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Aim: To evaluate the effect of different dentin shades and different enamel shade thicknesses on the final color reproduction in class IV anterior resin composite restorations restored using the bilaminar technique. Materials and methods: 54 resin composite discs of 10mm diameter were prepared in this study. The discs were equally divided into 9 groups (n = 6) according to the two levels of the study, Level-1: Dentin shade (A1, A2 and A3) and Level-2: A3 enamel shade thickness (0.25mm, 0.5mm, 0.75mm). Each group had a 3mm-thick core layer of dentin shade either A1, A2 or A3 (ceram.x® duo, Dentsply Sirona, Germany) followed by the designated enamel shade thickness. Clinical spectrophotometer (VITA Easyshade® V, Germany) was used to measure the L*, a* and b* values of reference A1, A2 and A3 VITA classical shade tabs and resin composite discs. CIEDE2000 color difference formula (ΔE00) was adopted to calculate the color difference between the resin composite discs and their corresponding VITA classic shade tab. Data were analysed using two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. Comparison of main and simple effects were done utilizing one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. Results: Two-way ANOVA showed that the dentin shade and the enamel layer thickness as well as their interaction had a statistically significant effect on color difference (ΔE00) compared to the VITA classical reference tabs(p

The migratory locust, Locusta migratoria (L.), a significant grasshopper species known for its ability to form large swarms and cause extensive damage to crops and vegetation, is subject to the influence of climate change. This research paper employs geographic information system (GIS) and MaxEnt ecological modelling techniques to assess the impact of climate change on the distribution patterns of L. migratoria. Occurrence data and environmental variables are collected and analysed to create predictive models for the current and future distribution of the species. The study highlights the crucial role of climate factors, particularly temperature and precipitation, in determining the locust's distribution. The MaxEnt models exhibit high-performance indicators, accurately predicting the potential habitat suitability of L. migratoria. Additionally, specific bioclimatic variables, such as mean temperature and annual precipitation, are identified as significant factors influencing the species' presence. The generated future maps indicate how this species will invade new regions especially in Europe. Such results predict the risk of this destructive species for many agriculture communities as a direct result of a warming world. The research provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between locust distribution and environmental factors, enabling the development of effective strategies for locust management and early warning systems to mitigate the impact on agriculture and ecosystems.

The low capacity of certain social groups makes them more vulnerable to climate change. These groups develop adaptation mechanisms to reduce their vulnerability. The study aims to analyze the vulnerability of populations to climate change in order to understand the adaptation mechanisms developed by vulnerable groups in North Benin. Climatic events, age, gender, livelihoods, economic activities, adaptation practices and their nature, et cetera. were collected in the village of Woria (Tchaourou) during village assemblies according to gender and age groups. These data were analyzed using discourse analysis. Exposure and impact indicators were calculated. Climatic events include pockets of drought, high winds, floods, heavy rains, early and late rainfall cessation. Land and biodiversity are the natural systems most vulnerable to climate change than water bodies. The human systems most sensitive to the adverse effects of climate change are agriculture, livestock farming and human health. They make farmers, traders and breeders more vulnerable to climate change. Youth and women are more vulnerable to climate change. The adaptation mechanisms developed are oriented towards time management, stock management, crops, non-farm activities and type of land used.

Abstract Background In SLE patients, cytokines are linked to endothelial cell damage. Nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) is a simple method for evaluating micro-vascular abnormalities in different connective tissue diseases (CTDs). The study aimed to detect the levels of interleukin 17A (IL 17A), type I interferons (IFNs I) in the serum, and NFC changes in Egyptian SLE patients compared to a control group and to correlate NFC findings with patients’ demographic features and serum levels of IL 17A and IFNs I. Results Serum levels of IL 17A, IFN α, and IFN β were significantly higher in SLE patients than in control group (P

Three years old uniform vines for cv. "Melody syn. Blagratwo" seedless table grape were selected, and three levels of bud load were trimmed, namely 60, 72, and 78 buds/ vine. The findings revealed that vegetative growth traits, characteristics of yield and bunch quality were significantly affected by all different pruning levels of cane length in both seasons of this study. Highest bud load vines (78 buds/vine) produced the greatest yield and cluster number but had a negative effect on the percentage of bud behavior, shoot thickness, shoot length, weight of annual pruning (Kg/vine), cluster and berry quality parameters. In contrast, lowest vine bud load (78 buds/vine) had a better bud behavior, vegetative growth traits, cluster characteristics and berry characteristics but both bunch numbers and yield were reduced. In addition, vines pruned with bud load of 72 buds per vine significantly showed the best outcomes, since it successfully struck a balance be-tween features of vegetative growth, yield, cluster and berry physical and quality attributes in both seasons.

