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International audience; Hydrothermal circulation affects heat and mass transfers in the oceanic lithosphere, not only at the ridge axis but also on their flanks, where the magnitude of this process has been related to sediment blanket and seamounts density. This was documented in several areas of the Pacific Ocean by heat flow measurements and pore water analysis. However, as the morphology of Atlantic and Indian ridge flanks is generally rougher than in the Pacific, these regions of slow and ultra-slow accretion may be affected by hydrothermal processes of different regimes. We carried out a survey of two regions on the eastern and western flanks of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Oceanographer and Hayes fracture zones. Two hundred and eight new heat flow measurements were obtained along six seismic profiles, on 5 to 14 Ma old seafloor. Thirty sediment cores (from which porewaters have been extracted) have been collected with a Kullenberg corer equipped with thermistors thus allowing simultaneous heat flow measurement. Most heat flow values are lower than those predicted by purely conductive cooling models, with some local variations and exceptions: heat flow values on the eastern flank of the study area are more variable than on the western flank, where they tend to increase westward as the sedimentary cover in the basins becomes thicker and more continuous. Heat flow is also higher, on average, on the northern sides of both the western and eastern field regions and includes values close to conductive predictions near the Oceanographer Fracture Zone. All the sediment porewaters have a chemical composition similar to that of bottom seawater (no anomaly linked to fluid circulation has been detected). Heat flow values and pore fluid compositions are consistent with fluid circulation in volcanic rocks below the sediment. The short distances between seamounts and short fluid pathways explain that fluids flowing in the basaltic aquifer below the sediment have remained cool and unaltered. Finally, relief at small-scale is calculated using variogram of bathymetry and compared for different regions affected by hydrothermal circulation.

Polygenic risk scores (PRS) are designed to serve as single summary measures that are easy to construct, condensing information from a large number of genetic variants associated with a disease. They have been used for stratification and prediction of disease risk. The primary focus of this paper is to demonstrate how we can combine PRS and electronic health records data to better understand the shared and unique genetic architecture and etiology of disease subtypes that may be both related and heterogeneous. PRS construction strategies often depend on the purpose of the study, the available data/summary estimates, and the underlying genetic architecture of a disease. We consider several choices for constructing a PRS using data obtained from various publicly-available sources including the UK Biobank and evaluate their abilities to predict not just the primary phenotype but also secondary phenotypes derived from electronic health records (EHR). This study was conducted using data from 30,702 unrelated, genotyped patients of recent European descent from the Michigan Genomics Initiative (MGI), a longitudinal biorepository effort within Michigan Medicine. We examine the three most common skin cancer subtypes in the USA: basal cell carcinoma, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Using these PRS for various skin cancer subtypes, we conduct a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) within the MGI data to evaluate PRS associations with secondary traits. PheWAS results are then replicated using population-based UK Biobank data and compared across various PRS construction methods. We develop an accompanying visual catalog called PRSweb that provides detailed PheWAS results and allows users to directly compare different PRS construction methods., Author summary In the study of genetically complex diseases, polygenic risk scores (PRS) synthesize information from multiple genetic risk factors to provide insight into a patient’s inherited risk of developing a disease based on his/her genetic profile. These risk scores can be explored in conjunction with health and disease information available in electronic medical records. PRS may be associated with diseases that may be related to or precursors of the underlying disease of interest. In this paper, we demonstrate how PRS can be used in concert with the medical phenome to better understand the etiology of disease subtypes nested within a broad disease classification. This is done by examining the shared and distinct genetic risk factors across the related but heterogeneous disease subtypes and also through our comparison of the secondary associations across the phenome corresponding to the subtype specific PRS. We consider several PRS construction methods in our study. This framework of analysis is enabled by access to electronic health records and genetics data. Leveraging and harnessing the rich data resources of the Michigan Genomics Initiative, a biorepository effort at Michigan Medicine, and the large population-based UK Biobank study, we investigated the primary and secondary disease associations with PRS constructed for the three most common types of skin cancer: melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Resume Le traitement des eventrations et des hernies de la paroi abdominale fait appel a l’utilisation d’implant ou prothese comme alternative a la technique de raphie simple. D’origine synthetique, biologique ou mixte, ces implants ont des proprietes physico-chimiques propres qui vont conditionner leurs resultats mecaniques et l’efficacite a long terme de la reparation. Le nombre croissant de references d’implants permet au chirurgien de disposer d’un veritable choix therapeutique en fonction de l’indication, du site d’implantation, de la voie d’abord et de la notion de contamination du champ operatoire. Au regard de l’ evidence-based medecine, si certains implants synthetiques ont prouve une efficacite superieure a la technique de raphie simple, des etudes sont en cours pour etayer les indications des bioprotheses, en particulier en milieu contamine. Cette revue de la litterature fait une synthese sur les connaissances actuelles sur les implants synthetiques et biologiques (caracteristiques physico-chimiques, forme, indications).

