Search

BackgroundHaving a consolidated, geolocated list of all facilities in a country – a “master facility list” (MFL) – can provide critical inputs for health program planning and implementation. To the best of our knowledge, Senegal has never had a centralized MFL, though many data sources currently exist within the broader Senegalese data landscape that could be used to work toward building a full MFL.Main textWe collated 12,965 facility observations from 16 separate datasets and lists in Senegal, and applied matching algorithms, manual checking and revisions as needed, and verification processes to identify unique facilities and triangulate corresponding GPS coordinates. Our resulting consolidated facility list was a total of 4,685 facilities with 51.5% having at least one GPS coordinate (n=2,414). Key challenges included accounting for variable spelling across datasets, distinguishing between facility type changes (e.g., health huts being upgraded to health posts with the same name) and separate facilities that shared the same name, GPS verification, among others.ConclusionDeveloping approaches to leverage existing data for MFL establishment can help bridge data demands and inform more targeted approaches for completing a full facility census based on areas and facility types with the lowest coverage. Going forward, it is crucial to ensure routine updates of current facility lists, and to strengthen government-led mechanisms around such data collection demands and the need for timely data for health decision-making.

Figure S1. Cross-validation error in ADMIXTURE analyses. The best fit to data occurs at K = 3.

Although prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality for African men, the vast majority of known disease associations have been detected in European study cohorts. Furthermore, most genome-wide association studies have used genotyping arrays that are hindered by SNP ascertainment bias. To overcome these disparities in genomic medicine, the Men of African Descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate (MADCaP) Network has developed a genotyping array that is optimized for African populations. The MADCaP Array contains more than 1.5 million markers and an imputation backbone that successfully tags over 94% of common genetic variants in African populations. This array also has a high density of markers in genomic regions associated with cancer susceptibility, including 8q24. We assessed the effectiveness of the MADCaP Array by genotyping 399 prostate cancer cases and 403 controls from seven urban study sites in sub-Saharan Africa. Samples from Ghana and Nigeria clustered together, whereas samples from Senegal and South Africa yielded distinct ancestry clusters. Using the MADCaP array, we identified cancer-associated loci that have large allele frequency differences across African populations. Polygenic risk scores for prostate cancer were higher in Nigeria than in Senegal. In summary, individual and population-level differences in prostate cancer risk were revealed using a novel genotyping array.Significance:This study presents an Africa-specific genotyping array, which enables investigators to identify novel disease associations and to fine-map genetic loci that are associated with prostate and other cancers.

Successfully called markers on the MADCaP Array. This tab-delimited file includes genomic positions, inclusion criteria, and overlap with other arrays.

Background: Genetic factors play an important role in prostate cancer (PCa) susceptibility.Objective: To discover common genetic variants contributing to the risk of PCa in men of African ancestry.Design, setting, and participants: We conducted a meta-analysis of ten genome-wide association studies consisting of 19378 cases and 61620 controls of African ancestry.Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Common genotyped and imputed variants were tested for their association with PCa risk. Novel susceptibility loci were identified and incorporated into a multiancestry polygenic risk score (PRS). The PRS was evaluated for associations with PCa risk and disease aggressiveness.Results and limitations: Nine novel susceptibility loci for PCa were identified, of which seven were only found or substantially more common in men of African ancestry, including an African-specific stop-gain variant in the prostate-specific gene anoctamin 7 (ANO7). A multiancestry PRS of 278 risk variants conferred strong associations with PCa risk in African ancestry studies (odds ratios [ORs] >3 and >5 for men in the top PRS decile and percentile, respectively). More importantly, compared with men in the 40-60% PRS category, men in the top PRS decile had a significantly higher risk of aggressive PCa (OR = 1.23, 95% confidence interval = 1.10-1.38, p = 4.4 × 10-4).Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance of large-scale genetic studies in men of African ancestry for a better understanding of PCa susceptibility in this high-risk population and suggests a potential clinical utility of PRS in differentiating between the risks of developing aggressive and nonaggressive disease in men of African ancestry.Patient summary: In this large genetic study in men of African ancestry, we discovered nine novel prostate cancer (PCa) risk variants. We also showed that a multiancestry polygenic risk score was effective in stratifying PCa risk, and was able to differentiate risk of aggressive and nonaggressive disease.

Background In Senegal, psychological violence remains a taboo subject insofar as it often arises in the closed circle of family life. It has a highly negative impact on the health of pregnant women. The objective of this work was to study the epidemiological profile of female victims of psychological violence before and after birth in the Sedhiou region. Method An observational, cross-sectional and analytical study was carried out from December 4, 2018 to April 4, 2019. The study population consisted of all the women received for postnatal consultation in one of the referral health structures in the Sedhiou region. Data were collected using a survey form and a questionnaire administered to the women having met the inclusion criteria. The data were entered using CS Pro software and subsequently analyzed using R 3.4.4 software. Results The mean age of the women was 25.4 ± 7.8 (14–43 years). A total of 222 women (55.5 %) had suffered psychological violence during the prepartum period. Isolated psychological violence represented 44.3 % of the surveyed population, while psychological violence associated with sexual or physical violence represented 8.0 % and 5.4 % of the respondent population, respectively. The factors associated with psychological violence during the prepartum period were pursuit of a professional activity [ORaj = 4.7 (1.3–17.0)], high educational status [ORaj = 7.0 (4.2–11.5)] and performance of fewer than 3 antenatal consultations (ANC) [ORaj = 2.2 (1.2–4.0)]. Maternal, fetal and neonatal complications were more frequent among victims of psychological violence (P Conclusion Psychological violence among pregnant women has a negative impact on the health of the mother and the newborn. This state of affairs should induce health care providers to increase popular awareness of its detrimental effects. Communication efforts aimed at behavioral change will need to be combined during prenatal consultations with strengthened screening for violence, the objective being to achieve improved care.

Let E be a real normed linear space and E∗ its dual. In a recent work, Chidume et al. [Chidume, C. E. and Idu, K. O., Approximation of zeros of bounded maximal monotone mappings, solutions of hammerstein integral equations and convex minimizations problems, Fixed Point Theory and Applications, 97 (2016)] introduced the new concepts of J-fixed points and J-pseudocontractive mappings and they shown that a mapping A : E → 2 E∗ is monotone if and only if the map T := (J −A) : E → 2 E∗ is J-pseudocontractive, where J is the normalized duality mapping of E. It is our purpose in this work to introduce an algorithm for approximating J-fixed points of J-pseudocontractive mappings. Our results are applied to approximate zeros of monotone mappings in certain Banach spaces. The results obtained here, extend and unify some recent results in this direction for the class of maximal monotone mappings in uniformly smooth and strictly convex real Banach spaces. Our proof is of independent interest.

Introduction: Unconjugated bilirubin jaundice is a common symptom in neonatal period. In some babies, excessive serum bilirubin concentrations can place them at risk of acute bilirubin encephalopathy (BE) when the unconjugated pigment crosses the blood-brain barrier. Our study aimed to describe epidemiology, diagnosis and prognosis of BE at the Neonatology Department of Albert Royer Children’s Hospital of Dakar. Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective, descriptive study of cases of BE from January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2019. Obstetric and perinatal data as well as postnatal jaundice data (onset time, associated signs, signs of encephalopathy, treatment and evolution) were collected and analyzed by SPSS software version 2.0. Almost all newborns (27 cases; 90%) were exclusively breastfed. At admission, all children exhibited blunt jaundice and signs of encephalopathy dominated by the abolition of archaic reflexes (76.7%), low suction (22 cases; 73.3%), central apnea (12 cases, 40%). The mean serum bilirubinemia was 322 mg/litre. Neonatal infection (10 cases; 33.3%) and fetal-maternal incompatibility (16 cases; 53.3%) were the main causes. All children received intensive phototherapy and exsanguino transfusion was performed for 7 newborns (23.3%). Nine children died (30% mortality rate). Conclusion: Only better organisation of perinatal care with enhanced postnatal follow-up can reduce the incidence of EB.

International audience; Ion irradiation is a powerful and affordable tool to rapidly test a wide range of irradiation conditions and make the link with the corresponding microstructural evolution. However, several issues of transferability of results from ion to neutron irradiation have been evidenced. This paper presents an atom probe investigation of the microstructural evolution of FeCr-NiSiP alloys with different contents of Cr and minor solutes under both ion and neutron irradiation at 300 °C. Minor solutes and Cr are known to form solute rich clusters (SRCs) and alpha' clusters in ferritic and martensitic FeCr alloys, which are one of the causes of hardening. The objective of this work is to highlight the differences and the commonalities between ion and neutron irradiations in these alloys. The use of two ion beam energies (8 MeV and 5 MeV) revealed that this parameter has an impact on the formation of SRCs. The SRCs present similar characteristics after 8 MeV Fe ion irradiation and neutron irradiation, despite the different dose rate, when Ni, Si and P are present. It is not the case for 5 MeV Fe ions, for which the SRCs were less developed. Influence of the concentration of minor elements has been evidenced, as well. The presence of Ni, Si and P has been shown to impact both the number density and the size of SRCs in Fe9Cr-NiSiP alloys and the onset of alpha' formation.

