Calibration of the low-energy channel Thomson parabola of the LMJ-PETAL diagnostic SEPAGE with protons and carbon ions.

The SEPAGE diagnostic will detect charged particles (electrons, protons, and ions) accelerated in the interaction of the PETAL (PETawatt Aquitaine Laser) laser with its targets on the LMJ (Laser MegaJoule)-PETAL laser facility. SEPAGE will be equipped with a proton-radiography front detector and two Thomson parabolas (TP), corresponding to different ranges of the particle energy spectra: Above 0.1 MeV for electrons and protons in the low-energy channel, with a separation capability between protons and 12C6+ up to 20 MeV proton energy and above 8 MeV for the high-energy channel, with a separation capability between protons and 12C6+ up to 200 MeV proton kinetic energy. This paper presents the calibration of the SEPAGE's low-energy channel TP at the Tandem facility of Orsay (France) with proton beams between 3 and 22 MeV and carbon-ion beams from 5.8 to 84 MeV. The magnetic and electric fields' integrals were determined with an accuracy of 10-3 by combining the deflections measured at different energies with different target thicknesses and materials, providing different in-target energy losses of the beam particles and hence different detected energies for given beam energies.

Preliminary results of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility deuteron injector.

In the framework of the IFMIF-EVEDA project (International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility-Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities), CEA∕IRFU is in charge of the design, construction, and characterization of the 140 mA continuous deuteron injector, including the source and the low energy beam line. The electron cyclotron resonance ion source which operates at 2.45 GHz is associated with a 4-electrode extraction system in order to minimize beam divergence at the source exit. Krypton gas injection is foreseen in the 2-solenoid low energy beam line. Such Kr injection will allow reaching a high level of space charge compensation in order to improve the beam matching at the radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) entrance. The injector construction is now completed on the Saclay site and the first plasma and beam production has been produced in May 2011. This installation will be tested with proton and deuteron beams either in pulsed or continuous mode at Saclay before shipping to Japan. In this paper, after a brief description of the installation, the preliminary results obtained with hydrogen gas injection into the plasma chamber will be reported.

General design of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility deuteron injector: source and beam line.

In the framework of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility-Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities (IFMIF-EVEDA) project, CEA/IRFU is in charge of the design and realization of the 140 mA cw deuteron Injector. The electron cyclotron resonance ion source operates at 2.45 GHz and a 4 electrode extraction system has been chosen. A 2 solenoid beam line, together with a high space charge compensation have been optimized for a proper beam injection in the 175 MHz radio frequency quadrupole. The injector will be tested with proton and deuteron beam production either in pulsed mode or in cw mode on the CEA-Saclay site before to be shipped to Japan. Special attention was paid to neutron emission due to (d,D) reaction. In this paper, the general IFMIF Injector design is reported, pointing out beam dynamics, radioprotection, diagnostics, and mechanical aspects.

Mitochondrial activity in XTC.UC1 cells derived from thyroid oncocytoma.

Thyroid oncocytoma is characterized by the presence of oncocytes containing abnormally large numbers of mitochondria. However, the relationship between the abundance of mitochondria and the pathogenesis of the tumors is unknown. Recently, a new cell line, named XTC.UC1, has been derived from a metastasis of thyroid oncocytoma. We have studied the metabolism and the gene expression profile of the mitochondria in XTC.UC1 cells, using B-CPAP cells as controls. There were no signs of mitochondrial respiratory chain defects or uncoupling between the respiratory chain and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. In XTC.UC1 cells, mtDNA transcripts were increased more than fivefold than in controls, in parallel with a 3.6-fold increase in mtDNA content. Finally, in spite of the glycolytic metabolism induced by the culture medium, the mitochondria of XTC.UC1 cells possess the phenotype of oncocytic cells with hypertrophic mitochondria, higher respiratory enzyme activity and higher mtDNA content than in controls. XTC.UC1 cells may therefore offer a useful model for investigating the coordination of the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, in the context of thyroid tumors.

[Do general practitioners want to manage chronic hepatitis C and take part in hepatitis C health networks? A national survey]. / Les médecins généralistes souhaitent-ils prendre en charge l'hépatite chronique virale C et participer aux réseaux ville-hôpital?

OBJECTIVES: To assess information that general practitioners had on hepatitis C and on the hepatitis C network in hospitals and private practice. METHODOLOGY: A national telephone survey of 604 general practitioners was conducted between March 18 and 23, 1998. RESULTS: Screening and management of hepatitis C was important for 89% and 97% of general practitioners. Screening was performed in relation to the relative risk (IV drug users 89%, blood transfusion before 1991 88%). General practitioners wanted more information on treatment (54%), patient counselling (42%) and the potential risks of the disease (42%). Of 604 general practitioners, 6% were involved in a hepatitis C network, while 21% were involved in another network (drug users 9%, AIDS 8%). Of the 94% general practitioners who were not part of the network, 33% were willing to join a hepatitis C network. Only 56% were aware of a hepatitis C network (press article 30%, mailing 17% or local meeting 12%). The difficulties for the involvement of general practitioners were: lack of time, topics not adapted to daily practice and geographic constraints (74%), too few patients in their practice (52%), no need (38%), the idea itself of a network and lack of information (28%). CONCLUSION: General practitioners screen patients at risk of hepatitis C. They want to be better informed about treatment, patient counselling, and the potential risks of hepatitis C. They are less involved in hepatitis C networks than in other networks (drug, AIDS). However, one third of general practitioners would like to be involved in a hepatitis C network. These results could be useful for implementing post-graduate courses and general practitioner training.

Effect of the nonenzymatic glycosylation of high density lipoprotein-3 on the cholesterol ester transfer protein activity.

This study examines the relationship between high density lipoprotein-3 (HDL-3) glycation and cholesteryl ester transfer mediated by cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP). HDL-3 were glycated with various glucose concentrations (0-200 mM) for 3 d at 37 degrees C with sodium cyanoborohydride as reducing agent and antioxidants. About 47% of the lysine residues were glycated in the presence of 200 mM glucose, resulting in an increase in the cholesterol ester (CE) transfer of about 30%. Apparent kinetic parameters [expressed as maximal transfer (appT(max)) and CE concentration at half of T(max)(appK(H))] of CETP activity with glycated HDL-3 showed conflicting and paradoxical data: an increase in CETP activity associated with a decrease of CETP affinity. These alterations were not due to a change in HDL-3 lipid and protein composition nor to a peroxidative process but were associated with an increase in HDL-3 electronegativity and a decrease of HDL-3 fluidity. This study suggests that glycation modifies the apolipoprotein's conformation and solvation which are major determinants of interfacial properties of HDL-3. These modifications in turn affect CETP reactivity.

[Acute hepatitis caused by wild germander. Hepatotoxicity of herbal remedies. Two cases]. / Hépatite aiguë à la Germandrée petit-chêne. Hépatotoxicité d'une plante médicinale. Deux observations.

While interest in herbal therapy is clearly increasing in Western countries, there are few available data about hepatotoxicity of herbal remedies. We report on two women who had severe acute hepatocellular liver injury occurring within one to two months of treatment with Wild Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys L.), a herbal medicine for losing weight. Clinical course was favorable after the treatment was discontinued. Involuntary rechallenge in one case resulted in reappearance of symptoms of liver injury. When a patient presents with unexplained hepatic abnormalities, it may be worthwhile to consider non-orthodox self-treatment with herbal remedy as a potential cause. Only systematic observation will provide a clear picture of the incidence of liver injury caused by herbal medicines.

The Dijon clinical staging system for early rectal carcinomas amenable to intracavitary treatment techniques.

The Dijon clinical and endoscopic staging system for intracavitary radiotherapy of rectal cancer takes into account the size and the depth of penetration of the rectal wall. Its prognostic value was evaluated in a series of 72 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma treated at the Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer G. F. Leclerc in Dijon: 30 presented with a clinical stage (CS) T1A (purely exophytic tumors of less than 3 cm). The 5-year local relapse-free actuarial survival (LRFS) was 97%. Fourteen patients with CS T1B (infiltrative component and less than 3 cm diameter) had a LRFS of 77%. Nine patients with CS T2A tumors (with larger exophytic tumors) has a LRFS of 65%. Nineteen CS T2B cases (larger than 3 cm with an infiltrative component) presented a LRFS of 60%. The size of the tumor and the clinical estimate of the infiltration of the rectal wall both have a significant prognostic value: adenocarcinoma of less than 3 cm (n = 44) had a LRFS of 93% versus 59% in larger ones (n = 39; p = less than 0.01). Free mobile lesions (n = 39) did better (n = 33; LRFS = 86%) than infiltrated tumors (n = 33; LRFS = 66%; p = 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Causes of failure in the curative treatment of cancer of the exocrine pancreas]. / Les causes d'échec dans le traitement curatif des cancers du pancréas exocrine.

