Guinea Region Research Articles

Longitudinal antibody and T cell responses in Ebola virus disease survivors and contacts: an observational cohort study

BackgroundThe 2013–16 Ebola virus disease epidemic in west Africa caused international alarm due to its rapid and extensive spread resulting in a significant death toll and social unrest within the affected region. The large number of cases provided an opportunity to study the long-term kinetics of Zaire ebolavirus-specific immune response of survivors in addition to known contacts of those infected with the virus.MethodsIn this observational cohort study, we worked with leaders of Ebola virus disease survivor associations in two regions of Guinea, Guéckédou and Coyah, to recruit survivors of Ebola virus disease, contacts from households of individuals known to have had Ebola virus disease, and individuals who were not knowingly associated with infected individuals or had not had Ebola virus disease symptoms to serve as negative controls. We did Zaire ebolavirus glycoprotein-specific T cell analysis on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) on location in Guinea and transported plasma and PBMCs back to Europe for antibody quantification by ELISA, functional neutralising antibody analysis using live Zaire ebolavirus, and T cell phenotype studies. We report on the longitudinal cellular and humoral response among Ebola virus disease survivors and highlight potentially paucisymptomatic infection.FindingsWe recruited 117 survivors of Ebola virus disease, 66 contacts, and 23 negative controls. The mean neutralising antibody titre among the Ebola virus disease survivors 3–14 months after infection was 1/174 (95% CI 1/136—1/223). Individual results varied greatly from 1/10 to more than 1/1000 but were on average ten times greater than that induced after 1 month by single dose Ebola virus vaccines. Following reactivation with glycoprotein peptide, the mean T cell responses among 116 Ebola virus disease survivors as measured by ELISpot was 305 spot-forming units (95% CI 257–353). The dominant CD8+ polyfunctional T cell phenotype, as measured among 53 Ebola virus disease survivors, was interferon γ+, tumour necrosis factor+, interleukin-2–, and the mean response was 0·046% of total CD8+ T cells (95% CI 0·021–0·071). Additionally, both neutralising antibody and T cell responses were detected in six (9%) of 66 Ebola virus disease contacts. We also noted that four (3%) of 117 individuals with Ebola virus disease infections did not have circulating Ebola virus-specific antibodies 3 months after infection.InterpretationThe continuous high titre of neutralising antibodies and increased T cell response might support the concept of long-term protective immunity in survivors. The existence of antibody and T cell responses in contacts of individuals with Ebola virus disease adds further evidence to the existence of sub-clinical Ebola virus infection.FundingUS Food & Drug Administration, Horizon 2020 EU EVIDENT, Wellcome, UK Department for International Development.

Mapping maternal healthcare access in selected West African Countries

Background: The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) three emphasizes the need to improve maternal and new-born health and reduce the global maternal mortality rate to less than 70 per 100 000 live births by 2030. Achieving the SDG goal 3.1 target will require evidence-based data on the distribution of maternal health outcomes and their linkage to healthcare access. Data and Methods: This study used WorldPop data derived from an integration of satellite, census and household survey. Exploratory spatial analysis techniques were used to examine and visualize the spatial distribution of women of reproductive age (15-19 and 40- 44), live births and pregnancies at the subnational level in three “poor resource” West African countries: Mali, Guinea and Liberia. Buffer analysis was used to quantify the number of pregnancies within user-defined distances of a health facility. Findings: Results showed wide variations in the distribution of maternal health outcomes across the countries of interest and districts of each of the countries. There was also clustering of maternal health outcomes and health facilities at the urban capital cities of Bamako, Conakry, and Greater Monrovia. A considerable number of pregnancies in most districts of northern Mali, northern and forest regions of Guinea and counties in south-eastern Liberia were not within 50km distance of a health facility, indicating inadequate access to maternal healthcare. Conclusion: To bridge the gap in inequity in healthcare access, and improve maternal and newborn health in the study countries, there is need for equitable distribution of health resources and infrastructure within and across the disadvantaged districts. Background: The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) three emphasizes the need to improve maternal and new-born health and reduce the global maternal mortality rate to less than 70 per 100 000 live births by 2030. Achieving the SDG goal 3.1 target will require evidence-based data on the distribution of maternal health outcomes and their linkage to healthcare access. Data and Methods: This study used WorldPop data derived from an integration of satellite, census and household survey. Exploratory spatial analysis techniques were used to examine and visualize the spatial distribution of women of reproductive age (15-19 and 40- 44), live births and pregnancies at the subnational level in three “poor resource” West African countries: Mali, Guinea and Liberia. Buffer analysis was used to quantify the number of pregnancies within user-defined distances of a health facility. Findings: Results showed wide variations in the distribution of maternal health outcomes across the countries of interest and districts of each of the countries. There was also clustering of maternal health outcomes and health facilities at the urban capital cities of Bamako, Conakry, and Greater Monrovia. A considerable number of pregnancies in most districts of northern Mali, northern and forest regions of Guinea and counties in south-eastern Liberia were not within 50km distance of a health facility, indicating inadequate access to maternal healthcare. Conclusion: To bridge the gap in inequity in healthcare access, and improve maternal and newborn health in the study countries, there is need for equitable distribution of health resources and infrastructure within and across the disadvantaged districts.

