A digital program for daily life management with endometriosis: Pilot study on symptoms and quality of life among participants.

Background: After suffering for an average of 7 years before diagnosis, endometriosis patients are usually left with more questions than answers about managing their symptoms in the absence of a cure. To help women with endometriosis after their diagnosis, we developed an online support program combining user research, evidence-based medicine, and clinical expertise. Structured around CBT and the quality-of-life metrics from the EHP score, the program is designed to guide participants over a 3-month and is available in France.

Tunable electrospun scaffolds of polyacrylonitrile loaded with carbon nanotubes: from synthesis to biological applications.

Growing cells in a biomimetic environment is critical for tissue engineering as well as for studying the cell biology underlying disease mechanisms. To this aim a range of 3D matrices have been developed, from hydrogels to decellularized matrices. They need to mimic the extracellular matrix to ensure the optimal growth and function of cells.

Variable effects of periprostatic adipose tissue on prostate cancer cells: Role of adipose tissue lipid composition and cancer cells related factors.

Background: Periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT) is likely to modulate prostate cancer (PCa) progression. We analyzed the variations in the effect of PPAT on cancer cells, according to its fatty acid (FA) composition and tumor characteristics.

Methods: The expression of markers of aggressiveness Ki67 and Zeb1, and epigenetic marks that could be modified during PCa progression, was analyzed by immunohistochemistry on a tissue-micro-array containing 59 pT3 PCa, including intra-prostatic areas and extra-prostatic foci in contact with PPAT belonging to the same tumor.

One-year post-exposure assessment of C-few-layer graphene biodistribution in mice: single repeated intratracheal administration.

Research on graphene-based nanomaterials has experienced exponential growth in the last few decades, driven by their unique properties and their future potential impact on our everyday life. With the increasing production and commercialization of these materials, there is significant interest in understanding their fate . Herein, we investigated the distribution of C-few-layer graphene (C-FLG) flakes (lat.

Determination of carbon nanotubes concentration by tabletop dynamic susceptometer.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be incorporated in various materials to enhance their mechanical or electrical properties. Information on their precise concentration and local distribution is difficult to access non-invasively. For example, electron microscopy studies require cutting of samples.

Correlative radioimaging and mass spectrometry imaging: a powerful combination to study C-graphene oxide biodistribution.

Research on graphene based nanomaterials has flourished in the last decade due their unique properties and emerging socio-economic impact. In the context of their potential exploitation for biomedical applications, there is a growing need for the development of more efficient imaging techniques to track the fate of these materials. Herein we propose the first correlative imaging approach based on the combination of radioimaging and mass spectrometry imaging for the detection of Graphene Oxide (GO) labelled with carbon-14 in mice.

Identification of an inhibitory domain in GTPase-activating protein p190RhoGAP responsible for masking its functional GAP domain.

The GTPase-activating protein (GAP) p190RhoGAP (p190A) is encoded by ARHGAP35 which is found mutated in cancers. p190A is a negative regulator of the GTPase RhoA in cells and must be targeted to RhoA-dependent actin-based structures to fulfill its roles. We previously identified a functional region of p190A called the PLS (protrusion localization sequence) required for localization of p190A to lamellipodia but also for regulating the GAP activity of p190A.

Persistent organochlorine pesticides in periprostatic adipose tissue from men with prostate cancer: Ethno-geographic variations, association with disease aggressiveness.

Although several studies have examined the relationship between organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and prostate cancer (PCa) risk, no data are available concerning the association between OCPs concentrations in periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT), which reflects cumulative exposure, and PCa aggressiveness. Moreover, no previous study has compared OCPs exposure in two distinct ethno-geographical populations. The objectives were to analyze OCPs in PPAT of PCa patients from either Mainland France or French West Indies in correlation with features of tumor aggressiveness, after adjusting for potential confounders such age, BMI, and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of PPAT.

Molecular characterization of the missing electron pathways for butanol synthesis in Clostridium acetobutylicum.

Clostridium acetobutylicum is a promising biocatalyst for the renewable production of n-butanol. Several metabolic strategies have already been developed to increase butanol yields, most often based on carbon pathway redirection. However, it has previously demonstrated that the activities of both ferredoxin-NADP reductase and ferredoxin-NAD reductase, whose encoding genes remain unknown, are necessary to produce the NADPH and the extra NADH needed for butanol synthesis under solventogenic conditions.

Critical Role of the Acetylene Content and Fe/C Ratio on the Thickness and Density of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes Grown at Low Temperature by a One-Step Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition Process.

The present work explores the role of the carbon source content and the Fe/C ratio on the synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) by one-step aerosol-assisted CCVD operated at a medium temperature (615 °C) on aluminum substrates. The main objective was to overcome the limitations of VACNT growth, constituting a drawback for applications requiring thick VACNTs. By using acetylene as carbon feedstock and ferrocene as a catalyst precursor, we demonstrate that when acetylene content is reduced to 1.

Conducting Interface for Efficient Growth of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes: Towards Nano-Engineered Carbon Composite.

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNT) are manufactured nanomaterials with excellent properties and great potential for numerous applications. Recently, research has intensified toward achieving VACNT synthesis on different planar and non-planar substrates of various natures, mainly dependent on the user-defined application. Indeed, VACNT growth has to be adjusted and optimized according to the substrate nature and shape to reach the requirements for the application envisaged.

Accumulation of Arachidonic Acid, Precursor of Pro-Inflammatory Eicosanoids, in Adipose Tissue of Obese Women: Association with Breast Cancer Aggressiveness Indicators.

While obesity is linked to cancer risk, no studies have explored the consequences of body mass index (BMI) on fatty acid profiles in breast adipose tissue and on breast tumor aggressiveness indicators. Because of this, 261 breast adipose tissue samples of women with invasive breast carcinoma were analyzed. Fatty acid profile was established by gas chromatography.

Development of a High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography Method for the Quantification of Alkyl Glycerolipids and Alkenyl Glycerolipids from Shark and Chimera Oils and Tissues.

Ether lipids are composed of alkyl lipids with an ether bond at the position of a glycerol backbone and alkenyl lipids, which possess a vinyl ether bond at the position of the glycerol. These ether glycerolipids are present either as polar glycerophospholipids or neutral glycerolipids. Before studying the biological role of molecular species of ether glycerolipids, there is a need to separate and quantify total alkyl and alkenyl glycerolipids from biological samples in order to determine any variation depending on tissue or physiopathological conditions.

Analysis of the Continuous Feeding of Catalyst Particles during the Growth of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes by Aerosol-Assisted CCVD.

Aerosol-assisted catalytic chemical vapor deposition (AACCVD) is a powerful one-step process to produce vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs), characterized by the continuous supply of the catalyst precursor (metallocene). The behavior of catalyst species all along the synthesis is essential for the continuous growth of VACNTs. It is there investigated through detailed observations and elemental analyses at scales of VACNT carpets and of individual CNTs.

Tissue cholesterol metabolism and prostate cancer aggressiveness: Ethno-geographic variations.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is more frequent and more aggressive in populations of African descent than in Caucasians. Since the fatty acid composition of peri-prostatic adipose tissue (PPAT) has been shown to differ according to the ethno-geographic origin and is involved in PCa aggressiveness, we aimed to analyze the cholesterol content of PPAT from Caucasian and African-Caribbean patients, in correlation with markers of disease aggressiveness and cholesterol metabolism in cancer tissues.

Methods: The quantification of cholesterol in PPAT was analyzed in 52 Caucasian and 52 African-Caribbean PCa patients, with in each group 26 indolent tumors (ISUP Group1 and pT2) and 26 potentially aggressive tumors (ISUP Group 3-5 and/or pT3).

Adipocytes Promote Breast Cancer Cell Survival and Migration through Autophagy Activation.

White adipose tissue interacts closely with breast cancers through the secretion of soluble factors such as cytokines, growth factors or fatty acids. However, the molecular mechanisms of these interactions and their roles in cancer progression remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of fatty acids in the cooperation between adipocytes and breast cancer cells using a co-culture model.

Safe-by-design strategies for lowering the genotoxicity and pulmonary inflammation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes: Reduction of length and the introduction of COOH groups.

Potentially, the toxicity of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can be reduced in a safe-by-design strategy. We investigated if genotoxicity and pulmonary inflammation of MWCNTs from the same batch were lowered by a) reducing length and b) introducing COOH-groups into the structure. Mice were administered: 1) long and pristine MWCNT (CNT-long) (3.

[Place and role of caregivers of young people with autism spectrum disorders].

The question of the place and role of caregivers, most often parents, for children with autism spectrum disorders has undergone significant change in recent years. It is now proven that when a parent acquires knowledge about autism, he is able to interact in a functional way and thus to use more effective educational methods with his child.

Identification of a Positive Association between Mammary Adipose Cholesterol Content and Indicators of Breast Cancer Aggressiveness in a French Population.

Background: Several studies have recently highlighted important roles for adipose tissue in cancer. However, few have examined adipose tissue cholesterol, and no study has been performed in breast adipose tissue associated with breast tumors.

Objectives: The present work was designed to determine if breast adipose tissue cholesterol from the tumor-surrounding area is associated with breast cancer aggressiveness.

Cone-Enriched Cultures from the Retina of Chicken Embryos to Study Rod to Cone Cellular Interactions.

Human daytime vision relies on the function of cone photoreceptors at the center of the retina, the fovea. Patients suffering from the most prevalent form of inherited retinal degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, lose night vision because of mutation driven loss of rod photoreceptors, a phenomenon followed by a progressive loss of function and death of cones leading to blindness. Geneticists have identified many genes with mutations causing this disease, but the first mutations identified questioned the mechanisms of secondary cone degeneration and how a dominant mutation in the rhodopsin gene encoding for the visual pigment expressed exclusively in rods can trigger cone degeneration.

Protein Farnesylation Takes Part in Arabidopsis Seed Development.

Protein farnesylation is a post-translational modification regulated by the (Enhanced Response to ABA 1) gene encoding the β-subunit of the protein farnesyltransferase in Arabidopsis. The mutants have been described for over two decades and exhibit severe pleiotropic phenotypes, affecting vegetative and flower development. We further investigated the development and quality of seeds.

Development of a Novel High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography-Based Method for the Simultaneous Quantification of Clinically Relevant Lipids from Cells and Tissue Extracts.

Lipids such as cholesterol, triacylglycerols, and fatty acids play important roles in the regulation of cellular metabolism and cellular signaling pathways and, as a consequence, in the development of various diseases. It is therefore important to understand how their metabolism is regulated to better define the components involved in the development of various human diseases. In the present work, we describe the development and validation of a high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method allowing the separation and quantification of free cholesterol, cholesteryl esters, nonesterified fatty acids, and triacylglycerols.

Apolipoprotein-mediated regulation of lipid metabolism induces distinctive effects in different types of breast cancer cells.

Background: The highest incidence of breast cancer is in the Western world. Several aspects of the Western lifestyle are known risk factors for breast cancer. In particular, previous studies have shown that cholesterol levels can play an important role in the regulation of tumor progression.