Causes of relapse are related to diagnostic delay, disagreement between early clinical diagnosis and post-surgical classification, poor performance status of patients, biological features, treatment modalities and particularly subclinical disease left after radical surgery. Gastro-intestinal specialists, radiologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiation and medical oncologists must come together to propose the best strategy: exactness of pre- and post-operative staging; surgical resection performed with minimal and acceptable morbidity after due consideration of all associated risk factors; accurate pathological examination with mention of tumoral diameter, capsular invasion, multicentricity, lymph nodes and venous involvement, pTNM classification; precise systematic external beam radiotherapy, which may be enhanced by 5-FU.

[Primary rectal lymphoma: value of rectal endosonography]. / Lymphome rectal primitif: valeur de l'endosonographie rectale.

The authors report a case of primary rectal lymphoma characterized by dyspareunias and a raised erythematous rectal mucosa visible at rectoscopy. They stress the difficulty of the diagnosis, requiring deep biopsies, and the advantage of endorectal sonography. Its efficacy in defining the parietal and depth spread is evaluated between 90-95 p. cent, while it is lower (72%) regarding node invasion.

Reactivity of HDL subfractions towards lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase. Modulation by their content in free cholesterol.

(1) Human HDL2 (d 1.070-1.125) and HDL3 (d 1.125-1.21) labelled with unesterified [14C]cholesterol, were incubated with a source of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase. For optimal activity, the reaction required the addition of albumin in excess, at least 3-times greater than the concentration of HDL-free cholesterol. Under such conditions, the reaction appeared saturable. HDL3 was found the most efficient substrate and the Vmax values expressed for 1.5 IU LCAT/ml and with an albumin/free cholesterol ratio of 3, were 8.3 nmol free cholesterol esterified/ml per h and 4.1 nmol/ml per h for HDL3 and HDL2, respectively. (2) HDL3 were modified in the presence of VLDL by inducing triacylglycerol lipolysis with a semipurified lipoprotein lipase from bovine milk. The newly formed HDL had gained free cholesterol and phospholipids, so that about 50% of these modified HDL, referred to as light-LIP-HDL3, were reisolated in the HDL2 density range. Light-LIP-HDL3 were enriched mostly in free cholesterol (+ 160%) and in phospholipid (+ 40%). Their reactivity towards LCAT was half-reduced compared to parent HDL3, which correlated well with a decrease in their phospholipid/free cholesterol molar ratio. Moreover, HDL3 artificially enriched in free cholesterol and exhibiting a comparable PL/FC behaved like lipolysis-modified HDL in their reactivity towards LCAT. (3) HDL3 were also modified by co-incubation with VLDL (post-VLDL-HDL3), or with VLDL and a source of lipid transfer protein (CET-HDL3). The latter treatment greatly affected the lipid composition of the core particle (-25% esterified cholesterol, +190% TG). In both cases, the moderate decreasing LCAT reactivity observed could be related to the phospholipid/free cholesterol ratio. Thus, like in artificial substrates, the lipid composition of the HDL surface may control the rate of LCAT-mediated cholesterol esterification.

[Ketamine administered as an IV infusion. Use in infants weighing less and more than 10 kg (author's transl)]. / La kétamine à débit continu. Utilisation chez le nourrisson et l'enfant.

The hemodynamic respiratory results and analgesic quality of ketamine administered as an IV infusion are studied. For the infants weighing less than 10 kg. The increases in arterial pressure and heart rate are not readily acceptable all the less as the ketamine requirement for good analgesia is very important. For the infant weighing more than 10 kg, the procedure of this technique is approximatively the same for the adult. The explanation of these problems is perhaps connected to the larger extra-cellular fluid volumes of young children and to their brain immaturity.