Down-regulation of the Mixed-lineage Dual Leucine Zipper-bearing Kinase by Heat Shock Protein 70 and Its Co-chaperone CHIP

Dual leucine zipper-bearing kinase (DLK) is a mixed-lineage kinase family member that acts as an upstream activator of the c-Jun N-terminal kinases. As opposed to other components of this pathway, very little is currently known regarding the mechanisms by which DLK is regulated in mammalian cells. Here we identify the stress-inducible heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) as a negative regulator of DLK expression and activity. Support for this notion derives from data showing that Hsp70 induces the proteasomal degradation of DLK when both proteins are co-expressed in COS-7 cells. Hsp70-mediated degradation occurs with expression of wild-type DLK, which functions as a constitutively activated protein in these cells but not kinase-defective DLK. Interestingly, the Hsp70 co-chaperone CHIP, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, seems to be indispensable for this process since Hsp70 failed to induce DLK degradation in COS-7 cells expressing a CHIP mutant unable to catalyze ubiquitination or in immortalized fibroblasts derived from CHIP knock-out mice. Consistent with these data, we have found that endogenous DLK becomes sensitive to CHIP-dependent proteasomal degradation when it is activated by okadaic acid and that down-regulation of Hsp70 levels with an Hsp70 antisense attenuates this sensitivity. Therefore, our studies suggest that Hsp70 contributes to the regulation of activated DLK by promoting its CHIP-dependent proteasomal degradation

Comportements stratégiques autonomes et pressions institutionnelles : le cas du BYOD

Le phénomène du BYOD (Bring Your Own Device, Prenez vos Appareils Personnels) représente une tendance lourde sur le marché du travail. Nombreux sont les employés qui réclament utiliser les appareils et logiciels de leur choix : téléphones et tablettes, sites de stockage et partage de données (Dropbox, iCloud), systèmes de discussion vidéo (Facetime, Skype) par exemple, et cette liberté peut s’avérer être facteur décisif dans le choix d’un employeur ou pour la rétention des talents. Même dans le cas où ces pratiques sont interdites par leur organisation, certains employés, soucieux de pouvoir mieux effectuer leur travail, trouvent aisément une façon de les contourner. À l’inverse, certains employeurs s’attendent à ce que les employés utilisent leur appareil personnel (notamment leur smartphone) pour certaines tâches, réalisant ainsi une économie. À ce jour l’essentiel des recherches relatives au phénomène du BYOD s’est concentré sur l’aspect de la sécurité (des systèmes et des données organisationnelles) et du risque, sur les impacts sur la vie privée ainsi que sur des milieux spécifiques (contexte médical). Notre recherche s’intéresse aux contextes fréquents où les employés veulent utiliser leur appareil personnel ; elle tente de répondre à la question suivante : quels facteurs et mécanismes favorisent l’implantation du BYOD dans les sphères professionnelles ? En analysant le phénomène à l’aune de la théorie institutionnelle (plus particulièrement les pressions institutionnelles) et des comportements stratégiques autonomes mis en œuvre par les acteurs; nous proposons que de leur rencontre naisse le BYOD, phénomène émergent non planifié par la direction, qui conduira possiblement à l’apparition de stratégies émergentes dans les organisations. La méthodologie adoptée est une étude de cas unique

Equivalence of the French-Canadian translation to the original English version of the Adult Self-Report

Cette recherche a pour objectif d’évaluer l’équivalence de la version en français pour le Canada de l’Adult Self-Report (ASR) (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2003) à sa version originale états-unienne en langue anglaise. Des étudiants universitaires bilingues (n = 251) de quatre provinces canadiennes ont répondu aux versions anglaise et française, à une à deux semaines d’intervalle. Des corrélations allant de 0,72 à 0,87 montrent un degré de correspondance élevé entre les deux versions. La taille des différences entre les moyennes aux échelles varie de négligeable (d = 0,01) à petite (d = 0,19). Les coefficients alpha ordinaux de la version française varient de 0,66 à 0,96, mais sont plus faibles que ceux de la version anglaise pour plusieurs échelles. Dans l’ensemble, les résultats permettent de conclure que l’équivalence de la version en français pour le Canada de l’ASR à sa version originale en langue anglaise est suffisante pour en recommander l’utilisation.Abstract : The aim of the present study was to evaluate the equivalence of the French-Canadian version of the Adult Self-Report (ASR; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2003) to its original English (USA) version. Both the original English version and the newly translated French-Canadian version were administered to 251 bilingual students from four Canadian provinces (Manitoba, New-Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec), with a one to two weeks interval. Correlations varying from 0.72 to 0.87 indicated a high degree of correspondence between the scales of the two versions. Cohen's d calculated using Morris and DeShon's (2002) formula for within-subjects designs indicate that differences between mean scores varied from near-zero (d = 0.01) to small (d = 0.19), and suggest that they are not clinically significant. Ordinal alpha coefficients for the scales of the French-Canadian version varied from 0.66 to 0.96 but are inferior to those of the English version in seven of the eleven scales. Globally, results indicate that the equivalence of the French-Canadian version to the original English version of the ASR is sufficient to recommend its use

