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Paul Tessier was a leading French oculoplastic surgeon who took part in several surgical missions in Iran to manage victims of the Iraq-Iran conflict in the late 1980's and early 1990's.We collected the records of 322 patients who underwent surgical procedures for the management of wartime injuries by Paul Tessier's team in Iran from 1990 to 1993. We also report one of the most representative cases of orbital reconstruction performed by Tessier.Mean age at the time of trauma was 20.65±7.04 years (range: 2--62). Craniofacial CT-scans were available for 54 patients. The bones of the upper third of the face and the orbital contents were affected in 124/322 patients (38.50%). Soft-tissue lesions of the upper third included 13 frontal lacerations (4.04%), 60 orbital injuries (18.63%) and 95 uni- or bilateral enucleations (29.50%). Thirty-nine uni- or bilateral lid injuries (12.11%) and 8 tear duct injuries (2.48%) were reported. A specific case of orbital reconstruction using antero-internal and posterior iliac bone grafts was reported as a representative example of Tessier's techniques.This study highlights the challenges of orbital reconstruction in wartime injuries and provides insights on the work of one of the most renowned surgeons in this field.

High concentration of negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy ($\text{NV}^{-}$) centers was created in diamond single crystals containing approximately 100 ppm nitrogen using electron and neutron irradiation and subsequent thermal annealing in a stepwise manner. Continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) was used to determine the transformation efficiency from isolated N atoms to $\text{NV}^{-}$ centers in each production step and its highest value was as high as 17.5 %. Charged vacancies are formed after electron irradiation as shown by EPR spectra, but the thermal annealing restores the sample quality as the defect signal diminishes. We find that about 25 % of the vacancies form NVs during the annealing process. The large $\text{NV}^{-}$ concentration allows to observe orientation dependent spin-relaxation times and also the determination of the hyperfine and quadrupole coupling constants with high precision using electron spin echo (ESE) and electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR). We also observed the EPR signal associated with the so-called W16 centers, whose spectroscopic properties might imply a nitrogen dimer-vacancy center for its origin.

Resume Introduction L’expression clinique initiale de la maladie de Whipple (MW) peut mimer un rhumatisme inflammatoire chronique (RIC) et son diagnostic au cours d’un traitement par anti-TNF a ete rapporte dans la litterature depuis plusieurs annees, incluant des formes severes. L’impact de ce type de traitement sur le rapport hote-pathogene est fortement suspecte. La frequence du portage asymptomatique de Tropheryma whipplei dans la population generale complique le diagnostic positif d’une MW devant un RIC non classe. Observations Nous rapportons ici trois observations illustrant des situations redevables d’une recherche de T. whipplei au titre du diagnostic differentiel au cours de la prise en charge d’un rhumatisme inflammatoire. Conclusion L’evaluation clinique individuelle doit guider non seulement l’indication de la recherche de T. whipplei au cours d’un RIC, notamment en cas d’aggravation paradoxale sous traitement, de presentation ou d’evolution atypique, mais egalement l’interpretation des resultats de la biologie moleculaire et de l’anatomopathologie dont la rentabilite peut etre modifiee par les traitements immunomodulateurs. Une strategie de depistage systematique de T. whipplei avant traitement par anti-TNF parait deraisonnable.

Phytolith reference collections of plants and surface soils are a critical part of studies that use these microbotanical remains for archaeological and paleoecological reconstruction. In the archaeologically-rich region of the Upper Madeira river in Rondonia, Brazil, phytolith analysis is being applied in both on- and off-site contexts in order to shed light on human-environment interactions over a period that extends almost the entire Holocene. The present study brings together data on phytolith production patterns among 90 native species, representing 36 plant families, as well as 56 surface soil samples taken from underneath 11 monitored forest plots. Our discussion focuses on the comparison between the surface soil phytolith records and the above-ground floristic inventories, scrutinized considering the plant reference collection results. We found that the phytoliths of several species which produce diagnostic or potentially-diagnostic morphotypes were under-represented in the surface soils, including several understory herbs. While the phytolith assemblages from three forest types (palm, sororoca and dense forest) presented considerable overlap, in accordance with similarities in the floristic inventories, bamboo forest and different types of campinaranas were able to be distinguished based on their phytolith signatures.

Resume Objectifs Rapporter une complication inhabituelle des sinusites maxillaires aigues de l’enfant : l’abces premaxillaire. Decrire la presentation clinique, radiologique et biologique ainsi que la strategie therapeutique et l’evolution. Materiel et methodes Etude retrospective incluant tous les patients pris en charge pour abces premaxillaire compliquant une sinusite maxillaire aigue dans deux centres referents d’Oto-rhino-laryngologie entre 1999 et 2017. L’histoire de la maladie, la presentation clinique, les resultats biologiques et radiologiques, les modalites therapeutiques et l’evolution ont ete etudies. Resultats Dix patients ont ete inclus (âge moyen 10 ± 4,2 ans). Tous les patients presentaient de la fievre, une rhinorrhee et un œdeme premaxillaire. Le scanner injecte retrouvait pour tous les patients une opacite complete du sinus maxillaire, sans lyse osseuse, et une collection etendue le long de la cloison inter-sinuso-nasale jusqu’a la region premaxillaire. Dans trois cas, cette collection s’etendait en arriere vers l’espace parapharynge. Les prelevements bacteriologiques retrouvaient le plus souvent un Streptococcus anginosus (n = 4 ; 40 %). Le traitement consistait en une antibiotherapie intraveineuse a large spectre associee a un drainage chirurgical des abces premaxillaires de diametre superieur a 10 mm (n = 9 ; 90 %). Parmi ces neuf patients, sept ont presente une recidive de l’abces necessitant une reprise chirurgicale (78 %) et trois ont necessite un troisieme drainage (33 %). Tous les patients etaient gueris sans sequelle a un mois de suivi. Conclusion Une sinusite maxillaire aigue avec œdeme premaxillaire doit faire evoquer le diagnostic d’abces premaxillaire. Le taux eleve de recidive observe suggere qu’un traitement chirurgical maximaliste associe a une surveillance clinique rapprochee avec examen radiologique sont essentiels.

Objectives To report an unusual complication of pediatric acute maxillary sinusitis: premaxillary abscess. To describe clinical, radiological and biological presentation, treatment strategy and progression. Material and methods A retrospective study included all pediatric patients treated for premaxillary abscess complicating acute maxillary sinusitis in two ENT reference centers between 1999 and 2017. Disease history, clinical presentation, biological and radiological findings, treatment modalities and progression were studied. Results Ten patients were included, with a mean age of 10 ± 4.2 years. All presented with fever, rhinorrhea and premaxillary edema. Contrast-enhanced CT scan systematically found complete opacity of the maxillary sinus, without bone lysis, and extensive effusion along the intersinonasal wall up to the premaxillary region, extending in 3 cases back toward the parapharyngeal space. Bacteriology isolated Streptococcus anginosus most frequently (n = 4; 40%). Treatment comprised intravenous wide-spectrum antibiotics, with surgical drainage of the abscess if > 10 mm (n = 9; 90%). Seven of these 9 patients (78%) had recurrent abscess requiring surgical revision and 3 (33%) required a third drainage. All patients were cured without sequelae at 1 month. Conclusion In case of acute maxillary sinusitis with premaxillary edema, premaxillary abscess should be suspected. The high recurrence rate argues for maximalist surgery associated to close clinical monitoring with radiological examination.

The proliferation of harmful cyanobacterial algal blooms is of concern due to the associated release of toxins affecting ecosystems and human health. The paralytic shellfish poison saxitoxin (STX) is a small polar alkaloid that can occur in inland and marine aquatic environments. Here, we optimized a fast and sensitive analytical method for the determination of STX, neosaxitoxin (NeoSTX), and their decarbamoyl analogues in surface waters. The method involves a simple filtration, addition of isotope-labelled internal standard (ILIS), and analysis by on-line solid-phase extraction coupled to hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (on-line SPE-HILIC-HRMS). Except glass fiber filters, other tested materials (e.g., nylon, nitrocellulose) provided suitable filtration performance. Time-dependent adsorptive losses occurred during the LC-MS batch sequence if glass autosampler vials were used, while no such effect was observed for polypropylene autosampler vials. Matrix effects were evaluated for 4 different quantification scenarios, including external vs. internal curves and neat reagent water vs. matrix-matched curves. Matrix-matched calibration with ILIS correction (NeoSTX

The ITER PF6 coil is manufactured by winding, insulating the superconducting conductors, and further connecting them electrically and hydraulically. To qualify the insulation design and manufacturing process to be applied to the ITER PF6 coil, two beam-shaped mock-ups taking the form of a 3 × 3 array of conductors combined with the same insulation as in the production coil have been tested in simulated Tokamak operating conditions. All the results of the electrical and mechanical tests, including DC and AC high-voltage withstanding at both room and cryogenic temperature, AC partial discharge, Paschen tests, cryogenic compressive fatigue, push-out, and thermal cycling, met the ITER requirements. Performance of the mock-ups confirmed that the insulation design and manufacturing process are suitable for the ITER PF6 coil, based on that the qualification of the insulation manufacturing process for the double pancake can be started.

Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research / A 887, 150 - 168 (2018). doi:10.1016/j.nima.2018.01.016, A highly granular electromagnetic calorimeter with scintillator strip readout is being developed for future linear collider experiments. A prototype of 21.5 $X_0$depth and $180 \times 180$ $mm^2$ transverse dimensions was constructed, consisting of 2160 individually read out $10\times 45\times 3$ $mm^3$ scintillator strips. This prototype was tested using electrons of 2–32 $Ge V$ at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility in 2009. Deviations from linear energy response were less than 1.1%, and the intrinsic energy resolution was determined to be $(12.5\pm 0.1(stat.)\pm 0.4(syst.))\%$ $/$ $\sqrt{E[Ge V]}\oplus \left( 1.2\pm 0.1(stat.)_{-0.7}^{+0.6}(syst.)\right)\%$, where the uncertainties correspond to statistical and systematic sources, respectively., Published by North-Holland Publ. Co., Amsterdam

Inga (Caesalpinioideae) is the type genus of the Ingeae tribe in the mimosoid clade. It comprises about 300 species, all trees or treelets, and has an exclusively neotropical distribution, with Brazil as its main center of diversity. In this study, we analyzed the diversity of 40 strains of rhizobia isolated from root nodules collected from ten species of Inga belonging to different types of vegetation in Brazil. Sequences of their housekeeping genes (dnaK, recA, rpoB, gyrB and glnII), 16S rRNA genes, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, as well as their symbiosis-essential genes (nodC and nifH) were used to characterize them genetically. The ability of the rhizobia to form nodules on Inga spp., and on the promiscuous legume siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum) was also evaluated. A multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) combined with an analysis of the ITS region showed that the isolates were distributed into four main groups (A-D) within the large genus Bradyrhizobium. Analysis of the nodC and nifH genes showed that the isolates formed a separate branch from all described species of Bradyrhizobium, except for B. ingae. Most of the tested isolates formed nodules on siratro and all isolates tested nodulated Inga spp. Our results suggest a unique co-evolutionary history of Bradyrhizobium and Inga and demonstrate the existence of potential new species of microsymbionts nodulating this important and representative genus of leguminous tree from the Caesalpinioideae mimosoid clade.

The redox transformations of arsenic (As) in lakes are thought to be mainly controlled by algal/microbial processes. We tested if photochemical oxidation could also be a significant redox process in northern freshwater systems. We exposed filtered natural water samples from four northern mine-impacted lakes (Northwest Territories, Canada) and three unimpacted ponds (Nunavik, Canada) to simulated solar radiation, and followed As(III) oxidation. During short-term incubation experiments (less than 8 h), all samples amended with As(III) displayed a rapid photooxidation (ca. 0.06-0.27 h−1) whereas no significant oxidation was observed in the dark. This photooxidation process was controlled by UV radiation, was influenced by short-lived oxidants and was partly driven by the concentrations of organic matter. Natural As complexes in unamended water samples were more rapidly photooxidized than in samples with As(III) amendments. Addition of goethite or simulation of snowmelt did not alter photooxidation rates significantly. Overall, these results imply that photooxidation of As should be considered as a potentially significant mechanism controlling inorganic As speciation in aquatic systems. This is particularly true for northern systems affected by mining activities and by changes of inputs of organic matter related to climate change.

The ITER Correction Coils (CCs) consist of three sets of six coils, Bottom (BCC), Side (SCC) and Top Correction Coils (TCC), respectively. The CCs rely on 10 kA NbTi cable-in-conduit conductor. Each CC winding pack is enclosed inside a 20 mm thick 316LN stainless steel case, providing structural reinforcement against the electromagnetic loads arising in the winding pack. The material of coil cases shall feature ready weldability both by laser and conventional techniques, high strength and toughness at 4 K. Material production involves not only hot rolled plates of different thicknesses, but also heavy gauge extrusions. An adapted steelmaking route including Electroslag Remelting (ESR) combined with a hot transformation step involving redundant multidirectional forging of the slabs and of the billets was adopted. This route allowed the stringent material specification to be fulfilled and permitted to achieve cleanliness, fineness of the structure and homogeneity on the final products. An extensive follow-up of the steel manufacturing through systematic non-destructive and destructive examinations was carried out in order to ascertain the soundness and the homogeneity of the final products. The progresses accomplished throughout the steel manufacturing are highlighted. The properties achieved on the final products that were enabled by the selected manufacturing route are discussed.

Reproducible analytical procedures and rigorous quality control are imperative for an accurate monitoring of cyanobacterial toxins in environmental water samples. In this study, the short-term and long-term storage stability of diverse cyanotoxins (anatoxins, cylindrospermopsin, anabaenopeptins, and 12 microcystins) was evaluated in water samples, under different scenarios. Transport controls were performed at three monitoring sites in spiked ultrapure water and lake water to investigate short-term stability issues. Medium-term storage stability was evaluated for up to 14–28 days in ultrapure water, chlorine-treated drinking water (amended with reductant), and surface water (filtered and unfiltered) stored at different temperatures (20 °C, 4 °C, and –20 °C). Substantial decreases of cylindrospermopsin and anabaenopeptins were observed in tap water (20 °C) and unfiltered surface water (20 °C or 4 °C). Regardless of matrix type, cyanotoxin recoveries generally remained within an 80–120% range when the water samples were kept frozen. After a prolonged storage duration of 365 days at –20 °C, most cyanotoxins experienced decreases in the range of 10–20%. The notable exception was for the tryptophan-containing MC-LW and MC-WR, with more substantial variations (30% to 50% decrease) and conversion to N-formylkynurenine analogs. Reanalysis of field-collected surface waters after long-term storage at –20 °C also indicated significantly decreasing trends of cyanotoxins (between 6% and 23% decrease). In view of the above, short sample hold times should be favored as recommended in EPA methods.

Abandoned pastureland provides a prime opportunity for forest recovery of these degraded areas in the Amazon. Many factors impact forest regeneration, including time and intensity of pasture use before abandonment, and proximity of a source of propagules. Given these conditions, it is necessary to better investigate the effect of such factors on the natural regeneration of abandoned pastureland. Here we employed chronosequences to study secondary forest succession in abandoned pastures along the Madeira River, Rondonia, Brazil. We installed 314 m 2 plots in 36 abandoned pastures previously subjected to long-term use (average of 9 years), but now at different stages of natural regeneration. All tree species stems ⩾30 cm in height were identified, and their diameter was measured at ground level. Using a historical series of Landsat satellite images, time of pasture encroachment (“ encapoeiramento ”), time of pasture use, and time since last use were all calculated. The percentage of forest cover adjacent to each plot was calculated using a circular buffer (120 m radius) overlaid on a land-cover classification. Model selection procedure was used to access the importance of four predictors on natural regeneration variables (species density, basal area, stem density). We sampled 6380 stems belonging to 202 morphospecies grouped into 138 genera and 51 families. The two most important species were Vismia guianensis and Vismia gracilis that together represented 40% of abundance, 70% of frequency, and 101% of IVI (Importance Value Index) of the plants sampled. Most species (164) were recorded in a maximum of four out of 36 plots sampled. Species density increased by ca. five species per year after pasture encroachment. Occurrence of rare species increased with time following encroachment, while relative abundance and basal area of the main pioneer species decreased with the advance of forest succession. Time of pasture encroachment, time of pasture use, and time since last use had significant effect on natural regeneration, whereas cover of surrounding forest had limited influence. Although constrained by long-term use, natural regeneration in abandoned pastures occurred relatively rapidly based on the high occurrence of resprouting pioneer species, which formed secondary sites during the first years of succession. Afterwards, regeneration was incremented by the establishment of a number of late succession species. We conclude that forest restoration of abandoned pastures in the Amazon should use the natural potential of forest regeneration, considering both the speed and intensity of the process.

