Optical properties of GaN nanowires grown on chemical vapor deposited-graphene.

Optical properties of GaN nanowires (NWs) grown on chemical vapor deposited-graphene transferred on an amorphous support are reported. The growth temperature was optimized to achieve a high NW density with a perfect selectivity with respect to a SiO2 surface. The growth temperature window was found to be rather narrow (815°C ± 5°C). Steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence from GaN NWs grown on graphene was compared with the results for GaN NWs grown on conventional substrates within the same molecular beam epitaxy reactor showing a comparable optical quality for different substrates. Growth at temperatures above 820 °C led to a strong NW density reduction accompanied with a diameter narrowing. This morphology change leads to a spectral blueshift of the donor-bound exciton emission line due to either surface stress or dielectric confinement. Graphene multi-layered micro-domains were explored as a way to arrange GaN NWs in a hollow hexagonal pattern. The NWs grown on these domains show a luminescence spectral linewidth as low as 0.28 meV (close to the set-up resolution limit).

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt treatment of variceal bleeding in an unselected patient population.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in variceal bleeding in a clinical setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of 131 patients (116 with liver cirrhosis) treated with TIPS with covered stent grafts in a single centre from 2002 to 2016. RESULTS: Survival at 1 and 2 years was 70% and 57% in patents with, and 100% at 2 years in patients without liver cirrhosis, respectively. A high Child-Pugh score and severe hepatic encephalopathy (HE) within 12 months post-TIPS were related to increased mortality. Re-bleeding occurred in 8% within 12 months and was related to TIPS dysfunction and a post-TIPS portosystemic gradient (PSG) of ≥5 mmHg. The main cause of TIPS dysfunction was that the stent did not fully reach the inferior vena cava. There was no correlation between the PSG and the occurrence of HE. CONCLUSIONS: TIPS was safe and prevented re-bleeding in patients with variceal bleeding, with or without liver cirrhosis, regardless of Child-Pugh class and of how soon after bleeding onset, the TIPS procedure was performed. A post-TIPS PSG of ≥5 mmHg was associated with an increased risk for re-bleeding and there was no correlation between the post-TIPS PSG and the occurrence of HE.

Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus among French prison inmates in 2010: a challenge for public health policy.

We evaluated prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among prison inmates in France in 2010, in a cross-sectional single-day study based on a two-stage design. Sampling favoured larger establishments and included all types of prisons. Establishments were stratified by geographical region. Estimates were adjusted by post-stratification of the total population of inmates in France. From 60,975 inmates in all 188 prisons on the sampling day, 2,154 were selected from 27 prisons, and 1,876 questionnaires completed. HIV prevalence was estimated at 2.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.9­4.2), 2.6% (95% CI: 0.7­8.8) in women and 2.0% (95% CI: 0.9­4.3) in men; 75% of inmates were receiving treatment for HIV. HCV prevalence was estimated at 4.8% (95% CI: 3.5­6.5) and was higher for women (11.8%; 95% CI: 8.5­16.1) than men (4.5%; 95% CI: 3.3­6.3). Almost half of HCV-infected inmates had chronic hepatitis C and 44% were receiving or had received treatment. HIV and HCV prevalence was six times higher than in the general population, and 2.5% of inmates had viraemic hepatitis C. The moment of incarceration provides an ideal opportunity for testing and treating, limiting spread of HCV and improving patients' prognosis.

Persistent stapedial arteries in human: from phylogeny to surgical consequences.

The stapedial artery is an embryonic artery which disappears during the tenth week in utero, in human species. During its short life, this artery shapes the stapes and transforms the middle meningeal artery from the internal carotid artery to a branch of the external carotid system. Nevertheless, a persistent stapedial artery is seen in 0.2-4.8 per thousand of human adults. This persistence is usually asymptomatic but can sometimes cause pulsatile tinnitus or conductive hearing loss. Despite the risk of facial palsy, hearing loss and even hemiplegia argued by several authors, some surgeons have succeeded in coagulation without side effects. Reviewing the literature, we seek to enlighten the actual knowledge about the persistent stapedial artery to evaluate the risk to coagulate it. Embryologic studies explain the four types of persistent stapedial arteries: the hyoido-stapedial artery, the pharyngo-stapedial artery, the pharyngo-hyo-stapedial artery and aberrant internal carotid with persistent stapedial artery. Phylogenetic studies show that the stapedial artery persists in adulthood in many vertebrates. Its disappearance is therefore either a random effect or an adaptative convergence. This adaptation could be partially linked to the negative allometry of the stapes. Practically, the risk to coagulate a stapedial artery seems limited thanks to anastomoses, for example with the stylomastoid artery. The risk of hemiplegia reported is in fact an extrapolation of variation in rats' embryos. A persistent stapedial artery can therefore reasonably be coagulated, with special attention to the facial nerve, because the facial canal is always dehiscent where the artery penetrates.

Retreatment of previously treated intracranial aneurysm: Procedural complications and risk factors for complications.

OBJECTIVE: Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a frequent vascular malformation that can be managed by endovascular treatment (EVT) or microsurgery. A previously treated IA can recanalize, which may require further treatment. The aim of our study was to evaluate procedural complications related to IA retreatment and their risk factors. METHODS: All patients retreated for IA between 2007 and 2017 in 4 hospitals were included. We retrospectively reviewed the frequency of procedural complications of IA retreatment, defined as death or≥1-point increase in modified Rankin score 24h after the procedure. We then screened for risk factors of procedural complications by comparing the characteristics of patients with and without complications. RESULTS: During the inclusion period, 4,997 IAs were treated in our 4 institutions. Of these, 237 (4.7%) were retreated. 29 (12.2%) had≥1 procedural complication. However, severe complications, defined as death or dependency at 1 month, occurred only in 3 patients (1.3%). The only risk factor for complications was microsurgical clipping as retreatment. CONCLUSIONS: Procedural complications during IA retreatment were frequent but, in most cases, retreatment did not lead to death or severe disability. The only risk factor for complications of IA retreatment was clipping as retreatment. However, the design of the study did not allow any conclusion to be drawn as to the optimal means of aneurysm retreatment, and further studies are needed.

Entrapment of the basilar artery within a clivus fracture: Case report and literature review.

A review of the literature revealed that basilar artery (BA) entrapment is a very rare (17 cases published) and severe pathological condition, which often leads to death. We report the case of a 72-year-old man who presented with a longitudinal clivus fracture associated with a basilar artery entrapment. This entrapment was responsible for a basilar artery dissection, which led to an ischemic stroke in the pons. The patient was managed with medical treatment, mainly to avoid a progression towards an ischemic stroke. It consisted of heparin therapy followed by antiplatelet therapy, which finally resulted in a successful outcome. In BA entrapment most of the patients who had a favorable outcome received antithrombotic therapy. This suggests that antithrombotic therapy might be useful in the first line treatment of post-traumatic BA entrapment.

[Failure of transverse sinus dural fistula embolization using ethanol injection]. / Echec de l'embolisation transartérielle par l'alcool absolu d'une fistule durale du sinus transverse.

This is a case report of successful arterial embolization of a dural fistula using absolute alcohol. In this two-part embolization of a dural fistula of the left sagittal venous sinus, the use of n-BCA (n-butyl-cyanoacrylate) was followed by 1 ml of absolute alcohol four months later. The first procedure, using n-BCA via the external carotid, permitted exclusion of the arterial supply coming from the medial meningeal and occipital arteries. Persistence of the blood supply through the internal carotid prompted us to perform the second procedure, to occlude the tentorium marginalis artery, using 1 ml of 95% ethanol. This was followed by a cranial nerve (III) palsy that was reversible. The three-month follow-up was satisfactory, although arteriography after one year showed revascularization of the fistula, which was successfully treated by Onyx. Routinely used in the treatment of superficial vascular malformations, the use of absolute alcohol intracerebrally appears to be unreliable, with results that were only temporary.

