Reflux vésico-­‐urétéral et atteinte rénale: rôle de l'albuminurie

Introduction :¦Le reflux vésico-urétéral (RVU) touche environs 1% des nouveau-nés et est retrouvé chez 25 à 30 % des enfants ayant une pyélonéphrite. Le RVU peut être associé à une hypoplasie/dysplasie rénale ou/et à des cicatrices rénales causées par les pyélonéphrites. Ces changements morphologiques sont plus ou moins importants selon le grade du reflux et peuvent conduire à une insuffisance rénale chronique et potentiellement évoluer en une insuffisance rénale terminale.¦La microalbuminurie (MA) reflète une augmentation anormale de la perméabilité capillaire glomérulaire et est un indicateur prédictif de la péjoration de la fonction rénale vers l'insuffisance chronique. La MA est également un facteur de risque cardiovasculaire.¦Objectif :¦Le but de cette recherche transversale est d'évaluer la présence de MA chez des patients atteints de RVU et de voir s'il est possible de corréler la MA avec le degré de reflux, la présence d'une hyperfiltration et le degré de l'insuffisance rénale.¦Patients et méthode :¦Une base de données de 160 dossiers médicaux du service de pédiatrie du CHUV, portant sur les années 2007, 2008, 2009 et 2010, va être investiguée. Ces dossiers regroupent tous les patients atteints de RVU ayant eu une exploration fonctionnelle rénale, dont l'âge varie du nouveau-né au jeune adulte âgé de 21 ans. Les variables suivantes seront considérées et analysées en détail: âge, sexe, taille, type de RVU, taux de filtration glomérulaire (TFG), flux plasmatique rénal (FPR), fraction de filtration (FF), albuminurie, rapport albumine/créatinine.¦- Les RVU sont classés en cinq grades (I, II, III, IV, V) et peuvent être uni- ou bilatéraux¦- Le TFG est calculé avec la clairance à l'inuline, un polymère de glucose filtré, non réabsorbé, ni sécrété, qu'on perfuse au patient. TFG = Uin V/Pin (ml/min)¦- Le FPR est calculé avec la clairance au PAH (acide para-amino-hippurique), une substance entièrement filtrée et sécrétée au premier passage et qu'on injecte au patient. FPR = UPAHV / PPAH (ml/min)¦- La FF est la proportion du FPR qui est filtrée.¦FF= TGF / FPR ou FF = Cl in / Cl PAH¦- La MA a été mesurée par la méthode Immulite (Siemens) jusqu'en fin août 2010 et par la méthode ALBT2 (Roche Diagnostics) à partir d'octobre 2010. Le taux normal d'albuminurie est de moins de 20 mg/l sur un échantillon d'urine.¦- Le rapport albumine urinaire / créatinine urinaire permet d'éviter les problèmes de variation de volume urinaire lors de l'analyse d'échantillon urinaire d'une seule miction. Le rapport normal est de moins de 2,5 g/mol de créatinine.¦Un questionnaire sera envoyé aux patients pour obtenir des précisions sur la fréquence et la sévérité des infections urinaires éventuellement survenues depuis.¦Les dossiers seront revus pour connaître l'évolution du RVU.¦Résultats attendus et discussion: Les résultats nous permettront :¦1) De savoir si les patients avec un RVU ont une MA¦2) De savoir si la MA varie en fonction du grade de leur reflux¦3) De savoir si la MA varie en fonction de l'hyperfiltration mesurée par la FF.¦Interprétation :¦Si la MA varie en fonction de la FF cela indiquera que la MA est la conséquence directe de l'hyperfiltration compensatrice de la perte de la masse néphronique et qu'elle est ainsi le reflet d'une cause principalement mécanique. Si la MA ne varie pas en fonction de la FF cela indiquera qu'elle est liée à l'hypoplasie/dysplasie ou/et aux cicatrices dues aux pyélonéphrites. Elle pourra alors être par exemple la conséquence d'une néphropathie glomérulotubulointerstitielle.¦Du point de vue pratique, cette étude permettra de déterminer si la simple mesure da la MA peut aider à prédire le degré de l'atteinte rénale et/ou le degré de l'hyperfiltration dans ce groupe de patients atteints de RVU.¦Bibliographie¦1. Silbernagl S, Despopoulos A. Atlas de poche de physiologie. Paris : Flammarion médecine-sciences; 2004.¦2. Brenner BM, Rector FC. The Kidney . Philadelphia : WB Saunders Company; 1996.¦3. Brandström P, Esbjörner E, Herthelius M, Holmdahl G, Läckgren G, Nevéus T, et al. The Swedish Reflux Trial in Children: I. Study Design and Study Population Characteristics. The Journal of Urology. 2010;184:274-279.¦4. Holmdahl G, Brandström P, Läckgren G, Sillén U, Stokland E, Jodal U, et al. The Swedish Reflux Trial in Children: II. Vesicoureteral Reflux Outcome. The Journal of Urology. 2010;184:280-285.¦5. Brandström P, Esbjörner E, Herthelius M, Swerkersson S, Jodal U, Hansson S. The Swedish Reflux Trial in Children: III. Urinary Tract Infection Pattern. The Journal of Urology. 2010;184:286-291.¦6. Brandström P, Nevéus T, Sixt R, Stokland E, Jodal U, Hansson S. The Swedish Reflux Trial in Children: IV. Renal Damage. The Journal of Urology. 2010;184:292-297.¦7. Ruggenenti P, Remuzzi G. Time to abandon microalbuminuria? Kidney Int. 2006;70:1214-1222.¦8. Hostetter TH, Olson JL, Rennke HG, Venkatachalam MA, Brenner BM. Hyperfiltration in remnant nephrons: a potentially adverse response to renal ablation. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 2001;12:1315-1325.¦9. Basic J, Golubovic E, Miljkovic P, Bjelakovic G, Cvetkovic T, Milosevic V. Microalbuminuria in children with vesicoureteral reflux. Ren Fail. 2008:639-643.¦10. González E, Papazyan JP, Girardin E. Impact of vesicoureteral reflux on the size of renal lesions after an episode of acute pyelonephritis. The Journal of Urology. 2005;173:571-575.