Background Genome-wide association studies do not always replicate well across populations, limiting the generalizability of polygenic risk scores (PRS). Despite higher incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer in men of African descent, much of what is known about cancer genetics comes from populations of European descent. To understand how well genetic predictions perform in different populations, we evaluated test characteristics of PRS from three previous studies using data from the UK Biobank and a novel dataset of 1298 prostate cancer cases and 1333 controls from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa. Results Allele frequency differences cause predicted risks of prostate cancer to vary across populations. However, natural selection is not the primary driver of these differences. Comparing continental datasets, we find that polygenic predictions of case vs. control status are more effective for European individuals (AUC 0.608–0.707, OR 2.37–5.71) than for African individuals (AUC 0.502–0.585, OR 0.95–2.01). Furthermore, PRS that leverage information from African Americans yield modest AUC and odds ratio improvements for sub-Saharan African individuals. These improvements were larger for West Africans than for South Africans. Finally, we find that existing PRS are largely unable to predict whether African individuals develop aggressive forms of prostate cancer, as specified by higher tumor stages or Gleason scores. Conclusions Genetic predictions of prostate cancer perform poorly if the study sample does not match the ancestry of the original GWAS. PRS built from European GWAS may be inadequate for application in non-European populations and perpetuate existing health disparities.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sexuality of SS sickle cell patients with a history of priapism.This was a case-control study of adult SS sickle cell patients. The occurrence of priapism as well as the nature of the priapism had been investigated. The patients were subdivided into three groups: Group 1 (no priapism), Group 2 (intermittent priapism) and Group 3 (acute priapism). The patients' sexuality was studied using the IIEF-15 questionnaire.We interviewed 191 SS sickle cell patients. The mean age was 27.1±7.1 years. Priapism was observed in 43.5 %. Only 77 patients were eligible for the IIEF15 questionnaire. Groups 1 and 2 performed significantly better than group 3 on erectile function (EF) and orgasmic function (OF) scores. There was no significant difference in the EF and OF scores between groups 1 and 2. No significant difference was observed between the three groups for the scores of sexual desire (SD), intercourse satisfaction (IS), and overall satisfaction (OS). The impairment of erectile function in group 2 was related to the age of the first episode of priapism and the last episode. The impairment of erectile function in group 3 was related to the duration of evolution (P0.05).This study shows that priapism is responsible for impaired erectile function in SS adult sickle cell patients. A program to prevent intermittent episodes of priapism should be put in place.

Materials in nature have fascinating properties that serve as a continuous source of inspiration for materials scientists. Accordingly, bio-mimetic and bio-inspired approaches have yielded remarkable structural and functional materials for a plethora of applications. Despite these advances, many properties of natural materials remain challenging or yet impossible to incorporate into synthetic materials. Natural materials are produced by living cells, which sense and process environmental cues and conditions by means of signaling and genetic programs, thereby controlling the biosynthesis, remodeling, functionalization, or degradation of the natural material. In this context, synthetic biology offers unique opportunities in materials sciences by providing direct access to the rational engineering of how a cell senses and processes environmental information and translates them into the properties and functions of materials. Here, we identify and review two main directions by which synthetic biology can be harnessed to provide new impulses for the biologization of the materials sciences: first, the engineering of cells to produce precursors for the subsequent synthesis of materials. This includes materials that are otherwise produced from petrochemical resources, but also materials where the bio-produced substances contribute unique properties and functions not existing in traditional materials. Second, engineered living materials that are formed or assembled by cells or in which cells contribute specific functions while remaining an integral part of the living composite material. We finally provide a perspective of future scientific directions of this promising area of research and discuss science policy that would be required to support research and development in this field., Materials Today Bio, 11, ISSN:2590-0064

International audience; More than 35% of lung adenocarcinoma patients have bone metastases at diagnosis and have a poor survival. Periostin, a carboxylated matrix protein, mediates lung cancer cell dissemination by promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and is involved in bone response to mechanical stress and bone formation regulation. This suggests that periostin may be used as a biomarker to predict survival in lung cancer patients.Serum periostin was assessed at diagnosis in a prospective cohort of 133 patients with lung adenocarcinoma of all stages. Patients were divided into localized and bone metastatic groups. Both groups were matched to healthy controls. Survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were conducted in the total population and in bone metastatic group.The median serum periostin level was higher in bone metastatic (n = 67; median: 1752 pmol/L) than in the localized group (n = 66; 861 pmol/L; p median) had a poorer overall survival in the whole population (33.3 weeks vs. NR; p

