Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece
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Psychological stressors of imprisonment and coping of older incarcerated persons: a qualitative interview study
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Disequilibrium processes in the fast cooling contact aureole of the Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile
No full textThis thesis investigates the metamorphic processes occurring in the contact aureole of the Torres del Paine Intrusive Complex (TPIC) in southern Patagonia. The TPIC, emplaced in the upper crust ( 750 bars) between 12.59 and 12.43 Ma, consists of a bimodal intrusion: (1) a felsic granitic laccolith underplated by (2) a series of mafic sills. These intruded into the metasediments of the Cerro Toro and Punta Barrosa formations, which previously experienced anchizonal to greenschist-facies regional metamorphism. The metasediments consist of turbiditic sequences composed of pelites, sandstones, conglomerates, and minor carbonate layers.
The TPIC emplacement generated a narrow contact aureole, whose thickness varies between 400 m at the base and 150–200 m at the top, which is marked by the appearance of cordierite and biotite produced by the breakdown of chlorite. Further towards the intrusion, K-feldspar forms along with additional cordierite as muscovite disappears. Phase petrology calculations, based on bulk rock compo- sitions of the metapelites, predict chlorite and muscovite breakdown at 490◦C and 545◦C, respectively, at 750 bars. The appearance of these mineral reactions with respect to the contact varies spatially around the aureole, influenced by the thickness of the granitic intrusion at different locations.
This thesis uses the well-characterized mineral isograds of the contact aureole, along with the known thermal conditions of the intrusion, to study three key metamorphic processes: (1) Ti incorporation into biotite; (2) carbonaceous material maturation; and (3) the kinetics of cordierite growth. Samples collected along transects perpendicular to the intrusion were analyzed to assess the impact of varying thermal histories on these processes.
Temperature estimates based on phase petrology calculations, particularly the forming reactions of cordierite and K-feldspar, were used to infer the minimum temperature at various distances from the intrusion by interpolation of the isograds. Significant intra-sample variation of the biotite Ti content was observed, suggesting that equilibrium was only locally achieved. The variation in Ti correlated with Al content, which also varied systematically with distance from the intrusion. The Ti content covaries with the Al content and increases towards the intrusion, showing a direct correlation with rising temperature, as it has been previously observed, and decreasing pressure, as biotite closer to the top of the intrusion formed under pressures approximately 200 bars lower than biotite at the bottom. The pressure dependence of Ti solubility, typically observed at higher pressures (>6 kbar), was evident at pressures below 1 kbar in this study. The Ti substitution mechanism shifted from Ti-spinel exchange at low pressures to Ti-oxy and vacancy exchanges at higher pressures. A model incorporating temperature, pressure, and total Al content successfully reproduced the observed Ti trends in biotite, highlighting the complex pressure-temperature behavior of Ti solubility under low-pressure conditions.
To investigate the influence of thermal history on carbonaceous material maturation, a 2D thermal model of the intrusion was constructed. The model incorporated detailed thermal histories for dif- ferent areas, based on mineral isograds and phase petrology estimates. The results showed that the temperatures predicted by the model closely match those expected from observed mineralogical changes. Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material (RSCM) was used as a geothermometer, given its correlation with temperature and its irreversible nature. Raman spectra were measured for samples from different distances around the intrusion, and the R2 = D1/D1 + G band ratio was used to estimate temperatures. However, RSCM temperatures were consistently lower than those predicted by phase petrology and thermal modeling. This discrepancy arises from the kinetic control of the carbonaceous material maturation, which is enhanced in rapidly cooling plutons where cooling times are <105 years. In such settings, RSCM temperatures do not reflect peak metamorphic conditions. The thermal model was used to relate the observed discrepancies to thermal histories, showing that in plutons with faster cooling rates, maturation lags behind temperature increases. A model adapted from vitrinite reflectance, which describes early maturation stages, was applied to the data, successfully reproducing the observed D1/G band ratios. This model emphasizes the importance of accounting for pre-existing maturation states in applying RSCM thermometry, although further refinement is needed. The thermal model was also applied to examine the size distributions of cordierite porphyroblasts (RCSDs) across the aureole. Comparison of RCSDs revealed that rapid heating rates promoted diffusion- controlled growth, while slower rates favored nucleation-controlled growth. These findings emphasize the importance of localized thermal conditions in shaping cordierite crystal growth dynamics. A model integrating nucleation- and diffusion-controlled growth was developed to understand these mechanisms more thoroughly. Preliminary results suggest that equilibrium during metamorphism was restricted to small domains surrounding individual crystals, with accelerated nucleation and high intergranular diffusion coefficients further limiting equilibrium to localized scales.
The three processes studied in this thesis — Ti incorporation in biotite, carbonaceous material matura- tion, and cordierite growth — demonstrate that disequilibrium conditions are central to the metamor- phism observed in the contact aureole of the TPIC. Ti solubility in biotite shows locally equilibrated behavior, while carbonaceous material maturation is kinetically controlled, and cordierite growth exhibits localized equilibrium due to rapid nucleation and diffusion. These findings underscore the significance of disequilibrium processes in contact metamorphism and highlight the need to account for local thermal histories and reaction kinetics when interpreting metamorphic systems
Temporal and spatial evolution of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in epithelial ovarian cancer
No full textMepolizumab versus benralizumab for eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA): A European real-life retrospective comparative study.
No full textFollowing the results of the MANDARA trial, this real-life study aimed at comparing the effectiveness and safety profile of mepolizumab versus benralizumab in a European EGPA cohort.
We conducted a retrospective observational comparative study including EGPA patients, who received mepolizumab or benralizumab at the asthma dose. Patients were matched 1:1 by sex, age, BVAS and oral corticosteroid (OCS) dosage at the treatment initiation (T0). Complete response (CR) and partial response (PR), disease activity, OCS, pulmonary parameters, eosinophil count, relapses, and safety outcomes were also compared at 3, 6 and 12 months.
Patients treated with mepolizumab or benralizumab (n = 88 each) were matched: 57 % were females, median age was 54 years (IQR 45-60), median OCS dose 10 (7.5-12.5) and 10 (7-13) mg/day, median BVAS 4 (2-7) and 3 (2-8), respectively. 45.4 % of patients in the mepolizumab group and 51.1 % in the benralizumab group achieved CR or PR at T3, with CR steadily increasing during follow-up for both treatments. At T12, a higher CR rate was found in the benralizumab group (48.1 % vs 32.4 %, p = 0.005). No differences in BVAS, OCS, and respiratory parameters were observed between groups at the different timepoints. Throughout the follow-up, both treatments reduced eosinophil count, although a deeper reduction was found in the benralizumab group at all timepoints (p < 0.0001). Safety profile was comparable between patient groups.
Mepolizumab and benralizumab showed comparable overall effectiveness and safety in EGPA. However, benralizumab achieved a higher CR rate at T12, and a deeper peripheral eosinophil reduction
πάντα ῥεῖ : changements sémantiques dans la terminologie mathématique
No full textTout le monde est témoin du fait que les langues changent au fil du temps quant au lexique dont elles se servent (p. ex. ouèch, kiffer, mdr en français contemporain) ou en ce qui concerne les structures qu’elles permettent (p. ex. l’emploi du subjonctif après après que en analogie avec avant que). Pour la plupart, ces changements sont motivés (et se retrouvent) dans la langue quotidienne et informelle où l’on accorde moins d’attention au soin qu’à l’écrit.
Cependant, même des termes de la science, justement considérés immuables de nos jours, ont subi de tels changements avant d’être stabilisés dans leur forme actuelle. Tout au début, les mots à l’origine des termes mathématique et statistique, par exemple, n’avaient rien à faire avec ce qu’ils dénotent aujourd’hui : en premier lieu, le mot grec μαθηματικός signifiait « concernant la matière qui est apprise » alors que l’italien statistica se référait d’abord à la « science de (la gestion de) l’état ».
Ce sont ces changements dans la terminologie scientifique, leur origine, déroulement et motivation dont traitera cette petite contribution en l’honneur de notre cher collègue
Lower limb muscle activity during first and second tennis serves: a comparison of three surface electromyography normalisation methods.
No full textWe assessed lower limb muscle activity during the execution of first and second tennis serves, exploring whether the extent of these differences is influenced by the chosen method for normalising surface electromyography (EMG) data. Ten male competitive tennis players first completed three rounds of maximal isometric voluntary contractions (MVC) of knee extensors and plantar flexors for the left (front) and right (back) leg separately, and three squat jumps. Afterward, they executed ten first and ten-second serves. Surface EMG activity of four lower limb muscles (vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, gastrocnemius lateralis, and soleus muscles) on each leg was recorded and normalised in three different ways: to MVC; to peak/maximal activity measured during squat jump; and to the actual serve. For the rectus femoris and soleus muscles of the left leg, and the gastrocnemius lateralis and soleus muscles of the right leg, EMG amplitude differed significantly between normalisation techniques (P ≤ 0.012). All muscles showed greater activity during the first serve, although this difference was only statistically significant for the right vastus lateralis muscle (P = 0.014). In conclusion, the EMG normalisation method selected may offer similar information when comparing first and second serve, at least for leg muscles studied here
Unravelling Challenges of European Legal Approaches and Definitions of SoHO in Shaping Biomedical Innovation
No full textThis article seeks to examine the definition(s) of Substances of Human Origin (SoHO) and their impact on biomedical practices and innovation in Europe. It shows the challenges posed by the conceptual uncertainty surrounding SoHO, which could affect biomedical practices and social acceptability of SoHO activities. The first part examines constraints shaping regulatory approaches and demonstrates that theoretical and institutional approaches partially explain fragmentation and conflicting perspectives in delineating scope, complicating navigating various laws. The second part delves into definitions themselves, revealing that criteria recurrently lack clarity, leading to complexities in legal readability and interpretability when using nested concepts. The third and final part discusses how these elements may result in direct and indirect consequences on innovation. While uncertainties or lack of alignment of legal definitions can be seen as a compromise between conflicting perceptions, they may lead to issues in terms of acceptability of innovation
Treatment of Obesity with Thyroid hormones in Europe. Data from the THESIS* Collaboration.
No full textThe use of thyroid hormones (TH) to treat obesity is unsupported by evidence as reflected in international guidelines. We explored views about this practice, and associations with respondent characteristics among European thyroid specialists.
Specialists from 28 countries were invited to a survey via professional organisations. The relevant question was whether "Thyroid hormones may be indicated in biochemically euthyroid patients with obesity resistant to lifestyle interventions".
Of 17,232 invitations 5695 responses were received (33% valid response rate; 65% women; 90% endocrinologists). Of these, 290 (5.1%) stated that TH may be indicated as treatment for obesity in euthyroid patients. This view was commoner among non-endocrinologists (8.7% vs. 4.7%, p < 0.01), private practice (6.5% vs. 4.5%, p < 0.01), and varied geographically (Eastern Europe, 7.3%; Southern Europe, 4.8%; Western Europe, 2.7%; and Northern Europe, 2.5%). Respondents from Northern and Western Europe were less likely to use TH than those from Eastern Europe (p < 0.01). Gross national income (GNI) correlated inversely with this view (OR 0.97, CI: 0.96-0.97; p < 0.001). Having national guidelines on hypothyroidism correlated negatively with treating obesity with TH (OR 0.71, CI: 0.55-0.91).
Despite the lack of evidence, and contrary to guidelines' recommendations, about 5% of respondents stated that TH may be indicated as a treatment for obesity in euthyroid patients resistant to life-style interventions. This opinion was associated with (i) respondent characteristics: being non-endocrinologist, working in private practice, treating a small number of hypothyroid patients annually and (ii) national characteristics: prevalence of obesity, Eastern Europe, low GNI and lack of national hypothyroidism guidelines
What do we know about micronutrients in critically ill patients? A narrative review.
No full textMicronutrient (MN) status alterations (both depletion and deficiency) are associated with several complications and worse outcomes in critically ill patients. On the other side of the spectrum, improving MN status has been shown to be a potential co-adjuvant therapy. This review aims to collect existing data to better guide research in the critical care setting. This narrative review was conducted by the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine Feeding, Rehabilitation, Endocrinology, and Metabolism MN group. The primary objective was to identify studies focusing on individual MNs in critically ill patients, selecting the MNs that appear to be most relevant and most frequently investigated in the last decade: A, B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , B 6 , folate, C, D, E, copper, iron, selenium, zinc, and carnitine. Given the limited number of interventional studies for most MNs, observational studies were included. For each selected MN, the review summarizes the main form and functions, special needs and risk factors, optimal treatment strategies, pharmacological dosing, and clinical implications all specific to critically ill patients. A rigorous rebalancing of research strategies and priorities is needed to improve clinical practice. An important finding is that high-dose monotherapy of MNs is not recommended. Basal daily needs must be provided, with higher doses in diseases with known higher needs, and identified deficiencies treated. Finally, the review provides a list of ongoing trials on MNs in critically ill patients and identifies a priority list of future research topics