Transplantation of adult Argan trees (Argania spinosa L. Skeels)

Transplantation of adult Argan trees is an important option for the conservation of this Moroccan ecological heritage plant species, especially when the land has to be cleared for development purposes. Given that adult Argan trees’ transplanting has not been investigated, this work was initiated to assess the success rate of this operation. The trees were removed from a rocky open cast cement quarry and planted in a deep soil located inside the premises of the cement plant. Two seasons were investigated, summer and winter of the year 2020. Tree preparation consisted of different canopy pruning, ranging from complete cut back to light trimming for global shaping; and proper root pruning. Regular watering was applied to the transplanted trees and gravel mulch placed on the surface of the watering pans to conserve soil moisture. The results show that Argan trees transplanted in summer resulted in 62.5% recovery, whereas those transplanted in winter reached 50%. Total branches removal (trees cut back) resulted in the highest rates of recovery independently of the season. Keywords: Adult Argan trees, Pruning, Bare roots, Transplantation, Summer, Winte

Effect of age, clone heads, ramet position and IBA treatment on the rooting of Argan tree (Argania spinosa L. Skeels) cuttings

The vegetative propagation of the Argan tree by cuttings was carried out in a glazed enclosure whose relative humidity and average temperature were 80% and 25 °C respectively. The first trial involved herbaceous cuttings taken from clone heads selected on the basis of productivity, vigor and ability to produce cuttings at different levels (heights) of the tree. Three factors were taken into account: the age of the root-stock, the branch position on the tree and the treatment with indol-butyric acid (IBA), a rooting hormone whose concentrations were 1000 and 2000 ppm compared to a control treated with distilled water. A second trial was conducted to control the overall conditions for cuttings rooting such as light, relative air humidity and substrate temperature, as well as the type of the cuttings: herbaceous, semi-woody and woody. The overall rooting rate was improved by four folds between de first and the second trial. It increased from 25% under uncontrolled conditions to 100% under controlled conditions in some clones. Young trees showed the greatest ability to root. Variance analysis showed a highly significant effect of clone head and branch position on rooting, dry weight and average length of cuttings. On the other hand, no significant effect was observed for auxin treatment on these variables. The best result (100% rooting) was obtained for apical and median cuttings of sprouts of young trees under controlled conditions. Tree age has a highly significant effect on root quality since cuttings from young trees showed superior dry weight and root length. The comparative study of the root system produced by cuttings with that of seedlings showed that seedlings are characterized by a well-developed taproot while cuttings develop a cluster of cells that give rise to several orthotropic roots

Traitement des lixiviats de la décharge contrôlée du Grand Agadir par aération intensive

The objective of this work is to develop a technique for the treatment of leachate seeping from landfill of the Greater Agadir. Since its opening in 2010, the landfill produced huge quantities of leachate stored in large ponds because its pollution load does not allow the discharge into the receiving environment without adequate treatment. In this work, the aeration is used to reduce the pollution load of leachate seeping from fresh household waste in the Greater Agadir landfill. The treatment of effluents with high organic load by air injection is a technique that has given different results depending on pollution load and the chemical nature of inorganic constituents. The leachates underwent air injection at 7 L/min over a period of two months. This technique has lead to remarkable treatment efficiency with reductions of 99.3% of COD; 99.1% of BOD5; 94.4% of total nitrogen and 82.9% of suspended matters, knowing that the initial concentrations were respectively 72,000 mg/L, 44,000 mg/L, 1.260 mg/L and 12,560 mg/L. L’objectif de ce travail consiste à développer une technique de traitement des importantes quantités de lixiviats produits par la décharge publique du Grand Agadir. En effet, depuis sa mise en service en 2010, les effluents sont stockés dans de grands bassins vu que leur charge polluante ne permet pas leur rejet dans le milieu récepteur, faute d’un traitement adéquat. Dans ce travail, l’aération a été utilisée pour diminuer la charge polluante des lixiviats issus de déchets ménagers frais destinés à la décharge publique du Grand Agadir. Le traitement des effluents à forte charge organique par injection d’air est une technique qui a donné des résultats variables selon l’importance de la charge polluante et la nature chimique des constituants non organiques. Les lixiviats ont subi une injection d’air à raison de 7 L/min durant 2 mois. Cette technique a permis d’aboutir à des rendements épuratoires assez importants avec des abattements de 99,3 % de la DCO; 99,1 % de la DBO5; 94,4 % de l’azote total et 82,9 % des matières en suspension, alors que les concentrations initiales étaient respectivement de 72.000 mg/L, 44.000 mg/L, 1.260 mg/L et 12.560 mg/L. Mots clés : Décharge du Grand Agadir, Lixiviats, Déchets ménagers frais, Aération, Rendements épuratoire

