Republic Of Guinea Research Articles

Evaluation of the use of the partogram in the obstetric gynecology department of the National Hospital Donka University Teaching Hospital Conakry Guinea

Evaluation of the use of the partogram in the obstetric gynecology department of the National Hospital Donka University Teaching Hospital Conakry Guinea

Evaluation of the use of the partogram in the obstetric gynecology department of the National Hospital Donka University Teaching Hospital Conakry Guinea

Objectives: To calculate the proportion of partogram use in the department, to describe the epidemiological profile of parturients, to identify the main reasons for not filling out the partogram and to establish the maternal and fetal prognosis in the gynaecology-obstetrics department of the Donka National Hospital, University Teaching Hospital of Conakry. Methodology: This was a prospective analytical cross-sectional study lasting six (6) months. All patients admitted to the department during the study period with a longitudinal presentation (cephalic, breech), permeable pelvis with a minimum of 28 weeks of gestational age with a live fetus were included in the study. The following were not included in this study: patients admitted for extreme obstetric emergencies (haemorrhagic placenta previa, retro-placental haematoma, uterine rupture, eclampsia....), patients admitted for prophylactic caesarean section; patients with a gestational age of less than 28 weeks of amenorrhoea and all contraindications to vaginal delivery with a live foetus. Word software from the 2007 office pack, Epi DATA3.1 was used for data entry, SSPS 20.0 was used for data analysis and Power Point software for presentation. The Chi-square test was used for the variables and a probability of p<0.05 was obtained in favour of an association between the variables compared. Results: Out of a total of 402 patients, the partogram was opened in only 269 patients, i.e. 67%, while 133 patients, i.e. 33%, did not receive a partogram. The epidemiological profile of the patients was that of women aged 20-24 years (31.3%), a housewife (34.1%), primiparous women (64.2%) and women who had not attended school (39.1%). 13.02% of the partograms were filled in correctly and 86.98% were filled in inadequately. 60% of the partograms were filled in correctly when they were carried out by a doctor, and only 12.8% were carried out by a midwife. Hypokinesia was found to be the most common anomaly, 60.59%, and the majority of patients (96.3%) did not cross the alert line. The reasons given by the staff interviewed for not filling out the patients were: lack of motivation on the part of the providers (25.56%), emergencies and overflowing activities in the delivery room (15.03%). Half of the staff interviewed did not give any reason for not filling out the partogram (50.37%). A previous caesarean section at the last delivery was found in 2.7% of the patients. The proportion of newborns without labour monitoring with a partogram with an APGAR score of less than 7 was 30.8%, compared with 11.2% with labour monitoring with a partogram. More than 2/3 of the births, 79.56%, that took place before the alert line was crossed, against 20.44% of the alert line. The morbidity is 3.7% for births before crossing the alert line against 20% after crossing it. The overall maternal morbidity is 6.5%: It is 5.57% under partogram, and 8.3% without partogram. Fetal mortality is 2.6% for those who gave birth under labour monitoring with partogram, and 3% for those who did not give birth under labour monitoring with partogram. We did not record any maternal deaths. Conclusion: The partogram is an indispensable tool in labour monitoring. We note a better maternal-fetal prognosis in patients who have given birth under partogram monitoring. The improvement of the quality of filling in the partogram would be achieved through the motivation of medical staff and supervision.

