Petroleum geological characteristics and exploration targets of the oil-rich sags in the Central and West African Rift System

Based on seismic,drilling,and source rock analysis data,the petroleum geological characteristics and future exploration direction of the oil-rich sags in the Central and West African Rift System(CWARS)are discussed.The study shows that the Central African Rift System mainly develops high-quality lacustrine source rocks in the Lower Cretaceous,and the West African Rift System mainly develops high-quality terrigenous organic matter-rich marine source rocks in the Upper Cretaceous,and the two types of source rocks provide a material basis for the enrichment of oil and gas in the CWARS.Multiple sets of reservoir rocks including fractured basement and three sets of regional cap rocks in the Lower Cretaceous,the Upper Cretaceous,and the Paleogene are developed in the CWARS.Since the Late Mesozoic,due to the geodynamic factors including the dextral strike-slip movement of the Central African Shear Zone,the basins in different directions of the CWARS differ in terms of rifting stages,intervals of regional cap rocks,trap types and accumulation models.The NE-SW trending basins have mainly preserved one stage of rifting in the Early Cretaceous,with regional cap rocks developed in the Lower Cretaceous strata,forming traps of reverse anticlines,flower-shaped structures and basement buried hill,and two types of hydrocarbon accumulation models of"source and reservoir in the same formation,and accumulation inside source rocks"and"up-source and down-reservoir,and accumulation below source rocks".The NW–SE basins are characterized by multiple rifting stages superimposition,with the development of regional cap rocks in the Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene,forming traps of draping anticlines,faulted anticlines,antithetic fault blocks and the accumulation model of"down-source and up-reservoir,and accumulation above source rocks".The combination of reservoir and cap rocks inside source rocks of basins with multiple superimposed rifting stages,as well as the lithologic reservoirs and the shale oil inside source rocks of strong inversion basins are important fields for future exploration in basins of the CWARS.

Establishment of an indirect immunofluorescence assay for the detection of African swine fever virus antibodies

African swine fever(ASF)continues to cause enormous economic loss to the global pig industry.Since there is no safe and effective vaccine,accurate and timely diagnosis of ASF is essential to implement control measures.Indirect immunofluorescence assay(IFA)is a gold standard serological method recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health(WOAH).In this study,we used primary fetal kidney cells to establish a wild boar cell line(BK2258)that supported the efficient replication of ASF virus(ASFV)SD/DY-I/21 and showed visible cytopathic effect(CPE).Moreover,using BK2258,we established a sensitive and specific IFA for ASFV antibody detection.To standardize and evaluate the performance of this assay,we used serum samples from pigs infected with the low virulent genotype I SD/DY-I/21 and genotype II HLJ/HRB1/20,and immunized with the vaccine candidate HLJ/18-7GD,field samples,and negative serum samples.The IFA reacted with the ASFV-positive sera and displayed bright fluorescence foci.There was no non-specific green fluorescence due to cellular senescence or other cell damage-causing factors.Compared to a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(iELISA),ASFV antibodies were detected 1–4 days earlier using our IFA.The detection limits of the IFA and iELISA for the same ASFV-antibody positive serum samples were 1:25,600 and 1:6,400,respectively,indicating that the IFA is more sensitive than iELISA.The newly established IFA was highly specific and did not cross-react with sera positive for six other important porcine pathogens(i.e.,Classical swine fever virus(CSFV),Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus(PRRSV),Porcme circovirus type 2(PCV2),Pseudorabies virus(PRV),Foot-and-Mouth disease virus type O(FMDV/O),and Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV)).This study thus provides a sensitive,specific,and reliable detection method that is suitable for the serological diagnosis of ASF.

