Perceptions locales de la manifestation des changements climatiques et mesures d’adaptation dans la gestion de la fertilité des sols dans la Commune de Banikoara au Nord- Bénin

Objectifs: L’étude a pour objectif d’analyser les déterminants biophysiques des changements climatiques et les mesures d’adaptations développées par les producteurs notamment dans la gestion de la fertilité des sols au Nord-Bénin.Méthodologie et Résultats: Les données ont été collectées auprès de focus groupes d’effectif variant de 6 à 12 personnes réalisés dans chacun des dix arrondissements de la Commune de Banikoara. Une enquête auprès de 986 producteurs a été réalisée sur les perceptions, les mesures d’adaptation et les déterminants socio-économiques des changements climatiques. Les données sont analysées avec le test d’indépendance de Χ², l’analyse factorielle des correspondances suivie ou non de la classification ascendante hiérarchique. Ensuite une régression logistique polychotomique ordinale a été utilisée en vue de modéliser la relation entre les déterminants socio-économiques des producteurs enquêtés et le niveau de fertilité de leur sol. Les résultats ont permis d’identifier 24 perceptions liées aux changements climatiques et 63 stratégies d’adaptation. Les stratégies d’adaptation dépendaient des niveaux de prospérité mais n’avaient pas de relation avec l’appartenance aux classes d’âges. Les déterminants socioéconomiques les plus liés à la fertilité des sols sont la location de parcelles, le nombre de charrues et le nombre de charrettes.Conclusion et Application des Résultats: L’amélioration du niveau de prospérité des producteurs est un élément clé de leur adaptation aux changements climatiques. La possession de charrues, de charrettes et la disponibilité des terres sont les déterminants socio-économiques qui expliquent au mieux l’adaptation des producteurs aux changements climatiques dans la gestion de la fertilité des sols.Local perceptions of manifestation of climate change and adaptation measures in the management of soil fertility in the Municipality of Banikoara in North BeninObjectives: The study aims to analyze the biophysical determinants of climate change and adaptation measures developed by such producers in the management of soil fertility in northern Benin.Methodology and Results: Data were collected from focus groups of staff ranging from 6 to 12 people made in each of the ten districts of the Municipality of Banikoara. A survey of 986 farmers was conducted on perceptions, adaptation and socio-economic determinants of climate change. The data were analyzed with the chi-square test of independence, the correspondence analysis or not followed by the hierarchical clustering. Then polychotomous ordinal logistic regression was used to model the relationship between socio-economic determinants of producers surveyed and the fertility of their soil. The results identified 24 perceptions related to climate change and adaptation strategies 63. Adaptation strategies depended on the levels of prosperity but had no relationship with the membership age groups. Socio-economic determinants related to most soil fertility include the rental plots, the number of plows and the number of carts.Conclusion and Application of Results: Improving the level of prosperity of the producers is a key element of their adaptation to climate change. Possession of plows, carts and land availability are the socioeconomic determinants that explain the adaptation of the best producers to climate change in the management of soil fertilit

Vitamin D in the general population of young adults with autism in the Faroe Islands

Vitamin D deficiency has been proposed as a possible risk factor for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) levels were examined in a cross-sectional population-based study in the Faroe Islands. The case group consisting of a total population cohort of 40 individuals with ASD (aged 15–24 years) had significantly lower 25(OH)D3 than their 62 typically-developing siblings and their 77 parents, and also significantly lower than 40 healthy age and gender matched comparisons. There was a trend for males having lower 25(OH)D3 than females. Effects of age, month/season of birth, IQ, various subcategories of ASD and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule score were also investigated, however, no association was found. The very low 25(OH)D3 in the ASD group suggests some underlying pathogenic mechanism

Scoping review on vector-borne diseases in urban areas : transmission dynamics, vectorial capacity and co-infection

