The bio-interactions between plants,insecticides and fertilizers:an innovative approach for the research of xenobiotic substances

In this experiment carried out on Caribbean chili pepper plants(Capsicum chinensis),the bio-insecticide azadirachtin in combination with an NPK fertilizer proved to have a greater lethal impact on the larvae of Aedes albopictus than each substance on its own.This synergistic effect is noticeably important when both inputs are sprayed directly on the leaves of the plant(foliar application).While the plants treated with azadirachtin or NPK alone cause a 33.6%and 36.4%mortal-ity respectively of the Ae.albopictus larvae,the combination of the two inputs induces a 74.4%mortality on the mosquito larvae.To account for this synergistic effect phenomenon inside the plant,the azadirachtin+NPK combination most likely interacts with the capsaicinoid compounds naturally produced by the plant.Not only does this study carried out on azadirachtin reveal major results but the methodology itself offers a most interesting approach on how to boost the agricultural inputs within the plants.As a matter of fact,this research axis demands developing since the control of pests harmful to men has been dramatically lacking insecticide molecules acting on new targets over the past three decades.

Midwives’ Professional Satisfaction and the Quality of Obstetric Care in Developing Country

Introduction: In Africa, poor working conditions affect the motivation of health care providers. The objective is to study midwives’ professional satisfaction on the technical quality of emergency obstetric care in Senegal. Material and Methods: This was a prospective study of 16 hospitals in Senegal. The job satisfaction of midwives was measured during a personal interview. The instrument used was validated in Senegal and Mali. Other data collected relate to professional and institutional characteristics. A treatment observation grid was used to measure the quality of obstetric care in labour wards. Mixed-model linear regression was used to estimate the effect of satisfaction on the quality of obstetric care. Results: A total of 65 midwives were interviewed and 325 patients observed. The average quality score was 8.7 ± 1.7. The satisfaction scores ranged from 42.2 ± 17.4 (salary) to 76.7 ± 12.1 (morale satisfaction). A positive and significant correlation was found between quality of care and management (cc = 0.56), remuneration (cc = 0.40), task (cc = 0.32), workload (cc = 0.24) and training (cc = 0.29). The linear mixed model shows that salary (β = 0.40), continuing education (β = 0.17) and management style (β = 0.42) improved the quality of care. Association between moral satisfaction and quality care was negative (β = ﹣0.53). Conclusion: The satisfaction of health professionals is a major determinant of the quality of obstetric care. Its inclusion in the fight against mortality has become imperative in developing.

Emergence of Toscana virus in the mediterranean area

Toscana virus(TOSV) is an arthropod-borne virus, identified in 1971, from Phlebotomus perniciosus and Phlebotomus perfiliewi in central Italy. TOSV belongs to the Phlebovirus genus within the Bunyaviridae family. As other bunyaviruses, the genome of TOSV consists of 3 segments(S for small, M for Medium, and L for Large) respectively encoding non structural and capsid proteins, envelope structural proteins, and the viral RNA-dependant RNA-polymerase. It is transmitted by sand flies. Therefore its distribution is dictated by that of the arthropod vectors, and virus circulation peaks during summertime when sandfly populations are active. Here, we reviewed the epidemiology of TOSV in the old world. First evidence of its pathogenicity for humans, specifically its propensity to cause central nervous system(CNS) infections such as meningitis and encephalitis, was reported in central Italy. After 2000, it was recognized that TOSV had a much larger geographic distribution than initially believed, and was present in most of the Western European countries located on the northern border of the Mediterranean Sea(Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Croatia) as well as eastern countries such as Cyprus and Turkey. In the countries where TOSV is present, it is among the three most prevalent viruses in meningitis during the warm seasons, together with enteroviruses and herpesviruses. Up to now, epidemiological data concerning Northern Africa and other countries located south of the Mediterranean are scarce. TOSV must be considered an emerging pathogen. Despite the important role played by TOSV in CNS infections, it remains a neglected agent and is rarely considered by physicians in diagnostic algorithms of CNS infections and febrile illness during the warm season, probably because of the lack of information.

Riverbank Erosional Features in the Stanley Pool of the Congo River and Some Geotechnical Classifications of the Sands

The Stanley Pool, an almost circular island about thirty kilometers in diameter, crossed by the Congo River, is subject to diversified erosion of its riverbanks. This study highlights description using geotechnical particle size distribution analysis of soils of the shoreline that make up the shoreline. Three critical areas of the island were examined to characterize the origins of these erosion phenomena. The results obtained show that the soil materials are mostly sands with very fine or fine grains characteristic of very unstable soils. The morpho-sedimentological characteristics of the areas studied show that these soils are plastic (with a Plasticity Index between 15 percent and 19 percent). The presence of water, action of currents or groundwater flow easily destabilize the materials that make up the riverbank and cause the fines to creep (Collapse of sandy riverbanks, Landslide of sandy riverbanks, …).