Les épithetes : livre non seulement utile à ceux qui font profession de la poësie, mais fort propre aussi pour illustrer toute autre composition françoise... ([Reprod.]) / de M. de La Porte,...

Collection : Archives de la linguistique française ; 217

The changing milliarcsecond radio morphology of the gamma-ray binary LS 5039

LS 5039 is one of the few TeV emitting X-ray binaries detected so far. The powering source of its multiwavelength emission can be accretion in a microquasar scenario or wind interaction in a young nonaccreting pulsar scenario. Aims.To present new high-resolution radio images and compare them with the expected behavior in the different scenarios. Methods.We analyze Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) radio observations that provide morphological and astrometric information at milliarcsecond scales. Results.We detect a changing morphology between two images obtained five days apart. In both runs there is a core component with a constant flux density, and an elongated emission with a position angle (PA) that changes by 12 $\pm$ $3\degr$ between both runs. The source is nearly symmetric in the first run and asymmetric in the second one. The astrometric results are not conclusive. Conclusions.A simple and shockless microquasar scenario cannot easily explain the observed changes in morphology. An interpretation within the young nonaccreting pulsar scenario requires the inclination of the binary system to be very close to the upper limit imposed by the absence of X-ray eclipses.

The membrane-permeable calmodulin inhibitors (W-7/W-13) bind to membranes changing the electrostatic surface potential. Dual effect of W-13 on EGFR activation

Membrane-permeable calmodulin inhibitors, such as the napthalenesulfonamide derivatives W-7/W-13, trifluoperazine, and calmidazolium, are used widely to investigate the role of calcium/calmodulin (Ca2+/CaM) in living cells. If two chemically different inhibitors (e.g. W-7 and trifluoperazine) produce similar effects, investigators often assume the effects are due to CaM inhibition. Zeta potential measurements, however, show that these amphipathic weak bases bind to phospholipid vesicles at the same concentrations as they inhibit Ca 2 /CaM; this suggests that they also bind to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane, reducing its negative electrostatic surface potential. This change will cause electrostatically bound clusters of basic residues on peripheral (e.g. Src and K-Ras4B) and integral (e.g. epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)) proteins to translocate from the membrane to the cytoplasm. We measured inhibitor-mediated translocation of a simple basic peptide corresponding to the calmodulin-binding juxtamembrane region of the EGFR on model membranes; W-7/W-13 causes translocation of this peptide from membrane to solution, suggesting that caution must be exercised when interpreting the results obtained with these inhibitors in living cells. We present evidence that they exert dual effects on autophosphorylation of EGFR;W-13 inhibits epidermal growth factordependent EGFR autophosphorylation under different experimental conditions, but in the absence of epidermal growth factor, W-13 stimulates autophosphorylation of the receptor in four different cell types. Our interpretation is that the former effect is due toW-13inhibition of Ca 2 /CaM, but thelatter results could be due to binding of W-13 to the plasma membrane.

Cardiovascular disease and the changing face of global public health : a focus on low and middle income countries

Eighty percent of the global 17 million deaths due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) occur in low and middle income countries (LMICs). The burden of CVD and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is expected to markedly increase because of the global aging of the population and increasing exposure to detrimental lifestyle-related risk in LMICs. Interventions to reduce four main risks related to modifiable behaviors (tobacco use, unhealthy diet, low physical activity and excess alcohol consumption) are key elements for effective primary prevention of the four main NCDs (CVD, cancer, diabetes and chronic pulmonary disease). These behaviors are best improved through structural interventions (e.g., clean air policy, taxes on cigarettes, new recipes for processed foods with reduced salt and fat, urban shaping to improve mobility, etc.). In addition, health systems in LMICs should be reoriented to deliver integrated cost-effective treatment to persons at high risk at the primary health care level. The full implementation of a small number of highly cost effective, affordable and scalable interventions ("best buys") is likely to be the necessary and sufficient ingredient for curbing NCDs in LMICs. NCDs are both a cause and a consequence of poverty. It is therefore important to frame NCD prevention and control within the broader context of social determinants and development agenda. The recent emphasis on NCDs at a number of health and economic forums (including the September 2011 High Level Meeting on NCDs at the United Nations) provides a new opportunity to move the NCD agenda forward in LMICs.

Improving low achievers' academic performance at university by changing the social value of mastery goals

Recent research has shown that, in a University context, mastery goals are highly valued, and that students may endorse these goals either because they believe in their utility (i.e., social utility), in which case mastery goals are positively linked to achievement, or to create a positive image of themselves (i.e., social desirability), in which case mastery goals do not predict academic achievement. The present two experiments induced high vs. neutral levels of mastery goals' social utility and social desirability. Results confirmed that mastery goals predicted performance only when these goals were presented as socially useful but not socially desirable, especially among low achievers, those who need mastery goals the most to succeed.

Is the Front Line Prepared for the Changing Faces of Patients? Predictors of Cross-Cultural Preparedness Among Clinical Nurses and Resident Physicians in Lausanne, Switzerland.

UNLABELLED: Phenomenon: Assuring quality medical care for all persons requires that healthcare providers understand how sociocultural factors affect a patient's health beliefs/behaviors. Switzerland's changing demographics highlight the importance of provider cross-cultural preparedness for all patients-especially those at risk for social/health precarity. We evaluated healthcare provider cross-cultural preparedness for commonly encountered vulnerable patient profiles. APPROACH: A survey on cross-cultural care was mailed to Lausanne University hospital's "front-line healthcare providers": clinical nurses and resident physicians at our institution. Preparedness items asked "How prepared do you feel to care for ... ?" (referring to example patient profiles) on an ascending 5-point Likert scale. We examined proportions of "4 - well/5 - very well prepared" and the mean composite score for preparedness. We used linear regression to examine the adjusted effect of demographics, work context, cultural-competence training, and cross-cultural care problem awareness, on preparedness. FINDINGS: Of 885 questionnaires, 368 (41.2%) were returned: 124 (33.6%) physicians and 244 (66.4%) nurses. Mean preparedness composite was 3.30 (SD = 0.70), with the lowest proportion of healthcare providers feeling prepared for patients "whose religious beliefs affect treatment" (22%). After adjustment, working in a sensitized department (β = 0.21, p = .01), training on the history/culture of a specific group (β = 0.25, p = .03), and awareness regarding (a) a lack of practical experience caring for diverse populations (β = 0.25, p = .004) and (b) inadequate cross-cultural training (β = 0.18, p = .04) were associated with higher preparedness. Speaking French as a dominant language and physician role (vs. nurse) were negatively associated with preparedness (β = -0.26, p = .01; β = -0.22, p = .01). Insights: The state of cross-cultural care preparedness among Lausanne's front-line healthcare providers leaves room for improvement. Our study points toward institutional strategies to improve preparedness: notably, making sure departments are sensitized to cross-cultural care resources and increasing provider diversity to reflect the changing Swiss demographic.