Increasing gold recovery from poor ore using gravity

The article discusses the issues of increasing the efficiency of extraction of gold-bearing ores from poor ores using gravity using combined geotechnologies at the Sigiri mine (Republic of Guinea). Gravity Recoverable Gold (GRG) is defined as gold present in a particle in sufficient quantities to be selectively recovered from waste rock by gravity methods. Since Guinea is one of the ten leaders among the countries of the African continent in terms of gold reserves (2019 — 700,000 tons), it should be taken into account that the complex of measures for ore processing includes crushing modules interconnected during the technological process, grinding-gravity module, flotation module and metallurgical a module that affects the solution of the problem of integrated development of subsoil in the generally accepted understanding and this is the maximum extraction of recorded reserves from the subsoil and useful components from mined ore. The author presents the influence of the centrifugal concentrator Nelson (Knelson) on increasing the degree of gold recovery from gold-bearing poor ores under high climatic conditions. Increase in gold production by the GRG test method due to the destruction of the ore structure and a significant decrease in density, as well as an increase in the opening of minerals using gravity up to 63 %. Thus, the optimization is classified as medium-coarse gold.

The missions of Biologie Sans Frontières (BSF)

«Biologie sans Frontières» (BSF) is a non-governmental organisation whose mission is to develop medical biology where it is most needed, particularly in French-speaking Africa. In Guinea Conakry, with Fondation Mérieux and the Guinean Ministry of Health, BSF is in charge of training "trainers/teachers" of technicians. This training will take place at the National Health School of Kindia, a school that has been completely rehabilitated and re-equipped thanks to the support of Fondation Mérieux. This project is supported by the French Development Agency. BSF has an in-depth knowledge of the local needs in medical biology training. After an audit carried out by two BSF members, the findings were alarming: these trainers had no experience in medical biology and their theoretical knowledge was still of low level. Three training courses were then provided by BSF, the first in biochemistry, sero-immunology and immuno-hematology, the second in cyto-hematology and the last one in bacteriology-parasitology. The basic techniques have been acquired, the "student trainers" have shown great assiduity, but the level remains fragile and will require new training, which is essential to help these future teachers to provide structured, functional and above all useful practical work adapted to local practices and needs.

Review of the species of Pediobius (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) having extreme dorsal setation and description of a new species from East Africa.

The Afrotropical species of the genus Pediobius (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) characterized by extreme setation on the dorsal mesosoma are reviewed and grouped into a newly proposed setigerus group. This group is characterized by the broad attachment of the third funicular and first claval segments, so that the funicle is functionally 2-segmented with a 3-segmented clava. Four species are recognized for the group: P. setigerus Kerrich (from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Republic of Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda), P. multisetis Bouek (from Ivory Coast), P. sp. indet. aff. multisetis (from Uganda), and P. erinaceus Gumovsky sp. n. (from Uganda). This last species is associated with a leaf miner, and is easily recognizable in having numerous strong bristles on the lateral areas of the mesoscutum, along the notauli, and anterior margin of the mesoscutum, a smooth mesoscutellum with only one pair of thin setae, and the pronotal collar with only 6 thin setae. By contrast, in P. setigerus and P. multisetis the mesoscutellum is sculptured and bears a row of about 20 strong bristles on each side, and the pronotal collar also bears about 20 strong bristles. The differences between P. setigerus and P. multisetis, as well as issues on their biology and type material, are discussed.

Sj\xf6gren\u2019s syndrome in children: about 15 cases in Guinea Conakry

ObjectivesSjögren’s syndrome is rare in children and most often secondary. It frequently affects girls and is characterized by dry eye syndrome, mouth and sometimes systemic involvement. Its diagnosis is difficult to establish in children. We report a series of 15 cases of Sjögren’s syndrome in order to clarify the peculiarities of this condition in children.Patients and methodsThis retrospective study was carried out over a 2-year period focused on children under 16 years of age who had been followed for Sjögren’s syndrome in the rheumatology and pediatric departments. Patient data were collected and then analyzed by STATA/SE version 11.2 software. Anonymity and respect for ethical rules were the norm. There was no connection between the patients and the researchers.Description of casesThe mean age of the patients was 11 years with extremes of 5–15 years. History reveals that a dry mouth was found in more than half of the cases, or in 10 (66.7%) patients. Clinical examination found oral ulceration and periodontitis in equal proportions, 6 (40%). The immunological workup and the biopsy of the accessory salivary glands served as diagnostic evidence in the 15 patients according to the US–European criteria of 2002.ConclusionSjögren’s syndrome is a rare entity in pediatrics. Its diagnosis is difficult to establish in pediatrics and its severity is linked to the occurrence of late visceral and lymphomatous sicca syndrome. Rapid diagnosis and initiation of a synthetic antimalarial (hydroxychloroquine) increases the hope of a cure.

