Genotoxicity surveillance programme in workers dismantling World War I chemical ammunition

To evaluate the effectiveness of personal protective measures in a dismantling plant for chemical weapons from World War I of the Belgian Defence.Seventeen NIOSH level B-equipped plant workers exposed to arsenic trichloride (AsCl3) in combination with phosgene or hydrogen cyanide (HCN) were compared to 24 NIOSH level C-protected field workers occasionally exposed to genotoxic chemicals (including AsCl3-phosgene/HCN) when collecting chemical ammunition, and 19 matched referents. Chromosomal aberrations (CA), micronuclei (MNCB and MNMC), sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and high frequency cells (HFC) were analysed in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Urinary arsenic levels and genetic polymorphisms in major DNA repair enzymes (hOGG1 (326) , XRCC1 (399) , XRCC3 (241) ) were also assessed.SCE and HFC levels were significantly higher in plant-exposed versus referent subjects, but MNCB and MNMC were not different. MNCB, SCE and HFC levels were significantly higher and MNMC levels significantly lower in field-exposed workers versus referents. AsCl3 exposure was not correlated with genotoxicity biomarkers.Protective measures for plant-exposed workers appear adequate, but protection for field-exposed individuals could be improved

Assessment of various parameters to improve MALDI-TOF MS reference spectra libraries constructed for the routine identification of filamentous fungi

BACKGROUND: The poor reproducibility of matrix-assisted desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) spectra limits the effectiveness of the MALDI-TOF MS-based identification of filamentous fungi with highly heterogeneous phenotypes in routine clinical laboratories. This study aimed to enhance the MALDI-TOF MS-based identification of filamentous fungi by assessing several architectures of reference spectrum libraries. RESULTS: We established reference spectrum libraries that included 30 filamentous fungus species with various architectures characterized by distinct combinations of the following: i) technical replicates, i.e., the number of analyzed deposits for each culture used to build a reference meta-spectrum (RMS); ii) biological replicates, i.e., the number of RMS derived from the distinct subculture of each strain; and iii) the number of distinct strains of a given species. We then compared the effectiveness of each library in the identification of 200 prospectively collected clinical isolates, including 38 species in 28 genera.Identification effectiveness was improved by increasing the number of both RMS per strain (p&lt;10-4) and strains for a given species (p&lt;10-4) in a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Addressing the heterogeneity of MALDI-TOF spectra derived from filamentous fungi by increasing the number of RMS obtained from distinct subcultures of strains included in the reference spectra library markedly improved the effectiveness of the MALDI-TOF MS-based identification of clinical filamentous fungi</p

Quality control in culture collections: confirming identity of filamentous fungi by MALDI-TOF MS

&lt;p&gt;In culture collections, strains are controlled after preservation to guarantee their viability, purity and identity. For filamentous fungi, the identity is traditionally verified by performing morphological analyses with the support of DNA sequencing if required. These methods are particularly time-consuming and require extensive knowledge of mycology. In this study, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was evaluated as an alternative method for fast, robust and objective identity controls in the routine work of the BCCM/IHEM fungal collection. A total of 481 controls were carried out using mass spectrometry and compared to the results obtained by the conventional procedure. The overall performance of the MALDI-TOF MS reached 84% of correct identification at species level. Moreover, misidentification at entry in the collection was put in evidence for 14 strains by mass spectrometry and confirmed by DNA sequencing. Out of these, only eight were detected by the traditional method. Considering these results, a workflow combining MALDI-TOF MS, microscopy and genetic analyses is proposed to speed up and objectify identity controls in fungal culture collections.&lt;/p&gt;</p

A modern tool for a conservative purpose: the use of MALDI-TOF MS in a fungal culture collection

One of the main objectives of the BCCM/IHEM fungal culture collection is the long-term preservation of interesting strains to ensure their availability for the scientific community at large. The viability, purity and identity of a strain is verified before entering the collection, but also after lyophilisation or cryopreservation. For filamentous fungi, these routine identity checks are traditionally done based on morphological analyses, and DNA sequencing if necessary. This requires extensive taxonomical expertise, and is time consuming and costly. The BCCM/IHEM collection evaluated matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) as an alternative method for the routine post-preservation identity controls. A total of 481 controls were carried out using MALDI-TOF MS in parallel with the conventional procedure. The overall performance of the MALDI-TOF MS reached 84% of correct identifications at species level. Moreover, misidentification at entry in the collection could be corrected for 14 strains by mass spectrometry, which was confirmed by DNA sequencing. Out of these 14, only eight had been detected by the traditional method. Considering these results, a workflow combining MALDI-TOF MS, microscopy and genetic analyses is proposed to enhance accuracy and time- and cost-effectiveness of routine identity controls in fungal culture collections.</p

Situation socio-sanitaire des personnes âgées bruxelloises

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Construction, validation et amélioration continue de banque de spectres pour l’utilisation en routine de la spectrométrie de masse en mycologie médicale

Résumé publié dans: Journal de Mycologie Médicale / Journal of Medical Mycology, sept. 2012, 55(3): 279-280. doi:10.1016/j.mycmed.2012.07.024National audienc

Vivre chez soi après 65 ans. Atlas des besoins et des acteurs à Bruxelles

Cet atlas est le résultat d’une collaboration entre le Centre de Documentation et de Coordination Sociales et l’Observatoire de la Santé et du Social, soutenue par les trois commissions communautaires bruxelloises. Après un chapitre décrivant la situation socio-sanitaire des Bruxellois âgés, on trouve un inventaire de l’offre de services sociaux et de santé permettant aux plus de 65 ans de vivre le plus longtemps possible à domicile. Le chapitre suivant est consacré à l’analyse de cette offre par rapport aux besoins et des pistes pour l’avenir sont dégagées