Editorial : Sources and propagation of ultra-low frequency waves in planetary magnetospheres

Non peer reviewe

Etude de l'oxyde de cuivre CuO, matériau de conversion en film mince pour microbatteries au lithium (caractérisation des processus électrochimiques et chimiques en cyclage)

La miniaturisation des appareils électroniques et la multiplication de leurs fonctionnalités conduisent à développer des microsources d énergie adaptées, parmi lesquelles figurent les microbatteries au lithium. Malgré leurs excellentes performances, ces systèmes de stockage électrochimique tout solide restent toutefois limités en termes de capacité surfacique. Cette caractéristique étant intrinsèquement liée aux matériaux d électrodes, nous avons choisi de nous intéresser à des couches minces de CuO, dont la capacité volumique théorique (426 Ah .cm-2. m-1) est sensiblement plus élevée que celle des matériaux d intercalation utilisés jusqu à présent. Ce matériau réagit avec le lithium selon un mécanisme particulier, dit de conversion, qui induit la formation d un système multiphasé et nanostructuré d une grande complexité. Dans le cadre de ce travail, la compréhension des mécanismes électrochimiques et chimiques mis en jeu au cours du cyclage de couches minces d oxyde de cuivre (CuO) a été l objectif majeur. Celui-ci a nécessité une caractérisation fine du matériau actif d électrode et des interfaces générées (interfaces solide/solide et interface solide/électrolyte). Ces études ont été principalement menées à partir de la Spectroscopie Photoélectronique à Rayonnement X (XPS), de la Microscopie à Force Atomique (AFM) et d une modélisation théorique exploitant les méthodes de la chimie quantique. Les propriétés chimiques et morphologiques des couches minces de CuO cyclées ont été corrélées à leur comportement électrochimique. Une forte influence de leur structure et de leur morphologie initiales a pu être ainsi mise en évidenceThe miniaturization of electronic components and the increasing number of their functionalities lead to the development of suitable energy microsources, among which lithium microbatteries appear. Despite the excellent performances of these all-solid-state electrochemical power sources, one main limitation that remains is their surface capacity. Its value being intrinsically connected to the nature of electrode materials, we chose to focus on CuO thin films which are characterized by a theoretical volumetric capacity (426 Ah .cm-2. m-1) in far larger than the one of conventional intercalation materials used today. Indeed, this material reacts with lithium according to a particular mechanism, referred as conversion reaction, inducing the formation of a multiphase nanostructured system with a high complexity. In the framework of this study, understanding of electrochemical and chemical mechanisms which take place during the cycling of copper oxide thin films (CuO) was the main objective. This one has required a fine characterization of the electrode active material and the generated interfaces (solid/solid interfaces and solid/electrolyte interface). These studies have been mainly carried out with X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and theoretical approaches based on quantum chemistry methods. The chemical and morphological properties of the cycled CuO thin films have been linked to their electrochemical behavior. An important influence of their initial structure and morphology was then evidenced.PAU-BU Sciences (644452103) / SudocSudocFranceF

Postprandial response of plasma insulin, amylin and acylated ghrelin to various test meals in lean and obese cats

The propensity of diets of different composition to promote obesity is a current topic in feline medicine. The effects of three meals with different protein:fat ratios on hormones (insulin, acylated ghrelin and amylin) involved in the control of food intake and glucose metabolism were compared. Five lean (two females and three males, 28·6 (sd 3·4) % body fat mass (BFM), mean body weight (BW) 4590g) and five obese (two females and three males, 37·1 (sd 4·1) % BFM, mean BW 4670g) adult cats were studied. Only BFM differed significantly between obese and lean cats. The cats were fed a high-protein (HP), a high-fat and a high-carbohydrate diet in a randomised cross-over design. Food intake did not differ between cats fed on the different diets, but obese cats consumed significantly more energy, expressed as per kg fat-free mass, than lean cats. After a 6-week adaptation period, a test meal was given and blood samples were collected before and 0, 30, 60 and 100min after the meal. Baseline concentrations of glucose, amylin and acylated ghrelin were higher in obese cats than in lean cats, and obese cats showed the highest postprandial responses of glucose and amylin. The HP diet led to higher postprandial amylin concentrations than the other diets, indicating a possible effect of amino acids on β-cell secretion. Postprandial ghrelin concentrations were unaffected by diet composition. The relationship between insulin, amylin and ghrelin secretion and their relevant roles in food intake and glucose metabolism in cats require further stud

Acute hormonal response to glucose, lipids and arginine infusion in overweight cats

