Imaging of melanoma: usefulness of ultrasonography before and after contrast injection for diagnosis and early evaluation of treatment

High-frequency ultrasound (8–14 MHz) is routinely used to display cutaneous melanomas. Maximum thickness measurement (Breslow index) has been shown to be well correlated to histologic findings for lesions of more than 0.75 mm. Some morphological criteria (strong delineation, hypoechoic texture, homogeneity) have been reported to help differentiate between malignant and benign pigmented blue lesions, but remain insufficient. Vascular ultrasound analysis using Doppler mode provides additional information and showed good specificity for malignancy (90%–100%), but variable sensitivity (34%–100%). Recent advances in ultrasound imaging allow functional evaluation. Likewise, dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound using contrast medium injection and specific perfusion and quantification software showed promising results in clinical and preclinical trials for early prediction of tumor response to target treatments

Identidad social y judaismo: abordaje de la identidad judía en jóvenes de la colectividad judía conservadora de Córdoba

El presente estudio se orientó a explorar aspectos referidos a la identidad social de jóvenes estudiantes pertenecientes a una escuela privada de la comunidad judía conservadora de Córdoba. Realizar un estudio vinculado a una comunidad judía implica comprender al judaísmo como un fenómeno complejo atravesado por múltiples y diversos elementos. Desde esta perspectiva, el ser judío/a no se relaciona única y necesariamente a prácticas religiosas, sino que comprende cuestiones étnicas, culturales, políticas y sociales en donde los reduccionismos carecen de sentido (Martínez Ariño, 2011). En esa línea, el presente trabajo recuperó aportes de la Psicología Social, específicamente de la Teoría Socio-Cognitiva, dentro de la cual se enmarcan los postulados de la Perspectiva de la Identidad Social desarrollada principalmente por Henri Tajfel y John Turner (Canto Ortiz & Moral Toranzo, 2005; Scandroglio y otros, 2008). Se buscó caracterizar el proceso mediante el cual los/as estudiantes de una escuela perteneciente a la comunidad judía conservadora de Córdoba construyen su sentido de pertenencia hacia dicha comunidad. Al mismo tiempo, se identificaron aquellos aspectos que constituyen la identificación endo-grupal como judíos/as, tanto en lo concerniente a significaciones como a rituales y prácticas que generan mayor identificación. A su vez, se determinaron aquellos elementos que conforman su diferenciación exo-grupal, precisando la existencia o no de prejuicios hacia personas no judías y/o pertenecientes a otras corrientes ideológicas del judaísmo.Our study was geared at exploring the social identity of young adolescents from a school within the conservative Jewish community of Cordoba, Argentina. The study included social identify concepts from Socio-Cognitive Psychology, developed by Tajfel and Turner. This study characterizes the process in which the interviewees construct their own sense of membership and belonging towards the Jewish community. We identified aspects that constituted their endo-group identification as Jewish men/women, and the significance of specific rituals or religious practices that enhanced such identity. We carried out an empirical qualitative study, with transversal and descriptive characteristics. 19 adolescents, both genders, ranging from seventeen to eighteen years old, in their last year of high-school participated in discussion groups. We evidenced that most interviewees conferred a positive assessment of Jewish social identity and community membership, which was constructed through different elements. While students identified differences within the Jewish communities, there was a tendency to display to non-Jewish exo-group a global/unified Jewish perspective. Lastly, we identified the presence of subtle prejudice towards both exo-groups (Jewish and non- Jewish). This study demonstrated Jewish social identity is valued positively while it is configured as a nodal aspect in the identify construction and development of this group of people.Mesa de trabajos libres: Psicología SocialFacultad de Psicologí

Psychosocial approach to jewish identity in youth from a masortí community school of Cordoba, Argentina

