La recherche sociale anglo-saxonne en santé mentale : tendances, limites et impasses

Dans cette revue critique de la recherche anglo-saxonne en santé mentale, les auteurs identifient les dimensions et variables qui sont prises en considération dans l'analyse d'une part de l'espace social et d'autre part du champ de la santé mentale. Trois aspects essentiels des recherches sont analysés : les cadres théoriques de référence ; les méthodes et instruments ; et la manière dont les liens sont faits entre le variables sociales et les problèmes de santé mentale. Dans une longue conclusion, les orientations de la recherche sociale et les problèmes de santé mentale sont comparées aux recherches anglo-saxonnes.In this critical review of English-language research on mental health, the authors identify the dimensions and variables taken into consideration in analyzing, on the one hand, social space and, on the other hand, the field of mental health. Three essential aspects of the body of research are analyzed : theoretical frames of reference ; methods and instruments ; and how links are made between social variables and mental-health problems. In a long conclusion, orientations of French-Quebec social research into mental health are compared to those of English research

Down-Regulation of ECRG4, a Candidate Tumor Suppressor Gene, in Human Breast Cancer

INTRODUCTION: ECRG4/C2ORF40 is a potential tumor suppressor gene (TSG) recently identified in esophageal carcinoma. Its expression, gene copy number and prognostic value have never been explored in breast cancer. METHODS: Using DNA microarray and array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), we examined ECRG4 mRNA expression and copy number alterations in 353 invasive breast cancer samples and normal breast (NB) samples. A meta-analysis was done on a large public retrospective gene expression dataset (n = 1,387) in search of correlations between ECRG4 expression and histo-clinical features including survival. RESULTS: ECRG4 was underexpressed in 94.3% of cancers when compared to NB. aCGH data revealed ECRG4 loss in 18% of tumors, suggesting that DNA loss is not the main mechanism of underexpression. Meta-analysis showed that ECRG4 expression was significantly higher in tumors displaying earlier stage, smaller size, negative axillary lymph node status, lower grade, and normal-like subtype. Higher expression was also associated with disease-free survival (DFS; HR = 0.84 [0.76-0.92], p = 0.0002) and overall survival (OS; HR = 0.72 [0.63-0.83], p = 5.0E-06). In multivariate analysis including the other histo-clinical prognostic features, ECRG4 expression remained the only prognostic factor for DFS and OS. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that ECRG4 is a candidate TSG in breast cancer, the expression of which may help improve the prognostication. If functional analyses confirm this TSG role, restoring ECRG4 expression in the tumor may represent a promising therapeutic approach

The food habits of three allochthonous feeding characoids in French Guiana

Une analyse des contenus stomacaux de Leporinus friderici, Myleus rhomboidalis et M. ternetzi a été réalisée à partir d'échantillons provenant de deux peuplements distincts de Guyane Française, prélevés aux différentes saisons caractéristiques de cette région néotropicale : la grande saison des pluies, la grande saison sèche et la petite saison des pluies, l'étude du régime alimentaire en petite saison sèche ayant été volontairement omise. M. ternetzy est un herbivore strict, qui consomme quasi-exclusivement des feuilles prélevées sur les arbres pendant les inondations de la saison des pluies, et des feuilles flottant à la dérive en saison sèche. M. rhomboidalis se nourrit surtout de graines d'Euterpe oleracea en saison sèche. Cette espèce diversifie son régime alimentaire en saison des pluies en consommant plusieurs espèces de graines et des arthropodes. Le régime de L. friderici présente un caractère omnivore marqué. Ce poisson se nourrit essentiellement en saison des pluies et consomme alors des graines et des arthropodes tombés des feuillages. Ces résultats sont interprétés comme exprimant les préférences alimentaires de ces espèces en saison des pluies, alors qu'en saison sèche se développent des stratégies de survi

The hyperdominant tropical tree <i>Eschweilera coriacea</i> (Lecythidaceae) shows higher genetic heterogeneity than sympatric Eschweilera species in French Guiana

International audienceBackground and aims – The evolutionary history of Amazonia’s hyperabundant tropical tree species, also known as “hyperdominant” species, remains poorly investigated. We assessed whether the hyperdominant Eschweilera coriacea (DC.) S.A.Mori (Lecythidaceae) represents a single genetically cohesive species, and how its genetic constitution relates to other species from the same clade with which it occurs sympatrically in French Guiana.Methods – We sampled 152 individuals in nine forest sites in French Guiana, representing 11 species of the genus Eschweilera all belonging to the Parvifolia clade, with emphasis on E. coriacea. Samples were genotyped at four simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. We delimited gene pools, i.e., genetically coherent putative taxa, using STRUCTURE software and principal component analysis. We compared the genetic assignment of individuals with their morphological species determination and estimated genetic diversity and differentiation for gene pools and species. We also estimated genome size using flow cytometry.Key results – SSR profiles commonly displayed up to four alleles per genotype, suggesting that the investigated Eschweilera species bear a paleopolyploid signature. Flow cytometry suggested that the studied species are diploid with haploid genome sizes of 871–1046 Mbp. We detected five gene pools and observed a good correspondence between morphological and genetic delimitation for Eschweilera sagotiana Miers and the undescribed morphospecies E. sp. 3 (which resembles E. grandiflora (Aubl.) Sandwith), and to a lesser extent for E. decolorans Sandwith and E. micrantha (O.Berg) Miers. Eschweilera coriacea was the most genetically diverse species and included individuals assigned to each gene pool.Conclusions – We found no conclusive evidence for cryptic species within E. coriacea in French Guiana. SSRs detected fewer gene pools than expected based on morphology in the Parvifolia clade but discriminated evolutionary relationships better than available plastid markers. A positive trend between demographic abundance of species and allelic richness illustrates that hyperdominants may have a high evolutionary potential. This hypothesis can be tested using more powerful genomic data in combination with tree phenotypic trait variation and characterization of niche breadth, to enhance our understanding of the causes of hyperdominance in Amazonian trees