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Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) variations in relationship with childhood maltreatment in patients with anorexia nervosa: a retrospective cohort study
No full textInternational audiencePurpose: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious mental illness. It is frequently accompanied by a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) that may constitute a specific ecophenotype in patients with eating disorders necessitating special assessment and management. This retrospective study tested whether in patients with AN, CM-related chronic stress may manifest through low-grade inflammation reflected by an increase in white blood cell ratios (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, NLR, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio).Methods: Participants (N = 206) were enrolled at an eating disorder daycare unit in Montpellier, France, from March 2013 and January 2020. CM was assessed using the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ). The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the MINI were used to assess AN severity and the other clinical characteristics, respectively.Results: NLR was higher in patients with AN and history of CM (p = 0.029) and in patients with AN and history of emotional abuse (p = 0.021), compared with patients with AN without history of CM. In multivariate analysis, emotional abuse (β = 0.17; p = 0.027) contributed significantly to NLR variability.Conclusion: In patients with AN, NLR is a low-grade inflammation marker that is influenced by various sociodemographic, clinical and biological factors. It is more directly affected by some CM types, especially emotional abuse, than by the presence/absence of CM history. Future studies should focus on mediators between CM and increased inflammation, such as interoceptive awareness, emotional dysregulation, food addiction, and stress sensitization
A 20-year Clinical and Genetic Neuromuscular Cohort Analysis in Lebanon: An International Effort
No full textInternational audienceBackground:Clinical and molecular data on the occurrence and frequency of inherited neuromuscular disorders (NMD) in the Lebanese population is scarce.Objective:This study aims to provide a retrospective overview of hereditary NMDs based on our clinical consultations in Lebanon.Methods:Clinical and molecular data of patients referred to a multi-disciplinary consultation for neuromuscular disorders over a 20-year period (1999–2019) was reviewed.Results:A total of 506 patients were diagnosed with 62 different disorders encompassing 10 classes of NMDs. 103 variants in 49 genes were identified. In this cohort, 81.4% of patients were diagnosed with motor neuron diseases and muscular dystrophies, with almost half of these described with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) (40.3% of patients). We estimate a high SMA incidence of 1 in 7,500 births in Lebanon. Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy were the second most frequently diagnosed NMDs (17% of patients). These disorders were associated with the highest number of variants (39) identified in this study. A highly heterogeneous presentation of Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease was notably identified. The least common disorders (5.5% of patients) involved congenital, metabolic, and mitochondrial myopathies, congenital myasthenic syndromes, and myotonic dystrophies. A review of the literature for selected NMDs in Lebanon is provided.Conclusions:Our study indicates a high prevalence and underreporting of heterogeneous forms of NMDs in Lebanon- a major challenge with many novel NMD treatments in the pipeline. This report calls for a regional NMD patient registry
Massive Integration of Planktonic Cells within a Developing Biofilm
No full textInternational audienceDuring biofilm growth, the coexistence of planktonic and sessile cells can lead to dynamic exchanges between the two populations. We have monitored the fate of these populations in glass tube assays, where the Bacillus thuringiensis 407 strain produces a floating pellicle. Time-lapse spectrophotometric measurement methods revealed that the planktonic population grew until the pellicle started to be produced. Thereafter, the planktonic population decreased rapidly down to a value close to zero while the biofilm was in continuous growth, showing no dispersal until 120 h of culture. We found that this decrease was induced by the presence of the pellicle, but did not occur when oxygen availability was limited, suggesting that it was independent of cell death or cell sedimentation and that the entire planktonic population has integrated the biofilm. To follow the distribution of recruited planktonic cells within the pellicle, we tagged planktonic cells with GFP and sessile cells with mCherry. Fluorescence binocular microscopy observations revealed that planktonic cells, injected through a 24-h-aged pellicle, were found only in specific areas of the biofilm, where the density of sessile cells was low, showing that spatial heterogeneity can occur between recruited cells and sessile cells in a monospecies biofilm
