DEPARTEMENT DE CHIMIE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 2008

Phytotherapy Research, 2009

ChemInform, 2007

In 1960, Mrs. Julienne Keutcha became the first female parliamentarian in Cameroon. She served alone in that capacity till 1965. A significant increase in the number of female parliamentarians was witnessed in 1992 when 23 women were elected to the National Assembly. This number decreased to 10 during the 1997-2002 legislature before reaching 20 in 2002, 25 in 2007 and 56 in 2013 when they represented around 31.11% of the Lower House, being a little higher than the percentage prescribed by the African Union, 30%. This increase of the women’s presence in the National Assembly was saluted by the United Nations that congratulated the government for making it possible through legislation. This is an external appreciation. To the opinion of internal analysts, the increase was made possible by the civil society that had educated Cameroonians in general and women folk in particular. This controversy introduces the question of the efficiency of legislation as regards this increase. An appraisal of facts as they unfolded during the under study shows that the only existence of the legislation could not bring about this result. As a matter of fact, the existing vague legislation left initiatives to political parties that were not prepared to favor women folk going to parliament. Moreover, this legislation had not provided any target percentage to political parties. The system put in place by this legislation had not provided for independent candidates system for which many female Cameroonians could apply easier than for the list system. Practically, the legislation alone could not enhance female political participation. This is why the actions (sensitization, lobbying) of the civil society contributed more than any other factor to the increase of female presence in Cameroonian parliament.

Acta Crystallographica Section E-structure Reports Online, 2005

Journal of Natural Products, 2006

Bidens pilosa is an Asteraceae plant commonly used as a herb and as an ingredient in teas or herbal medicines. In the present study, we investigated the effects of an ethyl acetate extract of Bidens pilosa leaves on pulmonary hypertension in rats induced by intraperitoneal injection of monocrotaline (50 mg/kg) in Wistar rats. One week later, the animals were treated orally with the extract (100 or 200 mg/kg) or sildenafil (1.7 mg/kg) used as control drug for fourteen days. Three weeks after monocrotaline injection, pulmonary arterial pressure and lung weight was significantly increased in the vehicle-treated group, whereas they were attenuated by the extract treatment at the highest dose studied (200 mg/kg). The Fulton index (ratios of right ventricle weight to left ventricle + septum weight) was increased (P<0.01) in monocrotaline-treated rats, suggesting the occurrence of right ventricular hypertrophy. Both the extract (200 mg/kg) and sildenafil significantly (P<0.01) reduced the Fulton index. Compared to the control group, monocrotaline induced thickening of lung vessel walls with luminal narrowing. The monocrotaline-induced morphologic change was attenuated by administration of the extract. These overall results suggest that the ethyl acetate extract of Bidens pilosa might have a promising therapeutic potential for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Vegetable farming is an activity sensitive to the dynamism of the population and to the level of intensification in the use of soil resources. A study was conducted in the peri-urban zones of Yaoundé to present the socioeconomic characteristics of vegetable farming and the farmers' perception of soil and water degradation as a result of this activity. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to this purpose in 2016 in two vegetable farming sites in Yaoundé, namely Nkolbisson and Nkolondom III. Results showed that most vegetable farmers from both sites (around 75%) lack training in agriculture while 74 and 90 didn't benefit from training on management of pesticides. Spreading and landfilling of amendments are the two most popular ways of applying fertilizers. In fact, while the majority (35.4%) of these fertilizers is applied at planting time, the minority (4.9%) is applied several months before planting. Besides young plots are more exploited (52.4% and 30%) compared to older ones (2.4% and 5%) in Nkolondom III and Nkolbisson respectively, as they are more responsive to fertilizer application. As consequence, high rates of fertilizers are applied to the oldest farms. As for irrigation water, it is altogether polluted. Base on the above, the farmers' perception of degradation is seen through the degradation of soils properties with time in the order of 14.3% to 60% and 15% to 44% at Nkolbisson and Nkolondom III respectively resulting in a gradual decrease of crop production (up to 50%). It is also seen through the polluted produce obtained from irrigation and cleaning water.

The UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme, launched in 1992, today forms an extensive network of inter-university cooperation involving more than 700 higher education institutions in 128 countries worldwide. Through knowledge sharing and collaborative research in the priority areas of UNESCO's work in education, the natural and social sciences, culture, communication and information, the Chairs provide a vital contribution to the Organization's mission. The current volume focuses on the activities undertaken by UNESCO Chairs dedicated to the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within the context of the UN Decade of ESD which culminated in the UNESCO World Conference on ESD, held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, 2014. The case studies included, showcase the good practices, applied research and curricula innovations pioneered by the individual UNESCO Chairs, as well as highlighting the challenges and lessons learned both for the new follow-up Global Action Programme (GAP) on ESD and the wider Education 2030 Agenda.