Particularites de l’epilepsie au cours des maladies inflammatoires du systeme nerveux central

Introduction : Les crises épileptiques (CE) font partie des manifestations neurologiques des maladies inflammatoires (MI). Elles constituent un tournant évolutif grave de la maladie. Objectifs : Nous avons évalué les particularités sémiologiques, électriques, radiologiques, thérapeutiques et évolutives de l’épilepsie au cours des MI du système nerveux central (SNC). Nous avons également discuté les mécanismes physiopathologiques de l’épilepsie ainsi que les facteurs prédictifs de survenue de CE chez ces patients. Méthodes : C’est une étude rétrospective incluant les patients suivis pour épilepsie dans le cadre d’une MI du SNC. Tous nos patients ont bénéficié d’une imagerie cérébrale. Résultat : Nous avons colligé 32 patients (11 avec sclérose en plaque, 6 avec maladie de Behcet et 15 avec lupus érythémateux disséminé). Le délai des CE au cours des MI était de 3,2 ans. Elles étaient généralisées dans 62,5 % des cas. L’IRM a montré des lésions sous corticales et des lésions du tronc cérébral respectivement dans 71,8 % et 25% des cas. Une thrombose veineuse cérébrale était diagnostiquée chez 3 malades. L’EEG a objectivé des ondes lentes dans 34% des cas, et des anomalies paroxystiques chez 3 patients. Le phénobarbital était le traitement le plus prescrit. Le contrôle des CE était obtenu dans la majorité des cas. Conclusion : La survenue des CE au cours des MI pose un problème de prise en charge. Un diagnostic précoce et un traitement de l’épilepsie permettent de contrôler ces crises afin d’éviter les états de mal épileptiques qui mettent en jeu le pronostic vital des patients. Mots clés: Epilepsie, Facteurs de risque, Maladies inflammatoires  Particularities of epilepsy associated with inflammatory diseases of the central nervous systemIntroduction: The frequency of the central nervous system involvement in autoimmune disorders is very variable. Seizures are among the most common neurological manifestations, and can be occasionally the presenting symptom.Methods: All files of 32 patients with autoimmune disorder diagnosed with epilepsy were evaluated retrospectively (11 with multiple sclerosis, 6 with Behcet disease, and 15 systemic lupus erythematosus). The demographic data, clinical findings including seizures, EEG and neuroimaging findings were reviewed. Results: The sex ratio was 0.45 (10H / 22F). Seizures started 3.2 years after the onset of the inflammatory diseases. They were during either the first or following neurological attacks in 68.7% of cases. 20 patients (62,5%) had only generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to all patients. Sub-cortical and brainstem lesions were identified respectively in 71,8 % and 25%. MRI revealed cerebral sinus thrombosis in three patients. The EEG revealed focal epileptiform discharges in three patients. In 12 patients (34%) slow waves were seen. Antiepileptic drugs were prescribed in all cases (phenobarbital :53%, valproic acid: 31%, Carbamazepine: 15%). A sufficient control of seizures was obtained in most cases. Conclusion: Seizures often complicate systemic autoimmune disorders through a variety of mechanisms. A better understanding of the mechanisms of epileptogenesis in those patients could lead to targeted treatments and better outcomes. Key words: Epilepsy, inflammatory disease, risk factor

Cost-effectiveness analysis of dapagliflozin in addition to standard therapy in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: A Qatari healthcare perspective

