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The objective of this work is to assess the nutritional status of HIV-positive patients and to correlate it to the response to treatment and to certain parameters such as age, gender, socio-economic level, etc. to validate the various tools for assessing the nutritional status of the HIV-positive population. This prospective observational study was extended over a 6-month period and included 220 HIV-positive patients. The nutritional status of each patient was evaluated according to the following tools: exploitation sheet, anthropometric analysis, food survey and calculation of dietary intake, nutritional risk index and nutritional risk stratification. The sex ratio was 52.78, where 144 (65.46%) were women, the average age was 41.60 ± 11.05 years. The evaluation of energy intake showed that 82% of patients had a deficiency in intake relative to nutritional needs. The study population presented vitamin, mineral and micronutrient deficiencies. According to the nutritional risk stratification table we designed, 53% of patients were in grade 7 and 2% were in grade 12. Undernutrition among HIV-positive people was prevalent in the study population, which had a negative impact on the health status and well-being of patients. Correcting undernutrition states would correct anthropometric parameters and biological markers, thus reducing and/or stabilizing viral load and improving CD-ratio. The trial registration number (TRN) is 354 on February 23, 2017.

Malnutrition impacts approximately 50 million children worldwide and is linked to 45% of global mortality in children below the age of five. Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is associated with intestinal barrier breakdown and epithelial atrophy. Extracellular vesicles including exosomes (EVs; 30–150 nm) can travel to distant target cells through biofluids including milk. Since milk-derived EVs are known to induce intestinal stem cell proliferation, this study aimed to examine their potential efficacy in improving malnutrition-induced atrophy of intestinal mucosa and barrier dysfunction. Mice were fed either a control (18%) or a low protein (1%) diet for 14 days to induce malnutrition. From day 10 to 14, they received either bovine milk EVs or control gavage and were sacrificed on day 15, 4 h after a Fluorescein Isothiocyanate (FITC) dose. Tissue and blood were collected for histological and epithelial barrier function analyses. Mice fed low protein diet developed intestinal villus atrophy and barrier dysfunction. Despite continued low protein diet feeding, milk EV treatment improved intestinal permeability, intestinal architecture and cellular proliferation. Our results suggest that EVs enriched from milk should be further explored as a valuable adjuvant therapy to standard clinical management of malnourished children with high risk of morbidity and mortality.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small gene-regulatory noncoding RNA that are highly enriched in cow milk. They are encapsulated in different extracellular vesicle (EV) subsets that protect them from the extracellular milieu and the harsh conditions of the gastrointestinal tract during digestion. Here, we isolated pellets enriched in 4 different EV subsets, via differential ultracentrifugation of commercial cow milk: 12,000 × g (P12K), 35,000 × g (P35K), 70,000 × g (P70K), and 100,000 × g (P100K). Small RNA sequencing (sRNA-Seq) analyses revealed an unprecedented level of diversity in the complete miRNA repertoire and features of unfractionated cow milk and derived EV subsets. Although 5 miRNA sequences represented more than 50% of all miRNAs, milk EV exhibited heterogeneous content of miRNAs and isomeric variants (termed isomiR): P100K EV were enriched in reference miRNA sequences, and P12K and P35K EV in related isomiR. Incubation of milk EV with human cultured HeLa cells led to cellular enrichment in miRNA miR-223, which was concomitant with decreased expression of a reporter gene placed under the control of miR-223, thereby demonstrating the functionality of miR-223. These results suggest that cow milk EV may transfer their miRNAs to human cells and regulate recipient cell gene expression programming in a manner as complex as that of their miRNA transcriptome. The biological activity and relevance of the different milk EV subsets and bioactive mediators, including small noncoding RNA, in health and disease, warrants further investigation.

The wheat is being a plant largely cultivated for its seeds and its straw wherefore the research of tolerant varieties to this dangerous element for the plant or the human health is necessary. Its concentrations increase day after day in the ground considering the development of the farming which involves the intensive contributions of this polling metal element. Objectives of this study is to test the effect of a range of cadmium concentration from 0 to 200 mg L-1 Cd+2on the parameters of germination of two varieties of bread wheat Anza and Hiddab. The results show that the phytotoxicity increases, according to the increase in the Cd amount on the rate of germination, root and shoot length, root and shoot dry weight and tolerant index compared with the control for both varieties studied, nevertheless, Hiddab variety shows more sensitivity when compared to Anza variety. The inhibiting effect of cadmium on the germination stage can be continued in the advanced stages of plant cycle and disturb its physiological aspects.

International audience; Chondrosarcomas are malignant bone tumors. Their abundant cartilage-like extracellular matrix and their hypoxic microenvironment contribute to their resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and no effective therapy is currently available. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may be an interesting alternative in the development of therapeutic options. Here, for the first time in chondrosarcoma cells, we carried out high-throughput functional screening using impedancemetry, and identified five miRNAs with potential antiproliferative or chemosensitive effects on SW1353 chondrosarcoma cells. The cytotoxic effects of miR-342-5p and miR-491-5p were confirmed on three chondrosarcoma cell lines, using functional validation under normoxia and hypoxia. Both miRNAs induced apoptosis and miR-342-5p also induced autophagy. Western blots and luciferase reporter assays identified for the first time Bcl-2 as a direct target of miR-342-5p, and also Bcl-xL as a direct target of both miR-342-5p and miR-491-5p in chondrosarcoma cells. MiR-491-5p also inhibited EGFR expression. Finally, only miR-342-5p induced cell death on a relevant 3D chondrosarcoma organoid model under hypoxia that mimics the in vivo microenvironment. Altogether, our results revealed the tumor suppressive activity of miR-342-5p, and to a lesser extent of miR-491-5p, on chondrosarcoma lines. Through this study, we also confirmed the potential of Bcl-2 family members as therapeutic targets in chondrosarcomas.

