Modelling temperature-compensated physiological rates, based on the co-ordination of responses to temperature of developmental processes.

Temperature fluctuates rapidly and affects all developmental and metabolic processes. This often obscures the effects of developmental trends or of other environmental conditions when temperature fluctuates naturally. A method is proposed for modelling temperature-compensated rates, based on the coordination of temperature responses of developmental processes. In a data set comprising 41 experiments in the greenhouse, growth chamber, or the field, the temperature responses in the range of 6-36 degrees C for different processes were compared in three species, maize, rice, and Arabidopsis thaliana. Germination, cell division, expansive growth rate, leaf initiation, and phenology showed coordinated temperature responses and followed common laws within each species. The activities of 10 enzymes involved in carbon metabolism exhibited monotonous exponential responses across the whole range 10-40 degrees C. Hence, the temperature dependence of developmental processes is not explained by a simple relationship to central metabolism. Temperature-compensated rates of development were calculated from the equations of response curve, by expressing rates per unit equivalent time at 20 degrees C. This resulted in stable rates when temperatures fluctuated over a large range (for which classical thermal time was inefficient), and in time courses of leaf development which were common to several experiments with different temperature scenarios.

[Evaluation of pulmonary function in the elderly. Intergroupe Pneumo Gériatrie SPLF-SFGG]. / Evaluation de la fonction respiratoire chez le sujet âgé. Intergroupe Pneumo Gériatrie SPLF-SFGG.

Aging is associated with a progressive decrease in lung function. As a consequence of aging, individual's reserve is diminished, but this decrease is heterogeneous between individual subjects. Many factors are involved in the overall decline in lung function. The prevalence of asthma in the elderly is estimated between 6 and 10%. Mortality due to COPD is increasing, especially among older subjects. Older subjects are at an increased risk of developing chronic diseases such as Parkinson's disease, which can have consequences for lung function. Under-nutrition is also common in the elderly and can produce sarcopenia and skeletal muscle dysfunction. The presentation of respiratory disorders may differ in the elderly, especially because of a lack of perception of symptoms such as dyspnea. The impact of bronchodilatators or corticosteroids on respiratory function has not been studied in the elderly. Drugs usually used for the treatment of hypertension or arrhythmias, which are often observed with aging, can have pulmonary toxicity. There is no difference between functional evaluation in younger and older subjects but it is more difficult to find predicted values for older patients. Performing pulmonary function tests in older patients is often difficult because of a higher prevalence of cognitive impairment and/or poor coordination. When assessing pulmonary function in the elderly, the choice of tests will be depend on the circumstances, with the use of voluntary manoeuvres dependent on the condition of the patient.

Multifocal alveolar hyperplasia associated with lymphangioleiomyomatosis in tuberous sclerosis.

Multifocal alveolar hyperplasia associated with pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis is reported in a 21-year-old woman with tuberous sclerosis. Beside the cystic lesions of lymphangioleiomyomatosis, the tomography showed nodules up to 8 mm in both upper lobes. A proliferation of type II pneumonocytes and Clara cells lining the alveolar walls in an adenoma-like pattern was observed. Nuclear atypia, mitoses and necrosis were not observed, providing evidence against multicentric bronchioloalveolar carcinoma or micronodular atypical alveolar adenomatous hyperplasia. Whereas the lymphangioleiomyomatosis lesions showed strong positivity for HMB45 and expressed oestrogen and progesterone receptors, the alveolar hyperplasia was negative for these markers as it was for carcinoembryonic antigen, p53 and MIB1 antibodies. Multifocal alveolar hyperplasia in tuberous sclerosis is probably a benign hamartomatous lesion in our case without progression on a 2-year follow-up. Its histogenesis is unknown, but is possibly related to chromosome instability.

Immunoelectron microscopic detection of the hepatitis B virus major surface protein in dilated perinuclear membranes of yeast cells.

The major surface protein of hepatitis B virus produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be recovered from cell lysates in the form of 22-mm lipoprotein particles. Immunoelectron microscopy was applied to investigate site and time of particle assembly. Thin sections of yeast cells revealed that production of the S protein provoked a dilation of the endoplasmic reticulum. Dilated areas were specifically labeled with a polyclonal antibody raised against glutaraldehyde-treated yeast-derived HBsAg particles. In contrast to previous postulates of particle formation during cell lysis and extract preparation, these results suggest that particle formation in yeast occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum and that transport of particles along the secretion pathway is blocked.

