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Behaviors of chlordecone (CLD) and chlordecol (CLDOH) during three home classical cooking processes (pan, oven, and microwave cooking) were assessed on a large variety of animal products (spiny lobster, crayfish, chicken, egg, pork and fish). Concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer using isotopic dilution before and after home cooking process. Inter-species and intra-individual variability during microwave cooking, as well as the impact of cooking time and sample weight on CLD and CLDOH processing factors (PFs) were evaluated. In general, oven cooking (62% < PFs CLD <100%) and microwave cooking (16% < PFs CLD <102%) decreased CLD concentrations compared to the pre-cooked state. Matrix composition, as well as cooking time and sample weight, could be key parameters of cooking efficiencies. Moreover, low to moderate concentrations of CLDOH were occasionally quantified in cooked matrices. These data will be useful for risk assessment in this specific context. • Analysis of CLD and CLDOH in naturally contaminated raw and cooked animal products. • Testing of CLD and CLDOH by ID-HPLC-MS/MS after QuEChERS extraction. • CLD processing factors ranged from 16% to 102% after microwave cooking. • Appreciable CLDOH concentrations were also observed during heating process. • Cooking efficiency may depend on matrix composition, cooking time and sample weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female participants have been underrepresented in previous structural magnetic resonance imaging reports on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we used optimized voxel-based morphometry to examine grey matter volumes in a sample of 33 never-medicated children with combined-type ADHD and 27 typically developing (TD) children. We found a gender-by-diagnosis interaction effect in the ventral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), whereby boys with ADHD exhibited reduced volumes compared with TD boys, while girls with ADHD showed increased volumes when compared with TD girls. Considering the key role played by the ventral ACC in emotional regulation, we discuss the potential contribution of these alterations to gender-specific symptoms’ profiles in ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Our study aims at replicating our previous finding of an association between COMT rs4680 G/A polymorphism and early onset major depression (MD). We included 462 MD, 147 bipolar disorders (BD) subjects and 295 healthy controls. We could partially replicate previous findings. In particular, rs4680 GG+AG genotypes were more represented in the subgroup of early onset MD patients (p =0.04). Additionally, we observed an association between rs737865 alleles and early onset MD (p =0.04). Rs4680 genotype was associated with early onset BD as well (p =0.01). In conclusion, we partially replicated our previous findings confirming a possible influence of COMT variants in MD and BD, particularly in early onset subjects, though not with the same risk genotypes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and stable isotope ratios of nitrogen and carbon were measured in a tropical freshwater ecosystem to evaluate the contamination level of biota and examine the bioaccumulation patterns of pollutants through the food web. Chemical analyses showed a general and heavy contamination of the entire food web. They revealed the strong accumulation of pollutants by juveniles of diadromous fishes and shrimps, as they re-enter the river. The role of ecological factors in the bioaccumulation of pesticides was evaluated. Whereas the most persistent pollutants (chlordecone and monohydro-chlordecone) were related to the organisms diet and habitat, bioaccumulation of β-HCH was only influenced by animal lipid content. The biomagnification potential of chlordecone through the food chain has been demonstrated. It highlighted the importance of trophic transfer in this compound bioaccumulation process. In contrast, bioconcentration by passive diffusion from water seemed to be the main exposure route of biota to β-HCH. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Chlordecone was applied between 1972 and 1993 in banana fields of the French West Indies. This resulted in long-term pollution of soils and contamination of waters, aquatic biota, and crops. To assess pollution level and duration according to soil type, WISORCH, a leaching model based on first-order desorption kinetics, was developed and run. Its input parameters are soil organic carbon content (SOC) and SOC/water partitioning coefficient (Koc ). It accounts for current chlordecone soil contents and drainage water concentrations. The model was valid for andosol, which indicates that neither physico-chemical nor microbial degradation occurred. Dilution by previous deep tillages makes soil scrapping unrealistic. Lixiviation appeared the main way to reduce pollution. Besides the SOC and rainfall increases, Koc increased from nitisol to ferralsol and then andosol while lixiviation efficiency decreased. Consequently, pollution is bound to last for several decades for nitisol, centuries for ferralsol, and half a millennium for andosol. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objectives: To determine the feasibility of laboratories to use an instrument''s Hemolytic Index (HI) to determine if a test result would be accurate in the presence of hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier HBOC-201. Design and methods: HI values from the Roche Hitachi Modular P800 for samples containing HBOC-201 were determined. HI limits for 24 tests determined by addition of RBC lysate hemoglobin to serum and the instrument manufacturer''s HI limits were compared to HI limits for reporting the same tests determined by adding HBOC-201 to plasma. Results: There is a linear relationship (R 2 =0.99) between the HI value on the Modular P800 and HBOC-201 concentrations. Twenty-one of 24 HI limits for reporting results as determined by the manufacturer or adding RBC lysate to serum were more conservative or equal to the limit determined by HBOC-201 interference testing. HBOC-201 interference testing was more conservative for albumin, creatinine, and uric acid. Conclusion: For most analytes, the Modular P800 HI provides an accurate, conservative and automated method to determine whether laboratory results should be reported or suppressed when samples contain HBOC-201. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Les 170 ans de la Société Médico-Psychologique sont l'occasion de réactualiser le travail d'un grand clinicien toulousain, le Professeur Louis Gayral, et la clairvoyance des Annales Médico-Psychologiques pour avoir publié en 1953 son volumineux article de 27 pages sur « la claustration », nous disons aujourd'hui « retrait social sévère/hikikomori ». Cette conduite consiste à se retirer de la société et des relations aux autres, du moins des relations in real life. C'est une difficulté rencontrée par nos sociétés contemporaines qui, telle une addiction, tend à se reproduire. Elle comporte un jeune, un entourage, un état particulier de la société. Le travail de Gayral montre que cette conduite était décrite en 1953, et nous proposons de comparer sa description et la description actuelle. Ce clinicien repère de façon générale les aspects transnosographiques et dimensionnels, ce qu'il appelle le « choix du symptôme », abordé sur le plan de l'individu, de son inconscient et de son vécu propre. Ce symptôme lui paraît un symptôme majeur en pathologie mentale, il ne relèverait pas seulement des symptômes d'une maladie mais d'un conflit malade/monde original, en reconnaissant que l'aspect sociétal ne peut être identique aujourd'hui. Il soutient des idées qui sont le fil rouge aujourd'hui de la réflexion transnosographique et sociétale concernant le retrait social/hikikomori. Ainsi la maladie mentale est pour lui la rencontre d'une personnalité, à un moment donné particulier, avec une série de circonstances ou des causes multiples et intriquées. Clinicien « de la théorisation au pragmatisme », il développe donc les aspects dimensionnels. Revenir comme le suggère Gayral à une attitude clinique rejoint les avancées actuelles. The 170th anniversary of the Société Médico-Psychologique is an opportunity to update the work of a great clinician from Toulouse, Professor Louis Gayral, and the foresight of the Annales Médico-Psychologiques for having published in 1953 his voluminous article of 27 pages on "claustration", we say today "acute social withdrawal/hikikomori". This conduct consists in withdrawing from society and relationships with others, at least from real life relationships. This is a difficulty encountered by our contemporary societies which, like an addiction, tends to recur. It includes a young person, an entourage, a particular state of society. Gayral's work shows that this conduct was described in 1953, and we propose to compare his description with the current description. This clinician generally identifies the transnosographic and dimensional aspects, what he calls the "choice of the symptom", approached at the level of the individual, his unconscious and his own experience. This symptom seems to him a major symptom in mental pathology. It would not only be symptoms of a disease but of a conflict between a sick person and the world, while recognizing that the societal aspect cannot be identical today. It supports ideas that are the common thread today of transnosographic and societal reflection concerning social withdrawal/hikikomori. Thus, mental illness is for him the encounter of a personality, at a particular given moment, with a series of circumstances or multiple and