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Few data are available to describe the changes in incidence of pediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to describe changes in incidence and phenotypic presentation of pediatric-onset IBD in northern France during a 24-year period.Pediatric-onset IBD (17 years) was issued from a population-based IBD study in France between 1988 and 2011. Age groups and digestive location were defined according to the Paris classification.1,350 incident cases were recorded (8.3% of all IBD) including 990 Crohn's disease (CD), 326 ulcerative colitis (UC) and 34 IBD unclassified (IBDU). Median age at diagnosis was similar in CD (14.4 years (Q1=11.8-Q3=16.0)) and UC (14.0 years (11.0-16.0)) and did not change over time. There were significantly more males with CD (females/males=0.82) than UC (females/males=1.25) (P=0.0042). Median time between onset of symptoms and IBD diagnosis was consistently 3 months (1-6). Mean incidence was 4.4/10In this population-based study, CD and UC incidences increased dramatically in adolescents across a 24-year span, suggesting that one or more strong environmental factors may predispose this population to IBD.

The present work deals with the antibacterial properties of textile fabrics when treated with two Eucalyptus leaf extracts. Dried Eucalyptus leaves, i.e. E. odorata and E. cinerea species, were macerated in a mixture of acetone-water to obtain enriched tannins and flavonoids extracts. The thermal stability of these extracts was investigated by UV-spectrophotometry. The antibacterial effects of these tannins and flavonoids, once fixed on wool and cotton fabrics, were measured against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria using the Agar diffusion method. Only woven fabrics treated with E. odorata extract displayed antibacterial properties that were more significant on wool than on cotton. The laundering durability of this treatment was also evaluated, demonstrating that the antibacterial properties decreased with the number of laundering cycles but more quickly on cotton than on wool fabrics.

Resume Introduction Les schwannomes sont des tumeurs nerveuses rares du mediastin le plus souvent situees au niveau des gouttieres paravertebrales. Nous rapportons le cas d’un patient atteint d’un schwannome du mediastin posterieur developpe aux depens du nerf vague droit au contact de l’œsophage. Observation Un patient de 50 ans beneficiait d’un scanner thoracoabdominal mettant en evidence de facon fortuite une masse heterogene du mediastin posterieur non visible sur la radiographie standard. Le bilan morphologique realise comportait une echoendoscopie digestive et un TEP-scanner qui ne permettait pas d’affirmer de diagnostic. Une mini-thoracoscopie video-assistee etait pratiquee permettant d’extraire en bloc un schwannome benin du nerf vague, affirme par l’anatomopathologie devant la presence de zones A et B de la classification d’Antoni. Conclusion Ce cas rapporte une localisation rare de schwannome thoracique decouvert le plus souvent fortuitement ou lors de compression des organes de voisinage. L’apport de la TEP-scanner dans la strategie diagnostique des tumeurs neurogenes s’avere mediocre compte tenu de son manque de sensibilite et de specificite et la chirurgie de biopsie–exerese demeure la procedure de reference.

In order to address open questions concerning the surface chemistry and pore structure characterization of nanoporous carbons, we performed extensive experiments by combining various experimental techniques on a series of commercially available activated carbons which exhibit diverse surface chemistry characteristics. Pore size analysis was performed on Ar (87 K), N2 (77 K) and CO2 (273 K) adsorption isotherms using state-of-the art methods based on density functional theory, including the recently developed quenched solid density functional theory (QSDFT). A detailed study of the surface chemistry was obtained by applying temperature programmed desorption coupled with mass spectrometry (TPD-MS) as well as XPS (X-Ray-Photoelectron Scattering). This information together with the pore structure information leads to a reliable interpretation of systematic water adsorption measurements obtained on these materials. Our results clearly suggest that water adsorption is indeed a sensitive tool for detecting differences in surface chemistry between chemically and physically activated active carbon materials with comparable ultramicropore structure. The occurrence of sorption hysteresis associated with the filling of micro- and narrow mesopores (in a range where nitrogen and argon isotherms are reversible) provides additional structural information, complementary to the insights from argon/nitrogen/carbon dioxide adsorption.

