Electrospun nanofibrous meshes cultured with Wharton’s Jelly Stem Cell: an alternative for cartilage regeneration, without the need of growth factors

Many efforts are being directed worldwide to the treatment of OA-focal lesions. The majority of those efforts comprise either the refinement of surgical techniques or combinations of biomaterials with various autologous cells. Herein, we tested electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibrous meshes for cartilage tissue engineering. For that, articular chondrocytes (hACs) isolated from human osteoarthritic joints and Whartonâ s Jelly Stem Cells (hWJSCs) are cultured on electrospun nanofiber meshes, without adding external growth factors. We observed higher glycosaminoglycans production and higher overexpression of cartilage-related genes from hWJSCs cultured with basal medium, when compared to hACs isolated from osteoarthritic joints. Moreover, the presence of sulfated proteoglycans and collagen type II is observed on both types of cell cultures. We believe that this effect is due to either the electrospun nanofibers topography or the intrinsic chondrogenic differentiation potential of hWJSCs. Therefore, we propose the electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds in combination with hWJSCs as a viable alternative to the commercial membranes used in autologous chondrogenic regeneration approaches.The authors thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology for the Post-Doc grant of Marta Alves da Silva (SFRH/BPD/73322/2010, financed by POPH QREN Tipologia 4.1 – Advanced Formation, co-financed by Fundo Social Europeu and MEC national funds). This work was supported by the project SPARTAN (PTDC/CTM-BIO/4388/2014) FCT/MEC with PIDDAC funds. It was also partly supported by the POLARIS (FP7-REGPOT-2012-2013-1) and the Project “New methodologies for the isolation and control of stem cells differentiation using advanced culturing conditions and/or nanomaterials” (RL2 SCN NORTE-01-0124-FEDER-000018), co-financed by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (ON.2 – O Novo Norte), under the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Spatial heterogeneity of habitat suitability for Rift Valley fever occurrence in Tanzania: an ecological niche modelling approach

Despite the long history of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in Tanzania, extent of its suitable habitat in the country remains unclear. In this study we investigated potential effects of temperature, precipitation, elevation, soil type, livestock density, rainfall pattern, proximity to wild animals, protected areas and forest on the habitat suitability for RVF occurrence in Tanzania. Presence-only records of 193 RVF outbreak locations from 1930 to 2007 together with potential predictor variables were used to model and map the suitable habitats for RVF occurrence using ecological niche modelling. Ground-truthing of the model outputs was conducted by comparing the levels of RVF virus specific antibodies in cattle, sheep and goats sampled from locations in Tanzania that presented different predicted habitat suitability values. Habitat suitability values for RVF occurrence were higher in the northern and central-eastern regions of Tanzania than the rest of the regions in the country. Soil type and precipitation of the wettest quarter contributed equally to habitat suitability (32.4% each), followed by livestock density (25.9%) and rainfall pattern (9.3%). Ground-truthing of model outputs revealed that the odds of an animal being seropositive for RVFV when sampled from areas predicted to be most suitable for RVF occurrence were twice the odds of an animal sampled from areas least suitable for RVF occurrence (95% CI: 1.43, 2.76, p < 0.001). The regions in the northern and central-eastern Tanzania were more suitable for RVF occurrence than the rest of the regions in the country. The modelled suitable habitat is characterised by impermeable soils, moderate precipitation in the wettest quarter, high livestock density and a bimodal rainfall pattern. The findings of this study should provide guidance for the design of appropriate RVF surveillance, prevention and control strategies which target areas with these characteristics

L’apport de l’anthropologique à la perception contemporaine de l’humain

Dans ce texte, les auteurs ont pour objectif d’extraire l’image de l’humain qui se dégage de l’expérience anthropologique. Ils concluent que l’image de l’humanité est multiple et variante, donc que l’espoir d’une vision unique est utopique. En fait, on peut s’attendre à ce qu’elle se modifie encore dans l’inexorabilité de l’histoire. Les postulats de l’évolutionnisme permettent d’entrevoir une accélération du changement.In this paper, the authors make an attempt to extract the image of humans that emerges from the anthropological experience. They conclude that this image of humanity is multiple and variant, so that the expectation of finding a unified vision is utopian. In fact, we can predict that it will change again due to the necessity of history. The assumptions of evolutionism presume an accelerated change.Neste artigo, os autores pretendem extrair a imagem do ser humano que emerge da experiência antropológica. Eles concluem que esta imagem da humanidade é múltipla e variável, pelo que a esperança de encontrar uma visão única é utópica. Na verdade, podemos prever que ela ainda vai mudar devido à inevitabilidade da história. Os postulados do evolucionismo presumem uma mudança acelerada.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

L’apport de l’anthropologique à la perception contemporaine de l’humain

Dans ce texte, les auteurs ont pour objectif d’extraire l’image de l’humain qui se dégage de l’expérience anthropologique. Ils concluent que l’image de l’humanité est multiple et variante, donc que l’espoir d’une vision unique est utopique. En fait, on peut s’attendre à ce qu’elle se modifie encore dans l’inexorabilité de l’histoire. Les postulats de l’évolutionnisme permettent d’entrevoir une accélération du changement.In this paper, the authors make an attempt to extract the image of humans that emerges from the anthropological experience. They conclude that this image of humanity is multiple and variant, so that the expectation of finding a unified vision is utopian. In fact, we can predict that it will change again due to the necessity of history. The assumptions of evolutionism presume an accelerated change.Neste artigo, os autores pretendem extrair a imagem do ser humano que emerge da experiência antropológica. Eles concluem que esta imagem da humanidade é múltipla e variável, pelo que a esperança de encontrar uma visão única é utópica. Na verdade, podemos prever que ela ainda vai mudar devido à inevitabilidade da história. Os postulados do evolucionismo presumem uma mudança acelerada.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Un portrait de la santé psychologique des enseignants du collégial durant la pandémie de COVID-19

Dans le contexte particulier de la pandémie de COVID-19 pour les enseignants, il est essentiel de s’intéresser à la santé psychologique de ces derniers, compte tenu de tous les bouleversements qu’ils ont vécus. La recherche dont traite cet article vise à comprendre les états affectifs et émotionnels témoignant de la santé psychologique des enseignants du collégial à travers leurs tâches durant la pandémie. Menée à l’automne 2020, la recherche a poursuivi deux objectifs spécifiques : 1) tracer un portrait de la santé psychologique des enseignants, en tenant compte des manifestations positives de bien-être et négatives de détresse psychologique liées au contexte de travail et 2) décrire les sentiments qu’éprouvent les enseignants, selon leur genre et leurs habiletés avec la technologie. De type exploratoire, la recherche a utilisé des analyses quantitatives et qualitatives pour dresser un portrait détaillé du sujet étudié. Au total, 148 enseignants québécois francophones provenant du milieu collégial ont répondu, sur une base volontaire, à un questionnaire en ligne autoadministré. Les résultats quantitatifs mettent en évidence la prédominance des sentiments positifs par rapport aux sentiments négatifs vécus par les enseignants, ainsi que les différences liées à leur état de santé psychologique selon leur genre et leur habileté avec la technologie. Les résultats qualitatifs, quant à eux, permettent d’approfondir les réflexions des enseignants sur certains aspects de leur santé psychologique. Finalement, l’étude fournit des pistes d’action adaptées à certains éléments vécus par les enseignants afin de favoriser leur santé psychologique.In the unique context of the COVID-19 pandemic for teachers, it is essential to address their psychological health because of all the upheaval they experienced. The research discussed in this article aims to understand the affective and emotional feelings that make up the psychological health of college teachers through their teaching tasks during the pandemic. The research was conducted in the fall of 2020 in order to pursue two specific objectives : 1) to draw a portrait of teachers’ psychological health, taking into account positive manifestations of well-being and negative manifestations of psychological distress related to the work context and 2) to describe the feelings that teachers experience, taking into account their gender and their skills with technology. The research was exploratory in nature and used both quantitative and qualitative analyses to provide a detailed picture of the subject matter. A total of 148 French-speaking Quebec college teachers voluntarily responded to a self-administered online questionnaire. The quantitative results highlight the preponderance of positive versus negative feelings experienced by the teachers, as well as differences in their psychological health according to their gender and their ability with technology. The qualitative results, for their part, allow us to deepen the teachers’ reflections on certain aspects of their psychological health. Finally, the study provides avenues for action adapted to certain aspects experienced by the teachers in order to promote their psychological health

