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Cost efficiency and defect passivation are the two major challenges that thin-film solar cells have to overcome for economic competitiveness. For Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cells, the first is addressed by an increase of the Ga/In ratio, which widens the bandgap favorably for tandem applications and reduces the requirement of costly, rare In. The second is addressed by heavy alkali post-deposition treatments. However, the maximum device efficiency is typically achieved with a comparably low Ga/In ratio, which is in contrast to the economic interest of a higher Ga/In ratio and makes it paramount to identify, understand and mitigate the sources of local underperformance in Ga-rich cells. In this work, we investigate a series of Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 cells with varying Ga/In concentration in the absorber, using multi-modal scanning x-ray microscopy. In particular, we analyze differences in chemical composition and electrical performance on the nanoscale, with a focus on the effect of Rb. We find that In-rich cells show, along with a greater overall performance, a more homogeneous distribution of the nanoscale performance compared to the Ga-rich cells. Our analysis on Rb suggests that this effect is due to a more effective passivation of structural defects in the absorbers, i.e. voids and grain boundaries. These results shine light on the causes of the superiority of Ga-poor/In-rich absorbers and substantiate the trend to higher defect density for Ga-rich absorbers.

Background The preference for immediate rewards and high sensation seeking are both potent risk factors for alcohol use disorder (AUD), but how they interact during intoxication is poorly understood. To model decision making linked to AUD risk, we tested heavy drinkers for impulsive choice (delay discounting with alcohol:money or money:money) and behavioral sensation seeking using a novel odor choice task. Laboratory tasks measured actual behavior with real contingencies. Our goals were to determine, in heavy drinkers, (i) alcohol's effects on delay discounting, and (ii) how AUD risk factors relate to delay discounting, and (iii) how delay discounting with alcohol choices compares with strictly monetary choices. Methods Thirty-five heavy drinkers (≥2 binges per month; age = 22.8 ± 2.2; 20 male; 5.8 ± 2.3 drinks/drinking day) performed cross-commodity discounting (CCD) of immediate alcohol vs. delayed money, a monetary delay discounting (DD), and behavioral sensation-seeking tasks. CCD and DD were performed while sober and during controlled alcohol infusion targeting 0.08 g/dl. The behavioral sensation-seeking task presented binary choices of odorants varying in intensity and novelty, and the risk of exposure to a malodorant. Results CCD and DD behaviors were highly correlated across conditions, mean r = 0.64. Alcohol increased delayed reward preference in DD, p = 0.001, but did not alter mean CCD, p > 0.16. However, alcohol-induced changes in CCD correlated with behavioral sensation seeking, such that higher sensation seekers' immediate alcohol preference increased when intoxicated, p = 0.042; self-reported sensation seeking was uncorrelated, ps > 0.08. Behavioral sensation seeking also correlated with "want" alcohol following a priming dose targeting 0.035 g/dl, p = 0.021. CCD and DD did not correlate with self-reported drinking problems or other personality risk traits. Conclusions Alcohol increased impulsive alcohol choice in high sensation seekers, suggesting an interaction that may underlie impaired control of drinking, at least in a subset of heavy drinkers-consistent with models highlighting high novelty/sensation-seeking AUD subtypes. Discounting behavior overall appears to be a generalized process, and relatively stable across methods, repeated testing, and intoxication. These findings further support the utility of behavioral tasks in uncovering key behavioral phenotypes in AUD.

Human functional brain connectivity is usually measured either at "rest" or during cognitive tasks, ignoring life's moments of mental transition. We propose a different approach to understanding brain network transitions. We applied a novel independent component analysis of functional connectivity during motor inhibition (stop signal task) and during the continuous transition to an immediately ensuing rest. A functional network reconfiguration process emerged that: (i) was most prominent in those without familial alcoholism risk, (ii) encompassed brain areas engaged by the task, yet (iii) appeared only transiently after task cessation. The pattern was not present in a pre-task rest scan or in the remaining minutes of post-task rest. Finally, this transient network reconfiguration related to a key behavioral trait of addiction risk: reward delay discounting. These novel findings illustrate how dynamic brain functional reconfiguration during normally unstudied periods of cognitive transition might reflect addiction vulnerability, and potentially other forms of brain dysfunction.

