Food,water, energy,and macronutrient intake of non-breastfed infants and young children (0–3 years)

European Journal of Nutrition - The French Nutri-Bébé 2013 study aimed to assess the nutritional intake of infants and young children in comparison with the recommendations of the 2013...     

Stimulus-secretion coupling of arginine-induced insulin release. Resistance of arginine- and ornithine-stimulated glucagon and insulin release to D,L-alpha-difluoromethylornithine

In the isolated perfused rat pancreas, D,L-difluoromethylornithine, tested at a concentration of 3 mmol/L, failed to affect the release of glucagon and insulin caused, over 15 min stimulation, by either L-arginine or L-ornithine (2.0, 5.0 or 10.0 mmol/L) in the presence of either 3.3 or 5.6 mmol/L D-glucose. The inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase also failed to affect the release of glucagon provoked by either L-leucine (2 or 3 mmol/L) or L-glutamine (2 mmol/L) and the secretion of insulin stimulated by a rise in glucose concentration from 5.6 to 10.6 mmol/L. These data are interpreted to suggest that the rapid generation of polyamines from either L-arginine or L-ornithine does not play any significant role in the immediate glucagonotropic and insulinotropic action of these cationic amino acids.     

Factors influencing the variations of ejection fraction during exercise in chronic aortic regurgitation

The influence of left ventricular volume variations and regurgitant fraction variations upon left ventricular ejection fraction, during exercise was examined using equilibrium radionuclide angiography in patients suffering from aortic regurgitation. Ejection fraction (EF), regurgitant fraction (RF), end diastolic volume (EDV) and end systolic volume (ESV) variations from rest to peak exercise were determined in 44 patients suffering from chronic aortic regurgitation (AR) and in 8 healthy volunteers (C). In C, EF increased (+0.10±0.03, P<0.01) and ESV decreased significantly (-23%±12%, P<0.01) RF and EDV did not vary significantly. In AR patients, EF, EDV and ESV did not vary significantly because of important scattering of individual values. Changes in EF and ESV were inversely correlated (r=-0.79, P<0.01) and RF decreased significantly (-0.12±0.10, P<0.01). Volumes and EF changes during exercise occurred in three different ways. In a 1st subgroup of 7 patients, EF increased (+0.09±0.03, P<0.05) in conjunction with a reduction of ESV (-24%±12%, P<0.05) without a significant change in EDV. In a 2nd group of 22 patients. EF decreased (-0.04±0.07, P<0.01) in association with an increase in ESV (+17%±16%, P<0.01) and no change in EDV. In a 3rd subgroup of 15 patients, EF decreased (-0.02±0.06, P<0.01) despite a reduction in ESV (-7%±6%, P<0.01) because of a dramatic EDV decrease (-10%±6%, P<0.05). In this subgroup, changes in EF were inversely correlated with changes in ESV (r=-0.55, P<0.01) and positively related to EDV variations (r=0.42, P=0.02). EDV related to EDV variations (r=0.42, P=0.02). EDV changes were weakly, but significantly, correlated to RF decrease (r=0.39, P<0.05). We conclude that changes in left ventricular ejection fraction during exercise in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation are significantly related in some patients to changes in ventricular loading conditions as well as contractile state. Therefore, a correct interpretation of EF changes during exercise requires the simultaneous determination of changes in LV volumes.Abbreviations EDV end diastolic volume - EF ejection fraction - ESV end systolic volume - LV left ventricle - RV right ventricle     

Massive hemolysis and acute mitral insufficiency one year following mitral valve repair. Apropos of a case

The authors report a case of massive haemolytic anaemia with acute mitral valve regurgitation and left cardiac failure, which occurred one year after surgical reconstruction of the mitral valve for rupture of smaller leaflet chordae. Anaemia, mitral regurgitation and cardiac failure disappeared after mitral valve replacement, using a Carpentier Edwards No. 29 valve. Haemolytic anaemia following mitral valve reconstruction is exceptional. It seems to be due to the suture material lying in a turbulent regurgitation stream when mitral incompetence develops again.     

