Paramètres agronomiques liés à la tolérance au sel chez le haricot (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Agronomical traits associated with salinity-tolerance in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Identifying multiple agronomical parameters associated with salinity-tolerance is important for evaluating common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars and improving their tolerance to salinity. Six cultivars were grown in soil, under glasshouse conditions and exposed to three salinity levels (control, 25 and 50 mM NaCl) to evaluate their tolerance using their biomass and the relative salt-susceptibility index: I.S.R.S. = D.R.B./I.I.S. (D.R.B.: relative biomass deficit and I.I.S.: salinity intensity index). On the other hand, a comparative field trial was conducted at four experimental stations of INRAT (Ariana, Oued Beja, Oued Meliz and Sejnane) during three consecutive years with sixteen cultivars to determine their grain yield stability, grain size and precocity. Results showed that tolerant cultivars are colour-seeded, early and presented yield stability and medium grain size. By contrast the susceptible cultivars are late, white-seeded and characterized by a less stable yield and small to medium grain size

Comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of Citrullus colocynthis immature fruit and seed organic extracts

Gastrointestinal problems, dermatological, gynaecological and pulmonary infections produced by micro-organisms are widespread in the entire globe. The treatment of these infections is mainly based on the use of synthetic drugs which have lost, in recent years, their effectiveness, due to the development of resistant strains and the rise of opportunistic fungal infections. Tunisian traditional medicine is a potential source of new remedies namely, Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae). Lyophilized aqueous and organic extracts from immature fruits and seeds were screened for activity against gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio alginolyticus) and gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Listeria monocytogenes and Micrococcus luteus) bacteria and various Candida spp. (Candida glabrata, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida kreusei). Minimal inhibition concentrations (MICs) and minimal bactericidal/fungicidal  concentrations (MBCs/MFCs) were used to investigate the antimicrobial activity. Extracts from the two C. colocynthis Schrad. organs, at immature state, inhibited the growth of all the tested strains. The highest antibacterial effects were obtained against E. coli (MIC = 0.006 mg/ml) with the fruit methanol and the seed petroleum extracts. Regarding the anticandidal activity assessment, seed extracts showed the lowest results. This study demonstrated the broad spectrum antimicrobial activity of C. colocynthis immature fruit and seed extracts.Key words: Citrullus colocynthis Schrad, fruits, seeds, organic extracts, antibacterial, anticandidal

Travelling waves in Lotka-Volterra competition models

In this thesis, we study a class of multi-stable reaction-diffusion systems used to model competing species. Systems in this class possess uniform stable steady states representing semi-trivial solutions. We start by considering a bistable, interaction, where the interactions are of classic “Lotka-Volterra” type and we consider a particular problem with relevance to applications in population dynamics: essentially, we study under what conditions the interplay of relative motility (diffusion) and competitive strength can cause waves of invasion to be halted and reversed. By establishing rigorous results concerning related degenerate and near-degenerate systems,we build a picture of the dependence of the wave speed on system parameters. Our results lead us to conjecture that this class of competition model has three “zones of response” in which the wave direction is left-moving, reversible and right-moving, respectively and indeed that in all three zones, the wave speed is an increasing function of the relative motility. Moreover, we study the effects of domain size on planar and non-planar interfaces and show that curvature plays an important role in determining competitive outcomes. Finally, we study a 3-species Lotka-Volterra model, where the third species is treated as a bio-control agent or a bio-buffer and investigate under what conditions the third species can alter the existing competition interaction.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceSaudi Arabian Cultural BureauGBUnited Kingdo

Inhibitory Activity of Leaves Extracts of Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. on HT29 Human Colon Cancer Cells

Aims: Citrullus colocynthis is a plant endemic in Asia, Africa and in the Mediterranean basin. It is used in folk medicine against infections, inflammations and cardiovascular and immune-related diseases. There are further evidences of the use of Citrullus colocynthis Schrad in the treatment of cancer in traditional practices. The present study aimed to determine the potential antiproliferative effects of different Citrullus colocynthis leaf extracts on human cancer cells. Methodology: Antiproliferative and antioxidant effects on HT-29 human colon cancer cells were detected by MTS assay and a modified protocol of the alkaline Comet assay. In vitro antioxidant activities of different leaf extracts were evaluated through DPPH, \u3b2-carotene/linoleic acid and reducing power assays. Results: The leaf chloroform extract exhibited the higher cell growth inhibitory activity without induction of DNA damage; it showed to be able to significantly decrease DNA damage induced by H2O2 (100 M). This antioxidant activity seems to be comparable to that of vitamin C (1 mM). Ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol leaf extracts showed to be the most effective in reducing the stable free DPPH radical (IC50 =113 g/ml), in transforming the Fe3+ to Fe2+ (IC50 = 134 \ub5g/ml) and in inducing linoleic acid oxidation with an inhibition of 31.9 %. Conclusion: Our results confirm the antiproliferative potential of Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. on human cancer cells

