bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Nigella Sativa on Cardio-Metabolic Parameters: A Protocol for A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Razmpoosh Elham , Mirzavandi Farhang , Sadeghi Narges , Safi Sara , Abdollahi Nooshin , Nadjarzadeh Azadeh , Salehi-Abargouei Amin
Published: May 2022

Background: Among non-communicable diseases, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) account for 44% of all deaths. Among natural alternatives, Nigella sativa (NS) exert beneficial effects on cardio-metabolic factors. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis protocol aimed to identify all the findings relevant to the effects of NS on cardio-metabolic factors among adults. Methods: This study was prepared according to PRISMA-P checklist based on Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. An initial literature search was conducted in various databases using MeSH terms and related synonyms. Trials examining the effects of NS versus control group were included. Main outcomes consisted of blood pressure, lipid and glycemic factors, and atherogenic indices. Seven reviewers independently evaluated titles and abstracts, reviewed full texts, extracted information, and assessed the risk of bias. Methodological quality of each randomized controlled trial was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook and the GRADE system, while Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale was used for non-randomized studies. Continuous data of homogeneous studies were meta-analyzed via STATA. Mean differences were calculated as the effect size with 95% CIs. Heterogeneity assessment, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias were performed. Conclusion: The quality of both randomized and non-randomized studies was assessed. The evidence from this study can provide information for future clinical trials.
Review of Nutrition Policy Options for Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in the Populations: Lesson Learned and Policy Implications
Authors: Pourmoradian Samira , Kalantari Naser , Ostadrahimi Alireza , Eini-Zinab Hassan , Milani Bonab Ali
Published: May 2022

Background: The development of policies for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is highlighted as a priority in developing countries. This review study aimed to present the available policy options for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in the populations. Methods: To collect relevant English publications, five electronic databases, including PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Embase, ProQuest, and Ovid from 2000 until 1st January 2021 were searched. The national or population based programs aimed to increase fruit and/or vegetable intake were included. Four types of policy options were recognized, including food promotion, school and workplace food environment regulations, agriculture, food production, supply and storage, and fiscal policies. Results: Increasing consumer’s knowledge has been more effective in increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among populations. However, most of the interventions in the workplace and school emphasize increasing knowledge and changing access to healthy food. Conclusion: In general, the evaluation of these policies has been done in the short term and has had a moderate impact on changing dietary behavior. Agricultural and food supply chain policies are currently less researched. Finally, recent evidence suggests that multi-component interventions are more effective than one-component interventions.
The Contributing Factors of Nonunion Bone Fractures: A Brief Review
Authors: Zafari Hamidreza , Moein Seyed Arman , Razzaghof Mohammadreza , Mortazavi Seyed Mohammad Javad
Published: May 2022

The skeletal system has a high healing capacity. A nonunion fracture occurs when the natural course of bone healing is impaired. Numerous local and systemic factors participate in the development of a nonunion fracture. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), smoking history, obesity, and malnutrition are at risk for nonunion. Moreover, the major local risk factors for impaired bone healing are malalignment, infection, mechanical stability, and tissue loss. In this brief review, we discuss the definition, epidemiology, and diagnosis of nonunion. We further explain the major contributing factors which must be considered in patient selection for nonunion revision surgeries.
Evaluating the Effect of Double Plating Fixation with Bone Graft in Nonunion of Femoral and Tibial Fractures after Primary Surgery
Authors: Siavashi Babak , Rastegar Mohammad , Fallah Yousof , Pendar Ehsan , Soleimani Mohammad , Shafiei Seyyed Hossein
Published: May 2022

Background: Several treatment approaches are now considered to manage tibial and femoral shaft nonunion after primary surgeries. Double-locking plates with channel bone grafting technology are treatments that surgeons could choose. We aimed to describe our experiences in evaluating the union of bone for these patients after using double-locking plates with channel bone grafting with serial examinations and radiologic studies.
Methods: This case study was conducted on 33 patients consisting of 20 femoral nonunion and 13 tibial nonunion cases. They underwent double plate fixation with bone grafting at Sina Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from 2015 to 2020. They were monitored for an average of 60 months after surgery
Results: Union was achieved in all the patients in a mean of 10.03 months (range: 8-18 months). During patients’ follow-up, no plate and screw breakage, device loosening, deformity, and infection were seen. No additional surgery was needed for any of our patients.
Conclusion: There are various treatment options for nonunion of long bones. This study described the double plating approach for treating femoral and tibial shaft nonunion. The technique of double plate fixation and bone grafting had reasonable union rates in long bone nonunion. The present case series analysis also shows that it is more beneficial to manipulate this promising method for long bone nonunion whenever possible.
The Effect of Augmentative Plating for the Treatment of Nonunion of Femoral Shaft Fractures after Intramedullary Nailing: A Case Series
Authors: Siavashi Babak , Soleimani Mohammad , Golbakhsh Mohammadreza , Rastegar Mohammad , Shafiei Seyyed Hossein
Published: May 2022

