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Resumen El cancer de endometrio (CE) es el cancer ginecologico mas frecuente, tanto en Francia como en el resto de los paises occidentales. El diagnostico se suele establecer en un contexto de metrorragias posmenopausicas, despues de realizar una biopsia de endometrio. Despues de la menopausia, se debe investigar cualquier metrorragia o un grosor endometrial superior a 4 mm. La histologia, la exploracion fisica y las imagenes obtenidas por resonancia magnetica permiten determinar los grupos con riesgo de recidiva, asi como las modalidades del tratamiento inicial, a menudo quirurgico. La histerectomia con anexectomia bilateral es la intervencion de referencia, completada segun los casos por una exploracion ganglionar. El examen definitivo de las piezas operatorias permite redefinir los grupos en funcion del riesgo de recidiva, de acuerdo con los criterios establecidos en 2009 por la European Society for Medical Oncology, asi como la indicacion de los tratamientos adyuvantes (radioterapia, braquiterapia, quimioterapia). Es necesario saber identificar a las familias que presentan un riesgo genetico de CE (sindrome de Lynch) para adaptar su vigilancia, asi como a las pacientes aptas para una estrategia de preservacion de la fertilidad. la vigilancia es clinica. En la actualidad, son varias las lineas terapeuticas en desarrollo: antiangiogenicos, terapias dirigidas (via de senalizacion PI3K-AKT-mTOR), inmunoterapias (tumor con inestabilidad de los microsatelites). Con estas terapias, deberia mejorar el pronostico de las pacientes que presentan un CE.

Systems designed toward cell manipulation by electric fields are inherently challenged by energy dissipation along the electrode-electrolyte interface. A promising remedy is the introduction of high-k electrode passivation, enabling efficient capacitive coupling of electric fields into biological samples. We present the implementation of this strategy in a reusable pipette tip design featuring a 10 μl chamber volume for life science applications. Prototype validation and comparison to conductive gold-coated electrodes reveal a consistent and controllable biological effect that significantly increases the reproducibility of lysis events. The system provides precise descriptions of HEK-293 lysis dependency to variables such as field strength, frequency, and conductivity. Over 80% of cells were reversibly electroporated with minimal electrical lysis over a broad range of field settings. Successful transfection requires exponential decay pulses and showcases how modulating capacitive coupling can advance our understanding of fundamental mechanics in the field of electroporation.

The fundamental mechanisms of pulsed electric fields on biological cells are not yet fully elucidated, though it is apparent that membrane electroporation plays a crucial role. Little is known about treatment-chamber-specific effects, and systematic studies are scarce. Thus, the present study evaluates the (dis-)advantages of various treatment chamber designs for liquid applications at differing scales. Three chambers, namely parallel plate microfluidic (V: 0.1 ml/min; titanium electrodes), co-linear meso (V: 5.0 ml/min; stainless steel electrodes), and co-linear macro (V: 83.3 ml/min; stainless steel electrodes) chambers, were studied. Electroporation effects on Escherichia coli in media with 0.1–10.0 mS/cm were evaluated by plate counts and flow cytometry at 8, 16, and 20 kV/cm. For the microfluidic chamber, predominantly irreversible electroporation (2.5 logs10 reductions) was seen at 0.1 mS/cm, while high irreversible electroporation (4.2 logs10 reductions) at 10.0 mS/cm was observed for the macro chamber. The meso chamber indicated a similar trend towards increased conductivity, even though only low inactivation levels were present. Variation in conductivity and electrode configuration or area likely induces effects resulting in distinct electroporation levels, as observed for the micro and macro chamber. Suitable application scenarios, depending on targeted electroporation effects, were suggested.

Seventy-seven alien freshwater species are currently naturalised in South Africa. This list includes 7 protozoan, 1 cnidarian, 2 cestode, 13 monogenean, 1 nematode, 1 oligochaete, 6 crustacean, 16 insect, 7 mollusc and 21 fish species. Their origins include all continents except Antarctica and the main pathways for their introduction into the wild are intentional releases (42% of taxa), as parasitic contaminants (35%) or stowaways (14%). Escape from captivity has been relatively unimportant (one fish and one crayfish) and direct introductions for fisheries (49% of taxa), biological control (19%) and stowaways or contaminants (22%) are the most common vectors. The chapter provides an overview of the alien freshwater taxa that are naturalised in South Africa and offers insights into which areas of research are data deficient. Generally, the introduction pathways and vectors for intentionally introduced taxa, such as insects imported for biological control or fishes introduced for fisheries, are well understood and documented. Data on other taxa, and particularly on invertebrates, are scant and only certain groups, such as the parasites of fishes, and snails, for which there is directed research interest, are documented. As a result, increased survey effort is urgently required.

