Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Land Use in Cotton and Cereal Production Zones,Mali

Land use dynamics is a prerequisite for identifying natural resource management constraints,the evolution of agrarian practices and population growth.The objective of this research is to improve knowledge of the dynamics of agricultural land use in the dryland(Cinzana)and cotton(Kléla)areas of Mali.The methodology used consisted of planimetric data collection and diachronic analysis using Landsat TM(Thematic Mapper)satellite images from 2000 and OLI(Operational Land Image)from 2020.Degradation and deforestation rates of natural formations were calculated on the one hand,and on the other hand,the speed and intensity of changes were evaluated using the Pontius matrix22 and intensity analysis programs from the transition matrix.The results of the diachronic analysis revealed a clear increase in the area of anthropogenic formations,especially fields and fallow land,at the expense of natural formations.In Cinzana,this was reflected in an overall increase in the area of anthropogenic formations of 45%(i.e.,2.30%per year)and an overall reduction of 45.15%(2.26%per year)in the area of natural units.In Kléla,there was an overall increase of 131%(i.e.,6.54%per year)in the area of fields and fallow land to the detriment of natural formations,which underwent a reduction of 95%(i.e.,4.76%per year)between 2000 and 2020.Definitely,the evolution of landscape units in the research area between 2000 and 2020 points to excessive anthropization of natural formations,which could compromise the sustainability of these formations,with a risk to ecosystem services and agricultural productivity lost.The study recommends the use of agro-ecological practices,and the facilitation of access to agricultural technologies and support services with a view to agricultural intensification.Policy measures to promote an agro-ecological transition should be encouraged.

The Essential Oil of Ocimum americanum from Senegal and Gambia as a Source of Methyleugenol for the Control of Bactrocera dorsalis, Fruit Fly

The fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the most important pests in all mango-producing areas, particularly in West Africa. In Senegal, O. americanum leaves have been used for several years to control this fly. However, to our knowledge, no chemical studies have been carried out. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine the chemical composition of the essential oil of O. americanum leaves collected in Senegal and Gambia. The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of these leaves is analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. Yields of essential oils from O. americanum leaves are 3.84% and 2.13%, respectively. Analysis of these essential oils by GC/FID and GC/MS allowed the identification of 23 compounds representing almost 100% of the total compositions. These essential oils are mainly dominated by methyleugenol (72.0% and 75.8%, respectively). Other components in significant percent are trans-β-caryophyllene (13.9% and 13.0%, respectively), germacrene D (4.1% and 3.7%, respectively), β-elemene (3.3% and 0.9%, respectively). Due to the high methyleugenol content, this study explains the attractive potential of O. americanum towards B. dorsalis. In perspective, we plan to evaluate the attractive effect of the essential oil and leaf powder of O. americanum against B. dorsalis, a real pest of mango orchards in Senegal.

Characterization of Health and Environmental Risks of Pesticide Use in Market-Gardening in the Rural City of Tori-Bossito in Benin, West Africa

A study on the use of pesticides in market-gardening production was carried out on 108 market-gardeners in the rural city of Tori-Bossito in Southern Benin. The objective of the study was to characterize the potential risks of pesticides usage by farmers and the impacts on their health and on the environment. Two risk indexes were calculated for each pesticide: an environmental risk index (ERI) and a health risk index (HRI). First stage larva of the mosquito Aedes aegypti were used as bio-indicator for detecting insecticide residue in vegetable before their harvesting on the farms. The highest ERI were obtained for carbofuran, chlorpyriphos ethyl and endosulfan. Pesticide residues were found in 42% of the samples of leaves of eggplant, cucumber, amaranth and solanum. Vegetables growers used pesticides that may be highly hazardous and which were not registered in most cases. These situations could have unexpected consequences including the exposure of consumers to health hazards.

