Guidelines for feeding sweetpotato silage to pigs.

European UnionInternational Fund for Agricultural Developmen

Guidelines for feeding sweetpotato silage to pigs.

Playwright: N/A Director: N/A Academic Year: 1997-1998https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/production_images/2478/thumbnail.jp

Building the capacity of small scale cocoa farmers to conduct on-farm fermentation

This policy brief highlights currently used cocoa fermentation methods along with policy recommendations for farm level fermentation. The project aims to aid fermentation through design of a single fermentation box which can handle 60 to 100kg of cocoa and has shown potential to reduce fermentation time from six to four days with 99% fermented beans. The majority of farmers have less than a hectare of land and produce approximately 70kg of cocoa bean pulp in two weeks. For small-scale farmers to benefit from the cocoa enterprise, there is need to add value to the beans through fermentation

Sexual vulnerability and HIV seroprevalence among the deaf and hearing impaired in Cameroon

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This quantitative cross-sectional study examines sexual behaviour of a target group of hearing-impaired persons in Yaounde, the capital city of the Republic of Cameroon. It measures their HIV prevalence to enable assessment of their sexual vulnerability and to help reduce the gap in existing HIV serology data among people with disabilities in general and the deaf in particular.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The snowball sampling procedure was adopted as an adequate approach to meet this hard-to-reach group. A total of 118 deaf participants were interviewed for the behavioural component, using sign language as a means of data collection, while 101 participants underwent HIV serology testing. Descriptive analyses were done for behavioural data with Epi info software, while sera were tested by health personnel, using rapid and confirmation test reagents.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>From the results, it was clear that the hearing impaired were highly involved in risky sexual practices, as observed through major sexual indicators, such as: age at first sexual intercourse; condom use; and knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and AIDS. Furthermore, it was noted that the HIV prevalence rate of the hearing impaired in the capital of Cameroon was 4%, close to the prevalence in the city's general population (4.7%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Such results suggest that there is a need for in-depth behavioural research and serological studies in this domain to better understand the determinants of risky sexual behaviour among the hearing impaired, and to propose operational prevention approaches for this group.</p

“Ten Commandments” for the Appropriate use of Antibiotics by the Practicing Physician in an Outpatient Setting

A multi-national working group on antibiotic stewardship, from the International Society of Chemotherapy, put together ten recommendations to physicians prescribing antibiotics to outpatients. These recommendations are: (1) use antibiotics only when needed; teach the patient how to manage symptoms of non-bacterial infections; (2) select the adequate ATB; precise targeting is better than shotgun therapy; (3) consider pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics when selecting an ATB; use the shortest ATB course that has proven clinical efficacy; (4) encourage patients’ compliance; (5) use antibiotic combinations only in specific situations; (6) avoid low quality and sub-standard drugs; prevent prescription changes at the drugstore; (7) discourage self-prescription; (8) follow only evidence-based guidelines; beware those sponsored by drug companies; (9) rely (rationally) upon the clinical microbiology lab; and (10) prescribe ATB empirically – but intelligently; know local susceptibility trends, and also surveillance limitations

Transcriptomes of <i>Trypanosoma brucei</i> rhodesiense from sleeping sickness patients, rodents and culture:Effects of strain, growth conditions and RNA preparation methods

All of our current knowledge of African trypanosome metabolism is based on results from trypanosomes grown in culture or in rodents. Drugs against sleeping sickness must however treat trypanosomes in humans. We here compare the transcriptomes of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense from the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of human patients with those of trypanosomes from culture and rodents. The data were aligned and analysed using new user-friendly applications designed for Kinetoplastid RNA-Seq data. The transcriptomes of trypanosomes from human blood and cerebrospinal fluid did not predict major metabolic differences that might affect drug susceptibility. Usefully, there were relatively few differences between the transcriptomes of trypanosomes from patients and those of similar trypanosomes grown in rats. Transcriptomes of monomorphic laboratory-adapted parasites grown in in vitro culture closely resembled those of the human parasites, but some differences were seen. In poly(A)-selected mRNA transcriptomes, mRNAs encoding some protein kinases and RNA-binding proteins were under-represented relative to mRNA that had not been poly(A) selected; further investigation revealed that the selection tends to result in loss of longer mRNAs

Candidate gene family-based and case-control studies of susceptibility to high Schistosoma mansoni worm burden in African children: a protocol

