A randomized trial of 5 versus 7 French guiding catheters for transfemoral percutaneous coronary stent implantation

Comparative studies between 5 French guiding catheter and others of larger size using the transfemoral approach to coronary stenting have not been described. Coronary stent implantation was performed in 90 patients in a randomized trial. The primary end-point was to compare the incidence of successful uncomplicated stent implantation per lesion with the 5F and 7F guiding catheters. Patients were excluded for excessive vessel tortuosity or anticipated need for equipment not fitting through a 5 catheter. Baseline characteristics and the use of direct stenting did not differ between the two groups. The primary success rate was 97.8% per patient in both groups and 98% per lesion in the 5 French and 97.9% in the 7 French. Guiding catheter change was necessary in 1 patient in each group to successfully complete the procedure in both groups. The amount of contrast used was 63 +/- 27.3 mL in the 5 French and 76 +/- 25 mL in the 7 French groups (P < 0.05). Vascular complications and blood transfusions occurred somewhat more frequently in the 7 French group (P = 0.058). The manual compression time after sheath removal was 5.1 +/- 2.0 min and 8.0 +/- 4.3 min, respectively, in the 5 and 7 French groups (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the 5 French guiding catheters showed a similar success rate with coronary stenting when compared to the 7 French, but the amount of contrast used and manual compression time after sheath removal, as well as the rate of vascular and bleeding complications, were reduced in the 5 French group.

Differential effects of coffee on the risk of type 2 diabetes according to meal consumption in a French cohort of women: the E3N/EPIC cohort study

Background: Coffee consumption has been associated with a lower risk of diabetes, but little is known about the mechanisms responsible for this association, especially related to the time when coffee is consumed. Objective: We examined the long-term effect of coffee, globally and according to the accompanying meal, and of tea, chicory, and caffeine on type 2 diabetes risk. Design: This was a prospective cohort study including 69,532 French women, aged 41-72 y from the E3N/EPIC (Etude Epidemiologique aupres de Femmes de la Mutuelle Generale de l`Education Nationale/European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) cohort study, without diabetes at baseline. Food and drink intakes per meal were assessed by using a validated diet-history questionnaire in 1993-1995. Results: During a mean follow-up of 11 y, 1415 new cases of diabetes were identified. In multivariable Cox regression models, the hazard ratio in the highest category of coffee consumption [>= 3 cups (375 mL)/d] was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.61, 0.87; P for trend < 0.001), in comparison with no coffee consumption. This inverse association was restricted to coffee consumed at lunchtime (hazard ratio: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.57, 0.76) when comparing >1.1 cup (125 mL)/meal with no intake. At lunchtime, this inverse association was observed for both regular and decaffeinated coffee and for filtered and black coffee, with no effect of sweetening. Total caffeine intake was also associated with a statistically significantly lower risk of diabetes. Neither tea nor chicory consumption was associated with diabetes risk. Conclusions: Our data support an inverse association between coffee consumption and diabetes and suggest that the time of drinking coffee plays a distinct role in glucose metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr 2010; 91: 1002-12.

Prevention of Salmonella Typhimurium colonization and organ invasion by combination treatment in broiler chicks

The effects in broiler chicks of treatment with a competitive exclusion (CE) product, an experimental dietary probiotic, and the abiotic beta-glucan on cecal colonization, organ invasion, and serum and intestinal IgG and IgA levels to Salmonella challenge was evaluated. Four groups of 1-d-old chicks were treated by oral gavage on d 1 with an appropriate dose of a commercial CE product. Three groups received daily doses of probiotic, beta-glucan, or both, for 6 d. Three other groups were fed daily from d 1 onwards with probiotic, beta-glucan, or both. Subgroups of 30 chicks from each group were challenged on d 1, 9, 16, or 23 with 10(7) cfu/mL of Salmonella Typhimurium (1769NR) and killed 7 d later. Control groups were maintained untreated and remained unchallenged (negative control), or were challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium (1769NR; positive control), as described above. Cecum, liver, and spleen samples were examined for the presence of Salmonella, whereas serum and intestinal fluid samples were assayed for total antibody (IgG and IgA) concentrations. Data were analyzed by 1-way ANOVA, and means were compared using Duncan`s multiple range test. In comparison with other treatments, those involving CE product and beta-glucan, with or without probiotic during the first week, resulted in a superior inhibition of cecal colonization and organ invasion by Salmonella and also offered a higher level of protection (P < 0.05). During the second week, treatments containing experimental dietary probiotic and beta-glucan, with or without CE product, resulted in an inhibition of liver invasion (P < 0.05). The IgA levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in intestinal fluid compared with serum, whereas IgG had low levels. The results in the first and third week indicate that combination treatments involving CE product, probiotic, and beta-glucan are a more effective control of Salmonella colonization than the corresponding individual preparations.

