Chronic cough in upper airway diseases

SummaryBackgroundThe epidemiological, pathophysiological and clinical links between upper and lower airways are nowadays clearly demonstrated. Most of asthmatics are suffering from rhinitis while up to 40% of rhinitic patients have asthma. Asthmatics and COPD patients are also prone to develop concomitant chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).This study aimed to determine the predictive value of cough for concomitant asthma in patients suffering from upper airway diseases.MethodsThis cross-sectional study described a group of 143 consecutive patients suffering simultaneously from common upper and lower airway disorders. Both ENT-specialists and respiratory physicians consecutively examined the patients in Ghent University Hospital from October 2004 till October 2006. This study was based on the demographic characteristics, upper and lower airway conditions.ResultsForty-seven percent of the patients included in the study were males and the mean age of studied population was 43.6years. The major complaint was chronic cough. When present, patients with chronic cough have an increased risk of suffering from a concomitant asthma in both allergic rhinitis (OR=5.8) and CRS with nasal polyps (OR=10.4), but not in CRS without polyps.ConclusionsChronic cough was found to be a key symptom of associated asthma in allergic rhinitis and CRS with nasal polyps. Interestingly, chronic cough in CRS without nasal polyps did not show the same predictive value: this suggests different pathophysiological mechanisms

Handheld Mobile Laser Scanners Zeb-1 and Zeb-Revo to map an underground quarry and its above-ground surroundings

International audienceUnderground quarries are typically difficult environments for 3D mapping. They are dark, wet, dusty, have limited lines of sight and are full of hidden corners behind pillars. These properties call for a dense succession of active measurement (using some kind of light) stations with hardened materials. Once mapped, the next obvious question creeps up, how does this cavity relate to the above-ground world? The Zebedee range of handheld mobile laser scanner was designed to address just these questions by CSIRO. We have tested a Zebedee-1 (Zeb-1) and a Zebedee-Revo (Zeb-Revo) in an abandoned underground quarry. The initial purpose of the work was to assess the equipment in mapping a sector of a quarry and its above-ground surroundings. In a second phase, we examined how the full 3D dataset was to be processed to retrieve pertinent metrics for geotechnical purposes. The investigated site is located in the abandoned limestone quarry at Saint-Maximin (Oise, Northern France), where INERIS, within the framework of the R&D part of the " Plan National Cavités " , french program dedicated to cavity risk assessment, managed by the French Ministry in charge of Environment, created an underground experiment and demonstration unit. This laboratory site is dedicated to investigate underground cavity risks and operated in collaboration with Saint-Maximin town council, owners, and the " Maison de la Pierre " , manager of the site. The Zebedee range of handheld mobile laser scanners exists as Zeb-1 and the recent Zeb-Revo. Both are time-of-flight line scanning lidar bundled with an inertial mapping unit so as to locate the moving lidar head in space and time. The scanning plane freely oscillates on a spring (Zeb-1) or rotates around a horizontal axis in order to scan a sphere portion surrounding the holder. A 90° blind zone enables the holder to hide behind the scanning head and avoid being scanned inside the scene. The lidar distance meter has a nominal range of precision of 5mm + 1mm/m with a maximum range of 30m. Scanning density is 40 lines per second for Zeb-1 and 100 lines per second for Zeb-Revo. Both line scanners cover three quarters of a circle line made of 42,000 shots. A 3-axes accelerometer measures the attitude of the scanning head. Black-box simultaneous location and mapping algorithm (SLAM) build 3D cloud from these measurements assuming that the surfaces where points rebound off are rigid and non-deformable. Near-neighbor point redundancy is used to make points converge towards a unique surface. Processed outputs include 3D points in LAZ format, various decimated cloud versions and 3D Zeb head trajectory

Characteristics of Acacia mangium shoot apical meristems in natural and in vitro conditions in relation to heteroblasty

