In vivo assessment of the mechanical properties of the child cortical bone using quantitative computed tomography

The mechanical properties of the rib cortical bone are extremely rare on children due to difficulties to obtain specimens to perform conventional tests. Some recent studies used cadaveric bones or bone tissues collected during surgery but are limited by the number of samples that could be collected. A non-invasive technique could be extremely valuable to overcome this limitation. It has been shown that a relationship exists between the mechanical properties (apparent Young’s modulus and ultimate strength) and the bone mineral density (assessed using Quantitative Computed Tomography, QCT), for the femur and recently by our group for the adult ribs ex vivo. Thus the aim of this study was to assess the mechanical properties of the child rib cortical bone using both QCT images in vivo and the previous relationship between bone mineral density and mechanical properties of the rib cortical bone. Twenty-eight children were included in this study. Seven age-groups have been considered (1, 1.5, 3, 6, 10, 15, 18 years old). The QCT images were prescribed for various thoracic pathologies at the pediatric hospital in Lyon. A calibration phantom was added to the clinical protocol without any modifications for the patient. The protocol was approved by the ethical committee. A 3D reconstruction of each thorax was performed using the QCT images. A custom software was then used to obtain cross-sections to the rib midline. The mean bone mineral density was then computed by averaging the Hounsfield Units in a specific cross-section and by converting the mean value (Hounsfield Units) in bone mineral density using the calibration phantom. This bone mineral density was assessed for the 6th rib of each subject. Our relationship between the bone mineral density and the mechanical properties of the rib cortical bone was used to derive the mechanical properties of the child ribs in vivo. The results give values for the apparent Young’s modulus and the ultimate strength. The mechanical properties increase along growth. As an example the apparent Young’s modulus in the lateral region ranges from 7 GPa +/-3 at 1 year old up to 13 GPa +/- 2 at 18 years old. These data are in agreement with the few previous values obtained from child tissues. This methodology opens the way to in vivo measurement of the mechanical properties of the child cortical bone based on calibrated QCT images

CT Angiographic Demonstration of a Mesenteric Vessel "Whirlpool" in Intestinal Malrotation and Midgut Volvulus: a Case Report

Although the color Doppler ultrasonography diagnosis of intestinal malrotation with midgut volvulus, based on the typical "whirlpool" appearance of the mesenteric vascular structures is well-defined in the peer-reviewed literature, the combination of both the angiographic illustration of these findings and the contemporary state-of-the-art imaging techniques is lacking. We report the digital subtraction angiography and multidetector computed tomography angiography findings of a 37-year-old male with intestinal malrotation

Bilateral renal artery stenosis and epidermal nevus syndrome in a child

Epidermal nevus syndrome is a rare congenital sporadic neuro-ectodermic disorder, characterized by the presence of epidermal nevi in association with various developmental abnormalities of the skin, eyes, nervous, skeletal, cardiovascular and urogenital systems. We describe a 5-year-old boy with conjunctival lipodermoid, cervical and facial sebaceous nevi who presented at 3 years of age with hypertension due to bilateral renal artery stenosis together with multiple vascular anomalies (aorta, celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery) as shown by magnetic resonance angiography. Systemic arterial hypertension was difficult to control despite combined anti-hypertensive drugs and the surgical repair of the aortic coarctation

Molecular biology and pathogenicity of phytoplasmas

Phytoplasmas are a large group of plant-pathogenic wall-less, non-helical, bacteria associated with diseases, collectively referred to as yellows diseases, in more than a thousand plant species worldwide. Many of these diseases are of great economic importance. Phytoplasmas are difficult to study, in particular because all attempts at culturing these plant pathogens under axenic conditions have failed. With the introduction of molecular methods into phytoplasmology about two decades ago, the genetic diversity of phytoplasmas could be elucidated and a system for their taxonomic classification based on phylogenetic traits established. In addition, a wealth of information was generated on phytoplasma ecology and genomics, phytoplasma–plant host interactions and phytoplasma–insect vector relationships. Taxonomically, phytoplasmas are placed in the class Mollicutes, closely related to acholeplasmas, and are currently classified within the provisional genus ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’ based primarily on 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Phytoplasmas are characterised by a small genome. The sizes vary considerably, ranging from 530 to 1350 kilobases (kb), with overlapping values between the various taxonomic groups and subgroups, resembling in this respect the culturable mollicutes. The smallest chromosome, about 530 kb, is known to occur in the Bermuda grass white leaf agent ‘Ca. Phytoplasma cynodontis’. This value represents the smallest mollicute chromosome reported to date. In diseased plants, phytoplasmas reside almost exclusively in the phloem sieve tube elements and are transmitted from plant to plant by phloem-feeding homopteran insects, mainly leafhoppers and planthoppers, and less frequently psyllids. Most of the phytoplasma host plants are angiosperms in which a wide range of specific and non-specific symptoms are induced. Phytoplasmas have a unique and complex life cycle that involves colonisation of different environments, the plant phloem and various organs of the insect vectors. Furthermore, many phytoplasmas have an extremely wide plant host range. The dynamic architecture of phytoplasma genomes, due to the occurrence of repetitive elements of various types, may account for variation in their genome size and adaptation of phytoplasmas to the diverse environments of their plant and insect hosts. The availability of five complete phytoplasma genome sequences has made it possible to identify a considerable number of genes that are likely to play major roles in phytoplasma–host interactions. Among these, there are genes encoding surface membrane proteins and effector proteins. Also, it has been shown that phytoplasmas dramatically alter their gene expression upon switching between plant and insect hosts

Disorders of intestinal rotation and fixation (“malrotation”)

Malrotation with volvulus is one of the true surgical emergencies of childhood. Prompt radiological diagnosis is often paramount to achieving a good outcome. An understanding of the normal and anomalous development of the midgut provides a basis for understanding the pathophysiology and the clinical presentation of malrotation and malrotation complicated by volvulus. In this essay, the radiologic findings of malrotation and volvulus are reviewed and illustrated with particular attention to the child with equivocal imaging findings.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46708/1/247_2004_Article_1279.pd

Mesure de l'activité des saponines de la luzerne par les larves du ver de farine : Tenebrio molitor L. (Coléoptère, Tenebrionidae). II. — Recherche des fractions de saponines responsables des effets antinutritionnels observés

Industrija stalno traži nove metode koje će biti učinkovite i zadovoljavati zahtjeve potrošača te omogućiti ekonomski i ekološki prihvatljivu proizvodnju. Jedna od novih nekonvencionalnih tehnologija je hladna plazma. Prednosti hladne plazme nad termalnim procesima su i niska odnosno sobna temperatura procesa, kratko vrijeme obrade te manji utjecaj na senzorska svojstva hrane. Cilj ovog rada bio je istražiti na koji način ferocenski analozi kurkumina utječu na inaktivaciju gram-negativne bakterije Escherichia coli MG1655- K12 u kombinaciji s netermalnom tehnologijom-hladna plazma. Proučavan je utjecaj četiri različita ferocenska analoga kurkumina na inaktivaciju bakterije Escherichia coli te kombinirajući učinak hladne plazme pri vremenu tretiranja od 3 i 6 min i kurkuminu sličnih spojeva na inaktivaciju iste. Rezultatima je utvrđeno da se sinergističkim tretmanom kurkumina i hladne plazme postiže veći inhibitorni učinak na E. coli.The industry is constantly looking for new methods that will be effective, meet consumer demands and to enable economically and environmentally friendly production. One of the new unconventional technologies is cold plasma. The advantages of cold plasma over thermal processes are the low or room temperature of the process, short processing time and less influence on the sensory properties of food. The aim of this paper was to investigate how the ferrocene analogues of curcumin influence inactivation of gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli MG1655-K12 in combination with non-thermal technology-cold plasma. The effect of four different ferrocene analogues of curcumin on the inactivation of Escherichia coli was studied and the combining effect of cold plasma at treatment times of 3 and 6 min and curcumin-like compounds on the inactivation of the same. The results show that synergistic treatment of curcumin and cold plasma achieves a greater inhibitory effect on E. coli

Mesure de l'activité des saponines de la luzerne par les larves du ver de farine : Tenebrio molitor L. (Coléoptère, Tenebrionidae). I. — Comparaison avec les résultats de divers tests biologiques

International audienc

Le Cystadénome mucineux ovarien géant (une cause rare de masse abdominale chez l'enfant : à propos de trois observations)

LYON1-BU Santé (693882101) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF