Antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of four Algerian marine algae species

Since ancient times antimicrobial properties of seaweeds have been recognized. In this study, antifungal activity of four species of marine algae of Bejaia coast (Algeria) was explored. This activity was evaluated by agar diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentrations were also determined for all the strains. All the extracts used in this study exhibited antifungal activity. The highest inhibiting effect was noted for Rhodomela confervoides (red algae) and Padina pavonica (brown algae), respectively against Candida albicans (diameter of inhibition zone: 24 mm) and Mucor ramaniannus (diameter of inhibition zone: 26 mm) for the first one and Candida albicans (diameter of inhibition zone: 26 mm) for the second one. Aspergillus niger showed resistance against majority of methanolic extracts. The evaluation of minimum inhibitory concentrations showed that extracts of Padina pavonica, Rhodomela confervoides and Ulva lactuca were very efficient against Mucor ramaniannus and Candida albicans. These results suggest that seaweeds collected from Algerian coast present a significant capacity which makes them interesting for screening for natural products.Key words: Marine algae, antifungal activity, methanolic extracts, natural substances

Anatomie du nerf laryngé externe et ses applications chirurgicales

Objectif : La lésion de la branche externe du nerf laryngé supérieur (BeNLS) , non rare lors de la chirurgie thyroïdienne, est responsable de modifications de la voix et de troubles de la déglutition. Mais ses différentes variantes anatomiques ainsi que les faibles taux de son identification ont découragé les chirurgiens de son repérage systématique.Le but de notre travail est de faire une description anatomique des variantes de la BeNLS , d’estimer la fréquence des nerfs à risque et de décrire les techniques chirurgicales de son identification pour proposer une approche systématique de sa préservation.Matériel et méthodes: Il s’agit d’une étude prospective portant sur 10 patients ayant eu une chirurgie thyroïdienne et chez qui on a procédé à un repérage systématique de la BeNLS dans l’espace avasculaire de Reeve. On a utilisé la classification de Cernea pour regrouper les variations anatomiques rencontrées.Résultats : On a procédé à la dissection de 13 nerfs. Le taux  d’identification de la BeNLS était de 84% , 38% sont de Type 2a , 46% sont de Type 2b. Des complications ont été notées chez 3 patients dont 2 qui présentent une BeNLS de Type Ni.Conclusion : On pense que la variante anatomique de la BeNLS de type 2 présente un risque de blessure car le chirurgien manipule le pédicule supérieur au niveau du centimètre critique situé au-dessus du pôle supérieur de la thyroïde. Le sous-type 2b , le plus fréquent dans notre série , est une variante à haut risque. L’identification du nerf lors de la chirurgie thyroïdienne est la solution de choix.Mots-clés : Branche externe du nerf laryngé supérieur, anatomie, muscle crico-thyroïdien, chirurgie thyroïdienne, voix

Leomyosarcome du larynx

Le leiomyosarcome laryngé est une tumeur musculaire lisse maligne rare. Il représente moins de 1% de toutes les tumeurs malignes laryngées. Nous rapportons un nouveau cas chez un patient de 63 ans. Le traitement a consisté en une laryngectomie totale avec curage ganglionnaire suivie de radiothérapie. A travers ce cas et une revue de la littérature, nous discutons les aspects épidémiologiques, cliniques et étiopathogéniques de ce sarcome rare du larynx.Mots clés : Léiomyosarcome, larynx, radiothérapie, chirurgie

Descriptive epidemiology of cleft lip and cleft palate in Western Australia

BACKGROUND: Most national and provincial commissions on healthcare services in Canada over the past decade have recommended that primary care services be strengthened in order to guarantee each citizen access to a family physician. Despite these recommendations, finding a family physician continues to be problematic. The issue of enrollment with a family physician is worrying in Canada, where nearly 21% of the country's population reported not having a family physician in the last Commonwealth Fund survey.To respond to this important need, centralized waiting lists have been implemented in four Canadian provinces to help 'orphan,' or unaffiliated, patients find a family physician. These organizational mechanisms are intended to better coordinate the demand for and supply of family physicians. The objectives of this study are: to assess the effects of centralized waiting lists for orphan patients (GACOs) implemented in the province of Quebec and to explain the variation among their effects by analyzing factors influencing implementation process. METHODS: This study is based on two complementary and sequential research strategies. The first (objective 1) is a quantitative longitudinal design to assess the effects of all the GACOs (n = 93) in Quebec using clinical-administrative data. The second (objective 2) involves using four case studies to explain variations in effects through in-depth analysis of the various factors contributing to the observed effects. The primary source of data will be key actors involved in the GACOs. We expect to conduct around 40 semi-structured interviews. DISCUSSION: This will be the first study in Canada to evaluate the implementation of this innovation. It will provide an exhaustive picture of the effects of GACO implementation in Quebec and to assess their potential for generalization elsewhere in Canada. At the theoretical level, this study will produce new knowledge on the factors having the greatest influence on the implementation of primary care innovations in professional environments

Diversity of endomycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of chickpea in Morocco