Background: Several treatment approaches are now considered to manage femoral nonunion following intramedullary (IM) nailing. Augmentation plating over a maintained IM nail was a successful treatment for femur fracture nonunion in recent years. We aimed to describe our experiences in evaluating the union of bone for these patients after plate augmentation with serial examinations and radiologic studies.
Methods: This was a case study on 21 patients who had a nonunion or delayed union of the femoral shaft fracture (FSF) after IM nailing. After initial intervention, they were monitored for 20.4 months (range: 12-72 months).
Results: A closed IM nail was used in 18 patients, while the other three patients were shown as non-IM nail cases with a dynamic hip screw (DHS) in one patient, an external fixator in one other patient, and plate fixation in another one that was planned for augmentation plating. After plating, appropriate union appeared in all patients. Fracture union took an average of 7 months ranging from 3 to 12 months.
Conclusion: Augmentation plating for treating FSF nonunion with leaving the nail in place results in excellent and favorable clinical outcomes with the radiographic recovery of the nonunion site in all of the cases with no complication.
Multifocal Unicameral Bone Cysts in a Middle-Aged Patient Treated with Three Different Methods: A Rare Case Report
Authors: Manafi-Rasi Alireza , Pourmojarab Ali , Athari Mirbahador , Omidian Mohammadmahdi
Published: May 2022

Background: Primarily diagnosed in the first two decades of life, unicameral bone cysts (UBCs) are benign cystic lesions of the bone. More than 90% of UBCs are located in the proximal femur or proximal humerus of skeletally immature patients, however in this case report we report a middle-aged patient with multiple lesions in unusual sites.
Case Report: A 42-year-old patient presented to our institute with multiple bony lesions in the right and left tibias, proximal radius, ulna, and the second metacarpus. The lesions were later pathologically proven to be UBCs. A multimodality treatment approach was selected including decompression-only, extended curettage, bone grafting, and prophylactic fixation based on the lesion size and anatomic location. All these methods proved to be effective with no disease relapse and complete radiographic obliteration of the cavities.
Conclusion: UBCs could occur in much older patients than generally believed and the proper method of treatment should be individualized based on the lesion’s characteristics.
Stab Wound with a Missed Broken Blade Near Thoracic Vertebrae
Authors: Seif Ehsan , Nejad Amin Sadegh , Mousavi Shaghayegh , Ahmadinejad Mojtaba
Published: May 2022

Background: In case of a stab wound to the lower cervical region and upper dorsal region, many organs are prone to damage, including the lung, heart, pericardium, any of the vessels in the thoracic cage, the esophagus or trachea, thoracic duct, and even spinal cord.
Case Report: A 19 year-old patient arrived at the emergency department with swollen and painful upper dorsal region between the internal border of the left scapula and T2 vertebra. The patient had a history of a street fight with a stab wound on the corresponding area. Nothing abnormal was found on physical examination, and the patient was stable without any neuroglial deficit. Radiographic imaging demonstrated a foreign body lodged near the vertebra. The patient underwent an operation surgery, and the foreign body was removed without any serious complications. The foreign body was the blade of the stab, which was broken and hidden under soft tissue.
Conclusion: According to guidelines for a stab wound to the thoracic, a chest x-ray and exploration of the area must be performed, which were missed in the present case and potentially could lead to serious complications given multiple vital organs in that anatomical region.
Medical Faults in Orthopedic Surgeries: How to Address and Prevent the Consequences
Authors: Ayati Aryan , Tahmasebi Mohammad Naghi
Published: May 2022

The article's abstract is not available.
Pragmatic Tips for Improving the Modern Outcomes of Coronary Artery Bypass Operations
Authors: Marzban Mehrab , Benharash Peyman
Published: May 2022

The article's abstract is not available.
Effects of Acute Potassium Chloride Administration on Ventricular Dysrhythmias after Myocardial Infarction in a Rat Model of Ischemia/Reperfusion
Authors: Madadi Firoozeh , Aghajani Marjan , Dabbagh Ali , Fani Kamal , Sehati Fardin , Imani Alireza
Published: May 2022

Background: Acute myocardial infarction is an important cause of morbidity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the administration of potassium chloride (KCl) on reperfusion-induced injuries in a rat model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion.
Methods: Thirty-six male Wistar rats, weighing 200 to 250 g, were randomly assigned to 3 experimental groups: control, K1 (10 µg/kg of KCl), and K2 (20 µg/kg of KCl). Twenty minutes before ischemia, a single dose of 10 and 20 µg/kg of KCl was intraperitoneally administered in the K1 and K2 groups, respectively. The coronary artery was occluded for 30 minutes (ischemia); thereafter, it was opened for 60 minutes (reperfusion) to measure hemodynamic parameters and ventricular arrhythmias. Blood sampling was performed after the reperfusion period to determine the serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase, troponin I, creatine kinase (CK)-MB, malondialdehyde, and pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance.
Results: Serological parameters significantly decreased in the potassium groups compared with the control group. In particular, the decline was more pronounced for the serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase (1180.25±69.48 vs 1556.67±77.02 U/L; P=0.011), troponin I (21.98±0.61 vs 28.76±1.65 ng/mL; P=0.020), and pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (15.51±0.72 vs 20.63±1.42 HK; P=0.041) in the K2 group compared with the K1 group. Moreover, the administration of 20 µg/kg of KCl significantly decreased the incidence of ventricular tachycardias and fibrillations compared with the control group (P=0.002). Additionally, no considerable differences were observed between the control group and the groups with 10 µg/kg and 20 µg/kg of KCl regarding the number of ventricular ectopic beats. 
Conclusion: The administration of KCl before ischemia could reduce ventricular arrhythmias and reperfusion-induced injuries by reducing oxidative stress.
Ventricular Tachycardia Storm in a Patient with an Implanted Cardioverter-Defibrillator following COVID-19 Infection
Authors: Kasinadhuni Ganesh , Prasad Krishna , Vijayvergiya Rajesh , Malhi Tejinder Singh
Published: May 2022

Severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection presents with acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiorgan dysfunction. Cardiac involvement is seen in about a quarter of patients, and it can present as acute coronary syndromes, arrhythmias, myocarditis, and thromboembolic events. Ventricular arrhythmias in the setting of COVID-19 infection are usually multifactorial in etiology.  There are only a few reports of ventricular tachycardia (VT) storms in patients with COVID-19 infection.  We hereby report a case of an elderly man with severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction and a stable cardiac status for the last few years who, following coronary artery bypass graft surgery and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation, experienced a VT storm after a COVID-19 infection. The VT storm was controlled using multiple ICD shocks, along with antiarrhythmic drugs. Following his recovery from COVID-19 infection, the patient was asymptomatic at a 3-month follow-up.
Managing Myocardial Infarction in the COVID-19 Epidemic: A Case Report
Authors: Vojdanparast Mohammad , Izanloo Azra , Alizadeh Sani Zahra
Published: May 2022

Coronaviruses can cause viral pneumonia with extrapulmonary manifestations and complications. Many patients have either underlying cardiovascular disease or cardiac risk factors. Acute heart attacks are also frequent in severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is associated with high mortality.
In this paper, we describe a patient with COVID-19 who presented with myocardial infarction (MI) symptoms but lacked the initial symptoms of the infection such as fever and cough. COVID-19 and myocardial infarction were diagnosed. The patient underwent thrombolytic treatment and fully recovered.
Recurrent Chest Pain due to a Huge Left Main Aneurysm: A Case Report
Authors: Kazemi Erfan , Sheibani Hossein
Published: May 2022

Coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) are rare, and aneurysms of the left main coronary artery are extremely rare. Atherosclerosis is the main cause of CAAs.
An 87-year-old man with atypical chest pain of 1 month’s duration presented to a hospital. Physical examinations of the patient’s cardiopulmonary system and vital signs were unremarkable. Electrocardiography showed a right bundle branch block and an atypical ST-segment elevation in the inferior leads. Coronary angiography demonstrated a huge aneurysm in the left main without any clots. Additionally, there were no remarkable findings in cardiac monitoring and spiral chest computed tomography scanning. Ultimately, after he received nitroglycerin, β-blockers, Ca++ channel blockers, Aspirin (ASA), and clopidogrel (Plavix), his pain was relieved.
Hormesis Effect of Radon in Rats of the Krushinsky-Molodkina Line
Authors: Marine Nikolaishvili , Zakharia Nanobashvili , Nodar Mitagvaria , Gvantsa Chkadua , Irina Bilanishvili , Ekaterine Nozadze , T Rtveladze , Tea Museliani , Khatuna Dondoladze , Gogi Jikia
Published: May 2022

According to this research, the use of radon inhalation in experimental animals, particularly in genetically determined rats with epileptic seizures, altered all parameters of the epileptic seizure development picture, namely the hidden period and the first and second wild jog duration after the audiogenic signal. On the third day, no response to the audiogenic signal was observed at all, and there was not even a single episode of tonic-clonic seizures. All what was mentioned suggests that radon inhalation can be used to treat epilepsy. This study is the first precedent of attempting R-Ho through inhalation for treatment of epileptic seizures in animal models with further translation to clinical study in humans through pilot phase II study. More profound and scientifically systematized approach is needed to determine the uniqueness of Tskhaltubo water springs, investigating the mechanisms of radon effects on the excitatory and inhibitory functioning of CNS, and the use of further clinical studies to establish its effectiveness on humans.
Milieu Institutionnel, Sexe Et Stabilité Émotionnelle/Névrosisme Chez Des Orphelins Et Enfants Vulnérables Du Fait Du VIH À Abidjan
Authors: Franck Severin Ando Amalaman
Published: May 2022

Le présent travail évalue l’influence séparée et conjointe de la vie en milieu institutionnel et du sexe sur la stabilité émotionnelle ou le névrosisme chez des orphelins et enfants rendus vulnérables du fait du VIH (OEV).

Quatre-vingt-trois (83) sujets âgés de 12-17 ans suivis au Centre Intégré de Recherches Biocliniques d’Abidjan (CIRBA) ont pris part à l’enquête. Ceux-ci ont été soumis à un questionnaire sociodémographique ainsi qu’à l’inventaire de personnalité de H. Eysenck (1971).

