Prevalence and Associated Factors for Chlamydia trachomatis Infection Among Undocumented Immigrants in a Primary Care Facility in Geneva, Switzerland: A Cross-Sectional Study

Chlamydia trachomatis infection (CTI) is the most frequent sexually transmitted infection in western countries. Its prevalence in undocumented immigrants, a rapidly growing vulnerable population, remains unknown. We aimed to document the prevalence of CTI and associated factors at the primary health care level. This cross-sectional study included all undocumented immigrants attending a health care facility in Geneva, Switzerland. Participants completed a questionnaire and were tested for CTI by PCR assay. Three-hundred thirteen undocumented immigrants (68.4% female, mean age 32.4 (SD 8) years) agreed to participate. CTI prevalence was 5.8% (95% CI 3.3-8.4). Factors associated with higher prevalence were age ≤25 (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.3-12.2) and having had two or more sexual partners during the precedent year (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.5-13.7). Prevalence and associated factors for infection in this vulnerable population were comparable with other populations in Western countries. Our findings support the importance of facilitating access to existing screening opportunities in particular to individuals at higher ris

Fibre orientation effects on high strain rate of carbon / epoxy composites

Specific mechanical properties of composites make them particularly attractive. Dynamic loads are of prime interest for their applications. Laminated structures’ impact modelling implies prior material dynamic characterisation. This study suggests an analysis of split Hopkinson bar compression testing on T300/914 carbon/epoxy composite material. First, the effect of fibre orientation and stratification on compression dynamic behaviour is studied. Results show a high non-linearity for +/-45° laminates testing. This non-linearity is not observed when the laminates are reinforced with 0° and 90° plies. Analytical modelling is in agreement with the experimental results. Secondly, experiments are performed on pre-cracked specimens to show the influence of cracking on dynamic behaviour

Human exposure to allergenic pollens: A comparison between urban and rural areas

Background: Pollinosis is found more frequently in urban areas than in rural environments. This could be partly related to the different types of pollen exposure in these dissimilar areas. The objective of this study was to compare the distribution of pollen in these environments across an urbanization gradient. Methods: Daily pollen abundances were obtained in France using Hirst-type sensors. Sampling was conducted from January to June in 2003 and 2006 in a rural area, a semi-rural area and in two urban areas, which were characterized by several urbanization criteria. Results: Total allergenic pollen abundance was higher in rural and semi-rural areas than in urban areas irrespective of the sampling year. Multivariate analyses showed that pollen exposures differed according to the type of area and were strongly explained by the urbanization gradient. Grass, ash, birch, alder, hornbeam, hazel and plantain pollen quantities exceeded the allergy threshold more often in rural settings than in urban areas. In urban areas, only plane pollen quantities exceeded the allergy threshold more often than in rural areas. Conclusions: Allergenic pollen exposure is higher in rural areas than in urban areas, and the most abundant pollen in each area did not originated from the same taxa. This result should be taken into account in epidemiological studies comparing allergies in rural and urban areas to adapt the panel of pollen extracts for human environmental exposure. In addition, this study highlights that some ornamental trees produce a large number of allergenic pollens and provide new sources of aeroallergens. © 2011 Elsevier Inc

Advanced rotorcraft aeromechanics studies in the French-German SHANEL project

The present paper gives an overview of the SHANEL research project (partly supported by the French DGAC and the German BMWA) which was started at the end of 2006 between the German and French Aerospace Research Centres DLR and ONERA, the University of Stuttgart and the two national helicopter manufacturers, Eurocopter and Eurocopter Germany. This program represents the continuation of the binational CHANCE project, involving the same partners. The objective of the project is to enhance and further validate the CFD tools: the structured multi-block elsA software of Onera and the unstructured TAU code of DLR, for computing the aerodynamics of the complete trimmed helicopter, accounting for the blade elasticity by coupling with blade dynamics and structural mechanics tools. A coupling activity between the FLOWer code of DLR and the HOST tool of Eurocopter is also completed to achieve the free flight trim of a complete helicopter. In this program particular attention is being given to wake conservation, to the modelling of elaborated complex shapes such as rotor hubs and consequently to interactional phenomena, with the global objective of improving the prediction of helicopter performance and noise. Rotorcraft noise prediction chains were rationalized, enhanced and compared. The validation activity of the flow solvers elsA and TAU is progressing from the CHANCE results and is now focussing on more complex problems such as the simulation of a rotating rotor head mounted on its fuselage, of a complete helicopter in steady mode through the use of actuator discs and engine boundary conditions, the time-accurate simulation of a complete trimmed helicopter in forward-flight, and the numerical simulation of Blade Vortex Interactions. All along the research program the updated versions of the CFD and acoustic codes are systematically delivered to industry. This approach, also followed during the former CHANCE project, is chosen to speed up the transfer of capabilities to industry and check early enough that the products meet the expectations for applicability in the industrial environment of Eurocopter

Chronique du Droit de la Mer

Quéneudec Jean-Pierre, Levinet Michel, Sudre Frédéric. Chronique du Droit de la Mer. In: Annuaire français de droit international, volume 20, 1974. pp. 830-840

Dynamique du transcriptome d'Arabidopsis thaliana lors d'une exposition au Cd : mode d'action du Cd, méthodes de détection des effets des faibles doses

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