West North Research Articles

Discovering the Untouched Perspective of Endangered North American Herb Actaea racemosa.

Actaea racemosa (AR), sometimes also known as black cohosh, is a perennial herb that grows in the Ranunculaceae family that effloresces in the middle of summer. This herb is currently present throughout south and west North America despite being endangered in the eastern section of the continent. Certain information about the photochemistry and biological potential of this herb is available. In accordance with the scant available ethno-medical reports, this herb possesses antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiosteoporosis, and anticancer properties. As per the available literature, caffeic acid, isoferulic acid, actein, 23-epi-26 deoxycatein, cimicifugoside, and ferukinolic acid are the key components found in different parts of AR. To date, no thorough research or systematic review has been done to highlight the traditional, biological, and phytochemical benefits of this herb. Consequently, further research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of this therapeutic herb, particularly about its separation and pharmacological screening of its insulating portion for a range of biological functions. The goal of this review was to compile the most recent data on the phytochemical presence of AR. in relation to its ethnomedical applications, methods of extraction, pharmacological applications, and future potential.

Genetic dissection and genomic prediction of drought indices in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes.

Drought constitutes the main obstacle to agricultural productivity in the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, notably leading to substantial reductions in wheat yields due to terminal water stress. The adoption of drought-resistant wheat varieties appears to be a vital strategy to maintain wheat production in the face of climatic challenges. In this context, a study was conducted utilizing a set of 198 elite bread wheat genotypes developed at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). This set of elite genotypes was evaluated at the Sidi Al-Aidi station in Morocco over two years (2021-2022), under rain-fed and irrigated conditions. Phenotypic assessments for grain yield and drought indices were performed, alongside genotyping the population using 15k SNP markers. These preparatory steps facilitated a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and genomic prediction, leveraging the Mixed Linear Model (MLM) to pinpoint marker-trait associations (MTAs) and candidate genes pertinent to grain yield and drought indices. The results manifested substantial variations in both grain yield and drought indices among the genotypes tested. Grain yield performance ranged from 0.34 to 2.57 t/ha under rain-fed conditions and 1.12 to 4.57 t/ha under irrigated scenarios. The comprehensive analysis identified 39 significant MTAs (p < 0.001) and 14 putative genes associated with drought indices and grain yield. Noteworthy is the marker “wsnp_Ex_c12127_19394952” on chromosome 5B, which displayed a significant correlation with grain yield in rain-fed environments. Furthermore, the most prominent marker linked to tolerance index (TOL) was “BobWhite_c42349_99”, situated on chromosome 5A and associated with the TraesCS5A02G498000 gene. This gene plays a critical role, encoding for catalase protein crucial for response to hydrogen peroxide. These markers could be used for marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding programs targeting drought tolerance.

Racial, Ethnic, and Regional Disparities of Post-Acute Service Utilization After Stroke in the United States.

Post-acute care is critical for patient functional recovery and successful community transition. This study aimed to understand the current racial, ethnic, and regional disparities in post-acute service utilization after stroke. This retrospective cross-sectional study included patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage in 2017-2018 using the National Inpatient Sample. Discharge destinations were classified as follows: (1) facility including inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing facility, and facility hospice; (2) home health care (HHC), including home health and home hospice; and (3) home without HHC. Multinomial logistic regression was used to study the odds of discharge to a facility over home and HHC over home without HHC by race, ethnicity, insurance, and census division, adjusting for clinical factors and survey design. Among the 1,000,980 weighted ischemic stroke admissions, 66.9% were White, 17.6% Black, 9.5% Hispanic, 3.1% Asian American/Pacific Islander, and 0.4% Native American. Relative to private insurance, uninsured patients had the lowest adjusted odds of facility over home discharge (0.44; 95% CI 0.40-0.48) and HHC discharge over home without HHC (0.79; 95% CI 0.71-0.88). Compared with White patients, only Hispanic patients with Medicare/Medicaid insurance or self-pay had lower odds of facility over home discharge (adjusted OR 0.80 and 0.75, respectively; 95% CI 0.76-0.84 and 0.63-0.93). Uninsured Hispanic patients also had lower odds of HHC discharge over home without HHC than White patients (0.74; 95% CI 0.57-0.97). Facility discharge rate was the highest in East North Central (39.2%) and lowest in Pacific (31.2%). HHC discharge rate was the highest in New England (20.2%) and lowest in West North Central (10.3%), which had the highest home without HHC discharge (46.1%). Compared with New England, other census divisions had lower odds of facility over any home discharge with Pacific being the lowest (adjusted OR, 0.66; 95% CI 0.60-0.71) and HHC over home without HHC discharge with West North Central being the lowest (adjusted OR, 0.33; 95% CI 0.29-0.38). Similar patterns were observed in intracerebral hemorrhage. Significant insurance-dependent racial and ethnic disparities and regional variations were evident in post-acute service utilization after stroke. Targeted efforts are needed to improve post-acute service access for uninsured patients especially Hispanic patients and people in certain regions.

