Region Of Mali Research Articles

Subdomain 3 of Plasmodium falciparum VAR2CSA DBL3x Is Identified as a Minimal Chondroitin Sulfate A-binding Region

Molecular interactions between the VAR2CSA protein, expressed on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes, and placental chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) are primarily responsible for pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM). Interrupting these interactions may prevent or ameliorate the severity of PAM. Several of the Duffy binding-like (DBL) domains of VAR2CSA, including the DBL3x domain, have been shown to bind CSA in vitro, but a more detailed understanding of how DBL domains bind CSA is needed. In this study, we demonstrate that subdomain 3 (S3), one of the three subdomains of VAR2CSA DBL3x by itself, is the major contributor toward CSA binding. NMR spectroscopy and flow cytometry analyses show that S3 and the intact DBL3x domain bind CSA similarly. Mutations within the S3 portion of DBL3x markedly affect CSA binding. Both recombinant molecules, S3 and DBL3x, are recognized by antibodies in the plasma of previously pregnant women living in malaria-endemic regions of Mali, but much less so by plasma from men of the same regions. As the S3 sequence is highly conserved in all known VAR2CSA proteins expressed by different parasite isolates obtained from various malaria endemic areas of the world, the identification of S3 as an independent CSA-binding region provides a compelling molecular basis for designing interventions against PAM.

Field Assessment of Anthracnose Disease Response for the Sorghum Germplasm Collection from the Mopti Region

Problem statement: Sorghum anthracnose (Colletotrichum sublineolum) is a highly variable pathogen and new sources of host plant resistance are required for the development of resistant sorghum varieties. Germplasm collections are an important source of host plant resistance and screening germplasm will be essential to identify new sources of resistance. Approach: The sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) collection from the Mopti region of Mali was inoculated with Colletotrichum sublineolum and evaluated for foliar anthracnose disease response in Isabela, Puerto Rico during the 2004 and 2005 growing seasons using a partially balanced lattice design with three replications. Results: A resistant response was observed for 45 of the 97 accessions in the collection and mean infection severity for the 52 susceptible accessions was 27.6%. An association was observed between resistance and the administrative district where the germplasm was collected. More than 50% of the accessions from the Bandiagara and Bankass districts showed a resistant response. The lowest frequency of resistant germplasm was observed for the Mopti district with 25% of the accessions showing a resistant response. The susceptible accessions from the Mopti district, however, showed the lowest mean infection severity. Approximately 44% of the accessions from the Douentza district showed a resistant response with the susceptible accessions showing the highest mean infection severity. These results suggest an association between annual rainfall and anthracnose resistance, with sorghum accessions from drier regions showing greater susceptibility. Anthracnose resistance also showed an association with sorghum race classification and race guinea accessions were more frequently resistant as compared to accessions classified as race durra or durra-bicolor. Conclusion: The results indicated that anthracnose resistant sorghum germplasm is frequent in the Mopti region of Mali and that ecogeographic origin and sorghum characterization information can be used to aid in germplasm selection or germplasm acquisition to identify anthracnose resistant sources.

Multilevel modelling of sociodemographic predictors of various levels of anaemia among women in Mali

Anaemia currently affects 40-80% of women in Africa. While risk factors for anaemia have been intensively studied, research has rarely compared risk factors between mild anaemia and moderate/severe anaemia. Also, the contribution of neighbourhood to the prevalence of anaemia has been rarely studied. The aim of the present study was to identify and compare individual and contextual factors associated with various levels of anaemia among women. A multilevel analysis of data from the 2001 Mali Demographic and Health Survey (n 3763) was carried out. Outcomes variables were mild anaemia, moderate-to-severe anaemia and any anaemia. Multilevel regression analyses were performed for each outcome. Mali, West Africa. Women (n 3763) aged 15 to 49 years, including 512 pregnant women. Among the eleven potential risk factors included in the models, two factors were associated with mild anaemia (BMI and education), three with any anaemia (pregnancy, BMI and education) and six with moderate-to-severe anaemia (pregnancy, BMI, education, wealth, childhood residency and region of residence). Clustering of anaemia within communities was 20% for moderate-to-severe anaemia and 13% for mild anaemia. Despite significant differences in the prevalence of anaemia across regions in Mali, no difference between regions in the risk of mild anaemia was found and only the region of Gao showed a significantly higher risk of moderate-to-severe anaemia. The findings indicate that sociodemographic risk factors as well as clustering of anaemia varies with the severity of anaemia. Specific studies are needed to identify risk factors of mild anaemia as well as its consequences, as mild anaemia accounts for 20-40% of total prevalence of anaemia in Africa.

