Intérêts conjugués d'une évacuation rapide des déjections animales et de leur méthanisation

Les déjections animales contribuent au réchauffement climatique par le méthane émis durant leur stockage. Leur évacuation rapide suivie d'une méthanisation permet de réduire ces émissions et demaximiser la production d'énergie sous forme de biogaz. En production porcine, l'évacuation rapide par un raclage sous caillebotis donne un potentiel de 10,7 Nm3 de méthane par porc à l'engrais. Par comparaison, les lisiers collectés dans des pré-fosses affichent une perte de potentiel variant de -25% à -68% selon l'intensité des fermentations dans les pré-fosses. Pour des vaches laitières, les lisiers de raclage ont un potentiel voisin de 57 Nm3 de méthane par vache et par mois. La baisse du potentiel austockage est très rapide (-1% par jour) dans le cas des fumiers pailleux du fait de leur compostage spontané. En élevage de porc, le couplage d'une évacuation rapide et de la méthanisation réduit les émissions de GES de plus de 50%. Pour des élevages de taille moyenne, la mise en oeuvre sous forme de petite méthanisation à la ferme n'est toutefois pas économiquement viable dans le contexte actuel, compte tenu du coût élevé des investissements. Concernant l'azote, les mesures réalisées montrent que la méthanisation accroît sensiblement les risques de volatilisation d'ammoniac, tant au stockage que lors de l'épandage, du fait du pH plus élevé des digestats

Intérêts conjugués d'une évacuation rapide des déjections animales et de leur méthanisation

Les déjections animales contribuent au réchauffement climatique par le méthane émis durant leur stockage. Leur évacuation rapide suivie d'une méthanisation permet de réduire ces émissions et demaximiser la production d'énergie sous forme de biogaz. En production porcine, l'évacuation rapide par un raclage sous caillebotis donne un potentiel de 10,7 Nm3 de méthane par porc à l'engrais. Par comparaison, les lisiers collectés dans des pré-fosses affichent une perte de potentiel variant de -25% à -68% selon l'intensité des fermentations dans les pré-fosses. Pour des vaches laitières, les lisiers de raclage ont un potentiel voisin de 57 Nm3 de méthane par vache et par mois. La baisse du potentiel austockage est très rapide (-1% par jour) dans le cas des fumiers pailleux du fait de leur compostage spontané. En élevage de porc, le couplage d'une évacuation rapide et de la méthanisation réduit les émissions de GES de plus de 50%. Pour des élevages de taille moyenne, la mise en oeuvre sous forme de petite méthanisation à la ferme n'est toutefois pas économiquement viable dans le contexte actuel, compte tenu du coût élevé des investissements. Concernant l'azote, les mesures réalisées montrent que la méthanisation accroît sensiblement les risques de volatilisation d'ammoniac, tant au stockage que lors de l'épandage, du fait du pH plus élevé des digestats

BAHA implant: Implantation technique and complications

SummaryObjectivesBAHA implants have been shown to be effective in certain forms of conductive hearing loss, but the presence of the titanium abutment is responsible for sometimes severe skin reactions. The objective of this study was to compare two operative techniques: skin flap, and full-thickness skin graft.Material and methodsBetween January 2004 and January 2011, 72 patients were treated by BAHA implant and 32 of these patients (total of 41 implants) were included in the study. Two surgical techniques were used: full-thickness skin graft (n=21) and skin flap (n=20).ResultsFour types of skin complications were observed: necrosis, inflammation/infection, hypertrophic scar, and fixture loss due to inadequate osseointegration. Complications requiring surgical revision were observed in 20% of cases with the skin flap method and 38% of cases with the skin graft technique, with no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.31).ConclusionThe skin graft technique appears to be associated with a higher rate of major complications. The most common complication is hypertrophic scar. The apparently high complication rate in this series can be explained by a selection bias (exclusion of a large number of complication-free patients)

Influence of diet and manure management on ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions from dairy barns

Dairy systems are a source of pollutant emissions, such as greenhouse gases (GHG) and NH3 that are associated with impacts on the environment. Gas emissions in barns are related mainly to diet intake and chemical composition, N excretion and manure management. A reduction in dietary N is known to be an effective way to reduce N excretion and the resulting NH3 emissions. However, most studies consider manure in liquid form with frequent removal from the barn. In deep litter systems, several processes can occur during the accumulation of solid manure that result in variable gas emissions. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the influence of the interaction between dietary CP (low or high) and manure management (liquid or solid) on gas emissions (NH3, N2O, CH4) at the barn level. Dietary treatments provided either low (LowN; 12% CP) or high (HighN; 18% CP) degradable protein to modify the amount of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) excreted. The cows were housed for two 8-week periods in two mechanically ventilated rooms equipped to manage manure either in liquid (LM; slurry) or solid form (SM; deep litter). In the LM treatment, N balance was measured for 4 days. As expected, animals fed the LowN diet ingested 35% less N and excreted 65% less N in their urine, with no reduction in faecal N excretion and N secretion in milk. On the LowN diet, excretion of urea-N and NH3-N emissions were reduced regardless of the manure management. On the HighN diet, urinary urea-N excretion was three times as high, while NH3-N emissions were 3.0 and 4.5 times as high in LM and SM, respectively. Manure management strongly influenced CH4-C emissions, which were 30% higher in SM than in LM, due to the accumulation of litter. Moreover, gas emissions from solid manure increased over the accumulation period, except for NH3 on the LowN diet. Finally, our results suggest that methods used for national inventories would become more accurate by considering the variability in TAN excretion, which is the primary factor that influences NH3 emissions

