Stroboscopic assessment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis: a systematic review.

Purpose: To review the relevant basic stroboscopic evaluations in unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP). Our aim was twofold: (1) to determine the frequency of use of stroboscopic parameters in outcome evaluation after surgical treatment of UVFP using a Pareto diagram; and (2) to select the most relevant parameters in terms of a significant difference between pre- and post-surgical intervention for UVFP.

Methods: A systematic review in PUBMED includes studies on stroboscopic evaluation in combination with UVFP and surgical treatment.

The effect of defasciculating doses of pancuronium and atracurium on succinylcholine neuromuscular blockade.

Background: A defasciculating dose of non-depolarizing muscle relaxant administered prior succinylcholine decrease its side effects including fasciculations and postoperative myalgias; however it is believed that the dosage of succinylcholine should be increased when such a pre-treatment is used.

Objectives: We hypothesized that a defasciculating dose of pancuronium as a pre-treatment could prolong its duration of effect.

Patients And Methods: Forty patients scheduled for elective orthopaedic surgery were consecutively assigned into 5 groups, a first group without pre-treatment (succinylcholine 1 mg/kg) and 4 subsequent groups of pretreatment with atracurium 0.

Outcomes in adult recipients of right-sided liver grafts in split-liver procedures.

Background: The split-liver technique provides a good left lateral graft in children, but its results in adults remain controversial.

Methods: From 1992 to 2007, 37 patients received 38 cadaveric right-sided grafts. Donors and recipients were selected for good quality grafts and elective indications; the latter included a high proportion of tumour cases and primary sclerosing cholangitis.

In which ways do unhealthy people older than 50 exit the labour market in France?

Among 55-64 year olds, poor health is a reason for leaving the labour market early within the framework of schemes such as not only Early Retirement for Certain Employees (or Early Retirement for Asbestos Workers), but also by absence from the workforce (sick pay and disability pensions, respectively). It is interesting to single out the controlling factors for participation in or absence from the labour market after 50 and the link between poor health and employment status. The prevalence of functional limitations in everyday activities leads to a more pronounced exclusion of those over 50 years old from the labour market.

Telaprevir and peginterferon with or without ribavirin for chronic HCV infection.

Background: In patients with chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1, treatment with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin for 48 weeks results in rates of sustained virologic response of 40 to 50%. Telaprevir is a specific inhibitor of the HCV serine protease and could be of value in HCV treatment.

Methods: A total of 334 patients who had chronic infection with HCV genotype 1 and had not been treated previously were randomly assigned to receive one of four treatments involving various combinations of telaprevir (1250 mg on day 1, then 750 mg every 8 hours), peginterferon alfa-2a (180 microg weekly), and ribavirin (dose according to body weight).

Seroconversion to hepatitis C virus alternate reading frame protein during acute infection.

Unlabelled: The existence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins encoded by alternate reading frames overlapping the core-encoding region has been suggested. Several mechanisms of production have been postulated, and the functions of these proteins in the HCV life cycle remain unknown. We analyzed cases of seroconversion to an alternate reading frame protein in a group of 17 patients infected by one of the two HCV genotype 1b strains during an outbreak in a hemodialysis unit.

Renal lesions associated with IgM-secreting monoclonal proliferations: revisiting the disease spectrum.

Background And Objectives: Since the first description of pathology of the kidney in Waldenström disease in 1970, there have been few reports on kidney complications of IgM-secreting monoclonal proliferations. Here, we aimed to revisit the spectrum of renal lesions occurring in patients with a serum monoclonal IgM.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Fourteen patients with a circulating monoclonal IgM and a kidney disease related to B cell proliferation were identified retrospectively.

Development of a nomogram to predict occurrence of preeclampsia.

Objective: The objective was to create a nomogram for the individual prediction of preeclampsia (PE).

Study Design: In a prospective population-based study that included 4777 patients, PE occurred in 2.4%.

Impact of somatostatin analogs on the heart in acromegaly: a metaanalysis.

Context: Acromegaly can be complicated by cardiomyopathy. Treatment with somatostatin analogs has been shown to improve some cardiac parameters, but most published clinical trials involved few patients and were not randomized or controlled. In addition, their results are rather variable.

Poor agreement between self-reported and dermatologists' diagnoses for five common dermatoses.

Background: Few epidemiological studies assessing the prevalence of chronic dermatosis are available in France and most of these studies have used biased samples drawn from specific subpopulations. As several recent studies have mentioned that self-reported diagnosis either underestimates or overestimates disease prevalence, the validity of such data is questionable.

Objectives: To evaluate the agreement between self-reported and dermatologists' diagnoses for five chronic dermatoses: acne, eczema, fungal infection, psoriasis and seborrhoeic dermatitis, and to analyse the factors associated with patients' diagnosis knowledge.

Imprinted polymers-tailor-made mimics of antibodies and receptors.

The technique of molecular imprinting allows the formation of specific recognition sites in synthetic polymers through the use of templates or imprint molecules. These recognition sites mimic the binding sites of antibodies and other biological receptor molecules. Molecularly imprinted polymers can therefore be used in applications relying on specific molecular binding events.

Significance of the velocity at VO2max and time to exhaustion at this velocity.

In 1923, Hill and Lupton pointed out that for Hill himself, 'the rate of oxygen intake due to exercise increases as speed increases, reaching a maximum for the speeds beyond about 256 m/min. At this particular speed, for which no further increases in O2 intake can occur, the heart, lungs, circulation, and the diffusion of oxygen to the active muscle-fibres have attained their maximum activity. At higher speeds the requirement of the body for oxygen is far higher but cannot be satisfied, and the oxygen debt continuously increases'.

About the Kohonen Algorithm: Strong or Weak Self-organization?

The question of self-organization for the Kohonen algorithm is investigated. First the notions of organized states, weak and strong self-organizations are precisely defined. Then, combining mathematical and simulation results we prove that the Kohonen algorithm has not the strong self-organization property at least in two well-known cases: the stimuli space is [0, 1](2), the unit set is a line (resp.

A method for determining the maximal steady state of blood lactate concentration from two levels of submaximal exercise.

The aim of this study was to estimate the characteristic exercise intensity (WCL) which produces the maximal steady state of blood lactate concentration (MLSS) from submaximal intensities of 20 min carried out on the same day and separated by 40 min. Ten fit male adults [maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) 62 (SD 7) ml.min-1.