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Biomedical subjects

J Bertrand

Publications and source records attributed to J Bertrand.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Laparoscopic surgery of unicornuate uterus with rudimentary uterine horn.

This report describes a new procedure for laparoscopic treatment of non-communicating rudimentary uterine horn when attached to the contralateral unicornuate uterus by a band of tissue. A retrograde dissection with primary bipolar coagulation and section of the band of tissue enables primary occlusion of the main blood supply. In our opinion, this new approach may prevent bleeding during laparoscopic dissection of the rudimentary horn and may avoid myometrial injury of the resting unicornuate uterus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

[Adolescents who sexually abuse children].

The adolescents responsible for sexual abuses on children confront the medico-psycho-social workers with many questions. In this article, thanks to a bibliographical approach, we first discuss the definitions concerning sexual abuses and paedophilia as well as family, psychodynamic and legal specificities of adolescents. We then mention a few epidemiological facts as well as the different behavioural cognitive, psychodynamic and family hypotheses related to that problem. We finally illustrate all this through two clinical cases encountered during our ambulatory exercise and submit some thinking to readers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

The FNR-like domain of the Escherichia coli sulfite reductase flavoprotein component: crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis.

The FNR-like domain of the Escherichia coli sulfite reductase flavoprotein subunit was crystallized using the hanging-drop technique, with PEG 4000 as precipitant. The crystals belong to space group P3112 or enantiomorph, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 171.0, c = 152.1 A. A solvent content of 75% was determined by a calibrated tetrachloromethane/toluene gradient which corresponds to three monomers per asymmetric unit. A 3 A resolution native data set was collected at beamline W32 of LURE, Orsay, France.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1998

Large-scale preparation, purification, and crystallization of UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine: D-glutamate ligase from Escherichia coli.

The UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine:D-glutamate ligase from Escherichia coli, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of the bacterial peptidoglycan monomer unit, was overproduced and purified to homogeneity on a large scale, yielding 4 mg of protein per liter of bacterial culture. Crystals of the complex with the substrate UDP-MurNAc-L-Ala were grown by the hanging drop method using ammonium sulfate as the precipitant. They are tetragonal with cell dimensions a = b = 65.5 A and c = 134.59 A, space group P4(1) or P4(3), and contain one monomer of 46,842 Da in the asymmetric unit. In order to use the multiple-wavelength anomalous diffraction method for phasing, a selenomethionine derivative of the protein has also been overproduced, purified, and crystallized.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Laser photocoagulation for macular soft drusen. Updated results.

PURPOSE: To update the results of a study on the disappearance of macular soft drusen after laser treatment in the natural evolution of age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: A total of 46 patients with confluent soft drusen and pigmentary changes were studied prospectively. Group 1 was composed of 30 patients with bilateral drusen; the authors randomly assigned one eye of each patient for treatment and the fellow eye for the control. In 16 patients a choroidal neovascular membrane was present in one eye, and treatment was applied to the fellow eye (group 2). Argon green laser treatment was applied directly to the soft drusen in the temporal macula. RESULTS: All treated drusen disappeared in a mean of 3.5 months after treatment, and untreated drusen disappeared in all but three patients in an average of 8.5 months. After an average period of 3 years, only one control eye and none of the treated eyes in group 1 developed a choroidal neovascular membrane (P = 0.500). In group 2, neovascularization occurred in 18% of the patients. The initial improvement in Snellen acuity after subfoveal drusen disappearance diminished as a consequence of cataract progression. CONCLUSIONS: Although no definitive conclusions should be made because of the small number of patients studied, results seem to show that this treatment does not reduce the risk of choroidal neovascularization in the treated eye of patients with a history of exudative disease in the fellow eye. It may be effective in patients with high-risk bilateral soft drusen, that is, in less advanced stages of the disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

LIM-kinase1 hemizygosity implicated in impaired visuospatial constructive cognition.

