Hôpital Salvator

PURPOSE: We evaluated the accuracy and clinical role of fine needle percutaneous biopsy of solid renal masses 4.0 cm or smaller with helical computerized tomography (CT) guidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 88 consecutive patients (mean age 61 years) 88 biopsies were performed. Median tumor size was 2.8 cm. Tumor biopsy was performed with an 18 gauge needle using helical CT guidance in an outpatient setting. At least 2 whole cores per tumor were obtained. RESULTS: Biopsy material was insufficient for analysis in 3 (3.4%) procedures. Median tumor size of failed biopsies was 3.0 cm. There were 5 (5.6%) biopsies which revealed fibrosis and were considered inconclusive. A benign lesion was found in 14 (15.9%) biopsies. In the 66 biopsies positive for malignancy there were 65 cases of renal cell carcinoma and 1 lymphoma. A total of 62 patients underwent surgery. Biopsy changed tumor management in 42 (47.8%) patients who avoided radical nephrectomy, 13 of whom had a lesion which did not require surgery, 1 with a lymphoma and 28 who were treated with partial nephrectomy. Biopsy accuracy for histopathological tumor type and Fuhrman nuclear grade was 92% and 69.8%, respectively. No substantial morbidity occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Fine needle biopsy of small renal masses could select benign lesions for which observation might be an alternative to surgery. The accuracy of fine needle biopsy in identifying histological tumor type was high. However, biopsy was less accurate in evaluating Furhman grade. Biopsy with helical CT guidance could be a key point in tailored management of small solid renal masses and provide important information to those patients harboring renal masses.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility, accuracy, and clinical role of fine-needle percutaneous biopsy of renal masses, with helical computed tomographic (CT) guidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 63 patients (mean age, 62 years), 73 biopsies were performed. The median tumor size was 4.0 cm. Tumor biopsy was performed with an 18-gauge needle by using helical CT guidance in an outpatient setting. Two to four cores per tumor were obtained. RESULTS: Biopsy material was insufficient for analysis in 15 (21%) procedures. The median tumor size of failed or successful biopsies was 3.0 or 4.8 cm, respectively (P =.03). A benign lesion was found at eight biopsies. Two samples were suspicious for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). RCC was found in 38 biopsy samples. The remainder were transitional cell carcinoma, metastasis, lymphoma, or sarcoma. Twenty-six patients underwent nephrectomy. The accuracies of biopsy for histopathologic and Fuhrman nuclear grade evaluation were 89% and 78%, respectively. For tumors of 3.0 cm or smaller or larger than 3.0 cm, 37% (11 of 30) or 9% (four of 43) had failure of biopsy, respectively (P =.006). No substantial morbidity occurred. CONCLUSION: Fine-needle biopsy with helical CT guidance is accurate for the histopathologic evaluation of renal masses without morbidity. Indications are renal lesions that do not have the typical radiologic features of RCC, Bosniak category III or IV cystic lesions, and locally advanced or metastatic RCC.

BACKGROUND: Hand decontamination is crucial to control nosocomial infections. The utility of hand decontamination is related not only to its antimicrobial effectiveness, but also to its acceptability by hospital staff. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess skin tolerance and antimicrobial effects of two widely accepted hand hygiene measures under in-use conditions. METHODS: Fifty-two nurses were randomly assigned for an 8-day period to either an alcohol-based disinfectant or a hand wash with a non-antiseptic soap. At baseline and at the end of the test period, microbiological hand samples were obtained both before and after a hand hygiene procedure, and skin tolerance was assessed using clinical scores and measurement of transepidermal water loss. RESULTS: Self-assessment of skin condition and grade of skin damage worsened significantly more in the group using soap than in the group using alcoholic disinfectant (P = 0.004 and P = 0.01, respectively). The alcohol-based rinse was significantly more effective than liquid soap in removing transient contaminant micro-organisms (P = 0.016). Twenty of 50 hand washes with non-antiseptic soap apparently resulted in bacterial contamination of the hands. At the end of the study, the total bacterial count increased with the increasing number of hand washes in the soap group (P = 0.003), and with the degree of skin damage (P = 0.005) in the antiseptic group. CONCLUSIONS: In everyday hospital practice, alcohol-based disinfectant is more effective and better tolerated than non-antiseptic soap; soap is at risk of spreading contamination; and skin comfort strongly influences the number and the quality of hand hygiene procedures.

