Targeted association analysis identified japonica rice varieties achieving Na(+)/K (+) homeostasis without the allelic make-up of the salt tolerant indica variety Nona Bokra.

During the last decade, a large number of QTLs and candidate genes for rice tolerance to salinity have been reported. Using 124 SNP and 52 SSR markers, we targeted 14 QTLs and 65 candidate genes for association mapping within the European Rice Core collection (ERCC) comprising 180 japonica accessions. Significant differences in phenotypic response to salinity were observed. Nineteen distinct loci significantly associated with one or more phenotypic response traits were detected. Linkage disequilibrium between these loci was extremely low, indicating a random distribution of favourable alleles in the ERCC. Analysis of the function of these loci indicated that all major tolerance mechanisms were present in the ERCC although the useful level of expression of the different mechanisms was scattered among different accessions. Under moderate salinity stress some accessions achieved the same level of control of Na(+) concentration and Na(+)/K(+) equilibrium as the indica reference variety for salinity tolerance Nona Bokra, although without sharing the same alleles at several loci associated with Na(+) concentration. This suggests (a) differences between indica and japonica subspecies in the effect of QTLs and genes involved in salinity tolerance and (b) further potential for the improvement of tolerance to salinity above the tolerance level of Nona Bokra, provided the underlying mechanisms are complementary at the whole plant level. No accession carried all favourable alleles, or showed the best phenotypic responses for all traits measured. At least nine accessions were needed to assemble the favourable alleles and all the best phenotypic responses. An effective strategy for the accumulation of the favourable alleles would be marker-assisted population improvement.

[Tuberculous meningitis in an immunocompetent adult: contribution of cerebral imaging techniques to the diagnosis and follow-up]. / Méningite tuberculeuse de l'adulte sans immunodépression acquise: contribution de l'imagerie cérébrale au diagnostic et au suivi évolutif.

We have studied 5 men, mean age 47 years, affected by tuberculous meningitis (TM) without documented immunodepression. The diagnosis of TM was supported by clinical and biological investigations and confirmed by the cultures of CSF. All the patients received a four-drug combination therapy and steroids. No drug resistance of the bacilli was observed. Cerebral imaging by CT and MRI was rarely diagnostic but most useful during the follow-up. All the patients developed complications including tuberculomas (5), hydrocephalus (4), ischemic lesions (2), arachnoiditis (1) and abscess of spinal cord (1). Four patients recovered and one died. The mean duration of the follow-up was 16 months. MRI was more sensitive than CT scan to identify inflammatory lesions such as granulomas, angeitis or arachnoiditis and to follow their outcome. Tuberculomas and hydrocephalus were easily diagnosed by CT scan with contrast enhancement. Recommendations of sequential imaging are suggested to identify unexpected or asymptomatic complications of TM during therapy and evaluate the outcome.

[Pseudotumoral lipid pneumopathies. Apropos of six cases]. / Pneumopathies lipidiques pseudo-tumorales. A propos de six observations.

In cases of localised pneumonia due to oil aspiration, the diagnosis may be difficult and is often assessed by thoracotomy. Six cases of lung paraffinoma are reported. The lesion, localised in the lower lobe in five patients out of six, was discovered on screening chest x-rays. In two cases, two lesions were observed in the same patient. All six patients underwent lung resection. Diagnosis was made on histologic examination showing foreign body reactions against oil. Oil aspiration was due to oily nose drops in one patient and to the use of paraffin oil on a tracheostomy in two others. The preoperative diagnosis may be suspected on bronchial lavage CT scan and MRI. When the diagnosis is strongly suspected, thoracotomy can be avoided as in some cases withdrawal of the medication can be followed by progressive resolution of the radiological signs.

[Evaluation of pulmonary arterial hypertension by Doppler echocardiography in chronic respiratory insufficiency]. / Evaluation de l'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire par échocardiographie doppler dans l'insuffisance respiratoire chronique.

