Demographic characteristics of controls and AMD patients.

<p>Demographic characteristics of controls and AMD patients.</p

Linear univariate modeling analysis.

<p>The interaction shows between (A) rs1024611 and rs4586. Heterozygous 1/2 (AG); homozygous 1/1(AA); and homozygous 2/2(GG) of rs1024611; (B) between rs1799865 and rs4586 with levels of <i>CCL-2</i>. Heterozygous 1/2 (CT); homozygous 1/1(CC); and homozygous 2/2(TT) of rs4586.</p

ANCOVA analysis to determine the affect of genotypes on reference genotype and expression levels by considering one SNP as covariate.

<p>ANCOVA analysis to determine the affect of genotypes on reference genotype and expression levels by considering one SNP as covariate.</p

Allele frequency of <i>CCL2</i> in AMD and normal controls.

<p>Allele frequency of <i>CCL2</i> in AMD and normal controls.</p

Effect of <i>CCL2</i> rs1024611 variants on disease phenotype.

<p>Effect of <i>CCL2</i> rs1024611 variants on disease phenotype.</p

Multiple comparison using Bonferroni correction analysis to adjust the p values for independent and/or dependent SNPs of rs4586, rs1024611 and rs1799865.

<p>Multiple comparison using Bonferroni correction analysis to adjust the p values for independent and/or dependent SNPs of rs4586, rs1024611 and rs1799865.</p

Logistic regression of the association of <i>CCL2</i> and progression of AMD.

<p>Logistic regression of the association of <i>CCL2</i> and progression of AMD.</p

Physique du surf, ou sur l'entraînement de particules par des ondes

Surfing is a sport in which the athlet must execute figures while standing in balance on a board, carried itself by a water wave. In this PhD study, we investigate the physical phenomena underlying such a transport of a particle by a wave. We specifically focused our attention on two crucial issues when surfing: the catch of the surfer by the wave and its stability on the board. We first establised under which conditions the surfer is carried by the wave in a quantitative manner, for different kinds of waves. We showed that the slope of the wave and the stream within played a significant role for the wave to be able to catch the surfer when breaking. The surfing condition that we found relates the initial relative velocity between the surfer and the incoming wave, which essentially depends on its slope. We then demonstrated that choosing the right board improves the stability of the surfer. This stability condition sets a maximum height of the center of gravity of the surfer from the board, as a function of the board dimensions. We hence highlighted how they influence the minimal surfer velocity above which the surfer balance becomes more stable. The initial velocity of the surfer after paddling is essential to ensure the surfer to catch the wave and improve his stability. We finally study the phenomenon in two other fields of physics: in mechanics and magnetism. The different experiments as well as their common theoretical modeling led to a global and fundamental understanding of the phenomenon.Le surf est un sport qui consiste à exécuter des manœuvres en se maintenant debout en équilibre sur une planche transportée par une vague. Dans cette thèse, nous nous intéressons donc au phénomène d’entraînement de particules par une onde. Nous nous sommes en particulier attachés à comprendre deux points déterminants dans la pratique du surf: la capture du surfeur par la vague et l'équilibre du surfeur sur sa planche. Nous avons d'abord établi les critères de surf pour les différents types de vagues. Nous avons montré que la pente et le courant jouent un rôle essentiel dans la capture du surfeur par la vague à son point de déferlement. Le critère de surf établi correspond à condition sur la vitesse relative initiale entre le surfeur et la vague, qui dépend essentiellement de la pente de la vague. Nous avons ensuite montré que le choix de la planche permet de favoriser l'équilibre du surfeur. Le critère de stabilité établi correspond à une hauteur maximale du centre de gravité des surfeurs en fonction des dimensions des planches. Nous avons finalement mis en évidence leur influence sur la vitesse seuil au-delà de laquelle l’équilibre des surfeurs est favorisé. Ainsi, la vitesse initiale du surfeur acquise en ramant est nécessaire pour garantir sa capture et améliorer sa stabilité. Pour finir, nous avons ouvert cette étude d’entraînement de particules par des ondes à deux autres domaines de la Physique : en mécanique et en magnétisme. La diversité des approches expérimentales et leur modélisation théorique commune ont offert une compréhension fondamentale du phénomène

Secretory Phosphatases Deficient Mutant of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Imparts Protection at the Primary Site of Infection in Guinea Pigs

<div><p>Background</p><p>The failure of <i>Mycobacterium bovis</i> Bacille Calmette-Guérin to impart satisfactory protection against adult pulmonary tuberculosis has necessitated the development of more effective TB vaccines. The assumption that the vaccine strain should be antigenically as similar as possible to the disease causing pathogen has led to the evaluation of <i>M.tuberculosis</i> mutants as candidate tuberculosis vaccines.</p> <p>Methods/Principal Findings</p><p>In this study, we have generated a mutant of <i>M.tuberculosis</i> (Mtb∆<i>mms</i>) by disrupting 3 virulence genes encoding a mycobacterial secretory acid phosphatase (<i>sapM</i>) and two phosphotyrosine protein phosphatases (<i>mptpA</i> and <i>mptpB</i>) and have evaluated its protective efficacy in guinea pigs. We observed that Mtb∆<i>mms</i> was highly attenuated in THP-1 macrophages. Moreover, no bacilli were recovered from the lungs and spleens of guinea pigs after 10 weeks of Mtb∆<i>mms</i> inoculation, although, initially, the mutant exhibited some growth in the spleens. Subsequently, when Mtb∆<i>mms</i> was evaluated for its protective efficacy, we observed that similar to BCG vaccination, Mtb∆<i>mms</i> exhibited a significantly reduced CFU in the lungs of guinea pigs when compared with the unvaccinated animals at 4 weeks after challenge. In addition, our observations at 12 weeks post challenge demonstrated that Mtb∆<i>mms</i> exhibited a more sustainable and superior protection in lungs as compared to BCG. However, the mutant failed to control the hematogenous spread as the splenic bacillary load between Mtb∆<i>mms</i> vaccinated and sham immunized animals was not significantly different. The gross pathological observations and histopathological observations corroborated the bacterial findings. Inspite of disruption of phosphatase genes in MtbΔ<i>mms</i>, the lipid profiles of <i>M.tuberculosis</i> and MtbΔ<i>mms</i> were identical indicating thereby that the phenotype of the mutant was ascribed to the loss of phosphatase genes and the influence was not related to any alteration in the lipid composition.</p> <p>Conclusions/Significance</p><p>This study highlights the importance of <i>M.tuberculosis</i> mutants in imparting protection against pulmonary TB.</p> </div

「占や算」－ 中世末期の占いの諸相

International audienc