Ischemic Stroke of the Artery of Percheron with Normal Initial MRI: A Case Report

The artery of Percheron is a solitary trunk representing an uncommon anatomic variant that provides bilateral arterial supply to the paramedian thalami and the rostral midbrain. Occlusion of this artery results in bilateral thalamic and mesencephalic infarctions. The clinical diagnosis is difficult because the complex anatomy causes large clinical variability. We report a case of a comatose patient with normal early head-computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. A bilateral paramedian thalamic infarct due to an occlusion of the artery of Percheron was revealed two days later by a new head computed tomography. To our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature of a symptomatic patient presenting an acute Percheron stroke with normal early brain magnetic resonance imaging. Our case indicates that a normal initial magnetic resonance imaging cannot formally eliminate the diagnosis of acute stroke of the artery of Percheron. We discuss the causes of noncontributive brain magnetic resonance imaging at the onset of this acute Percheron stroke and the alternative diagnosis and therapy methods

New Insights Into the Role of Cav2 Protein Family in Calcium Flux Deregulation in Fmr1-KO Neurons

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common form of inherited intellectual disability (ID) and a leading cause of autism, results from the loss of expression of the Fmr1 gene which encodes the RNA-binding protein Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP). Among the thousands mRNA targets of FMRP, numerous encode regulators of ion homeostasis. It has also been described that FMRP directly interacts with Ca2+ channels modulating their activity. Collectively these findings suggest that FMRP plays critical roles in Ca2+ homeostasis during nervous system development. We carried out a functional analysis of Ca2+ regulation using a calcium imaging approach in Fmr1-KO cultured neurons and we show that these cells display impaired steady state Ca2+ concentration and an altered entry of Ca2+ after KCl-triggered depolarization. Consistent with these data, we show that the protein product of the Cacna1a gene, the pore-forming subunit of the Cav2.1 channel, is less expressed at the plasma membrane of Fmr1-KO neurons compared to wild-type (WT). Thus, our findings point out the critical role that Cav2.1 plays in the altered Ca2+ flux in Fmr1-KO neurons, impacting Ca2+ homeostasis of these cells. Remarkably, we highlight a new phenotype of cultured Fmr1-KO neurons that can be considered a novel cellular biomarker and is amenable to small molecule screening and identification of new drugs to treat FXS

Genomotyping of Coxiella burnetii Using Microarrays Reveals a Conserved Genomotype for Hard Tick Isolates

C. burnetii is a Gram-negative intracellular Y-proteobacteria that causes the zoonotic disease Q fever. Q fever can manifest as an acute or chronic illness. Different typing methods have been previously developed to classify C. burnetii isolates to explore its pathogenicity. Here, we report a comprehensive genomotyping method based on the presence or absence of genes using microarrays. The genomotyping method was then tested in 52 isolates obtained from different geographic areas, different hosts and patients with different clinical manifestations. The analysis revealed the presence of 10 genomotypes organized into 3 groups, with a topology congruent with that obtained through multi-spacer typing. We also found that only 4 genomotypes were specifically associated with acute Q fever, whereas all of the genomotypes could be associated to chronic human infection. Serendipitously, the genomotyping results revealed that all hard tick isolates, including the Nine Mile strain, belong to the same genomotype

Physics case for an LHCb Upgrade II - Opportunities in flavour physics, and beyond, in the HL-LHC era

The LHCb Upgrade II will fully exploit the flavour-physics opportunities of the HL-LHC, and study additional physics topics that take advantage of the forward acceptance of the LHCb spectrometer. The LHCb Upgrade I will begin operation in 2020. Consolidation will occur, and modest enhancements of the Upgrade I detector will be installed, in Long Shutdown 3 of the LHC (2025) and these are discussed here. The main Upgrade II detector will be installed in long shutdown 4 of the LHC (2030) and will build on the strengths of the current LHCb experiment and the Upgrade I. It will operate at a luminosity up to 2×1034 cm−2s−1, ten times that of the Upgrade I detector. New detector components will improve the intrinsic performance of the experiment in certain key areas. An Expression Of Interest proposing Upgrade II was submitted in February 2017. The physics case for the Upgrade II is presented here in more depth. CP-violating phases will be measured with precisions unattainable at any other envisaged facility. The experiment will probe b → sl+l−and b → dl+l− transitions in both muon and electron decays in modes not accessible at Upgrade I. Minimal flavour violation will be tested with a precision measurement of the ratio of B(B0 → μ+μ−)/B(Bs → μ+μ−). Probing charm CP violation at the 10−5 level may result in its long sought discovery. Major advances in hadron spectroscopy will be possible, which will be powerful probes of low energy QCD. Upgrade II potentially will have the highest sensitivity of all the LHC experiments on the Higgs to charm-quark couplings. Generically, the new physics mass scale probed, for fixed couplings, will almost double compared with the pre-HL-LHC era; this extended reach for flavour physics is similar to that which would be achieved by the HE-LHC proposal for the energy frontier

LHCb upgrade software and computing : technical design report

This document reports the Research and Development activities that are carried out in the software and computing domains in view of the upgrade of the LHCb experiment. The implementation of a full software trigger implies major changes in the core software framework, in the event data model, and in the reconstruction algorithms. The increase of the data volumes for both real and simulated datasets requires a corresponding scaling of the distributed computing infrastructure. An implementation plan in both domains is presented, together with a risk assessment analysis

A new aluminium-based microporous metal-organic framework: Al(BTB) (BTB = 1,3,5-benzenetrisbenzoate)

International audienceThe system Al3+ / H3BTB / DMF / additive was systematically investigated using high-throughput methods and the new, microporous MOF [Al(BTB)] (BTB = 1,3,5-benzenetrisbenzoate), named CAU-4 (CAU = Christian-Albrechts-University), was discovered. The synthesis was optimized changing chemical and process parameters and the final synthesis procedure was scaled up to the gram scale. CAU-4 is thermally stable up to 400 °C in air and exhibits a BET-surface area of 1520 m2/g and a micropore volume of 0.61 cm3/g. A structure model was developed using a computational assisted structure determination that was further validated by a good agreement with the experimental X-ray diffraction patterns and the geometrical features. The framework structure consists of isolated [AlO6]-octahedra which are bridged by carboxylate groups of the BTB-linker to form chains. These chains are connected by the tritopic aromatic building blocks, to form one-dimensional hexagonal channels with a diameter of ca. 9.6 Å

Genomic trajectories to fluoroquinolone resistance in Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica live vaccine strain

International audienceObjectives: Fluoroquinolone (FQ)-resistant mutants were previously selected from the live vaccine strain (LVS) of Francisella tularensis (F. tularensis) subsp. holarctica. This study further characterised all genetic changes that occurred in these mutants during the evolutionary trajectory toward high-level FQ resistance, and their potential impact on F. tularensis antibiotic resistance and intracellular fitness. Methods: The whole genomes of FQ-resistant mutants were determined and compared with those of their parental strain. All detected mutations were evaluated for their potential impact on FQ resistance and intracellular multiplication of F. tularensis. Results: As compared with the parental LVS genome, 28 mutations were found in the derived FQ-resistant mutants. These mutations involved all genes encoding type II topoisomerases (i.e. gyrA, gyrB, parC , and parE). Interestingly, some of them were not previously associated with FQ resistance, warranting further characterisation. Mutations associated with FQ resistance were also found in other genes, including three encoding proteins involved in transport processes. Most of the detected mutations did not alter multiplication of the corresponding mutants in J774 cells. In contrast, all mutations at locus FTL_0439 encoding FupA/B, a membrane protein involved in iron transport, were associated with FQ resistance and fitness loss. Conclusion: FQ resistance in F. tularensis is complex and may involve single or combined mutations in genes encoding type II topoisomerases, transport systems and FupA/B. In vivo studies are now required to assess the potential role of these mutations in FQ treatment failures

Val de Tours : des enjeux importants derrière les levées de la Loire et du Cher

Valley of Tours: of the important stakes behind the levees of teh Loire and teh Cher rivers. A specific study of the stakes and the vulnerability of these to the flooding of a zone protected by a system of embankment is necessary in a few situations, particularly in the carrying out of the studies of dangers. A general analysis of the question of the characterization of the stakes and the vulnerability to the flooding of protected territories is presented. We present an overall analysis of the characterization of the stakes and of their vulnerability to the flooding in the case of territories protected by embankments ; a method for taking into account the time factor in the assessment of the exposure of the population, and in the design of appropriate measures is also described. The study of dangers of the valley of Tours is taken as an example. This one, contained between the Loire and the Cher rivers, reveals the vulnerability of important stakes, numerous and varied in case of breach in the levee upstream both on the Loire and the Cher rivers.Une étude spécifique des enjeux et de la vulnérabilité de ceux-ci aux inondations d’une zone protégée par un système d’endiguement est nécessaire dans plusieurs situations notamment dans la réalisation des études de dangers. Il est présenté une analyse générale de la question de la caractérisation des enjeux et de la vulnérabilité aux inondations de territoires protégés par des digues, ainsi qu’une méthode de prise en compte du facteur temps dans l’évaluation de l’exposition des populations et dans l’élaboration des mesures à prendre pour protéger les populations. L’étude de dangers du val de Tours est prise en exemple. Ce val, compris entre la Loire et le Cher, met en évidence la vulnérabilité d’enjeux importants, très divers et nombreux en cas de brèche sur la levée en amont coté Loire comme coté Cher.Maurin Jean, Tourment Rémy, Beullac Bruno, Boulay Arnaud, Casamitjana Michel, Cebron Fabrice. Val de Tours : des enjeux importants derrière les levées de la Loire et du Cher. In: Evénements extrêmes fluviaux et maritimes. Leurs variabilités spatiales et chronologiques dans l'ouest de l’Europe. 34èmes journées de l’hydraulique Paris, 1 et 2 février 2012. 2012

A Joint Experimental/Computational Exploration of the Dynamics of Confined Water/Zr-Based MOFs Systems

International audienc