The valiant battle: from chaos to integration.

The birth of a new sibling can create a state of inner chaos for the first born. Conflict, aggression and regression often occur as the replaced child adjusts to his loss of exclusivity. This paper describes a short analytic sandplay case of a 5-year-old boy manifesting anger and anxiety as the birth of his new sibling approached. Throughout this individuation process, a fluid back and forth movement occurred from regression to progression, and from deintegration to reintegration (Fordham 1988), as he advanced from the regressed Uroboric phase of development, forward to the age-appropriate phase of the Patriarche (Neumann 1990). As he grieved the loss of his exclusive status, Roy worked with his aggressive feelings towards his mother and the new baby, as well as with his feelings of despair. This process developed in the context of a positive maternal transference which allowed for both moments of deep resonance, states of participation mystique, and moments of projected rage and aggression towards the 'abandoning mother'. His work in analysis resulted in an opening of the ego-Self axis, a solidifying of the depressive position, and a movement forward in development. At the end of treatment, an initiatory process into the realm of the 'Father' was activated. Roy's symptoms had diminished and he was ready to leave the regressive pull of the Great Mother and move out into the world of peers, with a strengthened ego and an expanded sense of self.

La naissance d'un petit frère ou d'une petite sœur peut générer un état de chaos intérieur pour le premier de la fratrie. Alors que l'enfant remplacé s'ajuste à la perte de l'exclusivité, des conflits, de l'agressivité et une régression peuvent se produire. Cet article décrit un court cas de thérapie analytique par le jeu de sable avec un petit garçon de cinq ans qui montrait de la colère et de l'angoisse alors que la naissance du prochain enfant se rapprochait. Au cours de ce processus d'individuation, un mouvement fluide de flux et de reflux se produisit de la régression à la progression, et de la dé-intégration à la ré-intégration (Fordham 1985) alors qu'il avançait de la phase ouroborique régressée du développement vers la phase en relation avec son âge et dite « du Patriarche ¼ (Neumann 1990). Alors qu'il faisait le deuil de son statut d'exclusivité, Roy travailla ses sentiments agressifs envers sa mère et le nouveau bébé ainsi que ses sentiments de désespoir. Ce processus se produisit dans le contexte d'un transfert maternel positif qui rendit possible des moments de profonde résonnance, des états de participation mystique, ainsi que des moments de rage et d'agressivité projetée envers « la mère qui abandonne ¼. Son travail d'analyse aboutit à une ouverture de l'axe moi-Soi, une consolidation de la position dépressive et un mouvement en avant dans son développement. A la fin du traitement, le commencement d'un processus dans le domaine du « Père ¼ fut activé. Les symptômes de Roy décrurent et il fut capable de lâcher l'emprise de la Grande Mère et d'avancer vers le monde de ses pairs, avec un Moi renforcé et un sentiment de soi plus large.

El nacimiento de un hermano puede crear un estado de caos interno para el primer hijo. Conflicto, agresión y regresión suceden a menudo a medida que el niño reemplazado se adapta a su falta de exclusividad. El presente trabajo describe un corto caso analítico de Juego con Arena, de un niño de cinco años que manifestaba enojo y ansiedad a medida que se aproximaba el nacimiento de su nuevo hermano. A través de su proceso de individuación, ocurrió un fluido movimiento de ir y venir desde la regresión hacia la progresión, y desde la deintegración hacia la integración (Fordham 1985), a medida que avanzaba desde una fase del desarrollo urobórica regresiva, a una fase Patriarcal adecuada a su edad (Neumann 1990). A medida que duelaba la pérdida de su estatus exclusivo, Roy trabajó con sus sentimientos agresivos hacia la madre y nuevo hermano, así como también con su sentimiento de desesperación. Este proceso se desarrolló en el contexto de una transferencia materna positiva, la cual posibilitó estados de profunda resonancia, estados de participation mystique, y momentos de ira y agresión proyectadas en la 'madre abandónica'. Su trabajo en análisis resultó en una apertura del eje ego-Self, una consolidación de la posición depresiva, y en un movimiento hacia adelante en su desarrollo. Hacia el final del tratamiento, se activó un proceso de iniciación en la dimensión del 'Padre'. Los síntomas de Roy decrecieron y estuvo listo para dejar la fuerza de atracción de la Gran Madre y moverse hacia el mundo de los pares, con un ego fortalecido y un sentido expandido del self.