This literature review focuses on the drivers of Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems (ICLFS) adoption by small farmers. It has enabled us to identify current trends and analyze the various drivers of adoption and knowledge gaps. According to the PRISMA literature review protocol, 1,352 scientific publications have been selected and analyzed after a Scopus database search. Data analysis was carried out in two steps. A systematic review was performed with the metadata of scientific publications using the Biblioshiny package of R 4.3.1 software. Then, the 42 most relevant publications were used for a brief narrative synthesis. The results showed that between 2003 and 2023, publications were made in 587 different sources. 73% of publications were scientific articles. 91% of publications were written by an average of 05 co-authors. The effectiveness of Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems (ICLFS) practices, the production of organic matter and the effects on farmers’ livelihoods are the research topics considered. Five categories of factors were identified to facilitate the adoption of ICLFS by small farmers: (i) farmer profile, (ii) farm characteristics, (iii) economic factors, (iv) institutional factors and (v) biophysical factors. Policy orientations are the most decisive of all the factors identified, followed by the establishment of extension systems and social networks between farmers. This paper makes three main recommendations. Firstly, it recommends the implementation of collaborative research frameworks between West African researchers and those from East Africa, Asia and South America, who have more experience in this area. In addition, this study suggests that future research on the adoption of ICLFS should take into account herd mobility issues in the adoption process. Finally, it suggests that ICLFS should be taken into account in development policies and implemented through action research projects, mostly in West Africa.

Maize is the staple food of most households in sub-Saharan Africa. The adoption of stress-tolerant maize varieties (STMV) is being promoted due to climate change. There are various methods applied to disseminate these varieties. Unfortunately, the adoption at the household level is still unsatisfactory. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the dissemination methods used in Benin. We identified dissemination methods from key informants involved in STMV seed dissemination projects. The performance of the identified methods was assessed through the perceptions of 150 maize-farming households using the Likert scale. We assessed the extent to which each method leads to the knowledge, use, and continued use (appropriation) of STMV seeds. Friedman and Wilcoxon rank tests were used for data analysis. Nine dissemination methods were identified and categorized into four groups according to their theoretical driven: strengthening social ties, capacity building, incentive, and awareness raising. Our results revealed that dissemination methods that focus on strengthening social ties, raising awareness, and providing incentives are more effective in promoting STMV adoption. Depending on the intended adoption (awareness, use, and appropriation), extension services and STMV promotional projects could focus on strengthening social ties, raising awareness, and providing incentives. However, future research must identify which of the methods leads to a higher rate of adoption of STMV.

Cattle farmers are developing adaptation strategies to deal with the effects of climate change. Understanding how adaptation affects livestock productivity is, therefore, essential in order to identify and prioritize the optimal strategies. Yet, few studies have addressed this issue. This study aims to fill the gap, by assessing how the adaptation strategies developed by cattle farmers in Benin affect livestock productivity. We conducted surveys with 360 cattle farmers and monitored 30 farms in Benin’s dry and sub humid tropical zones. We collected data on the socio demographic characteristics of cattle farmers, their adaptation strategies and herd productivity. We carried out a multiple correspondence analysis, followed by an ascending hierarchical classification to establish the typology of the cattle farmers’ adaptation strategies. We tested data on livestock productivity using an analysis of variance with the generalized linear model procedure of R.3.5.1. software. The results revealed three groups of adaptation strategies: integrating livestock with crop production; use of supplemental feeding and fodder crops; pastoral mobility. The choice of strategy significantly affected livestock productivity. Animal mortality rates were lower on farms that adopted supplemental feeding (2.7%), and integrated crop/livestock systems (3.3%), compared to farms with pastoral mobility (5.2%). Supplementary feeding improved calf weights at birth and at 6 months and increased daily milk offtake. Based on the results obtained, we recommend that farmers adopt supplemental feeding and integrated crop/livestock strategies in the study zones to improve herd productivity.

Abstract: The paper presents an archaeological and architectural documentary study of El-Marzouki Mosque in Baltim. The importance of his study is due to the fact that the city of Baltim is one of the cities that does not contain many Islamic religious buildings. Its religious effects are almost limited to the remains of the Al-Khushua mosque and minaret and in a number of bricks that represent military architecture and date back to the end of the nineteenth century.The study illustrates the style of this mosque, which is an area divided into three ‘riwaqs’ divided by two arcades with pointed arches. The aisles are paralleled to the qibla wall; without a courtyard The ceiling of the mosque is wooden. The mosque has some annexes , a burial dome of the same style that prevailed and spread in most cities of Lower Egypt and the Delta of Egypt. The mosque contains a distinctive minaret in its shape and style, located about fifteen meters apart from the mosque, and not connected to it The mosque contains a masterpiece that is a simple wooden pulpit in its unique form among the pulpits of the ancient mosques, but it contains two scriptural texts, one of which has lost its features and includes the verse of the kurse, and the second includes the text of the Prophet’s hadith special thanks to the Friday hour, and it ends with the date of manufacture at the end Rabee auel 873 AH / October 1468 AD.

