Is virtual reality effective to teach prevention of surgical site infections in the operating room? study protocol for a randomised controlled multicentre trial entitled VIP Room study

INTRODUCTION: Some surgical site infections (SSI) could be prevented by following adequate infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. Poor compliance with IPC measures often occurs due to knowledge gaps and insufficient education of healthcare professionals. The education and training of SSI preventive measures does not usually take place in the operating room (OR), due to safety, and organisational and logistic issues. The proposed study aims to compare virtual reality (VR) as a tool for medical students to learn the SSI prevention measures and adequate behaviours (eg, limit movements…) in the OR, to conventional teaching. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This protocol describes a randomised controlled multicentre trial comparing an educational intervention based on VR simulation to routine education. This multicentre study will be performed in three universities: Grenoble Alpes University (France), Imperial College London (UK) and University of Heidelberg (Germany). Third-year medical students of each university will be randomised in two groups. The students randomised in the intervention group will follow VR teaching. The students randomised in the control group will follow a conventional education programme. Primary outcome will be the difference between scores obtained at the IPC exam at the end of the year between the two groups. The written exam will be the same in the three countries. Secondary outcomes will be satisfaction and students' progression for the VR group. The data will be analysed with intention-to-treat and per protocol. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the Medical Education Ethics Committee of the London Imperial College (MEEC1920-172), by the Ethical Committee for the Research of Grenoble Alpes University (CER Grenoble Alpes-Avis-2019-099-24-2) and by the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University (S-765/2019). Results will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals, communicated to participants, general public and all relevant stakeholders

Engineered Electronic Contacts for Composite Electrodes in Li Batteries Using Thiophene-based Molecular Junctions

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy experiments indicate that molecular junctions can be achieved between non-carbon-coated LiFePO4 (LFP) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) using a thiophene-based conjugated system which was designed to selectively functionalize these two different types of surfaces. The strategy enables the architecturing of the cathode electrode of lithium batteries, leading to a vast improvement in the component intermixing, which results in the individual MWCNT being nanocontacted at the surface of LFP grains. This advancement leads to much higher specific capacity, especially at high charge/discharge rates, for undensified electrodes of 2 mA h cm–2, for which the electronic wiring of the electroactive material is a critical issue. Furthermore, thanks to molecular junctions, better capacity retention comparable to that of carbon-coated LiFePO4 electrodes could be achieved. These results are expected to trigger the development of novel electron transport engineering methods, of special interest for industry-relevant thick battery electrodes

Assessment of electrophoresis and electroosmosis in construction materials: effect of enhancing electrolytes and heavy metals contamination

Electrokinetic effects are those that take place by application of an electric field to porous materials, with the zeta potential as the key parameter. Specifically, in the case of contaminated construction materials, the generation of an electroosmotic flux, with the corresponding dragging due to water transport, is a crucial mechanism to succeed in the treatment of decontamination. Therefore, it is of great interest trying to optimize the treatment by the addition of specific electrolytes enhancing the electrokinetic phenomena. Most of the data of zeta potential found in literature for construction materials are based in micro-electrophoresis measurements, which are quite far of the real conditions of application of the remediation treatments. In this paper, electrophoretic and electroosmotic experiments, with monolithic and powdered material respectively, have been carried out for mortar, brick and granite clean and contaminated with Cs, Sr, Co, Cd, Cu and Pb. The electrolytes tested have been distilled water (DW), Na2–EDTA, oxalic acid, acetic acid and citric acid. The zeta potential values have been determined through the two different techniques and the results compared and critically analysed

Identification of New SRF Binding Sites in Genes Modulated by SRF Over-Expression in Mouse Hearts

Background To identify in vivo new cardiac binding sites of serum response factor (SRF) in genes and to study the response of these genes to mild over-expression of SRF, we employed a cardiac-specific, transgenic mouse model, with mild over-expression of SRF (Mild-O SRF Tg). Methodology Microarray experiments were performed on hearts of Mild-O-SRF Tg at 6 months of age. We identified 207 genes that are important for cardiac function that were differentially expressed in vivo. Among them the promoter region of 192 genes had SRF binding motifs, the classic CArG or CArG-like (CArG-L) elements. Fifty-one of the 56 genes with classic SRF binding sites had not been previously reported. These SRF-modulated genes were grouped into 12 categories based on their function. It was observed that genes associated with cardiac energy metabolism shifted toward that of carbohydrate metabolism and away from that of fatty acid metabolism. The expression of genes that are involved in transcription and ion regulation were decreased, but expression of cytoskeletal genes was significantly increased. Using public databases of mouse models of hemodynamic stress (GEO database), we also found that similar altered expression of the SRF-modulated genes occurred in these hearts with cardiac ischemia or aortic constriction as well. Conclusion and significance SRF-modulated genes are actively regulated under various physiological and pathological conditions. We have discovered that a large number of cardiac genes have classic SRF binding sites and were significantly modulated in the Mild-O-SRF Tg mouse hearts. Hence, the mild elevation of SRF protein in the heart that is observed during typical adult aging may have a major impact on many SRF-modulated genes, thereby affecting Cardiac structure and performance. The results from our study could help to enhance our understanding of SRF regulation of cellular processes in the aged heart

