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We report a practical and novel approach based on reproducible fluidic mechanisms coupled with silica nano-particles for the development of nano-optical-connections directly on organic integrated photonic chips. Silica nano-ridge waveguides have been shaped with various widths ranging between 50 nm and 200 nm and with about one hundred micrometers length. An effective nano-photonic coupling mechanism has been demonstrated and a sub-wavelength propagation regime obtained between four perpendicular organic rib tapers and two parallel waveguides with respectively curved and straight silica nano-ridges configurations. The specific silica nano-ridge-waveguides structures show off optical propagation losses ranging between 37 and 68dB/mm at visible and infra-red wavelengths respectively. Such flexible devices offer a versatile fabrication process and present great potential regarding future applications for shaping nano-connections and integrating high-density networks. Indeed originally segmented optical circuits tapers, lines, plots or any pre-formed photonics structures could thus be combined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

A practical concept is reported based on reproducible fluidic mechanisms coupled with silica nano-particles for the development of nano-optical-connections directly on organic integrated photonic chips. Silica nano-rib waveguides have been shaped with various widths ranging between 50 and 300 nm and about 100 µm in length. An effective nano-photonic coupling mechanism has been demonstrated and a sub-wavelength propagation regime obtained between two organic rib tapers and waveguides with a perpendicular and a parallel configuration, respectively. The specific silica nano-rib-waveguide structures show off optical losses propagation ranging around 37–68 dB/mm at visible and infrared wavelengths. Such flexible devices offer versatile fabrication control by changing, respectively, nano-particles and surfactant concentrations. Thus, they present great potential regarding future applications for shaping nano-connections and high-density network integrations between original optical segmented circuits such as plots, lines or any pre-formed photonic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. more...

In the current context of food transition, the growing demand of consumers for sustainable plant-based protein sources has stimulated interest of food scientists in plant protein ingredients as alternatives to dairy protein ingredients. In this study, we hypothesized that the crystallization properties of dairy emulsions could be affected by the chemical complexity of commercially available pea protein-rich ingredients that contain proteins but also endogenous lipids. Dairy emulsions (30 %wt milk fat) stabilized either by a pea protein isolate or dairy proteins were prepared, their microstructure and interfacial composition were characterized. The crystallization and melting properties of milk fat in anhydrous state and in the emulsions were examined by the combination of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and synchrotron-radiation X-ray diffraction as a function of temperature (SR-XRDT). The results revealed differences in the milk fat crystallization properties in emulsion as a function of the ingredient used and highlighted a specific role played by pea endogenous lipids. The pea protein-rich ingredient contained 12.1 %wt endogenous lipids including 56.2 %wt polar lipids, 40.7 %wt triacylglycerols (TAGs) and 3.1 %wt plant sterols. The partitioning of pea endogenous lipids occurred upon emulsion formation as a function of their polarity: liquid unsaturated fatty acid rich pea TAGs mixed with milk TAGs in the core of the lipid droplets while pea polar lipids migrated at the TAGs/water interface together with pea proteins. Pea polar lipids were composed of saturated high melting temperature (T m ) and unsaturated low T m molecular species. High T m pea polar lipids exhibited a phase transition on cooling (from L α /expansed to L β /condensed) and acted as interfacial templates for surface heterogeneous nucleation and crystal growth of high crystallization temperature milk TAGs. The key interfacial and functional roles played by pea endogenous lipids present in the protein isolate were demonstrated. This study highlights the importance to examine the chemical composition and the properties of plant-based ingredients that are increasingly used for sustainable food formulations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.) more...

