[Tauopathy, motricity and cognition]. / Tauopathies, motricité et cognition.

The tauopathies are one of the families of proteinopathies causing neurodegenerative diseases. They are characterized by a combination of cognitive and motor disorders. In this article, we summarize the clinical features of progressive supranuclear palsy and cortico-basal degeneration, focusing on their cognitive-behavioral impairment profiles, which in some cases allow them to be differentiated from other neurodegenerative entities. Finally, we propose tools for therapeutic management.

Les tauopathies sont une des familles de protéinopathies engendrant des maladies neurodégénératives. Elles se caractérisent par l'association de troubles cognitifs et moteurs. Dans cet article, nous résumons les caractéristiques cliniques de la paralysie supranucléaire progressive et de la dégénérescence cortico-basale, en nous attardant sur leurs profils d'atteinte cognitivo-comportementale, qui permettent, dans certains cas, de les différencier d'autres entités neurodégénératives. Enfin, nous proposons des outils de prise en charge thérapeutique.

Investigation of the effect of the doping order in GaN nanowire p-n junctions grown by molecular-beam epitaxy.

We analyse the electrical and optical properties of single GaN nanowire p-n junctions grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy using magnesium and silicon as doping sources. Different junction architectures having either a n-base or a p-base structure are compared using optical and electrical analyses. Electron-beam induced current (EBIC) microscopy of the nanowires shows that in the case of a n-base p-n junction the parasitic radial growth enhanced by the magnesium (Mg) doping leads to a mixed axial-radial behaviour with strong wire-to-wire fluctuations of the junction position and shape. By reverting the doping order p-base p-n junctions with a purely axial well-defined structure and a low wire-to-wire dispersion are achieved. The good optical quality of the top n nanowire segment grown on a p-doped stem is preserved. A hole concentration in the p-doped segment exceeding 1018 cm-3 was extracted from EBIC mapping and photoluminescence analyses. This high concentration is reached without degrading the nanowire morphology.

Improvement of carrier collection in Si/a-Si:H nanowire solar cells by using hybrid ITO/silver nanowires contacts.

Optoelectronic devices based on high aspect ratio nanowires bring new challenges for transparent electrodes, which can be well addressed by using hybrid structures. Here we demonstrate that a composite contact to radial junction nanowire solar cells made of a thin indium-tin oxide (ITO) layer and silver nanowires greatly improves the collection of charge carriers as compared to a single thick ITO layer by reducing the series resistance losses while improving the transparency. The optimization is performed on p-i-n solar cells comprising of dense non-vertical nanowires with a p-doped c-Si core and an ultra-thin a-Si:H absorption layer grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on glass substrates. The optimal hybrid contact developed in this work is demonstrated to increase the solar cell conversion efficiency from 4.3% to 6.6%.

Nanoscale electrical analyses of axial-junction GaAsP nanowires for solar cell applications.

Axial p-n and p-i-n junctions in GaAs0.7P0.3 nanowires are demonstrated and analyzed using electron beam induced current microscopy. Organized self-catalyzed nanowire arrays are grown by molecular beam epitaxy on nanopatterned Si substrates. The nanowires are doped using Be and Si impurities to obtain p- and n-type conductivity, respectively. A method to determine the doping type by analyzing the induced current in the vicinity of a Schottky contact is proposed. It is demonstrated that for the applied growth conditions using Ga as a catalyst, Si doping induces an n-type conductivity contrary to the GaAs self-catalyzed nanowire case, where Si was reported to yield a p-type doping. Active axial nanowire p-n junctions having a homogeneous composition along the axis are synthesized and the carrier concentration and minority carrier diffusion lengths are measured. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of axial p-n junctions in self-catalyzed GaAsP nanowires.

