[Role of P/Q calcium channel in familial hemiplegic migraine]

International audienceVoltage-dependent calcium channels constitute one of the main pathways of calcium entry into neurons. They are the principal actors of synaptic transmission by controlling the release of neurotransmitters. They also contribute to numerous other cell functions, such as gene expression or synaptogenesis. These channels, by their essential cell functions, are at the origin of numerous channelopathies resulting from mutations of the genes encoding their different subunits. Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM) represents one such example of these channelopathies. In this human disease, genetic studies have demonstrated the implication of the CACNA1A gene in a type 1 form of FHM. This gene encodes for the Ca(v)2.1 subunit of P/Q calcium channels and is the target of numerous mutations affecting the properties of channel activity. The question on how discrete mutations of this gene are able to alter the activity of the channel and contribute to the physiopathology of FHM remains an open question. The functional characterization of mutated channels in various heterologous expression systems, as well as in vivo in an animal model, provides a molecular scheme of the physiopathology of FHM in which neurons, astrocytes and blood circulation act in concert

HPTAM, a two-dimensional Heat Pipe Transient Analysis Model, including the startup from a frozen state

A two-dimensional Heat Pipe Transient Analysis Model, 'HPTAM,' was developed to simulate the transient operation of fully-thawed heat pipes and the startup of heat pipes from a frozen state. The model incorporates: (a) sublimation and resolidification of working fluid; (b) melting and freezing of the working fluid in the porous wick; (c) evaporation of thawed working fluid and condensation as a thin liquid film on a frozen substrate; (d) free-molecule, transition, and continuum vapor flow regimes, using the Dusty Gas Model; (e) liquid flow and heat transfer in the porous wick; and (f) thermal and hydrodynamic couplings of phases at their respective interfaces. HPTAM predicts the radius of curvature of the liquid meniscus at the liquid-vapor interface and the radial location of the working fluid level (liquid or solid) in the wick. It also includes the transverse momentum jump condition (capillary relationship of Pascal) at the liquid-vapor interface and geometrically relates the radius of curvature of the liquid meniscus to the volume fraction of vapor in the wick. The present model predicts the capillary limit and partial liquid recess (dryout) in the evaporator wick, and incorporates a liquid pooling submodel, which simulates accumulation of the excess liquid in the vapor core at the condenser end

User's Manual for HPTAM: a Two-Dimensional Heat Pipe Transient Analysis Model, Including the Startup from a Frozen State

This report describes the user's manual for 'HPTAM,' a two-dimensional Heat Pipe Transient Analysis Model. HPTAM is described in detail in the UNM-ISNPS-3-1995 report which accompanies the present manual. The model offers a menu that lists a number of working fluids and wall and wick materials from which the user can choose. HPTAM is capable of simulating the startup of heat pipes from either a fully-thawed or frozen condition of the working fluid in the wick structure. The manual includes instructions for installing and running HPTAM on either a UNIX, MS-DOS or VMS operating system. Samples for input and output files are also provided to help the user with the code

HTR2008-58276 PERFORMANCE COMPARISON OF VHTR PLANTS WITH DIRECT AND INDIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION CYCLES

ABSTRACT This paper compared the performance of very high temperature reactor (VHTR) plants with direct and indirect closed Brayton Cycles (CBCs) and investigated the effect of the molecular weight of the CBC working fluid on the number of stages in and the size of the single shaft turbomachines. The CBC working fluids considered are helium (4 g/mole) and He-Xe and He-N 2 binary mixtures (15 g/mole). Also investigated are the effects of using LPC and HPC with inter-cooling, cooling the reactor pressure vessel with He bled off at the exit of the compressor, and changing the reactor exit temperature from 700 o C to 950 o C on the plant thermal efficiency, CBC pressure ratio and the number of stages in and size of the turbo-machines. Analyses are performed for reactor thermal power of 600 MW, shaft rotation speed of 3000 rpm, and IHX temperature pinch of 50 o C

