Publications by authors named "Mohamed Lounis"

(1) Background: Rabies is a neglected zoonosis considered to be one of the most significant health threats in the world, responsible of thousands of deaths globally. Algeria is one of the main countries of concern, with more than 15 deaths and more than 100,000 bites by rabid-suspected animals being reported annually. This study was conducted to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) toward this disease among university students in the endemic region of Algeria.

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Monkeypox (MPOX) is a viral zoonotic disease affecting endemically the Central and Western regions of Africa. The ongoing outbreak in non-endemic countries has made this disease a global concern. While no cases have been reported in Algeria, it is important to raise awareness about the disease to prepare for a potential outbreak, especially in light of the cases reported in neighboring Middle East and North African (MENA) countries.

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Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a parasitic zoonotic disease with a widespread occurrence, particularly in developing countries. Known as a neglected disease, it is highly prevalent in Algeria with a significant public health concern and substantial financial losses. The objectives of this study was to explore knowledge and awareness and practice of the Algerian population regarding this disease.

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Cystic echinococcosis is a neglected tropical parasitic disease affecting both humans and animals with considerable socioeconomic impact on affected pastoral and poor communities. CE is endemic in the Mediterranean basin, including Algeria posing a real threat for either animal and public health. This study was conducted to evaluate the level of awareness and knowledge of Algerian university students about this disease and to describe their attitude toward some risky practices.

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Since the emergence of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the disease has affected more than 675 million people worldwide, including more than 6.87 million deaths. To mitigate the effects of this pandemic, many countries established control measures to contain its spread.

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Purpose: The present study aims at investigating how Algerian women feel about Breast Cancer (BC) and Breast Self-Examination (BSE) in terms of knowledge and attitude and to determine the factors associated with performing BSE and its reluctance.

Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional survey between October 14, 2021 and November 14, 2022, targeting Algerian females aged more than 18 years and living in the country using a self-administered questionnaire.

Results: A total of 436 participants were involved in this study among which 41.

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Objectives: Many types of COVID19 vaccines are administered globally, yet there is not much evidence regarding their side effects among athletes. This study evaluated the selfreported postvaccination side effects of inactivated virus, adenoviral vector, and mRNA COVID19 vaccines among Algerian athletes.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study was carried out in Algeria between March 01 and 4 April 2022.

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Objectives: This study was carried out to assess the level of knowledge of Algerian healthcare workers about human monkeypox, and their attitude toward its vaccination.

Methods: An online-based cross-sectional study using social media platforms targeting Algerian healthcare workers was conducted between 28 June and 18 September 2022.

Results: 111 healthcare workers have answered the questionnaire.

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In May 2022, the world witnessed the emergence of human monkeypox (MPOX), a new zoonotic viral disease in multiple non-endemic countries. This health threat has been associated with increased anxiety, especially after the COVID-19 catastrophe. In addition, people are exposed to an unprecedented amount of information, making them vulnerable to misinformation that may lead to embracing conspiracy theories.

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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to afflict many countries around the world. The resurgence of COVID-19 cases and deaths in many countries shows a complacency in adhering to preventive guidelines. Consequently, vaccination continues to be a crucial intervention to reduce the effects of this pandemic.

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COVID-19 booster vaccines have been adopted in almost all countries to enhance the immune response and combat the emergence of new variants. Algeria adopted this strategy in November 2021. This study was conducted to consider the self-reported side effects of COVID-19 booster vaccines by Algerians who were vaccinated with a booster dose of one of the approved inactivated-virus vaccines, such as BBIBP-CorV and CoronaVac, or one of the adenoviral-vector-based vaccines, such as Gam-COVID-Vac, AZD1222 and Ad26.

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Cervical cancer is one of the most recurrent and dangerous female cancers in Algeria and worldwide. It is mainly caused by human papillomaviruses (HPV), which can induce other cancers as well. Although it can be fatal, cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and manageable cancers.

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Background: Hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination and its rejection remains a major public health concern worldwide, especially in the Middle East and North African countries. The current study aimed to assess the intentions to get COVID-19 vaccines and its determinants among the general public in Algeria.