Les résultats indiquent d’une part, que les adolescents vivant en milieu institutionnel tendent à développer le névrosisme comparativement à leurs homologues vivant avec au moins un membre de la famille. En fait, les premiers se sentent abandonnés par leur famille et leur vie quotidienne est rythmée de rituels liés à la prise en charge du VIH/Sida, notamment les prises du traitement ARV. D’autre part, que les garçons font plus preuve de stabilité émotionnelle par rapport aux filles, car celles-ci se projettent très souvent dans leur vie d’adulte, en considérant la difficulté à avoir un conjoint qui accepte leur sérologie VIH positive. Par ailleurs, les filles vivant en milieu institutionnel connaissent une instabilité émotionnelle par rapport aux garçons qui vivent avec au moins un membre de famille.

The present study evaluates the separate and joint influence of institutional life and gender on emotional stability or neuroticism in orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV (OVC).

Eighty-three (83) subjects aged 12-17 years followed at the Centre Intégré de Recherches Biocliniques d'Abidjan (CIRBA) took part in the survey. They were subjected to a socio-demographic questionnaire as well as to the personality inventory of H. Eysenck (1971).

The results indicate that adolescents living in an institutional setting tend to develop neuroticism compared to their counterparts living with at least one family member. In fact, the former feel abandoned by their family and their daily life is punctuated by rituals related to the management of HIV/AIDS, particularly the taking of ARV treatment. On the other hand, boys are more emotionally stable than girls, because they often project themselves into their adult lives, considering the difficulty of having a spouse who accepts their positive HIV status. On the other hand, girls living in institutional settings experience emotional instability compared to boys who live with at least one family member.
Connaissance Des Normes De Gestion Des Ressources En Eau Souterraine Dans La Vallée Du Fleuve Niger Au Bénin
Authors: Abdou Razak Maman , Mohamed Nasser Baco
Published: May 2022

Le développement de la culture du coton dans le nord du pays par l’Etat de Côte d’Ivoire visait à lutter contre les disparités régionales, à réduire l’exode rural et la pauvreté. Quant à la vulgarisation de l’anacarde, elle répond à un souci de diversification des revenus des producteurs, quoiqu’introduit, au départ, en tant qu’essence forestière pour lutter contre la désertification. Le présent article se propose de déterminer les différents facteurs influençant l’adoption et l’abandon du coton et de l’anacarde dans le département de Sinematiali Les producteurs du coton et de l’anacarde poursuivent des enjeux basés sur la satisfaction des besoins socioéconomiques et nutritionnels, qui sont influencés par un certain nombre de facteurs, tant favorables que défavorables ; autrement dit, des facteurs de l’adoption et de l’abandon. Relativement aux facteurs de l’adoption, facteurs ont été évoqués. Il s’agit des facteurs économiques, sociaux, environnementaux, des facteurs liés à l’encadrement ainsi que d’autres facteurs de considérations distinctes. Pour ce qui est des facteurs de l’abandon, trois  facteurs, qui se rapportent aux aspects économiques, aux aspects liés aux pratiques culturales et aux aspects divers, ont permis d’expliquer ce phénomène. Au plan méthodologique, l’article s’appuie sur une approche mixte (qualitative que quantitative), à visée compréhensive et  axée sur la recherche documentaire, l’observation directe, les entretiens semi-directifs ainsi que sur les enquêtes.

The present study, whose objective is to understand the knowledge of local actors on the conditions of use of irrigation systems and their current practices, was conducted in the Niger River Valley in Benin. One hundred and ten people took part in individual interviews and in-depth surveys based on an interview guide and questionnaires collected through the Android KoboCollect App. Translation of recordings from smartphones facilitated data collection and processing. Direct actors in two villages, Garou and Toumboutou, at the UGPPM and SOTA perimeters, communal authorities, public administration agents, and resource persons were involved in this study. The content analysis of the speeches and descriptive statistics were used. Our results show that the public administration has made regulatory provisions through various laws and water codes, with the predominant involvement of public sector actors without the participation of local users. The different perceptions of local actors reveal a legal ambiguity regarding usage rights, the appropriation of hydro-agricultural resource regulations by local actors, or confusion regarding free access to water resources, which could lead to overexploitation. It is essential to make users aware of the dangers of abusing hydro-agricultural resources and dispel the irrational concerns of local actors regarding the management of irrigation water, which is already regulated by the national authority.
Dynamique d’occupation et d’utilisation des sols et la hausse de la nappe dans la basse vallée du Dallol Maouri
Authors: Abdou Mahaman Rabilou , Nazoumou Yahaya , Favreau Guillaume , Issoufou Ousmane Boukari
Published: May 2022

L’état de surface de la zone sahélienne a subi plusieurs mutations ces dernières années suite au changement climatique et aux activités anthropiques, ce qui amplifie les évènements extrêmes. L’analyse de la dynamique d’occupation  et d’utilisation des sols s’avère un outil excellent pour renforcer la résilience de la population. L’état de surface de la basse vallée du Dallol Maouri, qui constitue un affluent fossile du fleuve Niger, a subi plusieurs modifications depuis les années 70. L’objectif de cet article est d’évaluer l’impact de la dynamique d’occupation des sols sur la hausse du niveau piézométrique de la nappe libre de la basse vallée du Dallol Maouri. L’analyse de la dynamique d’occupation et d’utilisation des sols montre une nette régression de la classe de savanes arborées et arbustives, et nette progression de mosaïque cultures-jachères.  La classe des savanes arborées et arbustives, qui était largement représentée dans cette région, a perdu 61 % de sa superficie en 42 ans, soit 38 000 ha de 62 000 ha qu’elle représente en 1973. La progression importante des mosaïques cultures jachères et de sols nus et habitats, montre l’emprise des activités anthropiques telles que l’agriculture extensive et urbanisation. Le suivi de l’évolution de la nappe libre de la zone durant la période étudiée a montré une certaine remontée du niveau piézométrique de 3,4 m sur le plateau, et 1,6 m dans la vallée du Dallol Maouri.

The Sahelian environment zone has undergone several changes in recent years due to climate change and human activities, which amplifies extreme events. The analysis of the dynamics of land occupation and use is an excellent tool for strengthening the resilience of the population. The surface condition of the lower Dallol Maouri valley, which constitutes a fossil tributary of the Niger River, has undergone several modifications since the 1970s. The objective of this article is to assess the impact of the occupation dynamics soils on the rise in the piezometric level of the unconfined aquifer of the lower Dallol Maouri valley. The analysis of the dynamics of land occupation and use shows a clear regression of the class of tree and shrub savannahs, and a clear progression of crop-fallow mosaic. The class of wooded and shrubby savannahs, which was widely represented in this region, has lost 61% of its surface area in 42 years, i.e. 38,000 ha from the 62,000 ha it represented in 1973. The significant progression of mosaic fallow crops and of bare soils and habitats, shows the influence of human activities such as extensive agriculture and urbanization. The monitoring of the evolution of the unconfined aquifer in the area during the period studied showed a certain rise in the piezometric level of 3.4 m on the plateau, and 1.6 m in the Dallol Maouri valley.
Inventaire Et Identification Des Dégâts Des Insectes Infestant Les Plants De Manioc (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) À Deux Et Huit Mois Après Plantation Et Essai De Lutte Biologique Dans La Localité De Daloa (Côte d’Ivoire)
Authors: Auguste-Denise Boyé Mambé , Demin Marcos Boumi , N’Gonian Serge Kouadio , Franck Borel Acka , Yatty Justin Kouadio , Pierre Valérie Niaba
Published: May 2022

Le manioc est devenu un aliment de base des populations de Côte d’Ivoire. La présente étude qui lui est consacrée a été réalisée dans la période d'avril à octobre 2020 et avait pour objectif d'établir l'inventaire de l'entomofaune qui lui est associée, trouver leurs dégâts afin de mettre en place une stratégie de lutte pouvant réduire ces pathogènes. Cette étude a été réalisée sur deux variétés de manioc : Bocou 1 et Yavo. Plusieurs méthodes ont été utilisées pour la collecte des insectes à savoir : le piégeage, la capture à la main et au filet fauchoir. Les résultats ont montré une entomofaune très diversifiée avec 12 ordres d’insectes parmi lesquels il peut être cité : les Hétéroptères (les plus nombreux), suivis des Diptères, des Thysanoptères, des Coléoptères, des Hyménoptères et des Orthoptères. Ces insectes ravageurs sont vecteurs de plusieurs maladies dont la virose avec une incidence de 38,88% chez la variété Bocou 1, la bactériose avec une incidence de 85,55% chez la variété Yavo et 67,77% chez la variété Bocou 1. La solution aqueuse à base de neem a été également utilisée afin de lutter contre ces ravageurs. Cette solution s’est montrée efficace contre les insectes ravageurs des cultures de manioc. Cette étude a donc permis de faire l'inventaire de quelques insectes associés au manioc dans cette localité et d’établir une méthode de lutte biologique.

Cassava has become a staple food for people in Côte d'Ivoire. The present study devoted to it was carried out in the period from April to October  and aims to establish an inventory of the entomofauna associated with it, to find their damage in order to set up a control strategy that can reduce these pathogens. This study was carried out on two varieties of cassava: Bocou 1 and Yavo. Several methods were used for the collection of insects namely: trapping, capture by hand and with a hay net. The results showed a very diverse entomofauna with 12 orders of insects among which we can cite: Heteroptera, the most numerous, followed by Diptera, Thysanoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera. These insect pests are vectors of several diseases including virosis with an incidence of 38.88% in variety Bocou 1, bacteriosis with an incidence of 85.55% in variety Yavo and 67.77% in variety Bocou 1. The aqueous solution based on neem has also been used to control these pests. This solution has been shown to be effective against insect pests of cassava crops. This study therefore made it possible to make an inventory of some insects associated with cassava in this locality and to establish a method of biological control.
Post-Harvest Management Practices Of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna Subterranea (L.) Verdc) Seeds In Burkina Faso
Authors: Amidou Ouili , Maiga Ynoussa , Ouoba Adjima , Nankangre Hervé , Tidiane Compaore Cheik Omar , Nikiema Mahamadi , Ouedraogo Mahama , Sidiki Ouattara Aboubakar
Published: May 2022

Bambara groundnut plays a major role in the production systems and diets of farmers in Burkina Faso. This crop, due to certain production, storage, or preservation conditions, is subject to damage by insects and fungi. Effective post-harvest management can contribute significantly to reducing losses during storage. This study was carried out in the three agro-ecological areas in Burkina Faso to assess post-harvest management practices of Bambara groundnut among farmers. The data were collected from 180 farmers using surveys. The results showed that the culture of Bambara groundnut was mainly carried out by women (74.4%) on small farms (0.25-0.5ha). The harvested crops were dried at home during a period of 5 to 14 days. About 53% of farmers stored seeds for more than 3 months. Seeds were mainly stored in hermetically sealed cans (45.6%) and in plastic bags (31.1%). Some products such as wood ash and chemicals were used for seed storage. Challenges during seed storage were insects (91.4%) and fungi (42.9%). In the case of seeds attacked by pests (insects, fungi, etc.), farmers (84.4%) adopt a set of measures consisting of sorting, winnowing, drying, and repackaging the seeds. Besides the existence of traditional storage techniques, there is still a need to develop effective storage techniques and continue building farmers’ awareness on improved storage technologies to avoid post-harvest losses.
Interactive-Invention Instructional Strategy and Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Selected Electromagnetic Concepts in Ibadan North Local Government Area (LGA), Nigeria
Authors: Edidiong Enyeneokpon Ukoh
Published: May 2022

Physics translates scientific discoveries to technology but students’ achievement in the subject has been observed to be below expectation at all levels of education in Nigeria. Electromagnetism aspect of physics is one of the areas in physics that has been reported to be very wide in coverage and abstract in nature, but students have difficulty understanding it. This paper focuses on determining the effect of interactive-invention instructional strategy on secondary school students’ achievement in electromagnetic concepts in Ibadan North LGA of Nigeria. Mixed methods research design was adopted for the study. Three senior secondary schools were randomly selected from Ibadan North LGA and also randomly assigned to the two treatment groups and control group. Intact classes from the selected schools were used and a total of 125 students participated in the study. The two treatment groups were taught using the interactive-invention instructional strategy with the electric motor/generator learning kits. Treatment group I participants worked individually while Treatment group II worked in groups of five. The control group were taught using the conventional lecture method. Physics Achievement Worksheets (PAW), Physics Students’ Attitude Questionnaire (PSAQ), and in-class discussion guide were the instruments used. The result of the study indicates a significant main effect of treatment on students’ academic achievement in the Experimental groups (F (2, 124) = 88.00; p<0.05, partial η2 = 0.61) and a significant main effect of students’ attitude on their academic achievement in the treatment groups (F(1, 124) = 5.80; p<0.05, partial η2 = 0.49). It was recommended that physics teachers should adopt interactive-invention instructional strategy in teaching electromagnetism concepts.
Etude de la filière du Moringa oleifera dans cinq (5) marchés de la Communauté Urbaine de Niamey (CUN)
Authors: Arouna Amadou Nadia , Hama Garba Rahila , Sabiou Sani Maazou Mahamane , Zakaria Ousseini , Sabo Seini Haoua
Published: May 2022

Dans un contexte de crise alimentaire, l’utilisation de ressources locales comme le moringa est primordiale pour réduire la dépendance vis-à-vis des denrées importées. C’est dans cette optique qu’une enquête a été menée dans cinq (5) marchés de la communauté urbaine de Niamey (CUN) pour inventorier les produits et sous-produits du Moringa oleifera. A cet effet, une enquête descriptive, avec un échantillonnage par commodité, est effectuée à l’aide d’un questionnaire semi-ouvert et traité avec SPSS version 20. Au total 25 commerçants ont été enquêtés, réparties dans 5 marchés de Niamey (harobanda, dolé, wadata, dar es salam et katako).Il ressort de cette étude que 80% des enquêtés sont mariés et 48% sont analphabètes. La vente du moringa est assurée à 56% par les femmes. Les feuilles fraiches sont les plus commercialisées (72%) et les formes transformées (séchées et précuites séchées) occupent le 20% des produits. Le Moringa frais provient essentiellement des contrées qui longent le fleuve comme balleyara, torodi, saguia, et gourma. Le Moringa transformé provient principalement de la région de Maradi. Deux variétés du Moringa (la variété locale et la variété pkm-1) sont observées dont les prix varie de 5000F à 50000F le sac selon la saison. Les enquêtés connaissent à 84% les utilisations nutritionnelles et médicinales (diabète, hypertension artérielle, l’ulcère) du moringa. Le mouillage (44%) reste la principale méthode de conservation de ces feuilles.

In a context of food crisis, the use of local resources such as Moringa oleifera is essential to reduce dependence on imported food it is with this in mind that a survey was carried out in five (5) markets of the Niamey urban community (CUN) to inventory the products and by-products of Moringa oleifera. To this end, a descriptive survey, with sampling for convenience, is carried out using a semi-open questionnaire. 25 traders were surveyed, spread over five markets in Niamey (harobanda, dolé, wadata, dar es salam and katako).

It emerges from this study that 80% of the respondents are married and 48% are illiterate. Women sell 56% of Moringa. Fresh leaves are the most sold (72%) and processed forms (dried and pre-cooked dried) occupy 20% of the products. The fresh Moringa comes mainly from the regions that run along the river such as balleyara, torodi, saguia, and gourma…and the processed Moringa comes mainly from the Maradi region. Two varieties of Moringa (the local variety and the pkm-1 variety) are observed, the prices of which vary from 5000F to 50000F per bag depending on the season. Eighty four % of the respondents know the nutritional and medicinal uses (diabetes, arterial hypertension, and ulcer) of moringa. Wetting (44%) remains the main method of preserving these leaves.
African Media Coverage: APRA’s Contribution to Understanding of Agricultural Change
Authors: Whiteside Martin
Published: May 2022

The Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) programme made significant efforts to engage with the local/national media as a way of disseminating research findings and consequent policy implications. This was assisted by early planning as part of the Participatory Impact Pathways Analysis process and excellent support from the Information, Communication and Engagement team throughout the programme. Overall, this engagement was very successful with significant coverage of APRA’s research activities and some headline results across countries. This Working Paper reflects on APRA's engagement with the media, its effectiveness and lessons learnt from media engagement over the programme's duration.
Pathways to Inclusive Smallholder Agricultural Commercialisation: Which Way Now?
Authors: Chinsinga Blessings , Matita Mirriam , Chimombo Masautso , Msofi Loveness , Kaiyatsa Stevier
Published: May 2022

Agricultural commercialisation has the potential to provide a number of beneficial outcomes, including higher incomes and living standards for smallholder farmers. However, for these outcomes to be achieved, commercialisation must be inclusive and broad-based so as to link a large proportion of smallholders in rural areas to commercial, highly profitable value chains. In Malawi, where smallholder farmers contribute about 80 per cent to total food production and 20 per cent to total agricultural export earnings, agricultural commercialisation is especially imperative. While several activities have been undertaken to promote smallholder agricultural commercialisation over the past three decades, progress has not been satisfactory. Most smallholder farmers do not engage with markets on a consistent or sustainable basis. The main goal of the study on which this briefing paper is based was, therefore, to understand and track the underlying dynamics of smallholder agricultural commercialisation over time, and to identify policy recommendations to address the issues that exist in its uptake.
The Effects and Implications of Using Open Educational Resources in Secondary Schools
Authors: Harvey Paul , Bond John
Published: May 2022

Open educational resources (OER) constitute a curriculum innovation that is considered revolutionary and has the potential to change the landscape of curriculum at all levels and content areas. OER have gained attention and widespread acceptance by educators and policy makers since 2002.  The promise of OER is that they provide cost savings, promote collaboration, and are adaptable to the needs of teachers and students while providing a legitimate alternative to commercially produced print textbooks. Determining the relevance and viability of the movement to embrace OER requires an examination of theoretical foundations and empirical research to illuminate the effect of using OER as core curricula. While advocates promote the use of OER as a financially liberating model of curriculum and as a source of constructivist learning materials, more research is needed. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between OER and student learning. The study critically analyzed previous studies on OER and applied empirical analyses to the use of OER by a sample of middle schools. Twenty-eight middle schools from Washington State served as the subjects for the study. The study followed an ex post facto causal comparative model. Three research questions provided the focus for the study to investigate the effects of OER curriculum, duration of curriculum use, and other factors on student achievement in middle school mathematics. The results of the study found non-significant effects for OER use in relationship to school performance in mathematics, and significant effects on math scores for the variables of student poverty, curriculum duration, and cohort size.
Understanding the Relationship Among Self-efficacy, Utility Value, and the Community of Inquiry Framework in Preservice Teacher Education
Authors: Akcaoglu Mete , Akcaoglu Mustafa Ozturk
Published: May 2022

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic have shown the importance of distance education, and teachers have been tasked with designing and delivering online courses in a short amount of time without much preparation or deliberation. As the future generation of teachers, preservice teachers need to be prepared to teach online, and their motivation to do so is a key factor in how successfully they do it. The community of inquiry framework provides researchers and practitioners with a framework for designing and delivering online courses, while self-efficacy and utility value are important motivational constructs predicting future engagement and success in tasks. In this cross-sectional survey study, we investigated preservice teachers’ (n = 344) perceptions of their self-efficacy, utility value, the importance of the three components of the community of inquiry framework: teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence. Our results show that overall, preservice teachers had high motivation to teach online and high perceptions of the three presences. Our regression analyses indicated that while preservice teachers’ self-efficacy was a significant predictor of teaching presence, utility value only significantly predicted social presence. We discuss the implications of these findings for teacher education programs, including a holistic approach to teaching online learning and instructional design.
Mapping Network Structure and Diversity of Interdisciplinary Knowledge in Recommended MOOC Offerings
Authors: Zhang Jingjing , Yang Yehong , Barberà Elena , Lu Yu
Published: May 2022

