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Water resources in the Meknes-El Hajeb region are under stress because of the agricultural practices, domestic and industrial wastewater, which are the primary sources of pollution in the study area. Consuming contaminated water poses significant public health risks and is a serious problem in rural areas. This research project aims to assess water quality for drinking and irrigation purposes by using Water Quality Index (WQI) and Irrigation Water Quality Parameters (IWQP). Water samples were collected from twelve unprotected springs in the research area to evaluate their quality in two sampling campaigns during Wet and Dry seasons, 2022. The WQI was ranged from 46.13 to 128.54 during the wet season and 49.87 to 189.55 during the dry season. It is illustrates that 75% of the monitored stations exhibited good quality, while 17% showed poor quality during the wet season. On the other hand, 58% demonstrated good quality and 33% exhibited poor quality during the dry season. Additionally, 8% of the water analyzed corresponded to excellent quality for both seasons. The spring water's suitability for irrigation uses has been verified using the IWQP, which indicates that all the spring water was suitable for irrigation. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to evaluate the effective loading of the spring water. The present study revealed that the major hydrochemical facies identified were the calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate type (CaMgHCO₃) and calcium-magnesium-chloride type (CaMgCl) in the most of water springs, which explains the significant presence of the carbonate minerals in the region. According to the Wilcox classification, the springs waters were classified as good (C3S1) to excellent (C2S1) categories, indicating their suitability for irrigation use in both periods. This project will provide a better understanding the spring hydrochemical and suggest that the WQI and IWQP may be an effective technique for decision-makers concerned with managing the sustainability of water resources.

Abstract: In this study, we employed theoretical calculations within the Density Functional Theory (DFT) framework using the GGA + SOC + U approach to explore the various properties of the Perovskite CsCdI3. Specifically, we investigated its structural, magnetic, electronic, optical, and thermoelectric characteristics. Using optimized lattice parameters, our findings indicate that CsCdI3displays semiconductor behavior, characterized by an indirect band gap of 1.774 eV. To investigate the optical behavior of CsCdI3, we calculated optical features and analyzed their correlation with electronic properties, aiming to assess its potential suitability for photovoltaic applications. Furthermore, an analysis of the material's thermoelectric properties revealed a robust power factor. Notably, at a temperature of 1800 K, the power factor reached 41 × 1013W/m.K.s. These results suggest that CsCdI3holds promise for thermoelectric applications, substantiating its strong thermoelectric attributes. Additionally, we conducted simulations using Scaps-1D to explore the impact of various parameters on CsCdI3-based solar cells. We anticipate that our study will stimulate further research employing experimental investigations and also offer valuable insights for the future design of CsCdI3-based solar cells. Graphical abstract:

AbstractCovid-19 is a global pandemic. Early and accurate detection of positive cases prevent the further spread of this epidemic and help to treat rapidly the infected patients. During the peak of this epidemic, there was an insufficiency of Covid-19 test kits. In addition, this technique takes a considerable time in the diagnosis. Hence the need to find fast, accurate and low-cost method to replace or supplement RT PCR-based methods. Covid-19 is a respiratory disease, chest X-ray images are often used to diagnose pneumonia. From this perspective, these images can play an important role in the Covid-19 detection. In this article, we propose ConvCoroNet, a deep convolutional neural network model optimized with new method based on iterative thresholding algorithm to detect coronavirus automatically from chest X-ray images. ConvCoroNet is trained on a dataset prepared by collecting chest X-ray images of Covid-19, pneumonia and normal cases from publically datasets. The experimental results of our proposed model show a high accuracy of 99.50%, sensitivity of 98.80% and specificity of 99.85% when detecting Covid-19 from chest X-ray images. ConvCoroNet achieves promising results in the automatic detection of Covid-19 from chest X-ray images. It may be able to help radiologists in the Covid-19 detection by reducing the examination time of X-ray images.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

A possible valorization of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) aggregates resulting from flexible roads maintenance consists of introducing them in cement concrete compositions for road construction. However, experimental results reported in the literature show a relative loss in mechanical and elastic properties due to the RAP aggregate’s incorporation. The main objective of the present study is to improve the compressive strength of RAP concretes by using silica fume (SF) as a mineral admixture. Experimental results show that SF increases the compressive strength of RAP concretes as well as conventional concretes. A scanning electron microscopy analysis was carried out on specimens in order to confirm the conclusion of the experimental study. Finally, a 22factorial design allowed the individual and combined effects of RAP and SF introduction on the compressive strength of 91-day concretes to be quantified. This approach has shown that 30% partial aggregate substitution and 10% silica fume reinforcement would give the concrete the characteristics required for its use in the construction of reinforced rigid pavements. Therefore, recycling RAP aggregates and SF in cement concretes can be considered as an ecological approach that respects the environment, within a sustainable development context of road networks.

