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Objective: Injury proneness is common in adolescents, but the role of individual factors has received little attention. This study assessed the relationships of a number of individual characteristics with frequency of school injuries. Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 2396 students from middle schools and high schools in an urban area in France over one school year. questionnaire was completed by each student at the beginning of the school year, and an injury questionnaire was completed for all injuries that occurred at school during the year. Data were analysed using the χ2 independence test and logistic models. Results: Over the study year, 10.6% of the students had a single injury. Frequent injuries (two or more) were common (2.3%) and were strongly related to younger age [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.52, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 1.28-1.79], frequent use of psychotropic drugs (aOR 2.03, 95%CI 1.06-3.86) and a poorer average school mark (< 10/20, aOR 2.58, 95%CI 1.30-5.12). The occurrence of a single injury was less strongly related to younger age (aOR 1.20, 95%CI 1.11-1.30) and frequent use of psychotropic drugs (aOR 1.43, 95%CI 1.04-1.96), and was also associated with parental absence (aOR 1.33, 95%CI 1.00-1.77), not being calm (aOR 1.41, 95% 1.03-1.89) and not being easily irritated (aOR 1.56, 95%CI 1.14-2.13). Conclusions: This study identified a number of factors associated with injury frequency. This information could be useful for injury prevention. Physicians could help students, parents, teachers and school staff to be more aware of the risks and to find remedial measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A field survey used a "sleep-breathing" questionnaire to estimate the prevalence of the excessive daytime sleepiness in a sample of middle-aged males., Methods: Eight hundred and fifty men aged 22 to 66 years agreed to answer a questionnaire and have anthropometric measurements. To the question on excessive daytime sleepiness, 90 subjects (10.8%) responded "often" or "almost always"; 740 gave a negative answer., Results: The sleepy subjects were older and had a higher "central" weight. All the sleep-disturbed breathing symptoms and those suggesting sleep disturbances were more frequent in sleepy subjects. Sleepiness was significantly associated with sleep apnea and chronic bronchitis. Logistic regression identified six items independently associated with daytime sleepiness; there were three indirect indicators of sleepiness, age, a history of chronic bronchitis and disruptive movements during sleep., Conclusions: This epidemiologic study in a sample of active middle-aged males confirms the association of daytime sleepiness with a series of respiratory and non-respiratory sleep disturbances. The original findings are the role of a "central" obesity, the association with nightmares, and the role of chronic bronchitis as a determinant of daytime sleepiness., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Various types of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have comorbid mental disorders, which may in turn have a negative influence on disease course and role impairment, but the contribution of social factors to this type of comorbidity is a much under-researched area. This study investigates whether there is a socially patterned association of MSDs with different dimensions of mental malaise., Methods: The sample included 3,368 economically active participants aged 18-64 years, randomly selected from the Lorraine region in north-eastern France. Information was provided through a post-mailed questionnaire on fatigue, sadness/depression (Duke questionnaire) and cognitive disability during the last eight days., Results: MSDs were significantly more prevalent in manual workers, clerks and other occupations than in upper and intermediate professionals, and similar occupational disparities were found for cognitive disability, fatigue and sadness/ depression. Stratifying the sample, we found the occupational disparities in cognitive disability to be much stronger among participants suffering from MSDs than among participants not suffering from MSDs, and the occupational disparities in fatigue and sadness/depression to be limited to the subsample of subjects suffering from MSDs., Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that the association of MSDs with mental malaise is much stronger in the lower occupational groups than in the higher groups. Given that psychological factors are implicated in disease prognosis and in the development of disabilities, awareness of the social dimension of the association and treatment of the comorbid mental disorders could open a promising avenue for reducing social inequalities in disability related to MSDs.

Introduction: As there are important differences in the prevalence of snoring in the literature we have studied this prevalence and the risk factors in a sample of the active male population of Lorraine., Methods: 850 men, aged 22 to 66 tears, volunteered for the study and completed a questionnaire on the frequency of snoring, their lifestyle and their personal and family histories. The usual anthropomorphic measurements were made together with a non-invasive examination of the upper airways., Results: The prevalence of habitual snoring was 34.6%, increasing with age, weight and the derived indices. We identified, by logistic regression, the factors independently associated with habitual snoring in univariate analysis. These were age, weight, nocturnal nasal obstruction, a medical diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea, and hypertrophy of the soft palate and uvula. There was evidence that height had a protective effect but exercise activity did not appear to be significant., Conclusion: The 35% prevalence of habitual snoring in our sample of middle aged men is similar to other studies in the literature using the same methods. The present study confirmed that age, weight, girth, nasal obstruction and nasopharyngeal abnormalities are risk factors. The protective effect of height was a new finding not identified in previous studies.

