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Fig, Ficus carica L., is a useful genetic resource for commercial cultivation. In this study, RAPD (60), ISSR (48), RAMPO (63), and SSR (34) markers were compared to detect polymorphism and to establish genetic relationships among Tunisian fig tree cultivars. The statistical procedures conducted on the combined data show considerable genetic diversity, and the tested markers discriminated all fig genotypes studied. The identification key established on the basis of SSR permitted the unambiguous discrimination of cultivars and confirmed the reliability of SSR for fingerprinting fig genotypes. The study findings are discussed in relation to the establishment of a national reference collection that will aid in the conservation of Tunisian fig resources.

Background: Pseudotumoral pigmented villonodular synovitis is rare and diagnosis is difficult., Aim: Report of new case., Case: We report an original observation of a pseudotumoral pigmented villonodular synovitis occurred in a 28 years old patient with no recurrence after surgical treatment. A review of the literature was made in order to precise the epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics.

The hydrodistilled oils from the aerial parts of Genista ulicina Spach. and G. vepres Pomel., which are endemic to Algeria, were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the oil of G. ulicina, 41 compounds were identified representing 90.8% of the total oil, and in G. vepres, 61 compounds representing 84.5% of the total oil. The analyses showed that the major constituents of the oils were lauric acid (14.3%-8.5%), myristic acid (11.5%-5%), linoleic acid (3.1%-11.7%) and palmitic acid (18.6%-26.4%). Using a diffusion method, the oils showed significant antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923).

Herein, we describe an original novel method which allows the decontamination of the chromium-containing leather wastes to simplify the recovery of its considerable protein fractions. Organic salts and acids such as potassium oxalate, potassium tartrate, acetic and citric acids were tested for their efficiency to separate the chromium from the leather waste. Our investigation is based on the research of the total reversibility of the tanning process, in order to decontaminate the waste without its previous degradation or digestion. The effect of several influential parameters on the treatment process was also studied. Therefore, the action of chemical agents used in decontamination process seems very interesting. The optimal yield of chromium extraction about 95% is obtained. The aim of the present study is to define a preliminary processing of solid leather waste with two main impacts: Removing with reusing chromium in the tanning process with simple, ecological and economic treatment process and potential valorization of the organic matrix of waste decontaminated.

In trematodiases, shape and size of the fluke eggs shed with faeces are crucial diagnostic features because of their typically reduced intraspecific variability. In fascioliasis, the usual diagnosis during the biliary stage of infection is based on the classification of eggs found in stools, duodenal contents or bile. The aim of the present study is to validate the identification of Fasciola species based on the shape and size of eggs shed by humans, characterizing their morphometric traits using a computer image analysis system (CIAS). The influence of both the geographical location and of the host (human and livestock) has been analysed. Coprological studies were carried out in fascioliasis human endemic areas, where only F. hepatica is present (the northern Bolivian Altiplano and the Cajamarca valley in Peru), and where F. hepatica and F. gigantica coexist (the Kutaisi region of Georgia, the Nile Delta in Egypt, and the Quy Nhon province in Vietnam). Classically, it is considered that at the abopercular end of the shell of Fasciola eggs there is often a roughened or irregular area. Nevertheless, results show that the frequency of the presence of this feature in F. hepatica is population-dependent, and therefore is not a pathognomonic criterion in diagnosis. The study reveals that eggs shed by humans show morphological traits different from eggs shed by animals. In humans, F. hepatica eggs are bigger and F. gigantica eggs are smaller than reported to date from livestock, and their measurements overlap when compared. The material analysed in this study shows that the size of eggs shed by humans from Georgia and Egypt corresponds to the F. hepatica morph, while the size of eggs shed by humans from Vietnam corresponds to the F. gigantica morph. Measurements of F. hepatica and F. gigantica eggs originating from humans and animals from sympatric areas overlap, and, therefore, they do not allow differential diagnosis when within this overlapping range. In this sense, the new results should aid clinicians since the application of the classic egg size range in human samples may lead to erroneous conclusions. Fasciolid egg size in human stool samples ought to be corrected in books and monographs related to medical parasitology and/or tropical medicine as well as in guides for clinicians and parasitic disease diagnosis analysts.

