Impact des pesticides agricoles sur les performances physiologiques des poissons : cas du tihan 175 o-teq sur la reproduction des femelles de Clarias gariepinus exposees a des doses chroniques

L’objectif général de cette étude est de déterminer l’effet du TIHAN 175 O-TEQ sur les paramètres physiologiques de reproduction des géniteurs de C. gariepinus exposés à des doses chroniques. Cette expérimentation s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une étude écotoxicologique réalisée dans le but de mieux connaitre l’effet des pesticides sur la biodiversité aquatique. En effet, des géniteurs femelles de C. gariepinus de poids moyen 350,22 ± 86,44 g et de longueur totale moyenne 34,15 ± 4,3 cm ont été exposées au TIHAN à des doses chroniques de 1 et 10 μL de TIHAN /L d’eau pendant 45 jours. Au terme de cette durée d’exposition, les performances zootechniques de reproduction des poissons ont été évaluées au moyen de paramètres tels que le taux de fécondité, le taux de fécondation, le taux d’éclosion des oeufs et le diamètre des ovules. De même, des paramètres hématologiques (taux d’hémoglobine et hématocrite) et plasmatiques (Na+, K+, P, Cl-, Fe2+ et les protides sanguins) ont été dosés sur des prélèvements sanguins de sujet exposés ou non au TIHAN. Les résultats hémato-physiologiques obtenus au cours des analyses ont pour la plupart varié très significativement d’un traitement à l’autre. Le taux d’hémoglobine sanguin et d’hématocrite des femelles a tendance à diminuer (significativement dans le cas de l’hémoglobine) avec l’augmentation de la dose d’exposition. La concentration des éléments plasmatiques tels que le Na+ et le Fe2+ a significativement augmenté chez les poissons exposés (notamment avec la dose la plus forte), tandis que la concentration du plasma en K+, en Cl- et en P a significativement baissé au fur et à mesure que la dose d’exposition augmente (entre T0, T1 et T2). Bien que les variations observées au niveau des protides plasmatiques ne soient pas significatives (p > 0,05), on note cependant une tendance remarquable d’augmentation de la concentration des protides dans le plasma des poissons exposés au TIHAN, comparativement au témoin. Par contre, on n’a pas observé d’effets significatifs des doses expérimentées sur la majorité des paramètres zootechniques de reproduction mesurés. Seul le diamètre des ovules a significativement varié (p < 0,05) d’un traitement à l’autre (1,04 mm, 1,07 mm et 1,07 mm, respectivement avec T0, T1 et T2) après la durée d’exposition.Mots clés : Pesticides agricoles, paramètres hémato-physiologiques, reproduction des poissons, Clarias gariepinus.IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDES ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF FISH: THE CASE OF TIHAN 175 O-TEQ ON THE FEMALE REPRODUCTION OF Clarias gariepinus EXPOSED TO CHRONIC DOSESThe main objective of this study was to determine the effect of TIHAN 175 O-TEQ on reproductive performance of broodstock C. gariepinus exposed to chronic doses. This experiment is part of an ecotoxicological study carried out in order to assess the effect of pesticides on aquatic biodiversity. For this purpose, the females Agronomie Africaine 26 (3) : 247 - 259 (2014) 248 I. Imorou Toko et al. of C. gariepinus (mean weight = 350.22 ± 86.44 g ; and mean total length 34.15 ± 4.3  m) were exposed, in experimental condition, to doses of 1 μg/L and 10 μg/L during 45 days. After each exposure time, the reproductive performances of the experimental fish were assessed by measuring parameters such as fecundity rate, fecundation rate, hatching rate, and ovum diameter. After 45 days of exposure, the blood (heamoglobin and heamatocrit) and plasma elements (Na+, K+, P, Cl-, Fe2+ and protein) were analyzed from blood samples collected in experimental fish. Most of the reproduction parameters did not vary significantly (p > .05) according to the doses tested. However, after 45 days of exposition, the ovum diameter varies significantly (p < 0.05) according to the treatment (1.04 mm, 1.07 mm and 1.07 mm, respectively with T0, T1 and T2). In the blood as well as in the plasma, most of the parameters measured have significantly varied according to the treatments. The heamoglogin concentration and the heamatocrit decreased in fishes exposed to TIHAN, comparatively to the control. In the plasma, the elements such as Na+ and the Fe2+ have significantly increased (p < 0.05) in fish exposed to TIHAN (T2 group) than the control group (T0). On the other hand, K+, Cl- and P concentrations in fish exposed to TIHAN have decreased significantly. Although the proteins tend to increase in the plasma of fish exposed to TIHAN, no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed among treatments.Keywords : Agricultural pesticides, blood and plasma parameters, Fish reproduction, Clarias gariepinu

Integrated pest management in vegetable production: a guide for extension workers in West Africa

Indigenous and exotic vegetables are central to most nutrition, food security and poverty reduction programmes around the world. However, in most of West Africa, the economic opportunities offered by vegetables are often undermined by production and trade constraints (i.e. pest damage, inappropriate pesticide usage, absence of environmental safeguard policies and/or stringent food safety standards). Extension workers and, in places, farmers groups and local community organizations, are working towards helping farmers to increase their yields in sustainable ways that create wealth and reduce the risks to productivity. All too often, extension workers do not know the cause of common pest problems in the crops they work with. Pest problems usually arise when the biological, ecological and sociological processes which underpin agriculture are disrupted. This guide helps to fill that information gap. It is one of many responses by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) which enables such workers to develop and use technologies. It focuses on accurate identification and better understanding of biodiversity in the development and application of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) options against vegetable pests. IPM is a knowledge-intensive approach to enhance profitability of agricultural systems, while minimizing threats to human health and the environment. The technical knowledge and skills in this guide can be used to look for, develop and apply effective vegetable IPM options. The IPM options outlined here are in harmony with the environment, sustainable, simple to apply, and cheap to maintain. The guide addresses IITA’s strategic aim of increasing the quality and usefulness of IPM research in support of reducing food security and poverty. It draws heavily on IITA’s experiences in Africa, with a particular emphasis on vegetable agroecosystems in Benin. Given the substantial economic costs of pest infestations in vegetable agroecosystems, the use of this guide in Africa is expected to improve incomes and overall agricultural productivity in the long-term. Peter Hartmann Director General International Institute of Tropical Agriculture March 2010 ForewordThis guide has been produced by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (INRAB), Cotonou, Benin, with support from the CGIAR Systemwide Program on Integrated Pest Management (SP-IPM), to improve the quality and usefulness of pest management research. This publication was part funded by the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA)

Effects of acute exposure to cotton insecticide thalis 112 EC (emamectin benzoate 48 g.l-1 and acetamiprid 64 g.l-1) in African catfish Clarias gariepinus embryos

Thalis 112 EC, a binary insecticide based on Emamectin benzoate (48 g.L-1) and Acetamiprid (64 g.L-1), is widely used in agriculture in Benin, to control cotton pests including Helicoverpa armigera. In order to assess the impact of acute concentrations of this binary on the development of  eggs/embryos of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus, an experiment was conducted in the laboratory. The fertilized eggs of C. gariepinus (n 100)  were exposed to six concentrations of Thalis (T0: 0.0; T1: 10.0; T2: 60.0; T3: 110.0; T4: 160.0 and T5: 210.0 ppm), each in three replicates. The  arithmetic method of Karber was used to calculate LC50 values. The 24h-LC50 and 48h-LC50 values of Thalis for eggs/embryos were 124.09 and  117.58 ppm, respectively. High Thalis concentrations significantly increased eggs/ embryos mortality and decreased hatching success (p<0.05,  Dunnett’s test). Rates of various physical deformities such as short-tail and lordosis, and the abnormalities such as black pigmentation on yolk sac,  intense lethargy, etc., also climbed with increasing Thalis concentrations (p<0.05, Dunnett’s test). The findings from the current study showed that  Thalis exerts adverse effects on embryo development of C. gariepinus. They constitute an alert on the toxic effect of chemical pesticides used in  Benin on the first developmental stages of fish inhabiting aquatic ecosystems. &nbsp

Polycrystalline thin-film transistors fabricated on high-mobility solid-phase-crystallized Ge on glass

