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Abstract Background Schistosomiasis and infection by soil-transmitted helminths are some of the world’s most prevalent neglected tropical diseases. Infection by more than one parasite (co-infection) is common and can contribute to clinical morbidity in children. Geostatistical analyses of parasite infection data are key for developing mass drug administration strategies, yet most methods ignore co-infections when estimating risk. Infection status for multiple parasites can act as a useful proxy for data-poor individual-level or environmental risk factors while avoiding regression dilution bias. Conditional random fields (CRF) is a multivariate graphical network method that opens new doors in parasite risk mapping by (i) predicting co-infections with high accuracy; (ii) isolating associations among parasites; and (iii) quantifying how these associations change across landscapes. Methods We built a spatial CRF to estimate infection risks for Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus) and Schistosoma mansoni using data from a national survey of Rwandan schoolchildren. We used an ensemble learning approach to generate spatial predictions by simulating from the CRF’s posterior distribution with a multivariate boosted regression tree that captured non-linear relationships between predictors and covariance in infection risks. This CRF ensemble was compared against single parasite gradient boosted machines to assess each model’s performance and prediction uncertainty. Results Parasite co-infections were common, with 19.57% of children infected with at least two parasites. The CRF ensemble achieved higher predictive power than single-parasite models by improving estimates of co-infection prevalence at the individual level and classifying schools into World Health Organization treatment categories with greater accuracy. The CRF uncovered important environmental and demographic predictors of parasite infection probabilities. Yet even after capturing demographic and environmental risk factors, the presences or absences of other parasites were strong predictors of individual-level infection risk. Spatial predictions delineated high-risk regions in need of anthelminthic treatment interventions, including areas with higher than expected co-infection prevalence. Conclusions Monitoring studies routinely screen for multiple parasites, yet statistical models generally ignore this multivariate data when assessing risk factors and designing treatment guidelines. Multivariate approaches can be instrumental in the global effort to reduce and eventually eliminate neglected helminth infections in developing countries.

Many college campuses recently began asking undergraduate applicants about their sexual identities on their college applications. How do applicants who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and otherwise on the queer spectrum (LGBQ+) experience this question, and what factors influence how they respond? The authors use focus group and interview data with 60 LGBQ+ undergraduate students attending two college campuses to explore these questions. Although many students were comfortable with coming out, they described evaluating the potential risks and benefits of disclosure, and some lacked trust in the institution and were concerned about loss of information control. Unlike when coming out in other institutions, many expressed serious concerns about how the information might get back to their parents. Such spillover effects from institutional disclosure have not been previously identified in the literature. These concerns were heightened for students of color. The present results extend theoretical understandings of coming out and offer valuable insights to college administrators.

Abstract Background HBV, HCV, HDV and HIV are blood borne and can be transmitted from mother-to-child. Reports of HBV infection rates show up to 11.9% in Cameroon while for HCV, the rate is less than 2%. More so, as pregnant women get enrolled in the HIV PMTCT Programme and stay in the care continuum, selection of HIV-1 drug resistant strains is evident. We sought to determine the seroprevalence of HBV, HCV, HDV and HIV among pregnant women, assess their knowledge, attitudes and practices on transmission and prevention of HBV infection, and determine HIV drug resistance profile of breastfeeding women. Methods A serosurvey of HBV, HCV, HDV and HIV was carried out among 1005 pregnant women in Yaounde, Cameroon. In 40 HIV-infected breastfeeding women enrolled in the PMTCT Programme, HIV-1 genotypes and HIV-1 resistance to NRTIs, NNRTIs and PIs, were determined by phylogeny and the Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance interpretation tool, respectively. Results Among the pregnant women, the rates of HIV-1, HBV, HCV and HDV infections were 8.5, 6.4, 0.8 and 4.0%, respectively. About 5.9% of the women knew their HBV status before pregnancy unlike 63.7% who knew their HIV status. Although 83.3% reported that vaccination against HBV infection is a method of prevention, and 47.1% knew that HBV could be transmitted from mother-to-child, only 2.5% had received the Hepatitis B vaccine. Of the 40 women on antiretroviral therapy (ART), 9 had at least one major resistance-associated mutation (RAM, 22.5%) to NRTI, NNRTI or PI. Of these M184 V (12.5%), K70R (10.0%), K103 N (12.5%), Y181C (10.0%), M46 L (2.5%) and L90 M (2.5%) were most frequently identified, suggesting resistance to lamivudine, nevirapine, efavirenz and zidovudine. Eighty four percent were infected with HIV-1 recombinant strains with CRF02_AG predominating (50%). Conclusions The rates of HBV and HIV-1 infections point to the need for early diagnosis of these viruses during pregnancy and referral to care services in order to minimize the risk of MTCT. Furthermore, our results would be useful for evaluating the HIV PMTCT Programme and Treatment Guidelines for Cameroon.

Purpose: Minimal turnaround time for pathology results is crucial for highest-quality patient care in all settings, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where rural populations may have limited access to health care. Methods: We retrospectively determined the turnaround times (TATs) for anatomic pathology specimens, comparing three different modes of operation that occurred throughout the development and implementation of our pathology laboratory at the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence in Rwanda. Before opening this laboratory, TAT was measured in months because of inconsistent laboratory operations and a paucity of in-country pathologists. Results: We analyzed 2,514 individual patient samples across the three modes of study. Diagnostic mode 1 (samples sent out of the country for analysis) had the highest median TAT, with an overall time of 30 days (interquartile range [IQR], 22 to 43 days). For diagnostic mode 2 (static image telepathology), the median TAT was 14 days (IQR, 7 to 27 days), and for diagnostic mode 3 (onsite expert diagnosis), it was 5 days (IQR, 2 to 9 days). Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that telepathology is a significant improvement over external expert review and can greatly assist sites in improving their TATs until pathologists are on site.

