The therapeutic potential of skin mucus from Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus): In vivo evaluation and histological evidence

Objectives The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus), is commonly distributed in Asian countries. However, its therapeutic potential has not been thoroughly investigated yet. The current study aimed to evaluate the in-vivo therapeutic properties of the skin mucus of this fish. Methods The eel mucus was collected fleshly and topical gel with carbopol 934 was formulated to study the antibacterial activity on the infected skin of the rats. Sprague Dawley rats were used in the study and divided into 4 groups negative, positive, normal control, and treated groups. Results Intracutaneous injections of pathogenic bacteria (Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus) and fungi (Microsporum gypseum, Candida albicans) were injected into the rats. The development of tinea capitis, impetigo, and cutaneous candidiasis in the animal model was confirmed based on clinical and histopathological observations. To treat the infected rats, a formulated gel of eel skin mucus was applied on the infected rat’s skins topically. The histological analysis confirms a complete recovery in the skin tissues similar to commercial antifungal and antibacterial agents used in the positive control groups. Conclusion The present novel eel skin mucus is an efficient therapeutic candidate in treating skin infections associated with pathogenic microbes

Implementation of the One Health approach to fight arbovirus infections in the Mediterranean and Black Sea Region: Assessing integrated surveillance in Serbia, Tunisia and Georgia

Background In the Mediterranean and Black Sea Region, arbovirus infections are emerging infectious diseases. Their surveillance can benefit from one health inter-sectoral collaboration; however, no standardized methodology exists to study One Health surveillance. Methods We designed a situation analysis study to document how integration of laboratory/clinical human, animal and entomological surveillance of arboviruses was being implemented in the Region. We applied a framework designed to assess three levels of integration: policy/institutional, data collection/data analysis and dissemination. We tested the use of Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) to graphically present evidence of inter-sectoral integration. Results Serbia, Tunisia and Georgia participated in the study. West Nile Virus surveillance was analysed in Serbia and Tunisia, Crimea-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever surveillance in Georgia. Our framework enabled a standardized analysis of One Health surveillance integration, and BPMN was easily understandable and conducive to detailed discussions among different actors/institutions. In all countries, we observed integration across sectors and levels except in data collection and data analysis. Data collection was interoperable only in Georgia without integrated analysis. In all countries, surveillance was mainly oriented towards outbreak response, triggered by an index human case. Discussion The three surveillance systems we observed prove that integrated surveillance can be operationalized with a diverse spectrum of options. However, in all countries, the integrated use of data for early warning and inter-sectoral priority setting is pioneeristic. We also noted that early warning before human case occurrence is recurrently not operationally prioritized

Dynamique urbaine non-réglementaire et gouvernance locale à Kairouan

En Tunisie, comme dans d’autres pays du Sud, nombreux sont les projets de développement urbain initiés par des organismes internationaux (Banque Mondiale, Fonds Monétaire International, Agence Française de Développement, O.N.G….). Dans le cadre d’une recherche doctorale portant sur la place des pouvoirs locaux dans les politiques urbaines en Tunisie (avec application au cas de la ville Kairouan), cette contribution examine la façon dont, en Tunisie, pays du Maghreb, ces projets interfèrent avec les systèmes de pouvoirs locaux et contribuent à l’élaboration de nouveaux modes de gouvernance urbaine et de régulation politique.In Tunisia, as in other countries south of the Mediterranean, there are a number of urban development projects started by international organisms (World Bank, International Monitory Fund, French Development Agency, NGO’s). Within the frame of a doctoral research bearing on the place of local power in urban policies in Tunisia, applying to the case of Kairouan, this contribution examines the way, these projects interfere with local power systems and contribute in elaborating new ways of urban policy regulation, in Tunisia a Maghreb country.En Túnez, como en los demás países del Sur, son numerosos los proyectos de desarrollo urbano iniciados por organismos internacionales (Banco mundial, Fondo Monetario Internacional, Agencia Francesa de Desarrollo, ONG). En el ámbito de una investigación doctoral llevando en la plaza poderes locales en las políticas urbanas en Túnez (con aplicación en el caso de la ciudad del Kairouan), esta contribución examina la manera de que, en Túnez, país del Magreb, estos proyectos interfirieron con los sistemas de poderes locales y contribuyeron en la elaboración de nuevos modos de gobernancia urbana y de regulación política.عرفت البلاد التونسية كغيرها من بلدان الجنوب العديد من المشاريع التنموية على المستوى الحضري بمساعدة و بتمويلات المنظمات والهياكل الدولية المساندة لهاته التدخلات ونذكر من بينها البنك الدولي والوكالة الفرنسية للتنمية والمنظمات غير الحكومية. و تقترح هذه المداخلة انطلاقا من بحث ميدانى أنجز في إطار رسالة دكتوراه دراسة تأثيرات انجاز المشاريع الحضرية في إطار سياسة الحكم الرشيد على البنية السياسية و الاجتماعية للمجال المحلى

Pouvoirs locaux et réhabilitation urbaine

Depuis vingt ans, la Tunisie a défini et mis en œuvre une politique de réhabilitation urbaine qui s'est traduite par cinq Projets de développement urbains (PDU), trois générations de Programmes nationaux de réhabilitation des quartiers populaires (PNRQP) et trois autres générations de Programmes de développement urbain intégré (PDUI). Ces différents programmes ont été l'occasion, pour les responsables tunisiens de l'urbanisme et de l'aménagement urbain, d'élaborer et de tester de nouveaux mod..