Back to the future: when children and adolescents return to office sessions following episodes of teletherapy.

Analysts and psychotherapists are beginning to have more thorough and probing discussions about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their work. Shifting to online teletherapy has been necessary due to the public health measures put in place to curtail the spread of the virus. Much of the existing literature addresses how using online platforms for teletherapy works for adults. This paper instead looks at its effects on working with children and adolescents. A contrast between Winnicott's notion of holding and Bion's concept of container-contained is reviewed through a summary of a paper by Ogden. This author finds that holding might be more applicable to online work during a pandemic when the collective relationship to time and its usual parameters is severely upended. Containing could be more arduous and challenging online due to the lack of embodied presence to communicate and detect tiny nonverbal cues. A short questionnaire affirms that child analysts and psychotherapists have struggled with dimensions of online work that are particular to the developmental levels of their patients. Further, teletherapy may often not be a good fit for someone with learning differences.

Les analystes et les psychothérapeutes commencent à avoir des discussions plus profondes et plus pointues sur comment la pandémie de COVID-19 a affecté leur travail. Passer à la thérapie en ligne a été nécessaire du fait des mesures de santé publique mises en place pour freiner l'avancée du virus. La majeure partie de la littérature s'intéresse à comment l'utilisation des plateformes en ligne pour la psychothérapie a fonctionné pour les adultes. Par contraste, cet article se penche sur les effets dans le travail avec les enfants et les adolescents. A travers un résumé d'un article d'Ogden, un contraste entre la notion de « holding ¼ de Winnicott et le concept de contenant-contenu de Bion est examiné. L'auteur soutient que la notion de holding serait plus adaptée au travail en ligne durant une pandémie, quand la relation collective au temps et à ses paramètres habituels est gravement perturbée. La contenance (Bion) pourrait s'avérer plus délicate et plus laborieuse en ligne du fait du manque de présence incarnée pour détecter et communiquer les signes non-verbaux. Un court questionnaire confirme que les analystes d'enfants et les psychothérapeutes ont eu du mal avec les aspects du travail en ligne qui se rapportent aux niveaux de développement de leurs patients. De plus, la télé-thérapie peut souvent ne pas être adaptée pour quelqu'un qui présente des différences d'apprentissages.

Analistas y psicoterapeutas están comenzando a tener discusiones más minuciosas y agudas sobre cómo la pandemia por el COVID-19 ha afectado su trabajo. El cambio a la terapia virtual ha sido necesario debido a las medidas de salud pública tomadas para reducir la propagación del virus. Gran parte de la literatura existente da cuenta de como el uso de plataformas para la terapia virtual funciona para los adultos. El presente trabajo en cambio, presta atención a los efectos en el trabajo con niños y adolescentes. Se revisa a través de un trabajo de Ogden, el contraste entre la noción de sostenimiento de Winnicott y el concepto de contenedor-contenido de Bion. Este autor encuentra que el sostenimiento puede aplicarse más al trabajo online durante una pandemia cuando la relación del colectivo con el tiempo y sus parámetros usuales es severamente trastocada. La contención podría ser más ardua y desafiante de manera online debido a la falta de una presencia corporal que comunique y permita detectar pequeñas señales no-verbales. Un breve cuestionario afirma que analistas y psicoterapeutas de niños han luchado con aquellas dimensiones del trabajo online propias del nivel de desarrollo de sus pacientes. Además, la terapia virtual puede a menudo no ser una buena opción para alguien con diferencias en el aprendizaje.

Analysis and evaluation of different sequencing depths from 5 to 20 million reads in shotgun metagenomic sequencing, with optimal minimum depth being recommended.