West Africa is influenced by northeasterly winds flowing from the Sahara Desert, which transports large quantities of dust into the Sahel by discrete episodic dust events during winter and spring seasons. We investigate the role of horizontal grid spacing in simulating the Particulate Matter with a mass median diameter of less than 10 μm ( P M 10 ) concentrations over West Africa during January through March of 2012 with horizontal grid spacings of 18, 50 and 100 km using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with GOCART (WRF-CHEM). The results are compared to the ground measurements of P M 10 in Dakar, Senegal and three AMMA transect sites in Senegal, Mali, and Niger. In general, the 50 km simulations produced the smallest biases in P M 10 concentrations, while the largest negative biases are found for 100 km grid spacing during the period especially for Bodele sources. Further, the largest negative biases are found for the eastern Sahel region in Niger at Banizoumbou. We suggest that forecasts or long-term simulations of dust should occur at grid spacing less than 100 km.

International audience; The interactions between plant roots and the associated microbiota impact soil aggregation, water retention and plant nutrient availability. Thus, selection of plant genotypes that promote microbial species involved in rootadhering soil aggregation and rhizosheath formation could help improve yield sustainably. Here, we tested pearl millet genotypic variation in both root-adhering soil aggregation, microbiological and biochemical characteristic. Methods: A collection of 181 pearl millet inbred lines was phenotyped for their rhizosheath size, and thirteen contrasting genotypes were selected and grown under field conditions, and their root-adhering soil (RAS) was sampled. Microbial biomass, pH, mineral N content and six enzymatic activities involved in main nutrients cycles were analyzed, and metabarcoding of 16S rDNA and ITS were performed for bacterial and fungal diversity. Results: Enzymatic activities (chitinase, acid phosphomonoesterase, FDA-hydrolysis and β-glucosidase) were higher in RAS of larger rhizosheath lines than that of smaller rhizosheath one. Bacterial β-diversity showed a separation of the most contrasting lines in the principal coordinate analysis performed with the Bray-Curtis distance. Some bacteria from the Gaiellaceae and Sphingomonadaceae families and the Bradyrhizobium genus were associated with the large rhizosheath phenotype. Concerning the fungal community, we noticed a negative correlation between the specific richness and the rhizosheath size and Trichoderma genus was positively associated to the rhizosheath size. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that in pearl millet, rhizosheath size is related to soil nutrient dynamics and microbiota diversity. However, it also shows that other factors shape this trait and their relative importance must be determined.

This study contributes to the valorization of typha as local materials of building for thermal insulation. We will examine the influence of the binder content and granulometry on the mechanical and thermal properties of typha - clay panels. The plant of typha is used in different granulometries such as powdered typha and defibrated typha. The results showed that compressive strength, thermal conductivity and effusivity depend on the particle size of the typha and also the binder. The panels of defibrated typha have a better thermal insulation performance (0.085 W.m-1.K-1 for 66.66 %), which is comparable with many of natural insulating materials. The panels also have low thermal effusivities which show that they have low thermal inertia.

In Senegal, psychological violence remains a taboo subject insofar as it often arises in the closed circle of family life. It has a highly negative impact on the health of pregnant women. The objective of this work was to study the epidemiological profile of female victims of psychological violence before and after birth in the Sédhiou region.An observational, cross-sectional and analytical study was carried out from December 4, 2018 to April 4, 2019. The study population consisted of all the women received for postnatal consultation in one of the referral health structures in the Sédhiou region. Data were collected using a survey form and a questionnaire administered to the women having met the inclusion criteria. The data were entered using CS Pro software and subsequently analyzed using R 3.4.4 software.The mean age of the women was 25.4±7.8 (14-43 years). A total of 222 women (55.5 %) had suffered psychological violence during the prepartum period. Isolated psychological violence represented 44.3 % of the surveyed population, while psychological violence associated with sexual or physical violence represented 8.0 % and 5.4 % of the respondent population, respectively. The factors associated with psychological violence during the prepartum period were pursuit of a professional activity [ORaj=4.7 (1.3-17.0)], high educational status [ORaj=7.0 (4.2-11.5)] and performance of fewer than 3 antenatal consultations (ANC) [ORaj=2.2 (1.2-4.0)]. Maternal, fetal and neonatal complications were more frequent among victims of psychological violence (P0.05). During the postpartum period, 26.5 % of the women who had been victims of violence during the prepartum period mentioned the fact that the aggression had ceased. The other women continued to endure violence, which was even more intense among 2.5 %.Psychological violence among pregnant women has a negative impact on the health of the mother and the newborn. This state of affairs should induce health care providers to increase popular awareness of its detrimental effects. Communication efforts aimed at behavioral change will need to be combined during prenatal consultations with strengthened screening for violence, the objective being to achieve improved care.

