An African Canine Trypanosomosis Case Import: Is There a Possibility of Creating a Secondary Focus of Trypanosoma congolense Infection in France?

African animal trypanosomosis are parasitic diseases caused by several protozoa of the genus Trypanosoma, transmitted by hematophagous insects, essentially tsetse flies, but also, less frequently by Tabanidae and Stomoxidae. They are geolocated in a part of the continent and affect livestock animals and carnivores; dogs are especially sensitive to them. They do not seem to present a zoonotic risk. Despite the chemical prevention with trypanocides for French military working dogs on mission in Côte d’Ivoire, a fatal case induced by Trypanosoma congolense in France after returning from Abidjan raises the question of an imported secondary focus. The clinical case was developed and the causative agent was confirmed by microscopy and PCR methods. The three necessary pillars to create a secondary potential focus are present: the parasite introduction in a new territory, the presence and the propagation vectors, and their proximity with sensitive species.

The Effect of Oxidation Temperature on Activating Commercial Viscose Rayon-Based Carbon Fibers to Make the Activated Carbon Fibers (ACFs)

In this work, commercial Viscose (cellulosic based precursor) rayon-based carbon fibers were oxidized to make activated carbon fibers (ACFs). Carbon fibers were made from Viscose fibers in carbonization process at 1200°C. The ultimate carbon fibers possessed carbon content above 94 mass% and fiber dimension about 8 mm. These fibers were activated to make ACFs by oxidizing gas such as steam of carbon dioxide. The experiments were conducted at temperature ranged from 800°C to 900°C with carbonic steam’s flow of 3 l.min-1. The vaporous benzene adsorbability of activated carbon fibers was then measured by Mark Bell method. The adsorbability (a) and specific surface area (ABET) of ACFs were determined. The properties of the produced ACFs were investigated and analyzed by SEM and TEM imaging. The results showed that obtained fibers have maximum benzene adsorbability of 4.58 mmol.g-1 and BET surface area reached 1357 m2.g-1. These activated carbon fibers were able to use for toxic chemical prevention equipment.

Reproductive Health of Women: An Attempt to Define Prevention of Breast Cancer

Background. On the evidence-based information of breast cancer as a preventable disease, an attempt is made for definition of primary, non-chemical prevention of the epidemic breast cancer. The battle over healthcare reform, besides other priorities, is revolving around women’s issues and health protection too. Aim. To add to the knowledge and to advance the tested concept of the potential for primary (non-chemical) prevention of breast cancer as an epidemic disease. Ultimately, to present from a medical point of view the attempted definition of a preventive contraception against the epidemic breast cancer. Justification. The number of cases and the incidence of breast cancer is in a steady increase worldwide and in our country, Macedonia, (with more than 800 cases, or 76.2 crude rate per 100,000 female population, in 2008), followed by great losses and expenses in human lives, individual and familial sufferings and disasters, and material resources. It could be assessed that no healthcare reform could be achieved successfully as long as the half of the population, women of all ages, is threatened by a real risk of breast cancer as an epidemic disease. The changes in the biological micro-environment and ecosystem of the intimate (sexual) woman-man relations, which is still unknown, reflect gravely upon the health and lives of people, especially women of all ages. Primary (non-chemical) prevention of breast cancer is neither mentioned nor considered in the ongoing debate of healthcare reform, in the scientific literature, and at the conference meeting. Evidence and Discussion. The results of the initial field study and other ecological and experimental studies showed and corroborated the evidence that the mass condomization of women’s sexuality is the root cause of the perplexing emergence and rapid rise of the breast cancer epidemic all over the world along with the occurrence of the AIDS epidemic, after 1981. Prevention of breast cancer rather than programs of mass mammographic screening for early detection of cases of the disease are discussed. The views on contraception and marriage of the main religious denominations in the Western world, which were relevant to the aim of this study, are briefly presented. The negative consequences of screening of the disease and the recent debate of questioning the breast screening programs is discussed.Conclusion. From a medical standpoint, to achieve the suggested primary prevention of the breast cancer epidemic it is necessary to eliminate completely the barrier devices and methods of contraception, the condom use and withdrawal practice. Instead of use of barrier methods, a replacement is to be done by shifting to use of other, non-barrier methods and techniques for fertility-control and family-planning purposes during the reproductive life-span of women, which include: abstention, rhythm, IUDs, OC pills, and tubal ligation.

Protective properties of five newly synthesized cyclic compounds against sodium azide and N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine genotoxicity

The current study aims to determine the antimutagenic potential of five newly synthesized cyclic compounds against the genotoxic agents sodium azide (NaN3) and N-methyl- N′-nitro- N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). The mutant bacterial tester strains were NaN3-sensitive Salmonella typhimurium TA1535 and MNNG-sensitive Escherichia coli WP2 uvrA. According to the results, all the test compounds showed significant antimutagenic activity. The inhibition rates ranged from 26.05% (Compound 4—1 µg/plate) to 68.54% (Compound 5—0.01 µg/plate) for NaN3 and from 32.44% (Compound 3—1 µg/plate) to 60.77% (Compound 5—1 µg/plate) for MNNG genotoxicity. Moreover, the mutagenic potential of the test compounds was investigated using the same strains. The results showed that all the test compounds do not have mutagenic potential on the bacterial strains at the tested concentrations. Thus, the findings of the present study give valuable information about chemical prevention from NaN3 and MNNG genotoxicity.