Background and objective. Chemical spermicides currently marketed and widely used are known to have many side effects. Thereby, and in order to look for more tolerated natural spermicidal agents, the aim of this work was to evaluate the spermicidal potential of saponin extracts from the roots of Saponaria officinalis / Caryophyllaceae, Glycyrrhizia glabra / Fabaceae, and Herniaria glabra / Caryophyllaceae by studying their in vitro effects on sperm mobility and vitality. Methods. Methanolic saponin extracts from the plants roots were performed. Sperm suspensions were prepared by centrifugation on a PureSperm® density gradient (70 and 45%) and incubated with various concentrations of saponin extracts (50, 250, 500 and 750 mg/mL) at 37°C. The spermicidal activity was evaluated by studying the mobility and vitality of spermatozoa at different time intervals ranging from 10 to 240 minutes. Results. A dose and time dependent effect on sperm mobility and vitality was observed for our extracts. Extracts from Saponaria officinalis roots induced an irreversible immobilization and a total non-viability of sperm within 10 minutes at a concentration of 750 mg/mL. A similar effect was observed within 30 minutes at 750 mg/mL for Herniaria glabra extract and within 90 minutes at 500 mg/ml for Glycyrrhizia glabra extract. Conclusion. The results of our study showed that the saponin extracts of our plants roots possess potent in vitro dose and time dependant spermicidal effect. These natural products could therefore represent a safer and better tolerated alternative to chemical spermicides.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), like exosomes, are small membrane vesicles involved in cell-to-cell communications that modulate numerous biological processes. We previously discovered a new EV subset in milk (sedimenting at 35,000 g; 35 K) that protected its cargo (RNAs and proteins) during simulated digestion and was more enriched in microRNAs than exosomes (sedimenting at 100 K). Here, we used LC-MS/MS to push further the comparison between these two pellets. Commonly used EV markers were not differentially enriched between the pellets, questioning their use with cow's milk EVs. Similarly, the majority of the quantified proteins were equally enriched between the two pellets. Nevertheless, 20 proteins were specific to 35 K, while 41 were specifically enriched in 100 K (p 0.05), suggesting their potential use as specific markers. Loaded with these proteins, the EVs in these pellets might regulate translation, proliferation and cell survival for 35 K, and metabolism, extracellular matrix turnover and immunity for 100 K. This approach also brought new insights into milk EV-associated integrins and their possible role in specifically targeting recipient cell types. These findings may help better discriminate between milk EVs, improve our understanding of milk EV-associated protein function and their possible use as therapeutic tools for the management of immunity- and metabolism-associated disorders. WEB PAGE: http://www.crchuq.ca/en/research/researchers/4691.

Despite improvements in donor screening and increasing efforts to avoid contamination and the spread of pathogens in clinical platelet concentrates (PCs), the risks of transfusion-transmitted infections remain important. Relying on an ultraviolet photo activation system, pathogen reduction technologies (PRTs), such as Intercept and Mirasol, utilize amotosalen, and riboflavin (vitamin B2), respectively, to mediate inactivation of pathogen nucleic acids. Although they are expected to increase the safety and prolong the shelf life of clinical PCs, these PRTs might affect the quality and function of platelets, as recently reported. Upon activation, platelets release microparticles (MPs), which are involved in intercellular communications and regulation of gene expression, thereby mediating critical cellular functions. Here, we have used small RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to document the effect of PRT treatment on the microRNA profiles of platelets and derived MPs. PRT treatment did not affect the microRNA profile of platelets. However, we observed a specific loading of certain microRNAs into platelet MPs, which was impaired by treatment with Intercept or its Additive solution (SSP+). Whereas, Intercept had an impact on the microRNA profile of platelet-derived MPs, Mirasol did not impact the microRNA profile of platelets and derived MPs, compared to non-treated control. Considering that platelet MPs are able to transfer their microRNA content to recipient cells, and that this content may exert biological activities, those findings suggest that PRT treatment of clinical PCs may modify the bioactivity of the platelets and MPs to be transfused and argue for further investigations into PRT-induced changes in clinical PC content and function. Funding Agencies|Fonds de Recherche du Quebec-Sante (FRQ-S) [262093]; Canadian Blood Services (CBS)/Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Partnership-Blood Utilization and Conservation Initiative, via Health Canada [286,777, 327,364]

In the current study, the melting process of phase change material (PCM) embedded with nanoparticles and metal foams (MF) in a large scale shell-and-tube based latent thermal energy storage unit (LTES) has been numerically studied. Initially, the developed model was validated with experimental data. Then, the effect of Al2O3 (5%) nanoparticles addition and several MFs, i.e. Aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni) and Titanium (Ti), of different porosity (96–99%) on the performance of the melting process has been compared based on temperature and liquid fraction evaluations during the melting operation. The MF-PCM systems showed the best performance over the nano- and pure- PCM, with a huge reduction in the melting time. The beneficial effect of MFs for the melting process followed the order Cu > Al > Ni > Ti, which is the same order of the thermal conductivity. Increasing the metal foam porosity results in shorter melting time; however, since the surface temperature of the porous-PCM unit is almost constant for different metal foam porosities, a system with higher porosity (99%) is desirable. This study optimizes the design to enhance practical application performance and to reduce waste energy.

