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Background: One of the main challenge for controlling the morbidity and mortality related to malaria is the absence of reliable treatment and precise diagnostic tools in malaria-prone regions. Despite the number of diagnostic techniques used, and inconsistent results were found from previous studies. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of 18S nested PCR(Polymerase Chain Reaction),microscopy, and CarestartTMpf/pan RDT(Rapid Diagnostic Tests) as malaria diagnostic methods using Microscopy and 18S nested PCR as reference techniques. Methods: A facilities and community based cross-sectional study was conducted in the villages of Batodegama kebele and Adama malaria control center from December 2016 to February 2017. A fingerprick blood sample was collected from each participant for the CarestartTM pf/pan RDT test, microscopy, and dry blood spot (DBS) analysis and 18S nested PCR assay. Data were analyzed using STATA11 to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and accuracy. Results: Among the 128 asymptomatic patients, 26 (20.3%) were positive for malaria nested 18S PCR, 5 (3.9%) through RDT, and 8 (6.3%) through microscopy. From 202 symptomatic Patients, 55 (27.23%), 26 (12.87%), and 28 (13.86%) individuals were positive for 18S nested PCR, RDT, and microscopy, respectively. Comparative analysis of 18S nested PCR, microscopy, and CarestartTMpf/pan RDT have similar sensitivities of 50% and specificities of 100%.for diagnosing symptomatic malaria infections. Furthermore, species level analysis showed that 18S nested PCR has a higher detection rate of 26 (20.31%) than microscopy 8 (6.25%) and CareStartTM pf/pan RDT 5 (4.1%). The CarestartTMpf/pan RDT had a sensitivity of 15.4% and specificity of 98% in detecting asymptomatic malaria infections. However, the two methods have comparable sensitivities. Conclusions: The 18S nested PCR assay showed superior performance in all circumstances. On the other hand, the overall performance of CareStart TM pf/pan RDTs was found to be comparable to that of microscopy. This finding highlights the value of parallel application of CareStart TM pf/pan RDTs and microscopy in a resource-limited setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The city of Pasuruan holds significant potential for religious tourism, making it a prime candidate for tourism development. Achieving sustainable tourism, which involves finding a harmonious equilibrium between three key aspects - the quality of tourism experiences, the excellence of tourism resources, and the well-being of the local community - is imperative for the region. To this end, well-devised strategies are essential to facilitate urban tourism growth within Pasuruan City. This research endeavors to shift the focus of religious tourism development towards a sustainable paradigm in Pasuruan. Employing qualitative research techniques, the study uses methods such as observation, interviews, literature review, and documentation for data collection. The findings of the research underscore Pasuruan City’s potential for fostering sustainable tourism through the establishment of religious tourism offerings. The establishment of sustainable tourism practices not only promises to bolster the local economy but also enrich the lives of the Pasuruan community, ultimately shaping the city’s identity. This research aspires to serve as a guiding tool for the local government of Pasuruan City, aiding them in implementing tourism development strategies to uplift the region’s economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Indonesian Civil & Environmental Engineering / Jurnal Teknik Sipil & Lingkungan is the property of IPB University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As industrial and economic growth intensifies, greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, leading to a shift in global warming and climate change patterns. The Mille watershed faces significant challenges such as flooding, drought, irrigation, and water supply scarcity, as well as health issues stemming from climate change within the community. Thus, this study aims to assess the impact of climate change on hydrology in the Mille River, Awash River Basin, Ethiopia, utilizing multiple hydrological and climate models. The study examines three global circulation models (MIROC‐6, CMCC, and MRI) operating under two shared socioeconomic pathways emission scenarios (SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5) for both mid‐term (near future) (2041–2070) and long‐term (far future) (2071–2100) periods. Precipitation and temperature scenarios data were obtained using the CMhyd Tool and then bias‐corrected using various methods based on the base time period (1985–2014). The projected annual rainfall is expected to increase by 8.91‐18.68% and 8.09‐18.65%, while the average temperature is projected to increase by 1.08–3.04°C and 1.59–4.05°C in the 2050s (2041–2070) and 2080s (2071–2100), respectively. The SWAT model shows daily responses with NSE (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency) values of 0.77 for calibration and 0.79 for validation, R2 (coefficient of determination) values of 0.80 for calibration and 0.81 for validation, and PBIAS (percent bias) values of −10.6 for calibration and −8.6 for validation. Similarly, the HBV model shows NSE values of 0.683 for calibration and 0.706 for validation, R2 values of 0.705 for calibration and 0.71 for validation, and PBIAS values of −4.25 for calibration and −6.669 for validation. The results indicate a decrease in average annual streamflow ranging from −5.95% to −39.29% for SWAT and from −12.28% to −35.04% for HBV in the near future (2050s) and Far future (2080s) compared to the base period (1985–2014). The