ВНУТРИПОПУЛЯЦИОННАЯ ИЗМЕНЧИВОСТЬ ЭКСТЕРЬЕРНЫХ И КРАНИАЛЬНЫХ ПАРАМЕТРОВ СОНИ ЛЕСНОЙ DRYOMYS NITEDULA PALLAS, 1778 (GLIRIDAE, RODENTIA) В УСЛОВИЯХ СЕВЕРНОГО МАКРОСКЛОНА ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОГО КАВКАЗА

Based on the cariologically dated serial material on forest dormouse from the Central North Caucasian population population, we first conducted a comprehensive analysis of 45 animals (23 male and 22 females). The contrariety of the opinions in the issues of systematics (the number of intraspecific forms) and the lack of sufficient material in the scientific literature on Dryomys Nitedula Pallas, 1778, taking into account the high-profile structure of the mountain landscapes, led to this study. The intrapopulation variability of the Kariotip, 28 morphometric parameters of the body and skull, as well as 5 indices (the ratio of the tail length to the length of the body, the ratio of the zuloma width to the condilobasal skull length, the ratio of the lower jaw to the condylobasal skull length, the ratio of the width of the skull in the area of the auditory drums to the condylobasal were studied. The length of the skull, the ratio of the height of the skull in the area of the auditory drums to the width of the skull in the area of the auditory drums) taking into account the floor. In addition an attempt was made to conduct a comparative analysis of the most resistant to transformation of the skull (only 9 measures) between the West North Caucasian and Central North Caucasian populations due to the fact that animals from the the West North Caucasian population turned out to be a new subspecies (D.N. Heptneri Subsp. NOV.) Based on the analysis of mitochondrial (according to the Cytb) DNA. It should be noted that for all the body and skull seals we have studied, as well as indexes, there is no sexual dimorphism (t &lt;3). In the conditions of the Elbrus version of the belt the Cariotic Sonya Lesnoy was studied for the first time (2n = 48, NF = 96). Allosome: X-chromosome is represented by an average submetententric, Y chromosome-the smallest element of the set. The karyotype turned out to be a persistent sign, is not subject to individual variability, respectively, has a high taxonomic weight.

Analyzing Mexico's Indigenous internal migration dynamics through network centrality measures, 1990–2020

AbstractThis study examines the internal migration patterns among Mexico's Indigenous population from 1990 to 2020. We begin by estimating the total interstate migration flows for Indigenous groups and employ an advanced interaction component model to identify migration flows that exceed expectations. This model allows us to detect significant deviations and patterns within the migration data. Additionally, we apply network analysis techniques to identify states that are central to these migration flows and categorize states into distinct communities based on their migration interactions. Our findings reveal that Indigenous migration exhibits higher‐than‐expected flows, particularly from the West Central and North regions of Mexico. By contrast, non‐Indigenous migration shows greater flows, predominantly in the southern and central states. Through network analysis, particularly the use of eigenvector centrality, we identify Nayarit and Durango as key hubs for Indigenous migration, whereas Estado de Mexico and Ciudad de Mexico emerge as central nodes in non‐Indigenous migration. Our study highlights the growing significance of Mexico's northern region, with Nuevo León playing a crucial role in Indigenous and non‐Indigenous migration flow networks. This study's findings contribute valuable insights regarding the spatial dynamics of internal migration and the evolving migration patterns of Indigenous populations in Mexico.

