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Understanding the intertwining of biology and mechanics in tissue architecture is a challenging issue, especially when it comes to the 3D tissue organization. Addressing this challenge requires both a biological model allowing multiscale observations from the cell to the tissue, and theoretical and computational approaches allowing the generation of a synthetic model, relevant to the biological model, and allowing access to the mechanical constraints experienced by the tissue.Here, using human colon epithelium monolayer organoid as biological model, and combining vertex and FEM approaches, we generated a comprehensive elastic finite element model of the human colon organoid and demonstrated its flexibility. This FEM model provides a basis for relating cell shape, tissue deformation, and strain at the cellular level due to imposed stresses.In conclusion, we demonstrated that the combination of vertex and FEM approaches allows for better modeling of the alteration of organoid morphology over time and better assessment of the mechanical cues involved in establishing the architecture of the human colon epithelium.

Research has demonstrated that musical abilities are often linked with language and literacy skills, including in children with disorders of speech, language, and reading. For example, children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and developmental dyslexia exhibit impairments in various musical perception and production skills. Research in child language development, cognitive neuroscience, and communication disorders has sought to discover how music can be used as a tool to modulate or improve language and reading performance. This chapter reviews current evidence for music-based intervention in individuals with DLD and developmental dyslexia, and discusses potential cognitive mechanisms driving effective intervention efforts. The chapter further explores the potential clinical applications for music. Keeping in mind the central role of music in human development and culture, future directions for exploring music-based language and literacy interventions are outlined.

Prosody perception is fundamental to spoken language communication as it supports comprehension, pragmatics, morphosyntactic parsing of speech streams, and phonological awareness. A particular aspect of prosody: perceptual sensitivity to speech rhythm patterns in words (i.e., lexical stress sensitivity), is also a robust predictor of reading skills, though it has received much less attention than phonological awareness in the literature. Given the importance of prosody and reading in educational outcomes, reliable and valid tools are needed to conduct large-scale health and genetic investigations of individual differences in prosody, as groundwork for investigating the biological underpinnings of the relationship between prosody and reading. Motivated by this need, we present the Test of Prosody via Syllable Emphasis (“TOPsy”) and highlight its merits as a phenotyping tool to measure lexical stress sensitivity in as little as 10 min, in scalable internet-based cohorts. In this 28-item speech rhythm perception test [modeled after the stress identification test from Wade-Woolley (2016)], participants listen to multi-syllabic spoken words and are asked to identify lexical stress patterns. Psychometric analyses in a large internet-based sample shows excellent reliability, and predictive validity for self-reported difficulties with speech-language, reading, and musical beat synchronization. Further, items loaded onto two distinct factors corresponding to initially stressed vs. non-initially stressed words. These results are consistent with previous reports that speech rhythm perception abilities correlate with musical rhythm sensitivity and speech-language/reading skills, and are implicated in reading disorders (e.g., dyslexia). We conclude that TOPsy can serve as a useful tool for studying prosodic perception at large scales in a variety of different settings, and importantly can act as a validated brief phenotype for future investigations of the genetic architecture of prosodic perception, and its relationship to educational outcomes.

We report results on the influence of relative humidity (RH) on the propagation speed, the intensity of the emitted light, the energy and the gas temperature of a pin-to-plane nanosecond pulsed discharge at atmospheric pressure in synthetic air. The discharge is generated under very high overvoltage (several tens of kilovolts) so that it propagates with a voluminous, diffuse, and stable pattern. It is shown that the water vapor content has a strong impact on the discharge dynamics for gas mixtures with high RH and for the highest electric field values. In particular, for voltage pulse amplitudes higher than 65 kV and RH higher than 30%, the propagation abruptly slows down and the light intensity profiles show a stronger emission at the pin which weakens in the rest of the gap. The electric energy is slightly lower in humid air, independently of water vapor concentration. Also, time and spatially resolved gas temperature measurements carried out for different voltages show a late and significant heating at the pin whatever the water vapor content. An evaluation of the energy consumed in fast heating processes is proposed, showing an increased energy consumption at the pin in highly humid air. Besides, the hypotheses allowing for the consideration of the rotational temperature of the second positive system (SPS) of nitrogen (N2(SPS)) as the gas temperature under high electric field conditions are discussed.

Methods for reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) content in air depend on the application considered. For low concentration and low flux, nonthermal plasma methods are often considered as efficient. However, the complex chemistry involved is still not well understood because there is a lack of data sets of byproducts formation. To overcome this issue, rapid analytical methods are needed. We present the coupling of a rapid chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) for the real-time analysis of the VOCs formed during a degradation experiment. The high-resolution instrument used allows for chemical ionization and direct quantification of nontargeted compounds. This method is successfully applied to degradation experiments of acetone in a phototriggered nitrogen plasma discharge. Two regimes were highlighted: efficient conversion at low concentrations (100 ppm) and moderate efficiency conversion at higher concentrations (100 ppm). Those two regimes were clearly delimited as the sum of two exponential curves occurring at respectively low and high concentrations. Many byproducts were detected; in particular, HCN presented a significantly high yield. Nitrile compounds (acetonitrile, propionitrile, ...) are formed as well. To a lower extent, ketene, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde are observed. The association of the high-resolution mass spectrometer to the plasma reactor will allow further insights into the plasma chemistry and comparison to modelization.