Recently, we discovered a new family of unusually short RNAs mapping to 5.8S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and which we named dodecaRNAs (doRNAs), according to the number of core nucleotides (12 nt) their members contain. To confirm these small RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) data, validate the existence of the two overly abundant doRNAs—the minimal core 12-nt doRNA sequence and its + 1-nt variant bearing a 5′ Cytosine, C-doRNA—and streamline their analysis, we developed a new specific and sensitive splinted 5′ ligation reverse transcription (RT)-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method. This method is based on a splint-assisted ligation of an adapter to the 5′ end of doRNAs, followed by RT-qPCR amplification and quantitation. Our optimized protocol, which may discriminate between doRNA, C-doRNA, mutated and precursor sequences, can accurately detect as low as 240 copies and is quantitatively linear over a range of 7 logs. This method provides a unique tool to expand and facilitate studies exploring the molecular and cellular biology of RNA species shorter than microRNAs.

Using a modified RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) approach, we discovered a new family of unusually short RNAs mapping to ribosomal RNA 5.8S, which we named dodecaRNAs (doRNAs), according to the number of core nucleotides (12 nt) their members contain. Using a new quantitative detection method that we developed, we confirmed our RNA-seq data and determined that the minimal core doRNA sequence and its 13-nt variant C-doRNA (doRNA with a 5′ Cytosine) are the two most abundant doRNAs, which, together, may outnumber microRNAs. The C-doRNA/doRNA ratio is stable within species but differed between species. doRNA and C-doRNA are mainly cytoplasmic and interact with heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNP) A0, A1 and A2B1, but not Argonaute 2. Reporter gene activity assays suggest that C-doRNA may function as a regulator of Annexin II receptor (AXIIR) expression. doRNAs are differentially expressed in prostate cancer cells/tissues and may control cell migration. These findings suggest that unusually short RNAs may be more abundant and important than previously thought.

During the past few years a great variety of multi-junction solar cells has been developed with the aim of a further increase in efficiency beyond the limits of single junction devices. InxGa1-xN is one of a few alloys that can meet this key requirement. While in mechanically stacked multi-junction (MJ) cells the subcells usually have separate contacts, monolithic MJ cells are epitaxial grown on one substrate and the sub cells are interconnected in series by tunnel diodes leading to a standard two-terminal contact. This paper describes the role of the tunnel junction’s in InGaN tandem solar cells. Two tandem solar cells the InxGa1-xN / InxGa1-xN the firs without tunnel junction and second with tunnel junction InxGa1-xN are selected for simulate the overall characteristics of the AMPS-1D. Our calculation shows that the efficiency can be improved from 17% for a tandem solar cell without tunnel junction up to 23.21% for a tandem solar cell with tunnel junction obtained in 1-sun AM1.5 illumination and at room temperature, using realistic material parameters.

This work presents a study of the effect of nanoparticles on polymer composites to develop a powerful polymer dispersed liquid crystal materials. Tri propylene glycol diarcrylate/titanium dioxide nanocomposites were produced at various titanium dioxide fractions ranging between 0 and 1 wt%, through ultraviolet curing technique during 30 min. Different technics such as polarized optical microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermal gravimetric analysis were used to characterize the samples. A dynamic swelling of polymer network was also investigated. The evolution of the acrylic double-bond conversion shows a decrease in the absorption intensity at 1637 cm−1. It is noted that the conversion rate decreases from 0.1 to 1 wt% of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. An increase in glass transition temperature is observed by differential scanning calorimetry. The thermogravimetric analysis results reveal a highly improved thermal stability upon the additi...

The present study was aimed to determine the optimal conditions of microwave assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD) and solvent free microwave extraction (SFME) in order to improve the quality of Tunisian Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil. The effectiveness of microwave assisted extraction was evaluated by determining the yield, chemical composition and biological activities of R. Officinalis L. essential oil and then compared them with traditional hydrodistillation (HD) and steam distillation (SD). Results of this study confirm that SFME can be used to improve the quality of Tunisian R. officinalis L. essential oil because it gave the best results: shorter extraction duration (35 min vs. 40 min for MAHD, 120 min for SD and 180 min for HD), better chemical composition (24 compounds vs, 19, 11 and 21 compounds were identified by GC–MS in extracts obtained through MAHD, SD and HD, respectively and mostly consisting of α -pinene (42.57–35.62%), eucalyptol (64.71–20.82%), camphor (14.47–20.4%), myrtenal (4.33–7.39%) and isoborneol (2.28–9.8%)), reduced cost, less energy consuming and increases acetylcholinesterase activity. The better antimicrobial activities were obtained and showed the same resistance for all essential oils against each of gram negative ( Escherichia coli , S. thyphimurium and Klebsiella pneumonia ) and gram positive ( Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis ) bacteria. S. aureus was sensitive to SFME essential oil with minimal inhibitory concentration of 2 mg/mL and minimal bactericidal concentration of 4 mg/mL. Electron micrographs provided more proofs to confirm that microwave methods were quicker than conventional

The purpose of this paper is to study the gas heating phenomenon in dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) due to the Joule heating effect for Ne-Xe gas mixtures. In this work, the simulation was performed using a one-dimensional fluid model. The gas temperature profile was calculated by heat conduction equation resolution along gap distance of discharge. The increasing of gas temperature close to the vicinity of cathode is due to the high values in the power deposited in this region. The results show that the gas temperature in DBD excited with rectangular applied voltage waveform is more important than the discharge created by a sinusoidal excitation. For high values of secondary electron emission coefficient (γ) the gas temperature will be increasing. The effect of varying gas mixture composition on gas temperature has been also examined.

The effect of the discharge parameters on gas temperature in Ne–Xe dielectric barrier discharge DBD is investigated for operating conditions typical to excimer lamps functioning at high pressure. The gas heating effect in the DBD of gas mixture can affects the electrical characteristics of the excilamps, and consequently the homogeneity of excimer density. The gas temperature effect is originating from Joule heating approximation. The gas temperature development in the discharge was calculated by the heat transport equation resolution. This equation was coupled with the transport equation of the electrons and the ions of fluid model for a parallel-plate dielectric barrier discharge DBD. A parametric study of the influence of some discharge parameters such as the applied voltage, the total gas pressure, the dielectric capacitance, the xenon content in mixtures, and the secondary emission coefficient at the dielectric material is essential to see the effect of these discharge parameters on the rise of gas heating and consequently to the excilamps efficiency.

The aim of the present work is to investigate the effect of gas heating distribution in the gap of dielectric barrier discharge DBD reactor in pure oxygen gas for ozone production. The fluid model combines the means physical processes in the DBD discharge for ozone generation, and the heat transport equation resolution were used for determining the gas temperature profile. The numerical findings of the model are able to predict the evolution of gas temperature in O2 DBD reactor. In order to clarify the influence of the operating conditions of the discharge on the gas temperature, we study this instability phenomenon by varying of the applied voltage, the pressure, the frequency, and the pressure to optimize ozone generation. The results obtained from this study show clearly the rise in gas temperature is mainly depends to the high values of deposited power in DBD reactor. The increase of gas heating in the discharge can affects significantly the efficiency of ozone production.

This study was designed to highlight the impact of calcium chloride (CaCl2) seed priming on faba bean nodulation and root nodule oleosomes under cadmium stress. In the un-primed plants, high Cd exposure (50 μM) led to a decrease in nodule number and dry weight by 63% and 76% respectively as compared to control. Furthermore, metal supply resulted in a decrease (by 46%) in lipid content and the level of saturated fatty acids of oleosomes. However, CaCl2 seed priming improved nodule number by 23% and 20% and dry weight by 34% and 7% at 0 and 50 μM Cd respectively, compared to the control. Moreover, results showed that CaCl2 alleviated adverse effects of Cd on oleosome lipid content and fatty acid composition. Overall, CaCl2 seed priming was effective to alleviate the detrimental effects of Cd on some physiological and biochemical characteristics of faba bean root-nodule.

Background MicroRNAs are small, gene-regulatory noncoding RNA species present in large amounts in milk, where they seem to be protected against degradative conditions, presumably because of their association with exosomes. Objective We monitored the relative stability of commercial dairy cow milk microRNAs during digestion and examined their associations with extracellular vesicles (EVs). Methods We used a computer-controlled, in vitro, gastrointestinal model TNO intestinal model-1 (TIM-1) and analyzed, by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, the concentration of 2 microRNAs within gastrointestinal tract compartments at different points in time. EVs within TIM-1 digested and nondigested samples were studied by immunoblotting, dynamic light scattering, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and density measurements. Results A large quantity of dairy milk Bos taurus microRNA-223 (bta-miR-223) and bta-miR-125b (∼109-1010 copies/300 mL milk) withstood digestion under simulated gastrointestinal tract conditions, with the stomach causing the most important decrease in microRNA amounts. A large quantity of these 2 microRNAs (∼108-109 copies/300 mL milk) was detected in the upper small intestine compartments, which supports their potential bioaccessibility. A protocol optimized for the enrichment of dairy milk exosomes yielded a 100,000 × g pellet fraction that was positive for the exosomal markers tumor susceptibility gene-101 (TSG101), apoptosis-linked gene 2-interacting protein X (ALIX), and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and containing bta-miR-223 and bta-miR-125b. This approach, based on successive ultracentrifugation steps, also revealed the existence of ALIX-, HSP70-/low, and TSG101-/low EVs larger than exosomes and 2-6 times more enriched in bta-miR-223 and bta-miR-125b (P Conclusions Our findings indicate that commercial dairy cow milk contains numerous microRNAs that can resist digestion and are associated mostly with ALIX-, HSP70-/low, and TSG101-/low EVs. Our results support the existence of interspecies transfer of microRNAs mediated by milk consumption and challenge our current view of exosomes as the sole carriers of milk-derived microRNAs.

