[Acceptability of innovative male contraceptive methods among major of age heterosexual adult men in France in 2021]. / Acceptabilité des méthodes de contraception masculine innovantes chez les hommes majeurs hétérosexuels en France en 2021.

INTRODUCTION: New methods of male contraception are being studied: male hormonal contraception, reversible occlusion of the vas deferens and thermal contraception. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability of these methods among men. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out an opinion survey from July to November 2021, through an anonymous questionnaire distributed in France on the internet. The subjects were adult, heterosexual men. RESULTS: Of the 1545 connections to the questionnaire, we analyzed the 905 complete questionnaires. Seventy three percent of men say they are in favor of adopting an innovative male contraceptive method as their primary contraception: 64% in favor of reversible occlusion of the vas deferens, 22% in favor of male hormonal contraception and 13% in favor of thermal contraception. CONCLUSION: Despite its limitations, this study shows that a significant part of the male population is interested in innovative methods of contraception that concern them. This should encourage continued research in this area.

High SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence after Second COVID-19 Wave (October 2020-April 2021), Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Serologic surveys are important tools for estimating the true burden of COVID-19 in a given population. After the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections, a household-based survey conducted in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, estimated >292 infections going undiagnosed for every laboratory-confirmed case. To ascertain the cumulative population exposure in Kinshasa after the second wave of COVID-19, we conducted a prospective population-based cross-sectional study using a highly sensitive and specific ELISA kit. The survey included 2,560 consenting persons from 585 households; 55% were female and 45% male. The overall population-weighted, test kit-adjusted SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was 76.5% (95% CI 74.5%-78.5%). The seroprevalence was 4-fold higher than during the first wave, and positivity was associated with age, household average monthly income, and level of education. Evidence generated from this population-based survey can inform COVID-19 response, especially vaccination campaign strategies in the context of vaccine shortages and hesitancy.

Clinical implementation of deep-learning based auto-contouring tools-Experience of three French radiotherapy centers.

Deep-learning (DL)-based auto-contouring solutions have recently been proposed as a convincing alternative to decrease workload of target volumes and organs-at-risk (OAR) delineation in radiotherapy planning and improve inter-observer consistency. However, there is minimal literature of clinical implementations of such algorithms in a clinical routine. In this paper we first present an update of the state-of-the-art of DL-based solutions. We then summarize recent recommendations proposed by the European society for radiotherapy and oncology (ESTRO) to be followed before any clinical implementation of artificial intelligence-based solutions in clinic. The last section describes the methodology carried out by three French radiation oncology departments to deploy CE-marked commercial solutions. Based on the information collected, a majority of OAR are retained by the centers among those proposed by the manufacturers, validating the usefulness of DL-based models to decrease clinicians' workload. Target volumes, with the exception of lymph node areas in breast, head and neck and pelvic regions, whole breast, breast wall, prostate and seminal vesicles, are not available in the three commercial solutions at this time. No implemented workflows are currently available to continuously improve the models, but these can be adapted/retrained in some solutions during the commissioning phase to best fit local practices. In reported experiences, automatic workflows were implemented to limit human interactions and make the workflow more fluid. Recommendations published by the ESTRO group will be of importance for guiding physicists in the clinical implementation of patient specific and regular quality assurances.

Two-step hybrid calibration of remote microphones.

A two-step, hybrid procedure to calibrate the remote microphones is presented. The calibration obtained in this manner can be directly applied to the measured pressure spectrum without resorting to any modeling or assumptions about the shape of the calibration curve. To demonstrate an application of the methodology, measurements of wall pressure fluctuations underneath a zero pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer were made. The calibrated pressure spectrum is shown to be qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with previous experimental studies and an empirical model, indicating the accuracy of the hybrid calibration technique.

[Self medication with Annona muricata L. (corossol) as an anti-cancer agent in Reunion]. / Automédication par Annona muricata L. (corossol) à visée anticancéreuse à la Réunion.

