Phantom Sensations Influenced by Global and Local Modifications of the Prosthetic Socket as a Potential Solution for Natural Somatosensory Feedback During Walking: A Preliminary Study of a Single Case

Following lower limb amputation, amputees are trained to walk with a prosthesis. The loss of a lower limb deprives them of essential somatosensory information, which is one of the causes of the difficulties of walking with a prosthesis. We here explored whether a solution to this lack of somatosensory feedback could come from natural sensations of the phantom limb, present in most amputees, instead of from substitutive technologies. Indeed, it is known that phantom sensations can be modulated by (i) global mechanical characteristics of the prosthesis socket, and (ii) locally applying a stimulus on an area of the residual limb. The purpose of this pilot study was to verify the feasibility of influencing phantom sensations via such socket modifications in a participant with transfemoral amputation. Four prosthetic interface conditions were studied: a rigid and a semi-rigid socket, each one with and without a focal pressure increase on a specific area of the residual limb. The results show that phantom sensations during walking were different according to the 4 interface conditions. The participant had more vivid phantom sensations in his foot and calf of which some varied as a function of the gait phases. Preliminary gait analysis with wearable sensors shows that these modifications were accompanied by changes in some gait spatiotemporal parameters. This preliminary study of single case demonstrates that phantom sensations can be modulated by the prosthetic interface and can provide natural somatosensory information dynamically varying with gait phases. Although this needs to be confirmed for a larger population of lower limb amputees, it already encourages non-painful phantom sensations to be considered early during the rehabilitation of lower limb amputees

Evolution of Surface Hydrology in the Sahelo-Sudanian Strip: An Updated Review

In the West African Sahel, two paradoxical hydrological behaviors have occurred during the last five decades. The first paradox was observed during the 1968–1990s ‘Great Drought’ period, during which runoff significantly increased. The second paradox appeared during the subsequent period of rainfall recovery (i.e., since the 1990s), during which the runoff coefficient continued to increase despite the general re-greening of the Sahel. This paper reviews and synthesizes the literature on the drivers of these paradoxical behaviors, focusing on recent works in the West African Sahelo/Sudanian strip, and upscaling the hydrological processes through an analysis of recent data from two representative areas of this region. This paper helps better determine the respective roles played by Land Use/Land Cover Changes (LULCC), the evolution of rainfall intensity and the occurrence of extreme rainfall events in these hydrological paradoxes. Both the literature review and recent data converge in indicating that the first Sahelian hydrological paradox was mostly driven by LULCC, while the second paradox has been caused by both LULCC and climate evolution, mainly the recent increase in rainfall intensity

Pratiques documentaires numériques à l'université

Cet ouvrage, coordonné par Ghislaine Chartron, professeur au conservatoire des Arts et métiers (CNAM) et responsable de l'Institut national des techniques de la documentation (INTD). Annaïg Mahé, maître de conférences à l'Unité régionale de formation à l'information scientifique et technique (Urfist) de Paris et à l'école des Chartes, et Benoît Epron, maître de conférences à l'enssib, se propose d'explorer les pratiques documentaires dans l'enseignement supérieur et la recherche au moment clé du développement, voire de la croissance exponentielle de l'utilisation des outils numériques. À l'heure d'une maturité croissante de l'offre documentaire numérique et de ses potentiels dans tous les champs scientifiques, que connaissons-nous vraiment de la réalité des pratiques documentaires à l'université et dans les organismes de recherche ? Faire le point sur cette question fut l'objectif de la journée d'étude « Diversité des pratiques documentaires numériques dans les champs scientifiques » organisée à l'enssib en juillet 2009, qui a souhaité réunir un ensemble de travaux récents couvrant une large palette d'observations des pratiques dans la recherche et l'enseignement universitaire. Cette diversité concerne les méthodologies convoquées (quantitatives et qualitatives), les différents supports (notamment revues et ouvrages) et les différents champs disciplinaires (physique des hautes énergies, mathématiques et informatique, sciences de l'éducation, sciences politiques) : des mises en perspective plus transversales sont par ailleurs complémentaires. Les points de vue abordés sont internationaux

Awareness of venous thromboembolism among patients with cancer: Preliminary findings from a global initiative for World Thrombosis Day

