Direct patterning of complex oxides by pulsed laser deposition through stencils

The possibilities to grow isolated structures of complex oxides by pulsed laser\ud deposition through stencils were investigated. A stencil consisting of a SiN membrane with apertures of several hundred nanometers embedded in a Si chip is placed in front of a heated substrate (up to 750 degrees Celsius). Deposition through these apertures results in resistless, direct patterning by local deposition of complex oxides like ferroelectric Lead Zirconate Titanate. The created isolated structures were analyzed by AFM imaging. Under-deposition, in this work called broadening, is inevitable during stencil deposition and is depending on deposition parameters, especially pressure. Different causes of broadening are mapped and discussed

The risk of Plasmodium vivax parasitaemia after P. falciparum malaria: An individual patient data meta-analysis from the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network.

BACKGROUND: There is a high risk of Plasmodium vivax parasitaemia following treatment of falciparum malaria. Our study aimed to quantify this risk and the associated determinants using an individual patient data meta-analysis in order to identify populations in which a policy of universal radical cure, combining artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) with a hypnozoitocidal antimalarial drug, would be beneficial. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A systematic review of Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews identified efficacy studies of uncomplicated falciparum malaria treated with ACT that were undertaken in regions coendemic for P. vivax between 1 January 1960 and 5 January 2018. Data from eligible studies were pooled using standardised methodology. The risk of P. vivax parasitaemia at days 42 and 63 and associated risk factors were investigated by multivariable Cox regression analyses. Study quality was assessed using a tool developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42018097400). In total, 42 studies enrolling 15,341 patients were included in the analysis, including 30 randomised controlled trials and 12 cohort studies. Overall, 14,146 (92.2%) patients had P. falciparum monoinfection and 1,195 (7.8%) mixed infection with P. falciparum and P. vivax. The median age was 17.0 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 9.0-29.0 years; range = 0-80 years), with 1,584 (10.3%) patients younger than 5 years. 2,711 (17.7%) patients were treated with artemether-lumefantrine (AL, 13 studies), 651 (4.2%) with artesunate-amodiaquine (AA, 6 studies), 7,340 (47.8%) with artesunate-mefloquine (AM, 25 studies), and 4,639 (30.2%) with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP, 16 studies). 14,537 patients (94.8%) were enrolled from the Asia-Pacific region, 684 (4.5%) from the Americas, and 120 (0.8%) from Africa. At day 42, the cumulative risk of vivax parasitaemia following treatment of P. falciparum was 31.1% (95% CI 28.9-33.4) after AL, 14.1% (95% CI 10.8-18.3) after AA, 7.4% (95% CI 6.7-8.1) after AM, and 4.5% (95% CI 3.9-5.3) after DP. By day 63, the risks had risen to 39.9% (95% CI 36.6-43.3), 42.4% (95% CI 34.7-51.2), 22.8% (95% CI 21.2-24.4), and 12.8% (95% CI 11.4-14.5), respectively. In multivariable analyses, the highest rate of P. vivax parasitaemia over 42 days of follow-up was in patients residing in areas of short relapse periodicity (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 6.2, 95% CI 2.0-19.5; p = 0.002); patients treated with AL (AHR = 6.2, 95% CI 4.6-8.5; p < 0.001), AA (AHR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.4-3.7; p = 0.001), or AM (AHR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-1.9; p = 0.028) compared with DP; and patients who did not clear their initial parasitaemia within 2 days (AHR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.4-2.3; p < 0.001). The analysis was limited by heterogeneity between study populations and lack of data from very low transmission settings. Study quality was high. CONCLUSIONS: In this meta-analysis, we found a high risk of P. vivax parasitaemia after treatment of P. falciparum malaria that varied significantly between studies. These P. vivax infections are likely attributable to relapses that could be prevented with radical cure including a hypnozoitocidal agent; however, the benefits of such a novel strategy will vary considerably between geographical areas

Characterization of Mediastinal Lymph Node Physiology In Vivo by Optical Spectroscopy during Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration

Introduction: Esophageal endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a minimally invasive staging procedure for mediastinal lymph nodes in patients diagnosed with lung cancer. But, a substantial false negative rate necessitates that patients returning a negative EUS-FNA result must undergo a subsequent surgical staging procedure. This study incorporates a fiberoptic reflectance spectroscopy device into the EUS-FNA procedure to asses the vascular physiology within the sampled lymph node. The aims of this pilot study were to determine the feasibility of incorporating a reflectance spectroscopy device into the EUS-FNA clinical procedure and to gather preliminary information about the vascular physiology within the center of normal and metastatic lymph nodes. Methods: This study included 10 patients with proven or suspected lung cancer and an indication for EUS-FNA. The procedure was performed on seven normal (unenlarged, positron emission tomography negative) nodes and seven suspicious (enlarged, positron emission tomography positive), with the malignant status of all nodes cytologically confirmed. Reflectance spectra were acquired using a single optical fiber that fits through the end of the EUS-FNA biopsy needle, with an outer fiber diameter of 0.38 mm. Results: The procedure was successfully performed and did not introduce complications. Model-based analysis of single fiber reflectance spectra provided quantitative information about the vascular physiology within the sampled lymph node. We observed that metastatic lymph nodes were characterized by lower microvascular oxygen saturation (50% versus 84%, p < 0.01) and lower blood volume fraction (5.6% versus 13.5%, p < 0.01) than normal nodes. Conclusions: Single fiber reflectance spectroscopy has the potential to detect abnormal lymph node physiology

Partie 1 : Les maladies bactériennes cutanées

Les lignes de conduite thérapeutiques sont habituellement établies sur la base des données de la littérature internationale de la médecine basée sur des faits (evidence-based medecine, EBM) ainsi que sur les avis exprimés par des experts reconnus dans le domaine. Néanmoins, ces lignes de conduite sont souvent difficile à traduire vers la pratique quotidienne d'un pays donné vu les conditions de remboursement spécifiques et l'organisation des soins médicaux. En matière de maladies infectieuses de la peau, il n'y a que peu de littérature publiée de type EBM. Cette initiative, émanant des assistants en formation en dermatologie et vénérologie en Wallonie/Bruxelles et coordonnée par Florence Libon, Eglantine Lebas et Arjen Nikkels de l'ULg, vise à revoir les différentes recommandations nationales et internationales existantes afin de les adapter pour al situation actuellen en Wallonie/Bruxelles. Elle vise également à unifier les habitudes de prescription sur une base logique et sur les données de la littérature tout en créant des lignes de conduite pratiques. Comme toutes les recommandations diagnostiques et thérapeutiques, une adaptation individuelle devra être réalisée en fonction de chaque patient et le médecin reste in fine le seul décideur et responsable du plan thérapeutique. Ces recommandations n'ont pas pour prétention d'être exhaustives sur toutes les pathologies cutanées bactériennes mais concernent les situations cliniques les plus souvent rencontrées. Dans cette première partie, seront abordés les consensus thérapeutiques pour les maladies cutanées d'origine bactérienne, à partir des cas clinique

Gametocyte carriage in uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria following treatment with artemisinin combination therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data

Background: Gametocytes are responsible for transmission of malaria from human to mosquito. Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) reduces post-treatment gametocyte carriage, dependent upon host, parasite and pharmacodynamic factors. The gametocytocidal properties of antimalarial drugs are important for malaria elimination efforts. An individual patient clinical data meta-analysis was undertaken to identify the determinants of gametocyte carriage and the comparative effects of four ACTs: artemether-lumefantrine (AL), artesunate/amodiaquine (AS-AQ), artesunate/mefloquine (AS-MQ), and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP). Methods: Factors associated with gametocytaemia prior to, and following, ACT treatment were identified in multivariable logistic or Cox regression analysis with random effects. All relevant studies were identified through a systematic review of PubMed. Risk of bias was evaluated based on study design, methodology, and missing data. Results: The systematic review identified 169 published and 9 unpublished studies, 126 of which were shared with the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) and 121 trials including 48,840 patients were included in the analysis. Prevalence of gametocytaemia by microscopy at enrolment was 12.1 % (5887/48,589), and increased with decreasing age, decreasing asexual parasite density and decreasing haemoglobin concentration, and was higher in patients without fever at presentation. After ACT treatment, gametocytaemia appeared in 1.9 % (95 % CI, 1.7-2.1) of patients. The appearance of gametocytaemia was lowest after AS-MQ and AL and significantly higher after DP (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR), 2.03; 95 % CI, 1.24-3.12; P = 0.005 compared to AL) and AS-AQ fixed dose combination (FDC) (AHR, 4.01; 95 % CI, 2.40-6.72; P <0.001 compared to AL). Among individuals who had gametocytaemia before treatment, gametocytaemia clearance was significantly faster with AS-MQ (AHR, 1.26; 95 % CI, 1.00-1.60; P = 0.054) and slower with DP (AHR, 0.74; 95 % CI, 0.63-0.88; P = 0.001) compared to AL. Both recrudescent (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 9.05; 95 % CI, 3.74-21.90; P <0.001) and new (AOR, 3.03; 95 % CI, 1.66-5.54; P <0.001) infections with asexual-stage parasites were strongly associated with development of gametocytaemia after day 7. Conclusions: AS-MQ and AL are more effective than DP and AS-AQ FDC in preventing gametocytaemia shortly after treatment, suggesting that then on-artemisinin partner drug or the timing of artemisinin dosing are important determinants of post-treatment gametocyte dynamic