INTRODUCTION: Annona muricata L. also called soursop, graviola, guanabana and sapoty (French creole) is a fruit tree growing in tropical countries. The fruits, seeds, leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine. Potential anticancer effects encourage patients to consume this product as self medication. The object of the study was to determine the prevalence of use of graviola as an anticancer agent by patients treated for a lung cancer. METHODS: Our survey took place in two thoracic oncology day cares units of the university hospital of Reunion. All the patients treated by chemotherapy and immunotherapy for lung cancer were asked the same questions in a face to face interview over a 6-month period. RESULTS: One hundred questionnaires were collected. Sixty seven patients consumed graviola. In 53.7%, graviola was consumed as an anticancer agent and 25 patients took it regularly. Most often graviola was ingested as an infusion of boiled leaves (69.5%). The supply was exclusively local. CONCLUSIONS: A quarter of patients treated by chemotherapy for a lung cancer in Reunion consume graviola regularly as self medication. The consequences of this intake, drug interactions and side effects are unknown and would be interesting to identify.

Dopamine transporter (DAT1/SLC6A3) polymorphism and the association between being born small for gestational age and symptoms of ADHD.

Being small for gestational age (SGA) has been established as a risk factor for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Likewise, several molecular genetic studies have found a link between DAT1 and ADHD. This study investigated whether SGA moderates the effect of dopamine transporter gene variants on the risk of ADHD. A total of 546 children of European descent were genotyped at age 11 for seven DAT1 SNPs (rs6347, rs11564774, rs40184, rs1042098, rs2702, rs8179029 and rs3863145). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to measure symptoms of ADHD at ages 3.5, 7 and 11. We found significant gene-environment interactions between birth weight and DAT1 SNPs (rs6347, rs40184, rs1042098, rs3863145) on ADHD symptoms at 3.5 years only. Results suggest that genotypic variation of DAT1 may confer a relative protective effect against ADHD in SGA individuals. This study supports the idea that being born SGA moderates the effect of the DAT1 gene on ADHD symptoms in the preschool years and may help to explain some of the heterogeneity in ADHD outcomes.

[Multiple ground-glass opacities nodules]. / Nodules en verre dépoli et adénocarcinome EGFR muté.

INTRODUCTION: Ground-glass opacities nodules are frequently detected with the advances of radiological imaging. These can be preinvasive lesions such as atypical adenomatous hyperplasia but also invasive lesions. It leads to question in patients with lung cancer about treatment strategy and follow up. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 72 years-old woman followed for a lung adenocarcinoma with an EGFR mutation of the right upper lobe stage IIb. The CT scan shows multiple pure ground-glass opacities in the same lobe of the primitive tumor but also in the other lobe. On the piece of lobectomy, histopathology of two ground-glass opacities showed atypical adenomatous hyperplasia. CONCLUSION: Ground-glass opacities nodules could be found in patients with an operable lung cancer. These can be multiple and match with atypical adenomatous hyperplasia but also carcinomas lesions. The radiological surveillance is still the standard. The strategy for surgical resection has to be defined especially in case of multiple lesions which can require repeated surgical resection.

An experimental application of aeroacoustic time-reversal to the Aeolian tone.

This paper presents an experimental application of the aeroacoustic time-reversal (TR) source localization technique for studying flow-induced noise problems and compares the TR results with those obtained using conventional beamforming (CB). Experiments were conducted in an anechoic wind tunnel for the benchmark test-case of a full-span circular cylinder located in subsonic cross-flow wherein the far-field acoustic pressure was sampled using two line arrays (LAs) of microphones located above and below the cylinder. The source map obtained using the signals recorded at the two LAs without modeling the reflective surfaces of the contraction-outlet and cylinder during TR simulations revealed the lift-dipole nature of aeroacoustic source generated at the Aeolian tone; however, it indicates an error of 3/20 of Aeolian tone wavelength in the predicted location. Modeling the reflective contraction-outlet during TR was shown to improve the focal-resolution of the source and reduce side-lobe levels, especially in the low-frequency range. The experimental TR results were shown to be comparable to (a) the simulation results of an idealized dipole at the cylinder location in wind-tunnel flow and (b) that obtained by monopole and dipole CB, thereby demonstrating the suitability of TR method as a diagnostic tool to analyze flow-induced noise generation mechanism.

Soft x-ray tomography for real-time applications: present status at Tore Supra and possible future developments.

