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Structure-borne sound sources affect the acoustic quality inside buildings. Based on many years of research, methods have been standardised to characterise structure-borne sound sources in the laboratory (EN 15657) and to predict the sound transmission from these sources when installed in buildings (EN 12354-5). This contribution is about the uncertainty of the source descriptors used in EN 15657 and the predicted installed sound power which is the input quantity for EN 12354-5. Recently an interlaboratory test with 7 participating laboratories has been performed. The task was to measure the blocked force, free velocity and mobility of an artificial source and the blocked force of the ISO tapping machine. From the evaluation of the measurement results estimates for the uncertainties of the source quantities and the installed power could be deduced.

The global energy mix and cost structure of the power industry are experiencing a redefinition. Many countries are revamping electricity-pricing systems to guarantee fixed-cost recovery, often by raising the fixed charge of two-part tariff schemes. However, a key assumption of two-part tariff schemes and associated fixed-cost recoveries is that consumers discriminate fixed from marginal costs. We conduct a quasi-experiment with data from a major electricity price reform recently implemented in Spain and find robust evidence indicating that consumers fail to distinguish between fixed and marginal costs. As a result, policymakers are not achieving the goal of cost recovery.

Interstrand DNA crosslinks (ICLs) represent complex lesions that block essential biological processes, including DNA replication, recombination, and transcription. Several pathways have been involved in ICL repair, in particular nucleotide excision repair (NER), translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), Fanconi anemia (FA), and homologous recombination (HR). Still, the extent of factors involved in the resolution of ICL-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) remains poorly defined. Using CRISPR-based genome-wide screening, we identified the poorly characterized C1orf112 (also known as Apolo1) as a novel sensitizer to the clinically relevant ICL-inducing agent mafosfamide. Consistently, we noted that low expression of C1orf112 correlates with increased sensitivity to a series of ICL agents and PARP inhibitors in a panel of cell lines. We showed that lack of C1orf112 does not impact the initial recruitment and ubiquitylation of FANCD2 at the ICL site but rather impairs the resolution of RAD51 from ICL-induced DSBs, thereby compromising homology-directed DNA repair pathways. Our proximal mapping of C1orf112 protein neighbours coupled to structure-function analysis revealed that C1orf112, through its WCF motif, forms a complex with the N-terminal domain of the AAA+ ATPase FIGNL1 and regulates the interaction of FIGNL1 with RAD51. Our work establishes the C1orf112-FIGNL1 complex as an integral part of the HR-mediated response to ICLs by regulating the unloading of RAD51 during ICL repair.

Background: The non-surgical solution for Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) typically consists of a pessary fitting. We aimed to assess patient satisfaction and symptom improvement 6 months after a pessary fitting and to identify risk factors associated with pessary failure. Methods: Six months after a pessary fitting, patient satisfaction was assessed by the PGII score; symptoms and quality of life were assessed using validated questionnaires (PFDI-20, ICIQ-SF, PISQ-12, USP, and PFIQ-7). Results: Of the 190 patients included in the study (mean age of 66.7 years), 141 (74%) and 113 (59%) completed the follow-up questionnaires at 1 and 6 months, respectively. Nearly all the women were menopausal (94.6%) and 45.2% declared being sexually active at inclusion. The satisfaction rate was 84.3% and 87.4% at 1 and 6 months, respectively. The global symptom score PFDI-20 had significantly improved at 6 months. A high body mass index (RR = 1.06, CI95%: [1.02–1.09]), as well as high PFDI-20 (1.05 [1.01–1.09]), PFIQ7 (1.04 [1.01, 1.08]), and PISQ12 scores at inclusion (0.75 [0.60, 0.93]), as well as higher GH and GH/TVL measurements (1.49 [1.25–1.78] and 1.39 [1.23–1.57], respectively) were associated with pessary failure. Conclusions: Pessary seems to be an effective treatment for POP with high patient satisfaction. Higher BMI, higher symptom scores, and greater genital hiatus measurements before insertion are risk factors for failure at 6 months.

Solid acid catalyst was produced from olive pomace (OP), characterized and used for the esterification of OP oil. OP was pyrolyzed, physical activated by steam and sulfonated using sulfuric acid. Commercial, coconut husk-based, activated carbon (CHAC) was also sulfonated for comparison. The activation has shown a significant increase in olive pomace activated carbon (OPAC) surface area by developing simultaneously its micro and meso-porosity. The sulfonation has further increased OPAC BET surface area to reach 618.18 m2/g and has changed its structure to become microporous. Sulfonation also removed tar residues and aliphatic hydrocarbons from OPAC’s surface. Tendencies observed with carbon CHAC, used for comparison, are slightly different with a mesoporosity development. Although its higher surface area (1227.01 m2/g), CHAC has fixed three times less sulfur than OPAC, which can be attributed to its higher hydrophobicity or pore distribution. Sulfur was mainly fixed in the form of sulfonic acid (SO3H). Esterification with methanol using produced solid catalysts decreased OPO acidity below the 2 mgKOH/g threshold after 5 h of reaction and reduced mono, di and triglycerides to levels close to the ones required by European norm EN14214.

In this work, we report the benchmark binding energies of the seven complexes within the L7 data set, six host-guest complexes from the S12L data set, a C

The sound radiated by the ground vibration generated by trains has been estimated by calculation in a case study and compared to the total sound measured on-site. A 2.5D ground numerical model, cal...

