87 research outputs found
Phonedit SIGNAIX
No full textPHONEDIT Signaix is a software for the analysis of sound, aerodynamic, articulatory and electro-physiological signals developped by the 'Parole et Langage' Laboratory, Aix-en-Provence, France. It provides a complete environment for the recording, the playback, the display, the analysis, the labeling of multiparametric data.Current version (2009) authorises the control of EVA2 workstation. You can directly record aerodynamics data of EVA2 with Phonedit. (Use the 'Tools' menu to select the recording device.)PHONEDIT Signaix plugins can be used with Linux/Cygwin environment to customize processes with bash script. It runs with recent Windows operating system on PC.PHONEDIT Signaix is free of charge and can be downloaded.Un software para el análisis del sonido, las señales de aerodinámica, articulación y electro fisiológicas. Se ofrece un entorno completo para la grabación, reproducción, visualización, análisis y etiquetado de los datos multiparamétricos.La versión actual permite el control de EVA2 estación de trabajo.Sus plugins se puede utilizar en el entorno Linux/Cygwin para personalizar los procesos con secuencias de comandos bash.PHONEDIT Signaix est un logiciel d'analyse de signaux sonore, aérodynamique, articulatoire et électro-physiologique développé par le laboratoire 'Parole et Langage', Aix-en-Provence, France. Il fournit un environnement complet pour l'enregistrement, la lecture, l'affichage, l'analyse, l'annotation de données multiparamétriques.La version 2009 autorise le contrôle de la station de travail EVA2. Il est possible d'enregistrer directement des données aérodynamiques provenant des capteurs d'EVA2 avec Phonedit (Utiliser le menu 'Outils' pour sélectionner le dispositif d'enregistrement).Les modules d'extension de PHONEDIT Signaix peuvent être utilisés dans l'environnement Linux/Cygwin pour personnaliser des traitement à travers des scripts bash.PHONEDIT Signaix fonctionne avec les versions récentes de Microsoft Windows sur PC .PHONEDIT Signaix est gratuit et téléchargeable.BÉRAHA, J.-P.; GHIO, A. Le traitement du rapport parole-bruit dans les prothèses numériques : analyse sonagraphique comparative sur logiciel Phonedit. Actes, Journées Nationales des Audioprothésistes Français (2000 mars 26-27 : Paris, France). 2000, p. 10.http://lpl-aix.fr/article/97
Antinuclear antibodies positivity in women in reproductive age: From infertility to adverse obstetrical outcomes - A meta-analysis
No full textThis systematic review and meta-analysis were designed to identify possible correlations between isolated serum antinuclear antibody (ANA) and (i) infertility in the context of in-vitro fertilization (IVF), (ii) idiopathic recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL), and (iii) second/ third trimester pregnancy complications. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature in PubMed Library database from inception to March 2022 following PRISMA guidelines. Our pooled results showed a lower pregnancy rate among ANA-positive women undergoing IVF/ICSI compared to ANA-negative women undergoing the same procedures (279/908 versus 1136/2347, random effect, odds ratio -OR- 0.50, 95% confidence interval -CI- 0.38–0.67, p 0.00001, I2 = 58%). We also reported a higher miscarriage rate among ANA-positive compared to ANA-negative women (48/223 versus 109/999, random effect, OR: 3.25 95% CI: 1.57–6.76, p = 0.002, I2 = 61%) and a lower implantation rate (320/1489 versus 1437/4205, random effect, OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.36–0.72, p = 0.0001, I2 = 78%). Regarding RPL, pooled results demonstrated a higher prevalence of ANA-positivity in RPL women compared to controls (698/2947 versus 240/3145, random effect, OR: 3.22, 95% CI: 2.12–4.88, p 0.00001, I2 77%), either using > 2 or > 3 pregnancy losses threshold for defining RPL. Heterogeneity of reporting outcome did not allow a quantitative analysis and led to no clear demonstration of an effect of serum ANA on the incidence of stillbirth, preeclampsia and hypertensive disorders. In conclusion, the unfavorable effect of serum ANA was observed in women following IVF. Similarly, ANA were associated with the risk of RPL, while data were unconclusive in terms of late pregnancy complications
sHLA-I contaminating molecules as novel mechanism of ex vivo/in vitro transcriptional and posttranscriptional modulation of transforming growth factor-beta in CD8+ T lymphocytes and neutrophils after intravenous immunoglobulin treatment.
