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Différentes approches méthodologiques ont été mises en oeuvre afin d'approfondir nos connaissances sur la composition chimique (oxyde de métaux) et la minéralogie des particules en suspension dans l'air des environnements ferroviaires souterrains. Les essais réalisés à partir des échantillons sur filtre prélevés sur le quai d'une gare souterraine du réseau SNCF ont permis d'obtenir de premières informations sur la nature des composés présents. Elles se résument par la présence importante de phases métalliques observées au MEB (microscope à balayage) et identifiées par DRX (diffraction des rayons X) comme étant de la magnétite (Fe3O4) et de l'hématite (Fe2O3). La quantité de ces oxydes de fer a été estimée à près de 70% dans un des échantillons. Ces phases métalliques sont accompagnées de phases minérales (quartz, calcite, barytine, aluminosilicates et possiblement du gypse) et de sels, qui ont été confirmées par les analyses élémentaires au MEB. Les observations indiquent également une présence plus importante de particules minérales dans un second échantillon et ont permis d'identifier d'autres particules, comme les oxydes de zinc et de cuivre qui n'avaient pas été détectés par DRX., Several analytical methods were carried out to increase our knowledge on chemical (metals oxides) and mineral composition of particulate matter (PM10) in underground railway station environments. The sampling site is an underground SNCF station. Microscope observations (SEM-EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis were conducted on PM10 sampled on filters. SEM-EDS observations revealed high levels of metals, identified by XRD as magnetite (Fe3O4) and hematite (Fe2O3). About 70% of the crystalline phase of PM10 is estimated to be iron oxide. Mineral phase composed of quartz, calcite, barite, aluminosilicate and probably gypsum was observed by SEM-EDS analysis. The presence of salts was also observed. Moreover, the amount of mineral particles and the mineral composition of PM10 can be slightly different from a sample to another. Indeed, a higher amount of mineral particles in one of the samples enabled the detection of zinc oxide and copper oxide by XRD.

Early experiences, including prenatal environment, are known to influence a wide variety of mechanisms involved in the phenotype elaboration. We investigated the effect of the addition of endocrine disruptors or of a methyltransferase inhibitor during the embryonic development of quails from different genetic backgrounds (four different quail lines) on their growth and egg-laying performances. Fifty-four pairs of parents per line were used and fertilised eggs from each pair were randomly divided into five groups: a control group without any injection, an injected control group treated by injection into the egg of sesame oil, and three groups treated by injection of Genistein, Bisphenol A or 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine. All quails were individually weighed at 8, 21, 36 and 78 days. The age at first egg laid and the number of eggs laid were recorded. These analyses revealed a significant impact of the treatment on growth but no influence on the egg-laying traits. All three molecules significantly affected at least one of the analysed growth traits. In conclusion, we showed that the injection of endocrine disruptors or DNA methyltransferase inhibitor into the egg had significant effects on quail development; these effects were specific to each treatment, but no interaction between line and treatment was observed.

CASE The increase in smart technology and integration into health care is inevitable. We present a case of a smart wristwatch prompting a patient readmission to the emergency department for postoperative pulmonary embolism investigation and management. This prompted the assessment for community-based smart technology use and integration to the postoperative monitoring and the associated issues. CONCLUSION Community-based smart technology is here to stay and is developing at a staggering rate, specifically with the cross-over to health monitoring. Constant patient monitoring and alerts are advantages, with smart technology and medical attention in this case. Surrounding issues of the technology must be considered with implementation.

AIMS The pharmacokinetics (PK) of fluconazole and micafungin differ in neonates compared with children and adults. Dosing instructions in product labels appear to be inconsistent with the emerging scientific evidence. Limited information is available on the safety profile of these agents in neonates. Our objective was to study the population PK and safety of both drugs, randomly administered in neonates with suspected or confirmed systemic candidiasis. METHODS Neonates were randomized 1:1 to fluconazole (loading dose 25 mg kg-1 ; maintenance dose 12 mg kg-1 day-1 or 20 mg kg-1 day-1 , respectively, for infants

