Malaria prophylaxis in the French armed forces: evolution of concepts.

PubMed

Touze, J E; Paule, P; Baudon, D; Boutin, J P

2001-01-01

Malaria is still a serious public health problem in the world and control remains a major priority for the approximately 25.000 French troops deployed, mostly on permanent assignment, in malaria transmission regions. Epidemiological surveillance of malaria provides data necessary to assess morbidity, monitor changing patterns of Plasmodium falciparum drug-sensitivity, and evaluate the efficacy of malaria control measures. About 540 cases were observed in 1999 for an incidence of 4.1 p. 100 men. year. Since 1991, strong emphasis has been placed on prophylaxis. In addition to vector control measures and individual protection against mosquito bites (impregnated bednets, protective clothing, application of repellents, and indoor insecticide spraying), drug prophylaxis has been recommended using a combination of 100 mg of chloroquine and 200 mg of proguanil chlorhydrate (CQ + PG) in a single capsule manufactured by the French Health Army Service. Initially this policy led to a significant decrease in malaria cases among French soldiers. However the incidence of malaria rose in 1995 and 1996. This recrudescence was attributed to poor compliance with chemoprophylaxis and to the declining efficacy of the CQ + PG combination. In response to these problems, a new policy was implemented especially in countries where cycloguanil-resistant Plasmodium falciparum incidence rate is increasing. The new chemoprophylactic regimen calls for a personal prescription of mefloquine. Doxycycline monohydrate is used in case of mefloquine contra-indication or intolerance. Combination of CQ + PG delivered in a single capsule remains a suitable chemoprophylactic regimen in Sahel countries as well as Horn of Africa.

Contemporary Counterinsurgency (COIN) Insights from the French-Algerian War (1954-1962)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-03

Council for Higher Education Accreditation. USAWC STRATEGY RESEARCH PROJECT CONTEMPORARY COUNTERINSURGENCY (COIN) INSIGHTS FROM THE FRENCH -ALGERIAN WAR...Colonel Kenneth M. DeTreux TITLE: Contemporary Counterinsurgency (COIN) Insights from the French - Algerian War (1954-1962) FORMAT: Strategy Research Project ...illustrative case study. This project researches and examines three main elements from the French Algerian experience: the Algerian insurgency, the French

Linguistic Effects of Globalization: A Case Study of French for Specific Purposes (FSP) in Kenyan Vocational Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulenda, Mubalama

2013-01-01

The study of French for Specific Purposes (FSP) is a topical subject in this era of globalization. Kenya requires people who can communicate in French in the various specialized areas. It has become crucial in Kenya to respond to the French language needs of students learning tourism and hospitality among other domains which have already shown an…

Norovirus GII.17 Outbreak Linked to an Infected Post-Symptomatic Food Worker in a French Military Unit Located in France.

PubMed

Sanchez, Marc-Antoine; Corcostégui, Simon-Pierre; De Broucker, Charles-Arnaud; Cabre, Olivier; Watier-Grillot, Stéphanie; Perelle, Sylvie; Ambert-Balay, Katia; Pommier de Santi, Vincent

2017-06-01

In February 2016, an outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred in a French military unit located in Poitiers, France. Attack rate was of 34% (103/300). A case-control study identified association between illness and cake consumption. Stool samples were tested positive for Norovirus GII.17 for one patient and one post-symptomatic food worker (FW). The FW presented vomiting one day before cake preparation. The NoV strain was probably spread through food worker hand contact. Prevention of Norovirus foodborne outbreaks implies new guidelines for FWs management in France and Europe.

Circumcision and prostate cancer: a population-based case-control study in Montréal, Canada

PubMed Central

Spence, Andrea R; Rousseau, Marie-Claude; Karakiewicz, Pierre I; Parent, Marie-Élise

2014-01-01

Objectives To investigate the possible association between circumcision and prostate cancer risk, to examine whether age at circumcision influences prostate cancer risk, and to determine whether race modifies the circumcision–prostate cancer relationship. Subjects and Methods PROtEuS (Prostate Cancer and Environment Study), a population-based case-control study set amongst the mainly French-speaking population in Montréal, Canada, was used to address study objectives. The study included 1590 pathologically confirmed prostate cancer cases diagnosed in a Montréal French hospital between 2005 and 2009, and 1618 population controls ascertained from the French electoral list, frequency-matched to cases by age. In-person interviews elicited information on sociodemographic, lifestyle and environmental factors. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between circumcision, age at circumcision and prostate cancer risk, adjusting for age, ancestry, family history of prostate cancer, prostate cancer screening history, education, and history of sexually transmitted infections. Results Circumcised men had a slightly lower risk, albeit not statistically significant, of developing prostate cancer than uncircumcised men (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.76–1.04). Circumcision was found to be protective in men circumcised aged ≥36 years (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.30–0.98). A weaker protective effect was seen among men circumcised within 1 year of birth (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.72–1.04). The strongest protective effect of circumcision was recorded in Black men (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.19–0.86, P-value for interaction 0.02) but no association was found with other ancestral groups. Conclusion Our findings provide novel evidence for a protective effect of circumcision against prostate cancer development, especially in those circumcised aged ≥36 years; although circumcision before the age of 1 year may also confer protection. Circumcision appeared to be protective only among Black men, a group that has the highest rate of disease. Further research into the differences in effect of circumcision on prostate cancer risk by ancestry is warranted, as is the influence of age at circumcision. PMID:24655933

Producing Multimodal Picture Books and Dramatic Performances in a Core French Classroom: An Exploratory Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Early, Margaret; Yeung, Cindy

2009-01-01

In a Grade 9 core French class, the teacher designed a multi-stage project in which students composed original children's stories in French; illustrated their stories to produce picture books; then, in groups, adapted one group member's story into a play script; and, finally, dramatized the scripts for children from the local French immersion…

Evaluating the association of common APOA2 variants with type 2 diabetes

PubMed Central

Duesing, Konsta; Charpentier, Guillaume; Marre, Michel; Tichet, Jean; Hercberg, Serge; Balkau, Beverley; Froguel, Philippe; Gibson, Fernando

2009-01-01

Background APOA2 is a positional and biological candidate gene for type 2 diabetes at the chromosome 1q21-q24 susceptibility locus. The aim of this study was to examine if HapMap phase II tag SNPs in APOA2 are associated with type 2 diabetes and quantitative traits in French Caucasian subjects. Methods We genotyped the three HapMap phase II tagging SNPs (rs6413453, rs5085 and rs5082) required to capture the common variation spanning the APOA2 locus in our type 2 diabetes case-control cohort comprising 3,093 French Caucasian subjects. The association between these variants and quantitative traits was also examined in the normoglycaemic adults of the control cohort. In addition, meta-analysis of publicly available whole genome association data was performed. Results None of the APOA2 tag SNPs were associated with type 2 diabetes in the French Caucasian case-control cohort (rs6413453, P = 0.619; rs5085, P = 0.245; rs5082, P = 0.591). However, rs5082 was marginally associated with total cholesterol levels (P = 0.026) and waist-to-hip ratio (P = 0.029). The meta-analysis of data from 12,387 subjects confirmed our finding that common variation at the APOA2 locus is not associated with type 2 diabetes. Conclusion The available data does not support a role for common variants in APOA2 on type 2 diabetes susceptibility or related quantitative traits in Northern Europeans. PMID:19216768

Evaluating the association of common APOA2 variants with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Duesing, Konsta; Charpentier, Guillaume; Marre, Michel; Tichet, Jean; Hercberg, Serge; Balkau, Beverley; Froguel, Philippe; Gibson, Fernando

2009-02-13

APOA2 is a positional and biological candidate gene for type 2 diabetes at the chromosome 1q21-q24 susceptibility locus. The aim of this study was to examine if HapMap phase II tag SNPs in APOA2 are associated with type 2 diabetes and quantitative traits in French Caucasian subjects. We genotyped the three HapMap phase II tagging SNPs (rs6413453, rs5085 and rs5082) required to capture the common variation spanning the APOA2 locus in our type 2 diabetes case-control cohort comprising 3,093 French Caucasian subjects. The association between these variants and quantitative traits was also examined in the normoglycaemic adults of the control cohort. In addition, meta-analysis of publicly available whole genome association data was performed. None of the APOA2 tag SNPs were associated with type 2 diabetes in the French Caucasian case-control cohort (rs6413453, P = 0.619; rs5085, P = 0.245; rs5082, P = 0.591). However, rs5082 was marginally associated with total cholesterol levels (P = 0.026) and waist-to-hip ratio (P = 0.029). The meta-analysis of data from 12,387 subjects confirmed our finding that common variation at the APOA2 locus is not associated with type 2 diabetes. The available data does not support a role for common variants in APOA2 on type 2 diabetes susceptibility or related quantitative traits in Northern Europeans.

[Prompt control of an imported carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii outbreak in a French intensive care unit].

PubMed

Guth, C; Cavalli, Z; Pernod, C; Lhopital, C; Wey, Pf; Gerome, P; Turc, J

2016-01-01

to describe the management and control of a limited outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii (CRAB) outbreak in a French intensive care unit. Careful review of the contact's and carrier's files and outbreak management procedures. An undiagnosed CRAB carrier was admitted to our intensive care unit after medical evacuation from Turkey. Despite preventive isolation and contact precautions, a secondary case was diagnosed 5 days after admission of the index case and resulted in the creation of a crisis unit. Prompt management included an epidemiologic investigation with contact screening and follow-up, environmental screening, and additional restrictive measures: isolation room, closure of adjacent rooms, patient cohorting with designated nurses, and reinforcement of contact precautions. restrictive management of CRAB outbreaks may allow prompt outbreak control and avoid prolonged room closures.

Burnout does not help predict depression among French school teachers.

PubMed

Bianchi, Renzo; Schonfeld, Irvin Sam; Laurent, Eric

2015-11-01

Burnout has been viewed as a phase in the development of depression. However, supportive research is scarce. We examined whether burnout predicted depression among French school teachers. We conducted a 2-wave, 21-month study involving 627 teachers (73% female) working in French primary and secondary schools. Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory and depression with the 9-item depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 grades depressive symptom severity and provides a provisional diagnosis of major depression. Depression was treated both as a continuous and categorical variable using linear and logistic regression analyses. We controlled for gender, age, and length of employment. Controlling for baseline depressive symptoms, linear regression analysis showed that burnout symptoms at time 1 (T1) did not predict depressive symptoms at time 2 (T2). Baseline depressive symptoms accounted for about 88% of the association between T1 burnout and T2 depressive symptoms. Only baseline depressive symptoms predicted depressive symptoms at follow-up. Similarly, logistic regression analysis revealed that burnout symptoms at T1 did not predict incident cases of major depression at T2 when depressive symptoms at T1 were included in the predictive model. Only baseline depressive symptoms predicted cases of major depression at follow-up. This study does not support the view that burnout is a phase in the development of depression. Assessing burnout symptoms in addition to "classical" depressive symptoms may not always improve our ability to predict future depression.

French for Business: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCullough, Brenda

The paper discusses the development and evolution of the French for Business undergraduate language course at Oregon State University, focusing on: (1) instructor preparation; (2) course structure; (3) course content; (4) the business student as teacher and mentor; (5) cultural exchanges with French-speaking business students; (6) oral and written…

Impact of selective reporting of antibiotic susceptibility test results on the appropriateness of antibiotics chosen by French general practitioners in urinary tract infections: a randomised controlled case-vignette study.

PubMed

Bourdellon, Loic; Thilly, Nathalie; Fougnot, Sébastien; Pulcini, Céline; Henard, Sandrine

2017-08-01

Selective reporting of antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) results is a potential intervention for laboratory-based antibiotic stewardship. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of AST reporting on the appropriateness of antibiotics selected by French general practitioners for urinary tract infections (UTIs). A randomised controlled case-vignette study in a region of northeast France surveyed general practitioners between July and October 2015 on treatment of four clinical cases of community-acquired Escherichia coli UTIs (two cases of complicated cystitis, one of acute pyelonephritis and one male UTI). In Group A, selective reporting of AST results was used for the first two cases and complete reporting for the other two cases; these were reversed in Group B. The overall participation rate was 131/198 (66.2%). Provision of selective AST results significantly increased the rate of adherence to national guidelines for first-line antibiotic treatment in Cases 1, 3 and 4 by 22.4% (55.2% vs. 32.8%, P = 0.01), 67.5% (75.0% vs. 7.5%, P <0.001) and 36.3% (45.3% vs. 9.0%, P <0.001), respectively. The improvement in compliance was not significant for Case 2. Prescriptions of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins decreased by 25.0% to 45.0%, depending on the clinical vignette. Most (106/131, 81.0%) participants favoured the routine use of selective reporting of AST results. In conclusion, selective reporting of AST results seems to improve antibiotic prescribing practices in primary care, and may be considered a key element of antimicrobial stewardship programmes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Predictive Factors of the Survival of Women With Invasive Breast Cancer in French Guiana: The Burden of Health Inequalities.

PubMed

Roué, Tristan; Labbé, Sylvain; Belliardo, Sophie; Plenet, Juliette; Douine, Maylis; Nacher, Mathieu

2016-08-01

The prognosis of patients with breast cancer in French Guiana is worse than in France, with 23 deaths per 100 incident cases versus 17 per 100 in metropolitan France. This study aimed to compare the relative survival of patients with invasive breast cancer (IBC) between women from French Guiana and metropolitan France and to determine risk factors influencing breast cancer survival in French Guiana. Data were collected from the Cancer Registry of French Guiana. We compared the relative survival of women with IBC between French Guiana and metropolitan France. We used the Cox proportional hazard regression to evaluate the effect of prognostic factors on cancer-specific mortality in French Guiana. We included all 269 cases of IBC in women diagnosed in French Guiana between 2003 and 2009. The overall 5-year relative survival rate of patients with IBC was 79% in French Guiana and 86% in metropolitan France. The place of birth (foreign country vs. French territory), the tumor stage at the time of diagnosis, the mode of diagnosis (symptoms vs. screening), the presence of hormone receptors in the tumor, and the histologic type were the variables associated with survival differences. None of the other study variables were significantly associated with prognosis. Access to care for migrants is challenging, which leads to health inequalities. Early detection through prevention programs is crucial to increase IBC survival, notably for foreign-born patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Severity of button batteries ingestions: data from French Poison Control Centres between 1999 and 2015.

PubMed

Labadie, Magali; O'Mahony, Elisabeth; Capaldo, Lise; Courtois, Arnaud; Lamireau, Thierry; Nisse, Patrick; Blanc-Brisset, Ingrid; Puskarczyk, Emmanuel

2017-12-13

Although the ingestion of button batteries is an infrequent situation, it leads to a significant risk of causing serious damage. This study was carried out to describe all the cases of button battery ingestion recorded by the French Poison Control Centers over 16 years. All the cases of button battery ingestion were recorded from 1 January 1999 to the end of June 2015, analysed (age, sex, number of ingested button batteries, clinical signs and treatments) and graded for severity according to the poisoning severity score. The incidence of button batteries ingestions was constant over the 16-year period, with an average of 266±98.5 cases per year and a total of 4030 cases. Nevertheless, 21 cases were severe and two deaths occurred. Interestingly, for the two patients who died, the battery was stuck in the oesophagus and they presented anorexia and/or dysphagia, abdominal pain and fever and in one case, a melena 3 weeks after ingestion. Importantly, these symptoms were observed even if the battery was expelled in one fatal case. Ingestions of button batteries still occur and may cause serious damage, especially in children, and if the button battery is stuck in the oesophagus as it might cause severe symptoms. Patients who have ingested a button battery must be directed to the emergency department for medical evaluation, even if the button battery has been expelled from the body and even more if gastrointestinal symptoms are present.

Risk Assessment During the Final Phase of an Uncontrolled Re-Entry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaudel, A.; Hourtolle, C.; Goester, J. F.; Fuentes, N.

2013-09-01

As French National Space Agency, CNES is empowered to monitor compliance with technical regulations of the French Space Operation Act, FSOA, and to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of people, property, public health and environment for all space operations involving French responsibility at international level.Therefore, CNES developed ELECTRA that calculates the risk for ground population involved in three types of events: rocket launching, controlled re-entry and uncontrolled re-entry. For the first two cases, ELECTRA takes into account degraded cases due to a premature stop of propulsion.Major evolutions were implemented recently on ELECTRA to meet new users' requirements, like the risk assessment during the final phase of uncontrolled re-entry, that can be combined with the computed risk for each country involved by impacts.The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the ELECTRA method and main functionalities, and then to highlight these recent improvements.

Two French-Speaking Cases of Foreign Accent Syndrome: An Acoustic-Phonetic Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Johanna-Pascale; Macoir, Joel; Martel-Sauvageau, Vincent; Boudreault, Carol-Ann

2012-01-01

Foreign accent syndrome (FAS) is an acquired neurologic disorder in which an individual suddenly and unintentionally speaks with an accent which is perceived as being different from his/her usual accent. This study presents an acoustic-phonetic description of two Quebec French-speaking cases. The first speaker presents a perceived accent shift to…

Examination of the validity and reliability of the French version of the Brief Self-Control Scale

PubMed Central

Brevers, Damien; Foucart, Jennifer; Verbanck, Paul; Turel, Ofir

2017-01-01

This study aims to develop and to validate a French version of the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS; Tangney et al., 2004). This instrument is usually applied as a unidimensional self-report measure for assessing trait self-control, which captures one’s dispositional ability to resist short-term temptation in order to reach more valuable long-term goals. Data were collected from two independent samples of French-speaking individuals (n1 = 287; n2 = 160). Results indicated that the French version of the BSCS can be treated as unidimensional, like the original questionnaire. Data also showed consistent acceptable reliability and reasonable test-retest stability. Acceptable external validity of constructs was supported by relationships with self-reported measures of impulsivity (UPPS), including urgency, lack of premeditation, and lack of perseverance. Overall, the findings suggest that the average score of the French version of the BSCS is a viable option for assessing trait self-control in French speaking populations. PMID:29200467

Examination of the validity and reliability of the French version of the Brief Self-Control Scale.

PubMed

Brevers, Damien; Foucart, Jennifer; Verbanck, Paul; Turel, Ofir

2017-10-01

This study aims to develop and to validate a French version of the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS; Tangney et al., 2004). This instrument is usually applied as a unidimensional self-report measure for assessing trait self-control, which captures one's dispositional ability to resist short-term temptation in order to reach more valuable long-term goals. Data were collected from two independent samples of French-speaking individuals ( n 1 = 287; n 2 = 160). Results indicated that the French version of the BSCS can be treated as unidimensional, like the original questionnaire. Data also showed consistent acceptable reliability and reasonable test-retest stability. Acceptable external validity of constructs was supported by relationships with self-reported measures of impulsivity (UPPS), including urgency, lack of premeditation, and lack of perseverance. Overall, the findings suggest that the average score of the French version of the BSCS is a viable option for assessing trait self-control in French speaking populations.

Shigella infection in children under 5 years old in western French Guiana.

PubMed

Parisot, M; Parez, N; Boukhari, R; Breurec, S; Jolivet, A

2018-04-15

French Guiana, a tropical country, is characterised by a young and multi-ethnic population. Difficulties in accessing safe water sources lead to outbreaks of gastroenteritis. The objectives of this study were (1) to describe the microbiological profile of shigella strains isolated in western French Guiana, including antimicrobial susceptibility and the distribution of strains in terms of species and serotypes and (2) to estimate the incidence of shigellosis in children under 5 years old. A retrospective observational study was conducted of 213 cases of shigellosis diagnosed in the biology department of the hospital centre for western French Guiana between 2000 and 2012 in children under 5 years old. The serogroups (formerly known as species) that predominates in French Guiana was Shigella flexneri. No resistance was observed to fluoroquinolones or to third-generation cephalosporins. The average incidence of shigellosis in children under 5 years old in western French Guiana was estimated at 189.6 cases per 100 000 inhabitants per year. Shigellosis is a public health problem in western French Guiana. These infections suggest the difficulties in accessing safe water sources and the lack of public sanitation. A quadrivalent vaccine containing Shigella sonnei and three serotypes of S. flexneri (S. flexneri 2a, 3a and 6) could provide broad coverage against shigella infections.

Surveillance of adverse events following vaccination in the French armed forces, 2011-2012.

PubMed

Mayet, A; Duron, S; Meynard, J-B; Koeck, J-L; Deparis, X; Migliani, R

2015-06-01

French military personnel are subject to a compulsory vaccination schedule. The aim of this study was to present the results of surveillance of vaccine adverse events (VAEs) reported from 2011 to 2012 in the French armed forces. VAEs were surveyed among all French armed forces from 2011 to 2012 by the epidemiological departments of the military health service. For each case, a notification form providing patient and clinical information was provided. Case definitions were derived from the French drug safety guidelines. Three types of VAE were considered: non-serious, serious and unexpected. Incidence rates were calculated by relating VAEs to the number of vaccine doses delivered. In total, 161 VAE cases were reported. The overall VAE reporting rate was 24.6 VAEs per 100,000 doses, and the serious VAE rate was 1.3 per 100,000 doses (nine cases). The serious VAEs included two cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, one case of optic neuritis, one case of a meningeal-like syndrome, one case of rheumatoid purpura, one case of acute asthma and three cases of fainting. The highest rates of VAE were observed with the Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine (BCG) (482.3 per 100,000 doses), inactivated diphtheria-tetanus-poliovirus with acellular pertussis vaccine (dTap-IPV) (106.1 per 100,000 doses) and meningococcal quadrivalent glycoconjugate vaccine (MenACWY-CRM) (39.3 per 100,000 doses). The global rates of VAE observed in 2011 and 2012 confirm the increase that has been observed since 2009 in the French armed forces, which could reflect improved practitioner awareness about VAEs and the use of certain vaccines added to the vaccination schedule recently (dTap-IPV in 2008 and MenACWY-CRM in 2010). VAEs appear to be relatively rare, particularly serious VAEs, which indicates acceptable tolerance of vaccines. Copyright © 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Natural Gender, Phonological Cues and the Default Grammatical Gender in French Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boloh, Yves; Ibernon, Laure

2013-01-01

According to a dominant thesis, nominal endings are the privileged cues French children use to determine new nouns' gender subclass. Children will rely on phonology even in cases of discordance with natural gender. Two elicited production studies involving more than 250 4- to 17-year-olds showed that while French children did not base their gender…

Herd-level risk factors for bovine tuberculosis in French cattle herds.

PubMed

Marsot, Maud; Béral, Marina; Scoizec, Axelle; Mathevon, Yoann; Durand, Benoit; Courcoul, Aurélie

2016-09-01

Although officially free of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), France has been experiencing a slight increase in the incidence and geographical spread of the infection. Eradication of bTB requires determining the infection risk factors. Although several studies identifying bTB risk factors have been conducted in the United Kingdom and Spain, no information is currently available regarding bTB risk factors in French cattle. The objective of this work was thus to study the factors associated with the risk of bTB in cattle herds in three French administrative divisions (départements of Ardennes, Côte d'Or and Dordogne). A case-control study was conducted to compare herds having experienced a bTB outbreak between 2012 and early 2014 with randomly selected control herds of the three study départements. A questionnaire of farming practices, inter-herd contacts (e.g. at pasture or via vehicles or materials), and the presence of other domestic species was carried out in the selected herds. Data on other variables of interest included animal movements between farms and potential contacts between cattle and wildlife (e.g. badger and wild boar abundances) were also collected. Multivariable logistic regression and multimodel inference methods were used to assess risk factors related to bTB. A total of 216 herds (72 cases and 144 controls) were analyzed. The two main risk factors were the presence of a recent neighboring outbreak, being defined as a neighboring herd at pasture reported as infected in the past two years (odds ratio (OR)=3.6; population attributable fraction (PAF)=30.7%) and the presence of a farm building for cattle housing or for feed storage located at more than 300-m from inhabited areas (OR=2.3; PAF=27.6%). Another risk factor was related to sharing water points at pasture with a recent neighboring outbreak. Results illustrated the multifactorial nature of bTB dynamics. The risk factors related to recently infected neighboring herds could be attributable to between-herd contacts at pasture and/or to exposure to a common source of infection (environment or wildlife). Moreover, the use of remote farm buildings by wildlife may also play a role in the bTB spread in the French départements studied. The identification of the main risk factors help better understand bTB dynamics and are useful for implementing appropriate and targeted surveillance, biosecurity and control measures in France. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strong association of common variants in the CDKN2A/CDKN2B region with type 2 diabetes in French Europids.

PubMed

Duesing, K; Fatemifar, G; Charpentier, G; Marre, M; Tichet, J; Hercberg, S; Balkau, B; Froguel, P; Gibson, F

2008-05-01

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) recently identified common variants in the CDKN2A/CDKN2B region on chromosome 9p as being strongly associated with type 2 diabetes. Since these association signals were not picked up by the French-Canadian GWAS, we sought to replicate these findings in the French Europid population and to further characterise the susceptibility variants at this novel locus. We genotyped 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the CDKN2A/CDKN2B locus in our type 2 diabetes case-control cohort. The association between CDKN2A/CDKN2B SNPs and quantitative metabolic traits was also examined in the normoglycaemic participants comprising the control cohort. We report replication of the strong association of rs10811661 with type 2 diabetes found in the GWASs (P= 3.8 X 10(-7); OR 1.43 [95% CI 1.24-1.64]). The other CDKN2A/CDKN2B susceptibility variant, rs564398, did not attain statistical significance (p = 0.053; OR 1.11 [95% CI 1.00-1.24]) in the present study. We also obtained several additional nominal association signals (p < 0.05) at the CDKN2A/CDKN2B locus; however, only the rs3218018 result (p = 0.002) survived Bonferroni correction for multiple testing (adjusted p = 0.04). Our comprehensive association study of common variation spanning the CDKN2A/CDKN2B locus confirms the strong association between the distal susceptibility variant rs10811661 and type 2 diabetes in the French population. Further genetic and functional studies are required to identify the aetiological variants at this locus and determine the cellular and physiological mechanisms by which they act to modulate type 2 diabetes susceptibility.

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.

PubMed

Hanf, Matthieu; Quantin, Catherine; Farrington, Paddy; Benzenine, Eric; Hocine, N Mounia; Velten, Michel; Tubert-Bitter, Pascale; Escolano, Sylvie

2013-12-02

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. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vocabulary skills are well developed in university students with dyslexia: Evidence from multiple case studies.

PubMed

Cavalli, Eddy; Casalis, Séverine; El Ahmadi, Abdessadek; Zira, Mélody; Poracchia-George, Florence; Colé, Pascale

2016-01-01

Most studies in adults with developmental dyslexia have focused on identifying the deficits responsible for their persistent reading difficulties, but little is known on how these readers manage the intensive exposure to written language required to obtain a university degree. The main objective of this study was to identify certain skills, and specifically vocabulary skills, that French university students with dyslexia have developed and that may contribute to their literacy skills. We tested 20 university students with dyslexia and 20 normal readers (matched on chronological age, gender, nonverbal IQ, and level of education) in reading, phonological, vocabulary breadth (number of known words), and vocabulary depth (accuracy and precision) tasks. In comparing vocabulary measures, we used both Rasch model and single case study methodologies. Results on reading and phonological tasks confirmed the persistence of deficits in written word recognition and phonological skills. However, using the Rasch model we found that the two groups performed at the same level in the vocabulary breadth task, whereas dyslexics systematically outperformed their chronological age controls in the vocabulary depth task. These results are supplemented by multiple case studies. The vocabulary skills of French university students with dyslexia are well developed. Possible interpretations of these results are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Colorectal Cancer and the Human Gut Microbiome: Reproducibility with Whole-Genome Shotgun Sequencing

PubMed Central

Hua, Xing; Zeller, Georg; Sunagawa, Shinichi; Voigt, Anita Y.; Hercog, Rajna; Goedert, James J.; Shi, Jianxin; Bork, Peer; Sinha, Rashmi

2016-01-01

Accumulating evidence indicates that the gut microbiota affects colorectal cancer development, but previous studies have varied in population, technical methods, and associations with cancer. Understanding these variations is needed for comparisons and for potential pooling across studies. Therefore, we performed whole-genome shotgun sequencing on fecal samples from 52 pre-treatment colorectal cancer cases and 52 matched controls from Washington, DC. We compared findings from a previously published 16S rRNA study to the metagenomics-derived taxonomy within the same population. In addition, metagenome-predicted genes, modules, and pathways in the Washington, DC cases and controls were compared to cases and controls recruited in France whose specimens were processed using the same platform. Associations between the presence of fecal Fusobacteria, Fusobacterium, and Porphyromonas with colorectal cancer detected by 16S rRNA were reproduced by metagenomics, whereas higher relative abundance of Clostridia in cancer cases based on 16S rRNA was merely borderline based on metagenomics. This demonstrated that within the same sample set, most, but not all taxonomic associations were seen with both methods. Considering significant cancer associations with the relative abundance of genes, modules, and pathways in a recently published French metagenomics dataset, statistically significant associations in the Washington, DC population were detected for four out of 10 genes, three out of nine modules, and seven out of 17 pathways. In total, colorectal cancer status in the Washington, DC study was associated with 39% of the metagenome-predicted genes, modules, and pathways identified in the French study. More within and between population comparisons are needed to identify sources of variation and disease associations that can be reproduced despite these variations. Future studies should have larger sample sizes or pool data across studies to have sufficient power to detect associations that are reproducible and significant after correction for multiple testing. PMID:27171425

Evolution of the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among the French armed forces in French Guiana.

PubMed

Christen, Jacques-Robert; Mura, Marie; Roudaut, Gwenaëlle; Drogoul, Anne-Sophie; Demar, Magalie; Briolant, Sébastien; Garnotel, Eric; Simon, Fabrice; Pommier De Santi, Vincent

2016-07-01

Two cross-sectional studies were performed 2 years apart in French military personnel deployed from France to French Guiana. In 2011, military medical centres in French Guiana reported 40 cases of intestinal parasitism in service members returning from illegal gold mining sites in the rainforest. In 2013, 48 out of 132 service members returning from French Guiana after a 4-month mission had eosinophilia and seven were infected with hookworm. A presumptive first-line treatment with albendazole could be the most pragmatic strategy. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes among French gulf war veterans

PubMed Central

Verret, Catherine; Jutand, Mathe-Aline; De Vigan, Catherine; Bégassat, Marion; Bensefa-Colas, Lynda; Brochard, Patrick; Salamon, Roger

2008-01-01

Background Since 1993, many studies on the health of Persian Gulf War veterans (PGWVs) have been undertaken. Some authors have concluded that an association exists between Gulf War service and reported infertility or miscarriage, but that effects on PGWV's children were limited. The present study's objective was to describe the reproductive outcome and health of offspring of French Gulf War veterans. Methods The French Study on the Persian Gulf War (PGW) and its Health Consequences is an exhaustive cross-sectional study on all French PGWVs conducted from 2002 to 2004. Data were collected by postal self-administered questionnaire. A case-control study nested in this cohort was conducted to evaluate the link between PGW-related exposures and fathering a child with a birth defect. Results In the present study, 9% of the 5,666 Gulf veterans who participated reported fertility disorders, and 12% of male veterans reported at least one miscarriage among their partners after the PGW. Overall, 4.2% of fathers reported at least one child with a birth defect conceived after the mission. No PGW-related exposure was associated with any birth defect in children fathered after the PGW mission. Concerning the reported health of children born after the PGW, 1.0% of children presented a pre-term delivery and 2.7% a birth defect. The main birth defects reported were musculoskeletal malformations (0.5%) and urinary system malformations (0.3%). Birth defect incidence in PGWV children conceived after the mission was similar to birth defect incidence described by the Paris Registry of Congenital Malformations, except for Down syndrome (PGWV children incidence was lower than Registry incidence). Conclusion This study did not highlight a high frequency of fertility disorders or miscarriage among French PGW veterans. We found no evidence for a link between paternal exposure during the Gulf War and increased risk of birth defects among French PGWV children. PMID:18442369

Nationwide incidence of motor neuron disease using the French health insurance information system database.

PubMed

Kab, Sofiane; Moisan, Frédéric; Preux, Pierre-Marie; Marin, Benoît; Elbaz, Alexis

2017-08-01

There are no estimates of the nationwide incidence of motor neuron disease (MND) in France. We used the French health insurance information system to identify incident MND cases (2012-2014), and compared incidence figures to those from three external sources. We identified incident MND cases (2012-2014) based on three data sources (riluzole claims, hospitalisation records, long-term chronic disease benefits), and computed MND incidence by age, gender, and geographic region. We used French mortality statistics, Limousin ALS registry data, and previous European studies based on administrative databases to perform external comparisons. We identified 6553 MND incident cases. After standardisation to the United States 2010 population, the age/gender-standardised incidence was 2.72/100,000 person-years (males, 3.37; females, 2.17; male:female ratio = 1.53, 95% CI1.46-1.61). There was no major spatial difference in MND distribution. Our data were in agreement with the French death database (standardised mortality ratio = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.96-1.06) and Limousin ALS registry (standardised incidence ratio = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.72-1.15). Incidence estimates were in the same range as those from previous studies. We report French nationwide incidence estimates of MND. Administrative databases including hospital discharge data and riluzole claims offer an interesting approach to identify large population-based samples of patients with MND for epidemiologic studies and surveillance.

Risks of non-lethal weapon use: case studies of three French victims of stinger grenades.

PubMed

Scolan, V; Herry, C; Carreta, M; Stahl, C; Barret, L; Romanet, J P; Paysant, F

2012-11-30

The development of non-lethal weapons started in the 1960s. In France, they have been used by the police for about 10 years. We relate the cases of three French women, victims of stinger grenades, non-lethal weapons recently adopted by the French law enforcement to distract and disperse crowds. The three victims presented serious injuries requiring emergency surgical care. One lost her eye. Based on these cases, we discuss the lethal character of these weapons and propose measures to be taken to prevent their dramatic consequences. Although the danger is obviously less than for firearms, stinger grenades are nonetheless potentially lethal and cause serious physical injuries. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Clinical patterns and treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum in a French department].

PubMed

Anuset, D; Reguiai, Z; Perceau, G; Colomb, M; Durlach, A; Bernard, P

2016-02-01

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare inflammatory neutrophilic dermatosis for which accurate epidemiological data are limited and therapy remains a challenge. The primary study aim was to examine all cases of PG observed in our regional department over a 15-year period in order to describe the relevant characteristics and outcome under therapy. The medical records of all patients with PG from 1997 to 2012 in the Marne department of France were studied retrospectively. Clinical and histological characteristics, comorbidities, therapeutic modalities and outcome were analysed. Forty-two patients were included (30 women, 12 men). A classical, ulcerative form was found in 39 cases and PG was multifocal in 28 cases. The number of lesions did not differ according to age or the presence of comorbidities. The most frequent first-line treatments were doxycycline (23 cases) and oral corticosteroids (15 cases), regardless of age, number of lesions or existence of comorbidities. Complete remission of PG was obtained in 38 cases (median time to remission: 3 months), with relapse occurring in 17 patients (median time to relapse: 12 months after treatment withdrawal). After a median follow-up of 46 months, 8 patients had died (median time to death: 26 months after treatment initiation). This is the first large French series of patients presenting PG and enabling determination of the annual incidence within the Marne department at around 4.6 cases/1000,000 inhabitants. Our study illustrates the value of first-line treatment with tetracycline, which merits confirmation by further prospective, controlled studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Identification of seven haplotypes of the caprine PrP gene at codons 127, 142, 154, 211, 222 and 240 in French Alpine and Saanen breeds and their association with classical scrapie.

PubMed

Barillet, F; Mariat, D; Amigues, Y; Faugeras, R; Caillat, H; Moazami-Goudarzi, K; Rupp, R; Babilliot, J M; Lacroux, C; Lugan, S; Schelcher, F; Chartier, C; Corbière, F; Andréoletti, O; Perrin-Chauvineau, C

2009-03-01

In sheep, susceptibility to scrapie is mainly influenced by polymorphisms of the PrP gene. In goats, there are to date few data related to scrapie susceptibility association with PrP gene polymorphisms. In this study, we first investigated PrP gene polymorphisms of the French Alpine and Saanen breeds. Based on PrP gene open reading frame sequencing of artificial insemination bucks (n=404), six encoding mutations were identified at codons 127, 142, 154, 211, 222 and 240. However, only seven haplotypes could be detected: four (GIH(154)RQS, GIRQ(211)QS, GIRRK(222)S and GIRRQP(240)) derived from the wild-type allele (G(127)I(142)R(154)R(211)Q(222)S(240)) by a single-codon mutation, and two (S(127)IRRQP(240) and GM(142)RRQP(240)) by a double-codon mutation. A case-control study was then implemented in a highly affected Alpine and Saanen breed herd (90 cases/164 controls). Mutations at codon 142 (I/M), 154 (R/H), 211 (R/Q) and 222 (Q/K) were found to induce a significant degree of protection towards natural scrapie infection. Compared with the baseline homozygote wild-type genotype I(142)R(154)R(211)Q(222)/IRRQ goats, the odds of scrapie cases in IRQ(211)Q/IRRQ and IRRK(222)/IRRQ heterozygous animals were significantly lower [odds ratio (OR)=0.133, P<0.0001; and OR=0.048, P<0.0001, respectively]. The heterozygote M(142)RRQ/IRRQ genotype was only protective (OR=0.243, P=0.0186) in goats also PP(240) homozygous at codon 240. However, mutated allele frequencies in French Alpine and Saanen breeds were low (0.5-18.5 %), which prevent us from assessing the influence of all the possible genotypes in natural exposure conditions.

Chinese-French Case Study of English Language Learning via Wikispaces, Animoto and Skype

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartwell, Laura M.; Zou, Bin

2013-01-01

This paper reports on the learning experience of Chinese and French students participating in a computer mediated communication (CMC) collaboration conducted in English and supported by Wikispaces, Animoto, and Skype. Several studies have investigated CMC contexts in which at least some participants were native speakers. Here, we address the…

Characterization of facial phenotypes of children with congenital hypopituitarism and their parents: a matched case-control study.

PubMed

Manousaki, Despoina; Allanson, Judith; Wolf, Lior; Deal, Cheri

2015-07-01

Congenital Hypopituitarism (CH) has traditionally been associated with specific facial phenotypes subsumed under the term midface retrusion, based on cephalometric studies. In this study, we used a systematic anthropometric approach to facial morphology in 37 individuals with CH and their parents, primarily of French Canadian ancestry, and compared them to a control group of 78 French Canadian patients with well-controlled type 1 diabetes and their parents. We were able to demonstrate clear morphological differences, which were more prevalent in the affected group than in the control group. More specifically, we showed the presence of a shorter skull base width (P < 0.001) and reduced inner canthal distance (P = 0.006) in the CH face, as well as a relative underdevelopment of the mandible (P = 0.001). These findings were present in individuals of all ages, and were independent of the duration of growth hormone treatment (median treatment 90.8 months; range 7.2-175.8 months). In addition, skull base width was significantly reduced in both mothers and fathers of affected children compared to the parents of the controls (P < 0.001), despite comparable parental heights, supporting an underlying genetic etiology. Such extensive phenotypic studies have not been done in congenital hypopituitarism and will provide further opportunities for data mining. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prescription of antiepileptics and the risk of road traffic crash.

PubMed

Orriols, Ludivine; Foubert-Samier, Alexandra; Gadegbeku, Blandine; Delorme, Bernard; Tricotel, Aurore; Philip, Pierre; Moore, Nicholas; Lagarde, Emmanuel

2013-03-01

Studies assessing the impact of epilepsy and its medication on the risk of road traffic crashes have shown inconsistent results. The aim in this study was to assess this risk using French databases. Data from three French national databases were extracted and matched: the national health care insurance database, police reports, and the national police database of injurious crashes. Only antiepileptics prescribed predominantly in epilepsy were studied (phenobarbital, phenytoin, ethosuximide, valproic acid, vigabatrin, tiagabin, levitiracetam, zonisamide, and lacosamide). A case-control analysis comparing responsible and non-responsible drivers and a case-crossover analysis were performed. Drivers (72 685) involved in an injurious crash in France between July 2005 and May 2008, were included. Drivers exposed to prescribed antiepileptic medicines (n = 251) had an increased risk of being responsible for a crash (OR 1.74 [1.29-2.34]). The association was also significant for the most severe epileptic patients (n = 99; OR = 2.20 [1.31-3.69]). Case-crossover analysis found no association between crash risk and treatment prescription. Patients with prescription of antiepileptic drugs should be cautioned about their potential risk of road traffic crash. This risk is however more likely to be related to seizures than to the effect of antiepileptic medicines. © The Author(s) 2013.

Mortality from Circulatory System Diseases among French Uranium Miners: A Nested Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Drubay, Damien; Caër-Lorho, Sylvaine; Laroche, Pierre; Laurier, Dominique; Rage, Estelle

2015-05-01

A significant association has been observed between radon exposure and cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) mortality among French uranium miners, but risk factors for circulatory system diseases (CSD) have not been previously considered. We conducted new analyses in the recently updated (through 2007) French cohort of uranium miners (n = 5,086), which included 442 deaths from CSD, 167 of them from ischemic heart disease (IHD) and 105 from CeVD. A nested case-control study was then set up to collect and investigate the influence of these risk factors on the relationships between mortality from CSD and occupational external gamma ray and internal ionizing radiation exposure (radon and long-lived radionuclides) in this updated cohort. The nested case-control study included miners first employed after 1955, still employed in 1976 and followed up through 2007. Individual information about CSD risk factors was collected from medical files for the 76 deaths from CSD (including 26 from IHD and 16 from CeVD) and 237 miners who had not died of CSD by the end of follow-up. The exposure-risk relationships were assessed with a Cox proportional hazard model weighted by the inverse sampling probability. A significant increase in all CSD and CeVD mortality risks associated with radon exposure was observed in the total cohort [hazard ratios: HRCSD/100 working level months (WLM) = 1.11, 95% confidence interval (1.01; 1.22) and HRCeVD/100 WLM = 1.25 (1.09; 1.43), respectively]. A nonsignificant exposure-risk relationship was observed for every type of cumulative ionizing radiation exposure and every end point [e.g., HRCSD/100WLM = 1.43 (0.71; 2.87)]. The adjustment for each CSD risk factor did not substantially change the exposure-risk relationships. When the model was adjusted for overweight, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and smoking status, the HR/100WLM for CSD, for example, was equal to 1.21 (0.54; 2.75); and when it was adjusted for risk factors selected with the Akaike information criterion, it was equal to 1.44 (0.66; 3.14). To our knowledge, this is the first study to use a uranium miner cohort to consider the major standard CSD risk factors in assessing the relationships between ionizing radiation exposure and the risk of death from these diseases. These results suggest that the significant relationship between CeVD risk and radon exposure observed in the total French cohort is probably not affected by the CSD risk factors. Extending the collection of information about CSD risk factors to a larger subsample would be useful to confirm this result.

Blasting vibrations control: The shortcomings of traditional methods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vuillaume, P.M.; Kiszlo, M.; Bernard, T.

1996-12-31

In the context of its studies for the French ministry of the environment and for the French national coal board, INERIS (the French institute for the industrial environment and hazards, formerly CERCHAR) has made a complete critical survey of the methods generally used to reduce the levels of blasting vibrations. It is generally acknowledged that the main parameter to control vibrations is the so-called instantaneous charge, or charge per delay. This should be reduced as much as possible in order to diminish vibration levels. On account of this, the use of a new generation of blasting devices, such as non-electricmore » detonators or electronic sequential timers has been developed since the seventies. INERIS has collected data from about 900 blasts in 2 quarries and 3 open pit mines. These data include input parameters such as borehole diameter, burden, spacing, charge per hole, charge per delay, total fired charge, etc ... They also include output measurements, such as vibration peak particle velocities, and main frequencies. These data have been analyzed with the help of multi variable statistical tools. Blasting tests were undertaken to evaluate new methods of vibrations control, such as the superposition of vibration signals. These methods appear to be accurate in many critical cases, but certainly would be highly improved with a better accuracy of firing delays. The development of electronic detonators seems to be the way of the future for a better blasting control.« less

[Testicular germ cell tumours and early exposures to pesticides: The TESTEPERA pilot study].

PubMed

Béranger, Rémi; Blain, Jeffrey; Baudinet, Cédric; Faure, Elodie; Fléchon, Aude; Boyle, Helen; Chasles, Virginie; Charbotel, Barbara; Schüz, Joachim; Fervers, Béatrice

2014-03-01

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) represent the most frequent cancer in men aged between 15 and 45 years. Current hypotheses are focusing on environmental exposures occurring during prenatal periods. However, very few studies have explored intra-uterine environmental exposure related to TGCT. TESTEPERA is a pilot case-control study aiming to determine the effectiveness of different recruitment approaches in the French context and to verify our ability to collect relevant data on their prenatal periods. Between 2011 and 2012, 150 male subjects were contacted in the Rhône-Alpes region (58 cases from a cancer center and 92 controls from a regional maternity). Participation rate varied from 33% for cases diagnosed in 2008 vs 68% for cases diagnosed in 2010. Participation rate of controls varied depending on modalities of contact (13% for face-to-face recruitment; 0% for contact by phone only; 50% for face-to-face contact with phone reminder). Data collection allowed precise job identification and geolocation of subjects' addresses. Precision of geolocation was dependent upon the level of urbanization (p < 0.001) but not on the time period (p = 0.52). Our results support the feasibility of a case-control study focusing on the relation between TGCT and environmental pesticide exposures during early and later life.

[Leptospirosis in French Guiana and the Guiana shield: Current knowledge in 2016].

PubMed

Epelboin, L; Bourhy, P; Le Turnier, P; Schaub, R; Mosnier, E; Berlioz-Arthaud, A; Reynaud, Y; Nacher, M; De Thoisy, B; Carles, G; Richard-Hansen, C; Demar, M; Picardeau, M; Djossou, F

2017-08-01

Leptospirosis is a cosmopolitan zoonosis caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Whether the distribution is worldwide, the hot and humid climate of the tropics is particularly conducive to its expansion. In most French overseas departments and territories, leptospirosis is considered as a public health problem. In French Guiana, a French department located in the northeastern part of the Amazon rainforest, it is supposed to be rare. The objective of this review was to make an inventory of the knowledge on human and animal leptospirosis in French Guiana and neighboring countries. A comprehensive search was conducted through the indexed and informal medical literature in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Thus, respectively ten and four publications were identified on human and animal leptospirosis in French Guiana, published between 1940 and 1995 in the form of case reports or case series. The publications concerning this disease in the other countries of the Guiana Shield, eastern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and Brazilian state of Amapá, also scarce or nonexistent. However recent data from the French National Centre of leptospirosis showed a recent and sudden increase in the number of cases in the department, probably partly due to the development of diagnostic tools such as Elisa IgM serology. It is likely that leptospirosis is a neglected disease in the region, due to the lack of diagnostic tools readily available, the lack of knowledge of the local clinicians on this disease and the existence of many other pathogens with similar clinical presentation such as malaria, arboviruses and Q fever and Amazonian toxoplasmosis. The establishment of more large-scale studies on animal and human leptospirosis is necessary and urgent to know the true burden of this disease in our region.

People’s War: The French in Indochina

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-02

AUTHOR: Thomas L. Phelps, Lt Col, USAF TITLE: People’s War: The French in Indochina FORMAT: Individual Study Project DATE: 2 April 1990 PAGES: 47...though opposed to French control, often had close economic and social ties to France . Vietnamese leaders influenced by socialist or communist ideas wanted...benefits of Indochina and left the political administration of the region to France . However, French difficulties increased because the Japanese

Methods of Costing in Universities. Brief Comparison Between the NCHEMS Approach and the Approach Used by the French-Speaking Research Group Associated with the IMHE Programme.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cossu, Claude

1975-01-01

A group of French universities modified the NCHEMS accounting method for use in a study of its budget control procedures and cost-evaluation methods. The conceptual differences in French university education (as compared to American higher education) are keyed to the adjustments in the accounting method. French universities, rather than being…

Prevalence of spondyloarthritis in reference to HLA-B27 in the French population: results of the GAZEL cohort.

PubMed

Costantino, Félicie; Talpin, Alice; Said-Nahal, Roula; Goldberg, Marcel; Henny, Joseph; Chiocchia, Gilles; Garchon, Henri-Jean; Zins, Marie; Breban, Maxime

2015-04-01

To estimate the prevalence of spondyloarthritis (SpA) in reference to HLA-B27 in the French population. In 1989, 20 625 employees of the French national gas and electricity company aged 35-50 years were enrolled in the GAZEL cohort. In 2010, 18 757 still active participants were screened by a questionnaire validated for the detection of SpA. Responders with available DNA were retained for further studies. Pelvic radiograph and HLA-B27 typing were performed in all the self-reported cases of SpA or psoriatic arthritis. Self-reported diagnosis was verified by a qualified rheumatologist. HLA-B27 determination was also performed in subjects without any SpA feature. The target population consisted of 6556 responders with available DNA. Their male:female ratio was 3.6 and their mean age was 65.5±3.3 years. A diagnosis of SpA was confirmed in 32 of the 72 self-reported cases, 75% of them being HLA-B27 positive. Estimated SpA prevalence adjusted for sex was 0.43% (95% CI 0.26% to 0.70%). HLA-B27 positivity rate in 2466 healthy controls was 6.9% (95% CI 5.9% to 7.9%). The relative risk of SpA in HLA-B27 positive individuals was 39 (95% CI 17 to 86). We estimated the prevalence of SpA in the French population in 2010 to 0.43%. With an estimated prevalence of 75.0% in SpA and 6.9% in healthy controls, HLA-B27 increased the disease risk 39-fold, as compared with HLA-B27 negative subjects. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Intuitive Thinking and Misconceptions of Independent Events: A Case Study of US and French Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nabbout-Cheiban, Marie

2017-01-01

In this article we study the conceptions of an American and a French group of undergraduate pre-service teachers regarding the concept of independent events. Specifically, we study the role that intuition plays in their answers, ascertain the presence of probabilistic biases, and compare the findings with previous results collected on a different…

Voices of Resilience from the Bottom Rungs: The Stories of Three Elementary Core French Teachers in Ontario

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knouzi, Ibtissem; Mady, Callie

2014-01-01

This paper reports on a study that used activity theory (AT) as a framework to understand the dialogical relationship between three elementary Core French (CF) teachers' personal and professional experiences and their literacy teaching beliefs and practices. This study used a case study design collecting data from three different teachers in three…

Reading in French-Speaking Adults with Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Jennifer; Cole, Pascale; Leuwers, Christel; Casalis, Severine; Zorman, Michel; Sprenger-Charolles, Liliane

2010-01-01

This study investigated the reading and reading-related skills of 15 French-speaking adults with dyslexia, whose performance was compared with that of chronological-age controls (CA) and reading-level controls (RL). Experiment 1 assessed the efficiency of their phonological reading-related skills (phonemic awareness, phonological short-term…

Clinically observed chickenpox and the risk of childhood-onset multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Mikaeloff, Yann; Caridade, Guillaume; Suissa, Samy; Tardieu, Marc

2009-05-15

The authors conducted a population-based case-control study to investigate whether clinically observed chickenpox, linked with a level of intensity for clinical expression, increases the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in childhood. The cases were MS patients whose disease onset occurred between 1994 and 2003, before age 16 years, in France. Each case was matched for age, sex, and geographic origin with as many as 12 controls randomly selected from the general population. Information about clinically observed chickenpox in cases and controls before the index date regarding onset of MS was collected with a standardized questionnaire and was checked against health certificates. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio for an association between MS and chickenpox. The 137 MS cases were matched with 1,061 controls. Clinically observed chickenpox had occurred in 76.6% of the cases and 84.9% of their matched controls. The adjusted odds ratio of MS onset associated with chickenpox occurrence was 0.58 (95% confidence interval: 0.36, 0.92). The authors concluded that clinically observed chickenpox was associated with a lower risk of childhood-onset MS in a French population.

Teaching for Transfer: Insights from Theory and Practices in Primary-Level French-Second-Language Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Reed; Mady, Callie

2014-01-01

This paper illustrates teaching for transfer across languages by synthesizing key insights from theory and previously published research alongside our case study data from primary-level teachers in core French-second-language (CF) classrooms in Ontario, Canada. Drawing on research that redefines language transfer as a resource, this study drew on…

Changing Bilingual Self-Perceptions from Early Adolescence to Early Adulthood: Empirical Evidence from a Mixed-Methods Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caldas, Stephen J.

2008-01-01

In the emerging tradition of language socialization research, this study examines the changing bilingual self-perceptions of three children, identical twin girls and their older brother, from early adolescence through early adulthood. The children were reared in a predominantly French-speaking home in south Louisiana by French/English bilingual…

[Hyponatremia associated with SSRI/NRSI: Descriptive and comparative epidemiological study of the incidence rates of the notified cases from the data of the French National Pharmacovigilance Database and the French National Health Insurance].

PubMed

Revol, R; Rault, C; Polard, E; Bellet, F; Guy, C

2018-06-01

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) are frequently prescribed. These antidepressants can potentially induce serious hyponatremia through the SIADH syndrome. That seems to concern all molecules of these classes but the individual risk of each molecule is not well known. The aims of the study were to compare the incidence rate of each molecule in order to identify the existence of molecules more at risk of inducing hyponatremia and to characterize a profile of patients at risk for hyponatremia during a treatment with a SSRI or a SNRI. The cases of hyponatremia under SSRI/SNRI were extracted from the French pharmacovigilance database (BPNV). The exposition to the different SSRIs/SNRIs in the French population was estimated from the French National Health Insurance database (SNIIRAM) using a sampled database (Echantillon Généralistes des Bénéficiaires). The study ran from 01/01/2011 to 31/12/2013. The primary study endpoint was the incidence rate of notifications of the hyponatremia cases in patients treated by SSRI/SNRI and recorded into the BNPV database, related to the average annual number of corresponding treatments initiated during the same period. The number of cases of hyponatremia included in the study was 169 for 3 749 800 adult patients initiating treatment. The incidence rate of cases was 1.64 for 100 000 persons per year (PY). The standardized incidence rates between the different molecules showed no difference except for duloxetine (2.79/100 000 PY p > 0.03). Identified risk factors were age, with a large increase of incidence rate from 75 years old (incidence 12.5 higher) and female gender. Comparison of the incidence rates from spontaneous reports indicates a greater risk of hyponatremia for duloxetine for 2011-2013. This result needs to be confirmed by other studies. The advanced age and female sex are risk factors, irrespective of the molecule. Copyright © 2017 L'Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Four cases of acute chagasic myocarditis in French Guiana.

PubMed

Carme, B; Aune, I; Nguyen, G; Aznar, C; Beaudet, B

2001-01-01

The authors report four cases of acute chagasic myocarditis which had been diagnosed and treated in Cayenne, French Guiana, in the past 6 years. This French territory, which has the highest standard of living in South America, should be considered an area of risk for sporadic Chagas disease with epidemiologic features similar to those of the disease found in dense Amazon forest areas. Appropriate measures must be taken to screen and promptly manage Chagas disease in the French Guiana population.

Developmental dyslexia: the visual attention span deficit hypothesis.

PubMed

Bosse, Marie-Line; Tainturier, Marie Josèphe; Valdois, Sylviane

2007-08-01

The visual attention (VA) span is defined as the amount of distinct visual elements which can be processed in parallel in a multi-element array. Both recent empirical data and theoretical accounts suggest that a VA span deficit might contribute to developmental dyslexia, independently of a phonological disorder. In this study, this hypothesis was assessed in two large samples of French and British dyslexic children whose performance was compared to that of chronological-age matched control children. Results of the French study show that the VA span capacities account for a substantial amount of unique variance in reading, as do phonological skills. The British study replicates this finding and further reveals that the contribution of the VA span to reading performance remains even after controlling IQ, verbal fluency, vocabulary and single letter identification skills, in addition to phoneme awareness. In both studies, most dyslexic children exhibit a selective phonological or VA span disorder. Overall, these findings support a multi-factorial view of developmental dyslexia. In many cases, developmental reading disorders do not seem to be due to phonological disorders. We propose that a VA span deficit is a likely alternative underlying cognitive deficit in dyslexia.

Management of neglected open extremity fractures in low-resource settings: Experience of the French Army Medical Service in Chad.

PubMed

Mathieu, L; Mottier, F; Bertani, A; Danis, J; Rongiéras, F; Chauvin, F

2014-11-01

The purpose of this study was to report the experience of the French Army Medical Service in the management of neglected open extremity fractures and related-complications in Chad. Delayed treatment of open extremity fractures is possible in a low-resource setting. An observational prospective study was performed in a French Forward Surgical Team deployed in N'Djamena for six months. Twenty-seven patients, 24 men and three women, mean age 30 years old with an open fracture that was managed more than 24 hours after it occurred were included. The mean treatment delay was 83 days. Fractures were located in the tibia in 20 cases. There were 15 non-infected and twelve infected fractures. The number of cases of debridement, flap coverage, and the overall number of procedures were higher in the group with infection, but the difference was not significant. Treatment of infected fractures was complicated by six early recurrent infections, while there were no complications in the group without infection. The mean follow-up was 4.4 months. Infection was controlled in eleven cases, however evaluation of fracture healing was limited because of the short follow-up in the group with infection. Functional outcome of the lower extremities was often complicated by knee stiffness. Delayed management of open fractures depends on the available resources. In low-resource settings, the goals of surgery should be modest. Treatment of non-infected injuries and osteomyelitis is possible. On the other hand, treatment of infected fractures and septic nonunions should be undertaken with caution if all the necessary aspects of treatment, in particular extended antibiotic treatment and sequential procedures are not possible. level IV. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Maternal use of household pesticides during pregnancy and risk of neuroblastoma in offspring. A pooled analysis of the ESTELLE and ESCALE French studies (SFCE).

PubMed

Rios, Paula; Bailey, Helen D; Lacour, Brigitte; Valteau-Couanet, Dominique; Michon, Jean; Bergeron, Christophe; Boutroux, Hélène; Defachelles, Anne-Sophie; Gambart, Marion; Sirvent, Nicolas; Thebaud, Estelle; Ducassou, Stéphane; Orsi, Laurent; Clavel, Jacqueline

2017-10-01

Neuroblastoma (NB) is an embryonic tumor that occurs almost exclusively in infancy and early childhood. While considerable evidence suggests that it may be initiated during embryonic development, the etiology of NB is still unknown. The aim of this study was to explore whether there is an association between maternal use of household pesticides during pregnancy and the risk of NB in the offspring. We conducted a pooled analysis of two French national-based case-control studies. The mothers of 357 NB cases and 1,783 controls younger than 6 years, frequency-matched by age and gender, responded to a telephone interview that focused on sociodemographic and perinatal characteristics, childhood environment, and life-style. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. After controlling for matching variables, study of origin, and potential confounders, the maternal use of any type of pesticide during pregnancy was associated with NB (OR 1.5 [95% CI 1.2-1.9]). The most commonly used type of pesticides were insecticides and there was a positive association with their use alone (OR 1.4 [95% CI 1.1-1.9]) or with other pesticides (OR 2.0 [95% CI 1.1-3.4]). Although there is the potential for recall bias due to the study design, our findings add to the evidence of an association between the household use of pesticides and NB. Until a better study design can be found, our findings add yet another reason why to advise pregnant women to limit pesticide exposure during the periconceptional period.

Acquisition of Derivational Lexical Rules: A Case Study of the Acquisition of French Agent Noun Forms by L2 Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redouane, Rabia

2007-01-01

This study investigates L2 learners' use of French derivational processes and their strategies as they form agent nouns. It also attempts to find out which of the acquisitional principles (conventionality, semantic transparency, formal simplicity, and productivity) advanced by Clark (1993, 2003) for various L1s acquisition of word formation…

Risk of neuroblastoma, birth-related characteristics, congenital malformations and perinatal exposures: A pooled analysis of the ESCALE and ESTELLE French studies (SFCE).

PubMed

Rios, Paula; Bailey, Helen D; Orsi, Laurent; Lacour, Brigitte; Valteau-Couanet, Dominique; Levy, Dominique; Corradini, Nadège; Leverger, Guy; Defachelles, Anne-Sophie; Gambart, Marion; Sirvent, Nicolas; Thebaud, Estelle; Ducassou, Stéphane; Clavel, Jacqueline

2016-11-01

Neuroblastoma (NB), an embryonic tumour arising from neural crest cells, is the most common malignancy among infants. The aetiology of NB is largely unknown. We conducted a pooled analysis to explore whether there is an association between NB and preconception and perinatal factors using data from two French national population-based case-control studies. The mothers of 357 NB cases and 1783 controls younger than 6 years, frequency-matched by age and gender, responded to a telephone interview that focused on demographic, socioeconomic and perinatal characteristics, childhood environment, life-style and maternal reproductive history. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. After controlling for matching variables, study of origin and potential confounders, being born either small (OR 1.4 95% CI 1.0-2.0) or large (OR 1.5 95% CI 1.1-2.2) for gestational age and, among children younger than 18 months, having congenital malformations (OR 3.6 95% CI 1.3-8.9), were significantly associated with NB. Inverse associations were observed with breastfeeding (OR 0.7 95% CI 0.5-1.0) and maternal use of any supplements containing folic acid, vitamins or minerals (OR 0.5 95% CI 0.3-0.9) during the preconception period. Our findings reinforce the hypothesis that fetal growth anomalies and congenital malformations may be associated with an increased risk of NB. Further investigations are needed in order to clarify the role of folic acid supplementation and breastfeeding, given their potential importance in NB prevention. © 2016 UICC.

Successes and failures of sixty years of vector control in French Guiana: what is the next step?

PubMed

Epelboin, Yanouk; Chaney, Sarah C; Guidez, Amandine; Habchi-Hanriot, Nausicaa; Talaga, Stanislas; Wang, Lanjiao; Dusfour, Isabelle

2018-03-12

Since the 1940s, French Guiana has implemented vector control to contain or eliminate malaria, yellow fever, and, recently, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. Over time, strategies have evolved depending on the location, efficacy of the methods, development of insecticide resistance, and advances in vector control techniques. This review summarises the history of vector control in French Guiana by reporting the records found in the private archives of the Institute Pasteur in French Guiana and those accessible in libraries worldwide. This publication highlights successes and failures in vector control and identifies the constraints and expectations for vector control in this French overseas territory in the Americas.

Double PALB2 and BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers are rare in breast cancer and breast-ovarian cancer syndrome families from the French Canadian founder population.

PubMed

Ancot, Frédéric; Arcand, Suzanna L; Mes-Masson, Anne-Marie; Provencher, Diane M; Tonin, Patricia N

2015-06-01

French Canadian families with breast cancer and breast-ovarian cancer syndrome harbor specific BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2 germline mutations, which have been attributed to common founders. Mutations in these genes confer an increased risk to breast and ovarian cancers, and have been identified to play a role in and directly interact with the common homologous recombination DNA repair pathways. Our previous study described the case of a female diagnosed with breast cancer at 45 years old, who harbored the PALB2:c.2323C>T [p.Q775X] and BRCA2:c.9004G>A [p.E3002K] germline mutations, which have been found to recur in the French Canadian cancer families. As the frequency of double heterozygous carriers of breast-ovarian cancer susceptibility alleles is unknown, and due to the possibility that there may be implications for genetic counseling and management for these carriers, the present study investigated the co-occurrence of BRCA1/BRCA2 and PALB2 mutations in the French Canadian cancer families. The PALB2:c.2323C>T [p.Q775X] mutation, which is the only PALB2 mutation to have been identified in French Canadian cancer families, was screened in 214 breast cancer cases and 22 breast-ovarian cancer cases from 114 BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation-positive French Canadian breast cancer (n=61) and breast-ovarian cancer (n=53) families using a tailored polymerase chain reaction-based TaqMan® SNP Genotyping Assay. No additional PALB2:c.2323C>T [p.Q775X] mutation carriers were identified among the BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers. The results suggest that carriers of the PALB2:c.2323C>T [p.Q775X] mutation rarely co-occur in French Canadian breast cancer and breast-ovarian cancer families harboring BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.

Identifying strategy for ad hoc percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with anticipated unfavorable radial access: the Little Women study.

PubMed

Sgueglia, Gregory A; Todaro, Daniel; De Santis, Antonella; Conte, Micaela; Gioffrè, Gaetano; Di Giorgio, Angela; D'Errico, Fabrizio; Piccioni, Fabiana; Summaria, Francesco; Gaspardone, Achille

2017-10-16

Transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) offers important advantages over transfemoral PCI, including better outcomes. However, when there is indication to ad hoc PCI, a 6 French workflow is a common default strategy, hence potentially influencing vascular access selection in patients with anticipated small size radial artery. A multidimensional evaluation was performed to compare two ad hoc interventional strategies in women <160cm: a full 6 French workflow (namely 6 French introducer sheath, diagnostic catheters and guiding catheter) with a modified workflow consisting in the use of 5 French diagnostic catheters preceded by the placement of a 6 French sheath introducer and followed by a 6 French guiding catheter use for PCI. Overall 120 women (68±11years) were enrolled in the study. Coronary angiography has been performed using 5 French or 6 French diagnostic catheters in 57 (47.5%) and 63 (52.5%) cases, respectively. Radial spasm and switch to another access occurred more frequently among women who underwent coronary angiography with 6 French rather than 5 French diagnostic catheters (43% vs. 25%, p=0.03 and 2% vs. 11%, p=0.04, respectively). Total time to guidewire lesion crossing was also significantly higher when PCI has been preceded by 6 French rather than 5 French coronary angiography (23±11min vs 16±7min, p=0.013). In patients with anticipated unfavorable radial access, a workflow consisting in 6 French introducer sheath placement, 5 French coronary angiography, and 6 French coronary intervention is on multiple parameters the most straightforward and effective strategy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Frequent Association between Alteration of the rdxA Gene and Metronidazole Resistance in French and North African Isolates of Helicobacter pylori

PubMed Central

Tankovic, Jacques; Lamarque, Dominique; Delchier, Jean-Charles; Soussy, Claude-James; Labigne, Agnes; Jenks, Peter J.

2000-01-01

Mutations in the rdxA gene have been associated with the acquisition of resistance to metronidazole in Helicobacter pylori. This gene encodes an NADPH nitroreductase whose expression is necessary for intracellular activation of the drug. We wished to examine whether mutations in rdxA were present in resistant H. pylori isolates infecting either French or North African patients. We determined the complete nucleotide sequences of the rdxA genes from seven French and six North African patients infected with paired resistant and sensitive strains. Genotyping by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis confirmed the close genetic relatedness of the susceptible and resistant isolates from individual biopsies. Eight French and five North African individual resistant strains were also studied. For the French strains, an alteration in rdxA most probably implicated in resistance was found in 10 cases (seven frameshift mutations, two missense mutations, and one deletion of 211 bp). One to three putative missense mutations were identified in four cases, and a missense mutation possibly not implicated in resistance was discovered in the last case. For the North African strains, an alteration in rdxA was found in eight cases (three frameshift mutations, three missense mutations, one deletion of 6 bp, and one insertion of a variant of IS605). Two strains contained putative missense mutations, and no change was observed in rdxA of the last strain. Thus, inactivation of the rdxA gene is frequently, but not always, associated with resistance to metronidazole in French and North African clinical isolates of H. pylori. In addition, a variety of alterations of rdxA are associated with the resistant phenotype. PMID:10681326

Guillain-Barré Syndrome outbreak associated with Zika virus infection in French Polynesia: a case-control study.

PubMed

Cao-Lormeau, V M; Blake, A; Mons, S; Lastere, S; Roche, C; Vanhomwegen, J; Dub, T; Baudouin, L; Teissier, A; Larre, P; Vial, A L; Decam, C; Choumet, V; Halstead, S K; Willison, H J; Musset, L; Manuguerra, J C; Despres, P; Fournier, E; Mallet, H P; Musso, D; Fontanet, A; Neil, J; Ghawché, F

2016-04-09

Between October, 2013, and April, 2014, French Polynesia experienced the largest Zika virus outbreak ever described at that time. During the same period, an increase in Guillain-Barré syndrome was reported, suggesting a possible association between Zika virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome. We aimed to assess the role of Zika virus and dengue virus infection in developing Guillain-Barré syndrome. In this case-control study, cases were patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome diagnosed at the Centre Hospitalier de Polynésie Française (Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia) during the outbreak period. Controls were age-matched, sex-matched, and residence-matched patients who presented at the hospital with a non-febrile illness (control group 1; n=98) and age-matched patients with acute Zika virus disease and no neurological symptoms (control group 2; n=70). Virological investigations included RT-PCR for Zika virus, and both microsphere immunofluorescent and seroneutralisation assays for Zika virus and dengue virus. Anti-glycolipid reactivity was studied in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome using both ELISA and combinatorial microarrays. 42 patients were diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome during the study period. 41 (98%) patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome had anti-Zika virus IgM or IgG, and all (100%) had neutralising antibodies against Zika virus compared with 54 (56%) of 98 in control group 1 (p<0.0001). 39 (93%) patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome had Zika virus IgM and 37 (88%) had experienced a transient illness in a median of 6 days (IQR 4-10) before the onset of neurological symptoms, suggesting recent Zika virus infection. Patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome had electrophysiological findings compatible with acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) type, and had rapid evolution of disease (median duration of the installation and plateau phases was 6 [IQR 4-9] and 4 days [3-10], respectively). 12 (29%) patients required respiratory assistance. No patients died. Anti-glycolipid antibody activity was found in 13 (31%) patients, and notably against GA1 in eight (19%) patients, by ELISA and 19 (46%) of 41 by glycoarray at admission. The typical AMAN-associated anti-ganglioside antibodies were rarely present. Past dengue virus history did not differ significantly between patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome and those in the two control groups (95%, 89%, and 83%, respectively). This is the first study providing evidence for Zika virus infection causing Guillain-Barré syndrome. Because Zika virus is spreading rapidly across the Americas, at risk countries need to prepare for adequate intensive care beds capacity to manage patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Labex Integrative Biology of Emerging Infectious Diseases, EU 7th framework program PREDEMICS. and Wellcome Trust. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review of the literature on benzene exposure and leukemia subtypes.

PubMed

Schnatter, A Robert; Rosamilia, Kim; Wojcik, Nancy C

2005-05-30

The epidemiologic literature on benzene exposure and leukemia in the MEDLINE and TOXNET databases was examined through October 2004 using the keywords "benzene", "leukemia" and "adverse health effects". This search was complemented by reviewing the reference lists from extant literature reviews and criteria documents on benzene. Published studies were characterized according to the type of industry studied and design, exposure assessment, disease classification, and control for confounding variables. Study design consisted of either cohort studies or case-control studies, which were further categorized into population-based and nested case-control studies. Disease classification considered the source of diagnostic information, whether there was clinical confirmation from medical records or histopathological, morphological and/or cytogenetic reviews, and as to whether the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) or the French-American-British (FAB) schemes were used (no studies used the Revised European-American Lymphoma (REAL) classification scheme). Nine cohort and 13 case-control studies met inclusion criteria for this review. High and significant acute myeloid leukemia risks with positive dose response relationships were identified across study designs, particularly in the "well-conducted" cohort studies and especially in more highly exposed workers in rubber, shoe, and paint industries. Risks for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) tended to show elevations in nested case-control studies, with possible dose response relationships in at least two of the three studies. However, cohort studies on CLL show no such risks. Data for chronic myeloid leukemia and acute lymphocytic leukemia are sparse and inconclusive.

[Current situation and future perspectives for malaria prophylaxis among travellers and military personnel].

PubMed

Touze, Jean-Etienne; Debonne, Jean-Marc; Boutin, Jean-Paul

2007-10-01

Malaria remains a major public health problem, both for travellers and for the 40,000 French soldiers deployed each year to endemic areas. Epidemiological data show that imported malaria (IM) is on the increase, and that migrants account for more than 60% of malaria cases notified each year in France. The increase in IM among French military personnel is explained by prematurely terminated chemoprophylaxis on return, repeated short missions, and more cases of P. vivax and P. ovale infection. The choice of chemoprophylaxis depends mainly on the level of chloroquine resistance in the country visited. The atovaquone-proguanil combination is well tolerated and only requires 7 days of intake on return from the endemic area. Doxycycline monohydrate is cheaper and better-tolerated than mefloquine, and is thus preferred for French military personnel. However, its short half-life necessitates very good compliance. Chemoprophylaxis should be combined with vector control measures and with personal protection (impregnated bednets, protective clothing, repellents, and indoor insecticide spraying). The need for these measures should be clearly explained before departure, during the stay, and after return.

National cancer plans: the French experience.

PubMed

Khayat, David

2013-01-01

With a prediction of about 20 million cases and 10 million deaths occurring to 2020, cancer is becoming one of the most important challenges in the field of human health. National Cancer Control plans are effective tools to set up actions that, by their specificity in regard to the local epidemiology and resources, can break the rising curve of human toll that we are paying to this disease. In this article we present the French experience with the National Cancer Plans. We point out the most significant actions that were developed in the areas of prevention, screening, care, access to innovative treatments, and research.

Thyroid cancer following nuclear tests in French Polynesia

PubMed Central

de Vathaire, F; Drozdovitch, V; Brindel, P; Rachedi, F; Boissin, J-L; Sebbag, J; Shan, L; Bost-Bezeaud, F; Petitdidier, P; Paoaafaite, J; Teuri, J; Iltis, J; Bouville, A; Cardis, E; Hill, C; Doyon, F

2010-01-01

Background: Between 1966 and 1974, France conducted 41 atmospheric nuclear tests in Polynesia, but their potential health effects have not previously been investigated. Methods: In a case–control study, we compared the radiation exposure of almost all the French Polynesians diagnosed with differentiated thyroid carcinoma between 1981 and 2003 (n=229) to the exposure of 373 French Polynesian control individuals without cancer from the general population. Radiation exposures were estimated using measurements after the nuclear tests, age at time of each test, residential and dietary information. Results: The average thyroid dose before 15 years of age was about 1.8 mGy, and 5% of the cases and 3% of the controls received a dose above 10 mGy. Despite this low level of dose, and after adjusting for ethnic group, level of education, body surface area, family history of thyroid cancer and number of pregnancies for women, we observed an increasing risk (P=0.04) of thyroid cancer with increasing thyroid dose received before age of 15 years, which remained after excluding non-aggressive differentiated thyroid micro-carcinomas. This increase of risk per unit of thyroid radiation dose was higher (P=0.03) in women who later experienced four or more pregnancies than among other women. Conclusion: The risk estimate is low, but is based on limited exposure data. The release of information on exposure, currently classified, would greatly improve the reliability of the risk estimation. PMID:20808313

Persistent Stress "Deafness": The Case of French Learners of Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dupoux, Emmanuel; Sebastian-Galles, Nuria; Navarrete, Eduardo; Peperkamp, Sharon

2008-01-01

Previous research by Dupoux et al. [Dupoux, E., Pallier, C., Sebastian, N., & Mehler, J. (1997). A destressing "deafness" in French? "Journal of Memory Language" 36, 406-421; Dupoux, E., Peperkamp, S., & Sebastian-Galles (2001). A robust method to study stress' deafness. "Journal of the Acoustical Society of America" 110, 1608-1618.] found that…

[Malaria in military personnel: the case of the Ivory Coast in 2002-2003].

PubMed

Migliani, R; Josse, R; Hovette, P; Keundjian, A; Pages, F; Meynard, J-B; Ollivier, L; Sbai Idrissi, K; Tifratene, K; Orlandi, E; Rogier, C; Boutin, J-P

2003-01-01

French troops were sent to the Ivory Coast on September 22, 2002 within the framework of Operation Unicorn in response to the political unrest. From September 22 to October 20, a total of 37 cases of malaria were reported, i.e., 35.7 cases per 1000 man-months. As of October 11, the central headquarters of the Armed Services Health Corps decided to use doxycycline as the exclusive agent for drug prophylaxis in military personnel on duty in the Ivory Coast and to enhance vector control measures. The incidence of malaria decreased to 2 cases per 1000 man-months at the sixth month. A recrudescence of malaria to 15 cases per 1000 man-months was observed with the rainy season in April. During this period one person presenting severe malaria with coma required emergency evacuation to France. In May 2003, several studies were undertaken to determine the factors that caused this recrudescence. These studies included surveys to evaluate awareness concerning malaria and monitor compliance with drug prophylaxis and tolerance of doxycycline, a case-control study to identify factors related to malarious episodes and an entomological study. Awareness of malaria was high with 75% of the 477 respondents stating that malaria could be transmitted by single mosquito bite. The case-control study showed a correlation between occurrence of malarious bouts and non-compliance with drug prophylaxis (p < 10(-5)). The odds-ratio was 3.05 (95% confidence interval, 1.52-6.14) for subjects claiming zero to one incident of non-compliance per week and 7.51 (IC95%, 3.24-17.40) for those claiming more than one incident of non-compliance per week. Tolerance of doxycyline was good since 72% of respondents reported no adverse effects. The main vector was Anopheles gambiae. The number of bites per man per night ranged from 25 to 2 and the number of infected bites ranged from 2 to 3 per week. Treatment was initiated promptly using quinine at a total dose of 25 mg/kg in 3 daily doses for 7 days by the intravenous then oral route. This experience shows that malaria remains a major concern for military forces, that standardization of preventive measures in emergency situations is needed, and that enhanced vector control, verification of compliance with drug prophylaxis and prompt treatment based on the presence of a physician in each emergency outpost is crucial. These recommendation must be applied to all French military personnel in the Ivory Coast.

Frequency and distribution of mixed Plasmodium falciparum-vivax infections in French Guiana between 2000 and 2008.

PubMed

Ginouves, Marine; Veron, Vincent; Musset, Lise; Legrand, Eric; Stefani, Aurélia; Prevot, Ghislaine; Demar, Magalie; Djossou, Félix; Brousse, Paul; Nacher, Mathieu; Carme, Bernard

2015-11-10

The two main plasmodial species in French Guiana are Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum whose respective prevalence influences the frequency of mixed plasmodial infections. The accuracy of their diagnosis is influenced by the sensitivity of the method used, whereas neither microscopy nor rapid diagnostic tests allow a satisfactory evaluation of mixed plasmodial infections. In the present study, the frequency of mixed infections in different part of French Guiana was determined using real time PCR, a sensitive and specific technique. From 400 cases of malaria initially diagnosed by microscopy, real time PCR showed that 10.75 % of the cases were mixed infections. Their prevalence varied considerably between geographical areas. The presence, in equivalent proportions, of the two plasmodial species in eastern French Guiana was associated with a much higher prevalence of mixed plasmodial infections than in western French Guiana, where the majority of the population was Duffy negative and thus resistant to vivax malaria. Clinicians must be more vigilant regarding mixed infections in co-endemic P. falciparum/P. vivax areas, in order to deliver optimal care for patients suffering from malaria. This may involve the use of rapid diagnostic tests capable of detecting mixed infections or low density single infections. This is important as French Guiana moves towards malaria elimination.

The Rise and Fall of Mathematical Enrolments in the French Educational System: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnoux, Pierre; Duverney, Daniel; Holton, Derek

2009-01-01

In this article, we start by considering the relevant parts of the French educational system and the data relating to science at the end of secondary school and the early years of university. We show an increase, till 1995, and then a decline in the study of mathematics at baccalaureate and university level. However, our main conclusions relate to…

Multiple large solar lentigos on the upper back as clinical markers of past severe sunburn: a case-control study.

PubMed

Derancourt, C; Bourdon-Lanoy, E; Grob, J-J; Guillaume, J-C; Bernard, P; Bastuji-Garin, S

2007-01-01

Multiple solar lentigos commonly seen on the upper back and shoulders of adults are classically considered as a sign of photodamage, although epidemiological studies are scarce. To assess whether these lesions are clinical markers of past severe sunburn. A case-control study in two outpatient dermatology clinics in French university hospitals. Past episodes of moderate and severe sunburn were compared between 145 adult patients with multiple solar lentigos on the upper back and 145 matched controls. In multivariate analysis adjusted for potential confounders, recalled episodes of sunburn during childhood, adolescence and adulthood were independently associated with the presence of multiple solar lentigos (adjusted odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals: 2.3 (1.1-5.2) and 28.1 (10.4-75.6) for moderate and severe sunburn, respectively). Multiple solar lentigos on the upper back and shoulders of adults are potential clinical markers of past severe sunburn which may thus be used to identify a population at higher risk of developing cutaneous malignant melanoma.

Satiety Impact of Different Potato Products Compared to Pasta Control.

PubMed

Diaz-Toledo, Carmen; Kurilich, Anne C; Re, Roberta; Wickham, Martin S J; Chambers, Lucy C

2016-08-01

A variety of potato dishes are regularly consumed worldwide, but the satiety value of these foods is not well established. The primary objective of this study was to compare the satiating effects of 4 equi-energy meals containing different potato preparations with an equi-energy pasta control meal. This study used a randomized crossover design to assess the impact of 4 equi-energy potato-based meals (fried French fries, baked potato, mashed potato, or potato wedges) on subjective satiety sensations (visual analogue scale [VAS] ratings) and subsequent energy intake (ad libitum meal [kcal]), compared to a control pasta-based meal. Thirty-three healthy nonobese men and women participated in the study. VAS ratings indicated that the meal containing fried french fries was perceived to be substantially more satiating than the equi-energy pasta control meal, with all other potato-based meals not differing overall from control. All test meals had a comparable effect on energy intake at a later ad libitum meal. Consumers reported higher levels of satiety following a meal where the principal carbohydrate source was fried french fries, compared to when they had consumed an energy-matched meal containing carbohydrate in the form of pasta. All other potato preparations had similar effects on satiety as pasta. It is concluded that participants perceived a meal with fried french fries as providing greater satiety than a pasta control meal.

[Self-esteem, strategies of coping and feeling of anger in french patients with anorexia nervosa].

PubMed

Brytek, Anna

2006-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare self-esteem, coping strategies and feeling of anger in French populations with anorexia nervosa. Thirty two adolescents with anorexia nervosa were investigated during their hospitalisation in the Psychiatric Department of the Hospital Sainte-Croix of Metz and of the Hospital of Children of Nancy-Brabois. The control group consisted of 57 French students of the University of Verlaine Paul in Metz. An anonymous questionnaire form concerning family life, the state of health and course of illness, the Self Esteem Inventory by Coopersmith (1984), the Brief COPE by Carver (1997) and the Self Expression Control Scale by Van Elderen et al. (1997) were applied to 89 women. The results showed that there are statistically significant differences between self-esteem, coping strategies and feeling of anger in French anorexics and the French group control. French anorectic adolescents show low social, familial and general self-esteem. They can be described as making less use of acceptance, humour and focus on and venting of emotions as the coping strategies, as usually not reinterpreting the situation positively in order to deal with emotional distress (do not use the coping strategy of positive reinterpretation) and as reducing their efforts to cope with the situation (behavioural disengagement). French anorexics conceptualise their anger against themselves (the interiorisation of anger).

Declining incidence of catastrophic cervical spine injuries in French rugby: 1996-2006.

PubMed

Bohu, Yoann; Julia, Marc; Bagate, Christian; Peyrin, Jean-Claude; Colonna, Jean-Pierre; Thoreux, Patricia; Pascal-Moussellard, Hugues

2009-02-01

To investigate the incidence and the risk factors of catastrophic cervical spine injuries in French rugby. Descriptive epidemiology study. The patients included had cervical spine injuries causing neurological disorder classified from the ASIA scale, grade A to D. A retrospective review of all cases that occurred between the 1996-1997 and the 2005-2006 seasons was made. Circumstances of the injuries and of the clinical outcome were collected by interview. There were 37 cases of catastrophic cervical spine injuries in French rugby for the last 10 years. The incidence of the cervical spine injuries decreased during this period. The rates of injury were 2.1 per 100,000 players per year during the 1996-1997 season and 1.4 during the 2005-2006 season (P < .01). The scrum was a major cause of injury, accounting for 51.3% (19/37). The forwards represented 89.2% (33/37) of the injured players. The hookers were involved in 37.8% (14/37) of the cases. The measures of prevention with the modification of the rules of scrum and the creation of a medical certificate required for players to play in the front row must have been successful. The incidence of disabling cervical spine injuries in French rugby has decreased for the last 10 years, which is linked to the decreasing incidence of injuries in the scrum. This epidemiological study shows the effectiveness of the preventive measures on cervical spine injuries in French rugby players. A national register of catastrophic cervical spine injuries extends our epidemiological observations.

Inductive/Deductive Learning by Considering the Role of Gender--A Case Study of Iranian French-Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahmatian, Rouhollah; Zarekar, Fatemeh

2016-01-01

This article defines the objective of discovering the first preferred styles of Iranian learners of French as a Foreign Language (FFL) as regards inductive or deductive learning; and secondly, the difference between gender-based learning tendencies. Considering these points as target variables, the questionnaire developed by Felder and Silverman…

The Development of Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency in the Written Production of L2 French

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunnarsson, Cecilia

2012-01-01

The present longitudinal case study investigated the development of fluency, complexity and accuracy--and the possible relationships between them--in the written production of L2 French. We assessed fluency and complexity in five intermediate learners by means of conventional indicators for written L2 (cf. Wolfe-Quintero et al. 1998), while…

From eradication to containment: invasion of French Polynesia by Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) and releases of two natural enemies: a 17-year case study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), was discovered on Tahiti Island, French Polynesia, in 1996. Two other economically important Bactrocera species were previously established: B. kirki (Froggatt) in 1928, and B. tryoni (Froggatt), Queensland fruit fly, in 1970. This situation provi...

Bardet-Biedl syndrome gene variants are associated with both childhood and adult common obesity in French Caucasians.

PubMed

Benzinou, Michael; Walley, Andrew; Lobbens, Stephan; Charles, Marie-Aline; Jouret, Béatrice; Fumeron, Frédéric; Balkau, Beverley; Meyre, David; Froguel, Philippe

2006-10-01

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare developmental disorder with the cardinal features of abdominal obesity, retinopathy, polydactyly, cognitive impairment, renal and cardiac anomalies, hypertension, and diabetes. BBS is genetically heterogeneous, with nine genes identified to date and evidence for additional loci. In this study, we performed mutation analysis of the coding and conserved regions of BBS1, BBS2, BBS4, and BBS6 in 48 French Caucasian individuals. Among the 36 variants identified, 12 were selected and genotyped in 1,943 French-Caucasian case subjects and 1,299 French-Caucasian nonobese nondiabetic control subjects. Variants in BBS2, BBS4, and BBS6 showed evidence of association with common obesity in an age-dependent manner, the BBS2 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) being associated with common adult obesity (P = 0.0005) and the BBS4 and BBS6 SNPs being associated with common early-onset childhood obesity (P = 0.0003) and common adult morbid obesity (0.0003 < P < 0.007). The association of the BBS4 rs7178130 variant was found to be supported by transmission disequilibrium testing (P = 0.006). The BBS6 variants also showed nominal evidence of association with quantitative components of the metabolic syndrome (e.g., dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia), a complication previously described in BBS patients. In summary, our preliminary data suggest that variations at BBS genes are associated with risk of common obesity.

Use of a Nationwide Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record by Healthcare Professionals and Patients: A Case Study with the French DMP.

PubMed

Seroussi, Brigitte; Bouaud, Jacques

2017-01-01

If the wide adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) is necessary to address health information sharing and care coordination issues, it is not sufficient. In order to address health information sharing, some countries, among which, France, have implemented a centralized framework with "new" nationwide care records. The French DMP is a centralized, nationally shared, electronic medical record, created according to the opt-in model. More than five years after the launching of the DMP project, DMPs have been created for 1.5% of the target population, which demonstrates the poor adoption of the tool by healthcare professionals. Among the 583,997 existing DMPs in June 2016, 41% were empty, and 24% of non-empty DMPs were actually accessed. If these "active" DMPs were equally accessed by both healthcare professionals and patients, patients accessed DMP documents four times more than healthcare professionals.

France: Thrust and parry over nuclear risks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balter, M.

1997-01-31

Claims about the health risks posed by nuclear-power installations are always controversial, but nowhere more so than in France, where some 75% of the nation`s electricity is generated from nuclear energy. So, it was no surprise that publication of a study by two French epidemiologists earlier this month claiming to show a link between cases of childhood leukemia and the nuclear-waste reprocessing plant at La Hague on the Normandy coast sparked fireworks in the French press. Several French epidemiologists sharply criticized the study`s methodology and conclusions. Their attacks have now drawn an unusual response from the British Medical Journal (BMJ),more » in which the paper appeared.« less

The Nature of the Phonological Processing in French Dyslexic Children: Evidence for the Phonological Syllable and Linguistic Features' Role in Silent Reading and Speech Discrimination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maionchi-Pino, Norbert; Magnan, Annie; Ecalle, Jean

2010-01-01

This study investigated the status of phonological representations in French dyslexic children (DY) compared with reading level- (RL) and chronological age-matched (CA) controls. We focused on the syllable's role and on the impact of French linguistic features. In Experiment 1, we assessed oral discrimination abilities of pairs of syllables that…

Teaching the Anxiety of Learning a Foreign Language That Influences High School Students in Learning French as a Second Foreign Language "The Case of Denizli"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kusçu, Ertan

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the reasons of anxiety levels of high school students who learn French as a second foreign language. The sample of the study consisted of four hundred fifty-six students from two high schools in Denizli province in 2015-2016 academic year. In this study, the effects of variables such as learners' gender,…

Technical Objects between Categorisation and Learning: An Exploratory Case Study in French Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Impedovo, M. A.; Andreucci, C.; Delserieys-Pedregosa, A.; Coiffard, C.; Ginestié, J.

2015-01-01

In this article we present exploratory research carried out in order to understand how students (from 12 to 14 years old) relate to technical objects. It uses technical objects that are part of everyday life and mediated reality. A questionnaire was administered to 57 students in French classes. The questionnaire was composed of three parts: 1)…

First Language Proficiency and Successful Foreign Language Learning: The Case of High School Students Learning French as a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gnintedem, Antoine

2014-01-01

This study investigated whether there was a correlation between first language proficiency as measured by the Mississippi Curriculum Test (MCT II) Reading and Language Arts and foreign language proficiency as measured by the French Language Proficiency Test. Data for the independent variable, first language proficiency, was collected from the…

Dengue surveillance in the French armed forces: a dengue sentinel surveillance system in countries without efficient local epidemiological surveillance.

PubMed

de Laval, Franck; Dia, Aissata; Plumet, Sébastien; Decam, Christophe; Leparc Goffart, Isabelle; Deparis, Xavier

2013-01-01

Surveillance of travel-acquired dengue could improve dengue risk estimation in countries without ability. Surveillance in the French army in 2010 to 2011 highlighted 330 dengue cases, mainly in French West Indies and Guiana: DENV-1 circulated in Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, New Caledonia, Djibouti; DENV-3 in Mayotte and Djibouti; and DENV-4 in French Guiana. © 2012 International Society of Travel Medicine.

Culture as an explanation for substance-related problems: a cross-national study among French and Dutch adolescents.

PubMed

Knibbe, Ronald Arnold; Joosten, Jan; Choquet, Marie; Derickx, Mieke; Morin, Delphine; Monshouwer, Karin

2007-02-01

Our main goal was to establish whether French and Dutch adolescents differ in rates of substance-related adverse events (e.g. fights, robbery), problems with peers or socializing agents even when controlling for pattern of substance use. For problems with peers and socializing agents due to alcohol we hypothesized that, because of stronger informal control of drinking in France, French adolescents are more likely to report problems with peers and socializing agents. For adverse events due to alcohol no difference was expected after controlling for consumption patterns. For drug-related problems, the hypothesis was that, due to the more restrictive drug policy in France, French adolescents are more likely to report problems with peers, socializing agents and adverse events. Comparable surveys based on samples of adolescent schoolchildren in France (n=9646) and the Netherlands (n=4291) were used. Data were analysed using multilevel logistic regression in which school, age and gender, indicators of substance use and country were used as predictors of substance-related problems. The outcomes show that French adolescents are more likely to report problems with peers and socializing agents due to alcohol even when consumption pattern is controlled for. For adverse events due to alcohol no difference was found between French and Dutch adolescents. For drug-related problems the expected differences were found; i.e. French adolescents are more likely to report problems with peers, socializing agents and adverse events even when controlling for pattern of drug use. It is concluded that there are culturally embedded differences in the rates of some types of problems due to alcohol or drug use. With respect to alcohol use, these differences are most likely due to culturally embedded differences in the informal social control of alcohol use. The differences in rates of drug-related problems are interpreted in the context of national differences in drug policy.

Value of syndromic surveillance within the Armed Forces for early warning during a dengue fever outbreak in French Guiana in 2006

PubMed Central

Meynard, Jean-Baptiste; Chaudet, Hervé; Texier, Gaetan; Ardillon, Vanessa; Ravachol, Françoise; Deparis, Xavier; Jefferson, Henry; Dussart, Philippe; Morvan, Jacques; Boutin, Jean-Paul

2008-01-01

Background A dengue fever outbreak occured in French Guiana in 2006. The objectives were to study the value of a syndromic surveillance system set up within the armed forces, compared to the traditional clinical surveillance system during this outbreak, to highlight issues involved in comparing military and civilian surveillance systems and to discuss the interest of syndromic surveillance for public health response. Methods Military syndromic surveillance allows the surveillance of suspected dengue fever cases among the 3,000 armed forces personnel. Within the same population, clinical surveillance uses several definition criteria for dengue fever cases, depending on the epidemiological situation. Civilian laboratory surveillance allows the surveillance of biologically confirmed cases, within the 200,000 inhabitants. Results It was shown that syndromic surveillance detected the dengue fever outbreak several weeks before clinical surveillance, allowing quick and effective enhancement of vector control within the armed forces. Syndromic surveillance was also found to have detected the outbreak before civilian laboratory surveillance. Conclusion Military syndromic surveillance allowed an early warning for this outbreak to be issued, enabling a quicker public health response by the armed forces. Civilian surveillance system has since introduced syndromic surveillance as part of its surveillance strategy. This should enable quicker public health responses in the future. PMID:18597694

Culinary culture and globalization: an analysis of British and German Michelin-starred restaurants.

PubMed

Lane, Christel

2011-12-01

The high-end restaurant segment in Britain and Germany has long been shaped by the cultural hegemony of French haute cuisine, perpetuated by multiple processes, including the influence of the Michelin or Red Guide. Traditionally, this hegemony has been expressed in the prevalence of French expatriate chefs, culinary techniques and style and even restaurant culture. This paper investigates whether processes of globalization have weakened or even undermined this French cultural dominance in fine-dining restaurants and their culinary culture. To this end, the study identifies the various forms taken by globalization processes in this industry segment and then assesses their impact on the dominance of the French paradigm of culinary culture. The investigation focuses on British and German Michelin-starred restaurants, underlining both commonalities and divergences in the process of interaction between French, global and local influences. The study employs a qualitative method, using a number of case studies to discern cross-industry patterns. All chefs with two or three stars in the two countries, i.e. 45 chefs, were selected for the analysis of their cuisine. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2011.

Measure of chest wall thickness in French soldiers: which technique to use for needle decompression of tension pneumothorax at the front?

PubMed

Lamblin, Antoine; Turc, Jean; Bylicki, Olivier; Lohéas, Damien; Martinez, Jean-Yves; Derkenne, Clément; Wey, Pierre-François; Précloux, Pascal

2014-07-01

Needle decompression of tension pneumothorax in soldiers of the French infantry has a risk for failure when the standard procedure that involves the insertion of a 14-gauge, 5-cm catheter into the 2nd intercostal space (ICS) is used. This study measured the chest wall thickness (CWT) to assess whether this approach is appropriate. CWT was measured by ultrasound in 122 French soldiers at the 2nd and 4th ICSs on both the right and left sides. CWT was measured at 4.19 cm (± 0.96 cm) at the 2nd ICS and 3.00 cm (± 0.91 cm) at the 4th ICS (p < 0.001). CWT was greater than 5 cm in 24.2% of cases at the 2nd ICS and 4.9% of cases at the 4th ICS (p < 0.001). This study suggests a high risk of failure when using the technique currently taught in the French army. A lateral approach into the 4th ICS could decrease this risk. The results of this study must be validated in patients presenting tension pneumothorax. Reprint & Copyright © 2014 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Teaching English in a Multilingual Context: The Algerian Case.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miliani, Mohamed

2001-01-01

Algeria's educational system and language usage are politically controlled. As French loses its ground, English is being heralded as a solution to the country's problems. Popular vernaculars are banned. Language policy is the result of political takeovers. The introduction of English in elementary school appears to be an attempt to end the…

RADIOPROTECTIVE PROPERTIES OF A SYNTHETIC PREPARATION OF OXYTOCIN (SYNTOCINON SANDOZ) IN THE CASE OF MICE (in French)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bacq, Z.M.; Beaumariage, M.L.

1960-05-01

Type-C/sub 57/ black mice are exposed to 650 r, after receiving injections of varying amounts of Syntocinon (oxytocin preparation). All uninjected control mice died within 16 days, but up to 85% of the mice protected by Syntocinon survived. (T.F.H.)

Sunlight exposure during leisure activities and risk of prostate cancer in Montréal, Canada, 2005-2009.

PubMed

Yu, Jennifer; Lavoué, Jérôme; Parent, Marie-Élise

2014-07-28

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the leading cause of cancer in men in many developed countries, but no modifiable risk factors have been identified. A handful of analytical studies have suggested a possible etiological role for sunlight exposure. We report here on the association between leisure-time sunlight exposure during adulthood and PCa risk in the context of a population-based case-control study. In all, 1,904 PCa cases were ascertained across Montreal French hospitals between 2005 and 2009. Concurrently, 1,962 population controls, frequency matched to cases by age (±5 years), were selected from the electoral list for French-speakers in Greater Montreal. Interviews elicited the frequency of engagement in any leisure activity during adulthood. This was used to derive cumulative sunlight exposure indices: a cumulative number of leisure activities events entailing sunlight exposure and a cumulative duration of sunlight exposure during leisure activities. Unconditional logistic regression was conducted to yield odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for estimating the association between sunlight exposure indices and PCa risk, adjusting for age, ancestry, family history of PCa, PCa screening, education, solar protection, body mass index and physical activity. Compared with men in the upper quartile category for the number of sunlight exposure events, men never exposed during leisure time had an OR of 1.32 (95% CI: 0.82-2.14). ORs were 1.11, 0.91 and 1.00 for the first to the third quartiles of exposure, respectively. Similar results were observed for cumulative duration of exposure to sunlight, and by PCa aggressiveness. These findings provide little evidence of an association between sunlight exposure during leisure-time and PCa risk. Men with no sunlight exposure appeared at somewhat higher risks but none of the estimates achieved statistical significance.

The French World of Business: Culture and Commerce. The Case of the Wharton School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slowinski, Betty J.

This paper discusses French and American cultural differences and their effect on the conduct of business in both countries, as well as the results of the Banque Indosuez survey of French and American attitudes towards each other. The French tend to be less committed to schedules, appointments, and deadlines than Americans, and are more…

[Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in France: estimating the number of cases related to travel to the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1995].

PubMed

Chadeau-Hyam, M; Alpérovitch, A

2005-02-01

The outbreak of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) cases rose serious concerns about secondary transmission of the disease, particularly through blood transfusion. Protective measures leading to the exclusion of potentially infectious blood donors were settled: in France, donors who had stayed more than one year in the UK were excluded. In this work, which was part of a larger study aiming to estimate the French epidemic of vCJD, the number of vCJD cases who were infected during a trip to the UK was estimated. Those estimates may notably enable the assessment of such exclusion measures. The particular age-related structure in vCJD cases is taken into account in our simulations considering birth cohorts in the population. The total French exposure is simulated assuming the main source of infection to be dietary through consumption of mechanically recovered meat (MRM) manufactured from British bovine carcasses. Then, using a "back calculation" algorithm, all infected individuals required to produce a consistent epidemic (6 vCJD cases in 2003) was simulated. This study was exclusively focused on the part of the exposure linked to trips (beef MRM consumed in the UK while traveling) and on cases resulting from this exposure. The influence of exposure linked to trips to the UK was greater in the youngest cohort (6.3% of the total exposure) while it only accounted for 3.3% and 1% in the 1939-69 and in the pre-1939 birth cohorts respectively. Overall, exposure resulting from trips in the UK can be neglected with regards to the exposure linked to the consumption of MRM produced in France from British bovine carcasses. Consequently, French vCJD cases that would have been infected in the UK are very unlikely to occur (median: 0 case, IC 95%: (0-2)). Nevertheless, if such cases occur, they would probably occur in subjects born after 1969 and their onset would take place before 2010. Thus, unlike the situation in BSE-free countries, the causal relationship between travel in the UK and occurrence of vCJD cases cannot be underlined in France, as trips only account for a small part of the French exposure. Since trips in the UK slightly contribute to the overall French exposure, excluding people who travelled in the UK from blood donation would not influence the risk of secondary transmission.

[The Confusion Assessment Method: Transcultural adaptation of a French version].

PubMed

Antoine, V; Belmin, J; Blain, H; Bonin-Guillaume, S; Goldsmith, L; Guerin, O; Kergoat, M-J; Landais, P; Mahmoudi, R; Morais, J A; Rataboul, P; Saber, A; Sirvain, S; Wolfklein, G; de Wazieres, B

2018-05-01

The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) is a validated key tool in clinical practice and research programs to diagnose delirium and assess its severity. There is no validated French version of the CAM training manual and coding guide (Inouye SK). The aim of this study was to establish a consensual French version of the CAM and its manual. Cross-cultural adaptation to achieve equivalence between the original version and a French adapted version of the CAM manual. A rigorous process was conducted including control of cultural adequacy of the tool's components, double forward and back translations, reconciliation, expert committee review (including bilingual translators with different nationalities, a linguist, highly qualified clinicians, methodologists) and pretesting. A consensual French version of the CAM was achieved. Implementation of the CAM French version in daily clinical practice will enable optimal diagnosis of delirium diagnosis and enhance communication between health professionals in French speaking countries. Validity and psychometric properties are being tested in a French multicenter cohort, opening up new perspectives for improved quality of care and research programs in French speaking countries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Exploring the Dynamic Relationship between the Accelerative Integrated Method (AIM) and the Core French Teachers Who Use It: Why Agency and Experience Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnott, Stephanie

2011-01-01

Over the last decade, almost 4,000 Canadian schools have moved to using the Accelerative Integrated Method (AIM) for core French (CF) instruction. Following researchers' recommendations (Brumfit, 1984; Lapkin, Mady, & Arnott, 2009; Larsen-Freeman, 1996, 2000; Prahbu, 1990), I am shifting the focus in this case study from product to process. In…

Comparative Analysis on the Nature of Proof to Be Taught in Geometry: The Cases of French and Japanese Lower Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miyakawa, Takeshi

2017-01-01

This paper reports the results of an international comparative study on the nature of proof to be taught in geometry. Proofs in French and Japanese lower secondary schools were explored by analyzing curricular documents: mathematics textbooks and national curricula. Analyses on the three aspects of proof--statement, proof, and theory--suggested by…

French Validation of the Multidimensional Attitude Scale toward Persons with Disabilities (MAS): The Case of Attitudes toward Autism and Their Moderating Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dachez, Julie; Ndobo, Andre; Ameline, Anaïs

2015-01-01

This research investigates the renewed interest in autism, the stigmatization of persons with autism and the need to better measure such stigmatization. Two studies were thus conducted on 101 and 104 participants in order to validate the French version of the Multidimensional Attitude Scale toward persons with disabilities, and examine the…

Genotype-Phenotype Relationship in Patients and Relatives with SHOX Region Anomalies in the French Population.

PubMed

Auger, Julie; Baptiste, Amandine; Benabbad, Imane; Thierry, Gaëlle; Costa, Jean-Marc; Amouyal, Mélanie; Kottler, Marie-Laure; Leheup, Bruno; Touraine, Renaud; Schmitt, Sébastien; Lebrun, Marine; Cormier Daire, Valérie; Bonnefont, Jean-Paul; de Roux, Nicolas; Elie, Caroline; Rosilio, Myriam

2016-01-01

The aim of our study was to describe a large population with anomalies involving the SHOX region, responsible for idiopathic short stature and Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD), and to identify a possible genotype/phenotype correlation. We performed a retrospective multicenter study on French subjects with a SHOX region anomaly diagnosed by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification or Sanger sequencing. Phenotypes were collected in each of the 7 genetic laboratories practicing this technique for SHOX analysis. Among 205 index cases and 100 related cases, 91.3% had LWD. For index cases, median age at evaluation was 11.7 (9.0; 15.9) years and mean height standard deviation score was -2.3 ± 1.1. A deletion of either SHOX or PAR1 or both was found in 74% of patients. Duplications and point mutations/indels affected 8 and 18% of the population, respectively. Genotype-phenotype correlation showed that deletions were more frequently associated with Madelung deformity and mesomelic shortening in girls, as well as with presence of radiologic anomalies, than duplications. Our results highlight genotype-phenotype relationships in the French population with a SHOX defect and provide new information showing that clinical expression is milder in cases of duplication compared to deletions. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Increased frequency of hematopoietic malignancies in relatives of patients with lymphoid neoplasms: a French case-control study

PubMed Central

Villeneuve, Sara; Orsi, Laurent; Monnereau, Alain; Berthou, Christian; Fenaux, Pierre; Marit, Gerald; Soubeyran, Pierre; Huguet, Françoise; Milpied, Noël; Leporrier, Michel; Hemon, Denis; Troussard, Xavier; Clavel, Jacqueline

2009-01-01

Lymphoid neoplasms (LN), including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL), lymphoproliferative syndrome (LPS) and multiple myeloma (MM), are among the most frequent cancers (approximately 17,000 new cases per year in France), after those related to smoking. LN were investigated using the data from the ENGELA study. ENGELA is a multicenter hospital-based case-control study that was carried out in France over the period September 2000 – December2004. In all, 822 cases (397 NHL, 149 LH, 168 SLP and 108 MM) and 752 controls were included and described 5481 and 5188 first degree relatives, respectively. A positive association with a familial history of hematopoietic cancer was observed for LN (OR = 1.7 [1.0–2.8]) overall and for LPS (OR = 3.2 [1.4–6.8]). The associations with HL (OR = 10.4 [2.0–53.8]) and NHL (OR = 2.4 [1.0–5.9]) were stronger for men. The associations were also stronger when the disease had been diagnosed before the relatives were aged 45 years. The results mainly support the involvement of genetic factors and suggest that at least some of those factors may be sex-linked. However, the slight overrepresentation of affected spouses among the cases might also support the responsibility of environmental factors. PMID:19058175

The Renewal of the French Amphibious Doctrine

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-01

The forces ashore must be sustained and supported by fires. These requirements may seem obvious, but in the case of the French armed forces, the new...0 The Renewal of the French Amphibious Doctrine EWS 2003 Subject Area Topical Issues THE RENEWAL OF THE FRENCH AMPHIBIOUS DOCTRINE CG#2...FACAD: Major Ralston Submitted by Capt L.Danigo, Troupes de Marine. France Report Documentation Page Form

Regulation and innovation dynamics for nanoresponsible development: The case of the French code de l'environnement L 523-1 to L 523-5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auplat, C.; Ben Slimane, S.

2015-05-01

This paper examines one aspect of innovation dynamics for nanoresponsible development: the links between regulation and innovation dynamics. It focuses on the case of the French Code de l'environnement, Articles L. 523-1 to L. 523-3. Articles L. 523-1 to L. 523-3 of the French environment code provide for the obligation to declare the quantities and uses of substances at nanoscale produced, distributed or imported in France. This procedure is intended to improve knowledge of these substances and their uses as well as of their markets and volumes sold, to ensure traceability and to collect available information on their toxicological and ecotoxicological properties. The paper builds on recent work on the emergence of a regulatory framework for nanotechnologies to take stock of the current situation in France, in the EU and globally and to explore how this specific law package may influence innovation and the shaping of new markets for nanobased materials. The study shows that nano-regulation does have an impact on innovation. However, the impact is not the same with EU regulation and with French regulation, and while EU regulation seems to create a favourable context for innovation, French regulation seems to do the opposite. With this study we hope to bring new perspectives to the field of the strategic management of innovation, and also to shed some light on the roles and challenges of institutions to facilitate nanoresponsible development.

Q Fever in French Guiana

PubMed Central

Eldin, Carole; Mahamat, Aba; Demar, Magalie; Abboud, Philippe; Djossou, Félix; Raoult, Didier

2014-01-01

Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is present worldwide. Recent studies have shown that this bacterium is an emerging pathogen in French Guiana and has a high prevalence (24% of community-acquired pneumonia). In this review, we focus on the peculiar epidemiology of Q fever in French Guiana. We place it in the context of the epidemiology of the disease in the surrounding countries of South America. We also review the clinical features of Q fever in this region, which has severe initial presentation but low mortality rates. These characteristics seem to be linked to a unique genotype (genotype 17). Finally, we discuss the issue of the animal reservoir of C. burnetii in French Guiana, which is still unknown. Further studies are necessary to identify this reservoir. Identification of this reservoir will improve the understanding of the Q fever epidemic in French Guiana and will provide new tools to control this public health problem. PMID:25092817

Association Between Psychotropic and Cardiovascular Iatrogenic Alerts and Risk of Hospitalizations in Elderly People Treated for Dementia: A Self-Controlled Case Series Study Based on the Matching of 2 French Health Insurance Databases.

PubMed

Zerah, Lorene; Boddaert, Jacques; Leperre-Desplanques, Armelle; Bonnet-Zamponi, Dominique; Verny, Marc; Deligne, Jean; Boelle, Pierre-Yves

2017-06-01

Elderly people are at risk of repeated hospitalizations, some of which may be drug related and preventable. In 2011, a group of French healthcare experts selected 5 iatrogenic alerts (IAs), based on criteria identified in a literature search and from their professional experience, to assess the appropriateness of medication in elderly patients. Our objective was to examine the association between hospitalizations and IAs in elderly patients treated for Alzheimer disease who are particularly sensitive to adverse drug events. A 2-year (January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2012) longitudinal national database study, with a study design similar to self-controlled case series, was performed to analyze data on drug prescriptions and hospitalization. IAs were defined as (1) long half-life benzodiazepine; (2) antipsychotic drugs in patients with Alzheimer disease; (3) co-prescription of 3 or more psychotropic drugs; (4) co-prescription of 2 or more diuretics; and (5) co-prescription of 4 or more antihypertensive drugs. Data were obtained by matching of 2 French National Health Insurance Databases. France. All affiliates, aged ≥75 years, receiving treatment for Alzheimer disease, alive on January 1, 2011 were included. We calculated the relative increase in the number of hospitalizations in patients with IAs. The analysis was performed over four 6-month periods. A total of 10,754 patients were included. During the periods with IAs, hospitalization rates increased by 0.36/year compared with 0.23/year in the periods without for the same patient, and the number of hospitalizations doubled [proportional fold change = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (1.8, 2.1)]. We estimated that 22% [95% confidence interval (20%, 23%)] of all hospitalizations were associated with IAs, 80% of which were due to psychotropic IAs. The IAs could be used as a simple and clinically relevant tool by prescribing physicians to assess the appropriateness of the prescription in elderly patients treated for Alzheimer disease. Copyright © 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comments on the Lambert case: the rulings of the French Conseil d'État and the European Court of Human Rights.

PubMed

Veshi, Denard

2017-06-01

This study examines the decisions of the French Conseil d'Etat (Supreme Administrative Court) and the European Court of Human Rights in the Lambert case concerning the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments. After presenting the facts of this case, the main legal question will be analyzed from an ethical and medical standpoint. The decisions of the Conseil d'État and then of the European Court of Human Rights are studied from a comparative legal perspective. This commentary focuses on the autonomous will of an unconscious patient and on the judicial interpretation of the right to life as recognized in article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Furthermore, it medically classifies artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) as a "treatment" which has ethical and legal implications. While the majority of the bioethical community considers ANH a medical treatment, a minority argues that ANH is basic care. This classification is ambiguous and has conflicting legal interpretations. In the conclusion, the author highlights how a French lawmaker in February 2016, finally clarified the status of ANH as a medical treatment which reconciled the different values at stake.

Global mental health, autonomy and medical paternalism: reconstructing the 'French ethical tradition' in psychiatry.

PubMed

Pires Marques, Tiago

2017-09-01

In the last few decades, the definition of deontological ethics, a well-identified ethical territory in psychiatry, has been the object of increasing concerns. This has been the case in France, where claims of a specific ethical tradition in psychiatry have accompanied the institutionalization of psychiatric ethics and the perceived globalization of an Anglo-American model of mental health care. This study traces the history of the 'French ethical tradition in psychiatry' and its relationship with establishing institutional spaces for ethical decision-making. The 'ethical tradition' thus conceived proves to be functional in terms of preserving the threatened identity of French psychiatry. Nevertheless, this movement also pinpoints impasses that transcend the French context and may provide valuable resources for ethical reflections on mental health on a global scale.

Pre-operative skin preparation practices: results of the 2007 French national assessment.

PubMed

Borgey, F; Thibon, P; Ertzscheid, M-A; Bernet, C; Gautier, C; Mourens, C; Bettinger, A; Aggoune, M; Galy, E; Lejeune, B; Kadi, Z

2012-05-01

Pre-operative skin preparation, aimed at reducing the endogenous microbial flora, is one of the main preventive measures employed to decrease the likelihood of surgical site infection. National recommendations on pre-operative management of infection risks were issued in France in 2004. To assess compliance with the French national guidelines for pre-operative skin preparation in 2007. A prospective audit was undertaken in French hospitals through interviews with patients and staff, and observation of professional practice. Compliance with five major criteria selected from the guidelines was studied: patient information, pre-operative showering, pre-operative hair removal, surgical site disinfection and documentation of these procedures. Data for 41,188 patients from all specialties at 609 facilities were analysed. Patients were issued with information about pre-operative showering in 88.2% of cases [95% confidence interval (CI) 87.9-88.5]. The recommended procedure for pre-operative showering, including hairwashing, with an antiseptic skin wash solution was followed by 70.3% of patients (95% CI 69.9-70.8); this percentage was higher when patients had received appropriate information (P < 0.001). Compliance with hair removal procedures was observed in 91.5% of cases (95% CI 91.2-91.8), and compliance with surgical site disinfection recommendations was observed in 25,529 cases (62.0%, 95% CI 61.5-62.5). The following documentary evidence was found: information given to patient, 35.6% of cases; pre-operative surgical hygiene, 82.3% of cases; and pre-operative site disinfection, 71.7% of cases. The essential content of the French guidelines seems to be understood, but reminders need to be issued. Some recommendations may need to be adapted for certain specialties. Copyright © 2012 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cross-Language Phonological Activation of Meaning: Evidence from Category Verification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friesen, Deanna C.; Jared, Debra

2012-01-01

The study investigated phonological processing in bilingual reading for meaning. English-French and French-English bilinguals performed a category verification task in either their first or second language. Interlingual homophones (words that share phonology across languages but not orthography or meaning) and single language control words served…

Exploring Dyslexics' Phonological Deficit III: Foreign Speech Perception and Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soroli, Efstathia; Szenkovits, Gayaneh; Ramus, Franck

2010-01-01

This study investigates French dyslexic and control adult participants' ability to perceive and produce two different non-native contrasts (one segmental and one prosodic), across several conditions varying short-term memory load. For this purpose, we selected Korean plosive voicing (whose categories conflict with French ones) as the segmental…

The French Defense and Foreign Policies: Rwanda Case Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-25

Charbonneau , Bruno. France and the New Imperialism: Security Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2008. Chipman, John. French Power in Africa... Charbonneau , France and the New Imperialism: Security Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa. (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2008), 125. 16 Le Monde, 1...Petitville, 583-585. 23 Charbonneau , 61-62. 24 Intentionally, the author does not use the American designation as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff due

Temporal trends and epidemiological aspects of ciguatera in French Polynesia: a 10-year analysis.

PubMed

Chateau-Degat, Marie-Ludivine; Dewailly, Eric; Cerf, Nicole; Nguyen, Ngoc Lam; Huin-Blondey, Marie-Odile; Hubert, Bruno; Laudon, François; Chansin, René

2007-04-01

The purpose of this study was to report the temporal trends of the incidence of ciguatera poisoning from 1992 to 2001 in French Polynesia. This retrospective study analysed 7842 cases of ciguatera disease recorded over a period of 10 years. The annual incidence varied from 26.3 to 41.9 per 10,000 person-years. An analysis of cases grouped by archipelago revealed differences in incidences (P < 0.0001) with the most remote archipelagos having the highest incidences. A detailed analysis on a sub-sample of recorded cases for which clinical information was available (n = 1824) confirmed the neurological and gastrointestinal nature of this seafood poisoning. The incidence of ciguatera poisoning appeared relatively stable during the 10 years of the study period. However, the gradient of remoteness observed suggests an adaptation of management of ciguatera disease to each archipelago.

Long-Term Population-Based Genotyping Study of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Isolates in the French Departments of the Americas†

PubMed Central

Brudey, Karine; Filliol, Ingrid; Ferdinand, Séverine; Guernier, Vanina; Duval, Philippe; Maubert, Bertrand; Sola, Christophe; Rastogi, Nalin

2006-01-01

The three French overseas departments of the Americas are characterized both by insular (Guadeloupe and Martinique) and continental (French Guiana) settings with a tuberculosis case detection rate that varies from less than 10 per 100,000 per year in insular areas to an estimated incidence of more than 55 per 100,000 in French Guiana. Under a long-term genotyping program, more than three-fourths of all the Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates (n = 744) received from the three settings were fingerprinted over a 10-year period (1994 to 2003) by spoligotyping and variable number of tandem DNA repeats (VNTRs) in order to understand the current trends in their detection rates, drug resistance, and groups and subpopulations at risk of contracting the disease and to pinpoint the circulating phylogeographical clades of the bacilli. The major difference in the study populations was the nationality of the patients, with a high percentage of immigrants from high-incidence neighboring countries in French Guiana and a low but increasing percentage in the French Caribbean. The rate of recent transmission was calculated to be 49.3% in French Guiana, compared to 27.2% and 16.9% in Guadeloupe and Martinique, respectively. At the phylogeographic level, 77.9% of the isolates studied belonged to four major clades (Haarlem, Latin-American and Mediterranean, T, and X) which are already reported from neighboring Caribbean islands in an international database and may underline potential interregional transmission events. PMID:16390968

The Building of a New Academic Field: The Case of French Didactiques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caillot, Michel

2007-01-01

In this article, the author attempts to show how French disciplinary "didactiques" were created and have developed. At the beginning, nobody could forecast the future and whether the "didactiques" would one day be recognised by the academic and instructional systems. The French "didactiques" are strongly based on…

Intentional Control and Operational Constraints in Prosodic Phrasing: A Study of Picture-Elicited Narrations by French Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vion, Monique; Colas, Annie

2009-01-01

This study deals with the determinants of prosodic phrasing in French schoolchildren's narratives. Children (aged 7 to 11) told picture stories to a silent same-age peer. The establishment of temporal and/or causal relations between the events was more or less guided by the drawings (ordered vs. arbitrary sequences). The comprehension of the…

Sources of information on lymphoma associated with anti-tumour necrosis factor agents: comparison of published case reports and cases reported to the French pharmacovigilance system.

PubMed

Théophile, Hélène; Schaeverbeke, Thierry; Miremont-Salamé, Ghada; Abouelfath, Abdelilah; Kahn, Valentine; Haramburu, Françoise; Bégaud, Bernard

2011-07-01

Anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) agents, through their intense immunoregulatory effect, have been suspected to increase the risk of malignant lymphoma. However, the classical epidemiological approaches conducted over about the last 10 years have not totally succeeded in addressing the question of a causal or artifactual association. Therefore, the analysis of a substantial set of case reports, although usually considered as poorly generalizable to the general population, could be particularly informative. Two main sources of case reports in postmarketing settings are available; publications in medical journals and reports to pharmacovigilance systems. The aim of the study was to compare the characteristics of case reports from both these sources in order to understand whether they provided the same information for the investigation of the causal link between lymphoma and anti-TNF agents. All case reports of malignant lymphoma in patients treated with an anti-TNF agent published in MEDLINE and all reports to the French pharmacovigilance system up to 1 February 2010 were identified. Cases of malignant lymphoma identified in postmarketing surveillance from both sources were compared regarding the following variables: age, sex, anti-TNF agent involved, indication for use, type of lymphoma, prior or concomitant immunosuppressive drugs and time to onset of lymphoma. A total of 81 published case reports and 61 cases reported to the French pharmacovigilance system were compared. In published reports, patients were younger (p = 0.03) and more frequently receiving a first anti-TNF treatment (p = 0.03), particularly infliximab (p = 0.03). Conversely, in the pharmacovigilance system reports, a succession of different anti-TNFs (p = 0.03) and adalimumab (p < 0.0001) were more frequently reported. Lymphomas in patients treated with anti-TNF agents for Crohn's disease were more prevalent in published cases than in pharmacovigilance reports (p < 0.0001), and in particular involved hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma. Conversely, rheumatoid arthritis was the main indication for anti-TNF agents in pharmacovigilance reports (p = 0.01). Time to onset was markedly shorter in published cases (median 12 months) than in pharmacovigilance reports (median 30 months; p = 0.0001). Characteristics of published cases and those reported to the French pharmacovigilance system differed markedly for all characteristics tested, except sex and the use of prior or concomitant immunosuppressive drugs. Published case reports favoured convincing arguments for drug causation whereas cases reported to the pharmacovigilance system were more disparate but could describe more accurately the reality of lymphoma occurrence in this particular population. These results argue for the use of the pharmacovigilance reports when case reports are used to investigate the causal link between lymphoma and anti-TNF agents at the population level. Data from cases notified to the French pharmacovigilance system did not indicate an increased risk of lymphoma during the early phase of anti-TNF treatment. To confirm this hypothesis, a study combining pharmacovigilance reports from several countries, or, if feasible, a cohort study both with a large sample size and a long duration of follow-up would be required.

Mutations in the GIGYF2 (TNRC15) Gene at the PARK11 Locus in Familial Parkinson Disease

PubMed Central

Lautier, Corinne; Goldwurm, Stefano; Dürr, Alexandra; Giovannone, Barbara; Tsiaras, William G.; Pezzoli, Gianni; Brice, Alexis; Smith, Robert J.

2008-01-01

The genetic basis for association of the PARK11 region of chromosome 2 with familial Parkinson disease (PD) is unknown. This study examined the GIGYF2 (Grb10-Interacting GYF Protein-2) (TNRC15) gene, which contains the PARK11 microsatellite marker with the highest linkage score (D2S206, LOD 5.14). The 27 coding exons of the GIGYF2 gene were sequenced in 123 Italian and 126 French patients with familial PD, plus 131 Italian and 96 French controls. A total of seven different GIGYF2 missense mutations resulting in single amino acid substitutions were present in 12 unrelated PD index patients (4.8%) and not in controls. Three amino acid insertions or deletions were found in four other index patients and absent in controls. Specific exon sequencing showed that these ten sequence changes were absent from a further 91 controls. In four families with amino acid substitutions in which at least one other PD case was available, the GIGYF2 mutations (Asn56Ser, Thr112Ala, and Asp606Glu) segregated with PD. There were, however, two unaffected carriers in one family, suggesting age-dependent or incomplete penetrance. One index case (PD onset age 33) inherited a GIGYF2 mutation (Ile278Val) from her affected father (PD onset age 66) and a previously described PD-linked mutation in the LRRK2 gene (Ile1371Val) from her affected mother (PD onset age 61). The earlier onset and severe clinical course in the index patient suggest additive effects of the GIGYF2 and LRRK2 mutations. These data strongly support GIGYF2 as a PARK11 gene with a causal role in familial PD. PMID:18358451

Possible causes of variation in acrylamide concentration in French fries prepared in food service establishments: an observational study.

PubMed

Sanny, M; Jinap, S; Bakker, E J; van Boekel, M A J S; Luning, P A

2012-05-01

Acrylamide is a probable human carcinogen, and its presence in a range of fried and oven-cooked foods has raised considerable health concern world-wide. Dietary intake studies observed significant variations in acrylamide concentrations, which complicate risk assessment and the establishment of effective control measures. The objective of this study was to obtain an insight into the actual variation in acrylamide concentrations in French fries prepared under typical conditions in a food service establishment (FSE). Besides acrylamide, frying time, frying temperature, and reducing sugars were measured and the actual practices at receiving, thawing and frying during French fries preparation were observed and recorded. The variation in the actual frying temperature contributed most to the variation in acrylamide concentrations, followed by the variation in actual frying time; no obvious effect of reducing sugars was found. The lack of standardised control of frying temperature and frying time (due to inadequate frying equipment) and the variable practices of food handlers seem to contribute most to the large variation and high acrylamide concentrations in French fries prepared in a restaurant type of FSE as compared to chain fast-food services, and institutional caterers. The obtained insights in this study can be used to develop dedicated control measures in FSE, which may contribute to a sustainable reduction in the acrylamide intake. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Waning immunity against mumps in vaccinated young adults, France 2013.

PubMed

Vygen, Sabine; Fischer, Aurélie; Meurice, Laure; Mounchetrou Njoya, Ibrahim; Gregoris, Marina; Ndiaye, Bakhao; Ghenassia, Adrien; Poujol, Isabelle; Stahl, Jean Paul; Antona, Denise; Le Strat, Yann; Levy-Bruhl, Daniel; Rolland, Patrick

2016-01-01

In 2013, 15 clusters of mumps were notified in France; 72% (82/114) of the cases had been vaccinated twice with measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. To determine whether the risk of mumps increased with time since the last vaccination, we conducted a case-control study among clusters in universities and military barracks. A confirmed case had an inflammation of a salivary gland plus laboratory confirmation in 2013. A probable case presented with inflammation of a salivary gland in 2013 either lasting for > 2 days or with epidemiological link to a confirmed case. Controls had no mumps symptoms and attended the same university course, student party or military barracks. We collected clinical and vaccination data via web questionnaire and medical records. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) using logistic regression. 59% (50/85) of cases and 62% (199/321) of controls had been vaccinated twice. The odds of mumps increased for twice-vaccinated individuals by 10% for every year that had passed since the second dose (aOR 1.10; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-1.19; p = 0.02). Mumps immunity waned with increasing time since vaccination. Our findings contributed to the French High Council of Public Health's decision to recommend a third MMR dose during outbreaks for individuals whose second dose dates > 10 years.

A Case Study of Language Learners' Social Presence in Synchronous CMC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ko, Chao-Jung

2012-01-01

This study adopts a case study approach to investigate the impacts of synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) learning environments on learners' perception of social presence. The participants were twelve French as a foreign language (FFL) beginners in a Taiwanese university. Divided into three groups, they conducted some tasks in three…

The moth Hylesia metabus and French Guiana lepidopterism: centenary of a public health concern

PubMed Central

Jourdain, F.; Girod, R.; Vassal, J.M.; Chandre, F.; Lagneau, C.; Fouque, F.; Guiral, D.; Raude, J.; Robert, V.

2012-01-01

The females of the moths Hylesia metabus have their abdomens covered by urticating hairs looking like micro-arrows and causing a puriginous dermatitis to humans known as “papillonite” in French Guiana and also called yellowtail moth dermatitis or Caripito itch. The densities of the moths show great seasonal and annual variations depending on mechanisms mostly unknown. When H. metabus infestations occur, numerous cases of dermatologic manifestations are reported from people living near the mangrove swamps where the moths are developing. One hundred years after the first “papillonite” epidemic reported from French Guiana in 1912, the data presented herein summarize the actual state of knowledge on H. metabus biology and ecology and on the lepidopterism. Some recommendations are proposed for the surveillance and warning systems of H. metabus infestations and to avoid contact with the moths. Research priorities are suggested to improve the control against this problem emerging between nuisance and public health. PMID:22550622

Determinants of favourable opinions about euthanasia in a sample of French physicians.

PubMed

Dany, Lionel; Baumstarck, Karine; Dudoit, Eric; Duffaud, Florence; Auquier, Pascal; Salas, Sébastien

2015-11-05

The question whether euthanasia should be legalised has led to substantial public debate in France. The objective of this study in a sample of French physicians was to establish the potential determinants of a favourable opinion about euthanasia in general and when faced with a specific situation as embodied in the Humbert affair. The study was a cross-sectional survey investigating two different samples of medical doctors: (1) those specialised in palliative care and affiliated to the French Society for Patient Accompaniment and Palliative Care; (2) medical interns (medical doctors in training course) in a French medical university (Marseille). A questionnaire was sent (email) to each voluntary participant including sociodemographics, professional status, mention of believing in God, and opinion about euthanasia (the question was designed to assess the general opinion about euthanasia and the opinion about a specific case, the Vincent Humbert' case (a man who was rendered quadriplegic, blind, and mute after an accident and has requested euthanasia). A total of 413 physicians participated in the research (participation rate: 48.5%). Less than half of the population were favourable to euthanasia in general and almost two-thirds of the population were favourable to Vincent Humbert's request for euthanasia. Based on the multivariate analysis, individuals believing in God and being a medical intern were significant independent factors linked to having a favourable opinion about euthanasia in general and about the Vincent Humbert's request. There is still no study in France on the development of opinion about euthanasia and its impact. The issue goes beyond the strictly professional sphere and involves broader socio-political stakes. These stakes do not necessarily take into account medical practices and experiences or the desires of end-of-life patients. The professional upheaval that the future French legal framework will doubtlessly trigger will require further research. The professional upheaval that the future French legal framework will doubtlessly trigger will require further research.

Morphology and spelling in French students with dyslexia: the case of silent final letters.

PubMed

Quémart, Pauline; Casalis, Séverine

2017-04-01

Spelling is a challenge for individuals with dyslexia. Phoneme-to-grapheme correspondence rules are highly inconsistent in French, which make them very difficult to master, in particular for dyslexics. One recurrent manifestation of this inconsistency is the presence of silent letters at the end of words. Many of these silent letters perform a morphological function. The current study examined whether students with dyslexia (aged between 10 and 15 years) benefit from the morphological status of silent final letters when spelling. We compared, their ability to spell words with silent final letters that are either morphologically justified (e.g., tricot, "knit," where the final "t" is pronounced in morphologically related words such as tricoter, "to knit" and tricoteur "knitter") or not morphologically justified (e.g., effort, "effort") to that of a group of younger children matched for reading and spelling level. Results indicated that the dyslexic students' spelling of silent final letters was impaired in comparison to the control group. Interestingly, morphological status helped the dyslexics improve the accuracy of their choice of final letters, contrary to the control group. This finding provides new evidence of morphological processing in dyslexia during spelling.

[High blood pressure and obesity: disparities among four French overseas territories].

PubMed

Atallah, A; Atallah, V; Daigre, J-L; Boissin, J-L; Kangambega, P; Larifla, L; Inamo, J

2014-06-01

The epidemiological characteristics of hypertension and obesity in French overseas territories (FOTs) have never been compared. This cross-sectional survey included representative population-based samples of 602, 601, 620 and 605 men and women aged more than 15 years, respectively, from four FOTs of Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, and French Polynesia. Hypertension was defined as blood pressure (BP) at least 140/90mmHg or the current use of antihypertensive treatment. The prevalence of hypertension was 29.2% in Guadeloupe, 17.9% in French Guiana, 27.6% in Martinique and 24.5% in French Polynesia. Considering the Guadeloupe population as the reference group, prevalence of hypertension was significantly lower in French Guiana (P<0.001), even after controlling for age and sex (PU0.006). Awareness and treatment of hypertension were similar in French Guiana, Martinique and Guadeloupe (68.8-75.1% and 69.0-73.4%, respectively). Awareness was lower in French Polynesia (50.0%, adjusted P value U0.04), as was treatment of hypertension (32.4%, adjusted P value U0.001). Control of hypertension was also lower in French Polynesia (8.8%, adjusted P value U0.001) compared with the other territories (29.7-31.8%). French Polynesia had the highest prevalence of obesity (33.1%, adjusted P value<0.001) as compared with the other territories (17.9-22.8%). It had also the largest population attributable fraction of hypertension due to obesity (35.5%) compared with Guadeloupe (13.3%), Martinique (12.3%) and French Guiana (23.6%). Wide variations were observed in the prevalence and the management of hypertension between these FOTs, and an especially challenging low control of hypertension was found in French Polynesia. Obesity appears a key target to prevent hypertension, particularly in French Polynesia. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier SAS.

