133 research outputs found
Risk assessment of mercury and methyl mercury intake via sardine and swordfish consumption in Algeria
NO ABSTRACT AVAILABLETotal mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in the flesh of sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius) fished in three Algerian coasts were determined by a direct mercury analyzer (DMA). We also assessed the risk to which the consumer was exposed to by calculating the estimated daily intakes (EDIs), target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI). The average concentrations of Hg and MeHg in the flesh of sardine were similar (0.04 mg/kg wet weight) and in swordfish were 0.61 mg/kg wet weight; 0.57 mg/kg wet weight, respectively. These concentrations have not surpassed the thresholds set by the Algerian and European regulations. The estimated daily intakes for Hg and MeHg were similar in sardine (0.0064 ÎŒg/kg/day) and were 0.098 ÎŒg/kg/day and 0.092 ÎŒg/kg/day for Hg and MeHg, respectively, in swordfish. These values did not exceed the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The target hazard quotient (THQ) and the hazard index (HI) calculated were < 1. Consequently, consumption of these fishes does not pose any risk for the adult groups of the Algerian population regarding mercury, and methylmercury studied
Investigation of Rheological and Geometric Properties Effect on Nonlinear Behaviour of Fluid Viscous Dampers
Global approval of the use of fluid viscous dampers to control the buildings response against dynamic loadings is growing. The idea behind incorporating additional dampers is that they will reduce most of the energy that is transmitted to the building during shaking event. The objective of this work is to identify and enhance the design parameters that control the nonlinear behaviour of fluid viscous damper subjected to sinusoidal excitation. For this, a numerical model of the flow inside the dissipater has been carried out based on finite volume method. A novel approach has been adopted to simulate elastic behaviour of the fluid, taking into account its compressibility by using the Murnaghan equation of state. A comparison between the calculations of the proposed model and the experimental tests was carried out. The model proved to be sufficiently accurate. A fluid flow analysis was then conducted to fully understand the internal mechanism of the damper. A parametric study was then performed by varying aspects such as dimensions, geometric relationships between components and fluid properties in order to better understand their effect on the non-linear behaviour of the device. The results highlight the relationship between the parameters governing the shear thinning behaviour of the fluid and the non-linearity exponent of the damper. This makes it possible to better control the non-linear behaviour of the device by selecting the appropriate silicone oil and the appropriate geometric dimensions of its components
Generating multimedia presentations: from plain text to screenplay
In many Natural Language Generation (NLG) applications, the output is limited to plain text â i.e., a string of words with punctuation and paragraph breaks, but no indications for layout, or pictures, or dialogue. In several projects, we have begun to explore NLG applications in which these extra media are brought into play. This paper gives an informal account of what we have learned. For coherence, we focus on the domain of patient information leaflets, and follow an example in which the same content is expressed first in plain text, then in formatted text, then in text with pictures, and finally in a dialogue script that can be performed by two animated agents. We show how the same meaning can be mapped to realisation patterns in different media, and how the expanded options for expressing meaning are related to the perceived style and tone of the presentation. Throughout, we stress that the extra media are not simple added to plain text, but integrated with it: thus the use of formatting, or pictures, or dialogue, may require radical rewording of the text itself
Entrepreneurial intention among rural youth in Moroccan Agricultural Cooperatives: the future of rural entrepreneurship
Open Access Journal; Published online: 18 Aug 2021Rural entrepreneurship in the developing world has long been hailed as a powerful tool for promoting the socioeconomic integration of young people and the key to avoiding rural depopulation as well as ensuring these areas remain attractive places for rural youth. However, there have been no efforts to investigate the role of collective entrepreneurship in the creation and management of new businesses in Morocco. Furthermore, we build on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate and explain entrepreneurial intention among the rural youth members of agricultural cooperatives, and identify the vulnerabilities and factors that influence the choice or decision-making between permanent membership at the cooperative and an entrepreneurial career. In this case, we apply the cognitive approach to survey rural youth in the DrĂąa-Tafilalet region of Morocco in 2020. The binary logistic regression analysis technique has been used and applied to build the best model to explain why some rural youth members of the cooperative, but not others, choose to become entrepreneurs. We model how agricultural cooperatives may favor or inhibit the translation of entrepreneurial intention into new venture creation. A random sample size of 130 young people has been selected, from which 54 are intending to start a business and 76 have a negative intention of self-employment. The results of the analysis showed that socio-demographic variables, individual perceptions, previous experience, and the activities of the cooperative were statistically significant and reliable in building the binary logistic regression model. Findings also suggest that the risks of agribusiness and financing constraints have a negative influence on entrepreneurial intentions of the youth and women in agricultural cooperatives