International audience; Measuring and modelling the permeability of tight rocks remains a challenging task. In addition to the traditional sources of errors that affect more permeable formations (e.g. sample selection, non-representative specimens, disturbance introduced during sample acquisition and preparation), tight rocks can be particularly prone to solid–fluid interactions and thus more sensitive to the methods, procedures and techniques used to measure permeability. To address this problem, it is desirable to collect, for a single material, measurements obtained by different methods and pore fluids. For that purpose, a benchmarking exercise involving 24 laboratories was organized for measuring and modelling the permeability of a single low-permeability material, the Grimsel granodiorite. The objectives of the benchmark were: (i) to compare the results for a given method, (ii) to compare the results between different methods, (iii) to analyse the accuracy of each method, (iv) to study the influence of experimental conditions (especially the nature of pore fluid), (v) to discuss the relevance of indirect methods and models and finally (vi) to suggest good practice for low-permeability measurements. To complement the data set of permeability measurements presented in a companion paper, we focus here on (i) quantitative analysis of microstructures and pore size distribution, (ii) permeability modelling and (iii) complementary measurements of permeability anisotropy and poroelastic parameters. Broad ion beam—scanning electron microscopy, micro-computerized tomography, mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods were used to characterize the microstructures and provided the input parameters for permeability modelling. Several models were used: (i) basic statistical models, (ii) 3-D pore network and effective medium models, (iii) percolation model using MICP data and (iv) free-fluid model using NMR data. The models were generally successful in predicting the actual range of measured permeability. Statistical models overestimate the permeability because they do not adequately account for the heterogeneity of the crack network. Pore network and effective medium models provide additional constraints on crack parameters such as aspect ratio, aperture, density and connectivity. MICP and advanced microscopy techniques are very useful tools providing important input data for permeability estimation. Permeability measured—orthogonal to foliation is lower that—parallel to foliation. Combining the experimental and modelling results provide a unique and rich data set.

Irreversible electroporation holds great potential for cell-specific lysis due to the size-dependent susceptibility of cells to externally imposed electric fields. Previous attempts at selective cell lysis lead to significant overlap between affected populations and struggle with inconsistent biological outcome. We propose that charge transfer at the electrode-liquid interface is responsible by inducing multifactorial effects originating from both the electric field and electrochemical reactions. A promising remedy is the coating of electrodes with a high-k dielectric layer. The resulting capacitive coupling restores the selective potential of electric field mediated lysis in a microfluidic setup. Initial experiments show the consistent depletion of erythrocytes from whole blood while leaving leukocytes intact. The same is true for the reproducible and selective depletion of Jurkat and MCF-7 cells in a mixture with leukocytes. Unexpectedly, the observed order of lysis cannot be correlated with cell size. This implies that the cellular response to capacitive coupling features a selective characteristic that is different from conventional lysis configurations.

International audience; Measuring the permeability of tight rocks remains a challenging task. In addition to the traditional sources of errors that affect more permeable formations (e.g. sample selection, non-representative specimens, disturbance introduced during sample acquisition and preparation), tight rocks can be particularly prone to solid–fluid interactions and thus more sensitive to the methods, procedures and techniques used to measure permeability. To address this problem, it is desirable to collect, for a single material, measurements obtained by different methods and pore-fluids. For that purpose a collaborative benchmarking exercise involving 24 laboratories was organized for measuring the permeability of a single low permeability material, the Grimsel granodiorite, at a common effective confining pressure (5 MPa). The objectives of the benchmark were: (i) to compare the results for a given method, (ii) to compare the results between different methods, (iii) to analyze the accuracy of each method, (iv) to study the influence of experimental conditions (especially the nature of pore fluid), (v) to discuss the relevance of indirect methods and models and finally (vi) to suggest good practice for low permeability measurements. In total 39 measurements were collected that allowed us to discuss the influence of (i) pore-fluid, (ii) measurement method, (iii) sample size and (iv) pressure sensitivity. Discarding some outliers from the bulk data set (4 out of 39) an average permeability of 1.11 × 10−18 m² with a standard deviation of 0.57 × 10−18 m² was obtained. The most striking result was the large difference in permeability for gas measurements compared to liquid measurements. Regardless of the method used, gas permeability was higher than liquid permeability by a factor approximately 2 (kgas = 1.28 × 10−18 m² compared to kliquid = 0.65 × 10−18 m²). Possible explanations are that (i) liquid permeability was underestimated due to fluid-rock interactions (ii) gas permeability was overestimated due to insufficient correction for gas slippage and/or (iii) gases and liquids do not probe exactly the same porous networks. The analysis of Knudsen numbers shows that the gas permeability measurements were performed in conditions for which the Klinkenberg correction is sufficient. Smaller samples had a larger scatter of permeability values, suggesting that their volume were below the Representative Elementary Volume. The pressure dependence of permeability was studied by some of the participating teams in the range 1–30 MPa and could be fitted to an exponential law k = ko.exp(–γPeff) with γ = 0.093 MPa−1. Good practice rules for measuring permeability in tight materials are also provided.