Abdominal wall incisional and inguinal hernia repair can call for utilization of implants or prostheses as an alternative to simple suture techniques. The various implants can be synthetic, biologic or mixed: their physicochemical properties condition the mechanical results and the long-term outcome of the repair. The increasing number of available materials allows the surgeon to choose between a wide variety depending on the indication, the site of implantation, the surgical approach and whether the operative field is contaminated or not. With regard to evidence-based medicine, while several synthetic implants have been shown to be superior in efficacy to simple suture, other studies are underway to develop the indications for bioprostheses, in particular in contaminated fields. This review of the literature summarizes the current knowledge on synthetic and biologic implants (physicochemical characteristics, forms, indications).

Objectives The population of Reunion Island has a high prevalence of endometriosis impacting fertility. The aim of this series is to assess the fertility of women undergoing surgical approach of deep infiltrating endometriosis and to study the characteristics of the pregnancy outcomes. Material and methods This is a retrospective 2 centers study, including all women wanting to be pregnant and operated for deep endometriosis in any of the 2 hospitals of the CHU of Reunion Island between January 2012 and May 2013. Results Sixty-three women were included. Twenty-four (38%) had more than one operation and 16 (25.4%) experienced one or more complications. Fifty-eight (92%) had complete resection of the endometriosis. Twenty-seven (42.9%) women became pregnant at least once, spontaneously in 44.4%. Average delay for first pregnancy was 14.2 months. Twenty-two (34.9%) women became pregnant before 24 months. Among the 34 pregnancies, 20 ended with a live newborn. Premature delivery rate was 35%, cesarean section rate 10% and average birth weight was at 45th percentile. Conclusion Fertility remains good after surgery for deep infiltrating endometriosis but the delay between operation and pregnancy is increased when a surgical complication occurs. Premature delivery rate is high. No pregnancy occurred in case of incomplete resection or after age of 36.

Resume Introduction La polychondrite atrophiante est une maladie rare et grave caracterisee par une atteinte inflammatoire et multifocale des cartilages. Le diagnostic bien qu’urgent est difficile lorsque l’atteinte tracheobronchique est isolee. Observation Nous rapportons le cas d’une femme de 55 ans aux antecedents recents d’episodes febriles non infectieux accompagnes d’un syndrome inflammatoire biologique et corticosensibles. L’auscultation, les explorations fonctionnelles respiratoires et le scanner thoracique evoquaient la presence d’une tracheobronchomalacie. Une polychondrite atrophiante etait suspectee sans pouvoir etre confirmee sur le plan histologique et biologique, ce d’autant qu’aucune autre atteinte cartilagineuse n’etait retrouvee. Un hypermetabolisme larynge et tracheobronchique au TEP-scanner realise en l’absence de traitement corticoide fut un argument pour retenir ce diagnostic. Un mois apres reprise et majoration de la corticotherapie, cet examen etait normalise. Secondairement, lors de la decroissance prudente des corticoides, la patiente a developpe une chondrite nasale confirmant le diagnostic de polychondrite atrophiante. Conclusion Le TEP-scanner pourrait etre utile au diagnostic de la polychondrite atrophiante dans sa forme tracheobronchique isolee. Sa place dans le suivi therapeutique de cette maladie reste a evaluer et doit prendre en compte l’irradiation de cet examen.

Resume La pancreatite aigue (PA) post-traumatique est classiquement decrite dans des contextes de traumatismes abdominaux fermes responsables de lacerations ou de section complete de la glande sur le billot rachidien. Cette complication n’est pas habituelle dans le cadre de lesion abdominale penetrante par arme blanche. Nous rapportons le cas d’un homme de 46 ans decede suite a une pancreatite aigue necrotico-hemorragique post-traumatique, consecutive a un traumatisme abdominal penetrant par un coup de hache. Lors de l’exploration chirurgicale initiale, seule une lesion de la veine mesenterique superieure par dilaceration etait retrouvee avec un aspect normal du pancreas. L’evolution vers la PA s’est faite des le second jour entrainant le deces du patient au 20 e jour post-traumatique dans un tableau de defaillance multiviscerale. L’autopsie medicolegale retrouvait d’importantes lesions de PA necrotico-hemorragique, confirmees par l’examen anatomopathologique. Il n’existait, par ailleurs, aucune lesion pouvant faire evoquer un etat anterieur de pathologie pancreatique. En conclusion, cette observation montre que les traumatismes abdominaux penetrants par arme blanche peuvent s’accompagner, a l’image des traumatismes fermes, d’un mecanisme d’impact brutal du pancreas sur le billot rachidien, lie a la force de l’agresseur et au poids de l’arme, et etre responsables de lesions pancreatiques letales.

Gill 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity of juvenile Chinook salmon caged in Auke Lake, AK was used as a biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure. Biomarker measurements in conjunction with a comprehensive sampling program that included grab water and sediment samples, and passive sampling devices were used to determine PAH concentrations, source(s), bioavailability, and resulting biological response. PAHs were detected at all lake locations except the reference site upstream of anthropogenic activity. Water samples were the best predictor of a biological response and EROD activity correlated to corresponding parts per trillion water pyrene concentrations (r(2)=0.9662; p=0.0004). Sediment samples yielded the clearest indication of PAH sources and amalgamated contaminant magnitude, and passive samplers served as accumulators of retrospective aqueous conditions. Results suggest that salmon stocks are being exposed to chronic low-concentrations of anthropogenically sourced PAHs during sensitive life-stages, which may be in part a contributor to their declining numbers.