El presente estudio se orientó a explorar aspectos referidos a la identidad social de jóvenes pertenecientes a una escuela de la comunidad judía masortí [conservadora] de Córdoba, Argentina. Se realizó un estudio cualitativo descriptivo, con 19 jóvenes de 17 a 18 años de ambos sexos. La técnica de recolección de datos fue el grupo de discusión. Los datos se analizaron a partir de un análisis de contenido cualitativo de tipo temático. Los resultados permitieron caracterizar el proceso mediante el cual los/as estudiantes construyen su sentido de pertenencia hacia la comunidad judía, precisando el rol de la familia, la escuela y el grupo de pares. Complementariamente, se identificaron aspectos que constituyen su identificación endogrupal como judíos/as, tanto en lo que refiere a significaciones como a rituales y prácticas con las que se sienten identificados/as. Asimismo, se explicitaron los sentidos que construyen en relación a la formación judaica recibida en la escuela, incluyendo aquello que aceptan y/o cuestionan. Finalmente, se determinaron los elementos que conforman su diferenciación exo-grupal, efectuando precisiones en torno a prejuicios hacia personas no judías y/o pertenecientes a otras corrientes ideológicas del judaísmo.This study aimed to explore aspects related to the social identity of young adolescents who attend a school at the masortí [conservative] Jewish community of Cordoba, Argentina. The study was qualitative and descriptive, and 19 teenagers of both genders, ranging from 17 to 18 years old, participated. The data collection technique was discussion group. Data was analyzed based on a qualitative content analysis of thematic type. The results allowed the characterization of the process in which the participants construct their own sense of belonging towards the Jewish community, narrowing down on the role of family, school, and peer groups. At the same time, the study identified the aspects that constituted their endogrupal identification as jewish, as well as the significance of specific rituals and practices that enhanced such identification. Likewise, the analysis surfaced explicit meanings that participants construct in relation to the jewish education received at school, those being concepts that they accept or not. Finally, the study surfaced the elements that conform their exo-groupal differentiation, also determining the impact of social prejudice towards non Jewish individuals or with different ideological perspectives within Judaism.Fil: Chami Paz, Débora Linda. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Scudieri, María Florencia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Imhoff, Débora Soledad. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; Argentin

Process mapping strategies to prevent subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator infections

Background: Infection remains a major complication of cardiac implantable electronic devices and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Implantable devices that avoid transvenous leads, such as the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD), can reduce the risk of serious infection-related complications, such as bloodstream infection and infective endocarditis. While the 2017 AHA/ACC/HRS guidelines include recommendations for S-ICD use for patients at high risk of infection, currently, there are no clinical trial data that address best practices for the prevention of S-ICD infections. Therefore, an expert panel was convened to develop a consensus on these topics. Methods: An expert process mapping methodology was used to achieve consensus on the appropriate steps to minimize or prevent S-ICD infections. Two face-to-face meetings of high-volume S-ICD implanters and an infectious diseases specialist, with expertise in cardiovascular implantable electronic device infections, were conducted to develop consensus on useful strategies pre-, peri-, and postimplant to reduce S-ICD infection risk. Results: Expert panel consensus on recommended steps for patient preparation, S-ICD implantation, and postoperative management was developed to provide guidance in individual patient management. Conclusion: Achieving expert panel consensus by process mapping methodology for S-ICD infection prevention was attainable, and the results should be helpful to clinicians in adopting interventions to minimize risks of S-ICD infection

The development of an ingestible biosensor for the characterization of gut metabolites related to major depressive disorder: hypothesis and theory

The diagnostic process for psychiatric conditions is guided by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in North America. Revisions of the DSM over the years have led to lowered diagnostic thresholds across the board, incurring increased rates of both misdiagnosis and over-diagnosis. Coupled with stigma, this ambiguity and lack of consistency exacerbates the challenges that clinicians and scientists face in the clinical assessment and research of mood disorders such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). While current efforts to characterize MDD have largely focused on qualitative approaches, the broad variations in physiological traits, such as those found in the gut, suggest the immense potential of using biomarkers to provide a quantitative and objective assessment. Here, we propose the development of a probiotic Escherichia coli (E. coli) multi-input ingestible biosensor for the characterization of key gut metabolites implicated in MDD. DNA writing with CRISPR based editors allows for the molecular recording of signals while riboflavin detection acts as a means to establish temporal and spatial specificity for the large intestine. We test the feasibility of this approach through kinetic modeling of the system which demonstrates targeted sensing and robust recording of metabolites within the large intestine in a time- and dose- dependent manner. Additionally, a post-hoc normalization model successfully controlled for confounding factors such as individual variation in riboflavin concentrations, producing a linear relationship between actual and predicted metabolite concentrations. We also highlight indole, butyrate, tetrahydrofolate, hydrogen peroxide, and tetrathionate as key gut metabolites that have the potential to direct our proposed biosensor specifically for MDD. Ultimately, our proposed biosensor has the potential to allow for a greater understanding of disease pathophysiology, assessment, and treatment response for many mood disorders

Platelet-Related Variants Identified by Exomechip Meta-analysis in 157,293 Individuals

Platelet production, maintenance, and clearance are tightly controlled processes indicative of platelets important roles in hemostasis and thrombosis. Platelets are common targets for primary and secondary prevention of several conditions. They are monitored clinically by complete blood counts, specifically with measurements of platelet count (PLT) and mean platelet volume (MPV). Identifying genetic effects on PLT and MPV can provide mechanistic insights into platelet biology and their role in disease. Therefore, we formed the Blood Cell Consortium (BCX) to perform a large-scale meta-analysis of Exomechip association results for PLT and MPV in 157,293 and 57,617 individuals, respectively. Using the low-frequency/rare coding variant-enriched Exomechip genotyping array, we sought to identify genetic variants associated with PLT and MPV. In addition to confirming 47 known PLT and 20 known MPV associations, we identified 32 PLT and 18 MPV associations not previously observed in the literature across the allele frequency spectrum, including rare large effect (FCER1A), low-frequency (IQGAP2, MAP1A, LY75), and common (ZMIZ2, SMG6, PEAR1, ARFGAP3/PACSIN2) variants. Several variants associated with PLT/MPV (PEAR1, MRVI1, PTGES3) were also associated with platelet reactivity. In concurrent BCX analyses, there was overlap of platelet-associated variants with red (MAP1A, TMPRSS6, ZMIZ2) and white (PEAR1, ZMIZ2, LY75) blood cell traits, suggesting common regulatory pathways with shared genetic architecture among these hematopoietic lineages. Our large-scale Exomechip analyses identified previously undocumented associations with platelet traits and further indicate that several complex quantitative hematological, lipid, and cardiovascular traits share genetic factors

Large-scale exome-wide association analysis identifies loci for White Blood Cell Traits and Pleiotropy with Immune-Mediated Diseases

White blood cells play diverse roles in innate and adaptive immunity. Genetic association analyses of phenotypic variation in circulating white blood cell (WBC) counts from large samples of otherwise healthy individuals can provide insights into genes and biologic pathways involved in production, differentiation, or clearance of particular WBC lineages (myeloid, lymphoid) and also potentially inform the genetic basis of autoimmune, allergic, and blood diseases. We performed an exome array-based meta-analysis of total WBC and subtype counts (neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, basophils, and eosinophils) in a multi-ancestry discovery and replication sample of ∼157,622 individuals from 25 studies. We identified 16 common variants (8 of which were coding variants) associated with one or more WBC traits, the majority of which are pleiotropically associated with autoimmune diseases. Based on functional annotation, these loci included genes encoding surface markers of myeloid, lymphoid, or hematopoietic stem cell differentiation (CD69, CD33, CD87), transcription factors regulating lineage specification during hematopoiesis (ASXL1, IRF8, IKZF1, JMJD1C, ETS2-PSMG1), and molecules involved in neutrophil clearance/apoptosis (C10orf54, LTA), adhesion (TNXB), or centrosome and microtubule structure/function (KIF9, TUBD1). Together with recent reports of somatic ASXL1 mutations among individuals with idiopathic cytopenias or clonal hematopoiesis of undetermined significance, the identification of a common regulatory 3 UTR variant of ASXL1 suggests that both germline and somatic ASXL1 mutations contribute to lower blood counts in otherwise asymptomatic individuals. These association results shed light on genetic mechanisms that regulate circulating WBC counts and suggest a prominent shared genetic architecture with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

Trans-ethnic and Ancestry-Specific Blood-Cell Genetics in 746,667 Individuals from 5 Global Populations

