Using chaotic dynamics to characterize the complexity of rough surfaces.

In this work, we use the basic ingredients of chaotic dynamics (stretching and folding of phase space points) for the characterization of the complexity of microscopy images of rough surfaces. The key idea is to use an image as the initial condition of a chaotic discrete dynamical system, such as the Arnold cat map, and track its transformations during the first iterations of the map. Since the basic effects of the Arnold map are the stretching and folding of image texture, the application of the map leads to an enhancement of the high frequency content of images along with an increase of discontinuities in pixel intensities.

Safety of biological agents in paediatric rheumatic diseases: A real-life multicenter retrospective study using the JIRcohorte database.

Objective: To analyse and report the incidence of side effects of biological agents in paediatric patients with inflammatory diseases using of real-life follow-up cohort.

Methods: In this international, observational, retrospective, multicentre study of children treated by biological agents and followed in the Juvenile Inflammatory Rheumatism (JIR) cohort (JIRcohorte) network, a Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the occurrence of adverse events. A Cox model was constructed to identify independent predictors of adverse events.

CACP syndrome: identification of five novel mutations and of the first case of UPD in the largest European cohort.

Camptodactyly-Arthropathy-Coxa vara-Pericarditis (CACP) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in PRG4 gene that encodes for proteoglycan 4, a mucin-like glycoprotein that is the major lubricant for joints and tendon surfaces. The molecular studies reported so far have described the identification of 15 mutations associated with this syndrome and the majority of them were found in families of Arabian origin. Here we report the molecular investigation of the largest European cohort that comprises 13 patients, and allowed the identification of 5 novel mutations and of the first case of CACP syndrome resulting from uniparental disomy of chromosome 1.

Validation of the new paediatric criteria for the diagnosis of familial Mediterranean fever: data from a mixed population of 100 children from the French reference centre for auto-inflammatory disorders.

Objective: We aimed to validate the new paediatric criteria for diagnosis of FMF in a mixed population of 100 French patients.

Methods: The study group included 100 FMF children from the French reference centre for auto-inflammatory disorders. A control group of 40 patients with unexplained recurrent fever was reviewed in parallel.

EULAR/PRINTO/PRES criteria for Henoch-Schönlein purpura, childhood polyarteritis nodosa, childhood Wegener granulomatosis and childhood Takayasu arteritis: Ankara 2008. Part II: Final classification criteria.

Objectives: To validate the previously proposed classification criteria for Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), childhood polyarteritis nodosa (c-PAN), c-Wegener granulomatosis (c-WG) and c-Takayasu arteritis (c-TA).

Methods: Step 1: retrospective/prospective web-data collection for children with HSP, c-PAN, c-WG and c-TA with age at diagnosis View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Agrobacterium radiobacter bacteremia in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background: Agrobacteria are Gram-negative tumorigenic plant pathogens that rarely cause infections in humans.

Methods: The authors describe a 7-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who carried a central venous catheter and developed bacteremia due to Agrobacterium radiobacter (A. radiobacter).

Hemodynamic interaction between portal vein and hepatic artery flow in small-for-size split liver transplantation.

In split-liver transplantation, the entire portal flow is redirected through relatively small-for-size grafts. It has been postulated that excessive portal blood flow leads to graft injury. In order to elucidate the mechanisms of this injury, we studied the hemodynamic interactions between portal vein- and hepatic artery flow in an experimental model in pigs.

The vulnerable esophagus: riboflavin deficiency and squamous cell dysplasia of the skin and the esophagus.

Eleven male baboons fed a synthetic diet completely lacking in riboflavin developed, after 15-36 weeks, profound macroscopic and microscopic architectural disorganization of the skin, mouth, and esophagus. The cutaneous lesions showed hyperkeratosis, gross derangement of keratinization with acanthosis, and impressive pseudocarcinomatous hyperplasia. In 5 baboons that died or were killed, there were large penetrating lesions having raised epithelial edges at the lower third of the esophagus or at the cardioesophageal junction, with gross epithelial hyperplasia and grossly deranged and thickened keratinization and numerous mitotic figures.