Quality of life of patients with kidney failure in sub-Saharan Africa: protocol for a systematic review of quantitative studies

Introduction: The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rising in sub-Saharan Africa. Access to kidney replacement therapy (KRT) remains limited and modelling suggests a significant hidden burden of kidney failure managed without KRT. Kidney failure is contributing to serious health-related suffering (SHS) at a global level. Despite this, access to palliative care remains extremely disparate. There is an urgent need for greater palliative care provision for patients with kidney failure in sub-Saharan Africa. To inform this, it is important to understand their current quality of life. This article outlines our review protocol, ensuring transparency of our planned methods and reporting. Methods and analysis: A comprehensive search will be conducted of MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE, CINAHL, African Index Medicus and Africa Journals Online. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global will be searched for grey literature. Eligible sources will be quantitative observational studies, conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, and published in English or French. The primary outcome measure will be quality of life of those with kidney failure, measured using a validated quality of life tool. Abstract screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessments will be conducted independently by two reviewers. Meta-analysis will be performed on study subgroups, if appropriate, based on heterogeneity of included studies; otherwise results will be summarised narratively. This protocol is structured according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidance. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval is not required because this review will synthesise published data. Findings will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO registration ID: 27543

Popcorn Yield and Nutrient Composition as affected Nitrogen Fertilization and Liming in Calabar, Nigeria

Zea mays L. everta (Popcorn) is a relatively new maize sub-species that is being introduced into the cropping system of arable crop farming in Calabar, Nigeria. Its productivity can, however, be impeded by low N concentration in the soil and high soil acidity that already affect the yield of conventional maize grown in the study area. Therefore, a two year trial was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Calabar, Nigeria to determine the effects of nitrogen and liming rates on growth, yield and nutrient composition of popcorn (Zea mays L. everta). A 3 x 4 factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replication was used while treatments consisted of four levels of nitrogen (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N ha-1), applied as urea (46% N) and fitted in a factorial arrangement with three levels of lime (0, 500 and 1000 kg ha-1) applied as calcium trioxocarbonate (iv) (CaCO3). Results indicated that all plant parameters examined were significantly (p=0.05) higher with the application of 80 kg N ha-1 and 500 kg ha-1 lime rates than other N and lime rates. Grain yield performance was in the order 80 > 120 > 40 > 0 kg Nha-1, which corresponded to 23.78, 33.55, 50.32% during 2009 and 15.14, 36.41 and 76.76% in 2010 above the 120, 40 and 0 kg N ha rates of N applied, respectively. Also, an increase of 20.0 and 24.83% in 2009, and 9.09 and 18.03% in 2010, in grain yield were observed when 500 kg ha-1 lime rates was applied and out-yielded both the 1000 kg ha-1 and control rates, respectively in both years. The application of lime at 1000 kg ha-1 resulted in significantly (p=0.05) higher N and Ca uptake in crop in both years. The P and Mg concentrations were highest from plants treated with 500 kg ha-1 lime. Effect of liming was not significant (p=0.05) in 2009, but was statistically at par at 0 and 500 kgha-1 lime rates and significantly (p=0.05) higher than tissue K content at 1000 kg ha-1 liming rates in 2010. The effect of lime was not consistent in both years but N xLime (L) interaction was significant while 500 kg ha-1 liming rate was most promising. Maize grain yield performance was better and most rewarding with the application of 80 N ha-1 while grain yield was best when 500 kg ha-1 lime rates was applied, Therefore, application of 80 kg Nha-1 and 500 kg ha-1 of lime are recommended for a profitable popcorn production in Calabar, Nigeria

Physiological and genetic control of transpiration efficiency in African rice, Oryza glaberrima Steud