A methodology of surface chemical functionalization of equimolar HfNbTaTiZr high-entropy alloy (HEA) is presented herein. The aim is to improve the biocompatibility of this material for its application as bio-implants. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) showed that air or aqueous oxidation of HfNbTaTiZr induced the formation at its surface of unmixed monometallic oxides: TiO2, Nb2O3, ZrO2, Hf2O3, and Ta2O5. Besides, it was observed that short (2 h) mild aqueous oxidation (without H2O2) retains the surface stoichiometry of these elements compared to a more aggressive one (with H2O2). The mild oxidation was retained to form a sol-gel chemistry platform for HfNbTaTiZr surface silanization. In practice, the oxidized HfNbTaTiZr surface was reacted with 2-methoxy [(polyethyleneoxy)6–9 propyl] trimethoxysilane (MPTMS), dissolved in distilled ethanol, under an inert atmosphere. Both, the precursor concentration and the reaction time, were varied to define the optimized operating conditions. Infrared spectroscopy performed on all prepared samples, within an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) sampling configuration, evidenced the well-known vibrational signatures of Si O and C H bonds at 1090 cm−1 and 2980 cm−1, respectively, confirming silane grafting, and showed that the intensity of these bands increases when the reaction time and/or the siloxane precursor concentration increase. Moreover, XPS showed that a reaction time of 48 h is required to completely cover the alloy surface with an organic layer (exhibiting a thickness larger than the XPS analysis depth). Finally, as a preliminary study, mildly oxidized alloy and the grafted one for a reaction time of 48 h were contacted to a Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS) solution and a standard Nutrient Mixture for cell cultures, the well-known Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), up to one month to check their chemical stability. None metal release was evidenced for the treated sample highlighting the importance of surface processing before any bio-implant use.

In Senegal, patients are seen an average of 16 months after their injury in a specialized hand and upper limb surgery department. Because of this lengthy delay, these patients have severe functional sequelae, such as wrist flexion contracture, averaging 45 degrees in our case series (range, 35 to 90 degrees). After reviewing the literature, we did not find any splint that was well suited to these patients. Inspired by the general splinting rules set out by Schultz, MacConaill and Brand, we constructed a volar/dorsal splint to reduce these contractures. We have been using this serial static splint for 2 years. We performed a prospective study of 17 wrists to evaluate its therapeutic benefit, describe its use and outline its optimal application.

International audience; Anaplastic oligodendroglioma (AO), IDH‐mutant and 1p/19q codeleted (IDHmut+/1p19qcodel), is a high‐grade glioma with only limited prognostic markers. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate, by immunohistochemistry, the prognostic value of two proliferation markers, MCM6 and Ki‐67, in a large series of IDHmut+/1p19qcodel AO included in the POLA (“Prise en charge des Oligodendrogliomes Anaplasiques”) French national multicenter network. We additionally examined the transcriptome obtained from this series to understand the functional pathways dysregulated with the mRNA overexpression of these two markers. The labelling indices (LI) of MCM6 and Ki‐67 were obtained via computer‐assisted color image analyses on immunostained AO tissues of the cohort (n=220). Furthermore, a subgroup of AO (n=68/220) was used to perform transcriptomic analyses. A high LI of either MCM6 (≥50%) or Ki‐67 (≥ 15%) correlated with shorter overall survival, both in univariate (P=0.013 and P=0.004, respectively) and multivariate analyses (P=0.027; multivariate Cox model including age, mitotic index, MCM6 and Ki‐67). MCM6 and Ki‐67 LI also correlated with overall survival in an additional retrospective cohort of 30 grade II IDHmut+/1p19qcodel oligodendrogliomas. The prognostic value of MCM6 mRNA level was confirmed in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) IDHmut+/1p19qcodel gliomas. The transcriptomic approach revealed that high transcriptional expressions of MCM6 and MKI67 were both linked positively with cell cycle progression, DNA replication, mitosis, pro‐neural phenotype as well as neurogenesis, and negatively with microglial cell activation, immune response, positive regulation of myelination, oligodendrocyte development, beta‐amyloid binding, and postsynaptic specialization.In conclusion, the overexpression of MCM6 and/or Ki‐67 is independently associated to shorter overall survival in IDHmut+/1p19qcodel AO. These two easy‐to‐use and cost‐effective markers could thus be used concurrently in routine pathology practice. Additionally, the transcriptomic analyses showed that AO with high proliferation index have down‐regulated immune response and lower microglial cells activation, and bears pro‐neural phenotype.

To describe the process of establishing a reference center for gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTD) in Senegal and to report its main results so far. We describe the history and establishment of the center, which is based on the experience of the main international centers. The adaptations made to patient follow-up are detailed, while we follow FIGO and WHO diagnostic and management criteria. Finally, we report our main results. Between 2011 and 2017, 878 files were registered at the Center. More than half of the women had no histological confirmation of GTD (60.8 %). The diagnosis was then based on ultrasound images or macroscopic examination of molar vesicles. Spontaneous remission occurred in 64.5 % of the cases, while gestational trophoblastic neoplasia developed in 23.5 %. The FIGO criteria were slightly adapted for hCG monitoring. Methotrexate was the drug of choice in the low-risk group (97.8 %), while the EMACO protocol was financially difficult for nearly half of the high-risk group. The overall remission rate was 83 % and the specific lethality 11.6 %. Our center has demonstrated the efficiency of centralizing the management of GTDs. Difficulty in access to hCG and antimitotic drugs makes management difficult. However, we have introduced alternative solutions that we are working to improve.

Although prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality for African men, the vast majority of known disease associations have been detected in European study cohorts. Furthermore, most genome-wide association studies have used genotyping arrays that are hindered by SNP ascertainment bias. To overcome these disparities in genomic medicine, the Men of African Descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate (MADCaP) Network has developed a genotyping array that is optimized for African populations. The MADCaP Array contains more than 1.5 million markers and an imputation backbone that successfully tags over 94% of common genetic variants in African populations. This array also has a high density of markers in genomic regions associated with cancer susceptibility, including 8q24. We assessed the effectiveness of the MADCaP Array by genotyping 399 prostate cancer cases and 403 controls from seven urban study sites in sub-Saharan Africa. Samples from Ghana and Nigeria clustered together, whereas samples from Senegal and South Africa yielded distinct ancestry clusters. Using the MADCaP array, we identified cancer-associated loci that have large allele frequency differences across African populations. Polygenic risk scores for prostate cancer were higher in Nigeria than in Senegal. In summary, individual and population-level differences in prostate cancer risk were revealed using a novel genotyping array. Significance: This study presents an Africa-specific genotyping array, which enables investigators to identify novel disease associations and to fine-map genetic loci that are associated with prostate and other cancers.

In this paper, we present an opportunistic connectivity approach to building a network for rural areas in Senegal. Our proposed solution is based on a simple principle: given any situation, use the best connectivity solution available; and when no solution is available at the moment, use delay/intermittence tolerant solutions to offer “offline” services. Our network is built using point-to-point Long Distance Wifi links which are used wherever available. If a LD-Wifi link is not available, we use SMS service as a support for data communication. In areas with no coverage, we use DTN (Delay Tolerant Networking) solutions. For the seamless integration of all these technologies, we implement our lightweight platform on NDN (Named Data Networking), a new architecture proposed for the future Internet. A low cost implementation of the solution has been deployed in a test environment using Raspberry Pis and GSM dongles.

Il termine idrocefalo indica una situazione di eccesso di liquido cerebrospinale (LCS) nei ventricoli cerebrali, diversa rispetto alla dilatazione passiva dei ventricoli. Dietro alla sua apparente semplicita, questo termine racchiude delle entita molto eterogenee. Idrocefali molto diversi possono, cosi, essere distinti in base all’eta dei pazienti (idrocefalo del bambino/idrocefalo dell’adulto), al loro meccanismo (difetto di assorbimento, disturbi della circolazione del LCS o, piu raramente, produzione in eccesso), all’esistenza o meno di un ostacolo al flusso del LCS (idrocefalo comunicante o non comunicante) e, infine, in base alle loro modalita di installazione (idrocefalo acuto/idrocefalo cronico). Il nostro obiettivo, qui, e di descrivere le diverse forme cliniche di idrocefalo nei bambini e negli adulti e la loro fisiopatologia. Definiremo, poi, gli esami complementari a nostra disposizione: imaging, biomarcatori, ma anche puntura lombare ed esplorazione idrodinamica del LCS. Vedremo che l’idrocefalo a pressione normale, o idrocefalo cronico degli adulti, e un’entita molto particolare, che solleva problemi specifici di diagnosi e di decisione terapeutica. Infine, descriveremo i trattamenti, soprattutto chirurgici, a nostra disposizione, le loro indicazioni e i loro risultati, sottolineando la necessita di mantenere a lungo termine il follow-up clinico dei pazienti operati.

A B S T R A C T African farmers are increasingly adopting sustainable agricultural practices including use of native shrub intercropping approaches. In one village of Senegal (near Thies) it was reported that farmers planted mango (Mangifera indica) seedlings within the canopies of a native shrub (Piliostigma reticulatum). Anecdotal information and qualitative observations suggested that the presence of P. reticulatum promoted soil quality and a competitive advantage for establishing mango plantations. We hypothesized that soil chemical and microbial properties of mango rhizosphere soil growing in the presence of P. reticulatum would be significantly improved over soils associated with mango growing outside the influence of P. reticulatum. The results showed that mango-shrub interplanting significantly lowered pH, and increased arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization of mango roots, enzyme activities, and microbial biomass compared to mango alone. Phylogenetic analyses by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) showed that community structures of fungi, bacteria, and bacterial genes responsible for denitrification (nirK) of the soil from the rooting zone of the mango-shrub intercropping system were distinct from all other soil outside the influence of P. reticulatum. It is concluded that P. reticulatum enhances soil biological functioning and that there is a synergistic effect of intercropping mango with the native shrub, P. reticulatum, in soil quality with a more diverse community, greater AMF infection rates, and greater potential to perform decomposition and mineralize nutrients.

Introduction: We aim to determine the epidemiology, clinical, paraclinical and etiologic aspects and to evaluate the management of male subfertility in urology. Methodology: We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of 137 patients referred to the urology department for male subfertility over a period of 4 years. The analyzed variables were: clinical, paraclinical characteristics and the post therapeutic evolution. Results: The mean age was 38.41 years (range: 24 to 67 years). The semen analysis was normal in 18 patients. The semen analysis showed oligoasthenozoospermia (45.3%) and total azoospermia (24.8%). Disease history was represented by: gonorrhea (27.7%), urogenital schistosomiasis (13.2%) and hernia repair (1.2%). The hormonal test showed abnormal hormone levels including: FSH (43.8%), LH (46.7%), testosterone (36.5%), prolactin (22.6%). The incriminated etiologic factors were: varicocele (5.8 %), smoking (23.7%), alcohol intake (25.4%) and sexually transmitted diseases (42.3%). The treatment was medical in 67.9% and surgical in 32.1% of cases. After a year of follow up, 13.9% of patient’s wives were pregnant. Conclusion: Male subfertility is common in Chad. The causes are numerous and diverse. The treatment is etiology based. A better management of sexually transmitted diseases and urogenital schistosomiasis is the best way to prevent it.

In this paper we prove the existence of insensitizing controls for a viscous newtonian fluid wherein thermic effects are taken into acount, the so called Boussinesq system. The proof relies on a standard approach introduced by Fursikov and Imanuvilov for the NavierStokes system which consists in solving a constrained extremal problem, and then on an inverse mapping theorem to deal with the nonlinear system. Furthermore, we use the coupling with the heat equation to get rid of two components of the control in the fluid equations.

The aim of this study was to assess the genetic structure of the total community and nitrifying bacteria (ammonia oxidizing bacteria AOB) on horticultural soils amended with an activated or stabilized sludge. DNA extraction, PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis were performed on soils in laboratory controlled conditions for 21 days. The addition of stabilized or activated sludge in a soil resulted in changes of the total bacterial community structure compared to a control soil without amendment. The incubation of this sludge and soil mixture during 21 days implied an evolution of the diversity of total bacterial community. Sludge amendment did not have a major impact on the nitrifying community (AOB). However, the time of incubation has to be extended to show the long term effect, and long term observations have to be managed when repeated addition or high amendment of sludge is made.