Perturbations in early life gut microbiota can have long-term impacts on host health. In this study, we investigated antimicrobial-induced temporal changes in diversity, stability, and compositions of gut microbiota in neonatal veal calves, with the objective of identifying microbial markers that predict diarrhea. A total of 220 samples from 63 calves in first 8 weeks of life were used in this study. The results suggest that increase in diversity and stability of gut microbiota over time was a feature of “healthy” (non-diarrheic) calves during early life. Therapeutic antimicrobials delayed the temporal development of diversity and taxa–function robustness (a measure of microbial stability). In addition, predicted genes associated with beta lactam and cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance were more abundant in gut microbiota of calves treated with therapeutic antimicrobials. Random forest machine learning algorithm revealed that Trueperella, Streptococcus, Dorea, uncultured Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcus 2, and Erysipelatoclostridium may be key microbial markers that can differentiate “healthy” and “unhealthy” (diarrheic) gut microbiota, as they predicted early life diarrhea with an accuracy of 84.3%. Our findings suggest that diarrhea in veal calves may be predicted by the shift in early life gut microbiota, which may provide an opportunity for early intervention (e.g., prebiotics or probiotics) to improve calf health with reduced usage of antimicrobials.

We recently identified Zinc-finger protein 768 (ZNF768) as a novel transcription factor controlling cell fate decision downstream of Rat sarcoma virus (RAS). We showed that ZNF768 depletion impairs cell cycle progression and triggers cellular senescence, while its overexpression allows cells to bypass oncogene-induced senescence. Elevated ZNF768 levels is common in tumors, suggesting that ZNF768 may help to escape cellular senescence, sustain proliferation and promote malignant transformation. Here, we discuss these recent findings and highlight key questions emerging from our work.

The thermochemical process of gasification is widely utilized for bioenergy production and is particularly attractive due to its high conversion efficiency. However, a gasification byproduct, known as char, is commonly treated as industrial waste despite its attractive qualities. Indeed, due to its high carbon content (up to 91%) and well-developed porosity (specific surface areas up to 1253 m2 g−1), gasification char could be considered a cost-effective substitute for activated carbon in various applications, such as catalysis and adsorption. However, its properties are highly dependent on the gasification parameters and the initial feedstock selected, and thus a careful characterization of the material is needed to find the most suitable applications. This review can act as a preliminary assessment of the gasification along with the expected char properties, aiding in the selection of the most appropriate valorization pathways. In particular, different application areas, their relation to the gasification process, and the char properties are extensively discussed.

Uterine fibroids are often associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), the exact prevalence of which has been underexplored. Our main objective was to evaluate the effect of surgical treatment of fibroids on LUTS. Our secondary objectives were to assess the prevalence of LUTS in women undergoing fibroid surgery and to analyze the relationship between the characteristics of fibroids and the severity of symptoms.This was a prospective study of women conducted between 2019 and 2021. The main endpoint was the change in the total UDI-6, IIQ7, ICIQ-SF and CONTILIFE scores preoperatively and 6 weeks postoperatively.Of the 55 included women, 63.6% had frequency and 60% had urgency. Six weeks postoperatively, urinary symptoms had significantly improved for all scores. The presence of an anterior fibroid was significantly associated with higher urinary symptom scores for the UDI-6 (p = 0.007) and ICIQ-SF scores (p = 0.04). The size of the uterus or dominant fibroid was not significantly associated with the severity of urinary symptoms.Fibroids are often associated with symptoms of overactive bladder. An anterior location of the fibroid appears to be associated with greater severity scores. Surgical treatment appears to reduce urinary symptoms 6 weeks postoperatively.

This study was designed to develop a protocol for repeated intramuscular indomethacin injections to replicate leaky-gut-like symptoms in male Holstein calves to model and study the detrimental effects of leaky gut on gut tissue function and inflammatory response. A generalized randomized block design was used to evaluate how repeated indomethacin intramuscular injections affected the development of leaky gut in 18 male Holstein calves. Animals were enrolled at 3 ± 1 d of life, and after 21 d of adaptation, they were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments consisting of intramuscular saline or indomethacin injections every 12 h for 48 h: (1) control (CTL), saline injection, (2) low intramuscular indomethacin (INDO-L) dosed at 1.2 mg/kg of body weight (BW), and (3) high intramuscular indomethacin (INDO-H) dosed at 2.4 mg/kg of BW. During the challenge, milk intake, starter intake, fecal scores, and rectal temperature were measured daily, and BW was measured at the beginning and at the end of the challenge. Plasma samples were used to measure the recovery of markers of intestinal permeability before and after the challenge by dosing lactulose, d-mannitol, and chromium-EDTA. In addition, several cytokines were measured in plasma during the challenge. Calves were dissected at the end of the challenge to obtain tissue and digesta samples from the gastrointestinal tract and liver. No treatment differences were observed for starter and milk intakes, fecal scores, BW, and rectal temperature. The difference in marker concentrations between pre and post challenges was higher for INDO calves compared with CTL calves in the case of lactulose and chromium-EDTA. In addition, chemokine ligand 2 and 4 and IL-6 were higher for INDO-H calves compared with CTL. Both doses of indomethacin resulted in reductions in villus length and surface area in the distal jejunum and ileum and reductions in crypt depth and width in the colon. We showed that repeated indomethacin injections over a 48-h period induced leaky-gut-like symptoms in a region-specific manner, affecting mainly the distal section of the intestine. This outcome was characterized by histomorphological changes in the distal jejunum, ileum, and colon and by increased gut permeability. Interestingly, changes in liver morphology and immune function also occurred, possibly due to the increased translocation of foreign antigens breaching the epithelial cell wall. The leaky gut challenge model described here could be used to improve understanding of the pathogenesis of intestinal disorders in cattle and provide a reliable alternative for testing feed additives with intestinal health benefits.

