Physical fitness and fatness in adolescents with intellectual disabilities.

Background: This study investigated health-related fitness in adolescents with intellectual disabilities and analysed the various performances in physical fitness tests according to degrees of obesity.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-seven French intellectual disabilities adolescents (14.24 ± 1.

Localized nasopharyngeal amyloidosis.

Objectives: To illustrate, via a case report, how a differential diagnosis of amyloidosis is to be suspected in case of a nasopharyngeal mass.

Case Report: A 59-year-old woman presented with bilateral nasal obstruction with associated episodic tubal dysfunction. Physical examination found a mass occupying the entire nasopharynx, initially suggestive of tumor.

[Is there a benefit to continue pap smear screening for cervical cancer after 65 years of age? A retrospective study on 53,644 women].

Background: One third of cervical cancers are discovered after age 65. French guidelines allow women to cease having cervical pap smears at age 65, providing they have had a minimum of two consecutive negative smears.

Aim: To study the frequency of pathological smears in the group of women aged over 65 with a normal and sufficient cytological follow-up, according to the guidelines.

Prenatal diagnosis of 'isolated' Dandy-Walker malformation: imaging findings and prenatal counselling.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to improve prenatal imaging diagnosis and counselling for cases of 'isolated' Dandy-Walker malformation (DWM) in the light of recent literature, which has demonstrated a potential good clinical and intellectual outcome of fetuses presenting with DWM characterised by partial vermian agenesis (identification of two fissures and three lobes) and absence of associated anatomical anomalies.

Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of six consecutive prenatal cystic posterior fossa malformations, diagnosed as DWM, encountered in a national reference centre for posterior fossa malformations over a 2-year period.

Results: In all cases, DWM was diagnosed as isolated (without any associated central nervous system or extra-central nervous system malformations and normal standard karyotype).

Figures and institutions of the neurological sciences in Paris from 1800 to 1950. Part III: neurology.

We present a short historical review of the major figures, their administrative functions and their works that contributed to make Paris a renowned centre of physiology and neurology during the xixth and the first half of the xxth century. We purposely chose to focus on the period 1800-1950, as 1800 corresponds to the actual beginning of neurosciences, and 1950 marks their exponential rise. Our presentation is divided into four chapters, matching the main disciplines which have progressed and contributed the most to the knowledge we have of the brain sciences: anatomy, physiology, neurology, and psychiatry-psychology.

Disentangling the effects of local and regional factors on the thermal tolerance of freshwater crustaceans.

In the global warming context, we compared the thermal tolerance of several populations of the crustacean Gammarus pulex (Amphipoda: Gammaridae) along a latitudinal thermal gradient in the Rhône Valley. To disentangle the effect of regional (North vs. South) and local (site-specific) factors, the ecophysiological responses of populations were investigated at two levels of biological organisation: whole organism level considering body size [critical thermal maximum (CTmax), mean speed of locomotion (MS), time mobile (TM)] and organelle function level [mitochondrial respiratory control ratios (RCRs)].

Toxoplasma gondii: identification and immune response against a group of proteins involved in cellular invasion.

Toxoplasma gondii is an ubiquitous intracellular parasite, causative agent of toxoplasmosis, and a worldwide zoonosis for which an effective vaccine is needed. A group of proteins secreted by tachyzoites during host-cell invasion was isolated from the interaction medium. It induced the permeability of the cells as assessed by alpha-sarcin and consequently facilitated the entry of the parasite into the cells.

The chicken chorioallantoic membrane tumor assay as model for qualitative testing of oncolytic adenoviruses.

Oncolytic adenoviruses are promising anticancer agents. To study and optimize their tumor-killing potency, genuine tumor models are required. Here we describe the use of the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) tumor model in studies on oncolytic adenoviral vectors.

Readout of the intrinsic and extrinsic properties of a stimulus from un-experienced neuronal activities: towards cognitive neuroprostheses.

While sensory and motor systems have attracted most of the research effort in the field neuroprosthetics, little attention has been devoted to higher order cortical processes. Here, we propose a first step in the direction of applying neural decoding to the study and manipulation of visuospatial attention, an endogenous process at the interface between sensory and motor functions. To this aim, we investigate whether the offline activity of a population of non-human primate frontal eye field neurons (FEF) in response to an endogenous cue can be readout on a trial by trial basis to provide a precise description of the cue's attributes, namely, its location and identity, but also the allocation of attention following its interpretation.

[Human metapneumovirus: Characteristics, and therapeutic advances 10 years after its discovery].

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV), described for the first time in 2001 by the team of Pr Albert Osterhaus [1], is one of the main viral pathogens responsible for human respiratory tract infections. It may cause death in elderly and immunocompromised patients. The agent most closely related to hMPV is the human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV), the main virus involved in bronchiolitis and pneumonia in young children and in respiratory tract infections in the elderly.

Simple preconditioning for time-dependent density functional perturbation theory.

By far, the most common use of time-dependent density functional theory is in the linear-reponse regime, where it provides information about electronic excitations. Ideally, the linear-response equations should be solved by a method that avoids the use of the unoccupied Kohn-Sham states--such as the Sternheimer method--as this reduces the complexity and increases the precision of the calculation. However, the Sternheimer equation becomes ill-conditioned near and indefinite above the first resonant frequency, seriously hindering the use of efficient iterative solution methods.

Strain-rate imaging predicts the attenuation of left ventricular remodeling induced by ischemic postconditioning after myocardial infarction in mice.

Background: Systolic strain rate (SR) has been shown to correlate with the transmural extent of myocardial infarction (MI). Ischemic postconditioning (PC) decreases MI size. We aimed to determine whether SR may predict the reduction of left ventricular (LV) remodeling induced by PC in a murine model of ischemia-reperfusion.

Comparing antidepressant treatment patterns in older and younger adults: a claims database analysis.

Objectives: To compare depressed older (≥65) and younger (25-64) adults with regard to antidepressant treatment patterns and to assess factors associated with 180-day nonpersistence.

Design: Retrospective matched cohort study.

Setting: U.

Expression and function of arginine-producing and consuming-enzymes in the kidney.

The kidney plays a key role in arginine metabolism. Arginine production is controlled by argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) and argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) which metabolize citrulline and aspartate to arginine and fumarate whereas arginine consumption is dependent on arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (GAT), which mediates creatine and ornithine synthesis. Histological and biochemical techniques have been used to study the distribution and activity of these enzymes in anatomically dissected segments, in isolated fragments of tubules and in whole tissues.

Clinical characteristics and survival in systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) complicating systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related interstitial lung disease (ILD) is usually associated with a poor prognosis. However, data are either lacking or scarce on prognostic factors in this condition. The objectives of this study were to compare the survival of patients with ILD-associated PH (PH-ILD) or pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and to determine whether the severity of PH has prognostic value in SSc-associated PH-ILD.

Comparative study: Ponseti method versus French physiotherapy for initial treatment of idiopathic clubfoot deformity.

Background: Nonoperative treatment avoids the complications after extensive surgery for idiopathic clubfeet. The purpose of this study was to compare retrospectively French physiotherapy and Ponseti method used to treat idiopathic clubfoot in 2 institutions.

Methods: Two hundred nineteen idiopathic clubfeet (146 patients) managed during a 3-year period (2000 to 2003) were included in this study: 116 clubfeet in group FM were treated according to modified French physiotherapy (with percutaneous heel-cord tenotomy in 17%) and 103 clubfeet in group PM were treated according to the Ponseti method.

Enhancing the superconducting transition temperature of BaSi2 by structural tuning.

We present a joint experimental and theoretical study of the superconducting phase of the layered binary silicide BaSi(2). Compared with the AlB(2) structure of graphite or diboridelike superconductors, in the hexagonal structure of binary silicides the sp(3) arrangement of silicon atoms leads to corrugated sheets. Through a high-pressure synthesis procedure we are able to modify the buckling of these sheets, enhancing the superconducting transition temperature from 6 to 8.

Relationship between age of hearing-loss onset, hearing-loss duration, and speech recognition in individuals with severe-to-profound high-frequency hearing loss.

The factors responsible for interindividual differences in speech-understanding ability among hearing-impaired listeners are not well understood. Although audibility has been found to account for some of this variability, other factors may play a role. This study sought to examine whether part of the large interindividual variability of speech-recognition performance in individuals with severe-to-profound high-frequency hearing loss could be accounted for by differences in hearing-loss onset type (early, progressive, or sudden), age at hearing-loss onset, or hearing-loss duration.

[Cellular metabolic pathways and influenza viruses: the great hijacking].

InfluenzaAviruses express up to 12 proteins and consequently depend on the host cellular machinery for their replication. During the last years, high throughput methods for screening and analysis allowed to improve the characterization of cellular metabolic pathways and their constitutive factors interacting with viral replication. This review presents the data relative to the main cellular signaling cascades (induced or altered during infection) and the host key factors that are functionally involved in different steps of viral replication.

Postural control during visual and kinesthetic motor imagery.

Despite the accumulating evidence supporting an interaction between cognitive functions and postural control, little is known about the selective impact of the mental representation of an action, i.e., motor imagery (MI) on postural control.

Preclinical studies on the mechanism of action and the anti-lymphoma activity of the novel anti-CD20 antibody GA101.

GA101 is a novel glycoengineered Type II CD20 monoclonal antibody. When compared with rituximab, it mediates less complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). As expected for a Type II antibody, GA101 appears not to act through CDC and is more potent than the Type I antibody rituximab in inducing cell death via nonclassical induction of apoptosis cytotoxicity, with more direct cytotoxicity and more antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

[Vertical dimension in the treatment of the edentulous patient].

Determining and recording appropriate occlusal vertical dimension (OVD) in the treatment of the edentulous patient is an important but critical procedure in practice. Incorrect determination of the OVD may result in failure of complete denture treatment. Many methods have been advocated to determine the vertical dimension in edentulous patients.

How pharmacogenomics of biological response modifiers will influence clinical response and toxicity in dermatology.

Biological response modifiers (BRMs) have dramatically changed therapeutic approaches in dermatology. Pharmacogenomic studies are increasingly integral to the early development phases of targeted therapies. The first evidence supporting the impact that genetic background has on responses to BRMs was from rituximab, where the clinical response was correlated with Fc-gamma receptor gene polymorphisms.

[Toxic anterior segment syndrome].

Toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS) is a general term used to describe acute, sterile postoperative inflammation due to a non-infectious substance that accidentally enters the anterior segment at the time of surgery and mimics infectious endophthalmitis. TASS most commonly occurs acutely following anterior segment surgery, typically 12-72h after cataract extraction. Anterior segment inflammation is usually quite severe with hypopyon.