This paper is focused on the soft x-ray (SXR) tomography system setup at Tore Supra (DTOMOX) and the recent developments made to automatically get precise information about plasma features from inverted data. The first part describes the main aspects of the tomographic inversion optimization process. Several observations are made using this new tool and a set of shape factors is defined to help characterizing the emissivity field in a real-time perspective. The second part presents a detailed off-line analysis comparing the positions of the magnetic axis obtained from a magnetic equilibrium solver, and the maximum of the reconstructed emissivity field for ohmic and heated pulses. A systematic discrepancy of about 5 cm is found in both cases and it is shown that this discrepancy increases during sawtooth crashes. Finally, evidence of radially localized tungsten accumulation with an in-out asymmetry during a lower hybrid current drive pulse is provided to illustrate the DTOMOX capabilities for a precise observation of local phenomena.

Growth hormone transgenesis does not influence territorial dominance or growth and survival of first-feeding Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in food-limited stream microcosms.

This study explored the relative competitive ability and performance of first-feeding growth hormone (GH) transgenic and non-transgenic Atlantic salmon Salmo salar fry under low food conditions. Pair-wise dominance trials indicated a strong competitive advantage for residents of a contested foraging territory. Transgenic and non-transgenic individuals, however, were equally likely to be dominant. Similarly, in stream environments with limited food, the transgene did not influence the growth in mass or survival at high or low fry densities. Fry in low-density treatments, however, performed better than fry in high-density treatments. These results indicate that, under the environment examined, the growth performance of GH-transgenic and non-transgenic S. salar may be similar during first feeding, an intense period of selection in their life history. Similarities in competitive ability and growth performance with wild-type fish suggest that the capacity of transgenic S. salar to establish in natural streams may not be inhibited during early life history.

Time course of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and oxidative stress in fructose-hypertensive rats: a model related to metabolic syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous modulator of endothelial function and oxidative stress, and increased levels of this molecule have been reported in some metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this work was to analyze the time course of dimethylarginine compounds and oxidative stress levels and the relationship between these and cardiovascular function in fructose-hypertensive rats. METHODS AND RESULTS: 90 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 2 groups, fed for 3 months with standard (C) chow supplemented or not with fructose (F, 60%). After sacrifice at different weeks (W), the aorta and plasma were harvested to assess the vascular and biochemical parameters. Our work showed that the plasma levels of ADMA in the fructose-fed rats increased after 2 weeks of the diet (1.6 ± 0.3 µM vs. 1.2 ± 0.3 µM, p < 0.05) with no changes in plasma levels of either SDMA or L-arginine and after an increase in glycemia. Levels of vascular oxidative stress, estimated in aortic segments using an oxidative fluorescence technique, were higher in the F group (W2: 1.14 ± 0.2% vs. 0.33 ± 0.02%, p < 0.01). An increase in expression levels of nitrotyrosine (3-fold) and iNOS (2-fold) were noted in the fructose-fed rats. After 1 month, this was associated with a significant increase in NAD(P)H oxidase activity. Concerning vascular function, a 15% decrease in maximal endothelium-dependent relaxation was found in the aorta of the F group. Our work showed that the presence of exogenous L-MMA, an inhibitor of NO synthase, was associated with a significant reduction in endothelium-dependent relaxation in isolated aorta rings of the C group; this effect was not observed in the vessels of fructose-fed rats. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the elevated levels of ADMA observed could in part be secondary to the early development of oxidative stress associated with the development of hypertension.

Assessing allergic rhinitis in developing countries.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) affects 5% to 40% of the general population. In developing countries, AR is poorly documented and tracked due to a lack of appropriate diagnostic tools. OBJECTIVE: 1) To validate a questionnaire standardised in industrialised countries to ascertain AR, the Score For Allergic Rhinitis (SFAR), in developing countries; 2) to better understand AR prevalence previously reported from developing countries by comparing results from the SFAR and the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaires. METHODS: Six African countries were selected for their climates. In each country, 70 individuals with and 30 without nasal symptoms filled out the SFAR and the ISAAC questionnaires. Skin prick tests (SPTs) for allergens were performed by the physician if necessary. RESULTS: The SFAR presented a close match with the gold standard (the physician's diagnosis of AR backed up by SPT where necessary) in terms of various performance parameters. In particular, it showed high sensitivity (0.84) and specificity (0.81). Compared to the ISAAC questionnaire, the SFAR had greater sensitivity and equal specificity. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of a medical visit, the SFAR is a useful standardised screening instrument for the collection of information needed for the identification of AR in developing countries.

Alternaria sensitization and allergic rhinitis with or without asthma in the French Six Cities study.

