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The interaction of the northern Nazca and southwestern Caribbean oceanic plates with northwestern South America (NWSA) and the collision of the Panama‐Choco arc (PCA) have significant implications on the evolution of the northern Andes. Based on a quantitative kinematic reconstruction of the Caribbean and Farallon/Farallon‐derived plates, we reconstructed the subducting geometries beneath NWSA and the PCA accretion to the continent. The persistent northeastward migration of the Caribbean plate relative to NWSA in Cenozoic time caused the continuous northward advance of the Farallon‐Caribbean plate boundary, which in turn resulted in its progressive concave trench bending against NWSA. The increasing complexity during the Paleogene included the onset of Caribbean shallow subduction, the PCA approaching the continent, and the forced shallow Farallon subduction that ended in the fragmentation of the Farallon Plate into the Nazca and Cocos plates and the Coiba and Malpelo microplates by the late Oligocene. The convergence tectonics after late Oligocene comprised the accretional process of the PCA to NWSA, which evolved from subduction erosion of the forearc to collisional tectonics by the middle Miocene, as well as changes of convergence angle and slab dip of the Farallon‐derived plates, and the attachment of the Coiba and Malpelo microplates to the Nazca plate around 9 Ma, resulting in a change of convergence directions. During the Pliocene, the Nazca slab broke at 5.5°N, shaping the modern configuration. Overall, the proposed reconstruction is supported by geophysical data and is well correlated with the magmatic and deformation history of the northern Andes. Plain Language Summary: The tectonic reconstruction in convergent triple junctions is a particularly challenging task as the relative motion between plates could define highly changing boundaries. Indeed, the resulting interaction between these convergent plates may induce important changes in the disposition of the trenches, and in turn in the three‐dimensional geometry of the subducting plates. Therefore, these highly dynamic conditions throughout geological time may be accommodated by different phases of plate fragmentation and reorganization. These factors could explain the complex spatial‐temporal distribution of subduction‐related magmatism and the different episodes of deformation in the upper plates. This reasoning is validated in the northwestern corner of South America (SA), where the continent has been converging against the Caribbean and Farallon‐derived oceanic plates since Cretaceous time. Additionally, we study the effects of the collision and accretion of the Panama‐Choco arc with SA. To accomplish that, we review the kinematic history of the Farallon/Nazca and Caribbean oceanic plates relative to stable Guiana Craton (SA) and integrate these results with the magmatic and deformation evolution of the northern Andes, which allow us to propose a model of the geometrical evolution of the subducting slabs. The obtained model is additionally constrained by seismological data and published velocity anomalies. Key Points: The tectonics of convergent triple junctions is complicated by the relative plate motion and interaction of the involved platesWe propose a model for the kinematic and geometric evolution of the Farallon/Nazca and Caribbean plates throughout the CenozoicThe interaction between the Caribbean, Nazca and South American plates is closely related to the deformation history in the Northern Andes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the use of augmented radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with sugar solution in pancreatic tissue. The study was conducted on ex vivo swine pancreases and aimed to analyze the effects of RFA with sugar solution on pancreatic perivascular tissue. The results showed that pancreatic percutaneous needle ablation with sugar-RFA resulted in a larger ablation area with adiponecrosis compared to saline-RFA and RFA alone. The authors suggest that this technique may have potential applications in pancreatic cancer surgery. [Extracted from the article]

This multicenter study aimed to assess the performances of gradient diffusion (GD) method in comparison to broth microdilution (BMD) method for susceptibility testing of dalbavancin, daptomycin, vancomycin, and teicoplanin. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) were retrospectively determined concomitantly by BMD and GD methods, for 93 staphylococci and enterococci isolated from clinical samples. BMD was considered as the gold standard. Essential (EA) and categorical agreements (CA) were calculated. Discordant categorical results were categorized as major (ME) and very major errors (VME). EA and CA were 95.7% and 96.8%, 82.8% and 100%, 97.8% and 96.8%, and 94.6% and 95.7% for dalbavancin, daptomycin, vancomycin, and teicoplanin respectively. Concerning dalbavancin, 3 ME without any VME were observed and discrepancies were low (≤ to 2 two-fold dilutions) between both methods. VME were noted in 1 and 3 cases for vancomycin and teicoplanin, respectively, and resulted from 1 two-fold dilution discrepancy in each case. EA was lower for daptomycin. When they were discrepant, BMD MICs were systematically higher than GD ones. Nevertheless, no categorical discrepancy was noted. GD appears as an acceptable and convenient alternative for dalbavancin, vancomycin, and teicoplanin MICs determination. Our study also emphasizes how achieving accurate daptomycin MICs remains challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the use of augmented radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with sugar solution in ex vivo pancreatic tissue. The study was conducted on swine pancreases and aimed to analyze the effects of RFA modulation applied with an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) needle in the pancreatic perivascular tissue. The results showed that sugar-RFA resulted in a larger ablation area with less adiponecrosis compared to saline-RFA and RFA alone. The authors suggest that this technique could potentially be applied to pancreatic cancer surgery in the future. [Extracted from the article]

