Journals
2026 EN
Manga Bengono Dominique Martial · Biwole Achille Bernard · Zobo Mfomo Joseph
+2 more
The purpose was to determine the effect of axial and ray parenchyma and extractives on the dimensional stability of kosipo (Entandrophragma candollei) , sapelli (Entandrophragma cylindricum) and sipo (Entandrophragma utile) . The extracts proportion was determined by maceration of the wood powders, followed by phytochemical screening to identify the chemical groups present in the extracts. Axial and ray parenchyma were determined on the cross and tangential sections of each wood. Unextracted and extracted wood samples were subjected to shrinkage and swelling tests using the saturated salt-solution method. Predictive correlations of the studied wood properties were established. Results showed that sapelli, with a higher extracts proportion (2.2–26.4%) and lower axial and ray parenchyma content (15.1 and 15.4%) than Sipo (1.1–17.6%, 19.2 and 22.9%, respectively) and kosipo (1.2–19.9%, 20.4 and 27.6%, respectively), had higher values of equilibrium moisture content, volumetric shrinkage and swelling at 60°C and between those of sipo and kosipo at 40°C. Which highlights the relatively unstable of sapelli, with changes in temperature. Axial and ray parenchyma content had the highest effect on volumetric shrinkage and swelling than extractives quantity. Results highlight the stable character of sipo and kosipo with changes in temperature, during drying and use.
Journals
2026 EN
Bru Lucille · Duboz Priscilla · Diallo Amadou Hamath
+3 more
Since the 1970s, the village of Widou Thiengoly has undergone a food transition, shifting from self-sufficiency to greater market dependence. Formerly based on livestock, rain-fed farming, hunting and gathering, the local diet was adapted to the territory. Today, market access brings more diverse foods, recipes, and consumption modes. These changes accompany shifts in pastoral practices and lifestyles. This article examines how dietary practices evolve between tradition and modernity, reflecting broader social transformations. It also explores emerging individualized behaviors, shaped by snacking and eating out, and a reevaluation of food norms within the changing context of Fulani society in the region.
Journals
2026 EN
Touchais Gaël · Le Tennier Clara · Hurtaud-Pessel Dominique
+2 more
Biocidal active substances are of considerable importance in protecting human and animal health against pathogenic or harmful biological agents that may enter in the food chain of foods of animal origin. The use of biocidal products in the food chain is massive and highly diversified (i.e. disinfectants, preservatives, or pest control) and foodstuff may be exposed to the substances contained in these products. This contamination of foodstuffs has already been highlighted in some studies and is considered as a public health concern. To date, there is still a need to provide data on the contamination of food by biocidal active substances to estimate consumer exposure and the associated risk. In this study, a multi-residue method for the screening and the quantification of biocidal active substances in chicken muscle was developed using a liquid-liquid sample preparation procedure and analysis based on liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Two orthogonal arrays were employed to optimise the detection and the sample preparation procedure in order to save time and minimise experiments. The method allows the identification of 45 biocidal active substances in chicken muscle, and the quantification of 33 of them in a range from 5 to 500 µg.kg −1 . The method was successfully applied on 35 chicken samples purchased in local markets.
Journals
2026 EN
El Hawari Khaled · Taillandier Jean-François · Danion Morgane
+6 more
Nitrofurazone is a prohibited antimicrobial agent in veterinary medicine in many countries due to its carcinogenicity. Like all nitrofurans, it is rapidly metabolised in animals, and its detection is based on the identification of its side chain metabolite, the semicarbazide. However, the latter lacks specificity as it can be formed during food processing that has not been treated with nitrofurazone. This study investigates the fate of nitrofurazone and a potentially relevant metabolite, the 5-nitrofuraldehyde, in rainbow trout. Fish were orally administered either with nitrofurazone or 5-nitrofuraldehyde at 2 mg.kg −1 bw, and plasma, muscle, and liver samples were analysed using LC-MS/MS. Our results showed that 5-nitrofuraldehyde is not a persistent metabolite for nitrofurazone abuse. Although it was detected in plasma and edible tissues at day 1 after withdrawal, it was rapidly eliminated in these samples by day 7. In contrast, semicarbazide persisted in trout tissues for several weeks. Tissue-bound semicarbazide concentrations were initially 30.5 ± 6.9 µg.kg −1 in muscle and 45.8 ± 5.9 µg.kg −1 in liver, then decreased to 17.3 ± 1.96 µg.kg −1 and 24.1 ± 3.61 µg.kg −1 , respectively, after 14 days. The estimated half-lives ranged between 16 days in muscle and 14 days in liver. These findings suggest that semicarbazide remains a reliable marker for nitrofurazone abuse in trout compared to 5-nitrofuraldehyde.
