Effects of Ag or Si on precipitation in the alloy Al-2.5% Cu-1.5% Mg

International audienceCalorimetric measurements and electron microscopy observations were performed on Al-2.5 mass% Cu-1.5 mass% Mg alloys containing also 0.4, 1 or 2 % Ag or 0.5 % Si, in order to improve understanding of the relationships between precipitation processes and age hardening. The analogous behaviour of calorimetric and hardness data confirms that the first hardening stage is initiated in all alloys by GPB zone formation which occurs via a nucleation and growth controlled mechanism. The vacancy-trapping effect of Mg is increased by Ag and Si additions and leads to slower precipitation kinetics. Consequently refined GPB zones sizes are obtained leading to an increase in hardness with respect to the ternary alloy. During the second hardening stage, the formation of the more stable S' phase increases the total amount of strengthening precipitates in the ternary alloy. Phases typical for binary Al-Cu alloys form additionally in the Si-containing alloy. In the Ag-bearing alloys, precipitation of the hardening X' phase occurs the earlier the higher the Ag content is; it is followed by S' precipitation. During heating of the ternary alloy, the S'phase forms after substantial dissolution of GPB zones and of the S" phase identified by high resolution electron microscopy; this contradicts the concept of a continuous precipitation sequence

Nothing about us without us : disabled people determining their human rights through the UNCRPD

The human rights and fundamental freedoms of disabled persons are set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). This paper firstly focuses on the importance of the involvement of disabled people at all levels of decision-making. The second part of the paper identifies those aspects of the UNCRPD that reflect the direct involvement of disabled people. Finally, it considers how human rights bodies can best build on this specific aspect of the UNCRPD in order to realize the potential of the Convention as a determining factor in affirming disabled people rights in an effective and meaningful manner.peer-reviewe

‘Nothing about us without us’ : disabled people determining their human rights through the UNCRPD

The human rights and fundamental freedoms of disabled persons are set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). This paper firstly focuses on the importance of the involvement of disabled people at all levels of decision-making. The second part of the paper identifies those aspects of the UNCRPD that reflect the direct involvement of disabled people. Finally, it considers how human rights bodies can best build on this specific aspect of the UNCRPD in order to realize the potential of the Convention as a determining factor in affirming disabled people rights in an effective and meaningful manner.peer-reviewe

Reliability and validity of the French version of the global physical activity questionnaire

AbstractBackgroundThe Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) has been used to measure physical activity (PA) and sedentary time in France, but no study has assessed its psychometric properties. This study aimed to compare the reliability as well as criterion and concurrent validity of the French version of the GPAQ with the French International PA Questionnaire long form (IPAQ-LF) and use of an accelerometer in a general adult population.MethodsWe included 92 participants (students or staff) from the Medicine Campus at the University of Lorraine, Nancy (north-eastern France). The French GPAQ was completed twice, 7 days apart, to study test-retest reliability. The IPAQ-LF was used to assess concurrent validity of the GPAQ, and participants wore an accelerometer (Actigraph GT3X+) for 7 days to study criterion validity. Reliability as well as concurrent and criterion validity of the GPAQ were tested by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Spearman correlation coefficient for quantitative variables, and Kappa and Phi coefficients for qualitative variables. Both concurrent and criterion validity of GPAQ were assessed by Bland-Altman plots.ResultsThe GPAQ showed poor to good reliability (ICC = 0.37–0.94; Kappa = 0.50–0.62) and concurrent validity (Spearman r = 0.41–0.86), but only poor criterion validity (Spearman r = 0.22–0.42). Limits of agreement for the GPAQ and accelerometer were wide, with differences between 286.5 min/day and 601.3 min/day.ConclusionThe French version of the GPAQ provides limited but acceptable reliability and validity for the measurement of PA and sedentary time. It may be used for assessing PA and sedentary time in a French adult population

The oral health status of the Gozitan community

The objective of this study is to assess the oral health status and treatment needs of Gozo residents – a geographically isolated community. A cross-sectional study of 332 Gozitan attendees on the Mobile Dental Unit was carried out during a three-month period in 14 localities in Gozo. The participants attended for a dental check-up and indices were used to record caries, plaque, calculus, erosion, soft tissue pathologies and number of dental functional units. Of the 332 participants 76.8% presented with plaque deposits, 78% require either restorative or periodontal treatment while signs of erosive wear were present in 28% of participants. In younger age bands (0–9 and 10–19) untreated carious lesions amount to 1.34 and 1.0 (DT portion of DMFT) respectively, care index FT (filled teeth)/DMFT was 0.37 overall. Most participants in 50+ age bands had less than 10 remaining functional units. Thus, the oral health status of the Gozitan community shows a high level of unmet dental treatment needs. This underscores the need for provision of better dental services in Gozo, re-orientation of existing services to focus on prevention, and introduction of evidence-based preventive strategies in school-children.peer-reviewe

La Phocide protohistorique : recherches archéologiques et géoarchéologiques sur le tell de Kirrha et dans la plaine d’Itea (Grèce) - 2019

Données scientifiques produites :Kirrha par EFA Chroniques de l’EfA :Kirrha 2018 La mission tient tout particulièrement à remercier les collègues de l’Éphorie des Antiquités de Delphes, dont notamment Athanasia Psalti (directrice) et Nikolaos Petrocheilos (archéologue). Nos remerciements vont également à nos hôtes, les habitants de Kirrha. La campagne de terrain 2019 s’est déroulée à Kirrha durant 6 semaines, du 24 juillet au 2 août. En raison de la baisse significative de nos crédits, les op..

3e Rencontre internationale d\u27utilisateurs d\u27UNIMARC

Journée organisée par Maria Inês Cordeiro, directrice du programme UNIMARC de l\u27IFLA (IFLA UNIMARC Core Activity) hébergé par la Bibliothèque nationale du Portugal, organisée à l\u27enssib, après Lisbonne en 2006 et Florence en 2008 et rassemblant des utilisateurs d\u27UNIMARC. La journée se divise en trois temps : un retour sur le comité permanent UNIMARC et le programme de l\u27IFLA ; la circulation des notices en France ; Utilisation d\u27UNIMARC dans le monde : au Maghreb (Tunisie, Algérie, Maroc), en Russie, en Italie et au Portugal. Les notices des interventions, en anglais et en français, proposent à la fois l\u27enregistrement audio et le diaporama accompagnant la communication

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence regarding corticosteroid use for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. Objective: To determine whether hydrocortisone improves outcome for patients with severe COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: An ongoing adaptive platform trial testing multiple interventions within multiple therapeutic domains, for example, antiviral agents, corticosteroids, or immunoglobulin. Between March 9 and June 17, 2020, 614 adult patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled and randomized within at least 1 domain following admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) for respiratory or cardiovascular organ support at 121 sites in 8 countries. Of these, 403 were randomized to open-label interventions within the corticosteroid domain. The domain was halted after results from another trial were released. Follow-up ended August 12, 2020. Interventions: The corticosteroid domain randomized participants to a fixed 7-day course of intravenous hydrocortisone (50 mg or 100 mg every 6 hours) (n = 143), a shock-dependent course (50 mg every 6 hours when shock was clinically evident) (n = 152), or no hydrocortisone (n = 108). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was organ support-free days (days alive and free of ICU-based respiratory or cardiovascular support) within 21 days, where patients who died were assigned -1 day. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model that included all patients enrolled with severe COVID-19, adjusting for age, sex, site, region, time, assignment to interventions within other domains, and domain and intervention eligibility. Superiority was defined as the posterior probability of an odds ratio greater than 1 (threshold for trial conclusion of superiority >99%). Results: After excluding 19 participants who withdrew consent, there were 384 patients (mean age, 60 years; 29% female) randomized to the fixed-dose (n = 137), shock-dependent (n = 146), and no (n = 101) hydrocortisone groups; 379 (99%) completed the study and were included in the analysis. The mean age for the 3 groups ranged between 59.5 and 60.4 years; most patients were male (range, 70.6%-71.5%); mean body mass index ranged between 29.7 and 30.9; and patients receiving mechanical ventilation ranged between 50.0% and 63.5%. For the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively, the median organ support-free days were 0 (IQR, -1 to 15), 0 (IQR, -1 to 13), and 0 (-1 to 11) days (composed of 30%, 26%, and 33% mortality rates and 11.5, 9.5, and 6 median organ support-free days among survivors). The median adjusted odds ratio and bayesian probability of superiority were 1.43 (95% credible interval, 0.91-2.27) and 93% for fixed-dose hydrocortisone, respectively, and were 1.22 (95% credible interval, 0.76-1.94) and 80% for shock-dependent hydrocortisone compared with no hydrocortisone. Serious adverse events were reported in 4 (3%), 5 (3%), and 1 (1%) patients in the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with severe COVID-19, treatment with a 7-day fixed-dose course of hydrocortisone or shock-dependent dosing of hydrocortisone, compared with no hydrocortisone, resulted in 93% and 80% probabilities of superiority with regard to the odds of improvement in organ support-free days within 21 days. However, the trial was stopped early and no treatment strategy met prespecified criteria for statistical superiority, precluding definitive conclusions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02735707

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery