Translation and fates of the gag protein of 1731, a Drosophila melanogaster retrotransposon

AbstractAn entire copy of 1731, a Drosophila melanogaster retrotransposon, was tagged by fusing in frame its putative gag gene with the reporter LacZ sequence. The high transfection efficiency of Drosophila virilis cells added to the absence of 1731 in their genome allowed, by combining histochemical staining and immunological detections, the demonstration of the translation of the 1731 gag gene. The gag protein is gathered in virus-like particles. Its occurrence in nuclei is consistent with a nuclear localization signal. The expression of the sense construction was inhibited by cotransfections with its antisense homologue

Carrier transport and sensitivity issues in heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer solar cells on N-type crystalline silicon: A computer simulation study

Heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer or HIT solar cells are considered favorable for large-scale manufacturing of solar modules, as they combine the high efficiency of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells, with the low cost of amorphous silicon technology. In this article, based on experimental data published by Sanyo, we simulate the performance of a series of HIT cells on N-type crystalline silicon substrates with hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) emitter layers, to gain insight into carrier transport and the general functioning of these devices. Both single and double HIT structures are modeled, beginning with the initial Sanyo cells having low open circuit voltages but high fill factors, right up to double HIT cells exhibiting record values for both parameters. The one-dimensional numerical modeling program "Amorphous Semiconductor Device Modeling Program" has been used for this purpose. We show that the simulations can correctly reproduce the electrical characteristics and temperature dependence for a set of devices with varying I-layer thickness. Under standard AM1.5 illumination, we show that the transport is dominated by the diffusion mechanism, similar to conventional P/N homojunction solar cells, and tunneling is not required to describe the performance of state-of-the art devices. Also modeling has been used to study the sensitivity of N-c-Si HIT solar cell performance to various parameters. We find that the solar cell output is particularly sensitive to the defect states on the surface of the c-Si wafer facing the emitter, to the indium tin oxide/P-a-Si:H front contact barrier height and to the band gap and activation energy of the P-a-Si:H emitter, while the I-a-Si:H layer is necessary to achieve both high Voc and fill factor, as it passivates the defects on the surface of the c-Si wafer. Finally, we describe in detail for most parameters how they affect current transport and cell properties

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P < 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

Intérêt des tests psychométriques en consultation psychiatrique préopératoire chez des patients candidats à la chirurgie bariatrique en Martinique

INTRODUCTION : La chirurgie bariatrique est efficace pour traiter les patients obèses morbides. Certaines comorbidités psychiatriques pouvant être un critère d exclusion pour la chirurgie, il pourrait exister un biais de non divulgation des symptômes dans le but d obtenir l accord du psychiatre. L objectif principal de cette étude est connaître l utilité de proposer des tests psychométriques en consultation psychiatrique préopératoire comme aide à la détection de comorbidités psychiatriques et à l amélioration de la prise en charge.METHODE : Etude monocentrique, anonyme et non interventionnelle visant à améliorer la prise en charge des patients candidats à la chirurgie bariatrique. Entre mars et octobre 2012, inclusion en deux temps de patients candidats à la chirurgie bariatrique, d abord avec un entretien clinique ouvert, puis avec un entretien clinique structuré (MINI).RESULTATS : Inclusion de 28 patients, avec un âge moyen de 37 ans, et un IMC moyen de 43.2 kg/m . Deux tiers (60,7%) des patients présentaient au moins un trouble actuel ou passé au MINI contre un tiers (32,1%) au cours de l entretien clinique, sans différence significative entre les deux groupes (p=0.2). Par contre il est significativement plus sensible pour la détection des troubles anxieux (p=0.02).CONCLUSION : Utiliser un entretien structuré au cours de la consultation psychiatrique préopératoire permet d identifier un plus grand nombre de troubles psychiatriques et semble réduire le risque de non divulgation . Nous proposons un nouveau auto-questionnaire, basé sur le MINI, afin d aider à la détection des comorbidités psychiatriques, afin de diminuer ce biais de non divulgationINTRODUCTION: Bariatric surgery is efficient for treating patients with massive obesity. As some psychiatric disorders may be an exclusion criterion for surgery, there may be a risk of "non-disclosure" of symptoms in order to obtain the agreement of the psychiatrist. The main objective of this study is whether it is useful to provide psychometric tests during preoperative psychiatric consultation to help with the detection of psychiatric disorders and the improvement of care.METHODS: Monocentric, anonymous, and non-interventional study aimed to improve the care of patients for bariatric surgery. Between March and October 2012, inclusion of patients candidate to bariatric surgery, in two stages, first with an open clinical interview, then with a Structured Clinical Interview using the MINI.RESULTS: Inclusion of 28 patients, with a mean age of 37 years old, and a mean BMI of 43.2 kg/m . Two third (60.7%) of patients had at least one current or past disorder at MINI against a third (32.1%) during the clinical interview, with no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.2). However, it is significantly more sensitive for the detection of anxiety disorders (p = 0.02).CONCLUSION: The use of a structured interview during the preoperative psychiatric consultation permits to identify a greater number of psychiatric disorders and appears to reduce the risk of "non-disclosure". We propose a new self-administered questionnaire, based on the MINI, to assist in the detection of psychiatric disorders, in order to reduce this bias of "non-disclosure.ABYMES-CHRUPPA-BU (971202102) / SudocSudocFranceF

Diagnostic et prise en charge du trouble anxiété généralisée en médecine générale (une étude descriptive auprès de médecins généralistes de la Martinique)

POITIERS-BU Médecine pharmacie (861942103) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF

Traffic management based on vehicular communication at low equipment rates

Most applications built upon vehicular communications (V2X) target on increasing traffic safety. They often require a direct communication between at least two vehicles equipped with a communication device. Thereby, a sufficient amount of equipped vehicles is necessary for assuring these applications’ functionality. Meanwhile, traffic management needs information about the state on the roads. The COLOMBO project, co-funded by the European Commission, follows the idea to support traffic management with new data, gained from vehicular communications at low equipment rates. It designs and evaluates traffic management solutions for traffic surveillance and traffic lights based on simulations. This article introduces the major achievements of the project, regarding both, the developed traffic management solutions as well as the extensions of the used simulation tools

Procédé de réception et récepteur pour transmission numérique série codée sur un canal non stationnaire

L'invention concerne un procédé de réception de données sur un canal série bruité à atténuation non stationnaire dans lequel au moins une valeur représentative d'un taux d'erreurs ER du flux reçu de bits est élaborée sans réalisation du décodage. Une valeur d'information mutuelle I est élaborée (34) selon une fonction prédéterminée de la qualité de transmission Q , et une moyenne d'information mutuelle est élaborée (35) sur chaque mot codé reçu, puis au moins une valeur du taux d'erreurs ER du flux reçu de bits est élaborée (38) à partir de chaque valeur de la moyenne d'information mutuelle par utilisation d'une fonction standard prédéterminée sur un canal à bruit blanc gaussien additif

Procédé et dispositif d'évaluation d'une transmission numérique série codée sur un canal non stationnaire

L'invention concerne un procédé d'évaluation des performances d'une transmission numérique série codée et modulée sur un canal série bruité à atténuation non stationnaire dans lequel au moins une valeur représentative d'un taux d'erreurs ER du flux reçu de bits est élaborée sans réalisation du décodage. Une valeur d'information mutuelle I est élaborée (34) selon une fonction prédéterminée de la qualité de transmission Q , et une moyenne d'information mutuelle est élaborée (35) sur chaque mot codé reçu, puis au moins une valeur du taux d'erreurs ER du flux reçu de bits est élaborée (38) à partir de chaque valeur de la moyenne d'information mutuelle par utilisation d'une fonction standard prédéterminée sur un canal à bruit blanc gaussien additif. Elle s'étend à un dispositif, un produit logiciel, et un support d'enregistrement pour la mise en œuvre de ce procédé

Identification de facteurs associés à un faible recours aux soins spécialisés en psychiatrie. À propos de 516 cas d'expertises psychiatriques réalisées dans le cadre du Comité médical départemental de Martinique

International audienceObjective: Mental illness is noted for being in one of the first places in global burden of disease in terms of years lived with disability (YLDs). Notably, absences due to mental health problems greatly affect the world of work, and mental illness is one of the most economically important diseases. However, there is a high rate of those not seeking care in mental health, both in the general population but also in workers in private and public sectors with significant economic impacts. The aim of our study was to identify factors associated with low access to specialized psychiatric care among French Public Sector employees referred to a psychiatric expertise upon request from the Departmental Medical Board of Martinique (Comité médical départemental [CMD] de Martinique), between 2000 and 2013. Methods: We carried out an observational and transversal study, analyzing sociodemographic and clinical data from psychiatric assessments done to help the CMD give notification on the medico-administrative situation of Public Sector employees, a large majority of whom had been on sick leave due to mental health for at least 6 months. The variable of interest – low access to psychiatric care – was defined as the absence of consultation at the time of the assessment provided by a psychiatrist since at least 12 months. Descriptive analyses were performed first, then univariate analysis using a non-adjusted binary logistic regression model, to identify factors associated with low access to psychiatric care. Finally, multivariate analyses using a binary logistic regression model were performed after excluding non-relevant factors (with significance level above 5%) during the univariate analysis. A significance threshold of 0.05 was adopted for all of the statistical analyses. Results: We retrospectively analysed the records of 516 Public Sector employees. Two hundred and ninety-three subjects (57% of the population) had a low access to psychiatric care as part of their regular clinical follow-up, even the 81% who were identified has having had psychiatric antecedents (55% with ‘mood disorders’, and 17% with ‘neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders’). Moreover, psychiatric expertise found a psychiatric diagnostic in 96 % of cases, mostly ‘mood disorders’, ‘neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders’ and ‘personality disorders’. For mood disorders, clinical characteristics of episodes were defined as ‘severe’ or ‘with psychotic symptoms’ in many cases. Suicidal thoughts were found in 96 subjects (18%) during the expertise. Fewer than half of the subjects (43%) had a specialized psychiatric care (mostly subjects with ‘mood disorders’ and ‘psychotic disorders’) and 41% only had care by a general practitioner (mostly subjects with ‘neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders’). In most of the cases, psychotropic drugs were insufficiently and inadequately prescribed. Using multivariate analysis, we found a significant association between low access to psychiatric care and: being masculine, having had more than two children, having had personal life events (in particular chronic somatic diseases), and having had no history of mental illness or of psychiatric hospitalization. It appears that chronic somatic diseases are frequently associated with psychiatric diseases, and the association worsens the prognosis of the two disorders. However, even if employees with mental disorders associated with chronic somatic diseases are unfit for work, many of them do not have access to mental health care and only have care by a general practitioner. Conclusion: More than half of French Public Sector employees referred to the Departmental Medical Board of Martinique for a medico-administrative decision relevant to sick leave due to mental diseases, had low access to specialized psychiatric care. By identifying barriers to care and reasons for not seeking specialized mental health care, we would be able to prevent disability claims and days off work (predicting malaise in the workplace and health-related limitations). Our results demonstrate the need to strengthen existing partnerships, and thus enhancing cooperation between public psychiatric sectors and primary healthcare players, facilitating access to mental healthcare and decreasing the stigma about mental disorders