Parental influence on tennis players : case studies

The aim of this study is to better understand the failure of young gifted athletes and the influence the parents / child relationships has on it. Three case studies are developed in order to put them back in their context. Interviews were carried out with players / parents / coaches. The players were specifically chosen as they had not reached elite level, despite very promising results in the junior leagues. The content analysis points out some favorable roles played by parents and other rather negative ones. It appears that their influence is closely linked to numerous interacting factors (parental values, motivations, parents / child, parents / coach relationships...). The case studies also clearly stress the importance of the choices made during the childs training, how they are linked to parental values, as well as the possible consequences of negative father / athlete relationships. Practical applications of this study should be taken into account to favor athletes carrer

Aprotinin reduces cardiac troponin I release and inhibits apoptosis of polymorphonuclear cells during off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery

Objectives: In addition to blood-sparing effects, aprotinin may have cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects during cardiopulmonary bypass-assisted cardiac surgery. In this study, the authors examined whether aprotinin had cardioprotective and/or anti-inflammatory effects in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Design: A prospective randomized clinical trial. Setting: University hospital. Participants: Fifty patients were randomized to control (n = 25) or aprotinin treatment (n = 25) groups. Interventions: Aprotinin was given as a loading dose (2 x 10(6) KIU) followed by a continuous infusion at 5 x 10(5) KIU/h until skin closure. Measurements and Main Results: Blood samples for cardiac troponin I; interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and interleukin-10; tumor necrosis factor a; and elastase were taken after anesthesia induction, completion of revascularization, and 6 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours after revascularization. Blood samples were taken to assess for apoptosis in polymorphonuclear cells. Baseline plasma levels for cardiac troponin I did not differ between groups but were significantly lower in aprotinin-treated patients at the time of revascularization (P = 0.03) and 6 hours (p = 0.004) and 24 hours (p = 0.03) later. Aprotinin significantly reduced apoptosis in polymorphonuclear cells compared with control-treated patients (p = 0.04). There were no differences in plasma cytokine or elastase levels between groups. Conclusions: The authors conclude that aprotinin reduces perioperative cardiac troponin I release and attenuates apoptosis in polymorphonuclear cells but has no significant effects on plasma cytokine levels in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: A Narrative Review of the Issues in Screening and Management From a Panel of European Experts.

Maternal primary and non-primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy can result in in utero transmission to the developing fetus. Congenital CMV (cCMV) can result in significant morbidity, mortality or long-term sequelae, including sensorineural hearing loss, the most common sequela. As a leading cause of congenital infections worldwide, cCMV infection meets many of the criteria for screening. However, currently there are no universal programs that offer maternal or neonatal screening to identify infected mothers and infants, no vaccines to prevent infection, and no efficacious and safe therapies available for the treatment of maternal or fetal CMV infection. Data has shown that there are several maternal and neonatal screening strategies, and diagnostic methodologies, that allow the identification of those at risk of developing sequelae and adequately detect cCMV. Nevertheless, many questions remain unanswered in this field. Well-designed clinical trials to address several facets of CMV treatment (in pregnant women, CMV-infected fetuses and both symptomatic and asymptomatic neonates and children) are required. Prevention (vaccines), biology and transmission factors associated with non-primary CMV, and the cost-effectiveness of universal screening, all demand further exploration to fully realize the ultimate goal of preventing cCMV. In the meantime, prevention of primary infection during pregnancy should be championed to all by means of hygiene education

Chiral nanostructuring of multivalent macrocycles in solution and on surfaces

We describe the design and synthesis of a novel functionality-rich, homochiral macrocycle, possessing the overall molecular D-2 symmetry, in which multivalency is introduced into the covalent framework by means of four suitably positioned pyridine moieties. The macrocycle synthesis is carried out with functionalized, enantiopure 1,1'-binaphthyl synthons as the source of chirality by means of a room temperature esterification reaction as the cyclization procedure. Upon addition of Pd2+, coordination of the pyridine moieties occurs both intra and intermolecularly, to afford chiral ordered mono and dimeric macrocycles or multimeric aggregates depending on the solvents and conditions used. The metal binding event takes place in combination with a significant macrocyclic conformational rearrangement detected by circular dichroism spectroscopy. When in combination with a third component (C-60), the macrocycle-Pd2+ hybrid undergoes surface-confined nanostructuring into chiral nanofibres

The Maghreb – one more important biodiversity hot spot for tiger beetle fauna (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Cicindelinae) in the Mediterranean region

