[From morbid obesity to complex obesity: somato-psychic issues]. / De l'obésité morbide à l'obésité complexe : des enjeux somato-psychiques.

Complex obesity is a chronic, multifactorial pathology. These repercussions (respiratory insufficiency, hypoventilation syndrome, cardiac insufficiency, loss of functional autonomy and mobility with a tendency to grabatization, depression, behavioral disorders) directly sustain the disease. Access to care is virtually impossible for them outside specialized obesity centers (CSO) and specialized medical and rehabilitation care (SMR). We need to support healthcare teams by analyzing their practices, including those of expert patients, to ensure that complex obesity is treated with the humanity it requires.

Comparison of different approaches for odour impact assessment: dispersion modelling (CALPUFF) vs field inspection (CEN/TC 264).

Odour impact assessment has become an important environmental issue. Different approaches can be used in order to evaluate the odour impact on receptors, and therefore to regulate it. Among the different possible regulation approaches, the use of dispersion modelling is suggested or required by several national or regional legislations. The wide diffusion of this approach is probably due to the fact that odour dispersion modelling is relatively cheap and results are easily understandable. Another kind of approach attempts to evaluate the odour impact directly in the field relying on a panel of trained human assessors (field inspection). The growing importance of this odour impact assessment method is proved by the current draft of a European Standard (CEN/TC 264), which defines two different methodologies of field inspection: grid measurement and plume measurement. In this study two different approaches were compared, i.e. odour dispersion modelling and field inspection by plume measurement (with specific adaptation for the studied site), the latter consisting in using a panel of examiners for determining the absence or presence of odour downwind relative to the source, in order to evaluate the plume extent. The comparison was based on application of both methods to the assessment of the odour impact of a plant for the composting of sludge from an Italian food industry. The results show that the odour impacts assessed by the two strategies turned out to be quite comparable, thus indicating that, if opportunely applied, both approaches may be effective and complementary for odour impact assessment purposes.

Leptin and leptin receptor involvement in cancer development: a study on human primary breast carcinoma.

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Leptin, a hormone synthesised essentially by adipose tissue, may be involved in cancer development. We examined the expression of leptin and leptin receptor (Ob-R) in human primary breast cancer and adjacent non-cancerous tissue. We also analysed their relationships with histological variables such as the oestrogen and progesterone receptors, Ki67 proliferation factor and tumour size. The expressions of leptin and Ob-R were investigated by immunohistochemical staining in 35 primary breast cancers and 17 adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Samples and histological features were obtained from the Anti-Cancer Centre. Expressions of leptin and Ob-R were detected in, respectively, 85 and 75% of the primary breast cancer cases studied. The expression of leptin was significantly correlated with Ob-R detection (p=0.008). In addition, Ob-R expression in primary breast carcinoma was positively correlated with oestrogen receptor expression (p=0.028) and tumour size (p=0.045) but not with Ki67 or progesterone receptor expressions. However, the expression of leptin showed no statistical correlation with these variables. First, the co-expression of leptin and Ob-R in primary breast cancer shows that leptin acts on mammary tumour cells via an autocrine pathway. Second, the co-expression of Ob-R and oestrogen receptors suggests a possible interaction between leptin and oestrogen systems to promote breast carcinogenesis. Finally, the fact that Ob-R expression was positively correlated with tumour size may point to a potential role of leptin as a growth factor and of Ob-R as a new prognostic factor.

Use of poly(ethylene terephtalate) film bag to sample and remove humidity from atmosphere containing volatile organic compounds.

Nalophan bags made from poly(ethylene terephtalate) film are often used to collect odorous gases. In this paper, the sample water removal method, based on humidity diffusion through the sample bag film, was applied using Nalophan bags and Tedlar bags to sample volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at low concentration (10 microg/m(3)). The removal of water with Nalophan bags enabled a reduction in relative humidity (RH) in a 10-L air sample from 80% to 20% in 2h at 20 degrees C. The use of Nalophan bags for the removal of water did not involve significant VOC loss among the 11 compounds studied.