[Nasogastric rehydration for treating children with gastroenteritis]. / Gastro-entérite aiguë chez l'enfant hospitalisé : réduction des durées de réhydratation et d'hospitalisation grâce à la réhydratation par sonde naso-gastrique.

INTRODUCTION: When oral rehydration is not feasible, enteral rehydration via the nasogastric route has been the ESPGHAN recommended method of rehydration since 2008, rather than intravenous rehydration (IVR), for children with acute gastroenteritis. However, these recommendations are rarely followed in France. Since 2011, in case of failure of oral rehydration, enteral rehydration has been used as a first-line therapy in the Children's Emergency Department at the Grenoble-Alpes University Hospital. PURPOSE: The aims of the study were to compare the length of the hospital stay, the duration of initial rehydration, and the incidence of complications and failure with the use of enteral nasogastric versus intravenous rehydration. METHODS: This study compared two cohorts of children (<3 years of age) with mild-to-moderate dehydration caused by acute gastroenteritis and failure of rehydration via the oral route. The first group (winter 2010-2011) was managed according to the previous protocol (intravenous rehydration). The second group (winter 2011-2012) was managed according the new protocol (nasogastric tube rehydration [NGR]). The rest of the gastroenteritis management was identical in both groups. RESULTS: A total of 132 children were included, 65 were treated with nasogastric tube rehydration (NGR) and 67 with intravenous rehydration. There was a significant reduction in the duration of hospitalization in the post-emergency unit in the NGR group: 23.6h vs 40.1h (P<0.05). The duration of initial rehydration was also significantly reduced (10.5h vs 22.0h). There was no significant difference regarding serious adverse events. However, the NGR group presented more mild adverse events (22 vs 7, P<0.05) and more treatment failures (15.3% vs 3%, P=0.013). CONCLUSION: Nasogastric rehydration reduces the duration of rehydration and the length of the hospital stay without increasing the incidence of serious adverse events for dehydrated children hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis.

[Botulism and pregnancy]. / Botulisme et grossesse.

Botulism during pregnancy is uncommon and raises concern due uncertainty about fetal impairment. This type of situation has not been reported to date. Treatment is basically symptomatic and based on nursing care. The prognosis is tightly correlated with the maternal status. Dietary hygiene is the basis of prevention. We describe a case of botulism occurring during the second quarter of pregnancy.

[Hand hygiene: first measure to control nosocomial infection]. / Hygiène des mains: Première mesure pour la maîtrise des infections nosocomiales.

Hand hygiene prevents cross infection in hospi tals, however adherence to guidelines is commonly poor. The hand-hygiene promotion programme started on May 2004 at the University Hospital of Liège after a baseline survey of compliance. We attempted to promote hand hygiene and most par ticularly alcohol-based hand disinfection. We measured MRSA transmission rates and consumption of alcohol-based handrub solution and soap in parallel. During the campaign, consump tion of alcohol-based handrub solution and soap increased by 56% and 24% respectively and MRSA transmission rates decreased from 11,04 to 7,07 cases per 1000 admissions.

[Endovascular treatment of giant intracranial aneurysms]. / Traitement endovasculaire des anévrismes géants.

Giant aneurysms are defined as having a maximal diameter higher than 25mm. The dynamic aspect of giant aneurysms, in particular, is its growth, which was responsible for parenchyma sequellae either due to haemorrhagic complications or a compression of cranial nerves. The treatment of these giant aneurysms was challenging because of its size, the mass effect and the neck diameter. These morphologic conditions required complex endovascular procedures such as remodelling, stenting, using flow diverters. Subsequently, the complex procedures increased the risk of morbidity because of ischemic complications. Despite these procedures, the risk of recurrence was high.

