Validation Préliminaire en contexte français de la tâche Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS, Ponitz, McClelland et al., 2009) évaluant le contrôle inhibiteur chez des enfants de Grande Section de Maternelle

International audienceL’inhibition jouant un rôle essentiel dans le développement de l’enfant, cet article examine les propriétés psychométriques d’une tâche de contrôle inhibiteur (Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders) auprès de 180 enfants âgés de 5 ans et demi. Les résultats attestent de la sensibilité de l’épreuve et de sa validité convergente. Conformément à la littérature, un léger effet du sexe (en faveur des filles) et un effet plus net du niveau d’étude de la mère (en faveur des mères de niveau élevé) sont observés

The Global School Adaptation score: a new neurodevelopmental assessment tool for very preterm children at five years of age

Objective To determine the usefulness of a neurodevelopmental assessment tool consisting of a questionnaire administered to teachers to measure the Global School Adaptation (GSA) scores of very preterm children at the age of 5 years. Study design A sample of 445 very preterm children (<35 weeks of gestation) was assessed at 5 years of age using GSA and IQ scores. According to the consistency between the scores, children were determined to be well classified, intermediately classified, or misclassified. The differences between groups were assessed through univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results The GSA score was highly or intermediately consistent with the IQ score for 89.2% of the children, and 10.8% were considered misclassified. Children with a higher GSA than IQ score had more autonomy and self-confidence (P < .01), and those with a lower GSA than IQ score had more behavioral problems (P < .01). Analysis by logistic regression showed that sex and gestational age significantly affected the consistency between the 2 scores. Thus, girls were less likely to have a lower GSA than IQ score (aOR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.24-0.84; P = .01), and a lower gestational age significantly increased the likelihood of having a higher GSA than IQ score (for children born between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation: aOR = 2.70; 95% CI: 1.23-5.92; P = .01). Conclusions The GSA score is a simple, inexpensive, and reliable screening tool for assessing neurodevelopment in very preterm children at 5 years of age

Vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers and quantum dot lasers

The use of cavity to manipulate photon emission of quantum dots (QDs) has been opening unprecedented opportunities for realizing quantum functional nanophotonic devices and also quantum information devices. In particular, in the field of semiconductor lasers, QDs were introduced as a superior alternative to quantum wells to suppress the temperature dependence of the threshold current in vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs). In this work, a review of properties and development of semiconductor VECSEL devices and QD laser devices is given. Based on the features of VECSEL devices, the main emphasis is put on the recent development of technological approach on semiconductor QD VECSELs. Then, from the viewpoint of both single QD nanolaser and cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED), a single-QD-cavity system resulting from the strong coupling of QD cavity is presented. A difference of this review from the other existing works on semiconductor VECSEL devices is that we will cover both the fundamental aspects and technological approaches of QD VECSEL devices. And lastly, the presented review here has provided a deep insight into useful guideline for the development of QD VECSEL technology and future quantum functional nanophotonic devices and monolithic photonic integrated circuits (MPhICs).Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:0904.369

Clinical relevance of genetic instability in prostatic cells obtained by prostatic massage in early prostate cancer

We investigated whether genetic lesions such as loss of heterozygosity (LOH) are detected in prostatic cells obtained by prostatic massage during early diagnosis of prostate cancer (CaP) and discussed their clinical relevance. Blood and first urine voided after prostatic massage were collected in 99 patients with total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) between 4 and 10 ng ml−1, prior to prostate biopsies. Presence of prostatic cells was confirmed by quantitative RT–PCR analysis of PSA mRNA. Genomic DNA was analysed for LOH on six chromosomal regions. One or more allelic deletions were found in prostatic fluid from 57 patients analysed, of whom 33 (58%) had CaP. Sensitivity and specificity of LOH detection and PSA free to total ratio <15% for positive biopsy were respectively 86.7 and 44% (P=0.002) for LOH, and 55 and 74% (P=0.006) for PSA ratio <15%. Analysis of LOH obtained from prostatic tumours revealed similar patterns compared to prostatic fluid cells in 86% of cases, confirming its accuracy. The presence of LOH of urinary prostatic cells obtained after prostatic massage is significantly associated with CaP on biopsy and may potentially help to identify a set of patients who are candidates for further prostate biopsies

A Virtual Testing Approach for Laminated Composites Based on Micromechanics

International audienceThe chapter deals with a crucial question for the design of composite structures: how can one predict the evolution of damage up to and including final fracture? Virtual testing, whose goal is to drastically reduce the huge number of industrial tests involved in current characterization procedures, constitutes one of today’s main industrial challenges. In this work, one revisits our multiscale modeling answer through its practical aspects. Some complements regarding identification, kinking, and crack initiation are also given. Finally, the current capabilities and limits of this approach are discussed, as well as the computational challenges that are inherent to “Virtual Structural Testing.

