Thermal tolerance, climatic variability and latitude

The greater latitudinal extents of occurrence of species towards higher latitudes has been attributed to the broadening of physiological tolerances with latitude as a result of increases in climatic variation. While there is some support for such patterns in climate, the physiological tolerances of species across large latitudinal gradients have seldom been assessed. Here we report findings for insects based on published upper and lower lethal temperature data. The upper thermal limits show little geographical variation. In contrast, the lower bounds of supercooling points and lower lethal temperatures do indeed decline with latitude. However, this is not the case for the upper bounds, leading to an increase in the variation in lower lethal limits with latitude. These results provide some support for the physiological tolerance assumption associated with Rapoport's rule, but highlight the need for coupled data on species tolerances and range size

Trends in extrapulmonary TB cases at three teaching hospitals in Ghana, 2008-2017

SETTING: Three teaching hospitals in Ghana. OBJECTIVE: To elucidate trends in demographics, clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) patients. DESIGN: This was a retrospective study involving the review and comparison of EPTB and pulmonary TB (PTB) data from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2017 in TB registers and treatment cards. RESULTS: Of 15,392 TB cases, 4607 (30%) were EPTB, including 4477/4607 (97%) new cases. There were 2,679/4607 (58%) males and the age range was 0.3 to 96 years. Pleural TB (1021/4607, 22%) was the most common. Treatment success rates for EPTB and PTB were respectively 72% and 84%. HIV positivity was high among patients with disseminated/miliary TB (429/779, 55%) and TB meningitis (242/526, 46%). To note, disseminated/miliary TB (chi(2) = 33.53, P < 0.0001) increased, whereas TB meningitis (chi(2) = 19.43, P < 0.0001) decreased over the 10-year period. Mortality among EPTB patients was associated with increasing age (25 years), disseminated/miliary TB, TB meningitis and HIV positivity. CONCLUSIONS: There is male preponderance for both EPTB and PTB in Ghana. Increasing age, disseminated/ miliary TB, TB meningitis and HIV are risk factors for mortality among EPTB patients. This emphasises the need for public education on the risk factors for EPTB and preventive strategies

Prevalence of parasitic infections on cultured Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) In Bong County, Liberia

This study investigated the prevalence rate, relative abundance and mean intensity of par­asites infecting cultured Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus L. in three fish farms, Gbarnga, Warta and CARI in Bong County, Liberia. Organs from thirty fish samples were exam­ined from September 2016 to February 2017, along with water quality parameters. Results showed the occurrence of seven parasites including protozoans, monogeneans, digeneans, cestodes, hirudineans, nematodes and crustaceans which were organ specific in terms of infection. The prevalence of the parasites varied seasonally, with the highest numbers oc­curring in November-January. The low prevalence rate, relative abundance and mean in­tensity of the parasites showed no threat to fish farmers in Liberia. All the water quality parameters were at desirable levels for the culture of the fish except nitrite, which was beyond the threshold for sustainable fish culture. It is therefore concluded that although parasitic infections in the three farms in the Bong County were low, best farm management practices are essential

Physicochemical and biological properties of different Cocoa Pod Husk-based composts

The objective was to evaluate the properties of cocoa pod husk-based composts for potential application as soil amendments for crop production. The physicochemical and biological properties of the compost types were analysed. Four compost types were prepared by mixing cocoa pod husk, poultry manure and Panicum maximum in different proportions. A phytotoxicity test was carried out using maize (Zea mays L.) to test whether the compost types contain substances that inhibit seed germination or growth of the radicle. Bulk densities of the compost types were higher than 0.160 Mg m-3, an indication that the compost types as soil amendment will restrict root growth thereby inhibiting plant growth. The average pH of the compost types falls within the optimum range of 6.5 to 8.5 and thus, the composts are stabilized. The compost types had high nitrogen content, so when utilized as a soil amendment would improve the nitrogen content of soils. Copper concentrations in the compost types were far below the WHO/FAO permissible limit of 100 mg kg-1, therefore can be applied at high rates without any problem of copper accumulation in soil. Phytophthora palmivora and Phytophthora megakarya were not detected from the compost types, therefore the compost types could be used without Phytophthora disease infection. Germination percentage and germination index showed that the analyzed compost types achieved high percentages of the germinating capacity of maize seeds and had no phytotoxic substances. The cocoa pod husk-based composts showed substantially varied physicochemical and biological properties suitable to support plant growth. The results clearly showed that, CPHcomp3 made from CPH residues, poultry manure and Panicum maximum at the ratio 6: 1: 2 mixture is recommended for use as a soil amendment for crop production

Access to vaccination services for priority ruminant livestock diseases in Ghana: barriers and determinants of service utilization by farmers

INTRODUCTION: Livestock diseases are a major constraint to agricultural productivity, frequently causing significant livelihood losses for farmers, and negatively affecting public food safety and security. Vaccines provide an effective and profitable means for controlling most infectious livestock diseases, but remain underutilized. This study sought to assess the barriers and determinants of vaccination utilization for priority livestock diseases in Ghana. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-method study involving a quantitative survey with ruminant livestock farmers (N = 350) and seven focus group discussions (FGD) involving 65 ruminant livestock farmers. The survey data were analyzed, and distribution of barriers to vaccination access described. We evaluated the determinants of vaccination utilization (any use of vaccination against contagious-bovine-pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and peste-des-petits-ruminants (PPR) in 2021) using logistic regression analyses at the 0.05 significance level. FGD transcripts were analyzed deductively. We used triangulation to achieve convergence across the different datasets and analyses. RESULTS: The farmers kept an average (median) of 5 tropical livestock units (TLUs) of ruminant livestock (IQR=2.6-12.0) that were on average 8 kilometers (IQR=1.9-12.4) away from veterinary officers (VOs). Only 16% (56/350) of herds were vaccinated against the diseases. Most farmers (274/350) had limited knowledge on vaccines against CBPP and PPR infections, 63% (222/350) perceived low risk of these diseases to their herds. About half of farmers reported experiencing outbreaks of either disease in the study year (2021). Farmers scored on average 80.5 out of 98 (IQR=74-85) on the RS-14 resilience scale. After adjusting for farmers' livestock rearing experience, herd size, sex, wealth status, distance to VOs, previous disease outbreaks, and perceived risk of the diseases, vaccination utilization was negatively associated with limited knowledge (aOR=0.19, 95%CI=0.08-0.43), and positively associated with personal exposure to outbreaks in the study year (aOR=5.26, 95%CI=2.01-13.7) and increasing resilience (aOR=1.13, 95%CI=1.07-1.19). FGDs revealed farmer misconceptions about vaccines, costs of vaccines, and timely access to vaccines from VOs as additional barriers. CONCLUSIONS: Acceptability, affordability, accessibility, and availability of vaccine services represent the main barriers to vaccines utilization by ruminant livestock farmers in Ghana. Given that limited knowledge regarding the value of vaccination and shortfalls in veterinary service supply are of central importance for both the demand and supply side, more collaboration between the different stakeholders in a transdisciplinary manner to effectively address the low vaccination utilization problem is needed

Effectiveness and profitability of preventive veterinary interventions in controlling infectious diseases of ruminant livestock in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

Agriculture in general, and livestock production in particular, serve as a livelihood source for many people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In many settings, lack of control of infectious diseases hampers livestock productivity, undermining the livelihood of rural populations. This scoping review sought to identify veterinary interventions previously evaluated as well as their relative effectiveness in controlling infectious livestock diseases. To be included, papers had to be written in English, German or French, and had to describe the effectiveness and/or profitability of preventive veterinary intervention(s) against anthrax, blackleg, bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia, foot-and-mouth disease, goat pox, lumpy skin disease, pasteurellosis, peste des petits ruminants, and/or sheep pox in any SSA country. Of the 2748 publications initially screened, 84 met our inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Most of the studies (n = 73, 87%) evaluated the effectiveness and/or profitability of vaccination, applied exclusively, applied jointly with, or compared to strategies like deworming, antimicrobial treatment, surveillance, feed supplementation, culling and dipping in reducing morbidity and/or mortality to livestock diseases. The effectiveness and/or profitability of antimicrobial treatment (n = 5), test and slaughter (n = 5), and use of lay animal health workers (n = 1) applied exclusively, were evaluated in the other studies. Vaccination was largely found to be both effective and with positive return on investment. Ineffective vaccination was mainly due to loss of vaccine potency under unfavorable field conditions like adverse weather events, cold chain failure, and mismatch of circulating pathogen strain and the vaccines in use.In summary, vaccination is the most effective and profitable means of controlling infectious livestock diseases in SSA. However, to achieve effective control of these diseases, its implementation must integrate pathogen surveillance, and optimal vaccine delivery tools, to overcome the reported field challenges

Highly prevalent hyperuricaemia is associated with adverse clinical outcomes among Ghanaian stroke patients: An observational prospective study

