The role of women in production and management of RTB crops in Rwanda and Burundi: Do men decide, and women work?

This paper evaluates the determinants of decision-making in relation to the production of four crops (banana, cassava, potato, and sweet potato). Understanding the division of labor and decision-making in crop management may lead to designing better interventions targeted at improving efficiency in smallholder agriculture. In 2014, the research team conducted a quantitative household survey with heads of households involving 261 women and 144 men in Burundi and 184 women and 222 men in Rwanda. Most of the decisions and labor provision during the production of both cash crops (potato and banana) and food crops (sweet potato and cassava) were done jointly by men and women in male-headed households. Higher values for ‘credit access’, ‘land size’, and ‘farming as the main occupation of the household head’ increased the frequency of joint decision-making in male-headed households. A decline in the amount of farm income reduced the participation of men as decision-makers. A reduction in total household income and proximity to the market was correlated with joint decision-making. Gender norms also contributed to the lower participation of women in both decision-making and labor provision in banana and potato cultivation. Although a large proportion of decisions were made jointly, women perceived that men participate more in decision-making processes within the household during the production of cash crops. Increased participation by women in decision-making will require an active and practical strategy which can encourage adjustments to existing traditional gender norms that recognize men as the main decision-makers at both the household and community levels

Improving farmers' access to clean planting material through partnership in the value chain.

Sweetpotato is an important food security crop in Rwanda grown mainly by women for household consumption and as a source of family income Sweetpotato production is faced with several constraints, among them the availability of clean planting of most varieties but more so of the new Vitamin A richOrange Fleshed Sweetpotato. This is limiting their potential to benefits producers, processors, and consumers as a source of food based vitamin A. Therefore an efficient sustainable seed system for multiplication and distribution of cleaning planting material to users is vital. Through a thorough need assessment, four districts were identified for OFSP promotion. Farmer based approach was used to develop an effective, rapid and sustainable chain for multiplication and to disseminate clean basic sweetpotato planting material from in vitro lab to subsequent multiplication sites. Public, research, private, development organization, and farmer group's partnership was paramount to clean, multiply, identify, organize and train farmers' groups in different modules. Most of the new varieties namely, Cacearpedo, Gihingamukungu, and Ukerewe possess preferred traits by farmers compared to their local ones. Now farmers know the importance of using clean planting cuttings as a factor to increase productivity when planted at right time. Initial comparison of harvest from two consecutive seasons, May to July 2011 and July to December 2011 the study finds an increase of yield of 27% for Cacearpedo, 22% for Ukerewe and 71% for 97-062. This can be attributed to improved technical support, adoption of better agriculture techniques, healthy vines, and on time vines availability

Community mobilization for malaria elimination: application of an open space methodology in Ruhuha sector, Rwanda

Background Despite the significant reduction of malaria transmission in Rwanda, Ruhuha sector is still a highly endemic area for malaria. The objective of this activity was to explore and brainstorm the potential roles of various community stakeholders in malaria elimination. Methods Horizontal participatory approaches such as ‘open space’ have been deployed to explore local priorities, stimulate community contribution to project planning, and to promote local capacity to manage programmes. Two open space meetings were conducted with 62 and 82 participants in years 1 and 2, respectively. Participants included purposively selected community and local organizations’ representatives. Results Malaria was perceived as a health concern by the respondents despite the reported reduction in prevalence from 60 to 20% for cases at the local health centre. Some misconceptions of the cause of malaria and misuse of preventive strategies were noted. Poverty was deemed to be a contributing factor to malaria transmission, with suggestions that improvement of living conditions for poor families might help malaria reduction. Participants expressed willingness to contribute to malaria elimination and underscored the need for constant education, sensitization and mobilization towards malaria control in general. Active diagnosis, preventative strategies and prompt treatment of malaria cases were all mentioned by participants as ways to reduce malaria. Participants suggested that partnership of stakeholders at various levels could speed up programme activities. A community rewards system was deemed important to motivate engaged participants, i.e., community health workers and households. Establishment of malaria clubs in schools settings was also suggested as crucial to speed up community awareness and increase skills towards further malaria reduction. Conclusions This bottom-up approach was found useful in engaging the local community, enabling them to explore issues related to malaria in the area and suggest solutions for sustainable malaria elimination gains

