Parturient behaviour of Djallonké ewes and West African dwarf does

The parturient behaviour of 52 Djallonké ewes and 70 West African dwarf does was observed. The parameters recorded were the duration of parturition, posture during birth, presentation of the neonate at birth, and interventions during birth. The effects of parity, age and number of foetuses carried on the aforementioned parturient behavioural parameters were analysed using the chi-square procedure and a two-tailed t-test. The results of the study on Djallonké ewes showed that birth was completed in recumbent position by 73.1 per cent of the ewes while 98.1 per cent of them presented their lambs normally. None of the ewes required assistance during delivery. The duration of labour averaged 42 min while the time interval between the births of first and second-born twins averaged 3.8 min. The age, parity and number of foetuses carried had no significant effect (P>0.05) on the position in which birth was completed by ewes and presentation of lambs at birth. However, labour was longer in primiparous and young ewes than in multiparous and old ewes. Similarly, twin-bearing ewes were in labour longer than single-bearing ewes. The results of the study on goats showed that most (82.9%) does studied completed birth in recumbent position while 94.3 per cent presented their foetuses normally. No assistance was needed by any of the does during delivery. On the average, labour lasted for 20.57 min while the time interval between the births of first and second-born twins lasted about 6 min. Age and parity of the dam did not significantly affect (P>0.05) the duration of labour and presentation of kids at birth; but significantly, most (P< 0.05) primiparous and young does completed birth in recumbent position compared to multiparous and old does. The number of foetuses carried had no effect on all the parturient behavioural parameters studied. Les observations étaient faites du comportement de parturiente de cinquante-deux (52) agnelles de Djallonké et de soixantedix (70) chèvres naines ouest-africaines. Les paramètres enregistrés étaient la durée de parturition, la posture pendant l'accouchement, présentation du nouveau-né à la naissance et les interventions pendant les accouchements. Les effets de parité, d'âge et de nombre des fætus portés sur les paramètres behavioristes susdits de parturiente étaient analysés avec la procédure d'équerre en chi et d'essai T à deux queues. Les résultats de l'étude sur les agnelles de Djallonké révélaient que l'accouchement était terminé en une position allongée par 73.1% des agnelles alors que 98.1% d'elles présentaient leurs agneaux normalement. Aucunes des agnelles n'exigeaient d' aide pendant l'accouchement. La durée du travail était 42 min de moyenne alors que l'intervalle du temps entre les naissances du premier et du second des jumeaux nés était 3.8 min. de moyenne. L'âge, la parité et le nombre de fætus portés n'avaient aucun effet considerable (P>0.05) ni sur la posture à la naissance. Le travail était cependant plus long chez les primipares et les jeunes agnelles que chez les multipares et les agnelles âgées. De la même façon, les agnelles portant les jumeaux avaient une durée de travail plus longue que celles des agnelles portant un seul agneau. Les résultats de l'étude sur les chèvres montraient que la majorité (82.9%) des chèvres étudiées terminaient l'accouchement en une position allongée alors que 94.3% présentaient leurs fætus normalement. Aucune aide n'était exigée par les chèvres pendant l'accouchement. En moyenne, l travail durait 20.57 min alors que l'intervalle du temps entre les naissances du premier et du second des jumeaux nés durait à peu près 6 min. L'âge et la parité de la mère n'a pas eu un effet considérable (P>0.05) sur la durée de travail et la présentation des chevreaux à la naissance, mais une proportion considérablement plus grande (

The effects of fetal growth on maternal body weight and visceral organ mass in the grasscutter, Thryonomys swinderianus, Temminck

SUMMARY During pregnancy, maternal metabolism changes to support the gravid uterus and the timing of these changes are a function of both gestational length and fetal number. In order to predict the nutrient requirements throughout pregnancy, it is necessary to know the changes which occur in both the reproductive and maternal tissues. Fifty-seven (57) wild grasscutters were used to investigate the increased nutrient requirement of fetal growth on reproductive and maternal tissues in the grasscutter. The animals were categorized into non-pregnant, early pregnancy (d 1 -50), mid pregnancy (d 51 -100), and late pregnancy (&gt; d 100) status. Maternal organ weights were reported as fresh weight (g), scaled to empty body weight (EBW; g/g), and maternal body weight (MBW; g/g). Carcass weight declined with advancing pregnancy (P = 0.029), as were the lungs, small and large intestines whilst the weights of the kidneys, liver and remaining viscera increased. The total internal organ mass, due mainly to the significant increases in the &apos;remaining viscera&apos; mass, which is made up of mainly adipose tissues, also increased with advancing pregnancy. From mid pregnancy to late pregnancy, uterine weight increased by 675. 3% (52.33±6.525 v. 353.37±26.580). This suggests that pregnancy imposes a huge metabolic demand on the grasscutter, but the animals appear to mobilize maternal nutrient stores, as well as slow down metabolic rate (as indicated by the increases in the fat component of the remaining viscera mass) to meet requirements of the growing fetus and developing mammary glands