Resume Le theme de la precarite est nouveau pour l’ENCMM. Face a l’augmentation percue du nombre de deces maternels pouvant avoir un lien avec une situation de precarite, nous avons cherche a apprehender les principales dimensions pouvant contribuer a une mort maternelle dans ce contexte, afin d’en proposer une definition. La selection des cas faite a posteriori est majoritairement fondee sur un jugement qualitatif. Entre 2010 et 2012, parmi les dossiers expertises par le CNEMM, un ou plusieurs elements relevant de la vulnerabilite sociale ont ete identifies dans 8,6 % des cas (18 deces). Les criteres directs retenus ont ete les notions de « precarite » ou de « difficultes sociales », de difficultes d’hebergement, de barriere linguistique et d’isolement. L’absence de suivi de la grossesse a ete retenue comme marqueur indirect. Nous avons exclu les cas ou predominaient une pathologie psychiatrique et/ou une ou des addictions. Sur les 18 dossiers reperes avec facteurs de precarite, le deces a ete considere comme « inevitable » dans 2 cas (11 %), « certainement evitable » ou « peut-etre evitable » dans 13 cas (72 %). Dans 3 cas (17 %), l’evitabilite n’a pu etre determinee. L’evitabilite est en rapport avec le contenu et l’adequation des soins (11 cas sur 13, 85 %) et avec l’interaction de la patiente avec le systeme de soins dans 10 cas sur 18 (56 %). L’analyse des cas de deces maternels chez des femmes en situation de precarite permet de rappeler que le lien entre la precarite socioeconomique et les mauvais resultats de sante maternelle inclut potentiellement un risque specifique de deces maternel.

Infectious diseases are unpredictable, with heterogeneous clinical presentations, diverse pathogens, and various susceptibility rates to anti-infective agents. These features lead to a wide variety of clinical practices, which in turn strongly limits their evaluation. We have been using a medical table since 2005 to monitor the medical activity in our department. The observation of heterogeneous therapeutic practices led to drafting up our own antibiotic guidelines and to implementing a continuous evaluation of their observance and impact on morbidity and mortality associated with infectious diseases, including adverse effects of antibiotics, duration of hospital stay, use of intensive care, and deaths. The 10-year analysis of medical practices using the medical table is based on more than 10,000 hospitalizations. It shows simplified antibiotic therapies and a reduction in infection-related morbidity and mortality. The medical table is a major tool for antimicrobial stewardship, leading to constant benefits for patients.

International audience; The aim of this paper is to study the influence of the process parameters (cutting speed and feed) of the conventional trimming on cutting forces, machining temperatures, tool wear and machining quality of Carbon Fibers Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) using PCD tool. The machining quality was characterized using three different techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), 3D optical topography and X-ray tomography. The originality of this work is based mainly on the multi-scale characterization of the machined surfaces. In fact, a new parameter based on the measurement of the volume of craters is proposed and compared to the surface roughness criterion (Sa) and the X-ray tomography images. The obtained results show that, with the crater volume criterion as well as the X-ray tomography images, the effect of the machining parameters and the wear of the tool on the textured surfaces are well correlated to surface roughness criterion (Sa). In addition, it was observed that the feed speed and tool wear were the major factors affecting the cutting forces and the machining temperatures.

Resume But Les progres de l’endo-urologie ont considerablement reduit les indications de la chirurgie ouverte dans le traitement du calcul renal coralliforme. Neanmoins, dans notre experience, la chirurgie ouverte represente toujours le traitement de choix dans certains cas. Cette etude presente les resultats d’une serie de patients selectionnes, et discute des resultats en termes d’efficacite et de morbidite. Materiel Une cohorte de 26 patients a beneficie d’une nephrolithotomie bivalve par lombotomie, pour traiter un calcul coralliforme complexe. Resultats La taille moyenne des calculs etait de 68,5 mm, 70 % etaient des coralliformes complets. La duree operatoire etait de 100 minutes. La perte sanguine etait de 225 mL, avec un taux de transfusion post-operatoire de 15,4 %. La duree d’hospitalisation etait de 8,4 jours. Le taux de patients sans residu lithiasique suite a la procedure etait de 92 %. La clairance de la creatinine (MDRD) a 3 mois etait amelioree de 5,9 mL/min/m 2 en moyenne sur l’ensemble de la serie. Conclusion Il reste clairement des indications pour la chirurgie ouverte des calculs coralliformes, avec de bons resultats dans cette serie contemporaine tant sur le volume lithiasique que sur la preservation nephronique. Il apparait pourtant que cette technique n’est desormais plus enseignee. Niveau de preuve 5.

Every year in France, nearly 50 infants live in a prison nursery with their mother. According to French law, infants can live with their mother in the prison nursery until they reach 18 months of age. The international community is concerned about the lack of validated social, medical and legal data on these infants living in prison. This was a retrospective and descriptive study. Medical and paramedical files of the General Council of Île-et-Vilaine, France, were studied. Every infant born between 1998 and 2013 while their mother was in prison were included. Fifty-four files were collected. The average length of stay was 6.2 months (n=54). The type of the mother's prison sentence was property damage in 40 % of cases, personal injury in 51.1 % of cases and both in 8.9 % of cases (n=45). The length of the mother's imprisonment was on average 45 months, ranging from 3 to 216 months (n=34). After prison, 42.9 % of the infants were placed in foster care and 57.1 % resided with their family (n=42). This child-mother incarceration could be an opportunity for positive intergenerational paramedical, medical and social services. The lack of data and problems collecting data restrict our knowledge of these families. This should motivate a national follow-up for these children.

Hurler syndrome, the most severe form of mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I), is a rare lysosomal storage disease. The overall incidence of MPS I is 0.99-1.99/100,000 live births. Accumulation of glycosaminoglycans causes the progressive dysfunction of multiple organs. We report the case of a 3-week-old newborn who was hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for feeding problems. Coarse facial features and gingival hypertrophy, associated with axial hypotonia, upper airway obstruction, and moderate hepatomegaly, led to the early diagnosis of MPS I at 3 weeks of age and was confirmed by an abnormally elevated amount of dermatan and heparan sulphate in the urine and complete deficiency of alpha-L-iduronidase lysosomal enzyme activity. The child was homozygous for the p.W402X mutation, located on chromosome 4p16.3 of the alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA) gene. The clinical condition gradually deteriorated until the age of 4 months, with thoracic and lumbar dysostoses, glaucoma, cerebral ventricular dilatation and cervical spinal stenosis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and umbilical hernia. Early diagnosis allowed enzyme replacement therapy (iaronidase, Aldurazyme(®), Genzyme) started at the age of 5 months, which provided stabilization of the heart disease, significant regression of rhinologic symptoms, and regression of hepatomegaly. Cord blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was performed at 11 months of age, allowing optimal preservation of cognitive development.

BackgroundIn the absence of consensus, the present meta-analysis was performed to determine an optimal dosing regimen of vancomycin for neonates.MethodsA ‘meta-model’ using NONMEM with 4894 concentrations from 1631 neonates was built and Monte Carlo simulations were performed to design an optimal intermittent infusion, aiming at reaching a target AUC0-24 of 400 mg*h/L at steady state in at least 80% of neonates.ResultsA two-compartment model best fitted the data. Current weight, post-menstrual age (PMA) and serum creatinine were the significant covariates for clearance (CL). After model validation, simulations showed that a loading dose (25 mg/kg) and a maintenance dose (15 mg/kg twice daily if < 35 weeks PMA and 15 mg/kg three times daily if ≥ 35 weeks PMA) achieved the AUC0-24 target earlier than a standard ‘Blue Book’ dosage regimen in more than 89% of the treated patients.ConclusionsThe results of a population meta-analysis of vancomycin data have been used to develop a new dosing regimen for neonatal use and assist in the design of the model-based, multinational European trial, NeoVanc.Disclosure(s)Nothing to disclose

Overhead throwing is a common causative factor in disorders of the proximal biceps in athletes. In recent years, arthroscopic repair of unstable superior labral tears or biceps tendonitis involving the long head of the biceps tendon anchor has become the standard of care. However, in some cases, superior labrum anterior-posterior (SLAP) repair requires additional evaluation and even revision surgery, which contributes to patient dissatisfaction. Differentiating overall biceps tendonitis from superior labral tears alone can be a challenge. More recently, biceps tenodesis has been suggested as a potential option for the treatment of SLAP lesions in overhead athletes. This option is controversial, and data on return to play in overhead athletes are scant.