In this study, we present a DFT approach to the tungsten chalcogenides WSe2and WTe2physical properties by using the “WIEN2k” package. The lattice constants of the studied compounds are calculated in the framework of the GGA-PBE approximation. In particular, we studied and discussed the magnetic properties of the WX2compounds (X = Se and Te). We calculated and explained the band gap values, the elastic constants, and the electronic properties of these compounds. In addition, the dielectric tensor, the optical conductivity, the refractive index, and the absorption have been illustrated. On the other hand, the thermodynamic and thermoelectric properties of the tungsten chalcogenides WSe2and WTe2have been presented. We concluded that the WX2(X = Se and Te) compounds exhibit semiconductor properties with the energy gap values 1.046 and 0.542 eV for WSe2and WTe2, respectively. Additionally, the computed WTe2and WSe2parameters were compared to those found in the literature. Good deals have been discovered.

Magnetocaloric refrigeration is an integral part of technology and is under constant investigation. In this regard, the characterization of the magnetocaloric materials used is of major concern. In this study, we used different approaches to better understand the mechanisms underlying the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Rh2S mInFull-Heusler. A physical model is suggested to explain the magnetic interaction within this material. Utilizing the density functional theory, exchange couplings and magnetic phase stability in Rh2SmInhave been attempted as well in order to understand and clarify the various magnetic interactions in this compound. The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties were examined with Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) based on the Ising model. The transition temperature, magnetic entropy change, and relative cooling power (RCP) were computed and found to be in good agreement with experimental evidence. According to the results, Rh2S mInis a good candidate to be used in magnetic refrigeration applications at high temperature.

Understanding the adsorption, desorption, and diffusion of hydrogen within a three-dimensional carbon-honeycomb (C-h) is crucial in order to use it for efficient reversible H2storage. By employing dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D2), this study investigates the suitability of lithium and sodium decorations on a C-h structure for H2affinity by polarization mechanisms. We showed that Li- and Na-decorated C-h adsorbed the hydrogen molecule with adsorption energy at least 2 times stronger than that of the pure C-h (−0.135 eV per H2). At saturation, a total of 22 and 20 H2molecules were adsorbed around 4Li@C-h and 4Na@C-h channels with theoretical gravimetric densities of 5.95 and 5.00 wt %, respectively. Besides, the van’t Hoff desorption temperature estimation shows the realization of hydrogen desorption in a range much higher than the critical point of hydrogen. Activation barriers indicate that the H2molecule can migrate rapidly within the channels of C-h during the storage/release cycles. Our numerical results suggest that Li-decorated C-h can be an efficient solid-state material for the hydrogen storage medium.

In this work, we have applied the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) to study and discuss the different properties of the inorganic perovskites XZnF3 (X= Ag, Li or Na). In fact, we have presented the structural, electronic and optical properties of the Halide Perovskite XZnF3 (X= Ag, Li or Na). Such materials are in great demand for solar cell uses. To conduct this study, we have applied the Quantum Espresso package using the two methods: GGA–PBE and GGA–PBESol. The different lattice parameter a (Å) values have been used to deduce the energy optimum of the perovskites XZnF3 (X= Ag, Li or Na). Besides, the total and partial density of states (DOS) and the band structure of these materials have been illustrated for the two situations: in the presence and the absence of the Spin Orbit Coupling (SOC) approximation. To complete this study, we have presented the optical properties of the XZnF3 (X= Ag, Li or Na) materials. In fact, such properties have been investigated when exploring the real and imaginary parts of the corresponding dielectric function. To reach this goal, we have applied the two approximations: the GGA–PBE and GGA–PBESOL. Our results reveal high transparency of the electromagnetic radiations in the energy range between (0.0 ħω) Ry and (0.25 ħω) Ry. A notable peak of the imaginary part, has been found at about (0.15 ħω) Ry for the studied materials, confirms the transition from the top of valence band to the bottom of conduction band.

We investigated the effect of the orientation of the cation MA (i.e., CH3NH3) on exciton’s mobility in the hybrid material MAPbI3using the density functional theory. We calculated the effect of such an orientation on the lattice parameters, band structure, density of states, and electric conductivity. The latter was calculated using the Boltzmann transport equation in the relaxation time approximation as a function of the chemical potential. It is compared with the conductivity of the centrosymmetric material CsPbI3to highlight the role played by MA in MAPbI3. Particularly, the conductivity in the latter is anisotropic, showing a pronounced enhancement along the direction of the dipolar moment of MA. Applications could take advantage of this result if they are made in a polarized phase. Our findings agree with experimental data for MAPbI3under the effect of an external electric field.

This work comprehensively studies the electronic, structural, optical, thermodynamic and thermoelectric properties of the Co2CrBi Heusler compound for both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases. The calculation is based on the Full-potential Linearized Augmented Plane-Wave (FP-LAPW) method by using the "WIEN2k" code, with the Generalized Gradient Approximation (PBE-GGA) for the exchange–correlation potential. The calculations reveal that Co2CrBi exhibits metallic behavior due to the spin polarization at the Fermi level. Further calculations were performed using GGA + SOC + U and hybrid functional HSE06 approximations to confirm this metallic nature. The antiferromagnetic phase is more stable than the ferromagnetic phase, although it cannot be regarded as a hard material. Various properties, including electron energy loss, refractive index, extinction coefficient, optical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity are also computed and discussed for both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases. Additionally, this investigation is extended to encompass the unexplored properties of Co2CrBi, including both thermodynamic and thermoelectric.

The theoretical investigation of the newly discovered quadruple perovskite Ag₂Mo₃SeO₁₂was conducted using density functional theory (DFT) with the generalized gradient approximation (GGA-PBE) for the structural properties. This study examined the compound's structural, electronic, optical, and thermoelectric properties, utilizing the Tran Blaha modified Becke-Johnson exchange potential (mBJ) for accurate band gap measurement to overcome the bandgap underestimation by GGA-PBE. The stable structure was confirmed through energy-volume optimization and fitted with the Birch-Murnaghan equation of state, using PBE-GGA exchange correlation functional. The findings revealed a band structure with direct transition under the TB-mBJ approach with an energy gap of 1.45 eV. Detailed analyses were conducted, including the density of states and charge density distribution maps. Various optical parameters such as the dielectric function, absorption coefficient, refractive index, and reflectivity were computed, with the static dielectric constant measured at 6.3. Notably, a significant evolution of the absorption coefficient in the visible region highlights the potential of Ag₂Mo₃SeO₁₂ for solar cell and optoelectronic applications. These results pave the way for new photovoltaic material designs. Furthermore, the material demonstrates promising thermoelectric properties with an appropriate figure of merit, Seebeck coefficient, and electrical and thermal conductivity evolution under different temperature conditions, indicating its potential for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.

In this research, we investigate the impact of strain on the optoelectronic and thermoelectric properties of the NaGeI3perovskite by employing a combination of density functional theory (DFT) and Boltzmann transport theory. Initially, we examine the NaGeI3material’s structural, electronic, and optical properties using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The results reveal that this material proves the behavior of a semiconductor with a p-type character and possesses interesting optical properties. Furthermore, we outline the thermoelectric properties of the material, including the Seebeck coefficient, the electrical and thermal conductivities, the figure of merit (ZT), and the power factor (PF). Our investigations indicate that the Seebeck coefficient exhibits positive and increasing values with the application of strain. This confirms the p-type semiconductor behavior observed in the studied material. Additionally, the NaGeI3compound demonstrates significantly high values of the ZT when compared with the existing thermoelectric materials, both at room and high-temperature values. This suggests that the NaGeI3compound stands as a promising potential candidate for optoelectronic and/or thermoelectric applications.

In this study, our primary objective is to examine the effect of strain on the HfO2compound, delving into its diverse array of physical attributes. Our investigation encompassed an exploration of its structural, electronic, optical, thermodynamic, and thermoelectric characteristics, both under tensile and compressive strain conditions. To undertake this research, we used the density functional theory (DFT) as implemented in the Wien2k software package. To pinpoint the exchange-correlation potential, we adopted the GGA-PBE (Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof) method. Our findings unequivocally establish that the HfO2compound behaves as an insulator. Furthermore, we meticulously evaluated a wide spectrum of optical properties, encompassing electron energy loss, absorption coefficient, as well as the real and imaginary components of the dielectric tensors and optical conductivity. Additionally, we computed the Debye temperature and the Grüneisen parameter. In tandem with these investigations, we probed the electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and electronic conductivity. Notably, our results unveiled that the compound demonstrates p-type behavior, characterized by positive values for the Seebeck coefficient. These outcomes could be useful for the properties of the studied HfO2compound.

ABSTRACTHerein, Fe3O4and Co0.6Fe2.4O4nanoparticles were prepared by using the coprecipitation method. In order to prove the synthesis of the spinel ferrites and to calculate the structural parameters of the sample, the X-Ray Diffraction (DRX) technique was investigated. Nano-particles morphology and their distribution were analysed using Transmission Electron microscopy (TEM). Spherical morphology with average particle size around 13 nm was observed. The magnetic properties were carried out using MPMS SQUID device, from the magnetic hysteresis loops; we can reveal that the insertion of cobalt modified the magnetic behaviour of Fe3O4by increasing the saturation magnetisation and coercive field of Fe3O4nanoparticle due to the high magnetic moment of cobalt cation.

The effects of three axial dilation strains and chalcogens-doped BaSnO3on the electronic, optic, and thermoelectric properties of perovskite BaSnO3compound were carried out using density functional theory. It was found that after applying dilation strain up to 2.5%, the bandgap decreases from 3.149 eV (pure) to 2.18% (2.5% of dilation strain). Moreover, when chalcogens (S, Se, and Te) and 2.5% of three axial dilations occur in the BaSnO3compound, the BaSnO3becomes a semiconductor with a direct bandgap. Furthermore, the bandgap decreases white the increase of chalcogens elements in BaSnO3up to 5.0%. Furthermore, when S, Se, or Te-doped BaSnO3with the presence of 2.5% of three axial dilations, the absorption coefficient shifts into the visible region due to the reduction of bandgap which is quite recommended the photovoltaic applications. In addition, the transport properties show that the electrical conductivity increased with increasing temperature in the case of S/Se-doped + 2.5% of dilation strain and it decreases in the case of Te-doped BaSnO3+ 2.5% of dilation strain due to the increase of collisions between the vibrating atoms and moving electrons, while the thermal conductivity increases with increasing temperature for all studied compounds.

