Effet de Chromolaena odorata L. et de Pueraria phaseolides B. sur la croissance et la production de Hibiscus sabdariffa L.

Cette étude a été initiée pour évaluer les effets de Chromolaena odorata (CO) et de Pueraria phaseolides (PP) sur la croissance et la production de Hibiscus sabdariffa L., sur le site expérimental de l’Institut National Supérieur d’ Agronomie et de Biotechnologies (INSAB). L’expérimentation menée dans un dispositif en split splot a consisté à appliquer, pour chaque intrant (CO et PP), trois doses qui ont été comparées avec un témoin (T0). Des résultats obtenus, il ressort que les deux engrais verts ont influencé significativement (p<0,05) la croissance et la production de la roselle. La plus forte croissance a été obtenue dans les deux cas à la dose de 60 t/ha, soit 5,94 ± 1,31 mm de diamètre au collet, 33,12 ± 6,21 cm de hauteur de tiges, 13,08 ± 1,21 de feuilles par plant, avec C. odorata ; et 5,51 ± 0,66 mm ; 26,97 ± 6 cm et 12,44 ± 0,92 avec PP. La dose de 40t/ha a induit le rendement cumulé le plus élevé, soit 9,82 t/ha pour CO et 6,9 t/ha pour PP. L’enfouissement de C. odorata, à la dose de 40 t/ha, devrait être le plus adapté pour stimuler la croissance et la production au champ de cette culture.Mots clés : Engrais verts, roselle, développement, Gabon

Femtosecond frequency comb measurement of absolute frequencies and hyperfine coupling constants in cesium vapor

We report measurements of absolute transition frequencies and hyperfine coupling constants for the 8S_{1/2}, 9S_{1/2}, 7D_{3/2}, and 7D_{5/2} states in ^{133}Cs vapor. The stepwise excitation through either the 6P_{1/2} or 6P_{3/2} intermediate state is performed directly with broadband laser light from a stabilized femtosecond laser optical-frequency comb. The laser beam is split, counter-propagated and focused into a room-temperature Cs vapor cell. The repetition rate of the frequency comb is scanned and we detect the fluorescence on the 7P_{1/2,3/2} -> 6S_{1/2} branches of the decay of the excited states. The excitations to the different states are isolated by the introduction of narrow-bandwidth interference filters in the laser beam paths. Using a nonlinear least-squares method we find measurements of transition frequencies and hyperfine coupling constants that are in agreement with other recent measurements for the 8S state and provide improvement by two orders of magnitude over previously published results for the 9S and 7D states.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figure

Occupational therapy students’ use of social media for professional practice

Background. The use of social media for professional practice is an emerging trend for healthcare professionals; however, limited literature exists on the phenomenon. Social media usage is prevalent among students, as it is incorporated into many health professions education curricula. This poses potential ethical dilemmas.Objective. To examine the nature of social media usage and knowledge of ethical considerations by occupational therapy (OT) students for professional purposes.Methods. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was administered to the entire cohort of OT students (N=128) enrolled at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa in 2016. Data were analysed descriptively using Microsoft Excel 2013 (Microsoft, USA).Results. The most commonly used device to access social media was mobile phones, with WhatsApp and YouTube frequently used for both general and professional purposes. Uses included accessing social media for developing professional skills and knowledge, and in fulfilling academic requirements. Ethical dilemmas were evident among students, who indicated that social media ethical considerations should be incorporated into the curriculum.Conclusion. The study highlighted that most students use some form of social media as part of their professional practice, which has the potential to be used effectively to enhance learning opportunities. Future studies of a qualitative nature could shed light on students’ perceptions of social media and practical implications for practice

Integration of the Demographic Dividend into Government Plans: A Case of the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa

The Population reference Bureau policy brief, (Gribble and Bremmer, 2012):1) described the demographic dividendas “…the accelerated economic growth that may result from a decline in a country’s mortality and fertility and thesubsequent change in the age structure of the population. With fewer births each year, a country’s young dependentpopulation grows smaller in relation to the working-age population. With fewer people to support, a country has awindow of opportunity for rapid economic growth if the right social and economic policies developed and investments made”. Several South Africa based studies have explored age structure and the prospects of a demographic dividend. These studies range from those that explore timing of the dividend to those that investigate readiness to harness the dividend. Three aspects of the demographic dividend are investigated by this research. Firstly, the paper will explorethe age structure of KwaZulu-Natal population to ascertain the timing of the age-structure (youth bulge) that is a pre-requisite for the dividend. Secondly, demographic, health and education characteristics that are knows to affect the achievement of the dividend will be examined. Lastly, the extent of integration of the demographic dividend into Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in the province will be explored

The influence of electrospinning parameters on polydioxanone scaffold properties

Conduits currently used to reconstruct the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) have no growth potential and require reoperations, resulting in an increased level of morbidity and mortality. This work investigates the effect of electrospinning parameters on the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of bioresorbable tubular scaffolds, as part of a program to develop a tissue-engineered valved tube for RVOT replacement. Electrospinning was used to develop tubular scaffolds of polydioxanone, with the experimental parameters systematically varied. Three electrospinning parameters (volume of liquid, flow rate, and speed of mandrel rotation) were investigated, and their effects on the mechanical properties and cellular response of the scaffolds were analysed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, gas chromatography, uniaxial tensile tests, cell viability and cytotoxicity assays. Mechanical properties were compared to those of the native RVOT reported in the literature. Increasing the mandrel rotation speed tended to increase fibre alignment slightly, and led to more profound rises in the stress at failure and Young's modulus. An increase in flow rate also increased the rigidity of the tubes. Cell viability and cytotoxicity assays showed all the tubes produced to have excellent biocompatibility. Through variation of the processing parameters, it is possible to tune mechanical properties of medical-grade polymer tubes over a wide range. By using a mandrel rotation speed of 50 rpm and a flow rate of 20 mL/h or higher we can prepare materials with Young's modulus, strain at failure, and tensile stress close to the native tissue. Electrospinning therefore offers great promise in the development of scaffolds to match the properties of the native RVOT, paving the way to a future bioresorbable device to replace the RVOT in children

Program Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Melalui Pembentukan Kelompok Usaha Bersama (Kube) di Desa Masbagik Selatan, Masbagik-Lombok Timur

Desa Masbagik Selatan merupakan salah satu desa yang terdapat di Kecamatan Masbagik, Kabupaten Lombok Timur, Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat. Potensi utama di Desa Masbagik Selatan adalah mayoritas masyarakat sebagai pengusaha, baik di bidang kuliner, sembako, hingga konveksi. Berdasarkan hasil survey dan wawancara yang dilakukan di Desa Masbagik Selatan, terdapat satu masalah utama yang menjadi momok bagi masyarakat desa ini, yaitu kurangnya kemampuan untuk memiliki modal usaha kerja. Hal ini mengakibatkan masyarakat tidak mampu mengembangkan taraf ekonomi mereka dikarenakan masyarakat tidak mampu memenuhi kemampuan dasar yaitu sandang, pangan, dan papan yang termasuk pendidikan, kesehatan, dan kebutuhan lainnya. Dalam mengatasi permasalahan tersebut untuk mendapat modal usaha perlu dibentuk usaha ekonomis produktif dalam bentuk kelompok usaha bersama (KUBe) yang disesuaikan dengan kebutuhan anggota kelompok dan potensi yang ada di daerah Masbagik Selatan. Program ini terselenggarakan dalam 3 kegiatan, yang pertama adalah survey, kedua sosialisasi, dan rang terakhir pembentukan KUBe. Seluruh rangkaian kegiatan ini diselenggarakan dengan melibatkan sebagian dari masyarakat Desa Masbagik Selatan dan khususnya ibu-ibu untuk kegiatan pembentukan KUBe

Updated distribution of spotted hyaenas in Gabon reveals resident populations

peer reviewedSpotted hyaena distribution currently widely encompasses sub-Saharan Africa, apart from the Congo Basin. Formerly described as residents of Gabon but considered extinct, vagrant individuals have been recorded since 2003, but no systematic species presence assessment has been made. Based on records of killed individuals, tracks and camera-trap sightings, we show that not only vagrant individuals are roaming in Gabon, but a small resident population occurs in the North-East of the country. The records collated here formed the basis for spotted hyaenas to be listed as protected in Gabon, were included in the IUCN Red List species' range map update and showcased the importance of large-scale by-catch data analysis in updating species distributions

Community appraisal: Madadana village ward 20, Mbizana

Commissioned by Water Research Council, Januar