Botulinum toxin and refractory non-neurogenic overactive detrusor

AbstractPurposeTo study the value and efficacy of botulinum toxin for treatment of cases of non-neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NNDO) that are refractory to anticholinergic drugs.Materials and methodsA systematic review of the literature, based on a keyword search of the Medline database. Selection of articles in French and English (meta-analyses, reviews, case studies and randomized, controlled clinical trials) on intradetrusor botulinum toxin injection in the management of refractory NNDO.ResultsNineteen publications (including three randomized, controlled trials) were selected. Intradetrusor injection of botulinum toxin in patients with refractory NNDO has produced promising results, with a significant improvement in physical symptoms, urodynamic parameters and quality of life. The rare side effects consist primarily of dose-dependent urine retention.ConclusionOn the basis of preliminary data, botulinum toxin appears to be a valuable therapeutic option and fills the gap between anticholinergics and surgery in the treatment of NNDO that is refractory to anticholinergic agents. Botulinum toxin has a promising future in urology but requires further scientific evaluation

From underground laser scans to 3D urban geological and geotechnical models

International audienceThe near sub-surface geology, say down to 20-30-m-depth, of many cities has been massively exploited for extracting building stones and various other industrial or agricultural materials (gypsum, lime, etc…). The long-term instability of these cavities poses a significant collapse hazard conditioned by their geometry (void location, dimensions and shape) and by their surrounding rock mechanics properties. In this presentation, we show how handheld laser scanning surveys efficiently document geometric variables and can interact with 3D geological modelling of the surrounding rocks. The construction of near-surface urban geological models can then be turned into 3D geotechnical models by attributing geotechnical parameters to rock horizons and ultimately become a key subsurface knowledge component of BIM (Building Information Model). Acquiring surface and subsurface geometry is no longer a challenge thanks to handheld laser scanners. Survey loop traverses can be pieced together to link surface and subsurface geometry with accuracies better than 1 m (an accuracy level compatible with urban risk management maps at 1/5.000) (DEWEZ et al., 2017). However, the hundreds of-millions of 3D points describing the cavity surface cannot be integrated as such into geomodeling software. Too many points with not high enough information. We suggest two different scenarios to perform their integration: (i) as independent validation of geomodeling hypotheses, or (ii) as geomodel constraints. In the first integration scenario, point cloud information is passed to the geomodeling software at a minimal level. A decimated triangular meshed model can be used to intersect the geomodel. Triangulation is performed at the point cloud processing software level (e.g. GeoSLAM desktop or Cloud Compare) and intersection is handled at the geomodelling software level with a generic query concept (here GeoModeller software with a generic query API – LOISELET et al.,2016). In this instance, cavity mesh triangular faces are refined based on the geological model queries (relying on the marching triangles algorithm) and provide geotechnical attributes based on the geological formations given by the geomodel. This scenario offers a visual display of geological properties (Fig. 1) for checking that modelled layers and structures match those observed in underground outcrops. In the second scenario, which is more integrated, higher level information is passed to the geomodelling tool. Planar surfaces of marker horizons are segmented from the point cloud either manually using Compass (THIELE et al., 2017) or semi-automatically with FACETS (DEWEZ et al., 2016) and passed as structural data objects to constrain the geomodel (Fig. 2). This data integration is demonstrated on a ca. 1 ha underground building stone quarry of the eastern suburbs of Orléans, Central France. The cavity was scanned at ca. 1pt/1cm with a Zeb-Revo (90 Mpts underground and 35 Mpts above ground). A geomodel of the subsurface area (Calcaire de Beauce, Tertiary) was created with the GeoModeller software as a tabular sub-horizontal multilayer environment. The geomodel infers rock distribution over a domain of ca. 200 x 200 m with geological and geotechnical information (e.g. limit pressure for dimensioning building foundations). Both approaches leverage a generic API query tool informing which domain surrounds a point and whether a geological contact cross-cuts a triangular face

Efficient and Sustainable Treatment of Tannery Wastewater by a Sequential Electrocoagulation-UV Photolytic Process

Tannery wastewater contains large amounts of pollutants that, if directly discharged into ecosystems, can generate an environmental hazard. The present investigation has focused the attention to the remediation of wastewater originated from tanned leather in Tunisia. The analysis revealed wastewater with a high level of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 7376 mgO2/L. The performance in reduction of COD, via electrocoagulation (EC) or UV photolysis or, finally, operating electrocoagulation and photolysis in sequence was examined. The effect of voltage and reaction time on COD reduction, as well as the phytotoxicity were determined. Treated effluents were analysed by UV spectroscopy, extracting the organic components with solvents differing in polarity. A sequential EC and UV treatment of the tannery wastewater has been proven effective in the reduction of COD. These treatments combined afforded 94.1 % of COD reduction, whereas the single EC and UV treatments afforded respectively 85.7 and 55.9 %. The final COD value of 428.7 mg/L was found largely below the limit of 1000 mg/L for admission of wastewater in public sewerage network. Germination tests of Hordeum Vulgare seeds indicated reduced toxicity for the remediated water. Energy consumptions of 33.33 kWh/m3 and 314.28 kWh/m3 were determined for the EC process and for the same followed by UV treatment. Both those technologies are yet available and ready for scale-up

