Dormant stages of crustaceans as a mechanism of propagation in the extreme and unpredictable environment in the Crimean hypersaline lakes

A pool of dormant stages of planktonic organisms in saline lakes is a substantial component in the plankton communities;we need to take it into account to understand plankton dynamics.Hypersaline water bodies in Crimea,the largest peninsula in the Black Sea,constitute a very characteristic and peculiar habitat type in the region.We examined the presence of crustacean resting stages in sediments of dried up sites of the Crimean hypersaline lakes.Sediment samples were taken in 9 different lakes.Experiments performed on the hatching of these resting stages showed the presence of Moina salina(Cladocera),parthenogenetic Artemia and Artemia urmiana(Anostraca),Eucypris mareotica( inflata)(Ostracoda),and Cletocamptus retrogressus(Harpacticoida).Comparing the experimental results obtained with clean dried brine shrimp cysts and those kept in sediment samples,it was noted that clean cysts hatched much faster than those from sediments did.Some components in bottom sediments slow down and desynchronize hatching from resting eggs in different groups of crustaceans.The sediments of different lakes inhibited the nauplii output from Artemia and ostracod resting eggs to different degrees.More data are needed before we can discuss the reasons of this inhibition.The nonsynchronous output of active stages from the bottom resting ones may be an adaptation that allows crustacean species to exist in extreme and unpredictably changing environments,avoiding the risk that all may emerge at once under unsuitable conditions.

Decreased FEF_(50) as an indicator of comorbid asthma and persistent airflow limitation in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps:A cross-sectional study

To the Editor:While 20–60%of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps(CRSwNP)have comorbid asthma(known as refractory asthma),asthma is undiagnosed in 25–48%of CRSwNP patients with comorbid asthma._([1])Moreover,the prevalence of persistent airflow limitation(PAL)is high in CRSwNP patients with comorbid asthma.However,the factors indicating comorbid asthma in patients with CRSwNP and reflecting PAL in those with comorbid asthma have not been fully elucidated.Small airway dysfunction(SAD)has been found in CRSwNP patients,even in the absence of asthma;and the severity of SAD in patients with comorbid asthma is correlated with the duration of asthma history._([2])This study therefore aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics,especially small airway parameters as indicators of comorbid asthma in patients with CRSwNP and of PAL in CRSwNP patients with comorbid asthma.Besides,in order to identify the characteristics of CRSwNP patients with asthma,we also compared the prevalence of SAD and PAL between asthma patients with or without CRSwNP.

Emergence of taurine as a therapeutic agent for neurological disorders

Taurine is a sulfur-containing,semi-essential amino acid that occurs naturally in the body.It alternates between inflammation and oxidative stress-mediated injury in various disease models.As part of its limiting functions,taurine also modulates endoplasmic reticulum stress,Ca^(2+)homeostasis,and neuronal activity at the molecular level.Taurine effectively protects against a number of neurological disorders,including stro ke,epilepsy,cerebral ischemia,memory dysfunction,and spinal cord injury.Although various therapies are available,effective management of these disorders remains a global challenge.Approximately 30 million people are affected worldwide.The design of taurine fo rmation co uld lead to potential drugs/supplements for the health maintenance and treatment of central nervous system disorders.The general neuroprotective effects of taurine and the various possible underlying mechanisms are discussed in this review.This article is a good resource for understanding the general effects of taurine on various diseases.Given the strong evidence for the neuropharmacological efficacy of taurine in various experimental paradigms,it is concluded that this molecule should be considered and further investigated as a potential candidate for neurotherapeutics,with emphasis on mechanism and clinical studies to determine efficacy.

Study of Hygrothermal Behavior of Bio-Sourced Material Treated Ecologically for Improving Thermal Performance of Buildings

Creating sustainable cities is the only way to live in a clean environment,and this problem can be solved by using bio-sourced and recycled materials.For this purpose,the authors contribute to the valuation of sheep wool waste as an eco-friendly material to be used in insulation.The paper investigates the thermal,hygrothermal,and biological aspects of sheep wool by testing a traditional treatment.The biological method of aerobic mesophilicflora has been applied.Fluorescence X was used to determine the chemical composition of the materials used.Also,thermal characterization has been conducted.The thermal conductivity is above 0.046(W·m^(-1)·K^(-1))and the thermal diffusivity is 1.56.10^(-6) m^(2)·s^(-1).Besides,the energy efficiency of using sheep wool in buildings was studied.Furthermore,its humidity behavior was evaluated in different aspects in both winter and summer.Results of biological analyses show the efficiency of the treatment by removing the majority of the microorgan-isms:the value of yeast and mildew was reduced from 38.10^(2) to 2.10^(2)(UFC·g^(-1)).In addition to that,sheep wool permits obtaining a low thermal transmittance on the scale of the walls and low cooling needs on the scale of the building with a gain of 45%and 52%,respectively.

磷酸铁锂正极材料的制备及性能强化研究进展

橄榄石型磷酸铁锂是目前应用十分广泛的锂离子电池正极材料之一,具有成本低、安全性高、环境友好、循环寿命长和工作电压稳定的特点。近年来,随着CTP技术、刀片电池技术等取得的突破性进展,磷酸铁锂的商业化程度得到了大幅提高。但磷酸铁锂存在电子导电性较差和离子扩散系数低的缺陷,严重限制了锂离子电池的电化学容量,因此开展磷酸铁锂制备工艺和性能强化研究对磷酸铁锂的性能提升具有重要意义。对比了磷酸铁锂电池与其他正极材料锂离子电池的性能差异和发展现状,系统总结了磷酸铁锂正极材料制备与强化的改性方法及相关研究进展与挑战,并提出了未来的发展方向与研究思路。

龈乳头重建的相关研究进展

龈乳头形态在口腔软组织美观方面扮演着重要的角色,龈乳头退缩会形成视觉可见的黑三角,引起美观缺陷、发音障碍和食物嵌塞等一系列问题,甚至会危害到牙周组织的健康。龈乳头重建是解决黑三角的有效方法,然而现在治疗缺失或有缺陷的龈乳头的各种方法并不是很成熟,在美学区域重建牙间乳头是最困难和最具有挑战性的牙周治疗。本文通过回顾以往文献,总结出影响龈乳头外形的因素,它包含接触点到牙槽嵴顶之间的距离、根间距、根间分离角、牙间距、邻间隙形态、牙冠外形、牙龈生物型等,本文同时对龈乳头高度丧失的分类和重建龈乳头的非手术方法与手术方法研究进展做一综述,为临床医生开展龈乳头重建工作提供参考依据。

内窥镜辅助龈下刮治及根面平整术治疗牙周炎临床效果的系统评价

目的评价内窥镜辅助龈下刮治及根面平整术(subgingival scaling and root planning,SRP)治疗牙周炎的临床效果。方法检索PubMed、EMbase、The Cochrane Library、Web of Science、中国知网、万方公共数据库、VIP数据库,搜索有关内窥镜辅助SRP的随机对照试验(randomized controlled trials,RCT),检索时限均从建库至2021年9月15日。纳入研究的结局指标包括:菌斑指数(plaque index,PLI)、探诊深度(probing depth,PD)、附着丧失(attachment loss,AL)、出血指数(bleeding index,BI)。应用Review Manager 5.4和Stata12.0软件进行Meta分析。结果共检索到文献111篇,经筛选后纳入5篇定量研究。Meta分析结果显示,对4 mm≤PD<6 mm的位点,治疗后3个月与6个月,内窥镜辅助组与单纯SRP组间的PD值均无显著性差异(P>0.05);PD≥6 mm的位点在治疗后3个月与6个月,各位点内窥镜辅助组PD值较单纯SRP组更小,两组差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05),而两组间的PLI、AL、BI无显著性差异(P>0.05)。结论辅助使用内窥镜与单纯SRP相比,在深牙周袋(PD≥6 mm)患者中具有更好地减小PD的作用,但对于PLI、AL、BI等临床指标,两种方法治疗效果无差异。

CFD investigation of the agitation in the desupersaturation during the wet-process phosphoric acid(WPPA)process

Desupersaturation is a complex cooling operation that involves hydrodynamic,thermal and mechanical phenomena.This process requires continuous agitation to avoid fouling problems and sludge deposition.The current work aims to investigate the well mixedness in the desupersaturation tank for optimal performance.For this purpose,a multi-fluid CFD study was conducted based on the Euler–Euler modeling approach,considering a multiphase flow involving a liquid phase(phosphoric acid)and a poly-dispersed solid phase,i.e.a sludge with three different sizes where each size is considered as a separate phase.First,the hydrodynamic behavior of the flow within the agitated desupersaturator is analyzed through the investigation of the velocity fields as well as the power and pumping numbers,to determine both the agitator capacity to pump the flow and its power consumption during the operation.Then,in order to assess the mixture homogeneity,we evaluated the solid suspension in the desupersaturation reactor following conventional methods and two new proposed methodologies:the first approach is to evaluate the suspension quality in the mixing system by compartment and the second consists on the assessment of the uniform convergence of the solid concentration.Furthermore,we calculated the time required to achieve a full suspension at different solid concentrations.On other hand,we conducted a detailed analysis of the solid distribution dependency on the impeller rotational speed at different solid volume fraction,which allows a good understanding of the parameters controlling the homogenization in the desupersaturator.

Potential Erosion Risk Calculation Using Remote Sensing and GIS in Oued El Maleh Watershed, Morocco

Oued El Maleh watershed is considered the largest ocean basin of the Chaouia-Ouardigha region in Morocco. Severe flooding occurred in 1996, 2001 and 2002 in the watershed. Thus, significant economic and human damage has been caused. The floods of Mohammedia city, located in the outlet of the watershed, were due to the silting of the Oued El Maleh dam which has lost its ability to retain water. This work, therefore, aims to assess soil losses by water erosion in the Oued El Maleh watershed through modeling main factors involved in water erosion. The methodology used is based on the use of the universal soil loss equation (USLE). The model includes the following factors: soil erodibility, the inclination of slopes, the rainfall erosivity, vegetation cover and erosion control practices. The aggressiveness of rainfall was calculated for a number of stations bordering the study area and interpolated across the watershed using geostatistical model. Soil erodibility was extracted from soil map and soil survey. The effect of topography was approached by combining the degree of slope and slope length using a digital elevation model (ASTER) and ArcHydrology extension (ArcGIS). The vegetation cover was derived from Landsat image ETM through the supervised classification method. The index of erosion control practices was approached by field visits. All factors have been measured and integrated into a geographic information system which enabled us to spatialize the degree of sediment production at the watershed scale in a synthetic map. The annual soil loss is 8.21 t/ha/yr and the soil loss classification shows that surfaces affected by high erosion are equivalent to 10% of the watershed. Furthermore, this map is available to support land managers policy makers in the process of decision making related to soil conservation, infrastructure and citizens’ property protection.

Impacts of anisotropy coefficient and porosity on the thermal conductivity and P-wave velocity of calcarenites used as building materials of historical monuments in Morocco

It is essential to study the porosity,thermal conductivity,and P-wave velocity of calcarenites,as well as the anisotropy coefficients of the thermal conductivity and P-wave velocity,for civil engineering,and conservation and restoration of historical monuments.This study focuses on measuring the thermal conductivity using the thermal conductivity scanning(TCS)technique and measuring the P-wave ve-locity using portable equipment.This was applied for some dry and saturated calcarenite samples in the horizontal and vertical directions(parallel and perpendicular to the bedding plane,respectively).The calcarenites were selected from some historical monuments in Morocco.These physical properties were measured in the laboratory to find a reliable relationship between all of these properties.As a result of the statistical analysis of the obtained data,excellent linear relationships were observed between the porosity and both the thermal conductivity and porosity.These relationships are characterized by relatively high coefficients of determination for the horizontal and vertical samples.Based on the thermal conductivity and P-wave velocity values in these two directions,the anisotropy coefficients of these two properties were calculated.The internal structure and the pore fabric of the calcarenite samples were delineated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),while their chemical and mineral compositions were studied using the energy dispersive X-ray analysis(EDXA)and X-ray diffraction(XRD)techniques.

Thermomechanical Characterization of a Bio-Sourced Material Based on Clay and Alfa Fibers

Bio-based materials are of great interest owing to their abundance and the immense potential they display as an ideal alternative to widely used industrial construction materials(that directly and indirectly harm the environment).In this scope,an in-depth experimental study is presented here on clay-based materials aimed to enhance their properties through the addition of other bio-based components such as fibers,in the present case alfa fiber.The thermal conductivity and mechanical properties(compressive and flexural tensile strengths)of the composite clay-alfa material are analyzed with the percentage of alfa fiber in the matrix ranging from 0%to 4%.It is concluded that a percentage of alfa fibers between 1%and 2%is the most effective to get the required optimization of thermal and mechanical behavior of this bio-based material.

A NEW SELF-ADAPTIVE ITERATIVE METHOD FOR GENERAL MIXED QUASI VARIATIONAL INEQUALITIES

The general mixed quasi variational inequality containing a nonlinear term φ is a useful and an important generalization of variational inequalities. The projection method can not be applied to solve this problem due to the presence of nonlinear term. It is well known that the variational inequalities involving the nonlinear term φ are equivalent to the fixed point problems and resolvent equations. In this article, the authors use these alternative equivalent formulations to suggest and analyze a new self-adaptive iterative method for solving general mixed quasi variational inequalities. Global convergence of the new method is proved. An example is given to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method.