Assessment of root canal transportation of 2Shape and ProTaper gold in mandibular molar mesial canals: A micro–computed tomographic study
No full textInternational audienceThe aim of this study was to compare shaping abilities of Protaper Gold® (PTG) and 2Shape® (TS) by using a new automatic process and micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT). 32 first mandibular molars with two separate mesial canals were selected. Only mesial roots were prepared with PTG and TS. Pre- and post-operative scans were performed using Micro-CT to provide volumes with a voxel size of 20 μm. Volumes, non-instrumented area, amount of transportation and centering ability in coronal, middle and apical third shaping time and procedural errors were recorded. TS and PTG increased the endodontic volume of 2.98 mm3 (±1.56) and 3.21 mm3 (±1.78) respectively with no statistical difference (p = .168) and no procedural errors. No significant difference was found concerning canal transportation among groups but only within the same group PTG (p value < .001) and TS (p value < .001). The mean centering ratio was significantly different only between the section levels for PTG (p value < .001) and TS (p value = .01); it was significantly reduced in the cervical third. The percentage of untouched canal walls ranged between 29.78% (±15.145) and 36.60% (±11.968) respectively for PTG and TS with no statistical difference among groups (p value = .168). TS and PTG with post machining heat treatment were able to produce centered preparations with no significant difference or procedural errors. TS system provided a shorter preparation time than PTG files
Personalized medicine for allergy treatment: Allergen immunotherapy still a unique and unmatched model
No full textInternational audienceThe introduction of personalized medicine (PM) has been a milestone in the history of medical therapy, because it has revolutionized the previous approach of treating the disease with that of treating the patient. It is known today that diseases can occur in different genetic variants, making specific treatments of proven efficacy necessary for a given endotype. Allergic diseases are particularly suitable for PM, because they meet the therapeutic success requirements, including a known molecular mechanism of the disease, a diagnostic tool for such disease, and a treatment blocking the mechanism. The stakes of PM in allergic patients are molecular diagnostics, to detect specific IgE to single-allergen molecules and to distinguish the causative molecules from those merely cross-reactive, pursuit of patient's treatable traits addressing genetic, phenotypic, and psychosocial features, and omics, such as proteomics, epi-genomics, metabolomics, and breathomics, to forecast patient's responsiveness to therapies, to detect biomarker and mediators, and to verify the disease control. This new approach has already improved the precision of allergy diagnosis and is likely to significantly increase, through the higher performance achieved with the personalized treatment, the effectiveness of allergen immunotherapy by enhancing its already known and unique characteristics of treatment that acts on the causes
Étude de nouveaux marqueurs de qualité de la mangue fraîche et d’un procédé innovant de texturation (IVDV) pour l'optimisation de la qualité des purées et des mangues séchées
No full textMango is a tropical fruit characterized by an abundant seasonal production leading to significant post-harvest losses each year. Thus, the transformation of mango into puree or dried product, could be an alternative to reduce these losses and improve the local economy of producing countries (West Africa, Brazil, etc.). However, the lack of knowledge and instrumental tools useful for choosing the privileged type of processing according to the nature of the fruit, constitutes a barrier for controlling the processing route and the quality of the processed products.In this context, the proposed work is based, on the first hand, on the study of new quality markers of fresh mango that would allow to predict the quality of mango purees, and, on the other hand, on the relevance and optimization of an innovative texturing process (IVDV, Intensification of Vaporization by decompression to the Vacuum) in order to improve the quality of dried products.The first part of this work aimed (i) to study the impact of ripening on the physical and biochemical properties of mangos and mango purees, (ii) to identify the relationships between the properties of fresh mangos and those of purees in order to choose the relevant indicators to anticipate the properties of the latter and (iii) to propose a simple, fast and non-destructive test that could be used as a sorting tool for fresh mangos in processing units. The effect of ripening on the physical properties of mango purees was studied through physical, physicochemical, rheological and spectral measurements. The interest of using the coupled rheology/ FTIR spectroscopy as innovative methodology, allowing to obtain simultaneously rheological and biochemical information combined and requiring only a small sample