Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the ampulla of vater with long-term survival following pancreaticoduodenectomy

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the biliary tree is a rare cause of biliary tract obstruction in childhood. A 3-year-old child is reported here after presenting with obstructive jaundice secondary to an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the ampulla of Vater. He underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and irradiation. He is now well and free of disease 5 years following treatment. This child appears to be the first long-term survivor who has required pancreaticoduodenal resection for this lesion.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/28946/1/0000783.pd

Pure phase-locking of beta/gamma oscillation contributes to the N30 frontal component of somatosensory evoked potentials

BACKGROUND: Evoked potentials have been proposed to result from phase-locking of electroencephalographic (EEG) activities within specific frequency bands. However, the respective contribution of phasic activity and phase resetting of ongoing EEG oscillation remains largely debated. We here applied the EEGlab procedure in order to quantify the contribution of electroencephalographic oscillation in the generation of the frontal N30 component of the somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) triggered by median nerve electrical stimulation at the wrist. Power spectrum and intertrial coherence analysis were performed on EEG recordings in relation to median nerve stimulation. RESULTS: The frontal N30 component was accompanied by a significant phase-locking of beta/gamma oscillation (25-35 Hz) and to a lesser extent of 80 Hz oscillation. After the selection in each subject of the trials for which the power spectrum amplitude remained unchanged, we found pure phase-locking of beta/gamma oscillation (25-35 Hz) peaking about 30 ms after the stimulation. Transition across trials from uniform to normal phase distribution revealed temporal phase reorganization of ongoing 30 Hz EEG oscillations in relation to stimulation. In a proportion of trials, this phase-locking was accompanied by a spectral power increase peaking in the 30 Hz frequency band. This corresponds to the complex situation of 'phase-locking with enhancement' in which the distinction between the contribution of phasic neural event versus EEG phase resetting is hazardous. CONCLUSION: The identification of a pure phase-locking in a large proportion of the SEP trials reinforces the contribution of the oscillatory model for the physiological correlates of the frontal N30. This may imply that ongoing EEG rhythms, such as beta/gamma oscillation, are involved in somatosensory information processing.Comparative StudyJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Computational Homogenization of Architectured Materials

Architectured materials involve geometrically engineered distributions of microstructural phases at a scale comparable to the scale of the component, thus calling for new models in order to determine the effective properties of materials. The present chapter aims at providing such models, in the case of mechanical properties. As a matter of fact, one engineering challenge is to predict the effective properties of such materials; computational homogenization using finite element analysis is a powerful tool to do so. Homogenized behavior of architectured materials can thus be used in large structural computations, hence enabling the dissemination of architectured materials in the industry. Furthermore, computational homogenization is the basis for computational topology optimization which will give rise to the next generation of architectured materials. This chapter covers the computational homogenization of periodic architectured materials in elasticity and plasticity, as well as the homogenization and representativity of random architectured materials

Stroke genetics informs drug discovery and risk prediction across ancestries

Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of stroke — the second leading cause of death worldwide — were conducted predominantly in populations of European ancestry1,2. Here, in cross-ancestry GWAS meta-analyses of 110,182 patients who have had a stroke (five ancestries, 33% non-European) and 1,503,898 control individuals, we identify association signals for stroke and its subtypes at 89 (61 new) independent loci: 60 in primary inverse-variance-weighted analyses and 29 in secondary meta-regression and multitrait analyses. On the basis of internal cross-ancestry validation and an independent follow-up in 89,084 additional cases of stroke (30% non-European) and 1,013,843 control individuals, 87% of the primary stroke risk loci and 60% of the secondary stroke risk loci were replicated (P < 0.05). Effect sizes were highly correlated across ancestries. Cross-ancestry fine-mapping, in silico mutagenesis analysis3, and transcriptome-wide and proteome-wide association analyses revealed putative causal genes (such as SH3PXD2A and FURIN) and variants (such as at GRK5 and NOS3). Using a three-pronged approach4, we provide genetic evidence for putative drug effects, highlighting F11, KLKB1, PROC, GP1BA, LAMC2 and VCAM1 as possible targets, with drugs already under investigation for stroke for F11 and PROC. A polygenic score integrating cross-ancestry and ancestry-specific stroke GWASs with vascular-risk factor GWASs (integrative polygenic scores) strongly predicted ischaemic stroke in populations of European, East Asian and African ancestry5. Stroke genetic risk scores were predictive of ischaemic stroke independent of clinical risk factors in 52,600 clinical-trial participants with cardiometabolic disease. Our results provide insights to inform biology, reveal potential drug targets and derive genetic risk prediction tools across ancestries

Wrist stabilisation and forearm muscle coactivation during freestyle swimming

The aim of this study was to evaluate the stabilisation of the wrist joint and the ad hoc wrist muscles activations during the two principal phases of the freestyle stroke. Seven male international swimmers performed a maximal semi-tethered power test. A swimming ergometer fixed on the start area of the pool was used to collect maximal power. The electromyography signal (EMG) of the right flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) and extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) was recorded with surface electrodes and processed using the integrated EMG (IEMG). Frontal and sagittal video views were digitised frame by frame to determine the wrist angle in the sagittal plane and the principal phases of the stroke (insweep, outsweep). Important stabilisation of the wrist and high antagonist muscle activity were observed during the insweep phase due to the great mechanical constraints. In outsweep, less stabilisation and lower antagonist activities were noted. Factors affecting coactivations in elementary movements, e.g. intensity and instability of the load, accuracy and economy of the movement were confirmed in complex aquatic movement

AWElectric:that gave me goosebumps, did you feel it too?

\u3cp\u3eAwe is a powerful, visceral sensation described as a sudden chill or shudder accompanied by goosebumps. People feel awe in the face of extraordinary experiences: The sublimity of nature, the beauty of art and music, the adrenaline rush of fear. Awe is healthy, both physically and mentally. It can be shared by people who are witnessing the same phenomenon, but traditionally it cannot be communicated remotely across time or distance: To feel awe involves real time experience, and explaining the experience that gave rise to it does not always induce the feeling of awe itself. We want to make this sensation something that can be transmitted, and therefore present AWElectric, a wearable interface that can detect awe, enhance it, and create it in another person. Our shared goosebump design embeds inflatable biometric displays in 3D print fabric. The AudioTactile fabric transmits an awe-inducing sound frequency to the partner that physically manifests the tingles, chills, and goosebumps that awe provokes.\u3c/p\u3

Thermographic and tomographic methods for tridimensional characterization of thermal transfer in silica/phenolic composites

International audienceSilica/phenolic composite materials are often used in thermal protection systems (TPS) for atmospheric re-entry. The present work aims to compare two different approaches to assess heat transfer properties of these materials: i) using standard and specific experimental methods, and ii) with the development of 3D thermal transfer multiscale model using 2D (microscopy) and 3D (tomography) images. The latter procedure, based on computations on images, is a two-step change of scale from microscopic scale to mesoscopic scale and then to the macroscopic one. Two silica/phenolic composites with different spatial organizations are studied and their 2 thermal properties are compared. Several experimental methods have been used, including space-resolved diffusivity determinations. Numerical results are compared to experimental ones in terms of transverse and longitudinal thermal conductivities of the composites, and were found to be in good agreement. A discussion is made on the different possible sources of uncertainty for both methods