Les Crustacés récoltés par dˈOrbigny en Amérique du Sud et déposés au Muséum national dˈhistoire naturelle,Paris

The important collection of Crustacea assembled by dˈOrbigny during his voyage of exploration in South America (1826–1834) was studied by Henri Milne Edwards and Hippolyte Lucas (1842–1844) in their contribution to the natural history of the Voyage en Amérique méridionale. In the present paper, this material, mainly crabs, deposited in the dry collection of the ‘Muséum national dˈhistoire naturelle’, Paris, is reviewed. The authors of the described taxa and their dates of publication are specified, lectotypes are designated, and a list of the currently valid taxa is provided.     

La collection d’Invertébrés fossiles d’Alcide d’Orbigny et la salle d’Orbigny

Fossil invertebrates collected or received by Alcide d’Orbigny, all his life long, have been brought together in a renowned collection that is very rich in terms of both species and specimens. The collection has resulted from a huge palaeontological work. Study of faunas from numerous French sites led Alcide d’Orbigny to do biostratigraphical comparisons and to erect geological stages, the definitions of which rest on their stratotypes. His wide knowledge of European fossil faunas was strengthened by a more global palaeobiogeographical view derived from his travel in South America. The d’Orbigny collection is housed in the ‘Muséum’ of Paris and is often visited by experts.     

Identification par immunofluorescence des cellules corticotropes et mélanotropes de l'hypophyse des Amphibiens

Résumé Les antisérums préparés à l'égard de trois hormones de synthèse [β(1–24) corticotropine, α et β MSH] nous ont servi pour localiser par immunofluorescence dans l'adénohypophyse des Amphibiens les sites d'élaboration de l'ACTH, de l'α et de la β MSH. Les anticorps anti-α et anti-β MSH se fixent exclusivement sur les cellules de lapars intermedia tandis que l'anti β-(1–24) corticotropine révèle simultanément une catégorie de cellules de lapars distalis et des cellules de lapars intermedia. D'après le contr?le cytologique effectué par la technique au bleu Alcian PAS, l'ensemble de ces cellules sont PAS positives et bleu alcian négatives. Elles réagissent également à la paraldéhyde fuchsine en l'absence d'oxydation permanganique. La signification de ces résultats est discutée.

---

Identification by immunofluorescence of the corticotropin and melanotropin cells in Amphibian pituitary

Summary Antisera prepared against synthetic β(1–24)corticotropin (synacthen) α and β MSH were used to localize, by immunofluorescent procedure in the adenohypophysis of Amphibians, the site of production of ACTH, α and β MSH. Anti-α and anti-β MSH antibodies appeared to be bound only to thepars intermedia cells whereas anti-β(1–24) corticotropin reacted simultaneously with specific cells of thepars distalis and cells of thepars intermedia. Cytological control by alcian blue (pH 3) PAS technique proved that all these cells are PAS positive and alcian blue negative. They react also with paraldehyde fuchsine without oxidation. The possible significance of these results is discussed.

     

Conception et suites de la Paléontologie française d’Alcide d’Orbigny

The whole formed by his Paléontologie française, his Prodrome, and his Cours élémentaire, which are closely linked, constitutes one of the major parts of Alcide d’Orbigny’s scientific production, in which he exposed his concept of Palaeontology as a science closely related with Zoology and as an indispensable tool for Stratigraphy. The result was a remarkable impulsion for palaeontological and stratigraphical research, which from that time developed on new scientific foundations. Two annexes complete this communication, the first concerning the ‘Comité de la Paléontologie française’ (1860–1893), the second specifying the publication dates of four volumes of the Paléontologie française.     

Les voyages biostratigraphiques d’Alcide d’Orbigny en France et dans les régions limitrophes

The numerous travels made by Alcide d’Orbigny during about twenty years, between 1834 and 1855, essentially for biostratigraphical investigations, were almost never recalled in the scientific papers. The data contained in his various publications concerning the palaeontological sites where he collected himself fossil samples allowed to list nearly 400 localities where he worked in France and adjacent regions, mainly on Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits.     

Distribution et activités des alcaloïdes défensifs des Coccinellidae

From a survey of 30 species and varieties of ladybugs the presence of alkaloids appears to be correlated with the existence of aposematic colour and not with being carnivorous or phytophagous. The alkaloids described until now all belong to the Coccinellini and are closely related, but other types of bases have been detected in some genera. The observed distributions are in agreement with the modern taxonomy of the family.Ladybug alkaloids constitute an effective defence against ants, Myrmica rubra, and quails, Coturnix coturnix, but all the beetles containing alkaloids do not possess the same degree of protection. Individual quail react differently towards moderately protected species.The bioassay used for the first isolation of coccinelin is described. The repulsive activities of aqueous solutions of coccinellin and convergin towards ants have been compared.     