BACKGROUND:Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by Schistosoma parasites. Intervention relies on identifying high-risk regions, yet rapid Schistosoma diagnostics (Kato-Katz stool assays (KK) and circulating cathodic antigen urine assays (CCA)) yield different prevalence estimates. We mapped S. mansoni prevalence and delineated at-risk regions using a survey of schoolchildren in Rwanda, where S. mansoni is an endemic parasite. We asked if different diagnostics resulted in disparities in projected infection risk. METHODS:Infection data was obtained from a 2014 Rwandan school-based survey that used KK and CCA diagnostics. Across 386 schools screened by CCA (N = 19,217). To allow for uncertainty when interpreting ambiguous CCA trace readings, which accounted for 28.8% of total test results, we generated two presence-absence datasets: CCA trace as positive and CCA trace as negative. Samples (N = 9,175) from 185 schools were also screened by KK. We included land surface temperature (LST) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation and Normalized Difference Water Indices (NDVI, NDWI) as predictors in geostatistical regressions. FINDINGS:Across 8,647 children tested by both methods, prevalence was 35.93% for CCA trace as positive, 7.21% for CCA trace as negative and 1.95% for KK. LST was identified as a risk factor using KK, whereas NDVI was a risk factor for CCA models. Models predicted high endemicity in Northern and Western regions of Rwanda, though the CCA trace as positive model identified additional high-risk areas that were overlooked by the other methods. Estimates of current burden for children at highest risk (boys aged 5-9 years) varied by an order of magnitude, with 671,856 boys projected to be infected by CCA trace as positive and only 60,453 projected by CCA trace as negative results. CONCLUSIONS:Our findings show that people in Rwanda's Northern, Western and capital regions are at high risk of S. mansoni infection. However, variation in identification of environmental risk factors and delineation of at-risk regions using different diagnostics likely provides confusing messages to disease intervention managers. Further research and statistical analyses, such as latent class analysis, can be used to improve CCA result classification and assess its use in guiding treatment regimes.

Background: Schistosomiasis is prevalent in many sub-Saharan African countries and transmission is through waters contaminated by infected snails. In Rwanda, although schistosomiasis is endemic, very few epidemiological studies exist; of these, schoolchildren have been the focus, neglecting pre-school-aged children (PSAC). Furthermore, malacological surveys to indicate the potential for transmission are scarce in the country. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of schistosomiasis among PSAC living on Nkombo Island in Lake Kivu and to map the distribution and infectivity of snails in the area. Methods: Stool and urine samples were collected from children aged 1 to 4 years and tested for schistosomiasis using the Kato Katz and the point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) diagnostic techniques respectively. Snails were collected along the shores at five different locations with human-water contact activities and cercaria shedding was microscopically examined. GPS receivers were used to collect geographical coordinates and snail distribution maps were generated using ArcGIS. A questionnaire was used to assess water contact activities and frequency. Results: A total of 278 PSAC were recruited. Overall, 9.5% (excluding traces) of the tested children reacted positively to the POC-CCA, although there were no ova detected in their stool via Kato Katz. The questionnaire revealed that 48.2% of parents/guardians use Lake Kivu’s water for household activities while 42.4% children are taken to the Lake shores daily. Overall, 13.5% of collected snails shed cercariae. Conclusions: PSAC of Nkombo Island are exposed to Schistosoma parasites through contact with Lake Kivu, which hosts a number of snails shedding cercaria. Exposure is through recreational activities but also through bathing as safe water is scarce in the area. Health education of parents/guardians of these young children should be promoted and the national schistosomiasis control program should be integrated into water supply projects.

Abstract Podoconiosis is an inflammatory disease caused by prolonged contact with irritant minerals in soil. Major symptoms include swelling of the lower limb (lymphoedema) and acute pain. The disease has major social and economic consequences through stigma and loss of productivity. In the last five years there has been good progress in podoconiosis research and control. Addressing poverty at household level and infrastructure development such as roads, water and urbanization can all help to reduce podoconiosis incidence. Specific control methods include the use of footwear, regular foot hygiene and floor coverings. Secondary and tertiary prevention are based on the management of the lymphoedema-related morbidity and include foot hygiene, foot care, wound care, compression, exercises, elevation of the legs and treatment of acute infections. Certain endemic countries are taking the initiative to include podoconiosis in their national plans for the control of neglected tropical diseases and to scale up interventions against the disease. Advocacy is needed for provision of shoes as a health intervention. We suggest case definitions and elimination targets as a starting point for elimination of the disease.

Summary: HIV serological diagnosis has evolved during the last decade to give rise to rapid testing using biological materials, such as blood or oral mucosal transudate (OMT). However, blood collection is not always welcomed, justifying the evaluation of OMT-based devices. In a cross sectional study carried out in May 2011 aimed at evaluating the level of awareness about OMT based HIV tests, questionnaires were administered to participants who consented to take part in the study. Eighty-five percent (n = 1520) of participants reported a lack of awareness of HIV oral screening before the study, and surprisingly, no association was found between the awareness of participants and their educational level (p = 0.768). There was also no association (p = 0.743) found between having had previous screening tests and awareness of oral testing. The percentage of participants who accepted the oral test before being informed about it was 31.3% (n = 1520). After sensitization, 76.3% (n = 1520) preferred oral screening for future tests (p = 0). These results reveal that if the OMT based test is affordable, its implementation as a screening tool in the general population could greatly increase participation in screening campaigns and is welcomed by those who want to self-test in a non-invasive way. This will create a better estimation of the national HIV prevalence. Its use could then have a significant public health impact on HIV prevention and clinical management. Keywords: Awareness, Control programs, HIV, Oral test, Preference

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are globally distributed intestinal parasite infections caused by Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus). STH infection constitutes a major public health threat, with heavy burdens observed in many of the world’s tropical and subtropical regions. Mass drug administration and sanitation improvements can drastically reduce STH prevalence and associated morbidity. However, identifying targeted areas in need of treatment is hampered by a lack of knowledge on geographical and population-level risk factors. In this study, we applied Bayesian geostatistical modelling to data from a national school-based STH infection survey in Rwanda to (1) identify ecological and population-level risk factors and (2) provide comprehensive precision maps of infection burdens. Our results indicated that STH infections were heterogeneously distributed across the country and showed signatures of spatial clustering, though the magnitude of clustering varied among parasites. The highest rates of endemic clustering were attributed to A. lumbricoides infection. Concordant infection patterns among the three parasite groups highlighted populations currently most at-risk of morbidity. Population-dense areas in the Western and North-Western regions of Rwanda represent areas that have continued to exhibit high STH burden across two surveys and are likely in need of targeted interventions. Our maps support the need for an updated evaluation of STH endemicity in western Rwanda to evaluate progress in MDA efforts and identify communities that need further local interventions to further reduce morbidity caused by STH infections.

Use of cover crops and compost increased soil quality in irrigated, intensive production of lettuce and broccoli in the Salinas Valley. These methods had the beneficial impacts of increasing soil microbial biomass, increasing total soil carbon and nitrogen, reducing surface bulk density and decreasing the potential for groundwater pollution as a result of nitrate leaching below the root zone. These soil benefits did not lead to lower yields and occasionally resulted in fewer weeds and lower lettuce corky root disease. Although surface minimum tillage reduced yields, it led to reduced potential for nitrate leaching below the root zone. Use of conventional tillage, cover crops, and compost produced high vegetable yields and acceptable net economic returns over a 2-year period, but broccoli was more profitable than lettuce under this regime. Understanding the trade-offs of various costs and benefits will help growers choose management practices that optimize economic and environmental benefits.

