The Palm oil from seed of Phoenix dactylifera (Oil of both Deglet Nour and Kentichi) as a natural antioxidants and Environment-Friendly inhibitors on the Corrosion of mild Steel in HCl 1M

The flora of Republic of Algeria comprises a lot of Palm species, including Phoenix dactylifera. In this work, we used the Palm oil from seed of Phoenix dactylifera (Oil of both Deglet Nour and Kentichi). The objective of this study is divided into two parts. Firstly, determine the antioxidant activity of Palm oil from seed of Phoenix dactylifera (Oil of both Deglet Nour and Kentichi) according to the DPPH radical scavenging assay to suggest it as a new potential source of natural antioxidants, secondly, study the effect of inhibiting Palm oil from seed of Phoenix dactylifera (Oil of both Deglet Nour and Kentichi) on corrosion of mild steel in hydrochloric acid by electrochemical methods. Furthermore, The DPPH scavenging activity of Oil of both Deglet Nour and Kentichi increased in the order, Deglet Nour Oil < Kentichi Oil < ascorbic acid. The results of the polarization curves show that the corrosion current density decreases 577.9 μA/cm2 to 58μA/cm2 and to 59.3 μA/cm2 after addition of the inhibitor (oil of Deglet Nour and Kentichi respectively). The charge transfer resistance increases 21.69 ohm.cm2 to 186.5 ohm.cm2 and to 222.8 ohm.cm2 in the electrochemical impedance spectrum after addition of oil of Deglet Nour and Kentichi respectively. The inhibition of the compound effect is attributed to the formation of a film on the surface of the steel.

Soilless closed cycle production of green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) using subirrigation: effects on yield, fruit quality, substrate and nutrient solution parameters

A soilless closed system experiment was conducted at MAIB greenhouse during the 2008 spring using subirrigation (trough bench system) for growing green bean. The effects of two substrates (peat+perlite and peat+sand 1:3, v/v) and two nutrient solution (NS) concentrations (100% and 50% of the macro-elements concentration normally used for growing this crop in soilless conditions) on yield, pod quality (categories, mineral composition), water use efficiency, and nutrients concentration into substrate and NS of two cultivars (‘Saporro’ and ‘Venda’) were evaluated. Trough bench technique allowed the realization of a continuous closed system with a major stability of the chemical parameters of the NS. It proved to be more effective than open soilless system since it saved water and fertilizers, allowing to obtain yield comparable to that obtained with traditional techniques (22 t/ha, on average). The reduction of the NS concentration (50% of the fertilizer concentration) reduced plant growth and consequently the total production by 15%. The use of different substrates did not affect the cultivars productivity. Concerning quality, ‘Saporro’ plants produced a high percentage of pods in the category “Extra” than ‘Venda’ plants (92 % vs. 89%, respectively). Sand can be an alternative of perlite given that it costs 30 times less

Epidemiology of heart failure and long-term follow-up outcomes in a north-African population: Results from the NAtional TUnisian REgistry of Heart Failure (NATURE-HF)

International audienceThe NATURE-HF registry was aimed to describe clinical epidemiology and 1-year outcomes of outpatients and inpatients with heart failure (HF). This is a prospective, multicenter, observational survey conducted in Tunisian Cardiology centers. A total of 2040 patients were included in the study. Of these, 1632 (80%) were outpatients with chronic HF (CHF). The mean hospital stay was 8.7 ± 8.2 days. The mortality rate during the initial hospitalization event for AHF was 7.4%. The all-cause 1-year mortality rate was 22.8% among AHF patients and 10.6% among CHF patients. Among CHF patients, the older age, diabetes, anemia, reduced EF, ischemic etiology, residual congestion and the absence of ACEI/ ARBs treatment were independent predictors of 1-year cumulative rates of rehospitalization and mortality. The female sex and the functional status were independent predictors of 1-year all-cause mortality and rehospitalization in AHF patients. This study confirmed that acute HF is still associated with a poor prognosis, while the mid-term outcomes in patients with chronic HF seems to be improved. Some differences across countries may be due to different clinical characteristics and differences in healthcare systems