International audience; We compare the predictions of our recently developed statistical molecular fragmentation (SMF) model with experimental results from plasma induced hydrocarbon decay. The SMF model is an exactly solvable statistical model, capable to calculate the probabilities for all possible fragmentation channels as a function of the deposited excitation energy. The weights of the channels are calculated from the corresponding volume of the accessible phase space of the system, taking into account all relevant degeneracies, symmetries and density functions. An experiment designed to study the abatement of propene in N 2 using a photo-triggered discharge producing a homogeneous plasma at sub-atmospheric pressure was also performed. Using a 0D model that simulates the complex chemical kinetics in the plasma, it was possible to assess the percentages of the original parent hydrocarbon's fragmentation channels based on the detected species. These results were compared to those obtained from the SMF model. Previous plasma induced hydrocarbon fragmentation experiments for ethene, ethane and propane, where also compared to the predictions of the SMF model. For energies below that of metastable dinitrogen (i.e. below 6.17 eV and 8.4 eV), the SMF model and the experimental fragmentation channels coincide. This study allows one to draw conclusions both on the range of excitation energies transferred to the parent hydrocarbon molecules during plasma discharge and on the probability of the dynamical coupling of two H atoms from neighbouring carbon atoms to form H 2 molecules.

Resume Objectif Cette etude de serie de cas rapporte notre experience dans la prise en charge des paragangliomes du glomus carotidien. L’objectif est de determiner si la classification de Shamblin ou la taille tumorale sont des facteurs predictifs de survenue des complications neurovasculaires postoperatoires precoces ou tardives. Materiel et methode Quarante-neuf patients operes de 54 paragangliomes du glomus carotidien ont ete inclus dans cette etude retrospective sur la periode allant de 1980 a 2011. Nous avons recense les complications neurovasculaires postoperatoires precoces ( Resultats Des complications postoperatoires precoces sont survenues dans 31 cas ; il s’agissait d’un deficit neurologique crânien dans 30 cas (56 %). Ce deficit etait retrouve dans 83 % des cas lorsque le paragangliome du glomus carotidien etait de stade III selon la classification de Shamblin et la taille tumorale significativement plus elevee (4 cm ± 1,4 versus 2,9 cm ± 1,3 ; p 3,2 cm etait un facteur predictif de survenue de complications neurologiques peripheriques precoces. Huit patients (17 %) presentaient un deficit neurologique peripherique permanent, avec des sequelles a 18 mois ; aucun facteur predictif n’a ete identifie. Conclusion L’exerese chirurgicale des paragangliomes du glomus carotidien est le seul traitement curatif avec une faible morbidite vasculaire. Cependant la survenue d’un deficit neurologique peripherique precoce reste frequent (56 %), mais temporaire avec 17 % d’atteinte definitive a 18 mois. La classification de Shamblin et la taille tumorale sont des facteurs predictifs de survenue des complications neurovasculaires postoperatoires precoces.

International audience; The present consecutive case series reports our experience in the management of carotid body paraganglioma and aims to assess whether the Shamblin classification or tumor size are predictive of early and late postoperative neurovascular complications.MATERIAL AND METHODS:A retrospective study included 54 carotid body tumor resections in 49 patients, between 1980 and 2011. Data comprised early (3.2cm emerged as predictive factors for early postoperative peripheral neurological complications. Eight patients (17%) showed no cranial nerve deficit recovery, even after 18 months' follow-up; no predictive factors could be identified for this.CONCLUSION:Surgical resection remains the only curative treatment in carotid body paraganglioma, with low vascular morbidity. However, early postoperative nerve deficit remains frequent (56%), although mostly temporary, with 17% definitive sequelae at 18 months. Tumor size and Shamblin classification are predictive of early neurovascular complications.

This paper deals with the ethanol (EtOH) removal in both dry and humid air fed dielectric barrier discharges. The experimental results were compared to the predictions of a zero dimension kinetic model to elucidate the main chemical routes occurring in the plasma phase. This comparison shows that both the dissociative quenching of the nitrogen metastables and the oxidation reactions by the oxygen atom or the hydroxyl radical should be taken into account to explain the EtOH abatement in these kinds of discharges. The CH3CHOH radical seems to be the main product of the nitrogen dissociative collisions, whereas radicals issued from the α- and β-H atom cleavage are the dominant ethanol oxidation by-products. These radicals account for the production of acetaldehyde, the main by-product of the ethanol/air fed discharges investigated here. Apart the complete oxidation products, i.e. carbon oxides and water, aldehydes containing up to six carbon atoms, ketones, carboxylic acids, ozone, nitrogen oxides, nitric acid and organic nitrates were found in the exhaust gas. A kinetic pathway is proposed to explain the formation of the detected by-products. Water vapour addition to the feeding gas slightly improves the EtOH removal and promotes further oxidation of the main by-products, thus enhancing the CO2 selectivity. This behaviour could be ascribed to the higher amount of hydroxyl radicals, which could boost the production of the direct precursors of CO2.