Comprehensive Ecological and Geographic Characterization of Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Microbiomes in African Anopheles.

Exposure of mosquitoes to numerous eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbes in their associated microbiomes has probably helped drive the evolution of the innate immune system. To our knowledge, a metagenomic catalog of the eukaryotic microbiome has not been reported from any insect. Here we employ a novel approach to preferentially deplete host 18S ribosomal RNA gene amplicons to reveal the composition of the eukaryotic microbial communities of Anopheles larvae sampled in Kenya, Burkina Faso and Republic of Guinea (Conakry). We identified 453 eukaryotic operational taxonomic units (OTUs) associated with Anopheles larvae in nature, but an average of 45% of the 18S rRNA sequences clustered into OTUs that lacked a taxonomic assignment in the Silva database. Thus, the Anopheles microbiome contains a striking proportion of novel eukaryotic taxa. Using sequence similarity matching and de novo phylogenetic placement, the fraction of unassigned sequences was reduced to an average of 4%, and many unclassified OTUs were assigned as relatives of known taxa. A novel taxon of the genus Ophryocystis in the phylum Apicomplexa (which also includes Plasmodium) is widespread in Anopheles larvae from East and West Africa. Notably, Ophryocystis is present at fluctuating abundance among larval breeding sites, consistent with the expected pattern of an epidemic pathogen. Species richness of the eukaryotic microbiome was not significantly different across sites from East to West Africa, while species richness of the prokaryotic microbiome was significantly lower in West Africa. Laboratory colonies of Anopheles coluzzii harbor 26 eukaryotic OTUs, of which 38% (n = 10) are shared with wild populations, while 16 OTUs are unique to the laboratory colonies. Genetically distinct An. coluzzii colonies co-housed in the same facility maintain different prokaryotic microbiome profiles, suggesting a persistent host genetic influence on microbiome composition. These results provide a foundation to understand the role of the Anopheles eukaryotic microbiome in vector immunity and pathogen transmission. We hypothesize that prevalent apicomplexans such as Ophryocystis associated with Anopheles could induce interference or competition against Plasmodium within the vector. This and other members of the eukaryotic microbiome may offer candidates for new vector control tools.

Development and Testing of a Method for Detecting Lujo Virus RNA by Reverse Transcription and Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

The aim of the study was to develop and assess the efficacy of a method for Lujo virus RNA detection in clinical and biological samples using one-step real-time RT-PCR.Materials and methods. In order to select the conservative regions of the genome, we utilized the available in GenBank database Lujo virus sequences (https://www.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/genbank) aligned in BioEdit 7.2.5 software package ( (IbisBiosciences, USA). To conduct one-round RTPCR, reverse transcriptase and TaqF-polimerase were used. Recombinant Escherichia coli strain, XL1-Blue, containing pGEM-T plasmid with inserted synthetically-generated fragment of the virus genome, was produced to make positive control sample (PCS). Constructed recombinant plasmids were used for creating RNA-containing PCS with protective protein shell of MS2-phage. Determination of specificity of the developed method was performed with the help of control panel of RNA and DNA of 23 viral strains related to 10 families; the sensitivity – the panel of biological samples artificially contaminated with PCS. Further testing was carried out at the premises of laboratory of the Russian-Guinean Center for Epidemiology and Prevention of Infectious Diseases (Kindia, Republic of Guinea) on 265 blood sera from practically healthy persons, 110 blood sera of cattle, 83 suspensions of ticks, and 165 suspensions of organs of small mammals collected in the territory of Guinea.Results and discussion. Two conservative polymerase gene fragments have been chosen as targets for Lujo virus RNA detection using RT-PCR. The combination of primers and probes has been experimentally selected, optimum composition of reaction mixture for PCR and mode of RT-PCR set-up established, as well as control samples C+, internal control, positive control sample developed. Sensitivity of the proposed method is 5·103 GE /ml, specificity – 100 %.

