The Impact of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol Model on Student Teachers’ Teaching Skills and Self-efficacy

The main purpose of this study was to determine the impact of sheltered instruction observation protocol on student teachers’ teaching skills and self-efficacy. Questions formulated to achieve the purpose of the study focused on. (1) Determining the teaching skills necessary for the EFL student teachers. (2) Finding out differences in both EFL student teachers’ teaching performance observation checklist experimental and control group. (3) Finding out differences in both EFL student teachers’ self-efficacy scale of experimental and control group. Twenty two EFL student teachers constituted the sample for this study and two instruments-designed by the researchers- were used for data collection. Results indicated that students of experimental group outperformed their counterparts of control group in EFL teaching performance. The effect of sheltered instruction observation protocol model on student teachers teaching skills and self-efficacy was profound and significant. Sheltered instruction observation protocol model was very motivating for student teachers and gave them opportunities to make decisions and be creative

Does the 8−N8-N bonding rule break down in As2_2Se3_3 glass?

The local coordination numbers of As$_2$Se$_3$ glass were determined by a combination of anomalous x-ray scattering experiments, reverse Monte Carlo calculations, and {\it ab initio} molecular dynamics simulations. The well-known `8-$N$ bonding rule' proposed by Mott breaks down around the As atoms, exceeding the rule by 7--26%. An experimental prediction based on mean-field theory agrees with the present experimental and theoretical results. The fourfold coordinated As atoms likely form As-As wrong bond chains rather than ethan-like configurations, which is identified as the origin for the breakdown of the `8-$N$ bonding rule'.Comment: 6 pages, 6figures, 1table, submitted to Europhysics Letter

Palm Oil Mill Solid Waste Generation and Uses in Rural Area in Benin Republic: Retrospection and Future Outlook

Palm oil is one of the major oil crops in the world, producing important vegetable oils in the world oil and fats market. Its production generates solid wastes whose sustainable management is crucial for the oil chain development in oil palm producing countries. Benin Republic is a small oil palm producing country where oil palm plays social, cultural, and economic roles for farmers. This chapter analyzes the linkage between improvement of palm oil process extraction and palm oil mill solid waste (POMSW) management for sustainable palm oil production. Composed mainly of fibers, the two kinds of POMSW are empty fruit bunches (EFBs) and press mesocarp fibers (PMFs), which are rich in units’ fertilizers and are renewable energy. POMSW in Benin Republic is used in agriculture, in cosmetic, or as energy. The upgrade of traditional mills generates POMSW use as a boiler fuel to reducing wood necessity and increasing farm profit. As this use is not sustainable, research must be made to generate electricity with POMSW and its use for crop fertilization, to ensure environment protection, enhance contribution to food security, restore degraded soils, and increase earnings of producers of rural areas

Grazing Behavior of the Endemic Lagune Cattle in the Sub-Humid Savannahs of Benin

The indigenous Lagune, a breed tolerant to trypanosomiasis, is an excellent candidate to meet the ongoing environmental changes sustainably. This cattle breed could be kept like small ruminants, tethered in grasslands, or free grazing. A study was conducted to assess the grazing behavior of Lagune cattle under the two grazing systems to identify the best systems for sustainable production and conservation of the breed. For this study, four Lagune cattle farms, 02 under free-roaming and 02 others in the tethered system, were selected in the original belt of the Lagune cattle, the agro-ecological (AEZ) zones of Valley and Pobe. The step-point method was used to assess plant species diversity in grazing lands. Three (03) cows per farm were monitored while grazing for 03 consecutive days. The grazing itinerary and grazing activities were registered to allow the calculation of grazing length and duration. The most consumed plant species were identified. Results showed that 133 plant species belonging to 27 families were recorded in the grazing lands in both studied AEZs. Animals walked longer per day (p \u3c 0.0001) in the free grazing system (7.07±1.26 km) than in the tethered system (1.77±0.59 km). On the contrary, grazing duration was higher (p\u3c0.0001) in the tethered system (7.88±1.31h). The Lagune diet consisted mainly of herbs; 23 forage species from 14 families were grazed. Most of the species belong to the families of Poaceaes (34.78%), Convolvulaceaes (8.7%), and Euphorbiaceaes (8.7%). The study suggests free grazing allows better utilization of the forage species available in grasslands. Further studies could investigate diet selection by the indigenous Lagune cattle and the nutritional balance of the animals