Ebola and Marburg Hemorrhagic Fevers: Neglected Tropical Diseases?

Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) and Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF) are rare viral diseases, endemic to central Africa. The overall burden of EHF and MHF is small in comparison to the more common protozoan, helminth, and bacterial diseases typically referred to as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). However, EHF and MHF outbreaks typically occur in resource-limited settings, and many aspects of these outbreaks are a direct consequence of impoverished conditions. We will discuss aspects of EHF and MHF disease, in comparison to the “classic” NTDs, and examine potential ways forward in the prevention and control of EHF and MHF in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as examine the potential for application of novel vaccines or antiviral drugs for prevention or control of EHF and MHF among populations at highest risk for disease

Sarilumab in patients admitted to hospital with severe or critical COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial

Background: Elevated proinflammatory cytokines are associated with greater COVID-19 severity. We aimed to assess safety and efficacy of sarilumab, an interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor, in patients with severe (requiring supplemental oxygen by nasal cannula or face mask) or critical (requiring greater supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal support) COVID-19. Methods: We did a 60-day, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational phase 3 trial at 45 hospitals in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Russia, and Spain. We included adults (≥18 years) admitted to hospital with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and pneumonia, who required oxygen supplementation or intensive care. Patients were randomly assigned (2:2:1 with permuted blocks of five) to receive intravenous sarilumab 400 mg, sarilumab 200 mg, or placebo. Patients, care providers, outcome assessors, and investigators remained masked to assigned intervention throughout the course of the study. The primary endpoint was time to clinical improvement of two or more points (seven point scale ranging from 1 [death] to 7 [discharged from hospital]) in the modified intention-to-treat population. The key secondary endpoint was proportion of patients alive at day 29. Safety outcomes included adverse events and laboratory assessments. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04327388; EudraCT, 2020-001162-12; and WHO, U1111-1249-6021. Findings: Between March 28 and July 3, 2020, of 431 patients who were screened, 420 patients were randomly assigned and 416 received placebo (n=84 [20%]), sarilumab 200 mg (n=159 [38%]), or sarilumab 400 mg (n=173 [42%]). At day 29, no significant differences were seen in median time to an improvement of two or more points between placebo (12·0 days [95% CI 9·0 to 15·0]) and sarilumab 200 mg (10·0 days [9·0 to 12·0]; hazard ratio [HR] 1·03 [95% CI 0·75 to 1·40]; log-rank p=0·96) or sarilumab 400 mg (10·0 days [9·0 to 13·0]; HR 1·14 [95% CI 0·84 to 1·54]; log-rank p=0·34), or in proportions of patients alive (77 [92%] of 84 patients in the placebo group; 143 [90%] of 159 patients in the sarilumab 200 mg group; difference −1·7 [−9·3 to 5·8]; p=0·63 vs placebo; and 159 [92%] of 173 patients in the sarilumab 400 mg group; difference 0·2 [−6·9 to 7·4]; p=0·85 vs placebo). At day 29, there were numerical, non-significant survival differences between sarilumab 400 mg (88%) and placebo (79%; difference +8·9% [95% CI −7·7 to 25·5]; p=0·25) for patients who had critical disease. No unexpected safety signals were seen. The rates of treatment-emergent adverse events were 65% (55 of 84) in the placebo group, 65% (103 of 159) in the sarilumab 200 mg group, and 70% (121 of 173) in the sarilumab 400 mg group, and of those leading to death 11% (nine of 84) were in the placebo group, 11% (17 of 159) were in the sarilumab 200 mg group, and 10% (18 of 173) were in the sarilumab 400 mg group. Interpretation: This trial did not show efficacy of sarilumab in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 and receiving supplemental oxygen. Adequately powered trials of targeted immunomodulatory therapies assessing survival as a primary endpoint are suggested in patients with critical COVID-19. Funding: Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Nitrosocarbonyl Hetero-Diels–Alder Cycloaddition: A New Tool for Conjugation

It is demonstrated that nitrosocarbonyl hetero-Diels-Alder chemistry is an efficient and versatile reaction that can be applied in macromolecular synthesis. Polyethylene glycol functionalized with a hydroxamic acid moiety undergoes facile coupling with cyclopentadiene-terminated polystyrene, through a copper-catalyzed as well as thermal hetero-Diels-Alder reaction. The mild and orthogonal methods used to carry out this reaction make it an attractive method for the synthesis of block copolymers. The resulting block copolymers were analyzed and characterized using GPC and NMR. The product materials could be subjected to thermal retro [4 + 2] cycloaddition, allowing for the liberation of the individual polymer chains and subsequent recycling of the diene-terminated polymers. © 2014 American Chemical Society