Hybrid parabolic trough concentrators were considered as the basis of co-generation systems, which mainly based on the Simultaneous production of thermal and electrical energy. In this paper, a thermal model of two cogeneration systems consisting parabolic trough collector, combined with a cylindrical thermoelectric generator was presented. The collector of the present configurations forms an annular channel between the inner side of absorber tube and upper surface of tubular thermoelectric generator. A heat transfer fluid (Therminol VP1 or hot water) is passed along the annular channel using a pump with low consumption, which mainly energized by the produced power from the tubular thermoelectric generator. Also, the heat transfer fluid (Therminol VP1 or Hot water) temperature is mainly based on the temperature adjustment principle, where the heat transfer fluid flow rate is adjusted according to sun irradiation to keep the heat transfer fluid temperature at 400 °C for Therminol VP1 or at 95 °C in the case of water. To examine the effects of solar concentration ratio and sun irradiation on the thermal and electrical performance of the hybrid system, a set of nonlinear equations were developed and coded in MATLAB software (R2015a). The power output and electrical efficiency of the tubular thermoelectric generator, the overall efficiency and net power as well as hot water storage of the hybrid systems were separately presented and discussed for all three solar concentration ratios and ten sun irradiation values. To validate the predicted results of the numerical model, two available research works have been used. The comparison of results obtained with results of the exact solution indicates a good agreement. The novel integration technique shows major improvements in thermal and electrical performance of both hybrid systems. As a results, the overall efficiency of the first hybrid system (Here, Therminol VP1 serves as a heat transfer fluid) reached to 70.550% corresponding to 306.5826 L/Day of Therminol VP1 at 400 °C and about 585 W of additional power. These values in the case of water serves as a heat transfer fluid up to 76.913%, 1058.467 L/D of hot water at 95 °C and 97.032 W of additional electrical power, respectively.

In this work, high-quality PbS thin films were prepared by the chemical bath deposition (CBD) method for different molarities of sulfur precursors (1 M to 1.4 M) in a basic solution. The composition, morphology, and structural and optical properties of the PbS thin films were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM–EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis). The spectra obtained by XRD show that the PbS thin films crystallize in a NaCl structure with the grating parameter (a= 5.9202 Å) and the (002) plane is a preferential orientation of the films. The optical band gap decreases from 1.5 to 1.23 eV as the grain size of the PbS thin films increases from 15 to 37 nm. The decrease in the band gap is due to quantum confinement effects promoted by the small Bohr radius of this material (18 nm). Our experimental results have been validated by theoretical calculations in the framework of the functional density theory (FDT) using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) as implemented in the WIEN2K code. The value of the optical band gap found in PbS nanoparticles is suitable for solar cell applications.

The paper presents the partially non-orthogonal basis states effect in presence of several intercept and resend attacks through a depolarising channel. The quantum error and the mutual information are computed for arbitrary angles of the non-orthogonal basis states and the depolarising channel parameter. It is found that the information security depends strongly on the non-orthogonal basis states angle, the depolarising channel parameter, the intercepts and resend attack probability and the eavesdropper number. Besides, it is found that for any eavesdropper's number and basis states angle, the protocol is more secure if the depolarisation parameter is lower than a threshold value and the maximum value of the quantum error decreases by increasing the depolarising parameter and/or the eavesdropper's number. While for the depolarisation parameter above the threshold value the protocol is not secured independently of any values of the non-orthogonal basis states angle and/or the eavesdroppers' number.

