Les enceintes et structures en pierre sont les principaux vestiges archéologiques connus dans l’espace géoculturel appelé abusivement ‘pays lobi’ au Burkina Faso, Afrique occidentale. Depuis les premières publications à leur sujet au début du vingtième siècle, leur architecture a été l’aspect matériel le plus traité. Cette focalisation sur les aspects architecturaux se justifierait par leur caractère atypique pour la région d’une part et leur facilité d’accès à travers les affleurements de murs en surface, d’autre part. En revanche, le mobilier archéologique, notamment céramique a été négligé, même si plusieurs auteurs y font référence. À l’avènement des fouilles archéologiques au début des années 2000, la production céramique s’est avérée majoritaire dans les corpus du mobilier mis au jour lors des différentes investigations. Au regard du potentiel de la céramique pour appréhender fa...

Le taux de déperdition des participants dans une cohorte prospective est une préoccupation majeure pour les investigateurs, compte tenu de son impact sur la validité interne des enquêtes. Notre étude avait pour objectif d’évaluer l’effet des appels téléphoniques sur les taux de suivi d’une cohorte de nourrissons au Burkina Faso. La cohorte du Projet CHAIN-BURKINA FASO était constituée de nourrissons âgés de 2 à 23 mois, hospitalisés pour morbidité aiguë et suivis pendant 6 mois après l’hospitalisation respectivement à J45, J90 et J180. Une régression binomiale avec calcul de risque relatif (RR) a permis d’estimer l’effet des appels téléphoniques sur l’effectivité de la visite de suivi planifiée. Au total, 415 enfants hospitalisés et sortis vivants ont été inclus dans les analyses. Les taux de suivi étaient respectivement de 93,6% (IC95%= [92,6 - 94,4]) à J45 ; 89,1% (IC95%=...

Background Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet reliable biomarkers for early detection and risk stratification remain limited. This study aimed to identify plasma proteins associated with disease progression from chronic HBV infection to HCC. Methods Plasma proteomic profiling was conducted using high-resolution LC–MS/MS on samples from healthy controls, chronic HBV carriers, patients with cirrhosis, and individuals with HBV-associated HCC. Differentially expressed proteins were identified through bioinformatics analysis, and protein–protein interaction networks were reconstructed to assess functional relevance. Results Eight proteins displayed distinct, stage-specific expression patterns along the disease continuum. ICAM1, TIMP1, and IGFBP7 were progressively upregulated, reflecting roles in inflammation, fibrosis,...

Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the socio-economic development of Burkina Faso, employing a large proportion of the population and contributing significantly to national GDP. However, this sector faces critical challenges, notably rapid soil degradation, declining fertility and the increasing vulnerability of farming systems to climate variability. To mitigate these issues, soil and water conservation (SWC/SDR) techniques have been widely promoted and implemented at the individual farm level. While these practices have proven beneficial locally, they often fail to capture broader landscape-scale benefits. In contrast, watershed-based approaches integrate land and water management across multiple plots, generating substantial positive externalities, including reduced upstream runoff, diminished downstream erosion and enhanced ecosystem services. This study investigates farmers' accep...

Introduction: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections represent significant public health challenges in sub-Saharan Africa, including Burkina Faso. HAV is the most symptomatic viral hepatitis, while HBV is the most endemic and can lead to severe complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HAV is an RNA virus belonging to the Picornaviridae family, whereas HBV is a DNA virus of the Hepadnaviridae family. Despite the health burden of HAV, limited data are available on its prevalence in Burkina Faso. Although more information exists on HBV, the introduction of the HBV vaccine into the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) and ongoing awareness campaigns necessitate regular updates on its epidemiological status. This study aimed to conduct serological and molecular PCR-based diagnosis of HAV and HBV among blood donors at the Regional Blood Tran...

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the serious complications of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and constitutes a major global public health problem. Several factors contribute to the development of this cancer, the genetic aspect of which is linked to mutations in genes such as the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene. This gene plays a crucial role in maintaining telomeres. Genetic alterations in this gene can result in a defect in the continuous synthesis of telomeres, reducing the sensitivity of cells to apoptosis. Method: This was a descriptive study in which 97 patients were enrolled. TERT promoter mutations were characterized using Sanger sequencing technology and the functionality of the mutations identified was validated using cell culture techniques. Results: Our study showed that patients with unknown etiology status were mainly affe...

In this paper, we study some class of cellular automata (CA) preserving modulo-recursive, stability by reflection and richness called stable cellular automata (SCA). After applying these automata on Sturmian words, we establish some combinatorial properties of these new words. Next, the classical and palindromic complexity functions of these words are also determined. Finally, we show that these words are 2-balanced and we establish their abelian complexity function.

Research on land use impacts on woody diversity and carbon stocks in West African savannas has primarily focused on the vegetation level. However, a combined analysis at both vegetation and species levels offers a more nuanced understanding of carbon loss patterns and provides stronger guidance for management and conservation of threatened species. This study evaluated the effect of climate and land use change on woody structure, diversity, and carbon stocks in two climate zones (Sudanian and Sudano-Sahelian) and four land use types reflecting a land use conversion gradient. Aboveground carbon stocks were calculated from dendrometric data using a generalized pantropical allometric equation. Carbon dynamics were analyzed along the conversion gradient (near natural vegetation → recent cropland → cropland remaining cropland → fallow), with near natural vegetation as the baseline. Analysis...

Genetic parameter estimation is used to develop selection strategies for sustainable and climate smart agriculture. The aim of the study is to determine the level of agromorphological diversity and show which hereditary traits would have good heritability to be taken into account in varietal improvement and genetic progress. Seven hundred and sixty-eight genotypes belonging to four okra varieties were studied during two rainy seasons (2021 and 2022) at the experimental site of the National Institute for Agricultural Research of Niger in Diffa, using a Fisher block experimental design with four replicates. Sixteen agro-morphological parameters were evaluated. The collected data were analyzed using R-v4.3.1, Minitab-18 and XLSTAT-Pro Version-7.5.2 software. Comparison of the average performances of the varieties showed significant differences between the variables studied. A principal co...

Faidherbia albida (Delile) A. Chev. is a key agroforestry species that provides multiple ecosystem services, including soil fertilization, carbon sequestration, and forage production. Despite its ecological importance in climate change mitigation and its vital role for rural communities, natural populations of F. albida are declining due to poor regeneration, inadequate farming practices, and limited access to effective seed pretreatment techniques. This study aimed to assess the effect of seed size and sand scarification on the germination of Faidherbia albida. Seeds were classified into small, medium and large categories and subjected to sulfuric acid (98%), sand scarification and control pretreatment. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with two factor (three pretreatments and three seed size categories), each replicated five times. A total of 1,125 seeds w...