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The reaction of a pulsed 18O beam on a 164Dy target was studied in the first experiment with the NuBall array at the IPN Orsay, France. Excited state half-lives were measured using the fast timing method with 20 LaBr3(Ce) detectors. The timing characteristics of the fully digital acquisition system is briefly discussed. A value for the previously unknown half-life of the first excited 4+ state in 178W is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the structure and ultrastructure of the digestive system are compared in the early larval stages, nauplii I and II, of two copepod calanoid species, Acartia clausi and Hemidiaptomus roubaui. This neritic species was collected with a net towed horizontally 10 meters deep at the bottom of the Bay of Villefranche in Alpes-Maritimes, France. Thin sections collected on copper palladium grids and stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate using a staining device were observed with a Zeiss EM 912 electron microscope. In nauplius I stage, the larvae does not possess a differentiated digestive apparatus. The foregut appears early as a narrow esophageal slit that is prolonged inwards. The change from nauplius I to nauplius II is accompanied by major anatomical modifications, marked especially by the differentiation of a functional digestive system and an associated labral glandular complex. The midgut consists of two very distinct domains: the anterior midgut (AMG) and the posterior midgut (PMG). The caudal AMG zone is remarkable because of the constant presence, in a lateral position, of two large vacuolated cells , sometimes with a third cell of the same type, at a young stage and poorly vacuolated. Nauplius II differs from the preceding pre-ecdysial stage by increased body length and by changes in the gut, which is less compressed and opens at both extremities, buccal and anal. A valve device similar to that of A. clausi lies between the PMG and the chitinous hindgut, but not between the AMG and the PMG. From the nauplius II stage onwards, the midgut is functional and very much resembles that of copepodids and adult calanoids.

We report on the first measurement of the half-lives of K π = 11 − and 12 + four-quasiparticle states in the even-even nucleus 178W. The sub-nanosecond half-lives were measured by applying the centroid shift method to data taken with LaBr 3 (Ce) scintillator detectors of the NuBall array at the ALTO facility in Orsay, France. The half-lives of these states only became experimentally accessible by the combination of several experimental techniques - scintillator fast timing, isomer spectroscopy with a pulsed beam, and the event-by-event calorimetry information provided by the NuBall array. The measured half-lives are 476 (44) ps and 275 (65) ps for the I π = 11 − and 12 + states, respectively. The decay transitions include weakly hindered E 1 and E 2 branches directly to the ground-state band, bypassing the two-quasiparticle states. This is the first such observation for an E 1 transition. The interpretation of the small hindrance hinges on mixing between the ground-state band and the t-band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Most household and body soaps have an alkaline pH (9-12). In addition to their foaming effect, they irritate the skin. This study aims to review soap exposure reported to the Angers Poison Control Centre., Method: A retrospective study of accidental or deliberate oral exposure to solid soaps reported to the Angers Poison Control Centre between 1 January 2000 and 1 April 2015. Poisoning severity was reassessed for each case according to the Poisoning Severity Score (PSS)., Results: 553 cases of exposure were recorded. In more than 40% of cases (n = 226), exposure occurred in community settings (retirement homes, nursing homes). Patients had a history of dementia in 220 cases (40%). The most common symptoms were labial oedema (28%, n = 153), oropharyngeal irritation (10%, n = 56), salivation (10%, n = 53), vomiting (9%, n = 48) and cough (8%, n = 45). Among symptomatic patients (n = 276), one patient died from aspiration pneumonia and one patient died from a cardiogenic shock following oropharyngeal oedema, vomiting, cough and bronchial obstruction. Patients with dementia were more often symptomatic (75% vs 34%, p < .001) and more frequently hospitalised (22% vs 0.8%, p < .001). They experienced more moderate to severe symptoms (8% vs 0%, p < .001). Mildly severe (PSS2, n = 14), highly severe (PSS3, n = 1) and fatal (PSS4, n = 2) poisoning were observed only in patients with dementia., Conclusion: Ingestion of soap bars is potentially serious, especially in patients with dementia. This type of soap should not be available to them in community settings and close monitoring should be considered in the event of oral exposure.

