IgG Western Blot for Confirmatory Diagnosis of Equivocal Cases of Toxoplasmosis by EIA-IgG and Fluorescent Antibody Test

The performance values of available techniques used in serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis are satisfactory but they raise problems of equivocal and discordant results for very low IgG titers. Recently marketed, LDBio-Toxo II IgG Western blot (IB) showed an excellent correlation with the dye test. We estimated the proportion of equivocal and discordant results between the enzyme immunoassay Platelia Toxo IgG (EIA-IgG) and fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and assessed the usefulness of the IB as a confirmatory test. Out of 2,136 sera collected from pregnant women, 1,644 (77.0%) tested unequivocally positive and 407 (19.0%) were negative in both EIA-IgG and FAT. The remaining 85 (4%) sera showed equivocal or discordant results. Among them, 73 (85.9%) were positive and 12 (14.1%) were negative in IB. Forty-one (89.1%) equivocal sera in EIA-IgG and 46 (86.8%) equivocal sera in FAT were positive in IB. Reducing the cut-off values of both screening techniques improved significantly their sensitivity in detecting very low IgG titers at the expense of their specificity. In conclusion, equivocal results in routine-used techniques and their discordance in determination of the immune status in pregnancy women were not uncommon. IB test appeard to be highly useful in these situations as a confirmatory technique.     

Advanced oxidation process and biological treatments for table olive processing wastewaters: constraints and a novel approach to integrated recycling process: a review

Table olive processing wastewaters constitute a dangerous environmental problem in the Mediterranean countries because of their large volumes, high organic matter and salt concentration. The quantity and the characteristics of wastewaters produced, and thus, their environmental impact, varied depending on the season, varieties, soil and process employed. Several chemicals, biological and combined technologies have proven effective at bringing down organic pollution and toxicity of these effluents. Advanced oxidation processes have recognized as highly efficient treatments for the degradation of organic matter. Nonetheless, complete mineralization is generally expensive without salt removal. Biological processes are the most environmentally compatible and least-expensive treatment methods, but these operations do not always provide satisfactory results. This article surveys the current available technologies and suggests an effective, cheaper alternative for the recycling and the valorization of green table olives wastewaters.     

Population dynamics and reproductive aspects of Porcellio albinus (Isopoda,Oniscidea) of Zarat (Gabes,Tunisia)

Porcellio albinus is a nocturnal species inhabiting xeric habitats in Tunisia. Size distribution, population dynamics, breeding activity, fecundity, fertility, reproductive allocation (RA), and life span were studied to establish the reproductive strategy of a population of this species in the sandy coastal area of Zarat. Monthly sampling was undertaken between July 2012 and November 2013. The overall sex-ratio of P. albinus was female biased. The relative abundance of adults, much more representative than that of juveniles, might be the consequence of the absence of specimens less than 8 mm in size in all samples collected outside the burrows at night. Reproduction is seasonal in P. albinus with two breeding seasons, the first one from March to June and the second in September. Five cohorts were recruited per year, four during the spring and one during the fall. The number of eggs per female ranged from 13 to 67 and was positively correlated with female body size. Fertility varied from 5 to 39 mancae. Compared to other xeric species, RA was low to produce a brood, but high to release a single manca. The results provide a better understanding of the reproductive behavior of this terrestrial isopod, living under severe environmental conditions.