Identifying potential barriers and solutions to patient partner compensation (payment) in research

Research that engages patients on the research team is often supported by grant funding from different organizations and, in some cases, principal investigators (who control the grant funding) provide patient partners with compensation (or payment) for their contributions. However, we have noted a gap in resources that identify and address barriers to compensating patient partners (no matter the size, degree or length of their engagement). In this paper, we present thoughts and experiences related to barriers to compensating patient partners with the goal of helping individuals identify and find solutions to these obstacles. Based on our experiences as individuals who live with chronic conditions and are patient partners, and those who are researchers who engage patient partners, we have identified eight barriers to compensating patient partners. We discuss each of these barriers: lack of awareness about patient partnership, institutional inflexibility, policy guidance from funders, compensation not prioritized in research budgets, leadership hesitancy to create a new system, culture of research teams, preconceived beliefs about the skills and abilities of patient partners, and expectations placed on patient partners. We demonstrate these barriers with real life examples and we offer some solutions. To further demonstrate these barriers, we ask readers to reflect on some scenarios that present realistic parallel situations to those that patient partners face. The intention is to illustrate, through empathy or putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, how we might all do better with respect to institutional barriers related to patient partner compensation. Last, we issue a call to action to share resources and identify actions to overcome these barriers from which we will create an online resource repository.Other UBCNon UBCReviewedFacultyResearche

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Éditorial -- Robert Michaud, collégien de L'Isle-Verte: une vie à travers ses journaux intimes -- La guerre des moulins de Saint-Simon (1836-1870) -- Annotations marginales et lieux d'appel des migrants de Gaspé et Douglastown (Comté de Gaspé) 1908-1977 (partie 1) -- Les pêches à fascines dans la région de Rimouski -- Des livres à lire

Cryptosporidium hominis Is a Newly Recognized Pathogen in the Arctic Region of Nunavik, Canada: Molecular Characterization of an Outbreak.

BACKGROUND:Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of childhood diarrhea in low-resource settings, and has been repeatedly associated with impaired physical and cognitive development. In May 2013, an outbreak of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium hominis was identified in the Arctic region of Nunavik, Quebec. Human cryptosporidiosis transmission was previously unknown in this region, and very few previous studies have reported it elsewhere in the Arctic. We report clinical, molecular, and epidemiologic details of a multi-village Cryptosporidium outbreak in the Canadian Arctic. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We investigated the occurrence of cryptosporidiosis using a descriptive study of cases with onset between April 2013 and April 2014. Cases were defined as Nunavik inhabitants of any age presenting with diarrhea of any duration, in whom Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected by stool microscopy in a specialised reference laboratory. Cryptosporidium was identified in stool from 51 of 283 individuals. The overall annual incidence rate (IR) was 420 / 100,000 inhabitants. The IR was highest among children aged less than 5 years (1290 /100,000 persons). Genetic subtyping for stool specimens from 14/51 cases was determined by DNA sequence analysis of the 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene. Sequences aligned with C. hominis subtype Id in all cases. No common food or water source of infection was identified. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:In this first observed outbreak of human cryptosporidiosis in this Arctic region, the high IR seen is cause for concern about the possible long-term effects on growth and development of children in Inuit communities, who face myriad other challenges such as overcrowding and food-insecurity. The temporal and geographic distribution of cases, as well as the identification of C. hominis subtype Id, suggest anthroponotic rather than zoonotic transmission. Barriers to timely diagnosis delayed the recognition of human cryptosporidiosis in this remote setting