BMJ Open

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to estimate the association between self-esteem and subsequent self-rated health during college years, taking into account a wide range of potential confounders. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal study. SETTING: The French i-Share cohort. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 1011 college students. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The association between self-esteem and later self-rated health was evaluated using multivariate modelling.Data regarding self-rated health, global self-esteem and demographic, educational, social, behavioural, environmental and financial characteristics were collected through an internet-based questionnaire. RESULTS: The 1011 participants had a median age of 21.9 years and 79% (795/1011) were females. Self-rated health was assessed a median of 8 months after the self-esteem measurement. Twenty per cent of the students declared average to very poor health (203/1011). Students with higher levels of self-esteem were more likely to declare good or very good self-rated health (adjusted OR=1.40, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.72, p value=0.001). Other factors associated with good or very good self-rated health were low body mass index, a comfortable financial situation during childhood and three personality traits (low persistence and harm avoidance and high cooperativeness). CONCLUSIONS: This study offers novel findings on the impact of self-esteem on self-rated health among college students. Interventions targeting self-esteem should be experimented during university years in order to improve health outcomes

Supraconductivité en dessous de 120 K de nouveaux composés au thallium

Des échantillons de la phase Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 bien cristallisée ont été observés supraconducteurs ou normaux en dessous de 108 K suivant leur stoechiométrie. Cette observation montre que la valence mixte (CuII-O-) induite par les lacunes ou les substitutions sur les différents sites accroît la supraconductivité de cette phase. La nouvelle phase TlBa2Ca2Cu3O9, qui contient intrinsèquement une valence mixte, a été observée, en effet Meissner, supraconductrice en volume avec une transition étroite à 120 K

Glucose-derived spiro-isoxazolines are anti-hyperglycemic agents against type 2 diabetes through glycogen phosphorylase inhibition

International audienceGlycogen phosphorylase (GP) is a target for the treatment of hyperglycaemia in the context of type 2 diabetes. This enzyme is responsible for the depolymerization of glycogen into glucose thereby affecting the levels of glucose in the blood stream. Twelve new d-glucopyranosylidene-spiro-isoxazolines have been prepared from O-peracylated exo-D-glucals by regio- and stereoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxides generated in situ by treatment of the corresponding oximes with bleach. This mild and direct procedure appeared to be applicable to a broad range of substrates. The corresponding O-unprotected spiro-isoxazolines were evaluated as glycogen phosphorylase (GP) inhibitors and exhibited IC50 values ranging from 1 to 800 μM. Selected inhibitors were further evaluated in vitro using rat and human hepatocytes and exhibited significant inhibitory properties in the primary cell culture. Interestingly, when tested with human hepatocytes, the tetra-O-acetylated spiro-isoxazoline bearing a 2-naphthyl residue showed a much lower IC50 value (2.5 μM), compared to that of the O-unprotected analog (19.95 μM). The most promising compounds were investigated in Zucker fa/fa rat model in acute and sub-chronic assays and decreased hepatic glucose production, which is known to be elevated in type 2 diabetes. This indicates that glucose-based spiro-isoxazolines can be considered as anti-hyperglycemic agents in the context of type 2 diabetes

Superconductivity up to 110 K in Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10 compounds

In the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system, we have studied the compound with the ideal formula Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10 , responsible for the superconductivity up to 110 K. The magnetic measurements reveal the presence of two phases in the samples with superconducting transitions up to 80 K and 110 K. By varying the composition and the thermal treatment of those samples, we have succeeded in increasing the amount of the superconducting phase with Tc up to 110 K. The Meissner effect reaches 30 % of - 3/8 π at 90 K for the undoped samples and more than 50 % for the samples doped with Pb. Because of the high reversibility of the magnetization versus magnetic field around Tc, we have evaluated the critical thermodynamic field. This one gives an electronic specific heat coefficient similar to the one of YBaCuO compounds.Nous avons étudié dans le système Bi-Si-Ca-Cu-O le composé responsable de la supraconductivité jusqu'à 110 K, de formule idéale Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10. Les mesures d'aimantation montrent la présence de deux phases dans les échantillons, avec des transitions à 80 K et 110 K. En faisant varier la composition et les traitements thermiques de ces échantillons, nous avons réussi à augmenter la proportion de la phase supraconductrice jusqu'à 110 K. L'effet Meissner atteint 30 % de - 3/8 π à 90 K pour les échantillons non dopés et 50 % pour ceux dopés au plomb. La grande réversibilité des courbes d'aimantation en fonction du champ au voisinage de Tc nous a permis d'évaluer le champ critique thermodynamique. Celui-ci conduit à un coefficient de chaleur spécifique électronique similaire à celui des composés YBaCuO