Low-temperature formation of Ge thin-film transistors (TFTs) on insulators has been widely investigated to improve the performance of Si large-scale integrated circuits and mobile terminals. Here, we studied the relationship between the electrical properties of polycrystalline Ge and its TFT performance using high-mobility Ge formed on glass using our recently developed solid-phase crystallization technique. The field-effect mobility μFE and on/off currents of the accumulation-mode TFTs directly reflected the Hall hole mobility μHall, hole concentration, and film thickness of Ge. By thinning the 100-nm thick Ge layer with a large grain size (3.7 μm), we achieved a high μHall (190 cm2/Vs) in a 55-nm thick film that was almost thin enough to fully deplete the channel. The TFT using this Ge layer exhibited both high μFE (170 cm2/Vs) and on/off current ratios (∼102). This is the highest μFE among low-temperature (<500 °C) polycrystalline Ge TFTs without minimizing the channel region (<1 μm)

Diversité et structure de la végétation ligneuse dans la ville de Malanville au Nord-Bénin

La végétation urbaine a le potentiel de relever de nombreux défis environnementaux liés à la durabilité des villes. L’objectif de cette étude était de caractériser la végétation ligneuse de Malanville. La méthode de relevé phytosociologique est utilisée pour la collecte des données. L’échantillonnage aléatoire stratifié a permis d’installer 300 placeaux carrés de 1 ha, générés au hasard par l’outil « Data Management » du logiciel ArcGIS 10.5, suite à un maillage de l’armature urbaine. Le travail a permis de dénombrer 68 espèces&nbsp; ligneuses réparties 58 genres et 33 familles. La diversité floristique est relativement faible et varie de façon significative (p &lt; 0,05) selon les unités d’occupation des terres (richesse spécifique : 2,75 à 6,75 ; diversité de Shannon : 0,83 à 1,64 bits ; équitabilité de Pielou : 0,48 à 0,63). Les paramètres de structure décroissent significativement (p &lt; 0,01) selon les unités d’occupation des terres (densité moyenne : 6,56 à 59,25 N/ha ; surface terrière : 0,77 à 4,52 m²/ha ; circonférence moyenne : 90,7 à 121,17 cm). La ville de Malanville regorge d’une importante biodiversité floristique constituée à 61% d’espèces exotiques. Dans la recherche de solutions locales aux répercussions deschangements climatiques, cette étude est un atout pour la conservation de la végétation ligneuse urbaine permettant de construire des villes plus durables, attractives et vertes.Mots clés : Diversité floristique, structure de la végétation, végétation en milieu urbain, Malanville, Bénin.English title: Diversity and structure of woody vegetation in the town of Malanville in Northern BeninUrban vegetation has the potential to meet many challenges environmental issues related to the sustainability of cities. The objective of this study was to characterize the woody vegetation of Malanville. The phytosociological survey method was used for data collection. Stratified random sampling allowed the installation of 300 square plots of 1 ha, randomly generated by the "Data Management" tool of the ArcGIS 10.5 software, following a meshing of the urban framework. The work enabled the enumeration of 68 woody species distributed in 58 genera and 33 families. The floristic diversity is relatively low and varies significantly (p &lt; 0.05) according to land use units (specific richness: 2.75 to 6.75; Shannon's diversity: 0.83 to 1.64 bits; Pielou's equitability: 0.48 to 0.63). The structure parameters decrease significantly (p &lt; 0.01) according to the land use units (mean density: 6.56 to 59.25 N/ha; basal area: 0.77 to 4.52 m²/ha; mean circumference: 90.7 to 121.17 cm). The town of Malanville has an important floristic biodiversity, 61% of which is made up of exotic&nbsp; species. In the search for local solutions to the impacts of climate change, this study is an asset for the conservation of urban woody vegetation, enabling the construction of more sustainable, attractive and greener cities. Keywords : Floristic diversity, vegetation structure, urban vegetation, Malanville, Beni

Gestion intégrée des nuisibles en production maraîchère : Guide pour les agents de vulgarisation en Afrique de l'Ouest

Les parasites se manifestent généralement en cas de bouleversement des processus biologiques, écologiques et sociologiques qui sous-tendent l'agriculture. En plus d'apporter des informations sur la gestion durable des menaces biotiques portées à une production végétale saine, ce guide suggère également des manières d'enseigner et de diffuser des pratiques de lutte antiparasitaire intégrée auprès d'un public plus large. Exceptionnellement bien illustré par des illustrations, tableaux et photos, cet ouvrage se promet d'être une référence précieuse pour les professionnels sur le terrain, les agents de vulgarisation, les techniciens, les étudiants et les scientifiques