During an experimental infection of sheep with Fasciola hepatica or F. gigantica, MM3-SERO and MM3-COPRO ELISA tests were applied to compare the kinetics of antibody production and coproantigen release between the 2nd and 32nd week post-infection (wpi). The Kato-Katz technique was used to measure the kinetics of egg shedding by both Fasciola species (eggs per gram of feces, epg). The kinetics of IgG antibodies for all sheep infected with F. hepatica and F. gigantica followed a similar pattern. Optical density (OD) increased rapidly between the 4th until the 12th wpi, when the highest values were reached and then decreased slowly until the 32nd wpi. Coproantigen levels increased above the cut-off value between 6 and 9 wpi in the F. hepatica group, and between 9 and 11wpi in the F. gigantica group. The comparison between coproantigen levels and epg indicated that F. hepatica-infected sheep had detectable amounts of coproantigens 4-7 weeks before patency (egg shedding), while F. gigantica-infected sheep had detectable amounts of coproantigens 3-6 weeks before patency. When comparing the kinetics of coproantigen release vs the kinetics of epg, a similar pattern emerged, but with a two-week time-lag in epg, for both F. hepatica and F. gigantica infections. The amount of coproantigen release by each adult was not burden dependent for F. hepatica infection (burden of 33-66 adults), while it was for F. gigantica infection (burden of 17-69 adults). The results demonstrate the usefulness of the MM3-SERO and MM3-COPRO ELISAs as tools for the diagnosis of early as well as long-term fascioliasis infections, and suggest that they can potentially be applied to human fascioliasis even in countries where F. hepatica and F. gigantica co-exist. These tests can be employed not only in the diagnosis, but also in studies on epidemiology as well as pathogenesis and treatment in animals and humans since they allow post-treatment infection monitoring.

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lateral nail fold is rare, it has been suggested that trauma, roentgen radiation, arsenic exposition, dyskeratosis and infections (HPV) are risk factors for the development of these carcinoma. This tumour is mostly a slow growing and low grade malignancy which rarely metastasis. Early diagnosis by biopsy, especially in patients with predisposing factors, may lead to treatment and prevent the tumour from metastasizing., Aim: Report of new case., Case: We report one case of (SCC) of the lateral nail fold of the thumb in a 66 year old man, treated with local excision; function and cosmetic results are more acceptable. A review of the literature was made in order to precise the epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics.

Background: Rupture of hydatid cyst in the digestive tract is a rare complication even in endemic areas., Aim: Authors report a case of a hydatid cyst of the left hepatic lobe ruptured in the duodenum, Case: was discovered at the occasion of epigastric pain and vomiting. Ct-scan revealed presence of air in a calcified hydatid cyst of the left liver lobe and a fistulous tract between the cyst and the duodenum. Endoscopy confirmed the diagnosis by the visualisation of a fistulous orifice of the anterior aspect of the first duodenum with a protrusion of hydatid membrane. Patient was treated surgically and had a partial cysto-pericystectomy and suture of duodenum.

North Africa is one of the major Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) endemic regions. Specific food items unique to this area were implicated to be associated with NPC risk, but results were inconsistent. Here we have performed a large-scale case-control study in the Maghrebian population from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. From 2002 to 2005, interviews were conducted on 636 cases and 615 controls. Controls were hospitalized individuals from 15 non-cancer hospital departments, or friends and family members of non-NPC cancer subjects, matched by center, childhood household type (rural or urban), age and sex. Conditional logistic regression is used to evaluate the risk of factors. In results, consumption of rancid butter, rancid sheep fat and preserved meat not spicy (mainly quaddid) were associated with significantly increased risk of NPC, while consumption of cooked vegetables and industrial preserved fish was associated with reduced risk. Other foods such as fresh citrus fruits and spicy preserved meat (mainly osban) in childhood, industrial made olive condiments in adulthood, were marginally associated. In multivariate analyses, only rancid butter, rancid sheep fat and cooked vegetables were significantly associated with NPC. In regard to possible causative substances, our results implicate the involvement of butyric acid, a potential Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activator.

