Search

International audience; For ecological and economic issues, evaluating the environmental fate of dissolved and suspended matter in catchments and river ecosystems still remains a challenge for the preservation and management of natural resources. Models are useful tools and may help to cope with this challenge, and especially to define the relationships between the state of natural systems and land and river management/uses. As it is difficult -even impossible- to carry out experiments on natural systems such as catchments, models are also useful to test hypotheses about the underlying processes acting on dissolved and suspended losses. We propose a innovative approach to achieve these objectives. By coupling environmental indicators and lumped modeling, this study aims to develop a conceptual and general framework to evaluate and test the functions that drive particulate and dissolved matter flows at the catchment and landscape scales, while respecting the constraint of parsimony for the number of model parameters. Calculated suspended matter (SM) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) losses agreed well with field data. 210Pbex (excess Pb) activities in core sediments were also compared to those of 210Pbex calculated from the filling of the reservoir. Our models are parsimonious and this does not impair their accuracy in reproducing recorded outflows or evaluating the sedimentation processes associated to particulate outflows. Considering the adequacy of our models, we validate the hypothesis that river bank erosion and water table behavior are the driving processes that govern losses of particulate and solute forms of P, in the studied extensive agriculture conditions.

International audience; This dataset complement a previously published dataset [1] and corresponds to the physico-chemical parameters data series produced during the MESOLAC experimental project [2]. The presented dataset is composed of: 1. In situ profiles (0–3m) of temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen (concentration and saturation). 2. In situ measurements of light spectral UV/VIS/IR irradiance (300–950 nm wavelength range) taken at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5m. 3. Laboratory chemical analysis of samples collected at 0 and 2 m (conductivity, pH, total alkalinity, NH4, NO2, NO3, total and particulate nitrogen (Ntot, Npart), PO4, total and particulate phosphorus (Ptot, Ppart), total, organic particulate and total particulate carbon (Ctot, Cpart-org, Cpart-tot), Cl, SO4, SiO2. 4. Laboratory analysis of pigments extracted from samples collected at 0 and 2 m (Chla, Chlc, carotenoids, phaeopigments).The experimental design is the same as in Tran-Khac et al [1]. Briefly, it consisted of nine pelagic mesocosms (about 3000 L, 3m depth) deployed in July 2019 in Lake Geneva near the shore of Thonon les Bains (France) aiming to simulate predicted climate scenarios (i.e. extreme events) and assess the response of planktonic communities, ecosystem functioning and resilience.During the experiment, physical parameters were measured twice a week. At the same time, samples were collected at 0 and 2m of depth for subsequent chemical laboratory analyses. These data are presented in the dataset file, ordered by sampling event (numbered from S1 to S8), treatment (Control-C, High-H and Medium-M) and replicates (1 to 3). For each sampling point the measured parameters are listed in columns, missing data and values below the detection limit are marked as NA (not available).This data set aims to contribute to the understanding of the effect of environmental forcing on lake physico-chemical characteristics (such as temperature, oxygen and nutrient concentration) under simulated intense weather events. To a broader extent, the presented data can be used for a wide variety of applications, including monitoring of a large peri-alpine lake functioning under environmental stress and being included in further meta-analysis to generalise the effect of climate change on large lakes. The two complementary dataset differ in the acquired data and methods, temporal and spatial resolution. They complete each other in terms of physico-chemical characterization of the experimental treatments and together can allow comparison of the two different monitoring strategies (continuous vs punctual) during in situ experimental manipulations.

PURPOSE A common dosimetric quality assurance (QA) method in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of lung tumors is to use lung phantoms with radiochromic film. However, in most phantoms, the film moves with the tumor, leading to the blurring effect. This technical note presents the QA performance of a novel phantom in which the film is fixed; this phantom can be used for both patient-specific QA and end-to-end testing. METHODS Lung tumor motion was simulated with the CIRS Model 008A phantom. A lung-equivalent insert that consisted of a fixed radiochromic film around which a 2-cm tumor moved in the inferior/superior direction (i.e., mimicking respiration-induced tumor motion) was generated by 3D printing. Two common SBRT plans [dynamic conformal arc (DCA) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT)] were calculated on the average intensity projection (AIP) image set in Varian Eclipse using the dose calculation algorithm Acuros XB. The plans were delivered by a Varian TrueBeam STx accelerator using 6-MV flattening filter-free energy. EBT3 films were used for treatment-dose verification. The measured and planned dose distributions were compared by using the local gamma index at 3% and 2 mm. RESULTS Mean gamma pass rates of film and planned dose distributions were all ≥95%. DCA and VMAT plans did not differ in gamma pass rates. Planned and measured dose distributions agreed well, as did planned and measured gamma maps. CONCLUSIONS With this new insert, measured and planned dose distributions were very similar, which supports the current view in the field that dose calculations on AIP image sets account sufficiently for tumor motion during treatment. The phantom also performed well despite challenging breathing parameters (large tumor amplitude and slow breathing rate) and the application of a complex treatment technique (VMAT). This phantom could facilitate clinical and end-to-end film-based dosimetric QA for lung SBRT. TAXONOMY Twenty-seven TH- Radiation dose measurement devices. Eleven Phantoms for dosimetric measurement.

International audience; Ecohydrological processes are of primary importance in agricultural landscapes where fluxes of water are driven by vegetation, whether cultivated in fields or grasslands or present in semi-natural habitats and interstitial areas (open channels, riparian borders, inter-ranks of perennial crops) surrounding the cultivated parcels. Human practices are a key lever of the composition and properties of vegetation in landscape agroecosystems. In order to better understand their impact, we propose a suite of Gama and Matlab programs coupled in a single OPALE-gui (OPerational Assessment of Landscapes Eco-functionalities) that aims at (i) representing landscape organization in relation with the functioning and decision rules of annual crops or breeding systems, (ii) evaluating water movements and trajectories from biomass and hydrological exchanges, and (iii) analyzing the transfer dynamics of nutrients, suspended matter or fecal bacteria based on particle tracking methods. More precisely, the tool includes a set of libraries about: • the distribution of the farmland part of the landscape, allowing to spatially allocate crops into farm fields and the related farming practices (inputs, soil tillage, fodder management...) following time schedules (Land Use and Land Cover Change model, LULCC); • the modeling of water movements within previous simulated landscapes, considering surface, sub-surface and deep flows (Water Movements Within Landscapes model, WMWL); • the evaluation of –inert and living– solute and suspended matter transfers related to water movements, including N, P, E. Coli (EC) and Suspended Matter (SM); • the construction of output normalized indicators of landscape function in order to assess its regulation service. OPALE allows to better understand the underlying processes that drive exchanges and sink-source effects operating at the landscape scale, including a landscape transfer function and a delivery ratio for the global assessment of landscapes. It was tested in three agricultural contexts and biophysical situations. Water flows and flows of associated matters were compared to data recorded at the catchment outlet, and showed the efficiency of the algorithms developed in the generic OPALE libraries.