significance of this study lies in its contribution to understanding climate‐hydrology interactions in a vulnerable region, providing actionable insights for adaptation planning, policy formulation, and sustainable resource management in the face of climate change. Extreme high and low changes in flow were used to quantify this impact. Therefore, based on the observed trends of decreased streamflow volume, recommendations for the study area include the development of water sources such as microdams, ponds, and water wells, implementation of water harvesting techniques, improvement of land use and land cover practices, proper utilization and management of available discharge, drought assessment, and environmental impact assessment. These measures are crucial for mitigating the adverse effects of climate change and ensuring the resilience of the region's water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria is the parasitic disease with the highest morbimortality worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there were approximately 249 million cases in 2022, of which 3.4% were in Angola. Diagnosis is based on parasite identification by microscopy examination, antigen detection, and/or molecular tests, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of real-time PCR as a diagnostic method for malaria in an endemic area (Cubal, Angola). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the Hospital Nossa Senhora da Paz in Cubal, Angola, including 200 patients who consulted for febrile syndrome between May and July 2022. From each patient, a capillary blood sample was obtained by finger prick for malaria field diagnosis [microscopy and rapid diagnostic test (RDT)] and venous blood sample for real-time PCR performed at the Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona, Spain. Any participant with a positive result from at least one of these three methods was diagnosed with malaria. Results: Of the 200 participants included, 54% were female and the median age was 7 years. Malaria was diagnosed by at least one of the three techniques (microscopy, RDT, and/or real-time PCR) in 58% of the participants, with RDT having the highest percentage of positivity (49%), followed by real-time PCR (39.5%) and microscopy (33.5%). Of the 61 discordant samples, 4 were only positive by microscopy, 13 by real-time PCR, and 26 by RDT. Plasmodium falciparum was the most frequent species detected (90.63%), followed by P. malariae (17.19%) and P. ovale (9.38%). Coinfections were detected in ten participants (15.63%): six (60%) were caused by P. falciparum and P. malariae, three (30%) by P. falciparum and P. ovale, and one (10%) triple infection with these three species. In addition, it was observed that P. falciparum and P. malariae coinfection significantly increased the parasite density of the latter. Conclusions: RDT was the technique with the highest positivity rate, followed by real-time PCR and microscopy. The results of the real-time PCR may have been underestimated due to suboptimal storage conditions during the transportation of the DNA eluates. However, real-time PCR techniques have an important role in the surveillance of circulating Plasmodium species, given the epidemiological importance of the increase in non-falciparum species in the country, and can provide an estimate of the intensity of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria is a common disease in the sub-Saharan region of Africa, including Nigeria. It is a dangerous illness caused by the parasite, Plasmodium. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of urine tests compared to slide microscopy using the Giemsa stain in the diagnosis of malaria among students of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) who attended a multi-system hospital. This study aimed to determine simpler methods for easy detection of malaria parasites using urine samples and to compare the efficiency and efficacy of the method with the slide microscopy Giemsa stain among patients of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) attending a multi-system hospital. The study involved collecting 200 blood and urine samples from both admitted and outpatient students attending the ABUAD Multisystem Hospital (AMSH). Blood samples were analysed in the laboratory using Giemsa stain, whereas urine samples were analysed using urine malaria test kits, which contain immunochromatographic materials impregnated with monoclonal antibodies against Plasmodium species to detect elevated levels of Histidine Rich Protein-2 (HRP-2). Of the 200 patients diagnosed, blood microscopy revealed that 47 (23.5%) had parasite loads of 1+ and 2+, while 67 (33.5%) and 25 (12.5%) had parasite loads of 3+ and 4+, respectively, and 18 (9%) were negative. The results of blood microscopy showed that more than 90% of the samples were positive for different malaria parasite loads, especially the 3 + category, whereas urine malaria tests (UMT) revealed that only 55% of the samples studied were positive for Plasmodium falciparum. Moderate agreement between the UMT kit and blood smear microscopy was demonstrated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC). This study suggests that despite the drawbacks of microscopy, it is still the Gold Standard for the detection of P. falciparum and should be used as frequently as feasible in the fight against this deadly disease. However, the urine test kit can be adopted as a method of diagnosing malaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) provide quick, easy, and convenient early diagnosis of malaria ensuring better case management particularly in resource-constrained settings. Nevertheless, the efficiency of HRP2-based RDT can be compromised by Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2/3 gene deletion