Small-scale market gardeners' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the use of chemical pesticides in the Kabare territory (South-Kivu) in Eastern D.R. Congo.

Damage caused by pests and diseases is one of constraints on crop production for food security. Based on the use of questionnaire and interviews that were conducted in Kabare territory (South-Kivu), this study was carried out to (i) assess farmers practices, attitudes, and knowledge about pesticides use, and (ii) assess the human health and physical environment effects using pesticides. Data was collected from 300 small-scale farmers in study area. Results showed that majority of our respondents were men (59 %) rather than women (41 %) and local knowledge of pesticide use was low (60 %). Education level had a significant influence (p < 0.01) on level of knowledge about pesticide use, time and dose of treatment, method of control, and persistence time. In addition, education level influence significantly farmers' attitudes before and after pesticide treatment (p < 0.05). Pest management control, time of pesticide application, and packaging management method varied significantly with level of local knowledge (p < 0.01). Pesticides use by small-scale farmers has an effect on water, soil, and air quality. It also causes human pathologies such as vomiting, eye irritation, and even loss of life in event of heavy exposure. Inhalation and dermal exposure are main and most dangerous routes of pesticide exposure in our study area, which lacks protective strategies. Finally, use of pesticides disrupts biodiversity through the disappearance of pollinators, predators, parasitoids, and soil microorganisms. Therefore, broad continuity of this study with integration of other scientific aspects would effectively contribute to the improvement of environmental quality.

Optimization of plant density and fertilizer application to improve biofortified common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) yield on Nitisols of South-Kivu, Eastern D.R. Congo.

Soil nutrient depletion and poor farming practices are serious challenges limiting crop productivity in soils of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R. Congo). An experiment was conducted in two cropping seasons to assess the effect of plant density (25 plants m2 and 33 plants m2) and fertilizer application (with and without NPK) on the yield and yield components of three biofortified common bean varieties (HM21-7, RWR2245 and RWR2154). The experiment involved two plant densities, two fertilizer rates and three varieties arranged in a split-split plot design with three replications. Results showed that yield significantly varied with plant density, variety and fertilizer rate (p < 0.05). The best performing variety in terms of grain yield was HM21-7 (1.5 t ha-1) as compared to RWR2154 (1.09 t ha-1) and RWR2245 (1.14 t ha-1). The NPK fertilizer increased the grain yield by 38.2%. Grain yield increased also with the plant density, highest grain yield being recorded on higher plant density (1.37 t ha-1) as compared to low lower plant density (1.25 t ha-1). Agronomic efficiency (AE) was influenced by the variety, with the highest AE obtained on RWR2245 (23.27 kg kg-1) and on high plant density (20.34 kg kg-1). Therefore, we concluded that increasing the plant density by reducing the plant spacing, using NPK fertilizer and high yielding varieties provide with an opportunity to improving common bean yields on Nitisols dominating the highlands of eastern D.R. Congo.

[Thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura in Martinique: Retrospective study between 2008 and 2015]. / Le purpura thrombotique thrombocytopénique à la Martinique : étude rétrospective entre 2008 et 2015.

INTRODUCTION: Some studies suggest that thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) occurs more often in African Americans. However there is low evidence for this in the literature. The aim of our study was to describe the clinical and biological characteristics of TTP in the Afro-Caribbean population of Martinique. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed all patients with TTP diagnosed at the Fort-de-France hospital between 2008, January 1st and 2015, December 31st. Diagnosis was confirmed if ADAMTS-13 activity was<10 %. RESULTS: Ten patients were included, corresponding to an average annual incidence of 3.2 cases/year/million individuals. None of the patient presented with the association of the five characteristic features of TTP. Microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia and severe peripheral thrombocytopenia (median: 13G/L) was the main presentation leading to diagnosis. There was no kidney involvement in 90 % of all patients, but severe neurological manifestations occurred in 70 %. Classical management including corticosteroids and plasma exchanges allowed clinical remission in 6 out of the 10 cases. If necessary, rituximab or cyclophosphamide was used. The overall survival rate was 90 %. CONCLUSION: In Martinique, the incidence of TTP is twice that reported in similar studies in France. Clinical manifestations seem to differ by more common and more severe neurological involvement. Mortality is low, in part, due to optimal care.

[Acquired, non-amyloid related factor X deficiency: A first case associated with atypical chronic lymphocytic leukemia and literature review]. / Déficit non amyloïde acquis en facteur X : un premier cas satellite d'une leucémie lymphoïde chronique atypique et revue de la littérature.

INTRODUCTION: Acquired factor X deficiency is in most cases associated with AL amyloidosis. Acquired non-amyloid related factor X deficiency (DNAA-FX) has been exceptionally reported in the literature. CASE REPORT: We report the first case of acquired, non-amyloid related factor X deficiency associated with atypical chronic lymphoid leukemia in a 66-year-old patient with spontaneous hematomas. After therapeutic failure with polyclonal intravenous immunoglobulins, specific lymphoid malignancy treatment allowed symptoms and coagulation disorder resolution. CONCLUSION: DNAA-FX should be considered in case of bleeding events or coagulation disorders during low-grade hematological malignancies. Its occurrence can be considered as a treatment indication to prevent potentially fatal bleeding complications.

ColE1 multimer formation triggers inhibition of Escherichia coli cell division.

Multimer formation and consequent copy number depression are acknowledged causes of multicopy plasmid instability. Multimer resolution sites (among which ColE1 cer is best-characterized) have been identified in a variety of plasmids. They participate in the conversion of multimers to monomers, maximizing the number of independently segregating molecules and minimizing the frequency of plasmid loss. We show that multimer resolution alone is insufficient to ensure stable maintenance of ColE1-like plasmids in a recombination-proficient host. The expression of Rcd, a transcript encoded within cer and expressed in multimer-containing cells, is also required. The appearance of Rcd correlates with the inhibition of division of multimer-containing cells, presumably allowing time for the conversion of multimers to monomers by site-specific recombination.