Sterol composition of caper (Capparis spinosa) seeds

Caper is a perennial shrub of the Mediterranean Basin. The most important economical species is Capparis spinosa. Sterols of C. spinosa seed oil isolated from seven Tunisian stands were identified andquantified. C. spinosa contained  high levels of phytosterols (2240.4 mg/kg of total extracted lipids), of which -sitosterol, with 1390 mg/kg, was the most abundant (57.53%). Campesterol and stigmasterol accounted for 382 and 265 mg/kg, respectively (17.05 and 11.85% of the total sterols, respectively). C. spinosa seed oil also contained a high level of 5-avenasterol (6%). We detect also brassicasterol (3.39 mg/kg). Cholesterol and campestanol are detected in much lower levels. These results bring attention to the richness of C.spinosa seed oil with sterols which are the most important class of the minor components

Prevalence and risk factors of low back pain among undergraduate students of a sports and physical education institute in Tunisia

Introduction: For obvious reasons, athletes are at greater risk of sustaining a lumber (lower) spine injury due to physical activity. To our knowledge, no previous studies have examined the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in a Tunisian sports and physical education institute.Aim: To assess the prevalence of LBP in different sports among students studying in a sports and physical education institute in Tunisia, to determine the causes of the injuries, and to propose solutions.Methods: A total of 3,379 boys and 2,579 girls were studied. A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted on a group of students aged 18.524.5 years at the Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax to estimate the prevalence of LBP and its relation to the type of sports. Data on age, weight, height, smoking, and the sport in which the student was injured in the low back were collected from the institute health service records from 2005 until 2013.Results: LBP was reported by 879 of the 5,958 study participants (14.8%). The prevalence of LBP was significantly higher (pB0.001) in females (17.6%) than in males (12.5%). LBP prevalence did not differ by body mass index or smoking habit (p0.05). The sports associated with the higher rates of LBP were gymnastics, judo, handball, and volleyball, followed by basketball and athletics.Conclusion: LBP is frequent among undergraduate students of a sports and physical education institute in Tunisia. It is strongly associated with fatigue after the long periods of training in different sports. Gymnastics, judo, handball, and volleyball were identified as high-risk sports for causing LBP.Keywords: low back pain; sports students; sports training; risk factor

Natural genetic variation in Calligonum Tunisian genus analyzed by RAPD markers

The Calligonum genus is one of the most economically important resources of the Tunisian desert, playing an important role in the lives of desert local population. A great range of genetic diversity could be seen in diverse populations of this genus which are spread all over Tunisian areas. DNA-based molecular markers are playing increasingly important role in the analysis of genetic diversity in wide range of plants. This study is an attempt to collect, compile and collate information on the existing natural genetic diversity, at intra-specific and inter-populational levels in Calligonum genus (C.azel, C.arich and C.comosum). This study deals with 16 genotypes of Calligonum (Polygonaceae) collected from different regions of Tunisian desert using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker. In total, 46 polymorphic bands amplified by 4 random primers, with the polymorphic rate of 89.06% were recorded. The commercial software package SPSS 16 was used to develop similar matrices based on the Dice coefficient which is defined as 2a/2a+u, where “a” is the number of positive matches and “u” is the number of non-matches. From the analysis, it is imperative that predominantly obligate out breeding behavior of Calligonum genus, helps these diverse accessions to spread and occupy specific geographical niches in the Tunisian arid regions.Key words: Calligonum, genetic diversity, Inter-specific variation, RAPD marker, Tunisian desert

Effectiveness of pre-treatment method to hinder rebar corrosion in concrete

This paper aims to evaluate the ability of phosphate pretreatments applied on steel rebars to hinder the corrosion reinforcements using synthetic pore electrolyte and mortar contaminated by chloride ions. The electrochemical behaviour of the pretreated substrate was assessed by corrosion potential, polarisation resistance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. The results have demonstrated that the treatment of the rebar by immersion in the Na3PO4 (0·5M) solution favours the formation of a passive layer on the steel rebar surface, which increases the resistance to corrosion initiation up to 0·3M Cl– instead of 0·1M Cl– without treatment. The pretreatment also provides enhancement of corrosion protection of the steel rebar in mortar. The evolution of the impedance spectra in function of chloride concentration is in a fairly good agreement with the results obtained from RP measurements

Effect of low- intensity continuous training on lung function and cardiorespiratory fitness in both cigarette and hookah smokers.

