The genomic epidemiology of multi-drug resistant invasive non-typhoidal in selected sub-Saharan African countries.

Background: Invasive non-typhoidal (iNTS) is one of the leading causes of bacteraemia in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to provide a better understanding of the genetic characteristics and transmission patterns associated with multi-drug resistant (MDR) iNTS serovars across the continent.

Methods: A total of 166 iNTS isolates collected from a multi-centre surveillance in 10 African countries (2010-2014) and a fever study in Ghana (2007-2009) were genome sequenced to investigate the geographical distribution, antimicrobial genetic determinants and population structure of iNTS serotypes-genotypes.

The COVID-19 pandemic in francophone West Africa: from the first cases to responses in seven countries.

Background: In early March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit West Africa. In response, countries in the region quickly set up crisis management committees and implemented drastic measures to stem the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The objective of this article is to analyse the epidemiological evolution of COVID-19 in seven Francophone West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal) as well as the public health measures decided upon during the first 7 months of the pandemic.

Improving the efficiency of the BG sentinel 2 trap to assess the activity of Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti [Linnaeus, 1762] in Senegal.

The use of efficient mosquito sampling methods in vector surveillance programs is crucial to inform control actions and prevent outbreaks. amongst existing trapping methods, the BG sentinel trap is widely used for collecting mosquitoes from the subgenus Stegomyia. However, studies state that the BG-sentinel trap underestimates the relative abundance of mosquito vectors.

Identification of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Mitochondrial Genome and Kelch 13 Gene of Plasmodium falciparum in Different Geographical Populations.

The emergence of artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites in Southeast Asia threatens malaria control and elimination. The interconnectedness of parasite populations may be essential to monitor the spread of resistance. Combining a published barcoding system of geographically restricted single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), mainly mitochondria of P.

Determination of the discriminating concentration of chlorfenapyr (pyrrole) and Anopheles gambiae sensu lato susceptibility testing in preparation for distribution of Interceptor® G2 insecticide-treated nets.

Background: Following agricultural use and large-scale distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), malaria vector resistance to pyrethroids is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. Interceptor® G2 is a new dual active ingredient (AI) ITN treated with alpha-cypermethrin and chlorfenapyr for the control of pyrethroid-resistant malaria vectors. In anticipation of these new nets being more widely distributed, testing was conducted to develop a chlorfenapyr susceptibility bioassay protocol and gather susceptibility information.

[Blood biomarkers of early diagnosis for neonatal bacterial infections: back from Senegal cohort].

In Senegal, reducing neonatal mortality remains a challenge. The management of neonatal infections remains problematic and presents a strong clinical focus. Indeed, like all developing countries, the difficulty of acquiring state-of-the-art infrastructure and the financial cost impact on the routine use of biomarkers.

Variable selection with Group LASSO approach: Application to Cox regression with frailty model.

In analysis of survival outcomes supplemented with both clinical information and high-dimensional gene expression data, use of the traditional Cox proportional hazards model fails to meet some emerging needs in biomedical research. First, the number of covariates is generally much larger the sample size. Secondly, predicting an outcome based on individual gene expression is inadequate because multiple biological processes and functional pathways regulate phenotypic expression.

Changes in Intraspecific Diversity of the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Community Involved in Plant-Plant Interactions Between Sporobolus robustus Kunth and Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) DC Along an Environmental Gradient.

The intensification of biological processes coping with salt stress became a major issue to mitigate land degradation. The Sine-Saloum Delta in Senegal is characterized by salt-affected soils with vegetation dominated by salt-tolerant grass Sporobolus robustus and shrubs like Prosopis juliflora. Plant experiments in controlled conditions suggested that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi might be the key actors of facilitation process observed between S.

Analysis of COVID-19 and comorbidity co-infection model with optimal control.

In this work, we develop and analyze a mathematical model for the dynamics of COVID-19 with re-infection in order to assess the impact of prior comorbidity (specifically, ) on COVID-19 complications. The model is simulated using data relevant to the dynamics of the diseases in Lagos, Nigeria, making predictions for the attainment of peak periods in the presence or absence of comorbidity. The model is shown to undergo the phenomenon of backward bifurcation caused by the parameter accounting for increased susceptibility to COVID-19 infection by comorbid susceptibles as well as the rate of reinfection by those who have recovered from a previous COVID-19 infection.

Towards Clean and Safe Water: A Review on the Emerging Role of Imprinted Polymer-Based Electrochemical Sensors.

This review critically summarizes the knowledge of imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensors for the detection of pesticides, metal ions and waterborne pathogenic bacteria, focusing on the last five years. MIP-based electrochemical sensors exhibit low limits of detection (LOD), high selectivity, high sensitivity and low cost. We put the emphasis on the design of imprinted polymers and their composites and coatings by radical polymerization, oxidative polymerization of conjugated monomers or sol-gel chemistry.

Genome-wide association study and its applications in the non-model crop Sesamum indicum.

Background: Sesame is a rare example of non-model and minor crop for which numerous genetic loci and candidate genes underlying features of interest have been disclosed at relatively high resolution. These progresses have been achieved thanks to the applications of the genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach. GWAS has benefited from the availability of high-quality genomes, re-sequencing data from thousands of genotypes, extensive transcriptome sequencing, development of haplotype map and web-based functional databases in sesame.

