Search

A vertically 2-D numerical model based on the Delft3D modelling system is set up, calibrated, and validated to simulate the tidal hydrodynamics in the Arabian Gulf. The model is a barotropic solution, controlled by 13 tidal components at open boundaries. The performance of the numerical model was evaluated using the hourly water level observations and the TOPEX/Poseidon altimetry data. Statistical analysis showed a good agreement between the simulated and observed water levels. RMS error was found to be ranged from 0.07 to 0.23 m, with maximum discrepancies observed at Ras Tanura and Mina Sulman stations. However, the IOA between the simulated and observed water levels was significant (0.95–0.99). On average, the errors for the tidal constituents considered in the analysis are in the order of

In recent years, the increasing detection of emerging pollutants (particularly antibiotics, such as sulfonamides) in agricultural soils and water bodies has raised growing concern about related environmental and health problems. In the current research, sulfadiazine (SDZ) adsorption was studied for three raw and chemically modified clays. The experiments were carried out for increasing doses of the antibiotic (0, 1, 5, 10, 20, and 40 μmol L -1 ) at ambient temperature and natural pH with a contact time of 24 h. The eventual fitting to Freundlich, Langmuir and Linear adsorption models, as well as residual concentrations of antibiotics after adsorption, was assessed. The results obtained showed that one of the clays (HJ1) adsorbed more SDZ (reaching 99.9 % when 40 μmol L -1 of SDZ were added) than the other clay materials, followed by the acid-activated AM clay (which reached 99.4 % for the same SDZ concentration added). The adsorption of SDZ followed a linear adsorption isotherm, suggesting that hydrophobic interactions, rather than cation exchange, played a significant role in SDZ retention. Concerning the adsorption data, the best adjustment corresponded to the Freundlich model. The highest Freundlich KF scores were obtained for the AM acid-treated and raw HJ1 clays (606.051 and 312.969 L n μmol 1-n kg -1 , respectively). The Freundlich n parameter ranged between 0.047 and 1.506. Regarding desorption, the highest value corresponded to the AM clay, being generally <10 % for raw clays, <8 % for base-activated clays, and <6 % for acid-activated clays. Chemical modifications contributed to improve the adsorption capacity of the AM clay, especially when the highest concentrations of the antibiotic were added. The results of this research can be considered relevant as regard environmental and public health assessment since they estimate the feasibility of three Tunisian clays in SDZ removal from aqueous solutions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Clay-based adsorbents have applications in environmental remediation, particularly in the removal of emerging pollutants such as antibiotics. Taking that into account, we studied the adsorption/desorption process of tetracycline (TC) using three raw and acid- or base-activated clays (AM, HJ1 and HJ2) collected, respectively, from Aleg (Mazzouna), El Haria (Jebess, Maknessy), and Chouabine (Jebess, Maknessy) formations, located in the Maknessy-Mazzouna basin, center-western of Tunisia. The main physicochemical properties of the clays were determined using standard procedures, where the studied clays presented a basic pH (8.39-9.08) and a high electrical conductivity (446-495 dS m -1 ). Their organic matter contents were also high (14-20%), as well as the values of the effective cation exchange capacity (80.65-97.45 cmol c kg -1 ). In the exchange complex, the predominant cations were Na and Ca, in the case of clays HJ1 and AM, while Mg and Ca were dominant in the HJ2 clay. The sorption experimental setup consisted in performing batch tests, using 0.5 g of each clay sample, adding the selected TC concentrations, then carrying out quantification of the antibiotic by means of HPL-UV equipment. Raw clays showed high adsorption potential for TC (close to 100%) and very low desorption (generally less than 5%). This high adsorption capacity was also present in the clays after being activated with acid or base, allowing them to adsorb TC in a rather irreversible way for a wide range of pH (3.3-10) and electrical conductivity values (3.03-495 dS m -1 ). Adsorption experimental data were studied as regards their fitting to the Freundlich, Langmuir, Linear and Sips isotherms, being the Sips model the most appropriate to explain the adsorption of TC in these clays (natural or activated). These results could help to improve the overall knowledge on the application of new low-cost methods, using clay based adsorbents, to reduce risks due to emerging pollutants (and specifically TC) affecting the environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Environmental discharge of wastewater represents a source of chemical and biological pollutants. This study firstly evaluates the microbiological and physicochemical quality of treated wastewaters collected from two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in two different Tunisian cities namely Sidi Bouzid (SB) and Gafsa (G). Then, the capacity of three raw and acid/base-activated local clays to enhance the quality of wastewaters was assessed. The results indicate that the quantities of enteric bacteria (oscillating from 1.381 × 10 3 to 1.4 × 10 8  CFU/100 mL), fungi (between 1.331 × 10 3 and 1.781 × 10 4  CFU/100 mL), as well as SARS-CoV-2 (between 4.25 × 10 3 and 5.05 × 10 5  CFU/100 mL) and Hepatitis A virus RNA (form 4.25 × 10 3 to 7.4 × 10 4  CFU/100 mL) detected in effluent wastewaters were not in compliance with the Tunisian standards for both studied WWTPs. Likewise for other indicators such as electrical conductivity (ranging 4.9-5.4 mS/cm), suspended matter (145-160 g l -1 ), chemical oxygen demand (123-160 mg l -1 ), biological oxygen demand 5 (172-195 mg l -1 ), chloride, Total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and phosphorus contents (710, 58-66 and 9.47-10.83 mg l -1 respectively), the registered values do not agree with the set standards established for wastewater treatment. On the other hand, the pH values fitted (oscillating from 6.86 (at G) to 7.24 (at SB) with the Tunisian standards for both WWTPs. After treatment, wastewaters showed better values for the microbiological parameters, especially for the clays designed as AM and HJ1, which eliminated 100% of viruses. In addition, when acid-activated AM clays were applied, a marked improvement in the quality of physicochemical parameters was obtained, especially for suspended matter (2 and 4 g l -1 for SB and G, respectively), TKN (5.2 (SB) and 6.40 (G) mg/l), phosphorus (1.01 (SB) and 0.81 (G) mg/l). Our results open perspectives for the possibility of efficiently using these specific clays in the enhancement of the quality of treated wastewaters., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The primers HAV2 and HAV3 differed by a single nucleotide, representing a deletion carried by some HAV strains and were used to amplify 5′ non-coding region (5′ NCR)., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: To calculate the predictive value and thus the clinical usefulness of transvaginal ultrasound (US) imaging for the management of deep endometriosis, knowing that the positive predictive value (PPV) varies with the prevalence and probably with the volume and location of the disease., Data Sources: After registration on PROSPERO (CRD42022366323), PubMed was searched for all reports describing the diagnostic accuracy of US imaging for deep endometriosis published between January 1, 2000, and October 20, 2022., Methods of Study Selection: The 536 articles on "endometriosis AND US And diagnosis" were hand searched, and 30 reports describing sensitivity and specificity of deep endometriosis were found. Besides sensitivity and specificity, the prevalence, localization, and size of deep endometriosis lesions were collected., Tabulation, Integration, and Results: Prevalences of deep endometriosis were reported only twice as 12% and 32% by ultrasonographers. In women undergoing surgery, prevalences vary between 40% and 100% because of the variable inclusion criteria. Specificity is higher than sensitivity for all locations: rectovaginal (97% [86-100] vs 74% [31-95], p = .0002), rectosigmoid (97% [63-100] vs 88% [37-97], p = .0082), vesicouterine (100% [97-100] vs 63% [22-100], p = .0021), and uterosacrals (91% [77-99] vs 68% [18-83], p = .0005). Notwithstanding improved equipment, accuracy did not vary over the last 20 years. Sensitivities or specificities have not been stratified by the size of the lesion, and thus, the lower detection limits are not known. In the absence of blinding, the usefulness for surgery could not be established., Conclusion: The reported sensitivities and specificities of transvaginal US are not only those of imaging but include symptoms and clinical examinations. In referral centers, the reported PPVs are high (94%-100%) given that prevalences are >10% and specificities are >95%. However, the extrapolation of the clinical use before surgical interventions should be considered with care, given that PPVs for smaller lesions and the lower detection limit are unknown and surgeons were not blinded to US results., (Copyright © 2023 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The implementation of the experimental methodology by optical measurements of mechanical fields, the development of a test bench, the specimen preparation, the experimental measurements, and the digital image correlation (DIC) method, have already been the object of research in the context of biological materials. Nevertheless, in the framework of the experimental identification of a mesoscopic stochastic model of the random apparent elasticity field, measurements of one specimen is required at both the macroscopic scale and the mesoscopic scale under one single loading. The nature of the cortical bone induces some difficulties, as no single speckled pattern technique is available for simultaneously obtaining the displacement at the macroscopic scale and at the mesoscopic scale. In this paper, we present a multiscale experimental methodology based on (i) an experimental protocol for one specimen of a cortical bone, (ii) its measuring bench, (iii) optical field measurements by DIC method, (iv) the experimental results, and (v) the multiscale experimental identification by solving a statistical inverse problem., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The KIT gene encodes a class III tyrosine kinase receptor in which specific somatic mutations have been found to be associated with many diseases. In this work, we investigated the prevalence of KIT mutations in patients with chronic and acute myelogenous leukemia (CML and AML) and their prognostic significance. A total of 157 subjects were included in the present study (84 patients with CML, 33 with AML, and 40 healthy controls). Patients were analyzed at the first diagnosis, and the KIT mutations were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing technologies. The results demonstrated the presence of a G/A transition at codon 796, which is associated with the R796K protein variation. This mutation was detected at 21.42% in the CML subgroup and was absent in both AML patients and healthy controls; however, no correlation was found between this mutation and clinical parameters such as the molecular response to Gleevec. In conclusion, we retain that the KIT gene is highly mutated in the CML subgroup, but its role as a prognostic factor needs to be further elucidated., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This 1-year (September 2000 to August 2001) prospective study investigated the presence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in the population of Monastir, Tunisia (86 serum samples), in the influents and effluents of two wastewater treatment plants, and in shellfish harvested in the coastal areas of Monastir, Bizerte and Sfax (January 2001 to May 2001). The virus was detected by RT-PCR using primers targeted at the VP3-VP1 region. An epidemic of HAV infection was observed during the winter months, with a peak in January. The presence of the virus was relatively constant in the influents and effluents of the wastewater treatment plants, and the virus was found in shellfish from the Monastir area during the months of January and February. The genotype IA strain was recovered most frequently from human serum and wastewater samples. The observation that the peak of the epidemic was during the winter months suggests that transmission of HAV is related to climatic factors and, presumably, to shellfish consumption.

Hydatid cysts concerning the heart are rare, accounting for 0.5 to 2% of all hydatic sites. The risk of serious complications in this location makes rapid diagnosis and surgical treatment essential. The aim of our study is to clarify the role of imaging in the diagnosis of the disease and to propose an adequate strategy. We report on 17 patients who underwent surgery for cardiopericardial hydatid cyst in the cardiovascular and thoracic unit of Sahloul hospital in Sousse from January 1988 to December 1998. Clinical investigation included in all cases chest X ray, ECG and ultrasonography (US). A computed tomography (CT) scan was performed in 14 cases, magnetic resonance imaging in three cases, transesophageal US in five cases, and coronary angiography in fsix cases. Examination for other hydatic sites was realized in all cases, and brain CT was performed in four cases. The hydatid cyst was variably localized in the left ventricle wall (five cases), the right ventricle (five cases), the pericardium (five cases), the interventricular septum (four cases), the right auricle (one case) and the left auricle (one case). The existence of other cardiac hydatid sites was found in 12 cases. All patients underwent surgery. Outcome was favorable in 14 cases, with a mean of 3 years and 5 months survey. Three patients died. The combination US-CT scan allowed a precise topographical inventory, reducing the need for MRI to the complicated cases and to the rare cases of inconclusive results by US-CT scan.

Background: Nephroblastoma' the most common renal tumor in children between 1 and 5 years, occurs rarely in the oldest child., Case Report: A 16-year-old teenager suffered from acute pyelonephritis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Renal ultrasonography showed a left subcapsular hematoma; the CT scan confirmed the finding and also showed renal scarring. However, a second CT scan showed pulmonary nodules suggestive of metastasis, a diagnosis that was confirmed by needle biopsy of pulmonary lesions. Recovery was obtained after chemotherapy and nephrectomy with a 3-year-follow-up., Conclusion: This nephroblastoma was particular because its development in an adolescent, its association with acute pyelonephritis and subcapsular hemorrhage.