Preselection test of jury for improvement of olfactometric certification efficiency.

To certificate an olfactometric jury, laboratories usually follow up the panelist screening methodology described in the European Standard EN 13725/2003. The procedure takes a lot of time, labour and money. In laboratory routine of LCQAr - Laboratory of Air Quality Control, of Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil, it was found that the efficiency of jury approvals used to be as low as around 30%. In order to improve the efficiency, a quick preselection test was proposed and tried for late certification recommended by EN 13725. The methodology to create the preselection test was based on the conceptions of the standards EN 13725 (CEN, 2003), ASTM 679 (2011) and ASTM 544 (2010). In the trial test, 31 volunteers participated and then screened according to the EN13725 standard. It was verified that the efficiency increased to 46% from about 30% after the introduction of the preselection test. The experiments were conducted at LCQAr, with the contribution of Water Research Centre of University of New South Wales, Australia.

Sample water removal method in volatile organic compound analysis based on diffusion through poly(vinyl fluoride) film.

The humidity caught during air sampling or sample storage causes various problems during volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis and gives unreliable results. In this study, water vapour diffusion capacities through poly(vinyl fluoride) Tedlar, fluoroethylene propylene Teflon and Flex foil film were compared. A new approach to humidity removal has been tested for moderately polluted atmospheres. This approach consists in using the water vapour diffusion property of Tedlar film to remove humidity from bag samples containing a mixture of ten VOCs at 500 ppbv each in a 70% relative humidity atmosphere. The sampling bags were placed in a chamber flushed by a dry air stream at less than 5% relative humidity. After a few hours in the chamber, the samples in the Tedlar bags were dry (relative humidity <5%) and did not show significant VOC loss. This sample water removal (SWR) method is especially interesting as a pretreatment before air sampling on water sensitive adsorbents.

Dispersion of odorous gases in the atmosphere - Part I: Modeling approaches to the phenomenon.

The study of odor dispersion, particularly its modeling, is an important decision tool for estimating the impact of human activities on the environment and its populations. In this sense, software to model the dispersion of odorous gases was developed and is presented. It is based on the theory established by Högström on the odor dispersion of puff emissions. This theory is applied to Gaussian models and takes the frequency of values for odor intensity over any time period into account. Such a model is able to consider the instantaneous characteristics of odor perception by human beings. Nine approaches that explore several solutions within the Gaussian domain for the atmospheric dispersion problem are proposed in software named ODODIS (ODOr DISpersion Software). This software was developed to test the different solutions. Four of these solutions are based on the punctual (or point source) emission or classic equation; two are based on the instantaneous punctual emission equation; and the other three, on the prolonged punctual emission equation (puff models). Measuring units used for the input data may be g s(-1) or OU (Odor Units). The software developed here satisfies the need to obtain instantaneous data of either a passive or an odorous gas at a specific point of an area. The simulation time varies depending on the purpose of the analysis. Mean concentration values may be obtained by integrating the instantaneous results generated by the model.

Pragmatic evaluation of odour emissions from a rendering plant in southern Brazil.

In the food industry and linked activities, environmental impacts relate mainly to the generation of liquid and gaseous effluents. Rendering plants, which process animal by-products, are strongly associated with malodorous emissions. Thus, effective odour-control technologies are required to minimise odour annoyance in nearby communities and thereby public complaints. In this paper, the effectiveness of a biofilter for the treatment of odours from a meat-rendering plant located in southern Brazil was evaluated based on German guideline VDI 3477:2004-11. Samples were collected upstream and downstream of the gas treatment system using a pragmatic approach in order to minimise the cost of such a study. Odour concentration was determined according to European standard EN 13725:2003. The results showed an OER of 8.82 × 108 ouE h-1 and odour removal efficiency lower than the established benchmark set by SEMA Resolution 054/2006, taken as reference for being the only Brazilian regulation to establish quantitative odour emission criteria. Enhancement of the biofiltration system and/or association with other odour abatement technologies are required to increase odour removal, limit impacts and comply with regulatory requirements. The paper also includes a discussion on the current odour regulation in Brazil.

