Efficient hybrid method for the modal analysis of optical microcavities and nanoresonators.

We propose a novel hybrid method for accurately and efficiently analyzing microcavities and nanoresonators. The method combines the marked spirit of quasinormal mode expansion approaches, e.g., analyticity and physical insight, with the renowned strengths of real-frequency simulations, e.g., accuracy and flexibility. Real- and complex-frequency simulations offer a complementarity between accuracy and computation speed, opening new perspectives for challenging inverse design of nanoresonators.

Nonuniqueness of the quasinormal mode expansion of electromagnetic Lorentz dispersive materials.

Any optical structure possesses resonance modes, and its response to an excitation can be decomposed onto the quasinormal and numerical modes of a discretized Maxwell operator. In this paper, we consider a dielectric permittivity that is an N-pole Lorentz function of the frequency. Even for discretized operators, the literature proposes different formulas for the coefficients of the quasinormal-mode expansion, and this comes as a surprise. We propose a general formalism, based on auxiliary fields, which explains why and evidences that there is, in fact, an infinity of mathematically sound possible expansion coefficients. The nonuniqueness is due to a choice of the linearization of Maxwell's equations with respect to frequency and of the choice of the form of the source term. Numerical results validate the different formulas and compare their accuracy.

Quasinormal mode solvers for resonators with dispersive materials.

Optical resonators are widely used in modern photonics. Their spectral response and temporal dynamics are fundamentally driven by their natural resonances, the so-called quasinormal modes (QNMs), with complex frequencies. For optical resonators made of dispersive materials, the QNM computation requires solving a nonlinear eigenvalue problem. This raises a difficulty that is only scarcely documented in the literature. We review our recent efforts for implementing efficient and accurate QNM solvers for computing and normalizing the QNMs of micro- and nanoresonators made of highly dispersive materials. We benchmark several methods for three geometries, a two-dimensional plasmonic crystal, a two-dimensional metal grating, and a three-dimensional nanopatch antenna on a metal substrate, with the perspective to elaborate standards for the computation of resonance modes.

Técnica de embalsamiento de cadáver según Thiel: un método valioso para entrenar y mejorar las destrezas quirúrgicas en el campo de la otorrinolaringología / Thiel embalming technique for cadáver preservation: an overview of a valuable method for training and improvement of the surgical skills in otolaryngology

RESUMEN Los tiempos modernos nos obligan a que la formación de un médico cirujano no se base sólo en conocimientos teóricos, sino que adquiera las mayores habilidades quirúrgicas para así evitar riesgos innecesarios en una sociedad altamente exigente. La disección y el entrenamiento de los procedimientos quirúrgicos juegan un papel primordial para cumplir este objetivo, por lo que recientemente se ha promovido una forma de preservación cadavérica que permite realizar mediante situaciones bastantes realistas dichos adiestramientos. Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica electrónica, restringida al idioma inglés en Pubmed, Scopus y WOS donde se pretende describir y analizar las aplicaciones de esta técnica. La revisión ofreció artículos de relevancia que demuestran la aplicación de esta técnica novedosa en la preservación de cadáveres y sus posibles aplicaciones en el campo de otorrinolaringología.

ABSTRACT Nowadays, it is not possible to train a healthcare professional only based on theoretical knowledge, but acquiring the highest surgical skills to avoid unnecessary risks in a highly demanding society, therefore dissection and training of surgical procedures play a key role in fulfilling this objective, which is why a form of cadaveric preservation has recently been promoted, which allows realizing such training through realistic situations. An electronic literature search was carried out, restricted to the English language in MEDLINE, where it is intended to describe and analyze the applications of this technique. The review offered articles of relevance that demonstrate the application of this novel technique in the preservation of corpses and their possible applications in the field of otorhinolaryngology.

The high cost of spasticity in multiple sclerosis to individuals and society.

BACKGROUND: Spasticity is an extremely common, distressing and disabling symptom of multiple sclerosis. Limited data suggest the associated health care costs correlate with increasing severity and place a high economic burden on individuals, health care systems and society. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of multiple sclerosis spasticity on health care resources and the associated costs at different levels of severity in people with multiple sclerosis in the United Kingdom. METHODS: An online survey was carried out to understand the resources used in the management of spasticity in multiple sclerosis. The questionnaire asked health care specialists to estimate their involvement and the resource use associated with different levels of spasticity, and the survey outputs were used to derive the resource costs. RESULTS: The level and cost of care substantially increased with the degree of spasticity. Key factors contributing to high annual costs per patient were home care, hospital admissions and high-cost items, such as hospital beds. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the survey results, it can be assumed that managing spasticity early and effectively could result in substantial cost savings, in addition to the improvements in health-related quality of life.

[Hallucinations and borderline personality disorder: a review]. / Hallucinations et trouble de personnalité borderline: une revue de littérature.

INTRODUCTION: Hallucinations constitute understudied symptoms in borderline personality disorders (BPD), which can be observed in about 30% of the patients, essentially in the auditory modality. Most of these experiences are transitory, triggered by intermittent stressors, but chronicity remains a major cause of concern. In order to better circumscribe hallucinations in BPD, we summarized the literature on this particular phenomenon. METHODS: We conducted a review using Medline, Scopus and Google Scholar databases up to March 2013, using the following keywords combinations: "borderline personality disorder", "hallucinat*" and "psychotic symptoms". Papers were included in the review if they were published in an English or French language peer-reviewed journal; the study enrolled patients with BPD; and the diagnosis was made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) criteria. Fifteen studies published between 1985 and 2012, merging a total of 635 patients, were retained. RESULTS: The hallucinatory experiences observed in BPD appeared phenomenologically similar to those described in the schizophrenia spectrum in terms of vividness, duration, spatial localization, beliefs about malevolence or omnipotence. Conversely, the hallucinatory content appeared more negative and potentially more distressful. Crucially, this literature search also revealed that these symptoms have long been regarded as "pseudo-hallucinations" (or "hallucination-like symptoms"). This concept was judged of poor scientific validity, inducing stigma for BPD patients in that it casts doubt on the authenticity of these experiences while disqualifying the related distress. This situation points out that research should focus more on understanding hallucinations in BPD than questioning their existence. Interestingly, recent comorbidity studies reopened a 40-year debate on the potential links that may exist between BPD and psychosis. Initially considered as a para-psychotic disorder, BPD was effectively redefined as an independent category by Otto F. Kernberg, leading to the DSM-III definition, excluding any psychotic symptom. However, hallucinations per se remain insufficient to diagnose schizophrenia, while comorbid substance use disorders as well as mood disorders, cannot explain all the hallucination occurrences in BPD. By referring to the "psychotic-reactivity-to-stress" framework, we proposed to understand hallucinations in BPD in relation to a hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and of the dopaminergic system under stress. Childhood trauma may have a central role in such a model. The prevalence of childhood trauma is high in BPD but this factor was also evidenced strongly linked with hallucinations in non-clinical populations. Comparisons are finally made and discussed between hallucinations occurring in BPD and those observed in posttraumatic stress disorder, another frequent comorbid disorder. CONCLUSION: Almost a third of patients with BPD experiences hallucinations, and future studies will have to clarify the pathophysiology of this symptom, still poorly understood. Both the models of psychotic-reactivity-to-stress, as well as the role of childhood trauma in the context of a gene X environment interaction, appear to be promising cues for future research.

[Evaluation of continuous education in transfusion for professionals in medical blood banks]. / Évaluation d'une formation en transfusion sanguine à destination des personnels des dépôts de sang.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Like every actor in transfusion, staff members practising within blood banks of healthcare establishments have to follow a specific initial training and must frequently update their knowledge in blood transfusion. METHODS: To address this need from these professionals, the Établissement français du sang Auvergne-Loire set up training sessions which content regularly evolved according to regulation recommendations. Every cycle consists in a total of 35hours of training, divided in five one-day modules. The comparison of the evaluation questionnaires offered at the beginning and at the end of each day allowed to measure the benefits provided by every module and to compare progress according to the number of modules previously followed. The analysis of satisfaction surveys contributed to improving the education towards a high level of satisfaction of every participant. RESULTS CONCLUSION: At the end of its third year of existence, the 35hours education programme permitted to achieve a better level of training for all the staffs and the evolution towards an on-site continuing education format seems to better correspond to the personnel's expectations.

[Guide for the organisation of ceremonies for delivering pins and certificates of recognition to volunteer blood donors. Etablissement français du sang Auvergne-Loire. Associations pour le don du sang bénévole]. / Guide d'organisation des cérémonies de remises des diplômes et des insignes de reconnaissance en faveur des donneurs de sang bénévoles. Etablissement français du sang Auvergne-Loire. Associations pour le don du sang bénévole.

Award ceremonies constitute an important means of promotion among the blood donor population, and also the general population. They contribute to the development of blood donation loyalty. Even so, their organization must be rigorously and perfectly codified. With this aim, the Etablissement français du sang Auvergne-Loire, in partnership with the departmental representation of the blood donors national federation, worked out a guide for their associations.

[Determination and comparison of pulmonary function with anthropometric indexes in asthmatic and non-asthmatic obese teenagers]. / Determinación y comparación de la función pulmonar con indices antropométricos en adolescentes obesos asmáticos y no asmáticos.

