Biodiversités « utile » et « nuisible » dans les agrosystèmes : importance pour la lutte biologique par conservation

La lutte biologique par conservation repose sur la mise en place d’aménagements dans ou autour de parcelles cultivées ou de modifications des pratiques culturales de façon à favoriser la régulation des ravageurs des cultures par des auxiliaires de lutte biologiques indigènes. Pour être efficaces, les méthodes de lutte biologique par conservation nécessitent toutefois plusieurs pré-requis : (i) une bonne compréhension de la biodiversité associée aux agrosystèmes, (ii) l’optimisation des échanges entre la culture et les autres composantes de l’agrosystème, (iii) la prise en compte d’éventuels effets non-intentionnels associés aux auxiliaires favorisés. Ces trois points sont discutés dans le cadre d’un programme en cours dont l’objectif est d’évaluer l’intérét d’une plante méditerranéenne, l’inule visqueuse Dittrichia viscosa L. (W. Greuther) (Asteraceae), pour la régulation de ravageurs dans deux agrosystèmes, l’oliveraie et la culture sous serres

Atado a uma HQtrônica: a dramatização da navegação em uma interface narrativizada

The HQtrônicas (electronic comics) represent a type of media with research potential for the area of interaction design. The present study is based on an analysis of Stu Campbel’s These Memories Won’t Last, in order to identify the strategies used in the creation of a narrativized interface. The method of close reading was used to observe the properties of the virtual space and the navigation of the work. Because of the analysis,the use of the embodied interaction and the restriction of the agency as a means for the dramatization of navigation is pointed out.As histórias em quadrinhos eletrônicas (HQtrônicas) representam um tipo de mídia com potencial de pesquisa para a área do design de interação. O presente estudo parte de uma análise da obra These Memories Won’t Last, do artista Stu Campbel, no sentido de identificar as estratégias utilizadas na criação de uma interface narrativizada. Foi empregado o método de close reading para observação das propriedades do espaçovirtual e da navegação da obra. Como resultado da análise, aponta-se o uso da interação corporificada e da restrição da agência como meios para a dramatização da navegação

Natural mutations in the sensor kinase of the PhoPR two-component regulatory system modulate virulence of ancestor-like tuberculosis bacilli

The molecular factors and genetic adaptations that contributed to the emergence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) from an environmental Mycobacterium canettii-like ancestor, remain poorly investigated. In MTB, the PhoPR two-component regulatory system controls production and secretion of proteins and lipid virulence effectors. Here, we describe that several mutations, present in phoR of M. canettii relative to MTB, impact the expression of the PhoP regulon and the pathogenicity of the strains. First, we establish a molecular model of PhoR and show that some substitutions found in PhoR of M. canettii are likely to impact the structure and activity of this protein. Second, we show that STB-K, the most attenuated available M. canettii strain, displays lower expression of PhoP-induced genes than MTB. Third, we demonstrate that genetic swapping of the phoPR allele from STB-K with the ortholog from MTB H37Rv enhances expression of PhoP-controlled functions and the capacities of the recombinant strain to colonize human macrophages, the MTB target cells, as well as to cause disease in several mouse infection models. Fourth, we extended these observations to other M. canettii strains and confirm that PhoP-controlled functions are expressed at lower levels in most M. canettii strains than in M. tuberculosis. Our findings suggest that distinct PhoR variants have been selected during the evolution of tuberculosis bacilli, contributing to higher pathogenicity and persistence of MTB in the mammalian host

O risco de novas lesões, após reconstrução do ligamento cruzado anterior, pode ser diminuído com a adição do treinamento funcional

Purpose: The goal of our study was to evaluate if functional training may lower a new injury risk for patients who had an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) through the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) Scoring System. The hypothesis tested was that our functional training algorithm might diminish this new injury risk. Methods: Our training protocol consisted of six phases, each one lasting six weeks. It began two months after ligament reconstruction. The study group was compounded of 10 individuals who had completed our proposed protocol after ACLR. The control group consisted of 10 people who were allowed to return to sports activities after completing a regular ACLR rehabilitation protocol. The FMS was used to compare the study and control group performance. Patients with a score of 14 or less on the FMS were considered more likely to suffer an injury than those with a score higher than fourteen. Results: The average FMS score of the study group was 16.6 compared to the control group at 12.3. Functional training for ACLR rehabilitation added a statistically significant benefit (p < 0,0002) to diminish the risk of new injury, compared to regular rehabilitation protocol. Conclusion: Functional training can be considered another strategy to be included in the regular ACLR rehabilitation, aiming to reduce the risk of a new injury, before returning to sports. Level of Evidence: II (Therapeutic study - Investigation of treatment results)Objetivo: O objetivo do nosso estudo foi avaliar se o treinamento funcional pode reduzir o risco de nova lesão para pacientes que tiveram reconstrução do ligamento cruzado anterior (RLCA) por meio do Sistema de Pontuação do Functional Movement Screen (FMS). A hipótese testada foi de que nosso algoritmo de treinamento funcional pode diminuir o risco de nova lesão. Métodos: Nosso protocolo de treinamento consistiu em seis fases, cada uma com duração de seis semanas. Começou dois meses após a reconstrução do ligamento. O grupo de estudo foi composto por 10 indivíduos que completaram nosso protocolo proposto, após a RLCA. O grupo controle consistiu em 10 pessoas que tiveram permissão para retornar às atividades esportivas após concluir um protocolo regular de reabilitação da RLCA. O FMS foi utilizado para comparar o desempenho dos grupos controle e estudo. Pacientes com pontuação igual ou inferior a 14 no FMS foram considerados mais propensos a sofrer uma nova lesão do que aqueles com pontuação maior que quatorze. Resultados: A pontuação média, segundo o FMS, do grupo estudo foi de 16,6 e a do grupo controle, 12,3. O treinamento funcional para a reabilitação da RLCA adicionou um benefício estatisticamente significativo (p <0,0002) para diminuir o risco de nova lesão, em comparação com o protocolo regular de reabilitação. Conclusão: O treinamento funcional pode ser considerado mais uma estratégia a ser incluida na reabilitação regular da RLCA, com o objetivo de diminuir o risco de uma nova lesão, antes de retornar ao esporte. Nível de Evidência: II (Estudo terapêutico - Investigação dos resultados do tratamento

