream. Hence, the second part of this work was devoted to study the potential of proteins cargo of total circulating EVs for the detection of MCI or the evaluation of the disease progression and their relationship with cognitive performance. First, we have isolated and characterized total plasma-based EVs (pEVs), established a specific pattern of ADrelated protein content in MCI to early through severe stages of AD. We found an early reduction of tTau and APP and an increase of the ratio pTau-T181/tTau in pEVs from MCI as compared to controls. The decrease of APP concentration in pEVs remained until the mild stage of AD while the severe AD stage was associated with an increase of APP levels in comparison to controls. pTau-T181 concentration in pEVs was negatively correlated to both cognitive scores while APP levels were negatively correlated with the MMSE scores. On the other hand, we have identified some proteins related to AD disorders in pEVs and revealed their association with cognitive scores. In pEVs from MCI and mild AD patients, we found an important reduction of the Progranulin/BDNF ratio and the levels of BDNF, NSE and S100B, compared to control participants. Levels of Progranulin in pEVs were reduced in MCI phase only, in comparison with control group. With our diagnostic accuracy analysis, we found that the ratio of Progranulin/BDNF could be used to classify samples from MCI patients and control subjects with a sensitivity of 90.9% and a specificity of 83.3%. Overall, our results strengthen the notion that this protein pattern in total pEVs could be considered as non-invasive blood-based biomarkers for an early MCI and AD diagnosis but not for monitoring the disease evolution. Taken together, this work demonstrated the utility of peripheral biomarkers associated with clinical data to avoid invasive collection techniques. These systemic variations also suggested that pathological processes may co-exist in both brain and periphery and reflect a systemic pathological process during the course of the disease. Our results also confirm the need to use several combinations of biomarkers to classify different stages of the disease. In the future, different biomarker profiles will be able to distinguish people at risk of developing AD and the sub-population of AD patients in order to prevent the development of the disease and to propose treatments adapted to the heterogeneity of patients

Session A, 2017 Second Place: Effect of Both Presence of White Stripe and Size of Organism on Cryptic Color Change in American Toads

One major defensive mechanism of American Toads (Anaxyrus americanus) against predation is cryptic coloration; they undergo a color change to match their substrates. The observation of a distinct white stripe on some Adirondack toads led us to question how the stripe impacts the toad’s ability to match substrate color. We hypothesized that American Toads with a distinct white stripe will have a faster rate of color change (measured in change of MCV’s per minute) than American Toads without white stripes. Due to the difference in sizes of the toads, we also hypothesized that smaller toads would undergo a faster color change (change in MCV’s per minute) due to their smaller surface area. Thirty-one toads were collected after sunset on the trails immediately surrounding the campus. These toads served as both the experimental and sampling units. They were brought back to the lab and color change was tested from a light to dark tank over a total of 3 hours. One two sample T-test and one regression analysis were used to statistically analyze the data for hypothesis one and two, respectively. The mean findings for the presence or absence of a white stripe on rate of color change will be presented and discussed, as well as the hypothesis on color change rate based on size. The findings from this experiment could potentially explain how the diverse coloration of Adirondack toad populations persist with distinct markings

A randomized phase 2 trial of gemcitabine/cisplatin with or without cetuximab in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108368/1/cncr28767.pd

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the risk of severe and life-threatening thromboembolism in cancer patients receiving anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies (cetuximab or panitumumab)

