Floristic Inventory and Evaluation of Carbon Sequestration Potential of the Misomuni Forest Massif, Kikwit City (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

The aim of this study was to inventory plant biodiversity and to evaluate the carbon sequestration potential of the Misomuni forest massif. An inventory of all trees with diameter at breast height (dbh) ≥ 10 cm measured at 1.30 m height was performed. The aerial biomass (AGB) was used for estimating the stored CO2 and its carbon equivalent. 88 plant species belonging to 71 genera and 32 families were inventoried. Fabaceae family displayed the highest number of species and genera. The highest basal area values were displayed by Scorodophloeus zenkeri (7.34 ± 2.45 m2 /ha), Brachystegia laurentii (5.82 ± 1.94 m2 /ha), Entandrophragma utile (5.28 ± 1.94 m2 /ha), Pentadesma butyracea (4.53 ± 1.51 m2 /ha). The highest values of stored carbon and their carbon equivalent were observed in Pentadesma butyracea (15.13 ± 5.00 and 50.55 ± 16.85 t/ha), Picralima nitida (7.02 ± 2.34 and 23.66 ± 7.88 t/ha), Strombosia tetandra (6.56 ± 2.18 and 22.10 ± 7.36 t/ha). The Misomuni forest massif is thus much floristically diversified and plays a significant role in the sequestration of CO2. The total AGB of the inventoried trees is 183.78 ± 61.26 t/ha corresponding to stored carbon and carbon equivalent of 96.63 ± 32.21 t/ha and 289.92 ± 96.64 t/ha respectively. The protection of this ecosystem is highly needed for combatting climatic changes at local, national and regional scales and for the conservation biodiversity habitat

Étude ethnobotanique et floristique de quelques plantes médicinales commercialisées à Kinshasa, République Démocratique du Congo

According to the WHO, more than 80% of the population in Africa resort to traditional medicine to solve primary health problem. In the present study, an ethnobotanical survey was carried out according to a stratified probabilistic sampling plan in five markets of the district of Mont-Amba, in Kinshasa city. The ethnobotanical data collected were then supplemented by information concerning plant ecological types. 47 species belonging 44 genera and 29 families were inventoried in the medicinal flora of the District of Mont-Amba. These plant species are used in treating 41 diseases but only the treatment of poison (toxicological hepatitis), sexual weakness, malaria and tooth decay received an informant consensus factor ? 50%. According to the value of agreement use, only the following eight plant species are of interest: Aframomum melegueta, Garcinia kola, Gladiolus gregarius, Gongronema latifolium, Heinsia crinita, Morinda morindoides, Quassia africana and Sarcocephalus latifolius. It is thus desirable that studies should be carried out on these eight plant species in order to collect scientific data for guiding future research on the phytochemistry and the bioactivity which will lead to the domestication of raw materials for the development of improved plant-based medicines. Also, the creation of a botanical garden of medicinal plants will be able to contribute to the safeguard of the medically active plants, the diffusion of knowledge, medical and pharmaceutical experiences and sociocultural exchanges. Keywords: Ethno-botanical survey, medicinal plant species, sustainable management, conservation, Democratic Republic of the CongoSelon l’OMS, plus de 80% de la population africaine recourt à la médecine traditionnelle pour résoudre le problème de santé primaire. Dans la présente étude, une enquête ethnobotanique a été menée selon un plan d’échantillonnage stratifié probabiliste dans cinq marchés du district de Mont-Amba. Les données ethnobotaniques recueillies ont ensuite été complétées par des informations concernant les types écologiques. 47 espèces appartenant 44 genres et 29 familles ont été inventoriées dans la flore médicinale du District de Mont-Amba à Kinshasa. Ces plantes traitent 41 maladies, cependant seuls les traitements du poison (hépatite toxicologique), de la faiblesse sexuelle, du paludisme et de la carie dentaire ont un facteur de consensus informateur ? 50 %. En recourant à la valeur d’accord d’utilisation, seules huit plantes se dégagent du lot, notamment Aframomum melegueta, Garcinia kola, Gladiolus gregarius, Gongronema latifolium, Heinsia crinita, Morinda morindoides, Quassia africana et Sarcocephalus latifolius. Il est donc souhaitable que des études soient réalisées sur ces huit plantes en vue de recueillir les données scientifiques pouvant orienter les recherches pharmaco-biologiques et phytochimiques futures et susceptibles de conduire à la domestication des matières premières pour la fabrication de médicaments traditionnels améliorés. Aussi, la création d’un jardin botanique de plantes médicinales pourra contribuer à la sauvegarde des espèces bioactives, à la diffusion et à l’échange des connaissances et des expériences médico-pharmaceutiques et socio-culturelles. Mots-cléfs: Enquête ethnobotanique, Plantes médicinales, Gestion durable, Conservation, République démocratique du Cong