entangled causes. Clinician "from theorization to pragmatism", he therefore develops the dimensional aspects. His definition of claustration is that of a narrowing of existence to a restricted and materially enclosed space, with a reference to the rules and uses of social life. There are negative signs such as the absence of organic disorders and in particular paralyzing neurological disorders, the absence of psychomotor disorders, the absence of asthenia of organic origin. The refusal of receiving visits from doctors would in practice be an excellent symptom of morbidity. It compares to the definition of hikikomori as confinement at home for more than 6 months, with a significant restriction of social and family relations, without motor or psychiatric disorders likely to explain the confinement, associated with impaired faculties or a feeling of hardship. Several questions are detailed in the article according to the 2 clinical themes of claustration and social withdrawal/hikikomori: transnosographic aspects at the borders of psychosis or its prodromal stage, psychopathological aspects with attachment ties, sociological aspects of opposition to the world, the position of the entourage in the face of such a conduct disorder. Returning as Gayral suggests to a clinical attitude joins the current advances in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Strong CLD vaporisation through TGA/GC–MS using common cooking temperatures. • CLD QuEChERS extraction protocol optimisation for vegetal cooking oil. • CLD decrease via heating kinetic in cooking oil at 195 °C similar to TGA tendencies. • CLDOH formation over time during the heating kinetic at 195 °C in cooking oil. • Greater CLD content reduction using cooking oil in animal matrices during cooking. This study focuses on the fate of chlordecone (CLD) during cooking processes. Neat CLD was subjected to thermogravimetric analysis, which revealed that the vast majority of the compound (79 %) was vaporised at temperatures between 55 and 245 °C. In order to monitor the behaviour of CLD during cooking processes, a QuEChERS extraction protocol was optimised for vegetable cooking oil and a heating kinetics experiment was conducted at 195 °C on CLD-spiked cooking oil. The results showed a strong decrease in CLD over time and, for the first time to our knowledge, transformation of CLD into chlordecol. Finally, a comparison was conducted between the cooking of uncured pork with and without vegetable oil. The use of vegetable oil led to a significant decrease in CLD content, but revealed that a fraction of the CLD transferred into the cooking oil. This study provides data that shed light on the fate of CLD during cooking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil contamination with chlordecone, an organochlorine pesticide, is causing serious health problems, affecting crop production and local livestock valorization in the French West Indies. In-situ chemical reduction (ISCR) processes for soil remediation have shown promise but need improvement in terms of time, cost and effective treatment, particularly for andosol soil types. Our study shows that a 10-min microwave treatment significantly reduces chlordecone concentrations (50–90%) in contaminated andosol and nitisol soils. Dry andosol soils show the highest removal yields and reach a higher final temperature (350 °C). Microwave treatment is in all cases more effective or at least as effective as 60 min of conventional heating at a target temperature of 200 °C. The thermal response of andosol and nitisol to microwave exposure is different, as the former is likely to undergo thermal runaway, reaching high temperatures in a short time, resulting in highly efficient thermal removal of chlordecone. These results encourage further scale-up, particularly for the treatment of andosol soils due to their strong microwave response. [Display omitted] • Soils naturally contaminated with chlordecone (CLD) treated with microwaves. • CLD concentration reduced by 50%–90% after 10 min microwave heating. • Microwave heating works best for dry andosol (vs. wet and wet/dry nitisol). • High efficiency for dry andosol explained by thermal runaway. • 10 min microwave better or equal than 1h conventional heating at 250 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective To evaluate and compare coagulation variables following the administration of oxypolygelatin and dextran 70 to clinically healthy dogs. Study design Randomized cross-over experimental study. Animals A total of eight healthy adult female Beagles aged 2–4 years old and weighing 11.8 ± 2.7 kg. Methods The dogs received a 15-minute intravenous (IV) infusion of 5 mL kg[sup -1] oxypolygelatin or 10 mL kg[sup -1] 6% dextran 70. Before (PRE) and at 2, 5, and 24 hours after administration, packed cell volume (PCV), total solids concentration (TS), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen concentration (FIB), platelet numbers (Plat), factor VIII coagulant activity (VIII:C), von Willebrand factor antigen concentration (vWf:Ag) and platelet function and buccal mucosal bleeding time (BMBT) were measured. Platelet function was assessed using aggregation and by measuring ATP release from aggregating platelets over 6 minutes, with 20, 10, and 5 µm ADP and 5 and 10 µg of collagen mL[sup -1] as platelet activation agonists. Results All baseline values were within our normal ranges, except for one dog that had low vWf:Ag PRE values prior to both dextran and oxypolygelatin administration. Following dextran and oxypolygelatin administration, the PCV and TP were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased. Plat, FIB, and vWf:Ag decreased, while BMBT and VIII:C increased following dextran administration. Dextran also caused a significant decrease in platelet aggregation in response to ADP. Oxypolygelatin caused a significant decrease in vWf:Ag, Plat, and FIB compared to PRE values. The total amount of ATP released, standardized to platelet number, did not vary significantly for either group at any sampling time from PRE values. No significant changes from PRE values were noted at any time in either group for PT or APTT. Conclusion At the doses administered, both dextran and oxypolygelatin can interfere with hemostatic variables in healthy dogs, but dextran's effect is more profound and prolonged when compared to oxypolygelatin. Clinical relevance Oxypolygelatin causes fewer hemostatic abnormalities when compared to dextran, making it a superior colloid for administration at the doses tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Polymerized bovine hemoglobin (Oxyglobin Solution®) was successfully administered to two river otters (Lutra canadensis) that required general anesthesia and surgery for trap-related injuries. In both animals, blood oxygen content was maintained at presurgical levels despite a 47–70% decrease in their hematocrit. Otter 1 received a dose of 19 mL kg-1, given at a rate of 29 mL kg-1 h-1. Otter 2 received a dose of 20 mL kg-1, given at a rate of 5 mL kg-1 h-1. For many of the uncommon species, there are limited resources in the form of blood products to treat anemia, blood loss or hypovolemia. Successful use of polymerized bovine hemoglobin in these two otters suggests that it is useful for acute treatment of anemia and blood loss in such species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of two insulin doses to maintain an acceptable range of blood glucose concentrations (70–200 mg dL-1) in the peri-operative period in diabetic dogs. Animals Twenty-four diabetic dogs with a median weight of 20.6 kg and a median age of 8 years old. Methods The dogs were randomly assigned to receive either 25 or 100% of their normal insulin dose subcutaneously on the morning of surgery. The anesthetic and feeding protocols were standardized. On the day before surgery, venous blood was collected for measurement of β-hydroxybutyrate, cholesterol, glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, hematocrit, total plasma protein and urea nitrogen. On the day of surgery, blood glucose concentrations were measured prior to anesthesia, prior to the start of surgery, 1 and 2 hours after beginning of surgery, 1 hour after extubation, at 16 : 00 hours and at 20 : 00 hours. β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations were measured at 20 : 00 hours that day. At 08 : 00 hours the following day, β-hydroxybutyrate and glucose concentrations were measured. The significance of differences between groups was tested with Wilcoxon's two-tailed rank-sum test, Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. Results There were no differences in insulin treatments, clinical signs, concurrent diseases and most clinicopathological parameters between the two groups of dogs at entry to the study. The 25% dose group had blood glucose values of 296 (102–601) mg dL-1 at 16 : 00 hours and 429 (97–595) mg dL-1 at 20 : 00 hours on the day of surgery. The 100% insulin dose group had lower corresponding values of 130 (55–375) mg dL-1 (p = 0.04) and 185 (51–440) mg dL-1 (p = 0.004). No other differences (p < 0.05) were detected between the two groups. Conclusions The administration of a full dose of insulin is only marginally advantageous for reducing glucose to normal (70–120 mg dL-1) after anesthesia but neither dose consistently induced glycemic values in an acceptable range (70–200 mg dL-1) or normoketonemia. Clinical relevance Blood glucose should be measured immediately before anesthesia and periodically throughout the peri-operative period in all diabetic dogs because presurgical subcutaneous administration of 25 or 100% of the normal insulin dose resulted in unpredictable blood glucose concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Vasoconstriction