Oral status and Candida colonization in patients with Sjogren`s Syndrome

Objective: To determine the oral status, salivary flow rate, Candida carriage in saliva, and prevalence of Candida albicans colonization in several areas of the mouth in patients with primary and secondary Sjogren`s syndrome as opposed to those of healthy subjects. Study design: Thirty-seven patients with Sjogren`s syndrome (SS), [14 patients with primary SS (SS-1) and 23 patients with secondary SS (SS-2)], along with 37 healthy controls were examined in regard to number of teeth, pro-bing pocket depth (PPD), approximal plaque index (API), bleeding on probing (BOP), presence of prosthetic appliances and smoking habits. Salivary flow rate (SFR), Candida carriage in saliva, presence of Candida albicans colonization on buccal, angular, palatal and sulcular areas, on dentures and on the tongue`s dorsal surface were determined. Statistical analyses were performed using the 2-tailed Fisher exact and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: No statistically significant difference was found between SS-1 and SS-2 groups based on the parameters analysed. Statistically significant differences were observed between patients with SS and healthy subjects in terms of SFR, oral signs and symptoms, API, BOP, C. albicans colonization on tongue and buccal area, and Candida carriage in saliva. In the gingival crevicular fluid positive C. albicans colonization was found in only one subject of SS subgroup. Conclusions: SS patients carry a higher risk of having periodontitis and are more predisposed to develop candidiasis. C. albicans is scarcely detected in gingival crevicular fluid despite high scores on C. albicans colonization in different areas of the oral cavity in SS patients.

Oral Colonization of Streptococcus mutans in Six-month-old Predentate Infants

We hypothesize that S. mutans colonization occurs more frequently in pre-term children due to their relative immaturity. In this study of 172 predentate, six-month-old infants, we found that 50% of pre-term and 60% of full-term children harbored S. mutans. The colonization was confirmed by repeat sampling. Although there were minor differences, factors associated with S. mutans infection in pre-term and full-term infants were generally similar. In both groups, increased frequency of sugar was ranked the most important factor (p < 0.001), followed by breast-feeding (p < 0.001), and habits which allowed saliva transfer from mother to infant (p < 0.01). By contrast, non-colonization of S. mutans was associated with multiple courses of antibiotics (p < 0.001). Compared with pre-term children, there were higher percentages of full-term who had night feedings and consumed sugar during sleep times. Mothers with infected infants had S. mutans levels > 5 x 10(5) CFU/mL saliva (p < 0.001), poorer oral hygiene,, more periodontal disease, and lower socio-economic status (P < 0.02) and snacked frequently (p < 0.001), compared with mothers with non-infected infants.

Identical digeneans in coral reef fishes from French Polynesia and the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) demonstrated by morphology and molecules

Three coral reef fish species, Zanclus cornutus, Chaetodon vagabundus and Naso lituratus, were collected in French Polynesia and on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. These fish species were each infected by one morphologically similar digenean species in both localities; Schistorchis Zancli Hanson, 1953 was found in Zanclus cornutus. Preptetos laguncula Bray and Cribb, 1996 in Naso lituratus and Neohypocreadium dorsoporum Machida and Uchida, 1987 in Chaetodon vagabundus. In addition, on the Great Barrier Reef P. laguncula was also found in Naso unicornis and N. dorsoporum in Chaetodon ephippium and Chaetodon flavirostris. Morphometric differences between the species from the two sites were only slight. Sequences from the second internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal DNA of each worm revealed total homology or negligible divergence between samples from hosts caught in French Polynesia and on the Great Barrier Reef. These results show that across more than 6000 km these digeneans are similar in morphology and genotype. Some species of fishes and molluscs a-re considered to have distributions that encompass the entire tropical Indo-West Pacific. These findings suggest that at least some of their parasites have similarly broad distributions. (C) 2001 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Masculine, feminine or neutral? In-company equal opportunities policies in Irish and French MNC retailing

Several problematic aspects of women's paid employment - e.g. low pay and lack of promotional opportunities - are exacerbated by the segregation of women and men into different occupations. In this article, the potential of in-store equal opportunities policies to break down such gender segregation will be explored, through consideration of the existence and implementation of these policies in twenty-two multinational retail companies in Dublin and Paris. It will be argued that, with one notable exception, the instore equal opportunities policies are effectively neutralized, and furthermore are neutralized in nationally specific ways which can be related to differences between France and Ireland in the organization of labour-market regulation and in women's labour-force participation (LFP). The case-study findings also suggest that the 'country' variable has a stronger effect on the existence and implementation of these policies than the extent of a shop's links to an overseas headquarters. The findings of this study have implications for both the equity of women's incorporation into the paid labour force and understanding of aspects of HRM in branches of multinational companies.

Translation of the leisure satisfaction scale into French: A validity study

Presents a study which described the process of translating an English standardized assessment into another language. Details of the study design; Translation of the Leisure Satisfaction Scale (LSS) into French using the translation/validation methodologies; Correlations between both language versions of LSS.

Lepocreadiinae lepocreadiids (Digenea) from tetraodontiform fishes in the waters off Tasmania, Queensland and Moorea, French Polynesia

Two new species of Pseudocreadium are described from off northern Tasmania, P maturini sp. nov. from Meuschenia freycineti and P aubreyi sp. nov. from Acanthaluteres vittiger. They differ from the only other recognised species in the genus by the number of ovarian lobes and by size, and they differ from each other by size, shape, caecal length, forebody length, pre-oral lobe size, uterine position, excretory vesicle length and oral sucker shape. Lobatocreadium exiguum is redescribed from Sufflamen bursa, off Moorea, French Polynesia and Abalistes stellatus, Swain Reefs, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Records and measurements are given for Hypocreadium cavum from Sufflamen fraenatus and Lepotrema clavatum from Melichthys vidua, both off Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

Analysis of toxin profiles in three different fish species causing ciguatera fish poisoning in Guadeloupe, French West Indies

A grey snapper (Lutjanus griseus), a grouper (Serranidae) and a blackjack (Caranx lugubris) were implicated in three different ciguatera poisonings in Guadeloupe, French West Indies. A mouse bioassay indicated toxicity for each specimens: 0.5-1, greater than or equal to 1 and > 1 M Ug g(-1), respectively. After purification by gel filtration chromatography, the samples were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The toxin profiles differ from one fish to another. C-CTX-1 was detected at 0.24, 0.90 and 13.8 ng g(-1) flesh in the snapper, grouper and jack, respectively. It contributed only to part of the whole toxicity determined by the mouse bioassay. Other toxins identified were C-CTX-2 (a C-CTX-1 epimer), three additional isomers of C-CTX-1 or -2, and five ciguatoxin congeners (C-CTX-1127, C-CTX-1143 and its isomer C-CTX-1143a, and C-CTX-1157 and its isomer C-CTX-1157b). Putative hydroxy-polyether-like compounds were also detected in the flesh of the grouper with [M+ + H](+) ions at m/z 851.51, 857.50, 875.51, 875.49 and 895.54 Da. Some of these compounds have the same mass range as some known dinoflagellate toxins. In conclusion, this study confirms the usefulness of LC-MS analysis to determine the ciguatoxins levels and the toxin profile in fish flesh hazardous to humans.