Variation in worldwide incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome: a population-based study in urban China and existing global evidence.

Geographical variation existed in the incidences of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), but no national population-based study has evaluated the incidences of GBS in China. This study aimed to estimate the incidence of GBS in urban China and evaluate the worldwide variation in the incidence of GBS. Firstly, we did a population-based study to calculate the incidence of GBS in urban China based on the National Urban Medical Insurance database from 2013 to 2017. To identify GBS cases, natural language processing was used first for handling the lengthy and unstructured diagnostic information and then checked by prestigious neurologists. Secondly, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to analyze the incidence of GBS worldwide. Up to July 4, 2022, Medline, Embase, and Web of Science were retrieved to identify the population-based studies regarding the incidence of GBS. The basic information and the statistics regarding incidence were extracted. Quality assessment considered sample representativeness, condition assessment, and statistical methods. A total of 1.44 billion person-years in insurance data was covered, with 3,534 GBS cases identified. The annual incidences of GBS in urban China between 2013 and 2017 ranged from 0.41 (95% CI: 0.27 to 0.58) to 0.58 (95% CI: 0.38 to 0.82) per 100,000 person-years. The incidence was the highest in Northwest China and the lowest in Northeast China. The meta-analysis included 122 articles. The quality assessment showed that the quality scores of 43.3% of studies were ≥ 0.75 (the total score is 1). The global incidence of GBS was 1.12 (95% CI: 0.98 to 1.27) per 100,000 person-years. The incidences in West Europe, South Asia, and North Europe were higher, while the incidences in Australia and New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and North Africa were lower. The incidence of enteric infections was positively associated with the incidence of GBS (coefficient=0.0000185, P=0.007). The incidence in Europe, Australia, and America rose significantly from 1960 to 2020 (coefficient=0.01, t=2.52, P=0.015). There is a clear regional variation of the GBS incidence at both national and global levels. Careful control of enteric infections should be conducted to reduce the disease burden.

The Aembu access to land and labour systems on food crop production and food security up to 1906

This study sought to analyse how the pre-colonial Aembu organised their land and labour systems in food crop production for guaranteed household food security up to 1906. The pre-colonial African societies had either matrilineal or patrilineal systems of land ownership, while labour was gender specific. The study employed a descriptive research design. The study was conducted in Embu East, Embu West and Embu North sub-counties of the larger Embu County. Purposive sampling with a snowballing technique was applied to get 50 respondents who were interviewed from a target population of 16,144. The study corroborated data from oral, archival records and secondary sources. The findings were that the pre-colonial Aembu food crop producers had elaborate systems of land rights and land use under clan heads. The land access system accommodated practices like shifting cultivation and intercropping; the pre-colonial division of labour in food crop production combined all household members and those other forms of labour like communal, paid and corporate were sourced from outside the household. The study concluded that the pre-colonial Aembu were food secure in spite of occasional rainfall failure, locust invasion and warfare, while the articulation of pre-colonial and capitalist land and labour systems exposed the society members to food insecurity. The study contributed to the pre-colonial social, political and economic historiography of the Aembu people. The study recommends that the post-colonial government should employ strategies that can be effectively used to mitigate food crop production insecurity by focusing on the adoption of various traditional methods of land and labour access.

Colonial transformation of the Aembu land access and labour division systems in food crop production from 1906-1963

This study examined the colonial transformation of the Aembu access to land and labour division in food crop production from 1906-1963. Colonial practices and policies undermined the Aembu land and labour systems in food crop production. Methodologically, the study used descriptive research design and Articulation of Modes of Production Theory. The study was conducted in Embu East, Embu West and Embu North sub-counties of Embu. The study targeted a population of 16,144 people based on the 2019 census. Corroborated data was obtained from oral, archival and secondary sources to establish the reliability and validity of the research. The study’s findings were that the creation of African reserves to pave way for white settlement and labour supply from Africans led to the abandonment of crop farms since they were far away; the reserves had limited land sizes with poor soils for the production of enough food while most of the food storage facilities were destroyed in the process of migration and that during the political crisis of World Wars and Mau Mau, labour in food crop production was reduced. It concluded that colonialism transformed the Aembu land and labour systems while the co-existence of pre-colonial and colonial access to land and labour systems on the production of food crops exposed the community to famines. The study recommends that policymakers should come up with strategies for promoting traditional forms of access to land and labour to ensure adequate food crop production.

