Réservoir extra-digestif d’entérobactéries productrices de bêtalactamase à spectre élargi chez des patients non infectés: étude à partir d’une recherche systématique dans les urines et d’autres prélèvements à visée diagnostique

Notre objectif était d’étudier le réservoir extra-digestif d’entérobactéries productrices de β-lactamases à spectre élargi (EBLSE) en les recherchant dans des prélèvements à visée diagnostique (PVD) pour lesquels les colonies bactériennes isolées sur les milieux de cultures utilisés ne sont pas obligatoirement analysées (identification bactérienne et antibiogramme) en routine. Pendant une période de 5 semaines, des identifications et des antibiogrammes ont été réalisés de manière systématique pour les colonies correspondant à des entérobactéries isolées dans certains PVD comme les urines, les prélèvements respiratoires, et un groupe de prélèvements appelé “divers”. Les prélèvements pour lesquels un antibiogramme a été réalisé conformément à la pratique de routine du laboratoire ont été considérés comme infectés. Les prélèvements pour lesquels les entérobactéries ont été recherchées et étudiées suivant le protocole de l’étude ont été considérés comme colonisés. Au cours de l’étude, 2 312 urines, 327 prélèvements respiratoires et 1 887 prélèvements divers ont été envoyés au laboratoire. Parmi les 114 urines colonisées par au moins une entérobactérie, 13 (11,4 %) comportaient une EBLSE, alors que cette proportion était de 5,1 % (35/682) dans les urines infectées (p < 0,01). Parmi les prélèvements respiratoires et divers, 3 EBLSE ont été isolées dans 55 prélèvements colonisés par au moins une entérobactérie. Au total, la recherche systématique d’EBLSE dans les PVD a permis une augmentation de 27,7 % du nombre de patients identifiés comme porteurs de ces bactéries. D’autres études pourraient être utiles pour évaluer l’intérêt de mettre en place une telle stratégie comme alternative au dépistage rectal habituellement pratiqué

Female leadership in French voluntary associations

Drawing on a recent national survey, this paper focuses on the female representation on executive committees in French voluntary associations. To begin with, we observe that this representation is very unequal according to the different officer positions. It is especially low among presidents. Then we study the relationship between the associations' attributes and the likelihood of women being appointed as executive committee members. We notice that the probabilities that women hold president, treasurer and secretary positions are highly correlated to each other. We find that the proportion of female officers is higher in organizations whose activities pertain to social service, health and humanitarian sectors. It is lower in the oldest associations and it decreases as their geographical area of activity increases and as their budget becomes larger. The probability that associations have female presidents is higher in associations with few volunteers

Negative Feedback Regulation of the Yeast Cth1 and Cth2 mRNA Binding Proteins Is Required for Adaptation to Iron Deficiency and Iron Supplementation

Iron (Fe) is an essential element for all eukaryotic organisms because it functions as a cofactor in a wide range of biochemical processes. Cells have developed sophisticated mechanisms to tightly control Fe utilization in response to alterations in cellular demands and bioavailability. In response to Fe deficiency, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae activates transcription of the CTH1 and CTH2 genes, which encode proteins that bind to AU-rich elements (AREs) within the 3′ untranslated regions (3′UTRs) of many mRNAs, leading to metabolic reprogramming of Fe-dependent pathways and decreased Fe storage. The precise mechanisms underlying Cth1 and Cth2 function and regulation are incompletely understood. We report here that the Cth1 and Cth2 proteins specifically bind in vivo to AREs located at the 3′UTRs of their own transcripts in an auto- and cross-regulated mechanism that limits their expression. By mutagenesis of the AREs within the CTH2 transcript, we demonstrate that a Cth2 negative-feedback loop is required for the efficient decline in Cth2 protein levels observed upon a rapid rise in Fe availability. Importantly, Cth2 autoregulation is critical for the appropriate recovery of Fe-dependent processes and resumption of growth in response to a change from Fe deficiency to Fe supplementation

Happy to help? Exploring the factors associated with variations in rates of volunteering across Europe

The frequency of formal volunteering varies widely across European countries, and rates of formal volunteering are especially low among Eastern European countries. Why are there such large differences in volunteering rates when it is known that volunteering is beneficial for well-being? Using data from the latest round of the European Social Survey, we test three hypotheses to explain these cross-national differences in volunteering. We ask whether people in countries with low frequencies of volunteering spend more of their time on informal volunteering activities; whether they differ on socio-demographic variables which are known to be linked to volunteering rates; or whether they show less well-being benefit from formal volunteering. Contrary to the first hypothesis, we find a positive correlation between formal and informal volunteering. We further conclude that national differences in rates of volunteering cannot be fully explained by differences in the social, psychological or cultural factors associated with volunteering nor the outcome of volunteering. It is likely that contextual factors, such as a country’s historical background or institutions, determine levels of volunteering to a large extent

The Self-Assessment Scale of Cognitive Complaints in Schizophrenia: A validation study in Tunisian population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite a huge well-documented literature on cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, little is known about the own perception of patients regarding their cognitive functioning. The purpose of our study was to create a scale to collect subjective cognitive complaints of patients suffering from schizophrenia with Tunisian Arabic dialect as mother tongue and to proceed to a validation study of this scale.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The authors constructed the Self-Assessment Scale of Cognitive Complaints in Schizophrenia (SASCCS) based on a questionnaire covering five cognitive domains which are the most frequently reported in the literature to be impaired in schizophrenia. The scale consisted of 21 likert-type questions dealing with memory, attention, executive functions, language and praxia. In a second time, the authors proceeded to the study of psychometric qualities of the scale among 105 patients suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorders (based on DSM- IV criteria). Patients were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Global Assessment Functioning Scale (GAF scale) and the Calgary Depression Scale (CDS).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The scale's reliability was proven to be good through Cronbach alpha coefficient equal to 0.85 and showing its good internal consistency. The intra-class correlation coefficient at 11 weeks was equal to 0.77 suggesting a good stability over time. Principal component analysis with Oblimin rotation was performed and yielded to six factors accounting for 58.28% of the total variance of the scale.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Given the good psychometric properties that have been revealed in this study, the SASCCS seems to be reliable to measure schizophrenic patients' perception of their own cognitive impairment. This kind of evaluation can't substitute for objective measures of cognitive performances in schizophrenia. The purpose of such an evaluation is to permit to the patient to express his own well-being and satisfaction of quality of life.</p