11 research outputs found
Simultaneous bilateral femoral fracture in children
No full textIntroduction: Bilateral femoral fractures in children (BFFC) are an uncommon condition. Only a few cases were reported in the literature. The frequency and outcome in low-setting facilities are unknown. This study aims to describe our experience in managing BFFC. Patients and Methods: A 10-year ongoing study spanning from 2010 to 2020 was held in a level-1 paediatric facility. We included all cases of BFFC on a bone-free disease with at least 10 months of follow-up time. Data were collected and analysed with statistical software. Results: A total of eight patients with ten BFFC were collected. It involved mainly boys (n = 7/8) with median age of 8 years. Mechanism of injury were a road traffic accident (n = 4), a fall from height (n = 3), and been crushed by a falling wall (n = 1). Associated injuries were frequent (n = 6/8). Patients were managed nonoperatively with spica cast (n = 5) and by elastic intramedullary nails (n = 3). After 6.11 years of mean follow-up time, all fractures healed. The outcome was excellent and good in 7 cases. One patient sustained knees stiffness. Conclusion: Non-operative management of BFFC showed satisfactory outcomes. Early surgical care must be developed in our low-income settings to reduce in-hospital stay and encourage early weight-bearing
Forensic autosomal and gonosomal short tandem repeat marker reference database for populations in Burkina Faso
No full textTandem repeat genetic profiles used in forensic applications varies between populations. Despite the diversity and security issues in the Sahel that require the identification of victims (soldiers and civilians), Burkina Faso (BF) remains understudied. To fill this information gap, 396 unrelated individuals from BF were genotyped using a MICROREADER 21 ID System kit. All 20 short tandem repeat (STR) loci tested passed the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) test. The combined powers of exclusion for duos (CPE duos) and trios (CPE trios) for the 20 tested loci were 0.9999998 and 0.9999307, respectively. The probability that two individuals would share the same DNA profiles among the BF population was 9.80898 x 10-26. For the X-chromosome STR analysis, 292 individuals were included in this study using a MICROREADER 19X Direct ID System kit. Among the 19 loci, no significant deviations from HWE test were observed in female samples after Bonferroni correction (p < 0.05/19 = 0.0026), except for loci GATA165B12 and DXS7423. The results showed that the combined power of exclusion (CPE) and the combined power of discrimination in females (CPDF) and males (CPDM) were 0.999999760893, 0.999999999992, and 1, respectively. Comparison with other African sub-populations showed that geographical proximity is a reliable indicator of genetic relatedness
Formulation and development of capsules containing dry extracts from the calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. and the sheaths of Sorghum caudatum H., intended as a dietary supplement
No full textIntroduction: Anthocyanin-rich extracts from Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyces and Sorghum caudatum H. sheaths are promising antioxidants, but instability and dose variability limit use. This study aimed to standardize and manufacturing capsules containing lyophilized and purified dry extracts with affordable, plant-based excipients.
Methodology: An experimental program (Ouagadougou, Nov 2022–Aug 2023) prepared three extracts, lyophilized H. sabdariffa, purified H. sabdariffa, and purified S. caudatum. Physicochemical and pharmacotechnical tests assessed appearance, pH, hygroscopicity, residual moisture, and powder flow (angle of repose, Carr index, Hausner ratio). Total anthocyanins were quantified by differential pH (H. sabdariffa) and Stonestreet (S. caudatum). Size-0 capsules were formulated with maize starch and, when needed, colloidal silica; quality control evaluated appearance, mass uniformity (n=20), and disintegration (n=6).
Results: Extracts were acidic (pH 4.4–5.3), had residual moisture <10%, and were hygroscopic. Anthocyanins were 11.33±0.49 mg/g (lyophilized H. sabdariffa), 83.91±0.15 mg/g (purified H. sabdariffa), and 317.77±10.07 mg/g (purified S. caudatum). Flow was fairly good for lyophilized Hibiscus (Hausner 1.25) but poor to extremely poor for purified extracts (1.39–1.64); colloidal silica improved filling. Capsules were cylindrical, smooth, and compliant for mass uniformity; mean disintegration was 2.88–3.91 min.
Discussion: Capsules manufacturing enhanced standardized dose delivery, masked acidity, and limited environmental degradation. Gaps include granulometry, microbiological testing, post-formulation flow testing, and finished-product anthocyanin assay; ICH-aligned stability, dissolution in biorelevant media, and content uniformity are recommended.
Conclusion: Bench-scale standardization and capsules manufacturing yielded reproducible, rapidly disintegrating capsules suitable for supplementation and highlight the value of local botanicals.
Keywords: Hibiscus sabdariffa L., Sorghum caudatum H, anthocyanins, capsule
Factors for Success in SMEs: A Perspective from Tangier
No full textPurpose
It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the importance of the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in the economic and social development of a country. In view of their identified importance, this present study aims to develop a clearer understanding of the factors that influence success of small and medium enterprises in Tangier, as perceived by local owner-managers.
Design
The initial research framework, which emanated from a systematic literature review, was empirically investigated using a two-stage design, which incorporated both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The rationale behind the two-stage methodology was firstly to avoid common-method bias; and, secondly, to seek to illuminate findings arising from the survey by providing individual insights. Approaches were employed in succession with the findings from the quantitative phase informing the qualitative phase. Initially, a paper and online survey questionnaire was administered to a population of 365 industrial SMEs, identified from the official website of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and New Technologies, the 2010 directory of the Association of the Industrial Zone of Tangier as well as its official website, and the website of the Tangier free zone. This survey was used in order to validate the initial conceptual framework and gain some insights on the perceptions of owner-managers of the factors influencing the performance of SMEs. Following the quantitative phase, fifteen in-depth face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with selected owner-managers of SMEs, forming a judgmental sample, to explore their experiences, beliefs, and attitudes with respect to the drivers of success.
Findings & conclusions
The study found that there are three generalized influences on the success of SMEs based on the Tangier entrepreneurs' perceptions: the 'owner-manager attributes' with an emphasis on the language skills factor; partnership working with an emphasis on the financial and networking partnership; and business characteristics with a focus on the location factor, which was mainly associated with the ‘free zones’. The existence of these ‘free zones’ was a key factor in selecting Tangier as a location for this study
Social dialogue during the financial and economic crisis - Results from the ILO/World Bank Inventory using a Boolean analysis on 44 countries
No full textUsing information collected by the ILO/WB Inventory of policy responses to the financial and economic crisis on 44 countries, this paper identified conditions under which there was a social dialogue response to the financial crisis between 2008 and 2010. For that purpose, they use a particular definition of social dialogue, e.g. the emergence of tripartite national-level agreements or major agreements at the sector level; and rely on a Boolean analysis, e.g. a statistical method to detect relationships between variables, for example between answers to a questionnaire. Based on this definition, 13 out of 44 countries adopted national level agreement or major sector level agreement in formulating their crisis response, including seven in Europe, three in Americas, two in Asia, and one in Africa. Explanatory factors for the emergence of social dialogue include freedom of association, the severity of the crisis, and the strength of trade unions.social dialogue / freedom of association / labour policy / economic recession / economic implication / social implication / survey / methodology / developed countries / developing countries
Contribution à l'étude des réseaux urbains des Hainaut français et belge au XVIIIe siècle : synchronismes et distorsions démographiques et fonctionnelles d'une aire de civilisation urbaine
No full textThis paper aims at giving some keys to the understanding of the Hainaut urban networks in the eiteenth century lato sensu. The first step of this study mainly consists in an approach of demography supposed to bring out the French and Belgian Hainaut urban hierarchy. The author tests W.Reilly's gravitational assumptions in situ, brings into play some urban centrality indicators (postal activity, weight of the urban budgets). In order to reveal the urbanisation patterns which organise the Hainaut area, Mr. Guignet resorts to two complementary approaches : the rank-size rule and the central places theory dear to W. Christaller. In fine, in a province which is not really in the heart of the economic world System, the author finds out a connexion between the christallerian character of the Hainaut urban networks and the relatively modest level of the urban population. However, with the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century, the Hainaut urban networks had to submit to another logic which led to a stronger density in the coal-basin conurbation.Cet article vise à fournir quelques clés introduisant à la compréhension du fonctionnement des réseaux urbains du Hainaut au XVIIIe siècle lato sensu. Après avoir suivi une démarche principalement démographique pour dégager la hiérarchie urbaine des versants français et belge du Hainaut, l'auteur teste in situ les hypothèses gravitationnelles de W. Reilly, met en œuvre plusieurs indicateurs de centralité urbaine (activité postale, poids des budgets urbains). Afin de dévoiler les modèles d'urbanisation structurant l'espace hennuyer, M. Guignet a recours à deux approches complémentaires : la loi rang-dimension et la théorie des "places centrales" chère à W. Christaller. In fine dans un Hainaut qui n'est pas franchement au cœur de "l'économie-monde", l'auteur décèle une connexion d'essence entre le caractère en gros christallérien du semis urbain hennuyer et le niveau relativement modeste de la concentration de la population entre les villes. Toutefois avec la révolution industrielle du XIXe siècle, les réseaux urbains hennuyers durent se plier à une autre logique aboutissant à la densification d'une véritable conurbation dans le bassin minier.Guignet Philippe. Contribution à l'étude des réseaux urbains des Hainaut français et belge au XVIIIe siècle : synchronismes et distorsions démographiques et fonctionnelles d'une aire de civilisation urbaine. In: Annales de démographie historique, 1992. La démographie de l'Union Soviétique. pp. 269-300
Formulation of Functional Food Supplements: Case Study of Manufacturing Process Optimization at ‘Sarepta Production’, Burkina Faso
No full textIntroduction: In the context of promoting local resources and achieving food sovereignty, plant-based food supplements play a key role. However, their production often remains artisanal, making them prone to contamination and quality inconsistency.
Objective: This study aimed to harmonize and standardize the manufacturing practices of four dietary supplements produced at the “Sarepta Production” unit in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, by integrating Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygiene Practices (GHP).
Methodology: Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were developed for each stage of the production process. Microbiological analyses were carried out on three successive batches at Agence Nationale pour la Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Environnement, de l’Alimentation, du Travail et des produits de santé (ANSSEAT) using standards established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO standards) to assess sanitary quality.
Results and Discussion: The results showed a progressive reduction in total aerobic mesophilic flora, yeasts, molds, and thermotolerant coliforms across the three production cycles. No pathogenic microorganisms like Salmonella, E. coli, or S. aureus were detected. The implementation of GMP, GHP, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles enabled effective control of critical points, such as raw material reception, mixing, packaging, and storage.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that strict integration of hygiene and quality standards within small-scale food supplement manufacturing units significantly improves microbiological safety and consumer acceptability. It offers a reproducible model for other local food initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa in general and in Burkina Faso in particular.
Keywords: Food Supplements, Good Manufacturing Practices, Microbiological Quality, Harmonization, Local Production, Critical Control Points
Effectiveness and Safety of Common Non-Oncologic Pharmaceuticals in Cancer Management: A Systematic Review
No full textBackground. De novo anticancer drug development is lengthy, costly, and risky, motivating cautious evaluation of off-label use of common non-oncologic agents where mechanistic plausibility and clinical signals exist.
Objectives. To synthesize the effectiveness and safety of frequently repurposed non-oncologic drug classes in oncology and to identify priorities for practice and research.
Methods. A PRISMA-guided systematic review (2015–2025) screened titles/abstracts and full texts in duplicate, with standardized extraction and narrative/thematic synthesis. Records identified: 1,699; duplicates removed: 119; other removals (missing metadata): 33; records screened: 1,547; excluded at title/abstract: 956; reports sought: 591; not retrieved: 410; assessed for eligibility: 181; included: 181. Outcomes included OS, PFS/DFS, ORR, QoL, and CTCAE-graded toxicities.
Results. Antihypertensives comprised the largest class, followed by antidiabetics, statins, anti-inflammatories/aspirin, antibiotics, antidepressants, and anthelmintics; lung, breast, colorectal, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers were most represented. Signals suggest possible benefit for overall survival and mortality, with limited and inconsistent evidence for PFS/DFS and ORR; QoL was rarely reported. Outcome definitions, progression ascertainment, censoring rules, exposure metrics (dose, duration, timing), and reporting completeness were heterogeneous, constraining meta-analytic pooling and causal inference.
Conclusion. Generalized repurposing for oncology is not supported at this time beyond established non-oncologic indications. Biologically coherent, low-toxicity signals, most consistently for β-blockade and RAAS modulation, and more variably for metformin, statins, and aspirin, justify targeted, rigorously designed evaluation in prospective trials and robust observational emulations, with harmonized endpoints and systematic CTCAE capture. Equity-by-design, common data elements, preregistration, and data/code sharing are essential to accelerate credible, practice-informing evidence.
Keywords: Non-Oncologic Agents, Effectiveness and Safety, Cancer Managemen
Stephen Spender, Christopher Isherwood, W. H. Auden et le monde allemand : échanges culturels (1929-1988)
No full textSpender et Isherwood s’avèrent être des sources étonnamment fiables concernant l’histoire du monde allemand. Bien que recourant parfois aux clichés et à la stylisation, ils fournissent des informations précieuses sur des artistes allemands et autrichiens tels que Herbert List et Berthold Viertel. Isherwood a recours au mythe non seulement pour se poser en grand-père du mouvement pour les droits des homosexuels américains, mais aussi pour explorer les multiples avancées sur la sexualité en Europe pendant l’entre-deux-guerres. Ainsi, son récit fictif de la rencontre entre Gide et Hirschfeld défie la doxa critique et permet à Gide de prendre sa place légitime dans l’histoire de la libération homosexuelle.Isherwood fut également le premier à s’intéresser à l’impact de Viertel sur le cinéma britannique. Prater Violet met en valeur la contribution technique et artistique du réalisateur autrichien et révèle combien les studios anglais dépendaient des talents continentaux entre les deux Guerres mondiales. Bien qu’Isherwood, pour les besoins de l’intrigue, ait fait de Viertel un impuissant sur le plan politique dans son roman, il souligna plus tard le message anti-colonialiste audacieux que Viertel fit passer dans Rhodes of Africa. Le film nous invite à remettre en cause l’idée selon laquelle la censure fut toute puissante pendant les années trente.Les échanges de Spender et Auden avec le monde allemand démontrent un engagement continu pour le dialogue entre nations et contre la censure. Déjà, en 1939, Spender faisait son retour en politique, à travers ses traductions et ses critiques. Sa version des Élégies de Duino, qui fait autorité, et ses articles sur Goethe et Hölderlin ont permis de reprendre possession de l’héritage littéraire allemand confisqué par les nazis. Touchant un large lectorat, European Witness de Spender aida à renforcer cette tendance après la guerre, plaidant pour une acceptation de l’Allemagne au sein de la famille européenne.À une échelle plus modeste, Auden se battit pour la réhabilitation littéraire d’un grand auteur autrichien qui s’était compromis avec le régime nazi. Il considérait son élégie pour Weinheber comme un devoir public, appelant la traduction en prose qu’il avait préparée avec une amie « mon Gemeindepflicht » (mon devoir de citoyen).Après le retour d’Auden et Spender au libéralisme vers 1937, leurs échanges avec le monde allemand trahissent un intérêt surprenant pour les auteurs classés à droite, dû à des raisons esthétiques. Le fait qu’Auden prit la défense de Josef Weinheber nous rappelle qu’il s’est aussi battu pour la réhabilitation artistique de Wyndham Lewis, notamment en signant une pétition collective avec Spender. Spender, pour sa part, avoua une fascination embarrassante pour le Feuer und Blut d’Ernst Jünger et le Kampf um Berlin de Goebbels. Les deux poètes anglais ont adhéré au credo libéral en vertu duquel la critique littéraire et historique ne doit pas être handicapée par des considérations politiques.Bien que ce travail de recherche doive beaucoup à