Insect pathogens as biological control agents: back to the future

The development and use of entomopathogens as classical, conservation and augmentative biological control agents have included a number of successes and some setbacks in the past 15 years. In this forum paper we present current information on development, use and future directions of insect-specific viruses, bacteria, fungi and nematodes as components of integrated pest management strategies for control of arthropod pests of crops, forests, urban habitats, and insects of medical and veterinary importance. Insect pathogenic viruses are a fruitful source of MCAs, particularly for the control of lepidopteran pests. Most research is focused on the baculoviruses, important pathogens of some globally important pests for which control has become difficult due to either pesticide resistance or pressure to reduce pesticide residues. Baculoviruses are accepted as safe, readily mass produced, highly pathogenic and easily formulated and applied control agents. New baculovirus products are appearing in many countries and gaining an increased market share. However, the absence of a practical in vitro mass production system, generally higher production costs, limited post application persistence, slow rate of kill and high host specificity currently contribute to restricted use in pest control. Overcoming these limitations are key research areas for which progress could open up use of insect viruses to much larger markets. A small number of entomopathogenic bacteria have been commercially developed for control of insect pests. These include several Bacillus thuringiensis sub-species, Lysinibacillus (Bacillus) sphaericus, Paenibacillus spp. and Serratia entomophila. B. thuringiensis sub-species kurstaki is the most widely used for control of pest insects of crops and forests, and B. thuringiensis sub-species israelensis and L. sphaericus are the primary pathogens used for medically important pests including dipteran vectors,. These pathogens combine the advantages of chemical pesticides and microbial control agents (MCAs): they are fast acting, easy to produce at a relatively low cost, easy to formulate, have a long shelf life and allow delivery using conventional application equipment and systemics (i.e. in transgenic plants). Unlike broad spectrum chemical pesticides, B. thuringiensis toxins are selective and negative environmental impact is very limited. Of the several commercially produced MCAs, B. thuringiensis (Bt) has more than 50% of market share. Extensive research, particularly on the molecular mode of action of Bt toxins, has been conducted over the past two decades. The Bt genes used in insect-resistant transgenic crops belong to the Cry and vegetative insecticidal protein families of toxins. Bt has been highly efficacious in pest management of corn and cotton, drastically reducing the amount of broad spectrum chemical insecticides used while being safe for consumers and non-target organisms. Despite successes, the adoption of Bt crops has not been without controversy. Although there is a lack of scientific evidence regarding their detrimental effects, this controversy has created the widespread perception in some quarters that Bt crops are dangerous for the environment. In addition to discovery of more efficacious isolates and toxins, an increase in the use of Bt products and transgenes will rely on innovations in formulation, better delivery systems and ultimately, wider public acceptance of transgenic plants expressing insect-specific Bt toxins. Fungi are ubiquitous natural entomopathogens that often cause epizootics in host insects and possess many desirable traits that favor their development as MCAs. Presently, commercialized microbial pesticides based on entomopathogenic fungi largely occupy niche markets. A variety of molecular tools and technologies have recently allowed reclassification of numerous species based on phylogeny, as well as matching anamorphs (asexual forms) and teleomorphs (sexual forms) of several entomopathogenic taxa in the Phylum Ascomycota. Although these fungi have been traditionally regarded exclusively as pathogens of arthropods, recent studies have demonstrated that they occupy a great diversity of ecological niches. Entomopathogenic fungi are now known to be plant endophytes, plant disease antagonists, rhizosphere colonizers, and plant growth promoters. These newly understood attributes provide possibilities to use fungi in multiple roles. In addition to arthropod pest control, some fungal species could simultaneously suppress plant pathogens and plant parasitic nematodes as well as promote plant growth. A greater understanding of fungal ecology is needed to define their roles in nature and evaluate their limitations in biological control. More efficient mass production, formulation and delivery systems must be devised to supply an ever increasing market. More testing under field conditions is required to identify effects of biotic and abiotic factors on efficacy and persistence. Lastly, greater attention must be paid to their use within integrated pest management programs; in particular, strategies that incorporate fungi in combination with arthropod predators and parasitoids need to be defined to ensure compatibility and maximize efficacy. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) in the genera Steinernema and Heterorhabditis are potent MCAs. Substantial progress in research and application of EPNs has been made in the past decade. The number of target pests shown to be susceptible to EPNs has continued to increase. Advancements in this regard primarily have been made in soil habitats where EPNs are shielded from environmental extremes, but progress has also been made in use of nematodes in above-ground habitats owing to the development of improved protective formulations. Progress has also resulted from advancements in nematode production technology using both in vivo and in vitro systems; novel application methods such as distribution of infected host cadavers; and nematode strain improvement via enhancement and stabilization of beneficial traits. Innovative research has also yielded insights into the fundamentals of EPN biology including major advances in genomics, nematode-bacterial symbiont interactions, ecological relationships, and foraging behavior. Additional research is needed to leverage these basic findings toward direct improvements in microbial control

