Simulation numérique de l'hystéresis du mouillage d'une goutte sur une paroi

La forme d'une goutte sur un plan incliné ou soumise à un écoulement est étudiée à l'aide de la simulation numérique. Nous présentons pour cela un modèle numérique permettant de simuler le comportement de la ligne de contact entre une interface liquide-gaz et une paroi pane. Le modèle numérique est présenté et validé par comparaison aux résultats de la littérature. Nous montrons qu'il est ainsi possible de reproduire numériquement trois phénomènes essentiels : le mouillage statique, le mouillage dynamique et l'hystérésis de l'angle de contact

Two Siblings with Isolated GH Deficiency Due to Loss−of−Function Mutation in the GHRHR Gene: Successful Treatment with Growth Hormone Despite Late Admission and Severe Growth Retardation

Patients with growth hormone releasing hormone receptor (GHRHR) mutations exhibit pronounced dwarfism and are phenotypically and biochemically indistinguishable from other forms of isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD). We presented here two siblings with clinical findings of IGHD due to a nonsense mutation in the GHRHR gene who reached their target height in spite of late GH treatment. Two female siblings were admitted to our clinic with severe short stature at the age of 13.8 (patient 1) and 14.8 years (patient 2). On admission, height in patient 1 was 107 cm (−8.6 SD) and 117 cm (−6.7 SD) in patient 2. Bone age was delayed in both patients (6 years and 9 years). Clinical and biochemical analyses revealed a diagnosis of complete IGHD (peak GH levels on stimulation test was 0.06 ng/mL in patient 1 and 0.16 ng/mL in patient 2). Patients were given recombinant human GH treatment. Genetic analysis of the GH and GHRHR genes revealed that both patientscarried the GHRHR gene mutation p.Glu72X (c.214 G>T) in exon 3 in homozygous (or hemizygous) state. After seven years of GH treatment, the patients reached a final height appropriate for their target height. Final height was 151 cm (−1.5 SD) in patient 1 and 153 cm (−1.2 SD) in patient 2. In conclusion, genetic analysis is indicated in IGHD patients with severe growth failure and a positive family history. In spite of the very late diagnosis in these two patients who presented with severe growth deficit due to homozygous loss−of−function mutations in GHRHR, their final heights reached the target height

Pretransplant identification of acute rejection risk following kidney transplantation

Lack of an accepted definition for 'high immunological risk' hampers individualization of immunosuppressive therapy after kidney transplantation. For recipient-related risk factors for acute rejection, the most compelling evidence points to younger age and African American ethnicity. Recipient gender, body mass, previous transplantation, and concomitant infection or disease do not appear to be influential. Deceased donation now has only a minor effect on rejection risk, but older donor age remains a significant predictor. Conventional immunological markers (human leukocyte antigen [HLA] mismatching, pretransplant anti-HLA alloantibodies, and panel reactive antibodies) are being reassessed in light of growing understanding about the role of donor-specific antibodies (DSA). At the time of transplant, delayed graft function is one of the most clear-cut risk factors for acute rejection. Extended cold ischemia time (≥24 h) may also play a contributory role. While it is not yet possible to establish conclusively the relative contribution of different risk factors for acute rejection after kidney transplantation, the available data point to variables that should be taken into account at the time of transplant. Together, these offer a realistic basis for planning an appropriate immunosuppression regimen in individual patients

Demonstrating Benefit-Risk Profiles of Novel Therapeutic Strategies in Kidney Transplantation : Opportunities and Challenges of Real-World Evidence