Zika virus in French Polynesia 2013-14: anatomy of a completed outbreak.

PubMed

Musso, Didier; Bossin, Hervé; Mallet, Henri Pierre; Besnard, Marianne; Broult, Julien; Baudouin, Laure; Levi, José Eduardo; Sabino, Ester C; Ghawche, Frederic; Lanteri, Marion C; Baud, David

2018-05-01

The Zika virus crisis exemplified the risk associated with emerging pathogens and was a reminder that preparedness for the worst-case scenario, although challenging, is needed. Herein, we review all data reported during the unexpected emergence of Zika virus in French Polynesia in late 2013. We focus on the new findings reported during this outbreak, especially the first description of severe neurological complications in adults and the retrospective description of CNS malformations in neonates, the isolation of Zika virus in semen, the potential for blood-transfusion transmission, mother-to-child transmission, and the development of new diagnostic assays. We describe the effect of this outbreak on health systems, the implementation of vector-borne control strategies, and the line of communication used to alert the international community of the new risk associated with Zika virus. This outbreak highlighted the need for careful monitoring of all unexpected events that occur during an emergence, to implement surveillance and research programmes in parallel to management of cases, and to be prepared to the worst-case scenario. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing the Conditions for Co-Op Students' Organizational Commitment through Cooperative Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennaforte, Antoine; Pretti, T. Judene

2015-01-01

Based in a French context, this research investigates the link between the French cooperative education (co-op) system and students' organizational commitment. Following a quasi-experimental design with a control group, in a longitudinal approach, the study focuses on under-baccalaureate, undergraduate and graduate students. Results show that in…

Evidence of zolpidem abuse and dependence: results of the French Centre for Evaluation and Information on Pharmacodependence (CEIP) network survey

PubMed Central

Victorri-Vigneau, Caroline; Dailly, Eric; Veyrac, Gwenaëlle; Jolliet, Pascale

2007-01-01

Aim To show that the nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic zolpidem has a higher abuse potential than previously documented. Method An official enquiry was carried out by the Nantes Centre for Evaluation and Information on Pharmacodependence (CEIP). The authors made a review of literature and analysed French data corresponding to the drug's postmarketing period collected by the CEIP network from 1993 to 2002. Results The literature review yielded mixed results concerning the behavioural effects of zolpidem. Data from the CEIP and the 53 literature case reports highlight significant dependence and abuse potential of zolpidem. Conclusions This study adds to the growing evidence that zolpidem has the potential for abuse and dependence. As a consequence, the French drug monograph has been modified by the French Health Authorities. PMID:17324242

Education for Francisation: The Case of New France in the Seventeenth Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaenen, Cornelius J.

1983-01-01

Discusses the seventeenth-century French missionary and bureaucratic attempt to "francisize" (to make French) Canadian Indian children, so they would eventually be assimilated into the French expatriate colony, an effort based on the idea that contact with Europeans and education would convert Amerindians to Catholicism and make them…

Occupational contact urticaria: lessons from the French National Network for Occupational Disease Vigilance and Prevention (RNV3P).

PubMed

Bensefa-Colas, L; Telle-Lamberton, M; Faye, S; Bourrain, J-L; Crépy, M-N; Lasfargues, G; Choudat, D; Momas, I

2015-12-01

Occupational contact urticaria (OCU) is an occupational contact dermatitis that can cause serious health consequences and disability at work. To describe OCU and its temporal trends by the main causal agents and activity sectors in a nationwide scheme in France. Using data from the French National Network for Occupational Disease Vigilance and Prevention (RNV3P), we described OCU reported during the period 2001-10 and analysed the temporal trends of OCU and OCU attributed to the most frequent agents over the study period. Trends analyses were supported by reporting odds ratios using a logistic regression model with reference to 2001, or with time as a continuous variable. During the study period, 251 cases of OCU were reported in RNV3P, half of which were due to natural rubber latex, in particular in the health and social work activity sector (HSW). The number of these cases declined significantly over the study period (19% per year), and particularly after 2006. Conversely, the other causes of OCU did not decrease. Using surveillance data from a French national network, this study has found that there was a significant decline in OCU due to natural rubber latex, particularly in the HSW, when powdered latex gloves were banned from French hospitals. Our results show the effectiveness of this preventive measure, and suggest that this practice should be extended to other sectors. © 2015 British Association of Dermatologists.

[Rabies in France: an update].

PubMed

Jaussaud, R; Strady, C; Liénard, M; Strady, A

2000-08-01

In 1996, rabies was responsible for more than 35,000 deaths worldwide. Three cases of human rabies that had been contracted abroad were diagnosed in France during the same year. Cases notified in 1997 followed exposure outside the country. Fox, bat, and dog rabies are reviewed on the basis of the latest epidemiological data obtained in France. Two cases of fox rabies diagnosed in 1998 occurred at the border between France and Germany, thus preventing five French departments bordering Germany from being officially declared rabies-free in 1999. The campaigns for oral immunization of foxes that are led since 1986 are responsible for the decrease in rabies incidence. Though not well known, bat rabies is a reality in France, involving either European virus strains (five cases all over the country) or African virus strains that are carried along by imported tropical bats. Dogs rabies is also today an imported disease. The decrease in risk for rabies has resulted from the conjunction of multiple efforts: extensive programs aimed at oral vaccination of foxes in France and its neighboring countries, efficient epidemiological survey, sanitary controls at borders, ban on importing tropical bats. Furthermore, recommendations for preventive pre-exposure immunization have recently been changed, leading to modifications of the French licensing form.

Urinary p-cresol is elevated in young French children with autism spectrum disorder: a replication study.

PubMed

Gabriele, Stefano; Sacco, Roberto; Cerullo, Sonia; Neri, Cristina; Urbani, Andrea; Tripi, Gabriele; Malvy, Joëlle; Barthelemy, Catherine; Bonnet-Brihault, Frédérique; Persico, Antonio M

2014-09-01

The aromatic compound p-cresol (4-methylphenol) has been found elevated in the urines of Italian autistic children up to 8 years of age. The present study aims at replicating these initial findings in an ethnically distinct sample and at extending them by measuring also the three components of urinary p-cresol, namely p-cresylsulfate, p-cresylglucuronate and free p-cresol. Total urinary p-cresol, p-cresylsulfate and p-cresylglucuronate were significantly elevated in 33 French autism spectrum disorder (ASD) cases compared with 33 sex- and age-matched controls (p < 0.05). This increase was limited to ASD children aged ≤8 years (p < 0.01), and not older (p = 0.17). Urinary levels of p-cresol and p-cresylsulfate were associated with stereotypic, compulsive/repetitive behaviors (p < 0.05), although not with overall autism severity. These results confirm the elevation of urinary p-cresol in a sizable set of small autistic children and spur interest into biomarker roles for p-cresol and p-cresylsulfate in autism.

Language Development in Internationally Adopted Children: A Special Case of Early Second Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gauthier, Karine; Genesee, Fred

2011-01-01

The French language development of children adopted (n = 24) from China was compared with that of control children matched for socioeconomic status, sex, and age. The children were assessed at 50 months of age, on average, and 16 months later. The initial assessment revealed that the 2 groups did not differ with respect to socioemotional…

Genome-wide association study of Tourette Syndrome

PubMed Central

Scharf, Jeremiah M.; Yu, Dongmei; Mathews, Carol A.; Neale, Benjamin M.; Stewart, S. Evelyn; Fagerness, Jesen A; Evans, Patrick; Gamazon, Eric; Edlund, Christopher K.; Service, Susan; Tikhomirov, Anna; Osiecki, Lisa; Illmann, Cornelia; Pluzhnikov, Anna; Konkashbaev, Anuar; Davis, Lea K; Han, Buhm; Crane, Jacquelyn; Moorjani, Priya; Crenshaw, Andrew T.; Parkin, Melissa A.; Reus, Victor I.; Lowe, Thomas L.; Rangel-Lugo, Martha; Chouinard, Sylvain; Dion, Yves; Girard, Simon; Cath, Danielle C; Smit, Jan H; King, Robert A.; Fernandez, Thomas; Leckman, James F.; Kidd, Kenneth K.; Kidd, Judith R.; Pakstis, Andrew J.; State, Matthew; Herrera, Luis Diego; Romero, Roxana; Fournier, Eduardo; Sandor, Paul; Barr, Cathy L; Phan, Nam; Gross-Tsur, Varda; Benarroch, Fortu; Pollak, Yehuda; Budman, Cathy L.; Bruun, Ruth D.; Erenberg, Gerald; Naarden, Allan L; Lee, Paul C; Weiss, Nicholas; Kremeyer, Barbara; Berrío, Gabriel Bedoya; Campbell, Desmond; Silgado, Julio C. Cardona; Ochoa, William Cornejo; Restrepo, Sandra C. Mesa; Muller, Heike; Duarte, Ana V. Valencia; Lyon, Gholson J; Leppert, Mark; Morgan, Jubel; Weiss, Robert; Grados, Marco A.; Anderson, Kelley; Davarya, Sarah; Singer, Harvey; Walkup, John; Jankovic, Joseph; Tischfield, Jay A.; Heiman, Gary A.; Gilbert, Donald L.; Hoekstra, Pieter J.; Robertson, Mary M.; Kurlan, Roger; Liu, Chunyu; Gibbs, J. Raphael; Singleton, Andrew; Hardy, John; Strengman, Eric; Ophoff, Roel; Wagner, Michael; Moessner, Rainald; Mirel, Daniel B.; Posthuma, Danielle; Sabatti, Chiara; Eskin, Eleazar; Conti, David V.; Knowles, James A.; Ruiz-Linares, Andres; Rouleau, Guy A.; Purcell, Shaun; Heutink, Peter; Oostra, Ben A.; McMahon, William; Freimer, Nelson; Cox, Nancy J.; Pauls, David L.

2012-01-01

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a developmental disorder that has one of the highest familial recurrence rates among neuropsychiatric diseases with complex inheritance. However, the identification of definitive TS susceptibility genes remains elusive. Here, we report the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of TS in 1285 cases and 4964 ancestry-matched controls of European ancestry, including two European-derived population isolates, Ashkenazi Jews from North America and Israel, and French Canadians from Quebec, Canada. In a primary meta-analysis of GWAS data from these European ancestry samples, no markers achieved a genome-wide threshold of significance (p<5 × 10−8); the top signal was found in rs7868992 on chromosome 9q32 within COL27A1 (p=1.85 × 10−6). A secondary analysis including an additional 211 cases and 285 controls from two closely-related Latin-American population isolates from the Central Valley of Costa Rica and Antioquia, Colombia also identified rs7868992 as the top signal (p=3.6 × 10−7 for the combined sample of 1496 cases and 5249 controls following imputation with 1000 Genomes data). This study lays the groundwork for the eventual identification of common TS susceptibility variants in larger cohorts and helps to provide a more complete understanding of the full genetic architecture of this disorder. PMID:22889924

Traffic related air pollution and incidence of childhood asthma: results of the Vesta case-control study

PubMed Central

Zmirou, D; Gauvin, S; Pin, I; Momas, I; Sahraoui, F; Just, J; Le Moullec, Y; Bremont, F; Cassadou, S; Reungoat, P; Albertini, M; Lauvergne, N; Chiron, M; Labbe, A

2004-01-01

Study objective: The Vesta project aims to assess the role of traffic related air pollution in the occurrence of childhood asthma. Design and setting: Case-control study conducted in five French metropolitan areas between 1998 and 2000. A set of 217 pairs of matched 4 to 14 years old cases and controls were investigated. An index of lifelong exposure to traffic exhausts was constructed, using retrospective information on traffic density close to all home and school addresses since birth; this index was also calculated for the 0–3 years age period to investigate the effect of early exposures. Main results: Adjusted on environmental tobacco smoke, personal and parental allergy, and several confounders, lifelong exposure was not associated with asthma. In contrast, associations before age of 3 were significant: odds ratios for tertiles 2 and 3 of the exposure index, relative to tertile 1, exhibited a positive trend (1.48 (95%CI = 0.7 to 3.0) and 2.28 (1.1 to 4.6)), with greater odds ratios among subjects with positive skin prick tests. Conclusions: These results suggest that traffic related pollutants might have contributed to the asthma epidemic that has taken place during the past decades among children. PMID:14684722

New Insights into the Geographic Distribution of Mycobacterium leprae SNP Genotypes Determined for Isolates from Leprosy Cases Diagnosed in Metropolitan France and French Territories.

PubMed

Reibel, Florence; Chauffour, Aurélie; Brossier, Florence; Jarlier, Vincent; Cambau, Emmanuelle; Aubry, Alexandra

2015-01-01

Between 20 and 30 bacteriologically confirmed cases of leprosy are diagnosed each year at the French National Reference Center for mycobacteria. Patients are mainly immigrants from various endemic countries or living in French overseas territories. We aimed at expanding data regarding the geographical distribution of the SNP genotypes of the M. leprae isolates from these patients. Skin biopsies were obtained from 71 leprosy patients diagnosed between January 2009 and December 2013. Data regarding age, sex and place of birth and residence were also collected. Diagnosis of leprosy was confirmed by microscopic detection of acid-fast bacilli and/or amplification by PCR of the M. leprae-specific RLEP region. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), present in the M. leprae genome at positions 14 676, 1 642 875 and 2 935 685, were determined with an efficiency of 94% (67/71). Almost all patients were from countries other than France where leprosy is still prevalent (n = 31) or from French overseas territories (n = 36) where leprosy is not totally eradicated, while only a minority (n = 4) was born in metropolitan France but have lived in other countries. SNP type 1 was predominant (n = 33), followed by type 3 (n = 17), type 4 (n = 11) and type 2 (n = 6). SNP types were concordant with those previously reported as prevalent in the patients' countries of birth. SNP types found in patients born in countries other than France (Comoros, Haiti, Benin, Congo, Sri Lanka) and French overseas territories (French Polynesia, Mayotte and La Réunion) not covered by previous work correlated well with geographical location and history of human settlements. The phylogenic analysis of M. leprae strains isolated in France strongly suggests that French leprosy cases are caused by SNP types that are (a) concordant with the geographic origin or residence of the patients (non-French countries, French overseas territories, metropolitan France) or (b) more likely random in regions where diverse migration flows occurred.

[Incidence and risk factors for acute gastroenteritis among pilgrims following the French way to Santiago de Compostela (Spain) in summer 2008].

PubMed

Duran, Jaume Giménez; Fernández, Miguel Angel Luque; Urrego, Johana Rodríguez; Gil, Cristina Linares; Vargas, Luis Alberto Bonilla; Savulescu, Camelia; Clerger, Guerrier; Martínez-Lamas, Lucia; Pousa, Anxela; Donado, Juan de Mata; Herrera, Dionisio; Martínez, María Victoria

2010-01-01

To determine the incidence of acute gastroenteritis in pilgrims on St. James' Way, as well as associated risk factors and microbiological characteristics. Two studies were designed simultaneously: a cross-sectional study through self-completed questionnaires among pilgrims reaching Santiago, and a case-control study of pilgrims traveling along the Way. Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression. In the cross-sectional study, the incidence rate was 23.5 episodes of acute gastroenteritis/10³ pilgrims-day (95% CI: 18.9-2.4/10³. In the case-control study, the major risk factors were age <20 years (OR=4.72; 95% CI: 2.16-10.28), traveling in groups (three or more) (OR=1.49; 95% CI: 0.98-2.28), and drinking unbottled water (OR=2.09; 95% CI: 0.91-4.82). The most frequent etiologic agent was norovirus (56%). Age less than 20 years, traveling in groups and drinking unbottled water were important risk factors for acute gastroenteritis. Copyright © 2010 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

A French multicenter study of over 700 patients with 22q11 deletions diagnosed using FISH or aCGH.

PubMed

Poirsier, Céline; Besseau-Ayasse, Justine; Schluth-Bolard, Caroline; Toutain, Jérôme; Missirian, Chantal; Le Caignec, Cédric; Bazin, Anne; de Blois, Marie Christine; Kuentz, Paul; Catty, Marie; Choiset, Agnès; Plessis, Ghislaine; Basinko, Audrey; Letard, Pascaline; Flori, Elisabeth; Jimenez, Mélanie; Valduga, Mylène; Landais, Emilie; Lallaoui, Hakima; Cartault, François; Lespinasse, James; Martin-Coignard, Dominique; Callier, Patrick; Pebrel-Richard, Céline; Portnoi, Marie-France; Busa, Tiffany; Receveur, Aline; Amblard, Florence; Yardin, Catherine; Harbuz, Radu; Prieur, Fabienne; Le Meur, Nathalie; Pipiras, Eva; Kleinfinger, Pascale; Vialard, François; Doco-Fenzy, Martine

2016-06-01

Although 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is the most recurrent human microdeletion syndrome associated with a highly variable phenotype, little is known about the condition's true incidence and the phenotype at diagnosis. We performed a multicenter, retrospective analysis of postnatally diagnosed patients recruited by members of the Association des Cytogénéticiens de Langue Française (the French-Speaking Cytogeneticists Association). Clinical and cytogenetic data on 749 cases diagnosed between 1995 and 2013 were collected by 31 French cytogenetics laboratories. The most frequent reasons for referral of postnatally diagnosed cases were a congenital heart defect (CHD, 48.6%), facial dysmorphism (49.7%) and developmental delay (40.7%). Since 2007 (the year in which array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) was introduced for the routine screening of patients with intellectual disability), almost all cases have been diagnosed using FISH (96.1%). Only 15 cases (all with an atypical phenotype) were diagnosed with aCGH; the deletion size ranged from 745 to 2904 kb. The deletion was inherited in 15.0% of cases and was of maternal origin in 85.5% of the latter. This is the largest yet documented cohort of patients with 22q11.2DS (the most commonly diagnosed microdeletion) from the same population. French cytogenetics laboratories diagnosed at least 108 affected patients (including fetuses) per year from among a national population of ∼66 million. As observed for prenatal diagnoses, CHDs were the most frequently detected malformation in postnatal diagnoses. The most common CHD in postnatal diagnoses was an isolated septal defect.

Occupation, industry, and the risk of prostate cancer: a case-control study in Montréal, Canada.

PubMed

Sauvé, Jean-François; Lavoué, Jérôme; Parent, Marie-Élise

2016-10-21

Age, family history and ancestry are the only recognized risk factors for prostate cancer (PCa) but a role for environmental factors is suspected. Due to the lack of knowledge on the etiological factors for PCa, studies that are both hypothesis-generating and confirmatory are still needed. This study explores relationships between employment, by occupation and industry, and PCa risk. Cases were 1937 men aged ≤75 years with incident PCa diagnosed across Montreal French hospitals in 2005-2009. Controls were 1994 men recruited concurrently from electoral lists of French-speaking Montreal residents, frequency-matched to cases by age. In-person interviews elicited occupational histories. Unconditional logistic regression estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for the association between employment across 696 occupations and 613 industries and PCa risk, adjusting for potential confounders. Multinomial logistic models assessed risks by PCa grade. Semi-Bayes (SB) adjustment accounted for the large number of associations evaluated. Consistently positive associations-and generally robust to SB adjustment-were found for occupations in forestry and logging (OR 1.9, 95 % CI: 1.2-3.0), social sciences (OR 1.6, 95 % CI: 1.1-2.2) and for police officers and detectives (OR: 1.8, 95 % CI 1.1-2.9). Occupations where elevated risk of high grade PCa was found included gasoline station attendants (OR 4.3, 95 % CI 1.8-10.4) and textile processing occupations (OR 1.8, 95 % CI 1.1-3.2). Aside from logging, industries with elevated PCa risk included provincial government and financial institutions. Occupations with reduced risk included farmers (OR 0.6, 95 % CI 0.4-1.0) and aircraft maintenance workers (OR 0.1, 95 % CI 0.0-0.7). Excess PCa risks were observed across several occupations, including predominantly white collar workers. Further analyses will focus on specific occupational exposures.

Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase-1 (SMPD1) coding variants do not contribute to low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol

PubMed Central

Dastani, Zari; Ruel, Isabelle L; Engert, James C; Genest, Jacques; Marcil, Michel

2007-01-01

Background Niemann-Pick disease type A and B is caused by a deficiency of acid sphingomyelinase due to mutations in the sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase-1 (SMPD1) gene. In Niemann-Pick patients, SMPD1 gene defects are reported to be associated with a severe reduction in plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Methods Two common coding polymorphisms in the SMPD1 gene, the G1522A (G508R) and a hexanucleotide repeat sequence within the signal peptide region, were investigated in 118 unrelated subjects of French Canadian descent with low plasma levels of HDL-cholesterol (< 5th percentile for age and gender-matched subjects). Control subjects (n = 230) had an HDL-cholesterol level > the 25th percentile. Results For G1522A the frequency of the G and A alleles were 75.2% and 24.8% respectively in controls, compared to 78.6% and 21.4% in subjects with low HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.317). The frequency of 6 and 7 hexanucleotide repeats was 46.2% and 46.6% respectively in controls, compared to 45.6% and 49.1% in subjects with low HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.619). Ten different haplotypes were observed in cases and controls. Overall haplotype frequencies in cases and controls were not significantly different. Conclusion These results suggest that the two common coding variants at the SMPD1 gene locus are not associated with low HDL-cholesterol levels in the French Canadian population. PMID:18088425

France: Factors Shaping Foreign Policy, and Issues in U.S.-French Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-20

TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2009 to 00-00-2009 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE France : Factors Shaping Foreign Policy, and Issues in U.S.- French ...Z39-18 France : Factors Shaping Foreign Policy, and Issues in U.S.- French Relations Congressional Research Service Summary The factors that shape... French foreign policy have changed since the end of the Cold War. The perspectives of France and the United States have diverged in some cases. More

French Experience Before 1968. Case Studies on Innovation in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grignon, C.; Passeron, J. C.

This volume is the fourth in a series of case studies published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Chapter 1 discusses the aims of the study, including the concepts of innovation and change, the role of pilot experiments in the development of the university system, and the methods used for this critical analysis of…

Reliability of diagnostic coding in intensive care patients

PubMed Central

Misset, Benoît; Nakache, Didier; Vesin, Aurélien; Darmon, Mickael; Garrouste-Orgeas, Maïté; Mourvillier, Bruno; Adrie, Christophe; Pease, Sébastian; de Beauregard, Marie-Aliette Costa; Goldgran-Toledano, Dany; Métais, Elisabeth; Timsit, Jean-François

2008-01-01

Introduction Administrative coding of medical diagnoses in intensive care unit (ICU) patients is mandatory in order to create databases for use in epidemiological and economic studies. We assessed the reliability of coding between different ICU physicians. Method One hundred medical records selected randomly from 29,393 cases collected between 1998 and 2004 in the French multicenter Outcomerea ICU database were studied. Each record was sent to two senior physicians from independent ICUs who recoded the diagnoses using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems: Tenth Revision (ICD-10) after being trained according to guidelines developed by two French national intensive care medicine societies: the French Society of Intensive Care Medicine (SRLF) and the French Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (SFAR). These codes were then compared with the original codes, which had been selected by the physician treating the patient. A specific comparison was done for the diagnoses of septicemia and shock (codes derived from A41 and R57, respectively). Results The ICU physicians coded an average of 4.6 ± 3.0 (range 1 to 32) diagnoses per patient, with little agreement between the three coders. The primary diagnosis was matched by both external coders in 34% (95% confidence interval (CI) 25% to 43%) of cases, by only one in 35% (95% CI 26% to 44%) of cases, and by neither in 31% (95% CI 22% to 40%) of cases. Only 18% (95% CI 16% to 20%) of all codes were selected by all three coders. Similar results were obtained for the diagnoses of septicemia and/or shock. Conclusion In a multicenter database designed primarily for epidemiological and cohort studies in ICU patients, the coding of medical diagnoses varied between different observers. This could limit the interpretation and validity of research and epidemiological programs using diagnoses as inclusion criteria. PMID:18664267

[Medico-economic evaluation of therapeutic strategies at hospital: A systematic review of French studies].

PubMed

Baudouin, A; Armoiry, X; Dussart, C

2017-05-01

Therapeutic innovation contributes to the increase of health care expenditures in France. Medico-economic evaluation has still a minor role in the decision-making for the registration of drugs and medical devices in hospitals. This study aimed to systematically review published works on medico-economic studies conducted within French hospitals. A literature review was carried out to search for medico-economic studies conducted by hospital teams on therapeutic or diagnostic strategies employed within French hospitals and published from 2010 to 2014. Quality assessment of selected studies was performed according to Drummond et al.'s checklist, which is also used within French guidelines. Of the 44 analyzed articles, methods for identification and measure of costs and results complied with guidelines in 95 % of cases. For results interpretation, compliance was 91 %. Costs discounting (29 %) and the use of sensitivity analysis to account for results uncertainty (70 %) were the parameters with the lowest compliance to guidelines. A good training of health professionals in using economic and statistic tools, and the transferability of results of medico-economic studies are essential and should be optimized to enable a broader use of medico-economic evaluation within the scope of decision-making in French hospitals. Copyright © 2016 Académie Nationale de Pharmacie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Sex Education in France: A Case-study in Curriculum Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beattie, Nicholas

1976-01-01

The introduction of sex education into the French school curriculum has had reverberations beyond more curricular reform. Indeed, the changes of 1973/74 constitute a fascinating case-study both of the dynamics of curricular change in a centralized system and of the impact of external social pressures on schools. (Author/RK)

The effects of instruction on French achievements in the sciences and technology on qualitative measures of attitude and motivation in French classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giudicelli Bachelder, Francoise Dominique

1997-09-01

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the element of motivation in a second language classroom. The participants in this study were college students who participated voluntarily. A questionnaire on motivation (AMTB) created by Robert Gardner (1985) was given to the students as a pre-test/post-test in order to obtain quantitative measures. Also, a researcher was present during the computer laboratory sessions and a group discussion was conducted at the end of the study to collect qualitative samples. Four classes consisting of a total of 143 students participated in this study. The second language was French and the level was 103, a level intended for students who already had taken French in high school. French 103 reviews in one semester the material that is covered by students in French 101 and French 102 during two semesters. The four classes were divided into two groups, an experimental group and a control group. The study was conducted in a computer laboratory, where each of the four classes attended once a week. The experiment was conducted over an eight-week period at the beginning of the Spring semester 1997, from January 14 to March 4. Both classes from the control group, one arriving at 9:30 a.m. and the other at 1:30 p.m., were exposed to regular classroom material; nothing was done to modify the procedure of the classes' activities. The two experimental classes, one at 8:30 a.m. and the other at 11:30 a.m., both received a treatment of ten minutes at the end of the computer class period. The statistical results of the study did not support the hypothesis that the use of a different cultural input would increase the students' motivation, but the qualitative part of the study provided a fountain of information. Information which demanded reflection. Information which contributed to my personal development as a researcher, as an observer, and, most importantly, as a teacher.

Assessment of the French National Health Insurance Information System as a tool for epidemiological surveillance of malaria.

PubMed

Delon, François; Mayet, Aurélie; Thellier, Marc; Kendjo, Eric; Michel, Rémy; Ollivier, Lénaïck; Chatellier, Gilles; Desjeux, Guillaume

2017-05-01

Epidemiological surveillance of malaria in France is based on a hospital laboratory sentinel surveillance network. There is no comprehensive population surveillance. The objective of this study was to assess the ability of the French National Health Insurance Information System to support nationwide malaria surveillance in continental France. A case identification algorithm was built in a 2-step process. First, inclusion rules giving priority to sensitivity were defined. Then, based on data description, exclusion rules to increase specificity were applied. To validate our results, we compared them to data from the French National Reference Center for Malaria on case counts, distribution within subgroups, and disease onset date trends. We built a reusable automatized tool. From July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014, we identified 4077 incident malaria cases that occurred in continental France. Our algorithm provided data for hospitalized patients, patients treated by private physicians, and outpatients for the entire population. Our results were similar to those of the National Reference Center for Malaria for each of the outcome criteria. We provided a reliable algorithm for implementing epidemiological surveillance of malaria based on the French National Health Insurance Information System. Our method allowed us to work on the entire population living in continental France, including subpopulations poorly covered by existing surveillance methods. Traditional epidemiological surveillance and the approach presented in this paper are complementary, but a formal validation framework for case identification algorithms is necessary. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

[Resistance to first-line drugs and major genotypic lineages of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the 3 French Department of the Americas: Profiles, evolution, and trends (1995-2011)].

PubMed

Millet, J; Berchel, M; Prudenté, F; Streit, E; Bomer, A-G; Schuster, F; Vanhomwegen, J; Paasch, D; Galbert, I; Valery, E; Aga, R; Rastogi, N

2014-05-01

This is the first overview on resistant and multidrug resistant isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis circulating in the French Department of the Americas (Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana) over 17 years (January 1995-December 2011). A total of 1,239 cases were studied: 1,199 new cases (primary and multidrug resistance of 11.8 and 1.6% respectively), and 40 persistent (defined as cases with a previous history of positive culture over 6 months interval and whose spoligotypes remain unchanged), in which significantly higher proportions of resistance to at least isoniazid (22.5%, P = 0.002), rifampicin (20.0%, P < 0.001), and multidrug resistance (17.5%, P < 0.001) were observed as compared to new cases. The 281 spoligotypes obtained showed the presence of five major lineages, T (29.9%), LAM (23.9%), Haarlem (22.1%), EAI (7.1%), and X (6.7%). Two of these lineages, X and LAM, predominate among resistant and multidrug resistant isolates respectively (X: 10.5% of resistant isolates, P = 0.04; LAM: 42.3% of multidrug resistant isolates, P = 0.02). Four of the 19 major spoligo-profiles, corresponding to SIT 20, 64, 45, and 46, were significantly associated with drug resistance. Among them, genotype SIT 20, associated with monoresistance to isoniazid and multidrug resistance, would be actively and persistently in circulation, since 1999, in French Guiana, department in which one may also observe the presence of strains of M. tuberculosis phylogeographically associated to Guiana and Suriname (SIT 131 and SIT 1340).

[Axillary management in breast cancer: The French practice versus recommendations in the post-2011 era].

PubMed

Clavier, A; Cornou, C; Capmas, P; Bats, A-S; Bensaid, C; Nos, C; Lécuru, F; Ngô, C

2016-05-01

Today, according to St-Gallen and ASCO clinical guidelines, axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) should be avoided in patients who meet the ACOSOG Z011 criteria. In French guidelines, ALND is still recommended in case of macrometastasis in sentinel lymph node (SLN) and in case of micrometastasis without systemic treatment. We performed a survey of the French practices in the management of the axilla. A questionnaire was sent to 454 breast surgeons between June 2014 and January 2015. Questionnaire included items about: indications of SLN biopsy, frequency of ALND in case of metastatic SLN and modality of radiotherapy in case of metastatic SLN without ALND. A total of 169 surgeons (37%) answer the questionnaire. Twenty-one percent of surgeons avoid ALND in case of macrometastasis. Thirty-two percent do not perform extemporaneous examination of SLN. Only 8.4% of practionners performed a SLN biopsy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Fourteen percent performed a SLN biopsy in case of multicentric tumors, while it is not recommended. In case of positive SLN without ALND completion, radiotherapy does not change in 34% while irradiation fields are expanded in 44%. Significant unconformities are observed towards national recommendations. The divergence between French and international guidelines leads to heterogeneous surgical practices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Tactical UAV’s in the French Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-09-02

French Army Technical Service, France 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR... FRENCH ARMY PROJECTION PLATOON Platoon Maintenance Facilities (1st & 2nd echelons) Platoon HQ Launching System Ground Control Station / Remote Data...Tactical UAV’s in the French Army LtCol Pierre-Yves HENRY, Technical Service of the French Army, Program Officer for Battlefield Surveillance Report

Effectiveness of a Heritage Educational Program for the Acquisition of Oral and Written French and Tahitian in French Polynesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nocus, Isabelle; Guimard, Philippe; Vernaudon, Jacques; Paia, Mirose; Cosnefroy, Olivier; Florin, Agnes

2012-01-01

The research examines the effects of a bilingual pedagogical program (French/Tahitian) on the acquisition of oral and written French as well as the Tahitian language itself in primary schools in French Polynesia. 125 children divided into an experimental group (partially schooled in Tahitian for 300 min per week) and a control group (schooled in…

The Effects of Explicit Instruction on French-Speaking Kindergarteners' Understanding of Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pesco, Diane; Devlin, Christine

2015-01-01

The study examines the effects of a short period of explicit instruction on the narrative comprehension of French-speaking kindergarteners, as measured by story retell and comprehension questions. A group of kindergarteners that received explicit instruction (n = 15) was compared to a control group that was exposed to the same storybooks and…

The French Version of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient in Adolescents: A Cross-Cultural Validation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sonie, Sandrine; Kassai, Behrouz; Pirat, Elodie; Bain, Paul; Robinson, Janine; Gomot, Marie; Barthelemy, Catherine; Charvet, Dorothee; Rochet, Thierry; Tatou, Mohamed; Assouline, Brigitte; Cabrol, Stephane; Chabane, Nadia; Arnaud, Valerie; Faure, Patricia; Manificat, Sabine

2013-01-01

We assessed the accuracy of the French version of the "Autism Spectrum Quotient" ("AQ") in adolescents with Asperger syndrome (AS) and high-functioning autism (HFA) compared to healthy controls and adolescents with psychiatric disorders (PDs). Three groups of adolescents, aged 11-18, were assessed: 116 with AS/HFA (93 with IQ…

From Autonomous to Peer E-Learning: How the FReE Team Turned ePortfolio Into a Social Network Between First and Final-Year Modern Languages Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Penet, Jean-Christophe

2015-01-01

In this case study, I will show how I redesigned the curriculum of a post-A Level French module in order to improve students' career awareness and their soft--interpersonal and transferable--skills through autonomous e-learning. In the first phase of the project (2012/13), students were encouraged to start thinking in French about their career…

Predicting growth in English and French vocabulary: The facilitating effects of morphological and cognate awareness.

PubMed

D'Angelo, Nadia; Hipfner-Boucher, Kathleen; Chen, Xi

2017-07-01

The present study investigated the contribution of morphological and cognate awareness to the development of English and French vocabulary knowledge among young minority and majority language children who were enrolled in a French immersion program. Participating children (n = 75) were assessed in English and French on measures of morphological awareness, cognate awareness, and vocabulary knowledge from Grades 1 to 3. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to investigate linear trends in English and French vocabulary growth for minority and majority language children and to identify metalinguistic contributions to Grade 1 and Grade 3 English and French vocabulary performance and rate of growth. Results demonstrated a similar pattern of prediction for both groups of children. English and French morphological awareness and French-English cognate awareness significantly predicted concurrent and longitudinal vocabulary development after controlling for nonverbal reasoning, phonological awareness, and word identification. The contributions of morphological awareness to English vocabulary and cognate awareness to French vocabulary strengthened between Grades 1 and 2. These findings highlight the emerging importance of morphological and cognate awareness in children's vocabulary development and suggest that these metalinguistic factors can serve to broaden the vocabulary repertoire of children who enter school with limited language proficiency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Prevalence of Novel MAGED2 Mutations in Antenatal Bartter Syndrome.

PubMed

Legrand, Anne; Treard, Cyrielle; Roncelin, Isabelle; Dreux, Sophie; Bertholet-Thomas, Aurélia; Broux, Françoise; Bruno, Daniele; Decramer, Stéphane; Deschenes, Georges; Djeddi, Djamal; Guigonis, Vincent; Jay, Nadine; Khalifeh, Tackwa; Llanas, Brigitte; Morin, Denis; Morin, Gilles; Nobili, François; Pietrement, Christine; Ryckewaert, Amélie; Salomon, Rémi; Vrillon, Isabelle; Blanchard, Anne; Vargas-Poussou, Rosa

2018-02-07

Mutations in the MAGED2 gene, located on the X chromosome, have been recently detected in males with a transient form of antenatal Bartter syndrome or with idiopathic polyhydramnios. The aim of this study is to analyze the proportion of the population with mutations in this gene in a French cohort of patients with antenatal Bartter syndrome. The French cohort of patients with antenatal Bartter syndrome encompasses 171 families. Mutations in genes responsible for types 1-4 have been detected in 75% of cases. In patients without identified genetic cause ( n =42), transient antenatal Bartter syndrome was reported in 12 cases. We analyzed the MAGED2 gene in the entire cohort of negative cases by Sanger sequencing and retrospectively collected clinical data regarding pregnancy as well as the postnatal outcome for positive cases. We detected mutations in MAGED2 in 17 patients, including the 12 with transient antenatal Bartter syndrome, from 16 families. Fifteen different mutations were detected (one whole deletion, three frameshift, three splicing, three nonsense, two inframe deletions, and three missense); 13 of these mutations had not been previously described. Interestingly, two patients are females; in one of these patients our data are consistent with selective inactivation of chromosome X explaining the severity. The phenotypic presentation in our patients was variable and less severe than that of the originally described cases. MAGED2 mutations explained 9% of cases of antenatal Bartter syndrome in a French cohort, and accounted for 38% of patients without other characterized mutations and for 44% of male probands of negative cases. Our study confirmed previously published data and showed that females can be affected. As a result, this gene must be included in the screening of the most severe clinical form of Bartter syndrome. Copyright © 2018 by the American Society of Nephrology.

[Kidney transplantectomy: a multicenter study of the Committee of Transplantation of the French Urology Association].

PubMed

Lechevallier, E

1995-04-01

Multicentre study of the Transplantation Committee of the Association Française d'Urologie (French Urology Association) concerning the attitudes of various French transplantation centres in relation to renal transplantectomy. Nine centres participated in this study: Bordeaux, Brest, Grenoble, Marseille, Nantes, Paris-Necker, Paris-La Pitié, Strasbourg and Toulouse. The survey was performed by means of 2 types of forms: study of transplantectomies performed between 1982 and 1992, specific study of transplantectomies performed in 1992. From 1982 to 1992, 731 transplantectomies were performed in these centres, i.e. 15% of all renal transplantations. Rejection represented 80% of the indications and vascular complications represented 15%. The technique used before the 6th week was complete removal of the transplant. After this period, the transplant was removed via a subcapsular approach. The postoperative mortality was 0.7% and the morbidity was 26%. In 1992, 91 transplantectomies were performed in these different centres. Forty-two per cent of the transplants presented with local signs and 38% with general signs. A subcapsular transplantectomy was performed in 84% of cases, for rejection in every case. The morbidity was 16%. Complete removal of the transplant was performed in 16% of cases, essentially for infectious complications. The morbidity was 7%. The renal transplantectomy technique must be adapted to the interval after transplantation: before the 6th week, the transplant must be completely removed; after this period, subcapsular transplantectomy must be performed. This operation therefore no longer carries the mortality and morbidity attributed to it.

Preeminence of Staphylococcus aureus in infective endocarditis: a 1-year population-based survey.

PubMed

Selton-Suty, Christine; Célard, Marie; Le Moing, Vincent; Doco-Lecompte, Thanh; Chirouze, Catherine; Iung, Bernard; Strady, Christophe; Revest, Matthieu; Vandenesch, François; Bouvet, Anne; Delahaye, François; Alla, François; Duval, Xavier; Hoen, Bruno

2012-05-01

Observational studies showed that the profile of infective endocarditis (IE) significantly changed over the past decades. However, most studies involved referral centers. We conducted a population-based study to control for this referral bias. The objective was to update the description of characteristics of IE in France and to compare the profile of community-acquired versus healthcare-associated IE. A prospective population-based observational study conducted in all medical facilities from 7 French regions (32% of French individuals aged ≥18 years) identified 497 adults with Duke-Li-definite IE who were first admitted to the hospital in 2008. Main measures included age-standardized and sex-standardized incidence of IE and multivariate Cox regression analysis for risk factors of in-hospital death. The age-standardized and sex-standardized annual incidence of IE was 33.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 30.8-36.9) cases per million inhabitants. The incidence was highest in men aged 75-79 years. A majority of patients had no previously known heart disease. Staphylococci were the most common causal agents, accounting for 36.2% of cases (Staphylococcus aureus, 26.6%; coagulase-negative staphylococci, 9.7%). Healthcare-associated IE represented 26.7% of all cases and exhibited a clinical pattern significantly different from that of community-acquired IE. S. aureus as the causal agent of IE was the most important factor associated with in-hospital death in community-acquired IE (hazard ratio [HR], 2.82 [95% CI, 1.72-4.61]) and the single factor in healthcare-associated IE (HR, 2.54 [95% CI, 1.33-4.85]). S. aureus became both the leading cause and the most important prognostic factor of IE, and healthcare-associated IE appeared as a major subgroup of the disease.

Gender attribution and gender agreement in French Williams syndrome.

PubMed

Boloh, Yves; Ibernon, Laure; Royer, Stéphanie; Escudier, Frédérique; Danillon, Aurélia

2009-01-01

Previous studies on grammatical gender in French individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) have led to conflicting findings and interpretations regarding keys abilities--gender attribution and gender agreement. New production data from a larger WS sample (N=24) showed that gender attribution scores in WS participants exactly mirrored those of controls: all groups overwhelmingly relied on the masculine as the default gender. WS participants' agreement scores were far lower than those of CA-controls though not significantly below those of MA-controls. They also did not improve with age, which might suggest a permanent disability in this area.

Driving behaviors and on-duty road accidents: a French case-control study.

PubMed

Fort, Emmanuel; Chiron, Mireille; Davezies, Philippe; Bergeret, Alain; Charbotel, Barbara

2013-01-01

A case-control study was carried out to identify driving behaviors associated with the risk of on-duty road accident and to compare driving behaviors according to the type of journey (on duty, commuting, and private) for on-duty road accident victims. Cases were recruited from the Rhône Road Trauma Registry between January 2004 and October 2005 and were on duty at the time of the accident. Control subjects were recruited from the electoral rolls of the case subjects' constituencies of residence. Cases' and controls' driving behavior data were collected by self-administered questionnaire. A logistic regression was performed to identify behavioral risk factors for on-duty road accidents, taking into account age, sex, place of residence, road accident risk exposure, socio-occupational category, and type of road user. A second analysis focused specifically on the case subjects, comparing their self-assessed usual behaviors according to the type of journey. Significant factors for multivariate analysis of on-duty road accidents were female gender, history of on-duty road accidents during the previous 10 years, severe time pressure at work, and driving a vehicle not belonging to the driver. On-duty road accident victims reported behavioral risk factors more frequently in relation to driving for work than driving for private reasons or commuting: nonsystematic seat belt use, cell phone use at least once daily while driving, and history of accidents with injury during the previous 10 years. This study provides knowledge on behavioral risk factors for on-duty road accidents and differences in behavior according to the type of journey for subjects who have been on-duty road accident victims. These results will be useful for the design of on-duty road risk prevention.

Clinical negligence in hospitals in France and England.

PubMed

Kelly, Michael J; de Bono Q C, John; Métayer, Patrice

2015-12-01

This article arose from the back-to-back presentations by Michael Kelly and Patrice Métayer to the Anglo-French Medical Society in 2013 on the French and English legal systems handling a case of alleged clinical negligence as it proceeds from complaint to settlement or judgment in the two jurisdictions. Both systems have a hospital-based first stage with various avenues being available for amicable resolution, the French version being more regulated and prescribed than the English one. In both jurisdictions fewer than 5% cases go down the criminal route. Before the court is involved, in England there is an elaborate lawyer-controlled phase involving negotiations between the two sides and their experts which is expensive but often leads to pre-trial settlement for significant sums of money. Medical experts are central to all of this. In England they are largely unregulated and entirely advisory in an open market, in France they are both regulated and supervised by judges, being placed on official lists. These experts take a major inquisitorial role in a Debate between the two sides, combining the functions of Single Joint Expert (SJE), arbiter and mentor. If agreement is not reached, a second Debate before a different Expert is arranged. In both countries fewer than 5% cases reach a court for a hearing before a judge. In England a trial is an elaborate lengthy, expensive adversarial contest where all of the issues are rehearsed in full with factual and expert evidence, whereas in France in a contested case the judge reviews the reports of the two Debates with the lawyers who were involved (and not the experts, factual witnesses or parties). © The Author(s) 2015.

The Preservation of Schwa in the Converging Phonological System of Frenchville (PA) French

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bullock, Barbara E.; Gerfen, Chip

2005-01-01

The phonological system of the French of Frenchville, Pennsylvania (USA) demonstrates a dramatic case of transfer in the latest (and last) generation of bilingual French-English speakers: the mid front round vowels, [ligature of o and e] and [slashed o], have often been replaced by the English rhoticized schwa as found in the word "sir."…

Social Factors for Code-Switching in Tunisian Business Companies: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baoueb, Lamia Bach

2009-01-01

Although the literature on CS between Arabic and French in different bilingual speech communities is wide, few studies have dealt with the Tunisian context and no previous work has ever been done on the Tunisian business sector as a specific group using more than one pair of languages to communicate. This case study investigates the variety of…

End stage renal disease in French Guiana (data from R.E.I.N registry): South American or French?

PubMed

Rochemont, Dévi Rita; Meddeb, Mohamed; Roura, Raoul; Couchoud, Cécile; Nacher, Mathieu; Basurko, Célia

2017-06-30

End-Stage renal disease (ESRD) causes considerable morbidity and mortality, and significantly alters patients' quality of life. There are very few published data on this problem in the French Overseas territories. The development of a registry on end stage renal disease in French Guiana in 2011 allowed to describe the magnitude of this problem in the region for the first time. Using data from the French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network registry (R.E.I.N). Descriptive statistics on quantitative and qualitative variables in the registry were performed on prevalent cases and incident cases in 2011, 2012 and 2013. French Guiana has one of the highest ESRD prevalence and incidence in France. The two main causes of ESRD were hypertensive and diabetic nephropathies. The French Guianese population had a different demographic profile (younger, more women, more migrants) than in mainland France. Most patients had at least one comorbidity, predominantly (95.3%) hypertension. In French Guiana dialysis was initiated in emergency for 71.3% of patients versus 33% in France (p < 0.001). These first results give important public health information: i) End stage renal disease has a very high prevalence relative to mainland France ii) Patients have a different demographic profile and enter care late in the course of their renal disease. These data are closer to what is observed in the Caribbean or in Latin America than in Mainland France.

French validation of the internet addiction test.

PubMed

Khazaal, Yasser; Billieux, Joël; Thorens, Gabriel; Khan, Riaz; Louati, Youssr; Scarlatti, Elisa; Theintz, Florence; Lederrey, Jerome; Van Der Linden, Martial; Zullino, Daniele

2008-12-01

The main goal of the present study is to investigate the psychometric properties of a French version of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and to assess its relationship with both time spent on Internet and online gaming. The French version of the Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was administered to a sample of 246 adults. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses were carried out. We discovered that a one-factor model of the IAT has good psychometric properties and fits the data well, which is not the case of a six-factor model as found in previous studies using exploratory methods. Correlation analysis revealed positive significant relationships between IAT scores and both the daily duration of Internet use and the fact of being an online player. In addition, younger people scored higher on the IAT. The one-factor model found in this study has to be replicated in other IAT language versions.

Diversity of ARSACS mutations in French-Canadians.

PubMed

Thiffault, I; Dicaire, M J; Tetreault, M; Huang, K N; Demers-Lamarche, J; Bernard, G; Duquette, A; Larivière, R; Gehring, K; Montpetit, A; McPherson, P S; Richter, A; Montermini, L; Mercier, J; Mitchell, G A; Dupré, N; Prévost, C; Bouchard, J P; Mathieu, J; Brais, B

2013-01-01

The growing number of spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (SACS) gene mutations reported worldwide has broadened the clinical phenotype of autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS). The identification of Quebec ARSACS cases without two known SACS mutation led to the development of a multi-modal genomic strategy to uncover mutations in this large gene and explore phenotype variability. Search for SACS mutations by combining various methods on 20 cases with a classical French-Canadian ARSACS phenotype without two mutations and a group of 104 sporadic or recessive spastic ataxia cases of unknown cause. Western blot on lymphoblast protein from cases with different genotypes was probed to establish if they still expressed sacsin. A total of 12 mutations, including 7 novels, were uncovered in Quebec ARSACS cases. The screening of 104 spastic ataxia cases of unknown cause for 98 SACS mutations did not uncover carriers of two mutations. Compounds heterozygotes for one missense SACS mutation were found to minimally express sacsin. The large number of SACS mutations present even in Quebec suggests that the size of the gene alone may explain the great genotypic diversity. This study does not support an expanding ARSACS phenotype in the French-Canadian population. Most mutations lead to loss of function, though phenotypic variability in other populations may reflect partial loss of function with preservation of some sacsin expression. Our results also highlight the challenge of SACS mutation screening and the necessity to develop new generation sequencing methods to ensure low cost complete gene sequencing.

Cross-Linguistic Interference: L1, L2, L3 (+) Acquisition of French Adverbial Pronouns en and Y by Bilingual Spanish and English-Speaking Students of the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras: Implicit-Inductive Teaching/Learning versus Explicit Teaching/Deductive Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beloucif, Oihida

2017-01-01

This is a longitudinal case study of two groups of students (24 students in total) from the Foreign Languages Department of the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras. This research deals with the acquisition of the French adverbial pronouns "en" and "y" through two different teaching approaches, the implicit-inductive teaching…

Partial validation of a French version of the ADHD-rating scale IV on a French population of children with ADHD and epilepsy. Factorial structure, reliability, and responsiveness.

PubMed

Mercier, Catherine; Roche, Sylvain; Gaillard, Ségolène; Kassai, Behrouz; Arzimanoglou, Alexis; Herbillon, Vania; Roy, Pascal; Rheims, Sylvain

2016-05-01

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a well-known comorbidity in children with epilepsy. In English-speaking countries, the scores of the original ADHD-rating scale IV are currently used as main outcomes in various clinical trials in children with epilepsy. In French-speaking countries, several French versions are in use though none has been fully validated yet. We sought here for a partial validation of a French version of the ADHD-RS IV regarding construct validity, internal consistency (i.e., scale reliability), item reliability, and responsiveness in a group of French children with ADHD and epilepsy. The study involved 167 children aged 6-15years in 10 French neuropediatric units. The factorial structure and item reliability were assessed with a confirmatory factorial analysis for ordered categorical variables. The dimensions' internal consistency was assessed with Guttman's lambda 6 coefficient. The responsiveness was assessed by the change in score under methylphenidate and in comparison with a control group. The results confirmed the original two-dimensional factorial structure (inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity) and showed a satisfactory reliability of most items, a good dimension internal consistency, and a good responsiveness of the total score and the two subscores. The studied French version of the ADHD-RS IV is thus validated regarding construct validity, reliability, and responsiveness. It can now be used in French-speaking countries in clinical trials of treatments involving children with ADHD and epilepsy. The full validation requires further investigations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Discrepant epidemiological patterns between classical and atypical scrapie in sheep flocks under French TSE control measures.

PubMed

Fediaevsky, Alexandre; Gasqui, Patrick; Calavas, Didier; Ducrot, Christian

2010-09-01

The occurrence of secondary cases of atypical and classical scrapie was examined in 340 outbreaks of atypical and 296 of classical sheep scrapie detected in France during active surveillance programmes between 2002 and 2007. The prevalence of atypical scrapie in these flocks was 0.05% under selective culling and 0.07% under intensified monitoring i.e. not significantly different from that detected during active surveillance of the general population (P>0.5), whereas these figures were much higher for classical scrapie (3.67% and 0.25%, respectively, P<10(-5)). In addition the number of atypical scrapie cases per outbreak did not indicate clustering. The results suggest that atypical scrapie occurs spontaneously or is not particularly contagious, and that the control measures in force allowed appropriate control of classical scrapie but were not more efficient than active surveillance in detecting cases of atypical scrapie. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

When places change their names on maps. Cases study from the Arab world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhieb, Mohsen

2018-05-01

The transcription of geographical names on maps in one given language is a very complex process. Depending on the used language, toponyms are mostly deformed from their natural language. In the Arab world, this deformation is treated in various ways. In many cases, Arabic place names suffer a double distortion when first transcribed from Arabic or another original language into French or English, and second when taking the same way back. Through a review of examples from some Arab place names, a few cases are analyzed to reveal the mechanisms of such anomaly and a strategy is recommended to avoid it. Departing from Arabic atlases, we will realize three steps. First, we examine this anomaly through case studies taken from the English and French toponymic transcriptions. Second, the produced names area compared to those of other countries, considering the processes and mechanisms involved. Third, we propose a global strategy to overcome this anomaly in transcribing names in the Arab world by prioritizing produced transformations. The proposed strategy witnesses the concept of standardized "exendonyms" presented and discussed in a previous research for foreign languages such as French or English. When Arabic is used, the phonetic local transcription is recommended but should also fit transcription rules of the used language as much as possible. In doing so, transcripts should not shift or deviate so far from original name places and much ambiguity can be avoided. This strategy must obey standardized international rules and may repose on modern techniques or media.

Berber genealogy and the politics of prehistoric archaeology and craniology in French Algeria (1860s-1880s).

PubMed

Effros, Bonnie

2017-03-01

Following the conquest of Algiers and its surrounding territory by the French army in 1830, officers noted an abundance of standing stones in this region of North Africa. Although they attracted considerably less attention among their cohort than more familiar Roman monuments such as triumphal arches and bridges, these prehistoric remains were similar to formations found in Brittany and other parts of France. The first effort to document these remains occurred in 1863, when Laurent-Charles Féraud, a French army interpreter, recorded thousands of dolmens and stone formations south-west of Constantine. Alleging that these constructions were Gallic, Féraud hypothesized the close affinity of the French, who claimed descent from the ancient Gauls, with the early inhabitants of North Africa. After Féraud's claims met with scepticism among many prehistorians, French scholars argued that these remains were constructed by the ancestors of the Berbers (Kabyles in contemporary parlance), whom they hypothesized had been dominated by a blond race of European origin. Using craniometric statistics of human remains found in the vicinity of the standing stones to propose a genealogy of the Kabyles, French administrators in Algeria thereafter suggested that their mixed origins allowed them to adapt more easily than the Arab population to French colonial governance. This case study at the intersection of prehistoric archaeology, ancient history and craniology exposes how genealogical (and racial) classification made signal contributions to French colonial ideology and policy between the 1860s and 1880s.

Complementary methods to plan pedestrian evacuation of the French Riviera's beaches in case of tsunami threat: graph- and multi-agent-based modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahal, A.; Leone, F.; Péroche, M.

2013-07-01

Small amplitude tsunamis have impacted the French Mediterranean shore (French Riviera) in the past centuries. Some caused casualties; others only generated economic losses. While the North Atlantic and Mediterranean tsunami warning system is being tested and is almost operational, no awareness and preparedness measure is being implemented at a local scale. Evacuation is to be considered along the French Riviera, but no plan exists within communities. We show that various approaches can provide local stakeholders with evacuation capacities assessments to develop adapted evacuation plans through the case study of the Cannes-Antibes region. The complementarity between large- and small-scale approaches is demonstrated with the use of macro-simulators (graph-based) and micro-simulators (multi-agent-based) to select shelter points and choose evacuation routes for pedestrians located on the beach. The first one allows automatically selecting shelter points and measuring and mapping their accessibility. The second one shows potential congestion issues during pedestrian evacuations, and provides leads for the improvement of urban environment. Temporal accessibility to shelters is compared to potential local and distal tsunami travel times, showing a 40 min deficit for an adequate crisis management in the first scenario, and a 30 min surplus for the second one.

France: Factors Shaping Foreign Policy, and Issues in U.S.-French Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-10

Policy, and Issues in U.S.- French Relations 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK...298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 France : Factors Shaping Foreign Policy, and Issues in U.S.- French Relations Summary The factors that...shape French foreign policy have changed since the end of the Cold War. The perspectives of France and the United States have diverged in some cases

France: Factors Shaping Foreign Policy, and Issues in U.S.-French Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-19

Policy, and Issues in U.S.- French Relations 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK...298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 France : Factors Shaping Foreign Policy, and Issues in U.S.- French Relations Summary The factors that...shape French foreign policy have changed since the end of the Cold War. The perspectives of France and the United States have diverged in some cases

Language Needs Analysis from a Perspective of International Professional Mobility: The Case of French Mountain Guides

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wozniak, Severine

2010-01-01

This paper gives a detailed account of an analysis carried out at the French National Skiing and Mountaineering School from August 2008 to June 2009 to assess the language needs of French mountain guides. A targeted literature review highlighted two main points to be taken into account in the design of this language needs analysis: target…

New Insights into the Geographic Distribution of Mycobacterium leprae SNP Genotypes Determined for Isolates from Leprosy Cases Diagnosed in Metropolitan France and French Territories

PubMed Central

Reibel, Florence; Chauffour, Aurélie; Brossier, Florence; Jarlier, Vincent; Cambau, Emmanuelle; Aubry, Alexandra

2015-01-01

Background Between 20 and 30 bacteriologically confirmed cases of leprosy are diagnosed each year at the French National Reference Center for mycobacteria. Patients are mainly immigrants from various endemic countries or living in French overseas territories. We aimed at expanding data regarding the geographical distribution of the SNP genotypes of the M. leprae isolates from these patients. Methodology/Principal findings Skin biopsies were obtained from 71 leprosy patients diagnosed between January 2009 and December 2013. Data regarding age, sex and place of birth and residence were also collected. Diagnosis of leprosy was confirmed by microscopic detection of acid-fast bacilli and/or amplification by PCR of the M. leprae-specific RLEP region. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), present in the M. leprae genome at positions 14 676, 1 642 875 and 2 935 685, were determined with an efficiency of 94% (67/71). Almost all patients were from countries other than France where leprosy is still prevalent (n = 31) or from French overseas territories (n = 36) where leprosy is not totally eradicated, while only a minority (n = 4) was born in metropolitan France but have lived in other countries. SNP type 1 was predominant (n = 33), followed by type 3 (n = 17), type 4 (n = 11) and type 2 (n = 6). SNP types were concordant with those previously reported as prevalent in the patients’ countries of birth. SNP types found in patients born in countries other than France (Comoros, Haiti, Benin, Congo, Sri Lanka) and French overseas territories (French Polynesia, Mayotte and La Réunion) not covered by previous work correlated well with geographical location and history of human settlements. Conclusions/Significance The phylogenic analysis of M. leprae strains isolated in France strongly suggests that French leprosy cases are caused by SNP types that are (a) concordant with the geographic origin or residence of the patients (non-French countries, French overseas territories, metropolitan France) or (b) more likely random in regions where diverse migration flows occurred. PMID:26441080

Burden of Clostridium difficile Infections in French Hospitals in 2014 From the National Health Insurance Perspective.

PubMed

Leblanc, Soline; Blein, Cécile; Andremont, Antoine; Bandinelli, Pierre-Alain; Galvain, Thibaut

2017-08-01

OBJECTIVE To describe the hospital stays of patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and to measure the hospitalization costs of CDI (as primary and secondary diagnoses) from the French national health insurance perspective DESIGN Burden of illness study SETTING All acute-care hospitals in France METHODS Data were extracted from the French national hospitalization database (PMSI) for patients covered by the national health insurance scheme in 2014. Hospitalizations were selected using the International Classification of Diseases, 10 th revision (ICD-10) code for CDI. Hospital stays with CDI as the primary diagnosis or the secondary diagnosis (comorbidity) were studied for the following parameters: patient sociodemographic characteristics, mortality, length of stay (LOS), and related costs. A retrospective case-control analysis was performed on stays with CDI as the secondary diagnosis to assess the impact of CDI on the LOS and costs. RESULTS Overall, 5,834 hospital stays with CDI as the primary diagnosis were included in this study. The total national insurance costs were €30.7 million (US $33,677,439), and the mean cost per hospital stay was €5,267±€3,645 (US $5,777±$3,998). In total, 10,265 stays were reported with CDI as the secondary diagnosis. The total national insurance additional costs attributable to CDI were estimated to be €85 million (US $93,243,725), and the mean additional cost attributable to CDI per hospital stay was €8,295±€17,163, median, €4,797 (US $9,099±$8,827; median, $5,262). CONCLUSION CDI has a high clinical and economic burden in the hospital, and it represents a major cost for national health insurance. When detected as a comorbidity, CDI was significantly associated with increased LOS and economic burden. Preventive approaches should be implemented to avoid CDIs. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:906-911.

[Electroencephalographic characteristics of the deja vu phenomenon].

PubMed

Vlasov, P N; Cherviakov, A V; Gnezdinsiĭ, V V

2013-01-01

Déjà vu (DV, from French "already seen") is an aberration of psychic activity associated with transitory erroneous perception of novel circumstances, objects, or people as already known. An aim of the study was to investigate EEG characteristics of DV in patients with epilepsy. We studied 166 people (63.2% women, mean age 25.17±9.19 years). The DV phenomenon was studied in patients (27 people) and in a control group (139 healthy people). Patients were interviewed for DV characteristics and underwent a long (12-16 h) ambulatory EEG-monitoring study. In EEG, DV episodes in patients began with polyspike activity in the right temporal lobe and, in some cases, ended with the slow-wave theta-delta activity in the right hemisphere.

[Cell Phones and Risk of brain and acoustic nerve tumours: the French INTERPHONE case-control study].

PubMed

Hours, M; Bernard, M; Montestrucq, L; Arslan, M; Bergeret, A; Deltour, I; Cardis, E

2007-10-01

Use of cell phones has increased dramatically since 1992 when they were first introduced in France. Certain electromagnetic fields (at extremely low frequency) have been recognized as possibly carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Given the use of radiofrequency technology in cell phones, the rapid increase in the number of cell phones has generated concerns about the existence of a potential health hazard. To evaluate the relationship between the use of cell phones and the development of tumors of the head, a multicentric international study (INTERPHONE), coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, was carried out in 13 countries. This publication reports the results of the French part of the INTERPHONE study. INTERPHONE is a case-control study focused on tumors of the brain and central nervous system: gliomas, meningiomas and neuromas of cranial nerves. Eligible cases were men and women, residents of Paris or Lyon, aged 30-59, newly diagnosed with a first primary tumor between February 2001 and August 2003. The diagnoses were all either histologically confirmed or based upon unequivocal radiological images. Controls were matched for gender, age (+/-5 years) and place of residence. They were randomly drawn from electoral rolls. Detailed information was collected for all subjects during a computer-assisted face-to-face interview. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for an association between the use of cell phones and risk of each type of cancer. Regular cell phone use was not associated with an increased risk of neuroma (OR=0,92; 95% confidence interval=[0.53-1.59]), meningioma (OR=0,74; 95% confidence interval=[0.43-1.28]) or glioma (OR=1.15; 95% confidence interval=[0.65-2.05]). Although these results are not statistically significant, a general tendency was observed for an increased risk of glioma among the heaviest users: long-term users, heavy users, users with the largest numbers of telephones. No significant increased risk for glioma, meningioma or neuroma was observed among cell phone users participating in Interphone. The statistical power of the study is limited, however. Our results, suggesting the possibility of an increased risk among the heaviest users, therefore need to be verified in the international INTERPHONE analyses.

Identification of a novel CHEK2 variant and assessment of its contribution to the risk of breast cancer in French Canadian women.

PubMed

Novak, David J; Chen, Long Qi; Ghadirian, Parviz; Hamel, Nancy; Zhang, Phil; Rossiny, Vanessa; Cardinal, Guy; Robidoux, André; Tonin, Patricia N; Rousseau, Francois; Narod, Steven A; Foulkes, William D

2008-08-15

BRCA1 and BRCA2 account for the majority of the known familial breast cancer risk, however, the impact of other cancer susceptibility genes largely remains to be elucidated. Checkpoint Kinase 2 (CHEK2) is an important signal transducer of cellular responses to DNA damage, whose defects have been associated with an increase in breast cancer risk. Previous studies have identified low penetrance CHEK2 alleles such as 1100delC and I157T, as well as variants such as S428F in the Ashkenazi Jewish population and IVS2 + 1G>A in the Polish population. No founder allele has been specifically identified in the French Canadian population. The 14 coding exons of CHEK2 were fully sequenced for variant alleles in a panel of 25 affected French Canadian women and 25 healthy controls. Two variants were identified of which one novel variant was further screened for in an additional panel of 667 breast cancer patients and 6548 healthy controls. Additional genotyping was conducted using allele specific PCR and a restriction digest assay. Significance of amino acid substitutions were deduced by employing comparative analysis techniques. Two variants were identified: the previously reported silent substitution 252A>G (E84E) and the novel missense variant, 1217G>A (R406H). No significant difference in allele distribution between French Canadian women with breast cancer and healthy controls was observed (3/692, 0.43% vs. 22/6573, 0.33%, respectively, P = 0.73). The novel CHEK2 missense variant identified in this study, R406H, is unlikely to contribute to breast cancer risk in French Canadian women.

