Parc automobile et effet de serre. Agir sur le parc automobile pour réduire l’effet de serre

International audienceCette étude traite des conditions du renouvellement du parc automobile afin de mieux maîtriser l'impact sur l'effet de serre. Quels sont les critères d'achat et les conditions d'utilisation des véhicules ? Quelles politiques publiques peuvent orienter le choix des consommateurs et l'offre des constructeurs vers des véhicules moins polluants ? Divers instruments de politiques publiques sont analysés

Plasma ceramide, a real-time predictive marker of pulmonary and hepatic metastases response to stereotactic body radiation therapy combined with irinotecan

AbstractBackground and purposesEarly biomarkers of tumour response are needed to discriminate between responders and non-responders to radiotherapy. We evaluated the ability of ceramide, a bioactive sphingolipid, to predict tumour sensitivity in patients treated by hypofractionated stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) combined with irinotecan chemotherapy.Materials and methodsPlasma levels of total ceramide and of its subspecies were measured before and during treatment in 35 patients with liver and lung oligometastases of colorectal cancer included in a phase II trial. Cer levels were quantified by LC–ESI-MS/MS and compared to tumour volume response evaluated one year later by CT-scan.ResultsPretreatment plasma ceramide levels were not indicative of tumour response. Nevertheless, the levels of total ceramide and of its 4 main subspecies were significantly higher at days 3 and 10 of treatment in objective responders than in non-responders. According to Kaplan–Meier curves, almost complete tumour control was achieved at 1year in patients with increased total ceramide levels whereas 50% of patients with decreased levels experienced an increase in tumour volume.ConclusionsTotal plasma ceramide is a promising biomarker of tumour response to SBRT combined with irinotecan that should enable to segregate patients with high risk of tumour escape

Electroanalysis may be used in the Vanillin Biotechnological Production

This study shows that electroanalysis may be used in vanillin biotechnological production. As a matter of fact, vanillin and some molecules implicated in the process like eugenol, ferulic acid, and vanillic acid may be oxidized on electrodes made of different materials (gold, platinum, glassy carbon). By a judicious choice of the electrochemical method and the experimental conditions the current intensity is directly proportional to the molecule concentrations in a range suitable for the biotechnological process. So, it is possible to imagine some analytical strategies to control some steps in the vanillin biotechnological production: by sampling in the batch reactor during the process, it is possible to determine out of line the concentration of vanillin, eugenol, ferulic acid, and vanillic acid with a gold rotating disk electrode, and low concentration of vanillin with addition of hydrazine at an amalgamated electrode. Two other possibilities consist in the introduction of electrodes directly in the batch during the process; the first one with a gold rotating disk electrode using linear sweep voltammetry and the second one requires three gold rotating disk electrodes held at different potentials for chronoamperometry. The last proposal is the use of ultramicroelectrodes in the case when stirring is not possible

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Caractéristiques chimiques et organoleptiques des tanins des raisins de Vitis vinifera var. Merlot et Cabernet Sauvignon issus de différents terroirs bordelais

Les tanins jouent un rôle important en œnologie, responsables de la couleur et de la saveur des vins rouges, leur structure chimique est relativement complexe. Nous l'avons étudiée grâce à différentes techniques d'analyse : la thiolyse, la GPC, la CLHP et la RMN. Pour ce faire, nous avons réalisé des étalons de tanins de poids moléculaires distincts, grâce à une précipitation au méthanol/chloroforme. L'application de la thiolyse et de la CLHP en phase normale à l'étude de la composition tannique des raisins (pépins et pellicules) au cours de leur maturation a mis en évidence des phénomènes complexes lors du millésime 1999 sur les terroirs bordelais : diminution des teneurs en tanins de pépins, parallèlement à une polymérisation des tanins ; accumulation des tanins dans les pellicules avec des modifications de structures. L'analyse sensorielle de solutions aqueuses de tanins issus de raisins et de vins nous a permis de définir leur astringence et leur amertume. Ces deux saveurs varient distinctement avec la concentration et la taille des tanins. Nous proposons un nouveau modèle de comportement gustatif des tanins selon leur taille, qui diffère de celui établi par Lea en 1992. Une corrélation entre les teneurs en polyphénols et tanins d'une part et l'astringence des extraits, d'autre part a été trouvée. Dans une moindre mesure, la teneur en tanins est corrélée à l'amertume. Cependant, ces corrélations n'ont pas été observées dans le cas du vin.BORDEAUX2-BU Santé (330632101) / SudocBORDEAUX1-BU Sciences-Talence (335222101) / SudocVILLENAVE D'ORNON-Bib. ISVV (335502201) / SudocSudocFranceF