Prevalence of substance use among moroccan adolescents and association with academic achievement

AIM: To investigate rates of drug and alcohol use and their association with academic performance in Moroccan youth. METHODS: An adapted version of the European School Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs survey was administered to 2139 10^(th)-12^(th) graders in 36 Moroccan public high schools. Two multiple logistic regressions were completed, one for male and one for female subjects. Grade average was used as a two-part outcome variable, and drug use was used as a four-level categorical independent variable. Parents' education levels and socioeconomic status were included as covariates. RESULTS: Of the subjects, 181 girls(16%) and 390 boys(40%) reported ever having used alcohol, hashish, or psychotropic drugs. Girls who had used any of those substances in the past 30 d demonstrated an adjusted odds ratio(AOR) of 2.62(95%CI: 1.31-5.22) of having average or below-average grades, and those with any lifetime use showed an AOR of 1.72(95%CI: 1.07-2.77). Among the boys, use in the past 30 d was associated with an AOR of 2.08(95%CI: 1.33-3.24) of average or below average grades, and use in the last 12 mo with an AOR of 1.74(95%CI: 1.00-3.05). Any lifetime use among male and previous 12 mo use among female subjects were not significantly associated with academic achievement.CONCLUSION: Among Moroccan adolescents, drug use is substantially different between boys and girls. In both genders, lower academic achievement was associated with alcohol, hashish, or psychotropic drug use in the last 30 d.

Crime forecasting:a machine learning and computer vision approach to crime prediction and prevention

A crime is a deliberate act that can cause physical or psychological harm,as well as property damage or loss,and can lead to punishment by a state or other authority according to the severity of the crime.The number and forms of criminal activities are increasing at an alarming rate,forcing agencies to develop efficient methods to take preventive measures.In the current scenario of rapidly increasing crime,traditional crime-solving techniques are unable to deliver results,being slow paced and less efficient.Thus,if we can come up with ways to predict crime,in detail,before it occurs,or come up with a“machine”that can assist police officers,it would lift the burden of police and help in preventing crimes.To achieve this,we suggest including machine learning(ML)and computer vision algorithms and techniques.In this paper,we describe the results of certain cases where such approaches were used,and which motivated us to pursue further research in this field.The main reason for the change in crime detection and prevention lies in the before and after statistical observations of the authorities using such techniques.The sole purpose of this study is to determine how a combination of ML and computer vision can be used by law agencies or authorities to detect,prevent,and solve crimes at a much more accurate and faster rate.In summary,ML and computer vision techniques can bring about an evolution in law agencies.

Predicting Cork Oak Suitability in Maâmora Forest Using Random Forest Algorithm

Maamora is considered the most important cork-oak forest in the world with regard to surface. Therefore, anthropic pressure, including cork harvesting, grazing and soft acorn picking up by local communities, has harmful consequences on forest regeneration and the forest become older exceeding harvesting age. Thus, its sustainability depends on the managers’ ability to succeed cork oak plantations. This work presents an assessment approach to evaluate Quercus suber suitability to its plantation which is based on a random forest algorithm (RF). In fact, this suitability has been assessed through analyzing management data related to previous plantation success rates (SR). Then a relationship between SR and a set of environmental and social factors has been investigated using the RF. Application of the fitted model to continuous maps of all involved factors enabled establishment of suitability maps which would help managers to make more rational decisions in terms of cork oak regeneration, ensuring Maamora forest sustainability.

Analysis of the Water Management System in a Mountain Territory, the Case of the Nekor Watershed, Rif, Morocco

Integrated management has become an essential approach for sustainable water resource management. However, if the concept seems relevant, its concrete application at the local scale has yet to be undertaken, with all the difficulties related to the complexity underlying the issue. The Rif is characterized by the multiplication and interdependence of uses, the overlapping responsibilities between public and private actors, the superposition of sectoral regulations, which raises the following question: Is the current management of water resources in the Rif mountains suitable for a future constraining on several aspects: socio-economic and climatic? The general objective of this work is to analyze the current management of water resources scientifically, politically, institutionally and legally, to identify the innovations needed for sustainable management and adaptation to climate change in the Rif Mountains. The systemic approach allowed us to highlight and prioritize the structuring elements of water management in the Nekor basin and their interactions. The crossing of hydrological data with socio-economic data allowed us to have a global and multidisciplinary vision of both uses and water resources, and of all the components of the system’s environment, the interdependencies influence the management system, despite the complexity accentuated by the lack of data. Indeed, it was difficult to identify the influence of each component. The current degradation of resources is only a reflection of a socio-cultural crisis that can only be remedied by a change in mentality, economic development, social equity and more solidarity between the city and rural communities.

