•Among the different mycotoxin reducing methods, we should not declare that one individual method is unconditionally effective to eliminate mycotoxin contamination in crops or to prevent the ...consequent impacts on animal health.•Prevention strategies and cleaning and sorting methods are widely applied because they work as first-line barriers to free materials from various contaminants, including mycotoxins.•Mycotoxin reducing effects of other feed manufacturing technologies, like milling, dehulling and thermal methods, could be inconsistent and limited by various practical conditions. In addition, the evident reducing effects of some physical removal methods requires the costs of high grain mass loss, which could be a dilemma from the aspect of practical manufacturing.•Feed additive products specifically against mycotoxins are promising but still in their babyhood, since in vitro functioning of some products are inconsistent, and their in vivo functioning need more proof.•As for biotransformation, understanding the reaction for the detoxification of mycotoxins, attention in research on the toxicity of transformation by enzymes and their end-products should emphasize the possibilities of the use of micro-organisms or enzymes towards safe properties in animal feed ingredients.•This literature review generally agrees with the discussion of Jouany (2007): ‘Prevention strategies are essential, since it is impossible for other technologies to completely decontaminate the mycotoxin-contaminated feed samples once they are present’.
Mycotoxins are the secondary metabolites of fungi, especially moulds. They have over 300 types and can be easily produced ubiquitously by moulds. Many mycotoxins have been found to be toxic to most farmed animals through the diets. With the globalization of feed ingredient trade and the rapid climate changes, occurrence of mycotoxins become increasingly difficult to be predicted. Thus, the unnoticeable mycotoxin hazards can directly impact the animal production systems. Preventing or minimizing mycotoxins in feed ingredients has become an important topic from the aspect of feed manufacturing industry. The aim of this literature review is to summarize the effective strategies for feed manufacturers to minimize the mycotoxin hazards. Prevention methods, including pre-harvest field management and post-harvest storage management, are still the most effective strategies, since mycotoxins are hardly to be eliminated once they are present in the ingredients. Moreover, mycotoxin reducing effects of several feed manufacturing technologies are also reviewed. In this review, the mycotoxin reducing methods are mainly categorized into 4 methodologies: physical methods, thermal methods, chemical methods, and mycotoxin controlling feed additives. The first three methodologies mainly focus on how to reduce mycotoxins in feed ingredients during processes, while the last one on how to compensate the adverse impacts of mycotoxin-contaminated diets in animal bodies. The results showed that most of the methods reviewed show evident mycotoxin reducing effects, but of different consistencies. On the other hand, many practical factors that can affect the feasibility of each method in practical manufacturing are also discussed in this review. In conclusion, mycotoxin prevention management and the processing stage of cleaning and sorting are still the most efficient strategies to control mycotoxin hazards in current feed manufacturing.
Résumé Introduction La dérivation ventriculo-péritonéale (DVP) est un traitement de l’hydrocéphalie, susceptible de dysfonctionner. La présentation clinique des dysfonctionnements est variable. Nous ...avons souhaité réaliser une mise au point sur la sémiologie des dysfonctionnements de DVP chez l’enfant, en raison du caractère urgent de sa prise en charge et du caractère parfois trompeur que peut prendre l’hypertension intracrânienne chez un enfant valvé. Matériels et méthodes Nous avons effectué une recherche PubMed (PubMed US National Library of Medicine ; National Institutes of Health ; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed ) avec les séquences de mots clefs suivantes : ( dysfunction OR blockage ) AND shunting AND hydrocephalus ; shunt complications AND hydrocephalus ; hydrocephalus AND shunt AND malfunction . Les articles traitant de la dérivation ventriculo-atriale n’ont pas été retenus. Au total, 79 articles ont été retenus (en langue anglaise et française). Les cas cliniques ont été exclus. Résultats La présentation clinique est variable selon l’âge : les vomissements et la somnolence sont plus fréquents chez les grands enfants, tandis que les nourrissons se présentent plus volontiers avec un tableau d’hypertension intracrânienne associant nausées, vomissements, irritabilité et fontanelle bombante. La somnolence est un bon indicateur prédictif de dysfonctionnement de DVP. Le caractère totalement asymptomatique est rare mais possible. Un tableau abdominal est également possible, allant de l’inconfort abdominal à un tableau de péritonite. La fièvre, le délai court depuis la dernière intervention et l’irritabilité seraient de bons facteurs prédictifs d’infection de DVP. Pomper le réservoir de la DVP semble avoir une faible valeur prédictive positive (12 %). Un dysfonctionnement de DVP peut conduire au décès, avec un taux de mortalité estimé à 1 % par an les premières années. Conclusion Il est essentiel de connaître la variabilité de la sémiologie des dysfonctionnements de DVP, du fait de leur potentiel gravité. Il est important d’être attentifs aux observations des parents, en particulier si cet enfant a déjà présenté un dysfonctionnement de DVP.
Abstract Several studies have shown the potential of biocompatible lipid nanocapsules as hydrophobic drug delivery systems. Understanding the factors that determine the interactions of these ...oil-in-water nanoemulsions with cells is a necessary step to guide the design of the most effective formulations. The aim of this study was to probe the ability of two surfactants with a markedly different nature, a non-ionic poloxamer, and a charged phospholipid, to prepare formulations with shells of different composition and different surface properties. Thus we determined their effects on the interaction with biological environments. In particular, we investigated how the shell formulation affected the adsorption of biomolecules from the surrounding biological fluids on the nanocapsule surface (corona formation). A complete physicochemical characterization including an isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) study revealed that the use of poloxamer led to nanocapsules with a marked reduction in the number of protein-binding sites. Surface hydrophilicity and changes in corona formation strongly correlated to changes in uptake by cancer cells and by macrophages. Our results indicate that the nature and concentration of surfactants in the nanocapsules can be easily manipulated to effectively modulate their surface architecture with the aim of controlling the environmental interactions, thus optimizing functionality for in vivo applications. In particular, addition of surfactants that reduce protein binding can modulate nanoparticle clearance by the immune system, but also screens the desired interactions with cells, leading to lower uptake, thus lower therapeutic efficacy. The two effects need to be balanced in order to obtain successful formulations.
Semiconductor detector readout chips with pulse processing electronics have made possible spectroscopic X-ray imaging, bringing an improvement in the overall image quality and, in the case of medical ...imaging, a reduction in the X-ray dose delivered to the patient. In this contribution we review the state of the art in semiconductor-detector readout ASICs for spectroscopic X-ray imaging with emphasis on hybrid pixel detector technology. We discuss how some of the key challenges of the technology (such as dealing with high fluxes, maintaining spectral fidelity, power consumption density) are addressed by the various ASICs. In order to understand the fundamental limits of the technology, the physics of the interaction of radiation with the semiconductor detector and the process of signal induction in the input electrodes of the readout circuit are described. Simulations of the process of signal induction are presented that reveal the importance of making use of the small pixel effect to minimize the impact of the slow motion of holes and hole trapping in the induced signal in high-Z sensor materials. This can contribute to preserve fidelity in the measured spectrum with relatively short values of the shaper peaking time. Simulations also show, on the other hand, the distortion in the energy spectrum due to charge sharing and fluorescence photons when the pixel pitch is decreased. However, using recent measurements from the Medipix3 ASIC, we demonstrate that the spectroscopic information contained in the incoming photon beam can be recovered by the implementation in hardware of an algorithm whereby the signal from a single photon is reconstructed and allocated to the pixel with the largest deposition.
Necrotic enteritis (NE) continues to be a significant burden to the poultry industry, compounded by pressure to reduce antibiotic use. Researchers use NE-challenge models to study the infection ...biology of NE and as screening tools to develop potential novel interventions. Currently, data are limited comparing such models between research establishments, and few indicate which quantitative metrics provide the most accurate measure for determining the efficacy of interventions. We compared data from 10 independent NE-challenge trials incorporating six challenge models employed in four geographical regions to determine the extent of variability in bird responses and to determine, using principal component analysis (PCA), which variables discriminated most effectively between nonchallenged control (NC) and challenged control (CC) groups. Response variables related to growth performance (weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion), health (mortality, lesion scores, NE induction rate), and, in three trials only, gut integrity (tight junction protein claudin-1, claudin-2, and zonula occludens-1 expression, coccidia counts, and intestinal permeability assessed by FITC-dextran assay). Treatments included a CC, which varied between trials (for example, in
predisposition,
strain, and days of inoculation), and a NC. The degree of response to challenge in CC birds varied significantly among models and trials. In all trials, lesion scores 1 to 4 days postchallenge were increased in CC
NC birds and varied both within and among models (by 0.29-1.17 points and 0.05-2.50 points, respectively). In addition, NE-related mortality at day 28 was increased in CC
NC, both within and among models (by 1.79%-4.72% and 0.02%-16.70%, respectively), and final (day 35 or 42) body weight was reduced by 3.9%-14.4% and overall FCR increased by up to 27% across trials (
, 0.05). A PCA on the combined dataset including only performance indicators failed to adequately differentiate NC and CC groups. However, the combination of performance and gut integrity variables and standardization of data by trial and phase achieved greater resolution between groups. This indicated that the inclusion of both types of variables in future NE-challenge studies would enable the generation of more robust predictions about intervention efficacy from different types of infection models. A final PCA based on a subset of key indicator variables, including body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, mortality, and lesion score, achieved a good level of separation between NC and CC status of birds and could, with further research, be a useful supplement to existing approaches for assessing and predicting the NE status of birds in the field.
Abstract Introduction Nasal dermal sinus in children (NDSC) is a rare malformation (1/20,000 to 1/40,000). Apart from local infection, they present as median nasal lump or pit on the dorsum and their ...diagnosis and treatment are often delayed. Consequences of untreated NDSC are: local infection, meningitis, and empyema, due to their frequent intracranial extension. Patients and methods Six cases of NDSC were retrospectively reviewed (5 boys and one girl), all treated between 2006 and 2012 in our institution (Nancy University Hospital). All patients underwent a brain and facial CT-scan and MR imaging to check any bony lesions, skull base extension by foramen cæcum, course of the sinus and the possible associated brain malformations. Evolution, treatment and follow-up (FU) were conducted by the same multidisciplinary team (neurosurgeon, ENT surgeon, and plastic surgeon). Children were operated on by a conjoined approach (cranial and facial) for removal of the sinus and its intracranial extension. Results Mean age at diagnosis was 12 months (birth–36 months). Initial presentation consisted of three local infections, one dorsum nasal lump, one CSF leakage, and one asymptomatic child. Five children presented with a skull base extension. There were no associated brain malformations. We observed only one surgical complication (bleeding from the anterior part of the superior sagittal sinus during dissection) leading to blood transfusion. Pathology results confirmed three dermoid cysts, one epidermoid cyst, one cyst with granulation tissue, and negative in one case. Average FU was 30.8 months (4–84 months). Two recurrences (same child) occurred, leading to two re-operations. There were no recurrences or complications at the end of FU. Conclusion NDSC are rare malformations, mostly diagnosed before the age of three years, due to an infectious complication. The aim of the treatment is complete removal to avoid recurrence, and a multidisciplinary strategy is required.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint disorder that is highly extended in the global population. Several researches and therapeutic strategies have been probed on OA but without satisfactory long-term ...results in joint replacement. Recent evidences show how the cartilage biomechanics plays a crucial role in tissue development. This review describes how physics alters cartilage and its extracellular matrix (ECM); and its role in OA development. The ECM of the articular cartilage (AC) is widely involved in cartilage turnover processes being crucial in regeneration and joint diseases. We also review the importance of physicochemical pathways following the external forces in AC. Moreover, new techniques probed in cartilage tissue engineering for biomechanical stimulation are reviewed. The final objective of these novel approaches is to create a cellular implant that maintains all the biochemical and biomechanical properties of the original tissue for long-term replacements in patients with OA.
•Biomechanics plays a crucial role in healthy articular cartilage (AC).•Osteoarthritis (OA) is preceded by mechanical and biochemical derangements of AC.•Biomechanical stimuli are necessaries for tissue engineering of OA.•Biomechanics is essential for building medical devices useful in OA treatment.
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