[Optimizing the use-by date of reusable medical devices. Experience in a healthcare establishment].

Objectives: Sterilized reusable medical devices have a use-by date, after which sterility is no longer guaranteed. There is currently no consensus on how this should be determined. The aim is to re-evaluate the expiry date of reusable medical devices, by means of a risk analysis and an assessment of the maintenance of the sterile state of reusable medical devices over time.

Dynamic molecular switches with hysteretic negative differential conductance emulating synaptic behaviour.

To realize molecular-scale electrical operations beyond the von Neumann bottleneck, new types of multifunctional switches are needed that mimic self-learning or neuromorphic computing by dynamically toggling between multiple operations that depend on their past. Here, we report a molecule that switches from high to low conductance states with massive negative memristive behaviour that depends on the drive speed and number of past switching events, with all the measurements fully modelled using atomistic and analytical models. This dynamic molecular switch emulates synaptic behavior and Pavlovian learning, all within a 2.

Temperature-Dependent Coherent Tunneling across Graphene-Ferritin Biomolecular Junctions.

Understanding the mechanisms of charge transport (CT) across biomolecules in solid-state devices is imperative to realize biomolecular electronic devices in a predictive manner. Although it is well-accepted that biomolecule-electrode interactions play an essential role, it is often overlooked. This paper reveals the prominent role of graphene interfaces with Fe-storing proteins in the net CT across their tunnel junctions.

AFM Manipulation of EGaIn Microdroplets to Generate Controlled, On-Demand Contacts on Molecular Self-Assembled Monolayers.

Liquid metal droplets, such as eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn), are important in many research areas, such as soft electronics, catalysis, and energy storage. Droplet contact on solid surfaces is typically achieved without control over the applied force and without optimizing the wetting properties in different environments (e.g.

Electrostatic Fermi level tuning in large-scale self-assembled monolayers of oligo(phenylene-ethynylene) derivatives.

Understanding and controlling the orbital alignment of molecules placed between electrodes is essential in the design of practically-applicable molecular and nanoscale electronic devices. The orbital alignment is highly determined by the molecule-electrode interface. Dependence of orbital alignment on the molecular anchor group for single molecular junctions has been intensively studied; however, when scaling-up single molecules to large parallel molecular arrays (like self-assembled monolayers (SAMs)), two challenges need to be addressed: 1.

Absence of cardiac damage induced by long-term intensive endurance exercise training: A cardiac magnetic resonance and exercise echocardiography analysis in masters athletes.

Objectives: It is under debate whether the long-term practice of intensive endurance exercise induces chronic cardiac damage such as myocardial fibrosis and ventricle contractile dysfunction. Multimodality analysis was performed to evaluate myocardial damage induced by long term intensive endurance training in master athletes.

Methods: Thirty-three asymptomatic endurance master athletes (47 ± 6 year-old, 9,6 ± 1,7 h training/week for 26 ± 6 years), were compared to 18 sedentary controls (49 ± 7 year-old).

Real-time next-generation sequencing on shell-vial culture to contribute to diagnosis of lymphatic tuberculosis: a case report.

Lymph node tuberculosis is a of limited clinical suspicion form of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. After 15 days incubation in a cellular culture and directly from the supernatant, 11 minutes of Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing provided a preliminary result of an antibiotic-susceptible M. tuberculosis Indo-Oceanic lineage strain.

Performances, feasibility and acceptability of nasopharyngeal swab, saliva and oral-self sampling swab for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Molecular diagnosis on nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) is the current standard for COVID-19 diagnosis, but saliva may be an alternative specimen to facilitate access to diagnosis. We compared analytic performances, feasibility and acceptability of NPS, saliva, and oral-self sampling swab for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A prospective, multicenter study was conducted in military hospitals in France among adult outpatients attending COVID-19 diagnosis centers or hospitalized patients.

Complex and prolonged hypercoagulability in coronavirus disease 2019 intensive care unit patients: A thromboelastographic study.

Background: A high number of thrombotic complications have been reported in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and appear to be related to a hypercoagulable state. Evidence regarding detection, management, and monitoring of COVID-19-associated coagulopathy is still missing. We propose to describe the thrombus viscoelastic properties to investigate the mechanisms of hypercoagulability in patients with COVID-19.

Electric-field-driven dual-functional molecular switches in tunnel junctions.

To avoid crosstalk and suppress leakage currents in resistive random access memories (RRAMs), a resistive switch and a current rectifier (diode) are usually combined in series in a one diode-one resistor (1D-1R) RRAM. However, this complicates the design of next-generation RRAM, increases the footprint of devices and increases the operating voltage as the potential drops over two consecutive junctions. Here, we report a molecular tunnel junction based on molecules that provide an unprecedented dual functionality of diode and variable resistor, resulting in a molecular-scale 1D-1R RRAM with a current rectification ratio of 2.

Electrically Controlled Nano and Micro Actuation in Memristive Switching Devices with On-Chip Gas Encapsulation.

Nanoactuators are a key component for developing nanomachinery. Here, an electrically driven device yielding actuation stresses exceeding 1 MPa withintegrated optical readout is demonstrated. 10 nm thick Al O electrolyte films are sandwiched between graphene and Au electrodes.

Extended spectrum of antibiotic susceptibility for tuberculosis, Djibouti.

