Potential use of Bacillus paramycoides for the production of the biopolymer polyhydroxybutyrate from leftover carob fruit agro-waste

This study was designed to investigate, at a laboratory scale, the possibility of valorizing the leftover carob fruits to produce the eco-friendly biopolymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by using the bacterial strain Bacillus paramycoides, which has been isolated from the botanical garden of Skikda University in Algeria. The PHB production was tested under various conditions: a pH of 3-8, temperature range of 30-44 celcius, carob extracted molasses concentration of 2-8% v/v, an incubation time of 24-96 h and an agitation speed of 150-300 rpm. The effects of different nitrogen sources and carob extracted molasses treatment types were also investigated. The PHB concentration was determined quantitatively as crotonic acid by measuring the absorbance at 300 nm. Cell growth was quantified by measuring the density of the culture at 600 nm. The presence of PHB was confirmed by applying high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using an Aminex HPX-87H and implementing gas chromatography analysis. The best yield of PHB synthesis was obtained by using 6% v/v of 5 M H2SO4 treated with carob molasses as a carbon source, with peptone as a nitrogen source; incubation was conducted at 37 degrees C for 96 hat an agitation speed of 300 rpm (114.95 mg/L). The HPLC analysis confirmed the synthesis of PHB by B. paramycoides to have a chromatogram retention time of 22.5 min. Carob waste was successfully valorized to PHB

Inoculation with rhizobacterial consortia alleviates combined water and phosphorus deficit stress in intercropped faba bean and wheat

Our study aimed to assess the role of inoculation of faba bean/wheat intercrops with selected rhizobacterial consortia (composed of one rhizobium and two P solubilizing bacteria “PSB”) to alleviate the effects of combined water deficit and P limitation on faba bean/wheat intercropping vs. monocropping under greenhouse conditions. One Vicia faba L (Aguadulce) and one Triticum durum L. variety (Karim) were grown as a sole crop or were intercropped in pots containing a sterilized substrate (sand:peat 4:1 v/v) with either rock phosphate (RP) (unavailable P) or KH2PO4 in the nutrient solution (available P). Plant inoculation was performed using the rhizobacterial consortia C1 (Rhizobium laguerreae, Kocuria sp., and Pseudomonas sp.) and C2 (R. laguerreae, Rahnella sp., and Kocuria sp.). Two weeks after inoculation, the plants were subjected to water deficit with 40% substrate water holding capacity (WHC) vs. 80% WHC for the well-watered plants. The trial was assessed at the flowering stage, and the results showed that inoculation with both consortia (C1 and C2) improved faba bean biomass in terms of shoot, root, and nodules dry weight compared to inoculation with rhizobia alone. C2 improved these parameters by 19.03, 78.99, and 72.73%, respectively. The relative leaf water content decreased under combined stress, especially in response to C1 conferring significant improvement of this parameter in wheat intercrops. In faba bean under P limitation, inoculation with C2 increased stomatal conductance (gs), phosphatase, and phytase activity by 35.73, 166.94, and 26.16%, respectively, compared to plants inoculated with rhizobia alone. Furthermore, C2 also improved membrane stability under P deficit by 44.33 vs. 16.16% for C1 as compared to inoculation with rhizobia alone. In sole-cropped faba bean, inoculation with both consortia improved N accumulation compared to single inoculation with an increase of 70.75% under P limitation. Moreover, under combined stress, inoculation with C2 improved biomass and N content (112.98%) in intercropped wheat compared to the sole crop. Our findings revealed that consortium C2 might offer an agronomic advantage under water and P deficit and could serve as a useful inoculum for enhancing faba bean and wheat production in monocropping and intercropping systems

Big Data Management and Smart City: From Affordance technology perspective view size

Cities are aware today more than ever by the value of new technologies to develop effective and sustainable services for citizens, visitors, and businesses in all areas of the territory, this awareness is based on the inclusion of technology in the socio-economic formula by integrating modern analytical tools to analyze massive urban data to capitalize on valuable insights about key strategic performance indicators for the success of city model. This paper’s main contribution is to explore big data analytics adoption in smart city model using affordance theory and providing an example of the use of technology affordance perspective as one of the concepts that has been adopted in a variety of studies that used to describe and analyze the potential enabled affordances for actions that arise from the relationship between a technological artefact and goal-oriented actors of Big Data Management tools and how adopting a high-level big data smart city driven strategy can unlock new technological and business potentials

Valorization of crop residues and animal wastes: Anaerobic co-digestion technology

To switch the over-reliance on fossil-based resources, curb environmental quality deterioration, and promote the use of renewable fuels, much attention has recently been directed toward the implementation of sustainable and environmentally benign ‘waste-to-energy’ technology exploiting a clean, inexhaustible, carbon-neutral, and renewable energy source, namely agricultural biomass. From this perspective, anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) technology emerges as a potent and plausible approach to attain sustainable energy development, foster environmental sustainability, and, most importantly, circumvent the key challenges associated with mono-digestion. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of AcoD as a biochemical valorization pathway of crop residues and livestock manure for biogas production. Furthermore, this manuscript aims to assess the different biotic and abiotic parameters affecting co-digestion efficiency and present recent advancements in pretreatment technologies designed to enhance feedstock biodegradability and conversion rate. It can be concluded that the substantial quantities of crop residues and animal waste generated annually from agricultural practices represent valuable bioenergy resources that can contribute to meeting global targets for affordable renewable energy. Nevertheless, extensive and multidisciplinary research is needed to evolve the industrial-scale implementation of AcoD technology of livestock waste and crop residues, particularly when a pretreatment phase is included, and bridge the gap between small-scale studies and real-world applications

