Objectif : La consommation de khat (Catha edulis Forsk) est une pratique largement répandue dans les populations de l’est de l’Afrique. En Europe, elle concerne les migrants de première génération et ...leurs descendants. Le khat ne fait pas l’objet de contrôle au titre des conventions de l’ONU, lesquelles s’appuient sur une recommandation de l’OMS. Cependant, les États demeurent libres de réglementer le khat dans le cadre de leur législation nationale; c’est le cas de la France et de certains pays européens. Cette discordance entre les réglementations interroge sur la dangerosité réelle ou supposée de cette plante. Méthodes : Nous avons utilisé le moteur de recherche bibliographique PubMed pour identifier les publications pertinentes relatives à sa toxicité. Résultats : L’usage chronique de khat est associé à des altérations de la régulation de la pression artérielle, et à une augmentation du risque d’infarctus du myocarde. Comme le cannabis, le khat peut être impliqué dans la survenue de troubles psychotiques. Le risque addictif n’est pas exclu. Chez l’animal, plusieurs études suggèrent que l’usage de khat favorise l’agressivité. Le caractère cancérogène n’est pas établi même si la génotoxicité est suspectée in vivo. Conclusion : Le risque de complications cardio-vasculaires et psychiatriques de l’usage régulier de khat, son caractère potentiellement cancérogène et la parenté chimique de la cathinone avec l’amphétamine sont autant d’arguments pour justifier l’inscription du khat sur la liste des stupéfiants réglementés.
Objectives: Khat (Catha edulis Forsk) consumption is a widespread practice in populations of Eastern Africa. In Europe, it concerns the first-generation migrants and their descendants. Khat is not subject to control under UN conventions, which are based on a WHO recommendation. However, states remain free to regulate khat within the framework of their national legislation, such as in France and some European countries. This discordance among regulations questions the real or supposed dangerousness of this plant. Methods: We used the search engine of the bibliographic database PubMed, in order to identify the relevant publications on khat’s toxicity. Results: Chronic use of khat is associated with deteriorations in the regulation of blood pressure, and an increased risk of myocardial infarction. Like cannabis, khat can be involved in the onset of psychotic disorders. The risk of addiction is not excluded. In animals, several studies suggest that khat use encourages aggressiveness. The carcinogenic nature has not been established, although genotoxicity is suspected in vivo. Conclusions: The risk of cardiovascular and psychiatric complications due to frequent use of khat, its potentially carcinogenic nature, and the chemical relationship of cathinone with amphetamine justify the inscription of khat in the list of controlled narcotics.
Objectifs: Le bilan de quatre années d’expertises toxicologiques est réalisé et porte sur un total de 665 dossiers analysés dans le cadre de la recherche des causes de la mort. Méthodes : Selon les ...résultats des analyses post-mortem, ceux-ci sont qualifiés de positifs lorsqu’au moins un xénobiotique est retrouvé, en concentration toxique ou non. Lors d’un surdosage, le dossier est qualifié de «mort toxique», sachant que la cause toxique peut être directement ou indirectement liée au décès. Résultats : Parmi les 665 dossiers analysés, la présence d’au moins une molécule médicamenteuse ou stupéfiante a été rapportée respectivement dans 281 et 172 dossiers, ce qui représente 38 et 23 % des cas. Le ou les xénobiotiques identifiés étaient présents en concentrations toxiques, voire létales dans 140 dossiers qui ont été qualifiés de morts toxiques. Les associations à l’alcool étaient de l’ordre de 30 % des dossiers positifs et de 25 % des décès présentant un surdosage en médicament ou en stupéfiant. Les benzodiazépines représentent la classe de substances les plus fréquemment retrouvées dans les cas de mort toxique. Parmi les stupéfiants, un nombre important d’overdoses a été recensé, représentant 27 % des cas de mort toxique. Les opiacés sont impliqués dans 63 % de ces overdoses. Conclusion : Ce bilan fait état d’un nombre élevé de décès liés à la présence d’au moins un xénobiotique en surdosage associé ou non à d’autres substances. Ceci illustre l’intérêt de l’expertise toxicologique lors la détermination des causes de la mort qui constitue, en complément de l’autopsie, un élément important du dossier médico-légal.
