Fully automated dual-resolution serial optical coherence tomography aimed at diffusion MRI validation in whole mouse brains

An automated dual-resolution serial optical coherence tomography (2R-SOCT) scanner is developed. The serial histology system combines a low-resolution ( 25 mu m / voxel ) 3 x OCT with a high-resolution ( 1.5 mu m / voxel ) 40 x OCT to acquire whole mouse brains at low resolution and to target specific regions of interest (ROIs) at high resolution. The 40 x ROIs positions are selected either manually by the microscope operator or using an automated ROI positioning selection algorithm. Additionally, a multimodal and multiresolution registration pipeline is developed in order to align the 2R-SOCT data onto diffusion MRI (dMRI) data acquired in the same ex vivo mouse brains prior to automated histology. Using this imaging system, 3 whole mouse brains are imaged, and 250 high-resolution 40 x three-dimensional ROIs are acquired. The capability of this system to perform multimodal imaging studies is demonstrated by labeling the ROIs using a mouse brain atlas and by categorizing the ROIs based on their associated dMRI measures. This reveals a good correspondence of the tissue microstructure imaged by the high-resolution OCT with various dMRI measures such as fractional anisotropy, number of fiber orientations, apparent fiber density, orientation dispersion, and intracellular volume fraction

Comment concilier développement économique et environnement ?

Rapport du Conseil économique pour le développement durable (France), consultable ici : http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Comment_concilier_developpement_economique_et_environnement.pd

Fast core rotation in red-giant stars revealed by gravity-dominated mixed modes

When the core hydrogen is exhausted during stellar evolution, the central region of a star contracts and the outer envelope expands and cools, giving rise to a red giant, in which convection occupies a large fraction of the star. Conservation of angular momentum requires that the cores of these stars rotate faster than their envelopes, and indirect evidence supports this. Information about the angular momentum distribution is inaccessible to direct observations, but it can be extracted from the effect of rotation on oscillation modes that probe the stellar interior. Here, we report the detection of non-rigid rotation in the interiors of red-giant stars by exploiting the rotational frequency splitting of recently detected mixed modes. We demonstrate an increasing rotation rate from the surface of the star to the stellar core. Comparing with theoretical stellar models, we conclude that the core must rotate at least ten times faster than the surface. This observational result confirms the theoretical prediction of a steep gradient in the rotation profile towards the deep stellar interior.Comment: to appear as a Letter to Natur

Seismic analysis of four solar-like stars observed during more than eight months by Kepler

Having started science operations in May 2009, the Kepler photometer has been able to provide exquisite data of solar-like stars. Five out of the 42 stars observed continuously during the survey phase show evidence of oscillations, even though they are rather faint (magnitudes from 10.5 to 12). In this paper, we present an overview of the results of the seismic analysis of 4 of these stars observed during more than eight months.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. To appear in the ASP proceedings of "The 61st Fujihara seminar: Progress in solar/stellar physics with helio- and asteroseismology", 13th-17th March 2011, Hakone, Japa

Pressure UlceR Programme Of reSEarch (PURPOSE): using mixed methods (systematic reviews, prospective cohort, case study, consensus and psychometrics) to identify patient and organisational risk, develop a risk assessment tool and patient-reported outcome Quality of Life and Health Utility measures

Background: The Pressure UlceR Programme Of reSEarch (PURPOSE) consisted of two themes. Theme 1 focused on improving our understanding of individuals’ and organisational risk factors and on improving the quality of risk assessments (work packages 1–3) and theme 2 focused on developing patient-reported outcome measures (work packages 4 and 5). Methods: The programme comprised 21 individual pieces of work. Pain: (1) multicentre pain prevalence study in acute hospitals, (2) multicentre pain prevalence study in community localities incorporating (3) a comparison of case-finding methods, and (4) multicentre, prospective cohort study. Severe pressure ulcers: (5) retrospective case study, (6) patient involvement workshop with the Pressure Ulcer Research Service User Network for the UK (PURSUN UK) and (7) development of root cause analysis methodology. Risk assessment: (8) systematic review, (9) consensus study, (10) conceptual framework development and theoretical causal pathway, (11) design and pretesting of draft Risk Assessment Framework and (12) field test to assess reliability, validity, data completeness and clinical usability. Quality of life: (13) conceptual framework development (systematic review, patient interviews), (14 and 15) provisional instrument development, with items generated from patient interviews [from (1) above] two systematic reviews and experts, (16) pretesting of the provisional Pressure Ulcer Quality of Life (PU-QOL) instrument using mixed methods, (17) field test 1 including (18) optimal mode of administration substudy and item reduction with testing of scale formation, acceptability, scaling assumptions, reliability and validity, and (19) field test 2 – final psychometric evaluation to test scale targeting, item response categories, item fit, response bias, acceptability, scaling assumptions, reliability and validity. Cost–utility: (20) time trade-off task valuations of health states derived from selected PU-QOL items, and (21) validation of the items selected and psychometric properties of the new Pressure Ulcer Quality of Life Utility Index (PUQOL-UI). Key findings:Pain: prevalence studies – hospital and community patients experience both pressure area-related and pressure ulcer pain; pain cohort study – indicates that pain is independently predictive of category 2 (and above) pressure ulcer development. Severe pressure ulcers: these were more likely to develop in contexts in which clinicians failed to listen to patients/carers or recognise/respond to high risk or the presence of an existing pressure ulcer and services were not effectively co-ordinated; service users found the interactive workshop format valuable; including novel components (interviews with patients and carers) in root cause analysis improves the quality of the insights captured. Risk assessment: we developed a Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Framework, the PURPOSE-T, incorporating the Minimum Data Set, a screening stage, a full assessment stage, use of colour to support decision-making, and decision pathways that make a clear distinction between patients with an existing pressure ulcer(s) (or scarring from previous ulcers) who require secondary prevention and treatment and those at risk who require primary prevention (http://medhealth.leeds.ac.uk/accesspurposet). Quality of life: the final PU-QOL instrument consists of 10 scales to measure pain, exudate, odour, sleep, vitality, mobility/movement, daily activities, emotional well-being, self-consciousness and appearance, and participation (http://medhealth.leeds.ac.uk/puqol-ques). Cost–utility: seven items were selected from the PU-QOL instrument for inclusion in the PUQOL-UI (http://medhealth.leeds.ac.uk/puqol-ui); secondary study analysis indicated that item selection for the PUQOL-UI was appropriate and that the index was acceptable to patients and had adequate levels of validity. Conclusions: The PURPOSE programme has provided important insights for pressure ulcer prevention and treatment and involvement of service users in research and development, with implications for patient and public involvement, clinical practice, quality/safety/health service management and research including replication of the pain risk factor study, work exploring ‘best practice’ settings, the impact of including skin status as an indicator for escalation of preventative interventions, further psychometric evaluation of PU-QOL and PUQOL-UI the measurement of ‘disease attribution.’ Funding: The National Institute for Health Research Programme Grants for Applied Research programme