Background: Although a direct causal relationship between hyperuricaemia and stroke continues to be debated, strong associations between serum uric acid (SUA) and cerebrovascular disease exist. Very few studies have been conducted to evaluate the frequency and association between this potentially modifiable biomarker of vascular risk and stroke in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore the aim of this study was to examine the association between hyperuricaemia and the traditional risk factors and the outcomes of stroke in Ghanaian patients.Methods: In this prospective observational study, 147 patients presenting with stroke at a tertiary referral centre in Ghana were consecutively recruited. Patients were screened for vascular risk factors and SUA concentrations measured after an overnight fast. Associations between hyperuricaemia and stroke outcomes were analysed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.Results: The frequency of hyperuricaemia among Ghanaian stroke patients was 46.3%. Non-significant associations were observed between hyperuricaemia and the traditional risk factors of stroke. SUA concentration was positively correlated with stroke severity and associated with early mortality after an acute stroke with unadjusted hazards ratio of 2.3 (1.4 - 4.2, p=0.001). A potent and independent dose-response association between increasing SUA concentration and hazard of mortality was found on Cox proportional hazards regression, aHR (95% CI) of 1.65 (1.14-2.39), p=0.009 for each 100μmol/l increase in SUA.Conclusions: Hyperuricaemia is highly frequent and associated with adverse functional outcomes among Ghanaian stroke patients. Further studies are warranted to determine whether reducing SUA levels after a stroke would be beneficial within our setting.Key words: Hyperuricaemia, stroke, mortality, Ghan

Predictors of anemia in preschool children: Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia (BRINDA) project.

Background: A lack of information on the etiology of anemia has hampered the design and monitoring of anemia-control efforts.Objective: We aimed to evaluate predictors of anemia in preschool children (PSC) (age range: 6-59 mo) by country and infection-burden category.Design: Cross-sectional data from 16 surveys (n = 29,293) from the Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia (BRINDA) project were analyzed separately and pooled by category of infection burden. We assessed relations between anemia (hemoglobin concentration &lt;110 g/L) and severe anemia (hemoglobin concentration &lt;70 g/L) and individual-level (age, anthropometric measures, micronutrient deficiencies, malaria, and inflammation) and household-level predictors; we also examined the proportion of anemia with concomitant iron deficiency (defined as an inflammation-adjusted ferritin concentration &lt;12 μg/L). Countries were grouped into 4 categories on the basis of risk and burden of infectious disease, and a pooled multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted for each group.Results: Iron deficiency, malaria, breastfeeding, stunting, underweight, inflammation, low socioeconomic status, and poor sanitation were each associated with anemia in &gt;50% of surveys. Associations between breastfeeding and anemia were attenuated by controlling for child age, which was negatively associated with anemia. The most consistent predictors of severe anemia were malaria, poor sanitation, and underweight. In multivariable pooled models, child age, iron deficiency, and stunting independently predicted anemia and severe anemia. Inflammation was generally associated with anemia in the high- and very high-infection groups but not in the low- and medium-infection groups. In PSC with anemia, 50%, 30%, 55%, and 58% of children had concomitant iron deficiency in low-, medium-, high-, and very high-infection categories, respectively.Conclusions: Although causal inference is limited by cross-sectional survey data, results suggest anemia-control programs should address both iron deficiency and infections. The relative importance of factors that are associated with anemia varies by setting, and thus, country-specific data are needed to guide programs

Hypertension risk and clinical care in patients with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia; a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: A higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has been observed in patients with bipolar disorder (BPD) or schizophrenia, partly due to an increased risk of hypertension (HTN), or a less effective care of it. This systematic review and meta-analysis, presents a critical appraisal and summary of the studies addressing the risk of HTN, or the differences in its care, for those with schizophrenia or BPD. METHODS: Prospective studies were searched in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, and the Web of Science, from database inception to June 2017. A meta-analysis was undertaken to obtain pooled estimates of the risk of HTN. RESULTS: Five studies reporting the risk of HTN, and five studies presenting differences in its clinical care, were identified. An increased risk of HTN was observed for BPD patients, with an overall Incidence Rate Ratio 1.27(1.15-1.40). The pooled Incidence Rate Ratio of HTN for those with schizophrenia was 0.94 (0.75 - 1.14). A poorer care of HTN (lower rates of screening, prescription, and adherence) was reported in four studies of schizophrenia, and two of BPD patients, compared to people without these conditions. LIMITATIONS: reduced number of studies on risk and care of HTN on patients with BPD or schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS: Limited evidence suggests that patients with BPD have a higher risk of HTN. Patients with schizophrenia and BPD receive poor care of HTN. Understanding the risk of HTN, and the differences in its care, is essential for clinicians to reduce the cardiovascular morbidity and overall mortality of these patients.Luis Ayerbe is funded by an NIHR Clinical Lectureship. Salma Ayis is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre based at Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and Kings College London. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Healt