Cracking the BAFF code.

The tumour necrosis factor (TNF) family members B cell activating factor (BAFF) and APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand) are crucial survival factors for peripheral B cells. An excess of BAFF leads to the development of autoimmune disorders in animal models, and high levels of BAFF have been detected in the serum of patients with various autoimmune conditions. In this Review, we consider the possibility that in mice autoimmunity induced by BAFF is linked to T cell-independent B cell activation rather than to a severe breakdown of B cell tolerance. We also outline the mechanisms of BAFF signalling, the impact of ligand oligomerization on receptor activation and the progress of BAFF-depleting agents in the clinical setting.

Tracking the source of cerebellar epilepsy: hemifacial seizures associated with cerebellar cortical dysplasia.

Traditionally, subcortical structures such as the cerebellum are supposed to exert a modulatory effect on epileptic seizures, rather than being the primary seizure generator. We report a 14-month old girl presenting, since birth, with seizures symptomatic of a right cerebellar dysplasia, manifested as paroxystic contralateral hemifacial spasm and ipsilateral facial weakness. Multimodal imaging was used to investigate both anatomical landmarks related to the cerebellar lesion and mechanisms underlying seizure generation. Electric source imaging (ESI) supported the hypothesis of a right cerebellar epileptogenic generator in concordance with nuclear imaging findings; subsequently validated by intra-operative intralesional recordings. Diffusion spectrum imaging-related tractography (DSI) showed severe cerebellar structural abnormalities confirmed by histological examination. We suggest that hemispheric cerebellar lesions in cases like this are likely to cause epilepsy via an effect on the facial nuclei through ipsilateral and contralateral aberrant connections.

Cooperative strategies for imperfect CSI scenarios based on distributed Alamouti

Les comunicacions cooperatives estan guanyant un gran interès en les comunicacions modernes degut a que permeten millorar la transmissió dʼinformació entre un emissor i un receptor utilitzant una sèrie de terminals situats entre ells. Aquest projecte és un estudi complet del sistemes cooperatius, analitzant el seu rendiment i comparant lʼús dʼun sol dʼaquests terminals amb lʼús del codi Alamouti, que utilitza dos terminals. Primer hi ha una introducció als sistemes cooperatius i a la teoria de la informació. Després hem estudiat un sistema cooperatiu amb la teoria de la informació com a base, en termes de probabilitat de fallada del sistema, i posteriorment lʼhem adaptat a un sistema cooperatiu real utilitzant una modulació QPSK, estudiant la seva probabilitat dʼerror de paquet. Finalment es proposen diversos protocols que permeten millorar el rendiment del sistema cooperatiu estudiat.

Le code-switching comme ressource stratégique pour la gestion de l'interaction multilingue : coordination et leadership dans un groupe de travail

In this article, we analyze a multilingual interaction in a students' working group and hypothesize a correlation between management of languages in interaction and leadership. We consider Codeswitching as one of the most relevant observables in multilingual interaction and attempt to analyze how it is used by speakers. After a brief presentation of three theoretical and analytical conceptions of Code-switching in interaction (Auer, Mondada & Myers Scotton), we define Code-switching as an interactional, strategical, multilingual resource exploited by speakers to achieve various interactionaland non interactional goals. We then show in two CA-like analysis how multilingual strategical resources occur in the interactional practices of the analyzed working group, and how they are exploited by speakers in order to organize interaction, work, tasks, and to construct one's leadership.We also consider the metadiscourses of the students about their own practices and multilingualism in general, in order to confront them to their actual multilingual practices. We draw the hypothesis that discrepancies observed between metadiscourses and practices can be explained through the development of (meta)discourses showing a unilingual conception in describing multilingual practices.

Pets as the main source of two zoonotic species of the Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex in Switzerland, Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii and Arthroderma benhamiae

In cases of highly inflammatory dermatophytosis in humans, it is important to identify the possible source of animal transmission in order to prevent recurrence, family outbreaks or rapidly progressing epidemics. A survey of dermatophytes in pets during a 14-month period in Switzerland revealed, in addition to Microsporum canis, two different species of the Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex, Arthroderma benhamiae and Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii, all causing inflammatory dermatophytoses. Arthroderma benhamiae was only and frequently isolated from guinea pigs. Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii was isolated mainly from European short hair cats, but also from dogs and in one case from a pure-bred cat. Ninety-three percent of the cats carrying A. vanbreuseghemii were hunters and all had skin lesions. In contrast, cats with skin lesions that were strictly indoors were found to be almost exclusively infected by M. canis. Therefore, it can be suspected that infection with A. vanbreuseghemii occurred during hunting and that the natural source of this dermatophyte is either soil or an animal other than the cat, most probably a rodent.

Electroencephalographic source imaging: a prospective study of 152 operated epileptic patients.

Electroencephalography is mandatory to determine the epilepsy syndrome. However, for the precise localization of the irritative zone in patients with focal epilepsy, costly and sometimes cumbersome imaging techniques are used. Recent small studies using electric source imaging suggest that electroencephalography itself could be used to localize the focus. However, a large prospective validation study is missing. This study presents a cohort of 152 operated patients where electric source imaging was applied as part of the pre-surgical work-up allowing a comparison with the results from other methods. Patients (n = 152) with >1 year postoperative follow-up were studied prospectively. The sensitivity and specificity of each imaging method was defined by comparing the localization of the source maximum with the resected zone and surgical outcome. Electric source imaging had a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 88% if the electroencephalogram was recorded with a large number of electrodes (128-256 channels) and the individual magnetic resonance image was used as head model. These values compared favourably with those of structural magnetic resonance imaging (76% sensitivity, 53% specificity), positron emission tomography (69% sensitivity, 44% specificity) and ictal/interictal single-photon emission-computed tomography (58% sensitivity, 47% specificity). The sensitivity and specificity of electric source imaging decreased to 57% and 59%, respectively, with low number of electrodes (<32 channels) and a template head model. This study demonstrated the validity and clinical utility of electric source imaging in a large prospective study. Given the low cost and high flexibility of electroencephalographic systems even with high channel counts, we conclude that electric source imaging is a highly valuable tool in pre-surgical epilepsy evaluation.

Marine organisms: an alternative source of potentially valuable natural products

This paper recalls the outcoming of marine natural products research and reviews a selection of marirne bioactive metabolites in current use together with promising trends in marine pharmacology.

Purification and activity standardisation of a (166m)Ho solution.

As part of a project to use the long-lived (T(1/2)=1200a) (166m)Ho as reference source in its reference ionisation chamber, IRA standardised a commercially acquired solution of this nuclide using the 4pibeta-gamma coincidence and 4pigamma (NaI) methods. The (166m)Ho solution supplied by Isotope Product Laboratories was measured to have about 5% Europium impurities (3% (154)Eu, 0.94% (152)Eu and 0.9% (155)Eu). Holmium had therefore to be separated from europium, and this was carried out by means of ion-exchange chromatography. The holmium fractions were collected without europium contamination: 162h long HPGe gamma measurements indicated no europium impurity (detection limits of 0.01% for (152)Eu and (154)Eu, and 0.03% for (155)Eu). The primary measurement of the purified (166m)Ho solution with the 4pi (PC) beta-gamma coincidence technique was carried out at three gamma energy settings: a window around the 184.4keV peak and gamma thresholds at 121.8 and 637.3keV. The results show very good self-consistency, and the activity concentration of the solution was evaluated to be 45.640+/-0.098kBq/g (0.21% with k=1). The activity concentration of this solution was also measured by integral counting with a well-type 5''x5'' NaI(Tl) detector and efficiencies computed by Monte Carlo simulations using the GEANT code. These measurements were mutually consistent, while the resulting weighted average of the 4pi NaI(Tl) method was found to agree within 0.15% with the result of the 4pibeta-gamma coincidence technique. An ampoule of this solution and the measured value of the concentration were submitted to the BIPM as a contribution to the Système International de Référence.

Sistema de monitorització Open Source: projecte d'empresa per Computer Technology Catalunya

L’objectiu del projecte consisteix en l’estudi, simulació i implantació d’un conjunt d’aplicacions que permeten tenir un control sobre possibles problemes que puguin succeir a la nostra xarxa. Aquest projecte és la solució als problemes de detecció d’errors en el funcionament de les infraestructures de networking de les que disposen els nostres clients.

La "source des signes" existe-t-elle ? Réception des récits de miracle dans l'évangile de Jean.

(Résumé de l'ouvrage) A travers l'étude d'un corpus littéraire, constitué par le quatrième Evangile et les trois épîtres de Jean, il est possible de retracer l'histoire d'une tradition théologique originale et du groupe social qui en fut le porteur, la communauté johannique.

Open source framework for trucks fleet control (client)

Aquest projecte desenvolupa la part client d'una aplicació per controlar una flota de camions. Està implementada per funcionar sobre un dispositiu mòbil que funcioni amb el sistema operatiu Android.