The dromedary camel displays annual variation in hypothalamic kisspeptin and Arg–Phe-amide-related peptide-3 according to sex,season, and breeding activity

The dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) is a desert mammal whose cycles in reproductive activity ensure that the offspring's birth and weaning coincide with periods of abundant food resources and favorable climate conditions. In this study, we assessed whether kisspeptin (Kp) and arginine–phenylalanine (RF)-amide related peptide-3 (RFRP-3), two hypothalamic peptides known to regulate the mammalian hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis, may be involved in the seasonal control of camel's reproduction. Using specific antibodies and riboprobes, we found that Kp neurons are present in the preoptic area (POA), suprachiasmatic (SCN), and arcuate (ARC) nuclei, and that RFRP-3 neurons are present in the paraventricular (PVN), dorsomedial (DMH), and ventromedial (VMH) hypothalamic nuclei. Kp fibers are found in various hypothalamic areas, notably the POA, SCN, PVN, DMH, VMH, supraoptic nucleus, and the ventral and dorsal premammillary nucleus. RFRP-3 fibers are found in the POA, SCN, PVN, DMH, VMH, and ARC. POA and ARC Kp neurons and DMH RFRP-3 neurons display sexual dimorphism with more neurons in female than in male. Both neuronal populations display opposed seasonal variations with more Kp neurons and less RFRP-3 neurons during the breeding (December–January) than the nonbreeding (July–August) season. This study is the first describing Kp and RFRP-3 in the camel's brain with, during the winter period lower RFRP-3 expression and higher Kp expression possibly responsible for the HPG axis activation. Altogether, our data indicate the involvement of both Kp and RFRP-3 in the seasonal control of the dromedary camel's breeding activity.     

Primary umbilical endometriosis: case report and literature review of an unusual cause of catamenial umbilical pain

Endometriosis is defined by the presence of functional ectopic endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity, excluding the myometrium. It is a benign tumor that can infiltrate and cling to other organs, mimicking a malignant tumor. Umbilical endometriosis is a rare type of endometriosis that can occur naturally or as a result of a surgical operation. We report the case of a patient who experienced catamenial umbilical discomfort and whose radiological examination revealed endometriotic involvement.     

Choice of the feference for EEG mapping in the newborn: An initial comparison of common nose reference,average and source derivation

Summary The instantaneous amplitude of different EEG patterns found in a 36 week newborn baby were mapped by isopotential display, using 3 different references. We found that in certain cases, the nose reference recalculated average and source derivations give the same results. If the different EEG activities on the skull have too an high amplitude, and are not in phase opposition, the average reference differs from the zero potential of the common reference. In this case, the nose may be a better reference. However, it is possible that under other conditions high amplitude activity contaminates the nose, rendering the other references as better choices. From these preliminary results, we recommend the simultaneous display of maps obtained with the different references, and the comparison of the maps with the tracings for topographic studies in babies. It is absolutely necessary to record at least two polygraphic derivations to be able to recognize the sleep stages in which the analyses were performed. The eyes movement lead lets us to see if the EEG activity contaminates the face with multiple displays. It is then possible to decide which reference system is most appropriate.This study was supported by a grant from the University of Rouen, and realized with the help of the Rouen University Hospital. The authors wish to thank the Neonatal care unit (Professor C. Fessard) for the children, C. Berland for the recordings, G. Sainton and E. Dreano for their technical assistance, and J. Sanctot for her secretarial capabilities.     

Evaluation of vascular calcinosis risk factors in patients on chronic hemodialysis: lack of influence of calcium carbonate

Linear calcifications of the abdominal aorta and of the iliac and femoral arteries were measured yearly for 3 years on X rays of 24 patients on chronic hemodialysis taking variable amounts of calcium carbonate and Al(OH)3 but no pharmacological doses of vitamin D or 1 alpha-hydroxylated vitamin D derivatives. The speed of their extension appeared exponential and covariant with the male sex, age only for men and, independently of these two factors, with diastolic blood pressure and blood triglycerides. Plasma concentrations of calcium, phosphate and glucose were covariant with the extension of calcinosis only at a borderline level. The doses of calcium carbonate and the levels of plasma alkaline phosphatase were not at all covariant. Conclusions: (1) The effect of high doses of calcium carbonate is possibly harmful only when supraphysiological levels of plasma calcium are induced, whereas plasma phosphate is not adequately decreased. The doses of calcium carbonate per se have no deleterious effect (2). Since alkaline phosphatase is not covariant with the extension of calcinosis, the degree of hyperparathyroidism per se does not seem to play a causative role in vascular calcinosis (3). The main risk factors of vascular calcinosis are: age, the male sex, diastolic blood pressure and blood triglycerides.     

Recurrent Falls and Dual Task–Related Decrease in Walking Speed: Is There a Relationship?