In the Horn of Africa, there is a high prevalence of tuberculosis that is reported to be partly driven by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis strictu sensu strains. We conducted a prospective study to investigate M. tuberculosis complex species causing tuberculosis in Djibouti, and their in vitro susceptibility to standard anti-tuberculous antibiotics in addition to clofazimine, minocycline, chloramphenicol and sulfadiazine.

Opposite effects of alpha 1- and beta-adrenoceptor stimulation on both glutamate- and gamma-aminobutyric acid-mediated spontaneous transmission in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.

The effects of adrenergic receptor stimulation on spontaneous synaptic transmission were investigated in cultured rat hippocampal neurons by recording spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sEPSC and sIPSC). Noradrenaline (NA) inhibited sEPSC in a concentration-dependent manner, with maximal effect at 10 microM. The alpha(1)- and alpha(2)-adrenoceptor-selective agonists cirazoline and clonidine induced an inhibition of sEPSC appearance, whereas the beta-adrenoceptor agonist isoproterenol elicited an increase.

Simultaneous determination of pyrimethamine and sulphadoxine in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography after automated liquid-solid extraction.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method with ultraviolet detection is described for the simultaneous measurement of pyrimethamine and sulphadoxine in human plasma. After an automated liquid-solid extraction on a C8 cartridge, the compounds are separated on a C18 column by isocratic elution; the mobile phase is methanol-acetonitrile-water (10:25:65, v/v/v) with triethylamine (1%) and adjusted to pH 5.6 with phosphoric acid.

Somatostatin blocks the potentiation of TRH-induced TSH secretion from perifused pituitary fragments and the change in intracellular calcium concentrations from dispersed pituitary cells elicited by prepro-TRH (PS4) or by tri-iodothyronine.

TRH and somatostatin (SRIH) are well known to stimulate and to inhibit TSH secretion respectively. However, the mechanisms underlying the effect of SRIH on thyrotrophs are still not understood. We have previously shown in vitro that the TSH response to TRH is potentiated in a Ca(2+)-dependent fashion through the activation of dihydropyridine (DHP)-sensitive Ca2+ channels by the prepro-TRH (160-169) cryptic peptide (PS4) and tri-iodo-L-thyronine (T3), when the hormone was added shortly before a TRH pulse in order to avoid its genomic effect.

Rapid and opposite effects of dexamethasone on in vivo and in vitro hypothalamic somatostatin release.

We have previously reported the rapid response of hypothalamic somatostatin (SS) neurons to acute stress. Since it is well known that glucocorticoids (GC) are involved in neuroendocrinal stress regulation, we investigate in this study the effects of acute administration of dexamethasone (Dex) on both in vivo and in vitro SS release. Freely moving animals received stereotaxic implant of a push-pull cannula into the median eminence for 10 days, and then they were perfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid for 120-150 min.

Neuroendocrine and autonomous mechanisms underlying thermoregulation in cold environment.

This review focuses on the central regulation of thermoregulatory responses with special attention to the participation of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in both autonomous and endocrine responses to a cold environment. Besides a direct projection of TRH neurons from paraventricular nuclei (PVN) to the median eminence, and the subsequent activation of the thyroid axis, there are direct projections from the PVN to the autonomic preganglionic neurons controlling autonomous responses. There projections convey information to peripheral targets involved in thermogenesis through the dorsal vagal complex and the spinal cord, for parasympathetic and sympathetic neurotransmissions respectively.

Variations in hypothalamic somatostatin release and content during the estrous cycle in the rat. Effects of ovariectomy and estrogen supplementation.

To investigate the secretory pattern of somatostatin (SS) from the median eminence (ME) in the female rat, as well as estrogenic influence on this secretion, we measured both SS release and hypothalamic content in cycling, 10-day ovariectomized, and ovariectomized rats treated with estradiol for 3 days before. Animals were stereotaxically implanted with a push-pull cannula into the ME, and 10 days later the hypothalamic structure was perfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid for 120-150 min at a regular flow rate of 17 mu l/min. Secretion peaks were observed in the pattern of SS release, whatever the stage of the estrous cycle.

Dihydropyridine-like effects of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone on thyrotropin secretion and intracellular calcium concentration in rat pituitary.

Amiodarone (AM) and its major metabolite desethylamiodarone (DEA) are structurally similar to biologically active thyroid hormones. Amiodarone therapy is frequently associated with impairment of thyrotropic function, whose mechanisms are still controversial. Besides its effect on nuclear thyroid hormone binding.

Triiodo-L-thyronine enhances TRH-induced TSH release from perifused rat pituitaries and intracellular Ca2+ levels from dispersed pituitary cells.

There is now increasing evidence that Ca2+ serves as the first messenger for the prompt and non-genomic effects of 3,5,3' triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) in several tissues. We have previously shown that the first phase of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) release in response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) can be potentiated by messengers of hypothalamic origin, by a Ca(2+)-dependent phenomenon involving the activation of dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels. By perifusing rat pituitary fragments, we have investigated whether T3 would modify TSH release when the hormone is applied for a short time (i.

The inhibitory effect of picrotoxin on basal and cold-induced thyrotropin secretion involves somatostatin mediation.

This work was undertaken to investigate whether the inhibitory tone exerted by GABA on somatostatin (SRIH) release operates in the control of thyrotropin (TSH) secretion in both basal and cold-stimulated conditions. In a first group of animals (G1) undergoing both carotid and third ventricle push-pull cannulation, i.vt.