How Can We Assess The Relation Between Equipment, Price and Electricity Demand in Tunisia?

  Economists and analysts of electricity demand sector believed for a long time that equipment is a key factor. They try to determine the performance of Equipment policy instrument on energy demand. For lack of reliable data, they use in most cases the variable “urbanization rate” as proxy to the variable “equipment”. To assess the effectiveness of this policy as a tool to decrease electricity demand in Tunisia, we estimate a Translog production function “KLEM” using annual data spanning the period 1990-2007. The results suggest that an Equipment policy like a price policy play a crucial role in reducing electricity demand. Furthermore, those results highlight the complementary relation between electricity and equipment in the economic sense.   Keywords: Electricity demand; Equipment policy instrument; Price policy; KLEM model; Complementary JEL Classifications: Q4

Metabolic Syndrome according to Three Definitions in Hammam-Sousse Sahloul Heart Study: A City Based Tunisian Study

Objectives. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major risk factor of CVD. The aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence of the MetS, its components, and its different profiles according to NCEP-ATP III 2001, IDF 2005, and JIS 2009 definitions in Hammam-Sousse Sahloul Heart Study (HSHS). Study Design. The study involved 1121 participants (364 men and 757 women; sex-ratio  =  0.48; mean age  =  47.49 ± 16.24 years) living in Hammam Sousse city, located in the east of Tunisia. Methods. Anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, lipids levels, glycemia, insulinemia, and body mass index were measured. Statistical analyses were performed by SPSS16.0. Results. The percentage of participants who had MetS defined according to NCEP ATP III, IDF 2005, and JIS 2009 definitions was respectively, 29.5%, 38.4%, and 39.6%. With regard to gender, the prevalence of MetS is higher in men than in women according to IDF 2005 definition (38.5% men versus 38.3% women, P=0.961) and according to JIS 2009 definition (41.8% men versus 38.6% women, P=0.307), whereas, according to NCEP ATP III definition, the prevalence of MetS is higher in women than in men (30% versus 28.6%, P=0.627). The prevalence of MetS increased with increasing age according to the three definitions (P<0.001) and peaked in the oldest age group (≥70 years) according to IDF 2005 and JIS 2009. Furthermore, a significant difference in the prevalence of MetS components according to gender was observed. Indeed, the abdominal obesity is the most frequent MetS compound in women group, but hypertension and low HDL-C are the most frequent in men. In addition, according to the three definitions, the most frequent MetS profile in our study is “higher waist circumference, hypertension, and low HDL-C.” Conclusion. The high prevalence of MetS is a serious public health problem in Hammam-Sousse Sahloul community. Higher waist circumference, hypertension, and low HDL-C were the most frequent profile in our study

Acute Bochdalek hernia in an adult: A case report of a 3D image

A 61-year-old male was found to have a bilateral Bochdalek hernia on routine CT during admission for acute respiratory failure. The chest X-ray showed a left paracardiac mass having a diameter of 6 cm. This mass was initially considered as a mediastinal tumor. However, CT scan showed a bilateral large defect of the posteromedial portion of the diaphragm and mesenteric fat. 3D imaging was also useful for the stereographic perception of Bochdalek hernia. Although Bochdalek hernia is not rare, to our knowledge, this is the first case of Bochdalek hernia continued transverse colon observed by spiral CT 3D imaging

Factors predicting early outcome in patients admitted at emergency department with severe head trauma

Objective: To determine predictive factors of early mortality among severe traumatic brain injury in emergency department. Methods: This study is based on a retrospective analysis of 198 admitted in emergency depatment with severe head injury (Glasgow coma scale score ≤8) of an university hospital (Sfax, Tunisia). Basic demographic, clinical, biological and radiological data were recorded on admission and during emergency department stay. Results: Forty two patients were died. Univariate analysis showed that the presence of shock, cardiac arrest, bilateral mydriasis, high value of injury severity score and low value of Glasgow coma scale were associated with mortality. Moreover, meningeal hemorrhage, cerebral and subdural haematoma were associated with poorer outcome. Multivariate analysis showed that factors associated with a poor prognosis were cardiac arrest cerebral and the presence of cerebral haematoma. Conclusions: Improving pre-hospital care and ovoid futile resuscitation to given priority in resource allocation and urgent CT scan of the head to look for operable mass lesions as early detection should improve the prognosis of severe head injury at emergency department

First case report of Cohen syndrome in the Tunisian population caused by VPS13B mutations

Abstract Background Cohen syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive developmental disorder that comprises variable clinical features counting developmental delay, pigmentary retinopathy, myopia, acquired microcephaly, truncal obesity, joint hypermobility, friendly disposition and intermittent neutropenia. VPS13B (vacuolar protein sorting 13, yeast, homologue of B) gene is the only gene responsible for Cohen Syndrome, causative mutations include nonsense, missense, indel and splice-site variants. The integrity of the Golgi apparatus requires the presence of the peripheral membrane protein VPS13B that have an essential function in intracellular protein transport and vesicle-mediated sorting. Case presentation In this study, we performed whole exome sequencing (WES) in a Tunisian family with two young cases having developmental delay, hypotonia, autism spectrum disorder, ptosis and thick hair and eyebrows. The proposita presented also pigmentory retinopathy. Compound heterozygous mutation in VPS13B gene was detected by WES. This mutation inherited from healthy heterozygous parents, supports an unpredictable clinical diagnosis of Cohen Syndrome. The proband’s phenotype is explained by the presence of compound heterozygous mutations in the VPS13B gene. This finding refined the understanding of genotype-phenotype correlation. Conclusions This is the first report of a Tunisian family with Cohen syndrome mutated in the VPS13B gene

Use of sodium polystyrene sulfonate in an acute-on-chronic lithium poisoned patient: A case report

A 35-year-old woman with an acute-on-chronic lithium overdose received multiple oral doses of sodium polystyrene sulfonate totaling 120 g over a 24-h period. During the 72 h after the institution of therapy, the serum lithium level decreased from 3.80 to 0.42 mEq/L. Multiple doses of sodium polystyrene sulfonate may be useful in lowering the serum lithium level in severely ill patients with acute renal failure, and can substitute hemodialysis

Diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia from acute intracerebral hemorrhage: A case report

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is frequent pathology in emergency departments. Coagulopathies leading to ICH are rare. We describe here the case of diagnosis of a chronic myeloid leukemia from ICH in emergencies

Use of sodium polystyrene sulfonate in an acute-on-chronic lithium poisoned patient: A case report

A 35-year-old woman with an acute-on-chronic lithium overdose received multiple oral doses of sodium polystyrene sulfonate totaling 120 g over a 24-h period. During the 72 h after the institution of therapy, the serum lithium level decreased from 3.80 to 0.42 mEq/L. Multiple doses of sodium polystyrene sulfonate may be useful in lowering the serum lithium level in severely ill patients with acute renal failure, and can substitute hemodialysis