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Introduction et but de l’etude La prise en charge de patients obeses massifs constitue un reel challenge pour les equipes soignantes. Ces patients requierent en effet des soins souvent plus compliques a realiser du fait de leur corpulence. Les consequences negatives et parfois stigmatisantes de cette prise en charge difficile ont deja ete bien documentees. Nous avons mene aupres des soignants une formation en simulation de deux jours entre decembre 2015 et mai 2019, au Medical Training Centre d’un hopital universitaire francais. Materiel et methodes Durant la periode de l’etude, differents professionnels de sante issus de diverses unite de soins ont porte une combinaison mimant une obesite massive, entre 30 et 120 minutes selon les sequences de simulation proposees. Ensuite, entre mai et juillet 2019 les participants ont rempli un auto-questionnaire sous forme papier ou electronique. Resultats et analyse statistique Parmi les 215 participants inclus, 47 (21,8 %) ont rempli le questionnaire. 93,6 % des participants ont rapporte un changement dans leurs attitudes, 57.4 % dans leur approche psychologique, 66 % dans la manutention et 70,2 % dans l’utilisation des aides techniques utiles a la manutention de patients obeses massifs, apres la formation en simulation. Suite a cette derniere, 68,1 % des participants ont rapporte un changement de pratique de l’equipe de leurs unites de soins respectives, a la fois concernant l’approche psychologique (31,9 %) et la manutention (48,9 %) des patients obeses. Ces ameliorations se sont maintenues dans le temps, independamment de l’annee de formation des soignants. Un total de 70,2 % des participants ont aussi rapporte un changement des prejuges qu’ils pouvaient avoir concernant l’obesite. Conclusion Notre etude contribue a alimenter la litterature grandissante concernant le besoin de developper des formations educationnelles innovantes pour ameliorer les soins envers les patients obeses et lutter contre la grossophobie medicale.

The Schwarzschild Couder Medium Size Telescope prototype (pSCT) is going to test the Schwarzschild Couder solution proposed for Medium Size telescopes for the Cherenkov Telescope Array. The camera consists of 177 photodetection modules grouped into sectors of maximum 25 modules each. The sensitive elements of the modules, located in the focal plane of the telescope, are matrices of 64 6 mm × 6 mm pixels of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). The front-end electronics is designed for signal sampling technique using the TARGET-7 ASIC. The prototype under construction and test at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory site will be equipped with the inner central sector fully operational. Sensors from Fondazione Bruno Kessler will be used for 9 of the 25 modules. A complete characterization of these very recent, highly sensitive Near UV sensors, the assembly procedure and metrology results on several focal plane elements has been conducted. Performances of the 16-sensors matrices and measurements with the TARGET-7 ASIC front-end coupled to FBK sensors will be shown and deeply discussed.

The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, sponsored by the NIH Common Fund, was established to study the correlation between human genetic variation and tissue-specific gene expression in non-diseased individuals. A significant challenge was the collection of high-quality biospecimens for extensive genomic analyses. Here we describe how a successful infrastructure for biospecimen procurement was developed and implemented by multiple research partners to support the prospective collection, annotation, and distribution of blood, tissues, and cell lines for the GTEx project. Other research projects can follow this model and form beneficial partnerships with rapid autopsy and organ procurement organizations to collect high quality biospecimens and associated clinical data for genomic studies. Biospecimens, clinical and genomic data, and Standard Operating Procedures guiding biospecimen collection for the GTEx project are available to the research community. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (HHSN261200800001E (Leidos Prime contract with NCI); 10XS170 (NDRI), 10XS171 (Roswell Park Cancer Institute), 10X172 (Science Care Inc.), 12ST1039 (IDOX); 10ST1035 (Van Andel Institute); HHSN268201000029C (Broad Institute); and R01 DA006227-17 (U Miami Brain Bank).

Gene co-expression networks capture biologically important patterns in gene expression data, enabling functional analyses of genes, discovery of biomarkers, and interpretation of regulatory genetic variants. Most network analyses to date have been limited to assessing correlation between total gene expression levels in a single or small sets of tissues. Here, we have reconstructed networks that capture a much more complete set of regulatory relationships, specifically including regulation of relative isoform abundance and splicing, and tissue-specific connections unique to each of a diverse set of tissues. Using the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project v6 RNA-sequencing data across 44 tissues in 449 individuals, we evaluated shared and tissue-specific network relationships. First, we developed a framework called Transcriptome Wide Networks (TWNs) for combining total expression and relative isoform levels into a single sparse network, capturing the complex interplay between the regulation of splicing and transcription. We built TWNs for sixteen tissues, and found that hubs with isoform node neighbors in these networks were strongly enriched for splicing and RNA binding genes, demonstrating their utility in unraveling regulation of splicing in the human transcriptome, and providing a set of candidate shared and tissue-specific regulatory hub genes. Next, we used a Bayesian biclustering model that identifies network edges between genes with co-expression in a single tissue to reconstruct tissue-specific networks (TSNs) for 27 distinct GTEx tissues and for four subsets of related tissues. Using both TWNs and TSNs, we characterized gene co-expression patterns shared across tissues. Finally, we found genetic variants associated with multiple neighboring nodes in our networks, supporting the estimated network structures and identifying 33 genetic variants with distant regulatory impact on transcription and splicing. Our networks provide an improved understanding of the complex relationships between genes in the human transcriptome, including tissue-specificity of gene co-expression, regulation of splicing, and the coordinated impact of genetic variation on transcription.

Sputter deposited nanotwinned metal alloy films that possess exceptional properties attractive for next generation MEMS devices., Silicon-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors have become ubiquitous in consumer-based products, but realization of an interconnected network of MEMS devices that allows components to be remotely monitored and controlled, a concept often described as the “Internet of Things,” will require a suite of MEMS materials and properties that are not currently available. We report on the synthesis of metallic nickel-molybdenum-tungsten films with direct current sputter deposition, which results in fully dense crystallographically textured films that are filled with nanotwins. These films exhibit linear elastic mechanical behavior and tensile strengths exceeding 3 GPa, which is unprecedented for materials that are compatible with wafer-level device fabrication processes. The ultrahigh strength is attributed to a combination of solid solution strengthening and the presence of dense nanotwins. These films also have excellent thermal and mechanical stability, high density, and electrical properties that are attractive for next-generation metal MEMS applications.

Recen% developed near W-photosensors are currently adopted in those applications where high sensitivity and good imaging capabilities are required, especially in fields such as astroparticle physics and medical imaging. An example of such applications is the camera of the Schwarzschild Couder Medium Size Telescope prototype (pSCT) which is in construction within the Cherenkov Telescope Array experiment. The camera consists of 177 photo-detection modules grouped into sectors of 25 modules, each based on matrixes of 64 6mm × 6mm pixels of SiUcon PhotomultipUers (SiPMs). Sensors produced by the Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) in Italy are currently under investigation. Here we present a complete characterization of these highly sensitive near UV sensors, the assembly procedure and metrology results on several focal plane elements.

The origin of eumelanin optical properties remains a formidable conundrum preventing a detailed understanding of the complex photo-protective role of these widespread natural pigments and the rational design of innovative bioinspired materials for optoelectronic applications. Here we report the unusual kinetic and thickness-dependent evolution of the optical properties of black eumelanin polymers generated by spontaneous aerial polymerization of 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) thin films (0.1–1 μm), consistent with peculiar solid state reorganization mechanisms governing broadband absorption. The complete reversal of eumelanin UV-visible transmittance spectrum curvature on passing from 0.2 to 0.5 μm thick films, the marked increase in visible extinction coefficients with increasing film thickness and the higher UV extinction coefficients in slowly vs. rapidly generated polymers concur to support distinct dynamic regimes of solid-state molecular reorganization at the nanoscale level and to do affect the development of broadband visible absorption. Solid state control of molecular reorganization disclosed herein may delineate new rational strategies for tuning optical properties in eumelanin thin films for optoelectronic applications.

Discipline Clinique. Introduction et but de l’etude Dans la prise en charge classique medicale ou medicochirurgicale de l’obesite, la re-ascension ponderale est frequemment liee a la survenue ou a la reapparition de compulsions alimentaires. Afin de prendre en compte cette problematique, nous avons propose un traitement ambulatoire pluridisciplinaire (TAP) qui associe un protocole de therapie cognitivo-comportementale (TCC) innovant appele « Meditation basee sur la gestion de l’impulsivite alimentaire » (MBGIA) a un protocole d’hypnose medicale cree a cette intention. Materiel et methodes Les patients obeses compulsifs, inclus dans ce TAP entre fevrier et juin 2018, ont beneficie de 13 seances de 3 modules chacune, dont 8 modules de TCC MBGIA, 4 modules d’hypnose, 6 modules de dietetiques, 2 modules culinaires, 5 modules d’activite physique adaptee, 1 module de socio-esthetique et 13 modules infirmiers avec revue des tâches a domicile. Ils ont rempli des questionnaires avant et apres le TAP pour evaluer leurs poids, taille, comportement alimentaire (EDI-2), anxiete-depression (HAD) et activite physique (Ricci et Gagnon). Resultats et analyse statistique Quarante-cinq patients compulsifs (88,9 % de femmes) d’âge moyen 46,1 ± 15,5 ans et d’IMC moyen 36,8 ± 9,4 kg/m2 ont ete inclus ; ils ont realise en moyenne 9,2 ± 3,4 seances. Les scores de comportement alimentaire global et notamment d’impulsivite alimentaire, d’anxiete, de depression et de pratique d’activite physique ont ete significativement ameliores ( Tableau 1 ). Conclusion Ce traitement integratif alliant TCC et hypnose ameliore la composante compulsive et le bien etre global des patients obeses au decours immediat du programme : il offre de nouvelles perspectives dans la prise en charge de l’obesite et nous incite a confirmer ces resultats par une etude controlee.

We present an experimental characterization of multidirectional fibre composites based on eddy current testing using HTS dc SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) magnetometers. The correlation between the mechanical tolerance of CFRPs with different thickness and the phase gradient of the magnetic field generated by damage is shown. The eddy current based SQUID NDE is used to detect damage not visible to the naked eye and to study the effect of an impact far from the point of impact. The aim of this work is to demonstrate the capability of our technique to provide information on early stage damage due to an impact process in an unshielded environment.

Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) are standard sensors widely employed for applications in which high sensitivities and fast responses in the detection of low fluxes of visible and UV photons are required. The Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), in collaboration with Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), is involved in a R&D project for SiPM sensors sensitive to near UV wavelengths. The performances of the latest technology of NUV-High-Density SiPM have confirmed that the quality of the current production technology opens the possibility to employ these devices for many applications. In this contribution, we review the performances of the latest technology of NUV-High-Density SiPM and the prospects for their use in one of the designs of the camera focal planes of Schwarschild-Couder Telescope prototype, including the development of packaging procedures of single sensors into high-density multi-SiPM modules and the development of a custom front-end ASIC for a high rate waveform sampling of the SiPM signals.

The development of a new camera based on the use of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) proposed for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), which represents a new generation of ground based very high energy gamma ray observatory, is one of the main items of the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN). In the R&D framework a single channel electronic charge preamplifier has been developed to improve the performance of photon cameras equipped with High Density NUV – HD SiPM produced by Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) with a micro cell of 30 μm x 30 μm and 6 mm x 6 mm total area. The single channel preamplifier will be used as basic component for a 16-channel electronic board prototype to test the 8 x 8 NUV – HD SiPM modules proposed to equip a pSCT (Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope prototype) camera. In this work the results of tests on the single channel preamplifier prototype to optimize the SiPM performances will be presented.

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will be the next generation of ground-based observatory of very high energy gamma ray sources. The Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) is involved in the R&D effort for the development of a possible solution for one of the Cherenkov photon camera designs, working on replacing the Hamamatsu MPPC S12642-0404PA-50 with more UV sensitive ones from Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK). INFN is currently developing the preamplifiers and the carrier boards for the SiPM chips that interface with the mechanics of the camera. To test the feasibility and the performance of SiPM cameras, a focal plane camera prototype module, upgraded with High Density NUV - SiPMs, produced by FBK, with a micro cell of 30 μm x 30 μm and 6 mm x 6 mm area, is being assembled. In this work, we describe the SiPM carrier boards, the assembly process and the qualification tests performed, before and after assembly, on the focal plane modules to qualify the procedures.

We find an unambiguous relationship between disorder-driven features in the temperature dependence of the resistance and the behavior, as functions of the temperature, of the parameters necessary to describe some of the relaxation processes in the photoinduced differential time-resolved reflectivity of three samples of ${\text{Nd}}_{1.83}{\text{Ce}}_{0.17}{\text{CuO}}_{4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\ensuremath{\delta}}$. The latter, sharing the same $\text{Ce}$ content, have been fabricated and annealed ad hoc in order to differ only for the degree of disorder, mainly related to oxygen content and location, and, consequently, for the temperature dependence of the resistance: Two of them present a minimum in the resistance and behave as a superconductor and as a metal, respectively; the third behaves as an insulator. The systematic coherence between the resistance and the relaxation parameters behaviors in temperature for all three samples is absolutely remarkable and shows that pump-probe measurements can be extremely sensitive to disorder as it drives the emergence of new excitations and of the related relaxation channels as in this paradigmatic case.

The CNTs properties have inspired interest in using CNTs as a filler in polymer composite systems to obtain ultra-light structural materials with enhanced electrical, thermal and optical characteristics. In particular, industry recognizes many potential applications such as electrostatically dissipative materials, nano-sensors and aerospace structural materials. In this paper the eddy current based SQUID and the thermographic techniques have been used to study electromagnetic properties of nano-composite materials.

Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) are excellent devices to detect the faint and short Cherenkov light emitted in high energy atmospheric showers, and therefore suitable for use in imaging air Cherenkov Telescopes. The high density Near Ultraviolet Violet SiPMs (NUV-HD3) produced by Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) in collaboration with INFN were used to equip optical modules for a possible upgrade of the Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope camera prototype, in the framework of the Cherenkov Telescope Array project. SiPMs are 6×6 mm2 devices based on 40×40 μm2 microcells optimized for photo-detection at the NUV wavelengths. More than 40 optical modules, each composed by a 4×4 array of SiPMs, were assembled. In this contribution we report on the development and on the assembly of the optical modules, their validation and integration in the camera.

Stress damage of cross-ply or quasi-isotropic carbon-fiber reinforced polymer laminates, commonly used in aerospace structures, has been monitored in real-time during quasi-static loading. The fiber displacement in the matrix due to mechanical loading have been detected using atomic force microscopy techniques. A correlation between mechanical and electrical effects in the material has been confirmed by electrical and magnetic measurement using an eddy current technique based on high critical temperature dc Superconducting Quantum Interference Device magnetometer.

Exposure to a number of drugs, chemicals, or environmental factors can cause parkinsonism. Epidemiologic evidence supports a causal link between the consumption of flour made from the washed seeds of the plant Cycas micronesica by the Chamorro population of Guam and the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/parkinsonism dementia complex.We now report that consumption of washed cycad flour pellets by Sprague-Dawley male rats induces progressive parkinsonism.Cycad-fed rats displayed motor abnormalities after 2 to 3 months of feeding such as spontaneous unilateral rotation, shuffling gait, and stereotypy. Histological and biochemical examination of brains from cycad-fed rats revealed an initial decrease in the levels of dopamine and its metabolites in the striatum (STR), followed by neurodegeneration of dopaminergic (DAergic) cell bodies in the substantia nigra (SN) pars compacta (SNc). alpha-Synuclein (alpha-syn; proteinase K-resistant) and ubiquitin aggregates were found in the DAergic neurons of the SNc and neurites in the STR. In addition, we identified alpha-syn aggregates in neurons of the locus coeruleus and cingulate cortex. No loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord was found after chronic consumption of cycad flour. In an organotypic slice culture of the rat SN and the striatum, an organic extract of cycad causes a selective loss of dopamine neurons and alpha-syn aggregates in the SN.Cycad-fed rats exhibit progressive behavioral, biochemical, and histological hallmarks of parkinsonism, coupled with a lack of fatality.

An optically transparent nanographite coating has been developed on a poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates. The adhesion to the PMMA surface combined with the shear stress allowed an uniform and continuous spreading of the graphite nanocrystals on the substrate surface with formation of a very uniform graphene multilayer coating. This coating is characterized by high piezoresitivity and it is suitable to work as sensible and reliable local strain sensor. Its piezoresistive features have been characterized by bending tests yielding a gauge factor (GF) which is of the order of 50. The structural and strain properties of the compound were studied under stress by infra-red thermography (IRT) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The strain strength has been estimated as a function of the bending load. The electrical transport was investigated as a function of the applied stress. Features are consistent with an intergrain electrical transport mechanism among graphene platelets.

Negative differential resistance (NDR), for which the current is a decreasing function of the voltage, has been observed in the current–voltage curves of several types of structures. We measured tunnelling current and NDR by illuminating large area heterojunction obtained by growing Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes on the surface of n-doped Silicon substrate. In the absence of light, the current flow is null until a junction threshold of about 2.4 V is reached, beyond which the dark current flows at room temperature with a very low intensity of few nA. When illuminated, a current of tens nA is observed at a drain voltage of about 1.5 V. At higher voltage the current intensity decreases according to a negative resistance of the order of MΩ. In the following we report details of tunneling photodiode realized and negative resistance characteristics.

Superconducting thin films of the Tl 2 Ba 2 CaCu 2 O x (2212) and Tl 2 Ba 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O x (2223) phases have been prepared through a combined approach of MOCVD and thallium vapour diffusion. The effects due to the nature of the BaCaCuO(F) precursor matrix on the formation of the TlBaCaCuO phase film have been investigated. Fluorinated [BaCaCuO(F)] matrices have been deposited from Ba(hfa) 2 ·tetraglyme, Ca(hfa) 2 ·tetraglyme and Cu(acac) 2 via metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates. Both fluorinated [BaCaCuO(F)] and unfluorinated (BaCaCuO) matrices proved suitable for vapour diffusion thallium incorporation using selected Tl 2 O 3 :BaO:CaO:CuO mixtures. The formation of the superconducting 2212 and 2223 films is discussed depending upon the fluorinated and unfluorinated nature of the precursor matrices.

Modafinil (Provigil) is approved for treating excessive daytime sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, for shift-work sleep disorder, and as an adjunctive treatment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome who have residual daytime sleepiness despite optimal treatment with continuous positive airway pressure. Although modafinil improves measures of sleepiness, it does not generally normalize them, and it may be less effective than other stimulants for some narcoleptic patients. We need head-to-head comparisons of modafinil with traditional stimulants in humans to better define its role. We review the current approved and off-label uses of this drug and the evidence behind them.

The magneto- mechanical behaviour of structural steel specimens stressed up to a plastic deformation stage using a high- Tc scanning SQUID ( superconducting quantum interference device) microscope is investigated. The correlation between the gradient of the normal component of the magnetization and dislocation density, before the crack initiation, is carried out. The capability of scanning SQUID microscopy to detect the residual magnetization, due to the tensile stress, with a non- invasive technique is reported.

Results concerning the study of the morphology and the surface chemical properties of epitaxial YBCO and highly oriented TBCCO films before and after wet etching processes are reported. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy are employed to get information on the surface contamination and on the defects of the samples. The chemical modifications of surfaces and the shape of etch pits are discussed.

In this work an eddy current technique based on a HTS-SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) is used to evaluate the relation between the magnetic field response and the damage process of one of the most promising fibre metallic laminates known as GLARE®. In particular the magnetic field response due to impact loading at energies ranging from 5 to 36 J has been detected. The magnetic field signal from GLARE® specimens in the presence of mechanical damaging is discussed according to a simple electromagnetic model.

In this work an electromagnetic non-invasive and contact-less technique using Flux-Gate first-order gradiometer is proposed to detect the magnetic field distribution during electropolishing of copper surface. The electropolishing of the copper surface employed in superconducting RF TESLA-type cavities has been monitored using magnetic field sensors. Local information regarding the dissolved copper surface during the elect ropolishing process has been obtained. An electromagnetic inversion of the magnetic field imaging have been implemented to better understand the effect of the cathode geometry on the electropolishing process. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The main advantage of using SQUIDs in NDE is its unrivalled magnetic sensitivity down to very low frequencies, which allows the detection of weak magnetic fields due to defects also in very low electrical conductive materials like CFRP, commonly used in aerospace structures. In this work the fatigue damage evaluation on CFRP laminates, cross-ply or quasi-isotropic, in real-time during quasi-static loading is monitored. The material responses are detected by using an Eddy Current technique with HTS dc SQUID magnetometer.

Femtosecond spectroscopy has been used to investigate the quasiparticle relaxation times in a nearly optimally doped chalcogenide superconducting FeSe0.5Te0.5 thin film. It is characterized by an enhancement of the critical temperature Tc = 19.1 K by strain. Experimental results indicate the existence of a temperature dependence of the quasiparticle recombination time τR in the superconducting state where an energy gap Δ(T) is present. A fitting procedure based on a BCS-like assumption for τR gives Δ0 = 4.1 ± 0.4 meV for the superconducting energy gap extrapolated at T = 0, which corresponds to 2Δ0/kBTc = 4.9 ± 0.5. Accordingly, an estimation of the characteristic phonon energy and the electron–phonon coupling constant λ is reported and discussed. The obtained value λ ≈ 0.6 is in good agreement with other similar determinations obtained by different techniques and numerical approaches. The small value of λ confirms that a phonon-mediated coupling cannot be the only mechanism leading to the formation of the superconducting state in FeSeTe films.

Thyroglossal duct cyst is the most common congenital neck mass in children and young adults. The authors present two cases affecting two patients aged 7 and 9 years, respectively, who had a palpable painless swelling in the submental region. In both patients ultrasound (US) examination showed an anechoic or hypoechoic rounded mass with well-defined margins thus confirming clinical suspicion of thyroglossal duct cyst. One patient also had a second, deep-lying, nonpalpaple cyst which communicated with the superficial cyst. These cases are typical and confirm that US is essential in suspected thyroglossal duct cyst to confirm clinical diagnosis, detect lesions which are not clinically appreciable due to their small size or deep location, to assess communication between the lesions and to detect possible complications.Thyroglossal duct cyst is the most common congenital neck mass in children and young adults. The authors present two cases affecting two patients aged 7 and 9 years, respectively, who had a palpable painless swelling in the submental region. In both patients ultrasound (US) examination showed an anechoic or hypoechoic rounded mass with well-defined margins thus confirming clinical suspicion of thyroglossal duct cyst. One patient also had a second, deep-lying, nonpalpaple cyst which communicated with the superficial cyst. These cases are typical and confirm that US is essential in suspected thyroglossal duct cyst to confirm clinical diagnosis, detect lesions which are not clinically appreciable due to their small size or deep location, to assess communication between the lesions and to detect possible complications.SommarioLe cisti del dotto tireoglosso sono le malformazioni congenite della linea mediana del collo più frequenti nei bambini e nei giovani adulti. Presentiamo due casi di pazienti di 7 e 9 anni, con tumefazioni palpabili in sede sottomentoniera, non dolenti. In entrambi l’ecografia ha evidenziato formazioni anecogene o ipoecogene, rotondeggianti, con margini ben definiti ed è stato confermato il sospetto clinico di cisti del dotto tireoglosso. In un caso il paziente presentava una seconda formazione cistica, non palpabile, profonda, in comunicazione con quella superficiale. I casi presentati sono tipici e confermano come, nel sospetto di cisti del dotto tireoglosso, l’ecografia sia importante, oltre che per la conferma diagnostica, anche per il riconoscimento di lesioni non apprezzabili clinicamente per le dimensioni ridotte o per la sede profonda, per la valutazione dei rapporti delle lesioni e per evidenziare eventuali complicanze.

The Sinding-Larsen-Johansson syndrome has a pathogenesis similar to that of the Osgood-Schlatter disorder and is the result of excessive force exerted by the patellar tendon on the lower pole of the patella. Clinically it is characterized by pain, which increases when the patellar is loaded during flexion, subpatellar swelling and functional limitation. The authors present a case of a 13-year-old boy who was a competitive youth team football player. He presented with anterior, spontaneous knee pain and swelling at the inferior pole of the patella. Ultrasonography (US) confirmed clinical diagnosis showing lesions typical of the Sinding-Larsen-Johansson syndrome. The patient was told to refrain from sports activity; after five months recovery was complete and US follow-up revealed no anomaly. The authors consider the case worthy of reporting because it is paradigmatic and to emphasize the role of US in the evaluation of the Sinding-Larsen-Johansson syndrome.SommarioLa sindrome di Sinding-Larsen-Johansson ha patogenesi simile alla malattia di Osgood-Schlatter, legata all'azione traumatica esercitata dal tendine rotuleo sul polo inferiore della rotula. Clinicamente è caratterizzata da dolore, che aumenta nell'appoggio in flessione, edema sottorotuleo e limitazione funzionale. Il caso in esame si riferisce ad un ragazzo di 13 anni che praticava il calcio, a livello agonistico. Clinicamente presentava dolore al ginocchio, anteriore, spontaneo e tumefazione in corrispondenza del polo inferiore del rotula. L'ecografia evidenziava le lesioni tipiche della sindrome di Sinding-Larsen-Johansson e confermava la diagnosi clinica; veniva prescritta l'astensione dall'attività sportiva. A distanza di cinque mesi si aveva la completa guarigione, con controllo ecografico che confermava l'assenza di lesioni.Abbiamo ritenuto il caso meritevoli di segnalazione perché paradigmatico e per sottolineare il ruolo dell'ecografia nella valutazione della sindrome di Sinding-Larsen-Johansson.

UMR AGAP - équipe DAAV (Diversité, adaptation et amélioration de la vigne)139 auteurs : Ardlie KG, Deluca DS, Segrè AV, Sullivan TJ, Young TR, Gelfand ET, Trowbridge CA, Maller JB, Tukiainen T, Lek M, Ward LD, Kheradpour P, Iriarte B, Meng Y, Palmer CD, Esko T, Winckler W, Hirschhorn JN, Kellis M, MacArthur DG, Getz G, Shabalin AA, Li G, Zhou YH, Nobel AB, Rusyn I, Wright FA, Lappalainen T, Ferreira PG, Ongen H, Rivas MA, Battle A, Mostafavi S, Monlong J, Sammeth M, Melé M, Reverter F, Goldmann JM, Koller D, Guigó R, McCarthy MI, Dermitzakis ET, Gamazon ER, Im HK, Konkashbaev A, Nicolae DL, Cox NJ, Flutre T, Wen X, Stephens M, Pritchard JK, Tu Z, Zhang B, Huang T, Long Q, Lin L, Yang J, Zhu J, Liu J, Brown A, Mestichelli B, Tidwell D, Lo E, Salvatore M, Shad S, Thomas JA, Lonsdale JT, Moser MT, Gillard BM, Karasik E, Ramsey K, Choi C, Foster BA, Syron J, Fleming J, Magazine H, Hasz R, Walters GD, Bridge JP, Miklos M, Sullivan S, Barker LK, Traino HM, Mosavel M, Siminoff LA, Valley DR, Rohrer DC, Jewell SD, Branton PA, Sobin LH, Barcus M, Qi L, McLean J, Hariharan P, Um KS, Wu S, Tabor D, Shive C, Smith AM, Buia SA, Undale AH, Robinson KL, Roche N, Valentino KM, Britton A, Burges R, Bradbury D, Hambright KW, Seleski J, Korzeniewski GE, Erickson K, Marcus Y, Tejada J, Taherian M, Lu C, Basile M, Mash DC, Volpi S, Struewing JP, Temple GF, Boyer J, Colantuoni D, Little R, Koester S, Carithers LJ, Moore HM, Guan P, Compton C, Sawyer SJ, Demchok JP, Vaught JB, Rabiner CA, Lockhart NC, Ardlie KG, Getz G, Wright FA, Kellis M, Volpi S, Dermitzakis ET.; Understanding the functional consequences of genetic variation, and how it affects complex human disease and quantitative traits, remains a critical challenge for biomedicine. We present an analysis of RNA sequencing data from 1641 samples across 43 tissues from 175 individuals, generated as part of the pilot phase of the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. We describe the landscape of gene expression across tissues, catalog thousands of tissue-specific and shared regulatory expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) variants, describe complex network relationships, and identify signals from genome-wide association studies explained by eQTLs. These findings provide a systematic understanding of the cellular and biological consequences of human genetic variation and of the heterogeneity of such effects among a diverse set of human tissues.

Aging is one of the most important biological processes and is a known risk factor for many age-related diseases in human. Studying age-related transcriptomic changes in tissues across the whole body can provide valuable information for a holistic understanding of this fundamental process. In this work, we catalogue age-related gene expression changes in nine tissues from nearly two hundred individuals collected by the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. In general, we find the aging gene expression signatures are very tissue specific. However, enrichment for some well-known aging components such as mitochondria biology is observed in many tissues. Different levels of cross-tissue synchronization of age-related gene expression changes are observed, and some essential tissues (e.g., heart and lung) show much stronger “co-aging” than other tissues based on a principal component analysis. The aging gene signatures and complex disease genes show a complex overlapping pattern and only in some cases, we see that they are significantly overlapped in the tissues affected by the corresponding diseases. In summary, our analyses provide novel insights to the co-regulation of age-related gene expression in multiple tissues; it also presents a tissue-specific view of the link between aging and age-related diseases., National Cancer Institute (U.S.), National Human Genome Research Institute (U.S.), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (U.S.)

In this work we present a non-destructive technique to detect the magnetization changes due to mechanical stress produced in steel notched plates under tensile loads. The measurements have been carried out using, separately, a magnetic field probe based on HTS dc SQUID and a flux-gate gradiometer probe. The aim of this work is to demonstrate that it is possible to localize the dislocation density change in the samples and to correlate it with the change of magnetization using a contact-less and non-invasive technique.

In this work we present non-destructive evaluation measurements on fiber/metal laminate specimen by using eddy current techniques employing HTc SQUID (superconductive quantum interference device) and giant magneto-resistive (GMR) sensors. Our aim is to compare the performance and the capability of HTc SQUID and GMR sensors to detect the presence of damage inside FML composite materials. Experimental results concerning the detection of artificial defects in aeronautical structures with high magnetic sensitivity by using HTc SQUID, and with high spatial resolution using GMR, will be presented and discussed.

In vitro studies have demonstrated that β2-adrenergic receptor activation stimulates glycogen degradation in astrocytes, generating lactate as a potential energy source for neurons. Using in vivo microdialysis in mouse cerebellar white matter we demonstrate continuous axonal lactate uptake and glial-axonal metabolic coupling of glutamate/lactate exchange. However, this physiological lactate production was not influenced by activation (clenbuterol) or blocking (ICI 118551) of β2-adrenergic receptors. In two-photon imaging experiments on ex vivo mouse corpus callosum subjected to aglycemia, β2-adrenergic activation rescued axons, whereas inhibition of axonal lactate uptake by α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (4-CIN) was associated with severe axonal loss. Our results suggest that axonal protective effects of glial β2-adrenergic receptor activation are not mediated by enhanced lactate production.

We present a low-cost, reconfigurable, parallel optofluidic switch that exploits the optical and magnetic properties of water-based ferrofluid. Each switch is composed of an integrated waveguide orthogonally crossing a microfluidic channel containing high-index oil and a ferrofluid plug. The switch is turned ON or OFF by movement of the ferrofluid plug. In contrast to conventional integrated switches, ferrofluid plugs act as switching mechanisms that are portable and reconfigurable. Switches are demonstrated in parallel geometries for single and multimode waveguides. Possible applications include optofluidic memory, multiplexed sensing for lab-on-chip, or frequency-encoded laser excitation.

A new detection apparatus, named EXPADES (EXotic PArticle DEtection System), has been expressly designed to be used in nuclear physics experiments involving exotic beams and devoted to the study of nuclear reactions (scattering, direct reactions, breakup…) at energies around the Coulomb barrier. It consists of double-side segmented silicon detectors arranged in a compact configuration around the target. A very large solid angle, a wide angular range, high granularity and a highly miniaturized readout electronics, based on a new production commercial ASIC chipset, are the main features of the system.

Objective: The present study evaluated the factors that contribute to stress and the psychological difficulties of the Italian military component of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This group was compared with a homogeneous group stationed in Italy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in two groups of career military personnel: 452 subjects who were stationed in Bosnia as peacekeepers and 166 who were stationed in Italy. All subjects completed two multiple-choice questionnaires (a stress self-evaluation test and a socioeconomic questionnaire) during various periods of duty. Results: The responses to the stress self-evaluation test indicated that the peacekeepers did not show a statistically significant increase in stress. Those who were affected by stress, though, indicated that the level was high. The principal variables that were associated with a greater level of stress were length of the mission, lack of recreational or athletic activities during the mission, more than three family members, and unemployment before enrollment. Conclusions: Peacekeepers come from an economically poor environment, have large families, and usually have a history of unemployment. Along with these preenrollment risk factors, the effective time spent in recreational activities and the length of the mission also influence stress levels. Individual and group techniques for stress management should be implemented.

