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The construction of sustainable road and highway networks in the world, despite numerous feasibility, pre-feasibility and execution studies, are always confronted with the demands and vagaries of foreseeable and unforeseeable natural disasters. Studying cyclones, earthquakes, fracturing and landslide zones along roads is therefore a challenge for the sustainability of these infrastructures. In many countries around the world, the methods generally used for these studies are not only expensive and time-consuming, but also the results obtained are not always efficient. This work examines whether Landsat 8 (with a high cloud level) and SRTM data can be used in both equatorial and coastal Central Africa zones to produce relevant mapping, locating fracture and landslide zones, in order to contribute not only to a better road layout at lower cost and in a relatively short time, but also to a better prevention of geological disasters that may occur on its network. To this end, a map of the main road network was produced and validated with field data, as well as the maps of the main unstable slopes, faults and fractures zones intersecting the road or highway network. These approaches are useful for sustainable planning, management, monitoring and extension of roads worldwide, especially in Central Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia may develop during anaesthesia and surgery in children and can lead to severe adverse clinical outcomes. No study, as far as we know, has investigated glucose homeostasis in children undergoing surgery in Malawi. The aim of this study was to assess perioperative glucose levels of the children undergoing anaesthesia at Mercy James Centre (MJC) for Paediatric Surgery, Blantyre, Malawi. Methodology: This was an observational cross-sectional study. We looked at 100 children aged 1 day to 15 years anaesthetised at MJC. Data were analysed using SPSS 28. Student t test and Analysis of the variance (ANOVA) were used to compare means. The level of significance was 5%. Results: Male children represented 68%. The median age was 2.2 years. Sixten percents of patient were underweight. Fasting times were prolonged for 87%. Maintenance IV fluid with 2.5% dextrose was given to 14%. Overall, there was a significant increase of glycaemia from induction of anaesthesia to the end of the procedure. Hypoglycaemia was rare. The mean fasting glycaemia was 99.04 mg/dL ± 1.8, 116.95 mg/dL ± 34.2 at 30 min into the procedure and 127.62 mg/dL ± 46.8 at the end of the procedure. The differences in means were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Prolonged fasting times was associated with lower blood glucose means whereas nutrition status, type of the procedure, addition of dextrose in the fluid, and duration of procedure were associated with higher glycaemia means. Conclusion: Glycaemia increases under anaesthesia and surgery. Recommended fasting times, optimising nutritional status, when possible, no dextrose or lower than 2.5% dextrose in IV maintenance fluid are possible strategies to maintain blood sugar homeostasis during paediatric surgery and anaesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disease resistant crop varieties are important for both disease control and for reducing chemical pesticide use. However, there is often a trade-off between disease resistance and yield. While the European Union has banned the use of some pesticides in agriculture, large amounts are still applied to various crops, including wheat. Market-based instruments could motivate farmers to adopt more environmentally friendly production methods. In this study we aimed to explore farmers' adoption of resistant varieties in different wheat price scenarios and their willingness to forgo yield when cultivating more resistant varieties. We conducted face-to-face interviews with 192 farmers using a choice experiment. Results showed that farmers preferred traits of yield stability (fungal disease resistance, lodging resistance and drought tolerance) over yield. Preferences for traits varied with the production system; livestock production was negatively associated with the importance of yield; cultivated land area was positively associated with protein content. The market price scenario did not change preferences. We calculate that farmers are willing to forgo more yield by cultivating highly disease resistant varieties than they are likely to recuperate from reducing costs of pesticides. Overall, we conclude that farmers' choices are based more on a combination of the production system, drought experience, climate change belief and the potential impact of further regulations to reduce the use of chemical pesticides than on the expected wheat price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for and knowledge of the best conditions for anchoring the foundations of certain structures such as bridges, tunnels and quays in sedimentary estuaries is a challenge, for both scientists in general and engineers in particular. Indeed, wharves are structures that receive a lot of stresses and therefore require anchoring to avoid tilting and to guarantee their stability during service. This work, based on the analysis of data from seismic refraction methods, mechanical soundings and laboratory tests, characterises the terrain of the Wouri estuary in Central Africa. The objective is to determine and present the subsurface layers encountered as well as their characteristics, in order to define the best conditions for anchoring the foundations to ensure the stability of the quays to be built there. The seismic refraction campaign shows that the study area is relatively heterogeneous over the first 25 m, with velocities measured in the range 1520–1750 m/s; modulated in two distinct ranges, between 