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We conducted a monocentric retrospective study at the Felix-Guyon Regional Hospital, Saint-Denis, Reunion Island, from August 1, 2009 to September 30, 2009. We included 94 children with nasal and/or throat swabs tested positive for influenza A(H1N1)v during the study period. We describe the clinical, biological, and radiological presentations, the hospitalization rate, and the antiviral and antibiotic therapies. Children between six months and two years were the ones most at risk of severe forms and the first risk factor was asthma. Children with risk factors were at risk of severe forms except immune suppressed children. 7% of our cohort had only digestive signs. Recommendations for antiviral treatment were followed in 75% of the treated children. Risk factors and clinical signs, not age, guided physicians in the initiation of treatment.

KpsM is an integral membrane protein involved in the translocation of the polysialic acid capsule of Escherichia coli K1. The kpsMG93E allele is a point mutation in the first cytoplasmic loop (Cl) of KpsM which partially disrupts translocation of the capsule. While producing polymer of wild-type length, strains harboring the G93E allele exhibit a decreased production of capsular polymer and a reduced rate of polymer translocation to the cell surface.

Resume La puberte precoce et le syndrome des ovaires polykystiques apparaissent a des periodes differentes du developpement ovarien. Leur association est meconnue. Population. — Treize patientes ont presente une puberte precoce centrale idiopathique avec un developpement precoce des caracteres sexuels secondaires avant l'âge de 8 ans et dans un cas des menstruations a 9 ans et demi. Neuf d'entre elles ont ete traitees par acetate de medroxyprogesterone ou acetate de cyproterone et deux par analogue du LHRH. La duree moyenne du traitement a ete de 30 mois. L'âge moyen de survenue des premieres regles a ete de 11,8 ± 1,5 ans. Apres un intervalle libre de 22 mois sans traitement, ces treize patientes ont presente un hirsutisme associea un trouble d'installation des regles ( n = 8) et une prise ponderale ( n = 7). Le diagnostic d'ovaires polykystiques a ete confirme par l'elevation de la testosteronemie plasmatique (m = 91,2 ± 14 ng/dl), la reponse explosive de LH au cours on test LHRH et les donnees echographiques ou cœlioscopiques. Le traitement par acetate de cyproterone et 17 beta estradiol a ete poursuivi pendant 2 ans. Onze d'entre elles ont arrete leur traitement; le controle de la testosteronamie 6 mois apres l'arret etait normal avec des cycles reguliers. Mais trois patientes ont presente une recidive clinique et hormonale qui a necessite la reprise du traitement. Conclusions. — Cette succession de puberte precoce et d'ovaires polykystiques semble liee a un meme mecanisme neuroendocrinien. Il apparait necessaire de proposer une surveillance reguliere et prolongee apres l'âge des premieres regles chez les enfants traitees pour puberte precoce.

Six children presenting with partial growth hormone (GH) deficiency (mean GH peak in two different tests, 8.0 +/- 1.3 micrograms/l) aged 8-10.3 years (mean, 2.7 +/- 0.9 years) were treated for 6 months by continuous subcutaneous infusion of GH-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 (GHRH(1-29)-NH2); 24-hour GH profiles and height velocity were measured. A biphasic effect of GHRH(1-29)-NH2 infusion was observed. After an early substantial increase in the 24-hour integrated concentration of GH, from 1.6 +/- 0.1 to 3.5 +/- 0.7 micrograms/l/minute, a subsequent consistent decrease occurred by 3 months, which was more pronounced after 6 months (mean 24-hour integrated concentration of GH, 1.9 +/- 0.9 micrograms/l/minute). This effect reflects modification of both pulse amplitude and frequency of GH secretion. At the end of the study, one child had complete suppression of GH secretion and two others showed only one peak above 5 micrograms/l during a 24-hour period. No correlation was found between these changes and height velocity. Three children did not grow significantly; the other three children who had a growth response to GHRH(1-29)-NH2 were those with the lowest 24-hour integrated GH concentration at the end of the study. The possible mechanisms involved in this biphasic effect, including GHRH antibodies, changes in somatostatin levels and/or desensitization of pituitary GHRH receptors, have been investigated.

EMG power spectrums of biceps brachii (BE) and triceps brachii (TB) when acting as antagonists were obtained during linearly increasing force ramp contractions. Mean BB median frequency (MF) shifted downward with increasing force levels up to 100% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), possibly indicating a derecruitment of BB motor units. Polynomial regression between signal to noise ratios (SNRs) and MFs [r=0.94] of BB showed that at low force levels (10-40% MVC) large MF shifts are associated with a short range of small SNRs. This suggests that the initial large MF values of BB may be due to the high frequency content of heat noise and that the previously proposed derecruitment of motor units might not be solely responsible for the initial MF decrease.

The purpose of this study is to provide better understanding of the mechanical response of the lumbodorsal fascia to dynamic and static traction loadings. Since the fascia shows a viscoelastic behaviour, tests in which time is a variable were used, namely hysteresis and stress relaxation. Load-strain and load-time curves obtained from the hysteresis and stress-relaxation tests point out three different phenomena. First, an increase in stiffness is noticed when ligaments are successively stretched, i.e. strains produced by successive and identical loads decrease. Second, if a sufficient resting period is allowed between loadings, stiffening is reversed and strains tend to recover initial values. The third phenomenon, observed in stress-relaxation tests as time progresses, is ligament contraction in stretched and isometrically held samples. This third phenomenon may be explained by the possibility that muscle fibres capable of contracting spontaneously could be present in lumbodorsal fascia ligaments.

The treatment of constitutional tall stature in adolescent girls is based on high doses of Estrogen (Ethinyl Oestradiol - EE - 200 to 500 μg/day). Known vascular and metabolic risks led us to the use of other therapeutic means based on the reduction of GH secretion with Somatostatine Analog (SMS 201-995). This work consisted in comparing the results of a randomized protocol (SMS vs. EE) and the therapeutic efficiency of both medications.

During a 12-h light 12-h dark schedule (lights off at 1900 h), male Sprague-Dawley rats show a circadian rhythm of plasma TSH with a zenith near midday. The participation of serotonin (5HT) in the phasic release of TSH was studied using both pharmacological and surgical-stereotaxical approaches. Animals treated with parachlorophenylalanine methyl ester (pCPA), an inhibitor of 5HT synthesis (one or two injections of 250 mg/kg each) showed a reduction or a disappearance of the diurnal peak of TSH, respectively. Additional treatment by 5-hydroxytryptophan, a precursor of 5HT, completely, restored the diurnal TSH peak. Treatment with 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine creatine sulfate, a neurotoxin which selectively destroys 5HT terminals, also induced alterations of the diurnal peak of TSH. There were no major modifications observed in the low nocturnal levels of TSH in rats treated with pCPA, 5-hydroxytryptophan, or 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine. The major serotoninergic innervation of the hypothalamus originates from the raphe dorsalis or centralis; destruction of these two nuclei caused a quasiabolition of the diurnal TSH peak (only a low amplitude TSH circadian rhythm persisted). Hypothalamic 5HT content was measured in the majority of these experiments; the greatest depletions (near 90%) were observed after two injections of pCPA or in rats bearing raphe lesions. We conclude that the diurnal peak of TSH, observed during the physiological circadian rhythm, is serotoninergic dependent.