Acute and recurring pericarditis: More colchicine, less corticosteroids

Acute and recurring pericarditis are frequently encountered clinical entities. Given that severe complications such as tamponade and constrictive pericarditis occur rarely, the majority of patients suffering from acute pericarditis will have a benign clinical course. However, pericarditis recurrence, with its painful symptoms, is frequent. In effect, recent studies have demonstrated a beneficial role of colchicine in preventing recurrence, while also suggesting an increase in recurrences with the use of corticosteroids, the traditional first-line agent

Extra-pair paternity in the monogamous Alpine marmot revealed by nuclear DNA microsatellite analysis

Times Cited: 58International audienceThe genetic parentage and pedigrees of 35 litters from 12 family groups of monogamous Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) in the French Alps were analyzed using six hypervariable sequence repeat nuclear loci (microsatellites). All of the members of these family groups were sampled during a 5-year period. Hairs taken directly from animals served as a source of DNA for amplification of the loci. Our results indicate that the genetic mating system of the Alpine marmot is quite different from a strictly monogamous breeding system. Extra-pair paternity occurred in 11 of the 35 litters (31.4%). Of the 134 juveniles typed, 26 (19.4%) could be attributed to extra-pair copulation (EPC). We examine hypotheses which could explain the evolution of EPC and discuss the different patterns of extra-pair mating