University Of Bordeaux Research Articles

Volumetric and Asymmetric Index Analysis of Subcortical Structures in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Retrospective Study Using volBrain Software.

Introduction Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and autoimmune disease that has a significant influence on the central nervous system, such as the brain and spinal cord, affecting millions of individuals globally. Understanding the connection between subcortical brain regions and MS is crucial for effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for treating this disabling disease. This study explores the relationship between volume and contours of asymmetry index of subcortical brain regions in individuals with MS using volBrain software (https://www.volbrain.net; developed by José V.Manjón (Valencia Polytechnic University, Valencia, Spain) and Pierrick Coupé (University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France)). Methods In our retrospective investigation, we admitted 100 Turkish individuals, comprising 50 patients diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) (24 (48%) males and 26 (52%) females) and 50 healthy controls (23 (46%) males and 27 (54%) females), registered between October 2017 and February 2022 for five years and underwent assessment in the radiology department at the Teaching and Research Hospital of Kocaeli University; 1,150 Turkish patients were excluded from our study based on our exclusion criteria. We used magnetic resonance imaging with a 3-Tesla (3T) scanner and volBrain software to assess volumes (cm3) and asymmetry indexes due to asymmetry for different levels of atrophy of total intracranial, total brain, gray matter, white matter, and subcortical regions, the most affected regions in MS patients for both patient and control cohorts. Results Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference between patient and control groups (p < 0.001), with patient group mean age at 38.32 years and control group mean age at 32.88 years. Patient group exhibited lower values for total intracranial, total brain, gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid volume compared to control group (p < 0.05). The results indicated a statistically significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the values for total intracranial and total brain volume, whereas all other values remained unchanged. We compared volumes of subcortical structures on the right and left sides and found that the putamen, thalamus, and globus pallidus had statistically lower values in the patient group than in the control group (p < 0.001), apart from the lateral ventricle. Furthermore, our retrospective investigation demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the globus pallidus asymmetry index, indicating a preference for the patient group (p < 0.05). A lower asymmetry index value signifies a larger volume for the right side of the subcortical regions of the brain when compared to the left side. Conclusion Brain atrophy, although characterized by irreversible tissue damage, is targeted by therapeutic interventions to prevent progression. It is, therefore, imperative to develop a universally accepted measurement standard for subcortical structures that also considers the inherent variability present within each structure. Our findings serve as an important basis and indicator for the determination of subcortical atrophy and asymmetry in MS, the prognosis of the disease, and the etiology of clinical symptoms. Subsequent research may benefit by adopting the novel approach of considering brain atrophy as an outcome rather than a predictor, thereby facilitating the elucidation of the intricate biological mechanisms that give rise to volume loss.

Highly Enantioselective Synthesis of Pharmaceuticals at Chiral-Encoded Metal Surfaces.

Invited for the cover of this issue are the groups of Chularat Wattanakit and Alexander Kuhn at the Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology and the University of Bordeaux. The two tunnels in the image illustrate the entrance into a porous heterogeneous catalyst for the stereoselective transformation of adrenalone into the desired epinephrine stereoisomer. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202302054.

From the shore to the open sea: A historian’s journey towards vernacular cosmopolitanism

This article retraces the career of historian Fabien Sabatier, Professor at the University of Bordeaux. The author presents, from an ego-historical perspective, the stages of his scientific career. In the course of the two decades that have passed since then, the historian presents the chronology of a change of course, both in terms of the research objects and the epistemology. His intellectual and emotional path allows us to grasp the reasons for a profound renewal of his contribution to scientific knowledge. Thus, from writing about the history of French workers’ sport (1907–2008), Fabien Sabatier gradually opted for the study of systemic discrimination in Europe captured through the prism of vernacular cosmopolitanism. Defending the social role of the historian, his itinerary shows us how the historian of “sport” can take his or her rightful place in politically engaged interdisciplinary groups.

Synthesis and Crystallographic Characterization of Helical Hairpin Oligourea Foldamers

AbstractInvited for the cover of this issue is the group of Gilles Guichard at the University of Bordeaux. The image depicts sketches and technical drawing tools to illustrate the creation and precise characterization of foldamer tertiary structures. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202300087.