Los diverticulos del colon izquierdo son los que, con mas frecuencia, son responsables de las complicaciones infecciosas, mientras que la diverticulitis complicada del colon derecho es algo excepcional. La sigmoidectomia selectiva esta indicada en pacientes que han presentado varios episodios de diverticulitis sigmoidea. Se programa a distancia del ultimo episodio infeccioso para tener las minimas secuelas inflamatorias perisigmoideas. La colectomia laparoscopica ha sustituido progresivamente a la cirugia convencional y, hoy dia, es la tecnica de referencia. Las indicaciones de la colectomia izquierda por laparotomia son, actualmente, las contraindicaciones de la laparoscopia. Estas contraindicaciones pueden ser de indole anestesica, quirurgica (cirugias abdominales previas, seudotumor inflamatorio, exceso de grasa mesenterica). La reseccion incluye la totalidad del asa sigmoidea y la porcion fija del sigmoide o colon iliaco y concluye con una anastomosis colorrectal. La preservacion de los componentes nerviosos mesentericos e hipogastricos es esencial para no producir secuelas urinarias y sexuales. Por esta razon, hay que poner especial atencion durante las ligaduras vasculares, siempre alejadas del origen de la arteria mesenterica inferior y durante la diseccion de la union rectosigmoidea. La mortalidad postoperatoria es inferior al 2%, la morbilidad es de alrededor del 30% y la tasa de fistulas postoperatorias es del 3-4%. La tasa de recidiva de diverticulitis tras la colectomia varia entre el 2 y el 10% segun los distintos autores.

Resume Introduction Les sources actuelles inhabituelles d’exposition au plomb d’origine environnementale comprennent principalement les medecines traditionnelles, ayurvediques ou autres, les cosmetiques traditionnels (khol, surma), et l’utilisation culinaire de vaisselle artisanale, pour le stockage ou la cuisson. Observations Nous rapportons deux observations de saturnisme chez l’adulte, decouverts soit a l’occasion du bilan etiologique de douleurs abdominales paroxystiques, soit a l’occasion du bilan etiologique d’une anemie. Dans les deux cas, l’enquete environnementale conduira a l’identification d’une source principale d’exposition au plomb : une cruche artisanale vernissee dans laquelle macerait une boisson consommee par le patient, le « kefir de fruit » dans un cas, le the « kombucha » dans l’autre cas. Conclusion Il faut savoir rechercher une intoxication par le plomb chez un patient presentant une anemie inexpliquee. Les sources environnementales de plomb peuvent etre multiples ; elles doivent etre hierarchisees au sein de l’enquete environnementale, et parmi elles, les poteries artisanales doivent etre retenues comme une source d’exposition significative lorsque les boissons y sont stockees et peuvent ainsi macerer.

The Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is due to an endocrine gastrin-secreting tumor, the gastrinoma. This tumor is often malignant and patients develop metastases in 25% of cases. The usual localizations of gastrinomas are at the head of the pancreas, the duodenal wall and the peripancreatic lymph nodes. Ectopic localizations, such as stomach, small bowel, gallbladder, liver or ovaries, are rare. We report the case of an intrahepatic gastrinoma, surgically treated by left hepatectomy. Upon review of scientific literature, we found 19 cases of intrahepatic gastrinoma. This diagnosis is always difficult to establish, even after a complete preoperative imaging and an extensive operative search for a possible primary tumor. The best evidence for diagnosis is the gastrinemia decreasing to a normal range after liver resection, and the absence of recurrence in long-term follow-up.

In order to assess interaction between HLA and Gm for susceptibility to IDDM, the families of 155 IDDM probands were typed for HLA class I, II, III antigens and 16 Gm allotypes (including G2m23). Haplotypes were obtained for both systems. Individuals bearing the equivocal haplotype Gm (formula; see text) were excluded. The frequencies of the 6 Gm haplotypes detected were comparable in IDDM patients, sibling controls and unrelated controls. The number of Gm haplotypes was compatible with random segregation whether or not the HLA genotype was taken into account. However, analysis of the HLA-DR allelic combinations showed an increase of the uncommon haplotype Gm (formula; see text) in IDDM patients bearing DR3 in the absence of DR4 (Gm (formula; see text) phenotype frequency 43% vs 24% in other allelic combinations, p less than 0.04). When 21 diabetic and 154 non diabetic siblings of the probands were compared, the combined presence of DR3/ non 4 and Gm (formula; see text) was observed in 7 (33%) affected and 11 (7%) unaffected siblings (p less than 0.001), conferring a relative risk of 6.4 to siblings who bear both markers. All DR3/non 4 positive affected siblings (7/7) also carried Gm (formula; see text) compared with 27% (11/41) of unaffected siblings (p less than 0.001). This result suggests, that in spite of the absence of segregation distortion, interaction between Gm and HLA gene products may play a role in the familial penetrance of IDDM.