Cardiac Transcription Factor Nkx2.5 Is Downregulated under Excessive O-GlcNAcylation Condition

Post-translational modification of proteins with O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is linked the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. We investigated whether Nkx2.5 protein, a cardiac transcription factor, is regulated by O-GlcNAc. Recombinant Nkx2.5 (myc-Nkx2.5) proteins were reduced by treatment with the O-GlcNAcase inhibitors STZ and O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyroanosylidene)-amino-N-phenylcarbamate; PUGNAC) as well as the overexpression of recombinant O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT-flag). Co-immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that myc-Nkx2.5 and OGT-flag proteins interacted and myc-Nkx2.5 proteins were modified by O-GlcNAc. In addition, Nkx2.5 proteins were reduced in the heart tissue of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice and O-GlcNAc modification of Nkx2.5 protein increased in diabetic heart tissue compared with non-diabetic heart. Thus, excessive O-GlcNAcylation causes downregulation of Nkx2.5, which may be an underlying contributing factor for the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy

Expression of Sumoylation Deficient Nkx2.5 Mutant in Nkx2.5 Haploinsufficient Mice Leads to Congenital Heart Defects

Nkx2.5 is a cardiac specific homeobox gene critical for normal heart development. We previously identified Nkx2.5 as a target of sumoylation, a posttranslational modification implicated in a variety of cellular activities. Sumoylation enhanced Nkx2.5 activity via covalent attachment to the lysine residue 51, the primary SUMO acceptor site. However, how sumoylation regulates the activity of Nkx2.5 in vivo remains unknown. We generated transgenic mice overexpressing sumoylation deficient mutant K51R (conversion of lysine 51 to arginine) specifically in mouse hearts under the control of cardiac α-myosin heavy chain (α-MHC) promoter (K51R-Tg). Expression of the Nkx2.5 mutant transgene in the wild type murine hearts did not result in any overt cardiac phenotype. However, in the presence of Nkx2.5 haploinsufficiency, cardiomyocyte-specific expression of the Nkx2.5 K51R mutant led to congenital heart diseases (CHDs), accompanied with decreased cardiomyocyte proliferation. Also, a number of human CHDs-associated Nkx2.5 mutants exhibited aberrant sumoylation. Our work demonstrates that altered sumoylation status may underlie the development of human CHDs associated with Nkx2.5 mutants

The Effectiveness of RNAi in Caenorhabditis elegans Is Maintained during Spaceflight

PublishedJournal ArticleResearch Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tThis is the final version of the article. Available from Public Library of Science via the DOI in this record.BACKGROUND: Overcoming spaceflight-induced (patho)physiologic adaptations is a major challenge preventing long-term deep space exploration. RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a promising therapeutic for combating diseases on Earth; however the efficacy of RNAi in space is currently unknown. METHODS: Caenorhabditis elegans were prepared in liquid media on Earth using standard techniques and treated acutely with RNAi or a vector control upon arrival in Low Earth Orbit. After culturing during 4 and 8 d spaceflight, experiments were stopped by freezing at -80°C until analysis by mRNA and microRNA array chips, microscopy and Western blot on return to Earth. Ground controls (GC) on Earth were simultaneously grown under identical conditions. RESULTS: After 8 d spaceflight, mRNA expression levels of components of the RNAi machinery were not different from that in GC (e.g., Dicer, Argonaute, Piwi; P>0.05). The expression of 228 microRNAs, of the 232 analysed, were also unaffected during 4 and 8 d spaceflight (P>0.05). In spaceflight, RNAi against green fluorescent protein (gfp) reduced chromosomal gfp expression in gonad tissue, which was not different from GC. RNAi against rbx-1 also induced abnormal chromosome segregation in the gonad during spaceflight as on Earth. Finally, culture in RNAi against lysosomal cathepsins prevented degradation of the muscle-specific α-actin protein in both spaceflight and GC conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with RNAi works as effectively in the space environment as on Earth within multiple tissues, suggesting RNAi may provide an effective tool for combating spaceflight-induced pathologies aboard future long-duration space missions. Furthermore, this is the first demonstration that RNAi can be utilised to block muscle protein degradation, both on Earth and in space.This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and “Ground-Based Research Announcement for Space Utilization” promoted by the Japan Space Forum. TE was supported by the Medical Research Council UK (G0801271). NJS was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH NIAMS ARO54342). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript