Correction: Phase I clinical study of the recombinant antibody-toxin scFv(FRP5)-ETA specific for the ErbB2/HER2 receptor in patients with advanced solid malignomas

Overcoming dendritic cell (DC) dysfunction is a prerequisite for successful active immunotherapy against breast cancer. CD40 ligand (CD40L), a key molecule in the interface between T-lymphocytes and DCs, seems to be instrumental in achieving that goal. Commenting on our data that CD40L protects circulating DCs from apoptosis induced by breast tumor products, Lenahan and Avigan highlighted the potential of CD40L for immunotherapy. We expand on that argument by pointing to additional findings that CD40L not only rescues genuine DCs but also functionally improves populations of immature antigen-presenting cells that fill the DC compartment in patients with breast cancer.     

Antibiogram of E. coli serotypes isolated from children aged under five with acute diarrhea in Bahir Dar town

Background

Diarrheal disease and its complications remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. The prevalence and antibiogram of E. coli as causative agents of diarrhea vary from region to region, and even within countries in the same geographical area.

Objectives

To determine the serotype and antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli in children under-five years of age.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 children with diarrhea from December 2011 to February 2012. Identification of E. coli and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were done following standard procedures.

Results

The overall isolation rate of E. coli was 48.3%. Poly 2 sero-groups, poly 3 sero-groups, poly 4 sero-groups and E. coli O157:H7 accounted for 80 (39.2%), 40 (19.6%), 25 (12.3%), and 59 (28.9%) of the isolates, respectively. Poly 2 sero-groups, constituting isolates belonging to enteropathogenic E. coli were the most commonly isolated serotypes. E. coli exhibited high levels of antimicrobial resistance to ampicillin (86.8%), tetracycline (76%) and cotrimoxazole (76%). Low levels of resistance to ciprofloxacin (6.9%) and norfloxacin (9.3%) were documented.

Conclusion

High prevalence of diarrheagenic E. coli compounded by alarming antimicrobial resistances is a serious public health problem. Regular determination of antibiogram and public education are recommended.     

Evaluating Linear and Non-linear Genotype–Environment Interactions in Pearl Millet

The nature of genotype–environment (GE) interactions was investigated for two F₁ hybrids and eight open pollinated varieties (OPVs) of pearl millet for grain yield in 12 environments spread over 2 years (2010 and 2011) across the pearl millet growing belt of Sudan. The joint regression analysis showed significant linear and non-linear GE interactions corresponding to heterogeneity and remainder mean squares. However, the GE interactions of all genotypes except PGO9PM1 were explained by the linear regression model. Six OPVs and hybrid PGO9PM3 showed general adaptation with b ≈ 1.0 and non-significant remainder mean squares. Of these genotypes, while hybrid PMO9PM3 was the highest yielding (917 kg ha⁻¹) farmers could adopt any genotype by trading off between their desirable traits such as mean grain yield, earliness, fodder yield and quality criteria etc. Two varieties (ISC-III and MCNELC), were specifically adapted to below average environments with their mean grain yields non-significantly different from the other six OPVs. The highest yielding hybrid PMO9PM1, on the other hand, showed specific adaptation to favourable environments but also had large remainder mean squares. More complex models such as quadratic, 2-intersecting-straight lines, 3-intersecting-straight lines were fitted which, however, could not account for the large remainder mean squares. A 3-lines model with quadratic component in the higher yielding segment of environments was found adequate showing that the upper threshold value for the hybrid was not reached and it would continue responding to higher yielding environments.

     

Effect of hindlimb suspension and clenbuterol treatment on polyamine levels in skeletal muscle

Polyamines are unbiquitous, naturally occurring small aliphatic, polycationic, endogenous compounds. They are involved in many cellular processes and may serve as secondary or tertiary messengers to hormonal regulation. The relationship of polyamines and skeletal muscle mass of adductor longus, extensor digitorum longus, and gastrocnemius under unloading (hindlimb suspension) conditions was investigated. Unloading significantly affected skeletal muscle polyamine levels in a fiber-type-specific fashion. Under loading conditions, clenbuterol treatment increased all polyamine levels, whereas under unloading conditions, only the spermidine levels were consistently increased. Unloading attenuated the anabolic effects of clenbuterol in predominately slow-twitch muscles (adductor longus), but had little impact on clenbuterol's action as a countermeasure in fast- twitch muscles such as the extensor digitorum longus. Spermidine appeared to be the primary polyamine involved in skeletal muscle atrophy/hypertrophy.     