Danger- and pathogen-associated molecular patterns recognition by pattern-recognition receptors and ion channels of the transient receptor potential family triggers the inflammasome activation in immune cells and sensory neurons.

An increasing number of studies show that the activation of the innate immune system and inflammatory mechanisms play an important role in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases. The innate immune system is present in almost all multicellular organisms and its activation occurs in response to pathogens or tissue injury via pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) that recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Intracellular pathways, linking immune and inflammatory response to ion channel expression and function, have been recently identified. Among ion channels, the transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are a major family of non-selective cation-permeable channels that function as polymodal cellular sensors involved in many physiological and pathological processes.In this review, we summarize current knowledge of interactions between immune cells and PRRs and ion channels of TRP families with PAMPs and DAMPs to provide new insights into the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. TRP channels have been found to interfere with innate immunity via both nuclear factor-kB and procaspase-1 activation to generate the mature caspase-1 that cleaves pro-interleukin-1ß cytokine into the mature interleukin-1ß.Sensory neurons are also adapted to recognize dangers by virtue of their sensitivity to intense mechanical, thermal and irritant chemical stimuli. As immune cells, they possess many of the same molecular recognition pathways for danger. Thus, they express PRRs including Toll-like receptors 3, 4, 7, and 9, and stimulation by Toll-like receptor ligands leads to induction of inward currents and sensitization in TRPs. In addition, the expression of inflammasomes in neurons and the involvement of TRPs in central nervous system diseases strongly support a role of TRPs in inflammasome-mediated neurodegenerative pathologies. This field is still at its beginning and further studies may be required.Overall, these studies highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting the inflammasomes in proinflammatory, autoinflammatory and metabolic disorders associated with undesirable activation of the inflammasome by using specific TRP antagonists, anti-human TRP monoclonal antibody or different molecules able to abrogate the TRP channel-mediated inflammatory signals

Azimuthal Charged-Particle Correlations and Possible Local Strong Parity Violation