Vegetable growers have been experimenting with reduced tillage practices to increase soil organic matter, limit compaction, and reduce fuel and labor costs. We studied soil properties of different tillage practices and compared deep minimum tillage (chiseling and ripping) with shallow minimum tillage for lettuce on a farm in the Salinas Valley. We found that periodic deep minimum tillage is recommended for long-term retention of semipermanent, raised beds in lettuce production. Over a period of several years, deep minimum tillage increased lettuce yield and decreased symptoms of lettuce drop disease, as compared with shallow minimum tillage. Continuous shallow minimum tillage, despite a trend toward higher active and total organic matter in the surface layer of soil, is best used with intermittent deeper tillage to avoid disease and yield losses.

Abstract Background The efficacy of amodiaquine (AQ), sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) and the combination of SP+AQ in the treatment of Cameroonian children with clinical malaria was investigated. The prevalence of molecular markers for resistance to these drugs was studied to set the baseline for surveillance of their evolution with time. Methods Seven hundred and sixty children aged 6-59 months with uncomplicated falciparum malaria were studied in three ecologically different regions of Cameroon - Mutengene (littoral equatorial forest), Yaoundé (forest-savannah mosaic) and Garoua (guinea-savannah). Study children were randomized to receive either AQ, SP or the combination AQ+SP. Clinical outcome was classified according to WHO criteria, as either early treatment failure (ETF), late clinical failure (LCF), late parasitological failure (LPF) or adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR). The occurrence of mutations in pfcrt, pfmdr1, dhfr and dhps genes was studied by either RFLP or dot blot techniques and the prevalence of these mutations related to parasitological and therapeutic failures. Results After correction for the occurrence of re-infection by PCR, ACPRs on day 28 for AQ, SP and AQ+SP were 71.2%, 70.1% and 80.9%, in Garoua, 79.2%, 62.5%, and 81.9% in Mutengene, and 80.3%, 67.5% and 76.2% in Yaoundé respectively. High levels of Pfcrt 76T (87.11%) and Pfmdr1 86Y mutations (73.83%) were associated with quinoline resistance in the south compared to the north, 31.67% (76T) and 22.08% (86Y). There was a significant variation (p < 0.001) of the prevalence of the SGK haplotype between Garoua in the north (8.33%), Yaoundé (36.29%) in the savannah-forest mosaic and Mutengene (66.41%) in the South of Cameroon and a weak relation between SGK haplotype and SP failure. The 540E mutation on the dhps gene was extremely rare (0.3%) and occurred only in Mutengene while the pfmdr1 1034K and 1040D mutations were not detected in any of the three sites. Conclusion In this study the prevalence of molecular markers for quinoline and anti-folate resistances showed high levels and differed between the south and north of Cameroon. AQ, SP and AQ+SP treatments were well tolerated but with low levels of efficacy that suggested alternative treatments were needed in Cameroon since 2005.

Abstract Quinoa is an Andean pseudo-cereal crop that is mainly cultivated for its energy and protein-rich, gluten-free seeds. Quinoa is currently being popularized in Burkina Faso, but manifestations of fungal diseases have been observed on the plants. The aim of this study was to establish a causal relationship between the observed symptoms and the associated fungal pathogens. Samples of symptomatic organs were collected from the three agro-ecological zones and examined for fungal pathogen species via isolation on media. A total of six (6) diseases and twenty-nine (29) fungal species were described and identified in the collected organs. The diseases were present in the following proportions: (i) panicle browning followed by complete plant drying (45.36%), (ii) brown crown rot (41.20%), (iii) brown stalk rot (27.31%), (iv) damping-off (22.68%), (v) chlorosis with necrotic brown leaf spots (19.33%), and (vi) plant wilting (13.88%). The essential epidemiological factors of these pathologies are discussed.

Cassava bacterial blight (CBB), caused by Xanthomonas phaseoli pv. manihotis (Xpm), is one of the most important diseases threatening cassava and has recently been reported in Burkina Faso. Better management of CBB calls for the combined use of genetically resistant varieties and appropriate cultural practices. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the potential role of weed plants present in cassava fields as inoculum reservoirs for CBB. An inventory of weeds growing in eight cassava fields at four locations in Burkina Faso, and the cultivation of soil samples from the same eight fields, indicated the existence of 27 different species, reaching 28.32 plants per square meter. Field characterization led to the identification of seven species of weeds displaying symptoms reminiscent of Xpm infection, but no Xpm could be isolated from or detected in those plants. Artificial inoculations with Xpm resulted in 21 species producing symptoms of necrosis around the inoculation points. The presence of Xpm in the leaves of all these weed species was confirmed by re-isolation of the pathogen 2 weeks after inoculation. Thus, weeds that can harbor Xpm were prevalent in the cassava fields we studied, but their role as potential sources of Xpm inoculum for CBB epidemics remains to be demonstrated. [Figure: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

A ubiquitous problem in quantum physics is to understand the ground-state properties of many-body systems. Confronted with the fact that exact diagonalization quickly becomes impossible when increasing the system size, variational approaches are typically employed as a scalable alternative: Energy is minimized over a subset of all possible states and then different physical quantities are computed over the solution state. Despite remarkable success, rigorously speaking, all that variational methods offer are upper bounds on the ground-state energy. On the other hand, so-called relaxations of the ground-state problem based on semidefinite programming represent a complementary approach, providing lower bounds to the ground-state energy. However, in their current implementation, neither variational nor relaxation methods offer provable bound on other observables in the ground state beyond the energy. In this work, we show that the combination of the two classes of approaches can be used to derive certifiable bounds on the value of any observable in the ground state, such as correlation functions of arbitrary order, structure factors, or order parameters. We illustrate the power of this approach in paradigmatic examples of 1D and 2D spin-1/2 Heisenberg models. To improve the scalability of the method, we exploit the symmetries and sparsity of the considered systems to reach sizes of hundreds of particles at much higher precision than previous works. Our analysis therefore shows how to obtain certifiable bounds on many-body ground-state properties beyond energy in a scalable way.