Abstract:Dans Tunisie: Une démocratie naissante, mais pas pour les LGBT, documentaire produit par SHAMS, la première association LGBT de Tunisie à avoir obtenu un visa d'activité le 18 mai 2015, de jeunes Tunisiens gays témoignent des humiliations et des violences physiques et psychiques qu'ils ont endurées durant leur incarcération pour délit d'homosexualité dans la Tunisie postrévolutionnaire. Le documentaire a été entièrement financé par l'association tunisienne SHAMS. Cet autofinancement a un double objectif: d'une part, résister au "pink washing," autrement dit à la nouvelle mission civilisatrice occidentale qui prétend sauver les gays musulmans de leur religion et de leur culture et, d'autre part, éviter les accusations de traîtrise dans un contexte politique où l'homosexualité est perçue comme un virus occidental introduit après la révolution de 2011 par l'Union européenne pour détruire l'Islam. En s'appuyant sur le travail de Michel Foucault, de Joseph A. Massad et d'Olfa Youssef sur l'homosexualité en général et sur le monde arabe en particulier, cette étude montre non seulement l'interférence, dans ce documentaire, du discours médical et religieux colonial dans le système du droit pénal tunisien contemporain, mais aussi l'émergence d'un nouveau langage de résistance, qui s'inspire à la fois de la tradition de l'amour mystique dans le soufisme, du discours des droits de l'homme et du mouvement LGBT occidental. De ce documentaire et de la controverse sur les droits individuels des homosexuels en Tunisie et au-delà, on peut tirer trois conclusions: tout d'abord, c'est le châtiment de l'homosexualité et non pas l'homosexualité qui est une importation coloniale, ensuite le discours identitaire hétéronormatif, xénophobe, misogyne et hypermasculin qui a émergé après la révolution de 2011, loin de provenir du Coran, est une simulation du sacré qui sert à légitimer l'ascension au pouvoir d'une nouvelle classe bourgeoise ayant des intérêts sociaux et économiques étroits avec la Turquie et les pays du Golfe et enfin, malgré la répression, la lutte des hommes gays pour l'égalité citoyenne rencontre moins d'opposition que la marche des femmes tunisiennes—quelle que soit leur orientation sexuelle—pour la citoyenneté entière et complète. L'homosexualité, en effet, n'est pas une menace pour le système patrilinéaire sur lequel le droit successoral dans la charia est fondé, comme en témoigne l'opposition féroce des islamistes à l'égalité des sexes dans l'héritage et leur surprenante acceptation de l'homosexualité à condition qu'elle soit limitée au domaine privé, aussi bien dans leur discussion du rapport de la COLIBE sur les libertés individuelles de 2018 que durant les élections présidentielles et législatives de 2019.

•The model does not present tricritical points.•First-order transition lines terminate at critical end-points.•The model generates new thermodynamic phases with m=1and m=2.•Interesting hysteresis behaviors of the model are displayed.

We report results on the growth of an NaCl film on Ag(110) under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. At room temperature, low-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy show that the NaCl film forms a (4×1) superstructure. At RT, the film consists of small-sized islands that coalesce into larger islands at 410 K. These large islands preserve the (4×1) superstructure and cover the entire surface. The apparent heights obtained from the STM images show that the initial thickness of the NaCl islands is one atomic layer, and they present a very small height corrugation. The density functional theory calculations, with and without the inclusion of van der Waals effects, confirm the coexistence of two domains in agreement with the observed structure.

Three-dimensional (3D) carbon allotropes have been extensively researched for their potential new applications in batteries, gas separation, and electronic devices. Therefore, this current study investigates the suitability of 3D porous HZGM-42 for efficient hydrogen storage due to its enlarged pore size, mechanical rigidity, and the stability of decorating lithium (Li) atoms on the channels by a polarization mechanism, using state-of-the-art theoretical simulations. Our findings demonstrate that 3D HZGM-42 is an ideal material with high thermal and thermodynamic stability, high Li-binding strength (−2.92 eV), hydrogenation adsorption in the appropriate range (−0.233 eV/H2), theoretical H2storage capacity (6.08 wt %), and very-low activation barriers (0.018–0.026 eV) for H2migration. Furthermore, the exploration of the effect of equilibrium pressure on the van’t Hoff desorption temperature of the HZGM-42 system shows that, at 100 Atm, the dehydrogenation temperature reaches standard conditions (243 K) with a desorption time of 67 ns. The effectiveness of hydrogen adsorption–desorption cycles of fully hydrogenated Li@HZGM-42 at near room temperature was also investigated using ab initio molecular dynamics calculations. We believe that this study expands the scope of valuable insights into experimental explorations of 3D carbon networks for high-performance hydrogen storage.

In this paper, we study the magnetic and thermodynamic properties of the Bethe-Lattice system using Monte Carlo simulations for the Heisenberg model. The magnetizations and specific heat of the system are derived from several reduced biquadratic exchange interactions. Transition temperatures are obtained and discussed. The magnetizations as a function of the reduced biquadratic exchange interactions, for different values of reduced temperature, are illustrated. It is found that when increasing the reduced biquadratic interaction increases, the loop area of the hysteresis cycle as well as the reduced coercive magnetic field in the z direction increase. Whereas for the x and y directions, the reduced biquadratic interaction increases the area of the hysteresis cycle loop. While for both x and y directions, the saturation of the magnetizations decreases. Finally, the magnetic hysteresis cycle for different values of physical parameters is plotted and interpreted.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Pediatric onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) is estimated to be up to 10% of the cases. Several clinical features distinguish POMS from adult-onset MS (AOMS) including disease course and progression.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) is estimated to be up to 10% of the cases. Several clinical features distinguish POMS from adult-onset MS (AOMS) including disease activity and clinical course.