Quantifying the impacts of inbreeding and genetic drift on fitness traits in fragmented populations is becoming a major goal in conservation biology. Such impacts occur at different levels and involve different sets of loci. Genetic drift randomly fixes slightly deleterious alleles leading to different fixation load among populations. By contrast inbreeding depression arises from highly deleterious alleles in segregation within a population and creates variation among individuals. A popular approach is to measure correlations between molecular variation and phenotypic performances. This approach has been mainly used at the individual level to detect inbreeding depression within populations and sometimes at the population level but without consideration about the genetic processes measured. For the first time we used in this study a molecular approach considering both the interpopulation and intrapopulation level to discriminate the relative importance of inbreeding depression vs. fixation load in isolated and non fragmented populations of European tree frog (Hyla arborea) complemented with interpopulational crosses. We demonstrated that the positive correlations observed between genetic heterozygosity and larval performances on merged data were mainly caused by co variations in genetic diversity and fixation load among populations rather than by inbreeding depression and segregating deleterious alleles within populations. Such a method is highly relevant in a conservation perspective because depending on how populations lose fitness (inbreeding vs. fixation load) specific management actions may be designed to improve the persistence of populations.

A differential desorption technique, named intermittent temperature-programmed desorption (ITPD), has been used to get new insights into the properties of La 1 − x Sr x Co 0.8 Fe 0.2 O 3 − δ perovskites. The apparent activation energy of desorption ( E app ) and the frequency factor ( ν ) were calculated from ITPD data, for the two distinct oxygen species desorbing from perovskite at temperatures lower than 400 °C. The low values (about 10 7 –10 8 s − 1 ) obtained for ν app indicated that re-adsorption occurred during the TPD process and therefore that E app is equal to the Heat of adsorption ( E = − Δ H ). The first oxygen species, related to lower desorption temperatures, exhibits a distribution of E from 105 to 125 kJ mol − 1 . The second one, related to higher desorption temperatures, corresponds to E = 146 ± 4 kJ mol − 1 and 139 ± 5 kJ mol − 1 , for x = 0.2 and x = 0.3, respectively. The relative amounts of these species contributing to the desorption peak are dependent upon Sr content in the perovskite.

In contrast with bone metastasis, acrometastases are uncommon and are associated with advanced cancer. We report the cases of two patients with atypical lesions of the fingers in a context of cancer, in which biopsies confirmed a metastasis. Patients died rapidly before treatment was initiated. We discuss the characteristics of these atypical metastatic sites, associated with a generally poor prognosis.

A new material has been synthesised by reaction between a calix[4]arene amine derivative and an oxidized activated carbon in DMF. Each reactant was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS). In addition, the BET surface area of activated carbon, oxidized carbon and calixarene-modified carbon, were measured and are equal to 737, 519 and 351 m 2 /g, respectively. Results show that calixarene is linked to superficial oxygen functional groups through a covalent bond. A percentage of grafted calixarene of the order of 35% have been calculated from the results of elemental analysis.

In contrast with bone metastasis, acrometastases are uncommon and are associated with advanced cancer. We report the cases of two patients with atypical lesions of the fingers in a context of cancer, in which biopsies confirmed a metastasis. Patients died rapidly before treatment was initiated. We discuss the characteristics of these atypical metastatic sites, associated with a generally poor prognosis.

Water adsorbed at various temperatures in the range 373–873 K on chromium, iron, nickel and stainless-steel plates was studied by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) under vacuum (10−6 hPa). Three states were distinguished: state I due to weakly chemisorbed water and states II and III probably associated with hydroxyl groups bound to different sites. Water is adsorbed mainly in states I and II at temperatures T0 600 K. These states were present in all the metals which were studied except in iron that did not show state I. TPD spectra of water from stainless steel are explained by the presence of Cr and Fe in the form of oxides at the substrate surface. The heat of adsorption in state I and the activation energies of desorption in states II and III were found around 100–120, 170–190 and 220–270 kJ mol−1, respectively.