Objetivos La puncion aspiracion con aguja fina (PAAF) es una tecnica habitualmente utilizada para el estudio de masas de cabeza y cuello. Este trabajo evalua la correlacion entre los hallazgos citologicos de las punciones y los resultados histologicos observados tras la cirugia. Asimismo, queremos exponer el protocolo de PAAF que se lleva a cabo en nuestro servicio. Material y metodo Hemos realizado un estudio retrospectivo desde 1990 a 2005 que comprende 192 casos con masas de cabeza o cuello. Se han calculado los verdaderos positivos (VP), verdaderos negativos (VN), falsos positivos (FP), falsos negativos (FN), sensibilidad, especificidad y los valores predictivos positivo (VPP) y negativo (VPN) de la prueba. Resultados De los 192 pacientes incluidos en el estudio se realizo cirugia en 172 casos, y estos fueron la muestra para determinar la correlacion citohistologica. La PAAF fue negativa para celulas malignas en 107 casos y positiva en 60 casos. En 5 de los 172 casos la PAAF no fue valorable. Tras la cirugia se confirmo benignidad en 104 de los 107 casos; por consiguiente hubo 3 FN, y se confirmo malignidad en 58 de los 60 casos, con 2 FP. Con los datos anteriores, se obtuvo una sensibilidad del 95,08 %, una especificidad del 98,11%, un VPP del 96,67 % y un VPN del 97,20 %. Conclusiones A la vista de los resultados, la PAAF se muestra como una prueba de alta rentabilidad diagnostica muy util para el estudio de masas de cabeza y cuello.

The surgical treatment of morbid obesity by laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding has become a "gold standard" in Europe. Currently, five types of silicone bands are used in the majority of countries performing bariatric surgery.The MIDBAND was introduced to the European market in 2000. It is placed around the stomach using the Pars Flaccida technique described by Forsell. A prospective multicentric study on 113 cases was carried out to evaluate technical feasibility, complications, and the midterm weight loss outcomes (2 years).The percentage of excess body weight loss was 52.58% at 2 years. Perioperative mortality was nil and the complication rate was low (slippage2%).These encouraging results require longer-term studies to validate this procedure.

Objectives Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is a technique habitually used for the study of head and neck masses. This work evaluates the correlation between the cytological findings of the aspirations and the histological results observed after surgery. In addition, we set out the FNA protocol applied at our department. Material and method We have conducted a retrospective study from 1990 to 2005 that includes 192 cases with head or neck masses. The true positives (TP), true negatives (TN), false positives (FP), false negatives (FN), sensitivity, specificity and the positive (PPV), and negative (NPV) predictive values of this test have been calculated. Results Of the 192 patients included in this study, surgery was performed in 172 cases, for whom the cytohistological correlation was determined. The FNA was negative for malignant cells in 107 cases and positive in 60 cases. In 5 of the 172 cases FNA was not indicative. After the surgery, benignancy was confirmed in 104 of the 107 cases thus giving 3 FN and malignancy was confirmed in 58 of the 60 cases, ie, 2 FP. With these data, the sensitivity obtained was 95.08%, specificity was 98.11%, while PPV was 96.67% and NPV 97.20%. Conclusions In the light of the results, FNA is a very useful method in the diagnostic work-up of head and neck masses.

Summary. Carotenoids and colour characteristics were studied in raw, steamed and smoke-cured muscle of rainbow trout fed synthetic astaxanthin (50 or 100mgkg-1 diet) or canthaxanthin (100mgkg-1 diet) for 15 months. In raw muscle main carotenoid concentration was strongly correlated with hue, chroma, and lightness. Diet and sex effects were significant on most traits, with little or no interaction. Female muscles contained much more carotenoid and were more coloured than male ones. Astaxanthin fed fish were more red than canthaxanthin fed fish. Significant mean effects of cooking were an apparent increase of carotenoid concentration and an increase of lightness. Hue and chroma were practically unchanged with high correlations between raw and cooked muscle measurements. Lightness increased and differences between sexes and individuals were reduced. Smoke-curing induced an increase of carotenoid concentration and a decrease of hue and lightness. Hue of canthaxanthin fed fish when smoke-cured was similar to that of raw fish fed astaxanthin. Lightness, still dependant on that of the raw muscle, was reduced and differences among diets, sexes and individuals were reduced.

Genetic and environmental components of variance of body length in juvenile brown trout Sabno trutta were estimated from the results of three experiments. The additive genetic variance increased in the first months posthatch, but was gradually overwhelmed by environmental and residual variances, so that heritability, after going through a maximum (about 0.45) at 3 mo, decreased later on. However, constancy of genetic factors was indicated by high genetic correlations (0.8-1.0) observed between successive measurements. Maternal effects were visible, but not statistically significant. There was no evidence of non-additive genetic variation. These results suggest that selection for precocious growth among separate families should be performed at the time when heritability is about maximum. Accounting for the importance of the within-lot variation (80-90% of the total variation), individual selection should be considered, as compared to more expensive methods.

