Réglementation et Performances des Micros, Petites et Moyennes Entreprises Camerounaises

L'objectif de ce travail est d'étudier les différentiels de performance entre les entreprises en fonction de leur niveau de formalisation en utilisant une méthodologie économétrique qui traite la formalisation comme une variable endogène, discrète et ordonnée. Les données utilisées ont été collectées auprès des entreprises des villes de Yaoundé et Douala entre octobre et novembre 2012. Les analyses économétriques basées sur un échantillon de 1017 entreprises permettent de montrer que : (i) les différentiels de performance entre les différents niveaux de formalité sont importants, mais celles-ci sont dues en grande partie aux caractéristiques observées des entrepreneurs et des entreprises, (ii) les pertes de profit subies par les entreprises informelles ou partiellement formelles augmentent avec le niveau d'éducation, l'âge de l'entrepreneur, la taille de n'entreprise mesurée par le nombre d'employés et le niveau de capital physique. Ce travail met en évidence des similitudes entre les entreprises informelles et celles qui sont partiellement formelles, et des différences entre ces deux groupes d'entreprises et celles qui sont complètement formelles

Formulation d'insecticides en poudre par adsorption des huiles essentielles de Xylopia aethiopica et de Ocimum gratissimum sur des argiles camerounaises modifiées

En Afrique sud- saharienne, plusieurs méthodes de protection des stocks alimentaires sont utilisées ; parmi elles, les insecticides synthétiques qui représentent un risque réel pour la santé humaine. Pour apporter une alternative à ces insecticides chimiques potentiellement dangereux, le présent travail a pour objectif de développer des bio-insecticides en formulant des poudres par adsorption d huiles essentielles sur des argiles. Deux argiles naturelles du Cameroun ont été utilisées comme adsorbants des composés terpéniques des huiles essentielles de Xylopia aethiopica et Ocimum gratissimum pour la préparation d insecticides. Dans le but d améliorer leur capacité d adsorption, ces argiles ont été traitées par la soude et l acide sulfurique. Elles ont également été modifiées par des solutions de polycations d aluminium ou de fer de rapport molaire varié ainsi que par des cations d alkylammoniums. Une bentonite commerciale a été utilisée comme référence dans le suivi des modifications. Ces différentes matrices ont été caractérisées avant et après modifications par diffraction des rayons X, adsorption-désorption d azote, spectroscopie infra rouge à transformée de Fourier, analyses thermogravimétriques et différentielles, et photométrie de flamme. Il ressort de la caractérisation que l échantillon de Wak est majoritairement constitué de kaolinite, et celui de Maroua de montmorillonite. Le traitement par l acide sulfurique et par les polycations métalliques entraînent une augmentation de la surface spécifique des argiles, tandis que la soude et les cations d alkylammoniums la réduisent fortement. La surface spécifique de la montmorillonite passe de 82 m .g-1 à 4,5 m .g-1 après traitement au céthyl triméthyl ammonium (CTMA). Les diffractogrammes montrent une augmentation de la distance interfoliaire des argiles étudiées après modification aux cations alkylammoniums. La distance interfoliaire augmente de 5,5 Å et de 10,6 Å respectivement pour la montmorillonite et la bentonite traitée par le CTMA. Les argiles de type smectite après modifications aux polycations métalliques, présentent en revanche un étalement du pic caractéristique de l espace interfoliaire. Les cations alkylammoniums entraînent donc une intercalation effective des molécules de CTMA et phényl triméthyl ammonium (PTMA) entre les feuillets de montmorillonite et de bentonite tandis que les polycations métalliques entraînent une exfoliation du matériau argileux. Les argiles-alkylammoniums présentent les plus grandes capacités d adsorption des composés terpéniques malgré les plus faibles surfaces spécifiques. Ainsi, face aux composés terpéniques, la capacité d adsorption des argiles ne dépend pas uniquement de la surface spécifique mais également de l espacement interfoliaire de l adsorbant ainsi que de l affinité des molécules d adsorbât vis-à-vis de l adsorbant. Des tests insecticides ont montré que les formulations à base de la Mont-CTMA présentent une toxicité plus stable que celle préparée à partir de l argile brute (Mont-Na). La formulation Mont-Na-HE perd la totalité de son activité insecticide au bout de 30 jours de conservation dans les boîtes ouvertes. La formulation Mont-CTMA-HE par contre n en perd qu environ 60% dans les mêmes conditions. La rémanence de la formulation varie avec l adsorbant utilisé ; car l effet insecticide de l huile essentielle d O. gratissimum persiste pendant 107 jours lorsqu elle est fixée sur la Mont-CTMA, tandis que fixée sur l argile brute, elle perd son activité au bout de 45 jours. Ces résultats nous permettent d affirmer que les argiles modifiées augmentent la durée de l effet insecticide des huiles essentielles et peuvent être utilisées pour une application industrielle dans la production des bio-insecticides.In sub-Saharan Africa, several methods to protect food stocks are used ; amongst them are synthetic insecticides. These synthetic insecticides pose high real risk to human health. This study aims at providing an alternative to the dangerous synthetic chemical insecticides, by developing bioinsecticides formulating powders through adsorption of essential oils on Cameroonian clays. Two natural clays collected in Cameroon were used as adsorbents of terpene compounds of Xylopia aethiopica and Ocimum gratissimum essential oils, for the preparation of insecticides. The clay fractions were obtained from soil aggregates by sedimentation. In order to improve their adsorption capacity, these clays were treated with sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid. They were also modified with solutions of aluminum, iron polycations with molar ratio varied and alkylammoniums cations. A commercial bentonite was used as reference for these modifications. These different adsorbents materials were characterized before and after modifications by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and flame photometry. According to the characterizations of the clay materials, Wak sample contained more kaolinite clay, while Maroua sample contained more montmorillonite clay. The sulfuric acid and metallic polycations caused an increase in the specific surface of clays, while sodium hydroxyl and alkylammoniums cations greatly reduced the SBET. For example, the Mont-Na+ SBET decreased from 82 m . g-1 to 4.5 m .g-1 after treatment with cetyl trimethyl ammonium (CTMA). Diffractogrammes showed spacing of smectites interlayer (montmorillonite and bentonite) after treatments with alkylammoniums cations at 5.5 Å and 10.6 Å respectively, for the interlayer space of Mont- CTMA and Bentonite- CTMA clays. After treatments with metallics polycations, smectite clays show a broadening of characteristic peak. Alkylammoniums cations led to an effective insertion of CTMA molecules and phenyl trimethyl ammonium (PTMA) between the interfoliar space of montmorillonite and bentonite while the metal polycations led to an exfoliation of the same clays. The interreticular spacings of kaolinite remain unchanged after any treatments. The kinetic model of pseudo second order is applicable to the adsorption of terpenic compounds by clays. Finding also showed that spread is not the only limiting factor in the process of adsorption of terpene compounds. Alkylammoniums-clays have the largest adsorption capacities of terpene compounds despite the lower specific surface they present. All this allows us to maintain that in the presence of terpenic compounds, the adsorption capacity of clays depends not only on the SBET but more on the interlayer spacing of the adsorbent and on the affinity of the adsorbate molecules toward the adsorbent. Concerning bioassays, it appears that the formulations made with Mont- CTMA presented a more stable toxicity than Mont-Na. Mont-Na-EO formulation loses all its insecticidal activity after 30 days of storage in the open boxes ; while Mont-CTMA- EO formulation only loses about 60% under the same conditions. Moreover, the Mont-Na-EO loses 50% of its insecticidal power (LD50) after 6 days ; while Mont-CTMA- EO loses the same quantity after 16 days when stored in open boxes. The remnance effect of the formulations based on essential oil varied with the adsorbent used. Because the insecticidal effect of O. gratissimum essential oil persisted during 107 days when it is adsorbed on Mont-CTMA, when adsorbed on Mont-Na, it loses all its activity for about 45 days. These results allow us to assert that modified clays increase the duration of the insecticidal effect of essential oils and can be used for industrial application in the production of bio-insecticides based on essential oils.MONTPELLIER-Ecole Nat.Chimie (341722204) / SudocSudocFranceF