Most loci identified by GWASs have been found in populations of European ancestry (EUR). In trans-ethnic meta-analyses for 15 hematological traits in 746,667 participants, including 184,535 non-EUR individuals, we identified 5,552 trait-variant associations at p < 5 × 10−9, including 71 novel associations not found in EUR populations. We also identified 28 additional novel variants in ancestry-specific, non-EUR meta-analyses, including an IL7 missense variant in South Asians associated with lymphocyte count in vivo and IL-7 secretion levels in vitro. Fine-mapping prioritized variants annotated as functional and generated 95% credible sets that were 30% smaller when using the trans-ethnic as opposed to the EUR-only results. We explored the clinical significance and predictive value of trans-ethnic variants in multiple populations and compared genetic architecture and the effect of natural selection on these blood phenotypes between populations. Altogether, our results for hematological traits highlight the value of a more global representation of populations in genetic studies. Delineation of the genetic architecture of hematological traits in a multi-ethnic dataset allows identification of rare variants with strong effects specific to non-European populations and improved fine mapping of GWAS variants using the trans-ethnic approach

Étude de la production du peptide amyloïde dans la maladie d'Alzeimer (régulations transcriptionnelles de la bAPP et des b- et g-sécrétases)

La maladie d Alzheimer se caractérise par des pertes de mémoire, des troubles cognitifs et une perte d autonomie des patients. Les cerveaux des patients présentent des plaques séniles constituées principalement du peptide amyloïde (Ab). Ce peptide contribue vraisemblablement à la dégénérescence des neurones observée dans la pathologie. Il est produit à partir de son précurseur la bAPP par deux activités enzymatiques, la b- puis la g-sécrétase. L activité b-sécrétase est portée par la protéine BACE1 tandis que la g-sécrétase est un complexe protéique. Nous avons étudié la régulation transcriptionnelle des protéines impliquées dans la production d Ab car il constitue une cible thérapeutique importante. Le facteur de transcription NF- B est activé dans la maladie d Alzheimer. Nous avons montré que NF- B affecte la production d Ab en réduisant la transcription de la bAPP et des b- et g-sécrétases. Cette régulation est complexe car à des concentrations supraphysiologiques d Ab mimant les conditions pathologiques, NF- B est activateur de la production du peptide amyloïde. Ces travaux suggèrent l instauration d un rétrocontrôle positif favorisant la production d Ab en conditions mimant la pathologie. La mort neuronale étant une caractéristique de la maladie d Alzheimer, nous avons également étudié la régulation de la production d Ab par le facteur de transcription pro-apoptotique p53. Nos résultats préliminaires montrent que p53 inhibe la sécrétion d Ab. Enfin, dans le cadre de l exploration du dialogue fonctionnel entre les deux sécrétases, nous montrons que le clivage g-sécrétase des cadhérines épithéliale et neurale, ainsi que de Notch-1 régule la transcription de BACE1.Alzheimer s disease (AD) is characterized by memory loss, cognitive deficits and a loss of the patient s autonomy. AD brains harbor senile plaques mainly composed of amyloid peptide (Ab). This peptide likely contributes to the neurodegeneration. Ab is produced by cleavage of its precursor bAPP by two enzymatic activities, the b- and the g-secretase. Ab is an important therapeutic target; we thus studied the transcriptionnal regulation of the proteins involved in its production. The transcription factor NF- B is activated in Alzheimer s disease. We show that NF- B reduces Ab production by inhibiting the transcription of bAPP and of the b- and g-secretases. This regulation is complex, as in supraphysiological Ab concentration, a condition close to the pathology, NF- B is an activator of Ab production. This suggests a positive feedback loop favoring Ab production in pathological conditions. Neuronal death is characteristic of Alzheimer s disease. We thus studied the regulation of Ab production by the pro-apoptotic transcription factor p53. Our preliminary results indicate that p53 inhibits Ab secretion. Finally we show a functional dialogue between the two secretases. Thus the g-secretase cleavage of Notch-1 and of the epithelial and the neural cadherins regulates BACE1 transcription.NICE-BU Sciences (060882101) / SudocSudocFranceF

Etude rétrospective de 93 procédures biopsiques guidées par fluoroscanner multicoupes

TOURS-BU Médecine (372612103) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF