Performance enhancement and sample throughput increase of a multiresidue pesticides method in fruits and vegetables using Data-Dependent MS acquisition

Due to the growing number of analysed pesticide residues, analytical strategies have evolved for the data processing of 100s of pesticides in a single analysis. We present herein a LC-MS/MS method based on triple quadrupole technology capable of detecting concentrations at 5 ng/g and confirming 381 pesticides in a single injection. Confirmatory analysis is performed using data-dependent acquisition that compares full MS/MS spectra of candidates to a fast library interrogation within the same injection. A comparison on more than 200 samples of fruits and vegetables (representing principal types: normal, pigmented, and fatty) with pre-existing workflow based on single MRM analysis per compound was performed to validate this approach. A fast turnaround time was demonstrated due to more-unambiguous identification suppressing the need for reinjection to confirm candidates. The automated library searching and confirmation only of putative hits also allowed focusing on the manual verification and validation steps just for putative candidates which hence also increased overall throughput and results quality. Superior robustness of the method due partially to a reduced volume injected was also one of the key points achieved using this methodology. An interesting feature is also the capability to enrich the library and the number of pesticides screened with ease.

Association of environmental markers with childhood type 1 diabetes mellitus revealed by a long questionnaire on early life exposures and lifestyle in a case-control study

Background

The incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes (T1D) incidence is rising in many countries, supposedly because of changing environmental factors, which are yet largely unknown. The purpose of the study was to unravel environmental markers associated with T1D.

Methods

Cases were children with T1D from the French Isis-Diab cohort. Controls were schoolmates or friends of the patients. Parents were asked to fill a 845-item questionnaire investigating the child’s environment before diagnosis. The analysis took into account the matching between cases and controls. A second analysis used propensity score methods.

Results

We found a negative association of several lifestyle variables, gastroenteritis episodes, dental hygiene, hazelnut cocoa spread consumption, wasp and bee stings with T1D, consumption of vegetables from a farm and death of a pet by old age.

Conclusions

The found statistical association of new environmental markers with T1D calls for replication in other cohorts and investigation of new environmental areas.

Trial registration

Clinical-Trial.gov NCT02212522. Registered August 6, 2014. 

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3690-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Comprehensive screening of veterinary drugs in honey by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

In the context of multi-residue screening in honey, a complete methodology was developed for 200 veterinary drugs comprising a sample preparation step and an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry analysis. In addition, specific analytical strategies were developed for two compounds, streptomycin and chloramphenicol, using UHPLC and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Methodologies were then applied to real honey samples obtained from the Swiss market.

High prevalence of diabetes mellitus and hospital-related hyperglycaemia in French general wards

AIM

The study evaluated the in-hospital prevalence of diabetes and hospital-related hyperglycaemia in a variety of French general wards.

METHODS

The multicentre cross-sectional study involving nine French hospitals measured venous fasting plasma glucose (FPG) on a single day in patients hospitalized in adult medical and surgical short-term wards. Diabetes status and length of stay were recorded.

RESULTS

Of the 2141 inpatients included in the study, 355 (16.5%) had known diabetes, 156 (7.3%) had screened diabetes (FPG ≥7 mmol/L with no diabetes history), 515 (24.1%) had impaired fasting glucose (IFG; FPG 5.5-6.9 mmol/L) and 1115 (52.1%) had normal glucose values (FPG < 5.5 mmol/L). Diabetes prevalence varied from 11% in hospitals in the west of France to 21% in hospitals in northern and eastern regions. The highest known diabetes prevalence was observed in units for cardiovascular surgery (33%), infectious diseases (27%) and kidney disorders (26%). In cancer units, one-fifth of patients had screened diabetes and one-sixth had known diabetes. Among the known diabetes patients, 127 (36%) were already being treated with insulin, while an additional 41 (12%) started insulin therapy during their hospital stay. Patients with known and screened diabetes were older (70.8 ± 12.2 and 71.1 ± 15.6 years, respectively) than the normal-glucose patients (65.6 ± 18.9 years; P<0.001). Average length of stay was no different between known diabetes and normal-glucose patients after adjusting for age (11.3 ± 7.7 vs 10.0 ± 7.4 days; NS).

CONCLUSION

Overall, metabolic glucose disorders (known or screened diabetes and IFG) were found in 48% of inpatients in various French hospital general wards.