Ethnobotanical and floristic study of some medicinal plant species sold in Kinshasa city, Democratic Republic of Congo

According to the WHO, more than 80% of the population in Africa resort to traditional medicine to solve primary health problem. In the present study, an ethnobotanical survey was carried out according to a stratified probabilistic sampling plan in five markets of the district of Mont-Amba, in Kinshasa city. The ethnobotanical data collected were then supplemented by information concerning plant ecological types. 47 species belonging 44 genera and 29 families were inventoried in the medicinal flora of the District of Mont-Amba. These plant species are used in treating 41 diseases but only the treatment of poison (toxicological hepatitis), sexual weakness, malaria and tooth decay received an informant consensus factor ? 50%. According to the value of agreement use, only the following eight plant species are of interest: Aframomum melegueta, Garcinia kola, Gladiolus gregarius, Gongronema latifolium, Heinsia crinita, Morinda morindoides, Quassia africana and Sarcocephalus latifolius. It is thus desirable that studies should be carried out on these eight plant species in order to collect scientific data for guiding future research on the phytochemistry and the bioactivity which will lead to the domestication of raw materials for the development of improved plant-based medicines. Also, the creation of a botanical garden of medicinal plants will be able to contribute to the safeguard of the medically active plants, the diffusion of knowledge, medical and pharmaceutical experiences and sociocultural exchanges

A globally convergent hyperplane- BFGS for solving systems of nonlinear equations

No AbstractKeywords: Hyperplane, Secant, Algorithm, Global convergenc

Global, regional, and national burden of neurological disorders, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

Background: Neurological disorders are increasingly recognised as major causes of death and disability worldwide. The aim of this analysis from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2016 is to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date estimates of the global, regional, and national burden from neurological disorders. Methods: We estimated prevalence, incidence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs; the sum of years of life lost [YLLs] and years lived with disability [YLDs]) by age and sex for 15 neurological disorder categories (tetanus, meningitis, encephalitis, stroke, brain and other CNS cancers, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron diseases, idiopathic epilepsy, migraine, tension-type headache, and a residual category for other less common neurological disorders) in 195 countries from 1990 to 2016. DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression tool, was the main method of estimation of prevalence and incidence, and the Cause of Death Ensemble model (CODEm) was used for mortality estimation. We quantified the contribution of 84 risks and combinations of risk to the disease estimates for the 15 neurological disorder categories using the GBD comparative risk assessment approach. Findings: Globally, in 2016, neurological disorders were the leading cause of DALYs (276 million [95% UI 247–308]) and second leading cause of deaths (9·0 million [8·8–9·4]). The absolute number of deaths and DALYs from all neurological disorders combined increased (deaths by 39% [34–44] and DALYs by 15% [9–21]) whereas their age-standardised rates decreased (deaths by 28% [26–30] and DALYs by 27% [24–31]) between 1990 and 2016. The only neurological disorders that had a decrease in rates and absolute numbers of deaths and DALYs were tetanus, meningitis, and encephalitis. The four largest contributors of neurological DALYs were stroke (42·2% [38·6–46·1]), migraine (16·3% [11·7–20·8]), Alzheimer's and other dementias (10·4% [9·0–12·1]), and meningitis (7·9% [6·6–10·4]). For the combined neurological disorders, age-standardised DALY rates were significantly higher in males than in females (male-to-female ratio 1·12 [1·05–1·20]), but migraine, multiple sclerosis, and tension-type headache were more common and caused more burden in females, with male-to-female ratios of less than 0·7. The 84 risks quantified in GBD explain less than 10% of neurological disorder DALY burdens, except stroke, for which 88·8% (86·5–90·9) of DALYs are attributable to risk factors, and to a lesser extent Alzheimer's disease and other dementias (22·3% [11·8–35·1] of DALYs are risk attributable) and idiopathic epilepsy (14·1% [10·8–17·5] of DALYs are risk attributable). Interpretation: Globally, the burden of neurological disorders, as measured by the absolute number of DALYs, continues to increase. As populations are growing and ageing, and the prevalence of major disabling neurological disorders steeply increases with age, governments will face increasing demand for treatment, rehabilitation, and support services for neurological disorders. The scarcity of established modifiable risks for most of the neurological burden demonstrates that new knowledge is required to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens

Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-Adjusted life-years for 29 cancer groups, 1990 to 2017: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study

Importance: Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now widely recognized as a threat to global development. The latest United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs reaffirmed this observation and also highlighted the slow progress in meeting the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the third Sustainable Development Goal. Lack of situational analyses, priority setting, and budgeting have been identified as major obstacles in achieving these goals. All of these have in common that they require information on the local cancer epidemiology. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is uniquely poised to provide these crucial data. Objective: To describe cancer burden for 29 cancer groups in 195 countries from 1990 through 2017 to provide data needed for cancer control planning. Evidence Review: We used the GBD study estimation methods to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-Adjusted life-years (DALYs). Results are presented at the national level as well as by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. We also analyzed the influence of the epidemiological vs the demographic transition on cancer incidence. Findings: In 2017, there were 24.5 million incident cancer cases worldwide (16.8 million without nonmelanoma skin cancer [NMSC]) and 9.6 million cancer deaths. The majority of cancer DALYs came from years of life lost (97%), and only 3% came from years lived with disability. The odds of developing cancer were the lowest in the low SDI quintile (1 in 7) and the highest in the high SDI quintile (1 in 2) for both sexes. In 2017, the most common incident cancers in men were NMSC (4.3 million incident cases); tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer (1.5 million incident cases); and prostate cancer (1.3 million incident cases). The most common causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for men were TBL cancer (1.3 million deaths and 28.4 million DALYs), liver cancer (572000 deaths and 15.2 million DALYs), and stomach cancer (542000 deaths and 12.2 million DALYs). For women in 2017, the most common incident cancers were NMSC (3.3 million incident cases), breast cancer (1.9 million incident cases), and colorectal cancer (819000 incident cases). The leading causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for women were breast cancer (601000 deaths and 17.4 million DALYs), TBL cancer (596000 deaths and 12.6 million DALYs), and colorectal cancer (414000 deaths and 8.3 million DALYs). Conclusions and Relevance: The national epidemiological profiles of cancer burden in the GBD study show large heterogeneities, which are a reflection of different exposures to risk factors, economic settings, lifestyles, and access to care and screening. The GBD study can be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to develop and improve national and local cancer control in order to achieve the global targets and improve equity in cancer care. © 2019 American Medical Association. All rights reserved

Global, Regional, and National Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life-Years for 29 Cancer Groups, 1990 to 2017: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study.

Importance: Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now widely recognized as a threat to global development. The latest United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs reaffirmed this observation and also highlighted the slow progress in meeting the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the third Sustainable Development Goal. Lack of situational analyses, priority setting, and budgeting have been identified as major obstacles in achieving these goals. All of these have in common that they require information on the local cancer epidemiology. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is uniquely poised to provide these crucial data. Objective: To describe cancer burden for 29 cancer groups in 195 countries from 1990 through 2017 to provide data needed for cancer control planning. Evidence Review: We used the GBD study estimation methods to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). Results are presented at the national level as well as by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. We also analyzed the influence of the epidemiological vs the demographic transition on cancer incidence. Findings: In 2017, there were 24.5 million incident cancer cases worldwide (16.8 million without nonmelanoma skin cancer [NMSC]) and 9.6 million cancer deaths. The majority of cancer DALYs came from years of life lost (97%), and only 3% came from years lived with disability. The odds of developing cancer were the lowest in the low SDI quintile (1 in 7) and the highest in the high SDI quintile (1 in 2) for both sexes. In 2017, the most common incident cancers in men were NMSC (4.3 million incident cases); tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer (1.5 million incident cases); and prostate cancer (1.3 million incident cases). The most common causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for men were TBL cancer (1.3 million deaths and 28.4 million DALYs), liver cancer (572 000 deaths and 15.2 million DALYs), and stomach cancer (542 000 deaths and 12.2 million DALYs). For women in 2017, the most common incident cancers were NMSC (3.3 million incident cases), breast cancer (1.9 million incident cases), and colorectal cancer (819 000 incident cases). The leading causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for women were breast cancer (601 000 deaths and 17.4 million DALYs), TBL cancer (596 000 deaths and 12.6 million DALYs), and colorectal cancer (414 000 deaths and 8.3 million DALYs). Conclusions and Relevance: The national epidemiological profiles of cancer burden in the GBD study show large heterogeneities, which are a reflection of different exposures to risk factors, economic settings, lifestyles, and access to care and screening. The GBD study can be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to develop and improve national and local cancer control in order to achieve the global targets and improve equity in cancer care