349 research outputs found
Enteric viruses : current knowledge and control methods in the agri-food industry
Enteric viruses are released in large quantities into the environment, where they can persist for a very
long time. They are infectious at very low doses for humans, and are responsible for a significant number
of foodborne intoxications and infections every year worldwide. Feco-oral transmission occurs
mainly through the ingestion of contaminated food, either fresh or inadequately processed (industrially
or at home), and through human contacts. There are currently no regulatory constraints, due
to the lack of standardised tools, to identify these pathogens. However, the European Community
is currently evaluating methods to extract and detect by molecular biology enteric viruses in liquids
and food matrices. These methodological developments are expected to generate, in the medium
term, virological standards for the main foodstuffs at risk. The industry will have to control the risk
of viral contamination as part of an overall HACCP approach, using these tools as well as risk analysis
and specific control measures.Les virus entériques sont
rejetĂ©s en grande quantitĂ© dans l'environnement oĂč ils sont capables de persister trĂšs
longtemps. Ils sont infectieux Ă trĂšs faibles doses pour l'homme, et Ă l'origine d'un nombre
important de toxi-infections alimentaires chaque année dans le monde. Leur transmission
féco-orale se fait principalement par la consommation d'aliments contaminés, consommés frais
ou n'ayant pas subi de traitement industriel ou domestique suffisant, ainsi que par les
contacts interhumains. Il n'existe à l'heure actuelle aucune contrainte réglementaire, du
fait d'un manque d'outils standardisés de recherche de ces pathogÚnes. Néanmoins, des
méthodes, permettant l'extraction et la détection par biologie moléculaire des virus
entériques dans les liquides et matrices alimentaires, sont en cours d'élaboration par la
Communauté Européenne. Ces développements méthodologiques devraient aboutir, à moyen terme,
Ă la mise en place de normes fixant des critĂšres virologiques pour les principaux aliments Ă
risque. La maĂźtrise du risque viral au niveau industriel devra s'appuyer sur ces outils
d'autocontrÎles, en les intégrant dans une démarche HACCP globale, basée sur une analyse des
risques et des mesures de contrÎle spécifiques
On the interaction of acetone with electrophilic metallocavitands having extended cavities
We report the synthesis and characterization of tantalumâboronate trimetallic clusters of general formula {[Cp*Ta]3(ÎŒ2-RB(O)2)3(ÎŒ2-OH)(ÎŒ2-O)2(ÎŒ3-OH)} (R= 4-(C6H5)(C6H4) (Ta3-4Ph), 4-(C6H5O)(C6H4) (Ta3-4OPh), 4-(C7H7O)(C6H4) (Ta3-4OBn), 4-(C8H5)(C6H4) (Ta3-4PhEt), and 4-(C12H7)(C6H4) (Ta3-4Napht)). All complexes have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The trimetallic species feature a large Lewis acid type cavity allowing for substrate binding in both the solid and the liquid state using a unique electrostatic interaction and a hydrogen bond. ÎH° and ÎS° values for association of acetone with the complexes vary between â2.0 and â4.1 kcal·molâ1 and â3 and 2 cal·molâ1·Kâ1, respectively, showing weaker binding than smaller cavitands of the same type. The barrier for acetone exchange at equilibrium is similar for all complexes, and ÎH⥠values vary between 8.2 and 11.4 kcal·molâ1
Multifaceted intervention to decrease the rate of severe postpartum haemorrhage: the PITHAGORE6 cluster-randomised controlled trial.: Intervention to decrease severe postpartum haemorrhage
International audienceOBJECTIVE: Decreasing the prevalence of severe postpartum haemorrhages (PPH) is a major obstetrical challenge. These are often considered to be associated with substandard initial care. Strategies to increase the appropriateness of early management of PPH must be assessed. We tested the hypothesis that a multifaceted intervention aimed at increasing the translation into practice of a protocol for early management of PPH, would reduce the incidence of severe PPH. DESIGN: Cluster-randomised trial. POPULATION: 106 maternity units in six French regions. METHODS: Maternity units were randomly assigned to receive the intervention, or to have the protocol passively disseminated. The intervention combined outreach visits to discuss the protocol in each local context, reminders, and peer reviews of severe incidents, and was implemented in each maternity hospital by a team pairing an obstetrician and a midwife. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the incidence of severe PPH, defined as a composite of one or more of: transfusion, embolisation, surgical procedure, transfer to intensive care, peripartum haemoglobin decrease of 4 g/dl or more, death. The main secondary outcomes were PPH management practices. RESULTS: The mean rate of severe PPH was 1.64% (SD 0.80) in the intervention units and 1.65% (SD 0.96) in control units; difference not significant. Some elements of PPH management were applied more frequently in intervention units-help from senior staff (P = 0.005), or tended to - second-line pharmacological treatment (P = 0.06), timely blood test (P = 0.09). CONCLUSION: This educational intervention did not affect the rate of severe PPH as compared with control units, although it improved some practices
