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Materials with specific electromagnetic properties are increasingly used for the realization of passive components. Therefore, electromagnetic characterization is a priority to know these materials properties. This study focuses on the electromagnetic characterization of 10 nm maghemite ferrofluid doped sol-gel using a resonant cavity method. We deposited the sol-gel by dipping/removal on an alumina substrate in order to make measurements on the cavity to determine the complex permittivity and permeability. Two studies were carried out; the first consisted in varying the doped sol-gel thickness of layers of the same concentration in the realization of samples; and the second consisted in varying the volume concentration of ferrofluid according to the matrix dimensions. The first study showed that the dielectric constants do not vary with the thickness of the magnetic sol-gel layers. In the second study, measurements also showed that the gyromagnetic resonance is the same for all samples regardless of the ferrofluid volume concentration.

International audience; Nano-CoF3 powders were synthesized by direct fluorination at various temperatures (up to 300 °C) of cobalt nanoparticles and their electrochemical features in lithium battery were investigated. The structure and composition of the raw and fluorinated materials are explored by SEM/TEM, HRTEM, XRD and XPS experiments. The influence of the fluorination temperature on the crystallite size has been evidenced by XRD. It is shown that such fluorination process allows the direct synthesis of nano-CoF3, at TF2 = 100 °C. The XPS investigation of mixtures of CoF3 and acetylene black has shown that, when handled in very dry atmospheres, CoF3-based samples can be used to prepare electrodes for Li-ion batteries in safe conditions. The electrochemical reaction of nano-CoF3 powders vs. lithium metal studied in organic medium involves a conversion process as described in the case of cobalt oxide. Successive impedance measurements were carried out at different discharge states to follow the modifications occurring at the electrode/electrolyte interface during the discharge step. The evolution of the reversible capacity retention of Li+ vs. time capacity of the powdered materials as well as the cycle life of the battery were investigated as a function of the fluorination temperature used for the preparation of the cobalt fluoride nanopowders. The best electrochemical performances were obtained with nano-CoF3 powders prepared at fluorination temperature of 100 °C, for which a reversible capacity of about 390 mAh/g is obtained after subsequent cycles.

Magnetic fluid based on cobalt ferrite nanoparticles was obtained using a hydrothermal treatment added to the Massart procedure. This treatment increases the average size of the nanoparticles from 11.9 to 18.7 nm and also improves the dispersity and crystallinity of the cobalt ferrite particles. The nanoparticles obtained after the hydrothermal treatment were dispersed in aqueous solvent by the classical procedure for ionic magnetic fluids. The ferrofluid thus obtained is stable at pH 7 and may be useful for hyperthermia applications.

This paper deals with an experimental non-destructive technique for the measurement of polarization behavior of integrated optical waveguides. It is based on a high resolution polarimeter associated to an ellipsometric-type calibration which allows determining the full state of polarization of the output light. A magneto-optic perturbation is also added to generate TE/TM mode beating, whose spatial period is directly linked to the modal TE/TM birefringence. This equipment is first qualified by the measurement of modal birefringence in totally or partially buried ion exchanged waveguides. The results show that the value of the birefringence varies as a function of the diffusion aperture width or with the burying depth. By adding a magneto-optical cover layer, consisting in magnetic nanoparticles doped silica matrix obtained by a sol gel process 1, we evidence a huge increase of the beating magnitude and a decrease of the modal birefringence.

Periodic structuration of magnetic material is a way to enhance the magneto-optical behavior of optical devices like isolators. It is useful to reduce the footprint of such integrated devices or to improve their features. However, the structuration and/or integration of efficient magnetic materials on photonic platforms is still a difficult problem, because classical magneto-optical materials require an annealing temperature as high as 700°C. A novel wafer-scale approach is to incorporate that material into an already structured template through a single step deposition at low temperature. Using the dip-coating method, a magneto-optical thin film (~300nm) of CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles in silica matrix prepared by sol-gel technique was coated on a 1D and 2D TiO 2 subwavelength gratings. Such gratings were realized by the patterning of TiO 2 films obtained by a sol-gel process. It was confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscope images that the magneto-optical composite completely occupies the voids of the 2D structuration showing a good compatibility between both materials. This composite shows a specific Faraday rotation of about 200°cm -1 at 1,5μm for 1% of volume fraction of nanoparticles. Spectral studies of the transmission and the reflection of a 1D TiO 2 grating filled with the MO composite have evidenced the presence of a guided-mode optical resonance at 1,55μm. The position of this resonance was confirmed by numerical simulations, as well as its quite low efficiency. Based on simulations results, one can conclude that an increase of the grating depth is required to improve the efficiency of the resonance.

