Economic incentives for conservation: beekeeping and Saturniidae caterpillar utilization by rural communities

The economic viability of the wildlife based enterprises (bee-keeping and caterpillar utilization) in Malawi is discussed in relation to conventional agricultural enterprises (maize, beans and ground-nuts). A strong incentive emerges for rural people to adopt wildlife management as an adjunct to subsistence agriculture, and therefore, to promote conservation of natural ecosystems and wildlife habitats in the face of growing human population and demand for land. Dependence on agriculture has depleted the wildlife resource outside protected areas and has been less effective in improving the wealth and living standards of most rural people. This study illustrates that the Malawi Department of National Parks and Wildlife needs to introduce economic incentives that integrate biological conservation with economic development for the rural people. The management programme involves the adoption of a rotation burning policy that promotes vegetation coppicing, eases harvesting and promotes high caterpillar yields.     

The Association between Multiple Sources of Information and Risk Perceptions of Tuberculosis,Ntcheu District,Malawi

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the main causes of death in developing countries. Awareness and perception of risk of TB could influence early detection, diagnosis and care seeking at treatment centers. However, perceptions about TB are influenced by sources of information.

Aim

This study aimed to determine the association between multiple sources of information, and perceptions of risk of TB among adults aged 18–49 years.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ntcheu district in Malawi. A total of 121 adults were sampled in a three-stage simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Perceptions of risk were measured using specific statements that reflected common myths and misconceptions. Low risk perception implied a person having strong belief in myths and misconceptions about TB and high risk perception meant a person having no belief in myths or misconceptions and demonstrated understanding of the disease.

Results

Females were more likely to have low risk perceptions about TB compared to males (67.7% vs. 32.5%, p = 0.01). The higher the household asset index the more likely an individual had higher risk perceptions about TB (p = 0.006). The perception of risk of TB was associated with sources of information (p = 0.03). Use of both interpersonal communication and mass media was 2.8 times more likely to be associated with increased perception of risk of TB (Odds Ratio [OR] = 2.8; 95% Confidence interva1[CI]: 3.1–15. 6; p = 0.01). After adjusting for sex and asset ownership, use of interpersonal communication and mass media were more likely to be associated with higher perception of risk of TB (OR, 2.0; 95% CI: 1.65–10.72; p = 0.003) compared with interpersonal communication only (OR 1.6, 95%; CI: 1.13–8.98, p = 0.027).

Conclusion

The study found that there was association between multiple sources of information, and higher perceptions of risk of TB among adults aged 18–49 years.     

Dwindling food-fish species and fishers' preference: problems of conserving Lake Malawi's biodiversity

Most of Malawi's popular food-fish species are in decline. The fishers attribute this decline to overfishing, changes in climate, inadequate fishing technology and supernatural powers. Sedimentation of the lake and rivers due to poor agricultural practices, which can also be implicated in the demise of Malawi's fisheries, was not recognized by the fishers. This study tested and confirmed that the fishers would readily switch to exploiting ornamental fish (Mbuna) for subsistence and cash if the more favoured food-fish species continued to dwindle. However, as most of the Mbuna species are localized to specific rocky habitats and are endemic to certain parts of the lake, they may be vulnerable to overfishing. To safeguard Lake Malawi's rich fish species diversity: (i) alternative economic opportunities for the lakeshore people should be identified, evaluated and promoted to alleviate the fishing pressure, (ii) the Department of Fisheries should collaborate with local fishermen in promoting sustainable fish utilization, e.g., through public campaigns aimed at sensitizing fishermen on the status of the fisheries and the vulnerability of some fish communities to overfishing and environmental degradation, and (iii) the degree of Mbuna exploitation, now that the popular food fishes are in decline, should be monitored and, where necessary, regulated to promote sustainability.     

