Multi-purpose cowpea inoculation for improved yields in small holder farms in Kenya

Introduction In Kenya, cowpea is the most important pulse crop in the dry lands of Eastern and Coastal regions where it is commonly inter cropped with maize and sorghum. The poor yields obtained in small holder farms in Kenya (150 kg ha-1) can in part be attributed to the use of poor yielding varieties, low soil fertility (mainly N and P deficiency) low presence of effective indigenous rhizobia and high occurrence of highly competitive but inefficient indigenous rhizobia strains. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) through exploitation of the rhizobia-legume symbiosis and use of inoculants coupled with soil amendments such as Phosphorus offers in part a means to improve cowpea yield, nutrition and soil fertility

The burden of congenital Chagas disease and implementation of molecular diagnostic tools in Latin America

It is estimated that between 8000 and 15 000 Trypanosoma cruzi infected babies are born every year to infected mothers in Chagas disease endemic countries. Currently, poor access to and performance of the current diagnostic algorithm, based on microscopy at birth and serology at 8-12 months after delivery, is one of the barriers to congenital Chagas disease (CCD) control. Detection of parasite DNA using molecular diagnostic tools could be an alternative or complement to current diagnostic methods, but its implementation in endemic regions remains limited. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of CCD cases would have a positive clinical and epidemiological impact. In this paper, we analysed the burden of CCD in Latin America, and the potential use of molecular tests to improve access to early diagnosis and treatment of T. cruzi infected newborns.Fil: Picado, Albert. Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics; SuizaFil: Cruz, Israel. Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics; SuizaFil: Redard Jacot, Maël. Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics; SuizaFil: Schijman, Alejandro Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Torrico, Faustino. Universidad Mayor de San Simón; Bolivia. Fundación CEADES; BoliviaFil: Sosa-Estani, Sergio Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública; Argentina. Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative; BrasilFil: Katz, Zachary. Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics; SuizaFil: Ndung'u, Joseph Mathu. Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics; Suiz

Trypanosome diversity in wildlife species from the Serengeti and Luangwa Valley ecosystems

<p>Background: The importance of wildlife as reservoirs of African trypanosomes pathogenic to man and livestock is well recognised. While new species of trypanosomes and their variants have been identified in tsetse populations, our knowledge of trypanosome species that are circulating in wildlife populations and their genetic diversity is limited.</p> <p>Methodology/Principal Findings: Molecular phylogenetic methods were used to examine the genetic diversity and species composition of trypanosomes circulating in wildlife from two ecosystems that exhibit high host species diversity: the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Luangwa Valley in Zambia. Phylogenetic relationships were assessed by alignment of partial 18S, 5.8S and 28S trypanosomal nuclear ribosomal DNA array sequences within the Trypanosomatidae and using ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 for more detailed analysis of the T. vivax clade. In addition to Trypanosoma brucei, T. congolense, T. simiae, T. simiae (Tsavo), T. godfreyi and T. theileri, three variants of T. vivax were identified from three different wildlife species within one ecosystem, including sequences from trypanosomes from a giraffe and a waterbuck that differed from all published sequences and from each other, and did not amplify with conventional primers for T. vivax.</p> <p>Conclusions/Significance: Wildlife carries a wide range of trypanosome species. The failure of the diverse T. vivax in this study to amplify with conventional primers suggests that T. vivax may have been under-diagnosed in Tanzania. Since conventional species-specific primers may not amplify all trypanosomes of interest, the use of ITS PCR primers followed by sequencing is a valuable approach to investigate diversity of trypanosome infections in wildlife; amplification of sequences outside the T. brucei clade raises concerns regarding ITS primer specificity for wildlife samples if sequence confirmation is not also undertaken.</p&gt

Green Supply Chain Management: A Precursor to Green Purchasing

The chapter’s focus is on an enterprise collaboration with the members of the value chain and the use of technology to enhance integration. These factors are attributes of supply chain management (SCM). When emphasis is placed on lean and agile supply chains, closed-loop supply chains, reverse logistics, and the practice of just in time (JIT), the operation is transformed to green supply chain management (GSCM). JIT reduces outsourcing of resources, has controlled production and transportation, and uses distribution centers to expedite the distribution process. The utilization of the returned products in reverse logistics for reuse, recycle, and remanufacturing reduces dumping and environmental degradation. The returned materials become additional resource which is value-added to the enterprise. Ultimately, this is a cost saving and a contribution to the enterprise’s bottom line and sustainability

In-hospital safety in field conditions of Nifurtimox Eflornithine Combination Therapy (NECT) for T. B. Gambiense Sleeping Sickness

Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.) gambiense Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT; sleeping sickness) is a fatal disease. Until 2009, available treatments for 2(nd) stage HAT were complicated to use, expensive (eflornithine monotherapy), or toxic, and insufficiently effective in certain areas (melarsoprol). Recently, nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy (NECT) demonstrated good safety and efficacy in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) and was added to the World Health Organisation (WHO) essential medicines list (EML). Documentation of its safety profile in field conditions will support its wider use