International audience; This dataset corresponds to a data series produced from automated data loggers during the MESOLAC experimental project. Nine pelagic mesocosms (about 3000 L, 3 m depth) were deployed in July 2019 in Lake Geneva near the shore of Thonon les Bains (France), simulating predicted climate scenarios (i.e. intense weather events) by applying a combination of forcing. The design consisted of three treatments each replicated three times: a control treatment (named C - no treatment applied) and two different treatments simulating different intensities of weather events. The high intensity treatment (named H) aimed to reproduce short and intense weather events such as violent storms. It consisted of a short-term stress applied during the first week, with high pulse of dissolved organic carbon (5x increased concentration, i.e. total DOC similar to 6 mg L-1), transmitted light reduced to 15% and water column manual mixing. The medium intensity treatment (named M) simulated less intense and more prolonged exposures such as during flood events. It was maintained during the 4 weeks of the experiment and consisted of 1.5x increased concentration of dissolved organic carbon (i.e. total DOC similar to 2 mg L-1), 70% transmitted light and water column manual mixing. Automated data loggers were placed for the entire period of the experiment in the mesocosms and in the lake for comparison with natural conditions. Temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and CO2 were monitored every 15 min at different depths (0.15, 0.25, 1 and 2 m). This data set aims to contribute our understanding of the effect of environmental forcing on lake ecosystem processes (such as production, respiration and CO2 exchange) under simulated intense weather events and the ability of the planktonic community to recover after perturbation. To a broader extent, the presented data can be used for a wide variety of applications, including monitoring of lake community functioning during a period of high productivity on a large peri-alpine lake and being included in further meta-analysis aiming at generalising the effect of climate change on large lakes.

Patient: Male, 61 Final Diagnosis: Pituitary metastasis from renal cell carcinoma Symptoms: Deterioration of visual acuity and field • persisting headache • excess thirst • polyuria Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Total body CT-scan • brain MRI • trans-sphenoidal endoscopical surgery • radiotherapy • anti-angiogenic therapy Specialty: Oncology Objective: Rare disease Background: Pituitary metastasis is uncommon, breast and lung cancers being the most frequent primary tumors. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a rare cause of pituitary metastases, with only a few cases described to date. Case Report: We report a case of a 61-year-old man who presented with a progressive deterioration of visual acuity and field associated with a bitemporal hemianopsia. Two years ago, he underwent radical right nephrectomy for a clear cell RCC (ccRCC). The biological tests showed pan-hypopituitarism and diabetes insipidus. Brain MRI revealed a large sellar tumor lesion bilaterally infiltrating the cavernous sinuses, which was surgically resected. Histology confirmed a ccRCC pituitary metastasis. The patient received post-surgical radiotherapy. Considering the presence of concomitant extra-pituitary metastases, treatment with sunitinib was started, followed by several lines of therapy with axitinib, everolimus, and sorafenib because of tumor progression. The patient also presented with a pituitary tumor recurrence, which was treated by stereotaxic radiotherapy. He died five years after the initial diagnosis of RCC and 30 months after the diagnosis of the pituitary metastasis. Conclusions: There are no standardized treatment guidelines for management of pituitary metastases. Pituitary surgery plays a role in symptom palliation, and it does not have any relevant impact on survival. Exclusive radiotherapy or stereotaxic radiotherapy could be an alternative to surgery in patients whose general condition is poor or who have concomitant extra-pituitary metastases.

Background: Totally implantable venous access port (TIVAP)-related infections (RIs) remain a serious health problem in cancer patients receiving an intravenous (i.v.) therapy. Patients and Methods: The ATAPAC study was a prospective, randomized, monocentric, phase IV trial evaluating the efficacy of taurolidine lock solution versus standard saline solution for primary TIVAP-RI prevention in nonhematological cancer patients receiving i.v. chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was the TIVAP-RI incidence rate. From December 2014 to September 2015, 163 patients were enrolled in the study (taurolidine: n = 86 vs. control: n = 77). Four patients in the control group (5%) had a Staphylococcus epidermidis TIVAP-RI, and 1 patient (1%) in the taurolidine group had a Staphylococcus aureus infection. The TIVAP-RI incidence rate was 0.4 and 0.1‰ catheter-days, respectively (p = 0.21). The infection-free TIVAP survival was not statistically significant (p = 0.09). TIVAP-RI required a total of 22 hospitalization days in the taurolidine group versus 106 days in the control arm with associated costs of EUR 4,849 and EUR 36,020, respectively. Taurolidine-related toxicity was transitory and classified as grade I. Conclusions: The ATAPAC trial did not show a significant risk-infection reduction by TauroLock™. A larger, prospective, randomized trial is needed to assess TauroLock efficacy for primary TIVAP-RI prevention in low-risk cancer patients.

Background Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) is a rare autoimmune neurological syndrome observed in cancer patients. PLE is difficult to diagnose and presents a variable response to treatment, depending on the characteristics of the tumor and neuronal autoantibodies. Case presentation A 64-year-old, Caucasian, non-smoker man presented with a rapidly developing cognitive impairment, personality change, spatial disorientation, and short-term memory loss associated with anorexia and cervical and inguinal lymph nodes. The 18F-FDG PET scan documented intensely hypermetabolic lymph nodes, which histologically corresponded to a metastasis from a small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. The brain MRI revealed a high T2-weighted FLAIR signal of the hippocamps, consisted with a PLE. The presence of anti-neuronal Hu antibodies confirmed the diagnosis. The patient underwent plasmapheresis, associated to a systemic chemotherapy resulting in a partial and temporary improvement of the neurological symptoms. Four cycles of intravenous immunoglobulins were also necessary. After six cures of chemotherapy, the lymph node metastases regressed. However, a new anorectal lesion was detected and was histologically confirmed as a primary small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, which was treated with concomitant chemoradiotherapy. At the end of this treatment, the patient showed a rapid tumor progression leading to his death. Conclusions This case highlights the rare entity, PLE, which is difficult to diagnose and manage. In addition, this is the first published case of PLE associated with an anorectal small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, which appeared after completion of systemic chemotherapy.