Identification of a novel CHEK2 variant and assessment of its contribution to the risk of breast cancer in French Canadian women

PubMed Central

Novak, David J; Chen, Long Qi; Ghadirian, Parviz; Hamel, Nancy; Zhang, Phil; Rossiny, Vanessa; Cardinal, Guy; Robidoux, André; Tonin, Patricia N; Rousseau, Francois; Narod, Steven A; Foulkes, William D

2008-01-01

Background BRCA1 and BRCA2 account for the majority of the known familial breast cancer risk, however, the impact of other cancer susceptibility genes largely remains to be elucidated. Checkpoint Kinase 2 (CHEK2) is an important signal transducer of cellular responses to DNA damage, whose defects have been associated with an increase in breast cancer risk. Previous studies have identified low penetrance CHEK2 alleles such as 1100delC and I157T, as well as variants such as S428F in the Ashkenazi Jewish population and IVS2 + 1G>A in the Polish population. No founder allele has been specifically identified in the French Canadian population. Methods The 14 coding exons of CHEK2 were fully sequenced for variant alleles in a panel of 25 affected French Canadian women and 25 healthy controls. Two variants were identified of which one novel variant was further screened for in an additional panel of 667 breast cancer patients and 6548 healthy controls. Additional genotyping was conducted using allele specific PCR and a restriction digest assay. Significance of amino acid substitutions were deduced by employing comparative analysis techniques. Results Two variants were identified: the previously reported silent substitution 252A>G (E84E) and the novel missense variant, 1217G>A (R406H). No significant difference in allele distribution between French Canadian women with breast cancer and healthy controls was observed (3/692, 0.43% vs. 22/6573, 0.33%, respectively, P = 0.73). Conclusion The novel CHEK2 missense variant identified in this study, R406H, is unlikely to contribute to breast cancer risk in French Canadian women. PMID:18706089

Why Children Join and Stay in Sports Clubs: Case Studies in Australian, French and German Swimming Clubs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Light, Richard L.; Harvey, Stephen; Memmert, Daniel

2013-01-01

This article builds upon research on youth sport clubs conducted from a socio-cultural perspective by reporting on a study that inquired into the reasons why children aged 9-12 joined swimming clubs in France, Germany and Australia. Comprising three case studies it employed a mixed method approach with results considered within the framework of…

Initiation of non-invasive ventilation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and clinical practice guidelines: Single-centre, retrospective, descriptive study in a national reference centre.

PubMed

Georges, Marjolaine; Golmard, Jean-Louis; Llontop, Claudia; Shoukri, Amr; Salachas, François; Similowski, Thomas; Morelot-Panzini, Capucine; Gonzalez-Bermejo, Jésus

2017-02-01

In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), respiratory muscle weakness leads to respiratory failure. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) maintains adequate ventilation in ALS patients. NIV alleviates symptoms and improves survival. In 2006, French guidelines established criteria for NIV initiation based on limited evidence. Their impact on clinical practice remains unknown. Our objective was to describe NIV initiation practices of the main French ALS tertiary referral centre with respect to guidelines. In this retrospective descriptive study, 624 patients followed in a single national reference centre began NIV between 2005 and 2013. We analysed criteria used to initiate NIV, including symptoms, PaCO 2 , forced vital capacity, maximal inspiratory pressures and time spent with SpO 2 <90% at night. At NIV initiation, 90% of patients were symptomatic. Median PaCO 2 was 48 mmHg. The main criterion to initiate NIV was 'symptoms' followed by 'hypercapnia' in 42% and 34% of cases, respectively. NIV was initiated on functional parameters in only 5% of cases. Guidelines were followed in 81% of cases. In conclusion, despite compliance with French guidelines, the majority of patients are treated at the stage of symptomatic daytime hypoventilation, which suggests that NIV is initiated late in the course of ALS. Whether this practice could be improved by changing guidelines or increasing respiratory-dedicated resources remains to be determined.

Demand-Side Financing--A Focus on Vouchers in Post-Compulsory Education and Training: Discussion Paper and Case Studies. CEDEFOP Dossier.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Anne; Sparkes, Jo; Balabanov, Todor

The use of demand-side financing mechanisms and vouchers for postcompulsory secondary-level education was examined through case studies of funding practices in the following countries: Austria; France; the United Kingdom; the United States; and Wallonia (the French community of Belgium). Different models of voucher use were identified in the…

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among a network of French private-sector community-based-medical laboratories.

PubMed

Maugat, S; de Rougemont, A; Aubry-Damon, H; Reverdy, M-E; Georges, S; Vandenesch, F; Etienne, J; Coignard, B

2009-05-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains in the French community and the proportion of Panton-Valentine (PVL)-MRSA. A cross-sectional study was made during a 3-month period in 2003 through a network of private-sector, community-based medical laboratories selected throughout France: the Labville network. Each MRSA isolate was included and characterized by French National Reference Center for Staphylococci. The total number of S. aureus isolates was also collected. Among the 283 patients infected or colonized by MRSA, 166 (59%) were considered as healthcare-associated, 14 (5%) as nursing-associated and 39 (14%) as community-acquired. The proportion of methicillin resistance among S. aureus was 14%. Taking into account the sampling design, the incidence of MRSA cases in French outpatients was estimated to be 0.50 [CI95%: 0.41-0.60] per 10,000 inhabitants. The molecular analysis confirmed that 80.6% belong to the Lyon clone, the most prevalent hospital MRSA clone spreading in France and 10.6% to a closely related clone. An emerging MRSA clone containing the tst1 gene was detected in six patients and the PVL-positive ST80 clone only in one, 22-year-old, patient. Most of MRSA cases diagnosed in the community in France, in 2003, were elderly with specific risk factors and harbored hospital strains. The prevalence of PVL-MRSA remained low.

Management of neutropenic patients in the intensive care unit (NEWBORNS EXCLUDED) recommendations from an expert panel from the French Intensive Care Society (SRLF) with the French Group for Pediatric Intensive Care Emergencies (GFRUP), the French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (SFAR), the French Society of Hematology (SFH), the French Society for Hospital Hygiene (SF2H), and the French Infectious Diseases Society (SPILF).

PubMed

Schnell, David; Azoulay, Elie; Benoit, Dominique; Clouzeau, Benjamin; Demaret, Pierre; Ducassou, Stéphane; Frange, Pierre; Lafaurie, Matthieu; Legrand, Matthieu; Meert, Anne-Pascale; Mokart, Djamel; Naudin, Jérôme; Pene, Frédéric; Rabbat, Antoine; Raffoux, Emmanuel; Ribaud, Patricia; Richard, Jean-Christophe; Vincent, François; Zahar, Jean-Ralph; Darmon, Michael

2016-12-01

Neutropenia is defined by either an absolute or functional defect (acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome) of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and is associated with high risk of specific complications that may require intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Specificities in the management of critically ill neutropenic patients prompted the establishment of guidelines dedicated to intensivists. These recommendations were drawn up by a panel of experts brought together by the French Intensive Care Society in collaboration with the French Group for Pediatric Intensive Care Emergencies, the French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, the French Society of Hematology, the French Society for Hospital Hygiene, and the French Infectious Diseases Society. Literature review and formulation of recommendations were performed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. Each recommendation was then evaluated and rated by each expert using a methodology derived from the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method. Six fields are covered by the provided recommendations: (1) ICU admission and prognosis, (2) protective isolation and prophylaxis, (3) management of acute respiratory failure, (4) organ failure and organ support, (5) antibiotic management and source control, and (6) hematological management. Most of the provided recommendations are obtained from low levels of evidence, however, suggesting a need for additional studies. Seven recommendations were, however, associated with high level of evidences and are related to protective isolation, diagnostic workup of acute respiratory failure, medical management, and timing surgery in patients with typhlitis.

A Systematic Study of Simple Combinatorial Configurations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubois, Jean-Guy

1984-01-01

A classification of the simple combinatorial configurations which correspond to various cases of distribution and ordering of objects into boxes is given (in French). Concrete descriptions, structured relations, translations, and formalizations are discussed. (MNS)

The impact of legal vulnerability on environmental inequalities. A case study of coastal populations in Guadeloupe (French Antilles)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claeys, Cécilia; Arnaud, Aurélie; Lambert, Marie-Laure

2017-10-01

This paper draws on sociology, geography and law to analyse the exposure of populations to coastal multihazards in a postcolonial and overseas context. The research is based on a case study conducted in two municipalities in Guadeloupe (French Antilles): Deshaies and Capesterre-Belle-Eau. The corpus of data consists of 52 interviews conducted with inhabitants and institutional actors, as well as a set of spatialized data and a regulatory corpus. The analysis underscores how public policies must contend with a complex territorial reality that is still bound to the postcolonial past and legacy of slavery in Guadeloupe. The potential contradictions between regularization policies, hazard prevention policies and policies to curb insalubrious housing tend to expose the most fragile populations to what we refer to here as legal vulnerability.

Lung cancer in renal transplant recipients: A case-control study.

PubMed

Rousseau-Gazaniol, Claire; Fraboulet, Séverine; Couderc, Louis-Jean; Kreis, Henri; Borie, Raphaël; Tricot, Leila; Anglicheau, Dany; Martinez, Frank; Doubre, Hélène; Bonnette, Pierre; Mellot, François; Massiani, Marie-Ange; Pelle, Gaëlle; Sage, Edouard; Moisson, Patricia; Delahousse, Michel; Zemoura, Leila; Chapelier, Alain; Hamid, Abdul Monem; Puyo, Philippe; Longchampt, Elisabeth; Legendre, Christophe; Friard, Sylvie; Catherinot, Emilie

2017-09-01

Solid organ transplant patients are at heightened risk of several cancers compared to the general population. Secondary to a higher number of procedures and better survival after transplantation, cancer is a rising health concern in this situation. Limited data exist for lung cancer (LC) after renal transplantation. We report here the most important series of renal transplant recipients with lung cancer. Retrospective study of all cases of LC diagnosed in three French Renal Transplant Units from 2003 to 2012. A control group consisted of non-transplant patients with LC matched with the cases for age (<30; 30-50; 50-65; >65 years), gender and diagnosis date. We recruited two controls for each case. Thirty patients (median age 60 years; range 29-85; male/female ratio 80/20%) with LC were analysed. LC incidence was 1.89/1000 person-years over the period 2008-2012. All patients were former or active smokers (median 30 pack-years). Transplanted patients had significantly more comorbidities, mainly cardiovascular disease. The median interval of time from kidney transplantation (KT) to diagnosis of LC was 7 years (range 0.5-47 years). LC was incidentally diagnosed in 40%. Most patients (70%) had advanced LC (stage III or IV) disease. Stage of LC at diagnosis was similar in cases and controls. Surgery and chemotherapy were proposed to the same proportion of patients. In cases, mortality was cancer related in 87% and median survival time after diagnosis was 24 months. Survival was not significantly different between the 2 groups. Despite frequent medical and radiological examinations, diagnosis of LC is usually made at an advanced stage and the overall prognosis remains poor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Febrile algo-eruptive illness in a French foreign legionnaire returning from Djibouti: gonococcal arthritis].

PubMed

Berry, X; Oréfice, M; Jacquier, C; Saidi, R; Le Bougeant, P; Molinier, S; Morand, J J

2010-06-01

A French foreign legionnaire returning from Djibouti developed feverish polyarthritis with acral purpura. Diagnostic workup demonstrated gonococcemia contracted during unprotected fellatio. Based on this case report, diagnostic and therapeutic management is described.

Telecollaborative Desktop-Videoconferencing Exchange: The Case of Mark

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Véronique

2014-01-01

This presentation is a case study of the Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) development of Mark, one of ten American students engaged in a desktop-videoconferencing telecollaborative exchange with a class of French students. Due in part to its inherent complexity, this context has not been widely researched. To observe ICC development, I…

Investigations related to the epidemic strain involved in the French listeriosis outbreak in 1992.

PubMed Central

Jacquet, C; Catimel, B; Brosch, R; Buchrieser, C; Dehaumont, P; Goulet, V; Lepoutre, A; Veit, P; Rocourt, J

1995-01-01

Two hundred seventy-nine cases of human listeriosis (92 pregnancy-related cases and 187 non-pregnancy-related cases) caused by a serovar 4b and phagovar 2389:2425:3274:2671:47:108:340 strain were identified in France between March and December 1992. Epidemiological investigations included a case-control study (not described here) and microbiological analyses of foods. Results of the case-control study and characterization of food isolates identified pork tongue in jelly, a ready-to-eat meat product, as the major vehicle of this outbreak, and to a lesser extent, delicatessen products contaminated secondarily during handling in food stores. As far as serotyping, phage typing, DNA macrorestriction pattern analysis (obtained by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis [PFGE]), and ribotyping are concerned, this epidemic strain is phenotypically and genomically closely related to strains responsible for major outbreaks of listeriosis previously observed in Europe and North America. The epidemic strain sensu stricto as defined by PFGE (2/1/3) displayed the same serovar, phagovar, ribovar, and ApaI and NotI PFGE patterns as the epidemic strains from outbreaks in Switzerland, California, and Denmark, but it consistently showed differences in the SmaI PFGE profile. This information greatly contributed to the identification of the major food vehicle (pork tongue in jelly) and further allowed exclusion of other foods (cheese) as possible sources of this major listeriosis epidemic. PMID:7793944

Patterns of Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure and Skin Cancer Risk: the E3N-SunExp Study.

PubMed

Savoye, Isabelle; Olsen, Catherine M; Whiteman, David C; Bijon, Anne; Wald, Lucien; Dartois, Laureen; Clavel-Chapelon, Françoise; Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine; Kvaskoff, Marina

2018-01-05

While ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure is a recognized risk factor for skin cancer, associations are complex and few studies have allowed a direct comparison of exposure profiles associated with cutaneous melanoma, basal-cell carcinoma (BCC), and squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) within a single population. We examined associations between UV exposures and skin cancer risk in a nested case-control study within E3N, a prospective cohort of 98,995 French women born in 1925-1950. In 2008, a lifetime UV exposure questionnaire was sent to all reported skin cancer cases and three controls per case, which were matched on age, county of birth, and education. Analyses were performed using conditional logistic regression and included 366 melanoma cases, 1,027 BCC cases, 165 SCC cases, and 3,647 controls. A history of severe sunburns <25 years was associated with increased risks of all skin cancers (melanoma: OR 2.7; BCC: OR 1.7; SCC: OR 2.0 for ≥6 sunburns vs. none), while sunburns ≥25 years were associated with BCC and SCC only. While high-sun protection factor sunscreen use before age 25 was associated with lower BCC risk (P trend = 0.02), use since age 25 and reapplication of sunscreen were associated with higher risks of all three types of skin cancer. There were positive linear associations between total UV score and risks of BCC (P trend = 0.01) and SCC (P trend = 0.09), but not melanoma. While recreational UV score was strongly associated with BCC, total and residential UV scores were more strongly associated with SCC. Melanoma, BCC, and SCC are associated with different sun exposure profiles in women.

How China Wins: A Case Study of the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-12

better to smell the dung of the French than to eat Chinese dung all one’s life. ―Ho Chi Minh, Quoted in Jean Sainteny, Ho Chi Minh and His Vietnam...Minh, resentful of China’s betrayal at the victor’s table said, “Far better to smell the dung of the French than to eat Chinese dung all one’s life... dinner that included an informal meeting with former President Richard Nixon, followed by a night of entertainment at the Kennedy Center. The next

The Role of Socialization, Effortful Control, and Ego Resiliency in French Adolescents' Social Functioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hofer, Claire; Eisenberg, Nancy; Reiser, Mark

2010-01-01

The relations among effortful control, ego resiliency, socialization, and social functioning were examined with a sample of 182 French adolescents (14-20 years old). Adolescents, their parents, and/or teachers completed questionnaires on these constructs. Effortful control and ego resiliency were correlated with adolescents' social functioning,…

The French version of the autism-spectrum quotient in adolescents: a cross-cultural validation study.

PubMed

Sonié, Sandrine; Kassai, Behrouz; Pirat, Elodie; Bain, Paul; Robinson, Janine; Gomot, Marie; Barthélémy, Catherine; Charvet, Dorothée; Rochet, Thierry; Tatou, Mohamed; Assouline, Brigitte; Cabrol, Stéphane; Chabane, Nadia; Arnaud, Valérie; Faure, Patricia; Manificat, Sabine

2013-05-01

We assessed the accuracy of the French version of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) in adolescents with Asperger syndrome (AS) and high-functioning autism (HFA) compared to healthy controls and adolescents with psychiatric disorders (PDs). Three groups of adolescents, aged 11-18, were assessed: 116 with AS/HFA (93 with IQ ≥ 85 and 20 with 70 ≤ IQ < 85), 39 with other PDs, and 199 healthy controls. The AS/HFA group scored significantly higher than the healthy control and PD groups. A cut-off score of 26 was used to differentiate the autism group from healthy controls with 0.89 sensitivity and 0.98 specificity. Scores did not vary by age or sex.

Genome-wide association study identifies three new melanoma susceptibility loci.

PubMed

Barrett, Jennifer H; Iles, Mark M; Harland, Mark; Taylor, John C; Aitken, Joanne F; Andresen, Per Arne; Akslen, Lars A; Armstrong, Bruce K; Avril, Marie-Francoise; Azizi, Esther; Bakker, Bert; Bergman, Wilma; Bianchi-Scarrà, Giovanna; Bressac-de Paillerets, Brigitte; Calista, Donato; Cannon-Albright, Lisa A; Corda, Eve; Cust, Anne E; Dębniak, Tadeusz; Duffy, David; Dunning, Alison M; Easton, Douglas F; Friedman, Eitan; Galan, Pilar; Ghiorzo, Paola; Giles, Graham G; Hansson, Johan; Hocevar, Marko; Höiom, Veronica; Hopper, John L; Ingvar, Christian; Janssen, Bart; Jenkins, Mark A; Jönsson, Göran; Kefford, Richard F; Landi, Giorgio; Landi, Maria Teresa; Lang, Julie; Lubiński, Jan; Mackie, Rona; Malvehy, Josep; Martin, Nicholas G; Molven, Anders; Montgomery, Grant W; van Nieuwpoort, Frans A; Novakovic, Srdjan; Olsson, Håkan; Pastorino, Lorenza; Puig, Susana; Puig-Butille, Joan Anton; Randerson-Moor, Juliette; Snowden, Helen; Tuominen, Rainer; Van Belle, Patricia; van der Stoep, Nienke; Whiteman, David C; Zelenika, Diana; Han, Jiali; Fang, Shenying; Lee, Jeffrey E; Wei, Qingyi; Lathrop, G Mark; Gillanders, Elizabeth M; Brown, Kevin M; Goldstein, Alisa M; Kanetsky, Peter A; Mann, Graham J; Macgregor, Stuart; Elder, David E; Amos, Christopher I; Hayward, Nicholas K; Gruis, Nelleke A; Demenais, Florence; Bishop, Julia A Newton; Bishop, D Timothy

2011-10-09

We report a genome-wide association study for melanoma that was conducted by the GenoMEL Consortium. Our discovery phase included 2,981 individuals with melanoma and 1,982 study-specific control individuals of European ancestry, as well as an additional 6,426 control subjects from French or British populations, all of whom were genotyped for 317,000 or 610,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Our analysis replicated previously known melanoma susceptibility loci. Seven new regions with at least one SNP with P < 10(-5) and further local imputed or genotyped support were selected for replication using two other genome-wide studies (from Australia and Texas, USA). Additional replication came from case-control series from the UK and The Netherlands. Variants at three of the seven loci replicated at P < 10(-3): an SNP in ATM (rs1801516, overall P = 3.4 × 10(-9)), an SNP in MX2 (rs45430, P = 2.9 × 10(-9)) and an SNP adjacent to CASP8 (rs13016963, P = 8.6 × 10(-10)). A fourth locus near CCND1 remains of potential interest, showing suggestive but inconclusive evidence of replication (rs1485993, overall P = 4.6 × 10(-7) under a fixed-effects model and P = 1.2 × 10(-3) under a random-effects model). These newly associated variants showed no association with nevus or pigmentation phenotypes in a large British case-control series.

Volatile composition and sensory properties of Vanilla × tahitensis bring new insights for vanilla quality control.

PubMed

Brunschwig, Christel; Rochard, Sophie; Pierrat, Alexandre; Rouger, Anne; Senger-Emonnot, Perrine; George, Gérard; Raharivelomanana, Phila

2016-02-01

Vanilla × tahitensis produced in French Polynesia has a unique flavour among vanilla species. However, data on volatiles and sensory properties remain limited. In this study, the volatile composition and sensory properties of V. × tahitensis from three Polynesian cultivars and two origins (French Polynesia/Papua New Guinea) were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and quantitative descriptive analysis, respectively, and compared to Vanilla planifolia. Vanilla species, origins and cultivars were differentiated by their volatile and sensory profiles using principal component analysis. The V. × tahitensis flavour from French Polynesia was characterized by a well-balanced sensory profile, having strong anise and caramel notes due to high levels of anisyl compounds. V. × tahitensis from Papua New Guinea was distinct from that of French Polynesia, having strong spicy, fruity, brown rum notes due to p-vinylguaiacol, p-cresol and esters. Vanilla planifolia showed stronger phenolic, woody, smoky notes due to guaiacol, creosol and phenol, which were found to be biomarkers of the species. Vanilla sensory properties were linked by partial least squares regression to key volatile compounds like guaiacol or creosol, which are indicators of lower quality. This study brings new insights to vanilla quality control, with a focus on key volatile compounds, irrespective of origin. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

French Modular Impoundment: Final Cost and Performance Evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Drown, Peter; French, Bill

This report comprises the Final Cost and Performance Report for the Department of Energy Award # EE0007244, the French Modular Impoundment (aka the “French Dam”.) The French Dam is a system of applying precast modular construction to water control structures. The “French Dam” is a term used to cover the construction means/methods used to construct or rehabilitate dams, diversion structures, powerhouses, and other hydraulic structures which impound water and are covered under FDE’s existing IP (Patents # US8414223B2; US9103084B2.)

French recommendations for the prevention of 'emerging extensively drug-resistant bacteria' (eXDR) cross-transmission.

PubMed

Lepelletier, D; Berthelot, P; Lucet, J-C; Fournier, S; Jarlier, V; Grandbastien, B

2015-07-01

Controlling the spread of multi- or extensively drug-resistant bacteria (MDR or XDR) includes a dual strategy for reducing antibiotic prescriptions and preventing their spread from patient carriers. Standard precautions are applicable to all health professionals caring for any patients; additional barrier precautions (isolation) are recommended for patients carrying transmissible infectious diseases or MDR bacteria in sporadic or epidemic situations. Moreover, additional precautions may be required for populations at particular risk of infection or colonization by emerging XDR (eXDR), defined in our country as carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Our ability to detect and identify eXDR carriers early and ensure their follow-up, through effective communication between all those involved, is a significant challenge for controlling their spread. Thus, the French High Committee for Public Health has updated and standardized all French existing recommendations concerning the prevention of the cross-transmission of these bacteria, and these recommendations are summarized in this review. The recommendations are based on scientific and operational knowledge up to 2013. Different preventive strategies are recommended for patients found to be carrying eXDR and those who are considered to be at risk of having eXDR because of a history of contact. The local context, the experience of the infection control team, the different times at which detection of eXDR takes place (during admission, hospitalization, etc.) and the epidemiological situation (sporadic cases, clusters, outbreaks, widespread epidemic) must be included in risk assessments that in turn inform the control measures that should be applied in each clinical circumstance. Copyright © 2015 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The many encounters of Thomas Kuhn and French epistemology.

PubMed

Simons, Massimiliano

2017-02-01

The work of Thomas Kuhn has been very influential in Anglo-American philosophy of science and it is claimed that it has initiated the historical turn. Although this might be the case for English speaking countries, in France an historical approach has always been the rule. This article aims to investigate the similarities and differences between Kuhn and French philosophy of science or 'French epistemology'. The first part will argue that he is influenced by French epistemologists, but by lesser known authors than often thought. The second part focuses on the reactions of French epistemologists on Kuhn's work, which were often very critical. It is argued that behind some superficial similarities there are deep disagreements between Kuhn and French epistemology. This is finally shown by a brief comparison with the reaction of more recent French philosophers of science, who distance themselves from French epistemology and are more positive about Kuhn. Based on these diverse appreciations of Kuhn, a typology of the different positions within the philosophy of science is suggested. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Post-Secondary Education and Employment: The French Case.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vincens, Jean

1981-01-01

Several factors have contributed to the worsening of the employment situation of French postsecondary graduates: aging of the first generation of employed graduates, sometimes forced back on the market by unemployment; slackened growth; and reduction in teaching and civil service opportunities. (MSE)

Occupational exposure to pesticides and lymphoid neoplasms among men: results of a French case-control study

PubMed Central

Orsi, Laurent; Delabre, Laurene; Monnereau, Alain; Delval, Philippe; Berthou, Christian; Fenaux, Pierre; Marit, Gerald; Soubeyran, Pierre; Huguet, Francoise; Milpied, Noel; Leporrier, Michel; Hemon, Denis; Troussard, Xavier; Clavel, Jacqueline

2009-01-01

Objectives Investigating the relationship between occupational exposure to pesticides and the risk of lymphoid neoplasms (LN) in men. Methods A hospital-based case-control study was conducted in six centres in France between 2000 and 2004. The cases were incident cases with a diagnosis of lymphoid neoplasm aged 18 to 75 years. During the same period, controls of the same age and gender as the cases were recruited in the same hospital, mainly in the orthopaedic and rheumatological departments. Exposures to pesticides were evaluated through specific interviews and case-by-case expert reviews. Four hundred and ninety-one cases (244 cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), 87 of Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL), 104 of lymphoproliferative syndromes (LPS) and 56 of multiple myeloma (MM) cases) and 456 controls were included in the analyses. The odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using unconditional logistic regressions. Results Positive associations between HL and occupational exposure to triazole fungicides and urea herbicides were observed (OR=8.4 [2.2–32.4], 10.8 [2.4–48.1] respectively). Exposure to insecticides, fungicides and herbicides were linked to a three-fold increases in MM risk (OR=2.8 [1.2–6.5], 3.2 [1.4–7.2], 2.9 [1.3–6.5]). For LPS subtypes, associations restricted to hairy-cell leukaemia (HCL) were evidenced for exposure to organochlorine insecticides, phenoxy herbicides and triazine herbicides (OR=4.9 [1.1–21.2], 4.1 [1.1–15.5], 5.1 [1.4–19.3]), although based on small numbers. Lastly, despite the increased odds ratios for organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides, carbamate fungicides and triazine herbicides, no significant associations were evidenced for NHL. Conclusions The results, based on case-by-case expert review of occupation-specific questionnaires, support the hypothesis that occupational pesticide exposures may be involved in HL, MM and HCL and do not rule out a role in NHL. The analyses identified specific pesticides that deserve further investigation and the findings were consistent with those of previous studies. PMID:19017688

Analyzing the presentation and the stigma of schizophrenia in French newspapers.

PubMed

Lampropoulos, Dimitrios; Wolman, Angelika; Apostolidis, Thémis

2017-12-01

It has been suggested that the stigmatizing presentation of people with schizophrenia by newspapers is an example of structural stigma. In this study, we explore how French newspapers contribute to the stigma of people with schizophrenia. All the articles of eight major newspapers (four national and four regional) that include the term schizophr* and that were published in 2015 were therefore analyzed using a coding scheme that we developed inductively. This analysis showed that among the identified themes, 40.4% of the articles used the term schizophrenia metaphorically and 28.3% referred to dangerousness. The first concerned mostly national newspapers, while the second were mostly published by regional newspapers. A more selective analysis was also carried out on these major themes in order to investigate how the "us" against "them" distinction is created and how negative stereotypes are associated with this distinction. In the case of the metaphorical use of the term, schizophrenia was presented as a "split personality" disorder and the label used in order to devalue the political opposition. Schizophrenia was presented either as a deterministic cause of dangerousness or as a potential cause of crime. In either case, the question of control was clearly present in these articles. These results are discussed in terms of the "us" against "them" distinction as a double process of stigmatization of people with schizophrenia and of reinforcement of one's own identity and security.

Current Zika virus epidemiology and recent epidemics.

PubMed

Ioos, S; Mallet, H-P; Leparc Goffart, I; Gauthier, V; Cardoso, T; Herida, M

2014-07-01

The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus (Aedes), similar to other arboviruses, first identified in Uganda in 1947. Few human cases were reported until 2007, when a Zika outbreak occurred in Yap, Micronesia, even though ZIKV activity had been reported in Africa and in Asia through virological surveillance and entomological studies. French Polynesia has recorded a large outbreak since October 2013. A great number of cases and some with neurological and autoimmune complications have been reported in a context of concurrent circulation of dengue viruses. The clinical presentation is a "dengue-like syndrome". Until the epidemic in French Polynesia, no severe ZIKV disease had been described so far. The diagnosis is confirmed by viral genome detection by genomic amplification (RT- PCR) and viral isolation. These two large outbreaks occurred in a previously unaffected area in less than a decade. They should raise awareness as to the potential for ZIKV to spread especially since this emergent disease is not well known and that some questions remain on potential reservoirs and transmission modes as well as on clinical presentations and complications. ZIKV has the potential to spread to new areas where the Aedes mosquito vector is present and could be a risk for Southern Europe. Strategies for the prevention and control of ZIKV disease should include the use of insect repellent and mosquito vector eradication. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of a Transparent Antimicrobial Dressing for Managing Central Venous and Arterial Catheters in Intensive Care Units

PubMed Central

Bernatchez, Stéphanie F.; Ruckly, Stéphane; Timsit, Jean-François

2015-01-01

Objective To model the cost-effectiveness impact of routine use of an antimicrobial chlorhexidine gluconate-containing securement dressing compared to non-antimicrobial transparent dressings for the protection of central vascular lines in intensive care unit patients. Design This study uses a novel health economic model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of using the chlorhexidine gluconate dressing versus transparent dressings in a French intensive care unit scenario. The 30-day time non-homogeneous markovian model comprises eight health states. The probabilities of events derive from a multicentre (12 French intensive care units) randomized controlled trial. 1,000 Monte Carlo simulations of 1,000 patients per dressing strategy are used for probabilistic sensitivity analysis and 95% confidence intervals calculations. The outcome is the number of catheter-related bloodstream infections avoided. Costs of intensive care unit stay are based on a recent French multicentre study and the cost-effectiveness criterion is the cost per catheter-related bloodstream infections avoided. The incremental net monetary benefit per patient is also estimated. Patients 1000 patients per group simulated based on the source randomized controlled trial involving 1,879 adults expected to require intravascular catheterization for 48 hours. Intervention Chlorhexidine Gluconate-containing securement dressing compared to non-antimicrobial transparent dressings. Results The chlorhexidine gluconate dressing prevents 11.8 infections /1,000 patients (95% confidence interval: [3.85; 19.64]) with a number needed to treat of 85 patients. The mean cost difference per patient of €141 is not statistically significant (95% confidence interval: [€-975; €1,258]). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio is of €12,046 per catheter-related bloodstream infection prevented, and the incremental net monetary benefit per patient is of €344.88. Conclusions According to the base case scenario, the chlorhexidine gluconate dressing is more cost-effective than the reference dressing. Trial Registration This model is based on the data from the RCT registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01189682). PMID:26086783

Evolution of the Instructional Design in a Series of Online Workshops

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patry, Anne; Brown, Elizabeth Campbell; Rousseau, Rémi; Caron, Jeanette

2015-01-01

This case recounts the story of the design and production of a series of online workshops for French-speaking healthcare professionals in Canada. The project spans a couple of years and, despite encountering some challenges, succeeds in large part because of its strong foundation: the instructional design. This case study features an instructional…

Long-term effects of psychosocial work stress in midlife on health functioning after labor market exit--results from the GAZEL study.

PubMed

Wahrendorf, Morten; Sembajwe, Grace; Zins, Marie; Berkman, Lisa; Goldberg, Marcel; Siegrist, Johannes

2012-07-01

To study long-term effects of psychosocial work stress in mid-life on health functioning after labor market exit using two established work stress models. In the frame of the prospective French Gazel cohort study, data on psychosocial work stress were assessed using the full questionnaires measuring the demand-control-support model (in 1997 and 1999) and the effort-reward imbalance model (in 1998). In 2007, health functioning was assessed, using the Short Form 36 mental and physical component scores. Multivariate regressions were calculated to predict health functioning in 2007, controlling for age, gender, social position, and baseline self-perceived health. Consistent effects of both work stress models and their single components on mental and physical health functioning during retirement were observed. Effects remained significant after adjustment including baseline self-perceived health. Whereas the predictive power of both work stress models was similar in the case of the physical composite score, in the case of the mental health score, values of model fit were slightly higher for the effort-reward imbalance model (R(2): 0.13) compared with the demand-control model (R²: 0.11). Findings underline the importance of working conditions in midlife not only for health in midlife but also for health functioning after labor market exit.

X inactivation in Rett syndrome: A preliminary study showing partial preferential inactivation of paternal X with the M27{beta} probe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Camus, P.; Abbadi, N.; Gilgenkrantz, S.

1994-04-15

Rett syndrome (RS) is a severe progressive neurological disorder occurring exclusively in females. Most cases are sporadic. The few familial cases (less than 1%) cannot be explained by a simple mode of inheritance. Several hypotheses have been proposed: X-linked male lethal mutation, maternal uniparental disomy, fresh mutation on the X chromosome, involvement of mitochondrial DNA and differential inactivation with metabolic interference of X-borne alleles. The authors have examined the pattern of X inactivation in 10 affected girls who were selected according to the clinical criteria previously described and accepted by the French Rett Scientific Committee. The X inactivation pattern wasmore » studied by analysis of methylation at the hypervariable locus DXS255 with the M27{beta} probe. The results show a more-or-less skewed inactivation of paternal X in 8 Rett females, and 2 cases of symmetrical inactivation. In control girls, inactivation was symmetrical cases and the maternal X has been preferentially inactivated in the other 2 cases. In no case was a total skewed inactivation observed. Though there was clear evidence for a preferential paternal X inactivation that was statistically significant further studies are necessary to establish a relationship between X inactivation pattern and Rett syndrome.« less

Study of the HFE gene common polymorphisms in French patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Praline, Julien; Blasco, Hélène; Vourc'h, Patrick; Rat, Valérian; Gendrot, Chantal; Camu, William; Andres, Christian R

2012-06-15

Our objective was to investigate whether the C282Y (p.Cys 282 Tyr) and H63D (p. His 63 Asp) HFE polymorphisms were associated with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) in the French population. We searched for a relation of HFE polymorphisms with the clinical characteristics of the disease. The HFE polymorphisms were studied in 824 patients with SALS and 583 controls. We compared the frequency of the polymorphisms between SALS and controls groups by univariate and multivariate statistics, taking into account gender, site, age-at-onset and survival. We did not observe significant difference in the frequency of H63D polymorphism between SALS and control group. We observed a significant difference for C282Y between patients and controls with a low frequency of the Y allele in patients (3.2%) compared to our control group (5.9%). Disease duration, distribution of gender, site-of-onset, age-at-onset did not differ between groups taking into account genotypes of each polymorphism. Our results in this large cohort of ALS patients indicate that H63D polymorphism is not associated with SALS in the French population. This conclusion does not exclude a weak effect of the HFE gene polymorphisms in certain ALS populations, or an effect of other rare HFE gene variants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Drinking Water - Multiple Languages

MedlinePlus

... dialect)) PDF Centers for Disease Control and Prevention French (français) Expand Section Keep Food and Water Safe After a Disaster or Emergency - English HTML Keep Food and Water Safe After a Disaster or Emergency - français (French) HTML Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Haitian ...

Evaluation of algorithms to identify incident cancer cases by using French health administrative databases.

PubMed

Ajrouche, Aya; Estellat, Candice; De Rycke, Yann; Tubach, Florence

2017-08-01

Administrative databases are increasingly being used in cancer observational studies. Identifying incident cancer in these databases is crucial. This study aimed to develop algorithms to estimate cancer incidence by using health administrative databases and to examine the accuracy of the algorithms in terms of national cancer incidence rates estimated from registries. We identified a cohort of 463 033 participants on 1 January 2012 in the Echantillon Généraliste des Bénéficiaires (EGB; a representative sample of the French healthcare insurance system). The EGB contains data on long-term chronic disease (LTD) status, reimbursed outpatient treatments and procedures, and hospitalizations (including discharge diagnoses, and costly medical procedures and drugs). After excluding cases of prevalent cancer, we applied 15 algorithms to estimate the cancer incidence rates separately for men and women in 2012 and compared them to the national cancer incidence rates estimated from French registries by indirect age and sex standardization. The most accurate algorithm for men combined information from LTD status, outpatient anticancer drugs, radiotherapy sessions and primary or related discharge diagnosis of cancer, although it underestimated the cancer incidence (standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 0.85 [0.80-0.90]). For women, the best algorithm used the same definition of the algorithm for men but restricted hospital discharge to only primary or related diagnosis with an additional inpatient procedure or drug reimbursement related to cancer and gave comparable estimates to those from registries (SIR 1.00 [0.94-1.06]). The algorithms proposed could be used for cancer incidence monitoring and for future etiological cancer studies involving French healthcare databases. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in illegal gold miners in French Guiana in 2015: a hidden but critical malaria reservoir.

PubMed

Douine, Maylis; Musset, Lise; Corlin, Florine; Pelleau, Stéphane; Pasquier, Jérémie; Mutricy, Louise; Adenis, Antoine; Djossou, Felix; Brousse, Paul; Perotti, Frédérique; Hiwat, Helene; Vreden, Stephen; Demar, Magalie; Nacher, Mathieu

2016-06-09

Malaria is endemic in French Guiana, an overseas territory of France on the Guiana Shield. Since 2005, notified malaria cases are decreasing. However, new data show that malaria affects many Brazilian gold miners working illegally in French Guiana, the majority of whom are not counted in official data. In addition, one major concern is the usual practice of improper self-treatment in this mining population, raising fear of the development of anti-malarial resistance. This prospective study, conducted in 2015, aimed to estimate the prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in illegal gold miners working in French Guiana. The recruitment of gold miners was carried out in resting sites along the French Guiana-Suriname border, where they go for supplies, medical care or leisure. After recording agreement, three malaria diagnostic methods were performed: rapid diagnostic test, microscopy and PCR. Among 421 persons recruited in the study, malaria prevalence, detected by nested-PCR, was 22.3 % (CI [18.3-26.3], n = 94/421) of which 84 % were asymptomatic. This significant malaria reservoir in a mobile and illegal population with difficult access to a health care system raises the threat of artemisinin resistance and puts the population of the Guiana Shield at risk of new transmission foci while countries of the region aim at malaria elimination. Even though French legislation may hamper dealing with this population, France must face the reality of malaria in illegal gold miners in order to meet its commitment to malaria elimination.

[History of malaria control in the French armed forces: from Algeria to the Macedonian front during the first World War].

PubMed

Migliani, R; Meynard, J-B; Milleliri, J-M; Verret, C; Rapp, C

2014-01-01

The French joint military health corps has long experience in malaria control. Many military physicians played an essential role in the 19th century: Maillot revolutionized malaria treatment by using quinine during the conquest of Algeria, and Laveran discovered the causal parasite (the genus Plasmodium) there. This experience continued under the direction of Laveran and the Sergent brothers on the eastern front in Greek Macedonia during World War I. The vast coordinated control plan established on this front from 1917 delivered the French infantrymen from malaria and led to victory over the Bulgarian forces, which capitulated in September 1918.

Infectious diseases related aeromedical evacuation of French soldiers in a level 4 military treatment facility: a ten year retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Rapp, C; Aoun, O; Ficko, C; Andriamanantena, D; Flateau, C

2014-01-01

Infectious diseases are a frequent cause of morbidity in French troops deployed abroad. They are usually minor in severity and managed by field practitioners. We aimed to describe the etiological spectrum of travel-related infections in French soldiers evacuated to a level 4 military treatment facility. We evaluated the diagnoses of all service members who were medically evacuated from abroad to our infectious diseases department from January 1, 2004 to October 30, 2013. One hundred and twenty five cases, median age 32 years were referred, 117 (94%) were male and 78 (62%) were from the Army. Main areas of deployment were Africa in 80 cases (64%), Afghanistan in 15 cases (12%), and French Guiana in 10 cases (8%). Median time between initial consultation and hospitalization in the reference center was 5 days (IQ 2-7 d). Thirty (24%) immediate aeromedical evacuations were carried out. The top five diagnoses were Plasmodium falciparum malaria (30), fever of unknown origin (15), cerebro-meningeal infections (10), invasive amebiasis (9), and HIV primary infections (9). Thirteen individuals were admitted in ICU. No death was recorded. Infectious diseases were a rare of cause of medevac. Most of them were preventable. Lethal etiologies were represented by malaria and cerebro-meningeal infections. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparative study of the characteristics of French fries produced by deep fat frying and air frying.

PubMed

Teruel, Maria del Rocio; Gordon, Michael; Linares, Maria Belen; Garrido, Maria Dolores; Ahromrit, Araya; Niranjan, Keshavan

2015-02-01

Air frying is being projected as an alternative to deep fat frying for producing snacks such as French fries. In air frying, the raw potato sections are essentially heated in hot air containing fine oil droplets, which dehydrates the potato and attempts to impart the characteristics of traditionally produced French fries, but with a substantially lower level of fat absorbed in the product. The aim of this research is to compare: (1) the process dynamics of air frying with conventional deep fat frying under otherwise similar operating conditions, and (2) the products formed by the 2 processes in terms of color, texture, microstructure, calorimetric properties, and sensory characteristics. Although, air frying produced products with a substantially lower fat content but with similar moisture contents and color characteristics, it required much longer processing times, typically 21 min in relation to 9 min in the case of deep fat frying. The slower evolution of temperature also resulted in lower rates of moisture loss and color development reactions. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies revealed that the extent of starch gelatinization was also lower in the case of air fried product. In addition, the 2 types of frying also resulted in products having significantly different texture and sensory characteristics. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

[Recommendations for inspections of the French nuclear safety authority].

PubMed

Rousse, C; Chauvet, B

2015-10-01

The French nuclear safety authority is responsible for the control of radiation protection in radiotherapy since 2002. Controls are based on the public health and the labour codes and on the procedures defined by the controlled health care facility for its quality and safety management system according to ASN decision No. 2008-DC-0103. Inspectors verify the adequacy of the quality and safety management procedures and their implementation, and select process steps on the basis of feedback from events notified to ASN. Topics of the inspection are communicated to the facility at the launch of a campaign, which enables them to anticipate the inspectors' expectations. In cases where they are not physicians, inspectors are not allowed to access information covered by medical confidentiality. The consulted documents must therefore be expunged of any patient-identifying information. Exchanges before the inspection are intended to facilitate the provision of documents that may be consulted. Finally, exchange slots between inspectors and the local professionals must be organized. Based on improvements achieved by the health care centres and on recommendations from a joint working group of radiotherapy professionals and the nuclear safety authority, changes will be made in the control procedure that will be implemented when developing the inspection program for 2016-2019. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier SAS.

[Late Becker's nevus. One hundred cases (author's transl)].

PubMed

Tymen, R; Forestier, J F; Boutet, B; Colomb, D

1981-01-01

The authors make a survey of a series of a hundred Becker's nevi diagnosed in a recruiting center of the French National Service. It is a statistic study bearing on the male population, aged 17 to 26, in a French region which is supposed to be representative of the French male population of the same age. First of all the authors focus on the various clinical descriptions since this nevus was first described by Becker in 1949, then discuss the problems raised by pathogenic interpretation and the results of microscopic studies. About this lesion, usually said to be pigmentary and hairy, and generally appearing before 20 years of age, is still very little known. Then after a short explanation of their method of study the authors give original results. A hundred Becker's nevi were diagnosed among 19,302 young men, that is to say in a proportion of 0.52 p. 100. A study of the racial, genetic and pigmentary background doesn't enable to retain general causes but rather leads to think of local causes. Half of these Becker's nevi appeared before ten years of age, the other half appearing between 10 and 20. In only one quarter of the cases can the role of the sun be pointed out. The location of the nevi is variable; they are mainly situated on the trunk and only 32 p. 100 of them are located above nipples, which was believed to be the usual place of the lesion. Pigmentation in three quarter of the cases is light brown. The average surface is 125 cm2. Hairs can be seen in only a little more than half of the cases of no lesion associated to the nevus could be found. The study points out that Becker's nevi seem to be more various in their clinical expression and more pigment than could be thought through more classical description.

Spatial variations in ambient ultrafine particle concentrations and the risk of incident prostate cancer: A case-control study.

PubMed

Weichenthal, Scott; Lavigne, Eric; Valois, Marie-France; Hatzopoulou, Marianne; Van Ryswyk, Keith; Shekarrizfard, Maryam; Villeneuve, Paul J; Goldberg, Mark S; Parent, Marie-Elise

2017-07-01

Diesel exhaust contains large numbers of ultrafine particles (UFPs, <0.1µm) and is a recognized human carcinogen. However, epidemiological studies have yet to evaluate the relationship between UFPs and cancer incidence. We conducted a case-control study of UFPs and incident prostate cancer in Montreal, Canada. Cases were identified from all main Francophone hospitals in the Montreal area between 2005 and 2009. Population controls were identified from provincial electoral lists of French Montreal residents and frequency-matched to cases using 5-year age groups. UFP exposures were estimated using a land use regression model. Exposures were assigned to residential locations at the time of diagnosis/recruitment as well as approximately 10-years earlier to consider potential latency between exposure and disease onset. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated per interquartile range (IQR) increase in UFPs (approximately 4000 particles/cm 3 ) using logistic regression models adjusting for individual-level and ecological covariates. Ambient UFP concentrations were associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (OR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.19) in fully adjusted models when exposures were assigned to residences 10-years prior to diagnosis. This risk estimate increased slightly (OR=1.17, 95% CI; 1.01, 1.35) when modeled as a non-linear natural spline function. A smaller increased risk (OR=1.04, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.11) was observed when exposures were assigned to residences at the time of diagnosis. Exposure to ambient UFPs may increase the risk of prostate cancer. Future studies are needed to replicate this finding as this is the first study to evaluate this relationship. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk factors for exudative age-related macular degeneration in a large French case-control study.

PubMed

Zerbib, Jennyfer; Delcourt, Cécile; Puche, Nathalie; Querques, Giuseppe; Cohen, Salomon Yves; Sahel, José; Korobelnik, Jean-François; Le Goff, Mélanie; Souied, Eric H

2014-06-01

The purpose of the CAP (Creteil AMD PHRC-funded) Study was to analyze risk factors of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a large French case-control population. One thousand and twenty-four patients with exudative AMD and 275 controls were recruited. Information about lifestyle, medical history, and dietary intake were collected. Associations of risk factors were estimated using logistic regression. After multivariate adjustment, CFH Y402H and ARMS2 A69S polymorphisms were associated with very high risk for exudative AMD (OR = 6.21 and OR = 11.7, respectively, p < 0.0001). Risk for exudative AMD was increased in current smokers (OR = 3.79, p = 0.0003) and former smokers having quitted since less than 20 years ago (OR = 2.30, p = 0.002), but not in former smokers having quitted since 20 years or more ago (OR = 0.81, p = 0.43). Heavy smokers (at least 25 pack-years) were particularly at risk (OR = 3.61, p < 0.0001). Use of cooking oils rich in omega 3 fatty acids was significantly associated with a reduced risk of exudative AMD (OR = 0.55, 95 % CI: 0.36-0.84, p = 0.006), as well as a high consumption of fruits (OR = 0.60, 95 % CI: 0.37-0.98, p = 0.04), but not the consumption of fish, vegetables or oils rich in omega 6. High waist circumference was associated with increased risk for exudative AMD (OR = 2.53, p < 0.0001), but not hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, or body mass index. The CAP Study confirms major genetic risk factors for exudative AMD. It further documents the high risk in heavy smokers and the long persistence of risk after smoking cessation, and the associations with waist circumference and fruit consumption. Furthermore, we observed an inverse correlation between AMD and cooking oils harboring a beneficial omega-3 fatty acid profile.

Engineer: The Professional Bulletin of Army Engineers. Volume 41. January-April 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-01

American, French and German. These were unfolded, and then ensued a long conference which included general in- structions and details for the...These maps, both Ger- man and French , would, in some cases, show traps and mines which did not exist but, more frequently, whole series of traps...Ignition Devices The staff officer had under his ar a great roll of aps, A erican, French and er an. These ere unfolded, and then ensued a long

Effectiveness and cost of quick diagnostic tests to determine tetanus immunity in patients with a wound in French emergency departments.

PubMed

N'Diaye, Dieynaba S; Schwarzinger, Michaël; Obach, Dorothée; Poissy, Julien; Matheron, Sophie; Casalino, Enrique; Yazdanpanah, Yazdan

2014-11-19

Tétanos Quick Stick® (TQS) is a test for tetanus immunity screening for wounded patients in emergency departments (EDs), but represents additional costs compared with a medical interview on vaccination history. The study objective was to assess the effectiveness and cost of the TQS in French EDs. We performed a model-based analysis that simulates screening of tetanus immunity and risk of tetanus based on prophylaxis administration. Strategies compared were: i) diagnosis of tetanus immunity by "TQS"; ii) "Medical Interview" (current practice). The study population was 1,658,000 French adults seeking ED care for a wound in 2012. Model parameters were estimated based on French national surveillance data, and published literature. Outcome measures were number of tetanus cases, life years gained and costs (2012 €) from a societal perspective. Use of TQS had negligible impact on health outcomes (0.02 tetanus cases/year in France vs. 0.41 for "Medical Interview"), but resulted in a decrease in annual costs of €2,203,000 (-42%). Base case and sub-group analysis showed that with the same effectiveness, the average cost per patient was: €13 with "Medical Interview" vs. €11.7 with TQS for the overall cohort; €28.9 with "Medical Interview" vs. €21 with "TQS" for tetanus-prone wounds; €15 with "Medical Interview" vs. €14.1 with "TQS" for patients aged ≥65 years; and €6.2 with "Medical Interview" vs. €7.8 with "TQS" for non-tetanus-prone wounds. Use of TQS is as effective and less costly than "Medical Interview" when applied in ED to wounded patients with tetanus-prone wounds or aged ≥65 years. However, it is more expensive in patients with non-tetanus-prone wounds.

Familial history of cancer and childhood acute leukemia: a French population-based case-control study.

PubMed

Ripert, Mahaut; Menegaux, Florence; Perel, Yves; Méchinaud, Françoise; Plouvier, Emmanuel; Gandemer, Virginie; Lutz, Patrick; Vannier, Jean-Pierre; Lamagnére, Jean-Pierre; Margueritte, Geneviève; Boutard, Patrick; Robert, Alain; Armari-Alla, Corinne; Munzer, Martine; Millot, Frédéric; de Lumley, Lionel; Berthou, Christian; Rialland, Xavier; Pautard, Brigitte; Clavel, Jacqueline

2007-10-01

A case-control study was conducted to investigate the role of a familial history of cancer in the etiology of childhood acute leukemia. The history of cancer in the relatives of 472 cases was compared with that of 567 population-based controls. Recruitment was frequency matched on age, sex and region. The familial history of cancer in each child's relatives was reported by the mother in response to a standardized self-administered questionnaire. A familial history of solid tumor in first or second-degree relatives was associated with an increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (odds ratio (OR)=1.6 [95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.1]), while a familial history of hematopoietic malignancies in first or second-degree relatives was associated with an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (OR=4.3 [1.4-13]). The ORs for the histories of cancer increased with the number of relatives with cancer (OR=1.5 [1.1-2.0] for one relative and OR=2.3 [1.3-3.8] for two relatives or more; Ptrend<0.0001). Significant associations between childhood acute leukemia and familial history of genital cancers and brain tumor were also observed (OR=2.7 [1.2-5.8] and OR=10.7 [1.3-86], respectively). This study supports the hypothesis that a familial history of cancer may play a role in the etiology of childhood acute leukemia. It also evidences some specific associations that require further investigation.

Individual Differences in Inhibitory Control Relate to Bilingual Spoken Word Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercier, Julie; Pivneva, Irina; Titone, Debra

2014-01-01

We investigated whether individual differences in inhibitory control relate to bilingual spoken word recognition. While their eye movements were monitored, native English and native French English-French bilinguals listened to English words (e.g., "field") and looked at pictures corresponding to the target, a within-language competitor…

Lost in translation? A multilingual Query Builder improves the quality of PubMed queries: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Schuers, Matthieu; Joulakian, Mher; Kerdelhué, Gaetan; Segas, Léa; Grosjean, Julien; Darmoni, Stéfan J; Griffon, Nicolas

2017-07-03

MEDLINE is the most widely used medical bibliographic database in the world. Most of its citations are in English and this can be an obstacle for some researchers to access the information the database contains. We created a multilingual query builder to facilitate access to the PubMed subset using a language other than English. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of this multilingual query builder on the quality of PubMed queries for non-native English speaking physicians and medical researchers. A randomised controlled study was conducted among French speaking general practice residents. We designed a multi-lingual query builder to facilitate information retrieval, based on available MeSH translations and providing users with both an interface and a controlled vocabulary in their own language. Participating residents were randomly allocated either the French or the English version of the query builder. They were asked to translate 12 short medical questions into MeSH queries. The main outcome was the quality of the query. Two librarians blind to the arm independently evaluated each query, using a modified published classification that differentiated eight types of errors. Twenty residents used the French version of the query builder and 22 used the English version. 492 queries were analysed. There were significantly more perfect queries in the French group vs. the English group (respectively 37.9% vs. 17.9%; p < 0.01). It took significantly more time for the members of the English group than the members of the French group to build each query, respectively 194 sec vs. 128 sec; p < 0.01. This multi-lingual query builder is an effective tool to improve the quality of PubMed queries in particular for researchers whose first language is not English.

Applications of the low-background gamma spectroscopy to the geographical origin of marine salts and prunes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Perrot, F.

The low background gamma spectroscopy has been applied to try to sign the geographical origin of the French atlantic marine salts and of the prunes from Agen. Most of the activity measurements have been done using low background Ge spectrometers located in Bordeaux. Results have shown that a clear signature exists in the case of the French atlantic salts using the 40K, 137Cs and 226Ra isotopes but not in the case of the prunes.

Yellow fever in two unvaccinated French tourists to Brazil, January and March, 2018.

PubMed

Oliosi, Emma; Serero Corcos, Chantal; Barroso, Paulo Feijo; Bleibtreu, Alexandre; Grard, Gilda; De Filippis, Bispo Ana Maria; Caumes, Eric

2018-05-01

We report two yellow fever cases in unvaccinated French travellers in Brazil in January and March 2018, respectively; one exposed during an excursion in Minas Gerais and the other in Ilha Grande. Both presented with fever, hepatitis, thrombocytopenia and leucopenia. Yellow fever diagnosis was based on RT-PCR and serological tests. Both patients recovered within a few days. The increasing occurrence of cases in unvaccinated travellers highlights the need to reinforce vaccination recommendation for travellers at-risk.

The DISAM Journal of International Security Assistance Management. Volume 30, Number 1, March 2008

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

annexation of a little patch of ground called Sudetenland? Or a French defeat at a place called Dien Bien Phu? Or the return of an obscure cleric to...chats on personal, non-work related subjects – including politics and religion. Family (children), sports, travel, and cuisine are safe...lieu of 2 standard forms can be approved on a case-by- forms or translated versions (Spanish, case basis. The request and forms French , etc.) need

Clinical features and prognosis of paraquat poisoning in French Guiana: A review of 62 cases.

PubMed

Elenga, Narcisse; Merlin, Caroline; Le Guern, Rémi; Kom-Tchameni, Rémi; Ducrot, Yves-Marie; Pradier, Maxime; Ntab, Balthazar; Dinh-Van, Kim-Anh; Sobesky, Milko; Mathieu, Daniel; Dueymes, Jean-Marc; Egmann, Gérald; Kallel, Hatem; Mathieu-Nolf, Monique

2018-04-01

Paraquat is a nonselective contact herbicide of great toxicological importance, being associated with high mortality rates. Because of its high toxicity, the European Union withdrew it from its market in 2007. The aim of this study is to analyze all cases of paraquat poisoning hospitalized in French Guiana in order to assess their incidence and main characteristics.Medical records of all paraquat intoxicated patients hospitalized from 2008 until 2015 were reviewed in this retrospective study.Demographics, clinical presentation, and laboratory data were evaluated.A total of 62 cases were reviewed. The incidence of paraquat poisoning was 3.8/100,000 inhabitants/year. There were 44 adults and 18 children younger than 16 years of age. The median ages were 31 years [18.08-75.25] in adults and 13.4 years [0.75-15.08] in children, respectively. The median duration of hospitalization was longer in children [15.5 days (1-24)] than in adults [2 days (1-30)], P < .01. The majority of cases was due to self-poisoning (84%).Children had ingested a lower quantity of paraquat [48.8 mg/kg (10-571.1)] than adults [595.8 mg/kg (6-3636.4), P = .03]. There were more deaths among adults (65%) than in children (22%), P = .004. The severity and outcome was determined primarily by the amount of paraquat ingested.In conclusion, French Guiana has the largest cohort of paraquat poisonings in the European Union. The major factor affecting the prognosis of patients was the ingested amount of paraquat. The administration of activated charcoal or Pemba, in situ, within the first hour after ingestion of paraquat is essential.

[Epilepsy and personality study among the Tamberma of Togo based on a general population survey using the Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory].

PubMed

Nubukpo, P; Grunitzky, E K; Pélissolo, A; Radji, A; Preux, P M; Clément, J P

2006-01-01

There are many studies focusing on personality disorders of the patients with epilepsy in developed countries, using different methods. Such investigations with standardised tools like personality questionnaires lack in African populations in general and among the number of epileptic patients who have important psychosocial problems. In Togo, epilepsy still remains a shameful and contagious disease that leads often unfortunately to a "social death". The number of epileptic patients in this country is estimated around 45,000 and 90,000 and the situation is worst in some areas of the country like in Nadoba, chef-lieu of the Tamberma region where lives an homogenous and stable population that has kept its tradition. This study was aimed to show the probable existence of specific personality disorder among the epileptics in Nadoba; 34 epileptics and 34 controls chosen among the closest relatives (parents or co-tenants) matched by age (more or less than ten years old) and sex have been interviewed using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) of Cloninger et al., in its French version validated by Pélissolo and Lépine. The TCI is a self addressed questionnaire that has 226 items with dichotomous and forced answer (true or false) that explores 7 dimensions of personality, 4 concerning temperament and 3 concerning character. Regarding psychometric aspects, the TCI has the particularity to gather together, in a unique tool, the exploration of two complementary dimensions: temperament rather conditional and character that has been acquired. The scores of character allow to differentiate the subjects having a good level of adaptation (high scores, about 100%), from those who, because of an individual fragility, adapt themselves less well (low scores). The temperament profile is used on a second approach to locate the personality disorders, taking into account probable deviations. People participating in this study were also interviewed with the Goldberg anxiety and depression scale. For the statistical analysis, the comparison of means was achieved through bilateral Student't-test. A significance threshold of 0.05 has been used for the analysis. Concerning the results, 67 questionnaires have been selected from 33 epileptics (3 men and 30 women), mean age 29.3 years+/-8.1 and 34 controls (4 men and 30 women), mean age 30.6 years+/-5.6. The average scores obtained from the different items of the TCI scale are summarised in chart 1. The comparison of average scores obtained at each item, sub-dimension and dimension of the TCI, did not show any significant difference between cases and controls. However cases were significantly different from controls (P<0.001) on average Goldberg's anxiety scores (4.6+/-1.5 and 2.6+/-1.3) and depression (4.4+/-2.2 and 0.8+/-0.8). The average scores obtained in France in the course of the normative study in general population were rather different. The validation study of the French version of TCI showed differences with the population of North America, suggesting inter cultural differences while evaluating the personality and the necessity of using specific norms during each new translation of the instrument. However, the valued in the French-speaking populations (Belgium, Swiss, Lebanon) are in general very close to the French values. The character and behavioural disorders among are of interest and the difficulty in evaluating the part of hysteria in the manifestation of exhibiting pseudo-seizure of epilepsy is also underlined. This question is raised in Nadoba in women, called "Odueri" or "the women that fall", a particular form of tonico-clonic fits observed in that cultural setting. Is it a question of real epileptic seizure or are these phenomena a kind of trance? This investigation of the Tamberma in Togo urges to set up psychometric studies to define local norms. It also suggests the possible existence of personality traits specific to the "women that fall" but these aspects require further developments.

Monetizing French Distance Education: A Field Enquiry on Higher Education Value(s)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olivier, Marty

2014-01-01

A field enquiry in French distance education allows us to analyze the evolution of a specific institution towards new public management: Parallel to a trend of free courseware and open education, there is a paradoxical reality of distance education monetization. Whereas history shows how traditional French education is a state controlled public…

Primary Schoolteachers in Nineteenth-Century France: A Study of Professionalization through Conflict.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyers, Peter V.

1985-01-01

Many researchers believe that professional development derives from power struggles. This case study shows that the professionalization of nineteenth-century secular French primary school teachers was generated by the interplay between teachers and other participants--particularly the Catholic church, families, and the state--in the funding and…

Development of Abstract Grammatical Categorization in Infants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cyr, Marilyn; Shi, Rushen

2013-01-01

This study examined abstract syntactic categorization in infants, using the case of grammatical gender. Ninety-six French-learning 14-, 17-, 20-, and 30-month-olds completed the study. In a preferential looking procedure infants were tested on their generalized knowledge of grammatical gender involving pseudonouns and gender-marking determiners.…

Comparative "Glocal" Perspectives on European Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caena, Francesca

2014-01-01

This article reports the findings of a PhD study, which offers comparative perspectives on teacher education in a period of reforms, inquiring into stakeholders' perceptions in English, French, Italian and Spanish contexts as case studies. The interaction of needs and constraints in European initial teacher education within higher education…

Verbal and Nonverbal Cognitive Control in Bilinguals and Interpreters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woumans, Evy; Ceuleers, Evy; Van der Linden, Lize; Szmalec, Arnaud; Duyck, Wouter

2015-01-01

The present study explored the relation between language control and nonverbal cognitive control in different bilingual populations. We compared monolinguals, Dutch-French unbalanced bilinguals, balanced bilinguals, and interpreters on the Simon task (Simon & Rudell, 1967) and the Attention Network Test (ANT; Fan, McCandliss, Sommer, Raz,…

Euthanasia in Belgium: trends in reported cases between 2003 and 2013.

PubMed

Dierickx, Sigrid; Deliens, Luc; Cohen, Joachim; Chambaere, Kenneth

2016-11-01

In 2002, the Belgian Act on Euthanasia came into effect, regulating the intentional ending of life by a physician at the patient's explicit request. We undertook this study to describe trends in officially reported euthanasia cases in Belgium with regard to patients' sociodemographic and clinical profiles, as well as decision-making and performance characteristics. We used the database of all euthanasia cases reported to the Federal Control and Evaluation Committee on Euthanasia in Belgium between Jan. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2013 (n = 8752). The committee collected these data with a standardized registration form. We analyzed trends in patient, decision-making and performance characteristics using a χ 2 technique. We also compared and analyzed trends for cases reported in Dutch and in French. The number of reported euthanasia cases increased every year, from 235 (0.2% of all deaths) in 2003 to 1807 (1.7% of all deaths) in 2013. The rate of euthanasia increased significantly among those aged 80 years or older, those who died in a nursing home, those with a disease other than cancer and those not expected to die in the near future (p < 0.001 for all increases). Reported cases in 2013 most often concerned those with cancer (68.7%) and those under 80 years (65.0%). Palliative care teams were increasingly often consulted about euthanasia requests, beyond the legal requirements to do so (p < 0.001). Among cases reported in Dutch, the proportion in which the person was expected to die in the foreseeable future decreased from 93.9% in 2003 to 84.1% in 2013, and palliative care teams were increasingly consulted about the euthanasia request (from 34.0% in 2003 to 42.6% in 2013). These trends were not significant for cases reported in French. Since legalization of euthanasia in Belgium, the number of reported cases has increased each year. Most of those receiving euthanasia were younger than 80 years and were dying of cancer. Given the increases observed among non-terminally ill and older patients, this analysis shows the importance of detailed monitoring of developments in euthanasia practice. © 2016 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors.

Euthanasia in Belgium: trends in reported cases between 2003 and 2013

PubMed Central

Dierickx, Sigrid; Deliens, Luc; Cohen, Joachim; Chambaere, Kenneth

2016-01-01

Background: In 2002, the Belgian Act on Euthanasia came into effect, regulating the intentional ending of life by a physician at the patient’s explicit request. We undertook this study to describe trends in officially reported euthanasia cases in Belgium with regard to patients’ sociodemographic and clinical profiles, as well as decision-making and performance characteristics. Methods: We used the database of all euthanasia cases reported to the Federal Control and Evaluation Committee on Euthanasia in Belgium between Jan. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2013 (n = 8752). The committee collected these data with a standardized registration form. We analyzed trends in patient, decision-making and performance characteristics using a χ2 technique. We also compared and analyzed trends for cases reported in Dutch and in French. Results: The number of reported euthanasia cases increased every year, from 235 (0.2% of all deaths) in 2003 to 1807 (1.7% of all deaths) in 2013. The rate of euthanasia increased significantly among those aged 80 years or older, those who died in a nursing home, those with a disease other than cancer and those not expected to die in the near future (p < 0.001 for all increases). Reported cases in 2013 most often concerned those with cancer (68.7%) and those under 80 years (65.0%). Palliative care teams were increasingly often consulted about euthanasia requests, beyond the legal requirements to do so (p < 0.001). Among cases reported in Dutch, the proportion in which the person was expected to die in the foreseeable future decreased from 93.9% in 2003 to 84.1% in 2013, and palliative care teams were increasingly consulted about the euthanasia request (from 34.0% in 2003 to 42.6% in 2013). These trends were not significant for cases reported in French. Interpretation: Since legalization of euthanasia in Belgium, the number of reported cases has increased each year. Most of those receiving euthanasia were younger than 80 years and were dying of cancer. Given the increases observed among non–terminally ill and older patients, this analysis shows the importance of detailed monitoring of developments in euthanasia practice. PMID:27620630

A large outbreak of scombroid fish poisoning associated with eating yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) at a military mass catering in Dakar, Senegal.

PubMed

Demoncheaux, J-P; Michel, R; Mazenot, C; Duflos, G; Iacini, C; de Laval, F; Delaval, F; Saware, E M; Renard, J-C

2012-06-01

On 26 November 2010, an outbreak of scombroid fish poisoning occurred in the French Armed Forces in Dakar, Senegal. This chemical intoxication, due to high histamine concentration in fish, is often mistaken for an allergic reaction. A case-control study was undertaken including the 71 cases and 78 randomly selected controls among lunch attendees. The usual symptoms for scombroid fish poisoning were observed in cases, i.e. flushing (85.9%), headache (83.1%), rapid/weak pulse (59.1%) and diarrhoea (47.9%). Symptoms occurred from within a few minutes to up to 3 h following the meal. Most patients quickly recovered with antihistamine and/or symptomatic treatment. Tuna was the only food item positively associated with illness (odds ratio 36.3, 95% confidence interval 6.3-210.0), with the risk of illness increasing with the quantity of fish consumed. No bacterial contamination was found in leftover food, but histamine concentration in tuna was found to be 4900 mg/kg, almost 50-fold higher than the concentration allowed by European regulations. This report is unique because of the large size of the case series - to our knowledge, the largest event of scombroid fish poisoning ever reported - and the chemical and bacteriological analyses results obtained on leftover food.

Internet Resources: Using Web Pages in Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dale, Jack

1999-01-01

Contends that students in social studies classes can utilize Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) as a presentation and collaborative tool by developing websites. Presents two activities where students submitted webpages for country case studies and created a timeline for the French Revolution. Describes how to use HTML by discussing the various tags.…

Association of Parkinson's Disease and Its Subtypes with Agricultural Pesticide Exposures in Men: A Case-Control Study in France.

PubMed

Moisan, Frédéric; Spinosi, Johan; Delabre, Laurène; Gourlet, Véronique; Mazurie, Jean-Louis; Bénatru, Isabelle; Goldberg, Marcel; Weisskopf, Marc G; Imbernon, Ellen; Tzourio, Christophe; Elbaz, Alexis

2015-11-01

Pesticides have been associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), but there are few data on important exposure characteristics such as dose-effect relations. It is unknown whether associations depend on clinical PD subtypes. We examined quantitative aspects of occupational pesticide exposure associated with PD and investigated whether associations were similar across PD subtypes. As part of a French population-based case-control study including men enrolled in the health insurance plan for farmers and agricultural workers, cases with clinically confirmed PD were identified through antiparkinsonian drug claims. Two controls were matched to each case. Using a comprehensive occupational questionnaire, we computed indicators for different dimensions of exposure (duration, cumulative exposure, intensity). We used conditional logistic regression to compute odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) among exposed male farmers (133 cases, 298 controls). We examined the relation between pesticides and PD subtypes (tremor dominant/non-tremor dominant) using polytomous logistic regression. There appeared to be a stronger association with intensity than duration of pesticide exposure based on separate models, as well as a synergistic interaction between duration and intensity (p-interaction = 0.04). High-intensity exposure to insecticides was positively associated with PD among those with low-intensity exposure to fungicides and vice versa, suggesting independent effects. Pesticide exposure in farms that specialized in vineyards was associated with PD (OR = 2.56; 95% CI: 1.31, 4.98). The association with intensity of pesticide use was stronger, although not significantly (p-heterogeneity = 0.60), for tremor-dominant (p-trend < 0.01) than for non-tremor-dominant PD (p-trend = 0.24). This study helps to better characterize different aspects of pesticide exposure associated with PD, and shows a significant association of pesticides with tremor-dominant PD in men, the most typical PD presentation. Moisan F, Spinosi J, Delabre L, Gourlet V, Mazurie JL, Bénatru I, Goldberg M, Weisskopf MG, Imbernon E, Tzourio C, Elbaz A. 2015. Association of Parkinson's disease and its subtypes with agricultural pesticide exposures in men: a case-control study in France. Environ Health Perspect 123:1123-1129; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1307970.

Zika emergence in the French Territories of America and description of first confirmed cases of Zika virus infection on Martinique, November 2015 to February 2016.

PubMed

Daudens-Vaysse, Elise; Ledrans, Martine; Gay, Noellie; Ardillon, Vanessa; Cassadou, Sylvie; Najioullah, Fatiha; Leparc-Goffart, Isabelle; Rousset, Dominique; Herrmann, Cécile; Cesaire, Raymond; Maquart, Marianne; Flusin, Olivier; Matheus, Séverine; Huc-Anaïs, Patricia; Jaubert, Josiane; Criquet-Hayot, Anne; Hoen, Bruno; Djossou, Felix; Locatelli-Jouans, Corinne; Blateau, Alain; McKenzie, Anne-Marie; Melin, Mathilde; Saint-Martin, Patrick; Dorléans, Frédérique; Suivant, Claudine; Carvalho, Luisiane; Petit-Sinturel, Marion; Andrieu, Audrey; Noël, Harold; Septfons, Alexandra; Gallay, Anne; Paty, Marie-Claire; Filleul, Laurent; Cabié, André

2016-07-14

Following of the emergence of Zika virus in Brazil in 2015, an epidemiological surveillance system was quickly implemented in the French overseas Territories of America (FTA) according to previous experience with dengue and chikungunya and has detected first cases of Zika. General practitioners and medical microbiologists were invited to report all clinically suspected cases of Zika, laboratory investigations were systematically conducted (RT-PCR). On 18 December, the first autochthonous case of Zika virus infection was confirmed by RT-PCR on French Guiana and Martinique, indicating introduction of Zika virus in FTA. The viral circulation of Zika virus was then also confirmed on Guadeloupe and Saint-Martin. We report here early findings on 203 confirmed cases of Zika virus infection identified by RT-PCR or seroneutralisation on Martinique Island between 24 November 2015 and 20 January 2016. All cases were investigated. Common clinical signs were observed (maculopapular rash, arthralgia, fever, myalgia and conjunctival hyperaemia) among these patients, but the rash, the foundation of our case definition, may be absent in a significant proportion of patients (16%). These results are important for the implementation of a suspected case definition, the main tool for epidemiological surveillance, in territories that may be affected by ZIKV emergence, including Europe. This article is copyright of The Authors, 2016.

Pierre-Joseph Macquer: Chemistry in the French Enlightenment.

PubMed

Lehman, Christine

2014-01-01

Despite recent studies of chemistry courses and of academic research at the beginning of the eighteenth century, the perception of chemistry in the French Enlightenment has often been overshadowed by Lavoisier's works. This article proposes three specific case studies selected from Pierre Joseph Macquer's (1718-84) rich career to show the continuous evolution of chemistry throughout the century: medicinal chemistry through the application of the Comte de La Garaye's metallic salt solutions, the emergence of industrial chemistry through a few of Macquer's evaluations at the Bureau du Commerce, and finally communal academic research through the experiments on diamonds using Tschirnhaus's lens. These examples attempt to illustrate the innovative, creative, dynamic, multicultural, and multifaceted chemistry of the Enlightenment.

Current French system of post-marketing drug surveillance.

PubMed

Albengres, E; Gauthier, F; Tillement, J P

1990-07-01

The French system of drug surveillance is characterized by several original features: thirty regional centres are selected to cover all of France to collect, analyze and enter the adverse drug events in the national data bank. The system is based on a bank of well documented files submitted to a decision of imputation; the report of severe events by prescribers is mandatory; cases are collected either by spontaneous reporting (routine) or by direct request (intensive validation study); the system is being involved in studies of epidemiological type as carried out by the national system of health or a few societies of medicine as well as by the centres themselves in cooperative works on defined populations.

[Why is it difficult to implement biomedical policy? the case of the Cancéropôles, the French cancer organizations].

PubMed

Vézian, Audrey

2014-01-01

This article examines the new organizations in cancer research in France called cancéropôles and created in 2003, whose mission is to coordinate actors from industry, research and clinical fields. Our research is based on a study of cancéropôles which embraces an evolutionary perspective on cluster formation and development. Our analysis reveals that although clear differences exist between them, our sample of the three established Cancéropôles display similar patterns of unsuccessful cases. Eventually, the identification of mechanisms that reduce their action in the cancer research environment raises questions about the factors that may influence any public action to a reconfiguration of the French biomedical sector. © 2014 médecine/sciences – Inserm.

A new data management system for the French National Registry of human alveolar echinococcosis cases.

PubMed

Charbonnier, Amandine; Knapp, Jenny; Demonmerot, Florent; Bresson-Hadni, Solange; Raoul, Francis; Grenouillet, Frédéric; Millon, Laurence; Vuitton, Dominique Angèle; Damy, Sylvie

2014-01-01

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is an endemic zoonosis in France due to the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis. The French National Reference Centre for Alveolar Echinococcosis (CNR-EA), connected to the FrancEchino network, is responsible for recording all AE cases diagnosed in France. Administrative, epidemiological and medical information on the French AE cases may currently be considered exhaustive only on the diagnosis time. To constitute a reference data set, an information system (IS) was developed thanks to a relational database management system (MySQL language). The current data set will evolve towards a dynamic surveillance system, including follow-up data (e.g. imaging, serology) and will be connected to environmental and parasitological data relative to E. multilocularis to better understand the pathogen transmission pathway. A particularly important goal is the possible interoperability of the IS with similar European and other databases abroad; this new IS could play a supporting role in the creation of new AE registries. © A. Charbonnier et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2014.

A new data management system for the French National Registry of human alveolar echinococcosis cases

PubMed Central

Charbonnier, Amandine; Knapp, Jenny; Demonmerot, Florent; Bresson-Hadni, Solange; Raoul, Francis; Grenouillet, Frédéric; Millon, Laurence; Vuitton, Dominique Angèle; Damy, Sylvie

2014-01-01

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is an endemic zoonosis in France due to the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis. The French National Reference Centre for Alveolar Echinococcosis (CNR-EA), connected to the FrancEchino network, is responsible for recording all AE cases diagnosed in France. Administrative, epidemiological and medical information on the French AE cases may currently be considered exhaustive only on the diagnosis time. To constitute a reference data set, an information system (IS) was developed thanks to a relational database management system (MySQL language). The current data set will evolve towards a dynamic surveillance system, including follow-up data (e.g. imaging, serology) and will be connected to environmental and parasitological data relative to E. multilocularis to better understand the pathogen transmission pathway. A particularly important goal is the possible interoperability of the IS with similar European and other databases abroad; this new IS could play a supporting role in the creation of new AE registries. PMID:25526544

Using serological studies to reconstruct the history of bluetongue epidemic in French cattle under successive vaccination campaigns.

PubMed

Courtejoie, Noémie; Salje, Henrik; Durand, Benoît; Zanella, Gina; Cauchemez, Simon

2018-05-17

Bluetongue virus is a vector-borne pathogen affecting ruminants that has caused major epidemics in France. Reconstructing the history of bluetongue in French cattle under control strategies such as vaccination has been hampered by the high level of sub-clinical infection, incomplete case data and poor understanding of vaccine uptake over time and space. To tackle these challenges, we used three age-structured serological surveys carried out in cattle (N = 22,342) from ten administrative subdivisions called departments. We fitted catalytic models within a Bayesian MCMC framework to reconstruct the force of seroconversion from infection or vaccination, and the population-level susceptibility per semester between 2007 and 2016. In the departments of the study area, we estimated that 36% of cattle had been infected prior to vaccine rollout that became compulsory from July 2008. The last outbreak case was notified in December 2009, at which time 83% of the animals were seropositive, under the cumulative effect of vaccination and infection. The probability of seroconversion per semester dropped below 10% after 2010 when vaccination became optional. Vaccine uptake was smaller during the 2012 campaign than during the one in 2011, with strong regional contrasts. Eighty four percent of cattle were susceptible when bluetongue re-emerged in 2015. Thus, serological surveys can be used to estimate vaccine uptake and the magnitude of infection, the relative effect of which can sometimes be inferred using prior knowledge on reported incidence and vaccination dates. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Food Safety - Multiple Languages

MedlinePlus

... dialect)) PDF Centers for Disease Control and Prevention French (français) Expand Section Keep Food and Water Safe After a Disaster or Emergency - ... Water Safe After a Disaster or Emergency - français (French) HTML ... Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Haitian Creole (Kreyol ayisyen) Expand Section Keep Food and Water Safe After a Disaster or Emergency - ...

[Feasibility and relevance of an operating room safety checklist for developing countries: Study in a French hospital in Djibouti].

PubMed

Becret, A; Clapson, P; Andro, C; Chapelier, X; Gauthier, J; Kaiser, E

2013-01-01

The use of the World Health Organization surgical safety checklist, mandatory in operating rooms (OR) in France, significantly reduces morbidity and mortality. Our objective was to evaluate the use of this checklist in the OR of a French military hospital in Djibouti (Horn of Africa). The study was performed in three stages: a retrospective evaluation of the checklist use over the previous two months, to assess the utilization and completeness rates; provision of information to the OR staff; and thereafter, prospective evaluation for a one-month period of checklist use, the reasons for non-compliance, and the cases in which the checklist identified errors and thus prevented serious adverse events. The initial utilization rate was 49%, with only 24% complete. After staff training and during the study these rates reached 100% and 99%. The staff encountered language difficulties in 53% of cases, and an interpreter was available for 81% of them. The capacity of the surgical safety checklist to detect serious adverse events was highlighted. The utilization and completeness rates were initially worse than those observed in metropolitan French ORs, but a simple staff information program was rapidly effective. Language difficulties are frequent but an interpreter is often available, unlike in developed countries where language problems are uncommon and the availability of interpreters difficult. Moreover, this study illustrates the ability of the checklist to detect and therefore prevent potentially serious adverse events.

Half-century archives of occupational medical data on French nuclear workers: a dusty warehouse or gold mine for epidemiological research?

PubMed

Garsi, Jerome-Philippe; Samson, Eric; Chablais, Laetitia; Zhivin, Sergey; Niogret, Christine; Laurier, Dominique; Guseva Canu, Irina

2014-12-01

This article discusses the availability and completeness of medical data on workers from the AREVA NC Pierrelatte nuclear plant and their possible use in epidemiological research on cardiovascular and metabolic disorders related to internal exposure to uranium. We created a computer database from files on 394 eligible workers included in an ongoing nested case-control study from a larger cohort of 2897 French nuclear workers. For each worker, we collected records of previous employment, job positions, job descriptions, medical visits, and blood test results from medical history. The dataset counts 9,471 medical examinations and 12,735 blood test results. For almost all of the parameters relevant for research on cardiovascular risk, data completeness and availability is over 90%, but it varies with time and improves in the latest time period. In the absence of biobanks, collecting and computerising available good-quality occupational medicine archive data constitutes a valuable alternative for epidemiological and aetiological research in occupational health. Biobanks rarely contain biological samples over an entire worker's carrier and medical data from nuclear industry archives might make up for unavailable biomarkers that could provide information on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys and image analysis in the study of large surface-associated marine species: a case study on reef sharks Carcharhinus melanopterus shoaling behaviour.

PubMed

Rieucau, G; Kiszka, J J; Castillo, J C; Mourier, J; Boswell, K M; Heithaus, M R

2018-06-01

A novel image analysis-based technique applied to unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) survey data is described to detect and locate individual free-ranging sharks within aggregations. The method allows rapid collection of data and quantification of fine-scale swimming and collective patterns of sharks. We demonstrate the usefulness of this technique in a small-scale case study exploring the shoaling tendencies of blacktip reef sharks Carcharhinus melanopterus in a large lagoon within Moorea, French Polynesia. Using our approach, we found that C. melanopterus displayed increased alignment with shoal companions when distributed over a sandflat where they are regularly fed for ecotourism purposes as compared with when they shoaled in a deeper adjacent channel. Our case study highlights the potential of a relatively low-cost method that combines UAV survey data and image analysis to detect differences in shoaling patterns of free-ranging sharks in shallow habitats. This approach offers an alternative to current techniques commonly used in controlled settings that require time-consuming post-processing effort. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Profiling and classification of French propolis by combined multivariate data analysis of planar chromatograms and scanning direct analysis in real time mass spectra.

PubMed

Chasset, Thibaut; Häbe, Tim T; Ristivojevic, Petar; Morlock, Gertrud E

2016-09-23

Quality control of propolis is challenging, as it is a complex natural mixture of compounds, and thus, very difficult to analyze and standardize. Shown on the example of 30 French propolis samples, a strategy for an improved quality control was demonstrated in which high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprints were evaluated in combination with selected mass signals obtained by desorption-based scanning mass spectrometry (MS). The French propolis sample extracts were separated by a newly developed reversed phase (RP)-HPTLC method. The fingerprints obtained by two different detection modes, i.e. after (1) derivatization and fluorescence detection (FLD) at UV 366nm and (2) scanning direct analysis in real time (DART)-MS, were analyzed by multivariate data analysis. Thus, RP-HPTLC-FLD and RP-HPTLC-DART-MS fingerprints were explored and the best classification was obtained using both methods in combination with pattern recognition techniques, such as principal component analysis. All investigated French propolis samples were divided in two types and characteristic patterns were observed. Phenolic compounds such as caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, chrysin, pinobanksin, pinobanksin-3-acetate, galangin, kaempferol, tectochrysin and pinocembrin were identified as characteristic marker compounds of French propolis samples. This study expanded the research on the European poplar type of propolis and confirmed the presence of two botanically different types of propolis, known as the blue and orange types. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surveillance and control of rabies in La Reunion, Mayotte, and Madagascar

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Mayotte and La Reunion islands are currently free of animal rabies and surveillance is performed by the French Human and Veterinary Public Health Services. However, dog rabies is still enzootic in Madagascar with 4 to 10 confirmed human cases each year. The number of antirabies medical centres in Madagascar is still scarce to provide easy access to the local population for post-exposure rabies prophylaxis. Furthermore, stray dog populations are considerable and attempts to control rabies by mass campaigns of dog vaccination have not received sufficient attention from the national health authorities. To address these challenges, an expanded program to control rabies needs to be initiated by the Malagasy authorities. PMID:24016204

Are immigrants and nationals born to immigrants at higher risk for delayed or no lifetime breast and cervical cancer screening? The results from a population-based survey in Paris metropolitan area in 2010.

PubMed

Rondet, Claire; Lapostolle, Annabelle; Soler, Marion; Grillo, Francesca; Parizot, Isabelle; Chauvin, Pierre

2014-01-01

This study aims to compare breast cancer screening (BCS) and cervical cancer screening (CCS) practices of French women born to French parents with those of immigrants and nationals born to immigrants, taking their socioeconomic status into account. The study is based on data collected in 2010 in the Paris metropolitan area among a representative sample of 3000 French-speaking adults. For women with no history of breast or cervical cancer, multivariate logistic regressions and structural equation models were used to investigate the factors associated with never having undergone BCS or CCS. We confirmed the existence of a strong gradient, with respect to migration origin, for delaying or never having undergone BCS or CCS. Thus, being a foreign immigrant or being French of immigrant parentage were risk factors for delayed and no lifetime screening. Interestingly, we found that this gradient persisted (at least partially) after adjusting for the women's socioeconomic characteristics. Only the level of income seemed to play a mediating role, but only partially. We observed differences between BCS and CCS which suggest that organized CCS could be effective in reducing socioeconomic and/or ethnic inequities. Socioeconomic status partially explained the screening nonparticipation on the part of French women of immigrant origin and foreign immigrants. This was more so the case with CCS than with BCS, which suggests that organized prevention programs might reduce social inequalities.

Gold-rush in a forested El Dorado: deforestation leakages and the need for regional cooperation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dezécache, Camille; Faure, Emmanuel; Gond, Valéry; Salles, Jean-Michel; Vieilledent, Ghislain; Hérault, Bruno

2017-03-01

Tropical forests of the Guiana Shield are the most affected by gold-mining in South America, experiencing an exponential increase in deforestation since the early 2000’s. Using yearly deforestation data encompassing Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and the Brazilian State of Amapá, we demonstrated a strong relationship between deforestation due to gold-mining and gold-prices at the regional scale. In order to assess additional drivers of deforestation due to gold-mining, we focused on the national scale and highlighted the heterogeneity of the response to gold-prices under different political contexts. Deforestation due to gold-mining over the Guiana Shield occurs mainly in Guyana and Suriname. On the contrary, past and current repressive policies in Amapá and French Guiana likely contribute to the decorrelation of deforestation and gold prices. In this work, we finally present a case study focusing on French Guiana and Suriname, two neighbouring countries with very different levels of law enforcement against illegal gold-mining. We developed a modelling framework to estimate potential deforestation leakages from French Guiana to Suriname in the border areas. Based on our assumptions, we estimated a decrease in deforestation due to gold-mining of approx. 4300 hectares in French Guiana and an increase of approx. 12 100 hectares in Suriname in response to the active military repression of illegal gold-mining launched in French Guiana. Gold-mining in the Guiana Shield provides challenging questions regarding REDD+ implementation. These questions are discussed at the end of this study and are important to policy makers who need to provide sustainable alternative employment to local populations in order to ensure the effectiveness of environmental policies.

French immersion experience and reading skill development in at-risk readers.

PubMed

Kruk, Richard S; Reynolds, Kristin A A

2012-06-01

We tracked the developmental influences of exposure to French on developing English phonological awareness, decoding and reading comprehension of English-speaking at-risk readers from Grade 1 to Grade 3. Teacher-nominated at-risk readers were matched with not-at-risk readers in French immersion and English language programs. Exposure to spoken French phonetic and syllabic forms and to written French orthographic and morphological forms by children attending French immersion programs was expected to promote phonological, decoding and reading comprehension achievement. Growth in all outcomes was found, with children in immersion experiencing higher final status in phonological awareness and more rapid growth and higher final status in decoding, using multilevel modeling. At-risk readers in French immersion experienced faster growth and higher final status in reading comprehension. Benefits to reading of exposure to an additional language are discussed in relation to cross-language transfer, phonological grain size and enhanced executive control processes.

Automated detection of case clusters of waterborne acute gastroenteritis from health insurance data - pilot study in three French districts.

PubMed

Rambaud, Loïc; Galey, Catherine; Beaudeau, Pascal

2016-04-01

This pilot study was conducted to assess the utility of using a health insurance database for the automated detection of waterborne outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis (AGE). The weekly number of AGE cases for which the patient consulted a doctor (cAGE) was derived from this database for 1,543 towns in three French districts during the 2009-2012 period. The method we used is based on a spatial comparison of incidence rates and of their time trends between the target town and the district. Each municipality was tested, week by week, for the entire study period. Overall, 193 clusters were identified, 10% of the municipalities were involved in at least one cluster and less than 2% in several. We can infer that nationwide more than 1,000 clusters involving 30,000 cases of cAGE each year may be linked to tap water. The clusters discovered with this automated detection system will be reported to local operators for investigation of the situations at highest risk. This method will be compared with others before automated detection is implemented on a national level.

Impact of orthographic transparency on typical and atypical reading development: evidence in French-Spanish bilingual children.

PubMed

Lallier, Marie; Valdois, Sylviane; Lassus-Sangosse, Delphine; Prado, Chloé; Kandel, Sonia

2014-05-01

The present study aimed to quantify cross-linguistic modulations of the contribution of phonemic awareness skills and visual attention span (VA Span) skills (number of visual elements that can be processed simultaneously) to reading speed and accuracy in 18 Spanish-French balanced bilingual children with and without developmental dyslexia. The children were administered two similar reading batteries in French and Spanish. The deficits of the dyslexic children in reading accuracy were mainly visible in their opaque orthography (French) whereas difficulties indexed by reading speed were observed in both their opaque and transparent orthographies. Dyslexic children did not exhibit any phonemic awareness problems in French or in Spanish, but showed poor VA Span skills compared to their control peers. VA span skills correlated with reading accuracy and speed measures in both Spanish and French, whereas phonemic awareness correlated with reading accuracy only. Overall, the present results show that the VA Span is tightly related to reading speed regardless of orthographic transparency, and that it accounts for differences in reading performance between good and poor readers across languages. The present findings further suggest that VA Span skills may play a particularly important role in building-up specific word knowledge which is critical for lexical reading strategies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"La Chanson de Roland" in the Elementary School Classroom: A Case for Medieval Literature and Young Language Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petry, Karla L.

1981-01-01

Describes successful experiment in teaching of medieval literature to elementary French language classes in the Cincinnati public schools. Purpose was to strengthen linguistic awareness and expand social studies unit on medieval France. (BK)

Normal and Inverse Ferrite Spinels: A Set of Solid State Chemistry Related Experiments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaumont, C.; Burgard, M.

1979-01-01

Presents one of the themes of a French chemistry college laboratory course, which concerns the field of solid state chemistry and is focused on the study of the cation distribution in the case of certain spinel ferrites. (HM)

Are "High Potential" Executives Capable of Building Learning-Oriented Organisations? Reflections on the French Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belet, Daniel

2007-01-01

Purpose: The author's interest in learning organisation development leads him to examine large French companies' practices regarding "high potential" executives policies and to question their selection and development processes and their capabilities to develop learning oriented organisations.The author also tries to explain why most…

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Caused by Maripa Virus in French Guiana, 2008-2016.

PubMed

Matheus, Séverine; Kallel, Hatem; Mayence, Claire; Bremand, Laetitia; Houcke, Stéphanie; Rousset, Dominique; Lacoste, Vincent; de Thoisy, Benoit; Hommel, Didier; Lavergne, Anne

2017-10-01

We report 5 human cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome found during surveillance in French Guiana in 2008-2016; of the 5 patients, 4 died. This pathogen should continue to be monitored in humans and rodents in effort to reduce the occurrence of these lethal infections in humans stemming from ecosystem disturbances.

[The Firmin case (1794-1799) and the absence of crime legislation on "insanity" during the French Revolution].

PubMed

Mangin-Lazarus, Caroline

2012-01-01

Examining the so-called "affaire Firmin" (1794-1799), the author wonders about the reason (idealistic or political) for the lack a special law on insanity defense during the French revolution, and she tries to find a link the present state of the law.

The Relative Age Effect in Elite Sport: The French Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delorme, Nicolas; Boiche, Julie; Raspaud, Michel

2009-01-01

The relative age effect (RAE) is considered a common phenomenon in elite sport. However, it has not been examined systematically in previous research, and the mechanisms likely to generate or to limit such an effect are little understood. This paper investigates the prevalence of the RAE in French professional championship-level players, taking…

Second Malignant Neoplasms in Digestive Organs After Childhood Cancer: A Cohort-Nested Case-Control Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tukenova, Markhaba; Diallo, Ibrahima; University Paris Sud 11, UMRS, Villejuif

Purpose: Cancers of the digestive system constitute a major risk for childhood cancer survivors treated with radiotherapy once they reach adulthood. The aim of this study was to determine therapy-related risk factors for the development of a second malignancy in the digestive organs (SMDO) after a childhood cancer. Methods and Materials: Among 4,568 2-year survivors of a childhood solid cancer diagnosed before 17 years of age at eight French and British centers, and among 25,120 patients diagnosed as having a malignant neoplasm before the age of 20 years, whose data were extracted from the Nordic Cancer Registries, we matched 58more » case patients (41 men and 17 women) of SMDO and 167 controls, in their respective cohort, for sex, age at first cancer, calendar year of occurrence of the first cancer, and duration of follow-up. The radiation dose received at the site of each second malignancy and at the corresponding site of its matched control was estimated. Results: The risk of developing a SMDO was 9.7-fold higher in relation to the general populations in France and the United Kingdom. In the case-control study, a strong dose-response relationship was estimated, compared with that in survivors who had not received radiotherapy; the odds ratio was 5.2 (95% CI, 1.7-16.0) for local radiation doses between 10 and 29 Gy and 9.6 (95% CI, 2.6-35.2) for doses equal to or greater than 30 Gy. Chemotherapy was also found to increase the risk of developing SMDO. Conclusions: This study confirms that childhood cancer treatments strongly increase the risk of SMDO, which occur only after a very long latency period.« less

A genetic study of the ghrelin and growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) genes and stature.

PubMed

Gueorguiev, M; Lecoeur, C; Benzinou, M; Mein, C A; Meyre, D; Vatin, V; Weill, J; Heude, B; Grossman, A B; Froguel, P; Korbonits, M

2009-01-01

Growth and nutrition are interrelated and influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors. We studied whether common variants in ghrelin and ghrelin receptor (GHSR) genes could play a role in stature variation in the general population and in families ascertained for obesity. Selected tagging SNPs in the ghrelin and GHSR genes were genotyped in 263 Caucasian families recruited for childhood obesity (1,275 subjects), and in 287 families from a general population (1,072 subjects). We performed familial testing for associations in the entire population and in a sub-set of the samples selected for a case-control study. In the case-control study for height (cases were selected from the obese cohort with mean ZH = 3.17 +/- 0.15 confidence interval (CI) versus controls with mean ZH 0.14 +/- 0.09), we found an association with a 2 base-pair intronic deletion in the GHSR gene (rs10618418) (p = 0.006, odds ratio (OR) 1.86, 95% CI [1.26;2.74] under additive model), although when adjusting for BMI, the association disappeared (p = 0.06). Individuals carrying no deletion or who were heterozygous were significantly more frequent among the tall obese population (52% vs. 36% in controls, p = 0.007, OR 1.97, 95%CI [1.22;3.18]). However, the association was not maintained after correcting for multiple testing. Familial association testing of the ghrelin and GHSR genes and their interaction testing failed to show that any combination of SNPs had any significant effect. Thus, our results suggest that common variants of the ghrelin and GHSR genes are not major contributors to height variation in a French population.

The feasibility of transradial laser atherectomy for chronic total occlusion using the 5 Fr sheath system.

PubMed

Sherif, Khaled; Yaqub, Yasir; Suarez, Jose A

2016-05-01

We present a case of chronic total occlusion (CTO) approached with LASER endovascular intervention by radial artery approach using a 5 French sheath. A 57-year-old man presented to our hospital having had retrosternal chest pain for two days. Physical examination was normal at the time of presentation. The laboratory tests were within normal limits, including cardiac enzymes except the lipid panel which showed hypertriglyceridemia. The patient underwent a myocardial perfusion scintigraphy stress test that revealed inferior wall ischemia, with normal left ventricular ejection fraction. A 5-French vascular sheath was placed in the right radial artery. Selective coronary artery angiography was performed, which showed right coronary artery (RCA) CTO. A 5-French JR4 guide catheter successfully engaged the RCA and Laser angioplasty was performed across the CTO into the RCA. A marked improvement of flow was evident thereafter. To best of our knowledge this is the first case report showing the feasibility of laser atherectomy using the 5 French sheath system in a coronary arterial CTO. Copyright © 2016 by Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Complaints of Poor Sleep and Risk of Traffic Accidents: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Philip, Pierre; Chaufton, Cyril; Orriols, Ludivine; Lagarde, Emmanuel; Amoros, Emmanuelle; Laumon, Bernard; Akerstedt, Torbjorn; Taillard, Jacques; Sagaspe, Patricia

2014-01-01

This study aimed to determine the sleepiness-related factors associated with road traffic accidents. A population based case-control study was conducted in 2 French agglomerations. 272 road accident cases hospitalized in emergency units and 272 control drivers matched by time of day and randomly stopped by police forces were included in the study. Odds ratios were calculated for the risk of road traffic accidents. As expected, the main predictive factor for road traffic accidents was having a sleep episode at the wheel just before the accident (OR 9.97, CI 95%: 1.57-63.50, p<0.05). The increased risk of traffic accidents was 3.35 times higher in subjects who reported very poor quality sleep during the last 3 months (CI 95%: 1.30-8.63, p<0.05), 1.69 times higher in subjects reporting sleeping 6 hours or fewer per night during the last 3 months (CI 95%: 1.00-2.85, p<0.05), 2.02 times higher in subjects reporting symptoms of anxiety or nervousness in the previous day (CI 95%: 1.03-3.97, p<0.05), and 3.29 times higher in subjects reporting taking more than 2 medications in the last 24 h (CI 95%: 1.14-9.44, p<0.05). Chronic daytime sleepiness measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, expressed heavy snoring and nocturnal leg movements did not explain traffic accidents. Physicians should be attentive to complaints of poor sleep quality and quantity, symptoms of anxiety-nervousness and/or drug consumption in regular car drivers.

Processing Code-Switching in Algerian Bilinguals: Effects of Language Use and Semantic Expectancy

PubMed Central

Kheder, Souad; Kaan, Edith

2016-01-01

Using a cross-modal naming paradigm this study investigated the effect of sentence constraint and language use on the expectancy of a language switch during listening comprehension. Sixty-five Algerian bilinguals who habitually code-switch between Algerian Arabic and French (AA-FR) but not between Standard Arabic and French (SA-FR) listened to sentence fragments and named a visually presented French target NP out loud. Participants’ speech onset times were recorded. The sentence context was either highly semantically constraining toward the French NP or not. The language of the sentence context was either in Algerian Arabic or in Standard Arabic, but the target NP was always in French, thus creating two code-switching contexts: a typical and recurrent code-switching context (AA-FR) and a non-typical code-switching context (SA-FR). Results revealed a semantic constraint effect indicating that the French switches were easier to process in the high compared to the low-constraint context. In addition, the effect size of semantic constraint was significant in the more typical code-switching context (AA-FR) suggesting that language use influences the processing of switching between languages. The effect of semantic constraint was also modulated by code-switching habits and the proficiency of L2 French. Semantic constraint was reduced in bilinguals who frequently code-switch and in bilinguals with high proficiency in French. Results are discussed with regards to the bilingual interactive activation model (Dijkstra and Van Heuven, 2002) and the control process model of code-switching (Green and Wei, 2014). PMID:26973559

Collisions of ultracold 23Na87Rb molecules with controlled chemical reactivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Xin; Guo, Mingyang; He, Junyu; Wang, Dajun; Quemener, Goulven; Gonzalez-Martinez, Maykel; Dulieu, Oliver

2017-04-01

The recent successful creation of several ultracold absolute ground-state polar molecules without chemical reaction channel has opened a new playground for investigating the so far poorly understood collisions between them. On one hand, these collisions are indispensable for the exploration of dipolar physics, on the other hand, they are direct manifestations of the brand-new field of ultracold chemistry. Here, we report on the study on molecular collisions with ultracold ground-state 23Na87Rb molecules prepared by transferring weakly bound Feshbach molecules with STIRAP. By tuning the Raman laser wavelength to control the internal states, samples with distinctly different chemical reactivity and inelastic channels can be prepared. Surprisingly, we found that the trap loss of the non-reactive case is nearly identical to that of the reactive case. We also developed a model based on the collision complex formation mechanism. The comparison between experiment and theory will also be presented. This work was supported by the French ANR/Hong Kong RGC COPOMOL project (Grant No. A-CUHK403/13), the RGC General Research Fund (Grant No. CUHK14301815).

[Hydroxychloroquine-induced hearing loss: First case of positive rechallenge and analysis of the French pharmacovigilance database].

PubMed

Chatelet, J-N; Auffret, M; Combret, S; Bondon-Guitton, E; Lambert, M; Gautier, S

2017-05-01

Several cases of hearing loss induced by hydroxychloroquine have been reported in the literature but the role of hydroxychloroquine still remains debated. We report the first case, to our knowledge, of hearing loss induced by hydroxychloroquine with a positive re challenge in a woman treated for systemic lupus. An analysis of the French pharmacovigilance database allowed to identify 23 additional cases of hearing loss in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and, among them, 8 had systemic lupus. Despite an excellent tolerance and high efficacy-side effect ratio, this case report adds some evidence for an otoxicity of hydroxychloroquine. Copyright © 2016 Société Nationale Française de Médecine Interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Multidimensional Social Control Variables as Predictors of Drunkenness among French Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Begue, Laurent; Roche, Sebastian

2009-01-01

Background: Previous studies of the determinants of drunkenness among youth investigated the contribution of a limited range of variables measuring social control. For the first time in France, this study including 1295 participants aged 14-19 years aimed at assessing the relative contribution of a broad range of multidimensional variables…

Hospital cost of Clostridium difficile infection including the contribution of recurrences in French acute-care hospitals.

PubMed

Le Monnier, A; Duburcq, A; Zahar, J-R; Corvec, S; Guillard, T; Cattoir, V; Woerther, P-L; Fihman, V; Lalande, V; Jacquier, H; Mizrahi, A; Farfour, E; Morand, P; Marcadé, G; Coulomb, S; Torreton, E; Fagnani, F; Barbut, F

2015-10-01

The impact of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) on healthcare costs is significant due to the extra costs of associated inpatient care. However, the specific contribution of recurrences has rarely been studied. The aim of this study was to estimate the hospital costs of CDI and the fraction attributable to recurrences in French acute-care hospitals. A retrospective study was performed for 2011 on a sample of 12 large acute-care hospitals. CDI costs were estimated from both hospital and public insurance perspectives. For each stay, CDI additional costs were estimated by comparison to controls without CDI extracted from the national DRG (diagnosis-related group) database and matched on DRG, age and sex. When CDI was the primary diagnosis, the full cost of stay was used. A total of 1067 bacteriological cases of CDI were identified corresponding to 979 stays involving 906 different patients. Recurrence(s) were identified in 118 (12%) of these stays with 51.7% of them having occurred within the same stay as the index episode. Their mean length of stay was 63.8 days compared to 25.1 days for stays with an index case only. The mean extra cost per stay with CDI was estimated at €9,575 (median: €7,514). The extra cost of CDI in public acute-care hospitals was extrapolated to €163.1 million at the national level, of which 12.5% was attributable to recurrences. The economic burden of CDI is substantial and directly impacts healthcare systems in France. Copyright © 2015 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using a capture–recapture method to assess the frequency of adverse drug reactions in a French university hospital

PubMed Central

Lugardon, Stephanie; Desboeuf, Karine; Fernet, Pierre; Montastruc, Jean-Louis; Lapeyre-Mestre, Maryse

2006-01-01

Aims There is evidence that different methods used to identify and quantify adverse drug reactions (ADR) in hospitals are not exhaustive (spontaneous reporting or computerized medical databases). The combination of these different sources of data could improve knowledge about ADR frequency in hospitals. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of serious ADRs handled in medical wards of a French university hospital using data from the Programme de Medicalization des Systemes d’Information (PMSI) and spontaneous reports recorded in the French Pharmacovigilance Database. Methods The study period was the first semester of 2001. From PMSI, all hospitalization summaries including an ICD-10th code related to a potential ADR were selected. From the French Pharmacovigilance Database, all serious ADRs which occurred during the study period and were reported by physicians working in the University Hospital were collected. After identification of common cases, the capture–recapture method was applied in order to estimate the real number of ADRs occurring during the first semester of 2001. Results From PMSI, we identified 274 different hospital stays related to an ADR. Out of 241 reports selected from the French Pharmacovigilance Database, we retained 151 ADRs for analysis. Fifty-two ADRs were common in the two databases, giving an estimated number of serious ADRs of 796 [95% confidence interval (CI) 638, 954], corresponding to 2.9% of inpatients (95% CI 2.3, 3.5). Conclusions This study shows the lack of exhaustiveness of ADR reporting whatever the sources of data and underlines the interest of merging data from different databases to identify fully the real impact of ADR in hospitals. PMID:16842398

Gastrointestinal illnesses among French forces deployed to Djibouti: French military health surveillance, 2005-2009.

PubMed

Ollivier, Lénaïck; Decam, Christophe; Pommier de Santi, Vincent; Darar, Houssein Y; Dia, Aïssata; Nevin, Remington L; Romand, Olivier; Bougère, Jacques; Deparis, Xavier; Boutin, Jean-Paul

2010-10-01

Despite an increase in foreign tourism and in the numbers of foreign military personnel deployed to Djibouti, little is known about the risk of gastrointestinal illness in this country in eastern Africa. To assess risk and to describe common features of gastrointestinal illnesses, reports of illness derived from military health surveillance data collected during 2005-2009 among French service members deployed to Djibouti were reviewed. Diarrhea was the most common problem; it had an annual incidence ranging from 260 to 349 cases per 1,000 person-years. The risk was higher among soldiers deployed short-term (four months) than among soldiers deployed long-term (two years). This five-year review of French health surveillance data documents a significant burden of diarrhea among French soldiers in Djibouti. The identification of factors associated with risk may permit efficient targeting of interventions to reduce morbidity from gastrointestinal illness.

Gastrointestinal Illnesses among French Forces Deployed to Djibouti: French Military Health Surveillance, 2005–2009

PubMed Central

Ollivier, Lénaïck; Decam, Christophe; de Santi, Vincent Pommier; Darar, Houssein Y.; Dia, Aïssata; Nevin, Remington L.; Romand, Olivier; Bougère, Jacques; Deparis, Xavier; Boutin, Jean-Paul

2010-01-01

Despite an increase in foreign tourism and in the numbers of foreign military personnel deployed to Djibouti, little is known about the risk of gastrointestinal illness in this country in eastern Africa. To assess risk and to describe common features of gastrointestinal illnesses, reports of illness derived from military health surveillance data collected during 2005–2009 among French service members deployed to Djibouti were reviewed. Diarrhea was the most common problem; it had an annual incidence ranging from 260 to 349 cases per 1,000 person-years. The risk was higher among soldiers deployed short-term (four months) than among soldiers deployed long-term (two years). This five-year review of French health surveillance data documents a significant burden of diarrhea among French soldiers in Djibouti. The identification of factors associated with risk may permit efficient targeting of interventions to reduce morbidity from gastrointestinal illness. PMID:20889897

Post-fracture care: do we need to educate patients rather than doctors? The PREVOST randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Merle, B; Chapurlat, R; Vignot, E; Thomas, T; Haesebaert, J; Schott, A-M

2017-05-01

We conducted a multicenter, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of a population-based patient-centered post-fracture care program with a dedicated case manager, PREVention of OSTeoporosis (PREVOST), on appropriate post-fracture osteoporosis management. We showed that, compared to usual care, BMD investigation post-fracture was significantly improved (+20%) by our intervention program. Our study aims to evaluate the impact of a population-based patient-centered post-fracture care program, PREVOST, on appropriate post-fracture care. Multicenter, randomized controlled trial enrolling 436 women aged 50 to 85 years and attending a French hospital, for a low-energy fracture of the wrist or humerus. Randomization was stratified by age, hospital department, and site of fracture. The intervention was performed by a trained case manager who interacted only with the patients, with repeated oral and written information about fragility fractures and osteoporosis management, and prompting them to visit their primary care physicians. Control group received usual care. The primary outcome was the initiation of an appropriate post-fracture care defined by Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and/or anti-osteoporotic treatment prescription at 6 months. At 6 months, 53% of women in intervention group initiated a post-fracture care versus 33% for usual care (adjOR 2.35, 95%CI [1.58-3.50], p < 0.001). Post-fracture care was more frequent after wrist than humerus fracture (adjOR 1.93, 95%CI [1.14-3.30], p = 0.015) and decreased with age (adjOR for 10 years increase 0.76, 95%CI [0.61-0.96], p = 0.02). The intervention resulted in BMD prescription in 50% of patients (adjOR 2.10, 95%CI [1.41-3.11], p < 0.001) and in BMD performance in 41% of patients (adjOR 2.12, 95%CI [1.40-3.20], p < 0.001) versus 33 and 25% for usual care, respectively. Having performed a BMD increased treatment prescription; however, only 46% of women with a low BMD requiring a treatment according to the French guidelines received a prescription. A patient-centered care program with a dedicated case manager can significantly improve post-fracture BMD investigation.

Quelques problemes poses a la grammaire casuelle (Some Problems Regarding Case Grammar)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fillmore, Charles J.

1975-01-01

Discusses problems related to case grammar theory, including: the organizations of a case grammar; determination of semantic roles; definition and hierarchy of cases; cause-effect relations; and formalization and notation. (Text is in French.) (AM)

Dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus infections imported to Paris between 2009 and 2016: Characteristics and correlation with outbreaks in the French overseas territories of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

PubMed

Vasquez, Victor; Haddad, Elie; Perignon, Alice; Jaureguiberry, Stéphane; Brichler, Ségolène; Leparc-Goffart, Isabelle; Caumes, Eric

2018-07-01

Dengue virus (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and Zika virus (ZIKV) infections are rapidly expanding across countries and are being diagnosed in returned travellers who represent epidemiological sentinels. The French Territories of America (FTA) such as Guadeloupe and Martinique see high levels of tourism and have experienced three consecutive outbreaks by these viruses in the last decade. This study was performed to evaluate how ill returned travellers could have represented epidemiological sentinels for these three expanding arboviral diseases over eight consecutive years. The degree of correlation between the cases of ill returned travellers arriving at a French tertiary hospital in Paris and the three outbreaks that occurred in the FTA during the study period was estimated. All consecutive ill returned travellers diagnosed at the hospital in Paris with imported DENV, CHIKV, or ZIKV infections from January 2009 to December 2016 were included. Epidemiological and clinical variables were evaluated. Data concerning the incidence of arboviruses in the FTA, as well as the temporal relationship between the occurrence of imported cases and outbreaks in the FTA, were analyzed. Overall, 320 cases of arboviral infection were reported: 216 DENV, 68 CHIKV, and 36 ZIKV. Most of the patients presented with fever and exanthema. One hundred and fifteen patients were exposed in Guadeloupe or Martinique, which were the at-risk destinations in 25% of patients with DENV, 59% of patients with CHIKV, and 58% of patients with ZIKV. The occurrence of cases diagnosed in returning travellers followed the same time pattern as the outbreaks in these areas. A temporal correlation was found between newly diagnosed imported cases of arboviruses and the three corresponding outbreaks that occurred in Martinique and Guadeloupe during 8 consecutive years. Thus, ill returned travellers act as epidemiological sentinels from the beginning up to the end of outbreaks occurring in touristic locations. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and characteristics of metabolic syndrome in adults from the French childhood leukemia survivors’ cohort: a comparison with controls from the French population

PubMed Central

Oudin, Claire; Berbis, Julie; Bertrand, Yves; Vercasson, Camille; Thomas, Frédérique; Chastagner, Pascal; Ducassou, Stéphane; Kanold, Justyna; Tabone, Marie-Dominique; Paillard, Catherine; Poirée, Marilyne; Plantaz, Dominique; Dalle, Jean-Hugues; Gandemer, Virginie; Thouvenin, Sandrine; Sirvent, Nicolas; Saultier, Paul; Béliard, Sophie; Leverger, Guy; Baruchel, André; Auquier, Pascal; Pannier, Bruno; Michel, Gérard

2018-01-01

The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among adults from the French LEA childhood acute leukemia survivors’ cohort was prospectively evaluated considering the type of anti-leukemic treatment received, and compared with that of controls. The metabolic profile of these patients was compared with that of controls. A total of 3203 patients from a French volunteer cohort were age- and sex-matched 3:1 to 1025 leukemia survivors (in both cohorts, mean age: 24.4 years; females: 51%). Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Metabolic syndrome was found in 10.3% of patients (mean follow-up duration: 16.3±0.2 years) and 4.5% of controls, (OR=2.49; P<0.001). Patients transplanted with total body irradiation presented the highest risk (OR=6.26; P<0.001); the other treatment groups also showed a higher risk than controls, including patients treated with chemotherapy only. Odd Ratios were 1.68 (P=0.005) after chemotherapy only, 2.32 (P=0.002) after chemotherapy and cranial irradiation, and 2.18 (P=0.057) in patients transplanted without irradiation. Total body irradiation recipients with metabolic syndrome displayed a unique profile compared with controls: smaller waist circumference (91 vs. 99.6 cm; P=0.01), and increased triglyceride levels (3.99 vs. 1.5 mmol/L; P<0.001), fasting glucose levels (6.2 vs. 5.6 mmol/L; P=0.049), and systolic blood pressure (137.9 vs. 132.8 mmHg; P=0.005). By contrast, cranial irradiation recipients with metabolic syndrome had a larger waist circumference (109 vs. 99.6 cm; P=0.007) than controls. Regardless of the anti-leukemic treatment, metabolic syndrome risk was higher among childhood leukemia survivors. Its presentation differed depending on the treatment type, thus suggesting a divergent pathophysiology. This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov identifier: 01756599. PMID:29351982

Individual Differences in the Lexical Development of French-English Bilingual Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

David, Annabelle; Wei, Li

2008-01-01

The large and rapidly expanding body of literature on bilingual acquisition is mostly comprised of either single-case or cross-sectional studies. While these studies have made major contributions to our understanding of bilingual children's language development, they do not allow researchers to compare and contrast results with regard to…

Religious Tolerance and Understanding in the French Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrara, Carol

2012-01-01

This research is based on an interview and survey-based case study of an Islamic "lycee", a Catholic "lycee", and two public "lycees" in the Ile-de-France region of France. The study investigated whether students in private schools receiving some form of education about religion tend to be more tolerant and…

Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education. Proceedings of the Annual Conference (9th, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, June 1990).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clough, Barbara Stolze, Ed.

Among 17 French and 63 English papers are the following: "Case Study of the Convergence Model in Program Evaluation" (Alexander); "Nowlen's Approach to Continuing Professional Education" (Blanchard); "Challenge for Indigenous Approaches to Adult Education (AE) and Development" (Bonson); "Cultural and Social…

Technical and economic assessment of different options for minor actinide transmutation: the French case

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chabert, C.; Coquelet-Pascal, C.; Saturnin, A.

Studies have been performed to assess the industrial perspectives of partitioning and transmutation of long-lived elements. These studies were carried out in tight connection with GEN-IV systems development. The results include the technical and economic evaluation of fuel cycle scenarios along with different options for optimizing the processes between the minor actinide transmutation in fast neutron reactors, their interim storage and geological disposal of ultimate waste. The results are analysed through several criteria (impacts on waste, on waste repository, on fuel cycle plants, on radiological exposure of workers, on costs and on industrial risks). These scenario evaluations take place inmore » the French context which considers the deployment of the first Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) in 2040. 3 management options of minor actinides have been studied: no transmutation, transmutation in SFR and transmutation in an accelerator-driven system (ADS). Concerning economics the study shows that the cost overrun related to the transmutation process could vary between 5 to 9% in SFR and 26 % in the case of ADS.« less

Three Readers, Three Languages, Three Texts: The Strategic Reading of Multilingual and Multiliterate Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsheikh, Negmeldin O.

2011-01-01

This case study investigates the metacognitive reading strategies of three advanced proficient trilingual readers whose native language is Hausa. The study examines the reading strategies employed by the three readers in English, French and Hausa. The aim of the study was to compare the reading strategy profiles of trilingual readers through…

Long-term Effects of Psychosocial Work Stress in Midlife on Health Functioning After Labor Market Exit—Results From the GAZEL Study

PubMed Central

Sembajwe, Grace; Zins, Marie; Berkman, Lisa; Goldberg, Marcel; Siegrist, Johannes

2012-01-01

Objectives. To study long-term effects of psychosocial work stress in mid-life on health functioning after labor market exit using two established work stress models. Methods. In the frame of the prospective French Gazel cohort study, data on psychosocial work stress were assessed using the full questionnaires measuring the demand-control-support model (in 1997 and 1999) and the effort–reward imbalance model (in 1998). In 2007, health functioning was assessed, using the Short Form 36 mental and physical component scores. Multivariate regressions were calculated to predict health functioning in 2007, controlling for age, gender, social position, and baseline self-perceived health. Results. Consistent effects of both work stress models and their single components on mental and physical health functioning during retirement were observed. Effects remained significant after adjustment including baseline self-perceived health. Whereas the predictive power of both work stress models was similar in the case of the physical composite score, in the case of the mental health score, values of model fit were slightly higher for the effort–reward imbalance model (R²: 0.13) compared with the demand-control model (R²: 0.11). Conclusions. Findings underline the importance of working conditions in midlife not only for health in midlife but also for health functioning after labor market exit. PMID:22546992

Hezbollah: Armed Resistance to Political Participation

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

the Mediterranean Sea would be under direct French control, with colonial administration running the daily operations and governance. In 1920, the... French government used its mandate to establish Greater Lebanon, a wholly separate entity from Syrian territory. The establishment of this distinct...farmland and resources in the Arab world, and held many of the important shipping ports on the Mediterranean. Third, in the French colonial mindset, the

'Limits and current knowledge of Pick's disease: its differential diagnosis'. A translation of the 1957 Delay, Brion, Escourolle article.

PubMed

Thibodeau, Marie-Pierre; Miller, Bruce L

2013-01-01

This article is a translation of a French article by Delay, Brion, and Escourolle. In a seminal article published in French in 1957 these authors summarized the work of previous researchers and reviewed a wide sample of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) cases formerly referred to as Pick's disease. The authors were among the first to define the critical clinical and anatomical differences between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and FTD and they even delineated distinctive FTD subtypes making possible the advances that now constitute the base of our studies. Reviewing their work allows us to appreciate the progress research has made.

Residential Proximity to Heavy-Traffic Roads, Benzene Exposure, and Childhood Leukemia-The GEOCAP Study, 2002-2007.

PubMed

Houot, Jennifer; Marquant, Fabienne; Goujon, Stéphanie; Faure, Laure; Honoré, Cécile; Roth, Marie-Hélène; Hémon, Denis; Clavel, Jacqueline

2015-10-15

Childhood leukemia may be associated with traffic-related environmental exposure to benzene, and additional data are needed. The Géolocalisation des Cancers Pédiatriques (GEOCAP) Study, a nationwide French case-control study, was designed to avoid selection bias due to differential participation and misclassification. The study compared the 2,760 childhood leukemia cases diagnosed in France between 2002 and 2007 (including 2,275 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 418 cases of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML)) with 30,000 contemporaneous child population controls. The residence addresses were precisely geocoded, and 3 indicators of residential proximity to traffic were considered. Estimates of benzene concentrations were also available for the Île-de-France region (including Paris). A 300-m increase in major road length within 150 m of the geocoded address was significantly associated with AML (odds ratio = 1.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.0, 1.4) but not with ALL (odds ratio = 1.0, 95% confidence interval: 0.9, 1.1), and the association was reinforced in the Île-de-France region when this indicator was combined with benzene estimates. These results, which were free from any participation bias and based on objectively determined indices of exposure, showed an increased incidence of AML associated with heavy-traffic road density near a child's home. The results support a role for traffic-related benzene exposure in the etiology of childhood AML. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Negotiating Curriculum Change in the French University: The Case of "Regionalising" Social Scientific Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stavrou, Sophia

2009-01-01

This paper focuses on the curricular change in French universities that has taken place over the last two decades and especially since the implementation of the "LMD Reform" in 2002. Curricula tend to become "regionalised-knowledge" courses, by regrouping disciplinary knowledge and looking forward to economic and social needs.…

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Caused by Maripa Virus in French Guiana, 2008–2016

PubMed Central

Kallel, Hatem; Mayence, Claire; Bremand, Laetitia; Houcke, Stéphanie; Rousset, Dominique; Lacoste, Vincent; de Thoisy, Benoit; Hommel, Didier; Lavergne, Anne

2017-01-01

We report 5 human cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome found during surveillance in French Guiana in 2008–2016; of the 5 patients, 4 died. This pathogen should continue to be monitored in humans and rodents in effort to reduce the occurrence of these lethal infections in humans stemming from ecosystem disturbances. PMID:28930019

Morphology and Spelling in French Students with Dyslexia: The Case of Silent Final Letters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quémart, Pauline; Casalis, Séverine

2017-01-01

Spelling is a challenge for individuals with dyslexia. Phoneme-to-grapheme correspondence rules are highly inconsistent in French, which make them very difficult to master, in particular for dyslexics. One recurrent manifestation of this inconsistency is the presence of silent letters at the end of words. Many of these silent letters perform a…

The ''Coconut Tree'' Model of Careers: The Case of French Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altman, Yochanan; Bournois, Frank

2004-01-01

This research note sets out to explain the main features of the French university academic career--the ''coconut tree,'' as it is colloquially known, setting it firmly within a social and cultural context; outlining the logic and functions of career stages, explaining its rituals and conventions, its rewards and pitfalls. These are narrated by two…

Aspects of the epidemiology, research, and control of lentiviral infections of small ruminants and their relevance to Dutch sheep and goat farming.

PubMed

van Maanen, C; Brinkhof, J M A; Moll, L; Colenbrander, B; Houwers, D J

2010-08-15

In 1862, the veterinarian Loman reported the first sheep in The Netherlands with symptoms associated with lentiviral infection, although at the time the symptoms were ascribed to ovine progressive pneumonia. In the following century, similar cases were reported by South African, French, American, and Icelandic researchers. Extensive research into the pathology, aetiology, and epidemiology of this slowly progressive and ultimately fatal disease was initiated in several countries, including the Netherlands. Studies of the causative agents--maedi visna virus (MVV) in sheep and caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) in goats, comprising the heterogeneous group of the small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV)--prompted the development of diagnostic methods and the initiation of disease control programmes in many European countries including the Netherlands, as a pioneer in 1982, and in the U.S.A. and Canada.

Age discrimination in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest care: a case-control study.

PubMed

Wiel, Eric; Di Pompéo, Christophe; Segal, Nicolas; Luc, Gérald; Marc, Jean-Baptiste; Vanderstraeten, Carine; El Khoury, Carlos; Escutnaire, Joséphine; Tazarourte, Karim; Gueugniaud, Pierre-Yves; Hubert, Hervé

2017-12-01

Although some studies have questioned whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in older people could be futile, age is not considered an essential out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) prognostic factor. However, in the daily clinical practice of mobile medical teams (MMTs), age seems to be an important factor affecting OHCA care. The purpose of this study was to compare OHCA care and outcomes between young patients (<65 years old) and older patients. We performed a case-control study based on data extracted from the French National Cardiac Arrest (CA) registry. All adult patients with CA recorded between July 2011 and May 2014 were included. Each older patient was matched on three criteria: sex, initial cardiac rhythm and no-flow duration. We studied 4347 pairs. We found significantly less basic life support initiation, shorter advanced cardiac life support duration, less MMT automated chest compression, less MMT ventilation and less MMT epinephrine injection in the older patients. Significant differences were also observed for return of spontaneous circulation (odds ratio (OR)=0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77-0.92, p<0.001), transport to hospital (OR=0.58, 95% CI 0.51-0.61, p<0.001), vital status at hospital admission (OR=0.55, 95% CI 0.50-0.60, p<0.001) and vital status 30 days after CA (OR=0.42, 95% CI 0.35-0.50, p<0.001). All OHCA guidelines, ethical statements and clinical procedures do not propose age as a discrimination criterion in OHCA care. However, in our case-control study, we notice a shorter duration and less intensive care among older patients. This finding may partly explain the lower survival rate compared with younger people.

The French prospective multisite registry on sudden unexpected infant death (OMIN): rationale and study protocol

PubMed Central

Levieux, Karine; Patural, Hugues; Harrewijn, Inge; Briand Huchet, Elisabeth; de Visme, Sophie; Gallot, Géraldine; Chalumeau, Martin; Gras Le Guen, Christèle; Hanf, Matthieu; Garcia-Meric, Patricia

2018-01-01

Introduction Even after ‘back-to-sleep’ campaigns, sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) continues to be the leading cause of death for infants 1 month to 1 year old in developed countries, with devastating social, psychological and legal implications for families. To sustainably tackle this problem and decrease the number of SUIDs, a French SUID registry was initiated in 2015 to (1) inform prevention with standardised data, (2) understand the mechanisms leading to SUID and the contribution of the already known or newly suggested risk factors and (3) gather a multidisciplinary group of experts to coordinate and develop innovative and urgent research in the SUID area. Methods and analysis This observational multisite prospective observatory includes all cases of sudden unexpected deaths in children younger than 2 years occurring in the French territory covered by the 35 participating French referral centres. From these cases, various data concerning sociodemographic conditions, death scene, personal and family medical history, parental behaviours, sleep environment, clinical examinations, biological and imagery investigations and autopsy are systematically collected. These data will be complemented as of 2018 with a biobank of diverse biological samples (blood, hair, urine, faeces and cerebrospinal fluid), with other administrative health-related data (health claim reimbursements and hospital admissions) and socioenvironmental data. Insights from exploratory descriptive statistics and thematic analysis will be combined for the design of targeted strategies to effectively reduce preventable infant deaths. Ethics and dissemination The French sudden unexpected infant death registry (Observatoire National des Morts Inattendues du Nourrisson registry;OMIN) was approved in 2015 by the French Data Protection Authority in clinical research (Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés: number 915273) and by an independent ethics committee (Groupe Nantais d’Ethique dans le Domaine de la Santé: number 2015-01-27). Results will be discussed with associations of families affected by SUID, caregivers, funders of the registry, medical societies and researchers and will be submitted to international peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. PMID:29666137

[Methods of data selection from the French medical information system program for trauma patient's analysis: Burns and traumatic brain injuries].

PubMed

Paget, L-M; Dupont, A; Pédrono, G; Lasbeur, L; Thélot, B

2017-10-01

Data from the French medical information system program in medicine, surgery, obstetrics and dentistry can be adapted in some cases and under certain conditions, to account for hospitalizations for injuries. Two areas have been explored: burn and traumatic brain injury victims. An algorithm selecting data from the Medical information system program was established and implemented for several years for the study of burn victims. The methods of selection of stays for traumatic brain injuries, which are the subject of a more recent exploration, are described. Production of results in routine on the hospitalization for burns. Expected production of results on the hospitalization for traumatic brain injuries. In both cases, the knowledge obtained from these utilizations of the Medical information system program contributes to epidemiological surveillance and prevention and are useful for health care organization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

How Place and Audience Matter: Perspectives on Mathematics Plural Identities from Late 1950s French and English Middle School Textbooks.

PubMed

Radtka, Catherine

2016-12-01

Argument In this paper, I argue that studying school textbooks is a fruitful way to investigate mathematical conceptions in different national contexts. These sources give access to the written production of an extended mathematical milieu whose members write for various audiences. By studying the case of late 1950s French and English textbooks issued for a growing audience of 11- to 15-year-old pupils, I show that a plurality of conceptions was projected at the time onto pupils and their teachers in both national contexts. I link this diversity to contemporaneous debates regarding mathematics teaching and argue that textbooks themselves have to be considered as active agents of such debates.

Prescription medicines and the risk of road traffic crashes: a French registry-based study.

PubMed

Orriols, Ludivine; Delorme, Bernard; Gadegbeku, Blandine; Tricotel, Aurore; Contrand, Benjamin; Laumon, Bernard; Salmi, Louis-Rachid; Lagarde, Emmanuel

2010-11-16

In recent decades, increased attention has been focused on the impact of disabilities and medicinal drug use on road safety. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between prescription medicines and the risk of road traffic crashes, and estimate the attributable fraction. We extracted and matched data from three French nationwide databases: the national health care insurance database, police reports, and the national police database of injurious crashes. Drivers identified by their national health care number involved in an injurious crash in France, between July 2005 and May 2008, were included in the study. Medicines were grouped according to the four risk levels of the French classification system (from 0 [no risk] to 3 [high risk]). We included 72,685 drivers involved in injurious crashes. Users of level 2 (odds ratio [OR]  = 1.31 [1.24-1.40]) and level 3 (OR  = 1.25 [1.12-1.40]) prescription medicines were at higher risk of being responsible for a crash. The association remained after adjustment for the presence of a long-term chronic disease. The fraction of road traffic crashes attributable to levels 2 and 3 medications was 3.3% [2.7%-3.9%]. A within-person case-crossover analysis showed that drivers were more likely to be exposed to level 3 medications on the crash day than on a control day, 30 days earlier (OR  = 1.15 [1.05-1.27]). The use of prescription medicines is associated with a substantial number of road traffic crashes in France. In light of the results, warning messages appear to be relevant for level 2 and 3 medications and questionable for level 1 medications. A follow-up study is needed to evaluate the impact of the warning labeling system on road traffic crash prevention.

Prescription Medicines and the Risk of Road Traffic Crashes: A French Registry-Based Study

PubMed Central

Orriols, Ludivine; Delorme, Bernard; Gadegbeku, Blandine; Tricotel, Aurore; Contrand, Benjamin; Laumon, Bernard; Salmi, Louis-Rachid; Lagarde, Emmanuel

2010-01-01

Background In recent decades, increased attention has been focused on the impact of disabilities and medicinal drug use on road safety. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between prescription medicines and the risk of road traffic crashes, and estimate the attributable fraction. Methods and Findings We extracted and matched data from three French nationwide databases: the national health care insurance database, police reports, and the national police database of injurious crashes. Drivers identified by their national health care number involved in an injurious crash in France, between July 2005 and May 2008, were included in the study. Medicines were grouped according to the four risk levels of the French classification system (from 0 [no risk] to 3 [high risk]). We included 72,685 drivers involved in injurious crashes. Users of level 2 (odds ratio [OR]  = 1.31 [1.24–1.40]) and level 3 (OR  = 1.25 [1.12–1.40]) prescription medicines were at higher risk of being responsible for a crash. The association remained after adjustment for the presence of a long-term chronic disease. The fraction of road traffic crashes attributable to levels 2 and 3 medications was 3.3% [2.7%–3.9%]. A within-person case-crossover analysis showed that drivers were more likely to be exposed to level 3 medications on the crash day than on a control day, 30 days earlier (OR  = 1.15 [1.05–1.27]). Conclusion The use of prescription medicines is associated with a substantial number of road traffic crashes in France. In light of the results, warning messages appear to be relevant for level 2 and 3 medications and questionable for level 1 medications. A follow-up study is needed to evaluate the impact of the warning labeling system on road traffic crash prevention. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:21125020

Action Control, Motivated Strategies, and Integrative Motivation as Predictors of Language Learning Affect and the Intention to Continue Learning French

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacIntyre, Peter D.; Blackie, Rebecca A.

2012-01-01

The present study examines the relative ability of variables from three motivational frameworks to predict four non-linguistic outcomes of language learning. The study examines Action Control Theory with its measures of (1) hesitation, (2) volatility and (3) rumination. The study also examined Pintrich's expectancy-value model that uses measures…

CCS-MIP: Low cost Customizable Control Centre

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labezin, Christian; Vielcanet, Pierre

1994-01-01

The positioning and station keeping of French national satellites are among the main missions of CNES French Space Agency CNES. The related experience and skills of the Toulouse Space Centre are reknown and often required at international level for a wide range of missions. CISI, a software engineering company, has been contributing during the last 20 years to the development of the French space programs, particularly in the field of space missions ground control segments. The CCS-MIP system, presented here, is a satellite positioning and station-keeping system designed to answer the CNES multi-mission needs, easily adaptable for a wide range of applications.

Tectus niloticus (Tegulidae, Gastropod) as a Novel Vector of Ciguatera Poisoning: Clinical Characterization and Follow-Up of a Mass Poisoning Event in Nuku Hiva Island (French Polynesia).

PubMed

Gatti, Clémence Mahana Iti; Lonati, Davide; Darius, Hélène Taiana; Zancan, Arturo; Roué, Mélanie; Schicchi, Azzurra; Locatelli, Carlo Alessandro; Chinain, Mireille

2018-02-28

Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is the most prevalent non-bacterial food-borne form of poisoning in French Polynesia, which results from the consumption of coral reef fish naturally contaminated with ciguatoxins produced by dinoflagellates in the genus Gambierdiscus . Since the early 2000s, this French territory has also witnessed the emergence of atypical forms of ciguatera, known as ciguatera shellfish poisoning (CSP), associated with the consumption of marine invertebrates. In June 2014, nine tourists simultaneously developed a major and persistent poisoning syndrome following the consumption of the gastropod Tectus niloticus collected in Anaho, a secluded bay of Nuku Hiva Island (Marquesas Archipelago, French Polynesia). The unusual nature and severity of this event prompted a multidisciplinary investigation in order to characterize the etiology and document the short/long-term health consequences of this mass-poisoning event. This paper presents the results of clinical investigations based on hospital medical records, medical follow-up conducted six and 20 months post-poisoning, including a case description. This study is the first to describe the medical signature of T. niloticus poisoning in French Polynesia and contributed to alerting local authorities about the potential health hazards associated with the consumption of this gastropod, which is highly prized by local communities in Pacific island countries and territories.

Tectus niloticus (Tegulidae, Gastropod) as a Novel Vector of Ciguatera Poisoning: Clinical Characterization and Follow-Up of a Mass Poisoning Event in Nuku Hiva Island (French Polynesia)

PubMed Central

Lonati, Davide; Zancan, Arturo; Schicchi, Azzurra; Locatelli, Carlo Alessandro; Chinain, Mireille

2018-01-01

Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is the most prevalent non-bacterial food-borne form of poisoning in French Polynesia, which results from the consumption of coral reef fish naturally contaminated with ciguatoxins produced by dinoflagellates in the genus Gambierdiscus. Since the early 2000s, this French territory has also witnessed the emergence of atypical forms of ciguatera, known as ciguatera shellfish poisoning (CSP), associated with the consumption of marine invertebrates. In June 2014, nine tourists simultaneously developed a major and persistent poisoning syndrome following the consumption of the gastropod Tectus niloticus collected in Anaho, a secluded bay of Nuku Hiva Island (Marquesas Archipelago, French Polynesia). The unusual nature and severity of this event prompted a multidisciplinary investigation in order to characterize the etiology and document the short/long-term health consequences of this mass-poisoning event. This paper presents the results of clinical investigations based on hospital medical records, medical follow-up conducted six and 20 months post-poisoning, including a case description. This study is the first to describe the medical signature of T. niloticus poisoning in French Polynesia and contributed to alerting local authorities about the potential health hazards associated with the consumption of this gastropod, which is highly prized by local communities in Pacific island countries and territories. PMID:29495579

Congenital cerebral malformations and dysfunction in fetuses and newborns following the 2013 to 2014 Zika virus epidemic in French Polynesia.

PubMed

Besnard, Marianne; Eyrolle-Guignot, Dominique; Guillemette-Artur, Prisca; Lastère, Stéphane; Bost-Bezeaud, Frédérique; Marcelis, Ludivine; Abadie, Véronique; Garel, Catherine; Moutard, Marie-Laure; Jouannic, Jean-Marie; Rozenberg, Flore; Leparc-Goffart, Isabelle; Mallet, Henri-Pierre

2016-01-01

We detected an unusual increase in congenital cerebral malformations and dysfunction in fetuses and newborns in French Polynesia, following an epidemic of Zika virus (ZIKV), from October 2013 to March 2014. A retrospective review identified 19 cases, including eight with major brain lesions and severe microcephaly, six with severe cerebral lesions without microcephaly and five with brainstem dysfunction without visible malformations. Imaging revealed profound neurological lesions (septal and callosal disruption, ventriculomegaly, abnormal neuronal migration, cerebellar hypoplasia, occipital pseudocysts, brain calcifications). Amniotic fluid was drawn from seven cases at gestation weeks 20 to 29. ZIKV RNA was detected by RT-PCR and infectious ZIKV isolates were obtained in four of five microcephalic, but not in two non-microcephalic cases with severe brain lesions. Medical termination of pregnancy was performed in eleven cases; two cases with brainstem dysfunction died in the first months of life; six cases are alive, with severe neurological impairment. The results show that four of seven tested fetuses with major neurological injuries were infected with ZIKV in utero. For other non-microcephalic, congenital abnormalities we were not able to prove or exclude ZIKV infection retrospectively. The unusual occurrence of brain malformations or dysfunction without microcephaly following a ZIKV outbreak needs further studies.

The Trial of Napoleon: A Case Study for Using Mock Trials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacKay, Charles

2000-01-01

Describes a course entitled "The Trial of Napoleon Bonaparte" that focuses on a fictitious mock trial of Napoleon Bonaparte to answer the question: did Napoleon pervert or preserve the gain of the French Revolution? Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the course. (CMK)

THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (INSTITUT EUROPEEN D’ADMINISTRATION DES AFFAIRES - INSEAD).

DTIC Science & Technology

The European Institute of Business Adminstration (Institut Europeen d’Administration Des Affaires - INSEAD) is a unique school of management science...Its trilingual (English, French, German) character permeates the entire operation. INSEAD uses the Harvard Business School case study method almost

Indirect and Direct Relationships between Self-Regulation and Academic Achievement during the Nursery/Elementary School Transition of French Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubert, Blandine; Guimard, Philippe; Florin, Agnès; Tracy, Alexis

2015-01-01

Research Findings: Several recent studies carried out in the United States and abroad (i.e., Asia and Europe) have demonstrated that the ability of young children to regulate their behavior (including inhibitory control, working memory, attentional control) significantly predicts their academic achievement. The current study examined the…

Oral health in patients treated by positive airway pressure for obstructive sleep apnea: a population-based case-control study.

PubMed

Carra, M C; Thomas, F; Schmitt, A; Pannier, B; Danchin, N; Bouchard, Ph

2016-03-01

Recent epidemiological evidence suggests that patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have an increased risk of periodontal disease. Little is known about the oral health of OSA patients treated by continuous or bi-level positive airway pressure (CPAP/BiPAP). The aim of this population-based case-control study was to compare oral health variables (amount of plaque, calculus, gingival inflammation, and masticatory function) between CPAP/BiPAP users and control subjects. The study population was retrieved from a French cohort examined between 2012 and 2013 at the Centre d'Investigations Préventives et Cliniques of Paris. Cases were selected if they reported to be treated by CPAP/BiPAP; controls were age-, gender-, and BMI-matched based on a 1:2 ratio. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were performed for group comparisons. Over a total of 20,436 subjects, 287 CPAP/BiPAP users (mean age (SD) 57.6 years (11.5); 76.3 % males) who underwent medical and dental examinations were compared with 574 matched controls (no OSA, no CPAP/BiPAP). CPAP/BiPAP users reported significantly higher prevalence of diabetes (15.6 vs. 10.3 %; p = 0.012; odds ratio (OR) 1.68), history of hypertension (36.5 vs. 26.1 %; p = 0.003; OR 1.62), cardiovascular diseases (14.1 vs. 8.8 %; p = 0.029; OR 1.69), and sleep complaints (59 vs. 34.4 %; p = 0.0001; OR 2.75). CPAP/BiPAP users also showed higher levels of depression and stress compared to controls. However, no group difference was observed for the amount of dental plaque, calculus, gingival inflammation, and masticatory function. Oral health of OSA patients treated by CPAP/BiPAP is comparable to that of matched controls in terms of amount of plaque, gingival inflammation, and masticatory function.

Health-related quality of life in children with dysphonia and validation of the French Pediatric Voice Handicap Index.

PubMed

Oddon, P A; Boucekine, M; Boyer, L; Triglia, J M; Nicollas, R

2018-01-01

voice disorders are common in the pediatric population and can negatively affect children's quality of life. The pediatric voice handicap Index (pVHI) is a valid instrument to assess parental perception of their children voice but it is not translated into French language. The aim of the present study was to adapt a French version of the pVHI and to evaluate its psychometric properties including construct validity, reliability, and some aspects of external validity. we performed a cross sectional study including 32 dysphonic children and 60 children with no history of voice problems between 3 and 12 years of age. The original pVHI was translated into French language according to forward-backward rules and then administered to parents or caregivers. Construct validity and internal consistency were explored using confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha. The questionnaire was filled twice to assess test-retest reliability using the intra-class correlation coefficient. The external validity was explored by comparing the French pVHI total and subscales scores between dysphonic and asymptomatic children. Correlations between the French pVHI and both the perceptual GRBAS scale and the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) survey "Vécu et Santé Perçu de l'Adolescent et de l'Enfant" (VSP-Ap) were also performed. the structure of the French pVHI showed a good fit with excellent reliability (α = 0.929) and high test-retest reliability. Significant differences were found between the group of dysphonic children and the control group (p < 0.001). The French pVHI scores were positively correlated to all parameters of the GRBAS scale (p < 0.05). Significant negative correlations were found between the Functional domain of the pVHI and various domains of the VSP-Ap as Leisure Activities, Schooling and Sentimental Relationship (p < 0.05). the French pVHI is considered to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess voice-related quality of life in children with voice disorder. We recommend its use in the multidimensional protocols for assessing voice disorder in the pediatric population. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effect of Guar Gum with Sorbitol Coating on the Properties and Oil Absorption of French Fries.

PubMed

Jia, Bo; Fan, Daming; Li, Jinwei; Duan, Zhenhua; Fan, Liuping

2017-12-13

This paper investigated the effects of guar gum with sorbitol coating on the oil absorption of French fries by combined dye oil methods, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that pretreatment of blanching with calcium ions and coating with guar gum and sorbitol could significantly reduce the structural oil (STO) and penetrated surface oil (PSO) of French fries and have no negative effects on its texture and also effectively control the final moisture content ( p < 0.05). Compared with control or samples coated with guar gum (blanching with or without calcium ions), the total oil (TO) of French fries with guar gum and sorbitol reduced by 50.8%, 33.1% and 30.6%, respectively. CLSM photographs confirmed that STO significantly reduced after coating with guar gum and sorbitol, followed by PSO. In the process of frying, the coatings of guar gum or guar gum with sorbitol could effectively prevent oil from infiltrating the potato tissue, which can be seen in the SEM photographs. The barrier properties of French fries were enhanced by coating guar gum, and sorbitol was added to avoid pores and cracks. Blanching with calcium ion can significantly reduce the final moisture content of coating French fries.

Effect of Guar Gum with Sorbitol Coating on the Properties and Oil Absorption of French Fries

PubMed Central

Jia, Bo; Fan, Daming; Li, Jinwei; Duan, Zhenhua; Fan, Liuping

2017-01-01

This paper investigated the effects of guar gum with sorbitol coating on the oil absorption of French fries by combined dye oil methods, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that pretreatment of blanching with calcium ions and coating with guar gum and sorbitol could significantly reduce the structural oil (STO) and penetrated surface oil (PSO) of French fries and have no negative effects on its texture and also effectively control the final moisture content (p < 0.05). Compared with control or samples coated with guar gum (blanching with or without calcium ions), the total oil (TO) of French fries with guar gum and sorbitol reduced by 50.8%, 33.1% and 30.6%, respectively. CLSM photographs confirmed that STO significantly reduced after coating with guar gum and sorbitol, followed by PSO. In the process of frying, the coatings of guar gum or guar gum with sorbitol could effectively prevent oil from infiltrating the potato tissue, which can be seen in the SEM photographs. The barrier properties of French fries were enhanced by coating guar gum, and sorbitol was added to avoid pores and cracks. Blanching with calcium ion can significantly reduce the final moisture content of coating French fries. PMID:29236044

Effectiveness of Pricing Strategies on French Fries and Fruit Purchases among University Students: Results from an On-Campus Restaurant Experiment.

PubMed

Deliens, Tom; Deforche, Benedicte; Annemans, Lieven; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Clarys, Peter

2016-01-01

This study examined the effect of a 10 and 20% meal price increase when choosing French fries and a 10 and 20% meal price reduction when choosing fruit for dessert on university students' purchasing behaviour in an on-campus restaurant. The moderating effect of gender was also investigated. Secondly, this study aimed at gaining further insight into reasons why these price manipulations did or did not change students' purchasing behaviour. This two-phased mixed-methods study was conducted in a Belgian on-campus university restaurant with approximately 1200 to 1300 student visitors per day. In a first phase (French fries experiment), data were collected during a control week (no price manipulation) and two separate intervention weeks (10 and 20% meal price increase when students chose French fries). In a second phase (fruit experiment), following the same protocol but carried out a few weeks later, meal prices were reduced by 10 and 20% when students chose fruit for dessert. French fries and fruit sale counts relative to the total number of items sold were used as outcome measure. Short interviews were conducted in convenient subsamples of student customers to assess influences on food choice. Increasing the meal price by 10 and 20% when choosing French fries was associated with respective 10.9 and 21.8% absolute reductions in French fries purchases, while reducing the meal price by 10 and 20% when choosing fruit for dessert was associated with absolute increases in fruit purchases of respectively 25.1 and 42.4% (all p<0.001). No moderating effect of gender was detected. Besides price, food/taste preference, eating habits, health, availability and accessibility, and body satisfaction influenced students' food choices, with taste being the most frequently mentioned factor. Pricing may be a promising strategy to improve university students' eating behaviour. The likelihood of intervention success may increase when combining pricing strategies with offering healthy, tasty and meal matching starchy alternatives to French fries and offering a variety of fresh and appealing fruits.

Effectiveness of Pricing Strategies on French Fries and Fruit Purchases among University Students: Results from an On-Campus Restaurant Experiment

PubMed Central

Deliens, Tom; Deforche, Benedicte; Annemans, Lieven; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Clarys, Peter

2016-01-01

Objectives This study examined the effect of a 10 and 20% meal price increase when choosing French fries and a 10 and 20% meal price reduction when choosing fruit for dessert on university students’ purchasing behaviour in an on-campus restaurant. The moderating effect of gender was also investigated. Secondly, this study aimed at gaining further insight into reasons why these price manipulations did or did not change students’ purchasing behaviour. Materials and Methods This two-phased mixed-methods study was conducted in a Belgian on-campus university restaurant with approximately 1200 to 1300 student visitors per day. In a first phase (French fries experiment), data were collected during a control week (no price manipulation) and two separate intervention weeks (10 and 20% meal price increase when students chose French fries). In a second phase (fruit experiment), following the same protocol but carried out a few weeks later, meal prices were reduced by 10 and 20% when students chose fruit for dessert. French fries and fruit sale counts relative to the total number of items sold were used as outcome measure. Short interviews were conducted in convenient subsamples of student customers to assess influences on food choice. Key findings Increasing the meal price by 10 and 20% when choosing French fries was associated with respective 10.9 and 21.8% absolute reductions in French fries purchases, while reducing the meal price by 10 and 20% when choosing fruit for dessert was associated with absolute increases in fruit purchases of respectively 25.1 and 42.4% (all p<0.001). No moderating effect of gender was detected. Besides price, food/taste preference, eating habits, health, availability and accessibility, and body satisfaction influenced students’ food choices, with taste being the most frequently mentioned factor. Significance Pricing may be a promising strategy to improve university students’ eating behaviour. The likelihood of intervention success may increase when combining pricing strategies with offering healthy, tasty and meal matching starchy alternatives to French fries and offering a variety of fresh and appealing fruits. PMID:27812123

A Metabolic Signature of Mitochondrial Dysfunction Revealed through a Monogenic Form of Leigh Syndrome

PubMed

Thompson Legault, Julie; Strittmatter, Laura; Tardif, Jessica; Sharma, Rohit; Tremblay-Vaillancourt, Vanessa; Aubut, Chantale; Boucher, Gabrielle; Clish, Clary B; Cyr, Denis; Daneault, Caroline; Waters, Paula J; Vachon, Luc; Morin, Charles; Laprise, Catherine; Rioux, John D; Mootha, Vamsi K; Des Rosiers, Christine

2015-11-03

A decline in mitochondrial respiration represents the root cause of a large number of inborn errors of metabolism. It is also associated with common age-associated diseases and the aging process. To gain insight into the systemic, biochemical consequences of respiratory chain dysfunction, we performed a case-control, prospective metabolic profiling study in a genetically homogenous cohort of patients with Leigh syndrome French Canadian variant, a mitochondrial respiratory chain disease due to loss-of-function mutations in LRPPRC. We discovered 45 plasma and urinary analytes discriminating patients from controls, including classic markers of mitochondrial metabolic dysfunction (lactate and acylcarnitines), as well as unexpected markers of cardiometabolic risk (insulin and adiponectin), amino acid catabolism linked to NADH status (α-hydroxybutyrate), and NAD(+) biosynthesis (kynurenine and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid). Our study identifies systemic, metabolic pathway derangements that can lie downstream of primary mitochondrial lesions, with implications for understanding how the organelle contributes to rare and common diseases. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology of myelodysplastic syndromes in a French general hospital of the Basque country.

PubMed

Bauduer, F; Ducout, L; Dastugue, N; Capdupuy, C; Renoux, M

1998-03-01

Epidemiologic studies concerning myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are rare. The estimated incidence varies between 1 and 12.6/100,000/year. The aim of this work was to compare our own experience with these data. Our general hospital represents a structure with 1197 beds which serves a population of 290,000 individuals (French Basques). Most of the inhabitants live in a rural environnement. Twenty percent of the population are aged over 65. During a 4-year period (1993-1996), 90 new cases of MDS were diagnosed on bone marrow studies in our laboratory. Among FAB subtypes refractory anemia (RA) represented 27 cases (31%), RA with ring sideroblasts (RARS): 21 (23%), RA with excess of blasts (RAEB) and in transformation (RAEB-t): 22 (24%), chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML): 10 (11%). Ten cases were unclassifiable (11%). Therapy-related MDS were seen in 8 patients. The sex ratio was 1 and the mean age of the patients was 74.3 (range: 23-96), 37% of them being 80 years or older. The calculated incidence was 7.7/100,000/year for the entire cohort and 31.4/100,000/year for people over 65.

Pregnancy outcomes in prenatally diagnosed 47, XXX and 47, XYY syndromes: a 30-year French, retrospective, multicentre study.

PubMed

Gruchy, Nicolas; Blondeel, Eleonore; Le Meur, Nathalie; Joly-Hélas, Géraldine; Chambon, Pascal; Till, Marianne; Herbaux, Martine; Vigouroux-Castera, Adeline; Coussement, Aurélie; Lespinasse, James; Amblard, Florence; Jimenez Pocquet, Mélanie; Lebel-Roy, Camille; Carré-Pigeon, Frédérique; Flori, Elisabeth; Mugneret, Francine; Jaillard, Sylvie; Yardin, Catherine; Harbuz, Radu; Collonge-Rame, Marie-Agnès; Vago, Philippe; Valduga, Mylène; Leporrier, Nathalie; Vialard, François

2016-06-01

Sex chromosome aneuploidies are frequently detected fortuitously in a prenatal diagnosis. Most cases of 47, XXX and 47, XYY syndromes are diagnosed in this context, and parents are thus faced with an unexpected situation. The objective of the present study was to characterize a French cohort of prenatally diagnosed cases of 47, XXX and 47, XYY and to evaluate the termination of pregnancy (TOP) rate before and after France's implementation of multidisciplinary centres for prenatal diagnosis in 1997. This retrospective study identified respectively 291 and 175 cases of prenatally diagnosed 47, XXX and 47, XYY between 1976 and 2012. For each case, the indication, maternal age, karyotype and outcome were recorded. Most diagnoses of the two conditions were fortuitous. The occurrence of 47, XXX was associated with advanced maternal age. The overall TOP rate was higher for 47, XXX (22.9%) than for 47, XYY (14.6%), although this difference was not statistically significant. However, the TOP rates fell significantly after 1997 (from 41.1% to 11.8% for 47, XXX and from 25.8% to 6.7% for 47, XYY). The TOP rates after prenatal diagnoses of 47, XXX and 47, XYY fell significantly after 1997, following France's implementation of multidisciplinary centres for prenatal diagnosis. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Surgical management of necrotizing cellulitis: Results of a survey conducted in French plastic surgery departments.

PubMed

Niddam, J; Bosc, R; Hersant, B; Bouhassira, J; Meningaud, J-P

2016-10-01

Necrotizing cellulitis (NC) is a severe infection of the skin and soft tissues, requiring an urgent multidisciplinary approach. We aimed to clarify the surgical management of NC in French plastic surgery departments. Thirty-two French plastic surgery departments were invited to complete a survey sent by email. Questions focused on diagnostic and therapeutic management of NC in France. Twenty-five plastic surgery departments completed the survey (78%) and each center had a lead plastic surgeon. Overall, 88% of surgeons declared to have managed at least five NC patients within the year. The plastic surgeon was the lead surgical specialist for NC in 80% of cases. Conversely, 76% of interviewed facilities reported not to have any lead medical specialist. Time between surgical indication and surgical management was less than six hours in 92% of cases. Overall, 24% of responding facilities declared that access to the operating room never delayed management. Finally, 80% of facilities declared to be in favor of dedicated care pathways to improve the management of necrotizing cellulitis patients. Our study results highlight the heterogeneity of necrotizing cellulitis management in France. The lack of a dedicated care pathway may lead to diagnostic and treatment delays. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Elena: A case of dissociative identity disorder from the 1920s.

PubMed

Schimmenti, Adriano

2017-01-01

In 1930, Italian psychiatrist Giovanni Enrico Morselli described the history, diagnosis, and treatment of his patient Elena. The case of Elena has been considered in literature as one of the most remarkable cases of multiple personality ever published. In fact, before treatment, Elena showed alternating French- and Italian-speaking personalities, with the Italian personality knowing nothing of her French counterparts. After a difficult treatment involving recovered memories of incestuous attacks by her father, which were proven to be true, Elena fully recovered from her symptoms. In this article, the author presents details of the case that were not available in the international literature before. He also discusses Elena's psychological and somatoform symptoms according to a contemporary perspective on the relationally traumatic origins of dissociation and dissociative identity disorder.

Memory disorders associated with consumption of drugs: updating through a case/noncase study in the French PharmacoVigilance Database.

PubMed

Chavant, Francois; Favrelière, Sylvie; Lafay-Chebassier, Claire; Plazanet, Caroline; Pérault-Pochat, Marie-Christine

2011-12-01

To investigate putative associations of reports of memory disorders and suspected drugs. We used the case/noncase method in the French PharmacoVigilance Database (FPVD). Cases were reports of memory loss in the FPVD between January 2000 and December 2009. Noncases were all other reports during the same period. To assess the association between memory impairment and drug intake, we calculated an odds ratio with its 95% confidence interval. Among the 188,284 adverse drug reactions recorded, we identified 519 cases of memory loss. The sex ratio was 0.6 and the median age was 54 years (range 4-93). The maximal number of cases occurred between 40-49 and 50-59 years. Evolution was favourable in 63% of the cases. We found significant odds ratios for benzodiazepines (alprazolam, bromazepam, prazepam, clonazepam etc.), benzodiazepine-like hypnotics (zolpidem and zopiclone), antidepressants (fluoxetine, paroxetine and venlafaxine), analgesics (morphine, nefopam and tramadol), anticonvulsants (topiramate, pregabalin, levetiracetam etc.), antipsychotics (aripiprazole and lithium) and other drugs, such as trihexyphenidyl, ciclosporin and isotretinoin. Our study confirmed an association between memory disorders and some drugs, such as benzodiazepines and anticonvulsants. However, other drugs, such as benzodiazepine-like hypnotics, newer anticonvulsants, serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, isotretinoin and ciclosporin were significantly associated with memory disorders, although this was not described or poorly described in the literature. Taking account of the limits of this study in the FPVD (under-reporting, notoriety bias etc.), the case/noncase method allows assessment and detection of associations between exposure to drugs and a specific adverse drug reaction, such as memory disorders, and could thus generate signals and orientate us to further prospective studies to confirm such associations. © 2011 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.

Using multi-terminology indexing for the assignment of MeSH descriptors to health resources in a French online catalogue.

PubMed

Pereira, Suzanne; Névéol, Aurélie; Kerdelhué, Gaétan; Serrot, Elisabeth; Joubert, Michel; Darmoni, Stéfan J

2008-11-06

To assist with the development of a French online quality-controlled health gateway(CISMeF), an automatic indexing tool assigning MeSH descriptors to medical text in French was created. The French Multi-Terminology Indexer (FMTI) relies on a multi-terminology approach involving four prominent medical terminologies and the mappings between them. In this paper,we compare lemmatization and stemming as methods to process French medical text for indexing. We also evaluate the multi-terminology approach implemented in F-MTI. The indexing strategies were assessed on a corpus of 18,814 resources indexed manually. There is little difference in the indexing performance when lemmatization or stemming is used. However, the multi-terminology approach outperforms indexing relying on a single terminology in terms of recall. F-MTI will soon be used in the CISMeF production environment and in a Health MultiTerminology Server in French.

Designing and Implementing ESP Courses in French Higher Education: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birch-Bécaas, Susan; Hoskins, Laüra

2017-01-01

This chapter reports on the design, implementation and evaluation of an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course for dental students at the University of Bordeaux. We give an overview of the "English for Dental Studies" courses taught from second year through to fifth year before focussing on the fifth year course in which the…

A Blend of Romanism and Germanism: Experimental Science Instruction in Belgian State Secondary Education, 1880-1914

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onghena, Sofie

2013-01-01

A case study of secondary experimental science instruction in Belgium demonstrates the importance of cross-national communication in the study of science education. Belgian secondary science education in the years 1880-1914 had a clear internationalist dimension. French and German influences turn out to have been essential, stimulated by the fact…

Curiosité: Inquiry-Based Instruction and Bilingual Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McElvain, Cheryl M.; Smith, Heidi A.

2016-01-01

The issues that prompt this study are based on current research indicating the positive effects of inquiry learning on the cognitive development of children. The purpose of this case study was to understand the effects of inquiry learning on the academic achievement and bilingual verbal ability of 5th grade bilingual students in a French/English…

Assessment of a National Network: The Case of the French Teacher Training Colleges' Health Education Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guevel, Marie-Renee; Jourdan, Didier

2009-01-01

The French teacher training colleges' health education (HE) network was set up in 2005 to encourage the inclusion of HE in courses for primary and secondary school teachers. A systematic process of monitoring the activity and the impact of this initiative was implemented. This analysis was systematically compared with the perceptions of teaching…

The Political Uses of Sign Language: The Case of the French Revolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenfeld, Sophia

2005-01-01

The story of the Abbe de l'Epee's "methodical signs" is best known as a key moment in Deaf history. However, at the time of the French Revolution this story served a larger political function. The example of de l'Epee's deaf students, and their seemingly miraculous command of ideas learned through gestural signs, helped the French…

Functional Foreign Language Literacy for Higher Education and Research: The Case of French in Nigerian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uhuegbu, Alozie R.; Edung, Mike T. U.

2015-01-01

African nations have always considered the knowledge of each other's official language, principally English and French, as a means for their scientists to exchange their research work and findings with their counterparts across the linguistic barriers on the continent and in the world, and thereby hasten the pace of national development. Nigerian…

Casualty Risk Assessment Controlled Re-Entry of EPS - Ariane 5ES - ATV Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnal, M.-H.; Laine, N.; Aussilhou, C.

2012-01-01

To fulfil its mission of compliance check to the French Space Operations Act, CNES has developed ELECTRA© tool in order to estimate casualty risk induced by a space activity (like rocket launch, controlled or un-controlled re-entry on Earth of a space object). This article describes the application of such a tool for the EPS controlled re-entry during the second Ariane 5E/S flight (Johannes Kepler mission has been launched in February 2011). EPS is the Ariane 5E/S upper composite which is de-orbited from a 260 km circular orbit after its main mission (release of the Automated Transfer Vehicle - ATV). After a brief description of the launcher, the ATV-mission and a description of all the failure cases taken into account in the mission design (which leads to "back-up scenarios" into the flight software program), the article will describe the steps which lead to the casualty risk assessment (in case of failure) with ELECTRA©. In particular, the presence on board of two propulsive means of de-orbiting (main engine of EPS, and 4 ACS longitudinal nozzles in case of main engine failure or exhaustion) leads to a low remaining casualty risk.

[Diagnosis accuracy of endoscopy (laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, fertiloscopy, cystoscopy, colonoscopy) in case of endometriosis: CNGOF-HAS Endometriosis Guidelines].

PubMed

Tardieu, A; Sire, F; Gauthier, T

2018-03-01

To provide clinical practice guidelines from the French college of obstetrics and gynecology (CNGOF) with the Haute Autorité de santé (HAS), based on the best evidence available, concerning the diagnosis accuracy of endoscopy (laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, fertiloscopy, cystoscopy, colonoscopy) in case of endometriosis. English and French review of literature about the diagnosis accuracy of endoscopy in case of endometriosis. Laparoscopy is useful in case of suspected endometriosis in patients with symptoms or infertility when appropriate preoperative assessment is negative (grade C). Biopsies during diagnosis laparoscopy are recommended in case of typical or atypical lesions to confirm endometriosis (grade B). It is not recommended to perform fertiloscopy in case of suspected endometriosis (grade C). Hysteroscopy could be performed in case of suspected endometriosis and infertility to eliminate endometrial polyp or septate uterus (grade C). Colonoscopy is not recommended in case of suspected deep posterior endometriosis (grade C). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A Bibliography of Agriculture and Rural Life in Yemen.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanjord, Don Edward

Intended as a key to current work in agriculture in Yemen, this bibliography cites more than 520 resources produced since 1963 including monographs, journal articles, theses and dissertations, conference papers, case studies, reports, proposals, surveys, bibliographies, and United Nations publications. Foreign language materials in German, French,…

Culture and Development: From Romantic Relativism to Reality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Toole, Tom

Using case studies of French-speaking West Africa and Southern Appalachia, this paper examines the role of traditional culture in developing regions by challenging current theories on that subject. The capitalistic and Marxist approaches that dominated well into the 1960s maintained that elimination of traditional social relations and values was…

Clinical features and prognosis of paraquat poisoning in French Guiana

PubMed Central

Elenga, Narcisse; Merlin, Caroline; Le Guern, Rémi; Kom-Tchameni, Rémi; Ducrot, Yves-Marie; Pradier, Maxime; Ntab, Balthazar; Dinh-Van, Kim-Anh; Sobesky, Milko; Mathieu, Daniel; Dueymes, Jean-Marc; Egmann, Gérald; Kallel, Hatem; Mathieu-Nolf, Monique

2018-01-01

Abstract Paraquat is a nonselective contact herbicide of great toxicological importance, being associated with high mortality rates. Because of its high toxicity, the European Union withdrew it from its market in 2007. The aim of this study is to analyze all cases of paraquat poisoning hospitalized in French Guiana in order to assess their incidence and main characteristics. Medical records of all paraquat intoxicated patients hospitalized from 2008 until 2015 were reviewed in this retrospective study. Demographics, clinical presentation, and laboratory data were evaluated. A total of 62 cases were reviewed. The incidence of paraquat poisoning was 3.8/100,000 inhabitants/year. There were 44 adults and 18 children younger than 16 years of age. The median ages were 31 years [18.08–75.25] in adults and 13.4 years [0.75–15.08] in children, respectively. The median duration of hospitalization was longer in children [15.5 days (1–24)] than in adults [2 days (1–30)], P < .01. The majority of cases was due to self-poisoning (84%). Children had ingested a lower quantity of paraquat [48.8 mg/kg (10–571.1)] than adults [595.8 mg/kg (6–3636.4), P = .03]. There were more deaths among adults (65%) than in children (22%), P = .004. The severity and outcome was determined primarily by the amount of paraquat ingested. In conclusion, French Guiana has the largest cohort of paraquat poisonings in the European Union. The major factor affecting the prognosis of patients was the ingested amount of paraquat. The administration of activated charcoal or Pemba, in situ, within the first hour after ingestion of paraquat is essential. PMID:29642226

France, West Germany, and the Security of the Persian Gulf

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-01

Revolution, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the Iran-Iraq Conflict have under - scored the vulnerability of Western oil supplies from the...areas. Under this policy in 1961, France drew 32 percent of her crude oil imports from Algeria and 20 percent from Iraq; thus receiving more than half of...her crude oil imports from sources under French political, or at least French company, control. French companies then produced 33 million tons of

Clinicopathological characteristics of incidental prostate cancer discovered from radical cystoprostatectomy specimen: a multicenter French study.

PubMed

Pignot, Géraldine; Salomon, Laurent; Neuzillet, Yann; Masson-Lecomte, Alexandra; Lebacle, Cédric; Patard, Jean-Jacques; Lunardi, Pierre; Rischmann, Pascal; Pasticier, Gilles; Bernhard, Jean-Christophe; Cohen, Jérémy; Timsit, Marc-Olivier; Verkarre, Virginie; Peyronnet, Benoit; Verhoest, Gregory; Le Goux, Constance; Zerbib, Marc; Brecheteau, François; Bigot, Pierre; Larre, Stéphane; Murez, Thibault; Thuret, Rodolphe; Lacarriere, Emeric; Champy, Cécile; Roupret, Morgan; Comperat, Eva; Berger, Julien; Descazeaud, Aurélien; Toledano, Harry; Bastide, Cyrille; Lavilledieu, Sébastien; Avances, Christophe; Delage, Francky; Valeri, Antoine; Molimard, Benoit; Houlgatte, Alain; Gres, Pascal; Donnaint, Alain; Kleinclauss, François; Legal, Sophie; Doerfler, Arnaud; Koutlidis, Nicolas; Cormier, Luc; Hetet, Jean-François; Colls, Philippe; Arvin-Berod, Alexis; Rambeaud, Jean-Jacques; Quintens, Hervé; Soulie, Michel; Pfister, Christian

2014-02-01

The present study assessed the incidence and histopathological features of incidentally diagnosed prostate cancer (PCa) in specimens from radical cystoprostatectomy (RCP) for bladder cancer. The patient outcomes also were evaluated. We retrospectively reviewed the histopathological features and survival data of 4,299 male patients who underwent a RCP for bladder cancer at 25 French centers between January 1996 and June 2012. No patients had preoperative clinical or biological suspicion of PCa. Among the 4,299 RCP specimens, PCa was diagnosed in 931 patients (21.7%). Most tumors (90.1%) were organ-confined (pT2), whereas 9.9% of them were diagnosed at a locally advanced stage (≥pT3). Gleason score was <6 in 129 cases (13.9%), 6 in 575 cases (61.7%), 7 (3 + 4) in 149 cases (16.0%), 7 (4 + 3) in 38 cases (4.1%), and >7 in 40 cases (4.3%). After a median follow-up of 25.5 months (interquartile range 14.2-47.4), 35.4% of patients had bladder cancer recurrence and 23.8% died of bladder cancer. Only 16 patients (1.9%) experienced PCa biochemical recurrence during follow-up, and no preoperative predictive factor was identified. No patients died from PCa. The rate of incidentally diagnosed PCa in RCP specimens was 21.7%. The majority of these PCas were organ-confined. PCa recurrence occurred in only 1.9% of cases during follow-up.

Latin America Report No. 2672.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-28

Studied by Venezuela (CANA, 10 Apr 83) 57 - b - Timber Sale Contract Signed With PRC (CANA, 10 Apr 83) 58 Briefs New French Envoy 59...distinguish two epochs here. In this entire stage of growth of Peronist activity—which was massive in some cases like the Cordobazo where there were...Answer] These were side groups which—as in the case of Tacuara and the Na- tionalist Restoration Guard—were generally tied to the intelligence services

Factors associated with Clostridium difficile infection: A nested case-control study in a three year prospective cohort.

PubMed

Khanafer, Nagham; Vanhems, Philippe; Barbut, Frédéric; Luxemburger, Christine

2017-04-01

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a serious medical condition that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Identification of risk factors associated with CDI and prompt recognition of patients at risk is key to successfully preventing CDI. A 3-year prospective, observational, cohort study was conducted in a French university hospital and a nested case-control study was performed to identify risk factors for CDI. Inpatients aged 18 years or older, suffering from diarrhea suspected to be related to CDI, were asked to participate. A total of 945 patients were included, of which 233 cases had a confirmed CDI. CDI infection was more common in men (58.4%) (P = 0.04) compared with patients with diarrhea not related to C. difficile. Previous hospitalization (P < 0.001), prior treatment with antibiotics (P = 0.001) or antiperistaltics (P = 0.002), liver disease (P = 0.003), malnutrition (P < 0.001), and previous CDI (P < 0.001) were significantly more common in patients with CDI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that exposure to antibiotics in the last 60 days (especially third generation cephalosporins and penicillins with β-lactamase inhibitor), chronic renal or liver disease, malnutrition or previous CDI, were associated with an independent high risk of CDI. Age was not related with CDI. This study showed that antibiotics and some comorbid conditions were predictors of CDI. Patients at high risk of acquiring CDI at the time of admission may benefit from careful monitoring of antibiotic prescriptions and early attention to infection control issues. In future, these "high-risk" patients may benefit from novel agents being developed to prevent CDI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Complaints of Poor Sleep and Risk of Traffic Accidents: A Population-Based Case-Control Study

PubMed Central

Philip, Pierre; Chaufton, Cyril; Orriols, Ludivine; Lagarde, Emmanuel; Amoros, Emmanuelle; Laumon, Bernard; Akerstedt, Torbjorn; Taillard, Jacques; Sagaspe, Patricia

2014-01-01

Introduction This study aimed to determine the sleepiness-related factors associated with road traffic accidents. Methods A population based case-control study was conducted in 2 French agglomerations. 272 road accident cases hospitalized in emergency units and 272 control drivers matched by time of day and randomly stopped by police forces were included in the study. Odds ratios were calculated for the risk of road traffic accidents. Results As expected, the main predictive factor for road traffic accidents was having a sleep episode at the wheel just before the accident (OR 9.97, CI 95%: 1.57–63.50, p<0.05). The increased risk of traffic accidents was 3.35 times higher in subjects who reported very poor quality sleep during the last 3 months (CI 95%: 1.30–8.63, p<0.05), 1.69 times higher in subjects reporting sleeping 6 hours or fewer per night during the last 3 months (CI 95%: 1.00–2.85, p<0.05), 2.02 times higher in subjects reporting symptoms of anxiety or nervousness in the previous day (CI 95%: 1.03–3.97, p<0.05), and 3.29 times higher in subjects reporting taking more than 2 medications in the last 24 h (CI 95%: 1.14–9.44, p<0.05). Chronic daytime sleepiness measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, expressed heavy snoring and nocturnal leg movements did not explain traffic accidents. Conclusion Physicians should be attentive to complaints of poor sleep quality and quantity, symptoms of anxiety-nervousness and/or drug consumption in regular car drivers. PMID:25494198

Maternal dental caries and pre-term birth: results from the EPIPAP study.

PubMed

Vergnes, Jean-Noel; Kaminski, Monique; Lelong, Nathalie; Musset, Anne-Marie; Sixou, Michel; Nabet, Cathy

2011-07-01

OBJECTIVE. The aim of this study was to analyse the association between maternal dental caries and pre-term birth (PTB), with a particular focus on the infection-suspected causes of pre-term births. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A secondary analysis was performed on data from the EPIPAP study, a French multi-centre case-control study. Cases were 1107 women giving birth to a singleton live-born infant before 37 weeks of gestation and controls were 1094 women delivering at 37 weeks or more. A sub-group of cases was defined as women with spontaneous labour and/or pre-term premature rupture of membranes (PPROM, n = 620). A full-mouth dental examination was performed after delivery. The main factor of interest was the presence of decay on at least one tooth. RESULTS. Crude associations between presence of tooth decay and PTB or spontaneous PTB/PPROM were significant (OR = 1.21 [1.01-1.45] and OR = 1.25 [1.01-1.55], respectively). After adjustment for two sets of potential confounders (four pre-term birth risk factors and four social characteristics), for periodontitis status and for inter-examiner variability, tooth decay was not significantly associated with either PTB or spontaneous PTB/PPROM (aOR = 1.10 [0.91-1.32] and aOR = 1.14 [0.91-1.42], respectively). CONCLUSIONS. This study failed to demonstrate a significant association between tooth decay and pre-term birth. However, future well-designed studies are needed to further assess the link between dental caries and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Seeds of Failure in Colbert's Baltic Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackey, Richard William

1984-01-01

This investigation of French mercantilist initiatives and policies in the seventeenth century focuses on the attempts of Colbert, the controller general of finance to Louis XIV, to stimulate French trade with the Baltic by establishing a Company of the North. (RM)

Oral Streptococcal Endocarditis, Oral Hygiene Habits, and Recent Dental Procedures: A Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Duval, Xavier; Millot, Sarah; Chirouze, Catherine; Selton-Suty, Christine; Moby, Vanessa; Tattevin, Pierre; Strady, Christophe; Euvrard, Edouard; Agrinier, Nelly; Thomas, Daniel; Hoen, Bruno; Alla, François

2017-06-15

We aimed to compare oral hygiene habits, orodental status, and dental procedures in patients with infective endocarditis (IE) according to whether the IE-causing microorganism originated in the oral cavity. We conducted an assessor-blinded case-control study in 6 French tertiary-care hospitals. Oral hygiene habits were recorded using a self-administered questionnaire. Orodental status was analyzed by trained dental practitioners blinded to the microorganism, using standardized clinical examination and dental panoramic tomography. History of dental procedures was obtained through patient and dentist interviews. Microorganisms were categorized as oral streptococci or nonoral pathogens using an expert-validated list kept confidential during the course of the study. Cases and controls had definite IE caused either by oral streptococci or nonoral pathogens, respectively. Participants were enrolled between May 2008 and January 2013. Cases (n = 73) were more likely than controls (n = 192) to be aged <65 years (odds ratio [OR], 2.85; 95% CI, 1.41-5.76), to be female (OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.20-5.74), to have native valve disease (OR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.16-5.13), to use toothpicks, dental water jet, interdental brush, and/or dental floss (OR, 3.48; 95% CI, 1.30-9.32), and to have had dental procedures during the prior 3 months (OR, 3.31; 95% CI, 1.18-9.29), whereas they were less likely to brush teeth after meals. The presence of gingival inflammation, calculus, and infectious dental diseases did not significantly differ between groups. Patients with IE caused by oral streptococci differ from patients with IE caused by nonoral pathogens regarding background characteristics, oral hygiene habits, and recent dental procedures, but not current orodental status. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Accreditation at a crossroads: are we on the right track?

PubMed

Touati, Nassera; Pomey, Marie-Pascale

2009-05-01

By comparing Canada, where accreditation is optional, to France, where it is required, this study evaluates the extent to which the accreditation process acts as a tool for bureaucratic coercion as opposed to a tool for learning. Our study consists of a qualitative meta-analysis of studies of French and Canadian accreditation experiences between 1996 and 2006. Using the conceptual framework of Adler and Borys [Adler P, Borys B. Two types of bureaucracy: enabling and coercitive. Administration Science Quarterly 1996;41:61-89], we assess the characteristics of accreditation in the French and the Canadian environments and distinguish between coercive and enabling modi operandi. Results show that accreditation has positive impacts in the two countries but is more coercion-oriented in France than in Canada. This is because in France: (1) the fact that accreditation is compulsory and certain standards are required by law limits participant's opportunities to influence the process; (2) standards are not adapted to various clinical programs and as a result, participants contest their legitimacy; (3) ambiguity about the use of accreditation visit results has sullied global transparency. Despite differences between the French and Canadian systems, however, both systems are converging towards a mixed model that includes elements of both philosophies, with the Canadian model becoming more coercive and the French model becoming more flexible and learning-oriented. Comparison of the two cases shows that current trends in the evolution of accreditation threaten the very purpose of the accreditation process.

Processed and unprocessed red meat consumption and incident type 2 diabetes among French women.

PubMed

Lajous, Martin; Tondeur, Laura; Fagherazzi, Guy; de Lauzon-Guillain, Blandine; Boutron-Ruaualt, Marie-Christine; Clavel-Chapelon, Françoise

2012-01-01

To evaluate the relation of processed and unprocessed red meat and incident type 2 diabetes. We conducted a prospective study among 66,118 disease-free French women with dietary information from a validated questionnaire. Between 1993 and 2007, we identified 1,369 cases of incident diabetes. Multivariate analyses were adjusted for age, education, region, smoking, BMI, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, physical activity, parental history of diabetes, menopause, hormone replacement therapy, alcohol, calories, n-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, coffee, fiber, and fruits and vegetables. Comparing the highest category of processed meat intake, ≥5 servings/week (median, 48 g/day), to the lowest, <1 serving/week (median, 5 g/day), processed meat was significantly associated with incident diabetes (hazard ratio 1.30 [95% CI 1.07-1.59], P trend = 0.0007; for 1 serving/day, 1.29 [1.14-1.45]). Unprocessed red meat was not associated with diabetes. In this large prospective cohort of French women, a direct association was observed only for processed red meat and type 2 diabetes.

R and D program for core instrumentation improvements devoted for French sodium fast reactors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jeannot, J. P.; Rodriguez, G.; Jammes, C.

2011-07-01

Under the framework of French R and D studies for Generation IV reactors and more specifically for sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFR); the CEA, EDF and AREVA have launched a joint coordinated research programme. This paper deals with the R and D sets out to achieve better inspection, maintenance, availability and decommissioning. In particular the instrumentation requirements for core monitoring and detection in the case of accidental events. Requirements mainly involve diversifying the means of protection and improving instrumentation performance in terms of responsiveness and sensitivity. Operation feedback from the Phenix and Superphenix prototype reactors and studies, carried out within themore » scope of the EFR projects, has been used to define the needs for instrumentation enhancement. (authors)« less

Drug dependence associated with triptans and ergot derivatives: a case/non-case study.

PubMed

Beau-Salinas, Frédérique; Jonville-Béra, Annie Pierre; Cissoko, Haware; Bensouda-Grimaldi, Lamiae; Autret-Leca, Elisabeth

2010-04-01

The aim of this case/non-case study was to assess and compare the risk of drug dependence associated with different migraine-specific drugs, i.e., ergot derivatives and triptans, using the French pharmacovigilance database. Reports on drug side effects recorded in this database between January 1985 and June 2007 were analyzed, and triptans (almotriptan, eletriptan, naratriptan, sumatriptan, and zolmitriptan) as well as ergot derivatives used in acute migraine were examined. For all reports, cases were defined as those reports corresponding to "drug abuse," "physical or mental drug dependence," and "pharmacodependence," whereas "non-cases" were defined as all the remaining SED reports. The method's reliability was assessed by calculating the risk associated with a negative (amoxicillin) and a positive (benzodiazepines) control. The risk of dependence associated with each drug and control was evaluated by calculating the odds ratio (OR) with a confidence interval of 95%. Among the 309,178 reports recorded in the database, drug dependence accounted for 0.8% (2,489) of the reports, with 10.9% (449) involving a triptan, and 9.33% (332) an ergot derivative. The risk of dependence was similar for triptans and ergot derivatives and did not differ from that of benzodiazepines. In the triptan group, the risk (odds ratio [95% CI]) ranged from 10.3 [4.8-22.3] for sumatriptan to 21.5 for eletriptan [10.1-45.6], while in the ergot derivative group, it ranged from 12 [8-17.9] for ergotamine to 20.6 [8-53] for dihydroergotamine. These findings confirm the hypothesis that triptans and ergot derivatives are associated with an increased risk of drug dependence.

Occupational Exposure to Diesel Motor Exhaust and Lung Cancer: A Dose-Response Relationship Hidden by Asbestos Exposure Adjustment? The ICARE Study

PubMed Central

Matrat, Mireille; Guida, Florence; Cénée, Sylvie; Févotte, Joelle; Carton, Matthieu; Cyr, Diane; Menvielle, Gwenn; Paget-Bailly, Sophie; Radoï, Loredana; Schmaus, Annie; Bara, Simona; Velten, Michel; Luce, Danièle; Stücker, Isabelle; The Icare Study Group

2015-01-01

Background. In a French large population-based case-control study we investigated the dose-response relationship between lung cancer and occupational exposure to diesel motor exhaust (DME), taking into account asbestos exposure. Methods. Exposure to DME was assessed by questionnaire. Asbestos was taken into account through a global indicator of exposure to occupational carcinogens or by a specific JEM. Results. We found a crude dose response relationship with most of the indicators of DME exposure, including with the cumulative exposure index. All results were affected by adjustment for asbestos exposure. The dose response relationships between DME and lung cancer were observed among subjects never exposed to asbestos. Conclusions. Exposure to DME and to asbestos is frequently found among the same subjects, which may explain why dose-response relationships in previous studies that adjusted for asbestos exposure were inconsistent. PMID:26425123

Effect of frying instructions for food handlers on acrylamide concentration in French fries: an explorative study.

PubMed

Sanny, M; Luning, P A; Jinap, S; Bakker, E J; van Boekel, M A J S

2013-03-01

The objective of this study was to obtain insight into the effect of frying instructions on food handlers' control decisions in restaurants and to investigate the impact of control decisions on the variation and concentration of acrylamide in French fries. The concentrations of acrylamide and reducing sugars were analyzed, the frying temperature and time were measured, and thawing practices were observed. The results obtained before and after instructions were provided to the food handlers were compared for restaurants as a group and for each restaurant. Frying instructions supported food handlers' decisions to start frying when the oil temperature reached 175°C; all handlers started frying at the correct temperature. However, the effect of the instructions on the food handlers' decisions for frying time differed; most handlers increased the frying time beyond 240 s to achieve crispier French fries with a final color dictated by their preference. Providing instructions did not result in a significant difference in the mean concentration of acrylamide in French fries for the restaurants as a group. However, data analyzed for each restaurant revealed that when food handlers properly followed the instructions, the mean concentration of acrylamide was significantly lower (169 μg/kg) than that before instructions were provided (1,517 μg/kg). When food handlers did not complying with the frying instructions, mean acrylamide concentrations were even higher than those before instructions were provided. Two different strategies were developed to overcome the noncompliant behavior of food handlers: establishing requirements for the features of commercial fryers and strict monitoring of compliance with instructions.

Grappling with Grammar on a Virtual Learning Platform: The Case of First Year French Students at the University of Wollongong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bissoonauth-Bedford, A.; Stace, Ray

2012-01-01

This paper reports on an online discussion forum that was created on the University of Wollongong's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to aid and support the learning of French grammar at beginner/false beginner level. The aim was to provide a blended learning situation which combines face to face teaching with online learning using multimedia…

MEDICAL vs. MEDICAL AND SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR BRUCELLA ENDOCARDITIS: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

PubMed Central

Keshtkar-Jahromi, Maryam; Razavi, Seyed-Mostafa; Gholamin, Sharareh; Keshtkar-Jahromi, Marzieh; Hossain, Mian; Sajadi, Mohammad

2012-01-01

This review was undertaken to determine the role of surgery in the treatment of brucella endocarditis. All English and French articles reporting brucella endocarditis (1966–2011) in Pubmed, Google and Scopus were reviewed. 308 cases were identified and Linear and Logistic regression was performed. Surgery improved outcomes by decreasing mortality from 32.7% in the medical treatment only group to 6.7% in the combined surgical and medical treatment group (p<.001). This association was still significant while controlling for other contributing factors. In the absence of a controlled trial, we recommend the utmost vigilance and consideration of surgical management in treating such patients. PMID:23102495

Understanding increases in smoking prevalence: case study from France in comparison with England 2000-10.

PubMed

McNeill, Ann; Guignard, Romain; Beck, François; Marteau, Rosie; Marteau, Theresa M

2015-03-01

In France, following a long-term decline in smoking prevalence, an increase in smoking was observed between 2005 and 2010, an unusual occurrence in countries in the 'mature' stage of the smoking epidemic. By contrast, smoking prevalence in England, the neighbouring country, continued its long-term decline. We identified and translated recent reports on smoking and tobacco control in France and using these assessed the main data sources on smoking and compared them with similar sources in England, in order to explore possible explanations. In France, national smoking prevalence data are collected 5-yearly, minimizing opportunities for fine-grained analysis; the comparable study in England is implemented annually. We identified several probable causes of the recent increased prevalence of smoking in France, the primary one being the absence of sufficient price rises between 2005 and 2010, due probably to the lack of a robust tobacco control strategy, which also appeared to have empowered tobacco industry influence. Funding to compensate tobacconists appears to incentivize tobacco sales and is significantly higher than tobacco control funding. Mindful of the limitations of a case-study approach, the absence of sufficient price rises in the context of a weak tobacco control strategy seems the most likely explanation for the recent increase in smoking prevalence in France. A new cancer control plan and a national smoking reduction programme have been proposed by the French government in 2014 which, depending on implementation, may reverse the trend. In both countries, the higher levels of smoking among the more disadvantaged groups are of great concern and require greater political leadership for effective action. © 2014 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Atypical aetiology of a conjugal fever: autochthonous airport malaria between Paris and French Riviera: a case report

PubMed Central

Pomares-Estran, Christelle; Delaunay, Pascal; Mottard, Annie; Cua, Eric; Roger, Pierre-Marie; Pradines, Bruno; Parzy, Daniel; Bogreau, Hervé; Rogier, Christophe; Jeannin, Charles; Karch, Saïd; Fontenille, Didier; Dejour-Salamanca, Dominique; Legros, Fabrice; Marty, Pierre

2009-01-01

Endemic malaria has been eradicated from France, but some falciparum malaria cases have been described in patients who have never travelled outside the country. Ms. V. 21 year-old and Mr. M. 23 year-old living together in Paris were on holiday in Saint Raphaël (French Riviera). They presented with fever, vertigo and nausea. A blood smear made to control thrombocytopaenia revealed intra-erythrocytic forms of Plasmodium falciparum. The parasitaemia level was 0.15% for Ms. V and 3.2% for Mr. M. This couple had no history of blood transfusion or intravenous drug use. They had never travelled outside metropolitan France, but had recently travelled around France: to Saint Mard (close to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CdG) airport), to Barneville plage (in Normandy) and finally to Saint Raphaël. The most probable hypothesis is an infection transmitted in Saint Mard by an imported anopheline mosquito at CdG airport. The DNA analysis of parasites from Ms. V.'s and Mr. M.'s blood revealed identical genotypes. Because it is unlikely that two different anopheline mosquitoes would be infected by exactly the same clones, the two infections must have been caused by the infective bites of the same infected mosquito. PMID:19698152

French in Urban Lubumbashi Swahili: Codeswitching, Borrowing, or Both.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gysels, Marjolein

1992-01-01

The motives for the integration of French elements into Lubumbashi Swahili are investigated. Based on an analysis of three different texts, it is argued that the mixing process is carefully regulated and controlled to serve several communicative functions. (18 references) (Author/LB)

Analysis of Art House Media Texts Use during Media Studies in the Student Audience (Alain Robbe-Grillet Movies Case Study)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fedorov, Alexander

2012-01-01

The study of media culture and virtual world requires knowledge and skills of the analysis of media texts of different levels of complexity. In this sense, the cinematic legacy of the great French writer, screenwriter and filmmaker Alain Robbe-Grillet (1922-2008) gives productive opportunities for the analysis of works of the elite media culture…

Speaking Spontaneously in the Modern Foreign Languages Classroom: Tools for Supporting Successful Target Language Conversation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christie, Colin

2016-01-01

This article reports on the findings of a study into the conditions which promote spontaneous learner talk in the target language in the modern foreign languages (MFL) classroom. A qualitative case study approach was adopted. French lessons, with school students aged 11-16 years old, were observed and analysed with the aim of identifying tools and…

Effects of Collaborative Mentoring on the Articulation of Training and Classroom Situations: A Case Study in the French School System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalies, Sebastien; Bertone, Stefano; Flavier, Eric; Durand, Marc

2008-01-01

This study assessed the effects of a collaborative mentoring sequence on the professional development of a preservice teacher (PT). The analysis of data from observation and self-confrontation interviews identified work rules [Wittgenstein, L. (1996). In G. E. M. Anscomb & G. H. Von Wright (Eds.), "Remarques philosophiques"…

Leprosy on Reunion Island, 2005-2013: Situation and Perspectives

PubMed Central

Camuset, Guillaume; Lafarge, Sophie; Borgherini, Gianandrea; Gerber, Anne; Pouderoux, Nicolas; Foucher, Aurélie; Poubeau, Patrice; Manaquin, Rodolphe; Larrieu, Sophie; Vilain, Pascal; Huiart, Laetitita

2016-01-01

Background Reunion Island is a French overseas territory located in the south-western of Indian Ocean, 700 km east of Madagascar. Leprosy first arrived on Reunion Island in the early 1700s with the African slaves and immigration from Madagascar. The disease was endemic until 1980 but improvement of health care and life conditions of inhabitants in the island have allowed a strong decrease in new cases of leprosy. However, the reintroduction of the disease by migrants from endemic neighbouring countries like Comoros and Madagascar is a real and continuing risk. This observational study was then conducted to measure the number of new cases detected annually on Reunion Island between 2005 and 2013, and to describe the clinical features of these patients. Methodology/Principal Findings Data were collected over two distinct periods. Incident cases between 2005 and 2010 come from a retrospective study conducted in 2010 by the regional Office of French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (CIRE of Indian Ocean), when no surveillance system exist. Cases between 2011 and 2013 come from a prospective collection of all new cases, following the implementation of systematic notification of all new cases. All patient data were anonymized. Among the 25 new cases, 12 are Reunion Island residents who never lived outside Reunion Island, and hence are considered to be confirmed autochthonous patients. Registered prevalence in 2014 was 0.05 /10 000 habitants, less than the WHO’s eradication goal (1/10 000). Conclusions/Significance Leprosy is no longer a major public health problem on Reunion Island, as its low prevalence rate indicates. However, the risk of recrudescence of the disease and of renewed autochthonous transmission remains real. In this context, active case detection must be pursued through the active declaration and rapid treatment of all new cases. PMID:27082879

Plasmodium vivax multidrug resistance-1 gene polymorphism in French Guiana.

PubMed

Faway, Emilie; Musset, Lise; Pelleau, Stéphane; Volney, Béatrice; Casteras, Jessica; Caro, Valérie; Menard, Didier; Briolant, Sébastien; Legrand, Eric

2016-11-08

Plasmodium vivax malaria is a major public health problem in French Guiana. Some cases of resistance to chloroquine, the first-line treatment used against P. vivax malaria, have been described in the Brazilian Amazon region. The aim of this study is to investigate a possible dispersion of chloroquine-resistant P. vivax isolates in French Guiana. The genotype, polymorphism and copy number variation, of the P. vivax multidrug resistance gene-1 (pvmdr1) have been previously associated with modification of the susceptibility to chloroquine. The pvmdr1 gene polymorphism was evaluated by sequencing and copy number variation was assessed by real-time PCR, in P. vivax isolates obtained from 591 symptomatic patients from 1997 to 2013. The results reveal that 1.0% [95% CI 0.4-2.2] of French Guiana isolates carry the mutations Y976F and F1076L, and that the proportion of isolates with multiple copies of pvmdr1 has significantly decreased over time, from 71.3% (OR = 6.2 [95% CI 62.9-78.7], p < 0.0001) in 1997-2004 to 12.8% (OR = 0.03 [95% CI 9.4-16.9], p < 0.0001) in 2009-2013. A statistically significant relationship was found between Guf-A (harboring the single mutation T958M) and Sal-1 (wild type) alleles and pvmdr1 copy number. Few P. vivax isolates harboring chloroquine-resistant mutations in the pvmdr1 gene are circulating in French Guiana. However, the decrease in the prevalence of isolates carrying multiple copies of pvmdr1 might indicate that the P. vivax population in French Guiana is evolving towards a decreased susceptibility to chloroquine.

Analysis of chats on French internet forums about drugs and pregnancy.

PubMed

Palosse-Cantaloube, Lucie; Lacroix, Isabelle; Rousseau, Vanessa; Bagheri, Haleh; Montastruc, Jean-Louis; Damase-Michel, Christine

2014-12-01

Some pregnant women use the internet to search for medical information. However, online information is not controlled. The objectives were to describe French online chats about drugs and pregnancy and evaluate the quality and reliability of information shared by internet users. This French descriptive study was performed in November 2012. In order to identify drugs and pregnancy-related forum websites, we used three French key words: forum, pregnancy and drug. We explored the first 10 websites from the search result. Diseases were described using the International Classification of Diseases and drugs classified with the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical codes and the FDA risk classification. We selected 115 questions that were mainly posted by pregnant internet users in French forums. Drugs raising questions were mostly "nervous system," "anti-infective for systemic use" and "respiratory system" drugs. The risk during pregnancy for nearly half of these drugs had not been evaluated properly. Health professionals were only involved in 7% of the 214 answers. Internet users advised to take a drug in 21% of their answers. Thirty-four percent of those recommended drugs had not been well-evaluated or were potentially at risk during pregnancy. Finally, 12% of the answers could be at risk for pregnant woman. This study shows that information related to drugs and pregnancy in online chats could be at risk for pregnant women. Internet users must be aware that online forums are not reliable sources of information. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Radioactivity levels in major French rivers: summary of monitoring chronicles acquired over the past thirty years and current status.

PubMed

Eyrolle, Frédérique; Claval, David; Gontier, Gilles; Antonelli, Christelle

2008-07-01

Since the beginning of the 1990 s, liquid releases of gamma-emitting radionuclides from French nuclear facilities have generally fallen by almost 85%. Almost 65% of gamma-emitting liquid effluents released into freshwater rivers concerned the River Rhône (Southeast France), with around 85% of this originating from the Marcoule spent fuel reprocessing plant. Upstream of French nuclear plants, artificial radionuclides still detected by gamma spectrometry in 2006, include (137)Cs, (131)I as well as (60)Co, (58)Co and (54)Mn in the case of the Rhine (Switzerland nuclear industries). In the wake of the fallout from the Chernobyl accident, (103)Ru, (106)Rh-Ru, (110 m)Ag, (141)Ce and (129)Te were detected in rivers in the east of France. Some of these radionuclides were found in aquatic plants until 1989. In eastern France, (137)Cs activity in river sediments and mosses is still today two to three times greater than that observed in similar environments in western France. No (134)Cs has been detected upstream of nuclear plants in French rivers since 2001. Downstream of nuclear plants, the gamma emitters still detected regularly in rivers in 2006 are (137)Cs, (134)Cs, (60)Co, (58)Co, (110 m)Ag, (54)Mn, (131)I, together with (241)Am downstream of the Marcoule spent fuel reprocessing plant. Alpha and beta emitters such as plutonium isotopes and (90)Sr first entered freshwaters at the early 1950s due to the leaching of soils contaminated by atmospheric fallout from nuclear testing. These elements were also introduced, in the case of the Rhône River, via effluent from the Marcoule reprocessing plant. Until the mid 1990 s, plutonium isotope levels observed in the lower reaches of the Rhône were 10 to 1000 times higher than those observed in other French freshwaters. Data gathered over a period of almost thirty years of radioecological studies reveal that the only radionuclides detected in fish muscles are (137)Cs, (90)Sr, plutonium isotopes and (241)Am. At the scale of the French territory, there is no significant difference since the mid 1990 s between (137)Cs activity observed downstream of nuclear facilities and that observed upstream, whether in sediments, mosses and fish. Finally, this study highlights that the natural radioactivity of surface freshwaters are around 25 times greater than artificial radioactivity from gamma emitters. However, non gamma emitters released by nuclear industries, such as (3)H, may lead to artificial activity levels 2 to 20 times higher than natural levels.

Case reports of lead poisoning in dogs from the National Animal Poison Control Center and the Centre National D'Informations Toxicologiques, Veterinaires: anecdotes or reality?

PubMed

Berny, P J; Cote, L M; Buck, W B

1992-02-01

This paper presents case reports of lead toxicoses from 2 major animal poison control centers in Europe and North America, gathered from 1985 through 1989. All results examined here involved cases assessed as "toxicosis" or "suspected toxicosis" by the National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) or the Centre National d'Informations Toxicologiques Veterinaries (CNITV). 537 cases were reported to the NAPCC, most of them concerning dogs (59%). In France, most of the 362 cases involved cattle (57.2%). There was an increased number of cases reported during late summer and early fall, and a decreased number of cases in November and December, in both centers. Dogs intoxicated were predominantly young animals (60% were less than 2 years old). No sex difference was noted. Pure bred dogs appeared more often involved than mixed-breed ones, but the breed distribution closely resembles dog breed distribution in the US. The source of lead was usually unknown and, when information was available, paint seemed to be the most common cause of poisoning. Clinical signs reported to the animal poison control centers involved the CNS and GI tract. Results from the French and the American database showed similar trends. They are compared to data from veterinary clinics and veterinary colleges in the US and Australia. In each case, data are very similar to what was reported to the CNITV and the NAPCC. It is concluded that animal poison control centers databases can provide a useful tool for better knowledge of animal poisoning. They can also help identify unexpected toxicologic problems related to drug administration or pesticide use.