Morphometric and DNA Barcoding of endemic Halmaheran walking shark (Hemiscyllium halmahera, Allen, 2013) in North Maluku, Indonesia

Abstract. Madduppa H, Putri ASP, Wicaksono RZ, Subhan B, Akbar N, Ismail F, Arafat D, Prabuning D, Sani LMI, Srimariana ES, Baksir A, Bengen DG. 2020. Morphometric and DNA Barcoding of endemic Halmaheran walking shark (Hemiscyllium halmahera, Allen, 2013) in North Maluku, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 3331-3343. The walking shark (Hemiscyllium halmahera) commonly referred to as bamboo shark, is a shark species that belongs to the Hemiscyllidae family which is endemic in North Maluku, and Indonesian waters. These Hemiscyllium species are generally confined to the Australian-New Guinea region, save a specie which originates from Halmahera, an Indonesian island. Ever since its discovery, sufficient information on its existence has been largely unavailable. Hence, the purpose of this study is (1) to assess the morphology, using meristic measurements and length-weight relationship, and (2) to determine the molecular characteristics through DNA barcoding, phylogenetic reconstruction, and genetic diversity. The samples used in this research were obtained from Halmahera Archipelago, North Maluku, including Halmahera, Tidore, Ternate, Maitara, and Guraici in several expeditions between March 2017 and January 2018. 36 individuals in total were measured for morphometric parameters including Total Length (TL), Standard Length (SL), Head Length (HL), Body Circumference (BC), and Body Weight (BW). Out of a total of 36 sharks, tissue samples were obtained from 32 individuals for molecular identification. After the required measurements were obtained, all individuals sharks were released back to their habitat safely. Equations of linear regression were used to analyze the relationship between length and weight. Morphometric measurements indicated that the average total length of the walking shark samples obtained, were not more than 75± cm for both male and female specimens. The length-weight analysis revealed a positive allometric growth pattern in H. halmahera species, where weight was gained faster than an increase in length. The results of the DNA fragment length analysis from all samples were 793-bp. All 32 tissue samples identified as H. halmahera consisted of 3 samples from Ternate Island, 14 samples from Maitara Island, 9 samples from Guraici Island (South Halmahera), 10 samples from Central Halmahera, and 2 samples from Tidore Island. These results confirmed that DNA subsequence analysis indicates that H. halmahera is different from those sequences extracted from Genbank in the Australia-New Guinea region. This study successfully identified H. halmahera based on their morphological and molecular characters, and has therefore contributed to international genetic database (Barcoding Of Life Database-BOLD) for further studies.

Integrative taxonomy of Guinean Lemniscomys species (Rodentia, Mammalia)

In the Republic of Guinea (West Africa), the diversity and distribution of striped grass mice of the genus Lemniscomys is poorly known. In the course of long-term field surveys from 2003 to 2011, we collected 97 specimens from various regions of Guinea with the aim of characterizing the morphological and genetic diversity of the genus in the country. We performed an integrative study that allowed us to detect the existence of at least two species in the collected specimens. Two molecular clades, corresponding to different karyotypes, were recovered. By comparison with type specimens and using classical morphometric analyses, we are able to confirm the presence of L. linulus and L. striatus in Guinea. We redescribe the skull and dental characters of the poorly known L. linulus and report its standard karyotype formula (2N = 56, NFa = 66). We did not collect any L. zebra in Guinea despite its presence in South Mali. In conclusion, the distributions of L. striatus and L. linulus described for Guinea and, including the previously reported L. bellieri, three species are now known to occur in this country. We recognise these three species as valid pending further revision of the genus at a pan-African scale.

