ParisTech

About: ParisTech is a education organization based out in Paris, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Residual stress & Finite element method. The organization has 1888 authors who have published 1965 publications receiving 55532 citations. The organization is also known as: Paris Institute of Technology & ParisTech Développement.

Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus skin infection in vivo using rifampicin loaded lipid nanoparticles

Abstract: We have previously reported on a novel nanoparticle formulation that was effective at killing Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. Here, we report for the first time, the antibacterial effects of a lipidic nano-carrier containing rifampicin (NanoRIF) which can be used to successfully treat Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infection at a reduced antibiotic dosage compared to the free drug in a skin wound model in mice. The formulation used contains the lipid monoolein, a cationic lipid N-[1-(2,3-dioleoyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium methyl-sulfate (DOTAP) and the antibiotic. We have shown that rifampicin-loaded nanoparticles are more effective at treating infection in the skin wound model than the antibiotic alone. Cryo-TEM was used to capture for the first time, interactions of the formed nanoparticles with the cell wall of an individual bacterium. Our data strongly indicate enhanced binding of these charged nanoparticles with the negatively charged bacterial membrane. The efficacy we have now observed in vivo is of significant importance for the continued development of nanomedicine-based strategies to combat antibiotic resistant bacterial skin infections.

Fractoluminescence characterization of the energy dissipated during fast fracture of glass

Abstract: Fractoluminescence experiments are performed on two kinds of silicate glasses. All the light spectra collected during dynamic fracture reveal a black body radiator behaviour, which is interpreted as a crack velocity-dependent temperature rise close to the crack tip. Crack velocities are estimated to be of the order of 1300 m.s$^{-1}$ and fracture process zones are shown to extend over a few nanometers.

DeDaL: Cytoscape 3 app for producing and morphing data-driven and structure-driven network layouts

Abstract: Visualization and analysis of molecular profiling data together with biological networks are able to provide new mechanistic insights into biological functions. Currently, it is possible to visualize high-throughput data on top of pre-defined network layouts, but they are not always adapted to a given data analysis task. A network layout based simultaneously on the network structure and the associated multidimensional data might be advantageous for data visualization and analysis in some cases. We developed a Cytoscape app, which allows constructing biological network layouts based on the data from molecular profiles imported as values of node attributes. DeDaL is a Cytoscape 3 app, which uses linear and non-linear algorithms of dimension reduction to produce data-driven network layouts based on multidimensional data (typically gene expression). DeDaL implements several data pre-processing and layout post-processing steps such as continuous morphing between two arbitrary network layouts and aligning one network layout with respect to another one by rotating and mirroring. The combination of all these functionalities facilitates the creation of insightful network layouts representing both structural network features and correlation patterns in multivariate data. We demonstrate the added value of applying DeDaL in several practical applications, including an example of a large protein-protein interaction network. DeDaL is a convenient tool for applying data dimensionality reduction methods and for designing insightful data displays based on data-driven layouts of biological networks, built within Cytoscape environment. DeDaL is freely available for downloading at http://bioinfo-out.curie.fr/projects/dedal/ .

Systemic impact evaluation: a methodology for complex agricultural development projects. The case of a contract farming project in Guinea.

Abstract: This article presents a mixed-method approach used to analyse the impact of a complex agricultural development project, the SOGUIPAH (Guinean Oil Palms and Rubber Company) project designed to promote oil palm and rubber cultivation in Guinea. At farm level, the combination of a farming system analysis and an economic analysis with a counterfactual scenario enables us to quantify impact on the farmers’ income and to account for related impact heterogeneity. These comparisons reveal a somewhat limited impact of the project as a whole, though with a considerable heterogeneity across the types of farm households it reaches.