The formation of dynamic protein filaments contributes to various biological functions by clustering individual molecules together and enhancing their binding to ligands. We report such a propensity for the BTB domains of certain proteins from the ZBTB family, a large eukaryotic transcription factor family implicated in differentiation and cancer. Working with Xenopus laevis and human proteins, we solved the crystal structures of filaments formed by dimers of the BTB domains of ZBTB8A and ZBTB18 and demonstrated concentration-dependent higher-order assemblies of these dimers in solution. In cells, the BTB-domain filamentation supports clustering of full-length human ZBTB8A and ZBTB18 into dynamic nuclear foci and contributes to the ZBTB18-mediated repression of a reporter gene. The BTB domains of up to 21 human ZBTB family members and two related proteins, NACC1 and NACC2, are predicted to behave in a similar manner. Our results suggest that filamentation is a more common feature of transcription factors than is currently appreciated., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

In this study, the surface tension and the structure of hydrated reline are investigated by using diverse methods. Initially, the surface tension displays a nonlinear pattern as water content increases, decreasing until reaching 45 wt %, then gradually matching that of pure water. This fluctuation is associated with strong electrostatic correlations present in pure reline, which decrease as more water is added. Changes in surface tension reflect a shift from charge layering in pure reline to an increased interfacial hydrogen bonding as the water content rises. This shift causes the segregation of urea molecules into the bulk phase and a gradual anchoring of water molecules to the air-reline interface. An interesting observation is the antisurfactant effect, where heightened interfacial anchoring results in an unexpected increase in real contribution of surface tension. This, along with weakened electrostatic correlations beyond 45 wt % due to reinforced interfacial hydrogen bonding, contributes to the complex behavior of surface tension observed in this study. more...

NAUSEA AND VOMITING IN PREGNANCY. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy are common symptoms experienced by pregnant women. In more severe cases, known as hyperemesis gravidarum, these symptoms can become a pathological condition that can lead to significant complications in both the short and long term. Short-term complications include hydro-electrolyte imbalances, pregnancy termination, and growth retardation. Long-term complications may include anxiety disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Mild cases can often be alleviated through lifestyle and dietary adjustments or non-pharmacological treatments like ginger, acupuncture, or acupressure. However, moderate to severe cases require specific psychological support, anti-emetic treatments, and sometimes hospitalization with intravenous treatment and parenteral rehydration. Managing these cases is complex and challenging because it does not guarantee the complete disappearance of symptoms, which can pose difficulties for caregivers., Competing Interests: P. Deruelle déclare être membre du board scientifique de Norgine SAS et avoir effectué des conférences pour Exeltis. L. Sentilhes a exercé une activité de consultant et a réalisé des communications orales pour Ferring. T. Schmitz déclare avoir reçu des honoraires de consultation de Dilafor AB. Les autres auteurs déclarent n’avoir aucun lien d’intérêts. more...

Bone is created by osteoblasts that secrete osteoid after which an ordered texture emerges, followed by mineralization. Plywood geometries are a hallmark of many trabecular and cortical bones, yet the origin of this texturing in vivo has never been shown. Nevertheless, extensive in vitro work revealed how plywood textures of fibrils can emerge from acidic molecular cholesteric collagen mesophases. This study demonstrates in sheep, which is the preferred model for skeletal orthopaedic research, that the deeper non-fibrillar osteoid is organized in a liquid-crystal cholesteric geometry. This basophilic domain, rich in acidic glycosaminoglycans, exhibits low pH which presumably fosters mesoscale collagen molecule ordering in vivo. The results suggest that the collagen fibril motif of twisted plywood matures slowly through self-assembly thermodynamically driven processes as proposed by the Bouligand theory of biological analogues of liquid crystals. Understanding the steps of collagen patterning in osteoid-maturation processes may shed new light on bone pathologies that emerge from collagen physico-chemical maturation imbalances., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.) more...

Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: AF: SELAS Pointgyn, Laboratoire Innotech International, Respiratory and Women’s Health Products, Center for observational and real-world evidence (CORE);CLR: Ferring;CRJ:Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck Serono Healthcare, Mylan, Roche, Theramex;ES: Evalformsanté;HB: Organon, Bayer, Gédéon Richter, MSD vaccins, Exeltix, Besins;LMM: Ferring, Vichy, Ipsen, Evalformsanté, Besins, Gédéon Richter, Effik, Theramex;MB: Gédéon Richter;ML: Theramex, Gédéon Richter, Ferring, IBSA Pharma, Merck, Serono, Organon and Exeltis;SM: HAS;TB:Nordic Pharma;VB: Merck, IBSA Pharma and Besins-HealthCare, Theramex, Gedeon Richter, Ferring, IBSA Pharma, Merck Serono, Organon and Exeltis;VG: PFIZER and HAC pharma;XD: Sanofi, Astellas, Coloplast, Hologic, IBSA Pharma, Laborie, Mylan, Pierre-Fabre, Elsevier-Masson, Regimedia and HealthEvents;YA: Conférences Hermes;YC: HAS. Other authors declared no C.O.I. more...

Synthetic ɑRep repeat proteins are engineered as Brick and Staple protein pairs that together self-assemble into helical filaments. In most cases, the filaments spontaneously form supercrystals. Here, we describe an expanded series of ɑRep Bricks designed to stabilize the interaction between consecutive Bricks, to control the length of the assembled multimers, or to alter the spatial distribution of the Staple on the filaments. The effects of these Brick modifications on the assembly, on the final filament structure and on the crystal symmetry are analyzed by biochemical methods, electron microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering. We further extend the concept of Brick/Staple protein origami by designing a new type of "Janus"-like Brick protein that is equally assembled by orthogonal staples binding its inner or outer surfaces and thus ending inside or outside the filaments. The relative roles of longitudinal and lateral associations in the assembly process are discussed. This set of results demonstrates important proofs-of-principle for engineering these remarkably versatile proteins toward nanometer-to-micron scale constructions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.) more...

Objective: To provide guidelines for the pelvic clinical exam in gynecology and obstetrics., Material and Methods: A multidisciplinary experts consensus committee of 45 experts was formed, including representatives of patients' associations and users of the health system. The entire guidelines process was conducted independently of any funding. The authors were advised to follow the rules of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE®) system to guide assessment of quality of evidence. The potential drawbacks of making strong recommendations in the presence of low-quality evidence were emphasized., Methods: The committee studied 40 questions within 4 fields for symptomatic or asymptomatic women (emergency conditions, gynecological consultation, gynecological diseases, obstetrics, and pregnancy). Each question was formulated in a PICO (Patients, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) format and the evidence profiles were produced. The literature review and recommendations were made according to the GRADE® methodology., Results: The experts' synthesis work and the application of the GRADE method resulted in 27 recommendations. Among the formalized recommendations, 17 present a strong agreement, 7 a weak agreement and 3 an expert consensus agreement. Thirteen questions resulted in an absence of recommendation due to lack of evidence in the literature., Conclusions: The need to perform clinical examination in gynecological and obstetrics patients was specified in 27 pre-defined situations based on scientific evidence. More research is required to investigate the benefit in other cases., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.) more...

A versatile strategy to create an inducible protein assembly with predefined geometry is demonstrated. The assembly is triggered by a binding protein that staples two identical protein bricks together in a predictable spatial conformation. The brick and staple proteins are designed for mutual directional affinity and engineered by directed evolution from a synthetic modular repeat protein library. As a proof of concept, this article reports on the spontaneous, extremely fast and quantitative self-assembly of two designed alpha-repeat (αRep) brick and staple proteins into macroscopic tubular superhelices at room temperature. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM with staining agent and cryoTEM) elucidate the resulting superhelical arrangement that precisely matches the a priori intended 3D assembly. The highly ordered, macroscopic biomolecular construction sustains temperatures as high as 75 °C thanks to the robust αRep building blocks. Since the α-helices of the brick and staple proteins are highly programmable, their design allows encoding the geometry and chemical surfaces of the final supramolecular protein architecture. This work opens routes toward the design and fabrication of multiscale protein origami with arbitrarily programmed shapes and chemical functions. more...