BACKGROUND: Transmission dynamics, vectorial capacity, and co-infections have substantial impacts on vector-borne diseases (VBDs) affecting urban and suburban populations. Reviewing key factors can provide insight into priority research areas and offer suggestions for potential interventions. MAIN BODY: Through a scoping review, we identify knowledge gaps on transmission dynamics, vectorial capacity, and co-infections regarding VBDs in urban areas. Peer-reviewed and grey literature published between 2000 and 2016 was searched. We screened abstracts and full texts to select studies. Using an extraction grid, we retrieved general data, results, lessons learned and recommendations, future research avenues, and practice implications. We classified studies by VBD and country/continent and identified relevant knowledge gaps. Of 773 articles selected for full-text screening, 50 were included in the review: 23 based on research in the Americas, 15 in Asia, 10 in Africa, and one each in Europe and Australia. The largest body of evidence concerning VBD epidemiology in urban areas concerned dengue and malaria. Other arboviruses covered included chikungunya and West Nile virus, other parasitic diseases such as leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis, and bacterial rickettsiosis and plague. Most articles retrieved in our review combined transmission dynamics and vectorial capacity; only two combined transmission dynamics and co-infection. The review identified significant knowledge gaps on the role of asymptomatic individuals, the effects of co-infection and other host factors, and the impacts of climatic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors on VBD transmission in urban areas. Limitations included the trade-off from narrowing the search strategy (missing out on classical modelling studies), a lack of studies on co-infections, most studies being only descriptive, and few offering concrete public health recommendations. More research is needed on transmission risk in homes and workplaces, given increasingly dynamic and mobile populations. The lack of studies on co-infection hampers monitoring of infections transmitted by the same vector. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening VBD surveillance and control, particularly in asymptomatic cases and mobile populations, as well as using early warning tools to predict increasing transmission, were key strategies identified for public health policy and practice

Measuring benefits and patients' satisfaction when glasses are not needed after cataract and presbyopia surgery: scoring and psychometric validation of the Freedom from Glasses Value Scale (FGVS©)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to reduce the number of items, create a scoring method and assess the psychometric properties of the Freedom from Glasses Value Scale (FGVS), which measures benefits of freedom from glasses perceived by cataract and presbyopic patients after multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) surgery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The 21-item FGVS, developed simultaneously in French and Spanish, was administered by phone during an observational study to 152 French and 152 Spanish patients who had undergone cataract or presbyopia surgery at least 1 year before the study. Reduction of items and creation of the scoring method employed statistical methods (principal component analysis, multitrait analysis) and content analysis. Psychometric properties (validation of the structure, internal consistency reliability, and known-group validity) of the resulting version were assessed in the pooled population and per country.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One item was deleted and 3 were kept but not aggregated in a dimension. The other 17 items were grouped into 2 dimensions ('global evaluation', 9 items; 'advantages', 8 items) and divided into 5 sub-dimensions, with higher scores indicating higher benefit of surgery. The structure was validated (good item convergent and discriminant validity). Internal consistency reliability was good for all dimensions and sub-dimensions (Cronbach's alphas above 0.70). The FGVS was able to discriminate between patients wearing glasses or not after surgery (higher scores for patients not wearing glasses). FGVS scores were significantly higher in Spain than France; however, the measure had similar psychometric performances in both countries.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The FGVS is a valid and reliable instrument measuring benefits of freedom from glasses perceived by cataract and presbyopic patients after multifocal IOL surgery.</p

Efficiency of ddRAD target enriched sequencing across spiny rock lobster species (Palinuridae: Jasus)

Double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) and target capture sequencing methods are used to explore population and phylogenetic questions in non-model organisms. ddRADseq offers a simple and reliable protocol for population genomic studies, however it can result in a large amount of missing data due to allelic dropout. Target capture sequencing offers an opportunity to increase sequencing coverage with little missing data and consistent orthologous loci across samples, although this approach has generally been applied to conserved markers for deeper evolutionary questions. Here, we combine both methods to generate high quality sequencing data for population genomic studies of all marine lobster species from the genus Jasus. We designed probes based on ddRADseq libraries of two lobster species (Jasus edwardsii and Sagmariasus verreauxi) and evaluated the captured sequencing data in five other Jasus species. We validated 4,465 polymorphic loci amongst these species using a cost effective sequencing protocol, of which 1,730 were recovered from all species, and 4,026 were present in at least three species. The method was also successfully applied to DNA samples obtained from museum specimens. This data will be further used to assess spatial-temporal genetic variation in Jasus species found in the Southern Hemisphere