Growth and water relations of Bt and non-Bt corn plants subjected to soil moisture stress

A study was conducted at the Iowa State University Hinds Irrigation Farm, Ames, IA during the summers of 1997 and 1998 to compare the Bt and non-Bt versions of two maize (Zea mays, L.) hybrids. The plants were grown in buried, one meter deep, containers filled with a Nicollet loam (Aquic Hapludoll) soil. A rainout shelter protected the plots from the interruption of water deficit by rainfall. Irrigation was scheduled so that the plants experienced water deficit during the peak egg hatch of the first and second European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner) generations. Water deficit during the vegetative period delayed leaf appearance and tasseling, reduced the area of individual leaves and plant height, but did not affect total leaf number. Thermal time requirement per leaf was different for the two years due to the interactive effect of photoperiod and cool temperatures. The lowest grain yields were observed when water deficit was imposed around tasseling. Biomass yield was lowest with vegetative period water deficit, but there was also a significant reduction when water deficit was imposed during the reproductive period. The amount of stalk tunneling by corn borer larvae was not different between water deficit treatments, but Bt plants had significantly less tunneling by the second-generation larvae than non-Bt plants. Stressed and non-stressed plants differed significantly in leaf temperature, stomatal conductance and sap flow, but Bt and non-Bt plants did not. It was concluded that the introduction of the Bt gene into maize plants for a better resistance to European corn borer did not affect their water relations. Transpiration measured by the sap flow technique was well correlated with Penman potential evapotranspiration, suggesting that this method is more suitable than porometry or infrared thermometry for plant transpiration measurements under varying environmental conditions. A stress index was derived from transpiration measured 15 to 18 days after silking which could be used as a simple yield forecasting tool by decision makers

Expanding Research Capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa Through Informatics, Bioinformatics, and Data Science Training Programs in Mali

Bioinformatics and data science research have boundless potential across Africa due to its high levels of genetic diversity and disproportionate burden of infectious diseases, including malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS, Ebola virus disease, and Lassa fever. This work lays out an incremental approach for reaching underserved countries in bioinformatics and data science research through a progression of capacity building, training, and research efforts. Two global health informatics training programs sponsored by the Fogarty International Center (FIC) were carried out at the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Mali (USTTB) between 1999 and 2011. Together with capacity building efforts through the West Africa International Centers of Excellence in Malaria Research (ICEMR), this progress laid the groundwork for a bioinformatics and data science training program launched at USTTB as part of the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative. Prior to the global health informatics training, its trainees published first or second authorship and third or higher authorship manuscripts at rates of 0.40 and 0.10 per year, respectively. Following the training, these rates increased to 0.70 and 1.23 per year, respectively, which was a statistically significant increase (p < 0.001). The bioinformatics and data science training program at USTTB commenced in 2017 focusing on student, faculty, and curriculum tiers of enhancement. The program’s sustainable measures included institutional support for core elements, university tuition and fees, resource sharing and coordination with local research projects and companion training programs, increased student and faculty publication rates, and increased research proposal submissions. Challenges reliance of high-speed bandwidth availability on short-term funding, lack of a discounted software portal for basic software applications, protracted application processes for United States visas, lack of industry job positions, and low publication rates in the areas of bioinformatics and data science. Long-term, incremental processes are necessary for engaging historically underserved countries in bioinformatics and data science research. The multi-tiered enhancement approach laid out here provides a platform for generating bioinformatics and data science technicians, teachers, researchers, and program managers. Increased literature on bioinformatics and data science training approaches and progress is needed to provide a framework for establishing benchmarks on the topics

Phenotypic chracterization of blastomyces dermatitidis

Blastomyces dermatitidis is a dimorphic fungal pathogen associated with severe repiratory and disseminated disease in humans. Recent investigations suggest that the two major genetic groups of the fungus are associated with different clinical outcomes. This study extends that work by exploring how laboratory phenotypic traits (mating locus type, ability to mate, spore production and antifungal susceptibility) might vary by genetic group. Among 100 clinical and environmental isolates, both genetic groups had roughly equal distributions of the ?-box and HMG loci. Additionally, crosses between compatible strains of group 1 and group 2 organisms yielded visible cleistothecia and ascospores, suggesting that mating between the two groups could be possible in natural settings. Experiments related to spore production were found to be very difficult to standardize and the results were not interpretable. Although only a small group of isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, results showed that several strains had high MICs to amphotericin B. These results have significant clinical implications and should be confirmed on a larger group of isolates. Also, the new techniques developed as part of this study will provide a foundation for incorporating susceptibility testing of dimorphic fungal pathogens into the clinical laboratory

Variability of vitamins B1, B2 and minerals content in baobab (<i>Adansonia digitata</i>) leaves in East and West Africa

The regional variability and age–age correlation on vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and minerals (Ca, Mg, P, K, Cu, Fe, Mn, Na, and Zn) concentration in baobab leaves were investigated. Baobab was cultivated from seeds from 11 countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Tanzania, Togo, Senegal, and Sudan. Vitamins B1 and B2 content were assessed using microbiological VitaFast kits methods and minerals by atomic absorption and flame spectrometry methods. Overall, the results showed a higher content of vitamin B2 compared to vitamin B1 with the highest vitamin B2 content (1.04 ± 0.05 mg/100 g DM) from Senegal. The highest iron (Fe) content of 26.39 mg/100 g was found in baobab leaves from Mali. For age–age correlation, adult baobab leaves of Nankoun in Burkina Faso provided the highest calcium (Ca) content of 3373 mg/100 g. However, for provenance trial, young plants from three communities of Burkina Faso showed the highest calcium (Ca) and potassium (K) content. The study demonstrated that vitamins B1 and B2 and mineral contents in baobab leaves vary with the country and the age of the tree. Vitamin B1 content was higher in baobab leaves from ascendants compared to those from descendants, while in contrast vitamin B2 content was higher in the leaves from the descendants compared to their ascendants (mother tree)

Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Isolated from Tuberculosis Suspects in Ibadan, Nigeria

In Nigeria, one of the highest tuberculosis (TB) burdened nations, sputum smear microscopy is routinely employed for TB diagnosis at Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (DOTS) Centers. This diagnostic algorithm does not differentiate Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) from nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Between December 2008 and January 2009, consecutive patients diagnosed with TB were screened for inclusion at 10 DOTS centers in Ibadan, Nigeria. To verify Mycobacterium species in patients diagnosed, we cultured and identified mycobacterial isolates using PCR, line probe assay, and spoligotyping techniques. From 48 patients screened, 23 met the inclusion criteria for the study. All the 23 study patients had a positive culture. Overall, we identified 11/23 patients (48%) with MTC only, 9/23 (39%) with NTM only, and 3/23 (13%) with evidence of both MTC and NTM. Strains of MTC identified were Latin American Mediterranean (LAM) genotype (n=12), M. africanum (n=1), and the genotype family T (n=1). Four M. avium-intracellulare-M. scrofulaceum complexes, one M. chelonae complex, one M. abscessus, and one M. intracellulare were identified. Our findings underscore the need to incorporate molecular techniques for more precise diagnosis of TB at DOTS centers to improve clinical outcomes and safe guard public health, particularly in TB endemic countries