In telecommunication systems, heavy bulky magnets are used to establish the proper functioning of a circulator by ensuring the uniform orientation of the ferrite material’s magnetic moment.Thus to develop an unbiased coplanar microwave circulator, the approach based on “ferromagnetic nanowired composite substrates” was promising. The idea was to do a magnetophoretic deposition of nanocoloidal cobalt ferrite nanoparticles into porous alumina membranes and permanently orient them uniformly. Therefore, in order to check the orientation possibility of the nanoparticle, samples of magnetic thin films on glass substrates were synthetized from CoFe2 O4 nanoparticles dispersed in a silica sol-gel matrix using the dip-coating technique with and without a uniformly applied magnetic field. To investigate the magnetic behavior of the prepared samples, the Faraday rotation as a function of the applied magnetic field was measured using a spectral polarimeter. The unambiguous qualitative difference between the Faraday rotation hysteresis loops shows a large variation of coercive (μ0 Hc ) and remanent field (M r /M s ) values, thus proving the orientation of the nanoparticles.Such nanocomposite is a promising candidate for future miniature microwave circulators fabrication.

The integration of magneto-optical materials to realize non-reciprocal functions is still a difficult problem, because classical magneto-optical materials require an annealing temperature as high as 700°C. In this framework, this study shows how it is possible to realize efficient magneto-optical mode converter using the association of a magnetic nanoparticles silica/zirconia composite with an ion-exchanged glass waveguide. Using a sol gel process, a silica/zirconia matrix is doped by magnetic nanoparticles (CoFe2O4) and coated on a glass substrate containing straight channel waveguides made by a silver/sodium ion exchange. The extremities of the guides were previously buried using electric field-assisted burial in order to facilitate light injection. Soft annealing (90°C) and UV treatment, both compatible with the ion exchange process, have been implemented to finalize the magneto-optical film. Depending on the amount of nanoparticles in the composite, on the spatial distribution of the field in the guide and on the modal birefringence of the hybrid structure, the TE-TM conversion varies from several degrees to several tens of degrees.

Measurements of the complex, frequency dependent susceptibility, χ( ω ) = χ′ ( ω ) − i χ′′ ( ω ) over the frequency range 50 MHz to 15 GHz, of a surfacted ferrofluid comprising MnFe 2 0 4 ferrite particles in dibutylphthalat (DBP), as a function of a biasing magnetic field are presented. The biasing field was varied over the range 0 to 100 kAm −1 , and has enabled average values of anisotropy constant, , and anisotropy field for the sample to be determined. Ferromagnetic resonance was exhibited for all values of the biasing field, covering the range 1.2 to 8.5 GHz, with the χ′ ( ω ) component of the susceptibility going negative in the GHz region.

In this paper, we present the synthesis and the optical properties of 3D magneto-photonic structures. The elaboration process consists in firstly preparing then infiltrating polystyrene direct opals with a homogeneous solution of sol-gel silica precursors doped by cobalt ferrite nanoparticles, and finally dissolving the polystyrene spheres. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images of the prepared samples clearly evidence a periodic arrangement. Using a home-made polarimetric optical bench, the transmittance as a function of the wavelength, the Faraday rotation as a function of the applied magnetic field, and the Faraday ellipticity as a function of the wavelength and as a function of the applied magnetic field were measured. The existence of deep photonic band gaps (PBG), the unambiguous magnetic character of the samples and the qualitative modification of the Faraday ellipticity in the area of the PBG are evidenced.

