Chemometric Approach Based on Explainable AI for Rapid Assessment of Macronutrients in Different Organic Fertilizers Using Fusion Spectra

Wet chemical methods are usually employed in the analysis of macronutrients such as Potassium (K) and Phosphorus (P) and followed by traditional sensor techniques, including inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Although these procedures have been established for many years, they are costly, time-consuming, and challenging to follow. This study studied the combination of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIR) for the quick detection of PK in different varieties of organic fertilizers. Explainable AI (XAI) through Shapley additive explanation values computation (Shap values) was used to extract the valuable features of both sensors. The characteristic variables from different spectroscopic devices were combined to form the spectra fusion. Then, PK was determined using Support Vector Regression (SVR), Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR), and Extremely Randomized Trees (Extratrees) models. The computation of the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean squared error (RMSE), and residual prediction deviation (RPD) showed that FUSION was more efficient in detecting P (R2p = 0.9946, RMSEp = 0.0649% and RPD = 13.26) and K (R2p = 0.9976, RMSEp = 0.0508% and RPD = 20.28) than single-sensor detection. The outcomes indicated that the features extracted by XAI and the data fusion of LIBS and Vis-NIR could improve the prediction of PK in different varieties of organic fertilizers

L'économie post-CEDEAO : Défis et opportunités pour le Mali, le Burkina Faso et le Niger

This study assesses the impact of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger’s withdrawal from ECOWAS, focusing on the economic, political, and social implications. It delves into the historical and political context of their membership and exit, highlighting tensions between ECOWAS’s initial goals and current political realities, leading to economic sanctions. Utilizing a qualitative methodology and diverse secondary sources, the research uncovers potential challenges such as trade disruptions and effects on monetary and fiscal policies, alongside opportunities for new partnerships, economic autonomy, and market exploration. Insights from comparisons with other economic union withdrawals, like Brexit, elucidate the consequences of such decisions. This withdrawal is depicted as a pivotal event with profound, multifaceted implications for West Africa’s regional economy, presenting significant challenges but also unique opportunities for reshaping economic and political relations. The study underscores the need for strategic adjustments at national and regional levels and suggests future research to assess microeconomic impacts and the effects of new economic alliances and trade agreements.   Keywords: Withdrawal; ECOWAS; AES; Burkina Faso; Mali; Niger. Classification JEL : E00 ; E02 ; E42 ; F02 Paper type : Empirical recherchCette étude évalue l’impact du retrait du Mali, du Burkina Faso et du Niger de la CEDEAO, en se concentrant sur les implications économiques, politiques et sociales de cette décision. Elle explore le contexte historique et politique de leur adhésion et de leur retrait, soulignant les tensions entre les objectifs initiaux de la CEDEAO et les réalités politiques actuelles qui ont conduit à des sanctions affectant leurs économies. Utilisant une méthodologie qualitative et diverses sources secondaires, la recherche révèle des défis potentiels tels que des perturbations commerciales et des conséquences sur les politiques monétaires et fiscales, ainsi que des opportunités pour de nouveaux partenariats, une plus grande autonomie économique et l’exploration de nouveaux marchés. Une comparaison avec d’autres cas de retraits d’unions économiques, comme le Brexit, offre des perspectives sur les implications de telles décisions. Le retrait de ces pays de la CEDEAO est présenté comme un événement significatif avec des implications profondes et complexes pour l’économie régionale ouest-africaine. Il pose des défis considérables, mais ouvre également des opportunités uniques pour redéfinir les relations économiques et politiques dans la région. L’étude souligne la nécessité d’ajustements stratégiques aux niveaux national et régional et propose des recherches futures pour évaluer les impacts microéconomiques du retrait et l’impact des nouvelles alliances économiques et des accords commerciaux.   Mots Clés : Retrait ; CEDEAO ; AES ; Burkina Faso, Mali ; Niger. Classification JEL : E00 ; E02 ; E42 ; F02 Type de l’article : Article empiriqu

Particle Swarm Optimization and Multiple Stacked Generalizations to Detect Nitrogen and Organic-Matter in Organic-Fertilizer Using Vis-NIR

Organic fertilizer is a key component of agricultural sustainability and significantly contributes to the improvement of soil fertility. The values of nutrients such as organic matter and nitrogen in organic fertilizers positively affect plant growth and cause environmental problems when used in large amounts. Hence the importance of implementing fast detection of nitrogen (N) and organic matter (OM). This paper examines the feasibility of a framework that combined a particle swarm optimization (PSO) and two multiple stacked generalizations to determine the amount of nitrogen and organic matter in organic-fertilizer using visible near-infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIR). The first multiple stacked generalizations for classification coupled with PSO (FSGC-PSO) were for feature selection purposes, while the second stacked generalizations for regression (SSGR) improved the detection of nitrogen and organic matter. The computation of root means square error (RMSE) and the coefficient of determination for calibration and prediction set (R2) was used to gauge the different models. The obtained FSGC-PSO subset combined with SSGR achieved significantly better prediction results than conventional methods such as Ridge, support vector machine (SVM), and partial least square (PLS) for both nitrogen (R2p = 0.9989, root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) = 0.031 and limit of detection (LOD) = 2.97) and organic matter (R2p = 0.9972, RMSEP = 0.051 and LOD = 2.97). Therefore, our settled approach can be implemented as a promising way to monitor and evaluate the amount of N and OM in organic fertilizer

Application of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy and Chemometrics for the Quality Evaluation of Foods with Medicinal Properties: A Review

Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is becoming an increasingly popular analytical technique for characterizing and identifying various products; its multi-element analysis, fast response, remote sensing, and sample preparation is minimal or nonexistent, and low running costs can significantly accelerate the analysis of foods with medicinal properties (FMPs). A comprehensive overview of recent advances in LIBS is presented, along with its future trends, viewpoints, and challenges. Besides reviewing its applications in both FMPs, it is intended to provide a concise description of the use of LIBS and chemometrics for the detection of FMPs, rather than a detailed description of the fundamentals of the technique, which others have already discussed. Finally, LIBS, like conventional approaches, has some limitations. However, it is a promising technique that may be employed as a routine analysis technique for FMPs when utilized effectively

Chemometric Approach Based on Explainable AI for Rapid Assessment of Macronutrients in Different Organic Fertilizers Using Fusion Spectra

Wet chemical methods are usually employed in the analysis of macronutrients such as Potassium (K) and Phosphorus (P) and followed by traditional sensor techniques, including inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Although these procedures have been established for many years, they are costly, time-consuming, and challenging to follow. This study studied the combination of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIR) for the quick detection of PK in different varieties of organic fertilizers. Explainable AI (XAI) through Shapley additive explanation values computation (Shap values) was used to extract the valuable features of both sensors. The characteristic variables from different spectroscopic devices were combined to form the spectra fusion. Then, PK was determined using Support Vector Regression (SVR), Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR), and Extremely Randomized Trees (Extratrees) models. The computation of the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean squared error (RMSE), and residual prediction deviation (RPD) showed that FUSION was more efficient in detecting P (R2p = 0.9946, RMSEp = 0.0649% and RPD = 13.26) and K (R2p = 0.9976, RMSEp = 0.0508% and RPD = 20.28) than single-sensor detection. The outcomes indicated that the features extracted by XAI and the data fusion of LIBS and Vis-NIR could improve the prediction of PK in different varieties of organic fertilizers

L’améloblastome mandibulaire : à propos de 51 cas

Objectif : Cette étude avait pour objectif de décrire les aspects sociodémographiques, cliniques, anatomopathologiques et thérapeutiques, des patients présentant un améloblastome mandibulaire, au centre hospitalier universitaire d’odontostomatologie (CHU OS) de Bamako, au Mali. Matériels et méthode : Nous avons réalisé une étude rétrospective sur une période de trois ans (de janvier 2011 à décembre 2013), sur des cas successifs d’améloblastome mandibulaire, confirmés par un examen clinique, radiologique et anatomopathologique. Les données ont été recueillies à partir des dossiers médicaux, saisies et analysées avec le logiciel SPSS version 3.22. Résultats : Les lésions tumorales ont concerné 25 hommes et 26 femmes avec un sex-ratio de 0,94. Le motif de consultation le plus fréquent a été la tuméfaction osseuse dans 90,20 % des cas. La localisation anatomique la plus fréquente a été l’hémimandibule gauche dans 47,06 % des cas, et la zone de prédilection a été la branche horizontale mandibulaire dans 37,26 % des cas. La chirurgie conservatrice a été réalisée chez 56,86 % des patients et la chirurgie radicale dans 43,14 % des cas. La récidive primaire a concerné 11,77 % des patients. Conclusion : Cette étude montre une fréquence élevée de l’améloblastome mandibulaire, chez les patients consultant au service de chirurgie buccale du CHU OS à Bamako, au Mali, mais peu de récidives

Effect of community health worker home visits on antenatal care and institutional delivery: an analysis of secondary outcomes from a cluster randomised trial in Mali.

