Toxicological evaluation of Thymelaea hirsuta and protective effect against CCl4-induced hepatic injury in rats

The aerial part of Thymelaea hirsuta (TH) is used as decoction in the treatment of different pathologies in folk medicine in Morocco. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the potential of toxicity of an aqueous extract of TH and its hepatoprotective activity against CCl4-induced hepatic injury in rats. In the acute study, there were no signs of toxicity observed after oral administration of single dose of the extract (5g/kg body weight). In the sub-chronic dose study, (given by gavages (4 ml/kg) to Wistar rats daily at: 0.0 g/kg, 0.5g/kg, 1 g/kg or 2 g/kg body weight for 4 weeks) no variation on biochemical parameters; serum glucose, creatinine and urea levels was observed compared to the control group. However, the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) and aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) were markedly decreased (P < 0.05 and P<0.001 respectively) as compared to the controls. There were no significant differences in red blood cells count (p<0.05), in Hemoglobin and Hematocrit serum levels but a significant increase in white blood cells count (p<0.001) and in platelets (p< 0.05) for all doses tested. Histopathological examination of the liver, spleen and kidneys tissues at the end of the study showed normal architecture. The elevated serum enzymatic activities of ALAT and ASAT, due to carbon tetrachloride treatment (1 ml/kg CCl4 every 72 h during 15 days) were restored towards normalization by the plant extracts. The biochemical observations were supplemented with histopathological examination of liver sections. The results indicate that this plant possesses no toxicity effects but hepatoprotective properties.Keywords: Thymelaea hirsuta, Wistar rats, Toxicity, Histopathology, hepatoprotective action, Folk medicin

Tuberculose sous cutanée cervico-thoracique: à propos d’un cas

La tuberculose de la paroi thoracique est une affection très rare. Nous rapportons le cas d'une tuberculose cervico-thoracique qui s'est présentée dans un tableau de cellulite chez un jeune patient immunocompétent de 26 ans sans antécédent de tuberculose. La TDM thoracique a mis en évidence une collection sous cutanée de la paroi antérieure du thorax, sans atteinte osseuse ni pleuro-pulmonaire associées. L'incision drainage a permis l'évacuation de la collection et le prélèvement histologique. L'étude anatomopathologique est revenue en faveur d'une tuberculose et un traitement anti-bacillaire de 9 mois a été débuté. L'évolution a été marquée par une perte de substance cutanée étendue en regard de l'ancienne collection ayant nécessité une greffe de peau libre. Ce diagnostic doit toujours rester présent à l'esprit surtout dans les pays d'endémie de tuberculose

Diversity of xerotolerant and xerophilic fungi in honey

Fungi can colonize most of the substrata on Earth. Honey, a sugary food produced by bees (and other insects) has been studied little in terms of its fungal diversity. We have surveyed and evaluated the presence of xerotolerant and xerophilic fungi in a set of honey bee samples collected from across Spain. From 84 samples, a total of 104 fungal strains were isolated, and morphologically and phylogenetically characterized. We identified 32 species distributed across 16 genera, most of them belonging to the ascomycetous genera Aspergillus, Bettsia, Candida, Eremascus, Monascus, Oidiodendron, Penicillium, Skoua, Talaromyces and Zygosaccharomyces. As a result of this survey, eight new taxa are proposed: i.e. the new family Helicoarthrosporaceae, two new genera, Helicoarthrosporum and Strongyloarthrosporum in Onygenales; three new species of Eurotiales, Talaromyces affinitatimellis, T. basipetosporus, and T. brunneosporus; and two new species of Myxotrichaceae, Oidiodendron mellicola, and Skoua asexualis.Instituto de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación. (México)Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (México)Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad español CGL2017–88094-

Image processing application to a translate Braille black ink system Braille

We recall the enhancement by polynomial filtering principle of the numerical Braille relief image . We describe the recognition method based on two orthogonal axis projection of each Braille character . The five recognition steps are developed taking account ofform defaults of relief and using a maximum likehood method. The position axis dispersion of Braille characters permits to calculate estimated theoretical error . The error rate, verified in practice for manual made Braille reliefs is about 1 % .Après avoir rappelé le principe de rehaussement par filtrage polynomial de l'image du relief Braille numérisée, il est décrit la méthode de reconnaissance choisie pour ce type particulier de forme d'objets . Cette méthode est basée sur la projection de chaque graphème sur deux axes orthogonaux . Il est décrit les cinq étapes de reconnaissance de chaque rangée de relief Braille qui tiennent compte de ses irrégularités de forme, et qui exploitent une méthode de maximum de vraisemblance . Le relevé de la dispersion des positions des axes des graphèmes permet de donner une estimation théorique du taux de réussite de reconnaissance pour des reliefs fabriqués manuellement . Le taux vérifié dans la pratique est voisin de 99 %