Background Alcohol consumption despite aversive consequences is often a key component of an alcoholism diagnosis. Free-choice alcohol consumption despite bitter quinine adulteration in rodents has been seen following several months of free-choice drinking, but there has been little study of whether prolonged access to other palatable substances such as saccharin yields quinine resistance. Selectively bred crossed high-alcohol-preferring (cHAP) mice average blood alcohol levels of over 250 mg/dl during free-choice access, considerably higher than other models. We hypothesized that higher intakes would yield more rapid development of quinine-resistant alcohol (QRA) drinking and quinine-resistant saccharin (QRS) drinking. Methods All experiments used male and female cHAP mice. Experiment 1 compared mice with either 0 or 5 weeks of alcohol drinking history, testing varying (0.032, 0.10, 0.32 g/l) quinine concentrations in ethanol. Experiment 2 examined whether innate QR may exist, comparing animals with a 1 or zero day of drinking history. Experiment 3 examined the effect of varying histories (0, 2, or 5 weeks) of free-choice 10% alcohol drinking on QR alcohol consumption at high quinine concentrations. Finally, Experiment 4 investigated the development of QRS drinking. Results We found that we could not detect a history effect in commonly used quinine concentrations, indicating that cHAP mice are innately quinine resistant to 0.10 g/l quinine. However, we were able to determine that a 2-week drinking history was sufficient to induce QRA drinking in cHAP mice at extremely high quinine concentrations (0.74 and 0.32 g/l). However, the history effect was specific to QRA, a saccharin drinking history, did not yield QRS drinking. Conclusions These data suggest that an alcohol drinking history induces maladaptive behaviors, such as drinking in spite of negative consequences, a pattern not seen with saccharin. Furthermore, a strong genetic predisposition to drink may promote an innate aversion resistance compared with commonly used inbred strains.

RATIONALE: Alcohol-associated stimuli capture attention, yet drinkers differ in the precise stimuli that become paired with intoxication. OBJECTIVES: Extending our prior work to examine the influence of alcoholism risk factors, we paired abstract visual stimuli with intravenous alcohol delivered covertly and examined brain responses to these Pavlovian conditioned stimuli in fMRI when subjects were not intoxicated. METHODS: Sixty healthy drinkers performed task-irrelevant alcohol conditioning that presented geometric shapes as conditioned stimuli. Shapes were paired with a rapidly rising alcohol limb (CS+) using intravenous alcohol infusion targeting a final peak breath alcohol concentration of 0.045 g/dL or saline (CS−) infusion at matched rates. On day two, subjects performed monetary delay discounting outside the scanner to assess delay tolerance and then underwent event-related fMRI while performing the same task with CS+, CS−, and an irrelevant symbol. RESULTS: CS+ elicited stronger activation than CS− in frontoparietal executive/attention and orbitofrontal reward-associated networks. Risk factors including family history, recent drinking, sex, and age of drinking onset did not relate to the [CS+ > CS−] activation. Delay-tolerant choice and [CS+ > CS−] activation in right inferior parietal cortex were positively related. CONCLUSIONS: Networks governing executive attention and reward showed enhanced responses to stimuli experimentally paired with intoxication, with the right parietal cortex implicated in both alcohol cue pairing and intertemporal choice. While different from our previous study results in 14 men, we believe this paradigm in a large sample of male and female drinkers offers novel insights into Pavlovian processes less affected by idiosyncratic drug associations.

