Parcours biographiques et carrières entrepreneuriales

Ce texte s’appuie sur l’usage de la méthode biographique appliquée à l’étude de l’engagement entrepreneurial à travers l’analyse de plus d’une soixantaine de récits de vie de créateurs d’entreprise aquitains, aux profils volontairement très hétérogènes, réalisés entre 2005 et 2010 , analyse complétée par les apports d’une étude sur les créations d’entreprises « innovantes ». Le recours aux récits de vie permet de retracer l’histoire tant personnelle que professionnelle de ces créateurs d’entreprise et ainsi d’analyser le regard réflexif qu’ils portent sur leurs trajectoires et les modes de justification qu’ils mobilisent pour expliquer leur engagement dans une carrière d’entrepreneur

Effects of reflux laryngitis on non-nutritive swallowing in newborn lambs

Reflux laryngitis in infants may be involved not only in laryngeal disorders, but also in disorders of cardiorespiratory control through its impact on laryngeal function. Our objective was to study the effect of reflux laryngitis on non-nutritive swallowing (NNS) and NNS-breathing coordination. Two groups of six newborn lambs, randomized into laryngitis and control groups, were surgically instrumented for recording states of alertness, swallowing and cardiorespiratory variables without sedation. A mild to moderate reflux laryngitis was induced in lambs from the experimental group. A significant decrease in the number of NNS bursts and apneas was observed in the laryngitis group in active sleep (p=0.03). In addition, lower heart and respiratory rates, as well as prolonged apnea duration (p<0.0001) were observed. No physiologically significant alterations in NNS-breathing coordination were observed in the laryngitis group. We conclude that a mild to moderate reflux laryngitis alters NNS burst frequency and autonomous control of cardiac activity and respiration in lambs

A two-year participatory intervention project with owners to reduce lameness and limb abnormalities in working horses in Jaipur, India

Participatory methods are increasingly used in international human development, but scientific evaluation of their efficacy versus a control group is rare. Working horses support families in impoverished communities. Lameness and limb abnormalities are highly prevalent in these animals and a cause for welfare concern. We aimed to stimulate and evaluate improvements in lameness and limb abnormalities in horses whose owners took part in a 2-year participatory intervention project to reduce lameness (PI) versus a control group (C) in Jaipur, India.In total, 439 owners of 862 horses participated in the study. PI group owners from 21 communities were encouraged to meet regularly to discuss management and work practices influencing lameness and poor welfare and to track their own progress in improving these. Lameness examinations (41 parameters) were conducted at the start of the study (Baseline), and after 1 year and 2 years. Results were compared with control horses from a further 21 communities outside the intervention. Of the 149 horses assessed on all three occasions, PI horses showed significantly (P<0.05) greater improvement than C horses in 20 parameters, most notably overall lameness score, measures of sole pain and range of movement on limb flexion. Control horses showed slight but significantly greater improvements in four parameters, including frog quality in fore and hindlimbs.This participatory intervention succeeded in improving lameness and some limb abnormalities in working horses, by encouraging changes in management and work practices which were feasible within owners’ socioeconomic and environmental constraints. Demonstration of the potentially sustainable improvements achieved here should encourage further development of participatory intervention approaches to benefit humans and animals in other contexts

Effects of postnatal environmental tobacco smoke on non-nutritive swallowing-breathing coordination in newborn lambs

While prenatal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is a well-known risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome, the effect of postnatal ETS exposure is less clear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of postnatal ETS exposure on non-nutritive swallowing (NNS) and NNS-breathing coordination, which are crucial to prevent aspiration related-cardiorespiratory events. Eighteen newborn lambs (6 per group) were randomly exposed to either 10 cigarettes/day, 20 cigarettes/day or room air for 15 days. Lambs were instrumented for recording states of alertness, swallowing, electrocardiogram and breathing; recordings were performed in non-sedated lambs at the end of ETS exposure. Urinary cotinine/creatinine ratio confirmed relevant real-life exposure. Postnatal ETS exposure had no effect on NNS frequency but tended to decrease inspiratory NNS (p=0.07) during quiet sleep. No effect on respiratory or heart rate (p>0.6), apnea index (p=0.2) or sleep states (p=0.3) was observed. In conclusion, postnatal ETS exposure in lambs had only mild effects on NNS-breathing coordination

FAIM-L Is an IAP-Binding Protein That Inhibits XIAP Ubiquitinylation and Protects from Fas-Induced Apoptosis