Description of the subject. The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda Smith has recently invaded sub-Saharan African countries where it causes significant losses to maize since 2016. Objectives. In this study, we examined farmers' knowledge of the fall armyworm, changes in pest management practices, and the safety of insecticide use by farmers since the recent invasion of the pest in Burkina Faso. Method. Data were collected through a survey of 197 maize farmers. Results. The majority of the farmers (96%) had experienced the fall armyworm invasion, mainly on maize, but also on sorghum and rice. Almost none of them (7%) used chemical insecticides to control maize pests before the arrival of the pest. Since then, 84% have used chemical insecticides, but various measures have also been implemented: cultural practices (48%) such as early planting, crop associations and fertilization; physical control (29%, i.e, handpicking, application of sand and ash) and applications of aqueous extracts of Azadirachta indica and Khaya senegalensis (12%). Most farmers do not use protective equipment when handling insecticides. Although they can name several natural enemies of the fall armyworm based on the photographs presented to them, they are generally unable to describe their beneficial role. Conclusions. We recommend evaluating the effectiveness of alternatives to chemical insecticides, publishing information on locally available insecticides that effectively control fall armyworm, and training farmers on proper pesticide application methods and natural enemy recognition.

Abstract Background Hepatotoxicity due to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has gained prominent attention since it can be affected by many factors. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatotoxicity and related risk factors of severe hepatotoxicity following HAART initiation. Methods A total of 100 drug-naive patients aged between 18 and 61 years were recruited. They were put on Tenofovir/Lamivudine/Efavirenz [TDF/3TC/EFV] (64), Zidovudine/ Lamivudine/Efavirenz [AZT/3TC/EFV] (22), and Zidovudine/Lamivudine/Nevirapine AZT/3TC/NVP (14) and monitored for 6months and blood samples drawn.Alanine aminotransferases (ALT), aspartate aminotransferases (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) wereanalyzed by enzymatic methods and used to classify levels of hepatotoxicity. Results A total of 37(37%) and 49(49%) patients presented with hepatotoxicity while 15% and 28% had severe hepatotoxicity at 4 and 24 weeks respectively. Serum levels of all enzymes increased significantly (p = 0.001) with increased treatment duration. Univariate analysis revealed that the risk factor of developing severe hepatotoxicity was significantly greater in patients

The elementary excitations in weakly interacting quantum fluids have a nontrivial nature which is at the basis of defining quantum phenomena such as superfluidity. These excitations and the physics they lead to have been explored in closed quantum systems at thermal equilibrium both theoretically within the celebrated Bogoliubov framework and experimentally in quantum fluids of ultracold atoms. Over the past decade, the relevance of Bogoliubov excitations has become essential to understand quantum fluids of interacting photons. Their driven-dissipative character leads to distinct properties with respect to their equilibrium counterparts. For instance, the condensate coupling to the photonic vacuum environment leads to a nonzero generation rate of elementary excitations with many striking implications. In this work, considering that quantum fluids of light are often hosted in solid-state systems, we show within a joint theory-experiment analysis that the vibrations of the crystal constitute another environment that the condensate is fundamentally coupled to. This coupling leads to a unique heat transfer mechanism, resulting in a large generation rate of elementary excitations in typical experimental conditions, and to a fundamental nonzero contribution at vanishing temperatures. Our work provides a complete framework for solid-embedded quantum fluids of light, which is invaluable in view of achieving a regime dominated by photon-vacuum fluctuations.

The most important factors affecting students' mathematics achievement are affective-motivational factors. Grounded on self-determination theory, expectancy-value theory, and control-value theory, we examined the relationship between self-determined motivation (i.e., intrinsic motivation and career motivation) and mathematics anxiety (cognitive and affective components) with mathematics achievement. The authors examined the proposed relations using cross-sectional data of senior two (grade eight) students in Northern Rwanda. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the subscales adapted from the Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ and SMQ-II) confirmed a two-factor structure for mathematics anxiety and a two-factor structure for self-determined motivation. The adapted subscales showed good internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the adapted subscales can be used to assess intrinsic motivation, career motivation, and mathematics anxiety among Rwandan students in senior two. Based on the findings, mathematics anxiety is a two-dimensional construct comprising both cognitive and affective components, and these components differ in their relationship with mathematics achievement. Cognitive mathematics anxiety was negatively related to mathematics achievement more than affective mathematics anxiety; intrinsic motivation and career motivation were positively related to mathematics achievement. These findings suggest that teachers should promote more self-determined motivation among senior two students to improve their mathematics achievement. Additional longitudinal research is needed to determine whether the observed differential relationship patterns between mathematics anxiety components and mathematics achievement persist over time.

BackgroundThe mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 (MTCT) remains on the major route of HIV-transmission among pediatric populations in Africa. Though a prevention of MTCT (PMTCT) high-priority country, data on the MTCT burdens in Cameroon remains fragmented.ObjectiveWe sought to assess the pooled MTCT rate, its risk-factors, and to characterize viral reservoirs of infected-children in Cameroon.MethodsAll relevant observational cohort and cross-sectional studies conducted in Cameroon were searched from PubMed, African Journals Online, Google scholar, ScienceDirect and academic medical education databases. Heterogeneity and publication bias were respectively assessed by the I2 statistic and the Egger/funnel plot test. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model. MTCT rate >5% was considered as "high". This review was registered in the Prospero database, CRD42021224497.ResultsWe included a total of 29 studies and analyzed 46 684 children born from HIV-positive mothers. The overall rate of MTCT was 7.00% (95% CI = 6.07-8.51). According to regions, the highest burden was in Adamaoua-region (17.51% [95% CI:14.21-21.07]) with only one study found. PMTCT option-B+ resulted in about 25% reduction of MTCT (8.97% [95% CI: 8.71-9.24] without option-B+ versus 2.88% [95% CI: 5.03-9.34] with option-B+). Regarding risk-factors, MTCT was significantly associated with the absence of PMTCT-interventions both in children (OR:5.40 [95% CI: 2.58-11.27]) and mothers (OR: 3.59 [95% CI: 2.15-5.99]). Regarding viral reservoirs, a pro-viral DNA mean of 3.34±1.05 log10/mL was observed among 5/57 children and archived HIV drug resistance mutations were identified in pro-viral DNA marker among 21/79 infected-children.ConclusionIn spite of the dropdown in MTCT following option-B+ implementation, MTCT remains high in Cameroon, with substantial disparities across regions. Thus, in this era of option-B+, achieving MTCT elimination requires interventions in northern-Cameroon. The variation in pro-viral load in infected-children underlines the relevance of characterizing viral reservoirs for possible infection control in tropical settings.

We introduce a semidefinite programming algorithm to find the minimal quantum Fisher information compatible with an arbitrary dataset of mean values. This certification task allows one to quantify the resource content of a quantum system for metrology applications without complete knowledge of the quantum state. We implement the algorithm to study quantum spin ensembles. We first focus on Dicke states, where our findings challenge and complement previous results in the literature. We then investigate states generated during the one-axis twisting dynamics, where in particular we find that the metrological power of the so-called multi-headed cat states can be certified using simple collective spin observables, such as fourth-order moments for small systems, and parity measurements for arbitrary system sizes.

Larvae of Hermetia illucens are a valuable source of protein for animal feed that can be produced by exposing animal and agro-industrial wastes to naturally occurring flies. The objective of this study was to improve techniques for obtaining H. illucens larvae to feed livestock in Burkina Faso. An experiment was conducted to determine the most favourable substrates and seasons for larval production. The substrates used were poultry manure, local beer waste, local beer waste mixed with poultry manure, cottonseed cake, and industrial brewery waste mixed with poultry manure. The production of larvae was carried out in four different seasons. The effect of the container’s oviposition area (0.07 m2, 0.09 m2, and 0.11 m2) and the type of container (terracotta, plastic, and iron) on larval production was also assessed. The produced larval biomass was high during, or just after, the rainy season but very low during the cool dry and hot dry seasons. Yields were higher with local beer waste mixed with poultry manure followed by local beer waste and cottonseed cake. The average mass of H. illucens larvae increased slightly with the oviposition area for the same amount of substrate. Iron and terracotta containers provided better results than plastic containers. The suitability of this production method for H. illucens larvae production is discussed.

Introduction. The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a voracious and generalist insect pest native to America. It was first detected in West Africa in 2016 and rapidly spread across the continent. The indiscriminate use of chemical insecticides poses risks to human health and threatens the few natural enemies present in these environments. Despite the existence of alternative control measures in America (e.g. genetically modified maize), efforts are needed to develop environmentally friendly approaches that are affordable for smallholder farmers and compatible with the African context. Literature. In this literature review, we describe the potential of the available alternative controls methods which include cultural, physical, biological and semiochemical strategies. The potential of their association is discussed considering their cost-benefice balance and local economic and agricultural context. Conclusions. Several affordable mitigation options could be implemented rapidly, pending proper communication efforts, including (i) the promotion of indigenous natural enemies by promoting refuges and training smallholder farmers on their identification; (ii) cultural methods, mainly by planting directly after the main rainfalls, as well as performing intercropping and crop rotation; and (iii) the use of microbial biopesticides, and avoiding some of the already identified ineffective chemical insecticides.

Since its recent introduction in West Africa, the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) has severely damaged maize and other crops. Control efforts face many challenges as the knowledge on this invasive pest is still limited. In this study, we assessed the annual population dynamics by monitoring this species using pheromone traps and visual observations, so as to contribute to the development of an integrated management strategy. In addition, we also evaluated some life history traits of S. frugiperda on different local host plants to identify the most suitable hosts in Burkina Faso.Adult captures were recorded throughout the year, as a result of a favorable mean annual temperature (29°C). Two population peaks occured: one peak (15.5±3.1 adults per trap and per month) was recorded in December and January (dry season) while the second peak (17.5±2.5) occured in July and August (rainy season). These peaks were synchronized with the major maize production periods of the region, usually 1 to 2 months after planting, when the plants had 6 to 12 leaves. In addition, the proportion of infested maize fields and infested plants per field was higher in the dry season (94.0% and 44.9%) than in the rainy season (80.0% and 26.2%). Based on the larva to adult survival rate (65-80%), mean fecundity (700-1000 eggs per female) and short life span of 36-38 days, pearl millet, maize and groundnut were found the most suitable hosts for the insect development.To better manage this insect pest, we suggest monitoring efforts in all crops associated with maize, the use of short-cycle varieties and early planting. In addition, curative treatments are more effective when applied on young maize plants, as the early instars are the most susceptible.

This dataset is an accumulation of data collected to test Rwandan physics students’ conceptual understanding of light phenomena and to assess instructional tools for active learning of optics. We collected and analysed data from 251 grade 11 (senior 5) students using our Light Phenomena Conceptual Assessment (LPCA) tool and from 136 grade 10 (senior 4) students using Geometric Optics Conceptual Understanding Test (GOCUT) in 2019. Before collecting data, we designed and validated LPCA and GOCUT, and tested their reliability. Data were collected before and after students learnt about the unit of light. Both day and boarding schools in rural and urban areas were included in our sampling. Data collected were test scores from students after performing a 30-item LPCA test or 25-item GOCUT test in 40 minutes. The data may be reused to extend students' understanding of optics concepts through item analysis, analysis of school characteristics such as location and school type, or by analysing students' characteristics such as subject combinations.

Abstract Background In the context of scaling the viral load in resource limited settings, following HIV infected patient’s adults and children with CD4+ T-lymphocyte count still very important in settings where the decentralization of treatment still has some challenges. Effective HIV monitoring in these resource-constrained settings needs affordable and reliable CD4+ T lymphocytes enumeration methods. We investigated the validity of a BD FACSPresto POC which is a dedicated system for enumeration that uses immunofluorescent technologies. In this study, we have assessed the sensitivity, specificity and correlation between most representative flow cytometry instruments present in Cameroon with more than 5000 CD4 T cells tests per year including FACSCalibur, FACSCount, and PIMA POC from Becton–Dickinson and ALERE respectively. Methods 268 patients aged from 1 to 72 years old were enrolled and included in the study after inform consent. The BD FACSPresto POC CD4+ T cell technology was placed at CIRCB and operated by technician staff. HIV infected patients were from Chantal BIYA international reference Center (CIRCB), Centre de Sante Catholique de NKOLODOM, Centre de Sante Catholique de BIKOP and CASS de Nkolndongo—Yaounde We compared the accuracy of the BD FACSPresto and three existing reference technologies with more than 5000 tests per year like FACSCalibur, FACSCount and PIMA according to the number of CD4 test done per year and their repartition in the country. Bland–Altman method and correlation analysis were used to estimate mean bias and 95% limits of agreement and to compare the methods, including analysis by subgroup of participant gestational age. In addition sensitivity and specificity were determined. Statistical significance was set at P-value

Fransa'da 1867 öncesi ve sonraki durum. Tarih dersinin nasıl işlendiği ve tarih dersinde takip edilmesi gereken gayeler nelerdir.

Lithium is a chemical element on the cutting edge due to its lithium-ion batteries used in both electronics and electric vehicles. The emerging use of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles comes as a promising solution to sustain green transportation. The implications of green transportation could be understood by exploring lithium production and its application concepts. This article expands on those concepts by discussing the lithium supply and how vital lithium is to green technology. Statistical analysis has been applied to determine: (1) The degree of balance and interdependence between lithium raw materials and electric vehicle production, (2) the influence of electric vehicle demand on lithium production, and (3) the contribution of electric vehicles to reducing carbon emissions from road transport. This study provides necessary information on the availability and demand for lithium, which could be the basis for drawing up policies for electric vehicle expansion and lithium supply efficiency.

Spin squeezing inequalities (SSI) represent a major tool to probe quantum entanglement among a collection of few-level atoms, and are based on collective spin measurements and their fluctuations. Yet, for atomic ensembles of spin-$j$ atoms and ultracold spinor gases, many experiments can image the populations in all Zeeman sublevels $s=-j, -j+1, \dots, j$, potentially revealing finer features of quantum entanglement not captured by SSI. Here we present a systematic approach which exploits Zeeman-sublevel population measurements in order to construct novel entanglement criteria, and illustrate our approach on ground states of spin-1 and spin-2 Bose-Einstein condensates. Beyond these specific examples, our approach allows one to infer, in a systematic manner, the optimal permutationally-invariant entanglement witness for any given set of collective measurements in an ensemble of $d$-level quantum systems.

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a voracious pest that preferentially feeds on cereals and other crops of economic importance. Native to America, it has recently invaded sub-Saharan African countries where it is currently threatening food security. There is limited knowledge of the natural enemies of the fall armyworm in Africa. In this study, we aimed to identify arthropods, fungi and entomopathogenic nematodes that naturally control this pest in Burkina Faso. Insect samplings, including larvae and egg masses, were conducted in 47 maize farms from October 2019 to November 2020. About 20 species of parasitoids, predators and entomopathogenic fungus associated with the fall armyworm were identified. The overall parasitism rate was 10.5%. Nematodes (Mermithidae) were the most frequent parasites (73.2% of the parasitized larvae). Identified parasitoids included Hymenopterans [Coccygidium luteum (Brullé), Chelonus bifoveolatus (Szépligeti)] and Dipterans (Drino sp.). Predators included Areneae and insects belonging to the following families: Carabidae (Calleida sp.), Coccinellidae [Cheilomenes sulphurea (Olivier)], Forficulidae [Diaperasticus erythrocephalus (Olivier), Forficula senegalensis (Serville)], Formicidae [Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius) and others], Mantidae, Pentatomidae and Reduviidae (Rhynocoris sp.). The most abundant predators were members of the Forficulidae (51%), Formicidae (15%) and Coccinellidae (13%). We advocate for the development of conservation biological control since this approach can be simple and cost-effective to control this pest.

At a zero-temperature phase transition, quantum, rather than thermal, fluctuations determine the behaviour both at the transition and in a finite temperature ‘quantum critical’ region. Here the authors give a quantitative definition of the quantum critical region that could be applied to experimental data.

Mutually unbiased bases correspond to highly useful pairs of measurements in quantum information theory. In the smallest composite dimension, six, it is known that between three and seven mutually unbiased bases exist, with a decades-old conjecture, known as Zauner's conjecture, stating that there exist at most three. Here we tackle Zauner's conjecture numerically through the construction of Bell inequalities for every pair of integers $n,d \ge 2$ that can be maximally violated in dimension $d$ if and only if $n$ MUBs exist in that dimension. Hence we turn Zauner's conjecture into an optimisation problem, which we address by means of three numerical methods: see-saw optimisation, non-linear semidefinite programming and Monte Carlo techniques. All three methods correctly identify the known cases in low dimensions and all suggest that there do not exist four mutually unbiased bases in dimension six, with all finding the same bases that numerically optimise the corresponding Bell inequality. Moreover, these numerical optimisers appear to coincide with the ``four most distant bases'' in dimension six, found through numerically optimising a distance measure in [P. Raynal, X. Lü, B.-G. Englert, {Phys. Rev. A}, { 83} 062303 (2011)]. Finally, the Monte Carlo results suggest that at most three MUBs exist in dimension ten.

Background. Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are parasitic diseases with significant public health impact. Analysis is generally based on cross-sectional prevalence surveys; outcomes are mostly aggregated to larger spatial units. However, recent research demonstrates that infection levels and spatial patterns differ between STH species and tend to be localized. Methods. Incidence data of STHs including roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and hookworms per primary health facility for 2008 were linked to spatially delineated primary health center service areas. Prevalence data per district for individual and combined STH infections from the 2008 nationwide survey in Rwanda were also obtained. Results. A comparison of reported prevalence and incidence data indicated significant positive correlations for roundworm (R2 = 0.63) and hookworm (R2 = 0.27). Weak positive correlations were observed for whipworm (R2 = 0.02) and the three STHs combined (R2 = 0.10). Incidence of roundworm and whipworm were found to be focalized with significant spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I > 0: 0.05–0.38 and p ≤ 0.03), with (very) high incidence rates in some focal areas. In contrast, hookworm incidence is ubiquitous and randomly distributed (Moran’s I > 0: 0.006 and p = 0.74) with very low incidence rates. Furthermore, an exploratory regression analysis identified relationships between helminth infection cases and potential environmental and socio-economic risk factors. Conclusions. Findings show that the spatial distribution of STH incidence is significantly associated with soil properties (sand proportion and pH), rainfall, wetlands and their uses, population density and proportion of rural residents. Identified spatial patterns are important for guiding STH prevention and control programs.

Classroom observation has played a role in documenting classroom practices to improve teaching and learning outcomes. This dataset allows teachers, researchers, and educational policymakers to reanalyze it depending on the interest variables and understand Rwanda's current physics education. The data was collected among qualified teachers from selected schools in Kigali city and rural eastern province in Rwanda. Classroom observation data were collected using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) and Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS). This data article describes the collected data, research design undertaken, and methods used to collect and analyze them.” The data collected are valid and reliable due to standard instruments used and consistent agreement between classroom observers. A step-by-step procedure on collecting and analyzing COPUS data and checking interobserver reliability has been detailed and informed in supplementary materials.

Impact of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) on tomato production in Burkina Faso. Tuta absoluta is a leafminer native to South America and listed in Burkina Faso since 2016. Its larvae dig galleries in the leaves and fruits of the tomato. Through detailed surveys of 180 growers, we have assessed the impact of this pest on tomato production. The growers produce tomatoes on areas of less than ½ hectare. All of them have demonstrated their knowledge of T. absoluta and can describe its symptoms. On average, producers estimate that this leafminer causes yield losses of between 45 and 70%, resulting in financial losses of 1 to 2 million CFA francs per hectare. Almost 80% of producers use only plant protection products, of which only 42% are approved for tomatoes. Fifteen active substances are used, including emamectin benzoate, acetamiprid and cypermethrin. The resistance of the populations is such that many producers abandon plots because of uncontrollable infestation. Alternative methods are sometimes used: destruction of infested plants, crop rotation, weeding and biopesticides. This work is necessary to develop effective, accessible control methods that respect the environment and the health of producers.

