Anterior Pituitary Endocrine Dysfunctions in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury in the Neurosurgical Units of the Yaounde Central and General Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Post-traumatic endocrine dysfunction (PTED) is an important and relatively common complication of TBI (traumatic brain injury). It is usually undiagnosed and untreated making it a major cause of poor outcome in TBI patients as it can lead to death, delayed recovery, cognitive impairment, depression, sexual dysfunctions and infertility. Study Design: Analytic cross-sectional study at the Yaounde Central and General Hospitals from January 2022 to April 2022. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the endocrine dysfunctions and factors associated to their occurrence in patients presenting TBI at the neurosurgical units of the Yaounde Central and General Hospitals. Methods: Patients were enrolled at the neurosurgical units Data was collected with the help of a questionnaire after obtaining their informed consent alongside with blood samples in the morning (between 8AM and 10AM) for screening of anterior hypothalamo-pituitary axis hormones (FSH, LH and TSH) and relative peripheral hormones (cortisol, T4, oestrogene in women and testosterone in men) using fluorescence immunoassay. The study population was made up of all patients diagnosed with TBI during the study period at study sites. Patients taking medications affecting the hypothalamo-pituitary axis were excluded. Variables of interest included socio-demographic variables, clinical variables and paraclinical variables. Data was inserted and analyzed using the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. Association between variables was done using Fisher’s exact test. The association measure used was odd’s ratio (OR) with confidence interval (CI) of 95%. Results: A total of 33 participants were enrolled, out of which 26 responding to our inclusion criteria were retained and 7 excluded because they were on medications affecting the hypothalamo-pituitary axis. The median age of participants was 34 (26,75–41,25) years. There was a predominance of the male population with a sex ratio of 12:1. A total of 17 participants developed PTED (65.38%). The PTED encountered were FSH deficiency (12 patients at 46,1%), LH deficiency (10 patients at 38,4%), morning cortisol deficiency (5 patients at 19,2%), TSH deficiency (7 patients at 26,9%), testosterone deficiency (5 patients at 19,2%) and multiple deficiencies (12 patients at 46,1%). PTED was also found in 6 patients with severe TBI, 6 patients with moderate TBI and 5 patients with mild TBI (35.3%, 35.3% and 29.4%). In ≤7 days from TBI, 11 patients suffered PTED (64.7%) while after 7 days post-TBI, only 6 patients suffered PTED (35.3%). Tiredness was the most frequent symptom observed in 15 patients with PTED (88.2%). No factors associated to the occurrence of PTED were found in this study (p-values were all >0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests that PTED is a common condition amongst sufferers of TBI. PTED occurs in both genders and the most frequent types of anterior pituitary endocrine dysfunctions were hypogonadism, hypothyroidism and lastly corticotropic insufficiency. Most patients with PTED had associated CT-scan lesions. No factors was significantly associated to the occurrence of PTED probably due to small sample size

ANTIMICROBIAL DITERPENOID ALKALOIDS FROM ERYTHROPHLEUM SUAVEOLENS (GUILL. & PERR.) BRENAN

An investigation of the stem bark of Erythrophleum suaveolens (Guill. & Perr.) Brenan yielded the known amide norcassaide (1) and a new diterpenoid alkaloid named norerythrosuaveolide (2) which was characterized as 7β-hydroxy-7-deoxo-6-oxonorcassaide. The structures were established on the basis of one and two-dimensional 1H and 13C NMR spectral data. The compounds showed potent antimicrobial activities against bacteria and yeasts. KEY WORDS: Erythrophleum suaveolens (Guill. & Perr.) Brenan, Norcassaide, Diterpenoid alkaloid, Norerythrosuaveolide, Antimicrobial activities, Bacteria, Yeasts Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2005, 19(2), 221-226

Effect of a Previous Acid Adaptation of Zygosaccharomyces bailii on its Growth Kinetic in Acidic Media

The growth response of Zygosaccharomyces bailii acid adapted cells was assessed in acidified media. Yeast cells were first pre-cultured in nutrient broth adjusted with hydrochloric, citric and malic acid to pH 4; 4.5; 5; 5.5; 6 and 6.5. Moreover, they were also grown in two controls consisting of nutrient broth and nutrient broth supplemented with 1% of glucose both adjusted at pH 7. The variation of pH before and after the growth along with yeast concentration was measured. The cells pre-cultured in controls conditions and in the three conditions at pH 5 were then each inoculated in six BHI medium consisting of BHI adjusted with hydrochloric, citric and malic acid at pH 5.5 and 3.5. The growth was monitored by spectrophotometry and the yeast concentration after incubation was obtained by microscopy using a Thoma cell chamber. DMFit 2.1 was used to plot the growth curves and to estimate the growth parameters. All the pre-cultures and cultures were made at 37°C during 24 hours. During the pre-cultures, an important decrease of pH was noted in nutrient broth supplemented with glucose, moving from 7 to 3.81. In all the other pre-cultures, just a little variation was observed ranging from -0.57 to 0.50. Growth was observed in all the conditions, except at pH4. By growing the cells coming from the selected pre-cultures conditions in the different acidic BHI media, it appears that acid adaptation enhance the growth at pH 5.5 no matter the acid contains in the medium and the acid to which the cells were adapted. However, this acid adaptation was not sufficient to initiate growth at pH 3.5 after 24 hours of incubation at 37°C. Growth rate was significantly affected by the pH of the pre-culture medium and the acid present in the culture medium. Pre-culture with glucose supplementation was the only parameter studied affecting the latency