Technical support by Solthis for health-care workers in order to decentralise medical treatment for people living with HIV in the Ségou region of Mali

Medical treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS started in Mali as early as 1997 thanks to civil society. The national response was officialised by the adoption of the Malian Initiative for Access to Antiretroviral Therapy (Initiative Malienne d’Acces aux Antiretroviraux IMAARV). In 2004 ART, drugs against opportunistic infections and basic biological monitoring were made available free of charge by decree. In 2005, decentralisation of health-care to regions and circles became one of the main thrusts of the national strategy for the fight against the pandemic. Sub-Saharan African countries are making significant efforts to provide full geographical coverage of their national territory. It is in this “scaling-up” context that the Solthis NGO (Solidarite Therapeutique et Initiatives contre le Sida) began cooperating with Malian actors to extend access to quality treatment for patients living with HIV/AIDS in the city and region of Segou. Based on a developmental approach, Solthis opted for continuing in situ technical support for national actors in the fight against AIDS. Thanks to the daily presence of a team “in the field” Solthis devotes a large part of its activities to capacity-building for health-care workers through an exchange of medical and scientific expertise. Efforts were also made to improve health-care workers’ working conditions and to make various tests and drugs accessible to patients infected with HIV. The initial aim was to encourage universal access to ART. Today, the Segou programme supported by Solthis has developed over 1,500 new treatments in the region. In addition, every PMTCT centre in the region offers prevention and treatment services to mothers and children. Today, the Segou region is an integral part of the IMAARV initiative as a decentralisation pilot project.

Framing development: community and NGO perspectives in Mali

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, this paper analyzes how development is articulated by three distinct groups of actors, donors/development sponsors, facilitators/program staff, and the beneficiaries/local village residents, within a specific development situation in the Ouelessebougou region of Mali, West Africa. The findings indicate some overlap among these groups regarding what the development process is intended to produce, i.e. self-reliance. However, there are important disparities in the specific meanings attached to development by each group of actors. Similarly, there was little consensus regarding stakeholder views of the role that they played in the development process. This case study suggests that persistent failures with development can be attributed, in part, to this incongruence of approaches and worldviews and concludes with several recommendations for a more nuanced and responsive approach.

Carbon stock and sequestration potential of traditional and improved agroforestry systems in the West African Sahel

Carbon (C) sequestration potential of agroforestry systems has attracted worldwide attention following the recognition of agroforestry as a greenhouse gas mitigation strategy under the Kyoto Protocol. Our knowledge on this topic from the arid and semiarid regions such as the West African Sahel (WAS) is, however, very limited. To address this problem, a study was undertaken in the Ségou region of Mali (annual temperature: 29 °C; annual rainfall: 300–700 mm in 60–90 days; soils: Haplustalfs (USDA Soil Taxonomy)/Lixisol (FAO classification), loamy sand, low in fertility) on five land-use systems in farmers’ fields (two traditional parkland systems with Faidherbia albida and Vitellaria paradoxa as the dominant tree species, two improved agroforestry systems (live fence and fodder bank), and a so-called abandoned land, i.e., land that was previously under cultivation but was abandoned after it became unproductive). Carbon stock in the biomass was estimated by allometric equations and soil C stock was determined at three depths (0–10 cm, 10–40 cm and 40–100 cm). Biomass C stock ranged from 0.7 to 54.0 Mg C/ha, and total C stock (biomass C + soil C, 0–100 cm depth) from 28.7 to 87.3 Mg C/ha, indicating that a major portion of the total amount of C in the system is stored in the soil. Traditional parkland agroforestry systems had relatively larger C stock than the improved systems, but they seemed to have only limited potential for sequestering additional C. On the other hand, the improved systems showed higher potential for sequestering C from the atomsphere. The results show that soil C is a substantial component of the total C stock of the system, suggesting the importance of considering soil C in C sequestration calculations, which at present is not recognized by Kyoto Protocol. Carbon sequestration benefit is a promising incentive for introducing agroforestry practices and contributing to sustainable land-use in the WAS.

