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Le léiomyosarcome de la vessie est une tumeur rare hautement maligne. Il survient aussi bien chez l'enfant que chez l'adulte avec une incidence maximale au-delà de 60 ans. Il semble atteindre préférentiellement le sexe masculin avec un sexe ratio 3/1. Sa présentation clinique est non spécifique et dominée par l'hématurie. La résection endoscopique de la vessie avec un examen anathomopathologique permet de poser le diagnostic. Le traitement du léiomyosarcome de la vessie reste sujet à de nombreuses controverses du fait de la rareté des cas rapportés dans la littérature. Cependant le traitement de choix semble être une cystectomie totale précédée d'une chimiothérapie néo-adjuvante lorsque l'état général du patient le permet. Nous rapportons une série de 3 cas de léiomyosarcome vésical qui ont été traités tous par une cystectomie totale avec des suites opératoires simple.

The active compounds found in many plants have been widely used in traditional medicine and ritual activities. However, archaeological evidence for the use of such plants, especially in the Palaeolithic period, is limited due to the poor preservation and fragility of seed, fruit, and other botanical macro-remains. In this study, we investigate the presence and possible uses of Ephedra during the Late Pleistocene based on the analysis of exceptionally preserved plant macrofossils recovered from c. 15 ka year-old archaeological deposits at Grotte des Pigeons in northeastern Morocco. This cave has yielded the earliest carbonized plant macrofossils of Ephedra, which were found concentrated in a human burial deposit along with other special finds. Ephedra is a plant known to produce high amounts of alkaloids, primarily ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, which have been utilized in traditional medicine. Direct radiocarbon dates on both Ephedra and the human remains indicate that they were contemporaneous. To understand the uses of Ephedra by people at the site, we discuss the different pathways through which plant remains could have arrived. We suggest that the charred cone bracts of Ephedra likely represent residues of the processing and consumption of the plant's fleshy cones, which may have been valued for both their nutritional and therapeutic properties. Furthermore, we interpret the presence of Ephedra and its deposition in the burial area as evidence that this plant played a significant role during the funerary activities., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Biofilm formation on food packaging surfaces is a major issue in the industry, as it leads to contamination, reduces shelf life, and poses risks to human health. To mitigate these effects, developing smart coatings that can actively sense and combat microbial growth has become a critical research focus. This study is motivated by the need for intelligent packaging solutions that integrate antimicrobial agents and sensors for real-time contamination detection. It is hypothesized that combining conducting polymers (CPs) with nanomaterials can enhance antimicrobial efficacy while maintaining the mechanical integrity and environmental stability required for food packaging applications. Through the application of numerous technologies like surface modification, CP-nanoparticle integration, and multilayered coating, the antimicrobial performance and sensor capabilities of these materials were analyzed. Case studies showed a 90% inhibition of bacterial growth and a tenfold decrease in viable bacterial counts with AgNPs incorporation, extending strawberries' shelf life by 40% and maintaining fish freshness for an additional 5 days. Moreover, multilayered CP coatings in complex systems have been shown to reduce oxidative spoilage in nuts and dried fruits by up to 85%, while maintaining the quality of leafy greens for up to 3 weeks under suboptimal conditions. Environmental assessments indicated a 30% reduction in carbon footprint when CP coatings were combined with biodegradable polymers, contributing to a more transparent and reliable food supply chain. CP-based films integrated with intelligent sensors exhibit high sensitivity, detecting ammonia concentrations below 500 ppb, and offer significant selectivity for sensing hazardous gases. These findings indicate that CP-based smart coatings markedly enhance food safety and sustainability in packaging applications., (© 2024 The Author(s). Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Institute of Food Technologists.)

Introduction: Thyroid follicular renal cell carcinoma is a special type of renal cell carcinoma newly recognized in recent years. The data is not mature due to the rarity of cases. The association of vesicular papillary tumors of the thyroid is exceptional, and this is the first publication describing such an association in the literature., Case Presentation: We present the case of a patient who consulted for a goiter. The definitive pathological examination of the specimen of the thyroidectomy showed papillary vesicular thyroid tumors. A month later, she presented with total hematuria; the CT scan revealed a left renal mass; the patient underwent a partial nephrectomy; and the definitive pathological examination of the specimen showed a thyroid follicular carcinoma-like renal tumor., Discussion: Thyroid-type follicular cell renal cell carcinomas are currently recognized as a distinct entity whose histological appearance is reminiscent of thyroid vesicular lesions. There are currently around 39 cases in the literature, but no concomitant thyroid localization has been observed. This finding cannot be verified in the absence of a systematic histological study of the thyroid gland. Our case invites discussion of other thyroid investigation modalities, in particular the value of thyroid biopsy versus cytopuncture, which is often inconclusive in this type of situation., Conclusion: At present, understanding of TFCLRT is still very limited. Even more so, their association with a thyroid tumor is exceptional in the literature. We need to increase the number of cases and conduct in-depth investigations with longer follow-up periods to better understand the situation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflicts of interests are to be declared by the authors., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

A thyroid nodule is managed according to the clinical context, ultrasound (US) findings, and fine needle aspiration (FNA) results. Most thyroid nodules are benign; however, nodule classification is crucial to avoid unnecessary thyroid surgery. We conducted this study to compare the findings of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) expressed using the Bethesda system with the features of thyroid US classified using the EU-TIRADS classification to assess the risk of malignancy. A descriptive and analytical study involving 99 patients with thyroid nodules followed up in the Department of Endocrinology-Diabetology and Nutrition. Data were collected from medical records and analyzed using SPSS software V21. FNA was performed on 121 nodules using the BETHESDA system. These nodules were classified as malignant, suspicious for follicular neoplasm, and suspicious for malignancy in 5.8%, 5%, and 1.7% of cases, respectively. As for the EU-TIRADS 2017 classification, 59.5% of benign nodules were classified as EU-TIRADS III, whereas 66.7% of malignant nodules were classified as EU-TIRADS V and significantly related to malignant prediction ( P = 0.000). The size of nodules was significantly correlated to the risk of malignancy ( P = 0.013). Seventy-five percent of nodules with central vascularity were malignant ( P = 0.012). Irregularity of nodule contours was significantly associated with the risk of malignancy, as 30% of nodules with irregular contours were Bethesda VI ( P = 0.003). Hypoechogenicity was found in 77.8% of malignant nodules ( P = 0.004). Additionally, only 9.2% of the nodules were taller than wide, of which 37.5% were malignant ( P = 0.012). For a safe management strategy, US-guided FNAC should be performed on each suspicious thyroid nodule, given the correlation between EU-TIRADS classification features and the risk of malignancy., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 by the authors.)

The aims of this study were to determine the polyphenolic profile, to estimate the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and to evaluate the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of the extract of Pistacia lentiscus leaves, and the hydroacetonic mixture was employed as an alternative for common solvents in the extraction process. In order to explain the antidiabetic activity, molecular docking has been performed on the main constituents of the leaf extract. The characterization of the extract has been performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) leading to the detection of 20 compounds of which gallic acid, ellagic acid, catechin, kaempferol, and quercetin 3-glucoside were identified using authentic standards. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, assessed using the Folin-Ciocalteu and quercetin methods, were 394.5 ± 0.08 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry extract (mg GAE/g DE) and 101.2 ± 0.095 mg quercetin equivalent/g dry extract (mg QE/g DE), respectively. On the other hand, the antioxidant activity of leaf extract, quantified by determining the ability to neutralize the free radical DPPH and β -carotene/linoleate model system, reached the values of 0.0027 ± 0.002 mg/mL and 0.128 ± 0.04 mg/mL, respectively. Regarding the antidiabetic activity, based on the inhibition of pancreatic α -amylase activity, a significant inhibition of about 68.20% with an IC 50 value of 0.266 mg/mL had been observed. This finding is consistent with the molecular docking study of the main phenolic compounds of the extracts, where a remarkable binding affinity against α -amylase was observed, with values of -7.631 (kcal/mol), -6.818 (kcal/mol), and -5.517 (kcal/mol) for the major compounds catechin, quercetin-3-glucoside, and gallic acid, respectively., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Hamza Bouakline et al.)