An unusual uterus benign tumor, intravascular leiomyomatosis is also a differential diagnosis of uterine fibromas. It is most likely to be diagnosed post operatively and must be treated in an adequate way to avoid a recidive.

Purpose In recent years, radiofrequency identification has been used for the continuous measurement of intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt for hydrocephalus . Unlike ICP monitoring in an inpatient setting, measurements in mobile patients outside the hospital provide ICP data that take into account the everyday activities of each individual patient. Common methods of ICP monitoring and analysis cannot be used for those patients. In addition, ICP measurements in mobile patients require considerably longer observation times than in-hospital monitoring. For this reason, ICP measurements over a period of 7 to 10 days must be analyzed effectively and efficiently. Methods A possible approach is to analyze ICP data graphically. Pathologic changes can be expected to be associated with specific patterns that can be detected graphically (e.g., Lundberg A waves). Patients without pathologic ICP values and without intracranial pathologies usually show an approximately normal distribution of ICP data. By contrast, patients with pathologic ICP values are likely to show major deviations from a normal distribution such as changes in minimum and maximum values and multimodal distributions. Against this background, we present a new graphical method for detecting pathologic conditions. This novel method is based on the distribution of ICP data that is assessed using GNU R, a free software package for statistical computing and graphics. Results A left-skewed distribution indicates CSF shunt overdrainage and a right-skewed distribution suggests CSF shunt underdrainage. In addition, an additive analysis of the number of physiologic ICP values can be helpful in detecting possible causes of CSF shunt overdrainage or underdrainage. The approach presented here shows that patients with hydrocephalus objectively benefited from ICP-guided adjustments of the opening pressure of a shunt valve or the insertion of a valve. This objective improvement was confirmed by the patients' subjective perception of well-being. Conclusions Further investigations should be performed to examine the influence of multimodal ICP distributions and to assess how data analysis is affected by a drift that can occur when a sensor has been in place for an extended period of time.

International audience; Background - Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is frequent in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Progression to end-stage renal disease can be slowed by appropriate medical management. Methods - To assess whether active promotion of guidelines improves CKD management, we conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial within the French Hospital Database on HIV (FHDH-ANRS CO4). We randomized 46 centers participating in the FHDH to either simple information on guideline availability or active promotion with a multifaceted and repeated intervention comprising reminders and audit feedback and targeting of local opinion leaders carried out between April 2009 and April 2010. Outcome measure was CKD management adequacy assessed before and 2 years after the beginning of the intervention in HIV-infected patients with moderate to severe CKD. CKD management was considered adequate in case of referral to a nephrologist or if proteinuria, blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, and glycemia had been measured during the previous year and medications had been prescribed when necessary. Results - Three hundred six patients were enrolled, of whom 238 (78%) completed the 2 years of follow-up. During the study period, the percentage of patients receiving adequate CKD management improved from 64.1% to 70.4% (+6.3%) in the active arm and from 68.3% to 75.6% (+7.3%) in the control arm (adjusted mean difference, -0.7 percentage points [95% confidence interval: -9.2 to 7.9]; P = .95). The biggest impact of active promotion was on the management of proteinuria and blood pressure. Conclusions - Adequate compliance with CKD management guidelines improved slightly between 2009 and 2011, with no difference between the simple information and active promotion arms. Clinical trials registration - CCTIRS 10.150 and CNIL DR-2010-379.

Risk management is a major issue for companies. But risk and risk management, although a sensitive and current subject, are rather ill-defined, which cause difficulties to companies, and specifically small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The research presented proposes an innovative and generic approach based on fundamental hypotheses: • Risk is the most powerful driver and issue in industrial activities and management by risk is a high level management approach integrating all other company preoccupation. • Management by risk is a global process, and a driver for business process innovation. Its deployment needs to be supported by a knowledge base coupled to a decision support system. This approach has been developed notably through the European project PRIMA (Project RIsk MAnagement), IST-1999-10193, 00-02. The specific case of the SME is finally considered.

A blue variant of the rainbow trout, which appeared in a French fish farm, displayed an iridescent body color that was cobalt blue on the back, lighter on the undersides, and silvery on the belly and which held up to adult stage. This color was supposed to result from a Tyndall effect involving a structural arrangement of melanin pigments because it disappeared when it was associated with a depigmenting gene. This blue variant appeared to be governed by an autosomal recessive gene. Blue fry survival and body weight were about 25% less than those of wild-type sibs, but no major problem was observed in further breeding performances, including reproduction. These features do not correspond with those of the blue variants previously described in the rainbow trout.

