Updated review on modern context of drug resistance in visceral leishmaniasis.

A new estimate for global and country-level employment in agrifood systems

Plastic debris is a major threat to coastal ecosystems. Although, numerous studies have assessed the extent of this pollution in various regions of the world, our knowledge about the situation on the African continent and its oceanic islands is still limited. To address this gap, repeated beach debris surveys were conducted on six beaches on the island of São Vicente, Cabo Verde, over the course of six weeks from May to July 2023, with surveys conducted every four days. This was done to compare debris accumulation rates as well as debris composition between beaches that differ in their orientation, exposure and level of human use. Furthermore, we assessed the density of mesoplastic particles (1-10mm) and correlated it with the amount of macroplastic debris (>10mm) encountered. A backward ocean current simulation with PARCELS allowed to identify possible origins of the plastic items from ocean-sources. We observed an average macrodebris (> 10mm) accumulation rate of 0.05±0.06 items/m2/d (0.2±0.4g/m2/d), while the rates varied strongly between beaches. The number of macroplastic items was positively correlated with the abundance of mesoplastic particles (r2=0.982, p=0.0004), for which we found an average density of 121.7±339.1 mesoplastic particles/m2. The particle tracking by backward ocean current simulations demonstrated the existence of a transport pathway from the northwest coast of Africa towards the Cabo Verde archipelago. This suggests the northwest African shore as a potential source of the anthropogenic debris found on São Vicente.

Despite significant resources invested in malaria control interventions for several years, the disease remains a persistent health challenge impacting millions of people especially children and pregnant women in the lower income regions of the world. Progress towards eliminating malaria has stagnated, in part due to the limited consideration of the social determinants of the disease such as poverty. We conducted a qualitative study exploring stakeholder perspectives on social determinants of malaria including lived experiences with the disease in Wakiso, one of the districts with high malaria cases in Uganda. This was a cross-sectional study using fourteen key informant interviews at community, health facility, district and national levels, 10 focus group discussions among community members and community health workers, and 11 in-depth interviews with household heads. Data collection was conducted in English and Luganda (local language), transcribed, coded using Atlas.ti. (version 6) and Nvivo (version 14) and analysed using a thematic approach. This paper focuses on the perspectives on poverty as a social determinant of malaria. The participants linked poverty to malaria through five themes: poor housing conditions; limited access to malaria control services; limited water and sanitation-related exposures; occupational and psychological exposures; and heavy economic burden (consequences) of malaria. The themes are presented under various sub-themes which separately highlight in detail the different pathways of the malaria-poverty relationship. These include: substandard housing structures enabling mosquito exposure; building close to mosquito breeding grounds; homelessness and street life; inadequate malaria prevention and treatment services; limited access to water supply; poor sanitation and waste management practices; occupational exposures; social and psychological constraints; high treatment costs; undernutrition causing low immunity; and loss of income. These perspectives emphasize a cyclic poverty-malaria relationship through the high treatment costs and loss of income due to illness or livelihood disruption. Malaria is rooted in economic inequalities suggesting that improvement in malaria control interventions through policies and frameworks that address poverty as a consequence, and driver of the disease should be prioritised. The study underscores the need for integrated malaria control strategies that address vulnerabilities related to poverty in all its dimensions-economic, environmental and psychosocial.

Salmonella infections can cause life-threatening systemic diseases in many regions of the world. With the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella, vaccines are urgently needed to prevent and reduce infections. There are no vaccines available against any non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars, including two of the most common ones, that are, Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis. While traditional Salmonella vaccine approaches require a construct against each serotype, a new strategy has been developed in this work targeting the shared O-polysaccharide backbone as a potential common vaccine antigen. Tri-, hexa-, and nona-saccharides corresponding to one to three repeating units of the O-polysaccharide backbone were synthesized stereoselectively via a modular approach. These oligosaccharides were conjugated to the bacteriophage Qβ carrier, which elicited strong IgG responses against the synthetic carbohydrate antigens upon immunization of both mice and rabbits. The trisaccharide antigen was sufficient to induce protective antibodies. The post-immune sera from Qβ-trisaccharide immunized rabbits recognized the native O-polysaccharides from both S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis, and significantly protected mice against lethal challenges by these Salmonella serotypes. The ability of a single glycan antigen to protect against infections by two different NTS serovars is a significant step forward for broad-spectrum anti-Salmonella vaccine design.