The current French hospital reform is based on the disease-related group (DRG) approach and the constitution of bigger units pooling several departments of different specialties. This reform needed an efficient assessment of various medical activities. We report our experience of a medical table of our hospital activities used for 27 months. This medical table was made with a basic software integrating 24 parameters. The original concept was the translation of the specific final diagnosis for DRG defined by the site of infection. To create this medical table, we first simplified the conclusions of the patient's chart using a consensual and systematic plan. The number of patients per DRG and their evolution were therefore specifically determined. The medical table helped us in the daily management of our department, to identify the area of recruitment, the potential for heterogeneous care, allowing the implementation of protocols and their applications. Moreover, the table quantified morbidity and mortality, indicating our need for cooperation with other departments. All this data used medical-lexical terms, allowing other than economic analyses, even if this table identifies hospitalization-related costs, namely duration of hospital-stay, nosocomial infections and iatrogenic events. Finally, our table supports medical research and evaluation of practice. Our future goals are to introduce this table in several infectious-diseases units, and create specific tables for the main RDG, including economic parameters.

The mechanism of the magnetic interaction in the α phase of the organic radical p-cyano-tetrafluorophenyl-dithiadiazolyl has been studied using a first-principles bottom-up theoretical procedure. Six JAB radical–radical magnetic interactions are computed to be larger than ∣0.05∣ cm−1 (two, with values +10.91 and −10.25 cm−1, dominate over the others, whose absolute values are always smaller than 1.5 cm−1). The connectivity of these non-negligible JAB interactions creates a complex 3D magnetic topology within the crystal. The computed magnetic susceptibility curve, χ, was also calculated by diagonalizing the matrix representation of the Heisenberg Hamiltonian, whose JAB parameters are set to their computed values. This fully reproduces the shape of the experimental curve and is consistent with the bulk antiferromagnetism reported experimentally (reflected in a sharp maximum observed in χ at 10 K). Attempts to model the magnetic susceptibility data using a simple model based only upon the two dominant interactions proved impossible.

There is wide variation in neonatal dosages of antibiotics in clinical practice, both nationally and internationally. This reflects the lack of evaluation of drugs in this therapeutic class, although widely prescribed. Given this situation, optimization of antibiotic prescription is required to ensure efficacy and safety of neonatal treatment and reduce microbial resistance. Rational prescription should be based on the knowledge of developmental pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Rigorous studies, conducted in collaboration between neonatologists and pharmacologists, are essential to develop and validate evidence-based neonatal dosage regimens.

Aims: We tested whether brain event-related potentials (ERPs) are normal in children with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) after early high-dose levothyroxine treatment. Methods: Auditory ERPs were recorded in 33 normal controls and in 15 children with CH at 5 years 9/12. Based on bone maturation at diagnosis, the CH group was divided into severe (n = 8) and moderate (n = 7) subgroups. CH patients were treated at a median age of 14 days with a mean initial dose of levothyroxine of 11.6 µg/kg·day. Two ERP components (N100 and N200) were measured and clinical follow-up variables collected. Results: The functional anatomical and cognitive organisation of the auditory system, as revealed by the analyses of ERP measures, did not differ between CH and controls, or between severe and moderate CH subjects. However, N200 latency was globally longer in the CH than in the control group (p = 0.01) and was positively correlated with the over-treatment index (r = 0.61; p < 0.05) and verbal IQ. N200 amplitude was negatively correlated with initial dose (r = –0.74; p < 0.005). Conclusion: These data suggest that sensitive tools such as ERPs can reveal differences between CH and controls and relate these differences to the adequacy of treatment of CH.

But Le but de cette etude est de determiner si les mesures de longueur axiale obtenues a l’aide du IOL Master ® (Zeiss Humphrey) avant et apres mise en place d’un implant phaque montrent des differences significatives. Patients et methodes Nous avons realise la mesure optique de la longueur axiale pour 25 yeux de 15 patients myopes, avant et apres la mise en place d’un implant phaque de differents modeles (PRL™, ICL™ et implant Artisan™). Les differences entre ces deux mesures ont ete calculees et comparees en utilisant le test non parametrique de Wilcoxon. Resultats La difference moyenne entre les mesures de la longueur axiale pre-operatoire et postoperatoire etait de - 0,016 mm (- 0,16 mm a 0,06 mm) et non significative ( p = 0,20). Ces mesures etaient fortement correlees ( r = 0,999 ; p Conclusion Nous avons demontre que la presence d’un implant phaque ne modifie pas de facon significative la longueur axiale mesuree a l’aide du IOL Master ® . Cette technique est ainsi capable de fournir des mesures de la longueur axiale precises et reproductibles dans cette situation. Cette application est utile lorsqu’une cataracte se developpe chez ces patients. En effet, il est alors indispensable de disposer d’une mesure fiable de la longueur axiale pour le calcul de l’implant de chambre posterieure.

But L’objectif de cette etude est de determiner les rapports anatomiques des implants phaques de chambre posterieure (IPCP) de modeles ICL et PRL par echographie de tres haute frequence (ETHF). Materiels et methodes Nous avons examine retrospectivement par ETHF 17 yeux corriges par ICL et 14 yeux apres mise en place d’un PRL. Les principaux parametres mesures et compares etaient la profondeur de chambre anterieure, la distance au centre et en peripherie entre l’IPCP et le cristallin, et la position exacte des haptiques. Resultats Les distances moyennes entre l’endothelium corneen et l’IPCP etaient de 2 398 ± 203 μm et de 2 640 ± 230 μm dans les groupes « ICL » et « PRL » respectivement. L’espace central preserve entre l’implant et le cristallin etait plus important dans les yeux du groupe « ICL » (402 ± 194 μm dans le groupe « ICL », 256 ± 187 μm dans le groupe « PRL », p Conclusion L’implantation phaque de chambre posterieure est une procedure sure au regard des resultats refractifs immediats. L’ETHF offre un moyen unique d’evaluer les relations de ces implants au sein de la chambre posterieure, afin de mieux comprendre les complications cristalliniennes et iriennes.

Advances in endourology have significantly reduced indications of open surgery in the treatment of staghorn calculi. However, in our experience, open surgery is still the treatment of choice in some cases. This study presents the results of a series of selected patients and discusses the results in terms of efficacy and morbidity.A cohort of 26 patients underwent anatrophic nephrolithotomy by lombotomy to treat a complex staghorn calculus.The mean stone size was 68,5mm, 70% were complete staghorn calculi. The operative time was 100minutes. Blood loss was 225mL, with a postoperative transfusion rate of 15.4%. The hospital stay was 8.4 days. The stone free rate following the procedure was 92%. The creatinine clearance (MDRD) at 3 months was improved from 5.9mL/min/m(2) on average over the entire series.There are clearly still indications for open surgery in staghorn stones management, with good results in this contemporary series on both stone removal and nephronic preservation. Yet, it appears that this technique is no longer taught.5.

Silver-copper alloys are condensed in a liquid-solid domain of the phase diagram on a tilted molybdenum substrate regulated in temperature. After a droplets regime, a film which contains a monolayer of nodular solid crystals forms. The size distribution and density of the particles in the film are measured after different condensation times. Results show that in our experimental conditions a ripening process occurs which is evidenced by a decrease of the number of particles with time, and a broad particle size distribution. However, the decrease rate is smaller than expected without a condensation flux. A model is then developed to interpret and generalize these results. This model results from the modification of the Lifshitz-Slyosov model [1] to take into account the supply from the vapour phase. It is shown that the higher the flux of material to solidify from the vapour phase is, the more the growth from the vapour phase overcomes the ripening process. Once the particle density reaches a characteristic value which is simply proportional to the incoming flux, no more particles are dissolved. The system then tends towards a monomodal distribution with a radius which grows in t 1/3 .

An experimental study of silver–copper alloys condensation with a composition entering a liquid–solid domain of the phase diagram is presented. The vapour beams were produced by two effusion cells heated by tungsten resistors and condensed on a tilted molybdenum substrate, regulated in temperature. Condensation durations were chosen to study the successive stages of the film formation. The microstructures of the quenched condensates showed that the mechanisms were similar in the case of copper rich and silver rich domains. At the beginning, droplets of condensation formed. The surface covered with the alloy increased with time. Later on, coalescences of droplets were observed and a film was established. Both droplets and film contained solid particles whose morphology was nodular. The average nodule radius and the number density of particles in the film were determined by image analysis. It was demonstrated that the cube of the average particle radius grew with time and that the number density of crystals was inversely proportional to time. These results were in good agreement with the Ostwald ripening law.

Silver–copper alloys with a composition entering a liquid–solid domain of the phase diagram are condensed on a tilted molybdenum substrate, regulated in temperature. Before the film regime, droplets of condensation contain nodular crystals, most of which are in contact with the substrate. A heterogeneous nucleation of the solid on the substrate is assumed. The film forms more quickly in the liquid–solid areas than in the liquid domains, which indicates that the crystals may constitute pinning points for the droplets. Moreover, the film/droplets boundary spreads in concordance with the isoconcentration curves, i.e. the solid fraction governs the time of the film formation. A correlation between the condensate thickness and the local solid fraction at the transition between film and droplets is given. At last, in the film areas, the gravity-dependent effect plays an important role. In case of the silver-rich condensate, the solid phase is expected to be more easily driven by the liquid flow.

cited By 0; International audience; no abstract

Hurler syndrome, the most severe form of mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I), is a rare lysosomal storage disease. The overall incidence of MPS I is 0.99-1.99/100,000 live births. Accumulation of glycosaminoglycans causes the progressive dysfunction of multiple organs. We report the case of a 3-week-old newborn who was hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for feeding problems. Coarse facial features and gingival hypertrophy, associated with axial hypotonia, upper airway obstruction, and moderate hepatomegaly, led to the early diagnosis of MPS I at 3 weeks of age and was confirmed by an abnormally elevated amount of dermatan and heparan sulphate in the urine and complete deficiency of alpha-L-iduronidase lysosomal enzyme activity. The child was homozygous for the p.W402X mutation, located on chromosome 4p16.3 of the alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA) gene. The clinical condition gradually deteriorated until the age of 4 months, with thoracic and lumbar dysostoses, glaucoma, cerebral ventricular dilatation and cervical spinal stenosis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and umbilical hernia. Early diagnosis allowed enzyme replacement therapy (iaronidase, Aldurazyme(®), Genzyme) started at the age of 5 months, which provided stabilization of the heart disease, significant regression of rhinologic symptoms, and regression of hepatomegaly. Cord blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was performed at 11 months of age, allowing optimal preservation of cognitive development.

International audience; An approach is proposed for the evaluation of surface fatigue damage of hot forming tools that undergo severe thermo mechanical loading. Fatigue crack propagation in a hot work tool steel X38CrMoV5‐47HRC is investigated using single‐edge cracked tension specimens with 3 different thicknesses (2.5, 1, 0.6 mm) and two R‐values. The stress intensity factor is evaluated with ABAQUS (R). Paris curves are established for the crack propagation experiments.

The current French hospital reform is based on the disease-related group (DRG) approach and the constitution of bigger units pooling several departments of different specialties. This reform needed an efficient assessment of various medical activities. We report our experience of a medical table of our hospital activities used for 27 months. This medical table was made with a basic software integrating 24 parameters. The original concept was the translation of the specific final diagnosis for DRG defined by the site of infection. To create this medical table, we first simplified the conclusions of the patient's chart using a consensual and systematic plan. The number of patients per DRG and their evolution were therefore specifically determined. The medical table helped us in the daily management of our department, to identify the area of recruitment, the potential for heterogeneous care, allowing the implementation of protocols and their applications. Moreover, the table quantified morbidity and mortality, indicating our need for cooperation with other departments. All this data used medical-lexical terms, allowing other than economic analyses, even if this table identifies hospitalization-related costs, namely duration of hospital-stay, nosocomial infections and iatrogenic events. Finally, our table supports medical research and evaluation of practice. Our future goals are to introduce this table in several infectious-diseases units, and create specific tables for the main RDG, including economic parameters.

Background and objectiveThe use of an opportunistic (also called scavenged) sampling strategy in a prospective pharmacokinetic study combined with population pharmacokinetic modelling has been proposed as an alternative strategy to conventional methods for accomplishing pharmacokinetic studies in neonates. However, the reliability of this approach in this particular paediatric population has not been evaluated. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the performance of an opportunistic sampling strategy for a population pharmacokinetic estimation as well as dose prediction, and compare this strategy to a pre-determined pharmacokinetic sampling approach.MethodsThree population pharmacokinetic models were derived for ciprofloxacin from opportunistic blood samples (SC model), pre-determined (i.e., scheduled) samples (TR model) and all samples (full model used to previously characterize ciprofloxacin pharmacokinetics), respectively, using NONMEM software. The predictive performance of developed models was evaluated in an independent group of patients.ResultsPharmacokinetic data from 60 newborns were obtained with a total of 430 samples available for analysis; 265 collected at pre-determined times and 165 that were scavenged from those obtained as part of clinical care. All data sets were fit using a two-compartment model with first order elimination. The SC model could identify the most significant covariates and provided reasonable estimates of population pharmacokinetic parameters (clearance and steady state volume of distribution) as compared to the TR and full models. Their predictive performances were further confirmed in an external validation by Bayesian estimation and showed similar results. Monte Carlo simulation based on AUC0–24/MIC using either the SC or the TR model gave similar dose prediction for ciprofloxacin.ConclusionBlood samples scavenged in the course of caring for neonates can be used to estimate ciprofloxacin pharmacokinetic parameters and therapeutic dose requirements.

The aim of this study was to determine whether eye length measurements obtained with the IOL Master (Zeiss Humphrey) before and after phakic IOL implantation would show any changes.In a prospective study, we used the IOL Master to measure optical biometry in 25 myopic eyes of 15 patients before and after phakic IOL implantation (PRL, ICL, Artisan). The differences between both axial length measurements were calculated and compared using a nonparametric Wilcoxon test.The difference between the preoperative and postoperative measurements ranged from -0.16 mm to 0.06 mm and averaged -0.016 mm, which was not statistically significant (p=0.20). Both measurements correlated in a highly positive manner (r=0.999; p0.0001). The reproducibility of the preoperative and postoperative axial length measurements was very high (coefficient of variation=0.09% and 0.07%, respectively). The precision was 26 microm for preoperative measurements and 19 microm for postoperative measurements.Our results showed that postoperative measurements of axial length are highly comparable to preoperative measurements and that optical biometry can achieve highly precise and reliable axial length measurements in eyes with phakic IOLs. This application becomes clinically relevant in evaluating eyes with phakic IOLs that might require cataract surgery. Hence, accurate axial length measurements in eyes with phakic IOLs will be extremely important when cataract occurs in these eyes and when the preoperative measurements are no longer available.

A quantitative trait loci (QTL) study was undertaken to identify genome regions involved in the control of fearfulness in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). An F2 cross was made between two quail lines divergently selected over 29 generations on duration of tonic immobility (DTI), a catatonic-like state of reduced responsiveness to a stressful stimulation. A total of 1065 animals were measured for the logarithm of DTI (LOGTI), the number of inductions (NI) necessary to induce the immobility reaction, open-field behaviour including locomotor activity (MOVE), latency before first movement (LAT), number of jumps (JUMP), dejections (DEJ) and shouts (SHOUT), corticosterone level after a contention stress (LOGCORT) and body weight at 2 weeks of age (BW2). A total of 310 animals were included in a genome scan using selective genotyping with 248 AFLP markers. A total of 21 suggestive or genome-wide significant QTL were observed. Two highly significant QTL were identified on linkage group 1 (GL1), one for LOGTI and one for NI. In the vicinity of the QTL for LOGTI, a nearly significant QTL for SHOUT and a suggestive QTL for LAT were also identified. On GL3, genome-wide significant QTL were observed for JUMP and DEJ as well as suggestive QTL for LOGTI, MOVE, SHOUT and LAT. A significant QTL for BW2 was observed on GL2 and a nearly significant one on GL1. These results may be useful in the understanding of fearfulness in quail and related species provided that fearfulness has the same genetic basis.