The transhumant herding system is increasingly dependent on protected areas to escape the scarcity of grazing areas, the occupation of transhumance corridors, the inadequacy of land legislation and the numerous social problems (human and material damages) in the sub-region and in Benin in particular. The present study was carried out in the villages bordering the Alibori Supérieur classified forest (FC-AS), a reception area for national and foreign transhumant herders in northern Benin. The study aims to characterize the stakeholders and analyze the issues involved in transhumance for the sustainable exploitation of pastoral resources in this protected area. Data was collected through the surveys of 300 transhumance stakeholders in nine villages bordering this classified forest. Nine focus groups and semi-structured interviews were also carried out with 36 resource persons (administrative services, traditional chiefs, various associations) involved in transhumance management. The results showed that several actors interact in the management of transhumance and pastoral resources in FC-AS. These actors were grouped into two categories. These are those who regulate access to resources (administrative authorities, traditional chiefs, various associations, and so on); and those who compete for access to resources (herders, farmers, loggers, et cetera). For the former, the stakes are often identity and legitimacy, while for the latter, they are economic, characterized by alliances alternating with conflicts. All the players surveyed have concerns that vary according to the constraints linked to the exploitation of these resources. These include the development and securing of pastoral resources for 70,4% of herders surveyed, the creation of a cultivation zone for the majority of farmers (83,6%), compliance with texts and laws relating to transhumance (47,4% of agents of deconcentrated services), herder awareness-raising (56,6% of NGOs and associations) on how to conduct themselves with regard to transhumance and peaceful transhumance (79,1% of the traditional chiefs). For sustainable use of pastoral resources in protected areas by stakeholders, their concerns must be taken into account in the process of implementing forest management plans.

Women economic potential can be used to reduce household’s food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa. This study analyzed the influence of gender on household’s food security through the household’s income in North-Benin. We selected 300 households using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire during direct interviews. Data included the households’ socioeconomic characteristics, their experiences-based Food Insecurity Scale, women and men income level. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and generalized structural equation modeling. The findings show that women-headed households (WHH) were less exposed to food insecurity than men-headed households (MHH). Moreover, the increasing of women income level reduced the exposure of households to food insecurity, because the increase in the income level of women stimulated the men income level. Women income also contributed more to household food expenses than men income. However, the increasing of men income level exposed the households to food insecurity. These results highlight the importance of women's empowerment in addressing household food insecurity in African’s developing countries. The findings also help policy makers to improve their knowledge for better decision making on household food security.