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether dual task–related changes in walking speed were associated with recurrent falls in frail older adults.
DESIGN: Twelve-month prospective cohort study.
SETTING: Thirteen senior housing facilities.
PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred thirteen subjects (mean age 84.4±5.5).
MEASUREMENTS: Usual and dual-tasking walking speeds (m/s) were calculated on a 10-m straight walkway at baseline. Information on incident falls during the follow-up year was collected monthly, and participants were divided into three groups based on the occurrence of falls (0, 1, and ≥2). Recurrent falls were defined as two or more falls during the 12-month follow-up period.
RESULTS: Twenty subjects (9.4%) were classified as recurrent fallers. The occurrence of recurrent falls was associated with age (crude odds ratio (OR)=1.11, P =.02), number of drugs (crude OR=1.28, P =.002), and walking speed under both walking conditions (crude OR=0.96, P =.002 for usual walking and crude OR=0.60, P =.005 for walking while counting backward). Multiple Poisson regression showed that only walking speed while dual tasking and number of drugs were associated with incident falls (incident rate ratio (IRR)=0.84, P =.045 and IRR=1.10, P =.004).
CONCLUSION: Slower walking speed while counting backward was associated with recurrent falls, suggesting that changes in gait performance while dual tasking might be an inexpensive way of identifying frail older adults prone to falling.     

Optimal control of a delayed hepatitis B viral infection model with HBV DNA‐containing capsids and CTL immune response

This paper deals with an optimal control problem of a time‐delayed differential equation model that describes the interactions between hepatitis B virus (HBV) with HBV DNA‐containing capsids, liver cells (hepatocytes), and cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte immune response. Both the treatment and the intracellular delay are incorporated into the model. Furthermore, the existence of the optimal control pair is studied, and Pontryagin's minimum principle is used to characterize these 2 optimal controls. The first of them represents the efficiency of drug treatment in preventing new infections, whereas the second stands for the efficiency of drug treatment in inhibiting viral production. The optimality system is derived and solved numerically using the forward and backward difference approximation. Finally, numerical simulations are established to show the role of optimal therapy in controlling viral replication.     

The evolution of mild parkinsonian signs in aging

The progression of mild parkinsonian signs in the absence of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease in aging is unclear. This study aims to identify predictors of the evolution of mild parkinsonian signs in non-demented older adults. Two hundred ten participants (76.25 ± 7.10 years, 57 % women) were assessed at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Mild parkinsonian signs were defined as the presence of bradykinesia, rigidity and/or rest tremor. Depending upon the presence of these features at baseline and follow-up, participants were divided into one of four groups (no, transient, persistent or new-onset mild parkinsonian signs). Physical function was assessed using gait velocity. Ninety-five participants presented with mild parkinsonian signs at baseline. At 1-year follow-up, 59 demonstrated persistent mild parkinsonian signs, while 36 recovered (i.e., transient). Participants with persistent mild parkinsonian signs were older (79.66 ± 7.15 vs. 75.81 ± 7.37 years, p = 0.01) and evidenced slower gait velocity (90.41 ± 21.46 vs. 109.92 ± 24.32 cm/s, p < 0.01) compared to those with transient mild parkinsonian signs. Gait velocity predicted persistence of mild parkinsonian signs, even after adjustments (OR: 0.96, 95 % CI: 0.94–0.98). Fifty-five participants demonstrated new-onset of mild parkinsonian signs. In comparison to participants without mild parkinsonian signs, presence of cardiovascular but not cerebrovascular disease at baseline was associated with new-onset mild parkinsonian signs. Our study reveals that gait velocity was the main predictor of persistent mild parkinsonian signs, whereas cardiovascular disease was associated with new-onset mild parkinsonian signs. These findings suggest a vascular mechanism for the onset of mild parkinsonian signs and a different mechanism, possibly neurodegenerative, for the persistence of mild parkinsonian signs.     

Validation of the French national health insurance information system as a tool in vaccine safety assessment: Application to febrile convulsions after pediatric measles/mumps/rubella immunization

In the French national health insurance information system (SNIIR-AM), routine records of health claimed reimbursements are linked to hospital admissions for the whole French population. The main focus of this work is the usability of this system for vaccine safety assessment programme. Self-controlled case series analyses were performed using an exhaustive SNIIR-AM extraction of French children aged less than 3 years, to investigate the relationship between MMR immunization and children hospitalizations for febrile convulsions, a well-documented rare adverse event, over 2009–2010. The results suggest a significant increase of febrile convulsions during the 6–11 days period following any MMR immunization (IRR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.22, 1.83; p = 0.0001) and no increase 15–35 days post any MMR immunization (IRR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.89, 1.18; p = 0.72). These results are in accordance with other results obtained from large epidemiologic studies, which suggest the usability of the SNIIR-AM as a relevant database to study the occurrence of adverse events associated with immunization. For future use, results associated with risk of convulsion during the day of vaccination should nevertheless be considered with particular caution.