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Endocrine disruptors (ED) are ubiquitous pollutants, possibly implicated in chronic disease. Exposure of vulnerable populations; including neonates, infants and children; must therefore be limited. Informing parents is now a public health challenge. We conducted a quantitative cross-sectional study at the Lyon Mother and child Hospital. We used questionnaires to assess the beliefs and knowledge about ED of parents and pediatric healthcare professionals in the pediatric ward in Lyon, France. A total of 746 questionnaires were completed: 444 for professionals and 302 for parents. The majority of both populations had already heard of ED but only 10% of parents and 5% of professionals felt sufficiently informed. Professionals answered better than parents (73% vs. 60%). The main source of information was similar: media. Only 20% of professionals had read a scientific article about ED and 4% have followed a training. Environmental exposure and EDs is an increasing concern for parents but specific knowledge remains scare for parents and professionals. Specific training is needed.

BackgroundWomen are more likely to develop heart failure (HF) after myocardial infarction. However, diagnosis and reperfusion are often delayed.ObjectivesTo compare the prevalence of HF after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI)-treated ST segment myocardial infarction (STEMI) between sexes and to study its associations with comorbidities, infarct size, and left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic dysfunctions (DD).MethodsThe patients with PPCI-treated anterior STEMI, from the CIRCUS study cohort, were followed up for 1 year and HF events were recorded. Evaluation of ejection fraction (LVEF) and DD were performed at baseline and at 1 year. The elevated LV filling pressure (LVFP) included Grades 2 and 3 DD.ResultsOf the 791 patients from the CIRCUS study, 135 were women. At 1 year, the proportion of patients who developed HF was 21% among men and 34% among women (p = 0.001). In the subset of 407 patients with available diastolic parameters, the rate of HF was also higher in women. HF during the initial hospitalization was comparable between the sexes. However, women had a higher incidence of rehospitalization for HF within the first year after STEMI (14.1% vs. 4.1%, p = 0.005). Women were older with a higher prevalence of hypertension. The infarct size and LVEF were similar between the sexes. Elevated LVFP was observed more frequently in women than in men during the initial hospitalization and at 1 year (26% vs. 12%, p = 0.04, and 22% vs. 12%, p = 0.006, respectively). Interestingly, only initial elevated LVFP (HR 5.9, 95% CI: 2.4–14.5, p

IntroductionWater distribution systems in hotels have been related to outbreaks caused by Legionella spp. Certain measures, including disinfection by chlorination, maintaining increased temperatures are usually undertaken to prevent Legionella outbreaks. However, these preventive strategies are not always effective, since there are several factors (e.g., synergistic interactions with other microbes, physico-chemical factors, biofilm formation, availability of nutrients) that promote survival and proliferation of the pathogen in water pipes., Accordingly, there is a need of a holistic approach in development of preventive models for Legionella outbreaks associated with water distribution systems.MethodsWater samples were collected from hotel water systems and were tested for the presence of Legionella, E. coli, total coliforms, total mesophilic count and Pseudomonas. In each sample, temperature and chlorine were also tested. Other epidemiological factors were additionally recorded including number of rooms, stars, proximity of sampling point to the boiler, etc. Data were processed by generalized linear analysis, and modeling based on logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictive factors associated with the presence of Legionella in hotel water systems.ResultsAccording to the generalized linear model, temperature affected (p

Self-assembled lipid nanoparticles containing Gd-chelating lipids are a new type of positive magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents (MRI CAs). High molecular weight imposes reduced molecular reorientation (τr) and corresponding longer reorientation correlation times (τc), finally resulting in overall high relaxivity (r1) of such contrast agents. Therefore, we report nanoassemblies based on two types of amphiphile molecules: glyceryl monooleate (GMO) as a matrix embedded with DTPA-bis(stearylamide) and its gadolinium salt (DTPA-BSA-Gd) as a Gd-chelating lipid, stabilized by surfactant Pluronic F127 molecules. The loading of DTPA-BSA-Gd into the GMO matrix was investigated at low (5% w/w) and high (30, 40, 50% w/w) contents. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) results show that although the nanoassembly of both amphiphile molecules within the nanoparticle is disturbed in terms of the formed phases, this composition ensures their colloidal stability. In nanoparticles with low DTPA-BSA-Gd contents, the assembly results in a cubic diamond phase that is co-existing with a fraction of liposomes. For high DTPA-BSA-Gd contents, swelling of the structure occurs such that the initially formed primitive cubic phase transforms toward a lamellar phase in the nanoassemblies. Results from inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) indicate that for almost all systems, the loading efficiency (LE) of DTPA-BSA-Gd is high (reaching up to approx. 85%), and the nanoassembly provides strong entrapment of Gd3+ ions, which are then efficiently uptaken by cells. Moreover, the higher the surfactant content, the higher the LE. The viability studies demonstrate that the prepared nanoassemblies preserve high biocompatibility towards both cancer (HeLa) and normal cells (MSU 1.1). Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry studies (NMR relaxometry) followed by MRI on the prepared nanoassembly dispersions proved that the formation of GMO@DTPA-BSA-Gd nanoassemblies, considered as high molecular weight CAs, results in high relaxivity parameters (e.g., r1 = 19.72 mM−1 s−1 for 2GMO-40DTPA-10F127) that are superior to commercially developed ones (e.g., Magnevist or Gadovist). These comprehensive studies imply that a high degree of internal ordering of nanoassemblies with a higher content of Gd-chelating lipid is not a decisive factor in determining the increase in relaxivity, thus confirming their potential as positive MRI CAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In 2010, the time on the lung transplant waiting list in Nantes University Hospital (NUH) was 9.2 months, compared to a French national median of about 4 months. The NUH transplant unit performs both heart and lung transplantations, which can be seen as competing activities. To fix the problem, the adult Cystic Fibrosis (CF) team decided to engage in the French CF Quality Improvement Program (QIP PHARE-M) in 2012. The objectives were: i) To reduce the time on the lung transplant waiting list at the Nantes Transplant Unit by increasing the number of lung transplants per year twhile maintaining a 5-year survival rate above the French national average. ii) To improve the organization of the lung transplant access process and the quality of the waiting time for patients. Methods A quality controller was involved as the QIP referent to coach the CF quality team, analyze the pre-transplant process, and set up meaningful measures. Benchmarking was performed with other transplant units, and staff discussions were held with the Transplant Team (TT) to assess the outcomes of rejected donor lungs. Negotiations were made with the hospital administration. Plan, Do, Study and Act cycles were used to redesign the pre-transplant assessment in connection with the CF centers (CFC) referring patients to the NUH transplant unit. Results i) The flow of patients has been reorganized, decreasing the time spent in surgical intensive care by increasing the number of beds in the intensive care unit, and a chest physician has been recruited ii) The number of organs rejected has been reduced iii) Lung transplant activity has increased to 20–25 transplants per year, and the median waiting time was reduced to 3.5 months for patients transplanted in 2014 and to 1.85 months for patients transplanted in 2015 iv) Added-value activities including education, information, and psychosocial support are now offered to patients during the waiting time. Conclusion The QIP PHARE-M, including coaching by a quality-engineer, has helped our adult CF center address its specific lung transplant issues and redesign the lung transplant process for both local patients and patients referred by other CFC.

During the nineteenth century, as the wines of Burgundy were trying to establish their reputation for excellence, the Beaune chamber of commerce and industry (CCI) participated in the 1889 Paris world fair in order to give greater visibility to this important economic activity of the region. The original décor designed on this occasion was a buffet presenting the different wine-growing territories of Burgundy and their appellations. The main piece of this buffet was a relief map of the wine-growing slopes. This buffet piece of furniture was added to and improved upon after the Paris world fair and installed permanently in the new premises of the Beaune chamber of commerce. The decoration of these premises was total and comprised wooden paneling, doors and windows with their metallic fixtures, murals, stained-glass windows, lamps and the furniture. The chamber of commerce commissioned the decoration from its treasurer Arthur Montoy, who was also an administrator of the Hospices de Beaune but above all a trained artist. The recent discovery of his drawings shows how thoroughly he was involved in the design of every element of the decorative ensemble, however modest. This decor is still intact and is a remarkable and emblematic illustration of the wine-growing region and its soils and landscapes, its ‘terroirs’. It already seems to be an argument for what, one hundred years later, was to constitute the justification for the inscription on UNESCO’s list of world heritage of ‘The climates, terroirs of Burgundy’.

Since the beginnings of historic monuments protection in France during the 1830s, inspired by figures such as Ludovic Vitet and Prosper Mérimée, the State has considerably developed and refined its policies for the preservation of the built historic environment. To begin with the identification and documentation of buildings worthy of protection was carried out by local amateurs and scholars. Official historic monuments ‘recenseurs’ (surveyors, inspectors or enumerators) then took over this task. MoHiCan is an association founded in April 1960 to bring these professional heritage surveyors together. It aims to help them reflect collectively about the contemporary questions concerning the tools available for their missions and the nature of these missions at a time when the very notion of heritage, and the meaning given to this notion by society, is witnessing considerable change. This article goes back to the original definition of the rôle of these ‘recenseurs’, as ‘delegates entrusted with the survey of historic monuments and sites at the architectural directorate of the ministry of cultural affairs’, comparing this original mission with the present-day activities of these heritage professionals. The recenseur is a vital actor in the process of defining heritage, in permanent contact with monument owners and with other official services at State and local levels. He or she is also someone who, thanks to his or her knowledge of the field, can interpret a region’s heritage. The dynamism of the MoHiCan association bears witness to the vitality of the ways these different missions are carried out. Using precise examples, the article will show how field research and documentary enquiries in libraries and archive depots play a decisive part in how a building comes to be recognised for its heritage values. This recognition can also involve the definition of legal strategies to ensure the preservation of the monument. Thanks to their scientific and administrative expertise in the tasks of interpreting the heritage, of animating networks or managing data bases, the variety of their skills and the technical seriousness of their documentary work, these recenseurs occupy an essential and central rôle in the procedures of historic monuments preservation.

