Development of the ETOC: a European test of olfactory capabilities

A number of smell tests designed to evaluate human olfactory capabilities have been published, but none have been validated cross-culturally. The aim of this study was therefore to develop a reliable and quick olfactory test that could be used to evaluate efficiently the olfactory abilities of a European population. This test, named ETOC and based on a combination of a supra-threshold detection task and an identification task, was designed to be a cross-cultural tool that would measure the decline in olfactory performance with ageing. Two versions of the ETOC, one easy and one less easy, were used to test the olfactory performance of European citizens in three countries (France, Sweden and the Netherlands). The results indicated that neither version of the ETOC is culture-dependent, and that both give scores that well reflect the decrease in olfactory abilities with increasing age. A retest session showed that the less easy (and final) version of the ETOC is also highly reliable.     

甲硝唑葡萄糖注射液细菌内毒素检查法的研究

目的;以细菌内毒素检查法对甲硝唑葡萄糖注射液进行试验研究。方法;采用抑制或增强试验,并将细菌内毒素检查法与家兔法检测结果作对比。结果：该注射液经一定稀释后对测定无干扰。结论：细菌内毒素检查法适用于检测该注射液。     

The effect of lathyrism on dentin structure of the rat incisors: a morphometric and scanning electron microscopic investigation

J Oral Pathol Med (2010) 39 : 424–430 Background: The present study was designed to study the effect of β‐aminopropionitrile (β‐APN), present in Lathyrus sativus grass pea consumed in drought prone areas, on dentin of the continuously erupting rat incisors. Methods: Eighteen adult male rats were used. In the experimental group (18 rats), lathyrism was induced by a once daily subcutaneous administration of β‐APN for 40 days. The maxillary and mandibular incisors were examined ultrastructurally and morphometrically. Results: The mean number of patent tubules, the mean area, perimeter and the area percent of the tubules were analyzed. Ultrastructurally, the dentinal tubules of both coronal and radicular dentin in the lathyritic group were narrower or even obliterated compared with those in the control. The coronal and radicular dentin of the lathyritic group exhibited an irregular lattice of non‐mineralized small branching collagen fibrils obliterating the dentinal tubules. The mean number of patent tubules in the control and lathyritic groups revealed an insignificant difference. The mean area of the tubules showed a statistically significant difference in lathyritic radicular dentin (P = 0.0353). The percentage of the total surface area of the dentinal tubules significantly decreased in the radicular dentin of the lathyritic group (P = 0.024). Conclusions: These findings indicated a deleterious effect of lathyrism on dentin, with a possible negative impact on developing teeth integrity.     

Comparative evaluation of 2 fiber optic catheters for the continuous measurement of Svo2

Nineteen intensive care patients with shock and acute respiratory failure were studied using two different fiber-optic catheters used for the continuous measurement of mixed venous blood oxygen saturation (SVO2). In groupe I patients (n = 11), a Swan-Ganz catheter with optic fibres emitting light characterized by three different wavelengths was used (Opticath Oximetrix). In groupe II patients (n = 8), a Sat-one Edwards catheter was used instead (only two different wavelengths). All the patients were studied in the early stages of shock, once all the calibration procedures had been carried out. An increase in FIO2, using PEEP, fluid replacement therapy and vasoactive drugs or diuretics all improved the cardio-respiratory status of each patient. After each new therapeutic procedure, SVO2 was measured in blood samples obtained from these catheters, and from the pulmonary artery (to give the reference value, using an OSM3 Hemoximeter). Over a period of 1.5 to 6 h, 119 measurements were carried out in Group I, and 91 in Group II. The correlation coefficient was higher with the Oximetrix catheter than with the Edwards one (r = 0.970 and 0.855 respectively; p less than 0.001). Moreover, the 24 h spontaneous drift of the former catheter was less than that of the latter (+3.3 +/- 3.1% vs. +9.3 +/- 7%, p less than 0.05). This study showed that a catheter with optic fibres emitting a light with three wavelengths is more accurate than one emitting only two for the measurement of changes in SVO2 in critically ill patients.     

Ocular MR imaging and spectroscopy: an ex vivo study

Six eyes, freshly enucleated because of choroidal melanoma, were imaged on a 1.4-T superconducting magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system, and relaxation times were calculated for various parts of the eye. Unfixed fresh tissue samples were obtained for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMRS) on a variable-field (0.19-1.4 T) resistive unit. Detailed ocular anatomy was demonstrated. The NMRS relaxation times correlated with the MR imaging intensity patterns. The sensitivity of MR imaging to states of hydration provides an excellent window for appreciation of ocular anatomy.     

Athlete shoulder injuries: CT arthrographic findings

Forty-three professional and amateur athletes with persistent shoulder pain that interfered with their sports activities were evaluated by computed tomographic (CT) arthrography. In 19 patients, glenohumeral instability (14 anterior, two posterior, three multidirectional) was diagnosed with CT arthrography based on the simultaneous presence of labral and capsular lesions. The findings were crucial in establishing the diagnosis of instability in six patients in whom the condition was not suggested or could not be confirmed clinically. Another significant injury consisted of labral lesions not associated with glenohumeral instability. These tears often involved the anterior and parasuperior segments of this structure. Other, less frequently detected lesions included segmental labral enlargement and several labra with abnormal orientation (everted labrum). Early onset of degenerative disease was present in many athletes, especially those with a long history of sports activity. CT arthrographic findings were correlated with arthroscopic or surgical results in 19 patients.     

No evidence of frequent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection in seronegative at-risk individuals

The possible existence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in asymptomatic seronegative at-risk individuals was investigated in a prospective study of 55 seronegative high-risk individuals (42 homosexual men and 13 heterosexual individuals) and 32 seronegative hemophiliacs treated with factor VIII or IX concentrates before viral inactivation by heat treatment and systematic screening of blood donations. Tests used include the polymerase chain reaction assay with three primer pairs (one in the gag region and two in the pol region) and tests for serum p24 antigen, anti-nef serology (Western blot), and five biologic markers frequently altered by HIV infection (CD4 lymphocyte count, serum beta 2-microglobulin and neopterin concentration, and serum IgG and IgA concentration). Although 91 of 92 HIV-1-seropositive persons were positive in testing with at least one primer pair, no positive result was observed in seronegative at-risk individuals or in 117 seronegative low-risk controls. No nef antibody was found in seronegative at-risk individuals or seronegative controls, but 44 (47%) of 92 HIV-1-seropositive persons had nef antibodies. These findings do not support the existence of frequent HIV-1 infection in seronegative at-risk individuals.