Retropharyngeal abscess revealing a migrant foreign body complicated by mediastinitis: a case report

Pharyngeal foreign bodies are quite common. Their diagnosis is usually easy. The risk of complications including retropharyngeal abscess and mediastinitis is rare and it depends mainly on the nature of the foreign body and the period of the therapeutic management. The occurrence of these complications  darkens the prognosis of this affection usually benign. We report a 21 years old patient, without any  significant history, admitted to the emergency for a high painful dysphagia and impaired general condition with fever 20 days after trauma in the posterior pharyngeal wall following a meal. The radiological assessment including cervico-thoracic CT scan had objectified the presence of a metallic foreign body in the retropharyngeal space  associated with a retropharyngeal abscess and aggravated by a mediastinitis following the migration of the foreign body to the chest. Biological markers of infection were very increased. The therapeutic management consisted of a surgical drainage of the collections by a cervicotomy with removal of the foreign body. The outcome was favorable clinically and biologically. Pharyngeal foreign bodies are common and favorable when the diagnosis and extraction are made on time. The occurrence of complications, especially retropharyngeal abscess and mediastinitis is rare and burdened with a high morbidity and mortality.Key words: Retropharyngeal, mediastinitis, absces

Impact of inhibitory peptides released by Saccharomyces cerevisiae BDX on the malolactic fermentation performed by Oenococcus oeni Vitilactic F

A previous study has shown that the malolactic fermentation (MLF) was inhibited during sequential fermentations performed with the pair Saccharomyces cerevisiae BDX/Oenococcus oeni Vitilactic F in synthetic grape juices. A yeast peptidic fraction with an apparent MW of 5-10kDa was involved in the inhibition. In the present study, the MLF was also inhibited in Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah wines. The inhibition due to the peptidic fraction was maintained despite high phenolic contents. Kinetic studies showed that the peptidic fraction was gradually released during the alcoholic fermentation (AF). Its highest anti-MLF effect was reached when isolated from late stages of the AF stationary phase. The peptidic fraction was tested in vitro on cell-free bacterial cytosolic extracts containing the malolactic enzyme in a pH range between 3.5 and 6.7. Results showed that it was able to directly inhibit the malolactic enzyme activity with an increasing inhibitory kinetic correlated to the AF time at which it was collected

Effect of Oxygen Consumption of Thylakoid Membranes (Chloroplasts) From Spinach after Inhibition Using JNN

Abstract: In this research, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was developed and tested to predict effect of oxygen consumption of thylakoid membranes (chloroplasts) from spinach after inhibition. A number of factors were identified that may affect of oxygen consumption of thylakoid membranes from spinach. Factors such as curve, herbicide, dose, among others, as input variables for the ANN model. A model based on multi-layer concept topology was developed and trained using the data from some inhibition of photosynthesis in farms. The evaluation of testing the dataset shows that the ANN model is capable of correctly predicting the effect of oxygen consumption of thylakoid membranes (chloroplasts) from spinach after inhibition with 100% accuracy

Evolution of Polyphenols during Syrah Grapes Maceration: Time versus Temperature Effect

The effect of maceration time and temperature on the phenolic compounds of Syrah grape musts was studied. Pre-fermentation cold (10 °C) and heat maceration (60, 70 and 80 °C) were applied and compared to traditional maceration (control, 25 °C). The macerations were monitored and the kinetic profile of the maceration was studied by taking samples at 0, 2, 4, 8, 24 and 48 h. The results showed that heat treatment had the most significant effect on the extraction of total polyphenol. A significant loss of anthocyanin content was observed when the maceration was extended beyond eight hours at high temperatures, while longer maceration times seemed to favor the extraction of tannins. A principal component analysis showed that independently of the vinification technique, and for the same grape varieties, different winegrowing regions and harvest years affected the phenolic composition of the grape ski

Analysis of the impact of fining agents types, oenological tannins and mannoproteins and their concentrations on the phenolic composition of red wine

This paper aimed to evaluate and analyze the effect of five fining agents, commercial tannins and mannoproteins on the pigment, color and tannins composition of a Cabernet Sauvignon red wine. The wines were analyzed 2 d after treatment and immediately after separation of sedimentation. Color was evaluated by spectrophotometry and polyphenols were analyzed by spectrophotometry and HPLC-DAD. The results showed that all treatments affected the phenolic contents of the wine. The most remarkable effects on phenolic composition were produced by bentonite and Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PvPP) + potassium caseinate which significantly decreased anthocyanins and tannins concentrations, respectively. The use of vegetable protein and gelatin has a less impact on the color and phenolic contents of red wines. The antioxidant activity was little affected by treatments except the addition of tannins that increased it. Principal components analysis demonstrates the importance of a low concentration of agents for high total polyphenol levels