Characterization and visualization of the liposecretion process taking place during ceiling culture of human mature adipocytes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and further characterize the process of mature adipocyte dedifferentiation. Our hypothesis was that dedifferentiation does not involve mitosis but rather a phenomenon of liposecretion. METHODS: Mature adipocytes were isolated by collagenase digestion of human adipose tissue samples. Ceiling cultures were established using our six-well plate model. Cells were treated with cytosine ß-d-arabinofuranoside (AraC) or vincristine (VCR), two agents blocking cell division, and were compared with vehicle. Liposecretion events were visualized by time-lapse microscopy, with and without AraC in adipocytes transducted with a baculovirus. Microscopic analyses were performed after labeling phosphorylated histone 3 and cyclin B1 in ceiling cultures. RESULTS: Treatment with AraC almost entirely prevented the formation of fibroblasts up to 12 days of ceiling culture. Similar results were obtained with VCR. The antimitotic effectiveness of the treatment was confirmed in fibroblast cultures from the adipose tissue stromal-vascular fraction by proliferation assays and colony-forming unit experiments. Using time-lapse microscopy, we visualized liposecretion events in which a large lipid droplet was rapidly secreted from isolated mature adipocytes. The same phenomenon was observed with AraC. This was observed in conjunction with histone 3 phosphorylation and cyclin B1 segregation to the nucleus. CONCLUSION: Our results support the notion that dedifferentiation involves rapid secretion of the lipid droplet by the adipocytes with concomitant generation of fibroblast-like cells that subsequently proliferate to generate the dedifferentiated adipocyte population during ceiling culture. The presence of mitotic markers suggests that this process involves cell cycle progression, although cell division does not occur.

Investigation of GaN nanowires containing AlN/GaN multiple quantum discs by EBIC and CL techniques.

In this work, nanoscale electrical and optical properties of n-GaN nanowires (NWs) containing GaN/AlN multiple quantum discs (MQDs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy are investigated by means of single wire I(V) measurements, electron beam induced current microscopy (EBIC) and cathodoluminescence (CL) analysis. A strong impact of non-intentional AlN and GaN shells on the electrical resistance of individual NWs is put in evidence. The EBIC mappings reveal the presence of two regions with internal electric fields oriented in opposite directions: one in the MQDs region and the other in the adjacent bottom GaN segment. These fields are found to co-exist under zero bias, while under an external bias either one or the other dominates the current collection. In this way EBIC maps allow us to locate the current generation within the wire under different bias conditions and to give the first direct evidence of carrier collection from AlN/GaN MQDs. The NWs have been further investigated by photoluminescence and CL analyses at low temperature. CL mappings show that the near band edge emission of GaN from the bottom part of the NW is blue-shifted due to the presence of the radial shell. In addition, it is observed that CL intensity drops in the central part of the NWs. Comparing the CL and EBIC maps, this decrease of the luminescence intensity is attributed to an efficient charge splitting effect due to the electric fields in the MQDs region and in the GaN base.

Laparoscopic Intragastric Resection: An Alternative Technique for Minimally Invasive Treatment of Gastric Submucosal Tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To present the technique for and early results of laparoscopic intragastric resection (LIGR). BACKGROUND: Treatment of confirmed or suspected submucosal gastric malignancies relies on clear margin resection, for which minimally invasive surgery is widely accepted. However, resection in some localization remains challenging. METHODS: We present the steps of LIGR for gastric submucosal tumors (GSMTs). We report the results of LIGR in consecutive patients operated at 2 institutions, including intraoperative, pathologic, 30-day major morbidity and mortality characteristics. RESULTS: After laparoscopic access to the abdominal cavity, cuffed gastric ports are placed to approximate the anterior gastric wall to the abdominal wall. A pneumogastrum is created. The tumor is resected in the submucosal plane and the deficit closed with intragastric suturing. Specimen extraction is performed perorally or through a gastrotomy site. In 8 proximal intraluminal GSMTs with median size of 3.1 cm (range: 1.8-6.0 cm), median operative time was 167.5 minutes (range: 120-300 mins). There was no major morbidity and no mortality. All resections were R0. CONCLUSIONS: We illustrate the technique of a novel, feasible, and safe minimally invasive approach to GSMTs. LIGR is an alternative to resect challenging GSMTs by limiting surgical invasiveness and preserving gastrointestinal function.

[Advanced Parkinson's disease : indication for complex treatments]. / Maladie de Parkinson au stade avancé : indication aux traitements complexes.

Advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by severe motor and non-motor complications that negatively impact on patients' autonomy and health-related quality of life. In early disease, the therapeutic strategy consists of gradual increase in dopaminergic treatment and levodopa dose fragmentation. In more advanced stages, this approach becomes insufficient and three therapeutic options can be considered: deep brain stimulation (DBS), continuous subcutaneous apomorphine infusion, and continuous levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel infusion.

La maladie de Parkinson (MP) avancée est caractérisée par la présence de complications motrices et non motrices qui ont un impact significatif sur l'autonomie et la qualité de vie des patients. La stratégie thérapeutique consiste à fractionner le traitement dopaminergique, à recourir aux formes à libération prolongée, et aux inhibiteurs des enzymes de dégradation de la dopamine. Lorsque ces mesures sont insuffisantes, trois options thérapeutiques plus invasives peuvent être envisagées : la stimulation cérébrale profonde, la perfusion sous-cutanée continue d'apomorphine et l'administration intrajéjunale de gel de lévodopa/carbidopa. L'objectif de cet article est de décrire les indications, bénéfices et effets secondaires potentiels de ces traitements dits « complexes ¼.

Flexible Light-Emitting Diodes Based on Vertical Nitride Nanowires.

We demonstrate large area fully flexible blue LEDs based on core/shell InGaN/GaN nanowires grown by MOCVD. The fabrication relies on polymer encapsulation, nanowire lift-off and contacting using silver nanowire transparent electrodes. The LEDs exhibit rectifying behavior with a light-up voltage around 3 V. The devices show no electroluminescence degradation neither under multiple bending down to 3 mm curvature radius nor in time for more than one month storage in ambient conditions without any protecting encapsulation. Fully transparent flexible LEDs with high optical transmittance are also fabricated. Finally, a two-color flexible LED emitting in the green and blue spectral ranges is demonstrated combining two layers of InGaN/GaN nanowires with different In contents.

Color control of nanowire InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes by post-growth treatment.

Core/shell InGaN/GaN nanowire light emitting diodes (LEDs) based on vertically standing single nanowires and nanowire arrays were fabricated and extensively characterized. The emission of single wire LEDs with the same conformal contact geometry as the array device exhibits the same broadening as the array LED electroluminescence, which proves an excellent wire-to-wire homogeneity. The electroluminescence spectra present two peaks corresponding to the m-plane InGaN quantum well (blue emission) and to an In-rich region at the m-plane-semipolar plane junction (green emission), in agreement with structural characterizations. Modification of the contact layout and a post-growth plasma treatment enable strongly suppressing the unwanted green electroluminescence while increasing the intensity in the blue spectral range for the same injected electrical power. Electron beam induced current mapping proves the inhibition of the electrical activity of the top part of the nanowire after plasma treatment. Inductively coupled plasma etching of the In-rich region permits one to completely remove the green emission for all injection currents, but loss of intensity in the blue spectral range is observed. Selectively contacting the m-plane and plasma treatment of the top part of the nanowire appear as a viable solution for controlling the color of core/shell nanowire LEDs with an inhomogeneous indium composition.

First demonstration of plasmonic GaN quantum cascade detectors with enhanced efficiency at normal incidence.

We have designed, fabricated and measured the first plasmon-assisted normal incidence GaN/AlN quantum cascade detector (QCD) making use of the surface plasmon resonance of a two-dimensional nanohole Au array integrated on top of the detector absorption region. The spectral response of the detector at room temperature is peaked at the plasmon resonance of 1.82 µm. We show that the presence of the nanohole array induces an absolute enhancement of the responsivity by a factor of ~30 over that of the bare device at normal incidence and by a factor of 3 with respect to illumination by the 45° polished side facet. We show that this significant improvement arises from two phenomena, namely, the polarization rotation of the impinging light from tangential to normal induced by the plasmonic structure and from the enhancement of the absorption cross-section per quantum well due to the near-field optical intensity of the plasmonic wave.

Micronutrient status 2 years after bariatric surgery: a prospective nutritional assessment.

Background: Among commonly performed bariatric surgeries, biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS) provides greater weight loss than Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG), with sustained metabolic improvements. However, the risk of long-term nutritional deficiencies due to the hypoabsorptive component of BPD-DS hinders its widespread use. Objective: The aim of the study was to examine nutritional status over 2 years after BPD-DS, RYGB or SG. Methods: Patients were recruited in the REMISSION trial (NCT02390973), a single-center, prospective study. Out of 215 patients, 73, 48 and 94, respectively, underwent BPD-DS, RYGB or SG. Weight loss, micronutrient serum levels (including iron, calcium, parathormone, vitamins A, B12 and D), and nutritional supplementation were assessed over 2 years. Patients were supplemented according to the type of surgery and individual micronutrient level evolution. Results: At baseline, BPD-DS patients were younger than SG patients (p = 0.0051) and RYGB patients had lower body mass index (p < 0.001). Groups had similar micronutrient levels before surgery, with vitamin D insufficiency as the most prevalent nutritional problem (SG: 38.3%, RYGB: 39.9%, BPD-DS: 54.8%, p = 0.08). BPD-DS patients showed lower levels of iron, calcium and vitamin A than SG patients at 24 months. Groups had similar levels of vitamin D at 24 months. Prevalence of vitamin D, calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin B12 deficiency was similar among groups at 24 months. Rates of vitamin D insufficiency and iron deficiency were lower at 24 months than at baseline. Micronutrient intake was consistent with recommendations in groups post-surgery, but most BPD-DS patients took vitamin A and vitamin D supplement doses above initial recommendations. Conclusion: With appropriate medical and nutritional management, all surgeries led to similar rates of vitamin D, calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin B12 deficiencies at 24 months. However, initial vitamin A and vitamin D supplementation recommendations for BPD-DS patients should be revised upwards.