Mental illness stigma as a moderator in the relationship between religiosity and help-seeking attitudes among Muslims from 16 Arab countries

Background: Determining the potential barriers responsible for delaying access to care, and elucidating pathways to early intervention should be a priority, especially in Arab countries where mental health resources are limited. To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have examined the relationship between religiosity, stigma and help-seeking in an Arab Muslim cultural background. Hence, we propose in the present study to test the moderating role of stigma toward mental illness in the relationship between religiosity and help-seeking attitudes among Muslim community people living in different Arab countries. Method: The current survey is part of a large-scale multinational collaborative project (StIgma of Mental Problems in Arab CounTries [The IMPACT Project]). We carried-out a web-based cross-sectional, and multi-country study between June and November 2021. The final sample comprised 9782 Arab Muslim participants (mean age 29.67 ± 10.80 years, 77.1% females). Results: Bivariate analyses showed that less stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness and higher religiosity levels were significantly associated with more favorable help-seeking attitudes. Moderation analyses revealed that the interaction religiosity by mental illness stigma was significantly associated with help-seeking attitudes (Beta =.005; p \u3c.001); at low and moderate levels of stigma, higher religiosity was significantly associated with more favorable help-seeking attitudes. Conclusion: Our findings preliminarily suggest that mental illness stigma is a modifiable individual factor that seems to strengthen the direct positive effect of religiosity on help-seeking attitudes. This provides potential insights on possible anti-stigma interventions that might help overcome reluctance to counseling in highly religious Arab Muslim communities

Multi-site and multi-depth near-infrared spectroscopy in a model of simulated (central) hypovolemia: lower body negative pressure

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that the sensitivity of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in reflecting the degree of (compensated) hypovolemia would be affected by the application site and probing depth. We simultaneously applied multi-site (thenar and forearm) and multi-depth (15-2.5 and 25-2.5 mm probe distance) NIRS in a model of simulated hypovolemia: lower body negative pressure (LBNP). Methods: The study group comprised 24 healthy male volunteers who were subjected to an LBNP protocol in which a baseline period of 30 min was followed by a step-wise manipulation of negative pressure in the following steps: 0, -20, -40, -60, -80 and -100 mmHg. Stroke volume and heart rate were measured using volume-clamp finger plethysmography. Two multi-depth NIRS devices were used to measure tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) and tissue hemoglobin index (THI) continuously in the thenar and the forearm. To monitor the shift of blood volume towards the lower extremities, calf THI was measured by single-depth NIRS. Results: The main findings were that the application of LBNP resulted in a significant reduction in stroke volume which was accompanied by a reduction in forearm StO2 and THI. Conclusions: NIRS can be used to detect changes in StO2 and THI consequent upon central hypovolemia. Forearm NIRS measurements reflect hypovolemia more sensitively than thenar NIRS measurements. The sensitivity of these NIRS measurements does not depend on NIRS probing depth. The LBNP-induced shift in blood volume is reflected by a decreased THI in the forearm and an increased THI in the calf

Mental illness stigma as a moderator in the relationship between religiosity and help-seeking attitudes among Muslims from 16 Arab countries

Background: Determining the potential barriers responsible for delaying access to care, and elucidating pathways to early intervention should be a priority, especially in Arab countries where mental health resources are limited. To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have examined the relationship between religiosity, stigma and help-seeking in an Arab Muslim cultural background. Hence, we propose in the present study to test the moderating role of stigma toward mental illness in the relationship between religiosity and help-seeking attitudes among Muslim community people living in different Arab countries. Method: The current survey is part of a large-scale multinational collaborative project (StIgma of Mental Problems in Arab CounTries [The IMPACT Project]). We carried-out a web-based cross-sectional, and multi-country study between June and November 2021. The final sample comprised 9782 Arab Muslim participants (mean age 29.67 ± 10.80 years, 77.1% females). Results: Bivariate analyses showed that less stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness and higher religiosity levels were significantly associated with more favorable help-seeking attitudes. Moderation analyses revealed that the interaction religiosity by mental illness stigma was significantly associated with help-seeking attitudes (Beta = .005; p < .001); at low and moderate levels of stigma, higher religiosity was significantly associated with more favorable help-seeking attitudes. Conclusion: Our findings preliminarily suggest that mental illness stigma is a modifiable individual factor that seems to strengthen the direct positive effect of religiosity on help-seeking attitudes. This provides potential insights on possible anti-stigma interventions that might help overcome reluctance to counseling in highly religious Arab Muslim communities

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background: There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods: Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results: Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion: For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe