Static and dynamic posture control in postlingual cochlear implanted patients: effects of dual-tasking, visual and auditory inputs suppression

Posture control is based on central integration of multisensory inputs, and on internal representation of body orientation in space. This multisensory feedback regulates posture control and continuously updates the internal model of body's position which in turn forwards motor commands adapted to the environmental context and constraints. The peripheral localization of the vestibular system, close to the cochlea, makes vestibular damage possible following cochlear implant (CI) surgery. Impaired vestibular function in CI patients, if any, may have a strong impact on posture stability. The simple postural task of quiet standing is generally paired with cognitive activity in most day life conditions, leading therefore to competition for attentional resources in dual-tasking, and increased risk of fall particularly in patients with impaired vestibular function. This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of postlingual cochlear implantation on posture control in adult deaf patients. Possible impairment of vestibular function was assessed by comparing the postural performance of patients to that of age-matched healthy subjects during a simple postural task performed in static (stable platform) and dynamic (platform in translation) conditions, and during dual-tasking with a visual or auditory memory task. Postural tests were done in eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) conditions, with the CI activated (ON) or not (OFF). Results showed that the postural performance of the CI patients strongly differed from the controls, mainly in the EC condition. The CI patients showed significantly reduced limits of stability and increased postural instability in static conditions. In dynamic conditions, they spent considerably more energy to maintain equilibrium, and their head was stabilized neither in space nor on trunk: they behaved dynamically without vision like an inverted pendulum while the controls showed a whole body rigidification strategy. Hearing (prosthesis on) as well as dual-tasking did not really improve the dynamic postural performance of the CI patients. We conclude that CI patients become strongly visual dependent mainly in challenging postural conditions, a result they have to be awarded of particularly when getting older

Nucleotide and Nucleotide Sugar Analysis by Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry on Surface-Conditioned Porous Graphitic Carbon

We examined the analysis of nucleotides and nucleotide sugars by chromatography on porous graphitic carbon with mass spectrometric detection, a method that evades contamination of the MS instrument with ion pairing reagent. At first, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and other triphosphate nucleotides exhibited very poor chromatographic behavior on new columns and could hardly be eluted from columns previously cleaned with trifluoroacetic acid. Satisfactory performance of both new and older columns could, however, be achieved by treatment with reducing agent and, unexpectedly, hydrochloric acid. Over 40 nucleotides could be detected in cell extracts including many isobaric compounds such as ATP, deoxyguanosine diphosphate (dGTP), and phospho-adenosine-5′-phosphosulfate or 3′,5′-cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) and its much more abundant isomer 2′,3′-cylic AMP. A fast sample preparation procedure based on solid-phase extraction on carbon allowed detection of very short-lived analytes such as cytidine 5'-monophosphate (CMP)-2-keto-deoxy-octulosonic acid. In animal cells and plant tissues, about 35 nucleotide sugars were detected, among them rarely considered metabolites such as uridine 5'-diphosphate (UDP)-l-arabinopyranose, UDP-l-arabinofuranose, guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP)-l-galactofuranose, UDP-l-rhamnose, and adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-sugars. Surprisingly, UDP-arabinopyranose was also found in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Due to the unique structural selectivity of graphitic carbon, the method described herein distinguishes more nucleotides and nucleotide sugars than previously reported approaches

Long-term follow-up after retrosternal ileocolic esophagoplasty in two cases of long-gap esophageal atresia: why it is still a valid option as a rescue strategy

IntroductionEsophageal replacement surgery in children is sometimes necessary for long-gap esophageal atresia. Ileocolic esophagoplasty in the retrosternal space can serve as a good alternative technique in case of hostile posterior mediastinum. We present two cases of successful ileocolic transposition performed at 6 months of age.MethodsEsophageal replacement was performed through a midline laparotomy incision associated with a left cervical approach. The ileocolic transplant was pediculized on the right superior colic artery after ligating the right colic and ileocolic vessels. A retrosternal tunnel was created, and the ileocolic transplant pulled through it to reach the cervical region. Proximally, esophageal-ileal anastomosis and, distally, colonic–gastric anastomosis were performed. Ileocolic continuity was repaired.ResultsThere were no early postoperative complications. In both cases, the patients presented oral feeding difficulties during the first 6 postoperative months. Thereafter, full oral feeding was achieved, and both patients were clinically asymptomatic during the following 18 and 20 years, respectively, with satisfactory oral radiological assessments, showing no redundancy or inappropriate growth of the graft and no anastomotic stricture. Currently, these patients do not complain of dysphagia, pathological reflux, or respiratory symptoms.ConclusionWhen native esophagus preservation in long-gap esophageal atresia is estimated unfeasible, ileocolic transposition in the retrosternal space might be considered a good and safe option, particularly in those difficult cases after multiple previous surgical attempts and mediastinitis. This technique is putatively associated with a beneficial anti-reflux effect, thanks to the presence of the ileocecal valve, in preventing cervical peptic esophagitis. Long-term follow-up confirms that the transposed colon in the retrosternal space did not suffer any abnormal modification in size and growth

Étude des méthodes de faisceaux pour la résolution de problèmes de grande taille issus de la gestion optimisée de la production d'électricité