Traitement peu invasif dâune breche osteo meningee associee a une hypertension intracranienne benigne
Description Lâhypertension intracrĂąnienne bĂ©nigne (HTICB) est une augmentation anormale de la pression intracrĂąnienne non associĂ©e Ă un processus occupant de lâespace intracrĂąnien, une thrombose des veinescĂ©rĂ©brales ou une hydrocĂ©phalie. CaractĂ©risĂ©e par des cĂ©phalĂ©es invalidantes, des acouphĂšnes pulsatiles, elle peut avoir une Ă©volution pĂ©jorative et irrĂ©versible entraĂźnant une cĂ©citĂ©. La survenue dâune rhinorrhĂ©e spontanĂ©e dans un contexte dâHTICB a Ă©tĂ© dĂ©crite dans la littĂ©rature mais demeure peu frĂ©quente. Objectif et cas cliniqueNous rapportons le cas dâune femme obĂšse ĂągĂ©e de 40 ans, qui a Ă©tĂ© admise pour rhinorrhĂ©e droite spontanĂ©e. Les explorations neuroradiologiques ont permis dâĂ©voquer une hypertension intracrĂąnienne bĂ©nigne sur une brĂšche ethmoĂŻdale antĂ©rieure. Le monitoring de la pression a confirmĂ© le diagnostic. Elle abĂ©nĂ©ficiĂ© dâune dĂ©rivation ventriculo pĂ©ritonĂ©ale. LâĂ©volution est favorable (disparition des symptĂŽmes) avec un delai de recul de 16 mois . Conclusion LâHTICB est une pathologie avec des consĂ©quences irrĂ©versibles si le traitement nâest pas adĂ©quat et rapide. En cas de rhinorrhĂ©e isolĂ©e dans le cadre de lâhypertension intracrĂąnienne bĂ©nigne la dĂ©rivation ventriculo pĂ©ritonĂ©ale est une attitude thĂ©rapeutique simple mais efficace
ANEVRISMES GEANTS DE LâARTERE HYPOGASTRIQUE : DIFFICULTES DE PRISE EN CHARGE THERAPEUTIQUE
The isolated aneurysms of internal iliac artery are rare and present several difficulties of care. Their treatment is often difficult and contains relatively high rates of morbidity and mortality. The giant character complicates the methods of assessment and surgical dissection due in the complexity of the anatomical region and the modifications of marks engendered by the aneurismal mass. Bringing back us to two observations of giantsâ aneurisms of the internal iliac artery discovered incidentally on an atypical symptomatology. Both patients were surgically handled with a good evolution. We evoke the variety of the aetiologies of these aneurysms and we discuss the difficulties of their surgical treatment.Les anĂ©vrismes isolĂ©s de lâartĂšre iliaque interne sont rares et prĂ©sentent plusieurs difficultĂ©s de prise en charge. Leur traitement est souvent difficile et comportent des taux de morbiditĂ© et de mortalitĂ© relativement Ă©levĂ©s. Leur caractĂšre gĂ©ant complique les modalitĂ©s de contrĂŽle et de dissection chirurgicale du Ă la complexitĂ© de la rĂ©gion anatomique et les modifications des repĂšres engendrĂ©es par la masse anĂ©vrismale. Nous rapportons deux observations dâanĂ©vrismes gĂ©ants de lâartĂšre iliaque interne dĂ©couverts fortuitement sur une symptomatologie atypique. Les deux malades ont Ă©tĂ© traitĂ©s chirurgicalement avec une bonne Ă©volution. Nous Ă©voquons la diversitĂ© des Ă©tiologies de ces anĂ©vrismes et nous discutons les difficultĂ©s de leur traitement chirurgical
ANEVRISME ROMPU DE LâARTERE GASTRODUODENALE : HEMOSTASE PAR EMBOLISATION
Aneurysms of the gastroduodenal artery are rare vascular lesions with significantly higher risk of rupture, given the predominance of inflammatory causes. Rupture is frequently the initial symptom, and intraoperative isolation and control of the aneurysm can be difficult, it worsens the prognosis and increases mortality. The endovascular approach with embolization of the aneurysm offers in these cases the possibility of a primary hemostasis and allows secondly evacuation of the hemoperitoine on a stable and a well-prepared patient.We report a 72 year-old women, having benefited of an urgent haemostasis by embolisation of a ruptured gastroduodenal artery aneurysm and a secondary evacuation of her hemopĂ©ritoine 48 hours later. It was an embolization in a ruptured digestive artery aneurysm with an anatomic variant, the hepatic artery was arising from the superior mesenteric artery, and it makes all the particularity of this observation. In this paper we recall the diagnostical and etiological aspects of gastroduodenal artery aneurysms, we discuss the difficulties of their treatment and we emphasis the advantages of embolization in management of this type of complication.Les anĂ©vrismes de l'artĂšre gastroduodĂ©nale sont des lĂ©sions vasculaires rares, la rupture en est un risque rĂ©el, il est significativement augmentĂ© par la nature inflammatoire dominante de leurs Ă©tiologies. La rupture est un mode de rĂ©vĂ©lation frĂ©quent et souvent inaugurale, elle rend le contrĂŽle chirurgical de lâartĂšre gastroduodĂ©nale difficile, aggravant ainsi le pronostic et augmentant le taux de mortalitĂ©. Lâapproche endovasculaire par embolisation offre la possibilitĂ© dâune hĂ©mostase primaire en urgence et permet de reporter lâĂ©vacuation de lâhemopĂ©ritoine dans un deuxiĂšme temps sur un malade stable et bien prĂ©parĂ©.Nous rapportons l'observation d'une femme de 72 ans, ayant bĂ©nĂ©ficiĂ©e dâune hĂ©mostase par embolisation dâun anĂ©vrisme rompu de lâartĂšre gastroduodĂ©nale en urgence et dâune Ă©vacuation secondaire de son hemopĂ©ritoine 48 heures aprĂšs. Cette observation rapporte le cas dâune embolisation sur un anĂ©vrisme rompu dâune artĂšre digestive avec une variante anatomique rĂ©alisĂ©e par lâartĂšre hĂ©patique qui nait de lâartĂšre mĂ©sentĂ©rique supĂ©rieure, cela fait toute la particularitĂ© de cette observation. Dans ce travail nous rappelons les aspects diagnostic et Ă©tiologiques des anĂ©vrismes de lâartĂšre gastroduodĂ©nale, nous discutons les difficultĂ©s de leur prise en charge en cas de rupture et nous mettant le point sur les avantages de lâembolisation primaire Ă visĂ©e hĂ©mostatique
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