SEROPREVALENCE OF BOVINE BRUCELLOSIS IN CENTRAL CAMEROON

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease with a significant economic and public health impact, which particularly affects humans and animal species in developing countries relying on livestock production. This study was conducted to provide asero-prevalence of bovine brucellosis in the central part of Cameroon. Sera from randomly collected blood samples were screened for Brucella antibodies using the rapid Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and the indirect Enzyme Linked Immuno­-Sorbent Assay(i-ELISA). A questionnaire was administered to butchers to trace the origin of each animal sampled and know the age and sex of these animals. Statistical significance was determined by Chi-Square test using SPSS v 20 software. A total of 460 cattle (both male and female) were screened. RBPT detected Brucella antibodies in 67 (14.63%) With iELISA, 41 (9, 4%) samples tested positive for detecting Brucella LPS antibodies for confirmation. Data such as animal ageand their origin were not significant; however, the sexwas statistically significant. Animals from Ngaoundere were found to be more affected than animals from Bertoua. Therefore, the overall sero-prevalence obtained was 67 (14.63%) for RBPT and 41 (9, 4%) for i-ELISA.

Spatially Explicit Analyses of Anopheline Mosquitoes Indoor Resting Density: Implications for Malaria Control

Background: The question of sampling and spatial aggregation of malaria vectors is central to vector control efforts and estimates of transmission. Spatial patterns of anopheline populations are complex because mosquitoes' habitats and behaviors are strongly heterogeneous. Analyses of spatially referenced counts provide a powerful approach to delineate complex distribution patterns, and contributions of these methods in the study and control of malaria vectors must be carefully evaluated. Methodology/Principal Findings: We used correlograms, directional variograms, Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) and the Spatial Analysis by Distance IndicEs (SADIE) to examine spatial patterns of Indoor Resting Densities (IRD) in two dominant malaria vectors sampled with a 565 km grid over a 2500 km(2) area in the forest domain of Cameroon. SADIE analyses revealed that the distribution of Anopheles gambiae was different from regular or random, whereas there was no evidence of spatial pattern in Anopheles funestus (Ia = 1.644, Pa0.05, respectively). Correlograms and variograms showed significant spatial autocorrelations at small distance lags, and indicated the presence of large clusters of similar values of abundance in An. gambiae while An. funestus was characterized by smaller clusters. The examination of spatial patterns at a finer spatial scale with SADIE and LISA identified several patches of higher than average IRD (hot spots) and clusters of lower than average IRD (cold spots) for the two species. Significant changes occurred in the overall spatial pattern, spatial trends and clusters when IRDs were aggregated at the house level rather than the locality level. All spatial analyses unveiled scale-dependent patterns that could not be identified by traditional aggregation indices. Conclusions/Significance: Our study illustrates the importance of spatial analyses in unraveling the complex spatial patterns of malaria vectors, and highlights the potential contributions of these methods in malaria control

Evaluation de l'efficacité des extraits aqueux de graines de papaye (Carica papaya L.) dans le traitement de la coccidiose caecale à Eimeria tenella chez le poulet de chair

Evaluation of the Efficiency of Aqueous Extracts of Papaw Seeds (Carica papaya L.) for the Treatment of Caecum Eimeria tenella Coccidiosis in Broiler Chicken. A study was carried out to study the efficiency of aqueous extracts of papaw seeds for the treatment of caecum Eimeria tenella coccidiosis in broiler chicken. Eighty eight 37-day old caged ISA15 VEDETTE broiler chickens were inoculated with a suspension of 3500 ± 1050 E. tenella oocysts/ml. The birds then divided into 4 groups of 22 birds received 10 days later either 0 (D0 dose), 10 (D10 dose), 20 (D20 dose) or 40 g/l (D40 dose) of aqueous extracts of papaw seeds. Mortality rates of 45.5%, 34.8%, 18.2% and 9.1% were recorded for D0, D10, D20 and D40 groups respectively. As compared to infestation rate before treatment, the reduction rate of the number of oocysts/g of faeces was respectively 6.6%, 42.8%, 73.6% and 91.8% for D0, D10, D20 and D40. Average daily weight gain was 42.7 g, 47.8 g, 69.8 g and 86 g for treatments D0, D10, D20 and D40, respectively while average weekly feed efficiency ratio values of 3.9, 4.1, 2.4 and 1.9 were respectively recorded for D0, D10, D20 and D40 treatments. Aqueous extracts of papaw seeds seemed to be efficient in the treatment of caecum E. tenella coccidiosis in broiler chickens