Our study was to analyze and evaluate the impact of different shotgun metagenomic sequencing depths from 5 to 20 million in metagenome-wide association studies (MWASs), and to determine the optimal minimum sequencing depth. We included a set of 200 previously published gut microbial shotgun metagenomic sequencing data on obesity (100 obese vs. 100 non-obese). The reads with original sequencing depths >20 million were downsized into seven experimental groups with depths from 5 to 20 million (interval 2.5 million). Using both integrated gene cluster (IGC) and metagenomic phylogenetic analysis 2 (MetaPhlAn2), we obtained and analyzed the read matching rates, gene count, species richness and abundance, diversity, and clinical biomarkers of the experimental groups with the original depth as the control group. An additional set of 100 published data from a colorectal cancer (CRC) study was included for validation (50 CRC vs. 50 CRC-free). Our results showed that more genes and species were identified following the increase in sequencing depths. When it reached 15 million or higher, the species richness became more stable with changing rate of 5% or lower, and the species composition more stable with ICC intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) higher than 0.75. In terms of species abundance, 81% and 97% of species showed significant differences in IGC and MetaPhlAn2 among all groups with p < 0.05. Diversity showed significant differences across all groups, with decreasing differences of diversity between the experimental and the control groups following the increase in sequencing depth. The area under a receiver operating characteristic curve, AUC, of the obesity classifier for running the obesity testing samples showed an increasing trend following the increase in sequencing depth (τ = 0.29). The validation results were consistent with the above results. Our study found that the higher the sequencing depth is, the more the microbial information in structure and composition it provides. We also found that when sequencing depth was 15 million or higher, we obtained more stable species compositions and disease classifiers with good performance. Therefore, we recommend 15 million as the optimal minimum sequencing depth for an MWAS.

Genomic regions associated with resistance to Fusarium wilt in castor identified through linkage and association mapping approaches.

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ricini, is the most destructive disease in castor. Host plant resistance is the best strategy for the management of wilt. Identification of molecular markers linked to wilt resistance will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of breeding for wilt resistance. In the present study, genomic regions linked to wilt resistance were mapped using a bi-parental population of 185 F6-RILs and a genetically diverse panel of 300 germplasm accessions. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis performed using a linkage map consisting of 1090 SNP markers identified a major QTL on chromosome 7 with an LOD score of 18.7, which explained 44% of the phenotypic variance. The association mapping performed using genotypic data from 3465 SNP loci revealed 69 significant associations (p < 1 × 10-4) for wilt resistance. The phenotypic variance explained by the individual SNPs ranged from 0.063 to 0.210. The QTL detected in the bi-parental mapping population was not identified in the association analysis. Thus, the results of this study indicate the possibility of vast gene diversity for Fusarium wilt resistance in castor.

In-vitro anti-fungal assay and association analysis reveal a role for the Pinus monticola PR10 gene (PmPR10-3.1) in quantitative disease resistance to white pine blister rust.

Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins play important roles in plant defense response. However, functional investigation of PR10 genes is still limited and their physiological roles have not been conclusively characterized in biological processes of conifer trees. Here, we identified multiple novel members in the western white pine (Pinus monticola) PmPR10 family by bioinformatic mining available transcriptomic data. Phylogenetic analysis of protein sequences revealed four PR10 and two PR10-like clusters with a high synteny across different species of five-needle pines. Of 10 PmPR10 genes, PmPR10-3.1 was selected and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified recombinant protein exhibited inhibitory effects on spore hyphal growth of fungal pathogens Cronartium ribicola, Phoma exigua, and Phoma argillacea by in-vitro anti-fungal analysis. Genetic variation analysis detected a total of 21 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within PmPR10-3.1 in a collection of P. monticola seed families. A nonsynonymous SNP (t178g) showed significant association with relative levels of quantitative disease resistance (QDR), explaining about 8.7% of phenotypic variation as the peak value across all SNPs. Our results provide valuable insight into the genetic architecture underlying P. monticola QDR and imply that PmPR10-3.1 may function as an important component in conifer basal immunity for non-specific resistance to a wide spectrum of pathogens.

Veios de ouro na formação psicanalítica / Golden veins in psychoanalytic training / Venas de oro en la educación psicoanalítica / Les veines d'or dans l'éducation psychanalytique

Neste texto, escrito para a aula inaugural dos cursos de formação do Instituto de Psicanálise da SBPSP, a autora exemplifica o entrelaçamento entre os inícios da psicanálise e a infância através dos registros de algumas "crianças exemplares" daquela época. Com o caso do "Pequeno Hans" Freud inaugura uma dupla trilha na construção do conhecimento em psicanálise: a reconstrução com base no material clínico de adultos e a observação do desenvolvimento dessas mesmas configurações psíquicas nas crianças. Anos mais tarde, ao trazer o "infantil" para a sala de análise Melanie Klein tomou essa segunda escolha - a da observação iluminada pelos princípios da psicanálise - como seu projeto maior. A Sociedade de São Paulo oferece, ao lado da formação de adultos, o curso de formação em análise de crianças. Um convite aos colegas que iniciam sua jornada: não se esqueçam de olhar, quem sabe até levar as suas bateias para as bandas desse veio de ouro que nossa comunidade lhes oferece.

In this text, written for the inaugural class of the training courses of the Institute of Psychoanalysis of the Brazilian Society of Psychoanalysis of São Paulo, the author exemplifies the intertwining between the beginning of Psychoanalysis and childhood through the records of some "exemplary children" of that time. With the case of "Little Hans" Freud inaugurates a double track in the construction of knowledge in Psychoanalysis: the reconstruction from the clinical material of adults and the observation of the development of these same psychic configurations in children. Years later, when Melanie Klein brought the "child" to the analysis room, she took this second choice - that of observation illuminated by the principles of Psychoanalysis - as her major project. The Society of São Paulo offers, alongside adult education, the training course in child analysis. An invitation to colleagues who start their journey: don't forget to look, who knows, maybe even take your batteries to the bands of this gold vein that our community offers them.

En este texto, redactado para la clase inaugural de los cursos de formación del Instituto de Psicoanálisis de la Sociedad Brasileña de Psicoanálisis de São Paulo, el autor ejemplifica el entrelazamiento entre el inicio del Psicoanálisis y la infancia a través de los registros de algunos "niños ejemplares" de esa época. Con el caso de "Juanito", Freud inaugura una doble vía en la construcción del conocimiento en psicoanálisis: la reconstrucción a partir del material clínico de los adultos y la observación del desarrollo de estas mismas configuraciones psíquicas en los niños. Años más tarde, cuando Melanie Klein llevó al "niño" a la sala de análisis, tomó esta segunda opción, la de la observación iluminada por los principios del psicoanálisis, como su proyecto principal. La Sociedad de São Paulo ofrece, junto a la educación de adultos, el curso de formación en análisis infantil. Una invitación a los compañeros que inician su camino: no se olviden de mirar, quién sabe, tal vez incluso llevarse las pilas a las bandas de esta vena dorada que les ofrece nuestra comunidad.

Dans ce texte, rédigé pour la classe inaugurale de l'Institut de Psychanalyse de la Société Brésilienne de Psychanalyse de São Paulo, l'auteur illustre l'entrelacement entre le début de la psychanalyse et l'enfance à travers les archives de quelques "enfants exemplaires"¼ de cette époque. Avec le cas du "Petit Hans", Freud inaugure une double voie dans la construction du savoir en psychanalyse: la reconstruction à partir du matériel clinique des adultes et l'observation du développement de ces mêmes configurations psychiques chez l'enfant. Des années plus tard, lorsque Melanie Klein a amené "l'enfant" dans la salle d'analyse, elle a pris ce second choix - celui de l'observation éclairée par les principes de la psychanalyse - comme son projet majeur. La Société de São Paulo propose, parallèlement à l'éducation des adultes, la formation de l'analyse de l'enfant. Une invitation aux collègues qui commencent leur voyage: n'oubliez pas de regarder, qui sait, peut-être même emmener vos batteries dans les bandes de cette veine dorée que notre communauté leur offre.

Burden on Caregivers of Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions: Intersectionality of Age, Gender, Education level, Employment Status, and Impact on Social Life.

Intersectionality analysis is the study of overlapping or intersecting social identities. Intersecting social identities may have an impact on the perception of burden by family caregivers of older persons with multiple chronic conditions (MCC). The purpose of this study was to explore the interaction of social factors on the burden of caring for older adults with MCC. A total of 194 caregivers of older adults with MCC were recruited from Alberta and Ontario. Survey data were collected at two time points, six months apart. Additive and multiplicative models were analysed using a generalised linear model to determine the level of caregiver burden. Medium-high social interference (impact on social life) was associated with higher burden when adjusted for age, gender, education, and employment status. The overall results of the five-way interaction suggest that males in general had lower burden scores than females. Irrespective of their education and employment status, females had generally higher burden scores. These results add to the current body of literature, suggesting areas for further research to fill knowledge gaps, and promoting ideas for evidence-guided public health interventions that focus on caregivers.

Development of a core SNP panel for cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) identity analysis.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are preferred markers for DNA fingerprinting and diversity studies in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.). Yet, a consensus SNP panel with a minimum number of SNPs for optimal identity analysis is unavailable for cacao. An initial set of 146 SNP panels of varying sizes were assembled based on heterozygosity, linkage disequilibrium (LD), linkage group (LG) distribution, major allele frequency, minor allele frequency (MiAF), polymorphism information content (PIC), and random distribution. These panels were assessed to determine their ability to distinguish among a training set of 155 accessions. The panels with the best separation ability were supplemented with additional SNPs to create 16 designer panels, which separated all 155 accessions. The 16 designer SNP panels were then assessed on a dataset of 1220 accessions coming from 10 ancestral groups. Increasing the number of SNPs generally yielded improved resolution of genetic identities with concomitant reduction of synonymous groups. The number and choice of SNPs were critical factors with LD, MiAF, and PIC being important selection attributes but an even LG distribution was unnecessary. A robust set of 96 SNPs is recommended as a minimal core SNP panel for cacao DNA fingerprinting to the international cacao community.

Genome-wide identification and analysis of the GATA transcription factor gene family in Ustilaginoidea virens.

In filamentous fungi, the conserved transcription factors play important roles in multiple cellular and developmental processes. The GATA proteins, a family of GATA-binding zinc finger transcription factors, play diverse functions in fungi. Ustilaginoidea virens is an economically important pathogen-causing rice false smut worldwide. To gain additional insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of this pathogen, in this study, we identified and functionally characterized seven GATA proteins from the U. virens genome (UvGATA). Sequences analysis indicated that these GATA proteins are divided into seven clades. The proteins in each clade contained conserved clade-specific sequences and structures, thus leading to the same motif serving different purposes in various contexts. The expression profiles of UvGATA genes at different infection stages and under H2O2 stress were detected. Results showed that the majority of UvGATA genes performed functions at both processes, thereby confirming the roles of these genes in pathogenicity and reactive oxygen species stress tolerance. This study provided an important starting point to further explore the biological functions of UvGATA genes and increased our understanding of their potential transcriptional regulatory mechanisms in U. virens.

[Pharmaceutical analysis of medication orders in health care facilities: A France-Quebec comparison]. / Analyse pharmaceutique des prescriptions médicamenteuses en établissement de santé : comparaison France-Québec.

OBJECTIVES: The pharmaceutical analysis of drug prescriptions is one of the key steps in the drug circuit. This mandatory regulatory practice in France and Quebec is based on national standards. The main objective of this work was to compare the practical methods of pharmaceutical analysis performed in French and Quebec university hospitals. METHODS: This is a prospective comparative survey conducted in 2 French and Quebec university hospital centres among pharmacists and pharmacy residents. RESULTS: The response rate to the survey was 60% (45/75). Between 16 and 22 elements were deemed necessary to structure the centralized, decentralized or mixed pharmaceutical analysis. The chronological ranking of these elements was comparable between the French and Quebec participants. All participants were in favour of the development of initial and continuing training in pharmaceutical analysis. Finally, the majority of participants were against using individual pharmaceutical analysis performance indicators to optimize the process (82%; 37/45). CONCLUSIONS: The French-Quebec practice of prescription analysis by a ward-pharmacist complies with national standards. The main differences in the practice of pharmaceutical analysis are related to the types of organization, the tools available and the length of time pharmacists have been deployed in care units in France and Quebec.

[Assessment of the use by hospital pharmacists of the opinions issued by the Haute Autorité de santé and the economic analysis tools proposed to them]. / Évaluation de l'utilisation par les pharmaciens hospitaliers des avis émis par la Haute Autorité de santé et des outils économiques qui leur sont proposés.