{AR} يهدف البحث الى دراسة إحدى منشآت السلطان قايتباى التى ما تزال بعض بقاياها قائمة بشارع السروجية بمدينة القاهرة، والتى كانت ضمن الأوقاف المتعددة التى أوقفها السلطان على المسجد النبوى الشريف بالمدينة المنورة، وهى وكالة السلطان قايتباى وملحقاتها، من خلال كتاب وقفه المحفوظ بالمكتبة الأهلية بباريس، وتتبع مكوناتها وملحقاتها، ومعرفة ما كانت تشتمل عليه من عناصر ووحدات، خاصة وأن الوكالة وملحقاتها جاءت فى مبنيين منفصلين بينهما شارع ، وقد احتوت على بعض العناصر والملحقات المميزة والفريدة، كما ألحق بها بعض المبانى السكنية فى طوابق عدة، علاوة على أن الدراسة تهدف الى تتبع الحالة المعمارية والإنشائية للوكالة وملحقاتها عبر الفترات الزمنية السابقة للتعرف الى الحالة التى وصلت اليها حالياً، حيث ما زال باق جزء من واجهتها والمدخل المؤدى للوكالة ودركاة الدخول وجزء من النص التأسيسى أعلى المدخل، علاوة على أن أجزاء من الطباق تتفق مع ما ورد بكتاب الوقف، كما تهدف الدراسة الى تتبع تخطيط الوكالة وملحقاتها من خلال منطوق كتاب الوقف، ومعرفة تاريخ انشائها وتاريخ وقفها، وعمل مخطط تخيلى لما كانت عليه الوكالة وملحقاتها، خاصة وانه لم تفرد لها دراسة سابقة، كما تتضمن الدراسة نشر الجزء الخاص بالوكالة من كتاب الوقف والتعريف بمصطلحاته والتعليق عليها وعلى ما ورد بها من ألقاب وايجاد تراجم للاشخاص الواردين بها، إضافة الى الشوارع والخطط والحارات والأزقة وغير ذلك، ومحاولة تفسير بناء السلطان للوكالة وملحقاتها فى مبنيين منفصلين عن بعضهما وبينهما الشارع. {EN}This paper aims to study one of the facilities of Sultan Qaytbay, some of whose remains are still standing on Al-Sroujia Street, and which was among the various charitable endowments that the sultan endowed on the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, the caravanserai or wakalah of Sultan Qaytbay and its annexes, through the book of his endowment preserved in the National Library in Paris. It traces its components and accessories, and finds out what it included in its architectural elements, units and special attachments, and that this wakalah and its attachments came in two separate buildings between a street, It contained some of the distinctive elements that made this agency unique from other wakalahes, and some residential rooms were attached to it in several floors. The state you are currently in, where part of its façade and the entrance leading to the wakalah and part of the founding text above the entrance still remain. In addition, the study aims to track the construction situation of the wakalah and its annexes over the previous time periods to identify the state it has reached at present, as part of its façade and the entrance leading to the wakalah and part of the founding text above the entrance still remain. In addition to parts of the countertops that are consistent with what was mentioned in the endowment book. The study also aims to track the wakalah’s planning and its annexes through the text of the endowment book. Knowing the date of its establishment and endowment, and making a plan for what it was, especially this wakalah did not single out a previous study for it. The study also includes publishing the part of the wekala from the (ketab el wakf), defining its terms and commenting on them and the titles mentioned in them and finding translations for the people in them, in addition to streets, plans, alleys and other terms. In addition to trying to explain the Sultan’s building of the wekala and its annexes in two separate buildings from each other and between them street

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the flexural strength (FS) of dentin replacement materials, including; fiber-reinforced composite, bulk-fill flowable composites, and resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGI), layered with nanohybrid composite (NH) at different storage times. Methods: A total of 100 specimens were prepared (n=10) and divided into five groups depending on the dentin replacement material used, and a control group with conventional NH incrementation. Each group was further subdivided into two groups according to the time of the FS testing; 24 hours or 6 months. The specimens were subjected to a 3-point bending test till failure. The comparison between the base materials and time was made using the two-way ANOVA, while the comparison between the base materials within each time interval was made using the one-way ANOVA and the Tukey’s post hoc test. Additionally, the comparison between the immediate and aged FS within each group was made using the Student’s t-test. Results: After 24 hours, the resin-based, bulk-fill dentin substitutes layered with NH and the incrementally placed NH, showed a higher FS than the RMGI. However, after 6 months, all groups showed a significant decrease in FS, with the exception of the RMGI group, which showed a significant increase. Conclusion: Resin-based dentin replacements showed better or similar reinforcement effects compared to conventional composite incrementation, when tested immediately or after 6 months. Aging over 6 months had a deteriorating effect on the FS of all composite resin materials, while it improved the FS of the overlying composite resin in the RMGI group

Climate change poses a significant threat to ecosystems, food security, and human well-being. This study focuses on the Phyllognathus excavatus beetle, an important insect species in the Mediterranean region with ecological importance in nature recycling of organic wastes. The aim of this study is to assess its current habitat suitability and predict its distribution under future climate scenarios. The beetle’s occurrence records were gathered and climate information, including 19 bioclimatic variables, was retrieved from the Global Biodiversity Informatic Facility (GBIF) and WorldClim depository, respectively. The MaxEnt algorithm was used to calculate habitat appropriateness using geographic information systems (GISs) and species distribution modeling (SDM) with an accuracy of 0.907 using the AUC test. The findings show that the annual mean temperature is the most important factor, with the beetle flourishing in temperatures between 13.9 and 19.1 °C. The distribution is greatly impacted by the mean temperature of the warmest quarter. Future projections using different climate scenarios suggest potential changes in the beetle’s distribution. By integrating climate data and occurrence records, this study provides insights into the vulnerability of Phyllognathus excavatus to climate change and identifies regions where its habitat may be at risk as 81% of its current habitat will be lost. The research helps to prioritize efforts to reduce the harmful effects of climate change on insect biodiversity and to design effective conservation strategies. Overall, this study advances our knowledge of the Phyllognathus excavatus beetle’s present and projected distribution patterns in the Mediterranean region under the influence of climate change. It illustrates the significance of taking into account how climate change would affect insect populations and the use of SDM and GIS tools for researching and protecting insect biodiversity.

