First report of naturally infected Sergentomyia minuta with Leishmania major in Tunisia

International audienceBackground: Many sand fly species are implicated in the transmission cycle of Leishmania parasites around the world. Incriminating new sand flies species, as vectors of Leishmania is crucial to understanding the parasite-vector transmission cycle in different areas in Tunisia and surrounding countries. Findings: Seventy-four unfed females belonging to the genera Sergentomyia and Phlebotomus were collected in South Tunisia between June and November 2014, using sticky papers. PCR-RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) analysis of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) was used for Leishmania parasites detection and identification. Leishmania (L.) major (Yakimoff & Shokkor, 1914) was identified within two Sergentomyia (S.) minuta (Rondani, 1843) and one Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli, 1786). Conclusion: This is the first report of L. major identified from S. minuta in Tunisia. This novel finding enhances the understanding of the transmission cycle of L. major parasites of cutaneous leishmaniasis in an endemic area in South Tunisia

Time-Domain Based Quantification of Surface Degradation for Better Monitoring of the Health Condition of Ball Bearings

This research aims to analyze the vibration response of damaged rolling element bearings experimentally and to assess their degree of degradation by examining parameters extracted from the time domain. This task was accomplished in three phases. In the first phase, a test rig was carefully designed and precisely manufactured. In particular, an innovative solution for rapidly mounting and dismounting bearings on the supporting shaft was tested and used successfully. In the second phase, a specific technique of seeding defects inside the ball bearings was developed. In the last phase, damaged bearings (and healthy ones serving as a reference) were installed on the test rig, and different vibration measurements were taken. The results obtained from this work show that different parameters could be extracted from the time domain. In addition to the six common indicators (peak, root mean square, crest factor, kurtosis value, impulse factor, and shape factor), four hybrid new ones have been proposed (Talaf, Thikat, Siana and, Inthar). The experimental results confirm the well-known efficiency of kurtosis in the detection of bearing defects. However, the newly proposed parameters were found to be more responsive to defect growth

Pulmonary Embolism as a Rare Complication of Liver Hydatid Cyst: Report of Two Cases

Hydatid cyst is a helminth infection. The rupture of a hepatic hydatid cyst in inferior vena cava is a rare and lethal complication. Pulmonary embolism is the commonest manifestation. The diagnosis of hydatid cyst is made by histopathological or serological examination, and imaging may suggest the probability of hydatid cyst. Surgical treatment should be performed with caution and always under vascular control. We present two cases of hydatid cyst ruptured into the inferior vena cava. The patients also presented with dyspnea, hemoptysis, and intermittent cough at the time of admission. This presentation will be accompanied by a brief review of the literature. The radiological findings suggested the diagnosis. The first patient had a fatal hydatid pulmonary embolism and death occurred on the second day of hospitalization. The second patient refused surgery. These cases also exemplify the clinical and radiographic findings as well as the management of this complication

Natural infection of Ctenodactylus gundi by Leishmania major in Tunisia.

International audienceIncriminating new rodent species, as reservoir hosts of Leishmania parasites is crucial for understanding the transmission cycle of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tunisia. Ctenodactylus (C.) gundi was previously described as extremely abundant in all Tunisian Leishmania (L.) tropica foci in south Tunisia besides its presence in L. major endemic area. The aim of this study was to detect Leishmania species parasites among C. gundi in two endemic regions in Tunisia: Sidi Bouzid and Tataouine. Total DNA was isolated from the spleens and the livers of 92C. gundi. Leishmaniasis clinical manifestations were detected among 11 rodents (12%). Leishmania parasites were detected in 30 (32.6%) rodents using direct exam method. Leishmania DNA was detected in 40 (43.5%) C. gundi by combining results among spleens and livers using ITS1-PCR. Positive samples were confirmed to be L. major except for only one specimen which was L. tropica. These results demonstrated, for the first time, the high natural infection rate of C. gundi with L. major parasites in Tunisia. Hence, C. gundi should be considered as potential reservoir host of Leishmania parasites causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tunisia

Natural Infection of Phlebotomus sergenti by Leishmania tropica in Libya.

International audienceCutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a public health concern caused by Leishmania (L.) major and L.tropica in Libya. Information on sandfly vectors, as well as their associated Leishmania species, is of paramount importance because vector dispersion is one of the major factors responsible for pathogen dissemination. A number of 515 sandflies (275 males and 240 females) were collected during June-November 2012 using the Centers for Disease Control miniature light traps from Al Rabta, northwest of Libya. Two hundred and forty unfed females were identified; Phlebotomus (Ph.) papatasi (N = 97), Ph. sergenti (N = 27), Ph. longicuspis (N = 32), Sergentomyia (Se.) minuta (N = 38), and Se. fallax (N = 46). These flies were screened for Leishmania DNA using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the internal transcribed spacer 1 and sequencing. Two Ph. sergenti were found positive to L. tropica DNA. This finding should be considered for any further vector surveillance and epidemiological studies of CL in endemic areas across Libya

First report of naturally infected Sergentomyia minuta with Leishmania major in Tunisia

Abstract Background Many sand fly species are implicated in the transmission cycle of Leishmania parasites around the world. Incriminating new sand flies species, as vectors of Leishmania is crucial to understanding the parasite–vector transmission cycle in different areas in Tunisia and surrounding countries. Findings Seventy-four unfed females belonging to the genera Sergentomyia and Phlebotomus were collected in South Tunisia between June and November 2014, using sticky papers. PCR-RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) analysis of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) was used for Leishmania parasites detection and identification. Leishmania (L.) major (Yakimoff & Shokkor, 1914) was identified within two Sergentomyia (S.) minuta (Rondani, 1843) and one Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli, 1786). Conclusion This is the first report of L. major identified from S. minuta in Tunisia. This novel finding enhances the understanding of the transmission cycle of L. major parasites of cutaneous leishmaniasis in an endemic area in South Tunisia

