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Switch-like motifs are among the basic building blocks of biochemical networks. A common motif that can serve as an ultrasensitive switch consists of two enzymes acting antagonistically on a substrate, one making and the other removing a covalent modification. To work as a switch, such covalent modification cycles must be held out of thermodynamic equilibrium by continuous expenditure of energy. Here, we exploit the linear framework for timescale separation to establish tight bounds on the performance of any covalent-modification switch, in terms of the chemical potential difference driving the cycle. The bounds apply to arbitrary enzyme mechanisms, not just Michaelis-Menten, with arbitrary rate constants, and thereby reflect fundamental physical constraints on covalent switching., 29 pages, 6 figures

La Escala de Autoeficacia General se ha empleado para evaluar diversas poblaciones alrededor del mundo, puesto que, esta variable es importante para desarrollar comportamientos sociales alternativos a los psicopatológicos. El objetivo: fue obtener las evidencias psicométricas de la Escala de Autoeficacia General. Metodología: 1100 universitarios fueron evaluados con la Escala de Autoeficacia General de Baessler y Schwarzer modificada por Anicama y Cirilo (2012). Resultados: Se halló una distribución normal y coeficientes de correlación ítem-test corregidas mayores a .30. Se identificaron índices de ajuste adecuados para un modelo unidimensional con covarianza de ítems (x2/gl=4.465; GFI=.974; CFI=.973; TLI=.964; RMSEA=.056; SRMR=.0273; AIC=191.329). Asimismo, se hallaron correlaciones inversas con el Cuestionario de Ansiedad Social para adultos (CASO) de Caballo et al. y con la Escala de Estrés ante enfermedades transmisibles APA de Anicama et al. El Alfa de Cronbach y el Omega de McDonald’s tuvieron valores mayores a 0.70. Conclusiones: Este estudio reafirma la validez y fiabilidad psicométrica de la Escala de Autoeficacia General en una muestra de universitarios de Lima.

Curcuma longa L. is a spice crop with enormous medicinal and cosmetic properties cultivated across the world. It was propagated vegetatively by means of rhizomes, as these were underneath soil prone to soil borne fungal diseases. Treatment of such diseases using chemical fungicides would hinder their nutritional and medicinal value. To overcome such challenges, there are a few alternatives, the major among them was the deployment of disease-free in vitro raised plantlets and the other was biopriming of these plantlets with Trichoderma viride. Besides fungicidal action, T. viride has a prominent role in alleviating several biotic/abiotic stresses and it was more often used during acclimatization. In this study, we studied the role of T. viride on successful acclimatization of in vitro C. longa plantlets by modulating plant antioxidant defense systems. We determined the stress levels (MDA and chlorophyll contents) and monitored the antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, APX and GR) in both T. viride-treated and untreated micropropagated plantlets at four different time points (0, 15, 30, 45, 60 days) of acclimatization period. Our results depicted clear enhancement in the antioxidant enzyme activities in T.viride treated than untreated plantlets, which signify the role of T. viride in activating defense mechanisms to combat against oxidative stress. Thus this study would give clear understanding of the influence of T. viride on in vitro raised plantlets in sustaining adverse acclimatization conditions.

The research aimed to identify the impact of developing scientific research in higher education institutions on achieving sustainable development under the Corona pandemic. The descriptive analytical method was used and data was obtained through a questionnaire that was distributed to a sample (210) employees randomly selected from four Palestinian universities: Al-Azhar University, Isra University, University of Palestine and Gaza University. The study results revealed that the application of developing scientific research and sustainable development in the universities under study received a high degree of respondents’ assessment. There was a direct statistically significant relationship between the scientific research development and the level of promoting sustainable development in the universities. There were also no statistically significant differences between the mean scores of promoting sustainable development in these universities due to the variable of the university, while there were statistically significant differences between the mean scores of promoting sustainable development in the universities due to the variable of gender, in favor of females, as female faculty members seek to prove themselves as other faculty members who are no less competent in this field. The study concluded with a set of recommendations, including the need to establish a national authority for scientific research to be concerned with the quality and evaluation of scientific research in universities and subscribing to foreign databases and sources that provide help to researchers.

The clouded apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) used to have a wide distribution in Fennoscandia. Recent population declines have, however, led to regional extinctions and in Sweden it is currently one of the most endangered butterflies, confined to three geographically separated metapopulations: Blekinge, Roslagen and Västernorrland. Especially the Blekinge population has declined dramatically and few imagines have been observed during recent census efforts (< 10 in some localities). The clouded apollo is subject to a species action plan which includes both habitat restorations and captive breeding to produce individuals for release and reintroductions. Here, we apply whole-genome resequencing of clouded apollo individuals collected in the three natural populations and the captive population in Sweden and apply population genomic approaches to get a better understanding of the genetic structure and levels of genetic diversity in the species. We find that the clouded apollo populations in the different geographic regions have similar, but comparatively low levels of genetic diversity and we find evidence for significant genetic differentiation between the northernmost population and the populations in southern Sweden. Additional analysis, including previously available mitochondrial data, unveil that a bi-directional re-colonization of Fennoscandia after the latest glacial maximum most likely is the explanation for the considerable differentiation between some Swedish populations. Finally, we find evidence for population sub-structure in one of the Swedish populations. The results provide insights into the genetic consequences of population size declines and fragmentation in general and provide important information for direct conservation actions for the clouded apollo in Sweden in particular.

COVID-19 is one of the most disruptive events in modern history with the restriction on physical contact, travel and free movements, isolation, quarantine, and substantial clinical workload during the pandemic, traditional pharmacovigilance approaches of spontaneous reporting, and causality assessment will be more challenging. They have been unexpected opportunities recognized by innovators, researchers, and healthcare professionals. The key health authorities have released guidance for stakeholders, providing information and guidance on the conduct of clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic. To start a clinical trial a sponsor designs a research protocol. This protocol is designed according to the guidelines handed by the regulatory authority. The guidelines describe in detail how sponsors can ensure that trials or studies contain the mandatory pharmacovigilance regulations. The Pandemic affected the work of pharmacovigilance professionals, which made it work from home so it affected such processes as case submission and audits, and also it makes the biggest impact on vaccines. They are incremental changes on a large scale. The COVID-19 pandemic teaches the importance of electronic reporting, the importance of robust and responsive intelligence processes, and the need for centralized systems for submission oversight

The present paper discusses the shaping factors of metal-free ordered mesoporous carbon synthesis for carbon dioxide sorption at high pressures. These results can be used as future guidelines in preparing carbon for gas adsorption studies.

Five extracts were prepared from different propolis samples and denoted PR1-PR5. They were subjected to two complementary antioxidant assays, DPPH radical scavenging and metal chelation. The propolis extracts PR4 and PR5 showed good radical scavenging power with IC50 20.45 ± 1.65 μg/mL and 17.23 ± 1.40 μg/mL respectively as well as appreciable chelating power of IC50 7.52± 0.61 µg/mL and 3.47± 0.61 µg/mL for PR4 and PR5 respectively. The PR1 extract showed a moderate radical scavenging activity with an IC50 = 230.08 ± 18.60 μg/mL and exhibited a high chelating power with an IC50 of 17.40 ± 1.41 μg /mL. This potent antioxidant effects of the propolis indicates its possible application in food science. Some compounds were isolated and characterized by 1D-, 2D-NMR studies as 7-O-ß–glucopyranosylapigenine, fridelin, lupeol, β-sitosterol, 3'-hydroxypentyltetratretracontanoate, 3'-hydroxybutyltetracontanoate, propylhexatetracontanoate, methyl-tetratretraconta-noate, 1′-O-eicosanylglycerol, and 2',3'-dihydroxypropyltetraeicosanoate which was further acetylated through hemi-synthesis to yield 2',3'-diacetylpropyltetraeicosanoate.

In this research, the mechanical properties were studied from the experimental, theoretical, and numerical aspects of the sports prosthetic foot for the purpose of providing a sporty prosthetic limb with high performance, easy to use and an appropriate financial cost to use by amputees who have lost their lower limbs (amputation below the knee) in practicing their sports activities and overcoming physical disability. The dimensions of the blades were calculated based on side profiles from European patent specifications. The chosen fibers have high strength, are light in weight, and can be purchased for a lower price than the materials that are used in the production of the sports prosthetic feet that are already on the market and are produced by specialized companies such as Ottobock and Ossur. Six laminates of the composite material consisting of matrix orthocryl lamination 80:20 pro reinforced with different fibers (Kevlar fibers, carbon fibers, glass fibers, and perlon fibers) were fabricated in the form of rectangles using the vacuum system and then cut to the required dimensions using a CNC machine. The density and volume fraction of the samples and the use of the rule of mixtures to calculate the mechanical properties of the laminates were calculated and entered into the ANSYS program. Then the boundary conditions were applied to the athlete's prosthetic foot and the total deformation, and the total strain energy was calculated to find out the best laminates in the athlete's foot industry. It was noticed that the laminates reinforced with carbon fibers were better than the laminates reinforced with glass fibers in terms of Young’s Modulus, as well as deformation. The best laminate obtained is (12 K + 4 C).

The design specifications for seven commonly used semi-rigid steel connections have been embodied in Indian Standard Code of Practice for General Construction in Steel (IS800:2007). Bolted connections are proved to be efficient by several researchers for its energy dissipating capability under reversal of loading; among them top and seat angle (TSA) connection has higher capacity. An attempt has been made to investigate the behaviour of stiffened TSA connection by finite element analysis in this research. Previously published experimental specimens of TSA connection (RAMAN 2005) semi-rigid TSA bolted connection and their results have been considered to develop 3D Non-linear Finite Element (FE) model and analyses have been executed using the general purpose FE software. The M-?r behavior of numerical analyses are compared with that of the experimental results and thus, the FE model is validated. Further studies are carried out on TSA with all angles stiffened and TSA with angles subjected to tension alone are stiffened. The FE analysis results showed that TSA connection with only tension angles stiffened behave similar to that of TSA connection with all angles stiffened i.e., the stiffeners provided in compression angles does not contribute to the stiffness and connection capacity. The plastic flexural resistance of stiffened TSA connection has enhanced by 30% to that of TSA connection and the ratio of initial stiffness of stiffened TSA to the unstiffened TSA is found to be 1.25. So, the stiffened TSA connection is proved to be efficient in terms of both capacity and failure. The further studies have been carried out to investigate the influence of stiffener properties on the M-?r mechanism of the connection and the results showed that thickness of stiffener equal to the beam web thickness is more efficient.

