Publications

The current investigation is centered on the characterization of specific apple cultivars in the Garza region, within the Teniet El Abed municipality, situated 55 km east of Batna (NE-Algeria). Utilizing descriptors outlined by UPOV 2015 pertaining to apples, the study focuses on morphological parameters of leaves, fruits, and terminal shoots across three varieties: Golden Delicious, Royal Gala, and Starkrimson. Additionally, soil analysis was conducted to ascertain its suitability for apple cultivation. The examination revealed limited morphological diversity among the investigated apple cultivars, with some descriptors, particularly those related to fruit traits, showing insignificant differences between cultivar types. Overall, the studied varieties - Golden Delicious, Royal Gala, and Starkrimson - exhibit distinct physiological and morphological characteristics. Variations in size, shape, skin color, flesh attributes, as well as sugar and acid content, contribute to the uniqueness of each variety. Whether one prefers sweet or tart apples, or favors larger or smaller fruits, there exists an apple variety to cater to individual tastes. Our findings complement molecular analyses and underscore the need for further exploration of apple germplasm, alongside sustained conservation efforts.

Two hypotheses divide experts on determining the effective properties of composite materials using multi–scale homogenization methods. The first hypothesis states that multi-scale homogenization methods can ensure the direct determination of effective properties, at the macro level, of composite materials from a single representation of the medium at the lowest possible scale that allows for a good representation of all heterogeneities. The second hypothesis states that the determination cannot be ensured directly from a single scale but rather through multistep homogenization where each step represents the medium at a different scale from the lowest to the macroscale. To answer this question, a rigorous study is carried out; it includes calculating the two effective elastic properties, bulk, and shear moduli of three phases of a multi–layered sphere composite model by studying three phases. A multistep homogenization method is used to determine the effective properties of the composite and the obtained results are compared with those of the direct homogenization. Two different studies are considered: the first is based on an analytical model and the second on the numerical homogenization based on finite element calculation. To consider the effect of some influential parameters, several situations are treated by the combination of the variation of the volume fractions of the three phases and their property contrasts. The analytical calculations are performed using the Python 3.10 commercial software. It could be concluded that the effective elastic properties obtained either by the multistep or by the direct homogenization show no significant difference.

Introduction. The overhaul of the first cycle of medical graduation studies in Algeria began in 2018. The programs of this overhaul provided for, in addition to curricular changes, content, teaching, and assessment methods. Our aim is to evaluate the new curriculum for the first cycle of medical studies at the Faculty of Medicine of Batna 2 University in Algeria. Materials and methods. This was a quantitative study. The evaluation protocol of the Conférence internationale des Doyens et des Facultés de Médecine d'Expression Française (CIDMEF) was contextualized for the process of evaluating undergraduate medical curricula. This study involved both students and teachers. The evaluation covered organization, content, timetable, objectives, teaching methods, and assessment methods. The questionnaires were prepared using Google Forms and distributed online. The variables were scored using a Lickert scale from 1 to 5. Anonymity was respected. Results. Out of 1893 students enrolled in the first, second, and third years of medicine, 878 completed the questionnaires, with a participation rate of 46.38%. The general objectives of the programs were achieved with mean scores of 2.40 ±0.054 for the students and 3.81 ±0.148 for the teachers. The timetable for most subjects was respected. Lecturing proved to be the dominant method of theoretical teaching, to the benefit of active contextual learning (distance learning, work placements, simulation, etc.), which remained underdeveloped. MCQs were considered to be the most suitable assessment method for students (3.52 ±0.067) and even less so for teachers (2.82 ±0.242). Conclusion. Evaluation of the undergraduate medical curriculum has revealed positive elements that need to be consolidated and weaknesses that need to be remedied.

Water resources are facing significant challenges in result of rapidly growing demand, deteriorating quality, and the effects of climate change. Today, water quantity and quality issues have become prevalent in various regions across the globe, affecting both northern and southern territories. Among the sectors reliant on this resource, irrigation stands out as the largest consumer of water. When surface water becomes inaccessible due to insufficient precipitation or other factors, the use of groundwater becomes the only viable alternative for irrigation. The Remila Plain (Khenchela) is located in an endorean watershed in northeastern Algeria and extends over 250 km2 in a synclinal basin filled with water from the Mio-Plio Quaternary - the main aquifer of the region, widely used for irrigation. The aim of this work is to study the hydrochemistry of these waters, as well as the evolution of mineralisation, the identification of the origin of the chemistry, and the suitability of these waters for irrigation. Initial results indicate an evolution of mineralisation in the direction of groundwater flow, with electrical conductivity values varying between 1000μS/cm in the recharge zones, and 2700μS/cm at the outlet. This mineralisation is mainly due to the dissolution of evaporitic minerals and the alteration of silicates. In addition, the various water quality indices used indicate that the water can be used for irrigation without major risk to plants and soils.