Mega hydroelectric dams cause loss of habitat for many species and lead to local or regional extinction. Despite these dire facts, little is known about the impact of these mega-dams on Amazonia. Using palms as a model, we investigated this question by sampling 26 1-ha plots distributed in the influence areas of the Jirau mega-dam in southwestern Brazilian Amazonia. We examined palm community patterns and species distributions as a function of environmental variables, as well as the effect of this large dam on plant survival. Palm communities on the banks of the Madeira River differ among three main habitats sampled (campinarana, terra-firme and varzea forests), and these differences are associated with the gradient of C, pH, N, P, soil texture, slope, and depth to the water-table. The level of the Madeira River raised after the construction of the Jirau mega-dam, directly affecting the populations of 61.3% of the palm species, particularly those species associated to areas with silty soils, low slope, and low depth to the water-table. Varzea and terra-firme forests near the river, as well as low-lying plots, even those distant from the river, were affected by the filling of the reservoir. Varzea forests and campinaranas had a greater proportion of palm species flooded by the reservoir and the reduction of water-table depth. Varzea forests and campinaranas harbor distinct palm communities from the terra-firme forests and require priority in conservation policies and management to mitigate harmful environmental impacts in the Amazon.

Whatever criteria are used to measure evolutionary success – species numbers, geographic range, ecological abundance, ecological and life history diversity, background diversification rates, or the presence of rapidly evolving clades – the legume family is one of the most successful lineages of flowering plants. Despite this, we still know rather little about the dynamics of lineage and species diversification across the family through the Cenozoic, or about the underlying drivers of diversification. There have been few attempts to estimate net species diversification rates or underlying speciation and extinction rates for legume clades, to test whether among-lineage variation in diversification rates deviates from null expectations, or to locate species diversification rate shifts on specific branches of the legume phylogenetic tree. In this study, time-calibrated phylogenetic trees for a set of species-rich legume clades – Calliandra , Indigofereae, Lupinus , Mimosa and Robinieae – and for the legume family as a whole, are used to explore how we might approach these questions. These clades are analysed using recently developed maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods to detect species diversification rate shifts and test for among-lineage variation in speciation, extinction and net diversification rates. Possible explanations for rate shifts in terms of extrinsic factors and/or intrinsic trait evolution are discussed. In addition, several methodological issues and limitations associated with these analyses are highlighted emphasizing the potential to improve our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of legume diversification by using much more densely sampled phylogenetic trees that integrate information across broad taxonomic, geographical and temporal levels.

A molecular phylogeny is used to analyze the diversification history of Adesmia ser. psoraleoides, and its implications for understanding the historical assembly of the grasslands in the highlands of southern Brazil. All species of A. ser. psoraleoides were sampled, including multiple accessions for each species, plus representative species of the rest of Adesmia covering its geographic distribution. Phylogenetic analyses were based on nuclear and plastid DNA sequences, and a plastid matK phylogeny was dated. A. ser. psoraleoides is a well-supported monophyletic group, nested within the series bicolores, muricatae, subnudae, longisetae and candidae. The stem of A. ser. psoraleoides is c. 11 Mya, but most extant species diversified c. 3–5 Mya, suggesting that the flora of the subtropical grasslands of southern Brazil was assembled recently, co-incident with the expansion of other tropical grassland systems globally.

Tobacco farming presents several hazards to those who cultivate and harvest the plant. The genotoxic and mutagenic effects in tobacco farmers were investigated. In order to verify the relationship between genetic susceptibility and biomarkers GSTT1, GSTM1, GSTP1, CYP2A6, PON, OGG1, RAD51, XRCC1, and XRCC4 genes polymorphism were evaluated. Oxidative stress markers and trace elements content were determined. Peripheral blood cells samples were collected from 111 agricultural workers during pesticides application and leaf harvest, and 56 non-exposed subjects. Results show that farmers are exposed to mixture of substances with genotoxic and cytotoxic potential. Only GSTM1 null and CYP2A6*9 showed significant associations with cytokinesis-blocked micronuclei assay results. In pesticide application an increase in trace elements content was observed. The results indicated that exposure to pesticides and nicotine can influence antioxidant enzymes activity. Our study drives the attention once more to the need for occupational training on safe work environment for farm workers.

