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Highlights • Primary synovial sarcoma (SS) of the stomach is a very rare disease. • To date, only 39 gastric SS cases have been reported in the literature. • Here is a report of a surgically resected primary gastric SS case and a review of the corresponding literature., Introduction Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a mesenchymal neoplasm that is characterized by its unique histological pattern and is most commonly found near the joints of the extremity. Stomach involvement is very rare. This work aimed to present the case of a patient with gastric SS. We also conducted a review of 39 gastric SS cases reported in the literature. Presentation of case Here we report a case of primary gastric synovial sarcoma in a 32-year-old male patient revealed by gastric reflux. Partial gastrectomy was performed showing a 35 mm lesion with a high spindle cell component. Immunohistochemistry revealed 18q11.2 translocation expression in most of the cells asserting a diagnosis of SS. No local or distant recurrence occurred at 8 months post-operative follow-up. Discussion The majority of SS occurs in the extremities and is most often associated with tendons in the large articulations of young adults. Gastric SS are very scarce and a molecular biology approach to detect the SYT-SSX fusion gene is required for conclusive diagnosis. We carried out a clinical review of the 40 cases of primary gastric SS, including our case. They all underwent an excisional surgery, most of them by partial gastectomy or wedge resection. Recurrences were rare and early when they occurred. Conclusion Gastric SS is a very uncommon neoplasia although it is henceforth a described entity. Immunohistochemical detection of a pathognomonic translocation is needed to make the diagnosis of SS. Best therapeutic approach for these tumors remains surgical resection with no specific excisional technique recommended.

The article summarises the development of the system of radiation protection quantities used for occupational exposures to external sources throughout the last century. Although the current system generally meets the radiation protection needs quite satisfactorily, this system has often been the target of criticism. Some controversial issues are highlighted in the present paper. The conclusion is that it would be appropriate to undertake a deep review of the current system and suggest the necessary revisions to remove any ambiguities or confusion and address the deficiencies and incoherencies.

Ephedra nebrodensis, is a medicinal plant, traditionally in Algeria used for the cure of various ailments such as hepatic disorders. On this basis in present study the phytochemical screening and in vitro antioxidant activity of various fractions (n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water) of ethanol extract obtained by maceration from aerial parts of E. nebrodensis were investigated. Different fractions were accessed for their yield percentage, total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total tannins content (TTC) and antioxidant potential (DPPH - 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; ABTS - 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid), reducing power assay (FRAP - ferric reducing antioxidant power activity),and bleaching of β-carotene test . Results showed that ethyl acetate fraction (EF) represents the highest amount of total polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins with 269.669 ± 0.031 µg gallic acid equivalent/mg of DE, 44.507 ± 0.003 µg quercetin equivalents/mg of DE and 228.487 ± 1.362 µg tannic acid equivalents/mg of DE, respectively. In antioxidant assays, ethyl acetate fractions (EF) showed the strongest DPPH and ABTS antioxidant (IC50: 0.009 and 0.004 µg/mL) and FRAP potential (EC50: 0.005 ± 0.000 µg/mL), which significantly correlate to its high content of polyphenolics, flavonoids and tannins. Further, fractions were rich in phenolic compounds. The present results support the possible use of the ethyl acetate fraction from E. nebrodensis in pharmaceutical industries as a natural antioxidant. Keywords: Ephedra nebrodensis, polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, antioxidant capacity.

Tout autour du monde, les universités doivent affronter les nouveaux défis afin de s'affirmer comme des organisations constructives, génératrices de savoir et comme des formateurs de citoyens responsables et compétents (Iliescu, 2003). Cette situation a donné naissance à de nouveaux concepts comme "université entrepreneuriale" (Verstraete, 2000; Clark, 1998), "entrepreneuriat académique" ou "acadépreneuriat " (Alpha Dia, 2011). Dans cette perspective, nous constatons une distinction témoignée dans la littérature entre "la mission traditionnelle" de l'université et "la nouvelle mission" dite entrepreneuriale. Ce document analyse les facteurs favorisant le passage d'une université traditionnelle vers une université entrepreneuriale.