Journals
2026 EN
Guichard Pierre · Gaugain Murielle · Chailleux Annaëlle
+3 more
A qualitative high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) screening method based on LC-IMS-QTOF was developed and validated for the simultaneous detection of 74 antimicrobial veterinary drug residues (VDRs) from 10 families in eggs. Detection was performed by electrospray ionisation in positive ion mode. The method was validated according to the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/808, using maximum residue limits (MRLs) or minimum method performance requirements (MMPRs). Performance was assessed in triplicate across three acquisition modes: HDMSE (using ion mobility) and MSE (without ion mobility) on a Q-TOF system, and Full Scan-variable data-independent acquisition (FS-vDIA) on a Q-Orbitrap system. Both HRMS platforms proved suitable for regulatory monitoring of antimicrobial VDRs in eggs, with best performance achieved on the Q-TOF system without ion mobility or on the Q-Orbitrap system, enhancing sensitivity.
Journals
2026 EN
Rode Anne Abildtrup · Duboc Henri · Lamazière Antonin
+10 more
Patients with Clostridioides difficile infection have high colonic levels of primary bile acids, which are potent germinators of Clostridioides difficile. Several studies have suggested that re-establishing a normal bile acid composition is a key factor in fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for recurrent C. difficile infection, yet former studies supporting this lacked controls. In a subgroup from a randomized controlled trial, we compared the bile acid composition in patients with recurrent C. difficile infection treated with either FMT, a bacterial mixture, or vancomycin. The fecal bile acid content was analyzed several times before and after treatments. Furthermore, we used 16S rDNA gene sequencing to analyze the presence of some bacterial species involved in bile acid metabolism. Stool donors served as healthy controls. We observed a higher proportion of primary bile acids in patients with recurrent C. difficile infection than in donors, yet a donor-like dominance of secondary bile acids was observed after successful treatment in all groups. The shift seemed to occur earliest in the FMT group, followed by the vancomycin group, and the latest in the bacterial mixture group. In approximately half of the participants, the rise in secondary bile acids was timely associated with the detection of bile acid-transforming bacteria that were absent before treatment. Our findings indicate that FMT re-establishes the bile acid composition faster than vancomycin, reducing the time of susceptibility to recurrences of C. difficile infection. Hence, bacterial mixtures developed as an alternative to donor stool for treating recurrent C. difficile infection might benefit from including bile acid-metabolizing bacteria.
Journals
2026 EN
Dzinyela Richard · Jafari Monire · Das Subasish
+3 more
This study aims to explore the phenomenon of pedestrian crash severity by investigating how pedestrian injury levels have evolved in incidents occurring prior to (2019), during (2020), and after (2021) the COVID-19 lockdowns. Using Louisiana crash data, distinct annual models for pedestrian injury severity (categorised as severe (fatal and severe), minor (moderate and minor), and no injury) were developed using a random parameters logit approach, accounting for potential heterogeneity in means and variances of random parameters. Likelihood ratio tests were employed to assess the overall stability of model estimates across the studied years, and a comparison was made between partially constrained and unconstrained temporal modelling approaches. The results reveal statistically significant differences in injury severity before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Journals
2026 EN
Aganze Mulume Dominique · Mugisho Zirhumana Janvier · Lwaboshi Asifiwe Justine
+9 more
The tomato sector in the Democratic Republic of the Congo faces significant post-harvest losses and poor market hygiene. This study, conducted in Bukavu with 360 tomato sellers, assessed perceptions of post-harvest losses, preservation methods, and hygiene practices.The results reveal that post-harvest losses are very high and that sellers’ hygiene practices are inadequate along the tomato supply chain, from production to marketing. Preservation methods included cassava flour coating (52.8%), open-air storage (37.5%), and chemical pesticides (6.1%). The use of pesticides, particularly mancozeb, poses serious food safety risks due to toxic residues. Post-harvest losses of 5–10% were reported by 45% of sellers, mainly caused by microbial contamination (37.2%), physical damage (35.3%), and inadequate preservation (17.5%). Hygiene conditions were critically inadequate: 92.2% of sellers do not wash tomatoes, 67.2% display them on unhygienic surfaces, 93.1% have no dust protection, and 66.9% of stalls are infested with flies. Tomatoes are often transported in unwashed containers, increasing contamination risks. Improved hygiene training, better storage, and stricter pesticide regulation are urgently needed to enhance food safety in Bukavu.