Le changement climatique (CC) a un impact direct sur l’élevage des ruminants, étant donné qu’il mobilise des ressources dont la saisonnalité et la productivité sont fortement liées au climat. Les éleveuses de petits ruminants réagissent aux effets du CC en adoptant différentes stratégies d’adaptation. La connaissance de ces stratégies s’avère indispensable dans la mesure où elle permettra d’identifier et de vulgariser les meilleures d’ente elles. C’est dans ce cadre que cette étude vise à réaliser la typologie des stratégies d’adaptation développées par les éleveuses de petits ruminants des zones tropicales sèche et subhumide du Bénin. À cet effet, une enquête a été menée auprès de 120 éleveuses de petits ruminants dans 8 villages des deux zones climatiques. Les données collectées ont été relatives aux caractéristiques socio-démographiques, aux perceptions et stratégies d’adaptation développées par ces éleveuses. À l’aide des méthodes d’Analyse Factorielle des Correspondances Multiples (AFCM), une typologie de trois groupes de stratégies d’adaptation a été établie. Il s’agit de (1) la stratégie d’intégration des cultures aux animaux (Groupe 1: ICA) développée par 51,7 % des femmes enquêtées, soit 60 personnes; (2) de la stratégie d’intégration des cultures, arbustes et animaux (Groupe 2: ICArA) mise en place par 13,3 % des enquêtés (soit 16 femmes) et enfin (3) de la stratégie d’alimentation basée sur les sous-produits agroindustriels et les résidus de récoltes (ASPR) développées par 35,0 % des femmes éleveuses enquêtées, soit 42 individus. Cette typologie constitue un point de départ pour l’évaluation de la productivité des élevages des petits ruminants en lien avec les stratégies d’adaptation développées par les femmes détentrices de ces élevages. Mots clés: Changement climatique, caprins, ovins, femmes, stratégies d’adaptation.

Abstract The millenia-old oasis systems in the Western Hajar Mountains of Northern Oman have received widespread attention as models of sustainable irrigated agriculture in hyperarid Arabia. Given Oman’s rampant urbanization, growing scarcity of water and skilled labour, we quantified chances in water use, land use, and land cover between 2007 and 2018 using a rare time-series approach of detailed GIS-based crop mapping. Results from satellite image analysis and comprehensive ground truthing showed that urban areas grew from 206 ha in 2009 to 230 ha in 2014 and 252 ha in 2018. Throughout this decade, irrigated areas in backyards and front-house gardens of the town, planted largely to tree crops and vegetables, increased from 13.5 to 23.3 ha. Between 2007 and 2018 the actively used area of the studied oasis systems declined by 2.0% and the share of perennial crops without underplanting by 5.1%, while land under agroforestry increased by 2.1% and fallow land by 3.5%. Rising water demand of the sprawling town Sayh Qatanah led to terraces of Al ‘Ayn and Ash Sharayjah now being partly irrigated with treated wastewater which accelerated the abandonment of the old settlement structures. The labour- and water use efficiency-driven transformation of the Al Jabal Al Akhdar oasis agriculture into increasingly market-oriented landuse systems questions its function as example of sustainable, bio-cultural heritage of Arabia.

There are very few reports discussing the higher level phylogeny of the chewing lice (Phthiraptera) and their roles in the evaluation of these insects. So, the aim of this work is to study the phylogeny of genera of the suborder Ischnocera in Saudi Arabia using morphological, ecological and molecular criteria trying to answer a very important question about ecological factors that affecting their evolution. The results show high degree of similarity between phylograms produced by morphological and ecological criteria and that produced by genes sequencing data of Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I (COI) and elongation factor-1 alpha (EF-1). The rooted trees showed several clusters for head chewing lice and this indicated that the phenomenon of parasitizing birds’ heads evolved several times in the clade of chewing louse. This is also indicating that the position on host played a very important role in shaping the diversity of these insects. The unrooted tree which produced by analysis of COI and (EF-1) also supports the previous conclusion but added to it the impact of host habitat on such diversity. The evolutionary distance between marine birds’ chewing lice was very small and all of them appear in single line or group which far from that of terrestrial taxa of the chewing lice. Both the host habitat and the feeding position of chewing lice on their hosts played a very important role in the way by which this group of insects evolved.

