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Aim: Arterial involvement has been implicated in the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). Fluorine 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) imaging is a valuable tool for the assessment of aortic inflammation and is a predictor of outcome. We sought to prospectively assess the presence of aortic inflammation and its time-dependent trend in patients with COVID-19. Methods: Between November 2020 and May 2021, in this pilot, case-control study, we recruited 20 patients with severe or critical COVID-19 (mean age of 59 ± 12 years), while 10 age and sex-matched individuals served as the control group. Aortic inflammation was assessed by measuring 18F-FDG uptake in PET/CT performed 20-120 days post-admission. Global aortic target to background ratio (GLA-TBR) was calculated as the sum of TBRs of ascending and descending aorta, aortic arch, and abdominal aorta divided by 4. Index aortic segment TBR (IAS-TBR) was designated as the aortic segment with the highest TBR. Results: There was no significant difference in aortic 18F-FDG PET/CT uptake between patients and controls (GLA-TBR: 1.46 [1.40-1.57] vs. 1.43 [1.32-1.70], respectively, P = 0.422 and IAS-TBR: 1.60 [1.50-1.67] vs. 1.50 [1.42-1.61], respectively, P = 0.155). There was a moderate correlation between aortic TBR values (both GLA and IAS) and time distance from admission to 18F-FDG PET-CT scan (Spearman’s rho = − 0.528, P = 0.017 and Spearman’s rho = − 0.480, p = 0.032, respectively). Patients who were scanned less than or equal to 60 days from admission (n = 11) had significantly higher GLA-TBR values compared to patients that were examined more than 60 days post-admission (GLA-TBR: 1.53 [1.42-1.60] vs. 1.40 [1.33-1.45], respectively, P = 0.016 and IAS-TBR: 1.64 [1.51-1.74] vs. 1.52 [1.46-1.60], respectively, P = 0.038). There was a significant difference in IAS- TBR between patients scanned ≤ 60 days and controls (1.64 [1.51-1.74] vs. 1.50 [1.41-1.61], P = 0.036). Conclusion: This is the first study suggesting that aortic inflammation, as assessed by 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging, is increased in the early post COVID phase in patients with severe or critical COVID-19 and largely resolves over time. Our findings may have important implications for the understanding of the course of the disease and for improving our preventive and therapeutic strategies. © 2022, The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.

International audience; Several modeling techniques were employed to calculate ion energy distributions on plasma electrodes under different configurations used to obtain a desired (tailored) distribution. In particular, hybrid Particle in Cell with Monte Carlo Collisions (PIC-MCC)/fluid simulations were performed in a combined computational–experimental study of capacitively coupled plasmas sustained by tailored voltage waveforms, PIC/MCC simulations were employed to study pulsed plasmas with the application of a synchronous bias on a boundary electrode in the afterglow and a semianalytic model was developed to study plasmas sustained by independent sources in contact with a substrate electrode with a tailored bias voltage waveform.

International audience; Parallel plate capacitively coupled plasmas (CCPs) are commonly used for material processing applications such as deposition and etching of thin films. Since hydrogen is the most abundant component used as a diluent in a variety of gas mixtures, pure H2 plasma dynamics is to be investigated first. A one-dimensional in space, three-dimensional in velocity hybrid model described in detail in [1-3] was used to investigate CCPs in H2. The hybrid model couples self-consistently a particle-in-cell model with Monte Carlo collisions for charged species (electrons, H , H2 , H3 and H− ions), with a reaction–diffusion fluid model for neutrals (14 vibrational levels of the electronic ground state of H2, and H atoms). In the past, the model was compared with experimental results found in literature for the classical sinusoidal voltage [1, 2] and, more recently, it has been used in several combined computational-experimental studies to investigate plasmas sustained by tailored voltage waveforms (TVWs) composed of multiple harmonics [3, 4]. The excitation dynamics and ion flux asymmetry and many quantities of paramount importance for plasma processing, including the ones not accessible through experimental investigations, have been analysed for different TVWs, thus allowing an improvement of the model and giving a better insight into this very new kind of discharge excitation. References [1] P. Diomede, M. Capitelli, S. Longo, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol., 14, 459-466 (2005) [2] P. Diomede, S. Longo, D. J. Economou and M. Capitelli, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 45, 175204 (14pp) (2012) [3] P. Diomede, D. J. Economou, T. Lafleur, J.-P. Booth and S. Longo, “Plasma Sources Sci. Technol., 23, 065049 (11pp) (2014) [4] B. Bruneau, P. Diomede, D. J. Economou, S. Longo, T. Gans, D. O’Connell, A. Greb, E. Johnson, J.-P. Booth, submitted to Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.

International audience

International audience

Ο κόκκινος ρυγχωτός κάνθαρος των φοινικοειδο')ν, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), είναι ο σημαντικότερος εχθρός των φοινικσειδών παγκοσμίως. Την τελευταία δεκαετία εισέβαλε στις Μεσογειακές χώρες προκαλώντας σοβαρές ζημιές σε καλλιέργειες χουρμαδιάς καθώς και σε καλλωπιστικά φοινινοειδή. Το R. ferrugineus βρέθηκε για πρώτη φορά στην Ελλάδα το Νοέμβριο 2005 στη Χερσόνησο (Νομός Ηρακλείου, Κρήτη) επί Phoenix canariensis και για πρώτη φορά στην Κύπρο στη Λεμεσό τον Αύγουστο 2006 επίσης επί Ρ. canariensis. Εν συνεχεία το R. ferrugineus βρέθηκε στην Ελλάδα, προσβάλλοντας κατά κανόνα P. canariensis, σε Ρόδο (Σεπτέμβριος 2006), Ωρωπό και Βλληνικό Αττικής (Δεκέμβριος 2006). Στην Κύπρο βρέθηκε επίσης τον Οκτώβριο 2006 σε Λάρνακα, Αμμόχωστο και Πάφο, Σε πειραματική δοκιμή στο εργαστήριο, στο Μπενάκειο Φυτοπαθολογικό Ινστιτούτο, διαπιστό)θηκε ότι το R. ferrugineus μπορεί να προσβάλλει και να καταστρέψει και το ιθαγενές είδος φοίνικα Phoenix theophrasti., The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleopiera: Curculionidae), is the most important pest of palm trees in the world. In the last decade R. ferrugineus has invaded the Mediterranean basin where it causes severe damage in date palm cultivations as well as in ornamental palm trees. R. ferrugineus has been found for first time in Greece in Hersonissos (Heraklion district, Crete) infesting Phoenix canariensis, on November 11th, 2005 and for first time in Cyprus in Limassol district on August 20th, 2006, infesting also P. canariensis. Afterwards, R. ferrugineus has been found in Rhodos island, Greece, on 15/9/2006 and in Oropos and Ellinikon (Attiki district, Greece) on 5/12/2006 and 27/12/2006 respectively, infesting mainly P. canariensis. In Cyprus it has also been found in October 2006 in Larnaca, Famagusta and Paphos districts. In laboratory experimentation the susceptibility of the native Greek palm tree Phoenix theophrasti in R. ferrugineus was proved.