International audience

6th Central European Symposium on Plasma Chemistry (CESPC), Bressanone, ITALY, SEP 06-10, 2015; The kinetics of four volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (propene, propane, acetaldehyde, acetone) were studied in plasmas of atmospheric gases using a photo-triggered discharge (homogeneous plasma) or a dielectric barrier discharge (filamentary plasma). It was shown for the homogeneous plasma that quenchings of nitrogen metastable states, A(3)Sigma(+)(u) and the group of singlets a `(1)Sigma(-)(u), a (1)Pi(g) and w(1)Delta(u), are important processes for the decomposition of such molecules. Recent measurements of the H-2 concentration produced in the N-2/C3H6 mixture emphasize that the hydrogen molecule can be an exit route for propene dissociation. It is also found that H-2 and CO molecules are efficiently produced following the dissociation of CH3COCH3 and the subsequent chemical reactivity induced by radicals coming from acetone. Addition of oxygen to a N-2/VOC mixture can change drastically the kinetics. However, the quenching processes of N-2 metastables by the VOC are always present and compete with oxidation reactions for the conversion of the pollutant. At low temperature, oxidations by O or by OH are not always sufficiently effective to induce an increase of the molecule decomposition when oxygen is added to the mixture. In particular, the presence of O-2 has a detrimental effect on the acetone removal. Also, as evidenced for acetaldehyde and propane, some kinetic analogies appear between filamentary and homogeneous plasmas.

International audience

Toluene removal is investigated in filamentary plasmas produced in N2 and in N2/O2 mixtures by a pulse high voltage energised DBD. Influence of the oxygen percentage (lower than 10%) and of the temperature (lower than 350°C) is examined. Toluene is removed in N2 through collisions with electrons and nitrogen excited states. The removal efficiency is a few higher in N2/O2. It increases when the temperature increases for N2 and N2/O2. Both H- and O-atoms play an important role in toluene removal because H can readily recombine with O to form OH, which is much more reactive with toluene than O. H follows from dissociation of toluene and of hydrogenated by-products by electron collisions. Detection of cyanhidric acid, acetylene, formaldehyde, and methyl nitrate strengthens that dissociation processes, to produce H and CH3, must be taken into account in kinetic analysis. Formation and treatment of deposits are also analysed.

A photo-triggered discharge is used to study the influence of three hydrocarbons (HCs), propene (C3H6), n-decane (C10H22), and toluene (C6H5CH3) on NO conversion in N2/O2/NO/HC mixtures, with 18.5% O2 concentration, 700 ppm of NO, and an hydrocarbon concentration ranging between 190 ppm and 2,700 ppm. The electrical system generates a transient homogeneous plasma, working under 400 mbar total pressure, with a 50 ns short current pulse at a repetition frequency up to a few Hz. The NO concentration at the exit of the reactor is quantified using absolute FTIR spectroscopy measurements, as a function of the specific deposited energy in the discharge and the mixture composition. Owing to the plasma homogeneity, the experimental results can be compared to predictions of a self-consistent 0-D discharge and kinetic model based on available data in the literature about reactions and their rate constants. It is shown that the addition of either propene (as for DBD or corona discharges) or n-decane to N2/O2/NO leads to an improvement of the NO removal as compared to the mixture without hydrocarbon molecules. The adopted kinetic schemes explain this effect for the two mixture types. On the other hand, both the experiments and model predictions emphasize that the addition of toluene does not lead to the improvement of NO conversion. Moreover, compounds that are useful for NOx reduction catalysis, such as aldehydes, are less produced in the mixture with toluene.

A photo-triggered discharge has been used to study the production kinetic mechanisms and the reactivity of the hydroxyl radical in a N2/O2 mixture (5% oxygen) containing ethane or ethene for hydrocarbon concentration values in the range 1000?5000?ppm, at 460?mbar total pressure. The discharge (current pulse duration of 60?ns) has allowed the generation of a transient homogeneous non-equilibrium plasma, and the time evolution of the OH density has been measured (relative value) in the afterglow (up to 200??s) by laser induced fluorescence (LIF). Experimental results have been explained using predictions of a self-consistent 0D discharge and plasma reactivity modelling, and reduced kinetic schemes for OH have been validated. It has been shown that recombination of H- and O-atoms, as well as reaction of O with the hydroperoxy radical HO2, plays a very important role in the production of OH radicals in the mixture with ethane. H is a key species for production of OH and HO2 radicals. As for ethane, O, H and HO2 are key species for the production of OH in the case of ethene, but carbonated radicals, following the partial oxidation of the hydrocarbon molecule by O, also play a non-negligible role. The rate constant for O- and H-atom recombination has been estimated to be 3 ? 10?30?cm6?s?1 at near ambient temperature, consistent with LIF measurements on OH for both mixtures with ethane and ethene.

