[Autoimmune and inflammatory pathologies associated with systemic scleroderma: Clinical, serological and prognostic profiles. Bi-centric retrospective series in the PACA region].

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare auto-immune disease, affecting principally women between 40 and 60 years old. It is caracterised by a cutaneous and visceral fibrosis, an alteration of the microvascular network and the presence of autoantibodies. SSc can be associated with another connectivite tissue disease or to other autoimmune diseases, thus defining the overlap syndrome.

HW/SW Platform for Measurement and Evaluation of Ultrasonic Underwater Communications.

The purpose of this work is to present a flexible system that supports the study of wideband underwater acoustic communications (UAC). It has been developed both to measure channels and to test transmission techniques under realistic conditions in the ultrasonic band. This platform consists of a hardware (HW) part that includes multiple hydrophones, projectors, analog front-ends, acquisition boards, and computers, and a software (SW) part for the generation, reception, and management of acoustic sounding signals and noise.

[Diagnostic issues of Whipple's disease during chronic inflammatory rheumatism: About three cases].

Introduction: Whipple's disease (WD) can mimic chronic inflammatory rheumatism leading to incorrect prescription of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFI). Several complicated cases of WD have been reported during TNFI treatment which is strongly suspected to modify the host-pathogen relationship. Tropheryma whipplei asymptomatic carriage is high in the general population, making the diagnosis of WD more difficult face to unexplained arthritis.

Measurement and Modeling of Narrowband Channels for Ultrasonic Underwater Communications.

Underwater acoustic sensor networks are a promising technology that allow real-time data collection in seas and oceans for a wide variety of applications. Smaller size and weight sensors can be achieved with working frequencies shifted from audio to the ultrasonic band. At these frequencies, the fading phenomena has a significant presence in the channel behavior, and the design of a reliable communication link between the network sensors will require a precise characterization of it.

Novel formulation of the ℳ model through the Generalized-K distribution for atmospheric optical channels.

In this paper, a novel and deeper physical interpretation on the recently published Málaga or ℳ statistical distribution is provided. This distribution, which is having a wide acceptance by the scientific community, models the optical irradiance scintillation induced by the atmospheric turbulence. Here, the analytical expressions previously published are modified in order to express them by a mixture of the known Generalized-K and discrete Binomial and Negative Binomial distributions.

Spatially correlated gamma-gamma scintillation in atmospheric optical channels.

In this paper, novel analytical closed-form expressions are derived for the probability density function of the sum of identically distributed correlated gamma-gamma random variables that models an optical atmospheric channel communication with receiver spatial diversity. The mathematical expressions here proposed provide a general procedure to obtain information about the scintillation effects induced by turbulence over a diversity reception scheme implementing equal-gain combining method. Both, validity and accuracy of the obtained statistical distribution are corroborated by comparing the analytical results to numerical results obtained by Monte-Carlo simulations.

On the capacity of M-distributed atmospheric optical channels.

In this Letter, closed-form expressions of ergodic capacity, outage probability, and outage rate are derived for an atmospheric optical communication link using intensity modulation and direct detection with unbounded optical wavefront propagating through a homogeneous and isotropic turbulent medium. The optical scintillation of the received signal is modeled with the recently proposed Málaga or M turbulence distribution. By taking advantage of this unifying statistical model, the expressions here presented are valid for all possible irradiance fluctuation conditions, leading to direct relationships between turbulence parameters and link capacity performance.

Frequency of barodontalgia among military or civilian pilots and aircrew members.

Background: Barodontalgia is dental pain triggered by a change in barometric pressure and can be severe enough to cause in-flight incapacitation. There is a large variation of in-flight barodontalgia incidence in the literature and most of the current epidemiological data on barodontalgia has been compiled from military aircrew. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of barodontalgia in French military and civilian aircrew.

Impact of pointing errors on the performance of generalized atmospheric optical channels.

Recently, a new and generalized statistical model, called M or Málaga distribution, was proposed to model the irradiance fluctuations of an unbounded optical wavefront (plane and spherical waves) propagating through a turbulent medium under all irradiance fluctuation conditions in homogeneous, isotropic turbulence. Málaga distribution was demonstrated to have the advantage of unifying most of the proposed statistical models derived until now in the bibliography in a closed-form expression providing, in addition, an excellent agreement with published plane wave and spherical wave simulation data over a wide range of turbulence conditions (weak to strong). Now, such a model is completed by including the adverse effect of pointing error losses due to misalignment.

[Current treatment of rheumatoid arthritis].

Over the past 10 years, the management of rheumatoid arthritis has been revolutionized. Early diagnosis is essential and should allow an early initiation of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD), if possible within the first 3 three months after disease onset, aiming at disease remission and the best long-term prognosis. Recommendations for the prescription of synthetic and biologic DMARD (mainly anti-TNFalpha agents) are available since September 2007 [6] by HAS in France.

[Oedematous polyarthritis and myopericarditis as presenting features of periarteritis nodosa].

Remitting symmetrical seronegative synovitis with pitting edema (RS3PE) syndrome is a rare type of seronegative polyarthritis occurring in the elderly. It can be associated to various diseases. We report a case of RS3PE syndrome associated with myopericarditis, leading to the diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa in a 71-year-old patient admitted to the hospital for a febrile acute polyarthritis with pitting edema of the hands associated with a marked inflammatory syndrome.

[Non-diseases: another field for the specialist of internal medicine].

Purpose: Non-diseases are a heterogeneous group of symptoms, preoccupations or phenomenon that are felt or interpreted as pathological and so justifiable of medical intervention. Most doctors easily recognize illnesses that require no medical act. However, as a result of a medical misinterpretation or wrong reasoning, physicians may diagnose a non-disease and prescribe a non adapted treatment.

[Diabetes insipidus revealing chronic myelomonocytic leukemia].

Introduction: Central diabetes insipidus is most frequently reported to occur after a trauma from surgery or accident. However, between 30 and 50% of cases are considered idiopathic. It's a rare complication of myelodysplastic syndrome.

[Multi-organ failures during septic shock from Escherichia coli urinary tract infection: catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome?].

Introduction: Although the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies is not an uncommon fact during infection, their responsibility in serious manifestations can still be debated and questions the existence of an actual catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome or multivisceral faintings, triggered by the infection only, since the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies is not pathogenous.

Case: A 68-year-old man presented during an Escherichia coli urinary tract infection a septic shock with renal and cardiac insufficiencies, hepatic cytolysis and cholestasis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. There was a significant titer of antiphospholipid antibodies IgG (50 UGPL/ml) with an antibêta2-glycoprotein-1 positivity.

LBBB in aircrew with low cardiac risk: diagnostic application of multislice CT.

Introduction: Because of its excellent negative predictive value for diagnosing coronary stenoses, multislice computed tomography (MSCT) may be a way to assess the absence of significant coronary stenosis. We discussed its place in aeromedical decision-making for aircrew members with a low level of cardiovascular risk factors and acquired left bundle branch block (LBBB).

Methods And Results: During the period 2002-2004, 12 male aircrew members (mean age: 42.

[Pulmonary eosinophilia in France: possible toxocariasis].

Introduction: In France, except in the overseas departments and territories, pulmonary eosinophilia rarely has a parasitic cause except among subjects who have traveled to tropic areas.

Case: A 19-year-old man was hospitalized for incidentally discovered hypereosinophilia. The thoracic CT scan showed several hyperdense nodules that suggested bilateral interstitial alveolar lesions.