Analyse des attributs structurels de diversite en systeme forestier tropical, le cas de la foret classee de Sanaimbo en Côte d’Ivoire

L'étude synchronique des successions secondaires post-culturales en forêt dense semi-décidue (forêt classée de Sanaimbo ; Côte d'Ivoire) a été réalisée à partir des données obtenues sur 80 parcelles issues, respectivement de jachères post-culturales de 3 à 30 ans, de forêts exploitées pour le bois d'oeuvre et de forêts primaires non perturbées. La classification a permis d'identifier 14 groupes selon un gradient de maturité forestière. Les stades pionniers, très variables, étaient dominés par une espèce invasive comme Chromolaena odorata. Les analyses réalisées sur l'évolution de la composition floristique et des indices de diversité en utilisant l'âge et les facteurs mésologiques, montrent que, sous la dépendance de cesfacteurs, la succession secondaire s'accompagne d'une augmentation du nombre d'espèces et des attributs structurels de diversité.Mots clés : Successions secondaires, indices de diversité, type de végétation, forêt classée de Sanaimbo, Côte d'Ivoire

ROLE OF ACID SPHINGOMYELINASE IN THE TUMOUR MICROENVIRONMENT

Defective apoptosis represents one of the major causative factors in the development and progression of cancer. The ability of tumour cells to evade engagement of apoptosis can play a significant role in their resistance to conventional therapeutic regimens. In the last few years, preclinical and clinical studies have indicated ceramide and the enzymes of its metabolism, in particular Acid Sphingomyelinase (A-SMase) which hydrolyzes sphingomyelin to ceramide and phosphocoline, as key players in tumour physiopathology. Different cancers have been shown to have reduced ceramide levels and, of interest, in our previous work we showed that A-SMase down-regulation was a key event in melanoma progression. This event is crucial for the tumours to become more aggressive, but the mechanisms responsible of it haven\u2019t been investigated yet. Taking into account that there is a complex crosstalk between tumour cells and its immunological microenvironment, in this work we first investigated its possible role in A-SMase downregulation in a melanoma model. To this purpose we performed in vivo and in vitro experiments which led us to identify tumour associate macrophages (TAM) as possible responsible of A-SMase downregulation through the Ap2-\u3b1 transcription factor. Moreover, we demonstrated that these molecular changes in tumour cells give, in turn, pro-tumoural and immunosuppressive features to the surrounding microenvironment, with the recruitment of Myeloid-derived suppressor (MDSCs) cells and Regulatory T lymphocytes (TREGS). From these and our previous data, we clearly showed that the ability to create this immunosuppression together with the acquisition of a more aggressive phenotype, both depend on the naturally occurring A-SMase decrease in melanoma cells during tumour progression. The broad role of A-SMase in tumour pathogenesis we identified, indicates that the enzyme is at the crossroad of key pathways in tumourigenesis. This aspects has clear potential in therapeutic perspective in which A-SMase overexpression or administration might be consider as an useful adjuvant for cancer therapy. Here we demonstrated for the first time that restoring A-SMase expression in melanoma cells not only reduces tumour growth and immunosuppression, but moreover accounts for a high, unexpected recruitment of immune cells with an anti-tumoural function in the tumour microenvironment, such as Dendritic cells (DCs) and CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. In conclusion our results reveal the central role of A-SMase expressed by melanoma cells in orchestrating the cross-talk with the surrounding microenvironment. These interactions are crucial for tumour fate, lying on its rejection or progression. Our observation that A-SMase overexpression \u201ceducate\u201d tumour microenvironment against cancer cells, further encourage the use of this enzyme as an adjuvant for cancer therapy

Adverse drug reactions associated with chemotherapeutic agents used in breast cancer: Analysis of patients’ online forums

