Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is a growth regulator that stimulates plant growth and development. First, a preliminary experiment was performed to find the optimal Vitamin C dosage for maize plants. A single genotype of maize, Golden, was grown in sand under pot conditions. Hoagland’s nutrient solution was applied for seven days. Four doses of Vitamin C (i.e., 0.5, 1, 1.5and 2 mM) were applied as foliar spray on maize seedlings for two weeks. Then, in the main experiment, two genotypes of maize (Zea mays L.) namely Golden and Agaiti 2000 were grown in soil in a wire house at the Botanical Garden, the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad (Pakistan). Based on the preliminary results, the optimal dose (2 mM) of ascorbic acid was applied exogenously as foliar spray on leaves of both genotypes every third day for five weeks at seedling stage (3 leaf stage). Findings were noted both qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of different physiological and growth parameters. In addition, COSTAT software was employed to perform statistical analysis of quantitative readings for all parameters using analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique. It was observed that treated plants showed improved health and growth compared to non-treated plants with higher contents of physiological variables including chlorophyll, carotenoids, soluble carbohydrates, and minerals etc. and increased leaves, roots and shoots sizes and biomass. Moreover, Agaiti 2000 genotype was observed to show better results than genotype golden.

Early pregnancy in school settings remains a major public health and social concern in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in rural areas affected by socioeconomic challenges. Although pregnancy is not a disease, its occurrence among adolescents is often unintended and has serious consequences for health, education, and social integration. This study aimed to identify factors associated with early pregnancy among adolescents in the Léproserie neighborhood, located in the Mopela health area within the rural health zone of Bwamanda (South Ubangi). A cross-sectional study was conducted between July and September 2023 using field surveys and interpersonal interviews. A non-probability sampling method included 59 participants (43 girls and 16 boys) who had experienced pregnancy or fatherhood before the age of 18. The results indicate that most adolescents initiated sexual activity between the ages of 13 and 15, while regular condom use was low. The main reasons for non-use included perceived loss of sexual pleasure, partner refusal, and cultural or religious constraints. The findings highlight the combined influence of socio-cultural, economic, and educational factors, compounded by limited access to sexual and reproductive health information. The study underscores the need to strengthen comprehensive sexuality education, encourage parental involvement, and improve access to reproductive health services to reduce early pregnancies among school-aged adolescents.

This study aimed to understand the demographic structure of herds and the real-world performance of Djallonké goats, including body weight and three morphological traits, in western Burkina Faso. The data was collected from December 2023 to September 2024 in Poni province. A total of 1016 Djallonké goats were used in this study, divided into six age classes according to dentition. Data on body weight, withers height, body length, and thoracic circumference were collected. The herd structure was evaluated by calculating the proportions of different age groups. The results showed a decrease in the proportion of males from the class DL1 to the class 3PPI. A total absence (0%) of adult males in the 4PPI class was observed in the study area. The mean live weights were 4.29±1.74, 6.41±1.78, 8.99±2.47, 12.59±3.22, 15.04±4.05 and 15.88±3.72 kg for the DL1, DL2, 1PPI, 2PPI, 3PPI and 4PPI age classes, respectively. The demographic structure of the Djallonké goat population, characterized by high proportions of young males and variability in morphological traits, represents an asset for the improvement of community livestock.

In recent decades, cattle in Burkina Faso have been crossbred without any clear long-term management of the introduced genes. The socio-economic characteristics of producers can provide an insight into the management of genetic resources. This study was designed to investigate these characteristics and the management of bovine genetic resources in Burkina Faso. A survey of 735 producers from all 13 regions of Burkina Faso was conducted. The results showed that the farmers were mainly men (98.91%) over 40 years of age (80.44%). Extensive (57.69%) and semi-intensive (41.9%) farming systems were dominant, with the majority of farmers being sedentary (78.82%). Food resources included natural grazing, crop residues, agro-industrial by-products, and minerals. The use of these resources varied depending on the season. Farming objectives varied and included milk production, sales, traction, manure production and cultural reasons. While farmers have access to veterinary services, some also use traditional medicine (10.56%). The Fulani zebu, which was reared by 97.9% of the sample, was the dominant breed and was found throughout the country. It was sometimes found alongside other breeds. Crossbreds were found among 16.15% of farmers. Breeders mainly chose their male breeding stock on the basis of conformation, growth, temperament, tail length, colour, and body size. However, there was very little mating control. Crossbreeding between zebus and taurines threatens the existence of the latter. The typology shows three groups of breeders with a significant link to the administrative regions. Action is required to ensure the sustainability of crossbreeding practices.

