Owing to the comeback of small-scale models, this paper presents results of an experimental study based on the effect of underground circular voids on strip footing placed on the edge of a cohesionless slope and subjected to eccentric loads. The bearing capacity-settlement relationship of footing on the slope and impact of diverse variables are expressed using dimensionless parameters such as the top vertical distance of the void from the base of footing, horizontal space linking the void-footing centre, and load eccentricity. The results verified that the stability of strip footing is influenced by the underground void, as well as the critical depth between the soil and top layer of the void. The critical horizontal distance between the void and the centre was also affected by the underground void. Furthermore, the results also verified that the influence of the void appeared insignificant when it was positioned at a depth or eccentricity equal to twice the width of footing.    

Owing to the comeback of small-scale models, this paper presents results of an experimental study based on the effect of underground circular voids on strip footing placed on the edge of a cohesionless slope and subjected to eccentric loads. The bearing capacity-settlement relationship of footing on the slope and impact of diverse variables are expressed using dimensionless parameters such as the top vertical distance of the void from the base of footing, horizontal space linking the void-footing centre, and load eccentricity. The results verified that the stability of strip footing is influenced by the underground void, as well as the critical depth between the soil and top layer of the void. The critical horizontal distance between the void and the centre was also affected by the underground void. Furthermore, the results also verified that the influence of the void appeared insignificant when it was positioned at a depth or eccentricity equal to twice the width of footing.    

Owing to the comeback of small-scale models, this paper presents results of an experimental study based on the effect of underground circular voids on strip footing placed on the edge of a cohesionless slope and subjected to eccentric loads. The bearing capacity-settlement relationship of footing on the slope and impact of diverse variables are expressed using dimensionless parameters such as the top vertical distance of the void from the base of footing, horizontal space linking the void-footing centre, and load eccentricity. The results verified that the stability of strip footing is influenced by the underground void, as well as the critical depth between the soil and top layer of the void. The critical horizontal distance between the void and the centre was also affected by the underground void. Furthermore, the results also verified that the influence of the void appeared insignificant when it was positioned at a depth or eccentricity equal to twice the width of footing.    

Recently and due to the impressive growth in the amounts of transmitted data over the heterogeneous sensor networks and the emerged related technologies especially the Internet of Things in which the number of the connected devices and the data consumption are remarkably growing, big data has emerged as a widely recognized trend and is increasingly being talked about. The term big data is not only about the volume of data, but also refers to the high speed of transmission and the wide variety of information that is difficult to collect, store and process using the available classical technologies. Although the generated data by the individual sensors may not appear to be significant, all the data generated through the many sensors in the connected sensor networks are able to produce large volumes of data. Big data management imposes additional constraints on the wireless sensor networks and especially on the data aggregation process, which represents one of the essential paradigms in wireless sensor networks. Data aggregation process can represent a solution to the problem of big data by allowing data from different sources to be combined to eliminate the redundant ones and consequently reduce the amounts of data and the consumption of the available resources in the network. The main objective of this work is to propose a new approach for supporting big data in the data aggregation process in heterogeneous wireless sensor networks. The proposed approach aims to reduce the data aggregation cost in terms of energy consumption by balancing the data loads on the heterogeneous nodes. The proposal is improved by integrating the feedback control closed loop to reinforce the balance of the data aggregation load on the nodes, maintaining therefore an optimal delay and aggregation time.

Recently and due to the impressive growth in the amounts of transmitted data over the heterogeneous sensor networks and the emerged related technologies especially the Internet of Things in which the number of the connected devices and the data consumption are remarkably growing, big data has emerged as a widely recognized trend and is increasingly being talked about. The term big data is not only about the volume of data, but also refers to the high speed of transmission and the wide variety of information that is difficult to collect, store and process using the available classical technologies. Although the generated data by the individual sensors may not appear to be significant, all the data generated through the many sensors in the connected sensor networks are able to produce large volumes of data. Big data management imposes additional constraints on the wireless sensor networks and especially on the data aggregation process, which represents one of the essential paradigms in wireless sensor networks. Data aggregation process can represent a solution to the problem of big data by allowing data from different sources to be combined to eliminate the redundant ones and consequently reduce the amounts of data and the consumption of the available resources in the network. The main objective of this work is to propose a new approach for supporting big data in the data aggregation process in heterogeneous wireless sensor networks. The proposed approach aims to reduce the data aggregation cost in terms of energy consumption by balancing the data loads on the heterogeneous nodes. The proposal is improved by integrating the feedback control closed loop to reinforce the balance of the data aggregation load on the nodes, maintaining therefore an optimal delay and aggregation time.

