1.12 Tb/s superchannel coherent PM-QPSK InP transmitter photonic integrated circuit (PIC).

In this work, a 10-wavelength, polarization-multiplexed, monolithically integrated InP coherent QPSK transmitter PIC is demonstrated to operate at 112 Gb/sec per wavelength and total chip superchannel bandwidth of 1.12 Tb/s. This demonstration suggests that increasing data capacity to multi-Tb/s per chip is possible and likely in the future.

Sevoflurane preconditioning at 1 MAC only provides limited protection in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery: a randomized bi-centre trial.

BACKGROUND: Volatile agents can mimic ischaemic preconditioning leading to a decrease in myocardial infarct size. The present study investigated if a 15 min sevoflurane administration before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has a cardioprotective effect in patients undergoing coronary surgery. METHODS: Seventy-two patients were randomized in two centres. The intervention group (S) received 1 MAC sevoflurane administrated via the ventilator for 15 min followed by a 15 min washout before CPB, the control group did not. The primary outcome was the postoperative troponin Ic peak. A biopsy of the atrium was taken during canulation for enzyme dosages. Results are expressed as mean (SD). RESULTS: Neither troponin Ic nor tissular enzyme measurement exhibited any difference between the groups: peak of troponin Ic was 4.4 (5.6) in S group vs 5.2 (6.6) ng ml(-1) in control group (ns). Intratissular ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity was 7.1 (4.3) vs 8.5 (11.9), protein kinase C activity was 27.1 (15.7) vs 29.2 (28.7), tyrosine kinase activity was 101 (54.1) vs 98.5 (63.3), and P38 MAPKinase activity was 131.1 (76.1) vs 127.1 (86.8) nmol mg protein(-1) min(-1) in S group and control group, respectively (ns). However there were fewer patients with low postoperative cardiac index in S group (11% in S vs 35% in control group, P < 0.05) when considering the per protocol population. In S group, 25% of patients required an inotropic support during the postoperative period, vs 36% of patients in control group (ns). CONCLUSIONS: This study did not show a significant preconditioning signal after 15 min of sevoflurane administration. The 15 min duration might be too short or the concentration of sevoflurane too low to induce cardioprotection detected by troponin I levels.

[Efficacy and safety of extended-release clarithromycin (5-day short-course) vs telithromycin, in acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis]. / Efficacité et tolérance de la clarithromycine, forme à libération modifiée en traitement court de cinq jours dans les exacerbations aiguës de bronchite chronique, comparativement à la télithromycine.

BACKGROUND: The extended-release formulation of clarithromycin (CLA-ER) allows using this macrolide as a single daily dose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the CLA-ER formulation (500 mgx2) vs telithromycin (TELI) (400 mgx2) as a short course 5-day treatment, once a day, in patients with AECB. METHOD: This randomized double-blind study was conducted in patients with AECB without severe airflow limitation (FEV1>35%), with sputum purulence (mandatory criterion), and with either increased sputum volume or increased dyspnea, or both (Anthonisen criteria I or II). RESULTS: Three hundred sixty-two patients were assessed (62.6 years of age+/-12.9, men: 58.8%) positive culture on inclusion for 53.8%, with Haemophilus influenzae (N=57), Moraxella catarrhalis (N=42), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (N=41). In the per protocol population, the clinical success rate at day 8 was 97% (161/166) vs 97% (146/151), 97.5% CI=[-4.12 -4.71], the clinical cure rate at day 30 was 78% (129/166) versus 77% (116/151), P=0.85, and mean time without recurrence was 62 days versus 61 days (P=0.51), in CLA-ER and TELI groups, respectively. Fourteen patients in the CLA-ER group (8.2%) and 20 patients in the TELI group (12.4%) experienced at least one treatment-related adverse event (P=0.21), upon which gastrointestinal events were the most commonly reported treatment-related ones. CONCLUSION: CLA-ER (1000 mg once a day) for 5 days is at least as effective as telithromycin in the treatment of AECB without severe airflow limitation and is well tolerated.