BACKGROUND: To improve the therapy of advanced prostate cancer (CaP), it is critical to develop animal models that mimic CaP bone metastases. Unlike the human disease, CaP xenograft models rarely metastasize spontaneously to bone from the orthotopic site of primary tumor growth. METHODS: Single-cell suspensions of LNCaP, PC-3, LuCaP 35, and LuCaP 23.1 CaP cells were injected directly into tibia of SCID mice. Immunohistochemistry and bone histomorphometrical analyses were performed to characterize these osseous-CaP models. RESULTS: LuCaP 23.1 yields an osteoblastic response, LNCaP yields mixed lesions, and LuCaP 35 and PC-3 result in osteolytic responses. We have detected osteoprotegerin, RANK ligand, parathyroid hormone-related protein, and endothelin-1, proteins associated with bone growth and remodeling, in the CaP cells grown in the bone. CONCLUSIONS: These animal models can be used to study biological interactions, pathways, and potential therapeutic targets, and also to evaluate new agents for treatment and prevention of CaP bone metastasis.

OBJECTIVE: Ostreopsis ovata and Ostreopsis siamensis are tropical unicellular algae that have been found recently in the Mediterranean. Both of these dinoflagellates produce palytoxin (PTX)-like toxins that are powerful vasoconstrictors in mammals. Since 2003, Ostreopsis blooms in Italy and Spain have been accompanied by reports of respiratory problems and skin/mucosa irritation in persons in contact with toxic microalgal cells (epiphytes, plankton, or sea spray) or associated toxins. METHODS: In France, a surveillance network has been set up to monitor water conditions and to protect swimmers from contamination due to Ostreopsis. RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2009, a total of nine blooms were observed on the French Mediterranean coast including five that led to manifestations in divers, swimmers, and shoreline inhabitants. A total of 47 patients presented symptoms of involving benign or mild skin, mucosal, and/or respiratory irritation that regressed spontaneously without treatment within 12-72 h (4-12 h with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). During the study period, five beaches were temporarily closed. DISCUSSION: In the Mediterranean, Ostreopsis blooms induce skin and respiratory disorders when human beings are exposed to saltwater with a high concentration of algal cells. However, palytoxin dosages carried out on the food chain (urchins, mussels) indicate that this risk of toxins accumulation in seafood must be taken into account and that the surveillance network should be upgraded accordingly.

BACKGROUND: The authors assessed the interest and the value of Fuhrman's nuclear grade as a possible prognostic factor for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: An 11-year retrospective study of 190 patients with RCC treated by radical nephrectomy was performed. The distribution by grade was: Grade I, 54 patients; Grade II, 58; Grade III, 58; and Grade IV, 20. The distribution of the patients by tumor stage according to the TNM15 classification was: pT1, 56 patients; pT2, 41; pT3a, 55; pT3b, 25; pT3c + pT3d + pT4b, 5; and pT4a, 8. Significant correlations with other prognostic parameters were noted. Survival curves by grade were evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Nuclear grade was correlated with tumor stage (P = 0.0001), synchronous metastases (P = 0.003), lymph node involvement (P = 0.0001), renal vein involvement (P = 0.0001), tumor size (P = 0.0001), and perirenal fat involvement (P = 0.001). No correlation was found between nuclear grade and tumor multicentricity (P = 0.14) and cell type (P = 0.2). Nuclear grade was an effective parameter in predicting development of distant metastases after nephrectomy. Among the 54 patients who presented with Grade I tumors, only one tumor did metastasize during the 5-year follow-up, whereas 17% of the Grade III and 30% of the Grade IV tumors metastasized. The 5-year actuarial survival rates of the patients with Grade I, II, III, and IV tumors was 76%, 72%, 51%, and 35%, respectively. The comparison of the survival curves by grade showed a statistically significant difference between the curves when Grade I and II tumors were compared with Grade III and IV tumors (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, nuclear grade was found to have prognostic significance and seems to be an important criterion when considering the outcome of patients with RCC.

