Mesure de dépendance quadratique pour la séparation aveugle de source dans les mélanges post non linéaires

Dans le cadre de la séparation aveugle de sources, le problème requiert la définition d'une mesure de dépendance permettant de décider si des variables sont mutuellement indépendantes ou non. Jusqu'à présent, beaucoup de méthodes ont été développées en utilisant l'information mutuelle. Ici, nous proposons de construire une méthode basée sur une mesure de dépendance quadratique. Après avoir défini cette mesure, nous proposerons une estimation et la minimisation sera effectuée par une méthode de descente de gradient. Enfin nous illustrerons nos résultats en appliquant cette méthode dans le cas de mélanges post non linéaires

Global Health Values of a Multidirectional Near Peer Training Program in Surgery, Pathology, Anatomy, Research Methodology, and Medical Education for Haitian, Rwandan, and Canadian Medical Students

Background: As health care delivery increasingly requires providers to cross international borders, medical students at McGill University, Canada, developed a multidirectional exchange program with Haiti and Rwanda. The program integrates surgery, pathology, anatomy, research methodology, and medical education. Objective: The aim of the present study was to explore the global health value of this international training program to improve medical education within the environment of developing countries, such as Haiti and Rwanda, while improving sociocultural learning of Canadian students. Methods: Students from the University of Kigali, Rwanda and Université Quisqueya, Haiti, participated in a 3-week program at McGill University. The students spanned from the first to sixth year of their respective medical training. The program consisted of anatomy dissections, surgical simulations, clinical pathology shadowing, and interactive sessions in research methodology and medical education. To evaluate the program, a survey was administered to students using a mixed methodology approach. Findings: Common benefits pointed out by the participants included personal and professional growth. The exchange improved career development, sense of responsibility toward one’s own community, teaching skills, and sociocultural awareness. The participants all agreed that the anatomy dissections improved their knowledge of anatomy and would make them more comfortable teaching the material when the returned to their university. The clinical simulation activities and shadowing experiences allowed them to integrate the different disciplines. However, the students all felt the research component had too little time devoted to it and that the knowledge presented was beyond their educational level. Conclusion: The development of an integrated international program in surgery, pathology, anatomy, research methodology, and medical education provided medical students with an opportunity to learn about differences in health care and medical education between the 3 countries. This exchange demonstrated that a crosscultural near-peer teaching environment can be an effective and sustainable method of medical student-centered development in global health

Nos utilitaires préférés

Nous avons tous nos logiciels ou autres outils favoris sans lesquels nous aurions désormais bien du mal à travailler. Des traducteurs présentent ci-dessous l’un de leurs outils préférés. Certains sont très connus, d’autres moins. Il serait étonnant que vous ne trouviez pas dans ces pages de quoi vous faciliter la vie ! Babylon Babylon n’est pas un logiciel d’aide à la traduction tel que nous les connaissons (OmegaT, Trados, etc.). Babylon est tout simplement un logiciel propriétaire qui nous ..

Adverse Health Outcomes among U.S. Testicular Cancer Survivors after Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy vs. Surgical Management

We evaluated for the first time adverse health outcomes (AHOs) among U.S. testicular cancer survivors (TCS) given chemotherapy (n = 381) vs. surgery-only patients (n = 98) managed at a single institution, accounting for non-treatment-related risk factors to delineate chemotherapy’s impact. Chemotherapy consisted largely of bleomycin-etoposide-cisplatin (BEP) administered in 3 or 4 cycles (BEPX3, n = 235; BEPX4, n = 82). Incidence of ≥ 3 AHOs was lowest in surgery-only TCS and increased with BEPX3, BEPX4 and other cisplatin-based regimens (12.2%, 40.8%, 52.5%, 54.8%; P<0.0001). Multivariate modeling assessed associations of risk factors and treatment with hearing impairment, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy, and Raynaud phenomenon. Risk for each AHO significantly increased with both increasing chemotherapy burden (P < 0.0001) and selected modifiable risk factors (P < 0.05): hypertension (OR = 2.40) and noise exposure (OR ≥ 2.3) for hearing impairment; noise exposure for tinnitus (OR ≥ 1.69); peripheral vascular disease for neuropathy (OR = 8.72), and current smoking for Raynaud phenomenon (OR = 2.41). Clinicians should manage modifiable risk factors for AHOs among TCS

Clinical and Genetic Risk Factors for Adverse Metabolic Outcomes in North American Testicular Cancer Survivors

Background: Testicular cancer survivors (TCS) are at significantly increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), with metabolic syndrome (MetS) an established risk factor. No study has addressed clinical and genetic MetS risk factors in North American TCS. Patients and Methods: TCS were aged <55 years at diagnosis and received first-line chemotherapy. Patients underwent physical examination, and had lipid panels, testosterone, and soluble cell adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) evaluated. A single nucleotide polymorphism in rs523349 (5-α-reductase gene, SRD5A2), recently implicated in MetS risk, was genotyped. Using standard criteria, MetS was defined as ≥3 of the following: hypertension, abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, and diabetes. Matched controls were derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Results: We evaluated 486 TCS (median age, 38.1 years). TCS had a higher prevalence of hypertension versus controls (43.2% vs 30.7%; P<.001) but were less likely to have decreased HDL levels (23.7% vs 34.8%; P<.001) or abdominal obesity (28.2% vs 40.1%; P<.001). Overall MetS frequency was similar in TCS and controls (21.0% vs 22.4%; P=.59), did not differ by treatment (P=.20), and was not related to rs523349 (P=.61). For other CVD risk factors, TCS were significantly more likely to have elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels (17.7% vs 9.3%; P<.001), total cholesterol levels (26.3% vs 11.1%; P<.001), and body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 (75.1% vs 69.1%; P=.04). On multivariate analysis, age at evaluation (P<.001), testosterone level ≤3.0 ng/mL (odds ratio [OR], 2.06; P=.005), and elevated sICAM-1 level (ORhighest vs lowest quartile, 3.58; P=.001) were significantly associated with MetS. Conclusions and Recommendations: Metabolic abnormalities in TCS are characterized by hypertension and increased LDL and total cholesterol levels but lower rates of decreased HDL levels and abdominal obesity, signifying possible shifts in fat distribution and fat metabolism. These changes are accompanied by hypogonadism and inflammation. TCS have a high prevalence of CVD risk factors that may not be entirely captured by standard MetS criteria. Cancer treatment–associated MetS requires further characterization

Clinical and Genome-Wide Analysis of Serum Platinum Levels after Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy

Purpose: Serum platinum is measurable for years after completion of cisplatin-based chemotherapy (CBC). We report the largest investigation of serum platinum levels to date of 1,010 testicular cancer survivors (TCS) assessed 1-35 years after CBC and evaluate genetic contributions to these levels. Experimental Design: Eligible TCS given 300 or 400 (±15) mg/m2 cisplatin underwent extensive audiometric testing, clinical examination, completed questionnaires and had crude serum platinum levels measured. Associations between serum platinum and various risk factors and toxicities were assessed after fitting a bi-exponential model adjusted for follow-up time and cumulative cisplatin dose. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using the serum platinum residuals of the dose and time-adjusted model. Results: Serum platinum levels exceeded the reference range for approximately 31 years, with a strong inverse relationship with creatinine clearance at follow-up (age-adjusted p = 2.13×10−3). We observed a significant, positive association between residual platinum values and luteinizing hormone (age-adjusted p=6.58×10−3). Patients with high residual platinum levels experienced greater Raynaud’s phenomenon than those with medium or low levels (age-adjusted ORhigh/low = 1.46; p = 0.04), as well as a higher likelihood of developing tinnitus (age-adjusted ORhigh/low = 1.68, p = 0.07). GWAS identified one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) meeting genome-wide significance rs1377817 (p=4.6×10−8, a SNP intronic to MYH14). Conclusions: This study indicates that residual platinum values are correlated with several cisplatin-related toxicities. One genetic variant is associated with these levels

Adverse Health Outcomes in Relationship to Hypogonadism After Chemotherapy: A Multicenter Study of Testicular Cancer Survivors

Background: This study examined the prevalence of hypogonadism, its clinical and genetic risk factors, and its relationship to adverse health outcomes (AHOs) in North American testicular cancer survivors (TCS) after modern platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: Eligible TCS were <55 years of age at diagnosis and treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Participants underwent physical examinations and completed questionnaires regarding 15 AHOs and health behaviors. Hypogonadism was defined as serum testosterone levels ≤3.0 ng/mL or use of testosterone replacement therapy. We investigated the role of 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs6258 and rs12150660) in the sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) locus implicated in increased hypogonadism risk in the general population. Results: Of 491 TCS (median age at assessment, 38.2 years; range, 18.7–68.4 years), 38.5% had hypogonadism. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis identified hypogonadism risk factors, including age at clinical evaluation (odds ratio [OR], 1.42 per 10-year increase; P=.006) and body mass index of 25 to <30 kg/m2 (OR, 2.08; P=.011) or ≥30 kg/m2 (OR, 2.36; P=.005) compared with <25 kg/m2. TCS with ≥2 risk alleles for the SHBG SNPs had a marginally significant increased hypogonadism risk (OR, 1.45; P=.09). Vigorous-intensity physical activity appeared protective (OR, 0.66; P=.07). Type of cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimen and socioeconomic factors did not correlate with hypogonadism. Compared with TCS without hypogonadism, those with hypogonadism were more likely to report ≥2 AHOs (65% vs 51%; P=.003), to take medications for hypercholesterolemia (20.1% vs 6.0%; P<.001) or hypertension (18.5% vs 10.6%; P=.013), and to report erectile dysfunction (19.6% vs 11.9%; P=.018) or peripheral neuropathy (30.7% vs 22.5%; P=.041). A marginally significant trend for increased use of prescription medications for either diabetes (5.8% vs 2.6%; P=.07) or anxiety/depression (14.8% vs 9.3%; P=.06) was observed. Conclusions: At a relatively young median age, more than one-third of TCS have hypogonadism, which is significantly associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk factors, and erectile dysfunction. Providers should screen TCS for hypogonadism and treat symptomatic patients

Unveiling the role of surface, size, shape and defects of iron oxide nanoparticles for theranostic applications

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are well-known contrast agents for MRI for a wide range of sizes and shapes. Their use as theranostic agents requires a better understanding of their magnetic hyperthermia properties and also the design of a biocompatible coating ensuring their stealth and a good biodistribution to allow targeting of specific diseases. Here, biocompatible IONPs of two different shapes (spherical and octopod) were designed and tested in vitro and in vivo to evaluate their abilities as high-end theranostic agents. IONPs featured a dendron coating that was shown to provide anti-fouling properties and a small hydrodynamic size favoring an in vivo circulation of the dendronized IONPs. While dendronized nanospheres of about 22 nm size revealed good combined theranostic properties (r2 = 303 mM s−1, SAR = 395 W gFe−1), octopods with a mean size of 18 nm displayed unprecedented characteristics to simultaneously act as MRI contrast agents and magnetic hyperthermia agents (r2 = 405 mM s−1, SAR = 950 W gFe−1). The extensive structural and magnetic characterization of the two dendronized IONPs reveals clear shape, surface and defect effects explaining their high performance. The octopods seem to induce unusual surface effects evidenced by different characterization techniques while the nanospheres show high internal defects favoring Néel relaxation for magnetic hyperthermia. The study of octopods with different sizes showed that Néel relaxation dominates at sizes below 20 nm while the Brownian one occurs at higher sizes. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the magnetic heating capability of octopods occurs especially at low frequencies. The coupling of a small amount of glucose on dendronized octopods succeeded in internalizing them and showing an effect of MH on tumor growth. All measurements evidenced a particular signature of octopods, which is attributed to higher anisotropy, surface effects and/or magnetic field inhomogeneity induced by tips. This approach aiming at an analysis of the structure–property relationships is important to design efficient theranostic nanoparticles.The Region Alsace, France, and the Labex Chimie des Systemes Complexes, University of Strasbourg, France are gratefully acknowledged for the doctoral fellowship to Geoffrey Cotin. This research project was also co-funded by Labex CSC, Alsace contre le cancer, INCA (project PRTK14, THERAMAG 2014-225) and the INTERREG project NANOTRANSMED. The “NANOTRANSMED” project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by the Swiss Confederation and the Swiss cantons of Aargau, Basel-Landschaft and Basel-Stadt, in the framework of the INTERREG V Upper Rhine program (“Transcending borders with every project”). The authors thank Morgane Rabineau for epifluorescence imaging and Nadia Messaddeq for TEM imaging of cells. The authors thank the Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (CMMI, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Walloon Region). This work was supported by the Fond National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS), UIAP VII, ARC Programs of the French Community of Belgium and the Walloon region (Gadolymph and Holocancer programs). All the authors acknowledge the COST action TD1402 “RADIOMAG”. D. Ortega and F. J. Teran acknowledge support from the ‘Severo Ochoa’ Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (MINECO, Grant SEV-2016-0686), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for the NANOLICO project (MAT2017-85617-R), the Spanish Ministry of Science through the NaNoCAR grant PID2020-117544RB-I00, the Ramón y Cajal grant RYC2018-025253-I and Research Networks grant RED2018-102626-T, the HEATOOLS project (BIO2017-84246-C2-1-R), the Comunidad de Madrid for grant NANOMAGCOST (P2018/NMT-4321), DGA for public funding from Fondo Social (grupos DGA), and the European Commission for the funding received through the H2020 “NoCanTher” project (GA No. 685795).Peer reviewe

A modified Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score for dengue: development, evaluation and proposal for use in clinical trials

Background Dengue is a neglected tropical disease, for which no therapeutic agents have shown clinical efficacy to date. Clinical trials have used strikingly variable clinical endpoints, which hampers reproducibility and comparability of findings. We investigated a delta modified Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (delta mSOFA) score as a uniform composite clinical endpoint for use in clinical trials investigating therapeutics for moderate and severe dengue. Methods We developed a modified SOFA score for dengue, measured and evaluated its performance at baseline and 48 h after enrolment in a prospective observational cohort of 124 adults admitted to a tertiary referral hospital in Vietnam with dengue shock. The modified SOFA score included pulse pressure in the cardiovascular component. Binary logistic regression, cox proportional hazard and linear regression models were used to estimate association between mSOFA, delta mSOFA and clinical outcomes. Results The analysis included 124 adults with dengue shock. 29 (23.4%) patients required ICU admission for organ support or due to persistent haemodynamic instability: 9/124 (7.3%) required mechanical ventilation, 8/124 (6.5%) required vasopressors, 6/124 (4.8%) required haemofiltration and 5/124 (4.0%) patients died. In univariate analyses, higher baseline and delta (48 h) mSOFA score for dengue were associated with admission to ICU, requirement for organ support and mortality, duration of ICU and hospital admission and IV fluid use. Conclusions The baseline and delta mSOFA scores for dengue performed well to discriminate patients with dengue shock by clinical outcomes, including duration of ICU and hospital admission, requirement for organ support and death. We plan to use delta mSOFA as the primary endpoint in an upcoming host-directed therapeutic trial and investigate the performance of this score in other phenotypes of severe dengue in adults and children

The first myriapod genome sequence reveals conservative arthropod gene content and genome organisation in the centipede Strigamia maritima.

Myriapods (e.g., centipedes and millipedes) display a simple homonomous body plan relative to other arthropods. All members of the class are terrestrial, but they attained terrestriality independently of insects. Myriapoda is the only arthropod class not represented by a sequenced genome. We present an analysis of the genome of the centipede Strigamia maritima. It retains a compact genome that has undergone less gene loss and shuffling than previously sequenced arthropods, and many orthologues of genes conserved from the bilaterian ancestor that have been lost in insects. Our analysis locates many genes in conserved macro-synteny contexts, and many small-scale examples of gene clustering. We describe several examples where S. maritima shows different solutions from insects to similar problems. The insect olfactory receptor gene family is absent from S. maritima, and olfaction in air is likely effected by expansion of other receptor gene families. For some genes S. maritima has evolved paralogues to generate coding sequence diversity, where insects use alternate splicing. This is most striking for the Dscam gene, which in Drosophila generates more than 100,000 alternate splice forms, but in S. maritima is encoded by over 100 paralogues. We see an intriguing linkage between the absence of any known photosensory proteins in a blind organism and the additional absence of canonical circadian clock genes. The phylogenetic position of myriapods allows us to identify where in arthropod phylogeny several particular molecular mechanisms and traits emerged. For example, we conclude that juvenile hormone signalling evolved with the emergence of the exoskeleton in the arthropods and that RR-1 containing cuticle proteins evolved in the lineage leading to Mandibulata. We also identify when various gene expansions and losses occurred. The genome of S. maritima offers us a unique glimpse into the ancestral arthropod genome, while also displaying many adaptations to its specific life history.This work was supported by the following grants: NHGRIU54HG003273 to R.A.G; EU Marie Curie ITN #215781 “Evonet” to M.A.; a Wellcome Trust Value in People (VIP) award to C.B. and Wellcome Trust graduate studentship WT089615MA to J.E.G; Marine rhythms of Life” of the University of Vienna, an FWF (http://www.fwf.ac.at/) START award (#AY0041321) and HFSP (http://www.hfsp.org/) research grant (#RGY0082/2010) to KT-­‐R; MFPL Vienna International PostDoctoral Program for Molecular Life Sciences (funded by Austrian Ministry of Science and Research and City of Vienna, Cultural Department -­‐Science and Research to T.K; Direct Grant (4053034) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to J.H.L.H.; NHGRI HG004164 to G.M.; Danish Research Agency (FNU), Carlsberg Foundation, and Lundbeck Foundation to C.J.P.G.; U.S. National Institutes of Health R01AI55624 to J.H.W.; Royal Society University Research fellowship to F.M.J.; P.D.E. was supported by the BBSRC via the Babraham Institute;This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from PLOS via http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.100200