Measles immunity and measles vaccine acceptance among healthcare workers in Paris, France.

BACKGROUND: In Europe, including France, a measles outbreak has been ongoing since 2008. Unprotected healthcare workers (HCWs) may contract and spread the infection to patients. AIM: The objective of this study was to evaluate HCWs' measles immunity and vaccine acceptance in our setting. METHODS: In a survey-based study conducted in three university hospitals in Paris, 351 HCWs were included between April and June 2011. The following data were collected at enrolment: age, hospital unit, occupation, history of measles infection and vaccination, previous measles serology and acceptance of a measles vaccination in case of seronegativity. Sera were tested for the presence of specific anti-measles IgG antibodies using the CAPTIA(®) measles enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. FINDINGS: The mean age of the participating HCWs was 36 years (range: 18-67) and 278 (79.2%) were female. In all, 104 four persons (29.6%) declared a history of measles, and 90 (25.6%) declared never having received a measles vaccination. Among the 351 HCWs included in the study, 322 (91.7%) were immunized against measles (IgG >90 mIU/mL). The risk factors for not being protected were age [18-29 years, adjusted odds ratio: 2.7 (95% confidence interval: 1.1-6.9) compared with ≥30 years], no history of measles infection or vaccination. The global acceptance rate for a measles vaccination, before knowing their results, was 78.6%. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of HCWs, 8.3% were susceptible to measles; the group most represented were aged <30 years. Acceptance of the measles vaccine was high. A vaccination campaign in healthcare settings should target specifically healthcare students and junior HCWs.

[Metal fume fever, an almost forgotten disease]. / La fièvre des fondeurs, une pathologie presque oubliée.

Metal fume fever is an ancient and almost forgotten occupational disease found among welders. Diagnosis is made difficult by the frequency and the non-specific flue-like symptomatology. We present the cases of three patients admitted for developing the symptoms after being exposed to welding fumes. Treatment was symptom based. Severe cases have been described after exposure to military fumes.

Telemedicine diagnosis for fetal alcohol syndrome - The Manitoba experience.

The diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome has been possible, with increasing precision, since the original descriptions in the 1970s. Multidisciplinary diagnostic approaches have been recognized as most appropriate, although they are often not available. Telemedicine has been used in Canada over the same time period for a variety of diagnositc applications.Since 1999, funding by the Manitoba government has allowed the consolidation of services for children with prenatal alcohol exposure in Manitoba, and has allowed the development of a format for diagnosis using telemedicine.This paper describes the authors' experience with the above and offers observations that may be helpful to other programs that are focused on developing this format for the diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Enhancement of modal feedback in unstable resonators using mirrors with a phase step.

Numerical calculations using the Prony method have shown that the feedback coefficient in unstable laser resonators can be increased by factors of as much as 5 over the geometrical value using a mirror with a phase step at its center. A phase shift of close to pi over an area of an equivalent Fresnel number of 0.5 leads to minimum output losses. Experiments with a TEA CO(2) laser confirm the prediction. The results can be attributed to a cancellation of the output wave by destructive interference, which confines the laser beam around the resonator axis.

HPLC analysis of antioxidants.

Qualitative and quantitative HPLC methods are described for the analysis of mixtures of twelve antioxidants. For identification of the components present, gradient elution with a convex profile from 35:65 v/v water-methanol to pure methanol is used, on a Waters 5 mum C(18) Resolve column, with an ultraviolet detector. Propyl gallate and methyl p-hydroxybenzoate cannot be separated, however. For quantitative analysis, with ultraviolet and electrochemical detectors in series, the 35:65 water-methanol mixture or pure methanol is used as the eluent, under isocratic conditions, with lithium perchlorate as supporting electrolyte. An applied potential ranging from +0.8 to + 1.7 V allows detection of all the antioxidants tested. Both modes of detection are very sensitive, with limits of detection as low as 61 pg (UV, methyl p-hydroxybenzoate) and 360 pg (electrochemistry, butylhydroxyanisole).

Correlación clínica, radiológica y patológica del timo en recién nacidos / Clinical, radiological and pathological correlation of thymus in newborn infants

Se estudiaron prospectivamente los timos de 30 neonatos fallecidos por diferentes causas (enfermedad de membrana hialina, 13 casos: infecciones graves, 11 casos; malformaciones congénitas, 4 casos y 2 casos de asfixia grave), sometidos a autopsia con el propósito de pesquisar los cambios morfológicos macro y microscópicos más frecuentes a nivel de dicho órgano. Se correlacionaron los hallazgos observados con los datos clínicos y la radiología. En los pacientes con enfermedad de membrana hialina se observó leve o moderada disminución del peso del timo con respecto a los valores de referencia y leve depleción de linfocitos corticales, cambios también observados en los casos con malformaciones y asfixia grave. Los recién nacidos fallecidos por infecciones graves presentaron disminución precoz y acentuada del peso tímico y severa depleción de linfocitos corticales, fenómeno en todo momento más marcado que en los restantes grupos. Se concluye que el hallazgo predominante en los pacientes estudiados es la involución tímica secundaria a estrés, cuya intensidad dependería del tipo y duración de la enfermedad principal, siendo más severa cuanto mayor tiempo de evolución. Destaca la variabilidad observada en las dimensiones de los timos de sujetos de características físicas semejantes y la falta de correlación precisa entre las mediciones radiológicas y las de autopsia con respecto al tamaño del timo

Nephrotoxicity of orellanine, a toxin from the mushroom Cortinarius orellanus.

Pure orellanine extracted from the mushroom Cortinarius orellanus is highly toxic in mice both when given intraperitoneally (LD50 = 12.5 mg/kg) or per os (LD50 = 90 mg/kg). The kidneys of mice injected i.p. with orellanine show similar tubular necrosis to that obtained with whole mushroom given per os. This demonstrates that orellanine is the true, principal toxin of C. orellanus. The similarity of the structures of the toxin and of bipyridinium herbicides such as methylviologen (paraquat) or the nephrotoxic diquat led other authors to presume a similar mechanism for orellanine toxicity. Our study of the electrochemical behaviour of orellanine shows that its mechanism of action has to be different from that of these poisons.

Phytotoxicity of orellanine, a mushroom toxin.

Orellanine, a toxic principle of Cortinarius orellanus Fr., efficiently inhibited the photosynthetic activity of duckweed, Lemna minor L., at a concentration of 0.4 mM. A lower concentration (0.06 mM) blocked the O2 production in isolated spinach class A chloroplasts. However, no effect was observed on thylakoids (class C chloroplasts), showing that orellanine does not interfere with the chloroplastic electron transfer chain and that orellanine does not act like methylviologen (paraquat) in green plants, as previously suggested. An electrochemical study of orellanine and related compounds showed that orellanine can neither be reduced by electrons derived from H2O nor from NADPH, as is methylviologen in plant and animal cells, respectively.

[Not Available]. / Determination polarographique de facteurs vitaminiques P (rutine et ses derives).

Several flavonols of therapeutic interest on account of their vascular properties have been studied. They were all derived from the o-diphenol quercetol. Their electrochemical oxidation at a rotating solid electrode has been examined, and the choice of solvent and pH is discussed. Results obtained by d.c. and pulse polarography are presented. A relation between their structure and electrochemical behaviour has been established. Application to drug analysis is proposed, giving identification, determination and purity assay simultaneously. There is a linear response over the range 5 x 10(-6)-10(-4)M, a sufficient range for analysis of pharmaceuticals.

[Qualitative and quantitative determination of amino-2 benzimidazole in aqueous medium by polarography (author's transl)]. / Recherche et dosage de l'amino-2-benzimidazole en milieu aqueux par polarographie.

Amino-2 Benzimidazole, a residue of the decomposition of some fungicides (Benomyl, Carbendazine, Thiophanate, Methylthiophanate), is measured by polarography in aqueous medium, with a platinium rotating electrode, for the exploration in potentials from +0.5 v to 1.4 v. The best conditions for the quantitative determination are investigated, the study according to pH is performed and the standard curve is given for concentrations from 10(-5) to 10(-3) M/l. The interaction of elementts found in tap water and in aquarium water is also investigated.