Humanitarian Maxillofacial Mission's Success Requires Experienced Surgeons, Careful Planning, and Meeting With the Local's Care Needs.

Purpose: Meeting with local needs of low- and middle-income countries during maxillofacial humanitarian mission is not easy. This article aimed to report on 5 years of experience in humanitarian maxillofacial surgery missions. In addition, several key points for best practices and meeting the medical needs of local populations are discussed.

A spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of pindolol in natural waters using various organic and cyclodextrin media.

A simple, sensitive, and rapid spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of the β-blocker pindolol. The native fluorescence of pindolol was measured in different organic solvents and in cyclodextrin aqueous media. The highest fluorescence signal was obtained in 2-propanol at λ = 303 nm with λ = 260 nm.

Development of a qualitative real-time RT-PCR assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2: a guide and case study in setting up an emergency-use, laboratory-developed molecular microbiological assay.

Developing and deploying new diagnostic tests are difficult, but the need to do so in response to a rapidly emerging pandemic such as COVID-19 is crucially important. During a pandemic, laboratories play a key role in helping healthcare providers and public health authorities detect active infection, a task most commonly achieved using nucleic acid-based assays. While the landscape of diagnostics is rapidly evolving, PCR remains the gold-standard of nucleic acid-based diagnostic assays, in part due to its reliability, flexibility and wide deployment.

The good life in rural and urban Senegal: A qualitative and quantitative study.

Very few studies have analyzed the influence of the environment, rural or urban, on the notion of good life and subjective well-being in sub-Saharan Africa and none, to our knowledge, has combined qualitative and quantitative methodologies for this purpose. The objectives of this interdisciplinary study were: a) to understand the emic representations of the good life in rural and urban Senegal and; b) to compare the levels and determinants of satisfaction with life between these two populations. This study was carried out in Dakar and in a very isolated rural area in the North East of Senegal: the sylvo-pastoral zone of Ferlo.

[Extramammary myofibroblastoma affecting the pelvic region: a case report].

Mammary myofibroblastoma is a rare soft-tissue tumor. Extramammary myofibroblastomas are particularly rare. We here report the case of a 78-year-old man presenting with pelvic pain relieved by defecation or urination.

Genomic investigation of a dengue virus outbreak in Thiès, Senegal, in 2018.

Dengue virus is a major and rapidly growing public health concern in tropic and subtropic regions across the globe. In late 2018, Senegal experienced its largest dengue virus outbreak to date, covering several regions. However, little is known about the genetic diversity of dengue virus (DENV) in Senegal.

Neighbourhood-level housing quality indices for health assessment in Dakar, Senegal.

In sub-Saharan African cities, the dearth of accurate and detailed data is a major problem in the study of health and socioeconomic changes driven by rapid urbanization. Data on both health determinants and health outcomes are often lacking or are of poor quality. Proxies associated with socioeconomic differences are needed to compensate the lack of data.

Enhanced Electrochemical Behavior of Peanut-Shell Activated Carbon/Molybdenum Oxide/Molybdenum Carbide Ternary Composites.

Biomass-waste activated carbon/molybdenum oxide/molybdenum carbide ternary composites are prepared using a facile in-situ pyrolysis process in argon ambient with varying mass ratios of ammonium molybdate tetrahydrate to porous peanut shell activated carbon (PAC). The formation of MoO and MoC nanostructures embedded in the porous carbon framework is confirmed by extensive structural characterization and elemental mapping analysis. The best composite when used as electrodes in a symmetric supercapacitor (PAC/MoO/MoC-1//PAC/MoO/MoC-1) exhibited a good cell capacitance of 115 F g with an associated high specific energy of 51.

[Nephrology in Sub-saharan Africa: Past, present, future].

Nephrology was a relatively poorly known specialty in sub-Saharan Africa until the early 1980s, because of low awareness and lack of access to diagnosis and renal replacement therapies. Nephrology has seen progress on the continent despite an unfavourable economic and geopolitical environment. With a prevalence of fewer than five nephrologists per million inhabitants, the training of nephrologists, now carried out on the continent, allowed to have more than 200 specialists trained in the last decade in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa.

Tick-borne relapsing fever Borreliosis, a major public health problem overlooked in Senegal.

Background: Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) is the most common vector-borne bacterial disease in humans in West Africa. It is frequently clinically confused with malaria. Our study aims to determine, on a micro-geographic scale, the conditions for the maintenance and spread of TBRF in the Niakhar district of Senegal.

Potential Role and Utilization of Plant Growth Promoting Microbes in Plant Tissue Culture.

Plant growth promoting microbes (PGPMs) play major roles in diverse ecosystems, including atmospheric nitrogen fixation, water uptake, solubilization, and transport of minerals from the soil to the plant. Different PGPMs are proposed as biofertilizers, biostimulants, and/or biocontrol agents to improve plant growth and productivity and thereby to contribute to agricultural sustainability and food security. However, little information exists regarding the use of PGPMs in micropropagation such as the plant tissue culture.