Stratégies d’exploitation du fourrage par les éleveurs de la zone sahélienne du Burkina Faso

Les caractéristiques de la collecte et de la conservation du fourrage ont été étudiées dans cinq villages du Sahel. L’objectif visé était d’identifier les principales stratégies utilisées par les paysans pour minimiser les problèmes de disponibilités alimentaires du fourrage en saison sèche. Des enquêtes à passage unique ont été ainsi conduites dans 205 exploitations d’agro pasteurs. Les résultats de l’étude révèlent que l’activité deproduction et de conservation du fourrage est largement pratiquée par les agropasteurs (plus de 88,2%). La collecte concerne aussi bien les fourrages naturels que les résidus de récoltes. Les quantités totales de matières sèches stockées annuellement par exploitant sont de l’ordre de 2,043 tonnes, soit respectivement 13,5% et 85,4% sous forme de fourrages naturels et de résidus de récoltes. Sur la base des ressources productives (nombre d’animaux) quatre classes de paysans ont été distinguées. En saison sèche, ces classes déploient des stratégies différentes en matière de gestion des stocks alimentaires. Les producteurs les moins nantis en ressources animales ont tendance à être des vendeurs nets de fourrages tandis que les plus nantis des acheteurs. Les principales contraintes aux activités d’exploitation du fourrage naturel sont surtout d’ordre économique mais aussi de gestion de l’espace

Diversité faunique et distribution des activités de braconnage dans la Réserve de Biosphère de la Mare aux Hippopotames au Burkina Faso

La faune sauvage dans la Réserve de Biosphère de la Mare aux Hippopotames du Burkina Faso est très peu connue. Cette étude vise à inventorier les différentes espèces de mammifères sauvages et à recenser les activités de braconnage rencontrées dans cette réserve. Des dénombrements pédestres ont été réalisés en 2004, 2005, 2006 et 2007 suivant la méthode de transect linéaire à largeur variable. Ils ont consisté à suivre l’évolution de l’effectif des mammifères sauvages selon les contacts et les indices de présence ainsi que les activités de braconnage dans la réserve. 24 espèces de mammifères dont les patas (Erythrocebus patas), les babouins (Papio anubis), les éléphants (Loxodonta africana), les hippotragues (Hippotragus equinus), les phacochères (Phacochoerus africanus) et les civettes (Civettictis civetta) ont été recensées dans la réserve. Les contacts avec ces mammifères sont passés de 17 en 2004 à 28 contacts en 2007 pour un effectif de 94 individus toutes espèces confondues. Les activités de braconnage ont connu une baisse d’intensité entre 2005 et 2007 car le taux de braconnage s’est réduit de 58,4%. L’accroissement de l’effectif des espèces de mammifères et la diminution du braconnage peuvent s’expliquer par la surveillance continue de la réserve.Mots clés : Mammifères sauvages, Indices de présence, Dénombrements pédestres, Réserve de Biosphère, Burkina Fas

Host candidate gene polymorphisms and clearance of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites

Resistance to anti-malarial drugs is a widespread problem for control programmes for this devastating disease. Molecular tests are available for many anti-malarial drugs and are useful tools for the surveillance of drug resistance. However, the correlation of treatment outcome and molecular tests with particular parasite markers is not perfect, due in part to individuals who are able to clear genotypically drug-resistant parasites. This study aimed to identify molecular markers in the human genome that correlate with the clearance of malaria parasites after drug treatment, despite the drug resistance profile of the protozoan as predicted by molecular approaches

Cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mortality burden of cardiometabolic risk factors from 1980 to 2010: a comparative risk assessment

Background High blood pressure, blood glucose, serum cholesterol, and BMI are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and some of these factors also increase the risk of chronic kidney disease and diabetes. We estimated mortality from cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes that was attributable to these four cardiometabolic risk factors for all countries and regions from 1980 to 2010. Methods We used data for exposure to risk factors by country, age group, and sex from pooled analyses of populationbased health surveys. We obtained relative risks for the eff ects of risk factors on cause-specifi c mortality from metaanalyses of large prospective studies. We calculated the population attributable fractions for- each risk factor alone, and for the combination of all risk factors, accounting for multicausality and for mediation of the eff ects of BMI by the other three risks. We calculated attributable deaths by multiplying the cause-specifi c population attributable fractions by the number of disease-specifi c deaths. We obtained cause-specifi c mortality from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study. We propagated the uncertainties of all the inputs to the fi nal estimates. Findings In 2010, high blood pressure was the leading risk factor for deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes in every region, causing more than 40% of worldwide deaths from these diseases; high BMI and glucose were each responsible for about 15% of deaths, and high cholesterol for more than 10%. After accounting for multicausality, 63% (10\ub78 million deaths, 95% CI 10\ub71\u201311\ub75) of deaths from these diseases in 2010 were attributable to the combined eff ect of these four metabolic risk factors, compared with 67% (7\ub71 million deaths, 6\ub76\u20137\ub76) in 1980. The mortality burden of high BMI and glucose nearly doubled from 1980 to 2010. At the country level, age-standardised death rates from these diseases attributable to the combined eff ects of these four risk factors surpassed 925 deaths per 100 000 for men in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, but were less than 130 deaths per 100 000 for women and less than 200 for men in some high-income countries including Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, and Spain. Interpretation The salient features of the cardiometabolic disease and risk factor epidemic at the beginning of the 21st century are high blood pressure and an increasing eff ect of obesity and diabetes. The mortality burden of cardiometabolic risk factors has shifted from high-income to low-income and middle-income countries. Lowering cardiometabolic risks through dietary, behavioural, and pharmacological interventions should be a part of the globalresponse to non-communicable diseases

Therapeutic Potential of HDL in Cardioprotection and Tissue Repair

Epidemiological studies support a strong association between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and heart failure incidence. Experimental evidence from different angles supports the view that low HDL is unlikely an innocent bystander in the development of heart failure. HDL exerts direct cardioprotective effects, which are mediated via its interactions with the myocardium and more specifically with cardiomyocytes. HDL may improve cardiac function in several ways. Firstly, HDL may protect the heart against ischaemia/reperfusion injury resulting in a reduction of infarct size and thus in myocardial salvage. Secondly, HDL can improve cardiac function in the absence of ischaemic heart disease as illustrated by beneficial effects conferred by these lipoproteins in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Thirdly, HDL may improve cardiac function by reducing infarct expansion and by attenuating ventricular remodelling post-myocardial infarction. These different mechanisms are substantiated by in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo intervention studies that applied treatment with native HDL, treatment with reconstituted HDL, or human apo A-I gene transfer. The effect of human apo A-I gene transfer on infarct expansion and ventricular remodelling post-myocardial infarction illustrates the beneficial effects of HDL on tissue repair. The role of HDL in tissue repair is further underpinned by the potent effects of these lipoproteins on endothelial progenitor cell number, function, and incorporation, which may in particular be relevant under conditions of high endothelial cell turnover. Furthermore, topical HDL therapy enhances cutaneous wound healing in different models. In conclusion, the development of HDL-targeted interventions in these strategically chosen therapeutic areas is supported by a strong clinical rationale and significant preclinical data.status: publishe

Données climatiques de base pour le dimensionnement des installations de refroidissement en climat tropical sec : Application a un bâtiment type a ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

On détermine dans cette étude, les données climatiques de base que sont, la température extérieure et l’humidité relative pour le  dimensionnement des installations de refroidissement, données utilisées par la suite pour le calcul des charges thermiques de bâtiments. Ces  paramètres sont calculés en utilisant des données de température et d’humidité relative à pas horaire sur la période allant de 1992 à 2006,  offertes par la Direction de la Météorologie et de l’Aviation Civile du  Burkina Faso. Les coefficients de calcul des températures horaires de base ont été estimés et sont comparés à ceux proposés par ASHRAE. La température et l’humidité relative de base sont calculées à Ouagadougou pour des fréquences cumulées de 1%, 2.5% et 5%, inspirées par la  méthode ASHRAE en tenant compte du climat national. Les résultats obtenus ont permis de proposer, pour chaque fréquence cumulée, la distribution des températures horaires au cours d’une journée type chaude à Ouagadougou. Ces données de base ont été alors utilisées pour le calcul des charges thermiques et les résultats sont comparés avec ceux obtenus par la méthode simplifiée de bilan thermique de climatisation.Mots clés : Température de base ; humidité de base, Méthode ASHRAE, Bilan thermique de climatisation.We determine in this study, the basic climatic data which are, the external temperature and the relative humidity for the proper dimensioning of air conditioning spaces. These parameters, which are compared to those of ASHRAE, are calculated utilizing hourly temperature and relative humidity data spanning from 1992 to 2006, offered by the National Meteorology and Civil Aviation Office. The basic climatic data are computed for  Ouagadougou with cumulative frequencies of 1%, 2.5% et 5%, inspired by the ASHRAE method, while taking in account the local climatic conditions. The results obtained allow us to compute for each cumulative frequency, the hourly temperature distribution during a typical hot day at Ouagadougou. We also compare the thermal load computed utilize these results with those obtained with the simplified method.Key words: Basic external temperature, basic relative humidity, ASHRAE method, simplified thermal load

Mucosal lactoferrin response to genital tract infections is associated with iron and nutritional biomarkers in young Burkinabe women

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The iron-binding affinity of vaginal lactoferrin (Lf) reduces iron available to genital pathogens. We describe host reproductive, nutritional, infection and iron biomarker profiles affecting vaginal Lf concentration in young nulliparous and primigravid women in Burkina Faso. SUBJECTS/METHODS Vaginal eluates from women who had participated in a randomized, controlled periconceptional iron supplementation trial were used to measure Lf using a competitive double-sandwich ELISA. For this analysis samples from both trial arms were combined and pregnant and non-pregnant cohorts compared. Following randomization Lf was measured after 18 months (end assessment) for women remaining non-pregnant, and at two antenatal visits for those becoming pregnant. Associations between log Lf levels and demographic, anthropometric, infection and iron biomarker variables were assessed using linear mixed models. RESULTS Lf samples were available for 712 non-pregnant women at end assessment and for 303 women seen at an antenatal visit. Lf concentrations of pregnant women were comparable to those of non-pregnant, sexually active women. Lf concentration increased with mid-upper-arm circumference, (P = 0.047), body mass index (P = 0.018), Trichomonas vaginalis (P < 0.001) infection, bacterial vaginosis (P < 0.001), serum C-reactive protein (P = 0.048) and microbiota community state types III/IV. Adjusted Lf concentration was positively associated with serum hepcidin (P = 0.047), serum ferritin (P = 0.018) and total body iron stores (P = 0.042). There was evidence that some women maintained persistently high or low Lf concentrations from before, and through, pregnancy. CONCLUSION Lf concentrations increased with genital infection, higher BMI, MUAC, body iron stores and hepcidin, suggesting nutritional and iron status influence homeostatic mechanisms controlling vaginal Lf responses