No description available.

No description available.

After the attacks by Hamas on Israel on October 7th and the offensive on Palestine that followed, a group of young Palestinians have taken the role of sharing witness of the ongoing genocide through social media. This thesis investigates how these citizen journalists are bearing witness to the ongoing genocide and how social media audiences are reacting to these images. By analyzing the discourses present in their posts through a Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) and systematically observing the comments under said posts through a thematic analysis, this thesis demonstrates that there is a relation between shared discourses and audience reactions. The study argues that vulnerability is being used as an act of resistance, and that discourses involving vulnerability and eye-witnessing are common in these posts and inspire emotional reactions and sentiments of resistance in the audiences, and further demonstrates how the analyzed citizen journalists seem to share similar discourses and feelings while using several modes of address in variating ways from post to post. All these findings show that the current Palestinian conflict may be contributing to changes in the ways war and conflicts are mediatized due to their use of social media to create a more connective citizen journalism where audiences become closer with the distant suffering.

La prolongation de l’intervalle électrocardiographique QT est un facteur de risque d’arythmie ventriculaire et de mort subite. Cette anomalie, retrouvée chez certains patients atteints de lupus érythémateux disséminé, pourrait contribuer à la mortalité cardiovasculaire élevée dans cette population. L’anti-Ro/SSA, un auto-anticorps retrouvé chez environ 30% des patients atteints de lupus, est associé à la présence de blocs cardiaques chez le nouveau-né et pourrait aussi augmenter le risque de prolongation pathologique de l’intervalle QT chez l’adulte. Le présent mémoire est constitué de cinq chapitres traitant de l’association potentielle entre l’anticorps anti-Ro/SSA et la prolongation de l’intervalle QT. Le premier chapitre constitue une introduction permettant de mettre en contexte les éléments essentiels à la compréhension du projet d’étude. Le deuxième chapitre constitue une revue de l’état des connaissances actuelles sur le lien potentiel entre anti-Ro/SSA et intervalle QT. Le troisième chapitre présente le projet d’étude par l’intermédiaire d’un article publié dans Arthritis Care and Research. Dans cette étude, les patients de la cohorte de lupiques du Centre Universitaire de santé McGill ont subi des électrocardiogrammes dans l’objectif d’estimer l’association entre l’anti-Ro/SSA et les anomalies électrocardiographiques, en tenant compte d’autres facteurs démographiques et cliniques. L’association entre la prolongation de l’intervalle QT et la présence de l’anti-Ro/SSA a été démontrée (rapports de cotes ajustés de 5.1 à 12.6) et les patients porteurs de l’anti-Ro/SSA pourraient donc bénéficier de dépistage électrocardiographique systématique. Les points faibles et forts de cet article sont discutés dans le quatrième chapitre et des perspectives de recherches futures sont finalement abordées. / QT interval prolongation on the electrocardiogram is a risk factor for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. This abnormality is found in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and could contribute to the high cardiovascular mortality rate in this population. Anti-Ro/SSA is an auto-antibody presents in about 30% of lupus patients and is associated with congenital cardiac block. This auto-antibody could also increase the risk of pathologic prolongation of the QT interval in adults. This master’s thesis is comprised of five chapters discussing the potential association between anti-Ro/SSA antibody and QT interval prolongation. The first chapter is an introduction to the essential elements for the understanding of the study project. The second chapter is a literature review of the potential link between anti-Ro/SSA and QT interval prolongation. The third chapter presents the study project through an article published in Arthritis Care and Research. In this study, patients from the McGill lupus cohort were invited to undergo electrocardiograms in order to estimate the association between anti-Ro/SSA antibody and electrocardiographic abnormalities, while taking into account the other potentially associated demographic and clinical factors. This study shows an association between anti-Ro/SSA and prolonged QT interval (Odds ratios: 5.1 to 12.6) and patients positive for anti-Ro/SSA may thus benefit from electrocardiographic testing. Strengths and weaknesses of this article are discussed in the fourth chapter and future research areas are finally explored.

Dans cette thèse, nous présentons une analyse syntaxique du vietnamien de Hô-Chi-Minh-Ville, dans la lignée de la syntaxe fonctionnelle mise en place par André Martinet et développée par la suite par ses continuateurs. Dans un premier temps, nous nous sommes intéressée au degré d’opposition verbo-nominal en vietnamien : nous proposons tout d’abord une synthèse des travaux menés à ce sujet, avant d’exposer notre analyse en classes, en nous appuyant sur des critères strictement syntaxiques. Une étude syntaxique détaillée des modalités (déterminants non déterminables) – les modalités nominalisantes, les modalités de degré, les modalités prédicatives et les modalités injonctives – a été nécessaire. Ces unités permettent de distinguer des comportements différents, et l’identification des grandes classes lexicales du vietnamien : nominaux, adjectifs, modaux et verbaux. Il apparait que ces classes d’unités s’organisent en un continuum, avec à un pôle les nominaux, à l’autre les verbaux. Dans un second temps, l’analyse porte sur les différents types de structures prédicatives du vietnamien. La variété des constructions – nucléaires et connectives – est au centre de l’étude, ainsi que l’identification des différentes fonctions. Enfin, nous exposons une analyse des “séries verbales”, phénomène très courant en vietnamien, mais décrivant en fait des réalités très diverses. Tout au long de l’analyse, nous accordons une importance particulière à la variation et aux zones de changements (réanalyses, lexicalisations, grammaticalisations), faisant état de la dynamique des différentes structures et de la langue elle-même. / We present here a syntaxic analysis of the Vietnamese language spoken in Ho Chi Minh City, in line with the functional syntax introduced by André Martinet and developed later by his followers. In a first part, we examined the extent of noun/verb opposition in Vietnamese. After a synthesis of work on this subject, we present our own analysis of the lexical classes, relying on strictly syntactic criteria. A detailed study of the syntactic modalités (undeterminable determinants) - nominalizing undeterminable determinants, undeterminable determinants of degree, predicative undeterminable determinants and injunctive undeterminable determinants - was necessary. These units are used to distinguish different behaviors, and leads to the identification of major lexical classes in Vietnamese: nominals, adjectives, modals and ‘verbals’. It appears that these classes of units are organized along a continuum. In a second part, the analysis focuses on the different types of predicative structures in Vietnamese. The variety of structures - nuclear and connective - is central to the study as well as the identification of the different functions. Finally, we present an analysis of "serial verb constructions" very common in Vietnamese, but actually reflecting very different realities. Throughout this study, we pay particular attention to the variation and change (reanalysis, lexicalizations, grammaticalizations), referring to the dynamics of the various structures and of the Vietnamese language itself.

Selecionamos consecutivamente 63 pacientes com doença mista do tecido conectivo (DMTC) (Kasukawa, 87) para determinar a relevância do padrão SD. Ter uma capilaroscopia periungueal (CPU) até cinco anos antes do início do estudo foi o principal critério de inclusão. Na entrada, avaliamos o envolvimento de órgãos e os auto-anticorpos. A idade média e o tempo de doença foram 45,3 + 10 e 8,45 + 5,42 anos, respectivamente. O padrão SD foi observado em 41 pacientes na entrada (65%) e em 45 na CPU prévia (71,5%), p = 0,20. Dez pacientes (16%) alteraram a CPU, 7 normalizaram e 3 desenvolveram padrão SD. O tempo de doença, número e freqüência de órgãos envolvidos foram semelhantes em pacientes com e sem padrão SD. Em contraste, a análise de cada parâmetro do padrão SD mostrou uma freqüência significativamente menor de áreas avasculares (AA) moderadas/graves na entrada, comparada com a CPU anterior (26,5 e 53%, p = 0,013). Além disto, 76% dos pacientes com doença intersticial pulmonar (TCAR) tiveram AA na entrada, enquanto apenas 24% dos pacientes com esta alteração não apresentavam este achado à CPU (p = 0,017). Adicionalmente, reduzida densidade capilar foi freqüentemente observada em pacientes submetidos à terapia imunossupressora, quando comparados com o grupo sem este tratamento (66,7 e 33,3%, p = 0,001). A CPU na DMTC é um processo dinâmico e a análise de cada parâmetro do padrão SD parece ser um bom indicador de doença intersticial pulmonar e gravidade de doença. / For determining the clinical relevance of SD-pattern in MCTD, sixty-three MCTD patients (Kasukawa´s criteria) were consecutively selected. The main inclusion criterion was availability of previous nailfold capillaroscopy (NC) 5 years before inclusion. At entry, organ involvement and autoantibody evaluation were performed. The mean age and disease duration were 45.3 + 10 and 8.45 + 5.42 years, respectively. SD-pattern was observed in 41 patients at entry (65%) and in 45 at previous NC (71.5%), p = 0.20. Ten patients (16%) changed NC, 7 normalized, and 3 developed SD-pattern. Disease duration, number and frequency of organ involvement were similar in patients with and without SD-pattern. In contrast, analysis of each SD-pattern parameter revealed a significant lower frequency of moderate/severe avascular areas (AA) at entry compared to previous examination (26.5 vs. 53%, p = 0.013). Moreover, 76% of patients with interstitial lung disease (HRCT) had AA at entry, whereas only 24% of patients with this alteration did not have this NC finding (p = 0.017). Furthermore, reduced capillary density was frequently observed in patients taking immunosuppressive therapy than those without (66.7 vs. 33.3%, p = 0.001). NC in MCTD is a dynamic process and analysis of each SD-pattern parameter seems to be a good indicator of lung involvement and disease severity

The insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and many of its downstream signaling components have long been implicated in tumor progression and resistance to therapy. The insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and IRS-2 adaptor proteins are two of the major downstream signaling intermediates of the IGF-1R. Despite their considerable homology, previous work in our lab and others has shown that IRS-1 and IRS-2 play divergent roles in breast cancer cells. Signaling through IRS-1 promotes cell proliferation, whereas signaling through IRS-2 promotes cell motility and invasion, as well as glycolysis. Moreover, using a mouse model of mammary tumorigenesis, our lab demonstrated that IRS-2 acts as a positive regulator of metastasis, while IRS-1 cannot compensate for this function. The focus of my thesis research is to understand how IRS-2, but not IRS-1, promotes breast carcinoma cell invasion and metabolism to support metastasis. In preliminary studies, I have found that IRS-1 and IRS-2 exhibit different expression patterns in both cell lines and human tumors with correlations to patient survival, which provides a potential mechanism for their distinct functions. The localization of IRS-1 and IRS-2 within separate intracellular compartments would determine their access to downstream effectors and substrates, and this would result in unique cellular outcomes. Specifically, I have observed that IRS-2, but not IRS-1, co-localizes with microtubules in breast carcinoma cell lines with implications for signaling through AKT and mTORC2. The goal of this research is to determine how the localization of IRS-2 contributes to its regulation of breast cancer progression and response to therapy and how this information could be used to better predict patient outcomes.

