Phosphine-mediated partial reduction of alkynes to form both (E)- and (Z)-alkenes.

A mild, phosphine-mediated partial reduction of alkynyl carbonyls to the corresponding alkenes was developed. Tuning of the reaction conditions led to either the (E)- or (Z)-diastereomer with high selectivity. A range of alkynyl esters, amides, and ketones were reduced to form alkenes in good to high yields and with excellent functional group tolerance.

[Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: Topography of breaks and agreement with lincoff's rules]. / Décollement de rétine rhegmatogène : topographie des déhiscences et conformité aux lois de Lincoff.

PURPOSE: To study the topography of retinal breaks and their agreement with Lincoff's rules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective descriptive study of patients with recent rhegmatogenous retinal detachments followed on the ophthalmology service of Abass Ndao Hospital from January 2006 through December 2016. Patients with no prior retinal treatment were included. RESULTS: Over 11 years, we reviewed 97 patients with 107 eyes with retinal detachments. The mean age of our patients was 51.7 years, range 23-79 years. There were 69 male patients, for a male:female ratio of 2.46. Refraction revealed that 38.1% of patients were myopes. Fourteen percent (14%) of patients had experienced trauma to the eye with the detachment. The right eye was involved in 54.6% of patients. The onset was insidious in 54.6% of cases and sudden in 23.7% of cases. All patients had decreased visual acuity, associated with a scotoma in 26.8% of cases. Visual acuity was decreased to light perception through 7/10. In 64.9% of cases, Lincoff's rules were observed. DISCUSSION: Lincoff's rules are still relevant for localization of the breaks in retinal detachments. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of a retinal detachment is an essential step, since it determines the treatment. Lincoff's rules still have a role in finding the retinal break in retinal detachments.

[Role of CT in diagnosis and monitoring of retinoblastoma in Senegal]. / Apport de la TDM dans le diagnostic et le suivi du retinoblastome au Sénégal.

INTRODUCTION: Retinoblastoma is a malignant tumor of neuroepithelial origin, developed from young retinal cells, occurring in infants and young children. The goal of the study was to assess the role of CT in the diagnosis of retinoblastoma at the Aristide le Dantec Hospital in Dakar. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is an 11-year retrospective study of 160 patient records in the ophthalmology department and pediatric oncology unit of the same hospital. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty (160) patients were recruited. The male:female ratio was 1.05. The mean age was 32.19 months. Leukocoria was the most common clinical sign, occurring in 105 cases (65.62 %). The retinoblastoma was intraocular in 97 cases (60.62 %). We saw 122 (76.25 %) unilateral and 3 (1.87 %) trilateral presentations. CT was performed in 150 children with 110 cases (73.33 %) of calcifications ; 62 cases (41.33 %) of optic nerve invasion ; 24 cases (16 %) of extraocular muscle invasion and 18 cases (12 %) endocranial extension. Associated tumors were found on CT: 2 cases of suprasellar mass and 1 case of pineoblastoma. In patients whose specimens were analyzed, histology showed 48.15 % optic nerve invasion, consistent with the CT findings. DISCUSSION: CT has an important role in the diagnosis of retinoblastoma, despite its recent contraindication in bilateral and unilateral multinodular forms. CONCLUSION: CT is a good alternative to MRI in the diagnosis of retinoblastoma in developing countries with limited technological resources.

[Ametropia among senegalese children in a hospital setting]. / Amétropie de l'enfant sénégalais en milieu hospitalier.

INTRODUCTION: Ametropia is common in children and cause strabismus and amblyopia. The goal was to establish its prevalence in a hospital setting among Senegalese children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients under 15 years of age with clear ocular media. The marital status, circumstances of discovery, and results of cycloplegic refraction were recorded. RESULTS: Of 1506 children, 175 demonstrated ametropia. The mean age was 8 years, and the male : female ratio was 0.68. Family history of ametropia was present in 8.5 %. Decreased VA was present in 39.66 %, headache 10.06 %, and strabismus 4.47 %. Automated refraction in 109 patients and skiascopy in one patient showed 58.18 % cases of myopia, 18.18 % of hyperopia and 36.57 % of astigmatism. DISCUSSION: The most common ametropia was myopia. Patients were referred for symptomatic ametropia. CONCLUSION: Screening for ametropia might occur earlier if it is associated with pediatric monitoring in our regions.