and genetic diversity. This study explored the genetic diversity of PfHRP2/3 in uncomplicated malaria cases from Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2022 to March 2023 at Metehara, Zenzelema and Kolla Shele health centres, Ethiopia. Finger-prick blood samples were collected for RDT testing and microscopic examination. For molecular analysis, parasite genomic DNA was extracted from venous blood. Plasmodium falciparum was confirmed using VarATS real time PCR. Additionally, PfHRP2/3 was amplified, and DNA amplicons were sequenced using Oxford Nanopore technology. Results: PfHRP2/3 sequences revealed small variations in the frequency and number of amino acid repeat types per isolate across the three health centres. Twelve and eight types of amino acid repeats were identified for PfHRP2 and PfHRP3, respectively, which had been previously characterized. Repeat type 1, 4 and 7 were present in both PfHRP2 and PfHRP3 amino acid sequences. Type 2 and 7 repeats were commonly dispersed in PfHRP2, while repeat types 16 and 17 were found only in PfHRP3. A novel 17 V repeat type variant, which has never been reported in Ethiopia, was identified in six PfHRP3 amino acid sequences. The majority of the isolates, as determined by the Baker's logistic regression model, belonged to group C, of which 86% of them were sensitive to PfHRP2-based RDT. Likewise, PfHRP2-based RDT detected 100% of the isolates in group A (product of type 2 × type 7 repeats ≥ 100) and 85.7% in group B (product of types 2 × type 7 repeats 50–99) at a parasitaemia level > 250 parasite/μl. Conclusion: This study highlights the significant diversity observed in PfHRP2 and PfHRP3 among clinical isolates of Plasmodium falciparum in Ethiopia. This emphasizes the necessity for monitoring of PfHRP2- based RDT efficacy and their repeat type distribution using a large sample size and isolates from various ecological settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmodium parasites cause Malaria disease, which remains a significant threat to global health, affecting 200 million people and causing 400,000 deaths yearly. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax remain the two main malaria species affecting humans. Identifying the malaria disease in blood smears requires years of expertise, even for highly trained specialists. Literature studies have been coping with the automatic identification and classification of malaria. However, several points must be addressed and investigated so these automatic methods can be used clinically in a Computer-aided Diagnosis (CAD) scenario. In this work, we assess the transfer learning approach by using well-known pre-trained deep learning architectures. We considered a database with 6222 Region of Interest (ROI), of which 6002 are from the Broad Bioimage Benchmark Collection (BBBC), and 220 were acquired locally by us at Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ) in Porto Velho Velho, Rondônia—Brazil, which is part of the legal Amazon. We exhaustively cross-validated the dataset using 100 distinct partitions with 80% train and 20% test for each considering circular ROIs (rough segmentation). Our experimental results show that DenseNet201 has a potential to identify Plasmodium parasites in ROIs (infected or uninfected) of microscopic images, achieving 99.41% AUC with a fast processing time. We further validated our results, showing that DenseNet201 was significantly better (99% confidence interval) than the other networks considered in the experiment. Our results support claiming that transfer learning with texture features potentially differentiates subjects with malaria, spotting those with Plasmodium even in Leukocytes images, which is a challenge. In Future work, we intend scale our approach by adding more data and developing a friendly user interface for CAD use. We aim at aiding the worldwide population and our local natives living nearby the legal Amazon's rivers. Author summary: Malaria remains a significant threat to global health, affecting 200 million people and causing 400,000 deaths annually. Performing a reliable and efficient diagnosis still requires high-cost human training especially in needy and endemic regions. In Brazil, the main pathogen causing the cases is Plasmodium vivax with about 99% of malaria cases. Currently, in the era of artificial intelligence, we have at our disposal numerous algorithms with different variations applicable to the problem of pattern recognition in images. In this work, we performed the procedure known as supervised machine learning in which we used known data of cells infected with Plasmodium vivax including results of local data analysis. We used these data to train several networks and then applied them to real data in the form of training to verify the ability to identify Plasmodium in this new set. In our approach, we achieved in all approaches nothing less than 96% accuracy and in one case 99.41% accuracy. Thus, we fully demonstrate the possibility of using the methodology to develop a user-friendly interface to assist health agents in performing effective and efficient diagnosis even in hard-to-reach regions of our Amazon region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plasmodium vivax is the main causative agent of malaria in Panama. However, the prevalence of asymptomatic infections in the different endemic regions remains unknown. Understanding the epidemiological behavior of asymptomatic infections is essential for the elimination of malaria. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic malarial infections in one of the main endemic regions of Panama using multiplex real-time reverse transcription RT-MqPCR. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three communities in the Guna Yala Comarca. A total of 551 thick blood smears and their respective samples on filter paper were collected from volunteers of different ages and sexes from June 20 to 25, 2016. Infections by the Plasmodium spp. were diagnosed using microscopy and RT-MqPCR. All statistical analyses were performed using the R software. Results: The average prevalence of asymptomatic infections by P. vivax in the three communities detected by RT-MqPCR was 9.3%, with Ukupa having the highest prevalence (13.4%), followed by Aidirgandi (11.1%) and Irgandi (3.3%). A total of 74 samples were diagnosed as asymptomatic infections using RT-MqPCR. Light microscopy (LM) detected that 17.6% (13/74) of the asymptomatic samples and 82.4% (61/74) were diagnosed as false negatives. A 100% correlation was observed between samples diagnosed using LM and RT-MqPCR. A total of 52.7% (39/74) of the asymptomatic patients were female and 85.1% (63/74) were registered between the ages of 1 and 21 years. Factors associated with asymptomatic infection were community (aOR = 0.38 (95% CI 0.17–0.83), p < 0.001) and age aOR = 0.98 (95% CI 0.97–1.00), p < 0.05); F = 5.38; p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study provides novel evidence of the considerable prevalence of asymptomatic P. vivax infections in the endemic region of Kuna Yala, representing a new challenge that requires immediate attention from the National Malaria Program. The results of this study provide essential information for the health authorities responsible for developing new policies. Furthermore, it will allow program administrators to reorient and design effective malaria control strategies that consider asymptomatic infections as a fundamental part of malaria control and move towards fulfilling their commitment to eliminate it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basic human needs include nutritional needs. There are an increasing number of new and high-quality foods that perform optimally for human activities. Currently consumers prioritize food that is practical and easy to consume, one of which is nuggets. The popular nuggets is chicken nuggets which have a high fat content and cholesterol which is harmful for health. Currently there are developments of high-fiber nugget innovations through the optimization of tempeh and oyster mushrooms This study aims to analyze the proximate to determine the water content, protein content, carbohydrate content, fat content, and ash content in tempeh nuggets with the addition of oyster mushrooms. The method in this study uses an experimental method carried out in the laboratory by analyzing the water content, carbohydrate content, fat content, ash content, and protein content of the nuggets. Based on the research that has been conducted, the average results of the highest water content of tempeh nuggets combined with oyster mushrooms is in the S3 treatment (51.75%), protein content in the S3 treatment (13.747%), fat content in the S2 treatment (13.69%), ash content in the S1 treatment (6.057%) and carbohydrate content in the S1 treatment (27.113%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early malaria diagnosis improves outcomes during malaria treatment; routine diagnostic techniques rely on blood samples obtained invasively. Therefore, this study used infra-red (IR) spectroscopy coupled with Principle Component Analysis (PCA) to study the urinary profile of malaria patients and that of controls aimed at understanding metabolite perturbation during malaria infection so as to contribute towards development of non-invasive malaria diagnosis methods. Freeze dried human urine samples form malaria infected individuals (cases) and controls were screened in the IR region of 4000 cm−1 to 600 cm−1 and overall spectral differences were observed at wave numbers 1618 cm−1, 1679 cm−1 (amino acids). Peaks at 3030 cm−1 (NH4+) and 940 cm−1 (O–H of carboxylic acids) showed high absorbance in patients compared to controls. Liquid-chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was used to quantify amino acids in the urine samples and the results indicated a significant increase of amino acid cystine (P = 0.012). Lysine and tyrosine also increased in patients compared to controls. The use of IR-PCA differentiated clusters of urine samples from patients with malaria from control and the demonstrated amino acid perturbation is consistent with malaria infection. This data provides baseline information for application in development of a non-invasive diagnostic tests for malaria. Article Highlights: Infrared (IR) spectroscopy and Principle Component Analysis (PCA) were used to differentiate urine of malaria patients from controls. LC–MS/MS was used to determine creatinine, tyrosine, cystine, lysine and histidine in urine from malaria patients and controls The average concentration of cystine in patients and controls urine differed significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microscopic detection of malaria parasites is labour-intensive, time-consuming, and expertise-demanding. Moreover, the slide interpretation is highly dependent on the staining technique and the technician's expertise. Therefore, there is a growing interest in next-generation, fully- or semi-integrated microscopes that can improve slide preparation and examination. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical performance of miLab™ (Noul Inc., Republic of Korea), a fully-integrated automated microscopy device for the detection of malaria parasites in symptomatic patients at point-of-care in Sudan. Methods: This was a prospective, case–control diagnostic accuracy study conducted in primary health care facilities in rural Khartoum, Sudan in 2020. According to the outcomes of routine on-site microscopy testing, 100 malaria-positive and 90 malaria-negative patients who presented at the health facility and were 5 years of age or older were enrolled consecutively. All consenting patients underwent miLab™ testing and received a negative or suspected result. For the primary analysis, the suspected results were regarded as positive (automated mode). For the secondary analysis, the operator reviewed the suspected results and categorized them as either negative or positive (corrected mode). Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used as the reference standard, and expert light microscopy as the comparator. Results: Out of the 190 patients, malaria diagnosis was confirmed by PCR in 112 and excluded in 78. The sensitivity of miLab™ was 91.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 84.2–95.6%) and the specificity was 66.7% (95% Cl 55.1–67.7%) in the automated mode. The specificity increased to 96.2% (95% Cl 89.6–99.2%), with operator intervention in the corrected mode. Concordance of miLab with expert microscopy was substantial (kappa 0.65 [95% CI 0.54–0.76]) in the automated mode, but almost perfect (kappa 0.97 [95% CI 0.95–0.99]) in the corrected mode. A mean difference of 0.359 was found in the Bland–Altman analysis of the agreement between expert microscopy and miLab™ for quantifying parasite counts. Conclusion: When used in a clinical context, miLab™ demonstrated high sensitivity but low specificity. Expert intervention was shown to be required to improve the device's specificity in its current version. miLab™ in the corrected mode performed similar to expert microscopy. Before clinical application, more refinement is needed to ensure full workflow automation and eliminate human intervention. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04558515 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fentanyl test strips (FTS) are lateral flow immunoassay strips designed for detection of ng/mL levels of fentanyl in urine. In 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration stated that federal funds could be used for procurement of FTS for harm reduction strategies approved by the government such as drug checking. The market for FTS has expanded rapidly in the US and Canada. However, there is no regulatory oversight by either government to ensure proper function of FTS that are being marketed for drug checking. Main body: Many brands of FTS have rapidly entered the harm reduction market, creating concerns about the reproducibility and accuracy of their performance from brand to brand and lot to lot. Some examples are provided in this Comment. Similar problems with product quality were observed in the mid 2000's when lateral flow immunoassays for malaria were funded in many countries and again in 2020, when COVID-19 tests were in huge demand. The combination of high demand and low levels of regulation and enforcement led some manufacturers to join the goldrush without adequate field testing or quality assurance. We argue that the harm reduction community urgently needs to set a lot checking program in place. A set of simple protocols for conducting the tests and communicating the results have been developed, and are described in the following Perspectives paper in this issue. Conclusion: In the absence of governmental regulation and enforcement, the harm reduction community should implement a FTS lot checking program. Based on previous experience with the malaria diagnostic lot checking program, this inexpensive effort could identify products that are not suitable for harm reduction applications and provide valuable feedback to manufacturers. Dissemination of the results will help harm reduction organizations to ensure that FTS they use for drug checking are fit for the purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Plasmodium vivax malaria is a leading cause of morbidity in Ethiopia. The frst-line treatment for P. vivax is chloroquine (CQ) and primaquine (PQ), but there have been local reports of CQ resistance. A clinical study was conducted to determine the efcacy of CQ for the treatment of P. vivax malaria in southern Ethiopia. Methods In 2021, patients with P. vivax mono-infection and uncomplicated malaria were enrolled and treated with 25 mg/kg CQ for 3 consecutive days. Patients were followed for 28 days according to WHO guidelines. The data were analysed using per-protocol (PP) and Kaplan‒Meier (K‒M) analyses to estimate the risk of recurrent P. vivax parasitaemia on day 28. Results A total of 88 patients were enrolled, 78 (88.6%) of whom completed the 28 days of follow-up. Overall, 76 (97.4%) patients had adequate clinical and parasitological responses, and two patients had late parasitological failures. The initial therapeutic response was rapid, with 100% clearance of asexual parasitaemia within 48 h. Conclusion Despite previous reports of declining chloroquine efcacy against P. vivax, CQ retains high therapeutic efcacy in southern Ethiopia, supporting the current national treatment guidelines. Ongoing clinical monitoring of CQ efcacy supported by advanced molecular methods is warranted to inform national surveillance and ensure optimal treatment guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Opole Studies in Administration & Law (OSAO) / Opolskie Studia Administracyjno-Prawne (OSAP) is the property of University of Opole / Uniwersytet Opolski and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Syntax Idea is the property of Ridwan Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: The study evaluated sub-microscopic malaria infections in pregnancy using two malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (mRDTs), microscopy and RT-PCR and characterized Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (Pfdhfr) and Plasmodium falciparum dihydropteroate synthase (Pfdhps) drug resistant markers in positive samples. Methods: This was a cross sectional survey of 121 pregnant women. Participants were finger pricked, blood drops were collected for rapid diagnosis with P. falciparum histidine-rich protein 11 rapid diagnostic test kit and the ultra-sensitive Alere Pf malaria RDT, Blood smears for microscopy and dried blood spots on Whatman filter paper for molecular analysis were made. Real time PCR targeting the var acidic terminal sequence (varATS) gene of P. falciparum was carried out on a CFX 96 real time system thermocycler (BioRad) in discriminating malaria infections. For each run, laboratory strain of P. falciparum 3D7 and nuclease free water were used as positive and negative controls respectively. Additionally, High resolution melt analyses was employed for genotyping of the different drug resistance markers. Results: Out of one hundred and twenty-one pregnant women sampled, the SD Bioline™ Malaria Ag P.f HRP2-based malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) detected eight (0.06%) cases, the ultra-sensitive Alere™ malaria Ag P.f rapid diagnostic test mRDT had similar outcome in the same samples as detected by the HRP2-based mRDT. Microscopy and RT-PCR confirmed four out of the eight infections detected by both rapid diagnostic tests as true positive and RT-PCR further detected three false negative samples by the two mRDTs providing a sub-microscopic malaria prevalence of 3.3%. Single nucleotide polymorphism in Pfdhps gene associated with sulphadoxine resistance revealed the presence of S613 mutant genotypes in three of the seven positive isolates and isolates with mixed wild/mutant genotype at codon A613S. Furthermore, four mixed genotypes at the A581G codon were also recorded while the other Pfdhps codons (A436G, A437G and K540E) showed the presence of wild type alleles. In the Pfdhfr gene, there were mutations in 28.6%, 28.6%, and 85.7% at the I51, R59 and N108 codons respectively. Mixed wild and mutant type genotypes were also observed in 28.6% each of the N51I, and C59R codons. For the Pfcrt, two haplotypes CVMNK and CVIET were observed. The SVMNT was altogether absent. Triple mutant CVIET 1(14.3%) and triple mutant + wild genotype CVIET + CVMNK 1(14.3%) were observed. The Pfmdr1 haplotypes were single mutants YYND 1(14.3%); NFND 1(14.3%) and double mutants YFND 4(57.1%); YYDD 1(14.3%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) kit is one of the techniques for diagnosing malaria. Due to its inherent advantages over the microscopy technique, several brands of the kit have flooded malaria endemic countries, without prior in-country evaluation. Two of such mRDT kits are Oscar (India) and Standard Q (Korea Republic). In this study, the performance of Oscar and Standard Q mRDT kits were compared to First Response (India) and CareStart (USA) mRDTs, which have been evaluated and deployed for use approved by the Ministry of Health (MOH). In this comparative study, whole blood samples were collected from patients suspected of malaria. Plasmodium falciparum was detected in each sample using nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR), microscopy and the four mRDTs. The sensitivities, specificities, accuracies, positive and negative predictive values and accuracies of the mRDTs were determined using nPCR as a reference technique. Kappa statistic was used to determine the level of agreement among the techniques. Two hundred (200) blood samples were analyzed in this study. The overall detection rates of P. falciparum by microscopy, First Response, CareStart, Oscar-PfHRP2, Standard Q mRDT kits and nPCR were 31.5%, 34.5%, 33.5%, 32%, 31% and 43% (x2 = 6.1, p = 0.046), respectively. The accuracies of CareStart and First Response were comparable (90.5% vs. 89.5%). Further, comparing their sensitivities, Oscar-PfHRP2 was 74.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 63.9–83.2) while that of Standard Q was 72.1% (95% CI: 61.4–81.2), with comparable accuracies (Oscar-PfHRP2–89% and Standard Q -88%). Apart from First Response that was 98.3% specific, the others were 100% specific. Kappa test revealed perfect diagnostic agreement (κ = 0.90–0.98) among the four mRDTs. That notwithstanding, Oscar-PfHRP2 agreed better with CareStart (κ = 0.94) and First Response (κ = 0.92) compared to the agreement between Standard Q and, CareStart (κ = 0.92) and First Response (κ = 0.90). Taken together, the diagnostic performance of the four mRDT kits were statistically similar. That notwithstanding, new mRDT kits should be evaluated prior to deployment for use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) play a signifcant role in expanding case management in peripheral healthcare systems. Histidine-rich protein-2 (HRP2) antigen detection RDTs are predominantly used to diagnose Plasmodium falciparum infection. However, the evolution and spread of P. falciparum parasite strains with deleted hrp2/3 genes, causing false-negative results, have been reported. This study assessed the diagnostic performance of HRP2- detecting RDTs for P. falciparum cases and the prevalence of pfhrp2/3 deletions among symptomatic patients seeking malaria diagnosis at selected health facilities in southern Ethiopia. Methods A multi-health facilities-based cross-sectional study was conducted on self-presenting febrile patients seeking treatment in southern Ethiopia from July to September 2022. A purposive sampling strategy was used to enroll patients with microscopically confrmed P. falciparum infections. A capillary blood sample was obtained to prepare a blood flm for microscopy and a RDT using the SD Bioline™ Malaria Pf/Pv Test. Dried blood spot samples were collected for further molecular analysis. DNA was extracted using gene aid kits and amplifcation was performed using nested PCR assay. Exon 2 of hrp2 and hrp3, which are