This article discusses some of the more common gastrointestinal problems encountered in pediatric patients. Topics include infectious and endoparasitic disorders, congenital esophageal and hepatic disorders, and acute or chronic intestinal diseases. Diagnostic criteria as well as treatment guidelines are presented.

Non-thermal plasmas at atmospheric pressure are currently investigated for applications in flue gas cleaning for pollution control. Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) brings an irreplaceable contribution to the study of atmospheric pollutant removal kinetics, and to the monitoring of key species involved in this non-equilibrium gas phase chemistry. This article gives an overview of LIF studies in discharges for pollution control, in particular recent results obtained on NO and OH radical using a time resolved LIF diagnostic coupled to a photo-triggered discharge. Such a discharge generates transient homogeneous plasma and allows useful comparison between experimental results and predictions from a self-consistent discharge and kinetic model. To cite this article: L. Magne, S. Pasquiers, C. R. Physique 6 (2005).

The evolution of the OH radical density was measured in the afterglow of a pulsed homogeneous discharge using time-resolved laser induced fluorescence, and the acetaldehyde removal was quantified using chromatography for N2/O2/CH3CHO mixtures at 460 mbar with 5% oxygen and an acetaldehyde concentration between 250 and 5000 ppm. It is shown that the radical density rapidly increases shortly after the discharge for all mixture compositions studied, although it does not contain water molecules. Afterwards this density decreases with a characteristic time much longer than the one estimated from the known reactivity of OH with CH3CHO. This emphasizes that processes other than oxidation of acetaldehyde by O-atoms play a significant role in OH radical production.

This paper presents some aspects of the research developed in the frame of a coordinated program launched in France in 1996 and devoted to plasma thrusters for space technologies. Relevant results of physical studies have been selected from the literature with the addition of recent original results. The thrusters within the scope of this research are diagnostic equipped versions of industrial realizations, in a thrust level range of 0.1 N and electrical power 1.5 kW. The optical and electrical diagnostics concern studies of the thruster plasma and of the thruster plume. Transient phenomena in these two regions, related to discharge current fluctuations or oscillations on a typical time scale of 40 µs, have been space-time characterized. This has been achieved by developing a large panel of diagnostics including RFEA, Langmuir probes, OES, fast camera imaging and electron drift Hall current probe. They lead to a coherent representation of these phenomena , in rather good qualitative agreement with 1D modelling. But they emphasize also the importance of 2D effects. Insights obtained through combined LIF (on Xe+ ions) and OES diagnostics are also presented. They concern the ionization-acceleration region in the thruster plasma, where intrusive diagnostics are disturbing in nature, and open a new step for a significant improvement of the detailed understanding of these thrusters. Such improvements are required when looking at the final goal of a predicable modelling simulation able to help the design of optimized structures at various thrust levels, in spite of the important work devoted to these devices in the former USSR and by Russian teams in Moscow at the MIREA, MAI-RIAME and KOURCHATOV Institutes.

International audience; This work is devoted to the study of atomic oxygen recombination on a glass surface, mainly in connection with atomic sources development. In this paper we present a non-stationary model for atomic oxygen recombination on a fused silica surface. Kinetics equations for oxygen atoms, taking into account heterogeneous reactions between gaseous atoms and the surface (Eley-Rideal mechanisms), as well as homogeneous processes involving surface migration of adsorbed species (Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanisms), are solved. Surface reaction coefficients are calculated, and the choice of numerical values for surface parameters is discussed. The solution to the equations is compared to our previous experiments concerning the influence of the surface state on atomic recombination. An estimation is made of surface reaction coefficient values.

A two-dimensional time-resolved PIC-MCC simulation was developed for the self-consistent modelling of planar r.f. magnetron reactor. Computation results such as target voltage and sputtering ‘race-track’ are in good agreement with experimental results recorded on our device. New information on the ion and electron transport through the r.f. sheath is provided. We discuss the contribution of the ‘classical’ γ-Townsend secondary emission and of the r.f. volume heating to the discharge maintaining. The present model developed for noble gas (xenon) and metallic target (copper) will be extended to dielectric targets (ceramics).

The time post discharge of a low-pressure pulsed dc discharge in pure oxygen is used to investigate the atomic oxygen recombination on fused silica surface. With the intention of studying this recombination for different surface states, we perform before each pulsed experiment a wall treatment by means of dc discharges under different experimental conditions. Then, we monitor the decrease of the atomic oxygen in time post discharge by time resolved VUV resonant absorption spectroscopy. We have shown that it is possible to obtain for a given wall treatment, a pulse after pulse variation of this decrease. We have attributed this variation to a filling of the chemisorption sites. Finally, we have determined the surface reaction probability of atomic oxygen on fused silica surface and we have compared it to published values.