While great progress has been made in transplantation medicine, long-term graft failure and serious side effects still pose a challenge in kidney transplantation. Effective and safe long-term treatments are needed. Therefore, evidence of the lasting benefit-risk of novel therapies is required. Demonstrating superiority of novel therapies is unlikely via conventional randomized controlled trials, as long-term follow-up in large sample sizes pose statistical and operational challenges. Furthermore, endpoints generally accepted in short-term clinical trials need to be translated to real-world (RW) care settings, enabling robust assessments of novel treatments. Hence, there is an evidence gap that calls for innovative clinical trial designs, with RW evidence (RWE) providing an opportunity to facilitate longitudinal transplant research with timely translation to clinical practice. Nonetheless, the current RWE landscape shows considerable heterogeneity, with few registries capturing detailed data to support the establishment of new endpoints. The main recommendations by leading scientists in the field are increased collaboration between registries for data harmonization and leveraging the development of technology innovations for data sharing under high privacy standards. This will aid the development of clinically meaningful endpoints and data models, enabling future long-term research and ultimately establish optimal long-term outcomes for transplant patients.Peer reviewe

Phytoplankton dynamics in relation to seasonal variability and upwelling and relaxation patterns at the mouth of Ria de Aveiro (West Iberian Margin) over a four-year period

From June 2004 to December 2007, samples were weekly collected at a fixed station located at the mouth of Ria de Aveiro (West Iberian Margin). We examined the seasonal and inter-annual fluctuations in composition and community structure of the phytoplankton in relation to the main environmental drivers and assessed the influence of the oceano-graphic regime, namely changes in frequency and intensity of upwelling events, over the dynamics of the phytoplankton assemblage. The samples were consistently handled and a final subset of 136 OTUs (taxa with relative abundance > 0.01%) was subsequently submitted to various multivariate analyses. The phytoplankton assemblage showed significant changes at all temporal scales but with an overriding importance of seasonality over longer-(inter-annual) or shorter-term fluctuations (upwelling-related). Sea-surface temperature, salinity and maximum upwelling index were retrieved as the main driver of seasonal change. Seasonal signal was most evident in the fluctuations of chlorophyll a concentration and in the high turnover from the winter to spring phytoplankton assemblage. The seasonal cycle of production and succession was disturbed by upwelling events known to disrupt thermal stratification and induce changes in the phytoplankton assemblage. Our results indicate that both the frequency and intensity of physical forcing were important drivers of such variability, but the outcome in terms of species composition was highly dependent on the available local pool of species and the timing of those events in relation to the seasonal cycle. We conclude that duration, frequency and intensity of upwelling events, which vary seasonally and inter-annually, are paramount for maintaining long-term phytoplankton diversity likely by allowing unstable coexistence and incorporating species turnover at different scales. Our results contribute to the understanding of the complex mechanisms of coastal phytoplankton dynamics in relation to changing physical forcing which is fundamental to improve predictability of future prospects under climate change.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) [SFRH/BPD/ 94562/2013]; FEDER funds; national funds; CESAM [UID/AMB/50017]; FCT/MEC through national funds; FEDERinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Two-year outcomes in de novo renal transplant recipients receiving everolimus-facilitated calcineurin inhibitor reduction regimen from TRANSFORM study

TRANSFORM was a 24-month, prospective, open-label trial in 2037 de novo renal transplant recipients (RTxRs) randomized (1:1) within 24 hours of transplantation to receive everolimus (EVR) with reduced-exposure calcineurin inhibitor (EVR+rCNI) or mycophenolate with standard-exposure CNI (MPA+sCNI). Consistent with previously reported 12-month findings, noninferiority of the EVR+rCNI regimen for the primary endpoint of treated biopsy-proven acute rejection (tBPAR) or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <50 mL/min/1.73 m2 was achieved at Month 24 (47.9% vs 43.7%; difference = 4.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.3, 8.7; P = 0.006). Mean eGFR was stable up to Month 24 (52.6 vs 54.9 mL/min/1.73m2 ) in both arms. The incidence of de novo donor-specific antibodies (dnDSA) was lower in the EVR+rCNI arm (12.3% vs 17.6%) among on-treatment patients. Although discontinuation rates due to adverse events were higher with EVR+rCNI (27.2% vs 15.0%), rates of cytomegalovirus (2.8% vs 13.5%) and BK virus (5.8% vs 10.3%) infections were lower. Cytomegalovirus infection rates were significantly lower with EVR+rCNI even in the D+/R- high-risk group (P<0.0001). In conclusion, the EVR+rCNI regimen offers comparable efficacy and graft function with low tBPAR and dnDSA rates and significantly lower incidence of viral infections relative to standard-of-care up to 24 months. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Management of Kaposi sarcoma after solid organ transplantation:A European retrospective study