the main protein-coding regions, was used to confrm its deletion. The diagnostic performance of RDT was evaluated using PCR as the gold standard test for P. falciparum infections. Results Of 279 P. falciparum PCR-confrmed samples, 249 (89.2%) had successful msp-2 amplifcation, which was then genotyped for hrp2/3 gene deletions. The study revealed that pfhrp2/3 deletions were common in all health centres, and it was estimated that 144 patients (57.8%) across all health facilities had pfhrp2/3 deletions, leading to falsenegative PfHRP2 RDT results. Deletions spanning exon 2 of hrp2, exon 2 of hrp3, and double deletions (hrp2/3) accounted for 68 (27.3%), 76 (30.5%), and 33 (13.2%) of cases, respectively. The study fndings revealed the prevalence of P. falciparum parasites lacking a single pfhrp2-/3-gene and that both genes varied across the study sites. This study also showed that the sensitivity of the SD Bioline PfHRP2-RDT test was 76.5% when PCR was used as the reference test. Conclusion This study confrmed the existence of widespread pfhrp2/3- gene deletions, and their magnitude exceeded the WHO-recommended threshold (>5%). False-negative RDT results resulting from deletions in Pfhrp2/3- afect a country’s attempts at malaria control and elimination. Therefore, the adoption of non-HRP2-based RDTs as an alternative measure is required to avoid the consequences associated with the continued use of HRP-2-based RDTs, in the study area in particular and in Ethiopia in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prompt malarial treatment and surveillance is crucial for accurate diagnosis of Plasmodium Sp. Gold standard microscopic examination has been widely applied for diagnosis of malaria in most part of the endemic areas. But in case of submicroscopic and asymptomatic microscopic diagnosis is questioned. The study aims to develop a simple, cost effective & robust nucleic acid amplification technique for the detection of malaria parasite. Methods: Study population included 50 clinically diagnosed positive malaria patient samples from various pathological laboratories. Microscopy by preparing thick film was carried out of every sample for primary screening in the available facility of Surat Raktadan Kendra & Research Centre- Blood Bank. The conventional PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) was applied for genus-specific amplification targeting the 18 S rRNA gene of Plasmodium. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to separate and analyze the amplified PCR product using 2% Agarose gel. Results and Conclusion: The study shows that nested PCR not only detected all microscopic positive samples, but also detected submicroscopic infections that were missed or misread by microscopy. Hence, the sensitivity of molecular based detection technique is proved to be more compared to microscopic examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landfills are a significant source of fugitive methane (CH 4) emissions, which should be precisely and regularly monitored to reduce and mitigate net greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, we present long-term, in situ, near-surface, mobile atmospheric CH 4 mole fraction measurements (complemented by meteorological measurements from a fixed station) from 21 campaigns that cover approximately 4 years from September 2016 to December 2020. These campaigns were utilized to regularly quantify the total CH 4 emissions from an active landfill in France. We use a simple atmospheric inversion approach based on a Gaussian plume dispersion model to derive CH 4 emissions. Together with the measurements near the soil surface, mainly dedicated to the identification of sources within the landfill, measurements of CH 4 made on the landfill perimeter (near-field) helped us to identify the main emission areas and to provide some qualitative insights about the rank of their contributions to total emissions from the landfill. The two main area sources correspond, respectively, to a covered waste sector with infrastructure with sporadic leakages (such as wells, tanks, pipes, etc.) and to the last active sector receiving waste during most of the measurement campaigns. However, we hardly managed to extract a signal representative of the overall landfill emissions from the near-field measurements, which limited our ability to derive robust estimates of the emissions when assimilating them in the atmospheric inversions. The analysis shows that the inversions based on the measurements from a remote road further away from the landfill (far-field) yielded reliable estimates of the total emissions but provided less information on the spatial variability of emissions within the landfill. This demonstrates the complementarity between the near- and far-field measurements. According to these inversions, the total CH 4 emissions have a large temporal variability and range from ∼ 0.4 to ∼ 7 t CH 4 d -1 , with an average value of ∼ 2.1 t CH 4 d -1. We find a weak negative correlation between these estimates of the CH 4 emissions and atmospheric pressure for the active landfill. However, this weak emission–pressure relationship is based on a relatively small sample of reliable emission estimates with large sampling gaps. More frequent robust estimations are required to better understand this relationship for an active landfill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria eradication efforts in resource-limited areas require a rapid, economical, and accurate tool for detecting of the low parasitemia. The malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) is the most suitable for on-site detection of the deadliest form of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum. However, the deletions of histidine rich protein 2 and 3 genes are known to compromise