In this study, we investigated the reactivity of chromium, iron, and surface-treated 304L stainless steels (SS) toward molecules representing model epoxy resins. These molecules were ammonia (a basic probe molecule also representative of the hardener amine group), 1,2-epoxybutane (for epoxy groups) and 2(methylamino)ethanol (for the β-amino alcohol resulting from the reaction of epoxy with amine). These molecules were analyzed in the adsorbed state by either FT-IR or temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Surface analysis showed that the top surface of the treated 304L samples only contains chromium and iron as metallic elements. The chromium/iron ratio can be varied within a wide range according to the SS surface treatment used. When increasing the SS surface chromium enrichment, we show a simultaneous increase of (i) both density and strength of surface acid sites, (ii) the amount of β-amino alcohol adsorbed. In addition, there is a marked improvement of the epoxy resin/304L bond strength whe...

A particular Temperature-Programmed Desorption (TPD) method, called ‘Intermittent TPD’, has been applied to the decomposition of oxygen groups naturally present at the surface of a microporous active carbon. It is shown that this method provides more information on the kinetics of the thermal decomposition of these species than the classical TPD technique. The main result is that the decomposition of these oxygen groups occurs in at least 7 distinct stages which have been characterized by their apparent activation energy and the corresponding frequency factor. The present study underlines the usefulness of ITPD for studying the rate of desorption of gases from powdered samples with a strongly heterogeneous surface.

The recombination lifetime and diffusion length of intentionally iron-contaminated samples were measured by the Surface Photo Voltage (SPV) and the Elymat technique. The lifetime results from these techniques for intentionally iron-contaminated samples were analysed, in particular for the aspect of the injection-level dependency of recombination lifetime. Based on theoretical considerations, a method for the analysis of deep-level parameters combining constant photon flux SPV and Elymat measurements has been developed. This method is based on a detailed numerical analysis of the Elymat technique, including the Dember electric field, the characteristics of the laser beam, the transport parameters of the semiconductor and multilevel Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination kinetics. The results of the numerical simulation are applied to the analysis of recombination lifetime measurements on intentionally iron-contaminated samples. We compared numerical simulations and experimental results from SPV and Elymat for p-type samples using the classical acceptor level atEv +0.1 eV and the donor level of FeB pairs atEc -0.3 eV as recombination centre. Better consistency in the interpretation of the results has been found in the doping range 1014–1016 cm−3 supposing theEc -0.3 eV level as predominant recombination centre. An attempt to extract the electron and hole capture cross-sections for this defect is made.

This work presents the modelling of heat transfer in a polymer sample submitted to a microwave field in the quartz column of a dilatometer surrounded by vacuum to avoid convection. The temperature rise is studied in transient state by the finite element method. It is assumed that a uniform and constant heat production is maintained in the entire volume of the sample. It is shown that it is possible to design the set composed of the sample and of the column to achieve a nearly uniform temperature in the whole volume of the sample while its temperature is raised from 20 to 250°C at a heating rate of 5 deg·min−1.

Application of the on-line Elymat technique for measuring bulk carrier recombination lifetime is numerically analysed using a complete three-dimensional carrier transport simulation including the Dember electric field, the characteristics of the laser beam, the transport parameters of the wafer and Shockley-Read-Hall recombination kinetics. We found a strong dependency of the measured lifetime on the shape and power of the laser beam as well as on the deep energy level of the impurity in the gap, owing to nonlinear effects not described by the classical model. Our numerical simulations show that the use of a small laser beam permitting the approximation of point-like excitation gives the most reliable results. The comparison between our numerical simulations and experimental results for iron-contaminated p-type samples with a resistivity between 1 and 18 Omega cm shows that the donor level of Fe-B pairs at Ec-0.3 eV and not the classical acceptor level at Ev+0.1 eV is the predominant site of recombination of Fe-B pairs in p-type silicon in the above doping range. First results for the electron and hole capture cross sections for this defect will be given. Based on these results, the sensitivity of the technique is shown to be less than 1011cm-3 in the case of Fe-B pairs corresponding to less than 10 PPT (parts per trillion).