Two cases of "cannabis acute psychosis" following the administration of oral cannabis.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug and its therapeutic aspects have a growing interest. Short-term psychotic reactions have been described but not clearly with synthetic oral THC, especially in occasional users. CASE PRESENTATIONS: We report two cases of healthy subjects who were occasional but regular cannabis users without psychiatric history who developed transient psychotic symptoms (depersonalization, paranoid feelings and derealisation) following oral administration of cannabis. In contrast to most other case reports where circumstances and blood concentrations are unknown, the two cases reported here happened under experimental conditions with all subjects negative for cannabis, opiates, amphetamines, cocaine, benzodiazepines and alcohol, and therefore the ingested dose, the time-events of effects on behavior and performance as well as the cannabinoid blood levels were documented. CONCLUSION: While the oral route of administration achieves only limited blood concentrations, significant psychotic reactions may occur.

6

After decades of stability, Switzerland's unions entered a period of turbulence in the early 1990s: their status as junior partner in the corporatist growth pact was challenged by the economic crisis, business organizations' neoliberal turn and an abrupt decline in membership. These challenges put unions under pressure to initiate revitalization efforts. They first responded by investing more resources into political action, using direct democratic instruments to block neoliberal reforms. In parallel, they adopted new means of recruitment, affiliating white-collar unions, targeting private services and resorting more frequently to strikes. Finally, they rationalized their organizational structure through a series of union mergers.

Early Variscan I-type pluton in the pre-Alpine basement of the Western Alps: The ca. 360 Ma Cogne diorite (NW-Italy)

