Behavior of B in passivating gels formed on International Simple Glass in acid and basic pH

International audienceInternational Simple Glass altered for years in silica saturated conditions develops a passivating gel, which retains some B and Ca in its the inner region. These elements could impact the way the gel limits glass alteration. However, the retention mechanism, speciation, and diffusion properties of these elements are still unknown. First, we found that the presence of B and Ca in solution can dramatically slow down glass alteration. However, splitting the B and Ca into two different solutions with other glass elements did not give similar protection against glass alteration. Further experiments in basic and acid pHs revealed that i) water diffusion is not dramatically affected by the retention of B and Ca in passivating gels, and ii) slow diffusion and high retention of B is observed only in gels formed in basic pH. This mechanism could explain how passivating gels control the residual rate

[Management of DNA banks: ethical concerns]

With the creation of DNA banks, short and long-term studies can be conducted on the DNA of many individuals using stored cells and tissues. These studies allow an analysis of the pathophysiological impact of genetics and help define individual markers predictive of risk. Genome analysis is thus an important advance in medical science, providing essential information for establishing appropriate measures to slow disease development, limit severity or improve safe recovery. The use of genetic results may however have an adverse effect in certain situations if the genetic information collected were deviated from its purely medical purpose under the influence of social, occupational or economic factors. The aim of our study was to analyse the ethical challenges linked to the implementation of DNA banks in France, particularly to see how to maintain the concept of individual protection in biomedical research within the patient-physician relationship in the current context of legal and administrative regulations in France. In this study, we discuss a set of criteria which should be systematically evaluated in information collection and consent procedures prior to blood or tissue procurement for DNA bank purposes

Un demi-siècle d’environnement entre science, politique et prospective

Voilà maintenant un demi-siècle que l’environnement a émergé comme enjeu scientifique, politique et sociétal. Face aux défis actuels, il importe de comprendre ce qui s’est passé au cours de ces décennies décisives, de revenir sur les progrès ou les échecs – sur ce qui a ou n’a pas « fonctionné ». C’est ce à quoi s’attache cet ouvrage, qui ambitionne, en outre, de dessiner quelques perspectives pour le futur. Il ne s’agit pas de dresser un bilan écologique de ces cinq dernières décennies, ni de rappeler les événements qui les ont marquées, mais plutôt d’aborder ces années de l’intérieur, à travers le prisme particulier des relations entre science, politique et société – à l’interface entre le mouvement des idées, l’avancée des connaissances et l’action publique. De ce demi-siècle, peu de témoins sont aussi précieux que Jacques Theys. Depuis les années 1970, il a en effet occupé une place privilégiée de « passeur de frontières » entre science et politique, se partageant entre enseignement universitaire, responsabilités dans l’administration ou la prospective, et engagement dans la société civile. Même s’il ne s’y limite pas, l’ouvrage conçu en son honneur peut aussi se lire comme une synthèse des réflexions souvent à l’avant-garde qui furent les siennes. À travers la multiplicité des analyses réunies ici, c’est un regard sans équivalent sur l’évolution des politiques de l’environnement, leurs relations à la science, l’information ou la démocratie, la place de la prospective comme « intelligence du temps », ou l’avenir du développement durable qui est proposé

Vers un consentement plus éclairé

Trop souvent, les notices d’information proposées dans le cadre de recherches cliniques se réduisent à des documents réglementaires difficilement compréhensibles. Pourtant, les personnes concernées doivent avoir accès à une information transparente et loyale. Ces considérations ont motivé la création d’un groupe de travail pluridisciplinaire, piloté par le Collège des relecteurs de l’Inserm, associant les acteurs impliqués dans l’élaboration, l’évaluation et l’utilisation de ces notices d’information. Un ensemble de textes, pictogrammes et illustrations, adaptés aux personnes concernées, validés et facilement utilisables via une application a été créé. Une phase pilote, dans le cadre du plan France médecine génomique 2025, a permis de générer des notices simplifiées pour les examens génétiques. Dans cet article, nous présentons le travail réalisé par le groupe de travail « Notices d’information » afin de répondre à la demande sociétale d’être acteur de son parcours de soin et de contribuer à une recherche plus éthique et responsable

Women and health professionals’ perspectives on a conditional cash transfer programme to improve pregnancy follow-up: a qualitative analysis of the NAITRE randomised controlled study

Objectives Women of low socioeconomic status have been described as having suboptimal prenatal care, which in turn has been associated with poor pregnancy outcomes. Many types of conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes have been developed, including programmes to improve prenatal care or smoking cessation during pregnancy, and their effects demonstrated. However, ethical critiques have included paternalism and lack of informed choice. Our objective was to determine if women and healthcare professionals (HPs) shared these concerns.Design Prospective qualitative research.Setting We included economically disadvantaged women, as defined by health insurance data, who participated in the French NAITRE randomised trial assessing a CCT programme during prenatal follow-up to improve pregnancy outcomes. The HP worked in some maternities participating in this trial.Participants 26 women, 14 who received CCT and 12 who did not, mostly unemployed (20/26), and - 7 HPs.Interventions We conducted a multicentre cross-sectional qualitative study among women and HPs who participated in the NAITRE Study to assess their views on CCT. The women were interviewed after childbirth.Results Women did not perceive CCT negatively. They did not mention feeling stigmatised. They described CCT as a significant source of aid for women with limited financial resources. HP described the CCT in less positive terms, for example, expressing concern about discussing cash transfer at their first medical consultation with women. Though they emphasised ethical concerns about the basis of the trial, they recognised the importance of evaluating CCT.Conclusions In France, a high-income country where prenatal follow-up is free, HPs were concerned that the CCT programme would change their relationship with patients and wondered if it was the best use of funding. However, women who received a cash incentive said they did not feel stigmatised and indicated that these payments helped them prepare for their baby’s birth.Trial registration number NCT0240285