Abdellatif Laâbi’s Casablanca Spleen

In January 1972, the thirty-year old Moroccan poet Abdellatif Laâbi was arrested by his country’s security services and brutally tortured. Student demonstrations in his support ensued, which eventually forced the authorities to release him, only to re-arrest him a month later, when he was sent to Casablanca’s Moulay Cherif Detention Centre. Originally detained without being charged, Laâbi took part in a series of hunger strikes alongside other prisoners before finally being granted a trial in August 1973, at which point he was condemned to an eight and half year sentence at the infamous Kénitra penitentiary. His crime? Distributing political pamphlets. During his stay in Kénitra as prisoner number 18611, Laâbi would produce a body of work that would later be recognized as some of the twentieth century’s finest political poetry, alongside that of Pablo Neruda and Nâzım Hikmet

Study of the trajectories of ice shed by deicing system around aircraft engine

The problem of ice accretion caused accidents and incidents to aircraft over the past decades. Solving the problem of ice accretion employing de-icing and anti-icing devices will remove the accumulated ice but the problem of unknown trajectories of the detached particles appears. The flown particles represent a great hazard on the aircraft which yields risk depending on the vulnerability of aircraft parts. The vulnerable aircraft parts are the wing, the rear fuselage, the stabilizers, and the rear-mounted engines. In order to mitigate the risk, a study of the trajectories of those particles is introduced. The objective of this research is to study the trajectories around a wing by changing the angle of attack and the sweepback angle. The goal is to calculate the minimal number of ice trajectories to correctly predict a footprint map at the inlet section of the engine using the Monte-Carlo method. A numerical approach is used to accomplish this study. The random trajectories of the ice particles are calculated using a 3D Panel Method (3DPM) flow field around the wing. To determine the zones behind the wing where the ice particles have the most passage probability, a Monte-Carlo method is utilized. In this research, the calculations are done through a probabilistic study of the footprints to determine their probability distribution's shape. Once the shape is known, a normality test is done on the shape of the Probability Distribution Function (PDF) called the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. After determining the shape and the type of the PDFs, a study on the mean and variance for every PDF is done to check the minimal number of trajectories to fulfill the Monte-Carlo method. The 3DPM flow field is validated against the literature as well as the footprint distribution behind the wing. The effect of the angle of attack, as well as the sweepback angle on ice particle trajectories, is shown. The increase of the angle of attack shifts the trajectories upward while the sweepback makes the footprint map less noisy. Finally, 500 trajectories were found enough to predict a footprint map

Effect of Solanum melongena peel extract in the treatment of arsenical keratosis

This study was conducted to examine the effect of the ointment containing Solanum melongena peel extract in the treatment of arsenical keratosis. In total, 23 patients were enrolled on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The ointment was given to each patient and advised him/her to apply to the site of lesion twice daily for 12 weeks without any gap. The size of the lesion and its photograph were collected before and at the end of the study. The mean (± SD) diameter of the lesion was 3.9 ± 2.1 cm which reduced to 1.8 ± 1.3 cm (reduction 54%). The results were statistically significant.  In conclusion, S. melongena peel extract is found to be effective in the treatment of arsenical keratosis

Effect of Solanum melongena peel extract in the treatment of arsenical keratosis

This study was conducted to examine the effect of the ointment containing Solanum melongena peel extract in the treatment of arsenical keratosis. In total, 23 patients were enrolled on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The ointment was given to each patient and advised him/her to apply to the site of lesion twice daily for 12 weeks without any gap. The size of the lesion and its photograph were collected before and at the end of the study. The mean (± SD) diameter of the lesion was 3.9 ± 2.1 cm which reduced to 1.8 ± 1.3 cm (reduction 54%). The results were statistically significant.  In conclusion, S. melongena peel extract is found to be effective in the treatment of arsenical keratosis

