scholarly journals Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) deficient Salmonella Typhimurium displays enhanced susceptibility towards β-lactam antibiotics: third-generation cephalosporins (ceftazidime) and carbapenems (meropenem)

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atish Roy Chowdhury ◽  
Debapriya Mukherjee ◽  
Ashish Kumar Singh ◽  
Dipshikha Chakravortty
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Salmonella Typhimurium ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Relative Proportion ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Severe Problem ◽  
Sub Saharan

The invasive non-typhoidal serovar of Salmonella enterica, namely Salmonella Typhimurium ST313, causes bloodstream infection in sub-Saharan Africa. Like other bacterial pathogens, the development of antimicrobial resistance is a severe problem in curing non-typhoidal Salmonella infection. In this work, we have investigated the role of four prominent outer membrane porins of S. Typhimurium, namely OmpA, OmpC, OmpD, and OmpF, in resistance against broad-spectrum β-lactam antibiotics- ceftazidime and meropenem. We found that deleting OmpA from Salmonella makes the bacteria susceptible to β-lactam drugs. The MIC for both the antibiotics reduced significantly for STM ΔompA compared to the wild-type and the ompA complemented strains. Despite the presence of antibiotics, the uninterrupted growth of STM ΔompC, ΔompD, and ΔompF endorsed the dispensability of these three porins in antimicrobial resistance. The β-lactam antibiotics caused massive depolarization in the outer membrane of the bacteria in the absence of OmpA. We have proved that none of the extracellular loops but the complete structure of perfectly folded OmpA is required by the bacteria for developing antimicrobial resistance. Our data revealed that STM ΔompA consumed more antibiotics than the wild-type and the complemented strain, resulting in severe damage of the bacterial outer membrane and subsequent killing of the pathogen by antibiotic-mediated oxidative stress. Upon deleting ompA, the steady decrease in the relative proportion of antibiotic-resistant persisters and the clearance of the STM ΔompA from the liver and spleen of C57BL/6 mice upon treatment with ceftazidime proved the role of OmpA in rendering protection against β-lactam antibiotics.

Financing Energy Access in Africa

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Kayode Oniemola ◽  
Jane Ezirigwe
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Capital Investments ◽  
Energy Access ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Sustainable Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Diesel Motors

To achieve universal energy access will attract huge capital investments. If sub-Saharan Africa is to realize anything close to the ambitious goals set for its energy access, then new actors, innovative funding mechanisms and sustainable technologies will have to be attracted. Finance is needed for activities such as rural electrification, clean cooking facilities, diesel motors and generators, other renewable energy technologies, oil and gas infrastructures, etc. Finance is also needed in research and development of suitable technologies and funding options as well as investment in the capacity to formulate and implement sound energy policies. This chapter examines the varied financing options for energy access in sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that with appropriate laws in place and effective mechanism for implementation, African countries can significantly engage private sector financing, international financial institutions and foreign donors. The role of the law here will be in creating an enabling environment for financing.

Human Development Paradigm for South Asia

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Asia ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Health And Nutrition ◽  
The People ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Development Paradigm

In the chapter, Haq gives a snapshot of the human progress of South Asia, comparing it with other regions. He was worried about the region beginning to lag behind all other regions, including Sub-Saharan Africa. He highlights the role of the two largest economies in the region, India and Pakistan, in financing the major investment in education, health and nutrition for the people. Haq advocates some fiscal and monetary reforms are suggested to invest in human development.

scholarly journals An increasing role of pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles funestus in malaria transmission in the Lake Zone, Tanzania

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy S. Matowo ◽  
Jackline Martin ◽  
Manisha A. Kulkarni ◽  
Jacklin F. Mosha ◽  
Eliud Lukole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Transmission ◽  
Anopheles Funestus ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
North West ◽  
Vector Population ◽  
Lake Zone ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets ◽  
Study District

AbstractAnopheles funestus is playing an increasing role in malaria transmission in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where An. gambiae s.s. has been effectively controlled by long-lasting insecticidal nets. We investigated vector population bionomics, insecticide resistance and malaria transmission dynamics in 86 study clusters in North-West Tanzania. An. funestus s.l. represented 94.5% (4740/5016) of all vectors and was responsible for the majority of malaria transmission (96.5%), with a sporozoite rate of 3.4% and average monthly entomological inoculation rate (EIR) of 4.57 per house. Micro-geographical heterogeneity in species composition, abundance and transmission was observed across the study district in relation to key ecological differences between northern and southern clusters, with significantly higher densities, proportions and EIR of An. funestus s.l. collected from the South. An. gambiae s.l. (5.5%) density, principally An. arabiensis (81.1%) and An. gambiae s.s. (18.9%), was much lower and closely correlated with seasonal rainfall. Both An. funestus s.l. and An. gambiae s.l. were similarly resistant to alpha-cypermethrin and permethrin. Overexpression of CYP9K1, CYP6P3, CYP6P4 and CYP6M2 and high L1014S-kdr mutation frequency were detected in An. gambiae s.s. populations. Study findings highlight the urgent need for novel vector control tools to tackle persistent malaria transmission in the Lake Region of Tanzania.

Adoption of improved cassava varieties in Nigeria: Insights from DNA fingerprinting versus self-reporting varietal identification approaches

2021 ◽  
pp. 003072702199003
Author(s):  
Patience Ifeyinwa Opata ◽  
Oguejiofor Joseph Okorie ◽  
Juliana Chinasa Iwuchukwu ◽  
Chukwuma Otum Ume ◽  
Oyakhilomen Oyinbo
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Errors ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Adoption Studies ◽  
Hidden Hunger ◽  
Varietal Identification ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Cassava Varieties

Much of the empirical studies on crop varietal adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa relied on self-reported adoption in farm-household surveys, which is prone to measurement errors. In addition, farmers’ perceptions of consumption-related varietal traits in adoption studies has received limited attention compared with production-related traits. Using DNA-based and self-reported adoption measures, we analyze the adoption of improved cassava varieties (ICVs) with a focus on the extent of varietal misidentification, the sensitivity of the drivers of adoption to varietal misidentification and the role of farmers’ perceptions of biofortification trait in adoption decisions. We find that the adoption rate of ICVs is relatively high using both DNA-based and self-reported adoption measures, but there is notable misclassification in varietal adoption. We find that the mismatch in DNA-based and self-reported adoption measures leads to some variation in the factors that influence the likelihood and intensity of adoption of ICVs. This suggests that appropriate varietal identification helps in better understanding of the drivers of adoption. In addition, we find that despite the observed varietal misclassification, farmers’ perceptions of biofortification trait is significantly correlated with the probability and intensity of adoption of ICVs using both DNA-based and self-reported varietal identification. This suggests that inclusion of biofortification trait in cassava matters for both the likelihood and extent of adoption of ICVs. The latter lends credence to the emerging policy interests in breeding programs for biofortified crops to address hidden hunger in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Circular Bioeconomy Research for Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Innovations, Gaps, and Actions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiferaw Feleke ◽  
Steven Michael Cole ◽  
Haruna Sekabira ◽  
Rousseau Djouaka ◽  
Victor Manyong
Keyword(s):  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
International Institute ◽  
The Public ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Sub Saharan

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has applied the concept of ‘circular bioeconomy’ to design solutions to address the degradation of natural resources, nutrient-depleted farming systems, hunger, and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Over the past decade, IITA has implemented ten circular bioeconomy focused research for development (R4D) interventions in several countries in the region. This article aims to assess the contributions of IITA’s circular bioeconomy focused innovations towards economic, social, and environmental outcomes using the outcome tracking approach, and identify areas for strengthening existing circular bioeconomy R4D interventions using the gap analysis method. Data used for the study came from secondary sources available in the public domain. Results indicate that IITA’s circular bioeconomy interventions led to ten technological innovations (bio-products) that translated into five economic, social, and environmental outcomes, including crop productivity, food security, resource use efficiency, job creation, and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Our gap analysis identified eight gaps leading to a portfolio of five actions needed to enhance the role of circular bioeconomy in SSA. The results showcase the utility of integrating a circular bioeconomy approach in R4D work, especially how using such an approach can lead to significant economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The evidence presented can help inform the development of a framework to guide circular bioeconomy R4D at IITA and other research institutes working in SSA. Generating a body of evidence on what works, including the institutional factors that create enabling environments for circular bioeconomy approaches to thrive, is necessary for governments and donors to support circular bioeconomy research that will help solve some of the most pressing challenges in SSA as populations grow and generate more waste, thus exacerbating a changing climate using the linear economy model.

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