To identify genes important for human cognitive development, we studied Williams syndrome (WS), a developmental disorder that includes poor visuospatial constructive cognition. Here we describe two families with a partial WS phenotype; affected members have the specific WS cognitive profile and vascular disease, but lack other WS features. Submicroscopic chromosome 7q11.23 deletions cosegregate with this phenotype in both families. DNA sequence analyses of the region affected by the smallest deletion (83.6 kb) revealed two genes, elastin (ELN) and LIM-kinase1 (LIMK1). The latter encodes a novel protein kinase with LIM domains and is strongly expressed in the brain. Because ELN mutations cause vascular disease but not cognitive abnormalities, these data implicate LIMK1 hemizygosity in imparied visuospatial constructive cognition.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Mapping the meanings of novel visual symbols by youth with moderate or severe mental retardation.

The word-learning ability of 12 school-age subjects with moderate or severe mental retardation was assessed. Subjects had little or no functional speech and used the System for Augmenting Language with visual-graphic symbols for communication. Their ability to fast map novel symbols revealed whether they possessed the novel name-nameless category (N3C) lexical operating principle. On first exposure, 7 subjects were able to map symbol meanings for novel objects. Follow-up assessments indicated that mappers retained comprehension of some of the novel words for up to delays of 15 days and generalized their knowledge to production. Ability to fast map reliably was related to symbol achievement status. Implications for understanding vocabulary acquisition by youth with mental retardation were discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Diagnosis of adenovirus conjunctivitis by enzyme immunoassay.

The diagnosis of adenovirus conjunctivitis using a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was investigated and compared with virus isolation in cell culture. Of 53 eye swabs previously shown to be adenovirus-positive, EIA was positive with 33 and isolation in PLC/PRF/5 cells was successful with 49. Isolates were typed by serum neutralisation. Adenovirus types 3 and 4 were most common, with 14 and 12 isolates respectively. Nine isolates were found to be type 8 and eight were classified as untyped following unsuccessful neutralisation by antisera to types 1-8 and 14. The potential of EIA, and possible modifications to increase sensitivity, are discussed.

Adenovirus Infections, Human↗
PubMed1995

Early lexical acquisition and the vocabulary spurt: a response to Goldfield & Reznick.

Vocabulary development of three children (aged 1;6-1;8 at the start of the study) who had not begun to evidence a vocabulary spurt even though their productive vocabularies already included well over 50 words was followed to determine if these children eventually would have a vocabulary spurt. All three children evidenced a spurt, beginning at a mean productive vocabulary size of 112 words. The vocabulary spurt occurred at about the same time as the children first demonstrated the ability to sort objects exhaustively and to fast map new object names. Results are discussed in the context of Goldfield & Reznick's (1990; Reznick & Goldfield, 1992) argument that a substantial proportion of children never evidence a vocabulary spurt.

Child Language↗
PubMed1995

Porphyromonas gingivalis outer membrane vesicles promote bacterial resistance to chlorhexidine.

Porphyromonas gingivalis has been frequently associated with some types of periodontal diseases and possesses various mechanisms favoring the pathogenic process. It has been recently observed that vesicles elaborated by P. gingivalis are able to protect bacteria from the bactericidal activity of human serum. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the ability of vesicles from P. gingivalis in protecting oral bacteria against chlorhexidine. Data indicate that vesicles released by P. gingivalis may bind chlorhexidine, thus allowing protection for itself and for other oral bacterial species. It has also been demonstrated that lipopolysaccharides are the major component involved in the binding of chlorhexidine by vesicles. The mechanism of resistance reported in this study indicates that bacterial interactions in the oral cavity may influence the sensitivity of microbes.

Anti-Infective Agents, Local↗
PubMed1995

Acquisition of the novel name-nameless category (N3C) principle by young children who have Down syndrome.

Acquisition of the novel name-nameless category (N3C) principle by 22 children with Down syndrome between the ages of 2.42 and 3.33 years was examined to investigate the generalizability of a new approach to early lexical development: the developmental lexical principles framework. Results indicated that, as predicted, the N3C principle (operationally defined as the ability to fast map a new word to a [basic level] category), is not available at the start of lexical acquisition. The predicted link between ability to use the N3C principle and ability to perform exhaustive categorization of objects was supported. Children who used the principle had significantly larger productive vocabularies than did those who did not and, according to maternal report, had begun to acquire new words rapidly.

