Implementation of sub-nanosecond time-to-digital convertor in field-programmable gate array: applications to time-of-flight analysis in muon radiography

International audienceTime-of-flight (tof) techniques are standard techniques in high energy physics to determine particles propagation directions. Since particles velocities are generally close to c, the speed of light, and detectors typical dimensions at the meter level, the state-of-the-art tof techniques should reach sub-nanosecond timing resolution. Among the various techniques already available, the recently developed ring oscillator TDC ones, implemented in low cost FPGA, feature a very interesting figure of merit since a very good timing performance may be achieved with limited processing ressources. This issue is relevant for applications where unmanned sensors should have the lowest possible power consumption. Actually this article describes in details the application of this kind of tof technique to muon tomography of geological bodies. Muon tomography aims at measuring density variations and absolute densities through the detection of atmospheric muons flux's attenuation, due to the presence of matter. When the measured fluxes become very low, an identified source of noise comes from backwards propagating particles hitting the detector in a direction pointing to the geological body. The separation between through-going and backward-going particles, on the basis of the tof information is therefore a key parameter for the tomography analysis and subsequent previsions

Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis complicating Legionnaires' disease: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Legionnaires' disease is recognized as a multi-systemic illness. Afflicted patients may have pulmonary, renal, gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system complications. However, renal insufficiency is uncommon. The spectrum of renal involvement may range from a mild and transient elevation of serum creatinine levels to anuric renal failure requiring dialysis and may be linked to several causes. In our present case report, we would like to draw attention to the importance of the pathological documentation of acute renal failure by reporting a case of a patient with acute tubulointerstitial nephritis complicating Legionnaires' disease.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 55-year-old Caucasian man was admitted to our hospital for community-acquired pneumonia complicated by acute renal failure. <it>Legionella pneumophila </it>serogroup type 1 was diagnosed. Although the patient's respiratory illness responded to intravenous erythromycin and ofloxacin therapy, his renal failure worsened, he became anuric, and hemodialysis was started. A renal biopsy was performed, which revealed severe tubulointerstitial nephritis. After initiation of steroid therapy, his renal function improved dramatically.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This case highlights the importance of kidney biopsies in cases where acute renal failure is a complicating factor in Legionnaires' disease. If the presence of acute tubulointerstitial nephritis can be confirmed, it will likely respond favorably to steroidal treatment and thus irreversible renal damage and chronic renal failure will be avoided.</p

It’s not the size, it’s the relationship: from ‘small states’ to asymmetry

Debate about the definition of “small state” has produced more fragmentation than consensus, even as the literature has demonstrated its subjects’ roles in joining international organizations propagating norms, executing creative diplomacy, influencing allies, avoiding and joining conflicts, and building peace. However, work on small states has struggled to identify commonalities in these states’ international relations, to cumulate knowledge, or to impact broader IR theory. This paper advocates a changed conceptual and definitional framework. Analysis of “small states” should pivot to examine the dynamics of the asymmetrical relationships in which these states are engaged. Instead of seeking an overall metric for size as the relevant variable—falling victim in a different way Dahl’s “lump-of-power fallacy,” we can recognize the multifaceted, variegated nature of power, whether in war or peacetime

A Novel Repertoire of Blood Transcriptome Modules Based on Co-expression Patterns across sixteen Disease and Physiological States

Blood transcriptomics measures the abundance of circulating leukocyte RNA on a genome-wide scale. Dimension reduction is an important analytic step which condenses the number of variables and permits to enhance the robustness of data analyses and functional interpretation. An approach consisting in the construction of modular repertoires based on differential co-expression observed across multiple biological states of a given system has been described before. In this report, a new blood transcriptome modular repertoire is presented based on an expended range of disease and physiological states (16 in total, encompassing 985 unique transcriptome profiles). The input datasets have been deposited in NCBI public repository, GEO. The composition of the set of 382 modules constituting the repertoire is shared, along with extensive functional annotations and a custom fingerprint visualization scheme. Finally, the similarities and differences between the blood transcriptome profiles of this wide range of biological states are presented and discussed

ANTARES: the first undersea neutrino telescope

The ANTARES Neutrino Telescope was completed in May 2008 and is the first operational Neutrino Telescope in the Mediterranean Sea. The main purpose of the detector is to perform neutrino astronomy and the apparatus also offers facilities for marine and Earth sciences. This paper describes the design, the construction and the installation of the telescope in the deep sea, offshore from Toulon in France. An illustration of the detector performance is given

HIBISCUS: Hydroxychloroquine for the secondary prevention of thrombotic and obstetrical events in primary antiphospholipid syndrome

The relapse rate in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) remains high, i.e. around 20%-21% at 5 years in thrombotic APS and 20-28% in obstetrical APS [2, 3]. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) appears as an additional therapy, as it possesses immunomodulatory and anti-thrombotic various effects [4-16]. Our group recently obtained the orphan designation of HCQ in antiphospholipid syndrome by the European Medicine Agency. Furthermore, the leaders of the project made the proposal of an international project, HIBISCUS, about the use of Hydroxychloroquine in secondary prevention of obstetrical and thrombotic events in primary APS. This study has been launched in several countries and at now, 53 centers from 16 countries participate to this international trial. This trial consists in two parts: a retrospective and a prospective study. The French part of the trial in thrombosis has been granted by the French Minister of Health in December 2015 (the academic trial independent of the pharmaceutical industry PHRC N PAPIRUS) and is coordinated by one of the members of the leading consortium of HIBISCUS

A methodology for extreme groundwater surge predetermination in carbonate aquifers: Groundwater flood frequency analysis

The present paper introduces a methodology devoted to groundwater flooding hazard assessment. It focuses on groundwater floodings due to water table rises that are induced by heavy rainfall events. This special kind of flooding can cause devastating damages, particularly in fractured and karstified carbonate aquifers. Indeed, hydrodynamic conditions prevailing in these heterogeneous formations can involve strong groundwater surges. The developed methodology shows how flood frequency analysis methods can be applied in groundwater flood frequency analysis. Actually, it consists in estimating the T-year hydraulic head that characterizes the T-year groundwater surge, given a return period T. It also aims at defining the rainfall events likely to cause such extreme groundwater surges. This methodology was applied within the framework of a building construction project in a karstic Mediterranean aquifer located in Southern France. The present paper is designated to be a first contribution to groundwater flood frequency analysis. This new field of research has to be further developed in order to put forward consensus guidelines for hydrogeologists and decision-makers as in flood frequency analysis