is a major adverse effect of first and second generation hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) that hinders their development as blood substitute. However, intravenous infusion of HBOC-201 (second generation) to patients induces significant pulmonary hypertension without significant coronary vasoconstriction. We compared contractile responses of isolated bovine pulmonary and coronary arterial strips to HBOC-201 and HBOC-205LL.LT.MW600 (third generation), polymerized bovine hemoglobins of different molecular weight, and their attenuation by nitroglycerin, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), and sodium nitrite. Pulmonary arteries developed negligible basal tone, but exhibited HBOC-dependent amplification of phenylephrine-induced contractions. In contrast, coronary arteries developed significant basal tone, and exhibited HBOC-dependent constant force increment to serotonin-induced contractions. Therefore, relative to basal tone, HBOC-induced contractions were greater in pulmonary than coronary arteries. Furthermore, HBOC-205LL.LT.MW600 appeared to be less vasoactive than HBOC-201. Unexpectedly, pulmonary and coronary arteries exhibited differential sensitivities to nitrovasodilators in parallel with their differential sensitivities to HBOC. However, SNP and sodium nitrite induced significant methemoglobin formation from HBOC, whereas nitroglycerin did not. These results suggest that phenotypic differences between pulmonary and coronary vascular smooth muscle cells could explain the differential hypertensive effects of HBOC on pulmonary and coronary circulation in patients. Among the three nitrovasodilators investigated, nitroglycerin appears to be the most promising candidate for attenuating HBOC-induced pulmonary hypertension in older HBOCs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: A lack of objective outcome measures and overreliance on subjective pain reports in early proof-of-concept studies contribute to the high attrition of potentially effective new analgesics. We studied the utility of neuroimaging in providing objective evidence of neural activity related to drug modulation or a placebo effect in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, three-way crossover trial.Methods: We chronically administered pregabalin or tramadol (first-line and second-line analgesics, respectively), recommended for neuropathic pain, in 16 post-traumatic neuropathic pain patients. We measured subjective pain reports, allodynia-evoked neural activity, and brain resting state functional connectivity from patients during the three sessions and resting state data at baseline from patients after washout of their current medication. All data were collected using a 3 T MRI scanner.Results: When compared with placebo only, pregabalin significantly suppressed allodynia-evoked neural activity in several nociceptive and pain-processing areas of the brain, despite the absence of behavioural analgesia. Furthermore, placebo significantly increased functional connectivity between the rostral anterior cingulate and the brainstem, a core component of the placebo neural network.Conclusions: Functional neuroimaging provided objective evidence of pharmacodynamic efficacy in a proof-of-concept study setting where subjective pain outcome measures are often unreliable. Additionally, we provide evidence confirming the neural mechanism underpinning placebo analgesia as identified in acute experimental imaging studies in patients during the placebo arm of a clinical trial. We explore how brain penetrant active drugs potentially interact with this mechanism.Clinical Trial Registration: NCT0061015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Treatment resistant depression (TRD) is a significant clinical and public health problem. Among others, neuroplasticity and inflammatory pathways seem to play a crucial role in the pathomechanisms of antidepressant efficacy. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within two genes implicated in neuroplasticity and inflammatory processes (the mitogen activated protein kinase 1, MAPK1 (rs3810608, rs6928, rs13515 and rs8136867), and the cyclic AMP responsive element binding protein 1, CREB1 (rs889895, rs6740584, rs2551922 and rs2254137)) was associated with antidepressant treatment resistance (according to two different definitions), in 285 Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) patients. As secondary aims, we investigated the genetic modulation of the same SNPs on response, remission and other clinical features both in MDD patients and in a larger sample including 82 Bipolar Disorder (BD) patients as well. All patients were screened in the context of a European multicenter project. No association between both the investigated genes and treatment resistance and response was found in MDD