Technology and physico-chemical characteristics of Bikalga, alkaline fermented seeds of Hibiscus sabdariffa

Bikalga is a product of traditional alkaline fermentation of Hibiscus sabdariffa used as food condiment in African countries including Burkina Faso. Its production process was studied at different productionsites of Burkina Faso where the different steps of the technology were recorded, specific diagram of production of each production site was established and a general flow diagram proposed. The changesin pH throughout the fermentation was measured and the proximate composition of unfermented and fermented seeds was determined. The presence of minerals in both unfermented and fermented seedswas also determined by spectrophotometry. The production of Bikalga involves many steps with the most important being cleaning, cooking (with addition of alkalinizing ash leachate), fermentations, steaming and drying. During the process, pH increased with cooking and fermentation (pH 8 - 9), then decreased mainly with steaming and drying (pH 6 in some cases). The studied raw seeds were composed of 28.69 ± 1.15% of crude proteins, 21.93 ± 0.74% of crude lipids, 26.39 ± 1.03 % ofcarbohydrates and the fermented seed showed 26.47 ± 1.5 for proteins 23.19 ± 1.25 for crude lipids and 13.7 ± 0.62 for carbohydrates. An increase of moisture and ash content as well as total titratable and fatacidity occurred with the fermentation. Variable minerals were detected in the seeds with an outstanding increase (in some cases) of potassium and a pronounced increase of sulphur, sodium and calcium in the final product

Les fièvres dans un centre PMI d'Abidjan : étiologies et pratiques thérapeutiques

Les auteurs ont étudié les caractéristiques clinicobiologiques de tous les enfants consultant pour fièvre dans un centre de Protection Maternelle et Infantile d'un quartier populaire d'Abidjan; soit du 01.02.1987 au 30.04.1987, 354 enfants avec plus de 37°8 C de température rectale. Le diagnostic le plus fréquent est celui de rougeole (184) suivi des infections respiratoires aiguës (90). Seuls 11 cas de paludisme ont été diagnostiqués cliniquement mais 29 enfants sont porteurs de plasmodium dont 4 #P. malariae$ et 26 avec une parasitémie supérieure à 1000 GR parasités par mm3. Il semble que la stratégie de chimiothérapie présomptive des accès fébriles continue à se justifier, les infirmiers se montrant capables de suspecter les causes d'hyperthermie autres que palustres. (Résumé d'auteur

The Use of Immersive Visualization for the Control of Dental Anxiety During Oral Debridement

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Immersive Visualization (IV) eyewear on anxious, adult patients during oral debridement. Methods: Thirty adult volunteers (n=23 females n=7 males) were enrolled in the study. Participants were required to be 18 years or older, exhibit at least moderate anxiety (score 9 or higher) on the Corah\u27s Dental Anxiety Scale-Revised (DAS-R), and be generally healthy. Individuals were excluded from participation if they presented with severe dental calculus, periodontal disease, or dental caries, were taking psychotropic drugs, had a history of convulsive disorders, vertigo, or equilibrium disorders, or required antibiotic premedication. Subjects received a full mouth oral prophylaxis (supra- and subgingival scaling and selective polishing) by a single experienced dental hygienist. A split mouth design was utilized whereby each subject served as their own control. Subjects were randomly divided into 2 groups: Group A used IV eyewear during the first one-half of the appointment (right side of the mouth) and Group B used IV eyewear during the second one-half of the appointment (left side of the mouth). At screening, medical and dental histories were obtained, full mouth oral examinations were performed, and DAS-R was scored to determine eligibility. At baseline, the DAS-R was re-scored to validate anxiety levels. The Calmness Scale was scored pre- and post-IV treatment on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (very calm) to 7 (less calm). At the end of the study, subjects completed a Post IV Opinion survey. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel for Mac 2011 (Microsoft Corporation Version 14.3.5) and analyzed using SAS® 9.3 statistical software. Results:Thirty subjects with a mean age of 29.9 years completed the study. Data analysis indicated no statistically significant difference between Group A and B with regard to mean DAS-R anxiety levels at baseline (3.15 and 2.40, respectively), with a p-value of 0.07. Data showed a significant difference when comparing the calmness mean scores within Group A pre- and post-IV treatments (4.66 and 2.93, respectively), with a p-value 0.01. Within Group B the data revealed a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-IV treatments (p Conclusion: Results from this study support the use of IV eyewear as an effective technique to reduce anxiety in adults during oral debridement. The use of the IV eyewear was well received by all subjects. The portable, affordable and easy-to-operate IV system makes this technique an appealing approach of reducing dental anxiety