The neuronal long isoform of Fas Apoptotic Inhibitory Molecule (FAIM-L) protects from death receptor (DR)-induced apoptosis, yet its mechanism of protection remains unknown. Here, we show that FAIM-L protects rat neuronal Type II cells from Fas-induced apoptosis. XIAP has previously emerged as a molecular discriminator that is upregulated in Type II and downregulated in Type I apoptotic signaling. We demonstrate that FAIM-L requires sustained endogenous levels of XIAP to protect Type II cells as well as murine cortical neurons from Fas-induced apoptosis. FAIM-L interacts with the BIR2 domain of XIAP through an IAP-binding motif, the mutation of which impairs the antiapoptotic function of FAIM-L. Finally, we report that FAIM-L inhibits XIAP auto-ubiquitinylation and maintains its stability, thus conferring protection from apoptosis. Our results bring new understanding of the regulation of endogenous XIAP by a DR antagonist, pointing out at FAIM-L as a promising therapeutic tool for protection from apoptosis in pathological situations where XIAP levels are decreased.This work was funded by the Spanish Government Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, CB06/05/1104 to J.X.C.), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (SAF2010–19953 to J.X.C.; SAF2012–31485 to V.J.Y.), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CP11/00052 to M.F.S.), and the Generalitat de Catalunya (Suport als Grups de Recerca Consolidats 2009SGR346). F.M.-F. and L.P.-F. are supported by postgraduate fellowships from the Spanish Government Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. J.U. is supported by a postgraduate fellowship from the Generalitat de Catalunya. R.S.M. and V.J.Y. were under the Juan de la Cierva and the Ramon y Cajal programs, respectively, from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Spain), cofinanced by the European Social Fund. M.F.S. is under the Miguel Servet program from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund

Rôle du larynx au cours des apnées centrales et des déglutitions non-nutritives en période néonatale

Le larynx assure de multiples fonctions de régulateur du flux respiratoire, de protection des voies aériennes inférieures et de phonation chez l'adulte. Chez le foetus et le nouveau-né, il a un rôle indispensable dans la croissance pulmonaire foetale et, à la naissance, dans l'établissement d'une ventilation aérienne adéquate. L'implication du larynx au cours des apnées centrales est de découverte plus récente. En effet, il a été montré que le muscle adducteur des cordes vocales (activité électromyographique (EMG) du muscle thyroaryténoïdien (TA)), était continuellement actif au cours des apnées centrales induites et spontanées de l'agneau. Cette activité électromyographique est contemporaine de la fermeture complète et étanche des cordes vocales, et permet le maintien d'un volume pulmonaire élevé pendant l'apnée. Les conséquences physiologiques de cette fermeture active de la glotte restent à préciser. Par ailleurs, malgré son importance, la coordination de l'activité musculaire laryngée au cours des déglutitions avec le cycle respiratoire a été incomplètement étudiée chez le mammifère nouveau-né. Les buts de ce travail étaient (1) de caractériser le rôle bénéfique de la fermeture glottique sur l'oxygénation au cours d'apnées centrales spontanées chez des agneaux prématurés, (2) de préciser l'influence des stades de conscience sur la fréquence des déglutitions non-nutritives et sur leur coordination avec le cycle respiratoire. Nous avons étudié (1) la pente de désaturation en oxygène au cours d'apnées spontanées chez quatre agneaux prématurés, en comparant lesapnées où le volume pulmonaire était maintenu (orifice de trachéotomie fermé) avec celles où il ne l'était pas (orifice de trachéotomie ouvert), (2) la fréquence des déglutitions non nutritives isolées et en bouffée, de même que leur coordination avec le cycle respiratoire, et leur association avec les apnées spontanées chez six agneaux à terme et six agneaux prématurés"--Résumé abrégé par UMI

Radio telemetry devices to monitor breathing in non-sedated animals

Radio telemetry equipment has significantly improved over the last 10-15 years and is increasingly being used in research for monitoring a variety of physiological parameters in non-sedated animals. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the current state of development of radio telemetry for recording respiration. Our literature review found only rare reports of respiratory studies via radio telemetry. Much of this article will hence report our experience with our custom-built radio telemetry devices designed for recording respiratory signals, together with numerous other physiological signals in lambs. Our current radio telemetry system allows to record 24 simultaneous signals 24h/day for several days. To our knowledge, this is the highest number of physiological signals, which can be recorded wirelessly. Our devices have been invaluable for studying respiration in our ovine models of preterm birth, reflux laryngitis, postnatal exposure to cigarette smoke, respiratory syncytial virus infection and nasal ventilation, all of which are relevant to neonatal respiratory problems