L’enfant et la mort dans l’Antiquité III. Le matériel associé aux tombes d’enfants

Ce volume rassemble les communications presentées à la troisième et dernière réunion scientifique organisée dans le cadre du programme « L’enfant et la mort dans l’Antiquité : des pratiques funéraires à l’identité sociale » (EMA), financé par l’Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR) de novembre 2007 à novembre 2011. Les 26 contributions - rédigées en français, en italien ou en anglais - envisagent la question du matériel associé aux tombes d’enfants. Dépose-t-on autant d’objets auprès des tout-petits, des enfants de 6-7 ans et de 12-13 ans ? La nature de ces offrandes varie-t-elle en fonction du sexe ? Dans quelle mesure certaines d’entre elles - « biberons », vases miniatures, astragales, figurines en terre cuite sont-elles caractéristiques des sépultures d’immatures ? Ces questions se posent-elles de la même façon dans les différentes régions du monde méditerranéen et tout au long des douze siècles environ que couvre notre enquête ? Les articles réunis ici envisagent ces problèmes dans un cadre plus large que celui du monde méditerranéen classique - Grèce et Rome -, en intégrant des études relatives à l’Égypte préhellénistique, à Carthage, au monde celtique du Midi et à la Gaule non méditerranéenne. Certaines de ces contributions présentent des découvertes récentes, partiellement ou entièrement inédites.Ce volume rassemble les communications presentées à la troisième et dernière réunion scientifique organisée dans le cadre du programme « L’enfant et la mort dans l’Antiquité : des pratiques funéraires à l’identité sociale » (EMA), financé par l’Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR) de novembre 2007 à novembre 2011. Les 26 contributions - rédigées en français, en italien ou en anglais - envisagent la question du matériel associé aux tombes d’enfants. Dépose-t-on autant d’objets auprès des tout-petits, des enfants de 6-7 ans et de 12-13 ans ? La nature de ces offrandes varie-t-elle en fonction du sexe ? Dans quelle mesure certaines d’entre elles - « biberons », vases miniatures, astragales, figurines en terre cuite sont-elles caractéristiques des sépultures d’immatures ? Ces questions se posent-elles de la même façon dans les différentes régions du monde méditerranéen et tout au long des douze siècles environ que couvre notre enquête ? Les articles réunis ici envisagent ces problèmes dans un cadre plus large que celui du monde méditerranéen classique - Grèce et Rome -, en intégrant des études relatives à l’Égypte préhellénistique, à Carthage, au monde celtique du Midi et à la Gaule non méditerranéenne. Certaines de ces contributions présentent des découvertes récentes, partiellement ou entièrement inédites

IRF5 rs2004640‐T allele, the new genetic factor for systemic lupus erythematosus, is not associated with rheumatoid arthritis

International audienceBackground: Recently, a new genetic factor within the interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) gene was demonstrated for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) through linkage and association: the rs2004640-T allele. IRF5 is involved in the production of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cytokines, and SLE already shares with RA one genetic factor within the tyrosine phosphatase PTPN22 gene. Aim: To test the hypothesis that the SLE IRF5 genetic factor could also be shared with RA. Patients and methods: 100 French Caucasian trio families with RA were genotyped and analysed with the transmission disequilibrium test, the frequency comparison of the transmitted and untransmitted alleles, and the genotype relative risk. 97% power was available to detect at least a trend in favour of a factor similar to that reported for SLE. Results: The analysis showed the absence of linkage and association globally and in "autoimmune" RA subsets, with a weak non-significant trend against the IRF5 rs20046470-T allele. Given the robustness of familial-based analysis, this slight negative trend provided strong evidence against even a weaker factor than that reported for SLE. Conclusion: Our results exclude the IRF5 rs2004640-T allele as a major genetic factor for RA in this French Caucasian population

Lack of Linkage and Association of Adrenomedulin and Its Receptor Genes in French Caucasian Rheumatoid Arthritis Trio Families