Improving crop water use efficiency, the amount of carbon assimilated as biomass per unit of water used by a plant, is of major importance as water for agriculture becomes scarcer. In rice, the genetic bases of transpiration efficiency, the derivation of water use efficiency at the whole-plant scale, and its putative component trait transpiration restriction under high evaporative demand remain unknown. These traits were measured in 2019 in a panel of 147 African rice (Oryza glaberrima) genotypes known to be potential sources of tolerance genes to biotic and abiotic stresses. Our results reveal that higher transpiration efficiency is associated with transpiration restriction in African rice. Detailed measurements in a subset of highly contrasted genotypes in terms of biomass accumulation and transpiration confirmed these associations and suggested that root to shoot ratio played an important role in transpiration restriction. Genome wide association studies identified marker-trait associations for transpiration response to evaporative demand, transpiration efficiency, and its residuals, with links to genes involved in water transport and cell wall patterning. Our data suggest that root-shoot partitioning is an important component of transpiration restriction that has a positive effect on transpiration efficiency in African rice. Both traits are heritable and define targets for breeding rice with improved water use strategies.This work was supported by the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, the CGIAR Research Program (CRP) on rice-agrifood systems (RICE, 2017-2022) and the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (grant ANR-17-MPGA-0011 to VV). Financial support by the Access to Research Infrastructures activity in the Horizon 2020 Programme of the EU (EPPN2020 Grant Agreement 731013) is gratefully acknowledged. PA was supported by a doctoral fellowship from the French Ministry of Higher Education. BEE was supported by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique of Gabon. The authors acknowledge the IRD iTrop HPC (South Green Platform) at IRD Montpellier for providing HPC resources (https://bioinfo.ird.fr, http://www.southgreen.fr)

Booster Dose of Bacille Calmette-Guérin Vaccine for Tuberculosis in Low and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Background: The Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, given as a single dose, offers variable protection against Tuberculosis (TB). It is plausible that repeat doses could improve the effectiveness of the BCG vaccine in settings where the population remain at risk of the disease. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of BCG revaccination as a booster dose in preventing TB in Low- and Middle- Income Countries (LMICs). Methods: We searched the electronic databases without language or publication restrictions and followed the procedures for preparing systematic reviews, including assessing the risk of bias as outlined in the Cochrane handbook. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in LMICs involving children and adults receiving one or more BCG vaccine doses after the primary BCG vaccination. The incidence of severe forms of TB, active TB and adverse events were the primary outcomes. Results: Five RCTs were included in this systematic review. Revaccination with BCG probably makes little or no difference to the risk of active TB measured after five years (Relative risk (RR) 1.16, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.51; 348,083 participants; one study, moderate certainty evidence) or nine years post-revaccination (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.12; 348,083 participants; one study, moderate certainty evidence). In populations with HIV co-infection, revaccination probably increases the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis compared to placebo (RR 1.74, 95% CI 1.00 to 3.01; 46,764 participants; one study, moderate certainty evidence). Conclusion: The available evidence suggests that BCG revaccination probably makes little or no difference in preventing tuberculosis disease in LMICs

Microfluidic Microcirculation Mimetic as a Tool for the Study of Rheological Characteristics of Red Blood Cells in Patients with Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle cell disorder (SCD) is a multisystem disease with heterogeneous phenotypes. Al- though all patients have the mutated hemoglobin (Hb) in the SS phenotype, the severity and frequency of complications are variable. When exposed to low oxygen tension, the Hb molecule becomes dense and forms tactoids, which lead to the peculiar sickled shapes of the affected red blood cells, giving the disorder its name. This sickle cell morphology is responsible for the profound and widespread pathologies associated with this disorder, such as vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC). How much of the clinical manifestation is due to sickled erythrocytes and what is due to the relative contributions of other elements in the blood, especially in the microcapillary circulation, is usually not visualized and quantified for each patient during clinical management. Here, we used a microfluidic microcirculation mimetic (MMM), which has 187 capillary-like constrictions, to impose deformations on erythrocytes of 25 SCD patients, visualizing and characterizing the morpho-rheological properties of the cells in normoxic, hypoxic (using sodium meta-bisulfite) and treatment conditions (using hydroxyurea). The MMM enabled a patient-specific quantification of shape descriptors (circularity and roundness) and transit time through the capillary constrictions, which are readouts for morpho-rheological proper- ties implicated in VOC. Transit times varied significantly (p < 0.001) between patients. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of microfluidics-based monitoring of individual patients for personalized care in the context of SCD complications such as VOC, even in resource-constrained setting

