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Danielle R Bouchard,1,2 Marie-France Langlois,3,4 Katherine Boisvert-Vigneault,3,4 Paul Farand,5 Mathieu Paulin,5 Jean-Patrice Baillargeon3,4 1Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, 2Health, Leisure and Human Performance Research Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; 3Departement of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; 4CRC Étienne LeBel, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; 5Departement of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada Abstract: Most individuals do not reach the recommended physical activity level of at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise (AE) at moderate-to-vigorous intensity per week. For example, only 13% of older Canadian adults reach World Health Organization physical activity guideline (PAG). One of the reasons might be a difficulty identifying the required intensity. Twenty-five inactive older adults received one session about the AE-PAG and how to use a tool or strategy to help them identify AE intensity: heart-rate (HR) monitor (% of maximal HR; N = 9); manual pulse (% of maximal HR; N = 8); or pedometer (walking cadence; N = 8). Participants had 8 weeks to implement their specific tool with the aim of reaching the PAG by walking at home. At pre- and post-intervention, the capacity to identify AE intensity and AE time spent at moderate-to-vigorous intensity were evaluated. Only the two groups using a tool increased total AE time (both P < 0.01), but no group improved the time spent at moderate-to-vigorous intensity. No significant improvement was observed in the ability to correctly identify AE intensity in any of the groups, but a tendency was observed in the pedometer group (P = 0.07). Using walking cadence with a pedometer should be explored as a tool to reach the PAG as it is inexpensive, easy to use, and seemed the best tool to improve both AE time and perception of intensity. Keywords: aging, pacing, aerobic exercise

Caffeine was tested as copper corrosion inhibitor in 1M HNO3 using mass loss technique at 308-328K and theoretical studies based on quantum chemistry. The inhibition efficiency is concentration and temperature dependent: Caffeine showed an inhibition efficiency of 78% at 5mM for T =328K. The thermodynamic adsorption parameters ( were determined and analyzed. They revealed a spontaneous adsorption process and a strong interaction between Caffeine and the metal surface. Adsorption isotherms including Langmuir, Temkin and El-Awady were tested. It was found that Caffeine adsorbs on copper according to the modified Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The Dubinin Raduskevitch model was used to distinguish between chemisorption and physisorption. Activation parameters ( were also determined and discussed. Furthermore, the quantum chemical properties/descriptors most relevant to the potential action of the molecule as corrosion inhibitor such as highest occupied molecular energy (EHOMO), lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy (ELUMO), energy gap(∆E), dipole moment ( and charges on heteroatoms were calculated using DFT at B3LYP level with 6-31+G (d) and LanL2DZ basis sets. Fukui indices were also determined and discussed. The theoretical results are consistent with the experimental data reported. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v8i2.804

BACKGROUND:In Africa, most countries have fewer than 1 physician anesthesiologist (PA) per 100,000 population. Nonphysician anesthesia providers (NPAPs) play a large role in the workforce of many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but little information has been systematically collected to describe existing human resources for anesthesia care models. An understanding of existing PA and NPAP training pathways and roles is needed to inform anesthesia workforce planning, especially for critically underresourced countries. METHODS:Between 2016 and 2018, we conducted electronic, phone, and in-person surveys of anesthesia providers in Africa. The surveys focused on the presence of anesthesia training programs, training program characteristics, and clinical scope of practice after graduation. RESULTS:One hundred thirty-one respondents completed surveys representing data for 51 of 55 countries in Africa. Most countries had both PA and NPAP training programs (57%; mean, 1.6 pathways per country). Thirty distinct training pathways to become an anesthesia provider could be discriminated on the basis of entry qualification, duration, and qualification gained. Of these 30 distinct pathways, 22 (73%) were for NPAPs. Physician and NPAP program durations were a median of 48 and 24 months (ranges: 36-72, 9-48), respectively. Sixty percent of NPAP pathways required a nursing background for entry, and 60% conferred a technical (eg, diploma/license) qualification after training. Physicians and NPAPs were trained to perform most anesthesia tasks independently, though few had subspecialty training (such as regional or cardiac anesthesia). CONCLUSIONS:Despite profound anesthesia provider shortages throughout Africa, most countries have both NPAP and PA training programs. NPAP training pathways, in particular, show significant heterogeneity despite relatively similar scopes of clinical practice for NPAPs after graduation. Such heterogeneity may reflect the varied needs and resources for different settings, though may also suggest lack of consensus on how to train the anesthesia workforce. Lack of consistent terminology to describe the anesthesia workforce is a significant challenge that must be addressed to accelerate workforce research and planning efforts.

