Engaging development partners in Africa RISING research for better socioeconomic impacts in West Africa semi-arid countries

United States Agency for International Developmen

Résumé des résultats des enquêtes de base niveau ménage : site de Cinzana, Mali Décembre 2011 L. Diakité, K. Sissoko, R. Zougmoré, B. Traoré, M. Amadou, A.S. Moussa, W. Forch,

Ce rapport présente les résultats des enquêtes de base conduites au niveau des ménages de sept villages du site de Cinzana (région de Ségou, Mali) dans le cadre du programme de recherche du CGIAR sur le Changement Climatique, l’Agriculture et la Sécurité Alimentaire. L’objectif de ces enquêtes était de de collecter toutes les données et informations sur des indicateurs clés de base concernant les ménages notamment les moyens de subsistance, l’agriculture et la gestion des ressources naturelles, les besoins d’information sur le climat et la gestion des risques, et les pratiques d’atténuation et d’adaptation

Is parasite clearance clinically important after malaria treatment in a high transmission area? A 3-month follow-up of home-based management with herbal medicine or ACT

Argemone mexicana (AM), a validated herbal medicine for uncomplicated malaria, seems to prevent severe malaria without completely clearing parasites in most patients. This study, in a high transmission area of South Mali, explores whether residual parasitaemia at day 28 was associated with subsequent malaria episodes and/or anaemia. Three hundred and one patients were randomly assigned to AM or artesunate/amodiaquine as first line treatment, of whom 294 were followed up beyond the standard 28 days, to 84 days. From day 29 to day 84, there were no significant differences between treatment groups in new clinical episodes of uncomplicated malaria (0.33 vs 0.31 episodes/patient), severe malaria (< 6% per month of patients aged ≤ 5 years) or moderate anaemia (hematocrit < 24%: 1.1% in both groups at day 84). Total parasite clearance at day 28 was not correlated with incidence of uncomplicated or severe malaria or of moderate anaemia over the subsequent two months. Total parasite clearance at day 28 was not clinically important in the context of high transmission. If this finding can be confirmed, some antimalarials which are clinically effective but do not completely clear parasites could nevertheless be appropriate in high transmission areas. Such a policy could be tested as a way to delay resistance to artemisinin combination therapies

Antibodies from malaria-exposed Malians generally interact additively or synergistically with human vaccine-induced RH5 antibodies

Reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 (RH5) is a leading Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage vaccine candidate. Another possible candidate, apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1), was not efficacious in malaria-endemic populations, likely due to pre-existing antimalarial antibodies that interfered with the activity of vaccine-induced AMA1 antibodies, as judged by in vitro growth inhibition assay (GIA). To determine how pre-existing antibodies interact with vaccine-induced RH5 antibodies, we purify total and RH5-specific immunoglobulin Gs (IgGs) from malaria-exposed Malians and malaria-naive RH5 vaccinees. Infection-induced RH5 antibody titers are much lower than those induced by vaccination, and RH5-specific IgGs show differences in the binding site between the two populations. In GIA, Malian polyclonal IgGs show additive or synergistic interactions with RH5 human monoclonal antibodies and overall additive interactions with vaccine-induced polyclonal RH5 IgGs. These results suggest that pre-existing antibodies will interact favorably with vaccine-induced RH5 antibodies, in contrast to AMA1 antibodies. This study supports RH5 vaccine trials in malaria-endemic regions

Epilepsie du sujet âgé : expérience du service de Neurologie du CHU Gabriel Touré de Bamako, Mali

