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In vitro culture is not only known for the mass propagation of medicinal plants, it can also be used to boost the accumulation of useful metabolites. This work was aimed at studying the potential of elicitation on the accumulation of antioxidant secondary metabolites in different Musa species accessions. Shoot cultures of selected six Musa spp. accessions were micropropagated on Murashige and Skoog mineral-based culture medium, supplemented with indole-3-acetic acid and 6-benzylaminopurine. Different temperatures (15, 20 and 26 °C), doses of sucrose (30–50 g/L) and jasmonic acid concentrations (JA, 50–200 µM) were used as elicitors in the culture medium. High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) coupled with effect-directed analysis (EDA) was used to compare and characterize all the 71 Musa spp. samples from the selected accessions and to reveal compound zones with antioxidant, antidiabetic and anticholinesterase activities. All elicitation and plant tissue culture experiments increased the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of the selected Musa spp. accessions. Extracts from plants grown at 20 °C gave the highest TPC and antioxidant activity. Addition of JA (200 µM) and higher sucrose contents (40 g/L or 45 g/L) increased the TPC and antioxidant activity as well. Not only compounds with antioxidant, but also antidiabetic and anticholinesterase activities were detected in the elicited accessions. The system presented in this study could serve as a sustainable, consistent and reliable alternative means of bioactive metabolites supply for the production of biopharmaceuticals. Antioxidant and phenolic content in Musa spp. can be increased by growing Musa shoot cultures at 20 °C, adding sucrose at 40 or 45 g/L and jasmonic acid (200 µM).

Crop landraces have unique local agroecological and societal functions and offer important genetic resources for plant breeding. Recognition of the value of landrace diversity and concern about its erosion on farms have led to sustained efforts to establish ex situ collections worldwide. The degree to which these efforts have succeeded in conserving landraces has not been comprehensively assessed. Here we modelled the potential distributions of eco-geographically distinguishable groups of landraces of 25 cereal, pulse and starchy root/tuber/fruit crops within their geographic regions of diversity. We then analysed the extent to which these landrace groups are represented in genebank collections, using geographic and ecological coverage metrics as a proxy for genetic diversity. We find that ex situ conservation of landrace groups is currently moderately comprehensive on average, with substantial variation among crops; a mean of 63% ± 12.6% of distributions is currently represented in genebanks. Breadfruit, bananas and plantains, lentils, common beans, chickpeas, barley and bread wheat landrace groups are among the most fully represented, whereas the largest conservation gaps persist for pearl millet, yams, finger millet, groundnut, potatoes and peas. Geographic regions prioritized for further collection of landrace groups for ex situ conservation include South Asia, the Mediterranean and West Asia, Mesoamerica, sub-Saharan Africa, the Andean mountains of South America and Central to East Asia. With further progress to fill these gaps, a high degree of representation of landrace group diversity in genebanks is feasible globally, thus fulfilling international targets for their ex situ conservation. ispartof: NATURE PLANTS vol:8 issue:5 pages:491-+ ispartof: location:England status: published

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.)) is an important crop for food security in Senegal; therefore, understanding the genetic diversity of local germplasm is relevant for crop improvement and genetic maintenance in the era of climate change. For this purpose, 15 microsatellite markers were used to estimate the genetic diversity of Senegalese cowpea germplasm, including 671 accessions grown in eight regions and 66 wild relatives and intermediate forms (weedy). For the cultivated, the main expected heterozygosity (mHe) ranged between 0.317 (Fatick) and 0.439 (South). A narrow genetic variation between accessions from the different regions was observed with genetic similarity ranging from 0.861 to 0.965 and genetic differentiation indices (Fst) between 0.018 and 0.100. The accessions from southern Senegal (Kédougou, Sédhiou, and Kolda regions) are more diverse than the others. However, the accessions from the North (Saint-Louis) are genetically different from other regions. The diversity analysis in wild relatives from Senegal, which had never been performed before, revealed that the wild/weedy forms remain more diverse than the cultivated with genetic diversity values (He) of 0.389 and 0.480, respectively. STRUCTURE software divided the Senegalese germplasm into five subpopulations. Three of them (i, ii, and iii) included only cultivated accessions from several regions, one (v) mainly from Saint-Louis, and one (iv) the wild/weedy with some cultivated accessions. Our results support the hypothesis that Vigna unguiculata var. spontanea is the wild progenitor of cowpea. The accessions from the South, the northern recession accessions, and the wild/weedy could serve as sources of new genes for the genetic improvement of cowpea in Senegal.

Background As the global burden of malaria decreases, routine health information systems (RHIS) have become invaluable for monitoring progress towards elimination. The District Health Information System, version 2 (DHIS2) has been widely adopted across countries and is expected to increase the quality of reporting of RHIS. In this study, we evaluated the quality of reporting of key indicators of childhood malaria from January 2014 through December 2017, the first 4 years of DHIS2 implementation in Senegal. Methods Monthly data on the number of confirmed and suspected malaria cases as well as tests done were extracted from the Senegal DHIS2. Reporting completeness was measured as the number of monthly reports received divided by the expected number of reports in a given year. Completeness of indicator data was measured as the percentage of non-missing indicator values. We used a quasi-Poisson model with natural cubic spline terms of month of reporting to impute values missing at the facility level. We used the imputed values to take into account the percentage of malaria cases that were missed due to lack of reporting. Consistency was measured as the absence of moderate and extreme outliers, internal consistency between related indicators, and consistency of indicators over time. Results In contrast to public facilities of which 92.7% reported data in the DHIS2 system during the study period, only 15.3% of the private facilities used the reporting system. At the national level, completeness of facility reporting increased from 84.5% in 2014 to 97.5% in 2017. The percentage of expected malaria cases reported increased from 76.5% in 2014 to 94.7% in 2017. Over the study period, the percentage of malaria cases reported across all districts was on average 7.5% higher (P Conclusions The quality of reporting for malaria indicators in the Senegal DHIS2 has improved over time and the data are suitable for use to monitor progress in malaria programs, with an understanding of their limitations. Senegalese health authorities should maintain the focus on broader adoption of DHIS2 reporting by private facilities, the sustainability of district-level data quality reviews, facility-level supervision and feedback mechanisms at all levels of the health system.

Mobile phones are increasingly used in community health programmes, but the use of video job-aids that can be displayed on smart phones has not been widely exploited. We investigated the use of video job-aids to support the delivery of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) in countries in West and Central Africa. The study was prompted by the need for training tools that could be used in a socially distanced manner during the COVID-19 pandemic. Animated videos were developed in English, French, Portuguese, Fula and Hausa, illustrating key steps for administering SMC safely, including wearing masks, washing hands, and social distancing. Through a consultative process with the national malaria programmes of countries using SMC, successive versions of the script and videos were reviewed to ensure accurate and relevant content. Online workshops were held with programme managers to plan how to use the videos in SMC staff training and supervision, and the use of the videos was evaluated in Guinea through focus groups and in-depth interviews with drug distributors and other staff involved in SMC delivery and through direct observations of SMC administration. Programme managers found the videos useful as they reinforce messages, can be viewed at any time and repeatedly, and when used during training sessions, provide a focus of discussion and support for trainers and help retain messages. Managers requested that local specificities of SMC delivery in their setting be included in tailored versions of the video for their country, and videos were required to be narrated in a variety of local languages. In Guinea, SMC drug distributors found the video covered the all the essential steps and found the video easy to understand. However, not all key messages were followed as some of the safety measures, social distancing and wearing masks, were perceived by some as creating mistrust amongst communities. Video job-aids can potentially provide an efficient means of reaching large numbers of drug distributors with guidance for safe and effective distribution of SMC. Not all distributors use android phones, but SMC programmes are increasingly providing drug distributors with android devices to track delivery, and personal ownership of smartphones in sub-Saharan Africa is growing. The use of video job-aids for community health workers to improve the quality delivery of SMC, or of other primary health care interventions, should be more widely evaluated.

Molecular data and analysis outputs are being integrated into malaria surveillance efforts to provide valuable programmatic insights for national malaria control programs (NMCPs). A plethora of studies from diverse geographies have demonstrated that malaria parasite genetic data can be an important tool for drug resistance monitoring, species identification, outbreak analysis, and transmission characterization. Despite many successful research efforts, there are still important knowledge gaps hindering practical translation of each of these use cases for NMCPs. Here, we leverage epidemiological modeling and time-series data of 2035 genetic sequences collected in Thiès, Senegal from 2006-2018 to provide a quantitative and setting-specific assessment of the levels, trends, and connectivity of malaria transmission. We also identify the genetic features that are the most informative for inferring transmission in Thiès, such as the fraction of the population with multiple infections and the persistence of parasite lineages across multiple transmission seasons. The model fitting and uncertainty quantification framework also reveals a significant decrease in the level of malaria transmission around 2013. This difference coincides with a large-scale drought and bed net campaign by the NMCP and USAID and is independently corroborated by geo-spatial models of incidence in Thiès. We find that genetically identical samples are more likely to be geographically clustered even at the neighborhood scale; and moreover, these lineages propagate non-randomly around the city. Our approach and results provide quantitative guidance for the interpretation of malaria parasite genetic data from Thiès, Senegal and indicates the value of increased malaria genomic surveillance for NMCPs.