Introduction: Necrotizing fasciitis is a rapidly progressive and often fatal infection of the soft-tissue fascia deep to the skin but superficial to the muscles. We report a case of necrotizing fasciitis of the anterior chest wall complicating a percutaneous needle biopsy., Case: A 49-year-old diabetic patient, presented persistent excavated right pulmonary opacities. A percutaneous biopsy was obtained and complicated by a necrotizing fasciitis. The patient underwent surgery for total resection of the necrotic tissues followed by antibiotic treatment. Outcome was favorable after 30 days of antibiotic therapy., Discussion: Necrotizing fasciitis is a life threatening complication of transthoracic percutaneous biopsy. Prognosis depends on rapid diagnosis and treatment.

Neural fibrolipoma or fibrolipomatous hamartoma is an uncommon benign tumor that usually arises in the median nerve. Fibrofatty tissue proliferates around the nerve and infiltrates the epineurium and perineurium. We report a case of fibrolipomatous hamartoma of the left median nerve in an 18-year-old woman. Our objective was to describe the pathognomonic magnetic resonance imaging features, whose presence obviates the need for a diagnostic biopsy.

The genetic diversity in Tunisian fig (Ficus carica L.) was studied using RAPD markers. Thirty-five fig cultivars originating from diverse geographical areas and belonging to three collections were analysed. Random decamer primers were screened to assess their ability to detect polymorphisms in this crop. Forty-four RAPD markers were revealed and used to survey the genetic diversity and to detect cases of mislabelling. As a result, considerable genetic diversity was detected among the studied F. carica accessions. The relationships among the 35 varieties were studied by cluster analysis. The dendrogram showed two main groups composed of cultivars with similar geographic origin. Moreover, the male accessions (caprifigs) were clustered indistinctively within the female ones, suggesting a narrow genetic diversity among these accessions. Our data proved that RAPD markers are useful for germplasm discrimination as well as for investigation of patterns of variation in fig. Since this designed procedure has permitted to establish a molecular database of the reference collections, the opportunity of this study is discussed in relation to the improvement and rational management of fig germplasm.

The free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba include non-pathogenic and pathogenic species and has been recently classified into 15 different genotypes, T1-T15. In this study, a survey was conducted in order to determine the presence and pathogenic potential of free-living amoebae of Acanthamoeba genus in freshwater sources associated with human activities in the Nile Delta region, Egypt. Identification of Acanthamoeba was based on the morphology of cyst and trophozoite forms and PCR amplification with a genus specific primer pair. The pathogenic potential of Acanthamoeba isolates was characterized using temperature and osmotolerance assays and PCR reactions with two primer pairs specific to Acanthamoeba pathogenesis. Isolates genotypes were also determined after ribosomal DNA sequencing. These data revealed that isolates belong to T1, T2, T3, T4 and T7 genotypes. As expected, T4 isolates exhibited the most pathogenic traits and were osmotolerant, temperature tolerant and expressed extracellular serine proteases. This is the first report presenting environmental distribution of Acanthamoeba genotypes in Egypt.

There is data supporting the hypothesis that the endogenous opioid system may play a role in the pathophysiology of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The authors report a case of worsening of OCD during methadone tapering, which seems to confirm the role of the opioid system in the pathophysiology of OCD. The possible involvement of the cortico-limbic-basal-ganglia-thalamic circuit in the observed phenomenon is discussed.

Comparing the absorption spectrum of a single-crystalline material and the reflection spectrum of its powder, we have derived a simple empirical formula for the reflection coefficient of absorbing powder. The proposed equation, which slightly resembles the Lambert-Beer law for transmission, does not correspond to the equation derived in the approximation of a simple one-dimensional diffusion model.

