Publications récentes
ARTICLE
Improving the Bearing Capacity of Road Soil by Treatment with Cement and Lime: Case of National Road No. 4 in the City of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso
Bernard Gouba, Boukari Sawadogo, Dieudonné DabilgouNowadays, the question of the availability of good quality materials is increasingly raised in road projects. This has led us to techniques for improving the performance of materials that can be used in road layers. Cement and lime treatment is a well-known technique for improving materials in road construction. The test is done by adding a small amount of cement or lime to the material to be improved. This amount is determined at various percentages in order to obtain a good result. To carry out our study, it is necessary to study the raw material to see if it meets the standards, otherwise it must be improved. Indeed, for a material to be used in road layers, a minimum bearing capacity of 80% to 98% of OPM is required. Also, in order to understand the evolution of the CBR bearing capacity, we will make our materials suitable for road construction by mixing them with lime and cement.
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Cholera invasion speed and the intervention strength
Komi Afassinou, Ousmane Koutou, Narcisse Roland Loufouma MakalaWe formulate a mathematical model which captures the essential dynamics of cholera infection transmission. Control interventions such as vaccination program and environmental sanitation service are incorporated to analyse the impact of both interventions on the infection dynamics. The qualitative and numerical analyses of the model are carried out. Through these analyses, a great attention is brought to certain uncommonly used infection features such as invasion speed of an infection which historically has been ignored by infectious disease modellers. The analyses of these key model parameters not only reveal the required intervention strength needed to curb the infection spread but also indicate which either control intervention should be prioritised. The numerical results approve the qualitative f indings and promise an infection free population, should the control intervention speed be greater than the invasion speed of the infection.
ARTICLE
Microbiological, Biochemical and Physicochemical Characterization of Water Quality and Islands (Domoro and Maguite) in Lake Fitri, Chad
Djibrine Adoum Oumar, Hama Cissé, Atteib Adam Baye, Adama Sawadogo, Jacques Etame, Abdelsalam Tidjani, Savadogo AlyA total of fifty (50) samples of water from Lake Fitri (Chad), with 25 samples per island (Domoro and Maguite). The aim of this study was to analyze the bacteriological, biochemical and physico-chemical quality of the water in Lake Fitri in Chad. Standard microbiology methods were used. Isolated strains of enterobacteria were characterized by API 20E and API Staph galleries and confirmed by API Web. Antibiotic resistance was performed according to the recommendations of the antibiogram committee (CA-SFM, 2019). Physico-chemical analysis of the water was carried out by (Rodier, 2009). The microbiological results revealed an abundance on the Domoro islands (5.37.106 ± 1.5.105 and 1.97.105 ± 4.94.104), successively for total aerobic mesophilic flora (FMAT), and thermotolerant coliform (E. coli) and on the Maguite Islands (4.71.106 ± 7.14.105 and 2.32.105 ± 2.86.104), alternately for total aerobic mesophilic flora (FMAT), and thermotolerant coliform (E. coli). The results obtained after incubation of the biochemical tests using the API 20E and API Staph galleries and their proposed numerical profile analyzed using Api software and confirmed by Api Web confirmed the contamination of the waters of Lake Fitri by pathogenic strains of E. coli, Staphylococcus and Salmonella spp. The results of the antibiogram carried out show the emergence of certain resistances to Tobramycin, Flucytosine and Teicoplanin. The average levels of BOD5, COD, SS, Nitrate (NO3) and Nitrite (NO2) for Domoro Island were 32.14 ± 2.37 mg/L, 423.86 ± 4.78 mg/L, 65.42 ± 2.27 mg/L, 0.04 ± 0.01 mg/L and 3.32 ± 1.48 mg/L respectively. The water from the islands of Lake Fitri must therefore be rigorously treated before consumption.
ARTICLE
Towards a framework for monitoring crop productivity in agroforestry parklands of the Sudano-Sahel using Sentinel-1 and 2 time series
Julianne Oliveira, Martin Karlson, Abraham Sotongo Ouédraogo, Hugues Roméo Bazié, Madelene OstwaldThe agroforestry parklands in the Sudano-Sahelian zone are of critical importance for food security, but face several challenges in terms of changes in climate and land use. The ability to systematically monitor crop productivity in these systems is therefore of importance for both informing land management policies and studying long-term trends. This study, conducted in two different agroecological areas in southern and central Burkina Faso covering two climate-wise very contrasting years (2020–2021), is an initial step to designing a system based on satellite remote sensing that enables national-scale monitoring of crop productivity. In these two sites, we collected large field datasets of crop productivity (150 plots) for use in model training and validation. The main assessments focused on how to best process and combine remote sensing data sources, including time series from the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite systems, as well as soil properties, elevation and tree cover. Other key focuses were evaluating different regression modelling algorithms (multilinear and machine learning) and clarifying the potential benefits of performing the modelling in specific geographic regions and years or if the modelling can be
generalized. Overall, the results show that accurate estimates of crop productivity are achievable using the proposed modelling framework, with encouragingly high R2 (0.49–0.82) and low root mean square errors (11.80–19.35%). Sentinel-2 was the most important data source, but our results also demonstrate the potential of Sentinel-1, which has the benefit of not being affected by clouds. Another encouraging aspect is that the results were stable both between the years, which differed significantly in terms of rainfall and crop productivity, and between the sites that are characterized by contrasting crop compositions. This study shows that the development of a national-level crop monitoring system in Burkina Faso or countries with similar environmental conditions is within reach.