Estimation allométrique de la biomasse du pin maritime en dune littorale : cas de la forêt de Rimel (Tunisie) -

Il existe de nos jours plusieurs raisons pour développer les méthodes d'estimation de la biomasse des peuplements forestiers méditerranéens, peu étudiés jusque là. En effet, la biomasse forestière constitue un point clé du cycle du carbone et son estimation devient nécessaire, notamment en prévision d'une utilisation accrue à des fins énergétiques et de l'augmentation du stockage de carbone en forêt. Cette étude a permis de déterminer les biomasses aériennes et souterraines d'un peuplement de pin maritime en Tunisi

Photovoltaic power plants: a multicriteria approach to investment decisions and a case study in western Spain

his paper proposes a compromise programming (CP) model to help investors decide whether to construct photovoltaic power plants with government financial support. For this purpose, we simulate an agreement between the government, who pursues political prices (guaranteed prices) as low as possible, and the project sponsor who wants returns (stochastic cash flows) as high as possible. The sponsor s decision depends on the positive or negative result of this simulation, the resulting simulated price being compared to the effective guaranteed price established by the country legislation for photovoltaic energy. To undertake the simulation, the CP model articulates variables such as ranges of guaranteed prices, tech- nical characteristics of the plant, expected energy to be generated over the investment life, investment cost, cash flow probabilities, and others. To determine the CP metric, risk aver- sion is assumed. 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Bacteriological and physico-chemical assessment of wastewater in different region of Tunisia: impact on human health

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In many parts of the world, health problems and diseases have often been caused by discharging untreated or inadequately treated wastewater. In this study, we aimed to control physico-chemical parameters in wastewater samples. Also, microbiological analyses were done to reveal <it>Salmonella </it>strains and each <it>Escherichia coli </it>(<it>E.coli</it>) pathotype.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Sixty wastewater samples were collected from fifteen different regions of Tunisia. All physico-chemical parameters (pH, residual free chlorine, total suspended solids, biological oxygen demand, and chemical oxygen demand) were evaluated.</p> <p>For microbiological analyses, samples were filtered to concentrate bacteria. DNA was extracted by boiling and subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using different pairs of primers.</p> <p>The mean pH values recorded for the sampling point were above the WHO pH tolerance limit. The total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations varied between 240 mg/L and 733 mg/L in entrance points and between 13 mg/L and 76 mg/L in exit points. In entrance points, the studied wastewater has an average COD concentration that varied between 795 mg/mL to 1420 mg/mL. Whereas, BOD concentration of the wastewater ranged between 270 mg/L to 610 mg/L. In exit points, COD concentration varied between 59 mg/L and 141 mg/L, whereas BOD concentration ranged from 15 mg/L to 87 mg/L.</p> <p>The bacteriological control of wastewaters showed that, in entrance points, <it>Escherichia coli </it>(<it>E.coli</it>) was detected at the rate of 76.6%. Three <it>E.coli </it>pathotypes were found: ETEC (53.3%), EAEC (16.6%) and EIEC (6.6%).</p> <p>Concerning the ETEC isolated strains, 8 of 16 (50%) have only the heat-labile toxin gene, 5 of 16 (31.2%) present only the heat-stable toxin gene and 3 of 16 (18.7%) of strains possess both heat-labile toxin gene and heat-stable toxin gene. In exist point, the same pathotypes were found but all detected ETEC strains present only the "est" gene.</p> <p>Concerning <it>Salmonella </it>isolated strains; percentages of 66.6% and 20% were found in entrance and exit points respectively.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Wastewaters contain a large amount of pathogenic bacteria that present a real impact on human health. Assessment wastewater treatment stations have to consider in account enterobacterial pathogens as potential pathogens that should be correctly controlled.</p

Altering a Histone H3K4 Methylation Pathway in Glomerular Podocytes Promotes a Chronic Disease Phenotype

Methylation of specific lysine residues in core histone proteins is essential for embryonic development and can impart active and inactive epigenetic marks on chromatin domains. The ubiquitous nuclear protein PTIP is encoded by the Paxip1 gene and is an essential component of a histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase complex conserved in metazoans. In order to determine if PTIP and its associated complexes are necessary for maintaining stable gene expression patterns in a terminally differentiated, non-dividing cell, we conditionally deleted PTIP in glomerular podocytes in mice. Renal development and function were not impaired in young mice. However, older animals progressively exhibited proteinuria and podocyte ultra structural defects similar to chronic glomerular disease. Loss of PTIP resulted in subtle changes in gene expression patterns prior to the onset of a renal disease phenotype. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed a loss of PTIP binding and lower H3K4 methylation at the Ntrk3 (neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor, type 3) locus, whose expression was significantly reduced and whose function may be essential for podocyte foot process patterning. These data demonstrate that alterations or mutations in an epigenetic regulatory pathway can alter the phenotypes of differentiated cells and lead to a chronic disease state