Amphora subtropica and Dunaliella sp. isolated from Tunisian biotopes were retained for their high lipid contents. Respective optimized parameters for rapid growth were: pH 9 and 10, light period 21 and 24h and temperature 31 and 34°C, respectively. After optimization, Amphora subtropica growth rate increased from 0.2 to 0.5day(-1) and Dunaliella sp. growth rate increased from 0.38 to 0.7day(-1). Amphora subtropica biomass production, productivity and lipid content increased from 0.3 to 0.7gL(-1)(dw), 69-100mgL(-1)d(-1)(dw) and 150-190gkg(-1)(dw), respectively, and Dunaliella sp. from 0.5 to 1.4gL(-1)(dw), 124-200mgL(-1)d(-1) (dw) and 190-280gkg(-1)(dw), respectively. Often to overcome trade-off between microalgae rapid growth and high lipid content which are often conflicting and very difficult to obtain at the same time, separation in a growth stage and a lipid accumulation stage is obvious. Salinity stress in a single stage of culture was studied. Compared to the optimal concentration of growth, excess or deficiency of NaCl engendered the same cellular responses by implication of oxidative stress systems and reactivation of defense and storage systems. Indeed, increasing salinity from 1M to 2M for Amphora subtropica or decreasing salinity from 3M to 2M for Dunaliella sp. have both increased lipids content from (220 and 280) to (350 and 430)gkg(-1), carotenoids from (1.8 and 2.4) to (2.3 and 3.7)pgcell(-1), TBARS amount from (10.4 and 5.3) to (12.1 and 10.7)nmolmg(-1) proteins and SOD activity from of (46.6 and 61.8) to (71.6 and 79.4)Umg(-1) proteins, respectively. With further improved fatty acids profile, the microalgae strains could be potent candidates for biofuel production.

The present study aims to compare two innovative extraction techniques: microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD) and solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) through traditional extraction techniques: hydrodistillation (HD) and steam distillation (SD) for their efficiency in the extraction of the volatile compounds from Tunisian Thymus vulgaris leaves; the kinetic, yield, composition and antibacterial activities of the essential oil were assessed in vitro. Results show that the essential oils extracted by microwaves were quantitatively (yield) similar to those obtained through the conventional methods, but qualitatively, essential oils analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) presented 17, 11, 11 and 8 compounds obtained through SFME, MAHD, SD and HD, respectively, mostly consisting of carvacrol (89.24–41.17%), followed by γ-terpinene (11.37–1.37%) and para-cymene (27.95–2.05%). The essential oils were screened for antibacterial activity against 5 microorganisms. All essential o...

International audience

This article describes conditions to optimize the yield of viable protoplasts from callus tissue of Asparagus densiflorus cv. Sprengeri and their subsequent regeneration into plantlets. Callus tissue was initiated by culturing spear sections (5–7 mm) on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.8% (wt/vol) Bacto agar, 3% (wt/vol) sucrose, 0.5 mg/l each of nicotinic acid, pyridoxine-HCl, and thiamine-HCl, 1 mg/l p-chlorophenoxyaceticacid (pCPA) and 1 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The maximum protoplast yield was obtained in a mixture of 1% (wt/vol) Cellulysin, 0.8% (wt/vol) Rhozyme HP 150 and 0.3% (wt/vol) Macerase, dissolved in cell protoplast wash salt solution with 7 mm CaCl2.2H2O, 3 mm MES, 0.6 m glucose, and 0.1 m mannitol. First divisions were observed after 3–4 days of initial culture. The plating efficiency was highest (7.8%) in half-strength MS semisolid medium containing 1 g/l glutamine, 0.6 m glucose, 0.1 m mannitol, 0.5 mg/l folic acid, 0.05 mg/l biotin, 2 mg/l ascorbic acid, 1 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid, 0.5 mg/l zeatin, and 0.1% (wt/vol) Gelrite. Protoplast-derived microcolonies and microcalli were cultured on the same medium on which the primary callus culture was initiated. After 10–12 weeks, calli were transferred to shoot regeneration medium containing MS salts, 1 mg/l BAP, 0.5 mg/l pCPA and 0.2% Gelrite. Shoots (3–4 cm) were then transferred to MS rooting medium with 2 mg/l indole-3-butyric acid, and 0.2% Gelrite. Plantlets were obtained within 4–5 weeks.

Colonic macrophages are considered as major effectors of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), and the control of gut inflammation through C-type lectin receptors is an emerging concept. We show that during colitis the loss of Dectin-1 prevents intestinal inflammation, while the lack of MR exacerbates it. A marked increase in Dectin-1 expression in DSS-exposed MR-deficient mice, support the critical contribution of Dectin-1 in the development of colitis. Dectin-1 is crucial for Ly6ChighCCR2high monocyte population enrichment in the blood and their recruitment to inflamed colon as precursors of M1 inflammatory macrophages. Dectin-1 also promotes inflammasome-dependent IL-1β secretion through the leukotriene B4 production. Interestingly, the colonic inflammation is associated with a concomitant overexpression of Dectin-1/CCL2/LTA4H and a down-regulation of MR on macrophages from IBD patients. Thus, MR and Dectin-1 on macrophage are important mucosal inflammatory regulators during IBD. Finally, this study offers breakthroughs on the mechanism may contribute to the pathogenesis of IBD in humans.

our work is devoted to the study of the optimization of a GaAs solar cell (homojunction) of n+pp+ type of 1cm2 surface. It consists, mainly, of an emitting layer, a base of p-type and a heavily doped p+ type BSF layer and a double antireflection layer (MgF2/ZnS). Among the factors that influence the energy efficiency of solar cells are the technological parameters (Doping concentration, thickness) and for this purpose we try to find in this work the influence of these technological parameters (doping, thickness) of the solar cell on the performance of this cell. The optimum configuration of the device shows an efficiency of 26.80% under the AM1.5G spectrum and one sun.