Face à la situation extraordinaire que nous vivons actuellement, poussant les institutions éducatives à revoir leurs modalités de fonctionnement et certaines de leurs modalités pédagogiques, chacun, étudiant, enseignant, chercheur, subit ou construit — c’est selon — des transformations — plus ou moins importantes — de ses pratiques d’apprentissage, d’enseignement et de travail. Chacun utilise les termes hybride, distance, présence, comodal, accolés à des pratiques diverses et en tire parfois ...

This article coincides with recent publications of international standards, which provide methods of predicting the performance of both heavyweight and lightweight buildings in terms of airborne sound insulation and impact sound isolation, from the performance of individual elements such as walls and floors. The performances of the elements are characterized by the sound reduction index and the impact sound pressure level. To predict the sound pressure level due to vibrating sources (i.e., mechanical installations, water services and other appliances), source data are required in a form appropriate as input for prediction models similar to the above, i.e., as equivalent single quantities and frequency band-averaged values. Three quantities are required for estimating the structure-borne power for a wide range of installation conditions: activity (the free velocity or the blocked force of the operating source), source mobility (or the inverse, impedance) and receiver mobility (or impedance) of the connected building element. Methods are described for obtaining these source quantities, including by using laboratory reception plates. The article concludes with a proposed database, based on laboratory measurements and simple mobility calculations, which provides a practical approach to predicting structureborne sound in buildings.

Purpose Published literature regarding calf nutrition was reviewed to create an information base for the implementation of proper nutritional management to maximize health and productivity. Sources The main source of data and information for this review was peer-reviewed literature. Synthesis Feeding a sufficient volume of colostrum during the first hours of life is crucial to calf health and survival; however, less is known about transition milk feeding and the potential benefits of the myriad of bioactive compounds it contains. After feeding colostrum and transition milk, calves are susceptible to diarrhea when moved onto high amounts of milk, and antibiotic use is often necessary to decrease disease. Feeding an elevated plane of milk nutrition results in increased ADG and, in some studies, increased future milk production. Thus, this nutritional strategy is recommended; however, weaning calves from high volumes of milk represents massive changes in the structure and microbiology of the gastrointestinal tract. Conclusions and Applications Colostrum and transition milk contain an abundance of bioactive molecules that can positively affect gut development and microbiota. There is significant potential for the use of novel feeding strategies and microbial-based products as alternatives to antibiotics. Calves fed an elevated plane of nutrition in the first month of life have greater productivity and growth. However, weaning should take place later in life. Moreover, applying a proper step-down feeding protocol is recommended, as it allows calves to intake and digest sufficient solid feed for growth and minimize distress at weaning.

Mitigation measures against railway vibration in buildings include elastomeric mounts or springs inserted between building foundations and upper-structures. This paper aims at evaluating on site the field performance of such building base isolation. Two performance indicators are defined and used, both expressed as insertion gain: a Power Flow insertion Gain (PFIG) based on the power transmitted to the building upper-structure, and a Building Insertion Gain Indicator (BIGI) based on the building floor velocities. The paper shows that both indicators can be used to evaluate the field performance of base-isolated buildings: the PFIG can be indirectly obtained from local measurements of the isolator transmissibility and some knowledge of the mobility magnitudes of the building structures in contact and the BIGI indirectly obtained from measurements of the treated building transmissibility (as defined in ISO/TS 14837-31) and some knowledge of the transmissibility of similar but untreated buildings. The methods are successfully validated using a numerical model of a 2D ground-building configuration easy to calculate and assumed realistic enough. The paper ends with a discussion on the practicality of obtaining these performances on- site in real buildings.

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a live yeast supplement in the preweaning and finishing diets of Holstein bull calves on growth performance, carcass quality attributes and physiochemical traits. Holstein bulls (n = 39) at 5 days of age were randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups with 20 receiving no yeast supplement and 19 calves receiving the yeast supplement. The inclusion level of the yeast supplement in the pre-weaning diet was 54 mg/calf/day added to the milk replacer. During the post-weaning phase, the calves in the yeast treatment group received a pelleted feed with the yeast supplement already incorporated at 150g/tonne. The bull calves were slaughtered at 156 ± 15 days and the m. longissimus thoracis et lumborum was sampled for meat quality measurements. The live yeast supplement had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on average daily gain and final body weight of Holstein bull calves. Furthermore, carcass attributes and meat physiochemical traits were not influenced (P > 0.05) by diet. It was concluded that addition of yeast to preweaning and finishing diets of dairy bull calves has no effect on meat production and quality

High morbidity and mortality rates of calves dramatically impact the sustainability of the dairy industry. Probiotics are investigated for their potential to alleviate health challenges. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of live yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii CNCM I-1079 (SB) supplementation in pre-weaning calves. Thirty Holstein calves were enrolled at d6 of age and were offered daily 8 L of milk replacer with ad-libitum access to water and pelleted starter. Calves were balanced in term of parity of the dam and birth weight and randomly assigned to two experimental groups, designated as supplemented and Control. Supplemented calves received 2x109 cfu/d of SB added in the milk replacer. Every abnormal health condition, such as gut and respiratory disorders, as well as therapeutic treatments were recorded daily for each animal. A linear mixed model was performed to assess the impact of the supplementation on the different variables measured. Two fecal samples were collected at d10 and d60 of the trial to analyze bacteria diversity and taxonomic composition by amplicon sequencing. The overall health was improved in SB calves with fewer diarrhea cases detected compared with Controls (0.7 vs 2.2/calf, respectively, P = 0.001) and fewer SB calves experiencing respiratory disease (6.3 vs 50% respectively, P = 0.090). Along with those observations, a lower number of SB calves received a therapeutic treatment (18.8 vs 62.5% respectively, P = 0.029). Consequently, SB calves weighed 3 kg more compared with the Controls at the end of the experiment (P = 0.087). SB calves significantly presented a greater relative abundance of Akkermansia, a genus involved in immune system maturation, and a greater proportion of Lactobacillales and Negativicutes (lactate users) indicating likely better adaptation of their fecal microbiota to the milk diet than in Controls.

The objective of this study was to investigate the production of activated carbons (AC) from cashewshells, and millet stalks and their efficiency in fluoride retention. These agricultural residues arecollected from Senegal. It is known that some regions of Senegal, commonly called the groundnutbasin, are affected by a public health problem caused by an excess of fluoride in drinking water usedby these populations. The activated carbons were produced by a combined pyrolysis and activationwith water steam; no other chemical compounds were added. Then, activated carbonaceous materialsobtained from cashew shells and millet stalks were called CS-H2O and MS-H2O respectively. CS-H2O and MS-H2O show very good adsorbent features, and present carbon content ranges between71% and 86%. The BET surface areas are 942 m2:g????1 and 1234 m2:g????1 for CS-H2O and MS-H2Orespectively. A third activated carbon produced from food wastes and coagulation-flocculation sludge(FW/CFS-H2O) was produced in the same conditions. Carbon and calcium content of FW/CFS-H2O are 32.6 and 39.3% respectively. The kinetics sorption were performed with all these activatedcarbons, then the pseudo-first equation was used to describe the kinetics sorption. Fluoride adsorptionisotherms were performed with synthetic and natural water with the best activated carbon fromkinetics sorption, Langmuir and Freundlich models were used to describe the experimental data.Regarding equilibrium data, the experimental data are better described by Langmuir model than bythe Freundlich model. The results showed that carbonaceous materials obtained from CS-H2O andMS-H2O were weakly efficient for fluoride removal. With FW/CFS-H2O, the adsorption capacity is28:48 m2:g????1 with r2 = 0:99 with synthetic water.

In this paper, railway vibration emission is characterized from the vibration power transmitted to the ground. Train/track/ground systems can be considered as a source (train and track system) - receiver (ground) vibration system, where the power density transmitted is expressed from the force density applied to the ground and the ground mobility, both measurable on site. The power transmitted to the ground is first evaluated in a parametric study using a model coupling a numerical 2.5D ground model with a 2D model of the train/track system. The results obtained show the importance of ground properties on the force and power density transmitted. Finally, the approach is applied to an existing site where measurements have been carried out; however, the ground mobility as well as the combined rail-wheel unevenness, not measured, have been calculated in order to estimate force and power densities transmitted to the ground.

There is a strong need for cost-effective mitigation measures for turnouts. SBB has initiated a series of examinations using different methodologies to gain a deeper understanding of the excitation mechanisms at low frequencies, in addition to that obtained in the RIVAS project. To date it is not yet clear what constitutes a complete measurement data set that would enable understanding most of the vibration excitation mechanisms in turnouts. Increasing vibration at turnouts in comparison to normal track is observed for all measured frequencies. The different methodologies are presented in the paper. Under-sleeper pads (USP) are a cost-effective method to reduce vibration at frequencies above 63 Hz (1/3 octave), but there is probably no improvement for frequencies below 63 Hz. A first test of new frog geometry did not show relevant improvements in vibration emission in comparison to a reference frog geometry. Axle box acceleration measurements are an interesting method to identify defects in a turnout. A specialized measurement system of rail roughness could identify certain geometry problem areas for some frogs. Noise increases also are observed at turnouts for frequencies ranging between 80 to 1000 Hz. The use of railway source models to calculate contact forces for ballasted track and turnouts seems promising, in particular for understanding the influence of ground.

Mitigation measures against railway vibration in buildings can include elastomeric mounts or springs inserted between building foundation and building upper structure. The method for predicting the performance is usually simplistic and based on the dynamic transmissibility of a single degree of freedom mass-spring oscillator on a rigid base. One method is to express the isolation performance as an insertion gain based on the building floor velocities. It is named the Building Insertion Gain Indicator (BIGI). Another method, called the Power Flow Insertion Gain (PFIG), has also been proposed in [1]. Then, the isolator performance is expressed as the difference of injected power to the building upper structure. In practice, both indicators need two identical buildings (with and without isolator) to be obtained automatically. A method to indirectly obtain the PFIG, using only an isolated building, has been developed and numerically validated for a 2D case in [2, 4]. It is based on the isolator transmissibility (ratio of velocities on both sides of the isolator) that is corrected with foundation and upper structure mobilities. In this paper, the theory is extended to a construction near railway tracks after being validated through comparisons between experiments and simulations. In this case, the isolator transmissibility and foundation mobility are measured. As the upper-structure mobility cannot be measured, it is obtained with a 2.5D simulation. Finally, it is compared to the other methods of evaluating isolator performance.