Associations of Plasma Concentrations of Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene and Polychlorinated Biphenyls with Prostate Cancer: A Case–Control Study in Guadeloupe (French West Indies)

PubMed Central

Emeville, Elise; Giusti, Arnaud; Coumoul, Xavier; Thomé, Jean-Pierre; Blanchet, Pascal

2014-01-01

Background: Long-term exposure to persistent pollutants with hormonal properties (endocrine-disrupting chemicals; EDCs) may contribute to the risk of prostate cancer (PCa). However, epidemiological evidence remains limited. Objectives: We investigated the relationship between PCa and plasma concentrations of universally widespread pollutants, in particular p,p´-dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE) and the non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl congener 153 (PCB-153). Methods: We evaluated 576 men with newly diagnosed PCa (before treatment) and 655 controls in Guadeloupe (French West Indies). Exposure was analyzed according to case–control status. Associations were assessed by unconditional logistic regression analysis, controlling for confounding factors. Missing data were handled by multiple imputation. Results: We estimated a significant positive association between DDE and PCa [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.30 for the highest vs. lowest quintile of exposure; ptrend = 0.01]. PCB-153 was inversely associated with PCa (OR = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.47 for the highest vs. lowest quintile of exposure values; ptrend < 0.001). Also, PCB-153 was more strongly associated with low-grade than with high-grade PCa. Conclusions: Associations of PCa with DDE and PCB-153 were in opposite directions. This may reflect differences in the mechanisms of action of these EDCs; and although our findings need to be replicated in other populations, they are consistent with complex effects of EDCs on human health. Citation: Emeville E, Giusti A, Coumoul X, Thomé JP, Blanchet P, Multigner L. 2015. Associations of plasma concentrations of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene and polychlorinated biphenyls with prostate cancer: a case–control study in Guadeloupe (French West Indies). Environ Health Perspect 123:317–323; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408407 PMID:25493337

German-French Case Study: Using Multi-Online Tools to Collaborate across Borders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brautlacht, Regina; Ducrocq, Csilla

2013-01-01

This paper examines how students learn to collaborate in English by participating in an intercultural project that focuses on teaching students to work together on a digital writing project using various online tools, and documents their reflections working in an intercultural context. Students from Université Paris Sud Orsay and Bonn…

Statistical Learning in Emerging Lexicons: The Case of Danish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stokes, Stephanie F.; Bleses, Dorthe; Basboll, Hans; Lambertsen, Claus

2012-01-01

Purpose: This research explored the impact of neighborhood density (ND), word frequency (WF), and word length (WL) on the vocabulary size of Danish-speaking children. Given the particular phonological properties of Danish, the impact was expected to differ from that reported in studies on English and French. Method: The monosyllabic words in the…

Collaborative Production of Learning Objects on French Literary Works Using the LOC Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Penman, Christine

2015-01-01

This case study situates the collaborative design of learning objects (interactive online learning material) using the LOC (Learning Object Creator) software in the context of language activities external to the core learning activities of language students at a UK university. It describes the creative and pedagogical processes leading to the…

Using E-Exercise Bases in Mathematics: Case Studies at University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cazes, Claire; Gueudet, Ghislaine; Hersant, Magali; Vandebrouck, Fabrice

2006-01-01

E-Exercise Bases (EEB) are now used in the teaching of mathematics, especially at university. We discuss here the consequences of their use on the students' activity during computer lab sessions. Results stem from observations of several teaching designs organised in different French universities with three e-exercise bases. The analysis focuses…

Bourdieu, Department Chairs and the Reform of Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melville, Wayne; Hardy, Ian; Bartley, Anthony

2011-01-01

Using the insights of the French sociologist, Pierre Bourdieu, this article considers the role of the science department chair in the reform of school science education. Using Bourdieu's "thinking tools" of "field", "habitus" and "capital", we case study the work of two teachers who both actively pursue the teaching and learning of science as…

Language and memory abilities of internationally adopted children from China: evidence for early age effects.

PubMed

Delcenserie, Audrey; Genesee, Fred

2014-11-01

The goal of the present study was to examine if internationally adopted (IA) children from China (M = 10;8) adopted by French-speaking families exhibit lags in verbal memory in addition to lags in verbal abilities documented in previous studies (Gauthier & Genesee, 2011). Tests assessing verbal and non-verbal memory, language, non-verbal cognitive ability, and socio-emotional development were administered to thirty adoptees. Their results were compared to those of thirty non-adopted monolingual French-speaking children matched on age, gender, and socioeconomic status. The IA children scored significantly lower than the controls on language, verbal short-term memory, verbal working memory, and verbal long-term memory. No group differences were found on non-verbal memory, non-verbal cognitive ability, and socio-emotional development, suggesting language-specific difficulties. Despite extended exposure to French, adoptees may experience language difficulties due to limitations in verbal memory, possibly as a result of their delayed exposure to that language and/or attrition of the birth language.

Syntactic comprehension in reading and listening: a study with French children with dyslexia.

PubMed

Casalis, Séverine; Leuwers, Christel; Hilton, Heather

2013-01-01

This study examined syntactic comprehension in French children with dyslexia in both listening and reading. In the first syntactic comprehension task, a partial version of the Epreuve de Compréhension syntaxico-sémantique (ECOSSE test; French adaptation of Bishop's test for receptive grammar test) children with dyslexia performed at a lower level in the written but not in the spoken modality, compared to reading age-matched children, suggesting a difficulty in handling syntax while reading. In the second task, syntactic processing was further explored through a test of relative clause processing, in which inflectional markers could aid in attributing roles to the elements in a complex syntactic structure. Children with dyslexia were insensitive to inflectional markers in both reading and listening, as was the reading age control group, while only the older normal reader group appeared to make use of the inflectional markers. Overall, the results support the hypothesis that difficulties in comprehension in dyslexia are strongly related to poor reading skills.

Adherence to Hypothermia Guidelines: A French Multicenter Study of Fullterm Neonates

PubMed Central

Chevallier, Marie; Ego, Anne; Cans, Christine; Debillon, Thierry

2013-01-01

Aim The objective of this study was to describe the French practice of hypothermia treatment (HT) in full-term newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and to analyze the deviations from the guidelines of the French Society of Neonatology. Materials and Methods From May 2010 to March 2012 we recorded all cases of HIE treated by HT in a French national database. The population was divided into three groups, "optimal HT" (OHT), “late HT” (LHT) and “non-indicated” HT (NIHT), according to the guidelines. Results Of the 311 newborns registered in the database and having HT, 65% were classified in the OHT group, 22% and 13% in the LHT and NIHT groups respectively. The severity of asphyxia and HIE were comparable between newborns with OHT and LHT, apart from EEG. HT was initiated at a mean time of 12 hours of life in the LHT group. An acute obstetrical event was more likely to be identified among newborns with LHT (46%), compared to OHT (34%) and NIHT (22%). There was a gradation in the rate of complications from the NIHT group (29%) to the LHT (38%) group and the OHT group (52%). Despite an insignificant difference in the rates of death or abnormal neurological examination at discharge, nearly 60% of newborns in the OHT group had an MRI showing abnormalities, compared to 44% and 49% in the LHT and NIHT groups respectively. Conclusion The conduct of the HT for HIE newborns is not consistent with French guidelines for 35% of newborns, 22% being explained by an excessive delay in the start of HT, 13% by the lack of adherence to the clinical indications. This first report illustrates the difficulties in implementing guidelines for HT and should argue for an optimization of perinatal care for HIE. PMID:24391817

Dyslexia in a French-Spanish bilingual girl: behavioural and neural modulations following a visual attention span intervention.

PubMed

Valdois, Sylviane; Peyrin, Carole; Lassus-Sangosse, Delphine; Lallier, Marie; Démonet, Jean-François; Kandel, Sonia

2014-04-01

We report the case study of a French-Spanish bilingual dyslexic girl, MP, who exhibited a severe visual attention (VA) span deficit but preserved phonological skills. Behavioural investigation showed a severe reduction of reading speed for both single items (words and pseudo-words) and texts in the two languages. However, performance was more affected in French than in Spanish. MP was administered an intensive VA span intervention programme. Pre-post intervention comparison revealed a positive effect of intervention on her VA span abilities. The intervention further transferred to reading. It primarily resulted in faster identification of the regular and irregular words in French. The effect of intervention was rather modest in Spanish that only showed a tendency for faster word reading. Text reading improved in the two languages with a stronger effect in French but pseudo-word reading did not improve in either French or Spanish. The overall results suggest that VA span intervention may primarily enhance the fast global reading procedure, with stronger effects in French than in Spanish. MP underwent two fMRI sessions to explore her brain activations before and after VA span training. Prior to the intervention, fMRI assessment showed that the striate and extrastriate visual cortices alone were activated but none of the regions typically involved in VA span. Post-training fMRI revealed increased activation of the superior and inferior parietal cortices. Comparison of pre- and post-training activations revealed significant activation increase of the superior parietal lobes (BA 7) bilaterally. Thus, we show that a specific VA span intervention not only modulates reading performance but further results in increased brain activity within the superior parietal lobes known to housing VA span abilities. Furthermore, positive effects of VA span intervention on reading suggest that the ability to process multiple visual elements simultaneously is one cause of successful reading acquisition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Une expertise de bandes: son deroulement, son utilite (An Appraisal of Tapes: Its Development and Usefulness)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maire, Jean-Francois; And Others

1976-01-01

This article outlines the linguistic control criteria of the CILA (Swiss Interuniversity Commission for Applied Linguistics) for a series of tapes dealing with the problem of the "schwa" in French. (Text is in French.) (CDSH/CLK)

Effect of extruded wheat flour and pre-gelatinized cassava starch on process and quality parameters of French-type bread elaborated from frozen dough.

PubMed

Ortolan, Fernanda; Brites, Lara Tatiane G; Montenegro, Flávio M; Schmiele, Marcio; Steel, Caroline J; Clerici, Maria Teresa P S; Almeida, Eveline L; Chang, Yoon K

2015-10-01

This study aimed to verify the potential of extruded wheat flour (EWF) or pre-gelatinized cassava starch (PGS) to improve the process and the quality of French bread elaborated from frozen dough. Three formulations were prepared: 100% control wheat flour (CWF) and the other two formulations with 5% substitution of wheat flour by EWF or PGS. Frozen doughs were frozen stored for seven days and after this period they were thawed, fermented, baked and evaluated for physical, chemical and technological characteristics. Available glucose levels found for EWF (12g/100g), and PGS (11.7g/100g) in relation to CWF (7.1g/100g) showed higher sugar availability for yeasts at the initial stage of proofing, and may also have had a cryoprotective effect when freezing bread doughs. The frozen doughs with EWF or PGS, when thawed and fermented, presented higher volume increase, but after baking, they presented lower volume when compared to the control bread. The results of this study are promising for the use of extruded wheat flour or pre-gelatinized cassava starch as sugar providers for doughs' post-freezing proofing process, improving frozen dough process of French-type bread. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anthropometric history of the French Revolution in the Province of Orleans.

PubMed

Schubert, Hermann

2011-07-01

We estimate the trend in average height of the population of the French province Orleans from 1715 to the beginning of the 19th century using data on recruits who were drafted either through a lottery system or through general conscription. After controlling for age, residence, and occupation, we find a general decline in the biological standard of living in the decades before the French Revolution. The results support a Ricardian-Malthusian interpretation of the causes of the French Revolution. In the debate 'Revolution de la misère ou de la prospérité' our findings support the side which argues that the French Revolution was a culmination of a long-lasting economic malaise during the final phases of the Ancien Régime. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Controlling acrylamide in French fry and potato chip models and a mathematical model of acrylamide formation: acrylamide: acidulants, phytate and calcium.

PubMed

Park, Yeonhwa; Yang, Heewon; Storkson, Jayne M; Albright, Karen J; Liu, Wei; Lindsay, Robert C; Pariza, Michael W

2005-01-01

We previously reported that in potato chip and French fry models, the formation of acrylamide can be reduced by controlling pH during processing steps, either by organic (acidulants) or inorganic acids. Use of phytate, a naturally occurring chelator, with or without Ca++ (or divalent ions), can reduce acrylamide formation in both models. However, since phytate itself is acidic, the question remains as to whether the effect of phytate is due to pH alone or to additional effects. In the French fry model, the effects on acrylamide formation of pH, phytate, and/or Ca++ in various combinations were tested in either blanching or soaking (after blanching) steps. All treatments significantly reduced acrylamide levels compared to control. Among variables tested, pH may be the single most important factor for reducing acrylamide levels, while there were independent effects of phytate and/or Ca++ in this French fry model. We also developed a mathematical formula to estimate the final concentration of acrylamide in a potato chip model, using variables that can affect acrylamide formation: glucose and asparagine concentrations, cut potato surface area and shape, cooking temperature and time, and other processing conditions.

Using multi-terminology indexing for the assignment of MeSH descriptors to health resources in a French online catalogue

PubMed Central

Pereira, Suzanne; Névéol, Aurélie; Kerdelhué, Gaétan; Serrot, Elisabeth; Joubert, Michel; Darmoni, Stéfan J.

2008-01-01

Background: To assist with the development of a French online quality-controlled health gateway (CISMeF), an automatic indexing tool assigning MeSH descriptors to medical text in French was created. The French Multi-Terminology Indexer (F-MTI) relies on a multi-terminology approach involving four prominent medical terminologies and the mappings between them. Objective: In this paper, we compare lemmatization and stemming as methods to process French medical text for indexing. We also evaluate the multi-terminology approach implemented in F-MTI. Methods: The indexing strategies were assessed on a corpus of 18,814 resources indexed manually. Results: There is little difference in the indexing performance when lemmatization or stemming is used. However, the multi-terminology approach outperforms indexing relying on a single terminology in terms of recall. Conclusion: F-MTI will soon be used in the CISMeF production environment and in a Health MultiTerminology Server in French. PMID:18998933

[The fight against rabies in Africa: from recognition to action].

PubMed

Dodet, B; Adjogoua, E V; Aguemon, A-R; Baba, B A; Bara Adda, S; Boumandouki, P; Bourhy, H; Brahimi, M; Briggs, D; Diallo, M K; Diarra, L; Diop, B; Diop, S A G; Fesriry, B; Gosseye, S; Kharmachi, H; Le Roux, K; Nakoune Yandoko, E; Nel, L; Ngome, J-M; Nzengue, E; Ramahefalalao, E F; Ratsitorahina, M; Rich, H; Simpore, L; Soufi, A; Tejiokem, M C; Thiombiano, R; Tiembre, I; Traore, A K; Wateba, M I; Yahaye, H; Zaouia, I

2010-02-01

As a follow-up to the first AfroREB (Africa Rabies Expert Bureau) meeting, held in Grand-Bassam (Côte-d'Ivoire) in March 2008, African rabies experts of the Afro-REB network met a second time to complete the evaluation of the rabies situation in Africa and define specific action plans. About forty French speaking rabies specialists from Northern, Western and Central Africa and Madagascar met in Dakar (Senegal), from March 16th to 19th, 2009. With the participation of delegates from Tunisia, who joined the AfroREB network this year, 15 French speaking African countries were represented. Experts from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, the Alliance for Rabies Control, and the Southern and Eastern African Rabies Group (SEARG, a network of rabies experts from 19 English speaking Southern and Eastern African countries) were in attendance, to participate in the discussion and share their experiences. AfroREB members documented 146 known human rabies cases in all represented countries combined for 2008, for a total population of 209.3 million, or an incidence of 0.07 cases per 100,000 people. Even admitting that the experts do not have access to all reported cases, this is far from the WHO estimation of 2 rabies deaths per 100,000 people in urban areas and 3.6 per 100,000 in rural Africa. It was unanimously agreed that the priority is to break the vicious cycle of indifference and lack of information which is the main barrier to human rabies prevention.

Doctrines of Defeat, La Guerre Revolutionnaire and Counterinsurgency Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-12-01

sending in colonial troops to "pacify" the region. The French simply felt a superior force of arms would regain control. As France began to see defeat at...doctrine. The French Army’s isolation from its own society was the result of many reasons. At the end of World War II, France was war weary; it had...strategically defensive by threateni.,. nuclear destruction of an enemy’s force attempting _o invade France or her allies. In theory, all French

Incidence and clinical characteristics of ciguatera fish poisoning in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) between 2013 and 2016: a retrospective cases-series.

PubMed

Boucaud-Maitre, Denis; Vernoux, Jean-Paul; Pelczar, Stéphane; Daudens-Vaysse, Elise; Aubert, Lyderic; Boa, Sylvie; Ferracci, Serge; Garnier, Robert

2018-02-15

This retrospective case study analysed the incidence and symptoms of ciguatera fish poisoning (ciguatera) in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) between 2013 and 2016. Cases attending the emergency departments of the two public hospitals and the reports received by the regional health authority in charge of monitoring (ARS) were compiled. Two hundred and thirty-four cases of poisoning were observed, with a mean annual incidence of 1.47/10,000 (95% CI): 1.29-1.66), i.e 5 times higher than the previously reported incidence (1996-2006). The main species described as being responsible for poisoning were fish from the Carangidae family (n = 47) (jack), followed by fish from the Lutjanidae family (n = 27) (snapper), Serranidae family (n = 15) (grouper), Sphyraenidae family (n = 12) (barracuda), and Mullidae family (n = 12) (goatfish). One case of lionfish ciguatera was observed. 93.9% of patients experienced gastrointestinal symptoms, 76.0% presented neurological signs (mainly paresthesia, dysesthesia and pruritus) and 40.3% presented cardiovascular symptoms (bradycardia and/or hypotension). A high frequency (61.4%) of hypothermia (body temperature <36.5 °C) was observed. This study reports for the first time the relatively high frequency of cardiac symptoms and low body temperature. The monitoring of ciguatera poisoning throughout the Caribbean region must be improved, notably after reef disturbance due to Irma and Maria major cyclones.

The Prodiguer Messaging Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denvil, S.; Greenslade, M. A.; Carenton, N.; Levavasseur, G.; Raciazek, J.

2015-12-01

CONVERGENCE is a French multi-partner national project designed to gather HPC and informatics expertise to innovate in the context of running French global climate models with differing grids and at differing resolutions. Efficient and reliable execution of these models and the management and dissemination of model output are some of the complexities that CONVERGENCE aims to resolve.At any one moment in time, researchers affiliated with the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL) climate modeling group, are running hundreds of global climate simulations. These simulations execute upon a heterogeneous set of French High Performance Computing (HPC) environments. The IPSL's simulation execution runtime libIGCM (library for IPSL Global Climate Modeling group) has recently been enhanced so as to support hitherto impossible realtime use cases such as simulation monitoring, data publication, metrics collection, simulation control, visualizations … etc. At the core of this enhancement is Prodiguer: an AMQP (Advanced Message Queue Protocol) based event driven asynchronous distributed messaging platform. libIGCM now dispatches copious amounts of information, in the form of messages, to the platform for remote processing by Prodiguer software agents at IPSL servers in Paris. Such processing takes several forms: Persisting message content to database(s); Launching rollback jobs upon simulation failure; Notifying downstream applications; Automation of visualization pipelines; We will describe and/or demonstrate the platform's: Technical implementation; Inherent ease of scalability; Inherent adaptiveness in respect to supervising simulations; Web portal receiving simulation notifications in realtime.

Immigration reform in France and the United States: reflections and documentation.

PubMed

Wenden, C W; Costa-lascoux, J

1984-01-01

This paper analyzes similarities and dissimilarities in French and American efforts to come to grip with irregular migration. The symbolic importance of immigration reform is argued to be a key political concern in both nations, although the politics of immigration reform has assumed a more partisan flavor in France, particularly since the municipal elections of 1983. In France, the theme of control and security, associated with the notion of preventing "automatic" immigration which would endanger the cohesion of French society, was widely utilized for political ends prior to and after May 10, 1981 (the date of Francois Mitterand's investiture). The American government, on the other hand, is confronted with the unenviable task of obtaining a legislative consensus on legalization and employer sanctions through an approach seeking to harmonize and integrate the demands articulated by various groups: employers, unions, and alien and ethnic interest groups (principally Hispanic groups divided into a hierarchy along a recently arrived/established cleavage). The American situation most sharply differs from the French case in terms of the absence of a right/left political cleavage. The real effects of clandestine immigration are to be found at the local level. In France, as in the US, the ability of local actors to exert pressure raises the fear that legalization and sanctions will change little, except in terms of symbolic legitimacy.

Impact of Hellenic Arc Tsunamis on Corsica (France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gailler, Audrey; Schindelé, F.; Hébert, H.

2016-12-01

In the historical period, the Eastern Mediterranean has been devastated by several tsunamis, the two most damaging were those of AD 365 and AD 1303, generated by great earthquakes of magnitude >8 at the Hellenic plate boundary. Recently, events of 6-7 magnitude have occurred in this region. As the French tsunami warning center has to ensure the warning for the French coastlines, the question has raised the possibility for a major tsunami triggered along the Hellenic arc to impact the French coasts. The focus is on the Corsica coasts especially, to estimate what would be the expected wave heights, and from which threshold of magnitude it would be necessary to put the population under cover. This study shows that a magnitude 8.0 earthquake nucleated along the Hellenic arc could induce in some cases a tsunami that would be observed along the Corsica coasts, and for events of 8.5 magnitude amplitudes exceeding 50 cm can be expected, which would be dangerous in harbors and beach areas especially. The main contribution of these results is the establishment of specific thresholds of magnitude for the tsunami warning along the French coasts, 7.8 for the advisory level (coastal marine threat with harbors and beaches evacuation), and 8.3 for the watch level (inland inundation threat) for tsunamis generated along the Hellenic arc.

Satellites for What? Creating User Communities for Space-based Data in France: The Case from LERTS to CESBIO.

PubMed

Cirac-Claveras, Gemma

2018-01-01

This article uses a French case to explore the who, how, and why of satellite remote-sensing development and its transition towards routine utilization in the domain of ecosystems ecology. It discusses the evolution of a community of technology developers promoting remote-sensing capabilities (mostly sponsored by the French space agency). They attempted to legitimate quality scientific practices, establish the authority of satellite remote-sensing data within academic institutions, and build a community of technology users. This article, hence, is intended to contribute to historical interest in how a community of users is constructed for a technological system.

Multiple insecticide resistance in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) populations compromises the effectiveness of dengue vector control in French Guiana.

PubMed

Dusfour, Isabelle; Thalmensy, Véronique; Gaborit, Pascal; Issaly, Jean; Carinci, Romuald; Girod, Romain

2011-05-01

In French Guiana, pyrethroids and organophosphates have been used for many years against Aedes aegypti. We aimed to establish both the resistance level of Ae. aegypti and the ultra low volume spray efficacy to provide mosquito control services with practical information to implement vector control and resistance management. Resistance to deltamethrin and fenitrothion was observed. In addition, the profound loss of efficacy of AquaK'othrine® and the moderate loss of efficacy of Paluthion® 500 were recorded. Fenitrothion remained the most effective candidate for spatial application in French Guiana until its removal in December 2010. Further investigation of the mechanism of resistance to deltamethrin demonstrated the involvement of mixed-function oxidases and, to a lesser extent, of carboxylesterases. However, these observations alone cannot explain the level of insecticide resistance we observed during tube and cage tests.

French Teaching Aids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, J. Dale

Supplementary teaching materials for French language programs are presented in this text. Primarily intended for secondary school students, the study contains seven units of material. They include: (1) French gestures, (2) teaching the interrogative pronouns, (3) French cuisine, (4) recreational learning games, (5) French-English cognates, (6)…

A methodology to compile food metrics related to diet sustainability into a single food database: Application to the French case.

PubMed

Gazan, Rozenn; Barré, Tangui; Perignon, Marlène; Maillot, Matthieu; Darmon, Nicole; Vieux, Florent

2018-01-01

The holistic approach required to assess diet sustainability is hindered by lack of comprehensive databases compiling relevant food metrics. Those metrics are generally scattered in different data sources with various levels of aggregation hampering their matching. The objective was to develop a general methodology to compile food metrics describing diet sustainability dimensions into a single database and to apply it to the French context. Each step of the methodology is detailed: indicators and food metrics identification and selection, food list definition, food matching and values assignment. For the French case, nutrient and contaminant content, bioavailability factors, distribution of dietary intakes, portion sizes, food prices, greenhouse gas emission, acidification and marine eutrophication estimates were allocated to 212 commonly consumed generic foods. This generic database compiling 279 metrics will allow the simultaneous evaluation of the four dimensions of diet sustainability, namely health, economic, social and environmental, dimensions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Screening UBQLN-2 in French frontotemporal lobar degeneration and frontotemporal lobar degeneration-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.

PubMed

Lattante, Serena; Le Ber, Isabelle; Camuzat, Agnès; Pariente, Jérémie; Brice, Alexis; Kabashi, Edor

2013-08-01

The ubiquilin-2 gene (UBQLN-2) is the only amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-related gene mapping on the X chromosome. Mutations in the PXX domain of UBQLN-2 have been first described in ALS patients with a mutational frequency of 2.6% in familial ALS cases with no evidence of male-to-male transmission. Different populations have been further tested with mutations largely distributed in the gene and lower frequency of positive cases. To determine the genetic contribution of UBQLN-2 in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and FTLD-ALS, we screened a cohort of 136 French patients, identifying a missense variant (c.1006A>G; p.T336A) in 1 FTLD patient whose biological relevance to disease is questionable. We conclude that UBQLN-2 mutations related to ALS/FTLD are extremely rare in French FTLD and FTLD-ALS patients and should not be analyzed systematically. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Do Students Share the Same Experience in an Online Language Exchange Programme?--The Chinese-French eTandem Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szilas, Jue Wang; Zhang, Ling; Berger, Claudia

2013-01-01

This article presents the findings of an eTandem Chinese-French exchange course during two academic years, the year 2010-2011 when the course was not credited, and the year 2011-2012 when the course was credited in one university but not in the other. It focuses on the students' perspective about the language exchange experience. The participants…

Relevance of Google-customized search engine vs. CISMeF quality-controlled health gateway.

PubMed

Gehanno, Jean-François; Kerdelhue, Gaétan; Sakji, Saoussen; Massari, Philippe; Joubert, Michel; Darmoni, Stéfan J

2009-01-01

CISMeF (acronym for Catalog and Index of French Language Health Resources on the Internet) is a quality-controlled health gateway conceived to catalog and index the most important and quality-controlled sources of institutional health information in French. The goal of this study is to compare the relevance of results provided by this gateway from a small set of documents selected and described by human experts to those provided by a search engine from a large set of automatically indexed and ranked resources. The Google-Customized search engine (CSE) was used. The evaluation was made using the 10th first results of 15 queries and two blinded physician evaluators. There was no significant difference between the relevance of information retrieval in CISMeF and Google CSE. In conclusion, automatic indexing does not lead to lower relevance than a manual MeSH indexing and may help to cope with the increasing number of references to be indexed in a controlled health quality gateway.

Conflict of interest in Health Technology Assessment decisions: case law in France and impact on reimbursement decisions.

PubMed

Frybourg, Sandrine; Remuzat, Cécile; Kornfeld, Åsa; Toumi, Mondher

2015-01-01

The slow reaction of French authorities to the so-called Mediator® saga in 2009 in France led to investigations that questioned the way conflicts of interest are reported. France implemented the Loi Bertrand ('Bertrand Law') in May 2013, known as the 'French Sunshine Act', with the aim of specifying the scope of disclosure obligations. This policy research reviewed the Loi Bertrand and reported case law from the French Council of State (COS) related to conflicts of interest in French Health technology assessment (HTA) opinion. The Loi Bertrand requires the publication of most of the agreements concluded between health-care professionals and companies and covers a vast range of health products. Commercial sales agreements of goods and services concluded between manufacturers and health-care professionals are a strong exception to this disclosure obligation. Six cases examined by the COS were analyzed, most of them related to the publication of guidelines or the removal of products from the list of reimbursed drugs and devices. These cases have been reviewed, as well as the impact of the ruling on reimbursement decisions. Four cases led to suspension or invalidation of decisions based on the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) recommendations due to conflicts of interest. In the two other cases, the HAS provided post hoc declarations of interest when required by the COS, and the COS considered the conflicts of interest as irrelevant for the decision. It appears that the COS based its decisions on two main criteria: the acknowledgement of negative conflicts of interest (a link with competitors) and the absence of declarations of conflicts of interest, which have to be presented when required by legal authorities irrespective of when they were completed (even posterior to the HAS opinion). However, the number of cases that have been decided against the HAS remains very limited with respect to the volume of assessments performed yearly. The strengthening of the regulation on declarations of interest might lead to more transparency but also to more cases decided by the COS. A new press investigation (in March 2015) related to alleged cases of conflict of interests led policy makers to amend the Bertrand Law in April 2015 and require the disclosure of amounts paid to health-care professionals by the industry.

Poisoned Wine: Regulation, Chemical Analyses, and Spanish-French Trade in the 1930s.

PubMed

Suay-Matallana, Ignacio; Guillem-Llobat, Ximo

2018-05-01

This paper describes the resources, scientific spaces, and experts involved in the study of a mass poisoning caused by the drinking of arsenic-contaminated wine exported from Spain to France in 1932. Local and international periodicals record the poisoning of 300 French sailors, and stressed the commercial implications of the case. We discuss the reports prepared by different experts (mainly physicians, agricultural engineers, and customs chemists). Their work was not limited to preparing technical publications or chemical analyses; they also actively defended the quality of their local wine, and played a major role in the discussions regarding the regulation of the international wine market in the 1930s, when new standards regarding the analysis of wine were being considered. Curiously, this well-publicised case of mass poisoning did not have any noticeable consequences in the international regulation of wine. This absence of subsequent regulatory action and the role of experts are central topics of the paper.

Changes in prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in disadvantaged French Caribbean populations, 2003 to 2014.

PubMed

Carrère, P; Halbert, N; Lamy, S; Inamo, J; Atallah, A; Lang, T

2017-09-01

In 2003, the PHDG (Prevalence of Hypertension among Disadvantaged Guadeloupeans) study highlighted poor management of hypertension in an unemployed French Caribbean population. New processes of health-care coordination and a pay-for-performance system have since been developed. We aimed to assess changes in hypertension characteristics in disadvantaged French Caribbean populations in the last 10 years. Using PHDG 2003 data, in 2014 we undertook a cross-sectional study with identical methods. The source population comprised all Guadeloupeans having undergone periodic heath checks offered by the Social Security insurance at these dates. Only universal health coverage beneficiaries (i.e. in situations of poverty) aged 18-64 were included (2014 in 2014, 1868 in 2003). Hypertension was defined by antihypertensive treatment or a mean of two blood pressure measures ⩾140/90 mm Hg. The 2003 and 2014 data were age adjusted; comparative morbidity factors (CMF) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to assess changes over time. Hypertension prevalence decreased from 38.3 to 34.5% (CMF 95% CI: 0.83-0.97). The increase in hypertension awareness was greater for women (from 48.3 to 55.3%, CMF 95% CI: 1.00-1.31) than for men (from 28 to 31.1%, NS). Among hypertensive individuals aware of their condition, proportions of those treated increased for women (from 83.1 to 88.3%, NS) but decreased for men (from 80.2 to 75.8%, NS). Controlled hypertension among treated patients increased in women (from 35.2 to 49.2%, CMF 95% CI: 1.07-1.82) and men (from 12.9 to 30.1%, CMF 95% CI: 1.30-4.21). In conclusion, in these poor French Caribbean populations with theoretically adequate access to care, hypertension control remained far below national goals. Neither awareness nor treatment had improved in men.

[Ciguatera and acute polyradiculoneuritis. Description of two cases in French Polynesia: immunoallergic hypothesis?].

PubMed

Oehler, E; Gatti, C; Legrand, A M; Ghawche, F

2009-02-01

Ciguatera is a foodborne poisoning caused by eating seafood from tropical and subtropical reef areas. According to official data from the local health department, cases of ciguatera in French Polynesia are estimated to involve 240 to 400 persons per 100 000 inhabitants. Associated with a wide spectrum of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, nervous, and general signs, ciguatera is usually benign although some forms can lead to hospitalization. The purpose of this report is to describe two unusual cases involving patients who developed acute polyradiculoneuritis with Guillain-Barré-syndrome-like peripheral nervous system deficits on the seventh day of ciguatera after ingestion of moray eel. The hypothesis of an immune-allergic reaction is raised especially in the light of rapid improvement of the patient who received polyvalent immunoglobulin treatment.

[French norms of imagery for pictures, for concrete and abstract words].

PubMed

Robin, Frédérique

2006-09-01

This paper deals with French norms for mental image versus picture agreement for 138 pictures and the imagery value for 138 concrete words and 69 abstract words. The pictures were selected from Snodgrass et Vanderwart's norms (1980). The concrete words correspond to the dominant naming response to the pictorial stimuli. The abstract words were taken from verbal associative norms published by Ferrand (2001). The norms were established according to two variables: 1) mental image vs. picture agreement, and 2) imagery value of words. Three other variables were controlled: 1) picture naming agreement; 2) familiarity of objects referred to in the pictures and the concrete words, and 3) subjective verbal frequency of words. The originality of this work is to provide French imagery norms for the three kinds of stimuli usually compared in research on dual coding. Moreover, these studies focus on figurative and verbal stimuli variations in visual imagery processes.

Morphology and Spelling in French: A Comparison of At-Risk Readers and Typically Developing Children.

PubMed

Koh, Poh Wee; Shakory, Sharry; Chen, Xi; Deacon, S Hélène

2017-11-01

We present two studies that examine the role of morphology in French spelling. In Study 1, we examined the concurrent and longitudinal relationships between inflectional awareness and derivational awareness and spelling within a sample of 77 children in a French immersion programme in Canada. Children completed a non-verbal reasoning measure and French measures of phonological awareness, word reading, vocabulary, morphological awareness, and spelling. Results showed that inflectional morphological awareness in Grade 3 was a predictor of spelling in the same grade. Inflectional awareness in Grade 2 predicted Grade 3 spelling, controlling for reading-related skills and spelling at Grade 2. These analyses support the role of inflectional morphological awareness in the development of spelling of children of a range of reading and spelling abilities. In contrast, derivational awareness in Grades 2 and 3 did not predict spelling concurrently in both grades respectively. Study 2 contrasted the morphological errors in the spellings of six children at risk for reading difficulties with those of six chronological age-matched and six reading level-matched children. Analyses showed that at-risk children exhibited more difficulties with spelling roots and suffixes in words as compared with their age-matched peers, although they performed similarly to children matched on reading level. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The 2009 A(H1N1) influenza pandemic in the French Armed Forces: epidemiological surveillance and operational management.

PubMed

Pohl, Jean-Baptiste; Mayet, Aurélie; Bédubourg, Gabriel; Duron, Sandrine; Michel, Rémy; Deparis, Xavier; Rapp, Christophe; Godart, Patrick; Migliani, René; Meynard, Jean-Baptiste

2014-02-01

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the contribution of a newly implemented daily surveillance system to the management of the 2009 A(H1N1) influenza pandemic by the military decision-makers at different levels in the French Department of Defence. The study sample included all medical advisors in the Ministry of Defence and the French Armed Forces Staff and also the members of the specific committee dedicated to flu pandemic control. The variables studied were mental representation of epidemiology, relevance, usefulness, and real-time use of surveillance data using quantitative questionnaires and qualitative face-to-face semistructured interviews. Among the risk managers of the flu pandemic in the Armed Forces, 84% responded. The data generated by epidemiological surveillance were considered relevant and useful, and were reported as effectively used. On the basis of the information produced, concrete actions were planned and implemented in the French Armed Forces. In a pandemic situation involving low mortality, the daily monitoring of the disease did not target public health issues, but it was mainly used to assess the availability of the Armed Forces in real time. For the military staff, epidemiological surveillance represents an essential information tool for the conduct of operations. Reprint & Copyright © 2014 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Effectiveness of a Web-Based Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Consumption among French Hazardous Drinkers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guillemont, Juliette; Cogordan, Chloé; Nalpas, Bertrand; Nguyen-Thanh, Vi?t; Richard, Jean-Baptiste; Arwidson, Pierre

2017-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based intervention to reduce alcohol consumption among hazardous drinkers. A two-group parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted among adults identified as hazardous drinkers according to the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. The intervention delivers personalized normative…

Gender, Peers, and Delinquency: A Study of Boys and Girls in Rural France.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartjen, Clayton A.; Priyadarsini, S.

2003-01-01

Surveyed rural French students age 13-18 years to investigate the extent to which measures of social control and learning/differential association theories could be generalized to, and help explain, delinquency. Social control measures either did not form reliable scales or were not significantly related to various offense scales. Measures of…

Effects of English Cued Speech on Speech Perception, Phonological Awareness and Literacy: A Case Study of a 9-Year-Old Deaf Boy Using a Cochlear Implant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rees, Rachel; Bladel, Judith

2013-01-01

Many studies have shown that French Cued Speech (CS) can enhance lipreading and the development of phonological awareness and literacy in deaf children but, as yet, there is little evidence that these findings can be generalized to English CS. This study investigated the possible effects of English CS on the speech perception, phonological…

A Cross-Cultural Study on Meaning and the Nature of Children's Experiences in Australian and French Swimming Clubs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Light, Richard

2010-01-01

This article reports on a study conducted in Australia and France that inquired into the meaning and the nature of children's experiences of being in swimming clubs with a focus on the positive aspects of membership that keep them in their clubs. Three-month long case studies were conducted in a club in Australia and in a club in France, employing…

D'Alembert's paradox, 1900-1914: Levi-Civita and his Italian and French followers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tazzioli, Rossana

2017-07-01

Before the First World War, Tullio Levi-Civita (1873-1941) was already a well-known mathematician in Italy and abroad, in particular in France. Professor at the University of Padua since 1898, he had published important contributions to tensor calculus, theory of relativity, differential geometry, hydrodynamics, and the three-body problem. In 1918, when he moved to the University of Rome, he created an international school of mathematics. In this paper, we focus on d'Alembert's paradox to which Levi-Civita and some of his Italian and French followers contributed remarkable solutions. This case-study is used to illustrate Levi-Civita's approach to hydrodynamics and its influence in Italy and France, especially in the period 1910-1914.

Prevalence and Reliability of Phonological, Surface, and Mixed Profiles in Dyslexia: A Review of Studies Conducted in Languages Varying in Orthographic Depth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sprenger-Charolles, Liliane; Siegel, Linda S.; Jimenez, Juan E.; Ziegler, Johannes C.

2011-01-01

The influence of orthographic transparency on the prevalence of dyslexia subtypes was examined in a review of multiple-case studies conducted in languages differing in orthographic depth (English, French, and Spanish). Cross-language differences are found in the proportion of dissociated profiles as a function of the dependent variables (speed or…

First epidemiological study on occupational radar exposure in the French Navy: a 26-year cohort study.

PubMed

Dabouis, Vincent; Arvers, Philippe; Debouzy, Jean-Claude; Sebbah, Charles; Crouzier, David; Perrin, Anne

2016-01-01

This retrospective cohort study deals with the causes of death among 57,000 military personnel who served in the French Navy surface vessels and were observed over the period 1975-2000. We successively compared the mortality rate and the specific causes of death between two groups differing in their potential exposure levels to radar. Occupational exposure was defined according to the on-board workplace (radar and control groups). The age-adjusted death ratios of the navy personnel were compared. For all causes of death, the results showed that 885 deaths in the radar group and 299 in the control group occurred (RR = 1.00 (95% CI: 0.88-1.14)). RRs were 0.92 (95% CI: 0.69-1.24) for neoplasms. For the duration of follow-up, the results did not show an increased health risk for military personnel exposed to higher levels of radio frequencies in the radar group, but the number of deaths was very small for some cancer sites.

Malaria on the Guiana Shield: a review of the situation in French Guiana

PubMed Central

Musset, Lise; Pelleau, Stéphane; Girod, Romain; Ardillon, Vanessa; Carvalho, Luisiane; Dusfour, Isabelle; Gomes, Margarete SM; Djossou, Félix; Legrand, Eric

2014-01-01

In a climate of growing concern that Plasmodium falciparum may be developing a drug resistance to artemisinin derivatives in the Guiana Shield, this review details our current knowledge of malaria and control strategy in one part of the Shield, French Guiana. Local epidemiology, test-treat-track strategy, the state of parasite drug resistance and vector control measures are summarised. Current issues in terms of mobile populations and legislative limitations are also discussed. PMID:25184998

Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in Caucasian patients with non-viral cirrhosis: the importance of prior obesity.

PubMed

Archambeaud, Isabelle; Auble, Hélène; Nahon, Pierre; Planche, Lucie; Fallot, Guillaume; Faroux, Roger; Gournay, Jérôme; Samuel, Didier; Kury, Sebastien; Féray, Cyrille

2015-07-01

In patients with cirrhosis, the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) depends upon age, gender and the etiology of liver disease. Few studies are available in Caucasian patients with alcoholic or metabolic cirrhosis without viral hepatitis. Cross-sectional clinical data from 905 HCV- and HBV-negative Caucasian patients with alcoholic or metabolic cirrhosis were prospectively collected in four French centres. The risk factors for HCC were identified by logistic regression analysis in the whole population and in a nested case-control study. The etiology of cirrhosis was alcoholic (48%), metabolic (7%) or mixed (45%). Patients were predominantly male (80%), mean age 62 years old and 31% had HCC. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 27 ± 5 and 30% were obese at inclusion. The maximum BMI reached throughout life was 31 ± 6 and 63% had been obese. Ninety percent of the population had daily alcohol consumption, 73% were smokers. Hepatocellular carcinoma was independently related to male gender (P < 0.0001), older age (P < 0.0001), past obesity (P = 0.007), diabetes (P = 0.037), abnormal levels of transaminases (P < 0.0001) and tobacco consumption (P = 0.007). The case-control study (200 HCC cases matched with 400 non-HCC cases for gender, age and Child-Pugh score) confirmed past obesity, tobacco and abnormal levels of transaminases. Beside diabetes, male gender and age, a past history of obesity, but not an existing overweight, as well as exposure to tobacco and elevated transaminases were three risk factors which could improve the strategy for HCC screening in Caucasian cirrhotic patients without hepatitis B or C. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Producing bilinguals through immersion education: Development of metalinguistic awareness

PubMed Central

Bialystok, Ellen; Peets, Kathleen F.; Moreno, Sylvain

2014-01-01

This study examined metalinguistic awareness in children who were becoming bilingual in an immersion education program. The purpose was to determine at what point in emerging bilingualism the previously reported metalinguistic advantages appear and what types of metalinguistic tasks reveal these developmental differences. Participants were 124 children in second and fifth grades who were enrolled in either a French immersion or a regular English program. All children were from monolingual English-speaking homes and attended local public schools in middle socioeconomic neighborhoods. Measures included morphological awareness, syntactic awareness, and verbal fluency, with all testing in English. These tasks differed in their need for executive control, a cognitive ability that is enhanced in bilingual children. Overall, the metalinguistic advantages reported in earlier research emerged gradually, with advantages for tasks requiring more executive control (grammaticality judgment) appearing later and some tasks improving but not exceeding performance of monolinguals (verbal fluency) even by fifth grade. These findings demonstrate the gradual emergence of changes in metalinguistic concepts associated with bilingualism over a period of about 5 years. Performance on English-language proficiency tasks was maintained by French immersion children throughout in spite of schooling being conducted in French. PMID:24744451

[Emergency eye care in French university hospitals].

PubMed

Bourges, J-L

2018-03-01

The patient's request for urgent care in ophthalmology (PRUCO) at health care centers is constantly growing. In France, university hospitals are managing 75% of these cases. We sought to quantify PRUCO referred to French university hospital emergency units as well as to approach the structure and the territorial distribution of emergency eye care provided by French university hospitals. We conducted a quick cross-sectional survey sent to the 32 metropolitan and overseas French university hospitals. It inquired for each hospital whether emergency eye care units were available, whether ophthalmologists were on duty or on call overnight and how many PRUCO were managed in 2016. The 32 university hospitals completed the survey. A total of 398650 PRUCO were managed in French university hospitals in 2016. The emergency unit was exclusively dedicated to eye care for 70% of the hospitals, with 47% (15/32) of them employing an ophthalmologist on duty overnight. Every hospital but one had at least one ophthalmologist on call. The city of Paris set aside, university hospitals took care of an annual mean of 9000 PRUCO (min=500; max=32,250). The 32 French university hospitals are actively responding to patient's requests for urgent care in ophthalmology with very heterogeneous patient volumes and organizational systems. Half of them employ ophthalmologists on duty. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Old French for Undergraduates at the University of Minnesota, Morris.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, David E.

Old French for undergraduates, as it is offered to students at the University of Minnesota, Morris, represents a break with tradition. A rationale for the program and course descriptions accentuate benefits accrued from undergraduate medieval studies. Syllabuses for French 80, The History of the Language; French 90, Directed Medieval Studies; and…

The July Festival in the Marquesan Islands: Social Mechanisms Delimiting Youth and Adulthood.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martini, Mary

This research paper describes various aspects of the 12-day July Festival and period of preparation for it in one valley on the island of 'Ua Pou, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. This case study is of a well-delineated cultural event which exemplifies many themes presented in "Patterns of Social Interaction and Concepts of…

Stronger Accent Following a Stroke: The Case of a Trilingual with Aphasia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Erika S.; Goral, Mira; De Diesbach, Catharine Castelluccio; Law, Franzo, II

2011-01-01

This study documents patterns of change in speech production in a multilingual with aphasia following a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). EC, a right-handed Hebrew-English-French trilingual man, had a left fronto-temporo-parietal CVA, after which he reported that his (native) Hebrew accent became stronger in his (second language) English. Recordings…

Discursive Power and the New Labor Force: The Metamorphosis of a Speech Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miles, Christopher

2010-01-01

This article describes the results of a six-month ethnographic case study of a French immigrant of Senegalese descent and how he recreates the culture of an American company's speech community. Data were collected through interviews, field notes, and shadowing the participant at his place of employment. The transcribed interviews and field notes…

Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education. Proceedings of the Annual Conference (4th, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 28-30, 1985).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education, Guelph (Ontario).

These proceedings contain 28 papers (20 in English and 8 in French), including the following: "Beyond Ideology: The Case of the Corporate Classroom" (Zinman); "De quelques dimensions paradoxales de l'education interculturelle" (Ollivier); "Ideology, Indoctrination and the Language of Physics" (Winchester);…

Heeding Cultural Prerogatives: The Evolving Politics of Wine Regulation in France

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

French wine advanced in concert with the consumption and production booms, according to most observers. Early trailblazers of gastronomy in France...History of Wine (New York: Harper Collins, 2000), 230. 54 Pascal Ory, “ Gastronomy ,” in Pierre Nora, Realms of Memory: The Construction of the French...constantly encounter, and often employ, new viticultural technologies and techniques. Just as is the case with standard versions of globalization, a deep

The relation between type of farming and prevalence of Parkinson's disease among agricultural workers in five french districts

PubMed Central

Moisan, Frédéric; Spinosi, Johan; Dupupet, Jean-Luc; Delabre, Laurène; Mazurie, Jean-Louis; Goldberg, Marcel; Imbernon, Ellen; Tzourio, Christophe; Elbaz, Alexis

2011-01-01

Retrospective assessment of pesticide exposure is complex; however, patterns of pesticide use strongly depend on farming type, which is easier to assess than pesticide exposure. Our aim was to estimate Parkinson’s disease (PD) prevalence in five French districts in 2007 among affiliates of Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA) and to investigate the relation between PD prevalence and farming type. We identified PD cases from administrative files as persons who used levodopa and/or benefited from free health care for PD. Densities of 16 farming types were defined at the canton of residence level (1988 French agricultural census). We used logistic regression to study the relation between PD prevalence and density of farming types and a semi-Bayes approach to deal with correlated exposures. We identified 1,659 PD cases, yielding an age- and sex-standardized PD prevalence of 3.01/1,000. Prevalence increased with age and was higher in men than women. We found a higher PD prevalence among affiliates living in cantons characterized by a higher density of farms specialized in fruits and permanent crops (multivariable semi-Bayes model: OR4+5 vs 1+2+3 quintiles = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.08–1.36; test for trend, P = 0.035). In France, farms specialized in fruits and permanent crops rank first in terms of insecticide use per hectare. Our findings are consistent with studies reporting an association between PD and insecticide use and show that workers in farms specialized in fruits or permanent crops may be an occupational group at higher PD risk. PMID:21412834

Evaluation of the impact on human salmonellosis of control measures targeted to Salmonella Enteritidis and Typhimurium in poultry breeding using time-series analysis and intervention models in France.

PubMed

Poirier, E; Watier, L; Espie, E; Weill, F-X; De Valk, H; Desenclos, J-C

2008-09-01

In France, salmonellosis is the main cause of foodborne bacterial infection with serotypes Enteritis (SE) and Typhimurium (ST) accounting for 70% of all cases. French authorities implemented a national control programme targeting SE and ST in poultry and eggs from October 1998 onwards. A 33% decrease in salmonellosis has been observed since implementation. We designed an evaluation of the impact of this control programme on SE and ST human infections in France. Using monthly Salmonella human isolate reports to the National Reference Centre we defined two intervention series (SE and ST) and one control series comprising serotypes not know to be associated with poultry or eggs. The series, from 1992 to 2003, were analysed using autoregressive moving average models (ARMA). To test the hypothesis of a reduction of SE and ST human cases >0 after the programme started and to estimate its size, we introduced an intervention model to the ARMA modelling. In contrast to the control series, we found an annual reduction of 555 (95% CI 148-964) SE and of 492 (95% CI 0-1092) ST human infections, representing respectively a 21% and 18% decrease. For SE, the decrease occurred sharply after implementation while for ST, it followed a progressive decrease that started early in 1998. Our study, suggests a true relation between the Salmonella control programme and the subsequent decrease observed for the two targeted serotypes. For ST, however, the decrease prior to the intervention may also reflect control measures implemented earlier by the cattle and milk industry.

Associations among body size across the life course, adult height and endometriosis.

PubMed

Farland, L V; Missmer, S A; Bijon, A; Gusto, G; Gelot, A; Clavel-Chapelon, F; Mesrine, S; Boutron-Ruault, M C; Kvaskoff, M

2017-08-01

Are body size across the life course and adult height associated with endometriosis? Endometriosis is associated with lean body size during childhood, adolescence and adulthood; tall total adult height; and tall sitting height. The literature suggests that both adult body size and height are associated with endometriosis risk, but few studies have investigated the role of body size across the life course. Additionally, no study has investigated the relationships between components of height and endometriosis. We used a nested case-control design within E3N (Etude Epidémiologique auprès de femmes de l'Education Nationale), a prospective cohort of French women. Data were updated every 2-3 years through self-administered questionnaires. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were computed using logistic regression models adjusted for a priori confounding factors. A total of 2416 endometriosis cases were reported as surgically ascertained among the 61 208 included women. The odds of endometriosis were lower among women who reported having a large versus lean body size at 8 years (P for trend = 0.003), at menarche (P for trend < 0.0001) and at ages 20-25 years (P for trend < 0.0001). Women in the highest quartiles of height had statistically significantly increased odds of endometriosis compared to those in the lowest (<158 cm) (162-164 cm: OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.12-1.46; ≥165 cm: OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.18-1.49, P for trend < 0.0001). Statistically significantly increased odds were also observed among women with a taller sitting height (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.05-1.47, P for trend = 0.01). Leg length was not statistically significantly associated with endometriosis. Endometriosis cases may be prone to misclassification; however, we restricted our case definition to surgically-confirmed cases, which showed a high validation rate. Body size is based on retrospective self-report, which may be subject to recall bias. The results of this study suggest that endometriosis is positively associated with lean body size across the life course and total adult height. They also suggest that components of height are associated with endometriosis, which should be investigated further. The Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale (MGEN); the European Community; the French League against Cancer (LNCC); Gustave Roussy; the French Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). L.V.F. was supported by a T32 grant (#HD060454) in reproductive, perinatal and pediatric epidemiology from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Cancer Institute (3R25CA057711) National Institutes of Health. M.K. was supported by a Marie Curie Fellowship within the seventh European Community Framework Programme (#PIOF-GA-2011-302078). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

A Monte Carlo risk assessment model for acrylamide formation in French fries.

PubMed

Cummins, Enda; Butler, Francis; Gormley, Ronan; Brunton, Nigel

2009-10-01

The objective of this study is to estimate the likely human exposure to the group 2a carcinogen, acrylamide, from French fries by Irish consumers by developing a quantitative risk assessment model using Monte Carlo simulation techniques. Various stages in the French-fry-making process were modeled from initial potato harvest, storage, and processing procedures. The model was developed in Microsoft Excel with the @Risk add-on package. The model was run for 10,000 iterations using Latin hypercube sampling. The simulated mean acrylamide level in French fries was calculated to be 317 microg/kg. It was found that females are exposed to smaller levels of acrylamide than males (mean exposure of 0.20 microg/kg bw/day and 0.27 microg/kg bw/day, respectively). Although the carcinogenic potency of acrylamide is not well known, the simulated probability of exceeding the average chronic human dietary intake of 1 microg/kg bw/day (as suggested by WHO) was 0.054 and 0.029 for males and females, respectively. A sensitivity analysis highlighted the importance of the selection of appropriate cultivars with known low reducing sugar levels for French fry production. Strict control of cooking conditions (correlation coefficient of 0.42 and 0.35 for frying time and temperature, respectively) and blanching procedures (correlation coefficient -0.25) were also found to be important in ensuring minimal acrylamide formation.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and A1298C polymorphism and susceptibility to acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a cohort of Egyptian children.

PubMed

Mosaad, Youssef M; Abousamra, Nashwa K; Elashery, Rasha; Fawzy, Iman M; Eldein, Omar A Sharaf; Sherief, Doaa M; El Azab, Hend M M

2015-01-01

This case-control study was planned to investigate the possible role of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C polymorphisms as a risk factor for the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in a cohort of Egyptian children. Typing of MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms was done using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for 100 children with ALL and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. No significant differences were found between patients with ALL and controls for the frequency of MTHFR C677T and A1298C alleles, genotypes, combined genotypes or haplotypes. The C677T and A1298C genotype frequency was different from that in Korean and Chinese populations (p < 0.5) and was similar to that in British, French-Canadian and German-Caucasian populations (p > 0.5). Our findings suggest that MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms are unlikely to affect the development of childhood ALL in an Egyptian population from Delta.

Acquisition of the Internal and External Constraints of Variable Schwa Deletion by French Immersion Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uritescu, Dorin; Mougeon, Raymond; Rehner, Katherine; Nadasdi, Terry

2004-01-01

This article is one among a series of studies on the acquisition of patterns of linguistic variation observable in the speech of native speakers of Canadian French by French immersion (FI) students. The present study is centered on deletion of the central vowel schwa, a widespread feature of casual spoken French. In this study, FI students are…

Poly Implants Prosthèse Breast Implants: A Case Series and Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Klein, Doron; Hadad, Eran; Wiser, Itay; Wolf, Omer; Itzhaki Shapira, Ortal; Fucks, Shir; Heller, Lior

2018-01-01

Silicone breast implants from the French manufacturer Poly Implants Prosthèse (PIP) were recalled from the European market after the French regulator has revealed the implants contain non-medical-grade silicone filler. In December 2011, following a large increase in reported rupture rate and a possible cancer risk, the French Ministry of Health recommended consideration of the PIP explantation, regardless of their condition. In 2012, the Israel Ministry of Health recommended to replace the implants only upon suspected implant rupture. The aims of this study were to characterize breast-augmented Israeli patients with PIP implants, compare their outcomes with those of breast-augmented patients with different implant types, and review the current PIP literature. Breast-augmented patients who underwent an elective breast implant exchange in Israel between January 2011 and January 2017 were included in the study. Data were collected from electronic and physical medical files. There were 73 breast-augmented female patients with 146 PIP breast implants included in this study. Average implant age was 6.7 ± 2.79 years. Mean implant size was 342.8 ± 52.9 mL. Fourteen women (19 implants [16%]) had a high-grade capsular contracture (Baker grade 3-4). During exchange, 28 implants were found to be ruptured (19.2%). Less than 10 years following breast augmentation, PIP implants demonstrated higher rupture rate compared with other implants. Our data are comparable to overall available rupture rate. Among patients with definitive rupture diagnosis, an elective implant removal should be recommended. In cases of undamaged implants, plastic surgeons should also seriously consider PIP implant explantation. When the patient does not desire to remove the implant, an annual physical examination and breast ultrasound are recommended, beginning a year after augmentation.

Application of Lamendin's adult dental aging technique to a diverse skeletal sample.

PubMed

Prince, Debra A; Ubelaker, Douglas H

2002-01-01

Lamendin et al. (1) proposed a technique to estimate age at death for adults by analyzing single-rooted teeth. They expressed age as a function of two factors: translucency of the tooth root and periodontosis (gingival regression). In their study, they analyzed 306 singled rooted teeth that were extracted at autopsy from 208 individuals of known age at death, all of whom were considered as having a French ancestry. Their sample consisted of 135 males, 73 females, 198 whites, and 10 blacks. The sample ranged in age from 22 to 90 years of age. By using a simple formulae (A = 0.18 x P + 0.42 x T + 25.53, where A = Age in years, P = Periodontosis height x 100/root height, and T = Transparency height x 100/root height), Lamendin et al. were able to estimate age at death with a mean error of +/- 10 years on their working sample and +/- 8.4 years on a forensic control sample. Lamendin found this technique to work well with a French population, but did not test it outside of that sample area. This study tests the accuracy of this adult aging technique on a more diverse skeletal population, the Terry Collection housed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Our sample consists of 400 teeth from 94 black females, 72 white females, 98 black males, and 95 white males, ranging from 25 to 99 years. Lamendin's technique was applied to this sample to test its applicability to a population not of French origin. Providing results from a diverse skeletal population will aid in establishing the validity of this method to be used in forensic cases, its ideal purpose. Our results suggest that Lamendin's method estimates age fairly accurately outside of the French sample yielding a mean error of 8.2 years, standard deviation 6.9 years, and standard error of the mean 0.34 years. In addition, when ancestry and sex are accounted for, the mean errors are reduced for each group (black females, white females, black males, and white males). Lamendin et al. reported an inter-observer error of 9+/-1.8 and 10+/-2 sears from two independent observers. Forty teeth were randomly remeasured from the Terry Collection in order to assess an intra-observer error. From this retest, an intra-observer error of 6.5 years was detected.

Bilingualism Review. April 1976

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ontario Dept. of State, Ottawa. Information Services.

This issue deals with the problems of reviving the study of French in general, and the use of French in Louisiana in particular. "Rebirth of French in New Orleans" describes a conference on French language teaching held in New Orleans on December 26-30, 1975, and organized jointly by the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF),…

Research Perspectives on Core French: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lapkin, Sharon; Mady, Callie; Arnott, Stephanie

2009-01-01

This article reviews the research literature on core French in three main areas: student diversity, delivery models for the core French program, and instructional approaches. These topics are put into context through a discussion of studies on community attitudes to French as a second language (FSL), dissatisfaction with core French outcomes and…

Comparing Written Competency in Core French and French Immersion Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lappin-Fortin, Kerry

2014-01-01

Few studies have compared the written competency of French immersion students and their core French peers, and research on these learners at a postsecondary level is even scarcer. My corpus consists of writing samples from 255 students from both backgrounds beginning a university course in French language. The writing proficiency of core French…

Bovine tuberculosis in livestock and wild boar on the Mediterranean island, Corsica.

PubMed

Richomme, Céline; Boschiroli, María Laura; Hars, Jean; Casabianca, François; Ducrot, Christian

2010-04-01

The zoonotic agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), Mycobacterium bovis, can be transmitted between domestic and wild animals, threatening wildlife populations and control programs for bTB in cattle. In Corsica, a French Mediterranean island where domestic and wild species have close interactions, bTB cases have been reported in cattle, pigs, and wild boar. Moreover, genotypes of M. bovis found in wild and domestic animals from the same area were identical. These data strongly suggest that wild and domestic animals are associated in an epidemiologic bTB-transmission cycle. More investigations are needed, not only to understand the role played by each species in order to implement appropriate control measures, but also to assess the risk of transmission to humans.

RESULTS OF THE CANADIAN POTATO IRRADIATION PROGRAM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hetherington, C.H.; MacQueen, K.F.

1963-01-01

Results of test irradiations of potatoes in Canada between October 1961 and March 1962 are reviewed. Completely effective sprout inhibition was obtained in all cases. Radiation treatment was observed to be more effective than other methods. A lower dosage level would probably be satisfactory on a commercial basis. There was no internal sprouting and irradiated potatoes remained firmer than controls. Some dry rot was present in both control and treated potatoes. Irradiated potatoes were found to be more resistant to light greening. The quality of chips, instant mashed potatoes, frozen French fries, and fresh boilers produced from irradiated potatoes wasmore » found to be good. Implications and plans for commercialization of the process are discussed. (H.M.G.)« less

Plasma and Urinary Aluminum Concentrations in Severely Anemic Geophagous Pregnant Women in the Bas Maroni Region of French Guiana: A Case-Control Study

PubMed Central

Lambert, Veronique; Boukhari, Rachida; Nacher, Mathieu; Goullé, Jean-Pierre; Roudier, Estelle; Elguindi, Wael; Laquerrière, Annie; Carles, Gabriel

2010-01-01

The clays consumed by geophagous individuals contain large quantities of aluminum, a known neurological and hematological toxin. This is the first study to evaluate the risk of aluminum poisoning in geophagous individuals. Blind determinations of plasma and urinary aluminum concentrations were carried out in 98 anemic geophagous pregnant women and 85 non-anemic non-geophagous pregnant women. Aluminum concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.0001) in the geophagous anemic women than in the controls, with odds ratios of 6.83 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.72–19.31) for plasma concentrations (13.92 ± 14.09 μg/L versus 4.95 ± 7.11 μg/L) and 5.44 (95% CI = 2.17–14.8) for urinary concentrations (92.83 ± 251.21 μg/L versus 12.11 ± 23 μg/L). The ingested clay is the most likely source of this overexposure to aluminum. If confirmed, the clinical consequences of this absorption for pregnant women and their offspring should be explored. PMID:21036845

Hierarchies of Authenticity in Study Abroad: French from Canada versus French from France?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wernicke, Meike

2016-01-01

For many decades, Francophone regions in Canada have provided language study exchanges for French as a second language (FSL) learners within their own country. At the same time, FSL students and teachers in Canada continue to orient to a native speaker standard associated with European French. This Eurocentric orientation manifested itself in a…

Oral phenotype and scoring of vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: a case-control study.

PubMed

Ferré, François Côme; Frank, Michael; Gogly, Bruno; Golmard, Lisa; Naveau, Adrien; Chérifi, Hafida; Emmerich, Joseph; Gaultier, Frédérick; Berdal, Ariane; Jeunemaitre, Xavier; Fournier, Benjamin P J

2012-01-01

Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) is a rare genetic condition related to mutations in the COL3A1 gene, responsible of vascular, digestive and uterine accidents. Difficulty of clinical diagnosis has led to the design of diagnostic criteria, summarised in the Villefranche classification. The goal was to assess oral features of vEDS. Gingival recession is the only oral sign recognised as a minor diagnostic criterion. The authors aimed to check this assumption since bibliographical search related to gingival recession in vEDS proved scarce. Prospective case-control study. Dental surgery department in a French tertiary hospital. 17 consecutive patients with genetically proven vEDS, aged 19-55 years, were compared with 46 age- and sex-matched controls. Complete oral examination (clinical and radiological) with standardised assessment of periodontal structure, temporomandibular joint function and dental characteristics were performed. COL3A1 mutations were identified by direct sequencing of genomic or complementary DNA. Prevalence of gingival recession was low among patients with vEDS, as for periodontitis. Conversely, patients showed marked gingival fragility, temporomandibular disorders, dentin formation defects, molar root fusion and increased root length. After logistic regression, three variables remained significantly associated to vEDS. These variables were integrated in a diagnostic oral score with 87.5% and 97% sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Gingival recession is an inappropriate diagnostic criterion for vEDS. Several new specific oral signs of the disease were identified, whose combination may be of greater value in diagnosing vEDS.

Head and neck adenoid cystic carcinoma: A prospective multicenter REFCOR study of 95 cases.

PubMed

Meyers, M; Granger, B; Herman, P; Janot, F; Garrel, R; Fakhry, N; Poissonnet, G; Baujat, B

2016-02-01

To describe the clinical, histological and therapeutic characteristics of a prospective multicenter series of 95 head and neck adenoid cystic carcinoma patients, and to determine any prognostic factors for disease-free survival. Ninety-five patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma were included in the Réseau d'Expertise Français Des Cancers ORL Rares (REFCOR, French Rare Head and Neck Cancer Expert Network) database between 2009 and 2012. The primary site was the salivary glands in 39 cases, sinus cavities (including hard palate) in 36 cases, pharynx-larynx-trachea in 14 cases, and lips and oral cavity in 4 cases. The tumor was stage I in 15% of cases, stage II in 23%, stage III in 26% and stage IV in 36%. Nine patients had cervical lymph node involvement and 5 had metastases at diagnosis. Fifty-six percent of patients were managed by surgery with postoperative radiation therapy. During follow-up, 3 patients died, 9 developed metastases and 12 showed recurrence or local progression. Mean follow-up was 18 months. On univariate analysis, disease-free survival correlated with T stage (P=0.05), N stage (P=0.003), resection margins (P=0.04), lymph node involvement on histology (P=0.01), and absence of chemotherapy (P=0.03). On multivariate analysis, disease-free survival correlated with T stage (P=0.01), N stage (P=0.09) and surgery (P=0.005). The essential issue in adenoid cystic carcinoma is long-term control. The present results confirm that the reference attitude is radical surgical resection for optimal local control. Adjuvant radiation therapy did not emerge as a prognostic factor. This study also provides a starting-point for translational studies in pathology and genetics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Is lowering reducing sugars concentration in French fries an effective measure to reduce acrylamide concentration in food service establishments?