Predicting hydrological response to climate change in the White Volta Catchment, West Africa

This study uses an ensemble of Regional Climate Model (REMO), to simulate and project the climate at local scale in order to investigate the hydrological impact of possible future climate change in White Volta Catchment (West Africa). The results, obtained from the REMO climate model, were compared to the observational datasets for precipitation and temperature for the period 1995-2008. The projected meteorological variables for the period 2030-2043 were used as input to the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model which was calibrated (R2 = 0.88 and NSE= 0.84) and validated (R2 = 0.82 and NSE= 0.79) with historical data to investigate the possible impact of climate change in the catchment. The results obtained from the investigation revealed that catchment is sensitive to climate change. With a small increase of 8% and 1.7% of the mean annual precipitation and temperature respectively, annual surface runoff, annual baseflow and evapotranspiration recorded increment of 26%, 24% and 6% respectively

Enhanced infection prophylaxis reduces mortality in severely immunosuppressed HIV-infected adults and older children initiating antiretroviral therapy in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe: the REALITY trial

Meeting abstract FRAB0101LB from 21st International AIDS Conference 18–22 July 2016, Durban, South Africa. Introduction: Mortality from infections is high in the first 6 months of antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV‐infected adults and children with advanced disease in sub‐Saharan Africa. Whether an enhanced package of infection prophylaxis at ART initiation would reduce mortality is unknown. Methods: The REALITY 2×2×2 factorial open‐label trial (ISRCTN43622374) randomized ART‐naïve HIV‐infected adults and children >5 years with CD4 <100 cells/mm3. This randomization compared initiating ART with enhanced prophylaxis (continuous cotrimoxazole plus 12 weeks isoniazid/pyridoxine (anti‐tuberculosis) and fluconazole (anti‐cryptococcal/candida), 5 days azithromycin (anti‐bacterial/protozoal) and single‐dose albendazole (anti‐helminth)), versus standard‐of‐care cotrimoxazole. Isoniazid/pyridoxine/cotrimoxazole was formulated as a scored fixed‐dose combination. Two other randomizations investigated 12‐week adjunctive raltegravir or supplementary food. The primary endpoint was 24‐week mortality. Results: 1805 eligible adults (n = 1733; 96.0%) and children/adolescents (n = 72; 4.0%) (median 36 years; 53.2% male) were randomized to enhanced (n = 906) or standard prophylaxis (n = 899) and followed for 48 weeks (3.8% loss‐to‐follow‐up). Median baseline CD4 was 36 cells/mm3 (IQR: 16–62) but 47.3% were WHO Stage 1/2. 80 (8.9%) enhanced versus 108(12.2%) standard prophylaxis died before 24 weeks (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.73 (95% CI: 0.54–0.97) p = 0.03; Figure 1) and 98(11.0%) versus 127(14.4%) respectively died before 48 weeks (aHR = 0.75 (0.58–0.98) p = 0.04), with no evidence of interaction with the two other randomizations (p > 0.8). Enhanced prophylaxis significantly reduced incidence of tuberculosis (p = 0.02), cryptococcal disease (p = 0.01), oral/oesophageal candidiasis (p = 0.02), deaths of unknown cause (p = 0.02) and (marginally) hospitalisations (p = 0.06) but not presumed severe bacterial infections (p = 0.38). Serious and grade 4 adverse events were marginally less common with enhanced prophylaxis (p = 0.06). CD4 increases and VL suppression were similar between groups (p > 0.2). Conclusions: Enhanced infection prophylaxis at ART initiation reduces early mortality by 25% among HIV‐infected adults and children with advanced disease. The pill burden did not adversely affect VL suppression. Policy makers should consider adopting and implementing this low‐cost broad infection prevention package which could save 3.3 lives for every 100 individuals treated