Neurosurgical management of anterior meningo-encephaloceles about 60 cases

Anterior meningo-encephaloceles (AME) are congenital malformations characterized by herniation of brain tissue and meninges through a defect in the cranium, in frontal, orbital, nasal and ethmoidal regions. The management of this complex congenital malformation is controversial according to whether use, an intracranial, extra-cranial or combined approach. This is the first largest series published in Africa, in which we present our experience in the operative management of AME; we share our recommendation in technical consideration for surgical approach with review of the literature. All patients beneficed of neuro-radiological investigations including Plan X rays, Spiral Three dimensional CT scan and MRI. Ophthalmologic and maxillo-facial evaluations were done in all the cases. MEA are surgically approached in various ways, mainly on the basis of its location and type, by cranio-facial approach in one-step, or in two stages by intracranial approach followed by facial approach, only by cranial approach or facial approach. The surgical results were evaluated in the follow up on the basis of disappearance of cranio-facial tumefaction with correction of hypertelorism. 60 children with AME were treated in our department between January 1992 and December 2012. The mean age at time of surgery was 14 months (20 days to 18 years) with slight men predominance (28 females/32 males). Cranio-facial team operated 21 patients, 16 were operated in two stages by intracranial approach followed by facial approach, 20 cases beneficed the neurosurgical approach and three only the facial approach Some post operative complications were observed: 2 cases of post operative hydrocephalus underwent shunt; CSF fistulas in three cases cured by spinal drainage, one death due to per operative hypothermia, 3 cases of recurrence how needed second surgery. After mean follow up for 80 months (1 year to 19 years) theses techniques permitted a good cosmetics results in 42 cases, average cosmetics results in 8 cases, poor results in 5 cases and worse cosmetics results in 4 cases, The AME are rare conditions we used the multiples approach first intracranial approach followed by facial approach, but after 1998 we used one-step correction by combined approach, only cranial approach when needed or facial correction

First occurrence of a Hymenosomatid crab <i>Elamena mathoei</i> (Desmarest, 1823) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) in the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean fauna is undergoing drastic modifications as a result of anthropogenic activities and global warming. The most important of these is the colonization of the Mediterranean Sea by alien species, many of them entering through the Suez Canal. While many of them are still confined to the Levant Basin, several have extended their distribution westwards to Tunisian waters. The presence of the Indo-west Pacific hymenosomatid crab Elamena mathoei on a rocky shore at Sidi Daoud, Cape Bon Peninsula, Tunisia, is the first Mediterranean record of this species. It is a testimony to the changes in the patterns of invasion in the Mediterranean Sea

First occurrence of a Hymenosomatid crab Elamena mathoei (Desmarest, 1823) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) in the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean fauna is undergoing drastic modifications as a result of anthropogenic activities and global warming. The most important of these is the colonization of the Mediterranean Sea by alien species, many of them entering through the Suez Canal. While many of them are still confined to the Levant Basin, several have extended their distribution westwards to Tunisian waters. The presence of the Indo-west Pacific hymenosomatid crab Elamena mathoei on a rocky shore at Sidi Daoud, Cape Bon Peninsula, Tunisia, is the first Mediterranean record of this species. It is a testimony to the changes in the patterns of invasion in the Mediterranean Sea

Smart antenna design alimented by a 4x4 butler matrix

In the last decades, the development of efficient antennas for wireless power transfer applications has gained great attention from researchers worldwide and has become a vital research topic. In this paper, we propose the optimum design and implementation in microstrip technology of a switched beam smart antenna alimented by a 4x4 butler matrix (BM) for a microwave wireless power transmission system (MPT) at 5.8 GHz. The proposed smart antenna consists of a four linear microstrip patch antenna array and a 4x4 butler matrix beamforming network. It was able to form and steer four orthogonal beams in the four directions (±39°, and ±15°). Furthermore, it exhibited a high gain of 17.98 dB and good simulated and measured return losses. The design, optimization and simulation of the smart antenna components were performed using advanced design system (ADS)

First record of the twobar sea bream Acanthopagrus bifasciatus (Teleostei: Sparidae) in the Mediterranean Sea

In September 2010, one specimen of the twobar seabream Acanthopagrus bifasciatus was recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, off the Islands of Zembra (Gulf of Tunisi: 37°07’03’’N; 10°48’35’’E). This species could have entered the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal or alternatively by unintentional human transport

Typologie physico-chimique et métallique des eaux du fleuve Sénégal au niveau de la ville de Rosso (Mauritanie)

L’étude concerne une analyse de la typologie physico-chimiques et métalliques des eaux du fleuve Sénégal : Cas du delta Mauritanien localisé dans la ville de Rosso. L’évaluation de 19 variables est effectuéepar dosage volumétrique et spectroscopique (spectroscopie d'absorption atomique Flamme et Four, ICP) selon le Rodier au cours de la périoded’étude dans les deux saisons de l'année 2006 : Saison froide ''Septembre'' et saison sèche ''Mars''. Les résultats montrent que :- Parmi 19 variables physicochimiques et métalliques évalués seules 14déterminent la typologie physicochimique du milieu étudié. - Deux groupements de relevées sont différenciés. Le premier rassemble des relevés tous effectués en été et caractérisés par des concertations élevés en Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, Zn2+ et faibles en NO3- et K+ . Le second  groupement est formé par des relevés hivernaux présentant des caractéristiques physicochimiques opposées à celles des relevés dupremier groupement. L’effet du facteur « saison » est donc bien dégagé.Pour les teneurs en Al 3+ et le Sr2+ le facteur saison n’intervient pas. En outre, l’activité domestique et les rejets des eaux usées favorisent la pollution organique de certaines parties de la zone prospectée alors que les rejets des eaux usées industrielles de la sucrerie sénégalaise C.S.S. polluent en Al2+ et Sr2+ d’autres stations. Mais, d’une manière générale les teneurs des éléments chimiques évalués sont dans les nomes de l’eau d’irrigation.Mots-clés : eau potable, eau usée, pollution, concentration métallique, paramètres physico-chimiques, fleuve Sénégal, Mauritani

Neutrophils promote CXCR3-dependent itch in the development of atopic dermatitis.

Chronic itch remains a highly prevalent disorder with limited treatment options. Most chronic itch diseases are thought to be driven by both the nervous and immune systems, but the fundamental molecular and cellular interactions that trigger the development of itch and the acute-to-chronic itch transition remain unknown. Here, we show that skin-infiltrating neutrophils are key initiators of itch in atopic dermatitis, the most prevalent chronic itch disorder. Neutrophil depletion significantly attenuated itch-evoked scratching in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis. Neutrophils were also required for several key hallmarks of chronic itch, including skin hyperinnervation, enhanced expression of itch signaling molecules, and upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, activity-induced genes, and markers of neuropathic itch. Finally, we demonstrate that neutrophils are required for induction of CXCL10, a ligand of the CXCR3 receptor that promotes itch via activation of sensory neurons, and we find that that CXCR3 antagonism attenuates chronic itch

Improvement of energy efficiency of GSM BTS by using smart antenna system

The mobile communications develop all around the world. Not only the traffic increases, but the types of services as well as the qualities of services also evolve. In recent years, the cover of the territory was based on a model of cells, covered by omnidirectional or directive antennas fixed to base stations (BTS), but the new evolutions require improving this model, which became insufficient. In this paper, we present a smart antenna. It’s composed of several identical dipoles, we demonstrate the efficiency of this system in term of gain and energy. The effect of excitation phase and the spacing between elements of smart antenna will be discussed