Economic evaluation of improved grain storage technology in Tanzania

United States Agency for International Developmen

The association of TB with HIV infection in Oromia Regional National State, Ethiopia in 2006/7

Background: Infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is an established risk factor for tuberculosis infection. Population-based data on associations between HIV and tuberculosis (TB) can provide an epidemiological assessment of the impact of HIV infection on TB in environments where individual based data are difficult to collect.Method: We used an ecological study to assess the association between infection with HIV and tuberculosis in Oromia Region National State, Ethiopia in 2006/7.Result: The prevalence of HIV infection was significantly associated with the incidence of TB across the areas in Oromia region (r=0.69,

INFLUENCE OF TREATMENT OF SEED POTATO TUBERS WITH PLANT CRUDE ESSENTIAL OIL EXTRACTS ON PERFORMANCE OF THE CROP

Farmers in most developing countries store seed potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers in traditional storage that invariably leads to rapid deterioration in the quality of the seed tubers due to sprouting and aging. Thus, potato seed tubers senesce and are past their prime when planted. A pot experiment was conducted at Sirinka Agricultural Research Centre, in north-eastern Ethiopia, to evaluate the effect of treating seed potato tubers with crude plant essential oil extracts, on the growth and yield of the potato crop. Treatments consisted of seed potato tubers treated with dill weed, spearmint, black cumin and eucalyptus crude essential oil extracts, each applied at 45, 90 and 135 mg kg-1 of potato tubers for one month, plus a control treatment. The control consisted of untreated tubers. Results revealed that potato plants grown from seed tubers treated with oil extracts from dill weed, spearmint, and eucalyptus at 135 mg kg-1, took the longest time to sprout, flower, and tubers to mature. Potato plants grown from seed tubers treated with dill weed, spearmint, black cumin and eucalyptus crude essential oil extracts at 135 mg kg-1 were 23 - 38% taller than plants from the untreated seed tubers. Similarly, potatoes from these treatments had 21 - 89% more numbers of leaves compared to plants from the untreated seed tubers. Crude essential oils from dill weed at the concentrations of 90 and 135 mg kg-1 and eucalyptus at 135 mg kg-1, had the greatest positive effects on growth and yield of the potato crop.Dans plusieurs pays en d\ue9veloppement, les paysans conservent les tubercules de pomme de terre ( Solanum tuberosum L.) en stockage traditionnel, ce qui est responsable de la d\ue9t\ue9rioration rapide de la qualit\ue9 des semences due au vieillissement et au bourgeonnement des tubercules. Alors, les tubercules de pomme de terre vieillissent et perdent leur fra\ueecheur avant d\u2019\ueatre plant\ue9. Une exp\ue9rimentation en pots a \ue9t\ue9 conduite au Centre de Recherche Agricole de Sirinka au North-Est de l\u2019Ethiopie pour \ue9valuer l\u2019effet du traitement des tubercules de pomme de terre avec des huiles essentiels sur la croissance et le rendement la culture subs\ue9quente. Les traitements consistaient en l\u2019utilisation des huiles essentielles de la fenouille, la menthe verte, du cumin noir et de l\u2019eucalyptus \ue0 diff\ue9rente concentrations (45, 90 et 135 mg kg-1) pour traiter les tubercules de pomme de terre pendant un mois, et un traitement t\ue9moin (tubercules non trait\ue9s). Les r\ue9sultats ont montr\ue9 que les plants de pomme de terre trait\ue9s \ue0 l\u2019huile essentielle de fenouille, menthe verte, et eucalyptus \ue0 135 mg kg-1 ont le plus retard\ue9 le bourgeonnement, la floraison, et la maturation des tubercules. Les plants de pomme de terre cultiv\ue9s apr\ue8s traitement \ue0 l\u2019huile essentielle de fenouille, menthe verte, cumin noir et eucalyptus \ue0 135 mg kg-1 \ue9taient 23 \ue0 38% plus grands que les plants provenant de tubercules non trait\ue9es. De la m\ueame fa\ue7on, les plants trait\ue9s avaient 21 \ue0 89% plus de feuilles que les plants non trait\ue9s. Les huiles essentielles de fenouille \ue0 90 et 135 mg kg-1 et de l\u2019eucalyptus \ue0 135 mg kg-1 ont entrain\ue9 une croissance plus accrue et un rendement plus \ue9lev\ue9 de la culture subs\ue9quente de pomme de terre

Mid-Upper Arm Circumference based Nutrition Programming: evidence for a new approach in regions with high burden of Acute Malnutrition

In therapeutic feeding programs (TFP), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) shows advantages over weight-for-height Z score (WHZ) and is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an independent criterion for screening children 6-59 months old. Here we report outcomes and treatment response from a TFP using MUAC ≤118 mm or oedema as sole admission criteria for severe acute malnutrition (SAM)

Rapidity and centrality dependence of particle production for identified hadrons in Cu+Cu collisions at sNN=200\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200 GeV