the effectiveness of mRDT. One of the approaches that have been explored intensively for on-site diagnostics is the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). LAMP is a one-step amplification that allows the detection of Plasmodium species in less than an hour. Thus, this study aims to present a new primer set to enhance the performance of a colorimetric LAMP (cLAMP) for field application. The primer binding regions were selected within the A-type of P. falciparum 18S rRNA genes, which presents a dual gene locus in the genome. The test result of the newly designed primer indicates that the optimal reaction condition for cLAMP was 30 minutes incubation at 65°C, a shorter incubation time compared to previous LAMP detection methods that typically takes 45 to 60 minutes. The limit of detection (LoD) for the cLAMP using our designed primers and laboratory-grown P. falciparum (3D7) was estimated to be 0.21 parasites/μL which was 1,000-fold higher than referencing primers. Under optimal reaction condition, the new primer sets showed the sensitivity (100%, 95% CI: 80.49–100%) and specificity (100%, 95% CI: 94.64–100%) with 100% (95% CI: 95.70–100%) accuracy on the detection of dried blood spots from Malawi (n = 84). Briefly, the newly designed primer set for P. falciparum detection exhibited high sensitivity and specificity compared to referenced primers. One great advantage of this tool is its ability to be detected by the naked eye, enhancing field approaches. Thus, this tool has the potential to be effective for accurate early parasite detection in resource-limited endemic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulosic biomass is a raw material appropriate for obtaining a wide variety of value-added products through different technologies. In the oil palm agroindustry, only 10% of the total products are oils. The remaining 90% is represented by lignocellulosic biomass and effluents. As these residual materials have enormous potential to produce bioproducts, several strategies have been proposed to aggregate value for all plant constituents, further supporting the development of the oil palm industry. This review summarizes the advances in using lignocellulosic residues from the oil palm industry to obtain sugars, biomaterials, bio-oils, biofuels, and animal feed. Additionally, it presents and discusses the integration of mushroom-forming fungal cultivation on these lignocellulosic residues to enable value-added products such as enzymes, edible mushrooms, and animal feed. The technologies and products in development indicate the potential establishment of a biorefinery based on oil palm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until 2020, Djiboutian health authorities relied on histidine-rich protein-2 (HRP2)-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to establish the diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum. The rapid spread of P. falciparum histidine-rich protein-2 and -3 (pfhrp2/3) gene-deleted parasite strains in Djibouti has led the authorities to switch from HRP2-based RDTs to lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)-based RDTs targeting the plasmodial lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) specific for P. falciparum and P. vivax (RapiGEN BIOCREDIT Malaria Ag Pf/Pv pLDH/pLDH) in 2021. This study was conducted with the primary objective of evaluating the diagnostic performance of this alternative RDT. Operational constraints related, in particular, to the implementation of this RDT during the COVID-19 pandemic were also considered. The performance of BIOCREDIT Malaria Ag Pf/Pv (pLDH/pLDH) RDT was also compared to our previously published data on the performance of two HRP2-based RDTs deployed in Djibouti in 2018–2020. The diagnosis of 350 febrile patients with suspected malaria in Djibouti city was established using two batches of RapiGEN BIOCREDIT Malaria Ag Pf/Pv (pLDH/pLDH) RDT over a two-year period (2022 and 2023) and confirmed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of P. falciparum were 88.2% and 100%, respectively. For P. vivax, the sensitivity was 86.7% and the specificity was 100%. Re-training and closer supervision of the technicians between 2022 and 2023 have led to an increased sensitivity to detect P. falciparum (69.8% in 2022 versus 88.2% in 2023; p < 0.01). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis highlighted a better performance in the diagnosis of P. falciparum with pLDH-based RDTs compared with previous HRP2-based RDTs. In Djibouti, where pfhrp2-deleted strains are rapidly gaining ground, LDH-based RDTs seem to be more suitable for diagnosing P. falciparum than HRP2-based RDTs. Awareness-raising and training for technical staff have also been beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical infections are common in South Asia, including India. However, coinfections among the different diseases are rare in children. We report a case of malaria-scrub typhus coinfection in a toddler from South India. A 3-year-old boy presented with fever. He was pale, dull-looking and had hepatosplenomegaly.. There was mild leukocytosis with positive C reactive protein. Rapid malarial antigen was positive, and started on antimalarial therapy. Fever was persisting after 48 h and doxycycline was started. Scrub typhus immunoglobulin M was positive. He responded dramatically to doxycycline, and in 24 hours, he became afebrile. The prevalence of this coinfection was studied by Wilairatana et al. in 2021 and showed a low prevalence of 0%-1%. Our case is unique and rare as this has not been reported in a toddler. Children with acute undifferentiated fever which is not responding to therapy within 48 hours must be investigated for concurrent infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]