Nutrient retention and release from raw exhausted grape marc biochars and an amended agricultural soil: Static and dynamic investigation

Biochar is the solid by-product of biomass thermochemical conversion via pyrolysis technique. Biochar addition to croplands as an organic amendment can improve soil properties and increase agricultural productivity. However, these positive effects depend largely on biomass feedstock and pyrolysis conditions. In this study, nutrient release from biochars derived from the slow pyrolysis of exhausted grape marc (EGM) at 300, 400 and 500 °C (EGM300, EGM400 and EGM500) was investigated through five successive leaching assays in batch mode for a total duration of 10 days. Then, nutrient leaching/retention kinetics of an agricultural soil amended with EGM500 (1% and 5% w/w) was assessed under dynamic conditions in columns. The batch experiments showed that with the exception of P, the nutrient release efficiency from the three biochars significantly increased with the increase of the number of leaching trials. The highest released amounts were observed at the fifth leaching cycle for K, Ca, P and Mg, which were about 45.5%, 41.5%, 229.5% and 48.9% higher than those registered during the first leaching assay. Regarding the column release experiments, a biochar content of 5% in the agricultural soil resulted in an increase of water leached NO3− and K+ by about 181.4% and 521.3%, respectively, and a significant reduction in Na+ and Ca2＋ transport as compared to unamended soil. In a second phase, outcomes of column feeding with a nutrient solution showed that PO43− and NO3− retention by biochar-amended soils is low. Thus, the use of EGM biochar as a slow release biofertilizer could be considered as a promising agricultural practice and a sustainable solution for biowaste management.This work was funded by FERTICHAR, Tunisia project. FERTICHAR is funded through the ARIMNet2 (2017) Joint Call by the following funding agencies: ANR (France), HAO-DEMETER (Greece), MHESRT (Tunisia). ARIMNet2 has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no. 618127. The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding agencies for their support

Non-secretory myeloma in young man mimicking the Gorham disease: case report and the literature review

Multiple myeloma is a neoplasm of plasma cells affecting mostly the elderly with incidence peaks between 60 and 70 years. This disease is exceedingly rare in younger people, especially in adults under 30-year-old. Non-secretory multiple myeloma accounts for 1–5% of all cases of multiple myeloma. It is also a rare condition in young adult patients, and only six cases have been reported [1]. We herein describe a rare case of non-secretory myeloma in a 22-year-old male, explaining from chest wall pain, without general manifestation. Plain radiography and CT scans revealed diffuse osteolytic lesion mimicking the Gorham disease. A bone marrow biopsy was conducted, revealing the diagnosis of myeloma

The Date Palm Tree Rhizosphere Is a Niche for Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria in the Oasis Ecosystem

In arid ecosystems environmental factors such as geoclimatic conditions and agricultural practices are of major importance in shaping the diversity and functionality of plant-associated bacterial communities. Assessing the influence of such factors is a key to understand (i) the driving forces determining the shape of root-associated bacterial communities and (ii) the plant growth promoting (PGP) services they provide. Desert oasis environment was chosen as model ecosystem where agriculture is possible by the microclimate determined by the date palm cultivation. The bacterial communities in the soil fractions associated with the root system of date palms cultivated in seven oases in Tunisia were assessed by culture-independent and dependent approaches. According to 16S rRNA gene PCR-DGGE fingerprinting, the shapes of the date palm rhizosphere bacterial communities correlate with geoclimatic features along a north-south aridity transect. Despite the fact that the date palm root bacterial community structure was strongly influenced by macroecological factors, the potential rhizosphere services reflected in the PGP traits of isolates screened in vitro were conserved among the different oases. Such services were exerted by the 83% of the screened isolates. The comparable numbers and types of PGP traits indicate their importance in maintaining the plant functional homeostasis despite the different environmental selection pressures

Reliability of the tunisian pediatric gait, arms, legs, and spine: toward a valid screening tool for tunisian children with musculoskeletal conditions

Abstract Background Pediatric musculoskeletal disorders account for 10% of first-line consultations in Tunisia. Referral delay and deficiencies in musculoskeletal screening raise a challenge to the early diagnosis and management of rheumatic conditions in children. The pGALS (Pediatric Gait Arms Legs Spine) was developed and translated into many languages to overcome these deficiencies. Our study aimed to adapt and validate pGALS to the Tunisian dialect for school-age children. Methods Using the Delphi method, we carried out a cross-cultural adaptation of the pGALS to the Tunisian dialect. This consensual version was validated in a cross-sectional study, in two pediatric centers. Results Ninety-two patients were enrolled, 43 females (46.7%) and 49 males (53.3%), mean age was 9.4 ± 2.6 years. The mean test duration was 3.4 ± 2.3 min, and the acceptability and comprehension of the test were good. Six patients had a musculoskeletal complaint, 19 had positive pGALS, and 14 were diagnosed with musculoskeletal disease. The internal consistency score (Cronbach’s α) was 0.852. The sensitivity of the test was 92.8%, the specificity was 92.3%, the positive likelihood ratio was 2.16, and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.01. Conclusion The pGALS test adapted to the Tunisian dialect is a relevant, quick, and valid tool for screening musculoskeletal abnormalities in school-age children

The Date Palm Tree Rhizosphere Is a Niche for Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria in the Oasis Ecosystem

In arid ecosystems environmental factors such as geoclimatic conditions and agricultural practices are of major importance in shaping the diversity and functionality of plant-associated bacterial communities. Assessing the influence of such factors is a key to understand (i) the driving forces determining the shape of root-associated bacterial communities and (ii) the plant growth promoting (PGP) services they provide. Desert oasis environment was chosen as model ecosystem where agriculture is possible by the microclimate determined by the date palm cultivation. The bacterial communities in the soil fractions associated with the root system of date palms cultivated in seven oases in Tunisia were assessed by culture-independent and dependent approaches. According to 16S rRNA gene PCR-DGGE fingerprinting, the shapes of the date palm rhizosphere bacterial communities correlate with geoclimatic features along a north-south aridity transect. Despite the fact that the date palm root bacterial community structure was strongly influenced by macroecological factors, the potential rhizosphere services reflected in the PGP traits of isolates screened in vitro were conserved among the different oases. Such services were exerted by the 83% of the screened isolates. The comparable numbers and types of PGP traits indicate their importance in maintaining the plant functional homeostasis despite the different environmental selection pressures

Factors associated with poor prognosis of hip arthritis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: Data from the JIR cohort.

OBJECTIVES Hip involvement remains a predictor of severe juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) course and carries a high risk of disability. This study aims to determine the factors of poor prognosis of hip involvement in patients with JIA and to assess the treatment response. METHODS This is a multicenter observational cohort study. Patients were selected from the JIR Cohort database. Hip involvement was defined as clinically suspected and confirmed by an imaging tool. Follow-up data were collected during 5 years. RESULTS Among the 2223 patients with JIA, 341(15%) patients had hip arthritis. Male gender, enthesitis-related arthritis, and North African origin were factors associated with hip arthritis. Hip inflammation was associated with disease activity parameters during the first year, particularly Physician Global Assessment, joint count, and inflammatory marks. Structural hip progression was associated with early onset of the disease, a longer time to diagnosis, geographic origin, and JIA subtypes. Anti-TNF therapy was found to be the only treatment able to effectively reduce structural damage progression. CONCLUSION The early onset diagnostic delay, origin, and systemic subtype of JIA predict a poor prognosis of hip arthritis in children with JIA. The use of anti-TNF was associated with a better structural prognosis