Search Results (1,404)

The family Caliciviridae encompasses a diverse group of non-enveloped, positive-sense RNA viruses that are significant pathogens in veterinary medicine. This narrative review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding the clinical, molecular, and epidemiological features of the three calicivirus genera identified in bovine hosts: Norovirus, Nebovirus, and Vesivirus. Bovine noroviruses and neboviruses are neglected enteric pathogens, frequently detected in association with neonatal calf diarrhea and often present in co-infections with other enteric agents. Clinical presentations for these enteric viruses range from severe, watery diarrhea to asymptomatic shedding, with distinct pathogenic profiles observed between norovirus genotypes GIII.1 and GIII.2. In contrast, the genus Vesivirus exhibits a broad host range, and bovine vesivirus strains are phylogenetically linked to vesiviruses identified in pigs and marine animals. Bovine vesivirus infections are associated with a broader spectrum of clinical manifestations, including respiratory disease, vesicular lesions, and abortion. Serological and virological surveys indicate that exposure to these viruses is ubiquitous in cattle populations globally. While direct evidence of human infection by bovine noroviruses and neboviruses remains limited, vesiviruses possess a confirmed capacity for cross-species transmission to humans. Significant knowledge gaps remain, particularly regarding in vitro culture systems, necessitating further research to facilitate vaccine development and clarify transmission dynamics. Full article

Cassava mosaic begomoviruses are a major threat to cassava cultivation in Africa. The virulent Ugandan variant of the East African cassava mosaic virus (EACMV-Ug), which caused substantial damage to cassava production in Uganda in the 1990s and which was previously confined to East and Central Africa, was recently found to be well established in Guinea and Sierra Leone in West Africa. Molecular analysis of cassava leaf samples from a nationwide cassava fields survey conducted in Côte d’Ivoire in 2022 suggested the absence of EACMV-Ug in the country in 2022. Given the proximity of some confirmed EACMV-Ug infected locations in Guinea to Côte d’Ivoire, we conducted another survey in 2025 along the entire western border of Côte d’Ivoire, bordering Guinea and Liberia, to update the status of EACMV-Ug in the country. Molecular analysis of the leaf samples collected confirmed the presence of EACMV-Ug in Côte d’Ivoire for the first time, along with other begomoviruses. The infection rate of EACMV-Ug along the Liberian border was higher (28.85%) than the 17.07% observed along the Guinean border. African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) and East African cassava mosaic Cameroon virus (EACMCMV) were detected both as a single infection and in double co-infections (ACMV+EACMCMV) in some plants, whereas EACMV-Ug was found as a double co-infection (EACMCMV+EACMV-Ug) and as a triple co-infection (ACMV+EACMCMV+EACMV-Ug). Our results also show that all the cassava varieties grown in the surveyed locations were susceptible to EACMV-Ug. Epidemiological assessment of cassava fields revealed that the incidence and severity of cassava mosaic disease (CMD) were significantly higher along the Liberian border compared to the Guinean border. However, whitefly populations were relatively low across the entire area surveyed. Furthermore, we found that the spread of CMD in the survey area was mainly through the use of infected cassava cuttings for the establishment of new farms. Based on these results, it is imperative to conduct an urgent nationwide cassava fields survey to assess the extent of EACMV-Ug spread in Côte d’Ivoire and implement containment measures to stop further spread. Full article

Theological studies of the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon have centred upon the question of secession. Those opposed to the creation of an independent (freedomland) Anglophone state (Ambazonia) draw extensively on the work of Emmanuel Katongole and Stanley Hauerwas, whose outright opposition to the nation state has shaped a number of African theologians. This essay engages the voices of Anglophone young people caught up in the crisis and brings them into dialogue with these professional theologians. Full article

Toxoplasmosis remains the most frequent cause of cerebral lesions in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), especially in those not receiving prophylaxis. Medullary involvement, although rare, can cause irreversible neurological damage. When associated with fever in the returning traveler, the etiological diagnosis of spinal cord lesions can be challenging due to the wide range of diagnostic possibilities. We report a unique case of spinal cord toxoplasmosis associated with Salmonella non-typhi bacteremia after a trip to Cameroon, revealing an advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in an otherwise healthy adult male. We also conducted a comprehensive review of reported spinal cord toxoplasmosis cases between the years 2000 and 2025 in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. In our review, paraparesis, sensory loss, and urinary retention were the most frequent clinical presentations (52.17%; 56.52% and 47.84%, respectively), and the majority of the patients had concomitant cerebral lesions (78.26%). Diagnosis remains a challenge, with 48.0% of the reported cases diagnosed through histological detection of the parasite in central nervous system (CNS) tissue. Sulfadiazine–pyrimethamine with additional folinic acid and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) remains the treatment of choice for treating cerebral toxoplasmosis in people living with HIV (PLHIV), with no particular recommendation regarding patients with spinal cord involvement. In the reviewed cases, neurological sequelae occurred in 52.2% of patients, and mortality was as high as 30.4%. Full article