White adipose tissue (WAT) is a dynamic organ that plays crucial roles in controlling metabolic homeostasis. During development and periods of energy excess, adipose progenitors are recruited and differentiate into adipocytes to promote lipid storage capability. The identity of adipose progenitors and the signals that promote their recruitment are still incompletely characterized. We have recently identified V-set and transmembrane domain-containing protein 2A (VSTM2A) as a novel protein enriched in preadipocytes that amplifies adipogenic commitment. Despite the emerging role of VSTM2A in promoting adipogenesis, the molecular mechanisms regulating Vstm2a expression in preadipocytes are still unknown. To define the molecular mechanisms controlling Vstm2a expression, we have treated preadipocytes with an array of compounds capable of modulating established regulators of adipogenesis. Here, we report that Vstm2a expression is positively regulated by PI3K/mTOR and cAMP-dependent signaling pathways and repressed by the MAPK pathway and the glucocorticoid receptor. By integrating the impact of all the molecules tested, we identified signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) as a novel downstream transcription factor affecting Vstm2a expression. We show that activation of STAT3 increased Vstm2a expression, whereas its inhibition repressed this process. In mice, we found that STAT3 phosphorylation is elevated in the early phases of WAT development, an effect that strongly associates with Vstm2a expression. Our findings identify STAT3 as a key transcription factor regulating Vstm2a expression in preadipocytes. NEW & NOTEWORTHY cAMP-dependent and PI3K-mTOR signaling pathways promote the expression of Vstm2a. STAT3 is a key transcription factor that controls Vstm2a expression in preadipocytes. STAT3 is activated in the early phases of WAT development, an effect that strongly associates with Vstm2a expression.

Aims Our purpose was to explore the involvement of cognition in voluntary and involuntary pelvic floor muscle (PFM) contraction in stress urinary incontinent women. Methods PFM contraction monitored by surface electromyography (EMG) was measured without a mental distraction task (DT), and with a DT called "paced auditory serial additional test" (PASAT). Forty stress incontinent women performed voluntary contractions of the external anal sphincter (EAS), and reflex EAS contractions induced by means of coughing were studied using the external intercostal muscle (EIC) EMG pattern. Results A DT altered PFM pre-activation when coughing: the reaction time between EIC muscle contraction and EAS contraction (called RT3) was respectively -54.94 ms (IQR -87.12; 3.12) without the PASAT and -3.99 ms (IQR: -47.92; 18.69) with a DT (P = 0.02, Wilcoxon's test). Concerning voluntary contraction, women activated their PFM sooner without than with a DT. Conclusion The PASAT altered voluntary and reflex contractions of the PFM in stress urinary incontinent women. Our study suggests that cognition plays a role in urinary pathophysiology. Future studies should investigate rehabilitation programs that consider the role of cognition in stress urinary incontinent women.

Branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) have recently been reported to play a role in human gut health during early life. However, little information is available on the fecal BCFA profiles in young ruminants and whether they are associated with the development of neonatal calf diarrhea. The objectives of this study were to (1) characterize BCFA profiles in feces collected from young calves, (2) compare the fecal BCFA composition between diarrheic and nondiarrheic dairy calves, and (3) explore the potential relationships between BCFA and microbiota in the feces. A total of 32 male Holstein dairy calves (13 ± 3 d old) with the same diet management were grouped as diarrheic (n = 16) or healthy (n = 16) based on fecal score (determined by liquid fecal consistency with some solid particles); diarrhea cases were defined as fecal score ≥2 for at least 2 d. Fecal samples were collected on the seventh day after calf arrival, and the fecal BCFA and microbial profiles were assessed using gas chromatograph and amplicon sequencing, respectively. In total, 7 BCFA were detected in the feces of all dairy calves; however, the concentrations of fecal BCFA differed between diarrheic and nondiarrheic calves. Specifically, the concentrations of iso-C16:0, iso-C17:0, anteiso-C17:0, and total even-chain BCFA were significantly higher in the feces of diarrheic calves. When the associations between BCFA and bacteria were studied, the relative abundance of Eggerthella was positively correlated with the concentrations of iso-C16:0 (ρ = 0.67), iso-17:0 (ρ = 0.77), anteiso-C17:0 (ρ = 0.73), and iso-C18:0 (ρ = 0.65), whereas the relative abundance of Subdoligranulum was positively correlated with the concentrations of iso-C14:0 (ρ = 0.62), iso-C15:0 (ρ = 0.78), and anteiso-C15:0 (ρ = 0.63). Use of random forest algorithm showed that BCFA such as anteiso-C15:0, iso-C16:0, iso-C17:0, iso-C18:0, and total even-chain BCFA could be used as biomarkers to differentiate diarrheic calves from healthy ones. Our findings generated fundamental knowledge on the potential roles of BCFA in neonatal calf gut health. Follow-up studies with larger animal populations are warranted to validate the feasibility of using BCFA as indicators of health status in neonatal calves.

Aims To explore the impact of body position (sitting vs standing) on voluntary and reflex pelvic floor muscle (PFM) contraction during a mental distraction task (DT). Methods Informed consent was obtained from 19 healthy women. The electromyographic (EMG) activity of the external anal sphincter (EAS) was recorded during voluntary and reflex contraction. Reflex contraction of the EAS was induced by means of coughing. The trials were carried out with and without a mental DT (paced auditory serial additional test). PFM contraction was recorded in two different postures: standing and sitting. During voluntary PFM contraction, reaction time (RT1), defined as latency between the stimulus and the onset of EAS EMG activity, was measured. During reflex PFM contraction, latency between the onset of external intercostal (EIC) muscle EMG activity and EAS EMG activity was measured (RT3). Results Concerning voluntary pelvic floor muscle contraction, there was no difference between the two positions with and without DT, except for RT1 without DT. RT1 was shorter (353.99 mv/s; 263.89-425.03) in a standing position than in a sitting position (409.86 mv/s; 361.86-461.90) (ratio 0.86, P = 0.014). Concerning reflex PFM contraction, there was no difference between standing position RT3 (-96 ms; IQR: -114: -62) and sitting position RT3 (-80 ms; IQR: -100; -51) (ratio 1.2, P = 0.225) without DT. With DT, reflex PFM was also not different (-36 vs -34 ms, ratio 1.06, P = 0.86). Conclusions Body position did not influence the timing of voluntary and reflex PFM contraction during DT.