Located at the internal border of the Grand-Saint-Bernard Zone, the diorite and its aureole lie on top of intensively studied Alpine eclogitic units but this pluton, poorly studied yet, has kept locally almost undeformed. The pluton intruded, at similar to 360 Ma, country-rocks mostly composed of dark shales with Na2O > K2O and minor mafic intercalations of tholeiitic basalt affinity. This association is characteristic of the Vanoise (France) basement series, where available age determinations suggest an Early Paleozoic age. Parts of the pluton, and of its hornfels aureole that is evidenced here for the first time, in the Punta Bioula section of Valsavaranche valley (NW-Italy), have been well-preserved from the Alpine deformation. Syn-emplacement hardening, dehydration-induced, probably prevented strain-enhanced Alpine recrystallization. Magmatic rock-types range continuously from subordinate mafic types at SiO2 similar to 48%, of hornblendite with cumulative or appinite affinities, to the main body of quartz diorite to quartz monzonite (SiO2 up to 62%). P-T estimates for the pluton emplacement, based on the abundance of garnet in the hornfelses, using also zircon and apatite saturation thermometry and Al-in-hornblende barometry, suggest T similar to 800-950 degrees C and minimum P in the 0.2-0.5 GPa range, with records of higher pressure conditions (up to 1-2 GPa?) in hornblendite phlogopite-cored amphibole. The high-K, Na > K, calcalkaline geochemistry is in line with a destructive plate-margin setting. Based on major element data and radiogenic isotope signature (epsilon Nd-360 Ma from -1.2 to + 0.9, Sr-87/Sr-86(360 MA) from 0.7054 to 0.7063), the parental magmas are interpreted in terms of deep-seated metabasaltic partial melts with limited contamination from shallower sources, the low radiogenic Nd-content excluding a major contribution from Vanoise tholeiites. There is no other preserved evidence for Variscan magmatism of similar age and composition in the Western Alps, but probable analogs are known in the western and northern parts of French Massif Central. Regarding the Alpine tectonics, not only the age of the pluton and its host-rocks (instead of the Permo-Carboniferous age previously believed), but also its upper mylonitic contact, suggest revisions of the Alpine nappe model. The Cogne diorite allegedly constituted the axial part of the E-verging ``pli en retour [backfold] du Valsavaranche'', a cornerstone of popular Alpine structural models: in fact, the alleged fold limbs, as attested here by field and geochemical data, do not belong to the same unit, and the backfold hypothesis is unfounded. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improved smoking cessation in smokers given ultrasound photographs of their own atherosclerotic plaques.

BACKGROUND: We examined whether making smokers aware that they had developed peripheral atherosclerosis would improve smoking cessation. METHODS: Smokers selected from the general population were randomly allocated to undergo high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography of their carotid and femoral arteries. All smokers received quit-smoking counseling. Smokers with > or =1 atherosclerotic plaque were given two photographs of a plaque with a relevant explanation. Quit rates were assessed by telephone 6 months later. RESULTS: Seventy-nine smokers did not undergo ultrasonography (A). Among the 74 smokers submitted to ultrasonography, 20 had no plaque (B) and 54 had > or =1 plaque (C). Quit rates were, respectively, 6.3, 5.0, and 22.2% in groups A, B, and C. Quit rates were higher in smokers submitted to ultrasonography (B + C vs A; P = 0.031) and in those receiving photographs (C vs A + B; P = 0.003). Smoking cessation was independently associated with intervention C (OR = 6.2; 95% CI = 1.8-21) and a white-collar job but not with age or gender. CONCLUSIONS: Providing smokers with photographs demonstrating atherosclerosis on their own person was an effective adjunct to physician's advice to quit smoking. Since ultrasonography is used increasingly often in clinical practice for cardiovascular risk stratification, this can provide an additional opportunity and means to deter smokers from smoking.

Morphological study of the thorax of the five nymphal instars of Triatoma arthurneivai Lent & Martins (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae)

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was done in order to study dorsal, ventral and lateral sides of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th nymphal instars of Triatoma arthurneivai. The five nymphal instar can be recognized based on different pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum shapes and characteristics. In the 1st instar collar, hairless areas and tubercles are absent. The 2 nd instar presents collar, hairless areas and tubercles. In the 3rd instar occurs the development of wing pads. In the 4 th instar the four wing pads are expanded, but do not reach the abdomen and in the 5th instar the anterior wing pads almost overlap the posterior ones. At the ventral side, two metasternal glands openings (1+1) were found in all five nymphal instars. Brindley's gland evaporation areas (1+1) are located at the mesopleuron, as well as an evaporation area is located at the propleuron in all nymphal instars (1+1).

Electronic Payments for Driver's Licensing Transactions,December 31, 2008

House File 2196 required the Department of Transportation (DOT) to study the acceptance of electronic payments at its customer service sites and sites operated by county treasurers. Specifically the legislation requires the following: “The department of transportation shall review the current methods the department employs for the collection of fees and other revenues at sites operated by county treasurers under chapter 321M and at customer service sites operated by the department. In conducting its review, the department, in cooperation with the treasurer of state, shall consider providing an electronic payment option for all of its customers. The department shall report its findings and recommendations by December 31, 2008, to the senate and house standing committees on transportation regarding the advantages and disadvantages of implementing one or more electronic payment systems.” This review focused on estimating the costs of providing an electronic payment option for customers of the DOT driver’s license stations and those of the 81 county treasurers. Customers at these sites engage in three primary financial transactions for which acceptance of electronic payments was studied: paying for a driver’s license (DL), paying for a non-operator identification card (ID), and paying certain civil penalties. Both consumer credit cards and PIN-based debit cards were reviewed as electronic payment options. It was assumed that most transactions would be made using a consumer credit card. Credit card companies charge a fee for each transaction for which they are used. The amount of these fees varies among credit card companies. The estimates for credit card fees used in this study were based on the State Treasurer of Iowa’s current credit card contract, which is due to expire in September 2009. Since credit card companies adjust their fees each year, estimates were based on the 2008 fee schedule. There is also a fee for the use of PIN-based debit cards. The estimates for PIN-based debit card transactions were based on information provided by Wells Fargo Merchant Services for current fees charged by debit card networks. Credit and debit card transactions would be processed through vendor-provided hardware and software. The costs would be determined through the competitive bidding process since several vendors provide this function; therefore, these costs are not reflected in this document.

Parâmetros erosividade da chuva e da enxurrada correlacionados com as perdas de solo de um solo Bruno Não-Cálcico Vértico em Sumé (PB)

Foram estudadas correlações lineares simples entre os parâmetros erosividade da chuva e da enxurrada e as perdas de solo provocadas por chuvas erosivas num solo Bruno Não-Cálcico Vértico. Os dados correspondentes aos anos de 1986-1990 foram obtidos na estação experimental de Sumé (PB), pertencente à Universidade Federal da Paraíba-UFPB. Os parâmetros erosividade da chuva e da enxurrada estudados foram: (a) altura total da chuva (P), em mm; (b) intensidades máximas (In), ocorridas nos tempos de 5; 10; 15; 20; 25; 30; 35; 40; 45; 50; 55; 60 e 120 minutos, respectivamente, em mm h-1; (c) energia cinética total, pelo método de Wischmeier e Smith (Ec) e pelo método de Wagner e Massambani (EcW), em MJ ha-1; (d) somatório da energia cinética de intensidades superior a 10 mm h-1 (Ec > 10 e EcW > 10) em MJ ha-1; (e) somatório da energia cinética de intensidades superior a 25 mm h-1 (Ec > 25 e EcW > 25), em MJ ha-1; (f) produtos da energia cinética total pelas intensidades máximas de chuva em intervalos crescentes de tempo (EIn), ou seja: EI5; EI10; EI15; EI20; EI25; EI30; EIW30; EI35; EI40; EI45; EI50; EI55; EI60 e EI120, em MJ mm ha-1 h-1; (g) produtos da altura total da chuva pelas intensidades máximas das chuvas em intervalos crescentes de tempo (PIn), ou seja: PI5; PI10; PI15; PI20; PI25; PI30; PI35; PI40; PI45; PI50; PI55; PI60 e PI120, em mm² h-1, e (h) volume de enxurrada (Vu), em m³. O parâmetro volume de enxurrada (Vu) foi o que melhor estimou (r = 0,812) as perdas de solo em Sumé (PB). Dentre os parâmetros erosividade da chuva, o que melhor se correlacionou com as perdas de solo foi o parâmetro PI25 (r = 0,753). As equações de Wischmeier & Smith e de Wagner & Massambani, utilizadas no cálculo da energia cinética total da chuva, apresentaram o mesmo grau de precisão na estimativa das perdas de solo.

Effets du cannabis oral et du dronabinol sur la capacité à conduire [Effects of oral cannabis and dronabinol on driving capacity]

Two retrospective epidemiologic studies have shown that cannabis is the main psychoactive substance detected in the blood of drivers suspected of driving under the influence of psychotropic drugs. An oral administration double-blind crossover study was carried out with eight healthy male subjects, aged 22 to 30 years, all occasional cannabis smokers. Three treatments and one placebo were administered to all participants at a two week interval: 20 mg dronabinol, 16.5 mg D9-tétrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 45.7 mg THC as a cannabis milk decoction. Participants were asked to report the subjective drug effects and their willingness to drive under various circumstances on a visual analog scale. Clinical observations, a psychomotor test and a tracking test on a driving simulator were also carried out. Compared to cannabis smoking, THC, 11-OH-THC and THC-COOH blood concentrations remained low through the whole study (<13.1 ng THC/mL,<24.7 ng 11-OH-THC/mL and<99.9 ng THC-COOH/mL). Two subjects experienced deep anxiety symptoms suggesting that this unwanted side-effect may occur when driving under the influence of cannabis or when driving and smoking a joint. No clear association could be found between these adverse reactions and a susceptibility gene to propensity to anxiety and psychotic symptoms (genetic polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase). The questionnaires have shown that the willingness to drive was lower when the drivers were assigned an insignificant task and was higher when the mission was of crucial importance. The subjects were aware of the effects of cannabis and their performances on the road sign and tracking test were greatly impaired, especially after ingestion of the strongest dose. The Cannabis Influence Factor (CIF) which relies on the molar ratio of active and inactive cannabinoids in blood provided a good estimate of the fitness to drive.

