Ongoing measles outbreak, Geneva, Switzerland, January to March 2011.

An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Geneva, Switzerland, since January 2011, in the context of a measles epidemic in neighbouring Rhône-Alpes, France. A total of 41 confirmed cases have been reported, the majority among young adults, many unaware of their non-immune status. There is no large clustering of cases and 14 cases were imported or linked to imported cases. Catch-up vaccination, especially among young adults, may be necessary to prevent further extension of this outbreak.

Induction of hepatic cytochrome P-450c-dependent monooxygenase activities by dantrolene in rat.

The effect of dantrolene sodium, a skeletal muscle relaxant, on drug metabolizing enzymes has been investigated after treatment of rats with a dose of 200 mg/kg for five days. We observed an induction of cytochrome P-450c and epoxide hydrolase in immunoassays and activities. An enhancement of the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (GT1) activity was observed. We also reported a decrease of both liver cytochrome P-450 content and microsomal cytochrome P-450b dependent N-demethylation activities. On the other hand, the binding of dantrolene on microsomal cytochrome P-450 produced a type I difference spectrum, these data were obtained with liver microsomal cytochrome P-450c induced by 3-methylcholanthrene.

First observation of nonreciprocal X-Ray gyrotropy

We report the first observation of a nonreciprocal x-ray linear dichroism caused by the time-reversal odd, real part zeta of the complex gyrotropy tensor zeta(*) which is dominated by electric dipole-electric quadrupole E1E2 interference terms. A nonreciprocal transverse anisotropy was observed in the low temperature insulating phase of a Cr doped V2O3 Mott crystal when a single antiferromagnetic domain was grown by magnetoelectric annealing along the hexagonal c axis. This new element (edge) specific spectroscopy could nicely complement x-ray magnetic circular dichroism which is silent for antiferromagnetic materials.

Dichotomous responses of inter and postprandial hyperglycaemia to short-term calorie restriction in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: In type 2 diabetes the effects of short-term calorie restrictions on glycaemia are usually judged on fasting plasma glucose. As fasting duration rarely exceeds 2-3 h, we determined the effects of calorie restriction over different daytime periods using a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) in noninsulin-using patients with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN: Fourteen poorly controlled (mean HbA1c = 9.3%) overweight or obese patients (mean body mass index = 30.1 +/- 0.7 kg m(-2)) with type 2 diabetes were investigated twice with a CGMS, at baseline and at the end of a 18-day calorie-restricted diet (1490 kcal day(-1)). Areas under curves (AUCs) of 24-h glucose monitoring were measured and divided into postprandial and interprandial AUCs according to meal times. RESULTS: Areas under curves of 24-h glucose monitoring were significantly decreased after dieting: -37%, P = 0.0047. Both post and interprandial AUCs were significantly diminished (-26%, P = 0.0186 and -48%, P = 0.0037, respectively), but changes in interprandial AUCs were more marked than changes in postprandial AUCs (P = 0.0060). Nycthemeral peaks of glucose were observed at mid-morning times and were not significantly different before (242 +/- 15 mg dL(-1)) and after dieting (227 +/- 16 mg dL(-1)). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term calorie restriction in overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes resulted in dichotomous responses between interprandial and postprandial glycaemic excursions. The resistance of mid-morning glucose peaking to calorie restriction should result in additional dietary or pharmacological measures at breakfast.

[Study of 108 cases of cervico-brachial neuralgia: the concepts of idiopathic cervico-brachial neuralgia and cervico-arthrotic cervico-brachial neuralgia]. / Etude de 108 névralgies cervico-brachiales. Les concepts de névralgie cervico-brachiale idiopathique et de névralgie cervico-brachiale cervicarthrosique.

On the basis of a series of 108 cases of cervicobrachial neuralgia a study was made of the clinical characteristics, circumstances of appearance, associated neurological signs, sequelae, relapses, and aetiologies of these observations. This series permits consideration of the aetiopathogenesis of cervicobrachial neuralgias of rheumatic origin from a new angle. The disco-osteophytic nodule does not appear to play the role classically attributed to it. Three forms are distinguished: idiopathic cervicobrachial neuralgia of transient occurrence with a cyclic duration and little tendency to recurrence and not related to concomitant arthrotic lesions; long-term cervicobrachial neuralgia lasting more than 20 weeks and always requiring a search for narrow canal and root anomaly -sometimes the form of onset of cervicarthrotic myelopathies; cervico brachialgia caused by cervicarthrosis seen after the age of 60 and consisting of projected pain rather than true cervicobrachial neuralgia, often recurrent.

[Treatment of psoriatic rheumatism]. / Les thérapeutiques du rhumatisme psoriasique.

The authors report on the results of a cooperative study done in collaboration with dermatologists and rheumatologists in order to determine the therapeutic incompatibilities resulting from the co-existence of two diseases, both of unknown cause, namely arthropathies and dermopathies. They make an non exhaustive review of the litearature concerning the different medical or physical methods used. They attempt to outline a therapeutic schema according to the different clinical forms and the more or less large extent of the skin disease.