Local adaptations of Mediterranean sheep and goats through an integrative approach

Small ruminants are suited to a wide variety of habitats and thus represent promising study models for identifying genes underlying adaptations. Here, we considered local Mediterranean breeds of goats (n = 17) and sheep (n = 25) from Italy, France and Spain. Based on historical archives, we selected the breeds potentially most linked to a territory and defined their original cradle (i.e., the geographical area in which the breed has emerged), including transhumant pastoral areas. We then used the programs PCAdapt and LFMM to identify signatures of artificial and environmental selection. Considering cradles instead of current GPS coordinates resulted in a greater number of signatures identified by the LFMM analysis. The results, combined with a systematic literature review, revealed a set of genes with potentially key adaptive roles in relation to the gradient of aridity and altitude. Some of these genes have been previously implicated in lipid metabolism (SUCLG2, BMP2), hypoxia stress/lung function (BMPR2), seasonal patterns (SOX2, DPH6) or neuronal function (TRPC4, TRPC6). Selection signatures involving the PCDH9 and KLH1 genes, as well as NBEA/NBEAL1, were identified in both species and thus could play an important adaptive role

Crossing the Dripline to 11N Using Elastic Resonance Scattering

The level structure of the unbound nucleus 11N has been studied by 10C+p elastic resonance scattering in inverse geometry with the LISE3 spectrometer at GANIL, using a 10C beam with an energy of 9.0 MeV/u. An additional measurement was done at the A1200 spectrometer at MSU. The excitation function above the 10C+p threshold has been determined up to 5 MeV. A potential-model analysis revealed three resonance states at energies 1.27 (+0.18-0.05) MeV (Gamma=1.44 +-0.2 MeV), 2.01(+0.15-0.05) MeV, (Gamma=0.84 +-$0.2 MeV) and 3.75(+-0.05) MeV, (Gamma=0.60 +-0.05 MeV) with the spin-parity assignments I(pi) =1/2+, 1/2- and 5/2+, respectively. Hence, 11N is shown to have a ground state parity inversion completely analogous to its mirror partner, 11Be. A narrow resonance in the excitation function at 4.33 (+-0.05) MeV was also observed and assigned spin-parity 3/2-.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, twocolumn Accepted for publication in PR

Towards certain fixes with editing rules and master data

A variety of integrity constraints have been studied for data cleaning. While these constraints can detect the presence of errors, they fall short of guiding us to correct the errors. Indeed, data repairing based on these constraints may notfind certain fixes that are absolutely correct, and worse, may introduce new errors when repairing the data. We propose a method for finding certain fixes, based on master data, a notion of certain regions, and a class of editing rules. A certain region is a set of attributes that are assured correct by the users. Given a certain region and master data, editing rules tell us what attributes to fix and how to update them. We show how the method can be used in data monitoring and enrichment. We develop techniques for reasoning about editing rules, to decide whether they lead to a unique fix and whether they are able to fix all the attributes in a tuple, relative to master data and a certain region. We also provide an algorithm to identify minimal certain regions, such that a certain fix is warranted by editing rules and master data as long as one of the regions is correct. We experimentally verify the effectiveness and scalability of the algorithm

Modeling views in the layered view model for XML using UML

In data engineering, view formalisms are used to provide flexibility to users and user applications by allowing them to extract and elaborate data from the stored data sources. Conversely, since the introduction of Extensible Markup Language (XML), it is fast emerging as the dominant standard for storing, describing, and interchanging data among various web and heterogeneous data sources. In combination with XML Schema, XML provides rich facilities for defining and constraining user-defined data semantics and properties, a feature that is unique to XML. In this context, it is interesting to investigate traditional database features, such as view models and view design techniques for XML. However, traditional view formalisms are strongly coupled to the data language and its syntax, thus it proves to be a difficult task to support views in the case of semi-structured data models. Therefore, in this paper we propose a Layered View Model (LVM) for XML with conceptual and schemata extensions. Here our work is three-fold; first we propose an approach to separate the implementation and conceptual aspects of the views that provides a clear separation of concerns, thus, allowing analysis and design of views to be separated from their implementation. Secondly, we define representations to express and construct these views at the conceptual level. Thirdly, we define a view transformation methodology for XML views in the LVM, which carries out automated transformation to a view schema and a view query expression in an appropriate query language. Also, to validate and apply the LVM concepts, methods and transformations developed, we propose a view-driven application development framework with the flexibility to develop web and database applications for XML, at varying levels of abstraction