Background: The decline in cardiorespiratory fitness and lung function was higher in smokers. Training method could mitigate some of the negative consequences of smoking among smokers unable or unwilling to quit. Objective: To examine the effects of continuous training on lungs functional capability and cardiorespiratory fitness in smokers. Methods: Fifteen cigarette smokers, 14 hookah smokers, and 14 nonsmokers were assigned to low-intensity continuous training (20-30 minutes of running at 40% of maximum oxygen uptake (O2max)). Lung function and cardiorespiratory fitness parameters were determined using respectively spirometer and treadmill maximal exercise test. Results: Continuous training improved forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced expiratory flow at 50% of FVC (FEF50 %) in all participants, smokers and nonsmokers (p < 0.05). In contrast, forced vital capacity (FVC) improvement was significant only among cigarette smokers (CS) (+1.7\ub12.21%, p < 0.01) and hookah smokers (HS) (+1.3\ub11.7 %, p < 0.05). Likewise, an improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness in both smokers groups without significant changes in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) for CS group and in velocity at maximum oxygen uptake (vO2max) for HS group. Conclusion: The low-intensity continuous training improves cardiorespiratory fitness and reduces lung function decline in both cigarette and hookah smokers. It seems to be beneficial in the prevention programs of hypertension. It could have important implications in prevention and treatment programs in smokers unable or unwilling to quit

Human Bocaviruses Are Highly Diverse, Dispersed, Recombination Prone, and Prevalent in Enteric Infections

International audienceA new species of parvovirus, tentatively named human bocavirus 4 (HBoV4), was genetically characterized. Among 641 feces samples obtained from children and adults, the most commonly detected bocavirus species were, in descending order, HBoV2, HBoV3, HBoV4, and HBoV1, with an HBoV2 prevalence of 21% and 26% in Nigerian and Tunisian children, respectively. HBoV3 or HBoV4 species were found in 12 of 192 patients with non-polio acute flaccid paralysis in Tunisia and Nigeria and 0 of 96 healthy Tunisian contacts (P = .01). Evidence of extensive recombination at the NP1 and VP1 gene boundary between and within bocavirus species was found. The high degree of genetic diversity seen among the human bocaviruses found in feces specimens, relative to the highly homogeneous HBoV1, suggest that this worldwide-distributed respiratory pathogen may have recently evolved from an enteric bocavirus after acquiring an expanded tropism favoring the respiratory tract. Elucidating the possible role of the newly identified enteric bocaviruses in human diseases, including acute flaccid paralysis and diarrhea, will require further epidemiological studies

Progress towards an accurate determination of the Boltzmann constant by Doppler spectroscopy

In this paper, we present significant progress performed on an experiment dedicated to the determination of the Boltzmann constant, k, by accurately measuring the Doppler absorption profile of a line in a gas of ammonia at thermal equilibrium. This optical method based on the first principles of statistical mechanics is an alternative to the acoustical method which has led to the unique determination of k published by the CODATA with a relative accuracy of 1.7 ppm. We report on the first measurement of the Boltzmann constant by laser spectroscopy with a statistical uncertainty below 10 ppm, more specifically 6.4 ppm. This progress results from improvements in the detection method and in the statistical treatment of the data. In addition, we have recorded the hyperfine structure of the probed saQ(6,3) rovibrational line of ammonia by saturation spectroscopy and thus determine very precisely the induced 4.36 (2) ppm broadening of the absorption linewidth. We also show that, in our well chosen experimental conditions, saturation effects have a negligible impact on the linewidth. Finally, we draw the route to future developments for an absolute determination of with an accuracy of a few ppm.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figure