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a monocotyledonous herbaceous vine plant grown in the tropics and subtropics. It is a multi-species plant with varied intra- and interspecific ploidy levels. Of the 600 species, 11 are cultivated staple supporting the livelihood of over 300 million people. The paucity of information on ploidy and the genomic constitution is a significant challenge to the crop’s genetic improvement through crossbreeding. The objective of this study was to investigate the ploidy levels of 236 accessions across six cultivated and two wild species using chromosome counting, flow cytometry and genotyping-based ploidy determination methods. Results obtained from chromosome counting and genotyping-based ploidy determination were in agreement. In majority of the accessions, chromosome counting and flow cytometry were congruent, allowing future rapid screening of ploidy levels using flow cytometry. Among cultivated accessions, 168 (71%) were diploid, 50 (21%) were triploid, and 12 (5%) were tetraploid. Two wild species included in the study were diploids. Resolution of ploidy level in yams offers opportunities for implementing successful breeding programmes through intra- and inter-specific hybridization.

International audience; Cette communication s’appuie sur une étude menée en Algérie, Côte-d’ivoire, Liban, Sénégal et Tunisie, à l’occasion de la crise sanitaire du Covid-19. À partir d’entretiens et de questionnaires contextualisés, elle a étudié les mouvements citoyens en ligne et hors ligne. Elle s’est posée la question des possibles transformations des formes traditionnelles et autoritaires de contrôle social et des dynamiques citoyennes. Il en ressort plutôt un renforcement de phénomènes existant que de véritables transformations.

Additional file 1. Schematic of Richard Toll sample analysis. A total of 759 samples were received and genotyping yielded 649 samples that passed genotyping (5 or fewer missing alleles in the 24-SNP barcode). Of these 649 samples, 473 were monogenomic (0, or 1 mixed allele in the 24-SNP barcode).

Additional file 8. Map of infections. A. Map of infections collected in 2015 and relative location of Thiès. The distance between Richard Toll and Thiès is approximately 150 miles. The sites of households from which samples were collected in 2015 are shown, with red indicating infections in individuals with a travel history and blue indicating infections from individuals with no travel history (see B). No household locations were collected in any other year. B. Inset from panel A is shown enlarged to indicate the relative locations of households from which parasite infections were identified in 2015. Infections identified in individuals who reported a travel history are shown in red, while those from individuals who reported no recent travel are shown in blue. Tear drop markers indicate infections identified through reactive active case detection (RACD), with index case marked red for positive travel history or blue for no travel history. All of these RACD households with a travel history (red teardrops) had parasites that were different from one another; and all these RACD households with no travel history (blue teardrops) shared genotype infections, with one exception being the household in dark blue in the center of Richard Toll (identified with an asterisk). This household had parasites that were genetically distinct but the index case reported no recent travel. C. Location of passive case detection infections that share a parasite genotype. To provide an example of household location where shared infections were identified by passive case detection at four households with the same parasite genotype are shown in blue teardrops, and a different parasite genotype found among two households are shown in red teardrops. The two infections from the red household were both detected on the same date at the clinic. The infections for the blue households occurred on different dates: (1) September 7; (2) September 12; (3) November 8; (4) November 10. Note that household 4 was positive for additional infections and corresponds to the household in panel B as indicated by the red arrow. The geographic distance between household 1 and 2 is 3.3 miles; between household 2 and 3 is 14 miles and between household 3 and 4 is 0.8 miles.

Musa acuminata (Musaceae) is a wild species native to South East Asia. In addition to its potential as a food crop, different non-food morphological parts of the plant have been investigated for various pharmacological activities, including anticholinesterase and antioxidant activity. This study aimed to characterize Musa leaf extracts based on their phenolic composition and their agro-morphological traits. A metabolomic approach was applied to discover biomarkers that can be used to separate eight accessions of the species originating from five different countries. Statistical analysis was employed for data analysis. The antioxidant activity and total phenolic content was measured by Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay and Folin–Ciocalteu colorimetric method, respectively. Over 500 metabolites were observed. Thirty-one of them were important for defining variations among the accessions. The identities of some of these markers were confirmed based on their MS2 fragmentation. These include Quercetin O-rhamnoside-O hexoside (m/z 609), Kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (m/z 593), Quercetin O hexoside (m/z 463), Hexadecanoic acid (m/z 255), Rhamnoside-O-rutinoside (m/z 623). Country of origin and methods of extraction did not play any significant role in the separation, although extraction of accessions by Soxhlet gave better yield (20.0–60.0%) than by sonication (18.4–23.0%). Accession TMp 24 from Nigeria gave the highest yield in both methods of extraction. The sonicated accession TMb 8 exhibited highest antioxidant activity having FRAP values of 49.14 mg GAE/g and 125.10 mg TROLOX/g. The next accession in FRAP activity was the sonicated leaf extract of TMb 116 with 31.69 mg GAE/g and 121.57 mg TROLOX/g. The PCA analysis allowed the separation of the accessions into two groups. The metabolomics approach was found to be informative as a screening tool of the Musa accessions. The extracts showed good antioxidant activity and can be a potential source of bioactive metabolites for industrial use.

