Extra microchromosome mosaicism in amniotic cells confirmed in fetal tissues.

Mosaicism for an extra microchromosome was discovered in amniotic cell cultures of a 39-year-old woman. Using G, Q, C bands and silver staining, it was concluded that the extra chromosome was bisatellited. Parents' karyotype was normal. Parents elected for termination of the pregnancy. The presence of the extra microchromosome was confirmed in various tissues of the aborted fetus. The literature on the subject is briefly reviewed.

Den uppnådda medborgarfredens betydelse och förpliktelse (Tal, hållet i november 1939 under tiden för den extra reservövningen vid en fest I Mässhallen)

Puhe

O Enfermeiro e a Humanização de Cuidados na Morte e no Morrer no Contexto Hospitalar

A Morte é uma realidade comum a todos os seres vivos. É um facto que acontece quase sempre no Hospital, sendo o enfermeiro responsável pela garantia de cuidados prestados. Considera-se que os cuidados humanizados surgiram como uma necessidade premente dos utentes no processo da morte. Nesta ordem de ideias, achou-se importante desenvolver um estudo intitulado “O Enfermeiro e a Humanização de Cuidados na Morte e no Morrer no Contexto Hospitalar”, com o objectivo geral de identificar conhecimentos sobre a humanização dos cuidados de enfermagem no processo da morte e do morrer, na perspectiva dos Enfermeiros do Serviço de Medicina do Hospital Baptista de Sousa, visando melhorar a qualidade dos serviços prestados e a satisfação dos utentes. Como requisito metodológico, optou-se por um estudo de carácter qualitativo, através de pesquisas bibliográficas e da aplicação de uma entrevista, com a finalidade de recolher informações coerentes sobre a respectiva temática. Como instrumento de recolha de dados, optou-se por um Guião de entrevista semiestruturada, na qual participaram seis enfermeiros do Serviço de Medicina. Com a pesquisa bibliográfica foi possível aprofundar os conhecimentos necessários para uma melhor compreensão dos conceitos relacionados com o tema. Dos resultados obtidos, para além da caracterização demográfica dos enfermeiros de saúde entrevistados, constatou-se que estes têm alguma noção da humanização de cuidados no processo da morte. Na prática aplicam as noções de humanização nos cuidados, proporcionando melhor qualidade de vida aos utentes. Contudo, constatou-se que a maioria nunca teve uma preparação para enfrentar a morte. Esta pesquisa nos demonstra a realidade vivida pelos enfermeiros perante a morte e os sentimentos que experimentam após a ocorrência da morte de um utente, nomeadamente: solidão, tristeza, impotência, raiva, frustração, etc. Os resultados desta investigação, poderão servir como fonte de informação para o Serviço de Medicina, na adopção de novas medidas que visam melhorar os cuidados de enfermagem prestados, como também, contribuir para a satisfação dos utentes. Uma das medidas que poderão vir a ser adoptadas é a formação específica na área, que poderá ser ministrada no hospital ou nas universidades. Seminários sobre o tema poderão também ser de capital importância.

Extra burden of psychosomatic complaints among adolescents suffering from chronic conditions.

OBJECTIVE:: To determine whether there are differences in health perception and health care use among adolescents with psychosomatic symptoms (PS), with chronic conditions (CCs), and with both conditions compared with healthy controls. METHODS:: By using the SMASH02 database, 4 groups were created: youths with PS but no CCs (N = 1010); youths with CCs but no PS (N = 497); youths with both psychosomatic symptoms and chronic conditions (PSCC, N = 213); and youths with neither PS nor CC (control, N = 5709). We used χ tests and analysis of variance to compare each variable between the 4 groups. In a second step, all health and health care use variables were included in a multinomial regression analysis controlling for significant (p < .05) background variables and using the control group as the reference. RESULTS:: Overall, PS and PSCC youths were significantly more likely to rate their health as poor, to be depressed, and to have consulted several times their primary health care provider or a mental health professional than their healthy peers. With the exception of being depressed, PSCC adolescents reported worse health perception and higher health care use than CC and PS. CONCLUSIONS:: Although PS youths do not define PS as a CC, it should be considered as one. Moreover, having PS represents an additional burden to chronically ill adolescents. Health professionals dealing with adolescents must be aware of the deleterious health effects that PS can have on adolescents and have this diagnosis in mind to better target the treatment and improve their management.

