Search

The Sea Surface Microlayer (SML) is known to be enriched in trace metals relative to the underlaying water and to harbor diverse microbial communities (i.e. neuston). However, the processes linking metals and biota in the SML are not yet fully understood. In this study, we analyzed the metal (Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Mo, V, Zn and Pb) concentrations in aerosol samples, SML (dissolved and total fractions) and in subsurface waters (SSW; dissolved fraction at ~ 1 m depth) from the Western Mediterranean Sea during a cruise in May-June 2017. The bacterial community composition and abundance in the SML and SSW, and the primary production and Chl-a in the SSW were measured simultaneously at all stations during the cruise. Residence times of particulate metals derived from aerosols deposition ranged from a couple of minutes for Co (2.7 ± 0.9 min; more affected by wind conditions) to a few hours for Cu (3.0 ± 1.9 h). Concentration of most dissolved metals in both, the SML and SSW, were well correlated with the salinity gradient and showed the characteristic eastward increase in surface waters of the Mediterranean Sea (MS). Contrarily, the total fraction of some reactive metals in the SML (i.e. Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn) showed negative trends with salinity, these trends of concentrations seem to be associate to microbial uptake. Our results suggest a toxic effect of Ni on neuston and microbiology community's abundance of the top meter of the surface waters of the Western Mediterranean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence that the methods classically used to identify and quantify adverse drug reactions (ADRs), based on spontaneous reporting or computerized medical databases, are not exhaustive. Spontaneous notifications to regional pharmacovigilance centers suffer from under-reporting Combining different sources could improve our knowledge of ADR frequency. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of serious ADRs handled in medical wards of a French university hospital, using data from the Programme de Medicalisation des Systemes d'Information (PMSI) and spontaneous reports recorded in the French Pharmaco Vigilance Database. The study period was the first 6 months of 2001. From the PMSI, we selected all hospitalization summaries that included an ICD-10 code related to a potential ADR. From the French Pharmaco Vigilance Database, we selected all serious ADRs that occurred during the study period and were reported by physicians working in the University Hospital. After identifying cases recorded in both sources, we applied the capture-recapture method in order to estimate the real number of ADRs. From the PMSI, we identified 274 different hospital stays involving an ADR. Out of 241 reports selected from the French Pharmaco Vigilance Database, we retained 151 ADRs for analysis. Fifty-two ADRs were found in both databases, giving an estimated total of 796 serious ADRs [95% confidence interval (CI) 638, 954], corresponding to 2.9% of inpatients (95% CI 2.3, 3.5) during the first half of 2001. This study confirms the lack of exhaustiveness of ADR reporting, whatever the data source, and underlines the value of merging data from different databases.

The aim of this study is to describe the impact of maternal psychotropic use or abuse on late pregnancy in newborns, using data from hospital laboratory (positive assay for psychoactive drugs). Fifty three newborns were included between 1998 and 2002. Most of cases have been exposed to benzodiazepines, opioids and cannabis. Ninety two and a half per cent had a neonatal disease. Neonatal withdrawal, respiratory disease, hypotonia and hypotrophy were the most frequent neonatal pathologies. Many cases were exposed to cannabis which might increase neonatal disease risk. These results underline the impact of psychotropic use or abuse during pregnancy on neonatal outcomes.