International audience; For its clinical potential, segmentation of the preterm neonate's Cerebral Ventricular System (CVS) in 3D ultrasound (US) data using convolutional neural networks (CNN) is an emerging field. Nevertheless, gathering manually annotated data to efficiently train a CNN is difficult. In this paper, we address the question of how many training volumes and which kind of artificial data augmentation strategies would be suitable for this application. We explored this topic by training a U-net with different training-set size and by using several artificial data augmentation strategies. In our setup , accurate segmentation results (Dice ≥ 0.8) were obtained with only 9 training volumes. The use of artificial data augmentation improved significantly (p < 0.05) the accuracy obtained without data augmentation when performing horizontal flips (between the right and the left brain hemispheres). The other types of data augmentation that we tried did not significantly improve U-net accuracy.

Preterm neonates can be subject to ventricu-lomegaly, which is an enlargement of the cerebral ventricle system (CVS) that can lead to brain damage. In clinical practice, 2D coronal hand-held ultrasonographic scans are performed to assess CVS dilation. Estimating CVS volumes from 2D images is, however, imprecise and time consuming since 3D information is lacking. To address this issue, we propose a 3D reconstruction method and an automatic deep learning segmentation algorithm. The accuracy of the 3D reconstruction was assessed by calculating Mean Absolute Distance (MAD) between manual segmentation of the corpus callosum (CC) on a ground reference and the 3D reconstructed volume, a mean value of 1.55 mm was obtained. The accuracy of the segmentation was evaluated using Dice, Hausdorff distance (dH) and MAD, respective average values of 0.816, 13.6 mm and 0.62 mm were obtained. The computation time of a segmentation for one 256 × 256 × 256 volume was 5 s.

Background Breast metastases from extramammary tumors are extremely rare, the most common primary tumors being contralateral breast carcinoma, followed by lung, gynecological, gastrointestinal, melanoma, and hematological cancers. Only a few cases deriving from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma have been reported in the literature to date. Case presentation We report a case of a 47-year-old Caucasian woman who presented to our hospital with a solitary breast lesion in the right upper external quadrant associated with multiple bone and visceral metastases. Two years before, she had undergone radical resection of a squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (stage pT2, pN1), which was followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. Breast ultrasound showed a hypoechogenic tumor lesion of 4 cm in the right upper external quadrant that was associated with multiple axillary and infra-/supraclavicular adenopathies. A positron emission tomographic scan documented multiple visceral and bone metastases with a single hypermetabolic lesion of the right breast. The results of histology and immunohistochemistry were consistent with a metastasis from a squamous cell carcinoma. The patient died of acute respiratory insufficiency 1 month after her breast metastasis diagnosis and before starting any systemic antitumoral treatment. Conclusions Although breast metastases are extremely rare, they should be considered in any patient with a history of cancer and confirmed by histology and immunohistochemistry because they are very difficult to distinguish from other primary breast tumors based only on clinical and radiological features. There are no standardized treatment guidelines for breast metastasis management. Surgery and radiotherapy can play a role in symptom palliation, but they do not have any relevant impact on survival, the prognosis being poor, with an estimated overall survival less than 1 year from diagnosis.

Background: Choroidal metastasis from Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) is very rare and only one case during Sunitinib treatment has been published until now. Case presentation: In February 2015, a 61-year old, Caucasian man was hospitalized for acute dyspnea. In 2006, he underwent right nephrectomy for clear-cells RCC. Chest CT-scan showed multiple lung and lymph node metastases. Histological examination confirmed metastasis from clear-cells RCC. According to Motzer and Heng classification, the patient was classified as intermediate risk and, from March to July 2015, he received a total of 3 cycles of Sunitinib treatment. Despite a relevant tumor response in lung and lymph node metastases, he presented a brutally, unexplained, blurred vision in his right eye secondary to a choroidal metastasis. An external radiotherapy was administered without any relevant, clinical benefit. Considering tumor response in the other metastatic sites, Sunitinib treatment was continued and it is now ongoing. Conclusion: RCC-associated choroidal metastasis is extremely rare. In contrast with another case responding to Sunitinib therapy, our patient presented a significant tumor response to Sunitinib in the extraocular metastatic sites and a choroidal progression, suggesting that the choroid could be a potential tumor “pharmacologic sanctuary” for this drug. This case also raises the question of how to treat patients presenting an isolated disease progression in the sites which are very difficult to be reached by systemic treatment.

International audience; Watershed losses of phosphorus (P) have been a topic of concern for water resource managers over recent decades. To evaluate environmental policies or before implementing mitigation options at the watershed (catchment area) scale, stakeholders often need to analyze the patterns of point and diffuse sources of phosphorus. This information is often not easy to obtain in field conditions. Several statistical modeling approaches have been developed in recent years to respond to this basic operational demand. Point and diffuse sources are often evaluated from power functions established between phosphorus concentration and water discharge. Such models do not explicitly account for in-stream processes which control P concentrations in the hydrographic network and differentiate the P export dynamics of the various forms and inputs of P. To identify the phosphorus sources and evaluate their change in response to environmental policies, we developed a simple and loaded-oriented model (POPEYE - PhOsPhorus, Evaluation of the efficiencY of Environmental policy measures) that computes retention, settling and re-suspension rates of fine and coarse P fractions and their relation to P concentration of bed sediments. The model is calibrated to a long-term database (25 years), and describes the weekly water and chemical fluxes of a tributary of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva, Venoge river watershed, 240 km(2)). It adequately predicts observed values of fine and particulate phosphorus and reflects the gradual decrease of point and diffuse inputs over the studied period due to agricultural and sewage treatment policies implemented for the control of lake pollution. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background and purpose To assess the association between dosimetric/clinical parameters and gastrointestinal/urinary grade 2–4 side effects in cervix cancer patients treated with 3D pulse dose rate brachytherapy. Materials and methods Three hundred and fifty-two patients received brachytherapy associated with external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for 266 of them; 236 patients underwent surgery. The doses for the most exposed 2, and 0.1cm 3 ( D 2cc and D 0.1cc ) volumes of the rectum and bladder as well as bladder ICRU point dose ( D ICRU ) were converted into isoeffective doses in 2-Gy fractions. The clinical parameters analyzed were: age, smoking habits, arteritis, diabetes, previous pelvic surgery, FIGO stage, nodal status, pathology, pelvic surgery, EBRT and chemotherapy. Side effects were prospectively assessed using the CTCAEv3.0. Cutoff dose levels were defined separately for patients treated with EBRT and brachytherapy (Group 1) and with preoperative brachytherapy (Group 2). Results The median follow-up was 23.4months. In Group 1 a significant predictive value of rectum D 0.1cc and D 2cc , bladder D 0.1cc and D ICRU for gastrointestinal and urinary toxicity was found using as cutoff 83, 68, 109 and 68Gy α / β 3 . In Group 2 a significant predictive value of bladder D 0.1cc , D 2cc and D ICRU for urinary toxicity was found using as cutoff 141, 91 and 67Gy α / β 3 , but not for the rectum D 0.1cc and D 2cc ; smoking had a significant predictive value on urinary toxicity. Conclusions For patients treated with brachytherapy and EBRT, rectum D 0.1cc and D 2cc and bladder D 0.1cc and D ICRU had a predictive value for toxicity. For patients treated with preoperative brachytherapy, bladder D 0.1cc , D 2cc and D ICRU and smoking had a predictive value for urinary toxicity.

