The Six Linkages between Foreign Direct Investment, Domestic Investment, Exports, Imports, Labor Force and Economic Growth: New Empirical and Policy Analysis from Nigeria

The contribution of this study is to search the six linkages between Foreign Direct Investment, Domestic Investment, Exports, Imports, Labor Force and Economic Growth in Nigeria by using vector error correction model for the period 1981 – 2015. The empirical results indicate that there is no relationship between the six variables in the long run. In the short run imports cause economic growth and domestic investment; exports and FDI cause labor; and labor causes FDI. These findings present the critical situation of Nigeria, which requires an entry of urgent economic reforms

Do Incidences of Contamination Hurt Tunisian Economic Flourishing?

The design of this dissertation consists of shortening the nuance of pollution on Tunisian economic growth, taking into account domestic investment, energy consumption and trade openness. From 1971 to 2015, this impact is tested using the error correction model (ECM). The final consequences of estimating the long-run equilibrium relation show that pollution has a negative effect on economic growth in Tunisia but this facet is insignificant. This means that during this period pollution did not result in a reduction in economic growth, however, this result indicates that after an interval of years indeterminate pollution will negatively affect economic growth, The Tunisian State to demonstrate economic policies and instruments to protect it against the worsening of the future effects of pollution

Do Incidences of Contamination Hurt Tunisian Economic Flourishing?

The design of this dissertation consists of shortening the nuance of pollution on Tunisian economic growth, taking into account domestic investment, energy consumption and trade openness. From 1971 to 2015, this impact is tested using the error correction model (ECM). The final consequences of estimating the long-run equilibrium relation show that pollution has a negative effect on economic growth in Tunisia but this facet is insignificant. This means that during this period pollution did not result in a reduction in economic growth, however, this result indicates that after an interval of years indeterminate pollution will negatively affect economic growth, The Tunisian State to demonstrate economic policies and instruments to protect it against the worsening of the future effects of pollution

Psoriasis and staphylococcus aureus skin colonization in Moroccan patients

Psoriatic lesions are rarely complicated by recurrent infections. The aim of our study is to determine skin colonisation and nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in patients with psoriasis and in healthy  persons. Patients and methods: a comparative study that include 33 patients with psoriasis and 33  healthy persons.Samples were taken from lesional and non lesional psoriatic skin and from healthy skin of control group. For S. aureus nasal carriage, we used sterile cotton tipped swabs. Out of165 samples (66 skin samples and 33 nasal swabs), 26 S. Aureus strains were isolated in 26 persons, 57.69% in the  control group and 42.3% in the psoriasisgroup. S. aureus skin colonization was found in one case (3%) inlesional psoriatic skin vs 9 cases (27.3%) in control skin OR=0.08 IC 95% (0.01-0.70) p=0.02 and in 12,1% in non lesional soriatic skin vs 27, 3% in control skin (p =0,13). This colonization was less important in lesional psoriatic skin (3%) than in non lesional psoriatic skin (12.1%) p= 0.20. Nasal screening identified (7/33) 21, 21% S. aureus carriers in psoriasis group and in control group. Our results are in consensus withliterature findings. They have confirmed the importance of antimicrobial peptides in Innateimmunity of human skin. These peptides are normally produced bykeratinocytes in response to inflammatory stimuli such as psoriasis. Their high  expression in psoriasis skin reduces the risk of skin infection and skin colonization with S. Aureus.Key words: Antimicrobial peptides, innate immunity, nasal carriage, psoriasis, skin colonization, staphylococcus aureu

Prevalence of stress in Casablanca medical students: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: recently, an important literature data has reported that medical students experience stress more than students in other disciplines. In contrast, there is a significant shortage of the stress impact on the academic performance. The primary purpose of our study was to determine the prevalence of stress among Casablanca Medical students and to investigate if there is an association between stress and academic skills. Methods: a total of 275 participants studying at Casablanca Medical School were included. The study was conducted using a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire, which included four subscales on academic skills perception (Academic competence, Test competence, Time management and Strategic study habits) and a Test Anxiety scale to assess the degree of stress related to exams among medical students. Results: the overall findings showed that 52.7% of respondents were stressed by examinations, and the highest stress prevalence was among the fifth-year medical students. Measures of comparative stress degrees between male and female students did not show any statistical significant differences (p=0.34). Correlation analysis revealed negative association between stress and academic competence (-0.394), test competence (-0.426), time management (-0.240), strategic study (-0.183) respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion: medical educators and psychologists have to increase clinical awareness of stress among medical students, by establishing strategies for stress management

Pain Perception in Patients Treated with Ligating/Self-Ligating Brackets Versus Patients Treated with Aligners

This study compared the perception of pain experienced by patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with conventional, self-ligating brackets and aligners, and investigated the impact that pain had on their daily lives. 346 consecutive patients were included in the study: 115 patients treated with conventional brackets, 112 Patients treated with self-ligating brackets, and 119 patients treated with aligners. The quantitative aspect of pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale, while the qualitative aspect of pain was evaluated using the Moroccan Short Form of McGILL Pain questionnaire. In all three groups experienced pain after activation tended to decrease in the following week. This pain was greater in patients with conventional braces and less in patients with aligners. Using the M-SF-MPQ to describe the qualitative aspect of the pain revealed that the “cramping مزير,” “aching تيألم” aspect was most accentuated in the 3 groups. Medication intake was correlated with the intensity of pain experienced in all 3 systems. As for the impact of pain on daily activities, patients in groups of conventional and self-ligating braces showed more pain than those in the aligners group. Overall, aligners were less painful than conventional and self-ligating appliances. Patients did not suffer from an alteration in their quality of life due to orthodontic treatment

The role of homocysteine in seminal vesicles remodeling in rat

Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels have been associated with several tissue injuries including heart and liver fibrosis. In these diseases, hyperhomocysteinemia (Hhcy) plays a major role in modulating the alteration of the balance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), leading to the pathological accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Since the effect of Hhcy on ECM of seminal vesicle was not studied, the aim of our research was to check if Hcy can induce a remodeling within seminal vesicles ECM. Material and methods. The study was conducted in 22 adult male Wistar rats. The rats were divided into two groups: a control group, which received standard diet and tap water; the treated group received the same diet and water supplemented with solution of L-methionine (200 mg/kg b.w./day) for 6 months. Plasma homocysteine concentration was measured. Histological changes were observed with light microscope. The presence of collagen I and III and metalloproteinases (2, 3, 7 and 9) in the seminal vesicles was examined using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Results. Plasma Hcy levels increased significantly after methionine treatment and interfered significantly with body weight in treated rats. The content of fibrillar collagens (I and III) in the wall of seminal vesicles was elevated in hyperhomocysteinemic rats. Moreover, we found that hyperhomocysteinemia increased the expression of MMP-2, -3, -7 and -9 in seminal vesicles of experimental rats. Conclusions. Increased plasma concentration of Hcy accompanied by the accumulation of collagen and upregulation of MMPs in rat seminal vesicles might contribute to the remodeling of seminal vesicles. Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2017, Vol. 55, No. 2, 62–73