Soft matter dynamics: A versatile microgravity platform to study dynamics in soft matter.

We describe an experiment container with light scattering and imaging diagnostics for experiments on soft matter aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The suite of measurement capabilities can be used to study different materials in exchangeable sample cell units. The currently available sample cell units and future possibilities for foams, granular media, and emulsions are presented in addition to an overview of the design and the diagnostics of the experiment container. First results from measurements performed on ground and during the commissioning aboard the ISS highlight the capabilities of the experiment container to study the different materials.

Photobiomodulation with a combination of two wavelengths in the treatment of oral mucositis in children: The PEDIALASE feasibility study.

Photobiomodulation is recommended in adults for the prevention of mucositis induced by cervicofacial irradiation or pre-transplant chemotherapy. The results of pediatric studies are promising but this support treatment is still underused. The objective was to conduct a feasibility study in the pediatric hematology-oncology unit at X Children's Hospital. Extra- and intraoral scans were performed a minimum of three times every 2 days for grade 2 or higher mucositis in children (median age, 8.6 years) using the Oncolase laser (Biophoton, Saint Alban, France), with a combination of two wavelengths (635 and 815nm). The effect of the laser on mucositis grade, pain, the child's tolerance, and the time dedicated to this care were also evaluated. The success of the procedure was 77% in 1 year, with the inclusion of 84% of the patients (n=22) and 146 laser treatment sessions (median of four per episode of mucositis). We observed excellent tolerance and pain relief with a gain of two points on the VAS and the HEDEN mucositis scale. This study shows that photobiomodulation that incorporates two application modes (intra- and extraoral) through the combination of two wavelengths is feasible when integrated into the care of a pediatric hematology-oncology department and is perfectly tolerated, even by young children. Along with oral hygiene and analgesic management, it alleviates pain associated with oral mucositis.

Is Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia in Children Under 2 Years of Age a Specific Entity? A Report from the FRENCH ELAM02 Study Group.

The clinical and biological characteristics of children under 2 years (infants) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are different from those of older children. We aimed to describe the specific characteristics of this population and the potential factors that influence the prognosis. We analyzed data concerning 438 children with newly-diagnosed AML treated in the ELAM02 protocol between March 2005 and December 2011, of which 103 were under 2 years old at diagnosis. The evaluation criteria were overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) of infants vs older children. The clinical and biological features were secondary criteria. Infants presented more frequent extra-medullary presentation than older children. They had a significantly higher proportion of skin lesions and central nervous system involvement (15% vs 3%, p < 0.0001 and 26% vs 12%, p = 0.0005, respectively). The global incidence of KMT2A rearrangements was nearly 55% for infants vs 11% for older children (p < 0.0001). Median 5-year OS was 70.4% for infants vs 71.4% for older children (p = 0.83). Five-year EFS was 67% for infants vs 58% for older children (p = 0.27). Infants with AML represent a cohort of patients with specific clinical and biological features. These remarkable differences had no significant impact on their outcome in the ELAM02 protocol.

Genetic polymorphisms of Th2 interleukins, history of asthma or eczema and childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia: Findings from the ESCALE study (SFCE).

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on the putative role of allergy in the aetiology of childhood leukaemia have reported contradictory results. The present study aimed to analyse the relation between a medical history of asthma or eczema and childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL) in light of potential candidate gene-environment interactions. METHODS: Analyses were based on a subset of 434 cases of ALL and 442 controls successfully genotyped and of European ancestry children enrolled in a French population-based case-control study conducted in 2003-2004. Information about medical history was obtained during a standardized interview with the mothers. Candidate polymorphisms in genes of the Th2 cytokines IL4, IL10, IL13 and IL4-receptor, were genotyped or imputed. RESULTS: None of the variant alleles were directly associated with childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia. A medical history of asthma or eczema was reported more often in the control group (OR = 0.7 [0.5-1.0]). This association was mostly seen in the group of children not carrying the IL13-rs20541 variant allele (Interaction Odds Ratio IOR 1.9, p-interaction = 0.07) and in those carrying the IL10 triple variant haplotype (IOR 0.5, p-interaction = 0.04). No interaction was observed with the candidate polymorphisms in IL4 and IL4R. CONCLUSION: This study provides a new insight into the relationship between allergic symptoms and childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia, by suggesting this inverse association could be limited to children carrying certain genetic polymorphisms. If confirmed, these results could help better understand the biological mechanisms involved in the development of childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia.

Is alpha-fetoprotein decline a prognostic factor of childhood non-seminomatous germ cell tumours? Results of the French TGM95 study.

PURPOSE: In adults' non-seminomatous germ cell tumours (NS-GCT), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) decline was identified as an important prognostic factor. We investigated its prognostic value in the French TGM95 study for childhood NS-GCT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three risk groups were defined: low risk (LR: localised and completely resected pS1, AFP<15000 ng/ml), with a 'wait-and-see' strategy; intermediate-risk (IR: localised incompletely resected, AFP<15000 ng/ml) with 3-5 vinblastine-bleomycine-cisplatin courses; high risk (HiR: AFP≥15000 ng/ml and/or metastatic) with 4-6 etoposide-ifosfamide-cisplatin courses. The multivariable prognostic analysis for progression-free survival (PFS) included age (±10 years), primary tumour site (1-testis, 2-ovary, 3-extragonadal), extent of disease (1-pS1, 2-loco-regional dissemination, 3-metastasis) and AFP (±10,000 ng/ml). AFP decline prognostic value was investigated in IR + HiR groups using predicted time to normalisation (TTN), AFP change, and difference between observed and expected (based on AFP half-life) area under the curve (O-E AUC). RESULTS: From January 1995 to December 2005, 239 patients (median age = 3years, 60 LR, 65 IR, 114 HiR) were included. Main sites were testis (n = 66), ovary (n = 77) and sacrococcygeal (n = 57). Five-year PFS and OS were 85% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 80-89%) and 93% (89-95%), respectively. Age ≥ 10 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.6, 95% CI = 2.1-10.1, p = 0.0001) and extragonadal primary (HR = 6.3, 95% CI = 2.0-19.9, p = 0.005) were significant prognostic factors. In AFP decline analysis (n = 151, 17 events), TTN (p = 0.61) and AFP change (p = 0.10) were not prognostic, whereas we showed a significant effect of O-E AUC (HR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.0-4.2, p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Age ≥ 10 years and extragonadal tumours remain as poor prognostic factors. Contrary to adults, TTN is not reliable in paediatric NS-GCT. The prognostic value of O-E AUC should be investigated in larger studies.

NUP98 is rearranged in 3.8% of pediatric AML forming a clinical and molecular homogenous group with a poor prognosis.

Pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a rare disease whose prognosis is highly variable according to factors such as chromosomal abnormalities. Recurrent genomic rearrangements are detected in half of pediatric AML by karyotype. NUcleoPorin 98 (NUP98) gene is rearranged with 31 different fusion partner genes. These rearrangements are frequently undetected by conventional cytogenetics, as the NUP98 gene is located at the end of the chromosome 11 short arm (11p15). By screening a series of 574 pediatric AML, we detected a NUP98 rearrangement in 22 cases (3.8%), a frequency similar to CBFB-MYH11 fusion gene (4.0%). The most frequent NUP98 fusion gene partner is NSD1. These cases are homogeneous regarding their biological and clinical characteristics, and associated with bad prognosis only improved by bone marrow transplantation. We detailed the biological characteristics of these AML by exome sequencing which demonstrated few recurrent mutations (FLT3 ITD, WT1, CEBPA, NBPF14, BCR and ODF1). The analysis of the clonal structure in these cases suggests that the mutation order in the NUP98-rearranged pediatric AML begins with the NUP98 rearrangement leading to epigenetic dysregulations then followed by mutations of critical hematopoietic transcription factors and finally, activation of the FLT3 signaling pathway.

Combined therapy in children and adolescents with classical Hodgkin's lymphoma: A report from the SFCE on MDH-03 national guidelines.

Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) in children and adolescents is highly curable, but children are at risk of long-term toxicity. The MDH-03 guidelines were established in order to decrease the burden of treatment in good-responder patients, and this report should be considered a step toward further optimization of treatment within large collaborative trials. We report the therapy and long-term outcomes of 417 children and adolescents treated according to the national guidelines, which were applied between 2003 and 2007 in France. The patients were stratified into three groups according to disease extension. Chemotherapy consisted of four cycles of VBVP (vinblastine, bleomycin, VP16, prednisone) in localized stages (G1/95 pts/23%), four cycles of COPP/ABV (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone, adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine) cycles in intermediate stages (G2/184 pts/44%) and three cycles of OPPA (vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone, adriamycin) plus three cycles of COPP in advanced stages (G3/138 pts/33%). Radiation therapy of the involved field was given to 97% of the patients, with the dose limited to 20 Gy in good responders (88%). With a median follow-up of 6.6 years, the 5-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 86.7% (83.1-89.7%) and 97% (94.5-98.1%), respectively. EFS and OS for G1, G2, and G3 were 98% and 100%, 81% and 97%, and 87% and 95%, respectively. Low-risk patients treated without alkylating agents and anthracycline had excellent outcomes and a low expected incidence of late effects. Intensification with a third OPPA cycle in high-risk group patients, including stage IV patients, allowed for very good outcomes, without increased toxicity.

Does the route of immunoglobin replacement therapy impact quality of life and satisfaction in patients with primary immunodeficiency? Insights from the French cohort "Visages".

BACKGROUND: IgG replacement therapy (IgRT) in primary immunodeficiencies (PID) is a lifelong treatment which may be administered intravenously (IVIg) or subcutaneously (SCIg), at hospital or at home. The objective of the VISAGE study was to investigate if route and/or place for IgRT impact patients' satisfaction regarding IgRT and quality of life (QoL) in real-life conditions. METHODS: The study enrolled PID patients at least 15 years old receiving IgRT for at least 3 months. Satisfaction and QoL were evaluated at enrollment and over a 12-month follow-up period by Life Quality Index (LQI) which measures 3 dimensions of satisfaction: treatment interference, therapy related problems and therapy settings (factors I, II and III) and SF-36 v2 questionnaire. RESULTS: The study included 116 PID patients (mean age 42 ± 18 years, 44 % males, 58 % with scholar or professional occupation) receiving IgRT for a mean of 8.5 ± 8.4 years. At enrollment they were receiving either home-based SCIg (51 %), hospital-based IVIg (40 %) or home-based IVIg (9 %). Patients exhibited a high degree of satisfaction regarding IgRT whatever the route and place for administration. LQI factor I was higher for home-based SCIg (86 ± 2) than for hospital-based IVIg (81 ± 3) and home-based IVIg (73 ± 5; p = 0.02 versus home-based SCIg); no difference was found for LQI factor II; LQI factor III was higher for home-based SCIg (92 ± 2) than for hospital-based IVIg (87 ± 5) and hospital-based IVIg (82 ± 3; p = 0.005 versus home-based SCIg). By contrast, every dimension of QoL was impaired. Over the follow-up period, 10 patients switched from hospital-based IVIg to home-based SCIg and improved LQI factor I (p = 0.004) and factor III (p = 0.02), while no change was noticed in LQI factors II and QoL. Meanwhile, no change in satisfaction or QoL was found in patients with stable route of IgRT. When asked on their preferred place of treatment all but one patient with home-based treatment would choose to be treated at home and 29 % of patients treated at hospital would prefer home-based IgRT. CONCLUSION: PID patients expressed a high degree of satisfaction regarding IgRT, contrasting with impaired QoL. In real-life conditions awareness of patient's expectations regarding the route or place of IgRT may be associated with further improvement of satisfaction.

Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene mutations in North Egyptian population: implications for the genetic diagnosis in Egypt.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) occurrence in Arab populations is not common and still remains underidentified. Furthermore, the lack of disease awareness and diagnosis facilities have mislead the identification of cystic fibrosis for decades. The knowledge about cystic fibrosis (CF) in Egypt is very limited, and a few reports have drawn attention to the existence of CF or CFTR-related disorders (CFTR-RDs) in the Egyptian population. Therefore a comprehensive genetic analysis of the CFTR gene was realized in patients of North Egypt. DNA samples of 56 Egyptian patients were screened for the CFTR gene mutations. The 27 exons and their flanking regions of the CFTR gene were amplified by PCR, using the published primer pairs, and were studied by automated direct DNA sequencing to detect disease-causing mutations. Moreover, large duplication/deletion was analysed by MLPA technique. CFTR screening revealed the identification of thirteen mutations including four novel ones: c.92G>A (p.Arg31His), c.2782G>C (p.Ala928Pro), c.3718-24G>A, c.4207A>G (p.Arg1403Gly) and nine previously reported mutations: c.454A>T (p.Met152Leu), c.902A>G (p.Tyr301Cys), c.1418delG, c.2620-15C>G, c.2997_3000delAATT, c.3154T>G (p.Phe1052Val), c.3872A>G (p.Gln1291Arg), c.3877G>A (p.Val1293Ile), c.4242+10T>C. Furthermore, eight polymorphisms were found: c.743+40A>G, c.869+11C>T, c.1408A>G, c.1584G>A, c.2562T>G, c.3870A>G, c.4272C>T, c.4389G>A. These mutations and polymorphisms were not previously described in the Egyptian population except for the c.1408A>G polymorphism. Here we demonstrate the importance of the newly discovered mutations in Egyptian patients and the presence of CF, whereas the p.Phe508del mutation is not detected. The identification of CFTR mutations will become increasingly important in undocumented populations. The current findings will help us expand the mutational spectrum of CF and establish the first panel of the CFTR gene mutations in the Egyptian population and design an appropriate strategy for future genetic diagnosis of CF.

Parental smoking, maternal alcohol, coffee and tea consumption during pregnancy, and childhood acute leukemia: the ESTELLE study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the role of parental smoking during pre-conception and pregnancy, maternal beverage consumption (alcohol, coffee and tea) during pregnancy and their possible interactions, in the etiology of childhood acute leukemia (CL). METHODS: The ESTELLE study included 747 cases of CL [636 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 100 cases of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML)] diagnosed in France in 2010-2011 and 1,421 population controls frequency-matched with the cases on age and gender. Data were obtained from structured telephone questionnaires administered to the mothers. The odds ratios (OR) and their 95 % confidence intervals were estimated using unconditional logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: AML, but not ALL, was non-significantly associated with alcohol drinking during pregnancy [OR = 1.3 (0.8-2.0)] with a significant positive dose-response trend (p-trend = 0.02). Pre-conception paternal smoking was significantly associated with ALL [OR = 1.2 (1.1-1.5)] and AML [OR = 1.5 (1.0-2.3)]. CL was not associated with maternal smoking [OR = 1.0 (0.8-1.2)], or maternal coffee [OR = 0.9 (0.8-1.1)] or tea drinking [OR = 0.9 (0.8-1.1)] during pregnancy. However, a high consumption of coffee (>2 cups/day) was significantly associated with ALL [OR = 1.3 (1.0-1.8)]. CONCLUSIONS: The findings constitute additional evidence that maternal alcohol drinking during pregnancy may be involved in AML, and that paternal smoking before pregnancy may be a risk factor for CL. The role of maternal coffee drinking in CL remains unclear and should be investigated further in consortium analyses and in large birth cohort studies with exposure assessment more contemporaneous with the exposure, before the occurrence of the disease.

[Severe forms of chikungunya virus infection in a pediatric intensive care unit on Reunion Island]. / Infections graves a virus chikungunya en réanimation pédiatrique a l'ile de La Réunion.

UNLABELLED: In 2005-2006, an unexpected, massive outbreak of chikungunya occurred on Reunion Island, a French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean. This arboviral infection transmitted by a mosquito of the Aedes genus is usually benign. A surprising feature of the Reunion Island epidemic was the occurrence of rare severe forms involving adults as well as children. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this report is to describe severe forms of chikungunya observed in children hospitalized in a pediatric intensive care unit. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective single-center study was conducted from January 1st to April 30th, 2006. Children between 1 month and 15 years admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with proven chikungunya infection were included. RESULTS: A total of 9 children were included. The main manifestations were extensive skin blisters in 5 cases, neurological symptoms (encephalopathy) in 4, cardiac complications (myocarditis, hemodynamic disorders) in 5 and bleeding in 1. Two children died. The causes of death were circulatory failure associated with coma and massive hemorrhage in one case and post-infectious encephalitis in the other. Three survivors present long-term neurologic or dermatologic sequels. DISCUSSION: Severe cases of chikungunya in children provide a stark reminder of the cardiac and neurological tropism of the virus and its hemorrhagic forms with high potential mortality and morbidity. These cases underline the need for personal protection measures and for research to develop specific antiviral therapy and vaccines to prevent potentially lethal forms of the disease.