Dacryocystostomies par voieendonasale:indications et technique chirurgicale

Introduction : La dacryocystorhinostomie consiste à dériver le contenu du sac lacrymal directement vers la lumière de la fosse nasale correspondante en réalisant une large ouverture dans la paroi osseuse et muqueuse du sac, court-circuitant ainsi le canal lacrymonasal obturé. nous nous proposons, à travers cette étude rétrospective, de discuter les aspects techniques chirurgicaux de la dacryocystostomie par voie endonasale et de revoir les indications opératoires.Mots-clefs : dacryocystite ; dacryocystorhinostomie ; chirurgie endonasaleThe purpose of dacryocystorhinostomy is to derive the content of the lacrimal sac directly into the light of the corresponding nasal cavity by making a large opening in the bony wall and sac mucosa, by passing the blocked nasolacrimal duct. We intend, through this retrospective study, discuss the technical aspects of surgical dacryocystostomy by endonasal and review the indications for surgery.Keywords : dacryocystitis; dacryocystorhinostomy; endonasal surgery

Ultrasound cervical length in predicting preterm birth

BackgroundPreterm birth is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality and represents a major public health problem. It is associated with a 15–20 per cent mortality rate and remains responsible for 75 per cent of perinatal deaths in foetuses without anomalies.AimsThe aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of cervical length measured in the first trimester (11–14 Weeks of amenorrhea “WA”) and the second trimester (20–24 Weeks of amenorrhea” WA”) in an asymptomatic population of singleton pregnancies to assess the risk of spontaneous preterm birth compared to the digital assessment.Methods We conducted a prospective, longitudinal study involving 117 asymptomatic women with singleton pregnancies between January and December 2015.Results In our study, the clinical examination had a low positive predictive value and a low sensibility for screening women at risk of preterm delivery. Cervical length less than 35mm between 12–14WA and 30mm between 22–24WA predicts the occurrence of preterm birth with a high sensitivity (Se), and specificity (Sp).ConclusionWe conclude that ultrasound screening of preterm delivery is now highly recommended

Application of a standard risk assessment scheme to a North Africa contaminated site (Sfax, Tunisia) - tier 1

Phosphorus is a critical element to agriculture, consequently global phosphate rock demand will remain rising to feed a growing world population. The beneficiation of phosphorous ore gives rise to several tons of a waste by-product [phosphogypsum (PG)] which valorisation is limited, within other reasons, by the risks posed to environment and human health. Although threatening, the accumulation in stacks is the only procedure so far practiced by several countries as a means to get rid of this industrial externality. As part of a NATO Science for Peace Project (SfP 983311) this study describes the application of an environmental risk assessment (ERA) framework, to assess the risks posed by a PG stack to the surrounding soils, in Sfax, Republic of Tunisia. The ERA followed a weight of evidence approach, supported by two lines of evidence (LoE): the chemical (ChemLoE) and the ecotoxicological (EcotoxLoE). Integrated risks point for risk values greater than 0.5 in soils collected in PG stack surrounding area. Soil salinization, has likely contributed to the exacerbation of risks, as well as to the lack of consistency between both LoEs. This study highlights the need of rethinking the weight given to each LoE in ERA, in areas where soil salinization is a reality.publishe

Interregional traceability of Tunisian olive oils to the provenance soil by multielemental fingerprinting and chemometrics

The aim of this study was to prove the usefulness of multielements as provenance markers of olive oils by evaluating their link with soil composition and their discriminatory power. Eleven elements in twenty-one olive oils and their paired soils from four Tunisian regions were characterized. Chemometrics have been implemented for ICP-MS data processing. Principal component analysis identified the predominant geochemical source of the elements in the oils based on their associations according to Goldschmidt’s rule. Although a clear correlation was not proven, correspondence was identified between the discriminating elements for both the soils and olive oils, which included Fe, Rb, Mg, and Pb. Linear discriminant analysis achieved classification and prediction rates of 92.1% and 87.3%, respectively. Our study substantiates the validity of multielements as markers of the olive oils’ provenance, and that an elemental fingerprinting approach can be successfully applied in the construction of a database of Tunisian olive oils