We found that Pseudomonas syringae subsp. savastanoi strains belong to a DNA relatedness group that includes strains of P. syringae pv. glycinea and P. syringae pv. phaseolicola. This DNA group was distinct from P. syringae pv. syringae (including the type strain of P. syringae). The results of a numerical analysis were in accord with DNA hybridization data. Thus, P. syringae subsp. savastanoi (Janse) 1982 is elevated to species level as Pseudomonas savastanoi sp. nov., which includes P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi, P. savastanoi pv. glycinea, and P. savastanoi pv. phaseolicola.

We examined the effectiveness and safety of high-dose oral co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) for the treatment of orthopedic implants infected with multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus species. The prospective study was conducted between 1989 and 1997 in a university medical center with ambulatory-care services. Patients eligible for the study consisted of those from whom multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus spp. organisms susceptible only to glycopeptides and co-trimoxazole were isolated from their orthopedic implants and for whom there was no contraindication to the treatment. All patients were treated orally with high-dose co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim, 20 mg/kg of body weight/day; sulfamethoxazole, 100 mg/kg/day). Patients with prosthetic hip infections were treated for 6 months, with removal of any unstable prosthesis after 5 months of treatment; patients with prosthetic knee infections were treated for 9 months, with removal of any unstable prosthesis after 6 months of treatment; and patients with infected osteosynthetic devices were treated for 6 months, with removal of the device after 3 months of treatment, if necessary. Monthly clinical evaluations were conducted until the completion of the treatment, and follow-up examinations were conducted regularly for up to 6 years. The overall treatment success rate was 66.7% (26 of 39 patients), with success rates of 62.5% for patients with prosthetic knee infections, 50% for those with prosthetic hip infections, and 78.9% for those with other device infections. Seventeen of the 28 (60.7%) patients who did not have any orthopedic material removed were cured. Eight patients stopped the treatment because of side effects, and one patient was not compliant. In three patients treatment failed because of the appearance of a resistant bacterium. Long-term oral ambulatory treatment with co-trimoxazole appears to be an effective alternative to the conventional medicosurgical treatment of chronic multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus-infected orthopedic implants which includes long-term intravenous antibiotic therapy combined with surgical debridement and removal of foreign material or its subsequent one- or two-stage replacement.

Journal Article A simple method for the isolation of chromosomal DNA from Gram positive or acid-fast bacteria Get access C. Bollet, C. Bollet * Laboratoire de Microbiologie et d'Hygiène HospitaièresHôpital Salvator, Marseille F13009, France * To whom correspondence should be addressed Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar M.J. Gevaudan, M.J. Gevaudan Laboratoire de Microbiologie et d'Hygiène HospitaièresHôpital Salvator, Marseille F13009, France Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar X. de Lamballerie, X. de Lamballerie Laboratoire de Microbiologie et d'Hygiène HospitaièresHôpital Salvator, Marseille F13009, France Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar C. Zandotti, C. Zandotti Laboratoire de Microbiologie et d'Hygiène HospitaièresHôpital Salvator, Marseille F13009, France Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar P. de Micco P. de Micco Laboratoire de Microbiologie et d'Hygiène HospitaièresHôpital Salvator, Marseille F13009, France Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Nucleic Acids Research, Volume 19, Issue 8, 25 April 1991, Page 1955, https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/19.8.1955 Published: 25 April 1991 Article history Received: 02 January 1991 Published: 25 April 1991

The platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous biotherapy based on platelet-healing properties. Here, we developed a simple and reproducible PRP purification protocol based on two successive centrifugations. We evaluated different centrifugation speeds and time-storage durations on the platelet quantity and quality. Sterility and stability of our PRP homemade product were also performed. We prepared PRP from 54 healthy volunteers. We tested activation state, reactivity, and stability of platelets by flow cytometry using basal and adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced P-selectin expression markers; growth factor release after platelet activation by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); platelet aggregation capacity by aggregrometry assays; clot formation and retraction by thromboelastography; and platelet morphology by ultrastructural analysis. About 130 and 250 g successive speed centrifugations further concentrated platelets while preserving their bioactivity during 6 h (after that, platelet functions were significantly altered). In these conditions, we obtained a highly concentrated pure PRP product (with a low leukocyte count) suitable to study platelet properties. To avoid the loss of efficacy, we recommend injecting PRP under 3 h after preparation.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate urinary and sexual function after the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) support procedure for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). METHODS: Between January 1999 and July 2002 a total of 71 patients underwent comprehensive examination including urodynamics and a mailed self-administered questionnaire for assessment of voiding and sexual function before and after treatment of SUI by TVT. RESULTS: Based on objective findings TVT was considered as curative in 48 patients (87.3%). Comparison of preoperative and postoperative urodynamic evidence demonstrated a significant outflow obstruction (<12 ml/s) in 19 patients (34.5%). A significant decrease in peak urinary flow during voiding (p < 0.001) was also observed. Of the 55 women (78.5%) who responded to the questionnaire before and after TVT, 42 (76.3%) reported satisfaction with the outcome. Postoperatively, 60% of patients reported voiding difficulty, 47.2% complained of urgency, and 32.7% of frequency. Regarding sexual function 20% reported impairment after surgery including dyspareunia in 14.5% (none preoperatively vs. eight postoperatively, <0.01) and loss of libido in 5.4%. CONCLUSION: The TVT procedure is an effective treatment for SUI. However, it can lead to postoperative voiding and sexual impairment.

Mentalizing is defined as the inference of mental states of fellow humans, and is a particularly important skill for social interactions. Here we assessed whether activity in brain areas involved in mentalizing is specific to the processing of mental states or can be generalized to the inference of non-mental states by comparing brain responses during the interaction with an intentional and an artificial agent. Participants were scanned using fMRI during interactive rock-paper-scissors games while believing their opponent was a fellow human (Intentional agent, Int), a humanoid robot endowed with an artificial intelligence (Artificial agent, Art), or a computer playing randomly (Random agent, Rnd). Participants' subjective reports indicated that they adopted different stances against the three agents. The contrast of brain activity during interaction with the artificial and the random agents didn't yield any cluster at the threshold used, suggesting the absence of a reproducible stance when interacting with an artificial intelligence. We probed response to the artificial agent in regions of interest corresponding to clusters found in the contrast between the intentional and the random agents. In the precuneus involved in working memory, the posterior intraparietal suclus, in the control of attention and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, in executive functions, brain activity for Art was larger than for Rnd but lower than for Int, supporting the intrinsically engaging nature of social interactions. A similar pattern in the left premotor cortex and anterior intraparietal sulcus involved in motor resonance suggested that participants simulated human, and to a lesser extend humanoid robot actions, when playing the game. Finally, mentalizing regions, the medial prefrontal cortex and right temporoparietal junction, responded to the human only, supporting the specificity of mentalizing areas for interactions with intentional agents.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of nonmedicated soap as a source of Serratia marcescens nosocomial infections (NIs) in hospital units with endemic S marcescens NI and to examine the mechanisms of soap colonization. SETTING: University-affiliated tertiary-care hospitals. METHODS: A prospective case-control study and an environmental investigation were performed to assess the relationship between S marcescens NIs in hospital units and S marcescens-contaminated soap. Soap-bottle use and handwashing practices were reviewed. Cultures of healthcare workers' (HCWs) hands were obtained before and after hand washing with soap. RESULTS: 5 of 7 hospital units with S marcescens NIs had soap bottles contaminated with S marcescens, compared to 1 of 14 other units (P=.006). After hand washing with an S marcescens-contaminated soap pump, HCWs' hands were 54 times more likely to be contaminated with S marcescens (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Extrinsic contamination of a non-medicated liquid soap by S marcescens resulted in handborne transmission of S marcescens NIs by HCWs in our setting. This finding led to the application of strict guidelines for nonmedicated soap use and to the reinforcement of alcoholic hand disinfection.

The repeatability of the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was assessed prospectively in 44 mechanically ventilated patients with suspected nosocomial pneumonia. Two BAL were performed in the same lung area (contiguous segment) during two fibroscopic procedures performed with a thirty minute interval. All the bronchoscopies were performed by the same operator. The statistical analysis looked out for bias (MacNemar test), agreement, and repeatability (kappa test). In the 44 patients studied, the qualitative repeatability (i.e., presence or absence of bacteria) was excellent (95.4%). However, in the 16 patients having at least one positive culture, these results were more controversial. The quantitative repeatability for bacteria (same log10 for both BAL of the same patient) was the lowest of all the results (26.7%). The distinction between presence and absence of bacterial pneumonia (based on the 10[4] cfu/ml threshold) showed a repeatability of 75% with no bias, an agreement of 47% and a just-significant kappa test (test = 1.97; p = 1.96 for a 5% risk error). BAL seems to have excellent repeatability when sterile. Its repeatability when positive needs further studies to be assessed.

We have investigated plasma levels of endothelial cell products playing a role in hemostasis in 125 HIV-positive patients and 30 controls. Antigenic von Willebrand factor increased significantly with disease progression and was closely correlated with CD4+ cell counts and beta 2-microglobulin levels. Tissue-type plasminogen activator was normal in CDC II/III and CDC IVC2 patients and was slightly increased in AIDS patients, whereas plasminogen activator inhibitor was increased in each group, the stage of the disease not having any effect. Mean total protein S levels were lower in HIV-positive patients and, in 27.2% of the cases, were associated with a decrease in free protein S levels. Such abnormalities could be responsible for a hypercoagulable state in these patients and could be explained by endothelial cell damage during HIV infection. Whether this injury is due to HIV itself remains to be further investigated.

Infiltrating gamma delta T cells are potentially involved in the central nervous system demyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS). To further study this hypothesis, we analyzed the frequency and functional properties of gamma delta T cells in peripheral blood (PB) and paired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with MS and control subjects, including patients with other neurologic diseases (OND) and healthy individuals. The frequency analysis was performed under limiting dilution condition using rIL-2 and PHA. After PHA stimulation, a significantly increased frequency of gamma delta T cells was observed in PB (14.7 x 10(-4)) and in CSF (15.8 x 10(-4)) of MS patients as compared with 4.3 x 10(-4) in PB and 3.9 x 10(-4) detected in CSF of patients with OND. The frequency was represented equally in OND patients and normal individuals. Similarly, the IL-2-responsive gamma delta T cells occurred at a higher frequency in PB of control subjects (1.1 x 10(-4)) in OND patients and 1.5 x 10(-4) in normal individuals). Forty-three percent (13 of 30) of the gamma delta T cell clones isolated from PB and CSF of MS patients responded to heat shock protein (HSP70) but not HSP65, whereas only 2 of 30 control gamma delta T cell clones reacted to the HSP. The majority of the gamma delta T cell clones were able to induce non-MHC-restricted cytolysis of Daudi cells. All clones displayed a substantial reactivity to bacterial superantigens staphylococcal enterotoxin B and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1, irrespective of their gamma delta V gene usage. Furthermore, the gamma delta T cell clones expressed predominantly TCRDV2 and GV2 genes (26 of 35 clones), whereas the clones derived from CSF of MS patients expressed either DV1 or DV2 genes. The obtained gamma delta clones, in general, represented rather heterogeneous clonal origins, even though a predominant clonal origin was found in a set of 10 gamma delta clones derived from one patient with MS. The present study provides new evidence supporting a possible role of gamma delta T cells in the secondary inflammatory processes in MS.

Commercial preparations of essences of sage, hyssop, thuja, and cedar have caused human intoxication in eight cases, from which tonico-clonic convulsions were the major symptom. The experimental study of the toxic properties of commercialized essential oils of sage and hyssop has revealed that their convulsant action was of central nervous system origin in unanesthetized rats, as proven by electrocortical records. The toxicity of the hyssop oil seems to be more powerful than that of sage, since the dose limit from which the cortical events are only subclinical is 0.08 g/kg for hyssop oil and 0.3 g/kg for sage oil. Above 0.13 g/kg for hyssop oil and 0.50 g/kg for sage oil, the convulsions appeared and became lethal above 1.25 g/kg with hyssop oil and 3.2 g/kg with sage oil. The daily repeated injection of subclinical doses revealed the cumulative toxic effect of hyssop oil, since the same low dose induced electrocortical clonic seizures. The toxicity of each oil appeared to be related to the presence of terpenic ketones, camphor in sage commercial oil, camphor and thujone in sage Dalmatian oil, thujone in thuja and cedar oils, and pinocamphone in hyssop oil. The convulsant properties of camphor are well known. The neurotoxicity of thujone and pinocamphone is demonstrated in rats for the first time.

