Combined analysis of grey matter voxel-based morphometry and white matter tract-based spatial statistics in late-life bipolar disorder.

Background: Previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in young patients with bipolar disorder indicated the presence of grey matter concentration changes as well as microstructural alterations in white matter in various neocortical areas and the corpus callosum. Whether these structural changes are also present in elderly patients with bipolar disorder with long-lasting clinical evolution remains unclear. Methods: We performed a prospective MRI study of consecutive elderly, euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and healthy, elderly controls. We conducted a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis and a tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis to assess fractional anisotropy and longitudinal, radial and mean diffusivity derived by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Results: We included 19 patients with bipolar disorder and 47 controls in our study. Fractional anisotropy was the most sensitive DTI marker and decreased significantly in the ventral part of the corpus callosum in patients with bipolar disorder. Longitudinal, radial and mean diffusivity showed no significant between-group differences. Grey matter concentration was reduced in patients with bipolar disorder in the right anterior insula, head of the caudate nucleus, nucleus accumbens, ventral putamen and frontal orbital cortex. Conversely, there was no grey matter concentration or fractional anisotropy increase in any brain region in patients with bipolar disorder compared with controls. Limitations: The major limitation of our study is the small number of patients with bipolar disorder. Conclusion: Our data document the concomitant presence of grey matter concentration decreases in the anterior limbic areas and the reduced fibre tract coherence in the corpus callosum of elderly patients with long-lasting bipolar disorder.

Lapsilisälaki, 1K

Puhe

Genome-wide association analyses identify 18 new loci associated with serum urate concentrations.

Elevated serum urate concentrations can cause gout, a prevalent and painful inflammatory arthritis. By combining data from >140,000 individuals of European ancestry within the Global Urate Genetics Consortium (GUGC), we identified and replicated 28 genome-wide significant loci in association with serum urate concentrations (18 new regions in or near TRIM46, INHBB, SFMBT1, TMEM171, VEGFA, BAZ1B, PRKAG2, STC1, HNF4G, A1CF, ATXN2, UBE2Q2, IGF1R, NFAT5, MAF, HLF, ACVR1B-ACVRL1 and B3GNT4). Associations for many of the loci were of similar magnitude in individuals of non-European ancestry. We further characterized these loci for associations with gout, transcript expression and the fractional excretion of urate. Network analyses implicate the inhibins-activins signaling pathways and glucose metabolism in systemic urate control. New candidate genes for serum urate concentration highlight the importance of metabolic control of urate production and excretion, which may have implications for the treatment and prevention of gout.

Encuesta sobre las embarcaciones anchoveteras realizadas en junio de 1967

Describe el estado y la composición actual de la flota anchovetera en cuanto a sus características y equipos auxiliares de que está provista, se organizó y realizó una encuesta a 1536 embarcaciones que estuvieron en actividad de enero a junio de 1967.

Scar asymmetry after abdominoplasty: the unexpected role of seroma.

Achievement of symmetry remains one of the goals of cosmetic procedures. Interestingly, scar asymmetry after abdominoplasty has been rarely considered a complication. However, this can have a significant impact on patient and surgeon satisfaction. This study identifies silent seromas as a potential cause of scar asymmetry.Among abdominoplasty procedures in a university hospital institution over a 30 months' period (October 1, 2007 to April 1, 2010), we retrospectively identified 6 patients who developed abdominal scar asymmetry only 3 months postoperatively and without any early warning complications (hematoma, seroma, or infection). Clinical examination was completed by abdominal diagnostic ultrasonography. Seroma capsulectomy under local anesthesia was performed in all cases.In all patients clinically presenting late abdominal scar asymmetry, ultrasonography confirmed the presence of an encapsulated chronic seroma. Surgical capsulectomy under local anesthesia resulted in reestablishment of former symmetry and high patient satisfaction. No complications such as wound infection, dehiscence, hematoma, or recurrence of seroma were detected after revision surgery.In our experience, fibrous capsule due to chronic seromas resulted in abdominal scar deviation and asymmetry. Surgical capsulectomy followed by wearing of compressive garments resulted to be an effective treatment with pleasant aesthetic outcome and no seroma recurrence. Silent seromas should be considered as a possible etiologic factor of scar asymmetries appearing during late follow-up after abdominoplasty.

