L’interprète colonial en Afrique Occidentale Française entre 1895-1910 : Encadrement, relations de pouvoir, positionnement et rôle.

Il presente elaborato ha lo scopo di mettere in luce una figura lasciata in penombra dalla storiografia e dagli Interpreting Studies: l’interprete durante il colonialismo in Africa Occidentale Francese (AOF). Attraverso un approccio metodologico interdisciplinare viene svolta un’analisi del profilo, delle funzioni e del ruolo dell’interprete in un contesto asimmetrico come quello coloniale. I rapporti di potere tra interpreti, coloni francesi e popolazione autoctona vengono messi in rilievo al fine di cogliere la complessità della figura dell’interprete. L’intento è di determinare il livello di neutralità dell’interprete, e identificare le sfide etiche a confronto tra i vari contesti interpretativi. Al fine di “decolonizzare” la storia è necessario conoscere e riconoscere il ruolo e l’impatto dei gatekeeper di allora, che erano «bouche et oreille du commandant» (Bâ, 1973 : 69)

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), a new pest of maize in Africa: monitoring, damage evaluation and identification of natural enemies on production areas of Senegal

The fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), an invasive pest of cereal crops in Africa, poses a real threat to food security in sub-Saharan African countries where cereals are the staple food. Since its appearance in Africa in 2016, the FAW has invaded almost all African countries due to its great dispersal capacity. Because of its resistance to a number of chemical pesticides but also the risks associated with the use of these, the search for an alternative method becomes essential. In order to report on the incidence of this pest and explore its associations with native natural enemies, a monitoring study of S. frugiperda populations, its damage as well as its natural enemies was carried out during the period of August to September 2020 in corn fields of two agro-ecological zones of Senegal and in the laboratory. Monitoring results show a heavy infestation with rates of up to nearly 75% of defoliated plants and more than 60% of attacked ears. The damage recorded remains low overall (score below 3/9). A wide range of auxiliary insects (17 families) made up of parasitoids and predators were identified in the field and in the laboratory as well as an endoparasitic nematode with a parasitism rate of 38.46% and a fungus in one of the sites. These results pave the way for the development of an approach to control CLA with these biological agents

Modelling approaches for climate risk and adaptation in the context of sustainable intensification

From September 11th to 17th 2022, was held at the Centre d’étude régional pour l’amélioration de l’adaptation à la sécheresse (CERAAS), Thiès Escale, Senegal, an international summer school (summer school CMRA 2022) organized by the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) in collaboration with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the International Livestock research Institute (ILRI). With the financial and technical supports of Volkswagen Foundation and AICCRA project, this summer school equiped the West Africa’s next-generation agricultural researchers and policymakers to use modeling tools to accelerate decision-making in addressing climate risks and sustainable intensification. A total of 32 participants from across European, Asian and African institutions that have different background were convened. The summer school was designed to provide Master, doctoral and postdoc scholars with a broad overview of the system’s analysis, best practices in model application climate change impact assessments, as well as emerging applications and challenges for crop modeling to support sustainable intensification of smallholder farming systems. The participants were equipped with the knowledge and skills to use crop models in the design and evaluation of resilient and productive cropping systems

Morbidity associated with sickle cell trait carriers

Background: Sickle cell trait carriers has long considered asymptomatic. This affirmation is now challenged because many patients complain of osteoarticular pain and several organic degenerative complications in particular; renal, eye and sudden death have been described. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morbidity of sickle cell trait and identify risk factors associated.Methods: This is a prospective study with duration of 16 months including 50 patients with sickle cell trait received regular visits (every 6 months) for painful events. Biological assessment was carried out systematically to eliminate rheumatic disease (CRP, ASLO, latex Waler Rose) or metabolic disorders (serum calcium, serum magnesium, and serum uric acid). A correlation between clinical and laboratory data was performed to study the relationship between morbidity observed and biological abnormalities.Results: Mean age of patients was 32 years (12-59) and mean age at diagnosis was 24 years (12-55 years). Sex ratio M/F was 0.16. Clinical symptoms were osteoarticular pain (88%), headache (86%), abdominal pain (76%), muscle cramps (70%), dizziness (56%), biliary lithiasis (6%), femoral head osteonecrosis (2%) and gross haematuria (2%). Seventeen patients (34%) had abnormal metabolic or rheumatic analysis. No risk factor associated with morbidity of patients was identified.Conclusions: This work has allowed us to find that the symptoms presented by sickle cell trait patients are dominated by painful events. This morbidity associated with porting sickle cell trait was not secondary to inflammatory or metabolic disorders or physical activity