BACKGROUND: The 10-year risk of developing a solid malignancy is 20% for kidney transplant recipients. The goal of the current study was to investigate the epidemiology and the diagnostic and prognostic parameters associated with de novo malignancies of the native kidney among transplant recipients at the authors' institution (Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation, Hôpital Salvator, Marseille, France). METHODS: The authors reexamined the follow-up of 933 consecutive transplant recipients at their institution between 1987 and 2003. Immunossupressive therapy was not modified in the event of malignant disease, nor was systematic radiologic monitoring of native kidneys performed. All de novo malignancies of the native kidney were included in the current analysis. RESULTS: Among the 933 patients examined, a combined total of 12 malignancies of the native kidney were diagnosed in 11 individuals. For these 11 individuals, the average ages at transplantation and diagnosis were 42.5 and 49.1 years, respectively. Ten malignancies were discovered fortuitously, whereas two were symptomatic. Among the 10 renal echographies performed, there was 1 false-negative result. Tomodensitometry was performed in 11 cases and yielded no false-negative results. The average tumor size was 37 mm. Nephrectomy was performed in 10 cases, and biopsy was performed in 1. Among the 12 kidney malignancies encountered in the current study, there were 7 conventional cell carcinomas, 3 basophilic papillary carcinomas, and 2 chromophobic renal cell carcinomas. Half of all tumors were Furhman Grade 3 lesions, and pT1aN0M0 tumors (2003 TNM staging system) also accounted for half of all malignancies in the current cohort. Two affected transplant recipients died (one due to disease), and the remaining nine are alive without recurrence and with normal renal functioning (median follow-up, 39 months). CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be an increased risk of malignancy of the native kidney in renal transplant recipients, with high-grade and papillary tumors being particularly common. Consequently, systematic radiologic follow-up of native kidneys must be performed for individuals who undergo kidney transplantation.

Decompression sickness in diving is recognized as a multifactorial phenomenon, depending on several factors, such as decompression rate and individual susceptibility. The Doppler ultrasonic detection of circulating venous bubbles after diving is considered a useful index for the safety of decompression because of the relationship between bubbles and decompression sickness risk. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of ascent rate, age, maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2 max)), and percent body fat on the production of bubbles after diving. Fifty male recreational divers performed two dives at 35 m during 25 min and then ascended in one case at 9 m/min and in the other case at 17 m/min. They performed the same decompression stops in the two cases. Twenty-eight divers were Doppler monitored at 10-min intervals, until 60 min after surfacing, and the data were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare the effect of ascent rate on the kinetics of bubbles. Twenty-two divers were monitored 60 min after surfacing. The effect on bubble production 60 min after surfacing of the four variables was studied in 47 divers. The data were analyzed by multinomial log-linear model. The analysis showed that the 17 m/min ascent produced more elevated grades of bubbles than the 9 m/min ascent (P < 0.05), except at the 40-min interval, and showed relationships between grades of bubbles and ascent rate and age and interaction terms between VO(2 max) and age, as well as VO(2 max) and percent body fat. Younger, slimmer, or aerobically fitter divers produced fewer bubbles compared with older, fatter, or poorly physically fit divers. These findings and the conclusions of previous studies performed on animals and humans led us to support that ascent rate, age, aerobic fitness, and adiposity are factors of susceptibility for bubble formation after diving.

Temporal processing in French children with dyslexia was evaluated in three tasks: a word identification task requiring implicit temporal processing, and two explicit temporal bisection tasks, one in the auditory and one in the visual modality. Normally developing children matched on chronological age and reading level served as a control group. Children with dyslexia exhibited robust deficits in temporal tasks whether they were explicit or implicit and whether they involved the auditory or the visual modality. First, they presented larger perceptual variability when performing temporal tasks, whereas they showed no such difficulties when performing the same task on a non-temporal dimension (intensity). This dissociation suggests that their difficulties were specific to temporal processing and could not be attributed to lapses of attention, reduced alertness, faulty anchoring, or overall noisy processing. In the framework of cognitive models of time perception, these data point to a dysfunction of the 'internal clock' of dyslexic children. These results are broadly compatible with the recent temporal sampling theory of dyslexia.