Effects of substrate and mycorrhizal inoculum on stem segment cuttings of Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir. (Fabaceae) in the Guinean savannah highlands of Cameroon

Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir is a woody species of the Sudano-Guinean to Sudano-Sahelian zones with very high food, medicinal and commercial potential leading to the overexploitation. This study aimed to contribute to the domestication of this species using stem segment cuttings. The sand/sawdust and black soil/sawdust substrates were inoculated with 0.10, and 20 g of mycorrhizae. The split plot with 4 repetitions was used as the experimental method and set at 10 cuttings per unit. The experience revealed that the appropriate substrate and dose of mycorrhizae for the budding of stem segment cuttings (SSC) were the sand/sawdust mixture (25.00 ± 18.34 %) and 10 g (23.75 ± 5.63 %) respectively. Satisfactory result was recorded in 10 g (4.18 ± 2.52 cm) dose of mycorrhizae for the height of the aerial axes with abundant number of leaves per aerial observed in the sand/sawdust substrate (2.36 ± 0.48). Concerning the rooting ability of the cuttings, adequate substrate for the number of newly formed roots is the sand/sawdust mixture (25.00 ± 18.34 %) while the dose of 10 g of mycorrhizae favoured the appearance of roots (23.75 ± 14.07 %). The best substrate for the length of newly formed roots is the sand/sawdust mixture (10.64 ± 7.14 cm) and 10 g of mycorrhizae improved the length (9.82 ± 6.40 cm) for Senegal rosewood. Given the above results, we can admit that the improvement of certain parameters (budding, rooting) in P. erinaceus is possible by vegetative propagation

Two complement receptor one alleles have opposing associations with cerebral malaria and interact with α+thalassaemia

Malaria has been a major driving force in the evolution of the human genome. In sub-Saharan African populations, two neighbouring polymorphisms in the Complement Receptor One (CR1) gene, named Sl2 and McCb, occur at high frequencies, suggesting selection by malaria. Previous studies have been inconclusive. Using a large case-control study of severe malaria in Kenyan children and statistical models adjusted for confounders, we demonstrate that Sl2 and McCb have opposing malaria associations. The Sl2 polymorphism is associated with markedly reduced odds of cerebral malaria and death, while the McCb polymorphism is associated with increased odds of cerebral malaria. We also identified an unexpected interaction between Sl2 and α+thalassaemia, revealing that the protective association of Sl2 was greatest in children with normal α-globin. The complex relationship between these three mutations may explain previous conflicting findings, and the data highlight the importance of considering genetic interactions in disease-association studies

Socializing One Health: an innovative strategy to investigate social and behavioral risks of emerging viral threats

In an effort to strengthen global capacity to prevent, detect, and control infectious diseases in animals and people, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) PREDICT project funded development of regional, national, and local One Health capacities for early disease detection, rapid response, disease control, and risk reduction. From the outset, the EPT approach was inclusive of social science research methods designed to understand the contexts and behaviors of communities living and working at human-animal-environment interfaces considered high-risk for virus emergence. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, PREDICT behavioral research aimed to identify and assess a range of socio-cultural behaviors that could be influential in zoonotic disease emergence, amplification, and transmission. This broad approach to behavioral risk characterization enabled us to identify and characterize human activities that could be linked to the transmission dynamics of new and emerging viruses. This paper provides a discussion of implementation of a social science approach within a zoonotic surveillance framework. We conducted in-depth ethnographic interviews and focus groups to better understand the individual- and community-level knowledge, attitudes, and practices that potentially put participants at risk for zoonotic disease transmission from the animals they live and work with, across 6 interface domains. When we asked highly-exposed individuals (ie. bushmeat hunters, wildlife or guano farmers) about the risk they perceived in their occupational activities, most did not perceive it to be risky, whether because it was normalized by years (or generations) of doing such an activity, or due to lack of information about potential risks. Integrating the social sciences allows investigations of the specific human activities that are hypothesized to drive disease emergence, amplification, and transmission, in order to better substantiate behavioral disease drivers, along with the social dimensions of infection and transmission dynamics. Understanding these dynamics is critical to achieving health security--the protection from threats to health-- which requires investments in both collective and individual health security. Involving behavioral sciences into zoonotic disease surveillance allowed us to push toward fuller community integration and engagement and toward dialogue and implementation of recommendations for disease prevention and improved health security

Farmers’ willingness to pay for and reasons for adoption of GMB-BXW.

<p>Note: The number of observations varies due to missing responses</p><p>Farmers’ willingness to pay for and reasons for adoption of GMB-BXW.</p

Frequency (%) of reasons for consumer preference of GM banana.

<p>Frequency (%) of reasons for consumer preference of GM banana.</p

Potential consumers of GM banana (N = 101) in target countries.

<p>Potential consumers of GM banana (N = 101) in target countries.</p

Potential benefits of developing GMB-BXW in the GLA region.

<p>Net Present Values (NPV) computed using a real interest rate of 10%.</p><p>Potential benefits of developing GMB-BXW in the GLA region.</p

Characteristics of respondents (percentages and means).

<p>Characteristics of respondents (percentages and means).</p

Losses in banana production due to BXW incidences in target countries.

<p>Losses in banana production due to BXW incidences in target countries.</p

Control methods for BXW and awareness of genetically modified (GM) crops.

<p>Note: In some cases, the number of observations is the sum all respondents in the study (farmers, traders, extension agents and key informants). The number of observations varies for some questions due to missing responses.</p><p>Control methods for BXW and awareness of genetically modified (GM) crops.</p