l’approche culturelle de la traduction développée par Susan Bassnett et André Lefevere, il montre également les limites de leur théorie. Elle est plus pertinente dans des situations particulières telles que la guerre (la traduction des Élégies de Duino par Spender à la veille de la Seconde Guerre mondiale en témoigne) ou l’exil (voir la traduction du Pastor Hall d’Ernst Toller par Spender). Dans les cas moins extrêmes, et lorsque l’auteur source n’est ni inconnu, ni « canonique » dans la culture cible, la subjectivité du traducteur redevient un facteur important. C’est ce que démontrent les traductions de Brecht par Auden.Spender and Isherwood turn out to give surprisingly reliable accounts of the German world. While occasionally indulging in clichés and stylization, they provide rare information on German and Austrian artists such as Herbert List and Berthold Viertel. Isherwood uses myth not only to pose as the grandfather of the American gay rights movement, but also to explore the multiple sexual modernities in Europe between the wars. His mythical narrative of the meeting between Gide and Hirschfeld thus challenges critical doxa, allowing Gide to take his rightful place in the history of homosexual liberation.Isherwood was also one of the first to consider Viertel’s impact on British cinema. Prater Violet stresses the Austrian director’s technical and artistic contribution, revealing how much English studios depended on continental talent between the wars. Though Isherwood, for dramatic reasons, presented Viertel as politically impotent in the novel, he later pointed out that the director had conveyed a daring anti-colonial message in Rhodes of Africa. The film invites us to question the notion of an all-powerful censorship through the thirties.Their exchanges with the German world demonstrate an ongoing commitment to transnational dialogue and against censorship. Already in 1939, Spender was getting back, through the channels of translation and criticism, into politics. His authoritative version of the Duino Elegies and his articles on Goethe and Hölderlin reclaimed Germany’s literary heritage from its Nazi exponents. Spender’s widely read European Witness helped to strengthen this trend after the war, pleading for the acceptance of Germany into the European family.At a smaller scale, Auden fought for the literary rehabilitation of a major Austrian writer that had compromised himself during the Nazi era. He regarded the elegy to Weinheber as a public duty, calling the prose translation he prepared with a German friend ‘my civic duty’.After Auden and Spender’s return to liberalism in the late thirties, their exchanges with the German world betray a surprising interest in right-wing authors on aesthetic grounds. Auden’s defence of Josef Weinheber reminds us that he also strove for the artistic rehabilitation of Wyndham Lewis, co-signing a petition letter with Spender. Spender, for his part, admitted to an embarrassing fascination for Ernst Jünger’s Feuer und Blut and Goebbels’s Kampf um Berlin. The two English poets upheld the liberal credo that literary and historical criticism should not be hampered by political considerations.Although the present research owes much to Susan Bassnett and André Lefevere’s cultural approach to translation, it also exposes its limits. Their theory applies best to particular situations such as war (Spender’s rendering of the Duino Elegies on the eve of World War Two) or exile (his version of Ernst Toller’s Pastor Hall). In less extreme cases, and when the source author is neither unknown nor canonical in the target culture, the translator’s subjectivity becomes once again an important factor, as Auden’s renderings of Brecht demonstrate
Presidential Address: Tillers and Toilers: The Rise and Fall of Populism in Canada in the 1890s
No full textAs part of his on-going research upon religion and reform in late 19th century Canada, the author focuses on the efforts of the Patrons of Industry to ally with the labour movement. The author explores the attempts at cooperation between the two groups, and posits reasons for their failure to achieve a lasting and effective alliance. He examines the origins and policies of each group and outlines the grounds on which, participants believed, cooperation and alliance were both possible and desirable. The leader in this attempted farm-labour populist alliance was George W. Wrigley, from 1892 to 1896 the editor of the Canada Fanners' Sun, the Patron's weekly newspaper. He was the spokesman for a religiously based reformism which advocated the application of Chris- tian principles to everyday life. Wrigley saw an identity of interests between farmers and labourers, both of whom were producers who were victimized by the abuse of the system. Against these forces, organization and cooperation were necessary to ensure that the public interest would triumph over the private. Labour spokesmen and agrarian refor- mers shared the ideology cf agrarianism, "the conviction that man's most natural, healthy, even divinely inspired, activity was working on the land. " Both agreed that the farmer and the industrial worker each received insufficient return for their efforts, because the unproductive classes dominated the economy. Only an alliance committed to economic freedom, cooperation and democracy could eradicate the forces of privilege, unbridled competition and monopoly.While this alliance could point to some substantive achievements, ultimately it was a failure. The idea of cooperation received only modest support from the membership of both groups, while the leadership quickly became disillusioned by the slow pace of success. When the Patrons achieved a measure of political support in Ontario, they were unused to political power; they appeared indecisive and directionless as they debated tactics. Furthermore, the leadership often could not set aside their earlier attachments to either the Liberal or Conservative parties and wholeheartedly support the Patrons' political objectives. Hence internal divisions coupled with the return of prosperity late in the 1890s finally destroyed the country's first potentially successful protest party.Dans le cadre de recherches continues sur la religion et la réforme à la fin du 19e siècle, l'auteur porte son attention sur les efforts des Patrons of Industry en vue de s'allier aux mouvements des travailleurs. L'auteur analyse les tentatives de collaboration entre les deux groupes et avance les raisons de leur échec à réaliser une alliance réelle et durable. Il examine les origines et les politiques de chaque groupe et expose les bases qui, de l'avis des participants, devaient rendre souhaitable et possible la coopération et l'alliance. Le chef de file de cette tentative d'alliance populiste entre les milieux agricoles et les travailleurs était George W. Wrigley qui, de 1892 à 1896, occupait le poste de rédacteur en chef du Canada Farmer's Sun, l'hebdomadaire des Patrons. Il était le porte-parole d'un mouvement réformiste à fondement religieux qui défendait l'application des principes chrétiens à la vie quotidienne. Wrigley percevait une commu- nauté d'intérêts entre agriculteurs et travailleurs, puisque les deux groupes étaient des producteurs victimes des abus du système. Contre ces forces, l'organisation et la coopération étaient nécessaires pour assurer que l'intérêt public triompherait de l'intérêt privé. Les porte-paroles des travailleurs et les partisants de la réforme agraire partagaient l'idéologie de Vagrarianisme, "la conviction que, pour l'homme, l'activité la plus naturelle, la plus saine et même d'inspiration divine, était le travail de la terre". Les deux groupes croyaient que, le fermier autant que le travailleur industriel ne recevaient pas suffisamment pour leurs efforts, parce que les classes non-productives dominaient l'économie. Seule une alliance engagée au service de la démocratie, de la coopération et de la liberté économique pouvait éliminer les forces du privilège, de la concurrence débridée et du monopole.Si cette alliance pouvait se vanter de quelques réalisations importantes, en dernière analyse elle fut un échec. L'idéal de la coopération ne reçut qu'un appui modeste des membres des deux groupes et les leaders perdirent rapidement leurs illusions, face à la lenteur du changement. Lorsque les Patrons obtinrent un certain appui politique en Ontario, ils n'étaient pas habitués au pouvoir politique; ils parurent indécis et sans chef dans leurs débats sur la stratégie à adopter. De plus, très souvent les leaders ne purent mettre de leur côté leurs liens antérieurs avec les partis Libéral et Conservateur, pour appuyer sans réserve les objectifs politiques des Patrons. Par conséquent, des conflits internes et le rerour à la prospérité vers la fin des années 1890 finirent par détruire ce qui, au pays, aurait pu être le premier parti protestataire ayant des chances de succès