A simple tool to evoke physicians' real training needs.

Commonly used methods for identifying the training needs of general practitioners do not enable the real needs felt during interviews with patients during office visits to be detected. In this study, the authors evaluate how physicians' use of a personal-office-visit diary affects the level of specificity of their expressed training needs. In 1999, the authors carried out a controlled intervention trial using a random sample of 1,038 general practitioners from a region of France, randomized to intervention and control groups. The practitioners in the intervention group were asked to identify their training needs using a personal-office-visit diary. The level of specificity for their expressed needs was compared with that of the expressed needs of the practitioners in the control group. The use of the diary was associated with a significantly higher level of specificity in the training needs identified by the general practitioners who participated. Independent of the intervention, practitioners under 40 years of age, those in urban practice, and those who were members of a continuing medical education (CME) association expressed their training needs with higher specificity. The personal-office-visit diary would seem to be a simple, inexpensive, and useful tool for more specifically identifying training needs, which could help establish more appropriate and better-targeted training programs. However, it should be assessed further by those involved in CME for general practitioners.     

Correlating digit span performance and event-related potentials to assess working memory.

Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded during a computerized and modified version of the Digit Span Backwards (DB) task from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III). The modified DB version (ERP-DB task) was divided into two sections of 2, 4, 6 and 8 digits in length (Group 1) and 3, 5 and 7 digits in length (Group 2). Each trial had a study phase and a test phase. For the study phase, a series of digits was presented sequentially and aurally to 20 participants (10 for each group). For the test phase, a second series of digits was also presented sequentially and aurally that either corresponded to the reverse order of the digits in the study phase (correct condition) or had one digit in the sequence replaced by an incorrect digit (incorrect condition). The traditional DB task of the WAIS-III was also administered for comparison purposes. A prolonged positive slow wave (PSW) peaking between 450 and 750 ms was elicited to incorrect condition trials. For each participant, a derived measure was calculated from the ERP differentiation between correct and incorrect conditions. The derived measure was defined as the mean of the t-values obtained from the correct and incorrect waveform comparison, within the temporal interval that encompassed this component. The strongest statistical correlations between the derived measure and the traditional DB test scores were found at the Pz site (Group 1: r=0.79; Group 2: r=0.59). This statistical approach shows that it is possible to adequately relate an individual's performance on a traditional measure of working memory and ERP patterns. Overall, we believe that this kind of ERP approach holds promise as a technique for assessing quantitatively non-communicative patients.     

Eleventh international Argos proceedings: critical decision making in degenerative spinal stenosis

The eleventh Argos international symposium was held on 25 and 26 January 2007 at Maison des Arts et Métiers, Paris. Regular attendees were present as well as newcomers from around the world.     

Features of the metabolic syndrome of "hypertriglyceridemic waist" and transplant coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the prevalence of the atherogenic metabolic triad and the hypothesis that waist circumference and fasting triglyceride concentrations could be used as screening tools for identification of the atherogenic metabolic triad in a population of heart transplant men. It also evaluated the relationship between the atherogenic metabolic triad and coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: In the study group of 83 consecutive male heart transplant patients having their routine annual coronarography, 23 patients (28%) were characterized by the atherogenic metabolic triad defined by the presence of elevated fasting insulin and apolipoprotein B concentrations and by small low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles. RESULTS: Seventy-seven per cent of patients with waist circumference values >/= 90 cm and with elevated triglyceride levels (>/=2.0 mmol/liter) were characterized by this atherogenic metabolic triad. Patients with the atherogenic metabolic triad were at markedly increased risk of CAD (odds ratio of 25.3, 95% CI: 1.11-577.3, p < 0.04) compared to heart transplant patients without the atherogenic metabolic triad. CONCLUSIONS: About 30% of heart transplant patients showed the features of the atherogenic metabolic triad. Measurement and interpretation of waist circumference and fasting triglycerides could be used among heart transplant patients to early identify men characterized by the presence of elevated fasting insulin and apolipoprotein B concentrations and small LDL particles. The presence of the atherogenic metabolic triad identified patients at high risk of CAD even in the heart transplant population.