Quantum entanglement is commonly assumed to be a central resource for quantum computing and quantum simulation. Nonetheless, the capability to detect it in many-body systems is severely limited by the absence of sufficiently scalable and flexible certification tools. This issue is particularly critical in situations where the structure of entanglement is a priori unknown, and where one cannot rely on existing entanglement witnesses. Here, we implement a scheme in which the knowledge of the mean value of arbitrary observables can be used to probe multipartite entanglement in a scalable, certified, and systematic manner. Specifically, we rely on positive semidefinite conditions, independent of partial-transposition-based criteria, necessarily obeyed if the data can be reproduced by a separable state. The violation of any of these conditions yields a specific entanglement witness, tailored to the data of interest, revealing the salient features of the data which are impossible to reproduce without entanglement. We validate this approach by probing theoretical many-body states of several hundreds of qubits relevant to existing experiments: a single-particle quench in a one-dimensional XX chain; a many-body quench in a two-dimensional XX model with 1/r^{3} interactions; and thermal equilibrium states of Heisenberg and transverse-field Ising chains. In all cases, these investigations have led us to discover new entanglement witnesses, some of which could be characterized analytically, generalizing existing results in the literature. In summary, our paper introduces a flexible data-driven entanglement detection technique for uncharacterized quantum many-body states, of immediate relevance to experiments in a quantum advantage regime.

This study aimed to promote the use of termites as feed in traditional poultry farming by developing sustainable and inexpensive termite trapping techniques. Various tests were carried out in Burkina Faso to improve the traditional technique of trapping termites of the genus Macrotermes using a reversed container filled with organic matters. We studied the effect of containers’ types, substrates, habitats, harvesting times, duration of trap deposition, and season on the quantity of termites trapped. Calabashes and terra cotta pots trapped more termites than iron boxes, but calabashes were quickly destroyed by termites. The quantity of termites harvested increased proportionally with the volume of the pot and was higher in a cultivated habitat than in a forest, despite the higher number of termite mounds in the forest. The quantity of termites harvested was lowest in the cold-dry season and highest during the rainy season, however, sizeable amounts of termites were collected throughout the year. Among six substrates and mixtures of substrates tested, maize cobs trapped the highest number of termites and cow dung the lowest. The best time of harvest varied among seasons and, if substrates are abundant, it is more efficient to empty the containers on a daily basis.

Violating Bell’s inequalities (BIs) allows one to certify the preparation of entangled states from minimal assumptions—in a device-independent manner. Finding BIs tailored to many-body correlations as prepared in present-day quantum computers and simulators is however a highly challenging endeavor. In this work, we focus on BIs violated by very coarse-grain features of the system: two-body correlations averaged over all permutations of the parties. For two-outcome measurements, specific BIs of this form have been theoretically and experimentally studied in the past, but it is practically impossible to explicitly test all such BIs. Data-driven methods—reconstructing a violated BI from the data themselves—have therefore been considered. Here, inspired by statistical physics, we develop a novel data-driven approach specifically tailored to such coarse-grain data. Our approach offers two main improvements over the existing literature: (1) it is directly designed for any number of outcomes and settings; (2) the obtained BIs are quadratic in the data, offering a fundamental scaling advantage for the precision required in experiments. This very flexible method, whose complexity does not scale with the system size, allows us to systematically improve over all previously known Bell inequalities robustly violated by ensembles of quantum spin 1/2; and to discover novel families of Bell inequalities, tailored to spin-squeezed states and many-body spin singlets of arbitrary spin-j ensembles.

The study sought to establish the influence of students’ learning experiences on involvement inalma mater. The cross-sectional survey design was employed for the study. The sample size was 1011 respondents comprising 382 from Kenyatta University, 277 from University of Rwanda-College of Education and 352 from University of Cape Coast. Data were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using Logistic Regression. The study found that academic services and non-academic learning experiences positively affect students’ willingness to further education in attended institution or participate in further university activities after graduation (p ​

Perineal hernias can occur primarily or secondary to a pelvic operation. Among primary perineal hernias, the congenital type is very rare, with less than 10 cases reported in the literature. This is a case report of a healthy female child presenting with a congenital posterior perineal hernia who underwent successful delayed operative repair using a perineal approach. Level of evidence: Level V – case report. Keywords: Perineal hernia, Pelvic hernia, Congenital, Rare hernia, Rectal hernia

Les caractéristiques épidémiologiques, cliniques et biologiques de la leucémie lymphoïde chronique (LLC) sont peu étudiées au Togo. L'objectif de cette étude est de décrire ces caractéristiques au diagnostic. Il s'agit d'une étude rétrospective et descriptive des patients diagnostiqués au CHU Campus de janvier 1999 à décembre 2018. Durant les deux dernières décennies, 87 patients ont été vus pour LLC (20% des hémopathies malignes) avec une incidence annuelle de 4,35 nouveaux cas. L'âge moyen était de 61 ans +/- 12,48 (extrêmes 17-85ans). Il y avait 55 femmes et 32 hommes (sex-ratio H/F=0,58). Cliniquement, 16 patients (18%) n'avaient aucun syndrome tumoral, 33 patients (38%) avaient une adénopathie, 62 patients (71%) une splénomégalie et 23 patients (26%) une hépatomégalie. Biologiquement les valeurs moyennes de la lymphocytose sanguine et médullaire étaient respectivement de 87188/mm3 (extrêmes 7000-481780/mm3) et 75,75% +/- 12,88 (extrêmes 44,5-96,5%), 65 patients (75%) avaient un taux d'hémoglobine inférieur à 10 g/dl et 20 patients (23%) avaient des plaquettes inférieures à 100 000/mm3. Au diagnostic, 67 patients (77%) étaient au stade C de Binet, 7 patients (8%) au stade B et 13 patients (15%) au stade A. L'étude des facteurs biologiques pronostiques montre que 66% avaient une β2-microglobuline supérieure à la normale et la lactate déshydrogénase (LDH) était supérieure à la normale dans 95% des cas. La LLC est une réalité au Togo. Il existe une prédominance féminine et un âge moyen de 61 ans. Les patients sont vus en majorité au stade C de Binet. Il a été noté une forte masse tumorale avec une augmentation de la LDH et de la β2-microglobuline. Le suivi actuel des patients nous permettra d'évaluer leur survie globale.