The covariation between diploid and triploid progenies from common breeders and the effect of triploidy on the parental variances were investigated in brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) using two progeny testing experiments, sampling, sires and dams respectively, from the same population. The traits studied were body weight, growth, condition factor and red spotting of the skin. Triploidization generated some interactions with the parental breeding value, but their effect was minor (less than 20% of the genetic variance, in most cases) as compared with the amount of variation common to both ploidy levels. These interactions were mainly caused by a scale effect, triploidy reducing the variance attributable to sires and increasing the variance attributable to dams. Actual lack of correlation (genetic correlation significantly less than 1) between diploid and triploid familial performances was observed in a single instance out of 18. The modification of respective parental variance components by triploidy, already observed in the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), appears as a logical consequence of the genetic make-up of triploids, and should be taken into account in selective breeding.

Related sib-groups of rainbow trout × brown trout and rainbow trout × brook charr triploid hybrids and monospecific diploid and triploid rainbow trout controls were obtained from a common set of rainbow trout dams. On the basis of hybrid juvenile performances, 10 sib-groups were selected and the corresponding diploid rainbow trouts were raised up to adult stage. Females from each group of rainbow trout were used to produce a second generation of hybrid progeny, the performances of which were analysed for grandmaternal variation and relation with first-generation relatives. Results showed that hybrid traits (alevin yield and weight, survival and growth of fingerlings) were strongly influenced by maternal origin, and could be correlated to those of rainbow trout controls, but that maternal abilities had a low rate of inheritance. It was concluded that little improvement can be expected through selective breeding within parental populations.

This article proposes a short review of our present knowledge of solar system magnetospheres, with the purpose of placing the study of Saturn’s magnetosphere in the context of a comparative approach. We describe the diversity of solar system magnetospheres and the underlying causes of this diversity: nature and magnetization state of the planetary obstacle, presence or not of a dense atmosphere, rotation state of the planet, existence of a system of satellites, rings and neutral gas populations in orbit around the planet. We follow the “russian doll” hierarchy of solar system magnetospheres to briefly describe the different objects of this family: the heliosphere, which is the Sun’s magnetosphere; the “elementary” magnetospheres of the inner planets, Earth and Mercury; the “complex” magnetospheres of the giant planets, dominated by planetary rotation and the presence of interacting objects within their magnetospheric cavities, some of which, like Ganymede, Io or Titan, produce small intrinsic or induced magnetospheres inside the large one. We finally describe the main original features of Saturn’s magnetosphere as we see them after the Voyager fly-bys and before the arrival of Cassini at Saturn, and list some of the key questions which Cassini will have to address during its four-year orbital tour.

Effects of family differences on survival, length, weight, growth, and pyloric caeca number for juvenile rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss were analyzed in binary associations of families (sib-groups), using a genetic variant with “golden” phenotype as a marker. In such an association, the performance of a family i mixed with family j depends on its own ability (P1), on the influence of the associated family (AJ), and on possible effects specific to the ij association. Experimental results showed that specific effects were negligible, and that the AJ influence was significant on body length and weight (after 3 mo of age), and opposite to the PJ value of the same family. Growth showed the same feature, but short of significance. The genetic marker caused some detrimental pleiotropic effects on length, weight, and growth, and some limited interactions with the familial factors studied. Results suggest that, when practicing selection, aquaculturists should prevent early size differences from becoming enhanced by competition, and should consider periodic size grading and multi-step selection. Results also suggest that family interactions should be accounted for when analyzing mixed-family genetic evaluation data.

Since the publication of the complete sequence of the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a number of comprehensive investigations have been initiated to gain insight into cellular function. The focus of these studies has been to identify genes essential for survival in specific environments or those that when mutated cause gross phenotypic defects in growth. Here we describe Ty1-based mutational approaches designed to identify genes, which when mutated generate evolutionarily significant phenotypes causing small but positive increments on fitness. As expected, Ty1 mutations with a positive fitness effect were in the minority. However, mutations in two loci, one inactivating FAR3 and one upstream of CYR1, identified in evolving populations, were shown to have small but significantly positive fitness effects.

Four popular experimental designs for estimating variance components of additive genetic effects and (secondarily) dominance and maternal effects in fish (full-sib families, half-sib families, nested design and factorial design) were compared. The error variances of the estimators were formulated as functions of the true (hypothetical) values of genetic and environmental variances, depending on the experimental design considered, and whether the families were reared separately or mixed. Half-sib families and rectangular (many sires×few dams) factorial design were most useful for the estimation of heritability. The nested design appeared much less adequate. The minimum experimental capacity for obtaining accurate estimates was 100 lots in separate rearing or 1000 fish in mixed rearing. A larger experimental capacity is required when dominance and maternal effects as well as heritability are to be estimated because these different estimations, requiring contradictory conditions, cannot be simultaneously optimized.

Related sib-groups of rainbow trout x brown trout triploid hybrid and monospecific brown trout controls were obtained from a common set of brown trout sires. On the basis of hybrid juvenile survival and growth, 10 sib-groups were selected and the corresponding brown trouts were raised up to adult stage. Males from each group of brown trout were used to produce a second generation of hybrid progeny, the performances of which were analysed for grandpaternal variation and relation with first generation relatives. Results showed that hybrid traits were influenced by paternal and grandpaternal origin, but that there was little relation between hybrids and brown trouts, or between successive generations of hybrids.

