Search Results (19)

Globally, arid and semi-arid agricultural land is characterized by low soil organic carbon (SOC) content. This impacts on the abundance and diversity of soil microorganisms in such environments. We therefore examined SOC and bacterial community structure dynamics in the single plots of the conventional (PC), improved fertilization (PA) and unimproved control (PT) at El Hmadna experimental station (Northwest Algeria) during five-time intervals T(0), T(15), T(70), T(104) and T(147 days). The SOC content was determined using the modified Walkley and Black method. The 16S rRNA genes were isolated from soils and sequenced using the Illumina sequencing platform. Over time, OC levels increased by more than 15%, especially in the improved plot. The highest OC stock was observed for the unmanaged control plot (47 Mg ha⁻¹), also associated with higher bacterial biomass. However, taxonomic analysis revealed that bacterial diversity was higher in PA and PC, with Actinobacteria (42%) and Firmicutes (15%) dominating. Soil salinity did negatively influence SOC but the imposed management practices such as organic amendments did improve both carbon retention and bacterial diversity. The results underline the importance of imposing sustainable agricultural practices to improve carbon sequestration and soil health in semi-arid regions. Full article

This paper deals with synthesizing Zn, Cu, and AgNPs supported on the surface of zeolite Y for catalytic and antimicrobial applications. Firstly, the zeolite Na-Y was exchanged with solutions containing metal precursors and then a chemical treatment was used to transform the metal cations into metal nanoparticles. The different samples were characterized by different characterization methods. The reduction of methylene blue (MB) and orange (OG) dyes in the presence of NaBH₄ and nanocatalysts in a simple and binary system showed good results. It was shown in this study that the concentration of the reagents, the nature of metal species, and the nature of the dye can influence the conversion of the dye. The calculated kapp obtained by the best catalyst (Ag/Y) in a simple system was 1.882 min⁻¹ and 1.115 min⁻¹ for MB and OG dyes, respectively. It was found that the Ag/Y catalyst was more selective via MB in the binary system containing OG+MB dyes. The reuse of the Ag/Y catalyst in five cycles showed good results via the conversion of the MB dye without losing its performance. For antimicrobial activities, encouraging results have been recorded on different strains having inhibition zones between 14 and 25 mm. Full article

Laboratory experiments are crucial for understanding scour around embedded structures. However, there is currently no standard and reliable instrumentation for monitoring the progression of this physical process in laboratory. In this paper, the capability of a novel 3D structural-light scanner technique to continuously measure the scour bed topography in uninterrupted flow is demonstrated. A suitable data processing procedure is developed to operate this device. Data processing is faster compared to other methods due to the automatic cloud reconstruction. This technique is rapid and allows for data acquisition with high vertical spatial accuracy. Flume tests are conducted on a circular pier founded in sand in clear water, as benchmark tests, to validate the effectiveness of this technique. The results observed with the scanner were coherent with those reported in the literature. Local scour initiation occurred near the sides of the pier. The maximum final scour depth measured was nearly equal to the pier diameter. This technique is considered non-intrusive under the tested hydraulic conditions and presents few limitations compared to other devices. Full article

Previous studies set out profound cognitive impairments in subjects with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, little is known about the course of such alterations depending on levels of improvement in those patients followed longitudinally. The main objective of this study was to describe the course of cognitive impairments in responder versus non-responder TRD patients at one-year follow-up. The second aim was to evaluate the predictive aspect of cognitive impairments to treatment resistance in patients suffering from TRD. We included 131 patients from a longitudinal cohort (FACE-DR) of the French Network of Expert TRD Centers. They undertook comprehensive sociodemographic, clinical, global functioning, and neuropsychological testing (TMT, Baddeley task, verbal fluencies, WAIS-4 subtests, D2 and RLRI-16) at baseline (V0) and one-year follow-up (V1). Most patients (n = 83; 63.36%) did not respond (47 women, 49.47 ± 12.64 years old), while one-third of patients responded (n = 48, 30 women, 54.06 ± 12.03 years old). We compared the cognitive performances of participants to average theoretical performances in the general population. In addition, we compared the cognitive performances of patients between V1 and V0 and responder versus non-responder patients at V1. We observed cognitive impairments during the episode and after a therapeutic response. Overall, each of them tended to show an increase in their cognitive scores. Improvement was more prominent in responders at V1 compared to their non-responder counterparts. They experienced a more marked improvement in code, digit span, arithmetic, similarities, and D2 tasks. Patients suffering from TRD have significant cognitive impairments that persist but alleviate after therapeutic response. Cognitive remediation should be proposed after therapeutic response to improve efficiency and increase the daily functioning. Full article

(1) Background: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) shares many similarities with substance use disorder (SUD), contributing to its recognition as an addictive disorder. Nevertheless, no study has compared IGD to other addictive disorders in terms of personality traits established as highly co-occurring with SUDs. (2) Methods: We recruited a sample of gamers (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) (MMORPGs) via online in-game forums. We compared 83 individuals with IGD (MMORPG-IGD group) to 47 former heroin addicts under methadone maintenance treatment (MMT; MMT group) with regard to alexithymia, impulsivity, sensation seeking and aggressiveness assessed through self-administered scales, being TAS-20, BIS-10, Z-SSS and BDHI, respectively. (3) Results: Our results draw a relatively similar personality profile between groups but indicate that the subject traits are generally more pronounced in the MMT cohort. The overall lesser intensity of these traits in the MMORPG-IGD group might reflect the greater variability in the severity of the IGD. (4) Conclusions: IGD shares personality traits with MMT, and intensity may be influenced by the severity of the addiction or by certain direct environmental factors, and might also influence the propensity towards one behavior rather than another. Full article

Bipolar disorder is associated with an increased risk of dementia with aging. Little is known regarding this association, limiting appropriate diagnosis and management. We aimed to describe the characteristics of bipolar patients with late cognitive impairment for whom the hypothesis of an underlying neurodegenerative disease had been raised. We performed a retrospective multicenter study, recruiting bipolar patients over 50 years old from five French tertiary memory centers who had undergone cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker assessment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Clinical, neuropsychological, and paraclinical characteristics were analyzed and 78 patients were included. The mean age at the onset of cognitive impairment was 62.4 years (±9.2). The mean MMSE score was 22.8 (±4.5), the mean FAB was 11.7 (±3.9), and the mean FCRST was 15.8 (±7.4)/36.8 (±9.7) (free/total recall). A total of 48.6% of the patients displayed cognitive fluctuations, and 38.2% showed cognitive improvement during follow-ups; and 56.3% of the patients showed Parkinsonism, of which 12.7% had never received antipsychotics. Among patients who underwent DAT-scans, 35.3% displayed dopaminergic denervation; 10.3% of patients had CSF AD biological signature (“A+ T+” profile), while 56.4% had other abnormal CSF profiles. Thus, clinical presentation was dominated by executive dysfunction, episodic memory impairment, fluctuating cognition, and a high frequency of Parkinsonism. Specifically, high frequency of delusional episodes suggests limited tolerance of psychotropic drugs. Most patients had abnormal CSF biomarker profiles, but only a minority displayed AD’s specific biomarker signature. Therefore, while our results unveil shared common neurocognitive features in bipolar patients with cognitive impairment of suspected neurodegenerative origin they suggest a participation of various underlying pathologies rather than a common degenerative mechanism in the pathophysiology of this condition. Full article