Diagnostic des systèmes d’élevage et essai d’alimentation de porcs en zone périurbaine de Yaoundé

L’inadéquation entre l’offre et la demande en viande porcine au Cameroun crée l’urgence de développement des élevages porcins surtout ceux périurbains. Or, les systèmes de production porcine des zones périurbaines de Yaoundé restent peu connus, les techniques et les coûts de production non maîtrisées et élevés. A cet effet, une étude diagnostique a été menée en 2008 pour analyser les caractéristiques sociologiques et techniques des élevages porcins, identifier les contraintes et y apporter des améliorations. Des interviews structurées individuelles ont été effectuées auprès de 40 éleveurs dans 4 localités de la périphérie de Yaoundé. Par la suite, un éleveur a été choisi au hasard pour mener un essai d’alimentation pendant 64 jours. A cet effet, 12 porcelets âgés de 2 mois, ayant un poids compris entre 9 et 11kg ont été repartis en 3 lots (traitements) de 4 porcelets chacun. Les 3 lots ont reçu respectivement un aliment à base de graines de soja grillées, un aliment à base du tourteau de coton et un aliment à base du tourteau de palmiste. L’analyse des données montre que l’élevage du porc est une activité à but lucratif conduite en majorité par les hommes (75,8%) âgés en moyenne de 45 ans. 84,0% des bâtiments d’élevage sont en matériaux provisoire. Les porcs sont de races améliorées avec 81,2% ayant 2 mises bas/truie/an pour une portée moyenne de 8,5 ± 3,2 porcelets/mise bas. L’alimentation est de type mixte à 70,0% et représente une contrainte majeure. Les porcs nourris à la graine de soja grillée ont un gain de poids de 369,1g/j avec un indice de consommation de 2,8 contre 322g/j pour ceux nourris au tourteau de coton avec un indice de 3,05 et 179,7g/j pour ceux au tourteau de palmiste avec un indice de consommation de 4,65.Mots clés : Elevage ; Porcs ; Diagnostic ; Alimentation ; Périurbain. Diagnosis of breeding systems and pig feeding trial in periurban zones of Yaounde. The mismatch between supply and demand for pork in Cameroon creates urgency of development of pig farms especially peri-urban ones. However, the pig production systems in peri-urban areas of Yaounde remain little known, techniques and costs of production uncontrolled and high. For this purpose, a diagnostic study was conducted in 2008 to analyze the sociological and technical characteristics of pig farms, identify constraints and make improvements. Structured individual interviews were conducted with 40 farmers in 4 localities in the outskirts of Yaounde.Following the investigation, a trial was conducted from a breeder for 64 days: 12 piglets aged 2 months, weighing between 9 and 11kg were divided into 3 groups containing 4 piglets each. The 3 groups corresponding to 3 treatments each received a diet based on roasted soybeans, a diet based on cottonseed cake and a diet containing the palm kernel cake. The data analysis shows that pig farming is a lucrative activity conducted mostly by men (75.8%), with an average age of 45 years. 84.0% of the livestock buildings are provisional materials. Pigs are of improved breeds with 81.2% having two litters/sow/year for an average range of 8.5 ± 3.2 piglets/farrowing. Food is of mixed type in 70.0% and represents a major constraint. Pigs fed by roasted soybean had a weight gain of 369.1 g/day with a feed conversion index of 2.8 against 322g/day for those fed by cottonseed meal with an index of 3.05 and 179.7 g/day for those fed with palm kernel cake with a feed conversion index of 4.65.Key words: Breeding ; pigs ; diagnosis ; feeding ; periurban

Drying Kinetics, Physico-chemical and Nutritional Characteristics of "Kindimu", a Fermented Milk-Based-Sorghum-Flour

"Kindimu", a fermented milk-based cereal foods made by sun drying a mixture of fermented milk and cereal flour is a common flour ingredient in the central African region. A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of processing methods on the drying behaviour, functional and nutritional quality of such a food prepared from sorghum flour and fermented milk. A mixture of 1 part sorghum flour (germinated or non - germinated) and the 2 part (w/w) on fermented milk was coated on aluminium trays to a depth of 5mm and dried at 50, 65 or 80°C. Results obtained indicated that a simple mass transfer equation Ln [(C-C*)/(Co-C*)]= -(K/L)t can be used to model the drying behaviour of the fermented milk -sorghum flour mixtures. The magnitude of mass transfer coefficient K, increased with drying temperature and the germination of sorghum. Germination and addition of milk increased the in vitro protein digestibility of sorghum flour by 19.03%, protein solubility by 11.5% and available lysine content by an average of 3.04% and reduced the phytate content by 30%. The water absorption capacity of flours was equally reduced by an average of 4%

Resistance of nosocomial bacterial strains to commonly used antibiotics and their sensitivity to some Cameroonian Medicinal Plant preparations

No Abstract.Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences Vol. 6 (3) 2006: pp. 139-14