A low immission due to structure-borne sound sources is a major component of the acoustic quality inside buildings. After many years of research, methods have been standardised to characterise such sources (EN 15657) and to predict their impact in buildings (EN 12354-5). This contribution is dedicated to the question what the uncertainty of the source descriptors and the predicted installed sound power is. To answer this question, an interlaboratory test with an artificial source was performed. Altogether seven laboratories participated, and estimates for the uncertainties of the source quantities could be deduced from the measurement results. Additionally, measurements were performed with a standardised structure-borne sound source, the ISO tapping machine, by all participating laboratories. The measured source quantity for this source turned out to be in good agreement with the theoretically predicted values thereby validating this theoretical prediction.

International audience; The current climate changes imply the rise of the mean temperature of the cities during hot periods. To help the public policy to be more efficient about Urban Heat Island (UHI) reduction we aim to define a UHI risk indicator. To be useful at a local scale, the resolution of this index must be at the scale of the buildings – i.e. about 5 m.The UHI risk indicator can be mapped with the use of standard methods like direct or indirect measurements, meso or micro scale simulations, or via climate zones classifications. All these methods are not applicable over a whole territory or cannot produce map with a fine resolution as expected.We choose here to use an intermediate approach by developing a physically based simplified micro scale model to produce a UHI index (ranging between 0 and 1). This model is based on data of the territory (vector data and imagery analysis) and physical laws governing heat exchanges between sun, city and atmosphere; in ideal climatic conditions (anticyclonic, without winds and clouds).The objective is to develop an algorithm integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS) software like QGis with a reasonable computational time to be executed on a personal computer.

Noise measured inside buildings close to railway lines is often a mixture of ground-borne noise and airborne noise. Predicting ground-borne noise from vibration measurements and comparing t...

International audience; Waste recovery is an integrated part of municipal solid waste management systems but its strategic planning is still challenging. In particular, the service area size of facilities is a sensitive issue since its calculation depends on various factors related to treatment technologies (output products) and territorial features (sources waste production and location). This work presents a systemic approach for the estimation of a chain's service area size, based on a balance between costs and recovery profits. The model assigns a recovery performance value to each source, which can be positive, neutral or negative. If it is positive, the source should be included in the facility's service area. Applied to the case of Montreal for food waste recovery by anaerobic digestion, the approach showed that at most 23 out of the 30 districts should be included in the service area, depending on the indicator, which represents around 127,000 t of waste recovered/year. Due to the systemic approach, these districts were not necessarily the closest to the facility. Moreover, for the Montreal case, changing the facility's location did not have a great influence on the optimal service area size, showing that the distance to the facility was not a decisive factor at this scale. However, replacing anaerobic digestion by a composting plant reduced the break-even transport distances and, thus, the number of sources worth collecting (around 68,500 t/year). In this way, the methodology, applied to different management strategies, gave a sense of the spatial dynamics involved in the recovery chain's design. The map of optimal supply obtained could be used to further analyse the feasibility of multi-site and/or multi-technology systems for the territory considered.

Objectives At the time of controversies on surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse, our aim was to describe an effective technique of hysterocolpectomy with colpocleisis for elderly patients not wishing to maintain vaginal sexual activity and present mid-term results including pelvic floor symptoms and quality of life, patient satisfaction and surgical complications using validated scores. Study design We conducted a retrospective study of all patients having undergone this surgery between June 2006 and June 2016. Women were examined using POP-Q classification and completed validated questionnaires concerning symptoms and quality of life before and after the surgery. Patient satisfaction was assessed using the PGI-I. Complications were described according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Results During the 10-year period, 37 women underwent the surgery with a mean age at surgery of 81.2 years (range: 61–93 years). One per-operative complication occurred (a rectal wound that was sutured) and five Clavien-Dindo grade 3b postoperative complications. Three repeat operations were necessary within 15 days; one suburethral sling had to be lowered because of urinary retention; one tension-free vaginal tape had to be unilaterally sectioned for acute urinary retention; and one woman presented a pararectal abscess requiring surgical drainage. The mean duration of hospitalization was 5.5 (+/-4.2) days. The mean follow-up time was 44.1 (±30.1) months. All symptoms and quality of life scores decreased significantly after the surgery and patient satisfaction was good (PGI-I score = 1.55 +/-0.8). Conclusions Hysterocolpectomy with colpocleisis appears to be an effective treatment with a high level of patient satisfaction among the elderly.

A method for characterizing and predicting vibration emission from railway lines in tunnels is presented. The characterization method consists in measuring both the tunnel vibration response during train pass-by events and the tunnel effective mobility (mobility combining point and transfer mobilities), from which the line of uncorrelated forces characterizing the source can be calculated. The results from field measurements of commuter train operations are presented and improved using a numerical tunnel/ground model. The transfer of an existing situation to a new one is performed using two different train/track/tunnel models. The situation change is expressed in terms of difference in the force density applied to the tunnel invert between the original and the new situation. The track models are first calibrated from the characterization field measurements and then used to estimate a given situation change. The results of the two models/procedures compare rather well, thus cross-validating the approaches.

