The Ecology of Human Sleep (EcoSleep) Cohort Study: Protocol for a longitudinal repeated measurement burst design study to assess the relationship between sleep determinants and outcomes under real-world conditions across time of year.

The interplay of daily life factors, including mood, physical activity, or light exposure, influences sleep architecture and quality. Laboratory-based studies often isolate these determinants to establish causality, thereby sacrificing ecological validity. Furthermore, little is known about time-of-year changes in sleep and circadian-related variables at high resolution, including the magnitude of individual change across time of year under real-world conditions.

Furan in heat-treated foods: formation, exposure, toxicity, and aspects of risk assessment.

Furan is formed in a variety of heat-treated foods through thermal degradation of natural food constituents. Relatively high levels of furan contamination are found in ground roasted coffee, instant coffee, and processed baby foods. European exposure estimates suggest that mean dietary exposure to furan may be as high as 1.

Gene expression and epigenetic changes by furan in rat liver.

Furan, a widely used industrial compound, has been found in a number of heated food items. Furan is carcinogenic to rats and mice, but the mechanism behind its carcinogenic effect is still not well understood. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that alteration of gene expression relating to cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA damage and of epigenetic modifications including miRNA and DNA methylation may contribute to rodent carcinogenicity of furan.

Ragweed pollen in France: origin, diffusion, exposure.

Purpose Of The Study: To detect the origin of ragweed pollen and to measure the impact of this pollen exposure on allergic patients, so their sensitivity can be noted (using specific IgE production: sIgEw1) in order to inform the population about an "allergy" against those ragweed pollen grains.

Material And Methods: To measure population exposure to ragweed pollen, the R.N.

Hepatobiliary toxicity of furan: identification of furan metabolites in bile of male f344/n rats.

Furan, which occurs in a wide variety of heat-treated foods, is a potent hepatotoxicant and liver carcinogen in rodents. In a 2-year bioassay, furan caused hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas in mice and rats but also high incidences of bile duct tumors in rats. Furan is bioactivated by cytochrome P450 enzymes to cis-2-butene-1,4-dial, an α,β-unsaturated dialdehyde, which readily reacts with tissue nucleophiles.

Functional and proliferative effects of repeated low-dose oral administration of furan in rat liver.

Scope: Furan, a food contaminant formed during heat processing, induces hepatocellular tumors in rodents and high incidences of cholangiocarcinomas in rats even at the lowest dose (2 mg/kg b.w.) administered.

Stability of pedicle screws after kyphoplasty augmentation: an experimental study to compare transpedicular screw fixation in soft and cured kyphoplasty cement.

Objective: The goal of this cadaver study was to compare the stability of pedicle screws after implantation in soft or cured kyphoplasty cement.

Methods: Pedicle screws were inserted in a total of 30 thoracolumbar vertebrae of 10 different human specimens: 10 screws were implanted in nonaugmented vertebrae (group 1), each 10 screws were placed in soft (group 2) and cured (group 3) cement. Pedicle screws were than evaluated for biomechanical axial pullout resistance.

Stability of anterior vertebral body screws after kyphoplasty augmentation. An experimental study to compare anterior vertebral body screw fixation in soft and cured kyphoplasty cement.

The goal of this cadaver study was to compare the stability of anterior vertebral body screws after implantation in soft or cured kyphoplasty cement. Anterior vertebral body screws were inserted in a total of 30 thoracolumbar vertebrae of ten different human specimens: ten screws were implanted in non-augmented vertebrae (group 1), ten screws were placed in soft cement (group 2), and ten screws were placed in cured cement (group 3). The screws were then tested for biomechanical axial pullout resistance.

Anaphylaxis to the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine in child: a case-control study based on immediate responses in skin tests and specific IgE determination.

Injections of the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine are usually well tolerated. Skin tests (prick and intradermal) and a self-made RAST with pneumococcal vaccine and phenol were performed in a child reporting a severe anaphylactic reaction induced by a 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine, and in ten control children, including one child with a well-tolerated vaccination, and nine non-vaccinated children. Skin tests and RAST with the vaccine were positive in the child reporting anaphylaxis, and negative in nine of the control children.

Serum eosinophil cationic protein measurements in the management of perennial and periodic asthma: a prospective study.

We performed a prospective study in order: 1) to determine whether a correlation could be found between serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels and clinical and functional status in perennial asthmatics during a 5 month prospective study; and 2) to evaluate the relationship between allergic exposure and ECP levels in periodic asthmatics. Two groups of asthmatic patients were selected: a group of acutely ill perennial asthmatics and a group of periodic asthmatics. The acutely ill perennial asthmatics (n=22, mean age=39.

Variable estimates of cytokine levels produced by commercial ELISA kits: results using international cytokine standards.

Commercially available ELISA kits now make it possible to measure cytokines in biological samples and cell culture supernatants. We have compared the levels of IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha in various pathological plasma and synovial fluids, and in supernatants of human monocytes activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Measurements were performed using ELISA kits from different companies.

Excretion of platelet activating factor-acetylhydrolase and phospholipase A2 into nasal fluids after allergenic challenge: possible role in the regulation of platelet activating factor release.

Platelet activating factor (PAF), a proinflammatory mediator synthesized through a phospholipase A2 (PLA2)-dependent reaction, is hydrolyzed into its inactive metabolite, lyso-PAF, by a specific acetylhydrolase. Previous studies have shown that allergen challenge of patients with allergic rhinitis leads to an increase of the concentrations of lyso-PAF in nasal lavage fluid (NLF), whereas PAF is detected only marginally. PAF-hydrolyzing enzymes are expected to be released on allergenic challenge, to account for the reduced concentrations of PAF in NLF.

Onset and development of cyclosporin A effects on lymphocytes of cardiac patients before heart transplantation.

The effects of cyclosporin A (CSA) in low dosage (4 mg/kg/24 h i.v.) were studied in 17 patients awaiting heart transplantation.

How chronically administered valproate increases chlordiazepoxide transfer through the blood-brain barrier.

Sodium valproate (VPA) is a drug widely used in the treatment of epileptics often in association with benzodiazepines. Recent animal studies have shown that the addition of valproate increases diazepam levels in the cortex and the cerebellum (Hariton et al, 1985). The aim of our study was to determine the effect of VPA on the transfer of benzodiazepines through the blood-brain barrier.

[Value of cyclosporin A in dermatomyositis in a child].

Cyclosporin A was used in a 3 1/2 year-old child with dermatomyositis exhibiting severe junctional impairment and intolerance to steroids. After a few weeks, marked clinical improvement was observed allowing a reduction of the doses of steroids. After 9 months, the clinical status was satisfactory: the calcifications had lost their inflammatory characteristics.

Distribution of cyclosporin A between blood cells and plasma of cardiac and renal transplant recipients.

The relationship between blood cells and plasma concentrations of cyclosporin A (Cy A) determined by radioimmunoassay, was investigated in 12 heart and 12 kidney transplant recipients. The decision between a linear and nonlinear model was made according to a standardized residuals plot. We observed high blood cells-plasma concentration ratios in the two groups, indicating a high affinity of Cy A for blood cells.

Binding in vitro of pipequaline (45319 RP) onto plasma proteins and blood cells in man.

Serum binding of pipequaline, a new anxiolytic drug, was studied in vitro by equilibrium dialysis. The percent binding in serum is high, 96.3%, and remains constant within the range of therapeutic concentrations.

Effect of erythrocytes and plasma protein binding on the transport of progabide and SL 75102 through the rat blood-brain barrier.

Brain extraction of two antiepileptic compounds, progabide and its acid metabolite, SL 75102, was investigated using the carotid injection technique in the rat. The extent to which drug binding to plasma proteins could inhibit the brain extraction was measured. Equilibrium dialysis at 4 degrees showed that both drugs were highly bound to human serum proteins, mainly to serum albumin.

Progabide and SL 75102 binding to plasma proteins and red blood cells in humans.

The binding of progabide and its metabolite, SL 75102, was studied in vitro by equilibrium dialysis. The progabide binding percentage in serum remained constant (approximately equal to 96%) over a wide range of concentrations. Binding of progabide was characterized by one class of sites to human serum albumin (HSA) (n = 3.

Binding of bornaprolol to human serum proteins and blood cells.

The binding of 14C-bornaprolol to human serum proteins and to blood cells and platelets was studied by equilibrium dialysis and centrifugation. Bornaprolol binding to alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (n = 1.89, K = 433,900 M-1) was found to be a saturable phenomenon.

[In vitro study of ceftriaxone binding to blood].

Binding of ceftriaxone, a new third generation cephalosporin, to blood was studied in vitro. Steady state dialysis with 14C-ceftriaxone was used. Percentages of ceftriaxone bound to plasma within the range of therapeutic concentrations (10 to 1,000 microM) varied widely (80 to 50%).

In vitro binding study of gemfibrozil to human serum proteins and erythrocytes: interactions with other drugs.

The binding of gemfibrozil to human serum, isolated proteins and erythrocytes was studied in vitro by equilibrium dialysis. Our results show that this drug is highly bound to serum (99%) at therapeutic levels. Human serum albumin was shown to be mainly responsible for this binding (98.