No full textBACKGROUND: Numerous mechanisms have been proposed to explain the beneficial action of intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) in autoimmune and systemic inflammatory disorders. Among others’ data, an in vitro increase of intracellular TGF-b expression when culturing CD4+ T lymphocytes in the presence of IVIG has been reported. As IVIG infusion involves administration of soluble contaminants likewise all hemoderivative preparations, we hypothesized that, besides several other immunomodulatory proposed mechanisms, the
clinical effects of IVIG therapy might be, at least partly, due to contaminating soluble HLA Class I (sHLA-I) molecules capable to exert pleiotropic immunomodulatory effects among which TGF-b1 modulation. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Ex vivo and in vitro transcriptional and posttranscriptional modulation of TGF-b1 in CD8+ T lymphocytes and neutrophils after IVIG infusion was analyzed. RESULTS: Ex vivo analysis of cells drawn from 10 enrolled IVIG recipients pointed out a significant increase of TGF-b1 mRNA and intracellular TGF-b1 molecules in both leukotypes. In vitro comparable results
were obtained incubating CD8+ T lymphocytes and neutrophils from healthy donors with IVIG. The immunodepletion of sHLA-I and/or soluble Fas ligand (sFasL)
abolished TGF-b1 modulation in both leukotypes. Coculture
with human immunoglobulin (Ig)M monoclonal antibody or chimeric IgG (MabThera, Roche), whose manufacturing excludes “contamination,” did not exert any mRNA modulation. Finally, IgM or MabThera plus purified sHLA-I molecules enhanced TGF-b1 mRNA in both white blood cells to levels comparable to those obtained with IVIG incubation.
CONCLUSION: On the whole, these data lead us to speculate that the ability of IVIG administration to modulate TGF-b1 might be related to the immunomodulatory activities of sHLA-I and sFasL molecules on activated CD8+ T lymphocytes and neutrophils
Fast and large area fabrication of hierarchical bioinspired superhydrophobic silicon surfaces
No full textIn this work we present a new method to generate hierarchical surfaces, inspired by lotus leaf, on a silicon substrate. Mimicking leafs with particular properties, such as low adhesion, water repellence and self-cleaning, is an interesting case of study in the branch of bioinspired materials. These properties arise from a combination of surface chemistry and topography. The lotus leaf surface exhibits a highly controlled specific roughness, which has been studied and imitated by several researchers. The great challenge that has still to be solved is to reproduce lotus-inspired surfaces rapidly and on large areas. Our method consists in a combination of wet and dry etch with soft lithography, able to generate nano- and micro- hierarchical structures on silicon surfaces. Two different kinds of hierarchical structures are generated by changing the order of the etch steps. The surfaces generated were then characterized by measuring both the contact angle and the sliding angle. Finally, to validate experimental results, analytical models were implemented to predict the contact angle. The best surface displayed wetting performances superior even to those of the natural lotus leaf, thanks to the hierarchical structure, with a contact angle of 171° and a tilt angle of 4° with production time of about 90 min per silicon wafer, or 30 s/cm2
Gastroesophageal reflux and pulmonary fibrosis in scleroderma: a study using pH-impedance monitoring
No full textRATIONALE: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is considered a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of ILD. OBJECTIVES: To characterize GER (acid and nonacid) in patients with SSc with and without ILD. METHODS: Patients with SSc underwent pulmonary high-resolution computer tomography (HRCT) scan and 24-hour impedance-pH monitoring off-proton pump inhibitor therapy. The presence of pulmonary fibrosis was assessed using validated HRCT-scores. Reflux monitoring parameters included number of acid and nonacid reflux episodes, proximal migration of the refluxate, and distal esophageal acid exposure. Unless otherwise specified, data are presented as median (25th-75th percentile). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Forty consecutive patients with SSc (35 female; mean age, 53 yr; range, 24-71; 15 patients with diffuse and 25 with limited SSc) were investigated; 18 (45%) patients with SSc had pulmonary fibrosis (HRCT score >or= 7). Patients with SSc with ILD had higher (P < 0.01) esophageal acid exposure (10.3 [7.5-15] vs. 5.2 [1.5-11]), higher (P < 0.01) number of acid (41 [31-58] vs. 19 [10-23]) and nonacid (25 [20-35] vs. 17 [11-19]) reflux episodes, and higher (P < 0.01) number of reflux episodes reaching the proximal esophagus (42.5 [31-54] vs. 15 [8-22]) compared with patients with SSc with normal HRCT scores. Pulmonary fibrosis scores (HRCT score) correlated well with the number of reflux episodes in the distal (r(2) = 0.637) and proximal (r(2) = 0.644) esophagus. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with SSc with ILD have more severe reflux (i.e., more reflux episodes and more reflux reaching the proximal esophagus). Whether or not the development of ILD in patients with SSc can be prevented by reflux-reducing treatments needs to be investigated
An experimental-numerical study of the adhesive static and dynamic friction of micro-patterned soft polymer surfaces
No full textNew possibilities have emerged in recent years, with the development of high-precision fabrication techniques, to exploit microscale surface patterning to modify tribological properties of polymeric materials. However, the effect of surface topography, together with material mechanical parameters, needs to be fully understood to allow the design of surfaces with the desired characteristics. In this paper, we experimentally assess the effect of various types of micropatterned Polydimethylsiloxane surfaces, including anisotropic ones, on macroscopic substrate friction properties. We find that it is possible, through surface patterning, to modify both static and dynamic friction coefficients of the surfaces, demonstrating the possibility of achieving tunability. Additionally, we compare experimental observations with the numerical predictions of a 2D Spring-Block model, deriving the material parameters from tests on the corresponding flat surfaces. We find a good quantitative agreement between calculated and measured trends for various micropattern geometries, demonstrating that the proposed numerical approach can reliably describe patterned surfaces when appropriate material parameters are used. The presented results can further contribute to the description and understanding of the frictional effects of surface patterning, with the aim of achieving surfaces with extreme tunability of tribological propertie
Strengthening of Wood-Like Materials via Densification and Nanoparticle Intercalation
No full textRecently, several chemical and physical treatments were developed to improve different properties of wood. Such treatments are applicable to many types of cellulose-based materials. Densification leads the group in terms of mechanical results and comprises a chemical treatment followed by a thermo-compression stage. First, chemicals selectively etch the matrix of lignin and hemicellulose. Then, thermo-compression increases the packing density of cellulose microfibrils boosting mechanical performance. In this paper, in comparison with the state-of-the-art for wood treatments we introduce an additional nano-reinforcemeent on densified giant reed to further improve the mechanical performance. The modified nanocomposite materials are stiffer, stronger, tougher and show higher fire resistance. After the addition of nanoparticles, no relevant structural modification is induced as they are located in the gaps between cellulose microfibrils. Their peculiar positioning could increase the interfacial adhesion energy and improve the stress transfer between cellulose microfibrils. The presented process stands as a viable solution to introduce nanoparticles as new functionalities into cellulose-based natural materials
ENDOTHELIAL-DEPENDENT FLOW MEDIATED DILATION OF THE BRACHIAL ARTERY CORRELATES WITH NAIL-FOLD MICROVASCULAR INVOLVEMENT AND IDENTIFIES ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION IN SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS
No full textTracing and attaching bank accounts in EU cross-border insolvency proceedings
No full textTracing and attaching bank accounts (“TAB”) is complex in cross-border insolvency
situations. The paper tackles such complexities and spells out the instruments that insolvency
practitioners may use in the EU context. Accordingly, the author dwells primarily on Regulation (EU)
2015/848 to detect the extraterritorial powers it confers to insolvency practitioners and explain how it
governs the coordination between the lex concursus and the law of the State where the bank account is
located when it comes to determining practicable attachment measures. The paper also clarifies when
insolvency practitioners may resort to the European Account Preservation Order (EAPO) as an
alternative pathway to national measures. Four special focuses conclude the analysis. The first concerns
the future of EU harmonisation in TAB activity; the second compares intra and extra-EU TAB
operations; the third and fourth examine the restrictions on TAB measures flowing from sovereign bank
accounts and accounts frozen because of economic sanctions
Remembrance of the Lost Guyanese Novel: Atipa
No full textIn 1885 the Ghio publishing house in Paris brought out Atipa, roman guyanais (Atipa: A Guianese Novel) , written in Guianese Creole by an author who signed himself Alfred Parépou
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