COGNITIVE, LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF BILINGUAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND PRE-SCHOOLS IN THE CITY OF BORDEAUX IN FRANCE

The scientific article explores the educational activities of bilingual primary schools and preschools in the city of Bordeaux in France. The research carried out is the result of the author's scientific internship at the University of Bordeaux 3. It has been established that the educational process in bilingual schools is aimed at achieving a single goal - high-quality language learning, which is important in today's conditions and contributes to the implementation of its linguistic aspect. Pupils of bilingual classes have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a bilingual environment on a daily basis under the constant attention of qualified specialists in bilingual education. All necessary conditions are created so that children learn easily and are maximally interested in the educational process. In the conditions of bilingual education, it is typical for teachers to actively use interactive methods of educational foreign language activities, since the degree of perception and assimilation of knowledge by students depends on the correct choice of teaching methods, the way of presenting and explaining the topic of the lesson. This significantly strengthens the cognitive aspect of bilingual education. Having analyzed the activity of bilingual schools in the city of Bordeaux, we can single out the characteristic features of their functioning: the activity of bilingual classes is focused on teaching one or more non-linguistic disciplines in two languages: native and foreign; admission of students to bilingual classes is based on voluntariness and conscious choice; functioning of bilingual classes is carried out under the constant attention of the Ministry of Education, departments and national councils on education, as well as the management of educational institutions; one of the factors of the successful functioning of bilingual classes is the professional training of the teacher; study in bilingual classes ends with passing the exam for a Bachelor's degree marked "European" or "international", which gives the opportunity to continue studying in leading educational institutions in Europe and the world.

Haut potentiel intellectuel, enjeux d’un bilan psychologique intégratif en clinique de l’adolescent. À propos d’une étude de cas

IntroductionWith a prevalence of 2.3% among French schoolchildren aged 6 to 16, giftedness represents a challenge in child psychiatry (Delaubier, 2002). Dys-synchronies can appear in the different domains of intelligence, associated with eclectic symptoms: hypersensitivity, anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity, oppositional disorder as well as conduct disorders. The psychological assessment can constitute an opportunity to identify and evaluate giftedness functioning in order to advise an adapted treatment in the guidance of these children and teenagers, and to guarantee them the most harmonious global development. MethodThe method used was that of a case study. was received within clinical research carried out at the University of Bordeaux for the realization of a psychological assessment. The objective of the assessment was to investigate and understand the polymorphic anxiety domain but also the impossibility for Minerva to attend middle school, with the result that she was home schooled with the National Center for Distance Learning (CNED). Over two half-days, we were able to successively carry out the anamnestic interview, a semi-structured interview, the K-SADS, the evaluation of cognitive functioning with the WISC-V, various projective tests such as the TAT, the Rorschach test, a drawing of a man and a family, as well as various scales in self and hetero-evaluation. ResultsThe K-SADS clarified the psychopathological situation as well as the family, social and school impact of this invasive case of anxiety. The results of the WISC-V showed an intellectual potential between 117 and 129, with areas of high efficiency for the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI=146) and the Working Memory Index (WMI=122). The profile, although not reaching the recommended 130 in global IQ, is consistent with high intellectual potential when the performance is impacted by the situation of parasitic anxiety and a sedative medication. The projective tests as well as the drawings of the man and the family, demonstrated the extent of the considerable rigid defense mechanisms and of avoidance, but also of the hyper investment of the intellectualization processes. ConclusionThe screening of high intellectual potential represents a clinical challenge in view of the lack of diagnostic recommendations as well as the disparity of information accumulated in research on their characteristics. The holistic approach of the psychological assessment appears to be a solution allowing to situate the individual's psychic functioning in a constitutive zone of the "high intellectual potential" profile, which should also be at the service of the global therapeutic management.

Primary role of type I interferons for the induction of functionally optimal antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in HIV infection

CD8+ T cells equipped with a full arsenal of antiviral effector functions are critical for effective immune control of HIV-1. It has nonetheless remained unclear how best to elicit such potent cellular immune responses in the context of immunotherapy or vaccination. HIV-2 has been associated with milder disease manifestations and more commonly elicits functionally replete virus-specific CD8+ T cell responses compared with HIV-1. We aimed to learn from this immunological dichotomy and to develop informed strategies that could enhance the induction of robust CD8+ T cell responses against HIV-1. We developed an unbiased invitro system to compare the de novo induction of antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses after exposure to HIV-1 or HIV-2. The functional properties of primed CD8+ T cells were assessed using flow cytometry and molecular analyses of gene transcription. HIV-2 primed functionally optimal antigen-specific CD8+ T cells with enhanced survival properties more effectively than HIV-1. This superior induction process was dependent on type I interferons (IFNs) and could be mimicked via the adjuvant delivery of cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), a known agonist of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING). CD8+ T cells elicited in the presence of cGAMP were polyfunctional and highly sensitive to antigen stimulation, even after priming from people living with HIV-1. HIV-2 primes CD8+ T cells with potent antiviral functionality by activating the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/STING pathway, which results in the production of type I IFNs. This process may be amenable to therapeutic development via the use of cGAMP or other STING agonists to bolster CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity against HIV-1. This work was funded by INSERM, the Institut Curie, and the University of Bordeaux (Senior IdEx Chair) and by grants from Sidaction (17-1-AAE-11097, 17-1-FJC-11199, VIH2016126002, 20-2-AEQ-12822-2, and 22-2-AEQ-13411), the Agence Nationale de la Recherche sur le SIDA (ECTZ36691, ECTZ25472, ECTZ71745, and ECTZ118797), and the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (EQ U202103012774). D.A.P. was supported by a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award (100326/Z/12/Z).

Meet the First Authors.

Meet the First Authors.

An interview with Vladimir Tikhonchuk

Vladimir Tikhonchuk, Professor Emeritus at Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, University of Bordeaux, France, and senior researcher at the Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, ELI-Beamlines Facility, Czech Republic. His research is in the domain of high energy density physics and nonlinear optics, including inertial confinement fusion (ICF), dynamic processes in laboratory astrophysics, laser–plasma interactions, excitation of parametric instabilities, generation of magnetic and electric fields, acceleration of charged particles and energy transport.

Abstracts of the International Science of Aphasia Conference, University of Bordeaux, September 2022

Abstracts and programme of the International Science of Aphasia Conference, University of Bordeaux, September 12-15, 2022

Realist evaluation of three programmes aimed at reducing harm and risks associated with alcohol consumption in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region of France: the ECIAE study protocol

IntroductionIn Europe, alcohol consumption is responsible for many diseases, disabilities, injuries and premature deaths. In France, alcohol consumption represents an important health burden, due to its frequency, scale and the...

Validation of the Mental Health Literacy Scale in French University Students

Background: Mental health literacy is a determinant of mental health, which can facilitate early detection of psychological problems and endorse timely access to care. Instruments to measure mental health literacy exist, but not in French. Assessment of mental health literacy in young adults is essential to tailor appropriate educational interventions promoting psychological wellbeing and preventing mental health problems in this vulnerable population. The aim of this study was to validate the French version of the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS-FR) in university students. Methods: A total of 482 students from the University of Bordeaux, France, completed the translated version of the scale. Collected data were used to validate the MHLS-FR through psychometric analyses: descriptive statistics, item distribution, test-retest reliability, exploratory structural equation model, confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients, and hypothesis testing. Results: The final scale included 26 items covering 6 dimensions. Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients were 0.744 and 0.961, respectively. With test-retest, about 50% of items had intraclass correlation coefficients superior to 0.5. Conclusions: The MHLS-FR can be considered as a valid and reliable instrument for measuring mental health literacy in French students.

Blending the English Programme for Sports Science Students: a Win-win Situation for Engagement?

