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On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the REIN (French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network), a summary work on the contributions of the national French ESKD register was carried out. On the issue of its information system, the following key messages were retained. The REIN information system accompanies the register throughout the life cycle of the data. Two collection tools, one for dialysis, the other for transplantation are accessible via a secure WEB site. Several data quality control tools have been added. Finally, several reporting tools, including a geographic information system completes REIN’s information system.

"Brazil is the world champion of caesareans." This prowess points out a serious public health problem. While the increase in the percentage of caesareans among all deliveries is an international phenomenon, it is highest by far in Brazil, where caesareans account for nearly 40% of births, that is, three times the maximum recommended by WHO. This abusive practice appears pandemic and has spread in recent years throughout the entire country, although at divergent rates. It weighs heavily on Brazil's national health insurance fund. After a critical examination of the information sources related to births, we analyze successively the principal factors likely to explain this abuse: level of development, emergence of family planning and the association of caesarean delivery with tubal ligation for sterilization purposes, and tension within the healthcare system, especially the role of private physicians in urban areas. By studying these aspects of the problem in their geographic dimensions, we find important regional differences that must be considered in defining policies to limit this excess.

Dichlorophenol-indophenol is reduced neither by D-glucose nor by the endogenous components of a particulate purified glucose-dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas fluorescens, when these two classes of compounds acts individually. In contrast, the dye is quickly reduced by the endogenous components when the reaction occurs in the presence of glucose, without a direct participation of glucose in the reduction. In this effect D-glucose can be replaced by D-mannose, D-galactose or D-xylose, but not by D-fructose.

Variations in aspartasic activity in various media are due to aspartate-ammonium lyase induction and to regulation of the biosynthesis of this enzyme. Evidence for neosynthesis of the enzyme is provided by labelling and separation of the protein. The inducer appears to be aspartic acid. The biosynthesis is subject to pronounced catabolic repression. The physiological function of aspartate-ammonium lyase is discussed.

The catalasic activity of a non-proliferating suspension of Pseudomonas fluorescens incubated in a buffer shows after six hours, an increase of 100% in presence of phosphates and 30% in presence of Tris. This increase, which consists in a neosynthesis of the enzyme, is in relation with the lysis of a part of the bacterial suspension.

Simultaneous addition of succinate (or fumarate) and NADH to a non-proliferating suspension of P. fluorescens results in an enhancement of the oxydation of the endogenous substrates. This conclusion is in accord with the determination of the respiratory and the oxidation quotients of the analysed exogenous substrates.

A study of the inhibitory action of beryllium on the growth of Pseudomonas fluorescens reveals that the observed effect can be partly explained by competition between beryllium and magnesium in various processes which are indispensable to cellular metabolism. In addition, an "adaptation" phenomenon is observed which appears to be based on the selection of cells which are more highly resistant towards the inhibitor.

Studies of the oxidation of ethanol, serine and pyruvate by non proliferating suspensions of P. fluorescens show that the rate of oxidation of these substrates is appreciably increased by the addition of NADH. The observed effects are interpreted on the basis of apparent oxidation quotients of NADH which exceed the theoretical values.

The D-glucose-dehydrogenase activity of P. fluorescens is enhanced or depressed by some nucleotides synthetised by this bacterium: stimulatory nucleotides have been separated from inhibitory. UTP exhibits a non-competitive inhibition upon the pure soluble enzyme.

Cells of P. fluorescens cultivated in iron-deficient media contain two types of constituents, one of which can activate and the other reduce the rate of oxidation of glucose and of the endogenous substrates. These factors, which are of non-protein nature, have been distinguished and characterized by their physiological activity on non-proliferating cells suspensions of these bacteria.

The toxicity of beryllium for Pseudomonas fluorescens is studied with the aid of an anionic complex of the element which is stable in peptone medium at pH 6 during the period of investigation. The toxic effect is characterized by an increase in the lag phase which is proportional to the square of the beryllium concentration. Further, a process of progressive adaptation is observed when the concentration of the beryllium complex is gradually increased.

The glucose dehydrogenase activity of Pseudomonas fluorescens cells grown in iron-depleted synthetic media is strongly decreased (about 80%) by dichlorophenolindophenol (DIP) 2 X 10(-3) M. In those cells, DIP seems not to play the part of an ultimate electron acceptor.

The biosynthesis of aspartate-ammonium lyase of Pseudomonas fluorescens type R, induced by aspartic acid, is controlled by the concentration of fumaric acid which is dependent on fumarase. The activity of fumarase is unaffected by the induction of aspartase.

The biosynthesis of aspartate-ammonium lyase, the enzyme which is induced by aspartic acid, is specifically repressed by fumaric acid. In the presence of aspartate, the enzyme permits the deamination of this compound by the cell. Aspartic acid is converted into fumaric acid which is an intermediate in the Krebs'cycle. The reaction may be considered as an anaplerotic sequence. In the absence of aspartic acid in the culture medium, its role is anabolic; the enzyme catalyses the biosynthesis of this amino acid. Therefore it appears that the reversible reaction fumarate + NH3 = aspartate catalysed by aspartase is included in amphibolic processes.