Un nouvel exemplaire de la Stèle de la restauration de Toutânkhamon à Karnak

International audiencePublication of a new copy of the Restoration stela of King Tutankhamun reused as a libation table after pharaonic times, and identified in 2011 in a storeroom inside Karnak temple.Publication d'un nouveau duplicata de la Stèle de la restauration de Toutânkhamon réutilisé en table à libations après la période pharaonique et identifié en 2011 dans un magasin de saisies judiciaires à l'intérieur du temple de Karnak

Reporting the inequalities in the access to medical school depending on applicant’s self-perception: Medical Schools Council’s Report.

The socio-economic inequalities associated with access to medical school are highlighted in the Medical School Council’s (MSC) report where there is a significant gap between the number of medical school applicants who come from disadvantaged areas and the number of medical school applicants from advantaged backgrounds1. Reports highlight that this inequality is driven by the perception young people from low socio-economic backgrounds have of themselves2. The MSC report uses the Multiple Deprivation Index to assess the deprivation of an area which illustrates individuals from deprived areas on average make up 4.8% of medical school applicants annually1. Data collected from The Medical Student Personal Beliefs Questionnaire highlight the different attitudes displayed in students from affluent areas and non-affluent areas. Overall, students from disadvantaged areas believe that medicine is not accessible to them. Differently, the students from higher socio-economic backgrounds believed that medicine is something that they can see themselves fulfilling. Less affluent students believe that having a higher social class and receiving superior education would provide them with an edge in the admissions process2. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds perceive themselves as not worthy to practise medicine. Surely, with more doctors being established from lower socio-economic backgrounds there will be more doctors representative of the patients they serve. Therefore, for the morale of university applicants and the future of medicine, schools need to help further break down the stereotype that medical school is only accessible if you come from a background of wealth and a family line of doctors

Morphology and Systematics of Batrachoidiformes (Percomorphacea: Teleostei)

Batrachoidiformes, the toadfishes, are benthic fishes that inhabit nearshore subtidal and intertidal habitats, characterized by their dorsoventrally flattened bodies and large pectoral fins. These fishes lack dispersive larvae, and larval development is retained in nests guarded by their parents. To date, 82 species and 23 genera are accepted as valid. Previous studies recognized a single family, Batrachoididae, with four subfamilies: Batrachoidinae, Porichthyinae, Thalassophryninae, and Halophryninae. Interrelationships among subfamilies, however, are unresolved and interrelationships among species are problematic. Despite being a conspicuous member of the coastal fauna, the internal morphology of most species of Batrachoidiformes is unknown, being intraspecific and ontogenetic variations not reported for most species. Several characters used in previous analyses were found to have problematic construction or be intraspecifically variable. This new study reassessed the morphology of 66 species of 22 genera, representing most of the diversity of subfamilies of Batrachoidiformes. This investigation also endeavored in accounting for intraspecific and ontogenetic variations, in order to recognize the potential phylogenetic characters. The first chapter investigated the caudal skeleton of Batrachoidiformes, the posteriormost region of the axial skeleton. Results found high intraspecific variation in this region, especially in the shape of the epurals and the parhypural flange. Despite the high intraspecific variability, potentially informative characters were identified, such as the presence of a hypurapophysis-like process in seven genera of Halophryninae. The second chapter investigated the series of intermuscular bones and tendons within Batrachoidiformes. Variation in this series of sesamoid bones is not only poorly known in toadfishes, but teleost fishes in general. Results show that variation in intermuscular bones is high and potentially phylogenetically informative. For example, Batrachoidinae, Thalassophryninae, and Halophryninae have the origin of the first epineural articulating with the neural spine of the first vertebra. In Porichthyinae and other representatives of Percomorphacea the origin of the first epineural articulates with the neural arch of the first vertebra. The third chapter described the early ontogenetic changes of the skeleton of Porichthys notatus (Porichthyinae). These completely novel descriptions include tables of sequence of ossification and appearance of cartilages. The fourth chapter is the phylogenetic analysis. Previous characters were modified and new characters were proposed, resulting in a dataset of 191 morphological characters. One of the main results of this analysis is that Halophryninae is not monophyletic, with Allenbatrachus, Batrachomoeus, and Halophryne being more closely related to Porichthyinae, Thalassophryninae, and Batrachoidinae. This new phylogenetic arrangement and its supporting synapomorphies are discussed, including potential implications in the classification within this order