A better understanding of the electrodynamic behavior of cells interacting with electric fields would allow for novel scientific insights and would lead to the next generation of cell manipulation, diagnostics, and treatment. Here, we introduce a promising electrode design by using metal oxide high-k dielectric passivation. The thermally generated dielectric passivation layer enables efficient electric field coupling to the fluid sample comprising cells while simultaneously decoupling the electrode ohmically from the electrolyte, allowing for better control and adjustability of electric field effects due to reduced electrochemical reactions at the electrode surface. This approach demonstrates cell-size specific lysis with electric fields in a microfluidic flow-through design resulting in 99.8% blood cell lysis at 6 s exposure without affecting the viability of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial spike-ins. The advantages of this new approach can support next-generation investigations of electrodynamics in biological systems and their exploitation for cell manipulation in multiple fields of medicine, life science, and industry.

Irreversible electroporation holds great potential for cell-specific lysis due to the size-dependent susceptibility of cells to externally imposed electric fields. Previous attempts at selective cell lysis lead to significant overlap between affected populations and struggle with inconsistent biological outcome. We propose that charge transfer at the electrode-liquid interface is responsible by inducing multifactorial effects originating from both the electric field and electrochemical reactions. A promising remedy is the coating of electrodes with a high-k dielectric layer. The resulting capacitive coupling restores the selective potential of electric field mediated lysis in a microfluidic setup. Initial experiments show the consistent depletion of erythrocytes from whole blood while leaving leukocytes intact. The same is true for the reproducible and selective depletion of Jurkat and MCF-7 cells in a mixture with leukocytes. Unexpectedly, the observed order of lysis cannot be correlated with cell size. This implies that the cellular response to capacitive coupling features a selective characteristic that is different from conventional lysis configurations.

International audience; During a mine-by experiment performed at the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory located at the transition between the sandy and the shaly facies of the Opalinus Clay formation, excavation induced micro-acoustic events were recorded in the so-called Gallery 08 (the EZ-G experiment). A first cluster of events occurred in the vicinity of the eastern sidewall of Gallery 08, and a second cluster was observed ahead of the advancing tunnel face. For each recorded micro-acoustic event (AE), all located in the sandy facies of the Opalinus Clay formation, the total stresses associated with the onset of inelastic deformations were estimated using a three-dimensional numerical model. The numerical analysis is based on the assumption that the rock mass behavior in the vicinity of the excavation is essentially elastic before the stress redistribution causes damage evidenced by the triggered AE activity. For the cluster located at the tunnel sidewall, the source mechanism analysis reveals the predominance of extensional failure (tensile) events. The numerical analysis of each individual micro-acoustic event suggests that the differential stresses at the onset of damage range between 3 and 10 MPa. These values are in reasonable agreement with crack initiation thresholds obtained in the laboratory from samples of the various sub-facies types of the sandy facies in the Opalinus Clay formation, which range between 2 and 18 MPa. For the cluster located ahead of the tunnel face, the source mechanism analysis indicates the predominance of local shear failure events. This is consistent with observed shear dislocations on bedding planes within weak beds in the sandy facies that have similar strength properties as the shaly facies. Thus, the modelled shear and total normal stresses acting across the average bedding plane orientation at each event location were modelled and used to estimate the in situ shear strength along the bedding planes. The model suggests a friction angle of 33.4° and a cohesion of 0.43 MPa. The results are overall consistent with the bedding plane strength obtained through undrained direct shear tests on specimens of the shaly facies, suggesting that the observed weak beds with a strength similar to the shaly facies govern the behavior at the tunnel face.