Background: Approximately 25% of the risk of Schistosoma mansoni is associated with host genetic variation. We will test 24 candidate genes, mainly in the Th2 and Th17 pathways, for association with S. mansoni infection intensity in four African countries, using family based and case-control approaches. Methods: Children aged 5-15 years will be recruited in S. mansoni endemic areas of Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We will use family based (study 1) and case-control (study 2) designs. Study 1 will take place in Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Uganda and the DRC. We aim to recruit 100 high worm burden families from each country except Uganda, where a previous study recruited at least 40 families. For phenotyping, cases will be defined as the 20% of children in each community with heaviest worm burdens as measured by the circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) assay. Study 2 will take place in Uganda. We will recruit 500 children in a highly endemic community. For phenotyping, cases will be defined as the 20% of children with heaviest worm burdens as measured by the CAA assay, while controls will be the 20% of infected children with the lightest worm burdens. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) will be genotyped on the Illumina H3Africa SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) chip and genotypes will be converted to sets of haplotypes that span the gene region for analysis. We have selected 24 genes for genotyping that are mainly in the Th2 and Th17 pathways and that have variants that have been demonstrated to be or could be associated with Schistosoma infection intensity. Analysis: In the family-based design, we will identify SNP haplotypes disproportionately transmitted to children with high worm burden. Case-control analysis will detect overrepresentation of haplotypes in extreme phenotypes with correction for relatedness by using whole genome principal components

A colorimetric strategy based on dynamic chemistry for direct detection of Trypanosomatid species

Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease are endemic in many countries, and re-emerging in the developed countries. A rapid and accurate diagnosis is important for early treatment for reducing the duration of infection as well as for preventing further potential health complications. In this work, we have developed a novel colorimetric molecular assay that integrates nucleic acid analysis by dynamic chemistry (ChemNAT) with reverse dot-blot hybridization in an array format for a rapid and easy discrimination of Leishmania major and Trypanosoma cruzi. The assay consists of a singleplex PCR step that amplifies a highly homologous DNA sequence which encodes for the RNA component of the large ribosome subunit. The amplicons of the two different parasites differ between them by single nucleotide variations, known as “Single Nucleotide Fingerprint” (SNF) markers. The SNF markers can be easily identified by naked eye using a novel micro Spin-Tube device "Spin-Tube", as each of them creates a specific spot pattern. Moreover, the direct use of ribosomal RNA without requiring the PCR pre-amplification step is also feasible, further increasing the simplicity of the assay. The molecular assay delivers sensitivity capable of identifying up to 8.7 copies per μL with single mismatch specificity. The Spin-Tube thus represents an innovative solution providing benefits in terms of time, cost, and simplicity, all of which are crucial for the diagnosis of infectious disease in developing countries.This research work has received funding from Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Economía e Innovación (project number 2012-BIO1778), the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Grants CTQ2012-34778, BIO2016-80519-R, FPI Grant BES-2013- 063020). This research was partially supported by the 7th European Community Framework Program (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG-Project Number 322276)

Faecal calprotectin concentrations in apparently healthy children aged 0-12 years in urban Kampala, Uganda: a community-based survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Calprotectin is a calcium and zinc binding protein, abundant in neutrophils and is extremely stable in faeces. Faecal calprotectin is used as a non-specific marker for gastrointestinal inflammation. It has a good diagnostic precision to distinguish between irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Studies have established normal concentrations in healthy children; all these studies have been performed in high-income countries. The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of faecal calprotectin in apparently healthy children aged 0-12 years in urban Kampala, Uganda.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>We tested 302 apparently healthy children aged, age 0-12 years (162 female, 140 male) in urban Kampala, Uganda. The children were recruited consecutively by door-to-door visits. Faecal calprotectin was analyzed using a quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Faeces were also tested for <it>Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) </it>antigen, for growth of enteropathogens and microscopy was performed to assess protozoa and helminths. A short standardized interview with socio-demographic information and medical history was obtained to assess health status of the children.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the different age groups the median faecal calprotectin concentrations were 249 mg/kg in 0 < 1 year (n = 54), 75 mg/kg in 1 < 4 years (n = 89) and 28 mg/kg in 4 < 12 years (n = 159). There was no significant difference in faecal calprotectin concentrations and education of female caretaker, wealth index, gender, habits of using mosquito nets, being colonized with <it>H. pylori </it>or having other pathogens in the stool.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Concentrations of faecal calprotectin among healthy children, living in urban Ugandan, a low-income country, are comparable to those in healthy children living in high-income countries. In children older than 4 years, the faecal calprotectin concentration is low. In healthy infants faecal calprotectin is high. The suggested cut-off concentrations in the literature can be used in apparently healthy Ugandan children. This finding also shows that healthy children living under poor circumstances do not have a constant inflammation in the gut. We see an opportunity to use this relatively inexpensive test for further understanding and investigations of gut inflammation in children living in low-income countries.</p

No evidence for association with APOL1 kidney disease risk alleles and Human African Trypanosomiasis in two Ugandan populations:

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) manifests as an acute form caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (Tbr) and a chronic form caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (Tbg). Previous studies have suggested a host genetic role in infection outcomes, particularly for APOL1. We have undertaken a candidate gene association studies (CGAS) in a Ugandan Tbr and a Tbg HAT endemic area, to determine whether polymorphisms in IL10, IL8, IL4, HLAG, TNFA, TNX4LB, IL6, IFNG, MIF, APOL1, HLAA, IL1B, IL4R, IL12B, IL12R, HP, HPR, and CFH have a role in HAT