Effects of Residual Oxygen in the Degradation of the Performance of Organic Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells: Stability, Role of the Encapsulation

We have shown in our first articles [1] [2] that even after encapsulation, the first rapid phase of degradation mechanism observed has been attributed to oxidation of interfaces and an alteration of the charges collection process. A second phase slower is induced by the oxidation of the active film, namely a decrease in the absorption and a degradation of the charge transport process. We revealed that another decrease in power conversion efficiency which has been induced by a possible interfacial passivation occurred at the organic/cathode interface, owing to the presence of residual oxygen, moisture and other impurities. This is in reality the real cause of the first rapid phase of degradation mechanism observed.

Implementation of Network Intrusion Detection System Using Soft Computing Algorithms (Self Organizing Feature Map and Genetic Algorithm)

In today’s world, computer network is evolving very rapidly. Most public or/and private companies set up their own local networks system for the purpose of promoting communication and data sharing within the companies. Unfortunately, their data and local networks system are under risks. With the advanced computer networks, the unauthorized users attempt to access their local networks system so as to compromise the integrity, confidentiality and availability of resources. Multiple methods and approaches have to be applied to protect their data and local networks system against malicious attacks. The main aim of our paper is to provide an intrusion detection system based on soft computing algorithms such as Self Organizing Feature Map Artificial Neural Network and Genetic Algorithm to network intrusion detection system. KDD Cup 99 and 1998 DARPA dataset were employed for training and testing the intrusion detection rules. However, GA’s traditional Fitness Function was improved in order to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the algorithm in classifying network attacks from KDD Cup 99 and 1998 DARPA dataset. SOFM ANN and GA training parameters were discussed and implemented for performance evaluation. The experimental results demonstrated that SOFM ANN achieved better performance than GA, where in SOFM ANN high attack detection rate is 99.98%, 99.89%, 100%, 100%, 100% and low false positive rate is 0.01%, 0.1%, 0%, 0%, 0% for DoS, R2L, Probe, U2R attacks, and Normal traffic respectively.

Effect of the Ethanolic Extract of Khaya senegalensis on Some Biochemical Parameters on Rabbit’s in Glucose Overload Condition

The effect of the ethanolic extract Khaya senegalensis on some biochemical parameters was tested in rabbits with normal glucose and glucose overload. Phytochemical screening after three batches of 6 rabbits race (TBD) were treated with the extract in oral doses of respectively 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg body weight for 30 days;three other groups receiving respectively these doses of the extract were placed under a priori temporary overload of glucose;a control group received instead distilled water treatment. Blood glucose, triglycerides and total cholesterol were measured by spectrophotometry and weight gain of the animals was performed at the beginning of the experiment and every 2 weeks during the study period. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of polyphenolic compounds (majority) of saponins of anthracene derivatives and steroids in the extract. The test results indicate that under the dose of 50 mg/kg body weight (BW) there was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in blood glucose after 24 hours. The extract had no effect on the lipid profile or body weight of rabbits.

Measuring the Total Economic Value of Traditional Sand Dredging in the Coastal Lagoon Complex of Grand-Nokoué(Benin)

Sand is a crucial resource for society’s development. Among the most exploited sand quarries in the world are the lagoon and wetland sand. Although mechanical sand dredging is the most spread technique, manual and traditional techniques are still widely used in West Africa. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to describe traditional sand dredging (TSD), highlighting the procedure used and the structural organization of this activity, and to evaluate the total economic value of TSD in order to help decision making about wetland management. Therefore, TSD occurring in the coastal lagoon complex of Grand Nokoué (CLCGN) in Benin was investigated. Field surveys indicate that TSD is mainly dominated by men, about 93% of the actors. It required intense physical efforts including diving to the bottom of the lake and removing manually the sand in backed toward the surface of the water. TSD actors are organized in local associations which deliver extraction license and discuss with both the others actors and the local government. The total economic value of the benefits of TSD to the population, estimated using direct market value and replacement cost, was estimated at 2.44 million USD per year for 127,818 m3 of sand extracted. It is clear that introduction of mechanical sand dredging will increase the amount the sand removed and subsequently will increase some benefits such as reduction of flooding amplitude and mitigation of the filling of the lakes. However, mechanical sand removal will also considerably reduce the profit the local population makes from sand commercialization which currently represents 80% the total economic value of TSD.