Queering Masculinities in the Middle East (SWANA) and South Asia

One of the most important shifts in gender scholarship is the attention now being paid to discourses and practices of masculinity in the Global South. This issue of Men and Masculinities contributes to this growing field in three important ways. First, we foreground scholarship on masculinities in two interconnected, but understudied regions of the world, specifically the Middle East, which is also known as South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA), and its neighbor to the east, South Asia. In particular, we demonstrate the ways in which queer identities and communities are being formed across these two regions, connected as they are by historic trade routes, migration pathways, and transregional cultural flows. Second, we point to the vibrant masculinities scholarship that is emerging from these regions. But we focus specifically on non-normative masculinities—or the queer, trans, and other genderqueer masculinities—which have been historically present in these two regions, but which have been much less represented in masculinities literature. Third, we look to identity formation, or the ways in which young cis-gender, trans, and queer men come out in their communities and seek authentic lives of desire, pleasure, and participation. At the same time, we highlight the ever-present precarity within queer communities in the Middle East/SWANA and South Asia, especially given postcolonial nationalist and ethno-nationalist agendas, which promote normative heteropatriarchal masculinities and concomitant homophobia and transphobia.

Extent of Adoption of Selected Climate-smart Agricultural Practices among Smallholder Farmers in Laikipia County, Kenya

Aim: Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an integrative approach to address the challenges of food security and climate change. This study sought to assess the extent of adoption of climate smart agricultural practices in Laikipia County, Kenya. Study Design: This study used correlation research design. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in Laikipia county. Specifically in the sub-counties Laikipia West, Laikipia East and Laikipia North. The study was carried out in July – August 2022. Methodology: A multi-stage sampling technique was used to obtain a representative sample of 384 smallholder farmers households across the three sub-counties. Systematic random sampling was used to select every tenth household from the sample size. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the sampled households (all of whom were smallholder farmers). Descriptive statistical analysis was used to determine the extent of adoption of selected Climate Smart Agricultural Practices among smallholder farmers in Laikipia County, Kenya. The study used a chi-square (X²) test of independence to establish a relationship in the adoption of CSA practices across the three study sites Results: This study found that crop diversification (87%), mixed farming (crop farming and livestock keeping) (83%), use of pesticides and fungicides (80%) and crop rotation (74%) were the most adopted climate smart agricultural practices (CSAPs). On extent of adoption, full adoption was highest on pest and disease control (54%) and diversification of farming practices (52%); partial adoption was highest in conservation agriculture (54%); and non-adoption was highest on agroforestry (42%). Conclusion: It is recommended that stakeholders should improve the adoption of water harvesting/use, conservation agriculture and agroforestry – critical climate smart agricultural practices in semi-arid environments.

Unveiling the nexus: exploring the influence of terrorism on energy trade in China and the Belt and Road countries

An examination of the scale of energy trade between China and the countries along the Belt and Road, as well as the terrorist activities in these countries from 2008 to 2019, has been conducted in this study. The spatial and temporal evolution law is revealed through the use of exploratory spatial data analysis. The spatial Durbin model is employed to investigate the impacts and spatial spillover effects of terrorist activities along the Belt and Road on China’s energy trade with these countries. The findings of the study are as follows: Spatial clustering is exhibited by the energy scale of China’s imports and exports with countries along the routes and terrorist activities along the routes, with energy imports concentrated in West Asia and North Africa, energy exports concentrated in Southeast Asia, and terrorist activities concentrated in West Asia and North Africa, South Asia, and Central Asia. A negative effect on the scale of China’s energy imports from the countries along the route is exerted by the terrorism index, and a positive spatial spillover effect is present. The number of terrorist activities and deaths have a negative effect on the scale of China’s energy imports from the countries along the route, but there is no spatial spillover effect. The terrorism index does not affect the scale of energy exports from China to countries along the route, but there is a negative spatial spillover effect. There are differences in the spatial spillover effects of the number of terrorist activities and deaths on the scale of China’s energy exports. The level of economic development, liner transportation convenience, and energy exports dependence of the countries along the route also significantly influence China’s energy trade with these countries.