The usefulness of doppler-echocardiography for the assessment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with chronic respiratory failure was evaluated in 24 consecutive patients with chronic obstructive lung disease. Seventeen of these 24 patients (71 p. 100) who had tricuspid valve regurgitation analysable by the continuous wave doppler technique were selected as study group; they included 15 men and 2 women aged from 33 to 78 years (mean 63 years). The highest maximum velocity value (method A) or the maximum velocity value averaged on several cycles (method B) of the tricuspid regurgitation jet was used to calculate the right ventriculo-atrial pressure gradient, using Bernouilli's equation. Right atrial pressure was determined by three methods: haemodynamic measurement, clinical evaluation or attribution of an arbitrary 10 mmHg value. The pulsed doppler study of the pulmonary ejection flow included measurement of the acceleration time and calculation of the acceleration time/ejection time ratio. The usual echocardiographic parameters were measured. Catheterization was performed 2.5 days on average after the doppler study. Correlations between doppler examination and catheterization to evaluate the right ventricular systolic pressure were significant (p less than 0.001) and better with method B than with method A. Depending on the method employed to evaluate the right atrial pressure, the correlation coefficients obtained with method B were: 0.93 (haemodynamic measurement), 0.91 (clinical evaluation) and 0.88 (arbitrary value of 10 mmHg). The right ventricular systolic pressure evaluated by doppler ultrasound using method B and by clinical evaluation of the right atrial pressure was 47 +/- 12 mmHg (22 to 70 mmHg), as against 51 +/- 13 mmHg (28 to 74 mmHg) measured by catheterization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Acquired systemo-pulmonary fistula after pleurectomy responsible for a continuous thoracic murmur]. / Fistule systémo-pulmonaire acquise après pleurectomie responsable d'un souffle thoracique continu.

Systemo-pulmonary fistulae are rare. The case of a 27 year-old man, hospitalized for exploration of a continuous thoracic murmur, is reported. A right pleurectomy had been performed 2 years previously because of a recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax, and no murmur was present at that time. Angiography showed a systemo-pulmonary fistula with the right internal mammary artery and branches of the right axillary artery as afferent vessels, and the right pulmonary arteries and veins as efferent vessels. Blood gases measurements demonstrated a left-right shunt. The acquired nature of the fistula was suspected because of the history of right pleurectomy and the acquired nature of the murmur. There was no indication for surgery because of the complexity of the fistula and the absence of symptoms.

[Prognostic factors in operated non-small cell cancer of the lung. Study from a randomized therapeutic trial]. / Facteurs pronostiques du cancer du poumon opéré non à petites cellules: étude à partir d'un essai thérapeutique randomisé.

This article presents the results of a prognostic study of primary resected lung cancer (non-small cell). The data result from a randomised clinical trial of immunotherapy with a non-specific adjuvant; the follow-up was between four to seven years. Thirty-five clinical, biological and anatomo-pathological parameters were gathered at the time of inclusion in the trial. The response criteria used were survival without recurrence and total survival. A multivariate analysis using the Cox's model was carried out for each criterion. At the reference date of the 1st April 1985, 125 relapses and 132 deaths were counted amongst 219 patients; there was only one patient lost to follow-up and only 39 missing data were observed. The negative therapeutic results of the immunotherapy used were confirmed by this new intermediate analysis. The rate of survival without recurrence at 5 years was 43% and the overall survival at five years was 42%. The use of Cox's model to show the prognostic information at the 5% level for survival without recurrence could be summarised by five factors: main staging (the prognostic factor), leucocytosis, the cutaneous reaction to proteus, Karnofsky index and presence of physical signs. For stages I and II the outcome was identical and no factor was predictive at the 5% level. For stage III the cutaneous reaction to proteus and leucocytosis were prognostic. For overall survival, the prognostic information at the 5% level could be summarised by five factors: staging (main prognostic factor), leucocytosis, Karnofsky index, presence of physical signs and lymphocytosis. For stages I and II whose outcome was identical only Karnofsky index and lymphocytosis were predictive at the 5% level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Brushings and bronchial biopsies in small-cell cancer. Comparison of results]. / Brossages et biopsies bronchiques dans les cancers à petites cellules. Confrontation des résultats.