Limbodessus skalei sp. nov., a new diving beetle species from the west Papuan Archipelago (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Bidessini).

Here we describe Limbodessus skalei sp. nov. from the island of Waigeo, off the coast of West Papua. It can be easily distinguished from the nearby New Guinea mainland species as well as the other members of the genus by its small size and testaceous elytra with conspicuous darker broad basal and subapical patches. Altogether four Limbodessus species are now known from the New Guinea region.

Two New Frog Species of the Genus <i>Copiula</i> Mehely, 1901 (Anura, Microhylidae, Asterophryinae) from Southern Papua New Guinea

We describe two new species in the microhylid frog genus Copiula from Western Province, Southern Highlands Province, and Gulf Province in southern Papua New Guinea based on morphological and acoustic data. Both species are medium-sized (between 27 – 30 mm SVL), terrestrial frogs with a predominantly beige-colored dorsum and a yellow ventrum. They can be distinguished from each other and from all congeners by their distinct advertisement calls. In the first species calls are short bursts of 3 – 7 rapidly repeated yapping notes lasting 30 – 44 msec at a repetition rate of 11.6 – 16.5 notes/sec, and in the second species calls consist almost exclusively of two notes (occasionally one or three notes) lasting 50 – 91 msec and produced at a repetition rate of 7.1 – 11.3 notes/sec. Calls of the second species are usually uttered in long call series that may start with one or more, one-note calls before increasing to two notes, and occasionally to three notes/call late in the series. Descriptions of these two species brings the number of Copiula known from the New Guinea region to at least 12.

The genus Platanthera (Orchidaceae) in New Guinea with description of Platanthera valkenburgii sp. nov.

ABSTRACT Platanthera Rich. is a genus of ca. 125 species with a predominantly Northern Hemisphere distribution. A recent monograph of the genus did not cite important material from New Guinea. On the island the genus is represented by species from the tropical section Mecosa (Blume) Kraenzl. of subgenus Platanthera, which are not widely represented in herbaria and each specimen has a high value for taxonomic research. Studied materials not cited in the revision of the genus are cited as additional examined specimens here. A list of species with taxonomic and nomenclatural decisions is provided as a summary of knowledge about the genus on the island. Five taxa of Platanthera are recorded in this work for the region of New Guinea. One new taxon, Platanthera valkenburgii S.Nowak, Efimov, Szlach. & Kolan., is described. illustrated, and a photograph of the holotype is provided. The new species is readily distinguished by its strongly thickened to keel-like mid vein of the floral bract and dorsal sepal, petals at least as wide or wider than they are long, and its distinctly dilated lip. A key to the New Guinea taxa is provided. Two lectotypes are designated and taxonomic problems within Platanthera klossii (Ridl.) Efimov are discussed; one new combination is made.

2500-year cultural sequence in the Massim region of eastern Papua New Guinea reflects adaptive strategies to small islands and changing climate regimes since Lapita settlement

Islands present significant technological and ecological challenges for long-term human settlement, with archaeological investigations of islands globally able to shed light on the adaptive plasticity of cultural groups to changing climatic regimes. The Massim islands of eastern New Guinea significantly reduced in size throughout the Holocene (⩽11.7 kya), providing a unique opportunity to investigate the long-term adaptive capabilities of humans to changing island ecosystems. Here, we report a 2500-2300 year cultural sequence on Nimowa Island in the Louisiade Archipelago of the Massim region which began with the arrival of a late Lapita population during initial beachfront development. Sediment analyses indicate earlier settlement on the island would not have been possible as the coastline was unstable until near-modern sea levels were reached. The island was abandoned from 1290 to 530 cal. BP during a period of unusually dry conditions (‘Medieval Climate Anomaly’) and probable freshwater shortages. Re-settlement coincided with wetter climatic conditions (‘Little Ice Age’), associated with the establishment of large villages, the earliest expression of local pottery traditions and the onset of large-scale regional exchange networks. Import of non-local obsidian reflects two pulses of interaction followed by periods of increased isolation. With the absence of high-quality lithic resources, shell, coral and bone were used as a locally available alternative for tool production. Increased cyclone frequency from ~500 cal. BP greatly increased beach volume in the island and coastal New Guinea, which facilitated the movement of populations onto smaller islands. A late prehistoric shift in settlement patterns had a profound impact on regional social dynamics.

Systematics of West African Miniopterus with the Description of a New Species

The phylogenetic relationships and species limits within the chiropteran family Miniopteridae are poorly known in mainland Africa. Recent systematic studies in Madagascar have shown that this is a species-rich family, yet only eight species are currently recognized or hypothesized for continental Africa. Based on partial cytochrome b sequences and morphometric analysis, we describe a new species of Miniopterus that is endemic to a restricted, montane region of Liberia and Guinea. Furthermore, the taxonomic status of the West African Miniopterus schreibersii villiersi is resolved and shown to be a distinct species, M. villiersi, that is not closely related to M. schreibersii. Finally, the species M. inflatus is revealed to be paraphyletic, with the central African rainforest populations apparently not closely related to the savanna forms in eastern and southern Africa. Based on the results of this study, the number of Miniopterus species in Africa has increased from eight to 11, with more cryptic species likely to be discovered.

Biodiversity mapping of Dendrobium Sw. section Spathulata Lindl. in the Ramsar Site of Wasur National Park of Indonesia New Guinea

Wasur National Park is a vast area of tropical lowland forest, swamp forest, savannah and wetland in the far south-east corner of Papua-Indonesia. It is bordered by the sea to the south and PNG to the east. It lies within the Trans-Fly region of New Guinea and both the habitat and birds have much in common with northern Australia only 200 km to the south. The site is very seasonal, with both a pronounced wet and dry season. This park displays a tremendous biodiversity of flora and fauna. One prime example of flowering plants is Orchids species. Most orchids in this park resembles to the Australian plants as it share similar vegetation types of heath forest and savanna woodland. Knowledge of orchid diversity from this park is poorly acknowledged. This preliminary study aims to document species diversity, to map diversity and distribution of orchid species of Dendrobium section Spatulata and the host plants in the national parks. The study is conducted in six sites i.e. Bokem, Sota, Rawa Dongami, Rawa Biru, Wasur village, and Yanggandur. The plants were collected and recorded whenever they are encountered on the host trees. In total 40 orchid plants are collected and identified using bio-molecular techniques combined with morphological characters. 11 species recorded from Dendrobium section Spathulata i.e. Dendrobium canaliculatum, Dendrobium carronii, Dendrobium d’albertisii, Dendrobium devosianum, Dendrobium discolor, Dendrobium ionoglossum, Dendrobium johannis, Dendrobium nindii, Dendrobium semifuscum, Dendrobium sylvanum and Dendrobium trilamellatum. Other species from Dendrobium section Phalaenanthe such as Dendrobium bigibum, Dendrobium section Calyptrochilus i.e. Dendrobium smilliae dan Dendrobium capituliferum, Dendrobium section Dendrocorynae, and one species of Pomatocalpa marsupiale. During the field observation, we noticed hunting activity run by vendors and hunters. This activity brings impact to the sustainability of the plants. Vendors are mainly locals who inhabit and land tenure in this park.

Retinoblastoma: Socio-Demographic, Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects in the Hemato-Oncology Unit of the Department of Pediatrics of Donka National Hospital, Guinea

Introduction: Retinoblastoma is one of the pediatric malignancies and its treatment is still challenging. The objective of this study was to highlight the sociodemographic, clinical, and therapeutic aspects of retinoblastoma at the Donka Paediatric Haematology/Oncology unit in Donka university hospital, Guinea, and thereby highlight the conditions of this malignancy in this country. Methods: This was a retrospective study over 3 years (January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019). The study population was all retinoblastoma patients who were treated in this unit. Socio-demographic, clinical, and therapeutic data were analyzed. Results: Out of 210 pediatric patients followed up for cancer in this unit during the period, retinoblastoma accounted for 46 (22%). The patient age at diagnosis was 35.17 months (range: 3 - 132 months). At admission, metastases were observed in 16 patients (35%): 14 with brain metastases and 2 with lymph node metastases. Preoperative chemotherapy was employed in 38 (83%), tumor resection was performed in 20 patients (43%), and postoperative chemotherapy was performed in 19 patients. As for the prognosis, remission in 9, death in 14, and treatment discontinuation in 15. Only one patient had health insurance (2%). Conclusion: In this region of Guinea, retinoblastoma is the most common ocular tumor in children. Its diagnosis is easy: strabismus and leukocoria are the early signs of retinoblastoma. The prognosis depends on how early the diagnosis is made. Physicians, care-givers, and family members should be aware of the nature of this malignancy and social education/message as such is necessary.