1520–1580 m/s characteristic of mud and loose sediments (alternating layers of clay, sand, loose silt) and the range 1580–1750 m/s corresponding to the signature of sandy-silty or compact clays. The mechanical tests show sedimentary soils, with alternating layers of sandy clay and clayey sand over the 42 m drilled, loose over the first 30 m in the bank area and over the first 15 m in the canal or dredge area, with a limit pressure of less than 1 MPa. Similarly, the soil samples taken and tested in the laboratory show that the soils are clayey over the first 30 metres, plastic and liquid with respect to their water content, respectively, below and above the liquidity limits, confirming their loose character. The results of seismic refraction, mechanical soundings and laboratory tests show that, in estuarine areas characterised by alternating sandy clay and clayey sand, there are not always hard formations in the first 25 metres of depth but, from a depth of 30 m, the soils become moderately compact and begin to form an anchoring layer sufficient to guarantee the stability of the quays against earth pressure forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-trait (MT) genomic prediction models enable breeders to save phenotyping resources and increase the prediction accuracy of unobserved target traits by exploiting available information from non-target or auxiliary traits. Our study evaluated different MT models using 250 rice accessions from Asian countries genotyped and phenotyped for grain content of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and cadmium (Cd). The predictive performance of MT models compared to a traditional single trait (ST) model was assessed by 1) applying different cross-validation strategies (CV1, CV2, and CV3) inferring varied phenotyping patterns and budgets; 2) accounting for local epistatic effects along with the main additive effect in MT models; and 3) using a selective marker panel composed of trait-associated SNPs in MT models. MT models were not statistically significantly (p < 0.05) superior to ST model under CV1, where no phenotypic information was available for the accessions in the test set. After including phenotypes from auxiliary traits in both training and test sets (MT-CV2) or simply in the test set (MT-CV3), MT models significantly (p < 0.05) outperformed ST model for all the traits. The highest increases in the predictive ability of MT models relative to ST models were 11.1% (Mn), 11.5 (Cd), 33.3% (Fe), 95.2% (Cu) and 126% (Zn). Accounting for the local epistatic effects using a haplotype-based model further improved the predictive ability of MT models by 4.6% (Cu), 3.8% (Zn), and 3.5% (Cd) relative to MT models with only additive effects. The predictive ability of the haplotype-based model was not improved after optimizing the marker panel by only considering the markers associated with the traits. This study first assessed the local epistatic effects and marker optimization strategies in the MT genomic prediction framework and then illustrated the power of the MT model in predicting trace element traits in rice for the effective use of genetic resources to improve the nutritional quality of rice grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: General anaesthesia (GA) in developing countries is still a high-risk practice, especially in Africa, accompanied with high morbidity and mortality. No study has yet been conducted in Butembo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to determine the mortality related to GA practice. The main objective of this study was to assess mortality related to GA in Butembo. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive and analytic study of patients who underwent surgery under GA in the 2 main teaching hospitals of Butembo from January 2011 to December 2015. Data were collected from patients files, anaesthesia registries and were analysed with SPSS 26. Results: From a total of 921 patients, 539 (58.5%) were male and 382 (41.5%) female patients. A total of 83 (9.0%) patients died representing an overall perioperative mortality rate of 90 per 1000. Out of the 83 deaths, 38 occurred within 24 h representing GA related mortality of 41 per 1000. There was a global drop in mortality from 2011 to 2015. The risk factors of death were: being a neonate or a senior adult, emergency operation, ASA physical status > 2 and a single deranged vital sign preoperatively, presenting any complication during GA, anaesthesia duration > 120 minutes as well as visceral surgeries/laparotomies. Ketamine was the most employed anaesthetic. Conclusion: GA related mortality is very high in Butembo. Improved GA services and outcomes can be obtained by training more anaesthesia providers, proper patients monitoring, improved infrastructure, better equipment and drugs procurement and considering regional anaesthesia whenever possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers are commonly used for many genetic applications, such as map construction, fingerprinting, and genetic diversity analyses, due to their high reproducibility, polymorphism, and abundance. Endogenous miRNAs play essential roles in plant development and gene expression under diverse biotic and abiotic stress conditions. In the present study, we predicted 110 miRNA-SSR primer pairs from 287 precursor miRNAs. Among 110 primer pairs, 85 were successfully amplified and examined for transferability to other Gramineae and non-Gramineae species. The results showed that all 82 primer pairs yielded unambiguous and strong amplification, and across the 23 studied Cleistogenes accessions, a total of 385 alleles were polymorphic. The number of alleles produced per primer varied from 3 to 11, with an average of 4.69 per locus. The expected heterozygosity (He) ranged from 0.44 to 0.88, with an