Coûts et financement de la chimiohyperthermie intrapéritonéale (CHIP) associée à une chirurgie d'exérèse

BACKGROUND

A complete cytoreductive surgery followed with an intraperitoneal chemohyperthermia (IPCH) is a new treatment allowing curing some patients with a peritoneal carcinomatosis. The cost of this treatment, evaluated in different countries, is high. In France, we do not have any cost evaluation of this therapy, and this state slows its diffusion in our country. The aim of this study is to evaluate the real cost of maximal cytoreductive surgery with IPCH, and to compare it with the financial support given by the Ministery of Health.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The real cost of this therapy was established on the standard analytic accountancy of our Institute. The analysis of the financial support received was done after the classification of the patients in the current official diagnosis-related groups, and according to the current rates of reimbursing of these acts.

RESULTS

Seventy-three patients were treated with IPCH in our Institute during 2002 and 2003. The real mean cost for our hospital was 39,358 euros per patient, with a mean hospital staying of 27.7 days. In counterpart, our hospital received a mean financial support of 20,485 euros, resulting in a deficit of 18,873 euros per patient (and close to 1.4 million of euros for the two years).

CONCLUSION

Our current classification of diagnosis-related groups does not allow to describe the real importance of this therapy which combines a maximal cytoreductive surgery with IPCH. In our system of reimbursing, the hospital which offers this type of new therapy to its patients receives only half of the real rate. Two correctives measures are suitable: to describe this combining treatment in the official list of medical acts, and to determine its specific cost for reimbursing.

[Hyperactivity of the muscles of the lip and chin and indications for surgery to reduce it]

Hyperactivity of the muscles controlling the lower lip and chin (muscles of the chin, buccinator, orbicularis, etc.) can be demonstrated at different levels of the muscular complex and may act as an elastic force against the mandibular alveolar process. Dysfunction in this region may lead to reduction of the alveolar bone quantity, reducing the tooth-bone equilibrium. If this balance is disturbed, periodontal lesions, a lower incisal crowding and a retrognathic mandibular process may result. Surgery to correct overactivity of the chin muscles is described here step by step. Resection of the muscles may be undertaken on a greater or lesser scale and striation of the muscle may also allow reduction of muscular strength. Reducing the muscular activity creates a better environment for the development of the mandible and its alveolar process. Depending on the clinical situation, these techniques can be associated with genioplasty, bone graft and/or mandibular orthognathic surgery.

Is cancer mortality increasing in France?

Long-term trends in cancer mortality are reported by site. Overall, cancer mortality has been decreasing in France since 1987 in the male population and since 1968 in the female population. Improvement in treatments and diagnosis should lead to persistently declining mortality rates, unless the tobacco epidemic reverses the trend in female mortality.

AIDS wasting syndrome as an enterometabolic disorder: the gut hypothesis

There is an interesting relationship between the HIV virus, the health of the gastrointestinal tract, and AIDS wasting syndrome, involving Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF alpha), specific and non-specific immunity in the gut, gut permeability, and oxidative stress. It is hypothesized that the progression of HIV to full-blown AIDS may be impacted by maintaining a healthy gut. A therapeutic protocol which decreases oxidative stress, inhibits TNF alpha, enhances phase I and II liver detoxification, and improves specific and non-specific immunity in the gut should be part of a therapeutic protocol for HIV-infected individuals. Through a better understanding of the pathophysiology of HIV advancing to AIDS, the practitioner can develop a treatment strategy of nutritional and lifestyle changes which could theoretically prevent an HIV infection from advancing to full-blown AIDS.

Solid malignant neoplasms after childhood irradiation: decrease of the relative risk with time after irradiation

The pattern of the temporal distribution of solid cancer incidence after irradiation in childhood is not well known, although, its importance in radioprotection is well known. We studied a cohort of 1,055 children from 8 European cancer centres, who received radiotherapy between 1942 and 1985 for a first cancer in childhood. After a mean follow-up of 19 years, 26 children developed a solid second malignant neoplasm (SMN), as compared to 5.6 expected from general population rates. Both the excess relative risk and the excess of absolute risk of solid SMN were higher among children who were younger at time of the irradiation. After reaching a maximum 15 to 20 years after irradiation, the excess relative risk of SMN decreased with time after irradiation, when controlling for age at irradiation and sex. The analysis of the risk of thyroid, brain and breast cancer together, as a function of the dose averaged on these 3 organs lead to similar results.

Lactose and cataract in humans: a review

In this review, the relationship between lactose and human cataract is examined from the presently available biochemical, metabolic, and epidemiological data. The exceptional cases of homozygous enzyme deficiency being excluded, fragmentary data give reason to believe that a risk of cataract secondary to lactose and galactose ingestion is present in certain subpopulations. In these population groups, the size of which is unknown, the lens could be exposed to intermittent episodes of hypergalactosemia due to the presence of a partial enzyme deficiency in the galactose metabolic pathway, and/or the persistence of a high adult jejunal lactase activity, and/or to a large and repeated consumption of either whole lactose or easily absorbed lactose (hydrolyzed forms and nonpasteurized yogurt).

[Diet therapy of hypercholesterolemia. From theory to practice]

Hypercholesterolemia, quite frequent in industrialized countries is a major risk factor of atherosclerosis, especially in the coronary arteries. Consensus conferences, in the United States as well as Europe, have established a practical approach to this field. The dietetic treatment, from a population standpoint, remains the corner-stone of the treatment of primary dyslipoproteinemias. The quality and quantity of lipids in the food, play a definite role. In order to lower cholesterolemia, the intake of total lipids and cholesterol must be lowered and the consumption of polyunsaturated or mono-unsaturated fatty acids must be increased. The advantage of fish (omega 3 fatty acid), soy-bean and food fibers, are discussed.

[Classification of primary dyslipoproteinemias]

The prevention of atherosclerosis implies a better knowledge of dyslipoproteinemias. The metabolic disease must first be defined before considering its treatment and evaluate the atherogenic risk. The clinician must take advantage of two different classifications. The WHO classification (WHO: World Health Organization) permits to consider six phenotypes (I, IIa, IIb, III, IV, V), according to the serum levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. The genetic classification permits to relate one or several genetic anomaly to these phenotypes. The main clinical and biological characteristics of primary dyslipoproteinemias are summarily reported.

[Non-gynecologic fluid images of pelvis. Ultrasonic study]

From a series of 6,573 echographic surveys of pelvis in male and female, the authors point out 789 liquid images among them 82 are non gynecologic lesions. A statistical study of the different observed etiologies is proposed and compared with those of the literature. The main cases observed are gathered under several items: abscess, hematomas, urinary, digestive and vascular images and studied semiologically. The discussion points out the low frequency in opposition to the etiological diversity of this type of image and precise the diagnostic procedures rules which include other imaging methods especially computed tomography.

[Polysplenia with duplication of the inferior vena cava. Apropos of a case]

A case of polysplenia fortuitously discovered in an adult by sonography, then studied by computed tomography and inferior vena cavography, is reported. In the absence of cardiac anomalies, the different elements of the syndrome are discussed: multiple spleens, abdominal heterotaxia and vascular malformations. The duplication of the inferior vena cava is exceptional in this disease. Its original characteristic is shown by the cavography and brought to its embryologic origin.

[Growth of the fetal kidney. Echographic study]

An echographic study of the fetal normal kidney in 274 fetuses (548 kidneys measured) from 15 to 40 weeks of pregnancy is proposed by the authors. This work includes morphologic and biometric study with the growth curves of 4 parameters. It is shown that both kidneys are morphologically similar and their growth is continuous and there is a constant ratio between the different parameters. Ratios are established: Length/BPD = 0,45 +/- 10%, Width/BPD = 0,27 +/- 10%, Thickness/BPD = 0,26 +/- 10% which are very useful for the echographist. One hopes that with morphologic and biometric criteria of normality, the early detection of urinary tract malformations will be easier.

[A case of pseudocyst of adrenal gland (author's transl)]

A case of pseudocyst of adrenal gland is reported. The first findings have been acute pain and falling hematocrit. Then hepatomegaly is present. All the investigations--ultrasonography, radionuclidescan, arteriography--failed to demonstrate the origin and saided liver cyst. The diagnosis is operative. The pseudocyst hemorrhagic are 32% of adrenal cysts. We think the computer tomography will be an important contribution for the diagnosis of false hepatomegaly.