SHIVA-CMB: a deep-learning-based robust cerebral microbleed segmentation tool trained on multi-source T2*GRE- and susceptibility-weighted MRI.

Cerebral microbleeds (CMB) represent a feature of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD), a prominent vascular contributor to age-related cognitive decline, dementia, and stroke. They are visible as spherical hypointense signals on T2*- or susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. An increasing number of automated CMB detection methods being proposed are based on supervised deep learning (DL).

Prognostic relevance of exercise pulmonary hypertension: results of the multicentre PEX-NET Clinical Research Collaboration.

Background: Exercise pulmonary hypertension (PH) was defined by a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP)/cardiac output (CO) slope >3 mmHg·min·L between rest and exercise in the 2022 European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society PH guidelines. However, large, multicentre studies on the prognostic relevance of exercise haemodynamics and its added value to resting haemodynamics are missing.

Patients And Methods: The PEX-NET (Pulmonary Haemodynamics during Exercise Network) registry enrolled patients who underwent clinically indicated right heart catheterisations both at rest and ergometer exercise from 23 PH centres worldwide.

Role of Exercise Hemodynamics in the Prediction of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in BMPR2 Mutation Carriers.

Background: Exercise hemodynamics are recommended for early detection of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and have been suggested to be predictive of future development of PAH in high-risk populations such as BMPR2 mutation carriers. However, the optimal exercise hemodynamic screening parameter remains to be determined. Recent data suggest that pulmonary vascular distensibility (α) may serve as a useful parameter for early detection of PAH.

Rationale and design of the PACIFIC-PRESERVED (PhenomApping, ClassIFication and Innovation for Cardiac dysfunction in patients with heart failure and PRESERVED left ventricular ejection fraction) study.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous syndrome that is poorly defined, reflecting an incomplete understanding of its pathophysiology.

Aim: To redefine the phenotypic spectrum of HFpEF.

Methods: The PACIFIC-PRESERVED study is a prospective multicentre cohort study designed to perform multidimensional deep phenotyping of patients diagnosed with HFpEF (left ventricular ejection fraction≥50%), patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (left ventricular ejection fraction≤40%) and subjects without overt heart failure (3:2:1 ratio).

Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 ribonucleoprotein delivery for efficient, rapid and marker-free gene editing in Trypanosoma and Leishmania.

Kinetoplastids are unicellular eukaryotic flagellated parasites found in a wide range of hosts within the animal and plant kingdoms. They are known to be responsible in humans for African sleeping sickness (Trypanosoma brucei), Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi), and various forms of leishmaniasis (Leishmania spp.), as well as several animal diseases with important economic impact (African trypanosomes, including Trypanosoma congolense).

Toxoplasma type II effector GRA15 has limited influence in vivo.

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that establishes a long-term infection in the brain of many warm-blooded hosts, including humans and rodents. Like all obligate intracellular microbes, Toxoplasma uses many effector proteins to manipulate the host cell to ensure parasite survival. While some of these effector proteins are universal to all Toxoplasma strains, some are polymorphic between Toxoplasma strains.

The PACIFIC ontology for heterogeneous data management in cardiology.

With the emergence of health data warehouses and major initiatives to collect and analyze multi-modal and multisource data, data organization becomes central. In the PACIFIC-PRESERVED (PhenomApping, ClassIFication, and Innovation for Cardiac Dysfunction - Heart Failure with PRESERVED LVEF Study, NCT04189029) study, a data driven research project aiming at redefining and profiling the Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), an ontology was developed by different data experts in cardiology to enable better data management in a complex study context (multisource, multiformat, multimodality, multipartners). The PACIFIC ontology provides a cardiac data management framework for the phenomapping of patients.

Recent advances in epicutaneous immunotherapy and potential applications in food allergy.

Given the potent immunological properties of the skin, epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT) emerges as a promising treatment approach for inducing immune tolerance, particularly for food allergies. Targeting the highly immunocompetent, non-vascularized epidermis allows for the application of microgram amounts of allergen while significantly reducing the risk of allergen passage into the bloodstream, thus limiting systemic allergen exposure and distribution. This makes EPIT highly suitable for the treatment of potentially life-threatening allergies such as food allergies.

Phospholipases A and Lysophospholipases in protozoan parasites.

Phospholipases (PLs) and Lysophospholipases (LysoPLs) are a diverse group of esterases responsible for phospholipid or lysophospholipid hydrolysis. They are involved in several biological processes, including lipid catabolism, modulation of the immune response and membrane maintenance. PLs are classified depending on their site of hydrolysis as PLA1, PLA2, PLC and PLD.

Environmental and land use controls of microplastic pollution along the gravel-bed Ain River (France) and its "Plastic Valley".

Understanding microplastic particles (MPs) accumulation and transport along rivers represents a major task due to the complexity and heterogeneity of rivers, and their interactions with their wider corridor. The identification of MPs hotspots and their potential sources is especially challenging in coarse-bed rivers transporting a wide range of particle sizes with a high degree of variability in time and space. This research focuses on the gravel-bed Ain River (Rhône River tributary, France) which is managed by means of various dams and also hosts one of the major plastic production centres in Europe (Oyonnax and Bienne Plastic Valleys).

Pulsatile pulmonary artery pressure in a large animal model of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: Similarities and differences with human data.

A striking feature of the human pulmonary circulation is that mean (mPAP) and systolic (sPAP) pulmonary artery pressures (PAPs) are strongly related and, thus, are essentially redundant. According to the empirical formula documented under normotensive and hypertensive conditions (mPAP = 0.61 sPAP + 2 mmHg), sPAP matches ~160%mPAP on average.

The BMS-LM ontology for biomedical data reporting throughout the lifecycle of a research study: From data model to ontology.

Biomedical research data reuse and sharing is essential for fostering research progress. To this aim, data producers need to master data management and reporting through standard and rich metadata, as encouraged by open data initiatives such as the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) guidelines. This helps data re-users to understand and reuse the shared data with confidence.

Effect of Solvent on the Mechanical and Structural Properties of -Alkyldiamide Organogels.

Here, we study organogels prepared thanks to a new organogelator, the -oleyldiamide molecule, which shows a remarkable propensity to gelify a large scope of solvents, from aprotic to high protic solvents. The solvent plays a key role in the formation and stability of supramolecular self-assemblies. However, the understanding and the control of its effects can be complex as many parameters are involved.

Immunogenicity and Protective Potential of Mucosal Vaccine Formulations Based on Conserved Epitopes of Influenza A Viruses Fused to an Innovative Ring Nanoplatform in Mice and Chickens.

Current inactivated vaccines against influenza A viruses (IAV) mainly induce immune responses against highly variable epitopes across strains and are mostly delivered parenterally, limiting the development of an effective mucosal immunity. In this study, we evaluated the potential of intranasal formulations incorporating conserved IAV epitopes, namely the long alpha helix (LAH) of the stalk domain of hemagglutinin and three tandem repeats of the ectodomain of the matrix protein 2 (3M2e), as universal mucosal anti-IAV vaccines in mice and chickens. The IAV epitopes were grafted to nanorings, a novel platform technology for mucosal vaccination formed by the nucleoprotein (N) of the respiratory syncytial virus, in fusion or not with the C-terminal end of the P97 protein (P97c), a recently identified Toll-like receptor 5 agonist.

Epicutaneous immunization using synthetic virus-like particles efficiently boosts protective immunity to respiratory syncytial virus.

Despite the substantial health and economic burden caused by RSV-associated illness, no vaccine is available. The sole licensed treatment (palivizumab), composed of a monoclonal neutralizing antibody, blocks the fusion of the virus to the host cell but does not prevent infection. The development of a safe and efficacious RSV vaccine is therefore a priority, but also a considerable challenge, and new innovative strategies are warranted.

Pre-Existing Humoral Immunity Enhances Epicutaneously-Administered Allergen Capture by Skin DC and Their Migration to Local Lymph Nodes.

Due to its richness in antigen presenting cells, e.g., dendritic cells (DC), the skin has been identified as a promising route for immunotherapy and vaccination.

Deep Learning-based Classification of Resting-state fMRI Independent-component Analysis.

Functional connectivity analyses of fMRI data have shown that the activity of the brain at rest is spatially organized into resting-state networks (RSNs). RSNs appear as groups of anatomically distant but functionally tightly connected brain regions. Inter-RSN intrinsic connectivity analyses may provide an optimal spatial level of integration to analyze the variability of the functional connectome.

Screening for pulmonary arterial hypertension in adults carrying a mutation.

Background: Heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is most commonly due to heterozygous mutations of the gene. Based on expert consensus, guidelines recommend annual screening echocardiography in asymptomatic mutation carriers. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the characteristics of asymptomatic mutation carriers, assess their risk of occurrence of PAH and detect PAH at an early stage in this high-risk population.

Cardiovascular disorders in patients with congenital portosystemic shunts: 23 years of experience in a tertiary referral centre.

Background: Congenital portosystemic shunts are rare vascular malformations that may have an impact on the heart-lung system. Associated congenital and/or acquired heart diseases are poorly reported.

Aims: To analyse cardiovascular disorders within a large congenital portosystemic shunt population, and develop a diagnostic strategy.

Epicutaneous immunotherapy protects cashew-sensitized mice from anaphylaxis.

Background: The prevalence of tree nut allergy has increased worldwide, and cashew has become one of the most common food allergens. More critically, cashew allergy is frequently associated with severe anaphylaxis. Despite the high medical need, no approved treatment is available and strict avoidance and preparedness for prompt treatment of allergic reactions are considered dual standard of care.

Safety and immunogenicity of the epicutaneous reactivation of pertussis toxin immunity in healthy adults: a phase I, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Objectives: Protection induced by acellular vaccines can be short, requiring novel immunization strategies. Objectives of this study were to evaluate safety and capacity of a recombinant pertussis toxin (PTgen) -coated Viaskin® epicutaneous patch to recall memory responses in healthy adults.

Methods: This double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial (Phase I) assessed the safety and immunogenicity of PTgen administered on days 0 and 14 to healthy adults using Viaskin® patches applied directly or after epidermal laser-based skin preparation.

Development and testing of a new-generation aerosol exposure system: The independent holistic air-liquid exposure system (InHALES).

The dose of inhaled materials delivered to the respiratory tract is to a large extent a function of the kinetics of particle deposition and gas dissolution on or in the airway and lung epithelia, and therefore of the structural and functional properties of the respiratory tract. In vitro aerosol exposure systems commonly do not simulate these properties, which may result in the delivery of non-realistic, non-human-relevant doses of inhalable test substances to the in vitro biological test systems. We developed a new-generation in vitro aerosol exposure system, the InHALES, that can, like the human respiratory tract, actively breathe, operate medical inhalers, or take puffs from tobacco products.

Portopulmonary hypertension in the current era of pulmonary hypertension management.

Background & Aims: Long-term outcomes in portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) are poorly studied in the current era of pulmonary hypertension management. We analysed the effect of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-targeted therapies, survival and predictors of death in a large contemporary cohort of patients with PoPH.

Methods: Data from patients with PoPH consecutively enrolled in the French Pulmonary Hypertension Registry between 2007 and 2017 were collected.