Background: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women worldwide. The benefits of chemotherapy vary depending on the treatment regimen used and the characteristic of the tumour. However, adverse drug reactions associated with chemotherapeutic agents can cause dose delays or reductions; thereby, affecting the treatment outcomes. Objective: To explore adverse drug reactions of chemotherapeutic agents used to treat breast cancer from the patients’ perspective. Methods: A total of 110 threads from nine online discussion forums were evaluated. They were exported into NVivo for Mac where content analysis was applied. Threads were read carefully to observe emerging patterns which were then coded into sub-themes and grouped into main themes. Results: The participants’ characteristics on online discussion forums were often missing. Four hundred and eleven participants experienced 473 adverse drug reactions that were mainly associated with the nervous and immune systems. The forums’ analysis yielded three main themes: patient–patient advice, self-medication and lifestyle changes. Conclusion: Online discussion forums proposed valued source of data on adverse drug reactions associated with chemotherapeutic agents and overall patients’ experience with cancer. The adverse drug reactions experienced by patients changed their priorities and the way they dealt with the disease. Therefore, healthcare professionals must consider the patients’ experience and attitudes towards cancer when designing a treatment plan. This can be established by increasing communication between healthcare professionals and patients

Biodiversité végétale et vitesse de la régénération de la forêt classée de Sanaimbo (Côte d’Ivoire)

Nous analysons l’impact de l’agriculture traditionnelle sur la diversité végétale dans une forêt semi-décidue afrotropicale non soumise à des perturbations naturelles majeures. Les assemblages d’espèces et les attributs structurels de la diversité sont décrits le long d’une chronoséquence sur 30 ans de champs abandonnés, comparativement aux communautés de forêts « primaires » et de forêts coupées sélectivement. Seulement 6,3% des espèces inventoriées dans les forêts anciennes n’ont pas été observées dans les jachères, alors que 12,3% des espèces sont propres aux jachères. Lorsque la forêt ancienne sur sol ferrallitique est prise comme référence, les analyses de régression linéaire montrent que cette forêt peut recouvrer la structure et la fonction au cours de la quatrième décennie de recolonisation, et la composition spécifique une décennie plus tard. L’invasion précoce des champs par Chromolaena odorata (L.) R. King & H. Robinson. ne semble pas altérer durablement la succession secondaire. Les espèces s’assemblent en communautés végétales discrètes le long du gradient successionnel, en fonction de leurs exigences en lumière, suggérant une partition des niches écologiques.Mots clés : Biodiversité végétale, successions secondaires, indices de diversit

Exploring the adverse effects of chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of cervical and ovarian cancer from the patients' perspective: a content analysis of the online discussion forums.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the adverse effects of chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of ovarian and cervical cancer by analysing patients' views posted in online discussion forums. METHOD: UK-centred online discussion forums were used to identify discussion threads on ovarian and cervical cancer between 2008 and 2017. The study was approved by the University of Bournemouth ethics committee. 272 discussion threads with 644 participants from four online discussion forums (Cancer Research UK, Macmillan, Ovacome and Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust) were identified. The threads were exported into NVivo and a thematic content analysis was conducted to identify study themes. RESULTS: Of the 644 participants, 19.4% had a diagnosis of cervical cancer and 80.6% had a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Four main themes related to: (1) treatment plan, (2) adverse effects, (3) perception of treatment and (4) hospitalisation were identified. Patients' perceptions about their treatment were reported to be positive across all chemotherapeutic agents. 312 adverse effects were reported by patients with cervical cancer taking cisplatin, with fatigue (52.1%) and nausea (30.6%) being the two most frequently reported adverse effects. With regard to the treatment of ovarian cancer, 402 adverse effects were reported by patients on carboplatin and paclitaxel, with neuropathy (29.3%) and fatigue (28.0%) being the two most commonly reported adverse effects. CONCLUSION: The online discussion forums allowed patients to express their concerns in a blame-free environment that provided novel insight into the impact of chemotherapy-associated adverse effects on patients with cervical and ovarian cancers. Real-life experiences shared by patients can help the healthcare professionals to find the right balance between prolonged survival and quality of life