The partial replacement of cement by supplementary cementitious materials is an opportunity for reducing fossil energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, forty (40) pastes were formulated by applying a 4-factor mixture plan, consisting of cement, glass powder (GP), superplasticizer and water. Third order models “special cubic” established for the flow time, spreading diameter, and flow velocity, responses were statistically significant. The analysis of the models allowed the study of the individual and combined effects of the different factors, highlighting the predominant effect of the superplasticizer on the dispersion GP fines. The multi-criteria optimization allowed the development of two optimal pastes SCP1 and SCP2 incorporating 25 and 7% GP, respectively. SCP1 was chosen because at this GP amount, unlike at 28 days, the paste presents the best strengths at 90 days with 4.5% increase for flexural tensile strength and 15.69% increase for compressive strength while maintaining satisfactory workability.

By using first-principles calculations we studied the electronic, optical and magnetic properties of ZnO co-doped with Eu and Pm. In this calculation, we used Wien2k code based on full potential linearized augmented plane waves (FP-LAPW) method with the modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) approximation. This correction gives good band gap compared to experimental band gap. The introduction of Eu and Pm codoping leads to an increase in the band gap. Electrons can transit easily from the valence band to the conduction band, which results in an enhancement of visible light absorption in a wider absorption range. Absorption spectra reach a high value in visible and infrared light regions. With the significance of the obtained results, the studied compounds may potentially find spintronic and optoelectronic applications.

•Ab initio calculations are used to investigate the DOS of Mn2Sn thin films.•The FLAPW, HTSE, MFT methods are used.•The exchange interaction and critical temperature of Mn2Sn thin films are deduced for different thicknesses.

Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) enables the production of high-resolution images by imaging spatially isolated fluorescent particles. Although challenging, the result of SMLM analysis lists the position of individual molecules, leading to a valuable quantification of the stoichiometry and spatial organization of molecular actors. Both the signal/noise ratio and the density (Dframe), i.e., the number of fluorescent particles per μm2per frame, have previously been identified as determining factors for reaching a given SMLM precision. Establishing a comprehensive theoretical study relying on these two parameters is therefore of central interest to delineate the achievable limits for accurate SMLM observations. Our study reports that in absence of prior knowledge of the signal intensity α, the density effect on particle localization is more prominent than that anticipated from theoretical studies performed at known α. A first limit appears when, under a low-density hypothesis (i.e., one-Gaussian fitting hypothesis), any fluorescent particle distant by less than ∼600 nm from the particle of interest biases its localization. In fact, all particles should be accounted for, even those dimly fluorescent, to ascertain unbiased localization of any surrounding particles. Moreover, even under a high-density hypothesis (i.e., multi-Gaussian fitting hypothesis), a second limit arises because of the impossible distinction of particles located too closely. An increase in Dframeis thus likely to deteriorate the localization precision, the image reconstruction, and more generally the quantification accuracy. Our study firstly provides a density-signal/noise ratio space diagram for use as a guide in data recording toward reaching an achievable SMLM resolution. Additionally, it leads to the identification of the essential requirements for implementing UNLOC, a parameter-free and fast computing algorithm approaching the Cramér-Rao bound for particles at high-density per frame and without any prior knowledge of their intensity. UNLOC is available as an ImageJ plugin.

En Tunisie, la prise en charge du lymphome de Hodgkin de l’adulte est standardisée depuis 1999. Nous rapportons les résultats du protocole national de traitement du lymphome de Hodgkin de l’adulte (MDH2008).

•Magnetic properties of Mn doped 3C–SiC (3C–Si1−xMnxC).•Magnetic properties of Mn and Cr co-doped 3C–SiC (Si1−x−yMnxCryC).•The Curie temperature as function of Cr concentration in 3C–Si1−xMnxCryC compound.

ABSTRACTIn this study, potential sites for concentrated solar power (CSP) installations in Morocco are investigated based on direct normal irradiation (DNI). The DNI data of four Moroccan sites (Missour, Erfoud, Zagora and Tantan) were collected from different satellite databases (NASA SSE, PV GIS-Helioclim, Climate-SAF PVGIS and Solar Med Atlas). However, it is required to mitigate the risks resulting from uncertainties of satellite-based irradiation data by combining satellite data to ground measurements of at least 1 year. The ground-measured data reported in this work are collected from MHP and MDI meteorological stations installed by IRESEN in collaboration with DLR and ONEE in the framework of the enerMENA project. The Liu and Jordan and the Collares Pereira and Rabl models were also used to determine the monthly and yearly average hourly DNI values. The results of this study suggest that Missour, Erfoud and Zagora represent potential sites for CSP power plants installations, except for Tantan.

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein encephalomyelitis-associated disease (MOGAD) is a primitive, acquired and immune mediated demyelinating syndrome of the central nervous system (CNS). It is characterized by attacks of immune-mediated demyelination predominantly targeting the optic nerves, brain, and spinal cord. In Tunisia, there was rare published series of MOGAD.

•Band structures and density of states (DOS) of Fe and Ti doped 3C-SiC.•Optical absorption of bulk and doped with iron or titanium 3C-SiC.•Optical conductivity of bulk and doped with iron or titanium 3C-SiC.

Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is the leading cause of dry eye syndrome. It is a frequent and underdiagnosed condition with a significant socioeconomic impact. We propose here the evaluation of a platform combining intense pulsed light and photo-biomodulation in the treatment of Meibomian gland dysfunction.

Abstract: The Earth’s core contains, in addition to iron, 5–10% nickel and many light elements such as C, O, Si and S, among others. For this work, we consider binary Fe–Ni alloys with 10% Ni as host material, doped with light elements as impurity atoms. The phases considered for the Fe–Ni host alloy are face-centered cubic (fcc) and body-centred cubic (bcc). At different concentrations of 2.5–50%, the impurity atoms C, O, Si and S were placed in the host Fe–Ni alloy to create ternary alloys. The resulting ternary systems are exposed to a pressure equivalent to that existing at the Earth’s core. As shown by their formation energies, these alloys are stable and advantageous. The calculation of the resistivity of the impurities was performed with the help of the Kubo–Greenwood formula. Compared to fcc, in the case of bcc, electrical resistivities begin to saturate at about 30% of the atomic concentration of the impurities. Thermal conductivity was also determined from electrical resistivities calculated for varying concentrations and pressures according to Wiedemann–Franz law. In the case of compression, we observe a rise in thermal conductivity of about 1.5% of the core’s internal pressure. The reported thermal conductivities support the notion of maintaining a convection-induced geodyanmo. Highlights:

Study the internal structure of the Earth.

The electrical and electronic properties for the binary and ternary compounds exist at the Earth's core.

The electrical resistivity at high pressure of ternary alloys.

The thermal conductivity at high pressure and temperature of ternary alloys.

Les auteurs rapportent une étude réalisée sur des embryons de souris exposées aux différentes phases du tabac durant toute leur période de gestation. Les résultats des coupes histologiques réalisées étaient alarmants et signifiants, affirmant l’effet tératogène du tabac et la présence d’anomalies de développement concernant les maxillaires et la face chez les embryons des souris exposées.

Les auteurs rapportent une ?tude r?alis?e sur des embryons de souris expos?es aux diff?rentes phases du tabac durant toute leur p?riode de gestation. Les r?sultats des coupes histologiques r?alis?es ?taient alarmants et signifiants, affirmant l?effet t?ratog?ne du tabac et la pr?sence d?anomalies de d?veloppement concernant les maxillaires et la face chez les embryons des souris expos?es.The authors work consists in an experiment carried out on mice exposed to the different phases of tobacco during all the period of gestation in order to observe the anomalies of development concerning their embryos? maxillaries and faces. The results were alarming and significant which affirms the teratogenic effect of tobacco.

Using Monte Carlo simulations, we study in this paper the effect of the RKKY interactions for a multi-layer Dendrimer structure formed with spin-5/2 in the Blume-Capel model. The studied system is formed by two magnetic layers, separated by a number of non-magnetic layers. The total susceptibility peaks correspond to the reduced critical temperature TC/J. This critical temperature is displaced towards the lower temperatures. This is due to the fact that the increase of the number of non-magnetic layers increases the effect of the RKKY interactions. Hence, the system becomes disorder when increase the number of non-magnetic layers. For increasing values of the number of non-magnetic layers, the total magnetizations oscillate between the two saturation values: −5/2 and +5/2, when the reduced crystal field increases. We have interpreted the behaviors of the magnetic hysteresis for this model.

AbstractThe main purpose of the present study is to investigate the mechanism which governs the adsorption of the pesticide onto electro-granular activated carbon (GAC). The operating conditions assessed are: electrical potential, electro-activation time, the initial metribuzin—electro-activated GAC concentration ratio (R = Cp/CGAC). In the first step, it has been confirmed using an experimental design that the C/C0ratio is much more affected by the electrochemical potential application than by Rratio. The mathematical model indicates that the electrochemical potential has a significant effect during the metribuzin adsorption during the first half an hour on GAC and thereby demonstrates the electroactivation beneficial effect. In the second step, a mass transfer model has been applied in order to evaluate the effect of the electro-activation of GAC on the kinetic constant. Indeed, the results showed that the electro-activation accelerates the process with kinetic constants 2–3 times higher than those obtained without the electro-activation of GAC.