Background. Student departure from university without completing a qualification is a major concern in higher education. Higher Education South Africa reported that in undergraduate studies, 35% of students depart after the first year and only 15% of students who enrol complete their degree within the minimum permissible time. At postgraduate level, the departure from Masters programmes in South Africa (SA) ranged from 30% to 67% in 2010. Early departure refers to students who leave an academic programme within the first semester of commencing their studies. At one SA university, there were a total of 109 first-time Master of Public Health (MPH) student registrations in 2013 and 2014. By the end of the first semester in the respective years, a total of 27 students actively deregistered from the programme and 11 students did not sit the first-semester examinations, representing an aggregate 35% rate of early departure. The factors associated with early departure at the University of KwaZulu-Natal are not well understood. Objective. To understand factors associated with early departure in the MPH programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Method. A mixed-methods design was implemented. Students who departed within the first semester of commencing the MPH programme in 2013/2014 were followed up. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Results. Failure to balance work and academic obligations with poor time management, stress and academic demands related to the programme, and insufficient academic progress were found to be associated with student early departure from the MPH programme. Conclusion. Student early departure from the MPH programme was influenced by multifaceted factors. Senior students can mentor new students as early as possible in their programme. The orientation block should include development activities such as time management, stress management and effective study skills to assist mature students to cope with the demands of part-time postgraduate studies.

International audience

Free vibration analysis of aluminum foam sample is performed in the present paper. Mechanical properties of metal- lic foams depend on their relative densities. The discrete mass distribution of metallic foam causes discontinuities in their local properties. X-ray computer tomography (XCT) revealed the 3-D inhomogeneous mass distribution in metallic foams. The densi- ty mapping method is used to approximate the aluminum foam trade name ALPORAS by a continuous, 3-D density distribu- tion at the mesolevel. The density recorded by XCT is homogenized over an averaging volume. A continuum model is imple- mented using the finite element (FE) method to simulate the effect of local mass distribution on the modal behavior of metallic foam sample. The effect of measured density distributed model (MDDM) Coarse sub-domain density model (CSDM), uniform average density model (UADM), and three random distributed density model (RDDM) on eigen frequencies of the aluminum foam sample is studied. Density distribution of aluminum foam measured by X-ray computer tomography was used as input to the corresponding FE model of investigated specimen. All numerical investigations were carried out by means of the FE pack- age ANSYS.

Sodium sulfates are well known to be the most damaging salts in building materials and rocks. Unfortunately, the crystallization processes of sodium sulfates are not completely understood. In addition, the metastable heptahydrate has long been neglected in scientific works on salt damage until recently. In this study, we use temperature monitoring and differential scanning calorimetry to detect and identify the crystallization of sodium sulfate hydrates (i.e., mirabilite and heptahydrate) upon cooling/heating a bulk solution. The presence of impurities seems to play a major role in the crystallization sequence and can explain the crystallization of mirabilite and ice close to −10 °C. The crystallization of heptahydrate does not seem to be sensitive to the presence of impurities and does not always occur prior to the crystallization of mirabilite as commonly observed. The heptahydrate and mirabilite show different and characteristic thermal signatures that enable to distinguish each other. The shape, the intensity and the duration of the peak of temperature due to the crystallization depict these differences. Therefore, the thermal signatures can be used in further experimental studies to estimate the role of the different sodium sulfate hydrates involved in the salt weathering of rocks.