Rural land plans (RLP) and the systematic cluster approach (SCA) are the two main approaches used in Benin to secure rural land tenure. However, the contributions of these approaches to land tenure security in rural communities are mixed. This paper firstly identifies the main factors to be considered in conceptualizing rural land tenure security and secondly assesses the contributions of the two approaches in achieving rural land tenure security. The study is conducted in four communes of Borgou (a district in North Benin) that have benefited from both approaches to land tenure security. The dimensions of land tenure security were identified during focus group discussions and unstructured interviews with key informants. The contribution of the approaches is assessed using individual surveys from 742 beneficiaries of the approaches randomly selected, based on actors’ perceptions measured on the Likert scale. The nonparametric Friedman test was used to determine the average rank of each factor according to the RLP or SCA context. As a result, land tenure security must integrate nine factors, leading to two forms of land tenure security. Legal and institutional security includes land tenure norms, property rights, local land management institutions, and the land information system. Socioenvironmental security involves access and use rights, social peace, gender mainstreaming, and land conservation. According to stakeholders’ perceptions, RLPs mainly lead to legal-institutional security, whereas SCA combines and contributes to both forms of land tenure security. Rural smallholders will enjoy high levels of land security when these elements are in dynamic balance.

Objectives: Little studies had been done on chewing lice of marine birds in the Middle East. Through this work, parasitic chewing lice of Brown Booby Sula leucogaster (Boddaert) in the Red Sea were recorded for the first time from Egypt. Methods: One brown booby was examined for chewing lice in Giftun Island, Hurghada. A total of 27 specimens of lice were collected from this bird and phylogenetic analysis of species of genus Pectinopygus associated boobies has been done based on NCBI data. Results and conclusions: Two species of marine chewing lice were identified: Eidmanniella albescens (Piaget, 1880) and Pectinopygus sulae (Rudow, 1869) ; diagnostic remarks for the two identified species, measurements, and material examined were provided through the manuscript. The final phylogenetic tree indicates the monophyletic origin of Pectinopygus spp. associated with boobies and their paraphyletic relation to other species of Pectinopygus that associated with other Suliformes. Also, independence of boobies’ speciation from chewing louse of genus Pectinopygus speciation. The present work forms a small step in a long way of studying marine chewing lice of Egypt and a better understanding of marine birds/chewing lice interaction.

Access to land is crucial for food systems to address the challenges caused by habitat and biodiversity loss, land and water degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable food production requires land security upstream for agricultural production. Land security emanates from the land law implemented in-country by government policy. In the span of a decade (2007–2017), three different land reforms have been adopted in Benin. This paper aims to investigate the land rights and land tenure security for sustainable food production according to land law and the factors that influence agricultural entrepreneurial activities in North Benin. The study was carried out in the Borgou department, mainly in five communes that are beneficiaries of the Responsible Land Policy Project of GIZ (Promotion d’une Politique Foncière Responsible: ProPFR/GIZ). A multistage sampling procedure was used to select the agricultural entrepreneur respondents. A total of 102 agriculture entrepreneurs were interviewed in 25 villages. According to land law in Benin, the results highlight the different levels of land tenure security and land rights represented by types of land documents: type contract (use right), certificates of customary ownership (ADC), and land title. The research reveals that 44.3% of the land of agriculture entrepreneurs’ respondents possessed the certificates of customary ownership and 18% possessed the land title. The facilitation of access to legal land documents such as certificates of customary ownership and land titles can protect agricultural entrepreneurship for sustainable food production.

Cattle farming is directly impacted by climate change (CC), as it utilizes resources whose seasonality and productivity are strongly climate-dependent. Farmers respond to the negative influence of CC by implementing different adaptation strategies, where choices are informed by many factors. This study aims at analyzing the adaptation strategies of cattle farmers in the dry tropical zone (DTZ) and sub-humid tropical zone (STZ) of Benin with regard to climate change, as well as the determinants for the choice of these strategies. For that matter, 360 cattle farmers were surveyed. Data collected were related to the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the cattle farmers, their perception and adaptation to CC. The data collected were subjected to frequency analysis and binary logistic regression. The results showed that livestock farmers were partly aware of climate related with CC, especially the increase of temperature. The most important adaptation strategies mentioned by cattle farmers were mobility, integration of livestock and crop husbandry, provision of concentrate feed, reduction of herd size, diversification of livestock, and forage cropping. Farming experience, cattle herd size, membership in an organization, number of farm assets, level of education, and climate zone were the major variables affecting farmers' adaptation strategies. From this study, we recommend that any program promoting adaption of climate change resilience among farmers, especially cattle farmers, should take the identified factors into account.

Temperatures have fluctuated dramatically throughout our planet’s long history, and in recent decades, global warming has become a more visible indicator of climate change. Climate change has several effects on different economic sectors, especially the livestock industry. The Old-world screwworm (OWS), Chrysomya bezziana (Villeneuve, 1914), is one of the most destructive insect pests which is invading new regions as a result of climate change. The economic loss in livestock business due to invasion of OWS was previously assessed by FAO in Iraq to be USD 8,555,000. Other areas at risk of invasion with OWS in the future include Japan. Therefore, maximum entropy implemented in MaxEnt was used to model predictive risk maps of OWS invasion to Japan based on two representative concentration pathways (RCPs), 2.6 and 8.5, for 2050 and 2070. The Area Under Curve (AUC) indicates high model performance, with a value equal to 0.89 (±0.001). In addition, the True Skill Statistics (TSS) value was equal to 0.7. The resulting models indicate the unsuitability of the northern territory of Japan for invasion by OWS. The main island’s southern costs show high and very high invasion suitability, respectively, and both Kyushu and Okinawa are at high risk of invasion with OWS. The predicted risk maps can be considered a warning sign for the Japanese quarantine authority to hasten a control program in order to protect the livestock industry from this devastating pest.

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fluxes of two cropping systems in three mountain oases of Al Jabal Al-Akhdar mountains of northern Oman were determined in 2008/09 and 2009/10. These comprised garlic at Ash Sharayjah (1,900 m asl) and Masayrat (1,030 m asl), pomegranate in Ash Sharayjah and Qasha’ (1,640 m asl), and date palm groves at Masayrat. Goat manure was applied to garlic fields at 47 and 40 t dry matter (DM) ha-1 at Ash Sharayjah and 42 and 37 t DM ha-1 at Masayrat. Pomegranates at Ash Sharayjah and Qasha’ received cattle dairy manure at 66 and 60 t DM ha-1 yr-1. Annual total gaseous C losses varied from 20.9 to 61.2 t C ha-1 to which CH4-C contributed < 2%. Total annual C surpluses were 12.5 t ha-1 in garlic fields at Ash Sharayjah, while C deficits of -5.5 t ha-1 were obtained at Masayrat. Annual C surpluses in pomegranate and date palm were 16.7, 7.5, and 1.7 t ha-1 in Ash Sharayjah, Qasha’, and Masayrat. Date palm groves had total annual N surpluses of 1857 kg N ha-1 while pomegranate fields at Ash Sharayjah and Qasha’ had annual surpluses of 1414 and 1500 kg N ha-1.

Objective: To develop the Croatian version of the 41-item Dental Environment Stress questionnaire (DES) for stress assessment of dental students in both, preclinical and clinical years of study and to test its psychometric properties in Croatian dental student population. Materials and Methods: The English version of the 41-Item DES questionnaire was first translated into the Croatian language. Subsequently, it was set on the google drive and filled out by a total of 202 students from the School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb and 30 additional students from other Faculties. Students also assessed their overall level of stress on the Likert scale (1=no stress, 5=highest level of stress). Internal consistency was tested on 202 dental students; test-retest reliability on 30 dental students who filled out the same questionnaire twice; convergent validity on 202 dental students; and divergent validity on 202 dental students and 30 students from faculties not belonging to the biomedicine group. Results: Internal consistency showed high Cronbach alpha coefficient (0.9) and test-retest reliability showed no significant difference (P>0.05) within the period of 14 days when stress level had not changed (vacation). Convergent validity was confirmed by the significant association between the DES summary scores and the self- perceived level of stress (Spearman’s rho=0.881; P

Djidja est l’une des plus grandes communes productrices agricoles du département du Zou au sud du Bénin. De par ses ressources fourragères et hydriques, elle est devenue une destination des éleveurs transhumants. Les mouvements des éleveurs transhumants continuent de s’étendre, de même que les séjours dans cette zone d’accueil s’allongent. L’étude a eu pour objectif global d’élaborer le calendrier pastoral et la carte de transhumance des éleveurs fréquentant cette commune. Des entretiens semi-structurés ont été conduits auprès de 300 acteurs de la transhumance. L’enquête a montré que la transhumance dans cette commune était surtout due à la recherche de ressources fourragères et hydriques (78,7 %). Sept périodes (Seeto, Nduungu Mawdo, Nduungu Pamarel, Jahol, Djaamdè, Dabuundè et Cheedu) ont été identifiées dans le calendrier des transhumants fréquentant cette zone avec une particularité de deux périodes de Nduungu (saison des pluies). Cette particularité est liée aux données climatiques de la zone qui comprend quatre saisons, dont deux pluvieuses et deux sèches. Le calendrier pastoral, l’itinéraire suivi et les temps de séjour dépendaient de la disponibilité des ressources pastorales des zones d’attache, de transit et d’accueil. Ainsi, la bonne connaissance des pistes empruntées, des points d’entrées et de sorties, et des périodes d’accueil des éleveurs transhumants serviront d’outils aux décideurs en matière de gestion durable de la transhumance et des ressources pastorales au sud du Bénin.