BACKGROUND: Allergic sensitization to Alternaria has been related to asthma in various studies, but its association with allergic rhinitis is still controversial. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess at the population level the relationships in childhood between Alternaria sensitization and 'past-year rhinoconjunctivitis' (PYRC), 'ever hay fever' (EHF) and 'ever allergic rhinitis caused by allergens other than pollens' (EAR) according to the presence or the absence of asthma. METHODS: This study is part of the Six Cities Study, the French contribution to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase II. Children underwent skin prick test (SPT) to Alternaria and parents filled a standardized medical questionnaire. RESULTS: Some 6726 children with a mean age of 10 years were examined. The overall prevalence of Alternaria sensitization was 2.8%, 0.8% for monosensitization. Prevalences of symptoms in sensitized children were 27.7% for PYRC, 27.0% for EHF and 30.4% for EAR. Adjusted Odds Ratios (OR) between Alternaria sensitization and allergic rhinitis phenotypes were 2.34 (95% confidence interval: 1.51-3.63) for PYRC, 2.40 (1.65-3.50) for EHF and 2.95 (2.05-4.23) for EAR. The relationship still remained in the case of monosensitization to Alternaria for both PYRC and EAR when excluding the asthmatic children [OR = 3.87 (1.54-9.78) and 2.88 (1.10-7.55) respectively]. CONCLUSION: In our population-based sample of children, we found a link between Alternaria sensitization and allergic rhinitis, independently of asthma, which is compatible with the mechanisms of deposition of Alternaria in the upper airways.

Active noise control in a pure tone diffuse sound field using virtual sensing.

Local active noise control systems generate a zone of quiet at the physical error sensor using one or more secondary sources to cancel acoustic pressure and its spatial derivatives at the sensor location. The resulting zone of quiet is generally limited in size and as such, placement of the error sensor at the location of desired attenuation is required, which is often inconvenient. Virtual acoustic sensors overcome this by projecting the zone of quiet away from the physical sensor to a remote location. The work described here investigates the effectiveness of using virtual sensors in a pure tone diffuse sound field. Stochastically optimal virtual microphones and virtual energy density sensors are developed for use in diffuse sound fields. Analytical expressions for the controlled sound field generated with a number of control strategies are presented. These expressions allow the optimal control performance to be predicted. Results of numerical simulations and experimental measurements made in a reverberation chamber are also presented and compared.

[Exposure to fine air particles and occurrence of allergic diseases: results of ISAAC-France phase 2]. / Exposition aux particules atmosphériques fines et développement des maladies allergiques de l'enfant. Résultats épidémiologiques issus de l'étude des six villes (ISAAC-2 France).

To evaluate whether fine air particles could be involved in the occurrence of atopy and allergic diseases, we performed a cross-sectional epidemiological survey involving primary schoolchildren living in six French towns with contrasted air pollution levels. Air pollution was measured during a week in the school yards and by standard air monitoring networks. Children get an examination in school looking for atopic dermatitis and bronchial hyperresponsiveness assessed by a standardized run test. Besides, parents or guardians provided past medical history and environmental data, especially on passive smoking. Overall, 5,338 children, aged 10.4 (+/-0.7) years, coming from 108 different schools and 401 different classes were included in the survey. Taking into account potential confounders, high exposure to proximity PM(2.5) was linked to a higher point prevalence of atopic dermatitis and hyperresponsiveness, to a higher cumulative prevalence of allergic asthma and a higher sensitization rate to common indoor allergens. Thus, these data suggest that chronic exposure to urban fine particles could be a risk factor for atopy, hyperresponsiveness and asthma.

Sex and gender differences in tobacco smoking among adolescents in French secondary schools.