Parity-odd domains, corresponding to nontrivial topological solutions of the QCD vacuum, might be created during relativistic heavy-ion collisions. These domains are predicted to lead to charge separation of quarks along the system’s orbital momentum axis. We investigate a three-particle azimuthal correlator which is a P even observable, but directly sensitive to the charge separation effect. We report measurements of charged hadrons near center-of-mass rapidity with this observable in Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at √sNN=200  GeV using the STAR detector. A signal consistent with several expectations from the theory is detected. We discuss possible contributions from other effects that are not related to parity violation

"Do I really want to do this?" Longitudinal cohort study participants' perspectives on postal survey design: a qualitative study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Randomised controlled trials have investigated aspects of postal survey design yet cannot elaborate on reasons behind participants' decision making and survey behaviour. This paper reports participants' perspectives of the design of, and participation in, a longitudinal postal cohort survey. It describes strengths and weaknesses in study design from the perspectives of study participants and aims to contribute to the: 1) design of future cohort surveys and questionnaires generally and, 2) design of cohort surveys for people with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) specifically.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In-depth interviews explored the design of postal surveys previously completed by participants. Interviews used open ended questioning with a topic guide for prompts if areas of interest were not covered spontaneously. Thematic data analysis was undertaken based on the framework method. A second researcher verified all coding.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data from fourteen interviews were analysed within three main themes; participation, survey design and survey content. One of the main findings was the importance of clear communication aimed at the correct audience both when inviting potential participants to take part and within the survey itself. Providing enough information about the study, having a topic of interest and an explanation of likely benefits of the study were important when inviting people to participate. The neutrality of the survey and origination from a reputable source were both important; as was an explanation about why information was being collected within the survey itself. Study findings included participants' impressions when invited to take part, why they participated, the acceptability of follow-up of non-responders and why participants completed the follow-up postal survey. Also discussed were participants' first impression of the survey, its length, presentation and participants' views about specific questions within the survey.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Ideas generated in this study provide an insight into participants' decision making and survey behaviour and may enhance the acceptability of future surveys to potential participants. As well as clear communication, participants valued incentives and survey questions that were relevant to them. However, opinions varied as to the preferred format for responses with some advising more opportunity for open-ended feedback. We also found that some standard format questions can raise quandaries for individual participants.</p

Relevailles et collaborations intersectorielles : synthèse de l'atelier stratégique de mobilisation des connaissances

Dans une optique de responsabilité populationnelle, les organismes communautaires Famille (OCF) sont appelés à travailler davantage en partenariat avec les établissements de santé et de services sociaux (ÉSSS). Certains OCF offrent un service de relevailles qui consiste à offrir un soutien postnatal à domicile qui s’adapte aux besoins de chaque famille, afin d’écouter, d’encourager, d’informer et de soutenir l’organisation du quotidien. L’utilisation et les impacts de ce service demeurent largement méconnus, de même que les collaborations entourant sa mise en œuvre à même les réseaux locaux de services des ÉSSS. Entre 2013 et 2016, nous avons mené un projet de recherche collaboratif qui visait à évaluer les services de relevailles offerts par quatre OCF et les collaborations intersectorielles qu’ils partagent avec les ÉSSS en vue de consolider les services de santé et de soutien en période postnatale. Afin de présenter les résultats issus de cette étude et d’en maximiser les retombées, différents acteurs clés ont été conviés à participer à l’atelier stratégique de mobilisation des connaissances « Relevailles et collaborations intersectorielles », tenu le 4 mai 2016 à l’Université Laval. Le but de cet atelier était d’encourager les acteurs clés à se positionner par rapport à des pistes d’action visant la consolidation des services de soutien postnatal et les collaborations intersectorielles entourant l’offre de relevailles. À partir d’une présentation des principaux résultats de l’étude et de quelques pistes de consolidation préalablement sélectionnées par le Comité de suivi formé de différents utilisateurs de connaissances, les participants étaient appelés à se prononcer sur les pistes d’action à prioriser, en discutant des stratégies à préconiser pour en permettre la mise en œuvre