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C Beauvillain

Publications and source records attributed to C Beauvillain.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Reference frames in reading: evidence from visually and memory-guided saccades.

In order to examine the frames of reference used for the planning of inter- and intra-word saccades, subjects were required to execute a two-saccade sequence toward one or two words. The first saccade was visually guided while the second saccade was visually or memory-guided. Results demonstrate that readers hold an internal representation of the target word in at least two different reference frames that are specific to the action to be performed: to aim for a new target word or to read it over with a second fixation. When a word is selected as a target for the next saccade, the spatial location of the second word is stored in memory. Then, the second saccade is updated with respect to the current eye position in the first word in order to aim a functional target location in the second word that is the word's center. When the second saccade is directed within the fixated word, the saccadic system uses the intrinsic features of the word to code a fixed-motor vector relative to the word's length. Our present results demonstrate that readers hold an internal representation of the saccade target in different reference frames specific to the action performed on the word.

Humans↗

The planning of refixation saccades in reading.

The planning of the refixation saccade, i.e. the second saccade on 9- and 11-letter-strings, was assessed in two reading experiments that examined the influence of a length change at different times during the first fixation on a letter string. The results showed that the saccadic system was able to modify the first motor program if the new length information was available 150-190 ms before the execution of the refixation saccade. Moreover, the amplitude of the refixation saccade was found to be planned as a constant movement relative to the length of the item, regardless of the position of the initial fixation on the item. Finally, the refixation saccade seems to be preprogrammed before the primary saccade, depending on the length integrated at that time. Overall, these results suggest that the refixation saccade is programmed on the basis of the intrinsic properties of the item, such as its length.

Feedback↗

Short therapy with amoxicillin-clavulanate and corticosteroids in acute sinusitis: results of a multicentre study in adults.

Evolution of bacterial resistance shortens antibiotic treatment in ENT infections. The efficacy and tolerance of amoxicillin-clavulanate (ACA), with and without associated short steroid therapy, was evaluated in acute sinusitis of adults at a dosage of 1.5 g/d for 5 d vs. 10 d. This multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 433 patients, 417 of whom were suitable for intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis. The therapeutic success rate in the ITT population, assessed according to strict clinical and radiological criteria, was respectively, 80% and 85% in the 5-d and 10-d treatment groups. Due to the statistical risks that were evidenced, the 2 durations of treatment could not be considered equivalent. The analysis of medical history shows that some risk factors (recurrence of sinusitis, previous surgical sinus drainage) seem to promote therapeutic failure and that 5-d treatment is inappropriate in these patients. The persistence of therapeutic success on day 30 was not influenced by the initial duration of treatment. The efficacy and good tolerance of ACA in acute sinusitis in adults were confirmed. Further studies will be needed to define the indications of short treatments better, which seem to be indicated in the absence of specific risk factors.

Acute Disease↗

Orthographic codes are used in integrating information from the parafovea by the saccadic computation system.

Two experiments that examined the characteristics of information extracted from a parafoveal letter string by the saccadic system are reported. In Experiment 1, we observed the effect of the orthographic legality of the initial letter sequence on landing positions. The deviation of landing positions towards an orthographically illegal letter sequence was shown to occur in saccades when subjects were instructed to read a nonsense letter string. Moreover, it was shown that the initial placement of the eyes is influenced by the frequency of occurrence of the letter sequence and not by the frequency of the letters that formed this sequence. Experiment 2 followed up on the implication that readers use orthographic information only from the initial letters of the parafoveal string. We concluded that the saccadic computation system integrates orthographic information from the two initial letters.

Analysis of Variance↗

Final results of a randomized trial comparing chemotherapy plus radiotherapy with chemotherapy plus surgery plus radiotherapy in locally advanced resectable hypopharyngeal carcinomas.

After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, a routine conservative approach followed by salvage surgery was evaluated in terms of local control and survival in cases of advanced potentially resectable hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Between 1985 and 1989, 92 patients with T3 or T4-NO,N3 operable squamous cell hypopharyngeal carcinomas received three courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy every 2 weeks involving a combination of cisplatin, 100 mg/m2, on day 1 and fluorouracil, 1 g/m2, on days 2 to 5, followed by total laryngopharyngectomy plus postoperative radiotherapy in 47 patients (arm A) or radiotherapy alone in 45 patients (arm B). Randomization was always performed prior to chemotherapy. The response rates of tumor and node to chemotherapy were, respectively, 67% in arm A versus 79% in arm B (P > 0.05) and 54% in arm A versus 73% in arm B (P > 0.05). Grade III or IV toxicity was similar, affecting 15% of patients and 7% of cycles in arm A versus 16% of patients and 6% of cycles in arm B. After a mean follow-up of 92 months, survival was statistically better (P = 0.04) in arm A (5-year overall survival, 37%; median survival, 40 months) than in arm B (19% and 20 months) because of a better local control rate (63% versus 39%; P < 0.01). Better results were obtained for mutilant surgery in terms of local control and overall survival, regardless of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Adult↗

Latency dependence of word-initial letter integration by the saccadic system.

Two experiments are reported in which saccadic eye movements were examined when the eyes moved to words in which the properties of the word-initial letters differed. It was found that the effect of saccade latency on landing position depended on the properties of the word-initial letters. Under short saccade latencies, landing positions deviated toward the word beginning in the presence of orthographically irregular/informative beginning (OI/IB) letters. This result is interpreted as an influence of the orthographic encoding process that has detected an unusual letter grouping. With longer saccade latencies, an increase of the saccade size was observed for OI/IB words, whereas orthographically regular/uninformative beginning words did not show the effect. It is suggested that this may be a consequence of the dynamics of parafoveal word information processing.

Adult↗

The 'center of gravity' of words: evidence for an effect of the word-initial letters.

When the eye saccades to eccentric word targets, it tends to land in a position which can be described as the center of gravity of the configuration. By manipulating the relative intensity of the word-initial and -ending letters, it was shown that the 'global effect' of luminance distribution within words is strongly attenuated when the word-initial letters are informative and orthographically irregular. Results show that the orthographic structure of the word-initial letters exerts an influence on the saccadic computation that may cancel the luminance distribution effect.

Fixation, Ocular↗

[Restoration of the mandible after trans-mandibular approach of invasive tumors of the oropharynx (43 cases)].

Preservation of the mandible is often possible in surgery of invasive malignant tumors of the oropharynx. From 1983 to 1993, we operated 158 T3 of the oropharynx: 73% with mandibulectomy and 27% with osteotomy (43 cases). Now, the osteotomy of the mandible is performed in more than 90% of the patients. The osteosynthesis needs two titanium plates; the pharyngoplasty is made with a pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. Followup: 36 cases of 43 gave satisfactory results. The osteotomy complication rate was 5 (12%): 5 osteitis (2 after radiotherapy).

Adult↗

[Two-stage excision of extensive cutaneous carcinoma of the face. A retrospective study of 80 patients].