[Erythema nodosum and adenopathy in a 15-year-old boy: uncommon signs of cat scratch disease]. / Erythème noueux et adénopathies chez un adolescent: mode de révélation rare de la maladie des griffes du chat.

UNLABELLED: Erythema nodosum rarely occurs in childhood and can be caused by cat scratch disease, as a result of agent Bartonella henselae. We report the case of a teenager who presented erythema nodosum and bilateral inguinal adenitis. Cat scratch disease diagnosis was confirmed by anti-Bartonella henselae serologies. Despite an appropriate antibiotic therapy, evolution was unfavourable with adenitis abcédation requiring surgical drainage. CONCLUSION: Erythema nodosum in children must let think to cat scratch disease among others etiologies.

[Extensive swelling reaction after a pentavalent vaccination]. / Réaction locale étendue à un vaccin pentavalent.

Injection site reactions (ISRs) are quite common side effects defined by a local adverse drug reaction directly caused by a vaccine. Twenty-four hours after an intramuscular injection (in the deltoid muscle) of the diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, inactivated poliomyelitis, Haemophilus influenza type b (DTPCa-Hib) combined vaccine, a 3-year-old boy developed fever. A few hours later, local redness and swelling appeared at the injection site, with rapid extension to the entire limb, it was pain-free, and no other clinical anomalies were present. The patient received intravenous antibiotics for suspected cellulitis. The progression was favorable in 12h (apyrexia and decreased limb swelling), allowing the intravenous antibiotic treatment to be discontinued. Since the child was in excellent general health and recovery was fast, an ISR was diagnosed. Extensive limb swelling is frequent, mostly after the fourth dose of DTPCa-Hib. Deltoid muscle injection of DTP vaccine increases the risk of ISR compared to injection in the thigh, before the age of 3 years. The introduction of acellular pertussis vaccine decreased the risk of general side effects but may increase the risk of ISR. These reactions disappear with symptomatic treatment and do not contraindicate the product.

Endovascular treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms: Indications, techniques and results.

Rupture of an intracranial aneurysm is a diagnostic and therapeutic emergency. Occlusion of the aneurysm with coils is the first line treatment and should be performed promptly to avoid any further rupture, which carries a poor prognosis. Most aneurysms are accessible to this type of treatment. The risks of coiling, which are mostly thromboembolic and less commonly hemorrhagic due to peroperative rupture, are low. The use of stents or a flow diverter requires dual anti-aggregation which increases their risks so that their use are restricted to specific situations such as dissecting aneurysms. Endovascular treatment is effective in the long and short term prevention of recurrent hemorrhage provided that patients are followed up by imaging, which allows possible early recanalization to be detected early and treated if necessary.

Studies on deo operon regulation in Escherichia coli: cloning and expression of the cytR structural gene.

The structural gene that encodes one repressor (the cytR-encoded repressor) of the Escherichia coli deo operon has been cloned from a lambda dmet transducing phage into the multicopy plasmid pBR322 by selecting for ApR, Lac- transformants of E. coli SS110(delta lac, cytR, tsx::lac). Restriction maps for the cytR+ plasmids have been generated and the position of the cytR gene on the cloned insert of these plasmids has been determined through deletion analysis. Results from maxicell experiments employing pCB001 and its cytR- derivatives suggest that the cytR gene encodes a protein with a subunit Mr of 37 000. In contrast to the complete repression of the deo operon obtained when deoR+ plasmids were introduced into E. coli SS201 (deoR, cytR), transformation of this DeoR-, CytR- strain with any of the cytR+ plasmids yields only clones which have phenotypes and Deo enzyme levels characteristic of a DeoR- single mutant. The data presented in this study are consistent with the interpretation that, in E. coli, the deoR-encoded repressor controls deo operon transcription initiating from both deo promoter-operator sites, PO1 and PO2. In contrast, the cytR-encoded repressor regulates deo operon expression only through deo promoter-operator site PO2.

N-Benzylpolyamines as vectors of boron and fluorine for cancer therapy and imaging: synthesis and biological evaluation.

Cancer cells have high-affinity polyamine uptake systems with a low stringency for structural features. Putrescine, spermidine, and spermine have, therefore, been considered as potential vectors for the selective accumulation in tumors of therapeutically or diagnostically useful structures and elements. We envisaged N-benzyl derivatives of the polyamines as vectors of (10)B and (18)F for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and tumor imaging by positron emission tomography (PET), respectively. In the present work, the synthesis, transport characteristics, DNA-binding properties, and cytotoxicity of several N-benzyl derivatives of putrescine and spermidine are described. The fluorinated spermidine derivative N-(3-[(4-aminobutyl)amino]propyl)[(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]amine (N(1)-4-Fbz-spd) may be useful for PET because of its high accumulation in cancer cells via the polyamine transport system. Among the boron-containing benzyl polyamines, N-(4-aminobutyl)([4-(dihydroxyboryl)phenyl]methyl)amine (4-Bbz-put) and N-(3-[(4-aminobutyl)amino]propyl)([4-(dihydroxyboryl)phenyl]methyl)amine (N(1)-4-Bbz-spd) should be suitable for BNCT, because their accumulation in B16 melanoma cells was more efficient than that of borocaptate and borophenylalanine, two reference compounds used in BNCT.

The French version of the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) and the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ).

We report the results of the cross-cultural adaptation and validation into the French language of two health status instruments. The Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) is a disease specific instrument that measures functional ability in daily living activities in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) is a generic health related quality of life instrument designed to capture the physical and psychosocial well-being of children independently from the underlying disease. Five hundred children were enrolled including 306 patients with JIA classified into systemic (23%), polyarticular (22%), extended oligoarticular (25%), and persistent oligoarticular (30%) subtypes, and 194 healthy children. Both instruments were reliable with intra-class correlation (ICC) coefficients for the test-retest procedure of 0.91 for the CHAQ, and 0.87 and 0.89 for the physical and psychosocial summary scores of CHQ, respectively. Agreement between parents and children evaluated for the CHAQ was high with an ICC of 0.89 for the disability index; weighted kappa coefficients for the 8 domains ranged from 0.61 to 0.72. Convergent validity was demonstrated by significant correlations with the JIA core set of variables (physician and parent global assessment, scores for active joints and joints with limited range of motion, erythrocyte sedimentation rate) for both instruments. Both CHAQ and CHQ discriminated between healthy and JIA children, but only the disease specific CHAQ questionnaire discriminated clearly between the 4 JIA subtypes. In conclusion, the French versions of the CHAQ and the CHQ are reliable, and valid health assessment questionnaires to be used in children suffering from JIA.

Structural analysis of 21-hydroxypregn-4-ene-3,20-dione (deoxycorticosterone) derivative compounds. Part II: Proton NMR spectra.

Complete analysis of the proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of desoxycorticosterone (DOC) has been made using selective double irradiation, two-dimensional experiments, relaxation rate, and nuclear Overhauser effect measurements in order to specify the structure and conformation of products encountered during the preparation of the specific antigen DOC-bovine serum albumin (BSA). It has been shown that DOC has the normal P conformation with ring A half-chair, and ring B chair. This confirms results previously obtained by circular dichroism measurements.

Structural analysis of 21-hydroxypregn-4-ene-3,20-dione (deoxycorticosterone) derivative compounds. Part I: Synthesis and circular dichroism identification.

Deoxycorticosterone (DOC) derivative compounds (DOC, DOC 21-acetate, and 7-mercaptopropionic DOC) have been prepared and purified by high pressure liquid chromatography. Synthesis products have been identified, and three chromophores have been displayed by their n----II and II----II dichroic transitions. A normal half-chair conformation is favored in ring A.