University of Rennes

About: University of Rennes is a education organization based out in Rennes, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Catalysis. The organization has 18404 authors who have published 40374 publications receiving 995327 citations.

Six Months vs Extended Oral Anticoagulation After a First Episode of Pulmonary Embolism: The PADIS-PE Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract: The optimal duration of anticoagulation after a first episode of unprovoked pulmonary embolism is uncertain. To determine the benefits and harms of an additional 18-month treatment with warfarin vs placebo, after an initial 6-month nonrandomized treatment period on a vitamin K antagonist. Randomized, double-blind trial (treatment period, 18 months; median follow-up, 24 months); 371 adult patients who had experienced a first episode of symptomatic unprovoked pulmonary embolism (ie, with no major risk factor for thrombosis) and had been treated initially for 6 uninterrupted months with a vitamin K antagonist were randomized and followed up between July 2007 and September 2014 in 14 French centers. Warfarin or placebo for 18 months. The primary outcome was the composite of recurrent venous thromboembolism or major bleeding at 18 months after randomization. Secondary outcomes were the composite at 42 months (treatment period plus 24-month follow-up), as well as each component of the composite, and death unrelated to pulmonary embolism or major bleeding, at 18 and 42 months. After randomization, 4 patients were lost to follow-up, all after month 18, and 1 withdrew due to an adverse event. During the 18-month treatment period, the primary outcome occurred in 6 of 184 patients (3.3%) in the warfarin group and in 25 of 187 (13.5%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.22; 95% CI, 0.09-0.55; P = .001). Recurrent venous thromboembolism occurred in 3 patients in the warfarin group and 25 patients in the placebo group (HR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.05-0.43); major bleeding occurred in 4 patients in the warfarin group and in 1 patient in the placebo group (HR, 3.96; 95% CI, 0.44 to 35.89). During the 42-month entire study period (including the study treatment and follow-up periods), the composite outcome occurred in 33 patients (20.8%) in the warfarin group and in 42 (24.0%) in the placebo group (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.47-1.18). Rates of recurrent venous thromboembolism, major bleeding, and unrelated death did not differ between groups. Among patients with a first episode of unprovoked pulmonary embolism who received 6 months of anticoagulant treatment, an additional 18 months of treatment with warfarin reduced the composite outcome of recurrent venous thrombosis and major bleeding compared with placebo. However, benefit was not maintained after discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00740883.

Analysis of the estrogen regulation of the zebrafish estrogen receptor (ER) reveals distinct effects of ERalpha, ERbeta1 and ERbeta2.

Abstract: We have previously cloned and characterized three estrogen receptors (ER) in the zebrafish (zfERalpha, zfERbeta1 and zfERbeta2). We have also shown that they are functional in vitro and exhibit a distinct expression pattern, although partially overlapping, in the brain of zebrafish. In this paper, we have shown that the hepatic expression of these zfER genes responds differently to estradiol (E2). In fact, a 48-h direct exposure of zebrafish to E2 resulted in a strong stimulation of zfERalpha gene expression while zfERbeta1 gene expression was markedly reduced and zfERbeta2 remained virtually unchanged. To establish the potential implication of each zfER in the E2 upregulation of the zfERalpha gene, the promoter region of this gene was isolated and characterized. Transfection experiments with promoter-luciferase reporter constructs together with different zfER expression vectors were carried out in different cell contexts. The data showed that in vivo E2 upregulation of the zfERalpha gene requires ERalpha itself and a conserved transcription unit sequence including at least an imperfect estrogen-responsive element (ERE) and an AP-1/ERE half site at the proximal transcription initiation site. Interestingly, although in the presence of E2 zfERalpha was the most potent at inducing the expression of its own gene, the effect of E2 mediated by zfERbeta2 represented 50% of the zfERalpha activity. In contrast, zfERbeta1 was unable to upregulate the zfERalpha gene whereas this receptor form was able to tightly bind E2 and activate a reporter plasmid containing a consensus ERE. Altogether, these results indicated that the two ERbeta forms recently characterized in teleost fish could have partially distinct and not redundant functions.

Circularly-Polarized Reconfigurable Transmitarray in Ka-Band With Beam Scanning and Polarization Switching Capabilities

Abstract: The design, realization, and experimental characterization of a 400-element electronically reconfigurable transmitarray operating in the Ka-band is presented. It is based on linearly polarized unit-cells with 180° phase-shifting capability. Several sequential rotation schemes have been compared numerically to generate a circularly polarized beam over a broad frequency band, and a random distribution has been selected to mitigate spurious cross-polarized side-lobes when scanning the main beam. The 2-D electronic beam-steering capabilities of ±60° have been verified experimentally. The prototype, illuminated by a horn antenna as a focal source, exhibits a broadside gain of 20.8 dBi at 29.0 GHz and a 3-dB bandwidth of 14.6% with radiation efficiency of 58%. The axial ratio remains below 2 dB within this bandwidth. Next, a planar substrate integrated waveguide focal source array was designed in order to reduce the focal distance by about 50% and thereby significantly improve the antenna compactness, and similar radiation performance is demonstrated numerically and experimentally. © 1963-2012 IEEE.