Biobeneficiation of bauxite ore through bacterial desilication

ABSTRACT Bauxite is an important mineral ore that is widely used in aluminum industry for metallurgical and refractory purposes. However bauxite contains silica as an impurity which degrades its quality. Silica forms complex with the caustic used during the processing of ore thereby forming precipitates. This leads to unnecessary wastage of caustic that contributes to the higher processing costs. Moreover, the use of excess caustic to neutralize the reactive silica during the process increases the alkalinity of the waste product so called red mud which imposes severe disposal problem. Therefore, the removal of silica from bauxite ore by a feasible and environmental friendly method is of paramount importance. The current study focuses on the beneficiation of low quality bauxite ores, through the process of bioleaching of silica. Bacterial desilication was carried out using indigenous bacterial cultures isolated from the ore. Bacterial colonies were successfully isolated and potential silica leaching strains was screened. Various process parameters such as pH, temperature, aeration time, inoculum size, age of the inoculum and bauxite percentage were studied through Taguchi method for process optimization. Optimum conditions for bioleaching of silica were obtained as pH 7.5, temperature 25ºC, initial aeration time of 30 minutes, bauxite percentage of 5% using 48 hours old 5% inoculums were established by Taguchi method,. Furthermore, optimum process conditions were used for bioleaching of silica under for different lengths of time i.e. 5, 15, 20, 25 days. Biological leaching results showed a maximum of 41% silica was recovered at the end of 25 days. Further, biochemical characterization of the potential bacterial culture proved it to be of Bacillus sp

Concepción didáctica del proceso de formación de habilidades profesionales en la especialidad de Oftalmología. Estrategia para su implementación en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Pinar del Río

La investigación se orienta al perfeccionamiento del proceso de formación de habilidades profesionales en la especialidad de Oftalmología de la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Pinar del Río. Para lograrlo se fundamentó una Concepción didáctica de este proceso, que se estructura a partir de la sistematización e integración de acciones y operaciones con carácter relativo; se sustenta en la relación establecida entre el modo de actuación, las habilidades profesionales y la educación en el trabajo; y es dinamizada por el método oftalmológico. Todo lo cual permitió la identificación de etapas y principios que regulan el funcionamiento del proceso. A partir de la Concepción didáctica diseñada se estructuró una estrategia para su implementación a través de tres acciones estratégicas específicas, de las cuales resultaron como productos: Rediseño didáctico de las habilidades profesionales en el Programa de la Especialidad, Programa de capacitación para el colectivo pedagógico y Talleres metodológicos para la formación de habilidades profesionales en Oftalmología. Para constatar la validez de la Concepción didáctica propuesta y de la estrategia a implementar, se utilizó el método Delphi, mediante el cual los expertos aportaron criterios que contribuyeron a su perfeccionamiento. PALABRAS CLAVES: Formación de habilidades profesionales/ modo de actuación preservar la visión/ método oftalmológic

A linear programming approach for estimating the structure of a sparse linear genetic network from transcript profiling data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A genetic network can be represented as a directed graph in which a node corresponds to a gene and a directed edge specifies the direction of influence of one gene on another. The reconstruction of such networks from transcript profiling data remains an important yet challenging endeavor. A transcript profile specifies the abundances of many genes in a biological sample of interest. Prevailing strategies for learning the structure of a genetic network from high-dimensional transcript profiling data assume sparsity and linearity. Many methods consider relatively small directed graphs, inferring graphs with up to a few hundred nodes. This work examines large undirected graphs representations of genetic networks, graphs with many thousands of nodes where an undirected edge between two nodes does not indicate the direction of influence, and the problem of estimating the structure of such a sparse linear genetic network (SLGN) from transcript profiling data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The structure learning task is cast as a sparse linear regression problem which is then posed as a LASSO (<it>l</it>₁-constrained fitting) problem and solved finally by formulating a Linear Program (LP). A bound on the Generalization Error of this approach is given in terms of the Leave-One-Out Error. The accuracy and utility of LP-SLGNs is assessed quantitatively and qualitatively using simulated and real data. The Dialogue for Reverse Engineering Assessments and Methods (DREAM) initiative provides gold standard data sets and evaluation metrics that enable and facilitate the comparison of algorithms for deducing the structure of networks. The structures of LP-SLGNs estimated from the I<smcaps>N</smcaps>S<smcaps>ILICO</smcaps>1, I<smcaps>N</smcaps>S<smcaps>ILICO</smcaps>2 and I<smcaps>N</smcaps>S<smcaps>ILICO</smcaps>3 simulated DREAM2 data sets are comparable to those proposed by the first and/or second ranked teams in the DREAM2 competition. The structures of LP-SLGNs estimated from two published <it>Saccharomyces cerevisae </it>cell cycle transcript profiling data sets capture known regulatory associations. In each <it>S. cerevisiae </it>LP-SLGN, the number of nodes with a particular degree follows an approximate power law suggesting that its degree distributions is similar to that observed in real-world networks. Inspection of these LP-SLGNs suggests biological hypotheses amenable to experimental verification.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A statistically robust and computationally efficient LP-based method for estimating the topology of a large sparse undirected graph from high-dimensional data yields representations of genetic networks that are biologically plausible and useful abstractions of the structures of real genetic networks. Analysis of the statistical and topological properties of learned LP-SLGNs may have practical value; for example, genes with high random walk betweenness, a measure of the centrality of a node in a graph, are good candidates for intervention studies and hence integrated computational – experimental investigations designed to infer more realistic and sophisticated probabilistic directed graphical model representations of genetic networks. The LP-based solutions of the sparse linear regression problem described here may provide a method for learning the structure of transcription factor networks from transcript profiling and transcription factor binding motif data.</p