A Robust and Non-Fragile Observer Design for Nonlinear Fractional-Order Systems

The challenge of developing observers for classical integer-order systems that are both resilient and non-fragile has received a lot of attention in the literature. However, only a few articles have addressed the topic of developing observers for Fractional-Order (FO) systems that are both H-infinity H∞ and non-fragile. The current work handles the Caputo fractional-order systems as the first work, to our knowledge, which treats such problems. The authors provide a novel result for building non-fragile and robust observers for nonlinear Caputo fractional-order systems. For this, the H∞ performance method is utilized. Simulations for a numerical example confirm the efficacy of the suggested technique. The primary advantage of the current work is that it is the first to address the Caputo fractional-order system problem

An Evaluative Study of Fourth Grade Students' computerized Arabic Language Curriculum in Jordan

هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى تقييم منهاج اللغة العربية المحوسب لمستوى طلبة الصف الرابع الأساسي المطبق في بعض المدارس في الأردن، وذلك من خلال تطوير مجموعة معايير تلائم تقييم منهاج محوسب، وتحديد مدى توافر هذه المعايير في منهاج اللغة العربية المحوسب، واستقصاء المقترحات المقدمة من قبل أفراد عينة الدراسة، والتي يرتأون ضرورة إضافتها للمنهاج المحوسب. ‏ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة، تم اختيار عينة تكونت من جميع معلمي اللغة العربية في المدارس الاستكشافية في مدينة عمان، والذين يطبقون منهاج اللغة العربية المحوسب للصف الرابع الأساسي والبالغ عددهم (18) معلما ومعلمة، وقد تم اختيارهم بالطريقة القصدية. كما تم تطوير استبانة مكونة من (63‏) فقرة تمثل معايير تم تطويرها لتقييم المنهاج المحوسب. وقد توزعت فقرات الاستبانة على خمسة مجالات للتقييم هي: الأهداف التعليمية، والمحتوى التعليمي المحوسب، والأسئلة والأنشطة والتدريبات، والعرض الالكتروني التعليمي، والتقويم التكويني، وقد تم تطبيقها بعد التحقق من صدقها وثباتها. وقد أظهرت النتائج أن مجموعة المعايير قد توافرت بدرجة متوسطة في المنهاج المحوسب، وأن مقترحات المعلمين حول هذا المنهاج كانت تدور حول النواحي الفنية والتقنية والادارية. وفي ضوء النتائج التي توصلت إليها الدراسة أوصى الباحثون بضرورة اعتماد المعايير المبنية على أسس نفسية وتربوية، وإجراء دراسات أخرى لتقييم مناهج دراسية محوسبة أخرى غير اللغة العربية، ودعوة القائمين على حوسبة المناهج في وزارة التربية والتعليم إلى التحديث والتقييم المستمر للمناهج الدراسية المحوسبة.This study aimed at evaluating the fourth grade Arabic language computerized curriculum implemented in some schools in Jordan. The evaluation was conducted through a number of criteria suitable for evaluating computerized curriculum and identifying the degree of meeting these criteria in the fourth grade Arabic Language computerized curriculum. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researchers developed a questionnaire of 63 items based on the criteria of evaluating computerized curriculum covering five fields. The instrument was implemented on the sample of the study after obtaining its validity and reliability. The sample of the study consisted of all Arabic Language teachers in Amman Exploratory schools who implement the Arabic language computerized curriculum of the fourth grade. The results revealed that the computerized curriculum met the criteria of evaluation to moderate degree, and the suggestions of the teachers concerning this curriculum pivoted round the technical, technological and administrative aspects. In light of the results, the researchers recommended that it is necessary to adopt measures built according to psychological and educational principles. They also recommended that other studies be carried out to evaluate computerized curriculum other than that of the Arabic language and called on the staff to follow up on the computerized curriculum at the Ministry of Education for continuous update and assessment

Continuous Stability TS Fuzzy Systems Novel Frame Controlled by a Discrete Approach and Based on SOS Methodology

Generally, the continuous and discrete TS fuzzy systems’ control is studied independently. Unlike the discrete systems, stability results for the continuous systems suffer from conservatism because it is still quite difficult to apply non-quadratic Lyapunov functions, something which is much easier for the discrete systems. In this paper and in order to obtain new results for the continuous case, we proposed to connect the continuous with the discrete cases and then check the stability of the continuous TS fuzzy systems by means of the discrete design approach. To this end, a novel frame was proposed using the sum of square approach (SOS) to check the stability of the continuous Takagi Sugeno (TS) fuzzy models based on the discrete controller. Indeed, the control of the continuous TS fuzzy models is ensured by the discrete gains obtained from the Euler discrete form and based on the non-quadratic Lyapunov function. The simulation examples applied for various models, by modifying the order of the Euler discrete fuzzy system, are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed methodology

Continuous Stability TS Fuzzy Systems Novel Frame Controlled by a Discrete Approach and Based on SOS Methodology

Generally, the continuous and discrete TS fuzzy systems’ control is studied independently. Unlike the discrete systems, stability results for the continuous systems suffer from conservatism because it is still quite difficult to apply non-quadratic Lyapunov functions, something which is much easier for the discrete systems. In this paper and in order to obtain new results for the continuous case, we proposed to connect the continuous with the discrete cases and then check the stability of the continuous TS fuzzy systems by means of the discrete design approach. To this end, a novel frame was proposed using the sum of square approach (SOS) to check the stability of the continuous Takagi Sugeno (TS) fuzzy models based on the discrete controller. Indeed, the control of the continuous TS fuzzy models is ensured by the discrete gains obtained from the Euler discrete form and based on the non-quadratic Lyapunov function. The simulation examples applied for various models, by modifying the order of the Euler discrete fuzzy system, are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed methodology