In this paper we present accurate calculated data of the energy levels of the 1snl1,3Lp states (l = s, p, d; n = 2 – 10) of helium and heliumlike ions up to Z = 12 using the variational approach of the Screening Constant by Unit Nuclear Charge (SCUNC) formalism. These calculations are performed by solving the time-independent Schrödinger equation using a new explicitly correlated wave function. A thorough comparison with theoretical predictions available in the literature for the energy levels of the singly excited 1sns1,3Se, 1snp1,3P0and 1snd1,3De Rydberg series is performed. Most of the tabulated results are generally in good agreement with the available reference data, confirming the reliability of our results. SCUNC predictions up to n = 10 may provide reliable atomic data for related experiments in the future.

Migration is typically associated with risk and uncertainty at the population level, but little is known about its cost¿benefit trade-offs at the species level. Migratory insects in particular often exhibit strong demographic fluctuations due to local bottlenecks and outbreaks. Here, we use genomic data to investigate levels of heterozygosity and long-term population size dynamics in migratory insects, as an alternative to classical local and short-term approaches such as regional field monitoring. We analyse whole-genome sequences from 97 Lepidoptera species and show that individuals of migratory species have significantly higher levels of genome-wide heterozygosity, a proxy for effective population size, than do nonmigratory species. Also, we contribute whole-genome data for one of the most emblematic insect migratory species, the painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui), sampled across its worldwide distributional range. This species exhibits one of the highest levels of genomic heterozygosity described in Lepidoptera (2.95 ± 0.15%). Coalescent modelling (PSMC) shows historical demographic stability in V. cardui, and high effective population size estimates of 2 -20 million individuals 10,000 years ago. The study reveals that the high risks associated with migration and local environmental fluctuations do not seem to decrease overall genetic diversity and demographic stability in migratory Lepidoptera. We propose a "compensatory" demographic model for migratory r-strategist organisms in which local bottlenecks are counterbalanced by reproductive success elsewhere within their typically large distributional ranges. Our findings highlight that the boundaries of populations are substantially different for sedentary and migratory insects, and that, in the latter, local and even regional field monitoring results may not reflect whole population dynamics. Genomic diversity patterns may elucidate key aspects of an insect's migratory nature and population dynamics at large spatiotemporal scales., This work was funded by the National Geographic Society (grant WW1-300R-18) and by the grant PID2020-117739GA-I00 from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 to G.T., by fellowship FPU19/01593 to A.G.-B., by project LINKA20399 from the CSIC i-LINK-2021 programme to G.T., N.E.P., R.V. and N.B., by grants from the Putnam Expeditionary Fund of the Museum of Comparative Zoology to G.T. and N.E.P., by projects PID2019-107078GB-I00/MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and 2017-SGR-991 (Generalitat de Catalunya) to R.V. and G.T., by the University of Malaya (grant H50001-A-000027) to K.G.C., by the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Science (SCAS; Natural Sciences Programme, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Postdoc funding) to D.S., by NSF grant DEB-1541560 to N.E.P., and by the Swedish Research Council FORMAS (grant 2019-00670) to N.B., G.T. and R.V., 1 INTRODUCTION2 MATERIALS AND METHODS2.1 Heterozygosity estimates2.2 Behavioural scoring2.3 Comparative analyses2.4 Vanessa cardui sampling and sequencing2.5 Vanessa cardui reference-based assemblies2.6 Vanessa cardui demographic inference3 RESULTS3.1 Heterozygosity rates in Lepidoptera3.2 Vanessa cardui demographic history4 DISCUSSION4.1 Genomic heterozygosity, effective population size and migration4.2 Short-term migratory cost but long-term demographic stability4.3 Delimiting populations in migratory insect speciesAUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSCONFLICT OF INTEREST

This paper investigates the joint states and parameters estimation problem for induction machine. In order to develop new states and parameters estimation methods that greatly improve the estimation bandwidth, this paper proposes an adaptive moving horizon estimation of the crucial states and parameters of the induction machine. The model of the machine under study is the one taking into consideration the magnetic saturation and the iron losses simultaneously. The estimator used is based on a least squares algorithm but includes a dead zone that ensures robustness and a variable forgetting factor that is based on the constant information principle. The simulation results show that the adaptive estimator can efficiently estimate the states and parameters of the induction machine with a fast convergence rate despite the initial parametric errors.