A Comparative Analysis of Local Content Policies in the North Sea and the Gulf of Guinea Regions

Most resource-rich countries in Africa are introducing or reinforcing Local Content Policies (LCPs) and regulations to propel socio-economic development since its introduction in the North Sea. Local content is now a prerequisite for granting exploration license to international oil companies (IOCs) and suppliers in the Gulf of Guinea region (GGR). The paper analyses and compares LCPs - successes and impediments factors - from two perspectives: the North Sea – Norway, UK, and Denmark; and the Gulf of Guinea – Angola, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Equatorial Guinea to glean policy lessons for the Gulf of Guinea countries. The study of the comparator countries found that the policy implementation in the GGR is constrained, inter alia by inadequate infrastructure, industrial base and supplier base, technical and financial capacity of domestic firms and weak regulatory institutions. Also, the LC policy is overly ambitious and prescriptive which ignores the GGR’s state of industrial development. To engineer resource-based development in the GGR these countries must move beyond its preoccupation with local content regulations to addressing the above challenges conducive for the development of linkages.

Nutritional, clinical and immunological status of children at HIV diagnosis in the continental region of Equatorial Guinea.

To evaluate the nutritional, clinical and immunological status of children at HIV diagnosis in the continental region of Equatorial Guinea. Children <18years diagnosed with HIV between 2009 and 2017 were included. Clinical, immunological and nutritional data were collected. Weight-for-height, weight-for-age and height-for-age Z-scores were calculated using WHO Child Growth Standards. The population was assessed in two equal periods (2009-2013 and 2014-2017) from the time of diagnosis. A total of 213 children were diagnosed with HIV (49.3% males), median age 3.8years (IQR: 1.5-8.2). A total of 121 cases (56.8%) were at WHO clinical stage III, and 53 (24.9%) were at WHO clinical stage IV. CDC immunological stage II was diagnosed in 51/130 (39.2%) and CDC stage III in 44/130 (33.8%). About 56.2% of children were underweight (weight-for-age <-2 SD); 20.1% moderately and 36.1% severely so. About 27.6% of children were wasted (weight-for-height <-2 SD); 11.9% moderately and 15.7% severely so. About 56.3% of children were stunted (height-for-age <-2 SD); 20.7% moderately and 35.6% severely so. The prevalence of wasting was higher in children ≤5years than in children >5years (36.4% vs. 19.1%, P=0.026). In the second period, the prevalence of moderate-severe immunodeficiency decreased (87.2% to 67.0%, P=0.018), without significant differences in the other nutritional or clinical data. Severe underweight was a risk factor for moderate-severe immunodeficiency (aOR: 4 [95% CI: 1.4-11.4], P=0.010). We highlight a high proportion of malnutrition at the time of HIV diagnosis in Guinea´s paediatric population. Early diagnosis of HIV infection is a priority, achievable by training Guinea´s physicians to suspect HIV early, introducing HIV molecular diagnostic techniques and ensuring intensive nutritional treatment.

Using Short Message Service Alerts to Increase Antenatal Care and Malaria Prevention: Findings from Implementation Research Pilot in Guinea.

Intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is recommended to prevent malaria in pregnancy. Treatment coverage, particularly for three or more doses, is dependent on pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) services as scheduled. The StopPalu project pilot tested short message services (SMSs) to remind women of upcoming ANC visits in the Conakry and Kindia regions of Guinea. Health facilities were selected as pilot and comparison facilities. All women who attended an initial ANC visit at a selected facility during the pilot period and had access to a mobile telephone were enrolled. The pilot group was sent an SMS before each appointment. Percentage of attendance and SP distribution were calculated. A log-binomial regression model determined odds ratios. Pregnant women receiving SMS were 48 times more likely to attend all visits and were 12 times more likely to receive all SP doses during pregnancy.