BACKGROUND Cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (CAT) has detrimental impact on patients' clinical outcomes and quality of life. Data on CAT education, communication, and awareness among the general cancer population are scanty. METHODS We present the preliminary results of an ongoing patient-centered survey including 27 items covering major spheres of CAT. The survey, available in 14 languages, was promoted and disseminated online through social networks, email newsletters, websites, and media. RESULTS As of September 20, 2022, 749 participants from 27 countries completed the survey. Overall, 61.8% (n = 460) of responders were not aware of their risk of CAT. Among those who received information on CAT, 26.2% (n = 56) were informed only at the time of CAT diagnosis. Over two thirds (69.1%, n = 501) of participants received no education on signs and symptoms of venous thromboembolism (VTE); among those who were educated about the possible clinical manifestations, 58.9% (n = 119) were given instructions to seek consultation in case of VTE suspicion. Two hundred twenty-four respondents (30.9%) had a chance to discuss the potential use of primary thromboprophylaxis with health-care providers. Just over half (58.7%, n = 309) were unaware of the risks of bleeding associated with anticoagulation, despite being involved in anticoagulant-related discussions or exposed to anticoagulants. Most responders (85%, n = 612) valued receiving CAT education as highly relevant; however, 51.7% (n = 375) expressed concerns about insufficient time spent and clarity of education received. CONCLUSIONS This ongoing survey involving cancer patients with diverse ethnic, cultural, and geographical backgrounds highlights important patient knowledge gaps. These findings warrant urgent interventions to improve education and awareness, and reduce CAT burden

Twenty-three unsolved problems in hydrology (UPH) – a community perspective

This paper is the outcome of a community initiative to identify major unsolved scientific problems in hydrology motivated by a need for stronger harmonisation of research efforts. The procedure involved a public consultation through on-line media, followed by two workshops through which a large number of potential science questions were collated, prioritised, and synthesised. In spite of the diversity of the participants (230 scientists in total), the process revealed much about community priorities and the state of our science: a preference for continuity in research questions rather than radical departures or redirections from past and current work. Questions remain focussed on process-based understanding of hydrological variability and causality at all space and time scales. Increased attention to environmental change drives a new emphasis on understanding how change propagates across interfaces within the hydrological system and across disciplinary boundaries. In particular, the expansion of the human footprint raises a new set of questions related to human interactions with nature and water cycle feedbacks in the context of complex water management problems. We hope that this reflection and synthesis of the 23 unsolved problems in hydrology will help guide research efforts for some years to come

Improved integrated resonators in polymer technology for tunable filter

International audienceIn order to create thermally tunable filter, we fabricate integrated micro-ring resonators with specific polymers. Their high index contrast (Δn ~ 0.15 at the wavelength of 1550 nm) allows to make small size waveguides (typically with cross sections of 1.2 × 1.5 μm2). We study the impact of different ring radii and gaps on the response of filters. Compared to the state of the art with polymers, we have obtained ring resonators with good characteristics. These results and the high thermo-optic coefficient of polymers enable us to plan the creation of thermally tunable resonators. For that purpose, we develop a thermal model of the polymer waveguide behaviour in order to minimize the electrical consumption of a tunable filter. First experiments of thermal tunability of the micro-ring filter are also reported to work on a range of 40 °C giving a 5 nm shift of the dropped wavelength

Development of sequence characterized DNA markers linked to leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix) resistance in coffee (Coffea arabica L.)

Coffee leaf rust due to Hemileia vastatrix is one of the most serious diseases in Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica). A resistance gene (S-H(3)) has been transferred from C. liberica into C. arabica. The present work aimed at developing sequence-characterized genetic markers for leaf rust resistance. Linkage between markers and leaf rust resistance was tested by analysing two segregating populations, one F-2 population of 101 individuals and one backcross (BC2) population of 43 individuals, derived from a cross between a susceptible and a SH3-introgressed resistant genotype. A total of ten sequence-characterized genetic markers closely associated with the SH3 leaf rust resistance gene were generated. These included simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers, sequence-characterised amplified regions (SCAR) markers resulting from the conversion of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers previously identified and SCAR markers derived from end-sequences of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones. Those BAC clones were identified by screening of C. arabica genomic BAC library using a cloned AFLP-marker as probe. The markers we developed are easy and inexpensive to run, requiring one PCR step followed by gel separation. While three markers were linked in repulsion with the S-H(3) gene, seven markers were clustered in coupling around the S-H(3) gene. Notably, two markers appeared to co-segregate perfectly with the S-H(3) gene in the two plant populations analyzed. These markers are suitable for marker-assisted selection for leaf rust resistance and to facilitate pyramiding of the S-H(3) gene with other leaf rust resistance genes

