Suitability assessment of a continuous process combining thermo-mechano-chemical and bio-catalytic action in a single pilot-scale twin-screw extruder for six different biomass sources

A process has been validated for the deconstruction of lignocellulose on a pilot scale installation using six types of biomass selected for their sustainability, accessibility, worldwide availability, and differences of chemical composition and physical structure. The process combines thermo-mechano-chemical and bio-catalytic action in a single twin-screw extruder. Three treatment phases were sequentially performed: an alkaline pretreatment, a neutralization step coupled with an extraction–separation phase and a bioextrusion treatment. Alkaline pretreatment destructured the wall polymers after just a few minutes and allowed the initial extraction of 18–54% of the hemicelluloses and 9–41% of the lignin. The bioextrusion step induced the start of enzymatic hydrolysis and increased the proportion of soluble organic matter. Extension of saccharification for 24 h at high consistency (20%) and without the addition of new enzyme resulted in the production of 39–84% of the potential glucose

Original Surgical Treatment and Long-term Follow-up for Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy Causing a Compressive Cervical Myelopathy: Review of the Literature

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a chronic relapsing disease of unknown aetiology. The diagnosis of this disease is still very complicated. The treatment is medical but, in some cases, a surgical decompression might be required. In rare cases it develops a radicular hypertrophy that can cause a cervical myelopathy; this pathology should be put in differential diagnosis with neurofibromatosis 1 and Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) syndromes. The cases of CIDP cervical myelopathy reported in the literature are rare and even more rarely a surgical decompression was described. Here we report a first and unique case of CIDP cervical myelopathy treated with an open-door laminoplasty technique with 10-year postoperative follow-up (FU). The surgical decompression revealed to be effective in stopping the progression of myelopathy without destabilizing the spine. The patient that before surgery presented a severe tetraparesis could return to walk and gain back his self-care autonomy. At 10-year FU he did not complain of neck pain and did not develop a cervical kyphosis. In case of cervical myelopathy caused by radicular hypertrophy, CIDP should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis and an open-door laminoplasty is indicated to stop myelopathy progression

Conception, élaboration et production d'agrocomposite à partir de tourteau de tournesol (étude du procédé d'extrusion-formulation-granulation et d'injection-moulage)

Le tourteau de tournesol est un mix hétérogène constitué à 50/50 de morceaux de coques et de particules d'amande délipidées contenant 56% protéines. La comparaison des analyses DSC et AMD et la modélisation des diagrammes PVT du tourteau et d'extraits protéiques montre que les protéines sont responsables de l'écoulement en phase fondue du mélange. L'évolution du défibrage des coques, de la déstructuration et de la plastification des protéines en milieu peu hydraté est étudiée dans les éléments restrictifs du profil de vis installé dans un extrudeur bi-vis corrotatives et copénétrantes. L'ajout d'un agent réducteur des ponts disulfures des protéines, couplée ou non à un plastifiant permet de contrôler l'écoulement à travers une filière placée en fin de fourreau. Le procédé d'extrusion-compoundage-granulation du tourteau de tournesol est étendu à la coextrusion-granulation avec d'autres coproduits de transformation agro-industrielle et avec des polymères synthétiques biodégradablesThe sunflower oil cake is a heterogeneous mixture constitued for half of pieces of hull, and for the other half of defated almond particles containing 56% of proteins. The comparative analysis of DSC, AMD and the modelling of PVT diagrams for the sunflower oil cake and proteinic extracts shows that the proteins are reponsible of the rheological behavior in moten phase. The evolution of the hulls defibration, the protein destructuration and plasticization in slightly hydrated medium are studied in restrictive elements of the screw profil installed in the owen of a corrotative twin-screws extruder. The addition of a reducing agent for polypeptide chains disulphide bridges, coupled or not with that of a plasticizer makes it possible to control the flow through a die at the exit of the barrel. The extrusion-granulation process of the sunflower oil cake is extended to the coextrusion-granulation with other products of agro-industrial transformation and with biodegradable synthetic polymersTOULOUSE-ENSIACET (315552325) / SudocSudocFranceF

Développement d'un procédé innovant de dégradation enzymatique des parois végétales pour la production de bioéthanol seconde génération

TOULOUSE-INP (315552154) / SudocSudocFranceF

Bio-catalytic action of twin-screw extruder enzymatic hydrolysis on the deconstruction of annual plant material: case of sweet corn co-products

International audienceA continuous process combining an alkaline thermo-mechano-chemical pretreatment neutralization step, followed by injection of enzymes into the twin-screw extruder, was developed using sweet corn co-products as a biomass model. The implementation of the continuous process is described. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the bio-catalytic action of enzymatic hydrolysis on the deconstruction of annual plant material in the twin-screw extruder (a process called “bioextrusion”). The use of a twin-screw extruder allows working with high consistency (20%), in a high shear environment, for a short time (~ 2min). In the present work, the nature of the ligno(hemi)cellulosic material transformations, covering solubilization and extraction of saccharides and modification of cellulosic fibers, were investigated. 41% of hemicelluloses and 14% of lignin are extracted by the alkaline pretreatment. Hydrolytic enzymes are not deactivated during bioextrusion, which has a destructing effect on the fiber. It leads to a change of rheological properties and induces an increase of sugars released in the form of mono and polysaccharides (up to 13%/DM of total sugars) with longer chains than in the case of a batch reactor. At the same time, the degree of polymerization decreases and a shortening of the cellulose chains occurs

Les souris ne sont pas des hommes et pourtant…

L’étude des pathologies humaines est souvent limitée par l’absence de modèle animal approprié. La souris est le modèle le plus fréquemment utilisé pour l’étude des maladies infectieuses humaines. Cependant, un grand nombre d’agents infectieux spécifiques de l’homme n’infectent pas la souris. Ces vingt dernières années, la greffe de cellules progénitrices ou de tissus humains chez des souris immunodéficientes a permis de générer des souris dites humanisées. Bien que ces modèles demandent encore à être améliorés, ils ont permis de reproduire chez la souris certains aspects des pathologies humaines et laissent ainsi espérer le développement dans un futur proche de thérapies innovantes

Matériau plastique composite sous la forme de granulats issus de matières protéiques végétales et son procédé de fabrication

Preparing stable and calibrated plastic composite agroaggregate (5) comprises: introducing a sulfite salt solution in an extrusion device previously filled in vegetable protein material and water, where the proportion of sulfite (SO3 ->) is 1-10 g for 100 g of proteins; adjusting the amount of water to obtain a mixture comprising 10-40% of water; carrying mixture to a temperature of 90-150oC; and conveying the mixture in the extrusion device where the mixture undergoes mixing operations under shear, pressure, flowing and forming the material then cutting into a desired calibration. An independent claim is included for the stable and calibrated plastic composite agroaggregates obtained by the process, comprising at least 30% of a thermoplastic matrix of polypeptide nature and at least 30% of a fibrous reinforcement of lignocellulosic nature.La présente invention concerne un procédé de préparation d'agrogranulats plastiques composites stables et calibrés comprenant les étapes suivantes: - introduire un sel de sulfites en solution dans un dispositif d'extrusion préalablement chargé en matière protéique végétale et en eau de telle sorte que la proportion de sulfite SO soit comprise entre 1 et 10 grammes pour 100 grammes de protéines, - ajuster la quantité d'eau de manière à obtenir un mélange comprenant 10 à 40 % en eau, - porter le mélange à une température comprise entre 90 et 150 °C, - convoyer le mélange dans ledit dispositif d'extrusion où il subit les opérations de malaxage sous cisaillement, de mise en pression, d'écoulement et de formage du matériau puis de découpe en un calibrage désiré. Les agrogranulats obtenus selon le procédé peuvent être modifiés avec différents additifs permettant de varier leur propriétés en fonction des buts recherchés. Ils sont utilisés en plasturgie industrielle pour fabriquer des objets moulés creux ou massiques

From Immunodeficiency to Humanization: The Contribution of Mouse Models to Explore HTLV-1 Leukemogenesis

The first discovered human retrovirus, Human T-Lymphotropic Virus type 1 (HTLV-1), is responsible for an aggressive form of T cell leukemia/lymphoma. Mouse models recapitulating the leukemogenesis process have been helpful for understanding the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of this retroviral-induced disease. This review will focus on the recent advances in the generation of immunodeficient and human hemato-lymphoid system mice with a particular emphasis on the development of mouse models for HTLV-1-mediated pathogenesis, their present limitations and the challenges yet to be addressed

Patients and Parents’ Experience of Multi-Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study

International audienceBackground: Family therapy is considered as the gold standard in treatment of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN). Among the different types of family therapy, multi-family therapy (MFT) is increasingly used for treating AN, and shows promising results. In this article, our focus relied on the patients’ and their parents’ perceptions of the effectiveness and the underlying mechanisms of the MFT. Methods: The present pilot exploratory qualitative study included two focus groups conducted using a semi-structured approach: one with the adolescents ( n = 3), and another with one or two of their parents ( n = 4 mothers; n = 2 fathers). The subjects discussed were the changes observed in both AN symptoms and family interactions following therapy, and the mechanisms underlying these changes. We crossed the perspectives of the adolescents and of the parents on these two points. Results: Qualitative analysis revealed that while both adolescents and parents had difficulties relating the changes they observed in the last year to MFT, they were able to say that the group cohesion had several positive effects and that their family dynamics had improved. In the light of analysis the adolescents perceived more improvements related eating disorders symptoms than their parents did, while parents were concerned about a negative effect of MFT on their children. Discussion: While both patients and parents perceived improvements in both AN symptoms and family interactions in the past year, it was not clear if they considered MFT to have led to these improvements. FG also explored the MFT mechanisms underlying changes. Both adolescents and their parents stressed the beneficial effects of identification to others members of the group and shared experience to overcome social isolation. Parents also mentioned the sympathy they felt for each other. The idea that they give a central place to families in the therapy was also described by the families