Continuous monitoring of shelf lives of materials by application of data loggers with implemented kinetic parameters

The evaluation of the shelf life of, for example, food, pharmaceutical materials, polymers, and energetic materials at room or daily climate fluctuation temperatures requires kinetic analysis in temperature ranges which are as similar as possible to those at which the products will be stored or transported in. A comparison of the results of the evaluation of the shelf life of a propellant and a vaccine calculated by advanced kinetics and simplified 0th and 1st order kinetic models is presented. The obtained simulations show that the application of simplified kinetics or the commonly used mean kinetic temperature approach may result in an imprecise estimation of the shelf life. The implementation of the kinetic parameters obtained fromadvanced kinetic analyses into programmable data loggers allows the continuous online evaluation and display on a smartphone of the current extent of the deterioration of materials. The proposed approach is universal and can be used for any goods, any methods of shelf life determination, and any type of data loggers. Presented in this study, the continuous evaluation of the shelf life of perishable goods based on the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm helps in the optimal storage/shipment and results in a significant decrease of waste

International registry of congenital porto-systemic shunts: a multi-centre, retrospective and prospective registry of neonates, children and adults with congenital porto-systemic shunts.

BACKGROUND Congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS) are rare vascular malformations associated with the risk of life-threatening systemic conditions, which remain underdiagnosed and often are identified after considerable diagnostic delay. CPSS are characterized by multiple signs and symptoms, often masquerading as other conditions, progressing over time if the shunt remains patent. Which patients will benefit from shunt closure remains to be clarified, as does the timing and method of closure. In addition, the etiology and pathophysiology of CPSS are both unknowns. This rare disorder needs the strength of numbers to answer these questions, which is the purpose of the international registry of CPSS (IRCPSS). METHOD A retrospective and prospective registry was designed using secuTrial® by the ISO certified Clinical Research Unit. Given that a significant number of cases entered in the registry are retrospective, participants have the opportunity to use a semi-structured minimal or complete data set to facilitate data entry. In addition, the design allows subjects to be entered into the IRCPSS according to clinically relevant events. Emphasis is on longitudinal follow-up of signs and symptoms, which is paramount to garner clinically relevant information to eventually orient patient management. The IRCPSS includes also three specific forms to capture essential radiological, surgical, and cardiopulmonary data as many times as relevant, which are completed by the specialists themselves. Finally, connecting the clinical data registry with a safe image repository, using state-of-the-art pseudonymization software, was another major focus of development. Data quality and stewardship is ensured by a steering committee. All centers participating in the IRCPSS have signed a memorandum of understanding and obtained their own ethical approval. CONCLUSION Through state-of-the-art management of data and imaging, we have developed a practical, user-friendly, international registry to study CPSS in neonates, children, and adults. Via this multicenter and international effort, we will be ready to answer meaningful and urgent questions regarding the management of patients with CPSS, a condition often ridden with significant diagnostic delay contributing to a severe clinical course

International registry of congenital porto-systemic shunts: a multi-centre, retrospective and prospective registry of neonates, children and adults with congenital porto-systemic shunts

BACKGROUND: Congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS) are rare vascular malformations associated with the risk of life-threatening systemic conditions, which remain underdiagnosed and often are identified after considerable diagnostic delay. CPSS are characterized by multiple signs and symptoms, often masquerading as other conditions, progressing over time if the shunt remains patent. Which patients will benefit from shunt closure remains to be clarified, as does the timing and method of closure. In addition, the etiology and pathophysiology of CPSS are both unknowns. This rare disorder needs the strength of numbers to answer these questions, which is the purpose of the international registry of CPSS (IRCPSS). METHOD: A retrospective and prospective registry was designed using secuTrial® by the ISO certified Clinical Research Unit. Given that a significant number of cases entered in the registry are retrospective, participants have the opportunity to use a semi-structured minimal or complete data set to facilitate data entry. In addition, the design allows subjects to be entered into the IRCPSS according to clinically relevant events. Emphasis is on longitudinal follow-up of signs and symptoms, which is paramount to garner clinically relevant information to eventually orient patient management. The IRCPSS includes also three specific forms to capture essential radiological, surgical, and cardiopulmonary data as many times as relevant, which are completed by the specialists themselves. Finally, connecting the clinical data registry with a safe image repository, using state-of-the-art pseudonymization software, was another major focus of development. Data quality and stewardship is ensured by a steering committee. All centers participating in the IRCPSS have signed a memorandum of understanding and obtained their own ethical approval. CONCLUSION: Through state-of-the-art management of data and imaging, we have developed a practical, user-friendly, international registry to study CPSS in neonates, children, and adults. Via this multicenter and international effort, we will be ready to answer meaningful and urgent questions regarding the management of patients with CPSS, a condition often ridden with significant diagnostic delay contributing to a severe clinical course

How ubiquitination and autophagy participate in the regulation of the cell response to bacterial infection

Bacterial infection relies on the micro-organism's ability to orchestrate the host's cell signalling such that the immune response is not activated. Conversely, the host cell has dedicated signalling pathways for coping with intrusions by pathogens. The autophagy of foreign micro-organisms (known as xenophagy) has emerged as one of the most powerful of these pathways, although the triggering mode remains largely unknown. In the present paper, we discuss the role that certain post-translational modifications (primarily ubiquitination) may play in the activation of xenophagy and how some bacteria have evolved mechanisms to subvert or hijack this process. In particular, we address the role played by P62/SQSTM1 (sequestosome 1). Finally, we discuss how autophagy can be subverted to eliminate bacteria-induced danger signals

