Composición del aceite de la semilla del pistacho (Pistacia vera): efectos de la situación geográfica y de la variedad

This study was aimed at characterizing four Tunisian pistachio cultivations (Pistacia vera) from the Mateur (North), Nabeul (North-East), Kairouan (Middle) and Sfax (Middle- East) regions and two varieties, Mateur and Ohadi, considering fatty acid composition and main lipid class contents (polar lipids, diacylglycerols, triacylglycerols and free fatty acids) in ripe seeds. Lipid classes were separated using thin layer chromatography, and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were analyzed by gas chromatography. Oleic acid (C18:1 Δ9) was the major fatty acid for all samples; those of the Mateur region (the northern region) differed significantly with the lowest content in C18:1 (54.2 % of total fatty acids) and the highest in C18:2 (24.1 %). The total amount of fatty acids (TFA) in the seeds of Ohadi variety was significantly lower than that of the Mateur variety from the Sfax region. Triacylglycerols were most abundant in pistachio seeds from Nabeul (98.5% of total glycerolipids).Este estudio tiene como objetivo caracterizar cuatro cultivos de pistacho (Pistacia vera) de Túnez, de las regiones de Mateur (Norte), Nabeul (Nordeste), Kairouan (Centro) y Sfax (Centro-Este) y dos variedades, Mateur and Ohadi, considerando la composición en ácidos grasos y de lípidos mayoritarios (lípidos polares, diglicéridos, triglicéridos y ácidos grasos libres) de semillas maduras. Los lípidos se separaron mediante cromatografía en capa fina, y los ésteres metílicos de los ácidos grasos (FAMEs) se analizaron por cromatografía de gases. El ácido oleico (C18:1 Δ9) fue el mayoritario en todas las muestras; las de la región de Mateur (Norte) fueron significativamente distintas, presentando el contenido más bajo de C18:1 (54.2 % del total de ácidos grasos) y más alto de C18:2 (24.1 %). La cantidad total de ácidos grasos (TFA) en las semillas de la variedad Ohadi fue significativamente más bajo que el de la variedad Mateur de la región de Sfax. Los triglicéridos fueron el componente más importante en la semillas de pistacho de Nabeul (98.5% del total de glicerolípidos)

Insights from DCE-MRI: blood–brain barrier permeability in the context of MS relapses and methylprednisolone treatment

BackgroundDetecting multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses remains challenging due to symptom variability and confounding factors, such as flare-ups and infections. Methylprednisolone (MP) is used for severe relapses, decreasing the number of contrast-enhancing lesions on MRI. The influx constant (Ki) derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI), a marker of blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability, has shown promise as a predictor of disease activity in relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS).ObjectivesTo investigate the predictive value of Ki in relation to clinical MS relapses and MP treatment, comparing its performance with traditional MRI markers.MethodsWe studied 20 RRMS subjects admitted for possible relapse, using DCE-MRI on admission to assess Ki in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) via the Patlak model. Mixed-effects modeling compared the predictive accuracy of Ki, the presence of contrast-enhancing lesions (CEL), evidence of brain lesions (EBL; defined as the presence of CEL or new T2 lesions), and MP treatment on clinical relapse events. Five models were evaluated, including combinations of Ki, CEL, EBL, and MP, to determine the most robust predictors of clinical relapse. Model performance was assessed using accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), with bootstrapped confidence intervals.ResultsSuperior predictive accuracy was demonstrated with the inclusion of EBL and Ki, alongside MP treatment (AIC = 66.12, p = 0.006), outperforming other models with a classification accuracy of 83% (CI: 73–92%), sensitivity of 78% (CI: 60–94%), and specificity of 86% (CI: 74–97%). This model showed the highest combined PPV (78%, CI: 60–94%) and NPV (86%, CI: 74–98%) compared to models with EBL or CEL alone, suggesting an added value of Ki in enhancing predictive reliability.ConclusionThese results support the use of Ki alongside conventional MRI imaging metrics, to improve clinical relapse prediction in RRMS. The findings underscore the utility of Ki as a marker of MS-related neuroinflammation, with potential for integration into relapse monitoring protocols. Further validation in larger cohorts is recommended to confirm the model’s generalizability and clinical application

Post-Hospitalisation COVID-19 Rehabilitation (PHOSP-R): a randomised controlled trial of exercise-based rehabilitation