Amyloid beta-peptide (A beta) is deposited as insoluble fibrils in the brain parenchyma and cerebral blood vessels in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition to neuronal degeneration, cerebral vascular alterations indicative of damage to vascular endothelial cells and disruption of the blood-brain barrier occur in AD. Here we report that A beta25-35 can impair regulatory functions of endothelial cells (ECs) from porcine pulmonary artery and induce their death. Subtoxic exposures to A beta25-35 induced albumin transfer across EC monolayers and impaired glucose transport into ECs. Cell death induced by A beta25-35 was of an apoptotic form, characterized by DNA condensation and fragmentation, and prevented by inhibitors of macromolecular synthesis and endonucleases. The effects of A beta25-35 were specific because A beta1-40 also induced apoptosis in ECs with the apoptotic cells localized to the microenvironment of A beta1-40 aggregates and because astrocytes did not undergo similar changes after exposure to A beta25-35. Damage and death of ECs induced by A beta25-35 were attenuated by antioxidants, a calcium channel blocker, and a chelator of intracellular calcium, indicating the involvement of free radicals and dysregulation of calcium homeostasis. The data show that A beta induces increased permeability of EC monolayers to macromolecules, impairs glucose transport, and induces apoptosis. If similar mechanisms are operative in vivo, then A beta and other amyloidogenic peptides may be directly involved in vascular EC damage documented in AD and other disorders that involve vascular amyloid accumulation.

Considerable data indicate that oxidative stress and membrane lipid peroxidation contribute to neuronal degeneration in an array of age-related neurodegenerative disorders. In contrast, the impact of subtoxic levels of membrane lipid peroxidation on neuronal function is largely unknown. We now report that 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), an aldehydic product of lipid peroxidation, disrupts coupling of muscarinic cholinergic receptors and metabotropic glutamate receptors to phospholipase C-linked GTP-binding proteins in cultured rat cerebrocortical neurons. At subtoxic concentrations, HNE markedly inhibited GTPase activity, inositol phosphate release, and elevation of intracellular calcium levels induced by carbachol (muscarinic agonist) and (RS)-3,5-dihydroxyphenyl glycine (metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist). Maximal impairment of agonist-induced responses occurred within 30 min of exposure to HNE. Other aldehydes, including malondialdehyde, had little effect on agonist-induced responses. Antioxidants that suppress lipid peroxidation did not prevent impairment of agonist-induced responses by HNE, whereas glutathione, which is known to bind and detoxify HNE, did prevent impairment of agonist-induced responses. HNE itself did not induce oxidative stress. Immunoprecipitation-western blot analysis using an antibody to HNE-protein conjugates showed that HNE can bind to G alpha(q/11). HNE also significantly suppressed inositol phosphate release induced by aluminum fluoride. Collectively, our data suggest that HNE plays a role in altering receptor-G protein coupling in neurons under conditions of oxidative stress that may occur both normally, and before cell degeneration and death in pathological settings.

We investigated the effect of uncoupling astrocytic gap junctions on neuronal vulnerability to oxidative injury in embryonic rat hippocampal cell cultures. Mixed cultures (neurons growing on an astrocyte monolayer) treated with 18-alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), an uncoupler of gap junctions, showed markedly enhanced generation of intracellular peroxides (2,7-dichlorofluorescein fluorescence), impairment of mitochondrial function [(dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction], and cell death (lactate dehydrogenase release) following exposure to oxidative insults (FeSO4 and 4-hydroxynonenal). GA alone had little or no effect on basal levels of peroxides, mitochondrial function, or neuronal survival. Intercellular dye transfer analyses revealed extensive astrocyte-astrocyte coupling but no astrocyte-neuron or neuron-neuron coupling in the mixed cultures. Studies of pure astrocyte cultures and microscope analyses of neurons in mixed cultures showed that the increased oxidative stress and cell death in GA-treated cultures occurred only in neurons and not in astrocytes. Antioxidants (propyl gallate and glutathione) blocked the death of neurons exposed to FeSO4/GA. Elevations of neuronal intracellular calcium levels ([Ca2+]i) induced by FeSO4 were enhanced in neurons in mixed cultures exposed to GA. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ and the L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nimodipine prevented impairment of mitochondrial function and cell death induced by FeSO4 and GA, whereas glutamate receptor antagonists were ineffective. Finally, GA exacerbated kainate- and FeSO4-induced injury to pyramidal neurons in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. The data suggest that interastrocytic gap junctional communication decreases neuronal vulnerability to oxidative injury by a mechanism involving stabilization of cellular calcium homeostasis and dissipation of oxidative stress.

Effects of egg size on weight and growth of juvenile rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss were investigated within and between lots, using a genetic variant with “golden” phenotype as a marker. Analysis of between-lots variation corroborated earlier findings that egg weight influence on the juvenile body weight disappears after a few months of life. In contrast, within-lot effects of egg size were greater and persisted over a longer time. Egg size did not affect subsequent survival or specific growth of the juvenile trout. The genetic marker caused some detrimental pleiotropic effects on eyed egg yield and juvenile body weight, but not on juvenile survival or specific growth.