We present an original method to study the circular birefringence (CB) and circular dichroism (CD) of magnetic liquid materials placed in low sinusoidal magnetic fields. CB and CD are measured simultaneously using the same apparatus. Many results obtained with the ferrofluid Fe 2 CoO 4 in dibutylphthalate (DBP) are reported and discussed: ‘Faraday rotation’ and ‘Faraday ellipticity’ versus magnetic field amplitude, magnetic field frequency, volume concentration, CB and CD are non-reciprocal effects. This property is involved in this new dynamic method.

The integration of magneto-optical materials with classical technologies being still a difficult problem, this study explores the possibility to realize a mode converter based on a hybrid structure. A composite magneto-optical layer made of a silica/zirconia matrix doped by magnetic nanoparticles is coated on the top face of ion-exchanged glass waveguides. Optical characterizations that have been carried out demonstrated the efficiency of these hybrid structures in terms of lateral confinement. Furthermore, TE to TM mode conversion has been observed when a longitudinal magnetic field is applied to the device. The amount of this conversion is analysed taking into account the magneto-optical confinement and the modal birefringence of the structure.

This paper deals with the operation of a Y-junction coplanar circulator. It operates at high frequencies (>40 GHz). Barium hexaferrite particles within a host matrix form the integrated magnetic material in this device. The structure of this 3-port microwave device and its different characteristics are presented. A three dimensional finite element method was used to calculate the S-parameters and to evaluate numerically the performance of the circulator. These parameters were measured using a vector network analyzer after the fabrication process showing the performance of the device.

Properties of chemically synthesized ferrofluids based on nanoparticles of CoFe2O4 are investigated. Their rigid dipole behaviour is established through magnetic birefringence experiments. The dynamical response of such particles to crossed magnetic fields is analysed. In large applied fields, it leads to characteristic relaxation times independent of the mean particle size of the sample, allowing viscosity determination in anisotropic systems.

An experimental investigation on the origin of the magneto-optic effects of ferrofluids is presented. Dynamic measurements of their transverse and longitudinal magneto-optic effects and their magnetic properties have been performed. As ferrofluids are colloidal suspensions of magnetic particles in a liquid, the influence of two parameters has been studied: the magnetic anisotropy energy of particles and the carrier liquid viscosity for four ferrofluid samples. The interpretation and the comparison of results give some clues for a better understanding of magneto-optical effects of ferrofluids.

This paper describes an electrochemical method which permits us to transform solid metals (cobalt, iron or nickel) into nanoparticles. An electrolysis cell is made, the anode being a metal bar and the cathode a mercury layer. Magnetic nanoparticles are obtained in one step by electroreduction of mercury. Electrolysis is performed in an aqueous medium at pH above 6 in order to avoid the reduction of protons. The magnetic nanoparticles obtained are kept in mercury and can be recovered in an organic solvent.

This paper presents a magnetooptical way to reduce the modal birefringence of planar waveguides, which is a critical point for applications. Indeed, composite material, made of Cobalt ferrite (CoFe 2 O 4 ) nanoparticles embedded in a silica/zirconia matrix by the sol-gel method, are used to develop a phase matched magnetooptic planar waveguides. Such thin composite films coated on a pyrex slide using the dip-coating technique were studied. They were submitted to a UV-treatment, under an applied magnetic field. Two techniques were used to characterize these thin films: M-lines spectroscopy and Ellipsometry. Results show the dependence of the modal birefringence ΔN value as well as the TE-TM phase mismatch on the magnetic field orientation (in plane or out of plane) applied during the UV exposure phase. They prove that a phase match is achieved on a waveguide having a 1,5 refractive index and 1,8 μm of thickness, at 820 nm. Interpretations of these results, due to a linear permanent anisotropy led by the nanoparticles orientation in the film, are given.