size, was underlined. The results showed that ripening governs the physical, physicochemical and biochemical properties of mango purees during the first 10 days. In addition, since the firmness of the mangos was an excellent indicator of the ripening, a simple non-destructive compression test on fresh mangos is likely to anticipate the physical properties of the purees obtained after grinding the fresh fruit. The second part of this work aimed at proposing a new way of valorization of dried mango in the form of a crispy product, using a new texturing process: IVDV. The optimization of this process was sought, in particular for mangos at the advanced stage of ripening, because it constitutes the main source of post-harvest losses. The effect of treatment parameters (saturated steam pressure, initial water content and treatment time) on the expansion ratio, texture and color of dried mangos was studied through an experimental design and a response surface methodology. The obtained results confirmed that the IVDV texturing process has the potential to improve the quality of dried mangos by correcting some defects (texture and color). Thus, it was demonstrated that this new thermomechanical process is extremely promising and offers to the processors a new way of valorization of mangos, in particular those presenting an advanced stage of maturation, allowing consequently a reduction of the post-harvest losses.The work carried out during this thesis took part of the activities of the INTERFACES project (supported by CIRAD and INRAE, and financed by the Agropolis Foundation), within the framework of a doctoral contract in co-supervision between the University of Montpellier and the Saint-Joseph University of Beirut.La mangue est un fruit tropical caractérisé par une production saisonnière abondante entraînant chaque année d'importantes pertes post-récolte. Ainsi, la transformation de la mangue en purée ou produit séché pourrait constituer une alternative pour réduire ces pertes et améliorer l'économie locale des pays producteurs (Afrique de l'Ouest, Brésil, etc.). Cependant, le manque de connaissances et d’outils instrumentaux utiles au choix du type de transformation à privilégier selon la nature du fruit, constitue un verrou pour la maîtrise de l’itinéraire de transformation et de la qualité des produits transformés.Dans ce contexte, le travail proposé repose, d’une part, sur l’étude de nouveaux marqueurs de qualité de la mangue fraîche qui permettraient de prédire la qualité de purées de mangues, et, d’autre part, sur la pertinence et l’optimisation d’un procédé innovant de texturation (IVDV pour Intensification de la Vaporisation par Détente vers le Vide) afin d’améliorer la qualité des produits séchés.La première partie du travail avait ainsi pour objectif (i) d’étudier l’impact de la maturation sur les propriétés physiques et biochimiques des mangues et des purées de mangues, (ii) d’identifier les relations entre les propriétés des mangues fraîches et celles des purées pour choisir les indicateurs pertinents permettant d’anticiper les propriétés de ces dernières et (iii) de proposer un test simple, rapide et non-destructif qui pourrait être utilisé comme outil de tri des mangues fraîches dans des unités de transformation. L’effet du mûrissement sur les propriétés physiques des purées de mangues a été étudié au travers de mesures physiques, physico-chimiques, rhéologiques et spectrales. L’intérêt du couplage rhéologie/moyen-IR, méthodologie innovante, permettant d’obtenir simultanément des informations rhéologiques et biochimiques combinées et ne nécessitant qu’un échantillon de taille réduite, a été souligné. Les résultats ont montré que la maturation régit les propriétés physiques, physico-chimiques et biochimiques des purées de mangues durant les 10 premiers jours. La fermeté des mangues étant un excellent indicateur de cette maturation, un simple test non destructif de compression sur des mangues fraîches est ainsi susceptible d’anticiper les propriétés physiques des purées obtenues après broyage du fruit frais.La deuxième partie du travail avait pour objectif de proposer une nouvelle voie de valorisation de la mangue séchée sous forme de produit croustillant, et ce à partir d’un nouveau procédé de texturation (IVDV). L’optimisation de ce procédé a été recherchée, notamment pour des mangues au stade avancé de mûrissement, car constituant la principale source des pertes post-récolte. L’effet des paramètres de traitement (pression de vapeur saturante, teneur en eau initiale et durée de l’opération) sur le taux d’expansion, la texture et la couleur des mangues séchées, a été étudié au travers d’un plan d’expériences et d’une méthodologie de surface de réponse. Les résultats obtenus ont confirmé que le procédé de texturation IVDV a la possibilité d'améliorer la qualité des mangues séchées en corrigeant certains défauts (texture et couleur). Il a ainsi été démontré que ce nouveau procédé thermomécanique s’avère extrêmement prometteur et offre aux transformateurs une nouvelle voie de valorisation des mangues, notamment celles dont le stade de maturation est particulièrement avancé, permettant par conséquent une réduction des pertes post-récolte. Les travaux réalisés au cours de cette thèse s’inscrivent dans les activités du projet INTERFACES (porté par le CIRAD et l’INRAE, et financé par la Fondation Agropolis), dans le cadre d’un contrat doctoral en cotutelle entre l’Université de Montpellier et l’Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth
Dynamic Model for Biomass and Proteins Production by Three Bacillus Thuringiensis ssp Kurstaki Strains
No full textInternational audienceBacillus thuringiensis is a microorganism used for the production of biopesticides worldwide. In the present paper, different kinetic models were analyzed to study and compare three different strains of Bt ssp kurstaki (LIP, BLB1, and HD1). Bioperformances (vegetative cell, spore, substrate, and protein) and successive culture phases (oxidative growth, limitation and sporulation, and protein release) were depicted with an overarching aim to estimate total protein productivity, yield, and titer. In the end, two models were calibrated using experimental dataset (11 batches culture in 3 L bioreactor with semisynthetic medium), subsequently validated, and statistically compared. Both models satisfactorily followed the dynamics of the experimental data. Finally, a dynamic model was selected following the Akaike information criterion (AIC)
Targeting Epigenetic Modifiers Can Reduce the Clonogenic Capacities of Sézary Cells
No full textInternational audienceSeźary syndrome (SS) is an aggressive leukemic variant of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) in which the human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) gene is reexpressed. Current available treatments do not provide long-term response. We previously reported that Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi, romidespin and vorinostat) and a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor (DNMTi, 5-azacytidine) can reduce hTERT expression without altering the methylation level of hTERT promoter. Romidepsin and vorinostat are approved for CTCL treatment, while 5-azacytidine is approved for the treatment of several hematological disorders, but not for CTCL. Here, using the soft agar assay, we analyzed the functional effect of the aforementioned epidrugs on the clonogenic capacities of Seźary cells. Our data revealed that, besides hTERT downregulation, epidrugs' pressure reduced the proliferative and the tumor formation capacities in Seźary cells in vitro
Investigation on Narrowband IoT Link Adaptation with Rate and Energy Objectives
No full textInternational audienceThis paper provides a detailed study on NB-IoT link adaptation, for realistic channel estimation, under different objectives. NB-IoT supports link adaptation parameters of multiple types of resource units (RU) and number of repetitions to extend coverage while achieving reliable transmissions. The paper focuses on the impact of these parameters on NB-IoT performance. We provide a mathematical formulation of link adaptation following three different approaches: maximizing the rate, minimizing the energy, and maximizing the energy efficiency. Simulation results shed the light on the effect of each link adaptation parameter (modulation and coding scheme (MCS), number of repetitions and the type of RU) on the NB-IoT transmission in the different approaches and under different coverage extensions.</div
Cooperation for spreading factor assignment in a multioperator lorawan deployment
No full textInternational audienceFaced with the limitations of the Aloha random access scheme and spread spectrum techniques, LoRaWAN is yet to realize its potential as the flagship technology for large-scale Internet-of-Things applications. LoRaWAN allows for low power and long range communications. Nonetheless, concurrent transmissions on the same spreading factors (SFs), increased with the inevitable densification of device deployment, will lead to collisions and degradation in performance. The problem is further amplified due to the shortage in radio resources, with multiple operators utilizing the same unlicensed frequency bands. In this article, we investigate different interoperator cooperation schemes and devise multiple algorithms for SF assignment in a multioperator LoRaWAN deployment scenario. We start by proposing a proportional fair optimal formulation for the assignment with the objective of maximizing the logarithmic sum of the normalized throughput per SF. Under the assumption of partial operator cooperation, we propose a gradient ascent-based iterative algorithm for solving the SF assignment problem, and a game theory-based approach, wherein each network operator seeks to maximize its own normalized throughput. Finally, and with cooperation between different operators bound to be limited, we use recurrent neural networks to enable the prediction of the success rate per SF. This prediction allows the different operators to assign SFs with minimum cooperation. We simulate our proposals and compare them to the legacy LoRaWAN approach as well as others in the state of the art, highlighting the gains they produce in terms of total normalized throughput and packet delivery ratios