APSIM-based modeling approach to understand sorghum production environments in Mali.

Unlabelled: Sorghum production system in the semi-arid region of Africa is characterized by low yields which are generally attributed to high rainfall variability, poor soil fertility, and biotic factors. Production constraints must be well understood and quantified to design effective sorghum-system improvements. This study uses the state-of-the-art in silico methods and focuses on characterizing the sorghum production regions in Mali for drought occurrence and its effects on sorghum productivity.

Correction: Prevalence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Districts of High and Low Endemicity in Mali.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.

Prevalence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Districts of High and Low Endemicity in Mali.

Historically the western sahelian dry regions of Mali are known to be highly endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania major, while cases are rarely reported from the Southern savanna forest of the country. Here, we report baseline prevalence of CL infection in 3 ecologically distinct districts of Mali (dry sahelian, north savanna and southern savanna forest areas). We screened 195 to 250 subjects from 50 to 60 randomly selected households in each of the 6 villages (four from the western sahelian district of Diema in Kayes region, one from the central district of Kolokani and one from the southern savanna district of Kolodieba, region of Sikasso).

A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of squalamine ointment for tinea capitis treatment.

Background: Novel treatments against for tinea capitis are needed, and the natural aminosterol squalamine is a potential topical antidermatophyte drug candidate.

Objectives: This phase II randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial aimed at testing the efficacy and safety of a three-week squalamine ointment regimen for the treatment of tinea capitis.

Patients: Males aged 6-15 years presenting with tinea capitis were treated with either topical squalamine ointment or placebo for 3 weeks.

Leishmania major, the predominant Leishmania species responsible for cutaneous leishmaniasis in Mali.

Leishmania major is the only species of Leishmania known to cause cutaneous leishmanisis (CL) in Mali. We amplified Leishmania DNA stored on archived Giemsa-stained dermal scraping slides obtained from self-referral patients with clinically suspected CL seen in the Center National d'Appui A La Lutte Contre La Maladie (CNAM) in Bamako, Mali, to determine if any other Leishmania species were responsible for CL in Mali and evaluate its geographic distribution. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed using a Leishmania species-specific primer pair that can amplify DNA from L.

Pruritus in dermatological hospital in Bamako, Mali.

Pruritus is a symptom frequently encountered in dermatology consultations. For practitioners working in a tropical environment, particularly in Africa, the diagnosis of pruritus remains a constant problem. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemioclinical aspects and the etiologies of pruritus encountered at the dermatological hospital in Bamako.

Dermatitis of the folds in black Africans in Bamako, Mali.

Dermatitis of the folds (intertrigo) is a frequent reason for attending consultations, particularly in Africa, where the hot and humid climate constitute an aggravating factor. It is a complex pathology with multiple and intricate etiologies. The aim of this study was to describe epidemiological and etiological aspects of dermatitis of the folds in black-skinned subjects in Bamako (Mali).

Delayed-type hypersensitivity to sand fly saliva in humans from a leishmaniasis-endemic area of Mali is Th1-mediated and persists to midlife.

Immunity to sand fly saliva in rodents induces a T(H)1 delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response conferring protection against leishmaniasis. The relevance of DTH to sand fly bites in humans living in a leishmaniasis-endemic area remains unknown. Here, we describe the duration and nature of DTH to sand fly saliva in humans from an endemic area of Mali.

[Etiology of acquired hypochromic patches in dermatological area in Mali].

Introduction: In dark skin patients, hypopigmentation is the most disfiguring condition. Very few studies on hypochromic disorders have been conducted in specialized health centers. The present study is aimed to describe the etiologies of hypochromic patches in dermatological area, in Bamako.

Genetic diversity, structure, gene flow and evolutionary relationships within the Sorghum bicolor wild-weedy-crop complex in a western African region.

Gene flow between domesticated plants and their wild relatives is one of the major evolutionary processes acting to shape their structure of genetic diversity. Earlier literature, in the 1970s, reported on the interfertility and the sympatry of wild, weedy and cultivated sorghum belonging to the species Sorghum bicolor in most regions of sub-Saharan Africa. However, only a few recent surveys have addressed the geographical and ecological distribution of sorghum wild relatives and their genetic structure.

Discrepant prevalence and incidence of Leishmania infection between two neighboring villages in Central Mali based on Leishmanin skin test surveys.

Unlabelled: Apart from a single report, the last publication of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Mali dates back more than 20 years. The absence of information on the current status of CL in Mali led us to conduct a cohort study in Kemena and Sougoula, two villages in Central Mali from which cases of CL have been recently diagnosed by Mali's reference dermatology center in Bamako. In May 2006, we determined the baseline prevalence of Leishmania infection in the two villages using the leishmanin skin test (LST).