International audience; We show experimentally the existence of a magnetic instability between two miscible fluids. The sample is an aqueous ferrofluid. At time t = 0, the ferrofluid and water are put into contact in a Hele–Shaw cell and then submitted to a homogeneous magnetic field perpendicular to the cell. Above a threshold value of the magnetic field a fingering instability is observed at the diffuse interface, with fingers growing with time. A wavelength can be defined as the mean distance between fingers. This wavelength in the linear regime is approximatively equal to the thickness of the cell.

To induce ovulation is to provoke follicular maturation and rupture in a patient who would not otherwise ovulate. To stimulate ovulation is to interfere with normal physiological ovarian regulation in order to intensify ovulatory phenomena. In the first case there is a pathological condition which prevents the patient from ovulating spontaneously, and drugs are used to try to correct this condition or to activate the ovary which would otherwise remain quiescent. The aim is to obtain maturation of one follicle which will release one oocyte ready to be fertilized. In the second case, the aim is to obtain several mature oocytes for in vitro fertilization. Both techniques use the same drugs in various regimens. Gonadotrophinreleasing hormone (GnRH) agonists have also been used, but their effects vary widely depending on whether the need is to induce or to stimulate ovulation. GnRH agonists can create a state of reversible medical hypophysectomy, suppressing the greatest part of endogenous follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion (Kenigsberg et al, 1984; Fraser and Sandow, 1985; Monroe et al, 1985). Their use, together with direct stimulation of the ovary by gonadotrophins, makes it possible to conduct follicular and oocyte maturation under exogenous influence only, with no risk of interference from possibly detrimental endogenous phenomena.

Ferrofluids are colloidal suspensions of magnetic particles of some ten nanometers in size. Such media are both fluid and magnetic. We use here a chemically synthesized system: CoFe2O4 particles, coated with a surfactant layer, are dispersed in a commercial oil based on hydrogenated terphenyl. Ferrofluid droplets of 10 µm diameter are obtained by emulsion in an aqueous medium.Through direct microscopic observations, we study the dynamic of a pair of droplets under a rotating magnetic field, as a function of its frequency ω and its amplitude H. At low frequencies a synchronous regime is observed up to a frequency threshold ω c ∝ H 2. After a jerky regime, the frequency of the pair rotation reaches a plateau independent of ω.

A polarization modulator using a low-viscosity magnetic liquid exhibiting the Faraday effect [1,2] is presented. This device can work in the 10 Hz–40 kHz frequency range over the visible and near-infrared wavelength spectrum. It is especially well suited for high-precision polarimeters and ellipsometers, and also for performing very accurate alignments in optical instrumentation using polarized light.

We present an extensive experimental work concerning measurement of longitudinal magneto-optic effects (Faraday rotation and circular dichroism) induced in magnetic liquids. Seven ferrofluid samples allow the study of the influence of numerous parameters: magnetic suspension and carrier liquid characteristics, magnetic field strength (up to 10 kOe) and frequency (dc to 50 kHz), light wavelength (400 to 2000 nm) and, temperature (253 to 373 K). These topics, especially the spectral area, have rarely been studied before. Most of the studies show interesting behaviors and aid in the understanding of magneto-induced phenomena. They also contribute to the conception of new optical applications of ferrofluids: 1) a pure Faraday rotator (free of circular dichroism) obtained by a ferrofluid mixing method and 2) a Faraday light modulator working up to 50 kHz.

Three dimensional magneto-photonic crystals were realized by a low temperature sol-gel method. Self-assembled polystyrene direct opals were impregnated by CoFe2O4 nanoparticles doped silica sol-gel solution. The silica composite inverse opal structure was then created by dissolving original polystyrene photonic crystal structure using ethyl acetate. Ellipsometric and magneto-optical measurements carried-out on silica-doped monolayers evidence that the amount of nanoparticles in the matrix can reach 39%. Scanning electron microscope images of inverse opals confirm that a 3D arrangement is obtained. Transmittance measurements show a combination of photonic band gaps with the absorption of the nanoparticles. The central positions of these band gaps are in accordance with the diameter of the initial spheres through the Bragg law. Finally, non-reciprocal magneto-optical effect is demonstrated in the inverse opals through a Faraday effect hysteresis loop. It proves the ability of the method to produce magneto-photonic crystal materials.