[Giant retinal tears: Senegalese experience]. / Aspect thérapeutique des déchirures géantes de la rétine : expérience sénégalaise.

PURPOSE: To appreciate the epidemiological characteristics and to show the therapeutic aspects of the giant retinal tears. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study from January 2014 to June 2017 on subjects with giant retinal tears. Patients with media opacities limiting examination were excluded. RESULTS: We identified 17 cases of giant retinal tears. The frequency of detachments related to a giant retinal tear was 17% compared to all retinal tears. The mean age was 50.75 years with a sex ratio (M/F) of 6.5. We found three cases of high myopia, one case of hyperopia and four trauma cases. All patients had a decrease in visual acuity. The average time to consultation was four weeks. The mean intraocular pressure was 8mmHg. The tear was found in the left eye in eight cases and in the right eye in five cases; two cases were bilateral. We performed intraocular surgery in five eyes and laser in four eyes. We achieved anatomical reattachment and functional improvement in all operated patients. COMMENTS AND CONCLUSION: The prognosis of a giant retinal tear remains guarded, especially if patients are seen and treated late. Laser photocoagulation of giant tears remains effective, especially in cases of early diagnosis.

[Evaluation of mean macular thickness by optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) in black Senegalese subjects]. / Évaluation de l'épaisseur maculaire moyenne par la tomographie en cohérence optique (SD OCT) chez le sujet mélanoderme sénégalais.

INTRODUCTION: Our goal was to evaluate the normal macular thickness in Blacks by OCT and to determine socio-demographic and clinical parameters which may influence it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a multicenter, prospective, descriptive study over 6 months. It included Black adults followed in the ophthalmology departments of Abass Ndao and Aristide-Le-Dantec hospitals in Dakar. Included subjects had corrected visual acuity of 10/10 (0 logMAR) and P2 (+0.1 logMAR), clear ocular media, and no retinal abnormalities. We used the Topcon 3D 2000 OCT to measure the central thicknesses of the cornea (CT) and of the macula (MT), and cup to disc ratio (C/D) in each eye. Socio-demographic, clinical and tomographic data were collected on a survey form and correlated to the MT. The analysis was carried out by the Epi info 7 software. We used the Chi2 comparison test with a P value˂0.05. RESULTS: One hundred and nine patients were included. The mean age was 27.39 years with a male/female ratio of 0.65. The subjects were emmetropic in 54.13% of cases. The mean CT was 519.97µm, the mean C/D was 0.23, and the mean MT was 264.35µm. The P-value (P) was greater than or equal to 0.1 for all the factors studied. CONCLUSION: MT in our study was lower than that of Whites, and the various parameters studied did not demonstrate a statistically significant influence on MT.

[Perception of ocular blinding manifestations of sickle cell disease by practitioners in Dakar university hospital]. / Perception des lésions oculaires cécitantes de la drépanocytose par les praticiens hospitalo-universitaire de Dakar.

INTRODUCTION: In Senegal, 10% of the population are said to be carriers of hemoglobin S, the most widespread hemoglobinopathy in the world. It is responsible for potentially blinding ophthalmological manifestations. Few practitioners refer patients for ophthalmologic screening. The goal of our study was to assess the level of knowledge of practitioners of the blinding ocular lesions of sickle cell disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional prospective study was carried out over five months. It included Dakar university hospital practitioners aside from ophthalmologists. On the survey form, each practitioner specified his or her specialty and responded to eight questions regarding sickle cell patients seen in consultation, knowledge of the blinding lesions related to the disease, and ocular monitoring for blinding systemic diseases. The practitioners were divided into three groups: department of medicine and medical specialties (group I), surgery and surgical specialties (group II), and biology and functional testing (group III). The descriptive analysis was done with the EPI-INFO software version 6.04. RESULTS: The participation rate was 45.88%. Group I represented 45.29% of the sample, Group II 35.85% and Group III 18.86%. In all, 87.73% of practitioners saw sickle cell patients in consultation, 75.47% were aware of ocular involvement related to sickle cell disease, and 58.49% were aware of blinding lesions. 94.62% of practitioners saw sickle cell disease patients without systematically recommending ophthalmological consultation. CONCLUSION: Practitioners' level of knowledge of the blinding ocular lesions of sickle cell disease is considered to be low.

First outbreak of colonization by linezolid- and glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium harbouring the cfr gene in a UK nephrology unit.

AIM: To describe an outbreak of colonization by linezolid- and glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium harbouring the cfr gene in a UK nephrology unit. METHODS: Isolates of linezolid-resistant E. faecium were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing for the transmissible cfr gene that confers resistance to linezolid. Enhanced environmental cleaning, initial and weekly screening of all patients, and monitoring of adherence to standard infection control precautions were implemented. FINDINGS: Five patients with pre-existing renal disease were found to have rectal colonization with linezolid-resistant E. faecium over a two-week period. The index case was a 57-year-old male from India who had travelled to the UK. One patient also had a linezolid-resistant E. faecium of a different PFGE profile isolated from a heel wound. All isolates were confirmed to harbour the cfr gene by PCR and Sanger sequencing, and all were resistant to glycopeptides (VanA phenotype). CONCLUSIONS: This article describes the first UK outbreak with a single strain of linezolid- and glycopeptide-resistant E. faecium harbouring the cfr gene, affecting five patients in a nephrology unit. Following the implementation of aggressive infection control measures, no further cases were detected beyond a two-week period.

[Patients' quality of life after cataract surgery]. / Qualité de vie des patients après chirurgie de la cataracte.

INTRODUCTION: Our goal is to assess the Quality of Life (QL) of our patients after cataract surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a multicenter prospective study from July 2012 to December 2013 including patients undergoing cataract surgery, aged 18 and older. A survey sheet with sociodemographic data, clinical data and QL survey (VF-14) was given to each patient after surgery at day 7 (D7), one month (M1) and two months (M2) postoperatively. The final score was obtained by the following formula: QL=V (%)=(F __/__ C)×25. The data analysis was performed using SPSS software. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients were included, 56 men, and 61 years was the mean age. The mean QL score was 29.86% at D7, 73.97% at M1 and 81.21% at M2. Subjects between 18 and 30 years of age had a score of 90.15% vs. 82.52% at M2 for older patients. After optical correction, the quality of life scores increased from 83.22% at D7 to 93.18% at M2. Patients who did not have functional signs had a QL score of 83.94%. Anxious patients had a QL score of 44% at D7, 61.23% at M1 and 52.67% at M2. CONCLUSION: Good surgical outcomes require, in addition to clinical success, good quality of life. Several factors may influence this quality of life.

[Rare causes of childhood leukocoria]. / Les causes rares de leucocorie chez l'enfant.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to record the causes of leukocoria among children under 10years of age and to determine the proportion of rare causes of leukocoria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted over a period of ten years, from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2013, in patients under 10years of age who were referred for leukocoria. RESULTS: Leukocoria represented one of the ten reasons for consultation among children under 10years of age. The mean age of our patients was 42.5months. In 76 % of cases, the leukocoria patients were children under 6years of age. Male patients were affected more commonly, with a sex-ratio of 1.5. Patients coming from Dakar and its suburbs represented two thirds of the total. Bilateral involvement represented 53.7 % of the total. Cataracts were responsible for 74.3 % of cases, retinoblastoma 20.58 %, retinal detachment 0.96 %, retinopathy of prematurity 0.96 %, pupillary membrane persistence 0.96 %, persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous 0.64 %, endophthalmitis 0.64 %, optic nerve coloboma 0.32 %, iris heterochromia 0.32 % and ametropia 0.32 %. DISCUSSION: The total percentage of rare causes was 5.12 % in our study, including one case of hyperopia. These etiologies, although rare, do exist. CONCLUSION: Rare causes of leukocoria require special attention. The discovery of leukocoria necessitates rigorous etiological work-up. Ametropia must be a diagnosis of exclusion.

[Isolated microspherophakia in a Senegalese family]. / Microsphérophakie isolée dans une famille sénégalaise.