International audience; This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection within the staff and student populations of the University of Corsica (France) during the second wave of the epidemic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 23 November 2020 to 31 January 2021. The participants underwent blood sampling using a fingerstick procedure and completed an anonymized questionnaire. Sera were tested for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG (ELISA-S) and, if positive, with an in-house virus neutralization test (VNT). Results: A total of 418 persons were included in the study. The overall seroprevalence was 12.8% (95% confidence interval (CI), 9.8\textendash 16.6%). A total of 15 (31%) of the 49 individuals who had a positive ELISA-S also had a positive VNT. Seropositivity was associated with living at the city campus during the week and on weekends (OR = 3.74 [1.40\textendash 12.00]), using public transportation/carpooling (OR = 2.00 [1.01\textendash 4.02]), and being in contact with a person who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (OR = 2.32 [1.20\textendash 4.40]). The main symptoms associated with seropositivity were ``having had an acute respiratory infection'' (OR = 3.05 [1.43\textendash 6.43]) and ``experiencing loss of smell'' (OR = 16.4 [5.87\textendash 50.7]). Conclusion: These results could be useful for SARS-CoV-2 prevention and control on university campuses.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation in which the effects of genetic factors is well established. The objective of our study is to explore an association of the 869CT and 915GC polymorphisms of the TGF-β1 gene with type 1 diabetic retinopathy in the Algerian population.A case-control study was carried out in which the SNPs 869CT and 915GC of the TGF-βA significant increase in the frequencies of the C allele (P=0.03) and GG genotype (P=0.007) of the 915 GC polymorphism were found, respectively, in patients without and with retinopathy. However, no significant difference was found for allelic and genotypic frequencies of the 869CT SNP (all P0.05) or associations between genotypes and clinical characteristics or risk factors for DR.Our preliminary results suggest that the C allele of the 915 GC polymorphism of TGF-β

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant displays increased infectiveness as well as mutations resulting in reduced neutralizing activity of antibodies acquired after vaccination or infection involving earlier strains. To assess the ability of vaccinated COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP-V) collected before November 2021 to seroneutralize Omicron, we compared neutralizing antibody (nAb) titres of 63 samples against Omicron and earlier B.1 (D614G) strains.Relationship between anti-Omicron titres and IgG anti-S1 levels (binding arbitrary unit: BAU/ml) was studied. Although correlated, anti-Omicron titres were significantly lower than anti-B.1 titres (median = 80 [10-1280] vs. 1280 [160-10,240], p 0.0001). Omicron nAb titres and IgG anti-S1 levels were correlated (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient = 0.67). Anti-S1 IgG threshold at 7000 BAU/ml may allow to discard CCP-V without anti-Omicron activity (nAb titre40). Conversely, only those with highest titres (≥160) had systematically anti-S1 IgG levels7000 BAU/ml.A fraction of CCP-V collected before November 2021 retains anti-Omicron seroneutralizing activity that may be selected by quantitative anti-IgG assays, but such assays do not easily allow the identification of 'high-titre' CCP-V. However, collecting plasma from vaccinated donors recently infected with Omicron may be the best option to provide optimal CCP-V for immunocompromised patients infected with this variant.

International audience; Constraint Programming is a powerful paradigm to model and solve combinatorial problems. While there are many kinds of constraints, the table constraint is perhaps the most significant—being the most well-studied and has the ability to encode any other constraints defined on finite variables. However, constraints can be very voluminous and their size can grow exponentially with their arity. To reduce space and the time complexity, researchers have focused on various forms of compression. In this paper, we propose a new approach based on maximal frequent itemsets technique and area measure for enumerating the maximal frequent itemsets relevant for compressing table constraints. Our experimental results show the effectiveness and efficiency of this approach on compression and on solving compressed constraint satisfaction problem.

International audience; Quantitation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) neutralizing antibodies (Nabs) is a key parameter in determining the effective dose for treatment with COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP). Interpretation of results from clinical trials conducted worldwide requires comparison of Nabs titres obtained from different methods. As virus neutralization tests (VNTs) are not standardized scalable or commercially available, strategies based on intensity of ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) or chemiluminescent binding serological tests were implemented to allow comparisons and establish criteria for determining 'high-titres' of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (Abs). To this end, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has proposed criteria to define high-titre plasmas using different serological assays, including the one used in France for the CCP SARS-CoV-2 Abs screening (Euroimmun anti-S1 IgG). A retrospective study revealed that when using the FDA criteria (ELISA signal-to-cut-off [S/C ratio] ≥3.5), 91% of CCP had Nabs titres ≥40 as assessed with an in-house VNT. French strategy to ensure sufficient stocks of CCP of increasing titre has evolved over time. Recently, we improved our strategy by collecting only plasma from vaccinated convalescent donors as we confirmed that the mean IgG antibody level (ELISA S/C ratio) was significantly higher in plasma from vaccinated convalescent donors compared to donations from unvaccinated convalescent donors: 9.31 (CI 95%: 8.46-10.16) versus 3.22 (CI 95%: 3.05-3.39) (p

In patients with advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), predicting the feasibility of complete interval cytoreductive surgery (ICRS) is helpful and may avoid unnecessary laparotomy. A joint model (JM) is a dynamic individual predictive model. The aim of this study was to develop a predictive JM combining CA-125 kinetics during NAC with patients’ and clinical factors to predict resectability after NAC in patients with AOC. A retrospective study included 77 patients with AOC treated with NAC. A linear mixed effect (LME) sub-model was used to describe the evolution of CA-125 during NAC considering factors influencing the biomarker levels. A Cox sub-model screened the covariates associated with resectability. The JM combined the LME sub-model with the Cox sub-model. Using the LME sub-model, we observed that CA-125 levels were influenced by the number of NAC cycles and the performance of paracentesis. In the Cox sub-model, complete resectability was associated with Performance Status (HR = 0.57, [0.34–0.95], p = 0.03) and the presence of peritoneal carcinomatosis in the epigastric region (HR = 0.39, [0.19–0.80], p = 0.01). The JM accuracy to predict complete ICRS was 88% [82–100] with a predictive error of 2.24% [0–2.32]. Using a JM of a longitudinal CA-125 level during NAC could be a reliable predictor of complete ICRS.

We studied the serologic response to the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine at four weeks after the second dose in patients with RRMS treated with rituximab with extended-interval dosing ( n = 26). At four weeks, 73% of patients were seropositive. No patient without B cells at the first dose ( n = 4) was seropositive. Four of seven (57%) patients with B-cell proportion >0% and ≤5% were seropositive. All patients with B-cell proportion >5% ( n = 15) were seropositive. In all patients, quantitative ELISA measures after vaccination were correlated with B-cell counts measured before vaccination. In patients receiving rituximab, seropositivity after BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination emerged only after B-cell repopulation.

OBJECTIVES: Ephedra nebrodensis (Ephedraceae) presents a wide range of biological activities. It is used to treat respiratory problems and hepatic pathologies in traditional medicine. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant, in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of two hydro-alcoholic extracts of E. nebrodensis in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antioxidant capacity of hydro-methanolic (HM) and hydro-ethanolic (HE) extracts of E. nebrodensis was evaluated via assays of their superoxide radical scavenging capacity and ferrous ion chelating activity. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) was also determined using the bovine serum albumin denaturation test. Croton oil-induced ear edema was then employed to evaluate the in vivo anti-inflammatory effect of the extracts (200 and 400 mg/kg). Finally, the analgesic activity of the extracts (200 and 400 mg/kg) was determined by the acetic acid-induced torsion test. RESULTS: The hydro-alcoholic extracts of E. nebrodensis present significant antioxidant activity. The HE and HM could inhibit protein denaturation by 82.99%±20.21% and 56.25%±2.12%, respectively. The extracts (HM and HE) also show strong anti-inflammatory effects in vivo and could reduce ear edema by 70.37%±2.00% and 72.22%±1.94%, respectively. The HM extract (72.51%±2.43%) demonstrates greater pain inhibitory effects than HE (70.76%±2.58%). CONCLUSION: The hydro-alcoholic extracts of E. nebrodensis produce antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects. These results confirm the traditional use of the herb in the treatment of various diseases.

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International audience; Background: Uncertainties remain regarding the nature and durability of the humoral immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Aim: This study investigated immunoglobulin G response and neutralizing activity to evaluate the mean antibody concentrations and response duration induced by each vaccination regimen in a French adult population. Methods: A study including blood sampling and questionnaires was carried out from November 2020 to July 2021 with three separate follow-up phases. Spike proteins and neutralizing antibodies were quantified using ELISA and a virus-neutralization test. Results: Overall, 295 participants were included. Seroprevalences were 11.5% (n = 34), 10.5% (n = 31), and 68.1% (n = 201) in phases 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Importantly, 5.8% (n = 17) of participants lost their natural antibodies. Antibody response of participants with only a prior infection was 88.2 BAU/mL, significantly lower than those vaccinated, which was 1909.3 BAU/mL (p = 0.04). Moreover, the antibody response of vaccinated participants with a prior infection was higher (3593.8 BAU/mL) than those vaccinated without prior infection (3402.9 BAU/mL) (p = 0.78). Vaccinated participants with or without prior infection had a higher seroneutralization rate (91.0%) than those unvaccinated with prior infection (65.0%). Conclusion: These results demonstrated that single infection does not confer effective protection against SARS-CoV-2.

International audience

The development of an anomaly-based Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is of primary importance in networks because it reinforces security. Unlike supervised methods, unsupervised methods are not widely used although they are fast and efficient. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised approach based on the K-means method to show the efficacy of these models over the supervised methods. The proposed model improves the K-means method using the Caliniski Harabasz indicator to find the appropriate number of clusters required for clustering by computing the intra-cluster to inter-cluster ratio. Above all, the proposed model is applied to two datasets, the well-known NSL-KDD and the newest CICIDS2017. The experimental results show that the proposed model exceeds largely the traditional K-means method. Additionally, it is also very efficient both in detection and time consuming compared to the SVM classifier that is a supervised classifier.