Biological monitoring of occupational exposure to metals in electric steel foundry workers and its contribution to 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine levels

In this study, the urinary concentrations of selected metals in workers from an electric steel foundry in Tunisia were assessed and compared with existing biological limit values and general population reference values. Moreover, the association between oxidative DNA damage, measured as urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2\u2019deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and co-exposure to metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was evaluated. Urinary levels of 12 metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in end-shift spot samples from 89 workers. The urinary levels of phenanthrene (U-PHE), as marker of exposure to PAHs, and 8-oxodG were also available. Median levels ranged from 0.4 \ub5g/L (cobalt, Co, and thallium, Tl) to 895 \ub5g/L (zinc, Zn). Only 1% of samples was above the biological limit values for Co, and up to 13.5% of samples were above limit values for Cd. From 3.4% (Co) to 72% (lead, Pb) of samples were above the reference values for the general population. Multiple linear regression models, showed that manganese (Mn), Zn, arsenic (As), barium (Ba), Tl, and Pb were significant predictors of 8-oxodG (0.012 64 p 64 0.048); U-PHE was also a significant predictor (0.003 64 p 64 0.059). The variance explained by models was low (0.11 64 R2 64 0.17, p < 0.005), showing that metals and PAHs were minor contributors to 8-oxodG. Overall, the comparison with biological limit values showed that the study subjects were occupationally exposed to metals, with levels exceeding biological limit values only for Cd

Spondylodiscite tuberculeuse : 12 ans d'expérience dans un centre hospitalier en Tunisie

Objectifs : Décrire les particularités épidémiologiques, cliniques et paracliniques des spondylodiscites tuberculeuses et déterminer les facteurs prédictifs d’une évolution défavorable. Patients et Méthode: Etude rétrospective sur une période de 12 ans. Le diagnostic a été porté sur des preuves bactériologiques, anatomopathologiques ou sur un faisceau d’arguments. Résultats : Il s’agissait de 49 patients (26F/23H), âgés en moyenne de 51,84 ans. Le délai moyen de diagnostic était de 6,65 mois. Un facteur prédisposant à l’infection a été relevé chez 38,7% des patients. L’étage lombaire était le plus touché (67,3%). L’imagerie par résonnance magnétique était pathologique dans tous les cas où elle a été effectuée. Le diagnostic de certitude a été porté dans 9 cas sur une preuve histologique. La ponction biopsie disco-vertébrale a permis de confirmer le diagnostic dans 6/36 cas. Tous les patients ont reçu un traitement anti-tuberculeux d’une durée moyenne de 13,59 mois associé à un geste interventionnel dans 8 cas. L’évolution était favorable dans 84,2% des cas. Nous avons identifiés quatre facteurs prédictifs d’une évolution défavorable: une hyperleucocytose initiale ≥11500 éléments/mm3 (p=0,031), la présence d’abcès ou de collection à l’imagerie (p=0,018); un tassement vertébral à l’IRM (p=0,018) et l’existence de déformation osseuse avant correction chirurgicale (p<0,001). Conclusion: La spondylodiscite tuberculeuse devrait être suspectée devant toute rachialgie inflammatoire. Une prise en charge précoce est la clé pour éviter les complications neurologiques et ostéo-articulaires

Effect of indium doping on the electrical and structural properties of TiO2 thin films used in MOS devices

We investigated the effect of Indium (In) doping on the structural and electrical properties of Ti/Au/ TiO2:In/n-Si metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices. Sputtering grown TiO2 thin films on Si substrate were doped using two In-films with 15 nm and 50 nm thicknesses leading to two structures named Low Indium Doped (LID) sample and High Indium Doped (HID) sample, respectively. XRD analysis shows no diffraction pattern related to Indium indicating that In has been incorporated into the TiO2 lattice. Current-Voltage (I-V) characteristics show that rectification ratio at 2V is higher for HID sample than for LID sample. Evaluated barrier height, ϕB0 , decreased while the ideality factor, n, increased with decreasing temperature. Such behavior is ascribed to barrier inhomogeneity that was assumed to have a Gaussian Distribution (GD) of barrier heights at interface. Evidence of such GD was confirmed by plotting ϕB0versus n. High value of mean barrier ϕ̅B0 and lower value of standard deviation (σ) of HID structure are due to indium doping which increases the barrier homogeneities. Finally, estimated Richardson constants A* are in good agreement with theoretic values (112 A/cm2K2), particularly, for the HID structure

Efflux in Fungi: La Pièce de Résistance

Pathogens must be able to overcome both host defenses and antimicrobial treatment in order to successfully infect and maintain colonization of the host. One way fungi accomplish this feat and overcome intercellular toxin accumulation is efflux pumps, in particular ATP-binding cassette transporters and transporters of the major facilitator superfamily. Members of these two superfamilies remove many toxic compounds by coupling transport with ATP hydrolysis or a proton gradient, respectively. Fungal genomes encode a plethora of members of these families of transporters compared to other organisms. In this review we discuss the role these two fungal superfamilies of transporters play in virulence and resistance to antifungal agents. These efflux transporters are responsible not only for export of compounds involved in pathogenesis such as secondary metabolites, but also export of host-derived antimicrobial compounds. In addition, we examine the current knowledge of these transporters in resistance of pathogens to clinically relevant antifungal agents

Acoustics and prayers: investigations on the Great Mosque of Tirana, Albania

The Great Mosque of Tirana, also called Namazgâh Mosque, is the largest mosque in the Balkans. After the end of the communism, the mosque was requested by the numerous Muslim citizens, as there was a lack of a religious building to pray in. The mosque is characterized by 50 m high minarets, crowned on the perimeter by a 35 m high central dome surmounted by six niches with half domes. The Great Mosque has an area of 600 m2, whose floor is covered with a precious carpet, and the interior is illuminated by large windows on the side walls. This paper deals with the acoustic characterization of the main prayer room of the Great Mosque and the comparison with the values measured in other mosques. A short digression about the historical background, as well as the measurement techniques according to ISO 3382 have been given

TLM representation of the hyperbolic heat conduction equation

Many heat transfer situations are adequately described by the parabolic thermal diffusion equation. However, in situations in which very rapid heating occurs or in slower heating regimes for particular materials, the hyperbolic heat conduction equation is a better representation. Here, a parameterized nodal structure for transmission line modelling (TLM) representation of hyperbolic heat conduction processes is devised. A TLM model based on the nodal structure is implemented and temperature field predicted by the model are compared with analytical results for the same physical situation

Poursuite de non stationnarités par filtrage multirésolution adaptatif

On propose dans cet article un schéma d'identification adaptative des systèmes non stationnaires. Ce schéma est fondé sur une "décomposition multirésolution" des signaux d'entrée et de sortie du système à identifier. Grâce à une approche de filtrage linéaire des opérateurs de décomposition en ondelettes, on établit que la méthode proposée permet d'améliorer la capacité de poursuite de non stationnarité par rapport au schéma d'identification classique. La non stationnarité considérée est modélisée par une promenade aléatoire

Applications of InAs Hall Effect Sensors

The InAs Hall effect sensor, present some advantages as, the good linearity, the big sensitivity, and the good stability at large range of temperature, these features give him a very vast feild of application. In this article we will present some applications when the sensor is used to detect the position of the objects, the presence of the magnetic materials