Studies have linked maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and hyperglycaemia with metabolic and neurodevelopmental complications in childhood. DNA methylation (DNAm) might enable foetal adaptations to environmental adversities through important gene loci. NEGR1 is involved in both energy balance and behaviour regulation. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between placental DNAm at the NEGR1 gene locus and childhood anthropometric and neurodevelopmental profiles in preschoolers. We analysed 276 mother-child dyads from Gen3G, a prospective birth cohort from Sherbrooke. At 3yo (40.4 ± 3.0 months), we measured body mass index (BMI) and the mothers reported on offspring neurobehavior using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We quantified DNAm levels at 30 CpGs at the NEGR1 locus using the MethylationEPIC Array in placental biopsies. DNAm at four CpGs located before NEGR1 second exon predicted child's BMI z-score (cg26153364: β=−0.16 ± 0.04; p=0.008, cg23166710: β=0.14 ± 0.08; p=0.03) and SDQ total score (cg04932878: β=0.22 ± 1.0; p= 3.0x10−4, cg16525738: β=−0.14 ± 0.18; p=0.01, cg23166710: β=−0.13 ± 0.36; p= 0.04), explaining 4.2% (p=0.003) and 7.3% (p= 1.3 x 10−4) of BMI-z and SDQ variances. cg23166710 was associated with both childhood phenotypes and correlated with NEGR1 placental expression (r=−0.22, p=0.04), suggesting its possible functional role. Together, maternal metabolic characteristics during pregnancy with NEGR1 DNAm levels explained 7.4% (p=4.2 x 10−4) of BMI-z and 14.2% (p=2.8 x 10−7) of SDQ variance at 3yo. This longitudinal study suggests that placental NEGR1 DNAm is associated with adiposity and neurodevelopment in preschool children and highlights its potential role in their comorbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L'Evaluation d'Impact sur la Santé (EIS) se développe au niveau international et est encore au stade émergent en France. Elle vise à évaluer les effets positifs et négatifs potentiels d'un projet, d'un programme ou d'une politique sur la santé. L'objectif est de produire des recommandations en direction des décideurs, afin d'en maximiser les effets positifs et d'en diminuer les effets négatifs. L'EIS est un moyen particulièrement intéressant d'action sur les déterminants de la santé au-delà des comportements individuels et du système de santé. Les politiques de logement, de transport, de solidarité, économiques, etc. ont, en effet, des impacts souvent non prévus sur la santé. Au-delà des effets sur la santé, l'EIS doit aussi permettre d'apprécier la distribution de ces effets dans la population.Si la préoccupation pour l'équité en santé est centrale dans l'EIS, elle reste cependant difficilement traduite en pratique. Face à cette difficulté, des démarches d'évaluation d'impact ont été développées pour renforcer la prise en compte de l'équité à chaque étape de l'EIS ou « Equity Focused Health Impact Assessment », ou prendre en compte les impacts sur les inégalités de santé de façon spécifique. Ainsi, l'Evaluation de l'Impact sur l'Equité en Santé (EIES) semble, par exemple, particulièrement intéressante pour évaluer l'impact sur les inégalités de projets dans le champ sanitaire.L'EIS et l'EIES posent de nombreuses questions de recherche, notamment autour de la réunion, dans une même démarche, du politique, du citoyen et de l'expert. La participation des populations vulnérables potentiellement affectées par la politique évaluée est une valeur centrale de l'EIS, mais pose des questions d'acceptabilité sociale. La collaboration avec les décideurs politiques est également un enjeu majeur. Les difficultés méthodologiques, notamment de quantification des impacts, peuvent constituer des freins à la promotion de la démarche auprès des décideurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and safety of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided percutaneous biopsy of mediastinal masses performed using a wide-bore high-field scanner.Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study of 16 consecutive patients (8 male, 8 female; mean age 74 years) who underwent MRI-guided core needle biopsy of a mediastinal mass between February 2010 and January 2014. Size and location of lesion, approach taken, time for needle placement, overall duration of procedure, and post-procedural complications were evaluated. Technical success rates and correlation with surgical pathology (where available) were assessed.Results: Target lesions were located in the anterior (n = 13), middle (n = 2), and posterior mediastinum (n = 1), respectively. Mean size was 7.2 cm (range 3.6-11 cm). Average time for needle placement was 9.4 min (range 3-18 min); average duration of entire procedure was 42 min (range 27-62 min). 