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Aims: To determine the frequency of the tuberculosis patients with sputum smear-positive at the end of the second month of anti tuberculosis treatment and to analyze the outcomes of their treatment. Patients and method. It was a retrospective and comparative study from January 2006 to June 2008, based on the analysis of the registers and treatment cards in tuberculosis' diagnosis and treatment centers of Lome. New sputum smear-positive TB patients at the end of the second month (smear positive 2 months) constituted the study population. A comparison group was made with the new TB patients with sputum smear-negative at the end of the second month (negative smear 2 months). Results: The proportion of sputum smear-positive 2 months was 5.34% (163/3050). Cure rates and failure were respectively 69.3% and 17.2% for smear-positive 2 months versus 79.1% and 3.7% for control group. The death rate was similar in both groups (3% and 3.7%). Conclusion: The smear positive 2 month's patients have a high risk of failure and must receive special attention during their follow-up to improve the results of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urological pathologies of children are dominated by congenital malformations of the kidneys and urinary tract. Their management is often surgical. The objective of this survey was to study etiological and therapeutic aspects of urological presentations in children. Patients and Methods: Data for aetiology, treatment, and results in children hospitalized at the Paediatric Surgery service of National Teaching Hospital (CNHU) in Cotonou were retrospectively analyzed from January 1999 to December 2008. Results: A total of 214 patients with complete data were evaluated. Urological pathologies represented 4.8% of the hospitalizations in paediatric surgery, with an incidence of 21 cases per year. The mean age was 4.9 ± 3.2 years (age 1 week to 14 years). The male to female ratio was 14:14. Cryptorchidism, hydrocele, nephroblastoma, the posterior urethral valves, ureteropelvic junction obstructions, postcircumcision haemorrhage and hypospadias were the most frequent pathologies. Congenital urological malformations represented 81.3%, followed neoplastic pathologies (7.9%), traumatic pathologies (6.1%) and others (4.7%). The disorders of male genitalia were more frequent and constituted 68.2% of the cases. The anomalies of the urinary tract were 30.8% and intersex disorders were 0.9%. The average age of the children urological pathologies at the time of consultation was 8.85 ± 4.6 years. The treatment was often surgical with a mortality of 2.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parachanna obscura is the most common African Channidae. Various studies are being conducted on its biology and ecology. It lives in fresh water in quiet and muddy areas. It has accessory respiratory organs allowing it to live in hypoxic environment. It has a varied diet and feeds on fish, remains of fish, insects, other invertebrates and plant detritus. It is a species with iteroparous asynchronous oogenesis which breeds throughout the year but much more during and just after the flood. It size at first maturity is 24.5 cm. Eggs and larvae of P. obscura are yellow and guarded by one or both parents. Hardiness, rapid growth, high tasty flesh and commercial value of this species represent significant aquaculture potentiality. Natural stocks of P. obscura are overexploited and are not sufficient to met local demands. Its extensive farming system has already started in some African countries. Successful farming of this species in intensive systems and semi-intensive can help not only to preserve and enhance natural stocks of P. obscura but also to continuously produce fingerlings remediation technologies for direct human consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the effect of soybean meal (SBM) and cottonseed meal (CSM), as partial replacement of dietary fish meal on growth, feed efficiency (FE) and body mineral composition of juvenile vundu ( Heterobranchus longifilis). Five iso-nitrogenous (390 g kg−1 crude protein) and iso-caloric (18 kJ g−1, gross energy) diets (Control, SBM30, SBM60, CSM30 and CSM60) were fed to triplicate groups of 40 fish (initial mean weight: 12 g) in each tank (0.9 m3). Over a 7-week feeding period, significant differences ( P < 0.05) were observed on growth, FE and body mineral composition between treatments. Fish-fed CSM-based diets and 600 g kg−1 SBM-based diet had reduced growth and reduced feed and protein efficiencies when compared with those fed diet containing 300 g kg−1 SBM or the control diet. Data from body mineral composition in response to dietary treatment could be divided into two groups. The first group refers to elements such as Mg and Fe for which carcass and fillet composition did not show significant differences with dietary level of SBM or CSM. Ca, P, K, Zn and Mn composed the second group of minerals whose concentrations in fish body were significantly reduced in fish-fed SBM60. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that although solvent-extracted SBM and CSM are often reported safe for fish, they can only partially replace fish meal as a source of protein in compound feed for vundu at a limited amount between 300 and 600 g kg−1 for SBM and <300 g kg−1 for CSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a common cause of neonatal respiratory distress. The right or left diaphragmatic cupola hernia is most often involved. Rarely, a retro -costo-xiphoidian or Larrey or Morgagni hernia is diagnosed as part of respiratory distress. We present a case of congenital retro -costo-xiphoid diaphragmatic hernia in a midline situation, involving the sternal portion and extending to the diaphragmatic domes on each side. The discovery was made antenatal by obstetric ultrasound from 21 weeks. At birth, there was minor respiratory distress. The management consisted of a reduction and placement of a polypropylene plate in the natal post by abdominal approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The current study aimed to describe the embryonic development of Macrobrachium vollenhovenii. Male and female begetters were captured from the coastal lagoon of Grand-Popo and then reared in a pond. At total 83,323 eggs were spawned by the chosen female (weighting 60.51 g and measuring 153 mm) with an average fecundity rate of 81.6%. The embryogeny started in the abdomen of gravid female until hatching. Eggs incubation was performed at 28 ± 1.5 °C with dissolved oxygen concentration of 6 ± 0.5 mg L−1 and pH 7 ± 0.3. The duration of embryonic development of M. vollenhovenii was 14 days. Results showed that the embryonic development of M. vollenhovenii was concomitant to the variations of eggs colour. Macroscopically, fertilized eggs formed a cluster of which colour turned from orange to yellow and then brown pigmented before ending to grey. Microscopic observation of fertilized eggs showed after mitotic stage, the making up of ocular pigments and then appendices and finally larvae occurrence. 312 h (13 days) after spawning, the heart of the embryo beat continuously at a rhythm of about 13 beats per minute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood fractures are frequent. The aim of this study was to evaluate their epidemiological and clinical peculiarities in our context. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study that focused on the files of children with a fracture. They were aged 0–15 years and received between January 2011 and December 2015 at the Emergency Department of the National Teaching Hospital of Cotonou. Results: Two hundred and eighty fractures were recorded in 257 children. The average age was 8.24 years (7 days–15 years). Older children (6–10 years) were the most affected with 33.8% of cases. The predominance was male (sex ratio = 2.3:1). The aetiologies were dominated by road traffic accidents (45.1%) followed by domestic accidents (42.7%). Fractures were predominant in the lower limbs (52.1%). The most affected segments were the leg (25.4%) and the femur (23.6%). The fracture was open in 13.9% of cases. Conclusion: Childhood fractures interest preferentially the older boys. Then, road traffic accidents are the most frequent circumstances of occurrence in our context. Measures to prevent the main causes of these fractures must be taken, in order to reduce their frequency and ensure the development of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between different species of phytoplankton and Anopheles gambiae mosquito larvae was studied in order to improve malaria control. Anopheles gambiae larval habitat was surveyed by sampling phytoplankton at 51 sites. The deleterious effect of Scenedesmus quadricauda on third instar larvae was evaluated in the laboratory. 27 phytoplankton species were encountered in the field survey. Anopheles gambiae larvae had a positive association with high densities of Spirogyra (Pearson chi-square = 25.56, P < 0.0001) and a negative association with high densities of green algae (Spirogyra, Elakotothrix, Coelastrum, Ankystrodesmus, Chlorella, Kirchneriella, Selanastrum, and Scenedesmus) and cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria, and Nostoc). Laboratory bioassays revealed that S. quadricauda is indigestible and toxic to An. gambiae larvae that ingest it. The larval mortality was 100% when larvae ingested only S. quadricauda and 85.6% if larvae were exposed to a mixture of S. quadricauda and cat food. The findings of this study indicate that phytoplankton management with S. quadricauda or other green algae offers a possible way to eliminate An. gambiae production. Complementary studies are needed to investigate the deleterious effect of these algae on An. gambiae under semi-natural and natural conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastroschisis often has a fatal outcome in developing countries. Its outcome is taken as an indicator of the level of healthcare in a particular healthcare facility. The aim was to study the outcome of the management of gastroschisis and to identify the main challenges of its treatment in a country with limited resources. Methods: This is a prospective and descriptive study conducted over a period of 4 years (2016-2020). It included all the neonates admitted to the two referral hospitals of our country with the diagnosis of gastroschisis. Each of the university hospitals had a neonatology unit. Parenteral nutrition and assisted ventilation were not available. Results: Twenty patients were admitted to our hospitals with an annual frequency of five cases. The sex ratio (M:F) was 1.5. Only one of the 20 mothers (5%) of the patients had an antenatal diagnosis and was the only one born in a university hospital. The remaining (19-95%) were referred to a university hospital after their birth. None of the 20 patients had received parenteral nutrition. Surgically, seven babies (35%) had benefited from the placement of a silo with progressive reduction of the bowels. The mortality of gastroschisis was 100% and the average life span of the patients was 4.5 days [1-20 days]. Conclusion: It is important to act appropriately on the whole chain of management of gastroschisis from antenatal diagnosis to treatment so that this pathology is no longer fatal for newborns in countries with limited resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]