Disponibilite, modes et frequence de consommation des legumes traditionnels Africains dans quatre localites du burkina faso a diverses activites de maraichage : Ouagadougou, Koubri, Loumbila, Kongoussi

Les légumes traditionnels constituent une source importante de nutriments pour les ménages des pays en développement. La présente étude s’est intéressée à la diversité, à la  disponibilité, et  aux modes de consommation des légumes traditionnels africains dans des localités à  diverses activités de maraîchage au Burkina Faso. Des enquêtes de consommation alimentaire ont été réalisées auprès de 400 ménages dans quatre localités: Ouagadougou, Loumbila, Koubri et Kongoussi. Quatre principaux légumes sont retrouvés en toute saison dans les différentes localités : l’oseille (Hibiscus sabdariffa), la corète (Corchorus olitorius), l’amarante (Amaranthus cruentus) et le gombo (Abelmoschus callei). A Kongoussi d’autres légumes tels que les feuilles de morelle noire (Solanum scabrum) et de vernonia (Vernonia amygdalina) sont disponibles toute l’année. La fréquence de consommation est d’une fois par semaine pour plus de 50 % des ménages dans les zones à faible activité de maraichage, Ouagadougou, Loumbila et Koubri. A Kongoussi, plus de 45 % des ménages consomment plus d’une fois par semaine le gombo (Abelmoschus callei), les feuilles de corète (Corchorus olitorius), les feuilles d’oseille (Hibiscus sabdariffa) et les feuilles de haricot (Vigna unguiculata). Le marché est la source d’approvisionnement pour 71 % des ménages enquêtés. La saison, l’origine socio-culturelle et les habitudes alimentaires sont les principaux facteurs influant le choix des légumes. L’état frais est la principale forme de préférence des légumes. Pour l’utilisation des légumes dans les ménages, 74,25 % des ménages lavent 02 à 03 fois et découpent finement juste au moment de les préparer. Trois principaux modes de consommation ont été évoqués : la sauce, la soupe et le ragoût. La sauce est le principal mode de consommation et pour la cuisson 97,25 % procèdent par ébullition. Près de 62,50 % ; 53,33 % ; 45,22 % des ménages respectivement à Koubri, Loumbila et Ouagadougou procèdent par blanchiment et rejettent le liquide résiduel. A Ouagadougou et à Kongoussi, respectivement 66,67 % et 33,65 % des ménages pratiquant le blanchiment sont des non natifs. L’importance nutritive et l’effet antioxydant des légumes a été confirmée par près de 87% des répondants. L’étude a permis de conclure que l’activité de maraichage influe positivement sur la disponibilité, la diversité et la fréquence de consommation des légumes dans les ménages. Cependant des séances de sensibilisation sur les traitements post récoltes et les procédés de transformation des légumes sont nécessaires pour en tirer un meilleur profit au plan nutritionnel.Mots clés : légumes, maraîchage, diversité, traitement, blanchiment, cuisson, saison,consommatio

Modalites de consommation et valeur nutritionnelle des legumineuses alimentaires au Burkina Faso