This paper describes how the temperature-programmed desorption (TDP) technique, which is widely used in the fields of surface science and catalysis, has been newly adapted to investigate the thick metallic sheet samples of about 10cm2 area used in adhesion studies. A high frequency induction system has been designed in order to achieve a high heating rate (up to 200 K.s_1) without creating substantial temperature gradients in the sheet. The sample is placed in a secondary vacuum reactor and the gas desorbed is analysed by means of a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The results presented deal with stainless steel and chromium surfaces, subjected to various chemical treatments. The sensitivity and the resolution of the technique presented are shown to be sufficient to study metallic surface contamination and to characterise the acid sites at the surface by desorption of a basic probe molecule such as ammonia.

The oxygen precipitation kinetics, the oxide precipitate density (Np) and the denuded zone width (DZ) in standard CZ silicon wafers coming from the supplier and randomly sampled were determined after annealing at temperatures from 950 to 1100 degrees C. Correlations between the precipitation kinetics factors and the precipitate densities were clearly established and interpreted using the usual precipitation models. A clear relationship between the DZ values and the precipitate densities was obtained. How a further high-temperature anneal such as a CMOS well drive-in at 1160 degrees C affects these parameters was experimentally determined. All these results can be well interpreted in terms of selective precipitate growth from a population of microprecipitates. Practical recommendations for improved internal gettering are deduced from this work.

Corona discharge treatment (CDT) was implemented to attempt to graft a modified β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) onto cellulose. The occurrence of grafting was indirectly proven by gravimetric analyses, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Besides, the effect of CDT onto cellulosic substrate was studied using SEM and XPS. It appeared that surface roughness increased with the treatment time as a consequence of an etching effect and that surface oxidation took place as evidenced by the creation of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. These functional groups are not responsible for chemical link between modified β-CD and substrate. It was assumed that the grafting results from the reaction of double-bonds of modified β-CD and radicals formed on treated surface, these ones being evidenced by DPPH radical trapping. Moreover the inclusion of a guest molecule is still possible in grafted modified β-CD giving a new proof of grafting.

Scwhannomas are uncommon neurogenic tumors of the mediastinum. Most of them are located in the posterior mediastinum usually in the paralateral gutters. We report the case of an uncommon localisation of such a tumour appended to the right vagus nerve in the middle mediastinum.The patient was 50 years old and complained of thoracic pain, shortness of breath and dysphagia. CT scanning of thorax and abdomen revealed a heterogeneous mass in the middle mediastinum, which was not visible on plain radiography. Further investigation included transoesophageal ultrasound and PET scan. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology after mini video-assisted thoracotomy. The schwannoma was entirely removed without any post-surgical complications.We report a novel case of schwannoma arising from the vagus nerve and review the diagnostic strategies. PET scanning has poor sensitivity and specificity and does not therefore contribute to confirm the diagnosis which depends on exploring the mediastimun surgically.

R.F. magnetron Facing Target Sputtering (F.T.S.) technique has been used to grow thin films about 1 μm thick. The target elementary composition was reproduced up to 450°C deposition temperature. This is found not sufficient to form the perovskite phase in-situ. Furthermore the required post-deposition furnace annealings present drawbacks. In consequence, we have modified the F.T.S. system with an additional lead target and demonstrated the feasability of in-situ perovskite 52/48 Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 crystallization at 550°C. Preliminary electrical characterization has shown a remanent switched polarization P*r = 2μC/cm2, Ec = 30 Kv/cm, er = 100, tg(δ) = 0,04.

