Influences of farming practices on the development and phenological cycles of the major weeds of irrigated rice in Central Côte d’Ivoire

The influence of farming practices on the development and the phenological cycles of the main weeds of irrigated rice was studied in Central Côte d'Ivoire. The objective of this study was to assess the influences of weeding operations on the development and phenological states of major weeds in irrigated rice. The tests were carried out in a cultivated environment over two consecutive farming cycles. Four elementary plots of 100 m2 each were delimited for the observations. On each elementary plot, the usual cropping practices in rice cultivation was practised. Two weeks after transplanting, chemical weed control was performed with 3 selective post-emergence herbicides. The different herbicides were applied at 14-day intervals. Manual weeding took place 49 days after transplanting. The weekly observations consisted in noting the different stages of development of the major weeds according to the weeding operations. The results showed that chemical and manual weed control 14 and 49 days after planting out, respectively, reduce weeds harmfulness. In view of these results, the use of herbicides coupled with manual weeding can be recommended to rice growers. L’influence des pratiques culturales sur le développement et les cycles phénologiques des adventices majeures du riz irrigué a été étudiée au centre de la Côte d’Ivoire. Cette étude avait pour objectif d’évaluer les influences des opérations de désherbage sur le développement et les états phénologiques des adventices majeures du riz irrigué. Les essais ont été réalisés en milieu cultivé sur deux cycles culturaux consécutifs. Quatre parcelles élémentaires de 100 m2 chacune ont été délimitées pour les observations. Sur chaque parcelle élémentaire, l’itinéraire technique habituel de la culture du riz a été pratiqué. A 14 jours après le repiquage, le désherbage chimique a été effectué avec trois herbicides sélectifs de post-levée. Les différents herbicides ont été appliqués à intervalle de 14 jours chacun. Le désherbage manuel a eu lieu 49 jours après le repiquage. Les observations hebdomadaires ont consisté à noter les différents stades de développement des adventices majeures en fonction des opérations de désherbage. Les résultats ont montré que les désherbages chimiques et manuel effectués respectivement 14 et 49 jours après le repiquage réduisent la nuisibilité des adventices étudiées. Au regard de ces résultats, l’utilisation des herbicides couplée à un désherbage manuel peut être recommandé aux riziculteurs

Morbidity associated with sickle cell trait carriers

Background: Sickle cell trait carriers has long considered asymptomatic. This affirmation is now challenged because many patients complain of osteoarticular pain and several organic degenerative complications in particular; renal, eye and sudden death have been described. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morbidity of sickle cell trait and identify risk factors associated.Methods: This is a prospective study with duration of 16 months including 50 patients with sickle cell trait received regular visits (every 6 months) for painful events. Biological assessment was carried out systematically to eliminate rheumatic disease (CRP, ASLO, latex Waler Rose) or metabolic disorders (serum calcium, serum magnesium, and serum uric acid). A correlation between clinical and laboratory data was performed to study the relationship between morbidity observed and biological abnormalities.Results: Mean age of patients was 32 years (12-59) and mean age at diagnosis was 24 years (12-55 years). Sex ratio M/F was 0.16. Clinical symptoms were osteoarticular pain (88%), headache (86%), abdominal pain (76%), muscle cramps (70%), dizziness (56%), biliary lithiasis (6%), femoral head osteonecrosis (2%) and gross haematuria (2%). Seventeen patients (34%) had abnormal metabolic or rheumatic analysis. No risk factor associated with morbidity of patients was identified.Conclusions: This work has allowed us to find that the symptoms presented by sickle cell trait patients are dominated by painful events. This morbidity associated with porting sickle cell trait was not secondary to inflammatory or metabolic disorders or physical activity

Spatial dynamic of mobile dunes, soil crusting and Yobe’s bank retreat in the Niger’s Lake Chad basin part: Cases of Issari and Bagara

The process of desertification is accelerated in the northern part of Lake Chad basin since the early 1970. Those processes linked to the recurrent drought and a heavy human pressure induced a great environmental damages. So this study based on diachronic cartography (1957, 1975 and 2007) aimed to describe and quantify the degradation dynamics in the contrasting Niger’s Lake Chad basin part. Thus significant environmental changes have been observed in this area from 1957 to 2007. Indeed in the Manga, the natural commodities and fields were threatened by mobile dunes making blocking with sand: the mobile dunes spread from ~200 ha in 1975 to ~900 ha in 2007 while they had not watched in 1957. In the fluvio-deltaic area of Kadzell, the soil crusting and the Yobe River retreat remain the major damages. The crusting area has been multiplied by more than two while the lateral migration of the Yobe bank reached near of 3 m.yr-1. This study highlights the key role of man in the process of degradation related to climate parametersKey words: Lake Chad, degradation dynamics, soil crusting, dunes, human activities

Les Amputations Majeures Des Membres A L’hopital General De Reference Nationale De N’djamena, Tchad