Brachytherapy is most often applied in the curative or salvage setting, but many forms of brachytherapy can be helpful for symptom palliation. Declining utilization is seen, for multiple reasons, such as lack of awareness, insufficient expertise, or poor access to equipment. High level evidence for many types of palliative brachytherapy has been lacking. The objective of the current study was to review the evidence for utilization and efficacy of brachytherapy to palliate symptoms from cancer.We performed a systematic search in EMBASE and MEDLINE for English-language articles published from January 1980 to May 2022 that described brachytherapy used for a palliative indication in adults with a diagnosis of cancer (any subtype) and at least one symptom related outcome. Individual case reports and conference abstracts were excluded. All publications were independently screened by two investigators for eligibility.The initial search identified 3637 abstracts of which 129 were selected for in-depth review. The number of studies (total number of patients) included in the final analysis varied widely by tumor site with the majority (68.2%) involving either lung or esophageal cancer. Despite a limited number of prospective trials that assessed the efficacy of brachytherapy for symptom management, there was a positive effect on palliation of symptoms across all tumor types. There was no clear trend in the number of publications over time. The most commonly cited symptom indications for palliation by brachytherapy were dysphagia, dyspnea, pain and bleeding.Brachytherapy can provide palliation for patients with advanced cancer, across different tumor sites and clinical scenarios. However, high level evidence in the literature to support palliative applications of brachytherapy is lacking or limited for many tumor sites. There appears to be a strong publication bias towards positive studies in favor of brachytherapy. Beyond anecdotal reports and individual practices, outcomes research can further our understanding of the role of brachytherapy in palliating advanced cancers of all types, and should be encouraged.

The major area of data-mining methods that focuses on protecting personal information from unauthorised or unsolicited exposure is called Privacy Preserving Data-Mining (PPDM). The most valuable information is analysed and predicted using data-mining methods. The security of confidential information from unwanted access is at the core of PPDM abstraction. The Secure Data Contribution Retrieval Algorithm (SDCRA), Enhanced-Attribute Based Encryption (E-ABE), Level by Level Security Optimization and Content Visualization (LSOCV) algorithm, and Privacy Preserved Hadoop Environment are just a few of the proposed methods in this research work to increase privacy and security (PPHE). To address the immediate difficulties, the proposed SDCRA is first taken into consideration. Based on specifications and application compatibility, the SDCRA algorithm determines a privacy policy and sets up security. The accuracy requirements for numerous datasets may be met by this approach. Online social networks (OSNs) are presently favoured interactive medium for establishing communication, sharing, and disseminating a sizable quantity of data on human existence.

The flow and heat transfer properties of a Casson liquid past an exponential stretching sheet under the influence of transverse magnetic-field are investigated in this work. The numerical simulations were solved by using Keller Box method. The impact of various flow quantities such as the Casson fluid parameter, magnetic-field parameter, Prandtl number, and suction parameters on velocity and temperature fields are analysed through graphs. Moreover, the current method is compared with the existing methods, and the results are found to be similar.

A study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and risks factors of Coxiella burnetii in zebu cattle from the northern regions of Cameroon. From a total of 2016 (1754 females and 262 males) sera sampled, 801, 762 and 453 were collected, respectively, from Adamawa, North and Far North, and screened for Coxiella burnetii using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). A total of 23.76% (479/2016) were serologically positive. The seroprevalence of Adamawa, North and Far North were 29.09% (233/801), 19.95% (152/762) and 20.75% (94/453); respectively. The seropositivity of male and female were 4.58% and 26.62%; respectively. Cattle from Adamawa region were more likely to have been exposed to C. burnetii than animals from Far North region (OR = 3.28; 95%CI: 1.13–7.85; p = 0.02). The Gudali breed was significantly more infected than Aku (OR =2.52; 95%CI: 1.06–5.99; p = 0.03), and animals aged of (6–9) years were 1.89 times more likely to have been infected to C. burnetii than young animals (p = 0.03). The seropositivity to this bacterium was significantly associated to pregnant cattle than non-pregnant (OR = 1.71; 95%CI: 1.01–2.90; p = 0.04). Female cattle were more likely to have been infected by C. burnetii than male and the rainy season were 1.66 more associated to this disease than dry season. The linear regression model indicated that C. burnetii seropositivity were positively correlated to the regions (0.09, CI: 0.04; 0.18; p = 0.007), age (0.01, CI: −0.01; 0.04; p = 0.02), sex (0.19, CI: 0.08–0.32, p = 0.001) and physiological status (0.11, CI: −0.04; 0.26; p = 0.006). This study revealed that C. burnetii infection is widespread among zebu cattle of Adamawa, North and Far North of Cameroon.

Résumé L’objectif de cet article est d’analyse les interactions entre la vulnérabilité structurelle, la résilience économique et l’entrée des IDE dans les pays de l’UEMOA. A partir d’une analyse empirique basée sur un panel Var, couvrant la période 2002 à 2021, nos estimations montrent que les IDE et la résilience économique entretiennent des interactions positives. Les résultats indiquent que la résilience économique affecte de façon positive les IDE, en revanche la vulnérabilité structurelle affecte négativement l’entrée des IDE. Les tests de robustesse effectués par la Méthode des Moments Généralisés (GMM) en système, permettant de corriger le problème d'endogénéité des variables, ont confirmé les résultats obtenus avec le panel Var. Ces résultats impliquent que le renforcement de la résilience économique à travers des politiques permettant d’asseoir des taux de croissance économique plus soutenus et durables permet davantage l’entrée d’IDE. Ces résultats encouragent aussi le renforcement de la stabilité macroéconomique et de l’ouverture commerciale. Mots clés: Vulnérabilité structurelle, résilience économique, IDE, UEMOA, Panel Var Abstract The objective of this article is to analyse the interactions between structural vulnerability, economic resilience and the entry of FDI into WAEMU countries. Based on an empirical analysis based on a Var panel, covering the period 2002 to 2021, our estimates show that FDI and economic resilience have positive interactions. The results indicate that economic resilience positively affects FDI, whereas structural vulnerability negatively affects FDI inflows. The robustness tests performed by the Generalized Moments Method (GMM) in system, to correct the problem of endogeneity of variables, confirmed the results obtained with the Var panel. These results imply that strengthening economic resilience through policies that enable more sustained and sustainable economic growth rates allows more FDI entry. These results also encourage greater macroeconomic stability and trade openness. Keywords: Structural vulnerability, economic resilience, FDI, WAEMU, Panel Var