UV-A Flexible LEDs Based on Core-Shell GaN/AlGaN Quantum Well Microwires.

Nanostructured ultraviolet (UV) light sources represent a growing research field in view of their potential applications in wearable optoelectronics or medical treatment devices. In this work, we report the demonstration of the first flexible UV-A light emitting diode (LED) based on AlGaN/GaN core-shell microwires. The device is based on a composite microwire/poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) membrane with flexible transparent electrodes. The electrode transparency in the UV range is optimized: namely, we demonstrate that single-walled carbon nanotube electrodes provide a stable electrical contact to the membrane with high transparency (70% at 350 nm). The flexible UV-A membrane demonstrating electroluminescence around 345 nm is further applied to excite Zn-Ir-BipyPDMS luminophores: the UV-A LED is combined with the elastic luminophore-containing membrane to produce a visible amber emission from 520 to 650 nm. The obtained results pave the way for flexible inorganic light-emitting diodes to be employed in sensing, detection of fluorescent labels, or light therapy.

Nanometer scale spectral imaging of quantum emitters in nanowires and its correlation to their atomically resolved structure.

We report the spectral imaging in the UV to visible range with nanometer scale resolution of closely packed GaN/AlN quantum disks in individual nanowires using an improved custom-made cathodoluminescence system. We demonstrate the possibility to measure full spectral features of individual quantum emitters as small as 1 nm and separated from each other by only a few nanometers and the ability to correlate their optical properties to their size, measured with atomic resolution. The direct correlation between the quantum disk size and emission wavelength provides evidence of the quantum confined Stark effect leading to an emission below the bulk GaN band gap for disks thicker than 2.6 nm. With the help of simulations, we show that the internal electric field in the studied quantum disks is smaller than what is expected in the quantum well case. We show evidence of a clear dispersion of the emission wavelengths of different quantum disks of identical size but different positions along the wire. This dispersion is systematically correlated to a change of the diameter of the AlN shell coating the wire and is thus attributed to the related strain variations along the wire. The present work opens the way both to fundamental studies of quantum confinement in closely packed quantum emitters and to characterizations of optoelectronic devices presenting carrier localization on the nanometer scale.

Alternatives to sustainable development: what can we learn from the pluriverse in practice?

The debates on the sustainability of development have a long history. Although the Brundtland Report popularized "sustainable development", this slippery concept sidelined previous critiques of development and has been compatible with a wide range of conflicting agendas. A notable example of this contradiction is the uncritical promotion of capitalist growth in the pursuit of social justice and ecosystem health by the sustainable development goals. In contrast to this reliance on the "one world" of Euroamerican market economies, this special feature presents 12 case studies of "alternatives to sustainable development". These case studies question the anthropocentric universalism of the development project and enact radically different relational ontologies, often gathered under the conceptual umbrella of the "pluriverse". They focus on territorial, community, and network initiatives that intend to move methodologically beyond discourse analysis with a situated and empirical analysis of how pluriversal practices might flourish as well as generate tensions. We identify three frictions with capitalist modernity emerging from these contributions: (1) how alternatives to sustainable development relate to state institutions, (2) how they engage with the distribution of surplus, and (3) how they unsettle scientific epistemologies, at times regenerating past resources-and at other times radical futures. With this special feature, we hope to re-politicize the debates on the science and practice of sustainability, and weave the contributions of anticolonial and indigenous science studies into neo-Marxist and post-development critiques.

Electromechanical conversion efficiency of GaN NWs: critical influence of the NW stiffness, the Schottky nano-contact and the surface charge effects.

The piezoelectric nanowires (NWs) are considered as promising nanomaterials to develop high-efficient piezoelectric generators. Establishing the relationship between their characteristics and their piezoelectric conversion properties is now essential to further improve the devices. However, due to their nanoscale dimensions, the NWs are characterized by new properties that are challenging to investigate. Here, we use an advanced nano-characterization tool derived from AFM to quantify the piezo-conversion properties of NWs axially compressed with a well-controlled applied force. This unique technique allows to establish the direct relation between the output signal generation and the NW stiffness and to quantify the electromechanical coupling coefficient of GaN NWs, which can reach up to 43.4%. We highlight that this coefficient is affected by the formation of the Schottky nano-contact harvesting the piezo-generated energy, and is extremely sensitive to the surface charge effects, strongly pronounced in sub-100 nm wide GaN NWs. These results constitute a new building block in the improvement of NW-based nanogenerator devices.

Mendelian Randomization Analysis Identifies Blood Tyrosine Levels as a Biomarker of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a complex disease associated with premature mortality. Its diagnosis is challenging, and the identification of biomarkers causally influenced by NAFLD may be clinically useful. We aimed at identifying blood metabolites causally impacted by NAFLD using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) with validation in a population-based biobank. Our instrument for genetically predicted NAFLD included all independent genetic variants from a recent genome-wide association study. The outcomes included 123 blood metabolites from 24,925 individuals. After correction for multiple testing, a positive effect of NAFLD on plasma tyrosine levels but not on other metabolites was identified. This association was consistent across MR methods and was robust to outliers and pleiotropy. In observational analyses performed in the Estonian Biobank (10,809 individuals including 359 patients with NAFLD), after multivariable adjustment, tyrosine levels were positively associated with the presence of NAFLD (odds ratio per 1 SD increment = 1.23 [95% confidence interval = 1.12-1.36], p = 2.19 × 10-5). In a small proof-of-concept study on bariatric surgery patients, blood tyrosine levels were higher in patients with NAFLD than without. This study revealed a potentially causal effect of NAFLD on blood tyrosine levels, suggesting it may represent a new biomarker of NAFLD.

Determinants of Cardiorespiratory Fitness After Bariatric Surgery: Insights From a Randomised Controlled Trial of a Supervised Training Program.

BACKGROUND: Severely obese patients have decreased cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and poor functional capacity. Bariatric surgery-induced weight loss improves CRF, but the determinants of this improvement are not well known. We aimed to assess the determinants of CRF before and after bariatric surgery and the impact of an exercise training program on CRF after bariatric surgery. METHODS: Fifty-eight severely obese patients (46.1 ± 6.1 kg/m2, 78% women) were randomly assigned to either an exercise group (n = 39) or usual care (n = 19). Exercise training was conducted from the 3rd to the 6th months after surgery. Anthropometric measurements, abdominal and mid-thigh computed tomographic scans, resting echocardiography, and maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed before bariatric surgery and 3 and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: Weight, fat mass, and fat-free mass were reduced significantly at 3 and 6 months, without any additive impact of exercise training in the exercise group. From 3 to 6 months, peak aerobic power (V̇O2peak) increased significantly (P < 0.0001) in both groups but more importantly in the exercise group (exercise group: from 18.6 ± 4.2 to 23.2 ± 5.7 mL/kg/min; control group: from 17.4 ± 2.3 to 19.7 ± 2.4 mL/kg/min; P value, group × time = 0.01). In the exercise group, determinants of absolute V̇O2peak (L/min) were peak exercise ventilation, oxygen pulse, and heart rate reserve (r2 = 0.92; P < 0.0001), whereas determinants of V̇O2peak indexed to body mass (mL/kg/min) were peak exercise ventilation and early-to-late filling velocity ratio (r2 = 0.70; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: A 12-week supervised training program has an additive benefit on cardiorespiratory fitness for patients who undergo bariatric surgery.

Investigation of the electronic transport in GaN nanowires containing GaN/AlN quantum discs.

We report the investigation of electronic transport in GaN nanowires containing GaN/AlN quantum discs (QDiscs). The nanowires were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy and contacted by electron-beam lithography. Three nanowire samples containing QDiscs are analyzed and compared to a reference binary n-i-n GaN nanowire sample. The current-voltage measurements on single nanowires show that if the QDiscs are covered with a lateral GaN shell, the current mainly flows through the shell close to the lateral surface and the wire conductivity is extremely sensitive to the environmental conditions. On the contrary, if no GaN shell is present, the current flows through the QDisc region and a reproducible negative differential resistance related to electron tunneling through the QDiscs can be observed for temperatures up to 250 K. The demonstration of the resonant tunneling in GaN/AlN superlattices is of major importance for the development of nitride-based far-infrared quantum cascade lasers operating at high temperature.