Nonverbal behavioral patterns predict social rejection elicited aggression.

Aggression elicited by social rejection is costly, prevalent, and often lethal. Attempts to predict rejection-elicited aggression using trait-based data have had little success. This may be because in-the-moment aggression is a complex process influenced by current states of attention, arousal, and affect which are poorly predicted by trait-level characteristics. In a study of young adults (N = 89; 18-25 years), machine learning tested the extent to which nonverbal behavioral indices of attention (eye gaze), arousal (pupillary reactivity), and affect (facial expressions) during a novel social interaction paradigm predicted subsequent aggression towards rejecting and accepting peers. Eye gaze and pupillary reactivity predicted aggressive behavior; predictions were more successful than measures of trait-based aggression and harsh parenting. These preliminary results suggest that nonverbal behavior may elucidate underlying mechanisms of in-the-moment aggression.

Primary hepatocellular carcinoma in intertropical Africa: relationship between age and hepatitis B virus etiology.

Clinical observations of patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) at Le Dantec Hospital, Dakar, Senegal, were studied to determine a correlation with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Of the 103 patients with PHC, 80 had an active HBV infection (HBsAg and/or anti-HBc); 23 showed signs of previous HBV infection (anti-HBs and anti-HBc). The two groups were similar in the detection of alpha-fetoprotein (approximately 60%) and in the major clinical findings: hepatomegaly, 76.25% and 86.96%, respectively; and ascites, 57.50% and 47.83%, respectively. Jaundice, however, was three times more frequent (P < 0.01) in the group of patients with signs of active HBV replication. Distribution of HBV markers as a function of age at onset of PHC revealed that the presence of HBsAg was primarily confined to the sera of the younger patients (< 50 yr old). When compared with leprosy patients and blood donors, the younger PHC patients differed in the frequency of detection of HBsAg and anti-HBs. The older people (> 50 yr old) in the three groups (PHC patients, leprosy patients, and blood donors) had identical HBV markers.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunization in infants born to HIV-1-seropositive mothers.

During the prospective follow-up of 64 babies at risk for perinatal HIV-1 infection because their mothers were seropositive, and of 130 control babies whose mothers were seronegative, we studied the occurrence of complications of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunization and its ability to induce cutaneous reactivity to tuberculin. Babies born both to HIV-1-positive and HIV-1-negative mothers received BCG immunization during their first month of life according to the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) recommendations. Local and regional complications of BCG vaccine were looked for at 3, 6 and 9 months after inoculation. A tuberculin skin test was performed at 6 or 9 months of age. Most babies born to HIV-1-positive mothers were later classified as infected or uninfected according to their clinical condition and/or serological status at 18 months of age. The mean duration of the follow-up was 36 months (range 30-40 months). No chronic or deep ulcerations at the site of injection or disseminated forms of BCG infection were observed. The frequency of BCG-related lymphadenitis in the group of HIV-1-infected children (24%) did not differ significantly from the group of uninfected children (19%; Fisher test: P = 0.73). In contrast, the tuberculin skin test responses were positive less often in the group of HIV-1-infected children (33%) than in the uninfected group (83%; Fisher test: P = 0.007). Because BCG vaccine appears to be safe--even when given to perinatally infected babies--continuation of the BCG immunization policies of the EPI is justified, especially in view of the growing incidence of tuberculosis as a complication of HIV infection.

Supervision and the professional development of the psychiatric resident.

The authors used a questionnaire survey to study the way psychiatric residents experience their psychotherapy supervisors at two points in their training. Results show that second-year residents were more critical in their evaluations of supervisors than first- or third-year residents and that there appeared to be a characteristic progression in the experience of residents from year to year. The authors believe that the resident's experience of supervision reflects a developmental process, which others have described and viewed as important in the formation of identity as a psychiatrist.

Suppression of recurrent genital herpes by single daily dosages of acyclovir.

Patients with frequent recurrences of genital herpes were treated with oral acyclovir tablets, 800 mg, or placebo once daily for two years. Confirmed recurrences for all patients were treated with acyclovir capsules, 200 mg orally five times per day, for five days. Of 46 patients enrolled, 18 of 22 acyclovir recipients and 14 of 24 placebo recipients completed two years of study. Patients receiving acyclovir experienced a mean of 0.184 recurrences/month compared with a mean of 0.977 recurrences/month for patients receiving placebo (p less than 0.0001). A total of 28 percent of acyclovir recipients and no placebo recipients remained free of recurrences for two years. The low rate of recurrences in the acyclovir group remained consistent throughout the study. No serious clinical or laboratory abnormalities associated with acyclovir were observed. The 800-mg acyclovir tablet given daily was well-tolerated and effective for two years in the management of recurrent genital herpes.

Asymptomatic viral hepatitis types A and B in an adolescent population.

Sera from 95 adolescents were examined for markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. HBV markers were found in eight adolescents (8%) and evidence of previous HAV infection was found in 18 adolescents (19%); none had a history of clinically recognizable hepatitis. These findings support the growing evidence that HBV and HAV infections are diseases of the pediatric age group, and that testing of HBV vaccines when they become available for patient use will have to include a pediatric population.

Poliomyelitis in France: epidemiology and vaccination status.

In France, infants are immunized against paralytic poliomyelitis with enhanced-potency inactivated poliovirus vaccine (eIPV) combined with the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP). Ninety-five percent of all infants in France have received four doses of DTP-eIPV by 24 months of age. No cases of vaccine-associated paralysis, among either recipients or those in contact with recipients, have been reported since 1983, when eIPV became the vaccine of choice. Only three wild indigenous cases have been reported among unvaccinated children in 1988 and 1989, with no cases reported in 1990. Although paralytic poliomyelitis has been virtually eliminated in France, vaccination programs as well as active surveillance of the community and environment for poliovirus circulation should be reinforced to reach the goal of wild poliovirus eradication.

Epidemiology of pertussis in French hospitals in 1993 and 1994: thirty years after a routine use of vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Despite widespread vaccination during 30 years, the hypothesis of a resurgence of pertussis in France has been raised by outbreaks and sporadic case reports. No surveillance data were available after 1985. METHODS: A survey was undertaken in 1993 and 1994 in a pediatric hospital network able to confirm cases; the network (22 hospitals) represents 19.6% of pediatric admissions in France. Case definition included clinical (> or = 21 days of paroxysmal cough), laboratory-confirmed (culture or serology by immunoblot) or epidemiologically confirmed pertussis (documented contact with a laboratory-confirmed case). The pattern of transmission was studied in the household. Vaccine status was obtained from health records. RESULTS: during a 15-month period 560 cases (316 index cases, 244 household contact cases) were reported; 49% of index cases and 20% of contact cases were confirmed by culture and/or serology. Sixty-five percent of index cases were younger than 1 year of age (the incidence in this age group could be estimated to be 95/100000) and 66% were hospitalized for a mean duration of 2 weeks. Infection was acquired from parents (34%) and siblings (46%). Seventy-three percent of index cases were unvaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: Although pertussis vaccination coverage is very high in France, the organism is still circulating, affecting, within the pediatric population, mostly non- or incompletely vaccinated infants. These results strongly support the importance of adhering to the immunization schedule and suggest introducing booster dose(s) to prolong vaccine immunity and reduce the exposure to Bordetella pertussis of infants too young to be immunized.

Absence of an association between past infection with hepatitis A virus and primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Serum samples from 77 caucasians of Greek origin with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) and 77 age- and sex-matched controls were tested for antibody to the hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV). Anti-HAV was detected in 63 patients with PHC (82%) and in 70 controls (91%). These data suggest that past infection with hepatitis A virus is not related to the development of PHC, in marked contrast to the strong association between PHC and HBV.

Serum beta-carotene and antioxidant micronutrients in children with cancer. The 'Cancer in Children and Antioxidant Micronutrients' French Study Group.

Serum antioxidant vitamins A (retinol) and E (alpha-tocopherol), beta-carotene, zinc and selenium for 418 children with newly diagnosed malignancy were compared with those of 632 cancer-free controls. Incident cancer cases and controls were 1-16 years old and recruited in 1986-1989. Age- and sex-adjusted serum concentrations of retinol, beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol were significantly inversely associated with cancer. In similar models, the odds ratio (OR) comparing the highest with the lowest quintile was 2.06 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40-3.02) for retinol, 3.87 (95% CI: 2.54-5.90) for beta-carotene, 2.15 (95% CI: 1.48-3.10) for alpha-tocopherol, 1.29 (95% CI: 0.75-2.23) for selenium, and 1.94 (95% CI: 1.17-2.23) for zinc. The cancer sites that were associated with serum beta-carotene were, in general, leukaemia, lymphoma, central nervous system, bone and renal tumours. Moreover, leukaemia was associated with low mean serum levels of retinol, selenium and zinc. Subjects with lymphoma, bone and renal tumours also had lower mean retinol and alpha-tocopherol levels than controls. Brain tumour patients had low vitamin E levels. Low serum values of antioxidant vitamins were associated with childhood neoplasm occurrence. Some site-specific effect was reported. Low peripheral nutrient levels are not considered as cancer promoters but rather as an impairment of the body's defence mechanism occurring during the cancer-related metabolic and nutritional disturbances and inflammation processes.

A multifocal outbreak of trichinellosis linked to horse meat imported from North America to France in 1993.

An outbreak of 538 cases of trichinellosis occurred in France in December 1993. Seven cases developed neurotrichinosis and 23 had cardiologic complications. No deaths were recorded. Two patients had a positive muscle biopsy showing living Trichinella larvae. One of them was typed as Trichinella spiralis. A case-control study showed that horse meat was the only meat associated with illness (odds ratio = 80.7). The risk of illness increased with the amount of horse meat eaten and when it was consumed raw. The cases, which were spread out in five foci, bought horse meat from five butchers who had received parts of a single horse carcass imported in November 1993 from Canada. The Trichinella International Screening Program, implemented since 1985 after two similar episodes involving a thousand cases, failed to detect the incriminated horse carcass. This new horse meat-related outbreak led to modifications of the internationally recommended screening methods whereby the weight of meat samples tested was increased.

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics in France : a public health priority.

For a few years, France has been faced to a rapid spread of anti-microbial resistance in hospitals and in general practice despite the many recommendations issued to solve this problem. In 1999, the Institut de Veille Sanitaire conducted a collective expe

Real-time Observation of Aluminum Chemical Vapor Deposition in an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope.

: A technique has been developed to provide real-time imaging, with several nanometer resolution, of organometallic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) by scanning electron microscopy under conditions approaching those used in the microelectronics industry. The technique involves modifications to an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) to facilitate organometallic precursor gas handling and sample heating. To demonstrate the usefulness of this technique for studying the microstructural evolution of CVD-grown metal films, results of Al/SiO2 CVD experiments are presented.

[Familial occurrence of cancer of the colon and the rectum: results of a 3-year case-control survey]. / Prévalence familiale du cancer du côlon et du rectum: résultats d'une enquête "cas-témoins" de 3 ans.

A case-control study of the familial prevalence (first-degree relatives) of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) was performed from October 1979 through March 1983 in: (a) 170 consecutive patients with histologically proved rectal (n = 64) or colonic (n = 106) adenocarcinoma; cases of familial polyposis coli and cancer family syndrome were systematically excluded from the study; (b) 170 control subjects, who were free of CRC or colorectal adenoma(s) and matched to patients according to sex and age; (c) 170 consecutive patients with common rectal or colonic adenoma(s), and no evidence of polyposis coli; (d) 100 patients with cancer of various organs, excluding CRC and primary tumours known to be epidemiologically related to CRC. Results of family studies were expressed as "proved" (when the pathological report was received) or "probable" CRC. Eighteen (10.6 p. 100) of the 170 patients with CRC had at least one first-degree relative with past or present proved CRC, and 14 (8.2 p. 100) with probable CRC; the corresponding figures were 3 (1.7 p. 100) proved and 3 (1.7 p. 100) probable CRC in the control group, 14 (8.2 p. 100) proved and 11 (6.5 p. 100) probable CRC in the "adenoma" group and 1 (1 p. 100) and 3 (3 p. 100) in the non-colonic carcinoma group. The relative risk of CRC in close relatives was 6.3 and 4.7 in the CRC and adenoma groups respectively. For the variables studied no significant differences were found between males and females.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[European Program for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET): a training epidemiologic intervention in Europe]. / EPIET: une formation à l'épidémiologie d'intervention en Europe.

The European programme for interventional epidemiology training (EPIET) offers a two year practical training in European national institutes mandated for the surveillance and control of communicable diseases. The training, closely supervised by senior epidemiologists, allows each EPIET fellow to learn while serving and conducting tasks devoted to intervention epidemiologists (surveillance, investigation, research, aid to decision making, and communication with the public, the media, the health authorities and the scientific community). The programme is equally funded by the European Commission, the 15 member states, Norway and the World Health Organisation. This training, derived from the North American and British experiences offers a practical complement to knowledge acquired from European universities. EPIET fellows, their supervisors and colleagues from training institutes have rapidly formed a network of intervention epidemiologists necessary for conducting and coordinating the surveillance of communicable diseases in Europe.

[The vaccine against poliomyelitis, inactivated, concentrated, injectable: analysis of ten years of use in tropical countries]. / Le vaccin contre la poliomyélite, inactivé, concentré, injectable: analyse de dix années d'utilisation dans les pays tropicaux.

A new inactivated poliovirus vaccine of enhanced potency (N-IPV) has been developed since the late 70's. N-IPV can be produced on a large scale in industrial tanks. N-IPV has been extensively studied on all continents and under different climates, specially in tropical countries. It is presently included in vaccination programs of several african regions. N-IPV is recommended in infants as soon as 6 to 8 weeks of age, following a schedule including a primary vaccination with 2 doses at 2 months interval. N-IPV is usually combined to DPT in a quadruple form (DPTPolio). The characteristics and performances of N-IPV make it a substitute or a complement to oral poliovirus vaccine for use in the Expanded Program on Immunization, specially in the perspective of the goal of global poliovirus eradication.

[Rubella vaccine coverage and seroprotection in 11-year-old children in the Indre-et-Loire department]. / Couverture vaccinale et séroprotection vis-à-vis de la rubéole chez les enfants de 11 ans dans le département de l'Indre-et-Loire.

To determine the current rates of vaccination and seroprotection against rubella of French preadolescents, a survey was conducted among children in their first year of junior schools of the department of Indre-et-Loire (prefecture: Tours). The rate of vaccination against rubella during infancy or childhood was 58.8% for the girls and 9.4% for the boys, as compared with 99.5% for both sexes for the vaccination against diphteria, tetanus and poliomyelitis. An effective seroprotection against rubella was found more frequently in girls than in boys (90.4% vs 78%), and was also more frequent among vaccinated than non vaccinated preadolescents (98% vs 77%). From these data the authors recommend that a stronger policy of vaccination against rubella should be be adopted, ie. order to obtain the eradication of rubella in France.

[Epidemiological estimation of the effectiveness of the pertussis vaccination during outbreaks in a community. Les pédiatres et bactériologistes du réseau RENACOQ]. / Estimation épidémiologique de l'efficacité de la vaccination anticoquelucheuse au cours d'épidémies en collectivité. Les pédiatres et bactériologistes du réseau RENACOQ.

BACKGROUND: With the recent pertussis vaccine trials, the efficacy of acellular vaccines is now well known, estimated at 85% for multicomponent vaccines. On the other hand, the estimates of whole cell vaccines efficacy varies from 36% to 98% with the different vaccines used. We evaluated the field effectiveness of the French whole cell pertussis vaccine during outbreaks in schools and centers for disabled children. METHODS: Four limited outbreaks between 1993 and 1995 were investigated using a retrospective cohort study design. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) was assessed for the following case definition: clinical pertussis, laboratory-confirmed pertussis, epidemiologically confirmed pertussis (documented contact with a laboratory confirmed case). Immunization history was obtained by reviewing the child health record book. Effectiveness of a whole vaccination (four injections) and of a partial vaccination (one to three injections) were estimated as 1-(attack rate among vaccinated/attack rate among non-vaccinated). RESULTS: A whole immunization conferred good protection against pertussis with an estimated VE higher than 92% in three surveys, lower in the fourth survey (84%) in which antibiotic prophylaxis was set up very rapidly. A partial immunization conferred a mild protection (median: 60%). CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with a previous report about the effectiveness of this whole cell vaccine using the screening method in a hospital network survey in France. In the same way, a large efficacy trial in Senegal comparing it with an acellular bivalent vaccine estimated its efficacy at 96%. This high efficacy together with a satisfactory vaccine coverage leads to the current epidemiological profile of pertussis in childhood in France: majority of cases occurring before 6 months of age, limited outbreaks in school children, many of whom being unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

[Newborn resuscitation in the delivery room: evaluation of a regional training program conducted in 1990 in the Centre region]. / Réanimation du nouveau-né en salle de naissance: évaluation de l'action régionale de formation conduite en 1990 dans la région Centre.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the regional programme designed to train personnel for resuscitation of the neonate in the delivery room and organized in the district of Centre, France in 1990. STUDY: Transversal study. SITE: The different maternities of the district. POPULATION: 31 maternities, 156 persons in charge of neonates in the delivery room including medical personnel (doctors, mid-wives) and paramedics, with or without any special training in 1990. METHOD: A single evaluator visited each maternity and met the personnel involved. The modalities of the evaluation were not given in advance and included a census of the personnel who had participated in the training programme and changes in material. The success of the training programme was evaluated on a theoretical and practical basis for the personnel and on the number of severe meconium aspirations observed. RESULTS: The training programme had reached 53% of the personnel involved. It had a wide impact both in terms of changed material and in neonatal resuscitation rates compared with untrained personnel. The number of severe meconium aspirations fell from 3 in 1989 to 0 in 1990.