A New Method for Rapid Screening of End-Point PCR Products: Application to Single Genome Amplified HIV and SIV Envelope Amplicons

International audiencePCR is the most widely applied technique for large scale screening of bacterial clones, mouse genotypes, virus genomes etc. A drawback of large PCR screening is that amplicon analysis is usually performed using gel electrophoresis, a step that is very labor intensive, tedious and chemical waste generating. Single genome amplification (SGA) is used to characterize the diversity and evolutionary dynamics of virus populations within infected hosts. SGA is based on the isolation of single template molecule using limiting dilution followed by nested PCR amplification and requires the analysis of hundreds of reactions per sample, making large scale SGA studies very challenging. Here we present a novel approach entitled Long Amplicon Melt Profiling (LAMP) based on the analysis of the melting profile of the PCR reactions using SYBR Green and/or EvaGreen fluorescent dyes. The LAMP method represents an attractive alternative to gel electrophoresis and enables the quick discrimination of positive reactions. We validate LAMP for SIV and HIV env-SGA, in 96- and 384-well plate formats. Because the melt profiling allows the screening of several thousands of PCR reactions in a cost-effective, rapid and robust way, we believe it will greatly facilitate any large scale PCR screenin

Utilisation et suivi biologique des antivitamines K en pratique médicale courante: Résultats français de l’étude internationale ISAM chez des patients ayant une fibrillation auriculaire

National audienceIntroductionBleeding complications of vitamin K antagonist (VKA) therapy are currently the most frequent iatrogenic event in France.ObjectivesThe aim of the ISAM study, an international longitudinal observational survey was to evaluate the use of VKA treatment and the quality of laboratory monitoring in everyday medical practice.MethodsIn France, a representative sample of general practitioners and cardiologists selected patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who had been treated with VKA for at least 60 days during the past 12 months. Physicians and patients responded to standardized questionnaires collecting retrospective data for the previous year.ResultsOverall, 43 general practitioners and 20 cardiologists recruited 278 patients who completed questionnaires. INR was at least 2 for 264 patients during the study period. During the year preceding inclusion, INR had been within the target range (i.e., between 2.0 and 3.0) 59% of the time and above 3.0 27%. Physicians reported having giving approximately half their patients written recommendations about the VKA dosage regimen, but only 3% supplied a specific VKA information and monitoring booklet. Most patients (65%) reported receiving information on VKA therapy from their general practitioners, although 18% said they had not been informed about their treatment, 44% did not know their target INR, and 66% were unaware that bleeding events were a matter of concern. Finally, 45% of patients reported carrying a card indicating that they were taking VKA.ConclusionOverall, these results show that better education of both physicians and patients could help to improve management, appropriate use and laboratory monitoring of VKA treatment.IntroductionLes hémorragies liées au traitement par antivitamines K (AVK) ont en France la première place des accidents iatrogènes.ObjectifsL’étude internationale, observationnelle, longitudinale et rétrospective ISAM avait pour but d’évaluer l’utilisation des AVK et la qualité de leur suivi biologique en pratique médicale courante.MéthodesDans l’étude française, des médecins généralistes et des cardiologues représentatifs ont sélectionné des patients traités pendant au moins 60 jours au cours des 12 derniers mois par des AVK pour fibrillation auriculaire non valvulaire. Les données rétrospectives sur un an ont été recueillies à l’aide de questionnaires standardisés auprès des médecins et de leurs patients.RésultatsAu total, 43 généralistes et 20 cardiologues ont inclus 278 patients qui ont complété les questionnaires. Deux cent soixante-quatre patients ont eu au moins 2 INR (International Normalized Ratio) pendant la période de l’étude. Dans l’année précédant l’inclusion, les patients ont passé 59% du temps avec un INR dans l’intervalle thérapeutique 2,0–3,0et 27% du temps avec un INR > 3. Les médecins déclaraient donner des recommandations écrites concernant la posologie des AVK à près de la moitié de leurs patients, mais seuls 3% leur remettaient un carnet d’information et de surveillance de traitement par AVK. L’information du traitement était assurée par le médecin généraliste pour 65% des patients. Toutefois, 18 % des patients disaient ne pas être informés sur leur traitement, 44% ne connaissaient pas leur INR cible et 66% ne savaient pas qu’un saignement devait les alerter. Le port d’une carte indiquant le traitement par AVK a été rapporté par 45% des patients.ConclusionII existe une place importante à l’éducation thérapeutique pour améliorer la prise en charge, le bon usage et le suivi biologique du traitement par AVK auprès des médecins et des patients