Selecionamos consecutivamente 63 pacientes com doença mista do tecido conectivo (DMTC) (Kasukawa, 87) para determinar a relevância do padrão SD. Ter uma capilaroscopia periungueal (CPU) até cinco anos antes do início do estudo foi o principal critério de inclusão. Na entrada, avaliamos o envolvimento de órgãos e os auto-anticorpos. A idade média e o tempo de doença foram 45,3 + 10 e 8,45 + 5,42 anos, respectivamente. O padrão SD foi observado em 41 pacientes na entrada (65%) e em 45 na CPU prévia (71,5%), p = 0,20. Dez pacientes (16%) alteraram a CPU, 7 normalizaram e 3 desenvolveram padrão SD. O tempo de doença, número e freqüência de órgãos envolvidos foram semelhantes em pacientes com e sem padrão SD. Em contraste, a análise de cada parâmetro do padrão SD mostrou uma freqüência significativamente menor de áreas avasculares (AA) moderadas/graves na entrada, comparada com a CPU anterior (26,5 e 53%, p = 0,013). Além disto, 76% dos pacientes com doença intersticial pulmonar (TCAR) tiveram AA na entrada, enquanto apenas 24% dos pacientes com esta alteração não apresentavam este achado à CPU (p = 0,017). Adicionalmente, reduzida densidade capilar foi freqüentemente observada em pacientes submetidos à terapia imunossupressora, quando comparados com o grupo sem este tratamento (66,7 e 33,3%, p = 0,001). A CPU na DMTC é um processo dinâmico e a análise de cada parâmetro do padrão SD parece ser um bom indicador de doença intersticial pulmonar e gravidade de doença. / For determining the clinical relevance of SD-pattern in MCTD, sixty-three MCTD patients (Kasukawa´s criteria) were consecutively selected. The main inclusion criterion was availability of previous nailfold capillaroscopy (NC) 5 years before inclusion. At entry, organ involvement and autoantibody evaluation were performed. The mean age and disease duration were 45.3 + 10 and 8.45 + 5.42 years, respectively. SD-pattern was observed in 41 patients at entry (65%) and in 45 at previous NC (71.5%), p = 0.20. Ten patients (16%) changed NC, 7 normalized, and 3 developed SD-pattern. Disease duration, number and frequency of organ involvement were similar in patients with and without SD-pattern. In contrast, analysis of each SD-pattern parameter revealed a significant lower frequency of moderate/severe avascular areas (AA) at entry compared to previous examination (26.5 vs. 53%, p = 0.013). Moreover, 76% of patients with interstitial lung disease (HRCT) had AA at entry, whereas only 24% of patients with this alteration did not have this NC finding (p = 0.017). Furthermore, reduced capillary density was frequently observed in patients taking immunosuppressive therapy than those without (66.7 vs. 33.3%, p = 0.001). NC in MCTD is a dynamic process and analysis of each SD-pattern parameter seems to be a good indicator of lung involvement and disease severity

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:23:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Davi Marcos Machado.pdf: 448497 bytes, checksum: 9f7a19fb13d50b4a4a08e568c575dd89 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-05-26 / Ending of century XX and mainly from the beginning of the XXI century, the popularization of the Internet access and the emergence of software which provide friendly environment for the inter-relationship of people in virtual space (MySpace, Orkut, Blogspot etc), has made the cyberspace to be occupied by a huge number of people with more diverse interests, which resulted in the appearance of virtual communities or social networks. These communities or networks are organized around several themes and interests. May simply be groups of adolescents who have fun to exchange views on some prominent personality in the media to communities that discuss issues such as education, philosophy, public health or groups that develop a project of great social or economic relevance. The objective of this research is to evaluate, through empirical analysis, based on the available literature, the feasibility of classifying the millions of virtual communities or social networks in just three major groups: virtual communities or social networks organized around projects, people and ideas. We believe that these three major groups are able to include all types of social groups in cyberspace, considering that each one has its peculiarities of organization and structure. "Project means a temporary business or a complex sequence of activities to provide a product. For people we considered the charismatic individual, able to attract other individuals to their environment, either by their capacity for leadership or the ability to provide interest information to a group of people. Ideas is meant a concept, a set of thoughts of an individual or a social group on any one topic, theory, point of view or opinion. The purpose of this classification (projects, people and ideas) is to identify the different forms of grouping, outlining the main features of each of these groups, the structure of the environment in which it is organized and dynamic. These settings can help people, institutions or companies who wish to use the cyberspace how environment of knowledge generation or development of activities or simply exchange ideas. From the characteristics of each type of community is possible to define the best structure and environment to be built, considering the interests and goals of those who structure the community or the network / No final do século XX e no início do século XXI, a popularização do acesso a Internet e o surgimento de softwares amigáveis e ambientes propícios à inter-relação de pessoas no espaço virtual (MySpace, Orkut, Blogspot etc) fez com que o ciberespaço passasse a ser povoado por um número imenso de pessoas com os mais diversos interesses, que resultou no surgimento de comunidades virtuais ou de redes sociais. Essas comunidades ou redes se organizam em torno dos mais diversos interesses. Podem ser grupos de adolescentes que se divertem ao trocar impressões sobre alguma personalidade em destaque na mídia até comunidades que debatem temas como educação, filosofia, saúde pública ou mesmo grupos que desenvolvem algum projeto de grande relevância social ou econômica. O objetivo desta pesquisa é avaliar a viabilidade de se classificar os milhões de comunidades virtuais ou redes sociais em apenas três grandes agrupamentos: comunidades ou redes organizadas em torno de projetos , de pessoas e de idéias . Acreditamos que esses três grandes grupos são capazes de comportar todos os tipos de agrupamentos sociais no ciberespaço, sendo que cada um deles possui suas peculiaridades de organização e estrutura. Entendemos por projeto um ação temporária que tempo por objetivo fornecer um produto singular. Por pessoas consideramos o individuo carismático, com capacidade de atração de outros indivíduos para seu entorno; e por idéias se entende um conceito, um conjunto de pensamentos ou concepções de um indivíduo ou de um grupo social sobre um tema qualquer. O objetivo de tal classificação (projetos, pessoas e idéias) é identificar as diferentes formas de agrupamento e apontar suas principais características. Tais definições podem contribuir com pessoas, instituições ou empresas que pretendam utilizar o ciberespaço como ambiente de geração de conhecimento ou de desenvolvimento de atividades ou simplesmente troca de idéias. A partir das características de cada tipo de comunidade é possível se definir qual a melhor estrutura, levando-se em conta o interesse e objetivo de quem estrutura a comunidade ou a rede

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is present in elevated proportions and numbers in dental bacterial biofilms of patients with localized aggressive periodontitis. This variant of periodontal disease, occurring in adolescents and young adults, is characterized by rapid and severe destruction of the connective tissues and bone supporting the teeth, eventually culminating in tooth loss. The cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt) is a newly discovered bacterial protein toxin, uniquely present in A. actinomycetemcomitans among all known to-date oral bacterial species. The Cdt has the capacity to inhibit mammalian cell growth, but its putative role in the pathogenesis of the disease is unclear. The aim of this in vitro work has been to study the effects of A. actinomycetemcomitans on periodontal connective tissue cell cultures, and to evaluate the possible involvement of its Cdt. A. actinomycetemcomitans inhibited the proliferation of gingival and periodontal ligament fibroblasts, as a result of a combined arrest at the G1 and G2/M phases of the cell cycle. This growth inhibition was non-lethal and the cells remained metabolically active, although their DNA synthesis was reduced. The intoxicated cells exhibited increased size and irregular structure, characterized by distension and elongation. This cellular enlargement occurred in both G1 and G2/M phase arrested cells. The Cdt of A. actinomycetemcomitans was responsible for the observed growth inhibition, as well as the concomitant morphological alterations. The possible induction of inflammatory cytokines related to bone resorption was investigated in response to A. actinomycetemcomitans, and the involvement of Cdt was evaluated. Extensive focus was given to the study of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) expression, a membrane-bound ligand that signals osteoclast progenitors to differentiate and fuse into mature osteoclasts, activating bone resorption. It was demonstrated that A. actinomycetemcomitans induced RANKL mRNA and protein expression in the cells studied, but did not affect the expression of its decoy receptor, osteoprotegerin. This induction was solely attributed to its Cdt, as demonstrated by the use of a cdt-knockout A. actinomycetemcomitans strain, purified recombinant Cdt, and antibodies blocking the Cdt. In addition, this event was not mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines known to stimulate RANKL. Interleukin-6 mRNA and protein expression were also enhanced by A. actinomycetemcomitans, but Cdt had limited involvement in this enhancement. In conclusion, two distinct mechanisms by which A. actinomycetemcomitans Cdt may be involved in the pathogenesis of localized aggressive periodontitis are proposed. Firstly, the growth arrest of the resident fibroblasts may impair the physiological connective tissue remodelling equilibrium and lead to connective tissue attachment loss. Secondly, the induction of RANKL by these cells, residing in the proximity of the alveolar bone, may locally stimulate osteoclastogenesis and promote alveolar bone resorption. This work also provides further insights to the understanding of Cdt mechanisms of action, contributing to the global characterization of the toxin’s virulence.