Irrational thinking might be central in the maintenance of pathological gambling and should therefore be assessed, as other gambling-related cognitions (GRC), before treatment, especially when ...cognitive-behavioural therapy is proposed. Assessment tools investigating GRC exist but none are in French. Raylu and Oei have developed the Gambling-Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS), consisting of 23 items and a five-factor model. We aimed to determine if the French version of the GRCS had psychometric properties similar to those of the original version. Three hundred seventy-nine undergraduate students and 13 problem/pathological gamblers seeking treatment at the University Hospital of Nantes completed the GRCS. Confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and multitrait analysis were performed. The French adaptation of the GRCS is a useful instrument for assessing GRC in order to appreciate the severity of pathological gambling, and it has the potential capacity to measure the treatment effect. Other studies are required to confirm test-retest reliability and sensitivity to change.
Summary
The role of mast cells has been questioned in sickle cell disease (SCD). We performed a prospective study evaluating plasma histamine and tryptase levels in a cohort of paediatric and adult ...patients, in steady state (n = 132) and during vaso‐occlusive crisis (VOC) (n = 121). Histamine level was elevated in 18% of patients in steady state and in 61% during VOC. Median histamine level was significantly higher during VOC than in steady state (24·1 7·0–45·0 vs 9·6 6·2–14·4 nmol/l, P < 0·0001). Tryptase level was slightly increased during VOC without reaching pathological values. These results suggest a role of mast cell activation in SCD pathophysiology.
Abstract 2103▪▪This icon denotes a clinically relevant abstract
Recent studies suggest that patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) have profound vitamin D (VD) deficiency. Limited data exist on the ...effect of VD deficiency on bone fragility in these patients.
To assess the prevalence of VD deficiency in adults with SCD and its consequences on bone metabolism and fragility.
This prospective study included 56 SCD adult patients (mean age 29.8 ± 9.5 years), in a clinically steady state. Clinical and laboratory data were recorded. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual X-ray absorptiometry. Fracture history, BMD, avascular osteonecrosis, H-shaped vertebra and markers of mineral metabolism were compared between two groups of patients presenting very low (≤6 ng/ml, n=26) (group 1) and low (>6 ng/ml, n=26) (group 2) 25(OH)D concentration, respectively.
Median 25(OH)D concentration was 6 ng/mL. VD deficiency (25(OH)D <10 ng/mL) was found in 42 out of 56 patients (75%) and secondary hyperparathyroidism in 40 (71.4%). History of fracture was documented in 17 patients (30.3%), osteopenia and/or ospeoporosis in 39.6% of patients. Overall, patients of group 1 were more likely to have sustained a fracture (42.8%) compared to patients of group 2 (17.8%) (p=0.04). These patients had also lower body mass index and significantly higher parathyroid hormone, C-terminal telopeptides of type I-collagen and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase serum levels. There was no difference between group for BMD, avascular osteonecrosis history, H-shaped vertebra, and disease severity markers.
This study suggests that VD deficiency is a key feature in SCD-bone disease. It is highly prevalent and associated with hyperparathyroidism, bone resorption markers, and history of fracture. The optimal supplementation regimen remains to be determined.
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Zero-mode waveguide (ZMW) nanoapertures are widely used to monitor single molecules beyond the range accessible to normal microscopes. However, several aspects of the ZMW influence on the ...photophysics of fluorophores remain inadequately documented and sometimes controversial. Here, we thoroughly investigate the ZMW influence on the fluorescence of single immobilized Cy3B and Alexa 647 molecules, detailing the interplays between brightness, lifetime, photobleaching time, total number of emitted photons and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Despite the plasmonicenhanced excitation intensity in the ZMW, we find that the photostability is preserved with similar photobleaching times as on the glass reference. Both the fluorescence brightness and the total numbers of photons detected before photobleaching are increased, with an impressive gain near five times found for Alexa 647 dyes. Finally, the single-molecule data importantly allow a loophole-free characterization of the ZMW influence on the FRET process. We show that the FRET rate constant is enhanced by 50%, demonstrating that nanophotonics can mediate the energy transfer. These results deepen our understanding of the fluorescence enhancement in ZMWs and are of immediate relevance for single-molecule biophysical applications.
The histological characteristic of hypertensive leg ulcers (HLU) is the presence of "arteriolosclerosis." The pertinence of performing a skin biopsy to diagnose HLU is questionable, as cutaneous ...arteriolosclerosis may be related to patient comorbidities. The objective here was to evaluate the frequency of arteriolosclerosis in skin leg biopsies performed in patients without ulcer and in control patients with HLU.
We performed a retrospective study between January 2013 and July 2014. Patients were included if they had undergone a deep skin biopsy on the lower limbs, in the absence of any leg ulcer. Controls were patients with typical HLU.
Fifty-eight patients and 6 controls were included. Hypertension was present in 25 patients (43%). Arteriolosclerosis, defined as fibrous endarteritis, was present in 35 out of 58 patients (60%) and in all of the controls. No hyalinosis or hyperplastic proliferative arteriolosclerosis was observed in the patients or controls. Only age was an independent factor associated with the presence of cutaneous arteriolosclerosis (p 0.0001).
Cutaneous arteriolosclerosis is significantly and independently associated with age. Thus, skin biopsy seems not to be necessary for the diagnosis of HLU but only for a differential diagnosis.
Large-scale, defect-free, micro- and nano-circuits with controlled inter-connections represent the nexus between electronic and photonic components. However, their fabrication over large scales often ...requires demanding procedures that are hardly scalable. Here we synthesize arrays of parallel ultra-long (up to 0.75 mm), monocrystalline, silicon-based nano-wires and complex, connected circuits exploiting low-resolution etching and annealing of thin silicon films on insulator. Phase field simulations reveal that crystal faceting and stabilization of the wires against breaking is due to surface energy anisotropy. Wires splitting, inter-connections and direction are independently managed by engineering the dewetting fronts and exploiting the spontaneous formation of kinks. Finally, we fabricate field-effect transistors with state-of-the-art trans-conductance and electron mobility. Beyond the first experimental evidence of controlled dewetting of patches featuring a record aspect ratio of Formula: see text1/60000 and self-assembled Formula: see textmm long nano-wires, our method constitutes a distinct and promising approach for the deterministic implementation of atomically-smooth, mono-crystalline electronic and photonic circuits.
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