Architecture et identités techniques au Cameroun

Situé en Afrique centrale à l’Extrême Nord Est du Golfe de Guinée, le Cameroun présente une extraordinaire diversité des formes architecturales. Cette dynamique est le fait d’un changement qui résulte du contact avec l’altérité et l’implantation effective des Européens en 1884. Avant cette date, le Cameroun comme beaucoup de pays africains avait son architecture propre. Fait des sociétés traditionnelles ancestrales, cette architecture est tributaire de la contrainte des milieux écologiques dans lesquels les techniques sont expérimentées. Au sud en général, domaine de forêt dense les Fangs, Beti, Boulou, Sawa, Maka, Bamiléké, pygmées ont su exploiter les matériaux que leur offre la nature pour mettre en place divers procédés de construction. Assemblage par ligature, tressage, ajustage, et sculpture sont des techniques utilisées pour construire des cases et des huttes. La bauge entre claies apparaît dans le Sud Cameroun pendant la période coloniale. Dans la zone sahélo-soudanaise, le torchis est sollicité pour bâtir la case obus des Mousgoum, les palais des kotoko et les cases rondes. La présente étude vise à rendre compte des particularismes techniques des œuvres architecturales perçus comme des marqueurs d’identité culturelle.Situated in the North East of the Gulf of Guinea within the central African Region, Cameroon provides an extraordinary and diverse form of architecture. This dynamic is the fact of change which stems from the encounter with other currents following the effective implantation of the Europeans in 1884. Before this date, Cameroon like many African countries had their own type of architecture. Evidenced in her ancestral traditional societies, she serves as a determining tributary for ecological zones within which multiple techniques have been experimented. In the Southern region of Cameroon in general, a zone of dense forest the Fang, Beti, Bulu, Sawa, Maka, Bamileke and the Pigmies, were able to exploit materials offered to them by nature which permitted them to put in place an assembly designs and structures. Indeed, they dealt with knitting, careful fitting and sculpture to build square house using barks of trees, bamboo as well as other kinds of sticks and leaves most used by the pigmies. The earth mud most used today arrived this region lately. In the Sudano-Sahel region a different kind of assembly bond of sticks alongside bigger stones and an accessories of earth bricks are variedly used. In this area, the pisee is most cherished to build houses among the Mousgum, the Kotoko palaces and the round hurts of the Fulbe. This study seeks to give an account of the particular architectural techniques used in precolonial Cameroun perceived as mark of cultural identity

Formative Evaluation of Post-Opera Live Discussion of the Center Cannot Hold Part 2 and Resilience Workshop.

There are few studies of impacts of arts on recovery in schizophrenia, on audience and cast responses. We developed a formative qualitative evaluation of audience and cast discussions after viewing live performances in a university setting of an opera based on Elyn Saks journey from psychosis, teaching law and falling in love, coupled with pre-opera workshop on community approaches to resilience. Live discussions were conducted with audience, cast members, and workshop presenters after performance of the opera, with recording and transcription, and reflexive thematic qualitative analysis sequentially conducted by 3 investigators/2 event leaders). Across 3 events, there were 81 comments (6510 total time) from facilitator, audience members, cast and creators. Key themes across participant groups were: (1) Connecting with the story; (2) Identifying normal lifestyles with mental illness; (3) Refocusing goals of care for providers; (4) Increasing awareness around mental health; with an overarching theme the value of art on mental health to highlight awareness of these issues. Live art events (opera with pre-workshop) on mental health with author with lived experience present, were noted by audience and cast as enhancing connection, enhancing understanding of mental illness and clarifying goals for care, through the shared experience of art. This may inform future research and art events on mental health

Animal health and nutrition: metabolic disorders in cattle and improvement strategies