BACKGROUND: In French hospitals, the supply and management of drugs are missions of pharmacists. The aim of this study is to assess the use of efficacy and economics opinions of the Haute Autorite de santé (HAS) in hospital referencing of drugs in France in 2017. METHODS: A questionnaire for hospital pharmacists was developed to establish their knowledge and their uses of Transparency Commission and Economic and Public Health Evaluation Committee opinions. This survey was distributed by the ADIPH association in July 2017. This questionnaire included 35 questions. RESULTS: Despite the health professional are more and more interesting by economics analysis, only 30 % of hospitals pharmacists of this panel declared to use HAS economic opinions (versus 80% for Transparency Commission opinions). Among these pharmacists, 86% used this report in the hospital referencing of drugs. CONCLUSION: Through this analysis, some prospects for improvement can be seen in the health professional formation, cost-effectiveness report publication and the use of cost-effectiveness analysis. This study is an overview of the use of opinions provided by the HAS. This thesis established a basis to reflection on the use of economics reports and models in the hospital decisions.

Ethnic differences in fat and muscle mass and their implication for interpretation of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis.

According to the World Health Organization Expert Consultation, current body mass index (BMI) cut-offs should be retained as an international classification. However, there are ethnic differences in BMI-associated health risks that may be caused by differences in body fat or skeletal muscle mass and these may affect the interpretation of phase angle and bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA). Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis among 1048 German, 1026 Mexican, and 995 Japanese adults encompassing a wide range of ages and BMIs (18-78 years; BMI, 13.9-44.3 kg/m2). Regression analyses between body composition parameters and BMI were used to predict ethnic-specific reference values at the standard BMI cut-offs of 18.5, 25, and 30 kg/m2. German men and women had a higher fat-free mass per fat mass compared with Mexicans. Normal-weight Japanese were similar to Mexicans but approached the German phenotype with increasing BMI. The skeletal muscle index (SMI, kg/m2) was highest in Germans, whereas in BIVA, the Mexican group had the longest vector, and the Japanese group had the lowest phase angle and the highest extracellular/total body water ratio. Ethnic differences in regional partitioning of fat and muscle mass at the trunk and the extremities contribute to differences in BIVA and phase angle. In conclusion, not only the relationship between BMI and adiposity is ethnic specific; in addition, fat distribution, SMI, and muscle mass distribution vary at the same BMI. These results emphasize the need for ethnic-specific normal values in the diagnosis of obesity and sarcopenia.

Analyzing gene expression profiles with preliminary validations in cardiac hypertrophy induced by pressure overload.

The aim of this study was to identify the key genes involved in the cardiac hypertrophy (CH) induced by pressure overload. mRNA microarray data sets GSE5500 and GSE18801 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the Limma package; then, functional and pathway enrichment analysis were performed for common DEGs using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery database. Furthermore, the top DEGs were further validated using quantitative PCR in the hypertrophic heart tissue induced by isoprenaline. A total of 113 common DEGs with absolute fold change > 0.5, including 60 significantly upregulated DEGs and 53 downregulated DEGs, were obtained. Gene ontology term enrichment analysis suggested that common upregulated DEG were mainly enriched in neutrophil chemotaxis, extracellular fibril organization, and cell proliferation; and the common downregulated genes were significantly enriched in ion transport, endoplasmic reticulum, and dendritic spine. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis found that the common DEGs were mainly enriched in extracellular matrix receptor interaction, phagosome, and focal adhesion. Additionally, the expression of Mfap4, Ltbp2, Aspn, Serpina3n, and Cnksr1 were upregulated in the model of CH, while the expression of Anp32a was downregulated. The current study identified the key deregulated genes and pathways involved in the CH, which could shed new light to understand the mechanism of CH.

Genome-wide identification, characterization, and transcriptional analysis of the metacaspase gene family in cucumber (Cucumis sativus).

