Opinions on farm policy

"These are the ideas 571 leading Missouri farmers have about farm policy, as reported in an opinion survey taken in the spring of 1971."--first paragraphExtension Division, University of Missour

Correlation anatomo-scannographique dans le cancer du larynx

Introduction : Le but de la chirurgie du larynx est de conserver dans la mesure du possible un larynx fonctionnel tout en répondant aux impératifs carcinologiques. Les limites d'extension tumorale doivent être finement analysées en pré-opératoire pour adopter la technique opératoire appropriée. dans ce domaine, l'apport de la TdM est incontestable pour l'étude de cette extension en profondeur.Patients et méthodes : il s'agit d'une étude rétrospective des dossiers de 43 patients explorés et traités respectivement aux services d'imagerie médicale et d'ORL de l'hôpital Tahar Sfar de Mahdia sur une période de 14 ans entre Janvier 1995 et décembre 2008.Résultats : La classification pré-opératoire des tumeurs pharyngo-laryngées est plus fiable en se basant à la fois sur l’endoscopie et la TdM que sur l’endoscopie seule. La fiabilité de cette association était de 76%. L'étude de certaines zones dites d'intérêt a montré une efficacité de 72% pour l'atteinte de la commissure antérieure, de 79% pour les bandes ventriculaires, de 81% pour la sous glotte, de 88% pour la loge HTE, de 83% pour les espaces para-glottiques et de 79% pour les cartilages. Nos résultats étaient concordants à ceux de la littérature.Discussion et conclusion : la TdM constitue une partie intégrante du bilan préopératoire des cancers du pharyngolarynx. Elle précise l'extension tumorale en profondeur aux espaces graisseux, aux cartilages et aux tissus extralaryngés. L’analyse fine des images tomodensitométriques permet donc d’orienter la décision thérapeutique.Mots clés : cancer, larynx, anatomopathologie, chirurgie

La mucormycose nasosinusienne: Diagnostic et modalites therapeutiques

La mucormycose est une infection fongique rare qui touche essentiellement les sujets immunodéprimés et notamment diabétiques. La localisation de cette maladie est surtout nasosinusienne. Son pronostic reste mauvais malgré le développement des moyens de prise en charge. Nous rapportons deux cas de mucormycose nasosinusienne à travers lesquels nous discutons les aspects cliniques et radiologiques, ainsi que les moyens thérapeutiques de cette maladie. Il s’agit d’un homme et d’une femme âgés respectivement de 56 et 52 ans. Le premier était diabétique et la deuxième insuffisante rénale. L’évolution était lente dans le premier cas et très rapide dans le deuxième. Le diagnostic était dans les deux cas histologique. L’évolution était, dans le premier cas, favorable après traitement associant débridement chirurgical et amphotéricine B, et dans le second rapidement fatale. Conclusion : La mucormycose nasosinusienne est une affection grave dont le pronostic peut être mauvais malgré le traitement.Mots clés : Infection fongique, mucormycose rhinocérébrale, zygomycètes

Iron(III) Complexes on a Dendrimeric Basis and Various Amine Core Investigated by Mössbauer Spectroscopy

Dendrimers of various generations were synthesized by the divergent method. Starting from various amine cores (G(0a), G(0b), G(0c)) the generations were built by reaction of the amine with acrylnitrile followed by hydrogenation with DIBAL-H. Treatment with salicylaldehyde creates a fivefold coordination sphere for iron in the molecular periphery. The resulting multinuclear coordination compounds are investigated by Mossbauer spectroscopy

Efficacy and toxicity of intravenous iron in a mouse model of critical care anemia