Au Burkina Faso les légumineuses constituent une source importante de nutriments pour les populations. La présente étude a eu pour objectif de déterminer la valeur nutritionnelle et la place des légumineuses dans le régime alimentaire des ménages à Ouagadougou, Kaya, Lebda et Nobéré. La méthodologie a consisté en une enquête de consommation alimentaire auprès de 325 ménages et à déterminer les teneurs en macronutriments et en minéraux fer, zinc et calcium de six (6) variétés de légumineuses. Il en résulte que les principales légumineuses consommées dans les ménages sont l’arachide (Arachis hypogea L.), le niébé (Vigna unguiculata L.), le voandzou (Vigna subterranea L.), le soja (Glycine max L.) et le zamnè (Acacia macrostachya R.). L’arachide, le niébé et le voandzou sont consommées plus 2 à 4 fois dans le mois par l’ensemble des ménages sous forme de mets au sein des ménages tandis que le soja et le zamnè sont consommés hors ménage. A l’exception du voandzou qui est consommé au déjeuner par 38,30% des ménages à Ouagadougou, 60% à Kaya, 66,67% à Lebda et 43,18% à Nobéré, les autres légumineuses sont consommées à tout moment de la journée par plus de 80 % des ménages enquêtés. Les légumineuses niébé, voandzou et zamnè sont consommées sous forme de ragout et de plats associés à des céréales respectivement par 99%, 93% et 76%. L’arachide et le soja sont utilisés comme des ingrédients ou comme des collations. Les légumineuses ont des teneurs importantes en protéines, 35,76%, 31,04%, 27,29%, 22,55% et 20,38% respectivement pour le zamnè, le soja, l’arachide, le niébé et le voandzou. Les teneurs en lipides sont faibles et contribuent à moins de 7% à la valeur énergétique. Le niébé et le voandzou ont des teneurs en carbohydrates élevées, près de 60%. Les teneurs en fer des légumineuses varient de 1,77 mg/100g (voandzou) à 6,50 mg/100g (soja). Celles en zinc varient de 5,34 mg/100 g (zamnè) à 4,33 mg/100g (soja). Le soja et le zamnè ont d’importantes teneurs en calcium, respectivement 57,42 mg/100g et 68,40 mg/100g. Du fait de leur valeur nutritionnelle intéressante en micronutriments ces deux légumineuses nécessitent une attention particulière pour l’enrichissement des produits locaux. La diversification des produits issus de ces légumineuses ainsi que celle des méthodes de consommation au sein des ménages permettront un meilleur profilage de leur bénéfice nutritionnel auprès des populations.Mots clés: Légumineuses, importance, consommation, ménages, nutriments, urbain, rural, Burkina Fas

Egg excretion indicators for the measurement of soil-transmitted helminth response to treatment

BACKGROUND: Periodic administration of anthelmintic drugs is a cost-effective intervention for morbidity control of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections. However, with programs expanding, drug pressure potentially selecting for drug-resistant parasites increases. While monitoring anthelmintic drug efficacy is crucial to inform country control program strategies, different factors must be taken into consideration that influence drug efficacy and make it difficult to standardize treatment outcome measures. We aimed to identify suitable approaches to assess and compare the efficacy of different anthelmintic treatments. METHODOLOGY: We built an individual participant-level database from 11 randomized controlled trials and two observational studies in which subjects received single-agent or combination therapy, or placebo. Eggs per gram of stool were calculated from egg counts at baseline and post-treatment. Egg reduction rates (ERR; based on mean group egg counts) and individual-patient ERR (iERR) were utilized to express drug efficacy and analyzed after log-transformation with a linear mixed effect model. The analyses were separated by follow-up duration (14-21 and 22-45 days) after drug administration. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The 13 studies enrolled 5,759 STH stool-positive individuals; 5,688 received active medication or placebo contributing a total of 11,103 STH infections (65% had two or three concurrent infections), of whom 3,904 (8,503 infections) and 1,784 (2,550 infections) had efficacy assessed at 14-21 days and 22-45 days post-treatment, respectively. Neither the number of helminth co-infections nor duration of follow-up affected ERR for any helminth species. The number of participants treated with single-dose albendazole was 689 (18%), with single-dose mebendazole 658 (17%), and with albendazole-based co-administrations 775 (23%). The overall mean ERR assessed by day 14-21 for albendazole and mebendazole was 94.5% and 87.4%, respectively on Ascaris lumbricoides, 86.8% and 40.8% on hookworm, and 44.9% and 23.8% on Trichuris trichiura. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended criteria for efficacy were met in 50%, 62%, and 33% studies of albendazole for A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, and hookworm, respectively and 25% of mebendazole studies. iERR analyses showed similar results, with cure achieved in 92% of A. lumbricoides-infected subjects treated with albendazole and 93% with mebendazole; corresponding figures for hookworm were 70% and 17%, and for T. trichiura 22% and 20%. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Combining the traditional efficacy assessment using group averages with individual responses provides a more complete picture of how anthelmintic treatments perform. Most treatments analyzed fail to meet the WHO minimal criteria for efficacy based on group means. Drug combinations (i.e., albendazole-ivermectin and albendazole-oxantel pamoate) are promising treatments for STH infections