A Hybrid Classification and Identification of Pneumonia Using African Buffalo Optimization and CNN from Chest X-Ray Images

An illness known as pneumonia causes inflammation in the lungs.Since there is so much information available fromvarious X-ray images,diagnosing pneumonia has typically proven challenging.To improve image quality and speed up the diagnosis of pneumonia,numerous approaches have been devised.To date,several methods have been employed to identify pneumonia.The Convolutional Neural Network(CNN)has achieved outstanding success in identifying and diagnosing diseases in the fields of medicine and radiology.However,these methods are complex,inefficient,and imprecise to analyze a big number of datasets.In this paper,a new hybrid method for the automatic classification and identification of Pneumonia from chest X-ray images is proposed.The proposed method(ABOCNN)utilized theAfrican BuffaloOptimization(ABO)algorithmto enhanceCNNperformance and accuracy.The Weinmed filter is employed for pre-processing to eliminate unwanted noises from chest X-ray images,followed by feature extraction using the Grey Level Co-Occurrence Matrix(GLCM)approach.Relevant features are then selected from the dataset using the ABO algorithm,and ultimately,high-performance deep learning using the CNN approach is introduced for the classification and identification of Pneumonia.Experimental results on various datasets showed that,when contrasted to other approaches,the ABO-CNN outperforms them all for the classification tasks.The proposed method exhibits superior values like 96.95%,88%,86%,and 86%for accuracy,precision,recall,and F1-score,respectively.

Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Salmonella Strains Isolated at the National Clinical Biology and Public Health Laboratory in Bangui, Central African Republic

In Africa, each year, there are estimated to be more than 91 million cases of salmonellosis and 137,000 cases of death. The problem of antibiotic resistance in Salmonella strains is a threat to public health. The objective of this study is to evaluate the antibiotic resistance profile of Salmonella strains isolated in biological products analyzed at the National Laboratory of Clinical Biology and Public Health (NLCBPH) in Bangui. This is, therefore, a cross-sectional study with a descriptive aim, running from January to December 2022. It focused on the strains of Salmonella isolated and identified in stools, urines, and blood samples. For each strain of Salmonella isolated, an antibiogram was carried out following the recommendations of the French Society of Microbiology (CASFM, 2022). A total of 93 strains of Salmonella have been recorded. The age group 0 - 9 years was 29% and that of >50 years was 11%. The median age of patients was 30 years with a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 78 years. The female gender was more represented at 52.69% than the male gender at 47.31%, i.e. a sex ratio of 0.89 (M/F). Salmonella strains were much more isolated in stools at 62% followed by urines at 29% and blood at 6%. Salmonella arizonae strains were more represented with 52%. Salmonella strains have a resistance rate to Tetracycline of 62.37% followed by Penicillins of 50%. The rate of multi-antibiotic resistance of the Salmonella strains isolated represented 48.38%. Salmonella spp. strains were multi-resistant at 58.69% followed by Salmonella arizonae strains at 47.91%. There is a significant association between the different families of antibiotics and Salmonella strains (p < 0.05). According to the results obtained, Penicillins, Phenicoles, and Cyclins had a high rate of resistance on Salmonella strains. No strain-producing Broad Spectrum Beta-lactamase has been isolated. Salmonella strains represent a zoonotic health danger, constitute a public health problem and remain a current subject. This germ is resistant to the antibiotics used. It is, therefore, essential to emphasize monitoring the resistance of these germs in the Central African Republic (CAR) to improve the health of the population.

Formulation of Infant Flours Based on Fonio Enriched with Bambara Groundnut Anacardium (Cashew) and African Locust Bean Fruit Pulp

Infant malnutrition is a significant issue in Côte d’Ivoire, and this study aims to address it by formulating infant flours using local ingredients. Fermentation, germination, and malting methods were used to enhance the quality of six formulated flours, all based on Fonio and supplemented with Bambara groundnut, African locust bean fruit pulp, and cashew kernels. Results showed that Fonio had the highest carbohydrate content, while Bambara groundnut and Cashew kernels were rich in protein and lipid content. African locust bean fruit pulp was rich in fiber and Vitamin C, with a high β-carotene value. The cashew kernel had the highest energy value. Regarding mineral composition, African locust bean fruit pulp had the highest potassium content, while Bambara groundnut and African locust bean fruit pulp were rich in sodium. Cashew kernel and Fonio had higher iron and calcium content. Bambara groundnut had a higher zinc content, while cashew kernel had a higher magnesium content. The formulated flours made from fermented Fonio grains and enriched with Bambara groundnut, African locust bean fruit pulp, and cashew kernel had varying protein, fiber, carbohydrate, ash, and fat contents. The flour formulated with sprouted Fonio and enriched with the same ingredients had higher protein content and energy value than the other fermented seed-based flours. The mixed flours produced with fermented seeds and the flour produced from sprouted seeds met international standards. Overall, these findings offer valuable insights into the nutritional composition of the formulated flours and their potential to combat infant malnutrition in Côte d’Ivoire.