Background/Objectives: Toothpaste ingredients such as strontium chloride (SrCl₂) and potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃) are recognized for their desensitizing and remineralizing effects but may be absorbed through the oral mucosa. Their potential cytotoxic and cardiotoxic properties, however, remain inadequately characterized. Here, we investigated the effects of SrCl₂ and K₂CO₃ on mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs). Methods: Cells were exposed to varying concentrations of each compound for up to 72 h. Real-time cell analysis (xCELLigence RTCA Cardio system) was used to assess proliferation, and flow cytometry was used to evaluate cell viability. Functional properties of iPSC-CMs were examined using multi-electrode array (MEA) recordings and xCELLigence-based impedance measurements. Cardiac marker expression was examined via immunofluorescence and quantitative RT-PCR. Results: Both SrCl₂ and K₂CO₃ affected iPSC proliferation and reduced viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner, accompanied by altered embryoid body (EB) morphology and increased cell death. In iPSC-CMs, both compounds downregulated key cardiac genes and disrupted spontaneous beating activity, with effects intensifying at higher concentrations. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that SrCl₂ and K₂CO₃ induced dose-dependent cytotoxic and arrhythmogenic effects on iPSCs and iPSC-CMs. At elevated concentrations, these compounds impair iPSC-CM function and may pose safety concerns upon chronic exposure. Further mechanistic and long-term in vivo studies are warranted to assess their potential cardiotoxic risk in consumer oral care products. Full article

The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in the early 2000s with the openly declared intention of rebuilding the historically renowned Muslim Kanem-Bornu kingdom, which covered northern Nigeria, northern Cameroon, parts of Niger, Chad, and Libya for centuries, has caused widespread death and suffering. This paper questions the authenticity and feasibility of such a project in the context of the region’s current religious landscape and discusses how religious institutions, civil societies, and states should respond. Full article

Powdery Mildew is a global plant disease caused by fungal species, causing powdery growth on various parts of plants. This study aims to develop, evaluate and simulate the transmission dynamics of Powdery Mildew in cashew plants using a stochastic differential equation with Lévy noise. After providing some preliminary definitions of stochastic differential equations, we first consider the model without noise. We prove positivity, compute the basic reproduction number, ${\mathcal{R}}_0$, the PMD-free equilibrium, and the existence of a unique endemic equilibrium point whenever ${\mathcal{R}}_0>1$. After that, we formulate the stochastic model under Lévy noise. For this model, we also prove the positivity of the solutions and show that it is possible to extend the disease when ${\mathbb{S}}_s<1$. We also found the condition that ensures the persistence of the disease if ${\mathbb{S}}_0^s>1$. To simulate the model, we build a stochastic model numerical scheme and do a number of numerical simulations to support the theoretical findings we have gotten. Full article

This paper presents LinguoNER, a practical and extensible framework for bootstrapping Named Entity Recognition (NER) in extremely low-resource languages, demonstrated on Yambeta, a Bantu language spoken by a minority community in Cameroon. Due to scarce digital resources and the absence of annotated corpora, Yambeta has remained largely underrepresented in Natural Language Processing (NLP). LinguoNER addresses this gap by providing a methodologically transparent end-to-end workflow that integrates corpus acquisition, gazetteer-driven automatic annotation, tokenizer training, transformer fine-tuning, and multi-level evaluation in settings where large-scale manual annotation is infeasible. Using a Bible-derived corpus as a linguistically stable starting point, we release the first publicly available Yambeta NER dataset (≈25,000 tokens) annotated with the CoNLL BIO scheme and a restricted entity schema (PER/LOC/ORG). Because labels are generated via dictionary-based annotation, the corpus is best characterized as silver-standard; credibility is strengthened through recorded dictionaries, transparency logs, expert-in-the-loop validation on sampled subsets, and complementary qualitative error analysis. We additionally train a dedicated Yambeta WordPiece tokenizer that preserves tone markers and diacritics, and fine-tune a bert-base-cased transformer for token classification. On a held-out test split, LinguoNER achieves strong token-level performance (Precision = 0.989, Recall = 0.981, F1 = 0.985), substantially outperforming a dictionary-only gazetteer baseline ($\Delta$F1 ≈ 0.36). Per-entity-type evaluation further indicates improvements beyond surface-form matching, while remaining errors are linguistically motivated and primarily involve multi-word entity boundaries, agglutinative constructions, and tone-/diacritic-sensitive tokenization. We emphasize that results are restricted to a Bible domain and a limited label space, and should be interpreted as proof-of-concept evidence rather than claims of broad out-of-domain generalization. Overall, LinguoNER provides a reproducible blueprint for bootstrapping NER resources in underrepresented languages and supports future work on broader corpora sources (e.g., news, OPUS, JW300), additional African languages (e.g., Yoruba, Igbo, Bassa), and the iterative creation of expert-refined datasets and gold-standard subsets. Full article

Poultry farming is important from a food point of view, as it provides products for the population. Waste resulting from poultry farming and processing is environmentally sensitive, which is why treatment technologies are crucial for sustainability. Conventional pre-treated wastewater originating from the poultry sector, combined with innovative methods of using substances with antimicrobial effects constitute another approach to eliminating health risks. This research aimed to evaluate the behavior of bacterial strains isolated from water samples treated by reverse osmosis (RO), ultrafiltration (UF), and ultraviolet disinfection (UV). To choose our antimicrobial substances, we surveyed the population using the Google Forms platform and the official questionnaire. Using a factorial design, the concentration of antibiotic or antiseptic, as well as the duration of their action on bacterial strains isolated in pure culture, was varied. The optical densities of bacterial cultures reflect the efficiency of treatments with antibacterial or antiseptic substances. Factorial design, corroborating the experimental results, led to the following: 4.84 mg·L⁻¹ antibiotic for 7.6 h and 4.23 mg·L⁻¹ chloramine for 16.23 h. The results obtained from mathematical modeling correspond to a decrease in the bacterial population. In perspective, combining purification technologies with antimicrobial substances, adapted to the volume of water through mathematical modeling, will reduce the risk of microbiological contamination, with bacterial recovery rate values ranging between 0.58 and 1.21 in the case of antiseptic using, and between 0.60 and 0.92 in the case of antibiotic using. Full article

Diverse institutional analyses in natural resource settings highlight the dominance of exogenous institutions over endogenous ones with sub-(optimal) outcomes. The continued search for optimality signals the need for a theoretical approach to understand the alignment of endogenous and exogenous institutions. To contribute to this theoretical perspective, this paper uses seven community-based forest management settings in the Tsumkwe, East Kavango and West Kavango Regions of Namibia to (i) identify and assess the remnant endogenous cultural institutions (ECIs) and their levels of compliance; (ii) analyze the functioning of key exogenous institutional arrangements governing community-based forest resource use and management; and (iii) explore the potential for a jelled institutional arrangement to shape the future of community-based natural resource management. Data for this study were collected by reviewing policy documents, conducting key informant interviews (n = 10), having focus group discussions (n = 6), and conducting expert interviews (n = 6). Content and thematic analyses of the data yielded several key findings. First, although ECIs remain an integral component of community-based forest management in Namibia, levels of compliance with these institutions vary according to age, gender, and resource characteristics. Older community members exhibit higher levels of compliance with ECIs than younger members. In addition, compliance is significant for subsistence-oriented resources than for market-oriented ones. Second, exogenous institutional arrangements experience weak enforcement, largely due to high transaction costs. Third, institutional jelling, when steered from an endogenous rule-based standpoint, is likely to shape positive outcomes in subsistence-based resource use, whereas those steered from an exogenous rule-based position may shape such outcomes in commercialized resource settings. The insights from Namibia contribute to the ongoing empirical substantiation of institutional jelling as a novel theoretical approach with emphasis on endogenous institution-led roles in shaping subsistence-based resource use systems, and exogenous institution-led roles in steering commercialized resource use and management processes. Policy-wise, emphasis on the jelling of endogenous and exogenous rule-based systems is required to reduce transaction costs linked to sustainable community-based forest resource management in Namibia. As the evidence provided is qualitatively derived, future mixed-methods investigation is needed to empirically ground this theoretical approach in the frame of resource typology and salience, geographical variations in the outcomes linked to (un)jelled institutions, and actor constellations in jelling. Full article