Structural and reactivity analyses of nitrofurantoin 4 dimethylaminopyridine salt using spectroscopic and density functional theory calculations

YesPharmaceutical salt, nitrofurantoin–4-dimethylaminopyridine (NF-DMAP), along with its native components NF and DMAP are scrutinized by FT-IR and FT-Raman spectroscopy along with density functional theory so that an insight into the H-bond patterns in the respective crystalline lattices can be gained. Two different functionals, B3LYP and wB97X-D, have been used to compare the theoretical results. The FT-IR spectra obtained for NF-DMAP and NF clearly validate the presence of C33–H34⋅⋅⋅O4 and N23–H24⋅⋅⋅N9 hydrogen bonds by shifting in the stretching vibration of –NH and –CH group of DMAP+ towards the lower wavenumber side. To explore the significance of hydrogen bonding, quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) has been employed, and the findings suggest that the N23–H24⋅⋅⋅N9 bond is a strong intermolecular hydrogen bond. The decrement in the HOMO-LUMO gap, which is calculated from NF → NF-DMAP, reveals that the active pharmaceutical ingredient is chemically less reactive compared to the salt. The electrophilicity index (ω) profiles for NF and DMAP confirms that NF is acting as electron acceptor while DMAP acts as electron donor. The reactive sites of the salt are plotted by molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) surface and calculated using local reactivity descriptors.SERB, DST, India, for providing the National Post-doctoral Fellowship (Project File Number: PDF/2016/003162); Central Facility for Computational Research (CFCR), University of Lucknow; Newton-Bhabha Ph.D. placement award (2017); Royal Society seed corn research grant (2018-19

Effets de scenarios de changements climatiques sur la cacaoculture en Cote d’Ivoire

L’influence des scenarios de changements climatiques a été analysée pour les régions Centre et Sud de production cacaoyère en Côte d’Ivoire. A partir des modèles RCP 4.5 et 8.5 de concentration des Gaz à Effets de Serre (GES), les paramètres température et pluviométrie ont été projetés sur les horizons 2021-2050 et 2041-2070 en comparaison à la période de référence 1980-2010. Les résultats ont montré qu’en dehors du nombre élevé de jours chauds qui pourrait provoquer la disparition de la cacaoculture dans les zones marginales de la région Centre, les indices climatiques se situent dans des conditions normales de production du cacaoyer dans les deux régions. Les risques liés aux maladies et ravageurs pourraient être similaires ou potentiellement réduits. En région Sud, les variations climatiques n’auraient aucun impact sur la cacaoculture. Comme stratégies de résilience, les programmes de sélection variétale devront mettre à la disposition des producteurs un matériel végétal tolérant à la sécheresse et aux maladies accompagnée de formations sur les bonnes pratiques agricoles dont l’agroforesterie. Toutefois, l’accès des producteurs à l’information météorologique devra être renforcé.  English title: Climate change effects in cocoa cultivation Abstract The influence of climate change scenarios was analyzed for the Center and South regions of cocoa farming in Côte d’Ivoire. From greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration models RCP 4.5 and 8.5, the parameters of temperature and rainfall were projected over the time in years 2021-2050 and 2041- 2070 compared to year 1980-2010 as reference period. The results showed that apart from the high number of hot days which could cause the disappearance of cocoa farming in marginal areas of the Center region, the climatic indices are normal within cocoa production conditions in both regions. Risks on cocoa pests and disease could be similar or potentially reduced. In the South region, climatic variations would have no impact on cocoa farming. As resilience adaptation strategies, tolerant germplasm to drought and pest and disease should be provided to farmers by cocoa research program with training package on good agricultural practices (GAP) including agroforestry. Therefore, theaccess to meteorological information has to be strengthened for smallholders cocoa farmers. Key words: Climate change scenarios, impact, cocoa farming, Côte d’Ivoire

Evaluation de la Qualite de Vie des Enfants et Adolescents Inclus dans Un Programme de Prise en Charge Tridimensionnelle de l’Exces Ponderal a Abidjan (Côte d’Ivore)

           Contexte et objectif : L’obésité affecte la qualité de vie des sujets concernés, et de façon particulière les plus jeunes qui font l’objet de moquerie. Ainsi, un programme de coaching tripartite : un aspect nutritionnel, un volet promotion de la pratique d’activité physique, et un volet accompagnement psychologique. La présente étude a donc été initiée avec pour objectif de mesurer l’impact de ce programme de coaching mis en place sur la qualité de vie des enfants et adolescents obèses qui en étaient les bénéficiaires. Méthode : Il s’est agi d’une étude de cohorte à deux mesures avant et après la mise en place du coaching. Celle-ci s’est déroulée avec un échantillon de 136 enfants et adolescents de 6 à 17 ans, soit sur une période de 18 mois, au Service de Nutrition de l’Institut National de Santé Publique d’Abidjan. La qualité de vie a été évaluée à l’aide du questionnaire PedsQL (the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory) dans sa version 4 adapté pour les besoins de l’étude. Il était composé de la dimension physique et la santé psychosociale. Résultats : Les enquêtés étaient des deux sexes avec une prédominance féminine (58,8%) et étaient tous scolarisés. A la fin du programme de coaching en santé on note une amélioration de la dimension physique qui devient acceptable chez 71,8% des enfants et adolescents et une meilleure évolution de la dimension psychosociale et la qualité de vie d’acceptable à bonne.  Un lien significatif (p < 0,05) a été plus observé entre la santé psychosociale, le poids moyen et l’indice de masse corporelle des adolescents de 12 à 19 ans à l’issu de ce programme que chez les enfants.  Conclusion : Cette étude situe sur l’intérêt du programme de coaching en santé dans l’amélioration de la qualité de vie des personnes lors de la prise en charge de l’obésité infantile.   Context and objective : Obesity affects the quality of life of the subjects concerned, and in particular the youngest who are made fun of. Thus, a tripartite coaching program: a nutritional aspect, a component promoting the practice of physical activity, and a psychological support component. The present study was therefore initiated with the aim of measuring the impact of this coaching program set up on the quality of life of obese children and adolescents who were the beneficiaries. Method : This was a two-measure cohort study before and after the implementation of coaching. This took place with a sample of 136 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17, over a period of 18 months, at the Nutrition Service of the National Institute of Public Health in Abidjan. Quality of life was assessed using the PedsQL questionnaire (the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory) in its version 4 adapted for the needs of the study. It was composed of the physical dimension and the psychosocial health. Results: The respondents were of both sexes with a female predominance (58.8%) and were all educated. At the end of the health coaching program, there is an improvement in the physical dimension which becomes acceptable in 71.8% of children and adolescents and a better evolution of the psychosocial dimension and the quality of life from acceptable to good. A significant link (p < 0.05) was observed between psychosocial health, average weight and body mass index in adolescents aged 12 to 19 at the end of this program than in children. Conclusion : This study situates the interest of the health coaching program in improving the quality of life of people during the management of childhood obesity

EFFICACY OF ARGENTUM-QUARTZ SOLUTION IN THE TREATMENT OF PERIANAL FISTULAS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Objective: Nowadays, an optional and effective medical surgery remains the gold standard for perianal fistulas. Hereby we reported preliminary rsults in favor of using Argentum-Quartz solution for both primary and recurrent perianal fisrtulas. Methods: Three patients with intersphimncter and extrasphinteric fistulas were enrolled. Argentum-Quartz solution was administrated twice a week for sa period of 4 weeks, followed by a pause of 8 days and then another 4 weeks of treatment, totally 16 administrations. After treatment, all patients were monitored for 4-months follow-up. Results: Complete closures of 2 extrasphinteric fistulas and a partial closure with absence of inflammation and superative phenomena in the intraspinteric fistula were both manifested. Conclusions: Selective treatment of perianal fistulas with argentum-quartz solution is safe and effective. and may represent a reliable alternative