Maladies infectieuses [Infectious diseases]

In 2008, several publications have highlighted the role of climate change and globalization on the epidemiology of infectious diseases. Studies have shown the extension towards Europe of diseases such as Crimea-Congo fever (Kosovo, Turkey and Bulgaria), leismaniosis (Cyprus) and chikungunya virus infection (Italy). The article also contains comments on Plasmodium knowlesi, a newly identified cause of severe malaria in humans, as well as an update on human transmission of the H5NI avian influenza virus. It also mentions new data on Bell's palsy as well as two vaccines (varicella-zoster and pneumococcus), and provides a list of recent guidelines for the treatment of common infectious diseases.

" Ich habe viele namen " : Polyphonie und Dialogizität im autobiographischen Spätwerk Max Frischs und Friedrich Dürrenmatts

Zusammenfassung: Max Frisch und Friedrich Dürrenmatt, als Dioskuren der Schweizer Literatur zeitlebens aneinandergekettet, haben auf der Suche nach ihrem Selbst immer auch den anderen im Blick. Aus ihrer pointierten, gelegentlich polemischen wechselseitigen Abgrenzung entsteht ein künstlerisch höchst produktiver, impliziter Dialog. Er wird hier erstmals explizit gemacht. Unter den Gesichtspunkten von Polyphonie und Dialogizität wird die Konstruktion und Auflösung des autobiographischen Subjekts untersucht. Diese Fallstudien an einzelnen, repräsentativen Texten der beiden Autoren stellen neue Fragen, die für die gesamte Autobiographiediskussion relevant sind: Bei Dürrenmatts großem ,,Stoffe"-Komplex wird, unter Einbezug der textgenetischen Perspektive, der autobiographische Prozess als das Anprobieren von multiplen Ichs analysiert. Das Problem des Subjekts radikalisiert sich als Problem der Sprache, der "vielen Namen", mit denen sich das Subjekt selbst tauft. Bei Frisch deckt die Studie mit ihrem neuen Ansatz die architektonischen und musikalischen Kompositionsverfahren in "Montauk" und "Holozän" auf, eine Textarchitektur in der Zeit und im Medium der Sprache. Dabei werden bisher unbekannte Entwürfe zu diesen wichtigen Spätwerken Frischs erstmals genutzt und publiziert.

Molecular variation at a candidate gene implicated in the regulation of fire ant social behavior

The fire ant Solenopsis invicta and its close relatives display an important social polymorphism involving differences in colony queen number. Colonies are headed by either a single reproductive queen (monogyne form) or multiple queens (polygyne form). This variation in social organization is associated with variation at the gene Gp-9, with monogyne colonies harboring only B-like allelic variants and polygyne colonies always containing b-like variants as well. We describe naturally occurring variation at Gp-9 in fire ants based on 185 full-length sequences, 136 of which were obtained from S. invicta collected over much of its native range. While there is little overall differentiation between most of the numerous alleles observed, a surprising amount is found in the coding regions of the gene, with such substitutions usually causing amino acid replacements. This elevated coding-region variation may result from a lack of negative selection acting to constrain amino acid replacements over much of the protein, different mutation rates or biases in coding and non-coding sequences, negative selection acting with greater strength on non-coding than coding regions, and/or positive selection acting on the protein. Formal selection analyses provide evidence that the latter force played an important role in the basal b-like lineages coincident with the emergence of polygyny. While our data set reveals considerable paraphyly and polyphyly of S. invicta sequences with respect to those of other fire ant species, the b-like alleles of the socially polymorphic species are monophyletic. An expanded analysis of colonies containing alleles of this clade confirmed the invariant link between their presence and expression of polygyny. Finally, our discovery of several unique alleles bearing various combinations of b-like and B-like codons allows us to conclude that no single b-like residue is completely predictive of polygyne behavior and, thus, potentially causally involved in its expression. Rather, all three typical b-like residues appear to be necessary.

New perspectives in the use of ink evidence in forensic science: Part I. Development of a quality assurance process for forensic ink analysis by HPTLC

The level of information provided by ink evidence to the criminal and civil justice system is limited. The limitations arise from the weakness of the interpretative framework currently used, as proposed in the ASTM 1422-05 and 1789-04 on ink analysis. It is proposed to use the likelihood ratio from the Bayes theorem to interpret ink evidence. Unfortunately, when considering the analytical practices, as defined in the ASTM standards on ink analysis, it appears that current ink analytical practices do not allow for the level of reproducibility and accuracy required by a probabilistic framework. Such framework relies on the evaluation of the statistics of the ink characteristics using an ink reference database and the objective measurement of similarities between ink samples. A complete research programme was designed to (a) develop a standard methodology for analysing ink samples in a more reproducible way, (b) comparing automatically and objectively ink samples and (c) evaluate the proposed methodology in a forensic context. This report focuses on the first of the three stages. A calibration process, based on a standard dye ladder, is proposed to improve the reproducibility of ink analysis by HPTLC, when these inks are analysed at different times and/or by different examiners. The impact of this process on the variability between the repetitive analyses of ink samples in various conditions is studied. The results show significant improvements in the reproducibility of ink analysis compared to traditional calibration methods.

Competitive ability not kinship affects growth of Arabidopsis thaliana accessions.

In many organisms, individuals behave more altruistically towards relatives than towards unrelated individuals. Here, we conducted a study to determine if the performance of Arabidopsis thaliana is influenced by whether individuals are in competition with kin or non-kin. We selected seven pairs of genetically distinct accessions that originated from local populations throughout Europe. We measured the biomass of one focal plant surrounded by six kin or non-kin neighbours in in vitro growth experiments and counted the number of siliques produced per pot by one focal plant surrounded by four kin or non-kin neighbours. The biomass and number of siliques of a focal plant were not affected by the relatedness of the neighbour. Depending on the accession, a plant performed better or worse in a pure stand than when surrounded by non-kin plants. In addition, whole-genome microarray analyses revealed that there were no genes differentially expressed between kin and non-kin conditions. In conclusion, our study does not provide any evidence for a differential response to kin vs non-kin in A. thaliana. Rather, the outcome of the interaction between kin and non-kin seems to depend on the strength of the competitive abilities of the accessions.

Prognostic importance of hyponatremia in patients with acute pulmonary embolism

Rapport de synthèse Enjeux et contexte: L'hyponatrémie est un trouble électrolytique fréquent et associé à un pronostic défavorable dans de nombreuses affections card iovascu lai res (1-5), pour lesquelles il est un marqueur de l'activation neurohumorale (6). Sa valeur pronostique chez les patients se présentant avec une emboîie pulmonaire était jusque là inconnue ; elle fait l'objet de la présente étude.Objectifs: Examiner chez les patients hospitalisés pour une embolie pulmonaire, les associations entre hyponatrémie et mortalité ainsi qu'avec le taux de réhospitalisation. Méthodes: Nous avons étudié les données de 13728 patients avec un diagnostic principal d'embolie pulmonaire provenant de 185 hôpitaux en Pennsylvanie (janvier 2000 à novembre 2002.) Nous avons utilisé un modèle de régression logistique afin d'établir l'association indépendante entre le niveau de sodium lors de la présentation aux urgences et la mortalité ainsi que le taux de ^hospitalisation durant 30 jours. Nous avons ajusté pour les caractéristiques du patient (race, assurance, sévérité de la maladie, usage de la thrombolyse) et de l'hôpital (région, taille, avec ou sans médecins en formation.)Résultats principaux: Une hyponatrémie (sodium £ 135 mmol/l) était présente chez 2907 patients (21.1%). Les patients avec un sodium >135, 130-135, et <130 mmol/l avaient une mortalité cumulée à 30 jours de 8.0%, 13.6%, et 28.5% (P <0.001), et un taux de réadmission de 11.8%, 15.6%, et 19.3% (P <0.001), respectivement. Comparés aux patients avec un sodium >135 mmol/l, les odd ratios ajustés concernant la mortalité étaient significativement plus important pour les patients avec un sodium compris entre 130 et 135 mmol/l (OR 1.53, 95% Cl: 1.33-1.76) ou <130 mmol/l (OR 3.26, 95% Cl: 2.48-4.29). Les odd ratios ajustés concernant la réhospitalisation étaient également augmentés pour les patients présentant un sodium entre 130 et 135 mmol/l (OR 1.28, 95% Cl: 1.12-1.46) ou <130 mmol/l (OR 1.44, 95% Cl: 1.02-2.02). Conclusions et perspectives: L'hyponatrémie est fréquente chez les patients se présentant avec une embolie pulmonaire, de plus elle est un prédicateur indépendant de la mortalité à court terme, ainsi que du taux de réhospitalisation. La natrémie est une information généralement disponible lors de l'établissement d'un pronostic. Bien que cette association soit compatible avec une activation neurohumorale, nous ne pouvons pas attester des mécanismes impliqués, du fait que notre étude ne donne pas d'informations sur d'autres étapes de la physiologie de cette association.

Risk factors for head and neck cancer in young adults : a pooled analysis in the INHANCE consortium

BACKGROUND: Increasing incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC) in young adults has been reported. We aimed to compare the role of major risk factors and family history of cancer in HNC in young adults and older patients. METHODS: We pooled data from 25 case-control studies and conducted separate analyses for adults ≤45 years old ('young adults', 2010 cases and 4042 controls) and >45 years old ('older adults', 17 700 cases and 22 704 controls). Using logistic regression with studies treated as random effects, we estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The young group of cases had a higher proportion of oral tongue cancer (16.0% in women; 11.0% in men) and unspecified oral cavity / oropharynx cancer (16.2%; 11.1%) and a lower proportion of larynx cancer (12.1%; 16.6%) than older adult cases. The proportions of never smokers or never drinkers among female cases were higher than among male cases in both age groups. Positive associations with HNC and duration or pack-years of smoking and drinking were similar across age groups. However, the attributable fractions (AFs) for smoking and drinking were lower in young when compared with older adults (AFs for smoking in young women, older women, young men and older men, respectively, = 19.9% (95% CI = 9.8%, 27.9%), 48.9% (46.6%, 50.8%), 46.2% (38.5%, 52.5%), 64.3% (62.2%, 66.4%); AFs for drinking = 5.3% (-11.2%, 18.0%), 20.0% (14.5%, 25.0%), 21.5% (5.0%, 34.9%) and 50.4% (46.1%, 54.3%). A family history of early-onset cancer was associated with HNC risk in the young [OR = 2.27 (95% CI = 1.26, 4.10)], but not in the older adults [OR = 1.10 (0.91, 1.31)]. The attributable fraction for family history of early-onset cancer was 23.2% (8.60% to 31.4%) in young compared with 2.20% (-2.41%, 5.80%) in older adults. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in HNC aetiology according to age group may exist. The lower AF of cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking in young adults may be due to the reduced length of exposure due to the lower age. Other characteristics, such as those that are inherited, may play a more important role in HNC in young adults compared with older adults.

Elf-1 contributes to the function of the complex interleukin (IL)-2-responsive enhancer in the mouse IL-2 receptor alpha gene.

Lymphocytes regulate their responsiveness to IL-2 through the transcriptional control of the IL-2R alpha gene, which encodes a component of the high affinity IL-2 receptor. In the mouse IL-2R alpha gene this control is exerted via two regulatable elements, a promoter proximal region, and an IL-2-responsive enhancer (IL-2rE) 1.3 kb upstream. In vitro and in vivo functional analysis of the IL-2rE in the rodent thymic lymphoma-derived, CD4- CD8- cell line PC60 demonstrated that three separate elements, sites I, II, and III, were necessary for IL-2 responsiveness; these three sites demonstrate functional cooperation. Site III contains a consensus binding motif for members of the Ets family of transcription factors. Here we demonstrate that Elf-1, an Ets-like protein, binds to site III and participates in IL-2 responsiveness. In vitro site III forms a complex with a protein constitutively present in nuclear extracts from PC60 cells as well as from normal CD4- CD8- thymocytes. We have identified this molecule as Elf-1 according to a number of criteria. The complex possesses an identical electrophoretic mobility to that formed by recombinant Elf-1 protein and is super-shifted by anti-Elf-1 antibodies. Biotinylated IL-2rE probes precipitate Elf-1 from PC60 extracts provided site III is intact and both recombinant and PC60-derived proteins bind with the same relative affinities to different mutants of site III. In addition, by introducing mutations into the core of the site III Ets-like motif and comparing the corresponding effects on the in vitro binding of Elf-1 and the in vivo IL-2rE activity, we provide strong evidence that Elf-1 is directly involved in IL-2 responsiveness. The nature of the functional cooperativity observed between Elf-1 and the factors binding sites I and II remains unresolved; experiments presented here however suggest that this effect may not require direct interactions between the proteins binding these three elements.

FOXC2 controls formation and maturation of lymphatic collecting vessels through cooperation with NFATc1.

The mechanisms of blood vessel maturation into distinct parts of the blood vasculature such as arteries, veins, and capillaries have been the subject of intense investigation over recent years. In contrast, our knowledge of lymphatic vessel maturation is still fragmentary. In this study, we provide a molecular and morphological characterization of the major steps in the maturation of the primary lymphatic capillary plexus into collecting lymphatic vessels during development and show that forkhead transcription factor Foxc2 controls this process. We further identify transcription factor NFATc1 as a novel regulator of lymphatic development and describe a previously unsuspected link between NFATc1 and Foxc2 in the regulation of lymphatic maturation. We also provide a genome-wide map of FOXC2-binding sites in lymphatic endothelial cells, identify a novel consensus FOXC2 sequence, and show that NFATc1 physically interacts with FOXC2-binding enhancers. As damage to collecting vessels is a major cause of lymphatic dysfunction in humans, our results suggest that FOXC2 and NFATc1 are potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

Dépendances: nouveautés en médecine 2008 [Addiction]

L'actualité 2008 des dépendances est centrée sur l'avancée des neurosciences psychiatriques dans le domaine des addictions mais aussi sur les clarifications nécessaires face à la complexité des comorbidités psychiatriques des addictions, notamment en cas de schizophrénie. Enfin, le praticien trouvera des considérations utiles pour la prescription de traitements de substitution chez des patients VIH en trithérapie. The highlights 2008 in the addiction field are correlated to the progress of psychiatric neurosciences. Clarifications are also necessary towards the psychiatric comorbidities (schizophrenia) with the addictions. Then, useful considerations are given for the prescription of substitution treatment among HIV patients under tritherapy.