It is widely recognized that the dispersion (presumably related to the degree of catalyst-carbon contact) of a solid catalyst in a carbonaceous matrix plays an important role in explaining its catalytic activity in gasification reactions. CaO-CO{sub 2} interactions have been studied by thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and temperature-programmed reaction (TPR). A less classical technique termed intermittent temperature-programmed desorption (ITPD) has also been used. A mass spectrometer has been employed as a gas flow analyzer in all the temperature-programmed techniques. The temperature at which CO{sub 2}-CaO interactions take place determines whether their nature is limited to CO{sub 2} chemisorption or involves bulk carbonate formation in CaO particles as well. While only chemisorption occurs at temperatures between 323 and 573 K, bulk carbonate formation is observed at higher temperatures; the higher the temperature, the deeper the carbonate formation of CaO particles. CO{sub 2} chemisorption is interpreted by applying models commonly used for heterogeneous surfaces, with variations in the heat of adsorption and in the desorption activation energy as functions of coverage. The interpretation of the thermodynamics and kinetics of the process in the temperature range 323-1,173 K led to the proposal of a mechanism for the first steps ofmore » the reaction of CO{sub 2} with CaO particles.« less

Various “in situ” techniques, including thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), isothermal chemisorption, temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), intermittent TPD, temperature programmed reaction (TPR) and BET surface area determination, have been used to characterize calcium as a catalyst of carbon gasification. These techniques were first established with pure CaO samples and then applied to the CaO-carbon system. These methods, and particularly TPD accompanied by internal sample gasification, proved to be an efficient means of getting new insights into the calcium-catalyzed carbon gasification.

Interpretation of the catalytic activity of calcium and its deactivation in the CO2 carbon gasification reaction has been deduced from temperature programmed desorption (TPD) with quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS) experiments after CO2 treatment. The main characteristics of these TPD spectra are two well-defined CO2 peaks (at ≈953 K and ≈1,053 K) together with a CO peak (at ≈1,053 K). TPD spectra from three sets of experiments have been analyzed and interpreted. The following variables were investigated: (1) effect of wt% calcium loading, (2) effect of catalyst sintering, and (3) effect of the CO2 treatment temperature. The lower temperature CO2 peak has been associated with the external surface of CaO without any contact with the carbon, therefore it corresponds to the inactive catalyst. The higher temperature CO2 peak together with the “net” CO peak has been associated with the CaO-carbon interface which is responsible for the catalytic activity. A novel model is proposed for CO2 chemisorption on CaO particles supported in carbon and its subsequent redistribution during TPD. The model is used to interpret TPD spectra.

Summary Background Systematic screening for liver fibrosis in heavy-drinking patients is a challenge. Aims To assess Fibroscan for non-invasive diagnosis of asymptomatic liver fibrosis in alcohol abuse patients, to determine diagnostic liver stiffness cut-off values and to compare performance of Fibroscan with seven non-invasive laboratory tests. Methods One hundred and three alcoholic patients were studied. Liver fibrosis was staged by METAVIR system. Fibroscan, Fibrotest, Fibrometer, Hepascore, APRI, PGA, PGAA and hyaluronic acid tests were performed. Liver stiffness cut-offs were determined using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results Liver stiffness was correlated with fibrosis (r = 0.72, P

9 pages, 6 figure, 4 tables.-- Printed version published Jun 2008., Debris samples from braking tests carried out with carbon/carbon discs, mounted in a reduced-scale bench, have been studied by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry coupled with mass spectrometry, and N2 physisorption at −196°C. The tests were carried out at low temperature with a high friction coefficient. Two materials with different structural orders (d(002) = 338 and 344 nm, respectively) were studied. Debris samples from both materials are similar: they are essentially amorphous and contain up to 10% of oxygen. The specific surface areas are about 180 m2/g. However, a careful examination of the experimental results clearly shows some differences depending on the starting materials. Debris from the less ordered material contains fewer carboxylic groups, the specific surface areas of debris obtained from the more ordered material are systematically larger, and debris samples from both materials may be differentiated by the XRD pattern of the small fraction of starting material they contain. Thus, materials with different structural orders yielded similar debris resulting from the severe mechanico-chemical processes involved but retained a slight but clear memory of the material from which they came., This work presents part of the results obtained by C. Pevida during a post-doctoral stay supported by Messier-Bugatti. Authors thank L. Retailleau and Christian Duchamp for technical assistance in performing TG-TPD-MS experiments and SEM observations, respectively.

