Effets des conflits armés sur la production agricole dans les pays en développement: une vérification empirique sur les données du Cameroun

This paper examines the effect of conflict on agricultural value added, using the example of the conflict in the Anglophone and Northern regions of Cameroon. The authors examine this relationship using data from FAO (FAOSTAT, 2022) and the World Bank (WDI, 2022) for the period 2000 to 2022. The econometric results show that the conflict variable, whose impact is the purpose of this exercise, has a negative sign and is statistically significant at the 1% level. The coefficient indicates that the years of conflict lead to a negative variation in agricultural production of sixteen percentage points, corresponding to a total estimated loss of nearly 4615 billion CFA francs over the eight years of conflict (2014-2022), or an average of 576.9 billion CFA francs per year. If conflict is a fundamental cause of the decline in agricultural value-added in Cameroon, then policies aimed at defusing and preventing conflict and promoting peace are an essential means of agricultural recovery, improving food security, and reducing rural poverty in Cameroon

intégration économique et convergence des cycles : une analyse entre le Cameroun et le Nigéria.

Does the deepening of bilateral trade between Cameroon and Nigeria strengthen the links between their economic cycles in such a way as to eventually lead to a synchronous evolution? This is the question we attempt to answer here. To do this, two approaches are highlighted: the cycle approach on the one hand. The other is the concordance index of Harding and Pagan (2006), on the other hand. The results obtained show that there is a strong synchronization between the economic cycles of the two countries. The deepening of economic integration between Cameroon and Nigeria constitutes a vector of cyclical transmission and therefore increases the probability of transmission of crises and financial tensions

CONSTITUENTS OFERYTHRINA SIGMOIDEA

. The study of the secondary metabolites of the chloroform extract of the stem wood of Erythrina sigmoidea afforded a new compound a -sophoradiol (1), and the known compounds: acetate of b -amyrin (2), acetate of oleanolic acid (3), n-isocosanyl-isocosanoate (4), and n-hexatetracontanol (5). Their structures were characterised by spectroscopic methods. (Received February 12, 2001, revised July 3, 2001) Bull.Chem.Soc.Ethiop. 2001, 15(2), 151-15

Analyse des determinants de la production agricole au Cameroun

The objective of this study is to analyze the determinants of agricultural production in Cameroon, a country with very high agricultural potential. The authors conduct this study using data from FAO (FAOSTAT, 2022), the World Bank (WDI, 2022), and Cameroon's Ministries of Rural Development (for budgetary data on public agricultural expenditures). The econometric results show that in Cameroon, the increase in agricultural output is largely sustained by the expansion of the rural population and that a series of factors contribute to the decline in agricultural production, including rural education, low institutional levels and the isolation of rural areas. According to the results of this study, if Cameroon wants to accelerate its agricultural growth, the redistribution of uncultivated arable land to farmers, the integration of agricultural training units into rural secondary education programs and the enforcement of laws protecting land ownership must be at the heart of economic policies.L'objectif de cette étude est d'analyser les déterminants de la production agricole au Cameroun, un pays à très fort potentiel agricole. Les auteurs mènent cette étude à partir des données de la FAO (FAOSTAT, 2022), de la Banque mondiale (WDI, 2022) et des ministères du developpement rural du Cameroun (pour les données budgétaires relatives aux dépenses publiques agricoles). Les résultats économétriques montrent qu'au Cameroun, l'accroissement du produit agricole est soutenu en grande partie par l'expansion de la population rurale et qu'une série de facteurs contribue à la baisse de la production agricole entre autres, l'éducation en milieu rural, le faible niveau des institutions et l'enclavement des zones rurales. Au regard des résultats de cette étude, si le Cameroun veut accélérer sa croissance agricole, la redistribution des terres arables non cultivées aux agriculteurs, l'intégration des unités de formation aux métiers de l'agriculture dans les programmes d'enseignement secondaire en milieu rural et l'application des lois protégeant la propriété foncière doivent être au cœur des politiques économiques

Non-adherence aux medicaments antiepileptiques et facteurs associes chez les patients souffrant d’epilepsie a l’hopital laquintinie de Douala