A heightened hedonic response to sweet tastes has been associated with increased alcohol preference and alcohol consumption in both humans and animals. The principal goal of this study was to examine blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) activation to high- and low-concentration sweet solutions in subjects who are either positive (FHP) or negative (FHN) for a family history of alcoholism. Seventy-four non-treatment seeking, community-recruited, healthy volunteers (22.8 ± 1.6 SD years; 43% men) rated a range of sucrose concentrations in a taste test and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during oral delivery of water, 0.83 M, and 0.10 M sucrose. Sucrose compared to water produced robust activation in primary gustatory cortex, ventral insula, amygdala, and ventral striatum. FHP subjects displayed greater bilateral amygdala activation than FHN subjects in the low sucrose concentration (0.10 M). In secondary analyses, the right amygdala response to the 0.10 M sucrose was greatest in FHP women. When accounting for group differences in drinks per week, the family history groups remained significantly different in their right amygdala response to 0.10 M sucrose. Our findings suggest that the brain response to oral sucrose differs with a family history of alcoholism, and that this response to a mildly reinforcing primary reward might be an endophenotypic marker of alcoholism risk., Highlights • Studies in humans and animals have suggested sweet tastes as a trait correlate of alcohol risk. • Oral sucrose resulted in robust BOLD activation of gustatory and limbic areas. • Amygdala responses to 0.10 M sucrose were greatest in drinkers with family histories of alcoholism. • This study is first to suggest endophenotypic brain responses to sucrose in familial alcoholism.

Background: NCCN states that chemotherapies for advanced esophageal and gastric cancers may be used interchangeably. Biomarkers from gastroesophageal cancer patients were interrogated to identify actionable alterations with therapeutic implications. Methods: 666 gastric and 640 esophageal cancer cases referred to Caris Life Sciences between 2009 thru 2013 were evaluated. Specific testing was performed, which included a combination of sequencing (Sanger, NGS) and protein expression (IHC). Results: In the complete cohort (n = 1306), 30 of 45 genes tested harbored mutations; highest rates were seen in TP53 (54%), APC (10%), SMAD4 (5.9%), KRAS (5.9%), and PIK3CA (5.1%). IHC of TOP2A was high in 76% of cases, TOPO1 in 51% and SPARC in 25%; low IHC of ERCC1 was seen in 65%, RRM1 in 62%, TS in 61% and MGMT in 45%, indicating potential benefit from epirubicin, irinotecan, nab-paclitaxel, platinum-based agents, gemcitabine, 5FU/capecitabine and temozolomide, respectively. In the HER2+ cohort (n = 88), 50% of patients demonstrated possible benefit from a combination of trastuzumab with 5FU/capecitabine based on concurrent low TS, 53% with irinotecan (high TOPO1), 63% with cisplatin (low ERCC1) and 55% with gemcitabine (low RRM1). Subgroup analysis by tumor origin demonstrated significant differences in actionable biomarker profiles with HER2 (13% vs. 4.6%), SPARC (34% vs. 15%), TOP2A (86% vs. 67%), and TOPO1 (55% vs. 46%) in esophageal and gastric adenocarcinoma cases respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusion: A comprehensive multiplatform biomarker analysis suggested significant biomarker differences between gastric and esophageal cancers. These results can assist in the development of future clinical trials.

Extramammary Paget's disease is a rare lesion, often involving the skin of the genital or perianal regions. Less commonly, it has been reported to affect the skin of the axilla. There are very few other cases of extramammary Paget's disease reported in the literature, and the appropriate use of newer techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging and sentinel lymph node biopsy in this setting is not well-studied. We present a case of extramammary Paget's disease of the axilla, and discuss the known literature regarding this rare disease.

