Estimated glomerular filtration rate is a poor predictor of the concentration of middle molecular weight uremic solutes in chronic kidney disease

Background: Uremic solute concentration increases as Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) declines. Weak associations were demonstrated between estimated GFR (eGFR) and the concentrations of several small water-soluble and protein-bound uremic solutes (MW500Da). Materials and Methods: In 95 CKD-patients (CKD-stage 2-5 not on dialysis), associations between different eGFR-formulae (creatinine, CystatinC-based or both) and the natural logarithm of the concentration of several LMWP's were analyzed: i.e. parathyroid hormone (PTH), Cystatin C (CystC), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), leptin, retinol binding protein (RbP), immunoglobin light chains kappa and lambda (Ig-kappa and Ig-lambda), beta-2-microglobulin (beta M-2), myoglobin and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23)). Results: The regression coefficients (R-2) between eGFR, based on the CKD-EPI-Crea-CystC-formula as reference, and the examined LMWP's could be divided into three groups. Most of the LMWP's associated weakly (R-2 0.7). Almost identical R-2-values were found per LMWP for all eGFR-formulae, with exception of CystC and beta M-2 which showed weaker associations with creatinine-based than with CystC-based eGFR. Conclusion: The association between eGFR and the concentration of several LMWP's is inconsistent, with in general low R-2-values. Thus, the use of eGFR to evaluate kidney function does not reflect the concentration of several LMWP's with proven toxic impact in CKD

L'impact de la loi suédoise contre les châtiments corporels sur les relations parents-enfants: enquête exploratoire auprès de parents et de jeunes d'origine irakienne ayant immigré après la mise en place de la loi

Le nombre de requérants d’asile mineurs non accompagnés en Suisse en 2010 est de 235. Ils forment une nouvelle catégorie de migrants qui appartient également à celle des enfants. De ce fait, ils doivent être traités comme tel au vue de la ratification de la Suisse à la Convention des Nations Unies relative aux droits de l’enfant de 1989. Or, ces jeunes ne reçoivent pas toujours l’attention qu’ils mériteraient, ou alors ne sont tout simplement pas considérés, dans les textes de loi notamment. La santé mentale des MNA est clairement atteinte par toutes ces marques d’exclusion dont ils sont la cible. Ce travail a pour but d’apporter une réflexion sur l’influence des autorités suisses sur le mal-être de ces enfants ainsi que sur le non-respect de l’esprit de la CDE. Car, non seulement la Suisse ne les aide pas comme il se doit à surmonter les épreuves qu’ils ont rencontrées par le passé et à les en protéger, mais en plus elle péjore leur état par sa politique des migrations restrictive. L’hypothèse de cette recherche exploratoire est que la Suisse a une influence sur le mal-être des MNA présents sur son territoire. Ce pays a donc des possibilités d’améliorer cette situation pour se rapprocher de l’idéal décrit par la CDE

Flatness-based control of open-channel flow in an irrigation canal using SCADA

Open channels are used to distribute water to large irrigated areas. In these systems, ensuring timely water delivery is essential to reduce operational water losses. This article derives a method for open-loop control of open channel flow, based on the Hayami model, a parabolic partial differential equation resulting from a simplification of the Saint-Venant equations. The open-loop control is represented as infinite series using differential flatness. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the approach by applying the open-loop controller to a real irrigation canal located in South of France

Aide à la décision pour l'expertise des barrages

National audienceUn modèle d'évaluation des performances des barrages vis-à-vis de leurs principaux modes de rupture et de dégradation a été développé (Curt, 2008). Les données d'entrée (indicateurs) et de sortie (performance du barrage) de ce modèle sont des distributions de possibilité. Cette communication est axée sur la problématique de la prise de décision associée à ce résultat possibiliste : comment prioriser les actions de maintenance à entreprendre sur le barrage et comment transmettre l'information aux gestionnaires ? Nous proposons une analyse comparative des méthodes de défuzzification afin de sélectionner les méthodes répondant le mieux à cette problématique d'aide à l'expertise des barrages. / An assessment model of dam performances as regards their main failure modes and degradation modes was developed (Curt, 2008). The input data (indicators) and the ouput data (dam performance) of this model are possibility distributions. This paper focuses on the problematic of decision making associated to this possibility result: how to classify maintenance actions that have to be made on that dam and how to convey this result to dam managers? A comparative analysis of defuzzyfication methods is provided; those methods allow to best answer to this problematic of dam expertise

The effects of graded levels of calorie restriction : I. impact of short term calorie and protein restriction on body composition in the C57BL/6 mouse

We acknowledge the BSU staff for their invaluable help with caring for the animals and anonymous referees for their inputs. The work was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) of the UK (Standard grant BB/G009953/1 and China partnering award BB/JO20028/1). The authors declare no competing interests.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Hydrological processes affecting the subtropical NE Atlantic (34-38° N) over the last 30 ka: Evidence from phyto- and zooplankton assemblages

International audienceNew dinocyst analyses were conducted on core MD99-2339 retrieved from the central Gulf of Cadiz. Dinocyst and foraminiferal assemblages from this core are combined with existing data off SW Portugal and NW Morocco to investigate past hydrological and primary productivity regimes in the subtropical NE Atlantic Ocean over the last 30 ka. Our results have revealed highest upwelling intensity during Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS 1) and the Younger Dryas and weaker upwelling cells during the Last Glacial Maximum and HS 2, off the SW Iberian and NW Moroccan margins. Similar assemblages between Cadiz and Morocco and distinct species off Portugal were observed during the cold climatic extremes that punctuated the last 30 ka. This pattern has been linked to the occurrence of a hydrological structure between SW Iberia and Cadiz during the last glacial period, probably similar to the modern Azores Front. This front was probably responsible locally for heterotrophic dinocysts found in the Gulf of Cadiz during the last glacial period, even if this sector is not conductive to upwelling phenomena by Ekman transport. Regional reconstructions of paleo-sea-surface temperatures using dinocyst and foraminiferal transfer functions, as well as alkenones, are also discussed and depict coherent scenarios over the last 30 ka. However, some mismatches are observed between the different quantitative reconstructions such as during HS 1 in the Gulf of Cadiz and during the LGM at the three core locations. © 2011 Author(s)

Herschel SPIRE-FTS Observations of Excited CO and [CI] in the Antennae (NGC 4038/39): Warm and Cold Molecular Gas

We present Herschel SPIRE-FTS observations of the Antennae (NGC 4038/39), a well studied, nearby ($22$ Mpc) ongoing merger between two gas rich spiral galaxies. We detect 5 CO transitions ($J=4-3$ to $J=8-7$), both [CI] transitions and the [NII]$205\mu m$ transition across the entire system, which we supplement with ground based observations of the CO $J=1-0$, $J=2-1$ and $J=3-2$ transitions, and Herschel PACS observations of [CII] and [OI]$63\mu m$. Using the CO and [CI] transitions, we perform both a LTE analysis of [CI], and a non-LTE radiative transfer analysis of CO and [CI] using the radiative transfer code RADEX along with a Bayesian likelihood analysis. We find that there are two components to the molecular gas: a cold ($T_{kin}\sim 10-30$ K) and a warm ($T_{kin} \gtrsim 100$ K) component. By comparing the warm gas mass to previously observed values, we determine a CO abundance in the warm gas of $x_{CO} \sim 5\times 10^{-5}$. If the CO abundance is the same in the warm and cold gas phases, this abundance corresponds to a CO $J=1-0$ luminosity-to-mass conversion factor of $\alpha_{CO} \sim 7 \ M_{\odot}{pc^{-2} \ (K \ km \ s^{-1})^{-1}}$in the cold component, similar to the value for normal spiral galaxies. We estimate the cooling from H$_2$, [CII], CO and [OI]$63\mu m$to be$\sim 0.01 L_{\odot}/M_{\odot}$. We compare PDR models to the ratio of the flux of various CO transitions, along with the ratio of the CO flux to the far-infrared flux in NGC 4038, NGC 4039 and the overlap region. We find that the densities recovered from our non-LTE analysis are consistent with a background far-ultraviolet field of strength$G_0\sim 1000$. Finally, we find that a combination of turbulent heating, due to the ongoing merger, and supernova and stellar winds are sufficient to heat the molecular gas.Comment: 50 pages, 15 figures, 8 tables, Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Field surveillance model for HPAI in Vietnam in a vaccination context : methodology and preliminary results

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 epizooty started in Vietnam late 2003 and resulted into more than 50 millions poultry culled and 93 human cases (42 fatal cases). In 2005, the Government decided to apply a mass vaccination campaign to limit virus circulation and to reduce the threat to human health. Then, neither outbreaks in poultry nor in human have been notified for about one year. With a majority of poultry vaccinated in the higher risk areas, the clinical expression of H5N1 inevitably changed and as a result the surveillance approach should be adapted. Routine virological surveillance and recent outbreaks showed that virus is still circulating. Within a FAO project funded by Japanese Government, a model is tested to strengthen the surveillance of H5N1 infection among backyard and commercial poultry. This model was designed to increase the detection and the notification of suspect poultry health events that could be avian influenza. An awareness campaign explained to key stakeholders that due to vaccination, criteria to detect a H5N1 outbreak should change. A targeted surveillance programme is also tested including a disease-free certification for vaccinated semi-commercial broilers farms and an active community animal disease surveillance component in selected villages. The methodogy of this surveillance model and preliminary results are presented