We aimed to evaluate the role of SARC-F and SARC-CalF scores as risk factors for mortality in adults over 60 years of age with cancer of the Centro Médico Naval (CEMENA) in Callao, Peru during 2012-2015.We performed a secondary analysis of data from a prospective cohort carried out from September 2012 to February 2013 in the Geriatrics Department of CEMENA. The outcome variable was mortality at two years of follow-up, while the exposure variable was the risk of sarcopenia assessed using the SARC-F and SARC-CalF scales. We carried out Cox proportional-hazards models to assess the role of SARC-F and SARC-CalF scores as risk factors for mortality. We estimated crude (cHR) and adjusted (aHR) hazard ratios (HR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Likewise, we calculated the area under the curve (AUC) of both exposure variables in relation to mortality.We analyzed data from 922 elderly men with cancer; 43.1% (n=397) were between 60 and 70 years old. 21.5% (n=198) and 45.7% (n=421) were at risk of sarcopenia according to SARC-F and SARC-CalF, respectively, while the incidence of mortality was 22.9% (n=211). In the adjusted Cox regression model, we found that the risk of sarcopenia measured by SARC-F (aHR=2.51; 95%CI: 1.40-2.77) and SARC-CalF (aHR=2.04; 95%CI: 1.55-4.02) was associated with a higher risk of death in older men with cancer. In the diagnostic performance analysis, we found that the AUC for mortality prediction was 0.71 (95%CI: 0.68-0.75) for SARC-F and 0.80 (95%CI: 0.78-0.82) for SARC-CalF.The risk of sarcopenia evaluated by SARC-F and SARC-CalF scores was associated with an increased risk of mortality in older men with cancer. Both scales proved to be useful and accessible instruments for the identification of groups at risk of mortality.

Covid-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on mental health, including stress. The goal of our study was to design and psychometrically validate the Stress Scale for Transmissible Diseases (APA scale). The discriminative item analysis test allowed the elimination of four items, leaving the final test with 10 items. Likewise, the convergent validity using the Social Anxiety Questionnaire (SAQ) was r= .377. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two-component structure: general stress and stress in the face of Covid-19. Multivariate correlations between items were obtained using the fit indices according to the expected model. Reliability indices were good (Cronbach's α= .841 and McDonald's ω= .848) and percentile norms were established by sex with a sample of 1,000 university students, with 28% of women and 22.9% of men having a high level of stress in the face of transmissible diseases. These results of validity and reliability of the APA scale show its usefulness in assessing stress in the face of transmissible diseases.

The MEWOU river, which crosses the town of Bafoussam, is one of the main sources of drinking water and irrigation for the populations who live there. It is subject to intense agricultural and industrial activity all along its banks. Soap and refined oil factories generate pollution in the form of liquid effluents which are discharged without any form of treatment. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of soap factory effluent discharges on the quality of the surrounding water. In total, seven samples were analyzed during March, April, and May of the year 2021. The results we obtained were analyzed according to the regulatory requirements recommended by the Directives for the quality of drinking water and the Algerian standard relating to the limit values of the physico-chemical parameters. The results we obtained showed signs of significant pollution in particular: chemical oxygen demand (COD: 125.32-959 mg.L-1), 5 days-biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5: 23-99 mg.L-1 ), turbidity (2-520 NTU), TDS (130-13430 mg.L-1), Nitrite (4.96-21327.44 mg.L-1) and many other parameters greatly exceed those required by the international standard, we also noted strong pollution with heavy metals: chromium (35.76-1381.08 mg.L-1), lead (0.21 - 2.49 mg.L-1), iron (0.28- 17.82 mg.L-1), and cadmium (0.03-0.19 mg.L-1) which are above the values prescribed by the WHO. These highly polluted effluents released into the natural environment are harmful to the environment, biodiversity, and human health. This state of affairs requires urgent intervention to preserve the ecological balance. Otherwise, it can constitute a risk for public health in the short term by deteriorating the quality of the underground reservoir known as the main source of water supply for neighboring populations.

Le sorgho est l’une des céréales les plus importantes pour la subsistance des populations en Afrique subsaharienne. Malgré son importance, sa conservation reste un problème à cause des insectes tels que Sitophilus zeamaïs et Tribolium castaneum. Les pesticides de synthèse constituent l’un des moyens les plus efficaces pour lutter contre ces ravageurs mais leur impact négatif sur l’environnement et la santé humaine requiert la recherche de méthodes alternatives. La poudre des feuilles sèches d’Eucalyptus camaldulensis a été testée au laboratoire contre S. zeamaïs et T. castaneum pour la conservation du sorgho. Cette poudre, à la granulométrie 0,3 mm, a été appliquée contre ces deux insectes à des doses croissantes de 1, 2, 3 et 4 g/100g. Toutes les doses et les témoins ont a été répétées 3 fois. Pour chaque insecte, 12 individus adultes ont été utilisés avec un sexe ratio de 5 mâles pour 7 femelles. Des lots non traités et d’autres à l’actellic ont servi respectivement de témoin blanc et de référence. Un suivi de la mortalité des insectes a été effectué sur une durée de 14 jours après l’application du produit. Les émergences, les dégâts, et les pertes ont été suivis au bout d’un à trois mois. Les résultats ont révélé une efficacité des doses en particulier celles de 3 g et 4 g. Des mortalités de plus de 50% ont été notées avec la dose 4 g pour S. zeamaïs, et plus de 20% avec la dose 3 g pour T. castaneum, contre 100% pour l’actellic et 0% pour le témoin blanc. Les émergences ont évolué inversement à la mortalité. A la dose 4 g, on observe une très bonne efficacité pour induire la mortalité de S. zeamaïs qui s’est montré beaucoup plus sensible. Des dégâts de l’ordre de 20% sont enregistrés dans le témoin blanc après l’infestation de S. zeamaïs, et seulement 3% dès la dose de 3 g avec 3% de pertes. Pour T. castaneum, les dégâts sont de 13% avec 8% de pertes dans le témoin blanc et 2% de pertes avec la dose 4 g. La poudre d’E. camaldulensis s’est montrée efficace dans la conservation du sorgho contre S. zeamaïs et T. castaneum. Sorghum is one of the most important cereals for people subsistance in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its importance, the storage remains a problem due to insects such as Sitophilus zeamais and Tribolium castaneum. Synthetic pesticides are one of the most effective means of controling these pests, but their negative impact on the environment and human health required a research for alternatives. The Eucalyptus camaldulensis dried leaves powder has been tested in the laboratory against S. zeamais and T. castaneum for the storage of sorghum. This powder, with a particle size of 0.3 mm, was applied against these two insects at increasing doses of 1, 2, 3 and 4 g/100g. All doses and controls were repeated 3 times. For each insect, 12 adult individuals were used with a sex ratio of 5 males for 7 females. Untreated batches and others with actellic served as untreated and treated controls, respectively. Monitoring of insect mortality was carried out over a period of 14 days after application of the product. Emergence, damage, and losses were monitored after one to three months. The results revealed an effectiveness of the doses in particular those of 3 g and 4 g. Mortalities of more than 50% were noted with the 4 g dose for S. zeamais, and more than 20% with the 3 g dose for T. castaneum, against 100% for the actellic and 0% for the untreated control. Emergences evolved inversely to mortality. At the 4 g dose, very good efficacy has been observed in controlling S. zeamais, which was much more sensitive. A damage level of 20% has been recorded in the untreated control after the infestation by S. zeamais, and only 3% as soon as the dose of 3 g was reached with 3% losses. For T. castaneum, the damage was 13% with 8% losses in the untreated control and 2% losses with the 4 g dose. The powder of E. camaldulensis has been shown to be effective against S. zeamais and T. castaneum for the storage of sorghum.

Background: The burden of Helicobacter pylori infection (HPI) remains very high in sub Saharan Africa (SSA) with varying levels of prevalence among children and adults reported in different regions of the continent like Cameroon. The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pilory (H. pilory) and to identify risk factors among symptomatic patients attending Ad-Lucem Obobogo Hospital. Methods: From January 18th, to March 22nd, 2021, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 142 gastritis symptomatic patients (children and adults) aged between 10 to 81years old attending Ad-Lucem Obobogo Hospital in Yaounde, Cameroon. Data were collected using well-structured questionnaire containing general characteristics of study participants and risk factors. Blood and fresh stool samples were performed for the presence of H. pylori antibody in sera, antigen in stool using qualitative rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). The data were performed using Epi-info version 7 with P˂ 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age was 36.42years old (standard deviation: ±14.85) and the females were more represented with 61.97% (88/142). Overall, the rate of IgG antibodies and stool antigen were detected in 66.90% (95/142), and 29.58% (42/142), respectively. The antigen prevalence (31.48% versus 28.41%) Odds Ratio (OR) =0.9 (0.46-2.05), P=0.84 and antibodies (75.92% versus 61.36%), OR=2 (0.93-4.23), P=0.07 were more detected in males than the females respectively. The antigen had the highest prevalence within range age (40-54) years (P=0.41) and antibody had the highest prevalence within range age ≥55years old (P=0.45). The multivariate analysis shows that, the risk factors such as education level and source of cooking water were statistically associated with HPI (P=0.02). Conclusion: This result shows the high prevalence of HPI among patients attending Ad-Lucem Obobogo Hospital in Yaounde. The risk factors such as education level and source of cooking water were significantly associated for this infection.

The widespread existence of expired antigen testing kits in households and potential coronavirus outbreaks necessitate evaluating the reliability of these expired kits. Our study examined BinaxNOW COVID-19 rapid antigen tests 27 months post-manufacture and 5 months past their FDA extended expiration dates, using SARS-CoV-2 variant XBB.1.5 viral stock. We conducted testing at two concentrations: the Limit of Detection (LoD) and 10 times the LoD. 100 expired and unexpired kits were tested at each concentration for a total of 400 antigen tests. At the LoD (2.32x10^2 TCID50/mL), both expired and unexpired tests displayed 100% sensitivity (95% CI 96.38% to 100%), with no statistical difference (95% CI -3.92% to 3.92%). Similarly, at 10 times the LoD, unexpired tests retained 100% sensitivity (95% CI 96.38% to 100%), while expired tests exhibited 99% sensitivity (95% CI 94.61% to 99.99%), demonstrating a statistically insignificant 1% difference (95% CI -2.49% to 4.49%, p=0.56). Expired rapid antigen tests had fainter lines than the unexpired tests at each viral concentration. The expired rapid antigens tests at LoD were only just visible. These findings carry significant implications for waste management, cost efficiency, and supply chain resilience in pandemic readiness efforts. They also provide critical insights for formulating clinical guidelines for interpreting results from expired kits. In light of expert warnings of a potential outbreak of a severity rivaling the Omicron variant, our study underscores the importance of maximizing the utility of expired antigen testing kits in managing future health emergencies.

In Senegal, the groundnut basin is the main agricultural region under a semi-arid climate, heavily cultivated in an agrarian system combining agricultural rotation and agroforestry dominated by Faidherbia albida trees. The soils of the groundnut basin, essentially sandy, have a low water retention capacity. In this area, water is a limiting factor, and the climate variability represents an additional constraint on an already precarious agricultural production system. It is therefore essential to improve knowledge on water saving practices and soil humidity dynamics. The management of water resources in agricultural fields requires reliable information about soil hydraulic properties, which control the partition of rainfall into infiltration and runoff, and their spatio-temporal variability. To investigate the variability of soil hydraulic parameters we have carried out infiltration measurement in open space without tree and below tree canopies. A total of 24 infiltration measurements were carried out using an automatic single-ring infiltrometer in the nearby of each plot (4 measurements × 6 plots), and after removing the first 10 cm of uncompacted sand. The infiltration tests were carried out in June, October and December, respectively before, during and after the crop season. We used the Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer Parameters (BEST) method to retrieve the soil hydraulic parameters from infiltrometer data and field measurements of soil porosity, initial and saturated soil water contents and soil bulk density. The statistical analysis of the data showed a high variability during the cultivating period, both in time and space, especially of the saturated soil hydraulic conductivity Ks. However, the Ks seems higher under tree cover, around 0.186 mm/s, for 0.167mm/s without any tree canopy influence. Despite the expected homogeneity of the investigated sandy soil, the presence of the perennials triggered a patchy distribution of soil hydraulic conditions. These preliminary results evidenced the importance of taking into account parameters variability and landscape structure when simulating soil water dynamics in the Senegalese groundnut basin.

In the Sahel region, agroforestry is a land-use system widely adopted as a more sustainable agricultural production system. In this type of system, woody perennials that are grown in association with agricultural crops and pastures, constitute spatially disconnected zones where microclimate and soil’s infiltrability, physical, chemical, and biological conditions are assumed locally improved. Particularly the stemflow concentrates a part of the intercepted rainfall from the canopies to the stems. Hence stemflow can induce preferential infiltration around the stem base and promote groundwater recharge.In the West African Sahel, Faidherbia albida (Delile) A.Chev. is commonly adopted as multi-purpose woody perennial in agroforestry systems. It is a deciduous tree with an inverse phenology as it loses the leaves during the rainy season. Although, the absence of leaves during the rainy season is expected to decrease the interception and to consequently decrease stemflow, evidence of stemflow at the base of F. albida trees were reported in the literature when the stems were partially covered with green leaves (Chinen, 2007).In this study, we carried out timelapse ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys in conjunction with a simulated stemflow event to investigate stemflow-induced infiltration by an F. albida tree trunk and root system. We established a survey grid (2.1 m × 2.1 m) around an F. albida, consisting of twelve horizontal and ten vertical parallel survey lines with 0.3 m intervals between them. Two stemflow pulses, each of 20 L, were poured on the tree trunk using a PVC pipe with a 1-mm-diameter hole every 50 mm. The pipe was connected to a plastic funnel and positioned around the tree trunk at 0.4 m from the soil surface. One grid GPR survey was carried out before the stemflow simulation experiment. A total of 40 L of water was used during the experiment. A second survey was carried out after the injection of the first 20 L, while the last survey was carried out after the second stemflow pulse. We collected a total of 66 (3 GPR surveys × 22 survey lines) radargrams using a GSSI (Geophysical Survey System Inc., Salem, NH) SIR 3000 system with a 900-MHz antenna. We therefore obtained for each survey line a pre-wetting and two post-wetting radargrams. Next, we created other forty-four matrixes based on absolute differences between pre- and post-wetting amplitude values. Higher differenced values occurred because of amplitude changes and time shifts related to wave propagation.The analysis of the differentiated radargrams provided evidence of deep infiltration along the tap roots. The wetted zone extended mainly in-depth providing evidence of the potential role played by the F. albida trees in groundwater recharge processes due to their deep rooting, preferably reaching the groundwater table. Put all together, this study shows a first signal of the importance of accounting for stemflow infiltration in the water balance of agroforestry systems with F. albida trees.ReferencesChinen, T., 2007. An observation of surface runoff and erosion caused by acacia albida stemflow in dry savanna, in the south-western republic of Niger 10.