In cats, the incidence of obesity and diabetes is increasing, and little is known about specific aspects of the endocrine control of food intake in this species. Recent data suggest that ghrelin has an important role in the control of insulin secretion and vice versa, but this role has never been demonstrated in cats. Here we aimed to improve our understanding about the relationship between insulin, amylin and ghrelin secretion in response to a nutrient load in overweight cats. After a 16h fast, weekly, six overweight male cats underwent randomly one of the four testing sessions: saline, glucose, arginine and TAG. All solutions were isoenergetic and isovolumic, and were injected intravenously as a bolus. Glucose, insulin, acylated ghrelin (AG), amylin and prolactin were assayed in plasma before and 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100min after the nutrient load. A linear mixed-effects model was used to assess the effect of bolus and time on the parameters. A parenteral bolus of glucose or arginine increased insulin and ghrelin concentrations in cats. Except for with the TAG bolus, no suppression of ghrelin was observed. The absence of AG suppression after the intravenous load of arginine and glucose may suggest: (1) that some nutrients do not promote satiation in overweight cats; or that (2) AG may be involved in non-homeostatic consumption mechanisms. However, the role of ghrelin in food reward remains to be assessed in cat

High S100B Levels Predict Antidepressant Response in Patients With Major Depression Even When Considering Inflammatory and Metabolic Markers

[EN] Background The relationship between antidepressant response and glial, inflammatory, and metabolic markers is poorly understood in depression. This study assessed the ability of biological markers to predict antidepressant response in major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods We included 31 MDD outpatients treated with escitalopram or sertraline for 8 consecutive weeks. The Montgomery-angstrom sberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was administered at baseline and at week 4 and 8 of treatment. Concomitantly, blood samples were collected for the determination of serum S100B, C-reactive protein (CRP), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL)-C levels. Treatment response was defined as >= 50% improvement in the MADRS score from baseline to either week 4 or 8. Variables associated with treatment response were included in a linear regression model as predictors of treatment response. Results Twenty-seven patients (87%) completed 8 weeks of treatment; 74% and 63% were responders at week 4 and 8, respectively. High S100B and low HDL-C levels at baseline were associated with better treatment response at both time points. Low CRP levels were correlated with better response at week 4. Multivariate analysis showed that high baseline S100B levels and low baseline HDL-C levels were good predictors of treatment response at week 4 (R(2 = )0.457, P = .001), while S100B was at week 8 (R-2 = 0.239, P = .011). Importantly, baseline S100B and HDL-C levels were not associated with depression severity and did not change over time with clinical improvement. Conclusions Serum S100B levels appear to be a useful biomarker of antidepressant response in MDD even when considering inflammatory and metabolic markersWe thank the consolidated research groups SGR2017/1798 (RMS) and the Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain for their support. This work was supported by an "Emili Letang Premi Final de Residencia (2017)" grant (G.O.) from Fundacio Clinic, Barcelona, Spain

Protein Co-Enrichment Analysis of Extracellular Vesicles

Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) carry cell-derived proteins that confer functionality and selective cell uptake. However, whether proteins are packaged stochastically or co-enriched within individual EVs, and whether co-enrichment fluctuates under homeostasis and disease, has not been measured. EV abundance and protein global relative expression have been qualified by bulk analysis. Meanwhile, co-enrichment is not directly accessible via bulk measurement and has not been reported for single EV analysis. Here, we introduce the normalized index of co-enrichment (NICE) to measure protein co-enrichment. NICE was derived by (i) capturing EVs based on the expression of a membrane-bound protein, (ii) probing for the co-expression of a second protein at the population level - EV integrity underwrites the detection of single EV co-expression without the need to resolve single EVs - and (iii) normalizing measured values using two universal normalization probes. Axiomatically, NICE = 1 for stochastic inclusion or no overall co-enrichment, while for positive and negative co-enrichment NICE > 1 or < 1, respectively. We quantified the NICE of tetraspanins, growth factor receptors and integrins in EVs of eight breast cancer cell lines of varying metastatic potential and organotropism, combinatorially mapping up to 104 protein pairs. Our analysis revealed protein enrichment and co-expression patterns consistent with previous findings. For the organotropic cell lines, most protein pairs were co-enriched on EVs, with the majority of NICE values between 0.2 to 11.5, and extending from 0.037 to 80.4. Median NICE were either negative, neutral or positive depending on the cells. NICE analysis is easily multiplexed and is compatible with microarrays, bead-based and single EV assays. Additional studies are needed to deepen our understanding of the potential and significance of NICE for research and clinical uses