Background: Sex differences in treatment response to intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) are poorly characterized. We compared sex-disaggregated outcomes in patients receiving IVT for acute ischemic stroke in the Alteplase compared to Tenecteplase (AcT) trial, a Canadian multicentre, randomised trial. Methods: In this post-hoc analysis, the primary outcome was excellent functional outcome (modified Rankin Score [mRS] 0-1) at 90 days. Secondary and safety outcomes included return to baseline function, successful reperfusion (eTICI≥2b), death and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. Results: Of 1577 patients, there were 755 women and 822 men (median age 77 [68-86]; 70 [59-79]). There were no differences in rates of mRS 0-1 (aRR 0.95 [0.86-1.06]), return to baseline function (aRR 0.94 [0.84-1.06]), reperfusion (aRR 0.98 [0.80-1.19]) and death (aRR 0.91 [0.79-1.18]). There was no effect modification by treatment type on the association between sex and outcomes. The probability of excellent functional outcome decreased with increasing onset-to-needle time. This relation did not vary by sex (pinteraction 0.42). Conclusions: The AcT trial demonstrated comparable functional, safety and angiographic outcomes by sex. This effect did not differ between alteplase and tenecteplase. The pragmatic enrolment and broad national participation in AcT provide reassurance that there do not appear to be sex differences in outcomes amongst Canadians receiving IVT.

Rare earth elements (REEs, ‘lanthanides’) constitute a vital commodity for technological applications. Although these elements occur at trace levels in many minerals, they can comprise major constituents of low abundance phosphate, carbonate, silicate and oxide minerals, some of which form during granite weathering. REE-phosphate phases can be a source of phosphorus for essential biomolecules and certain REEs are required by some bacterial enzymes involved in the oxidation of methanol, an important compound in the global biogeochemical carbon cycle. The mechanisms that promote the dissolution of lanthanide phosphate minerals are largely unknown, but probably vary with the lanthanide phosphate mineralogy of weathered rock and soil. Here, we studied weathering of five I-type, three S-type and one A-type granite to determine the extent of weathering of primary REE- and/or P-bearing minerals apatite, allanite and monazite, and the formation of secondary REE/P-bearing minerals. We found evidence for greater mobilisation of REE and P in weathered I-type and A-type granites than in S-types, reflecting the higher solubility of apatite and allanite relative to monazite. Although monazite persisted in highly weathered S-type granites, some alteration was detected. Secondary REE/P-bearing minerals were not detected in two S-type profiles, while spherical secondary REE/P-bearing mineral aggregates were abundant throughout the third S-type profile. Secondary euhedral REE/P-bearing crystals were abundant even in the slightly weathered I-type and A-type granite material, yet they were not detected in the highly weathered material, indicating that these minerals had dissolved. Our findings indicate that mineralogy constrains substantially, but does not control completely, lanthanide availability as a function of degree of weathering. These results have implications for predicting REE and phosphate bioavailability in soils derived from granitic rock types and suggest that highly weathered I-type granites may provide inocula for bioleaching experiments.

A better understanding of the dynamics of different particulate organic matter (OM) pools in the coastal carbon budget is a key issue for quantifying the role of the coastal ocean in the global carbon cycle. To elucidate the benthic component of this carbon cycle at the land-sea interface, we investigated the carbon isotope signatures (δ13C and ∆14C) in the sediment pore waters dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in addition to the sediment OM to constrain the origin of the OM mineralized in sediments. The study site is located at the outlet of the Rhône River (Mediterranean Sea), which was chosen because this river is one of the most nuclearized rivers in Europe and nuclear 14C can serve as a tracer to follow the fate of the OM discharged by the river to the coastal sea. The ∆14C results found in the pore waters DIC show a general offset between buried and mineralized OM following a preferential mineralization model of young and fresh particles. For example, we found that the sediment OM has values with a mean ∆14C=–33‰ at sampling stations near the river mouth whereas enriched ∆14C values around +523‰ and +667‰ respectively were found for the pore waters DIC. This indicates complete mineralization of a riverine fraction of OM enriched in 14C in the river conduit during in-stream photosynthesis. In shelf sediments, the ∆14C of pore waters DIC is slightly enriched (+57‰) with sediment OM reaching –570‰. A mixing model shows that particles mineralized near the river mouth are certainly of riverine phytoplanktonic origin whereas OM mineralized on the shelf is of marine origin. This work highlights the fact that pore waters provide additional information compared to sediments alone and it seems essential to work on both pools to study the carbon budget in river prodelta.

Some twenty kimberlite pipes outcrop along the eastern and western borders of the Kundelungu plateau, Shaba Province, Zaire. They are arranged roughly along two north-south trending alignments. The pipes probably intruded the Bangweulu Block, which stabilized around 1800 Ma. The exceptionally fresh kimberlites contain mantle-derived nodules (peridotites and eclogites), as well as megacrysts which may reach up to several cm in diameter. The most important megacrysts are garnets, ilmenites, clinopyroxenes, orthopyroxenes and olivines. Micas and diamonds are rarely observed. The clinopyroxenes can be subdivided in two groups: (1) a Ca-rich, low-T type, similar to the Cr-rich diopsides found in ‘depleted’ (granular) peridotites; and (2) subcalcic clinopyroxene comparable to the megacrysts and to the clinopyroxenes of ‘fertile’ (sheared) peridotites. The orthopyroxenes are less frequent and are Ca-poor enstatites (0.07–0.42 wt.% CaO) and Ti-bronzites (CaO <1.3 wt.%). All the analysed garnets are Ca-rich (>4.5 wt.% CaO) and all fall in the lherzolite field defined by Sobolev et al., 1973. The low-Ca garnets which appear in many diamond-bearing kimberlites have never been observed in Zaire, neither in the diamond-poor Kundelungu pipes nor in the diamond-rich Mbuji-Mayi pipes. The ilmenites define a trend close to the ‘magmatic Mg-enrichment trend';. The olivine macrocrysts have Fo contents comparable to those of peridotites (Fo90–93). The ultramafic nodules comprise lherzolites, harzburgites, pyroxenites, wehrlites and dunites. The granular textures and P-T equilibrium conditions (770–1380°C and 28–61 kbar) deduced from their mineral compositions, show clearly that they were derived from a mantle zone on the continental geotherm (90–190 km depth). The eclogite nodules, which are less frequent, contain only two mineral phases (pyrope-almandine-grossular and omphacite), and the texture and the mineral compositions are similar to those of Roberts Victor eclogites. Our findings support the conclusion of Nixon and Condliffe (1989) that low-T peridotites, eclogites and pyroxenites derived from ‘depleted’ lithosphere, while Cr-poor garnet, subcalcic diopside and bronzite megacrysts cristallized from fertile asthenosphere.

Background: Transient neurological symptoms in patients with subdural hematoma (SDH) are often attributed to secondary epilepsy despite a negative workup. We believe a significant proportion of these patients could rather suffer from cortical spreading depolarization (CSD). Methods: We performed a retrospective case-control study of patients with transient neurological symptoms post-SDH evacuation between 1996 and 2017. The clinical features of patients with negative EEG were compared to those with positive EEG (ictal or interictal abnormalities) and a clinical scoring system was created. Results: 59 patients were included, 20 (34%) with a positive EEG. Speech-related symptoms (OR 4.8, p=0.018) and prolonged episodes (OR 23.1, p=0.001) were associated with a negative EEG. Clonic movements (OR 0.014, p<0.0005), impaired awareness (OR 0.013, p<0.0005), positive symptoms (OR 0.05, p<0.0001), complete response to standard antiepileptic drugs (OR 0.06, p=0.007) and mortality (OR 0.021, p=0.003) were associated with a positive EEG. We built a clinical score based on these features, which showed a 90% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Conclusions: We believe that the differences observed between both groups were driven by the presence of CSD rather than seizure in the case group. Our proposed scoring system can help predict EEG results and may be useful to identify CSD in future trials.

We present a study of the mechanical (in)stability of the ephemeral waterfall ice structures that form from the freezing of liquid water seeping on steep rock. Three vertical structures were studied, two near Glacier d’Argentière, France, and one in the Valsavarenche valley, northern Italy. The generation of internal stresses in the ice structure in relation to air- and ice-temperature conditions is analyzed from pressure sensor records. Their role in the mechanical instability of the structures is discussed from a photographic survey of these structures. The main result is that dramatic air cooling (several °Ch−1 over several hours) and low temperatures (<−10°C), generating tensile stresses and brittleness, can trigger a spontaneous or climber-induced mechanical collapse, leading to unfavorable climbing conditions. Ice internal pressure fluctuations are also associated with episodes of marked diurnal air-temperature cycle, with mild days (few above 0) and cool nights (few below 0), through the occurrence of water ↔ ice phase transitions within the structure. These ice internal stress fluctuations seem, however, to have a local influence, are associated with warm (near 0), wet and therefore particularly soft ice and do not trigger a collapse of the structure.

For the first time, to our knowledge, a scientific study of the formation and evolution of waterfall ice, the ephemeral ice structures that form from the freezing of liquid water seeping on steep rock, was performed. We surveyed and analysed three waterfall ice structures near Glacier d’Argentière, Mont Blanc massif, France, between winter 2007 and spring 2009. We reconstruct the global evolution of two vertical ice structures using automatic digital cameras, while the internal ice microstructure was analysed using ice coring and sampling. Macro- and microstructural observations are considered, along with temperature conditions recorded at a nearby meteorological station and directly within the ice structure. They reveal that vertical structures initially grow rapidly from the aggregation of stalactites with microstructures indicative of temperature conditions during their crystallization. After this initial stage, the volume of the ice structure reaches an asymptotic value, as water continues to flow inside the structure, isolated from the outside cold ice; the outer surface remains dry. At the end of the season, the collapse of the free-standing structure does not occur by progressive melting, but is initiated by a horizontal crack propagation at the top. The initiation of this crack seems to be triggered by a drastic temperature decrease.

Due to the diversity of antibody (Ab)-based biochips chemistries available and the little knowledge about biochips resistance to space constraints, immobilization of Abs on the surface of the biochips dedicated to Solar System exploration is challenging. In the present paper, we have developed ten different biochip models including covalent or affinity immobilization with full-length Abs or Ab fragments. Ab immobilizations were carried out in oriented/non-oriented manner using commercial activated surfaces with N-hydroxysuccinic ester (NHS-surfaces) or homemade surfaces using three generations of dendrimers (dendrigraft of poly L-lysine (DGL) surfaces). The performances of the Ab -based surfaces were cross-compared on the following criteria: (i) analytical performances (expressed by both the surface density of immobilized Abs and the amount of antigens initially captured by the surface) and (ii) resistance of surfaces to preparation procedure (freeze-drying, storage) or spatial constraints (irradiation and temperature shifts) encountered during a space mission. The latter results have been expressed as percentage of surface binding capacity losses (or percentage of remaining active Abs). The highest amount of captured antigen was achieved with Ab surfaces having full-length Abs and DGL-surfaces that have much higher surface densities than commercial NHS-surface. After freeze-drying process, thermal shift and storage sample exposition, we found that more than 80% of surface binding sites remained active in this case. In addition, the resistance of Ab surfaces to irradiation with particles such as electron, carbon ions or protons depends not only on the chemistries (covalent/affinity linkages) and strategies (oriented/non-oriented) used to construct the biochip, but also on the type, energy and fluence of incident particles. Our results clearly indicate that full-length Ab immobilization on NHS-surfaces and DGL-surfaces should be preferred for potential use in instruments for planetary exploration.

Since its introduction in the late 19th century, symmetry breaking has been found to play a crucial role in physics. In particular, it appears as one key phenomenon controlling hydrodynamic and acoustic instabilities in problems with rotational symmetries. A previous paper investigated its desired potential application to the control of circumferential thermoacoustic modes in one annular cavity coupled with multiple flames (Bauerheim et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 760, 2014, pp. 431–465). The present paper focuses on a similar problem when symmetry breaking appears unintentionally, for example when uncertainties due to tolerances are taken into account. It yields a large uncertainty quantification (UQ) problem containing numerous uncertain parameters. To tackle this well-known ‘curse of dimensionality’, a novel UQ methodology is used. It relies on the active subspace approach to construct a reduced set of input variables. This strategy is applied on two annular cavities coupled by 19 flames to determine its modal risk factor, i.e. the probability of an azimuthal acoustic mode being unstable. Since each flame is modelled by two uncertain parameters, it leads to a large UQ problem involving 38 parameters. An acoustic network model is then derived, which yields a nonlinear dispersion relation for azimuthal modes. This nonlinear problem, subject to bifurcations, is solved quasi-analytically. Results show that the dimension of the probabilistic problem can be drastically reduced, from 38 uncertain parameters to only 3. Moreover, it is found that the three active variables are related to physical quantities, which unveils underlying phenomena controlling the stability of the two coupled cavities. The first active variable is associated with a coupling strength controlling the bifurcation of the system, while the two others correspond to a symmetry-breaking effect induced by the uncertainties. Thus, an additional destabilization effect appear caused by the non-uniform pattern of the uncertainty distribution, which breaks the initial rotating symmetry of the annular cavities. Finally, the active subspace is exploited by fitting the response surface with polynomials (linear, quadratic and cubic). By comparing accuracy and cost, results prove that 5 % error can be achieved with only 30 simulations on the reduced space, whereas 2000 are required on the complete initial space. It exemplifies that this novel UQ technique can accurately predict the risk factor of an annular configuration at low cost as well as unveil key parameters controlling the stability.

Several instruments based on immunoassay techniques have been proposed for life-detection experiments in the framework of planetary exploration but few experiments have been conducted so far to test the resistance of antibodies against cosmic ray particles. We present several irradiation experiments carried out on both grafted and free antibodies for different types of incident particles (protons, neutrons, electrons and 12C) at different energies (between 9 MeV and 50 MeV) and different fluences. No loss of antibodies activity was detected for the whole set of experiments except when considering protons with energy between 20 and 30 MeV (on free and grafted antibodies) and fluences much greater than expected for a typical planetary mission to Mars for instance. Our results on grafted antibodies suggest that biochip-based instruments must be carefully designed according to the expected radiation environment for a given mission. In particular, a surface density of antibodies much larger than the expected proton fluence would prevent significant loss of antibodies activity and thus assuring a successful detection.

Quantitative assessment of mitigation measures for nitrogen (N) pollution requires adequate models, good knowledge of catchment functioning and a thorough understanding of agricultural systems and stakeholder constraints. The current paper analyses a set of results from simulations, with two models, of agricultural changes in two catchments in different contexts with different constraints. The results show that reducing N inputs and increasing grassland areas are the most efficient measures, not only because they reduce N fluxes in streams but also because they enhance N use by agriculture and the whole catchment system. Introducing catch crops, hedgerows and riparian buffers are interesting complementary measures but of limited impact when implemented alone. These results are sensitive to the way mitigation measures are translated into model inputs, and their operational implications are discussed.

We present here the new line installed at the LMC14 laboratory (Saclay, France) for dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) extraction from marine and freshwater samples. The operating system and extraction process are described. The efficiency of the line design was checked, and the background (0.42 ± 0.11 pMC) and the reproducibility on artificial samples obtained by dissolution of IAEA-C1, IAEA-C2, and commercial bicarbonate in water were evaluated. An intercomparison with an independent lab (IDES) was also carried out on a natural sample. The line processes 3 samples a day under a helium flow and is able to run samples up to 40,000 ka.

The Artemis accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) facility, installed in 2003 in Saclay, France, is devoted to radiocarbon measurements. Samples are submitted by scientists in the fields of Quaternary geology, environmental sciences, and archaeology. The entire preparation process, originally optimized for samples with about 1 mg of carbon, has been tested in recent years for samples with a lower carbon content. In particular, we prepared and measured carbonate and organic background and reference samples ranging in mass from 0.01 to 1 mg C. These tests helped define our protocol's practical limits and determine necessary improvements. Furthermore, our experiments demonstrated that satisfactory graphitization yields (80% and higher) and low background values can be obtained with samples down to 0.2 mg of carbon. For handling smaller samples, we developed a specific process. We tested smaller reactors (5 mL in volume) and adapted the reduction parameters (H2 pressure and temperature) accordingly. We also tested the effect of a chemical water trap on graphitization yields and 14C results. This paper presents in detail the aforementioned developments and reports the 14C results obtained for background and standard small samples prepared with the modified reactors.

Legumes are crops that develop in cropping systems with relatively low inputs and are suitable to a more sustainable agriculture. Successful crop establishment, which is crucial for reliable plant production, depends on seed quality, environmental factors and genotypes. We studied pea and bean germination and seedling growth at various temperatures (5–40°C) and water potentials ( − 0.2 to − 1.5 MPa) using winter and spring pea and two common bean seeds produced in different conditions. The germination base temperature was − 1.1°C for pea seeds, and seeds of the winter genotype germinated more rapidly than those of the spring genotype. The base temperature for bean seed germination was 5.1–9.6°C, depending on the seed lot. The germination base water potential was about − 2 MPa for both species. The base temperatures for shoot elongation were higher (3–6°C) than those for germination. A review of the literature on other legumes confirmed that the differences in the responses of the legume seeds and seedlings to different temperatures were associated with their geographic origin. These results help understanding of pea and bean crop establishment, provide crop model parameter values and contribute to the search for genetic variability.

A novel rapid and easy-to-use method for patterning surfaces on large scale is described. Micro-patterns were created by direct contact of trypsin-functionalized poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamps with poly-L-lysine (PLL) layer adsorbed on silicon surface. The catalytic process does not involve ink transfer and thus lateral diffusion is avoided. As a result duplication of the stamp pattern is highly enhanced comparatively to standard microcontact printing procedure where PLL is used as ink and transferred on silicon surface. Patterning was revealed by fluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Adsorption on the patterned surfaces of cellulose nanocrystals was investigated as an example of application.

Cet atelier, créé dans le cadre du GT SFRP-COFREND sur la radiographie industrielle a étudié le matériel utilisé en France. Ont été décrits les différents types de matériel, les générateurs de rayons X et les appareils contenant des sources radioactives. Les accessoires, et matériels de délimitation et systèmes de collimation du faisceau sont aussi décrits. Pour chaque type de matériel, des axes d'améliorations et propositions d'amélioration sont cités.

Haemosporidian parasites are common in birds in which they act as an important selective pressure. While most studies so far have focused on the effect of their prevalence on host life-history traits, no study has measured the effect of parasitaemia. We developed molecular methods to detect, identify and quantify haemosporidia in 2 natural populations of the Blackbird Turdus merula. Three different parasite genotypes were found – 1 Haemoproteus and 2 Plasmodium. A PCR-RFLP screening revealed that only approximately 3% of blackbirds were free of parasites, compared to the 34% of uninfected birds estimated by blood smear screening. A quantitative PCR (q-PCR) assay revealed a weaker parasitaemia in microscopically undetected parasites compared to microscopically detected ones. Large parasitaemia differences were found between parasite species, suggesting either differing parasite life-histories or host resistance. Parasitaemias were also weaker in male hosts, and in urban habitats, suggesting that both host factors (e.g. immunity) and habitat characteristics (e.g. vector availability) may modulate parasite density. Interestingly, these differences in parasitaemia were comparable to differences in parasite prevalence estimated by smear screening. This suggests that previous results obtained by smear screening should be reinterpreted in terms of parasitaemia instead of parasite prevalence.

Des bioessais avec l'algue Selenastrum capricornutum Printz ont été intégré en 1991 à un programme d'étude élaboré par le département Environnement de la société Elf Aquitaine Production de Boussens ; ils étaient destinés à l'évaluation en milieu d'eau douce, du potentiel eutrophisant du phosphore des lixiviats de trois boues de forage pétrolier. Le paramètre suivi est la biomasse maximale produite. Les résultats obtenus sont discutés en vue d'une évaluation et d'une correction éventuelle du potentiel d'eutrophisation des lixiviats des boues de forage. Ceci permet d'optimiser la stratégie de gestion de ces types de déblais. Les lixiviats de ceux-ci ont un potentiel eutrophisant relativement faible.

Current literature stresses that efficient funds do not exist when asset returns are continuously distributed. This paper shows that the existence of efficient funds can be restored if security returns are generated by a linear factor model.

La centralisation au Bureau international de l’Heure des résultats d’observations de l’Opération internationale de 1933 a été très lente, puisque les dernières données attendues ont été reçues vers la fin de 1937.

Le nombre des stations ayant coopéré à l’Opération internationale et ayant transmis leurs observations à l’organisme centralisateur s’élève à soixante et onze. Ainsi qu’il a été expliqué à notre Commission mixte, lors du Congrès de l’Union géodésique et géophysique internationale tenu à Édimbourg en 1936, ces stations ont été réparties en trois groupes:

Le Ier comprenant vingt Observatoires, disposant chacun de plusieurs horloges de première classe (soit à poids sous pression et à température constantes, soit à quartz piézoélectrique);