La première partie du travail présenté est consacrée à l'étude de variantes de la méthode des faisceaux. L'interprétation de la méthode des faisceaux par l'algorithme proximal a permis de montrer la convergence d'une variante de méthode de faisceaux construite à partir d'un algorithme proximal incorporant un pas de projection. Un second objectif de cette thèse a été d'étudier l'utilisation d'une méthode de faisceaux pour la résolution d'un problème réel d'optimisation issu de la gestion optimisée de la production d'énergie électrique. Une étude bibliographique sur les méthodes de résolution adoptées pour traiter les problèmes d'optimisation de la production d'électricité est d'abord présentée. Les problèmes à résoudre sont tous de très grande taille. Dans le travail présenté, nous avons choisi de nous concentrer sur la méthode de décomposition par les prix qui est une relaxation lagrangienne des contraintes couplant les unités de production du système électrique. Différentes études ont été faites pour adapter la méthode des faisceaux à la résolution du problème dual issu de cette décomposition. En particulier, on s'est intéressé à l'étude du conditionnement du problème dual lorsqu'il est possible de définir un hessien. Ceci nous a permis de trouver un changement de produit scalaire permettant d'améliorer la résolution des problèmes de gestion optimisée de la production en avenir incertain. Un autre aspect important abordé a été la prise en compte de contraintes de bornes sur les variables duales. Leur prise en compte a été envisagée directement dans la méthode des faisceaux de deux façons différentes et par l'introduction de variables d'écart dans le problème primal lorsque c'est possible. Enfin, le dernier objectif était de tester les résultats des études menées sur des exemples académiques mais aussi sur des cas réels d'optimisation sur le parc électrique français. Cette partie nous a permis de valider les résultats théoriques obtenus, l'importance d'utiliser un bon changement de métrique dans l'espace dual a été démontrée.PARIS1-BU Pierre Mendès-France (751132102) / SudocSudocFranceF

The N-glycans of yellow jacket venom hyaluronidases and the protein sequence of its major isoform in Vespula vulgaris

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Long-term dietary (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids show benefits to the lungs of Cftr F508del mice.

INTRODUCTION:The pro-inflammatory status of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients promotes pulmonary colonization with opportunist and pathogenic bacteria, which is favored by a sticky mucus. Oral supplementation with (n-3) long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) has shown anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the positive effects of a long-term diet enriched in (n-3) LC-PUFA on the lungs of Cftr F508del mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Breeding CftrΔF508del/+ mice received a control diet or a diet enriched in (n-3) LC-PUFA for 5 weeks before mating, gestation and lactation. After weaning, the offspring were given the same diet as their mother until post-natal day 60. The effects of (n-3) LC-PUFA supplementation on the lungs were evaluated in homozygous Cftr F508del mice and their wild-type littermates after acute lung inflammation induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inhalation. RESULTS:(n-3) LC-PUFA enrichment of mothers contributes to enrichment of mammary milk and cell membrane of suckling pups. Cftr F508del mice exhibited growth retardation and lung damage with collapsed alveoli, hyperplasia of bronchial epithelial cells and inflammatory cell infiltration. The (n-3) LC-PUFA diet corrected the growth delay of Cftr F508del mice and decreased hyperplasia of bronchial epithelial cells. Besides decreasing metaplasia of Club cells after LPS inhalation, (n-3) LC-PUFA modulated lung inflammation and restricted lung damage. CONCLUSION:Long-term (n-3) LC-PUFA supplementation shows moderate benefits to the lungs of Cftr F508del mice

A sensitive and rapid method to determin the adhesion capacity of probiotics and pathogenic microorganisms to human gastrointestinal mucins

Mucus is the habitat for the microorganisms, bacteria and yeast that form the commensal flora. Mucins, the main macromolecules of mucus, and more specifically, the glycans that cover them, play essential roles in microbial gastrointestinal colonization. Probiotics and pathogens must also colonize mucus to have lasting positive or deleterious effects. The question of which mucin-harboured glycan motifs favour the adhesion of specific microorganisms remains very poorly studied. In the current study, a simple test based on the detection of fluorescent-labeled microorganisms raised against microgram amounts of mucins spotted on nitrocellulose was developed. The adhesion of various probiotic, commensal and pathogenic microorganisms was evaluated on a panel of human purified gastrointestinal mucins and compared with that of commercially available pig gastric mucins (PGM) and of mucins secreted by the colonic cancer cell line HT29-MTX. The latter two proved to be very poor indicators of adhesion capacity on intestinal mucins. Our results show that the nature of the sialylated cores of O-glycans, determined by MALDI MS-MS analysis, potentially enables sialic acid residues to modulate the adhesion of microorganisms either positively or negatively. Other identified factors affecting the adhesion propensity were O-glycan core types and the presence of blood group motifs. This test should help to select probiotics with enhanced adhesion capabilities as well as deciphering the role of specific mucin glycotopes on microbial adhesion

Down-regulation of UDP-glucuronic Acid Biosynthesis Leads to Swollen Plant Cell Walls and Severe Developmental Defects Associated with Changes in Pectic Polysaccharides

Totalt har 977 landmolusk-lokaler i länet inventerats.Av dessa har 151 bedömts vara intressanta ur naturvårdssynpunkt.Regionala inventeringsrapporter import från MDP 2015-05</p

Dynamic instability of individual carbon nanotube growth revealed by in situ homodyne polarization microscopy

International audienceUnderstanding the kinetic selectivity of carbon nanotube growth at the scale of individual nanotubes is essential for the development of high chiral selectivity growth methods. Here we demonstrate that homodyne polarization microscopy can be used for high-throughput imaging of long individual carbon nanotubes under real growth conditions (at ambient pressure, on a substrate), and with sub-second time resolution. Our in situ observations on hundreds of individual nanotubes reveal that about half of them grow at a constant rate all along their lifetime while the other half exhibits stochastic changes in growth rates, and switches between growth, pause and shrinkage. Statistical analysis shows that the growth rate of a given nanotube essentially varies between two values, with similar average ratio (~1.7) regardless of whether the rate change is accompanied by a change in chirality. These switches indicate that the nanotube edge or the catalyst nanoparticle fluctuates between different configurations during growth