Objectifs L’objectif de cette etude etait de caracteriser, par une approche cerveau-entier a l’echelle du voxel, le profil d’hypometabolisme en TEP au 18FDG des differents sous-types d’epilepsie du lobe temporal (ELT), comme definis par Stereo-Electro-EncephaloGraphie (SEEG) et de determiner la valeur predictive de l’examen TEP sur les resultats post-operatoires. Materiels et methodes Quarante-quatre patients avec ELT pharmaco-resistante ont ete retrospectivement inclus apres evaluation pre-chirurgicale, permettant de definir : 7 ELT laterales, 18 ELT mesiales, 14 ELT elargies et 16 ELT bilaterales. L’analyse statistique a l’echelle du voxel etait realisee pour chaque sous-groupe de patients en comparaison de 23 sujets sains et une classification individuelle etait conduite par validation croisee a partir des clusters extraits. Un index metabolique etait, par ailleurs, calcule pour chaque patient a partir du Z-score le plus significatif. Une analyse de regression logistique etait utilisee pour estimer les facteurs associes au devenir post-operatoire (classification d’Engel), incluant : l’âge, la duree de la maladie, la frequence des crises et les resultats de l’IRM et de la TEP. Resultats Differents profils d’hypometabolisme etaient retrouves, au sein et en dehors de la zone epileptogene, parmi les sous-groupes distincts d’ELT, en comparaison des sujets sains ( P P = 0,037). Conclusions Cette etude en TEP au 18FDG valide les profils specifiques d’hypometabolismes des differents sous-types d’ELT definis par le gold-standard de la SEEG et la relation avec le pronostic post-operatoire.

Cluster-tic syndrome is a rare, disabling disorder. We report the first case of cluster-tic syndrome with a successful response to stereotactic radiosurgery. After failing optimal medical treatment, a 58-year-old woman suffering from cluster-tic syndrome was treated with gamma knife radiosurgery. The trigeminal nerve and sphenopalatine ganglion were targeted with a maximum dose of 85 and 90 Gy respectively. The patient experienced a complete resolution of the initial pain, but developed, as previously described after radiosurgical treatment for cluster headache, a trigeminal nerve dysfunction. This suggests that trigeminal nerve sensitivity to radiosurgery can be extremely different depending on the underlying pathological condition, and that there is an abnormal sensitivity of the trigeminal nerve in cluster headache patients. We do not recommend trigeminal nerve radiosurgery for treatment of cluster headache.

In order to investigate the role of radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy in the management of vestibular schwannomas, we have reviewed our own prospective cohort and the main series of the modern literature.Between July 14th 1992 and June 1st 2011, 2991 vestibular schwannomas were operated on the Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery Department of Timone University Hospital. All the patients have been evaluated prospectively, with a follow up longer than 3 years for 2336 patients, excluding patients suffering from type 2 neurofibromatosis (148 patients). In 7% of the patients, the vestibular schwannoma had previously been resected. According to Koos classification, in 17.6% of the patients, vestibular schwannomas were stage I, 51.8% stage II, 27% stage III and 3.6% stage IV. The mean tumour volume was 2.63 cm(3). According to Garner Robertson classification, the hearing was still functional at the time of radiosurgery in 46% and subnormal in 20.9% of the patients.Long term tumour control was achieved in 97.5% of the patients. A transient facial palsy was observed in 0.5% of the cases. The rate of trigeminal injury was 0.5%. Useful hearing was preserved at 3 years in 78%. This rate reached 95% in patients with no past history of sudden hearing loss. Other predictors of functional hearing preservation are the young age, the small size of the lesion and a dose to the modiulus of the cochlea lower than 4Gy. We observed no radio-induced tumour. Only large, Koos IV vestibular schwannomas are contraindicated for upfront radiosurgery. In these patients, we propose a combined approach with a deliberately partial microsurgical removal, followed by a radiosurgery of the residue.This cohort is unique by the size of the population and the length of the follow up and results demonstrate the efficacy of radiosurgery and its safety, especially its high rate of hearing preservation.

An antisense dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR) gene-construct made using the cDNA for DFR from Antirrhinum majus was introduced into the genome of a series of clonal genotypes of Lotus corniculatus via Agrobacterium rhizogenes. After initial screening, 17 antisense and 11 control transformation events were analysed and tannin levels found to be reduced in antisense root cultures. The effect of this antisense construct, (pMAJ2), which consisted of the 5' half of the DFR cDNA sequence, was compared in three different recipient Lotus genotypes. This construct effectively down-regulated tannin biosynthesis in two of the recepient genotypes (s33 and s50); however, this construct was relatively ineffective in a third genotype (s41) which accumulated high levels of condensed tannins in derived transgenic root cultures. Four pMAJ2 antisense and three control lines derived from clonal genotypes s33 and s50 were selected and studied in greater detail. The antisense DFR construct was found to be integrated into the genome of the antisense "hairy root" cultures, and the antisense RNA was shown to be expressed. Tannin levels were much lower in antisense roots compared to the controls and this reduction in tannin levels was accompanied by a change in condensed tannin subunit composition.