Samples of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) alevins from 17 independent families (full-sib-groups) were raised from the start of feeding until the age of 18 weeks post-hatching with three diets (C, G and S) differing in protein content (fish soluble protein concentrate: 84% in C, 54% in G and 44% in S) and carbohydrates (none in C, 30% glucose in G and 40% crude corn starch in S). Fish were fed to near satiation, and their body weight and growth were measured. Diet effect was highly significant (G

Background Ropivacaine has been claimed to produce less motor block than bupivacaine during epidural analgesia. However, this advantage has not been clearly confirmed in obstetric studies using low analgesic concentrations in a ratio close to that suggested to be equianalgesic. Methods This double‐blind, randomized, prospective study was performed in 140 parturients who requested epidural analgesia. After a lumbar epidural catheter had been placed, patients received either 0.10% bupivacaine plus sufentanil 0.5 µg ml–1 or 0.15% ropivacaine plus sufentanil 0.5 µg ml–1 followed by a continuous infusion. Additional boluses were used for inadequate levels of analgesia. Visual analogue pain scores, motor block, level of sensory block, supplementary boluses and main characteristics of labour were recorded. Results No differences were observed between the two groups for pain scores, total volume of anaesthetic solution used [59 (23) and 57 (24) ml in the bupivacaine and ropivacaine groups respectively], duration of labour, mode of delivery, side‐effects or satisfaction score. The incidence of motor block was not statistically different between the groups (54 and 69% in the bupivacaine and ropivacaine groups respectively, P=0.07). However, when motor block occurred, survival analysis showed that it occurred sooner in the course of labour with ropivacaine compared with bupivacaine (log rank test, P=0.012). Conclusion Combined with sufentanil 0.5 µg ml–1, 0.10% bupivacaine and 0.15% ropivacaine produce effective and equivalent analgesia during labour, with similar incidences of motor block. Br J Anaesth 2002; 88: 809–13

The main objective of a standard or a code is to capitalize the technical feedback of constructions. It is the case of the RCC-MR code (now RCC-MRx) which has integrated the technical results of projects such as PHENIX, SUPERPHENIX, Jules Horowitz Reactor, ITER vacuum vessel. These rules are now planned to be used for new plants and it appears that they have to be updated to meet the needs of Gen IV projects like the ASTRID (Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonstration) project or MYRRHA (Multi-purpose hybrid research reactor for high-tech applications) project. This paper presents the ASTRID project approach to initiate in the earlier stage of the design an evaluation of the rules in order to improve as soon as possible the code. The result of this approach in terms of code modifications and improvement objectives are also presented.

Four langbeinite [K2Mg2(SO4)3] single grains from the Stebnyk evaporite mine have been dated with the laser step-heating 40Ar/39Ar method. These yield very clustered ages, including a high quality plateau age of 14.31 ± 0.06 Ma for 99.5% 39ArK released. These Middle Miocene ages disagree with the inferred Early Miocene age of the Stebnyk deposit [Peryt and Kovalevich, 1997]. Therefore, langbeinite may be formed after primary evaporite deposition in a maximum time interval around 7.5 Ma, during a diagenetic process or as a result of a fluid circulation. However the stratigraphic age may have been also overestimated due to a complicated tectonic history and the absence of clear stratigraphic markers. This work confirms the suitability of langbeinite for 40Ar/39Ar dating. Langbeinite in evaporites may thus be used for stratigraphic dating when primary, or for dating diagenesis or fluid circulation when secondary.

The various molecular forms of gastrin can act as promoters of proliferation and differentiation in different regions of the gastrointestinal tract. We report a novel stimulatory effect of glycine-extended gastrin(17) only on cell/cell dissociation and cell migration in a non-tumorigenic mouse gastric epithelial cell line (IMGE-5). In contrast, both amidated and glycine-extended gastrin(17) stimulated proliferation of IMGE-5 cells via distinct receptors. Glycine-extended gastrin(17)-induced dissociation preceded migration and was blocked by selective inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) but did not require mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activation. Furthermore, glycine-extended gastrin(17) induced a PI3-kinase-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of the adherens junction protein beta-catenin, partial dissociation of the complex between beta-catenin and the transmembrane protein E-cadherin, and delocalization of beta-catenin into the cytoplasm. Long lasting activation of MAP kinases by glycine-extended gastrin(17) was specifically required for the migratory response, in contrast to the involvement of a rapid and transient MAP kinase activation in the proliferative response to both amidated and glycine-extended gastrin(17). Therefore, the time course of MAP kinase activation appears to be a critical determinant of the biological effects mediated by this pathway. Together with the involvement of PI3-kinase in the dissociation of adherens junctions, long term activation of MAP kinases seems responsible for the selectivity of this novel effect of G(17)-Gly on the adhesion and migration of gastric epithelial cells.