Clinical and Immunopathological Aspects of Heart Damage in Dogs Infected with Trypanosoma brucei

In an attempt to increase the understanding of the mechanisms of cardiac damage in African trypanosomiasis, a group of beagle dogs were infected with Trypanosoma brucei. Cardiac involvement during the course of the disease was monitored using various non-invasive techniques, including auscultation, palpation, echocardiography and electrocardiography (ECG). Parasitological, haematological, endocrinological and biochemical studies were carried out. Two dogs per time point were euthanised at mid-infection on days 10 and 15, and in the terminal stages on days 21, 22 and 26, and tissue samples taken from the heart for histological, histochemical, transmission electron microscopical and immunofluorescence investigations. The dogs developed an acute disease syndrome, characterised by high parasitaemia, persistent fever, increased plasma levels of acute phase proteins, severe anaemia, lymph node and splenic enlargement, wasting and weight loss. If the dogs were not treated or the experiments terminated by humane euthanasia, death would have invariably occurred during week 4 of infection. Clinical evidence of cardiac damage was demonstrated from the end of week 1 by echocardiography and ECG. The clinical signs included tachycardia, incompetence of all the cardiac valves, and first degree heart block. With progress of the disease, second degree and in some cases complete heart block developed. Towards the end of week 3 and beginning of week 4, cardiac performance deteriorated, as demonstrated by a reduction in left ventricular function, bradycardia, and accumulation of pericardial effusion. Histological and ultrastructural studies confirmed a severe pancarditis involving the myocardium, the cardiac valves, and the vasculature. Deposition of fibrinogen and sparse quantities of IgG, IgM and C3 was demonstrated in perivascular and interstitial spaces. A terminal fall in plasma levels of the cardiac hormone atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) occurred, and was associated with decreased numbers, sizes and electron density of the atrial storage granules. The low plasma levels of ANF were accompanied by an inverse increase in plasma renin activity, an indication that the dogs at that time were incapable of controlling blood volume. From the end of week 2 of infection, a gradually developing hyperlipidaemia and intense deposition of lipids in the myocardium and infiltrating macrophages was demonstrated for the first time. It is possible that cachectin/tumour necrosis factor (TNF) was contributing to the hyperlipidaemic state, following the detection of increased cachectin/TNF activity in monocytes from infected dogs. The presence of large numbers of trypanosomes, infiltrating cells that consisted mainly of macrophages, neutrophils, plasma cells and a few lymphocytes, in areas of extensive myocardial damage indicated that tissue damage was initiated by excessive immunological responses by the host to this highly antigenic parasite. Tissue damage was probably exacerbated by accumulation of toxic and biologically active substances released from dead trypanosomes and autolysing inflammatory cells, following obstruction of the lymphatic vessels draining the heart. Anaemia, vascular damage and interstitial oedema reduced tissue perfusion and increased the incidence of myocardial ischaemia. The presence of lipid deposits in ischaemic myocardium indicated that they too could be playing a major role in the pathogenesis of tissue damage. Further, the presence of mesangial deposits of immune complexes in the kidneys confirmed their presence in the circulation, indicating that immune complexes played a role in the pathogenesis of general tissue damage. Intravenous treatment of terminally ill dogs with the trypanocidal drug suramin at 10 to 20 mg/kg was usually unsuccessful. In most cases, a post-treatment reaction, with increased severity of heart damage, was observed. Nevertheless, the survival period of the dogs was prolonged, precipitating a condition of chronic cardiac failure. The dogs that survived longest were those that were best able to control anaemia after treatment. When a group of infected dogs were treated with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) cyclosporin A and azathioprine, or a combination of azathioprine and prednisolone, the severity of cardiac damage was reduced, despite intense trypanosome infiltration in the myocardium. These results confirmed the immunological and inflammatory nature of the cardiac disease induced by T. brucei. It would appear that if such drugs were used as an adjunct to trypanocidal drug treatment, the severity of post-treatment myocardial damage, and possibly general tissue damage, might have been reduced. The present work has conclusively demonstrated that cardiac damage in canine trypanosomiasis caused by T. brucei is mainly immunologically mediated. The similarity of the disease to human African trypanosomiasis indicated that cardiac damage in humans could be mediated through similar mechanisms. The future of the dog as large monogastric animal model for studying cardiac damage in African trypanosomiasis is promising

Stage progression and neurological symptoms in Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense sleeping sickness: role of the CNS inflammatory response