Choosing early pregnancy termination methods in Urban Mozambique

Little is known about who chooses medication abortion with misoprostol and why. Women seeking early abortion in 5 public hospitals in Maputo, Mozambique were recruited in 2005 and 2006 to explore decision-making strategies, method preferences and experiences with misoprostol and vacuum aspiration for early abortion. Client screenings (n = 1799), structured clinical surveys (n = 837), in-depth exit interviews (n = 70), and nurse focus groups (n = 2) were conducted. Triangulation of qualitative and quantative data revealed seemingly contradictory findings. Choice of method reflected women’s heightened concerns about privacy, pain, quality of home support, HIV infection risk, sexuality, and safety of research participation. Urban Mozambican women are highly motivated to find early pregnancy termination techniques that they deem socially and clinically low-risk. Although 42% found vaginal misoprostol self-administration challenging and 25% delayed care for over a week to amass funds for user fees, almost all (96%) reported adequate preparation and comfort with home management. Women reported satisfaction with all methods and quality of care, even if the initial method failed or pain management or postabortion contraception were not offered. A more nuanced understanding of what women value most can yield service delivery models that are responsive and effective in reducing maternal death and disability from unsafe abortion.     

Sources of variation for indoor nitrogen dioxide in rural residences of Ethiopia

Background  

Unprocessed biomass fuel is the primary source of indoor air pollution (IAP) in developing countries. The use of biomass fuel has been linked with acute respiratory infections. This study assesses sources of variations associated with the level of indoor nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).     

Large-scale commodity agriculture exacerbates the climatic impacts of Amazonian deforestation

In the Amazon rainforest, land use following deforestation is diverse and dynamic. Mounting evidence indicates that the climatic impacts of forest loss can also vary considerably, depending on specific features of the affected areas. The size of the deforested patches, for instance, was shown to modulate the characteristics of local climatic impacts. Nonetheless, the influence of different types of land use and management strategies on the magnitude of local climatic changes remains uncertain. Here, we evaluated the impacts of large-scale commodity farming and rural settlements on surface temperature, rainfall patterns, and energy fluxes. Our results reveal that changes in land–atmosphere coupling are induced not only by deforestation size but also, by land use type and management patterns inside the deforested areas. We provide evidence that, in comparison with rural settlements, deforestation caused by large-scale commodity agriculture is more likely to reduce convective rainfall and increase land surface temperature. We demonstrate that these differences are mainly caused by a more intensive management of the land, resulting in significantly lower vegetation cover throughout the year, which reduces latent heat flux. Our findings indicate an urgent need for alternative agricultural practices, as well as forest restoration, for maintaining ecosystem processes and mitigating change in the local climates across the Amazon basin.

During the past 50 y, ∼20% of the Amazon forest has been lost to deforestation (1, 2). These changes in the land surface have affected the functioning of ecosystems and the climate in ways we are only starting to understand. Deforestation size, for instance, is a potential factor defining the magnitude and characteristics of changes in local climate associated with forest loss (3, 4). There is also evidence that the different land uses that follow deforestation can regulate the magnitude of changes in surface energy balance and water cycle (5). Historically, there has been large variation in the characteristics and causes of deforestation (1, 6–9). In the area known as the “arc of deforestation,” two major processes have contributed to forest loss: government-supported rural settlements and expansion of market-focused large-scale agriculture (hereinafter referred to as “commodity agriculture”) (10, 11). Deforestation caused by these two types of farming systems has distinct characteristics, and each can have several variants.Rural settlements are generally associated with government colonization projects, migratory flow incentives, and the construction of new roads (7). In areas dominated by rural settlements, small properties with plots ranging from 25 to 100 ha are predominant (8, 9, 12). However, medium-sized properties ranging from 250 to 1,000 ha and farms larger than 1,000 ha may also occur. Activities inside these areas are characterized by livestock production (extensive pastures), small-scale crop production, and family farming (13). The establishment of small farms along main highways and secondary roads results in the well-known “fish bone” deforestation pattern.Forest areas taken by large-scale commodity agriculture represent a more recent stage of occupation, usually associated with spontaneous and economical migration but also, with changes in land use policies and market conditions (14). Agricultural activities aimed at commodity crop plantation are in general productive and often technologically advanced. The most common commodity crops in the Amazon region are soybean, maize, sorghum, and cotton. Nonetheless, forests are typically not converted directly into croplands, with pastures often used as a transitory land use. Permanent mid- to large-scale cattle ranching also occurs, although many of these areas are being rapidly converted into croplands (6, 14–16). Farm sizes can reach several thousand hectares. Properties are, therefore, bigger and more isolated, in comparison with rural settlements (13).Given the different characteristics of commodity agriculture and rural settlements, the spatiotemporal patterns of land cover biophysical properties can also differ considerably. In general, commodity crops cultivation involves an intensive use of the land, sometimes with two or more harvests per year (17). Hence, rapid changes in the vegetation cover, albedo, and evapotranspiration (ET) can occur (5, 18). On the other hand, in areas where small-scale pastures and agriculture are prevalent, the biophysical properties of the land surface are expected to vary less, given the less intensive use of the land (e.g., associated with family farming and agroforestry). Furthermore, modeling studies suggest that the type of vegetation involved in land cover conversions is important in determining the sign of the land change impacts (19). However, empirical studies are crucially needed to better understand how different land uses across the Amazon region affect the local and regional climate.Tropical deforestation has deep impacts on biophysical processes (1, 20–22), contributing to amplifying diurnal temperature variability (1.95 ± 0.08 °C) as well as increasing mean air temperature (∼1 °C) (23). The causes of increase in temperature are dominated by nonradiative mechanisms, in particular a decrease in latent heat flux (LE) (24). The cooling effects of albedo increase due to deforestation are in most cases outweighed by the warming effects of decreasing ET, leading to net warming (23–25).The impacts of Amazon deforestation on rainfall patterns are not yet fully understood (4). In the initial phases of deforestation, vegetation loss was shown to increase regional cloudiness and precipitation (3). In comparison with deforested areas, the greater humidity over forests leads to more convective available potential energy, which makes the atmospheric boundary layer more unstable (26). Conversely, small deforestation patches showed more active shallow convection, explaining the higher frequency of shallow clouds over deforested areas (26). However, it is unclear how these mechanisms change as deforested areas increase and land cover becomes more uniform. One hypothesis is that convective lifting mechanisms will lose force, and shallow clouds over deforested areas will no longer be favored. Modeling studies indicate that this shift is already happening in some parts of the Amazon, where deforestation has reached a point in which thermally dominated regime has declined, leading to a more dynamically driven hydroclimatic regime (27). A dynamically driven regime becomes dominant when differences in surface roughness between forest and forest clearings start to play a larger role in the atmospheric response, in comparison with the differences in the surface energy partitioning (28).As observational and modeling studies indicate that land use and management can play an important role in the climate system, overlooking these landscape heterogeneities can hinder an adequate response to the threats posed by human activities (29). Clarifying the climatic impacts of different land uses in the Amazon is crucial to foster informed plans for sustainable land management, in particular those aiming at strategies for climate change mitigation, maintenance of ecological functioning, and guarantying provision of essential ecosystem services. Here, we hypothesize that forest conversion to large-scale commodity agriculture is more detrimental to local climate than conversion to rural settlements. To test this hypothesis, we first evaluated whether or not land uses associated with commodity agriculture and rural settlements lead to quantitatively distinguishable land cover spatiotemporal patterns in regions with similar deforestation rates (1985 to 2018) and total deforested area in 2018. Next, we collected empirical evidence on how forest clearing associated with these two causes has affected local rainfall, surface temperature, and LE.     