ABSTRACT Melon cultivation in various regions of the world is conditioned by water limitations. This study was developed to evaluate the potential damage to the photosynthetic structures of the F1 Caribbean Gold RZ hybrid melon cultivar grown under conditions of saline stress. The experimental carried out in a greenhouse, in the city of Recife, Pernambuco. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks in a 2 × 4 factorial scheme with four replications. The melon plants were subjected to nutrient solutions with electrical conductivity of 2.0 or 3.5 dS m−1 applied by daily irrigation levels to maintain 55, 70, 85 and 100% soil moisture. The parameters were evaluated: dynamics of the photosynthetic surface, content of photosynthetic pigments, and chlorophyll a fluorescence, subjected to analysis of variance, using the F-test, at a probability level of 0.05. It was found that in plants exposed to 70% soil moisture, the effect of using nutrient solutions with 2.0 or 3.5 dS m−1 produced similar photosynthetic results. The proportionality adopted between the depth irrigation and nutrient apport led to characteristics of nutritional deficiency, observed as one of the causes of the reduction of photosynthetic surface and photosynthetic pigments in plants exposed to humidity levels below 70%.

ABSTRACT Human‐caused climate change is expected to bring more frequent and extended droughts with shorter wet periods of relief in between for many regions of the world. Critical knowledge gaps remain around the extent to which tree species can acclimate physiologically to repeated droughts. Using a common garden experiment with saplings of the widespread and ecologically important trembling aspen ( Populus tremuloides ), we studied how repeat drought and recovery treatments impact plant functional traits and physiological responses. We utilised four treatments over the course of 3 years: a continuous control, a three consecutive drought year treatment, a two consecutive drought year treatment, and a treatment with two drought years with a well‐watered recovery year in between. Trees that experienced a recovery period between two drought treatments exhibited less drought resilience compared to both the two and three‐consecutive‐year treatments. Trees in the recovery treatment also exhibited lower growth rates and increased xylem damage in their older rings. Additionally, we observed no evidence of hydraulic acclimation to severe drought over time. These findings indicate that, during severe and repeated droughts, aspen saplings are likely to experience increases in hydraulic vulnerability, and wet periods between droughts are not likely to improve overall drought responses.

Optimization of fluorogenic CatS substrates for monitoring cancer-associated proteolytic activity.

Background Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, remains a significant public health concern in various regions of the world, including Pakistan. This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic susceptibility profiles and molecular characterization of V. cholerae during a diarrheal outbreak in Peshawar, Pakistan, from July 2023 to July 2025. Methods A total of 90 stool samples were collected, among which 68 (75.5%) isolates were identified as V. cholerae. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed to determine resistance and susceptibility patterns. Statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate the association of infection with age and gender demographics. PCR analysis was used to detect the presence of antibiotic resistance genes among the isolates. Results The highest infection rate was observed in males (n = 40, 59%) and in the ≤ 18 years age group (n = 36, 53%). Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed complete resistance to erythromycin (ERY) and levofloxacin (LVX), with all 13/13 isolates (100%) showing resistance. High resistance was also observed against azithromycin (AZM; 12/13, 92.3%), tetracycline (TET; 11/13, 84.6%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT; 10/13, 76.9%), ampicillin (AMP; 9/13, 69.2%), and ceftriaxone (CRO; 9/13, 69.2%). However, amikacin (AMK; 8/13, 61.5%) and ciprofloxacin (CIP; 7/13, 53.8%) showed the highest susceptibility. Statistical analysis showed no significant correlation for age demographics (χ² = 0.042, p = 0.979) and gender distribution (χ² = 1.41, df = 1, p = 0.235). PCR analysis revealed a high prevalence of resistance genes, including dfrA1 (n = 12, 92.3%), sul1 (n = 12, 92.3%), sul2 (n = 10, 76.9%), tetA (n = 10, 76.9%), blaTEM (n = 11, 84.6%), blaCTX-M (n = 9, 69.2%), blaOXA (n = 8, 61.5%), blaSHV (n = 6, 38.5%), and mcr-1 (n = 7, 53.8%). The detection of mcr-1 is particularly concerning because of its association with colistin resistance. Conclusion The findings highlight the alarming pattern of multidrug resistance in V. cholerae isolates from Peshawar, emphasizing the necessity for effective surveillance and control strategies to prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains.