Lower respiratory tract illness and RSV prophylaxis in very premature infants.

AIMS: To determine the frequency of and the risk factors for readmissions for any lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI) and for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) documented LRTI in children born very prematurely who had or had not received RSV prophylaxis. METHODS: Multicentre prospective longitudinal cohort study of 2813 infants, born between April 2000 and December 2000 at less than 33 weeks of gestational age, and followed until the end of the epidemic season. RESULTS: Among the 2256 children who had no bronchopulmonary dysplasia at 36 weeks of postmenstrual age and were not submitted to RSV prophylaxis, 27.4% were readmitted at least once for any reason during the epidemic season; 15.1% and 7.2% were readmitted at least once for any LRTI and RSV related LRTI, respectively. Children born at less than 31 weeks' gestation, having an intrauterine growth restriction, or living in a single mother family were at a significantly higher risk of readmission for LRTI in general as well as for RSV related LRTI. Of the 376 children submitted to prophylaxis, 28.2% were readmitted at least once for any LRTI and 6.1% for RSV related LRTI. CONCLUSION: One out of four children who had received no prophylaxis, was born very prematurely, and was without bronchopulmonary dysplasia at 36 weeks of postmenstrual age, was readmitted at least once for any reason. Roughly 50% and 20% of these readmissions were related to a LRTI and an RSV infection, respectively. Further epidemiological studies are warranted to assess the aetiology and impact of other respiratory pathogens on post-discharge readmission and respiratory morbidity in this population.

Genetic and phenotypic characterization of macrolide resistance in group A streptococci isolated from adults with pharyngo-tonsillitis in France.

Three hundred and three strains of group A streptococci (GAS) isolated from adults with pharyngitis were tested to evaluate their phenotype of resistance to macrolides-lincosamides and to search for macrolide resistance genes. MICs of clarithromycin were determined. The overall rate of resistance to both erythromycin and clarithromycin was 9.6%. Constitutive, inducible and M phenotypes of resistance were detected in 4.3, 2 and 3.3% of strains, respectively. All constitutive phenotypes harboured ermB genes, whereas inducible phenotypes had the ermTR gene and M phenotypes had the mefA gene. In France, the current resistance rate of GAS to erythromycin and clarithromycin remains low.

Impacted teeth: prophylactic extractions or not?

Pathologic changes related to impacted teeth are infrequent. However, considerable damage to bone and adjacent teeth may result if they do occur. Four patients are described in whom different circumstances existed with impacted teeth. Extractions are indicated when the anatomic location of the impacted teeth is most favorable and when the patient's systemic and hematologic condition is least compromising, even if the teeth are asymptomatic at that time.

White phosphorus poisoning of waterfowl in an Alaskan salt marsh.

The cause of the yearly death of an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 migrating dabbling ducks (Anas spp.) and 10 to 50 swans (Cygnus buccinator and C. columbianus) has remained a mystery for the last ten years in Eagle River Flats (ERF), a 1,000 ha estuarine salt marsh near Anchorage, Alaska, used for artillery training by the U.S. Army. We have gathered evidence that the cause of this mortality is the highly toxic, incendiary munition white phosphorus (P4). The symptoms of poisoning we observed in wild ducks included lethargy, repeated drinking, and head shaking and rolling. Death was preceded by convulsions. Farm-reared mallards dosed with white phosphorus showed nearly identical behavioral symptoms to those of wild ducks that became sick in ERF. White phosphorus does not occur in nature but was found in both the sediments where dabbling ducks and swans feed and in the gizzards of all carcasses collected in ERF. We hypothesize that feeding waterfowl are ingesting small particles of the highly toxic, incendiary munition P4 stored in the bottom anoxic sediments of shallow salt marsh ponds.

[Effects of halogenated anesthetics on splanchnic hemodynamic in normo- and hypovolemic cirrhotic rats]. / Effets des agents anesthésiques halogénés sur l'hémodynamique splanchnique des rats cirrhotiques normo et hypovolémiques.

The effects of 1 MAC of either halothane, enflurane or isoflurane on splanchnic haemodynamics were studied in cirrhotic rats that were either normovolaemic or hypovolaemic from haemorrhage. A group of conscious rats acted as the control group. Bile duct ligation had been carried out in all the rats four weeks previously to induce cirrhosis. At the time of the study, all the rats were anaesthetized with ether for catheterization of the left femoral artery and vein, and the left ventricle via the right carotid. The control group was allowed to awake. When the other rats started to recover, they were artificially ventilated with room air and 1 MAC of the halogenated agent. Heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure were monitored continuously. Once the animals had remained steady for one hour, 1.25 ml of blood for 100 g body weight was removed over a 10 min period. PaO2, PaCO2, arterial pH, heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, cardiac index and regional blood flows (RBF) were measured before, and thirty minutes after the haemorrhage. Cardiac output and RBF were measured using the radioactive-labelled microsphere method. Only 32 animals were finally included, eight in each group. Splanchnic, portal and hepatic arterial blood flows were similar in conscious rats and in those receiving isoflurane or halothane, and were higher than in those receiving enflurane. The lowest splanchnic and portal venous blood flows were found in those rats receiving enflurane. After haemorrhage, these RBF decreased significantly in all groups except in the enflurane group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Physiopathology of cardio-circulatory accidents]. / Physiopathologie des accidents cardio-circulatoires.

The cardio-circulatory system is a transportation system which allows the oxygen to be brought to the organs and eliminates the carbon dioxide produced by these organs. It includes the heart and the vessels. The quantity of blood pulsed by the heart is called cardiac output (approximately 51/mn for an adult). When the needs in oxygen increase (exercise), the cardiac output increases. That increase is mostly related to an increase of the cardiac frequency (tachycardia). The vessels oppose a certain resistance to the blood flow. An inverse relation exist between cardiac output and vascularly resistance: physiologically, when one increases the other decreases and reciprocally. The mechanism and the symptomatology of cardio-circulatory accidents can be explained by alterations of the cardiac output and/or the vascularly resistances.

Hepatic blood flow in humans during isoflurane-N2O and halothane-N2O anesthesia.

Hepatic blood flow (HBF) (assessed by plasma clearance and hepatic extraction of indocyanine green), cardiac index, and hepatic venous oxygen saturation were measured in patients before and after induction of anesthesia with thiopental, fentanyl, and N2O, and again during halothane (1 MAC)-N2O (n = 5) or isoflurane (1 MAC)-N2O (n = 6) anesthesia before the start of surgery. Induction of anesthesia decreased HBF and cardiac index. Before administration of volatile anesthetics, both groups had similar values of HBF, cardiac index, and hepatic venous oxygen saturation. During anesthesia cardiac index remained stable in both groups, whereas HBF increased significantly with isoflurane but did not change significantly with halothane. Hepatic venous oxygen saturation was also significantly greater during isoflurane than during halothane anesthesia. We conclude that isoflurane increases HBF in anesthetized patients and is associated with a higher hepatic venous oxygen saturation than is halothane.

Effects of ketamine, halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane on systemic and splanchnic hemodynamics in normovolemic and hypovolemic cirrhotic rats.

The effects of ketamine, halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane on systemic and splanchnic hemodynamics in cirrhotic rats that were either normovolemic or hypovolemic following hemorrhage were characterized. Rats received at random either ketamine (30 mg/kg iv, 1.5 mg.kg-1.min-1 iv), halothane, enflurane, or isoflurane (1 MAC). Conscious rats were considered the control group. Four weeks before hemodynamic studies bile duct ligation was performed in all rats to induce cirrhosis. Hemodynamic measurements were performed using the radioactive microsphere method 1 h after the onset of anesthesia and 30 min after hemorrhage. Anesthetized rat lungs were mechanically ventilated with room air. Before hemorrhage cardiac index was higher in conscious rats and in rats receiving isoflurane than in the other groups (P less than 0.001). Hepatic arterial blood flow was similar in conscious rats and in those receiving isoflurane or halothane and was higher than in those receiving ketamine or enflurane. The lowest splanchnic and portal venous tributary blood flows were observed in rats receiving enflurane. After hemorrhage cardiac index was significantly less than before hemorrhage in all groups, except in rats receiving enflurane. After hemorrhage portal venous tributary blood flow decreased significantly in all groups except in enflurane group. During halothane and enflurane anesthesia hepatic arterial blood flow and hepatic arterial fraction of cardiac output decreased (P less than 0.01) and they were maintained in the other groups. After hemorrhage hepatic arterial fraction of cardiac output in conscious rats was higher than in those receiving ketamine, halothane, or enflurane (P less than 0.05) and was similar to those receiving isoflurane.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparative effects of halothane and isoflurane anesthesia on the ultrastructure of human hepatic cells.

The effects of halothane and isoflurane on the ultrastructure of the liver cells in adult patients with normal liver-function tests were compared. After induction of anesthesia with thiopental, fentanyl, and pancuronium, 18 patients were randomly divided into three groups of six each. Anesthesia was maintained with droperidol (droperidol group), with halothane (1.7 MAC, halothane group), or with isoflurane (1.7 MAC, isoflurane group). During the surgical procedure, 1 hr after the induction, a liver biopsy was performed in each patient and processed for light and electron microscopy. All biopsies were normal on light microscopy. On electron microscopy, no mitochondrial abnormalities were found. In all three groups, irregular nuclear membranes, dilation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, and vesiculation of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum were seen, without any significant differences between the groups. There were significantly more lysosomes in the hepatocytes of patients receiving halothane than in the hepatocytes of patients receiving isoflurane or droperidol. This study shows that halothane can induce ultrastructure abnormalities very early after the beginning of its administration while, under the same conditions, isoflurane does not.

Congenital myopathy with progressive external ophthalmoplegia.

Progressive external ophthalmoplegia is associated with an increasingly heterogeneous group of neuromuscular disorders. We describe a 16-year-old girl with delayed motor milestones and onset of progressive external ophthalmoplegia at age 3 years and proximal muscle weakness at age 10 years. Muscle biopsy specimen demonstrated type I myofiber predominance and type II myofiber atrophy. Although the pathological features of this congenital myopathy are quite nonspecific, the case further illustrates the pathogenetic heterogeneity of the progressive external ophthalmoplegia phenotype.

[Absence of clinical and biological manifestations after massive absorption of nitulamide]. / Absence de manifestation clinique et biologique après absorption massive de nitulamide.

Nitulamide (ANANDRON (R] is an antiandrogen used as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of advanced prostatic cancer. The effects of ingestion of high doses of nitulamide has not been so far reported. A 79 years old man was admitted 2 hours after the ingestion of 13 g of nitulamide (170 mg/kg or 43 times the therapeutic dose), in a suicide attempt. He was receiving nitulamide 300 mg/day for two weeks. On admission, he underwent immediately gastric lavage, followed by administration of oral activated charcoal and received an intravenous infusion of glucose in balanced salt solution. During the first 12 hours, the patient presented with moderate vomiting and diarrhoea. There was no change in the following parameters: blood cell count, plasma electrolytes, serum transaminases and serum bilirubin, arterial blood gases, plasma cortisol value, as compared to the pre-treatment values. Chest X ray was unchanged. Plasma concentrations were measured 2 hours, 3 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours after ingestion. The initial level reached 6 times the normal therapeutic range, then fell to 3.5 times at the 72th hour. The patient recovered rapidly and was discharged on the 4th day. Biologic parameters were controlled on 4th, 9th, 30th day and remained unchanged. Treatment was started again on the 30th day with nitulamide 150 mg/day. We did not notice any side effect previously described in daily administration of nitulamide: anemia, rise in serum transaminases, interstitial pneumopathy.