Background: If pancreas transplantation is a validated alternative for type 1 diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease, the management of patients who have lost their primary graft is poorly defined. This study aims at evaluating pancreas retransplantation outcome., Methods: Between 1976 and 2008, 569 pancreas transplantations were performed in Lyon and Geneva, including 37 second transplantations. Second graft survival was compared with primary graft survival of the same patients and the whole population. Predictive factors of second graft survival were sought. Patient survival and impact on kidney graft function and survival were evaluated., Results: Second pancreas survival of the 17 patients transplanted from 1995 was close to primary graft survival of the whole population (71% vs. 79% at 1 year and 59% vs. 69% at 5 years; P=0.5075) and significantly better than their first pancreas survival (71% vs. 29% at 1 year and 59% vs. 7% at 5 years; P=0.0008) regardless of the cause of first pancreas loss. The same results were observed with all 37 retransplantations. Survival of second simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantations was better than survival of second pancreas after kidney. Patient survival was excellent (89% at 5 years). Pancreas retransplantation had no impact on kidney graft function and survival (100% at 5 years)., Conclusion: Pancreas retransplantation is a safe procedure with acceptable graft survival that should be proposed to diabetic patients who have lost their primary graft.

Breast cancer is the most common of all cancers affecting women in France; its frequency increases in countries with a high standard of living. A family history and certain types of mastosis are unquestionable risk factors, although their weight has not yet been well established, but there is no absolute proof that feeding habits (notably fats and alcohol), which have been blamed by some authors, play a role in the genesis of breast cancer. Among the classical prognostic factors, which are necessary for surgical decisions, the size of the tumour, its histological grade and above all the number of axillary lymph nodes involved are the most important. However, a better knowledge of breast cancer biology has yielded factors that seem to be more promising than hormonal receptors, notably the DNA content of tumoral cells and the presence or absence of a protease, procathepsin 52 K, which reflects tumoral aggressiveness. As for the study of oncogens described elsewhere in this monograph, it will provide a better definition of high risk subjects and more precise information on the progress of the cancer.

Trends in mortality from bladder cancer have been described with several statistical methods using bi and multivariate analysis. Between 1952 and 1976, the mortality by bladder cancer was marked by an increase for both sexes with a predominance among the males (annual increase + 3,65%, against 1.34% among the females). In 1976, the age-adjusted rate/100,000 of mortality was 11,35 for males and 3,20 for the females showing an high sex-ratio. The computerized mapping of this cancer geographical distribution shows a significant predominance in the south of France and also a high statistically significant correlation with the geographical distribution of lung and gallbladder cancer mortality in France.

Mortality from carcinoma of the breast in man varied from 0.6 to 0.8 per 100,000 from 1950 to 1970. Over the same period the equivalent figures in women were 22 to 29 per 100,000. From 1955 to 1968, the Enquête Permanente Cancer recorded 537 cases of carcinoma of the breast in men. 293 of which were seen before any treatment. This last group is described with respect to the age of the patient, the topography of the tumour, the histology, the tumor node metastasis and treatment. Survival rates were as follows: 39.2% at 5 years, 23.7% at 10 years and 16% at 20 years. The relative survival was 49% at 5 years, 37.5% at 10 years and 43.8% at 20 years. These results are identical to those published for numerically similar series. In this enquiry, a comparison between the results of carcinoma of the breast in men and women showed no difference.

A survey of the risk factors involved in the incidence of female breast cancer was conducted in the Hauts-de-Seine and Yvelines departments, near Paris. Two hundred and fifty thousand questionnaires were sent out; 18000 women replied. The family risk factor appeared in 15% of the replies, including 6% which concerned the closest relatives (mother and/or sister). Correlations are established between the various factors, and conclusions are drawn about the possibility of cancer detection according to graded risks.

With 7,172 deaths in 1982, prostatic cancer is a frequent cancer in France observed among old men, coming just after the lungs cancers and representing 9.6% of male mortality from malignant disease. Its incidence in the French regional population based on departmental registries is about 25/100.000 (age adjusted to the world standard population). The geographical distribution throughout the world shows a high incidence rate among the black american, the Scandinavian countries and low rates in the south-east of Asia. As well as incidence as for mortality low trends of increase all over the world are observed. In the clinical data from the "Enquete Permanente Cancer" (E.P.C.) the high proportion of metastatic dissemination (48%) at initial time of diagnosis, and also the high proportion of epithelial cancer (92%) emerge from a series of 1,223 prostatic cancer registered between 1975 and 1982. The 9 year-survival relative rate (32%) for the whole group lets appear a level of cure observed after the 8 years of follow-up. Few risk factors have been yet recognized so that it is not easy to identify risk population and propose them any preventions.