Pierce's disease (PD) of grapevines, caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, is a major constraint on viticulture in various regions of the world. An unusual and understudied feature of PD is the capacity of some grapevines to recover after winter dormancy, becoming asymptomatic and the bacterium is no longer detected in the plant. Ovewinter recovery has been documented for over four decades and is reproducible under both field and controlled conditions, yet outcomes vary across cultivars, environments, and pathogen strains. Similar phenomena have been reported in related pathosystems, including X. fastidiosa infections of almond and phytoplasma-associated diseases of grapevine, providing comparative insights. We review ecological and biological factors that influence overwinter recovery, highlighting the role of winter climate, timing of infection, host cultivar differences, pathogen population dynamics, and vector activity. Evidence suggests that overwinter recovery is not solely attributable to cold-induced pathogen mortality but also involves host-mediated processes, potentially including an immune reset during dormancy. These findings link recovery to broader ecological consequences, influencing pathogen persistence, disease epidemiology, and the geographical distribution of PD under current and future climate conditions. Despite decades of observation, the mechanistic basis of recovery remains unresolved. Key gaps include the identification of host traits underlying recovery, the contribution of pathogen genotype, and the integration of climate variables into predictive models. Addressing these gaps will be essential not only for understanding disease ecology but also for anticipating the impact of climate change and informing management strategies for PD and related vector-borne vascular diseases.

Climate change is emerging as a big challenge to Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), which is among the most valuable and costly spice crops worldwide. The present study investigated the effect of key weather parameters viz., solar radiation, rainfall and temperature (max, min, average) on gene expression of CsβCH (Beta carotene hydroxylase) and CsCCD1 (Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 1) genes and saffron quality in one traditional saffron growing area (Pampore), three non-traditional areas (Mirgund, Anantnag, Udhampur) and one controlled environment (indoor) site. The study revealed that saffron from field locations of Pampore (0.88; 0.93) and Mirgund (0.71; 1.16) exhibited significantly higher expression levels for both CsβCH and CsCCD1 genes, respectively, corresponding with higher levels of crocin, picrocrocin and safranal content. In contrast, saffron from Anantnag (0.37; 0.48) and Udhampur (0.33; 0.37) showed comparatively lower expression for these two genes and reduced metabolite accumulation. The content of all the three major apocarotenoids viz. Crocin, Picrocrocin and Safranal were found to be highest in Controlled (280.59, 82.66, 36.44) environment, followed by Pampore (215.81, 79.50, 39.78) and Mirgund (212.14, 107.76, 40.62). Among different weather parameters, rainfall and minimum temperature had significant effect on saffron quality (crocin). A minimum temperature of 10℃ during the flowering phase (1st Oct-10th Nov), combined with lower rainfall of 240-265mm, enhanced saffron quality. This is the first report comparing indoor and in-field grown saffron (both traditional and new areas) of the highest-altitude saffron-growing regions of the world, viz- north-western Himalayas of Kashmir, India. The study links weather variables with gene expression and metabolite profiles, providing mechanistic insights into climate-mediated regulation of saffron quality.