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a monocotyledonous herbaceous vine plant grown in the tropics and subtropics. It is a multi-species plant with varied intra- and interspecific ploidy levels. Of the 600 species, 11 are cultivated supporting the livelihood of over 300 million people. The paucity of information on ploidy and the genomic constitution is a significant challenge to the crop’s genetic improvement through crossbreeding. The objective of this study was to investigate the ploidy levels of 236 accessions across six cultivated and two wild species using chromosome counting, flow cytometry and genotyping-based ploidy determination methods. Results obtained from chromosome counting and genotyping-based ploidy determination were in agreement. In majority of the accessions, chromosome counting and flow cytometry were congruent, allowing future rapid screening of ploidy levels using flow cytometry. Among cultivated accessions, 168 (71%) were diploid, 50 (21%) were triploid, and 12 (5%) were tetraploid. Two wild species included in the study were diploids. Resolution of ploidy level in yams offers opportunities for implementing successful breeding programmes through intra- and interspecific hybridization.

Development of core collection representing the diversity in the entire germplasm creates a better access and enhanced utilization of the main collection thus allowing rapid evaluation in crop improvement programs. Core collections are dynamic in nature and needs revisiting when additional germplasm and information becomes available. In the current study, an attempt was made to re-define the previously developed yam (Dioscorea spp) core collection using 56 morphological traits. Information on additional acquired germplasm and presence of duplicates or mislabelled accessions in the entire collection was also used. The re-defined core collection consisted of 843 accessions and represented about 20% of the entire collection. It included six Dioscorea species, of which accessions of Dioscorea rotundata are in the majority (73.54%) followed by Dioscorea alata (21.35%), Dioscorea bulbifera (1.66%), Dioscorea cayenensis (1.42%), Dioscorea dumetorum (1.42%) and Dioscorea esculenta (0.59%). The Shannon weaver diversity index and principal component analysis revealed the maximum diversity captured in the core from the base collection. This re-defined core collection is more valuable than the original core since it represents true-to-type accessions ensuring reliability for enhanced utilization of germplasm in yam improvement programs.

Introduction: Tuberculous tenosynovitis localization is rare. This unusual presentation, often misunderstood, results in frequent misdiagnosis. We report 4 cases of patients which represent the 3 anatomo-clinical forms described by Kanavel. The knowledge of its different manifestations will make it possible to recognize and to suspect the tuberculous origin. Case Report: This was a retrospective study from January 2006 to May 2017 which involved all patients received and treated with tuberculous tenosynovitis. Of the 4 case studies presented here, there were 3 men and 1 woman, aged, respectively, 23, 30, 40, and 30 years of age. They were all immunocompetent. The onset was, respectively, about 12, 6, 4, and 8 months. The localization was on the wrist for 3 cases (2 on the right and 1 on the left) and one on the palmar face of the second ray on the right hand. Signs of median nerve compression were found in 2 cases. Surgery was extensive, with a complete debridement in 3 patients. For the last one, a simple recess was made associated with a bacteriological sampling. Biopsy was performed for all patients. In the anatomo-clinical study, we observed 1 case of serofibrinous synovitis, 2 cases of rice-like synovitis, and 1 case of caseous synovitis. A rupture of the tendon ofthe flexor carpi radialis was observed in 1 case. All cases were confirmed histologically with the presence of granuloma gigantocellular with caseous necrosis. We have recorded 1 case ofbacteriological positivity in 3 cases requested. Patients had antituberculous chemotherapy after surgery for, respectively, 6, 8, 6, and 8 months. The progression was favorable with a regression of the signs of nerve compression. Revisited at, respectively, 4, 3, 5 years, and 34 months, we did not record any recurrence. The mobility of the wrist was complete and partial for the finger. Conclusion: Tenosynovitis tuberculous treatment is mostly medical. Early diagnosis enables the treatment to be started as soon as possible to avoid extensive surgery. For this reason, it is currently essential to use high sensitivity diagnostic methods of such as the polymerase chain reaction method and the Genexpert in any suspicion of the disease.