Comparative Study of Postural Sway Stability with Two Different Mouthguards in Athletes

Athletes wear mouthguards for their protective value against trauma. Mandibular position has been linked to postural changes and improved athletic performance. This randomized double-blind comparative study aimed to evaluate the postural changes induced by two different mouthguards in athletes. Seventy-four volunteer varsity athletes, male and female, from soccer and hockey teams of the Université de Moncton were fitted with two mouthguards; Indented Midlined Stabilizing (IMS) and Flat (F). Using MatScan® linked to BioEMG®, sway parameters and surface electromyography of postural muscles were assessed for eyes closed static erect posture for three mandibular positions: habitual occlusion and the two mouthguards. The deltoid resistance was also assessed for the three conditions. There was significant stabilization of sway (p<0.0001) (area, distance, left-right excursion and antero-posterior excursion) by the IMS mouthguard compared to the F mouthguard and habitual occlusion. Those last two did not differ with respect to sway. There was no difference in the surface electromyographic recording under all three conditions. The deltoid resistance was improved only by the IMS mouthguard. Properly designed mouthguards provided postural stabilization and increased deltoid resistance for athletes. These observed positive changes in posture could potentiate athletic performances, play a role in injury prevention and have an impact in rehabilitation

On-farm evaluation of short-rotation forestry : economics of willow plantations and windbreaks in Central Canada

The purpose of this thesis is the determination of a minimum market price for Short-Rotation Forestry (SRF) willow biomass grown in monoculture and windbreaks in Quebec and Ontario. Full cost budgeting was used and developed on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Harvest cycles of 3 and 4 years for monoculture plantations, and 8 years for windbreaks were investigated. Estimates for establishment and other preharvest costs were obtained from mid-sized (5 hectares) commercial SRF willow plots in Quebec and Ontario.For the monoculture plantations, irrespective of cycle length, and using the base case figures, the final delivery cost of willow biomass ranged between 74-126 $/odMg and 63--109$/odMg based on current and projected costs respectively. These hold for yields between 7 and 11 odMg/ha/yr. Moreover, the 4-year cycle was revealed to be more economically efficient than a 3-year cycle. Along with yield, the main cost factors affecting the economics of SRF monoculture plantations are: harvesting, transportation to a processing plant, land lease management. For the two major energy markets, ethanol and electricity production (biomass in replacement of coal), SRF willow biomass in monoculture plantations does not appear to be a viable feedstock given present technology and yields. In the short run, a more promising outlet for willow biomass is space heat production for small buildings, farm complexes, etc. In this market, many potential buyers can afford to pay a higher price for biomass than ethanol or electricity utilities.In the windbreak system, biomass could be produced for between 44 and 68 $/odMg, assuming that yields between 12 to 20 odMg/ha/yr can be achieved. At this price, windbreak biomass is not a competitive feedstock for ethanol or electricity generation, but is attractive for space heat production. (Abstract shortened by UMI.

Urban Feral Pigeons (Columba livia) as a Source for Air- and Waterborne Contamination with Enterocytozoon bieneusi Spores▿

This study demonstrated that a person with 30 min of occupational or nonoccupational exposure to urban feral pigeons, such as exposure through the cleaning of surfaces contaminated with pigeon excrement, could inhale approximately 3.5 × 103 Enterocytozoon bieneusi spores and that 1.3 × 103 spores could be inhaled by a nearby person