This article describes the re-design of an English course for third‑year sports science students into a blended format at the school of Human and Social Sciences of University of Bordeaux. Online modules enable students to prepare for face‑to‑face classes in small groups with a focus on oral interaction and task-based learning. Here, we describe the rationale behind the course, the course architecture and activities before analysing feedback from both students and teachers. The aim of our study is to examine the impact of the course re-design on the learner. We investigate whether the course fosters greater engagement and encourages students to take on more responsibility for their learning. We also discuss the reactions of the teachers to the course and the impact it has on their role in the classroom.

Evaluation of antibacterial and antifungal activities of N-benzylthienopyrimidinone derivatives

This study is part of the biological investigation of the chemical library of molecules already described by the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry and Therapeutic Chemistry of the University of Bordeaux. The main objective was to explore the contribution of a thienyl moiety attached to the pyrimidinone nucleus, in the expression of an antimicrobial activity.&#x0D; The structural modifications mainly concerned the conservation or not of the benzo fragment attached to the thienyl, the saturation or not in position-1,2 of the pyrimidinone ring, the substitution on N-benzyl with more or less lipophilic units, the modification of the orientation of the thienyl fragment with, on the one hand, the compounds in which the sulfur is located near the N1 nitrogen (series of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-ones) and on the other hand, compounds in which the sulfur is located near the ketone group (series of thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-ones).&#x0D; In general, thienyl fragment with sulfur located near the ketone group and the unsaturated pyrimidinone nucleus in the 1,2-position, seem to promote a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, with compound 9c which is active on both Gram + bacteria and Gram – bacteria studied. The same pattern was observed for antifungal activity, which is maximum with the compounds of the thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-ones series for an MIC of 31.25 μg/ml on the strains of Candida albicans and Candida kruzei studied.&#x0D; Keywords: Thienopyrimidinones, antibacterial activity, antifungal activity.

Persistence of Vaccine Hesitancy and Acceptance of the EU Covid Certificate Among French Students

Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy among young adults is a current public health issue that needs to be addressed considering the seasonally driven waves of disease and the administration of vaccine boosters. As a prevention measure, the EU Covid certificate had been implemented to increase vaccine uptake, but its application was controversial. Our study investigated students’ opinions and attitudes towards Covid-19 vaccination and the EU Covid certificate through a mixed-methods design. An 18-item questionnaire was administered to 200 students during a vaccination campaign in September 2021 at the University of Bordeaux, France. Simultaneously, 30 students attended a semi-structured interview. Collected data were analyzed separately then discussed together through a parallel and convergent approach. Results showed that vaccine hesitancy was high among students, mostly from fear of short-term side effects. However, respondents decided to get vaccinated to obtain the EU Covid certificate, even if they considered it as a violation of their freedom. Straightforward communication about Covid-19 vaccination did not reach students, although this was a strong expectation from governmental and health institutions. Findings suggest that key health personnel should provide evidence-based information about vaccines in efforts of building trust with young people.

Employability within an Education for Sustainability Framework: The Ocean i3 Case Study

The Council of the European Union recalls that higher education plays a fundamental role in shaping the future of Europe. Therefore, curricula are required to take into account the competences demanded by the job market so that future workers can effectively undertake their professional activities and form part of an active, responsible, ecological, sustainable, and resilient society. Ocean i3 is a cross-border project with the aim of achieving sustainability in the oceans by training students to become environmentally concerned and responsible professionals. This study explores the perception of students and teachers regarding their participation in Ocean i3 and their understanding of employability. A qualitative methodological approach has been used, based on a case study in which semi-structured interviews have been carried out and the Elevator Pitch presentation technique has been applied. Nine students and four teachers from the University of the Basque Country and the University of Bordeaux have been interviewed. The results highlight the importance of the participants’ first contact with the project, the need to be explicit regarding competences that favour employability during the development of the experience, and the need to increase and reinforce internships at social entities located in the territory. It is concluded that the project should focus more explicitly on the concept of employability to raise students’ awareness of the impact that their current participation in Ocean i3 can have on their professional future and insertion in the workplace.

