Background: 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.

Cette étude se veut une contribution à la caractérisation de la qualité des eaux souterraines du sous bassin du Massili, par l’analyse des pesticides dans 40 échantillons d’eau de puits et de forages peu profonds. La méthode de la chromatographie en phase gazeuse, utilisant les chromatographes de type GC-HP5 (30 m, 0,25 mm, 0,25 μm) couplé avec le spectromètre de masse, et celle du type GC-μCDE (Optima-5MS 0,25 mm, 0,25 μm), ont permis de montrer que 77,5% des échantillons d’eau analysés sont contaminés par des résidus de pesticides. Le Penconazol, le Monocrotophos, le Triadimefon, le Propiconazol et le Cyfluthrin sont les molécules les plus fréquentes dans les échantillons d’eau prélevés. Les teneurs totales par échantillon pollué varient de 0,05 μgl-1 à 0,92 μgl-1. Ces concentrations totales sont en dessous de celle de la norme de l’Union Européenne et de l’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé qui est de 1 μgl-1. Cependant, ces eaux souterraines doivent faire l’objet de suivi, vu l’intensité des activités maraichères et agricoles menées à leur proximité. Des traces d’organochlorés tels que Aldrine, Heptachlore, Op’DDT, Cis-Heptachlore-Exo-Epoxide, 2,4’DDE, 4,4’-DDE et Endrine, interdits par la convention de Rotterdam, sont identifiées dans 7 échantillons d’eau. L’Heptachlore est détecté dans les échantillons Pabré Saint Joseph F1 et Laye F1, respectivement à des teneurs de 0,03 μgl-1 et 0,043 μgl-1. Ces teneurs sont légèrement au-dessus de la norme de l’Union européenne (0,03 μgl-1), dans les échantillons Pabré Saint Joseph F1 et Laye F1, respectivement à des teneurs de 0,03 μgl-1 et 0,043 μgl-1. Les résultats montrent que les nappes peu profondes du sous bassin du Massili sont exposées à la pollution aux pesticides utilisés dans les activités agricoles et maraichères.

Le changement climatique est considéré aujourd’hui comme l’une des plus grandes préoccupations de la planète. Il entraine des conséquences désastreuses sur les écosystèmes et la vie des populations, et singulièrement pour les plus vulnérables dans les pays les moins avancés (PMA). Avec une population à plus de 70% rurale dont de 51,3% de femmes, le Burkina Faso est particulièrement impacté par les aléas climatiques du fait de sa forte dépendance aux secteurs sensibles au climat tels que l’agriculture et l’élevage. La présente recherche vise à étudier le niveau d’accès à l’information climatologique selon le genre. Elle a pour objectifs d’analyser la perception et la connaissance des communautés sur le changement climatique en fonction du genre et discuter de l’accès aux services climatiques et la prise de mesures adaptées en fonction du genre et des informations reçues. Les résultats de cette étude démontrent 81,89% des personnes enquêtées reçoivent des informations sur le climat. Cependant les populations ne sont pas systématiquement impliquées ou consultées pour la production desdits services climatiques dont elles ont besoin. Particulièrement pour les femmes, seules une infime part (1,66%) y est impliquée alors qu’elles disposent de besoins spécifiques en lien avec leur occupation.

The purpose of this article is to examine the dynamics surrounding learning a foreign language in the African context set against tensions of cultural identity versus multiculturalism. Whereas learning or using a mother tongue is a natural and uncontroversial act responding to the need of integration in one’s community, the learning or the use of a foreign language functions differently, in terms of stakes, approaches, and perspectives. Generally speaking, the latter case derives from the necessity for individuals and nations to communicate with interlocutors external to one’s linguistic community with a view to benefiting from diverse opportunities including business, studies, jobs, research and social contact abroad. As such, it may be a matter of free will or external constraint in consideration of its importance. This study brings forth the stakes, issues and prospects that foreign language learning carries in the African context. It urges one to overcome the feeling of apprehension rightly or wrongly nurtured towards the latter and to set the target on promoting intercultural awareness necessary for a viable integration into a multicultural world. To this effect, adequate strategies are ironed out in terms of political and pedagogical implications. This is a conceptual essay which draws from and discusses key concepts and issues in foreign language education through an interdisciplinary outlook combining applied linguistics, civilization, literature, sociology.

Le développement des TIC influence la décision des jeunes au sud du Sahara de migrer, comme des étudiants burkinabè qui obtiennent le BAC en Côte d’Ivoire, les diaspo. La décision de migrer vers le Burkina Faso s’opère dans un processus sociohistorique de création de liens au pays pour préparer le départ. Combinant une revue documentaire, une enquête par questionnaire et des entretiens, les données montrent que, le projet de départ est construit à travers les liens de parenté, des relations dans les réseaux sociaux, y compris numériques, comme WhatsApp, afin d’assurer la migration et permettre leur insertion dans la société burkinabè d’accueil. WhatsApp constitue une alternative dans la recherche d’un contexte pertinent pour les diaspo car, interactif et transnational par essence. Mais, dans leurs usages des réseaux sociaux, ils font des arbitrages stratégiques alliant le besoin d’informations sur le projet migratoire et la nécessité de survie.

Background: Infectious diseases are one of the leading causes of death worldwide because of antibiotic resistance. Ageratum conyzoides is one of the antimicrobial medicinal plants that is being used to fight various multi-resistant pathogenic bacteria in Burkina Faso. Aim: The aim was to promote safe medicinal use of A. conyzoides by highlighting the anti-biofilm and anti-motility effects of its methanol extract. Setting: The study was conducted at the Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Methods: The antibacterial activities of methanol extract were evaluated by evaluating swimming, swarming and twitching motilities performed in an agar medium. The anti-biofilm effect was conducted in microtiter plates using the crystal violet method. The antioxidant and enzyme inhibition activities were evaluated using 2,2-diphényl-1-picrylhydrazyl; 2,2’-azino-bis (3-éthylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power and conducting lipoxygenase test. Results: From the study, 100 µg/mL and 200 µg/mL of extract presented significant inhibition of P. aeruginosa and E. coli swarming motility but did not exhibit a significant effect on P. aeruginosa swimming and E. coli twitching motilities. The extract was effective in reducing biofilm formation in a concentration-dependent manner without affecting bacterial growth. In addition, the extract showed some capabilities to inhibit lipoxygenase activity and exhibit antioxidant potential, which could contribute to the control of oxidative stress-related diseases. Conclusion: From this study the anti-biofilm and anti-motility potential of the A. conyzoides extract provided the experimental background for the further development of antibacterial drugs. Contribution: This study provided additional scientific evidence to support the use of A. conyzoides in traditional medicine against bacterial infections.

In light of the increasing recognition of the necessity to evaluate and mitigate the environmental impact of human activities, the aim of this study is to assess the greenhouse gases emitted in 2022 by the Kossodo thermal power plant as a consequence of its electricity production. The specific objective was to identify the emission sources and quantify the gases generated, with the purpose of proposing effective solutions for reducing the plant’s ecological footprint. In order to achieve the objectives set out in the study, the Bilan Carbone® method was employed. Following an analysis of the plant’s activities, seven emission items were identified as requiring further investigation. The data was gathered from the plant’s activity reports, along with measurements and questionnaires distributed to employees. The data collected was subjected to processing in order to produce the sought activity data. The Bilan Carbone® V7.1 spreadsheet was employed to convert the activity data into equivalent quantities of CO2. The full assessment indicates that the majority of the power plant’s emissions come from the combustion of HFO and DDO, accounting for 96.11% of the Kossodo power plant’s total GHG emissions in 2022. The plant produced 280,585,676 kilowatt-hours (kWh), resulting in emissions of 218,492.785 ± 10,924.639 tCO2e, which yielded an emission factor of 0.78 kgCO2e/kWh for the year 2022. In order to reduce this rate, recommendations for improved energy efficiency have been issued to management and all staff.

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) play a pivotal role in advancing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), facilitating real-time communication among vehicles and infrastructure. However, VANETs face challenges arising from high mobility, dynamic topologies, and significant interference levels. This study proposes a novel cross-layer framework incorporating channel prediction and adaptive resource management to address these challenges. By leveraging a Software-Defined Radio (SDR) platform, the framework is evaluated under diverse mobility and interference conditions. Key contributions include an analysis of multi-code and multi-modulation schemes, identification of critical trade-offs in receiver diversity, and the introduction of mechanisms to optimize Quality of Service (QoS). Simulation results demonstrate significant improvements in throughput, packet delivery ratio, and network resilience, highlighting the framework’s potential for real-world applications such as autonomous vehicles and smart city communication networks. The study concludes with actionable recommendations for future research, emphasizing scalability, real-time adaptation, and hardware implementation to further enhance VANET performance.

This work addresses the critical challenge of ensuring reliable communication in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) and drone networks (FANETs) under dynamic and high-mobility conditions. Current methods often fail to adequately predict rapid channel variations, leading to increased packet loss and degraded Quality of Service (QoS). To bridge this gap, we propose a novel cross-layer framework that integrates physical channel prediction into the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer to optimize network performance. Our framework employs an ARIMA (1, 0, 1) model for real-time channel prediction and dynamically adjusts MAC layer parameters to enhance throughput and reliability. Simulations demonstrate a 25% improvement in useful throughput and a 30% reduction in packet loss rates compared to baseline methods. These improvements enable practical applications in intelligent transportation systems and the efficient management of autonomous drones. Key contributions include: 1) Development of a cross-layer framework that integrates channel prediction and MAC optimization. 2) Demonstration of the framework’s effectiveness through Monte Carlo simulations in high-mobility scenarios. 3) Quantitative validation of enhanced throughput and reliability, highlighting the system’s potential for real-world deployment.

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) play a pivotal role in the advancement of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), facilitating real-time communication among vehicles (V2V) and between vehicles and infrastructure (V2I). However, maintaining reliable Quality of Service (QoS) in these dynamic environments remains challenging due to high mobility, frequent topology changes and interference. This paper proposes a robust cross-layer framework that integrates channel prediction and dynamic rate adaptation to address these challenges. The framework employs advanced multi-user detection techniques, including matched filters, successive interference cancellation (SIC), decorrelators and MMSE receivers, combined with adaptive multi-factor spreading, multi-code and multi-modulation transmission strategies. The study evaluates the framework’s performance through extensive simulations using a Software-Defined Radio (SDR) platform. Key findings demonstrate significant improvements in packet reception rate, throughput and spectral efficiency under various mobility and channel conditions. The proposed approach effectively mitigates interference and adapts to dynamic network environments, showcasing its potential to enhance reliability, scalability and efficiency in VANETs. Future work will explore real-world implementation and iterative algorithmic enhancements to further optimize QoS delivery in highly variable vehicular communication scenarios.