Contribution to the Study of Fungal Strains Contaminating Peanut Pastes in Bangui (Central African Republic)

Introduction: Peanut pastes are food products resulting from artisanal or industrial processing, used in cooking in Africa in general and in Central African Republic in particular. These peanut pastes are often contaminated by molds and filamentous fungi involved in the degradation of hygienic and organoleptic or even toxicological quality. This study aims to determine the epidemiological profile of molds contaminating peanut pastes sold on the Central African market. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study carried out from June to September 2023. Samples of peanut pastes sold on Central African market were taken and analyzed at the National Laboratory of Clinical Biology and Public Health using the conventional microbiology method according to ISO 7954 standards. The data obtained were collected in the ODK 2023.3.1 application and analyzed with the Epi Info 7 software. A multivariate analysis by logistic regression, Ficher’s exact test, and chi2 at the 5% threshold (p Penicillium sp.;11.25% of Mucor sp.;10.63% of Aspergillus terrei;3.13% of Aspergillus niger;1.25% of Aspergillus medullans;28.13% of Aspergillus flavus;2.50% of Aspergillus fumigatus. Peanut pastes stored beyond three days were more contaminated (94.19%). Conclusion: The results of this study made it possible to highlight strains of mold that impact the hygienic and organoleptic quality of peanut pastes sold at the Central African market. Most of the isolated strains were the Aspergillus flavus species which is recognized by its toxigenic effects. This species is much more incriminated in the contamination of foodstuffs with the production of the toxin which causes underlying pulmonary pathologies in humans.

Contribution of Genomic Surveillance in the Detection and Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Variants during the 6 Pandemic Waves in the Central African Republic from 2020 to 2023

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to strengthen diagnosis and genomic surveillance capacities. In 2021, Central African managed five waves of COVID-19 by integrating genomic surveillance into their health monitoring system. This study sought to report surveillance data from the National Laboratory of Clinical Biology and Public Health and describe the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Materials and Methods: This retrospective, descriptive observational study spans three years, from April 2020 to November 2023. It was conducted on a population of consenting volunteers from across the Central African Republic, who were tested using RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal samples. Data with sufficient information were obtained from the National Laboratory of Clinical Biology and Public Health (LNBCSP) databases. Sequencing was largely carried out at the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) in Kinshasa until May 2023, and subsequently at the LNBCSP. Results and Discussion: Out of 97,864 RT-PCR tests performed, 9,764 were positive, resulting in a prevalence of 9.98%. The average age of the patients was 39.97 years ± 13.76, and the male-to-female sex ratio was 2.12. RT-PCR test positivity was significantly associated with age (p = 0.001), sex (p = 0.013) and clinical manifestations. Ten variants circulated during the five recorded waves, with Omicron (B.1.1.529), Delta (B.1.617.2) variants being predominant. Notably, the B.1.620 and B.640 variants were prominent during the second wave. Conclusion: This retrospective study provides key insights into the COVID-19 pandemic in the CAR. It identifies risk factors and details the circulation of various SARS-CoV-2 variants. Enhancing national genomic surveillance capacities would enable the country to better respond to future pandemic challenges.

Contribution to the Study of the Incidence of Post-Streptococcal Complications in Republic Central African Republic from 2015 to 2018