Fuelwood Consumption and Woody Biomass Accumulation in Mali, West Africa

The narrative that human consumption of fuelwood has induced savannization in sub-Saharan Africa has had wide support for centuries. By the mid-1990s, however, some authors found evidence that undermined the fuelwood-savannization theory. This project set out to add data to the debate by comparing fuelwood consumption to woody biomass accumulation in one village in Mali, West Africa. High, mean, and low fuelwood consumption rates were found to be 574, 380, and 291 kg per person per year respectively. Woody biomass accumulation was calculated at 1659.6 kg ha-1 year-1. Under the highest consumption rate, 0.35 ha of wooded land is needed to meet the fuelwood demand of one person. These figures, and evidence from observing fuelwood collection, undermine the notion that, at least in this region of Mali, fuelwood consumption is a driver of deforestation. The paper concludes by discussing forest management issues in the region and suggests areas for future research.

The Rejection of Formal Education in the 5 th Region of Mali

The Rejection of Formal Education in the 5 th Region of Mali

A Comparison of Nutritional Indicators from Bambara and Fulani Girls Born in Paris, France and in the Segou Region of Mali

Growth data from Bambara and Fulani girls are compared from those born and raised in France and those born and raised in Mali. The data reveal that Bambara and Fulani girls born in France are taller and heavier than their female counterparts born and raised in Mali. No indicators of obesity are evident among this sample. The sample's heights and weights match the U.S. reference data such that mean height-for-age z-score is −.02 ± .84, and the mean WAZ is 03 ± .96. Based on the conceptual framework of the brocultural model of human adaptation, these findings have implications regarding the environmental impacts affecting the growth status of Malian adolescent girls. The data suggest that improved growth may be due to improved environmental and cultural factors including increased food availability, safe food and water, a reduction in manual labor, and access to affordable and reliable healthcare. While this sample is relatively small, it appears that U.S. reference data are appropriate for use in non-U.S. populations to determine over and undernutrition.

Effect of Diamou Lime, Gypsum, and Tilemsi Phosphate Rock on Acid Soils of the Sudano-Sahelian Region of Mali

Continuous cropping, use of chemical fertilizers, and lack of sound soil management practices on poorly buffered kaolinitic Alfisols of the Sahel have accelerated soil acidity and reduced exchangeable Ca and crop yield. This study was conducted at the Cinzana Experiment Station in Mali, to determine the relative importance of Ca and P for millet grown on Plinthustalf sandy and Haplustet clayey soils for three years. The soils selected had very low to medium Bray P1 and extractable Ca concentrations. Three local sources of Ca and one source of P, Diamou lime, gypsum, and Tilemsi phosphate rock (TPR) were surface applied at lime application(LA) of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 CaCO3equivalent. Among the three Ca sources, Diamou lime increased pH and exchangeable Ca concentration of surface soil, TPR increased the Ca concentration in the surface soil, and gypsum increased the Ca concentration of both surface and subsurface soil, but like TPR had no effect on soil surface or subsurface pH. The degree of millet yield response to Ca source varied with soil and year. No response to Ca was observed in a low rainfall year, but a positive response to TPR occurred in all three years, regardless of rainfall. For the soils studied, TPR can be considered a good local source of Ca and P, with potential to reduce Al toxicity and/or Ca deficiency. In general, application of P was more critical than Ca for millet growth in these soils.

Enquête sérologique de l’agalactie contagieuse à <em>Mycoplasma agalactiae</em> chez les petits ruminants au Mali

Lors d’une enquête sérologique sur les petits ruminants, 396 sérums dont 77 ovins et 319 caprins ont été prélevés dans différentes régions du Mali. Ces sérums ont été analysés par le test Elisa indirect pour la recherche d’anticorps contre l’agalactie contagieuse à Mycoplasma agalactiae chez les petits ruminants. Les résultats obtenus ont montré un taux global de prévalence de 8,3 p. 100 (33/396), avec une répartition différente selon les troupeaux, la prévalence ayant pu atteindre 37,5 p. 100. Aussi, la répartition des sérums positifs par groupe à risque a montré un pourcentage plus élevé (60,6 p. 100, soit 20/33) dans les troupeaux ayant eu un historique pathologique de troubles respiratoires associés à des problèmes de lactation que dans les troupeaux apparemment sains (9,1 p. 100, soit 3/33) ou que dans les troupeaux de statut inconnu (30,3 p. 100, soit 10/33). Puisque la vaccination contre l’agalactie contagieuse des petits ruminants n’est pas pratiquée au Mali, ces résultats reflètent certainement l’infection et montrent la nécessité d’effectuer des sondages microbiologiques pour isoler les espèces de mycoplasmes impliquées, afin d’établir une épidémiologie plus précise.

Dynamics in input and output coefficients for land use studies: a case study for nitrogen in crop rotations

Increasingly, model-based approaches play a role in the design and development of new land use systems. Simulation modeling may play a role in the generation of land use systems for land units, and optimization modeling (e.g. linear programming – LP) may be used in the upscaling to farm and region. In the quantification of new land use systems for land units, often equilibrium conditions with respect to soil resources are assumed, following a so-called target-oriented approach. This facilitates ex ante computation of inputs and emissions of nutrients and allows their use in static optimization models based on LP. The condition of equilibrium in soil resources is often not met, nor is it the ultimate aim. Hence, the dynamics in new systems are insufficiently dealt with. This paper presents an approach for the design of land use systems (crop rotations) and their quantification in terms of input and output coefficients, using particular yields and dynamics in soil resources as targets. Interactions between N input and output of succeeding crops are explicitly taken into account. A simple N-balance model is used describing major processes affecting soil N-dynamics. For the Koutiala region in Mali five crop rotations are evaluated that differ in target crop yield, crop choice, crop residue management and external N source. Modeled crop rotations aiming at high yields, in combination with incorporation of crop residues and legumes, result in depletion of soil N stock. Only in crop rotations aiming at high yields and with incorporation of crop residues combined with a supply of large quantities of animal manure, soil N depletion can be prevented. Four approaches are presented of how to use the dynamic input–output coefficients of these systems in land use studies using LP: (i) use of average coefficients, (ii) use of discounted coefficients, (iii) use of pessimistic estimates of coefficients in an optimization of the land use allocation followed by a recalculation of the objective values for the optimized land use with optimistic coefficients, and (iv) a combined use of systems characteristics, i.e. cumulative N-inputs of land use systems over the time horizon and the magnitude of the soil N pool at the end of the time horizon, which can be used as filters for land use systems. Though none of the approaches completely captures the dynamics in input–output coefficients, they enable a well-founded consideration of the consequences of dynamics in, for instance, soil N stocks in static optimization approaches for farm and regional studies.

Wound Healing Plants in Mali, the Bamako Region. An Ethnobotanical Survey and Complement Fixation of Water Extracts from Selected Plants

Identification of 123 species, belonging to 50 families, used for wound healing in the Bamako region of Mali, was performed in this study. The fifteen species that were most frequently cited by the traditional healers were subjected to chemical and biological studies. Water extracts were subjected to screening for effects on the human complement system in vitro. The monosaccharide composition and the total carbohydrate content of the extracts were also determined. All extracts showed effects on the complement system, but extracts from Biophytum petersianum Klotzsch., Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir, Podaxon aegyptiacus Mont., Stereospermum kunthianum Cham., and Ximenia americana L. had the highest activity. The content of carbohydrate in the extracts varied between 5% and 80% and most of them contained substantial amounts of the monosaccharides arabinose, rhamnose, galactose, glucose and galacturonic acid.

Indigenous Perception of Cultural Heritage and its Management: a Cursory Blue-print Among the Senufo in the Sikasso Region of Mali

Data collection during April and June 2001in the Sikasso region of southern Mali, West Africa, proved to be a journey of self-discovery, both from an individual and communal perspective. My fieldwork was primarily aimed at understanding how the indigenous Senufo perceive and manage their cultural heritage. Despite a long history of cultural contact, these peoples are found to be culturally heterogeneous, adhering to strong traditions and claiming common cultural identity. Given these continuing cultural traditions, my position as a community member placed me in a unique position to provide useful insights regarding both the processes of establishing and/or assessing cultural identities over time and the understanding of local material culture from an indigenous perspective. The methodological approach therefore, consisted of meshing indigenous Senufo knowledge with archaeological evidence to attempt a cursory blueprint of the archaeological landscape of the Senufo inhabited area. The following report will aim to introduce the reader to some of the social dynamics underpinning this study and some preliminary results.

L'identification de l'épilepsie en milieu rural bambara (Mali)

Identify epilepsy in rural area of Bambara (Mali) In a certain region of Mali, epilepsy, a chronic and incapacitating illness, is an important problem of public health. An anthropological research has been devoted to the analysis of the representations and practices with regard to this illness in the rural environment of Bambara. In the vernacular of Bambara, the word kirikirimasien corrisponds to the generalised crisis of epilepsy. This objectived nomination, however, allows a certain number of other denominations, which are ail linked to the various interpretative configurations of the subject of this illness. Beyond the words, there is a language which obeys to certain principles of stating and elaboration. Avoidance and description are two principles which govern the naming of epilepsy.