Background: Epilepsy is a common condition in the elderly, although it is poorly documented in our context. This work aims at determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of epilepsy in elderly people. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective study over a period of one year in the Department of Neurology of Gabriel Toure Teaching Hospital (CHU) in Mali. Were eligible, all subjects aged 50 years or older that had at least two documented seizures, recorded and reported by the patient or his family. For the diagnosis of the seizure, we used validated form of Limoges Institute. Results: During the study period, 1753 patients were admitted to the neurology department of CHU Gabriel Touré, 39 cases of epilepsy in the elderly have been diagnosed, i.e. 2.2% of patients in the department. The average age was 63 years, ranging from 50 to 84 years. Partial seizures were the most represented with 43.6% of cases. Symptomatic epilepsy was found in 82.1% of patients, 18% of patients had no definite etiology. The causes were dominated by vascular epilepsyin 25 cases (64.1%). Treatment was started in all patients with a success after 6 months. Sodium valproate was the most prescribed as first-line therapy 51.3% (20 patients), followed by carbamazepine (41%). Conclusion: This prospective study of epilepsy in the elderly confirms the high prevalence of this  disease in this age group. With the multiple illnesses in the elderly, this condition will require a multidisciplinary management.Introduction : La prévalence élevée de l’épilepsie chez le sujet âgé est bien documentée. L’épilepsie chez la personne âgée reste très peu rapportée dans notre contexte. Ce travail a pour objectif de déterminer les caractéristiques épidémiologiques et cliniques de cette pathologie chez le sujet âgé. Patients et Méthodes : Il s’agissait d’une étude prospective réalisée sur une période d’un an dans le service de Neurologie du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Gabriel Touré au Mali. Ont été éligibles, tous les sujets âgés de 50 ans ou plus qui ont présenté au moins deux crises épileptiques documentées, constatées et rapportées par le patient et /ou son entourage. Pour le diagnostic de la crise, nous avons utilisé le questionnaire validé de L’Institut de Neurologie et Epidémiologie Tropicale de Limoges. Résultats : Durant la période d’étude, 1753 patients ont été admis dans le service de Neurologie du CHU Gabriel Touré ; 39 cas d’épilepsie du sujet âgé ont été diagnostiqués, soit 2,2% des malades dans le service. L’âge moyen était de 63 ans avec des extrêmes de 50 à 84 ans. Les crises partielles étaient les plus représentées, soit 69,2% des cas. Une épilepsie symptomatique a été retrouvée chez 82,1% des patients ; 18% des patients n’avaient pas d’étiologie bien déterminée. Les étiologies étaient dominées par les causes vasculaires, soit 64,1% (25) des cas. Un traitement a été mis en route chez tous nos patients avec un succès après 6 mois. Le Valproate de sodium (VPA) a été la molécule la plus prescrite en première intention soit 51,3% (20) des patients, suivi de la Carbamazépine (41%). Conclusion : Au vu de la poly pathologie, l’épilepsie du sujet âgé nécessite une prise en charge pluridisciplinaire

<i>Gaia</i> Data Release 1. Summary of the astrometric, photometric, and survey properties

Context. At about 1000 days after the launch of Gaia we present the first Gaia data release, Gaia DR1, consisting of astrometry and photometry for over 1 billion sources brighter than magnitude 20.7. Aims. A summary of Gaia DR1 is presented along with illustrations of the scientific quality of the data, followed by a discussion of the limitations due to the preliminary nature of this release. Methods. The raw data collected by Gaia during the first 14 months of the mission have been processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) and turned into an astrometric and photometric catalogue. Results. Gaia DR1 consists of three components: a primary astrometric data set which contains the positions, parallaxes, and mean proper motions for about 2 million of the brightest stars in common with the HIPPARCOS and Tycho-2 catalogues – a realisation of the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) – and a secondary astrometric data set containing the positions for an additional 1.1 billion sources. The second component is the photometric data set, consisting of mean G-band magnitudes for all sources. The G-band light curves and the characteristics of ∼3000 Cepheid and RR-Lyrae stars, observed at high cadence around the south ecliptic pole, form the third component. For the primary astrometric data set the typical uncertainty is about 0.3 mas for the positions and parallaxes, and about 1 mas yr−1 for the proper motions. A systematic component of ∼0.3 mas should be added to the parallax uncertainties. For the subset of ∼94 000 HIPPARCOS stars in the primary data set, the proper motions are much more precise at about 0.06 mas yr−1. For the secondary astrometric data set, the typical uncertainty of the positions is ∼10 mas. The median uncertainties on the mean G-band magnitudes range from the mmag level to ∼0.03 mag over the magnitude range 5 to 20.7. Conclusions. Gaia DR1 is an important milestone ahead of the next Gaia data release, which will feature five-parameter astrometry for all sources. Extensive validation shows that Gaia DR1 represents a major advance in the mapping of the heavens and the availability of basic stellar data that underpin observational astrophysics. Nevertheless, the very preliminary nature of this first Gaia data release does lead to a number of important limitations to the data quality which should be carefully considered before drawing conclusions from the data