International audienceObjective. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by hyperplasia of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), in part due to apoptosis resistance. Adrenomedullin, an anti-apoptotic peptide, is secreted more by RA than osteoarthritis FLSs. Adrenomedullin binds to a heterodimeric functional receptor, of calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR) coupled with a receptor activity-modifying protein-2 (RAMP-2), which is also overexpressed by rheumatoid synoviocytes. Since adrenomedullin decreases RAFLS apoptosis, possibly contributing to the development of pannus, study of adrenomedullin and its receptor genes might reveal a linkage and association in French Caucasian RA trio families. Methods. Within each of 100 families, one RA-affected patient and both parents underwent genotyping for polymorphisms of adrenomedullin, CRLR and RAMP-2, by PCR-restricted fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) or Taqman 5′ allelic discrimination assay. Statistical analysis relied on the transmission disequilibrium test, the affected family-based controls and the genotype relative risk. Haplotypes of CRLR were inferred, and linkage and association studies were performed. Results. No significant transmission disequilibrium or association between the three genes and RA was observed. CRLR haplotypes revealed two major haplotypes, but no significant linkage with RA. Conclusion. Our findings provided no significant linkage or association of adrenomedullin and CRLR-RAMP-2 genes with RA in the studied trio families. The two CRLR polymorphisms rs3771076 and rs3771084 should be investigated in larger samples. © Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2008

The Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Microevolution Events That Favored the Success of the Highly Clonal Multidrug-Resistant Monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium Circulating in Europe

The European epidemic monophasic variant of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. 1,4,[5],12:i:-) characterized by the multi locus sequence type ST34 and the antimicrobial resistance ASSuT profile has become one of the most common serovars in Europe (EU) and the United States (US). In this study, we reconstructed the time-scaled phylogeny and evolution of this Salmonella in Europe. The epidemic S. 1,4,[5],12:i:- ST34 emerged in the 1980s by an acquisition of the Salmonella Genomic Island (SGI)-4 at the 3′ end of the phenylalanine phe tRNA locus conferring resistance to copper and arsenic toxicity. Subsequent integration of the Tn21 transposon into the fljAB locus gave resistance to mercury toxicity and several classes of antibiotics used in food-producing animals (ASSuT profile). The second step of the evolution occurred in the 1990s, with the integration of mTmV and mTmV-like prophages carrying the perC and/or sopE genes involved in the ability to reduce nitrates in intestinal contents and facilitate the disruption of the junctions of the host intestinal epithelial cells. Heavy metals are largely used as food supplements or pesticide for cultivation of seeds intended for animal feed so the expansion of the epidemic S. 1,4,[5],12:i:- ST34 was strongly related to the multiple-heavy metal resistance acquired by transposons, integrative and conjugative elements and facilitated by the escape until 2011 from the regulatory actions applied in the control of S. Typhimurium in Europe. The genomic plasticity of the epidemic S. 1,4,[5],12:i:- was demonstrated in our study by the analysis of the plasmidome. We were able to identify plasmids harboring genes mediating resistance to phenicols, colistin, and fluoroquinolone and also describe for the first time in six of the analyzed genomes the presence of two plasmids (pERR1744967-1 and pERR2174855-2) previously described only in strains of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and E. fergusonii

Detection and genetic characterization of Seoul Virus from commensal brown rats in France.

International audienceBACKGROUND: Hantaviruses are single-stranded RNA viruses, which are transmitted to humans primarily via inhalation of aerosolised virus in contaminated rodent urine and faeces. Whilst infected reservoir hosts are asymptomatic, human infections can lead to two clinical manifestations, haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), with varying degrees of clinical severity. The incidence of rodent and human cases of Seoul virus (SEOV) in Europe has been considered to be low, and speculated to be driven by the sporadic introduction of infected brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) via ports. METHODS: Between October 2010 and March 2012, 128 brown rats were caught at sites across the Lyon region in France. RESULTS: SEOV RNA was detected in the lungs of 14% (95% CI 8.01 - 20.11) of brown rats tested using a nested pan-hantavirus RT-PCR (polymerase gene). Phylogenetic analysis supports the inclusion of the Lyon SEOV within Lineage 7 with SEOV strains originating from SE Asia and the previously reported French & Belgian SEOV strains. Sequence data obtained from the recent human SEOV case (Replonges) was most similar to that obtained from one brown rat trapped in a public park in Lyon city centre. We obtained significantly improved recovery of virus genome sequence directly from SEOV infected lung material using a simple viral enrichment approach and NGS technology. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of SEOV in two wild caught brown rats in the UK and the multiple detection of SEOV infected brown rats in the Lyon region of France, suggests that SEOV is circulating in European brown rats. Under-reporting and difficulties in identifying the hantaviruses associated with HFRS may mask the public health impact of SEOV in Europe