Globally, antibiotic resistance is a growing concern, motivating the search for alternatives. Bovine mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the udder caused by various microorganisms, many of which are resistant to various antibiotics, impacting the quality of dairy products and farmer income. In this study, the in vitro bioactivity of the methanol leaf extract, fractions (ethyl acetate (CeEtOAc), butanol (CeBuOH), hexane (CeHx), dichloromethane CeDCM), and water (CeAq), and a purified compound, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside isolated from the CeEtOAc fraction of Combretum elaeagnoides Klotzsch, were investigated against six Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strains isolated from clinical cases of bovine mastitis and two reference ATCC strains (S. aureus ATCC 29213 and S. epidermidis ATCC 35984). Methods used for assessing bioactivity included serial microdilution for antibacterial efficacy, crystal violet staining and p-iodonitrotetrazolium (INT) metabolic assays for anti-biofilm activity, and a microdilution assay for anti-quorum-sensing potential. The anti-inflammatory assays included 15-lipoxygenase enzyme inhibition and nitric oxide assays. Cytotoxicity screening was conducted using a tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay against bovine dermis cells. The extracts and fractions exhibited moderate to good antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.07 to 1.04 mg/mL, with the ethyl acetate fraction being the most effective. The anti-biofilm activity of the extract, fractions, and isolated compound (quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside) varied at time zero (T0), with inhibition ranging from 3% to 100%. The CeDCM and CeEtOAc fractions exhibited the most potent anti-biofilm effects after 24 h, with inhibition ranging from 24% to 91%. The extracts and fractions exhibited significant inhibition (>50%) of biofilm within the incubation times (T0–T48), and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside alone had >60% inhibition at 48 h. The CeEtOAc fraction had the most significant anti-quorum-sensing activity (IC₅₀ < 0.08 mg/mL). The methanol extract and fractions exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting nitric oxide production (IC₅₀: 7–26 µg/mL). In contrast, the CeAq, CeHx, and CeDCM fractions showed the best inhibitory activity against the 15-lipoxygenase enzyme (IC₅₀ = 3–4 µg/mL). The extracts and fractions were non-cytotoxic to bovine dermis cells (LC₅₀ = 0.88–1 mg/mL). Combretum elaeagnoides extract and its fractions are recommended for further investigation as potential herbal treatments for the management of mastitis and its symptoms. Full article

Background: Intensive poultry production systems can act as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant and multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli, posing a public health risk through food and environmental transmission. Methods: This study investigated the genomic characteristics of antibiotic-resistant E. coli isolated from an intensive poultry production system in the uMgungundlovu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Chicken litter, wastewater, and floor swab samples were collected over three consecutive production cycles. Putative E. coli isolates were detected using the Colilert-18 system, cultured on eosin methylene blue agar, and genomically confirmed by quantitative PCR (q-PCR) targeting the uidA gene. Whole genome sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform, followed by bioinformatic analyses to assess resistance genes, mobile genetic elements, and phylogenetic relationships. Results: Of 150 presumptive E. coli, 70 were genomically confirmed as E. coli and resistant to at least one antibiotic, with 74% exhibiting multidrug resistance. Resistance was highest to tetracycline (100%), ampicillin (94%), and trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (76%), while ciprofloxacin resistance was rare (3%). Genomic analysis identified multiple antibiotic resistance genes conferring resistance to fluoroquinolones, β-lactams, aminoglycosides, amphenicols, fosfomycin, and sulfonamides, as well as the disinfectant resistance gene qacI. These genes were frequently associated with mobile genetic elements, including plasmids, integrons, transposons, and insertion sequences. Predominant sequence types included ST155, ST48, ST1286, and ST602, with phylogenetic relatedness to poultry-associated isolates from Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania, as well as environmental E. coli strains previously identified in South Africa and Ghana. Conclusions: The detection of diverse, mobile MDR E. coli lineages in poultry environments clearly signals a substantial risk for resistance gene dissemination into the food chain and surrounding ecosystems. Immediate attention and intervention are warranted to mitigate public health threats. Full article

Sorghum-based porridges are a key component of breakfast meals in South African school feeding programmes. While these meals support learner nutrition and educational outcomes, their effectiveness depends on learner acceptance and the extent of plate waste. This study assessed acceptance and plate waste of two sorghum-based porridges—Mabele (100% sorghum) and Morvite (pre-cooked sorghum, 75–100% depending on flavour, with possible inclusion of soya, cow’s milk, and wheat/gluten)—compared with instant maize meal, Jungle Oats (100% wholegrain oats), within the Tiger Brands Foundation breakfast programme. Patterns of waste and underlying reasons were examined across five provinces. A mixed-methods approach was used in 25 primary schools across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West, and Northern Cape. Quantitative data were collected through 10-day food waste diaries completed by Volunteer Food Handlers and analysed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and regression models. Qualitative data were obtained from 75 semi-structured staff interviews and 25 learner focus groups, analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti version 22. Overall, food waste was low, with “no food waste” reported in over half of the observations. Acceptance of sorghum-based products varied. Morvite was generally well accepted, whereas Mabele was frequently disliked in some provinces. Key drivers of waste included food dislike, poor preparation, bland flavour, and learner absenteeism, with serving conditions and a lack of utensils as secondary factors. Although waste was modest, variability in acceptance of sorghum-based porridges suggests the need to improve preparation quality, flavour, and serving conditions to enhance programme effectiveness. Full article

From adaptation to building effective resilience to climate change is critical for transforming West and Central Africa (WCA) agricultural system. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an approach initiated by leading international organizations to ensure food security, increased adaptation to climate change and mitigation. Its application spans from innovative policies, practices, technologies, innovations and financing. However, CSA initiatives lack scientific-based assessment prior to implementation to ensure their effectiveness. To fill this gap, future interventions should not only be assessed using rigorous methodology but should also be built on lessons learned from previous initiatives. Although there are a lot of climate related agricultural initiatives in WCA, most of them have not been analyzed through a CSA lens and criteria to capitalize on their experiences to improve future interventions. In this study we mapped previous climate-related initiatives in WCA, highlighted their gaps and lessons learned to accelerate the implementation of CSA in the region. The study covered 20 countries in WCA: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo. CSA initiatives were reviewed using a three-steps methodology: (i) national data collection, (ii) regional validation of the national database, (iii) data analysis including spatial mapping. Data was collected from the websites of international, regional and national organizations working in the field of agricultural development in the region. Each initiative was analyzed using a multicriteria analysis based on CSA principles. A total of 1629 CSA related initiatives were identified in WCA. Over 75% of them were in the form of projects/programs with more of a focus on the first CSA pillar (productivity and food security), followed by adaptation. The mitigation pillar is less covered by the initiatives. Animal production, fisheries, access to markets, and energy are poorly included. More than half of these initiatives have already been completed, calling for more new initiatives in the region. Women benefit very little from the implementation of the identified CSA initiatives, despite the substantial role they play in agriculture. CSA initiatives mainly received funding from technical and financial partners and development partners (45%), banks (22%), and international climate financing mechanisms (20%). Most of them were implemented by government institutions (48%) and development partners (23%). In total, more than 600 billion EUR have been disbursed to implement 83 of the 1629 initiatives identified. These initiatives contributed to reclaiming and/or rehabilitating almost 2 million ha of agricultural land in all countries between 2015 and 2025. Future initiatives should ensure the consideration of the three CSA pillars right from their formulation to the implementation. These initiatives should consider investing in mixed production systems like crop-animal-fisheries. Activities should be built around CSA innovation platforms to encourage networking among actors for more sustainability. Full article

According to Fortune Business Insights, the market share of the Internet of Vehicless is expected to grow from USD 95.62 billion in 2021 to USD 369.61 billion in 2028, at a compound annual growth rate of 21.4%. However, the Internet of Vehicles system still faces several challenges, including regulation, scalability, data management, connectivity, interoperability, privacy, and security. To improve communication security within the Internet of Vehicle system, we have implemented a secure cryptographic algorithm called Optimized Certificateless Key-Encapsulated Encryption, resulting from a fusion of the key-insulated cryptosystem and the cryptographic key-encapsulated mechanism. The formal security analysis of our algorithm using the AVISPA version 1.1 software shows us that our protocol is safe. Informal analysis shows that our algorithm ensures authenticity, confidentiality, integrity, and non-repudiation and resists several other attacks. Our algorithm’s computational and communicational costs are slightly better than those at which it inherits the functionalities. Full article