The genus Campylospermum (Ochnaceae) comprises about 65 species, including several with a long ethnomedicinal history in tropical regions of the world. The present review compiles the information available in the literature (until January 2025) on ethnomedicinal recommendations, phytochemical profiles, and biological activities, and suggests future prospects for the therapeutic applications of Campylospermum species (CS). Previous work revealed that 66 compounds, belonging to diverse families of secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, alkaloids, nitrile glucosides, steroids, and others, have been isolated and characterized in the genus. The structures of these compounds were determined by analysing their mass spectrometric (MS) and spectroscopic data and by comparison with those previously reported in the literature. DFT analysis was used to establish the structural conformation of calanthumidole 52. Some pure compounds, as well as crude extracts of the CS, have shown antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antileishmanial, and antimalarial activities by using disc-diffusion/agar-dilution assays, brine shrimp assay, parasite lactate-dehydrogenase (pLDH) assay, and Alamar blue assay, respectively. CS appears to be a good reservoir of flavonoids (59.1%) like amentoflavone, which moderately inhibits the promastigote form of Leishmania infantum. CS is used in folk medicine as a laxative, purgative, analgesic, and aphrodisiac, as well as for the treatment of various diseases, including dysentery, toothache, diarrhea, rheumatism, gastric pain, gonorrhea, icterus, whitlow, and malaria. This review mainly reports the known isolated and characterized compounds from CS and their biological activities, providing a reference for researchers worldwide to undertake further investigation and evaluate other CS species as a source of new bioactive compounds.

Fruit flies are cosmopolitan insects affecting almost all the fruit growing regions of the world. This insect is of significant economic importance as they can cause serious damage to fruit, sometimes resulting in almost total crop failure. This study investigates the diversity and species composition of fruit flies in relation to host availability with the aim of identifying and recording new species of fruit fly in Meghalaya and across the Indian sub-continent. For this, a three-year survey (October 2020-September 2023) was conducted across three ecosystems, forest, fruit tree and vegetable ecosystems in the Ri-bhoi district of Meghalaya. Influence of host plants, seasons, trap types and attractants on the fruit fly abundance was assessed. Diversity indices, including species richness (S), Shannon-Wiener index (H'), Simpson's D (dominance), and Pielou's evenness (J'), were calculated monthly for the three ecosystems. The study recorded 37 fruit fly species across several genera and tribes. These included Bactrocera, Dacus, and Zeugodacus (Dacini, Dacinae); Acroceratitis, Acrotaeniostola, and Paraxarnuta (Gastrozonini, Dacinae); and Rioxoptilona, Themara, Erectovena, and Phorelliosoma (Acanthonevrini, Phytalminae). A total of 16 subgenera were identified, with Bactrocera being the most dominant in Meghalaya. Two new species, Zeugodacus umiam and Z. nasivittatus, were recorded from Khasi mandarin and sweet orange, respectively; the former was attracted to cue-lure, while the latter responded to protein and yeast baits. Additionally, several rare species - Bactrocera abbreviata, Erectovena desperata, and Phorelliosoma hilaratum-were recorded for the first time in the Indian subcontinent. Acroceratitis bimacula and Acrotaeniostola spiralis were exclusively collected from bamboo using yeast-based baits, while P. hilaratum was found on forest trees and attracted to yeast- and protein-based baits. Sample-size and coverage-based rarefaction/extrapolation curves revealed that net traps and Zingerone lures captured the highest fruit fly, indicating effective sampling across sites. Zeta diversity analysis demonstrated higher initial species sharing in forest ecosystems compared with vegetables and fruit tree ecosystems. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed clear differentiation of fruit fly assemblages across ecosystems and lure types, highlighting the influence of habitat and bait preference on community structure. Together, these findings establish a baseline for fruit fly diversity, seasonal patterns, and bait preferences in the region, while also highlighting its rich fauna through the discovery of several new species and first reports across the Indian subcontinent.