Musa species are used traditionally for the management of many diseases. The study evaluated and compared anticholinesterase, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities of Musa acuminata (Simili radjah, ABB) fruits and leaves fractions and characterized the bioactive compounds using HPTLC-HRMS and NMR. Leaf fractions gave the higher biological activities than the fruit. Ethyl acetate fraction of the leaf had the highest total phenolic content (911.9 ± 1.7 mg GAE/g) and highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH· ) scavenging activity (IC50, 9.0 ± 0.4 µg/ml). It also gave the most effective inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (IC50, 404.4 ± 8.0 µg/ml) and α-glucosidase (IC50, 4.9 ± 1.6 µg/ml), but a moderate α-amylase inhibition (IC50, 444.3 ± 4.0 µg/ml). The anti-inflammatory activity of n-butanol (IC50, 34.1 ± 2.6 µg/ml) and ethyl acetate fractions (IC50 , 43.1 ± 11.3 µg/ml) of the leaf were higher than the positive control, quercetin (IC50 , 54.8 ± 17.1 µg/ml). Kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (rutin) were identified as the bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antidiabetic activities from the ethyl acetate fraction of M. acuminata leaf. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: All parts of Musa acuminata are known to be useful ethnomedicinally even as food. The leaves are mostly used to serve food and used for wrapping purposes. However, this study concluded that M. acuminata leaf is rich in bioactive flavonoids such as kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and rutin, with relatively high antioxidative, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, aside the fact that the leaves can serve as potential drug leads for pharmaceutical industries, it can also be embraced in the food sector to produce supplements and/or nutraceuticals in the management of Alzheimer's, diabetes and other inflammatory diseases.

Wild yams (Dioscorea spp.) are medicinal plants rich in secondary metabolites of pharmacological interest, mostly allantoin and steroidal saponins. Their natural populations are overexploited and endangered. Cultivated yams could represent an alternative source of metabolites if interesting varieties could be selected. The objectives of the present study were to develop an HPTLC protocol for the simultaneous quantification of allantoin and steroidal saponins in dried yam powders, to compare species and varieties originating from distant geographical origins and to assess their potential as a source of secondary metabolites. Overall, 1151 accessions belonging to six cultivated species were analysed (1000 acc. from Nigeria, and 146 acc. from Vanuatu) and were compared to five commercial powders of wild yam (D. villosa). Allantoin, dioscin, gracillin, protodioscin, protogracillin and five unknown saponins were quantified. Dioscorea villosa powders varied in content and composition, with allantoin ranging from 0.23 to 22.35 mg/g (DW) and total saponins from 37.36 to 129.97 mg/g. Allantoin was present in the six species, with highest values in D. bulbifera bulbils (20.38 mg/g) and D. cayenensis tubers (17.12 mg/g). Steroidal saponins were quantified in three species, D. cayenensis, D. esculenta and D. rotundata, but were absent in D. alata, D. bulbifera and D. dumetorum. Mean total saponins contents were 42.15 mg/g in D. cayenensis, 17.65 mg/g in D. esculenta and 17/44 mg/g in D. rotundata, with accessions presenting very high values in D. cayenensis (78.31 mg/g) and D. rotundata (69.65 mg/g). For both allantoin and saponins, variation was observed within tubers and the tuber peel was richer than the flesh. Cultivated yam species represent a sustainable source of allantoin and steroidal saponins which could be further increased through conventional breeding.

Bananas and plantains (Musa L. species) have medicinal applications against diseases such as hypoglycemia, hypertension, and neurological disorders, especially Alzheimer’s disease. The demand for these plants is growing very fast, resulting in a relatively heavy load on Musaceae genetic resources. The study evaluated and compared the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and antioxidant activity of field and in vitro plant materials of nine accessions of Musa spp. consisting of Tropical Musa banana (TMb: TMb 106, TMb 145, TMb 8, TMb 82, TMb 55) and Tropical Musa plantain (TMp: TMp 116, TMp 24, TMp 36) from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Musa sapientum (MS) from the University of Ibadan Botanical garden, Nigeria. Musa accessions were estimated onto Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.18 mg/L indole acetic acid (IAA) and 4.5 mg/L benzyl amino purine (BAP). The in vitro grown accessions behaved differently with TMb 8 having the highest average shoot length of 5.03 ± 0.66 cm, and average number of leaves of 5.65 ± 0.38 cm at the end of 6 weeks. Leaf extracts provide more quantity of phenolics, flavonoids and higher 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity than the fruit extracts. The AChEI activity of the field plants ranged from 60.54 ± 0.54 to 98.46 ± 0.09 % and in vitro plants from 61.88 ± 0.11 to 76.60 ± 0.34 % at 200 µg/mL. Crude methanol extract (CME) of the in vitro plants showed higher DPPH antioxidant activity than the field plants with IC50 (extract concentration providing 50 % inhibition) values ranging from 9.57 ± 0.24 to 48.37 ± 0.62 µg/mL compared with CME of the field samples, which had IC50 ranging from 75.86 ± 1.76 to 162.20 ± 3.77 µg/mL. Plant tissue culture can be a reliable alternative cultivation method for mass propagation and conservation of Musa species for the production of antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase metabolites.

Bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) are used as nutritious foods, and at the same time, are a source of phytoconstituents for the pharmaceutical industry. As biological activities of especially the pulp and peel of Musa spp. have been documented, this study investigated the variation in the secondary metabolite profiles of the leaves from field, in vitro-grown and acclimatized accessions. The genetic fidelity of the diverse accessions was assessed using diversity array technology sequencing. It showed that the in vitro-grown accessions were true-to-type with the field samples. The antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities of the samples from different culture systems (field and in vitro) were evaluated by UV-spectrophotometry and compared to high-performance thin-layer chromatography-effect-directed analysis (HPTLC-EDA). The latter was applied for the first time for effect-directed profiling of the polar and medium polar sample components via different biochemical and biological assays. Compound zones showed acetyl-/butylrylcholinesterase inhibition (zones 1-4), α-/β-glucosidase inhibition (zones 1 and 2) as well as antioxidative (zones 1-3) and antimicrobial (zone 4) activities. Structures were preliminary assigned by HPTLC-HRMS. The HPTLC was effective for bioactivity-guided characterization of the bioactive constituents in Musa spp. accessions. Accumulation of useful metabolites, especially compounds with antioxidant and anticholinesterase properties, was higher in samples from in vitro system. This validated the use of plant tissue culturing as an alternative method for large scale production of plant material and supply of bioactive constituents.

Plant in vitro vegetative propagation using classical semi-solid culture medium is limited due to the low degree of automation, suboptimal nutrient availability and induced physiological stress which often reduce its efficiency. Temporary Immersion System (TIS) emerged as an innovative approach to optimize and eliminate the drawbacks associated with the conventional system of micropropagation. In this study, both Dioscorea and Musa spp. were subjected to conventional semi-solid culture media, complete immersion in shaking liquid culture media and TIS using RITA bioreactor. In vitro grown plantlets were screened for possible vegetative changes using agro-morphological descriptors while genetic and methylation differences were assessed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP). In vitro results showed that the number of shoots produced in Musa spp. varied significantly (P≤0.001) with the type of culture system. The highest mean shoot produced was observed with TIS (28.40) and the least using semi-solid culture medium (1.13). For Dioscorea spp., there was no significant interaction between the hormone combination and the culture system. However, the lowest mean shoot value (1.55) was observed in the semi-solid culture medium. Genetic analysis via AFLP using 15 primer pair combinations revealed that the 3 culture systems maintained genetic variation for Musa and Dioscorea spp. under in vitro and field conditions. Results showed 99% and 91% of the total bands were polymorphic under in vitro and field conditions respectively for Musa and 100% polymorphism for Dioscorea under in vitro and field conditions. Methylation investigation via MSAP using 12 primer pair combinations showed 25% and 46% polymorphic methylated-sensitive loci, 100% and 78% of non-methylated loci of the total bands generated under in vitro and field conditions respectively. Unmethylated (HPA+/MSP+) levels were highest in TIS (0.0842) as compared to CI (0.0227) and SS (0.0161) while full methylation or absence of target (HPA-/MSP-) was lowest in TIS (0.5890) and highest in SS (0.7138). For Dioscorea, 52% and 53% methylated sensitive loci and 100% non-methylated loci were polymorphic under in vitro and field conditions respectively. Although in vitro plant tissue culture techniques led to methylation at some loci of both species, there were no observable changes in the phenotype of both crops under field conditions. This also confirmed that not all methylation events lead to phenotypic changes.

Dioscorea alata L. is one of the most widely grown and economically important yam species. Hundreds of accessions are maintained ex situ in germplasm collections and have been characterized with descriptors but new tools are still needed to assess tuber chemical composition. The objectives of the present study were to analyze saponins and catechins profiles in 388 D. alata cultivars (landraces) from distant geographical sources (Nigeria, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu) and to compare them with those of 162 selected hybrids. The relationships between these compounds and tuber flesh oxidation and browning were also studied in order to understand their possible role in the ancient cultivars selection process. Dioscin and gracillin, the most documented Dioscorea saponins, were absent among the 550 D. alata cultivars and hybrids analyzed using HP-TLC. Two saponins and four catechins were quantitated, including epicatechin. Mean total catechins and saponins values were very low for most cultivars and higher mean values were found in hybrids. Correlation coefficients revealed possible relationships between total saponins and catechins contents with speed of oxidation, presence of mucilage and flour colour. Distribution of cultivars values within each country indicate that these were mostly selected for their low saponins and catechins contents through simple visual assessment. Metabolite profiles can be used to improve the phenotyping efficiency of D. alata hybrids generated through conventional breeding.

Cryopreservation via droplet vitrification showed high efficiency for cassava meristems (79 pecent average recovery) when these were excised from in vitro seedlings. The efficiency of the process dropped considerably (to23 percent) when meristems were excised from field-grown plants, thus precluding the use of such explants for routine cryobanking. In yam, large disparities were observed in the ability of meristems to produce a shoot after cryopreservation ranging from 0 to 60 percent, depending on the accession. Overall, better recovery was observed for Dioscorea rotundata than for D. alata, the two main species tested. Using a probabilistic decision support tool and taking into consideration our cryoprocessing capacity, we conclude that processing 100 meristems per accession and retrieving 30 to estimate the recovery rate of the batch are a good compromise for the cryobanking routine.

This study provides a physiological analysis of somatic embryogenesis in four elite cultivars of date palms: Ahmar, Amsekhsi, Tijib, and Amaside, from the initial callogenesis to establishment and proliferation of embryogenic suspension cultures. Somatic embryos development and in vitro plants rooting were also studied. For each step, auxins and cytokinins concentrations were optimised. The primary callogenesis from leaf explants of seedlings appeared highly dependent on genotype. Ahmar (80%) and Amsekhsi (76%) appeared highly callogenic, whereas Tijib (10%) and Amaside (2%) produced low amounts of calluses. 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid appeared favorable to the induction of primary callogenesis and its effect was enhanced by the addition of benzyl adenine or adenine sulfate. Secondary friable calli obtained from chopped granular calli were used to initiate embryogenic cell suspensions in media supplied with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Suspension cultures showed a growth rate of fourfold after four subcultures in presence of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid 2 mg/L. Our results showed that a seven-day transitory treatment with benzyl adenine 0,5 mg/L was necessary to optimize embryos development. Naphthalene acetic acid induced the development of primary orthogravitropic roots during embryos germination. The comparison with cytofluorometry of nuclear DNA amounts showed no significant difference in ploidy level between regenerated plants and seedlings.

To understand how the grassland use-value is creates, it is necessary to study and model the morphogenesis of plants. This study focuses on one part of the morphogenesis, the modelling of foliar growth using mathematical function. The aim of this study is to evaluate fitting performance of five functions on foliar growth kinetics. The five selected functions are: Logistic, Chanter, Gompertz, Hyperbola and Beta Growth function. To evaluate fitting performance of functions, data from a greenhouse experiment were used. These data are the kinetics of leaf growth of 1933 leaves from 10 genotypes under 4 light quality treatments. This experiment recreates genetic and light diversity as in field condition. The comparison of goodness of fit using criteria such as sum of squared errors (SSE), mean of squared errors (MSE) and Akaike's information criterion (AIC) shows that the Beta Growth function is the best function to model the ryegrass foliar growth.

In a sward, the quantity and quality of light are modified by the canopy, with in particular a decrease of red – far red ratio and a decrease of blue light. Plants react to these modifications by altering their shoot morphogenesis. In particular, in grasses, modification of light composition induces leaf growth changes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of light quality and quantity on leaf growth in a set of perennial ryegrass genotypes. Ten clones of ten perennial genotypes highly variable in leaf length were used. Four light treatments were applied: a standard treatment (transparent filter), decreased PAR (neutral filter decreasing all the wavelengths similarly), low red – far red ratio associated with low blue (green filter, simulating the effect of a canopy), and low blue (red filter). After a growing period of three weeks, plants were defoliated and the light treatments were applied. Leaves three and four following defoliation were measured in order to obtain leaf elongation rate (LER), leaf elongation duration (LED) and adult leaf length. Strong genotype and light effects were observed on all traits. The low blue treatment had a particularly large effect, increasing adult leaf length by increasing both LER and LED. The differences in adult leaf length between genotypes were explained by both LER and LED. The genotypic × treatment interaction was significant but low in comparison to the principal effects.