Heat Shock Proteins and Amateur Chaperones in Amyloid-Beta Accumulation and Clearance in Alzheimer’s Disease

The pathologic lesions of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are characterized by accumulation of protein aggregates consisting of intracellular or extracellular misfolded proteins. The amyloid-β (Aβ) protein accumulates extracellularly in senile plaques and cerebral amyloid angiopathy, whereas the hyperphosphorylated tau protein accumulates intracellularly as neurofibrillary tangles. “Professional chaperones”, such as the heat shock protein family, have a function in the prevention of protein misfolding and subsequent aggregation. “Amateur” chaperones, such as apolipoproteins and heparan sulfate proteoglycans, bind amyloidogenic proteins and may affect their aggregation process. Professional and amateur chaperones not only colocalize with the pathological lesions of AD, but may also be involved in conformational changes of Aβ, and in the clearance of Aβ from the brain via phagocytosis or active transport across the blood–brain barrier. Thus, both professional and amateur chaperones may be involved in the aggregation, accumulation, persistence, and clearance of Aβ and tau and in other Aβ-associated reactions such as inflammation associated with AD lesions, and may, therefore, serve as potential targets for therapeutic intervention

p75(NTR)-dependent activation of NF-κB regulates microRNA-503 transcription and pericyte-endothelial crosstalk in diabetes after limb ischaemia

The communication between vascular endothelial cells (ECs) and pericytes in the microvasculature is fundamental for vascular growth and homeostasis; however, these processes are disrupted by diabetes. Here we show that modulation of p75NTR expression in ECs exposed to high glucose activates transcription of miR-503, which negatively affects pericyte function. p75NTR activates NF-κB to bind the miR-503 promoter and upregulate miR-503 expression in ECs. NF-κB further induces activation of Rho kinase and shedding of endothelial microparticles carrying miR-503, which transfer miR-503 from ECs to vascular pericytes. The integrin-mediated uptake of miR-503 in the recipient pericytes reduces expression of EFNB2 and VEGFA, resulting in impaired migration and proliferation. We confirm operation of the above mechanisms in mouse models of diabetes, in which EC-derived miR-503 reduces pericyte coverage of capillaries, increased permeability and impaired post-ischaemic angiogenesis in limb muscles. Collectively, our data demonstrate that miR-503 regulates pericyte–endothelial crosstalk in microvascular diabetic complications

Surface reactivity of anatase particles towards phosphated species

International audienceThis multi-scale and multi-technique work investigates the adsorption of phosphated species on the TiO2 anatase surface. Our original approach declines for the first time the progressive ethyl substitution of phosphates to identify the structure of complexes formed upon adsorption of these molecules on anatase in aqueous dispersions, under various pH conditions. To quantify the adsorbed amount of these molecules on TiO2, adsorption isotherms were recorded as a function of pH. In parallel, zeta potential measurements were performed to screen the evolution of the TiO2 surface charge in the presence of the phosphated compounds. Lastly, surface complexes structure was characterized using spectroscopic methods: solid-state 31P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Attenu-ated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared, and Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spec-troscopy in the near infrared spectral range. Upon decreasing pH, the amount of adsorbed species increases, reaching a maximum of 1.5 phosphorus atom per nm2 at pH 2. Monoethyl-phosphate remains adsorbed in similar amounts to orthophosphate, but di-and tri-ethyl substitutions lead to a sharp decrease of adsorption. Spectro-scopic analyses reveal the affinity of othophosphate and monoethyl-phosphate for the anatase surface, with formation of bridging or chelating bidentate complexes, more or less protonated according to pH values

Low Temperature Synthesis of Nanocrystallized Titanium Oxides with Layered or Tridimensional Frameworks, from [Ti8O12(H2O)24]Cl8·HCl·7H2O Hydrolysis

International audienceA low-temperature aqueous chemical growth process was developed to produce nanometric titanium oxide with controlled size and structural variety. Gentle hydrolysis of a commercial TiOCl2 solution, in a controlled relative humidity, leads to the formation of single crystals of [Ti8O12(H2O)24]Cl8·HCl·7H2O. Under autogenous pressure at 120 °C, the hydrolysis of the latter by tetramethylammonium hydroxide (noted TMAOH) is mainly governed by the R = Ti/TMAOH molar ratio and thus by the pH value. Two values are particularly important: R = 8/9 and 8/17. The former corresponds to the balance of the Cl− ions of the titanium oxychloride hydrate by TMA+ cations and the latter to the stoichiometric ratio for the formation of a layered oxo-hydroxide (TMA)2Ti2O4−x(CO3)x(OH)2·nH2O, x = 0.7, which is obtained under basic conditions. Above R = 8/9, that is, in an acidic medium, the solvothermal treatment at 120 °C directly leads to the crystallization of anatase and then rutile when the pH decreases. For intermediate R values, the amorphous dried solid is required to be rinsed and dried at 110 °C to lead to the crystallization of nanometric titania, either anatase or brookite. TEM studies show that titania nanoparticles exhibit superstructures involving a doubling of the cell parameters that could originate from the adsorption of carbonate, hydrogen carbonate, or hydroxyl groups on the nanocrystallite surface. During evaporation of the solvent, these crystallites can self-assemble to form micrometric platelets