IntroductionThough community health workers (CHWs) have improved access to antenatal care (ANC) and institutional delivery in different settings, it is unclear what package and delivery strategy maximises impact.MethodsThis study reports a secondary aim of the Proactive Community Case Management cluster randomised trial, conducted between December 2016 and April 2020 in Mali. It evaluated whether proactive home visits can improve ANC access at a population level compared with passive site-based care. 137 unique village clusters, covering the entire study area, were stratified by health catchment area and distance to the nearest primary health centre. Within each stratum, clusters were randomly assigned to intervention or control arm. CHWs in intervention clusters proactively visited all homes to provide care. In the control clusters, CHWs provided the same services at their fixed community health post to care-seeking patients. Pregnant women 15-49 years old were enrolled in a series of community-based and facility-based visits. We analysed individual-level annual survey data from baseline and 24-month and 36-month follow-up for the secondary outcomes of ANC and institutional delivery, complemented with CHW monitoring data during the trial period. We compared outcomes between: (1) the intervention and control arms, and (2) the intervention period and baseline.ResultsWith 2576 and 2536 pregnancies from 66 and 65 clusters in the intervention and control arms, respectively, the estimated risk ratios for receiving any ANC was 1.05 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.07), four or more ANC visits was 1.25 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.43) and ANC initiated in the first trimester was 1.11 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.19), relative to the controls; no differences in institutional delivery were found. However, both arms achieved large improvements in institutional delivery, compared with baseline. Monitoring data show that 19% and 2% of registered pregnancies received at least eight ANC contacts in the intervention and control arms, respectively. Six clusters, three from each arm had to be dropped in the last 2 years of the trial.ConclusionsProactive home visits increased ANC and the number of antenatal contacts at the clinic and community levels. ANC and institutional delivery can be increased when provided without fees from professional CHWs in upgraded primary care clinics.Trial registration numberNCT02694055

Filariasis attenuates anemia and proinflammatory responses associated with clinical malaria: a matched prospective study in children and young adults.

Wuchereria bancrofti (Wb) and Mansonella perstans (Mp) are blood-borne filarial parasites that are endemic in many countries of Africa, including Mali. The geographic distribution of Wb and Mp overlaps considerably with that of malaria, and coinfection is common. Although chronic filarial infection has been shown to alter immune responses to malaria parasites, its effect on clinical and immunologic responses in acute malaria is unknown.To address this question, 31 filaria-positive (FIL+) and 31 filaria-negative (FIL-) children and young adults, matched for age, gender and hemoglobin type, were followed prospectively through a malaria transmission season. Filarial infection was defined by the presence of Wb or Mp microfilariae on calibrated thick smears performed between 10 pm and 2 am and/or by the presence of circulating filarial antigen in serum. Clinical malaria was defined as axillary temperature ≥37.5°C or another symptom or sign compatible with malaria infection plus the presence of asexual malaria parasites on a thick blood smear. Although the incidence of clinical malaria, time to first episode, clinical signs and symptoms, and malaria parasitemia were comparable between the two groups, geometric mean hemoglobin levels were significantly decreased in FIL- subjects at the height of the transmission season compared to FIL+ subjects (11.4 g/dL vs. 12.5 g/dL, p<0.01). Plasma levels of IL-1ra, IP-10 and IL-8 were significantly decreased in FIL+ subjects at the time of presentation with clinical malaria (99, 2145 and 49 pg/ml, respectively as compared to 474, 5522 and 247 pg/ml in FIL- subjects).These data suggest that pre-existent filarial infection attenuates immune responses associated with severe malaria and protects against anemia, but has little effect on susceptibility to or severity of acute malaria infection. The apparent protective effect of filarial infection against anemia is intriguing and warrants further study in a larger cohort