Pièces relatives à l'histoire de la MAISON D'AUVERGNE (XIIe-XVIIe siècle). II Notes et copies de pièces parmi lesquelles on remarque les suivantes :

Contient : Hommage de Béraud, dauphin d'Auvergne, et de Bertrand de La Tour à l'abbé de Cluny (1376-1394), feuillets d'un registre sur papier de la fin du XIVe siècle ; Mémoire donné au roi, le 15 novembre 1694, sur l'illustration de la famille de Bouillon ; Extraits d'une ancienne généalogie des comtes de Boulogne ; Extrait de la chronique généalogique des seigneurs de Chauvigny ; « Extrait du calendrier des tesmoins vieux et valétudinaires produits par M. le duc de Berry... contre Morinot de Tourzel, seigneur d'Alegre, au mois juillet 1414 » ; Extrait des titres de Turenne ; « Extrait des comptes d'Oliergues, commençant en 1329. » ; Listes de titres communiqués à de Bar par Baluze ; Extraits des titres à l'abbaye du Bouchet (1192-1505) ; Extraits des titres et des obituaires de Brioude ; Lettre de M. d'Anfreville (6 sept. 1708) ; Armoiries diverses envoyées à Baluze et (f. 92) lettre de M. Mantaigue, de Vic-le-Comte (9 octobre 1703) ; Lettre de David, prieur de l'abbaye du Bouchet, s. d ; Copie de lettres de [Gui] Allard relatives à la maison de La Tour du Pin (1698) et de la réponse de Baluze ; Lettre de [Gui] Allard (Grenoble, 10 février 1698) ; Lettre de M. Estienne (14 octobre 1701) ; Comptes de gravures d'armoiries par l'histoire de la maison d'Auvergne

D6PK AGCVIII Kinases Are Required for Auxin Transport and Phototropic Hypocotyl Bending in Arabidopsis.

Phototropic hypocotyl bending in response to blue light excitation is an important adaptive process that helps plants to optimize their exposure to light. In Arabidopsis thaliana, phototropic hypocotyl bending is initiated by the blue light receptors and protein kinases phototropin1 (phot1) and phot2. Phototropic responses also require auxin transport and were shown to be partially compromised in mutants of the PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin efflux facilitators. We previously described the D6 PROTEIN KINASE (D6PK) subfamily of AGCVIII kinases, which we proposed to directly regulate PIN-mediated auxin transport. Here, we show that phototropic hypocotyl bending is strongly dependent on the activity of D6PKs and the PIN proteins PIN3, PIN4, and PIN7. While early blue light and phot-dependent signaling events are not affected by the loss of D6PKs, we detect a gradual loss of PIN3 phosphorylation in d6pk mutants of increasing complexity that is most severe in the d6pk d6pkl1 d6pkl2 d6pkl3 quadruple mutant. This is accompanied by a reduction of basipetal auxin transport in the hypocotyls of d6pk as well as in pin mutants. Based on our data, we propose that D6PK-dependent PIN regulation promotes auxin transport and that auxin transport in the hypocotyl is a prerequisite for phot1-dependent hypocotyl bending.

Estoques de carbono e nitrogênio e frações orgânicas de Latossolo submetido a diferentes sistemas de uso e manejo