The authors remind: cancerous disease's possibilities of description before any treatment through its topography, its morphology and its clinical medicine; the modalities for taking surgical, actinic, chemical, immunologic therapeutics in account; the technics of the cancerous disease supervision after treatment, from the vital points of view (study of observed and relative survival, and of recovery) and from the carcinologic and fonctionnal points of view. They insist on the possibilities of these languages that go from the simple notation of information to the taking of these sundries modalities in account. The disposable datums in France are schematicly described. They concern: the study of survival from hospitable series; mortality by cancer for the whole of the country. The authors consider that no entry must be undertaken without the purposes, in the same way as the considered modalities for analysis, being precisely fixed. They insist on the notion of information level, of which three levels are schematicly defined, according as descriptive epidemiology or epidemiologic research or clinical research is in question.

In France mortality statistics are the only complete source of information on cancer. Investigation of the annual figures and the application of statistical methods to their presentation and analysis has facilitated fresh studies of geographical pathology, utilizing methods of analysis with simple and multiple correlations (analysis of correlations). Certain groupings were thus revealed, notably in the case of death from bronchial carcinoma, urinary bladder and gall bladder. Two groups of departements appeared the nearest to the national levels for deaths from cancer for all body sites.

A study of changes in mortality due to carcinomas of cervix uteri in France between 1950 and 1976 was undertaken. Rates increased slightly over the whole period (0.44% per year). However, from 1950 to 1968 there was an increase (1.9% per year) and from 1969 to 1976 a decrease (1.17%). This decrease may be due partly to improvements in diagnosis, screening and cure. The geographical distribution has not shown any regional particularity. There is a high significant correlation with geographical distribution of breast cancer mortality, a hitherto unknown finding in France.

A study of changes in mortality due to carcinoma of the stomach in France between 1954 and 1974 was undertaken on the basis of probable levels standardised on the French population in 1968. There was a marked fall in this mortality for both sexes. In the male, the initial level in 1954 was 54.8/100 000 and the decrease was of the order of 1.35 deaths per 100 000 per year, i.e. an annual fall of -3.21%. This phenomenon was more marked during the second period (1965--1974): - 3.88%, than during the first period (1954--1963: - 2.38%. In the female, with an initial mortality rate of 31.25/100 000, the annual decrease was 31.25/100 000, i.e. an annual fall of - 3.49%. This fall was - 3.09% for the first ten year period and - 4.80% for the second period. Thus in France, in common with many other countries, there has been a marked decrease in mortality due to carcinoma of the stomach, for both sexes, and this phenomenon became progressively more notable during the period of the study.

The authors study the pattern of the curve concerning breast cancer incidence in males as a function of age. The demonstration is made that such a curve is bimodal and, more precisely, could be satisfactorily considered as being made up of the juxtaposition of two normal distribution curves. The interval thus individualized between the mean age of both groups is remarkably steady between 17 and 20 yrs. The phenomenon is not blurred by regrouping the data and the patients population could be divided into two subgroups: one with a mean age of 147 yrs, with a standard deviation of 9 yrs, and bearing on 246 patients, the other one including 1.100 patients averaging 66.5 yrs old with a standard deviation of 9.9 yrs.

The René Huguenin Cancer Center holds a medical file for each patient which is intended to store and process medical data. Since 1970, we introduced computerization: a development plan was elaborated and simultaneously a statistical software (Clotilde--GSI/CFRO) was selected. Thus, we now have access to a large database, structured according to medical rationale, and utilizable with methods of artificial intelligence towards three objectives: improved data acquisition, decision making and exploitation. The first application was to breast pathology, which represents one of the Center's primary activities. The structure of the data concerning patients is by all criteria part of the medical knowledge. This information needs to be presented as well as processed with a suitable language. To this end, we chose a language-oriented object, Mering II, usable with Apple and IBM 4 micro-computers. This project has already allowed to work out an operational model.