The health and productivity of cattle are significantly compromised by metabolic diseases on a global scale. These disorders disrupt normal metabolic processes, leading to substantial economic losses for the livestock industry. Metabolic disorders can arise from defective biochemical pathways, deficiencies in enzymes, coenzymes, or cofactors, and may be either inherited or acquired. Dairy cows are particularly susceptible during the transition period from late lactation to early management, facing conditions such as ketosis, milk fever, and hepatic lipidosis. This susceptibility is primarily due to reduced dry matter intake caused by fetal development and a decline in rumen capacity. The negative energy balance (NEB) during this phase, characterized by elevated blood concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) due to increased energy mobilization, is closely linked to the onset of these diseases. Providing high-energy-density diets during this period is critical to mitigating the effects of NEB. Metabolic disorders represent a major health challenge in cattle, adversely affecting animal welfare and agricultural output. A comprehensive understanding of their etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches, and management strategies is essential for effective prevention and treatment. Ongoing research and the adoption of preventive measures are vital to reducing the economic and health impacts of these diseases. Early diagnosis and proactive management strategies are crucial to mitigating their impact on dairy cattle health and productivity. Early identification enables timely interventions, preventing disease progression and reducing adverse effects on animal health. Proactive measures, such as optimizing nutritional programs, implementing precision farming technologies, and ensuring timely veterinary care, are essential for enhancing the overall wellbeing of dairy cows. This review serves as a valuable resource for veterinarians, researchers, and dairy farmers, offering in-depth insights into the etiology, clinical signs, diagnostics, and management of prevalent metabolic disorders in dairy cattle. By equipping stakeholders with this knowledge, it aims to support informed decision-making and improve herd management practices. The focus on early diagnosis and proactive strategies underscores the potential to significantly reduce the economic and health burdens imposed by metabolic diseases on the livestock industry

Thermochemical sulfate reduction in fossil Ordovician deposits of the Majiang area: Evidence from a molecular-marker investigation

The main reservoirs of Majiang fossil deposits consist of the Silurian Wengxiang group, dominantly sandstones, and the Ordovician Honghuayuan formation, dominantly carbonate rocks, and the Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation mudstones serve as the major source rocks. Thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) might have taken place in the Paleozoic marine carbonate oil pools, as indicated by high concentrations of dibenzothiophenes in the extracts (MDBT=0.27-4.32 µg/g extract, and MDBT/MPH= 0.71-1.38). Hydrocarbons in the Pojiaozhai Ordovician carbonate reservoirs have undergone severe TSR and are characterized by higher quantities of diamondoids and MDBT and heavier isotopic values (δ13C=-28.4‰). The very large amounts of dibenzothiophenes might be products of reactions between biphenyls and sulfur species associated with TSR

“It's Not Something That’s Really Been Brought Up”: Advance Care Planning Among Individuals Living with Mechanical Circulatory Support

Despite the well-established evidence about catastrophic complications in individuals living with durable mechanical circulatory support, little is known about the decision-making processes in advance care planning for this population. While findings from current studies give insights into clinicians’ attitudes and protocol development to integrate palliative care specialists in advance care planning, these results do not describe the patients’ experiences in managing the uncertain outcomes of living with durable mechanical circulatory support. Therefore, this dissertation research explored the personal experiences of individuals living with mechanical circulatory support to analyze how their complex disease trajectories impact decision-making about advance care planning. Constructivist grounded theory guided all aspects for this dissertation. In-depth interviews, using a semi-structured guide to navigate the conversations, were conducted with 24 individuals who were implanted with durable mechanical circulatory support devices. Systematic analysis of the interview transcripts led to the identification of emergent categories and the development of the Theory of Pivoting Uncertainties, a situation-specific theory. The first paper, a systematic literature review, points to the dearth of ongoing ACP communication and the potential for nurses to provide primary palliative care for the MCS population. Consistent with the findings from the literature review, the paucity of ACP communication continued to be evident within the sample of participants. In the first data-based paper, participants’ perceptions of opportunities for ongoing advance care planning conversations were elucidated in four categories: 1) identifying the optimal context and timing for advance care planning; 2) sharing information with key stakeholders; 3) examining their understanding of advance care planning, and 4) assessing satisfaction with the information that had been received. These four categories were interrelated and occurred simultaneously to present ongoing opportunities for advance care planning across the mechanical circulatory support trajectory. In the second data-based paper on the Theory of Pivoting Uncertainties describes the process of decision-making about advance care planning in the context of living with mechanical circulatory support. Within the core category of complexities in decision-making about advance care planning, there were three dynamic subcategories: 1) impediments; 2) uncertainties; and 3) promoters. Collectively, the subcategories in the Theory of Pivoting Uncertainties gave insight into participants’ patterned responses towards these uncertainties and ultimately decision-making around ACP. These insights into the experiences of the complicated disease trajectories among individuals with mechanical circulatory support evidence their growing awareness of the uncertainties of living. The awareness of uncertain outcomes holds the potential for clinicians to engage individuals in sensitive advance care planning conversations. Additionally, the current sample highlight the need for clinicians, including MCS-trained clinical nurses and MCS coordinators, to initiate ongoing conversations with mechanical circulatory support individuals and their families. By exploring the firsthand experiences of individuals living with mechanic circulatory support, these findings are useful for informing clinical practice, future research, and policy-making around advance care planning

“It's Not Something That’s Really Been Brought Up”: Advance Care Planning Among Individuals Living with Mechanical Circulatory Support

Despite the well-established evidence about catastrophic complications in individuals living with durable mechanical circulatory support, little is known about the decision-making processes in advance care planning for this population. While findings from current studies give insights into clinicians’ attitudes and protocol development to integrate palliative care specialists in advance care planning, these results do not describe the patients’ experiences in managing the uncertain outcomes of living with durable mechanical circulatory support. Therefore, this dissertation research explored the personal experiences of individuals living with mechanical circulatory support to analyze how their complex disease trajectories impact decision-making about advance care planning. Constructivist grounded theory guided all aspects for this dissertation. In-depth interviews, using a semi-structured guide to navigate the conversations, were conducted with 24 individuals who were implanted with durable mechanical circulatory support devices. Systematic analysis of the interview transcripts led to the identification of emergent categories and the development of the Theory of Pivoting Uncertainties, a situation-specific theory. The first paper, a systematic literature review, points to the dearth of ongoing ACP communication and the potential for nurses to provide primary palliative care for the MCS population. Consistent with the findings from the literature review, the paucity of ACP communication continued to be evident within the sample of participants. In the first data-based paper, participants’ perceptions of opportunities for ongoing advance care planning conversations were elucidated in four categories: 1) identifying the optimal context and timing for advance care planning; 2) sharing information with key stakeholders; 3) examining their understanding of advance care planning, and 4) assessing satisfaction with the information that had been received. These four categories were interrelated and occurred simultaneously to present ongoing opportunities for advance care planning across the mechanical circulatory support trajectory. In the second data-based paper on the Theory of Pivoting Uncertainties describes the process of decision-making about advance care planning in the context of living with mechanical circulatory support. Within the core category of complexities in decision-making about advance care planning, there were three dynamic subcategories: 1) impediments; 2) uncertainties; and 3) promoters. Collectively, the subcategories in the Theory of Pivoting Uncertainties gave insight into participants’ patterned responses towards these uncertainties and ultimately decision-making around ACP. These insights into the experiences of the complicated disease trajectories among individuals with mechanical circulatory support evidence their growing awareness of the uncertainties of living. The awareness of uncertain outcomes holds the potential for clinicians to engage individuals in sensitive advance care planning conversations. Additionally, the current sample highlight the need for clinicians, including MCS-trained clinical nurses and MCS coordinators, to initiate ongoing conversations with mechanical circulatory support individuals and their families. By exploring the firsthand experiences of individuals living with mechanic circulatory support, these findings are useful for informing clinical practice, future research, and policy-making around advance care planning

Urbanisation et mondialisation pour une transition socioécologique inversée : un écosystème de la vulnérabilité humaine dans le secteur de l’agriculture au Cameroun

Cet article se veut une tentative d’explication des mutations des modes de production agropastorale au Cameroun, partis d’une situation quasi bio au XXe siècle à une situation d’assistance chimique généralisée au XXIe siècle. Dans ce pays, c’est un processus complexe au coeur duquel le phénomène de la mondialisation agit comme un moteur d’inversion des valeurs productives. Les effets sociaux rendent les populations particulièrement vulnérables. L’agriculture, une activité sociale à finalité alimentaire et nutritive, se retrouve dans l’engrenage vicieux des pesticides et de perversion des modes endogènes de production. Dans un processus heuristique transdisciplinaire, le cadre théorique adopté est le constructivisme, dont la modalité essentielle est l’explication par la critique. Il saisit la transition socioécologique comme la construction d’un idéal dans un monde dominé par les contradictions de la mondialisation. C’est ainsi qu’au Cameroun, le secteur de l’agriculture donne un sens contraire à l’idéal de la transition socioécologique, à travers l’interversion des enjeux socioéconomiques et socioécologiques.This paper is an attempt to explain the changes of agricultural production modes in Cameroon, from a quasi-bio situation in the 20th century, to a situation of generalized chemical assistance in the 21st century. In this country, this is a complex process at the heart of which the phenomenon of globalization acts as a driving force for the inversion of productive values. The social effects make populations particularly vulnerable. Agriculture, a social activity whose purpose is to provide food and nutrition, is caught up in the vicious circle of pesticides and the distortion of endogenous modes of production. In a transdisciplinary heuristic process, the theoretical frame-work adopted is constructivism, whose essential modality is explanation through critique, where socio-ecological transition is the construction of a model in a world dominated by the contradictions of globalization. In Cameroon, for example, the agricultural sector has an opposite view of the model of socio-ecological transition, through the reversal of socio-economic and socio-ecological stakes