The BRAHMS collaboration has measured transverse momentum spectra of pions, kaons, protons and antiprotons at rapidities 0 and 3 for Cu+Cu collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200$ GeV. As the collisions become more central the collective radial flow increases while the temperature of kinetic freeze-out decreases. The temperature is lower and the radial flow weaker at forward rapidity. Pion and kaon yields with transverse momenta between 1.5 and 2.5 GeV/c are suppressed for central collisions relative to scaled $p+p$ collisions. This suppression, which increases as the collisions become more central is consistent with jet quenching models and is also present with comparable magnitude at forward rapidity. At such rapidities initial state effects may also be present and persistence of the meson suppression to high rapidity may reflect a combination of jet quenching and nuclear shadowing. The ratio of protons to mesons increases as the collisions become more central and is largest at forward rapidities.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures and 6 table

Rapidity dependence of deuteron production in Au+Au collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200 GeV

We have measured the distributions of protons and deuterons produced in high energy heavy ion Au+Au collisions at RHIC over a very wide range of transverse and longitudinal momentum. Near mid-rapidity we have also measured the distribution of anti-protons and anti-deuterons. We present our results in the context of coalescence models. In particular we extract the "volume of homogeneity" and the average phase-space density for protons and anti-protons. Near central rapidity the coalescence parameter $B_2(p_T)$ and the space averaged phase-space density $(p_T)$ are very similar for both protons and anti-protons. For protons we see little variation of either $B_2(p_T)$ or the space averaged phase-space density as the rapidity increases from 0 to 3. However both these quantities depend strongly on $p_T$ at all rapidities. These results are in contrast to lower energy data where the proton and anti-proton phase-space densities are different at $y$=0 and both $B_2$ and $f$ depend strongly on rapidity.Comment: Document updated after proofs received from PR

Genotypes, Antibiotic Resistance, and ST-8 Genetic Clone in Campylobacter

Rectal swabs from 155 sheep and 252 goats from Grenada were evaluated to determine the prevalence of Campylobacter spp., antibiotic resistance, and multilocus sequence types. Fifteen Campylobacter isolates were obtained (14 C. jejuni and 1 C. coli). The prevalence (3.7%) did not differ significantly between sheep (4.5%) and goats (3.2%). Among the seven antimicrobials tested, resistance was only detected for tetracycline (30.8%) and metronidazole (38.5%). Campylobacter isolates showed no significant difference between sheep and goats for type of antimicrobial resistance or percent of resistant isolates. Twelve of the isolates were successfully genotyped consisting of four recognized clonal complexes and three novel sequence types. Importantly, one isolate from one goat was identified as the C. jejuni sequence type-8, a zoonotic and tetracycline-resistant clone reported to be a highly virulent clone associated with ovine abortion in the USA. Although most samples were from comingled sheep and goat production units, there were no shared sequence types between these two host species. None of the sequence types identified in this study have previously been reported in poultry in Grenada, suggesting sheep- and goat-specific Campylobacter clones in Grenada. This is the first report of genotyping of Campylobacter isolates from sheep and goats in the Eastern Caribbean

The Galabat-Metema cross-border onchocerciasis focus: The first coordinated interruption of onchocerciasis transmission in Africa.

BACKGROUND: Onchocerciasis transmission across international borders is not uncommon, yet a coordinated cross border stops mass drug administration (MDA) decision has not been documented. METHODS/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: The Galabat-Metema focus involves neighboring districts on the border between Sudan and Ethiopia. Mass drug administration (MDA) was provided once and subsequently twice per year in this focus, with twice-per-year beginning in Ethiopia's Metema subfocus in 2016 and in the Sudan's Galabat subfocus in 2008. Ov16 ELISA-based serosurveys were conducted in 6072 children under 10 years of age in the Metema subfocus in 2014, and 3931 in the Galabat in 2015. Between 2014 and 2016, a total of 27,583 vector Simulium damnosum flies from Metema and 9,148 flies from Galabat were tested by pool screen PCR for Onchocerca volvulus O-150 DNA. Only 8 children were Ov16 seropositive (all in the Metema subfocus); all were negative by skin snip PCR. The upper limit of the 95% confidence interval (UCL) for Ov16 seropositive was <0.1% for the overall focus and 0.14 positive fly heads per 2000 (UCL = 0.39/2000). However, an entomological 'hotspot' was detected on the Wudi Gemzu river in Metema district. The hotspot was confirmed when 4 more positive fly pools were found on repeat testing in 2017 (1.04 L3/2000 flies (UCL = 2.26/2000). Information exchange between the two countries led to stopping MDA in a coordinated fashion in 2018, with the exception of the hotspot at Wudi Gemzu, where MDA with ivermectin was increased to every three months to hasten interruption of transmission. CONCLUSION: Coordinated stop MDA decisions were made by Sudan and Ethiopia based on data satisfying the World Health Organization's criteria for interruption of onchocerciasis transmission. Definitions of entomological 'hotspots' and buffer zones around the focus are proposed

Mapping Robots to Therapy and Educational Objectives for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The aim of this study was to increase knowledge on therapy and educational objectives professionals work on with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to identify corresponding state of the art robots. Focus group sessions (n = 9) with ASD professionals (n = 53) from nine organisations were carried out to create an objectives overview, followed by a systematic literature study to identify state of the art robots matching these objectives. Professionals identified many ASD objectives (n = 74) in 9 different domains. State of the art robots addressed 24 of these objectives in 8 domains. Robots can potentially be applied to a large scope of objectives for children with ASD. This objectives overview functions as a base to guide development of robot interventions for these children