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Suicide and Mortality in Individuals with Gambling Disorder and Matched Case controls – A Swedish Nationwide Register Study
International audienceThis study aimed to investigate suicide and general mortality in individuals with gambling disorder and to evaluate the effect of gambling disorder on mortality and death from suicide. This is a Swedish nationwide case-control, register based study with a ratio of 1:2. Controls were matched on gender, age and municipality. Cases were defined as all adults with a diagnosis of gambling disorder in Swedish in-patient and/or specialized out-patient health care 2005–2019. The total population included 10,782 individuals. Multifactor Cox regression stratified for sex was used to analyze risk factors for suicide mortality and general mortality. Suicide mortality was higher amongst cases, with 41 (1.2%) individuals passing away due to suicide vs. 22 (0.3%) of the controls ( p < 0.001). In the regression model, gambling disorder was not significantly associated with suicide mortality, which was associated with substance use disorder and low education in men and for women the model could not draw conclusions on predicting factors. Mortality was also elevated in cases; 94 of the deceased were controls (1.3%) and 132 were cases (3.8%, p < 0.001). In the regression model gambling disorder was not significantly associated with mortality, this was predicted by socioeconomic status, increasing age, low education level, somatic comorbidity, substance use disorder and previous intentional self-harm in men and for women by increasing age and somatic comorbidity. In conclusion, gambling disorder is associated with increased mortality and suicide death. Comorbid disorders and socioeconomic status appear to be important reasons for the increased mortality
Renforcer la communication responsable des entreprises avec l’éthique en communication
International audienceGenerally, organizational communication aims to promote the organization and, by extension, its commercial activity. However, it is observed that the (over)consumption of goods and services offered by companies produces negative environmental externalities. Thus, this article aims to answer the following question: to what extent can corporate communication be responsible (sustainable) when its communication objectives aim to encourage the (over)consumption of its products or services? To this end, the article presents and characterizes the concept of "responsible communication." It then examines the limits of responsible communication using examples from the mobile phone industry. Finally, to inform communication professionals' choices, it proposes supplementing the generic criteria of responsible communication with the application of communication ethics (Benoit, 2012), which allows for greater awareness of the effects of corporate actions while taking into account different situational contexts.En règle générale, la communication des organisations vise à promouvoir l’organisation et, par extension, son activité marchande. Or, on constate que la (sur)consommation de biens et de services proposées par les entreprises produit des externalités négatives environnementales. Ainsi, l’article vise à répondre la question suivante : dans quelle mesure la communication d’entreprise peut-elle être responsable (soutenable) en ayant des objectifs communicationnels visant à inciter à la (sur)consommation de ses produits ou services ? Pour ce faire, l’article présente et caractérise la notion de « communication responsable ». Puis, il questionne les limites de la communication responsable à partir d’exemples portant sur la téléphonie mobile. Enfin, afin d’éclairer les communicants dans leurs choix communicationnels, il propose de compléter les critères génériques de la communication responsable par la mobilisation d’une éthique en communication (Benoit, 2012) permettant de conscientiser davantage les effets des actions des entreprises tout en prenant en compte les différents contextes situationnels
Freeze-Cast Porous Textured BaTiO 3 –Polymer Composites for Energy Harvesting Applications
International audiencePorous piezoelectric ceramics exhibit a unique combination of high piezoelectric charge coefficients (dij) and low permittivity compared to their dense counterparts, which is desirable for achieving high piezosensing and energy harvesting performance. A further enhancement in performance can be achieved by inducing crystallographic texturing within the porous lead-free piezoceramic matrix while maintaining the aligned porous structure. Here, we report a process demonstrating the use of directional freeze-casting of BaTiO3 platelets to fabricate lead-free porous textured BaTiO3 ceramics with highly aligned porosity. A high degree of alignment of the piezoelectric BaTiO3 platelets in the freezing direction was confirmed by using scanning electron microscopy. The degree of texturing was quantified by X-ray diffraction, yielding a Lotgering factor (LF) of ∼0.37. To enhance the mechanical strength and strain to failure for sensing and harvesting applications, the porous textured BaTiO3 ceramics (∼60 vol % porosity, sintered at 1150 °C for 4 h) were infiltrated with polymers (epoxy and polydimethylsiloxane) of contrasting elastic properties. The BaTiO3–epoxy composite structure demonstrated a strain (%) to failure of 0.93 ± 0.005 at a high failure stress of 71.6 ± 3.05 MPa, with Young’s modulus of 7.6 ± 0.02 GPa. In contrast, the BaTiO3–PDMS composite had a flexible nature and exhibited a lower Young’s modulus of 0.015 ± 0.0012 GPa and a higher strain (%) to failure (>22 ± 1.5). The dielectric properties, polarization–electric field loops, and piezoelectric properties were examined in detail, and the poled BaTiO3–epoxy composite was used to fabricate a cantilever structure to demonstrate its energy harvesting and sensing performance. This work has shown that directional freeze-casting can produce an aligned porous and textured ferroelectric microstructure for sensing or energy harvesting applications
Lifelong exposure to polystyrene-nanoplastics induces an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder-like phenotype and impairs brain aging in mice: PS-NP exposure induces ADHD-like phenotype in adult mice.
International audienceThe accumulation of plastic waste in the environment, breaking down into micro- and nanoplastics, poses significant threats to ecosystem and human health. Plastic particles have been detected in human blood, urine, and placental tissue, indicating widespread exposure. While their long-term health impacts remain unclear, developing brains, especially in fetuses and children, may be vulnerable, potentially resulting in behavioral changes or neurodevelopmental disorders. This study explores the effects of chronic exposure to 23-nm polystyrene nanoplastics at 10 µg/day/kg in wild-type mice across life stages, using exposure levels reflective of human reality. Maternal exposure disrupted critical developmental milestones in pups. In adulthood, exposed mice exhibited Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-like traits, including hyperactivity, increased risk-taking behaviors, and impaired motor learning and executive functions. In aging mice, exposure was associated with a lower epileptic threshold, with developing seizures. These behavioral changes were linked to altered gene and synaptic protein expression associated with ADHD and epilepsy. At the cellular level, lifelong nanoplastic exposure caused lysosomal dysfunctions and increased lipofuscin accumulation, indicative of accelerated brain aging. These findings align with the growing prevalence of ADHD and epilepsy in humans, particularly children and the elderly, emphasizing the urgent need to address plastic pollution and its health implications
Les graffitis templiers apocryphes. La fabrique de faux graffitologiques à Domme et à Chinon dans les années 1970
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Evaluation of antenatal prebiotic intake in infants at risk of atopy: the double-blind PREGRALL randomized clinical trial
International audienceAbstract Background New primary preventive therapeutic strategies for atopic dermatitis (AD) are needed. Atopic diseases are associated with disrupted gut microbial balance in early life, suggesting that optimizing microflora through intervention could improve health. Prebiotics, which are immunomodulatory sugars, promote gut microbiota diversity. Most clinical trials focus on improving postnatal infant gut colonization, but prenatal life is crucial for establishing tolerance mechanisms. Preclinical studies indicate that maternal intake of galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS)/inulin prebiotics decreases the risk of food allergy in offspring. Objectives To determine whether antenatal prebiotic intake prevents AD in children at high risk of atopy. Methods The multicentre double-blind randomized PREGRALL clinical trial ran from February 2018 to April 2023 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03183440). The follow-up period extended from 20 weeks of amenorrhoea in pregnant women to their infants reaching 1 year of age. Women with a physician-diagnosed history of atopy (asthma, allergic rhinitis, AD or food allergy) were selected for inclusion. The women were randomized to daily prebiotic GOS/inulin (n = 188) or placebo (maltodextrin; n = 188 participants) intake from 20 weeks’ gestation until delivery. The first outcome was the occurrence of AD at 1 year in children at risk of the disease. Secondary endpoints included AD severity, quality of life, prebiotic tolerance and the prevalence of other atopic diseases. Results Of 376 pregnant women included in the trial, prebiotic supplementation did not prevent AD at 1 year (intention-to-treat population odds ratio 1.01, 95% confidence interval 0.59–1.74; P = 0.97) or reduce disease severity in their children. Subgroup analyses by breastfeeding status or delivery mode revealed no differences. No effects on allergen sensitization or food allergies were found. Conclusions We found no evidence that maternal intervention with prebiotics protects against AD at 1 year of age in infants at risk of allergic diseases
A folded gallium 12-MC-4 that encapsulates visible and near-infrared emitting lanthanide ions
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Optimiser l’organisation des flux de patients au niveau territorial: Une approche centrée sur l'adéquation entre des parcours de soins alternatifs et l'offre de soins
National audienceA new generic and regional patient case-mix model is proposed, integrating alternative care pathways, patient transfers between healthcare facilities, and the reallocation of medical resources across institutions.Optimisation du casemix de patient à l'échelle territoriale intégrant un éventail de parcours de soins alternatifs, le transfert inter-établissements de patients et de ressources médicales. </div
Development of nebulized inhalation delivery for fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides to protect non-human primates against Nipah-Bangladesh infection
International audienceNipah virus (NiV) is a lethal zoonotic paramyxovirus that can be transmitted from person to person through the respiratory route. There are currently no licensed vaccines or therapeutics. A lipopeptide-based fusion inhibitor was developed and previously evaluated for efficacy against the NiV-Malaysia strain. Intraperitoneal administration in hamsters showed superb prophylactic activity and promising efficacy, however the intratracheal delivery mode in non-human primates proved intractable and spurred the development of an aerosolized delivery route that could be clinically applicable. We developed an aerosol delivery system in an artificial respiratory 3D model and optimized the combinations of flow rate and particle size for lung deposition. We characterized the nebulizer device and assessed the safety of lipopeptide nebulization in an African green monkey model that mimics human NiV infection. Three nebulized doses of fusion-inhibitory lipopeptide were administered every 24 h, resulting in peptide deposition across multiple regions of both lungs without causing toxicity or adverse hematological and biochemical effects. In peptide-treated monkeys challenged with a lethal dose of NiV-Bangladesh, animals retained robust levels of T and B-lymphocytes in the blood, infection-induced lethality was significantly delayed, and 2 out of 5 monkeys were protected from NiV infection. The present study establishes the safety and feasibility of the nebulizer delivery method for AGM studies. Future studies will compare delivery methods using next-generation fusion-inhibitory anti-NiV lipopeptides to evaluate the potential role of this aerosol delivery approach in achieving a rapid antiviral response