Importance of liver biopsy findings in immunosuppression management: Biopsy monitoring and working criteria for patients with operational tolerance

Obstacles to morbidity-free long-term survival after liver transplantation (LT) include complications of immunosuppression (IS), recurrence of the original disease and malignancies, and unexplained chronic hepatitis and graft fibrosis. Many programs attempt to minimize chronic exposure to IS by reducing dosages and stopping steroids. A few programs have successfully weaned a highly select group of recipients from all IS without apparent adverse consequences, but long-term follow-up is limited. Patients subjected to adjustments in IS are usually followed by serial liver chemistry tests, which are relatively insensitive methods for detecting allograft damage. Protocol biopsy has largely been abandoned for hepatitis C virusnegative recipients, at least in part because of the inability to integrate routine histopathological findings into a rational clinical management algorithm. Recognizing a need to more precisely categorize and determine the clinical significance of findings in long-term biopsy samples, the Banff Working Group on Liver Allograft Pathology has reviewed the literature, pooled the experience of its members, and proposed working definitions for biopsy changes that (1) are conducive to lowering IS and are compatible with operational tolerance (OT) and (2) raise concern for closer follow-up and perhaps increased IS during or after IS weaning. The establishment of guidelines should help us to standardize analyses of the effects of various treatments and/or weaning protocols and more rigorously categorize patients who are assumed to show OT. Long-term follow-up using standardized criteria will help us to determine the consequences of lowering IS and to define and determine the incidence and robustness of OT in liver allografts. Liver Transpl 18:1154-1170, 2012. (c) 2012 AASLD

ALICE: Physics Performance Report, Volume II

ALICE is a general-purpose heavy-ion experiment designed to study the physics of strongly interacting matter and the quark\u2013gluon plasma in nucleus\u2013nucleus collisions at the LHC. It currently involves more than 900 physicists and senior engineers, from both the nuclear and high-energy physics sectors, from over 90 institutions in about 30 countries. The ALICE detector is designed to cope with the highest particle multiplicities above those anticipated for Pb\u2013Pb collisions (dNch/dy up to 8000) and it will be operational at the start-up of the LHC. In addition to heavy systems, the ALICE Collaboration will study collisions of lower-mass ions, which are a means of varying the energy density, and protons (both pp and pA), which primarily provide reference data for the nucleus\u2013nucleus collisions. In addition, the pp data will allow for a number of genuine pp physics studies. The detailed design of the different detector systems has been laid down in a number of Technical Design Reports issued between mid-1998 and the end of 2004. The experiment is currently under construction and will be ready for data taking with both proton and heavy-ion beams at the start-up of the LHC. Since the comprehensive information on detector and physics performance was last published in the ALICE Technical Proposal in 1996, the detector, as well as simulation, reconstruction and analysis software have undergone significant development. The Physics Performance Report (PPR) provides an updated and comprehensive summary of the performance of the various ALICE subsystems, including updates to the Technical Design Reports, as appropriate. The PPR is divided into two volumes. Volume I, published in 2004 (CERN/LHCC 2003-049, ALICE Collaboration 2004 J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 30 1517\u20131763), contains in four chapters a short theoretical overview and an extensive reference list concerning the physics topics of interest to ALICE, the experimental conditions at the LHC, a short summary and update of the subsystem designs, and a description of the offline framework and Monte Carlo event generators. The present volume, Volume II, contains the majority of the information relevant to the physics performance in proton\u2013proton, proton\u2013nucleus, and nucleus\u2013nucleus collisions. Following an introductory overview, Chapter 5 describes the combined detector performance and the event reconstruction procedures, based on detailed simulations of the individual subsystems. Chapter 6 describes the analysis and physics reach for a representative sample of physics observables, from global event characteristics to hard processes