Comparative Analysis of the Vertical Risk of Transmission of Some Blood-Borne Infections in the Republic of Guinea

The aim of our work was to compare the HBV, HCV and HIV vertical transmission risk in the Republic of Guinea.Materials and methods. The material for the study was 305 blood plasma samples from pregnant women living in Conakry, Republic of Guinea. The samples were examined for the presence of serological (HBsAg, antibodies antiHBs IgG, anti-HBcore IgG, anti-HCV IgG, Ag/Ab-HIV) and molecular (HBV DNA, HCV RNA, HIV RNA) markers.Results and discussion. When assessing the overall prevalence of serological markers among patients, the incidence of HBV markers was 76.06 %. Antibodies to HCV were detected only in 1 case, which amounted to 0.32 %. HIV markers were detected in 3 cases, which amounted to 0.98 %. The prevalence of HBsAg in the group under examination significantly differed between the groups of pregnant women aged 13–19 years (17.33 %) and 20–24 years (12.12 %), p<0.0001, RR=5.107 with 95 % CI: 2.458–10.612. When assessing the overall prevalence of molecular-biological markers among patients, we did not detect HIV RNA, in one patient, HCV RNA was determined, which was 0.32 %, while the incidence of HBV DNA was 20 %. Among HBsAg-positive individuals, HBV DNA was detected in 86.11 %, which was 10.16 % of the total group. Among the HBsAg-negative individuals, HBV DNA was detected in 11.15 % (9.84 % of the total group). It should be noted that in nine cases, HBV DNA was detected without any serological markers, which amounted to 14.75 % (2.95 % of the total group). Assessment of the blood-borne infections prevalence in pregnant women is significant for the subsequent identification of pathogen transmission routes in order to control and/or prevent the spread of infection.

The need for a new strategy for Ebola vaccination.

News of two new outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of Guinea, on the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, signals the need for a change of direction in vaccination strategies in the area.

Spread of bacterial wilt disease of potato in the highlands of Fouta Djalon, Republic of Guinea

Bacterial wilt in potato (Solanum tuberosum) is caused by Ralstonia solanacearum in the highlands of Fouta Djalon in Guinea. The disease causes 50-70% loss of potato in Guinea. The bacterium is transmitted either by imported tuber seeds or through seed exchanges between the farmers themselves from a contaminated area to bacteria-free areas or through irrigation waters along the fields. This is mainly a consequence of the informal potato seed system that prevails in Guinea. Because of the high price of seeds, farmers use several sources of supply. However, potato is an attractive cash crop in Guinea and the most important economic crop in Fouta Djalon. Most populations in the middle Guinea utilizes potato. The potato farmer's organization in Guinea, FPFD (Fédération des Producteurs du Fouta Djalon), is a model in West African sub-region because of its dynamism and organization with its 500 groups, 25 unions and more than 25,000 members. Training of potato growers in certified seed production techniques remains a major problem in Guinea that needed to be solved. This information is important for developing bacterial wilt disease management strategies through the training of farmers and state support for research.