Inferring the extinction risk of marine fish to inform global conservation priorities.

While extinction risk categorization is fundamental for building robust conservation planning for marine fishes, empirical data on occurrence and vulnerability to disturbances are still lacking for most marine teleost fish species, preventing the assessment of their International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) status. In this article, we predicted the IUCN status of marine fishes based on two machine learning algorithms, trained with available species occurrences, biological traits, taxonomy, and human uses. We found that extinction risk for marine fish species is higher than initially estimated by the IUCN, increasing from 2.5% to 12.7%. Species predicted as Threatened were mainly characterized by a small geographic range, a relatively large body size, and a low growth rate. Hotspots of predicted Threatened species peaked mainly in the South China Sea, the Philippine Sea, the Celebes Sea, the west coast Australia and North America. We also explored the consequences of including these predicted species' IUCN status in the prioritization of marine protected areas through conservation planning. We found a marked increase in prioritization ranks for subpolar and polar regions despite their low species richness. We suggest to integrate multifactorial ensemble learning to assess species extinction risk and offer a more complete view of endangered taxonomic groups to ultimately reach global conservation targets like the extending coverage of protected areas where species are the most vulnerable.

Analysis of Factors Affecting The Welfare of Non-Working Elderly in Denpasar City

Elderly people who do not work have the right to receive welfare just like the rest of the population, so an understanding of the factors that influence the welfare of the elderly is needed. This research aims (1) to analyze the influence of health, old age benefits and social support simultaneously on the welfare of unemployed elderly in Denpasar City; (2) to analyze the partial influence of health, old age benefits and social support on the welfare of the elderlydoes not work in Denpasar City. The research on elderly people in Denpasar City took samples from four sub-districts, namely West Denpasar, East Denpasar, South Denpasar and North Denpasar. The elderly population was 72,680 people and the sample size was 100 people. Sampling was carried out using purposive sampling and data analysis using confirmatory factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. Based on the research results, information was obtained that health, old age benefits and social support have a significant simultaneous and partial influence on the welfare of elderly people who do not work in Denpasar City. This means that as the health, old age benefits and social support of the elderly who do not work improve, the welfare of the elderly who do not work in Denpasar City will increase.

Neighborhood environment, socioeconomic conditions, and intergenerational mobility

Intergenerational mobility (IM) has recently generated significant attention. However, the mechanisms of IM, including the neighborhood effects, are still not well understood. This research aims to advance the research on IM by emphasizing the role of neighborhood environments and their mediating effects in the United States. Our results suggest that childhood neighborhood conditions significantly affect IM, and IM is determined by childhood physical and socioeconomic status (SES) or conditions and outmigration. Specifically, we find that natural and built environments affect IM indirectly through neighborhood SES, and, therefore, the effect of SES has been overestimated. Moreover, there are complex pathways linking neighborhood SES to IM. A dense, mixed-use, and walkable neighborhood may show lower IM because such neighborhoods usually have higher concentrations of poor people and single parents. We also find that outmigration is a pathway to IM. Desirable childhood neighborhood environments and high outmigration returns lead to higher IM in rural areas than in urban areas, and also higher IM in the West North Central region than in the East South Central and South Atlantic regions, although these regions have similarly low SES. Our study highlights the significant effects of the neighborhood environment on IM.

Regional Differences in Hepatitis C-Related Hospitalization Rates, United States, 2012-2019.

In the United States, hepatitis C is the most commonly reported bloodborne infection. It is a leading cause of liver cancer and death from liver disease and imposes a substantial burden of hospitalization. We sought to describe regional differences in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hospitalizations during 2012 through 2019 to guide planning for hepatitis C elimination. We analyzed discharge data from the National Inpatient Sample for 2012 through 2019. We considered hospitalizations to be HCV-related if (1) hepatitis C was the primary diagnosis or (2) hepatitis C was any secondary diagnosis and the primary diagnosis was a liver disease-related condition. We analyzed demographic and clinical characteristics of HCV-related hospitalizations and modeled the annual percentage change in HCV-related hospitalization rates, nationally and according to the 9 US Census Bureau geographic divisions. During 2012-2019, an estimated 553 900 HCV-related hospitalizations occurred in the United States. The highest hospitalization rate (34.7 per 100 000 population) was in the West South Central region, while the lowest (17.6 per 100 000 population) was in the West North Central region. During 2012-2019, annual hospitalization rates decreased in each region, with decreases ranging from 15.3% in the East South Central region to 48.8% in the Pacific region. By type of health insurance, Medicaid had the highest hospitalization rate nationally and in all but 1 geographic region. HCV-related hospitalization rates decreased nationally and in each geographic region during 2012-2019; however, decreases were not uniform. Expanded access to direct-acting antiviral treatment in early-stage hepatitis C would reduce future hospitalizations related to advanced liver disease and interrupt HCV transmission.

Projections on the Spatiotemporal Bioclimatic Change over the Phytogeographical Regions of Greece by the Emberger Index

Unquestionably, the rapidly changing climate and, therefore, alterations in the associated bioclimate, constitute an alarming reality with implications for daily practice and natural capital management. This research displays the present and projected bioclimate evolution over Greece’s phytogeographical regions. For this purpose, ultrahigh-resolution computation results on the spatial distribution of the Emberger index’s Q2 classes of bioclimatic characterization are analyzed and illustrated for the first time. The assessments are performed over the reference period (1970–2000) and two future time frames (2021–2040; 2041–2060) under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios. By 2060 and under the extreme RCP8.5, intense xerothermic trends are demonstrated owing to the resulting significant spatial evolution mainly of the Arid–Hot, Semi-Arid–Very Hot, Semi-Arid–Hot, and Semi-Arid–Temperate Q2 classes, respectively, over the phytogeographical regions of Kiklades (up to 29% occupation), Kriti and Karpathos (up to 30%), West Aegean Islands (up to 26%), North East (up to 56%), and North Central (up to 31%). The RCP8.5 long-term period exhibits the strongest impacts over approximately the right half of the Greek territory, with the bioclimate appearing more dry–thermal in the future. In conclusion, the Emberger index provides an in-depth view of the Greek area’s bioclimatic regime and the potential alterations due to climate change per phytogeographical region.

Pendampingan dan Penguatan Kapasitas Masyarakat dalam Pemulihan Kerusakan Lingkungan di Provinsi Sulawesi Barat

Community empowerment begins with understanding that every individual and group has potential and abilities that can be developed. In Mamuju Regency, precisely in Tommo District, there is peat but it is small which if damaged and not managed properly will result in land fires, floods, and soil pollution. This assistance aims to position the community as a party that plays an active role in environmental recovery. One of the initial stages of assistance or empowerment activities carried out is Problem Identification and Situation Analysis. It is hoped that the problems faced can be clearly identified, the related situation can be analyzed comprehensively, and the next steps can be designed to plan effective and sustainable interventions. Strengthening the understanding of problem identification and location analysis is carried out using the IMAS tool through survey methods, interviews, and FGDs. The results of problem identification and situation analysis found several problems that can be used as references in formulating systematic and effective planning for community empowerment. Based on the results of the problem identification and situation analysis in Buana Sakti Village, Tamemongga Village, Tamejarra Village, West Leling Village and North Leling Village, problems were found in flooding, lack of fertilizer availability and the distance of the village from the city which makes it difficult to get fresh fish to meet the protein needs of the community. From the results of the problem identification and situation analysis, a Community Work Plan formulation was formed such as freshwater fish farming, long-term crop planting, horticultural planting, and livestock farming. The proposed work plan is expected to be able to help the community in meeting needs, improving the community's economy, and can answer problems that occur in each village.

