Publications by authors named "Picard L"

Background: Indications for Veno-venous (VV) or veno-arterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after trauma rely on poor evidence. The main aims were to describe the population of trauma patients requiring either VV or VA ECMO and report their clinical management and outcomes.

Methods: An observational multicentre retrospective study was conducted in 17 Level 1 trauma centres in France between January 2010 and December 2021.

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Quantum computation and simulation rely on long-lived qubits with controllable interactions. Trapped polar molecules have been proposed as a promising quantum computing platform, offering scalability and single-particle addressability while still leveraging inherent complexity and strong couplings of molecules. Recent progress in the single quantum state preparation and coherence of the hyperfine-rotational states of individually trapped molecules allows them to serve as promising qubits, with intermolecular dipolar interactions creating entanglement.

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Unlabelled: While mineral weathering (MWe) plays a key role in plant growth promotion and soil fertility, the molecular mechanisms and the genes used by bacteria to weather minerals remain poorly characterized. Acidification-based dissolution is considered the primary mechanism used by bacteria. This mechanism is historically associated with the conversion of glucose to protons and gluconic acid through the action of particular glucose dehydrogenases (GDH) dependent on the pyrroquinoline quinone (PQQ) cofactor.

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Adrenergic receptors (ARs) are preferentially expressed by innate lymphocytes such as natural killer (NK) cells. Here, we study the effect of epinephrine-mediated stimulation of the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) on the function of human NK cells. Epinephrine stimulation inhibited early NK cell signaling events and blocked the function of the integrin LFA-1.

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Six-times more carbon dioxide (CO) is removed each year by terrestrial photosynthesis than fossil fuel emissions. However, the carbon is mostly returned to the atmosphere by decomposition. We found a 3775-year-old ancient wood log buried 2 meters belowground that was preserved far beyond its expected lifetime.

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The adenosine A receptor (AR) engages several G proteins, notably G and its cognate G protein. This coupling promiscuity is facilitated by a dynamic ensemble, revealed by F nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of AR and G protein. Two transmembrane helix 6 (TM6) activation states, formerly associated with partial and full agonism, accommodate the differing volumes of G and G.

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The highly conserved and essential Plasmodium falciparum reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 (PfRH5) has emerged as the leading target for vaccines against the disease-causing blood stage of malaria. However, the features of the human vaccine-induced antibody response that confer highly potent inhibition of malaria parasite invasion into red blood cells are not well defined. Here, we characterize 236 human IgG monoclonal antibodies, derived from 15 donors, induced by the most advanced PfRH5 vaccine.

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Article Synopsis
  • Patients on veno-arterial ECMO are at a high risk for upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), which can lead to significant complications and healthcare resource use.
  • In a study involving 150 V-A ECMO patients from 2013 to 2017, UGIB was found in 10.7% of cases, typically occurring about 10 days after the start of ECMO.
  • A history of peptic ulcers was identified as the only independent risk factor for UGIB, highlighting the need for further investigation into preventive measures and treatments in this patient population.
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Recent studies on the imitation of intransitive gestures suggest that the body part effect relies mainly upon the direct route of the dual-route model through a visuo-transformation mechanism. Here, we test the visuo-constructive hypothesis which posits that the visual complexity may directly potentiate the body part effect for meaningless gestures. We predicted that the difference between imitation of hand and finger gestures would increase with the visuo-spatial complexity of gestures.

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Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is an established immunotherapeutic, however, a significant portion of patients do not respond to treatment. Despite extensive research into the therapeutic mechanism of BCG, gaps remain in our understanding. This review specifically focuses on the epigenomic contributions in the immune microenvironment, in the context of BCG treatment for NMIBC.

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Objective: Acute graft pyelonephritis (AGPN) is the most frequent infectious complication in kidney transplant recipients (KTR). The treatment of acute community-acquired (CA) pyelonephritis is based on third-generation cephalosporins (3GC) and fluoroquinolones. Cefepime or a piperacillin-tazobactam combination are more often used in healthcare-associated (HCA) infections.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) among critically ill patients during the Omicron variant wave, finding it affects 5.1% of patients and 9.1% of those on invasive mechanical ventilation.
  • CAPA patients showed higher rates of immunosuppression and required more intensive care measures, like vasopressors and renal therapy, compared to non-CAPA patients.
  • While CAPA did not significantly impact day-28 mortality, it was linked to longer mechanical ventilation and ICU stays, suggesting a shift in outcomes with emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Cognitive performance of older adults is very often inferior to that of younger adults on a variety of laboratory tests assessing basic functions such as memory, inhibition, or attention. Classic hypotheses and theories share the idea that these cognitive deficits are irreversible, due to profound cerebral changes. In this review article, we develop a more positive conception of aging, according to which cognitive deficits are not all irreversible, and can even be partially if not completely reversible.

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Tumor cells rely heavily on glycolysis to meet their high metabolic demands. While this results in nutrient deprivation within the tumor microenvironment and has negative effects on infiltrating immune cells such as natural killer (NK) cells, it also creates a potential target for cancer therapies. Here we use Glupin, an inhibitor of glucose transporters, to study the effect of limited glucose uptake on NK cells and their anti-tumor functions.

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Next-generation high-efficiency Li-ion batteries require an electrolyte that is both safe and thermally stable. A possible choice for high performance all-solid-state Li-ion batteries is a liquid crystal, which possesses properties in-between crystalline solids and isotropic liquids. By employing molecular dynamics simulations together with various experimental techniques, we have designed and analyzed a novel liquid crystal electrolyte composed of rigid naphthalene-based moieties as mesogenic units, grafted to flexible alkyl chains of different lengths.

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We demonstrate long rotational coherence of individual polar molecules in the motional ground state of an optical trap. In the present, previously unexplored regime, the rotational eigenstates of molecules are dominantly quantized by trapping light rather than static fields, and the main source of decoherence is differential light shift. In an optical tweezer array of NaCs molecules, we achieve a three-orders-of-magnitude reduction in differential light shift by changing the trap's polarization from linear to a specific "magic" ellipticity.

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Background: While the short-term symptoms of post-COVID syndromes (PCS) are well-known, the long-term clinical characteristics, risk factors and outcomes of PCS remain unclear. Moreover, there is ongoing discussion about the effectiveness of post-infection vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to aid in PCS recovery.

Methods: In this longitudinal and observational case-control study we aimed at identifying long-term PCS courses and evaluating the effects of post-infection vaccinations on PCS recovery.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study was conducted on 158 adult patients with acute respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2, focusing on the impact of various Omicron sublineages, including BA.2, BA.4/BA.5, and BQ.1.1.
  • Patients infected with the recent BQ.1.1 variant displayed a higher rate of obesity and a lower rate of immunosuppression compared to those with earlier sublineages.
  • Despite these differences in patient characteristics, there was no significant variation in disease severity at ICU admission, organ support needs, or 28-day mortality across the different sublineage groups.
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Background: Symptoms lasting longer than 12  weeks after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are called post-coronavirus disease (COVID) syndrome (PCS). The identification of new biomarkers that predict the occurrence or course of PCS in terms of a post-viral syndrome is vital. T-cell dysfunction, cytokine imbalance, and impaired autoimmunity have been reported in PCS.

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Background: As a result of the public health measures put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, many health services, including those for the treatment of eating disorders, were provided at a distance. This study aims to describe the adaptations made in specialized pediatric eating disorder programs in Canada and the impact of these adaptations on health professionals' experience of providing care.

Methods: A mixed-methods design was used to survey healthcare professionals working in specialized pediatric eating disorder programs about adaptations to treatment made during the pandemic and the impact of these adaptations on their experience of providing care.

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Heterotrimeric G proteins serve as membrane-associated signaling hubs, in concert with their cognate G-protein-coupled receptors. Fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was employed to monitor the conformational equilibria of the human stimulatory G-protein α subunit (Gα) alone, in the intact Gαβγ heterotrimer or in complex with membrane-embedded human adenosine A receptor (AR). The results reveal a concerted equilibrium that is strongly affected by nucleotide and interactions with the βγ subunit, the lipid bilayer and AR.

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