Universal barrier to lateral spread of specific genes among microorganisms

A genetic circuit to suppress the lateral spread of cloned genes from recombinant to indigenous microorganisms in the environment has been developed. It is based on the endonucleolytic activity of the bacterial toxin colicin E3, which has a distinct target at the 3 end of the 16S ribosomal RNA; this sequence is conserved in virtually all prokaryotic and many eukaryotic genera. Cleavage at this sequence separates the mRNA binding sites from the remainder of the 16S rRNA, thereby inhibiting protein synthesis. While host bacteria carrying the genes for both colicin production and colicin immunity are perfectly viable, lateral transfer of the E3 gene to non-immune reciptents results in killing of such recipients. This genetic circuit decreases operational transfer frequencies of cloned genes linked to the E3 gene among a variety of bacterial genera by four to five orders of magnitude, in combination with transposon cloning vectors, the circuit is predicted to reduce the rate of lateral spread of specific genes to ecologically insignificant levels. This system therefore represents a useful tool both to explore the evolutionary and ecological consequences of experimentally reducing lateral gene spread among microorganisms, and to increase the ecological predictability of novel recombinant microorganisms.     

New Policies,New Technologies: Modelling the Potential for Improved Smear Microscopy Services in Malawi

Background

To quantify the likely impact of recent WHO policy recommendations regarding smear microscopy and the introduction of appropriate low-cost fluorescence microscopy on a) case detection and b) laboratory workload.

Methodology/Principal Findings

An audit of the laboratory register in an urban hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi, and the application of a simple modelling framework. The adoption of the new definition of a smear-positive case could directly increase case detection by up to 28%. Examining Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) sputum smears for up to 10 minutes before declaring them negative has previously been shown to increase case detection (over and above that gained by the adoption of the new case definition) by 70% compared with examination times in routine practice. Three times the number of staff would be required to adequately examine the current workload of smears using ZN microscopy. Through implementing new policy recommendations and LED-based fluorescence microscopy the current laboratory staff complement could investigate the same number of patients, examining auramine-stained smears to an extent that is equivalent to a 10 minutes ZN smear examination.

Conclusions/Significance

Combined implementation of the new WHO recommendations on smear microscopy and LED-based fluorescence microscopy could result in substantial increases in smear positive case-detection using existing human resources and minimal additional equipment.     

Association between Socioeconomic Position and Tuberculosis in a Large Population-Based Study in Rural Malawi

Setting

There is increasing interest in social structural interventions for tuberculosis. The association between poverty and tuberculosis is well established in many settings, but less clear in rural Africa. In Karonga District, Malawi, we found an association between higher socioeconomic status and tuberculosis from 1986-1996, independent of HIV status and other factors.

Objective

To investigate the relationship in the same area in 1997-2010.

Design

All adults in the district with new laboratory-confirmed tuberculosis were included. They were compared with community controls, selected concurrently and frequency-matched for age, sex and area.

Results

1707 cases and 2678 controls were interviewed (response rates >95%). The odds of TB were increased in those working in the cash compared to subsistence economy (p<0.001), and with better housing (p-trend=0.006), but decreased with increased asset ownership (p-trend=0.003). The associations with occupation and housing were partly mediated by HIV status, but remained significant.

Conclusion

Different socioeconomic measures capture different pathways of the association between socioeconomic status and tuberculosis. Subsistence farmers may be relatively unexposed whereas those in the cash economy travel more, and may be more likely to come forward for diagnosis. In this setting “better houses” may be less well ventilated and residents may spend more time indoors.     

Inclusion and human rights in health policies: comparative and benchmarking analysis of 51 policies from Malawi, Sudan, South Africa and Namibia

While many health services strive to be equitable, accessible and inclusive, peoples' right to health often goes unrealized, particularly among vulnerable groups. The extent to which health policies explicitly seek to achieve such goals sets the policy context in which services are delivered and evaluated. An analytical framework was developed--EquiFrame--to evaluate 1) the extent to which 21 Core Concepts of human rights were addressed in policy documents, and 2) coverage of 12 Vulnerable Groups who might benefit from such policies. Using this framework, analysis of 51 policies across Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Sudan, confirmed the relevance of all Core Concepts and Vulnerable Groups. Further, our analysis highlighted some very strong policies, serious shortcomings in others as well as country-specific patterns. If social inclusion and human rights do not underpin policy formation, it is unlikely they will be inculcated in service delivery. EquiFrame facilitates policy analysis and benchmarking, and provides a means for evaluating policy revision and development.     