Endoscopic injection of adrenaline for severe peptic ulcer haemorrhage in high surgical risk patients.

Endoscopic adrenaline-hypertonic injection was attempted in 40 patients admitted for oesophagogastroduodenal ulcer haemorrhage unresponsive to conventional medical treatment and presenting with severe underlying disease or advanced age (less than 80 years). The results were compared with our own historical controls (43 patients) treated by conventional therapy, meeting the same inclusion criteria. Permanent haemostasis was achieved in 32 patients in the injection group and 30 in the control group (NS) but emergency surgery was less frequent in the injection group (2 vs 25, p less than 0.001). Blood transfusion requirements were less in the injection group (8.5 +/- 6.2 vs 10.2 +/- 5.4, p less than 0.05) but length of hospital stay was not really different (15.7 days +/- 9.3 vs 20.9 +/- 14.4). Unfortunately, mortality was not reduced in the injection group (14/40 vs 17/43). Two lethal complications attributable to injection treatment occurred. This treatment could represent an alternative to conventional haemostatic treatment in high surgical risk patients with severe clinical bleeding, avoiding emergency surgery. In spite of the fact that we selected high-risk patients, endoscopic treatment was not able to lower the mortality (about 37%). Due to severe unpredictable side effects and potential risks of long-term massive rebleeding, this treatment should be performed electively in patients with severe clinical bleeding, as first line treatment when surgical risk factors exist or immediately before surgery in low risk patients.

The effect of enprostil on duodeno-jejunal motility in man.

Motor changes could be involved in the pathogenesis of diarrhoea that complicates the treatment of ulcer disease by prostaglandins. Our aim was to assess the effect of enprostil, a synthetic analogue of PGE2, on duodeno-jejunal motility. During this randomized double-blind crossover study, two manometric recordings, each lasting 20 h (12.00-08.00 hours), were carried out during dosing with 35 micrograms enprostil b.d. or placebo (eight volunteers: part 1), or during dosing with 35 or 70 micrograms enprostil b.d. (nine volunteers: part 2). Subjects were only allowed a standard dinner at 18.00 hours. During fasting, in part 1, the number of phase 3 activity patterns (PIIIs) was higher with enprostil than with placebo (P less than 0.01), without any difference in their characteristics; the overall duration of phase 1 activity was longer with enprostil than with placebo (P less than 0.01). In part 2, during fasting the number and characteristics of the PIIIs were not different, but there was a dose-related increase in PI, and decrease in PII activity. Fed motor patterns did not differ between the two doses of enprostil.

Comparison of two sperm preparation techniques using automated sperm motion analysis: migration sedimentation versus swim-up.

Migration sedimentation and spermatozoa swim-up techniques were used for obtaining spermatozoa from the semen samples of 39 infertile men. Concentration, percentage of motile sperm, velocity, linearity, and motility index of the sperm preparations obtained by both methods were compared using the CellSoft automated sperm motion analyzer. The mean velocity of the spermatozoa obtained after the migration sedimentation technique was significantly higher than that with swim-up technique. Since it is not necessary to centrifuge spermatozoa with the migration sedimentation technique, this method may be more desirable than other techniques using centrifugation.

Possible role of human natural anti-Gal antibodies in the natural antitumor defense system.

Expression of Gal alpha 1-3Gal cell surface residues has been correlated with the metastatic potential of murine tumor cells. We report that Gal alpha 1-3Gal residues are expressed at the cell surface of malignant human cancer cells, including four cell lines and 50% of the malignant breast specimens obtained by aspiration biopsy. In contrast, all benign breast biopsies and normal cells were Gal alpha 1-3Gal negative. Affinity-purified anti-alpha-galactosyl IgG (anti-Gal) antibody, which specifically recognizes Gal alpha 1-3Gal residues, significantly inhibited cell attachment in two in vitro assays thought to indicate tumor cell extravasation of the circulatory system during the metastatic process: attachment to perfused human umbilical vein endothelium, and attachment to isolated laminin. Since anti-Gal antibody is a natural component of all human sera, we propose that it may be part of the natural antitumor defense system in humans.

Perfusion of human umbilical veins. A new approach to study the interactions of circulating malignant cells with vascular wall and their modulations.

Interactions of malignant or non-malignant human and rodent cells with the vascular wall were studied using perfused human umbilical cord veins. The integrity of perfused endothelium was confirmed by morphological and functional criteria. Highly malignant cells in vivo adhered to the endothelial cells, as shown by scanning electron microscopy. The specific attachment of radiolabelled malignant cells to the whole vein was already maximal within 30-60 min and remained stable for perfusion flow rates ranging between 10 and 60 ml/min. It increased proportionally to the number of cells infused and could be modulated by human platelets, human fibronectin and rabbit anti-laminin antibodies. In contrast, the binding of human or rodent non-malignant cells in vivo, of human red blood cells and of human platelets to the endothelial cells was negligible under similar experimental conditions. This perfusion system therefore represents a new model for elucidating some mechanisms involved in tumour cell arrest in vivo.

[Alveolar microlithiasis. A study of minerals in the lung]. / Microlithiase alvéolaire. Etude minéralogique du poumon.

A pulmonary scintigraph of pyrophosphate was performed to assess calcium metabolism in a man of 39 with alveolar microlithiasis, as was histologic study with a mineral analysis of wave-length dispersion and an analysis crossing the microliths enclosed in the resin. Two treatments were tried without success: First with diphosphonates and then alveolar lavage.

[Uterine cervix dysplasias. New therapeutic strategy based on virological data]. / Les dysplasies du col utérin. Nouvelle stratégie thérapeutique fondée sur les données virologiques.

There is no consistency in the treatment of dysplasias of the cervix of the uterus. It varies from team to team and there is no criterion that points with any certainty to how the lesion will develop--whether it will become worse, whether it will persist as it is or whether it will regress. For the first time there is an objective factor, namely typing of the papillomavirus by molecular hybridisation. The presence of HPV 16, 18 or 33 is prognostically bad. Active treatment should be instituted. In the other cases "armed surveillance" or destroying the lesions is sufficient. This is particularly important in young women who wish to have a family.

[Use of the CO2 laser in tubal microsurgery: comparative study of the results of the lysis of adhesions by laparascopic control on the 8th day. Apropos of 172 cases]. / Utilisation du laser CO2 en microchirurgie tubaire: étude comparative des résultats de l'adhésiolyse par la coelioscopie de contrôle au 8e jour. A propos de 172 cas.

Two groups of microsurgical tubal plastic operations have been compared. The first group consisted of 78 cases carried out without using Laser at the Port-Royal maternity unit, and the second group was of 94 cases where CO2 Laser was used at the Hospital Saint-Jacques. All the patients who had plastic tubal operations with associated lysis of adhesions were followed by laparoscopic assessment on the 8th day after operation to see what the results were. The adhesions in the pelvis were classified according to the international classification of Madrid and the lysis operations were classified according to the type of adhesions, i.e. 2nd degree for Type B adhesions, 3rd degree for severe Type C adhesions. In the 1st group, 136 adnexae were treated, associated with 65 2nd degree lysis procedures and 71 3rd degree procedures. In the 2nd group there were 158 adnexae operated on with 53 lysis of the 2nd degree and 105 of the 3rd degree. Control laparoscopy on the 8th day showed that in the 2nd degree lysis cases there were 15% in the group that were operated on without Laser and 9% in the group that were operated on with Laser. In the 3rd degree lysis cases there were 25% recurrences recurrences without Laser and 19% if the Laser was used. It does seem that using Laser improves the results of operations for lysis of adhesions although there was no statistically significant difference (p greater than 0.05).

[Mixed malignant Müllerian tumors of the uterus]. / Tumeurs mullériennes malignes mixtes de l'utérus.

Mixed malignant Müllerian tumours have an epithelial component and a connective tissue component both of which are malignant. The exact nature of each gives rise to a large number of clinical varieties and that has given rise to a confusing nomenclature. All have in common that they occur after the menopause and that they appear to be banal but that their prognosis is awful. The frequency of these tumours seems to be increasing. It is essential to recognise them because their treatment has to be more profound than that carried out for endometrial adenocarcinoma. The initial treatment of the lesions is by surgery and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy is to be reserved to improve the prognosis which itself is linked to the amount of distant metastases.