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F Berthier

Publications and source records attributed to F Berthier.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Comparative study of methods of measuring acute pain intensity in an ED.

The best one-dimensional method for routine self-assessment of acute pain intensity in a hospital emergency department is unknown. In this study, an 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS), a simple verbal rating scale describing five pain states (VRS), and a visual analogue scale (VAS) were presented successively on admission to 290 patients with acute pain (200 with and 90 without trauma). VAS and NRS were closely correlated for both traumatic (r = .795) and nontraumatic pain (r = .911). The VAS could not be used with 19.5% of patients with trauma and the VRS with 11% of patients without trauma, whereas the NRS could be used with 96% of all patients. The NRS proved more reliable for patients with trauma, giving equivalent results to those with the VAS for patients without trauma. These two scales showed better discriminant power for all patients. Thus, the NRS would appear to be the means for self-evaluation of acute pain intensity in an emergency department.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

Analysis of cost and of non-medical care load of patients seen in an accident and emergency department--the importance of clinical classification of emergency patients.

The aim of this study was to propose a method for calculating the costs incurred by the passage of a patient through an emergency department and to show that the scheme for clinical classification of emergency patients known as CCMU (Classification Clinique des Malades des Urgences) can identify groups of patients with different costs and non-medical care loads. All cases seen in the emergency department of a French hospital over an 8-week period were prospectively included. All non-medical and medical procedures, CCMU and GEMSA (Groupe d'Etude Multicentrique des Services d'Accueil) categories were recorded. Accounts for the same period were analysed in order to determine the true cost of each patient's passage through the emergency department. Qualitative data were analysed by ANOVA and logarithmic regression. The median cost of a patient's passage through the emergency department was 322 FF. CCMU identified groups of patients, including those with psychiatric problems, with very different non-medical care loads and costs, the latter varying from 158 FF (CCMU I) up to 1823 FF (CCMU V). This classification could be used as one of the elements defining homogenous groups of emergency department patients in future.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1997

The sphingomyelin-ceramide pathway participates in cytokine regulation of C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A, but not alpha-fibrinogen.

Maximal induction of the acute-phase proteins C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) in the human hepatoma cell line Hep3B requires the combination of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1. In contrast, IL-1 inhibits fibrinogen induction by IL-6. To explore the possible participation of the sphingomyelin-ceramide pathway in the transduction of cytokine effects, the role of this pathway in expression of CRP, SAA and alpha-fibrinogen was investigated. The cell-permeable ceramide analogues C2 and C6 each greatly potentiated induction of both CRP and SAA mRNA by IL-6+IL-1beta but did not affect the responses of alpha-fibrinogen to IL-6 or to IL-6+IL-1beta. The combination of IL-6+IL-1beta led to increased turnover of sphingomyelin in Hep3B cells. D609, an inhibitor of ceramide production by acidic but not neutral sphingomyelinases, substantially inhibited induction of CRP and SAA by IL-6+IL-1beta. The ability of C2 and C6 to potentiate the effects of cytokines suggests that the sphingomyelin-ceramide pathway participates in induction of CRP and SAA by IL-6+IL-1beta under these experimental conditions, most likely by transducing the effects of IL-1beta. C2 and C6 were unable to substitute for IL-1beta in enhancing IL-6 effects on CRP and SAA, consistent with other reports indicating that the sphingomyelin-ceramide pathway is only a single component of multiple necessary converging pathways for induction of many genes. In contrast, this pathway does not appear to participate in mediating the inhibitory effects of IL-1beta on fibrinogen induction by IL-6.

Apolipoproteins↗
PubMed1997

[Prevalence of cancer, health care and daily life assistance in people aged 75 or over living in the Tarn area (France)].

The association between cancer and dependence was estimated using a cross-sectional study among persons 75 years of age or-older in Tarn county (area with a cancer registry recognized by the National Committee of Registries). A representative random sample stratified on age, sex, and size of district, was drawn using the electoral registers. Each person randomly selected answered the questions of a surveyor about previous history of cancer, aid in daily life activities and use of health care. Among 5,161, the questionnaire was filled for 3,368 persons (participation: 65.3%). Only 2.3% declared a past history of cancer (cancers diagnosed before 1982 and cancers of the skin excluded). After verification 12.6% of the men and 5.2% of the women in the sample were found in the registry. This result shows a very high tendency for people not to declare their disease. From 75 years of age, 1 man among 8, and 1 woman among 20 suffer or have suffered from a cancer during the last 12 years. Only a weak association between prevalence of cancer and aid in daily life activities could be found, probably explained by the important polymorbidity existing in this age group. The persons who suffered from cancer, are not more often confined in bed or in old people's home. Regarding use of health care, they see a nurse or their general practitioner more frequently, they have been operated or admitted in the hospital more frequently than persons without a past history of cancer. Persons with a past history of ear-nose-throat cancer differ from other cancers by needing more aid to go out of their home, and by taking medical advice more frequently. Except for the ear-nose-throat cases, cancer (aside from the acute stage) does not generate more dependence or hinder the quality of survival, in comparison to those of people of the same age.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Infectious complications after peridural obstetric anesthesia].

Infective complications after epidural anesthesia for delivery are uncommon. We reviewed 21 cases of epidural abscesses, 7 cases of meningitis and one spondylitis reported in the literature. These infections usually occurred in debilitated patients either by direct contamination at puncture or indirectly from a neighboring infection or from the blood stream. Prognosis depends on early diagnosis. The first manifestations are spinal stiffness or local pain. Signs of neurological deficiency come later at a stage when complete recovery is compromised. This emphasizes the importance of the clinical examination before delivery in search for skin or deep infections.

Abscess↗
PubMed1997

[Predictive factors of institutionalization of dependent elderly persons].

BACKGROUND: This study analyses the factors related to the institutionalization of dependent patients living in the community and receiving informal care from relatives. METHODS: The study is based on a 3-year follow-up of a sample of 205 pairs (carereceiver-caregiver). Eligible care receivers were aged 65 years and over, living at home, and physically or mentally dependent. Caregivers were interviewed at inclusion and three years later in order to know whether the elderly was institutionalized or still living at home. RESULTS: Cox proportional hazards analysis indicated that significant predictors of subsequent institutionalization were intention to institutionalize (p = 0.001), caregiver type (p = 0.015), caregiver's subjective perception of patient behavior problems (p = 0.009), and, at a lesser extent, to live in a urban environment (p = 0.051). The functional status and the carereceiver's age were not predictive of institutionalization. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the importance of subjective factors and characteristics of the primary caregiver in predicting institutionalization of elderly dependent persons.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1997

[The quality of voter registration lists and participation factors during a community survey of elderly people].

Electoral registers are often used to randomly select persons for epidemiological surveys. The importance and the different types of inaccurate informations found in these lists were studied during a survey among an elderly population of 5,161 persons aged 75 and over in Tarn area. Information was found to be inaccurate in 13.7% of the cases (people who have died 3%, moved out of the area 10.5%, inaccurate date of birth 0.2%), this increased with age and with size of the parish. The overall participation was 65.3%. The corrected participation (with exclusion of inaccurate information) was 75.7% and was higher in rural parishes and where the help of local organizations of elderlies was available.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1996

Carbohydrate Utilization in Lactobacillus sake.

The ability of Lactobacillus sake to use various carbon sources was investigated. For this purpose we developed a chemically defined medium allowing growth of L. sake and some related lactobacilli. This medium was used to determine growth rates on various carbohydrates and some nutritional requirements of L. sake. Mutants resistant to 2-deoxy-d-glucose (a nonmetabolizable glucose analog) were isolated. One mutant unable to grow on mannose and one mutant deficient in growth on mannose, fructose, and sucrose were studied by determining growth characteristics and carbohydrate uptake and phosphorylation rates. We show here that sucrose, fructose, mannose, N-acetylglucosamine, and glucose are transported and phosphorylated by the phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS). The PTS permease specific for mannose, enzyme II(supMan), was shown to be responsible for mannose, glucose, and N-acetylglucosamine transport. A second, non-PTS system, which was responsible for glucose transport, was demonstrated. Subsequent glucose metabolism involved an ATP-dependent phosphorylation. Ribose and gluconate were transported by PTS-independent permeases.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

[Comparative study of the expression of CEA and a myelomonocytic antigen (CD15) in serous effusions using two monoclonal antibodies NEO 723 and Leu M1].

A comparative study of the reactivity of two monoclonal antibodies (MAb), NEO 723 (anti-CEA) and Leu M1 (CD15) was performed by immunocytochemistry on sixty five reactive effusions and sixty two neoplastic effusions, fifty eight due to metastases from carcinomas, two due to disseminations of sarcoma and two due to malignant mesotheliomas. The study of the expected reactivity of NEO 723 and the cross-reactivity of Leu M1 on exfoliated neoplastic cells in effusion fluids showed that the sensitivity of NEO 723 was superior to that of Leu M1 for the detection of carcinomatous metastases, as 78% reacted with NEO 723 versus 38% with Leu M1. Among the positive cases, the mean number of reactive cells was twice as high with NEO 723, while only three of the carcinomas no expressing CEA reacted with Leu M1. The study of the reactivity of benign and malignant mesothelial cells with these two antibodies also confirmed the absence of labelling of these cells. Thus, despite a good specificity for carcinoma, the combination of these two antibodies provides only a minor gain in diagnostic sensitivity (+5%) compared with the use of an anti-CEA antibody alone and a loss of sensitivity (-5%) compared with the combination of an anti-CEA and an anti-EMA antibodies. These results appear to justify the suppression of Leu M1 from the first panel of antibodies screening for carcinomatous cells in favour of a combination of anti-CEA and an anti-EMA antibodies. However, Leu M1 may be useful as a second-line test in order to define the primary tumour responsible for the effusion.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1990

Expression of six mitochondrial genes during Drosophila oogenesis: analysis by in situ hybridization.

We have done a comparative analysis of RNA from six mitochondrial genes (rDNA, ND2, COI, COIII, ND4-ND5, Cyt b) during Drosophila oogenesis, using in situ hybridization. This study showed the same variation for each of these transcripts, which is similar to that obtained with the total mitochondrial RNA (Tourmente et al. (1990) Biol. Cell 60, 119-127). A constant RNA density until stage 9, followed by a rapid decline, was observed in follicle and nurse cells. These results confirm those previously obtained (Tourmente et al., (1990) Biol. Cell 60, 119-127), in favor of the existence of a correlation between the mtRNA level and the cell volume and/or the nuclear DNA content, and suggest a global extra-mitochondrial, transcriptional control mechanism. We also show that the relative proportions of the different RNA are similar, whatever the stage and cell type examined, even though the total mtRNA quantity is different. They are comparable to those previously obtained by Northern analysis of Drosophila embryos (Berthier et al. (1986) Nucleic Acids Res. 14, 1400-1412, suggesting a posttranscriptional control independent of the cell type. Surprisingly, we have detected an extra-mitochondrial hybridization for COIII, both in light and electron microscopy. Northern analysis of poly(A)+RNA from ovaries or cultured cells revealed an 1.7 kb extra-mitochondrial RNA, which is probably of nuclear origin.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

RNA mapping on Drosophila mitochondrial DNA: precursors and template strands.

Drosophila melanogaster mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is closely related to the mammalian and amphibian mtDNA except for gene organization. In Drosophila, genes are distributed in clusters alternatively coded on each strand. Besides the eleven major foreseeable transcripts previously described (MERTEN and PARDUE, 1981, J. Mol. Biol., 153, 1-21), we have characterized two poly A+ transcripts, one major and one minor which could correspond respectively to the ND3 and ND6 reading frames, and 27 poly A+ minor transcripts (0.2 to greater than 3.2 kb) which are distributed along the mtDNA except in the rRNAs, ND 1 and A+ T rich regions. The mapping and length of 25 of these transcripts strongly suggest a precursor role. They would be processed at the level of tRNA or tRNA-like sequences. Most of them are transcribed from the template strand of each gene cluster and their distribution is in agreement with the hypothesis of several transcription origins and terminations located near the extremities of each gene cluster. Quantitatively our results show a large variation in each presumptive mature transcript compared to the other, even in a given gene cluster, suggesting a specific degradation of some of the mature transcripts.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Translation of polyuridylic acid in lysed mitochondria.

After osmotic shock with 50 mM Tricine buffer (pH 7.9), isolated mitochondria from D. Melanogaster embryos are treated with a low concentration of Triton X-100 (25 micrograms/mg of protein). The lysed mitochondria are still capable of RNA and protein synthesis. While incorporation of labeled precursor is often higher in lysed than in intact mitochondria, neosynthesized proteins exhibit similar electrophoretic patterns. Studies of labeled precursor incorporation in the presence of various effectors indicate a better accessibility to the translation machinery in lysed mitochondria than in intact mitochondria. Such a system has proven capable of translating an exogenous synthetic mRNA, i.e., poly (U).

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Mitochondrial DNA expression in Drosophila melanogaster: neosynthesized polypeptides in isolated mitochondria.

The expression of mitochondrial genome of D. melanogaster in isolated mitochondria was followed by incorporation of 35S methionine in neosynthesized polypeptides. A high level of protein synthesis was obtained after optimization of all the incubation parameters. Two kinds of energy-generating systems were used: an endogenous system where an oxidizable substrate were added for ATP synthesis; an exogenous system with an energy-rich compound for ATP regeneration, the latter proved to be the most effective. The effect of the oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler (Clccp), and an ATPase inhibitor (oligomycine) allow us to postulate the role of the electrochemical potential in the expression of the mitochondrial genome. Electrophoresis and autoradiography of neosynthesized mitochondrial proteins exhibits 18 to 24 protein bands, ranging from 6.5 to 65 Kd; incubation of KC 0% drosophila cells with 35S methionine and cycloheximide gave similar results. Both our results and those published elsewhere suggest that the expression of mitochondrial genome in higher organisms could be more complex than simple translation of the 13 genes presents on these genomes.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

[Isolation of the RNA-poly A+ fraction from mitochondria of Drosophila melanogaster embryos. Incorporation of methionine-35S into newly-synthesized proteins in whole and lysed mitochondria].

The poly A+ RNA fraction of embryos mitochondria of Drosophila melanogaster was prepared by fractionation by oligo dT-cellulose chromatography. It accounted for 5% of total insoluble RNA. 15 bands were identified by electrophoresis, from 500 to 2,000 base pairs. This poly A+ RNA fraction hybridizes with mitochondrial DNA clones. It contains mitochondrial transcripts: messenger RNA and the large ribosomal RNA. The sum of the transcripts (29 kb) exceed the coding capacities of the mitochondrial DNA. Some of the transcripts may be precursors, greater in size, of the mRNA corresponding to a gene. Our results are compared to those previously published (9, 11, 12). The relationship between mitochondrial transcripts and proteins was studied in whole and lysed isolated mitochondria. In the former, incubated in the presence of 35S-methionine, 20 to 30 radioactive bands were identified (M. Wt. 100 to 16 kd). This incorporation was totally inhibited by chloramphenicol. When the mitochondria were opened in the presence of detergent (lysis). 35S-methionine incorporation was markedly enhanced. In all cases the number of proteins identified was greater than the number of potential genes (12). This finding is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Aged couples and management of dependence. Study of 75 helping spouses].

The article displays the findings of a survey conducted among 34 husbands and 41 wives who are helping their disabled spouses. The questionnaire deals with the degree of dependency of the helped spouse, his/her health status, the health status of the helper, how the latter copes with the helping tasks, how these tasks are felt and carried out, how is the relationship between the spouses in the past and at present, what are the prospects envisaged by the helper regarding in particular the transfer of the disabled spouse to a nursing home. A scale is used for measuring the various answers.

Activities of Daily Living↗