average of 0.74 per locus, and the PIC (Polymorphism Information Content) values ranged from 0.34 to 0.87, with an average of 0.69 per locus. Furthermore, 1422 miRNA target genes were predicted and analyzed using the GO (Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) databases. In conclusion, the results showed that an miRNA-based microsatellite marker system can be applicable for genetic diversity and marker-assisted breeding studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Standard monitoring during anaesthesia is a core element of patient safety and practice of safe anesthesia has reduced morbidity and mortality worldwide. The main objective of this study was to assess the practice of standard monitoring during anaesthesia in the hospitals of North Kivu, so as to establish a baseline overview of the situation, and orientate plans towards safe anaesthesia in the region.Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey of health facilities of the Health Antenna of Butembo in Democratic Republic of Congo and was conducted from October to December 2018. Questionnaires were brought to anaesthesia providers in the health facilities. The study included 1 answer from the anaesthesia practitioners who accepted to participate. The practices of standard monitoring in the health facilities were compared to WHO-WSFA guidelines. Data was captured and analyzed with Epi Info 7.Results: Forty out of 90 health facilities (44.4%) of 10 health zones responded on the questionnaire. Twenty-three health facilities (57.5%) were from private sector and 17 (42.5%) from public sector. Sixteen health facilities (40.0%) were from the Butembo health zone. The median number of anaesthesia providers was 2 per health facility. Of all the anaesthesia providers, none were physicians, 47.5% were nurses practicing anaesthesia without any training in anaesthesia and 47.5% were nurse anaesthetists. All the health facilities were providing general anaesthesia whereas spinal anaesthesia was provided in 22 out of 40 centers (55%). Seventy percent (28/40) of the facilities were below standard according to WHO-WSFA guidelines. Only 40% (16/40) were using a pulse oximeter and 10% (4/40) declared that ECG was occasionally used.Conclusion: The practice of standard monitoring is poor in health facilities of the Health Antenna of Butembo. Efforts should be made to improve monitoring which is a key element of safe anaesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melilotus is an important genus of legume plants and an herbage with excellent nitrogen fixation; it can tolerate extreme environmental conditions and possesses important medicinal value. However, there is limited genetic information about the genus; thus, we analysed four chloroplast loci (rbcL, matK, psbA-trnH and trnL-F) and one nuclear region (ITS) to determine the genetic diversity of 199 accessions from 18 Melilotus species. The rbcL and matK sequences were highly conserved, whereas the trnL-F and ITS sequences contained variable and parsimony-informative sites. In our analyses of the single and combined regions, we calculated the pairwise distance, haplotype and nucleotide diversity and gaps and then constructed phylogenetic trees to assess the genetic diversity, and our results revealed significant variations among the different accessions. The genetic distance values were between zero and nine, and based on the combined regions, the highest frequency value was approximately four. Melilotus showed high haplotype and nucleotide diversity, particularly in the ITS sequences, with values of 0.86 and 0.0087, respectively. The single ITS sequence, psbA-trnH, and the combined matK+rbcL+trnL-F (MRT) and matK+rbcL+psbA-trnH+trnL-F+ITS (MRPTI) regions showed interspecific variation in the gap analysis. Phylogenetic trees calculated using ITS, psbA-trnH and MRPTI sequences indicated distinct genetic relationship in 18 species, and these species could be divided into two groups. By determining the genetic diversity of plants, we can evaluate the genetic relationships among species and accessions, providing a basis for preserving and utilizing the genetic resources of Melilotus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant growth and development depends on its ability to maintain optimal cellular homeostasis during abiotic and biotic stresses. Cleistogenes songorica, a xerophyte desert plant, is known to have novel drought stress adaptation strategies and contains rich pools of stress tolerance genes. Proteins encoded by Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) family genes promote cellular activities by functioning as disordered molecules, or by limiting collisions between enzymes during stresses. To date, functions of the LEA family genes have been heavily investigated in many plant species except perennial monocotyledonous species. In this study, 44 putative LEA genes were identified in the C. songorica genome and were grouped into eight subfamilies, based on their conserved protein domains and domain organizations. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that C. songorica Dehydrin and LEA_2 subfamily proteins shared high sequence homology with stress responsive Dehydrin proteins from Arabidopsis. Additionally, promoter regions of CsLEA_2 or CsDehydrin subfamily genes were rich in G-box, drought responsive (MBS), and/or Abscisic acid responsive (ABRE) cis-regulatory elements. In addition, gene expression analyses indicated that genes from these two subfamilies were highly responsive to heat stress and ABA treatment, in both leaves and roots. In summary, the results from this study provided a comprehensive view of C. songoricaLEA genes and the potential applications of these genes for the improvement of crop tolerance to abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]