Niels Keiding (1944–2022)

Niels Keiding (1944–2022)

L'influence de Husserl en Russie au début du XXème siècle et son impact sur les émigrés russes de Prague

Maryse DENNES (University of Bordeaux III) : «Husserl's influence in Russia in the Beginning of the XXth Century and on the Russian Emigrés in Prague»&#x0D; In Russia, in the beginning of the twentieth century, Husserl’s work influenced some Russian philosophers who would later be in Prague (N. Losskij, B. Jakovenko). At Moscow university, R. Jakobson studied the «Logical researches» at first, then he met G. Špet, the leader of the Russian phenomenologic school. Špet's contribution to the activities of the Moscow Linguistic Circle was of main importance for Russian linguists who would later participate to the Prague Linguistic Circle (R. Jakobson, P. Bogatyrev). Considering the influence of phenomenology in Russia, we can also mention the importance of Baxtin's and Tynjanov's thoughts for the work of the Prague Linguist Circle.

Broca’s legacy: fame not shame

I read the article ‘Paul Broca: from fame to shame?’ with great interest.1 Its balanced presentation compels the readership to weigh in on one view or the other—especially since the title ends in a question mark! Broca, born and raised in the Bordeaux region of France, was unquestionably one of the great clinical neuroanatomists of the 19th century. This recognition led to naming a neuroscience building at the University of Bordeaux after him; this decision is now questioned because of his beliefs in physical anthropology.1 The Broca example is more useful to study if we begin by placing his ideas into the context of his time. Before race became ‘a baseless social construct,’1 intellectual elite and religious scholars had already been discussing the origin of ‘mankind’ (note, the use of the currently preferred term ‘humankind’ would be anachronistic) for centuries. Charles Darwin’s Origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life was published in 1859 and his second major work on evolution, The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex, was published in 1871. These works, and their spirited discussion among religious and secular scholars, quickly and radically changed thoughts about mankind’s origin. These discussions in Paris were further complicated by an ongoing battle between secular savants and the Roman Catholic Church; as the 19th century progressed, French society became progressively more secular.2,3 Contemporary scholars, who were not strictly wedded to a literal interpretation of creationism, were split between two opposing, but not directly testable, theories: monogenism (humanity had a single origin) and polygenism (human races are of different origins). Monogenism was compatible with scientific variations on creationism that were proliferating; polygenism was incompatible and almost uniformly embraced by secular French scholars by the 1820s. Atheist members of the lay public favoured polygenism because it contradicted the biblical account of human creation and because it appeared more scientific. It should be remembered that Broca had founded a society of ‘freethinkers’ (at the time, essentially a synonym for atheists) in Paris in 1848 and the Société d’anthropologie de Paris in 1859, the year Darwin published Origin of species.2,3

Enhancing the learning of evolutionary anthropology skills by combining student-active teaching with actual and virtual immersion of Master's students in fieldwork, laboratory practice, and dissemination.

Higher education in evolutionary anthropology involves providing students with in‐depth knowledge of biological and cultural heritage sites and collections that are frequently inaccessible. Indeed, most sites, fossils, and archaeological remains can be visited or manipulated only rarely and solely by specialists with extensive experience. Owing to the development of 3D and medical imaging techniques, this fragile heritage is now more widely accessible, and in a dynamic way. However, exclusive adoption of virtual teaching and learning has a negative impact on student engagement and, naturally, on exchanges with instructors, and thus cannot be used without some reservations. In the ITAP (Immersion dans les Terrains de l’Anthropologie biologique et de la Préhistoire) project of the higher education STEP (Soutien à la Transformation et à l’Expérimentation Pédagogiques) transformation program at the University of Bordeaux, we combine student‐active teaching with Master's students fully immersed in ongoing fieldwork, laboratory study, and dissemination of research results in order to develop more individually shaped learning curricula and to foster both professional and new interdisciplinary skills. Here, we present examples of experiments conducted in the ITAP project using both authentic and virtual collections of archaeological, experimental, and reference materials that help to break down the barriers between research activities and higher education, as well as providing a more general appraisal of the appropriate use of virtual tools in higher education by combining them with real‐life situations.