The typing of bronchial carcinoma is important for therapeutic decisions and may be made on bronchial brushings. Sixty six small cell and poorly differentiated squamous cancers were studied. Our personal method of preparing brushing is suggested. The cytological criteria which characterise the two tumour types were analysed. The results from the biopsies and particularly the brushings were related to the quality of the technique and the experience of the Pathologist. There is a good correlation between biopsy and brushing such that brushings may be considered reliable. In cases where the biopsy was not feasible or uninterpretable, brushings confirmed a cancer in all the cases and the type of cancer in eleven. The examination is inexpensive and avoids the need for ultrastructural studies in the majority of cases.

Adjuvant immunotherapy with nonviable Mycobacterium smegmatis in resected primary lung carcinoma. A randomized clinical trial of 219 patients.

Two hundred and nineteen patients with resected lung carcinoma were randomized 3 weeks after surgery between two treatment arms: a control group (110 cases) and an immunotherapy group (109 cases). The immunostimulant was a nonviable saprophytic mycobacterium, M. smegmatis, given monthly by subcutaneous injection in four sites. The two groups were equivalent in terms of prognostic factors, including a nonsignificant difference favoring the control group based on the N (node) classification. This interim analysis was carried out on June 1, 1981. Treatment comparison by the log-rank test did not show any significant differences between these two groups in regards to disease-free interval and overall survival. There was no significant difference between the two groups after stratification of the comparison according to the N classification or adjustment with a subset of eight prognostic parameters through the Cox model. The initially expected difference (20% 1-year survival) will probably not be achieved, given these interim results, but patients will continue to be treated and followed-up according to the protocol as to allow further evaluation of this nonspecific immunotherapy.

[Negative results of a randomized therapeutic trial of nonspecific immunotherapy in primary, surgically-treated non-small cell bronchial cancer]. / Résultats négatifs d'un essai thérapeutique randomisé d'immunothérapie non spécifique dans le cancer bronchique primitif non microcellulaire opéré.

Between March 1978 and May 1981, 219 patients suffering from non-small cell primary bronchial carcinoma underwent surgical excision which was intended to be curative. Three weeks later the patients were randomised into two groups: 1. A control group, with no other treatment following excision (110 patients). 2. A non-specific immunotherapy group (109 patients). The immunostimulant used was an aqueous suspension of heat killed mycobacterium smegmatis administered subcutaneously once a month. The trial was analysed on December 1, 1982. There were 117 recurrences and 112 deceased. There was no significant difference as regard survival without relapse or overall survival; all causes of death were included.

Determination of the virtual electron source of a betatron.

The definition and use of the virtual source point of an electron beam are discussed and a new method of measuring the virtual source point using a multi-pinhole camera is described. Application examples are given for a 42 MeV betatron.

[Legionnaires' disease with late pulmonary sequelae. Apropos of a case]. / Maladie des légionnaires avec séquelles pulmonaires tardives. A propos d'un cas.

The authors report a case of legionnaires' disease with retractile late sequelae affecting the lingula and the dorsal segment of the culmen. They stress the need for appropriate and prolonged treatment because of the possible presence of intracellular Legionella pneumophila. The existence of an associated staphylococcal infection is also one of the hypotheses raised in explaining such sequelae.

[Morphological aspects of non-tumoral bronchial cells recovered by brushing (author's transl)]. / Aspects morphologiques des cellules bronchiques non tumorales recueillies par brossage.

