A new application of smart walker for quantitative analysis of human walking

International audienceThis paper presents a new nonintrusive device for everyday gait analysis and health monitoring. The system is a standard rollator equipped with encoders and inertial sensors. The assisted walking of 25 healthy elderly and 23 young adults are compared to develop walking quality index. The subjects were asked to walk on a straight trajectory and an L-shaped trajectory respectively. The walking trajectory, which is missing in other gait analysis methods, is calculated based on the encoder data. The obtained trajectory and steps are compared with the results of a motion capture system. The gait analysis results show that new index obtained by using the walker measurements, and not available otherwise, are very discriminating, e.g., the elderly have larger lateral motion and maneuver area, smaller angular velocity during turning, their walking accuracy is lower and turning ability is weaker although they have almost the same walking velocity as the young people

Implication de la leucocidine de Panton et Valentine dans les infections sévères à Staphylococcus aureus en Nouvelle-Calédonie

INTRODUCTION : La leucocidine de Panton et Valentine (PVL) est incriminée comme facteur de virulence majeur du Staphylococcus aureus (SA). Depuis 1999, des souches de SA résistantes à la méticilline d'acquisition communautaire (SARM-CA) sécrétant cette toxine émergent mondialement et sont responsables d'infections cutanées, de pyomyosites, d'ostéomyélites, et de pneumopathies nécrosantes sévères. En Nouvelle-Calédonie, le SARM-CA n'a pas encore émergé mais l'incidence des infections à SA est élevée. OBJECTIFS : Les objectifs de cette étude sont l'estimation de la prévalence de la PVL dans les infections sévères à SA, la description de ces infections et l'étude de clonalité des souches de SA PVL+ ET PVL- en Nouvelle-Calédonie. L'objectif final est de dégager des recommandations de prise en charge médicale. METHODE : Les souches de SA responsables d'infections sévères ont été envoyées sur deux périodes différentes au CNR des staphylocoques à Lyon pour analyse. RESULTATS : La PVL est sécrétée par 47 (58 % des 81 souches incluses et est associée majoritairement à des ostéomyélites, des pneumopathies, des pyomyosites et des abcès profonds. Les infections à SA PVL+ atteignent significativement une population plus jeune, mélanésienne, avec moins de comorbidités, l'acquisition est d'avantage communautaire, le recours à la chirurgie plus souvent nécessaire par rapport aux infections à SA PVL-. Ces souches, toutes méticillinosensibles sont représentées par 11 clones dont un prédomine : le clone agr4 ST121 pandémique (53 %des souches). DISCUSSION : La prévalence de la PVL dans les infections à SA en Nouvelle-Calédonie est élevée et l'émergence de clones de SARM-PVL+ est probable malgré l'incidence faible des SARM hospitaliers. Des mesures de prévention s'imposent pour limiter la dissémination dans la communauté et à l'hôpital de ces souches et prévenir l'émergence de SARM-CA avec toutes les difficultés que cela implique dans une société où environ 40 % de la population vit en tribu.BORDEAUX2-BU Santé (330632101) / SudocSudocFranceF

A comprehensive NMR methodology to assess the composition of biobased and biodegradable polymers in contact with food

A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methodology was assessed regarding the identification and quantification of additives in three types of polylactide (PLA) intended as food contact materials. Additives were identified using the LNE/NMR database which clusters NMR datasets on more than 130 substances authorized by European Regulation No. 10/2011. Of the 12 additives spiked in the three types of PLA pellets, 10 were rapidly identified by the database and correlated with spectral comparison. The levels of the 12 additives were estimated using quantitative NMR combined with graphical computation. A comparison with chromatographic methods tended to prove the sensitivity of NMR by demonstrating an analytical difference of less than 15%. Our results therefore demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed NMR methodology for rapid assessment of the composition of PLA

Development of spectroscopic methods to assess the composition of food contact materials: Use of NMR and mass spectrometry

Development of spectroscopic methods to assess the composition of food contact materials: Use of NMR and mass spectrometry. 4. International Conference on Biodegradable and Biobased Polymers (BIOPOL 2013). .

Development of spectroscopic methods to assess the composition of food contact materials: Use of NMR and mass spectrometry

Development of spectroscopic methods to assess the composition of food contact materials: Use of NMR and mass spectrometry. 4. International Conference on Biodegradable and Biobased Polymers (BIOPOL 2013). .

Walking analysis of young and elderly people by using an intelligent walker ANG

International audienceThis paper proposes a new method to analyze human walking by using a 3-wheels rollator walker instrumented with encoders and a 3D accelerome-ter/gyrometer. In order to develop walking quality index and monitor the health state of elderly people at home, the walking of 23 young adults and 25 elderly people (> 69 years) with the help of the walker, are compared. The results show that many general walking indicators such as walking speed, stride length do not present obvious difference between the two groups, but that new indicators obtained by using the walker measurements and not available otherwise are very discriminating, e.g., the lateral motion of elderly people is larger, their walking accuracy is lower, but their effort distributed on the handles are more symmetrical. We also show that this walker may have other purposes such as updating collaborative maps with sideway slopes and location of lowered kerbs

Procédé de méthanation de l'hydrogène H2 et du dioxyde de carbone CO2, ou de l'hydrogène H2 et du monoxyde de carbone CO en vue de la production de méthane CH4

L'invention concerne un procédé de méthanation de dihydrogène Ha et d'un gaz (CO2 ou CO), en vue de la production de CH4 dans un bioréacteur (1) comprenant un milieu réactionnel (2), contenant un substrat liquide (3) avec des matières organiques et une flore microbienne catalysant une réaction de méthanation, dans lequel : a) On alimente ledit bioréacteur avec ledit substrat; b) On filtre ledit milieu au travers d'une membrane (4) pour retenir la flore microbienne active et des macromolécules de grande taille, et on évacue un digestat (5); c) On injecte au sein dudit milieu au moins un premier gaz (7), H2 ou en syngas et, optionnellement, un deuxième gaz, CO, CO2 ou biogaz, l'injection dudit au moins un gaz (7) dans le milieu étant effectuée à une pression P1 supérieure à la pression limite PI de formation des bulles dudit au moins gaz dans un liquide

Flying Fox Hemolytic Fever, Description of a New Zoonosis Caused by Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis

International audienceBackground : Hemotropic mycoplasmas, previously classified in the genus Eperythrozoon, have been reported as causing human infections in Brazil, China, Japan, and Spain.Methods : In 2017, we detected DNA from Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis in the blood of a Melanesian patient from New Caledonia presenting with febrile splenomegaly, weight loss, life-threatening autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and hemophagocytosis. The full genome of the bacterium was sequenced from a blood isolate. Subsequently, we retrospectively (2011–2017) and prospectively (2018–2019) tested patients who had been hospitalized with a similar clinico-biological picture. In addition, as these patients had been in contact with frugivorous bats (authorized under conditions for hunting and eating in New Caledonia), we investigated the role of these animals and their biting flies by testing them for hemotropic mycoplasmas.Results : There were 15 patients found to be infected by this hemotropic mycoplasma. Among them, 4 (27%) died following splenectomy performed either for spontaneous spleen rupture or to cure refractory autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The bacterium was cultivated from the patient’s blood. The full genome of the Neocaledonian Candidatus M. haemohominis strain differed from that of a recently identified Japanese strain. Of 40 tested Pteropus bats, 40% were positive; 100% of collected bat flies Cyclopodia horsfieldi (Nycteribiidae, Diptera) were positive. Human, bat, and dipteran strains were highly similar.Conclusions : The bacterium being widely distributed in bats, Candidatus M. haemohominis, should be regarded as a potential cause of severe infections in humans