Facteurs dosimétriques liés aux complications pulmonaires postopératoires dans les cancers de l’œsophage localement avancés traités par radiochimiothérapie préopératoire : revue de la littérature

International audienceIntroduction: La chimioradiothérapie préopératoire est une option pour le cancer de l’œsophage localement avancé. La radiothérapie peut augmenter les complications pulmonaires postopératoires. Les contraintes de dose pulmonaire habituelles en radiothérapie sont anciennes et utilisées par extrapolation de la prise en charge du cancer du poumon. Notre objectif est d’examiner la littérature sur les corrélations entre la toxicité pulmonaire postopératoire et les facteurs dosimétriques.Méthode: Cette revue de la littérature a identifié et sélectionné des études publiées entre 1987 et 2019 en utilisant la méthode PRISMA. Les articles ont été identifiés sur la base d’une recherche PubMed et des connaissances de l’auteur, en utilisant les termes suivants: « cancer de l’œsophage »; « chimioradiothérapie »; « facteurs dosimétriques »; « complications pulmonaires postopératoires ».Résultats: Quatorze articles ont été sélectionnés, et cinq n’ont pas démontré de corrélation entre les facteurs dosimétriques et le taux de complications pulmonaires postopératoires. Le V20 (volume pulmonaire recevant plus de 20Gy) a été identifié dans trois études, comme le V10, le V15 et la dose pulmonaire moyenne (environ 10Gy) dans deux études. Le V30≥20% a été identifié dans une étude.Discussion: Les prédicteurs dosimétriques les plus fréquemment identifiés pour les complications pulmonaires postopératoires sont le V20 et la dose pulmonaire moyenne. Les résultats d’études prospectives nous amèneraient à préciser lequel de ces paramètres est le plus pertinent pour prédire le risque de complications pulmonaires postopératoires

Oxygen desorption and oxygen transfer through oak staves and oak stave gaps: an innovative permeameter

During wine aging, several complex phenomena take place in barrels according to oak’s intrinsic physical properties. This research aims to better understand oxygen desorption and oxygen transfer phenomena through oak staves and especially through stave gaps in order to reevaluate the importance of barrel-making in barrel’s oxygen supply. Experimentation was based on the development of an innovative permeameter. With this permeameter, we could estimate gas transfer through oak staves and between oak stave gaps. With a specially developed tightening system, the existing pressure at stave gaps in a barrel could be reproduced on a laboratory scale in order to estimate its influence on oxygen transfer efficiency. Results proved that oxygen transfer through intact oak wood is limited; the main oxygen transfer takes place (i) through weak zones caused by fragile contact between staves and (ii) with low pressure between two staves (mainly in the middle of the side pieces). So, it is identified that oxygen transfer through stave gaps is largely impacted by applied pressure and by contact conditions on the surfaces of adjacent staves. This research also proves that oxygen desorption plays an important part in total oxygen ingress. These results confirm that the barrel-making process has a strong impact on a barrel’s oxygen supply during the aging process

"Show-and-tell": an evaluation of working in partnership with autistic adults as an early career researcher exploring suicide theory

Research to improve our understanding of mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviours typically excludes the voices of autistic people and there is an absence of transparent reporting and critical evaluation of participatory processes in autism research. We used the Public Involvement Impact Assessment Framework (PiiAF) and GRIPP2 reporting guidelines to describe and evaluate participatory activities (i.e., an advisory group, Twitter (X), a creative community-based project and volunteers’ database) undertaken within a programme of doctoral study to explore suicide theory with autistic people. Participation defined study focus, co-designed accessible methods and meaningful interpretation of results. For researcher and collaborators, benefits included personal connections and fulfilment, improved confidence and knowledge. Most impacts resulted from the advisory group, which benefitted from supervisor experience, established methods and monitoring feedback. Early career challenges included time, funding and trust-building. Future research could more clearly state a theoretical position and proposed outputs of participation at the start of the research. Researchers should continue to develop and share good practice in working in partnership with autistic people