Alterations of the Erythrocyte Membrane during Sepsis

Erythrocytes have been long considered as “dead” cells with transport of oxygen (O2) as their only function. However, the ability of red blood cells (RBCs) to modulate the microcirculation is now recognized as an important additional function. This capacity is regulated by a key element in the rheologic process: the RBC membrane. This membrane is a complex unit with multiple interactions between the extracellular and intracellular compartments: blood stream, endothelium, and other blood cells on the one hand, and the intracytoplasmic compartment with possible rapid adaptation of erythrocyte metabolism on the other. In this paper, we review the alterations in the erythrocyte membrane observed in critically ill patients and the influence of these alterations on the microcirculatory abnormalities observed in such patients. An understanding of the mechanisms of RBC rheologic alterations in sepsis and their effects on blood flow and on oxygen transport may be important to help reduce morbidity and mortality from severe sepsis

Plasma fibrinolysis is related to the degree of organ dysfunction but not to the concentration of von Willebrand Factor in critically ill patients

SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Polarization induced instabilities in external four-mirror Fabry-Perot cavities

Various four-mirror optical resonators are studied in the perspective of realizing passive stacking cavities. A comparative study of the mechanical stability is provided. The polarization properties of the cavity eigenmodes are described and it is shown that the effect of mirror misalignments (or motions) induces polarization and stacking power instabilities. These instabilities increase with the finesse of the Fabry-Perot cavity. A tetrahedral configuration of the four mirrors is found to minimize the consequences of the mirrors's motion and misalignment by reducing the instability parameter by at least two orders of magnitud

Evolution of red blood cell membrane complement regulatory proteins and rheology in septic patients: An exploratory study

BackgroundDuring sepsis, red blood cell (RBC) deformability is altered. Persistence of these alterations is associated with poor outcome. Activation of the complement system is enhanced during sepsis and RBCs are protected by membrane surface proteins like CD35, CD55 and CD59. In malaria characterized by severe anemia, a study reported links between the modifications of the expression of these RBCs membrane proteins and erythrophagocytosis. We studied the evolution of RBCs deformability and the expression of RBC membrane surface IgG and regulatory proteins in septic patients.MethodsBy flow cytometry technics, we measured at ICU admission and at day 3–5, the RBC membrane expression of IgG and complement proteins (CD35, 55, 59) in septic patients compared to RBCs from healthy volunteers. Results were expressed in percentage of RBCs positive for the protein. RBC shape was assessed using Pearson's second coefficient of dissymmetry (PCD) on the histogram obtained with a flow cytometer technique. A null value represents a perfect spherical shape. RBC deformability was determined using ektacytometry by the elongation index in relation to the shear stress (0.3–50 Pa) applied to the RBC membrane. A higher elongation index indicates greater RBC deformability.ResultsRBCs from 11 septic patients were compared to RBCs from 21 volunteers. At ICU admission, RBCs from septic patients were significantly more spherical and RBC deformability was significantly lower in septic patients for all shear stress ≥1.93 Pa. These alterations of shape and deformability persists at day 3–5. We observed a significant decrease at ICU admission only in CD35 expression on RBCs from septic patients. This low expression remained at day 3–5.ConclusionsWe observed in RBCs from septic patients a rapid decrease expression of CD35 membrane protein protecting against complement activation. These modifications associated with altered RBC deformability and shape could facilitate erythrophagocytosis, contributing to anemia observed in sepsis. Other studies with a large number of patients and assessment of erythrophagocytosis were needed to confirm these preliminary data