First case of yellow fever in French Guiana since 1902.

The first case of yellow fever in French Guiana since 1902 was reported in March 1998. The yellow fever virus genome was detected in postmortem liver biopsies by seminested polymerase chain reaction. Sequence analysis showed that this strain was most closely related to strains from Brazil and Ecuador

EPIdemiology of Surgery-Associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) : Study protocol for a multicentre, observational trial

More than 300 million surgical procedures are performed each year. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after major surgery and is associated with adverse short-term and long-term outcomes. However, there is a large variation in the incidence of reported AKI rates. The establishment of an accurate epidemiology of surgery-associated AKI is important for healthcare policy, quality initiatives, clinical trials, as well as for improving guidelines. The objective of the Epidemiology of Surgery-associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) trial is to prospectively evaluate the epidemiology of AKI after major surgery using the latest Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) consensus definition of AKI. EPIS-AKI is an international prospective, observational, multicentre cohort study including 10 000 patients undergoing major surgery who are subsequently admitted to the ICU or a similar high dependency unit. The primary endpoint is the incidence of AKI within 72 hours after surgery according to the KDIGO criteria. Secondary endpoints include use of renal replacement therapy (RRT), mortality during ICU and hospital stay, length of ICU and hospital stay and major adverse kidney events (combined endpoint consisting of persistent renal dysfunction, RRT and mortality) at day 90. Further, we will evaluate preoperative and intraoperative risk factors affecting the incidence of postoperative AKI. In an add-on analysis, we will assess urinary biomarkers for early detection of AKI. EPIS-AKI has been approved by the leading Ethics Committee of the Medical Council North Rhine-Westphalia, of the Westphalian Wilhelms-University Münster and the corresponding Ethics Committee at each participating site. Results will be disseminated widely and published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences and used to design further AKI-related trials. Trial registration number NCT04165369

Semiologie et design : forme / fonction / valeur semantiques et culture d'entreprise

Available from INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : AR 16442 (1); AR 16442 (2) / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueSIGLEMinistere de l'Enseignement Superieur et de la Recherche, 75 - Paris (France)FRFranc

Une géométrie critique des lasers contenant des effets de lentille. II: Commentaire à « sur la longueur critique d'un laser » par G. Stephan

We give the result of an experiment which shows that the critical length, predicted in the frame of the ABCD matrix formalism, exists when the active medium fills the cavity. The critical length concept does not require the mean-field approximation hypothesis.Nous donnons le résultat d'une expérience qui montre que la géométrie critique, prévue par le formalisme de la matrice ABCD, existe lorsque le milieu remplit la cavité. Le concept de longueur critique n'exige pas l'hypothèse du champ moyen

A critical geometry for lasers with internal lenslike effects

We point out here an interesting property concerning Gaussian mode size evolution when a thin lens or induced lenslike effects are inserted in a laser cavity. When the distance d between mirrors of a half-symmetric Fabry-Perot with a lens at half-length is changed, the variations of the mode size at the curved mirror cancel for dc ≅ 4 R/5, and change sign when d ≧ dc (where R is the mirror curvature radius). This property explains simply opposite asymmetries observable on Lamb dips, saturated absorption peaks, and intracavity absorption spectroscopy resonances. The experimental verification is performed on the Lamb dip at 3.39 μm by diffracted light spectroscopy.Nous signalons une propriété intéressante concernant l'évolution de la taille d'un mode Gaussien lorsqu'une lentille mince ou une lentille induite répartie est insérée dans une cavité laser. Si on allonge une cavité Fabry-Perot plan concave contenant une lentille placée à mi-distance des miroirs, les variations de taille de mode sur le miroir concave s'annulent pour d c ≅ 4 R/5 et changent de signe pour d ≧ d c, R étant le rayon de courbure du miroir concave. Cette propriété explique simplement les dissymétries opposées observables sur le Lamb dip, les pics d'absorption saturée et les résonances de la spectroscopie d'absorption intracavité. La vérification expérimentale est faite sur le Lamb dip à 3,39 μm grâce à la spectroscopie du diffracté

Continuous operation of an odd parity Lorentz Invariance test in electrodynamics using a microwave interferometer

We present results from an odd parity test of Lorentz invariance in electrodynamics, based on a rotating microwave interferometer with permeable material in one arm. The experiment has been operating continuously since September 2007. Results set a limit on the standard model extension (SME) scalar Lorentz violating parameter, kappa(tr), of -0.8plusmn3.6times10⁻⁷.Michael E. Tobar, Eugene N. Ivanov, Paul L. Stanwix, Jean-Michel le Floch, John G. Hartnet

Identification of genes regulating growth and fatness traits in pig through hypothalamic transcriptome analysis

Previous studies on Iberian x Landrace (IBMAP) pig intercrosses have enabled the identification of several QTL regions related to growth and fatness traits; however the genetic variation underlying those QTLs are still unknown. These traits are not only relevant because of their impact on economically important production traits, but also because pig constitutes a widely studied animal model for human obesity and obesity related diseases. The hypothalamus is the main gland regulating growth, food intake and fat accumulation. Therefore, the aim of this work was to identify genes and/or gene transcripts involved in the determination of growth and fatness in pig by a comparison of the whole hypothalamic transcriptome (RNA-seq) in two groups of phenotypically divergent IBMAP pigs. Around 16,000 of the ~25.010 annotated genes were expressed in these hypothalamic samples, with most of them showing intermediate expression levels. Functional analyses supported the key role of the hypothalamus in the regulation of growth, fat accumulation and energy expenditure. Besides, 58,927 potentially new isoforms were detected. More than 250 differentially expressed genes and novel transcript isoforms were identified between the two groups of pigs. Twenty-one DE genes/transcripts that co-localized in previously identified QTL regions and/or whose biological functions are related to the traits of interest were explored in more detail. Additionally, the transcription factors potentially regulating these genes and the subjacent networks and pathways were also analyzed. This study allows us to propose strong candidate genes for growth and fatness based on expression patterns, genomic location and network interaction

"Should I watch it again?" An exploratory study on how middle school students interact with videos

International audienc