Effect of Aqueous Extract of Boscia senegalensis on Hyperglycemia, Hyperlipidemia and Oxidative Stress Induced in Rats

Boscia aqueous extract. senegalensis on hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress induced in rats. The aqueous extract was prepared from B. senegalensis seed powders under the extraction conditions: time (10 min), temperature (55˚C) and the ratio of mass of flour/volume of water (3/10 g/mL). Male wistar rats aged 6 to 8 weeks were acclimated and divided into 8 groups of 5 rats each: two normal control groups which received a normal standard diet (3810 kcal/kg), and six test groups which were subjected to a hyperlipidemic diet (5310 Kcal/kg). All groups of animals were fed in this manner for 8 weeks to induce hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress. After induction the animals were treated either with distilled water for the normal and negative control groups or with atorvastatin for the positive control group or with the extract of B. senegalensis. (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg) for the test groups. Fasting blood glucose was taken every 7 days during induction. After sacrifice, biochemical and oxidative stress parameters were measured. The aqueous extract of B. senegalensis significantly decreased (p B. senegalensis at a dose of 500 mg/kg has the capacity to reduce blood sugar, improve the quality of the lipid profile and reduce oxidative stress. Thus, the results reveal that the aqueous extract of B. senegalensis has powerful hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties.

Thermomechanical Characterization of Three Soils of Abeche in Chad

The study carried out concerns the valorization of agricultural waste for the development of biosourced materials that can be used as insulation in homes. This article is devoted to the influence of gum arabic on the mechanical and thermal properties of clay soils in the town of Abéché. The mechanical tests were carried out using the CBR press equipped with two devices (bending device and compression device). Thermal property such as thermal conductivity was determined by the hot wire method and thermal resistance was derived by calculation. Thus, the tests were carried out on test pieces made from a mixture of clay and gum arabic in solution. The experimental program includes seven formulations (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10% and 12%). The results obtained showed that the best flexural and compressive strengths are obtained by using gum arabic with a rate of 8% and a maximum stress of 4.3 MPa. In addition, the thermal results also showed that the thermal conductivity decreases when the percentage of gum arabic increases, which makes it possible to increase the thermal resistance, thus confirming the capacity of gum arabic to provide thermal insulation.

Comparison among the UECM Model, and the Composite Model in Forecasting Malaysian Imports

For more than a century, forecasting models have been crucial in a variety of fields. Models can offer the most accurate forecasting outcomes if error terms are normally distributed. Finding a good statistical model for time series predicting imports in Malaysia is the main target of this study. The decision made during this study mostly addresses the unrestricted error correction model (UECM), and composite model (Combined regression—ARIMA). The imports of Malaysia from the first quarter of 1991 to the third quarter of 2022 are employed in this study’s quarterly time series data. The forecasting outcomes of the current study demonstrated that the composite model offered more probabilistic data, which improved forecasting the volume of Malaysia’s imports. The composite model, and the UECM model in this study are linear models based on responses to Malaysia’s imports. Future studies might compare the performance of linear and nonlinear models in forecasting.

Impact of Urban Anthropogenic Pressures on the Mangrove Forest of Sainte Marie (East Madagascar)

This article demonstrates the urban anthropogenic threats and their impacts on Sainte Marie (Eastern Madagascar) mangrove ecosystem. In addition to conducting interview with 158 residents, floristic inventories were carried out in order to compare the mangrove structure between a control site and another one that was impacted by Belle Vue dyke (south of the District downtown) rehabilitation. From 2003 to 2014, the island of Sainte Marie lost 0.47% per year of its mangrove area. 87% of the harvested resources from this ecosystem are fish products and are related to human nutrition. The mangrove is used as a dumping ground for liquid and solid waste in the lots of Saint Joseph and La Pointe. Defecation in the open air is topical under the island’s mangrove forest. A very weak resilience of the mangrove impacted by the rehabilitation of Belle Vue dyke was noted. Indeed, regenerations of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza and Ceriops tagal have struggled to rebuild. The total height and diameter of impacted trees decreased by 37.2% and 44.3%, respectively. The development of an updated urban master plan, including mangroves in the related zoning process is an imperative measurement for the conservation and/or valuation of existing lots.