L’écriture de Rachid Mimouni s’inscrit dans une dynamique contestataire qui s’oppose à la parole paternelle et se rebelle contre les régimes en place. Dans les années 1980, le roman Tombéza se distingue de l’écriture débridée de Boujedra par un discours corrosif maîtrisé et une représentation impitoyablement réaliste de l’horreur quotidienne d’une Algérie défigurée. Cet article propose de relire le texte en mobilisant la génétique textuelle, l’image littéraire et le concept de paratopie, en les conjuguant avec les philosophies du devenir et la notion de rhizome. L’objectif est d’analyser l’écartèlement du moi chez le personnage de Tombéza, érigé en paria, et de montrer comment la paratopie de l’écrivain sert à négocier l’intenable entre deux mondes, tout en exprimant la rupture par la démodélisation de l’œuvre en rhizome. Nous verrons comment cette « littérature-monde » se conçoit à travers l’exil de l’être déraciné Tombéza, qui devient le support du discours paratopique de Mimouni, se déplaçant tel un archipel pour se reconstruire en une identité multiculturelle. Ce processus s’opère par une répétition différentielle, incarnée par une écriture de l’urgence.

This paper reports a study of the physicochemical quality and the drying behavior of regal seedless grapes (RSG), pretreated with a novel solution (Olive oil: 2%, calcium carbonate: 2% and distilled water: 96%), then open sundried and dried in an indirect solar dryer. To show the effect of soaking time and temperature of the solution, two soaking times are carried out (120 and 240 s) at two temperatures (333.15 and 353.15 K). Quality indicat or such as shrinkage, color, rehydration capacity, titratable acidity, power of hydrogen (pH) and polyphenol content are evaluated. The results show that the time required to dry treated RSG varies from 220 to 328h during indirect solar drying (ISD) (during 428 h for untreated samples), and from 164 to 180 h during open sun drying (OSD) (during 290 h for untreated samples). The effective moisture diffusivity of solar-dried RSG ranges from 0.316 to 3.030 mm2 s − 1 and that of open sun-dried regal seedless grape ranges from 0.706 to 5.700 mm2 s − 1 . Pretreatment affects the pH values significantly, whereas the rehydration capacity showes a large difference between the treated and untreated RSG. The solar-dried RSG has more stable color and ISD retains more of their polyphenol content.

Ilex aquifolium L. is an endemic species in Algeria’s Tellian and Saharan Atlas mountains in the country’s center and east, and it is on the verge of extinction owing to a variety of reasons. To help preserve it, we devised an in vitro micropropagation technique. The cuttings with axillary buds were cultured on different media supplemented with different combinations and concentrations of plant growth regulators. The best results were obtained on Woody Plants Medium (WPM) supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP: 1.5 mg/LL, 3 mg/L) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA: 1.5 mg/LL) in combination with BAP (1.5 mg/ L); BAP (1.5 mg/ L) with Gibberellins (GA3: 0.5 mg/ L). The best shoot proliferation rates were obtained on WPM supplemented with 1.5 mg/LL (BAP) and BAP: 1.5 mg/L; GA3: 0.5 mg/L; or BAP: 1.5 mg/L + ANA: 1.5 mg/L. The highest rooting rate (100%) was obtained with shoots grown on WPM medium supplemented with NAA (1.5 mg/LL). Absence of routing formation was observed in media containing indolacetic acid (IAA: 1 mg/ L) alone or combined with BAP: 0.5 mg/ L) The best-rooted shoots must be acclimatized to a substrate consisting of a mixture of peat and sand (1:1 v/vv), the seedlings have been acclimatized successfully.

Inspired by a real-work case, this paper introduces a profit maximization model for dynamic lot sizing considering substitution and multiple usage of returns for refurbishing at different levels of quality or for disassembly to extract key parts that will be used in the manufacturing process. This model allows studying the interactions between different types of returns and decisions. To analyze the impact of uncertainty on these interactions, we develop a robust two-stage stochastic program with uncertainty on demands and returns. The resulting problems are mixed-integer linear programs that we solve using an efficient relax-and-fix and fix-and-optimize heuristic. Extensive numerical experiments are conducted to study the different trade-offs when integrating multi-usage of returns with substitution and accordingly derive managerial insights. The experiments have revealed, for example, that: (i) the profit margin of the refurbished items is the main determinant of the total profit and when such margin in high, the total profit becomes more sensitive to different cost variations; (ii) collection efficiency becomes very sensitive to collection cost and much less sensitive to refurbishing cost especially with large profit margins; (iii) when demand and returns are uncertain parameters, substitution becomes the best option as uncertainty and prices increase; (iv) when the gap between prices of different quality levels is high, lost sales occur mainly on the lowest quality product and downgrading decreases together with substitution; and (v) Sharing the production line between refurbishing and manufacturing for low-quality products is highly motivated by small upgrading costs and their substitution level increases with increasing upgrading costs.