Background: Dapagliflozin has been shown to reduce the risk of heart failure hospitalization and cardiovascular mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). 1,2 This work aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of dapagliflozin added to standard therapy versus standard therapy alone in patients with HFrEF, regardless of the presence or absence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A lifetime Markov model was constructed to compare the health outcomes and costs of dapagliflozin added to standard therapy versus standard therapy alone from a Qatari public healthcare perspective (Figure 1). 2 The cohort is comprised of HFrEF patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ? 40%, and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-IV with an average age of 65 years, based on Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse-Outcomes in Heart Failure (DAPA-HF) trial (Table 1). 1,2 The model consisted of three health states: 'stable', 'hospitalization for heart failure', and 'dead'. Clinical inputs were derived from the results of DAPA-HF trial and costs, and utilities were estimated from published sources as well as publicly available sources in Qatar. 3 The main outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life-year gained (QALY). All outcomes and costs were discounted at a rate of 3% annually. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to confirm the robustness of the results. The study was based on published data; therefore ethics approval was not required. Results: Dapagliflozin added to standard care prevented 112 heart failure hospitalization and resulted in an additional cost of QAR 33,890 (USD 9,309). This equated to an ICER of QAR 101,763 (USD 27,951) per QALY gained, below the US willingness-to-pay threshold of USD 150,000 per QALY gained. Sensitivity analyses showed the findings to be robust. Conclusion: Dapagliflozin in addition to standard care appears to be a cost-effective strategy for patients with HFrEF, regardless of the presence or absence of T2DM.qscienc

Coexistence et confrontation des modèles agricoles et alimentaires

De nouveaux modèles agricoles et alimentaires se déploient dans les territoires en réponse aux critiques des formes anciennes et pour faire face à de nouveaux enjeux. Ils incarnent des archétypes de la diversité observée, des projets d’acteurs ou bien de nouvelles normes. Les auteurs analysent ici des situations de coexistence et de confrontation de modèles agricoles et alimentaires selon quatre dimensions majeures du développement territorial : la tension entre spécialisation et diversification, l’innovation, l’adaptation et la transition alimentaire. Une série de travaux conceptuels et d’études de cas en France et de par le monde permet de comprendre les interactions entre ces modèles (confrontation, complémentarité, coévolution, hybridation, etc.), au-delà de la caractérisation de leur diversité et de l’évaluation de leurs performances relatives. La coexistence et la confrontation de ces modèles renforcent leur capacité de changement radical. L’ouvrage souligne les questions originales du cadre d’analyse, ses défis méthodologiques et les conséquences attendues pour l’accompagnement du développement agricole et alimentaire dans les territoires ruraux et urbains. Il est destiné aux chercheurs, enseignants, étudiants et professionnels intéressés par le développement territorial

Influence des acides gras libres sur les cellules endothéliales : modulation de l'activité d'une ATP-diphosphohydrolase

Les graisses ont souvent été associées aux maladies cardio-vasculaires dont l'athérosclérose et les thromboses. Les acides gras libres provenant de la diète circulent dans le sang et sont donc en contact direct avec les cellules endothéliales qui tapissent la lumière des vaisseaux. Dans ce travail, nous avons montré avec des cellules endothéliales en culture qu'une supplémentation d'acides gras libres saturés et insaturés avait un effet sur leur croissance, sur leur viabilité et pas sur leur teneur en protéines. L'acide linoléique à une concentration de 3.5 µM favorisait la croissance et augmentait la teneur en protéines. Nous avons aussi mesuré l'influence des acides gras libres ajoutés sur l'activité ATP-diphosphohydrolase, un ectoenzyme membranaire impliqué dans la régulation des phénomènes de coagulation. Les acides gras saturés augmentaient significativement l'activité de cet enzyme. Cette augmentation était encore plus marquée avec l'acide oléique alors que les acides gras polyinsaturés n'avaient pas d'effet notable sur cette activité enzymatique

Positive Effect of Biochar Derived from Argan Waste on Soil Nutrients and Growth of Three Plants

The lack of organic matter content in deteriorated soils in drought stricken areas is a serious problem for vegetation cover. The use of organic amendments like biochar and compost to agricultural soils could be a good remedy for poor soil, water deficiency and plants growth. The comparative analysis of the effects of biochar produced from argan shells, compost and their mixture on the growth of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) was the main objective of this research. It was assumed that the addition of biochar mixed with compost could enhance soil fertility and then improve crop productivity of plants. For this purpose, three treatments (2%, 4% and 6%) of biochar (B), compost (C) and biochar–compost (B–C) mixture were applied to soil. The samples for different treatments were collected, incubated and then analyzed. In order to evaluate the plant growth, the greenhouse experiments were conducted for three months in the pots filled with untreated and treated soils. The results showed that the addition of biochar and compost to soil increased pH, electrical conductivity, exchangeable cations, total nitrogen, phosphorus, total organic matter and cation exchange capacity. A significant improvement of the biomass of plants has been observed when applying a mixture of biochar and compost at 6% for quinoa and sugar beet and at 4% for alfalfa. According to the obtained results, mixing argan biochar with compost has a positive impact on soil nutrients and growth of plants