Hydrogen trapping by VC precipitates and structural defects in a high strength Fe-Mn-C steel studied by small-angle neutron scattering

The trapping of hydrogen by VC precipitates and structural defects in high strength Fe-Mn-C steel was studied by small angle neutron scattering. No interaction between H and V in solid solution has been detected but a significant interaction between H and structural defects introduced by plastic deformation has been measured. This last effect was reversible upon outgassing of the H. Moreover a significant interaction between H and VC precipitates has been measured; 5 ppm wt. of H could be trapped in the precipitates. This is consistent with the homogeneous trapping of H within the precipitates rather than at the precipitate/matrix interface

Climate Justice Charter

The latest news from our planet is threatening: climate change, pollution, forest loss, species extinctions. All these words are frightening and there is no sign of improvement. Simple logic leads to the conclusion that humanity has to react, for its own survival. But at the scale of a human being, it is less obvious. Organizing one’s daily life in order to preserve the environment implies self-questioning, changing habits, sacrificing some comfort. In one word, it is an effort. Then, what justifies such an effort? The personal choice to act in order to preserve our environment is often made by simple altruism. This choice is based on our love for other human beings: our love for the others grounds our effort. Our moral values, our ethical reflections and our religious beliefs are the deep core of these choices. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15.12 NRSV). This Charter shows the moral and religious values that can help us react regarding the current environmental crisis and it should empower us to transcend the ideas of effort and sacrifice in order to consider the respect of the shared house, in a prophetic fulfillment of the being

Is long-term virological response related to CCR5 Delta32 deletion in HIV-1-infected patients started on highly active antiretroviral therapy?: CCR5 D32 in HIV treated patients

International audienceOBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine whether the chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 5 (CCR5) Delta32 deletion is associated with long-term response to combination antiretroviral treatment (cART) in HIV-1-infected patients. METHODS: The genetic substudy of the Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le SIDA (ANRS) CO8 APROCO-COPILOTE cohort included 609 patients who started protease inhibitor-containing cART in 1997-1999. Patients were considered to have a sustained virological response if all plasma HIV RNA measurements in the period considered were <500 HIV-1 RNA copies/ml, allowing for a single blip. Virological response was compared between patients heterozygous for CCR5 Delta32 (Delta32/wt) and wild-type patients (wt/wt) from month 4 to year 3 and from month 4 to year 5. Logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for baseline demographical data, HIV RNA, CD4 cell count, antiretroviral exposure status, time spent on antiretroviral therapy at years 3 and 5 and adherence to treatment (month 4 to year 3 or 5). RESULTS: A sustained virological response was more frequent in Delta32/wt than in wt/wt patients from month 4 to year 3, with 66%vs. 52% of patients, respectively, showing a sustained response (P=0.02); after adjustment for potential confounders, the association of Delta32 with a sustained response was nearly significant (P=0.07). A sustained virological response was also more frequent in Delta32/wt patients up to year 5, with 48% showing a sustained response vs. 35% of wt/wt patients (P=0.01); after adjustment, Delta32 remained significantly associated with a sustained virological response up to year 5 (P=0.04). There was no association with CD4 response. CONCLUSION: The Delta32 deletion in Delta32/wt patients is associated with a beneficial virological response to cART in the long term. Whether this association is a direct effect of the Delta32 deletion remains unclear and requires confirmation in further observational studies

Alzheimers Dement

Introduction: The free and cued selective reminding test is used to identify memory deficits in mild cognitive impairment and demented patients. It allows assessing three processes: encoding, storage, and recollection of verbal episodic memory. Methods: We investigated the neural correlates of these three memory processes in a large cohort study. The Memento cohort enrolled 2323 outpatients presenting either with subjective cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment who underwent cognitive, structural MRI and, for a subset, fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography evaluations. Results: Encoding was associated with a network including parietal and temporal cortices; storage was mainly associated with entorhinal and parahippocampal regions, bilaterally; retrieval was associated with a widespread network encompassing frontal regions. Discussion: The neural correlates of episodic memory processes can be assessed in large and standardized cohorts of patients at risk for Alzheimer's disease. Their relation to pathophysiological markers of Alzheimer's disease remains to be studied