The purpose of this study was to characterize the calcium (nature, amount of various species and state of division) in carbonaceous materials such as low-rank coal char or a model char (obtained by pyrolysis of a polymeric resin at 1273 K under an inert gas). Ca loading (

Mode operatoire d'analyse des antioxydants exogenes et endogenes de la biere par chromatographie liquide haute performance en phase inverse et par chromatographie ionique avec detection electrochimique. Les avantages et inconvenients respectifs des electrodes en carbone-verre et en platine pour le dosage simultane du sulfite et de l'acide ascorbique sont discutes

International audience; A differential desorption technique, called intermittent temperature-programmed desorption (ITPD), was used to give new insights into the properties of La1−xSrxCo0.8Fe0.2O3 perovskites as a contribution to improve their performances with respect to various important application fields such as catalysis, electrocatalysis and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). Both ITPD and interrupted TPD (carried out at different heating rates) evidenced two distinct oxygen adsorbed states, desorbing at temperatures lower than 400 °C, corresponding to less than 5% of a compact monolayer of oxide ions. The first one, for low desorption temperatures (lower than 290 °C) exhibits a heat of adsorption (ΔH) distribution from 101 to 121 kJ mol−1. The second one, for higher desorption temperatures (between 290 and 400 °C) corresponds to ΔH = 146 ± 4 kJ mol−1. Additionally, for temperatures higher than 400 °C, we observed a continuous desorption of oxygen species, probably originating from the sub-surface or semi-bulk, with an associated activation energy of desorption ≥175 kJ mol−1.

Main bile duct neoplasic thrombosis is a rare cause of jaundice in case of gallbladder cancer. We report the case of 27-year-old woman in whom the endoluminal biopsy of biliary thrombus confirmed the suspected diagnosis of gallbladder cancer. An initial laparoscopic exploration found a localized peritoneal carcinomatosis. However, in this exceptional situation with an unknown prognostic, a surgical procedure has been performed including hepatectomy IV-V with biliary principal bile duct removal, hepatico-jejunal anastomosis (Roux-en-Y), with complete resection of localized peritoneal carcinomatosis. Post-operative course were uneventful and this patient was asymptomatic under chemotherapy with a six month follow-up.

Use of thin monocrystalline semiconductor film transfer by Smart-Cut(R) technology is of great interest for new device technologies especially in the field of high temperature electronics. In this paper we give an overview of recent results on two kind of hetero-substrates obtained by this process: UNIBOND(R) SOI (Silicon On Insulator) substrates and substrates based on Silicon Carbide layer transfer. The latest progress on SOI wafer quality is highlighted. For SiC transfer, we describe the kinetics of SiC layer splitting, and the morphological and electrical characteristics of the SiC layers. We also show that SiC/Si/sub 3/N/sub 4//polycrystalline SiC structures can be fabricated using Smart-Cut technology. Polycrystalline SiC and silicon nitride have been chosen to replace the silicon substrate and silicon dioxide layers to make the overall structure compatible with very high temperature device processing and very harsh device environments.

Important progress have been made in the fabrication of SiCOI (Silicon Carbide On Insulator) structures using the Smart-Cut® approach. The different structures which have been demonstrated both in terms of transferred layer polytypes (4H and 6H), of handle substrate (Silicon or Polycrystalline Silicon carbide) and of buried insulator layers (Silicon Dioxide and Silicon Nitride) will be described. Deep traps present in the SiC layer after transfer and annealing of the structure and which are generated by the ion implantation process has been studied using different techniques (Hall measurements, DLTS, Photoluminsecence, RPE). We will see that their density can be strongly minimised making the as transferred layer quality compatible with many applications. Considering both the improved layer quality and the different possible SiCOI structures now available the different possible applications and the perspectives will be reviewed.

