FERMI-LAT Observations of Supernova Remnant G5.7-0.1, Believed to be Interacting with Molecular Clouds

This work reports on the detection of $\gamma$-ray emission coincident with the supernova remnant (SNR) SNR G5.7-0.1 using data collected by the Large Area Telescope aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The SNR is believed to be interacting with molecular clouds, based on 1720 MHz hydroxyl (OH) maser emission observations in its direction. This interaction is expected to provide targets for the production of $\gamma$-ray emission from $\pi^0$-decay. A $\gamma$-ray source was observed in the direction of SNR G5.7-0.1, positioned nearby the bright $\gamma$-ray source SNR W28. We model the emission from radio to $\gamma$-ray energies using a one-zone model. Following consideration of both $\pi^0$-decay and leptonically dominated emission scenarios for the MeV-TeV source, we conclude that a considerable component of the $\gamma$-ray emission must originate from the $\pi^0$-decay channel. Finally, constraints were placed on the reported ambiguity of the SNR distance through X-ray column density measurements made using XMM-Newton observations. We conclude SNR G5.7-0.1 is a significant $\gamma$-ray source positioned at a distance of $\sim 3$ kpc with luminosity in the 0.1--100 GeV range of $L_{\gamma} \approx 7.4 \times 10^{34}$ erg/s.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, Accepted for publication in Ap

Comparison of Portable Metabolic Devices during Walking, Jogging, and Running

Oxygen uptake measurements enable performance professionals, clinicians, and scientists to quantify energy expenditure and aerobic work capacity for various purposes. Devices that accurately detect the composition of expired gases and changes in oxygen uptake, open new possibilities in research methodology and accessibility. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the O2 uptake measurements of the VO2 Master Pro (VM) to the Cosmed K5 (K5) during walking, jogging, and running in field and lab conditions. METHODS: Twelve proficient runners, with a current 10k pace \u3c 5:19 min/km, performed 3 matched intervals at 3 different speeds (4.82, 8.05, 11.27 kph) on a treadmill and on an outdoor track while expired gasses were measured. Each interval was 10 minutes and data from minutes 6-9 were averaged for comparisons. An airflow test was performed on both devices by forcing air through the devices using a 3 L syringe timed to a metronome at 15, 25, and 35 strokes/min. RESULTS: During walking intervals, the VM did not report data for the majority of participants, and therefore were excluded from analysis. Jogging and running measurements were analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey multiple comparison test to analyze pairwise comparisons. The indoor running analysis revealed significant differences in VO2 (3017 vs. 1880 ml/min), VE (71 vs 57 ml/min), and TV (1.89 vs 1.56 L) between the K5 and VM respectively (p \u3c .023). Outdoor analysis revealed a significant difference between devices in VO2, VE­, and TV (p \u3c .035). The airflow test also demonstrated significant differences between the devices in VE and TV (p \u3c .001). Neither the jogging nor running analysis showed a significant difference in FeO2 or HR (p \u3e .16). CONCLUSION: We concluded that there were significant discrepancies between the K5 and the VM due to differences in TV measurement

Comment sécuriser en cabinet de montagne la prise en charge des blessés de sport d'hiver ? (proposition d'une check-list)

La sécurité du patient est primordiale et l'utilisation de check-lists dans le domaine médical se développe. L'objectif de ce travail est de proposer une liste de critères à vérifier lors de la prise en charge en cabinet de montagne des patients traumatisés. Le but n'est pas de dicter une conduite à tenir aux professionnels mais de proposer un outil d'aide à la pratique permettant de constater un oubli et de le corriger avant qu'il ne devienne problématique. Nous avons d'abord réalisé une enquête de pratique permettant d'établir une pré-liste de critères. Une validation de chaque critère était ensuite nécessaire pour l'inclusion finale : soit par transposition de recommandations de domaines proches de la médecine de montagne, soit par avis d'experts. On obtient ainsi une liste de vingt-trois points essentiels de la prise en charge d'un patient traumatisé sans considérer une zone douloureuse en particulier. Il revient à chaque médecin de décliner cette check-list générale en check-list spécifique d'un type de traumatisme, selon les données actualisées de la science. Pour ne pas rendre chronophage la vérification, nous proposons d'intégrer la plupart des critères dans le logiciel médical. Cette check-list permet une amélioration des pratiques en évitant les oublis les plus fréquents. Elle vise à améliorer la sécurité des patients, avec des soins de qualité fondés sur des preuves. La principale limite à son utilisation est sa réactualisation nécessaire. C'est un premier travail sur le sujet qui introduit l'intérêt de l'utilisation de check-lists dans ce domaine particulier qu'est la médecine de montagne. Une validation secondaire est nécessaire.Patients' safety is paramount and to contribute to this the use of check-lists is currently developing in the medical field. The purpose of this work is to propose a list of criteria which need to be checked in mountain practices during the medical care of injured patients. The objective is not to dictate a procedure to professionals but to offer an aid to practice enabling to spot an oversight and correct it before it becomes an issue. We first realized a practice survey which enabled us to establish a pre-list of criteria. A validation of each of them has then been necessary before their final integration to the list: validation came either from transposition of recommendations acknowledged in medical fields close to mountain medicine or from expert opinion. Thanks to this process we obtain a list of twenty-three essential points for the medical care of injured patients without considering a specific painful area. lt is up to every physician to adapt this general check-list and create a specific one tailored to a given trauma according to state-of-the-art scientific knowledge. To avoid making the checking task time-consuming we propose to integrate most of the criteria into the medical software. This check-list enables to improve practices by preventing the most frequent oversights from happening. The check-list aims at improving patients' safety thanks to proof-based quality care. The main limit to its use is the need for regular updates. This work is a first step on this topic. lt shows the interest of using check-lists in the specific field of mountain medicine. A secondary validation is necessary.GRENOBLE1-BU Médecine pharm. (385162101) / SudocSudocFranceF

Functional changes in the cortical semantic network in amnestic mild cognitive impairment

Semantic memory impairment has been documented in older individuals with amnestic Mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet little is known about the neural basis of this breakdown. The main objective of this study was to investigate the brain mechanisms associated with semantic performance in patients with aMCI. Method: A group of aMCI patients and a group of healthy older controls carried out a semantic categorization task while their brain activity was recorded using magnetoencephalography (MEG). During the task, participants were shown famous faces and had to determine whether each famous person matched a given occupation. The main hypotheses were that: (i) semantic processing should be compromised for aMCI patients, and (ii) these deficits should be associated with cortical dysfunctions within specific areas of the semantic network. Results: Behavioural results showed that aMCI participants were significantly slower and less accurate than control participants at the semantic task, corroborating previous reports. Additionally, relative to controls, a significant pattern of hyperactivation was found in the aMCI group within specific regions of the semantic network, including the right anterior temporal lobe and inferior prefrontal cortex. Conclusions: Abnormal functional activation within key areas of the semantic network suggests that it is compromised early in the disease process. Moreover, this pattern of increased activation in aMCI was positively associated with grey matter integrity in specific areas, but was not associated with any specific pattern of atrophy, suggesting that functional hyperactivation may precede atrophy of the semantic network in aMCI

Preventive audiology

This book is an original scholarly book that introduces the concept of preventive audiology, with a specific focus on the African context, which is in line with the South African re-engineered primary healthcare strategy as well as the World Health Organisation’s approach. The book reflects on contextually relevant and responsive evidence-based perspectives, grounded in an African context on preventive audiology, in four major ear and hearing burdens of disease within the South African context: (1) early hearing detection and intervention, (2) middle ear pathologies, (3) ototoxicity, and (4) noise-induced hearing loss. The book represents innovative research, seen from both a South African and global perspective. It offers new discourse and argues for a paradigm shift in how audiology is theorised and performed, particularly in low-and-middle-income country contexts. The goal of this book is to motivate a paradigm shift in how the ear and hearing care is approached within this low-and-middle-income country context while arguing for Afrocentric best practice evidence that leads to next practice

The Hedgehog Receptor Patched Is Involved in Cholesterol Transport

International audienceBACKGROUND: Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling plays a crucial role in growth and patterning during embryonic development, and also in stem cell maintenance and tissue regeneration in adults. Aberrant Shh pathway activation is involved in the development of many tumors, and one of the most affected Shh signaling steps found in these tumors is the regulation of the signaling receptor Smoothened by the Shh receptor Patched. In the present work, we investigated Patched activity and the mechanism by which Patched inhibits Smoothened. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using the well-known Shh-responding cell line of mouse fibroblasts NIH 3T3, we first observed that enhancement of the intracellular cholesterol concentration induces Smoothened enrichment in the plasma membrane, which is a crucial step for the signaling activation. We found that binding of Shh protein to its receptor Patched, which involves Patched internalization, increases the intracellular concentration of cholesterol and decreases the efflux of a fluorescent cholesterol derivative (BODIPY-cholesterol) from these cells. Treatment of fibroblasts with cyclopamine, an antagonist of Shh signaling, inhibits Patched expression and reduces BODIPY-cholesterol efflux, while treatment with the Shh pathway agonist SAG enhances Patched protein expression and BODIPY-cholesterol efflux. We also show that over-expression of human Patched in the yeast S. cerevisiae results in a significant boost of BODIPY-cholesterol efflux. Furthermore, we demonstrate that purified Patched binds to cholesterol, and that the interaction of Shh with Patched inhibits the binding of Patched to cholesterol. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that Patched may contribute to cholesterol efflux from cells, and to modulation of the intracellular cholesterol concentration. This activity is likely responsible for the inhibition of the enrichment of Smoothened in the plasma membrane, which is an important step in Shh pathway activation

Preventive audiology

This book is an original scholarly book that introduces the concept of preventive audiology, with a specific focus on the African context, which is in line with the South African re-engineered primary healthcare strategy as well as the World Health Organisation’s approach. The book reflects on contextually relevant and responsive evidence-based perspectives, grounded in an African context on preventive audiology, in four major ear and hearing burdens of disease within the South African context: (1) early hearing detection and intervention, (2) middle ear pathologies, (3) ototoxicity, and (4) noise-induced hearing loss. The book represents innovative research, seen from both a South African and global perspective. It offers new discourse and argues for a paradigm shift in how audiology is theorised and performed, particularly in low-and-middle-income country contexts. The goal of this book is to motivate a paradigm shift in how the ear and hearing care is approached within this low-and-middle-income country context while arguing for Afrocentric best practice evidence that leads to next practice

Boundary condition enforcement for renormalised weakly compressible meshless Lagrangian methods

This paper introduces a boundary condition scheme for weakly compressible (WC) renormalised first-order accurate meshless Lagrangian methods (MLM) by considering both solid and free surface conditions. A hybrid meshless Lagrangian method-finite difference (MLM-FD) scheme on prescribed boundary nodes is proposed to enforce Neumann boundary conditions. This is used to enforce symmetry boundary conditions and the implied Neumann pressure boundary conditions on solid boundaries in a manner consistent with the Navier-Stokes equation leading to the accurate recovery of surface pressures. The free surface boundary conditions allow all differential operators to be approximated by the same renormalised scheme while also efficiently determining free surface particles. The boundary conditions schemes are implemented for two renormalised MLMs. A WC smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) solver is compared to a WC generalised finite difference (GFD) solver. Applications in both 2D and 3D are explored. A substantial performance benefit was found when comparing the WCGFD solver to the WCSPH solver with the WCGFD solver realising a maximum speedup in the range of three times over WCSPH in both 2D and 3D configurations. The solvers were implemented in C++ and used the NVIDIA CUDA 10.1 toolkit for the parallelisation of the solvers.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enganaboundhj2022Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineerin

Effects of environmental endocrine disruptors, including insecticides used for malaria vector control on reproductive parameters of male rats

The male reproductive system is sensitive to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during critical developmental windows. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed in utero-, during lactation- and directly to 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT), 1,1,-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE) and a mixture of DDT, deltamethrin (DM), p-nonylphenol (p-NP) and phytoestrogens, at concentrations found in a malaria-area. After dosing for 104 days, histological assessments and reproductive-endpoints were assessed. The anogenital distance (AGD) (P = 0.005) was shorter in the mixture-exposed group, while the prostate mass (P = 0.018) was higher in the DDT-exposed group. A higher testicular mass and abnormal histology was observed in the DDT-(P = 0.019), DDE-(P = 0.047) and mixture-exposed (P < 0.005) groups. This study shows that in utero-, lactational- and direct exposure to EDCs present in a malaria-area negatively affects male reproductive parameters in rats. These findings raise concerns to EDC-exposures to mothers living in malaria-areas and the reproductive health of their male offspring.Medical Research Council of South Africa2017-06-30hb2016PhysiologySchool of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH

Prioritization of candidate causal genes for asthma in susceptibility loci derived from UK Biobank

Kim Valette et al. perform a genomic study on asthma integrating genome-wide association study, functional mapping using lung and blood transcriptome-wide profiles, as well as Mendelian randomization. They show candidate causal genes expressed in lung and blood tissues that are putative therapeutic targets for asthma