High-frequency deep brain stimulation (HF-DBS) has become a widely used therapeutic method in the field of movement disorders for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, essential tremor or dystonia. New targets and indications are under evaluation in several other conditions such as cluster headache, obesity, epilepsy or psychiatric diseases (depression, OCD). However, the mechanisms of action of HF-DBS remain poorly understood. Herein we present a review of the literature and our current view of the question. The first part deals with the effects of stimulation itself on the different parts of the neuron and tries to answer the question of what is actually stimulated by DBS (cell bodies, dendrites or axons). The second part is devoted to the ortho- and antidromic effects of the stimulation. The third part more specifically focuses on the case of subthalamic nucleus stimulation. The target axons in the subthalamic area are discussed in the light of recent optogenetic studies. In conclusion, HF-DBS leads to a kind of functional deafferentation of the stimulated structure and to the modulation of cortical activity (both ortho and antidromically). Which effects are relevant to the therapeutic effects of DBS is still unclear. Further investigations are required especially regarding the corticosubthalamic pathways.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of intractable partial epilepsy in adults. Surgery (lobectomy or amygdalohippocampectomy) is effective in most patients. However, some complications can occur and brain shift, hematoma into the post operative cavity and occulomotor nerve palsy have been reported due to the surgical technic. We report the technique, safety and efficacy of temporal disconnection in nonlesional TLE. Forty-seven patients (18 males, 29 females; handedness: 12 left, 33 right; aged 35 years+/-10; mean duration of epilepsy: 24+/-10 years) underwent temporal disconnection (20 left, 27 right) guided by neuronavigation. Sixteen patients (35 %) underwent additional presurgical evaluation with SEEG. The outcome was assessed using Engel's classification. At the two-year follow-up, 85 % of the patients were seizure-free (Engel I), 26 (58 %) of whom were Ia. Postoperative persistent morbidity included mild hemiparesis (n=1), mild facial paresis (n=1), quadranopsia (n=23) and hemianopia (n=1). Verbal memory worsened in 13 % of cases when the disconnection was performed in the dominant lobe. MRI follow-up showed two cases of nonsymptomatic thalamic or pallidal limited ischemias, two cases of temporal horn-cystic dilatation, one requiring surgical reintervention without sequelae. There was one case of postoperative phlebitis. In the seizure-free patient group, postoperative EEG showed interictal temporal spikes at three months, one year and two years located in the anterior temporal region. Temporal disconnection is effective, prevents the occurrence of subdural cyst and hematomas in the temporal cavity, prevents the occurrence of oculomotor palsy, and limits the occurrence of quadranopsia. However, comparative studies are required to evaluate temporal disconnection as an alternative to lobectomy in nonlesional TLE.

The surgical treatment of intractable epilepsies involving eloquent areas of the cortex is still challenging. Deep-brain stimulation could be an alternative to resective surgery because it can modulate the remote control systems of epilepsy, such as the thalamus and basal ganglia. The surgical experience acquired in the field of movement disorder surgery and the low morbidity of this technic could allow one to apply DBS to intractable epilepsies, such as generalized, motor and bitemporal epilepsies. Here we discuss the main experimental and clinical data reported so far in the literature and taken from our own experience.

We present a new method for studying high-pT dilepton events (e±e, μ±μ, e±μ) and simultaneously extracting the production cross sections of pp̄→tt̄, pp̄→W+W-, and pp̄→Z0→τ+τ- at a center-of-mass energy of s=1.96TeV. We perform a likelihood fit to the dilepton data in a parameter space defined by the missing transverse energy and the number of jets in the event. Our results, which use 360pb-1 of data recorded with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider, are σ(tt̄)=8.5-2.2+2.7pb, σ(W+W-)=16.3-4. 4+5.2pb, and σ(Z0→τ+τ-)=291-46+50pb. © 2008 The American Physical Society.

