Responsiveness of the BBT

Abstract : Aims: Study the responsiveness of the Box and Block Test (BBT) with older adults in rehabilitation. Methods: For a larger study on the responsiveness of several outcome measures, 264 older adults were recruited in rehabilitation units (RU) and day hospitals (DH) and assessed four times during their rehabilitation. For the present study, only the data for participants who had an impairment in at least one upper extremity were used (n = 87). The standardized response mean (SRM) and Guyatt Index (GI) were calculated. Analyses by sub-group were also performed. Results: The BBT’s responsiveness coefficients were moderate (SRM: 0.59; GI: 0.60). They were higher for participants treated in a RU (0.80 and 0.69) and participants who had had a stroke (0.67 and 0.83). Conclusion: The BBT can detect changes in dexterity in older adults undergoing rehabilitation, especially those being treated in a RU and those who have had a stroke

Land-cover and climate factors contribute to the prevalence of the ectoparasitic fungus Laboulbenia formicarum in its invasive ant host Lasius neglectus

International audienceUnderstanding the distribution of parasites is crucial for biodiversity conservation. Here, we studied the distribution of the ectoparasitic fungus Laboulbenia formicarum in native and invasive Lasius ants in a 2000 km2 area. We screened over 16,000 ant workers in 478 colonies of five different species. We found that Lab. formicarum was rare in native Lasius species but infected 58% of the colonies of the invasive species Las. neglectus. At landscape scale, Lab. formicarum presence could not be explained by geographic and genetic distances between Las. neglectus colonies but was associated with hotter and dryer climatic conditions and its prevalence in colonies increased with urbanization. Within infected colonies, fungal prevalence varied from 0 to 100 percent within meters and was negatively correlated with impervious ground cover. In a changing world, our findings emphasize the importance of land-use and climatic factors in shaping the distribution and prevalence of fungal parasites

Molecular evidence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Belgium

BACKGROUND: Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a tick-borne pathogen of veterinary and human importance. Both ticks as vectors and vertebrates as reservoir hosts are essential for the cycle maintenance of this bacterium. Currently, the whole range of animal species reservoirs for A. phagocytophilum in natural environment is still unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of infection with A. phagocytophilum in the wild boar population in southern Belgium. RESULTS: In the frame of a targeted surveillance program, 513 wild boars were sampled during the hunting season 2011. A nested 16S rRNA PCR was used to screen the presence of A. phagocytophilum DNA in spleen of boars. Within 513 samples, 5 (0,97%) were tested PCR positive and identification was confirmed by sequencing. CONCLUSIONS: This study gives the first insight of presence of A. phagocytophilum in wild boars in southern Belgium

Low loss Goubau Line on high-resitivity silicon in the 57–64 GHz band

Planar Goubau Line (PGL) structures on high resistivity silicon are simulated and measured in the 57-64GHz frequency band. It is shown that the increase of the substrate thickness permits to adapt this line, used at THz frequencies, to this frequency band. Very low losses are attained with a measured average attenuation of 0.064dB/mm on the whole band. Another advantage of the PGL consists in its very simple technological process, as just one level of metallization is necessary. A transition between the PGL and a coplanar waveguide is designed in order to perform on-wafer measurements, and very good agreement is obtained with simulation results for the attenuation of PGL

An 850 nm SiGe/Si HPT with a 4.12 GHz maximum optical transition frequency and 0.805A/W responsivity

A 10 × 10 μm2 SiGe heterojunction bipolar photo-transistor (HPT) is fabricated using a commercial technological process of 80 GHz SiGe bipolar transistors (HBT). Its technology and structure are first briefly described. Its optimal opto-microwave dynamic performance is then analyzed versus voltage biasing conditions for opto-microwave continuous wave measurements. The optimal biasing points are then chosen in order to maximize the optical transition frequency (fTopt) and the opto-microwave responsivity of the HPT. An opto-microwave scanning near-field optical microscopy (OM-SNOM) is performed using these optimum bias conditions to localize the region of the SiGe HPT with highest frequency response. The OM-SNOM results are key to extract the optical coupling of the probe to the HPT (of 32.3%) and thus the absolute responsivity of the HPT. The effect of the substrate is also observed as it limits the extraction of the intrinsic HPT performance. A maximum optical transition frequency of 4.12 GHz and an absolute low frequency opto-microwave responsivity of 0.805A/W are extracted at 850 nm

