Spectral histology of hair and hair follicle using infrared microspectroscopy.

Objective: Today, there is only limited knowledge of the spatial organization of hair chemistry. Infrared microspectroscopy is a well-established tool to provide such information and has significantly contributed to this field. In this study, we present new results combining multiple infrared microspectroscopy methods at different length scales to create a better chemical histology of human hair, including the hair follicle, hair shaft, hair medulla and hair cuticle.

Knowledge and Practices of Cypriot Bovine Farmers towards Effective and Safe Manure Management.

Manure from bovine farms is commonly used as an organic fertiliser. However, if not properly managed, it can spread significant biological and chemical hazards, threatening both human and animal health. The effectiveness of risk control hugely relies on farmers' knowledge regarding safe manure management and on the application of suitable management practices.

The impact of proline isomerization on antigen binding and the analytical profile of a trispecific anti-HIV antibody.

Proline conformational isomerization is a mechanism that affects different types of protein functions and behaviors. Using analytical characterization, structural analysis, and molecular dynamics simulations, we studied the causes of an aberrant two-peak size-exclusion chromatography profile observed for a trispecific anti-HIV antibody. We found that proline isomerization in the tyrosine-proline-proline (YPP) motif in the heavy chain complementarity-determining region (CDR)3 domain of one of the antibody arms (10e8v4) was a component of this profile.

[Telemedicine in rural areas: general practitioners’ representations and experiences].

Introduction: Telemedicine is a rapidly growing new mode of healthcare practice. It is particularly used and needed in remote areas in Lorraine (North East of France) that currently face a shortage of general practitioners and specialists. The objective of this study was to analyse general practitioner’s representations of telemedicine and teleconsultation.

Use of near-infrared spectroscopy during a vascular occlusion test to assess the microcirculatory response during fluid challenge.

Introduction: Adequate volume expansion (VE) in patients with evidence of hypoperfusion should be aimed not only at achieving an increase in stroke volume (SV) and cardiac index (CI) but also at improved tissue perfusion and oxygenation. Our aim in this study was to assess the dynamic changes in muscle tissue oxygen saturation (StO₂) during hypovolaemia and in response to VE.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 42 fluid challenges in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery with evidence of hypovolaemia, defined as pulse pressure variation (PPV) >13% and SV variation (SVV) >12%.

[Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT)].

Bipolar disorder is common, recurrent, often severe and debiliting disorder. All types of bipolar disorder have a common determinant: depressive episode. It is justify to propose a psychotherapy which shown efficacy in depression.

[Contraception, therapeutic abortion, and pulmonary arterial hypertension].

Despite therapeutic advances, maternal mortality is high in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PAH treatment may interfere with the proposed method of contraception. Moreover, some treatments (endothelin receptor antagonists, anti-vitamin K) are teratogenic.

Response of Thlaspi caerulescens to nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur fertilisation.

The main limiting factor for cleaning-up contaminated soils with hyperaccumulator plants is the low production of aerial biomass and the number of successive crops needed to reach the objective of remediation. The aim of this study was to contribute to the determination of a fertilisation strategy to optimise soil metal phytoextraction by Thlaspi caerulescens. A pot experiment was conducted on an agricultural soil and on a contaminated soil from the vicinity of a former Pb/Zn smelter.

False aneurysm of the palmar arch in a child.

False aneurysm of the arteries of the hand are extremely rare in children, despite high frequency of hand injuries. The authors report one case of false aneurysm in the superficial palmar arch in a 5-year-old girl. The aneurysm was resected, and vascular reconstruction was performed by end-to-end microscopic anastomosis.

Estrogenic activity of herbs commonly used as remedies for menopausal symptoms.

Objective: Women are increasingly turning to herbal therapies in an effort to manage their menopausal symptoms. In this study, we investigate the estrogenic activity of four selected herbs commonly used in menopause, namely dong quai, ginseng, black cohosh, and licorice root.

Design: We investigated the effect of these selected herbs on cell proliferation of MCF-7 cells, a human breast cancer cell line.

[Initiation of treatment with olanzapine in a patient hospitalized at UMD].

Miss R is a 28-year-old patient presenting with paranoid schizophrenia. During a second acute psychotic episode involving attempted murder of her son, she was forcibly hospitalized in a Difficult Patients Unit. Following failure of treatment with a standard antipsychotic, therapy with olanzapine was rapidly initiated.

AP-2 family members regulate basal and cAMP-induced expression of human chorionic gonadotropin.

The AP-2 family of transcriptional regulator proteins has three members, alpha, beta and gamma. AP-2alpha and gamma are expressed in placenta and in the human trophoblast cell line JEG-3. AP-2 has been shown to regulate expression of the placental human chorionic gonado-tropin (hCG) alpha- and beta-subunit genes, however, previous work did not distinguish between the family members.

Cloning and sequencing of the equine testicular follitropin receptor.

To investigate the possibility that specific structural determinants within the equine follitropin receptor (eFSHR) are critical to the enhanced specificity of this receptor compared to other FSHRs, we used the RACE-PCR technique to clone the eFSHR from equine testis. Sequence analysis revealed that the eFSHR is highly homologous to other mammal FSHRs, but it presents 10 unique amino acid residue replacements in the extracellular domain. Furthermore, a potential N-glycosylation site was detected at a position not encountered in other receptors.

Expression of the human follicle-stimulating hormone receptor in the baculovirus system.

Human follitropin receptor (hFSHR) cDNA was inserted into the genome of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus under the control of the polyhedrin promoter. Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells expressed the hFSHR at the membrane level, 2-3 days after infection. Ligand binding analysis demonstrated saturable, high-affinity binding of 125I-labeled recombinant hFSH (Kd = 0.

Influence of protein-quaternary structure on antigen processing.

T cell recognition of the quaternary structure of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), resulting from the association between its alpha (hCG-alpha) and beta (hCG-beta) subunits, was analyzed using hCG-alpha and hCG-beta T cell hybridomas produced in BALB/c mice. First, the fine specificity of these T cell hybridomas was determined, enabling us to divide hCG-alpha-specific T cell hybridomas into two groups. Group I recognized the hCG-alpha(61-81) region, and group II responded to the hCG-alpha(50-70) part of the molecule.

Immune recognition of a molecule naturally presented as a monomeric or an oligomeric structure: the model of the human chorionic gonadotropin alpha subunit.

The immune recognition of a molecule naturally presented as a monomeric or an oligomeric structure is analyzed using the human chorionic gonadotropin alpha subunit (hCG-alpha) as a model. Indeed, hCG-alpha circulates as either a free subunit or combined to the beta subunit (hCG-beta) to form the dimeric hCG hormone. A T cell study was performed in BALB/c (H-2d) mice which were found to be high responders to hCG-alpha.