High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests

Tropical forests store 40–50 per cent of terrestrial vegetation carbon1. However, spatial variations in aboveground live tree biomass carbon (AGC) stocks remain poorly understood, in particular in tropical montane forests2. Owing to climatic and soil changes with increasing elevation3, AGC stocks are lower in tropical montane forests compared with lowland forests2. Here we assemble and analyse a dataset of structurally intact old-growth forests (AfriMont) spanning 44 montane sites in 12 African countries. We find that montane sites in the AfriMont plot network have a mean AGC stock of 149.4 megagrams of carbon per hectare (95% confidence interval 137.1–164.2), which is comparable to lowland forests in the African Tropical Rainforest Observation Network4 and about 70 per cent and 32 per cent higher than averages from plot networks in montane2,5,6 and lowland7 forests in the Neotropics, respectively. Notably, our results are two-thirds higher than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change default values for these forests in Africa8. We find that the low stem density and high abundance of large trees of African lowland forests4 is mirrored in the montane forests sampled. This carbon store is endangered: we estimate that 0.8 million hectares of old-growth African montane forest have been lost since 2000. We provide country-specific montane forest AGC stock estimates modelled from our plot network to help to guide forest conservation and reforestation interventions. Our findings highlight the need for conserving these biodiverse9,10 and carbon-rich ecosystems

Predicting range shifts of African apes under global change scenarios

Aim: Modelling African great ape distribution has until now focused on current or past conditions, while future scenarios remain scarcely explored. Using an ensemble forecasting approach, we predicted changes in taxon-specific distribution under future scenarios of climate, land use and human populations for (1) areas outside protected areas (PAs) only (assuming complete management effectiveness of PAs), (2) the entire study region and (3) interspecies range overlap. Location: Tropical Africa. Methods: We compiled occurrence data (n = 5,203) on African apes from the IUCN A.P.E.S. database and extracted relevant climate-, habitat- and human-related predictors representing current and future (2050) conditions to predict taxon-specific range change under a best- and a worst-case scenario, using ensemble forecasting. Results The predictive performance of the models varied across taxa. Synergistic interactions between predictors are shaping African ape distribution, particularly human-related variables. On average across taxa, a range decline of 50% is expected outside PAs under the best scenario if no dispersal occurs (61% in worst scenario). Otherwise, an 85% range reduction is predicted to occur across study regions (94% worst). However, range gains are predicted outside PAs if dispersal occurs (52% best, 21% worst), with a slight increase in gains expected across study regions (66% best, 24% worst). Moreover, more than half of range losses and gains are predicted to occur outside PAs where interspecific ranges overlap. Main Conclusions: Massive range decline is expected by 2050, but range gain is uncertain as African apes will not be able to occupy these new areas immediately due to their limited dispersal capacity, migration lag and ecological constraints. Given that most future range changes are predicted outside PAs, Africa's current PA network is likely to be insufficient for preserving suitable habitats and maintaining connected ape populations. Thus, conservation planners urgently need to integrate land use planning and climate change mitigation measures at all decision-making levels both in range countries and abroad

ЭТИОТРОПНАЯ ТЕРАПИЯ ОСТРЫХ РЕСПИРАТОРНЫХ ВИРУСНЫХ ИНФЕКЦИЙ СО СТЕНОЗИРУЮЩИМИ ЛАРИНГОТРАХЕИТАМИ

Clinical-laboratory analysis of the effectiveness of VIFERON® (suppositories rectal) in children from 1 month up to 7 years with acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI), accompanied by acute stenosing laryngotracheitis (ASLT), hospitalized in Children's City Clinical Hospital №5 named after N.F. Filatov. We have found that the drug VIFERON® helps statistically significant reduction in the duration of all major clinical manifestations of the disease as a whole, and also reduces the severity and duration of clinical symptoms ASLT, and significantly contributes to the faster elimination of viral antigens.Проведен клиническо-лабораторный анализ эффективности препарата ВИФЕРОН® (суппозитории ректальные) у детей в возрасте от 1 мес. до 7 лет с острыми респираторными вирусными инфекциями (ОРВИ), сопровождающимися острым стенозирующим ларинготрахеитом (ОСЛТ), госпитализированных в ДГКБ №5 им. Филатова. Нами установлено, что препарат ВИФЕРОН® способствует статистически значимому сокращению продолжительности основных клинических проявлений заболевания, уменьшает выраженность и продолжительность клинических симптомов ОСЛТ, способствует более быстрой элиминации вирусных антигенов

