Fifteen symposia on microdosimetry: implications for modern particle-beam cancer radiotherapy

The objective of microdosimetry was, and still is, to identify physical descriptions of the initial physical processes of ionising radiation interacting with biological matter which correlate with observed radiobiological effects with a view to improve the understanding of radiobiological mechanisms and effects. The introduction of therapy with particles starting with fast neutrons followed by negative pions, protons and light ions necessitated the application of biological weighting factors for absorbed dose in order to account for differences of the relative biological effectiveness (RBE). Dedicated radiobiological experiments in therapy beams with mammalian cells and with laboratory animals provided sets of RBE values which are used to evaluate empirical ‘clinical RBE values'. The combination of such experiments with microdosimetric measurements in identical conditions offered the possibility to establish semi-empirical relationships between microdosimetric parameters and results of RBE studie

Constructive thinking skills and impulsivity dimensions in conduct and substance use disorders: differences and relationships in an adolescents' sample.

Impact of conduct disorder (CD) and substance use disorder (SUD) on constructive thinking skills and impulsivity was explored. 71 offending adolescents were assessed for CD and SUD. Furthermore, the constructive thinking inventory, the immediate and delayed memory tasks and the UPPS impulsive behaviour scale were administered. Results showed that youths with CD, independently from SUD, presented higher personality impulsivity (urgency) and altered constructive thinking skills (categorical thinking and personal superstitious thinking). Furthermore, trait-impulsivity explained variation in constructive thinking skills. The implications of these results were discussed

L’essor de la façade atlantique

L’essor de la façade atlantiqu

Specific Contributions of Age of Onset, Callous-Unemotional Traits and Impulsivity to Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Youths with Conduct Disorders.

Youths with conduct disorders (CD) are particularly studied for their violent and aggressive behaviors. Many researchers considered aggressive behaviors as being either reactive or proactive. Moreover, factors such as age of CD onset, impulsivity, and callous-unemotional traits, separately, have been related to these different types of aggressive behaviors. However, very few studies addressed the combined contribution of these three factors on proactive and reactive aggression. This question was tested in a sample composed of 43 male adolescents with CD. A single regression analysis including all predictors and outcomes, using Bayesian statistics, was computed. Results indicated that impulsivity was related to reactive aggression, while CU traits were related to proactive aggression. These results suggest first, an important heterogeneity among youth with CD, probably leading to different trajectories and, second, that youths with callous-unemotional traits should receive special attention and care as they are more at risk for proactive aggression

Sinusite récidivante due à Schizophyllum commune. À propos de deux nouveaux cas

Schizophyllum commune is a basidiomycete fungus of the agaricomycetes class. It is usually found in forest habitats in the form of saprophytic and lignicolous fungus. Its implication in human pathology is rare, only 50 clinical cases among which 18 cases of sinusitis have been described in the last 60 years. We report two new cases of sinusitis. The first was a 57-year-old woman with chronic sinusitis and the second was a 56-year-old man suffering from an allergic sinusitis. This basidiomycete was identified after isolation in culture both by macroscopic and microscopic aspect and molecular biology. In both cases, evacuation and drainage by surgical debridment were sufficient to obtain a cure. The main bioclinical characteristics of Schizophyllum commune infection are provided

Use of Sysmex XE-2100 and XE-5000 hematology analyzers for the diagnosis of malaria in a nonendemic country (France).

INTRODUCTION: Most studies dealing with automated hematology analyzers (HAs) and malaria diagnosis are conducted in endemic countries. METHODS: We retrospectively studied cell blood counts (CBCs) performed with Sysmex XE-2100 and XE-5000 HAs in our center (Angers, France) regarding 67 patients returning from endemic areas and infected with various Plasmodium species. RESULTS: In 83% of infected samples with Plasmodium vivax (Pv), ovale (Po), or malariae (Pm), extra clouds of dots were present in neutrophil and/or eosinophil area(s) on routine differential (DIFF) scattergrams. In contrast, samples infected with Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) failed to show such DIFF scattergrams, or any other suggesting malaria infection (0/ 49 pts). Abnormal areas from DIFF scattergrams were related to the presence of mature schizonts and gametocytes, undestroyed by lysis agent, the latter not observed in Pf-infected patients from our series. The internal parameter WBC[DIFF] - WBC[BASO] raised in parallel to parasitemia in Pv, Po, and Pm samples but could not be used as a surrogate for parasitemia. In Pf infection, reticulocyte/ immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF) ratio showed a significant correlation with parasitemia (P < 0.05). A diagnostic model developed for Pf in endemic countries showed sensitivity of 77%. CONCLUSION: Using SYSMEX analyzers, Pv, Po, and Pm infections are easy to ascertain as DIFF scattergrams are almost specific (specificity = 99.9%). Pf infection diagnosis by CBC may be a more promising tool

Acremonium strictum Fungaemia in a Paediatric Immunocompromised Patient: Diagnosis and Treatment Difficulties

During the past two decades, an increasing number of unusual moulds has been reported as responsible for septicaemia and systemic or disseminated infections in immunocompromised patients. Investigation of fever in a 10-year-old boy with acute myeloblastic leukaemia, including blood cultures on selective media, allowed the diagnosis of a fungaemia due to the slow-growing fungus Acremonium strictum. The patient recovered with liposomal amphotericin B (AmB) and voriconazole, followed by voriconazole alone due to AmB resistance. Facing a neutropenic patient with fever, clinicians usually suspect bacterial or viral aetiologies. This case, however, illustrates the need for mycological analysis of blood samples in febrile neutropenic patients and for antifungal susceptibility testing