Metacaspase (MC), a family of caspase-like proteins, plays vital roles in regulating programmed cell death (PCD) during development and in response to stresses in plants. In this study, five MC genes (designated as CsMC1 to CsMC5) were identified in the cucumber (Cucumis sativus) genome. Sequence analysis revealed that CsMC1-CsMC3 belong to type I MC proteins, while CsMC4 and CsMC5 are type II MC proteins. Phylogenetic tree and conserved motif analysis of MC proteins indicated that these proteins can be classified into two groups, which are correlated with the types of these MC proteins. Gene structure analysis demonstrated that type I CsMC genes contain 4-7 introns, while all type II CsMC genes harbor one intron. In addition, many hormone-, stress-, and development-related cis-elements were identified in the promoter regions of CsMC genes. Expression analysis using RNA-seq data revealed that CsMC genes have distinct expression patterns in various tissues and developmental stages. qRT-PCR results showed that the transcript levels of CsMC genes could be regulated by various abiotic stresses such as NaCl, PEG, and cold. These results demonstrate that the cucumber MC gene family may function in tissue development and plant stress responses.

Genome-wide association study of rice grain width variation.

Seed size is variable within many plant species, and understanding the underlying genetic factors can provide insights into mechanisms of local environmental adaptation. Here we make use of the abundant genomic and germplasm resources available for rice (Oryza sativa) to perform a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) of grain width. Grain width varies widely within the crop and is also known to show climate-associated variation across populations of its wild progenitor. Using a filtered dataset of >1.9 million genome-wide SNPs in a sample of 570 cultivated and wild rice accessions, we performed GWAS with two complementary models, GLM and MLM. The models yielded 10 and 33 significant associations, respectively, and jointly yielded seven candidate locus regions, two of which have been previously identified. Analyses of nucleotide diversity and haplotype distributions at these loci revealed signatures of selection and patterns consistent with adaptive introgression of grain width alleles across rice variety groups. The results provide a 50% increase in the total number of rice grain width loci mapped to date and support a polygenic model whereby grain width is shaped by gene-by-environment interactions. These loci can potentially serve as candidates for studies of adaptive seed size variation in wild grass species.

Role of catechins on ET-1-induced stimulation of PLD and NADPH oxidase activities in pulmonary smooth muscle cells: determination of the probable mechanism by molecular docking studies.

The treatment of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells with ET-1 stimulates the activity of PLD and NADPH oxidase, but this stimulation is inhibited by pretreatment with bosentan (ET-1 receptor antagonist), FIPI (PLD inhibitor), apocynin (NADPH oxidase inhibitor), and EGCG and ECG (catechins having a galloyl group), but not EGC and EC (catechins devoid of a galloyl group). Herein, using molecular docking analyses based on our biochemical studies, we determined the probable mechanism by which the catechins containing a galloyl group inhibit the stimulation of PLD activity induced by ET-1. The ET-1-induced stimulation of PLD activity was inhibited by SecinH3 (inhibitor of cytohesin). Arf6 and cytohesin-1 are associated in the cell membrane, which is not inhibited by the catechins during ET-1 treatment of the cells. However, EGCG and ECG inhibited the binding of GTPγS with Arf6, even in the presence of cytohesin-1. The molecular docking analyses revealed that the catechins containing a galloyl group (EGCG and ECG) with cytohesin-1-Arf6GDP, but not the catechins without a galloyl group (EGC and EC), prevent GDP-GTP exchange in Arf6, which seems to be an important mechanism for inhibiting the activation of PLD induced by ET-1, and subsequently increases the activity of NADPH oxidase.

[Morphometry of pulmonary tissue: From manual to high throughput automation]. / Morphométrie du tissu pulmonaire : de la méthode manuelle à l'automatisation à haut débit.

Weibel's research has shown that any alteration of the pulmonary structure has effects on function. This demonstration required a quantitative analysis of lung structures called morphometry. This is possible thanks to stereology, a set of methods based on principles of geometry and statistics. His work has helped to better understand the morphological harmony of the lung, which is essential for its proper functioning. An imbalance leads to pathophysiology such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in neonates. It is by studying this imbalance that new therapeutic approaches can be developed. These advances are achievable only through morphometric analytical methods, which are increasingly precise and focused, in particular thanks to the high-throughput automation of these methods. This review makes a comparison between an automated method that we developed in the laboratory and semi-manual methods of morphometric analyzes. The automation of morphometric measurements is a fundamental asset in the study of pulmonary pathophysiology because it is an assurance of robustness, reproducibility and speed. This tool will thus contribute significantly to the acceleration of the race for the development of new drugs.