Objectifs : Le but de l‘étude était de déterminer la prévalence et les facteurs associés à la non adhérence aux antiépileptiques dans un hôpital de référence de la ville de Douala, au Cameroun. Méthode : Nous avons réalisé une étude transversale et descriptive évaluant l‘observance du traitement antiépileptique dans un groupe d‘individus souffrant d‘épilepsie. Les patients ont été recrutés de janvier à juin 2018 en consultation externe et en hospitalisation au Service de Neurologie de l‘Hôpital Laquintinie de Douala. La non-observance aux médicaments antiépileptiques (MAE) a été mesurée à l‘aide de l‘échelle Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) et une analyse en régression logistique a été utilisée pour rechercher les facteurs associés à la nonadhérence. Résultats : L‘âge moyen des patients (n = 102) était égal à 28,39 ± 19,74 ans ,55% étaient de sexe masculin. Une mauvaise observance a été retrouvée chez 84 patients (82,35%) et les facteurs associés étaient l‘oubli (p<0,0001), le manque de ressources financières (p<0,0001),  l‘absence de médicaments, la pénurie de médicaments à la pharmacie (p<0,0001) et le manque d‘informations sur la maladie (p<0,0001). Conclusion : La non-compliance aux MAE est courante au Cameroun. Des programmes de gestion ciblés et des stratégies de communication ainsi que la formation du personnel de santé sont nécessaires pour améliorer l‘adhésion aux MAE chez les patients et éviter les conséquences de la mauvaise observance telles que la récurrence des crises, l‘état de mal épileptique et la mauvaise qualité de vie.   English title: Poor adherence to antiepileptic drugs and associated factors in a sample of Cameroon epilepsy patients Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated to poor adherence to antiepileptic drugs in a referral hospital of Douala, Cameroon. Method: This was a cross-sectional and descriptive study of antiepileptic drugs (AED) adherence carried out in a group of selected patients with epilepsy. Patients were recruited from January to June 2018 at the Neurology Department of the Douala Laquintinie Hospital. Non-adherence to antiepileptic drugs was measured by the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and logistic regression was used to look for significant associations. Results: Participants (n=102) were of mean age 28.39 ± 19.74 years-old with 55% of male sex. Non-adherence was observed in 84 patients giving a prevalence rate of 82.35%. The factors associated to poor adherence to AEDs were forgetfulness (p<0.0001), lack of financial  resources (p<0.0001), not having medication on hand, shortage of drugs at the pharmacy (p<0.0001) and lack of information on the disease (p<0.0001). Conclusion: Non-adherence to AEDs is common in Cameroon. Targeted management programs and communication strategies as well as health workers training are necessary to improve adherence to AED treatment in patients with epilepsy and avoid consequences such as seizure recurrence, status epilepticus and poor quality of life

APPLICATION OF DESIGN SPACE OPTIMIZATION STRATEGY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF LC METHODS FOR SIMULTANEOUS ANALYSIS OF 18 ANTIRETROVIRAL MEDICINES AND 4 MAJOR EXCIPIENTS USED IN VARIOUS PHARMACEUTICAL FORMULATIONS

peer reviewedtAs one of the world’s most significant public health challenges in low- and middle-income countries,HIV/AIDS deserves to be treated with appropriate medicines, however which are not spared from coun-terfeiting. For that, we developed screening and specific HPLC methods that can analyze 18 antiretroviralmedicines (ARV) and 4 major excipients. Design of experiments and design space methodology wereinitially applied for 15 ARV and the 4 excipients with prediction thanks to Monte Carlo simulations andfocusing on rapidity and affordability thus using short column and low cost organic solvent (methanol)in gradient mode with 10 mM buffer solutions of ammonium hydrogen carbonate. Two other specificmethods dedicated to ARV in liquid and in solid dosage formulations were also predicted and opti-mized. We checked the ability of one method for the analysis of a fixed-dose combination composedby emtricitabine/tenofovir/efavirenz in tablet formulations. Satisfying validation results were obtainedby applying the total error approach taking into account the accuracy profile as decision tool. Then, thevalidated method was applied to test two samples coded A and B, and claimed to contain the tested ARV.Assay results were satisfying only for sample B

Identification and characterization of coumestans as novel HCV NS5B polymerase inhibitors

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B is essential for viral RNA replication and is therefore a prime target for development of HCV replication inhibitors. Here, we report the identification of a new class of HCV NS5B inhibitors belonging to the coumestan family of phytoestrogens. Based on the in vitro NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibition in the low micromolar range by wedelolactone, a naturally occurring coumestan, we evaluated the anti-NS5B activity of four synthetic coumestan analogues bearing different patterns of substitutions in their A and D rings, and observed a good structure-activity correlation. Kinetic characterization of coumestans revealed a noncompetitive mode of inhibition with respect to nucleoside triphosphate (rNTP) substrate and a mixed mode of inhibition towards the nucleic acid template, with a major competitive component. The modified order of addition experiments with coumestans and nucleic acid substrates affected the potencies of the coumestan inhibitors. Coumestan interference at the step of NS5B–RNA binary complex formation was confirmed by cross-linking experiments. Molecular docking of coumestans within the allosteric site of NS5B yielded significant correlation between their calculated binding energies and IC50 values. Coumestans thus add to the diversifying pool of anti-NS5B agents and provide a novel scaffold for structural refinement and development of potent NS5B inhibitors

Antimicrobial Furoquinoline Alkaloids from Vepris lecomteana (Pierre) Cheek & T. Heller (Rutaceae)

Kouam A, Bissoue A, Tcho A, et al. Antimicrobial Furoquinoline Alkaloids from Vepris lecomteana (Pierre) Cheek & T. Heller (Rutaceae). Molecules. 2018;23(1): 13.Three new prenylated furoquinoline alkaloids named lecomtequinoline A (1), B (2), and C (3), together with the known compounds anhydroevoxine (4), evoxine (5), dictamnine (6), N-methylflindersine (7), evoxanthine (8), hesperidin, lupeol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, stearic acid, and myristyl alcohol, were isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation of the methanolic extracts of leaves and stem of Vepris lecomteana. The structures of compounds were determined by spectroscopic methods (NMR, MS, UV, and IR) and by comparison with previously reported data. Crude extracts of leaves and stem displayed high antimicrobial activity, with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) (values of 10.1–16.5 and 10.2–20.5 µg/mL, respectively, against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas agarici, Micrococcus luteus, and Staphylococcus warneri, while compounds 1–6 showed values ranging from 11.1 to 18.7 µg/mL or were inactive, suggesting synergistic effect. The extracts may find application in crude drug preparations in Western Africa where Vepris lecomteana is endemic, subject to negative toxicity results in viv