The time afterglow of a pulsed discharge is used to investigate the neutral-particle kinetics in N2-O2 low-pressure mixtures. The pressure is in the range 0.5-2 Torr at 300 K and the mixture composition in the range 0-20% of oxygen. Time-resolved emission spectroscopy on N2(B), N2(C), NO(A) and NO(B) is employed to monitor energy transfers involving the metastable state N2(A). The influence of N(4S) and O(3P) atoms on the kinetics is accurately treated using absolute concentration measurements by time-resolved absorption spectroscopy in the VUV range. It is shown that by an appropriate choice of the discharge repetition rate, the vibrational excitation of N2(X) can be neglected. A chemical model, containing few unknown parameters, is developed in order to fit the experimental fluorescences. The NO(X) kinetics are investigated and its absolute concentration is deduced. Furthermore, it is shown that the N2(A) density is probably higher for pulsed discharges than for stationary low-pressure DC discharges.

Background and Objective Photodynamic therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment modality for surface-oriented neoplasms of the skin, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urogenital systems. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of photodynamic therapy using a new photosensitizer in the treatment of squamous cell carcinomas of the feline facial skin. Study Design/Materials and Methods Cats with naturally occurring squamous cell carcinomas of the facial skin were entered into the study. Tumors were staged using a modification of the World Health Organization (WHO) system for classification of feline tumors of epidermal origin. Photodynamic therapy was delivered to the tumors using an argon-pumped dye laser 24 hours after the administration of the photosensitizer pyropheophorbide-alpha-hexyl-ether (HPPH-23). Following treatment, tumors were evaluated for complete response rates and local control durations. Results Fifteen tumors were staged T1a ( 1.5 cm, invasive). Complete response rates as well as local control durations were significantly (P < 0.05) related to stage. Complete response was achieved in 100% of T1a tumors, 56% of T1b tumors, and 18% of T2b tumors. One-year local control rates were 100% for T1a tumors and 53% for T1b tumors; overall 1-year local control rate for all treated tumors was 62%. Clinical, hematological, and biochemical evidence of toxicity was not seen in any cat following drug administration. However, morbidity was observed following treatment of large, invasive tumors of the nasal plane. Conclusion Photodynamic therapy with the photosensitizer HPPH-23 was safe and effective in treating early stage squamous cell carcinomas of the feline nasal plane and facial skin. However, toxicity was encountered following treatment of large neoplasms. Lasers Surg. Med. 20:202–209, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Cancer associated with venous thromboembolic disease has been recognized since Trousseau, but a link between cancer and iterative arterial thrombosis is rarely described. We report three cases of patients with iterative bypass thrombosis in whom cancer was subsequently diagnosed: lung cancer in one patient and hepatocarcinoma and bladder cancer in the others. Smoking and hypertension were risk factors in both patients. The link between arterial thrombosis and cancer is probably multifactorial. In case of iterative arterial bypass thrombosis, the search for cancer is as useful as the control of cardiovascular risk factors and the search for antiphospholipid syndrome, since patient management can be affected.

The historical development and published veterinary applications of photodynamic therapy are reviewed. Potential animal models, using naturally-occurring diseases in veterinary patients, for the future development of photodynamic therapy are described.

Power mill draw was measured in a 290 x 110 mm laboratory batch mill, loaded with balls, cylinders or metal grains. Angle between front face of the lifter and its base-surface are the key parameter to control power consumption. A 45° lifter front angle and about 85 % rotational speed lead to the maximum power draw. As the mill is provided with higher lifter front angles, a decrease in power occurs, and the maximum with respect to the mill velocity is shifted to lower values. For lifter front angle lower than 45°, power consumption at low mill rotational speed is reduced, and the maximum is often moved beyond the critical speed value, which indicates slip of the load. Lifter height has a variable effect upon power draw, depending on the front angle and its relative size compared to the grinding bodies. Generally, an increase in height reduces the maximum power draw, and it is obtained at a lower rotational speed. Low-angle lifters are less sensible to the height. Number of lifter did not show any effect on power draw.Se midió el consumo de potencia en un molino discontinuo de laboratorio de 290 x 110 mm cargado con bolas, cilindros o granallas de tamaño uniforme. El ángulo formado por la cara frontal de un levantador y la superficie base de la pieza son el parámetro clave para controlar el consumo de potencia. Los mayores valores se obtienen utilizando levantadores con ángulos de 45° y velocidad de rotación del molino de aproximadamente 85 % de la velocidad crítica. Cuando el molino es equipado con levantadores de alto ángulo de ataque, el consumo de potencia decrece y la velocidad de máxima potencia se desplaza a valores más bajos. Para levantadores con ángulos menores de 45°, el consumo de potencia a bajas velocidades se reduce, incrementándose el máximo más allá de la velocidad crítica en muchos casos, lo que indica resbalamiento de la carga. La altura del levantador tiene un efecto variable sobre la potencia, dependiendo del ángulo de ataque del levantador y su tamaño relativo frente a los medios de molienda. La mayor altura reduce el consumo máximo de potencia, que se alcanza a una velocidad de giro más baja. Los levantadores de ángulos menores son menos sensibles a la altura.