Objectives: A compilation of four years of forensic cases, including a total of 665 data, is reported with the view to determine the involvement of poisoning in the cause of death. Methods : Post-mortem blood and urine samples, collected on the site of death or during an autopsy, are analysed. The results are called positives when at least one drug is found, at a toxic concentration or not. When an overdose is detected, the file can be called “toxic death”, given that toxic issue can be direct or not and can be linked to another circumstance (hanging, immolation, ...). Results: Among the 665 analysed files, the presence of at least one medicinal or narcotic molecule is respectively listed in 281 and 172 files, which represents 38 and 23% of the cases. In the whole data set, 140 files are classified as toxic death. Alcohol co-ingestion is frequent, around 30% of the positive cases and 25% of the deaths that present poisoning. Our study reveals that benzodiazepines are the most frequently detected substances, concerning toxic fatalities. An important number of narcotic overdoses are listed (27% of the toxic deaths), with a large part attributed to opiates (63%). Conclusion: This compilation shows that an important number of fatalities could be related to the presence of at least one compound at toxic concentration associated or not with other substances. This illustrates the significance of toxicological analysis in the search for the cause of death. Forensic toxicology provides, in addition to autopsy, important elements for death investigation.
To provide an overview of non-specific modifications on whole-body post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) images of infants and children.
69 infants and children underwent a whole-body PMCT scan at ...our institution following sudden unexpected death. Two paediatric radiologists reviewed the PMCT images, specifically focusing on non-specific postmortem modifications unrelated to the presumed cause of death.
Iatrogenic post-mortem modifications included focal infiltration of the legs (n=15) and hemopericardium (n=2). Vascular postmortem modifications included hypostasis (density in the posterior sagittal sinus was correlated with density in the dependent portion of the heart (p<0.001)), portal vein thrombosis (n=56, 75.3%), hyperattenuating aortic wall and reduced abdominal aortic diameter (n=69, 100%). Intravascular gas was detected in 40 subjects (57.9%). Ligamentum arteriosum calcification was seen in 42 children and was not correlated with age (p=0.68). Umbilical artery calcification was found in 30 children and was correlated with age (p<0.005). Gaseous distension of the stomach (n=45, 65.2%) and bowels (n=44, 63.7%) was a frequent finding. Mean liver density was 49.6±7.5HU and mean spleen density was 43.2±5.9HU. Ground-glass opacity was observed in 63 cases (91.3%) and mild bilateral consolidation in 16 cases (23.1%).
Non-specific post-mortem signs are rare and new to clinical paediatric radiologists. They should be aware of these signs when interpreting whole-body PMCT images in cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy or childhood in order to avoid pitfalls that may have a critical impact.
•Clinical paediatric radiologists should be aware of non-specific post-mortem signs.•Some non-specific post-mortem modifications in children are the same as in adults.•Whole-body PMCT has paediatric specificities.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Catha edulis Forsk (Khat) consumption is a widespread practice in populations of Eastern Africa. In Europe, it concerns the first-generation migrants and their descendants. Khat is not subject to ...control under UN conventions, which are based on a WHO recommendation. In this paper, the authors used the search engine of the bibliographic database PubMed, in order to identify the relevant publications on khat's toxicity. Chronic use of khat is associated with deteriorations in the regulation of blood pressure, and an increased risk of myocardial infarction. Like cannabis, khat can be involved in the onset of psychotic disorders. The risk of addiction is not excluded. In animals, several studies suggest that khat use encourages aggressiveness. The risk of cardiovascular and psychiatric complications due to frequent use of khat, its potentially carcinogenic nature, and the chemical relationship of cathinone with amphetamine justify the inscription of khat in the list of controlled narcotics.
In this paper, a compilation of four years of forensic cases, including a total of 665 data, is reported with the view to determine the involvement of poisoning in the cause of death. Post-mortem ...blood and urine samples, collected on the site of death or during an autopsy, are analysed. The results are called positives when at least one drug is found, at a toxic concentration or not. Among the 665 analysed files, the presence of at least one medicinal or narcotic molecule is respectively listed in 281 and 172 files, which represents 38 and 23% of the cases. The study reveals that benzodiazepines are the most frequently detected substances, concerning toxic fatalities. This compilation shows that an important number of fatalities could be related to the presence of at least one compound at toxic concentration associated or not with other substances.