La dyspnée laryngée paroxystique: une manifestation extra-oesophagienne peu connue du reflux gastro-oesophagien [Gastroesophageal reflux: a possible cause of paroxysmal laryngeal dyspnea]

An important number of patients are referred to the ENT specialist because of extraoesophageal manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux. The most alarming symptom is a paroxysmal dyspnea secondary to a laryngospasm. The patients report a laryngeal choking sensation associated to an aphonia. We report three cases of laryngospasm secondary to acid gastric reflux. The diagnosis was made with the clinical history, a laryngeal examination and a 24-hour pH-monitoring enabled us to demonstrate a clear temporal relation between the reflux episodes and the choking episodes. In conclusion, the pharyngo-laryngeal reflux is a possible cause of laryngospasm. In our three patients, a high dose antiacid treatment was efficient to bring a lasting relief of the symptoms.

Neuropsychological outcome after extra-temporal epilepsy surgery.

BACKGROUND: The neuropsychological results of temporal lobe epilepsy surgery are well reported in the literature. The aim of this study was to analyse the neuropsychological outcome in a consecutive series of patients with extra-temporal epilepsy. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the data of patients operated between 1996 and 2008 for extra-temporal epilepsy. Standard neuropsychological tests were applied. We assessed the neuropsychological outcome after surgery and the correlation of the neuropsychological outcome with (1) side and localisation of surgery, (2) Engel scale for seizure outcome and (3) timing of surgery. FINDINGS: Patients had a better neuropsychological outcome when undergoing non-frontal resection [χ2 (2) =6.66, p = 0.036]. Subjects who had undergone left or right resection showed no difference in outcome [χ2 (2) =0.533, p = 0.766]. The correlation between the Engel scale for seizure re-occurence and the neuropsychological scores showed only a tendency for better outcome (Spearman ρ = -0.437; p = 0.069). The global measure of change did not correlate significantly with delay of surgery (Spearman ρ = -0.163; p = 0.518). CONCLUSIONS: Resective epilepsy surgery improves neuropsychological status outcome in patients with extra-temporal epilepsy even if the patient did not become seizure free. The outcome is better for non-frontal localisation.

Monsieur Badin : scène de la vie de bureau, saynète en 1 acte (Paris, Grand-Guignol, 13 avril 1897) ; et l'Extra-Lucide : saynète en 1 acte (Paris, Carillon, 17 mai 1897) / Georges Courteline

Collection : Les pièces à succès ; N° 18

Cross-amplification of polymorphic microsatellites reveals extra-pair paternity and brood parasitism in Sturnus vulgaris

We tested the cross-amplification of 37 microsatellites in a population of starlings (Stumus vulgaris). Twenty-three of them amplified and five exhibited a large number of alleles per locus and high heterozygosity (on average: 14.6 alleles/locus and H. = 0.704). We assessed the occurrence of extra-pair paternity (EPP) and intraspecific brood parasitism GBP) in this population. The EPP rate was 16% to 18% offspring from 43% to 45% of nests. IBP was very variable between two successive years (14% to 27% chicks from 25% to 64% of clutches). These five polymorphic markers will be of potential use in studies of genetic diversity, population structure and reproductive strategy of this species.

Extra-pair paternity, testes size and testosterone level in relation to colour polymorphism in the barn owl Tyto alba

In many bird populations, individuals display one of several genetically inherited colour morphs. Colour polymorphism can be maintained by several mechanisms one of which being frequency-dependent selection with colour morphs signalling alternative mating strategies. One morph may be dominant and territorial, and another one adopt a sneaky behaviour to gain access to fertile females. We tested this hypothesis in the barn owl Tyto alba in which coloration varies from reddish-brown to white. This trait is heritable and neither sensitive to the environment in which individuals live nor to body condition. In Switzerland, reddish-brown males were observed to feed their brood at a higher rate and to produce more offspring than white males. This observation lead us to hypothesize that white males may equalise fitness by investing more effort in extra-pair copulations. This hypothesis predicts that lighter Coloured males produce more extra-pair young, have larger testes and higher levels of circulating testosterone. However, our results are not consistent with these three predictions. First, paternity analyses of 54 broods with a total of 211 offspring revealed that only one young was not sired by the male that was feeding it. Second, testes size was not correlated with male plumage coloration suggesting that white males are not sexually more active. Finally, in nestlings at the time of feather growth testosterone level was not related to plumage coloration suggesting that this androgen is not required for the expression of this plumage trait. Our study therefore indicates that in the barn owl colour polymorphism plays no role in the probability of producing extra-pair young.