Recently and due to the impressive growth in the amounts of transmitted data over the heterogeneous sensor networks and the emerged related technologies especially the Internet of Things in which the number of the connected devices and the data consumption are remarkably growing, big data has emerged as a widely recognized trend and is increasingly being talked about. The term big data is not only about the volume of data, but also refers to the high speed of transmission and the wide variety of information that is difficult to collect, store and process using the available classical technologies. Although the generated data by the individual sensors may not appear to be significant, all the data generated through the many sensors in the connected sensor networks are able to produce large volumes of data. Big data management imposes additional constraints on the wireless sensor networks and especially on the data aggregation process, which represents one of the essential paradigms in wireless sensor networks. Data aggregation process can represent a solution to the problem of big data by allowing data from different sources to be combined to eliminate the redundant ones and consequently reduce the amounts of data and the consumption of the available resources in the network. The main objective of this work is to propose a new approach for supporting big data in the data aggregation process in heterogeneous wireless sensor networks. The proposed approach aims to reduce the data aggregation cost in terms of energy consumption by balancing the data loads on the heterogeneous nodes. The proposal is improved by integrating the feedback control closed loop to reinforce the balance of the data aggregation load on the nodes, maintaining therefore an optimal delay and aggregation time.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a group of chronic heterogenous disorders that manifests as joint inflammation in patients aged <16 years. Globally, approximately 3 million children and young adults are suffering from JIA with prevalence rates consistently higher in girls. The region of Africa and Middle East constitute a diverse group of ethnicities, socioeconomic conditions, and climates which influence the prevalence of JIA. There are only a few studies published on epidemiology of JIA in the region. There is an evident paucity of adequate and latest data from the region. This review summarizes the available data on the prevalence of JIA and its subtypes in Africa and Middle East and discusses unmet needs for patients in this region. A total of 8 journal publications were identified concerning epidemiology and 42 articles describing JIA subtypes from Africa and Middle East were included. The prevalence of JIA in Africa and Middle East was observed to be towards the lower range of the global estimate. We observed that the most prevalent subtype in the region was oligoarticular arthritis. The incidence of uveitis and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity were found to be lower as compared to the incidence from other regions. There is a huge unmet medical need in the region for reliable epidemiological data, disease awareness, having regional and local treatment guidelines and timely diagnosis. Paucity of the pediatric rheumatologists and economic disparities also contribute to the challenges regarding the management of JIA.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a group of chronic heterogenous disorders that manifests as joint inflammation in patients aged <16 years. Globally, approximately 3 million children and young adults are suffering from JIA with prevalence rates consistently higher in girls. The region of Africa and Middle East constitute a diverse group of ethnicities, socioeconomic conditions, and climates which influence the prevalence of JIA. There are only a few studies published on epidemiology of JIA in the region. There is an evident paucity of adequate and latest data from the region. This review summarizes the available data on the prevalence of JIA and its subtypes in Africa and Middle East and discusses unmet needs for patients in this region. A total of 8 journal publications were identified concerning epidemiology and 42 articles describing JIA subtypes from Africa and Middle East were included. The prevalence of JIA in Africa and Middle East was observed to be towards the lower range of the global estimate. We observed that the most prevalent subtype in the region was oligoarticular arthritis. The incidence of uveitis and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity were found to be lower as compared to the incidence from other regions. There is a huge unmet medical need in the region for reliable epidemiological data, disease awareness, having regional and local treatment guidelines and timely diagnosis. Paucity of the pediatric rheumatologists and economic disparities also contribute to the challenges regarding the management of JIA.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a group of chronic heterogenous disorders that manifests as joint inflammation in patients aged <16 years. Globally, approximately 3 million children and young adults are suffering from JIA with prevalence rates consistently higher in girls. The region of Africa and Middle East constitute a diverse group of ethnicities, socioeconomic conditions, and climates which influence the prevalence of JIA. There are only a few studies published on epidemiology of JIA in the region. There is an evident paucity of adequate and latest data from the region. This review summarizes the available data on the prevalence of JIA and its subtypes in Africa and Middle East and discusses unmet needs for patients in this region. A total of 8 journal publications were identified concerning epidemiology and 42 articles describing JIA subtypes from Africa and Middle East were included. The prevalence of JIA in Africa and Middle East was observed to be towards the lower range of the global estimate. We observed that the most prevalent subtype in the region was oligoarticular arthritis. The incidence of uveitis and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity were found to be lower as compared to the incidence from other regions. There is a huge unmet medical need in the region for reliable epidemiological data, disease awareness, having regional and local treatment guidelines and timely diagnosis. Paucity of the pediatric rheumatologists and economic disparities also contribute to the challenges regarding the management of JIA.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a group of chronic heterogenous disorders that manifests as joint inflammation in patients aged <16 years. Globally, approximately 3 million children and young adults are suffering from JIA with prevalence rates consistently higher in girls. The region of Africa and Middle East constitute a diverse group of ethnicities, socioeconomic conditions, and climates which influence the prevalence of JIA. There are only a few studies published on epidemiology of JIA in the region. There is an evident paucity of adequate and latest data from the region. This review summarizes the available data on the prevalence of JIA and its subtypes in Africa and Middle East and discusses unmet needs for patients in this region. A total of 8 journal publications were identified concerning epidemiology and 42 articles describing JIA subtypes from Africa and Middle East were included. The prevalence of JIA in Africa and Middle East was observed to be towards the lower range of the global estimate. We observed that the most prevalent subtype in the region was oligoarticular arthritis. The incidence of uveitis and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity were found to be lower as compared to the incidence from other regions. There is a huge unmet medical need in the region for reliable epidemiological data, disease awareness, having regional and local treatment guidelines and timely diagnosis. Paucity of the pediatric rheumatologists and economic disparities also contribute to the challenges regarding the management of JIA.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a group of chronic heterogenous disorders that manifests as joint inflammation in patients aged <16 years. Globally, approximately 3 million children and young adults are suffering from JIA with prevalence rates consistently higher in girls. The region of Africa and Middle East constitute a diverse group of ethnicities, socioeconomic conditions, and climates which influence the prevalence of JIA. There are only a few studies published on epidemiology of JIA in the region. There is an evident paucity of adequate and latest data from the region. This review summarizes the available data on the prevalence of JIA and its subtypes in Africa and Middle East and discusses unmet needs for patients in this region. A total of 8 journal publications were identified concerning epidemiology and 42 articles describing JIA subtypes from Africa and Middle East were included. The prevalence of JIA in Africa and Middle East was observed to be towards the lower range of the global estimate. We observed that the most prevalent subtype in the region was oligoarticular arthritis. The incidence of uveitis and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity were found to be lower as compared to the incidence from other regions. There is a huge unmet medical need in the region for reliable epidemiological data, disease awareness, having regional and local treatment guidelines and timely diagnosis. Paucity of the pediatric rheumatologists and economic disparities also contribute to the challenges regarding the management of JIA.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a group of chronic heterogenous disorders that manifests as joint inflammation in patients aged <16 years. Globally, approximately 3 million children and young adults are suffering from JIA with prevalence rates consistently higher in girls. The region of Africa and Middle East constitute a diverse group of ethnicities, socioeconomic conditions, and climates which influence the prevalence of JIA. There are only a few studies published on epidemiology of JIA in the region. There is an evident paucity of adequate and latest data from the region. This review summarizes the available data on the prevalence of JIA and its subtypes in Africa and Middle East and discusses unmet needs for patients in this region. A total of 8 journal publications were identified concerning epidemiology and 42 articles describing JIA subtypes from Africa and Middle East were included. The prevalence of JIA in Africa and Middle East was observed to be towards the lower range of the global estimate. We observed that the most prevalent subtype in the region was oligoarticular arthritis. The incidence of uveitis and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity were found to be lower as compared to the incidence from other regions. There is a huge unmet medical need in the region for reliable epidemiological data, disease awareness, having regional and local treatment guidelines and timely diagnosis. Paucity of the pediatric rheumatologists and economic disparities also contribute to the challenges regarding the management of JIA.