Climate Variability in the Sudano-Guinean Transition Area and Its Impact on Vegetation: The Case of the Lamto Region in Côte D’Ivoire

Based on unique 50-year datasets from 1962 to 2011, this study diagnoses the variability of climate at Lamto (6.13°N, 5.02°W) in Côte d’Ivoire. A combined pluviothermal index is used to identify climate regions of West Africa. The interdecadal change of the climate is analyzed along with a discussion on the West African Monsoon (WAM) circulation. The impact of vegetation is also analyzed. It is shown that Lamto has mainly a subhumid climate but, in some particular years, this area has a humid climate. Two decades (1962–1971 and 2002–2011) exhibit rainfall excess and the last three ones (1972–1981, 1982–1991, and 1992–2001) show a rainfall deficit that affected West Africa in the early 1970s. The meridional wind field from 1000 hPa to 700 hPa is used to study the WAM variability. The level of the WAM is the lowest (~860–890 hPa) during the active period of the northern wind coming from the Sahara desert (November–February). During 1962–1971 and 2007–2009, the depth of the monsoon at Lamto reaches 300 hPa with an increase in the rainfall. A relationship between potential evapotranspiration and the climate highlights rainfall deficit in 1969 and rainfall excess in 2001–2011

Sensitivity study of the regional climate model RegCM4 to different convective schemes over West Africa

Abstract. The latest version of RegCM4 with CLM4.5 as a land surface scheme was used to assess the performance and sensitivity of the simulated West African climate system to different convection schemes. The sensitivity studies were performed over the West African domain from November 2002 to December 2004 at a spatial resolution of 50 km × 50 km and involved five convective schemes: (i) Emanuel; (ii) Grell; (iii) Emanuel over land and Grell over ocean (Mix1); (iv) Grell over land and Emanuel over ocean (Mix2); and (v) Tiedtke. All simulations were forced with ERA-Interim data. Validation of surface temperature at 2 m and precipitation were conducted using data from the Climate Research Unit (CRU), Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) and the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) during June to September (rainy season), while the simulated atmospheric dynamic was compared to ERA-Interim data. It is worth noting that the few previous similar sensitivity studies conducted in the region were performed using BATS as a land surface scheme and involved less convective schemes. Compared with the previous version of RegCM, RegCM4-CLM also shows a general cold bias over West Africa whatever the convective scheme used. This cold bias is more reduced when using the Emanuel convective scheme. In terms of precipitation, the dominant feature in model simulations is a dry bias that is better reduced when using the Emanuel convective scheme. Considering the good performance with respect to a quantitative evaluation of the temperature and precipitation simulations over the entire West African domain and its subregions, the Emanuel convective scheme is recommended for the study of the West African climate system

Hodgkin Lymphoma at the Paediatric Oncology Unit of Gabriel Touré Teaching Hospital, Bamako, Mali: 5-Year Experience

Introduction. The aim of this retrospective, unicentric study over 5 years is to describe the epidemiologic, pathologic, clinic and therapeutic aspects of children treated for Hodgkin lymphoma in our paediatric oncology unit. Patients and Methods. From January 2005 to December 2009, all children under 18 years of age, with Hodgkin lymphoma were included in this study. The treatment protocol was the GFAOP (Groupe Franco—Africain d'Oncologie Pédiatrique) Hodgkin lymphoma treatment protocol. Results. During the study period, 217 cancer cases were diagnosed in our centre. Of these cases, 7 were Hodgkin Lymphoma (LH) (0.04%). The mean age was 11.7 years. The sex-ratio was 6/1. 4% (5/7) of patients were stage IIB and 28.6% (2/7) stage IIIB of Ann-Arbor classification. There were 3 cases (42.8%) of sclero-nodular subtype, 2 cases (28.6%) of lymphocyte-rich classical HL subtype, 1 case (14.3%) of mixed cellularity and 1 case (14.3%) of lymphocyte depleted subtype. With a median followup of 37 months, 5 patients (71.4%) are alive, and 2 patients (28.6%) died. Conclusion. Broader multicentric studies are needed for more accurate data on this malignancy