Long-term cellular immunity of vaccines for Zaire Ebola Virus Diseases

Recent Ebola outbreaks underscore the importance of continuous prevention and disease control efforts. Authorized vaccines include Merck’s Ervebo (rVSV-ZEBOV) and Johnson & Johnson’s two-dose combination (Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo). Here, in a five-year follow-up of the PREVAC randomized trial (NCT02876328), we report the results of the immunology ancillary study of the trial. The primary endpoint is to evaluate long-term memory T-cell responses induced by three vaccine regimens: Ad26–MVA, rVSV, and rVSV–booster. Polyfunctional EBOV-specific CD4+ T-cell responses increase after Ad26 priming and are further boosted by MVA, whereas minimal responses are observed in the rVSV groups, declining after one year. In-vitro expansion for eight days show sustained EBOV-specific T-cell responses for up to 60 months post-prime vaccination with both Ad26-MVA and rVSV, with no decline. Cytokine production analysis identify shared biomarkers between the Ad26-MVA and rVSV groups. In secondary endpoint, we observed an elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines at Day 7 in the rVSV group. Finally, we establish a correlation between EBOV-specific T-cell responses and anti-EBOV IgG responses. Our findings can guide booster vaccination recommendations and help identify populations likely to benefit from revaccination

Kinetics of hydrogen permeation through a Ni-base alloy membrane exposed to primary medium of pressurized water reactors

International audienceHydrogen permeation kinetics through a Ni-base alloy exposed to simulated pressurized water reactors primary medium at 325 °C has been investigated. In situ measurements exhibit a strong decrease of H flux during the first 50 h of exposure; it has been related to the oxide scale growth at the alloy surface. A kinetic model has been proposed to describe this link. Comparing modelling and experimental results indicates that high H transient activities are generated at the alloy surface during the first hours of oxide scale growth, suggesting that H could play a role in stress corrosion cracking of Ni-base alloys

Clinical Research Infrastructures and Networks in France: Report on the French ECRIN Workshop

A meeting was organised in Paris on 13 September 2004, to provide an in-depth description of the state of the art in institutional clinical research infrastructures and their environment in France. This meeting was scheduled within the ECRIN (European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network) project, funded by the European Union (6th Framework Programme). Ten items were addressed: (i) centres and networks; (ii) funding and sponsoring of clinical research; (iii) ethics; (iv) legislation and regulation; (v) adverse-event reporting and drug dispensing; (vi) methodology, data management and data monitoring; (vii) quality management and audits; (viii) communication with investigators, sponsors and participants; (ix) transparency and registration of clinical studies; and (x) education and careers. This description, together with parallel workshops held in other countries using a similar pattern, helped prepare a comparative analysis enabling better identification of the bottlenecks for multinational research in Europe, and define the most relevant approaches to harmonisation and the services required to support the role of sponsors in transnational studies

Role of grain boundaries in the diffusion of hydrogen in nickel base alloy 600: Study coupling thermal desorption mass spectroscopy with numerical simulation

International audienceThe role grain boundaries play in the diffusion of hydrogen in polycrystalline alloys has long been debated. Some researchers have found that grain boundaries have an accelerating effect on the transport of hydrogen across a metal membrane, while others have stated this network of sites may slow the diffusion of hydrogen or have a mixed effect depending on grain size and orientation. Thermal desorption mass spectroscopy (TDS) was used to study the diffusion of deuterium, from 294 K to 550 K, in model single crystal and polycrystalline nickel base alloy, alloy 600, having a grain size of several tens of micrometers. Using a numerical routine, solving Fick's second law of diffusion, TDS spectra were fit or simulated. The derived diffusion constant parameters (D0 = (1.0 ± 0.5)·10−2 cm2 s−1 and ED = (45 ± 4) kJ mol−1) for the polycrystalline alloy adequately predict and simulate the deuterium desorption from the single crystal during TDS testing. Furthermore, in the temperature range and for the grain size studied no significant effect of grain boundaries on the diffusion of deuterium in alloy 600 was observed. Consequently, the measured diffusion parameters are representative of interstitial diffusion in the alloy