ARTICLE
General practitioners’ knowledge of psychotraumatism in Burkina Faso in a context of security challenges
Konsam Cédric Christel Sawadogo , Boubacar Bague , Adama Galboni , Mahamane Mobarak Salifou Abdou , Zeinabou Cisse and Kapouné KarfoPost-traumatic stress disorders are psychiatric disorders that arise after a traumatic event. They result in moral
suffering and physical complications that profoundly alter personal, social and professional life. Our main objective
was to study general practitioners (GP)’ knowledge of psychotraumatism. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional
study whose data collection took place from January 15 to September 15, 2023 in Burkina Faso. GP practicing
in Burkina Faso were included. The minimum number of subjects to be included was 422. A Google Form ®
questionnaire was administered to participants. Our study sample comprised 427 GP, 67% of whom were men
(284/427). The mean age of the doctors was 32.4±3.5 years. Doctors were married in 49% of cases (208/427) and
single in 41% (174/427). Average professional experience was 3.8±2.6 years. The largest number of GP (120) came
from the Centre region. A minority of GP practiced in rural areas (7%). The majority of GP (63%) thought they had
already dealt with a case of psychotraumatism. Our sample had received training in psychotraumatism during
their medical studies in 26.9% of cases, and 17.8% had received continuing education. Considering the grading of
GP’ knowledge of psychotraumatism, 182 had an average score of 10 or above, i.e. 43% of our sample. Our study
did not reveal any factors associated with better knowledge of psychotraumatism. A study on a larger population
including nurses could enable us to better assess the level of knowledge in psychotraumatism.
ARTICLE
Les radios communautaires au Burkina Faso face à la crise sécuritaire : Contraintes, adaptations et résiliences
Esther Delwendé Konsimbo, Boukari OuédraogoL'insécurité qui secoue le Burkina Faso depuis 2015 a modifié les pratiques journalistiques et le rôle des radios communautaires au Burkina Faso. Cet article analyse comment les radios communautaires font face aux défis liés à la crise sécuritaire. L'article s'appuie sur la théorie du gatekeeping comme cadre d'analyse. A partir d'entretiens avec les responsables de sept stations de radio émettant dans des zones d'insécurité et de l'étude d'une grille de programmes, nous montrons que les groupes terroristes sont le principal filtre, ou gatekeeper, au vu de l'influence qu'ils exercent sur la production des émissions des médias locaux ainsi que sur leur fonctionnement.
ARTICLE
Transition frequency and dynamic of polaron in transition metal dichalcogenide under radiowave and microwave
J. V. Nguepnang, C. Kenfack-Sadem, Mboumba Maik Delon, M. R. Kamsap, A. Kenfack-Jiotsa, Bokoyo Barandja Vinci De Dieu, I. ZerboWe investigated the transition frequency and dynamic of polaron in transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) under the radiowave and the microwave using Pekar variational method. We calculated the ground and first excited states energies of polaron, the magnitude of the bandgap modulation, the mobility and the lifetime of polaron are derived. Due to
the polaron’s superposition states in TMD, the qubit is formed, and the transition frequency is derived in order to value the information transfer. Our results demonstrated that: on one hand, the frequency of the microwave and the radiowave create fluctuation in the states energy of the polaron and the magnitude of the bandgap modulation. On the other hand, we found that their amplitudes increase the states energies, the lifetime and the mobility of the polaron but reduces the magnitude of the bandgap modulation. We also found that the radiowave and the microwave allow the information transfer and are helpful for controlling the state of a system.
ARTICLE
Evolution des pratiques endogènes dans les communes rurales du nord du Burkina Faso
Yasmina Téga, Hycenth Tim Ndah, Eveline Compaoré-Sawadogo, Jean-Marie DIPAMA, Johannes SchulerAu Burkina Faso, on constate une dégradation importante des sols liée à une gestion insuffisante des éléments nutritifs et à des pratiques agricoles inadaptées aux conditions climatiques et pédologiques. Les pratiques d’agroécologie sont des solutions endogènes permettant de répondre à ces défis. L’objectif de cette recherche est d’analyser l’évolution des pratiques agricoles endogènes au Nord du Burkina Faso, dans un contexte d’influence d’organisations externes. Notre étude mobilise un cadre d’analyse basé sur le concept de transition vers l’agroécologie. Elle repose sur la réalisation de huit focus groups et 46 entretiens individuels. Les résultats de l’analyse des données montrent un large éventail de pratiques endogènes connues et utilisées par les agriculteurs, qu’on peut considérer comme des pratiques agroécologiques. Certaines de ces pratiques ont été améliorées au fil du temps pour accroître leur efficacité et leur efficience grâce à l’appui d’acteurs externes comme les programmes de recherche-développement. Il ressort que les agriculteurs sont en phase d’amélioration de leurs pratiques endogènes (jachère, compostage) et adoptent de nouvelles pratiques de gestion durable des sols (cultures fourragères, semences améliorées, association de cultures et semis en ligne). Les deux communes étudiées sont engagées dans une dynamique de transition agroécologique entraînant d’importantes transformations de l’agroécosystème dans son ensemble.
ARTICLE
In Silico Inhibitory Potential of Isolated Molecules of Scoparia dulcis L. (Scrophulariaceae) on SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Mpro
Ouedraogo Moussa, Ouedraogo Windbedema Prisca, Yameogo Hermann W., Traore Inna T., Boly Raïnatou, Ouedraogo Noufou, Semde Rasmanè and Ouedraogo SylvinBackground: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused
by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, remains a global threat despite lifting the
health emergency. Scientists from all continents have been mobilized to develop
vaccines and medicines for prevention and cure. In Burkina Faso, traditional
healers proposed using Scoparia dulcis L., a medicinal plant, to manage
COVID-19. Method: In silico screening offers a quick drug-likeness evaluation
of Scoparia dulcis L.-isolated biomolecules toward SARS-CoV-2 targets,
such as Mpro protease. A review of the literature retrieved 35 biomolecules isolated
from Scoparia dulcis . The potential interactions of these biomolecules
with the amino acid residues of the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro protease were visualized.
Affinities and probable oral route delivery were assessed using reference
molecules such as remdesivir and nelfinavir. Results: The screening allowed
the retention of 20 hit molecules, which had a better affinity for the target than
the reference molecules remdesivir and nelfinavir, and analysis of the results
identified height lead molecules with a significant interaction with the Mpro
protease and being druggable. There are six flavonoids: cirsimarin, cynaroside,
hydroxy-tetramethoxyflavone, gossypetin, luteolin, vitexin, one diterpene,
glutinol, and one glycoside, eugenyl-glucoside. These molecules interact with
methionine 6 and tyrosine 126 of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. These two amino acids
are essential for the dimerization of Mpro protease. Inhibitory action on Mpro
protease can be expected from these biomolecules. Conclusion: Scoparia dulcis
L. could help manage COVID-19 because it contains biomolecules that can
inactivate SARS-CoV-2 Mpro.
ARTICLE
Forage harvesting using branch pruning compromises sustainable use and conservation of Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir., an endangered species
Bossila Séraphin Hien, Loyapin Bondé, Mohamed Mahamoud Charahabil, Sié Sylvestre Da, Joseph Issaka Boussim, Oumarou OuédraogoPterocarpus erinaceus Poir. is a leguminous tree species with huge forage value. It is subjected to heavy pruning pressure in dry season for livestock feeding, resulting in yearly decline of forage production and vulnerability of the species which is currently classified as endangered species. This study aimed at: (i) identifying factors influencing branch pruning pressure on P. erinaceus tree, (ii) assessing the effect of branch pruning on foliage production of the species and (iii) developing allometric equations for estimating its foliage biomass. We measured leaf biomass on representative living branches on 48 individual trees of P. erinaceus distributed in protected and communal areas following topography gradient. Branch size distribution and branch pruning ratio (PR) expressing human pressure on sampled trees were appreciated. Results indicated that PR was significantly (p-value < 0.001) influenced by tree morphological traits such as diameter at breast height (DBH) and crown area, and tree density around sampled tree. Linear regression highlighted the dominance of small branches on sampled trees both for pruned and living branches, suggesting a regular pruning of trees. Topography position and PR were found as main factors affecting the species leaf production (p < 0.05). The potential leaf biomass estimated at 15.09 ± 6.58 kg per tree is reduced by 35.98% when using branch pruning for forage harvesting. DBH and PR were the best predictor variables for estimating leaf production of the species. Allometric model developed is a useful tool for optimizing harvesting activities and secure sustainable use of the species. Based on the harvesting pressure observed on the species, the promotion of more conservative harvesting techniques such as cutting of leafy twigs for forage harvesting instead of branch pruning and preserving of heavy pruned trees from harvesting during few years are highly recommended for enabling fast renewal of branches and seed production for species regeneration. Findings and recommendations from this case study on P. erinaceus could be used to improve the management of tree species subjected to similar harvesting pressure across tropical regions.