Background: Systemic therapeutic management of post-transplant Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is mainly based on 3 axes: reduction of immunosuppression, conversion to mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, chemotherapy, or a combination of these.Objective: To obtain an overview of clinical strategies about the current treatment of KS.Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study including 145 solid organ transplant recipients diagnosed with KS between 1985 and 2011 to collect data regarding first-line treatment and response at 6 months.Results: Overall, 95%, 28%, and 16% of patients had reduction of immunosuppression, conversion to mTOR inhibitor, and chemotherapy, respectively. Patients treated with chemotherapy or mTOR inhibitor conversion were more likely to have visceral KS. At 6 months, 83% of patients had response, including 40% complete responses.Limitations: The retrospective design of the study.Conclusion: Currently available therapeutic options seem to be effective to control KS in most patients. Tapering down the immunosuppressive regimen remains the cornerstone of KS management.Dermatology-oncolog

Hypercomplex polynomials, vietoris’ rational numbers and a related integer numbers sequence

This paper aims to give new insights into homogeneous hypercomplex Appell polynomials through the study of some interesting arithmetical properties of their coefficients. Here Appell polynomials are introduced as constituting a hypercomplex generalized geometric series whose fundamental role sometimes seems to have been neglected. Surprisingly, in the simplest non-commutative case their rational coefficient sequence reduces to a coefficient sequence S used in a celebrated theorem on positive trigonometric sums by Vietoris (Sitzungsber Österr Akad Wiss 167:125–135, 1958). For S a generating function is obtained which allows to derive an interesting relation to a result deduced by Askey and Steinig (Trans AMS 187(1):295–307, 1974) about some trigonometric series. The further study of S is concerned with a sequence of integers leading to its irreducible representation and its relation to central binomial coefficients.The work of the first and third authors was supported by Portuguese funds through the CIDMA - Center for Research and Development in Mathematics and Applications, and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (“FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia”), within project PEstOE/MAT/UI4106/2013. The work of the second author was supported by Portuguese funds through the CMAT - Centre of Mathematics and FCT within the Project UID/MAT/00013/2013.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ecologic Factors Associated with West Nile Virus Transmission, Northeastern United States

Risk for disease was 4 times greater in the least forested counties

Physical activity, smoking, and genetic predisposition to obesity in people from Pakistan:the PROMIS study

Background: Multiple genetic variants have been reliably associated with obesity-related traits in Europeans, but little is known about their associations and interactions with lifestyle factors in South Asians. Methods: In 16,157 Pakistani adults (8232 controls; 7925 diagnosed with myocardial infarction [MI]) enrolled in the PROMIS Study, we tested whether: a) BMI-associated loci, individually or in aggregate (as a genetic risk score - GRS), are associated with BMI; b) physical activity and smoking modify the association of these loci with BMI. Analyses were adjusted for age, age(2), sex, MI (yes/no), and population substructure. Results: Of 95 SNPs studied here, 73 showed directionally consistent effects on BMI as reported in Europeans. Each additional BMI-raising allele of the GRS was associated with 0.04 (SE = 0.01) kg/m(2) higher BMI (P = 4.5 x 10(-14)). We observed nominal evidence of interactions of CLIP1 rs11583200 (P-interaction = 0.014), CADM2 rs13078960 (P-interaction = 0.037) and GALNT10 rs7715256 (P-interaction = 0.048) with physical activity, and PTBP2 rs11165643 (P-interaction = 0.045), HIP1 rs1167827 (P-interaction = 0.015), C6orf106 rs205262 (P-interaction = 0.032) and GRID1 rs7899106 (P-interaction = 0.043) with smoking on BMI. Conclusions: Most BMI-associated loci have directionally consistent effects on BMI in Pakistanis and Europeans. There were suggestive interactions of established BMI-related SNPs with smoking or physical activity