Nanoindentation is a technique commonly used to measure the mechanical properties of thin films even at depths less than 1 μ m. In fact, the characterization is based on the study of the load/displacement curves resulting from the nanoindentation test. We aim to use the backtracking search optimization algorithm (BSA) to improve the extraction of P(h) curves performed by nanoindentation on galvannealed Fe-Zn coating in terms of precision and dispersion. Indeed, the originality of this study is not limited only to the P(h) curve extraction methods, but also to its application in modeling the reverse approach for the case of Fe-Zn coating deposited on a Dual-Phase DP600 steel substrate. Indeed, the BSA approach showed more precision (with respect to the determined mean value) and less dispersion (magnitude of error around the identified mean value) compared to the Least-squares approach. The average error with the BSA and LS methods is respectively 0.89% and 3.16% for the yield stress $\left({{\boldsymbol{\sigma }}}_{{\boldsymbol{Y}}}\right)$ and 3.17% and 7.93% for the strain hardening exponent (n). This reduced the error variability in the prediction of the constitutive law to 72% and 60% for ( ${{\boldsymbol{\sigma }}}_{{\boldsymbol{Y}}}$ ) and n , respectively. Thus, we solved the problems of accessibility, uniqueness of the solution, precision (+10%) and dispersion (−85%) of the required prediction models for the Fe-Zn coating behavior.

Background: Hospital acquired pneumonia occurs more than 48 h after hospital admission and was not present at the time of admission, while ventilator associated pneumonia occurs after 48–72 h of endotracheal intubation or within 48 h of extubation. HAP is the second most common nosocomial infection and accounts for approximately 25% of all infections in the Intensive Care Unit worldwide. Purposes: To identify the etiology, initial evaluation, prevention, and treatment of adult patients with ICU HAP, and VAP in Suez Canal University hospital and their management strategies. Methods: This study was conducted in the department of ICU, Suez Canal University Hospital; Ismailia, Egypt in the period from May to August 2013. All the patients were subjected to clinical and radiological assessment, Endotracheal aspirate samples for culture, and sensitivity to determine the causative organisms, Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score was done in order to determine the severity of HAP. Results: 89% of patients were suffering from VAP, while 11% were suffering from HAP, with mean age of 63.8 ± 10.47 years. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae represented the most common isolated organisms that accounted about 65% of the studied population. The isolated microorganisms were resistant to Amoxicillin, MRSA showed highest sensitivity (44.4%) to Vancomycin and (27.8%) to Imipenem. K. pneumoniae were sensitive mainly to Imipenem (75.9%) and to Levofloxacin (44.8%). Conclusion: Gram-negative organisms were isolated in 46% of cases, gram-positive organisms in 41% and the isolated organisms showed high resistance to most of the tested antibiotics.

Can local knowledge still maintain agrobiodiversity in Benin ? Agrobiodiversity, key component of food security is nowadays confronting many global, regional and local changes of agriculture. This study has been conducted to evaluate the impact of those changes on the agrobiodiversiy in developing countries. The study is undertaken especially in Benin (West Africa) where 60% of people rely upon agriculture for their daily life. Observations were based only on national and local changes. Four mains constraints have been highlighted in agricultural politic of Benin. The most important is the quiet lack of valid and reliable diffusion system of seed. Only few local knowledge as «cultural symbolism of varieties» based on anthropo-economics parameters allowed to maintain diversity. Due to the increasing challenges resulted from modernism, inherited local knowledge failed to efficiently play the same role. Even interventions of formals actors didn’t change the result. The study highlighted the need to implement new policy where actions of all target actors should be addressed in order to ensure dynamic management of agricultural diversity and food security.

Background: The ideal timing of tracheostomy in intensive care units (ICUs) for critically ill patients undergoing mechanical ventilation (MV) is still a matter of debate. The aim of this work was to determine and analyze the proper timing of tracheostomy and its impact on various clinical outcomes of adult patients in ICUs undergoing MV. Material and Methods: This prospective cohort observational study was carried out on 43 critically ill patients on MV in ICU patients aged ≥18 years old, both sexes, expected to be on prolonged MV. Patients were divided into two groups: Early tracheostomy (ET) group (n=20), who submitted to tracheostomy within 10 days post intubation. and late tracheostomy (LT) group (n=23), who submitted to tracheostomy between 11- and 21 days post intubation. The correlation between the timing of tracheostomy of each group and various associated ICU clinical parameters were analyzed. Results: There was a positive correlation between ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and mortality (P =0.013) which was statistically significant. There was a negative correlation between mortality and length of ICU stay (P=0.009), and duration of sedation (P=0.028) in ET Conclusions: ET had a notable benefit in VAP incidence, shortening the duration of the MV, lessening the sedation time, minimizing the risks of weaning failure and decreasing length of overall ICU stay, but it had no significant impact on mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]