Multiperiodic magnetoplasmonic gratings fabricated by the pulse force nanolithography.

We propose a novel, to the best of our knowledge, technique for magnetoplasmonic nanostructures fabrication based on the pulse force nanolithography method. It allows one to create the high-quality magnetoplasmonic nanostructures that have lower total losses than the gratings made by the electron-beam lithography. The method provides control of the surface plasmon polaritons excitation efficiency by varying the grating parameters such as the scratching depth or the number of scratches in a single period. The quality of the plasmonic gratings was estimated by means of the transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect that is extremely sensitive to the finesse of a plasmonic structure.

Resonances of the magneto-optical intensity effect mediated by interaction of different modes in a hybrid magnetoplasmonic heterostructure with gold nanoparticles.

Here we demonstrate a novel magnetoplasmonic heterostructure for efficient control of light. It consists of gold nanoparticles embedded in a thin magnetic film covered with a gold layer pierced with periodic nanoslit array. Unique feature of the proposed structure is that it supports four different types of optical modes in the same frequency range including localized and propagating surface plasmons along with waveguide modes. A peculiar magneto-optical response appears at the frequencies of the mode hybridization. The most important result comes from hybridization of the localized and propagating plasmons leading to a significant increase of the magneto-optical effect intensity.

Association between adherence, treatment satisfaction and illness perception in hypertensive patients.

The relationship between adherence to antihypertension medications, treatment satisfaction and illness perception has not been studied so far. The primary objective of this study was to examine the association between adherence to medication, treatment satisfaction and illness perception in Lebanese hypertensive patients. The relation between medication adherence and blood pressure (BP) control was also assessed. In this cross-sectional study, patients were recruited from the physician's practice offices and community pharmacies in Beirut. Patients who had been treated for hypertension for at least 3 months were invited to participate in the study; they completed three questionnaires: the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8), the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM-4) and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ). BP was also measured and recorded. A total of 117 subjects were included, of whom 29.1% had poor adherence to their antihypertension treatment (MMAS-8 scores<6). The odds of having well-controlled hypertension was 3.5 times higher in patients with high adherence compared with patients with poor adherence (P=0.010). Treatment satisfaction was significantly greater in patients with good adherence (P<0.001). Neither socio-demographic, disease- nor drug-related characteristics of the participants were significantly associated with medication adherence. As for illness perception, even though the mean BIPQ score of adherent participants was lower than the mean score of non-adherent participants, this difference did not reach statistical significance. In conclusion, treatment satisfaction was found to be a predictor of adherence. Studies are needed to determine whether interventions to increase satisfaction can improve adherence and BP control.

Tailoring of the carbon nanowall microstructure by sharp variation of plasma radical composition.

In this paper we propose a new and simple method to tune the carbon nanowall microstructure by sharp variation of CH4/H2 plasma conditions. Using theoretical calculations we demonstrated that the sharp variation of gas pressure and discharge current leads to significant variation of plasma radical composition. In some cases such perturbation creates the necessary conditions for the nucleation of smaller secondary nanowalls on the surface of primary ones.

Identification of differentially expressed genes in prostatic epithelium in relation to androgen receptor CAG repeat length.

The CAG repeat within exon 1 of the androgen receptor (AR) has been associated with the development of prostate cancer. The shorter number of glutamine residues in the protein has been associated with a higher transcriptional activity of the AR and increased relative risk for prostate cancer. In an attempt to identify differentially expressed genes in prostate cancer in relation to AR CAG repeat length variation, in this study we used total mRNA from normal and tumor tissues from 2 prostate cancer patients with AR alleles containing 19 and 26 CAG repeats to perform differential-display RT-PCR analysis. We were able to identify 48 different transcripts that showed homology to several known genes associated with different biological pathways. Among the differentially expressed genes, ATRX and SFRP1 were further validated by quantitative RT-PCR. The transcripts of both ATRX and SFRP1 genes proved to be down-regulated in most of the prostate tumors analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR. Hypermethylation of the promoter region of the SFRP1 gene was found in 17.5% (7/40) of the cases analyzed and was associated with the loss of SFRP1 expression (p=0.014). The differentially expressed genes identified in this study are implicated in several cellular pathways that, when up- or down-regulated, might play a role in the tumorigenic process of the prostate.

[Prevention and treatment of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery]. / Prevention et traitement de la fibrillation atriale après chirurgie cardiaque.

The incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in cardiac surgery is still high despite major advances in anesthetic, pharmacological and surgical techniques. Its precise mechanism is still totally unknown. Postoperative atrial fibrillation increases length of stay as well as hospital costs. Rate of postoperative atrial fibrillation spontaneous conversion is high. Several protocols have been developed for prevention and/or treatment of postoperative atrial fibrillation. Beta-blockers, amiodarone and atrial pacing reduce.atrial fibrillation incidence as compared to placebo. On the other hand, amiodarone and propafenone achieve a high conversion rate of installed postoperative atrial fibrillation. However, among many pharmacological options, the best treatment is still to be defined.

[Three-dimensional renal angiography]. / Angiographie rénale tridimensionnelle.

The usefulness of three-dimensional angiography is not fully established except for neurovascular diseases. We report a case of significant renal artery stenosis not shown on conventional angiography because of its orientation along the axial plane, where 3D imaging allowed complete analysis of the lesion leading to endovascular treatment.

Vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk in Brazilian men.

Vitamin D seems to be an important determinant of prostate cancer risk and inherited polymorphisms in the 3'untranslated region of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene have been associated with the risk and progression of prostate cancer in some populations. We therefore studied VDR gene polymorphisms, as detected by Apal and Taql restriction fragments, in multiethnic Brazilian men (165 patients and 200 controls) for association with prostate cancer risk and parameters of disease severity (serum PSA, Gleason score and tumor stage). No statistical correlations were found. The unique ethnical background of Brazilian subjects, characterized by an extensive racial mixture of European, African-American and Native American, might have blunted any ethnic-specific significance of VDR polymorphisms. Further investigations of the associations between VDR and other genetic or environmental factors are warranted.

Role of cytochrome P450 metabolites of arachidonic acid in hypertension.

Considerable evidence has accumulated over the last decade implicating a role of cytochrome P450 (CYP)-dependent metabolites of arachidonic acid (AA) in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Indeed, 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) is produced by vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells and is a potent vasoconstrictor that depolarizes VSM by blocking large conductance Ca+-activated K2+ channels. In contrast, epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are synthesized by the vascular endothelium and have opposite effects on VSM (hyperpolarization and vasodilatation). Inhibition of the synthesis of 20-HETE attenuates myogenic tone and autoregulation of blood flow and modulates vascular responses to vasodilators (NO and CO) and vasoconstrictors (angiotensin II, endothelin). In the kidney, 20-HETE inhibits sodium transport in the proximal tubule by blocking Na+-K+-ATPase activity. In the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle, 20-HETE inhibits Na+-K+-2Cl- transport, in part, by blocking a 70 pS apical K+ channel. EETs are produced in the proximal tubule where they inhibit Na+-H+ exchange and in the collecting duct where they inhibit sodium and water transport. Numerous studies have established that the formation of EETs and 20-HETE and the expression of CYP enzymes are altered in the kidney in many genetic and experimental animal models of hypertension and in some forms of human hypertension. However, the functional significance of these changes remains to be determined. Given the importance of this pathway in the control of renal function and vascular tone, it is likely that alterations in the renal formation of CYP-dependent metabolites of AA will be shown to participate in the development of hypertension in many of these models.

Gadolinium-based coronarography in a patient with renal failure: first clinical report.

This article reports the use of gadolinium to perform a coronarography in a patient with renal insufficiency, unstable angina, and peripheral vascular disease. The examination was well tolerated and the images obtained of good quality. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2001;54:68-69.

[Hydatid cyst of the heart simulating coronary ischemia]. / Kyste hydatique du coeur simulant une ischémie coronarienne.

Cardiac echinococcosis is rare despite endemic occurrence of echinococcosis in some regions of the world. Clinical presentation can vary and may be misleading. Diagnosis is facilitated by new imaging techniques. Surgery is mandatory to avoid serious complications. We report a case of cardiac echinococcosis with pseudo, ischemic clinical and electrical presentation.

Hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women: endometrial hyperplasia and irregular bleeding.