Quality Control of Paracetamol Generic Tablets Marketed in Benin and Search of Its Two Impurities P-Aminophenol and P-Nitrophenol by HPLC-UV/Visible

In this work, we evaluated the quality of paracetamol generic tablets while seeking its two main impurities namely 4-para-aminophenol (4-AP) and 4-para-nitrophenol (4-NP) which have nephrotoxic and teratogenic properties. Ninety-four (94) samples were collected at various levels of the medicine supply chain and illegal markets in Benin for quality control tests such as visual inspection, pharmacotechnical tests as mass variation, disintegration test, dissolution test, followed by HPLC UV-Vis identification and assay of paracetamol, 4-AP and 4-NP. The analytes were separated on C18 Lichrocart column (250 mm × 4.0 mm i.d, 5 μm);the mobile phase was MeOH:10 mM ammonium acetate buffer pH 6.8 (35:65) pumped at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. The detection was done at 245 nm. Analysis of our results shows that 77.7% of the samples did not comply with the visual inspection test requirements, 2.1% did not pass the mass variation test, 24.3% of the sample batches didn’t comply with the disintegration test requirements. In addition none of these uncomply batches passed the dissolution test, even if the identification test indicated that all samples contained paracetamol. None contained 4-NP (acceptance limit < 0.05% m/m;BP), while 3 of 94 samples contained 4-AP but within acceptance limit (4-AP < 0.1% m/m;BP). As for the paracetamol assay, 80.9% complied with the specifications of the pharmacopoeias taken as reference (90% - 110%;USP). Further, broader studies should be conducted according to the same rules of good practice for a more comprehensive analysis of the situation. Generally the quality control of paracetamol in most African countries, particularly in Benin, is based on pharmacotechnical tests and paracetamol assay. This work, in addition to the usual tests, showed the importance to search for paracetamol and other drugs’ impurities during their routine quality control.

Qualitative Assessment of Table Salt Production Techniques in Southern Benin Republic, and Related Mangrove Destruction and Health Issues

This research was conducted in the framework of the feasibility study related to FOCUSED-Benin project, the 5th work package of the YES-PV NIG BEN project financed by the German Government through its Ministry of Research and High Education (BMBF). The FOCUSED Benin project’s major objective is to protect the environment through the utilization of solar energy for drying agricultural products and table salt harvesting. Salt is important in human daily life. It is used for conservation of food, softening water, industrial processes, road de-icing, food seasoning, etc. Seawater evaporation, salt mining, and salt brine are the major sources of salt production worldwide. However, in West Africa, particularly in Benin Republic, table salt is produced using methods that negatively impact the ecology of the mangrove. This study aimed at investigating the current status of salt production in Benin Republic, its impact on the mangrove and its related health issues. Field visits, meeting with associations of women salt producers in the coastal region of the country, allowed to quantify the number of women associations dealing with salt production, their difficulties, and the impacts on the mangrove. Salt is a seasonal activity and is produced from January to May. One kilogram salt production, along with health issues reported by salt producers, requires approximately 1 kg of firewood obtained by cutting down mangrove. Salt price varies from 250CFA (€0.38) to 400FCFA (€0.61) per kg depending on the season. The women salt producers are not aware of the ecological consequences of mangrove destruction. Sources of firewood are becoming increasingly scarce and prices prohibitive. Sensitization is not efficient. An alternative method of harvesting salt by solar drying and new ideas for implementing this activity in a participatory approach was discussed with the different associations of salt producers.

Fighting Poor Quality Medicines: Development, Transfer and Validation of Generic HPLC Methods for Analyzing Two WHO Recommended Antimalarial Tablets

As serious but neglected public health problems, poor quality medicines, i.e. for antimalarial medicines, urged to be fought. One of the approaches is to consider the analytical chemistry and separative techniques. In this study, a generic liquid chromatographic method was firstly developed for the purpose of screening 8 antimalarial active ingredients, namely amodiaquine (AQ), piperaquine (PPQ), sulfalene (SL), pyrimethamine (PM), lumefantrine (LF), artesunate (AS), artemether (AM) and dihydroartemisinine (DHA) by applying DoE/DS optimization strategy. Since the method was not totally satisfying in terms of peak separation, further experiments were undergone applying the same development strategy while splitting the 8 ingredients into five groups. Excellent prediction was observed prior to correlation between retention times of predicted and observed separation conditions. Then, a successful geometric transfer was realized to reduce the analysis time focusing on the simultaneous quantification of two WHO’s recommended ACTs in anti-malarial fixed-dose combination (AM-LF and AS-AQ) in tablets. The optimal separation was achieved using an isocratic elution of methanol-ammonium formate buffer (pH 2.8;10 mM) (82.5:17.5, v/v) at 0.6 ml/min through a C18 column (100 mm × 3.5 mm, 3.5 μm) thermostated at 25℃. After a successful validation stage based on the total error approach, the method was applied to determine the content of AM/LF or AS/AQ in seven brands of antimalarial tablets currently marketed in West, Central and East Africa. Satisfying results were obtained compared to the claimed contents.

Stroke after Hospitalization: Assessment of Functional Prognosis through Disability and Dependency in CNHU-HKM, Cotonou, Benin

Introduction: Stroke results in severe disability, with impacts that are sometimes socially, emotionally or professionally dramatic and also dramatic for the cost involved in care and treatment. Objective: Assessing the functional prognosis after hospitalization and identifying associated factors. Method: It consisted in a cross-sectional, prospective, descriptive and analytical study that was conducted from April 1 to August 31, 2013 in the Neurology Department of CNHU-HKM in Cotonou. It involved 100 patients who have known stroke for at least 6 months and were all admitted and discharged later on. The disease survivors were re-contacted and examined again at home or at hospital. Disability and dependency were then measured respectively with the Rankin score and Barthel index. The STATA/IC11.0 statistical software was used as the basis for data analysis. Unvaried and multi-varied analyzes helped to identify associated factors. Results: The overall disability and dependency rates were respectively 69% and 57.7%. And the highest rate of disability (38.8%) was observed between 50 and 60 years old. However, dependency prevalence was higher in subjects above 70 years old (37.3%). Regarding gender, the prevalence of disability was 59.2% in men and rather 41.5% in women. Predictors of disability and dependency were paralysis on admission (IC95% = 0.26 [0.77 - 0.92];p = 0.036), obesity (IC95% = 0.26 [0.77 - 0.92];p = 0.012) and monthly income lower than 70$US (IC95% = 0.05 [0.01 - 0.56];p = 0.015). Conclusion: This study enabled us to assess the functional outcome of patients once discharged. The significance of motor deficit on stroke occurrence, obesity and the low monthly income were factors of poor functional prognosis.

Quality of Management of Severe Malaria Cases in Children under Five: A Case of Four Health Facilities in the Littoral Department in Benin

Background: Benin republic is a sub-Saharan African country endemic to malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. To reduce the death rate due to this scourge, it is essential to ensure quality care, especially for children under five years who are the most vulnerable. The main objective of this study is to assess the quality of severe malaria case management in patients under five years. Methods: Descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was performed in health facilities in Cotonou city, the economic capital of Benin Republic. Study sample included 205 suspected cases of severe malaria among children aged under five years, in four health facilities. In each of hospitals, all children under five years with severe malaria presumption were enrolled in the study. Quality was assessed through five components: diagnosis, treatment, patient monitoring, counselling/advice, and patient’s follow-up. Based on the Benin Republic’s malaria case management standard protocol, the assessment criteria of each component were defined. Results: The sex ratio was 1.25 boys to a girl. The median of hospitalisation duration was 3 days with first quartile (Q1) = 2 and third quartile (Q3) = 5. Among 205 severe malaria cases included, 157 (76.59%) were not managed in accordance with the requirements of the national protocol of malaria case management. The different components of cases management are not all implemented during the care of patients. Conclusion: There is a need for training to health workers on implementation of severe malaria in children under 5 years protocol. Also, there is a need for investigation about factors associated with malaria protocol implementation.

