Why are they named after death? Name giving, name changing and death prevention names in Gújjolaay Eegimaa (Banjal)

This paper advocates the integration of ethnographic information such as anthroponymy in language documentation, by discussing the results of the documentation of personal names among speakers of Gújjolaay Eegimaa. Our study shows that Eegimaa proper names include names that may be termed ‘meaningless names’, because their meanings are virtually impossible to identify, and meaningful names, i.e. names whose meanings are semantically transparent. Two main types of meaningful proper names are identified: those that describe aspects of an individual’s physic or character, and ritual names which are termed death prevention names. Death prevention names include names given to women who undergo the Gaññalen ‘birth ritual’ to help them with pregnancy and birthgiving, and those given to children to fight infant mortality. We provide an analysis of the morphological structures and the meanings of proper names and investigate name changing practices among Eegimaa speakers. Our study shows that, in addition to revealing aspects of individuals’ lives, proper names also reveal important aspects of speakers’ social organisation. As a result, anthroponymy is an area of possible collaborative research with other disciplines including anthropology and philosophy

Mise en évidence de l’activité anti-inflammatoire des sous-fractions méthanoliques des feuilles de Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) chez le rat

Moringa oleifera est une plante de la pharmacopée africaine, très utilisée en médecine traditionnelle pour ses nombreuses applications thérapeutiques. L’objectif de la présente étude était de fractionner la fraction méthanolique de l’extrait hydro-alcoolique de ses feuilles dont les propriétés anti-inflammatoires avaient été démontrées antérieurement et d’identifier la sous-fraction méthanolique la plus active. La méthode de séparation liquide-liquide a été utilisée pour partitionner la fraction méthanolique. Trois sous-fractions méthanoliques (F1, F2 et F3) sont obtenues à l’issue du fractionnement. L’activité anti-inflammatoire de ces extraits a été testée sur un modèle pharmacologique d’oedème aigu de la patte de rat induit par la carraghénine en comparaison à celle de l’aspirine utilisée comme substance de référence. Après administration par gavage, l’aspirine (30 mg/kg) et les extraits (15 et 30 mg/kg) préviennent de manière significative, l’oedème de la patte des rats de la 1ère à la 5ème heure de l’expérience. L’étude montre globalement une activité anti-inflammatoire des sous-fractions F1, F2 et F3. L’effet le plus important est observé avec la F3 durant les trois 1ères heures de l’expérience avec une cinétique d’inhibition de l’oedème comparable à celle de l’aspirine. Ces résultats suggèrent que les feuilles de Moringa oleifera pourraient constituer une source potentielle d’antiinflammatoires dans le traitement des pathologies ayant une composante inflammatoire.© 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Mots clés: Moringa oleifera, feuilles, anti-inflammatoire, sous-fractions méthanoliquesEnglish Title: Study of the anti-inflammatory activity of methanolic sub-fractions of the leaves of Moringa Oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) in ratEnglish AbstractMoringa oleifera is an African pharmacopoeia plant, widely used in traditional medicine for its many therapeutic applications. This study aimed at partitioning the methanolic fraction of hydro-alcoholic leaves extract of which anti-inflammatory properties have been previously demonstrated and to identify the most active methanolic sub-fraction. The liquid/liquid fractionation method was used to partition the methanolic  fraction. Three methanolic sub-fractions (F1, F2 and F3) were obtained from the fractionation. Antiinflammatory activity of extracts was tested using pharmacological model of carrageenan-induced acute paw oedema in rats compared to that of aspirin (reference). After oral administration, aspirin (30 mg/kg) and extracts (15 and 30 mg/kg) significantly prevented carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats from the 1st to 5th hours of experimentation. Study showed overall anti-inflammatory activity of methanolic sub-fractions. The most important effect was observed with the F3 during the first three hours with a kinetic inhibition of oedema similar to that of aspirin. These results suggest that the leaves of Moringa oleifera could be a potential source of anti-inflammatory drugs in treatment of diseases with an inflammatory component.© 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Moringa oleifera, leaves, anti-inflammatory, methanolic sub-fraction

Diversité Et Importance Socio-Economique Des Espèces Fruitières Sauvages Comestibles En Zone Kasa (Sud-Ouest Du Sénégal)

Wild fruit species provide local people with subsistence products and cash income. In addition to their food value, different used organs can, eventually, compromise the availability of these resources. This study aims to identify edible woody species in Kasa Zone and to analyze their socioeconomic importance. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted with 82 informants. Data collected were analyzed using Epi Info software and uses of species were classified into six categories. A Factorial Correspondence Analysis (FCA) highlighted species-organ relationships. Frequency of citations, fidelity index, selling price were used to show the socio-economic importance of the species. Results identified 62 edible species belonging to 31 families and 54 genera. These species were dominated by Annonaceae, Apocynaceae and generic diversity was more pronounced among Anacardiaceae. Identified species were mainly used for food (53%), energy (16%), technology (12%) and medicinal purposes (12%). The FCA showed three organ-use groups with a strong correlation between fruit and root on the one hand and leaf, bark and wood on the other. The study also identified 16 commercialized species. The fruit was the main organ consumed and marketed. The highest number of organs commercialized were recorded for Elaeis guineensis (4 organs) and Borassus aethiopium (3). These products, often collected and sold by women and children, came from villages and transited to markets through the "bana bana". Their prices depended on the locality isolation and the production period. These results open up perspectives for better management of the supply and commercialization of these forest resources

