Therapeutic management of intestinal fibrosis induced by radiation therapy: from molecular profiling to new intervention strategies et vice et versa

Chronic toxicities of locoregional and systemic oncological treatments commonly develop in long-term cancer survivors. Amongst these toxicities, post-radiotherapeutic complications alter patient's quality of life. Reduction of exposure of normal tissues can be achieved by optimization of radiotherapy. Furthermore, understanding of the fibrogenic mechanisms has provided targets to prevent, mitigate, and reverse late radiation-induced damages. This mini-review shows how (i) global molecular studies using gene profiling can provide tools to develop new intervention strategies and (ii) how successful clinical trials, conducted in particular with combined pentoxifylline-vitamin E, can take benefice of biological and molecular evidences to improve our understanding of fibrogenic mechanisms, enhance the robustness of proposed treatments, and lead ultimately to better treatments for patient's benefice

Effects of energy density and sweetness of gruels on Burkinabe infant energy intakes in free living conditions

In free living conditions, 24 breastfed infants, aged 6 to 10 months, were given successively five experimental gruels to study the effect of energy density (ED) and sweetness (sweet taste) on energy intakes (EI). Four gruels (G0, G1, G9 and G20) were prepared with experimental flours which were composed of the same local ingredients and which contained different levels of sucrose. The fifth gruel (GC) was prepared with an industrial flour. G0 has an average ED of 45 kcal/100g (189kJ/100g) and the other gruels an average ED of 100kcal/100g (461kJ/100g). Although the sugar contents of the flours were 1% for G1, 9% for G0 and G9 and 20% for G20, because of flour composition and gruel dry matter content, the gruel G1 had the same sweetness as G0, G20 the same sweetness as GC and G9 a sweetness between that of G1 and G20. The results show that the amounts of G0 consumed were significantly higher than those of high ED gruels (7.84 for G0 vs 6.12, 5.63, 4.46, 4.72g/kgbody weight/meal, respectively for G20, G9, G1 and GC, P is less than 0.05). However, EI from high ED gruels were significantly (P is less than 0.001) higher than those from G0 (6.65, 6.10, 4.86, 4.83kcal/kg/meal, respectively for G20, G9, G1 and GC vs 3.46 for G0). Energy intakes from G9 and G20 gruels were not significantly different but were significantly higher than those from GC and G1 (P is less than 0.001). So, consumption of sweet gruels with high ED and composed of local ingredients increased, at least by 76%, the EI from gruels in comparison with those from low ED gruels, but the amounts consumed by the infants remained too low to cover more than 15% of their daily total energy needs. (Résumé d'auteur

Effects of energy density and sweetness of gruels on Burkinabe infant energy intakes in free living conditions

In free living conditions, 24 breastfed infants, aged 6 to 10 months, were given successively five experimental gruels to study the effect of energy density (ED) and sweetness (sweet taste) on energy intakes (EI). Four gruels (G0, G1, G9 and G20) were prepared with experimental flours which were composed of the same local ingredients and which contained different levels of sucrose. The fifth gruel (GC) was prepared with an industrial flour. G0 has an average ED of 45 kcal/100g (189kJ/100g) and the other gruels an average ED of 100kcal/100g (461kJ/100g). Although the sugar contents of the flours were 1% for G1, 9% for G0 and G9 and 20% for G20, because of flour composition and gruel dry matter content, the gruel G1 had the same sweetness as G0, G20 the same sweetness as GC and G9 a sweetness between that of G1 and G20. The results show that the amounts of G0 consumed were significantly higher than those of high ED gruels (7.84 for G0 vs 6.12, 5.63, 4.46, 4.72g/kgbody weight/meal, respectively for G20, G9, G1 and GC, P is less than 0.05). However, EI from high ED gruels were significantly (P is less than 0.001) higher than those from G0 (6.65, 6.10, 4.86, 4.83kcal/kg/meal, respectively for G20, G9, G1 and GC vs 3.46 for G0). Energy intakes from G9 and G20 gruels were not significantly different but were significantly higher than those from GC and G1 (P is less than 0.001). So, consumption of sweet gruels with high ED and composed of local ingredients increased, at least by 76%, the EI from gruels in comparison with those from low ED gruels, but the amounts consumed by the infants remained too low to cover more than 15% of their daily total energy needs. (Résumé d'auteur

Agir dans l'espace

Le traitement cognitif de l'espace par un être vivant se décompose en différentes phases : il perçoit l'espace – ce qui implique certains mécanismes de catégorisation et d'abstraction –, se le représente, conserve en mémoire cette représentation qu'il peut rappeler et utiliser pour conduire des actions adaptées et interagir de façon optimale avec l'environnement. Ce traitement ainsi défini a déjà fait l'objet d'un grand nombre de travaux dans le domaine des sciences de la vie et de la psychologie expérimentale, de l'intelligence artificielle ou encore de la robotique. Pourtant les réalisations des sciences dites « dures » ne laissent pas de poser des questions sur lesquelles les sciences humaines et sociales sont susceptibles d'apporter un éclairage pertinent. D'une part, leur apport est de nature à renouveler la problématique cognitive de l'espace, notamment en mettant en lumière l'incidence des facteurs culturels et sociétaux sur les représentations spatiales ainsi que la complexité des interactions entre la nature de ces représentations et l'utilisation effective de l'espace depuis la conception et la gestion des cartes géographiques, jusqu'à celle de l'habitat urbain. D'autre part, ces mêmes sciences s'avèrent incontournables si l'on veut tenter de répondre aux multiples questions soulevées par la notion d'action en vue de l'étude de ses différents déterminants : le mécanisme et les représentations mis en œuvre dans la prise de décision, la programmation motrice et sa régulation dans la conscience d'agir et l'interprétation de l'action, dans son caractère multidimensionnel et évolutif, dans la dynamique des interactions et de l'action collective, etc. Les contributions ici rassemblées illustrent toutes ces perspectives, démontrant que seule une interdisciplinarité bien conduite peut permettre de répondre aux défis posés par la problématique cognitive de l'agir dans l'espace