Analytical Tools and Strategic Approach to Detect Poor Quality Medicines, Identify Unknown Components, and Timely Alerts for Appropriate Measures: Case Study of Antimalarial Medicines

Nowadays, the circulation of poor quality medicines is becoming an alarming worldwide phenomenon with serious public health and socio-economic concerns. The situation is particularly critical in developing countries where drug quality assurance and regulatory systems for drug manufacturing, importation, distribution and sales are weak. A sustained vigilance on poor quality medicines that regroup counterfeit/falsified, substandard and degraded medicines is therefore required to ensure patient safety and genuine medicines integrity. A case situation is illustrated including a strategic approach and analytical tools that were found useful to detect poor quality medicines, identify unknown components, and timely alerts for appropriate measures against the spread of those harmful products. Several suspected medicines randomly sampled in several strategic Rwandan areas were firstly check-controlled by means of visual inspection and then applying several analytical techniques from simple to more complex ones. The following medicines were studied: quinine sulfate tablets, artemisinin-based combination tablets, and artesunate powders for injection. Taking into account the pharmaceutical forms and the chemical characteristics, the following tests were applied: uniformity of mass, friability, disintegration, fluorescence, identification and assay. They were followed by more complex analytical techniques that allowed more comprehension of abnormal findings among which the presence of a wrong active pharmaceutical ingredient in quinine sulfate tablets which is mainly discussed in this paper to illustrate a strategic approach and various analytical tools that can be used in detecting and identifying unknown component in poor quality medicines.

Exclusive Hormonal Therapy in Breast Cancer in Elderly Women:Clinical Response and Survival over 10 Years

Breast cancer is the first cancer of women in the world and in France.In very elderly patients,the treatment options are often very limited.Neoadjuvant hormone therapy has shown similar or even better results than chemotherapy.This is why we decided to evaluate the clinical response following exclusive hormonal therapy and the 5,then 10 years survival in these very elderly women.This was a retrospective,longitudinal cohort-type study with descriptive and analytical purposes.The study population consisted of 59 patients,with an average age of 85 years.Fifteen(15,25%)of our patients had a complete clinical response after two years of treatment,16(27%)a partial clinical response,23(39%)lesion stabilization and 5(9%)cancer progression.The presence of metastasis at diagnosis increased the risk of cancer progression by 2.84.Overall 5-year survival was 72.5%,and breast cancer mortality 5.88%.The 10-year survival was 27.5%and breast cancer mortality 15%.In the age group 85 and over increased the risk of death by 3.25 in the first 10 years of treatment.The clinical response after 2 years was marked by a low rate of cancer progression.Mortality over 5 and 10 years was mostly related to patient comorbidities.

Effectiveness of Disinfection in Bacteriology Laboratories in Togo, 2021

Background: Laboratory personnel is at risk of biological contamination leading to laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs). The use of disinfection products is essential in the prevention of these infections. This work aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents used in disinfection in bacteriology laboratories in Togo. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from June to December 2021 in all bacteriology laboratories in Togo. Swabs taken before and after disinfection of surfaces and staff hands were immediately plated on agar media. Counting and identification of isolated colonies were done after 24 hours of incubation. The ANOVA test was used to compare calculated means, prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to compare bacterial frequencies. Results: A total of 393 samples were taken, of which 41.2% were from hands. Before disinfection, surfaces were more contaminated than hands with respectively 40.4% and 29.6% (PR = 1.3;CI 95% = [0.9 - 1.9]). After surface disinfection with 0.5% of chlorine solution, bacterial elimination was total, but partial on hands washed with soap, with residual contamination of 3.7%. A total of 108 strains were isolated before disinfection of which Klebsiella spp. 38.9% and Staphylococcus spp. 25.0%;after disinfection 4 strains were isolated of which: Staphylococcus spp. 75.0% and Klebsiella spp. 25.0%. Conclusion: Surface disinfection was more effective than hand washing with soap and water. We recommend proper hand washing.

Identification of Groundwater Potential Zones in Samendeni Watershed in Sedimentary and Semi-Arid Contexts of Burkina Faso, Using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) Method and GIS

Demand for water increases in Samendeni regarding the undertaken agricultural projects while pressure on surface water from global warming/evapotranspiration also increases. Thus, the need to evaluate the groundwater potential in the catchment is crucial as alternative supplier of water and resilience to climate hazards. The AHP was performed integrating ten influencing factors such as geomorphology, geology, soil, land use/land cover (lulc), slope, rainfall, drainage density, borehole rate & depth and piezometric level to generate groundwater potential zones (GWPZs) in Samendeni watershed (4420 km2). All the factors were processed and ranged into five (5) classes. Weight was assigned to each class of thematic layer. These thematic layers were then reclassified based on the normalized weight to be used in the calculation of groundwater potential zones (GWPZ). The final output, groundwater potential map, revealed a significant groundwater potential with very good (11%), good (31%), moderate (30%), poor (20%), and very poor (8%) of proportion. The interesting (very good, good) GWPZs in the study area are mostly in the central towards the east. The poor zones in term of groundwater potential are concentrated in the upper west region of the watershed. Besides the cross-validation with the relationship between different groundwater potential zones and the wells available in the study area, the overall accuracy was estimated to 88% provided from the result of the similarity analysis where 22 out of the 25 validation wells match with the expected yield classes of GWPZs. The statistics from that validation revealed the performance of AHP method to delineate groundwater potential zones at catchment level.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of “Electron Go out Mosquito Small Lamp” in Disease Vector Mosquito Control Benin West Africa

In the context of mosquito control, a plethora of devices have been put on the market. The effectiveness of these devices is not always proven, but some have interesting principles that have the potential to be a good means of mosquito control. Among these interesting devices are the photonic traps. We have carried out nightly captures of mosquitoes on human baits in the presence and absence of the device. These captures were made during the rainy season in the localities of Zogbadjè and Mènontin. The captures were made under the same atmospheric conditions at the same locations at 5-day intervals. These captures were made twice per house, indoors and outdoors, with one blank capture without the device and one capture with the device. The captured mosquitoes were identified and classified by genus and their aggressiveness determined by calculating the biting rate. A total of 845 mosquitoes were captured during these captures with 296 mosquitoes captured indoors without the device and 132 mosquitoes with the device present. This represents a decrease of 55.40% in culicidae density. Furthermore, a significant decrease was observed in aggressiveness, from 49 to 22 bites per man per night (b/m/n) with the use of the device. This decrease is even more important for nocturnal species such as Anopheles spp. whose aggressiveness decreased by 90%. The present study confirms the effectiveness of the “Electron go out mosquito small lamp” in reducing Culicidae density and mosquito aggression even in the presence of chemotactic interference. However, this study was limited in time and focused only on the ability of the device to reduce mosquito numbers and did not assess its epidemiological efficacy. It is therefore important to extend the work to examine the influence of the use of this device on population health and the occurrence of mosquito-borne diseases, particularly malaria.

Evaluation at the Level of Health Facilities, of the Protective Efficacy of LLINs in Children under 5 Years Old from Localities of Low and High Resistance of Vectors to Pyrethroid Insecticides in Benin in West Africa

Context: The resistance to pyrethroids in malaria vectors continues to grow in Africa and could therefore compromise or reduce substantially the effectiveness of LLINs in preventing malaria. It is therefore of paramount importance to evaluate the protective efficacy of LLINs in children sleeping in areas of vector resistance to insecticides in order to draw lessons for future interventions. This study assesses the effect of the use of LLINs on malaria morbidity in clusters of low and high resistance of vectors to pyrethroids. Methods: This is a cross-sectional case-control study with one control for one case that was conducted in the communes of Kétou, Ifangni, Kétou, and Pobè in the Plateau department of southern Benin. The use of LLINs and malaria morbidity was measured and compared in children from clusters of low and high vector resistance to insecticides. In each commune, 30 cases and 30 controls were recruited for a total of 240 children under 5 years of age from villages with low and high insecticide resistance. Results: According to the localities of origin of the children, of all parents of children surveyed, 169 (70.4%) asserted the children slept under an LLIN the day before they arrived at the health center. This rate represents 70.8% (85 children) among the cases and 70.0% (84 children) among the controls without significant difference (p = 0.8). The use of LLINs the day before the survey, the frequency of their use during the two weeks preceding the day of the survey, their availability at the household level, the use of other tools for protection against mosquito bites are the same in the two groups of children (cases and controls) (p > 0.05) as well in low and high resistance villages. On the other hand, the parasite prevalence, the splenomegaly and the geometric means of the parasite densities, are significantly higher in the cases than in the controls (p Conclusion: The evaluation of epidemiological indicators in children under five years old at the level of health centers did not enable demonstrating the impact of resistance on the operational effectiveness of the LLINs. The information collected within the four health facilities only reflects the situation that should normally be seen in the population under the real conditions of use of LLINs in high and low resistance areas.