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of the use of tobacco, alcohol and psychotropic drugs by the people of Lorraine and characterise the consumption behaviours of that population. The sample consisted of 6571 people from the ages of 18 to 74 who were randomly selected from the telephone directory and were interviewed through the use of a self-questionnaire sent out by mail. The behaviours vary according to sex and gender. Tobacco is the product with the highest prevalence rate of consumption. This rate decreases with age and is most frequent in sectors of the population who are less educated, holding low or poorly skilled jobs or unemployed. Excessive alcohol consumption is observed in 13.8% of men and 3.8% of women. Regular consumption of psychotropic drugs is two times higher in women than in men, and it increases with age. Women who are single, divorced or widowed are at the most risk, as are those who are not engaged in any professional activity. The prevalence of the consumption of psycho-active licit toxic substances in the Lorraine population differs little from the national French average as far as men are concerned, yet appears to be higher for women. These results are very useful for regional prevention activities such as those within the Regional Health Programmes framework.

The prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) was evaluated in a male population sample of Lorraine (university staff), with a protocol including a self-completed standardized questionnaire, anthropometry (including neck, waist and hip circumferences) and non-invasive ear, nose, and throat examination. Among 357 subjects present in the institution at the moment of the survey, 334 (93.6%) accepted to participate, and 300 (84%) returned the questionnaires. The anthropometric results corresponded to the French normative values according to gender and age. We chose a value of 32 as limit of the body mass index (BMI) between weight excess and obesity; this limit was exceeded by 7.2% of the subjects. The mean age of the sample was 44.8 (SD 10.1) years; the waist-to-hip ratio was of 0.907 +/- 0.053. The ENT examination found a high prevalence of nasal septum deviations (52.6%), of soft palate (25.2%), and uvula (42%) abnormalities; 32.1% of the subjects had experienced amygdalectomy. The non-responses to the questionnaire were infrequent (less than 2%), except for the questions regarding a history of hypertension (2.6%), weight fluctuations the last 5 years (7.6%), and the number of years in school (12%). The questionnaire included, for each question, the optional answer "don't know"; this answer was chosen for the questions concerning the duration of snoring (37.1%), stopping breathing during sleep (12.7%) and the parental history of narcolepsy (18.7 and 20.7%) and sleep apnoea (33.7 and 36.4%). 5.7% of the subjects declared sleep apnoeas at least once per week: 16.1% had unrefreshing sleep; 10.6% admitted to excessive daytime sleepiness; 41.9% were habitual snorers. These results indicate a prevalence of SDB in our sample which is comparable to the figures obtained in other European studies. Further analysis of our data will indicate if, besides weight excess and its troncular distribution, cigarette smoking and respiratory symptoms, the "minor" ENT abnormalities play a role in the pathogenesis of SDB.

A therapeutic immunoadsorption system on immobilized and anti-apolipoprotein B as a plasma cholesterol lowering procedure was optimized. Several antibodies were compared and highest adsorption capacity was obtained with goat polyclonal antibodies. Optimum quantities of antibodies to be immobilized on the gel and quantities of apo-B to be applied to columns were determined. The amount of antibodies released from immunoadsorbents can be minimized by treatment with a 0.005% glutaraldehyde solution with an acceptable reduction rate of adsorption capacity. Each phase, adsorption and desorption respectively, were well-defined and synchronized so two columns could be used in parallel in an automated procedure. In these conditions, the immunoadsorption system can efficiently, specifically and safely remove cholesterol and has to be subjected to clinical trials.

An immunoadsorption system for lowering plasma cholesterol was optimized. Several polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies were compared and the best results were obtained with goat polyclonal antibodies. The optimum quantity of antibodies to be immobilized on the gel was 5 mg/ml. Taking into account two variables, i.e., 1) that the regeneration must be as complete as possible and, 2) that immunoadsorbents must be used several times without a loss of adsorption capacity, desorption was achieved with 0.3 M glycine adjusted to pH 2.8. Antibody release from the immunoadsorbent was determined and can be minimized by glutaraldehyde treatment of the immunoadsorbent. Each phase, adsorption and desorption, respectively, was well-defined and synchronized, so that two columns could be used in parallel in an automated procedure. The kinetics of plasma protein removal demonstrated the efficiency and the specificity of the procedure.

The aim of the present study was to determine optimum conditions for preparation and use of immunoadsorbents for removal of apolipoprotein B from plasma. An in vitro study was carried out to optimize different chromatography parameters: linear flow rate, apo B quantity loaded, gel regeneration conditions. Specificity of removal of apo B, stability of antibody covalent linkage and possible multiple use of immunoadsorbents were assessed. No significant loss of adsorption capacity was observed after sterilization and storage of immunoadsorbents.

A microprocessing system designed to collect and analyse data from respiratory epidemiological studies is described. It has several independent modules. The first module presents the questions from the European Coal and Steel Community questionnaire in a logical sequence and analyses and stores the responses. The second module is associated with a device that measures CO diffusion and determines gas exchange; it calculates, displays and stores the results. The last module collects and integrates digitally the flow measured at the mouth by a pneumotachograph during forced expiration, then displays and calculates the principal indices when certain programmed criteria for selection of flow-volume curves are met. All modules are connected to a numerical magnetic tape-recorder which centralizes the information data. The system is easily transportable and satisfactory for epidemiological studies.