Child Language↗
PubMed1994

Intracellular early and late modifications of human apolipoprotein A-II. Effect of glutamine- +1 to leucine substitution.

It has been shown previously that apoA-II undergoes several intracellular modifications in HepG2 cells (Hussain & Zannis, 1990). In the present study, we have generated permanent cell lines in mouse C127 cells which express the normal apoA-II gene and a mutated form in which Gln+1 was substituted with Leu (Leu+1). This modification was designed to prevent cyclization of the N-terminal glutamine of apoA-II and thus identify the isoproteins which are precursors and products of the N-terminal cyclization reaction. The C127-expression cells were also utilized to study the cellular compartments where the apoA-II modifications occur as well as the importance of the modifications for apoA-II trafficking and secretion. We have found that apoA-II (Gln+1) synthesized by C127 and HepG2 cells had similar isoproteins. In both cell types, unmodified pro-apoA-II, designated isoprotein 3, had a similar isoelectric point as the cell-free translation product of apoA-II mRNA, suggesting that isoprotein 3 results from cleavage of the signal peptide. Isoprotein 3 represents an unmodified apoA-II isoprotein and undergoes an early modification into a more acidic isoprotein 1, which differs from isoprotein 3 by two negative charges. Brefeldin A treatment of the cells did not prevent the formation of isoprotein 1, suggesting that this modification occurs in a pre-Golgi compartment. Neuraminidase treatment of secreted apoA-II isoproteins did not affect isoprotein 1, indicating that it is not sialylated isoprotein. Isoprotein 1 undergoes further modifications which are consistent with cleavage of the propeptide, N-terminal cyclization and sialylation most likely resulting from O-glycosylation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Apolipoprotein A-II↗
PubMed1994

Ethmoid sinus carcinomas: results and prognosis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and combined surgery--a 10-year experience.

From June 1982 to June 1992, 144 ethmoido-sphenoido-orbital tumors have been referred to the neurosurgical department of Ste Anne Hospital. One hundred five of them were malignant lesions, among which 83 were included into our therapeutic protocol (1) neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (CDDP + 5-FU), (2) combined surgical procedure (subfrontal and transfacial), (3) postoperative radiotherapy. Fifty nine percent of the patients had no response to chemotherapy; 19% had a partial response (reduction of the tumoral volume > 50% and < 100%), 22% had a complete response. One patient had an immediate and transient postoperative rhinorrhea responsible for meningitis (acinetobacter) that was cured after a 3-day treatment. Four patients had postoperative meningitis without any cerebrospinal fluid leakage; they were also cured. Five patients had a local suppuration that was treated by subcutaneous drainage (n = 1) or the removal of the cranial basis graft (n = 4). Oncologic results are presented for only adenocarcinomas (n = 63) because they represent the only population of this series large enough to assure significant statistical figures. The global actuarial survival rate was 53% at 3 years and 42.5% at 5 years. The 5-year actuarial survival rate was 80% for T1 tumors, 60% for T2, 40% for T3, and 25% for T4. Patients with an intracranial extension had a 3-year survival rate of 19%; none survived after 4-year follow-up. Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy seemed to influence the survival: 100% survival rate at 5 and 10 years for the complete responders. We discuss the opportunity of intraorbital exenteration, the indications, and the limits of combined surgery. We emphasize the importance of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and of combined surgical procedures, even when the patients are complete responders to chemotherapy: complete responders who had only a transfacial approach have a 5-year actuarial survival rate of 80% (instead of 100% when a combined procedure was performed). Those who were not operated primarily recurred within 3 years and then had to be operated. We propose to follow such a combined surgery for all large ethmoidal cancers (T3 and T4) and for small tumors (T1 and T2) developed superiorly and posteriorly. Anterior T1 and T2 tumors should be operated through a single transfacial route.

Actuarial Analysis↗