Based on a multidisciplinary and configurable modeling approach, this work deals with the optimal choice and the design of a hybrid propulsion with the associated power management strategy to replace a conventional propulsion in a low tonnage river ferry operating on short cycles, with the aim of reducing its environmental impact and the costs over its entire lifetime. The considered ferry is used for the transport of people and vehicles crossing the Seine river, with an installed propulsive power of 330 KW. The operating cycle of the ferry and the energy consumption of its classical propulsion have been determined experimentally and then used as references in simulations for validation and comparison purposes. Two hybrid structures involving the use of batteries and supercapacitors were proposed and compared. It is shown that the hybridization leads to a substantial reduction in CO₂ emissions. The supercapacitor- and battery-based hybrid structures lead respectively to 18% and 29.7% CO₂ reduction compared to classical propulsion, representing, respectively, about 382 and 626 tons of CO₂ reduction over 20 years of operation. Despite the fact that the use of batteries leads to a more significant reduction in CO₂ emissions, the solution using supercapacitors is chosen following a technical-economic study over 20 years of operation. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with progressive memory loss and decline in executive functions, as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms. Patients usually consider quality of life (QoL) and mood as more important for their health status than disease-specific physical and mental symptoms. In this open-label uncontrolled trial, 12 subjects diagnosed with AD underwent 10 sessions of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (10 Hz, 20 min, 2000 pulses/day, 110% MT). Outcomes were measured before and 30 days after treatment. Our primary objective was to test the efficacy of rTMS as an add-on treatment for AD on the global cognitive function, assessed through the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (MDRS). As secondary objectives, the detailed effect on cognitive functions, depression and anxiety symptoms, QoL, and functionality in daily life activities were evaluated, as well as correlations between QoL and cognition, depression and anxiety scores. The treatment significantly enhanced semantic memory and reduced anxiety. Improvement of these features in AD could become an important target for treatment strategies. Although limited by its design, this trial may contribute with another perspective on the analysis and the impact of rTMS on AD. Full article

Risk-taking is part of the multidimensional nature of impulsivity, consisting of an active engagement in behaviors or choices with potentially undesirable results, with probability as the cost for an expected reward. In order to understand the neurophysiological activity during risky behavior and its relationship with other dimensions of impulsivity, we have acquired event-related-potential (ERP) data and self-reported impulsivity scores from 17 non-clinical volunteers. They underwent high-resolution electroencephalography (HR-EEG) combined with an adapted version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), and completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-10) and the Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS). The ERP components were sensitive to valence (FRN, P300) and risk/reward magnitude (SPN, RewP). Our main finding evidenced a positive correlation between the amplitude of the P300 component following positive feedback and both the global UPPS score and the (lack of) perseverance UPPS subscale, significant for several adjacent electrodes. This finding might suggest an adaptive form of impulsive behavior, which could be associated to the reduction on the difference of the P300 amplitude following negative and positive feedback. However, further investigation with both larger clinical and non-clinical samples is required. Full article

Rhamnus alaternus, is a wild-growing shrub, belonging to the Rhamnaceae family. Widely distributed in the Mediterranean basin, R. alaternus is used in the usual medicine in numerous countries, mostly Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Spain, France, Italy, and Croatia. A large number of disorders—including dermatological complications, diabetes, hepatitis, and goiter problems—can be treated by the various parts of R. alaternus (i.e., roots, bark, berries, and leaves). Several bioactive compounds were isolated from R. alaternus, including flavonoids, anthocyanins, and anthraquinones, and showed several effects such as antioxidant, antihyperlipidemic, antigenotoxic, antimutagenic, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative. This review summarizes the updated information concerning the botanical description, distribution, extraction processes applied on R. alaternus, and its ethnopharmacology, toxicity, phytochemistry, and pharmacological effects. Full article

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is among the most common psychiatric disorders. One-third of patients are usually unresponsive to several lines of treatment. This study aimed to describe the FondaMental French cohort of patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and to estimate utility and healthcare resource use outcomes. Methods: Patients with TRD were evaluated prospectively over four years (baseline, 6, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 months) in a real-world clinical setting. Interim analyses focused on the first two consecutive years. Four MDD-related states (major depressive episode (MDE), response, remission, recovery) were defined based on the MADRS (Montgomery–Åsberg depression rating scale) and other clinical events. Health status was assessed with the EuroQol 5 Dimensions 5 Level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. Utility values were estimated as preference measures that the patients assigned to their overall health status. Results: This study was based on 252 patients with TRD. The mean utility value by health state was 0.41, 0.63, 0.80, and 0.90, for MDE, response, remission, and recovery, respectively. At baseline, 59% of patients had an MADRS score of at least 28. Their baseline average utility value was lower compared to the other patients (0.43 versus 0.58, p < 0.001). This significant difference persisted at the following visits. The rate of patients in MDEs having at least one hospitalisation for depression or other reasons than depression was generally higher than that in the other health states. Conclusion: This study documented patterns in healthcare resource consumption, quality of life, and other characteristics in patients with TRD, both globally and by health state and depression severity. Full article

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) might be a promising treatment strategy for depression. As disturbances in psychomotor activity are one of the key features of unipolar depression are, we aimed to evaluate the behavioral effects of ten tDCS sessions over a 5-day period on psychomotor retardation in depressed patients. Methods: Twenty-three treatment-resistant depressed patients received either active or sham anodal tDCS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (2 mA, 10 sessions over 1 week). Psychomotor functioning was registered by means of observer ratings (Salpêtrière Retardation Rating Scale—SRRS) and objective measures (kinematical analysis of movements, automatic imitation). Results: tDCS sessions resulted in improvements on SRRS scores, although active tDCS was not significantly superior to sham tDCS on the kinematical parameters. Furthermore, no general additional antidepressant effect of tDCS was observed. The relatively small sample size and the short periods of observation should be considered when interpreting these results. Conclusion: tDCS did not induce a clinically relevant effect on psychomotor function in active and sham stimulation groups. Full article

As the number and types of Islamic schools in a Western context have increased, so too have the questions on their purpose and impact in pluralistic Western societies. Amid this increasingly complex environment, questions are raised, both internally and externally, to determine the nature of Islamic educational goals, schools’ knowledge and pedagogical practices. Analysis in this paper draws on multiple sources of data: classical and contemporary literature on education in Islam; the Department for Education (DfE) school census and the Office for Standards in Education; Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted); and empirical case-study data extracted from the author’s PhD thesis on diversity in Islamic schools in Britain conducted during 2008–2012 and subsequently revised during 2018–2019 by following up emergent themes. This paper argues for a need to develop an “Islamic wisdom-based culture” promoting action (‘amal) which nurtures the holistic growth of learners in ethical areas (akhlāq), aesthetics (dhawq/jamāl) and develops a sense of freedom (huriyyah). By doing so, the paper draws primarily on Bennabi’s analysis of the role of culture (thaqāfah) in the civilisation cycle, Ibn-Khaldūn’s analysis of freedom and dignity in educational practice embedded in his discussion of the meanings of humanity) Al-insāniyyah) and Gadamer’s analysis of “practical wisdom”. Firstly, it contextualises Islamic schooling in Britain into a neoliberal pluralistic context. The wisdom inherent in Islamic education is explored through critical dialogue during the process of learning and action. The discussion then considers three key elements of “wisdom-based cultural environment” for Islamic education. Full article

The interest in using non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) for the treatment of major depression (MD), including treatment resistant depression, is growing rapidly. The paper by Bennabi and Haffen (Brain Sci. 2018, 8) was an important step towards the formal acceptance of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a possible form of therapy. Their review demonstrated favourable support for the beneficial effects of tDCS for MD, coupled with necessary practical considerations, such as its relatively low cost, portability/ease of use in clinical settings, non-invasiveness, and good tolerability. Here, we provide a follow-up to their review and sketch a current update. Means for optimizing tDCS efficacy and potential limitations of current studies are discussed. Full article