Hunting of mammals by central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) in the Loango National Park, Gabon

The predation and consumption of animals are common behaviours in chimpanzees across tropical Africa. To date, however, relatively little is known concerning the hunting behaviour of central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes). Here, we provide the first direct observations of hunting behaviour by individuals of the newly habituated Rekambo community in the Loango National Park, Gabon. Over a period of 23 months (May 2017 to March 2019), we observed a total of 61 predation attempts on eight mammal species, including four monkey species. The two most frequently hunted species were two monkey species (Cercocebus torquatus,Cercopithecus nictitans), which are not hunted at other long-term field sites. The majority of predation events observed involved parties of an average of eight individuals, mainly adult males, with hunting success being higher with increasing numbers of participants. Hunting occurred all year round, but hunting rates increased in the dry season, the period of high fruit availability in the Loango National Park. These results are in line with the nutrient surplus hypothesis which explains seasonal variation in hunting behaviour in several populations of eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii: e.g., Mahale, Tanzania; Ngogo, Uganda). Finally, with a hunting frequency of 2.65 hunts per month, the Rekambo community had higher hunting rates than other sites (Bossou, Republic of Guinea; Kahuzi-Biega, Democratic Republic of Congo; Budongo, Uganda) where red colobus monkeys are also absent. We discuss these results and compare them to patterns at other long-term sites.

Effect of physicochemical characteristics on the use of clays from Kindia (Guinea) in ceramic compositions

AbstractTo evaluate their potential uses in ceramic compositions, two different types of abundant clays from Kindia (Guinea Conakry), denoted ABD and ARD, were characterized with the chemical and mineralogical compositions, the specific surface area, the plasticity index, the particle size distribution, and the thermal behavior. Kaolinite and muscovite are the main clay minerals that are identified. Besides, non‐plastic minerals are large amount of quartz with a small particles size, goethite, hematite, anatase, and a small quantity of gibbsite. The two clays have a high plasticity index that is consistent with the small particle size and the broad size distribution. During heating, the fluxing behavior of the two clays induces a significant densification that is favored by the muscovite mineral combined with the reactive fine quartz. Besides, the firing shrinkage is limited to values of 4.5% and 3.5% for ABD and ARD respectively. In the objective of manufacturing ceramics, the two clays present the required properties. They present a sufficient plastic index in the green state, and after firing they lead to dense ceramics with an interesting bright color. The limited firing shrinkage is favorable to maintain the dimensional stability of vitrified ceramics as porcelain.

Investigation on Risk Factors of Chronic Gastritis in the Population of Conakry in Guinea

To analyze risk factors for the development of chronic gastritis in Conakry, Guinea, and to provide a basis for its prevention and control. A case group of patients who had a gastroscopy and a gastroscopy report at the Sino-German Friendship Hospital in Conakry from January 2019 to January 2020 was selected, while a control group of 107 patients with chronic lung diseases and other chronic diseases of the digestive system were selected. Factor logistic regression analysis of risk factors. The results show that chronic gastritis affects people aged 11 to 95 y, with the highest proportion of patients aged 18 to 30 y, 80 % of whom live in rural areas. The main risk factors for gastritis in the Conakry region of Guinea were a history of digestive problems, smoking for more than 10 y, fast eating, eating hot food at least once a week, and eating moldy food at least once a week. Protective factors against gastritis in Guinea Conakry are: regular diet. The adjusted population-attributable risk for the main risk factors for gastritis were a history of digestive problems 61.19 %, eating too fast 23.59 %, smoking for more than 10 y 26.60 %, eating hot food at least once a week 24.76 % and eating mouldy food at least once a week 6.87 %. The combined population-attributable risk for these factors was 79.07 %. A history of digestive disease, a smoking history of more than 10 y, fast food intake, hot food at least once a week and moldy food at least once a week were risk factors for the development of chronic gastritis in Guinea Conakry, and regular diet was a protective factor against the development of chronic gastritis in young and middle-aged patients in Guinea Conakry.

Malnutrition prevalence and associated biochemical factors among drug-resistance tuberculosis (DR-TB) patients at key treatment sites in Conakry City, Republic of Guinea.