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a group of chronic heterogenous disorders that manifests as joint inflammation in patients aged <16 years. Globally, approximately 3 million children and young adults are suffering from JIA with prevalence rates consistently higher in girls. The region of Africa and Middle East constitute a diverse group of ethnicities, socioeconomic conditions, and climates which influence the prevalence of JIA. There are only a few studies published on epidemiology of JIA in the region. There is an evident paucity of adequate and latest data from the region. This review summarizes the available data on the prevalence of JIA and its subtypes in Africa and Middle East and discusses unmet needs for patients in this region. A total of 8 journal publications were identified concerning epidemiology and 42 articles describing JIA subtypes from Africa and Middle East were included. The prevalence of JIA in Africa and Middle East was observed to be towards the lower range of the global estimate. We observed that the most prevalent subtype in the region was oligoarticular arthritis. The incidence of uveitis and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity were found to be lower as compared to the incidence from other regions. There is a huge unmet medical need in the region for reliable epidemiological data, disease awareness, having regional and local treatment guidelines and timely diagnosis. Paucity of the pediatric rheumatologists and economic disparities also contribute to the challenges regarding the management of JIA.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a group of chronic heterogenous disorders that manifests as joint inflammation in patients aged <16 years. Globally, approximately 3 million children and young adults are suffering from JIA with prevalence rates consistently higher in girls. The region of Africa and Middle East constitute a diverse group of ethnicities, socioeconomic conditions, and climates which influence the prevalence of JIA. There are only a few studies published on epidemiology of JIA in the region. There is an evident paucity of adequate and latest data from the region. This review summarizes the available data on the prevalence of JIA and its subtypes in Africa and Middle East and discusses unmet needs for patients in this region. A total of 8 journal publications were identified concerning epidemiology and 42 articles describing JIA subtypes from Africa and Middle East were included. The prevalence of JIA in Africa and Middle East was observed to be towards the lower range of the global estimate. We observed that the most prevalent subtype in the region was oligoarticular arthritis. The incidence of uveitis and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity were found to be lower as compared to the incidence from other regions. There is a huge unmet medical need in the region for reliable epidemiological data, disease awareness, having regional and local treatment guidelines and timely diagnosis. Paucity of the pediatric rheumatologists and economic disparities also contribute to the challenges regarding the management of JIA.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a group of chronic heterogenous disorders that manifests as joint inflammation in patients aged <16 years. Globally, approximately 3 million children and young adults are suffering from JIA with prevalence rates consistently higher in girls. The region of Africa and Middle East constitute a diverse group of ethnicities, socioeconomic conditions, and climates which influence the prevalence of JIA. There are only a few studies published on epidemiology of JIA in the region. There is an evident paucity of adequate and latest data from the region. This review summarizes the available data on the prevalence of JIA and its subtypes in Africa and Middle East and discusses unmet needs for patients in this region. A total of 8 journal publications were identified concerning epidemiology and 42 articles describing JIA subtypes from Africa and Middle East were included. The prevalence of JIA in Africa and Middle East was observed to be towards the lower range of the global estimate. We observed that the most prevalent subtype in the region was oligoarticular arthritis. The incidence of uveitis and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity were found to be lower as compared to the incidence from other regions. There is a huge unmet medical need in the region for reliable epidemiological data, disease awareness, having regional and local treatment guidelines and timely diagnosis. Paucity of the pediatric rheumatologists and economic disparities also contribute to the challenges regarding the management of JIA.