Primary tumors of the upper urinary tract are rarely reported in the literature. We thus report here four cases of primary tumors of the upper urinary tract that were difficult to diagnose, in three women and one man. Preoperative diagnosis was established in only two cases requiring a nephro-ureterectomy. The other two cases were surprisingly diagnosed during anatomopatho- logical examination. Preoperative diagnosis was a pyonephrosis in one case and a renal failure resulting from stenosis of the pelvic ureter in the other. Despite modern methods, primary tumors of the upper urinary tract remain difficult to diagnose.

In this paper we prove the existence of insensitizing controls, having one vanishing component, for the local L 2 -norm of the solutions of the Navier–Stokes system. This problem can be recast as a null controllability problem for a nonlinear cascade system. We first prove a controllability result, with controls having one vanishing component, for a linear problem. Then, by means of an inverse mapping theorem, we deduce the controllability for the cascade system.

Apport du decapsuleur de poignet dans le traitement des raideurs severes en flexion du poignet. Les sequelles de traumatismes du membre superieur sont frequentes dans nos regions a cause d’un deficit de structures de soins et d’une certaine negligence de la population. Nous avons mene une etude prospective de janvier a aout 2018 chez 9 hommes et 8 femmes âges en moyenne de 22 ans. Les etiologies etaient representees par un syndrome de Volkmann (n = 5), une retraction des flechisseurs (n = 5), une fracture de l’extremite distale du radius (n = 3), une bride cicatricielle (n = 2). Vu en moyenne a 7 mois du traumatisme [3–18 mois], le flessum du poignet etait de 45° en moyenne [35–90°]. L’orthese etait realisee en materiau thermo-formable de 2 ou 2,4 mm. Elle etait placee en position dorso-palmaire, prenant la paume de la main et le dos de l’avant-bras. Le poignet etait maintenu au maximum de l’amplitude permise par le flessum retranche de 5 degres. L’orthese etait remoulee au fur a mesure de la recuperation des amplitudes. Elle etait portee de facon quasi permanente pour les flessums a arret dur, et pour 6 heures par jour chez les autres. Les patients etaient revus 2 fois par semaine. Apres une recuperation jugee stable, le port devenait nocturne pour une duree de 2 mois. Les patients ont ete suivis durant une periode 4 mois en moyenne [2,5–6 mois]. Nous avons realise en moyenne 15 remodelages [8 et 20]. Nous avons obtenu un gain d’extension de 34° en moyenne [10–60°]. De facon analytique 25° pour les syndromes de volkmann, 30° pour les fractures de l’extremite distale du radius et 35° pour les cas de retraction des flechisseurs, 55° pour les cicatrices retractiles. A ce jour, les resultats sont stables apres le port nocturne de l’orthese. Orthese de choix dans les cas de flessum de poignet raide a tres raide, leger et peu encombrant, le « decapsuleur » de poignet semble apporter une solution simple, pratique et efficace dans la recuperation des flessums invalidants de poignet.

Apport de la cravate belge adaptee a l’utilisation de ressources limitees. La cravate belge est une orthese qui aide a gagner ou a recuperer des amplitudes articulaires en pronation et en supination. Le Senegal, dans le domaine de la reeducation du membre superieur, cherche a diversifier et a ameliorer ses moyens de prestations. Nous avons mene une etude prospective de mai a septembre 2018 chez 10 patients (4 de sexe masculin et 6 de sexe feminin) âges en moyenne de 18,8 ans [3–45 ans]. Les etiologies etaient representees par des sequelles traumatiques de fracture de l’avant-bras (n = 9), du coude (n = 1). La pronation etait en moyenne de 57,17° (40–70°] et la supination 25,74° [−40° a 50°] avec un degre de mobilite de 82,85 [20–130°]. Les patients ont ete vus a 3,3 mois [3 et 6 mois] de leur traumatisme. Nous avons realise un dispositif compose d’une orthese du poignet sur laquelle est accrochee par l’intermediaire d’un velcro une echarpe de jersey (la cravate) dont le sens de l’enroulement permet d’induire une pronation ou une supination selon la demande. Le port du dispositif est diurne a une frequence de 2 heures avec des intervalles de repos de 3 heures. Les patients sont revus 3 fois par semaine. Les patients ont ete suivis durant une periode 3 mois en moyenne [2–4 mois]. Nous avons obtenu les amplitudes suivantes, pronation 78,33° en moyenne [60–90°], supination 48,33° [−40° a 90°], avec un degre de mobilite de 126,66 [40–180°]. Cet appareil a donne des resultats qui satisfaisants chez des patients qui souffraient de deficit en pronation, en supination ou les deux en meme temps. Une regression de la douleur aussi est notee lors de la mobilisation articulaire de ces derniers.