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Ongoing technological progress in measurement systems triggered the development of an in­novative, hands-on teaching program to help students toward a fuller understanding of recent changes in the field. This paper presents a lab project that links theoretical principles with the practical issues of signal conditioning systems. This is accomplished in the context of a Master's Degree in Mechatronic Engineering, though the experience gained could be applied to other cur­ricula. Students designed and tested a signal conditioning circuit in order to acquire and monitor the electrical activity generated by the heart. This lab project contains most of the circuits studied in lectures and presents a general methodology for the design of signal conditioning systems. Five years of lab project work was compiled, and with the help of students' feedback, we were able to evaluate both the improvement in their knowledge and in their motivation.

The aim of this paper is to provide a cross-national comparative analysis of the introduction of calculus in Spanish and French military educational institutions through the works of Pedro Padilla y Arcos (1724-1807?) and Etienne Bezout (1730-1783), respectively. Both authors developed their educational work in the context of military schools and academies. Padilla's Curso Militar de Mathematicas (1753-1756) was the first work published in Spain which introduced the teaching of calculus in formal education. Bezout's Cours de Mathematiques (1764-1769) was the first work on calculus explicitly addressed to French military students and can be considered a representative of the canonical knowledge on eighteenth-century mathematics, both in France and abroad. Eighteenth-century Spain has traditionally been regarded as a country in the periphery whose scientific culture and education were pervaded by French science and education. This centre-periphery framework is often represented by a static model of one-way transmission from the centre to the periphery. A crossnational comparative analysis can help revisit this monolithic centre-periphery framework. A recent historiographical stream places the emphasis on appropriation, hence moving away from the idea of passive reception. In my paper I focus on the reading and writing of educational books, as practices which contribute actively to the development and circulation of knowledge. To assist the analysis, I explore the differences in communication practices in each case, in contents and approaches, and in particular, I give special attention to their inspiration in mathematical streams other than the French standpoint.

Background: To evaluate drug use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other drugs) and its association with mean CD4/CD8 T cell count ratio, a marker of chronic inflammation, in virally suppressed people living with HIV-1 (PLWH) in Nouvelle Aquitaine, France. Methods: A multi-centric, cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 2018–19 in the QuAliV study—ANRS CO3 AQUIVIH-NA cohort. Tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and other drug use (poppers, cocaine, amphetamines, synthetic cathinones, GHB/GBL) were self-reported. CD4 and CD8 T cell counts and viral load measures, ± 2 years of self-report, and other characteristics were abstracted from medical records. Univariable and multivariable linear regression models, adjusted for age, sex, HIV risk group, time since HIV diagnosis, and other drug use were fit for each drug and most recent CD4/CD8 ratio. Results: 660 PLWH, aged 54.7 ± 11.2, were included. 47.7% [315/660] had a CD4/CD8 ratio of < 1. Their mean CD4/CD8 ratio was 1.1 ± 0.6. 35% smoked; ~ 40% were considered to be hazardous drinkers or have alcohol use disorder; 19.9% used cannabis and 11.9% other drugs. Chemsex-associated drug users' CD4/CD8 ratio was on average 0.226 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] − 0.383, − 0.070) lower than that of non-users in univariable analysis (p = 0.005) and 0.165 lower [95% CI − 0.343, 0.012] in multivariable analysis (p = 0.068). Conclusions: Mean differences in CD4/CD8 ratio were not significantly different in tobacco, alcohol and cannabis users compared to non-users. However, Chemsex-associated drug users may represent a population at risk of chronic inflammation, the specific determinants of which merit further investigation. Trial registration number: NCT03296202. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural forest regrowth on abandoned land represents a major land use change in some regions of Europe. This is driven by various factors related to land abandonment, particularly changing socioeconomic conditions for agriculture and rural depopulation. Little research exists about how the issue is addressed at the policy level. This paper looks into the policymaking related to natural forest regrowth in France and Spain, two countries where land abandonment and natural forest regrowth occur at significant scales. We conduct a policy discourse analysis building upon 27 interviews carried out between 2018 and 2020 with policy actors from various fields that connect with these topics. We find four competing storylines in both countries: extensive agriculture, forestry, landscape conservation, and wilderness. These storylines differ regarding the framing of natural forest regrowth as a problem or an opportunity, and the preferred policy solutions. While storylines rooted in extensive agriculture, landscape conservation and forestry tend to problematize the phenomenon, a wilderness storyline voices an opportunity perspective. In France, a few actors voice elements of an insignificance storyline. Given its spatial importance, natural forest regrowth will likely become more important for future policymaking in the EU. Engaging in further research across disciplines and policy fields is necessary to study the phenomenon and its possible management and governance options. • Policy actors narrate natural forest regrowth on abandoned land through storylines. • Interview results distinguish four storylines on natural forest regrowth. • Three storylines tend to highlight the threat of natural forest regrowth. • Natural forest regrowth has not yet received much political attention. • Shifts towards a rewilding perspective may strengthen an opportunity framing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

French population, despite of its crucial geographic location for repopulation movements of Europe across time, it has been insufficiently characterized at the genetic level, especially for Y-chromosomal DNA variation. In order to make a genetic structure characterization, we have analyzed the Y-chromosome diversity of 558 male individuals, scattered along 7 different French regions: Alsace (Strasbourg), Auvergne (Clermont-Ferrand), Bretagne (Rennes), Île-de-France (Paris), Midi-Pyrénées (Toulouse), Nord-Pas-de-Calais (Lille) and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Marseille). A total of 17 Y-chromosome STRs and 27 Y-chromosome SNPs were genotyped for each individual. Even though we find that most of the individual populations in France were not differentiated from each other, Bretagne population shows population substructure, an important fact to be considered when establishing general population databases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Managing land use changes requires a better understanding of societal perceptions. • We assess actor group narratives on natural forest regrowth in Spain and France. • Different symbolic meanings exist, ranging from lost territory to recovered land. • There is common ground regarding natural forest regrowth management. • Cultural beliefs and site-specific contexts are key for management approaches. The abandonment of agricultural land leads to landscape changes in many parts of Europe, often followed by natural forest regrowth. These landscape changes have far-reaching social and ecological consequences. Our research addresses the question of how local actor groups involved in land management perceive natural forest regrowth on abandoned land. Based on 42 interviews with local actors, we analyse narratives on natural forest regrowth in four case studies, one in France and three in Spain. Across the case studies, we find three narratives: a rural fatalism narrative, a pro forest management narrative and a pro nature narrative, each with its own problem definitions and solution strategies on natural forest regrowth. Our analysis reveals regional nuances, which depend on land use characteristics that shape the perceptions of local actor groups. We conclude that natural forest regrowth holds different symbolic functions, ranging from lost territory to recovered land. Any assessment of trade-offs and opportunities needs to consider the local situation. Furthermore, management and governance approaches need to acknowledge different cultural beliefs, which shape the perception of actor groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The genetic landscape of European Y-chromosomes has been widely surveyed. However, French male lineages are still poorly characterized, being scarce the current genetic contribution to the demographic history of France. We have studied, at Y-chromosome level, French population from 7 different regions throughout France: Nord-Pas-de-Calais (Lille), Bretagne (Rennes), Alsace (Strasbourg), Île-de-France (Paris), Auvergne (Clermont-Ferrand), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Marseille) and Midi-Pyrénées (Toulouse). More than five hundred male samples were genotyped for 27 Y-chromosome biallelic markers and 17 Y-STRs, in order to assess the degree of population sub-structuring of male lineages on this population. The results obtained show a significant level of population sub-structuring when Bretagne was compared with the remaining regions grouping together as a single cluster, obtaining a value of 6.83% (p =0.0000) for the proportion of the total variance explained by differences between populations, when using Y-SNPs data. Our data will contribute to elucidate the genetic composition of France as well as to reconstruct the demographic history of European populations. Likewise, the population sub-structuring detected entails that special care must be taken when Y-chromosome databases of France are used for forensic casework. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the frequency of remission, according to DORIS definitions, of inception patients from two European SLE cohorts, with a special focus on the differences between the therapeutic schemes of both Units., Methods: Inception patients enrolled after 2000 from the longitudinal Cruces Lupus Cohort (CC) and Bordeaux Lupus Cohort (BC) were included. The main endpoint was the achievement of clinical remission on treatment (ClinROnT). ClinROnT was assessed yearly from the 1st until the 5th year following the diagnosis of SLE., Results: 173 patients, 92 CC and 81 BC, were studied. The clinical presentation of both cohorts was similar, with no significant differences in the mean SLEDAI score at diagnosis (6.6 vs. 8.1, p = 0.06). Patients from CC were treated more frequently with hydroxychloroquine (mean 57 vs. 43 months), methotrexate (24% vs. 11%) and pulse methyl-prednisolone (42% vs. 26%), and received lower doses of oral prednisone (average dose during the follow up 2.3 vs. 7.2 mg/d, p < 0.001). Patients in CC were more likely to achieve ClinROnT at year one, 84% vs. 43% (p < 0.001). Prolonged ClinROnT during the 5 years of follow up was more frequent in CC: 70% vs. 28%, p < 0.001. Patients in CC were also more likely to achieve ClinROnT after controlling for baseline SLEDAI (adjusted HR 1.69, 95%CI 1.21-2.35) and for the presenting clinical manifestations (adjusted HR 1.72, 95% CI 1.2-2.4)., Conclusion: Prolonged ClinROnT was achievable by using a therapeutic regime consisting of lower doses of oral prednisone and maximizing the use of hydroxychloroquine, pulse methyl-prednisolone and methotrexate., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We observed a prolonged shedding of virus 14 and 28 days after symptom onset in two patients with pandemic H1N1 influenza, who did not have immunodepression and were treated with neuraminidase inhibitor. This prolonged shedding was not associated with the emergence of resistance mutation H275Y in the viral neuraminidase gene.