The two-step lysis system of pneumococcal bacteriophage EJ-1 is functional in Gram-negative bacteria: triggering of the major pneumococcal autolysin in Escherichia coli

The holin function Ejh of the pneumococcal bacteriophage EJ-1 has been characterized. It shows structural features similar to, and functionally complemented, the prototype member of the holin family. In Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida the Ejh product caused cellular death, and changes in cell morphology could be accounted for by lesions in the cytoplasmic membrane. Expression of ejh resulted in the inhibition of growth in a variety of phylogenetically distant bacterial genera, suggesting a broad spectrum of action. Concomitant expression of the ejh and ejl (encodes a lysin) genes led to lysis of E. coli and P. putida cells. Remarkably, the Ejl lysin was able to attack murein from bacteria lacking choline in their sacculi, which suggests that pneumococcal lysins have a broader substrate specificity than previously assumed. Furthermore, the Ejh holin was able to trigger activity of the major pneumococcal autolysin cloned and expressed in E. coli , and this raised new questions about the regulation of this model autolysin. A new function for holins in systems where the phage lysin is supposed to be associated with the membrane is proposed.     

Optimized Hydrophobic Interactions and Hydrogen Bonding at the Target-Ligand Interface Leads the Pathways of Drug-Designing

Background

Weak intermolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions are key players in stabilizing energetically-favored ligands, in an open conformational environment of protein structures. However, it is still poorly understood how the binding parameters associated with these interactions facilitate a drug-lead to recognize a specific target and improve drugs efficacy. To understand this, comprehensive analysis of hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding and binding affinity have been analyzed at the interface of c-Src and c-Abl kinases and 4-amino substituted 1H-pyrazolo [3, 4-d] pyrimidine compounds.

Methodology

In-silico docking studies were performed, using Discovery Studio software modules LigandFit, CDOCKER and ZDOCK, to investigate the role of ligand binding affinity at the hydrophobic pocket of c-Src and c-Abl kinase. Hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions of docked molecules were compared using LigPlot program. Furthermore, 3D-QSAR and MFA calculations were scrutinized to quantify the role of weak interactions in binding affinity and drug efficacy.

Conclusions

The in-silico method has enabled us to reveal that a multi-targeted small molecule binds with low affinity to its respective targets. But its binding affinity can be altered by integrating the conformationally favored functional groups at the active site of the ligand-target interface. Docking studies of 4-amino-substituted molecules at the bioactive cascade of the c-Src and c-Abl have concluded that 3D structural folding at the protein-ligand groove is also a hallmark for molecular recognition of multi-targeted compounds and for predicting their biological activity. The results presented here demonstrate that hydrogen bonding and optimized hydrophobic interactions both stabilize the ligands at the target site, and help alter binding affinity and drug efficacy.     

The detection of somaclonal variants of beet using RAPD

Summary Plantlets were regenerated by adventitious shoot budding in tissue culture from leaf explants of a single genotype of sugar beet. DNA was extracted from the parental plant and from 120 regenerants. RAPD analysis was carried out using five decanucleotide primers; 4,557 RAPD marker bands were examined and two polymorphisms were observed. Thirty secondary regenerants were then derived, using the same tissue culture technique, from thirty of the primary regenerants. Again RAPD analysis was employed and a single band polymorphism was observed out of 1,050 bands examined. The overall frequency of detection of somaclonal polymorphisms using RAPD (3 in 5,607 = 0.05%) is similar to frequencies previously reported using isozyme and RFLP technologies.Abbreviations BAP 6-benzylaminopurine - IBA indole-butyric acid - MS Murashige and Skoog medium (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) - RAPD Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA