PHACES syndrome associated with carcinoid endobronchial tumor

PHACES syndrome consists of the constellation of manifestations including posterior fossa anomalies of the brain (most commonly Dandy-Walker malformations), hemangiomas of the face and scalp, arterial abnormalities, cardiac defects, eye anomalies and sternal defects. We present a case with a possible PHACES syndrome including sternal cleft and supraumbilical raphé, precordial skin tag, persistent left superior vena cava and subtle narrowing of the aorta with an endobronchial carcinoid tumor. All these anomalies were discovered on chest multi-detector CT. This is a unique case of PHACES syndrome associated with carcinoid tumor. Review of the literature revealed 3 cases of PHACES syndrome with glial tumor. The authors tried to find the relationship between PHACES syndrome and carcinoid tumors or gliomas, which all derive from the neural crest cells.     

Radiological features of Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor: Report of a maxillary case and a mandibular one

We present two cases of AOT, the first case concerns a 23‐year‐old patient with an AOT located in the maxilla and the second case involves a 37‐year‐old patient presenting an AOT with mandibular localization.     

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.): A Source of Nutrients for Health and for the Treatment of Neuropsychiatric and Age-Related Diseases

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a medicinal plant, originally cultivated in the East and Middle East, and later in some Mediterranean countries. Saffron is obtained from the stigmas of the plant. Currently, the use of saffron is undergoing a revival. The medicinal virtues of saffron, its culinary use and its high added value have led to the clarification of its phytochemical profile and its biological and therapeutic characteristics. Saffron is rich in carotenoids and terpenes. The major products of saffron are crocins and crocetin (carotenoids) deriving from zeaxanthin, pirocrocin and safranal, which give it its taste and aroma, respectively. Saffron and its major compounds have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro and in vivo. Anti-tumor properties have also been described. The goal of this review is to present the beneficial effects of saffron and its main constituent molecules on neuropsychiatric diseases (depression, anxiety and schizophrenia) as well as on the most frequent age-related diseases (cardiovascular, ocular and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as sarcopenia). Overall, the phytochemical profile of saffron confers many beneficial virtues on human health and, in particular, on the prevention of age-related diseases, which is a major asset reinforcing the interest for this medicinal plant.     

Cytotoxic and photocatalytic studies of hexagonal boron nitride nanotubes: a potential candidate for wastewater and air treatment

Boron nitride (BN) nanomaterials are rapidly being investigated for potential applications in biomedical sciences due to their exceptional physico-chemical characteristics. However, their safe use demands a thorough understanding of their possible environmental and toxicological effects. The cytotoxicity of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) was explored to see if they could be used in living cell imaging. It was observed that the cytotoxicity of BNNTs is higher in cancer cells (65 and 80%) than in normal cell lines (40 and 60%) for 24 h and 48 h respectively. The influence of multiple experimental parameters such as pH, time, amount of catalyst, and initial dye concentration on percentage degradation efficiency was also examined for both catalyst and dye. The degradation effectiveness decreases (92 to 25%) as the original concentration of dye increases (5–50 ppm) due to a decrease in the availability of adsorption sites. Similarly, the degradation efficiency improves up to 90% as the concentration of catalyst increases (0.01–0.05 g) due to an increase in the adsorption sites. The influence of pH was also investigated, the highest degradation efficiency for MO dye was observed at pH 4. Our results show that lower concentrations of BNNTs can be employed in biomedical applications. Dye degradation properties of BNNTs suggest that it can be a potential candidate as a wastewater and air treatment material.

Photocatalytic degradation studies of methyl orange using BNNTs.     

Experimental and modeling study of ZnO:Ni nanoparticles for near-infrared light emitting diodes

This work is devoted to the synthesis and study of the different properties of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) doped with the Ni element. We have used a simple co-precipitation technique for the synthesis of our samples and various structural, morphological and optical techniques for their analysis. Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirms the stoichiometry of the samples. The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal the hexagonal wurtzite phase of polycrystalline ZnO with a P63mc space group. Debye Scherrer and Williamson–Hall methods show that the average size of crystallites is around 40 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirm the XRD results. The optical spectrum of Zn_0.95Ni_0.5O shows the presence of near-band-edge (NBE) ultraviolet emission. The absorption defect bands appearing near the blue–green region and near infrared emission are attributed to the Ni²⁺ intra-3d luminescence. The electronic structure of the Ni²⁺ doped ZnO NPs confirms the T_d site symmetry of Ni²⁺ in the ZnO host crystal and leads to a perfect correlation between calculated and experimental energy levels.

This work is devoted to the synthesis and study of the different properties of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) doped with the Ni element.     

Atlanto‐odontoid pyogenic arthritis revealing a Jugular Vein Thrombosis

Pyogenic arthritis of the atlantoaxial joint is scarce. It can lead to several complications, such as spinal cord compression and cerebral vein thrombosis. A 51‐year‐old man presented with a twenty‐day history of inflammatory neck pain. Physical examination revealed paravertebral muscle contracture, restricted neck movement, and fever. Spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed synovitis of atlanto‐odontoid joint, anterior epidural collection, and cerebral vein thrombosis. Transthoracic echocardiography was unremarkable. The patient was successfully treated with anti‐staphylococcal antibiotic treatment for 12 weeks associated with immobilization of the cervical spine. MRI performed one month after the initiation of the treatment showed disappearance of the epidural collection. The diagnosis of septic arthritis of the atlantoaxial joint should be considered in a patient with inflammatory neck pain. MRI findings are relevant in making the diagnosis of a septic atlanto‐odontoid joint. Conservative treatment, including antibiotic and neck immobilization, can be sufficient for the treatment of pyogenic arthritis of the atlantoaxial joint. Cerebral vein thrombosis is a rare complication due to septic arthritis of the atlantoaxial joint.     

Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Tunisia (North Africa) through Several Successive Waves of COVID-19

Documenting the circulation dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants in different regions of the world is crucial for monitoring virus transmission worldwide and contributing to global efforts towards combating the pandemic. Tunisia has experienced several waves of COVID-19 with a significant number of infections and deaths. The present study provides genetic information on the different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 that circulated in Tunisia over 17 months. Lineages were assigned for 1359 samples using whole-genome sequencing, partial S gene sequencing and variant-specific real-time RT-PCR tests. Forty-eight different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 were identified, including variants of concern (VOCs), variants of interest (VOIs) and variants under monitoring (VUMs), particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, A.27, Zeta and Eta. The first wave, limited to imported and import-related cases, was characterized by a small number of positive samples and lineages. During the second wave, a large number of lineages were detected; the third wave was marked by the predominance of the Alpha VOC, and the fourth wave was characterized by the predominance of the Delta VOC. This study adds new genomic data to the global context of COVID-19, particularly from the North African region, and highlights the importance of the timely molecular characterization of circulating strains.