Immunity Risk Associated With Cytomegalovirus Infection After Organ Transplantation

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a member of the Herpesviridae family, is frequently seen in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) and solid organ transplant (SOT) patients and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in absence of antiviral prophylaxis in the transplant patients. CMV infection can cause serious problems in organ transplant patients following transplantation, in which the virus could reactivate or could contract a new infection, both result in signs of an active CMV infection consequently leading to organ rejection. CMV generates a robust and diverse innate and adaptive immune response and infects epithelial cells, macrophages, and T lymphocytes. During a three tier infective reaction cycle, it&nbsp;&nbsp; establishes lifetime latency within its host. Ganciclovir , Valganciclovir and Foscarnet though remain successful as treatment strategies against CMV infection, they suffer from some major side effects like leukopenia, drug toxicity and some resistance development. So more recent medicines like letermovir and maribavir have provided new insights as therapy of drug resistant CMV infection. The demand for efficient and well-tolerated medicines still remains a challenge. Early clinical trials have shown potential for adoptive immunotherapy, which involves the virus specific T-cells (VSTs) as drug regime for highly resistant viral infections. With a focus on the clinical strategy for the challenge of CMV infection, this review encompasses positive findings and problems of the widespread use of VSTs to treat immunocompromised patients

Genetic Diagnosis Of Vexas Syndrome: A New Rare And Deadly Autoinflammatory Disorder In Adults

VEXAS (Vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X linked, autoinflammatory, somatic syndrome) syndrome is a rare autoimmune condition that can be fatal in adult persons. VEXAS syndrome is classified as an autoinflammatory disease. This syndrome typically affects older adults, primarily males, with signs and symptoms of the condition developing in a person's fifties, sixties, or seventies. About 1 in every 13,591 adults may have the condition. Mutations affecting methionine-41 (p. Met41) in UBA1 of blood cells, the major E1 enzyme that initiates ubiquitylation is responsible for VEXAS. The peripheral-blood exome sequence data was analysed, independent of clinical phenotype and inheritance pattern to identify deleterious mutations in ubiquitin-related genes. Sanger sequencing, immunoblotting, immunohistochemical testing, flow cytometry, and transcriptome and cytokine profiling were performed. CRISPR-Cas9-edited zebrafish were used as an in vivo model to assess the gene function. In such patient, treatment-refractory inflammatory syndrome develops in late adulthood, with fevers, cytopenias, characteristics vacuoles in myeloid and erythroid precursor cells, dysplastic bone marrow, neutrophilic cutaneous and pulmonary inflammation, chondritis, and vasculitis. Patients can also have a shortage of blood cells called platelets. Treatments include corticosteroids, immunosuppressants and sometimes a bone marrow transplant. In the future, VEXAS syndrome along with other related autoinflammatory conditions, and maybe other hemato-inflammatory diseases, in adulthood may change our perception of the already supposedly known rheumatic or systemic autoimmune diseases, and genetic diagnosis may become a routine clinical practice for physicians in experienced referral centres