Variantes anatomiques de l’os temporal a preciser au chirurgien

L’os temporal présente plusieurs variantes dont certaines peuvent avoir un impact chirurgical. La chirurgie de l’oreille est non dénuée de risques. Les variantes anatomiques de l’os temporal sont importantes à connaitre et à préciser dans le compte rendu radiologique avant toute intervention sur l’oreille. La TDM est l’examen clé pour le bilan morphologique de toute oreille.Mots Clés : Variantes anatomiques, os temporal, TDM, risques.The temporal bone has several variants, some of which may impact surgical. The ear surgery is not without risks. The anatomic variations of the temporal bone is important to know and specify in the radiological reports before working on the ear. The CT is the key for the morphological assessment of any ear.Keys Words: Anatomic variations, temporal bone, CT, risk

Vortex density models for superconductivity and superfluidity

We study some functionals that describe the density of vortex lines in superconductors subject to an applied magnetic field, and in Bose-Einstein condensates subject to rotational forcing, in quite general domains in 3 dimensions. These functionals are derived from more basic models via Gamma-convergence, here and in a companion paper. In our main results, we use these functionals to obtain descriptions of the critical applied magnetic field (for superconductors) and forcing (for Bose-Einstein), above which ground states exhibit nontrivial vorticity, as well as a characterization of the vortex density in terms of a non local vector-valued generalization of the classical obstacle problem.Comment: 34 page

Procedures of sensors deployment methodology on physical supports/platforms

The aim of task 2.3 is to define specific platform characteristics and identify deployment difficulties in order to determine the adequacy of sensors within specific platforms. In order to obtain the necessary information, two online questionnaires were realized. One questionnaire was created for sensor developers and one for those partners that will test the sensors at sea. The seven developers in COMMON SENSE have provided information on seven sensors: two for underwater noise – CEFAS and IOPAN; two for microplastics – IDRONAUT and LEITAT; one for an innovative piro and piezo resistive polymeric temperature and pressure – CSIC; one for heavy metal – CSIC; one for eutrophication sensor – DCU. Outside the scope of the questionnaire, FTM has proposed three sensors of which two for oil spill and one for heavy metals, realized in the framework of a previous EU project but that can be improved and tested with several platforms. This information is anyway incomplete because in most cases for the novel sensors which will be developed over the course of COMMON SENSE, the sensors cannot be clearly designed yet as the project only started a few months ago - and, consequently, technical characteristics cannot actually be perfectly defined. This produces some lag in the acquired information that will be solved in the near future. In the other questionnaire, partners-testers have provided information on eleven platforms. Outside the questionnaire, IOPAN has described two more platforms, one of which is a motorboat not previously listed in the DoW, and they have informed us that the oceanographic buoy in Gdansk Bay is not actually available. This is valid also for platforms from other partners where there were only preliminary contacts like for example for Aqualog and OBSEA Underwater observatory. In the following months, new information will be provided and questionnaires information updated. Then important characteristics have to be considered such as maintenance, energy autonomy, data transfer/storage and dimension of the sensors that are actually missing. Further updates of this report are therefore necessary in order to individuate the most suitable platforms to test each kind of sensor and then used at the end of 2014 when WP9 (Testing activities) will start. Objectives and rationale The objective of deliverable 2.2 is the definition of the characteristics and procedures of sensors deployment methodology on physical supports/platforms, possible needs and characteristics of the available platform. This is preparatory for the activities in other WPs and tasks: - for task 2.2 (New generation technologies), that will provide cost-effective sensors for large scale production through Deliverable 2.1 [month 10]; - for task 2.5 (Monitoring strategy) where sensitivity and stress tests of new sensors will be designed in order to establish confidence limits under different situations and certify the performance of the new instruments [Deliverable 2.5 at month 16]. - for WP9 (Field testing) starting at month 12 (October 2014) when the deployment of new sensors will be drawn and then realized