Objectifs Le pessaire peut etre propose en cas de prolapsus des organes pelviens (POP). Pourtant, son utilisation est limitee aux patientes âgees ou en alternative a la chirurgie. L’objectif principal etait d’evaluer la satisfaction des patientes porteuses d’un pessaire. Les objectifs secondaires etaient d’evaluer l’amelioration des scores de symptomes et de qualite de vie et de rechercher les facteurs associes a la satisfaction et a l’echec. Methodes Il s’agit d’etude de cohorte prospective unicentrique. Le pessaire a ete propose a toutes les patientes adressees pour POP. Les donnees ont ete relevees avant la pose du pessaire, a un mois puis a six mois. Le critere de jugement principal etait le resultat au score Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I). L’amelioration des symptomes a ete evaluee a l’aide des scores de symptomes PFDI-20, ICIQ-SF, PISQ-12 et USP et le score de qualite de vie PFIQ-7(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7). La satisfaction a ete etudiee en comparant les patientes tres satisfaites (PGI-I = 1) aux autres a 1 mois. L’echec a ete defini comme le retrait du pessaire a 6 mois. Resultats Quatre-vingt patientes ont ete incluses. A 6 mois, la pose du pessaire a ete consideree comme un echec pour 22 patientes (25,9 %). Le taux de satisfaction (PGI-I = 1 ou 2) etait de 78,1 % a 1 mois et 87,5 % a 6 mois. L’efficacite du pessaire etait le principal avantage rapporte par les patientes a 1 mois (60 %) comme a 6 mois (59,4 %). Concernant les symptomes, nous avons retrouve une amelioration significative du score global PFDI-20 (p = 0,002) et du score ICIQ-SF evaluant l’incontinence urinaire (p = 0,001). La qualite de vie etait egalement significativement amelioree (p = 0,007). Les facteurs associes a la satisfaction des patientes etaient l’amelioration plus importante des symptomes (PFDI20 et PFIQ7, p Conclusion L’utilisation du pessaire dans le traitement du prolapsus genital de la femme constitue une veritable alternative therapeutique de premiere intention quel que soit le type ou le stade du POP. Il est bien accepte et la satisfaction des patientes elevee sans engendrer de complication majeure.

A simple method is proposed for predicting in situ sound levels generated by structure-borne sound sources in buildings from input quantities defined in the newly revised measurement standards EN 15657 (Laboratory measurement of service equipment) and EN ISO 10848-1 (Laboratory and field measurement of flanking transmissions), which lead to using the prediction method defined in EN ISO 12354-1 for airborne sound insulation. The method proposed is valid for any source-receiver conditions and for any type of construction, lightweight or heavyweight.

International audience; The Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) aims to achieve a high level of protection of the environment as a whole and of human health. In this purpose, the IED requires the implementation of techniques with performance equivalent to the Best Available Techniques (BATs) described in the reference documents (BREFs). However, when drawing up or revising a BREF at European level, it is not possible to cover each industrial sector or subsector for all or some of the Key Environmental Issues (KEI). There are then different types of situations for which BREFs are incomplete or non-existent. Industrial plants involved in these activities without reference are not exempt from implementing BATs. However, the lack of reference technologies “officially” considered as BATs may lead operators to skip their installations concerned in their BAT analysis and/or the competent authority not to fully check BAT compliance. In view of these observations, this article is aimed at studying the possibility of using the methodological approaches available in the scientific and grey literature to compare the performance of an installation to BATs in the absence of an official and complete BAT reference. Following the description of the research methodology that enabled to conduct this literature review, this article first examines whether methods designed for local use can address this problem. Noting that this is not the case, the possibility to use sectoral methods to build a local BAT reference is also studied. Finally, key specifications for a suitable methodology to address this problem are proposed.

Resumen: Serie de trabajos del artista argentino Gabriel Villot realizados con técnica de lápiz, tinta y acuarela sobre tela con dimensiones variadas. Palabras-claves: Arte Contemporánea; Acuarela, Arte Argentina. UMA VIAGEM AO SUL Resumo: Série de trabalhos do artista argentino Gabriel Villot realizados com técnica de lápis, tinta e aquarela sobre tela com dimensões que variadas. Palavras-chave: Arte Contemporânea; Aquarela, Arte Argentina.

International audience; Different types of urinary symptoms associated with myomas are reported, including urinary incontinence or dysuria. They are rarely investigated in patients and their prevalence is not well known. While myomas are the first reason to perform hysterectomy in France, few studies have evaluated the impact of surgical treatment in women with urinary symptoms. Our objective was to conduct a review of the literature regarding urinary symptoms associated with myomas and the impact of their treatment on these symptoms. We reviewed articles indexed in MEDLINE dealing with urinary symptoms and myomas, and published until September 2018. The prevalence of urinary symptoms in women with uterine myomas is highly variable depending on whether the authors are interested in symptoms or urodynamic results. The most frequently reported urinary symptoms are urgency (31-59%), dysuria (4-36%) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI, 20 80%). While some studies have found the anterior location of myomas and the size superior to 5 cm as a risk factor for UI, other studies have not found a correlation between myomas topography and symptom scores. The treatments of uterine myomas seem to have an impact on women's urinary symptoms. Although hysterectomy is considered as a risk factor for pelvic floor disorders, the removal of the uterus may sometimes improve or cure urinary symptoms. Most authors also found a significant improvement in urinary symptom scores after myomectomy and myomas embolization. More studies are needed to clarify the impact of myomas treatment on urinary symptoms.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of one specific strain of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 (SCB), on the growth performance, health, and fecal bacterial profile of veal calves. A total of 84 animals were enrolled in an experiment at a commercial veal farm for a total of 7 wk. Calves were fed twice a day with a milk replacer meal during the entire experiment and were randomly assigned to receive daily either SCB supplementation (10 × 109 cfu/d) or a placebo (CON). Individual feed intake and body weight were monitored on a daily and weekly basis, respectively. Fecal samples were collected at arrival to the veal facility (wk 0) and additional samples were taken on d 14 (wk 2) and d 49 (wk 7). These samples were subjected to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing using Illumina MiSeq (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA) to examine the bacterial profiles and real-time quantitative PCR to quantify Saccharomyces cerevisiae and specific bacterial groups. The significant increase of S. cerevisiae in the feces of SCB calves at wk 2 and 7 compared with wk 0 (respectively 1.7 × 107, 1.2 × 107, and 2.2 × 105 copy number of S. cerevisiae/g of feces) indicates a good survival of that yeast strain along the gastrointestinal tract. Supplementation of SCB did not improve overall growth performance with regard to average daily gain (ADG), final body weight, and feed intake. Nevertheless, a total of 69.1% of nonsupplemented calves had diarrhea and 28.6% experienced severe diarrhea, whereas 50.0% of the calves supplemented with SCB had diarrhea and 9.5% experienced severe diarrhea. With respect to antibiotic use, 89.7% of the diarrheic calves recorded in the CON group were treated, whereas only 66.7% of the SCB diarrheic calves received an antibiotic. In addition, diarrheic calves supplemented with SCB maintained an ADG similar to nondiarrheic animals, whereas the CON diarrheic calves had a significantly lower ADG in comparison with nondiarrheic CON calves. Fecalibacterium was the most predominant bacterial genus in fecal samples of nondiarrheic and diarrheic calves supplemented with SCB, whereas fecal microbiota was predominated by Collinsella in diarrheic calves from the CON group. Live yeast supplementation in milk replacer led to a decrease of diarrhea in milk-fed veal calves and the fecal microbiota of diarrheic calves maintained a healthy community similar to nondiarrheic animals, with Fecalibacterium being the predominant genus.