Cancer-associated thromboembolism is a substantial problem in clinical practice. An increase in the level of fibrinopeptide A (a substance associated with hypercoagulable states) has been observed in humans exposed to fluorouracil. Anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies cetuximab and panitumumab, which are now widely used in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, could prolong the uncovering of endothelial structures resulting from flouorouracil or other co-administered agents, thus favouring several factors leading to thromboembolism. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised, controlled trials assessing whether cancer patients receiving anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies cetuximab and panitumumab are at increased risk of thromboembolic events. We searched electronic databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Central) and reference lists. Phase II/III randomised, controlled trials comparing standard anti-cancer regimens with or without anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies and reporting serious venous thromboembolic events were included in the analysis. Seventeen studies (12,870 patients) were considered for quantitative analysis. The relative risk (RR) for venous thromboembolism (18 comparisons) was 1.46 (95% CI 1.26 to 1.69); the RR of pulmonary embolism, on the basis of eight studies providing nine comparisons, was 1.55 (1.20 to 2.00). Cancer patients receiving anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies-containing regimens are approximately 1.5 times more likely to experience venous or pulmonary embolism, compared to those treated with the same regimens without anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies. Clinicians should consider patient's baseline thromboembolic risk when selecting regimens that include cetuximab or panitumumab. Potential non-reporting of these important adverse events remains a concern. PROSPERO registration number is CRD42014009165

Intégration de la 3D sur un site Web grâce à WebGL

Internet a été une réelle révolution qui a permis de relier le monde grâce à un réseau informatique mondial. Puis est venu le World Wide Web qui tire profit d’Internet pour afficher des pages Web, qui sont des sources d’informations accessibles partout dans le monde. À travers les années et grâce à ses évolutions, le Web est devenu tel que nous le connaissons aujourd’hui : une source d’informations gigantesque et interactive. Ces avancées ont pris du temps à façonner le Web sous sa forme actuelle et de nombreuses technologies en sont responsables. Le JavaScript, l’AJAX et le PHP font partie de ces technologies qui ont permis l’évolution du Web. Aujourd’hui encore, de nouvelles technologies font surface comme le WebGL qui a été créé pour permettre de faire de la 3D sur une page Web. Ce travail a pour but d’explorer plusieurs aspects de WebGL pour mieux comprendre ce que cette technologie pourrait apporter au Web. Premièrement, les technologies qui ont précédé le WebGL seront passées en revue afin de mieux cerner comment le WebGL est arrivé sur le marché. Cela permettra de comprendre ce qu’il a apporté par rapport à d’autres solutions. Deuxièmement, une présentation plus approfondie de WebGL sera faite en abordant plusieurs points. Son aspect technique, ses avantages et inconvénients et ses alternatives actuelles et futures seront présentées afin de mieux connaitre le WebGL. Troisièmement, la place actuelle de WebGL sera analysée avec ses différentes évolutions et son taux d’utilisation afin de pouvoir déterminer quel sera le futur de WebGL. Quatrièmement, différentes bibliothèques et frameworks seront abordés afin de présenter des solutions qui permettent de simplifier le développement. Une présentation spécifique de chaque solution permettra de savoir lesquelles sont les plus utilisées ou les plus adaptées à certains cas d’utilisation. Cinquièmement, des cas concrets d’utilisation de WebGL seront présentés afin de démontrer que le WebGL peut être utilisé à des fins très poussées. Dernièrement, une partie pratique sera réalisée afin de mettre en pratique les connaissances qui ont été acquises à travers ce travail de recherche

Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Mental Health and Substance Use

Aim: Traumatic stressor events disrupt the normal daily functioning of individuals and groups, and the consequences of collective trauma magnify psychopathology and mental health issues. One overlooked mental health implication of traumatic stress is loneliness. The current study examines loneliness as a result of traumatic stress and its psycho-social correlates, including substance abuse and changes in daily health behaviors. Design: Cross-sectional, nationwide, online survey. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, nationwide online survey that included 2,530 adults in the United States, 18-83 years old, and examined the associations between loneliness and psychosocial factors and substance use during the initial part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Increased loneliness was associated with younger age, single marital status, and lower levels of education. Mental health disorders, including major depression, generalized anxiety, and somatization, were also associated with high levels of loneliness. Further, individuals with high levels of loneliness were more likely to report increased substance use, including alcohol and illicit drugs. Discussion: The findings of this study indicate that during times of collective traumatic events, high levels of loneliness are a risk factor for mental health and substance use. Further initiatives are warranted to create awareness and institute routine screenings for symptoms of loneliness to mitigate mental health distress and increases in substance abuse