Resource
2026 EN
Tetzlaff Emily J. · Hancock Curtis · Waddell Leander
+6 more
Cold-induced metabolic responses across human organs and tissues vary markedly and do not regulate metabolism uniformly. The magnitude and nature of these responses differ depending on the type of cold exposure, ranging from mild surface cooling and beta-adrenergic stimulation to deep tissue cooling impacting intracellular biophysical and metabolic properties. Upregulating brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity has been proposed to improve whole-body metabolism. Despite its high metabolic activity, BAT mass is typically only 50–100 g and may contribute less than 1% of total heat production during thermogenesis. In contrast, skeletal muscles and white adipocytes may play greater roles in thermogenic and metabolic regulation. Cold exposure triggers a cascade of metabolic responses across tissues, extending beyond fuel partitioning and the regulation of uncoupling proteins. It also alters gene expression, protein synthesis, and metabolic pathways. In response to cold, the body increases sympathetic nervous system activity, leading to peripheral vasoconstriction and energy substrate mobilization. Brown adipocytes increase mitochondrial uncoupling to produce heat, while skeletal muscle contributes through shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis. The liver adjusts glucose production and lipid metabolism, the heart and circulatory system adapt to altered hemodynamic demands, and the kidneys modify fluid balance. Endocrine systems, including the thyroid, amplify thermogenic capacity, and the brain integrates thermal sensing with behavioral responses. Cold exposure also modulates immune function, cytokine profiles and inflammatory pathways across tissues, and shifts in gut microbiome composition influence nutrient absorption, bile acid metabolism and energy homeostasis. These coordinated tissue-specific adaptations enable the maintenance of core temperature during cold stress.
Journals
2026 EN
Van de Cauter Joy · Motmans Joz · Van de Velde Dominique
+1 more
Psychosocial obstacles have been recognized as a significant factor in the return to work (RTW) for cisgender individuals with various health issues. RTW and sustained work participation of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people during socio-medical transition have been sparsely investigated. Transgender women face multifaceted challenges in the workplace, in life, in social relations, and regarding their gender-affirming healthcare. To better understand sustainable RTW during socio-medical transition, we aimed to analyze the evolution of emotional-, psychosocial-, and RTW measures and chronological experiences during twelve months following (genital) gender-affirming surgery. Data from a mixed-method diary-based critical case study of a trans woman undergoing socio-medical transition was analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were integrated with longitudinal quantitative results of positive and negative affect, gender-affirmation, and work rehabilitation measures. Results show a fluctuating course of emotions, expectations, and confronting reality (and workability), which gravely impacted self-esteem and overcompensation behaviors. They show social isolation in an uphill fight against stereotypes and power dynamics in information flow whilst insecurely navigating the cisnormative work environment and healthcare. RTW sustainability seems to adhere firmly to gender affirmation, gender comfort, and individualized, dynamic, holistic support from several stakeholders. By integrating longitudinal quantitative and qualitative data, a patterned meaning analysis of lived experiences and reflections was found. This study sheds light on the fluctuating dynamics of social relations and gender (dis)comfort at work and helps us better understand psychosocial obstacles in sustainable (return to) work and creating a person-centered environment sensitive to these challenges. Occupational health professionals should thus educate themselves on gender-inclusive care, address barriers to access, and empower TGD workers in a tailored manner while involving the immediate work environment and striving for diversity and inclusion among all workers.