Titanium Dioxide is an important material that is used in many industrial applications such as photo-catalysis, glass-defogging, self-cleaning, waste water purification and anti-bacterial sterilization. The strong photo-catalysis of TiO2, and therefore its ability to decompose dirt and organic contaminants makes it an excellent top-protective layer candidate for CSP reflectors. The aim of this study consists of the deposition of a transparent and hydrophilic TiO2 layer on top of the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) mirrors without altering their specular reflectance. The strong photo-catalysis and hydrophilicity of TiO2 will decompose the dirt and organic matter on the surface of the mirrors, which would be cleaned away from the reflectors’ surface by rain, therefore minimizing the use of water for cleaning the CSP mirrors.In this study, polycrystalline anatase TiO2 layers were deposited on glass substrates with different thicknesses. The contact angle measurements show that the hydrophilicity of TiO2 increases with increasing surface roughness, with Water Contact Angle (WCA) of 52°and 30° for 48 nm and 100 nm, respectively. Super-hydrophilicity (WCA < 5°) was achieved for thicker TiO2 layers, with WCA of 8° and 1° for 177 nm and 220 nm, respectively. The deposition of a 48 nm-thick TiO2 layer on glass showed a high transmittance in the visible and Near Infrared (NIR) range (75%), whereas the transmission decreased with increasing thicknesses of TiO2. Therefore, a TiO2 layer of 48 nm thickness is suggested in this study as a hydrophilic top-protective layer since it preserved the specular reflectance of the mirrors (97.5%) in the NIR range, compared to 98.6% without the TiO2 layer.

The phase diagrams of general q-state antiferromagnetic Z(q) models are studied for different values of q within a real space renormalization-group scheme for a d-dimensional hypercubic lattice. The model exhibits a rich variety of phase diagrams for even values of q. The odd values of q give no phase transition for bidimensional lattices except at temperature T = 0. Nevertheless, an antiferromagnetic order appears at low temperature for d ≥3. Between phase transitions between antiferromagnetic phases and the disordered phase, the model undergoes a phase transition between antiferromagnetic phases and ferromagnetic phase for q > 5.

We study the layering transitions for a spin 1/2 Ising model under uniform and variable magnetic field in a film of finite thickness limited by a single substrate. Using finite size transfer matrix and mean field theory, we show that the layering transitions occurs only at a temperature higher than TL. The latter depends on the nature of the surface field hs, and on its strength Hs, In the case where the surface field is short-range, the transfer matrix predicts a splitting of a single multi-layer transition into several single-layer transitions whereas mean field theory does not.

Using a mean field approximation we calculate the lifetime of thermodynamically unstable bilayers of a specific initial conformation in the Widom model of microemulsions. For identical initial conformations of these model bilayers, we study the dépendance of the lifetime on the initial magnetization of the central layer, the température. and the elastic curvature of the amphiphilic membrane.

The influence of bond-dilution (which is assumed both on the surface and in the bulk) on the phase transitions of a semi-infinite d-dimensional q-state Potts model is investigated. Phase diagrams and critical exponents have been calculated within an extension of Migdal's approch to disordered systems. We find that the percolation effects in a semi-infinite system are characterised by phase diagrams of striking similarity to that of the pure system. Indeed, for the three-dimensional cubic lattice we observe four different phase transitions, irrespective of the number of Potts state, which can be designated using the same known terminology, namely the ordinary, surface, extraordinary, and special phase transitions.

An approximate real-space renormalisation group method, based on the Migdal-Kadanoff recursion relations, is used to study the critical properties of the pure and diluted q-state antiferromagnetic Potts model on Sierpinski carpets. Fixed points and phase diagrams are calculated for both large and small lacunarity carpets family. The pure model has phase transitions at finite temperatures and critical behaviour is observed for q less than a cutoff value q0. We determine the value of q0, the percolation concentration pcfor the diluted model, and the critical exponents, and we investigate their dependence on various geometrical characteristics of the fractal.

The mean field approximation is used to investigate the phase diagrams in a three-dimensional lattice of micellar binary solutions in the presence of a chemical potential of the amphiphiles for different values of coupling interactions. New phases appear between the water-rich and amphiphile-rich ones. Second and first order transitions, tricritical, multicritical and critical end-points are obtained. By a simple low temperature expansion argument, we have confirmed the existence of states of lowest free energy viamean field approximation.

AbstractWater-distilled essential oil from leaves of Erica arboreaL. of Algerian origin was analysed by GC-MS. 75 components representing more than 97 % of the essential oil were identified among which palmitic acid (33.3 %), 9,12,15-Octadecatrien-1-ol, (Z,Z,Z)-(6.6 %) and nonacosane (6.1 %) were the major constituents. The essential oil yield evolution during hydrodistillation showed a relatively slow extraction kinetic.

Electronic structure and magnetic properties of wurtzite ZnO semiconductor doped with rare earth (RE=La, Ce, Pr, Pm, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb) atoms were studied using spin-polarized density functional theory based on the full-potential linear augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method as implemented in the Wien2k code. In this approach the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) was used for the exchange-correlation (XC) potential. Our results showed that the substitution of RE ions in ZnO induced spins polarized localized states in the band gap. Moreover, the studied DMSs compounds retained half metallicity at dopant concentration x=0.625% for most of the studied elements, with 100% spin polarization at the Fermi level (EF). The total magnetic moments of these compounds existed due to RE 4f states present at EF, while small induced magnetic moments existed on other non-magnetic atoms as well. Finally, the energy difference between far and near configurations was investigated. It was found that the room temperature ferromagnetism was possible for RE-doped ZnO at near configuration. Since the RE-RE separation was long enough (far configuration) for magnetic coupling, the system became paramagnetic or antiferromagnetic ground state.