Caractéristiques de l’aviculture villageoise et influence des techniques d’amélioration sur ses performances zootechniques dans la province du Sourou, région Nord-Ouest Burkinabè

Une caractérisation des systèmes d’élevage par des enquêtes combinées avec des suivis et mesures de paramètres zootechniques a été conduite dans dix huit (18) villages et un échantillon de (36) aviculteurs de la province du Sourou. Le but était aussi d’évaluer l’influence des techniques d’amélioration sur les performances zootechniques. Le système d’élevage est extensif, quelquefois semi-intensif. L’étude révèle des contraintes d’ordre sanitaire, alimentaire, d’habitat des volailles. Le suivi montre que les sujets en claustration ont une croissance plus élevée (P<0,05) à 16 semaines puisque les poids vifs ont atteint 1232 g / sujet en mode divagant et 1689 g / sujet en mode claustration. Les mortalités de 8,02% montrent une probabilité de survie numériquement meilleure en comparaison avec les sujets en divagation (18,50%). Les performances zootechniques restent relativement bonnes au regard des conditions de production des différents modes d’élevage. Une amélioration de la productivité s’impose et attention particulière sera accordée à une alimentation utilisant des ressources alimentaires locales, une conduite de l’élevage incluant un accès aux soins vétérinaires et un habitat adéquat. L’amélioration génétique des races locales par l’introduction de coqs améliorateurs est à renforcer.Mots clés : Burkina Faso, poulets, systèmes d’élevage, performances zootechniques

The effect of dose on the antimalarial efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine: a systematic review and pooled analysis of individual patient data

Background: Artemether-lumefantrine is the most widely used artemisinin-based combination therapy for malaria, although treatment failures occur in some regions. We investigated the effect of dosing strategy on efficacy in a pooled analysis from trials done in a wide range of malaria-endemic settings. Methods: We searched PubMed for clinical trials that enrolled and treated patients with artemether-lumefantrine and were published from 1960 to December, 2012. We merged individual patient data from these trials by use of standardised methods. The primary endpoint was the PCR-adjusted risk of Plasmodium falciparum recrudescence by day 28. Secondary endpoints consisted of the PCR-adjusted risk of P falciparum recurrence by day 42, PCR-unadjusted risk of P falciparum recurrence by day 42, early parasite clearance, and gametocyte carriage. Risk factors for PCR-adjusted recrudescence were identified using Cox's regression model with frailty shared across the study sites. Findings: We included 61 studies done between January, 1998, and December, 2012, and included 14 327 patients in our analyses. The PCR-adjusted therapeutic efficacy was 97·6% (95% CI 97·4-97·9) at day 28 and 96·0% (95·6-96·5) at day 42. After controlling for age and parasitaemia, patients prescribed a higher dose of artemether had a lower risk of having parasitaemia on day 1 (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0·92, 95% CI 0·86-0·99 for every 1 mg/kg increase in daily artemether dose; p=0·024), but not on day 2 (p=0·69) or day 3 (0·087). In Asia, children weighing 10-15 kg who received a total lumefantrine dose less than 60 mg/kg had the lowest PCR-adjusted efficacy (91·7%, 95% CI 86·5-96·9). In Africa, the risk of treatment failure was greatest in malnourished children aged 1-3 years (PCR-adjusted efficacy 94·3%, 95% CI 92·3-96·3). A higher artemether dose was associated with a lower gametocyte presence within 14 days of treatment (adjusted OR 0·92, 95% CI 0·85-0·99; p=0·037 for every 1 mg/kg increase in total artemether dose). Interpretation: The recommended dose of artemether-lumefantrine provides reliable efficacy in most patients with uncomplicated malaria. However, therapeutic efficacy was lowest in young children from Asia and young underweight children from Africa; a higher dose regimen should be assessed in these groups. Funding: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

A cluster-randomized trial of mass drug administration with a gametocytocidal drug combination to interrupt malaria transmission in a low endemic area in Tanzania

Contains fulltext : 96570.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Effective mass drug administration (MDA) with anti-malarial drugs can clear the human infectious reservoir for malaria and thereby interrupt malaria transmission. The likelihood of success of MDA depends on the intensity and seasonality of malaria transmission, the efficacy of the intervention in rapidly clearing all malaria parasite stages and the degree to which symptomatic and asymptomatic parasite carriers participate in the intervention. The impact of MDA with the gametocytocidal drug combination sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) plus artesunate (AS) plus primaquine (PQ, single dose 0.75 mg/kg) on malaria transmission was determined in an area of very low and seasonal malaria transmission in northern Tanzania. METHODS: In a cluster-randomized trial in four villages in Lower Moshi, Tanzania, eight clusters (1,110 individuals; cluster size 47- 209) were randomized to observed treatment with SP+AS+PQ and eight clusters (2,347 individuals, cluster size 55- 737) to treatment with placebo over three days. Intervention and control clusters were 1 km apart; households that were located between clusters were treated as buffer zones where all individuals received SP+AS+PQ but were not selected for the evaluation. Passive case detection was done for the entire cohort and active case detection in 149 children aged 1-10 year from the intervention arm and 143 from the control arm. Four cross-sectional surveys assessed parasite carriage by microscopy and molecular methods during a five-month follow-up period. RESULTS: The coverage rate in the intervention arm was 93.0% (1,117/1,201). Parasite prevalence by molecular detection methods was 2.2-2.7% prior to the intervention and undetectable during follow-up in both the control and intervention clusters. None of the slides collected during cross-sectional surveys had microscopically detectable parasite densities. Three clinical malaria episodes occurred in the intervention (n = 1) and control clusters (n = 2). CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrates the possibility to achieve high coverage with a three-day intervention but also the difficulty in defining suitable outcome measures to evaluate interventions in areas of very low malaria transmission intensity. The decline in transmission intensity prior to the intervention made it impossible to assess the impact of MDA in the chosen study setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00509015

Host candidate gene polymorphisms and clearance of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites

Resistance to anti-malarial drugs is a widespread problem for control programmes for this devastating disease. Molecular tests are available for many anti-malarial drugs and are useful tools for the surveillance of drug resistance. However, the correlation of treatment outcome and molecular tests with particular parasite markers is not perfect, due in part to individuals who are able to clear genotypically drug-resistant parasites. This study aimed to identify molecular markers in the human genome that correlate with the clearance of malaria parasites after drug treatment, despite the drug resistance profile of the protozoan as predicted by molecular approaches

Genomics-assisted breeding in four major pulse crops of developing countries: present status and prospects

The global population is continuously increasing and is expected to reach nine billion by 2050. This huge population pressure will lead to severe shortage of food, natural resources and arable land. Such an alarming situation is most likely to arise in developing countries due to increase in the proportion of people suffering from protein and micronutrient malnutrition. Pulses being a primary and affordable source of proteins and minerals play a key role in alleviating the protein calorie malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and other undernourishment-related issues. Additionally, pulses are a vital source of livelihood generation for millions of resource-poor farmers practising agriculture in the semi-arid and sub-tropical regions. Limited success achieved through conventional breeding so far in most of the pulse crops will not be enough to feed the ever increasing population. In this context, genomics-assisted breeding (GAB) holds promise in enhancing the genetic gains. Though pulses have long been considered as orphan crops, recent advances in the area of pulse genomics are noteworthy, e.g. discovery of genome-wide genetic markers, high-throughput genotyping and sequencing platforms, high-density genetic linkage/QTL maps and, more importantly, the availability of whole-genome sequence. With genome sequence in hand, there is a great scope to apply genome-wide methods for trait mapping using association studies and to choose desirable genotypes via genomic selection. It is anticipated that GAB will speed up the progress of genetic improvement of pulses, leading to the rapid development of cultivars with higher yield, enhanced stress tolerance and wider adaptability

Therapeutic Potential of HDL in Cardioprotection and Tissue Repair

Epidemiological studies support a strong association between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and heart failure incidence. Experimental evidence from different angles supports the view that low HDL is unlikely an innocent bystander in the development of heart failure. HDL exerts direct cardioprotective effects, which are mediated via its interactions with the myocardium and more specifically with cardiomyocytes. HDL may improve cardiac function in several ways. Firstly, HDL may protect the heart against ischaemia/reperfusion injury resulting in a reduction of infarct size and thus in myocardial salvage. Secondly, HDL can improve cardiac function in the absence of ischaemic heart disease as illustrated by beneficial effects conferred by these lipoproteins in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Thirdly, HDL may improve cardiac function by reducing infarct expansion and by attenuating ventricular remodelling post-myocardial infarction. These different mechanisms are substantiated by in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo intervention studies that applied treatment with native HDL, treatment with reconstituted HDL, or human apo A-I gene transfer. The effect of human apo A-I gene transfer on infarct expansion and ventricular remodelling post-myocardial infarction illustrates the beneficial effects of HDL on tissue repair. The role of HDL in tissue repair is further underpinned by the potent effects of these lipoproteins on endothelial progenitor cell number, function, and incorporation, which may in particular be relevant under conditions of high endothelial cell turnover. Furthermore, topical HDL therapy enhances cutaneous wound healing in different models. In conclusion, the development of HDL-targeted interventions in these strategically chosen therapeutic areas is supported by a strong clinical rationale and significant preclinical data.status: publishe

Variation de la réponse à l’endomycorhization en pépinière des plants issus de deux semenciers de karité au Burkina Faso

Le karité (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn) est un arbre d’importance écologique et économique considérable dans la zone soudanienne d’Afrique, mais qui présente l’inconvénient de pousser très lentementau jeune âge. Pour lever cette contrainte, une expérience a été menée en pépinière en vue d’évaluer sa réponse au phosphore et à l’inoculation endomycorhizienne. Différents inocula de champignons mycorhizogènes àvésicules et arbuscules (MVA) comprenant quatre isolats locaux (désignés par N°3 , N°11, BWG et T16), et trois souches de référence (Glomus aggregatum, G. intraradices et G. mosseae), ont été évalués pour leurperformance à stimuler la croissance et la nutrition minérale de plantules de karité. Des plantules issues de deux semenciers localisés à Gonsé et à Korsimoro ont été inoculées séparément sur un sol sableux stérilisé àl’autoclave, en présence ou non de phosphore (0 ou 5 mg P plant-1). Des plants non-inoculés ont servi de témoins. Le dispositif était un split plot en blocs avec quatre répétitions. Au bout de 12 mois de culture, lesplants inoculés étaient mycorhizés. Cependant, hormis les vésicules, très peu de structures fongiques intraradiculaires étaient colorées, ce qui a empêché l’évaluation du taux de mycorhization. En moyenne, les plantsissus de la semence de Korsimoro ont montré la biomasse des parties radiculaires la plus élevée, et le plus faible ratio de biomasses aérienne/ racinaire (A/S) (