Colistin is one of the last-line therapies against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, especially carbapenemase-producing isolates, making resistance to this compound a major global public-health crisis. Until recently, colistin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria was known to arise only by chromosomal mutations. However, a plasmid-mediated colistin resistance mechanism was described in late 2015. This mechanism is encoded by different mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes that encode phosphoethanolamine (pEtN) transferases. These enzymes catalyse the addition of a pEtN moiety to lipid A in the bacterial outer membrane leading to colistin resistance. MCR-producing Gram-negative bacteria have been largely disseminated worldwide. However, their environmental dissemination has been underestimated. Indeed, water environments act as a connecting medium between different environments, allowing them to play a crucial role in the spread of antibiotic resistance between the natural environment and humans and other animals. For a better understanding of the role of such environments as reservoirs and/or dissemination routes of mcr genes, this review discusses primarily the various water habitats contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Thereafter, we provide an overview of existing knowledge regarding the global epidemiology of mcr genes in water environments. This review confirms the global distribution of mcr genes in several water environments, including wastewater from different origins, surface water and tap water, making these environments reservoirs and dissemination routes of concern for this resistance mechanism.

Colistin is one of the last-line therapies against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, especially carbapenemase-producing isolates, making resistance to this compound a major global public-health crisis. Until recently, colistin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria was known to arise only by chromosomal mutations. However, a plasmid-mediated colistin resistance mechanism was described in late 2015. This mechanism is encoded by different mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes that encode phosphoethanolamine (pEtN) transferases. These enzymes catalyse the addition of a pEtN moiety to lipid A in the bacterial outer membrane leading to colistin resistance. MCR-producing Gram-negative bacteria have been largely disseminated worldwide. However, their environmental dissemination has been underestimated. Indeed, water environments act as a connecting medium between different environments, allowing them to play a crucial role in the spread of antibiotic resistance between the natural environment and humans and other animals. For a better understanding of the role of such environments as reservoirs and/or dissemination routes of mcr genes, this review discusses primarily the various water habitats contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Thereafter, we provide an overview of existing knowledge regarding the global epidemiology of mcr genes in water environments. This review confirms the global distribution of mcr genes in several water environments, including wastewater from different origins, surface water and tap water, making these environments reservoirs and dissemination routes of concern for this resistance mechanism.

Colistin is one of the last-line therapies against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, especially carbapenemase-producing isolates, making resistance to this compound a major global public-health crisis. Until recently, colistin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria was known to arise only by chromosomal mutations. However, a plasmid-mediated colistin resistance mechanism was described in late 2015. This mechanism is encoded by different mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes that encode phosphoethanolamine (pEtN) transferases. These enzymes catalyse the addition of a pEtN moiety to lipid A in the bacterial outer membrane leading to colistin resistance. MCR-producing Gram-negative bacteria have been largely disseminated worldwide. However, their environmental dissemination has been underestimated. Indeed, water environments act as a connecting medium between different environments, allowing them to play a crucial role in the spread of antibiotic resistance between the natural environment and humans and other animals. For a better understanding of the role of such environments as reservoirs and/or dissemination routes of mcr genes, this review discusses primarily the various water habitats contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Thereafter, we provide an overview of existing knowledge regarding the global epidemiology of mcr genes in water environments. This review confirms the global distribution of mcr genes in several water environments, including wastewater from different origins, surface water and tap water, making these environments reservoirs and dissemination routes of concern for this resistance mechanism.