Attempts to increase survival in stage III ovarian cancer patients with minimal residual disease at second-look laparotomy have included consolidation radiotherapy. We present long-term survival of 106 consecutive patients treated between 1983 and 1993 in 4 French institutions for stage III ovarian adenocarcinoma with first-look debulking, cisplatin-based chemotherapy, second-look surgery with a residual disease1 cm and consolidation radiotherapy.Median age was 52 years. Residual disease after first look surgery was1 cm for 40.5% of patients. Median number of chemotherapy cycles was 6 (range 4-12). Residual disease1 cm at second-look laparotomy was observed in 79% of the patients, with 33% of patients in complete histologic remission. Residual disease1 cm was obtained in all patients after tumor excision during second-look surgery. Radiation was performed using a linear accelerator with a whole abdomen dose of 22.5 Gy, an additional 22 Gy pelvic boost for 71 patients, and an additional 12 Gy lombo-aortic boost for 33 patients.Median follow-up was 14 years. Radiation was stopped for acute toxicity in 11 patients. Long-term toxicities included radiation enteritis in 21 patients with 9 patients requiring surgery for bowel obstruction. Four deaths were related to enteritis complications. Overall survival at 5 and 10 years was respectively 53% and 36%.This sequential treatment with final consolidation abdominopelvic radiotherapy is an effective treatment for a selected group of stage III ovarian cancer patients with a high intestinal toxicity incidence.

Patient: Female, 62 Final Diagnosis: Metatarsal metastasis from an endometroid endometrial adenocarcinoma Symptoms: Painful • swelling hard mass • fixed to the underlying bone of the left foot Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Clinical and Gynecological examination • CT scan • left foot MRI • percutaneous core biopsy Specialty: Oncology Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Endometrial cancer is the fourth most common tumor in women. Abnormal uterine bleeding is the leading symptom in 90% of cases. The more frequent metastatic sites include lymph nodes, omentum, lungs, and liver. Bone metastasis has been reported to occur in 2–6% of all metastatic endometrial cancers, particularly in high surgical stage and grade, the most common involved site being the spine and hip. Case Report: We report here the case of a 62-year-old white woman hospitalized for a painful swelling in the left foot, which appeared from January 2014, postmenopausal bleeding, and a progressive weight loss in the last year. An endometrioid, endometrial cancer was diagnosed by hysteroscopy, associated with a solitary bone metastasis of the left metatarsus, histologically confirmed by biopsy. The patient refused any surgical procedure. She received a single-fraction of 800 cGy radiotherapy to the left foot, leading to optimal analgesic control. Subsequently, systemic chemotherapy was started using a carboplatin/paclitaxel-containing regimen with IV zoledronic acid. This treatment is ongoing. Conclusions: There is no standard treatment for endometrial cancer bone metastasis. The prognosis of these patients is poor, with a median survival of about 12–17 months. The treatment is predominantly palliative and relies on several factors, including patient clinical conditions, site and number of bone metastases, and the presence of any additional visceral lesions. An aggressive multimodal treatment should be proposed to very select patients presenting better prognostic factors. In our case, a solitary fifth metatarsal bone metastasis, histologically proved, was shown as initial presentation of an EC. Endometrial cancer can present as initial bone diffusion, even in atypical locations such as acrometastasis and it should be considered when bone metastases are diagnosed.

Background: Marantic endocarditis is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome which results from an hypercoagulate state. It can be associated with several tumors, particularly gastric cancer, and histology of adenocarcinoma. Mucines secreted by adenocarcinoma contribute to the activation of the coagulation pathway. Case presentation: We present the case of a patient with a marantic endocarditis complicating a metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma. He was hospitalised for a thoracic pain. At the physical examination, we found swelling, redness, and warmth of the right lower limb, suspected for a deep vein thrombosis that was confirmed at the echo doppler ultrasound. CT scan documented a severe bilateral pulmonary embolism, a splenic infarction, and multiple liver metastases. Laboratory tests were normal. Despite a Low-Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) treatment, the patient presented a cerebral stroke, confirmed at the MRI. Trans-thoracic echocardiography found a small vegetation of the mobile end of the mitral valve with a normal left ventricular contractile function. LMWH was switched by continuous intravenous Unfractionated Heparin (UFH). PET scan showed multiple liver metastases and a pathological gastric hypermetabolism. Liver biopsy confirmed a metastasis of a HER-2 negative gastric adenocarcinoma. Because of the stop of heparin treatment during this procedure, the patient presented a new brain stroke. A systemic palliative chemotherapy was started by FOLFOX-4 regimen and it is now ongoing. Conclusion: The particularity of this case relies on the impossibility to initially switch UFH by another anticoagulant treatment. Chemotherapy represents the only possibility to decrease mucine production and thrombi formation.

Resume Objectif Cette etude analyse les resultats de la « pratique clinique courante » chez 882 patientes traitees pour un carcinome canalaire in situ (CCIS) pur du sein dans 9 centres de lutte contre le cancer francais entre 1985 et 1995. Methode L’âge median etait de 53 ans ; 177 patientes (20 %) ont eu une mastectomie (M), 190 (22 %) une chirurgie conservatrice seule (CS) et 515 (58 %) une CS avec radiotherapie (CS + RT). Resultats Avec un recul median de 7 ans, les taux de recidive locale (RL) etaient de 2 %, 31 % et 13 % dans les groupes M, CS et CS + RT (p 60 ans (non significatif). Dans le groupe CS + RT, ces taux passent a 33 %, 13 % et 8 % (p Conclusion La mastectomie reste le traitement le plus sur des CCIS, assurant un controle local a 7 ans de 98 %. Dans notre etude, apres CS, la RT diminue tres significativement les taux de RL, avec des chiffres comparables a ceux des essais randomises NSABP B-17 et EORTC 10853. Le benefice de la RT est trouve dans tous les sous-groupes, quels que soient les facteurs cliniques ou histologiques consideres, mais son importance est variable. L’âge inferieur a 40 ans et l’exerese incomplete restent les deux facteurs majeurs de RL.

Understanding the evolution of hydraulic parameters during the different stages of crust formation is necessary to predict infiltration in crusted soil. However, only a few studies have focused on the dynamics of parameters that control infiltration through a developing crust. This study reports the results of laboratory experiments carried out with a specific device, the drip infiltrometer, which enables a crust to form at the surface, and the evolution of the pressure head and the hydraulic conductivity of the soil horizon underneath the crust to be followed simultaneously. Two soils of different susceptibility to crusting were used in the experiments: a silt loam and a silty clay loam of the Bassin de Paris (France). The results show matric potential in the unsaturated range developing below the surface from the early stage of crust formation. The values of matric potential show an increasing trend from the early stage of crust formation and at the late stage respectively for the silt loam and the silty clay loam soils. The hydraulic conductivity of the sub-crust shows significant changes from the early stage for the silt loam soil, but only at the final stages for the silty clay loam. The initial value of the hydraulic conductivity of the sub-crust drops by more than 50 per cent for silt loam compared to about 35 per cent for silty clay loam. The decrease of hydraulic conductivity beneath the surface crust is related to the changes in the soil matrix, induced by the migration of particles detached from aggregate breakdown. The different stages of crust formation were characterized by the variation of the unsaturated conductance of the soil crusted layer, calculated from the relationship between the flux density through the crust and the sub-crust pressure head. The results revealed rapid sealing at the surface of the silty loam soil, whereas sealing occurs gradually at the surface of the silty clay loam. The difference in the susceptibility to crusting and the difference in moisture characteristics between the two soils are probably the causes of the contrast in temporal variation of the sub-crust matric potential. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Resume Objectif Cette etude analyse les resultats de la « pratique clinique courante » chez 882 patientes traitees pour un carcinome canalaire in situ (CCIS) pur du sein dans 9 centres de lutte contre le cancer francais entre 1985 et 1995. Methode L’âge median etait de 53 ans ; 177 patientes (20 %) ont eu une mastectomie (M), 190 (22 %) une chirurgie conservatrice seule (CS) et 515 (58 %) une CS avec radiotherapie (CS + RT). Resultats Avec un recul median de 7 ans, les taux de recidive locale (RL) etaient de 2 %, 31 % et 13 % dans les groupes M, CS et CS + RT (p 60 ans (non significatif). Dans le groupe CS + RT, ces taux passent a 33 %, 13 % et 8 % (p Conclusion La mastectomie reste le traitement le plus sur des CCIS, assurant un controle local a 7 ans de 98 %. Dans notre etude, apres CS, la RT diminue tres significativement les taux de RL, avec des chiffres comparables a ceux des essais randomises NSABP B-17 et EORTC 10853. Le benefice de la RT est trouve dans tous les sous-groupes, quels que soient les facteurs cliniques ou histologiques consideres, mais son importance est variable. L’âge inferieur a 40 ans et l’exerese incomplete restent les deux facteurs majeurs de RL.

Background Brain metastasis from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is very rare with a reported incidence of less than 2%. It is usually associated with a poor prognosis that is related to several factors, the most important including: single vs multiple lesions, performance status, platinum-sensitive disease, tumor grade, extracranial disease, and multimodal approach treatment. At the time of diagnosis, an extracranial disease is found in over half of patients. The most common histology is the serous type. The median time from primary diagnosis to development of cerebral lesions is directly correlated to initial tumor grade and stage. Several therapeutic approaches can be proposed, including best supportive care +/- corticosteroids, surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. A multimodal therapy approach may achieve an improved outcome and should therefore be utilized whenever applicable. Case presentation We present the case of a patient with a solitary brain metastasis which appeared 11 years after a locally advanced and aggressive EOC (FIGO stage III C) and which totally regressed after surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Clinically, she showed progressive headaches, decreased visual acuity, balance and memory disorders associated with a confusional state. Brain CT scan and MRI documented a solitary, necrotic lesion in the left central parietal region with an important cerebral surrounding edema and initial cranial herniation. No other extracranial metastases were observed at the PET scan. Laboratory tests were in the normal range and CA 125 was moderatly increased at 81 UI/ml. The patient underwent surgical removal of tumor lesion, post-surgical whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and systemic chemotherapy with carboplatin alone for six cycles. At a follow-up of 13 months, she is alive, in good clinical condition and tumor progression free. Conclusion The peculiarity of this case relies on the isolated brain relapse of a BRCA-1/BRCA-2 non-mutated EOC, which is uncommon and rare, and to the very long time, of 11 years, from diagnosis of primary cancer and development of brain metastasis. A multimodal, aggressive approach of this isolated brain metastasis led to a complete and prolonged tumor control.

International audience; Recent improvements in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model take account of hydrological processes controlling a variable source area (VSA). This model, SWAT-VSA, accounts for changes in the nature and extent of the VSA over the course of a hydrological cycle by considering global catchment storage capacity, which varies with soil moisture between threshold values whose spatial distribution is determined by topography. The objective of this work is to evaluate the contribution of several aquifers with specific storage capacities to global catchment storage, its dynamics; and subsequent effects on VSA and non-point-source pollution. For this purpose, a method called SWAT-mVSA (SWAT-multi VSA) was used in a catchment representative of the agricultural conditions of large perialpine lakes to calculate soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) fluxes because SRP has a major influence on receiving waters. SWAT-mVSA predicted components of the hydrological balance and SRP fluxes more accurately than SWAT-VSA. This underlines the importance of VSAs in mobilizing and transporting non-point-source pollutants such as nutrients, pesticides, or bacteria.

Purpose: To correlate targeting deviation in external beam radiation therapy with site of relapse in a prospective study of 174 patients treated for medulloblastoma. Methods and Materials: Between February 1992 and February 1998 the radiotherapy treatment records were reviewed by a panel of radiation oncologists for 174 children treated with radiation therapy for medulloblastoma. The review was done without knowledge of patient outcome. Patterns of relapse were correlated with the results of the quality control review. Results: Among the 174 patients five relapsed before the start of radiotherapy. One hundred sixty-nine patients were evaluable for correlation between targeting deviation and site of relapse. Number of major deviations in radiation therapy treatment is strongly correlated with the risk of tumor relapse (67% [95% CI: 28–91] of 3-year relapse rate in patient group with 2 major deviations and 78% [95% CI: 35–96] with 3 major deviations). This is particularly correlated with relapse in the frontal region of the brain: 5 relapses occurred in the frontal region in patients with major deviation in this area. An erroneous choice of electron beam energy is also linked with craniospinal fluid (CSF) relapse (3-year relapse rate of 68% [95% CI: 42–86]). Minor deviations in therapy technique are slightly associated with an increased risk of relapse in the same range as the group with only one major deviation. Conclusion: The quality of medulloblastoma radiation therapy technique is strongly correlated with outcome. Pretreatment central quality assurance review or standardized computer-designed blocks would improve survival to an extent equivalent to that attributed to adjuvant chemotherapy.

Purpose Ductal carcinoma in situ overall prognosis is excellent, but after breast conserving surgery, with or without radiotherapy, local recurrences can lead to locoregional or distant evolution and death. However, there are few data on optimal local recurrences treatment and long-term impact on survival. Patients and methods This study included 195 women treated from 1985 to 1996 by conservative surgery (CS) or conservative surgery followed by radiotherapy (CS + RT), presenting local recurrences, with a 156-month median follow-up. Results Eighty-two out of 195 (42%) local recurrences were non-invasive (in situ) and 113 (58%) invasive. In situ local recurrence was discovered by mammography in 80.5% of the cases versus 47.5% for invasive local recurrence (P = 0.0001). Salvage mastectomy was used in 53% of the cases after conservative surgery and 75% after conservative surgery followed by radiotherapy. The axillary nodal involvement rates were 11.8% and 25.8% among 17 and 62 patients with in situ and invasive local recurrences. Among 113 patients with invasive local recurrences and 82 with in situ local recurrences, 19 (16.8%) and three (3.6%) developed metastases, respectively. Among invasive local recurrences, comedocarcinoma subtype was highly predictive of subsequent metastases (32% versus 4.4%, P Conclusion Invasive local recurrence after ductal carcinoma in situ treatment could be a dramatic event, fully changing long-term prognosis. Early mammographic local recurrence diagnosis (if possible still at non-invasive stage) seems essential to avoid or minimize metastatic risk. Mastectomy remains the safest option but, in some cases, a new conservative approach could be discussed.

To analyze the feasibility, reproducibility, and impact on functional status of postoperative accelerated and partial breast irradiation (APBI) using interstitial high-dose rate-brachytherapy in women older than 70 years.From July 2004 to April 2008, 46 patients were screened for enrollment in a nationwide prospective Phase II trial. A total of 40 patients were eligible according to the inclusion criteria (aged70 years, T1-230mm, and pN0). The total delivered dose was 34Gy of 10 fractions for 5 days. Feasibility and reproducibility were evaluated using a Quality Index (QI) defined as (V100%-clinical target volume)/V100%. Skin toxicity was reported using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0. ABPI impact on functional dependence was evaluated using the Activity of Daily Living and Instrumental Activity of Daily Living scales. Reproducibility and feasibility were assessed with the optimal two-stage design of Simon.Median age was 74 years (70-87 years). All patients were treated according to the protocol. Median Quality Index calculated for the 40 eligible patients was 13.3% (1-70%). It was considered acceptable, partially acceptable, and nonacceptable in 10, 28, and 2 patients, respectively. Within 12 months after APBI, overall rates of toxicity were 59%, 28%, and 2% for Grade 1, 2, and 3 events, respectively. Twelve months after APBI, 35 patients (87%) achieved excellent/good cosmetic result. Compared with baseline values, Activity of Daily Living and Instrumental Activity of Daily Living scores remained unchanged 6 and 12 months after APBI.APBI by means of high-dose rate-brachytherapy is a feasible/reproducible technique without significant impact on functional dependence in the treatment of elderly women with early breast cancer.

Background After breast conservative treatment (BCT), young age is a predictive factor for recurrence in patients with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) of the breast. The purpose of this study was to evaluate predictive factors for recurrence and outcomes in these younger women (under 40 years) treated for pure DCIS. Methods From 1974 to 2003, 207 cases were collected in 12 French Cancer Centers. Median age was 36.3 years and median follow-up 160 months. Seventy four (35.8%) underwent mastectomy, 67 (32.4%) lumpectomy alone and 66 (31.9%) lumpectomy plus radiotherapy. Results 37 recurrences occurred (17.8%): 14 (38%) were in situ and 23 (62%) invasive. After BCT, the overall rate of recurrence was 27% (33% in the lumpectomy plus radiotherapy group vs. 21% in the lumpectomy alone group). Comedocarcinoma subtype ( p = 0.004), histological size more than 10 mm ( p = 0.011), necrosis ( p = 0.022) and positive margin status ( p = 0.019) were statistically significant predictive factors for recurrence. The actuarial 15-year rates of local recurrence were 29%, 42% and 37% in the lumpectomy alone, lumpectomy and whole breast radiotherapy and lumpectomy + whole breast radiotherapy with additional boost groups respectively. After recurrence, the 10-year overall survival rate was 67.2%. Conclusion High recurrence rates (mainly invasive) after BCT in young women with DCIS are confirmed. BCT in this subgroup of patients is possible if clear and large margins are obtained, tumor size is under 11 mm and necrosis- and/or comedocarcinoma-free.