Competitiveness and survival of two strains of Glossina palpalis gambiensis in an urban area of Senegal

Background : In the Niayes area, located in the west of Senegal, only one tsetse species, Glossina palpalis gambiensis Vanderplank (Diptera: Glossinidae) was present. The Government of Senegal initiated and implemented an elimination programme in this area that included a sterile insect technique (SIT) component. The G. p. gambiensis strain (BKF) mass-reared at the Centre International de Recherche-Développement sur l'Elevage en zone Subhumide (CIRDES) in Burkina Faso was used for the SIT component. Methodology/principal findings: Studies conducted in 2011 in four localities in the Niayes area (Pout, Sébikotane, Diacksao Peul and the Parc de Hann) showed that the BKF strain demonstrated inferior survival in the ecosystem of the Parc de Hann, a forested area in the city centre of the capital Dakar. Therefore, G. p. gambiensis flies from the Niayes area (SEN strain) were colonized. Here we compared the competitiveness and survival of the two strains (BKF and SEN) in the Parc de Hann. Released sterile males of the SEN colony showed a daily mortality rate of 0.08 (SD 0.08) as compared with 0.14 (SD 0.08) for the BKF flies but the difference was not significant (p-value = 0.14). However, the competitiveness of the SEN males was lower (0.14 (SD 0.10)) as compared with that of the BKF males (0.76 (SD 0.11)) (p-value < 10−3). Conclusions/significance: Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that the BKF strain will remain the main strain to be used in the elimination programme. Despite the slightly longer survival of the SEN males in the Parc de Hann, the superior competitiveness of the BKF males is deemed more important for the SIT component, as their shorter survival rates can be easily compensated for by more frequent fly releases. (Résumé d'auteur

Animal trypanosomosis eliminated in a major livestock production region in Senegal following the eradication of a tsetse population

African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) was one of the main disease-related constraints to the development of intensive livestock production systems in the Niayes region of Senegal, a 30 km wide strip of land along the coast between Dakar and Saint-Louis. To overcome this constraint, the Government of Senegal initiated an area-wide integrated pest management programme combining chemical control tactics with the sterile insect technique to eradicate a population of the tsetse fly Glossina palpalis gambiensis Vanderplank, 1949 (Diptera, Glossinidae) in this area. The project was implemented following a phased conditional approach, and the target area was divided into three blocks treated sequentially. This study aims to assess the temporal dynamics of the prevalence of Trypanosoma spp. during the implementation of this programme. Between 2009 and 2022, 4,359 blood samples were collected from cattle and screened for trypanosomes using both the buffy coat and ELISA techniques, and PCR tests since 2020. The seroprevalence decreased from 18.9% (95%CI: 11.2–26.5) in 2009 to 0% in 2017–2022 in block 1, and from 92.9% (95%CI: 88.2–97) in 2010 to 0% in 2021 in block 2. The parasitological and serological data confirm the entomological monitoring results, i.e., that there is a high probability that the population of G. p. gambiensis has been eradicated from the Niayes and that the transmission of AAT has been interrupted in the treated area. These results indicate the effectiveness of the adopted approach and show that AAT can be sustainably removed through the creation of a zone free of G. p. gambiensis

Asthma and atopic dermatitis are associated with increased risk of clinical<i>Plasmodium falciparum</i>malaria

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of atopy and allergy on the risk of clinical malaria. DESIGN: A clinical and immunological allergy cross-sectional survey in a birth cohort of 175 children from 1 month to 14 years of age followed for up to 15 years in a longitudinal open cohort study of malaria in Senegal. Malaria incidence data were available for 143 of these children (aged 4 months to 14 years of age) for up to 15 years. Mixed-model regression analysis was used to determine the impact of allergy status on malaria incidence, adjusting for age, gender, sickle-cell trait and force of infection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis status, the number of clinical Plasmodium falciparum malaria episodes since birth and associated parasite density. RESULTS: 12% of the children were classified as asthmatic and 10% as having atopic dermatitis. These groups had respectively a twofold (OR 2.12 95%; CI 1.46 to 3.08; p=8×10(−5)) and threefold (OR 3.15; 1.56 to 6.33; p=1.3×10(−3)) increase in the risk of clinical P falciparum malaria once older than the age of peak incidence of clinical malaria (3–4 years of age). They also presented with higher P falciparum parasite densities (asthma: mean 105.3 parasites/μL±SE 41.0 vs 51.3±9.7; p=6.2×10(−3). Atopic dermatitis: 135.4±70.7 vs 52.3±11.0; p=0.014). There was no effect of allergy on the number of non-malaria clinical presentations. Individuals with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis did not have an increased risk of clinical malaria nor any difference in parasite densities. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that asthma and atopic dermatitis delay the development of clinical immunity to P falciparum. Despite the encouraging decrease in malaria incidence rates in Africa, a significant concern is the extent to which the increase in allergy will exacerbate the burden of malaria. Given the demonstrated antiparasitic effect of antihistamines, administration to atopic children will likely reduce the burden of clinical malaria in these children, increase the efficacy of first-line treatment antimalarials and alleviate the non-infectious consequences of atopy