Avifauna of the Lake Kutubu Wildlife Management Area, Papua New Guinea

The Lake Kutubu Wildlife Management Area (WMA) covers approximately 23,500 ha of freshwater lake and surrounding forest environments on the southern slopes of New Guinea's central cordillera in mainland Papua New Guinea (PNG). Ornithological work within the WMA spans more than 50 years, although most of the data are available only in the grey literature and are difficult to obtain. In light of a proposed review of PNG's protected area network, we collate bird records from the WMA and draw upon data from the nearby Agogo Range to consider the potential for additional species to occur within the gazetted area. The WMA inventory stands at 216 species, nearly one-third of all species resident or regularly occurring in the New Guinea region. The high species richness is attributable to the presence of a variety of forest and wetland habitats spanning nearly 600 m elevation, supporting bird species characteristic of lowland, hill and lower montane environments. Resident avifauna include five IUCN threatened or Near Threatened species (New Guinea Harpy Eagle Harpyopsis novaeguineae, Gurney's Eagle Aquila gurneyi, New Guinea Vulturine Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus, Striated Lorikeet Charmosyna multistriata and Banded Yellow Robin Gennaeodryas placens) and the restricted-range Greater Melampitta Megalampitta gigantea. Geographic and elevational range extensions are reported for numerous taxa, and recent data are presented to better document the distributional relationships of species pairs in the genera Talegalla, Megapodius, Micropsitta and Lonchura, and of races of Brown Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia amboinensis and Double-eyed Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma.

IMPACT OF PIRACY AND SEA ROBBERIES ON FISHING BUSINESS IN NIGERIA: A FOCUS ON LAGOS COASTAL AREA

Nigeria as a littoral state with a coastline of slightly above 800 kilometers and located in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) region puts the government in a position that requires her to deploy resources to combat the menace of piracy and sea robbery. Pirate activities affected not only the maritime transport sector, but the other forms of maritime economic activities. The fishing industry also got her fair share of this menace despite the contribution of the industry to the society. The activities of pirates and sea robbers and their impacts on fishing industry in Lagos coastal area was investigated using structured questionnaire deployed to relevant stakeholders in the fishing business in Lagos area. This research interrogates possible factors that create the enabling environment for piracy to flourish. The study revealed that the inability of government to effectively curb activities of these criminals was to some extent influenced by corruption, poverty and inequality in the society. Financial loss to the nation due to the menace was found to be alarming and has forced several fishing companies out of business to the extent that only few fishing vessels (trawlers) are currently in operation in the area of study. The research confirmed negative effects of piracy on sea businesses, particularly fishing activities, which was the crux of this investigation. The study recommends, amongst others, the Nigerian government should evolve sound resource management and equitable allocative practices to leverage the enormous natural resources and oil affluence to effectively address the cacophony of economic afflictions and legal framework should be revisited, reviewed, reformed and harmonized.

Health workforce development and retention in Guinea: a policy analysis post-Ebola

BackgroundThe state of the Guinean health workforce is one of the country’s bottlenecks in advancing health outcomes. The impact of the 2014–2015 Ebola virus disease outbreak and resulting international attention has provided a policy window to invest in the workforce and reform the health system. This research constitutes a baseline study on the health workforce situation, professional education, and retention policies in Guinea. The study was conducted to inform capacity development as part of a scientific collaboration between Belgian and Guinean health institutes aiming to strengthen public health systems and health workforce development. It provides initial recommendations to the Guinean government and key actors.MethodologyThe conceptual framework for this study is inspired by Gilson and Walt’s health policy triangle. The research consists of a mixed-methods approach with documents and data collected at the national, regional, and district levels between October 2016 and March 2017. Interviews were conducted with 57 resource persons from the Ministry of Health, other ministries, district health authorities, health centers and hospitals, health training institutions, health workers, community leaders, NGO representatives, and development partners. Quantitative data included figures obtained from seven health professionals’ schools in each administrative region of Guinea. A quantitative analysis was conducted to determine the professional graduate trends by year and type of personnel. This provided for a picture of the pool of professional graduates available in the regions in relation to the actual employment possibilities in rural areas. The districts of Forecariah and Yomou were chosen as the main study sites.ResultsLimited recruitment and a relative overproduction of medical doctors and nurse assistants have led to unemployment of health personnel. There was a mismatch between the number of civil servants administratively deployed and those actually present at their health posts. Participants argued for decentralization of health workforce management and financing. Collaboration between government actors and development partners is required to anticipate problems with the policy implementation of new health workers’ deployment in rural areas. Further privatization of health education has to meet health needs and labor market dynamics.

Fahien reconsidered: Pleistocene exploitation of wild bananas and Holocene introduction of Musa cultivars to Sri Lanka

ABSTRACTA recent publication on the phytolith assemblage at Fahien rockshelter, Sri Lanka (Premathilake and Hunt) is argued to represent: the exploitation of wild Musa acuminata and M. balbisiana during the Late Pleistocene; the introduction of edible diploid cultivars from the Southeast Asia–New Guinea region during the early to mid‐Holocene; the generation and cultivation of triploid banana hybrids on Sri Lanka before 6194–5994 cal bp; and the subsequent spread of derived triploid cultivars to mainland India and westward to Africa. A careful review of the archaeobotanical research presented by Premathilake and Hunt, in the context of broader multidisciplinary evidence (agronomy, archaeobotany, genetics and linguistics) for the domestication and spread of banana cultivars, indicates that three main aspects of their argument are problematic: the lack of clarity in the characterization of banana domestication in the past; the methods used to discriminate phytoliths into banana taxa; and the promotion of Sri Lanka as a source region rather than a recipient of banana cultivars. Following reconsideration, the Fahien evidence is consistent with previous interpretations for the origins of diploid and significant triploid cultivars outside of Sri Lanka and dispersal to that island. © 2019 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Genomic analysis of Indian strains of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi indicates novel genetic repertoire for pathogenicity and adaptations.

In the era of emerging antibiotic resistance, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi the causative agent of typhoid, is a threat for healthcare systems in developing countries especially India, where the disease is highly endemic. Genetic diversity among different strains may be the cause of variable severity of disease in different regions of the world. To explore this genetic diversity, genome annotation by rapid annotation using subsystem technology (RAST) was carried out for genomes of four Salmonella Typhi strains from two distinct areas available in thepublic domain. Two clinical strains were from India (P-stx-12 and E02-1180) and the other two strains considered as reference strains were from the endemic regions of Papua New Guinea (UJ308A and UJ816A). We report that Indian clinical strains possess several similar genes responsible for virulence and pathogenicity as those present in the reference strains. Interestingly, Indian clinical strains also possess 34 additional potential virulence genes that are absent in thereference strains, suggesting the more dreadful nature of Indian clinical strains as compared to those causing endemic typhoid. Indian strains contained genes coding for; Colicin V and bacteriocin production; multidrug resistance efflux pumps; ABC transporters; Type III and Type VI secretion systems, siderophore aerobactin, pathogenicity islands and Vi polysaccharide biosynthesis and transport. These unique genes are also reported in the genomes of other six clinical strains of India analyzed through RAST and IslandViewer 4 for validation purpose. This study highlights the presence of potential genes as molecular targets to overcome the future endemic outbreaks in India.

Recent Seismotectonic Stress Regime of most Seismically active zones of gulf of Guinea and its Kinematic implications on the adjoining sub-Sahara west African region

The Tectonic stress regime of Gulf of Guinea region has been studied by stress tensor inversion analysis for the area bounded by lati− tude −10.0 0 S to 4.0oN and longitude −25 0 W to −11.0 0 E. A total of one hundred and four focal mechanism solutions, pertaining to the earthquake events which have occurred in this region, were used for this study. In order to decipher the stress pattern of this region, we have divided the region into four fracture zones namely Romanche, Chain−Romanche, Charcot and Ascension fracture−zones based on seismicity clustering, tectonics and available focal mechanism solutions. The seismicity pattern indicates that none of the nearby coun− tries on the border line between the west Africa region and the gulf of Guinea is devoid of seismicity. Simultaneously, the stress tensor inversion in the four subzones of investigation indicates different types of stress orientations. All of these zones are characterized by vary− ing principal axial directions. The orientation of the principal axial direction along Romanche, Chain−Romanche, Charcot and Ascen− sion fracture−zones are along NE−SW, NE−SW, ENE−WSW and ESE−WNW respectively. The stress tensor inversion results indicate that Chain−Romanche, Charcot and Ascension fracture zones are characterized by extensional stress regime while Romanche fracture zone is characterized by strike−slip stress regime respectively. These patterns imply sea floor spreading activities in and around the mid oceanic ridges and the general orientation of the extensional stress regime is found towards the continents, along the line of migration / progression of earthquakes.