L'éthylglucuronide: un marquer de la consommation d'alcool [Ethyl glucuronide: a biomarker of alcohol consumption]

Excessive alcohol consumption represents a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality. It is therefore indispensable to be able to detect at-risk drinking. Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is a specific marker of alcohol consumption. The determination of ethyl glucuronide in urine or blood can be used to prove recent driving under the influence of alcohol, even if ethanol is no longer detectable. The commercialization of an EtG specific immunological assay now allows to obtain preliminary results rapidly and easily with satisfying sensitivity. Moreover, the detection of ethyl glucuronide in hair offers the opportunity to evaluate an alcohol consumption over a long period. The EtG concentration in hair is in correlation with the amount of ingested alcohol. Thus, the analysis of ethyl glucuronide can be used to monitor abstinence, to detect alcohol relapse and to identify at-risk drinkers. However, a cut off allowing to detect chronic alcohol abuser reliably still does not exist. Therefore, it is recommended to perform the analysis of ethyl glucuronide in complement to the existing blood markers. A study financed by the Swiss Foundation for Alcohol Research is actually conducted by the West Switzerland University Center of Legal Medicine in order to establish an objective cut-off.

New reference tables and user-friendly Internet application for predicted heart weights.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of normal heart weight ranges is important information for pathologists. Comparing the measured heart weight to reference values is one of the key elements used to determine if the heart is pathological, as heart weight increases in many cardiac pathologies. The current reference tables are old and in need of an update. AIMS: The purposes of this study are to establish new reference tables for normal heart weights in the local population and to determine the best predictive factor for normal heart weight. We also aim to provide technical support to calculate the predictive normal heart weight. METHODS: The reference values are based on retrospective analysis of adult Caucasian autopsy cases without any obvious pathology that were collected at the University Centre of Legal Medicine in Lausanne from 2007 to 2011. We selected 288 cases. The mean age was 39.2 years. There were 118 men and 170 women. Regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship of heart weight to body weight, body height, body mass index (BMI) and body surface area (BSA). RESULTS: The heart weight increased along with an increase in all the parameters studied. The mean heart weight was greater in men than in women at a similar body weight. BSA was determined to be the best predictor for normal heart weight. New reference tables for predicted heart weights are presented as a web application that enable the comparison of heart weights observed at autopsy with the reference values. CONCLUSIONS: The reference tables for heart weight and other organs should be systematically updated and adapted for the local population. Web access and smartphone applications for the predicted heart weight represent important investigational tools.

Nullification of small knots

in the paper we consider the nullification number of small knots with at most 9 crossings. We establish two inequalities (Corollary 2.1) relating the nullification number to other knot invariants and properties of the knot diagram. We show that these inequalities allow us to settle the nullification number for all of the 84 prime knots with at most 9 crossings.

Égales en droit? La féminisation des professions juridiques en France et en Grande-Bretagne

L'article rend compte des résultats d'une recherche comparative sur les processus de féminisation des professions juridiques en France et en Grande-Bretagne. Les auteurs attirent l'attention sur l'importance du rôle du « levier des diplômes » sur la féminisation plus précoce et plus soutenue de certaines professions juridiques en France par rapport à la Grande-Bretagne. Les auteurs situent ce phénomène de féminisation dans le contexte des transformations structurelles qui touchent ces professions depuis le milieu des années 1970. Prenant appui sur les données portant sur l'évolution des carrières des avocats français et des solicitors britanniques en fonction du sexe et de l'ancienneté, elles attirent l'attention sur la manière dont ces transformations structurelles s'articulent avec le phénomène de féminisation et insistent sur la nécessité d'une analyse approfondie des trajectoires professionnelles sexuées dans ce contexte de grands bouleversements structurels. The paper presents the results of a comparative research project on the feminisation of the legal professions in Britain and France. The authors stress the importance of the role of the « qualifications lever » on the earlier and more extensive character of the feminisation of certain legal professions in France as compared to Britain. An attempt is made to place feminisation in the general context of structural change taking place within the legal profesions since the middle of the 1970's. On the basis of original data on the career structure of French avocats and British solicitors by gender and length of service, the authors stress the manner in which such structural changes interrelate with the process of professional féminisation and insist on the need to adopt in-depth analysis of gendered professional career patterns within this context of profound structural transformation

DOHaD et information épigénétique - Enjeux sociétaux [DOhaD and epigenetic information: societal challenges].

The concept of the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) alters our understanding of what constitutes "health" or "disease" intended as chronic, non-communicable diseases, which develop over the life course in high income and emerging countries. It implies a change in paradigm forming a basis for prevention policies across the globe. It also impacts psychological, social, economic, ethical and legal sciences. In line with the unanticipated underpinning epigenetic mechanisms are also the social issues (including public policies) that could be produced by the knowledge related to DOHaD that opens a wide field of inquiry. The information unveiled by epigenetics coupled with information on lifestyle including during the development phase, is of unforeseen nature, raising issues of different nature. Therefore it requires specific attention and research, and a specific support by a pluridisciplinary reflection since the very beginning of its production, to anticipate the questions that might be raised in the future.