European Journal of Mechanics - A/Solids
A method coupling experiments and simulations, is developed to characterize the yield stress and strain hardening of several metals loaded at 106 sâ1 and < 25 ns, typically involved during Laser Shock Peening. It was applied to four materials: pure aluminum, 2024-T3 and 7175-T7351 aluminum alloys and Ti6Al4V-ELI titanium alloy. Thin foils have been irradiated with high-power laser to induce high-pressure shock wave. Plastic deformation is activated through the thickness up to the rear free-surface of the foils. These experiments have been simulated using three material constitutive equations: ElasticâPerfectly Plastic model considering static yield stress, JohnsonâCook model without strain hardening and JohnsonâCook model with strain hardening. The material parameters of JohnsonâCook law were identified by comparison of the experimental and calculated velocity profiles of the rear-free surface. Results are shown and discussed
Bradykinin receptors : agonists, antagonists, expression, signaling and adaptation to sustained stimulation
Bradykinin-related peptides, the kinins, are blood-derived peptides that stimulate 2 G proteinâcoupled receptors, the
B1 and B2 receptors (B1R, B2R). The pharmacologic and molecular identities of these 2 receptor subtypes will be
succinctly reviewed, with emphasis on drug development, receptor expression, signaling, and adaptation to
persistent stimulation. Peptide and nonpeptide antagonists and fluorescent ligands have been produced for each
receptor. The B2R is widely and constitutively expressed in mammalian tissues, whereas the B1R is mostly inducible
under the effect of cytokines during infection and immunopathology. Both receptor subtypes mediate the vascular
aspects of inflammation (vasodilation, edema formation). On this basis, icatibant, a peptide antagonist of the B2R, is
approved in the management of hereditary angioedema attacks. Other clinical applications are still elusive despite
the maturity of the medicinal chemistry efforts applied to kinin receptors. While both receptor subtypes are mainly
coupled to the Gq protein and related second messengers, the B2R is temporarily desensitized by a cycle of
phosphorylation/endocytosis followed by recycling, whereas the nonphosphorylable B1R is relatively resistant to
desensitization and translocated to caveolae on activation
Degrees of freedom in social bonds of crested macaque females
Social bonds between group members can affect individual fitness and well-being. While the impact of bond strength is well studied, the consequences of bond predictability and equitability are often overlooked. Similarly, whether bonds reflect short-term contingencies and/or long-term social strategies remains understudied. We investigated these questions in female crested macaques (Macaca nigra), which display a tolerant social style within a nepotistic hierarchical social structure. We analysed the structure of dyadic social bonds by testing whether similarity within dyads - in kinship, dominance and age - predicted the strength, predictability and equitability of bonds. We then tested the value of social bonds by analysing the effect of their characteristics on three fitness-related behaviours: coalitionary support, feeding-in-proximity and aggression. We found that the bond characteristics of females differed substantially from those of other species with comparable data: bonds were of average strength, of moderate endurance and relatively balanced. Stronger bonds were more equitable but less predictable than weaker bonds. Closely-ranked females, but not kin or age peers, had stronger, more predictable and more equitable bonds than others. Coalitionary support was not related to any of the bond characteristics, feeding-in-proximity was positively associated with strength and predictability and aggression was positively linked to strength and equitability. These results highlight the complex picture of the benefits of social bonds in this species. They reflect the degrees of freedom tolerant macaque females can express in their social relationships within their stable social structure, a pattern that may not be given enough consideration in stable nepotistic hierarchical societies. Comparative research is necessary to establish whether these patterns are more general than previously thought or a specific feature of tolerant macaques. Investigating various characteristics of bonds together is paramount in order to appreciate the dynamics of social relationships and to better understand the social components of fitness
Building a Data Set over 12 Globally Distributed Sites to Support the Development of Agriculture Monitoring Applications with Sentinel-2
Developing better agricultural monitoring capabilities based on Earth Observation data is critical for strengthening food production information and market transparency. The Sentinel-2 mission has the optimal capacity for regional to global agriculture monitoring in terms of resolution (10â20 meter), revisit frequency (five days) and coverage (global). In this context, the European Space Agency launched in 2014 the âSentinelÂ2 for Agricultureâ project, which aims to prepare the exploitation of Sentinel-2 data for agriculture monitoring through the development of open source processing chains for relevant products. The project generated an unprecedented data set, made of âSentinel-2 likeâ time series and in situ data acquired in 2013 over 12 globally distributed sites. Earth Observation time series were mostly built on the SPOT4 (Take 5) data set, which was specifically designed to simulate Sentinel-2. They also included Landsat 8 and RapidEye imagery as complementary data sources. Images were pre-processed to Level 2A and the quality of the resulting time series was assessed. In situ data about cropland, crop type and biophysical variables were shared by site managers, most of them belonging to the âJoint Experiment for Crop Assessment and Monitoringâ network. This data set allowed testing and comparing across sites the methodologies that will be at the core of the future âSentinelÂ2 for Agricultureâ system.Instituto de Clima y AguaFil: Bontemps, Sophie. UniversitĂ© Catholique de Louvain. Earth and Life Institute; BĂ©lgicaFil: Arias, Marcela. Universite de Toulose - Le Mirail. Centre dâEtudes Spatiales de la BIOsphĂšre; FranciaFil: Cara, Cosmin. CS Romania S.A.; RumaniaFil: Dedieu, GĂ©rard. Universite de Toulose - Le Mirail. Centre dâEtudes Spatiales de la BIOsphĂšre; FranciaFil: Guzzonato, Eric. CS SystĂšmes dâInformation; FranciaFil: Hagolle, Olivier. Universite de Toulose - Le Mirail. Centre dâEtudes Spatiales de la BIOsphĂšre; FranciaFil: Inglada, Jordi. Universite de Toulose - Le Mirail. Centre dâEtudes Spatiales de la BIOsphĂšre; FranciaFil: Matton, Nicolas. UniversitĂ© Catholique de Louvain. Earth and Life Institute; BĂ©lgicaFil: Morin, David. Universite de Toulose - Le Mirail. Centre dâEtudes Spatiales de la BIOsphĂšre; FranciaFil: Popescu, Ramona. CS Romania S.A.; RumaniaFil: Rabaute, Thierry. CS SystĂšmes dâInformation; FranciaFil: Savinaud, Mickael. CS SystĂšmes dâInformation; FranciaFil: Sepulcre, Guadalupe. UniversitĂ© Catholique de Louvain. Earth and Life Institute; BĂ©lgicaFil: Valero, Silvia. Universite de Toulose - Le Mirail. Centre dâEtudes Spatiales de la BIOsphĂšre; FranciaFil: Ahmad, Ijaz. Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission. Space Applications Research Complex. National Agriculture Information Center Directorate; PakistĂĄnFil: BĂ©guĂ©, AgnĂšs. Centre de CoopĂ©ration Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le DĂ©velopperment; FranciaFil: Wu, Bingfang. Chinese Academy of Sciences. Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth; RepĂșblica de ChinaFil: De Abelleyra, Diego. Instituto Nacional de TecnologĂa Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Clima y Agua; ArgentinaFil: Diarra, Alhousseine. UniversitĂ© Cadi Ayyad. FacultĂ© des Sciences Semlalia; MarruecosFil: Dupuy, StĂ©phane. Centre de CoopĂ©ration Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le DĂ©velopperment; FranciaFil: French, Andrew. United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center; ArgentinaFil: Akhtar, Ibrar ul Hassan. Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission. Space Applications Research Complex. National Agriculture Information Center Directorate; PakistĂĄnFil: Kussul, Nataliia. National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Space Research Institute and State Space Agency of Ukraine; UcraniaFil: Lebourgeois, Valentine. Centre de CoopĂ©ration Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le DĂ©velopperment; FranciaFil: Le Page, Michel. UniversitĂ© Cadi Ayyad. FacultĂ© des Sciences Semlalia. Laboratoire Mixte International TREMA; Marruecos. Universite de Toulose - Le Mirail. Centre dâEtudes Spatiales de la BIOsphĂšre; FranciaFil: Newby, Terrence. Agricultural Research Council; SudĂĄfricaFil: Savin, Igor. V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute; RusiaFil: VerĂłn, Santiago RamĂłn. Instituto Nacional de TecnologĂa Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Clima y Agua; ArgentinaFil: Koetz, Benjamin. European Space Agency. European Space Research Institute; ItaliaFil: Defourny, Pierre. UniversitĂ© Catholique de Louvain. Earth and Life Institute; BĂ©lgic
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