Colistin is one of the last-line therapies against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, especially carbapenemase-producing isolates, making resistance to this compound a major global public-health crisis. Until recently, colistin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria was known to arise only by chromosomal mutations. However, a plasmid-mediated colistin resistance mechanism was described in late 2015. This mechanism is encoded by different mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes that encode phosphoethanolamine (pEtN) transferases. These enzymes catalyse the addition of a pEtN moiety to lipid A in the bacterial outer membrane leading to colistin resistance. MCR-producing Gram-negative bacteria have been largely disseminated worldwide. However, their environmental dissemination has been underestimated. Indeed, water environments act as a connecting medium between different environments, allowing them to play a crucial role in the spread of antibiotic resistance between the natural environment and humans and other animals. For a better understanding of the role of such environments as reservoirs and/or dissemination routes of mcr genes, this review discusses primarily the various water habitats contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Thereafter, we provide an overview of existing knowledge regarding the global epidemiology of mcr genes in water environments. This review confirms the global distribution of mcr genes in several water environments, including wastewater from different origins, surface water and tap water, making these environments reservoirs and dissemination routes of concern for this resistance mechanism.

Ephedra altissima Desf. est une plante médicinale de la famille des Ephedraceae, largement utilisée en médecine traditionnelle pour le traitement des maladies respiratoires et le diabète. L’objectif de la présente étude est l’évaluation des activités biologiques in vitro et la caractérisation phytochimique des extraits (éther de pétrole, acétate d’éthyle et n-butanol) obtenus à partir de la plante Ephedra altissima. Des dosages colorimétriques ont été effectués pour révéler la présence de différentes classes de métabolites secondaires. La détermination des teneurs en polyphénols, flavonoïdes et tanins condensés a été réalisée par des dosages spectrophotométriques. L’activité antioxydante a été évaluée par huit méthodes différentes, l’activité anti-artéritiques a été réalisée par la méthode d’inhibition de la dénaturation du sérum d’albumine bovin, les activités inhibitrices de l’α-amylase et de la lipase pancréatique in vitro ont été estimées par des méthodes colorimétriques en utilisant de l'amidon et du p-nitrophényl butyrate en tant que substrats. Les conditions physiologiques de la digestion humaine ont été simulées par le modèle de la digestion gastro-intestinale (DGI) in vitro. L’activité antibactérienne a été déterminée par la méthode de diffusion sur disques en milieu gélosé contre sept souches bacteriennes. L’analyse et la quantification des composés phénoliques ont été effectuées par LC-DAD-ESI/MS. L’investigation phytochimique de l’extrait n-butanolique a été réalisée par l’utilisation en alternance de diverses méthodes chromatographiques (VLC, CC, CCE et CCM). Les structures des deux composés isolés A et B ont été identifiées par analyse spectroscopique ESI-MS, l’UV et la RMN dans ses multiples techniques, RMN 1H, RMN 13C, et RMN 2D (COSY, HSQC, HMBC et TOCSY). A l’issue de ces travaux, nous retiendrons la richesse de cette plante en métabolites secondaires. En effet, l’extrait AcOEt présente la teneur la plus élevée en polyphénols (125,62 μg EAG mg-1), et le n-BuOH possède la teneur la plus élevée en flavonoïdes (19,18 μg EQ mg-1). Tous les extraits ont des activités antioxydantes dans divers systèmes et l'extrait aqueux a montré une bonne activité antioxydante par la méthode potentiométrique. L’extrait AcOEt exhibe la plus forte activité anti-artéritique, activités inhibitrices de de l’α-amylase et de la lipase pancréatique avec des valeurs de CI50 (126,4 ± 2,36, 8,07 ± 0,15 et 289,1 ± 0,53 μg/ml) respectivement. Tous les extraits testés exercent une activité antibactérienne dose dépendante contre au moins trois souches avec des CMI allant de (3,12 à 50 μg/ml). L’analyse par LC-DAD-ESI/MS a permis de détecter la présence de dix-neuf composés différents, huit sont des acides phénoliques simples et des dérivés d'acide phénolique, et onze sont des flavonoïdes liés à des groupes glycosyles. L’investigation phytochimique réalisée sur l’extrait n-batanolique conduit à l’isolement et identification structurale de deux flavonoides glycosylés nommés : Isorhamnétine 3-O- α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1’’’-6’’)- β-D-galactopyranoside et Kaempférol 3-O- α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1’’’-6’’)- β-D-glucopyranoside.