OBJECTIVE: Anemia is common in critically ill patients, due to inflammation and blood loss. Anemia can be associated with iron deficiency and low serum hepcidin levels. However, iron administration in this setting remains controversial because of its potential toxicity, including oxidative stress induction and sepsis facilitation. The objective of this work was to determine the efficacy and toxicity of iron administration using a mouse model mimicking critical care anemia as well as a model of acute septicemia. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, open label controlled animal study. SETTING: University-based research laboratory. SUBJECTS: C57BL/6 and OF1 mice. INTERVENTIONS: Intraperitoneal injection of zymosan inducing generalized inflammation in C57BL/6 mice, followed in our full model by repeated phlebotomies. A dose equivalent to 15 mg/kg of ferric carboxymaltose was injected intravenously on day 5. To assess the toxicity of iron in a septicemia model, OF1 mice were simultaneously injected with iron and different Escherichia coli strains. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: To investigate the effect of iron on oxidative stress, we measured reactive oxygen species production in the blood using luminol-amplified chemiluminescence and superoxide dismutase 2 messenger RNA levels in the liver. These markers of oxidative stress were increased after iron administration in control mice but not in zymosan-treated mice. Liver catalase messenger RNA levels decreased in iron-treated control mice. Iron administration was not associated with increased mortality in the septicemia model or in the generalized inflammation model. Iron increased hemoglobin levels in mice fed with a low iron diet and subjected to phlebotomies and zymosan 2 wks after treatment administration. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse effects of intravenous iron supplementation by ferric carboxymaltose seem to be minimal in our animal models. Furthermore, iron appears to be effective in correcting anemia, despite inflammation. Studies of efficacy and safety of iron in critically ill patients are warranted

New zebrafish models of neurodegeneration

In modern biomedicine, the increasing need to develop experimental models to further our understanding of disease conditions and delineate innovative treatments has found in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) an experimental model, and indeed a valuable asset, to close the gap between in vitro and in vivo assays. Translation of ideas at a faster pace is vital in the field of neurodegeneration, with the attempt to slow or prevent the dramatic impact on the society's welfare being an essential priority. Our research group has pioneered the use of zebrafish to contribute to the quest for faster and improved understanding and treatment of neurodegeneration in concert with, and inspired by, many others who have primed the study of the zebrafish to understand and search for a cure for disorders of the nervous system. Aware of the many advantages this vertebrate model holds, here, we present an update on the recent zebrafish models available to study neurodegeneration with the goal of stimulating further interest and increasing the number of diseases and applications for which they can be exploited. We shall do so by citing and commenting on recent breakthroughs made possible via zebrafish, highlighting their benefits for the testing of therapeutics and dissecting of disease mechanisms

Risk factors for bacterial infections in HIV/hepatitis C virus-coinfected patients treated with interferon plus ribavirin

International audienc

Does IV Iron Induce Plasma Oxidative Stress in Critically Ill Patients? A Comparison With Healthy Volunteers*

Objective: To compare the oxidative stress induced by IV iron infusion in critically ill patients and in healthy volunteers. Design: Multicenter, interventional study. Setting: Two ICUs and one clinical research center. Subjects: Anemic critically ill patients treated with IV iron and healthy volunteers. Interventions: IV infusion of 100 mg of iron sucrose. Measurements and Main Results: Thirty-eight anemic patients (hemoglobin, median [interquartile range] = 8.4 g/dL [7.7–9.2]) (men, 25 [66%]; aged 68 yr [48–77]; Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, 48.5 [39–59]) and 39 healthy volunteers (men, 18 [46%]; aged 42.1 yr [29–50]) were included. Blood samples were drawn before (H0) and 2, 6, and 24 hours (H2, H6, and H24) after a 60-minute iron infusion for the determination of nontransferrin bound iron, markers of lipid peroxidation—8α-isoprostanes, protein oxidation—advanced oxidized protein product, and glutathione reduced/oxidized. Iron infusion had no effect on hemodynamic parameter in patients and volunteers. At baseline, patients had much higher interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and hepcidin levels. 8α-isoprostanes was also higher in patients at baseline (8.5 pmol/L [6.5–12.9] vs 4.6 pmol/L [3.5–5.5]), but the area under the curve above baseline from H0 to H6 was not different (p = 0.38). Neither was it for advanced oxidized protein product and nontransferrin bound iron. The area under the curve above baseline from H0 to H6 (glutathione reduced/oxidized) was lower in volunteers (p = 0.009). Eight patients had a second set of dosages (after the fourth iron infusion), showing higher increase in 8α-isoprostanes. Conclusions: In our observation, IV iron infusion does not induce more nontransferrin bound iron, lipid, or protein oxidation in patients compared with volunteers, despite higher inflammation, oxidative stress, and hepcidin levels and lower antioxidant at baseline. In contrary, iron induces a greater decrease in antioxidant, compatible with higher oxidative stress in volunteers than in critically ill patients

Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Formulation Assessment and Support Team (FAST) Final Report

The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Formulation Assessment and Support Team (FAST) was a two-month effort, chartered by NASA, to provide timely inputs for mission requirement formulation in support of the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM) Requirements Closure Technical Interchange Meeting held December 15-16, 2015, to assist in developing an initial list of potential mission investigations, and to provide input on potential hosted payloads and partnerships. The FAST explored several aspects of potential science benefits and knowledge gain from the ARM. Expertise from the science, engineering, and technology communities was represented in exploring lines of inquiry related to key characteristics of the ARRM reference target asteroid (2008 EV5) for engineering design purposes. Specific areas of interest included target origin, spatial distribution and size of boulders, surface geotechnical properties, boulder physical properties, and considerations for boulder handling, crew safety, and containment. In order to increase knowledge gain potential from the mission, opportunities for partnerships and accompanying payloads were also investigated. Potential investigations could be conducted to reduce mission risks and increase knowledge return in the areas of science, planetary defense, asteroid resources and in-situ resource utilization, and capability and technology demonstrations. This report represents the FAST"TM"s final product for the ARM

Risk factors for tuberculosis treatment failure, default, or relapse and outcomes of retreatment in Morocco

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Patients with tuberculosis require retreatment if they fail or default from initial treatment or if they relapse following initial treatment success. Outcomes among patients receiving a standard World Health Organization Category II retreatment regimen are suboptimal, resulting in increased risk of morbidity, drug resistance, and transmission.. In this study, we evaluated the risk factors for initial treatment failure, default, or early relapse leading to the need for tuberculosis retreatment in Morocco. We also assessed retreatment outcomes and drug susceptibility testing use for retreatment patients in urban centers in Morocco, where tuberculosis incidence is stubbornly high.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients with smear- or culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosis presenting for retreatment were identified using clinic registries in nine urban public clinics in Morocco. Demographic and outcomes data were collected from clinical charts and reference laboratories. To identify factors that had put these individuals at risk for failure, default, or early relapse in the first place, initial treatment records were also abstracted (if retreatment began within two years of initial treatment), and patient characteristics were compared with controls who successfully completed initial treatment without early relapse.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>291 patients presenting for retreatment were included; 93% received a standard Category II regimen. Retreatment was successful in 74% of relapse patients, 48% of failure patients, and 41% of default patients. 25% of retreatment patients defaulted, higher than previous estimates. Retreatment failure was most common among patients who had failed initial treatment (24%), and default from retreatment was most frequent among patients with initial treatment default (57%). Drug susceptibility testing was performed in only 10% of retreatment patients. Independent risk factors for failure, default, or early relapse after initial treatment included male gender (aOR = 2.29, 95% CI 1.10-4.77), positive sputum smear after 3 months of treatment (OR 7.14, 95% CI 4.04-13.2), and hospitalization (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.01-4.34). Higher weight at treatment initiation was protective. Male sex, substance use, missed doses, and hospitalization appeared to be risk factors for default, but subgroup analyses were limited by small numbers.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Outcomes of retreatment with a Category II regimen are suboptimal and vary by subgroup. Default among patients receiving tuberculosis retreatment is unacceptably high in urban areas in Morocco, and patients who fail initial tuberculosis treatment are at especially high risk of retreatment failure. Strategies to address risk factors for initial treatment default and to identify patients at risk for failure (including expanded use of drug susceptibility testing) are important given suboptimal retreatment outcomes in these groups.</p