Updated review of postmortem biochemical exploration of hypothermia with a presentation of standard strategy of sampling and analyses.

Hypothermia is defined as a core body temperature below 35°C and can be caused by environmental exposure, drug intoxication, metabolic or nervous system dysfunction. This lethal pathology with medico-legal implications is complex to diagnose because macroscopic and microscopic lesions observed at the autopsy and the histological analysis are suggestive but not pathognomonic. Postmortem biochemical explorations have been progressively developed through the study of several biomarkers to improve the diagnosis decision cluster. Here, we present an updated review with novel biomarkers (such as catecholamines O-methylated metabolites, thrombomodulin and the cardiac oxyhemoglobin ratio) as well as some propositional interpretative postmortem thresholds and, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, we present the most adapted strategy of sampling and analyses to identify biomarkers of hypothermia. For our consideration, the most relevant identified biomarkers are urinary catecholamines and their O-methylated metabolites, urinary free cortisol, blood cortisol, as well as blood, vitreous humor and pericardial fluid for ketone bodies and blood free fatty acids. These biomarkers are increased in response either to cold-mediated stress or to bioenergetics ketogenesis crisis and significantly contribute to the diagnosis by exclusion of death by hypothermia

Examen médical des personnes victimes de violence : fréquence des facteurs aggravants au sens du Code pénal, hétérogénéité des pratiques

Objectifs En cas de violences volontaires, le Code pénal reconnaît l’existence de facteurs aggravants. Aucune donnée n’est disponible sur la fréquence des facteurs aggravants lors des situations de violence. L’objectif principal était de déterminer cette fréquence. L’objectif secondaire était de préciser les résultats de la détermination d’incapacité totale de travail (ITT) dans plusieurs consultations médico-judiciaires en France. Méthodes Le recueil de données prospectif porte sur six centres et 300 situations de violence. Les éléments recueillis concernaient l’existence de facteurs aggravants, les caractéristiques de la victime et des violences, les résultats de l’examen médical et les facteurs intervenus dans la détermination de l’ITT. Résultats Il existait un facteur aggravant dans 232 cas sur 300, 77 %. La durée médiane d’ITT était de deux jours (extrêmes : 0–60). La fréquence des cas sans ITT était comprise entre 0 et 56 % selon les centres (Chi2, p < 0,0001). Les médecins examinateurs considéraient ne pas avoir évalué l’état psychique dans 63 cas (21 %), d’importantes différences étant observées selon les centres (p < 0,0001). L’ITT était surtout fondée sur des éléments lésionnels dans 45 % des cas et sur des éléments fonctionnels dans 55 % des cas, cette répartition variant selon les centres (p = 0,01). L’état psychique était prépondérant dans la détermination de l’ITT dans 0 à 23 % des cas selon les centres (p = 0,009)

Label-free and fluorescence biosensing platform using one dimensional photonic crystal chips

The increasing demand for early detection of diseases drives the efforts to develop more and more sensitive techniques to detect biomarkers in extremely low concentrations. Electromagnetic modes at the surface of one dimensional photonic crystals, usually called Bloch surface waves, were demonstrated to enhance the resolution and constitute an attractive alternative to surface plasmon polariton optical biosensors. We report on the development of Bloch surface wave biochips operating in both label-free and fluorescence modes and demonstrate their use in ovalbumin recognition assays

A graphical method for performance mapping of machines and milling tools

Optimal design of the machining setup in terms of installed machines, cutting tools and process parameters is of paramount importance for every manufacturing company. In most of the metal cutting companies, all choices related to machine eligibility and cutting parameters selection typically come from heuristic approaches and follow supplier indications or base on the skill of experienced machine operators. More advanced solutions, such as model-based and virtual approaches, are adopted less frequently mainly due to the lack of these techniques in grasping the underlying knowledge successfully. Aim of this work is to introduce a synthetic graphical representation of machining centers and cutting tools capabilities, to provide an accessible way to evaluate the feasibility and close-to-limit conditions of the cutting process. Taking inspiration from previous scientific works from the measurement engineering field, a set of 2D and 3D graphs are presented to map machine, tools and process capabilities, as well as their obtainable manufacturing performances and expectable tool life. This approach synthesizes the nominal data coming from different sources (catalogues, database, tool model geometries etc.) and the real cutting tools parameters used during the production phase. Some examples are provided to show the potential of this graphical evaluation in supporting process planning and decision-making and in formalizing the machining setup knowledge. Further developments are devoted to extend the method to other manufacturing processes, including hybrid processes. At the same time, an in-process data gathering software will be integrated for building a solid database that can be used by an autonomous multi-technological process selector, as well as by a pre-process condition advisor in an Industry 4.0 oriented way

Milk proteins

Milk contains many types of proteins which are classified in two general categories caseins and whey proteins. Due to their nutritional and functional properties milk proteins products are widely used in the food industry. This chapter summarizes the current knowledge on milk protein fraction and their biological properties. The production of the mains protein-enriched products is described. In addition an overview of the current and potential biomedical applications of milk proteins is given.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Relapses in Patients Treated with High-Dose Biotin for Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

High-dose biotin (HDB) is a therapy used in non-active progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS). Several reports have suggested that HDB treatment may be associated with an increased risk of relapse. We aimed to determine whether HDB increases the risk of clinical relapse in PMS and describe the characteristics of the patients who experience it. We conducted a French, multicenter, retrospective study, comparing a group of PMS patients treated with HDB to a matched control group. Poisson regression was applied to model the specific statistical distribution of the annualized relapse rate (ARR). A propensity score (PS), based on the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), was used to adjust for indication bias and included the following variables: gender, primary PMS or not, age, EDSS, time since the last relapse, and co-prescription of a DMT. Two thousand six hundred twenty-eight patients treated with HDB and 654 controls were analyzed with a follow-up of 17 ± 8 months. Among them, 148 validated relapses were observed in the group treated with biotin and 38 in the control group (p = 0.62). After adjustment based on the PS, the ARR was 0.044 ± 0.23 for the biotin-treated group and 0.028 ± 0.16 for the control group (p = 0.18). The more relapses there were before biotin, the higher the risk of relapse during treatment, independently from the use of HDB. While the number of relapses reported for patients with no previous inflammatory activity receiving biotin has gradually increased, the present retrospective study is adequately powered to exclude an elevated risk of relapse for patients with PMS treated with HDB.Observatoire Français de la Sclérose en Plaque