Mise au point sur les risques toxiques en milieu hospitalier

Une grande diversité de produits est utilisée en milieu hospitalier. Les risques chimiques liés à leur utilisation sont nombreux. Le maintien de l’utilisation de produits toxiques en milieu hospitalier peut se justifier, mais ceci nécessite la mise en place d’une politique de prévention qui peut comporter une réorganisation des activités des structures et des services hospitaliers, des formations, de nouveaux équipements de protection. Une synergie entre nos différents services hospitaliers et structures externes (médecine du travail, organismes agréés, etc.) s’impose pour mener à bien l’ensemble de ces démarches.Ce travail ne prétend pas l’exhaustivité mais a pour objectif de rappeler les principales caractéristiques et risques toxiques à l’exclusion des produits cytostatiques, de produits de médecine nucléaire et des produits caustiques auxquels un nombre restreint de personnel hospitalier est exposé

Syndrome de nécrose rétinienne aigue : A propos de deux cas

La nécrose rétinienne aigue  (ARN syndrome) est un syndrome rare, les germes en cause appartiennent à la famille de l’herpès virus. Parmi ses complications,  l’œdème maculaire cystoïde et  le décollement de rétine qui est une complication fréquente et de pronostic péjoratif. Nous rapportons le cas de deux hommes, immunocompétents, avaient une nécrose rétinienne aigue unilatérale, due à l’HSV type 2 et VZV. La baisse de l’acuité visuelle remontait à moins d’une semaine chez les deux malades. Le traitement antiviral et anti-inflammatoire par voie intra-veineux a été instauré en urgence relayé par un traitement d’entretien  par voie orale.  Le deuxième cas a été compliqué durant le traitement  d’entretien par un œdème maculaire cystoïde  traité par des injections latéro-bulbaires de corticoïde.  RNA syndrome is a diagnostic and therapeutic emergency.  La connaissance de cette affection dont le diagnostic est essentiellement clinique, est nécessaire  afin d’éviter l’extension des nécroses rétiniennes et de prévenir la survenue des complications.

Antipsychotic drugs as a contributing factor of pulmonary embolism: A report of 4 cases

Pulmonary embolism is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death in the world after stroke and heart attack; several factors have been identified, and it has been reported that antipsychotic drugs increase the risk of pulmonary embolism. It is a brief communication reporting the case of 4 patients under antipsychotic drugs, were hospitalized in the intensive care unit of cardiology in Mohammed VI hospital center for the management of pulmonary embolism. All the etiological investigations performed including SARS COV2 viral serologies with PCR, tumor markers, chest-abdomen-pelvis CT angiogram scan, phthisiology, thrombophilia tests, and lower limbs echo Doppler returned without any notable findings, and the evolution was positive after anticoagulation and stopping antipsychotics

Epidemiological characteristics of acute hepatitis A, 2013–2016: a cross-sectional study in Morocco

International audienceBackground: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the common cause of acute hepatitis worldwide. Indeed, hepatitis A is endemic in developing countries such in Morocco and most residents are exposed in childhood. The characterisation of circulating strains of HAV remains crucial to understand the virological evolution and geo-temporal characteristics, which are essential for controlling infections and outbreaks. The purpose of the current study was the detection and characterisation of HAV strains circulating in Morocco by performing serological test, RT-PCR, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 618 suspected acute hepatitis cases were examined by Architect HAV abIgM. Of the 162 positives, 64 underwent RNA extraction. None of the suspected cases was immune to HAV and none of them had received a blood transfusion. Samples found positive by RT-PCR using primers targeting the VP1/VP2A junction and the VP1/VP3 capsid region of HAV were subjected to sequencing and phylogenetic analyses.Results: HAV Acute infection rate was 26.2% [95% CI, 22.8-29.9], while viraemia reached 45% (29/64) after amplification of the VP3/VP1 region. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP1/2A segment revealed the presence of sub-genotypes IA and IB. Eighty-seven percent of the strains belonged to the subgenotype IA, while twelve percent to IB subgenotype.Conclusion: This first molecular study of acute hepatitis A in Morocco provided information about genetic diversity of HAV, revealing the co-circulating of only two subgenotypes (IA and IB). Notably, subgenotype IA was found to be the predominant subgenotype in Morocco

Effect of MBOAT7 variant on hepatitis B and C infections in Moroccan patients

International audienceThe outcomes of HBV and HCV infections are associated both with viral and host genetic factors. Here, we explore the role of a genetic variation located in membrane-bound O-acyltransferase domain-containing protein 7 (MBOAT7) gene on spontaneous clearance of HBV and HCV infections and on liver fibrosis. We genotyped MBOAT7 rs641738 polymorphism in 971 consecutive Moroccan subjects, including 288 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), 98 cases with spontaneous clearance of HCV, 268 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 126 spontaneously cleared HBV infections and 191 healthy controls. MBOAT7 rs641738 variant is not associated with spontaneous clearance of HBV (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.39-1.14; p = 0.131) and HCV infections (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 0.79-2.23; p = 0.278). Furthermore, multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for biologically relevant covariates and potential confounders associated with the risk of liver disease progression revealed that MBOAT7 rs641738 is not associated either with fibrosis progression in CHC group (OR = 1.12; 95% CI: 0.55-2.28; p = 0.761) or with chronic progressive state in CHB patients (OR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.41-1.61; p = 0.547). We conclude that the variant MBOAT7 rs641738 genotype is not associated with spontaneous clearance of HBV and HCV infections or with the progression of liver disease in chronic hepatitis B or C in a genetic context of Mediterranean patients