The most frequent type of complication in patients undergoing aortic surgery is respiratory. Preoperative lung function (PFT) and arterial blood gas measurement (ABG) are often carried out to assess the risk more precisely. The aim of the present retrospective study was to determine which value of lung function test could identify patients who developed such complications. "Receiver Operating Characteristic" (ROC) curves and the area beneath the curve for the diagnosis of respiratory complications were calculated for each variable of PFT and ABG. The greatest Youden index for each variable was chosen as indicative pulmonary function criterion of increased risk of pulmonary complications. One hundred and ninety-five patients (age: 65 +/- 10 years) were included. Respiratory complications occurred in 15% of patients. Respiratory complications increased from 12% if the vital capacity (VC) was > or = 77% of the predicted value to 35% if the VC was 76% to 34% if the FEV1 was > or = 76% (P = 0.0005). A decreased PaO2 or increased PaCO2 was not correlated with an increased incidence of respiratory complications. Length of stay in ICU or in hospital were increased when VC or FEV1 were low. Frequency of pulmonary complications was 9% in patients without PFT abnormalities, 16% in patients with either diminished VC or FEV1 and 35% in patients with both lowered VC and FEV1. However, all the areas under the ROC curves were < 0.7 and the sensitivity of the different variables was low. It is concluded that routine preoperative PFT and ABG cannot predict respiratory complications after abdominal aortic surgery.

Pin-to-plane discharges in centimetre air gaps and standard conditions of pressure and temperature are generated under very high positive nanosecond scale voltage pulses. The experimental study is based on recordings of sub-nanosecond time resolved and Abel-processed light emission profiles and their complete correlation to electrical current waveforms. The effects of the voltage pulse features (amplitude between 20 and 90 kV, rise time between 2 and 5.2 ns, and time rate between 4 and 40 kV ns−1) and the electrode configuration (gap distance between 10 and 30 mm, pin radius between 10 and 200 µm, copper, molybdenum or tungsten pin material) are described. A three time period development can be found: a glow-like structure with monotonic light profiles during the first 1.5 ns whose size depends on time voltage rate, a shell-like structure with bimodal profiles whose duration and extension in space depends on rise time, and either diffuse or multi-channel regime for the connection to the cathode plane according to gap distance. The transition of the light from monotonic to bimodal patterns reveals the relative effects and dynamics of streamer space charge and external laplacian field. A classical 2D-fluid model for streamer propagation has been used and adapted for very high and steep voltage pulses. It shows the formation of a strong space charge (streamer) very close to the pin, but also a continuity of emission between the pin and the streamer, and electric fields higher than the critical ionization field (28 kV cm−1 in air) almost in the whole gap and very early in the discharge propagation.