Resume But Faire un etat des lieux de la prevalence de l’incontinence anale du post-partum, en exposer les facteurs de risque, evaluer les modalites et les resultats des moyens actuels de prise en charge. Materiel et methode Revue de la litterature realisee a partir d’une recherche bibliographique sur PubMed, Medline, Embase et Cochrane. Les termes utilises etaient : anal incontinence postpartum, fecal incontinence postpartum, perineal rehabilitation, anal surgery. Resultats La prevalence de l’incontinence anale du post-partum variait selon les etudes de 4 % (primipare) a 39 % (multipare) a 6 semaines du post-partum, tandis que l’incontinence fecale pouvait atteindre respectivement 8 a 12 % a 6 ans de l’accouchement. Comparativement a la cesarienne, l’accouchement par voie basse augmentait le risque d’incontinence anale (OR : 1,32 [IC 95 % : 1,04–1,68]). Les extractions instrumentales augmentaient le risque d’incontinence anale (OR : 1,47 [IC 95 % : 1,22–1,78]) par rapport a l’accouchement par voie basse spontanee mais il s’agissait principalement de l’extraction par forceps (OR : 1,50 [IC 95 % : 1,19–1,89]) et non par ventouse (OR : 1,31 [IC 95 % : 0,97–1,77]). L’âge maternel (> 35 ans : OR : 6 [IC 95 % : 1,85–19,45]), le nombre de naissances (3 naissances : OR : 2,91 [IC 95 % : 1,32–6,41]) et la survenue d’un perinee complet (OR : 2,3 [IC 95 % : 1,1–5]) etaient associes a une augmentation du risque d’incontinence anale quelle que soit la voie d’accouchement comparativement a un groupe de femmes sans incontinence anale. Les resultats de la reeducation perineale sont a interpreter avec prudence du fait de l’absence d’essais controles randomises. Une reevaluation a 6 mois du post-partum en vue d’un traitement chirurgical par sphincteroplastie pourrait etre envisagee en cas de persistance des symptomes. Les resultats de la sphincteroplastie etaient satisfaisants mais avec un taux de succes s’estompant dans le temps (60 a 90 % a 6 mois contre 50 a 40 % a 5 et 10 ans). Conclusion L’incidence et le retentissement de l’incontinence anale du post-partum necessite une prise en charge specifique. Des recommandations sur sa prise en charge seraient utiles.

Journal de Gynecologie Obstetrique et Biologie de la Reproduction - Vol. 44 - N° 9 - p. 802-811

Aims To explore the involvement of a distraction task in involuntary reflex pelvic floor muscle contraction following cough. Methods Informed consent was obtained from 33 healthy volunteers. Involuntary contraction of the external anal sphincter (EAS) was induced by means of coughing. Cough efforts were elicited by electronic order. The electromyographic (EMG) activity of the EAS was recorded during involuntary contraction elicited by coughing. The trials were carried out twice: combined (or not) with a mental distraction task; the paced auditory serial additional test (PASAT). Reaction time (RT) defined as latency between the stimulus and maximum EAS EMG activity (RT1), latency between the stimulus and external intercostal (EIC) muscle EMG activity (RT2), latency between EIC EMG activity and EAS EMG activity (RT3), duration of the contraction, and the area under the EAS EMG activity curve (perineal contraction) were measured. Results The distraction task altered anticipation of the PFM contraction: RT3 was −80.00 ms (IQR −107; −56) without the PASAT versus −56.67 ms (IQR: −94; −2) with the distraction task (ratio 0.71, P = 0.0045, Wilcoxon test). RT2 was altered during the distraction task: 583.33 ms (IQR: 344–775) without PASAT versus 652.71 ms (503–790) during PASAT (ratio 1.12, P = 0.031, Wilcoxon test). Finally, when the two conditions (respectively with and without the mental distraction task) were compared, there was a significant difference between the area under the EAS EMG activity curve (0.0115 mv sec vs. 0.0103 mv sec, ratio 0.90, P = 0.023). Conclusions The mental distraction task altered involuntary reflex contraction of the pelvic floor muscles. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:160–165, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.