Phenotypic characteristics of Hydrocephalus in stillborn Friesian foals

Hydrocephalus is uncommon in horses. However, in recent years, it has become clear that the prevalence of hydrocephalus is greater in Friesian horses than in other breeds probably due to their limited gene pool. Before identification of candidate genes that predispose to the development of hydrocephalus in Friesian horses can be pursued, an in-depth, phenotypic, pathological description of the condition in Friesians would be of great benefit. Our study aimed to characterize the morphology of hydrocephalus in Friesian horses, to support further investigation of the genetic background of this condition. Four stillborn Friesian foals with hydrocephalus were examined macroscopically and microscopically and compared with 2 normal stillborn Friesian foals without hydrocephalus. In all clinical cases, tetraventricular and venous dilatations were observed, together with malformation of the petrosal bone and, as a result, narrowing of the jugular foramen. These observations suggest a communicative hydrocephalus with a diminished absorption of cerebrospinal fluid into the systemic circulation at the venous sinuses due to a distorted, nonfunctional jugular foramen. This type of hydrocephalus is also recognized in humans and dogs and has been linked genetically to chondrodysplasia; this has already been recognized in dwarfism, which is another monogenetic defect in Friesian horses.http://vet.sagepub.com/am201

Biomethanation potential of biological and other wastes

Anaerobic technology has been traditionally applied for the treatment of carbon rich wastewater and organic residues. Anaerobic processes can be fully integrated in the biobased economy concept for resource recovery. After a brief introduction about applications of anaerobic processes to industrial wastewater treatment, agriculture feedstock and organic fraction of municipal solid waste, the position of anaerobic processes in biorefinery concepts is presented. Integration of anaerobic digestion with these processes can help in the maximisation of the economic value of the biomass used, while reducing the waste streams produced and mitigating greenhouse gases emissions. Besides the integration of biogas in the existing full-scale bioethanol and biodiesel production processes, the potential applications of biogas in the second generation lignocellulosic, algae and syngas-based biorefinery platforms are discussed.(undefined

Measurement of Self-Heating Temperature in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs by Using Cerium Oxide Micro-Raman Thermometers

International audienc

Biotreatment of industrial wastewaters under transient-state conditions: process stability with fluctuations of organic load, substrates, toxicants and environmental parameters.

51 páginas.Biotreatment of industrial wastewater is often challenged by operation under transient states with respect to organic loads, pollutants, and physical characteristics. Furthermore, the potential presence of inhibitory compounds requires careful monitoring and adequate process design. This review describes difficulties encountered in biological treatment of wastewater with highly variable influent characteristics. Typical design aspects of biological processes are presented and discussed with respect to their success in treating highly fluctuating wastewaters. In general, biomass retention is a key factor for dealing with highly fluctuating and/or inhibitory wastewater, but the how it operates also affects the stability of performance, as it was shown that dynamic operation instead of operation at a constant flow enhances biodegradation onset and more evenly distributed activity. Although ultimately stable effluent quality must be achieved, the microbial population stability is not necessarily high, as it was shown that microbial diversity and flexibility may play a critical role in functional stability.Peer reviewe

A 5000h RF life test on 330 W RF-LDMOS transistors for radars applications

International audienc

A 5000h RF life test on 330 W RF-LDMOS transistors for radars applications

International audienc