Impact de la psychoéducation sur le taux de rechutes des patients Schizophrènes : à propos d’une étude en milieu hospitalier Algérois

Introduction: Relapse is not rare, and its frequency and speed of onset often originate in defective drug compliance. Facilitating compliance is therefore an important issue; this requires a special approach, centered on well-defined protocols. In recent years, programs of adherence combined with those of therapeutic education, implement services to increase the capacity of patients to support themselves. The objective of our research work was to set up a psychoeducation program with neuroleptic treatment (Lieberman's program) and to evaluate its impact on the rate of relapse at two years. Materials and methods: This is a prospective, randomized, comparative study that involved 300 man and woman patients aged 16 to 60 and older who met the DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia, recruited in hospitalization services and consultations with clinical evaluation using the PANSS scale and an evaluation adherence treatment using the MARS scale. The patients were randomized into two groups of one hundred and fifty, depending on the type of care: psychoeducational group versus control group. Surveillance parameters were statistically comparable in both inclusion groups (relapse / re-hospitalization and clinic). The results did not show any significant differences between the two groups. From our work. We propose some hypothesis about the inefficacy of the therapeutic education program on improving adherence and some recommendationsIntroduction : La rechute n’est pas rare, et sa fréquence et sa rapidité de survenue trouvent souvent leur origine dans une observance médicamenteuse défectueuse. Faciliter l’observance est donc un enjeu important ; cela nécessite une approche particulière, centrée sur des protocoles bien définis. Depuis quelques années, des programmes d’observance alliés à ceux d’éducation thérapeutique, mettent en œuvre des prestations visant à accroitre les capacités des patients à se prendre en charge. L’objectif de notre travail de recherche, a été de mettre en place un programme de psychoéducation au traitement neuroleptique (programme de Lieberman) et d’évaluer son impact sur le taux de rechutes à deux ans. Matériels et méthodes : Il s’agit d’une étude prospective comparative randomisée, qui a concerné 300 patients des deux sexes âgés entre 16 et 60 et plus répondants aux critères de DSM-5 de schizophrénie, recrutés au sein des services d’hospitalisation et des consultations avec une évaluation clinique à l’aide de l’échelle PANSS et l’évaluation de l’observance au traitement au moyen de l’échelle MARS. Les patients été randomisés en deux groupes de cent cinquante, selon le type de prise en charge : groupe psychoéducatif versus groupe témoin. Les paramètres de surveillances étaient statistiquement comparables dans les deux groupes à l’inclusion (rechute / ré-hospitalisation et clinique). Les résultats n’ont pas montré de différences significatives entre les deux groupes. De notre travail. Nous proposons quelques hypothèses quant à l’inefficacité du programme d’éducation thérapeutique sur l’amélioration de l’observance et ainsi que certaines recommandation

Screening and identification of lactic acid bacteria isolated from sorghum silage processes in west Algeria

The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor. L.) silage were identified during different periods of evolution of sorghum silage in west Algeria. Morphological, physiological, biochemical and technological techniques were used to characterize lactic acid bacteria isolates. A total number of 27 representatives of lactic acid bacterial strains were retained and among them four dominant genus were identified as Lactobacillus (44%), Lactococcus (14.81%), Weissella (29.62%) and Leuconostoc (11.11%). The representative species identified were Lactobacillus brevis (25%), Lactobacillus pentosus (3.7%), Lactobacillus manihotivorans (11.11%), and Lactobacillus fermentum (3.7%). Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis (14.81%), Weissella cibaria (7.2%), Weissella minor (11.11%), Weissella soli (3.7%), Weissella viridescense (7.2%) and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides (11.11%). Only two strains of lactic acid bacteria were amylolytic. These results will enable future research on the relationship between LAB species and silage fermentation quality.Keywords: Lactic acid bacteria, identification, silage, sorghum, evolution, amylolytic, technology, speciesAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(14), pp. 1703-170

Morphological, physiological and pathogenic variability of small-spore Alternaria sp. causing leaf blight of Solanaceous plants in Algeria

Due to premature defoliation, early blight epidemics can cause major yield losses. Large-spore Alternaria species such as A. solani and A. tomatophila have long been recognized as important pathogens responsible for such blight disease in the family Solanaceae and thus represent a serious risk for crop production. Small-spore Alternaria species have also been frequently isolated from plant samples with typical blight symptoms but their incidence as primary pathogens is often controversial. In order to study the diversity of small-spore Alternaria species, 32 isolates were selected from a larger collection of 130 isolates from infected leaves, fruits and stems of tomato from various growing regions of North-West Algeria. Morphological characterization under standard conditions and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses using specific primers to amplify a part of the ITS regions and the 5.8S gene were conducted to confirm their identification as members of the alternata section. They were then examined according to morphological characteristics of conidia and sporulation patterns on potato carrot agar (PCA) and were segregated into three morphological species: A. alternata, A. tenuissima and A. arborescens. Colony type, substrate colour, margin, zonation, pigmentation, colony diameter and conidia production were studied on potato sucrose agar (PSA). Physiological parameters and nutritional requirements of the isolates were also assessed and a data matrix based on cluster analysis and Euclidean distance was constructed. Results of pathogenicity test on tomato showed obvious diversity among the isolates and they could be separated into two groups based on their virulence. The dendrogram based on the influence of cultural, nutritional and physiological characters suggests moderate heterogeneity within the populations of A. alternata and A. tenuissima. The small-spore species formed five clusters that fundamentally paralleled the morphological groupings. However, the results provided no evidence for geographical and pathogenicity clustering of isolates

Alternaria species associated with early blight epidemics on tomato and other Solanaceae crops in northwestern Algeria

Early blight is a common disease of Solanaceae crops worldwide. The occurrence of Alternaria spp. was studied during three epidemics on tomato in northwestern Algeria. Alternaria was detected in more than 80 % of the diseased plant samples and accounted for more than 50 % of the total fungal isolates recovered from these samples. Morphological and molecular investigations revealed that small-spored isolates producing beaked conidia, i.e. belonging to the section alternaria, were prominent in most of the surveyed locations representing more than 80 % of the total Alternaria isolates in three locations (Mascara, Ain Témouchent and Sidi Belabbèsse). Based on their sporulation patterns they were recognized as A. alternata and A. tenuissima. Small-spored isolates producing conidia without beak and assigned to A. consortialis were also found at a low frequency (< 1 %). Large-spored isolates producing conidia ended by typical long beaks and identified as A. linariae (syn. A. tomatophila), A. solani and A. grandis were also recovered from all the sampled areas and represented 33.8 %, 6.3 % and 1.3 % of the total Alternaria isolates, respectively. Pathogenicity tests on tomato with a selection of 85 strains representative of the isolates collection revealed that all the tested isolates were able to produce extending lesions on inoculated leaves albeit with variable intensity. Large-spored species included the most aggressive isolates. Small-spored Alternaria, although less aggressive than large-spored Alternaria, had the ability to provoke brown necrotic spots and circumstantially developed synergistic interactions in mixed infections with moderately aggressive isolates of A. linariae

Taking a hard line with biotemplating: cobalt-doped magnetite magnetic nanoparticle arrays.

Rapid advancements made in technology, and the drive towards miniaturisation, means that we require reliable, sustainable and cost effective methods of manufacturing a wide range of nanomaterials. In this bioinspired study, we take advantage of millions of years of evolution, and adapt a biomineralisation protein for surface patterning of biotemplated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). We employ soft-lithographic micro-contact printing to pattern a recombinant version of the biomineralisation protein Mms6 (derived from the magnetotactic bacterium Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1). The Mms6 attaches to gold surfaces via a cysteine residue introduced into the N-terminal region. The surface bound protein biotemplates highly uniform MNPs of magnetite onto patterned surfaces during an aqueous mineralisation reaction (with a mean diameter of 90 ± 15 nm). The simple addition of 6% cobalt to the mineralisation reaction maintains the uniformity in grain size (with a mean diameter of 84 ± 14 nm), and results in the production of MNPs with a much higher coercivity (increased from ≈156 Oe to ≈377 Oe). Biotemplating magnetic nanoparticles on patterned surfaces could form a novel, environmentally friendly route for the production of bit-patterned media, potentially the next generation of ultra-high density magnetic data storage devices. This is a simple method to fine-tune the magnetic hardness of the surface biotemplated MNPs, and could easily be adapted to biotemplate a wide range of different nanomaterials on surfaces to create a range of biologically templated devices

The association between green space and depressive symptoms in pregnant women: moderating roles of socioeconomic status and physical activity

Background: The current study explored the association between green space and depression in a deprived, multiethnic sample of pregnant women, and examined moderating and mediating variables. Method: 7547 women recruited to the ‘Born in Bradford’ cohort completed a questionnaire during pregnancy. A binary measure of depressive symptoms was calculated using a validated survey. Two green space measures were used: quintiles of residential greenness calculated using the normalised difference vegetation index for three neighbourhood sizes (100, 300 and 500 m to green space buffer zones around participant addresses); access to major green spaces estimated as straight line distance between participant address and nearest green space (>0.5 hectares). Logistic regression analyses examined relationships between green space and depressive symptoms, controlling for ethnicity, demographics, socioeconomic status (SES) and health behaviours. Multiplicative interactions explored variations by ethnic group, SES or activity levels. Mediation analysis assessed indirect effects via physical activity. Results: Pregnant women in the greener quintiles were 18–23% less likely to report depressive symptoms than those in the least green quintile (for within 100 m of green space buffer zone). The green space-depressive symptoms association was significant for women with lower education or who were active. Physical activity partially mediated the association of green space, but explained only a small portion of the direct effect. Conclusions: Higher residential greenness was associated with a reduced likelihood of depressive symptoms. Associations may be stronger for more disadvantaged groups and for those who are already physically active. Improving green space is a promising intervention to reduce risk of depression in disadvantaged groups