Xerocomus chrysenteron lectin: identification of a new pesticidal protein.

Xerocomus chrysenteron is an edible mushroom with insecticidal properties. In an earlier work, we found that proteins are responsible for this toxicity. Here we describe the purification of a approximately 15 kDa lectin, named XCL, from the mushroom. Its cDNA and gDNA were cloned by PCR strategies and a recombinant form was expressed in Escherichia coli. Sequence alignments and sugar specificity showed that this protein is the third member of a new saline-soluble lectin family present in fungi. This protein, either purified from mushroom or expressed in vitro in E. coli, was found to be toxic to some insects, such as the dipteran Drosophila melanogaster and the hemipteran, Acyrthosiphon pisum. The lectin possesses a high insecticidal activity compared to lectin isolated from leguminosae (Lathyrus ochrus) or from the snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis).

Comparison and development of dynamic flux chambers to determine odorous compound emission rates from area sources.

Two dynamic flux chambers for direct measurement of odorous compound emissions from quiescent liquid surfaces were investigated under simulated conditions in the laboratory. Initially, a flux chamber built according to the model recommended by French standard NF X 43-104 was studied. This chamber was used in two different ways. The first led to a lack of precision concerning emissions rates from the sampled liquid surface, whereas the second led to an overestimation of the measurements. The second part of the study was devoted to an improved dynamic flux chamber, built according to the feedback from the results obtained using the normalised sampling system. Laboratory tests showed good accuracy and precision. This work underlines the importance of the aerodynamic performances of a dynamic sampling system.

Application of fluorescein-labelled lectins with different glycan-binding specificities to the studies of cellular glycoconjugates in human full-term placenta.

In the present study 13 lectins of plant, fungal and animal origin, characterised by different glycan-binding specificities were used to examine the structure and distribution of specific glycans in the tissues of human placenta. Histochemical analysis was focused on villi (villous syncytiotrophoblast and stroma), cytotrophoblast of the basal plate and amniotic epithelium. It was found that glycoconjugates containing mannose and N-acetyl glucosamine were widely expressed while external fucosyl residues were absent on all studied structures of placenta. Lectins GNA (revealing non-reducing terminal mannosyl residues) and LPA (revealing sialic acid) bound selectively to the villus structures. The presence of sialic acid residues was observed in the superficial plasmalemma of syncytiotrophoblast and on the surface of the foetal capillary endothelium. Lectins LCA and PSA showed specific affinity to the plasmalemma of the cytotrophoblast and to the amniotic epithelium basement membrane. N-acetyl lactosamine-specific fungal lectin PSL selectively labelled amniotic epithelial and cytotrophoblast cell membranes and superficial plasmalemma of the syncytiotrophoblast.

[Modification of glycoconjugates during the carcinogenesis: the case of mammary carcinomas]. / Modification des glycoconjugués au cours du processus de cancérisation: cas des carcinomes mammaires.

Tumour growth is associated with modifications to the structure of glycan residues belonging to the glycoproteins and glycolipids present at the cell surface. These aberrant glycosylations, arising from dysfunction of glycosyltransferases and (or) glycosidases, most often result in a shortening of the glycan chains or an over-expression of structures on the cells that are normally absent or discrete. Some of these changes, such as the expression of antigen Tn in cancers of the breast or colon, appear very early in the evolution of the disease, and can indeed be found in pathologies that are generally considered benign. Most of the cell proteins are glycosylated, including the molecules involved in inter-cell recognition, attachment, cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. The consequences of these disturbances therefore affect many aspects of the biology of the cell and its fate in the body. The impact is particularly evident when the glycan moiety contributes to the functional site of the molecule, the activity of which is then modified or abolished. In addition, the expression of functional residues recognised by molecules with lectin activity, normally restricted to phagocyte cells, is liable to promote metastasis formation by favouring the crossing of the vascular endothelium by tumour cells The identification, using plant lectins and monoclonal antibodies, of oligosaccharides associated with tumour formation, is relevant for both diagnosis, as some glycotopes are expressed before any other cellular anomaly, and prognosis, since certain sequences, e.g., that recognised by L-PHA, reflect dysfunction in the glycan synthesis, culminating in the formation of terminal oside structures that favour the metastatic spread of tumour cells. Therapeutic applications can also be envisaged through action on the tumour glycan antigens by means of naturally-occurring or synthetic immunising entities, or through the use of analogues of sugars that block the activities of the glycosyltransferases or glycosidases responsible for the synthesis of potentially dangerous glycotopes. Beside their practical use, the expression of tumour glycan antigens raises the question of their role in directing the cell towards cancer formation.

