Search

The prediction of solar potential is an important step toward the evaluation of PV plant production for the best energy planning. In this study, the discrete Kalman filter model was implemented for short-term solar resource forecasting one the Dakar site in Senegal. The model input parameters are constituted at a time t of the air temperature, the relative humidity and the global solar radiation. The expected output at time t+T is the global solar radiation. The model performance is evaluated with the square root of the normalized mean squared error (NRMSE), the absolute mean of the normalized error (NMAE), the average bias error (NMBE). The model Validation is carried out by means of the data measured within the Polytechnic Higher School of Dakar for one year. The simulation results following the 20 minute horizon show a good correlation between the prediction and the measurement with an NRMSE of 4.8%, an NMAE of 0.27% and an NMBE of 0.04%. This model could contribute to help photovoltaic based energy providers to better plan the production of solar photovoltaic plants in Sahelian environments.

Copyright of Mali Médical is the property of Mali Medical, Faculte de Medecine, de Pharmacie et d'Odonto-stomatologie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Proges en Urologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Observation of an Outbreak of Equine Trypanosomiasis due to Trypanosoma vivax in Urban Environment in Senegal. An outbreak of trypanosomiasis in imported and local horses and ponies occurred in September 1994 in a private horseriding farm near Dakar. Trypanosoma vivax was isolated. 5 mortalities (which a local pony were registered on 20 ill animals. The clinical signs were fever, depression, emaciation, anemia ad oedema. Curative treatment with intramuscular diminazene (3.5 mg/kg) and prophylactic intravenous isometamidium (0.5 mg/kg) were injected in October 1994 and July 1995. Glossina palpalis gambiensis was isolated near the farm.

Impact of the prescription and delivery of benzodiazepines in the occurrence of addictions in the district of Mbour., Introduction: Benzodiazepines (BZD) are widely used nowadays and are at the origin of an addiction., Objectives: The objective was to evaluate the quality of benzodiazepine prescribing and delivery in the Mbour department of Senegal and subsequently to implement an addictovigilance strategy. Thus, we studied the prescribing habits, the quality of delivery and identified the consumption habits of these drugs., Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional, prospective study with two questionnaires: addressed to patients and prescribers, conducted in pharmacies, hospitals, districts and Mbour health posts., Results: 44% of BZD prescriptions were prescribed by doctors and especially general practitioner. 31.1% did not comply with the rules of prescription (marketing authorization). As for the dispensing rules, (85.3%) were dispensed without a prescription. The level of consumption was high in the 30-40 age group (43.95%) predominantly female (59%). Insomnia predominated as a reason for prescription (16.4%) on anxiety (11.94%) with (65.5%) dependence., Conclusion: The abuses observed in the prescription, the delivery and consumption of BZD, constitutes a real health problem. Half of the consumers become addicted, hence the need for a national addictovigilance program., (Le comitée de rédaction se réserve le droit de revoyer aux auteurs avant toute soumission à l'avis des lecteurs les manuscrits qui ne seraient pas conformes à ces modalités de présentation. En outre il leur conseille de sonserver un examplaire du manuscrit, des figures et des tableaux.)

Background: Tobacco consumption is a net increase in our areas. In Senegal, as in other African countries, sponsorship of cultural and sporting events in schools promote tobacco use among schoolchildren. Our objective was to assess the prevalence of tobacco in the French School of Jean Mermoz of Dakar by a survey completed by a measurement of carbon monoxide (CO) in expired air., Methods: seven hundred forty-one students (n = 402 girls and n = 339 boys), aged 11 to 18 years of French and African cultures, participated in the study. A questionnaire with several items of smoking has been distributed to them . Two weeks after the collection of questionnaires, the CO measuring for all students was conducted., Results: The prevalence of smoking in High School was 23.1% and smoking was found more in boys according to the questionnaire and piCO+TM with 13.7% and 7.1% respectively. It affected over the upper age class or equal to fifteen years. The most mentioned reason for the initiation of smoking (45.4% of smokers) was curiosity with a need to be free, followed by the influence of the environment famial (44.4%) and friendly (20.5%). The measurement of carbon monoxide showed that 12.4% of our subjects had a smoking profile with 8% light smoking, 1% moderate smoking, and severe smoking was 3% of our students. A significant difference (p = 0.0021) between the two prevalences was found., Conclusion: The carbon monoxide intoxication by tobacco use is responsible for microcirculatory accidents such as tissue hypoxia, whereas smoking affects young students, in which the phenomenon is more precocious. Thus it is urgent to establish a policy of tobacco control in schools.