Lipids modulate the conformational dynamics of a secondary multidrug transporter

Direct interactions with lipids have emerged as key determinants of the folding, structure and function of membrane proteins, but an understanding of how lipids modulate protein dynamics is still lacking. Here, we systematically explored the effects of lipids on the conformational dynamics of the proton-powered multidrug transporter LmrP from Lactococcus lactis, using the pattern of distances between spin-label pairs previously shown to report on alternating access of the protein. We uncovered, at the molecular level, how the lipid headgroups shape the conformational-energy landscape of the transporter. The model emerging from our data suggests a direct interaction between lipid headgroups and a conserved motif of charged residues that control the conformational equilibrium through an interplay of electrostatic interactions within the protein. Together, our data lay the foundation for a comprehensive model of secondary multidrug transport in lipid bilayers

Predicting range shifts of African apes under global change scenarios

Aim: Modelling African great ape distribution has until now focused on current or past conditions, while future scenarios remain scarcely explored. Using an ensemble forecasting approach, we predicted changes in taxon-specific distribution under future scenarios of climate, land use and human populations for (1) areas outside protected areas (PAs) only (assuming complete management effectiveness of PAs), (2) the entire study region and (3) interspecies range overlap. Location: Tropical Africa. Methods: We compiled occurrence data (n = 5,203) on African apes from the IUCN A.P.E.S. database and extracted relevant climate-, habitat- and human-related predictors representing current and future (2050) conditions to predict taxon-specific range change under a best- and a worst-case scenario, using ensemble forecasting. Results: The predictive performance of the models varied across taxa. Synergistic interactions between predictors are shaping African ape distribution, particularly human-related variables. On average across taxa, a range decline of 50% is expected outside PAs under the best scenario if no dispersal occurs (61% in worst scenario). Otherwise, an 85% range reduction is predicted to occur across study regions (94% worst). However, range gains are predicted outside PAs if dispersal occurs (52% best, 21% worst), with a slight increase in gains expected across study regions (66% best, 24% worst). Moreover, more than half of range losses and gains are predicted to occur outside PAs where interspecific ranges overlap. Main Conclusions: Massive range decline is expected by 2050, but range gain is uncertain as African apes will not be able to occupy these new areas immediately due to their limited dispersal capacity, migration lag and ecological constraints. Given that most future range changes are predicted outside PAs, Africa\u27s current PA network is likely to be insufficient for preserving suitable habitats and maintaining connected ape populations. Thus, conservation planners urgently need to integrate land use planning and climate change mitigation measures at all decision-making levels both in range countries and abroad

ВЭБ-мононуклеоз у детей в современных условиях

EBV-mononucleosis is a widespread infectious disease, and also it is an urgent problem of the whole world. The purpose of the research was to study the clinical and laboratory features of EBV-mononucleosis in hospitalized children of different ages in modern conditions. Under the supervision were 136 children aged from 1 year to 18 years. All of the patients had typical and mainly (85%) moderate form of the disease, and 15% of them patients had a severe form of the disease. The results: more severe fever and lymphadenopathy were observed in children older than 3 years. Acute tonsillitis was present in all hospitalized children. Adenoiditis and hepatosplenomegaly were greater in the group of patients of a younger age. Hyperfermentemia was determined in more than half of patients, more often in children over 12 years old. In the hemogram leukocytosis and monocytosis were mostly noted. Atypical blood mononuclear cells were detected in 89% of patients. Patients got complex etiopathogenetic therapy.ВЭБ-мононуклеоз является широко распространенным инфекционным заболеванием, а так же актуальной проблемой во всем мире. Цель исследования — изучить клинико-лабораторные особенности ВЭБ-мононуклеоза у госпитализированных детей различного возраста в современных условиях. Под наблюдением находились 136 детей в возрасте от 1 г. до 18 лет. У всех больных диагностирована типичная, преимущественно (85%) среднетяжелая форма заболевания, у 15% пациентов выявлена тяжелая степень болезни. Результаты: более выраженный синдром лихорадки и лимфаденопатии наблюдались у детей в возрасте старше 3 лет. Острый тонзиллит присутствовал у всех госпитализированных. Аденоидит и гепатоспленомегалия были более выраженными у пациентов младшей возрастной группы. Гиперферментемия определялась более чем у половины пациентов, чаще у детей в возрасте старше 12 лет. В гемограмме чаще всего отмечались: лейкоцитоз и моноцитоз. Атипичные мононуклеары в крови были выявлены у 89% пациентов. Пациенты получали комплексную этиопатогенетическую терапию