BACKGROUND: Anomalies in pulmonary function tests in obese are oriented predominantly to restrictive pathology, not been demonstrated efficiently. OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare pulmonary function tests (PFT) with anthropometric measurements by spirometry and plethysmograph in asthmatic obese (AO) and non-asthmatic obese (NAO) adolescents. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Cross-sectional study, with 86 adolescents. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) greater to 95% percentile according to CDC and asthma, on the basis of the definition and criteria of GINA guidelines. Clinical history was made, doing anthropometric measures and PFT with determination of: forced vital capacity with maximal expiratory effort, forced expiratory volume in the first second, specific resistance and conductance. RESULTS: The average age was 12.68 years +/- 1.85, 39 were NAO and 47 AO, who had intermittent to persistent asthma, 14 patients received 200 mcg budesonide/day at least 4 weeks previous to the study. The average values in AO and their standard error for anthropometry were: weight: 68.5 +/- 13.6 kg, height: 154.58 +/- 9.1 cm, BMI: 28.27 +/- 3.24 kg/m2, abdominal circumference (AC): 98 +/- 8.85 cm and hip circumference (HC): 100 +/- 8.87 cm, in NAO: weight: 76.1 +/- 14.7 kg, height: 155.7 +/- 7.85 cm, BMI: 31.04 +/- 4.46 kg/m2, AC: 102 +/- 11.05 cm and HC: 103.28 +/- 10.6 cm. CONCLUSIONS: In NAO post-beta2 Raw diminished whereas Sgaw increased. Greater BMI in AO displayed greater FEV1 with statistic significance. Obstructive ventilator pattern mechanics was observed in both groups.

Bioacoustics of a miniature cricket, Cycloptiloides canariensis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Mogoplistinae)

Male crickets, Cycloptiloides canariensis (body length 5 mm), stridulate with their forewings, which are hidden during rest under the large shield-like pronotum. The wings are opened into the stridulatory position by bending the body between the pro- and mesothorax. The song is a 2 s trill composed on average of 260 pulses (syllables) with a carrier frequency of about 6 kHz. The sound-emitting structures on the wings have been studied by laser vibrometry and particle dusting. A distinct membrane area, which includes a prominent mirror cell, acts as a resonator, amplifying the fundamental carrier frequency produced by interactions between the file and plectrum. The resonating membrane is extremely thin (mirror cell thickness 0.2 µm), which is a physical requirement for maintaining the carrier frequency in the cricket-specific range. Covering the wings after singing is probably an adaptation to protect these delicate structures from damage by mechanical contact during social interactions, especially mating.

Quality of life of inoperable non-small cell lung carcinoma. A randomized phase II clinical study comparing radiotherapy alone and combined radio-chemotherapy.

Eighty one patients with inoperable non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) were entered in a randomized phase II trial comparing split-dose irradiation alone to combined treatment radiotherapy and polychemotherapy (C.A.P. + V.D.S.). The quality of life and the survival of the patients were studied. We have defined three classes of quality of life responses based on the time elapsed before the performance status index drops. A higher quality of life failure rate was observed in the combined treatment group (p non-significant) but the time elapsed before the Karnofsky index drops is longer in the combined treatment group for the quality of life "no change" subgroup (p = 0.15). Survival and quality adjusted survival are similar in both treatment groups. The same conclusion holds for retrospective stratified treatment groups. The results of the study are presented according to the decision tree theory. We conclude that as far as the quality of life is concerned, polychemotherapy combined with the particular split-dose irradiation schedule used is an effective treatment of inoperable NSCLC. Its efficiency is comparable to, but not better than, the same radiotherapy schedule alone taken as a reference baseline.

Digoxin-like immunoreactive substance in serum of preterm and full-term neonates.

A significant serum level of digoxin-like immunoreactive substance (DLIS) (greater than or equal to 0.5 ng/ml) has been found in healthy full-term neonates, in prematurely born neonates as well as in full-term but small for gestational age neonates. Neither the babies nor their mothers had received digoxin therapy. On the first day of life, the incidence of serum levels of DLIS greater than or equal to 0.5 ng/ml in the three groups of neonates were respectively 64% (32/50), 42% (8/19) and 77% (10/13). Longitudinal measurements in preterm and small for gestational age neonates indicate a progressive disappearance of DLIS from their serum, none of them having a significant serum level at 21 days of age. As long as the chemical structure, origin and physiological properties of DLIS remain unknown, clinicians must be cautious in interpreting the serum levels of digoxin used for therapeutical purpose in neonates.

Vulvovaginitis en la infanica. / Vulvovaginitis in children

Se revisaron 60 ninas que presentaban vulvovaginitis y que acudieron al Servicio de la Consulta Externa de Medicinas del Hospital Infantil de Mexico, "Federico Gomez" en el lapso del 1o. de enero al 30 de junio de 1982. Se hace una revision del cuadro clinico y de laboratorio, asi como el tratamiento y el resultado obtenido