University of Antananarivo

About: University of Antananarivo is a education organization based out in Antananarivo, Madagascar. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Lemur. The organization has 1561 authors who have published 1703 publications receiving 30922 citations. The organization is also known as: Tananarive University & Antananarivo University.

Formulation of Moringa oleifera Lam. based Bio-fortified Food Supplement for Pregnant Women in Madagascar, Indian Ocean

Abstract: The pregnant woman feeding is very important for the optimal embryonic development of the zygote. The present study suggests a formulation of food supplement in soup form. We were able to make a soup which is composed of vegetables and animal products. This product like food supplement can cover the pregnancy nutrients needs. In fact, the nutrients deficiencies during the first 1000 days lead to chronic malnutrition. Hence, preventive actions concerning this nutritional plague are necessary. Among that, the food supplement for pregnant manufacture can compensate the micronutrients and protein-energy deficiencies. This animal and plant-based food supplement contains various minerals such as Mg (368 mg/100g DM); Ca (2003 mg/100g DM); K (1324 mg/100g DM); P (204 mg/100g DM); Cu (0, 57 mg/100g DM); Fe (28, 2 mg/100g DM). Besides, the product is composed by carbohydrates (38, 2 g/100g DM), fats (2, 3 g/100g DM), and proteins (27, 1 g/100g DM) fibers (19, 3 g/100 g DM). It energetic value is 205 kCal per 100g.

Relation between Regional Lineament Systems and Geological Structures: Implications for Understanding Structural Controls of Geothermal System in the Volcanic Area of Itasy, Madagascar

Abstract: No detailed investigations have been conducted on the specific structural controls of geothermal individual fields in Madagascar. Knowledge of such structures would facilitate exploration models. In this study, we utilize satellite imagery, field investigations and compilation of existing data, to characterize the age and the role of faults in the geothermal system of the volcanic area of Itasy. The correspondence between the remote sensing-derived aligned features (lineaments) and the geological structures of the area was verified by means of our own geological field surveys. The lithology of Quaternary section consists of volcanic rocks including Pleistocene trachyte, limburgite, basanite, basalt and ordanchite lavas overlain by sequences of intercalated ash-flow tuffs. The Precambrian basement is mainly composed of migmatitic gneiss and shows high fracture density. This section is fragmented into multiple north to north-northeast-trending fault blocks. Most of the major geothermal sites occur along or near the north to north-northeast-striking faults that roughly parallel the volcanic area. This belt is called to as the Itasy structural zone. Major fractures and faults arranged broadly in northsouth structures suggest east-west thinning and extension direction. These faults, distributed across the ancient crystalline basement exhibit a pre-Pleistocene rupture history. We speculate that the geothermal system may have experienced transtensional strain fields in association with left-lateral slip along a major strike-slip fault zone. The strike-slip basins recognized in this releasing bend may be a negative flower structure or a classical pull-apart basin caused by dilational left-stepover of the master fault. The structural settings favoring geothermal activity all involve subvertical conduits of highly fractured rock along fault zones oriented approximately perpendicular to the foliation of Precambrian migmatitic gneiss and increase dilation, thereby allowing geothermal fluids to approach the surface.

Erosion et évolution des conditions culturales après défriche sous différents systèmes de culture en labour et semis direct sur couverture végétale.

Abstract: Sur les hautes terres de Madagascar, comme ailleurs dans l'ile, une erosion importante affecte les sols laboures qui sont souvent deja peu fertiles, etant majoritairement ferrallitiques, acides, pauvres en matiere organique et deficients en phosphore (Rabary, 1997; Rabeharisoa, 1985). Aussi les rendements sont-ils faibles (0,4 T/Ha en mais sans fumure; Arrivets et al., 1989) et les parcelles vite delaissees. Au debut des annees 90 les systemes de culture en semis direct sur couverture vegetale (SCV) ont ete introduits, ayant montre ailleurs qu'ils controlent fortement l'erosion du fait du non travail du sol et de sa protection (Alberts et Neibling, 1994; Gilley et al., 1987; Seguy et al., 1996). Ils ameliorent aussi le bilan hydrique (Scopel et al., 1998) et ont des effets positifs sur les mecanismes regissant la fertilite (Lal, 1997; Razafimbelo et al., 2005; Randriantsoa, 2001; Reyes Gomez et al., 2002). De fait a Madagascar les SCV ont-ils montre qu'ils pouvaient maintenir ou ameliorer les productions (cf. rapports TAFA). Mais si les resultats agronomiques demontrent leur interet, ils sont pour le moment encore peu adoptes. Cela tient des difficultes du transfert de technologie a des petits agriculteurs pauvres et peu encadres (Razakamiaramanana et al., 2000) et a la connaissance encore limitee de leur performances par les "decideurs" car peu d'etudes leur ont ete consacrees dans l'ile. En particulier il n'en existe pas, a notre connaissance, comparant les erosions, en quantite et qualite, en conditions paysannes en labour et en SCV. Notre etude s'inscrit dans ce contexte, avec comme objectif de determiner les erosions, tant en quantite globale, qu'en terme de pertes en matiere organique, azote, carbone et phosphore, se produisant sur plusieurs annees apres la mise en culture d'une jachere, sur un systeme paysan typique, et d'autres, selon la gestion du sol. Parallelement seront observes les profils et les productions pour suivre l'evolution des conditions culturales. L'etude permettra aussi de modeliser les ruissellements pour ameliorer les modeles de simulation du bilan hydrique. (Resume d'auteur)

Insect morphometry is reproducible under average investigation standards.

Abstract: Morphometric research is being applied to a growing number and variety of organisms. Discoveries achieved via morphometric approaches are often considered highly transferable, in contrast to the tacit and idiosyncratic interpretation of discrete character states. The reliability of morphometric workflows in insect systematics has never been a subject of focused research, but such studies are sorely needed. In this paper, we assess the reproducibility of morphometric studies of ants where the mode of data collection is a shared routine.We compared datasets generated by eleven independent gaugers, that is, collaborators, who measured 21 continuous morphometric traits on the same pool of individuals according to the same protocol. The gaugers possessed a wide range of morphometric skills, had varying expertise among insect groups, and differed in their facility with measuring equipment. We used intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) to calculate repeatability and reproducibility values (i.e., intra- and intergauger agreements), and we performed a multivariate permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) using the Morosita index of dissimilarity with 9,999 iterations.The calculated average measure of intraclass correlation coefficients of different gaugers ranged from R = 0.784 to R = 0.9897 and a significant correlation was found between the repeatability and the morphometric skills of gaugers (p = 0.016). There was no significant association with the magnification of the equipment in the case of these rather small ants. The intergauger agreement, that is the reproducibility, varied between R = 0.872 and R = 0.471 (mean R = 0.690), but all gaugers arrived at the same two-species conclusion. A PERMANOVA test revealed no significant gauger effect on species identity (R 2 = 0.69, p = 0.58).Our findings show that morphometric studies are reproducible when observers follow the standard protocol; hence, morphometric findings are widely transferable and will remain a valuable data source for alpha taxonomy.