Savannahs and woodlands are among the most important biomes in Africa: they cover half of sub-Saharan Africa, provide vital ecosystem services to the rural communities, and play a major part in the ...carbon budget. Despite their importance and their fragility, they are much less studied than other ecosystems like rainforests. In particular, the distribution and amount of the above-ground woody biomass (AGB) is largely unknown. In this paper, we produce the first continental map of the AGB of African savannahs and woodlands at a resolution of 25 m. The map is built from the 2010 L-band PALSAR mosaic produced by JAXA, along the following steps: a) stratification into wet/dry season areas in order to account for seasonal effects, b) development of a direct model relating the PALSAR backscatter to AGB, with the help of in situ and ancillary data, c) Bayesian inversion of the direct model. A value of AGB and its uncertainty has been assigned to each pixel. This approach allows estimating AGB until 85 Mg·ha− 1 approximately, while dense forests and non-vegetated areas are masked out using the ESA CCI Land Cover dataset. The resulting map is visually compared with existing AGB maps and is validated using a cross-validation approach and a comparison with AGB estimates obtained from LiDAR datasets, leading to an RMSD of 8 to 17 Mg·ha− 1. Finally, carbon stocks for savannahs in Africa and in 50 countries are estimated and compared with estimates by FAO and from AGB maps available over Africa.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
•The widest inter-comparison of regional-to-national AGB maps to date.•Commonalities are observed from the comparison of standardized accuracy assessments.•Retrievals showed RMSE ranging from 10 t ...ha−1 to 55 t ha−1.•All retrievals present overestimation at low AGB, and underestimation at high AGB.
The amount and spatial distribution of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) were estimated using a range of regionally developed methods using Earth Observation data for Poland, Sweden and regions in Indonesia (Kalimantan), Mexico (Central Mexico and Yucatan peninsula), and South Africa (Eastern provinces) for the year 2010. These regions are representative of numerous forest biomes and biomass levels globally, from South African woodlands and savannas to the humid tropical forest of Kalimantan. AGB retrieval in each region relied on different sources of reference data, including forest inventory plot data and airborne LiDAR observations, and used a range of retrieval algorithms. This is the widest inter-comparison of regional-to-national AGB maps to date in terms of area, forest types, input datasets, and retrieval methods. The accuracy assessment of all regional maps using independent field data or LiDAR AGB maps resulted in an overall root mean square error (RMSE) ranging from 10 t ha−1 to 55 t ha−1 (37% to 67% relative RMSE), and an overall bias ranging from −1 t ha−1 to +5 t ha−1 at pixel level. The regional maps showed better agreement with field data than previously developed and widely used pan-tropical or northern hemisphere datasets. The comparison of accuracy assessments showed commonalities in error structures despite the variety of methods, input data, and forest biomes. All regional retrievals resulted in overestimation (up to 63 t ha−1) in the lower AGB classes, and underestimation (up to 85 t ha−1) in the higher AGB classes. Parametric model-based algorithms present advantages due to their low demand on in situ data compared to non-parametric algorithms, but there is a need for datasets and retrieval methods that can overcome the biases at both ends of the AGB range. The outcomes of this study should be considered when developing algorithms to estimate forest biomass at continental to global scale level.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Key message
We provide a database of 52 silvicultural scenarios recommended in French public forests including relevant dendrometric variables and metrics for carbon accounting. The dataset is ...available at
https://doi.org/10.57745/QARRFS
. Associated metadata are available at
https://metadata-afs.nancy.inra.fr/geonetwork/srv/fre/catalog.search#/metadata/f76ed27f-325d-493b-8731-0995dcaa7805
. Special attention was paid to offer carbon metrics required for the French
Label Bas Carbone
offset projects.
Resistance to nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) increases with the wider use of this class of antiretroviral therapy. The association between adherence and resistance to ...NNRTI-based regimens is poorly understood. Predictors of virologic failure and resistance according to a baseline evaluation of nonadherence risk factors were determined in a cohort of 71 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)—infected patients with early virologic response who received an NNRTI-based regimen. During the median follow-up of 29 months, 20 (28%) of 71 patients experienced virologic failure with an NNRTI-based regimen. Virologic failure was associated with repeated drug holidays (⩾48 h of unplanned drug cessation), depression, younger age, and low adherence to therapy during baseline evaluation. Moreover, repeated drug holidays was the only risk factor for developing a major mutation conferring cross-resistance to the NNRTI class (hazard ratio, 22.5; 95% confidence interval, 2.8–180.3; P < .0001). Patients' previous adherence to therapy and drugs genetic barriers, not only the number of pills or doses involved, should be taken into consideration in the decision to simplify highly active antiretroviral therapy.
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