A preliminary list of the Ant Fauna in Northeastern Sahara of Algeria (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

We present here a preliminary list of ant fauna of some study sites in thenortheastern Sahara of Algeria using two methodologies, quadrat andpitfall traps (Barber-pots) methods. This work was conducted in wild andagricultural ecosystems in the basin of Ouargla, El-Oued region and Djamaaregion. We record a total of 26 species of 12 genera belonging to threesubfamilies Dolichoderinae, Formicinae, and Myrmicinae. Species of theMyrmicinae and Formicinae were the most abundant with 62.96% and29.63% respectively. The most diverse genus was Monomorium Mayr, 1855(6 species), followed by Messor Forel, 1890 (5). The highest diversity of antswas in Djamaa region (24 species), followed by Ouargla (18) and El-Oued(13). Moreover, this work shows the first record of the species Strumigenysmembranifera Emery, 1869 for the Country. Finally, we observed a variationin the distribution of ant species between study sites, for why, ecologicaldeterminants such as soil need to be studied deeply to explain their influenceon the repartition and richness of the Saharan myrmycofauna of Algeria

Implementation of an Affordable Method for MPS Diagnosis from Urine Screening to Enzymatic Confirmation: Results of a Pilot Study in Morocco

Background: Rapid and accurate diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) is still a challenge due to poor access to screening and diagnostic methods and to their extensive clinical heterogeneity. The aim of this work is to perform laboratory biochemical testing for confirming the diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) for the first time in Morocco. Methods: Over a period of twelve months, 88 patients suspected of having Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) were referred to our laboratory. Quantitative and qualitative urine glycosaminoglycan (GAG) analyses were performed, and enzyme activity was assayed on dried blood spots (DBS) using fluorogenic substrates. Enzyme activity was measured as normal, low, or undetectable. Results: Of the 88 patients studied, 26 were confirmed to have MPS; 19 MPS I (Hurler syndrome; OMIM #607014/Hurler-Scheie syndrome; OMIM #607015), 2 MPS II (Hunter syndrome; OMIM #309900), 2 MPS IIIA (Sanfilippo syndrome; OMIM #252900), 1 MPS IIIB (Sanfilippo syndrome; OMIM #252920) and 2 MPS VI (Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome; OMIM #253200). Parental consanguinity was present in 80.76% of cases. Qualitative urinary glycosaminoglycan (uGAGs) assays showed abnormal profiles in 31 cases, and further quantitative urinary GAG evaluation and Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) provided important additional information about the likely MPS diagnosis. The final diagnosis was confirmed by specific enzyme activity analysis in the DBS samples. Conclusions: The present study shows that the adoption of combined urinary substrate analysis and enzyme assays using dried blood spots can facilitate such diagnosis, offer an important tool for an appropriate supporting care, and a specific therapy, when available

The Use of Artificial Neural Network and Advanced Statistics to Model Sediment Yield on a Large Scale: Example of Morocco

Morocco ranks among countries with the greatest achievements in the field of dams in Africa but is affected by the sedimentation phenomenon due to soil erosion in upstreams. The assessment of Sediment Yield (SY) and Suspended Sediment Yield (SSY) remains a challenging global issue, especially in Morocco, characterized by a great diversity of morphological, climatic, and vegetation cover. The main objective of this paper was to perform advanced statistics and artificial neural networks (ANN) in order to understand the spatial distribution of sediment yield and the factors most controlling it, including factors of the RUSLE model (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation). In order to produce a model able to assess SY, we collected and analyzed extensive data of most variables that can be affecting SY using 42 catchments of the biggest and important dams of Morocco. Statistical analysis of the studied watersheds shows that SY is mainly related to the watershed area and the length of the drainage network.  On the other hand, the SSY is higher in watersheds where gully erosion is abundant and lower in areas with no soil horizon. The SSY is mainly related to the altitude, aridity index, sand fraction, and drainage network length. In front of the complexity of preserving this phenomenon, the ANN was applied and gave very good satisfactory results in predicting the SSY (NSE=0.93, R2=0.93)

Study of Bacterial Contamination of Mobile Phones and Stethoscopes in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Mobile phones and stethoscopes used in neonatology units could be colonized by potentiel bacteria pathogens. It can be a vector of severe nosocomial infections and multi-drug-resistant pathogens. The aim of this study is to evaluate the microbial contamination of mobile phones and stethoscopes, used by medical and paramedical staff. The study was conducted in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Mohamed VI University Hospital, Marrakech (Morocco) in April 2016. The bacteriological study was made on 17 mobile phones and 13 stethoscopes. Samples were taken from all surfaces of mobile phones and stethoscopes, with a sterile swab. Bacterial contamination rate of all mobile phones and stethoscopes was 100%. The cultures of bacteria isolated were polymorphic. Among the bacteria isolated, six multi-resistant bacterial strains were isolated at the mobile phones (35%), corresponding to 4 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 2 strains of E. coli. A strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae multidrug-resistant (7.7%) was found on a stethoscope. This study shows that mobile phones and stethoscopes could be involoved in the transmission of severe nosocomial infections, with multidrug-resistance. As part of the prevention of such risks, we must educate the medical staff, users of mobile phones on the importance of hand washing and use of hydro-alcoholic solutions after each use of mobile phones and stethoscopes

The Forage Plantation Program between Desertification Mitigation and Livestock Feeding: An Economic Analysis

To combat desertification and land degradation in arid and semi-arid zones, the government has adopted an approach of rehabilitation of pasturelands through forage plantations. This program was launched at the beginning of the 1990s and, to date, there has been no global or national study on the sustainability of the program, particularly its economic profitability. Our work’s principal objective was to perform an economic analysis of the forage plantation program across the different periods since the creation of the program until the year 2020, focusing on the economic evaluation parameters of the projects, such as mean annual net income, net present value, annuity of the net present value, profitability index and payback period, based on the data collected from the official institutions. The results showed that the forage plantation program significantly contributes to sustainable development in steppe areas

Abstracts of 1st International Conference on Computational & Applied Physics

This book contains the abstracts of the papers presented at the International Conference on Computational & Applied Physics (ICCAP’2021) Organized by the Surfaces, Interfaces and Thin Films Laboratory (LASICOM), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University Saad Dahleb Blida 1, Algeria, held on 26–28 September 2021. The Conference had a variety of Plenary Lectures, Oral sessions, and E-Poster Presentations. Conference Title: 1st International Conference on Computational & Applied PhysicsConference Acronym: ICCAP’2021Conference Date: 26–28 September 2021Conference Location: Online (Virtual Conference)Conference Organizer: Surfaces, Interfaces, and Thin Films Laboratory (LASICOM), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University Saad Dahleb Blida 1, Algeria