Genome-wide identification and analysis of the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor gene family in Ustilaginoidea virens.

The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor (TF) family is one of the largest and most diverse TF families widely distributed across the eukaryotes. The bZIP TF family plays an important role in growth, development, and response to abiotic or biotic stresses, which have been well characterized in plants, but not in plant pathogenic fungi. In this study, we performed genome-wide and systematic bioinformatics analysis of bZIP genes in the fungus Ustilaginoidea virens, the causal agent of rice false smut disease. We identified 28 bZIP family members in the U. virens genome by searching for the bZIP domain in predicted genes. The gene structures, motifs, and phylogenetic relationships were analyzed for bZIP genes in U. virens (UvbZIP). Together with bZIP proteins from two other fungi, the bZIP genes can be divided into eight groups according to their phylogenetic relationships. Based on RNA-Seq data, the expression profiles of UvbZIP genes at different infection stages were evaluated. Results showed that 17 UvbZIP genes were up-regulated during the infection period. Furthermore, 11 infection-related UvbZIP genes were investigated under H2O2 stress and the expression level of eight genes were changed, which confirmed their role in stress tolerance and pathogenicity. In summary, our genome-wide systematic characterization and expression analysis of UvbZIP genes provided insight into the molecular function of these genes in U. virens and provides a reference for other pathogens.

Possible association between Helicobacter pylori infection and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Possible association between Helicobacter pylori infection (HPI) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been proposed by several studies with inconsistent conclusions. Here, we studied the association between HPI and NAFLD at 3 levels: (i) genetic level; (ii) small molecular level; and (iii) clinical level. Relation data between diseases, genes, and small molecules were acquired from Pathway Studio ResNet Mammalian database. Clinical data were acquired from 2263 elderly South Chinese subjects, including 603 NAFLD patients and 1660 subjects without NAFLD. Results showed that HPI and NAFLD present significantly shared genetic bases (95 genes, p value = 2.5E-72), demonstrating multiple common genetic pathways (enrichment p value ≤ 4.38E-20 for the top 10 pathways). Genetic network analysis suggested that mutual regulation may exist between HPI and NAFLD through 21 out of 95 genes. Furthermore, 85 out of the 95 genes manifested strong interaction with 12 small molecules/drugs that demonstrate effectiveness in treating both diseases. Clinical results showed that HPI rate in the NAFLD group was significantly higher than that in the group without NAFLD (51.9% vs. 43.6%; p value = 4.9E-4). Multivariate logistic regression results supported the observations and suggested that HPI served as a risk factor for NAFLD in the experiment data studied (odds ratio: 1.387, p value = 0.018). Results from this study support the hypothesis that complex biological association may exist between HPI and NAFLD, which partially explains the significant clinical co-incidence in the elderly population of south China.

Rapid diagnostic test for G6PD deficiency in Plasmodium vivax-infected men: a budget impact analysis based in Brazilian Amazon.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the incremental budget impact (IBI) of a rapid diagnostic test to detect G6PDd in male patients infected with Plasmodium vivax in the Brazilian Amazon, as compared with the routine protocol recommended in Brazil which does not include G6PDd testing. METHODS: The budget impact analysis was performed from the perspective of the Brazilian health system, in the Brazilian Amazon for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015. The analysis used a decision model to compare two scenarios: the first consisting of the routine recommended in Brazil which does not include prior diagnosis of dG6PD, and the second based on the use of RDT CareStart™ G6PD (CS-G6PD) in all male subjects diagnosed with vivax malaria. The expected implementation of the diagnostic test was 30% in the first year, 70% the second year and 100% in the third year. RESULTS: The analysis identified negative IBIs which were progressively smaller in the 3 years evaluated. The sensitivity analysis showed that the uncertainties associated with the analytical model did not significantly affect the results. CONCLUSION: A strategy based on the use of CS-G6PD would result in better use of public resources in the Brazilian Amazon.