2-5 core samples were obtained from each lesion (mean 2.6). Technical success rate was 100%, with specimens successfully obtained in all 16 patients. There were no immediate complications. Histopathology revealed malignancy in 12 cases (4 of which were surgically confirmed), benign lesions in 3 cases (1 of which was false negative following surgical resection), and one inconclusive specimen (treated as inaccurate since repeat CT-guided biopsy demonstrated thymic hyperplasia). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy in our study were 92.3, 100, 100, 66.7, and 87.5%, respectively.Conclusion: MRI-guided mediastinal biopsy is a safe procedure with high diagnostic accuracy, which may offer a non-ionizing alternative to CT guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is an emerging zoonotic disease. The causative agent is a virus (CCHFV), mainly transmitted by ticks of the species Hyalomma marginatum in Eastern Europe and Turkey. In order to test potential scenarios for the control of pathogen spread, the basic reproduction number ( R) for CCHF was calculated. This calculation was based on a population dynamics model and parameter values from the literature for pathogen transmission. The tick population dynamics model takes into account the major processes involved and gives estimates for tick survival from one stage to the other and number of feeding ticks. It also considers the influence of abiotic (meteorological variables) and biotic factors (host densities) on model outputs, which were compared with data collected in Central Anatolia (Turkey). R computation was thereafter used to test control strategies and especially the effect of acaricide treatment. Simulation results indicate that such treatments could have valuable effects provided that the acaricide is applied regularly throughout the spring and summer, and over several years. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis to abiotic and biotic factors showed that, even though temperature has a strong impact on model outputs, host (mainly hare) densities also play a role. The kind of model we have developed provides insight into the ability of different strategies to prevent and control disease spread and has proved its relevance when associated with field trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine whether MRI allows safe and accurate guidance for biopsies of renal masses. Materials and methods: Between May 2010 and September 2013, 26 patients (15 men and 11 women) with 26 renal masses underwent MRI-guided percutaneous biopsy. For each patient, we retrospectively collected the epidemiological, procedural and histopathological data. Results: Mean size of tumour was 3.6 cm (range 0.6 - 9 cm). Mean procedure time was 48 minutes (range 37 - 70 min). Malignancy was found in the percutaneous samples in 81 % (21/26) of the masses. All these cases were considered as true positive biopsies. Benignity was found in the percutaneous samples in 5/26 (19 %) of the masses but was confirmed only in 3 cases. The other 2 cases included one false negative case and one undetermined biopsy, as patient was lost to follow-up. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of this study were 95.4 %, 100 %, 100 %, 75 % and 96 %, respectively Conclusion: MRI-guidance is safe and accurate to target renal masses. Key Points: • Percutaneous interventions can be performed with MRI- guidance • MRI offers real- time multiplanar imaging capabilities without radiation • MRI- guidance allows to target renal tumours [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are under evaluation as a therapy for ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). Both autologous and allogeneic MSC therapies are possible; however, their safety and efficacy have not been compared.Objective: To test whether allogeneic MSCs are as safe and effective as autologous MSCs in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction due to ICM.Design, Setting, and Patients: A phase 1/2 randomized comparison (POSEIDON study) in a US tertiary-care referral hospital of allogeneic and autologous MSCs in 30 patients with LV dysfunction due to ICM between April 2, 2010, and September 14, 2011, with 13-month follow-up.Intervention: Twenty million, 100 million, or 200 million cells (5 patients in each cell type per dose level) were delivered by transendocardial stem cell injection into 10 LV sites.Main Outcome Measures: Thirty-day postcatheterization incidence of predefined treatment-emergent serious adverse events (SAEs). Efficacy assessments included 6-minute walk test, exercise peak VO2, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), New York Heart Association class, LV volumes, ejection fraction (EF), early enhancement defect (EED; infarct size), and sphericity index.Results: Within 30 days, 1 patient in each group (treatment-emergent SAE rate, 6.7%) was hospitalized for heart failure, less than the prespecified stopping event rate of 25%. The 1-year incidence of SAEs was 33.3% (n = 5) in the allogeneic group and 53.3% (n = 8) in the autologous group (P = .46). At 1 year, there were no ventricular arrhythmia SAEs observed among allogeneic recipients compared with 4 patients (26.7%) in the autologous group (P = .10). Relative to baseline, autologous but not allogeneic MSC therapy was associated with an improvement in the 6-minute walk test and the MLHFQ score, but neither improved exercise VO2 max. Allogeneic and autologous MSCs reduced mean EED by −33.21% (95% CI, −43.61% to −22.81%; P < .001) and sphericity index but did not increase EF. Allogeneic MSCs reduced LV end-diastolic volumes. Low-dose concentration MSCs (20 million cells) produced greatest reductions in LV volumes and increased EF. Allogeneic MSCs did not stimulate significant donor-specific alloimmune reactions.Conclusions: In this early-stage study of patients with ICM, transendocardial injection of allogeneic and autologous MSCs without a placebo control were both associated with low rates of treatment-emergent SAEs, including immunologic reactions. In aggregate, MSC injection favorably affected patient functional capacity, quality of life, and ventricular remodeling.Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01087996. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NE Atlantic Ocean opened progressively between Greenland and NW Europe during the Cenozoic. Seafloor spreading occurred along three ridge systems: the Reykjanes Ridge south of Iceland, the Mohns Ridge north of the Jan Mayen Fracture Zone (JMFZ), and the Aegir and Kolbeinsey Ridges between Iceland and the JMFZ. At the same time, compressional structures developed along the continental margin of NW Europe. We investigate how these compressional structures may have resulted from variations in the amount and direction of seafloor spreading along the ridge system. Assuming that Greenland is rigid and stationary, we have used a least squares method of palinspastic restoration to calculate differences in direction and rate of spreading along the Reykjanes, Kolbeinsey/Aegir and Mohns Ridges. The restoration generates relative rotations and displacements between the oceanic segments and predicts two main periods of left-lateral strike slip along the main oceanic fracture zones: (1) early Eocene to late Oligocene, along the Faeroe Fracture Zone and (2) late Eocene to early Oligocene and during the Miocene, along the JMFZ. Such left-lateral motion and relative rotation between the oceanic segments are compatible with the development of inversion structures on the Faeroe-Rockall Plateau and Norwegian Margin at those times and probably with the initiation of the Fugløy Ridge in the Faeroe-Shetland Basin during the Eocene and Oligocene. The Iceland Mantle Plume appears to have been in a position to generate differential seafloor spreading along the NE Atlantic and resulting deformation of the European margin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which compiles the largest body of data from different databases or unpublished datasets on diatom distribution in the world ocean. The study used a single standardized method, Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) data, and quantitative analysis. Results show that a total of 607 different species and 136 different genera have been determined after name correction and spell checking.

The article presents a study on the global biomass distribution of the planktonic haptophyte Phaeocystis. The study collected the global microscopy data of Phaeocystis and used the species-specific carbon conversion factors to convert abundance data to carbon biomass. The results showed that highest biomasses occur in the Southern Ocean region and in the North Atlantic region.

Significant land use changes have been observed in West Africa, particularly in the Sahel region where climatic and demographic factors have led to a rise in cultivated areas, in recent decades. These changes caused strong modifications in the water cycle and in river regimes. By comparing the rainfall-runoff relationships for two periods (1991--1994 and 2004--2010) in two small neighbouring catchments (approx. 0.1 km² each) of the Sahel, this study highlights the different hydrological consequences of land use change, particularly vegetation clearing and the consequent degradation of topsoil. Runoff increased in the upper basin, while it decreased in the lower basin, due to a strong increase in in-channel infiltration. Flood peak durations have become shorter in the downstream part of the catchment due to the huge increase of runoff water transmission losses within the gullies. Further study will consist of equipping one of the catchments with anti-erosion devices (mainly "half-moons" and terraces) in order to evaluate the influence of anti-erosion devices on runoff and suspended load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'new public health' perspective urges a return to an agenda centred on the modification of the determinants of health, with a special emphasis on public policies. This enthusiasm for strategies focusing on the modification of policies may lead, however, to declining interest in health education interventions. The aim of the present analysis is to reflect on the role of health education in the process leading to the adoption of 'Healthy Public Policies' by drawing on theories from political science: Hall's Policy Paradigm approach and Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith's Advocacy Coalition Framework. Rejecting the traditional perspective that political actors' choices and preferences are exclusively framed by an economic rationality, these two frameworks integrate the influence of ideas and values in the policy process. Applying these analytical frameworks to the case of tobacco control, we found that the policy change process is constrained by the worldview of a broad group of actors from the political and social spheres and that the dominant elite's worldview structures such a process. In addition, policies are derived from the 'policy learning process' and from events external to the policy domain. We conclude that health education through its health advocacy role and the sensitization of the public is a critical ingredient of the policy process. However, health educators should take part in the process not only by disseminating technical or scientific arguments but also by bringing forward arguments that take into account the fundamental values defended by the policy-makers and the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) based method that consists in measuring dynamic viscoelastic parameters of soft matter by analysis of propagating shear waves at different frequencies is proposed. Dynamic shear tests were performed on soft gels with a dedicated magnetic resonance imaging system at low field (0.1 T) and were compared with results obtained with a mechanical rotational rheometer. Storage and loss moduli were plotted against frequency with both methods and good agreement was found between their results in the shared frequency range. Therefore, it is shown that the described method could be a reliable and accessible tool for three-dimensional dynamic mechanical analysis on soft matter able to overcome dynamic range, sample dimensions and directional limitations of mechanical rheometers. Advantages and limits of the method are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From November 1995 to July 1997, phytoplankton composition was followed fortnightly, microscopically as well as by pigment analysis, in the coastal and offshore waters of the Eastern English Channel. By relating chlorophyll (Chl) c3, peridinin and alloxanthin to biomass estimates of Phaeocystis sp., Dinophyceae and Cryptophyceae, respectively, it has been shown that these pigments are good quantitative markers of these classes. Fucoxanthin was quantitatively related to brown algae (sum of diatoms, Prymnesiophyceae, Raphidophyceae and Chrysophyceae) if the largest cells of diatoms (size >200 μm) were not taken into account. On the other hand, no relationship was found between green algae and Chl b, perhaps due to uncertainties in the microscopic counts for cells of small size (<5 μm) and/or with membranes of low visibility. While Prasinophyceae and Chrysophyceae were sometimes observed, prasinoxanthin and 19′-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin were never detected. Finally, Chl a did not always give a good estimation of the total phytoplankton biomass. Thus, during the spring bloom of Phaeocystis sp. (Prymnesiophyceae), total biomass was overestimated by pigment analysis with respect to microscopic counts, while during summer biomass was underestimated by pigment analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: In 2016, the WHO officially recommended sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxation as a strategy to reduce consumption, stimulate product reformulation and generate revenues for health-related programmes. This recommendation was based on a number of studies and experiments amongst them the 2012 French SSB tax that was redesigned in 2018. In this presentation, we summarize the lessons learnt from the soda taxes in France and offer insights on their potential public health benefits. Methods: Our rationale is structured according to the interdisciplinary perspective of the Soda-Tax research consortium (2019-2023), addressing: (1) the soda tax policy change process; (2) the impact on price and purchases; (3) the consumer receptiveness to the tax and; (4) its legal framework and potential application to other foods/nutrients. Results: Our overview of evidence highlights that the process leading to the enactment of the 2012 tax was initially based on a public health justification that was later set aside in favour of budgetary concerns. The tax, whose rate was flat and low and whose scope was extended to artificially-sweetened drinks containing no added sugar, generated modest effects on SSB consumption. Yet, it was ground breaking and offered an opportunity to appreciate its equity, to document its acceptance through a population-based survey and its legal viability. Six years later, the new tax comes closer to international recommendations: it is framed within the scope of public health action, focuses on SSBs and its rate is indexed to the quantity of added sugar in the drink. Conclusions: The Soda-Tax project will study the degree of policy learning that may have contributed to the evolution of the 2018 tax, as well as the conditions of its implementation, administratively more complex than the previous one. It will also explore the social acceptability of this new tax and the extent to which it results in higher SSB prices, lower consumption and changes in the market. Key messages: The design of the 2012 French soda tax was not optimal for public health, but it set a precedent. The 2018 soda tax, closer to international recommendations, deserves further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We hope that this summary of our researches will be sufficient to make clear the nature of the danger spoken of at the beginning of this article. We see that certain bodies, not poisons in themselves in the usual sense of the word, can provoke physiological disorders and organic lesions, the etiology of which remains generally unnoticed, when they are absorbed daily for months and years. Such products are most certainly responsible for many illnesses, the frequence of which augments with the alimentary conditions imposed upon us by modern civilisation in a manner inexplicable beforehand.Our object will have been attained if we succeed in attracting the attention of physicians and hygienists to certain problems, the study of which is perhaps not very attractive but the solution of which is of considerable practical interest. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A correction to the article "Identifying main drivers and testing control strategies for CCHFV spread" by T. Hoch et al., which appeared online on December 11, 2015.