This study was carried out to determine the phytochemical and mineral composition of Piptadeniastrum africanum (Hook.f.) Brenan and Ipomoea involucrata P. Beauv., two plants presumed anti-fertilizers, were cited during an ethnobotanical survey carried out in 2018 among indigenous women in Mbandaka and the surrounding area. Micrography was carried out, followed by determination of mineral composition by ICP-AES and SAA, and the TLC for a highlight of the various phytochemical compounds making up these two plants. The study determined the relative structure of the multiple cells and tissues making up these plant drugs, including numerous raphids characteristic of Ipomoea involucrata and calcium oxalate crystals characteristic of Piptadeniastrum africanum. Among the chemical compounds, those directly linked to female anti-fertility have been highlighted. These include flavonoids, tannins, phenolic compounds, and terpenoids. Elemental analysis revealed mineral salts and trace elements directly influencing reproduction, such as iron, zinc, calcium, sodium, and arsenic. Even if these data make it possible to justify the activity of these two plants in reproductive health, it is, however, necessary for an in-depth study on the in vitro evaluation to determine the clear anti-fertilizing activity of these plants used, raw, by indigenous women.

Senegalin (1), a new phenylpropanoid has been isolated from the stem bark of Ekebergia senegalensis A. Juss. along with twelve known secondary metabolites including coumarins 2–5, 4-hydroxy-3,5-methylbenzoic acid (6), pentacyclic triterpenoids 7–9, acyclic triterpenoids 10 and 11 and steroids 12 and 13, respectively. Their structures were elucidated with the help of spectroscopic techniques including 1 D- and 2 D-NMR. The antibacterial activity of the major compounds (2, 9–11) was evaluated on five bacterial strains. However, only compounds 2 and 11 showed a weak inhibition against Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas agarici. Furthermore, the chemotaxonomic significance of these compounds has also been elaborated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prosody is a key area of linguistics that explores tonal and rhythmic variations in speech. In tonal languages such as Yemba, prosody plays a crucial role in distinguishing between words with different meanings or different grammatical forms. However, despite the large number of native speakers of this language in Cameroon, there are few resources for the speech recognition and synthesis. In this article, we present YembaTones, a syllabic and tonal annotated dataset, created from a dictionary we designed of 344 Yemba/French words coming from the most common phrases of the language, grouped according to their spellings that only differ by the tone. The dataset was originally designed for training and evaluating tone detection models for tonal and low resource languages. The recordings of the pronunciation of these words were made with 11 native speakers of Yemba, mainly specialists in linguistics with a good command of the sounds of the language. The recordings were made with a dictaphone in different places such as the homes of the speakers, the campuses and their workplaces. Then they have been cleaned and segmented into individual audio files corresponding to the pronunciations of isolated words, using the software Audacity. After cleaning and segmentation, we selected 3420 good quality audio files for annotation. Annotations were made at the syllabic and tonal level using Praat software. YembaTones is a valuable resource not only for the training and evaluation of automatic tone detection models but also for automatic speech recognition, speech synthesis of tonal and poorly endowed languages, as well as for the study of prosody and Yemba phonetics, research in speech acoustics and phonetic linguistics.

Background: Teenage pregnancy remains a global problem because of its consequences for the teenager, her child, her family, and society. In Haiti, this type of pregnancy burdens the family economy. In addition, the adolescent fertility rate is still high, despite efforts to reduce it. Objective: This article aims to analyze the perception and experiential experience of relatives of pregnant adolescents in Haiti. Methods: A qualitative study design based on Dewey’s social survey was conducted. Data were collected from 17 relatives (partners, parents, guardians, and others) of pregnant adolescents in Haiti’s North and Northeast departments. These data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: According to the results, teenage pregnancy is seen as a disaster or a social problem in Haiti. It leads to many psychosocial and economic difficulties for the relatives, who are the only source of economic and social support for pregnant adolescents. Conclusion: Considering the vulnerability of relatives, policies, and interventions aimed at reducing the negative consequences of teenage pregnancy should consider this group of individuals.

Abstract Background The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the second most malaria-affected country in the world with 21,608,681 cases reported in 2019. The Kongo Central (KC) Province has a malaria annual incidence of 163 cases/per 1000 inhabitants which are close to the national average of 153.4/1000. However, the malaria prevalence varies both between and within health zones in this province. The main objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology and transmission of malaria among children aged 0 to 10 years in the 4 highest endemic health areas in Kisantu Health Zone (HZ) of KC in DRC. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2017 using multi-stage sampling. A total of 30 villages in 4 health areas in Kisantu HZ were randomly selected. The prevalence of malaria was measured using a thick blood smear (TBS) and known predictors and associated outcomes were assessed. Data are described and association determinants of malaria infection were analysed. Results A total of 1790 children between 0 and 10 years were included in 30 villages in 4 health areas of Kisantu HZ. The overall prevalence in the study area according to the TBS was 14.8% (95% CI: 13.8–16.6; range: 0–53). The mean sporozoite rate in the study area was 4.3% (95% CI: 2.6–6.6). The determination of kdr-west resistance alleles showed the presence of both L1014S and L1014F with 14.6% heterozygous L1014S/L1014F, 84.4% homozygous 1014F, and 1% homozygous 1014S. The risk factors associated with malaria infection were ground or wooden floors aOR: 15.8 (95% CI: 8.6–29.2), a moderate or severe underweight: 1.5 (1.1–2.3) and to be overweight: 1.9 (95% CI: 1.3–2.7). Conclusion Malaria prevalence differed between villages and health areas within the same health zone. The control strategy activities must be oriented by the variety in the prevalence and transmission of malaria in different areas. The policy against malaria regarding long-lasting insecticidal nets should be based on the evidence of metabolic resistance.

Abstract Background A nutritious and healthy diet during pregnancy is essential for the health of both mother and baby. Inadequate dietary intake during pregnancy contributes to maternal malnutrition and can have lifelong effects on the health of the child. Maternal malnutrition is common in many low-income countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Kwango province, DRC, has a high prevalence of malnutrition among all population groups, including macro and micronutrient deficiencies among pregnant women. The study aimed to explore the dietary knowledge and practices of a pregnant woman in this area. Methods This study adopted a qualitative approach using in-depth interviews (IDIs) with pregnant women and key informants, and focus group discussions (FGDs) with fathers and grandmothers in the community, to explore women’s knowledge and practice about diet during pregnancy. Data were collected between January and April 2018. IDIs were conducted with pregnant women who were recruited at antenatal clinics during their second and third trimesters. IDIs were undertaken with selected key informants, who were health workers providing care to pregnant women, and included doctors, nurses, nutritionists, and community health workers. All IDIs and FGDs were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated to English. The triangulation method and thematic analyses were used. Results Overall, women showed good general knowledge about nutrition and the need for increased and varied foods during pregnancy, but little technical knowledge about nutrients and sources of nutrition. Healthcare facilities, media, NGOs, and family members were the main sources of nutritional information. However, women were unable to put this knowledge into practice, primarily due to poverty and poor access to a variety of foods. The Popokabaka community accessed food from farming, fishing, and the market, although purchasing food was frequently unaffordable. Cassava flour was the most common daily food. Food taboos, traditional practices, and late ANC attendance were identified as factors that influenced dietary practices. Conclusions Various social, economic, and environmental factors within the local community influenced dietary practices among pregnant women in rural DRC. A comprehensive approach is required to improve nutrition, and address food insecurity, cultural practices and improve the health outcomes of both mother and child.

High Current Compact Accelerator-driven Neutron Sources (HiCANS) have recently emerged as a possible solution to the drop in neutron provision in Europe due to the closure of several research reactors. Within this new trend, the Laboratoire Léon Brillouin (LLB) is currently assessing the performance of neutron techniques around this novel type of source. HERMES is a time-of-flight horizontal reflectometer that was operated by the LLB at the ORPHEE reactor until 2019 and was dedicated to soft matter studies. Through a collaboration with the Jülich Centre for Neutron Science, HERMES was installed in 2022 at the JULIC Neutron Platform (JNP) at the Forschungszentrum Jülich. This platform is able to deliver neutron pulses in the 100 μs - 2 s range and is very well suited to evaluate the feasibility of reflectivity experiments at a HiCANS. Since its installation and first tests in 2022, several improvements have been implemented at HERMES. Our current goal is to perform reflectivity experiments with large neutron mirrors as a proof of concept, as the flux at the JNP is several orders of magnitude lower than the original ORPHEE flux or the one expected at a HiCANS. Nevertheless, Monte Carlo simulations show that an instrument as HERMES operating at a HiCANS could match the performance of similar instruments at research reactors and spallation sources.

Description of the subject. Prunella vulgaris L. (Lamiaceae) is an edible herb used in Europe and Asia as herbal tea, food, dietary supplement or medicinal plant since several centuries. Although the composition and properties of the aerial parts are well documented in the literature, Prunella vulgaris seeds have never been investigated. Objectives. The aim of this work was to characterize the composition of these seeds to assess not only their nutritional potential (protein, lipid and minerals content), but also their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential as well as their specialized metabolites composition. Method. The protein, lipids and mineral content were determined. The phenolic compounds were isolated; elucidation of their structures was done by means of HR-MS and one- and two-dimensional NMR analysis. They were then evaluated for their biological activity, together with seed extracts. Results. Omega-3 rich oil and an interesting amino acids profile were detected in the seeds as well as the presence of a high content of polyphenolic compounds, including two structurally new compounds (phenylpropane derivatives) which were isolated and structurally characterized. The two compounds described here for the first time, were named amolsamic acids A&B. The seeds and amolsamic acids showed an interesting antioxidant potential, and a strong anti-inflammatory activity on neutrophils, MPO and HRP models. Conclusions. These findings highlight the real health promoting potential of P. vulgaris seeds and make them a good candidate as super-food or food supplement.