The long-known presence of a sharp OH absorption band in the tetragonal fluoride mineral sellaite, MgF2, inspired us to conduct a detailed study of the OH incorporation modes into this IR-transparent (where IR stands for Infrared) material as well as to search for hydrogen traces in two other IR-translucent halides—villiaumite (NaF) and fluorite (CaF2). Among these three phases, sellaite is the only one to incorporate ‘intrinsic’ OH groups, most commonly as O–H∙∙∙F defects oriented nearly perpendicular to the c-axis along the shortest edge of the constituent MgF6 polyhedra, in analogy with the isostructural mineral rutile, TiO2. Another defect type, seen only scarcely in untreated natural material, develops when subjecting sellaite to temperatures above 900 °C. It involves an O–H∙∙∙O cluster along the 2.802 Å edge of the original MgF6 dipyramid, as fluorine atoms are progressively expelled from the structure, being replaced by O2- anions. This is corroborated by the appearance of spectral absorption features typical for brucite (Mg(OH)2) and ultimately periclase (MgO), the presence of which could be proven via powder diffraction of the heat-treated material. Except for a ‘dubious’ peak most probably caused by included phases, neither villiaumite (NaF) nor fluorite (CaF2) showed any presence of ‘intrinsic’ OH defects. They do however decompose along a similar route into the respective oxide and hydroxide phases at high temperature. This thermal decomposition of the studied halide phases is accompanied by the emission of gaseous (HF)n species at temperatures well below their established melting point - a subject which seems to be quite overlooked.

We theoretically study the effect of the quadratic coupling strength on optomechanical systems subjected to a continuous external force. Quadratic coupling strength originates from strong coupling between the optical and the mechanical degrees of freedom. We show that the quadratic coupling strength reduces the amplitude of the dispersion spectra at the resonance in both blue- and red-sideband regimes. But, it increases (decreases) the amplitude of the absorption spectrum in the blue (red) sideband regime. Besides, in both sideband regimes, the effective detuning between the pump and the cavity deviates with the quadratic coupling strength. Thereby, for an appropriate selection of that quadratic coupling strength, it results in an important magnification (in absolute value) of the group delay for both slow and fast lights exiting from the optomechanical cavity.

Migratory insects are key players in ecosystem functioning and services, but their spatiotemporal distributions are typically poorly known. Ecological niche modeling (ENM) may be used to predict species seasonal distributions, but the resulting hypotheses should eventually be validated by field data. The painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) performs multigenerational migrations between Europe and Africa and has become a model species for insect movement ecology. While the annual migration cycle of this species is well understood for Europe and northernmost Africa, it is still unknown where most individuals spend the winter. Through ENM, we previously predicted suitable breeding grounds in the subhumid regions near the tropics between November and February. In this work, we assess the suitability of these predictions through i) extensive field surveys and ii) two-year monitoring in six countries: a large-scale monitoring scheme to study butterfly migration in Africa. We document new breeding locations, year-round phenological information, and hostplant use. Field observations were nearly always predicted with high probability by the previous ENM, and monitoring demonstrated the influence of the precipitation seasonality regime on migratory phenology. Using the updated dataset, we built a refined ENM for the Palearctic-African range of V. cardui. We confirm the relevance of the Afrotropical region and document the missing natural history pieces of the longest migratory cycle described in butterflies., This work was funded by the National Geographic Society (grant WW1-300R-18); by the British Ecological Society (grant LRB16/1015); by the Research and Conservation Projects of the Fundació Barcelona Zoo; by the grant PID2020-117739GA-I00/MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Spanish State Research Agency to G.T.; by the grant LINKA20399 from the Spanish National Research Council iLink program to G.T., C.P.B., N.E.P., and R.V.; by fellowship FPU19/01593 of the program Formación de Profesorado Universitario (FPU) to A.G.-B.; by the Turkana Basin Institute, National Geographic Society, and Whitley Fund for Nature to D.J.M.; and by grant 2018-00738 of the New Frontiers in Research Fund (Government of Canada) to G.T. and C.P.B., Significance Abstract Results Field Surveys, Larval Hostplants, and Field-Based Model Validation Monitoring Results and Population Dynamics across Regions A Refined Model for the Afrotropical Region Discussion The Afrotropical Breeding Grounds of V. cardui: Multiple Generations Shift South Toward the Tropics Diversity and Phenology of Larval Hostplants in the Afrotropics The Ecological Relevance of Delimiting Spatiotemporal Distributions in Migratory Insects Conclusion Methods December-January Field Surveys and Year-Round Monitoring Spatiotemporal Ecological Niche Modeling Data, Materials, and Software Availability Acknowledgments Supporting Information References