Mapping the effect of antimicrobial resistance in poultry production in Senegal: an integrated system dynamics and network analysis approach

The impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) extends beyond the farm-level to other stakeholders warranting the need for a collaborative approach to combat AMR while optimising production objectives and safeguarding human health. This study maps out the effect of AMR originating from poultry production in Senegal and highlights the entry points for interventions from stakeholders’ perspectives. A causal loop diagram (CLD) was developed following a group model building procedure with 20 stakeholders and integrated with network analysis by translating the CLD into an unweighted directed network. Results indicate that with an eigenvector centrality of 1, 0.85, and 0.74, the production cost, on-farm profit, and on-farm productivity, respectively are the most ranked influential variables driving the complexity of AMR in the poultry production system. Two reinforcing feedback loops highlight the dual benefits of improving on-farm productivity and increasing on-farm profit. However, one balancing feedback loop that revolves around the causal link between producers’ investment in qualified human resource personnel to ensure good farm management practices underline the financial implication of producers’ investment decisions. The findings provide precursory groundings for the development of a quantitative SD model, the formulation of intervention scenarios and ex-ante impact assessment of the cost-effectiveness of the interventions

Une lesion cutanée persistante non cicatricielle depuis 3 ans: le pyoderma gangrenosum

Le pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) est une dermatose neutrophilique non infectieuse rare souvent méconnue. Il se présente généralement par des ulcérations cutanées inflammatoires, très douloureuses et d'évolution rapide. Il est fréquemment retrouvé dans un contexte de néoplasie, de pathologies inflammatoires digestives, rhumatologiques et/ou hématologiques. Son diagnostic est très souvent tardif après de multiples échecs thérapeutiques. Nous rapportons un cas de pyoderma gangrenosum dont le diagnostic n'a pas été criant. Un patient a été admis dans notre service pour une lésion dermatologique persistante et d'évolution défavorable malgré les débridements et l'administration d'antibiotiques. Il était suivi pour un cancer de la prostate, une hypertension artérielle et un asthme. Du fait des anomalies biologiques observées telles qu'une hyperleucocytose à polynucléaires neutrophiles avec myélémie à myélocytes et métamyélocytes, sans blastose sanguine et une anémie normochrome normocytaire, une leucémie myéloïde chronique a été évoquée chez ce patient. Elle a par la suite été infirmée devant les différents examens complémentaires non concluants. C'est ainsi que le diagnostic de PG a été évoqué et confirmé à l'examen anatomopathologique montrant un aspect histopathologique d'un tissu de granulation concordant avec un pyoderma gangrenosum et une absence de signe histologique de malignité. L'institution d'un traitement à base de corticothérapie a abouti à la guérison

Population-based prevalence survey of follicular trachoma and trachomatous trichiasis in the Casamance region of Senegal.

BACKGROUND: Trachoma, caused by ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. We conducted the first population-based trachoma prevalence survey in the Casamance region of Senegal to enable the Senegalese National Eye Care Programme (NECP) to plan its trachoma control activities. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines state that any individual with trachomatous trichiasis (TT) should be offered surgery, but that surgery should be prioritised where the prevalence is >0.1%, and that districts and communities with a trachomatous inflammation, follicular (TF) prevalence of ≥10% in 1-9 year-olds should receive mass antibiotic treatment annually for a minimum of three years, along with hygiene promotion and environmental improvement, before re-assessing the prevalence to determine whether treatment can be discontinued (when TF prevalence in 1-9 year-olds falls 1% in all districts. CONCLUSION: With a prevalence <5%, TF does not appear to be a significant public health problem in this region. However, TF monitoring and surveillance at sub-district level will be required to ensure that elimination targets are sustained and that TF does not re-emerge as a public health problem. TT surgery remains the priority for trachoma elimination efforts in the region, with an estimated 1819 TT surgeries to conduct

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Transcultural Care

Det svenska samhället blir alltmer ett mångkulturellt samhälle med nya krav på sjukvården och dess personal. Sjuksköterskor möter patienter med en annan kulturell bakgrund, kunskap och förståelse. Hur kulturell bakgrund påverkar förväntningar och vårdresultat blir därför viktig. Syftet med studien är att beskriva faktorer som är viktiga för att sjuksköterskor ska kunna ge en god omvårdnad till patienter som är invandrare och vårdas inom den transkulturella vården. Denna studie är en litteraturstudie baserad på 13 vetenskapligt granskade kvalitativa artiklar och en avhandling. Resultatet visar att bristande kommunikation p.g.a. språksvårighet är det största hindret i den transkulturella vården. Att använda tolk är mycket viktigt för att kunna få en dialog med patienten. Brist på förståelse och kommunikation kan leda till felbehandling och också ett försämrat vårdresultat. Resultatet visar också att det finns både för och nackdelar med att använda tolk. Kunskap om hur man utnyttjar tolk och att tolken själv har en tolkutbildning är viktigt för sjuksköterskan enligt studien. Vårdpersonal och patienter kan skapa missförstånd och konflikter som en konsekvens av kulturella skillnader. Patienternas beteenden, deras syn på vården, närståendesrelationer och könsrollernas betydelse är några områden som kan skapa problem i vårdsituationen. Organisatoriska hinder såsom befintliga rutiner, brist på tid och resurser, den aktuella vårdmiljön, användning av befintliga resurser samt bristande fokus, såsom att inte eliminera kommunikationsproblem, kan alla försvåra möjligheten till en god individuellt anpassad vård. Men även om målet, en vård anpassad efter individens behov, är känt och accepterat, så innebär en transkulturell vård också krav på sjuksköterskorna att förstå och kunna anpassa vården till olika kulturellt betingade behov. Detta förutsätter att sjuksköterskan har kunskap om och förståelse för hur vården ska anpassas. Utbildning i transkulturell omvårdnad efterfrågades av sjuksköterskor och även om en total utbildnings-satsning inte är möjlig, så visar resultatet att någon form av grundläggande utbildning i kulturell kompetens bör läggas in i sjuksköterskeutbildningen. Studiens slutsatser är att sjuksköterskor har en skyldighet att skapa de bästa förutsättningarna för en god omvårdnad. Den viktigaste förutsättningen för detta är att en dialog skapas mellan sjuksköterska och patient. Patienten ska därför behandlas ur ett individuellt perspektiv med sitt speciella vårdbehov i fokus. För att detta ska uppnås behövs att alla nödvändiga och befintliga resurser inom organisationen samarbetar och utnyttjas

Comparative efficacy of two bio-insecticides in the fight against Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner, 1808) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) pest of crops

Among the tomato pests, Helicoverpa armigera causes significant damage to the crop. Chemical control is the most commonly used method against this pest and is becoming less and less effective. In order to find out an alternative, a formulation of Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhdrovirus (HearNPV) of 0.15% was compared to a 2% neem extract product in the laboratory to assess its potential role as a bio-insecticide on the pest. The formulations were tested on stage 2 (L2) larvae up to stage 5 (L5). Results showed 100% mortality with HearNPV formulation compared to 71.48% with neem formulation with a highly significant difference (p-0.0001) 6 days after treatment in L2/L3 larvae and 87.92% versus 70.74% 15 days after treatment in L4/L5 larvae. An average lethal time (LT50) that varies from treatment to treatment has been observed in L4/L5. This TL50 is reduced in L2/L3 and is shorter with neem. These results show that HearNPV formulation appears to be more effective than neem formulation with faster action on young larvae