Mapping the Archaeology of Somaliland: Religion, Art, Script, Time, Urbanism, Trade and Empire

FdA – Publicaties zonder aanstelling Universiteit LeidenHeritage of Indigenous People

Microbiota and neurologic diseases : potential effects of probiotics

Background: The microbiota colonizing the gastrointestinal tract have been associated with both gastrointestinal and extra-gastrointestinal diseases. In recent years, considerable interest has been devoted to their role in the development of neurologic diseases, as many studies have described bidirectional communication between the central nervous system and the gut, the so-called "microbiota-gut-brain axis". Considering the ability of probiotics (i.e., live non-pathogenic microorganisms) to restore the normal microbial population and produce benefits for the host, their potential effects have been investigated in the context of neurologic diseases. The main aims of this review are to analyse the relationship between the gut microbiota and brain disorders and to evaluate the current evidence for the use of probiotics in the treatment and prevention of neurologic conditions. Discussion: Overall, trials involving animal models and adults have reported encouraging results, suggesting that the administration of probiotic strains may exert some prophylactic and therapeutic effects in a wide range of neurologic conditions. Studies involving children have mainly focused on autism spectrum disorder and have shown that probiotics seem to improve neuro behavioural symptoms. However, the available data are incomplete and far from conclusive. Conclusions: The potential usefulness of probiotics in preventing or treating neurologic diseases is becoming a topic of great interest. However, deeper studies are needed to understand which formulation, dosage and timing might represent the optimal regimen for each specific neurologic disease and what populations can benefit. Moreover, future trials should also consider the tolerability and safety of probiotics in patients with neurologic diseases

Near-field electromagnetic characterization and perturbation of logic circuits

International audienceWe propose here a nondestructive electromagnetic (EM) near-field test bench for both EM compatibility and susceptibility of circuits. This setup permits both the collection of the near field and injection without contact of a disturbing EM field, all through a probe. Exhaustive characterizations of probes are undertaken via simulations and experiments. According to their design, they are supposedly linked more to the electric or the magnetic field. Simulations of their EM behavior are undergone to fix their optimal geometries, leading to the best measurement performances. It is shown by both the simulations and the S-parameter measurements that their presence does not interfere with the electric behavior of the device under test. Then, logic circuits are characterized from the EM point of view, with the help of this test bench. Circuits are placed on three different printed boards: one double-sided low-frequency board without a ground plane and two single-sided boards with a ground plane and a design that is more or less optimized. EM near-field mappings highlight the strong field areas of the circuits. The need for a ground plane is highlighted. Field patterns on the traces are linked with those observed on microstrip lines. Then, an EM aggression is injected over a supposed sensitive zone of the circuit. Whichever printed board is considered, a parasitic signal superimposes itself on the output signal of the gates. Deepened studies are undergone to exhaustively explain the phenomena observe

Bilan iconographique pour une prise en charge chirurgicale optimale de l’endométriose pelvienne. Imagerie et chirurgie de l’endométriose

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Key parameters governing the reversibility of Si/carbon/CMC electrodes for Li-ion batteries

Various Si/carbon/polymer composite electrodes were prepared to better understand the influence of the Si-polymer interactions on the stability of the Li-Si reaction and especially the superior performances of CMC-based (carboxy-methyl-cellulose) composites despite the large volume changes of the Si particles upon cycling. Via the modification of the composites formulation, the nature of the polymer, the nature and the amount of the substituting groups and the surface chemistry of the Si particles, together with the use of various characterization techniques (TEM, SEM, NMR-MAS, infrared spectroscopy, TGA, etc.) we could propose that the performances of the Si/Csp/CMC composite electrodes are nested in both the porous texture of the electrode and in the nature of the Si-polymer chemical bonding. A self-healing process of the rather strong Si-CMC hydrogen bonding which can accommodate tcxtural stresses and can evolve during cycling is proposed to be critical for Si-based electrode performances. This better understanding leads to the design of Si-based electrodes with capacity retention reaching 1000 mAh/g of composite (i.e., full Si capacity) for at least 100 cycles and with a Coulombic efficiency close to 99.9% per cycle. Owing to these new aspects, we have now a deeper insight of the specific effects of the CMC binder, than could be successfully extended to other metals (Sn, Ge, Sb). © 2009 American Chemical Society

High-Resolution Solid-State Nmr: a Versatile Tool for the Study of AI-O-P Clusters

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