Characterization of ZnO:Al deposited by co-sputtering for transparent conductive electrodes

Aluminum doped zinc oxide was prepared by magnetron sputtering methods at room temperature using a ZnO ceramic target doped 2%wt by Al2O3. The optical transmittance of the films is higher than 80% in the visible range. A direct bandgap type was reached by controlling deposition conditions; the bandgap value was in the range between 3.2 eV and 4.2 eV. Good electrical and optical properties were obtained for the films deposited by an appropriate co-sputtering of ZnO and Al targets. These films with a resistivity, about 1.3´10-2W.cm, and a transmittance, higher than 80%, can be applicable for transparent conducting electrodes

PHÁT HIỆN VI KHUẨN PASTEURELLA MULTOCIDA GÂY BỆNH TỤ HUYẾT TRÙNG Ở CỪU PHAN RANG BẰNG KỸ THUẬT PCR

Pasteurellosis is an infectious disease causing severe damage to livestock and poultry since it leads to animals’ death, including sheep of all ages. In this study, we developed a sensitive, specific and accurate PCR method for detecting P. multocida in Phan Rang sheep using FKMT1/RKMT1 primers targeted to the KMT1 gene of P. multocida. The PCR-based method was used to detect the KMT1 gene from 104 copies of the KMT1-bearing plasmid. The method’s specificity was demonstrated by the successful amplification of KMT1 from the mixture containing other DNA of Gram-negative bacteria, such as E. coli or M. haemolytica. In particular, with the present method, we successfully detected P. multocida with crude DNA obtained from P. multocida or nasal swabs of pasteurellosis-suspected sheep samples treated in a TE buffer containing 0.1% TritonX-100. This is the first report on using a PCR-based method for detecting P. multocida from Phan Rang sheep, and it can serve as the basis for an effective procedure to diagnose pasteurellosis in sheep.Tụ huyết trùng là một bệnh truyền nhiễm có thể gây thiệt hại nghiêm trọng cho chăn nuôi gia súc, gia cầm nếu không được chẩn đoán và điều trị kịp thời. Vì vậy, trong nghiên cứu này chúng tôi đã phát triển phương pháp PCR có độ nhạy, độ đặc hiệu và độ chính xác cao để phát hiện sự có mặt của vi khuẩn P. multocida, một trong những tác nhân gây bệnh tụ huyết trùng trên cừu Phan Rang. Gen KMT1 của vi khuẩn P. multocida được nhân lên bằng cặp mồi đặc hiệu FKMT1/RKMT1 ở nồng độ khoảng 104 bản sao của plasmid mang gen đích. Phản ứng PCR không bị ảnh hưởng khi có mặt DNA của một số vi khuẩn Gram âm khác như E. coli hay M. haemolytica. Đặc biệt, với phương pháp PCR, chúng tôi đã phát hiện sự có mặt của vi khuẩn P. multocida từ mẫu DNA thô thu được bằng xử lý mẫu vi khuẩn/mẫu dịch ngoáy mũi của cừu nghi nhiễm bệnh trong đệm TE chứa 0,1% TritonX-100 mà không cần tinh sạch DNA tổng số. Đây là nghiên cứu đầu tiên công bố một phương pháp xác định sự có mặt của P. multocida trên cừu Phan Rang và là cơ sở để xây dựng quy trình chẩn đoán hiệu quả nhằm góp phần kiểm soát bệnh tụ huyết trùng trên đối tượng này

A Multi-Center Randomized Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Gatifloxacin versus Ciprofloxacin for the Treatment of Shigellosis in Vietnamese Children

The bacterial genus Shigella is the most common cause of dysentery (diarrhea containing blood and/or mucus) and the disease is common in developing countries with limitations in sanitation. Children are most at risk of infection and frequently require hospitalization and antimicrobial therapy. The WHO currently recommends the fluoroquinolone, ciprofloxacin, for the treatment of childhood Shigella infections. In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the number of organisms that exhibit resistance to nalidixic acid (an antimicrobial related to ciprofloxacin), corresponding with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. We hypothesized that infections with Shigella strains that demonstrate resistance to nalidixic acid may prevent effective treatment with ciprofloxacin. We performed a randomized controlled trial to compare 3 day ciprofloxacin therapy with 3 days of gatifloxacin, a newer generation fluoroquinolone with greater activity than ciprofloxacin. We measured treatment failure and time to the cessation of individual disease symptoms in 249 children with dysentery treated with gatifloxacin and 245 treated with ciprofloxacin. We could identify no significant differences in treatment failure between the two groups or in time to the cessation of individual symptoms. We conclude that, in Vietnam, ciprofloxacin and gatifloxacin are similarly effective for the treatment of acute dysentery

COMO É QUE OS ESTUDANTES DE MEDICINA E ENFERMAGEM VEEM A TECNOLOGIA DE SAÚDE? UM ESTUDO DE VALIDAÇÃO PSICOMÉTRICA DO QUESTIONÁRIO DE AVALIAÇÃO DE USABILIDADE EM BANGLADESH

The modernization of healthcare delivery is a reality in various international settings. To ensure efficient and safe use of the diverse forms of healthcare technology available, professionals and students must be receptive to incorporating such tools into their practice. Currently, there is no instrument in Bangladesh to assess healthcare students’ technology acceptance. Objective: To translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Usability Evaluation Questionnaire (UtEQ) among Bangladeshi healthcare students. Method: A cross-sectional study with a methodological approach was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved the translation of the UtEQ questionnaire to Bengali, following the six stages proposed by Beaton et al. In the second phase, the psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated using a non-probability sample of 486 undergraduate healthcare students from three higher education institutions in Bangladesh. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed, and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was estimated to find out the internal consistency. Results: Internal consistency was found to be excellent for all scale dimensions, ranging from 0.88 to 0.92, while confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate goodness-of-fit indicators. Conclusion: The UtEQ-B provides a reliable and valid method for healthcare educators and researchers to assess technology acceptance among healthcare students during clinical training in Bangladesh.A modernização da prestação de cuidados de saúde é uma realidade em vários contextos internacionais. Para garantir a utilização eficiente e segura das diversas formas de tecnologia em saúde disponíveis, os profissionais e estudantes devem estar receptivos à incorporação dessas ferramentas na sua prática. Atualmente, não existe em Bangladesh um instrumento para avaliar a aceitação da tecnologia pelos estudantes de saúde. Objetivo: Traduzir, adaptar culturalmente e validar o Questionário de Avaliação da Usabilidade (UtEQ) entre estudantes de saúde de Bangladesh. Método: Foi realizado um estudo transversal com uma abordagem metodológica em duas fases. A primeira fase envolveu a tradução do questionário UtEQ para bengali, seguindo as seis etapas propostas por Beaton et al. Na segunda fase, foram avaliadas as propriedades psicométricas do questionário usando uma amostra não probabilística de 486 estudantes de graduação em saúde de três instituições de ensino superior em Bangladesh. Foi realizada uma análise fatorial confirmatória e estimou-se o coeficiente alfa de Cronbach para verificar a consistência interna. Resultados: Foi encontrada uma consistência interna excelente para todas as dimensões da escala, variando de 0,88 a 0,92, enquanto a análise fatorial confirmatória mostrou indicadores adequados de ajuste. Conclusão: O UtEQ-B fornece um método confiável e válido para educadores e pesquisadores em saúde avaliarem a aceitação da tecnologia entre estudantes de saúde durante o treinamento clínico em Bangladesh

Caractérisation des plasmocytes régulateurs en conditions normales et pathologiques

Les maladies inflammatoires à médiation immunitaire (MIMI) touchent 5 à 10% de la population mondiale et représentent des coûts considérables pour les individus et les sociétés. La plupart de ces affections sont des maladies chroniques sans traitement curatif. La sclérose en plaques (SEP) est la MIMI neurologique la plus fréquente chez le jeune adulte. Actuellement, les MIMI (et la SEP) sont principalement traitées par des médicaments immunosuppresseurs ayant des effets importants sur le système immunitaire. Ces médicaments sont prescrits à vie et peuvent avoir des effets secondaires graves. En outre, une proportion importante de patients ne répond pas à ces traitements ou devient réfractaire après un certain temps, ce qui souligne le besoin urgent de nouvelles stratégies thérapeutiques. Il est important de noter qu'aucune des thérapies actuellement appliquées ne cible les voies de régulation du système immunitaire, bien que ces maladies soient associées à des défauts de régulation immunitaire. La restauration d'une régulation immunitaire efficace est donc d'une importance capitale pour rétablir un équilibre immunitaire sain et, à terme, parvenir à guérir les MIMI. Mon projet de thèse porte sur la caractérisation des fonctions régulatrices des cellules B qui protègent contre l'auto-immunité du système nerveux central (SNC). En effet, plusieurs études ont montré que les cellules B peuvent réguler négativement la réponse inflammatoire dans un modèle animal de la SEP, l'encéphalomyélite auto-immune expérimentale (EAE), par leur expression de l'interleukine (IL)-10, et cette voie semble être défectueuse chez les patients atteints de SEP. L'IL-10 est-elle le seul médiateur des fonctions suppressives des cellules B ? L'identification de nouvelles molécules suppressives dérivées des cellules B pourrait à terme accroître notre arsenal thérapeutique dans le traitement de la SEP. Notre groupe a identifié un sous-ensemble de cellules B appelé plasmocytes régulateurs naturels, spécialisé dans la production d'IL-10 et caractérisé par l'expression du gène LAG-3. Ceci a permis d'élargir la notion de sous-populations de lymphocytes régulateurs au-delà des cellules Tr1 productrices d'IL-10 et des cellules T régulatrices Foxp3+. Dans la première partie de ma thèse, j'ai caractérisé le rôle de ces cellules dans la neuro-inflammation du SNC en utilisant un nouveau modèle génétique permettant la déplétion inductible des cellules exprimant LAG-3. Mes résultats démontrent que des cellules LAG-3+ présentes avant le début de la maladie jouent un rôle crucial dans le contrôle de la maladie. Nous avons observé que les plasmocytes n'exprimant pas LAG-3 présentaient une expression plus élevée du gène codant pour l'inhibiteur de la protéase des leucocytes sécrétoire (IPLS) par rapport aux plasmocytes exprimant LAG-3. L'IPLS est connu pour ses fonctions antimicrobiennes et ses propriétés anti-inflammatoires. La deuxième partie de ma thèse a porté sur la caractérisation de des plasmocytes régulateurs exprimant l'IPLS, qui joue un rôle crucial dans la prévention de la chronicisation dans l'auto-immunité du SNC. Ces plasmocytes producteurs d'IPLS ont la capacité d'inhiber la réponse inflammatoire dans l'EAE. L'absence d'expression de la IPLS dans les cellules B entraîne une forme plus sévère de la maladie, alors que les souris génétiquement modifiées pour surexprimer l'IPLS dans les cellules B sont complètement protégées de la maladie. Sachant que l'IPLS est une anti-protéase sécrétée, nos données démontrent le rôle clé de la protéostase extracellulaire dans le contrôle de l'immunité. Notre travail a des implications importantes pour la compréhension des mécanismes impliqués dans la régulation des réponses immunitaires, avec des implications thérapeutiques directes.Introduction: Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are estimated to affect 5-10% of the population worldwide, causing considerable costs for individuals and societies. Most of these pathologies are chronic diseases, which remain without a cure. More specifically, multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most frequent neurological disease in the young adult. Currently, IMIDs (and MS) are primarily treated by immunosuppressive drugs that have broad effects on the immune system. These drugs are applied for life, and can have serious side effects. Moreover, a significant proportion of patients do not respond to these treatments or become refractory after a certain period of time, underlining an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. Importantly, none of the currently applied therapies focus on the restoration of immune regulatory pathways in these patients while these diseases are associated with defects in immune regulation. Restoring an efficient immune regulatory network is thus of primary importance to restore a healthy immune balance, and possibly reach a cure for IMIDs. My PhD project focuses on the characterization of the regulatory functions of B cells providing protection from CNS autoimmunity. Indeed, convincing data have demonstrated that B cells can negatively regulate inflammatory response in an animal model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), by their expression of interleukin (IL)-10, and this pathway appears to be defective in MS patients. Is IL-10 the only mediator of the suppressive functions of B cells? The identification of other B cell-derived suppressive molecules in autoimmune neuroinflammation is urgently needed, because this might in turn increases our opportunities in MS therapy. Context: Our group previously identified a distinct subset of natural regulatory plasma cells specialized in the production of IL-10, characterized by the expression of lymphocyte activated gene 3 (LAG-3). This extended the number of regulatory lymphocyte subsets characterized by LAG-3 expression beyond IL-10-producing Tr1 cells and activated CD4+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells. In the first part of my PhD, I have characterized the role of these cells in CNS neuroinflammation using a novel genetic model permitting the inducible depletion of Lag3-expressing cells. My results demonstrate that pre-existing Lag3-expressing cells play a crucial role in the control of a subsequent autoimmune attack. Noteworthily, we noticed that Lag3-negative plasma cells displayed a distinctly increased expression of secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (Slpi) gene compared to Lag3-positive plasma cells. Slpi encodes for a protein carrying multiple activities ranging from anti-microbial functions, anti-inflammatory properties, and tissue regenerative effects. The majority of my PhD work consisted in the characterization of a novel subset of regulatory plasma cells characterized by the expression of SLPI, which plays a crucial role to prevent the transition from acute to chronic disease in CNS autoimmunity. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that LAG-3-expressing cells, formed before the onset of an autoimmune reaction, have a determinant role in the regulation of the latter. Furthermore, we identified a new subset of regulatory plasma cells that produce SLPI, which suppresses inflammatory response in EAE. The lack of Slpi expression in B cells results in a severely exacerbated disease, whereas mice genetically engineered to over-express SLPI in B cells were completely protected from the disease. Because SLPI is a secreted anti-protease, our data demonstrate the key role of extra-cellular proteostasis in the control of immunity. Our work has important implication for the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of immune responses, with direct therapeutic implication as it suggests that approaches tailored to increase SLPI levels might be beneficial against IMIDs

Simulation of bifluid flows, a coupling strategy based on anisotropic mesh adaptation

On s'intéresse ici à la simulation d'écoulements bifluides visqueux incompressibles et immiscibles, régis par les équations de Stokes. Une stratégie de couplage basée sur l'adaptation de maillage anisotrope permet un suivi précis de l'évolution de l'interface gouvernée par une équation d'advection. Dans la première partie de ce travail, on aborde les aspects théoriques liés au modèle des écoulements bifluides. En particulier, on propose un préconditionnement efficace lorsque le rapport des viscosités est important et on présente un schéma numérique basé sur la méthode de caractéristiques pour résoudre l'équation d'advection. L'utilisation des triangulations anisotropes raffinées au voisinage de l'interface permet une capture précise de celle-ci avec un nombre minimal de degrés de liberté. Dans la seconde partie, on présente des résultats numériques dans plusieurs domaines d'applications obtenus avec cette approche pour illustrer les différents aspects de notre stratégie de couplage.PARIS-BIUSJ-Physique recherche (751052113) / SudocSudocFranceF