A series of 132 bronchial brushings studied according to a strict protocol, both in obtaining the specimens and their subsequent laboratory preparation, has allowed us to study the cells of the bronchial mucosa in greater detail. Until now the greater part of the work in this field has been on the characteristics of tumour cells and the variability in detecting cancer, slightly neglecting the analysis of normal, inflammatory or dystrophic cells. The brushings were compared to the cytology requests on sputum and/or corresponding aspirations by conventional methods. This work has shown that the different types of normal epithelial cells so recovered, as well as dystrophic cells, have a very different appearance than those same cells when observed using classical cytological methods (on sputa and aspirations). The cyto-pathologist ought to adjust the technique before interpreting the specimens. The differences are due to a better state of conservation of the recovered cells, thanks to improvement in current endoscopic technique. We infer that certain cytological appearances considered pathological until now, using classical expectoration or aspiration, may in reality only be artefacts.

[Superior vena cava syndrome of rare aetiology (author's transl)]. / Syndrome cave supérieur d'étiologie exceptionnelle.

The case of malformation of the subclavian artery (arteria lusoria) reported here is of interest not only because of its rarity but also the diagnostic problems which it posed and its unusual clinical presentation -- haemoptysis. This case report is completed by a review of the literature, which is restricted concerning this subject.

[An analytical method to calculate electron dose distributions. Part I: Method (author's transl)]. / Ein analytisches Verfahren zur Berechnung von Elektronendosisverteilungen. Teil I: Das Verfahren.

A method for the calculation of electron dose distributions is described. The dose distributions of stationary electron beams in water are represented by formulas for depth dose curves and transverse distributions. Curved surfaces, oblique incidence of rays, and inhomogeneities are taken into account by applying the law of distance and the method of equivalent thicknesses of water layers. A detailed program is given to calculate the electron dose distributions in that plane of the central ray which is at right angle to the theoretical circle plane of a 42 MeV betatron.

[Consideration of large in homogeneous regions of the computation of electron dose distributions]. / Berücksichtigung grosser Inhomogenitätsbereiche bei der Berechnung von Elektronendosisverteilungen

A simple method, suggested by Laughlin and Pohlit for calculation of dose distribution in electron beams which is considering the nonhomogeneous structure of the body, has been examined with regard to its accuracy within the energy range up to 42 MeV. Thereby, the dose distributions calculated and measured over nonhomogeneous thorax phantoms were compared. The method is based on the dose in homogeneous muscular tissue for a depth of area-weight identical to that in nonhomogeneous tissue with corrections being made according to the law of squared distances. Thus, only the loss of electron energy but not the scattering is considered. Smaller nonhomogeneous zones are completely neglected, larger ones treated as regions of equal density. The present study of the region of the lung and previous papers concerning bones [13] and cavities [11] show that the method, apart from near surface cavities, yields a satisfying exactness of the calculated dose distributions. If larger inhomogeneities - especially of the lung - are regarded, their mean tissue density, their shape, size and location ought to be known as exactly as possible.

[Influence of cavities on dose distribution in electron depth therapy]. / Zum Einfluss von Hohlräumen auf die Dosisverteilung in der Elektronen-Tiefentherapie

The influence of body cavities on the dose distributions of electrons between 15 and 42 MeV has been studied by means of ionometric and densitometric measurements in polystyrol and cork phantoms. The results show that superelevated doses appear behind the cavities near the surface of the head and the neck caused by scattered electrons of about 10% of the maximum dose in the homogene muscle tissue, particulary by small electron energies. The dose points are spatial very limited with diameters of 1 to 2 cm. With greater depths, i.e. for electron energies of 10, 25 and 42 MeV from 2, 4 and 6 cm respectively, no more superelevated dose caused by the electron scattering appears. All the other body cavities, particulary in the lungs and in the gastrointestinal tract, have for that reason an influence on the dose distribution essentially by the electron radius increased with the cavity length. The electron scattering and the organ motions provide for an great dose equalization.