We present the first search for heavy, long-lived particles that decay to photons at a hadron collider. We use a sample of Î+jet+missing transverse energy events in pp collisions at s=1.96 TeV taken with the CDF II detector. Candidate events are selected based on the arrival time of the photon at the detector. Using an integrated luminosity of 570pb-1 of collision data, we observe 2 events, consistent with the background estimate of 1.3 0.7 events. While our search strategy does not rely on model-specific dynamics, we set cross section limits in a supersymmetric model with I E 10 GE and place the world-best 95% C.L. lower limit on the χ˜10 mass of 101 GeV/c2 at Ï.,χ˜10=5ns. © 2007 The American Physical Society.

The TRH test has been used in psychiatry these last 20 years. One of the most promising results is that concerning the possibility to use it to identify the best moment to stop a treatment after clinical recovery of the depressive episode. For that it is necessary to demonstrate an absence of intrinsic action of antidepressants on the HPT axis physiology. This overt, randomized study has compared the actions on T3, T4, basal TSH and its response to the TRH test after 75 mg/day of maprotiline and 100 mg/day of fluvoxamine, both administrated in depressed patients during 28 days. Forty patients (20 men and 20 women) were studied, 20 patients per treatment. The inclusion criteria were those of DSM III-R for major depression and dysthymia as well a minimum score of 25 at MADRS scale. Blood samples for T3, T4 and basal TSH dosages were made before TRH intranasal administration (2 mg) at days 1 and 28 of the treatment. We haven't observed any difference before treatment between the 2 groups for clinical and biological studied parameters. After treatment both antidepressants produced equivalent improvement of depression evaluated by MADRS (fluvoxamine:dMADRS = 16.95 +/- 7.11; maprotiline: dMADRS = 17.10 +/- 6.84. t = 0.07, NS). T3 and T4 variations between the beginning and the end of the study weren't also significantly different between the 2 groups. Basal TSH was increased in the maprotiline group but decreased in the fluvoxamine group resulting in a significant difference (fluvoxamine: dTSH = 0.31 +/- 0.76 mUI/l. Maprotiline : dTSH = -0.23 +/- 0.66 mUI/l. t = 2.40, p0.02). The TSH response to TRH was decreased in the fluvoxamine group (ddTSH = 0.24 +/- 6.65 mUI/l. dAUC = 103.98 +/- 596.84 mUI/l) while it was increased in the maprotiline group (ddTSH = -3.59 +/- 5.88 mUI/l. dAUC = -355.80 +/- 505.67 mUI.min/l). The difference between the 2 treatments was not significant when evaluated by ddTSH (t = 1.53, NS) but it became significant if evaluated by dAUC (t = 2.63, p0.01). As we could demonstrate an absence of influence of the clinical evolution between both groups in the hormonal variations observed, we concluded to a intrinsic difference action on HPT axis between fluvoxamine and maprotiline. This difference could be linked to the different aminergic action of these 2 antidepressants.

Condensed tannins are an important agronomic character in pasture legume species. The expression of this metabolic pathway in vegetative tissue is believed to provide protection against pasture bloat and improve nitrogen recycling in the rumen of grazing livestock. We have been studying condensed tannin biosynthesis in Agrobacterium rhizogenes transformed cultures of Lotus corniculatus, a tannin-positive legume species. Transformed cultures and regenerated plant material accumulate tannins in a similar manner to nontransformed plant material. Tannin synthesis is decreased by the addition of exogenous auxin and auxin analogues. Preliminary results also indicate that the accumulation of condensed tannins can be inhibited by the introduction and expression of a heterologous antisense tannin biosynthetic gene sequence in trans-genic Lotus root cultures.