Background Cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis are two major causes of morbidity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) by dual-energy X ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a validated tool for the diagnosis of vertebral fracture. Studies show that lateral VFA image is an accurate method for the diagnosis of abdominal aortic calcifications (AAC), which is a relevant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Studies in postmenopausal women are conflicting about the association between AAC and presence of vertebral fractures (VFs) and there is no study in RA. Objectives The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of AAC in RA patients and the relationships between AAC, cardiovascular diseases and bone status (osteoporosis, VFs). Methods This study was performed in 132 patients who consulted for a bone mineral density (BMD) measurement in a tertiary department of Rheumatology. Demographic data, disease duration, activity and severity, RA therapies, cardiovascular risk factors and diseases, low trauma fractures and presence of osteoporosis (T score≤-2.5 at either lumbar spine and/or hip) were assessed. Diagnosis of VF was performed using the Genant semiquantitative analysis on VFA and severity of VF was quantified from grades 1 to 3. AAC were assessed on lateral VFA images of spine by two readers experts in this field, using a 24 and 8 point scale for scored AAC (1) with a good Inter-observer reliability (ICC) (0.845 (95% CI 0.702-0.923) and 0.882 (95% CI 0.769-0.942) for the 24 and 8-AAC scores, respectively). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate associations between presence of AAC and disease-related factors. The accuracy of the multivariate model was measured by the area under the curve (AUC). Results 132 RA patients (114 women, mean age of 56.6±12.7) with a mean duration of RA of 15.1±9.1 years were included in the study. 107 (83.0%), 66 (51.2%) and 85 (64.4%) received DMARDs, corticosteroids and biological therapies respectively. Presence of AAC was observed in 32 (24.2%) patients. AAC were significantly associated with the presence of hypertension (p=0.043) and coronaropathy (p=0.0045). 35 patients (26.5%) were osteoporotic and 20 (15.2%) had at least one VF. There was a significant association between presence of AAC and osteoporosis (p=0.003), and between AAC and prevalent VF (p=0.019). Severity of AAC is correlated with VF severity (r= 0.27, p=0.003 and r= 0.23, p=0.011, for the 24 and 8-AAC scores, respectively) Age, male gender, menopause, calcium intake were significantly associated with presence of AAC in univariate analysis (p≤0.05). In multivariate analysis, age was the single variable associated with the presence of AAC (OR=1.24, CI 95% 1.1-1.4, p=0.0004) and calcium intake had a protective effect (0R=0.02, IC 95%0.0001-0.33, p=0.007) (AUC= 0.915). Conclusions This study conducted in severe RA patients suggests that presence of AAC is associated with cardiovascular diseases and vertebral fractures. RA patients with VF should have a systematic cardiovascular assessment. References Schousboe JT, et Al. Detection of aortic calcification during vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) compared to digital radiography. PLoS One.2007;2:e715 Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Background Gout is a common arthritis that occurs particularly in subjects who have frequently associated comorbidities. These comorbid conditions could limit the use of conventional therapies (e.g. colchicine, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or corticosteroids). Objectives The aim of the herein study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of anakinra in patients with urate crystal-induced arthritis. Methods We performed a multicentric retrospective chart review of patients who received anakinra for gouty arthritis. Demographic information, comorbidities, co-medication, treatment outcomes, adverse event and subsequent flares were recorded. The change of pain (VAS 0-100 mm) and CRP levels were evaluated at baseline and after 3 days of SC injections of anakinra (100 mg). The outcome of anakinra treatment was categorized as: good response (> 50% of improvement of VAS pain and CRP level), partial response (20 to 50% of improvement), or no response. Results A total of 36 patients (29 males, mean age: 60.4 ± 13.4 years) who were treated by anakinra for gouty arthritis were included. The mean disease duration was 9.3 ± 9.0 years. All patients had contraindication and/or failure to at least two conventional therapies. The majority (33 [91.7%]) of patients demonstrated a good response to anakinra therapy. IL-1 blockade led to a strong and rapid decrease of VAS pain (72.5 [70.0-80.0] to 20.0 [20.0-30.0] mm, P Conclusions Our results confirm that anakinra is efficient in gouty arthritis, relatively well tolerated and could be a relevant alternative in the management of gouty arthritis, particularly in patients for whom conventional therapies are ineffective or contra-indicated. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Background Rheumatoid cachexia (RC) is a metabolic abnormality defined by a low fat-free mass with a normal or high fat mass in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). It is predictor of poor health outcomes in RA. Objectives The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of rheumatoid cachexia and its determinants in RA patients, and, during a 6-year retrolective follow-up, the body composition changes and its determinants. Data were compared with those of the body mass index (BMI, kg/m²). Methods 133 patients with RA (115 women and 18 men) with a mean age 56.9±12.7 years, who consulted in a tertiary Department of Rheumatology were included; 91 of the patients (75 women and 16 men) were retrolectively followed during 6.3±2.0 years. Demographic data, disease duration, RA activity and severity, RA therapies were collected. Dual Energy X ray Absorptiometry (DXA) was performed for body composition measurement (fat free and fat mass index). We defined RC as fat-free mass index below the 10 th percentile together with fat mass index above the 25 th percentile (1). Results 106(76.7%), 66(49.6%) and 86(64.7%) of the 133 patients were treated by DMARDs, corticosteroids and biological therapies, respectively at the time of the body composition assessment. Prevalence of rheumatoid cachexia was 45.1% (n=60), higher in men (66.7%) than in women (41.7%) (p=0.048). None of the patients with body mass index (BMI) below 19kg/m 2 had RC while prevalence of RC was high (82.4%) in overweight patients (25 Conclusions This study suggests that rheumatoid cachexia is frequent in RA patients even treated with biological therapies. Fat mass increase in RA can be observed in patients with biological therapies or without. In RA, Body Mass Index (BMI) cannot be used to identify patients with rheumatoid cachexia. References Elkan AC, et al. Rheumatoid cachexia, central obesity and malnutrition in patients with low-active rheumatoid arthritis: feasibility of anthropometry, Mini Nutritional Assessment and body composition techniques. Eur J Nutr 2009; 48:315-22. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

We present an original polarimetric method to study the magnetic relaxation of ferrofluids. The Brownian relaxation of three ferrofluids with Fe 2 CoO 4 particles dispersed in water, dibutyl phthalate and diethylene glycol is presented and compared with the theoretical model of Debye adapted to the magnetism. The results show that this system has a good sensitivity even at low volume concentration of particles and under low ac magnetic field. The analysis of the relaxation parameters leads to a good estimation of particles diameter and put in evidence a distribution of relaxation time.

International audience; Encapsulation of non-aqueous magnetic fluids is described. The magnetic capsules thus obtained have a diameter of the order of a micron and are dispersed in water. The magnetization curves of the suspensions of magnetic capsules have been compared to the magnetization curves of the initial magnetic fluid to determine stability of this ferrofluid in the encapsulated droplets.

The use of LH-RH agonists is appropriate for the stimulation of ovulation. In contrast, in the case of induction of ovulation in a patient with deficient ovulation, suppression of influences of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis does not modify the pathological condition responsible for the ovulatory anomaly.

Prolonged pulsatile exogenous GnRH allows differentiation between hypothalamic and pituitary causes of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism and is able to induce ovulation and pregnancy in most of women with hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA). When compared with human menopausal gonadotropin, GnRH appears to be a more efficient therapy of HA but yields inferior results in chronic anovulatory patients with persistent LH secretion. Pulsatile GnRH following a GnRH-analog suppression represents a new promising treatment of infertile women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. However such a combined therapy is time-consuming and only permits to attempt 3 to 4 stimulated cycles during a year. Therefore the successful preliminary reports need to be confirmed by a further randomized study.

With monoclonal antibodies (Mab) specific for myosin heavy chain (MHC) isozymes, we have investigated the isomyosin content of atrial, ventricular and conductive fibers of 19 human fetuses (ranging from 14-36 weeks of gestation) and 3 newborns (2 days-2 weeks). In addition, the conduction system of 2 human adult hearts was studied. The fetal atrium is composed mostly of alpha-MHC during the first 23 weeks of gestation. beta-MHC is already expressed as traces at 14 weeks of gestation, and its expression increases progressively until birth, resulting in a great augmentation in beta-MHC. During this course, beta-MHC always predominates in certain areas (the crista terminalis and the interatrial septum) but not in other areas (the auricles). Preceding birth, the fetal ventricle is composed mostly of beta-MHC. From 14 weeks of gestation to birth, alpha-MHC is expressed in very rare fibers. Then, after birth, a large number of fibers simultaneously synthesize alpha-MHC. The AV node and His bundle system were labelled with anti-alpha and anti-beta Mab in fetal, newborn, and adult hearts with a double gradient of distribution: spatial (a higher proportion of alpha-containing fibers in the AV node than in the distal portion of the bundle of branches) and temporal (a higher proportion of alpha-containing fibers at a given point in fetal development than in the adult heart). One of the twenty-five hearts studied had an isomyosin distribution pattern not accorded to its age. Interestingly, it was clinically diagnosed as having idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The authors report a case of a tumour of the liver in a pregnant woman who had taken oral contraception for six years. Since oral contraceptives have become far more widely used the two benign tumours of the liver, namely a hepatocellular adenoma of the liver and focal nodular hyperplasia, have become far more common. The increased blood supply to the liver can make such a tumour symptomatic and increase the risk of it rupturing intraperitoneally, especially at the onset of labour. A course of management has been suggested according to the size of the tumour and the duration of the pregnancy.

A total of 1078 cycles were stimulated for in-vitro fertilization between 1 January 1986 and 31 July 1987. One-hundred-and-ninety-six cycles had to be cancelled because of an abnormal ovarian response (18.2%). The majority of these cancellations were due to the phenomenon of follicular atresia (45%) or the absence of follicular growth (30%). Bad responder patients who had undergone cancellation during at least two successive cycles, when compared with normal responder patients, were somewhat older and had more frequent periovarian adhesions and ovulatory defects. The use of a GnRH agonist allowed correction of a certain number of ovarian response inadequacies, but follicular atresia and absence of folliculogenesis remained frequent phenomena.

Pulsatile injection of FSH to stimulate ovulation for in vitro fertilization was undertaken in order to compare the intramuscular route with the pulsatile subcutaneous route in two groups of 6 patients each selected at random. The patients were selected in such a way as to reduce as far as possible the parameters that would make it difficult to interpret the results. Both from the point of view of the numbers of patients who responded to stimulation of ovulation as well as the numbers of pregnancies that were obtained, the intramuscular route seems to be preferable.

International audience; OBJECTIVES:Nowadays, the recommended measures for optimal monitoring of axial Spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) disease activity are either BASDAI and CRP, or ASDAS-CRP. However, there could be a gap between recommendations and daily practice. We aimed to determine the measures collected by rheumatologists in an ax-SpA follow-up visit, and to determine the impact of a meeting (where rheumatologists reached a consensus on the measures to be collected) on the collection of such measures.METHODS:A consensual meeting of a local network of 32 rheumatologists proposed, four months later, to report at least the BASDAI score in the medical file of every ax-SpA patient at every follow-up visit. An independent investigator reviewed the medical files of 10 consecutive patients per rheumatologist, seen twice during the year (e.g. before and after the meeting). The most frequently collected measures were assessed, and then, the frequency of collection before and after the meeting was compared.RESULTS:A total of 456 medical files from 228 patients were reviewed. Treatment (>60%), CRP (51.3%) and total BASDAI (28.5%) were the most reported measures in medical files. Before/After the meeting, the frequencies of collected measures in medical files were 28.5%/51.7%, 51.3%/52.2%, 16.7%/31.6% and 0.9%/6.1% for BASDAI, CRP, BASDAI + CRP and ASDAS, respectively reaching a statistically significance for BASDAI, ASDAS and BASDAI+CRP (p