Vortex Rings in Fast Rotating Bose-Einstein Condensates

When Bose-Eintein condensates are rotated sufficiently fast, a giant vortex phase appears, that is the condensate becomes annular with no vortices in the bulk but a macroscopic phase circulation around the central hole. In a former paper [M. Correggi, N. Rougerie, J. Yngvason, {\it arXiv:1005.0686}] we have studied this phenomenon by minimizing the two dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii energy on the unit disc. In particular we computed an upper bound to the critical speed for the transition to the giant vortex phase. In this paper we confirm that this upper bound is optimal by proving that if the rotation speed is taken slightly below the threshold there are vortices in the condensate. We prove that they gather along a particular circle on which they are evenly distributed. This is done by providing new upper and lower bounds to the GP energy.Comment: to appear in Archive of Rational Mechanics and Analysi

Ginzburg-Landau model with small pinning domains

We consider a Ginzburg-Landau type energy with a piecewise constant pinning term $a$ in the potential $(a^2 - |u|^2)^2$. The function $a$ is different from 1 only on finitely many disjoint domains, called the {\it pinning domains}. These pinning domains model small impurities in a homogeneous superconductor and shrink to single points in the limit $\v\to0$; here, \v is the inverse of the Ginzburg-Landau parameter. We study the energy minimization in a smooth simply connected domain $\Omega \subset \mathbb{C}$ with Dirichlet boundary condition $g$ on \d \O, with topological degree {\rm deg}_{\d \O} (g) = d >0. Our main result is that, for small \v, minimizers have $d$ distinct zeros (vortices) which are inside the pinning domains and they have a degree equal to 1. The question of finding the locations of the pinning domains with vortices is reduced to a discrete minimization problem for a finite-dimensional functional of renormalized energy. We also find the position of the vortices inside the pinning domains and show that, asymptotically, this position is determined by {\it local renormalized energy} which does not depend on the external boundary conditions.Comment: 39 page

The Transition to a Giant Vortex Phase in a Fast Rotating Bose-Einstein Condensate

We study the Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) energy functional for a fast rotating Bose-Einstein condensate on the unit disc in two dimensions. Writing the coupling parameter as 1 / \eps^2 we consider the asymptotic regime \eps \to 0 with the angular velocity $\Omega$ proportional to (\eps^2|\log\eps|)^{-1} . We prove that if \Omega = \Omega_0 (\eps^2|\log\eps|)^{-1} and $\Omega_0 > 2(3\pi)^{-1}$ then a minimizer of the GP energy functional has no zeros in an annulus at the boundary of the disc that contains the bulk of the mass. The vorticity resides in a complementary `hole' around the center where the density is vanishingly small. Moreover, we prove a lower bound to the ground state energy that matches, up to small errors, the upper bound obtained from an optimal giant vortex trial function, and also that the winding number of a GP minimizer around the disc is in accord with the phase of this trial function.Comment: 52 pages, PDFLaTex. Minor corrections, sign convention modified. To be published in Commun. Math. Phy

Forecasting Tunisian type 2 diabetes prevalence to 2027: validation of a simple model.

BACKGROUND: Most projections of type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevalence are simply based on demographic change (i.e. ageing). We developed a model to predict future trends in T2D prevalence in Tunisia, explicitly taking into account trends in major risk factors (obesity and smoking). This could improve assessment of policy options for prevention and health service planning. METHODS: The IMPACT T2D model uses a Markov approach to integrate population, obesity and smoking trends to estimate future T2D prevalence. We developed a model for the Tunisian population from 1997 to 2027, and validated the model outputs by comparing with a subsequent T2D prevalence survey conducted in 2005. RESULTS: The model estimated that the prevalence of T2D among Tunisians aged over 25 years was 12.0% in 1997 (95% confidence intervals 9.6%-14.4%), increasing to 15.1% (12.5%-17.4%) in 2005. Between 1997 and 2005, observed prevalence in men increased from 13.5% to 16.1% and in women from 12.9% to 14.1%. The model forecast for a dramatic rise in prevalence by 2027 (26.6% overall, 28.6% in men and 24.7% in women). However, if obesity prevalence declined by 20% in the 10 years from 2013, and if smoking decreased by 20% over 10 years from 2009, a 3.3% reduction in T2D prevalence could be achieved in 2027 (2.5% in men and 4.1% in women). CONCLUSIONS: This innovative model provides a reasonably close estimate of T2D prevalence for Tunisia over the 1997-2027 period. Diabetes burden is now a significant public health challenge. Our model predicts that this burden will increase significantly in the next two decades. Tackling obesity, smoking and other T2D risk factors thus needs urgent action. Tunisian decision makers have therefore defined two strategies: obesity reduction and tobacco control. Responses will be evaluated in future population surveys

Heterozygote Advantage for Fecundity

Heterozygote advantage, or overdominance, remains a popular and persuasive explanation for the maintenance of genetic variation in natural populations in the face of selection. However, despite being first proposed more than 80 years ago, there remain few examples that fit the criteria for heterozygote advantage, all of which are associated with disease resistance and are maintained only in the presence of disease or other gene-by-environment interaction. Here we report five new examples of heterozygote advantage, based around polymorphisms in the BMP15 and GDF9 genes that affect female fecundity in domesticated sheep and are not reliant on disease for their maintenance. Five separate mutations in these members of the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily give phenotypes with fitness differentials characteristic of heterozygous advantage. In each case, one copy of the mutant allele increases ovulation rate, and ultimately litter size per ewe lambing, relative to the wildtype. However, homozygous ewes inheriting mutant alleles from both parents have impaired oocyte development and maturation, which results in small undeveloped ovaries and infertility. Using data collected over many years on ovulation rates, litter size, and lambing rates, we have calculated the equilibrium solution for each of these polymorphisms using standard population genetic theory. The predicted equilibrium frequencies obtained for these mutant alleles range from 0.11 to 0.23, which are amongst the highest yet reported for a polymorphism maintained by heterozygote advantage. These are amongst the most frequent and compelling examples of heterozygote advantage yet described and the first documented examples of heterozygote advantage that are not reliant on a disease interaction for their maintenance

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in arthritis patients in eastern China

Background: There is accumulating evidence for an increased susceptibility to infection in patients with arthritis. We sought to understand the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in arthritis patients in eastern China, given the paucity of data on the magnitude of T. gondii infection in these patients. Methods: Seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a crude antigen of the parasite in 820 arthritic patients, and an equal number of healthy controls, from Qingdao and Weihai cities, eastern China. Sociodemographic, clinical and lifestyle information on the study participants were also obtained. Results: The prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG was significantly higher in arthritic patients (18.8%) compared with 12% in healthy controls (P < 0.001). Twelve patients with arthritis had anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies comparable with 10 control patients (1.5% vs 1.2%). Demographic factors did not significantly influence these seroprevalence frequencies. The highest T. gondii infection seropositivity rate was detected in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (24.8%), followed by reactive arthritis (23.8%), osteoarthritis (19%), infectious arthritis (18.4%) and gouty arthritis (14.8%). Seroprevalence rates of rheumatoid arthritis and reactive arthritis were significantly higher when compared with controls (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). A significant association was detected between T. gondii infection and cats being present in the home in arthritic patients (odds ratio [OR], 1.68; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24 – 2.28; P = 0.001). Conclusions: These findings are consistent with and extend previous results, providing further evidence to support a link between contact with cats and an increased risk of T. gondii infection. Our study is also the first to confirm an association between T. gondii infection and arthritis patients in China. Implications for better prevention and control of T. gondii infection in arthritis patients are discussed. Trial registration: This is an epidemiological survey, therefore trial registration was not required