Prevention of volatile fatty acids production and limitation of odours from winery wastewaters by denitrification.

The effect of the addition of nitrate to winery wastewaters to control the formation of VFA in order to prevent odours during storage and treatment was studied in batch bioreactors at different NO(3)/chemical oxygen demand (COD) ratios and at full scale in natural evaporation ponds (2 x 7000 m(2)) by measuring olfactory intensity. In the absence of nitrate, butyric acid (2304 mgL(-1)), acetic acid (1633 mgL(-1)), propionic acid (1558 mgL(-1)), caproic acid (499 mgL(-1)) and valeric acid (298 mgL(-1)) were produced from reconstituted winery wastewater. For a ratio of NO(3)/COD=0.4 gg(-1), caproic and valeric acids were not formed. The production of butyric and propionic acids was reduced by 93.3% and 72.5%, respectively, at a ratio of NO(3)/COD=0.8, and by 97.4% and 100% at a ratio of NO(3)/COD=1.2 gg(-1). Nitrate delayed and decreased butyric acid formation in relation to the oxidoreduction potential. Studies in ponds showed that the addition of concentrated calcium nitrate (NITCAL) to winery wastewaters (3526 m(3)) in a ratio of NO(3)/COD=0.8 inhibited VFA production, with COD elimination (94%) and total nitrate degradation, and no final nitrite accumulation. On the contrary, in ponds not treated with nitrate, malodorous VFA (from propionic to heptanoïc acids) represented up to 60% of the COD. Olfactory intensity measurements in relation to the butanol scale of VFA solutions and the ponds revealed the pervasive role of VFA in the odour of the untreated pond as well as the clear decrease in the intensity and not unpleasant odour of the winery wastewater pond enriched in nitrates. The results obtained at full scale underscored the feasibility and safety of the calcium nitrate treatment as opposed to concentrated nitric acid.

Double-layer Tedlar bags: a means to limit humidity evolution of air samples and to dry humid air samples.

Tedlar bags, which are widely used to collect air samples, especially VOCs and odorous atmospheres, can allow humidity to diffuse when relative humidity levels differ between the inside and outside. Starting with dry air inside the bag and humid air outside, we monitored equilibrium times under several conditions showing the evolution and influence of collected volumes and exposed surfaces. A double-film Tedlar bag was made, to limit the impact of external humidity on a sample at low humidity level. With the addition of a drying agent between both films, the evolution of humidity of a sample can be stopped for several hours. When a VOC mixture was monitored in a humid atmosphere, humidity was decreased but no significant evolution of VOC concentrations was observed.

A global indicator as a tool to follow airborne molecular contamination in a controlled environment.

The impact of pollutants on production quality in nanotechnology necessitates reduction of contaminant levels in cleanrooms. So, devising a global airborne-pollutant indicator (GAPI) for rapid determination of the level of pollution and its danger to the process is justified. This tool used relative impact weights of the different molecules to quantify the pollution. A calculation of impact weight is proposed in this paper. Impact weights could take into account several characteristics of the molecules (molecular volume, sticking coefficient, ...). They could also be combined to be as close as possible to reality. An example of calculations of the impact of molecular volumes on air quality is given.