O avanço das fronteiras agrícolas, caracterizado pela substituição de ecossistemas naturais por áreas cultivadas, vem se intensificando nas últimas décadas, acarretando alterações na qualidade do solo e na dinâmica da matéria orgânica do solo (MOS). Assim, o estudo do impacto da adoção de diferentes sistemas de manejo é essencial na definição de melhores estratégias de uso do solo. Este estudo teve por objetivo avaliar diferentes frações da MOS e os estoques de C e N de Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico típico muito argiloso submetido a diferentes sistemas de uso e manejo: mata nativa (MTN), eucalipto (EUC), pinus (PIN), pastagem (PAS), milho no sistema de cultivo mínimo (MCM) e milho no sistema plantio convencional (MPC). As amostras de solo foram coletadas em setembro de 2004, nas profundidades de 0-10, 10-20 e 20-40 cm, para avaliação dos estoques de carbono orgânico (CO) e N total (NT); de 0-5 e 0-10 cm, para realização do fracionamento físico-densimétrico da MO; e de 0-5 cm, para avaliação do C da biomassa microbiana (Cmic). O estoque de CO na área de eucalipto foi maior do que o determinado na área de mata. A proporção relativa do CO nas frações da MOS aumentou na seguinte ordem: C-argila > C-silte > C-areia > C FL. A maior parte (> 90 %) do CO está associada à fração pesada da MOS, com valores próximos a 98 % nos sistemas cultivados com milho (MPC e MCM). Em relação aos teores de CO, o Cmic e o C da fração leve (C FL) são indicadores mais sensíveis das alterações decorrentes da adoção de diferentes sistemas de uso e manejo sobre os compartimentos da matéria orgânica do Latossolo.

Cell polarity in plants: a PARspective on PINs.

Plants have acquired the ability for organized multicellular development independent from animals. Because of this, they represent an independent example in nature for the development of coordinated, complex cell polarity from the simple polarity found in unicellular eukaryotes. Plants display a striking array of polarized cell types, with different axes of polarity being defined in one cell. The most investigated and best understood aspect of plant polarity is the apical-basal polarity of the PIN family of auxin efflux facilitators, which are of crucial importance for the organization of the entire plant body. Striking differences exist between the PAR-polarity modules known in animals and the ways PINs polarize plant cells. Nonetheless, a common regulatory logic probably applies to all polarizing eukaryotic cells, which includes self-reinforcing, positive feedback loops, intricate interactions between membrane-attached proteins, lipid signatures, and the targeting of transmembrane proteins to the correct domains of the plasma membrane.

Growth of seedlings of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (l.) millsp), wand riverhemp (Sesbania virgata (cav.) pers.), and lead tree (Leucaena leucocephala (lam.) de wit) in an arsenic-contaminated soil

Phytoremediation strategies utilize plants to decontaminate or immobilize soil pollutants. Among soil pollutants, metalloid As is considered a primary concern as a toxic element to organisms. Arsenic concentrations in the soil result from anthropogenic activities such as: the use of pesticides (herbicides and fungicides); some fertilizers; Au, Pb, Cu and Ni mining; Fe and steel production; coal combustion; and as a bi-product during natural gas extraction. This study evaluated the potential of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), wand riverhemp (Sesbania virgata), and lead tree (Leucaena leucocephala) as phytoremediators of soils polluted by As. Soil samples were placed in plastic pots, incubated with different As doses (0; 50; 100 and 200 mg dm-3) and then sown with seeds of the three species. Thirty (pigeon pea) and 90 days after sowing, the plants were evaluated for height, collar diameter and dry matter of young, intermediate and basal leaves, stems and roots. Arsenic concentration was determined in different aged leaves, stems and roots to establish the translocation index (TI) between the plant root system and aerial plant components and the bioconcentration factors (BF). The evaluated species showed distinct characteristics regarding As tolerance, since the lead tree and wand riverhemp were significantly more tolerant than pigeon pea. The high As levels found in wand riverhemp roots suggest the existence of an efficient accumulation and compartmentalization mechanism in order to reduce As translocation to shoot tissues. Pigeon pea is a sensitive species and could serve as a potential bioindicator plant, whereas the other two species have potential for phytoremediation programs in As polluted areas. However, further studies are needed with longer exposure times in actual field conditions to reach definite conclusions on relative phytoremediation potentials.

Acquisitions de la littérature en médecine interne générale ambulatoire en 2010 [2010 findings from literature on general internal ambulatory medicine].

From our reading over the current year 2010 we have singled out 8 items which seem to us significant for the practice of medicine. Small doses of colchicine are useful in the treatment of gout. No efficacious treatment for muscular cramps can be recommended. A cervical collar can be usefully prescribed for the treatment of cervical radiculopathy. A single dose of azithromycin can be envisaged as a third line treatment of syphilis. High doses of vitamin D should not be prescribed for the prevention of fractures in elderly women because of the risks of falling. The wearing of bifocals can be associated with these risks. A clinical score is available to help with the diagnosis of thoracic pain. The NT-pro BNP is of limited use for the follow-up of patients suffering from heart failure.