Background: Human African trypanosomiasis progresses from an early (hemolymphatic) stage, through CNS invasion to the late (meningoencephalitic) stage. In experimental infections disease progression is associated with neuroinflammatory responses and neurological symptoms, but this concept requires evaluation in African trypanosomiasis patients, where correct diagnosis of the disease stage is of critical therapeutic importance. Methodology/Principal Findings: This was a retrospective study on a cohort of 115 T.b.rhodesiense HAT patients recruited in Eastern Uganda. Paired plasma and CSF samples allowed the measurement of peripheral and CNS immunoglobulin and of CSF cytokine synthesis. Cytokine and immunoglobulin expression were evaluated in relation to disease duration, stage progression and neurological symptoms. Neurological symptoms were not related to stage progression (with the exception of moderate coma). Increases in CNS immunoglobulin, IL-10 and TNF-α synthesis were associated with stage progression and were mirrored by a reduction in TGF-β levels in the CSF. There were no significant associations between CNS immunoglobulin and cytokine production and neurological signs of disease with the exception of moderate coma cases. Within the study group we identified diagnostically early stage cases with no CSF pleocytosis but intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis and diagnostically late stage cases with marginal CSF pleocytosis and no detectable trypanosomes in the CSF. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that there is not a direct linkage between stage progression, neurological signs of infection and neuroinflammatory responses in rhodesiense HAT. Neurological signs are observed in both early and late stages, and while intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis is associated with neurological signs, these are also observed in cases lacking a CNS inflammatory response. While there is an increase in inflammatory cytokine production with stage progression, this is paralleled by increases in CSF IL-10. As stage diagnostics, the CSF immunoglobulins and cytokines studied do not have sufficient sensitivity to be of clinical value

A novel deep learning architecture for drug named entity recognition

Drug named entity recognition (DNER) becomes the prerequisite of other medical relation extraction systems. Existing approaches to automatically recognize drug names includes rule-based, machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) techniques. DL techniques have been verified to be the state-of-the-art as it is independent of handcrafted features. The previous DL methods based on word embedding input representation uses the same vector representation for an entity irrespective of its context in different sentences and hence could not capture the context properly. Also, identification of the n-gram entity is a challenge. In this paper, a novel architecture is proposed that includes a sentence embedding layer that works on the entire sentence to efficiently capture the context of an entity. A hybrid model that comprises a stacked bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) with residual LSTM has been designed to overcome the limitations and to upgrade the performance of the model. We have contrasted the achievement of our proposed approach with other DNER models and the percentage of improvements of the proposed model over LSTM-conditional random field (CRF), LIU and WBI with respect to micro-average F1-score are 11.17, 8.8 and 17.64 respectively. The proposed model has also shown promising result in recognizing 2- and 3-gram entities

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines PREVenar13 and SynflorIX in sequence or alone in high-risk Indigenous infants (PREV-IX_COMBO): protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Otitis media (OM) starts within weeks of birth in almost all Indigenous infants living in remote areas of the Northern Territory (NT). OM and associated hearing loss persist from infancy throughout childhood and often into adulthood. Educational and social opportunities are greatly compromised. Pneumococcus and non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) are major OM pathogens that densely colonise the nasopharynx and infect the middle ear from very early in life. Our hypothesis is that compared to current single vaccine schedules, a combination of vaccines starting at 1 month of age, may provide earlier, broadened protection. METHODS AND ANALYSES: This randomised outcome assessor, blinded controlled trial will recruit 425 infants between 28 and 38 days of age and randomly allocate them (1:1:1) to one of three pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) schedules: Synflorix at 2, 4, 6 months of age, Prevenar13 at 2, 4 and 6 months of age, or an investigational schedule of Synflorix at 1, 2 and 4 months plus Prevenar13 at 6 months of age. The blinded primary outcomes at 7 months of age are immunogenicity of specific vaccine antigens (geometric mean concentration (GMC) and proportion of participants with above threshold GMC of 0.35 µg/L). Secondary outcomes at all timepoints are additional immunogenicity measures and proportion of participants with nasopharyngeal carriage of vaccine-type pneumococci and NTHi, and any OM, including any tympanic membrane perforation. Parental interviews will provide data on common risk factors for OM. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained from NT Department of Health and Menzies HREC (EC00153), Central Australian HREC (EC00155) and West Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (WAAHEC- 377-12/2011). Final trial results, data analyses, interpretation and conclusions will be presented in appropriate written and oral formats to parents and guardians, participating communities, local, national and international conferences, and published in peer-reviewed open access journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS: ACTRN12610000544077 and NCT01174849

Accuracy of five algorithms to diagnose gambiense human African trypanosomiasis.

Algorithms to diagnose gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (HAT, sleeping sickness) are often complex due to the unsatisfactory sensitivity and/or specificity of available tests, and typically include a screening (serological), confirmation (parasitological) and staging component. There is insufficient evidence on the relative accuracy of these algorithms. This paper presents estimates of the accuracy of five algorithms used by past Médecins Sans Frontières programmes in the Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan and Uganda