HLA Class II Alleles Susceptibility Markers of Type 1 Diabetes Fail to Specify Phenotypes of Ketosis-Prone Diabetes in Adult Tunisian Patients

We aimed to characterize the different subgroups of ketosis-prone diabetes (KPD) in a sample of Tunisian patients using the Aβ scheme based on the presence or absence of β-cell autoantibodies (A+ or A−) and β-cell functional reserve (β+ or β−) and we investigated whether HLA class II alleles could contribute to distinct KPD phenotypes. We enrolled 43 adult patients with a first episode of ketosis. For all patients we evaluated clinical parameters, β-cell autoimmunity, β-cell function and HLA class II alleles. Frequency distribution of the 4 subgroups was 23.3% A+β−, 23.3% A−β−, 11.6% A+β+ and 41.9% A−β+. Patients from the group A+β− were significantly younger than those from the group A−β− (P = .002). HLA susceptibility markers were significantly more frequent in patients with autoantibodies (P = .003). These patients also had resistance alleles but they were more frequent in A+β+ than A+β− patients (P = .04). Insulin requirement was not associated to the presence or the absence of HLA susceptibility markers. HLA class II alleles associated with susceptibility to autoimmune diabetes have not allowed us to further define Tunisian KPD groups. However, high prevalence of HLA resistance alleles in our patients may reflect a particular genetic background of Tunisian KPD population

Influence of treatments on the dielectric properties of sugar palm fiber reinforced phenolic composites

The dielectric properties of sugar palm fiber (SPF) reinforced-phenolic (PF) composites have been studied in terms of bonding between fiber and matrix. The paper aims to investigate the effect of alkaline treatment and sea water treatment on SPF composite using the dielectric relaxation spectroscopy in the frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 0.1 MHz and temperature range from 80 °C to 200 °C. The results were discussed in terms of dynamic molecular and interfacial process. Our analysis suggests that interfacial adhesion in the case of alkaline treated composite is higher than those of untreated and sea water treated composites

ScaI Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Gene Polymorphism and Hypertension in the Tunisian Population

Numerous genetic variants have been linked to hypertension. Among these variants T2238C polymorphism in atrial natriuretic peptide gene has been investigated in the pathogeneses of hypertension, but studies have often generated controversial results. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between hypertension and the ANP/ T2238C variant gene that led to the loss of ScaI restriction site, thus eliminated the regular stop codon and involved an extension of the human ANP by two additional arginines. We genotyped 384 patients with hypertension and 435 healthy controls. The ScaI ANP gene polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The results shows that the ScaI ANP gene polymorphism genotypes distribution and allele frequencies were not significantly different between the hypertensive and normotensive subjects (p>0.05). The frequencies of A2 wild allele and A1 mutant allele were 48% and 52% respectively in hypertensive patients and 49% and 51% in control group (p=0.66). This polymorphism is not associated with hypertension (OR= 1.55, 95% CI [0.82-2.92]; p=0.17) for TC and (OR=1.80, 95% CI [0.81-3.98]; p=0.14) for CC after adjustment for age, gender, body mass index, fasting glucose concentration, dyslipidemia and smoking. Furthermore, no relationship was found between clinical characteristics and ScaI ANP genotypes. As a conclusion; this study suggested that the ScaI ANP gene polymorphism is not associated with hypertension in the Tunisian population

Leydig Cell Tumor Associated with Testicular Adrenal Rest Tumors in a Patient with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia due to 11β-Hydroxylase Deficiency

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) describes a group of inherited autosomal recessive disorders characterized by enzyme defects in the steroidogenic pathways that lead to the biosynthesis of cortisol, aldosterone, and androgens. Chronic excessive adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation may result in hyperplasia of ACTH-sensitive tissues in adrenal glands and other sites such as the testes, causing testicular masses known as testicular adrenal rest tumors (TARTs). Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) are make up a very small number of all testicular tumors and can be difficult to distinguish from TARTs. This distinction is interesting because LCTs and TARTs require different therapeutic approaches. Hereby, we present an unusual case of a 19-year-old patient with CAH due to 11β-hydroxylase deficiency, who presented with TARTs and an epididymal Leydig cell tumor

Efficiency of almond gum as a low-cost adsorbent for methylene blue dye removal from aqueous solutions

International audienceThis study was aimed to use almond gum as a potential adsorbent to remove methylene blue dye from aqueous solution. The adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The adsorption of methylene blue on almond gum material was studied as a function of almond gum dose (0.05–2 g), pH solution (3–10), contact time (up to 240 min) and initial concentration (20–200 mg L−1), temperature (303.16 K, 313.16 K, and 323.16 K), and agitation(up to 250 rpm). The influence of these parameters on the adsorption capacity was studied using the batch process. The experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Tempkin isotherms. Results show that the data fitted well with the Freundlich isotherm (R2 = 0.99). The maximum adsorption capacities of methylene blue onto almond gum were found to be 250 mg g−1, 333.33 mg g−1, and 500 mg g−1 at 303.16 K, 313.16 K, and 323.16 K, respectively. The kinetic data were fitted to the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models, and it is revealed that adsorption of methylene blue onto almond gum follows closely the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy change (ΔH), entropy change (ΔS), and free energy change (ΔG) were evaluated to predict the nature of adsorption. The calculated values of ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG for uptake of methylene blue were 52.078 kJ mol−1, 177.91 J mol−1 K−1, and −18.56 kJ mol−1, respectively. These results indicate the endothermic and spontaneous nature of the adsorption process. The results revealed that almond gum adsorbent is potentially an efficient and low-cost adsorbent for adsorption of methylene blue