Introduction: Acute rheumatic fever (AAR) is a non-suppurative complication of late infection by group A. Infections due to streptococci remain a public health problem in the Central African Republic. The present study aims to determine the incidence rate of AAR cases and its complications. Methodology: This was a retrospective and analytical study over a period of 4 years (from January 2015 to December 2018) at the National Laboratory of Clinical Biology and Public Health (LNBCSP) in Bangui. It focused on samples concerning the diagnosis of AAR and patient files seen in consultation in the capital’s reference health establishments. Laboratory registers and patient consultation files were used to collect data. They were entered into Excel 2010 to be analyzed with Epi Info 7. A univariate analysis by logistic regression, Ficher’s exact test, and chi2 at the 5% threshold (p Results: We analyzed 94 cases meeting Jones’s criteria. The ages of the patients ranged from 18 to 85 years (mean age 52 years and mode 45 years). The incidence rate of AAR for the female sex was higher than that of the male sex during the study period (p > 0.05). It went from 166.6 in 2015 to 200 in 2016 and 2018 cases of AAR per 1000 people per year. The average incidence rate was 296.18 cases of AAR per 1000 people per year. The average incidence rate was 223.5 cases of AAR per 1000 people per year for joint damage. Joint damage represented 80.85% (RR = 0.62;Chi2 = 4.88;95% CI [0.39-0.97];p Conclusion: The study allowed data on the impact rate and complications of the AAR in Bangui. Special attention to data management will help produce a complete result on the problem. Joint complications predominated. Sustaining an effective surveillance system and preventing infection would help reduce the risk of AAR occurrence.

Prevalence of Gender-Based Violence among Sex Workers in Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR)

Background: Violence against women has become an international public health and human rights issue in recent decades. The violence suffered by sex workers is of little interest for research, yet it constitutes a major health and safety problem. We propose to assess the extent of the phenomenon of gender-based violence (GBV) among sex workers (SWs) in the city of Bangui in the CAR. Methodology: This is a descriptive cross-sectional epidemiological study covering the period from July to October 2021 carried out among SWs in Bangui, the capital of the CAR. Given that the SWs association had only 159 members in Bangui, an exhaustive sampling was retained. Were included in the study, any SW present during the data collection period and having given their written consent. The parameters studied were socio-demographic characteristics: age, sex, residence, level of education, marital status, and characteristics linked to violence: the notion of violence during their professional activity, the type of violence, the declaration and the declaration if necessary, the response and management of this violence. The data collected was analyzed using Epi info version 7 software. Results: Of the 159 SWs that counted the association, 108 had been included. The average age was 27.0 years with extremes of 14 and 46 years. The age groups of 25 to 34 years were the most represented (43.5%). Fifty-six SWs (51.9%) had reached the secondary level. Unemployed SWs were in the majority at 74.1%;Sixty-six (66) SWs in our sample (61.1%) had already been victims of violence during the exercise of their activity Sexual violence was the most represented (28.5%) followed by verbal violence (22.4%). Sixty-eight (62.9%) wanted to stop the professional activity of SWs and 93.1% would accept another income-generating activity in place of sex work. Conclusion: It is necessary to supervise SWs and protect them within the framework of respect for human rights, rather than criminalizing them and the exploiters flouting their human dignity and putting their lives in danger. .

African Francophone Literature in China

This paper delves into the current landscape of African Francophone literature in China.It begins by tracing the history of the French language in Africa and the emergence and development of African Francophone literature,and then provides an overview of the research achievements of African Francophone literature in China,including monographs,translated literary works and academic papers,highlighting the translation and research on the key African Francophone writers.

Foreign Minister of Central African Republic Visits CIIS and Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy Research Center

On April 15,Foreign Minister of the Central African Republic Sylvie Baipo-Temon visited China Institute of International Studies(CIIS)and the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy Research Center during her visit to China,accompanied by multiple Central African Republic officials and Counsellor Chen Xiaolei from the Department of African Affairs of China’s Foreign Ministry.

Abdominoplasty, Liposuction and Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. My Experience in This Aesthetic Plastic Surgery with Black African Women in a Low-Income Country