We present first measurements of the evolution of the differential transverse momentum correlation function, C, with collision centrality in Au + Au interactions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. This observable exhibits a strong dependence on collision centrality that is qualitatively similar to that of number correlations previously reported. We use the observed longitudinal broadening of the near-side peak of C with increasing centrality to estimate the ratio of the shear viscosity to entropy density, eta/s, of the matter formed in central Au + Au interactions. We obtain an upper limit estimate of eta/s that suggests that the produced medium has a small viscosity per unit entropy. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In situ measurements provide data that are the highly representative of the natural environment. In this paper, laboratory-determined biomarkers of Cd stress that were previously identified for the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, were tested in two French rivers: a contaminated site on the Riou Mort River and an "uncontaminated" reference site on the Lot River. Transcript abundance levels were determined by real time qPCR for biomarkers thought to be Cd sensitive. Transcript levels were significantly higher (>5 fold) for organisms exposed to the contaminated site as compared to those exposed at the uncontaminated site. Biomarker mRNA levels were best correlated to free Cd (Cd(2+)) rather than intracellular Cd, suggesting that they may be useful indicators of in situ stress. The paper shows that biomarker expression levels increased with time, were sensitive to metal levels and metal speciation and were higher in the "contaminated" as opposed to the "reference" site.

Resume La pandemie a VIH est due aux virus de type 1 groupe M (VIH-M). A cote de ces virus majoritaires, il existe de nombreux variants divergeant genetiquement, ayant conduit a la definition des VIH-2 et des groupes N, O et P au sein du VIH-1. Ces derniers sont le resultat de passages inter-especes independants de virus presents chez les chimpanzes et les gorilles des plaines de l’Ouest de l’Afrique centrale. Ces sources simiennes et la necessaire adaptation a l’espece humaine sont a l’origine de caracteristiques genomiques, phylogenetiques, et de proprietes virales, propres a chaque groupe. L’histoire naturelle des infections associees a ces variants semble neanmoins similaire a celle des VIH-M, avec une forte replication virale in vivo associee a une immunodepression continue. Ces variants non-M ont tous ete decrits pour la premiere fois chez des patients d’origine camerounaise. L’ouest de l’Afrique centrale est ainsi l’epicentre des epidemies a variants non-M, et la circulation hors de cette region est anecdotique, en dehors de la France. Au Cameroun, berceau de tous les groupes decrits actuellement, les infections VIH-O representent 1 % des infections VIH, tandis que seuls 15 cas d’infections VIH-N et deux infections VIH-P ont ete rapportes a ce jour. Si la diversite genetique importante de ces variants necessite l’utilisation d’outils specifiques d’identification serologique et de caracterisation moleculaire, le diagnostic et le suivi virologique de ces infections apparaissent desormais possibles avec les trousses commerciales actuelles ; en revanche, tres peu de donnees sont disponibles sur la reponse au traitement antiretroviral et la conduite a tenir en cas d’echec. Malgre l’amelioration des connaissances sur ces variants rares, il persiste de nombreuses et fascinantes questions sur leur origine, leur evolution genetique et les raisons de leur faible diffusion epidemiologique. Leur decouverte, ainsi que la description ces dernieres annees de nombreux virus simiens, demontre une dynamique de transmission a l’homme, rendant probable l’existence d’autres variants ; il convient donc de poursuivre une veille sanitaire, en particulier devant toute discordance dans l’algorithme de depistage et de prise en charge therapeutique des infections a VIH.

We search for lepton-flavor-violating tau-> ell V^0 decays, where ell is an electron or muon and V^0 is one of the vector mesons rho^0, phi, omega, K*0 and K*0-bar. We use 854 fb^{-1} of data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^+e^- collider. No evidence for a signal is found in any decay mode, and we obtain 90% confidence level upper limits on the individual branching fractions in the range (1.2-8.4)*10^{-8}., 13 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Lett. B

Unilateral solid state NMR and near infrared measurements are combined to study latex film formation at different temperatures and humidities in order to cover a broad parameter-space of film formation conditions. From analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data the time evolution of water and polymer fraction at different (vertical) positions in the film were estimated. The mean water fraction was determined simultaneously by near infrared (NIR) reflection measurements. From the time-evolution of the water distribution within the film and the total water content, it was possible to differentiate between the different deformation mechanisms (e.g. capillary deformation, receding water front mechanism or skin formation). The experimental findings are compared to theoretical predictions by Routh and Russel [Langmuir 15 (1999) 7762–7773]. Although most of the predicted regimes could be identified, the experimental estimated transitions between different regimes deviate significantly from the theoretical boundaries. The complex rheological behaviour of polymers has been identified to be the main reason for these deviations.

