Biologically active substances of edible insects and their use in agriculture, veterinary and human medicine

Possibilities of edible insect use in Western countries is now increasingly debated issue. Insects in Asian, African, American and South Central American cultures are mainly nutritional components. In Europe and other developed countries, however, insect is used in different ways, and this issue is viewed from a different angle. Insects are mainly used as feed for animals, in the organic waste recycling systems, in human and veterinary medicine, material production (such as silk) etc. This review summarizes up-to-date knowledge about using edible insects in human, veterinary medicine and agriculture, especially from the viewpoint of the biological and chemical content of active substances and the possibilities of further use in these areas

Evaluation of Laboratory Performance in IMEP Water Interlaboratory Comparisons

The aim of IMEP is to present objectively the quality of chemical measurements. Participants in IMEP compare their reported measurement results with independent external certified reference values with demonstrated traceability and uncertainty, as evaluated according to international guidelines. Three major Interlaboratory Comparisons, IMEP 6, IMEP 9 and IMEP 12, on trace elements in water were carried out from 1994 to 2000 in support to the council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption. Participants results for Cd, Fe and Pb amount content from these 3 different IMEP water ILCs were compared by means of suitable performance indicators. The performance evaluation criteria were set according to the requirements stated in the water Directive 96/83/EC. Two different performance indicators were selected for evaluation of the individual participants’ results: the commonly used z-score and the not so well-known En number. The group performance indicator was based on the variation of z-scores. To assess the individual measurement performance not only the deviation of the reported measurement values from the certified reference value, but also criteria for maximum, as set in the water directive, and minimum acceptable uncertainties were taken into account. As an example the participants’ performance is reviewed by means of using simple graphical tools, called “Naji-plots”.JRC.D.4-Isotope measurement

Automated breast ultrasound: basic principles and emerging clinical applications

Automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) is a recently introduced ultrasonography technique, developed with the purpose to standardize breast ultrasonography and overcome some limitations of handheld ultrasound (HHUS), such as operator dependence and the considerable amount of medical time necessary to perform and interpret HHUS. This new ultrasonography technique separates the moment of image acquisition (that may be performed also by a technician) from that of its interpretation, increasing reproducibility, reducing operator-dependence and physician time. Moreover, multiplanar reconstructions, especially the coronal view, introduce new diagnostic information. ABUS, with those advantages, has the potential to be used as an adjunctive tool to screening mammography, especially in the dense breast, where mammography has a relatively low sensitivity. Women's awareness of risks related to breast density is a hot topic, especially in the USA where legislative breast density notification laws increase the demand for supplemental ultrasound screening. Therefore, ABUS might have the potential to respond to this need. The purpose of this article is to present a summary of current state-of-the-art of ABUS technology and applications, with an emphasis on breast cancer screening. This article discusses also how to overcome some ABUS limitations, in order to be familiar with the new technique

Ticagrelor in patients with diabetes and stable coronary artery disease with a history of previous percutaneous coronary intervention (THEMIS-PCI) : a phase 3, placebo-controlled, randomised trial

Background: Patients with stable coronary artery disease and diabetes with previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), particularly those with previous stenting, are at high risk of ischaemic events. These patients are generally treated with aspirin. In this trial, we aimed to investigate if these patients would benefit from treatment with aspirin plus ticagrelor. Methods: The Effect of Ticagrelor on Health Outcomes in diabEtes Mellitus patients Intervention Study (THEMIS) was a phase 3 randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, done in 1315 sites in 42 countries. Patients were eligible if 50 years or older, with type 2 diabetes, receiving anti-hyperglycaemic drugs for at least 6 months, with stable coronary artery disease, and one of three other mutually non-exclusive criteria: a history of previous PCI or of coronary artery bypass grafting, or documentation of angiographic stenosis of 50% or more in at least one coronary artery. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to either ticagrelor or placebo, by use of an interactive voice-response or web-response system. The THEMIS-PCI trial comprised a prespecified subgroup of patients with previous PCI. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (measured in the intention-to-treat population). Findings: Between Feb 17, 2014, and May 24, 2016, 11 154 patients (58% of the overall THEMIS trial) with a history of previous PCI were enrolled in the THEMIS-PCI trial. Median follow-up was 3·3 years (IQR 2·8–3·8). In the previous PCI group, fewer patients receiving ticagrelor had a primary efficacy outcome event than in the placebo group (404 [7·3%] of 5558 vs 480 [8·6%] of 5596; HR 0·85 [95% CI 0·74–0·97], p=0·013). The same effect was not observed in patients without PCI (p=0·76, p interaction=0·16). The proportion of patients with cardiovascular death was similar in both treatment groups (174 [3·1%] with ticagrelor vs 183 (3·3%) with placebo; HR 0·96 [95% CI 0·78–1·18], p=0·68), as well as all-cause death (282 [5·1%] vs 323 [5·8%]; 0·88 [0·75–1·03], p=0·11). TIMI major bleeding occurred in 111 (2·0%) of 5536 patients receiving ticagrelor and 62 (1·1%) of 5564 patients receiving placebo (HR 2·03 [95% CI 1·48–2·76], p<0·0001), and fatal bleeding in 6 (0·1%) of 5536 patients with ticagrelor and 6 (0·1%) of 5564 with placebo (1·13 [0·36–3·50], p=0·83). Intracranial haemorrhage occurred in 33 (0·6%) and 31 (0·6%) patients (1·21 [0·74–1·97], p=0·45). Ticagrelor improved net clinical benefit: 519/5558 (9·3%) versus 617/5596 (11·0%), HR=0·85, 95% CI 0·75–0·95, p=0·005, in contrast to patients without PCI where it did not, p interaction=0·012. Benefit was present irrespective of time from most recent PCI. Interpretation: In patients with diabetes, stable coronary artery disease, and previous PCI, ticagrelor added to aspirin reduced cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke, although with increased major bleeding. In that large, easily identified population, ticagrelor provided a favourable net clinical benefit (more than in patients without history of PCI). This effect shows that long-term therapy with ticagrelor in addition to aspirin should be considered in patients with diabetes and a history of PCI who have tolerated antiplatelet therapy, have high ischaemic risk, and low bleeding risk