Variable compliance device for a respiratory physiotherapy training simulator

Matériaux et outils pour la santéInternational audienceSemi active devices to modify the stiffness or the damping of systems received significant attention in the recent years. In this paper, two solutions of a variable compliance device to change the physiotherapists feeling of the thorax compliance of a 6-month old infant torso training simulator are presented. A first solution, using a variable orifice device which allows to change the compliance by changing the radius of a flow pipe is proposed. Another solution is to use a magnetorheological fluid damper. Both systems are presented in detail and discussed especially for their applicability to be integrated in the simulator

PHARAO Laser Source Flight Model: Design and Performances

In this paper, we describe the design and the main performances of the PHARAO laser source flight model. PHARAO is a laser cooled cesium clock specially designed for operation in space and the laser source is one of the main sub-systems. The flight model presented in this work is the first remote-controlled laser system designed for spaceborne cold atom manipulation. The main challenges arise from mechanical compatibility with space constraints, which impose a high level of compactness, a low electric power consumption, a wide range of operating temperature and a vacuum environment. We describe the main functions of the laser source and give an overview of the main technologies developed for this instrument. We present some results of the qualification process. The characteristics of the laser source flight model, and their impact on the clock performances, have been verified in operational conditions.Comment: Accepted for publication in Review of Scientific Instrument

The influence of localised size reorganisation on short-duration bidispersed granular flows

We investigate experimentally the runout resulting from the collapse of a granular column containing two particle species that differ in size only. The experimental configuration is strictly twodimensional (only one particle per width of the experimental tank) and we explore both the role of the initial arrangement and proportion of the two particle sizes in the column, using high-speed videography, and by determining the centres of mass of the big and small particles in the initial column and the final deposit. The duration of the experiment is sufficiently short that large-scale segregation does not occur, however, we find a clear dependence of runout on both initial mixture arrangement and proportion for all conditions. We investigated this observation through detailed analysis of the flow front motion, and identify a characteristic "stopping" phase when dissipation dominates, and we apply a shallow layer model at the flow front to show how the initial mixture arrangement and proportion influence the effective coefficient of friction during emplacement. We find that a bidispersed mixture can induce a larger friction on emplacement than a monodispersed mixture, and the highest coefficient of friction was found for a well-mixed initial arrangement of particles at the proportion that shows maximum horizontal spreading of the flow. These observations suggest that downwards percolation of fine particles takes place at the front of the collapsing column, and so localised size segregation processes at the flow front can control flow mobility. This effect is likely to be important in controlling the mobility of large geophysical flows that occur on finite time scales, and whose deposits typically show granular segregation at the front and edges but not throughout the entire deposit

Genetic landscape of pediatric acute liver failure of indeterminate origin.

BACKGROUND AIMS Pediatric acute liver failure (PALF) is a life-threatening condition. In Europe, main causes are viral infections (12-16%) and inherited metabolic diseases (14-28%). Yet, in up to 50% of cases the underlying etiology remains elusive, challenging clinical management, including liver transplantation. We systematically studied indeterminate PALF cases referred for genetic evaluation by whole-exome sequencing (WES), and analyzed phenotypic and biochemical markers, and the diagnostic yield of WES in this condition. METHODS With this international, multicenter observational study, patients (0-18 y) with indeterminate PALF were analyzed by WES. Data on the clinical and biochemical phenotype were retrieved and systematically analyzed. RESULTS In total, 260 indeterminate PALF patients from 19 countries were recruited between 2011 and 2022, of whom 59 had recurrent PALF (RALF). WES established a genetic diagnosis in 37% of cases (97/260). Diagnostic yield was highest in children with PALF in the first year of life (46%), and in children with RALF (64%). Thirty-six distinct disease genes were identified. Defects in NBAS (n=20), MPV17 (n=8) and DGUOK (n=7) were the most frequent findings. When categorizing, most frequent were mitochondrial diseases (45%), disorders of vesicular trafficking (28%) and cytosolic aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase deficiencies (10%). One-third of patients had a fatal outcome. Fifty-six patients received liver transplants. CONCLUSION This study elucidates a large contribution of genetic causes in PALF of indeterminate origin with an increasing spectrum of disease entities. The high proportion of diagnosed cases and potential treatment implications argue for exome or in future rapid genome sequencing in PALF diagnostics

Clinical spectrum of MTOR-related hypomelanosis of Ito with neurodevelopmental abnormalities.

PURPOSE: Hypomelanosis of Ito (HI) is a skin marker of somatic mosaicism. Mosaic MTOR pathogenic variants have been reported in HI with brain overgrowth. We sought to delineate further the pigmentary skin phenotype and clinical spectrum of neurodevelopmental manifestations of MTOR-related HI. METHODS: From two cohorts totaling 71 patients with pigmentary mosaicism, we identified 14 patients with Blaschko-linear and one with flag-like pigmentation abnormalities, psychomotor impairment or seizures, and a postzygotic MTOR variant in skin. Patient records, including brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) were reviewed. Immunostaining (n = 3) for melanocyte markers and ultrastructural studies (n = 2) were performed on skin biopsies. RESULTS: MTOR variants were present in skin, but absent from blood in half of cases. In a patient (p.[Glu2419Lys] variant), phosphorylation of p70S6K was constitutively increased. In hypopigmented skin of two patients, we found a decrease in stage 4 melanosomes in melanocytes and keratinocytes. Most patients (80%) had macrocephaly or (hemi)megalencephaly on MRI. CONCLUSION: MTOR-related HI is a recognizable neurocutaneous phenotype of patterned dyspigmentation, epilepsy, intellectual deficiency, and brain overgrowth, and a distinct subtype of hypomelanosis related to somatic mosaicism. Hypopigmentation may be due to a defect in melanogenesis, through mTORC1 activation, similar to hypochromic patches in tuberous sclerosis complex

Genetic landscape of pediatric acute liver failure of indeterminate origin

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Pediatric acute liver failure (PALF) is a life-threatening condition. In Europe, the main causes are viral infections (12%-16%) and inherited metabolic diseases (14%-28%). Yet, in up to 50% of cases the underlying etiology remains elusive, challenging clinical management, including liver transplantation. We systematically studied indeterminate PALF cases referred for genetic evaluation by whole-exome sequencing (WES), and analyzed phenotypic and biochemical markers, and the diagnostic yield of WES in this condition. APPROACH AND RESULTS: With this international, multicenter observational study, patients (0-18 y) with indeterminate PALF were analyzed by WES. Data on the clinical and biochemical phenotype were retrieved and systematically analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 260 indeterminate PALF patients from 19 countries were recruited between 2011 and 2022, of whom 59 had recurrent PALF. WES established a genetic diagnosis in 37% of cases (97/260). Diagnostic yield was highest in children with PALF in the first year of life (41%), and in children with recurrent acute liver failure (64%). Thirty-six distinct disease genes were identified. Defects in NBAS (n=20), MPV17 (n=8), and DGUOK (n=7) were the most frequent findings. When categorizing, the most frequent were mitochondrial diseases (45%), disorders of vesicular trafficking (28%), and cytosolic aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase deficiencies (10%). One-third of patients had a fatal outcome. Fifty-six patients received liver transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidates a large contribution of genetic causes in PALF of indeterminate origin with an increasing spectrum of disease entities. The high proportion of diagnosed cases and potential treatment implications argue for exome or in future rapid genome sequencing in PALF diagnostics

Etude des composites piézo-électriques 1.3 pour applications électroacoustiques sous-marines.

Cette étude concerne l\u27évaluation dans la gamme de fréquence 200-500kHz de composites 1.3 construits à partir de différents types et différentes fractions volumiques de PZT, pour des applications sous marines. En s\u27appuyant sur le bon accord entre le modèle KLM et la mesure, il est montré qu\u27en émission bas niveau, les meilleurs candidats sont les composites à 40-60% de p194 (Navy VI). Des sensibilités de 180dB (ref 1microPa/V@1m) peuvent être obtenues, avec des bandes passantes de 10 à 15%. En réception, les meilleures sensibilités (-170dB ref 1V/microPa) sont obtenues avec des composites à 10% de P762 (Navy I). En connectant une charge électrique d\u27égale impédance au transducteur, le rendement de conversion méca-électrique peut être optimisé aux fréquences de résonance et d\u27antirésonance et être supérieur au coefficient de transmission calculé à partir des impédance acoustiques des milieux. Les composites à 40-50% de P189 (Navy III) présentent les meilleurs rendement de conversion (0.5 dB). Sous haut ..

Elaboration of a flexible electroemissive device based on interpenetrating polymer networks

Ces travaux de thèse ont permis d'élaborer un dispositif électroémissif (DEE) fin (140 µm) et flexible à base de réseaux interpénétrés de polymères (RIP). Pour ce faire, un polymère conducteur électronique, le poly (3,4-éthylènedioxythiophène) (PEDOT), est interpénétré dans une matrice hôte de manière à obtenir un système dont l'architecture monobloc est comparable à celle d'un dispositif tri-couches. Une fois le système gonflé par un liquide ionique, le 1-éthyl-3-méthylimidazolium bis-trifluorométhylsulfonylimide (EMImTFSI), les propriétés optiques du DEE sont modulables entre 24 et 51 % de réflexion dans le moyen infrarouge (bande III) en faisant varier la tension électrique appliquée aux bornes du dispositif de -1,5V à +1,5V. Les propriétés thermomécaniques du DEE proviennent essentiellement de la matrice hôte. Cette dernière est un RIP combinant la souplesse, la flexibilité et la résistance à la traction du caoutchouc nitrile (NBR) aux propriétés de conductivité ionique du poly(oxyde d'éthylène) (POE) en présence de l'EMImTFSI.During this thesis a thin (140 µm) and flexible electroemissive device (EED), based on interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN), was elaborated. An electronic conducting polymer, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), is interpenetrated in a host matrix to obtain a system whose monoblock architecture is comparable to a three-layers device. Once the system is swollen by an ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis-trifluoromethyl sulfonylimide (EMImTFSI), the EED optical properties are tunable between 24 and 51% reflection in the mid-infrared (Band III) by varying the electrical voltage applied across the device from -1.5 V to +1.5 V. The EED thermomechanical properties are mainly from the host matrix. This is an IPN combining flexibility and tensile strength of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) with the ionic conductivity properties of poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) in the presence of EMImTFSI