Copyright \ua9The authors 2025. Objective: Post-COVID syndrome involves prolonged symptoms with multisystem and functional impairment lasting ≽12 weeks after acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to determine the efficacy of exercise-based rehabilitation interventions, either face-to-face or remote, compared to usual care in individuals experiencing post-COVID syndrome following a hospitalisation with acute COVID-19. Design: This single-blind randomised controlled trial compared two exercise-based rehabilitation interventions (face-to-face or remote) to usual care in participants with post-COVID syndrome following a hospitalisation. The interventions were either a face-to-face or remote 8-week programme of individually prescribed exercise and education. The primary outcome was the change in Incremental Shuttle Walking Test (ISWT) following 8 weeks of intervention (either face-to-face or remote) compared to usual care. Other secondary outcomes were measured including health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and exploratory outcomes included lymphocyte immunotyping. Results: 181 participants (55% male, mean\ub1SD age 59\ub112 years, length of hospital stay 12\ub119 days) were randomised. There was an improvement in the ISWT distance following face-to-face rehabilitation (mean 52 m, 95% CI 19–85 m; p=0.002) and remote rehabilitation (mean 34 m, 95% CI 1–66 m; p=0.047) compared to usual care alone. There were no differences between groups for HRQoL self-reported symptoms. Analysis of immune markers revealed significant increases in na\uefve and memory CD8+ T-cells following face-to-face rehabilitation versus usual care alone (p<0.001, n=31). Conclusion Exercise-based rehabilitation improved short-term exercise capacity in post-COVID syndrome following an acute hospitalisation and showed potential for beneficial immunomodulatory effects

Utjecaj uvjeta uzgoja i dodatka soli na sastav eteričnog ulja slatkog mažurana (Origanum majorana) iz Tunisa

O. majorana shoots were investigated for their essential oil (EO) composition. Two experiments were carried out; the first on hydroponic medium in a culture chamber and the second on inert sand in a greenhouse for 20 days. Plants were cultivated for 17 days in hydroponic medium supplemented with NaCl 100 mmol L1. The results showed that the O. majorana hydroponic medium offered higher essential oil yield than that from the greenhouse. The latter increased significantly in yield (by 50 %) under saline constraint while it did not change in the culture chamber. Under greenhouse conditions and in the absence of salt treatment, the major constituents were terpinene-4-ol and trans-sabinene hydrate. However, in the culture chamber, the major volatile components were cis-sabinene hydrate and terpinene-4-ol. In the presence of NaCl, new compounds appeared, such as eicosane, spathulenol, eugenol, and phenol. In addition, in the greenhouse, with or without salt, a very important change of trans-sabinene hydrate concentration in EO occurred, whereas in the culture chamber change appeared in cis-sabinene hydrate content.U radu je opisano ispitivanje sastava eteričnog ulja izdanaka biljke O. majorana. Provedena su dva eksperimenta: prvi na hidroponom mediju u komorama za uzgoj, a drugi na inertnom pijesku u stakleniku tijekom 20 dana. Biljke su uzgajane 17 dana u hidroponom mediju u koji je dodan NaCl 100 mmol L1. Rezultati ukazuju na to da hidroponi medij O. majorana osigurava veće prinose eteričnog ulja nego staklenik. U stakleniku se prinos ulja značajno povećao dodavanjem 50 % soli dok u uzgoju u uzgojnoj komori nije bilo promjene. U uvjetima u stakleniku i u odsutnosti soli, najvažniji sastojci ulja bili su terpinen-4-ol i trans-sabinen hidrat, dok su u uvjetima uzgojne komore najvažnije hlapljive komponente bile cis-sabinen hidrat i terpinen-4-ol. U prisutnosti NaCl-a, pojavili su se novi sastojci, kao što su eikozan, spatulenol, eugenol i fenol. Dodatno je uz stakleničke uvjete, sa i bez soli, došlo do važne promjene u količini trans-sabinen hidrata u eteričnom ulju, dok se u komorama promijenio sadržaj cis-sabinen hidrata

Probabilistic analysis of ultimate seismic bearing capacity of strip foundations

International audienc

Probabilistic analysis of piled earth platform under concrete floor slab

International audienceThis paper proposes a two-dimensional axisymmetric numerical modelling of an earth platform over a clayey sand improved by stiff vertical piles using a finite-difference continuum approach. The study focuses on the surface settlements and the stress efficacy of the improvement system. Only the soil parameters are considered as random variables and two assumptions (normal distribution or nonnormal distribution) are used. The first-order reliability method (FORM) is applied to calculate the reliability index. Response surface methodology (RSM) allows for access to the Hasofer-Lind reliability index and is optimized by the use of a genetic algorithm. The Hasofer-Lind reliability index is calculated for two distinct cases. Firstly, only the geomechanical parameters of the clayey sand are considered as random variables; secondly, the parameters of both the clayey sand and the earth platform are considered. The results show that the reliability of a single soil layer is safer than the reliability of the whole syste