Measles is one of the most highly contagious and inflictive human viral infections, and approximately 90% of exposed individuals become infected following the exposure. The infection is communicable from one day before the prodromal symptom onset until four days after rash onset. Up to 40% of people who attract measles will have other health problems arising during the course of infection. There is no specific treatment for measles. Recent reports highlight that measles infection erases the already existing immune memory of various pathogens. The latest measles outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe show the ease with which measles virus can re-enter communities. However, measles outbreaks in recent years have been reported in all regions of the world, including countries that had previously declared the disease eliminated such as United Kingdom and the United States. The present review article provides an outlook of the current epidemiology and challenges to support the global efforts in controlling the disease through discussion on the recent resurgence and enumerating the factors hindering the eradication of measles. This constellation of factors contributing to measles resurgence and outbreak propagation is multifactorial. Key drivers include suboptimal vaccine coverage, stemming from either outright vaccine refusal or barriers to healthcare access leading to incomplete vaccination schedules. This results in a diminution of herd immunity, compromising community-wide protection. Furthermore, primary or secondary vaccine failure, while rare, contributes to a residual pool of susceptible individuals. Diagnostic challenges, including the misdiagnosis of measles as other exanthematous illnesses, can delay outbreak containment and facilitate silent transmission. An epidemiological consequence of prolonged low transmission is an upward shift in the age-specific susceptibility profile, exposing older children and adults who lack natural immunity. Finally, sociopolitical instability, conflict, and resultant internal displacement create conditions conducive to outbreaks by disrupting healthcare infrastructure, hampering vaccination campaigns, and fostering high-density living conditions among vulnerable populations. This review addresses a major gap in measles eradication by integrating scattered evidence on measles resurgence into an integrated comprehensive framework, encompassing health system, epidemiological, immunological, and sociopolitical factors.

Although widely studied and reported for more than 30 years, the molecular basis of Rh D-negativity has remained unexplored in several regions of the world, including in Indonesia, Southeast Asia. A subset of 436 Indonesian blood donors originally typed D-negative (D-) by routine serological testing was analyzed at the molecular level by a previously reported three-step strategy, including 1/quantitative multiplex PCR of short fluorescent fragments (QMPSF); 2/Sanger sequencing of RHD exon 9; and 3/ Sanger sequencing of all RHD exons, allowing the identification of structural variants, the c.1227G>A single nucleotide variant (SNV) defining the Asian type DEL allele (i.e., RHD*01EL.01), and all other SNVs, respectively. Deletion of the whole RHD gene (RHD*01N.01) is by far the most common allele (allele frequency = 0.8245), followed by RHD*01EL.01 (0.0849), RHD*01EL.44 (0.0241) and RHD*01N.03 (0.0172). In the 18 others, five alleles were novel, including RHD*1220delT that is assumed to result in a premature stop codon; RHD*c.635-1A and a complex hybrid allele carrying the c.486+5A variant, both of which disrupting splicing; and a complex RHD*01N(ex8del) allele deleting a ~2 kilobase genomic region including exon 8. Overall, we report for the first time the molecular basis of D- phenotype in the Indonesian population. Although characterized by some specificities as illustrated by the novel variant alleles, it seems that the distribution of the variant alleles globally mimics what is observed in another Southeast Asian country, that is Thailand, thus allowing implementation of common guidelines at a transnational level.

The recent outbreaks of thrips in subtropical and tropical regions of the world caused serious economic losses. This has increased interest in releasing predatory insects to manage thrips in cowpea and other important crops. Therefore, we assessed the potential of the green lacewing, Chrysopa formosa Rambur (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), a generalist predator, for controlling Megalurothrips usitatus Bagnall (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and Frankliniella intonsa Trybom (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), the 2 major pests of cowpea in South China. Chrysopa formosa larvae displayed a type III functional response to M. usitatus. The theoretical maximum predation of a C. formosa third instar larvae on M. usitatus second instar nymphs and adults was 1054 and 570, respectively. The C. formosa second instar larvae consumed more than 71% of a mixed population of M. usitatus and F. intonsa in a cowpea field by 14 days after release. The predation of C. formosa on M. usitatus increased as the temperature increased from 15 °C to 35 °C, whereas the predator developed slower above 25 °C. There was no significant difference in the hatch of C. formosa eggs kept at 25 °C and 30 °C, and the survival of first to third instar C. formosa larvae maintained at 25 °C was more than 80%. Thus, C. formosa can effectively suppress M. usitatus and F. intonsa in cowpea.