The Sanitary Conditions of Food Service Establishments and Food Safety Knowledge and Practices of Food Handlers in Bahir Dar Town

Background

Lack of basic infrastructure, poor knowledge of hygiene and practices in food service establishments can contribute to outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. The aims of this study were to investigate the food safety knowledge and practices of food handlers and to assess the sanitary conditions of food service establishments in Bahir Dar town.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Bahir Dar in May 2011 and data were collected using questionnaire and observation checklist on employees'' knowledge of food hygiene and their practices as well on sanitary conditions of the food service establishments

Results

The median age of the food handlers was 22 years and among the 455 subjects 99 (21.8%) have had food hygiene training. Sixty six percent of the establishments had flush toilets whereas 5.9% of the establishment had no toilet. Only 149 (33.6%) of the establishments had a proper solid waste collection receptacle and there was statistically significant association between the sanitary conditions and license status of the establishments (p=0.01). Most of all, knowledge gap in food hygiene and handling practice was observed. In addition, there was statistically significant difference between trained (professional) handlers and non-trained handlers with regard to food hygiene practices (p<0.05). While more than 50% of the handlers prepare meals ahead of the peak selling time, more than 50% of the left over was poorly managed.

Conclusion

This study revealed poor sanitary conditions and poor food hygiene practices of handlers. Educational programs targeted at improving the attitude of food handlers and licensing and regular inspections have been recommended.     

Is the legal framework by itself enough for successful WHO code implementation? A case study from Ethiopia

Since 2016, Ethiopia has passed several proclamations and directives to regulate the promotion of commercial breastmilk substitute (BMS). Ethiopia's market potential will undoubtedly be the gravitating point for international infant formula companies due to growing urbanization, purchasing power, population, and the relatively low use of BMS to‐date. The aim of this review is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the existing laws, standards, and monitoring documents used to regulate the marketing of BMSs in Ethiopia and make future recommendations. The study findings highlighted that the regulation on marketing are comprehensive and strong to limit the promotion of infant formula. On the other hand, the regulation on marketing of follow‐up formulas, complementary foods, and growing‐up milk by manufacturers and distributors, media houses, and communication and advertisement agencies are underregulated, especially with regards to the international 69.9 regulation. The monitoring and enforcement of the existing marketing regulations remain limited in the absence of a formal coordination mechanism. Several violations of the national BMS regulations were observed. Forty‐one percent of mothers reported observing the BMS advertising and logos were detected in 36% of health facilities assessed. In 100% of cases, the infant formula labels contained violations. As the lead national authority mandated to regulate food safety, the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority needs to update its regulations related to the marketing of BMS to fill the loopholes and revise the national law in line with the international code of marketing of BMSs to protect breastfeeding.