Background: Inflammatory breast carcinomas have poor prognosis even in the absence of evident synchronous metastases. 18F-FDG PET/CT is not recommended in initial staging but could improve the sensibility of synchronous metastases detection and the management of the patients. Objective: To assess factors associated with synchronous metastases in inflammatory breast carcinomas when evaluated by 18F-FDG PET/CT. Methods: Since 2006, initial staging of locally advanced breast carcinomas in our center consisted of 18F-FDG PET/CT in addition to standard laboratory and radiological tests. We reviewed data of patients with inflammatory breast carcinomas treated from 2006 to 2013 who had an initial evaluable18F-FDG PET/CT. Fisher's exact test and logistic model were used to assess factors associated with synchronous metastases. Overall survival was estimated with the method of Kaplan-Meier. Results: Among 353 locally advanced breast carcinomas seen at the breast disease unit, hospital Saint Louis from 04/2006 to 04/2013, we identified 40 inflammatory breast carcinomas. Initial 18F-FDG PET/CT was available for review in 32 inflammatory breast carcinomas. Median age was 57 years (range 38-78), 39% had pre-menopausal status (n = 12), clinical node involvement was found in 87.5% (n = 28). Histological features on biopsy were: ductal invasive carcinoma 91% (n = 29), SBR grade III 72% (n = 23), negative hormonal receptor 75% (n = 24), positive HER2 37.5% (n = 12), triple negative 44% (n = 14). Synchronous metastases were found in 41% of inflammatory breast carcinomas (n = 13), bone (n = 7), liver (n = 6) and mediastinum (n = 4). Synchronous metastases seemed more common in HER2 positive than in HER2 negative inflammatory breast carcinomas (58% vs 30%, p = 0.15). In multivariate analysis, no factor was associated with synchronous metastases. All patients with inflammatory breast carcinomas received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with sequential anthracycline and taxane (16 patients), dose-dense anthracycline and alkylating agent (8 patients), taxane with or without bevacizumab (7 patients) and anthracycline in 1 patient. Trastuzumab was given in all HER2 positive inflammatory breast carcinomas. Clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was complete in 16.5% (n = 5), partial in 67% (n = 20), stable or progressive in 16.5% (n = 5) and missing for 1 patient. One patient died before response assessment. Thirty patients (94%) underwent radical mastectomy with axillary node dissection. Pathologic complete response in breast and nodes was found in 27.5% (n = 8). Axillary node invasion was found in 45% (n = 13). All positive hormonal receptors patients received endocrine therapy after surgery. With a median follow-up of 33 months, 10 patients died. Median overall survival was 38.8 months (95%CI: 30.3-NA) with no difference between HER2 positive and HER2 negative patients. Conclusion: Synchronous metastases are common in inflammatory breast carcinomas especially in case of HER2 positive tumors. Complete initial staging with 18F-FDG PET/CT could be useful to detect synchronous metastases mainly in bone and liver and thus allowed to adapt further treatment. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P6-12-13.

Despite their high potential to replace the time consuming gold standard blood culture for infection diagnosis from whole blood, molecular biology based techniques often lack sensitivity and specificity due to the high human background in complex biological samples such as blood. Concerning the realization of a point-of-care device for sepsis diagnosis which would enable immediate targeted antimicrobial therapy, new, implementable and scalable sample preparation strategies are urgently needed that aim at reducing the human background. In this paper we report a first proof-of-principle for such a novel concept of selective human blood cell depletion preserving bacterial pathogen integrity by using high frequency electric fields. By thin film electrical passivation of the electrode material, ohmic current through the biological sample, which causes unspecific cell lysis, is drastically reduced. With the developed SiO2-passivated electrical cell lysis unit (ECLU), cell specific lysis of up to 75.3 % of the total human blood cells could be shown with less than 10 % loss of E. Coli viability. Additionally, a small electrode distance of 25 μm reduced the required voltage for selective cell lysis to a range of 8-20 V. The results presented here show great potential for the further development of fully automated and integrated cell selective sample preparation.

Pendant plus de 30 ans, la prise en charge therapeutique du carcinome hepatocellulaire (CHC) aux stades avances a ete limitee par les resultats mediocres des molecules cytotoxiques conventionnelles dont les benefices sont restreints a une faible proportion de patients. Le developpement ulterieur des therapies moleculaires ciblees dans le CHC repondait a un fort rationnel. En effet, le CHC est une tumeur hypervasculaire ou l’angiogenese joue un role majeur a tous les stades evolutifs de la maladie. Par ailleurs, plusieurs recepteurs a tyrosine-kinase (TK) sont impliques dans la proliferation, l’invasion du CHC, comme le vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) et le platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR). L’avenement du sorafenib comme traitement valide dans le CHC au stade avance a suscite l’interet pour de nouvelles therapies ciblees, antiangiogeniques ou non, ainsi que leur positionnement a des stades plus precoces de lamaladie. Actuellement, plusieurs molecules sont en evaluation clinique et preclinique dans le CHC avec des resultats variables, dans l’espoir d’identifier des agents au moins aussi efficaces que le sorafenib. De nouvelles perspectives sont ouvertes, et par consequent plusieurs questions et defis sont poses.

Average 20% of the cancer patients will have bone metastasis most of time painful and with variable clinical expressions. Due to animal models, the bone metastasis pain is better known and it explains the different treatments mechanisms. After a suitable evaluation of the pain, several therapeutic approaches can be suggested. In addition to the classical analgesics, several medications are known to be efficient in few indications like neuropathic pain. Besides a local surgery, an external radiotherapy or an interventional radiology treatment can often be useful along with a medical treatment. When there is a bone progression, the anti-cancer treatment by chemotherapy, hormonotherapy or targeted therapies must always be reviewed, because if efficient it could have an analgesic action.

A growing activity of the first author on full-field vibration measurements and promising analyses on dynamic characterisation of components, on dynamic strain & stresses and on cumulative damage maps has drawn the attention of a foreign institution such as Vienna University of Technology up to offer full access to its Schwingungs- und Strukturanalyse / Optical Vibration Measurement Laboratory, equipped with state-of-the-art instruments implementing different & complementary approaches, in order to give the researcher the unique opportunity to extend the stream of researches in the strategic field of image-based measurement technologies. The early activity carried on in the frame of the settled Full-Field Optical Measurements for Advanced Structural Dynamics project is discussed in detail, showing the first achievements.

As reported previously, slowly varying stray magnetic fields and, recently, additional 50 Hz fields deteriorate the lateral resolution in the low current mode of the high-energy ion nanoprobe LIPSION. Therefore, the active stray magnetic field compensation system AMK_5 has been installed in the LIPSION laboratory. This system utilizes six coils in a Helmholtz-arrangement and advanced technology for magnetic field sensing and signal processing for its operation and allows to reduce the stray field fluctuations to excellent ±10 nT in all three directions for frequencies from true DC up to the kHz range. A compensation factor >100 was obtained for the vertical direction. The compensation system was also used to determine the sensitivity of LIPSION to stray magnetic fields. It was found that the sensitivity is largest for stray fields along the beam direction leading to a beam spot movement of 1.1 m/T in both horizontal and vertical direction. Thus, the residual stray field fluctuations of ±10 nT result in beam spot movements of ±13 nm assuming a homogeneous stray field and no contribution from stray fields outside the shielded volume. It is demonstrated that the lateral resolution of LIPSION is significantly improved by the active compensation system. However, there are still beam spot fluctuations in both vertical and horizontal direction dominated by 50 Hz components which limit the resolution in the low current mode to approximately 130 nm. The source of these fluctuations is still unclear.

Previous reports have indicated that injuries involving augers (screw conveyors) are a serious problem in agriculture, but to date on-site engineering inspections linking injuries to mechanical and procedural aspects have not been available. This article details four events involving injuries as the result of being entangled in auger flighting. In each report, the circumstances surrounding the injury event are outlined, and the machinery involved is evaluated in terms of its compliance with current safety standards. In three of the four instances, the machinery did not conform to current guarding standards or to safety sign standards. In these three cases, injuries were preventable with improved guarding according to ASAE Standards. In the other case, the machine complied with ASAE Standards, but the injury could have been prevented with improved guarding of the auger flighting.

International audience; The influence of stress paths on the mechanical behavior and coupled permeability evolution of quartz sand packings and soft sandstone have been investigated. The proposed approach is mainly based on the performing drained compression tests keeping constant a stress path parameter K, defined as the ratio of the horizontal to vertical effective stress increments. Macroscopic mechanical data and the stress path dependency of permeability have been measured in the elastic, brittle and compaction regimes. The micro-structural characteristics of unconsolidated materials--coarse rounded grains (glass beads--GB) and angular grains (Durance sand--DS)--and a weakly consolidated sandstone (Otter Sherwood sandstone--OSS) have been quantified in intact and deformed states combining petrophysical core analysis and multi-scale imaging according to the feasibility of sub-sampling of the different materials. Two different types of hydro-mechanical behavior were evidenced for each material. The weakly consolidated OSS presents a mechanical behavior similar to the consolidated rocks with two distinct regimes of deformation; the transition between these two regimes is a function of the stress path. On the other hand, the sand shows a gradual transition regime requiring the use of a curvature criterion to pick yield stresses; this criterion has been validated on the basis of acoustic emissions analysis. The modified Cam-Clay model and the elliptical cap model allow capturing efficiently the yield envelopes. The permeability measurements were performed with intermediate pressure ports to measure accurately the high permeable sand and to avoid end-effects. For OSS, permeability evolutions follow closely the volumetric strain evolutions in both the elastic and plastic regimes and are mainly controlled by the mean pressure before yield. At these critical stresses, the permeability drops drastically under the influence of deviatoric stress. Conversely for DS, the correlation between strain and permeability is not obvious as permeability reduction is pronounced at an early stage of loading.

International audience; We report in this paper an original analysis of microseismic events (MSEs) induced by an excavation operation in the clay environment of the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory. In order to identify the MSEs with confidence, we develop a restrictive but efficient multistep method for filtering the recorded events. We deduce the spatial distribution and processes associated with the excavation-induced damage from the spatial location and focal mechanisms of the MSEs. We observe an asymmetric geometry of the excavation damaged zone around the excavated gallery, without notable microseismic activity in the sandy facies sidewall, in contrast with the shaly facies sidewall where a first burst of events is recorded, followed by two smaller bursts: one locates ahead of the excavation front and is associated with a dominant double-couple component, suggesting bedding plane reworking, that is, shear fracture mode, and the MSEs of the other cluster inside the shaly sidewall of the gallery, with a dominant compensated linear vector dipole component, suggesting extensive cracking. We identify and discuss four major factors that seem to control the MSEs source mechanisms: lithology, geometry of the geological features, gallery orientation and direction of the main compressive stress.

New treatments for chronic wounds require carefully performed clinical trials with significant endpoints. Total wound closure is the only endpoint currently accepted by the Food and Drug Administration. This study describes a scale that measures ease of wound closure and applies it to a four-arm prospectively randomized, blinded pressure ulcer trial of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB. Following validation of interrater reliability, 83 evaluable subjects' photographs were given a weekly ease of closure score by four raters blinded to treatment. The change of ease of closure score was correlated with the change of wound area and volume. Each ease of closure score was given a procedural cost. Results showed ease of closure did not directly correlate with either wound area or volume, suggesting that it was measuring additional information. The mean change in ease of closure score was 6 for subjects treated with 100 microg recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB daily; 5 for those treated with 300 microg growth factor daily or 100 microg recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB bid; and 4 for those treated with placebo. The cost savings ranged from $7200 for the group receiving 100 microg recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB daily to $6300 for the controls. Outcomes in all 4 groups were significantly improved from their starting evaluation (p < 0.001). Based on this study, ease of closure is a verifiable endpoint that can be related to cost efficiency and may be a measure of efficacy.

Previous investigations have demonstrated the superior strength and toughness of the MGH four-strand tendon repair technique and shown that it neither weakens during maximum tendon softening nor interferes with healing in an in vivo rabbit model. In the current study, the biomechanical performance of the modified Becker (MGH) and the modified Kessler repairs were compared in situ using a dynamic human cadaveric model to evaluate strength, toughness, glide efficiency, and operator variability. Three different surgeons performed a total of 42 zone II flexor digitorum profundus repairs in 14 fresh human cadaver hands. The modified Becker (MGH) repairs were stronger (79 +/- 3 versus 64 +/- 4 N; p 0.9). Strength was operator-dependent only for the modified Kessler repair (p < 0.005). We then established the optimal configuration of the MGH tenorrhaphy (number of preloaded crosses on either side of the tendon transection) by examining gap resistance ex vivo. Fifty-one MGH flexor tendon repairs were performed on explanted fresh human cadaver tendons. The experimental groups were randomly assigned to receive 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 crosses on each side of the tenorrhaphy. Strength and toughness to gap formation and to ultimate failure were assessed tensiometrically. The MGH two-cross configuration was most resistant to gap formation (peak load 39 +/- 3 N; p < 0.05), establishing this configuration as the optimal design of this four-strand crisscrossing repair technique. The augmented Becker (MGH) repair is significantly stronger and tougher than the modified Kessler repair and demonstrates no operator dependence. It is a superior technique for zone II tenorrhaphy in the human hand. An algorithm is presented as a systematic approach that includes the important elements necessary for the rigorous biomechanical evaluation of any tendon repair technique.

The ideal flexor tendon repair is strong enough to withstand early motion regimens, interferes with neither wound healing nor tendon gliding, resists gap formation, and performs well in any surgeon's hands. We present several studies and an algorithm used for the development and evaluation of a superior tendon repair technique.

The restoration and improvement of body contour have intrigued surgeons for over 100 years, generating much interest in the subcutaneous/intradermal injection of highly viscous fluids. The local complications of liquid silicone injection have been well documented over the past 30 years. Although Dow-Corning has not made medical-grade liquid silicone available for use in humans without an approved research application since 1966, practitioners, both licensed and unlicensed, have administered these injections worldwide for a variety of indications throughout the body. There is little or no information concerning the adulteration of these injectates. To date, there have been four case reports of penile injections--the indications being evenly split between the treatment of impotence/sexual inadequacy and augmentation. The most recent description was published in 1982. We present a case of debilitating silicone granuloma of the penis and scrotum secondary to large-volume injections into the corpora cavernosae and penile soft tissues administered in Belgium 14 years prior to presentation. The development of a silicone foreign body reaction, massive edema, and subsequent impotence lends itself to a clinical diagnosis and aggressive treatment with wide local excision and appropriate soft-tissue coverage. The metabolic fate of silicone in vivo remains inadequately characterized and a fertile area for research as new methods involving nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy have been devised to identify silicone and highly coordinated silicone complexes.

Background HIV-1 clade C (HIV-C) predominates worldwide, and anti-HIV-C vaccines are urgently needed. Neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses are considered important but have proved difficult to elicit. Although some current immunogens elicit antibodies that neutralize highly neutralization-sensitive (tier 1) HIV strains, most circulating HIVs exhibiting a less sensitive (tier 2) phenotype are not neutralized. Thus, both tier 1 and 2 viruses are needed for vaccine discovery in nonhuman primate models. Methodology/Principal Findings We constructed a tier 1 simian-human immunodeficiency virus, SHIV-1157ipEL, by inserting an “early,” recently transmitted HIV-C env into the SHIV-1157ipd3N4 backbone [1] encoding a “late” form of the same env, which had evolved in a SHIV-infected rhesus monkey (RM) with AIDS. SHIV-1157ipEL was rapidly passaged to yield SHIV-1157ipEL-p, which remained exclusively R5-tropic and had a tier 1 phenotype, in contrast to “late” SHIV-1157ipd3N4 (tier 2). After 5 weekly low-dose intrarectal exposures, SHIV-1157ipEL-p systemically infected 16 out of 17 RM with high peak viral RNA loads and depleted gut CD4+ T cells. SHIV-1157ipEL-p and SHIV-1157ipd3N4 env genes diverge mostly in V1/V2. Molecular modeling revealed a possible mechanism for the increased neutralization resistance of SHIV-1157ipd3N4 Env: V2 loops hindering access to the CD4 binding site, shown experimentally with nAb b12. Similar mutations have been linked to decreased neutralization sensitivity in HIV-C strains isolated from humans over time, indicating parallel HIV-C Env evolution in humans and RM. Conclusions/Significance SHIV-1157ipEL-p, the first tier 1 R5 clade C SHIV, and SHIV-1157ipd3N4, its tier 2 counterpart, represent biologically relevant tools for anti-HIV-C vaccine development in primates.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a biochemical process that uses the microbiological conversion of organic materials to generate biogas. Biogas is typically composed of 50% to 70% methane (CH4) and 30% to 40% carbon dioxide (CO2). The most simplistic design of an AD system is the solid state digester (SSD), which is able to process very high solids content materials. A SSD has the potential to be utilized in a manure management system of a beef cattle feedlot to integrate seamlessly into an ethanol, feedlot operation to capitalize on the eco-cluster concept for bioenergy production.

International audience; Uniaxial and triaxial compression experiments were performed on oolitic iron ores to investigate damage processes. Most of these experiments included four indirect measurements of damage evolution, that is, P-wave velocity and maximum amplitude received during pulse transmission experiments, elastic properties (apparent Young´s modulus and apparent Poisson´s ratio) and acoustic emission (AE) monitoring. The mechanical behaviour deduced from strain measurements is dilatant for some samples and non-dilatant for the other samples. However, variations in elastic properties indicate damage processes for all samples. AE source mechanism analysis shows two different microscopic damage processes: (1) for dilatant rock, the development of axial extensive microcracks as well as their interaction and coalescence lead to the formation of shear macroscopic discontinuities; (2) for non-dilatant oolitic iron ore, both compressive and shear micromechanisms take place and interact with macroscopic fractures. A particular consistency between the four types of measurements employed was observed.

Average 20% of the cancer patients will have bone metastasis most of time painful and with variable clinical expressions. Due to animal models, the bone metastasis pain is better known and it explains the different treatments mechanisms. After a suitable evaluation of the pain, several therapeutic approaches can be suggested. In addition to the classical analgesics, several medications are known to be efficient in few indications like neuropathic pain. Besides a local surgery, an external radiotherapy or an interventional radiology treatment can often be useful along with a medical treatment. When there is a bone progression, the anti-cancer treatment by chemotherapy, hormonotherapy or targeted therapies must always be reviewed, because if efficient it could have an analgesic action.