Publications by authors named "Mercier A"

Purpose: Prior research demonstrates that children with autism are more likely to experience unintentional injuries than the general population. Limited research exists on the symptoms or traits directly related to autism and this elevated injury rate, especially from the perspective of families with children with autism. This study used qualitative methodology to elucidate risk factors that may contribute to unintentional injuries in children with autism from the perspective of mothers raising children with autism.

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Sea cucumbers paradoxically suffer from being both highly prized and commonly disregarded. As an Asian medicine and delicacy, they command fabulous prices and are thus overfished, poached, and trafficked. As noncharismatic animals, many are understudied and inadequately protected.

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Objectives: Dravet syndrome (DS) is a severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy that requires significant caregiver input across the lifespan. This predominantly falls on parents, who are faced with considerable challenges including physical demands, financial burdens, and sustained pressure on mental wellbeing leading to mental health difficulties. We aimed to develop a grounded theory model for the process of coping and adjustment that occurs when caring for a child who has a diagnosis of DS.

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: Patients with COPD have altered self-esteem, and good self-esteem promotes personal, health, and social success. Improving self-esteem could be a method for encouraging the maintenance of physical activity. Only one study has evaluated the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on self-esteem in moderate COPD patients.

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BackgroundEarly detection and characterisation of SARS-CoV-2 variants have been and continue to be essential for assessing their public health impact. In August 2023, Santé publique France implemented enhanced surveillance for BA.2.

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The protozoan Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous and highly prevalent parasite that can theoretically infect all warm-blooded vertebrates. In humans, toxoplasmosis causes infections in both immunodeficient and immunocompetent patients, congenital toxoplasmosis, and ocular lesions. These manifestations have different degrees of severity.

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Background: Jailed wire (JW) in the side branch (SB) is recommended during coronary bifurcation provisional stenting, but there is uncertainty about the real benefit. Our objective was to evaluate the benefit of a JW technique in the Coronary Artery Bifurcation Revascularization Without kIssing ballOon infLation by rEpoT (CABRIOLET) registry.

Methods: In CABRIOLET, which included 500 patients, we compared the primary composite end point of a poor final SB angiographic result (of Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow < III, dissection grade > B, thrombosis, residual stenosis > 70%, or additional SB stenting) whether JW was performed or not.

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Article Synopsis
  • Understanding the spectral properties of forest elements is crucial for interpreting remote sensing data from aircraft and satellites.
  • This article reports on two datasets collected in Finland during field campaigns in June and July 2023, using a spectrometer to measure the spectra of various understory plants and materials in boreal forests.
  • The findings will aid in analyzing vegetation characteristics, improving classification algorithms, and enhancing forest radiative transfer models, with potential applications in using hyperspectral data for distinguishing understory elements.
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Background And Objectives: Dravet Syndrome is a severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with significant care needs for affected individuals and families. Our objective was to characterise the caregiver burden and therapeutic needs of families caring for an individual with Dravet Syndrome from child to adulthood, to examine age related differences in co-morbidities, and identify current gaps in health and social care.

Methods: Cross-sectional national survey conducted by the patient advocacy group Dravet Syndrome UK (DSUK) emailed to registered families caring for an individual with a confirmed diagnosis of Dravet syndrome.

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Youth with learning differences (e.g., specific learning disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) encounter exacerbated psychological and behavioral challenges compared to typically developing peers.

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Animal care committees remain ambiguous on the need for anesthetics during experimental procedures on invertebrate taxa due to long-standing questioning of their sentience and pain perception. When used, anesthetizing procedures for invertebrates have commonly been adapted from those developed for vertebrates, under the largely unverified assumption that they afford the same benefits. The present study formally tested the efficacy of four common anesthetics of aquatic invertebrates (ethanol, MgCl, clove oil, MS-222) using behavioural (reaction to physical contact and presence of a predator), physiological (respiration rate), cellular (coelomocytes), and hormonal (cortisol) biomarkers in the holothuroid Cucumaria frondosa (Echinodermata).

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A developmental milestone that both contributes to and facilitates a successful transition into adulthood is the ability to drive. Yet only one in three autistic adolescents successfully obtain a driver's license by age 21 compared to over three-fourths of non-autistic adolescents. Of those who receive their license, there is inconsistency in driving attitudes, experiences and skills.

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Key Points: Increasing doses of the endothelin receptor antagonist zibotentan and lower eGFR were associated with a higher risk of fluid retention. The higher risk of fluid retention could be attenuated by the combination of zibotentan with the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor dapagliflozin.

Background: Endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs) reduce albuminuria but are limited by fluid retention risk, particularly in patients with CKD.

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The microtubule-disrupting agent 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) displays anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic properties, but its clinical development is halted due to poor pharmacokinetics. We therefore designed two 2-ME analogs in silico-an ESE-15-one and an ESE-16 one-with improved pharmacological properties. We investigated the effects of these compounds on the cytoskeleton in vitro, and their anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic properties in ovo.

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The recurrent chromosome 16p11.2 BP4-BP5 microdeletion (MIM #611913) predisposes to a neurodevelopmental disorder with variable associated congenital anomalies and susceptibility to early-onset obesity. We identified 22 new individuals with proximal 16p11.

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Background And Aims: Several symptomatic cases of HEV infections were reported to the New Caledonia Island Public Health Service between August and December 2023. This prompted epidemiological and virological investigations to identify the source of infection.

Approach And Results: HEV RNA was assessed in symptomatic patients, various food items, and pig farms on the Island.

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Article Synopsis
  • Birth rates are declining, leading to increased fertility issues among women, prompting the use of assisted reproductive technologies like cryopreservation for treatment.
  • Ovarian tissue cryopreservation, which involves freezing ovarian cortex with immature follicles, has become a standard procedure for restoring ovarian function in patients undergoing gonadotoxic treatments.
  • Recent advancements focus on improving protocols for freezing, thawing, and transplantation of ovarian tissue, as well as pharmacological treatments aimed at enhancing graft performance and protecting the ovarian reserve.
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Introduction: This meta-analytic review surveyed previous empirical studies that examined links between moral identity and indicators of emotional well-being. Additionally, this meta-analysis examined cultural origin as a moderator, testing if links between moral identity and emotional well-being differ in collectivistic vs. individualistic countries.

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Objectives: This study aimed to assess current vaccination rates among health care workers at risk for occupational human papillomavirus (HPV) exposure and explore factors that influence decisions about HPV vaccination.

Design: Using a mixed-methods design, this study included a questionnaire and qualitative focus groups.

Setting: The study took place at an academic medical center.

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A new species of holothuroid, (order Dendrochirotida and family Sclerodactylidae), was discovered off the coast of Labrador (eastern Canada) at a depth of 740-969 m. Two specimens were described based on morphological and genetic parameters. Distinctive characters included pinkish body colour, presence of tube feet on a 'tail', supporting rod-shaped ossicles in the tube feet, and rod-shaped ossicles in the tentacles.

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Article Synopsis
  • The tutorial focuses on model-informed drug development (MIDD) as a critical approach in determining effective dosing strategies in drug trials, exemplified by the ZENITH trials.
  • The case study highlights the combination of zibotentan and dapagliflozin, showing their significant impact on reducing albuminuria in chronic kidney disease patients and addressing challenges related to fluid retention.
  • Through careful dose-response modeling and analysis, the trials successfully identified optimal dosages of zibotentan, paving the way for improved treatments in high-risk populations with kidney issues.
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The intra-ovarian presence of ootids, i.e. female gametes that have completed meiosis, is considered exceptional in the animal kingdom.

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Autotomy refers to self-amputation where the loss of a limb or organ is generally said to be (1) in response to stressful external stimuli; (2) voluntary and nervously mediated; (3) supported by adaptive features that increase efficiency and simultaneously mediate the cost; and (4) morphologically delineated by a predictable breakage plane. It is estimated that this phenomenon has evolved independently nine different times across the animal kingdom, appearing in many different taxa, including vertebrate and invertebrate as well as aquatic and terrestrial animals. Marine invertebrates use this behaviour in a diversity of manners that have yet to be globally reviewed and critically examined.

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The endothelin A receptor antagonist zibotentan, combined with the sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor dapagliflozin, is being investigated for the treatment of chronic kidney disease with high proteinuria. To allow women of childbearing potential access to this treatment, highly effective contraception is required and drug interactions compromising contraception reliability must be avoided. This study investigated the risk of pharmacokinetic (PK) interaction between zibotentan and the contraceptives ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel.

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Chemical discovery efforts commonly target individual protein domains. Many proteins, including the EP300/CBP histone acetyltransferases (HATs), contain several targetable domains. EP300/CBP are critical gene-regulatory targets in cancer, with existing high potency inhibitors of either the catalytic HAT domain or protein-binding bromodomain (BRD).

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