BACKGROUND: The decline in circulating oestrogen around the time of the menopause often induces unacceptable symptoms that affect the health and well being of women. Hormone replacement therapy (both unopposed oestrogen and oestrogen and progestogen combinations) is an effective treatment for these symptoms. In women with an intact uterus, unopposed oestrogen may induce endometrial stimulation and increase the risk of endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma. The addition of progestogen reduces this risk but may cause unacceptable symptoms, bleeding and spotting which can affect adherence to therapy. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review is to assess which hormone replacement therapy regimens provide effective protection against the development of endometrial hyperplasia and/or carcinoma with a low rate of abnormal vaginal bleeding. SEARCH STRATEGY: Electronic searches for relevant randomised controlled trials of the Cochrane Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group Register of Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychLIT, Current Contents, Biological Abstracts, Social Sciences Index and CINAHL were performed. Attempts were also made to identify trials from citation lists of review articles and drug companies were contacted for unpublished data. In most cases, the corresponding author of each included trial was contacted for additional information. SELECTION CRITERIA: The inclusion criteria were randomised comparisons of unopposed oestrogen therapy, combined continuous oestrogen-progestogen therapy and sequential oestrogen-progestogen therapy with each other and placebo administered over a minimum treatment period of six months. Trials had to assess which regimen was the most protective against the development of endometrial hyperplasia/carcinoma and/or caused the lowest rate of irregular bleeding. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Twenty three RCTs were identified and five were excluded. The reviewers assessed the eighteen included studies for quality, extracted the data independently and odds ratios for dichotomous outcomes were estimated. Outcomes analysed included frequency of endometrial hyperplasia or carcinoma, frequency of irregular bleeding and unscheduled biopsies or dilation and curettage, and adherence to therapy. MAIN RESULTS: Unopposed moderate or high dose oestrogen therapy was associated with a significant increase in rates of endometrial hyperplasia with increasing rates at longer duration of treatment and follow up. Odds ratios ranged from 5.4 (1. 4-20.9) for 6 months of treatment to 16.0 (9.3-27.5) for 36 months of treatment with moderate dose oestrogen (in the PEPI trial, 62% of those who took moderate dose oestrogen had some form of hyperplasia at 36 months compared to 2% of those who took placebo). Irregular bleeding and non adherence to treatment were also significantly more likely under these unopposed oestrogen regimens with greater effects with higher dose therapy. There was no evidence of increased hyperplasia rates, however, with low dose oestrogen. The addition of progestogens, either in continuous combined or sequential regimens, helped to prevent the development of endometrial hyperplasia and improved adherence to therapy (odds ratios of 3.7 for sequential therapy and 6.0 for continuous therapy). Irregular bleeding, however, was more likely under a continuous than a sequential oestrogen-progestogen regimen (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 2.1-2.5) but at longer duration of treatment, continuous therapy was more protective than sequential therapy in preventing endometrial hyperplasia (OR = 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.97). There was evidence of a higher incidence of hyperplasia under long cycle sequential therapy (progestogen given every 3 months) compared to monthly sequential therapy (progestogen given every month). No increase in endometrial cancer was seen in any of the treatment groups during the limited duration (maximum of 3 years) of these trials. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Human papillomavirus DNA and p53 status in penile carcinomas.

Our study aimed at evaluating the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in a series of 84 paraffin-embedded (PET) penile carcinomas. We have also investigated the presence of p53 mutations in these tumors by immunohistochemistry (IHC), single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and DNA sequencing. Tissues were submitted to amplification of a 268 bp fragment from the beta-globin gene and a fragment of the E6 gene of HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. Twenty samples (18 fixed in Bouin's solution and 2 in buffered formalin) were found inadequate and were excluded from the analysis. In the remaining 64 tumors, HPV DNA was found in 26% of the samples. The prevalence of HPV in fresh samples of the same tumors was 56%. The most prevalent type was HPV 16 in both fresh samples and PET. Isotopic in situ hybridization was performed in all PET samples, but only 2 cases were positive, 1 for HPV 16 and 1 for HPV 18. Immunohistochemistry with anti-p53 pAb 1801 antibody showed a positive nuclear reaction over more than 5% of tumor cells in 26% of the cases. SSCP of exons 5-8 of the p53 gene was performed on 9 HPV-positive and 12 HPV-negative specimens. Abnormal mobility was found in 26% of the tumors, of which 2 were HPV-positive and 5 HPV-negative. Point mutations were detected in p53 exons 6 (1 case), 7 (1 case) and 8 (5 cases), showing that high-risk type HPVs and mutated p53 may coexist in these tumors. Our data indicate that a subset of penile carcinomas are etiologically related to HPV and that an overlapping subset may arise from mutational events in the p53 gene.

Primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: increasingly AIDS-related.

A retrospective study was conducted to determine the influence of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic on the incidence, clinical presentation, and outcome of primary gastrointestinal lymphoma (stages I and II) over a 20-year period at a single institution. Between 1971 and 1981, there were seven cases. Fifty-eight patients were diagnosed between 1983 and 1993, and 81 per cent were AIDS-related. The mean age overall was 50 years; 81 per cent were male, and 35 per cent presented with acute complications. All tumors were high or intermediate grade B cell lymphomas, and 48 per cent had bulky or advanced disease at presentation. The overall actuarial 5-year survival was 9 per cent. Human immunodeficiency virus status and stage were significant independent prognostic factors. The AIDS-related subgroup had a mean age of 43 years, and 91 per cent were male. Tumor resection was performed in 38 per cent, and the 5-year survival was 2 per cent. The mean age for the non-AIDS-related subgroup was 71 years, and 55 per cent were male. Resection was performed in 39 per cent, and 5-year survival was 28 per cent. AIDS-related disease accounted for the dramatic increase in incidence of primary gastrointestinal lymphoma since 1983. The prognosis for these patients is poor and is dominated by the underlying immunocompromise.

[Renovascular arterial hypertension in the framework of von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis. Apropos of a case]. / Hypertension artérielle rénovasculaire dans le cadre de la neurofibromatose de Von Recklinghausen. A propos d'un cas.

Arterial hypertension in patients with neurofibromatosis is most often due to an associated pheochromocytoma. In rare cases the etiology of arterial hypertension is renovascular. Surgical treatment is mandatory when the stenosis is located in the proximal segment of the vessel. Angioplasty is hazardous in this setting due to the fibrotic nature of the culprit lesion. The authors report a case of ostial narrowing of the right renal artery in a 16-year-old girl with severe arterial hypertension and neurofibromatosis. The operation consisted of resection of the culprit lesion and reimplantation of the renal artery on the aorta. Postoperatively her blood pressure returned to normal.

Appendicitis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Previous reports evaluating appendicitis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have detailed unusual pathology, atypical clinical presentations, and poor outcomes. These reports have described small groups of patients and are inconsistent with larger surveys. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective design was used to evaluate patients diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome undergoing appendectomy from 1986 to 1995. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients were evaluated (mean age 33.4 +/- 8.2 years, 98 percent male, 90 percent clinical acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, CD4 count 144.45 +/- 34 cells/mL3). Presenting symptoms included right lower quadrant pain (91 percent), nausea and vomiting (41 percent), diarrhea (22 percent), and generalized abdominal pain (24 percent). Significant findings on examination included right lower quadrant tenderness (91 percent), rebound (74 percent), fever (54 percent), abdominal distention (7 percent), and generalized abdominal tenderness (9.3 percent). Computed tomography was performed in 26 percent and findings were suggestive of appendicitis in 93 percent of cases. Operative findings included acute inflammation (83.3 percent), appendiceal rupture (24 percent), gangrene (29 percent), and normal-appearing appendices (5.5 percent). Unusual findings included Mycobacterium tuberculosis (1.8 percent), atypical mycobacterium (1.8 percent), and chronic appendicitis (3.7 percent). Thirty-day survival was 100 percent. Significant postoperative fevers were noted in 33 percent and lasted 4.63 +/- 1.2 days. The presence of prolonged postoperative fever was linked to lower CD4 counts (p = .05). Follow-up (mean time to follow-up, 1,656 +/- 970 days) was complete in 43 percent. Survival at follow-up was noted in 57.1 percent (mean length of survival after surgery, 837 +/- 155 days). CONCLUSIONS: Appendectomy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is associated with little morbidity or mortality. Atypical pathology is rarely identified. A higher than expected rate of rupture may be linked to delays before hospitalization or to impaired immune status.