The magnetic obliquity of accreting T Tauri stars

Classical T Tauri stars (CTTS) accrete material from their discs through their magnetospheres. The geometry of the accretion flow strongly depends on the magnetic obliquity, i.e., the angle between the rotational and magnetic axes. We aim at deriving the distribution of magnetic obliquities in a sample of 10 CTTSs. For this, we monitored the radial velocity variations of the HeI$\lambda$5876 line in these stars' spectra along their rotational cycle. HeI is produced in the accretion shock, close to the magnetic pole. When the magnetic and rotational axes are not aligned, the radial velocity of this line is modulated by stellar rotation. The amplitude of modulation is related to the star's projected rotational velocity, $v\sin i$, and the latitude of the hotspot. By deriving $v\sin i$ and HeI$\lambda$5876 radial velocity curves from our spectra we thus obtain an estimate of the magnetic obliquities. We find an average obliquity in our sample of 11.4$^{\circ}$ with an rms dispersion of 5.4$^{\circ}$. The magnetic axis thus seems nearly, but not exactly aligned with the rotational axis in these accreting T Tauri stars, somewhat in disagreement with studies of spectropolarimetry, which have found a significant misalignment ($\gtrsim 20^{\circ}$) for several CTTSs. This could simply be an effect of low number statistics, or it may be due to a selection bias of our sample. We discuss possible biases that our sample may be subject to. We also find tentative evidence that the magnetic obliquity may vary according to the stellar interior and that there may be a significant difference between fully convective and partly radiative stars.Comment: 28 pages (including online material), 25 figure

Front Pediatr

BACKGROUND: Nutritional status is a major prognostic factor for breathing and the survival of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Since 2012, the development of CFTR modulators has considerably transformed the outcome of this disease. Indeed, both lung function and body mass index are improved by CFTR modulators, such as Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor. However, few data exist regarding the outcome of nutritional intakes under Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor. METHODS: We conducted a prospective single-center study in children with CF treated with Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor to evaluate their nutritional intake before and after treatment. RESULTS: Thirty-four children were included in this study, with a median age of 12.4 years [11.9; 14.7]. There was no significant improvement in weight, height or BMI. Patients' total energy intake was not significantly changed with Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor, while carbohydrate intakes decreased significantly. We found that blood levels of vitamin E and Selenium were significantly increased under Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor, without a significant increase in supplementation. In patients with a BMI Z-score < 0 at treatment initiation, there was a significant improvement in weight and BMI Z-score, while TEI and carbohydrate intakes were significantly lower. CONCLUSION: We showed that treatment with Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor improved the nutritional status of patients without necessarily being associated with an increase in nutritional intake. Although these data need to be confirmed in larger cohorts, they support the hypothesis that weight gain under modulators is multifactorial, and may be related to a decrease in energy expenditure or an improvement in absorption

Nutritional impact of CFTR modulators in children with cystic fibrosis

BackgroundNutritional status is a major prognostic factor for breathing and the survival of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Since 2012, the development of CFTR modulators has considerably transformed the outcome of this disease. Indeed, both lung function and body mass index are improved by CFTR modulators, such as Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor. However, few data exist regarding the outcome of nutritional intakes under Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor.MethodsWe conducted a prospective single-center study in children with CF treated with Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor to evaluate their nutritional intake before and after treatmentResultsThirty-four children were included in this study, with a median age of 12.4 years [11.9; 14.7]. There was no significant improvement in weight, height or BMI. Patients' total energy intake was not significantly changed with Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor, while carbohydrate intakes decreased significantly. We found that blood levels of vitamin E and Selenium were significantly increased under Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor, without a significant increase in supplementation. In patients with a BMI Z-score &lt; 0 at treatment initiation, there was a significant improvement in weight and BMI Z-score, while TEI and carbohydrate intakes were significantly lower.ConclusionWe showed that treatment with Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor improved the nutritional status of patients without necessarily being associated with an increase in nutritional intake. Although these data need to be confirmed in larger cohorts, they support the hypothesis that weight gain under modulators is multifactorial, and may be related to a decrease in energy expenditure or an improvement in absorption

The impact of COVID-19 on gender inequality in the labor market : Unemployment rate between men and women in France

This paper studies the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender inequality in France. The recent covid pandemic has given rise to the concern that women may have been more strongly affected by this pandemic. We will focus the research question on the differences in unemployment rates between men and women in France. We find that the covid pandemic had limited effects on women’s unemployment (compared to men) using a difference-in-difference approach on two datasets with one using quarterly data divided into age groups and gender and one which uses annual, regional data, and gender

The impact of COVID-19 on gender inequality in the labor market : Unemployment rate between men and women in France

This paper studies the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender inequality in France. The recent covid pandemic has given rise to the concern that women may have been more strongly affected by this pandemic. We will focus the research question on the differences in unemployment rates between men and women in France. We find that the covid pandemic had limited effects on women’s unemployment (compared to men) using a difference-in-difference approach on two datasets with one using quarterly data divided into age groups and gender and one which uses annual, regional data, and gender

Machine learning and brain imaging for psychiatric disorders: new perspective

International audiencePsychiatric disorders include a broad panel of heterogeneous conditions. Among the most severe psychiatric diseases, in intensity and incidence, depression will affect 15–20% of the population in their lifetime, schizophrenia 0.7–1%, and bipolar disorder 1–2.5%. Today, the diagnosis is solely based on clinical evaluation, causing major issues since it is subjective and as different diseases can present similar symptoms. These limitations in diagnosis lead to limitations in the classification of psychiatric diseases and treatments. There is therefore a great need for new biomarkers, usable at an individual level. Among them, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows to measure potential brain abnormalities in patients with psychiatric disorders. This creates datasets with high dimensionality and very subtle variations between healthy subjects and patients, making machine and statistical learning ideal tools to extract biomarkers from these data. Machine learning brings different tools that could be useful to tackle these issues. On the one hand, supervised learning can support automated classification between different psychiatric conditions. On the other hand, unsupervised learning could allow the identification of new homogeneous subgroups of patients, refining our understanding of the classification of these disorders. In this chapter, we will review current research applying machine learning tools to brain imaging in psychiatry, and we will discuss its interest, limitations, and future applications

Genetic consequences of long-term isolation for the last French population of Eryngium viviparum 1

14 15 Eryngium viviparum (Apiaceae) is an endangered endemic plant of the Atlantic region of Europe, 16 growing in seasonally flooded sites. The species is characterized by a highly disjunct distribution. 17 Indeed, it occurs only in a few sites in the NorthWest part of the Iberian Peninsula and in a single 18 locality in France. In order to improve the conservation status of Eryngium viviparum in France, a 19 conservation program has been implemented, which plans reintroduction actions. Before considering 20 such an operation, genetic studies are conducted in order to determine the genetic status of the last 21 French population and to identify the genetic source that should be considered for the best 22 reintroduction strategy. Using microsatellite markers, we documented the genetic structure of the last 23 French population, and compared its genetic diversity with ten Iberian populations, which cover the 2

Biological warfare between Drosophila species hints for sustainable crop protection

Species that share the same ecological niche often avoid costly competition with contextdependent behaviors. This is the case of the invasive insect pest Drosophila suzukii that can develop in ripe fruit where it encounters Drosophila melanogaster . Previous research showed D. suzukii prevents costly larval competition by not ovipositing in substrates with D. melanogaster eggs. We discovered D. suzukii females respond to cues produced by bacteria in the gut microbiome of D. melanogaster . This behavior of D. suzukii varied over time and among populations, revealing subtle condition-dependence. In particular, D. suzukii females that bore D. melanogaster bacteria stopped avoiding sites with D. melanogaster cues. The adaptive significance of the behavior was investigated by reproducing experimentally in-fruit larval competition. D. suzukii larvae only suffered from competition with D. melanogaster if the competitor was associated to its microbiota, suggesting D. suzukii has evolved a solution to avoid offspring develops in challenging environments. We argue that D. suzukii’s competition avoidance behavior has features enabling the design of an evolution-proof repellent to protect crops

Dual impact of live Staphylococcus aureus on the osteoclast lineage, leading to increased bone resorption

International audienceBACKGROUND: Bone and joint infection, mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, characterized by severe inflammation and progressive bone destruction. Studies mostly focused on the interaction between S. aureus and osteoblasts, the bone matrix-forming cells, while interactions between S. aureus and osteoclasts, the only cells known to be able to degrade bone, have been poorly explored. METHODS: We developed an in vitro infection model of primary murine osteoclasts to study the direct impact of live S. aureus on osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity. RESULTS: Staphylococcal infection of bone marrow-derived osteoclast precursors induced their differentiation into activated macrophages that actively secreted proinflammatory cytokines. These cytokines enhanced the bone resorption capacity of uninfected mature osteoclasts and promoted osteoclastogenesis of the uninfected precursors at the site of infection. Moreover, infection of mature osteoclasts by live S. aureus directly enhanced their ability to resorb bone by promoting cellular fusion. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlighted two complementary mechanisms involved in bone loss during bone and joint infection, suggesting that osteoclasts could be a pivotal target for limiting bone destruction