The interest in magnetometry for eddy-current non-destructive testing, e.g. of planar conductive structures encountered in the aircraft industry, using high-temperature superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) is primarily due to their high sensitivity to magnetic flux even at very low frequencies. Here it is shown how theoretical, numerical and measurement machineries are combined to get reasonable synthetic and experimental data and to reach a good understanding of the interaction of diffusive wavefields with a damaged non-magnetic metal plate (as a first step towards the retrieval of pertinent features of the defects). The measurement modalities are considered first. It is illustrated in some detail how laboratory-controlled experiments are performed by a SQUID-based probe displaced above artificially damaged plates. Experimental data are then confronted with simulation results in order to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of this measurement system. Simulations are carried out by a computationally fast vector volume integral method dedicated to a planar layering affected by a volumetric defect, which involves the construction of the dyadic Green system of the layering.

Axon guidance mechanisms are crucial to the development of an integrated nervous system. One family of molecules that may be important in establishing axonal connectivity in mammals is the Netrins, and their putative receptors DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer), Neogenin, and Unc-5. Knockout and mutational analyses of some of these genes have shown that they are critically involved in the development of several specific pathways in the developing brain. However, previous expression analyses of these genes have largely been confined to the developing spinal cord. In the present study, we analyzed the expression of DCC in the developing mouse forebrain. We found that DCC protein is expressed in specific axonal populations projecting from the developing olfactory bulb, neocortex, hippocampus, and epithalamus/habenular complex. In the developing olfactory bulb and neocortex, DCC expression is particularly evident during the targeting phase of axon outgrowth and is then rapidly downregulated. As predicted from the knockout and mutational analyses of this gene, DCC is expressed in axonal commissures, in particular the corpus callosum, hippocampal commissure, and the anterior commissure. In addition, we found that DCC is expressed in the habenular commissure, the fasciculus retroflexus, and the stria medularis. Therefore, this analysis implicates a function for DCC in additional axonal guidance systems not predicted from the knockout and mutational analyses.

The main advantage of a HTS SQUID magnetometer in NDE applications is represented by its unrivalled magnetic flux sensitivity down to very low frequencies, which allows the detection of weak magnetic field variations due to defects also in materials characterized by a very low electrical conductivity. The imaging obtained by means of the magnetic flux variations can be an useful technique for an easier interpretation of SQUID magnetic responses getting along without post-processing algorithms and independent of the operator. Therefore, the SQUIDs NDE system output is compatible with the other conventional non destructive testing equipment for data fusion of aircraft inspections.

This paper deals with the electromagentic nondestructive testing performed by SQUID magnetometry on stratified aluminum alloy plates as those commonly encountered in the aircraft industry. The anomalous magnetic fields generated by flaws with know electromagnetic characteristics have been modeled by a three-dimensional specific code based on a finite element formulation. The numerical solution has correctly predicted the shape of the complicated magnetic field response due to the defect. Once accuracy and reliability of experimental data taken by superconductive probe have been tested, a benchmark-like problem has been faced. Measurements performed by conventional probes like fluxgate and inductive coil have been compared with the ones taken by innovative device based on superconductive materials.

Mutations in the ATP6 gene of mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) have been shown to cause several different neurological disorders. The product of this gene is ATPase 6, an essential component of the F1F0-ATPase. In the present study we show that the function of the F1F0-ATPase is impaired in lymphocytes from ten individuals harbouring the mtDNA T8993G point mutation associated with NARP (neuropathy, ataxia and retinitis pigmentosa) and Leigh syndrome. We show that the impaired function of both the ATP synthase and the proton transport activity of the enzyme correlates with the amount of the mtDNA that is mutated, ranging from 13-94 %. The fluorescent dye RH-123 (Rhodamine-123) was used as a probe to determine whether or not passive proton flux (i.e. from the intermembrane space to the matrix) is affected by the mutation. Under state 3 respiratory conditions, a slight difference in RH-123 fluorescence quenching kinetics was observed between mutant and control mitochondria that suggests a marginally lower F0 proton flux capacity in cells from patients. Moreover, independent of the cellular mutant load the specific inhibitor oligomycin induced a marked enhancement of the RH-123 quenching rate, which is associated with a block in proton conductivity through F0 [Linnett and Beechey (1979) Inhibitors of the ATP synthethase system. Methods Enzymol. 55, 472-518]. Overall, the results rule out the previously proposed proton block as the basis of the pathogenicity of the mtDNA T8993G mutation. Since the ATP synthesis rate was decreased by 70 % in NARP patients compared with controls, we suggest that the T8993G mutation affects the coupling between proton translocation through F0 and ATP synthesis on F1. We discuss our findings in view of the current knowledge regarding the rotary mechanism of catalysis of the enzyme. © 2006 Biochemical Society.

The aerospace and aeronautical industries pay much attention to improve flight safety of the airlines. In aircraft design it is important to couple low structural weight with high damage tolerance. For this reason, a new class of advanced composite materials, named Fiber/Metal Laminates (FML), which combine the best features of organic matrix composites and metals, are used. In this work, a nondestructive evaluation of FML specimens based on an eddy-current technique that uses an HTS SQUID (Superconductive QUantum Interference Device) magnetometer is proposed. The aim is to demonstrate that this technique is capable of detecting the presence of damage hidden by plastic deformation after impact events.