Antimicrobial use, residues and resistance in fish production in Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis

In low- and middle-income countries, data on antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquaculture are scarce. Therefore, summarizing documented data on AMU, antimicrobial residue (AR), and AMR in aquaculture in Africa is key to understanding the risk to public health. Google Scholar, PubMed, African Journals online, and Medline were searched for articles published in English and French following the PRISMA guidelines. A structured search string was used with strict inclusion and exclusion criteria to retrieve and screen the articles. The pooled prevalence and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each pathogen–antimicrobial pair using random effects models. Among the 113 full-text articles reviewed, 41 met the eligibility criteria. The majority of the articles reported AMR (35; 85.4%), while a few were on AMU (3; 7.3%) and AR (3; 7.3%) in fish. The articles originated from West Africa (23; 56.1%), North Africa (8; 19.7%), and East Africa (7; 17.1%). Concerning the antimicrobial agents used in fish farming, tetracycline was the most common antimicrobial class used, which justified the high prevalence of residues (up to 56.7%) observed in fish. For AMR, a total of 69 antimicrobial agents were tested against 24 types of bacteria isolated. Bacteria were resistant to all classes of antimicrobial agents and exhibited high levels of multidrug resistance. Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus spp. were reported in 16, 10, and 8 studies, respectively, with multidrug resistance rates of 43.1% [95% CI (32.0–55.0)], 40.3% [95% CI (24.1–58.1)] and 31.3% [95% CI (17.5–49.4)], respectively. This review highlights the high multidrug resistance rate of bacteria from aquaculture to commonly used antimicrobial agents, such as tetracycline, ampicillin, cotrimoxazole, gentamicin, and amoxicillin, in Africa. These findings also highlighted the lack of data on AMU and residue in the aquaculture sector, and additional efforts should be made to fill these gaps and mitigate the burden of AMR on public health in Africa.

Sepsis endotypes identified by host gene expression across global cohorts

BackgroundSepsis from infection is a global health priority and clinical trials have failed to deliver effective therapeutic interventions. To address complicating heterogeneity in sepsis pathobiology, and improve outcomes, promising precision medicine approaches are helping identify disease endotypes, however, they require a more complete definition of sepsis subgroups.MethodsHere, we use RNA sequencing from peripheral blood to interrogate the host response to sepsis from participants in a global observational study carried out in West Africa, Southeast Asia, and North America (N = 494).ResultsWe identify four sepsis subtypes differentiated by 28-day mortality. A low mortality immunocompetent group is specified by features that describe the adaptive immune system. In contrast, the three high mortality groups show elevated clinical severity consistent with multiple organ dysfunction. The immunosuppressed group members show signs of a dysfunctional immune response, the acute-inflammation group is set apart by molecular features of the innate immune response, while the immunometabolic group is characterized by metabolic pathways such as heme biosynthesis.ConclusionsOur analysis reveals details of molecular endotypes in sepsis that support immunotherapeutic interventions and identifies biomarkers that predict outcomes in these groups.

Integrating multilocus genome-wide association studies in chickpea landraces to discern the genetics of drought tolerance

In chickpea breeding, drought is a major concern and a complex trait controlled by several genes. To develop drought-tolerant varieties, it is essential to use the available germplasm and genomic resources. Over the years, the landraces have proven to be a good source for the dissection of genes for different yield and yield-related traits. The present investigation for marker–trait associations (MTAs) and candidate gene identification was conducted by studying 125 chickpea landraces collected from the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region, along with 4 varieties suitable for irrigated and rainfed environments. This study analyzed 13 physio-morphological traits in 2 consecutive years at two isolated locations (IARI, New Delhi, and Dharwad). A strong correlation coefficient was observed between the trait seed yield (SY) and biological yield (BY) under both conditions. The Drought Susceptibility Index (DSI) ranged from 0.02 to 1.84 and 0.10 to 2.04 at the IARI, New Delhi and Dharwad locations, respectively. The genotypic data of 6,367 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) distributed across the genome were used for genetic diversity study, population structure, and genome-wide association study (GWAS). The average polymorphic information content (PIC) value observed was 0.25, and the average linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay distance was 152,269 bp across the genome. A total of four subgroups were observed within the population for genotypic data. Fixed and random model Circulating Probability Unification (FarmCPU) was used for the GWAS analysis, which considered both fixed- and random-effect models. A total of 52 significant SNPs were reported in both irrigated and rainfed conditions at low locations; 7 SNPs were associated with more than one trait, which may have pleiotropic effects. Significant SNPs were annotated in the pulse database. The identified genomic region found in or near MTA under rainfed conditions encodes for guard cell hydrogen peroxide-resistant1 (GHR1), late embryogenesis-abundant, E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase, walls are thin1 (WAT1), and beta-galactosidase that are known to be associated with drought tolerance.