Randomized controlled trial on postoperative pulmonary humidification after total laryngectomy: external humidifier versus heat and moisture exchanger

Objectives/Hypothesis: Assessment of immediate postoperative airway humidification after total laryngectomy (TLE), comparing the use of an external humidifier (EH) with humidification through a heat and moisture exchanger (HME). Study Design: Randomized controlled trial (RCT). Methods: Fifty-three patients were randomized into the standard (control) EH (N = 26) or the experimental HME arm (N = 27). Compliance, pulmonary and sleeping problems, patients' and nursing staff satisfaction, nursing time, and cost-effectiveness were assessed with trial-specific structured questionnaires and tally sheets. Results: In the EH arm data were available for all patients, whereas in the HME arm data were incomplete for four patients. The 24/ 7 compliance rate in the EH arm was 12% and in the HME arm 87% (77% if the four nonevaluable patients are considered noncompliant). Compliance and patients' satisfaction were significantly better, and the number of coughing episodes, mucus expectoration for clearing the trachea, and sleeping disturbances were significantly less in the HME arm (P <.001). This was also the case for nursing time and nursing staff satisfaction and preference. Conclusions: This RCT clearly shows the benefits of immediate postoperative airway humidification by means of an HME over the use of an EH after TLE. This study therefore underlines that HMEs presently can be considered the better option for early postoperative airway humidification after TLE. Key Words: Total laryngectomy, postoperative airway humidification, external humidifier, heat and moisture exchanger, pulmonary rehabilitatio

Optimisation des aménagements boisés de parcours de volailles de chair Label Rouge et Biologique

La présence d’un parcours est un élément majeur caractérisant les productions de volailles sous signes de qualité Label Rouge et Biologique. Pour assurer la durabilité de ces modes de production, il est nécessaire d’optimiser la gestion des parcours, afin de concilier au mieux les besoins des volailles et une gestion environnementale pertinente, tout en permettant d’évaluer les possibilités de production d’un revenu supplémentaire pour l’éleveur. Pour cela, il était nécessaire de connaître la diversité des parcours existants et des pratiques de gestion des éleveurs, ainsi que d’apporter des références environnementales quant aux impacts des plantations sur le stockage du carbone, les émissions de GES, la participation à la biodiversité, au paysage. L’ensemble de ces travaux et la synthèse des connaissances acquises ont permis d’élaborer des préconisations concrètes pour les éleveurs et techniciens

Differentiation of vestibular schwannomas from meningiomas of the internal auditory canal using perilymphatic signal evaluation on T2-weighted gradient-echo fast imaging employing steady state acquisition at 3T

Background: Our aim was to confirm the usefulness of the perilymphatic signal changes on T2-weighted (T2W) gradient-echo sequence to differentiate vestibular schwannomas from internal auditory canal (IAC) meningiomas, through a compartmental analysis of inner ear fluids signal intensity. Methods: A total of 203 patients with all criteria for typical vestibular schwannoma on T1-weighted contrast-enhanced sequences were retrospectively enrolled (190 schwannomas and 13 meningiomas). All patients underwent a T2W gradient-echo steady state free precession (SSFP) acquisition at 3T. Two radiologists analysed the signal intensity of the perilymph (cistern and cochlea) and endolymph (saccule and utricle) using a region of interest-based method for obtaining ratios between the analysed structures and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Results: Obstructive vestibular schwannomas showed a markedly decreased perilymphatic signal in both cistern and cochlea; the cistern/CSF ratio (Ci/CSF) was 0.62. The decrease was more moderate in IAC meningiomas (Ci/CSF = 0.81). For Ci/CSF > 0.70, the tumour was more likely a meningioma, with a 92% sensitivity and 83% specificity. No endolymphatic signal changes were observed. Conclusion: The pronounced decrease in perilymphatic signal on a T2W SSFP sequence in obstructive vestibular schwannoma provides a new tool to differentiate schwannomas from IAC meningiomas, which may be useful to overcome the insufficiencies of morphological analysis