Paramètres technico économique de la chèvre locale en élevage intégré dans les fermes irriguées des zones arides

La population caprine locale est une ressource génétique adaptée à l’élevage pastoral des régions arides. L’intégration agro écologique de l’élevage caprin fournit au cheptel les conditions d’intensification de la conduite du cheptel élevé en stabulation. Le mode de gestion zootechnique et économique du troupeau, dans ce système d’élevage fixe, doit synthétiser les apports des différents facteurs de production et leur valorisation par les performances animales. L’ensemble des paramètres technico économiques à établir, pour chaque campagne, doivent illustrer les résultats de l’exercice et permettre l’évaluation des étapes de production afin d’améliorer les modes de la conduite et des performances du troupeau. Un modèle de synthèse des résultats zootechniques du troupeau caprin a été adopté à la ferme expérimentale d’d’El GORDHAB. Un total de 89 chèvres mises à la lutte, et 8 boucs, ont donné naissance à 128 chevreaux. Le taux de fertilité, le taux de mortalité des chevreaux à la naissance, l’intervalle entre deux mises bas successives et la taille de la portée ont été respectivement de 91% ;3% ; 9,86mois et 1,60chevreaux ; qui sont largement supérieur à ceux connus de la chèvre locale en élevage pastoral sur parcours. La chèvre locale a pu améliorer ses performances de production numérique et de reproduction dans les conditions intensives, ce qui ouvre la porte pour le développement intégré de l’élevage caprin dans les fermes irriguées du sud tunisien

Impacts of food scarcity and irregularities under arid conditions on the body reserves and production of local goat population in the southern of Tunisia

The study aims to study the impact of environmental factors on adult weight and assess the impact of their use from a genetic point of view to set up the basis for the future improvement of this important component of efficient production. A total of 3000 records of 104 goats were collected over a period of 3 years in the caprine herd of the Arid Areas Institute of Médenine (South East of Tunisia). Significance of environmental effects was tested with ANOVA procedure. The adult weight mean estimated in this study was 24.69kg with a coefficient of variation of 24.34%. Local breed was characterized by a low weight. Such a low weight corresponds to low energetic needs, which could be considered as an epigenetic strategy of adaptation to the difficult environmental conditions. Effects reflecting environmental and management conditions along time were highly significant in studied trait. This effect is especially due to the variations of climate, food nutritional quality and herd management along time which change greatly in extensive conditions. Difficult years do not allow the distinction of the best goats, and this is important for breeders who aim to improve the performance of their herds. In order to optimize the productive potential of the local goat population, it is essential to adopt an appropriate feeding management program addressing the most important individual trait which was directly involved in increasing lifetime productivity. The variability detected in local goat population allows to hold expectations for the implementation of selection programmes for productive traits in arid regions

Global, regional, and national progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 for neonatal and child health: all-cause and cause-specific mortality findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 has targeted elimination of preventable child mortality, reduction of neonatal death to less than 12 per 1000 livebirths, and reduction of death of children younger than 5 years to less than 25 per 1000 livebirths, for each country by 2030. To understand current rates, recent trends, and potential trajectories of child mortality for the next decade, we present the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 findings for all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality in children younger than 5 years of age, with multiple scenarios for child mortality in 2030 that include the consideration of potential effects of COVID-19, and a novel framework for quantifying optimal child survival. Methods We completed all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality analyses from 204 countries and territories for detailed age groups separately, with aggregated mortality probabilities per 1000 livebirths computed for neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and under-5 mortality rate (USMR). Scenarios for 2030 represent different potential trajectories, notably including potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential impact of improvements preferentially targeting neonatal survival. Optimal child survival metrics were developed by age, sex, and cause of death across all GBD location-years. The first metric is a global optimum and is based on the lowest observed mortality, and the second is a survival potential frontier that is based on stochastic frontier analysis of observed mortality and Healthcare Access and Quality Index. Findings Global U5MR decreased from 71.2 deaths per 1000 livebirths (95% uncertainty interval WI] 68.3-74-0) in 2000 to 37.1 (33.2-41.7) in 2019 while global NMR correspondingly declined more slowly from 28.0 deaths per 1000 live births (26.8-29-5) in 2000 to 17.9 (16.3-19-8) in 2019. In 2019,136 (67%) of 204 countries had a USMR at or below the SDG 3.2 threshold and 133 (65%) had an NMR at or below the SDG 3.2 threshold, and the reference scenario suggests that by 2030,154 (75%) of all countries could meet the U5MR targets, and 139 (68%) could meet the NMR targets. Deaths of children younger than 5 years totalled 9.65 million (95% UI 9.05-10.30) in 2000 and 5.05 million (4.27-6.02) in 2019, with the neonatal fraction of these deaths increasing from 39% (3.76 million 95% UI 3.53-4.021) in 2000 to 48% (2.42 million; 2.06-2.86) in 2019. NMR and U5MR were generally higher in males than in females, although there was no statistically significant difference at the global level. Neonatal disorders remained the leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years in 2019, followed by lower respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, congenital birth defects, and malaria. The global optimum analysis suggests NMR could be reduced to as low as 0.80 (95% UI 0.71-0.86) deaths per 1000 livebirths and U5MR to 1.44 (95% UI 1-27-1.58) deaths per 1000 livebirths, and in 2019, there were as many as 1.87 million (95% UI 1-35-2.58; 37% 95% UI 32-43]) of 5.05 million more deaths of children younger than 5 years than the survival potential frontier. Interpretation Global child mortality declined by almost half between 2000 and 2019, but progress remains slower in neonates and 65 (32%) of 204 countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, are not on track to meet either SDG 3.2 target by 2030. Focused improvements in perinatal and newborn care, continued and expanded delivery of essential interventions such as vaccination and infection prevention, an enhanced focus on equity, continued focus on poverty reduction and education, and investment in strengthening health systems across the development spectrum have the potential to substantially improve USMR. Given the widespread effects of COVID-19, considerable effort will be required to maintain and accelerate progress. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Sustainability in the chemical industry: designing a value proposition and international marketing strategy for an energy management system.

Sustainability in the chemical industry: designing a value proposition and international marketing strategy for an energy management system. This report provides an analysis of Condugo, a SaaS company specialised in Energy management for large scale industries located in both in Brussels and Antwerp. The aim is to assist to the company in developing the best strategies to adopt in order to expand their energy management system (also known as the Energy Hub software) in the (Petro)chemical industry across Europe. As a first step towards this expansion, Condugo partnered up with big names such as Borealis for their pilot project awarded from the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) to support companies operating in the (Petro)chemical sector meet their climate target in line with the new regulations imposed by the EU green deal. Although this initiative was a strong stepping stone, further efforts must be deployed to successfully market the Energy Hub. With the Energy hub, Condugo has truly succeeded in developing a software that is performant enough to handle the complexity of the (Petro)chemical environment. However, there seems to be a discrepancy between the interest shown by those companies in the Energy hub and the quality of the offering. By conducting both an internal and an external analysis and a qualitative research to acquire a better understanding of Condugo’s current situation, were able to come to the conclusion that Condugo’s sales and marketing strategy were at the root of the problem. As a result of applying different frameworks, conducting a full digital audit and a market analysis of the (Petro)chemical companies operating in the geographical are of interest, a new sales and marketing strategy were proposed help the company reach its objectives. The developed strategies would enable the company to communicate its value proposition in a clear way towards the target costumer segment, thus increasing its leads and conversions. The added value of this project lies getting an external perspective of the organization as well as the opportunity to provide unique insights from the research that could help the company capitalize on its potential.Condug

Impacts of food scarcity and irregularities under arid conditions on the body reserves and production of local goat population in the southern of Tunisia

The study aims to study the impact of environmental factors on adult weight and assess the impact of their use from a genetic point of view to set up the basis for the future improvement of this important component of efficient production. A total of 3000 records of 104 goats were collected over a period of 3 years in the caprine herd of the Arid Areas Institute of Médenine (South East of Tunisia). Significance of environmental effects was tested with ANOVA procedure. The adult weight mean estimated in this study was 24.69kg with a coefficient of variation of 24.34%. Local breed was characterized by a low weight. Such a low weight corresponds to low energetic needs, which could be considered as an epigenetic strategy of adaptation to the difficult environmental conditions. Effects reflecting environmental and management conditions along time were highly significant in studied trait. This effect is especially due to the variations of climate, food nutritional quality and herd management along time which change greatly in extensive conditions. Difficult years do not allow the distinction of the best goats, and this is important for breeders who aim to improve the performance of their herds. In order to optimize the productive potential of the local goat population, it is essential to adopt an appropriate feeding management program addressing the most important individual trait which was directly involved in increasing lifetime productivity. The variability detected in local goat population allows to hold expectations for the implementation of selection programmes for productive traits in arid regions

Chemical composition, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Onopordum acanthium L. Crude oil and defatted meal

In the present study, the seed oil from Onopordum acanthium. L and methanolic extract of the defatted meal were evaluated for their cytotoxic effect and antioxidant potential. The phenolic composition of the defatted meal was determined with RP-HPLC-UV and tocopherols levels in the crude oil were also assessed. Overall, the methanolic extract exhibited the best amount of total phenolics and flavonoids content (78.06±0.55 mg GAE/g on DW basis and 20.38±0.21 mg RE/g on DW basis, respectively).Seven phenolic compounds were identified with cinnamic acids as the major components (67.2%) and epicatechin was the dominant flavan-3-ol. Additionally, three individual tocopherols were determined and α-tocopherol was the main isomer (914.8±0.02mg/kg). Data of antioxidant performance showed superior antioxidant capacity in methanol extract. Moreover methanolic extract from defatted seeds was more active towards HepG2 cancer cells than the crude oil(IC50 of 44.05±3.54µg/ml) and showed less cytotoxicity towards AML12 normal hepatocytes in comparison to doxorubicin indicating at least some tumor-specific action

Association of genetic variation in IKZF1, ARID5B, CDKN2A, and CEBPE with the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Tunisian children and their contribution to racial differences in leukemia incidence

International audienceRecent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) focusing on pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common malignancy in children younger than 15 years old, have found evidence that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IKZF1 (7p12.2), ARID5B (10q21.2), CDKN2A (9p21.3), and CEBPE (14q11.2) are strongly associated to the risk of developing pediatric ALL. These studies have been conducted in European and Thai populations, and it is unclear whether these observations generalize to other populations with a lower incidence of pediatric ALL. In order to explore the impact of these variants on pediatric ALL risk in the Tunisian population, we genotyped 58 cases of pediatric ALL and 150 controls for SNPs rs4132601 (7p12.2), rs7089424 (10q21.2), rs3731217 (9p21.3), and rs2239633 (14q11.2). Our results, which are consistent with findings in European populations, show that 3 SNPs, i.e., rs4132601 (P=.00116, odds ratio [OR] = 2.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.42, 5.87]), rs7089424 (P =. 0022, OR = 0.49, 95% CI = [0.31, 0.79]), and rs2239633 (P=.0010, OR = 0.47, 95% CI = [0.29, 0.75]) are significantly associated with a higher risk of developing pediatric ALL (P<.05). Furthermore, we show differences in allele frequencies in SNPs between Tunisian and Caucasian and/or Thai populations (e.g., CEBPE, rs2239633; population attributable risk [PAR] similar to 15-fold the PAR of Thai population). These differences, combined with differences in linkage disequilibrium structure between populations and differences in size between populations, may contribute to racial differences in pediatric ALL incidence

Design and Rationale of the National Tunisian Registry of Heart Failure (NATURE-HF): Protocol for a Multicenter Registry Study

BackgroundThe frequency of heart failure (HF) in Tunisia is on the rise and has now become a public health concern. This is mainly due to an aging Tunisian population (Tunisia has one of the oldest populations in Africa as well as the highest life expectancy in the continent) and an increase in coronary artery disease and hypertension. However, no extensive data are available on demographic characteristics, prognosis, and quality of care of patients with HF in Tunisia (nor in North Africa). ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to analyze, follow, and evaluate patients with HF in a large nation-wide multicenter trial. MethodsA total of 1700 patients with HF diagnosed by the investigator will be included in the National Tunisian Registry of Heart Failure study (NATURE-HF). Patients must visit the cardiology clinic 1, 3, and 12 months after study inclusion. This follow-up is provided by the investigator. All data are collected via the DACIMA Clinical Suite web interface. ResultsAt the end of the study, we will note the occurrence of cardiovascular death (sudden death, coronary artery disease, refractory HF, stroke), death from any cause (cardiovascular and noncardiovascular), and the occurrence of a rehospitalization episode for an HF relapse during the follow-up period. Based on these data, we will evaluate the demographic characteristics of the study patients, the characteristics of pathological antecedents, and symptomatic and clinical features of HF. In addition, we will report the paraclinical examination findings such as the laboratory standard parameters and brain natriuretic peptides, electrocardiogram or 24-hour Holter monitoring, echocardiography, and coronarography. We will also provide a description of the therapeutic environment and therapeutic changes that occur during the 1-year follow-up of patients, adverse events following medical treatment and intervention during the 3- and 12-month follow-up, the evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction during the 3- and 12-month follow-up, the overall rate of rehospitalization over the 1-year follow-up for an HF relapse, and the rate of rehospitalization during the first 3 months after inclusion into the study. ConclusionsThe NATURE-HF study will fill a significant gap in the dynamic landscape of HF care and research. It will provide unique and necessary data on the management and outcomes of patients with HF. This study will yield the largest contemporary longitudinal cohort of patients with HF in Tunisia. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03262675; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03262675 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/1226