Embedded Software of the KM3NeT Central Logic Board

The KM3NeT Collaboration is building and operating two deep sea neutrino telescopes at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. The telescopes consist of latices of photomultiplier tubes housed in pressure-resistant glass spheres, called digital optical modules and arranged in vertical detection units. The two main scientific goals are the determination of the neutrino mass ordering and the discovery and observation of high-energy neutrino sources in the Universe. Neutrinos are detected via the Cherenkov light, which is induced by charged particles originated in neutrino interactions. The photomultiplier tubes convert the Cherenkov light into electrical signals that are acquired and timestamped by the acquisition electronics. Each optical module houses the acquisition electronics for collecting and timestamping the photomultiplier signals with one nanosecond accuracy. Once finished, the two telescopes will have installed more than six thousand optical acquisition nodes, completing one of the more complex networks in the world in terms of operation and synchronization. The embedded software running in the acquisition nodes has been designed to provide a framework that will operate with different hardware versions and functionalities. The hardware will not be accessible once in operation, which complicates the embedded software architecture. The embedded software provides a set of tools to facilitate remote manageability of the deployed hardware, including safe reconfiguration of the firmware. This paper presents the architecture and the techniques, methods and implementation of the embedded software running in the acquisition nodes of the KM3NeT neutrino telescopes

Assessing relationship between phenolic compounds and resistance tPhytophthora megakarya using two cocoa (Theobroma cacao) families

Black pod disease is an important fungal infection in cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) which causes high production losses. In Cameroon, these losses reached 80% of cocoa production depending on ecological zones. In order to contribute to the efficiency of selection methods used in resistance or tolerance to black pod disease with the aim of improving on cocoa farming, the content of phenolic compounds was analyzed on the genotypes of two hybrid families (F79:♀T79/467x♂SNK13 and F13:♀SNK13x♂T79/467) of cocoa which are different in productivity and vulnerability to black pod disease. After artificial inoculation of the pods by mycelium of Phytophthora megakarya, the content of the phenolic compounds significantly increased in all genotypes of the two families. The heterosis effect of each family revealed a higher variability within both families. These results alike showed that productive and tolerant genotypes (F1307, 1314, F7902 and F7928) have a high phenols content and positive heterosis meanwhile the less tolerant and productive genotypes (F1321, F1326, F7904 and F7911) have a weak content and negative heterosisKeywords: Cocoa, disease, tolerance, heterosis effect, phenolic compounds, hybrid progeniesAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol 13(29) 2956-296

Exploring the validity of the body image scale with survivors of breast cancer : A cognitive interview approach

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the construct validity of the Body Image Scale for Cancer Questionnaire (BIS) using cognitive interviews. Methods: Twelve breast cancer survivors participated in a cognitive interview while completing the BIS. Each participant was asked to think-out-loud while answering items, and an interviewer asked probing questions relating to the participants' comprehension, example retrieval, certainty of answer and other decision-making factors. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, and the data were analysed deductively and inductively. Results: The participants' interpretations of the questions varied significantly. Several participants perceived the phrasing of some questions to be leading. The participants were able to provide examples of how their physical, physiological and body function affected their body image. The participants expressed positive attitudes towards, and gratitude for their body, which was not captured by the questionnaire. At times, the participants felt uncertain in how to respond appropriately to specific items, and the participants found some items challenging to answer. Finally, the BIS included sensitive questions that elicited emotional reactions and discomfort for some participants. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide insight into, and suggestions for potential questionnaire revisions that may enhance the validity and relevance of the BIS for use with breast cancer survivors