A new copolymers, high molecular weight poly(acrylamide) [AM2A0.01W20] and [AM1A0.1W20] were synthesized by radical adiabatic copolymerization in aqueous solution. The [AM2A0.01W20] copolymer was hydrolysed in basic medium by using sodium hydroxide solution and leads to a new hydrolysed poly(acrylamide) [AM3A0.01W20-H]. The structure and composition of the copolymers were established by 1H NMR, IRTF and conductivity. The molecular weights are obtained by size exclusion chromatography [SEC] and by viscosity. The variation of the reduced viscosity of aqueous copolymer solutions with copolymer concentration revealed a strong viscosity values showing very high [PAM] molecular weights. In the present work, several copolymer formulations are tested by the process of Coagulation/Flocculation/Decantation with a Jar-test, using a 30 mg L−1 clay suspension. The optimization process shows that the copolymers present different flocculation efficiencies. The copolymers with the best performances were tested on a semi-industrial experimental pilot for the Coagulation/Flocculation/Decantation process. Good Flocculation yield superior than 70 % are observed for the [AM3A0.01W20-H] with high molecular weight.

One of the key steps for high efficiency kesterite based solar cells is the control of the growth conditions of the kesterite phase from precursors. In this work, chemical deposition was used to introduce the selenium needed for Cu–Zn–Sn selenization and Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) synthesis. The influence of annealing time and precursor morphology based on deposition techniques (electrodeposition or sputtering) on the reaction path and kinetics of growth and degradation of kesterite phase was studied using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman characterizations. Important differences were detected between porous electrodeposited precursors and dense sputtered precursors. It was suggested that this difference comes from the morphology of the precursors, and that a control of the morphology is critical for the control of the annealing processes in CZTSe synthesis.

During the past few years a great variety of multi-junction solar cells has been developed with the aim of a further increase in efficiency beyond the limits of single junction devices. InxGal-xN is one of a few alloys that can meet this key requirement. While in mechanically stacked multi-junction (MJ) cells the subcells usually have separate contacts, monolithic MJ cells are epitaxial grown on one substrate and the sub cells are interconnected in series by tunnel diodes leading to a standard two-terminal contact. In this paper we simulate and optimize monolithic III-V In 0.52 G a0.48 N I In 0. .84 Ga 0.16 N dual junction (DJ) solar cells between them tunnel junctionIn 0.65 Ga 0.35 N by using a AMPS-ID (Analysis of Microelectronic and photonic structure) software simulator to obtain the maximum conversion efficiency. The doping densities for the six layers of the device are investigated under in 1-sun AM1.5 illumination and at room temperature for optimized performance of solar cell. The optimized tandem solar cell characteristic parameters for cell are short circuit current density of 24.32mA/cm2 open circuit voltage of 1.26V, fill factor of 0.90and efficiency of 27.62%.

In this paper, numerical simulations of triple junction solar cells based Indium gallium phosphide (InGaP), Gallium arsenide (GaAs) and Silicon Germanium (SiGe) electrical characteristics are performed using AMPS 1D. The spectral response is simulated under AM1.5 illumination. In this work, where the single InGaP solar cell used as the top cell, the single GaAs used middle cell and the single SiGe solar cell used as the bottom cell in the tandem configuration. Several parameters of this triple cell structure have been studied such as the effect of the thicknesses of the layers of InGaP solar cell and recombination velocity.

The cadmium is one of the metallic element traces very toxic for vegetables, animals and human. Its presence in the soil is aggravated by the various cultural practices. This study is to test the effect of cadmium on the physiological parameters and its accumulation in two varieties of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L). The relative growth of seedlings, the rate of chlorophyll a and b, the proline, soluble sugars and rate of accumulation of Cadmium are measured under four concentrations of Cd staggered from 0 to 150mg/l and tested on the varieties Arz and Hiddab. Results show an important reduction of the relative growth of the seedlings of both varieties but in a different way. A disturbance of the various physiological processes is observed a decrease of the photosynthesis gradually with the increase of the dose in cadmium on the chlorophyll a and b compared with the control, increase of the rates of the proline, the soluble sugars and the rate of cadmium in seedlings following the increase in concentration of the metal study. The Arz variety is more accumulating than Hiddab. The presence of the cadmium in the environment causes a physiological disturbance of the processes and affects dramatically the production of the biomass.

The distribution of the gas temperature, due to the heat Joule effect in dielectric barrier discharge and for different rare gases (Ar, Ne, Xe, and Kr), was investigated using a 1-D time-dependent fluid model. The model is based on the resolution of the transport equation of the electrons and the ions coupled with the Poisson's equation for a parallel-plate dielectric barrier discharge reactor. To consider of gas heating due to ions and electrons, we solve the heat transport equation along of the discharge gap. The results show an increasing of the gas temperature in front of the dielectrics due to heavy ions for different noble gases used (Ar, Ne, Xe, and Kr). The effect of the applied voltage, the gas pressure as well as the secondary electron emission of MgO bombardment by rare gas ions on the gas temperature is also analyzed.

Using the small intestine enterocyte Caco-2 cell model, sucrase-isomaltase (SI, the mucosal α-glucosidase complex) expression and modification were examined relative to exposure to different mono- and disaccharide glycemic carbohydrates. Caco-2/TC7 cells were grown on porous supports to post-confluence for complete differentiation, and dietary carbohydrate molecules of glucose, sucrose (disaccharide of glucose and fructose), maltose (disaccharide of two glucoses α-1,4 linked), and isomaltose (disaccharide of two glucoses α-1,6 linked) were used to treat the cells. qRT-PCR results showed that all the carbohydrate molecules induced the expression of the SI gene, though maltose (and isomaltose) showed an incremental increase in mRNA levels over time that glucose did not. Western blot analysis of the SI protein revealed that only maltose treatment induced a higher molecular weight band (Mw ~245 kDa), also at higher expression level, suggesting post-translational processing of SI, and more importantly a sensing of maltose. Further work is warranted regarding this putative sensing response as a potential control point for starch digestion and glucose generation in the small intestine.

In the piezoresistive pressure sensor, we need to study the stress repartition on the Silicon membrane surface. This study is very important because it allows us to determinate where the stress is maximal and to place there the four piezoresistors, which provide a maximal sensitivity to the pressure [2] . Because of the anisotropy of the Silicon, we have to study the variation of its mechanical parameters (Young Modulus and Poisson Coefficient) and piezoresistive (piezoresistive coefficients) parameters in the different crystallographic directions [4] . These studies will allow us to optimize the sensor characteristics (Sensitivity, Linearity …). In this paper, we propose to establish a mathematical model that describes the mechanical behavior of single crystal silicon micro membrane. The proposed model is based on the theory of thin plates and shell. It describes the deflection of the membrane and the stresses induced in by the effect of a homogeneous differential pressure applied to this membrane. The resolution of this model allows us to calculate the displacement of the membrane (his deflection) and to know the stress distribution as a function of the applied pressure. Finally, results are compared with those obtained by the numerical finite elements method.

The present study investigates the electrocoagulation treatment of two different wastewaters, namely sawmill wastewater and ship waste effluent, charged with organic matter. Monopolar electrode con...

Doum palm fibers are an environmentally friendly reinforcement in polymer composites. Their mechanical properties and abundance allow its use as an innovative material composite. In this paper doum fibers were alkali treated to clean their surface and enhance polymer fibers interaction. Tensile and rheological properties were investigated to see the effect of fibers content on the composites properties. Also, comparative composites were processed to assure a good wettability between fibers and the polymer with the use of a coupling agent as styrene–(ethylene–butene)–styrene three-block copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride (SEBS-g-MA). Results shows that tensile properties was enhanced when fiber were added to the polymer and has enhanced more with the use of coupling agent. A gain of 70% and 77% in the Young’s modulus at 30 wt.% fibers content for the binary and ternary composites, respectively. And a gain of 18% in tensile strength at 10 wt.% fibers content for the ternary composites. Moreover, dynamic mechanical thermal analyses were carried out in order to compare the changes of the properties with frequency, fibers loading, temperature and compatibilizer.

This paper deals with the mechanical and thermal properties of clay and pine cone fibers reinforced polypropylene hybrid composite at a total weight percent of 30. To enhance charges wettability within the polymer, a coupling agent was added and a mercerization treatment was carried out to the fibers. Tensile, torsional, hardness tests were conducted for these composites to evaluate the impact of hybrid charges. The tensile properties results indicate that the Young’s modulus has increased for whole systems reaching a gain of 80%, while tensile strength remained stable with the use of both charges. For torsional and hardness characterizations of such hybrid composite, an increase in the torsional resistance is noted with clay addition when hardness properties were in decrease at high clay loading. Thermal degradation decreases with the addition of fibers which is normal with the addition of a low degradation temperature charge.

Moroccan hemp is a cellulosic fiber obtained from the north of Morocco. Their use as reinforcement in thermoplastic matrix composite requires a knowledge of their morphology and structure. In this paper the Moroccan hemp fiber was alkali treated to remove waxes and noncellulosic surface components. Fiber/matrix adhesion was assured by the use of a styrene-(ethylene-butene)-styrene three-block copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride (SEBS- g -MA) as a compatibilizer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile and torsional tests were carried out for hemp fibers polypropylene composite and the compatibilized composite at different fiber content. Thus, the binary composite PP/hemp fibers (Alk) and ternary system with maleic anhydride indicate clearly an improved adhesion of the fiber to the matrix as results of the good interaction at the interface. A gain of 50% on the Young’s modulus of PP/hemp 25 wt.% without coupling agent and 74% on the PP/hemp 20 wt.% composite with the coupling agent were found. Tensile strength curve shows a remarkable stabilization when the coupling agent was used.

The aim of this work is to present a two-dimensional transient model, of heat and mass transfer in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The model includes various conservation equations such as mass (hydrogen, oxygen, water concentration), Momentum and energy equations this model is combined with the electrochemical model. The objective of this work is to know the hydrogen, oxygen water concentration, temperature and pressure to determine the performance conditions of the fuel cell under the current density and permeability effect. A program based on the finite volume method was performed to simulate these equations system. The numerical results show that the gas distribution in the assembly membrane electrode (MEA) and the power density is affected by the nature of porous middle (permeability).

Mechanical properties of alfa, coir and bagasse fibers reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites have been investigated. In order to improve the composite’s mechanical properties, fibers were alkali treated before compounding to remove natural waxes and other non cellulosic compounds. The mechanical properties of the composites obtained with these three fibers were found to be superior to those of the neat polymer. Addition of various amount of reinforcement fibers yielded noticeable increases in both tensile and flexural modulus as well as the torsion parameter. 56–75% increases in tensile modulus were observed by the use of alfa, coir and bagasse while the flexural modulus increased by 30–47% when compared to neat PP. An increase in torsion modulus is also observed when the fiber content exceeds a threshold level. A power law model was developed using an experimental data to calculate the torsion modulus of fiber-reinforced composites at various fiber loading and frequencies.