International audience; This paper summarizes the thermal fatigue testing conditions that can be found in the literature about shape‐forming tools. The importance of the local geometry of the tools is discussed. The key point of the study is to demonstrate that a reproduction of thermal fatigue conditions must take into account a size effect: the same apparent thermal shock does not have the same effect in a large, thick tool as it has in a small, thin laboratory specimen. This paper proposes a method to evaluate what kind of thermal shock to perform on the laboratory specimen to replicate a thermal shock observed in the large and thick tool. A global method of design of a thermal fatigue experiment is given for a cylindrical specimen, provided that the maximum temperature, maximum thermal stresses, and the corresponding time in the cycle have been previously determined A method to determine the required data is proposed. A definition of the intensity of the thermal shocks is proposed and damages on specimen surfaces are illustrated with regard to that definition.

We present two cases of persons wearing hard contact lenses resulting in corneal modifications which could have falsified the indications for LASIK.In the first case the use of hard contact lenses led to thickening of the cornea which might have led to an erroneous indication for LASIK and an excessive thinning of the cornea. In the second case, the shape of the cornea was modified and the rigid lens masked a subclinical keratoconus.Since corneal ectasia is the major complication of LASIK surgery due to excessive thinning of the cornea or LASIK surgery on an undiagnosed keratoconus, these two cases illustrate the importance of a pre-LASIK eye examination for patients wearing hard lenses several weeks after these contact lenses have been discontinued.

To evaluate our management of postoperative endophthalmitis and compare our protocol to the Endophthalmitis Vitrectomy Study's (EVS) recommended protocol.This study comprises 52 patients with postoperative endophthalmitis treated with the same protocol in 1996 and 1997. Patients were given an intravitreal injection of antibiotics (vancomycin-amikacin) and steroids (dexamethasone), systemic antibiotics (pefloxacin-piperracillin), and systemic steroids in bolus. Vitrectomy was not systematic. So as not to delay the treatment, cultures were obtained only from an anterior chamber paracentesis.Visual acuity was measurable in 86.5% of the patients, with 20/100 in 63.4% and 20/40 in 44.2%. Our results are similar to those of the EVS even when initial visual acuity was Light Perception.Our protocol is simple and easy to perform in all ophthalmology centers. It is based on intravitreal injection, which must be performed as quickly as possible.

The aim of this study was to analyse the tolerance of Myopic Anterior Chamber IOL's 8 years after surgery.We have studied 21 eyes implanted with an anterior chamber phakic IOL between May 1989 and June 1990. The 21 eyes had a very high myopia (mean pre-operative myopia--13.5 Dipters). Surgical technique was easy, without peroperative complications.Post-operative refractive results were excellent with a mean refraction of -0.25 D. Post-operative complications were a pupillary ovalisation in 42% of the eyes and glare in 50% of the eyes. Specular microscopy was normal pre-operatively for all the eyes but at 8 years, 4 (19%) of the eyes have had a strong loss of their endothelial cells and have to be explanted. Decreasing of endothelial cells is the most severe complication occurring after Phakic anterior chamber myopic IOL implantation.These 21 Myopic Anterior chamber IOL's have given a very good refractive result for all the eyes. 4 (19%) of the eyes operated on with these IOL's had a decreasing of their endothelial cells and the IOL had to be removed. Rigourous follow-up of the implanted eyes is required.

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To determine the tolerance of the corneal endothelium and of the haemato-ocular barrier of phakic highly myopic eyes implanted with an anterior chamber I.O.L.ses.Twenty-one phakic highly myopic were operated on with a Z.B.A.C.I.O.L. (manufactured by Domilens) by the same surgeon from May 1989 to June 1990. Complete examination including specular microscopy have been performed before surgery and each 6 months and a Laser Flare Cell Meter at 3 years was performed on 14 eyes.Two eyes of the same patient had to be explanted after surgery for important endothelial cell loss. The 19 others had no complication: no cataract, no loss of endothelial cells, no retinal detachment. 14 eyes examined with a Laser Cell Flare Meter had results within normal limits. So, 19 out of 21 eyes implanted for high myopia with Z.B.A.C.I.O.L. have excellent results 4 years after surgery.Regarding these results, it seems possible to use this technique again with the new designed Anterior Chamber I.O.L.. Rigorous follow-up of all the implanted eyes is however required.