Time(s) in Ancient Egyptian : Perspectives of a Broad Lexical Study. The case of dwȝ.t and dwȝ

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Amour et désir en égyptien. Quelques observations de sémantique lexicale

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Bone Marrow Microenvironment and Tumor Progression

The bone marrow constitutes an unique microenvironment for cancer cells in three specific aspects. First, the bone marrow actively recruits circulating tumor cells where they find a sanctuary rich in growth factors and cytokines that promote their proliferation and survival. When in the bone marrow, tumor cells profoundly affect the homeostasis of the bone and the balance between osteogenesis and osteolysis. As a consequence, growth and survival factors normally sequestered into the bone matrix are released, further fueling cancer progression. Second, tumor cells actively recruit bone marrow-derived precursor cells into their own microenvironment. When in the tumors, these bone marrow-derived cells contribute to an inflammatory reaction and to the formation of the tumor vasculature. Third, bone marrow-derived cells can home in distant organs, where they form niches that attract circulating tumor cells. Our understanding of the contribution of the bone marrow microenvironment to cancer progression has therefore dramatically improved over the last few years. The importance of this new knowledge cannot be underestimated considering that the vast majority of cancer treatments such as cytotoxic and myeloablative chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation and radiation therapy inflict a trauma to the bone marrow microenvironment. How such trauma affects the influence that the bone marrow microenvironment exerts on cancer is still poorly understood. In this article, the reciprocal relationship between the bone marrow microenvironment and tumor cells is reviewed, and its potential impact on cancer therapy is discussed

Environmental evaluation of phosphorus recovery processes from wastewater sludge using life cycle assessment

peer reviewedOne of the functions of wastewater treatment plants is to recover phosphorus from wastewater in order to limit the eutrophication phenomena that can severely damage ecosystems. This extracted phosphorus is mainly concentrated in the wastewater sludge. Nowadays with the prohibition on land spreading of this sludge, treatment options such as incineration are becoming more and more common. One of the problems with this method of sludge valorisation is that it breaks the cycle of phosphorus, which ends up in the residual ash, often sent to landfill. In order to address this problem, the European Phos4You project aimed to develop technologies for phosphorus recovery from sludge. Various processes were developed and promoted during this project, ranging from thermo-chemical treatments to bio-acidification followed by precipitation directly integrated into the water treatment plant. An environmental assessment was carried out on four of these phosphorus recovery processes using life cycle assessment. This method was used to quantify the environmental impacts of the processes and to identify the most polluting steps within each process. The particularity of this environmental study is to include the wastewater treatment plant in the systems studied and therefore not opt for the zero-burden assumption of the sludge. Sewage sludge is therefore not considered as waste and has an environmental cost. In order to avoid allocation problems between the water treatment function and the sludge production function of the treatment plant, two options have been studied. The first methodological approach is the extension of the system boundaries to take into account the wastewater treatment plant in addition to the means of treating the sludge produced. The system studied with this option in the framework of the Phos4You project therefore has two functions, wastewater treatment and phosphorus fertiliser production. The second methodological approach used is the avoided burden. This approach studies a system with only the wastewater treatment function and takes into account the fertilisers produced by recovering phosphorus from the sludge as avoided mineral fertiliser production. The environmental study showed that two of the four recovery technologies had an environmental advantage compare to the baseline scenario of sludge incineration.Phos4You6. Clean water and sanitatio

Life cycle assessment of 3D printed furniture using fine recycled aggregates – Cirmap project

peer reviewedIn North West Europe, about 65 Mt of Recycled Fine Aggregates (RFA) are generated yearly from the crushing of Concrete Construction and Demolition Wastes and are disposed in landfills or in banks. In the meantime, 54 Mt of marine sands are extracted in zones where natural aggregate resources are missing, threatening fragile marine spaces. Reusing RFA in concrete would save natural resources. However, no market exists for RFA owing to rigorous construction standards. RFA is a local resource, with large variability, which is not suited to mass production needing regular materials. But it could be used at a smaller scale, for the manufacture of products needing neither to comply with rigorous construction standards nor to possess high performances. About 5 Mt of RFA could be recycled into concrete for the manufacture of Urban, Memorial or Garden (UMG) furniture, being the starting point of a circular economy loop. Traditional precast concrete cannot be used for small scale production because of the high share of moulds in the global cost (50 to 80%). However, concrete 3D Printing (3DP) allows manufacturing customized pieces that could be shown by customers as a banner of their identity. UMG furniture are always located in difficult to access zones, reducing their weight by shape optimization and printing them onsite would be easier. Moreover, online control of 3D Printing could be used to compensate materials variability, providing an efficient tool for the valorisation of these resources. Cirmap will provide a new Mixture Proportioning Method (MPM) for the design of 3DP mortars with RFA and a new Design Methodology for Customized Shapes (DMCS). A new Master Control Command (MCC) for concrete 3DP will be implemented for the equipment of 3DP machines, and an integrated mobile 3D printing unit will be developed for onsite 3D printing of UMG furniture. A Cirmap-network will also be created for lobby and dissemination, leading to a new market for the reuse of RFA. The Chemical Engineering research team is in charge of the environmental aspects of the project and applies Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in an eco-design approach. Acknowledgements - The authors would like to thank the Cirmap project (INTERREG NWE, n° NWE1062), partly financed by the European Regional Development Funds, and the Walloon Region.CIRMAP13. Climate actio

An Exercise in Visualizing Colexification on a Semantic Map

This paper aims at investigating the polysemic patterns associated with the notion ‘soil/earth’ by using the semantic map model as a methodological tool. We focus on the applicability of the model to the lexicon, since most of past research has been devoted to the analysis of grammatical morphemes. The most concise result of our research is a diagrammatic visualization of the semantic spaces of twenty lexemes in nine different languages, mainly ancient languages belonging to the Indo-European and the Afro-Asiatic language families. The common semantic map for the various languages reveals that the semantic spaces covered by the investigated lexemes are often quite different from one another, although common patterns can also be detected. Our study highlights some shortcomings and methodological problems of previous analyses suggesting that a possible solution to these problems is the control of the data in the existing sources of the object languages. Finally, drawing upon the cognitive linguistics literature on the various types of semantic change, we show that some of the senses of the individual lexemes are the result of the function of such mechanisms as metaphor, metonymy, and generalization

Vasa Nervorum in rat major pelvic ganglion are innervated by nitrergic nerve fibers

INTRODUCTION The vasa nervorum comprises a network of small diameter blood vessels that provide blood supply to nerves and ganglia. The cell bodies of autonomic nerves innervating the urogenital organs are housed in the major pelvic ganglia (MPG) in rats. The vasa nervorum of rat MPG have not been characterized previously, and it is not known whether these blood vessels are innervated by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) containing nitrergic nerves. AIM To characterize the blood vessels in and around the rat MPG and to assess their nitrergic innervation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Characterization of small blood vessels in and around the rat MPG and expression of nNOS in nerve fibers around those blood vessels. METHODS MPG were obtained from healthy Sprague Dawley rats, fixed in paraformaldehyde, frozen and sectioned using a cryostat. The blood vessels and their nitrergic innervation were assessed with immunohistochemistry using antibodies against alpha-smooth muscle actin (smooth muscle marker), CD31 (endothelial marker), collagen IV (basal membrane marker) and nNOS. The immunofluorescence was imaged using a laser scanning confocal microscope. RESULTS The neuronal cell bodies were contained within a capsule in the MPG. Blood vessels were observed within the capsule of the MPG as well as outside the capsule. The blood vessels inside the capsule were CD31-positive capillaries with no smooth muscle staining. Outside the capsule capillaries, arterioles and venules were observed. The extra-capsular arterioles and venules, but not the capillaries were innervated by nNOS-positive nerve fibers. CONCLUSIONS This study, to our knowledge, is the first to demonstrate the blood vessel distribution pattern and their nitrergic innervation in the rat MPG. While similar studies in human pelvic plexus are warranted, these results suggest that the blood flow in the MPG may be regulated by nitrergic nerve fibers and reveal a reciprocal relationship between nerves and blood vessels. Beetson KA, Smith SF, Muneer A, Cameron NE, Cotter MA, and Cellek S. Vasa nervorum in rat major pelvic ganglion are innervated by nitrergic nerve fibers. J Sex Med **;**:**-**

Analyse du cycle de vie de nouveaux mortiers contenant des argiles calcinées comme additions : le projet CO2REDRES

peer reviewedDepuis longtemps, le ciment Portland a prouvé son utilité dans les constructions conventionnelles en béton. Cependant, malgré ses nombreuses qualités, ce matériau est également responsable d’importantes émissions de gaz à effet de serre et d'une consommation significative d’énergie. Ces inconvénients sont liés à la production du clinker, constituant majeur du ciment. Pendant longtemps, le laitier de haut fourneau et les cendres volantes ont été utilisés comme substituants partiels du clinker afin d'en diminuer l'utilisation, et réduire ainsi les impacts environnementaux du ciment. Ces matériaux secondaires se raréfient dans plusieurs zones géographiques, y compris dans la Grande Région. C’est dans ce contexte que le projet CO2REDRES prend place, ayant pour but de démontrer la faisabilité de la production d’additions minérales ayant des propriétés hydrauliques et/ou pouzzolaniques à partir de ressources secondaires (déchets ou sous-produits industriels). La présente étude expose l’analyse du cycle de vie de cette nouvelle production d’additions minérales, afin d'en caractériser les impacts environnementaux et de démontrer leurs avantages potentiels en substitution.CO2REDRES11. Sustainable cities and communities13. Climate action9. Industry, innovation and infrastructur

Randomized controlled trial on the effect of 1-hour infusion of vincristine versus push injection on neuropathy in children with cancer (final analysis)

Introduction: Vincristine is an integral component of treatment for children with cancer. Its main dose-limiting side effect is vincristine-induced peripheral neuropathy (VIPN). The VINCA trial was a randomized controlled trial that explored the effect of 1-hour infusion compared with push injection of vincristine on the development of VIPN in children with cancer. The short-term outcomes (median follow-up 9 months) showed that there was no difference in VIPN between the randomization groups. However, 1-hour infusion was less toxic in children who also received azoles. We now report the results of the final analyses (median follow-up 20 months), which includes treatment outcome as a secondary objective (follow-up 3 years). Methods: VIPN was measured 1–7 times per participant using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) and the pediatric-modified total neuropathy score. Poisson mixed model and logistic generalized estimating equation analysis for repeated measures were performed.Results: Forty-five participants per randomization group were included. There was no significant effect of 1-hour infusion compared with push injection on VIPN. In participants receiving concurrent azoles, the total CTCAE score was significantly lower in the one-hour group (rate ratio 0.52, 95% confidence interval 0.33–0.80, p = 0.003). Four patients in the one-hour group and one patient in the push group relapsed. Two patients in the one-hour group died. Conclusion:1-hour infusion of vincristine is not protective against VIPN. However, in patients receiving concurrent azoles, 1-hour infusion may be less toxic. The difference in treatment outcome is most likely the result of differences in risk profile.</p