Métastases gastro-intestinales du cancer du sein: à propos de 2 cas

Le cancer du sein est le cancer le plus fréquent chez la femme, notamment au Maroc, avec un taux de mortalité élevé. Les métastases gastro- intestinales d'un carcinome canalaire du sein sont rares. Leur diagnostic est difficile du fait de la nature non spécifique des symptômes. Nous rapportons deux observations originales de métastases gastroduodénales d´un cancer canalaire infiltrant du sein. Les métastases gastro-intestinales du cancer du sein sont très rares ; la présence de symptômes gastro-intestinaux chez une malade ayant un antécédent de cancer du sein doit faire suspecter une atteinte métastatique gastro-intestinale.Key words: Cancer du sein, métastases gastrique, métastases duodénale

Optimized intermolecular potential for nitriles based on Anisotropic United Atoms model

An extension of the Anisotropic United Atoms intermolecular potential model is proposed for nitriles. The electrostatic part of the intermolecular potential is calculated using atomic charges obtained by a simple Mulliken population analysis. The repulsion-dispersion interaction parameters for methyl and methylene groups are taken from transferable AUA4 literature parameters [Ungerer et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2000, 112, 5499]. Non-bonding Lennard-Jones intermolecular potential parameters are regressed for the carbon and nitrogen atoms of the nitrile group (–C≡N) from experimental vapor-liquid equilibrium data of acetonitrile. Gibbs Ensemble Monte Carlo simulations and experimental data agreement is very good for acetonitrile, and better than previous molecular potential proposed by Hloucha et al. [J. Chem. Phys., 2000, 113, 5401]. The transferability of the resulting potential is then successfully tested, without any further readjustment, to predict vapor-liquid phase equilibrium of propionitrile and n-butyronitrile

Fecal occult blood and fecal calprotectin as point-of-care markers of intestinal morbidity in Ugandan children with Schistosoma mansoni infection.

BACKGROUND: Calprotectin is a calcium-binding cytoplasmic protein found in neutrophils and increasingly used as a marker of bowel inflammation. Fecal occult blood (FOB) is also a dependable indicator of bowel morbidity. The objective of our study was to determine the applicability of these tests as surrogate markers of Schistosoma mansoni intestinal morbidity before and after treatment with praziquantel (PZQ). METHODS: 216 children (ages 3-9 years old) from Buliisa District in Lake Albert, Uganda were examined and treated with PZQ at baseline in October 2012 with 211 of them re-examined 24 days later for S. mansoni and other soil transmitted helminths (STH). POC calprotectin and FOB assays were performed at both time points on a subset of children. Associations between the test results and infection were analysed by logistic regression. RESULTS: Fecal calprotectin concentrations of 150-300 µg/g were associated with S. mansoni egg patent infection both at baseline and follow up (OR: 12.5 P = 0.05; OR: 6.8 P = 0.02). FOB had a very strong association with baseline anemia (OR: 9.2 P = 0.03) and medium and high egg intensity schistosomiasis at follow up (OR: 6.6 P = 0.03; OR: 51.3 P = 0.003). Both tests were strongly associated with heavy intensity S. mansoni infections. There was a significant decrease in FOB and calprotectin test positivity after PZQ treatment in those children who had egg patent schistosomiasis at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Both FOB and calprotectin rapid assays were found to correlate positively and strongly with egg patent S. mansoni infection with a positive ameloriation response after PZQ treatment indicative of short term reversion of morbidity. Both tests were appropriate for use in the field with excellent operational performance and reliability. Due to its lower-cost which makes its scale-up of use affordable, FOB could be immediately adopted as a monitoring tool for PC campaigns for efficacy evaluation before and after treatment

Bioaugmentation process of secondary effluents for reduction of pathogens, heavy metals and antibiotics

