A time-Frequency Application with the Stokes-Woodward technique

In a recent paper, we have generalized Woodward's theorem and applied it to the case of random signals jointly modulated in amplitude and frequency. This generalization yields a new spectral technique to estimate the amount of energy due to mode coupling without calling for higher-order statistics. Two power spectra are detected; the first is related to the independent modes and the second contains extra energy caused by mode coupling. This detection is now extended from frequency to timefrequency domain. A comparison between a wavelet transform and our time-frequency technique shows good agreement along with new insight into the time occurrence of the nonlinearities or mode coupling. Application to water surface waves is given in this letter as an example

Versailles project on advanced materials and standards (VAMAS) interlaboratory study on measuring the number concentration of colloidal gold nanoparticles

We describe the outcome of a large international interlaboratory study of the measurement of particle number concentration of colloidal nanoparticles, project 10 of the technical working area 34, "Nanoparticle Populations" of the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS). A total of 50 laboratories delivered results for the number concentration of 30 nm gold colloidal nanoparticles measured using particle tracking analysis (PTA), single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) light spectroscopy, centrifugal liquid sedimentation (CLS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The study provides quantitative data to evaluate the repeatability of these methods and their reproducibility in the measurement of number concentration of model nanoparticle systems following a common measurement protocol. We find that the population-averaging methods of SAXS, CLS and UV-Vis have high measurement repeatability and reproducibility, with between-labs variability of 2.6%, 11% and 1.4% respectively. However, results may be significantly biased for reasons including inaccurate material properties whose values are used to compute the number concentration. Particle-counting method results are less reproducibile than population-averaging methods, with measured between-labs variability of 68% and 46% for PTA and spICP-MS respectively. This study provides the stakeholder community with important comparative data to underpin measurement reproducibility and method validation for number concentration of nanoparticles

Versailles project on advanced materials and standards (VAMAS) interlaboratory study on measuring the number concentration of colloidal gold nanoparticles

We describe the outcome of a large international interlaboratory study of the measurement of particle number concentration of colloidal nanoparticles, project 10 of the technical working area 34, "Nanoparticle Populations" of the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS). A total of 50 laboratories delivered results for the number concentration of 30 nm gold colloidal nanoparticles measured using particle tracking analysis (PTA), single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) light spectroscopy, centrifugal liquid sedimentation (CLS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The study provides quantitative data to evaluate the repeatability of these methods and their reproducibility in the measurement of number concentration of model nanoparticle systems following a common measurement protocol. We find that the population-averaging methods of SAXS, CLS and UV-Vis have high measurement repeatability and reproducibility, with between-labs variability of 2.6%, 11% and 1.4% respectively. However, results may be significantly biased for reasons including inaccurate material properties whose values are used to compute the number concentration. Particle-counting method results are less reproducibile than population-averaging methods, with measured between-labs variability of 68% and 46% for PTA and spICP-MS respectively. This study provides the stakeholder community with important comparative data to underpin measurement reproducibility and method validation for number concentration of nanoparticles

The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit: a consolidated design for the system requirement review of the preliminary definition phase

The Athena X-ray Integral Unit (X-IFU) is the high resolution X-ray spectrometer, studied since 2015 for flying in the mid-30s on the Athena space X-ray Observatory, a versatile observatory designed to address the Hot and Energetic Universe science theme, selected in November 2013 by the Survey Science Committee. Based on a large format array of Transition Edge Sensors (TES), it aims to provide spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy, with a spectral resolution of 2.5 eV (up to 7 keV) over an hexagonal field of view of 5 arc minutes (equivalent diameter). The X-IFU entered its System Requirement Review (SRR) in June 2022, at about the same time when ESA called for an overall X-IFU redesign (including the X-IFU cryostat and the cooling chain), due to an unanticipated cost overrun of Athena. In this paper, after illustrating the breakthrough capabilities of the X-IFU, we describe the instrument as presented at its SRR, browsing through all the subsystems and associated requirements. We then show the instrument budgets, with a particular emphasis on the anticipated budgets of some of its key performance parameters. Finally we briefly discuss on the ongoing key technology demonstration activities, the calibration and the activities foreseen in the X-IFU Instrument Science Center, and touch on communication and outreach activities, the consortium organisation, and finally on the life cycle assessment of X-IFU aiming at minimising the environmental footprint, associated with the development of the instrument. Thanks to the studies conducted so far on X-IFU, it is expected that along the design-to-cost exercise requested by ESA, the X-IFU will maintain flagship capabilities in spatially resolved high resolution X-ray spectroscopy, enabling most of the original X-IFU related scientific objectives of the Athena mission to be retained. (abridged).Comment: 48 pages, 29 figures, Accepted for publication in Experimental Astronomy with minor editin

The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit: a consolidated design for the system requirement review of the preliminary definition phase

The Athena X-ray Integral Unit (X-IFU) is the high resolution X-ray spectrometer studied since 2015 for flying in the mid-30s on the Athena space X-ray Observatory. Athena is a versatile observatory designed to address the Hot and Energetic Universe science theme, as selected in November 2013 by the Survey Science Committee. Based on a large format array of Transition Edge Sensors (TES), X-IFU aims to provide spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy, with a spectral resolution of 2.5 eV (up to 7 keV) over a hexagonal field of view of 5 arc minutes (equivalent diameter). The X-IFU entered its System Requirement Review (SRR) in June 2022, at about the same time when ESA called for an overall X-IFU redesign (including the X-IFU cryostat and the cooling chain), due to an unanticipated cost overrun of Athena. In this paper, after illustrating the breakthrough capabilities of the X-IFU, we describe the instrument as presented at its SRR (i.e. in the course of its preliminary definition phase, so-called B1), browsing through all the subsystems and associated requirements. We then show the instrument budgets, with a particular emphasis on the anticipated budgets of some of its key performance parameters, such as the instrument efficiency, spectral resolution, energy scale knowledge, count rate capability, non X-ray background and target of opportunity efficiency. Finally, we briefly discuss the ongoing key technology demonstration activities, the calibration and the activities foreseen in the X-IFU Instrument Science Center, touch on communication and outreach activities, the consortium organisation and the life cycle assessment of X-IFU aiming at minimising the environmental footprint, associated with the development of the instrument. Thanks to the studies conducted so far on X-IFU, it is expected that along the design-to-cost exercise requested by ESA, the X-IFU will maintain flagship capabilities in spatially resolved high resolution X-ray spectroscopy, enabling most of the original X-IFU related scientific objectives of the Athena mission to be retained. The X-IFU will be provided by an international consortium led by France, The Netherlands and Italy, with ESA member state contributions from Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, with additional contributions from the United States and Japan.The French contribution to X-IFU is funded by CNES, CNRS and CEA. This work has been also supported by ASI (Italian Space Agency) through the Contract 2019-27-HH.0, and by the ESA (European Space Agency) Core Technology Program (CTP) Contract No. 4000114932/15/NL/BW and the AREMBES - ESA CTP No.4000116655/16/NL/BW. This publication is part of grant RTI2018-096686-B-C21 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”. This publication is part of grant RTI2018-096686-B-C21 and PID2020-115325GB-C31 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033

Versailles project on advanced materials and standards (VAMAS) interlaboratory study on measuring the number concentration of colloidal gold nanoparticles

We describe the outcome of a large international interlaboratory study of the measurement of particle number concentration of colloidal nanoparticles, project 10 of the technical working area 34, "Nanoparticle Populations" of the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS). A total of 50 laboratories delivered results for the number concentration of 30 nm gold colloidal nanoparticles measured using particle tracking analysis (PTA), single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) light spectroscopy, centrifugal liquid sedimentation (CLS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The study provides quantitative data to evaluate the repeatability of these methods and their reproducibility in the measurement of number concentration of model nanoparticle systems following a common measurement protocol. We find that the population-averaging methods of SAXS, CLS and UV-Vis have high measurement repeatability and reproducibility, with between-labs variability of 2.6%, 11% and 1.4% respectively. However, results may be significantly biased for reasons including inaccurate material properties whose values are used to compute the number concentration. Particle-counting method results are less reproducibile than population-averaging methods, with measured between-labs variability of 68% and 46% for PTA and spICP-MS respectively. This study provides the stakeholder community with important comparative data to underpin measurement reproducibility and method validation for number concentration of nanoparticles

Transmission de l’information liée aux médicaments entre un centre hospitalier et une policlinique universitaires en Suisse : panorama et perspectives de continuité des soins

Résumé Objectifs : Identifier les barrières à la transmission de l’information entre le Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois et le Service de consultation générale ainsi que la pharmacie publique de la Policlinique médicale universitaire, situés sur un même site géographique, et proposer des outils pour améliorer cette transmission. Méthodologie : Cette étude descriptive a accompagné rétrospectivement le parcours de patients hospitalisés en 2006 et suivis régulièrement à la policlinique (médecine générale et pharmacie). Les sources d’information consultables ou non par la pharmacie et jugées utiles à la validation d’ordonnances ont été cartographiées. Résultats : Seize patients ont été suivis. Les informations administratives sont informatisées et accessibles à tous. Les dossiers médicaux sont encore majoritairement manuscrits, non partageables entre médecins et pharmaciens. Ils sont toutefois numérisés dans une base d’archivage accessible aux médecins. Certains services de l’hôpital ont un système de prescription informatisée. De son côté, la pharmacie de la policlinique gère les profils pharmacologiques de ses patients avec un logiciel non partagé informatiquement avec les médecins. Deux outils faciles à mettre en place sont proposés : un message automatique avertissant la pharmacie de l’hospitalisation de l’un de ses patients, pour permettre une transmission du profil pharmacologique au médecin et un accès à la lettre de congé pour améliorer la prise en charge des patients sortant de l’hôpital. Conclusion : La transmission d’informations est partielle entre les médecins de l’hôpital et de la policlinique et inexistante avec la pharmacie. Deux outils sont proposés pour y remédier. Abstract Objective: To identify barriers to information transmission between a university hospital, Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois, a general medicine service and the community pharmacy of a university outpatient clinic, Policlinique médicale universitaire, sharing a same geographic site, and to propose tools for improving pharmaceutical care. Methods: This descriptive study was retrospectively following routes of patients hospitalized in 2006 and having regular follow-up in outpatient clinic (GP and community pharmacy). A map was made for information sources, usually available or not for the community pharmacy, and considered as useful for pharmaceutical validation of prescriptions. Results: Sixteen patients were followed. Administrative information is computerized and available for everybody. Medical charts are mainly handwritten, not shared between physicians and pharmacists. However, they are scanned to an archive database available for physicians. Some hospital departments run a computerized prescription system. In outpatient clinic community pharmacy, patient medication database is managed by a software not available for physicians. Two tools easy to implement are proposed : a pop-up if a patient followed by the pharmacy is admitted to hospital, to allow pharmacist to contact hospital physician for medication history transmission and an access to discharge letter to improve prescription validation process after hospital discharge. Conclusion: Information transmission is partial between hospital and outpatient clinic physicians and is absent with community pharmacy. Two tools are proposed to improve this transmission. Keywords : seamless care; information; hospital; outpatient clinic

Effets de la restriction calorique chronique, ou d'un mimétique, sur les performances cognitives chez un primate non humain, microcebus murinus

La restriction calorique (RC) chronique et modérée est actuellement le seul protocole connu qui allonge significativement l'espérance de vie chez des espèces à courte durée de vie. La RC retarderait les manifestations d'un certain nombre de pathologies liées à l'âge tout en conservant l'intégrité des grandes fonctions physiologiques. Dans I'optique de tester les effets de la RC ou d'un potentiel mimétique, le Resvératrol (RES), sur les fonctions cognitives d'un primate, le Microcèbe, des tests comportementaux et moteurs ont été utilisés pour évaluer I'impact de 6 mois de régime alimentaire (RC ou RES) sur les performances des animaux, en comparaison avec des animaux adultes ou âgés témoins. Les animaux en RC ont des performances diminuées par rapport à leurs congénères qui sont en alimentation ad libitum et sous RES en ce qui concerne la mémorisation spatiale, tandis que les individus sous RES ont un meilleur taux d'alternance totale que les contrôles. Aucun déficit moteur n'est observé, sauf pour les animaux âgés. La RC semble donc avoir un effet négatif sur certaines fonctions cognitives, alors que le RES aurait un effet positif. Le suivi de ces animaux à long terme permettra d'avoir un effet plus marqué du régime alimentaire sur les déficits cognitifs et moteurs apparaissant avec l'âge.TOULOUSE-EN Vétérinaire (315552301) / SudocMAISONS-ALFORT-Ecole Vétérin (940462302) / SudocSudocFranceF

Médicaments génériques et biosimilaires : une panacée ?

Drugs are the third largest source of expenditure under Switzerland's compulsory basic health insurance. Generics, the price of which should be at least 30 per cent less than the cost of the original drugs, can potentially allow substantial savings. Their approval requires bioequivalence studies and their use is safe, although some factors may influence patients' and physicians' acceptance. The increased substitution of biosimilar drugs for more expensive biotech drugs should allow further cost savings. In an attempt to extend the monopoly granted by the original drug patent, some pharmaceutical companies implement "evergreening" strategies including small modifications of the original substance for which the clinical benefit is not always demonstrated