Mindfulness meditation and relaxation training increases time sensitivity.

Two experiments examined the effect of mindfulness meditation and relaxation on time perception using a temporal bisection task. In Experiment 1, the participants performed a temporal task before and after exercises of mindfulness meditation or relaxation. In Experiment 2, the procedure was similar than that used in Experiment 1, except that the participants were trained to mediate or relax every day over a period of several weeks. The results showed that mindfulness meditation exercises increased sensitivity to time and lengthened perceived time. However, this temporal improvement with meditation exercises was primarily observed in the experienced meditators. Our results also showed the experienced meditators were less anxious than the novice participants, and that the sensitivity to time increased when the level of anxiety decreased. Our results were explained by the practice of mindfulness technique that had developed individuals' abilities in devoting more attention resources to temporal information processing.

[Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis among Pregnant Women in Benin: Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression]. / Séroprévalence de la toxoplasmose chez les femmes enceintes au Bénin : méta-analyse et métarégression.

To assess the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis among pregnant women in Benin, we conducted a meta-analysis using the PRISMA criteria. Al research published between 1990 and 2018 on toxoplasmosis among pregnant women Benin were eligible. A total of five databases were investigated, and the extracted data were subjected to a meta-analysis under R 3.1 using both random effect model and fixed effect model. The overall prevalence of toxoplasma-specific IgG among pregnant women was 47% (CI 95%: 40-53) and that of specific IgM was 2% (CI 95%: 1-3). The infection rate in urban areas (52%) was significantly higher than in rural areas (33%). The two main risk factors identified by the various eligible studies were the age of the pregnant women and the consumption of raw vegetables. We show that toxoplasmosis is endemic in pregnant women in Benin, implying that primary prevention measures must be put in place by the competent authorities to control this infection.

Afin d'évaluer le niveau de l'infection toxoplasmique chez les femmes enceintes au Bénin, nous avons effectué une méta-analyse selon le protocole PRISMA. Étaient éligibles tous les articles de recherche publiés entre 1990 et 2018 sur la toxoplasmose chez les femmes enceintes en consultation prénatale au Bénin. Au total, cinq bases de données ont été consultées, puis les données extraites ont été soumises à une méta-analyse sous R 3.1 selon les modèles à effet aléatoire et à effet fixe. La séroprévalence de la toxoplasmose chez la femme enceinte était de 47 % (IC 95 % : 40­53) pour les IgG et de 2 % (IC 95 % : 1­3) pour les IgM spécifiques. Le taux d'infection en milieu urbain (52 %) était significativement plus élevé qu'en milieu rural (33 %). Deux principaux facteurs de risque associés à la toxoplasmose ont été identifiés par les différentes études éligibles : l'âge des gestantes et la consommation de crudités. Nous montrons ainsi que la toxoplasmose est endémique chez les femmes enceintes au Bénin, impliquant que des mesures de prévention primaire soient mises en place par les autorités compétentes pour contrôler cette infection.

Systematic screening for PRKAR1A gene rearrangement in Carney complex: identification and functional characterization of a new in-frame deletion.

BACKGROUND: Point mutations of the PRKAR1A gene are a genetic cause of Carney complex (CNC) and primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD), but in 30% of the patients no mutation is detected. OBJECTIVE: Set up a routine-based technique for systematic detection of large deletions or duplications of this gene and functionally characterize these mutations. METHODS: Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) of the 12 exons of the PRKAR1A gene was validated and used to detect large rearrangements in 13 typical CNC and 39 confirmed or putative PPNAD without any mutations of the gene. An in-frame deletion was characterized by western blot and bioluminescence resonant energy transfer technique for its interaction with the catalytic subunit. RESULTS: MLPA allowed identification of exons 3-6 deletion in three patients of a family with typical CNC. The truncated protein is expressed, but rapidly degraded, and does not interact with the protein kinase A catalytic subunit. CONCLUSIONS: MLPA is a powerful technique that may be used following the lack of mutations detected by direct sequencing in patients with bona fide CNC or PPNAD. We report here one such new deletion, as an example. However, these gene defects are not a frequent cause of CNC or PPNAD.