Detection and dynamics of circulating tumor cells in patients with high-risk prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy and hormones: a prospective phase II study

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are an established prognostic marker in castration-resistant prostate cancer but have received little attention in localized high-risk disease. We studied the detection rate of CTCs in patients with high-risk prostate cancer before and after androgen deprivation therapy and radiotherapy to assess its value as a prognostic and monitoring marker. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective analysis of CTCs in the peripheral blood of 65 treatment-naive patients with high-risk prostate cancer. EpCAM-positive CTCs were enumerated using the CELLSEARCH system at 4 timepoints. A cut off of 0 vs >/= 1 CTC/7.5 ml blood was defined as a threshold for negative versus positive CTCs status. RESULTS: CTCs were detected in 5/65 patients (7.5%) at diagnosis, 8/62 (12.9%) following neoadjuvant androgen deprivation and 11/59 (18.6%) at the end of radiotherapy, with a median CTC count/7.5 ml of 1 (range, 1-136). Only 1 patient presented a positive CTC result 9 months after radiotherapy. Positive CTC status (at any timepoint) was not significantly associated with any clinical or pathologic factors. However, when we analyzed variations in CTC patterns following treatment, we observed a significant association between conversion of CTCs and stages T3 (P = 0.044) and N1 (P = 0.002). Detection of CTCs was not significantly associated with overall survival (P > 0.40). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed a low detection rate for CTCs in patients with locally advanced high-risk prostate cancer. The finding of a de novo positive CTC count after androgen deprivation therapy is probably due to a passive mechanism associated with the destruction of the tumor. Further studies with larger samples and based on more accurate detection of CTCs are needed to determine the potential prognostic and therapeutic value of this approach in non-metastatic prostate cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01800058

Large-vscale hydrogen production and storage technologies: Current status and future directions

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in International Journal of Hydrogen Energy on 13/11/2020, available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.10.110 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Over the past years, hydrogen has been identified as the most promising carrier of clean energy. In a world that aims to replace fossil fuels to mitigate greenhouse emissions and address other environmental concerns, hydrogen generation technologies have become a main player in the energy mix. Since hydrogen is the main working medium in fuel cells and hydrogen-based energy storage systems, integrating these systems with other renewable energy systems is becoming very feasible. For example, the coupling of wind or solar systems hydrogen fuel cells as secondary energy sources is proven to enhance grid stability and secure the reliable energy supply for all times. The current demand for clean energy is unprecedented, and it seems that hydrogen can meet such demand only when produced and stored in large quantities. This paper presents an overview of the main hydrogen production and storage technologies, along with their challenges. They are presented to help identify technologies that have sufficient potential for large-scale energy applications that rely on hydrogen. Producing hydrogen from water and fossil fuels and storing it in underground formations are the best large-scale production and storage technologies. However, the local conditions of a specific region play a key role in determining the most suited production and storage methods, and there might be a need to combine multiple strategies together to allow a significant large-scale production and storage of hydrogen.Published versio

Development of Monte Carlo simulations to predict particle resuspension kinetics during airflow acceleration in a wind tunnel

International audienc

Health in all policies and urban green spaces: the baseline study of the GREENH-City project

International audienceHealth in all policies (HiAP) is a key strategy for tackling social inequalities in health (SIH) and contributes to act on health determinants, among which environmental determinants play a major role. In France, cities have levers to act on environmental determinants such as green spaces. This communication aims to present the baseline study of the GREENH-City interventional participatory project (INCa n°2017-003). The general goal of the project is to identify the most promising interventions to operationalize HiAP at the city level and act on the social inequalities in health through green space policy in urban area. The baseline study will contribute to analyze the HiAP approach among the cities of the French Healthy Cities Network. The objective of this presentation is to provide profiles of the cities regarding the degree of maturity of the HiAP approaches.MethodsDrawing on the HiAP analytical framework, a qualitative analysis will be conducted among 80 cities of the French Healthy Cities Network by using an online survey addressed to elected official and technicians from public health departments in the cities. Items will rely on the degree of maturity of HiAP approaches regarding the modes of collaborations between sectors, the consideration of health, social inequalities in health and green spaces accessibility equity.ResultsThe survey will identify profiles of cities regarding their style of HiAP. These results, crossed with SIH indicators and green space indicators will define 6 cases.ConclusionsThe six cases should enable us to profile the cities in terms of their HiAP approaches and how they address social inequalities in health as part of their policies and interventions on green spaces

How to tackle social inequalities in health in urban areas through political action on green spaces: A research protocol on the Health in All Policies approach concerning green spaces in the French Healthy Cities network

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Correction to: The GREENH-City interventional research protocol on health in all policies

Abstract After publication of the article [1], it has been brought to our attention that in the original publication the third author’s name was spelt incorrectly. The correct spelling is “Emmanuelle Faure”. This was previously spelt as “Emmannuelle Faure”. The original article has been revised to reflect this

The GREENH-City interventional research protocol on health in all policies

Abstract Background This paper presents the research protocol of the GoveRnance for Equity, EnviroNment and Health in the City (GREENH-City) project funded by the National Institute for Cancer (Subvention N°2017–003-INCA). In France, health inequities have tended to increase since the late 1980s. Numerous studies show the influence of social, economic, geographic and political determinants on health inequities across the life course. Exposure to environmental factors is uneven across the population and may impact on health and health inequities. In cities, green spaces contribute to creating healthy settings which may help tackle health inequities. Health in All Policies (HiAP) represents one of the key strategies for addressing social and environmental determinants of health inequities. The objective of this research is to identify the most promising interventions to operationalize the HiAP approaches at the city level to tackle health inequities through urban green spaces. It is a participatory interventional research to analyze public policy in real life setting (WHO Healthy Cities). Method/design It is a mixed method systemic study with a quantitative approach for the 80 cities and a comparative qualitative multiple case-studies of 6 cities. The research combines 3 different lens: 1/a political analysis of how municipalities apply HiAP to reduce social inequities of health through green space policies and interventions 2/a geographical and topological characterization of green spaces and 3/ on-site observations of the use of green spaces by the inhabitants. Results City profiles will be identified regarding their HiAP approaches and the extent to which these cities address social inequities in health as part of their green space policy action. The analysis of the transferability of the results will inform policy recommendations in the rest of the Health City Network and widely for the French municipalities. Discussion/conclusion The study will help identify factors enabling the implementation of the HiAP approach at a municipal level, promoting the development of green spaces policies in urban areas in order to tackle the social inequities in health

Additional file 1: of The GREENH-City interventional research protocol on health in all policies

Annex 1 describing the objectives and methods by work package (WP). The notification of QUANT and QUAL depends on the nature of the method used. (DOCX 17 kb