This study examines the impact of agency conflicts on the financial performance of publicly listed companies in Africa, where governance challenges, ownership concentration, and institutional frameworks vary widely across countries. Building on agency theory, the paper investigates how ownership structure, board characteristics, managerial entrenchment, and free cash flow considerations affect firm performance in emerging capital markets. Using a balanced panel of firms listed on major African stock exchanges over the period 2010–2024, the analysis employs fixed effects and dynamic system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimations to address unobserved heterogeneity and endogeneity concerns. The findings reveal that higher managerial ownership initially aligns the interests of managers and shareholders, improving firm performance, but beyond a threshold, entrenchment effects emerge and weaken returns. Board independence and audit committee effectiveness show positive associations with profitability and market valuation, while CEO duality and extended tenure negatively affect firm outcomes. Moreover, excess free cash flow is linked to overinvestment, particularly in weak governance environments, highlighting the moderating role of institutional quality and investor protection. This study contributes to the literature by providing multi-country evidence from Africa, where capital markets are under-researched yet increasingly relevant to global investors. The results have implications for policymakers, regulators, and boards of directors in strengthening corporate governance codes, enhancing investor protection, and promoting sustainable firm value creation.

In the province of Haut Katanga, the quality of waterways is particularly threatened by mining activities that do not take into account the environmental protection criteria recently introduced through Congolese mining legislation. The objective of this study is to analyze the level of pollution in the water of rivers and Lake Tshangalele, which is rich in fish consumed by local populations in the upper part of the Lufira River basin, near the city of Likasi in the province of Haut Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in order to assess the level of risk and exposure faced by these aquatic ecosystems and their resources. The concentrations of ten heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn) were measured in river and lake water using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). Water pollution indices based on ETM concentrations were calculated using the weighted arithmetic method. The results obtained show that in terms of contamination levels, As (Kapulande ˃ Kapemba ˃ Lake Tshangalele), Cd (Kapemba ˃ Lufira 2), Co (Kapulande ˃ Panda 2 ˃ Lufira), Cr (Lufira ˃ Kapamba ˃ Kapulande), Cu (Kapulande ˃ Tshangalele), Mn (Kapulande ˃ Panda 2 ˃ Kapemba ˃ Lufira 2 ˃ Tshagalele), Ni (Lufira ˃ Buluo), Pb (Kapulande ˃ CLP ˃ Panda), Se (Kapulande ˃ Panda 3 ˃ Kapemba) and Zinc (Kapulande ˃ Tshangalele) show very high contamination levels with a very significant statistical difference (p < 0.05) compared to WHO standards for drinking water and good ecological quality. Based on the Pollution Load Index (PLI), it can be seen that the water in the Kapulande River (PLI = 31.9) is highly polluted compared to that of the Kapemba (PLI = 9.2), Lufira 2 (PLI = 5), Buluo, and Lufira 1 rivers, with PLI values of 4.7 respectively, followed by Panda 2 (PLI = 3.4) and Lake Tshangalele (PLI = 13.3), compared to the PLI of other rivers where pollution was considered to be low. Taking into account the ecological, social, and economic roles of the Lufira basin, which has been designated a Ramsar Site since 2017, and in view of the chemical and ecotoxicological risks to the aquatic ecosystems surveyed and their resources, as well as to the population exposed to them, appropriate measures must be taken to combat the degradation of these environments.

The Cotonou and agglomerations drinking water supply project is located in the District of Ouédo (commune of Abomey-Calavi). In this area, the water supply has become insufficient, due to urbanization and the deterioration of hydraulic infrastructure. An establishment of high-flow drilling by electrical surveys and brief particle study was thus undertaken. Five geological layers, whose resistivities and thicknesses varying respectively from 31.95 to 872.12 Ω.m and between 1.99 to 244.5 m are highlighted. Three aquifers lying between 60 and 114 m deep are revealed. These aquifers are formed of coarse elements with a diameter greater than one mm. A catchment field of sixteen boreholes, each providing a high flow rate (100-250 m3/h), was carried out. This one mobilized an overall flow of 2680 m3/h (i.e. 64,320 m3/d). This flow has contributed to the achievement of more than 60 % of the Millennium Development Goals development in terms of drinking water by Benin.

The present study aimed to determine the agronomic value of composts based on the effluent from the biodigester, which is a semi-buried structure with a fixed dome. The chemical characteristics of the composts and the soil were determined. The effects of the composts on the yield parameters of maize were evaluated using an experimental design. The design was in completely randomized blocks repeated six times. Each block included six elementary plots, each corresponding to a treatment: a control without fertilization, a treatment exclusively mineral, two plots amended only with compost, and two treatments combining compost and mineral fertilizers. The results showed that effluent-based composts have acceptable contents of organic matter (20.11 and 20.95%), nitrogen (0.66 and 0.75%), total potassium (0.51 and 0.62 g/kg), and carbon to nitrogen ratios (16 and 19) compared to the FAO’s evaluation grid for the quality of organic substrates. On corn, fertilization with this compost alone or in combination with mineral fertilizers had positive effects on biomass and grain yield compared to the control. The obtained results revealed the fertilizing value of effluent-based compost. Its use could be an alternative to improve agricultural yields.

Cocoassié undergrowth yam tubers, recently cultivated in association with rubber trees in the Haut-Sassandra region, are used as staple foods. They are highly perishable once harvested. Processing them into flour could help reduce post-harvest losses and be a means of adding value. This study aimed to to determine the physicochemical characteristics of undergrowth yam flour for value addition purposes. Untreated, bleached, and citric acid-treated flours were produced from yam tubers from the localities of Gonaté and Séria and characterized using conventional methods. The results revealed that yam flours are energy-rich foods high in total carbohydrates (92.77-94.31% DM), low in ash (0.99-1.98% DM) and lipids (0.14-0.25% DM). These flours contain proteins (4.40-5.21% DM), polyphenols (27.90-50.97 mg EAG/100 g), including flavonoids (2.53-7.32 mg EQ/100 g). Their tannin, phytate, and oxalate contents are 15.09-28.22 mg EAT/100 g, 12.41-16.04 mg/100 g, and 25.50-54.06 mg/100 g, respectively. In addition, anti-browning treatments, particularly bleaching and citric acid treatment of the tubers, had a significant impact on the physicochemical characteristics determined. Untreated flours generally had the highest ash, protein, and lipid contents, unlike acid-treated flours. As for bleached flours, they had the lowest levels of antinutritional compounds. For the efficient use of these flours in the food industry, their functional and rheological properties must be determined.

Broiler chicken production in developing countries faces challenges in balancing growth performance, health, and food safety. This study pointed out the effects of Secamone afzelii aerial parts meal on broiler growth, and their health. A total of 300 broiler chicks of twenty-one days old were randomly assigned to six dietary treatments containing 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, or 2.5% S. afzelii aerial parts meal for 49 days. Performance parameters, serum lipid profiles, Hematological indices and carcass traits were assessed. Inclusion of 1.5-2.5% S. afzelii significantly increased final body weight and average daily gain while improving feed conversion ratio. Birds fed supplemented diets exhibited no morbidity, in contrast to control birds receiving medical treatments. Serum analyses revealed decreased total cholesterol and LDL and elevated HDL levels with increasing S. afzelii content. Carcass yield improved and abdominal fat decreased, particularly in diets containing 1.5-2.5% of S. afzelii aerial parts meal in supplementation. Moreover, total white blood cell and lymphocyte counts were significantly reduced in birds receiving diets containing 1-2.5% of S. afzelii aerial parts meal in supplementation. Overall, S. afzelii aerial parts meal is a promising natural feed supplement that promotes broiler growth and health, providing a sustainable alternative to synthetic additives in poultry nutrition.

This article focuses on the comparison of the temporal and spatial algorithmic complexities of iterative and recursive structures, through the analysis of classic cases (factorial, Fibonacci sequence, tree traversal). We demonstrate in this study that on the one hand iteration generally offers better memory efficiency (O (1) in many cases) and avoids the risks of stack overflow, and on the other hand that recursion, although more elegant and intuitive for certain problems (such as tree traversals), can generate a memory overload (O (n) in call stack) and degraded time complexity in non-optimized cases (eg: naive Fibonacci in O (2ⁿ)). The results obtained here highlight that the choice between these two approaches depends on the context the developer is in. It is therefore worth noting that iteration is better suited to linear and memory-constrained problems, and recursion to nested structures (trees, divide-and-conquer), especially if the language supports tail call optimization. This comparison provides objective criteria to guide developers in selecting the most effective approach based on needs.

Ichthyological investigations were conducted on the Black Volta River, a tributary of the Volta River, as part of a broader inventory of fish fauna in Ivorian freshwater ecosystems. Sampling, carried out between 2022 and 2023, employed a combination of techniques including gill nets, longlines, and fish traps, and was complemented by the analysis of artisanal fishing catches. A total of 63 species, belonging to 22 genera and 17 families, were identified. Species richness varied among sites, with 45 species recorded at Vonkoro, 31 at Machinté, 26 at Tchomi, and 21 at Tatama, with eight species common to all four sites. The most dominant families were Mormyridae (26%), Mochokidae (16%), Alestidae (8%), Cichlidae (8%), Claroteidae (7%), and Cyprinidae (6%). The Shannon diversity index ranged from 2.3 (Tatama) to 3.2 (Vonkoro), indicating a relatively high level of biodiversity. Evenness values ranged from 0.74 to 0.85, reflecting a balanced species distribution. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 85% of the recorded species were classified as «Least Concern». These findings provide a valuable scientific baseline for the sustainable management and conservation of the ichthyofauna in the Black Volta River basin.