Introductiondrug-resistant tuberculosis is a major global health problem and a threat to health security given the increase in the number of cases and the challenges associated with care. Besides, the relationship between poor nutritional status and tuberculosis is clearly established. For relevant and evidence-based public health decision-making regarding the management of malnutrition in patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis in the initial phase, it is essential to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition and understand the risk factors associated with it.Methodswe performed a retrospective cohort study in drug-resistant tuberculosis patients aged 18 years and older, among which the nutritional status was assessed through BMI. All predictors were included in a prediction model using the multivariate logistic model according to the lowest Akaike criterion. Discrimination and model calibration was evaluated using receiver performance analysis, and the Hosmer and Lemeshow test.Resultsthis study revealed a prevalence of malnutrition of 64.7% in drug-resistant tuberculosis patients in our 218-patient series. The factors associated with malnutrition were: unsuccessful treatment, the active presence of mycobacterium tuberculosis, increased bacteriological conversion time, increased serum creatinine, increased transaminase SGPT of the liver, and anaemia. Some of the factors not associated with malnutrition included the history of anti-tuberculosis treatment, vomiting, hepatic SGPT, initial AFB count, smear and culture conversion time, depression, and chest X-ray.Conclusionmalnutrition remains a concern among drug-resistant tuberculosis patients in Guinea as it affects more than half of them with a negative impact on the outcome of treatment. Implementing specific interventions for these high-risk patients, including nutritional supplementation, psychosocial support, and treatment for tuberculosis, can improve management for better treatment outcomes.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Conakry, Republic of Guinea: Analysis and Relationship with Meteorological Factors

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), dates back to December 29, 2019, in Wuhan, China. It quickly spreads like wildfire to all continents in the following months. In Guinea, the first case of COVID-19 and death were all reported respectively on March 12 and April 16, 2020. Since then, several studies have found a relationship between certain environmental conditions such as the meteorological factors to have the potential of contributing to the spread of the virus. Thus, this study aims at examining the extent to which observed meteorological factors might have contributed to the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Conakry, from March 1 to May 31, 2020. Meteorological factors such as temperature (Tmin, Tmean and Tmax) and relative humidity (RHmin, RHmean and RHmax) were analyzed together with the data on the COVID-19. The dynamic of the COVID-19 in Guinea was analyzed along with that of some west African countries. The analysis on the dynamic of the COVID-19 pandemic in West Africa indicated Guinea as one of the most affected countries by the pandemic after Nigeria and Ghana. The study found that in general an increase in the temperature is linked to a decline in the COVID-19 number of cases and deaths, while an increase in the humidity is positively correlated to the number of cases and deaths. Nevertheless, from this study it was also observed that low temperature, mild diurnal temperature and high humidity are likely to favor its transmission. The study therefore, recommends that habitations and hospital rooms should be kept in relatively low humidity and relatively higher temperature to minimize the spread of the (SARS-CoV-2).

Genetic Diversity of Local Rice Accessions Cultivated in Guinea Based on Agro-Morphological Traits and Identification of Sources of Tolerance to Iron Toxicity

In Guinea, traditional rice varieties are the most widely cultivated in rural areas despite their low yield and high susceptibility to iron toxicity. Moreover, the introduction of new improved varieties tolerant to iron toxicity poses a serious threat to the preservation of the genetic resources of these traditional varieties, whose genetic diversity remains poorly known. The present study therefore aims at a better valorisation of these local rice cultivars through the evaluation of their agromorphological diversity and the identification of genotypes potentially tolerant or resistant to iron toxicity. Thus, 90 accessions collected in the regions of Kindia and Macenta and six controls susceptible or resistant to iron toxicity (AZUCENA, BOUAKE 189, CK 73, IR64, NERICAL 19 and AURYLUX 6) were evaluated in three replicate alpha lattice designs in two sites (Seredou and Kilissi) using 16 agromorphological traits. The results showed significant agromorphological variability of the traditional accessions at both sites for all qualitative and most quantitative traits studied. In addition, 30 local cultivars expressed similar or higher grain yields than the resistant or tolerant controls at both sites, of which 12 were found to be stable at both sites. Of the 12 cultivars identified, five were resistant and seven tolerant to iron toxicity. These 12 accessions could be used in the varietal improvement of lowland rice in Guinea Conakry.

Consumption of Psychoactive Substances among Teenagers in Schools in Conakry, Republic of Guinea

Introduction : The use and abuse of psychoactive substances (SPA) in the adolescence age has become a major public health concern. In this study, we sought to determine the prevalence of the consumption of psychoactive substances, to identify the different substances consumed as well as the motivations underlying this consumption.
 Methods: It is a 6-month cross-sectional prospective study carried out in two public Junior Secondary Schools in Conakry. It involved 600 students and the sampling was simple random. Were included in this study, all the students of the two Junior Secondary Schools retained following the sampling; and having correctly completed the questionnaire and returned it. To carry out this work, we proceeded to a simple random sampling by drawing lots.
 Results: The prevalence of SPA consumption was 35.5%, boys were read represented (64.8%), the age groups 12 – 16 years and 17 – 20 years were the most affected 41% each). In the majority of students (72%), parents were separated and 72% of them had repeated at least once. The most consumed substances were only cannabis (24%) and tobacco (8%), the combination tobacco + cannabis represented 44% and irregular consumption of these substances was the most frequent (66% for cannabis and 63% for the tobacco). The first experience of these substances was very early in 21% for cannabis and 49% for tobacco.
 Conclusion: The consumption of psychoactive substances constitutes a real public health problem. A study of all the schools in the capital city and at the national level seems essential to situate the extent of the phenomenon and analyze the various factors involved in order to provide appropriate solutions.

Shareholders' rights in international law: (con)temporary reflections in the Diallo case

In the 21st century there is still an ongoing intensive discussion among practitioners and scholars as to whether, under international law, an independent right to property exists. When the International Court of Justice (hereinafter – ICJ) announced its decisions in the Ahmadou Sadio Diallo case (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of Congo, 2007, 2010, 2012; hereinafter – Diallo), these debates intensified. This article analyzes the decisions of the Diallo case, as this case is a valuable source which: (a) help to determine the approach of the most authoritative Court towards the right to property in international law, and (b) assist in evaluating the chance of defending the rights of shareholders in the ICJ. After examination, several observations are made. First, althought Guinea claims that the core issue in the case is a violation of property rights, the ICJ is not willing to elaborate on the right to property, its scope, or its content. This silence leads to further queries on the understanding of the concept of a global right to property. Second, the World Court rules that diplomatic protection based on the rule of protection by substitution does not amount to an international custom. A conclusion is made that the Diallo case is not a repetition of a standard discussed in the Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Company, Limited case (Belgium v. Spain, 1970; hereinafter – Barcelona Traction), but rather a reflection of a narrowed standard of Barcelona Traction. Therefore, the ICJ is not an amiable forum for the protection of the property rights of shareholders.

Prevention and Management of Postpartum Complications in Sows: The Case of Matoto, Guinea

One of the most common diseases that affects sows after parturition is mastitis. In other cases, it is a swelling of the breasts or a case of vulvitis or vaginitis. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of postpartum complications in sows and establish treatment management and preventive measures. Bacteriology analysis showed that the prevalence of mastitis was significantly higher for mastitis. Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp have been identified as bacterial pathogens. Prevalence rates were significantly higher in primiparous sows (3.78% of mastitis; 1.4% to 0.7% of vaginitis and vulvitis) than in multiparous animals (0.72% of mastitis; 0.3% of vaginitis and 0 , 06% of vulvitis). In the Matoto municipality, mastitis in sows manifests as edema of the breast and is known as one of the main pathologies affecting the females after giving birth. These data demonstrate the appearance of postpartum complications which should attract the attention of researchers and pig breeders for better exploitation of pig farming.
 Keywords: complications, postpartum, sows, Guinea Conakry.