INTRODUCTION: Delayed reconstruction (two-step surgery) comprised of tumor resection and repair three or four days later, after paraffin tissue fixation and histopathological examination, is one of the techniques used for complete excision of spreading cutaneous carcinomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In order to evaluate the efficacy and long term prognosis of delayed reconstruction surgery, we carried out a retrospective study of 80 patients treated by this method and (Kaplan- Meier) for correlation with the local recurrence rate: sex, age, anatomic site, histologic type and existence of previous therapy. Long term results have been estimated. Among the 80 patients studied, 76 patients have been followed. The sex-ratio was 0.48. Fifty-two percent of the population was more than seventy years old. Fifty-five percent of the tumors were situated on the nose. In 32,5 p. 100 of the cases, a prior therapy (surgery, electrodessication or radiation therapy) has been carried out. Histological analysis showed 87 p. 100 basal cell carcinomas (of which 26 p. 100 of morpheaform basal cell carcinomas) and 13 p. 100 squamous cell carcinomas. RESULTS: After the first operative step, there was total excision in 69 p. 100 of thecases. In the remaining cases, a second excision was performed with a margin of normal tissue. Recurrences were observed (some precocious recurrences and some late recurrences) in 18.4 p. 100 of the cases. No risk factor correlated significantly with the recurrence rate. However, analysis of the survival graph suggests that the squamous cell carcinomas recurred more often than the basal cell carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS: Although extemporaneous examinations (Mohs' technique) remains the gold standard technique in the management of spreading cutaneous carcinomas of the face, the delayed reconstruction (two-step surgery) is a credible alternative when compared to the recurrence rates reported in the literature with the other techniques (electrodessication, radiation therapy or cryosurgery).

Actuarial Analysis↗

A double-blind comparison of ciprofloxacin and amoxycillin/clavulanic acid in the treatment of chronic sinusitis.

A total of 251 adults with chronic sinusitis were enrolled into this prospective multicentre, double-blind, double-placebo comparison of ciprofloxacin (500 mg twice daily) with amoxycillin/clavulanic acid (500 mg three times daily). The diagnosis of chronic sinusitis (persistence of clinical symptoms for at least 3 months) was confirmed by computerized tomography scan and/or sinusoscopy prior to therapy. Patients at inclusion had purulent or muco-purulent rhinorrhoea. Staphylococcus aureus (n = 45), Haemophilus influenzae (n = 35), Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 32) and enterobacteriaceae (n = 31) were isolated from pre-treatment aspirates of the middle meatus. Treatment lasted 9 days, at the end of which nasal discharge disappeared in 71/118 (60.2%) patients of the ciprofloxacin group and 69/123 (56.1%) of those in the amoxycillin/clavulanic acid group. The clinical cure and bacteriological eradication rates were 58.6% versus 51.2% and 88.9% versus 90.5% for ciprofloxacin and amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, respectively. These differences were not significant, however, amongst patients who had a positive initial culture and who were evaluated 40 days after treatment. Ciprofloxacin recipients had a significantly higher cure rate than those treated with amoxycillin/clavulanic acid (83.3% vs. 67.6%, p = 0.043). Clinical tolerance was significantly better with ciprofloxacin (p = 0.012), essentially due to a large number of gastro-intestinal related side-effects in the amoxycillin/clavulanic acid group (n = 35). Ciprofloxacin proved to be at least as effective as amoxycillin/clavulanic acid. The superior safety profile, a twice daily dosage regimen, suggests that ciprofloxacin may be a useful therapeutic alternative for the treatment of chronic sinusitis.

Adolescent↗

Controlled prospective study of oral ciprofloxacin versus amoxycillin/clavulanic acid in chronic suppurative otitis media in adults.

The efficacy and tolerability of ciprofloxacin (500 mg twice daily) was compared with that of amoxycillin/clavulanic acid (500 mg three times daily) in 76 patients with acute exacerbations of chronic non-cholesteatomatous suppurative otitis media enrolled in this open randomized multicentre trial. A total of 40 ciprofloxacin-treated patients and 35 amoxycillin/clavulanic acid-treated patients were evaluable for clinical efficacy following the 9-day treatment period. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the main pathogen isolated prior to treatment. At the end of treatment, otorrhoea had disappeared in 57.5% of the ciprofloxacin group and 37.1% of the amoxycillin/clavulanic acid group (p = 0.04). Bacterial eradication rate was also significantly greater with ciprofloxacin (69.7%) than with amoxycillin/clavulanic acid (27.3%). Both treatments were well tolerated. Ciprofloxacin appears to be an effective treatment of chronic otitis media, and superior to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid.

Adult↗

[Perilymph fistula: diagnosis by detection of perilymph in the middle ear by beta-2 transferrin immunofixation].

beta 2-transferrin is a specific protein found in the cerebrospinal fluid and in the perilymph. Detecting beta 2-transferrin in the middle ear is of great interest when a fistula of the perilymph is suspected. This protein can be detected on microsamples with an immunofixation technique. We searched for beta 2-transferrin in pure perilymph, cerebrospinal fluid and serum in 8 patients operated by translabyrinthine approach for acoustic tumor removal. Search for beta 2-transferrin was performed in liquid from the inner ear in 3 labyrinthectomies. Samples were taken on collagen sponges or with micro syringes. beta 2-transferrin was detected in the perilymph of patients operated for neurinoma and in 2 of the 3 labyrinthectomies. This protein was found in only one of the patients for which the diagnosis of perilymphatic fistula had been retained. Detection of beta 2-transferrin in the middle ear can be proposed as a specific diagnostic test for perilymphatic fistula when the clinical situation does not suggest a fistula involving cerebrospinal fluid.

Adolescent↗

[Evaluation of velopharyngeal function using an aerophonoscope before and after surgery for snoring].

Following surgery for snoring, regardless of the technique used, velopharyngeal insufficiency remains an infrequent but disabling complication. In an attempt to assess the risk of velopharyngeal insufficiency, we used a new, simple, rapid, and noninvasive method of evaluating palatal function, the aerophonoscope. Pre and postoperative aerophonoscopic studies were carried out in 25 chronic snores undergoing a single step uvulopalatoplasty with a laser under local anesthesia. The aerophonoscope revealed signs of palatal dysfunction in 2 patients (8%) preceding surgery and confirmed the absence of palatal dysfunction in all patients following our technique of uvulopalatoplasty. We also present the aerophonoscopic findings in 3 patients with nasopharyngeal stenosis and 2 patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency following surgery for snoring.

Humans↗

[Infratemporal region extension of malignant tumors of the parotid with deep development. Hypotheses on deep extension of parotid tumors according to benign or malignant characteristics].

The infratemporal and paratonsillar regions can be the site of propagation of parotid tumors. Our personal experience with 3 cases of malignant parotid tumors extending into the infratemporal region and the study of the literature seem to show that: benign tumors, such as pleiomorphic adenomas, develop in depth towards the paratonsillar regin and not towards the infratemporal region; and conversely, malignant tumors rather invade the infratemporal regin and not the paratonsillar region. This extension occurs along the neurovascular axis through Juvara's retrocondylar buttonhole. If this notion was confirmed, it might have a semiological and therapeutic interest.

Adenoma, Pleomorphic↗

[Neuroendocrine tumor of the larynx. Report of a case].

Neuro-endocrine tumors of the larynx are uncommon. This paper reports a case of well differentiated neuro-endocrine carcinoma of the epiglottis of a 61-year-old man. Three years later, he developed a cervical larynx node and four years later, metastatic nodules on his scalp. The tumor produced calcitonin. Serotonin and metenkephalin were also secreted in skin metastases. Neuro-endocrine tumors of the larynx have a bad prognosis. Wenig proposed a classification adaptable to laryngeal neuroendocrine carcinoma based on histologic features and behavior.

Epiglottis↗

[Post-traumatic cholesteatoma of the ear: medicolegal aspect].

Post-traumatic cholesteatomas pose the medicolegal problem of determining the causal link between trauma and cholesteatoma. The author reports on an observation of an antro-attical cholesteatoma that occurred ten years after a fracture of the pars petrosa. The pathogeny of the different types of post-traumatic cholesteatoma is discussed. From a study of the literature, it is possible to distinguish between cholesteatomas of the external auditory canal which are revealed relatively soon after the trauma (less than 5 years), and cholesteatomas of the middle ear that can be revealed more than 10 years after the trauma.

Adult↗