Cancer Research in the Arab World : A review of publications from seven countries between 2000–2013

This review aimed to examine trends in cancer research in the Arab world and identify existing research gaps. A search of the MEDLINE® database (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA) was undertaken for all cancer-related publications published between January 2000 and December 2013 from seven countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Sudan. A total of 1,773 articles were identified, with a significant increase in yearly publications over time (P <0.005). Only 30.6% of the publications included subjects over the age of 50 years old. There was a dearth of cross-sectional/correlational studies (8.8%), randomised controlled trials (2.4%) and systematic reviews/meta-analyses (1.3%). Research exploring cancer associations mainly considered social and structural determinants of health (27.1%), followed by behavioural risk factors (14.1%), particularly tobacco use. Overall, more cancer research is needed in the Arab world, particularly analytical studies with high-quality evidence and those focusing on older age groups and associations with physical activity and diet

Effect of total pressure on the formation and size evolution of silicon quantum dots in silicon nitride films

The size of silicon quantum dots (Si QDs) embedded in silicon nitride (SiN(x)) has been controlled by varying the total pressure in the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reactor. This is evidenced by transmission electron microscopy and results in a shift in the light emission peak of the quantum dots. We show that the luminescence in our structures is attributed to the quantum confinement effect. These findings give a strong indication that the quality (density and size distribution) of Si QDs can be improved by optimizing the deposition parameters which opens a route to the fabrication of an all-Si tandem solar cell

The biodegradation of Olive Oil Mill Wastewaters by Sawdust and by a Phanerochaetae chrysosporium

Este trabajo describe la decoloración y la disminución de la demanda química de oxígeno del alpechín (OMW) por Phanerochaetae chrysosporium, crecido en cultivos estáticos, agitados e inmovilizados. Cuando P. chrysosporium fue cultivado en agitación, no se observa ninguna decoloración de OMW crudo, la decoloración ocurre solamente después de eliminar los polifenoles mediante adsorción en el serrín (Disminución del 39% del contenido en polifenoles). La utilización de la lignina peroxidasa generada en el medio da lugar a la mayor decoloración de alpechín y a las eficiencias de eliminación de DQO más altas. Las pruebas de la decoloración realizadas en las muestras de OMW que fueron pretratadas por la adsorción de madera del serrín, y usaron cultivos inmovilizadas demostraron resultados mejores. Por tanto, la eficiencia de eliminación de DQO alcanzó un 70%. La reducción de los polifenoles alcanzó los niveles más altos siempre, i.e. 62%. Se observó una decoloración significativa del efluente.This paper discusses decolorization and chemical oxygen demand (COD) abatement in olive mill wastewaters (OMW) by Phanerochaetae chrysosporium grown in static, stirred and immobilized cultures. When P. Chrysosporium is used in cultures, no decolorization of crude OMW is observed. Decolorization occurs only after the removal of polyphenols by adsorption in sawdust, which allows a 39% polyphenol removal. The use of a High lignin peroxides (Lip) producing medium, yields the highest OMW decolorization and COD removal efficiencies. The use of P. Chrysosporium immobilized on polyurethane foam leads to significant abatements of OMW polluting characteristics. And COD abatement reached 70%. The reduction of polyphenols reached its highest level at 62%. A significant effluent decolorization is apparent.This work is being developed in collaboration with the Department of Nutrition and Bromatologia of the Faculty of Pharmacy University of Granada, Spain and LAMINEMET- Bioremediation Laboratory of Ecole Mohamadia d’Ingénieurs (EMI), University Mohamed V- Agdal of Rabat, Morocco. The financial support is endorsed by the Junta de Andalusia

Why online consumption communities brutalize

Consumers who socialize in online consumption communities sometimes become alarmingly hostile, toxic, and otherwise verbally violent toward one another—a phenomenon known in sociology as brutalization. Research indicates that short-lived, situational outbursts of verbal violence—such as gross insults, harassment, or trolling—are common in online consumption contexts. However, it does not explain why such behaviors sometimes become endemic, turning entire communities into toxic social spaces. To address this question, the authors studied 18 years of interactions in an online electronic dance music community. Their interpretive analysis reveals three constellations of interacting, mutually reinforcing, forms of direct, structural, and cultural violence—sadistic entertainment, clan warfare, and popular justice—that fuel community brutalization in distinct ways. This article introduces these brutalization constellations, substantiates them with empirical data, and discusses their implications for theories of violence in consumption communities as well as the wider social media sphere

Charge photo-carrier transport from silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiO_2-based multilayer structures

© 2012 American Institute of Physics This work was supported by the French National Agency for Research (ANR) through the DUOSIL project. Financial support has also been partly funded by the RhôneAlpes region in the frame of the PHOSIL project.Experimental investigation of photoconductivity in Si-rich silicon oxide (SRSO)/SiO_2 multilayer (ML) structures prepared by magnetron reactive sputtering is reported. Photocurrent (PC) measurements show that the PC threshold increases with decreasing the thickness of SRSO layer. Photo-conduction processes in our samples are shown to be dominated by carrier transport through quantum-confined silicon nanocrystals embedded in the SiO_2 host. In addition, the observed bias-dependence of photocurrent intensity is consistent with a model in which carrier transport occurs by both tunneling and hopping through defect states in the silicon oxide matrix. A photocurrent density J_(ph) of 1-2mA cm^(-2) is extracted from our results. Although this photocurrent density along the ML absorber film is relatively low, the results presented in this work are believed to be a valuable contribution toward the implementation of all-Si tandem solar cells.French National Agency for Research (ANR)Rhône-AlpesDepto. de Física de MaterialesFac. de Ciencias FísicasTRUEpu

The regulation of RhoA at focal adhesions by StarD13 is important for astrocytoma cell motility

Malignant astrocytomas are highly invasive into adjacent and distant regions of the normal brain. Rho GTPases are small monomeric G proteins that play important roles in cytoskeleton rearrangement, cell motility and tumor invasion. In the present study, we show that the knock down of StarD13, a GTPase activating protein (GAP) for RhoA and Cdc42, inhibits astrocytoma cell migration through modulating focal adhesion dynamics and cell adhesion. This effect is mediated by the resulting constitutive activation of RhoA and the subsequent indirect inhibition of Rac. Using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF)-based Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), we show that RhoA activity localizes with focal adhesions at the basal surface of astrocytoma cells. Moreover, the knock down of StarD13 inhibits the cycling of RhoA activation at the rear edge of cells, which makes them defective in retracting their tail. This study highlights the importance of the regulation of RhoA activity in focal adhesions of astrocytoma cells and establishes StarD13 as a GAP playing a major role in this process. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved

The effect of combined inositol supplementation on maternal metabolic profile in pregnancies complicated by metabolic syndrome and obesity

Myoinositol and D-chiroinositol improve insulin resistance in women with obesity and gestational diabetes and in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome. We previously reported that offspring born to hypertensive dams lacking endothelial nitric oxide synthase and fed a high-fat diet develop metabolic-like syndrome phenotype