An in vivo ultrahigh field 14.1 T (1) H-MRS study on 6-OHDA and α-synuclein-based rat models of Parkinson's disease: GABA as an early disease marker.

The detection of Parkinson's disease (PD) in its preclinical stages prior to outright neurodegeneration is essential to the development of neuroprotective therapies and could reduce the number of misdiagnosed patients. However, early diagnosis is currently hampered by lack of reliable biomarkers. (1) H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) offers a noninvasive measure of brain metabolite levels that allows the identification of such potential biomarkers. This study aimed at using MRS on an ultrahigh field 14.1 T magnet to explore the striatal metabolic changes occurring in two different rat models of the disease. Rats lesioned by the injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in the medial-forebrain bundle were used to model a complete nigrostriatal lesion while a genetic model based on the nigral injection of an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector coding for the human α-synuclein was used to model a progressive neurodegeneration and dopaminergic neuron dysfunction, thereby replicating conditions closer to early pathological stages of PD. MRS measurements in the striatum of the 6-OHDA rats revealed significant decreases in glutamate and N-acetyl-aspartate levels and a significant increase in GABA level in the ipsilateral hemisphere compared with the contralateral one, while the αSyn overexpressing rats showed a significant increase in the GABA striatal level only. Therefore, we conclude that MRS measurements of striatal GABA levels could allow for the detection of early nigrostriatal defects prior to outright neurodegeneration and, as such, offers great potential as a sensitive biomarker of presymptomatic PD.

Epidemiologic study of low back pain in 1398 Swiss conscripts between 1985 and 1992.

The two objectives of this study, based on a sample of 1398 Swiss army conscripts born in 1966 who participated in a first study in 1985, were to measure the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) at age 26 years and its incidence between 19 and 26 years and to analyze the relationship between LBP and occupational, nonoccupational, or physical risk factors. The lifetime prevalence of LBP at age 26 was 69.1% and the incidence of LBP between 19 and 26, 44.7%. A history of LBP or a pathological physical examination result at age 19 did not predict the prevalence or the incidence at age 26. Standing, twisting, vibration, and heavy work were significantly associated with chronic LBP and/or the 1-year prevalence of LBP at age 26 (P < 0.05). The evolution of sport and leisure-time activities from age 19 to 26 did not differ between people with or without LBP. The ergonomic organization of the workplace should represent a major element of future strategies to prevent LBP.

Le pasteur pentecôtiste : un fil conducteur entre le ciel et la terre

Cet article se propose de prendre pour objet deux assemblées pentecôtistes de l'Est de la France - l'Église Évangélique de Pentecôte de Besançon (Franche-Comté) et la Porte Ouverte Chrétienne de Mulhouse (Alsace) - qui ont fait l'objet d'investigations ethnographiques dans le cadre de notre thèse de doctorat. Après avoir situé ces deux assemblées dans la mouvance du pentecôtisme français, nous nous sommes concentré sur la figure du pasteur pentecôtiste. L'exemplarité de l'histoire de vie des pasteurs, le rôle centrale que jouent ces derniers dans la « mise en présence » du Saint Esprit durant le culte et l'inspiration divine dont sont supposés être imprégnés leurs enseignements bibliques légitiment ce personnage dans sa fonction d'intermédiaire incontournable dans la relation entre le fidèle et son Dieu, alors même que le pentecôtisme s'inscrit historiquement dans la mouvance évangélique qui valorise la relation personnelle du chrétien né de nouveau avec son créateur. This paper considers two Pentecostal assemblies in Eastern France - the Église Évangélique de Pentecôte of Besançon (Franche-Comté) and the Porte Ouverte Chrétienne of Mulhouse (Alsace) - I have investigated for my PhD research, following an ethnographical method. After located these two assemblies in the sphere of influence of the French Pentecostalism, we focused on the Pentecostal pastor figure. The exemplary nature of the story of life of the pastors, the central role that pastors play in encounters with divine during the cult and the divine inspiration of their biblical educations legitimize this figure like inescapable intermediary between the believer and his God. Even if Pentecostalism is historically part of the evangelical sphere of influence which values personal relationships of the born again Christian with his creator.

Finasteride-related Leydig cell tumour: report of a case and literature review.

Leydig cell tumours (LCTs) of the testis are rare. Their origin is still unknown. This case report describes a potential relationship between LCT and prolonged exposure to Finasteride.

Enseignement de recommandations pour la pratique: la prévention et le dépistage [Teaching practice recommendations: prevention and screening].

The aim of this article is to provide guidance to family doctors on how to tutor students about effective screening and primary prevention. Family doctors know their patients and adapt national and international guidelines to their specific context, risk profile, sex and age as well as to the prevalence of the disorders under consideration. Three cases are presented to illustrate guideline use according to the level of evidence (for a 19-year-old man, a 60-year-old woman, and an 80-year-old man). A particular strength of family medicine is that doctors see their patients over the years. Thus they can progressively go through the various prevention strategies, screening, counselling and immunisation, accompanying their patients with precious advice for their health throughout their lifetime.

Biomasas de especies pelágicas en el mar peruano a comienzos de otoño de 1998. Crucero BIC Humboldt 9803-05 de Tumbes a Tacna

Se estimó la biomasa de las especies pelágicas anchoveta, sardina, jurel, caballa y samasa mediante la técnica Hidroacústica, entre el 20 de marzo y el 7 de mayo de 1998, a bordo del BIC Humboldt, desde Caleta La Cruz, Tumbes hasta Los Palos, Tacna. El diseño para la obtención de datos fue el sistemático paralelo con transectos perpendiculares a la costa con una separación entre ellos de 12 mn. El equipo utilizado fue la ecosonda científica EK-500 SIMRAD de 38 y 120 kHz de frecuencia, en un rango de detección de 3,5 a 400 m de profundidad. Las calibraciones hidroacústicas se realizaron tanto en la isla Lobos de Afuera (6°55,2 'S y 80°43,7 'W) como en el Callao (12°S). La obtención de la biomasa se determinó por el método de estratificación por áreas isoparalitorales. Las ecuaciones de fuerza de blanco utilizadas fueron las determinadas en noviembre de 1997 por MAC LENNAN et al. y, en este crucero, por GUTIÉRREZ y MAC LENNAN.

Caracteristicas biológicas de la principales especies demersales acompañantes de la meluza en el área Puerto Pizarro a Huarmey. Crucero BIC José Olaya Balandra 9806-07

Resultados de los análisis de las características biológicas de las especies de peces demersales acompañantes de la merluza, durante el crucero de evaluación del recurso merluza BIC José Olaya 9806-07, en el comienzo del invierno 1998, entre Puerto Pizarro (3°29 'S) y Huarmey (10°5 'S), del 27 de junio al 13 de julio de 1998. De acuerdo a la composición de las capturas, las especies demersales que más destacaron después de Merluccius gayi peruanus (merluza), fueron: Prionotus stephanophrys (falso volador), Larimus pacificus (bereche), Paralabrax humeralis (cabrilla), Paralonchurus peruanus (coco o suco), Sciaena deliciosa (lorna) y Cynoscion analis (cachema), además de las especies pelágicas: Trachurus picturatus murphyi (jurel) y Scomber japonicus (caballa) que en conjunto, incluyendo a la merluza, representaron el 95,7% del total de la captura. Fue evidente observar en la mayoría de estos recursos un gradiente de estratificación latitudinal por tallas

Virkanimitykset, keskustelu välikysymyksestä

Puhe