The tiger beetle fauna of the Maghreb region is one of the richest in the Palaearctic, including 22 species and 5 subspecies and 19% of all Palaearctic species of Cicindelinae. Assembled by their chorotypes, the Maghreb tiger beetles fall into eight different groups that include Maghreb endemics (26% of fauna), Mediterranean (7%), West Mediterranean (40%), North African (4%), Mediterranean-Westturanian (4%), West Palaearctic (4%), Afrotropico-Indo-Mediterranean (4%), and Saharian (11%) species. The Mediterranean Sclerophyl and Atlas Steppe are the Maghreb biogeographical provinces with the highest species richness, while the Sahara Desert has the lowest Cicindelinae diversity. Twenty-five cicindelid species and subspecies (93% of Maghreb fauna) are restricted to only one or two habitat types in lowland areas. Only Calomera littoralis littoralis and Lophyra flexuosa flexuosa are recognized as eurytopic species and occur in three types of habitat. The highest tiger beetle diversity characterizes salt marshes and river banks (in both cases 11 species and subspecies or 41% of Maghreb fauna). Approximately 85% of all Maghreb tiger beetle species and subspecies are found in habitats potentially endangered by human activity

Factors associated with the continuum of care of HIV infected patients in Belgium

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Initiation of an anal cancer screening in HIV+MSM: results of cytology, biopsy and determination of risk factors

Incidence of anal cancer is increasing and risk of anal cancer is higher in MSM, especially if they are HIV+. European guidelines for treatment of HIV-infected adults recommend anal cancer screening by digital rectal exam±Pap test with anuscopy if Pap test is abnormal. A systematic anal cancer screening in HIV+MSM with anal cytology (Pap smears) was established in June 2011 in our reference centre in Brussels. If anal cytology was abnormal, high-resolution anuscopy (HRA) with biopsy was performed. 353 MSM HIV+were screened by anal smears between June 2011 and May 2012. 90% were Caucasians, median age was 44.5 years, 83% were on HAART and 74% had an undetectable viral load, median CD4 was 632/µl and 33% had a nadir CD4<200. Thirty-three (9.3%) were excluded because of poor quality. Cytology was abnormal in 46% of the 320 remaining patients: high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) 3%, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) 24%, atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) 16%, and atypical squamous cells / cannot rule out a high-grade lesion (ASC-H) 3%. Viral load (VL) was more frequently undetectable (82% vs 64%, p=0.0003) and median duration of HAART was longer (111 vs 61 months, p=0.0145) in patients with normal cytology. 80 HRA with biopsies have been performed. 12.5% were normal, 44% showed anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) 1, 24% AIN 2 and 19% AIN 3. For this analysis, high-grade AIN (2 and 3) were put together (AIN 2+). Among patients with AIN 2+(n=33), cytology had showed 8 (24%) ASC-US, 3 (9%) ASC-H, 19 (57%) LSIL, 3 (9%) HSIL. When patients with normal cytology or normal biopsy and patients with AIN 2+were compared, the only significant risk factor found for AIN 2+was a nadir CD4<100/µl (32% of the patients with AIN 2+vs 14% in patients with normal smear, p=0.0073). Anal precancerous lesions are frequent and at different stages. Among 46% abnormal cytology, 87% had abnormal biopsy including half AIN 2+.Cytology±biopsy is the only way to detect those lesions and should be performed systematically in HIV+MSM. Risk factor for AIN2+was a nadir CD4<100/µl. A normal cytology was associated with an undetectable VL and a longer duration of HAART. Those results provide further argument for early initiation of HAART

Expert panel consensus statement on the optimal use of pomalidomide in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.-- et al.In this report, a panel of European myeloma experts discuss the role of pomalidomide in the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Based on the available evidence, the combination of pomalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone is a well-tolerated and effective treatment option for patients with RRMM who have exhausted treatment with lenalidomide and bortezomib. The optimal starting dose of pomalidomide is 4 mg given on days 1-21 of each 28-day cycle, whereas dexamethasone is administered at a dose of 40 mg weekly (reduced to 20 mg for patients aged >75 years). The treatment should continue until evidence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Dose-modification schemes have been established for patients who develop neutropenia, thrombocytopaenia and other grade 3-4 adverse events during pomalidomide therapy. Guidance on the prevention and management of infections and venous thromboembolism is provided, based on the available clinical evidence and the experience of panel members. The use of pomalidomide in special populations, such as patients with advanced age, renal impairment or unfavourable cytogenetic features, is also discussed.Editorial support was funded by Celgene.Peer Reviewe

Excitation of the molecular gas in the nuclear region of M82

We present high resolution HIFI spectroscopy of the nucleus of the archetypical starburst galaxy M82. Six 12CO lines, 2 13CO lines and 4 fine-structure lines are detected. Besides showing the effects of the overall velocity structure of the nuclear region, the line profiles also indicate the presence of multiple components with different optical depths, temperatures and densities in the observing beam. The data have been interpreted using a grid of PDR models. It is found that the majority of the molecular gas is in low density (n=10^3.5 cm^-3) clouds, with column densities of N_H=10^21.5 cm^-2 and a relatively low UV radiation field (GO = 10^2). The remaining gas is predominantly found in clouds with higher densities (n=10^5 cm^-3) and radiation fields (GO = 10^2.75), but somewhat lower column densities (N_H=10^21.2 cm^-2). The highest J CO lines are dominated by a small (1% relative surface filling) component, with an even higher density (n=10^6 cm^-3) and UV field (GO = 10^3.25). These results show the strength of multi-component modeling for the interpretation of the integrated properties of galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A Letter