While callogenesis in date palm can be initiated by culturing immature leaf segments on medium containing 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), it is difficult to obtain callus from certain genotypes. To better understand the mechanisms of callogenesis in date palm, we studied the developmental events underlying this process at the cellular level. The callogenic capacity of leaf segments depends on the state of cell differentiation. The most callogenic segments were within the leaf elongation zone, required polar auxin transport to initiate callogenesis and contained the highest quantities of free endogenous indole- 3-acetic acid. At the cellular level, callus induction involves two spatially and temporally separated events. The first event involves cells from the fascicular parenchyma in an equatorial plane perpendicular to the vascular axis that within 2 days of culture in the presence of 2,4-D, acquire structural and ultrastructural features typically observed in meristematic cells. The second event occurs 3 days later and is characterised by the modification of adjacent perivascular sheath cells. The latter cells become callogenic in that they reinitiated their cell cycles and undergo cell division leading to callus formation. These data provide evidence that callus initiation in leaf vascular tissue of date palm involves a sequential response of two distinct cell types to auxin and requires polar auxin transport.

In date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L. cv. Ahmar, Arecaceae), as for many monocotyledons, callogenesis is a prerequisite for the initiation of somatic embryogenesis, and requires the presence of auxin in the medium. Immature leaf explants were cultivated in medium supplemented with either 1 or 54 μM 1-naphtaleneacetic acid in order to induce either rhizogenesis or callogenesis. Histological studies performed throughout the culture period established that precocious cell reactivation is similar in both morphogenetic pathways. Early cytological modifications are associated with cell reactivation and are observed in the pluripotent cells of perivascular sheaths. Divergence between the callogenesis and rhizogenesis pathways is observed later, during the subsequent determination and morphological differentiation phases. We established that in date palm, the rhizogenesis and callogenesis pathways are initiated from the same cell type, the ultimate developmental fate depending upon auxin concentration.

Class cohesion is considered as one of most important object-oriented software attributes. Cohesion refers to the degree of relatedness between members in a class. High cohesion is a desirable property of classes. Several metrics have been proposed in literature in order to measure class cohesion in object-oriented systems. They capture class cohesion in terms of connections between members within a class. Most of these metrics have been experimented and widely discussed. They do not take into account some characteristics of classes as stated in several papers. We present, in this paper, an extention of the cohesion metric we proposed in a previous work. We introduce a new cohesion criterion based on common objects parameters. Our main goal in this work was: (1) to demonstrate, by analyzing many real systems that the introduced criterion is statistically significant and, (2) to validate our approach for class cohesion assessment by exploring empirically the relationship that may exist between our new cohesion metric and coupling. We developed a cohesion measurement tool for Java programs and performed an empirical study on several systems. The selected test systems vary in size and domain. The obtained results demonstrate that: (1) the new class cohesion metric captures several additional pairs of related methods and (2) there exists a significant correlation between the new cohesion metric and coupling.

Background Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) enable point-of-care testing to be nearly as sensitive and specific as reference microscopy. The Senegal National Malaria Control Programme introduced RDTs in 2007, along with a case management algorithm for uncomplicated febrile illness, in which the first step stipulates that if a febrile patient of any age has symptoms indicative of febrile illness other than malaria (e.g., cough or rash), they would not be tested for malaria, but treated for the apparent illness and receive an RDT for malaria only if they returned in 48 h without improvement. Methods A year-long study in 16 health posts was conducted to determine the algorithm’s capacity to identify patients with Plasmodium falciparum infection identifiable by RDT. Health post personnel enrolled patients of all ages with fever (≥37.5 °C) or history of fever in the previous 2 days. After clinical assessment, a nurse staffing the health post determined whether a patient should receive an RDT according to the diagnostic algorithm, but performed an RDT for all enrolled patients. Results Over 1 year, 6039 patients were enrolled and 58% (3483) were determined to require an RDT according to the algorithm. Overall, 23% (1373/6039) had a positive RDT, 34% (1130/3376) during rainy season and 9% (243/2661) during dry season. The first step of the algorithm identified only 78% of patients with a positive RDT, varying by transmission season (rainy 80%, dry 70%), malaria transmission zone (high 75%, low 95%), and age group (under 5 years 68%, 5 years and older 84%). Conclusions In all but the lowest malaria transmission zone, use of the algorithm excludes an unacceptably large proportion of patients with malaria from receiving an RDT at their first visit, denying them timely diagnosis and treatment. While the algorithm was adopted within a context of malaria control and scarce resources, with the goal of treating patients with symptomatic malaria, Senegal has now adopted a policy of universal diagnosis of patients with fever or history of fever. In addition, in the current context of malaria elimination, the paradigm of case management needs to shift towards the identification and treatment of all patients with malaria infection.