The treatment of acute cholecystitis or angiocholitis is often difficult in elderly or very ill patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the efficacy and the results of ultrasound guided percutaneous cholecystostomy in patients with acute cholecystitis or biliary tract obstruction and anesthetic or surgical contraindications.Thirty patients (25-93 years, 16 men and 14 women) were included in this study. Ultrasound guided percutaneous cholecystostomy was successful on the septic syndrome in 27 patients; endoscopic sphincterotomy was performed in 6 patients after clinical improvement. A failure of the procedure on sepsis was observed in 3 patients: cholecystectomy was performed after cardiac improvement in one patient, and 2 patients died. Two other patients died of extradigestive diseases. No serious complication related to cholecystostomy was observed.Ultrasound guided percutaneous cholecystostomy is a safe and simple procedure. It can be done at bedside and has low morbidity and mortality. It can be considered as a definitive treatment, or a temporary one with secondary surgical or endoscopic management.

For many years now, some of us have been involved in synthesizing various crown ethers from suitably protected hexopyranosides [1,2] or D-mannitol frameworks [3,4]. We report here the synthesis of a novel macrocycle from D-glucose incorporating a flexible biphenyl unit and a primary amine function at C-6 on the sugar moiety and some of its complexing abilities towards various guests, examined for the first time by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization with Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-FTMS).

Outpatient ultrasound guided liver biopsy is usually reserved for diffuse pathologies. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and results of 131 ultrasound guided biopsies of 128 abdominal lesions in 104 patients (69 men and 35 women, mean age: 59). Twenty four cysts were punctured (18 pancreatic cysts, 4 liver cysts and 2 unspecified abdominal cysts) and 104 solid tumors were biopsied (80 liver tumors, 9 pancreatic tumors, 5 portal vein obstructions, 4 unspecified abdominal tumors, 3 stomach tumors and 3 lymphadenopathies).The feasability of outpatient ultrasound guided biopsy was 100%. The etiology of 22 cysts (91.6%) and the histology of 100 solid tumors (96.2%) were determined. No side effects were observed, and all patients left the hospital 6 hours after this procedure. No later hospitalisations were necessary.This study suggests that outpatient ultrasound guided needle aspiration or biopsy of liver tumors or other abdominal tumors can be performed. Thus, this procedure could be less expensive and more acceptable, while preserving reliability and safety.

Pancreaticopleural fistula is a rare complication of pancreatic diseases. It results from communication between a pancreatic duct and the pleural space, either directly, or through a pseudocyst. The treatment is medical or surgical. We report a case of pancreaticopleural fistula occurring in a man suffering from chronic pancreatitis, and treated by endoscopy.

Portal vein thrombosis which occurs in the course of cirrhosis, associated or not with hepatocellular carcinoma, can be either cruoric or neoplastic. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and the results of ultrasound guided biopsy of portal vein thrombosis in 21 patients with cirrhosis (20 men and 1 woman; mean age 66 +/- 9 years), who were hospitalized between May 1989 and November 1993. Ultrasound guided biopsies of the cirrhotic liver, of the portal vein thrombosis and, when present, of a hepatic nodular lesion were performed. The diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma was made if the histological examination of the hepatic and portal biopsy samples were positive or if serum concentrations of alpha-fetoprotein were higher than 500 IU/mL.All portal vein thrombosis biopsies were successfully performed. No side-effects were observed. Before ultrasound guided biopsy of the portal thrombosis, diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma was made in 15 cases, and diagnosis of cirrhosis in 6 cases. After histological examination of the portal sample, hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed in 19 cases and cirrhosis in 2 cases. Thus, in 19% of cases, ultrasound guided biopsy of the portal thrombus provided a definitive diagnosis.Ultrasound guided biopsy of the portal vein thrombosis must be performed before liver transplantation for cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma to exclude the presence of a vascular neoplastic extension.