PURPOSE: To report the clinical investigation of isolated microspherophakia involving a Senegalese family in order to appreciate its functional impact. OBSERVATIONS: This is a rural family comprised of 7 members. The sibship included three girls and two boys. One of the girls, who lived in a distant zone, was unable to be examined. Of all the examined members of the family, only the father was unaffected by the illness. There was no consanguinity. The general medical examination was normal. The best-corrected visual acuity (VA) for the girls was 2/10. For one of the boys, BCVA was 8/10 for both eyes, and for the other, BCVA was 10/10 for the right eye and 8/10 for the left eye. The mother's VA was 10/10 and P2 without correction. Myopia and astigmatism were present in the 4 children of the sibship. During the examination, we noted the presence of small crystalline lenses, which were very round and presented an abnormal visibility of the lens equator and zonular fibers. The diagnosis of microspherophakia was confirmed by measurement of the lens diameters by ultrasound biomicroscopy. Complications were present in the girls, including pupillary block glaucoma and amblyopia for the elder, and retinal degeneration and amblyopia for the younger daughter. The elder daughter was managed medically with glaucoma drops. The younger daughter received optical correction and a prophylactic Argon LASER treatment. The two boys received optical correction. No treatment was recommended for the mother. CONCLUSION: Microspherophakia is a rare condition. Some serious complications can lead to amblyopia. A better multidisciplinary evaluation would allow for early detection and a better prognosis.

[Senegalese experience with acute viral conjunctivitis]. / Expérience sénégalaise des conjonctivites virales aiguës.

PURPOSE: To study the epidemiological and clinical aspects of acute enteroviral and adenoviral conjunctivitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted between January 1st and October 31st, 2015, jointly between two Ophthalmology services and a virology laboratory, which identified 51 patients. Were included all patients who presented a painful red eye without loss of visual acuity associated with secretions,evolving for less than 4weeks RESULTS: The mean age was 32 years, and the sex ratio 1:1. Over half of our patients (61%) came from populous districts. A history of the virus "going around" was reported by 30 patients (59% of cases). Virological testing was positive in 35 patients (68.7% of cases). Over 90% of samples collected during the first week of clinical signs were positive. CONCLUSION: Viral conjunctivitis is a contagious condition, the spread of which is favored by promiscuity. Adenovirus and enterovirus are the main causative agents. They are present on an endemic scale in Senegal; thus, the need for better epidemiological surveillance in order to limit spread.

Agreement between patients with schizophrenia and providers on factors of antipsychotic medication adherence.

OBJECTIVE: Medication adherence continues to be a challenge for patients with schizophrenia. Many interventions have been tested but not widely adopted. To fill this gap, this qualitative study examined patient and provider perspectives on barriers, facilitators, and motivators related to adherence. METHODS: Twenty-six patients (15 veterans and 11 nonveterans) diagnosed as having schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder completed in-depth qualitative interviews. Each patient's mental health provider completed an open-ended paper-and-pencil questionnaire that followed the format of the patient qualitative interview. Patients and their providers were asked about seven domains of an explanatory model for schizophrenia and about barriers to, facilitators for, and motivators to taking antipsychotic medication. Patients and providers responded from the perspective of the patient. Patient interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. The data were analyzed with content analysis and constant comparison methods. RESULTS: Explanatory model agreement between patients and their providers ranged from 40 to 100 percent, depending on the explanatory model domain. Patients identified 214 unique barriers, facilitators, and motivators, and agreement between patients and their providers ranged from 54 to 65 percent. Sample patient quotes are provided. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial disagreement arose between patients and their providers with regard to their explanatory models for schizophrenia and the barriers, facilitators, and motivators thought to affect patients' medication adherence decisions. These findings will be used to develop and test a patient-centered strategy to enhance medication adherence.

A wireless patch for sleep respiratory disorders applications.

This paper presents a conformable wireless patch and its mobile application for physical activity, spO2 and pCO2 recording associated to digital biomarkers that aim at providing the clinicians with a reliable computer-aided diagnosis tool for rapid and continuous monitoring of sleep respiratory disorders. Each part of the system is described and results are presented and discussed. The reflectance sp02 sensor has been tested in vivo on several body sites and several subjects then compared to a reference device. The electrochemical tcpO2 sensor has been validated in vitro. Based on these physiological parameters, the proposed algorithms to automatically identifying sleep respiratory events are compared to a reference index.

[Ocular lesions of artificial depigmentation]. / Lésions oculaires de la dépigmentation artificielle.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the type and frequency of the ocular lesions found in patients practicing artificial depigmentation. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We conducted a prospective study over 3 months involving 108 patients, of whom 72 underwent depigmentation, and 36 did not, representing the controls. RESULTS: Among patients undergoing depigmentation, 100% were female, of whom 34.72% developed ocular lesions. Exogenous ochronosis lesions of the eyelid predominated (34.72%), followed by ocular ochronosis (25.81%). Cataract (19.35%) and glaucoma (6.45%) were the least frequent. Among the untreated, only 19.44% had ocular lesions. These included cataract (57.14%) and glaucoma (42.86%). Ocular lesions were more frequent in patients using products containing hydroquinone. CONCLUSION: Artificial depigmentation is responsible for ocular lesions of variable severity. Our study highlights the importance of the raising awareness amongst the general population of the complications of artificial depigmentation, particularly the ocular lesions.

Attempted suicide and alcoholism in bipolar disorder: clinical and familial relationships.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the clinical and familial relationships between comorbid alcoholism and attempted suicide in affectively ill relatives of probands with bipolar I disorder. METHOD: In 71 families ascertained for a genetic linkage study, 337 subjects with major affective disorder were assessed by using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version. RESULTS: Subjects with bipolar disorder and alcoholism had a 38.4% lifetime rate of attempted suicide, whereas those without alcoholism had a 21.7% rate. Attempted suicide among subjects with bipolar disorder and alcoholism clustered in a subset of seven families. Families with alcoholic and suicidal probands had a 40.7% rate of attempted suicide in first-degree relatives with bipolar disorder, whereas other families had a 19.0% rate. CONCLUSIONS: Comorbid alcoholism was associated with a higher rate of attempted suicide among family members with bipolar disorder. Attempted suicide and alcoholism clustered in a subset of families. These relationships may have a genetic origin and may be mediated by intoxication, mixed states, and/or temperamental instability.

Carboxylterminal deletion mutants of ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase from Rhodospirillum rubrum.

The carboxylterminal octapeptide of ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase from Rhodospirillum rubrum, which lacks small subunits, shows homology to a highly conserved region near the amino terminus of the small subunits of hexadecameric ribulosebisphosphate carboxylases, which are composed of large and small subunits. Truncations of the R. rubrum enzyme, which partially or completely deleted the region of homology, demonstrated that the region is not an important determinant of the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme. A further truncation, which replaced the carboxylterminal 19 amino acid residues with a single terminal leucyl residue, yielded a Rubisco whose substrate-saturated catalytic rate resembled that of the wild-type enzyme but which had weaker affinities for ribulose-P2 and CO2.

Metabolic studies on the new fasciolicidal drug, closantel.

Studies of the metabolic disturbances caused in Fasciola hepatica by closantel have been carried out in vitro and in fluke recovered from treated sheep. Fluke exposed to the anthelmintic under both conditions exhibit increased carbohydrate mobilisation, increased end-product formation, especially of succinate, diminished ATP synthesis, increased oxaloacetate/malate ratios, and increased internal concentrations of pyruvate. No specific enzyme inhibition was detected. These results are consistent with the view that closantel acts as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation by increasing mitochondrial permeability.

Leiomyosarcoma of the superior vena cava. A first case with resection.

Leiomysarcomas, rare malignant tumors of the veins, are located predominantly in the inferior vena cava. We report our experience with a leiomyosarcoma in the superior vena cava of a 44-year-old white man. The lesion had been locally excised and then recurred 2 1/2 years later. The recurrent tumor was widely excised and the superior vena cava was repaired with a saphenous vein patch graft. The area of the recurrence was treated with cobalt 60 therapy. Four years later, 6 1/2 years after initial treatment, the patient is alive and well without evidence of recurrence.

Comparative analysis of isolated aortic valve replacement with fascia lata and homograft valves.

Thirty-eight consecutive patients who underwent isolated replacement of the aortic valve with fascia lata in 1970 were compared with a similar series of patients undergoing homograft replacement of the aortic valve. These series were well matched in number, age sex of patients, symptomatology, valvular disease, electrocardiographic and roentegenographic changes, and preoperative cardiac catheterization data. The mean follow-up time was 73 months in the fascia lata series and 69.1 months in the homograft series, and all the post-operative survivors were reviewed. The early and long-term results were similar of the two series, and there was no statistical difference in the operative and late mortality, the incidence of early and late diastolic murmurs, valve failure necessitating valve replacement, infective endocarditis, thromboembolism, over-all survival, and survival with an intact valve. It is concluded that the long-term results of valve replacement using these two tissues, in the aortic position, are similar and there is little to choose between the two types of valves. If fascia lata, as we believe, is no longer acceptable as a satisafactory valve substitute, then homograft valves are not acceptable either.