Buruli ulcer is infectious necrotizing panniculitis due to Mycobacterium ulcerans. Buruli ulcer is healed by leaving dystrophic, fibrous and retractile scars. On these scars can occur long-term squamous cell carcinoma. We report the first case of squamous cell carcinoma occurring on healing of Buruli ulcer. A 32-year-old woman with Buruli ulcer who has been cured for about 10 years is seen for ulcero-bulging knee swelling. The examination had revealed a large swelling of about ten centimeters in diameter, ulcero-budding, with an easily bleeding cauliflower appearance. The diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma being retained without metastasis, resection of the tumor with scarring after one month without chemotherapy. There was no recurrence after six months of decline. The epidemiology of Buruli ulcer, responsible for scarring, explains the young age of our patient and the localization of carcinoma on the limb. The carcinomatous degeneration of scars, especially the scars of old burns, is constantly reported. The characteristics of Buruli ulcer scars, which bring them closer to burn scars, may explain why they are particularly affected by carcinomatous degeneration. One could also mention the chronicity of the wound in this infection, or wonder if the mycobacteria itself could play a role in carcinogenesis. This observation is, in our opinion, an alarm signal. We must fear an outbreak of cases in the years to come. To this end, preventive measures should already be taken by sensitizing the patients for an early consultation before any modification of their scars. After recovery, Buruli ulcer seems to present a risk of long-term evolution to a cancer. The scars of this condition, which could be considered precancerous lesions.

We investigate the leading area-law contribution to entanglement entropy in a system described by a general Lagrangian with O(2) symmetry containing first- and second-order time derivatives, namely, breaking the Lorentz invariance. We establish a connection between the Higgs gap present in a symmetry-broken phase and the area-law term for the entanglement entropy in the general nonrelativistic case. Our predictions for the entanglement entropy and correlation length are successfully compared to numerical results in two paradigmatic systems: the Mott insulator to the superfluid transition for ultracold lattice bosons and the ground state of ferrimagnetic systems.

Objective. To report the first case in Togo of Biermer’s disease associated with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) in a 39-year-old pregnant woman. Observation. The patient with phenotype AA, born on 20/02/1978, G2P0 (a spontaneous abortion at 3 months), was referred to hematology on 17th March 2017 for anemia at 26 weeks of amenorrhea (WA). She had received martial treatment with ferrous fumarate 66 milligrams daily. At 26 weeks, the uterine height was 16 centimeters, and there was good fetal vitality. During ultrasound, there was a harmonious development of the fetus, but it was lower than that for the gestational age at 10th percentile based on fetal biometry, and anemia was at 65 g/l. She was then referred to hematology where she was found to have pancytopenia with macrocytic aregenerative anemia at 47 g/l (MCV at 109 fl), neutropenia at 1.02 g/l, and thrombocytopenia at 58 g/l. The myelogram found megaloblastosis at 53%, collapsed serum B12 vitamin at 61.7 pg/ml, normal serum folate at 9.9 ng/ml, increased serum homocysteine to 51.44 μmol/l, and elevated LDH. The search for intrinsic anti-factor antibodies was positive. Digestive endoscopy noted fundal atrophy. The patient was given vitamin B12 injection; at the 7th day, hemoglobin was observed at 94 g/l, then a normalization of the blood count after 3 weeks, and a good evolution of the pregnancy with delivery at 38 WA of a newborn, female, weighing 1960 g with 500 grams of placenta, with a size of 40 cm, and a cranial perimeter of 29 cm. The child had stunted weight growth (at 16 months; weight = 7 kg; height = 69 cm). Conclusion. Biermer’s disease as a maternal cause of IUGR and infantile hypotonia is a reality in Togo. It requires management in patients and especially during pregnancy to avoid neurological complications in children born from mothers with this disease.

Architecture is in need of a global theory, a theory capable to explain architecture in the context of the whole earth. Against the backdrop of a looming ecological crisis that forces architects to reconsider once again the relationship between nature and culture, Scalbert explores a sweeping set of references ranging from architectural history, literature, science, geography or vernacular studies, all in an effort to set the parameters for a contemporary conversation that may reinvigorate once again the way in which architects take on nature as an intrinsic and necessary part of their work.

Décrire les différents types de transcrits de fusion moléculaire bcr-abl afin d'évaluer leur fréquence et étudier leurs influence sur les paramètres de l'hémogramme au diagnostic. Il s'agit d'une étude prospective de 34 patients porteurs d'une leucémie myéloïde chronique au Togo. La recherche des transcrits de fusion a été réalisée au laboratoire d'hématologie biologique de l'hôpital Henri Mondor à Créteil (France). L'âge moyen des patients était de 42,32,14,87 ans avec des extrêmes de 9 et 65ans. On notait une prédominance masculine avec un sex- ratio de 1,61 (21 hommes et 13 femmes). L'étude moléculaire révélait deux types de transcrits b3-a2 et b2-a2. Dix-neuf patients (55,88%) avaient le transcrit b3-a2, 13 (38,24%) le transcrit b2-a2 (32,10 %) et deux patients possédaient les deux types de transcrits b3-a2 et b2-a2 (5,88%). Au diagnostic, le taux d'hémoglobine moyen, le nombre moyen de globules blancs, le chiffre moyen des plaquettes chez les patients porteurs du transcrit b3-a2 étaient respectivement de 99,2g/l ; 207,63G/l et 451,28G/l. Pour les patients porteurs du transcrit b2-a2 les valeurs sont 104,6g/l, 114,32G/l et 486,11G/l. Les patients ayant les deux types de transcrit de fusion avaient respectivement 67g/l, 867G/l et 780G/l. Les paramètres de l'hémogramme sont significativement plus perturbés chez les patients porteurs des deux types de transcrits b3-a2 et b2-a2.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among health care workers (HCWs) and to evaluate some risks factors for HCWs. METHODS: we conducted a cross sectional study amongst HCWs in public and private healthcare facilities within seven regions amongst the 10 found in Cameroon. We collected data from 446 HCWs within 150 healthcare facilities. We used questionnaires for interviews and biological sampling for HIV test. RESULTS: HIV prevalence was 2.61% (95% CI: 1.32% - 4.61%) regardless of gender and age. HCWs in private health facilities were more infected compared to those in public health facilities 5.00% vs 1.40% (p = 0.028); OR = 3.7 (95% CI: 1.01-12.90). HCWs who had never screened for HIV had a high risk of being infected OR = 7.05 (95% CI: 2.05-24.47). 44.62% of HCWs reported to have been victim of an Accidental Exposure to Blood (AEB). Amongst them, 45.80% in public HF versus 32.1% in private HF reported to have received an HIV screening and Post Exposure Prophylaxis following this incident. 4.20% of HCW victim of AEB were HIV positive, and 36.40% of HCWs had appropriate capacity training for HIV patient care. CONCLUSION: though the HIV prevalence in HCWs is lower than in the general population 2.61% vs 4.3%, there is a high risk of infection as we observed a relatively high percentage of AEB amongst HCWs with an HIV prevalence of 4.20%. There is thus, a need in strengthening the capacity and provide psychosocial support to HCWs.