Ecologie et distribution des espèces de Culicoides Latreille 1809 (Diptera : Ceratopogonidae) à proximité d’une exploitation bovine en Belgique

peer reviewedBluetongue is a non-contagious disease that affects domestic and wild ruminants. Since its spreading to Northern Europe in 2006, this viral epizooty caused considerable economical losses on the ovine and bovine livestock. The biological vectors of the bluetongue virus (BTV) are biting midges belonging to the genus Culicoides. Many elements still remain unknown about their biology, physiology, ecology and distribution. This study shows that these biting midges are much more abundant on farm level than in the nearby meadows; these last ones nevertheless present a much more specifi c diversity. So possibility of migration between the meadow and the farm is voiced for the C. chiopterus and C. dewulfi species. Females are much more represented than males for the farm and the meadow alike. The physiology observation of these ones is realized throughout the study

Evaluation of the sustainability of contrasted pig farming systems: development of a market conformity tool for pork products based on technological quality traits

A market conformity tool, based on technological meat quality parameters, was developed within the Q-PorkChains project, to be included in a global sustainability evaluation of pig farming systems. The specific objective of the market conformity tool was to define a scoring system based on the suitability of meat to elaborate the main pork products, according to their market shares based on industry requirements, in different pig farming systems. The tool was based on carcass and meat quality parameters that are commonly used for the assessment of technological quality, which provide representative and repeatable data and are easily measurable. They were the following: cold carcass weight; lean meat percentage; minimum subcutaneous back fat depth at nn. gluteus nnedius level, 45 postmortem and ultimate pH (measured at 24-h postmortem) in m. longissinnus lunnborunn and senninnennbranosus; meat colour; drip losses and intramuscular fat content in a m. longissinnus sample. Five categories of pork products produced at large scale in Europe were considered in the study: fresh meat, cooked products, dry products, specialties and other meat products. For each of the studied farming systems, the technological meat quality requirements, as well as the market shares for each product category within farming system, were obtained from the literature and personal communications from experts. The tool resulted in an overall conformity score that enabled to discriminate among systems according to the degree of matching of the achieved carcass and meat quality with the requirements of the targeted market. In order to improve feasibility, the tool was simplified by selecting ultimate pH at nn. longissinnus or senninnennbranosus, minimum fat thickness measured at the left half carcass over m. gluteus nnedius and intramuscular fat content in a m. longissinnus sample as iceberg indicators. The overall suitability scores calculated by using both the complete and the reduced tools presented good correlation and the results obtained were similar. The tool could be considered as robust enough to discriminate among different systems, since it was tested in a wide range of them. It also can be used to detect improvement opportunities to enhance sustainability of pig farming systems. The final objective of the study was achieved, since the market suitability tool could be used in an integrated sustainability analysis of pig farming systems

Evaluating environmental impacts of contrasting pig farming systems with life cycle assessment

Environmental impacts of 15 European pig farming systems were evaluated in the European Union Q-PorkChains project using life cycle assessment. One conventional and two non-conventional systems were evaluated from each of the five countries: Denmark, The Netherlands, Spain, France and Germany. The data needed for calculations were obtained from surveys of 5 to 10 farms from each system. The systems studied were categorised into conventional (C), adapted conventional (AC), traditional (T) and organic (O). Compared with C systems, AC systems differed little, with only minor changes to improve meat quality, animal welfare or environmental impacts, depending on the system. The difference was much larger for T systems, using very fat, slow-growing traditional breeds and generally outdoor raising of fattening pigs. Environmental impacts were calculated at the farm gate and expressed per kg of pig live weight and per ha of land used. For C systems, impacts per kg LW for climate change, acidification, eutrophication, energy use and land occupation were 2.3 kg CO2-eq, 440g SO2-eq, 18.5g PO4-eq, 16.2 MJ and 41 m(2), respectively. Compared with C, differences in corresponding mean values were +13%, + 5%, 0%, + 2% and +16% higher for AC; +54%, +79%, +23%, +50% and +156% for T, and +4%, -16%, +29%, +11% and +121% for O. Conversely, when expressed per ha of land use, mean impacts were 10% to 60% lower for T and O systems, depending on the impact category. This was mainly because of higher land occupation per kg of pig produced, owing to feed production and the outdoor raising of sows and/or fattening pigs. The use of straw bedding tended to increase climate change impact per kg LW. The use of traditional local breeds, with reduced productivity and feed efficiency, resulted in higher impacts per kg LW for all impact categories. T systems with extensive outdoor raising of pigs resulted in markedly lower impact per ha of land used. Eutrophication potential per ha was substantially lower for 0 systems. Conventional systems had lower global impacts (global warming, energy use, land use), expressed per kg LW, whereas differentiated systems had lower local impacts (eutrophication, acidification), expressed per ha of land use