The Role of Intravenous Immunoglobulins in Decreasing the Need for Exchange Transfusion in Neonates with Isoimmune Haemolytic Jaundice

Abstract: Background: Neonatal Jaundice secondary to isoimmune haemolytic anemia (Rh and ABO incompatibility) is a cause of high serum bilirubin level due to haemolysis of red blood cells secondary to transplacental passage of antibodies. Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) have been successfully used in isoimmune hemolytic jaundice and were found to decrease hemolysis leading to reduction in serum bilirubin level and subsequently decreasing the need for exchange transfusion. Patients and methods: This study was conducted on 30 full term neonates with isoimmune-hemolytic jaundice admitted in the neonatal intensive care units in New Children's hospital, Cairo University. They were randomly classified into 2 groups Group I: "Study group" (15) neonates presented with isoimmune hemolytic jaundice treated by phototherapy + single dose of I.V immunoglobulin infusion (0.5 gm/Kg). Group II: "Control group&quot

Nutritional Value of Climate-Resilient Forage Species Sustaining Peri-Urban Dairy Cow Production in the Coastal Grasslands of Benin (West Africa)

: Along the coast of West Africa, grazing ruminants rely on perennial forage species remaining in uncultivated plots, roadsides, and marshlands during the dry season. To assess the quality of these forages, thirteen drought-tolerant plants were harvested at the mature stage, and the samples were evaluated for chemical composition, in vitro fermentation characteristics, and metabolizable energy (ME) content. They are ten drought-tolerant grasses, including: Andropogon virginicus, Brachiaria deflexa, Cenchorus biflorus, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Eragrostis tremula, Leptochloa caerulescens, Loudetia aroundinacea, Paspalum notatum, Paspalum vaginatum, Pennisetum purpureum, two perennial herbs, Chamaecrista rotundifolia, Zornia latifolia, and one multipurpose tree, Elaeis guineensis. Legume species had the highest nutritional value (highest crude protein and ME, and lowest neutral detergent fiber) of the species studied. In terms of the in vitro data, the gas produced after 120 h of incubation ranged from 149 mL/g in E. tremula to 185 mL/g in Paspalum. Z. latifoliaa and had the fastest rate of fermentation, producing half of the total gas in 19.5 h, whereas E. tremula required 49.9 h (p < 0.01). The production of branched-chain fatty acids (isobutyrate and isovalerate) was greatest for E. guineensis and the lowest in both Paspalum species (p < 0.01). The study suggests the need for the protein supplementation of the animals to ensure maximum forage utilization and to satisfy the nutrient requirements of ruminant livestock

Le Traitement Medical De La Stenose Hypertrophique Du Pylore A Cotonou (Benin): A propos de deux cas.

La fréquence globale de la sténose hypertrophique du pylore se situe entre 1 et 3 pour 1000 naissances vivantes et concerne 5 fois plus le garçon que la fille. Son traitement, toujours chirurgical, était une pyloromyotomie extramuqueuse mise au point par Fredet en 1907 et Ramsted en 1911. La morbidité était de 1 à 16 % avec une mortalité inférieure à 0,4 % en Occident. La morbidité et la mortalité restent lourdes en Afrique car le traitement chirurgical de la sténose hypertrophique du pylore dans les paysdéfavorisés demeure hypothéqué par des conditions difficiles de prise en charge. A l’instar des études indiennes, serbes et japonaises, les auteurs rapportent 2 cas de sténose hypertrophique dupylore traités efficacement par l’atropine en intraveineuse à Cotonou

Les occlusions neonatales au Centre National Hospitalier et Universitare (CNHU) de Cotonou : Aspects épidémiologiques, cliniques et thérapeutiques

Les occlusions nonatales (ONN), les plus frquentes des urgences chirurgicales nonatales, sont des affections graves, greves d.une forte mortalit dpassant encore 50% en Afrique tropicale. Ce travail avait pour objectifs d.tudier leurs aspects pidmiologiques, cliniques et volutifs et d.analyser les problmes poss par leur prise en charge au Centre National Hospitalier et Universitaire (CNHU) de Cotonou. Il s.agit d.une tude rtrospective vise descriptive portant sur les occlusions nonatales, l.exclusion des malformations ano-rectales. 62 dossiers d.occlusions nonatales ont t colligs reprsentant 41 % des syndromes occlusifs. L.incidence annuelle moyenne tait de 4. L.ge moyen d.admission tait de 14 ± 5 jours. La sex-ratio tait de 1,4. Le dlai d.admission tait en moyenne de 11 ± 4 jours. Aucune ONN n.a t diagnostique en priode antnatale. 50% des ONN taient des atrsies intestinales. Le dlai moyen d.intervention chirurgicale tait de 7 + 3 jours. Les complications post-opratoires, observes dans 75% des cas, taient domines par la dnutrition (55%) et les occlusions post-opratoires (22%). La mortalit globale tait de 44,2%. Elle tait plus importante chez les oprs (58,3%). Les ONN ont une frquence sous estime Cotonou. Elles sont caractrises par des retards considrables l.admission, au diagnostic et l.intervention, et de fortes, morbidit et mortalit. Cette situation est en rapport avec l.absence de diagnostic antnatal, l.inexistence de services spcialiss et performants d.Anesthsie-Ranimation et de Soins intensifs en Nonatologie et l.inexistence de couverture sociale universelle. Clinics in Mother and Child Health Vol. 3(1) 2006: 457-46

Nutritive value and in vitro methane production of two perennial grasses under different stocking rates in periurban areas of West-Africa

Background. In sub-Saharan Africa, pasture is the most used practice in ruminant production, and grazing areas characteristics varied in different environment. To improve ruminants’ performances, the quality of forages represents one of the most important factors to keep under control. Objective. To quantify the effects of grazing stocking rate on the nutrient composition, energy content and in vitro fermentation characteristics including volatile fatty acids (VFA) and methane production (CH4) of two local perennial grasses Dactyloctenium aegyptium L. and Leptochloa caerulescens L. Methodology. The forage samples were collected in three locations (Zinvié, Gakpé, Adounko) characterized by different stocking rate (low, medium and high). Their chemical composition, energy content and in vitro fermentation characteristics, including CH4 production, were determined. Results. D. aegyptium showed the highest crude protein, energy content, organic matter degradability and VFA production (p<0.01) when collected in Zinvié, whereas the highest (p<0.01) structural carbohydrates (NDF) content was detected in Gakpé area and the highest CH4 production was recorded from the sample collected in Adounko (p<0.01). Contrariwise, L. caerulescens showed the highest level of crude protein and degradability (p<0.01) when collected in Zinvié, whereas it proved the highest NDF content and the lowest lignin values (p<0.01) when collected in Adounko. The highest CH4 level was obtained from the sample collected in area of Gakpé (p<0.01). Higher (p<0.01) in vitro VFA production were recorded in samples collected in Adounko and Gakpé than in the Zinvié. Implications. The results obtained in this study highlight the significant influence of urbanization and herd concentration, as well as of other environmental conditions, on the nutritional value and potential environmental impact of the studied perennial grasses. Conclusion. Samples from high grazing stocking rate locations produced more in vitro methane. Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm these results