Characteristics, origin and evolution ages of aeolian sand in the Sahelian region of Mali

The Sahelian region of Mali is one of the areas seriously affected by sandy desertification in the world. Widely distributed aeolian sand lays a material basis for the development of sandy desertification. Aeolian sand in the region is dominated by fine sand, followed by very fine sand. Sand materials contained in various sand dunes are different in grain size to a certain extent and the mineral compositions of dune sand are dominated by stable and extreme stable minerals, with high stability and maturity. Aeolian sand in the region mainly comes from the reactivation of ancient sand dunes, the transportation of recent runing water and the sand supply of dry lakes and arroyos. Since the Pliocene this region has experienced four major evolution periods of aelian sand, namely from the Pliocene to the early Quaternary, last glacial period, the Holocene and present.

The influences of ecological factors on tiger bush and dotted bush patterns along a gradient from Mali to northern Burkina Faso

Seven catenas across contracted vegetation patterns, including tiger bush and dotted bush, were studied in the Gourma region in Mali and in northern Burkina Faso (mean annual rainfall 200–550 mm). The tiger bush encompasses an alternate succession of bands oriented nearly perpendicularly to the wind direction NE–SW: sandy grassy microdune, sloped band of bare crusted ground and woody depressive band. A similar succession, without wind orientation, is found for the dotted bush. In this region, tiger bush develops under specific conditions: (1) same orientation but opposite direction of wind and slope, (2) sedimentary and metamorphic rocks (sandstone and schist ironcrust), (3) shallow (<1 m) and impervious soils. Under such circumstances, the dynamics of banded patterns result from alternate and successive action of water and wind erosion. Field evidences showed that vegetation bands migrate upwards with a velocity of 0.2–0.7 m yr −1.

Comparison of the efficacy of mebendazole, albendazole and pyrantel in treatment of human hookworm infections in the Southern Region of Mali, West Africa

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the efficacy of pyrantel (single dose 12·5 mg/kg bodyweight), mebendazole (single 500 mg dose) and albendazole (single 400 mg dose) in the treatment of hookworm infections ( Necator americanus) was carried out in January 1998 in the Southern Region of Mali, West Africa, during the period of Ramadan (Islamic fast). Statistical analysis of the pre-intervention faecal egg counts showed that there was a significant pre-treatment chance bias, despite randomization of subjects into treatment groups, arising from the main effect of sex (heavier infections among males) and a sex × treatment interaction (the sex bias was not evident in the pyrantel-treatment group). The participants were reexamined 10 days after treatment, and after controlling for the drift in faecal egg counts in the placebotreated subset, age, sex, fasting and intensity of infection, albendazole was clearly the most effective drug showing consistently efficacies in the range 92·1 to 99·7%, depending on the method of evaluation and the particular subset of the treatment group. Neither mebendazole nor pyrantel was as effective, with efficacies ranging from 60·9 to 89·8% and 4·8 to 89·7%, respectively. Fasting made no difference to drug efficacy. On the basis of our results the single 400 mg dose of albendazole is the treatment of choice for hookworm infections in this region of Mali. We emphasize the need for standardization of the methods used for trial designs, for calculation of summary data relating to drug efficacies and the accompanying statistical tests.

Sustainable land use in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Mali: exploring economically viable options using multiple goal linear programming

Technical options in crop and animal husbandry to reduce soil nutrient mining and other forms of natural resource degradation in the Sudano-Sahelian zone should be economically attractive, if they are to be adopted. A model is presented in which agronomic and economic information and goals are combined to explore possibilities for agro-ecologically sustainable and economically viable land use in three different climatic regions in Mali and for a situation of non-degraded soils. The time frame of the study is to the year 2010. For each region, an agro-ecologically sustainable land use system (a combination of crop, livestock and pasture production systems) that maximizes income of the agricultural sector and satisfies self sufficiency targets is identified. Special attention is given to the use of chemical fertilizer in crop activities. It is shown that use of chemical fertilizer is an important element of sustainable and economically viable land use, especially in higher rainfall regions. Population size has a marked effect on optimal land use systems in the regions, but self sufficiency is not endangered even if the population is 50% higher than estimated for 2010. It is argued that results should not be used to simulate the actual situation or future developments, but to define priorities for agricultural development in the Sudano-Sahelian region.

Soil Impact on Satellite Based Vegetation Monitoring in Sahelian Mali

Soil Impact on Satellite Based Vegetation Monitoring in Sahelian Mali