Lithium Niobate Micro-transducers matrix design

In this work, a two-dimensional (2D) Lithium Niobate (LiNbO3) 36°Y-cut micro-transducers (μTs) matrix design is presented. Two main steps define the fabrication process: electrode deposition and photolithography. These steps are preceded by the optical mask conception, which defines the 2D matrix pattern. In contrary to the one element case, this μTs matrix allows to automatically scan a desired structure in real time. The μTs matrix is characterized using an impedance analyzer. Furthermore, the experimental tests carried out in order to demonstrate the matrix functionality at low frequencies [200 - 800] kHz are presented

Improvement of CO2 hydrate formation and flow using chemical additives in a slurry loop and a stirred reactor: applications to refrigeration and CO2 capture

Secondary refrigeration and thermal energy storage techniques could be interesting solutions to improve refrigerating system performances and to reduce power consumption and propagation of refrigerants in the atmosphere. In order to combine a more efficient secondary loop and fluids with higher energy storage capacity, a phase change material (PCM) slurry, also called phase change slurry (PCS), could be used as secondary refrigerant. In addition, hydrate-based processes could be an interesting option to separate the CO2 from various gas mixtures. In these two applications, the flow properties of the CO2 hydrate slurry are of paramount importance. In the present study, small amounts of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) were added to the aqueous phase, and this system was tested under CO2 pressure both in a dynamic flow loop and in a stirred reactor. The results obtained with the flow loop demonstrate that SDS has anti-agglomerant properties for the CO2 hydrate: SDS significantly decreases agglomeration and thus improves flowing capacities of the slurry. The results obtained in the reactor shows that the presence of SDS increases the kinetics of the hydrate growth rate both in agitated and in quiescent hydrate forming conditions. Consequently, the addition of SDS could be very promising in industrial applications, such as secondary refrigeration or gas separation, where hydrate slurries must be easily handled and where the hydrate formation rate is of great importance

Whole-genome characterisation of TEM-1 and CMY-2 β-lactamase-producing Salmonella Kentucky ST198 in Lebanese broiler chain

Objectives : Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Kentucky has been associated with the worldwide ciprofloxacin-resistant (CIPR) Salmonella Kentucky sequence type 198 (ST198) epidemic clone, mostly recovered from poultry farms and products. The aim of this study was to examine whether this expanding clone exists in the Lebanese broiler chain. Methods : Eight CIPR and extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Salmonella Kentucky isolates previously recovered from Lebanese broilers were genetically characterised by whole-genome sequencing. Results : Seven of the eight isolates belonged to ST198 and were phylogenetically closely related. They all harboured mutations in the chromosomal quinolone resistance genesgyrA and parC with double and single substitutions, respectively. The blaTEM-1B and blaCMY-2 genes were both detected in six isolates. Insertion sequence ISEcp1 was located upstream of blaCMY-2, harboured by IncI1 plasmids in four strains. An IS10 transposition coupled to homologous recombination at transposition sites mediated CMY-2 plasmid integration into the chromosome of one strain. Resistance genes to aminoglycosides [aadA7 and aac(3)-Id], tetracyclines [tet(A)] and sulfonamides (sul1) were detected in five strains, among which four were positive for the presence of Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) variant SGI1-K. All studied isolates harboured a variety of Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPIs) as well as common regulatory and virulence genes. Conclusion : Here we report for the first time in Lebanon the detection and dissemination of the emerging highly drug-resistantSalmonella Kentucky ST198. Our findings shed new light on this clone as a potential public-health threat

Identification of multiple-derived peptides produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae involved in malolactic fermentation inhibition

An oenological strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was previously shown to produce a 5–10 kDa peptidic fraction responsible for the inhibition of malolactic fermentation (MLF). In the present study, we aim to further purify the anti-MLF peptides of this fraction. The yeast fermented synthetic grape juice medium was fractionated by ammonium sulfate precipitation combined with ultrafiltration. The 5–10 kDa fraction recovered at a saturation degree of 60%–80% was the only fraction that inhibited both the bacterial growth and the malate consumption in vivo. It also inhibited the malolactic enzyme activity in vitro at a pH range between 3.5 and 6.7. Therefore, it was purified by both anion and cation exchange chromatography. The eluates that inhibited the malolactic enzyme activity in vitro were migrated on Tricine SDS-PAGE and the protein bands were excised and sequenced by LC-MS/MS. The sequencing revealed nine peptides originating from eight proteins of S. cerevisiae. Two GAPDH cationic fragments of 0.9 and 1.373 kDa having a pI of 10.5 and 11 respectively, Wtm2p and Utr2p anionic fragments of 2.42 kDa with a pI of 3.5 and 4 respectively were thought to contribute the most to the MLF inhibitio