The metallic micro contamination is a challenge for the “scientific fabrication” needed for 0.18 μm ULSI technology; its control has to be rapid and on-line. We show that it can be done by non-intrusive recombination lifetime measurements. Surface Photo Voltage (SPV), Microwave Photo Conductive Decay, Elymat and the recently introduced Surface Charge Analyses with lifetime extension (SCA-SPV) are tested. We compare these different and somewhat complementary techniques in the case of iron micro contamination. We show that the Elymat technique which is a simple one in its principle must be driven by a very sophisticated three dimensional analysis for correct interpretation of the results. Applying such an analysis we show, that for the range of ULSI grade silicon wafers the characteristics of iron micro contamination can be deduced with high precision down to concentrations below 1011 cm-3 (topography of contamination, chemical type of contamination, lifetime, energy levels). The practical consequences of our results for a fast and cost effective contamination monitoring in a ULSI production line are discussed. (6 pages)

The authors report two cases of leiomyosarcoma of the small intestine revealed by lower and isolated digestive bleeding. In both cases, only the pelvic examinations by means of ultrasonography and/or CT scan have shown a mass which corresponded to the small intestine tumor. The authors underlined the necessity of US and/or CT scan pelvic when faced with a lower digestive bleeding whose etiology cannot be determined by the endoscopic or radiologic intestinal examinations.

To identify prognostic factors taking in account recent advances in diagnosis and treatment, 24 clinical, biological, and morphological factors were evaluated by means of uni- and multivariate analysis in 84 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed between 1984 and 1991. Okuda's grading (P0.01), creatininemia (P0.01), and treatment (P0.05) were independent prognostic factors. Des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin reached a significant level (P0.05) in a subgroup of 32 recent patients but its prognostic value needs to be confirmed. Further prospective randomized trials comparing surgical and non-surgical treatment should take these factors into account.

Chronic alcoholization is known to increase plasma trypsin levels. One-hundred and forty-six male chronic alcohol users were tested for serum trypsin-like activity (STA), total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-/cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), apoA-1 and apoB lipoproteins. STA was positively correlated to LDL-C, TG and apoB rates and the CT/HDL-C index and negatively correlated to HDL-C and apoA-1 rates and the apoA-1/apoB index. Eighty-four patients with high STA (group B) compared to 62 patients with normal STA (group A) showed significantly higher LDL-C, TG, apoB rates and TC/HDL-C index contrasting with significantly lower HDL-C and apoA-1 rates and the apoA-1/apoB index. The two groups were matched for age, overweight, cigarette smoking and glycemia. Hepatic dysfunction does not explain the differences in the lipoproteic parameters. Such results would suggest that there may be a tryptic alteration of apoproteins in vivo as already demonstrated in vitro and experimentally suspected in vivo in some other studies. Competition by the trypsin-activated alpha 2 macroglobulin for the chylomicron-remnant LDL receptor-related protein may be evoked.

A new biallelic polymorphism for FokI restriction enzyme due to C----T transition in the fourth intron of human DRD2 is described. It must be a usefull marker of this candidate gene for several mental disorders.

SUMMARY The increase of nitrate in water and in cultivated plants is due to intensive agricultural practice so as to raise the agricultural yield. Nitrogen beside potassium and phosphates as fertilizers are applied in an uncontrolled manner in the fields. The consequences are the contamination of many ground water sources. The brewing water may contain high levels of nitrate, above 50 mg/1 and should be reduced. Hops is an important raw-material which reaches levels of 2-18 g/kg of nitrate. Brewing liquor and hops are the main sources of nitrate in the final beer. Techniques to reduce nitrate concentration in the brewing industry are available. Nitrate may be converted into nitrite by specific microorganisms. Nitrite which is very reactive can interact with amino compounds as nitrosation to form N-nitroso-compounds. Analytical procedures for the determination of nitrate and nitrite were modernized and calorimetric methods replaced by HPLC and enzymic procedures. In this study, nitrate in malt, hop, wort and beer was determined by a reversed-phase ionic HPLC procedure using a dynamically coated stationary phase. The separation of nitrate from other matrice constituents was without interferences.