Methods: A self-administered online survey was distributed during August-September 2021 using a convenience-based sampling approach.

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Healthcare workers were prioritized in vaccination campaigns globally because they are exposed to the highest risk of contamination by SARS-CoV-2. This study evaluated the self-reported post-vaccination side effects of inactivated (BBIBP-CorV and CoronaVac) and adenoviral vector-based (AZD1222, Gam-COVID-Vac and Ad26.COV2.

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Due to the emergence of various highly contagious variants of SARS-CoV-2, vaccine boosters were adopted as a complementary strategy in different countries. This strategy has, however, posed another challenge for the national authorities to convince their population to receive the booster after the first challenge of COVID-19 primer dose vaccines. This study was conducted to determine COVID-19 vaccine booster acceptance and its associated factors in the general population in Algeria.

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Background: The unprecedented global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has imposed huge challenges on the healthcare facilities, and impacted every aspect of life. This has led to the development of several vaccines against COVID-19 within one year. This study aimed to assess the attitudes and the side effects among Arab communities after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and use of machine learning (ML) tools to predict post-vaccination side effects based on predisposing factors.

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Although severe obesity is associated with insulin resistance (IR) and inflammation, secretory function of intra-abdominal adipose tissues and their relationships with IR and inflammation markers remain poorly understood. Aims were to measure gene expression of adipogenic (C/EBPα/β, PPARγ-1/2, SREBP-1c, LXRα), lipogenic (SCD1, DGAT-1/2), angiogenic (VEGFα, leptin), and fibrotic (LOX, COL6A3) factors in the round ligament (RL), omental (OM), and mesenteric (ME) fat depots and to evaluate their relationships with IR and inflammation markers in 48 women with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. Gene expression was assessed by RT-qPCR, and plasma glucose and insulin (HOMA-IR calculated), PAI-1, IL-6, TNFα, adiponectin, and leptin levels were determined.

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Background: A viral disease due to a virus called SARS-Cov-2 spreads globally with a total of 34,627,141 infected people and 1,029,815 deaths. Algeria is an African country where 51,690, 1,741 and 36,282 are currently reported as infected, dead and recovered. A multivariate time series model has been used to model these variables and forecast their future scenarios for the next 20 days.

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The limitations of the biomarker prostate-specific antigen (PSA) necessitate the pursuit of biomarkers capable of better identifying high-risk prostate cancer (PC) patients in order to improve their therapeutic management and outcomes. Aggressive prostate tumors characteristically exhibit high rates of glycolysis and lipogenesis. Glycerol 3-phosphate phosphatase (G3PP), also known as phosphoglycolate phosphatase (PGP), is a recently identified mammalian enzyme, shown to play a role in the regulation of glucose metabolism, lipogenesis, lipolysis, and cellular nutrient-excess detoxification.

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De novo lipogenesis (DNL) is now considered as a hallmark of cancer. The overexpression of key enzymes of DNL is characteristic of both primary and advanced disease and may play an important role in resistance to therapies. Here, we showed that DNL is highly enhanced in castrate resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells compared to hormone sensitive and enzalutamide resistant cells.

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Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is reported in Algeria on February 25th, 2020. Since then, the number is still increasing leading to a total number of 36,699 cases and 1333 deaths on August 12th, 2020. Thus, comprehension of the epidemic curve is very important to predict its evolution and subsequently adapt the best prevention strategies.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigated the prevalence and seasonal variation of thermotolerant campylobacteria in broiler chickens in Batna, East Algeria, over a two-year period.
  • Out of 960 samples tested, a significant portion showed contamination, with the highest rate observed in cecal contents, and summer identified as the peak season for these infections.
  • The isolates demonstrated multidrug resistance, particularly to ampicillin and erythromycin, highlighting the urgency for stricter control measures to protect public health.
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Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) is the etiologic agent of avian colibacillosis, the most common disease responsible for chicken morbidity in the world. Although multiple virulence-associated factors were identified, their prevalence in Algeria is still poorly known.

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Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) is a key player in lipid metabolism. SCD1 catalyzes the synthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). MUFA are then incorporated into triacylglycerols and phospholipids.

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