Background: Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common form of aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) accounting for approximately 40 % of all NHL cases. The aim of our study is to carry out an epidemiologic description and to compute the incidence of DLBCL in 2North African countries, Algeria and Tunisia. Patients and methods: This is a multicenter retrospective and descriptive study, covering a period of 5 years (January 2010 - December 2014), carried out in 17 centers in Algeria and 5 centers in Tunisia. Patients aged less than 15 years were excluded. We used the classification of World Health Organization. We used Epi info 6 software to analyze the data. Results: 1432 cases were identified, 1175 in Algeria and 257 in Tunisia. The sex distribution of DLBCL was as follows: males 837 (58.4 %), females 591 (41.6 %), male-to-female ratio 1.40. The age of patients ranged from 16 to 96 years (median 52 years) and 64.2 % of the patients are less than 60. The incidence estimates for the years 2012 and 2013 are respectively 0.86 and 0.87 for 100,000 inhabitants. The most frequent occupation of the cases is farmworker (11.5%). The average time between the date of diagnosis and clinical examination is 31 days. The average delay between the first clinical sign and the date of diagnosis is 133 days. A familial history of cancer is found in 10% of the cases. The lymph node biopsy was undertaken in 30.7% of the cases in the cervical area and in 15% of cases in the mediastinal area. A reexamination of the slides was undertaken in 20% of cases while 61.6% of them were found to be advanced clinical stages (III + IV). Splenomegaly was found in 16% of the cases and hepatomegaly in 7%. ORL damage was found in 16% of the cases and marrow infiltration in 10.2%. A Prognostic Score IPI >= 2 is found in 38% of the patients. Comments: On a previous Algerian study concerning all lymphomas diagnosed over a period of 6 years (2007-2012) (Journal of Hematology No. 10-11, 2015), 485 new cases of lymphoma were diagnosed on average per year. In the present study, the average number of new cases of DLBCL was 235 and the average proportion was 48% of all lymphomas. It should be emphasized that all cases underwent an immunohistochemical study and that lymphatic cases were excluded (digestive, bone, skin). The national incidence rate is low compared to that of international studies, a fact that is probably due to difficulties in the diagnosis including lack of implementation of immunohistochemistry techniques in our region. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Purpose – Ballast water of merchant ship is a source of introduction of invasive species around the globe. The purpose of this paper is to present a quantitative risk assessment applied to a model port, the Port of Arzew in Algeria, and based on an analysis of this port’s shipping traffic. Design/methodology/approach – The risk assessment for introduction of invasive species is interpreted in the form of a probabilistic process, with a combination of two probabilities. The first probability is related to the ability of a species to arrive to the destination (recipient port), depending on the quantity of water ballast discharged and the duration of voyage. The second one is based on the species ability to survive in their new environment, which depends on the environmental similarity between donor port and Arzew port. Findings – This assessment’s outcome consists on a classification of scenarios regarding their acceptability. Consequently, it helped to classify donor ports according to a risk scale, from low risk to high-risk donor ports. Research limitations/implications – The phenomenon of invasion of aquatic species is a complex process. Factors such as adaptation and tolerance of species, the attendance or absence of predators, were not taken into account in this study. Practical implications – This study could be used by the maritime administration as a decision-making tool regarding the issue of exemptions under the IMO International Convention on the Management of Ballast Water and Sediments 2004. Originality/value – This is one of the first known studies in Algeria and dealing with ballast water management. The results of this assessment provide useful information to policy makers, in order to develop a national strategy to reduce the impact of shipping pollution on the marine environment.

In this paper, new sensors based on a double-gate (DG) graphene nanoribbon field-effect transistor (GNRFET), for high-performance DNA and gas detection, are proposed through a simulation-based study. The proposed sensors are simulated by solving the Schrödinger equation using the mode space non-equilibrium Green’s function formalism coupled self-consistently with a 2D Poisson equation under the ballistic limits. The dielectric and work function modulation techniques are used for the electrical detection of DNA and gas molecules, respectively. The behaviors of both the sensors have been investigated, and the impacts of variation in geometrical and electrical parameters on the sensitivity of sensors have also been studied. In comparison to other FET-based sensors, the proposed sensors provide not only higher sensitivity but also better electrical and scaling performances. The obtained results make the proposed DG-GNRFET-based sensors as promising candidates for ultra-sensitive, small-size, low-power and reliable CMOS-based DNA, and gas sensors.