Impact of Traditional Oxytocics on the Course of Labour in Maternity Wards in Parakou (Benin) in 2022

Introduction: The use of oxytocic plants (OPs) to facilitate childbirth is old and it is a common practice in the world, particularly in northern Benin. Objective: To study the effect of oxytocic plants on the progress of labour. Materials and Method: This was a cross-sectional and analytical study with prospective data collection conducted in the public maternity hospitals of Parakou from 15 July 2022 to 15 August 2022. All the parturients admitted to the maternity units were included. Data were entered and processed using Epi Data 3.1fr, Epi info 7.1.3.3 and Excel 2010. The difference was statistically significant for a p-value of less than 0.05. Results: Of 297 parturients surveyed, 109 had used OPs, representing a frequency of use of 36.7%. The average age was 27.5 ± 8.9 years, with extremes of 17 and 45 years. They were in common-law unions (54.1%), housewives (32.1%), from Muslim religion (53.2%), from Bariba ethnic group and related (30.3%) and from a rural area (60.5%). These parturients were pauciparous (37.6%) and primiparous (44.9%). Six OPs were used by the parturients. These were Hybanthus enneaspermus (40.7%), Schrankia leptocarpa (12.0%), Ceratotheca sesamoides (35.2%), Cassytha filiformis (5.6%), Selaginella lepidophylla (5.6%) and Newbouldia leavis (18.5%). The parturients used the leaves (90.6%) and decoction (97.2%). The administration was oral (99.0%) without precise dosage (85.3%) in the third trimester of pregnancy (84.41%) and facilitated delivery (99.1%). Fon and related ethnic groups (p = 0.014), Yoruba and related ethnic groups (p = 0.031), rural background (p = 0.032) and multiparity (p = 0.04) were the factors associated with OPs use. These parturients had a higher risk of caesarean delivery (p = 0.001;OR = 1.8 [1.23 - 2.65]), dynamic dystocia (p = 0.001;OR = 1.3 [1.12 - 1.49]), burnout syndrome (p = 0.002;OR = 1.1 [1.02 - 1.17]), uterine rupture (p = 0.032;OR = 1.1 [0.97 - 1.17]), rapid labour (p = 0.001;OR = 1.6 [1.38 - 2.00]), and risk of postpartum haemorrhage (p = 0.002;OR = 1.15 [1.05 - 1.27]). In contrast, parturients’ use of OPs was found to reduce the risk of their newborns being transferred to neonatology (p = 0.002;OR = 0.50 [0.31 - 0.79]) and dying at birth (p = 0.021;OR = 0.19 [0.03 - 0.94]). Conclusion: The use of OPs is widespread in Parakou. Several factors were associated with it. This use had a protective effect on newborns. This study shows the need to determine the active ingredients of these OPs and emphasise a safer use of them.

Influence of Anisotropic Permeability and Soret Effect on the Convective Heat and Mass Transfer through a Porous Cavity Saturated by a Non-Newtonian Fluid

In this work, an analytical study is carried out on double-diffusive natural convection through a horizontal anisotropic porous layer saturated with a non-Newtonian fluid by using the Darcy model with the Boussinesq approximations. The horizontal walls of the system are subject to vertical uniform fluxes of heat and mass, whereas the vertical walls are assumed to be adiabatic and impermeable. The Soret effect is taken into consideration. Based on parallel flow approximation theory, the problem is solved in the limit of a thin layer and documented the effects of the physical parameters describing this investigation.