patients. However, considering remission, higher rates of CREB1 rs889895 GG genotype were reported in MDD patients. Moreover, MAPK1 rs8136867 AG genotype was found to be associated with remission in the whole sample (MDD and BD). Present results suggest that some genetic polymorphisms in both CREB1 and MAPK1 could be associated with treatment remission. Although further research is needed to draw more definitive conclusions, such results are intriguing since suggest a potential role of two genes implicated in neuroplasticity and inflammatory processes in symptom remission after antidepressant treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Vasoconstriction is a side effect that may prevent the use of haemoglobin based oxygen carrier (HBOC) as blood substitute. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), would mitigate systemic and pulmonary hypertension associated with HBOC-201 in a simple controlled haemorrhage swine model. Methods: After 55% estimated blood volume withdrawal through a venous catheter, invasively anesthetized and instrumented animals were resuscitated with three 10ml/kg infusions of either HBOC-201 or Hextend (HEX) with or without 0.8μg/kg/min SNP (infused concomitantly via different lines). Haemodynamics, direct and indirect measures of tissue oxygenation, and coagulation were measured for 2h. Results: Haemorrhage caused a state of shock manifested by hypotension and base deficit. HBOC-201 resuscitation resulted in higher systemic (p <0.0001) and pulmonary (p <0.002) blood pressure than with HEX. Elevation of systemic (p <0.0001) but not pulmonary (p >0.05) arterial pressure was attenuated by co-infusion of SNP, without significant group differences in haemodynamics, tissue oxygenation, platelet function, coagulation, methaemoglobin, or survival (p >0.05). Conclusion: In swine with haemorrhagic shock, co-administration of the NO donor, SNP, effectively and safely reduces HBOC-201-related systemic but not pulmonary vasoactivity. Interestingly, co-administration of the vasodilator SNP with HEX had no deleterious effects in comparison with HEX alone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Inflammatory pathways play a crucial role in the pathomechanisms of antidepressant efficacy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2, rs5275 and rs20417) and oxytocin receptor (OXTR, rs53576 and rs2254298) genes was associated with antidepressant treatment resistance, response or remission. Three hundred seventy-two patients were recruited in the context of a multicenter resistant depression study. They were genotyped for COX-2 and OXTR SNPs. Treatment resistance (according to two different definitions), response and remission were recorded. We did not observe any association between the genotypes or alleles of the selected SNPs within COX-2 and OXTR genes and treatment resistance, response and remission in the whole sample. Our results are consistent with those of some studies but not with those of other ones. Indeed, several factors could be involved in the discrepancy observed across studies. They include sample size, environmental factors, differences in ethnicity, different study designs, and different definitions of treatment resistance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Oxford classification of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) identified four pathological elements that were of prognostic value and additive to known clinical and laboratory variables in predicting patient outcome. These features are segmental glomerulosclerosis/adhesion, mesangial hypercellularity, endocapillary proliferation, and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis. Here, we tested the Oxford results using an independent cohort of 187 adults and children with IgAN from 4 centers in North America by comparing the performance of the logistic regression model and the predictive value of each of the four lesions in both data sets. The cohorts had similar clinical and histological findings, presentations, and clinicopathological correlations. During follow-up, however, the North American cohort received more immunosuppressive and antihypertensive therapies. Identifying patients with a rapid decline in the rate of renal function using the logistic model from the original study in the validation data set was good (c-statistic 0.75), although less precise than in the original study (0.82). Individually, each pathological variable offered the same predictive value in both cohorts except mesangial hypercellularity, which was a weaker predictor. Thus, this North American cohort validated the Oxford IgAN classification and supports its utilization. Further studies are needed to determine the relationship to the impact of treatment and to define the value of the mesangial hypercellularity score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]