(Table 1) Concentration and geological parameters of n-alkanes and n-alkenes in surface sediments from the Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia

Abstract Hydrocarbons in surface sediments were studied quantitatively and qualitatively in 18 stations along the coastline of Gabes Gulf in Tunisia. The results show that the total hydrocarbon levels vary along a wide range from 90 to 1,800 ppm. The GC-MS profiles of aliphatic hydrocarbons vary according to the stations and show that the hydrocarbons were derived from various sources. A special feature prevalent in several stations was identified: aliphatic hydrocarbons with distinctive chemical features. This includes a high abundance of even-numbered n-alkanes (n-C14 - n-C26, maximizing at n-C18, n-C20 and n-C22) and n-alk-1-enes (n-C14:1 - n-C24:1, maximizing at n-C16:1, n-C18:1, n-C20:1 and n-C22:1). This unusual predominance of even-numbered n-alkanes/alkenes is reported for the first time in the Gulf of Gabes and it thus contributes to the information on the rare occurrence of such distributions in the geosphere

Even-numbered n-alkanes/n-alkenes predominance in surface sediments of Gabes Gulf in Tunisia

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Bioactivity of <i>Falkenbergia rufolanosa</i> Methanolic Extract: Assessment of Its Effect on Methyl-Thiophanate Induced Bone and Blood Disorders

This study aimed to evaluate the potentiality of a mineral and antioxidant-rich methanolic extract of the red marine alga Falkenbergia rufolanosa (FRE) against methyl-thiophanate (MT)-induced toxicity in adult rats. The animals were allocated into four groups: controls, MT (300 mg/kg), MT + FRE, and FRE-treated group for 7 days. Our results demonstrated severe mineral perturbations due to MT treatment, especially in calcium and phosphorus levels in plasma, urine, and bone. Similarly, the hematological analysis revealed increased red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells associated with striking genotoxicity. Interestingly, a significant rise in lipid peroxidation and advanced oxidation protein products level in erythrocytes and bone were noted. Meanwhile, a depletion of the antioxidant status in both tissues occurred. These biochemical alterations were in harmony with DNA degradation and histological variation in bone and blood. In the other trend, data showed that treatment with alga improved MT-induced hematotoxicity, genotoxicity, and oxidative stress in the blood and bone. Osteo-mineral metabolism and bone histo-architecture were also noted. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that the red alga Falkenbergia rufolanosa is a potent source of antioxidant and antibacterial agents, as revealed by the in vitro analysis

Structural data and biological properties of almond gum oligosaccharide: Application to beef meat preservation

International audienceEnzymatic hydrolysis of almond gum generates low molecular weight oligosaccharides (OAG) with a yield of 33.5%. The generated oligosaccharides were purified and identified. OAG analyses show that the most prominent residues were galactose and arabinose with traces of xylose, rhamnose, glucose and mannose. The glycosyl linkage positions were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry showing a main chain composed of galactose units [→3)-Gal-(1→] branched mainly with arabinose residues [Ara-(1→]. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of OAG were investigated. As regards the in vitro antioxidant activities, the OAG showed a high total antioxidant activity (347 μg ascorbic acid equivalent/mL), an important DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity (IC50 = 0.64 mg/mL) and a high reducing capacity (RP0.5AU = 3.6 mg/mL). Furthermore, OAG had a high antimicrobial activity against Salmonella thyphimirium, Bacillus cereus, Actinomycetes sp, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Alternaria alternate and Candidat albicans. Finally, OAG efficiency was tested using 0.5%; 0.75% and 1% concentrations in beef meat preservation. Microbial growth and lipid oxidation were monitored during 9 days at 4 °C. The results showed significant inhibitions (p < 0.05) of lipid oxidation and microbial growth in ground beef meat containing OAG

The Influence of Preprocessing Steps on Graph Theory Measures Derived from Resting State fMRI

Resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) is an imaging technique that allows the spontaneous activity of the brain to be measured. Measures of functional connectivity highly depend on the quality of the BOLD signal data processing. In this study, our aim was to study the influence of preprocessing steps and their order of application on small-world topology and their efficiency in resting state fMRI data analysis using graph theory. We applied the most standard preprocessing steps: slice-timing, realign, smoothing, filtering, and the tCompCor method. In particular, we were interested in how preprocessing can retain the small-world economic properties and how to maximize the local and global efficiency of a network while minimizing the cost. Tests that we conducted in 54 healthy subjects showed that the choice and ordering of preprocessing steps impacted the graph measures. We found that the csr (where we applied realignment, smoothing, and tCompCor as a final step) and the scr (where we applied realignment, tCompCor and smoothing as a final step) strategies had the highest mean values of global efficiency (eg). Furthermore, we found that the fscr strategy (where we applied realignment, tCompCor, smoothing, and filtering as a final step), had the highest mean local efficiency (el) values. These results confirm that the graph theory measures of functional connectivity depend on the ordering of the processing steps, with the best results being obtained using smoothing and tCompCor as the final steps for global efficiency with additional filtering for local efficiency