An European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer phase I study of lapatinib and docetaxel as neoadjuvant treatment for Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) positive locally-advanced/inflammatory or large operable breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lapatinib is an effective anti-HER2 therapy in advanced breast cancer and docetaxel is one of the most active agents in breast cancer. Combining these agents in pre-treated patients with metastatic disease had previously proved challenging, so the primary objective of this study aimed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in treatment-naive patients, by identifying acute dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) during cycle 1 in the first part of a phases 1-2 neoadjuvant European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with large operable or locally-advanced HER2 positive breast cancer were treated with continuous lapatinib, and docetaxel every 21days for 4 cycles. Dose levels (DLs) were: 1000/75, 1250/75, 1000/85, 1250/85, 1000/100 and 1250/100 (mg/day)/(mg/m(2)). RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were included. Two DLTs occurred at dose level 5 (1000/100); one grade 4 neutropenia ⩾7days and one febrile neutropenia. A further 3 patients were therefore treated at the same dose with prophylactic granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), and 3 patients at dose level 6. No further DLTs were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our recommended dose for phase II is lapatinib 1000mg/day and docetaxel 100mg/m(2) with G-CSF in HER2 positive non-metastatic breast cancer. The dose of lapatinib should have been 1250mg/day but we were mindful of the high rate of treatment discontinuation in GeparQuinto with lapatinib 1250mg/day combined with docetaxel. No grade 3-4 diarrhoea was observed. Pharmacodynamics analysis suggests that concomitant medications altering P-glycoprotein activity (in addition to lapatinib) can modify toxicity, including non-haematological toxicities. This needs verification in larger trials, where it may contribute to understanding the sources of variability in clinical toxicity and treatment discontinuation

Wie nutzen Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene Facebook? - Eine empirische Untersuchung zu Nutzungsverhalten und Alterseffekten

Die Nutzung des sozialen Online-Netzwerkes „Facebook“ ist ein wichtiger Bestandteil in der Lebenswelt von Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen, welcher viele Vorteile, jedoch auch Nachteile mit sich bringt. Der theoretische Teil dieser Arbeit setzt sich mit dem Begriff der Jugend auseinander, stellt besondere Merkmale dieser Lebensphase dar und erläutert das Konzept der Entwicklungsaufgaben, um in diesem Zusammenhang den Bezug zum sozialen Online-Netzwerk „Facebook“ herzustellen. Anschließend wird der Begriff des sozialen Online Netzwerkes bestimmt, die Geschichte beziehungsweise die Erfolge von Facebook genauer thematisiert und eine Auswahl an Funktionen vorgestellt, um den Leser in das Themenfeld einzuführen. Der zweite Teil der Arbeit beinhaltet die empirische Untersuchung, um herauszufinden in welcher Alterskategorie der Hilfebedarf zur Unterstützung und Begleitung seitens der Sozialen Arbeit am größten ist. Anhand der empirischen Methode des Fragebogens wurden Daten erhoben, um die Forschungsfrage zu beantworten, wie Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene im Alter von 13 bis 25 Jahren Facebook nutzen. Bezüglich der Konkretisierung der Fragestellung wurden sechs Hypothesen hergeleitet, um verschiedene Teilbereiche der Facebok-Nutzung, wie zum Beispiel das Datenschutzthema oder die täglich verbrachte Zeit, genauer untersuchen zu können. Die Stichprobe von N= 108, die im Schneeballsystem erhoben wurde, setzt sich aus Teilnehmern jeglichen Geschlechts, Alters oder sozialer Schicht zusammen. Damit die Teilnehmer miteinander verglichen werden können, wurden sie in drei verschiedene Kategorien von 13 bis 15 Jahren, 16 bis 18 Jahren und 19 bis 25 Jahren, unterteilt. Als Resultat der empirischen Untersuchung wird deutlich, dass sich die drei verschiedenen Alterskategorien nur in einigen Themenbereichen unterschieden und ansonsten ähnliche Ansichten teilen. Lediglich die Alterskategorie der 16-18jährigen nimmt eine besondere Rolle ein, da sie sich am stärksten von den anderen beiden Kategorien unterscheidet, da zum Beispiel alle Teilnehmer dieser Kategorie bei Facebook einen Account besitzen und täglich auch am längsten online sind. Dadurch ergibt sich für die Soziale Arbeit ein Handlungsbedarf, der an kein bestimmtes Alter gebunden ist, sondern sich an alle Alterskategorien richten sollte