Study of Visual Perception and Working Memory in Moroccan Adolescents Attending School

Visual Perception and working memory are essential neuropsychological skills for any learning. The objective of this research is to study these skills, by analyzing numerical plots, according to gender, age, level of study and the stream by evaluating perceptive and memory deficits in Moroccan adolescents attending school. Our sample contains 146 high school students, including 78 boys and 68 girls participated in this study and we used the numerical version of The Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test (ROCF-A) to assess visual perception and working memory. The results of this study showed that, on the one hand, more than 34% of the subjects examined show signs of perceptual deficit and more 21% show signs of memory deficit and, on the other hand, that the scores of the visual perception are significantly associated with age and that working memory scores are significantly associated with age, level of education, and stream.

Assessment of Cork Oak Decline Using Digital Multispectral Imagery in Relation with in Situ Crown Condition

Cork oak in Maamora forest is experiencing the dieback phenomenon. The evaluation of the latter in this forest has gained the importance over time and with the solicitation of managers to objectify its phytosanitary situation. Aiming at prioritizing management actions, remote sensing seems to be an effective tool to inquire about stands’ health conditions and their evolution. To this end, this study aims at mapping and validating health status of cork oak stands in Maamora. Sentinel 2 images in 2015 and 2020 were processed to calculate the differential normalized difference water index (NDWI), revealing vegetation moisture variation caused by drought. A statistical method based on thresholds was used to map cork oak dieback stands, those with no changes and those recovered. Results have shown that 54.63% of cork oak in Maamora forest have not changed in terms of phytosanitary situation between 2015 and 2020, 31.10% of oak stands are afflicted by a slight decline and 12.97% by a severe decline. Areas with slight or strong recovery remain minimal and represent 1.04% and 0.25% respectively. Ground data indicated that the map generated displayed a good distinction between stands severely and slightly declined with a global accuracy of 66.66%. Therefore, further research elaborating an advanced vegetation index reflecting the various factors of dieback would be of much importance.

科威特自身免疫性大疱性疾病谱

Background. Autoimmune bullous diseases (ABDs) are a rare but significant grou p of dermatoses that pose great challenges to the treating dermatologist. Most e pidemiological studies have focused on a single ABD. Few surveys have been carri ed out to describe the whole spectrum of ABDs in a region, and no such studies a re available from the Arabian Peninsula. Objectives. To determine the clinico-e pidemiological features of various ABDs in Kuwait, and to compare the results wi th those reported elsewhere. Methods. A total of 128 cases of ABDs were studied over a span of 11.5 years. The diagnosis in all cases was confirmed by histopath ology, and direct and indirect immunofluorescence (IMF). The diagnosis of variou s subepidermal ABDs was further confirmed by indirect IMF on salt-split skin (S SS) and that of pemphigus by desmoglein 1and3enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results. Eighty seven per cent of patients were of Arab ethnicity. Pemp higus was observed to be the commonest ABD (47%), followed by pemphigoid (22%) , pemphigoid gestationis (PG)(19%), linear IgA bullous disease (LABD) (7%), li chen planus pemphigoides (LPP) (3%), and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) (2.3%). The minimum estimated incidence in the local population was 4.6, 2.14, 1.83, 0.69, 0.30, and 0.23 cases per million per year, respectively. Pemphigus p atients were observed to have a younger age of onset (36.50 ±11.36 years)than r eported elsewhere. BP, although the second commonest ABD, was less prevalent tha n in Europe and Singapore, and BP patients were observed to have a striking fema le predominance (85%). The prevalence of PG was much higher than that reported elsewhere. LABD was the fourth commonest ABD, and 89%of patients were children. Conclusions. The study suggests that similar surveys from different regions wou ld expand our understanding of ABD.

Tourette综合征和深部脑刺激

In this prospective double blind randomised “ N of 1” study, a patient wit h a severe form of Tourette’ s syndrome was treated with bilateral high frequen cy stimulation of the centromedianparafascicular complex (Ce- Pf) of the thalam us, the internal part of the globus pallidus (GPi), or both. Stimulation of eith er target improved tic severity by 70% , markedly ameliorated coprolalia, and e liminated self injuries. Severe forms of Tourette’ s syndrome may benefit from stimulation of neuronal circuits within the basal ganglia, thus confirming the r ole of the dysfunction of limbic striatopallido- thalamo- cort- ical systems in this disorder.