Etude des troubles psychiatriques et des mécanismes de défense psychologiques dans une population d’hommes stériles consultant en Andrologie

Results

26.2% of this population presented psychiatric disorders according to DSM-IV with a significant over-representation of generalized anxiety disorder and somatization disorder. The comparison between azoospermic males and oligoazoospermic males demonstrate the absence of significant difference in terms of psychiatric morbidity rate and use of defense styles. This population used similar defense modalities to the general population and preferentially used defense mechanisms corresponding to the mature defense style, such as humor, repression and anticipation. Psychiatric illness was significantly correlated with preferential use of withdrawal, consumption, reaction formation and lack of humor. This study also confirmed that subjects who essentially using neurotic defense styles were more likely to develop psychiatric disorders.

Conclusion

No difference in psychological effects was observed according to the degree of sterility. On the other hand, the presence of an over-representation of psychiatric disorders in sterile males compared to a control group indicates that Consultation-Liaison psychiatrists and andrologists must try to understand the patient’s suffering beyond the need for artificial insemination. Patients should therefore be given an opportunity to express all of the feelings related to their personal and marital drama in the department in which they are treated, as part of specialized management. Our study confirms the difficulty of determining whether certain defense mechanisms constitute risk factors for psychiatric disorders or whether defense mechanisms are an epiphenomenon of a particular psychiatric disorder, which is why many authors using DSQ agree that additional prospective studies are necessary to investigate correlations between defense mechanisms and specific psychiatric disorders. It would be useful to investigate defensive modalities before the diagnosis of infertility and after birth of a child in a larger population. A better understanding of the defensive modalities used by this type of population, in a psychotherapeutic context, could help to prevent or at least predict the appearance of psychiatric disorders.     

Diagnostic et traitement du déficit en androgènes des patients infectés par le virus de l’immunodéficience humaine

Androgen deficiency is frequent among men infected by the human immune deficiency virus (HIV), with an estimated prevalence of between 35% and 50%. Primary testicular damage has been described, either due to the virus itself, opportunistic agents such as CMV,Toxoplasma gondii orMycobacterium avium intracellulare, or less frequently neoplastic invasion by lymphoma or in a context of Kaposi’s sarcoma. However, secondary hypogonadism remains a more frequent cause. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism can be secondary to opportunistic infections, malnutrition, and sometimes even certain therapeutic agents. Since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapies, the prevalence of hypogonadism has substantially decreased. However, it remains a significant clinical problem, particularly among patients suffering from wasting, as androgen deficiency may aggravate the loss of lean body mass observed in the wasting syndrome of HIV patients. Screening for androgen deficiency is therefore indicated in HIV patients suffering from wasting, even in the absence of specific symptoms. Androgen replacement therapy is justified in symptomatic (loss of libido, impotence) and asymptomatic patients with documented hypogonadism. We recommend replacement therapy with testosterone by subcutaneous or intramuscular injection. In the absence of specific symptoms, it should be remembered that testosterone replacement therapy of HIV-infected hypogonadic patients is associated with improvements in body composition and muscle strength, bone densitometry, quality of life and mood. Similar improvements have also been demonstrated in hypogonadic patients with wasting syndrome. Synthetic testosterone analogues such as oxandrolone or nandrolone do not seem to be more powerful than testosterone at replacement doses, and may be associated with more side effects, particularly severe hepatic dysfunction. In contrast, there is no proven benefit of androgen treatment of eugonadic HIV-infected patients, and the treatment of such patients with androgens, even in the presence of wasting, cannot be recommended.     

Intérêt potentiel des images paramétriques des temps d’éjection et de relaxation en tomoscintigraphie des cavités cardiaques dans l’évaluation des cardiopathies asynchrones

Intraleft dyssynchrony is strongly correlated to contractile dysfunction associated to severe heart failure. Dyssynchrony is also a predictive marker for cardiac resynchronization therapy response. We measured dyssynchrony values for both ventricles from gated blood pool SPECT images.Material and methodsThree groups of patients were sampled from normal patients (n = 7), mild heart failure patients (n = 24) and severe heart failure patients (n = 9). Time-derivative parametric images were obtained from 24-time bins gated blood pool SPECT data. We measured intraleft and interventricular contractile and relaxing dyssynchrony values from these images.ResultsIntraleft dispersions values linked to ventricular peak emptying rate were 107 ± 21 ms, 141 ± 58 ms and 515 ± 104 ms for each of the three groups. The values linked to left ventricular peak filling rate were 122 ± 62 ms, 219 ± 117 ms and 603 ± 164 ms respectively. Statistical significant differences (p < 0.01) were observed both for contractile and relaxing phases for severe heart failure patients. Mild heart failure patients had isolated statistical significant (p < 0.01) alterations of the ventricular relaxing phase. Correlation between isotopic dyssynchrony values and left ejection fraction led to a R square coefficient of 0.71 and 0.64 for time to peak emptying and to peak filling respectively. Correlation to QRS width values led to a R square coefficient of 0.76 and 0.62 respectively.ConclusionVentricular dyssynchrony correlated to the importance of the ventricular mechanical dysfunctions is a robust predictor of heart failure. Separate analysis of contractile and relaxing dyssynchrony may lead to a better understanding and characterization of the mechanical dysfunctions involved in heart failure.