EZH2 alterations in follicular lymphoma: biological and clinical correlations

International audienceThe histone methyltransferase EZH2 has an essential role in the development of follicular lymphoma (FL). Recurrent gain-of-function mutations in EZH2 have been described in 25% of FL patients and induce aberrant methylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27). We evaluated the role of EZH2 genomic gains in FL biology. Using RNA sequencing, Sanger sequencing and SNP-arrays, the mutation status, copy-number and gene-expression profiles of EZH2 were assessed in a cohort of 159 FL patients from the PRIMA trial. Immunohistochemical (IHC) EZH2 expression (n = 55) and H3K27 methylation (n = 63) profiles were also evaluated. In total, 37% of patients (59/159) harbored an alteration in the EZH2 gene (mutation n = 46, gain n = 23). Both types of alterations were associated with highly similar transcriptional changes, with increased proliferation programs. An H3K27me3/me2 IHC score fully distinguished mutated from wild-type samples, showing its applicability as surrogate for EZH2 mutation analysis. However, this score did not predict the presence of gains at the EZH2 locus. The presence of an EZH2 genetic alteration was an independent factor associated with a longer progression-free survival (hazard ratio 0.58, 95% confidence interval 0.36–0.93, P = 0.025). We propose that the copy-number status of EZH2 should also be considered when evaluating patient stratification and selecting patients for EZH2 inhibitor-targeted therapies

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Atrasentan and renal events in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (SONAR): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Short-term treatment for people with type 2 diabetes using a low dose of the selective endothelin A receptor antagonist atrasentan reduces albuminuria without causing significant sodium retention. We report the long-term effects of treatment with atrasentan on major renal outcomes. Methods: We did this double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial at 689 sites in 41 countries. We enrolled adults aged 18–85 years with type 2 diabetes, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)25–75 mL/min per 1·73 m 2 of body surface area, and a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR)of 300–5000 mg/g who had received maximum labelled or tolerated renin–angiotensin system inhibition for at least 4 weeks. Participants were given atrasentan 0·75 mg orally daily during an enrichment period before random group assignment. Those with a UACR decrease of at least 30% with no substantial fluid retention during the enrichment period (responders)were included in the double-blind treatment period. Responders were randomly assigned to receive either atrasentan 0·75 mg orally daily or placebo. All patients and investigators were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was a composite of doubling of serum creatinine (sustained for ≥30 days)or end-stage kidney disease (eGFR <15 mL/min per 1·73 m 2 sustained for ≥90 days, chronic dialysis for ≥90 days, kidney transplantation, or death from kidney failure)in the intention-to-treat population of all responders. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of their assigned study treatment. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01858532. Findings: Between May 17, 2013, and July 13, 2017, 11 087 patients were screened; 5117 entered the enrichment period, and 4711 completed the enrichment period. Of these, 2648 patients were responders and were randomly assigned to the atrasentan group (n=1325)or placebo group (n=1323). Median follow-up was 2·2 years (IQR 1·4–2·9). 79 (6·0%)of 1325 patients in the atrasentan group and 105 (7·9%)of 1323 in the placebo group had a primary composite renal endpoint event (hazard ratio [HR]0·65 [95% CI 0·49–0·88]; p=0·0047). Fluid retention and anaemia adverse events, which have been previously attributed to endothelin receptor antagonists, were more frequent in the atrasentan group than in the placebo group. Hospital admission for heart failure occurred in 47 (3·5%)of 1325 patients in the atrasentan group and 34 (2·6%)of 1323 patients in the placebo group (HR 1·33 [95% CI 0·85–2·07]; p=0·208). 58 (4·4%)patients in the atrasentan group and 52 (3·9%)in the placebo group died (HR 1·09 [95% CI 0·75–1·59]; p=0·65). Interpretation: Atrasentan reduced the risk of renal events in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease who were selected to optimise efficacy and safety. These data support a potential role for selective endothelin receptor antagonists in protecting renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk of developing end-stage kidney disease. Funding: AbbVie