Growth and Fruit Yield of Okro as Influenced by Genotypes and Mulch in the Guinea Savannah Conditions of Ghana

The experiment was carried out to assess the suitability of different mulch materials in enhancing the growth and fruit yield of okro. Ten okro genotypes were evaluated in a split plot design with 3 replications. Three treatments of mulch (black plastic, grass, and no mulch) represented the main plots with the genotypes as the subplots. The result indicated significant (P<0.05) genotypic variability among the genotypes for all parameters except plant girth. However, genotype and mulch interaction was not significant. The genotype Sasilon had the tallest plants (82.6 cm) and the highest fruit yield under all mulch conditions while Koni had the widest fruits (34.1 mm) with TZ SMN 10-3 having the longest fruits (16.11 cm). Number of fruits per plant ranged from 30 to 11 with an average of 21. Mulching significantly (P<0.05) influenced all parameters except fruit width and mean fruit weight. Plastic mulched plots had the greatest heights while no mulching had the least. The highest average yield was obtained under plastic mulch (3.49 t/ha) which was 4.2% higher than grass (3.34 t/ha) and 11% higher than no mulch (3.11 t/ha). The study has shown that mulching with black plastic or grass ensures vigorous growth and improves the fruit yield of okro

Developmental pathways associated with cancer metastasis: Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog

Master developmental pathways, such as Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog, are signaling systems that control proliferation, cell death, motility, migration, and stemness. These systems are not only commonly activated in many solid tumors, where they drive or contribute to cancer initiation, but also in primary and metastatic tumor development. The reactivation of developmental pathways in cancer stroma favors the development of cancer stem cells and allows their maintenance, indicating these signaling pathways as particularly attractive targets for efficient anticancer therapies, especially in advanced primary tumors and metastatic cancers. Metastasis is the worst feature of cancer development. This feature results from a cascade of events emerging from the hijacking of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, migration, and invasion by transforming cells and is associated with poor survival, drug resistance, and tumor relapse. In the present review, we summarize and discuss experimental data suggesting pivotal roles for developmental pathways in cancer development and metastasis, considering the therapeutic potential. Emerging targeted antimetastatic therapies based on Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog pathways are also discussed

Onchocerciasis (river blindness) – more than a century of research and control

This review summarises more than a century of research on onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, and its control. River blindness is an infection caused by the tissue filaria Onchocerca volvulus affecting the skin, subcutaneous tissue and eyes and leading to blindness in a minority of infected persons. The parasite is transmitted by its intermediate hosts Simulium spp. which breed in rivers. Featured are history and milestones in onchocerciasis research and control, state-of-the-art data on the parasite, its endobacteria Wolbachia, on the vectors, previous and current prevalence of the infection, its diagnostics, the interaction between the parasite and its host, immune responses and the pathology of onchocerciasis. Detailed information is documented on the time course of control programmes in the afflicted countries in Africa and the Americas, a long road from previous programmes to current successes in control of the transmission of this infectious disease. By development, adjustment and optimization of the control measures, transmission by the vector has been interrupted in foci of countries in the Americas, in Uganda, in Sudan and elsewhere, followed by onchocerciasis eliminations. The current state and future perspectives for control, elimination and eradication within the next 20–30 years are described and discussed. This review contributes to a deeper comprehension of this disease by a tissue-dwelling filaria and it will be helpful in efforts to control and eliminate other filarial infections

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Solubilité et miscibilité: paramètres de solubilité et ordre mobile

Doctorat en sciences chimiques -- UCL, 199