PDF version of the authors can be published in January 2013International audienceMorphological and histocytological characteristics of Acacia mangium shoot apical meristems (SAMs) were assessed in natural and in vitro conditions in relation to heteroblasty. In the natural environment, SAMs with a mature-phyllode morphology were much bigger, contained more cells with larger vacuolated area, or vacuome, and lower nucleoplasmic ratios than those from the juvenile type (Juv). In these latter, nuclei appeared more voluminous, evenly and lightly stained, with clearly distinguishable nucleolei and less abundant chromocenters. In vitro, where reversions from mature to juvenile morphological traits do occur unpredictably, heteroblasty was less obvious in the SAM characteristics examined. In vitro SAMs corresponding to the juvenile and mature types showed similarities with outdoor Juv SAMs, but could be distinguished from these latter by a much larger vacuome that might be induced by the culture conditions. These findings encourage pursuing the investigations at the chromatin and nucleolus level in SAM zones where heteroblasty-related differences have been detected

Rhinitis and asthma: one airway, one disease?

The nasal and bronchial mucosa share many properties. Epidemiological studies have shown that asthma and rhinitis are very often associated. The nose acts to protect the lungs. While remodelling exists in both rhinitis and asthma, it is greater in asthma. The impact of rhinitis on asthma is significant. The treatment of rhinitis influences the evolution of asthma : adequate treatment of rhinitis improves the control of asthma. (C) 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tons droits reserves

Treating allergic rhinitis : continuous versus on-demand regime?

Treating allergic rhinitis: continuous versus on-demand regime? This Supportive Initiative for the Global Management of Allergy (SIGMA) initiative gathered together four multidisciplinary and inter-university groups of Belgian experts in the treatment of allergic rhinitis to review the literature and come to a consensus opinion on the global management of allergy. Their conclusions were as follows. Group 1 concluded that in children suffering from allergic rhinitis, there is sufficient expert opinion in favour of continuous treatment with both H(1)-antihistamines and corticosteroids for controlling symptoms during periods of allergen exposure, but not to support continuous treatment during periods when symptoms are negligible in an attempt to prevent the development of new allergic diseases. Group 2 came to similar conclusions in adults. Group 3 considered adults with concomitant asthma and stressed the crucial necessity to screen each asthmatic for allergic rhinitis and institute appropriate therapy for both conditions. Even though efficacious treatment algorithms are available for both rhinitis and asthma, an integrated management of these frequently concomitans diseases is not always prescribed even though there is a proven clinical advantage of adequate treatment of the nose of asthmatics. Group 4 concluded that,for both H(1)-antihistamines and nasal corticosteroids, safety data indicate that continuous treatment may be given without fears of adverse consequences. With regard to the cost implications of continuous therapy versus on-demand therapy, there are indications that effective treatment of allergic rhinitis by continuous treatment reduces overall drug costs, particularly that of escape medication and indirect costs in the form of days absent from work and school

Civilian law : from occupational medicine to occupational event

Despite the growing importance of objective measurements, the health effects of many occupational risk factors are currently not fully quantified. Occupational noise, as a widespread risk factor, is illustrative in this regard; there is a strong body of evidence linking it to an important health outcome (hearing loss), but it is less decisively associated with others (such as psychological disorders). It is also distinct from environmental noise, and therefore falls under the responsibility of employers as well as individuals. Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is, at present, incurable and irreversible. However, it is preventable, if effective and global hearing conservation programmes can be implemented. These programmes should not be isolated efforts, but should be integrated into the overall hazard prevention and control programme of the workplace. Belgian law encompasses a set of provisions for prevention and the protection of the health and safety of workers within the workplace, including aspects pertaining to the hygiene of the workplace and psychosocial aspects at work (stress, violence, bullying and sexual harassment, among others). In principle, combating environmental noise is fully addressed in this country. However, other levels of policy-making also play an important role in this regard. For example, the federal government is in charge of product standards, and therefore also of noise emission standards for products. The interpretation and enforcement of Belgian legislation on well-being at work converts European directives and international agreements on well-being at work into Belgian law