JMicroVision : un logiciel d'analyse d'images pétrographiques polyvalent

Dans le domaine de la pétrographie, l'observation microscopique reste incontournable. On pourrait s'attendre à ce que les composants pétrographiques puissent être aisément quantifiés et caractérisés de façon informatique. Toutefois, en raison de la complexité et de la grande variété des images, les logiciels du marché ne se montrent pas toujours très performants. Cette thèse tente de pallier cette lacune en fournissant une palette d'outils informatiques plus adaptés à la visualisation et à l'analyse d'images pétrographiques. Ces outils ont été développés en langage Java et regroupés dans le logiciel JMicroVision. Cette thèse propose un nouvel algorithme de séparation des grains connexes. D'autres outils innovants, notamment l'analyse granulométrique ou le comptage de points informatisé, ont été développés. Plusieurs marches à suivre pour des analyses pétrographiques sont proposées dans la deuxième partie de cette thèse

Recherche communautaire et enjeux éthiques: réflexions pour une éthique de la participation

Nous proposons dans ce working paper une réflexion à l’appui d’une expérience de recherche dite communautaire. Cette démarche de recherche communautaire peut se définir comme une démarche de collaboration entre chercheurs·euses et acteurs·trices communautaires qui font ensemble une recherche guidée par les besoins des groupes concernés et qui vise la transformation sociale. Nous développons ici l’idée que la mise en œuvre des principes de la recherche communautaire s’inscrit dans une réflexion éthique de la recherche en sciences sociales. Pour cela nous situons la démarche de recherche communautaire en tant qu’éthique de la participation, et les principes de cette démarche comme autant d’enjeux éthiques pour la recherche. Ces réflexions nous amènent à considérer ce que nous nommons une épistémologie des marges ; avec la double préoccupation d’inclure la réflexion sur la participation aux enseignements académiques et la capitalisation des expériences de recherche par les acteurs·trices communautaires

PACS for Bhutan: a cost effective open source architecture for emerging countries

This paper reports the design and implementation of an innovative and cost-effective imaging management infrastructure suitable for radiology centres in emerging countries. It was implemented in the main referring hospital of Bhutan equipped with a CT, an MRI, digital radiology, and a suite of several ultrasound units. They lacked the necessary informatics infrastructure for image archiving and interpretation and needed a system for distribution of images to clinical wards. The solution developed for this project combines several open source software platforms in a robust and versatile archiving and communication system connected to analysis workstations equipped with a FDA-certified version of the highly popular Open-Source software. The whole system was implemented on standard off-the-shelf hardware. The system was installed in three days, and training of the radiologists as well as the technical and IT staff was provided onsite to ensure full ownership of the system by the local team. Radiologists were rapidly capable of reading and interpreting studies on the diagnostic workstations, which had a significant benefit on their workflow and ability to perform diagnostic tasks more efficiently. Furthermore, images were also made available to several clinical units on standard desktop computers through a web-based viewer

Impact de la crise sanitaire sur les parcours de santé de personnes vulnérables au VIH et aux hépatites

En 2020, l’association AIDES (association française de lutte contre le VIH et les hépatites) a observé la dégradation des conditions de vie des personnes accueillies : précarisation aggravée, répression accentuée, difficultés dans le parcours de soins. Afin d’analyser à l’échelle de la région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes l’impact de la crise sanitaire sur les parcours de santé de personnes vulnérables au VIH et aux hépatites, une évaluation participative a été mise en place. Le projet a été structuré en deux phases entre janvier et juillet 2021. La première consistait dans des entretiens semi-directifs auprès 1/ de personnes vivant avec le VIH/VHC, 2/ d’utilisateurs de la PrEP et 3/ d’usager·es de drogues ; ce afin d’explorer leur expérience en termes de parcours de santé et les points de faiblesse dans la coordination de ceux-ci (35 entretiens). La seconde consistait à restituer les résultats aux participant·e·s (5 focus groups), puis à procéder à l’analyse participative et à la formulation de recommandations. Les résultats plaident pour des mesures visant à lever les barrières au bon déroulement des parcours de santé, barrières qui ne sont pas toujours spécifiques du contexte actuel de crise

A multicentric IT platform for storage and sharing of imaging-based radiation dosimetric data

International audiencePurpose The MEDIRAD project is about the effects of low radiation dose in the context of medical procedures. The goal of the work is to develop an informatics service that will provide the researchers of the MEDIRAD project with a platform to share acquired images, along with the associated dosimetric data pertaining to the radiation resulting from the procedure. Methods The authors designed a system architecture to manage image data and dosimetric data in an integrated way. DICOM and non-DICOM data are stored in separated repositories, and the link between the two is provided through a semantic database, i.e., a database whose information schema in aligned with an ontology. Results The system currently supports CT, PET, SPECT, and NM images as well as dose reports. Currently, two workflows for non-DICOM data generated from dosimetric calculations have been taken into account, one concerning Monte Carlo-based calculation of organ doses in Chest CT, and the other estimation of doses in nontarget organs in I-131 targeted radionuclide therapy of the thyroid. Conclusion The system is currently deployed, thus providing access to image and related dosimetric data to all MEDIRAD users. The software was designed in such a way that it can be reused to support similar needs in other projects