Microbial contamination of surface waters frequently occurs on permanent natural grasslands subject to extensive grazing. Management of these problems requires developing methods to identify critical source areas that are responsible of significant losses of fecal microorganisms. In this study, GIS analysis of watersheds was used to calculate the flow of fecal bacteria (Escherichia coli) to the outflow of a watershed by summing bacterial flows in runoff from pixels containing cowpats. Calculations were performed in two steps: (i) identification of pixels with bacteria and runoff by modeling the distribution of cowpats and variable sources of surface runoff, and (ii) parameterization by inverse analysis of deterministic and stochastic functions for bacterial emission from cowpats and for retention during their transmission to the watershed outflow. During bacterial transport in water flow, bacterial retention on the soil surface has a large influence. Despite this effect, bacterial concentration in runoff remains high. In general, cowpat age, runoff volumes and the location and proportions of bacteria-emitting and non-emitting surfaces determine critical source areas and bacterial flows at the watershed outflow. These data are discussed in terms of feasibility of solutions for management of watercourses and grazing practices.

Purpose To determine event free and overall survival, and long-term cognitive sequelae of children with standard-risk medulloblastoma (SRM) treated with hyperfractionated radiotherapy, conformal reduced boost volume without chemotherapy, and online quality assurance. Patients and Methods Forty-eight patients (age 5 to 18 years) were included in the Medulloblastoma-Société Française d'Oncologie Pédiatrique (MSFOP 98) protocol (December 1998 to October 2001). Patients received hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HFRT; 36 Gy, 1 Gy/fraction twice per day) to the craniospinal axis followed by a boost to the tumor bed (1.5-cm margin) to a dose of 68 Gy. Records of craniospinal irradiation were reviewed before treatment started. Neuropsychologic evaluations were done according to the protocol (1, 3, 5, and 7 years after irradiation). Cognitive outcomes were followed longitudinally with full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) obtained with age-adapted Wechsler scales. Results After a median follow-up of 77.7 months, 6-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates for the cohort were 78% (95% CI, 66% to 90%) and 75%, respectively (95% CI, 62% to 87%). Thanks to quality control, 14 major deviations were detected. Annual full scale IQ decline was 2 points over a 6-year period. Predicted change in FSIQ points per year was 2.15 (95% CI, −1.24 to 3.51) with an intercept (ie, predicted FSIQ) of 93.57 at baseline. Conclusion HFRT protocol with conformal reduced boost and online quality control allows excellent long-term OS and EFS in the absence of chemotherapy. In addition, FSIQ drops seem to be less pronounced than previously reported with standard irradiation regimens.

Purpose To investigate variability of clinical target volume (CTV) delineation and deviations according to doses delivered in normal tissue for abdominal tumor irradiation in children. Material and methods For a case of nephroblastoma six French pediatric radiation oncologists outlined post-operative CTV, on the same dosimetric CT scan according to the International Society for Pediatric Oncology 2001 protocol. On a reference CTV and organs at risk (OAR), we performed dosimetric planning with the constraints as 25.2Gy for CTV, V 20 max to 50% for liver, V 12 © software. Results Final CTVs showed inter-clinician variability: 44.85–120.78cm 3 . The recommended liver doses were not respected in four cases: V 20 from 74% to 88% of the volume; for kidney, in two cases: V 12 of 17.6% and 25%, respectively. For vertebral bodies, no deviations were noted. Conclusion Variability not only affected CTV delineation but also dose distribution to OAR with different compromises. This practice training demonstrates the hudge lack of data about correlation between dose, volume and risk of late effects in pediatric radiotherapy. We intend to record prospectively the dose/volume histogram of each OAR in a national database in order to characterize late effects occurring in relation to treatment modalities.

International audience; The present article describes a first attempt to use infrared spectroscopy to trace the origin of suspended river sediments. Fifty samples of the main potential sediment sources within a small catchment area (990 ha) in the French Alps were collected and compared with samples of suspended sediment from the river, collected on various dates during 2006 and 2007 using sediment traps. Two major categories of sediment source were identified: topsoils and river channel sediments. For the qualitative part of the study, each of these two main categories was divided into two sub-categories, that is to say, cultivated and pastureland topsoils, and riverbed and riverbank sediments. Discriminant analysis on the source samples showed that Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy can be used to differentiate between the four potential source materials. To determine whether or not immersion in the river altered the infrared spectra of these source materials, we measured the infrared spectra of samples that had been immersed in the river, in litter bags, for periods of up to 24 days. Immersion did not cause any major changes in the infrared spectra. The contribution of each type of source material to the suspended sediment in the river was quantified using partial least squares (PLS) analyses of DRIFT spectra to compare actual river sediment samples with an experimental model. This model was produced from the DRIFT spectra of a range of calibration samples produced by mixing source material samples in different ratios. The predictions of the model were valid and fell within the confidence interval calculated for the calibration set. Comparisons between suspended sediment samples and the model indicate that the predominant source of the sediment is riverbank erosion, which, in this case, is probably due to trampling by cattle.

Introduction Few breast conserving treatment (BCT) data include women older than 70. Material 910 women older than 70 were treated by BCT for stage I–II BC, with 670 pT 1 (72.3%), 245 pT 2 (26.4%) and 12 pT x (1.3%). Axillary nodal involvement occurred in 30.7% of cases. ER and PgR were positive in 85% and 71% of cases. Radiotherapy (RT) was delivered in all patients, tamoxifen in 55.8% and chemotherapy in 4.8%. Results With a 65-month median follow-up, 28 (3%) local recurrences (LR) and 83 (9.1%) metastases occurred. Second cancer occurred in 51 (5.6%) patients. The 8-year overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) rates were 74% and 90%. The 8-year OS and DSS rates were 77% and 92% versus 65% and 84% in pT 1 versus pT 2 patients ( p = 0.01). 676 patients were in complete remission (74.3%); 22 were evolutive (2.4%). 206 patients died (22.6%). Conclusion Our study confirms the excellent local control in elderly patients treated by BCT with RT and identifies subgroups at high risk of distant relapse that should be treated more aggressively.

Between December 1998 and October 2001, patients19 years old were treated for standard-risk medulloblastoma according to the Medulloblastome-Société Française d'Oncologie Pédiatrique 1998 (M-SFOP 98) protocol. Patients received hyperfractionated radiotherapy (36 Gy in 36 fractions) to the craniospinal axis, a boost with conformal therapy restricted to the tumor bed (to a total dose of 68 Gy in 68 fractions), and no chemotherapy. Records of craniospinal irradiation were reviewed before treatment start.A total of 48 patients were considered assessable. With a median follow-up of 45.7 months, the overall survival and progression-free survival rate at 3 years was 89% and 81%, respectively. Fourteen major deviations were detected and eight were corrected. No relapses occurred in the frontal region and none occurred in the posterior fossa outside the boost volume. Nine patients were available for volume calculation without reduction of the volume irradiated. We observed a reduction in the subtentorial volume irradiated to60 Gy, but a slight increase in the volume irradiated to 40 Gy. No decrease in intelligence was observed in the 22 children tested during the first 2 years.This hyperfractionated radiotherapy protocol with a reduced boost volume and without chemotherapy was not associated with early relapses in children. Moreover, intellectual function seemed to be preserved. These results are promising.

Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is generally treated by conservative surgery alone and less often by mastectomy. We report our experience using conservative surgery and whole breast irradiation (WBI) for the treatment of patients with LCIS. From 1980 to 1992, 25 women with a median age of 54 years underwent lumpectomy (20) or quadrantectomy (5) and WBI (median dose: 52 Gy) for treatment of their LCIS. Five cases had palpable lesions, 19 were found by mammography alone and one case was found due to nipple discharge. Twelve women received tamoxifen at 20 mg/day for 2 years. With a median follow-up of 153 months (range 58-240), only one local recurrence was observed. The global rate of bilateral carcinoma was 17.6% (two synchronous and one metachronous). Until now, no case of LCIS treated by lumpectomy and radiation therapy has been reported in detail in the literature. After biopsy alone for LCIS, a subsequent infiltrating carcinoma occurs in approximately 15% of cases. Thus, classical radiosurgical therapy should represent an interesting alternative both for limited surgery alone and mastectomy, both of which have been proposed as sole treatments for LCIS.

32 ref. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2003.08.017; Ferralsols under native vegetation have a weak to moderate macrostructure and a well-developed microstructure corresponding to subrounded microaggregates that are usually 80 to 300 μm in size. The aim of this study was to analyze how the hydraulic properties of a clay Ferralsol were affected by a change of structure when the native vegetation is cleared for pasture. We studied the macrostructure in the field and microstructure in scanning electron microscopy. The water retention properties were determined by using pressure cell equipment. We determined the saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks, by applying a constant hydraulic head to saturated core samples, and the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, K(Ψ), by applying the evaporation method to undisturbed core samples. Results showed a significant decrease in the water retained at −1 and −10 hPa from 0- to 40-cm-depth when the native vegetation is cleared for pasture. That decrease in the water retained was related to a smaller development of microaggregation and greater proportion of microaggregates in close packing. For smaller water potential, there was no difference of water retained at every depth between native vegetation and pasture. Pedotransfer functions established earlier for Brazilian Ferralsols and using clay content as single predictor gave pretty good results but the precision of the estimation decreased when the water potential increased. This decrease in the precision was related to the lack of predictor taking structure into account. Ks and K(Ψ) showed an upward trend with depth under native vegetation and pasture. Except at 0–7-cm depth between the Brachiaria clumps in the pasture where smaller Ks and K(Ψ) than at the other depth was recorded whatever land use, we did not record any significant difference of Ks and K(Ψ) at every depth between native vegetation and pasture. The upward trend shown by the hydraulic conductivity with depth was related to the increase in the development of microaggregation with depth.

Purpose To assess breast-conserving therapy results in elderly patients with early-stage breast cancer (clinical Stage I-II). Methods and materials Between 1979 and 1998, 196 women (200 treated breasts) aged ≥70 years (median age, 72.5 years) were treated with breast-conserving therapy (lumpectomy or quadrantectomy with axillary lymph node dissection and radiotherapy). Pathologic axillary node involvement was found in 51 patients (28%). Two-thirds of patients received tamoxifen, and 16% received chemotherapy. Results At a median follow-up of 59 months, 3 patients (1.5%) had developed local recurrence and 20 (10.2%) distant metastases. The overall survival rate was 81% and 62% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. The corresponding disease-specific survival rates were 92% and 88%. Axillary nodal involvement was the only statistically significant risk factor for the development of metastases ( p = 0.0035). Arm mobility impairment and arm lymphedema each occurred in 5 patients. In another 5 patients, a thromboembolic event occurred during tamoxifen treatment. Conclusion Elderly women tolerate breast-conserving therapy, including radiotherapy, well and have excellent rates of locoregional control and disease-specific survival.

International audience; Soil surface crusting has a major impact on water infiltration and erosion in many soils. Considerable progress has been made in describing crusting processes and in modelling the impact of crusting on infiltration. Most studies, however, have neglected the high spatial variability in crust characteristics observed in the field. The objective of this experiment was to determine the influence of runoff depth on infiltration rate in the presence of a surface seal varying in hydraulic characteristics with microtopography. The Blosseville silt loam has a low aggregate stability and forms crusts readily. The Villamblain silty clay loam has a greater aggregate stability due to its greater clay and organic matter contents, and it is more resistant to aggregate breakdown processes under rainfall. Samples of the soils were sieved to retain aggregates less than 2.0 cm and packed in 50 = 50 = 15 cm soil trays. The trays were surrounded by a 10 cm soil border to compensate for splash loss. After molding the surface into a mound and depression microtopography, the samples were subjected to simulated rainfall at an intensity of 22.8 mm h y1. Hourly measurements of surface roughness showed that the original roughness was smoothed out due to the infilling of depressions by sediments detached from the mounds. For the final hour, runon was added to the top of the soil tray to increase the runoff rate and depth. For both soils, infiltration rate increased more than could be attributed to the increased ponding pressure head. The change in infiltration rate was particularly great for Villamblain. The measurements of hydraulic resistance showed that structural crusts had a lower hydraulic resistance than sedimentary crusts. They also) Corresponding author. 0341-8162r98r$19.00 q 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Ž. PII S 0 3 4 1-8 1 6 2 9 8 0 0 0 4 3-5 () D.M. Fox et al.r Catena 32 1998 101-114 102 showed that the crusts formed on Villamblain were of a lower hydraulic resistance than those of Blosseville. It appears that small changes in runoff depth can significantly increase infiltration rate when structural crusts of lower hydraulic resistance are inundated. The effect was less important in Blosseville which formed seals of relatively high hydraulic resistance everywhere. The results provide a suitable explanation for field observations of increasing infiltration rate with either increasing rainfall intensity or runoff rate. The results also have implications for the relationships between surface roughness, surface water storage, and infiltration. q