PubMed

Sanny, M; Jinap, S; Bakker, E J; van Boekel, M A J S; Luning, P A

2012-12-01

The objective of this study was to obtain insight into the actual effectiveness of lowering reducing sugars concentration in par-fried potato strips on the concentration and variation of acrylamide in French fries prepared in real-life situations in food service establishments. Acrylamide, frying time, frying temperature, and reducing sugars were measured and characteristics of fryers were recorded. Data showed that the use of par-fried potato strips with lower concentrations of reducing sugars than the commonly used potato strips was an effective measure to reduce acrylamide concentrations in French fries prepared under standardised frying conditions. However, there was still large variation in the acrylamide concentrations in French fries, although the variation in reducing sugars concentrations in low and normal types of par-fried potato strips was very small and the frying conditions were similar. Factors that could affect the temperature-time profile of frying oil were discussed, such as setting a lower frying temperature at the end than at the start of frying, product/oil ratio and thawing practice. These need to be controlled in daily practice to reduce variation in acrylamide. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automatic crown cover mapping to improve forest inventory

Treesearch

Claude Vidal; Jean-Guy Boureau; Nicolas Robert; Nicolas Py; Josiane Zerubia; Xavier Descombes; Guillaume Perrin

2009-01-01

To automatically analyze near infrared aerial photographs, the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control developed together with the French National Forest Inventory (NFI) a method for automatic crown cover mapping. This method uses a Reverse Jump Monte Carlo Markov Chain algorithm to locate the crowns and describe those using ellipses or...

Galen-In-Use: using artificial intelligence terminology tools to improve the linguistic coherence of a national coding system for surgical procedures.

PubMed

Rodrigues, J M; Trombert-Paviot, B; Baud, R; Wagner, J; Meusnier-Carriot, F

1998-01-01

GALEN has developed a language independent common reference model based on a medically oriented ontology and practical tools and techniques for managing healthcare terminology including natural language processing. GALEN-IN-USE is the current phase which applied the modelling and the tools to the development or the updating of coding systems for surgical procedures in different national coding centers co-operating within the European Federation of Coding Centre (EFCC) to create a language independent knowledge repository for multicultural Europe. We used an integrated set of artificial intelligence terminology tools named CLAssification Manager workbench to process French professional medical language rubrics into intermediate dissections and to the Grail reference ontology model representation. From this language independent concept model representation we generate controlled French natural language. The French national coding centre is then able to retrieve the initial professional rubrics with different categories of concepts, to compare the professional language proposed by expert clinicians to the French generated controlled vocabulary and to finalize the linguistic labels of the coding system in relation with the meanings of the conceptual system structure.

A case of ciguatera fish poisoning in a French traveler.

PubMed

Develoux, M; Le Loup, G; Pialoux, G

2008-11-06

Ciguatera is a toxic poisoning due to ingestion of fish and is rarely reported in France. Little is known about this imported tropical disease. We present a case observed in Paris in a traveller returning from the Dominican Republic.

[Multidisciplinary team meetings settings on the management of women at high risk of inherited breast cancer. A French study].

PubMed

Gillmann, Fanchon; Cordier, Christophe; Taris, Nicolas; Mathelin, Carole; Maugard, Christine M

2016-06-01

In France, 126 centers for cancer genetics coordinate genetic testing and high-risk cancer surveillance for individuals and their families with hereditary cancer syndromes. Since 2012, the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) supports 17 projects to promote and manage the monitoring of individuals genetically predisposed to cancer. They were assigned 4 missions by INCa including expertise for difficult cases. We initiated a national survey to assess how the oncogenetic clinics responded to the 4th mission for women at high risk of developing breast cancers. We sent the survey to all the French oncogeneticists. We aimed at evaluating the modalities and the extent of implementation of the Multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings regarding the management of women who have genetically higher risks to develop breast cancer. Fourteen people from 12 administrative regions, who represent 10 of the 17 projects, answered the form. Eleven participants reported the submission of medical cases in Oncogenetics MDT meetings (79 %), 5 in senology MDT meetings (36 %), 5 in MDT meetings dedicated to patients at high risk for breast cancer (36 %) and 2 in network meetings (14 %). Some structures discuss medical cases through different MDT meetings. Although MDT meetings are valuable practices to optimize treatment or management options for patients, its settings might be subject to difficulties to federate the appropriate-number of participants as well as cost-effectiveness issues. This survey thus suggests the need of a standardized process of MDT meetings while taking account specificities of oncogenetics. Copyright © 2016 Société Française du Cancer. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Blood donors--Serious adverse reactions (SAR) 2010-2014 EFS Châteauroux, France.

PubMed

Riga, A; Sapey, T; Bacanu, M; Py, J-Y; Dehaut, F

2015-06-01

In 2013, the national French incidence of serious adverse reactions (SAR) was 155.7 per 100,000 donations and 82% of SAR were grade 2 (French classification of SAR related to blood donors) The purpose of our study was to describe the profile of blood donator candidate which had a SAR in our center. The study contains all the SAR superior to grade 1 occurred on the site EFS Châteauroux (site and mobile blood collection) from January 2010 to October 31, 2014. We analyzed 37 parameters from the e-fit files (e-site French blood vigilance) and In-log software. We identified 82 SAR for 72,553 blood donations (incidence: 113.02 SAR per 100,000 donations). Forty-one men and 41 women, middle age 39 years (18-66). Average height: 1.68 m (1.49-1.85); average weight: 68 kg (50-98); body mass index (kg/m(2)): 24,13(18.6-31.9). All donors were Caucasian and 30% unemployed. We found 74 vasovagal syncope (VVS), 5 hematomas, 2 arterial injuries and an adverse reaction to citrate. In 90%, the SAR was immediate and of grade 2 in 85% of cases. Thirty-seven percent of SAR were first donation in connection with whole blood in 87% of cases. Regarding the seniority of donors, the number of average donations (whole blood, plasma, platelets) was 16.5. An SAR determined the stop of blood donation in 65% of cases with nearly 80% stoppage if it was a first donation. Seventy-three percent of SAR as a VVS took place during blood collection or within 5 minutes following the end of the donation. Sixty-one percent were men. Forty-four percent of cases were a first donation and 83% occurred in mobile blood collection. Average age was 36 years. The result was a permanent stop of all type of donations in 76% of cases. Twenty-seven percent of SAR as a VVS took place beyond 5 minutes after the end of the donation. Seventy-five percent were women. Thirty percent of cases were a first donation and 95% of SAR occurred in mobile blood collection. Average age was 42 years. The result was a permanent stop of all type of donations in 40% of cases. When the SAR as a VVS occurs during or within 5 minutes following the end of the donation, it leads to a permanent stop of any type of donation in 76% of cases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Chine: Les Chances du Francais (The Fortunes of the French Language in China).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shuning, Zhang

1996-01-01

Examines the current situation in China surrounding the teaching of French as a Foreign Language. After the decline of French teaching subsequent to the Cultural Revolution, the language returned to favor around 1970. Chinese students are infatuated with French; many study it as a first or second foreign language. Additionally, French literature…

Learning to Read in English and French: Emergent Readers in French Immersion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Sheila Cira; Koh, Poh Wee; Deacon, S. Hélène; Chen, Xi

2017-01-01

This longitudinal study investigated the predictors of word reading in English and French for 69 children in early total French immersion from first through third grade. The influence of phonological awareness, orthographic processing, and vocabulary in English and French on the achievement and growth of word reading in the 2 languages were…

Call Me "Madame": Re-Presenting Culture in the French Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siskin, H. Jay

2007-01-01

This study examines autobiographies of American teachers of French in order to make explicit their beliefs regarding French language and culture. The themes of class and power are prominent in these teachers' belief systems, as is the desire for self-transformation through mastery of French and miming a subset of French behaviors. These notions…

Automatic indexing in a drug information portal.

PubMed

Sakji, Saoussen; Letord, Catherine; Dahamna, Badisse; Kergourlay, Ivan; Pereira, Suzanne; Joubert, Michel; Darmoni, Stéfan

2009-01-01

The objective of this work is to create a bilingual (French/English) Drug Information Portal (DIP), in a multi-terminological context and to emphasize its exploitation by an ATC automatic indexing allowing having more pertinent information about substances, organs or systems on which drugs act and their therapeutic and chemical characteristics. The development of the DIP was based on the CISMeF portal, which catalogues and indexes the most important and quality-controlled sources of institutional health information in French. DIP has created specific functionalities and uses specific drugs terminologies such as the ATC classification which used to automatic index the DIP resources. DIP is the result of collaboration between the CISMeF team and the VIDAL Company, specialized in drug information. DIP is conceived to facilitate the user information retrieval. The ATC automatic indexing provided relevant results in 76% of cases. Using multi-terminological context and in the framework of the drug field, indexing drugs with the appropriate codes or/and terms revealed to be very important to have the appropriate information storage and retrieval. The main challenge in the coming year is to increase the accuracy of the approach.

Contribution of job-exposure matrices for exposure assessment in occupational safety and health monitoring systems: application from the French national occupational disease surveillance and prevention network.

PubMed

Florentin, Arnaud; Zmirou-Navier, Denis; Paris, Christophe

2017-08-01

To detect new hazards ("signals"), occupational health monitoring systems mostly rest on the description of exposures in the jobs held and on reports by medical doctors; these are subject to declarative bias. Our study aims to assess whether job-exposure matrices (JEMs) could be useful tools for signal detection by improving exposure reporting. Using the French national occupational disease surveillance and prevention network (RNV3P) data from 2001 to 2011, we explored the associations between disease and exposure prevalence for 3 well-known pathology/exposure couples and for one debatable couple. We compared the associations measured when using physicians' reports or applying the JEMs, respectively, for these selected diseases and across non-selected RNV3P population or for cases with musculoskeletal disorders, used as two reference groups; the ratio of exposure prevalences according to the two sources of information were computed for each disease category. Our population contained 58,188 subjects referred with pathologies related to work. Mean age at diagnosis was 45.8 years (95% CI 45.7; 45.9), and 57.2% were men. For experts, exposure ratios increase with knowledge on exposure causality. As expected, JEMs retrieved more exposed cases than experts (exposure ratios between 12 and 194), except for the couple silica/silicosis, but not for the MSD control group (ratio between 0.2 and 0.8). JEMs enhanced the number of exposures possibly linked with some conditions, compared to experts' assessment, relative to the whole database or to a reference group; they are less likely to suffer from declarative bias than reports by occupational health professionals.

Prescription medicine use by pedestrians and the risk of injurious road traffic crashes: A case-crossover study.

PubMed

Née, Mélanie; Avalos, Marta; Luxcey, Audrey; Contrand, Benjamin; Salmi, Louis-Rachid; Fourrier-Réglat, Annie; Gadegbeku, Blandine; Lagarde, Emmanuel; Orriols, Ludivine

2017-07-01

While some medicinal drugs have been found to affect driving ability, no study has investigated whether a relationship exists between these medicines and crashes involving pedestrians. The aim of this study was to explore the association between the use of medicinal drugs and the risk of being involved in a road traffic crash as a pedestrian. Data from 3 French nationwide databases were matched. We used the case-crossover design to control for time-invariant factors by using each case as its own control. To perform multivariable analysis and limit false-positive results, we implemented a bootstrap version of Lasso. To avoid the effect of unmeasured time-varying factors, we varied the length of the washout period from 30 to 119 days before the crash. The matching procedure led to the inclusion of 16,458 pedestrians involved in an injurious road traffic crash from 1 July 2005 to 31 December 2011. We found 48 medicine classes with a positive association with the risk of crash, with median odds ratios ranging from 1.12 to 2.98. Among these, benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-related drugs, antihistamines, and anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic drugs were among the 10 medicines most consumed by the 16,458 pedestrians. Study limitations included slight overrepresentation of pedestrians injured in more severe crashes, lack of information about self-medication and the use of over-the-counter drugs, and lack of data on amount of walking. Therapeutic classes already identified as impacting the ability to drive, such as benzodiazepines and antihistamines, are also associated with an increased risk of pedestrians being involved in a road traffic crash. This study on pedestrians highlights the necessity of improving awareness of the effect of these medicines on this category of road user.

The Case of Perrin and Thomson: An Example of the Use of a Mini-Corpus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, David

2005-01-01

Although recent trends have been towards large corpora, there is a valid place for the study of small corpora. This article is an example of one such study using a corpus of late 19th century texts, consisting of 1783 words in French by Perrin, and 2824 words in English by Thomson. Perrin uses more first person pronouns in a wider range of…

The Experience of a Highly Skilled Student during Handball Lessons in Physical Education: A Relevant Pointer to the Gap between School and Sports Contexts of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crance, Marie-Cecile; Trohel, Jean; Saury, Jacques

2013-01-01

Introduction: This study investigated the experience of a highly skilled student during a handball physical education unit in a French high school. More specifically, the analysis describes the nature of his involvement during two lessons that follow a pedagogical model close to the principles of Sport Education. The present case study of a…

[Cognitive modifications associated with tobacco smoking].

PubMed

Lecacheux, Marie; Karila, Laurent; Aubin, Henri-Jean; Dupont, Patrick; Benyamina, Amine; Maman, Judith; Lebert, Amandine; Reynaud, Michel

2009-09-01

Tobacco is an important source of somatic diseases and causes high mortality. It is associated with cognitive disorders which tend to maintain addictive mechanisms. In the short term, the nicotine contained in tobacco enhances attention and memory. To realize this review, we made a research, we made a research on Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Google Scholar using the single or combined key-words "tobacco", "nicotine", "addiction", "dependence", "cognitive disorders", "executive function", "memory", "attention", "neuropsychological". We selected English or French articles from 1987 to 2008 by privileging controlled studies. This effect can be observed in smokers (with or without withdrawal symptoms), non-smokers and in patients suffering from cognitive disorders. In the long term, tobacco accelerates dementia processes. It is associated with an increased risk of cognitive deterioration. This deterioration concerns mainly memory and processing speed. These results were reported in prospective studies. They contradict early reports, that suggested smoking could actually be protective against certain central neural system disorders. These early results relayed on case-control studies, which were certainly biased by a "healthy survival effect". Further studies are required to evaluate nicotine's long term effect and its potential efficacy in treating and preventing cognitive disorders or dementia.

Major improvement of the reference method of the French drug resistance network for P-glycoprotein detection in human haematological malignancies.

PubMed

Huet, Sylvie; Marie, Jean-Pierre; Laurand, Armelle; Robert, Jacques

2005-09-01

The aim of this study was to improve significantly the sensitivity and specificity of the flow cytometric assay of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) implemented and validated by the laboratories of the French Drug Resistance Network [Huet S, Marie JP, Gualde N, Robert J. Reference method for detection of Pgp mediated multidrug resistance in human hematological malignancies: a method validated by the laboratories of the French Drug Resistance Network. Cytometry 1998;34:248-56] in cells displaying low level of resistance. Fluoresceine-conjugated monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) and propidium iodide were respectively replaced by phycoerythrin-conjugated Mabs and Sytox green. The removal of erythrocytes and granulocytes by density gradient was replaced by the lysis of erythrocytes after Mab incubation. Using these conditions, Pgp could be detected in the K-H30 line, which was negative in former studies, with Mab/Control ratios increasing by 3.7- to 5.9-fold, and Mab/Control ratios in the parental sensitive K562 line still ranging between 0.8 and 1.2. When tested on 16 blood samples from patients presenting haematological malignancies, six samples presented low positivity, which was not detected with the former method, while 10 samples remained negative with the two methods. Pgp was specifically detected in pathological blood cells in the six positive samples.

Time-dependent effect of intensity of smoking and of occupational exposure to asbestos on the risk of lung cancer: results from the ICARE case-control study.

PubMed

Lévêque, Emilie; Lacourt, Aude; Luce, Danièle; Sylvestre, Marie-Pierre; Guénel, Pascal; Stücker, Isabelle; Leffondré, Karen

2018-05-18

To estimate the impact of intensity of both smoking and occupational exposure to asbestos on the risk of lung cancer throughout the whole exposure history. Data on 2026 male cases and 2610 male controls came from the French ICARE (Investigation of occupational and environmental causes of respiratory cancers) population-based, case-control study. Lifetime smoking history and occupational history were collected from standardised questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Occupational exposure to asbestos was assessed using a job exposure matrix. The effects of annual average daily intensity of smoking (reported average number of cigarettes smoked per day) and asbestos exposure (estimated average daily air concentration of asbestos fibres at work) were estimated using a flexible weighted cumulative index of exposure in logistic regression models. Intensity of smoking in the 10 years preceding diagnosis had a much stronger association with the risk of lung cancer than more distant intensity. By contrast, intensity of asbestos exposure that occurred more than 40 years before diagnosis had a stronger association with the risk of lung cancer than more recent intensity, even if intensity in the 10 years preceding diagnosis also had a significant effect. Our results illustrate the dynamic of the effect of intensity of both smoking and occupational exposure to asbestos on the risk of lung cancer. They confirm that the timing of exposure plays an important role, and suggest that standard analytical methods assuming equal weights of intensity over the whole exposure history may be questionable. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

[Coxiella burnetii pneumopathy on return from French Guiana].

PubMed

Baret, M; Klement, E; Dos Santos, G; Jouan, M; Bricaire, F; Caumes, E

2000-01-01

Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis but is not often a common cause of fever among travellers returning from the tropics. We report a case of acute Q fever, revealed by a pneumonia and acquired by a traveller in French Guyana. The chest radiography showed alveolar opacities and pleural effusion. Biological abnormalities were elevated liver enzyme levels and thrombocytopenia. The patient improved or the third day of antibiotic treatment. She mentioned that 3 other people she lived with during her trip had been diagnosed with Q fever. A common source outbreak was then suspected. They all stayed in the same farm in French Guyana. Animal exposure occurred there, in particular with a goat and a dog (both were parturient). The disease was probably transmitted by airborne dust to our patient, as no other vectors of transmission were found. Since the clinical presentation of Q fever is not specific, in order for the physician to diagnose it, he must have an awareness of the disease. Our case emphasised that looking for risk factors of Coxiella burnetii exposures is particularly important. Amongst them, the most important seems to be contact with farm animals. The clinician should thus try to trace such a possible contact when treating a case of traveler's Q fever.

Marine envenomations in returning French travellers seen in a tropical diseases unit, 2008-13.

PubMed

Henn, Aurélia; Pérignon, Alice; Monsel, Gentiane; Larréché, Sébastien; Caumes, Eric

2016-02-01

Travel and aquatic activities are increasing in tropical regions. The risk and the spectrum of marine envenomation are unknown in travellers. This work aims to evaluate the prevalence and the characteristics of marine envenomations in returning travellers. We retrospectively studied the medical charts of all returning travellers presenting with a health problem in a French tropical disease unit between 2008 and 2013, with focus on travellers complaining of marine envenomation. Characteristics of each type of envenomation are described. Of the 3315 travellers seen during the study period, 43 consulted for a presumed marine envenomation. Six patients were excluded, leaving 37 cases of confirmed marine envenomation. It corresponds to a prevalence of 1.1%. Sex ratio was balanced with 18 men and 19 women. Median age was 42 years (range 25-68 years). Median travel duration was 14 days (range: 6-62 days). The main travel destination was Southeast Asia in 10 cases, followed by islands of East Africa in seven cases. Median elapsed time between envenomation and consultation was 14 days (range: 2-130 days). The purpose of travel was tourism in all cases. The main clinical aspects were oedema, sting marks, cellulitis and flagellations. Eleven cases were presumably caused by corals, 10 by stonefish, 8 by jellyfish, 2 by weever fish, 2 by starfish, 2 by stingray, 1 by lionfish and 1 by sea anemone. Prevalence of marine envenomation is low in returning travellers. They are mostly caused by corals, stonefish and jellyfish. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Systematic Follow-Up of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Drug-Resistance and Associated Genotypic Lineages in the French Departments of the Americas over a Seventeen-Year Period

PubMed Central

Millet, Julie; Berchel, Mylène; Bomer, Anne-Gaël; Schuster, Franziska; Paasch, Delaina; Cadelis, Gilbert

2014-01-01

The population of the French Departments of the Americas (FDA) is highly influenced by the intense migratory flows with mainland France and surrounding countries of the Caribbean and Latin America, some of which have high incidence rates of tuberculosis (Haiti: 230/100,000; Guyana: 111/100,000; and Suriname: 145/100,000) and drug resistance. Since the development of drug resistance to conventional antituberculous drugs has a major impact on the treatment success of tuberculosis, we therefore decided to review carefully Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance and associated genotypic lineages in the FDA over a seventeen-year period (January 1995–December 2011). A total of 1239 cases were studied, including 153 drug-resistant and 26 multidrug-resistant- (MDR-) TB cases, representing 12.3% and 2.1% of the TB cases in our study setting. A significantly higher proportion of M. tuberculosis isolates among relapse cases showed drug resistance to isoniazid (22.5%, P = 0.002), rifampicin (20.0%, P < 0.001), or both (MDR-TB, 17.5%; P < 0.001). Determination of spoligotyping based phylogenetic clades showed that among the five major lineages observed—T family (30.1%); Latin-American and Mediterranean (LAM, 23.7%); Haarlem (H, 22.2%); East-African Indian (EAI, 7.2%); and X family (6.5%)—two lineages, X and LAM, were overrepresented in drug-resistant and MDR-TB cases, respectively. Finally, 19 predominant spoligotypes were identified for the 1239 isolates of M. tuberculosis in our study among which 4 were significantly associated with drug resistance corresponding to SIT20/LAM1, SIT64/LAM6, SIT45/H1, and SIT46/undefined lineage. PMID:24738068

A systematic follow-up of Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug-resistance and associated genotypic lineages in the French Departments of the Americas over a seventeen-year period.

PubMed

Millet, Julie; Streit, Elisabeth; Berchel, Mylène; Bomer, Anne-Gaël; Schuster, Franziska; Paasch, Delaina; Vanhomwegen, Jessica; Cadelis, Gilbert; Rastogi, Nalin

2014-01-01

THE population of the French Departments of the Americas (FDA) is highly influenced by the intense migratory flows with mainland france and surrounding countries of the Caribbean and Latin America, some of which have high incidence rates of tuberculosis (Haiti: 230/100,000; Guyana: 111/100,000; and Suriname: 145/100,000) and drug resistance. Since the development of drug resistance to conventional antituberculous drugs has a major impact on the treatment success of tuberculosis, we therefore decided to review carefully Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance and associated genotypic lineages in the FDA over a seventeen-year period (January 1995-December 2011). A total of 1239 cases were studied, including 153 drug-resistant and 26 multidrug-resistant- (MDR-) TB cases, representing 12.3% and 2.1% of the TB cases in our study setting. A significantly higher proportion of M. tuberculosis isolates among relapse cases showed drug resistance to isoniazid (22.5%, P = 0.002), rifampicin (20.0%, P < 0.001), or both (MDR-TB, 17.5%; P < 0.001). Determination of spoligotyping based phylogenetic clades showed that among the five major lineages observed--T family (30.1%); Latin-American and Mediterranean (LAM, 23.7%); Haarlem (H, 22.2%); East-African Indian (EAI, 7.2%); and X family (6.5%)--two lineages, X and LAM, were overrepresented in drug-resistant and MDR-TB cases, respectively. Finally, 19 predominant spoligotypes were identified for the 1239 isolates of M. tuberculosis in our study among which 4 were significantly associated with drug resistance corresponding to SIT20/LAM1, SIT64/LAM6, SIT45/H1, and SIT46/undefined lineage.

Spontaneous fertility and pregnancy outcomes amongst 480 women with Turner syndrome.

PubMed

Bernard, Valérie; Donadille, Bruno; Zenaty, Delphine; Courtillot, Carine; Salenave, Sylvie; Brac de la Perrière, Aude; Albarel, Frédérique; Fèvre, Anne; Kerlan, Véronique; Brue, Thierry; Delemer, Brigitte; Borson-Chazot, Françoise; Carel, Jean-Claude; Chanson, Philippe; Léger, Juliane; Touraine, Philippe; Christin-Maitre, Sophie

2016-04-01

What are the prevalence and the outcomes of spontaneous pregnancies (SP) in a large cohort of French women with Turner syndrome (TS)? Amongst 480 women with TS, 27 women (5.6%) had a total of 52 SP, with 30 full-term deliveries for 18 women. Primary ovarian insufficiency is a classic feature of TS. So far, few studies have evaluated the rate of SP in these patients. The French Ministry of Health set up a National Reference Centre for Rare Growth Disorders (CRMERC), including TS. We studied a cohort of adult TS patients from seven endocrine units (Saint-Antoine, Pitié-Salpêtrière, Bicêtre, Lyon, Marseille, Brest, Reims Hospitals) belonging to this centre, between January 1999 and January 2014. A total of 480 adult patients with TS were included. The patients' clinical characteristics, karyotypes and reproductive histories had been collected, after informed consent, in a web database called CEMARA. Our reference population was issued from a database belonging to the French Health Ministry, collecting pregnancy outcomes in the French general population. In order to find predictive characteristics of SP, TS with spontaneous pregnancies were compared with non-pregnant TS patients from our cohort. There were 27 patients (5.6%) who had a total of 52 SP. The two predictive factors which correlated with occurrence of a SP were spontaneous menarche and mosaic karyotype. The median delay to conception was 6 months (range 0-84). Miscarriage occurred in 16 pregnancies, 30.8% versus 15% in the general French population (P < 0.01). The remaining pregnancy outcomes were legal abortion (n = 2), medical interruption (n = 3), intrauterine fetal death (n = 1) and delivery at term (n = 30). Caesarean section rates were higher than in the general population, respectively 46.7% versus 21% (P < 0.001). Pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders (PHDs) occurred in four cases (13.3%), including two cases of mild pre-eclampsia (6.7%). Neither aortic root dilatation nor aortic dissection were observed. The median birthweight was 3030 g (range 2020-3460). Two cases of TS were identified in the 17 daughters issued from this cohort. It would have been interesting to evaluate AMH levels and SP occurrence, as a predictive factor. Unfortunately, hormonal measurements were missing for some patients. Prospective studies are necessary to display prognostic values of AMH for SP and thus better target fertility preservation programmes in TS patients. This study suggests that pregnancy outcomes in SPs are more favourable than those after oocyte donation in TS patients. However, the risk of fetal chromosomal abnormalities remains high. Our study will be useful in order to give patients with TS, their families, paediatricians and physicians involved in reproduction, better counselling concerning their fertility. Funding was provided by the Association pour la recherche Claude Bernard, Paris France All authors claim no competing interests. NA. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Young French neurosurgeons: Working conditions and outlook].

PubMed

Pommier, B; Manet, R; Gay, E; Vassal, F; Nuti, C; Hladky, J-P

2015-10-01

Due to the increase in the number of French neurosurgeon residents the neurosurgical workforce is changing. The main objective of this survey was to assess working conditions and perspectives for young French neurosurgeons. An on-line survey was sent to young French neurosurgeons based on a mailing-list (219 mail addresses of Residents and Fellows obtained during previous meetings). The form contained questions about career, amount of work, salary, quality of life, teaching and university work. We received 78 replies from January to March 2014. A total of 56% from fellows saying they had undergone difficulties in obtaining a fellowship, although 78% were satisfied. Fellows considered a private career more often than residents. Overall, young neurosurgeons were worried about future employment. Some 33% admitted contemplating a different career from one they originally wanted. The average weekly working time of 76.8 hours was deemed to be excessive. Security rests after overnight shifts were lacking or incomplete in 91% of cases. The work atmosphere was good overall (3.7/5), and so was the quality of life (3.2/5). Theoretical teaching was unsatisfactory (2.43/5) as well as the time allowed for academic work (approximately 1.58 half-days per month). However, practical teaching was considered rewarding (3.63/5). This study provides some guidance for upcoming reforms, and should be considered again at a later date to evaluate progress. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[Linguistic validation of the "Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women"].

PubMed

Baudelot-Berrogain, Nathalie; Roquejoffre, Stéphanie; Gamé, Xavier; Mallet, Richard; Mouzin, Marc; Bertrand, Nicolas; Plante, Pierre; Sarramon, Jean-Pierre; Rischmann, Pascal; Malavaud, Bernard

2006-04-01

Application to the study of sexuality in a population of 93 French women. This study was designed to linguistically validate the French version of the BISF-W (Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women) which provides a quantitative and qualitative assessment of female sexuality according to 7 dimensions. This version was then used to study the impact of recognized factors of sexual dysfunction on a control population. The BISF-W a self-administered quality of life questionnaire developed by Rosen, was translated and linguistically validated. This questionnaire comprises 22 questions in 7 dimensions investigating all aspects of female sexuality: D1 (desire), D2 (arousal), D3 (frequency of sexual activity), D4 (receptiveness), 05 (pleasure, orgasm), D6 (relational satisfaction), D7 (problems affecting sexuality), Composite Score (CS) D1+D2+D3+D4+D5+D6+07. The French version was administered to a study population of 93 women: 49 derived from gynaecology or urology departments and 44 derived from the general population. We calculated and compared the scores of the various dimensions of the BISF-W according to factors able to modify sexuality, such as menopause, age or parity. The results of our study show an alteration of the various dimensions of sexuality in elderly patients (D2, D5, D6, CS; p<0.05) or postmenopausal patients (D2, D5, D6, CS, p<0.05) and in multiparous women. The French version of the BISF-W gives results in line with the literature and demonstrates changes of sexuality as a function of the above mentioned variables.

High prevalence of multidrug resistant tuberculosis in Djibouti: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Boyer-Cazajous, Géraldine; Martinaud, Christophe; Déhan, Céline; Hassan, Mohammed Osman; Gaas, Yassin; Chenilleau-Vidal, Marie-Caroline; Soler, Charles

2014-02-13

The Republic of Djibouti is an African country that exhibits one of the highest incidence rate of tuberculosis in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among new cases. We studied retrospectively every tuberculosis case diagnosed over a 12-month period in patients hospitalized at the French Military Hospital of Bouffard. During this period, 1,274 samples from 675 patients were tested. We isolated 266 mycobacteria corresponding to 180 cases of tuberculosis. Thirty-three were fully susceptible and 57% met the tuberculosis criteria, with 46% primary resistance. No extensively-drug-resistant tuberculosis was found. Our results highlight a major concern about the situation in this part of the world.

Factors Associated with Post-Seasonal Serological Titer and Risk Factors for Infection with the Pandemic A/H1N1 Virus in the French General Population

PubMed Central

Lapidus, Nathanael; de Lamballerie, Xavier; Salez, Nicolas; Setbon, Michel; Delabre, Rosemary M.; Ferrari, Pascal; Moyen, Nanikaly; Gougeon, Marie-Lise; Vely, Frédéric; Leruez-Ville, Marianne; Andreoletti, Laurent; Cauchemez, Simon; Boëlle, Pierre-Yves; Vivier, Éric; Abel, Laurent; Schwarzinger, Michaël; Legeas, Michèle; Le Cann, Pierre; Flahault, Antoine; Carrat, Fabrice

2013-01-01

The CoPanFlu-France cohort of households was set up in 2009 to study the risk factors for infection by the pandemic influenza virus (H1N1pdm) in the French general population. The authors developed an integrative data-driven approach to identify individual, collective and environmental factors associated with the post-seasonal serological H1N1pdm geometric mean titer, and derived a nested case-control analysis to identify risk factors for infection during the first season. This analysis included 1377 subjects (601 households). The GMT for the general population was 47.1 (95% confidence interval (CI): 45.1, 49.2). According to a multivariable analysis, pandemic vaccination, seasonal vaccination in 2009, recent history of influenza-like illness, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, social contacts at school and use of public transports by the local population were associated with a higher GMT, whereas history of smoking was associated with a lower GMT. Additionally, young age at inclusion and risk perception of exposure to the virus at work were identified as possible risk factors, whereas presence of an air humidifier in the living room was a possible protective factor. These findings will be interpreted in light of the longitudinal analyses of this ongoing cohort. PMID:23613718

Ability of ecological deprivation indices to measure social inequalities in a French cohort.

PubMed

Temam, Sofia; Varraso, Raphaëlle; Pornet, Carole; Sanchez, Margaux; Affret, Aurélie; Jacquemin, Bénédicte; Clavel-Chapelon, Françoise; Rey, Grégoire; Rican, Stéphane; Le Moual, Nicole

2017-12-15

Despite the increasing interest in place effect to explain health inequalities, there is currently no consensus on which kind of area-based socioeconomic measures researchers should use to assess neighborhood socioeconomic position (SEP). The study aimed to evaluate the reliability of different area-based deprivation indices (DIs) in capturing socioeconomic residential conditions of French elderly women cohort. We assessed area-based SEP using 3 DIs: Townsend Index, French European Deprivation Index (FEDI) and French Deprivation index (FDep), among women from E3N (Etude épidémiologique auprès des femmes de la Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale). DIs were derived from the 2009 French census at IRIS level (smallest geographical units in France). Educational level was used to evaluate individual-SEP. To evaluate external validity of the 3 DIs, associations between two well-established socially patterned outcomes among French elderly women (smoking and overweight) and SEP, were compared. Odd ratios were computed with generalized estimating equations to control for clustering effects from participants within the same IRIS. The analysis was performed among 63,888 women (aged 64, 47% ever smokers and 30% overweight). Substantial agreement was observed between the two French DIs (Kappa coefficient = 0.61) and between Townsend and FEDI (0.74) and fair agreement between Townsend and FDep (0.21). As expected among French elderly women, those with lower educational level were significantly less prone to be ever smoker (Low vs. High; OR [95% CI] = 0.43 [0.40-0.46]) and more prone to being overweight (1.89 [1.77-2.01]) than women higher educated. FDep showed expected associations at area-level for both smoking (most deprived vs. least deprived quintile; 0.77 [0.73-0.81]) and overweight (1.52 [1.44-1.62]). For FEDI opposite associations with smoking (1.13 [1.07-1.19]) and expected association with overweight (1.20 [1.13-1.28]) were observed. Townsend showed opposite associations to those expected for both smoking and overweight (1.51 [1.43-1.59]; 0.93 [0.88-0.99], respectively). FDep seemed reliable to capture socioeconomic residential conditions of the E3N women, more educated in average than general French population. Results varied strongly according to the DI with unexpected results for some of them, which suggested the importance to test external validity before studying social disparities in health in specific populations.

Regional Differences in the Listener's Phonemic Inventory Affect Semantic Processing: A Mismatch Negativity (MMN) Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brunelliere, Angele; Dufour, Sophie; Nguyen, Noel

2011-01-01

Using the mismatch negativity (MMN) response, we examined how Standard French and Southern French speakers access the meaning of words ending in /e/ or /[epsilon]/ vowels which are contrastive in Standard French but not in Southern French. In Standard French speakers, there was a significant difference in the amplitude of the brain response after…

Switches to English during French Service Encounters: Relationships with L2 French Speakers' Willingness to Communicate and Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNaughton, Stephanie; McDonough, Kim

2015-01-01

This exploratory study investigated second language (L2) French speakers' service encounters in the multilingual setting of Montreal, specifically whether switches to English during French service encounters were related to L2 speakers' willingness to communicate or motivation. Over a two-week period, 17 French L2 speakers in Montreal submitted…

French Validation of the Multidimensional Attitude Scale Toward Persons with Disabilities (MAS): The Case of Attitudes Toward Autism and Their Moderating Factors.

PubMed

Dachez, Julie; Ndobo, Andre; Ameline, Anaïs

2015-08-01

This research investigates the renewed interest in autism, the stigmatization of persons with autism and the need to better measure such stigmatization. Two studies were thus conducted on 101 and 104 participants in order to validate the French version of the Multidimensional Attitude Scale toward persons with disabilities, and examine the moderating effects of age, gender and contact on such attitudes. Both the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded a four-dimensional scale, indicating that the observed data fit with the theoretical model and that the sub-scale show an acceptable internal consistency. Results on moderating effect were less clear cut. The discussion deals with the measurement of attitudes toward people with autism as well as the role of social contact.

In vitro efficacy of ByeMite and Mite-Stop on developmental stages of the red chicken mite Dermanyssus gallinae.

PubMed

Abdel-Ghaffar, Fathy; Semmler, Margit; Al-Rasheid, Khaled; Mehlhorn, Heinz

2009-10-01

The present in vitro study shows the efficacy of two antimite products (ByeMite = phoxim, Mite-Stop = neem seed extract) against all developing stages of the important red chicken mite Dermanyssus gallinae (obtained at two farms in France and Germany). While permanent contact with the active compound led to an efficacy of 100% in the case of Mite-Stop on mites in both farms, there was only a 96.2% killing effect of ByeMite on the mites of the French farm. Even short contacts of only 4 s killed 100% of mites in the case of Mite-Stop at the French farm and only 84.5% in the German farm. ByeMite, on the other hand, killed only 27.8% (Germany) and 30% (France) when mites got the chance to escape from the treated grounds to untreated ones. When using only the half doses of both products, Mite-Stop(R) still reached, after permanent contact, 100% activity on the German farm and 98.2% in France, while ByeMite killed 93.8% (Germany) and 90.6% (France). Short contact to half doses of course reduced the activity of both products (Mite-Stop = 59.3% in France, 22.1% in Germany; ByeMite = 28.8% in France, 18.8% in Germany). With respect to the fumigant activity of the products, the strains of D. gallinae reacted differently. While Mite-Stop(R) showed a clear fumigant activity in the case of the German mites, this product did not affect the French mites by air distribution, neither did ByeMite in both cases. Therefore, mites have to come in contact with both products. Against Mite-Stop, there was apparently no resistance and low doses have high efficacy after even short contacts, which regularly occur in a treated stable, where mites have the chance to leave treated places to untreated hidden spots.

Retrograde recanalization of chronic total occlusions from the transradial approach; early Canadian experience.

PubMed

Rinfret, Stéphane; Joyal, Dominique; Nguyen, Can Manh; Bagur, Rodrigo; Hui, William; Leung, Raymond; Larose, Eric; Love, Michael P; Mansour, Samer

2011-09-01

Retrograde approach for chronic total occlusions (CTO) improves recanalization success rates. Eight French (Fr) catheters and the femoral approach are advocated. Evaluate whether transradial operators can achieve similar success rates using smaller catheters. This is a single-operator series of 42 consecutive cases performed between January and December 2010, including 13 while demonstrating CTO recanalization. Patients were referred because of complexity of the CTO or after failed attempt. Most frequent indications for recanalization were CCS 3-4 angina (52%) and CCS 1-2 in 21%. Eighteen (43%) patients underwent previous failed attempts. CTO was in the right coronary in 74%, left anterior descending in 24%, and a left main in 1. Most lesions (88%) were ≥20 mm long and 52% were calcified. We used septal collateral channels (CC) in 33 (79%), epicardial CC in 8 (20%), and a saphenous vein graft in one case. Radial access was used in all patients and was bilateral in 37 (88%). Five cases required one radial and one femoral access. Six French guides were used in 91% for the retrograde side and 71% for the antegrade side. Otherwise, 7 Fr guides were used. The Corsair(®) was used in 38 (90%). Procedural success was achieved in 37 (88%), mostly using reverse controlled antegrade-retrograde tracking (60%) or retrograde crossing (29%). The average <24-h Hb drop was 0.75 ± 0.84 g/dl. No in-hospital major cardiac events occurred. Transradial retrograde CTO recanalization is feasible, safe, and still associated with high success rates despite the use of smaller guide catheters. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The French Space Operation Act: Technical Regulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trinchero, J. P.; Lazare, B.

2010-09-01

The French Space Operation Act(FSOA) stipulates that a prime objective of the National technical regulations is to protect people, property, public health and the environment. Compliance with these technical regulations is mandatory as of 10 December 2010 for space operations by French space operators and for space operations from French territory. The space safety requirements and regulations governing procedures are based on national and international best practices and experience. A critical design review of the space system and procedures shall be carried out by the applicant, in order to verify compliance with the Technical Regulations. An independent technical assessment of the operation is delegated to CNES. The principles applied when drafting technical regulations are as follows: requirements must as far as possible establish the rules according to the objective to be obtained, rather than how it is to be achieved; requirements must give preference to international standards recognised as being the state of the art; requirements must take previous experience into account. Technical regulations are divided into three sections covering common requirements for the launch, control and return of a space object. A dedicated section will cover specific rules to be applied at the Guiana Space Centre. The main topics addressed by the technical regulations are: operator safety management system; study of risks to people, property, public health and the Earth’s environment; impact study on the outer space environment: space debris generated by the operation; planetary protection.

Preparedness Evaluation of French Military Orthopedic Surgeons Before Deployment.

PubMed

Choufani, Camille; Barbier, Olivier; Mayet, Aurélie; Rigal, Sylvain; Mathieu, Laurent

2018-06-13

A deployed military orthopedic surgeon is a trauma surgeon working in austere conditions. The first aim of this study was to analyze the current activity of French military orthopedic surgeons in the field and to identify the differences of the combat zone with their daily practice. The second aim was to assess the adequacy of the preparedness they received before their deployment and to identify additional needs that could be addressed in future training. An evaluation survey was sent to all French military orthopedic surgeons deployed in theaters of operations between 2004 and 2014. An analogic visual scale of 10 was used to evaluate their surgical activity abroad and prior training. A total of 55 surgeons, with a median deployment number of 7, were included in this study after they answered the survey. Debridement and external fixation were the most common orthopedic procedures. The practice of general surgery was mostly concerned with vascular and abdominal injuries as part of damage control procedures. Median scores were ranked at seven for surgical preparedness, five for physical readiness, and three for mental preparedness. There was a significant inverse relationship between the number of missions performed and the evaluation of surgical preparedness. The higher they perceived their mental preparedness, the better they estimated their surgical preparedness. In the French Army, deployed orthopedic surgeons perform general surgical activity. Their initial training must be adapted to this constraint and enhanced by continuing medical education.

Risk of daytime transmission of malaria in the French Guiana rain forest.

PubMed

Pommier de Santi, V; Dusfour, I; de Parseval, E; Lespinet, B; Nguyen, C; Gaborit, P; Carinci, R; Hyvert, G; Girod, R; Briolant, S

2017-02-01

Between 2008 and 2014, there were 1070 malaria cases reported in French Guiana among members of the armed forces. Most of the malaria outbreaks investigated were multifactorial and followed missions conducted at illegal gold mining sites. For example, a malaria outbreak occurred in September 2013, three weeks after the deployment of 15 soldiers at Dagobert, which is such a site. The attack rate was 53%, with seven Plasmodium vivax infections and one coinfection with both Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. Two months later, an entomological investigation in the field caught 321 anopheles by the human landing catch method. Among them, 282 were Anopheles darlingi. One specimen was PCR-positive for P. vivax, for an infection rate of 0.4% (1/282). In 15.7% of these cases, the An. darlingi was caught during the day. The existence of daytime biting activity by An. darlingi in the Guianese forest might play a key role in malaria outbreaks among military personnel. This finding requires that the Army Health Service adapt its recommendations concerning malaria prevention in French Guiana.

"That Didn't Work, Did It? I Need to Know How to Do that!" Delivering Classroom Activities to Maximise Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conway, Clare; Richards, Heather; Harvey, Sharon; Roskvist, Annelies

2011-01-01

Many novice language teachers have difficulty putting into practice their developing knowledge of language teaching. This article focuses on one of seven case study teachers as an exemplar of those involved in a New Zealand in-service professional development program for teachers of languages (Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Spanish) in…

Translation Practices as an Effective Teaching Instrument for IELTS & DALF Students in India: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verma, E. S.

2016-01-01

The article outlines the results of using translation as a tool to help students learn English and French in the multicultural environment of Chandigarh, India. An anonymous group of eight students was observed from 2013 until 2015 to reveal the main concepts of the use of translation in helping Indian students to strengthen their language…

Intelligent Agent Appropriation in the Tracking Phase of an Environmental Scanning Process: A Case Study of a French Trade Union

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lafaye, Christophe

2009-01-01

Introduction: The rapid growth of the Internet has modified the boundaries of information acquisition (tracking) in environmental scanning. Despite the numerous advantages of this new medium, information overload is an enormous problem for Internet scanners. In order to help them, intelligent agents (i.e., autonomous, automated software agents…

Collective Designing and Sharing of Open Educational Resources: A Study of the French CARTOUN Platform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quere, Nolwenn

2017-01-01

Designing and sharing Open Educational Resources (OERs) requires teachers to develop new competences, in particular with digital resources. In this paper, the case of a language resource production group is introduced. Due to the centrality of the OERs in their collective activity, I show that the documents they produce are essential to the…

Exposing Preschoolers to the Printed Word: A Case Study of Preschool Teachers in Mauritius

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owodally, Ambarin Mooznah Auleear

2013-01-01

Mauritius is a multilingual island, where there is a linguistic and literacy paradox. While Mauritian Creole dominates as the spoken language of the population, English and French are the main print languages, as well as the main languages of literacy and education. In such a complex situation, preschool is an interesting terrain in which to…

Questioning the sustainable palm oil demand: case study from French-Indonesia supply chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chalil, D.; Barus, R.

2018-02-01

Sustainable palm oil has been widely debated. Consuming countries insist certified sustainable produces palm oil, but in fact the absorption of the certified palm oil is still less than 60%. This raise questions about the sustainable palm oil demand. In this study, such a condition will be analysed in French-Indonesia supply chain case. Using monthly and quarterly data from 2010 to 2016 with Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach and Error Correction Model, demand influencing factors and price integration in each market of the supply chain is estimated. Two scenarios namely re-export and direct export models are considered in the Error Correction Model. The results show that France Gross Domestic Product, prices of France palm oil import from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Germany, and price of France groundnut import significantly influence the France palm oil import volume from Indonesia. Prices in each market along palm oil re-export France-Indonesia supply chain are co-integrated and converge towards long-run equilibrium, but not in the direct export supply chain. This leads to a conclusion that France market preferences in specific and EU market preferences in general need to be considered by Indonesian palm oil decision makers.

Pregnancy-associated-cancer in the French West Indies (Martinique): maternal and neonatal outcomes.

PubMed

Melan, Kathleen; Volumenie, Jean-Luc; Wan-Ajouhu, Gaël; Ulric-Gervaise, Stephen; Veronique-Baudin, Jacqueline; Joachim, Clarisse

2017-10-02

The management of pregnancy-associated-cancer (PAC) requires epidemiological evaluation of the pathways of care. The aim of this study was to describe maternal and neonatal outcomes of PAC in Martinique. A retrospective study was conducted using data from medical records and the Martinique Cancer Registry for all PAC diagnosed between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2014. Eighteen women were diagnosed with PAC: 17 during pregnancy and one during the postpartum period. Mean age at diagnosis was 35.7 ± 5.4 years. PAC were mainly gynecological cancers (12/18); the other sites were: lymphoma, brain, liver, colon, skin and unknown primary site. In most cases, PAC was detected in symptomatic individuals (72.2%). Nine women had nodal involvement or initial metastasis at diagnosis. No chemotherapy was administered in cases of preservation of pregnancy. Seven fetal losses caused by abortion and miscarriage were recorded, and 11 women conducted viable pregnancies. The main neonatal pathology observed was prematurity (58.3%). Cancer management during pregnancy is a challenge for French West-Indies territories. A Caribbean Observatory of rare cancers could help to ensure a coordinated approach to support and monitoring for these patients.

[Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in French general practice using the patient health questionnaire: comparison with GP case-recognition and psychotropic medication prescription].

PubMed

Norton, J; de Roquefeuil, G; David, M; Boulenger, J-P; Ritchie, K; Mann, A

2009-12-01

Psychiatric disorders, mainly depression and anxiety, are frequently encountered in primary care and are a major cause of distress and disability. Nearly half of cases go unnoticed and among those that are recognised, many do not receive adequate treatment. In France, there is limited research concerning the prevalence, detection and management of these conditions in primary care. To estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, overall and for the main psychiatric diagnostic categories, encountered in primary care; to describe general practitioners' (GPs') case identification rate; to examine psychotropic medication prescription according to diagnosis, in a regionally representative sample of GP attenders. GP practicing standard general practice in an urban area of the city of Montpellier and a nearby semi-rural region were recruited to participate. The response rate was 32.8% (n=41). Five additional GP almost exclusively offering homeopathy and acupuncture were recruited nonrandomly for convenience purposes. In each GP surgery, consecutive patients entering the waiting room were invited by a research assistant to participate until 25 patients per GP were recruited. Each participant completed self-report questionnaires in the waiting time, including the patient health questionnaire (PHQ), which yields provisional DSM-IV diagnoses. The GP completed a brief questionnaire during the consultation, giving his/her rating of the severity of any psychiatric disorder present and action taken. The patient response rate was 89.8%. In all, 14.9% of patients reached DSM-IV criteria for major depression or anxiety disorder on the PHQ (9.1% for major depression, 7.5% for panic disorder; 6% for other anxiety disorders). For the subthreshold categories, 7.4% met criteria for other depressive disorders, 11.8% for somatoform disorders and 10.9% for probable alcohol abuse or dependence. 66.3% of patients with DSM-IV diagnoses of major depression or anxiety disorder were identified by the GP as having a psychiatric disorder. The identification rate was 51% for all depressive disorders, anxiety and somatoform disorders. Of patients receiving a prescription for anxiolytic or antidepressant medication on the survey day, 80% were classified as cases of psychiatric disorder by the GP. Only 48.8% met criteria for major depression or anxiety disorder on the PHQ. This study highlights the frequency of psychiatric disorders in a regional study of French general practice. Overall, prevalence rates were similar to those found elsewhere, except for probable alcohol abuse and dependence, which was considerably higher than in the USA PHQ validation study. As in other countries, GP identified roughly half of psychiatric cases. Furthermore, half of patients treated by anxiolytic or antidepressant medication did not meet the diagnostic criteria on the survey day for which these medications have mainly shown their efficacy. This confirms the French paradox of one of the highest psychotropic medication consumption rates in Europe despite many cases of depression remaining untreated. The PHQ could be a rapid and acceptable diagnostic aid tool for French general practice but first needs to be validated against the diagnosis of mental health professionals in this setting.

Crossing boundaries: family physicians' struggles to protect their private lives.

PubMed

Miedema, Baukje; Easley, Julie; Fortin, Pierrette; Hamilton, Ryan; Tatemichi, Sue

2009-03-01

To explore the tensions between professional and personal boundaries and how they affect the work and private lives of family physicians. Qualitative case study using semistructured interviews. Province of New Brunswick. Forty-eight family physicians from across the province. A collective case-study approach was developed, with 24 cases of 2 individuals per case. Cases were selected based on sex, location (urban or rural), language (French or English), and number of years since medical school graduation (< 10 years, 10 to 20 years, or > 20 years). Physicians were interviewed in either French or English. Participants were recruited using the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick's physician directory. Based on the rates of response and participation, some cases were overrepresented, while others were not completed. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using a categorical aggregation approach. A coding scheme for the thematic analysis was developed by the research team before the interviews were transcribed. Almost all of the family physicians interviewed discussed how their profession negatively affected their personal lives. Many struggled with issues such as heavy workloads, the adverse effects of their profession on their family lives, and the trespassing of patients onto their personal lives in small towns and rural communities. Some physicians had developed strategies to balance their personal lives with their professional demands; however, this often meant reducing work hours or terminating certain shifts, such as those in the emergency department or after-hours clinics. Family physicians struggle to keep their profession from intruding too much into their private lives. These struggles are important to acknowledge and address in order to avoid physician burnout and premature retirement from clinical practice.

Crossing boundaries

PubMed Central

Miedema, Baukje; Easley, Julie; Fortin, Pierrette; Hamilton, Ryan; Tatemichi, Sue

2009-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To explore the tensions between professional and personal boundaries and how they affect the work and private lives of family physicians. DESIGN Qualitative case study using semistructured interviews. SETTING Province of New Brunswick. PARTICIPANTS Forty-eight family physicians from across the province. METHODS A collective case-study approach was developed, with 24 cases of 2 individuals per case. Cases were selected based on sex, location (urban or rural), language (French or English), and number of years since medical school graduation (< 10 years, 10 to 20 years, or > 20 years). Physicians were interviewed in either French or English. Participants were recruited using the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick’s physician directory. Based on the rates of response and participation, some cases were overrepresented, while others were not completed. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using a categorical aggregation approach. A coding scheme for the thematic analysis was developed by the research team before the interviews were transcribed. MAIN FINDINGS Almost all of the family physicians interviewed discussed how their profession negatively affected their personal lives. Many struggled with issues such as heavy workloads, the adverse effects of their profession on their family lives, and the trespassing of patients onto their personal lives in small towns and rural communities. Some physicians had developed strategies to balance their personal lives with their professional demands; however, this often meant reducing work hours or terminating certain shifts, such as those in the emergency department or after-hours clinics. CONCLUSION Family physicians struggle to keep their profession from intruding too much into their private lives. These struggles are important to acknowledge and address in order to avoid physician burnout and premature retirement from clinical practice. PMID:19282540

Novel influenza A(H1N1) outbreak among French armed forces in 2009: results of Military Influenza Surveillance System.

PubMed

Mayet, A; Duron, S; Nivoix, P; Haus-Cheymol, R; Ligier, C; Gache, K; Dia, A; Manet, G; Verret, C; Pommier de Santi, V; Bigaillon, C; Martinaud, C; Piarroux, M; Faure, N; Hupin, C; Decam, C; Chaudet, H; Meynard, J B; Nicand, E; Deparis, X; Migliani, R

2011-08-01

An outbreak of novel A(H1N1) virus influenza, detected in Mexico in April 2009, spread worldwide in 9 weeks. The aim of this paper is to present the monitoring results of this influenza outbreak among French armed forces. The period of monitoring by the Military Influenza Surveillance System (MISS) was 9 months, from May 2009 to April 2010. The main monitored events were acute respiratory infection (ARI), defined by oral temperature ≥38.5 °C and cough, and laboratory-confirmed influenza. Weekly incidence rates were calculated by relating cases to the number of servicepersons monitored. In continental France, the incidence of ARI increased from September 2009, with a weekly maxima of 401 cases per 100,000 in early December 2009 according to MISS. Estimations of the incidence of consultations which could be related to novel A(H1N1) influenza ranged from 48 to 57 cases per 100,000. The trends observed by MISS are compatible with French national estimations. The incidence of consultations which could be related to A(H1N1) influenza at the peak of the epidemic (194 cases per 100,000) was much lower than the national estimate (1321 cases per 100,000). This may be due to servicepersons who consulted in civilian facilities and were not monitored. Other explanations are the healthy worker effect and the younger age of the military population. Copyright © 2011 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of four nematodes on root and shoot growth parameters in grape.

PubMed

Anwar, S A; Van Gundy, S D

1989-04-01

Two grape cultivars, susceptible French Colombard and tolerant Rubired, and four nematodes, Meloidogyne incognita, Pratylenchus vulnus, Tylenchulus semipenetrans, and Xiphinema index, were used to quantify the equilibrium between root (R) and shoot (S) growth. Root and shoot growth of French Colombard was retarded by M. incognita, P. vulnus, and X. index but not by T. semipenetrans. Although the root growth of Rubired was limited by all the nematodes, the shoot growth was limited only by X. index. The R:S ratios of Rubired were higher than those of French Colombard. The reduced R:S ratios of Rubired were primarily an expression of reduction in root systems without an equal reduction in shoot growth, whereas in French Colombard the reduced R:S ratios were due to a reduction in both shoot growth and root growth and to a greater reduction in root growth than shoot growth. All nematodes reproduced equally well on both cultivars. Both foliage and root growth of French Colombard were significantly reduced by M. incognita and P. vulnus. Nematodes reduced the shoot length by reducing the internode length. Accumulative R:S ratios in inoculated plants were significantly smaller than those in controls in all nematode treatments but not at individual harvest dates. Bud break was delayed by X. index and was initiated earlier by P. vulnus and M. incognita. All buds in nematode treatments were less vigorous than in controls.

Retention and distribution of polyphenols after pan-frying of French fries in oils enriched with olive leaf extract.

PubMed

Chiou, A; Salta, F N; Kalogeropoulos, N; Mylona, A; Ntalla, I; Andrikopoulos, N K

2007-10-01

Palm oil, olive oil, and sunflower oil were supplemented with an extract rich in polyphenols obtained from olive tree (Olea europaea) leaves at levels of 120 and 240 mg total polyphenols per kilogram of oil. Pan-frying of potatoes was performed in both the enriched and the nonsupplemented oils under domestic frying conditions. Total polyphenol content was estimated by the Folin-Ciocalteau assay, oleuropein was determined by HPLC analysis, while other individual polyphenols by GC/MS analysis. Fourteen polyphenol species were identified in the olive leaf extract, among which oleuropein predominated (1.25 g/kg olive leaves). All the enriched oils contained oleuropein before and after frying. Oleuropein as well as other polyphenol species were detected in all French fries cooked in enriched oils. Polyphenol intake by consuming French fries pan-fried in the enriched oils was calculated to be 6 to 31 times higher than that in the case of French fries fried in commercial oils, being dependent on the frying oil type.

A Longitudinal Study of the Use of the First Language (L1) in French Foreign Language (FL) Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Erin; Storch, Neomy

2012-01-01

This longitudinal study investigated teachers' use of the first language (L1) in two French foreign language (FL) intermediate level classes at two Australian universities. A native French-speaking teacher (NS) and a non-native French-speaking teacher (NNS) were observed and audio-recorded approximately every two weeks over a 12- week semester.…

Individual characteristics in occupational accidents due to imbalance: a case-control study of the employees of a railway company.

PubMed

Gauchard, G C; Chau, N; Touron, C; Benamghar, L; Dehaene, D; Perrin, PhP; Mur, J-M

2003-05-01

Falls are frequent occupational accidents, and are responsible for a significant amount of lost working time and, more importantly, for a high mortality. The factors involved in falling mechanisms can be of external or individual origin, the latter being less well identified. To assess the relations between certain individual characteristics and occupational accidents due to imbalance. A total of 427 male employees, who had been victims of at least one occupational accident with sick leave due to imbalance (cases) and 427 controls were recruited among the employees of a large French railway company. A standardised questionnaire on life conditions and professional factors, and a description of the accidents was filled in by an occupational physician for each subject. Some job categories were more affected by a specific release mechanism of work related falls. Certain individual characteristics such as smoking, alcohol consumption, inactivity, sleep disorders, and request for a job change were correlated with the occurrence of occupational accidents. Sick leaves of eight days or over were more frequent in older and overweight injured workers. Some lesions were linked with the specific fall released mechanisms. Individual characteristics can increase the risk of occupational accidents, especially falling. This study identified subjects most at risk on whom prevention related to working conditions and falls could be focused.

Pregnancy-related listeriosis in France, 1984 to 2011, with a focus on 606 cases from 1999 to 2011.

PubMed

Girard, D; Leclercq, A; Laurent, E; Lecuit, M; de Valk, H; Goulet, V

2014-09-25

This study describes trends in the incidence of pregnancy-related listeriosis in France between 1984 and 2011, and presents the major characteristics of 606 cases reported between 1999 and 2011 to the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance through the mandatory notification system. The incidence of pregnancy-related listeriosis decreased by a factor of 12 from 1984 to 2011. This reduction was a result of progressive implementation of specific Listeria monocytogenes control measures in food production. A lower incidence of pregnancy-related listeriosis was observed in regions with a lower prevalence of toxoplasmosis. Given that dietary recommendations in pregnancy target both toxoplasmosis and listeriosis prevention, we suppose that recommendations may have been delivered and followed more frequently in these regions. Cases reported between 1999 and 2011 (n=606) were classified as maternal infections with ongoing pregnancy (n=89, 15%), fetal loss (n=166, 27%), or live-born neonatal listeriosis (n=351, 58%). The majority of live-born neonatal listeriosis cases (n=216, 64%) were preterm births (22–36 weeks of gestation), of whom 14% (n=30) were extremely preterm births (22–27 weeks of gestation). Eighty per cent of mothers reported having eaten high risk food during pregnancy. A better awareness of dietary recommendations in pregnant women is therefore necessary.

Simon Fraser University's New Interactive Learning System to Teach French as a Second Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirchner, Glenn

1988-01-01

Provides an overview of the design, production, and preliminary testing of a microcomputer-controlled interactive learning workstation developed at Simon Fraser University to teach French as a Second Language. Criteria and guidelines are discussed; the authoring system is explained; and field testing with grades four through seven is described.…

Fine resolution map of top- and subsoil carbon sequestration potential in France.

PubMed

Chen, Songchao; Martin, Manuel P; Saby, Nicolas P A; Walter, Christian; Angers, Denis A; Arrouays, Dominique

2018-07-15

Although soils have a high potential to offset CO 2 emissions through its conversion into soil organic carbon (SOC) with long turnover time, it is widely accepted that there is an upper limit of soil stable C storage, which is referred to SOC saturation. In this study we estimate SOC saturation in French topsoil (0-30cm) and subsoil (30-50cm), using the Hassink equation and calculate the additional SOC sequestration potential (SOC sp ) by the difference between SOC saturation and fine fraction C on an unbiased sampling set of sites covering whole mainland France. We then map with fine resolution the geographical distribution of SOC sp over the French territory using a regression Kriging approach with environmental covariates. Results show that the controlling factors of SOC sp differ from topsoil and subsoil. The main controlling factor of SOCsp in topsoils is land use. Nearly half of forest topsoils are over-saturated with a SOC sp close to 0 (mean and standard error at 0.19±0.12) whereas cropland, vineyard and orchard soils are largely unsaturated with degrees of C saturation deficit at 36.45±0.68% and 57.10±1.64%, respectively. The determinant of C sequestration potential in subsoils is related to parent material. There is a large additional SOC sp in subsoil for all land uses with degrees of C saturation deficit between 48.52±4.83% and 68.68±0.42%. Overall the SOCsp for French soils appears to be very large (1008Mt C for topsoil and 1360Mt C for subsoil) when compared to previous total SOC stocks estimates of about 3.5Gt in French topsoil. Our results also show that overall, 176Mt C exceed C saturation in French topsoil and might thus be very sensitive to land use change. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Le vocabulaire disponible du francais, Tome 1. Le vocabulaire concret usuel des enfants francais et acadiens: Etude temoin (The Working French Vocabulary, Volume 1. Common Generic Terms Used by French and Acadian Children: A Field Study).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackey, William F.; And Others

The first of a two-volume study of the relative accessibility of French vocabulary in French-speaking Canada presents statistical data concerning the frequency, distribution, valence, and accessibility of vocabulary related to 16 fundamental centers of interest found in normal conversation. The scope, procedures, and results of the study are…

Specificity of the links between workplace harassment and PTSD: primary results using court decisions, a pilot study in France.

PubMed

Bonafons, Claire; Jehel, Louis; Coroller-Béquet, Alain

2009-04-01

France is one of the first countries to have passed specific legislation concerning "mental harassment" (In French the term used in the legislation is "harcèlement moral" referring to harassment or bullying leading to mental or psychological distress.) in the workplace. However, the definition of mental harassment at work remains fairly vague. It is, indeed, a complex issue, since no objective and precise consensual definition has been given so far. The objective of this study is to clarify the criteria that French judges consider as characteristic of mental harassment, and to check whether the specific links between mental harassment at work and PTSD pointed to in recent international studies have been taken into account. This study proposes the main lines for debate in countries that have not yet adopted legal clauses on mental harassment at work. Our study is based on a sample of 22 people who were legally recognised as having been mentally harassed at work; this sample is taken as representative of all court decisions passed on harassment and published as such on the French Ministry of Justice website. To establish whether they were considering a case of harassment, the judges based their decisions on the nature of the accusations. In all cases (22/22), the charges brought against the defendant had to do with offences against the employee's dignity. Five cases out of 22 dealt with an offence infringing their rights, 10 cases out of 22 related to the employee's future within the company being compromised, while half of the cases (11/22) concerned a deterioration in the person's health. In more than half of the cases, the judges also looked for other factors, such as repetition and duration of the period of harassment. Whenever the judges noted a deterioration in the victim's mental health, they also referred to medical certificates reporting anxio-depressive syndromes or psychological disorders without providing further detail. No PTSD-like symptomatology was mentioned among these cases, although several studies have shown that many victims of mental harassment at work have specific symptoms of PTSD. This study is the first study to be carried out on mental harassment at work and to refer to court decisions since the law was promulgated in France (2002). It appears that, in order to be recognised as a victim of mental harassment at work, numerous proofs of harassment or bullying need to be produced. It must have been repeated and have led to consequences in several domains. Several attestations and documents are required demonstrating clearly that harassment or bullying did indeed occur. Further to this, although to date judges have not considered PTSD to be an element contributing to the presumption of harassment, connections between bullying or harassment and clinical signs of PTSD have been attested by several studies that confirm that bullied victims can suffer from PTSD-like symptoms, although they do not necessarily match the strict DSM-IV criteria (absence of A1 criterion). It would seem advisable to request psychiatric examination in cases of harassment.

Genetic polymorphisms of Th2 interleukins, history of asthma or eczema and childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia: Findings from the ESCALE study (SFCE).

PubMed

Bonaventure, A; Orsi, L; Rudant, J; Goujon-Bellec, S; Leverger, G; Baruchel, A; Bertrand, Y; Nelken, B; Pasquet, M; Michel, G; Sirvent, N; Chastagner, P; Ducassou, S; Thomas, C; Besse, C; Hémon, D; Clavel, J

2018-06-05

Previous studies on the putative role of allergy in the aetiology of childhood leukaemia have reported contradictory results. The present study aimed to analyse the relation between a medical history of asthma or eczema and childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL) in light of potential candidate gene-environment interactions. Analyses were based on a subset of 434 cases of ALL and 442 controls successfully genotyped and of European ancestry children enrolled in a French population-based case-control study conducted in 2003-2004. Information about medical history was obtained during a standardized interview with the mothers. Candidate polymorphisms in genes of the Th2 cytokines IL4, IL10, IL13 and IL4-receptor, were genotyped or imputed. None of the variant alleles were directly associated with childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia. A medical history of asthma or eczema was reported more often in the control group (OR = 0.7 [0.5-1.0]). This association was mostly seen in the group of children not carrying the IL13-rs20541 variant allele (Interaction Odds Ratio IOR 1.9, p-interaction = 0.07) and in those carrying the IL10 triple variant haplotype (IOR 0.5, p-interaction = 0.04). No interaction was observed with the candidate polymorphisms in IL4 and IL4R. This study provides a new insight into the relationship between allergic symptoms and childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia, by suggesting this inverse association could be limited to children carrying certain genetic polymorphisms. If confirmed, these results could help better understand the biological mechanisms involved in the development of childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.