Contribution to Knowledge of Food Formulation during Lean Periods in the Provinces of Wadi-Fira and West-Ennedi (Chad)

The effects of climate change have had a major impact on forage availability in the Sahel and Saharan regions of Chad in recent years. This has led to the migration of farmers in search of long-distance grazing, thus impacting the potential of the animals to produce good quality milk and meat. It is with this in mind that this study was conducted on the knowledge of feeding practices of animals in the provinces of Wadi-Fira and West-Ennedi (Chad) during the lean period. More specifically, it is a question of collecting some information on the plants consumed by the animals and the way in which the breeders formulate the food ration of their herds in times of deficit. It emerges from this investigation that the herds of animals in the province of Wadi-Fira faced with forage deficit and adapted by consuming the leaves, fruits and seeds of certain tropical plants such as Capparis decidua, Ziziphus mauritiana, Balanites aegyptiaca, Acacia tortilis, Boscia senegalensis, Salvadora percica and Tribulis terristris to compensate for food shortages. This same observation was made in the province of West-Ennedi, since this area is desert with annual precipitation of 150 mm. Natural pasture is only available around water points (ouadis and oasis) in a small area with a high number of herds. Thus, the herds also face a drastic lack of grazing during the deficit periods. However, they adapt by consuming the leaves, fruits and seeds of plants such as Bauhinia sp., Boscia senegalenis, Acacia tortilis, Tribulis terristris, Boscia angustifolia, Bicoma tomentosa, Blepharis linarifolia and Aristida funiculata during lean periods to meet their food requirements. The formulation of the feed ration for animals differs from one area to another. It is mainly based on residues from cereals such as millet (Panicum miliaceum) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor).

Integration of Post Abortion Care Package in the Activity of 56 Health Facilities by the Burkina Faso Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (SOGOB)

Introduction: This article is an analysis of post-abortion care in 56 health facilities after their capacity building by the Burkina Faso Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (SOGOB). Patients and Methods: In 2012, with funds from Safe Abortion Action Fund, the SOGOB trained care providers and equipped 56 health facilities for post abortion care. Statistical data on the management of incomplete abortions after the capacity building were analyzed. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: There were 6316 cases of abortion that have been managed in 56 health facilities. The evacuation of the uterine contents for incomplete abortion has been provided to 6167 patients. Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) and misoprostol were used respectively in 69.4% and 26.9% of cases to evacuate uterine content. Post-treatment complications were 1.8% for MVA and 0.9% for misoprostol (p = 0.004). MVA’s complication rate in the health facilities of the 1st level of care (1.7%) was not different from the third level of care (1.2%) with p = 0.21. A modern method of contraception was provided after abortion to 65.7% of the patients. In addition to the post abortion care, 7.3% of the patients received other reproductive health services. The community was involved in the development process of post abortion care in the facilities of the first level of care. Conclusion: The support of health facilities by SOGOB has provided post abortion care to thousands of women with little complications. Given the good results, an extension to other health facilities is desirable.

Design Optimization for Generating a High Static Magnetic Field

This paper details the creation of a device capable of generating a powerful and consistent static magnetic field. This apparatus serves the purpose of quantifying the magnetostrictive strain found in materials like annealed cobalt ferrite and Terfenol-D, specifically those shaped as cylindrical rods. In our investigation, the use of static magnetic fields proves most advantageous. This choice is made to mitigate the generation of eddy currents, which would inevitably occur if the magnetic field intensity were varied. The fundamental idea behind this design involves employing a C-shaped iron core constructed from low-carbon mild steel. On this core, three coils are mounted, each capable of producing one-third of the required 9000 Oersted (Oe) magnetic field strength. The test specimen is situated within the “jaws” of the C-shaped core, thus completing the magnetic circuit. To manage the heat generated by each coil, a cooling system consisting of copper tubes is employed. These tubes facilitate the flow of air to dissipate the heat. To model and predict the magnetic field strength produced by the coils, finite element analysis (FEMM) software is utilized, and the results align closely with the anticipated outcomes. This design effectively generates a robust and unchanging magnetic field measuring a stable 9000 Oe in total. Consequently, this equipment finds utility in characterizing the magnetic properties of specific materials.

A pragmatic retrofitting approach to enhancing the thermal,energy and economic performance of an educational building:a case study in Malaysia

Building retrofit procedures play a crucial role in improving the energy performance and economic indicators of a building.In this context,an energy audit is typically recommended,but it is seldom used as a comprehensive approach due to the complexity and associated costs.This article aims to conduct a holistic energy audit approach for a university building in Malaysia,with the objective of diagnosing energy efficiency deficiencies,identifying areas of energy waste and proposing practical retrofit measures accordingly.The approach involved multiple stages,including measurements,surveys and simulation work.Eight energy-saving measures were proposed,targeting improvements in envelope elements,cooling and lighting systems,and operation and control.The Design-Builder software was utilized for energy simulation,assessing the annual energy savings.Economic evaluation indices,such as net present value and simple payback period,were used to assess the economic feasibility of the measures.The results demonstrated significant potential for energy reduction,with each measure achieving annual energy reductions ranging from 2%to 18%,and a cumulative im-pact of 41%on annual energy consumption when combined.The investment payback period for the energy-saving measures varied from 0.8 to 8.9 years,with a payback period of 3.9 years for the combined energy-saving measures.Furthermore,the net present value was positive,indicating the economic feasibility of investing in the proposed energy-saving measures.These findings provide valu-able energy-saving opportunities that can be applied to improve similar buildings on the university campus.