The professional outcome in 65 patients with chronic low back pain who stayed in the Invalidity Insurance Medical Observation Center from 1982 to 1987 was studied retrospectively. The group studied was composed of 51 males and 14 females aged 28 to 61 years. Thirty-one out of 65 patients (48%) returned to work, 4 to full time employment (active group), whereas 34 did not return to work (inactive group). Data established during our initial observation served to compare the 2 groups by means of a logistic regression. No significant difference was found between the 2 groups of height, weight, age, family situation, severity of the X-ray findings and the existence of an associated psychiatric diagnosis were compared. On the other hand, the absence of professional training, female gender and the presence of a radicular syndrome significantly decreased the proportion of patients returning to work. If these 3 risk factors were absent, the chance of resuming work was 72%; if one was present it was 50%, and if there were 2 or 3 risk factors it was 28%.

Resume Les auteurs rapportent chez 20 enfants souffrant de rhume et d'asthme des foins l'effet d'inhibition du gluconate de zinc sur la degranulation des basophiles in vitro quand ces basophiles sont prealablement incubes avec ce sel metallique. L'effet est variable en intensite selon le sujet et la concentration en gluconate de zinc, mais present dans 17 cas sur 20 : faible inhibition dans 5 cas (inhibition moyenne de 10 a 20 p. cent), tres nette inhibition dans 12 cas (inhibition moyenne de 20 a 100 p. cent). Les concentrations de zinc metal testees vont de 1 mol/l a 1 × 10 −4 mol/l. L'inhibition est plus marquee pour les fortes concentrations mais de tres faibles quantites de zinc sont encore efficaces. Le phenomene n'est pas correle au diagnostic, ni au taux d'IgE ou a celui de la zincemie, et la therapeutique n'a pas d'influence. Il est suggere qu'une supplementation en zinc chez ces malades pourrait elever leur seuil de sensibilite au pollen de graminees.

Resume 390 dosages d'immunoglobulines « Dont ete realises dans le serum d'enfants âges de quelques mois a 18 ans, souffrant d'asthme allergique, d'asthme intrinseque et de rhino-pharyngo-bronchites repetees. 76 enfants sains ont servi de temoins. Aussi bien chez les temoins que chez les malades les taux sont disperses et n'autorisent pas la definition d'une valeur normale. Les faits notables sont : une elevation progressive des valeurs avec l'âge ; une distribution bimodale des chiffres, caracteristique, quel que soit l'etat pathologique considere ; un decalage vers les valeurs moyennes au sein des asthmes allergiques qui comportent moins de taux faibles (inferieurs a 0,007 g/l) ; l'absence de singularite de la categorie « rhino-pharyngc-bronchites repetees: l'absence de correlation avec les autres immunoglobulines, IgG, IgA, IgM. Le deficit associe en alpha-l-antitrypsine (phenotype anormal) n'influence pas les resultats. La conclusion procedant de ces donnees chiffrees est la tres discrete incidence du facteur « atopiesur le taux sanguin des IgD, en pathologie respiratoire infantile. Une meilleure comprehension du role des IgD parmi les mecanismes d'immunite devra s'appuyer sur l'etude de l'IgD membranaire du lymphocyte B.

Resume Le dosage du zinc serique a ete realise dans une population de 329 sujets, consultants d'allergologie, âges de 2 ans a 18 ans, souffrant soit d'allergie respiratoire (262 cas dont 191 asthmes aux pneumallergenes domestiques, 39 asthmes des foins, 32 rhino-conjonctivites des foins), soit d'infections iteratives rhino-pharyngo-bronchiques (67 cas) ; 40 enfants sains ont servi de temoins. Il a ete trouve, chez les malades allergiques et les infectes iteratifs un abaissement significatif de la moyenne des zincemies par rapport aux valeurs rencontrees chez les temoins (malades=11,5 μmol/l, temoins=12,2 μmol/l). Le taux des phosphatases alcalines a toujours ete normal. La zincemie, consideree comme un assez bon reflet du pool zincique, merite d'etre dosee chez l'allergique et l'infecte chronique,en sachant que seul un taux manifestement abaisse peut etre pris en consideration. En effet notre etude consiste en la comparaison de moyennes de zincemies avec un ecart relativement faible avec celles des temoins. An niveau individuel, le chevauchement possible des valeurs entre malades et temoins ne permet pas de conclusion. Quant a l'interpretation physiopathogenique de l'hypozincemie, elle reste delicate : s'agit-il d'un caractere associe ou d'un effet de l'affection ?

Resume Les auteurs presentent 158 cas d'allergie aux acariens chez l'enfant. Le diagnostic est base sur des criteres cliniques (dont l'aspect pseudo-pollinique leur parait assez caracteristique), sur les resultats des tests cutanes et, enfin, sur les dosages biologiques. Le taux particulierement eleve des IgE globales et la forte positivite du RAST qui a pu etre fait chez 59 sujets semblent particuliers a cette allergie tres specifique qui s'oppose ainsi a celle de la poussiere, mosaique d'antigenes. Sur les 158 enfants allergiques aux acariens, 79 malades traites par un extrait aqueux (Pasteur) ont ete revus apres un recul assez court, d'un an en moyenne. Les resultats sont a la hauteur de l'excellente specificite de l'allergene utilise : 81 p. cent de bons et de tres bons resultats. Les auteurs ont pu en particulier stabiliser completement certains asthmes mediocrement ameliores par la poussiere seule, ce qui apporte la preuve de l'individualite de chacun de ces deux allergenes. Le traitement parait tres bien tolere meme s'il est conduit rapidement.

Resume Phadiatop™ est un nouveau test biologique permettant le depistage de l'allergie respiratoire. Ce test, base sur le principe du RAST, utilise un disque de papier sur lequel est fixe un melange equilibre de pneumallergenes selectionnes. 105 enfants (4 mois — 15 ans) d'une consultation d'allergologie ont ete etudies. Il existe une bonne correlation entre ce nouveau test et le taux des IgE totales (70,5 %), des IgE specifiques (96,2 %) et les tests cutanes (95,2 %). La correlation entre le diagnostic clinique et les resultats du Phadiatop™ est hautement significative : efficacite 98,1 p. cent, sensibilite 96,1 p. cent et specificite 100 p. cent.

Resume Chez 667 enfants allergiques au pollen de graminees la distribution du mois de naissance differe de facon significative de celle de la population rhodanienne. 36 p. cent d'entre eux sont nes au printemps contre 28 p. cent dans la population de reference. Le phenomene est plus patent si l'on tient compte des pollinoses precoces, celles qui se declarent avant l'âge de 6 ans : le tiers de ces enfants (50/150 cas) naissent en avril — mai. L'explication reside probablement dans l'immunodeficience des nouveau-nes exposes de facon massive.

Among the side-effects due to the psychotropic drugs, one knows the ocular lesions, especially those due to major tranquillizers (f.e. opacities in the cornea and the lens). Ocular examination of 73 patients suffering of affective disorders, and receiving lithium salts during several years showed no significant ocular lesions due to the medication.

A serious uneasiness exists in the relationship of doctors, patients, and social systems. In our opinion, this uneasiness arises from the fact that the social system itself functions according to rules other than those of the medical system. Social rules are essentially of the ethical order, illness being part of a system of exchanges which, since it gives the right to certain social benefits, becomes “currency.” In this regard, each party must observe a very particular morality: the subject should, just like any other salesman, sell his “sickness merchandise,” the buyer (the social system) must assure itself of the “good quality of the products.” An eminently paradoxical relationship in regard to the medical model, since one must often prove that one cannot get better in order to be treated well. This complicates the task of the doctor, insofar as it is then a question, for him, of ensuring himself of the “honesty” of the patient rather than of understanding him, making a diagnosis, and prescribing therapy. Each of the participants, the doctor, the social insurance, and the patient, remains convinced of his own good will and of the ill will of one or the other party according to a very well known schema. All are really in good faith but do not understand each other. This sort of conflict seems to us to derive essentially from a logical confusion caused by the amalgam of ethical references and irreconciliable methodologies in the present state of administrative and legal provisions.