Paediatric anaesthesia has achieved remarkable progress over recent decades, yet contemporary data reveal that safety remains unevenly distributed across age groups, institutions, and regions of the world. Large observational studies demonstrate persistent perioperative morbidity and mortality, particularly in neonates, infants, and children cared for in resource-limited settings. While these multicentric investigations did not establish a direct causal relationship between anaesthetic management and perioperative morbidity or mortality in paediatric populations, they did reveal a high incidence of critical events related to the conduct of anaesthesia, which, if not diagnosed in time or left uncorrected, could lead to catastrophic outcomes. The Safe Anaesthesia for Every Tots (SAFETOTS) initiative focuses on the safe conduct of anaesthesia, maintenance of perioperative physiological stability, alongside organisational and child-centred values in perioperative care. This review explores the current state of and challenges in paediatric anaesthesia safety through the perspective of the SAFETOTS initiative.

Time to confront the global health crisis hidden in plain sight: why traumatic brain injury belongs on the global health agenda.

• Ecosystem services emerge from the exchange of exported biomass across connected coastal systems. • Ecosystem services provided by exported marine macrophyte biomass (EMB) are substantial but often overlooked. • Temporal, spatial, and environmental factors interact with exported biomass attributes to drive service provisioning. • EMB should be included in ecosystem service frameworks to improve coastal management. • More work is needed to determine how to account for EMB in ecosystem service valuations. As societies increasingly aim to quantify and preserve nature’s benefits, ecosystem services provided by marine ecosystems are increasingly evaluated. However, these evaluations commonly focus on single ecosystems, despite the growing evidence that ecosystems interact. Here, we investigated the ecosystem services provided by macroscopic exported macrophyte biomass (EMB) from seagrass meadows, salt marshes, mangrove forests, and macroalgae forests using a systematic literature review of EMB in marine settings. We found that vegetative biomass exported from marine macrophytes substantially contributed to the provisioning of ecosystem services in recipient ecosystems – habitat provisioning, carbon storage, nutrient cycling, and abiotic alterations, among others – but were rarely documented as such. We identified time since deposition, proximity to donor ecosystem, EMB magnitude, and EMB seasonality as drivers of ecosystem service outcomes. Knowledge gaps related to EMB ecosystem services suggest that more research is needed across 1) vegetated recipient ecosystems, 2) ecosystem service types, 3) contexts in which EMB provides ecosystem services or disservices, 4) potential management strategies, and 5) regions of the world. We call for broader consideration of the contributions of EMB to ecosystem services within ecosystem services frameworks to increase the accuracy of global valuations and enhance strategies for conserving, restoring, and managing marine ecosystems.

Ficus carica, commonly known as the fig tree, is widely cultivated across many regions of the world, particularly in the Middle East, due to its nutritional, medicinal and economic importance. The latex of this tree is a milky white sap that can be found in all tissues, particularly the unripen leaves and fruits. In this study, fig latex collected from the West Bank of Palestine was extracted using 100% ethanol, 70% ethanol, 80% methanol and ethyl acetate. Antioxidant activity assessed by the DPPH assay showed high inhibition for 80% methanol (79.5 ± 1.4%) and 70% ethanol (71.1 ± 1.5%), moderate inhibition for 100% ethanol (66.3 ± 1.6%) and low inhibition for ethyl acetate (20.2 ± 1.3%), compared with vitamin C (94.0 ± 1.5%). Antibacterial testing revealed activity of the 70% ethanol extract against Escherichia coli only, with no activity against Staphylococcus aureus or Staphylococcus epidermidis. HPLC analysis identified gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, ellagic acid, rutin, quercetin and trace levels of sinapic acid and chrysin.