In this study, reaction pathway of a woody biomass under hydrothermal conditions is investigated in order to further understand reactions that occur during the thermochemical liquefaction of a lignocellulosic biomass. A multitechnique analytical approach combining chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques has been developed in order to characterize both chemical structure and molecular weight of the products. From our experiments, we can assume that the holocellulosic and the ligneous fractions of biomass have different reactivity under hydrothermal condition. Although hydrothermal conversion of holocellulose and lignin occur both according to a complex pathway composed of competitive fragmentation and condensation reactions, holocellulose reacts first by total fragmentation to low molecular weight compounds followed by the condensation of the fragment to heavy molecular weight compounds, whereas lignin reacts essentially by partial depolymerisation. Since compounds produced from both the holocellulosic and the ligneous fraction are together in the reaction medium then they condense each other during the conversion of lignocellulosic material. Ce travail porte sur l’étude des voies réactionnelles accompagnant la liquéfaction thermochimique du bois et de ses constituants lignocellulosiques lors d’un traitement hydrothermal. Pour ce faire, une approche analytique multi-technique originale combinant des méthodes chromatographiques et spectroscopiques complémentaires a été développée afin de caractériser les structures et les masses moléculaires des produits. Les résultats obtenus montrent que la fraction holocellulosique et la fraction ligneuse de la biomasse ont des réactivités très différentes. Bien que les deux matériaux réagissent selon des schémas réactionnels complexes faisant intervenir de nombreuses voies de fragmentation et de condensation compétitives, la fraction holocellulosique réagit par une première étape de fragmentation suivie de la condensation des fragments générés alors que la lignine réagit principalement par dépolymérisation partielle. Au cours de la liquéfaction de la biomasse lignocellulosique, les composés provenant de la transformation des fractions holocellulosique et ligneuse se trouvent en contact les uns avec les autres dans le milieu hydrothermal et réagissent ensemble pour former des produits de condensation.

Our approach to the absolute measurement of chirality makes use of the development of a polarimeter based on a bowtie ring cavity, as proposed recently (16,17). Unlike a two-mirror cavity, [...], Detecting and quantifying chirality is important in fields ranging from analytical and biological chemistry to pharmacology (1) and fundamental physics (2): it can aid drug design and synthesis, contribute to protein structure determination, and help detect parity violation of the weak force. Recent developments employ microwaves (3), femto-second pulses (4), superchiral light (5) or photoionization (6) to determine chirality, yet the most widely used methods remain the traditional methods of measuring circular dichroism and optical rotation. However, these signals are typically very weak against larger time-dependent backgrounds (7). Cavity-enhanced optical methods can be used to amplify weak signals by passing them repeatedly through an optical cavity, and two-mirror cavities achieving up to [10.sup.5] cavity passes have enabled absorption and birefringence measurements with record sensitivities (8-10). But chiral signals cancel when passing back and forth through a cavity, while the ubiquitous spurious linear birefringence background is enhanced. Even when intracavity optics overcome these problems (11-15), absolute chirality measurements remain difficult and sometimes impossible. Here we use a pulsed-laser bowtie cavity ringdown polarimeter with counter-propagating beams (16,17) to enhance chiral signals by a factor equal to the number of cavity passes (typically > [10.sup.3]); to suppress the effects of linear birefringence by means of a large induced intracavity Faraday rotation; and to effect rapid signal reversals by reversing the Faraday rotation and subtracting signals from the counter-propagating beams. These features allow absolute chiral signal measurements in environments where background subtraction is not feasible: we determine optical rotation from α-pinene vapour in open air, and from maltodextrin and fructose solutions in the evanescent wave produced by total internal reflection at a prism surface. The limits of the present polarimeter, when using a continuous-wave laser locked to a stable, high-finesse cavity, should match the sensitivity of linear birefringence measurements (8) (3 x [10.sup.-13] radians), which is several orders of magnitude more sensitive than current chiral detection limits (7,14,15) and is expected to transform chiral sensing in many fields.