Rosmarinus officinalis L. compounds, especially its main polyphenolic compounds, carnosic acid (CA) and rosmarinic acid (RA ), influence various facets of cancer biology, making them valuable assets in the ongoing fight against cancer. These two secondary metabolites exhibit formidable antioxidant properties that are a pivotal contributor against the development of cancer. Their antitumor effect has been related to diverse mechanisms. In the case of CA, it has the capacity to induce cell death of cancer cells through the rise in ROS levels within the cells, the inhibition of protein kinase AKT, the activation of autophagy-related genes (ATG) and the disrupt mitochondrial membrane potential. Regarding RA, its antitumor actions encompass apoptosis induction through caspase activation, the inhibition of cell proliferation by interrupting cell cycle progression and epigenetic regulation, antioxidative stress-induced DNA damage, and interference with angiogenesis to curtail tumor growth. To understand the molecular interaction between rosemary compounds (CA and RA) and a protein that is involved in cancer and inflammation, S100A8, we have performed a series of molecular docking analyses using the available three-dimensional structures (PDBID: 1IRJ, 1MR8, and 4GGF). The ligands showed different binding intensities in the active sites with the protein target molecules, except for CA with the 1MR8 protein.

In the current era, alternative but environment-friendly sources of energy have gained attention to meet the growing energy demands. In particular, the focus of research has been solar energy and using it to fulfill energy demands. Solar energy is either directly converted into electrical energy or stored for later use. Solar cells are a practical way to turn solar energy into electrical energy. Various materials are being investigated to manufacture solar cell devices that can absorb a maximum number of photons present in sunlight. The present study reports thermally evaporated in situ Cu-doped SnS photon absorber thin films with tunable physical properties. This study mainly explored the effects of changing Cu concentrations on the physical features of light absorption of SnS thin films. The thin films were formed by simultaneous resistive heating of Cu and SnS powders on glass substrates at 150 °C. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed pure SnS thin films having orthorhombic polycrystalline crystal structures oriented preferentially along the (111) plane. Raman spectroscopy confirmed this phase purity. Photoconductivity studies showed phase dependence on Cu content that improved with increasing concentrations of Cu. The optical bandgap energy was also found to be dependent on Cu content and was observed at 1.10-1.47 eV for SnS thin films with variation in the Cu content, i.e. , 0-18%. According to the hot probe method, all films displayed p-type conductivity for the substitution of Cu metal atoms. These findings demonstrated that the prepared thin films are substantial candidates as low-cost, suitably efficient, thin-film solar cells featuring environmentally-friendly active layers that absorb sunlight.

Introduction: neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), as a biomarker of the systemic inflammatory response, has been studied for diverse tumors. Our study aims to determine whether the NLR can be reliably used as a tool to predict disease course in patients diagnosed with primary non-muscle invasive bladder tumors (NMIBC)., Methods: a retrospective study between 2009 to 2014 was conducted on 300 patients newly diagnosed with NMIBC at our institution. The cut-off value of NLR was set at 2.5. Survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. The association between recurrence, progression, and NLR was assessed univariate, and the prognostic significance of high NLR was assessed using multivariate analysis., Results: one hundred and seventy-five patients had an NLR <2.5 and 125 patients had an NLR ≥ 2.5. The survival rate with recurrence at 5 years was higher in the group with an NLR >2.5 (p<0.001, 35 vs 18 months), similarly, the survival rate with progression at 5 years was higher in the group with an NLR > 2.5 (p=0.001, 36 vs. 27 months). The failure rate of immunotherapy using BCG was higher when the NLR was over 2.5. In a multivariate analysis, the factors associated with recurrence were NLR>2.5 (HR=2.03, 95% CI=1.32-3.11, p=0.001), pathologic stage pT1 (HR=2.42, 95% CI=1.52-3.85, p=0.001), high-grade (HR=1.76, 95% CI=1.52-3.92, p=0.01), concomitant CIS lesions (HR=2.31, 95% CI=1.36-3.92, p=0.001), presence of lymphovascular emboli (HR=5.77, 95% CI=1.77-18.78, p=0.004), and BCG immunotherapy failure (HR=5.29, 95% CI=2.88-9.70, p=0.001). With regard to progression, in a multivariate study, the significant factors were NLR>2.5(HR=2.91, 95% CI=1.17-7.23, p=0.01), BCG immunotherapy failure (HR=5.68, 95% CI=3.16-10.22, p=0.001), and the presence of lymphovascular emboli (HR=5.01, 95% CI=1.50-16.05, p=0.001)., Conclusion: preoperative NLR value could predict recurrence, progression, and failure of BCG immunotherapy in NMIBC patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright: Idriss Ziani et al.)

In recent decades, food-packaging markets have attracted researchers' interest in many ways because such industries can directly affect human health. In this framework, the present study emphasizes the interesting and smart properties provided by new nanocomposites based on conducting polymers (CPs), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and cellulose fibers (CFs) and their possible applications as active food packaging. Polyaniline and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) containing AgNPs were elaborated on via a simple one-step in situ chemical oxidative polymerization on CFs. Spectroscopic and microscopic characterization allowed a full discussion of the morphology and chemical structure of the nanocomposites and confirmed the successful polymerization of the monomer as well as the incorporation of AgNPs into the CP-based formulation. This study aims to demonstrate that it is possible to produce a highly efficient package with enhanced protective properties. Thus, the synthesized nanocomposites were tested as volatile organic compounds, sensors, and antibacterial and antioxidant agents. It is shown that the elaborated materials can, on the one hand, inhibit the development of biofilms and decrease the oxidation reaction rate of foodstuffs and, on the other hand, detect toxic gases generated by spoiled food. The presented method has unlocked massive opportunities for using such formulations as an interesting alternative for classical food containers. The smart and novel properties offered by the synthesized composites can be operated for future industrial applications to prevent any degradation of the packaged products by offering optimum protection and creating an atmosphere that can extend the shelf life of foodstuffs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Ornaments such as beads are among the earliest signs of symbolic behavior among human ancestors. Their appearance signals important developments in both cognition and social relations. This paper describes and presents contextual information for 33 shell beads from Bizmoune Cave (southwest Morocco). Many of the beads come as deposits dating to ≥142 thousand years, making them the oldest shell beads yet recovered. They extend the dates for the first appearance of this behavior into the late Middle Pleistocene. The ages and ubiquity of beads in Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites in North Africa provide further evidence of the potential importance of these artifacts as signals of identity. The early and continued use of Tritia gibbosula and other material culture traits also suggest a remarkable degree of cultural continuity among early MSA Homo sapiens groups across North Africa.

Buschke-Lowenstein (BLT) tumor or giant condyloma acuminatum (GCA) is a rare viral disease belonging to the group of verrucous carcinomas; the virus responsible is human papilloma virus (HPV) type 6 and 11 which is transmitted in humans by sexual contact. It is characterized by its extension within the surface layer and at depth, by its degenerative potential and by its recurrent nature after treatment. Therapy is based on surgery. We report the case of a 53-year old patient with a history of recurrent urethritis and a multiplicity of partners without homosexual encounters, presenting with a lesion at the level of the penis. The symptoms started three years before and were caused by a nonpainful budding tumor growing gradually at the level of the root of the penis resulting in tingling and bleeding. Clinical examination showed a dyschromic, infiltrating, cauliflower-like, papillomatous tumor measuring 13cm along its longer axis on the dorsal surface of the penis, with patchy ulcers and extending to the suprapubic region. The remainder of the clinical examination was normal and the assessment of sexually transmitted infection (STI) was negative. Treatment was based on complete surgical resection of the tumor. Soft tissue was covered by the surrounding skin. The anatomopathological study showed a giant genital wart without signs of malignancy. The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient didn't develop tumor recurrence during a 5-year follow-up period., (Copyright: Ahmed Ibrahimi et al.)