AIM: We investigated the relationship between sex (genetic/biological) and gender (environmental/cultural) factors in relation to adolescent tobacco smoking. METHODS: A representative sample of 11,582 students from French secondary public schools participated in the study by completing a self-administered, standardised questionnaire. RESULTS: Using the WHO classification for smoking in the youth, 15.6% of the adolescents were regular smokers, 7.7% occasional smokers, 17.9% experimental smokers and 4.8% ex-smokers, with no statistically significant gender difference. Taking non-smoking as a reference, puberty had a much greater effect on the likelihood of being a regular smoker [OR = 18.0 (95% Confidence Interval: 9.6-32)] than of being an experimental/occasional smoker [OR = 3.7 (2.9-4.6)] among girls. For boys, the effect of puberty was not as great [OR = 4.7 (3.5-6.5)] for regular vs. [OR = 2.1 (1.8-2.5)] for experimental/occasional smokers). Similarly, illicit drug use had a larger effect on the likelihood of being regular smoker vs. non-smoker [OR = 15.0 (12.0-20.0) in boys and 12 (8.8-16.0) in girls] than of being experimental/occasional smoker vs. a non-smoker [OR = 4.8 (3.7-6.1) and 2.9 (2.1-3.9) respectively]. Other factors related to regular smoking were exposure to passive smoking and regular alcohol consumption. Living with both parents was a protective factor for life and regular smoking in both genders. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that influential factors of sex-related (puberty), gender-specific (environmental tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, drug abuse) or sex/gender (regular sexual intercourse) are related to the smoking behaviour in French adolescents.

[MR imaging features of deep pelvic endometriosis: correlation with laparoscopy]. / Caractéristiques IRM de l'endométriose profonde: corrélation aux résultats coelioscopiques.

UNLABELLED: Deep pelvic endometriosis is an invalidating disorder affecting the retrocervical region, rectosigmoid colon and urinary bladder generally requiring surgical management. MRI is the preoperative imaging modality of choice. The purpose of this paper is to describe the MR imaging features of deep pelvic endometriosis with laparoscopic correlation. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with clinical suspicion of deep pelvic endometriosis underwent pelvic MRI. Results of MRI, including morphological and signal characteristics features of the lesions were compared to laparoscopic fidings. RESULTS: Laparoscopy detected lesions of deep pelvic endometriosis of the uterosacral ligaments (n=10), torus uterinum (n=9), rectosigmoid (n=11), Douglas pouch (n=9), recto-vaginal septum (n=6), bladder (n=4) and posterior vaginal cul-de-sac (n=2). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of MRI were assessed for each localization. CONCLUSION: MRI allows diagnosis of deep pelvic endometriosis of the bladder, rectosigmoid and Douglas pouch and with lower sensitivity for lesions of the uterosacral ligaments, posterior vaginal cul-de-sac and rectovaginal septum.

Informed consent in clinical research in France: assessment and factors associated with therapeutic misconception.

BACKGROUND: Informed consent in clinical research is mandated throughout the world. Both patient subjects and investigators are required to understand and accept the distinction between research and treatment. AIM: To document the extent and to identify factors associated with therapeutic misconception in a population of patient subjects or parent proxies recruited from a variety of multicentre trials (parent studies). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study comprised two phases: the development of a questionnaire to assess the quality of informed consent and a survey of patient subjects based on this questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 303 patient subjects or parent proxies were contacted and 279 questionnaires were analysed. The median age was 49.5 years, sex ratio was 1 and 61% of respondents were professionally active. Overall memorisation of the oral or written communication of informed consent was good (69-97%), and satisfaction with the process was around 70%. Therapeutic misconception was present in 70% of respondents, who expected to receive better care and ignored the consequence of randomisation and treatment comparisons. This was positively associated with the acuteness and severity of the disease. CONCLUSION: The authors suggest that the risk of therapeutic misconception be specifically addressed in consent forms as an educational tool for both patients and investigators.

Reported prevalence and co-morbidity of asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema: a pan-European estimation.

OBJECTIVE: Comparable population-based data exist at the European level for asthma but not for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Data from the World Health Organization's Large Analysis and Review of European Housing and Health Status Study conducted in random samples from eight European cities were used 1) to describe the prevalence of chronic bronchitis and emphysema (CBE) and asthma according to socio-demography, addictions, physical activities and body mass index; and 2) to identify the co-morbidities of these respiratory diseases. DESIGN: A total of 6915 adults filled out a standardised questionnaire on health outcomes, including major respiratory diseases and individual characteristics. RESULTS: Data showed that in the year preceding the survey, 3.3% of individuals had been diagnosed or treated for asthma and 6.2% for CBE. One per cent suffered simultaneously from both. Large variations were observed between cities. Physical activities and never smoking were inversely associated with CBE, independently of socio-cultural differences between the eight cities. Furthermore, both asthma and CBE were significantly related to several non-respiratory diseases, after adjustment for potential confounders. CONCLUSION: Population-based data from eight European cities show that there is a link between chronic respiratory diseases and various non-respiratory co-morbidities that needs further investigation.