Assessement of the Physico-Chemical Quality of Groundwater in the Sidi Yahya Region, Gharb, Morocco

Groundwater is the most important natural resource which cannot be optimally used and sustained unless its quality is properly assessed. The aim of this work is to study the physico-chemical quality of groundwater in the water table of the Sidi Yahya region (Gharb, Morocco). We have carried out a qualitative study of the water in different sites of the irrigated perimeter of Sidi Yahya. In fact several measurements (pH and groundwater depth) and laboratory analysis (ionic balance) were conducted to determine the physico-chemical characteristics of water. We prospected 33 wells distributed into 6 zones: A, B, C, D, E, and F. Data were statistically analyzed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that the depth of water table varied between 6 and 96 m and that 51.5% of the wells were highly to extremely saline, thus inadequate for irrigation. The studied zones do not have the same salinity level. In fact, the B and F zones represent a significantly higher salinity compared to other zones. Similarly, the difference was statistically significant between zones for pH, electrical conductivity, calcium, and nitrates. In conclusion, the use of waters of low quality for the irrigation leads to soil degradation by an accumulation of salts. This accumulation is more or less important depending on the quality of water, the nature of the soil, the climate and the technique of irrigation.

Antivascular therapy of human follicular thyroid cancer experimental bone metastasis by blockade of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Vascular Growth Factor Receptor phosphorylation

Patients suffering from bone metastases of Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma (FTC) have a poor prognosis because of the lack of effective treatment strategies. The overexpression of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) associated with increased vascularity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of FTC and subsequent bone metastases. We hypothesized that inhibiting the phosphorylation of the EGFR and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (VEGFR) by AEE788, a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor of EGFR and VEGFR, in combination with paclitaxel would inhibit experimental FTC bone lesions and preserve bone structure. We tested this hypothesis using the human WRO FTC cell line. In culture, AEE788 inhibited the EGF-mediated phosphorylation of EGFR, VEGFR2, mitogen-activated protein kinase and Akt in culture. AEE788, alone and in combination with paclitaxel, inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis. When WRO cells were injected into the tibia of nude mice, tumor and endothelial cells within the lesions expressed phosphorylated EGFR, VEGFR, Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase that were inhibited by the oral administration of AEE788. Therapy consisting of orally given AEE788 and i.p. injected paclitaxel induced a high level of apoptosis in tumor-associated endothelial cells and tumor cells with the inhibition of tumor growth in the bone and the preservation of bone structure. Collectively, these data show that blocking the phosphorylation of EGFR and VEGFR with AEE788 combined with paclitaxel can significantly inhibit experimental human FTC in the bone of nude mice

Fully automated, inline quantification of myocardial blood flow with cardiovascular magnetic resonance: repeatability of measurements in healthy subjects

Background: Non-invasive assessment of myocardial ischaemia is a cornerstone of the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Measurement of myocardial blood flow (MBF) using positron emission tomography (PET) is the current reference standard for non-invasive quantification of myocardial ischaemia. Dynamic myocardial perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) offers an alternative to PET and a recently developed method with automated inline perfusion mapping has shown good correlation of MBF values between CMR and PET. This study assessed the repeatability of myocardial perfusion mapping by CMR in healthy subjects. Methods: Forty-two healthy subjects were recruited and underwent adenosine stress and rest perfusion CMR on two visits. Scans were repeated with a minimum interval of 7 days. Intrastudy rest and stress MBF repeatability were assessed with a 15-min interval between acquisitions. Interstudy rest and stress MBF and myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) were measured for global myocardium and regionally for coronary territories and slices. Results: There was no significant difference in intrastudy repeated global rest MBF (0.65 ± 0.13 ml/g/min vs 0.62 ± 0.12 ml/g/min, p = 0.24, repeatability coefficient (RC) =24%) or stress (2.89 ± 0.56 ml/g/min vs 2.83 ± 0.64 ml/g/min, p = 0.41, RC = 29%) MBF. No significant difference was seen in interstudy repeatability for global rest MBF (0.64 ± 0.13 ml/g/min vs 0.64 ± 0.15 ml/g/min, p = 0.80, RC = 32%), stress MBF (2.71 ± 0.61 ml/g/min vs 2.55 ± 0.57 ml/g/min, p = 0.12, RC = 33%) or MPR (4.24 ± 0.69 vs 3.73 ± 0.76, p = 0.25, RC = 36%). Regional repeatability was good for stress (RC = 30–37%) and rest MBF (RC = 32–36%) but poorer for MPR (RC = 35–43%). Within subject coefficient of variation was 8% for rest and 11% for stress within the same study, and 11% for rest and 12% for stress between studies. Conclusions: Fully automated, inline, myocardial perfusion mapping by CMR shows good repeatability that is similar to the published PET literature. Both rest and stress MBF show better repeatability than MPR, particularly in regional analysis

Regional release and removal of catecholamines and extraneuronal metabolism to metanephrines

Contains fulltext : 21021___.PDF (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Corrigendum to “Effects of Climate Temperature and Water Stress on Plant Growth and Accumulation of Antioxidant Compounds in Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Leafy Vegetable”

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