Background BAFF is an essential cytokine for autoreactive B-cell activation, survival, and autoantibody secretion. Therapeutic interest of anti-BAFF therapy is under evaluation in primary Sjogren9s syndrome (pSS) with encouraging data in an open clinical trial but it has not been evaluated in an animal model of the disease. In addition, T-lymphocytes, which represent the predominant cell population infiltrating salivary glands, also contribute to its pathogenesis. Targeting T-cells with anti-CD3 antibodies is efficacious to control diabetes in NOD mice, which also represent a relevant animal model of pSS, and in patients with type I diabetes. Objectives We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of anti-CD3 and anti-BAFF antibodies and their potential synergy on dryness and salivary gland infiltrates in the NOD model of pSS. Methods Female NOD mice were studied between 10 and 20 weeks. 8 mice were treated with anti-BAFF antibodies, 8 with isotype control antibodies, 6 with the combination of anti-BAFF and anti-CD3 antibodies, 5 with anti-CD3 antibodies and 12 were not treated. Dryness was assessed by measuring the stimulated salivary flow at 10 and 20 weeks. Focus score was analysed at 20 weeks. Spleen, salivary glands and blood lymphocyte sub-populations were analysed using flow cytometry. Results Only anti-BAFF antibody therapy led to a significant increase in the salivary flow (10.4μL/20 minutes/g ±1.3 with anti-BAFF antibodies, 5.7±2.7 with isotype control antibodies, p=0.003, 5.5±1.7 in non-treated mice, p=0.002) and resulted in the decrease in salivary gland infiltrates (focus score of 1.75±0.5 with anti-BAFF antibodies, 4.0±0 with isotype control antibodies, p=0.028, 4.6±1.14 in non-treated mice, p=0.015). Inhibition of BAFF resulted in a marked decrease of blood, spleen and salivary B-cells (proportion of B-lymphocytes out of total number of lymphocytes in salivary glands: 1.0%±0.9 with anti-BAFF antibodies, 7.6%±2.6 with anti-CD3 antibodies, 0.3%±0.2 with combined treatment and 12.5%±2.3 with isotype control). With anti-BAFF and/or anti-CD3, an increase in salivary glands Foxp3+ regulatory T-cells was observed (proportion of FoxP3+ T cells among total number of CD4+ T cells: 28.7%±5.9 with anti-BAFF antibodies, 27.6%±1.8 with anti-CD3 antibodies, 27.7%±1.9 with combined treatment and 20.7%±1.0 with isotype control). In addition, salivary CD3+CD4-CD8- double negative T-cells markedly increased after anti-BAFF treatment (41.0%±5.5 with anti-BAFF antibodies, 26.4%±7.8 with anti-CD3 antibodies, 37.7%±8.9 with combined treatment and 24.8%±13.5 of T-lymphocytes CD3+ with isotype control). Salivary double negative CD4-CD8- T-cells were inversely correlated with the focus score, which suggests their protective role. Conclusions Anti-CD3 therapy was not efficacious nor synergic with anti-BAFF. Anti-BAFF therapy resulted in a marked improvement of dryness and salivary gland infiltrates in the NOD model of pSS. Interestingly, BAFF inhibition resulted in the increase of regulatory T-lymphocyte populations, which might contribute to the therapeutic effect of this strategy. This study strengthens the rationale to target BAFF in patients with pSS. Disclosure of Interest R. Felten Grant/research support from: Research grant from French Society of Rheumatology, L. Chatenoud: None declared, L. Magne: None declared, M. Sawaf: None declared, C. Seifert: None declared, H. Dumortier: None declared, F. Monneaux: None declared, J. Sibilia: None declared, P. Schneider: None declared, J.-E. Gottenberg: None declared

The influence of the gas mixture temperature, from 20 °C up to 300 °C, on the removal of formaldehyde, diluted at low concentration (less than 800 ppm) in dry air at atmospheric pressure, by a pulsed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is studied by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and micro gas chromatography. Efficient removal of CH2O is obtained and it is found that the characteristic energy, less than 200 J l−1, is a decreasing function of the temperature over the whole range of concentration values under consideration. Byproducts issued from the removal are identified and quantified (CO, CO2, HCOOH, HNO3). Experimental results are analysed using a zero-dimensional simplified DBD-reactor model in order to gain insights on the chemical processes involved. It is shown that the dissociation of the molecule competes with oxidation reactions at low temperature, whereas at high temperature oxidation processes dominate.

La fluorescence des etats N 2 (B 2 Π g ) et N 2 (C 3 Π u ) est observee dans une postdecharge temporelle. Ces fluorescences sont dues a un repeuplement par la reaction de pooling entre etats N 2 (A 3 Σ u + ). A partir d'un modele cinetique, il est montre que le temps caracteristique de decroissance de l'etat N 2 (C 3 Π u ) depend de la densite d'azote atomique. La densite d'atomes est deduite de la fluorescence observee pour des densites superieures a 5×10 13 cm -3 . La densite atomique augmente avec la duree et l'intensite de l'impulsion

Endoscopy represents a relatively inexpensive and noninvasive diagnostic tool that is increasingly available in clinical practice. Many neoplastic disorders are easily and accurately diagnosed endoscopically, with lower patient morbidity than invasive, surgical procedures. This article reviews the neoplasms that are most commonly diagnosed with the use of endoscopy; discussion focuses on clinical presentation, endoscopic appearance and diagnosis, and current treatment strategies.

Three Mile Island and Chernobyl in the nuclear industry, Challenger, in the space industry, Seveso and Bhopal in the chemical industry—all these accidents show how difficult it is to forecast all likely accident scenarios that may occur in complex systems. This was, however, the objective of the probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) performed by EDF at the Paluel nuclear power plant. The full computerization of this study led to the LESSEPS project, aimed at automating three different steps: generation of reliability models—based on the use of expert systems, qualitative and quantitative processing of these models using computer codes, and overall management of PSA studies. This paper presents the results obtained and the gradual transformation of this first generation of tools into a workstation aimed at integrating reliability studies at all stages of an industrial process.

