A Review on 3D Architected Pyrolytic Carbon Produced by Additive Micro/Nanomanufacturing

Additive micro/nano-manufacturing of polymeric precursors combining with a subsequent pyrolysis step enables the design-controlled fabrication of micro/nano-architected 3D pyrolytic carbon structures with complex architectural details. Pyrolysis results in a significant geometrical shrinkage of the pyrolytic carbon structure, leading to a structural dimension significantly smaller than the resolution limit of the involved additive manufacturing technology. Combining with the material properties of carbon and 3D architectures, architected 3D pyrolytic carbon exhibits exceptional properties, which are significantly superior to that of bulk carbon materials. This article presents a comprehensive review of the manufacturing processes of micro/nano-architected pyrolytic carbon materials, their properties, and corresponding demonstrated applications. Acknowledging the “young” age of the field of micro/nano-architected carbon, this article also addresses the current challenges and paints the future research directions of this field

Field evaluation of a rapid immunochromatographic dipstick test for the diagnosis of cholera in a high-risk population

BACKGROUND: Early detection of cholera outbreaks is crucial for the implementation of the most appropriate control strategies. METHODS: The performance of an immunochromatographic dipstick test (Institute Pasteur, Paris, France) specific for Vibrio cholerae O1 was evaluated in a prospective study in Beira, Mozambique, during the 2004 cholera season (January-May). Fecal specimens were collected from 391 patients with acute watery nonbloody diarrhea and tested by dipstick and conventional culture. RESULTS: The overall sensitivity and specificity of the rapid test compared to culture were 95% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 91%–99%) and 89% (95% CI: 86%–93%), respectively. After stratification by type of sample (rectal swab/bulk stool) and severity of diarrhea, the sensitivity ranged between 85% and 98% and specificity between 77% and 97%. CONCLUSION: This one-step dipstick test performed well in the diagnosis of V. cholerae O1 in a setting with seasonal outbreaks where rapid tests are most urgently needed

Phagetherapy: Clinical Applications – Critical Appraisal of Randomized Controlled Trials

Phagotherapy, defined as the use of bacteriophage to treat bacterial infections, was initially proposed by Felix d’Herelle, a French-Canadian who did a lot of research on this topic in Paris, but also travelled the world to treat patients in different settings and conditions. While the literature on this topic is quite extensive, the number of randomized controlled trials is rather limited. Large studies were performed and published in the former USSR republics more than 50 years ago. Since then, there were few trials performed, enrolling a limited number of patients and assessing potential phage efficacy in different settings such as chronic otitis or infected burn wounds. In this chapter, we review and discuss these different randomized trials. While the results might look disappointing at first sight, they all confirm safety of phage used for treatment of difficult clinical situations. Those trials should help define further studies in order to obtain the best possible results and hopefully confirm that phages could be used as an alternative to treat difficult to treat multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections