A benthic invertebrates-based biotic index to assess the ecological status of West African Sahel Rivers, Burkina Faso.

Conserving aquatic resources in the West African Sahel requires water management tools to assess the ecological status of surface water bodies threatened by mounting pressures from agricultural intensification and urbanization. Macroinvertebrate communities of Sahelian rivers were examined to test if a multi-metric index approach could be developed to assess the ecological quality of rivers. A total of 40 sample sites falling within a continuum ranging from "unimpaired reference sites" to "impaired sites" were assessed during this study.

Developing reference criteria for the ecological status of West African rivers.

Awareness of sustainable management of water and its biological resources is rising in West Africa, but application of effective tools for biomonitoring and detecting habitats at risk in aquatic ecosystems is limited. In this study, we provide key environmental descriptors to characterize reference sites by applying the following "a priori criteria" (physical and chemical, hydro-morphological, and land use parameters) by exploring their potential to determine suitable reference sites. Using data collected from 44 sites, we identified 37 criteria that reliably identify reference conditions in semi-arid rivers by reflecting the impacts of multiple pressures ranging from low to very high intensity of human uses and impairments.

Storage of male Glossina palpalis gambiensis pupae at low temperature: effect on emergence, mating and survival.

Background: Procurement of sterile tsetse flies (Glossina palpalis gambiensis) from Burkina Faso for an eradication programme in Senegal that incorporates the sterile insect technique (SIT) required the development of transport and handling protocols that would allow retaining the female flies in the rearing facility and transport of the male flies as irradiated pupae. The proposed handling scheme included the chilling of the male pupae after the female emergence and transport to Senegal under low temperatures. The effect of exposing male pupae of G.

Estimating abortion incidence in Burkina Faso using two methodologies.

Abortion is illegal in Burkina Faso except in cases of incest, rape, fetal defect, or when the woman's life or physical health is endangered. As a result, abortion procedures are often conducted illegally and unsafely and measuring incidence proves difficult. We estimate incidence of abortion and associated morbidity using two methodologies.

Dose-dependent resorption of quinine after intrarectal administration to children with moderate Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

The pharmacokinetics of increasing doses of an intrarectal Cinchona alkaloid combination containing 96.1% quinine, 2.5% quinidine, 0.