Background and Objectives: Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 is the main CYP isozyme involved in methadone metabolism. We investigated the influence of grapefruit juice, which contains inhibitors of intestinal CYP3A, on the steady-state pharmacokinetics of methadone., Methods: For 5 days, 8 patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment received 200 mL water or grapefruit juice 30 minutes before and again together with their daily dose of methadone. Blood sampling for R-, S-, and R,S-methadone plasma determination was performed over a 24-hour period. CYP3A activity was determined by measuring the plasma 1'-hydroxymidazolam/midazolam ratio., Results: A decrease in the midazolam ratio was measured in all patients after grapefruit juice (mean +/- SD before grapefruit juice, 9.3 +/- 5.9; mean +/- SD after grapefruit juice, 3.9 +/- 1.2; P <.05). Grapefruit juice led to a mean 17% increase in the area under the curve extrapolated to 24 hours for both enantiomers of methadone (range, 3% to 29% [P <.005]; range, -4% to 37% [P <.05]; and range, 1% to 32% [P <.01]; for R-, S-, and R,S-methadone, respectively). A similar increase in peak level and decrease in apparent clearance were measured with grapefruit juice, whereas time to peak level, terminal half-life, and apparent volume during the terminal phase of R-, S-, and R,S-methadone were not affected by grapefruit juice. No symptom of overmedication was either detected by the clinical staff or reported by the patients., Conclusions: Grapefruit juice administration is associated with a modest increase in methadone bioavailability, which is not expected to endanger patients. However, it cannot be excluded that a much stronger effect may occur in some patients, and thus grapefruit juice intake is not recommended during methadone maintenance treatment, in particular in patients initiating such a treatment.

Despite the improvement and the diversification of the circuits for care in the city, the number of drug addicts sentenced to prison sentences in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland has not decreased in recent years. It is therefore imperative for the Prison Medicine and Psychiatry Service (SMPP) to provide a medical follow up which respects as closely as possible the principle of the equivalence of care with the outside environment. This article presents the way in which the SMPP takes its place in the continuity of the therapeutic assistance which drug dependent individuals can take advantage of. In this way, the range of therapeutic protocols in force in the different regimes of detention (preventive detention, custody and the execution of sentence) are examined, whether initial treatment, drug weaning or substitution therapies.

The authors report a case of cervico-thoracic region hydatid cyst suspected by the presence of a palpable right lower neck mass. This location is very rare. Neck ultrasound and computed tomography showed the cyst. Magnetic resonance imaging can be useful for diagnosis and provided the best anatomo-topographic evaluation before surgery.

We report a theoretical dynamical analysis on effect of semiconductor laser phase noise on the achievable linewidth when locked to a Fabry-Pérot cavity fringe using a modulation-demodulation frequency stabilization technique such as the commonly used Pound-Drever-Hall frequency locking scheme. We show that, in the optical domain, the modulation-demodulation operation produces, in the presence of semiconductor laser phase noise, two kinds of excess noise, which could be much above the shot noise limit, namely, conversion noise (PM-to-AM) and intermodulation noise. We show that, in typical stabilization conditions, the ultimate semiconductor laser linewidth reduction can be severely limited by the intermodulation excess noise. The modulation-demodulation operation produces the undesirable nonlinear intermodulation effect through which the phase noise spectral components of the semiconductor laser, in the vicinity of even multiples of the modulation frequency, are downconverted into the bandpass of the frequency control loop. This adds a spurious signal, at the modulation frequency, to the error signal and limits the performance of the locked semiconductor laser. This effect, reported initially in the microwave domain using the quasistatic approximation, can be considerably reduced by a convenient choice of the modulation frequency.

Although rare, the possibility of pituitary tuberculoma should be considered in the diagnosis of non-pituitary intrasellar masses, especially in an endemic area and if radiologic imaging shows pituitary stalk thickening. We describe the case of a 52-year-old patient who presented tuberculous meningitis complicated by a pituitary abscess. He was treated with antituberculous drugs. The follow-up MRI 16 and 48 months later showed the decreased size of the pituitary mass. Radiological features and a review of the literature of pituitary tuberculoma are briefly discussed.

Pituitary-hypothalamic axis Langerhans cell histiocytosis is an uncommon entity. It is a rare disease in adults. The CT and MR study provides us the best anatomo-topographic evaluation and determine the precise size of the lesion which are necessary to the treatment. We report a case of hypothalamic involvement by Langerhans cell histiocytosis accompanied by lesions in bone affecting a 31-year-old woman. The clinical, histiotological and CT/MR findings of histiocytosis X are described in this article.

Lymphocytic hypophysitis is a rare inflammatory disease of the pituitary gland which may be related to an autoimmune process. Only twenty cases are reported in male. Patients usually present with symptoms of an expanding intrasellar mass or varying degrees of hypopituitarism. Most of the cases are misconsidered preoperatively as pituitary adenomas. We report a case of lymphocytic hypophysitis which has occurred at a 37-year-old-man.