Background Despite the perspective of vaccination against herpes zoster, there are few recent data available on the incidence of this disease, the proportion of postherpetic neuralgia cases, and associated disease management costs. This study was performed to evaluate these parameters in a representative sample of French physicians. Methods It was a retrospective, declarative study conducted from the medical files of patients who presented with herpes zoster and consulted in 2005, based on a random sample of GPs, dermatologists, neurologists, and physicians in pain clinics, weighted by demographic departmental distribution of patients aged 50 years and above. The analysis was performed on cases diagnosed by physicians themselves (incident cases). Results The annual incidence of herpes zoster was estimated at 8.99/1000 [8.34–9.64], all types of physicians pooled and at 8.67/1000 for GPs. This represents about 182,500 cases of herpes zoster in France in 2005 in patients aged 50 years and above. Incidence was slightly higher amongst women (1.3 times) and increased with age. Amongst the 777 cases of incident herpes zoster, 343 were complicated by postherpetic neuralgia one month after diagnosis. The proportion of patients presenting postherpetic neuralgia at 3 and 6 months was 32.1% and 17.6%, respectively. The annual cost of management of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia was estimated at 170 [109–249] million euros, of which 61.0 million euros were covered by the national health insurance. Conclusion In this study, the incidence of herpes zoster observed in France in subjects aged 50 years and above is close to that already estimated in France and Europe. The proportion of postherpetic neuralgia is high and this painful complication may persist for several months after diagnosis of herpes zoster. To our knowledge, EPIZOD is the first study conducted in France to assess the cost of herpes zoster and of postherpetic neuralgia, the most frequent complication of this viral disease.

In the natural environment, toxicant effects can be monitored by the signature mRNA expression patterns of genes that they generate in test organisms. The specificity and sensitivity of these transcriptome-based bioassays to a given toxicant can be confounded by temporal changes in biomarker mRNA expression, effects of other toxicants and hardness ions, and non-linear mRNA expression responses of genes. This study provides the foundation for the development of a transcriptomic-based bioassay for bioavailable Cd in the freshwater alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. It characterizes: (1) the Cd regulation of nine genes with respect to their mRNA induction kinetics; (2) the effects of two additional metals common to freshwaters, Cu2+ and Pb2+, and (3) the relationships between metal bioaccumulation and the transcriptomic responses. Quantitative real time PCR was used to monitor mRNA levels of nine Cd-induced genes following an exposure to 0.01, 0.11 and 1.16 μM Cd2+. Several distinct mRNA expression patterns were observed with time. While the presence of Cu2+ and Pb2+ decreased Cd biouptake, mRNA levels increased for six genes, showing lack of Cd2+ specificity. Nonetheless, the transcriptomic effects of binary metal exposures rarely adhered to a simple additive model based on single metal exposures; rather most exhibited synergistic or antagonistic interactions. While none of these genes could be used as a specific Cd biomarker, the signature mRNA expression profile obtained from a select subset of Cd sensitive genes was a useful biomarker of sublethal effects.

Two studies explored individual differences in perspective taking and perspective as moderators of risky choice framing effects. Study 1 (N = 230) showed perspective taking moderates framing among women. Study 2 (N = 256) experimentally manipulated two perspectives: a focus on feelings was expected to increase the framing effect; a focus on thoughts was expected to decrease it. Given men’s lower emotional reactivity, we expected the affective focus would magnify framing effects among men, as they appear less likely to spontaneously consider how they would feel. This was supported in follow-up analyses of the five-way interaction of frame, gender, feel, cognitive and affective perspective taking. Findings suggest that larger framing effects seen for women in previous research may be due to differences in whether one spontaneously considers how one would feel, that is, to individual differences in affective perspective taking.

The first 2 years of the ITER IO has seen substantial progress towards the construction of the magnets, in three main areas. Firstly, the design has been developed under the conflicting constraints to minimise construction costs and to maximise plasma physics performance. Building construction momentum while updating the design to take account of new physics assessments of the coil requirements has been challenging. Secondly, with a stabilising design, it has been possible for the Domestic Agencies to launch the first industrial procurement contracts. And thirdly, critical R&D to confirm the performance of the Nb3Sn cable in conduit design is proceeding successfully. The design consolidation has been accompanied by design reviews involving the international community. The reviews conducted by magnet experts have enabled a consensus to be built on choosing between some of the design options in the original ITER basic design in 2001. The major design decisions were to maintain the circular Nb3Sn conductor embedded in radial plates for the toroidal field (TF) coils and to maintain NbTi-based conductors for the PF coils. Cold testing, at low current, is also being introduced for quality control purposes for all coils.