Kaposi sarcoma in an HIV-negative Tunisian patient: A rare cause of metatarsalgia

AbstractBackgroundKaposi sarcoma (KS) is an angioproliferative neoplasm that is commonly associated with human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). KS with osseous involvement is a rare occurrence, and is far more common in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related KS.Case presentationWe present a 32-year-old Tunisian man, HIV negative, who presented with a 4-year history of atraumatic mechanical metatarsalgia that progressively worsened with a limping gait. Physical examination revealed marked symmetrical forefoot lymphedema and a painful restricted left knee joint movement. Physical examination showed purple-blue plaques and nodules on the feet and ankles. Serologic tests for HIV and syphilis were negative. Plain radiography of the feet revealed numerous small lytic lesions. There were also scattered lytic lesions in the metaphysis of the proximal tibia and fibula. Osteolysis was predominantly left. Magnetic resonance imaging of the feet showed abnormal bone marrow signal of metatarsals and phalanges. Skin lesion biopsy yielded the diagnosis of Kaposi sarcoma. The disease was managed with chemotherapy including vinblastine.ConclusionIn a patient presenting with metatarsalgia without a commonly detected cause, it is mandatory to search for other lesions that may point to a rare diagnosis as KS which is famous for involvement of the metatarsal bone

Molecular prevalence of Chlamydia and Chlamydia-like bacteria in Tunisian domestic ruminant farms and their influencing risk factors

Chlamydia and Chlamydia-like bacteria are well known to infect several organisms and may cause a wide range of diseases, particularly in ruminants. To gain insight into the prevalence and diversity of these intracellular bacteria, we applied a pan-Chlamydiales real-time PCR to 1,134 veterinary samples taken from 130 Tunisian ruminant herds. The true adjusted animal population-level prevalence was 12.9% in cattle, against 8.7% in sheep. In addition, the true adjusted herd-level prevalence of Chlamydiae was 80% in cattle and 25.5% in sheep. Chlamydiales from three familylevel lineages were detected indicating a high biodiversity of Chlamydiales in ruminant herds. Our results showed that Parachlamydia acanthamoebae could be responsiblefor bovine and ovine chlamydiosis in central-eastern Tunisia. Multivariable logistic regression analysis at the animal population level indicated that strata and digestive disorders variables were the important risk factors of bovine and ovine chlamydiosis. However, origin and age variables were found to be associated withbovine and ovine chlamydiosis, respectively. At the herd level, risk factors for Chlamydia positivity were as follows: abortion and herd size for cattle against breeding system, cleaning frequency, quarantine, use of disinfectant and floor type for sheep. Paying attention to these risk factors will help improvement of control programs against this harmful zoonotic disease

Priorities for Mediterranean marine turtle conservation and management in the face of climate change

As climate-related impacts threaten marine biodiversity globally, it is important to adjust conservation efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. Translating scientific knowledge into practical management, however, is often complicated due to resource, economic and policy constraints, generating a knowledge-action gap. To develop potential solutions for marine turtle conservation, we explored the perceptions of key actors across 18 countries in the Mediterranean. These actors evaluated their perceived relative importance of 19 adaptation and mitigation measures that could safeguard marine turtles from climate change. Of importance, despite differences in expertise, experience and focal country, the perceptions of researchers and management practitioners largely converged with respect to prioritizing adaptation and mitigation measures. Climate change was considered to have the greatest impacts on offspring sex ratios and suitable nesting sites. The most viable adaptation/mitigation measures were considered to be reducing other pressures that act in parallel to climate change. Ecological effectiveness represented a key determinant for implementing proposed measures, followed by practical applicability, financial cost, and societal cost. This convergence in opinions across actors likely reflects long-standing initiatives in the Mediterranean region towards supporting knowledge exchange in marine turtle conservation. Our results provide important guidance on how to prioritize measures that incorporate climate change in decision-making processes related to the current and future management and protection of marine turtles at the ocean-basin scale, and could be used to guide decisions in other regions globally. Importantly, this study demonstrates a successful example of how interactive processes can be used to fill the knowledge-action gap between research and management.This work was conducted under FutureMares EU project that received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 869300. The Mediterranean Marine Turtle Working Group was established in 2017 and is continuously supported by MedPAN and the National Marine Park of Zakynthos. The work of AC was supported by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.) under the “First Call for H.F.R.I. Research Projects to support Faculty members and Researchers and the procurement of high-cost research equipment grant” (Project Number: 2340).Peer reviewe

Ultraviolet Irradiation Suppresses Adhesion on TiO2

Environmental concerns have recently spurred a quest for materials that stay clean, such as TiO2, when subjected to the combined action of sunlight irradiation and exposure to rain. However, the fundamental mechanism that governs the self-cleaning properties of TiO2 still needs to be elucidated. TiO2 is known to be photocatalytic as well as to decompose organic adsorbents, but these properties do not explain its capacity to eliminate mineral contaminants. In the present paper, we report that hydrophilic UV-irradiated TiO2 layers are nonadhesive in the presence of water, thus preventing adhesion of mineral particles. Surface force measurements done using atomic force microscopy reveal the presence of an additional short-range repulsive force, which screens the van der Waals attractive forces, while long-range interactions are preserved. This additional short-range force does not originate from UV-induced trapping of surface charges or OH group creation, as we demonstrate by second harmonic generation and ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations. This short-range repulsive force, which appears to be intrinsic to the TiO2 surface, is certainly a key phenomenon for a strong self-cleaning capacity

Sulphated polysaccharide isolated from Sargassum vulgare: Characterization and hypolipidemic effects

A sulphated polysaccharide from brown algae Sargassum vulgare (SVSP) was extracted and examined with respect to chemical, structural characterization and hypolipidemic effects. SVSP consisted mainly of sulphate and total sugars with low levels of lipids and proteins. Its structure was studied by nuclear magnetic resonance (RMN), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), infra-red spectroscopic, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction analysis. Allowing us therefore to revealed that SVSP was composed of glucose, rhamnose, xylose, galactose, mannose and arabinose with XRD pattern that was typical for a semi-crystalline polymer and complexities of the spectra reflected its homogeneous structure. The administration of SVSP to obese rats is effective in lowering the body weight and inhibiting the lipase activity leading to notable regulation of lipid profile, increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, limiting lipid peroxidation; and protects liver-kidney functions proved by a decrease in the levels of toxicity parameters in blood, confirmed by histological study. © 201

Annual survival probabilities of juvenile loggerhead sea turtles indicate high anthropogenic impact on Mediterranean populations

One of the major gaps in the knowledge of sea turtle population dynamics is survival probability, in particular of juveniles, which represent the bulk of the population and whose survival has the greatest effect on population growth. One of the major global threats to sea turtles is incidental bycatch, although not all animals die in the process. This is particularly acute for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). Here fisheries-dependent monitoring is used to seek insights into patterns of survival at multiple Mediterranean foraging areas: north and south Adriatic, north Ionian, and the Tunisian shelf. Annual survival probability was estimated using the catch curve method. Size data of 2191 loggerhead turtles ranging from 19 to 92cm curved carapace length were converted to age according to eight age-size curves available from the Mediterranean Sea. The mean annual survival probabilities for the four areas were heterogeneous and ranged between 0.710 and 0.862. Results suggest that the survival probabilities for Mediterranean loggerheads, especially in some areas, are lower than would be expected from a healthy population. This is of particular concern for the Greek rookeries, which appear most affected by anthropogenic mortality occurring in the study areas. This supports the implementation in those areas of measures mitigating the main threats, notably bycatch