The course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may be influenced by the host immune response. A prospective study was carried out in ninety-eight subjects (mean age = 23 years) HBs antigens carriers of hepatitis B and living in Dakar, Senegal. We analysed the HLA-A, -B, and C antigens distribution compared to that one of a control (HBs negative) healthy senegalese population (n = 96) living in Dielmo village where a longitudinal study was set-up since 1990. The HLA class I typing was performed by microlymphocytotoxicity assays. The most frequent HLA-A, -B, -C antigens found were: locus A: A23 (33.6%), A2 (25%), A30 (25%), locus B: B8 (31%), B7 (16.3%), B58 (11.9%), B35 (11%), B49 (11%), B53 (10.8%) and locus C: Cw7 (39.1%), Cw17 (39.1%), Cw3 (36.9%), Cw4 (36.6%). Significant differences (P < 0.001) were found between the donors and the control group for the following HLA antigens: A1, A23, B8 and Cw3. The detection of HBe antigen was positive in 26/84 blood donors. It was observed a significant difference (p < 0.01) between positive and negative HBe donors for HLA-A1 allele with an odds ratio of 6.25. All the donors carrying the HLA haplotype: A1-B8-Cw7 (11.5%) were positive in HBe antigen. HLA: B8-Cw7 haplotype (detected in 8.5% of positive donors) seems to be likely associated with a liver cancer according to many reports. An adequate follow-up should be set-up for positive HBe subjects carrying a susceptible HLA type.

In this study, we compared the serological standard typing method and the DNA genotyping PCR-SSP for the characterization of HLA-DQ alleles in a senegalese population. For this purpose, 120 individuals leaving in Dielmo were typed using the microlymphocytotoxicity assay and the PCR-SSP DQ low Resolution method. A discordance of 42.5% (51/120) was found between these two methods. Thirty % (36/120) of serological typed persons failed to be typed by PCR-SSP method whereas 1% (1/120) assigned by PCR-SSP failed to be characterized by serology. Advantages and limits of these two typing methods and also the genetic background of our study population were valid arguments to comment our findings. The PCR-SSP, as suggested by several authors, is reliable, accurate and fast for HLA class II alleles characterization. Nevertheless, it needs, to become an alternative HLA typing method, available primers adapted to genetic background of study population.

41 patients senegalese patients suffering from clinically defined severe malaria were studied in the intensive medical care unit of the Hôpital Principal in Dakar, Senegal. All of these individuals lived in Dakar, an area of low and seasonal Plasmodium falciparum transmission. In this study, we aim to determine in one hand, the cytokine levels of TNF-alpha, TNF-alpha sRI, TNF-alpha sRII, IL-2 sR, IL-6, IL-6 sR, and IL-10 to evaluate their prognostic value in the course of the disease; in the other hand, the influence of the HLA-DR alleles in the susceptibility to get severe malaria. At the day of admission (day 0) and 3 days later, one or two blood samples were collected for each patient to assess different biological parameters. Plasma samples were tested for cytokines cited above by ELISA (Medegenix EASIA kits) and DNA samples for HLA-DR by PCR-SSP genotyping. The concentrations of all the cytokines and/or their receptors were significantly increased at day 0 in the patients who died (TNF-alpha = 455 +/- 480 pg/ml, IL6 = 511 +/- 396 pg/ml) and decreased rapidly in the patients who survived from the disease (TNF-alpha = 354 +/- 629 pg/ml, IL6 = 453 +/- 706 pg/ml). A fatal issue seems likely related to the age of patients (20 +/- 12 years for surviving patients and 31 +/- 16 years for patients who died) and the kinetic of the cytokines. Significant differences were observed (pc < 0.001) between patients with severe malaria and a control group for the following HLA alleles: DR3, DR10 and DR13. The HLA-DR13 allele was found positively and highly associated with severe malaria.

In this study, we reported the HLA-class II genotyping by PCR-SSP (PCR-Sequence Specific Primers). This method was used to subtype the HLA-DRB1*13 and 11 alleles in Dielmo population. The most frequent DRB1*11 subtypes were 1101, 1102 et 1104; the frequency of 1102 was the highest (18.5%). The DRB1*13 subtypes were more polymorphic in the population and DRB*1304 was the most common subtype (15%). There were significant differences between the ethnic groups for some subtypes of DRB1*11 and 13 alleles.