Phenotypic and genotypic analyses to guide selection of reverse transcriptase inhibitors in second-line HIV therapy following extended virological failure in Uganda

Objectives We investigated phenotypic and genotypic resistance after 2 years of first-line therapy with two HIV treatment regimens in the absence of virological monitoring. Methods NORA [Nevirapine OR Abacavir study, a sub-study of the Development of AntiRetroviral Therapy in Africa (DART) trial] randomized 600 symptomatic HIV-infected Ugandan adults (CD4 cell count <200 cells/mm3) to receive zidovudine/lamivudine plus abacavir (cABC arm) or nevirapine (cNVP arm). All virological tests were performed retrospectively, including resistance tests on week 96 plasma samples with HIV RNA levels ≥1000 copies/mL. Phenotypic resistance was expressed as fold-change in IC50 (FC) relative to wild-type virus. Results HIV-1 RNA viral load ≥1000 copies/mL at week 96 was seen in 58/204 (28.4%) cABC participants and 21/159 (13.2%) cNVP participants. Resistance results were available in 35 cABC and 17 cNVP participants; 31 (89%) cABC and 16 (94%) cNVP isolates had a week 96 FC below the biological cut-off for tenofovir (2.2). In the cNVP arm, 16/17 participants had resistance mutations synonymous with high-level resistance to nevirapine and efavirenz; FC values for etravirine were above the biological cut-off in 9 (53%) isolates. In multivariate regression models, K65R, Y115F and the presence of thymidine analogue-associated mutations were associated with increased susceptibility to etravirine in the cABC arm. Conclusions Our data support the use of tenofovir following failure of a first-line zidovudine-containing regimen and shed further light on non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor hypersusceptibility

Market‐led options to scale up legume seeds in developing countries: Experiences from the Tropical Legumes Project

There are several hurdles to ensure sustainable seed production and consistent flow of improved legume varieties in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA). The unreliable demand, autogamous nature of most of the grain legumes, and slow variety replacement rate by smallholder farmers do not provide strong incentive for private seed companies to invest in legume seed business. Unless a well thought‐out and comprehensive approach to legume seed delivery is developed, current seed shortages will continue, eroding emerging market opportunities. The experiences reported here are collated through a 10‐year partnership project, the Tropical Legumes in SSA and SA. It fostered innovative public–private partnerships in joint testing of innovative market‐led seed systems, skills and knowledge enhancement, de‐risking private sector initiatives that introduced in new approaches and previously overlooked entities in technology delivery. As new public and private seed companies, individual seed entrepreneurs and farmer organizations emerged, the existing ones enhanced their capacities. This resulted in significant rise in production, availability and accessibility of various seed grades of newly improved and farmer demanded legume varieties in the target countries

Mapping the medical outcomes study HIV health survey (MOS-HIV) to the EuroQoL 5 Dimension (EQ-5D-3L) utility index

10.1186/s12955-019-1135-8Health and Quality of Life Outcomes1718

Condition factor, Length - Weight relationship, and the fishery of Barbus altianalis (Boulenger 1900) in Lakes Victoria and Edward basins of Uganda

The condition, fishing effort and environmental parameters signify health of fish populations. This study characterized differences in water quality and fishing effort in the lacustrine and riverine systems of the River Nile, Lake Edward and Kazinga channel in Uganda. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences in mean relative condition among populations in the water bodies exposed to different levels of fishing effort and water quality conditions. There were significant differences in the mean relative condition (K-n) of Barbus altianalis between River Nile (mean dif 0.0880, P < 0.004) and Lake Edward and between River Nile and Kazinga channel (mean dif. 0.0796, P < 0.001). No significant difference in the mean relative condition between Kazinga channel and Lake Edward (mean diff. 0.0840, P < 0.95). Lake Edward had the highest condition (1.05), while Kazinga channel and River Nile had 1.04 and 0.96 respectively. The relationship between weight and length for each population, obtained by pooling individuals across systems was significant (P < 0.001), the length-weight allometry between the populations was also significantly different (F (2, 237) = 9.73, P < 0.001). River Nile had the highest number of fishers of 311 +/- 0.88 while the number of fishers in Lake Edward and Kazinga channel were 75 +/- 2.45 and 33 +/- 9.12, respectively. Catch rates varied between River Nile (1.92 +/- 0.59 Kg boat(-1) day(-1)) and the rest of the systems, 6.20 +/- 1.86 and 6.85 +/- 1.49 Kg boat(-1) day(-1) in Lake Edward and Kazinga channel respectively. Water quality varied greatly across all the water bodies. Dissolved oxygen was below the minimum of 5 mgl(-1) required for the physiology of freshwater fish. Conductivity was highest in Lake Edward (312 A mu S cm(-1)), followed by Kazinga channel and least in River Nile. The consistent variation in condition, fishing effort and water quality, indicates differential selective pressures faced by B. altianalis in the systems and therefore calls for concerted efforts for appropriate management measures

Condition factor, Length - Weight relationship, and the fishery of Barbus altianalis (Boulenger 1900) in Lakes Victoria and Edward basins of Uganda (vol 100, pg 99, 2017)

© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. The original version of this article was revised to standardize units of measurement.status: publishe

Pathogenic variation of colletotrichum lindemuthianum causing anthracnose of beans (phaseolus vulgaris) in Uganda

Colletotrichum lindemuthianum is a highly variable pathogen of common beans that easily overcomes resistance in cultivars bred with single-gene resistance. To determine pathogenic variability of the pathogen in Uganda, samples of common bean tissues with anthracnose symptoms were collected in eight districts of Uganda, namely Kabarole, Sironko, Mbale, Oyam, Lira, Kapchorwa, Maracha and Kisoro. 51 isolates sporulated successfully on Potato Dextrose Agar and Mathur’s media and were used to inoculate 12 differential cultivars under controlled conditions. Five plants per cultivar were inoculated with each isolate and then evaluated for their reaction using the 1 – 9 severity scale. Races were classified using the binary nomenclature system proposed by Pastor Corrales (1991). Variation due to cultivar and isolate effects was significant (P≤0.001) for severity. The 51 isolates from eight districts grouped into 27 different races. Sironko district had the highest number of races followed by Mbale and Kabarole. Races 2047 and 4095 were the most frequently found, each with 10 isolates grouped under them. Race 4095 was the most virulent since it caused a susceptible (S) reaction on all 12 differential cultivars and the susceptible check. This was followed by races 2479, 2047 and 2045 respectively. Two races, 4094 and 2479, caused a susceptible reaction on the differential cultivar G2333, which nevertheless, showed the most broad spectrum resistance followed by cultivars Cornell 49-242, TU, and AB136 respectively. These cultivars are recommended for use in breeding programs aiming at breeding for broad spectrum resistance to bean anthracnose in Uganda

Iron beans in Rwanda: crop development and delivery experience

HarvestPlus and its partners have successfully developed and delivered iron bean varieties to more than one million farming households in Rwanda, DRC, and Uganda to help combat the adverse health effects of iron deficiency widespread in these countries. Focusing primarily on Rwanda, this chapter summarizes the country, nutritional and consumer background, crop development, release, and delivery of iron bean varieties and synthesizes lessons learned and future challenges