Song composers incorporate linguistic prosody into their music when setting words to melody, a process called textsetting. Composers tend to align the expected stress of the lyrics with strong metrical positions in the music. The present study was designed to explore the idea that temporal alignment helps listeners to better understand song lyrics by directing listeners’ attention to instances where strong syllables occur on strong beats. Three types of textsettings were created by aligning metronome clicks with all, some or none of the strong syllables in sung sentences. Electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings were taken while participants listened to the sung sentences (primes) and performed a lexical decision task on subsequent words and pseudowords (targets, presented visually). Comparison of misaligned and well-aligned sentences showed that temporal alignment between strong/weak syllables and strong/weak musical beats were associated with modulations of induced beta and evoked gamma power, which have been shown to fluctuate with rhythmic expectancies. Furthermore, targets that followed well-aligned primes elicited greater induced alpha and beta activity, and better lexical decision task performance, compared with targets that followed misaligned and varied sentences. Overall, these findings suggest that alignment of linguistic stress and musical meter in song enhances musical beat tracking and comprehension of lyrics by synchronizing neural activity with strong syllables. This approach may begin to explain the mechanisms underlying the relationship between linguistic and musical rhythm in songs, and how rhythmic attending facilitates learning and recall of song lyrics. Moreover, the observations reported here coincide with a growing number of studies reporting interactions between the linguistic and musical dimensions of song, which likely stem from shared neural resources for processing music and speech.

Atomic oxygen ground state density is measured in the time afterglow of a pulsed discharge with resonant absorption spectroscopy in the vacuum ultraviolet range. The evolution of atomic density during the afterglow is a sum of two exponential decays. The recombination probability at the pyrex wall of the discharge tube is deduced from the fastest decay. The so obtained value is γ= (2.4 ±1.1) ×10-3. Interpretations of the slowest decay as possible atomic gain are brought up in the discussion.

The quenching rates of N2(a1 Pi g, v'=3-6) by molecular nitrogen are measured in the time afterglow of a pulsed low-pressure nitrogen discharge. The following quenching rate coefficients were estimated: KQ(3)=(3.42+or-0.3)*10-11 cm3 s-1, KQ(4)=(9.16+or-0.9)*10-11 cm3 s-1, KQ(5)=(15.3+or-1.3)*10-11 cm3 s-1 and KQ(6) approximately=22*10-11 cm3 s-1 for v'=3-6 respectively.

The relaxation rate of N2(a1 Pi g, v'=0-2) singlet metastable state is observed from the emission of a1 Pi g-X1 Sigma g+ bands in a nitrogen time afterglow. The quenching rates k0=0.91+or-0.05, k1=1.64+or-0.048 and k2=2.12+or-0.055 (*10-11cm3 s-1) and the radiative lifetime tau 0=54.2+or-6.5 mu s, tau 1=55.9+or-6.0 mu s and t2=54.1+or-5.8 mu s are deduced from the linear part of the dependences of the time decay against pressure.

The combination of a grinding circuit simulator with a model of ball wear in a grinding mill leads to a method to calculate, with a preselected accuracy, the make-up ball charge that optimizes the operation with respect to a given objective for the grinding process. In the example shown, the best make-up ball charge, calculated with a 1% accuracy, increased the circuit capacity by 12% from the best monosized make-up ball charge.

NO removal is studied in N2/NO and in N2/NO/C2H4 mixtures through time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence in the afterglow of a pulsed homogeneous discharge. NO density measurements are compared with predictions of a 0D model on a large range of parameter values, such as the specific deposited energy and the ethene initial concentration. It is shown that dissociation of NO through collision with the N2(a′1Σu−) state play the main part in the NO removal kinetic. Moreover, quenching of N2(a′1 Σu−) by C2H4 leads to a drastic decrease of the NO removal efficiency when ethene is added to N2/NO. The determined rate coefficient value for the quenching mechanism is (4±2)×10−10 cm3 s−1.

Objective—To evaluate sensitivity and specificity of echocardiography for diagnosis of cardiac masses in dogs with pericardial effusion. Design—Retrospective case series. Animals—107 dogs with pericardial effusion. Procedures—Records of dogs with pericardial effusion examined at the University of California-Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital from 1985 to 2006 were reviewed. Dogs were included when echocardiography and pericardectomy or necropsy were performed. Sensitivity, specificity, and metastatic rates were calculated for various causes of pericardial effusion. Results—107 dogs with pericardial effusion were evaluated by surgery (n = 48 dogs), necropsy (44), or both (15). Echocardiography revealed no mass (n = 41 dogs), a right atrial (RA) mass (38), a heart base (HB) mass (23), a pericardial mass (2), an HB and an RA mass (2), and a right ventricular mass (1). Sensitivity and specificity were 82% and 100%, respectively, for detection of a cardiac mass; 82% and 99%, respectively, for detection of an RA mass; and 74% and 98%, respectively, for detection of an HB mass. Most HB masses were neuroendocrine or ectopic thyroid gland tissue, but 3 were hemangiosarcomas and 4 were mesotheliomas. Most RA masses were hemangiosarcomas, but this group also included a neuroendocrine tumor, ectopic thyroid gland tissue, mesothelioma, lymphosarcoma, and sarcoma. Metastatic rates did not differ (50% to 66%) among neoplastic causes. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Echocardiography had high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis and differentiation of RA or HB masses in dogs with pericardial effusion. There was a high rate of metastasis for cardiac masses of all causes.