In massive open online courses (MOOCs), recommendation relationships present a collection of associations that imply a new form of integration, such as an interdisciplinary synergy among diverse disciplines. This study took a computer science approach, using the susceptible-infected (SI) model to simulate the process of learners accessing courses within networks of MOOC offerings, and emphasized the potential effects of a network structure. The current low rate of access suggests that a ceiling effect influences learners’ access to learning online, given that there are thousands of courses freely available. Interdisciplinary networks were created by adding recommended courses into four disciplinary networks. The diversity of interdisciplinarity was measured by three attributes, namely variety, balance, and disparity. The results attest to interesting changes in how the diversity of interdisciplinary knowledge grows. Particularly remarkable is the degree to which the diversity of interdisciplinarity increased when new recommended courses were first added. However, changing diversity implied that neighbouring disciplines were more likely to come to the forefront to attach to the interdisciplinarity of MOOC offerings, and that the pace of synergy among disparate disciplines slowed as time passed. In the absence of domain experts, expert knowledge is not sufficient to support interdisciplinary curriculum design. More evidence-based analytics studies showing how interdisciplinarity evolves in course offerings could help us to better design online courses that prepare learners with 21st-century skills.
From Physical to Virtual: A New Learning Norm in Music Education for Gifted Students
Authors: Ismail Md Jais , Anuar Azu Farhana , Loo Fung Chiat
Published: May 2022

Music education is a subject that is generally thought to have much physical activity involved. However, virtual learning has been mandatary applied to most schools worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The landscape of music learning has had to be switched to online distance learning (ODL), where students learn music virtually using technological tools. Gifted students are among those affected by the implementation of music ODL throughout 2020. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the effectiveness of music ODL on gifted students’ motivation. The researchers framed this quantitative study by involving 81 secondary gifted students, aged 13 years, from 13 states in Malaysia. The sample was selected through random sampling, and a preexperimental design was applied to conduct the study. Respondents had been exposed to the music ODL intervention for a month. Data were collected through an adapted questionnaire, namely, the MUSIC Inventory, with a five-point scale. Data were further analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics, integrating two-way MANOVA, using SPSS Statistics version 23. Results reveal that an ODL approach to music classes is significantly effective to enhance gifted students’ motivation domains of empowerment, usefulness, success, interest, and caring. Yet, no significant difference was found in gifted students’ genders and locations on the four domains. Different approaches in music teaching could be further explored for music ODL to gifted students in future studies.
Effects of Online Self-Regulated Learning on Learning Ineffectiveness in the Context of COVID-19
Authors: He Wei , Zhao Li , Su Yu-Sheng
Published: May 2022

Within the COVID-19 pandemic and the new normal period, online learning has become one of the main options for learning. Previous studies on self-regulated learning have shown that it was a better predictor of online learning effectiveness. However, this discussion has not been extended to the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this gap, this study aims to explore the relationship between the three stages of self-regulated learning (SRL) and learning ineffectiveness (LI). Data of 370 high school students were collected during the period of COVID-19. Structural equation modeling was used to perform confirmatory factor analysis on the data. Findings show that the preparatory stage was positively related to the stages of performance and appraisal, and the performance stage was positively related to the appraisal stage; on the other hand, the stages of performance and appraisal were negatively related to learning ineffectiveness. In addition, the preparatory stage had no direct relation to learning ineffectiveness, but the preparatory stage was correlated with learning ineffectiveness, mediated by the stages of performance and appraisal. These results suggest that better performance in the three stages of self-regulated learning decrease learners’ perceived online learning ineffectiveness. This understanding can have implications for global education.
Fine-tuned BERT Model for Large Scale and Cognitive Classification of MOOCs
Authors: Sebbaq Hanane , El Faddouli Nour-eddine
Published: May 2022

The quality assurance of MOOCs focuses on improving their pedagogical quality. However, the tools that allow reflection on and assistance regarding the pedagogical aspects of MOOCs are limited. The pedagogical classification of MOOCs is a difficult task, given the variability of MOOCs' content, structure, and designs. Pedagogical researchers have adopted several approaches to examine these variations and identify the pedagogical models of MOOCs, but these approaches are manual and operate on a small scale. Furthermore, MOOCs do not contain any metadata on their pedagogical aspects. Our objective in this research work was the automatic and large-scale classification of MOOCs based on their learning objectives and Bloom’s taxonomy. However, the main challenge of our work was the lack of annotated data. We created a dataset of 2,394 learning objectives. Due to the limited size of our dataset, we adopted transfer learning via bidirectional encoder representations from Transformers (BERT). The contributions of our approach are twofold. First, we automated the pedagogical annotation of MOOCs on a large scale and based on the cognitive levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. Second, we fine-tuned BERT via different architectures. In addition to applying a simple softmax classifier, we chose prevalent neural networks long short-term memory (LSTM) and Bi-directional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM). The results of our experiments showed, on the one hand, that choosing a more complex classifier does not boost the performance of classification. On the other hand, using a model based on dense layers upon BERT in combination with dropout and the rectified linear unit (ReLU) activation function enabled us to reach the highest accuracy value.