INFLUENCE OF ASH ON THE MORTALITY OF ADULTS OF BRUCHIDIUS ATROLINEATUS PIC. (COLEOPTERA-BRUCHINAE), IMPORTANT PEST OF COWPEA (VIGNA UNGUICULATA WALP.) IN SAHELIAN ZONE

Bruchidius atrolineatus (pic) (Ba) is one of the most dangerous pests seeds of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp). The infestation begins in the fields of crops and continues in stocks where damage can be considerable in the absence of any protective measure. The importance of these damage justifies the development of appropriate, less expensive and easily applicable peasant struggles. A recommended ash test for the traditional cowpea storage was evaluated on the mortality of Bruchidius atrolineatus (PIC) in the laboratory. During this study, several experiments relating to the influence of Ash on adults of B. atrolineatus were carried out. A negative witness has been made for each case. The treatments have been made according to gender and adults. Ash is a substance that seems to be very effective with respect to B. atrolineatus because has significantly reduced its population. Treatment due to the effect of ash has recorded a mortality rate of 85% on the first day. Then treatments with variations due to the increase in the amount of ash, insects and seeds have induced a respective mortality rate of 31.5%, 43.5%, 93.75% and 100% 62.5%, 33.16%, 30%, 24% and 17.04% and 62.5%, 43.75%, 52.5% and 50% on the 1st after treatment. It is apparent from our study that the female seems to be more resistant than males in almost all treatments. This study showed that the ash could constitute an alternative to the use of chemical insecticides in the conservation of cowpea seeds in the Sahelian zone.

Intra-host evolutionary dynamics of the hepatitis C virus among people who inject drugs

Most individuals chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are asymptomatic during the initial stages of infection and therefore the precise timing of infection is often unknown. Retrospective estimation of infection duration would improve existing surveillance data and help guide treatment. While intra-host viral diversity quantifications such as Shannon entropy have previously been utilized for estimating duration of infection, these studies characterize the viral population from only a relatively short segment of the HCV genome. In this study intra-host diversities were examined across the HCV genome in order to identify the region most reflective of time and the degree to which these estimates are influenced by high-risk activities including those associated with HCV acquisition. Shannon diversities were calculated for all regions of HCV from 78 longitudinally sampled individuals with known seroconversion timeframes. While the region of the HCV genome most accurately reflecting time resided within the NS3 gene, the gene region with the highest capacity to differentiate acute from chronic infections was identified within the NS5b region. Multivariate models predicting duration of infection from viral diversity significantly improved upon incorporation of variables associated with recent public, unsupervised drug use. These results could assist the development of strategic population treatment guidelines for high-risk individuals infected with HCV and offer insights into variables associated with a likelihood of transmission.

The health-related quality of life of patients with a benign gynecological condition: a 2-year follow-up

Aim: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with benign gynecological disorders. Materials & methods: Prospective 2-year follow-up with the 15D HRQoL-instrument of 311 women treated in Helsinki-area hospitals in 2012–2013. Results: The initially impaired HRQoL regarding excretion, discomfort and symptoms, and vitality and sexual activity improved after treatment. However, only sexual activity reached similar levels as in the general population. Treatment of endometriosis, fibroids and polyps resulted in best and that of unspecific pelvic pain and bleeding disorders in worst HRQoL scores. Results were independent of hospital size. Conclusion: The impaired HRQoL dimensions were improved by treatment but HRQoL still remained poorer than in the general female population. Treatment of unspecific pelvic pain and bleeding disorders needs further evaluation.

Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia and Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism in an Adolescent: Presentation and Implications

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a disorder characterized by immune-mediated destruction of thrombocytes leading to peripheral blood platelet count of <100 × 10^9/L. Primary ITP is a terminology used in the absence of other causes or disorders that may be associated with thrombocytopenia, i.e., isolated thrombocytopenia. The term secondary ITP is used if such diseases coexist. We present here a case of a 14-year-old female diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenia. When her evaluation was not strongly supportive of primary ITP, she was screened and proved to have a concomitant Hashimoto thyroiditis. Contrary to the popular belief about secondary ITP in adult population, treatment of our patient’s hypothyroidism did not improve her platelet’s count, and the patient needed multiple immunosuppressive medications to improve her condition.

Current Trends in Epidemiology of Rabies in Belarus

Relevance. According to expert estimates, tens of thousands of people die every year from rabies infection, mainly in Asia and Africa, for whom the main source of transmission of the virus is dogs.The purpose of the work is to establish the epidemiological characteristics of rabies infection in Belarus from 2013 to 2018 in the absence of cases of rabies among the population. Materials and methods. A retrospective epidemiological analysis of treatment demand for anti-rabies medical care (ARMС), analysis of data on an epizootic situation was applied.Results and discussion. The population treatment demand for ARMС ranged from 209.60/0000 to 227.20/0000 and was characterized by higher rates 1.6–1.7 times (P ≤ 0.05) among people under the age of 18. The results of monitoring the epizootic situation of rabies revealed that among all wild animals the proportion of «fox» rabies was 80.7%, while 94.4% of the patients were injured by dogs and cats. In 2018 has increased in 3.3 times (P ≤ 0.02) the frequency of treatment persons with the 3rd damage category and in 1.6 increase (P ≤ 0.05) in the proportion of rabies of farm animals in the structure of the reasons for applying for ARMС in comparison with 2013.Conclusion. In Belarus, the relevance of the problem of rabies infection is determined by the activity of the epizootic process, the consistently high treatment demand for ARMС, the events of contacts of the population, including mass, with rabies animals, the annual increase in the frequency of registration of the 3rd category of damage, as well as refusals of immunization and spontaneous interruption of preventive immunization by patients.

Masculinization of Tropical Eel Anguilla bicolor McClelland in Different Population Density

In general, female eel dominates the results of catching eel in the river. Male fish dare rarely found in nature, therefore masculinization is necessary for obtaining in males. The administration of 17α-methyltestosterone to masculinize Anguilla bicolor McClelland. It is a synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid which has potential to endocrine disrupter that disturbed function of normal reproduction in human or animal. It urgently needed that a masculinization technique needs to study the use of an environmental factor. Population density is one of the environmental factors that influence gender determination (ESD-environmental dependent sex determination). This will result in increased cortisol secretion, which will further stimulate the synthesis of 11-KT steroids that affect male gonad differentiation. This study aims to induce masculinization in tropical eel Anguilla bicolor McClelland in different density. Three treatments and three replicates conducted the research. The treatments were one fish.48 L-1, two fish.48 L-1 and three fish.48 L-1. Eels size was approximately similar, at 16,78 g±0,62 in weight, and 25,38 cm±0,15 in length were either culture in brackish water for eight weeks. The results showed that density population treatment significantly increased the Fin Index (P<0.05), but no sign for Eye Index, GSI, HSI, and testosterone level. The highest male population (77,8%) achieves at the highest density treatment, three fish.48 L-1 population density. It can be concluded, based on reproductive observations, population density does not affect gonad maturity/puberty, but the high population density (3 fish.48 L-1)stimulates Anguilla bicolor McClelland masculinization.