The study probed into reducing faecal indicators and pathogenic bacteria, heavy metals and β-lactam antibiotics, from four types of secondary effluents by bioaugmentation process, which was conducted with Bacillus subtilis strain at 45 'C. As a result, faecal indicators and pathogenic bacteria were reduced due to the effect of thermal treatment process (45 'C), while the removal of heavy metals and β-lactam antibiotics was performed through the functions of bioaccumulation and biodegradation processes of B. subtilis. Faecal coliform met the guidelines outlined by WHO and U. S. EPA standards after 4 and 16 days, respectively. Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus were reduced to below the detection limits without renewed growth in the final effluents determined by using a culture-based method. Furthermore, 13.5% and 56.1% of cephalexin had been removed, respectively, from secondary effluents containing 1 g of cephalexin L�1 (secondary effluent 3), as well as 1 g of cephalexin L�1 and 10 mg of Ni2 L�1 (secondary effluent 4) after 16 days. The treatment process, eventually, successfully removed 96.6% and 66.3% of Ni2 ions from the secondary effluents containing 10 mg of Ni2 L�1 (secondary effluent 2) and E4, respectively. The bioaugmentation process improved the quality of secondary effluents

A route to high surface area, porosity and inclusion of large molecules in crystals

One of the outstanding challenges in the field of porous materials is the design and synthesis of chemical structures with exceptionally high surface areas(1). Such materials are of critical importance to many applications involving catalysis, separation and gas storage. The claim for the highest surface area of a disordered structure is for carbon, at 2,030 m(2) g(-1) (ref. 2). Until recently, the largest surface area of an ordered structure was that of zeolite Y, recorded at 904 m(2) g(-1) (ref. 3). But with the introduction of metal-organic framework materials, this has been exceeded, with values up to 3,000 m(2) g(-1) (refs 4-7). Despite this, no method of determining the upper limit in surface area for a material has yet been found. Here we present a general strategy that has allowed us to realize a structure having by far the highest surface area reported to date. We report the design, synthesis and properties of crystalline Zn4O(1,3,5-benzenetribenzoate)(2), a new metal-organic framework with a surface area estimated at 4,500 m(2) g(-1). This framework, which we name MOF-177, combines this exceptional level of surface area with an ordered structure that has extra-large pores capable of binding polycyclic organic guest molecules-attributes not previously combined in one material.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/62609/1/nature02311.pd

Genetic variation in strigolactone production and tillering in rice and its effect on Striga hermonthica infection

Tillering in cereals is a complex process in the regulation of which also signals from the roots in the form of strigolactones play an important role. The strigolactones are signalling molecules that are secreted into the rhizosphere where they act as germination stimulants for root parasitic plants and hyphal branching factors for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. On the other hand, they are also transported from the roots to the shoot where they inhibit tillering or branching. In the present study, the genetic variation in strigolactone production and tillering phenotype was studied in twenty rice varieties collected from all over the world and correlated with S. hermonthica infection. Rice cultivars like IAC 165, IAC 1246, Gangweondo and Kinko produced high amounts of the strigolactones orobanchol, 2′-epi-5-deoxystrigol and three methoxy-5-deoxystrigol isomers and displayed low amounts of tillers. These varieties induced high S. hermonthica germination, attachment, emergence as well as dry biomass. In contrast, rice cultivars such as Super Basmati, TN 1, Anakila and Agee displayed high tillering in combination with low production of the aforementioned strigolactones. These varieties induced only low S. hermonthica germination, attachment, emergence and dry biomass. Statistical analysis across all the varieties confirmed a positive correlation between strigolactone production and S. hermonthica infection and a negative relationship with tillering. These results show that genetic variation in tillering capacity is the result of genetic variation in strigolactone production and hence could be a helpful tool in selecting rice cultivars that are less susceptible to S. hermonthica infection

Production of nanoparticles from natural hydroxylapatite by laser ablation

Laser ablation of solids in liquids technique has been used to obtain colloidal nanoparticles from biological hydroxylapatite using pulsed as well as a continuous wave (CW) laser. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements revealed the formation of spherical particles with size distribution ranging from few nanometers to hundred nanometers and irregular submicronic particles. High resolution TEM showed that particles obtained by the use of pulsed laser were crystalline, while those obtained by the use of CW laser were amorphous. The shape and size of particles are consistent with the explosive ejection as formation mechanism