The present preliminary study intends to evaluate the in vitro use of hydatid antigen and their antibodies once labeled with iodine 125(I125) and characterized from viewpoint of radiochemical purity and immunoreactivity. Radiolabelled molecules gave satisfactory purity of 94% and 96%–98%, for hydatid antigen and IgG respectively. As regards, the specific activity of these latter, varied between 4.79 and 5.97 μCi/μg. The specificity test of radiolabelled IgG against the hydatid membranes showed a significant recognition that increased proportionally according to the contact surface. Likewise this immunoreactivity test performed with a simple binding assay, using human hydatid fluid antigen (HHF-Ag), previously fixed on a solid phase, gave satisfactory fixation rate of the order of 356 ± 48.08cpm, 2539 ± 550.12cpm and 6558 ± 712.76cpm for the concentrations of 0.1 μg/ml, 2 μg/ml and 25 μg/ml respectively. Statistical study of 88 sera, carried out with radiolabelled antigen (125I-HHF-Ag) in competitive radioimmunoassay test (CRIA) showed highly significant difference (p Our findings are encouraging, suggesting that these radiolabeled molecules could be useful for advancing toward new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.

Polymer composite materials with vegetable fibers were an attractive field for many industries and researchers, however, these materials required the issues of compatibility between the fibers and the polymeric matrix. This work evaluates the thermal and mechanical properties of Doum-fibers reinforcing a low density polyethylene (LDPE) composite to follow the effect of adding fibers into polymer matrix. Doum-fibers were Alkali treated to clean the fiber surface and improve the polymer/fibers adhesion. The Doum-fibers were compounded in LDPE matrix at various contents and extruded as continuous strands. An enhance on mechanical properties of composites was found, a gain of 145% compared to neat polymer at 30 wt.% fiber loading in Young’s modulus, a gain of 135% in flexural modulus at 20 wt.% fiber loading and a gain of 97% in torsional modulus at 0.1 Hz. Thermal properties were evaluated and the results show a slight decrease with increase of added Doum.

Pine cone fibers are a cellulosic material readily available and can be used as reinforcement in a thermoplastic-based composite. A solid knowledge of their fibrillar morphology and structure is required to evaluate their usefulness as a substitute to other abundant natural fibers. Pine cone fibers were alkali treated prior usage to remove waxes and non cellulosic surface component. Fiber–matrix adhesion was assured by both a styrene–(ethylene–butene)–styrene triblock copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride (SEBS-g-MA) and a linear block copolymer based on styrene and butadiene compatibilizer. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile and torsional tests were employed for Pine cone polypropylene composite and compatibilized composite at different fiber content. Results show a clear improvement in mechanical properties from the use of both alkali treated Pine cone and Pine cone compatibilized with maleic anhydride, a gain of 43% and 49% respectively in the Young’s modulus, as a results of improved adhesion between fibers and matrix at the interface.

The efficiency of indium phosphide solar cells might be improved by a wide-band-gap window layer. In this work we was simulated using the one dimensional simulation program called analysis of microelectronic and photonic structures (AMPS-1D). In the simulation, hole doping concentration of Ga0.1In0.9P window was varied fro10 18 to10 20 (���� −3 ). The rest of layer's doping were kept constant, By varying thickness of window layer the simulated device performance was demonstrate in the form of current- voltage (I-V) characteristics and quantum efficiency (QE).

Introduction Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a key enzyme in folate metabolism. It is involved in the synthesis, repair, and methylation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The most frequently studied MTHFR gene polymorphism is C677T, which is involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases including cancer. This case-control study was undertaken to analyze the association of MTHFR C677T polymorphism and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC).

In this work, high density polyethylene (HDPE) was compounded with chemically treated coir fiber using a heated two roll mill. Three chemical treatments denoted silane, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and dodecane bromide (C12) were selected to improve the interface adhesion between fibers and polyethylene matrix. The mechanical properties of these composites were evaluated and compared against those of neat polymer and untreated fibers composites. A fixed fiber loading of 20 wt.% was used in all composites. A chemical analysis using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed to see the extent of chemical modification of the fibers. Results have shown that tensile and torsional modulus exhibited a significant increase when compared to the neat HDPE. A notable increase in the Young’s modulus was observed when C12 and silane were used, corresponding to 120% and 70%, respectively. The composites’ ductility was also evaluated by the plastic stored energy and showed a noted increase when C12 and silane were used, an increase of 55% with C12 treatment and 23% when silane treatment was used. Such results promise many applications for composite materials.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) engines can potentially replace the internal combustion engine for transportation because they are clean, quiet, energy efficient, modular, and capable of quick start-up. Since a PEMFC simultaneously involves electrochemical reactions, current distribution, hydrodynamics, multicomponents transport, and heat transfer, a comprehensive mathematical model is needed to gain a fundamental understanding of the interacting electrochemical and transport phenomena and to provide a computeraided tool for design and optimization of future fuel cell engines. This paper analyses the effects of inlet pressure and channel height on the distribution and consumption of reagents. The gas flow is assumed laminar, unsteady, isothermal and incompressible, flow fields of the anode and cathode sides are modeled as straight channels. The equations of conservation of mass, momentum and species are developed. A program based on the finite volume method was performed to simulate the system of equations governing the phenomenon. The simulation results show that increasing the inlet pressure will improve consumption of reagents and more homogeneous distribution. The effect of channel height on the consumption of reagents is such that, if the height is smaller it is noticed that there is an increased consumption of species and consequently an increase in water production. Channels with smaller heights have shown a higher concentration of oxygen and hydrogen. The effect of height is more important for a higher pressure inlet.