The aim of this study was to describ major limb amputations in a tertiary teaching hospital in N’Djaména, Chad. Patients and Method We realized a both retrospective and prospective study from 01/08/2013 to 31/07/2015 in the General Surgery ward and Orthopedics and Traumatology ward of the National Reference General Hospital of N'Djamena, Chad. Data were collected from patient records, operating theater records and equipment center. Studied parameters: age, sex, indication and level of amputation, length of hospital stay, prosthetic devices and mortality. Results The study population included 155 patients divided into 118 men (70.1%) and 37 women (29.9%), a sex ratio of 2.3. The average age was 43.1 years. Severe limb injuries by road traffic crushes were the first major amputation indication in 74 cases (47.6%), followed by complications of diabetic ulcers in 33 cases (21.4%) and arterial occlusive disease in 21 cases (13.6%). The pelvic and thoracic limbs were affected respectively in 130 cases (84.9%) and 25 cases (16.1%). The levels of amputations were: the leg in 78 cases (50.3%), the thigh in 50 cases (32.3%) and the forearm in 9 cases (5.8%). The average hospital stay was 16 days. We noted wound suppuration in 28.4% of cases and psychiatric events in 4.6%. Mortality was 15.6%. Only 35 patients (22.6%) received a prosthetic device after amputation. Conclusion: road traffic trauma with irreversible vascular damage is the leading indication of major limb amputations in our setting. Complications of diabetic foot are increasing indication. Mostly, traditional bonesetters practiced on the patients before reaching to hospital care. The amputees face great prosthetic difficulties. Major limb amputations are preventable by education, early presentation and management of common indications

Les Tumeurs Osseuses à Cellules Géantes Opérées au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Refence Nationale de N’Djamena (CHU-RN) à Propos de 5 Cas

Les tumeurs à cellules géantes (TCG) sont des tumeurs assez rares et représentent 5 à 10 % de l'ensemble des tumeurs primitives. Elles constituent une entité anatomo-clinique et radiologique particulière observée essentiellement chez le sujet jeune entre 20 et 40 ans. Elles apparaissent comme des lésions lytiques expansives de siège habituellement métaphyso-épiphysaire des os longs. Leur traitement reste controversé en raison du taux important de récidive. Tout de même la chirurgie reste capitale. Nous rapportons cinq cas de tumeurs osseuses à cellules géantes opérées au travers desquels seront discutées les difficultés diagnostiques et thérapeutiques. Conclusion : Les tumeurs osseuses à cellules géantes (TCG) sont des tumeurs rares et souvent bénignes. Leur traitement est essentiellement chirurgical.   The giant cell tumours (GCTs) are fairly rare tumours, accounting for 5 to 10% of all primary tumours. They constitute a anatomo-clinical and radiological entity observed essentially in young subjects young subjects between the ages of 20 and 40. They appear as expansive lytic lesions, usually metaphyseal in the long bones.Their treatment remains controversial due to the high rate of recurrence. All surgery remains essential. We report five cases of giant cell bone tumours, and discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties

Traitement Chirurgical des Tumeurs Osseuses à Cellules Géantes au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reference Nationale de N’Djamena (CHU-RN) à Propos de Cinq (5) Cas

Les tumeurs à cellules géantes (TCG) sont des tumeurs assez rares et représentent 5 à 10 % de l'ensemble des tumeurs primitives. Elles constituent une entité anatomo-clinique et radiologique particulière observée essentiellement chez le sujet jeune entre 20 et 40 ans. Elles apparaissent comme des lésions lytiques expansives de siège habituellement métaphysoépiphysaire des os longs. Leur traitement reste controversé en raison du taux important de récidive. Tout de même la chirurgie reste capitale. Nous rapportons cinq cas de tumeurs osseuses à cellules géantes opérées au travers desquels seront discutées les difficultés diagnostiques et thérapeutiques. Les tumeurs osseuses à cellules géantes (TCG) sont des tumeurs rares et souvent bénignes. Leur traitement est essentiellement chirurgical. The giant cell tumours (GCTs) are fairly rare tumours, accounting for 5 to 10% of all primary tumours. They constitute a anatomo-clinical and radiological entity observed essentially in young subjects young subjects between the ages of 20 and 40. They appear as expansive lytic lesions, usually metaphyseal in the long bones.Their treatment remains controversial due to the high rate of recurrence. All surgery remains essential. We report five cases of giant cell bone tumours, and discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. Giant cell tumours (GCTs) are rare and often benign tumours. often benign tumours. Their treatment is essentially surgical treatment

Mapping the Probability of Schistosomiasis and Associated Uncertainty, West Africa

We aimed to map the probability of Schistosoma haematobium infection being >50%, a threshold for annual mass praziquantel distribution. Parasitologic surveys were conducted in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, 2004–2006, and predictions were made by using Bayesian geostatistical models. Clusters with >50% probability of having >50% prevalence were delineated in each country

Le cactus Opuntia tuna (L.) Mill. et ses formes d’usage dans la zone des Niayes au Sénégal

Opuntia tuna est une espèce bien adaptée dans la zone des Niayes au Sénégal. Sa prolifération assez rapide est due en partie à une sous exploitation suscitant ainsi un envahissement de quelques espaces agropastoraux. Dans une perspective de valorisation et de meilleure gestion de l’espèce, cette présente étude a été conduite pour comprendre les formes d’usages et de gestion de la plante par les populations locales afin de la promouvoir pour renforcer leur résilience. L’étude a porté sur cinq villages de la zone nord des Niayes auprès de petits exploitants de maraichers. Des enquêtes qualitatives par entretiens et groupes de discussion ont été conduites. Elles ont porté sur le niveau de connaissance, les pratiques et usages connus du cactus, les contraintes liées à sa présence, les solutions adoptées ou envisagées et le niveau de perception sur sa valorisation. Les résultats ont révélé de nombreux usages de la plante et de ses produits. Plus de la moitié des personnes enquêtées utilise le cactus dans le domaine agricole. L’élevage, la pharmacopée et l’alimentation sont d’autres secteurs également concernés par l’usage du cactus. Les analyses ont montré que la plupart des personnes enquêtées (94%) admettent un degré d’envahissement très élevé de Opuntia tuna. Le niveau d’envahissement pourrait être liée à la zoochorie selon 38% des hommes et 33% des femmes. La bonne adaptation de l’espèce dans la zone serait également un facteur de prolifération selon 33% des hommes et 23 % des femmes. Afin de pallier la prolifération rapide du cactus les maraichers ont développé des stratégies de gestion telles que le brulis, la coupe et le dessouchage. Une meilleure gestion de cette espèce qui présente de nombreux usages pour les maraichers de la zone des Niayes est nécessaire. De tels usages de l’espèce, valorisés davantage pourrait contribuer de façon significative à la diversification des sources de revenus des communautés locales et au développement durable de la zone des Niayes

Predictability of intra-seasonal descriptors of rainy season over Senegal using global SST patterns

Seasonal forecasting of the rainfall characteristics in Sahel is of crucial interest in determining crop variability in these countries. This study aims to provide further characterization of nine rainfall metrics over Senegal (Onset, cessation, LRS, CDD, CDD7, CDD15, NR90p, NR95p, NR99p)and their response to global SST patterns from 1981 to 2018. The Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station (CHIRPS) dataset and the Hadley Centre Global Sea Ice and Sea Surface Temperature (HadISST) were used. The results showed strong spatio-temporal variability with a pronounced south–north gradient for all metrics. The earliest onset was observed in the south of the country from 4 July and the latest onset in the north from 9 August. Since 2012, a new regime is observed with an increase in both long dry spells and extreme wet events. Furthermore, SST forcing has shown that the North tropical Atlantic and the East Equatorial Pacific are better able to explain the interannual variability of the intraseasonal descriptors. However, the prediction of metrics is earlier for the most remote basin (Pacific) compared to the most local basin (Atlantic). These results have implications for the seasonal forecasting of Sahel’s intraseasonal variability based on SST predictors, as significant predictability is found far from the beginning of the season

Efficacy of Artesunate + Sulfamethoxypyrazine/Pyrimethamine versus Praziquantel in the Treatment of Schistosoma haematobium in Children

BACKGROUND:This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of the antimalarial artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) artesunate +sulfamethoxypyrazine/pyrimethamine (As+SMP), administered in doses used for malaria, to treat Schistosoma haematobium in school aged children. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:The study was conducted in Djalakorodji, a peri-urban area of Bamako, Mali, using a double blind setup in which As+SMP was compared with praziquantel (PZQ). Urine samples were examined for Schistosoma haematobium on days -1, 0, 28 and 29. Detection of haematuria, and haematological and biochemical exams were conducted on day 0 and day 28. Clinical exams were performed on days 0, 1, 2, and 28. A total of 800 children were included in the trial. The cure rate obtained without viability testing was 43.9% in the As+SMP group versus 53% in the PZQ group (Chi(2) = 6.44, p = 0.011). Egg reduction rates were 95.6% with PZQ in comparison with 92.8% with As+SMP, p = 0.096. The proportion of participants who experienced adverse events related to the medication was 0.5% (2/400) in As+SMP treated children compared to 2.3% (9/399) in the PZQ group (p = 0.033). Abdominal pain and vomiting were the most frequent adverse events in both treatment arms. All adverse events were categorized as mild. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:The study demonstrates that PZQ was more effective than As+SMP for treating Schistosoma haematobium. However, the safety and tolerability profile of As+SMP was similar to that seen with PZQ. Our findings suggest that further investigations seem justifiable to determine the dose/efficacy/safety pattern of As+SMP in the treatment of Schistosoma infections. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00510159