Evaluation of the Taxonomic Status of Lesser Egyptian Jerboa, Jaculus jaculus: First Description of New Phylogroups in Tunisia

The taxonomy of the Lesser Egyptian jerboa, Jaculus (J.) jaculus (Dipodinae subfamily), was recently reevaluated, and the taxonomic status was defined by the presence of two cryptic species, J. jaculus (Linnaeus 1758) and J. hirtipes (Lichtenstein, 1823), with a higher genetic divergence in the sympatric North African populations than in other studied parapatric populations. Using phylogenetic analysis of the cytochrome b (Cytb) gene from 46 specimens, we confirmed the new status in Tunisia; rodents were collected from two different biotopes belonging to the same locality at the ecological level (mountainous vs. Saharan) in the south of the country. The study of the eye lens weight of these specimens allowed the definition of a cutoff value (58.5 g), categorizing juveniles from adults. Moreover, this study confirmed the phylotaxonomic status of J. jaculus in Tunisia, as recently illustrated, into two distinct species, J. jaculus and J. hirtipes, and recorded for the first time the presence of two phylogroups among each of these rodent species. The lack of clear micro-geographical structure and biotope specificity between the two rodent species and their phylogroups was also highlighted

Blood Meal Analysis of Phlebotomine Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) for Leishmania spp. Identification and Vertebrate Blood Origin, Central Tunisia, 2015-2016.

International audienceDuring the time periods of June 2015 and from July to August 2016, sandflies were collected among seven collection sites of the three leishmaniasis endemic villages of Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. A total of 690 sandflies were captured and identified (380 males and 310 females). Four species belonging to genus Phlebotomus (Ph.) and two species belonging to genus Sergentomyia were identified. Leishmania DNA was detected in four out of 310 females (one Ph. sergenti and three Ph. papatasi). The overall sensitivity of the Prepronociceptin gene detection reached 76%. The concurrent presence of Ph. papatasi and Ph. sergenti vectors, the analysis of blood-meals, together with the detection of L. major in Ph. papatasi, confirms the ultimate conditions for the transmission of the disease in center Tunisia. These results expand the known epidemiological area of distrubtion of leishmaniasis and its vectors in this part of Tunisia, highlighting the need for ongoing entomological and parasitological surveillance

COVID-19 in Tunisia (North Africa): Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the general population of the capital city Tunis

International audienceBackground: Monitoring the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic is primarily based on Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As this test is mainly applied on persons with symptomatic disease, it may overlook individuals with pauci- or a-symptomatic infection. Seroprevalence studies are thus essential to get an accurate estimate of the actual SARS-CoV-2 diffusion within the populations. We report on the findings of the first serosurvey conducted in the capital city of Tunisia prior to the implementation of mass vaccination and analyzed factors associated with seropositivity. Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted among households living in two areas of the governorate of Tunis, the capital city of the country. The survey was realized between March and April 2021, spanning the end of the second wave and the beginning of the third wave of COVID-19 and prior to the implementation of mass vaccination in Tunisia. SARS-CoV-2 specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to the spike (S-RBD) or the nucleocapsid (N) proteins were detected using an in-house ELISA test. Results were adjusted for test performance. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors independently associated with SARS-COV-2 seropositivity. Results: The survey included 1676 individuals from 431 households. The mean age and sex ratio were 43.3±20.9 years and 0.6 respectively. The weighted and test-performance adjusted prevalence of IgG antibodies to the N and the S-RBD proteins were 26.6% [22.9-30.8] and 25.1% [22.2-28.4] respectively. The weighted seroprevalence of anti-N and/or anti-S-RBD IgG antibodies was equal to 38.0% [34.6-41.5]. In multivariate analysis, age under 10, no tobacco use, previous diagnosis of COVID-19, a history of COVID-19 related symptoms and contact with a COVID-19 case within the household, were independently associated with higher SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence. Conclusions: After the end of the second epidemic wave, more than one third of people living in Tunis got antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. Further studies are needed to monitor changes in these figures as Tunisian population is confronted to the subsequent epidemic waves and to guide the vaccine strategy

Towards an SSVEP-BCI Controlled Smart Home

Adams M, Benda M, Saboor A, et al. Towards an SSVEP-BCI Controlled Smart Home. In: 2019 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics (SMC). Piscataway, NJ: IEEE; 2019.Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) based on Steady-State Visually Evoked Potentials (SSVEPs) can be used as hand-free control device. To utilize this control method in a real life scenario, we created a system in which a smart home is controlled by BCI. Six devices in the smart home environment could be controlled with the BCI system: The entrance door, the wardrobe, the kitchens’ worktop and drawers, the light system of all the rooms and a guide light. In the presented paper, the visual stimuli for the BCI were placed at multiple screens in the smart home (placed at different locations suchas the kitchen and the living room). The processing was done on one computer, located in the living room. The placement of the visual stimuli corresponded to the actuators that were controlled, e.g. the kitchen drawers were linked to the stimuli displayed in the kitchen. An online experiment was conducted where participants went through a scenario consisting of thirteen SSVEP-BCI selections in total. Eight healthy participants took part in the experiments. For BCI signal acquisition, a mobile EEG amplifier was used. Participants walked freely around the rooms during the experiment. An average accuracy of 81 % was achieved, which suggests that the SSVEP-system is suitable to control the external devices in the smart home, and that the system can be expanded to involve more actuators