143 research outputs found
Local Actors in Top-Down Implementation of Curricular Reform in Beninâs Primary Education System
Since the 1990 Jomtien Conference on Education for All, basic education in developing countries has attracted growing attention, both globally and do-mestically. Many policies have been initiated to improve educational access, quality and equity. While the accrued interest in education has followed a certain rationality, context-specific realities have nonetheless imposed dif-ferent turns on the planned interventions. An actor-oriented approach to policy study offers the opportunity to uncover how grassroots actors from the periphery unpack, transform and domesticate globally promoted educa-tion policies.
Using an actor-oriented approach, the current study sets out to examine policy in practice. It focuses on grassroots actors in the implementation of a competency-based curricular reform in Beninâs primary education system. In Benin, the development promise attributed to the new curricular para-digm was quickly contradicted by considerable resistance from grassroots actors. Although opinions converged on the failure of the school system to yield satisfactory learning outcomes for students despite the unprecedented nature of the reform policy, actors in the system diverged on the probable causes of this shortcoming. The bone of contention in the debate was the new curricula, which had been initiated to improve Beninâs school system but instead came to exemplify problems of ownership and appropriation at the grassroots level.
Bottom-up implementation scholars and normative discourse state une-quivocally that front-line actorsâ ownership and appropriation of planned measures are prerequisites for the effective implementation of public policy. In this light, the current study examines the policy debate on the curricular reform in Benin to explore how the controversy affected implementation of the education policy. Set in the tradition of actor-oriented policy studies, the research follows a qualitative design, combining the techniques of extensive fieldwork, interviews, focus-group discussions, direct observations, docu-mentary investigation and analytic induction
PrĂ©valence de lâanĂ©mie chez les enfants malnutris de 6 Ă 59 mois hospitalisĂ©s au CHD/Zou-Collines dans le plateau dâAbomey (Centre du BĂ©nin)
LâanĂ©mie constitue un grand problĂšme de santĂ© publique associĂ©e Ă un risque accru de morbiditĂ© et de mortalitĂ©, surtout pour les femmes enceintes et les jeunes enfants. Lâobjectif de cette Ă©tude est de cerner la prĂ©valence de lâanĂ©mie chez les enfants de moins de 5 ans malnutris hospitalisĂ©s dans le service de pĂ©diatrie du Centre Hospitalier DĂ©partemental/Zou-Collines. Il sâagit dâune Ă©tude prospective, descriptive et analytique sur une pĂ©riode de six (6) mois portĂ© sur 251 enfants malnutris hospitalisĂ©s et leurs mĂšres. Il ressort de notre Ă©tude que 41,43% des enfants sont anĂ©miĂ©s et que la prĂ©valence de lâanĂ©mie est beaucoup plus remarquable chez les enfants de moins 24 mois. Par ailleurs, 55,8% des enfants souffrent dâune anĂ©mie sĂ©vĂšre. La principale cause de lâanĂ©mie reste la carence en fer (78,80%). La mauvaise pratique de sevrage, lâinsuffisance de consommation des aliments riches en fer biodisponible et des fruits seraient les facteurs mis en cause dans lâavĂšnement de lâanĂ©mie nutritionnelle au sein de la population Ă©tudiĂ©e. Il urge de mener des stratĂ©gies de lutte prĂ©ventive en matiĂšre de soins de santĂ©Â primaire, dâintensification des campagnes dâinformation, dâĂ©ducation et de sensibilisation des populations par rapport aux pratiques dâallaitement maternel exclusif, Ă la diversification alimentaire et de conseil aux mĂšres sur les avantages des surveillances pĂ©diatriques.Mots clĂ©s : BĂ©nin, enfants malnutris, anĂ©mie, carence en fer, pratique de sevrage
PrĂ©valence et rĂŽle des lipides dans lâavĂšnement de lâobĂ©sitĂ© au BĂ©nin
Le recueil des mesures anthropomĂ©triques des Ă©tudiants de lâInstitut National MĂ©dico-Social (INMES) au BĂ©nin nous a permis de calculer lâIndice de Masse Corporelle de cette population, seul indicateur pour Ă©valuer lâĂ©tat nutritionnel des adultes de point de vue Ă©nergĂ©tique. Au terme de cette Ă©valuation, il ressort que la prĂ©valence de lâobĂ©sitĂ© est plus Ă©levĂ©e chez les femmes (9,81%) que chez les hommes (0,8%). Lâindice de Masse Corporelle (IMC) mĂ©dian est estimĂ© Ă 23,03 chez les femmes contre 21,45 chez les hommes. Pour savoir les causes Ă©ventuelles de lâobĂ©sitĂ©, nous avons prĂ©levĂ© le sang de 41 Ă©tudiants supposĂ©s obĂšses et 92 ensurpoids et avons dosĂ© les paramĂštres biologiques comme CholestĂ©rol Total, CholestĂ©rol-HDL, CholestĂ©rol-LDL et TriglycĂ©rides. Il ressort de cette Ă©tude que, sur les quatre (04) composants lipidiques dosĂ©s, seul letaux de cholestĂ©rol-LDL est Ă©levĂ© au sein de cette population avec une valeur mĂ©diane de 1,52 g/l. Aussi, nous constatons une disparitĂ© dans les paramĂštres dosĂ©s. Par ailleurs, presque le quart (25%) des individus ensurpoids ou obĂšses ont une lipidĂ©mie normale. DâaprĂšs nos rĂ©sultats, câest le mĂ©tabolisme de CholestĂ©rol-LDL qui est perturbĂ© et que lâĂ©tat dâobĂ©sitĂ© serait liĂ© Ă dâautres facteurs tels que gĂ©nĂ©tiques, hormonaux et autres
Polyphenol profile and pharmaceutical potential of Quercus spp. bark extracts
Targeted profiling of polyphenols in trees may reveal valuable sources of natural compounds
with major applications in pharmacology and disease control. The current study targeted the profiling
of polyphenols using HPLC-DAD in Quercus robur, Q. macrocarpa and Q. acutissima bark extracts.
Free radical scavenging of each extract was investigated using antioxidant assays. Antimicrobial
activities against a wide spectrum of bacteria and fungi were explored, as well as anticancer activities
against di erent cancer cell lines. The HPLC-DAD analyses revealed the availability of several
polyphenols in high amounts, including ellagic acid (in Q. robur) and caffeic acid (in Q. macrocarpa) in
all three species. The bioactivity assay revealed high antioxidant activity in Q. robur compared to
that of the other species, as well as phenolic standards. The three oak bark extracts showed clear
antibacterial activities against most bacteria tested, with the highest antibacterial activities in the
extracts of Q. robur. In addition, the three extracts showed higher antibacterial activities against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus flavus, and Escherichia coli compared to that of other bacteria. There
were strong antifungal activities against some fungi, such as Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium funiculosum,
and Penicillium ochrochloron. There were also noticeable anticancer activities against MCF-7, HeLa,
Jurkat, and HT-29 cell lines, with the highest anticancer activity in the extracts of Q. robur. This is
the first study that reveals not only novel sources of important polyphenols (e.g., ellagic acid) in
Q. robur, Q. macrocarpa and Q. acutissima bark but also their anticancer activities against diverse cancer
cell lines
MEDICINAL COMPOUNDS OF QUERCUS BARK AND RELATED AGRICULTURAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL APPLICATIONS
Identifying phenols in ornamental trees may provide sources of natural compounds that have applications in the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries. In this study, we profiled phenolic acids in the bark of Quercus sp. using HPLC-DAD. Q. robur showed high ellagic acid (in Q. robur). Q. macrocarpa had high caffeic acid. All species showed antibacterial and antifungal activities. P. aeruginosa was the most sensitive species for bark extracts. The antifungal activities were high against A. flavus. The study revealed new natural sources of phenolic acids that have antimicrobial activities with agricultural and pharmaceutical applications
Molecular basis of permethrin and DDT resistance in an Anopheles funestus population from Benin
Open Access Journal; Published online: 20 Nov 2018Background
Insecticide resistance in Anopheles mosquitoes is threatening the success of malaria control programmes. In order to implement suitable insecticide resistance management strategies, it is necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms involved. To achieve this, the molecular basis of permethrin and DDT resistance in the principal malaria vector, Anopheles funestus from inland Benin (Kpome), was investigated.
Results
Here, using a microarray-based genome-wide transcription and qRT-PCR analysis, we showed that metabolic resistance mechanisms through over-expression of cytochrome P450 and glutathione S-transferase genes (GSTs) are a major contributor to DDT and permethrin resistance in Anopheles funestus from Kpome. The GSTe2 gene was the most upregulated detoxification gene in both DDT- [fold-change (FC: 16.0)] and permethrin-resistant (FC: 18.1) mosquitoes suggesting that upregulation of this gene could contribute to DDT resistance and cross-resistance to permethrin. CYP6P9a and CYP6P9b genes that have been previously associated with pyrethroid resistance were also significantly overexpressed with FC 5.4 and 4.8, respectively, in a permethrin resistant population. Noticeably, the GSTs, GSTd1-5 and GSTd3, were more upregulated in DDT-resistant than in permethrin-resistant Anopheles funestus suggesting these genes are more implicated in DDT resistance. The absence of the L1014F or L1014S kdr mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene coupled with the lack of directional selection at the gene further supported that knockdown resistance plays little role in this resistance.
Conclusions
The major role played by metabolic resistance to pyrethroids in this An. funestus population in Benin suggests that using novel control tools combining the P450 synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO), such as PBO-based bednets, could help manage the growing pyrethroid resistance in this malaria vector in Benin
A novel phylogenetic regionalization of phytogeographical zones of southern Africa reveals their hidden evolutionary affinities
AIM : Although existing bioregional classification schemes often consider the
compositional affinities within regional biotas, they do not typically incorporate
phylogenetic information explicitly. Because phylogeny captures information
on the evolutionary history of taxa, it provides a powerful tool for
delineating biogeographical boundaries and for establishing relationships
among them. Here, we present the first vegetation delineation of the woody
flora of southern Africa based upon evolutionary relationships.
LOCATION : Southern Africa.
METHODS : We used a published time-calibrated phylogenetic tree for 1400
woody plant species along with their geographical distributions and a metric of
phylogenetic beta diversity to generate a phylogenetic delineation of the woody
vegetation of southern Africa. We then explored environmental correlates of
phylogenetic turnover between them, and the evolutionary distinctiveness of
the taxa within them.
RESULTS : We identified 15 phylogenetically distinct biogeographical units, here
referred to as phyloregions. The largest phyloregion broadly overlaps with
Savanna vegetation, while the phyloregion overlapping with the south-western
portion of the Fynbos biome is the most evolutionarily distinct. Potential evapotranspiration
and mean annual temperature differ significantly among phyloregions
and correlate with patterns of phylogenetic beta diversity between
them. Our phylogeny-based delimitation of southern Africaâs woody vegetation
broadly matches currently recognized phytogeographical classifications, but also
highlights parts of the Namib Karoo and Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park
as distinct, but previously under-recognized biogeographical units.
MAIN CONCLUSIONS : Our analysis provides new insights into the structure and
phylogenetic relationships among the woody flora of southern Africa. We show
that evolutionary affinities differentiate phyloregions closely resembling existing
vegetation classifications, yet also identify âcrypticâ phyloregions that are as evolutionarily
distinct as some of the recognized African vegetation types.Government of Canada through Genome Canada and the Ontario Genomics Institute
(2008-OGI-ICI-03), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Canada, the University of Johannesburg and the South African National Research Foundation (NRF).http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jbi.126192017-01-31hb201
Savanna fire and the origins of the 'underground forests' of Africa
1. The origin of fire-adapted lineages is a long-standing question in ecology.
Although phylogeny can provide a significant contribution to the ongoing debate,
its use has been precluded by the lack of comprehensive DNA data. Here we focus
on the âunderground treesâ (= geoxyles) of southern Africa, one of the most
distinctive growth forms characteristic of fire-prone savannas.
2. We placed geoxyles within the most comprehensive dated phylogeny for the
regional flora comprising over 1400 woody species. Using this phylogeny, we
tested whether African geoxyles evolved concomitantly with those of the South
American cerrado and used their phylogenetic position to date the appearance of
humid savannas.
3. We found multiple independent origins of the geoxyle life-form mostly from the
Pliocene, a period consistent with the origin of cerrado, with the majority of
divergences occurring within the last 2 Ma. When contrasted with their tree
relatives, geoxyles occur in regions characterized by higher rainfall and greater fire
frequency.
4. Our results indicate that the geoxylic growth form may have evolved in response to
the interactive effects of frequent fires and high precipitation. As such, geoxyles
may be regarded as markers of fire-maintained savannas occurring in climates
suitable for forests.Government of Canada through Genome Canada and the Ontario Genomics Institute (2008-OGI-ICI-03), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada and the University of Johannesburg.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1469-81372015-10-31hb201
Seaweed Extracts Enhance Salam Turfgrass Performance during Prolonged Irrigation Intervals and Saline Shock
The negative effects of the ongoing climate change include unusual prolonged droughts and increased salinity pressures on the agricultural lands. Consequently, crops are facing unprecedented environmental pressure, and this calls for more research toward controlling such major stresses. The current study investigates the effects of seaweed extract sprays of Ascophyllum nodosum (5 and 7 mL·Lâ1; 6 day intervals) on Paspalum vaginatum Salam' during prolonged irrigation intervals (2 and 6 day) and saline growing conditions (1 and 49.7 dS·mâ1) for 6 weeks in containers under greenhouse conditions. Control plants showed reduced turf quality, photochemical efficiency, root length and dry weight, total non-structural carbohydrates, and K and Ca compositions. Seaweed extracts increased turf quality, leaf photochemical efficiency, root length and dry weight, total non-structural carbohydrates, K, Ca, and proline in treated plants during prolonged irrigation intervals as well as saline shock conditions. There were also increases in the antioxidant defensive mechanisms such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities and non-enzymatic antioxidants as well as reduced lipid peroxidation. The application of SWE at 7 mL·Lâ1 showed higher performance in treated plants during prolonged irrigation intervals as well as saline conditions. Our findings imply that several mechanisms including drought tolerance, osmotic adjustment and antioxidant defense system may interact to enhance the performance of plants in the face of environmental stress following SWE treatments
Growth factor concentrations and their placental mRNA expression are modulated in gestational diabetes mellitus: possible interactions with macrosomia
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. GDM is a well known risk factor for foetal overgrowth, termed macrosomia which is influenced by maternal hypergycemia and endocrine status through placental circulation. The study was undertaken to investigate the implication of growth factors and their receptors in GDM and macrosomia, and to discuss the role of the materno-foeto-placental axis in the <it>in-utero </it>regulation of foetal growth.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>30 women with GDM and their 30 macrosomic babies (4.75 ± 0.15 kg), and 30 healthy age-matched pregnant women and their 30 newborns (3.50 ± 0.10 kg) were recruited in the present study. Serum concentrations of GH and growth factors, <it>i.e</it>., IGF-I, IGF-BP3, FGF-2, EGF and PDGF-B were determined by ELISA. The expression of mRNA encoding for GH, IGF-I, IGF-BP3, FGF-2, PDGF-B and EGF, and their receptors, <it>i.e</it>., GHR, IGF-IR, FGF-2R, EGFR and PDGFR-ÎČ were quantified by using RT-qPCR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The serum concentrations of IGF-I, IGF-BP3, EGF, FGF-2 and PDGF-B were higher in GDM women and their macrosomic babies as compared to their respective controls. The placental mRNA expression of the growth factors was either upregulated (FGF-2 or PDGF-B) or remained unaltered (IGF-I and EGF) in the placenta of GDM women. The mRNA expression of three growth factor receptors, <it>i.e</it>., IGF-IR, EGFR and PDGFR-ÎČ, was upregulated in the placenta of GDM women. Interestingly, serum concentrations of GH were downregulated in the GDM women and their macrosomic offspring. Besides, the expression of mRNAs encoding for GHR was higher, but that encoding for GH was lower, in the placenta of GDM women than control women.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results demonstrate that growth factors might be implicated in GDM and, in part, in the pathology of macrosomia via materno-foeto-placental axis.</p
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