[Rheumatic manifestations of primary hypogammaglobulinemia in the adult]. / Les manifestations rhumatismales de l'hypogammaglobulinémie primaire de l'adulte

With reference to 27 cases reported in the literature (of which 1 was personal) of primary hypogammaglobulinaemia in adults (PHGGA) with rheumatic manifestations, and following a statistical study, the authors think that the rheumatic manifestations that precede, accompany, or follow primary hypogammaglobulinaemia in adults are not coincidental. These manifestations occur in 10 percent of patients. The clinical and radiological pictures, and the associated infections and immunological disorders form a particular clinical entity and lead to therapeutic difficultires. In this connexion, the authors mention in particular pathogenic problems related to hypogammaglobulinaemia in adults and the rheumatic manifestations.

[Neurosensory complications of Paget's disease]. / Les complications neurosensorielles de la maladie de Paget

The authors made a bibliographic study and report their conclusions with reference to problems concerning a personal series of 17 patients who had undergone an ocular examination, a cranial radiography studying the joint, a bilateral radiotomographic study of the ossicles and of the petrosal bone, an audiogram, and a bilateral electronystagmogram: 1. the rarity of angioid striae, the existence of which, in the view of the authors, does not allow Paget's disease to be included within the framework of the systemized elastorrhexis, 2. the frequency of ocular vascular lesions, 3. deafness is a constant phenomenon, when the cranial arch is affected usually in combination with other lesions ; the deafness is sometimes of transmission or sometimes of perception, but it can precede the cranial lesions. The signs of these can be found radiologically in the chain of ossicles and in the cochlea by means of special projections. The part played by basilar pressure in this deafness is negligible. Labyrinth disorders are rarely met.

[Rheumatic manifestations of Gougerot-Houwers-Sjögren syndrome]. / Les manifestations rhumatismales du syndrome de Gougerot-Houwers-Sjögren.

The authors retrospectively survey the concept of the Gougerot-Houwers-5jögren syndrome which links articular disease with the "dry" syndrome (pharyngitis sicca) and then go on to study the rheumatic conditions found in the Gougerot-Houwers-Sjögren syndrome. They point out that the association between the "dry" syndrome and rheumatic appearances varies in frequency according as whether the problem is seen from a rheumatological, dermatological, ophthalmological or stomatological point of view. They establish the frequency of the various rheumatic conditions, stressing the importance of the association with rheumatoid polyarthritis. They study the associated biological and visceral backgrounds, the thyroid, renal, digestive, blood, neural, allergic and immunological conditions and describe the rheumatic appearances of the other collagenoses associated with the "dry" syndrome. They conclude with the current difficulty of restricting the scope of the Gougerot-Houwers-Sjögren syndrome when histological and scintigraphic techniques have broadened it. They would like to see exact criteria adopted to define this syndrome.

X-ray natural circular dichroism and chiral-EXAFS in gyrotropic crystals.

X-ray natural circular dichroism (XNCD) has been recently detected in the XANES region for uniaxial and biaxial gyrotropic crystals. Chiral-EXAFS (chi-EXAFS) spectra are reported for the first time over a wider energy range and are analysed in terms of multiple-scattering paths of relevant symmetry. For such heavily absorbing single crystals as lithium iodate, paratellurite or potassium titanyl phosphate, the differential absorption between left-handed and right-handed circularly polarized X-ray photons cannot be measured in transmission but gyrotropy effects can still be detected in fluorescence excitation spectra. Whereas XNCD and fluorescence-detected X-ray natural circular dichroism spectra are strictly identical for uniaxial crystals, it has been established that this was true only to the first order for biaxial crystals such as potassium titanyl phosphate.

X-ray magnetochiral dichroism: a new spectroscopic probe of parity nonconserving magnetic solids.

We report the first experimental detection of x-ray magnetochiral dichroism in magnetoelectric Cr2O3. This dichroism, which does not require any polarized x-ray beam, is related to the time-reversal odd part of the optical activity tensor dominated by electric dipole-electric quadrupole E1E2 interference terms. The experiments were carried out using either a single crystal or a powdered pellet required to grow a single antiferromagnetic domain by magnetoelectric annealing. This new element (edge) specific spectroscopy offers unique access to the atomic orbital anapole moment Omega-z.

Instrumentation Developments for X-ray Linear and Circular Dichroism at the ESRF Beamline ID12A.

This paper reports on the performance of the instrumentation developed for the ESRF beamline ID12A, which is dedicated to spectroscopic applications requiring full control of the polarization at energies >/=2.0 keV. Emphasis is placed on the characterization of various optical components of the beamline and on problems associated with either the control or the conversion of the polarization state. A few examples have been selected to illustrate what sort of new spectroscopic information has already been obtained at the beamline. These include the comparison of X-ray magnetic dichroism spectra recorded with linear or circular polarization and the very first detection of X-ray natural circular dichroism in single crystals known to exhibit a very large non-linear susceptibility at optical wavelengths.