The endomycorrhizal fungi diversity in the rhizosphere of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and the evaluation of root mycorrhizal level were studied in six regions of Morocco: Tahla, Sefrou, Souk Larbae, Souk Tlat, Ouazzane and Jarf Melha. All chickpea roots are carrying endomycorrhizal structures. Root mycorrhizal parameters varied from one site to another, and the highest frequency and intensity of mycorrhization was recorded in the roots of chickpea plants at the two sites Tahla and Jarf Melha respectively, 83%, 33% and 25.03%. In addition, the highest arbuscular content was also noted in the roots of plants growing in the site of Tahla (22.18%) while the lowest content was noted at the site of Sefrou (2.07%). However, the vesicles were not observed in all the sites. The highest numbers of endomycorrhizal spores were recorded in the rhizosphere of plants collected in Jarf Melha and Tahla, respectively, 74 and 41 spores / 100 g soil. All spores found in the studied sites are represented by 22 morphotypes belonging to 7 genera: Glomus (13 species), Acaulospora (4 species), Gigaspora (one species), Radekera (one species), Entrophospora (one species), Pacispora (one species), Dentiscutata (one species)

Hemangiomes Larynges De L\'adulte A Propos De 9 Cas

L\'hémangiome laryngé de l\'adulte est extrêmement rare et présente des spécificités histologiques et évolutives. Il peut représenter un véritable défi thérapeutique. Les auteurs rapportent 9 cas d\'hémangiomes laryngés de l\'adulte colligés rétrospectivement sur une période de 20 ans (1984- 2004). Il s\'agissait de 6 hommes et 3 femmes, âgés en moyenne de 46 ans (17 à 75 ans). Les signes d\'appel étaient la dysphonie dans tous les cas, associée à des hémorragies de sang rouge extériorisées par voie buccale chez 3 patients. Le diagnostic reposait dans tous les cas sur la laryngoscopie directe qui retrouvait une tuméfaction glottique de couleur bleutée, à surface lisse. Une biopsie avec examen anatomo-pathologique a été systématique. Tous les patients ont bénéficié d\'une exérèse instrumentale de la masse par voie endoscopique, avec hémostase locale. Deux récidives ont été notées, pour lesquels une seconde exérèse instrumentale par voie endoscopique a été réalisée avec une évolution favorable. Le recul moyen était de 9 ans.The adult laryngeal hemangioma is extremely rare and presents histological and evolutionary particularities. It can represent a real therapeutic challenge. The authors report 9 cases of adult laryngeal hemangiomas over a period of 20 years (1984-2004). It was about 6 man and 3 women, old on average of 46 years ( 17 - 75 years). The signs of appeal were the dysphonia in every case, associated to bleedings of red blood exteriorized with oral way in 3 cases. Diagnosis based in every case on the direct laryngoscopy which found a glottic tumefaction of bluish colour, in smooth surface. A biopsy with anatomo-pathological exam was realized in every case. All the patients benefited from an instrumental excision of the mass by endoscopic way, with local haemostasis. Two recurrences were noted, which benefited from a second endoscopic instrumental excision, with a favorable evolution. Average follow up was of 9 years. Journal Tunisien d\'ORL et de chirurgie cervico-faciale Vol. 16 2006: pp. 5-

Pathogenicity of Helminthosporium rostrata on rice varieties widely grown in Morocco

The plants of rice varieties (Arco, Thaibonnet and Elio) were inoculated with three isolates of Helminthosporium rostrata (HR1 HR2 and HR3), isolated for the first time in Morocco from the rice seed of Taibonnet variety at the end of the growing season. The results obtained showed that all the isolates are able to induce the disease on rice plants and sporulate on the foliar lesions. HR1, HR2 and HR3 was respectively the most pathogenic on Elio (I.C = 113), Arco (I.C = 212.5), and Taibonnet (130.48). The symptoms induced by the isolates are similar to those induced by Helminthosporium sativum on rice

Assessment of Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Cystoseira mediterranea and Padina pavonica from Algerian North-East for a Potential Use as a Food Preservative

The aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of two marine algae, Cystoseira mediterranea and Padina pavonica, extracts. Total phenols (TPC), carotenoids, and phlorotannins contents of the extracts obtained by four extraction solvents were determined and compared. The highest TPC content was observed for aqueous extract of C. mediterranea with 37.09±0.46 mg GAE/g DE followed by ethanol extract of P. pavonica (24.28±0.99 mg GAE/g DE), which showed the highest phlorotannins content (1.18±0.18 mg PE/g DE), while its methanol extract held carotenoids content of 66.96±4.78 μg g–1 DE. Ethanol extract of C. mediterranea exhibited the best antioxidant activity with an EC50 of 58.3±1.16 μg ml–1. The antibacterial activity screening against MRSA and E. coli showed that ethanol extract of C. mediterranea towards a Methicillin resistant Staphyloccocus aureus (20.33±0.28 mm) and E. coli (15.66±0.57 mm) was more efficient with MICs about 80 mg ml–1 and 20 mg ml–1, respectively. Ethanol extract of C. mediterranea seems to have the highest potential for use in food industries

A Brownian particle in a microscopic periodic potential

We study a model for a massive test particle in a microscopic periodic potential and interacting with a reservoir of light particles. In the regime considered, the fluctuations in the test particle's momentum resulting from collisions typically outweigh the shifts in momentum generated by the periodic force, and so the force is effectively a perturbative contribution. The mathematical starting point is an idealized reduced dynamics for the test particle given by a linear Boltzmann equation. In the limit that the mass ratio of a single reservoir particle to the test particle tends to zero, we show that there is convergence to the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process under the standard normalizations for the test particle variables. Our analysis is primarily directed towards bounding the perturbative effect of the periodic potential on the particle's momentum.Comment: 60 pages. We reorganized the article and made a few simplifications of the conten