Background: In low-income African countries, the demand and use of plastic surgery operations including abdominoplasty, liposuction and Brazilian butt lift (BBL) are increasing. The goal of this work is to present my experience and the challenges of this aesthetic plastic surgery among black African women. Material and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted about the abdominoplasties, liposuctions and Brazilian butt lift (BBL) which I operated in public and private hospitals at Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) in black African women. It covers a period of 13 years, going from December 1, 2010 to December 1, 2023. For this study, I had at least 6 months period (to Juin 1, 2024) to assess the occurrence of early and late postoperative complications. Results: I performed 84 abdominoplasties, 144 liposuctions and 23 Brazilian butt lifts (BBL). The average age at the time of abdominoplasty was 44 years with extremes ranging from 26 to 55 years and a concentration of cases (60.7%) in the age group of 40 to 49 years. The age group of 20 to 29 years old represented the lowest rate of requests for abdominoplasty (4.7%). Patients with a BMI of 30 to 2 were the majority (61.9%), followed by those between 25 to 2 (29.7%). 67.8% of patients were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). The average age at the time of liposuction was 41 years with extremes ranging from 21 years to 69 years;and more than half of cases (68%) in the age group between 30 and 49 years. As for Brazilian butt lift (BBL), the average age was 33 years with extremes ranging from 24 to 42 years and a concentration of patients (91.3%) between 20 and 39 years. The immediate postoperative complications of abdominoplasties observed were: seroma in 7% of cases, hematoma and partial infection of the surgical site in 5% of cases. Pathological scars (hypertrophic, keloid) after abdominoplasties were observed in 9% of cases. The most common complication of liposuction was contour deformity. I observed 16 patients (11.1%) with soft-tissue depressions or elevations, skin panniculus or folds. For Brazalian Butt Lift (BBL), complications like asymmetry for 2 patients (8.9%), contour irregularities for 2 patients (8.9%), and excessive fat removal for 6 patients (26%), had observed. I have not recorded any cases of death or pulmonary embolism. Conclusion: I perform aesthetic plastic surgery procedures in black African women with a high socioeconomic standard of living compared to the average of the general population. The renunciation of planned surgery is motivated by the impossibility of paying the cost of the operation as well as by popular and religious perceptions regarding cosmetic surgery. The results of these aesthetic plastic surgery procedures carried out are very satisfactory for them. The challenges to overcome are mainly threefold: the unforeseeable complications of these cosmetic plastic surgery procedures, popular and religious perceptions of cosmetic surgery as well as the poverty of the population.

Bonding for a Better Tomorrow Youth festival serves as precious avenue for Chinese and African youth to understand each other, develop lasting relationships

The 8th China-Africa Youth Festival was a precious opportunity to not only learn about Chinese culture but also to explore the rich tapestry of cultures of different African countries.Participants had the chance to talk to young leaders from across the continent,fostering new bonds and connections that can potentially benefit everyone involved in the future.This cultural exchange not only broadened our understanding but also paved the way for collaboration and enduring friendships that could be good for personal development.

Influence of Continental Atmospheric Forcing on the Decadal Variability of the West African Monsoon

The West African Monsoon (WAM) is characterized by strong decadal and multi-decadal variability and the impacts can be catastrophic for the local populations. One of the factors put forward to explain this variability involves the role of atmospheric dynamics, linked in particular to the Saharan Heat Low (SHL). This article addresses this question by comparing the sets of preindustrial control and historical simulation data from climate models carried out in the framework of the CMIP5 project and observations data over the 20th century. Through multivariate statistical analyses, it was established that decadal modes of ocean variability and decadal variability of Saharan atmospheric dynamics significantly influence decadal variability of monsoon precipitation. These results also suggest the existence of external anthropogenic forcing, which is superimposed on the decadal natural variability inducing an intensification of the signal in the historical simulations compared to preindustrial control simulations. We have also shown that decadal rainfall variability in the Sahel, once the influence of oceanic modes has been eliminated, appears to be driven mainly by the activity of the Arabian Heat Low (AHL) in the central Sahel, and by the structure of the meridional temperature gradient over the inter-tropical Atlantic in the western Sahel.

A multiplex real-time PCR assay for simultaneous detection of classical swine fever virus,African swine fever virus,and atypical porcine pestivirus

With the implementation of the C-strain vaccine,classical swine fever(CSF) has been under control in China,which is currently in a chronic atypical epidemic situation.African swine fever(ASF) emerged in China in 2018 and spread quickly across the country.It is presently occurring sporadically due to the lack of commercial vaccines and farmers’ increased awareness of biosafety.Atypical porcine pestivirus(APPV) was first detected in Guangdong Province,China,in 2016,which mainly harms piglets and has a local epidemic situation in southern China.These three diseases have similar clinical symptoms in pig herds,which cause considerable losses to the pig industry.They are difficult to be distinguished only by clinical diagnosis.Therefore,developing an early and accurate simultaneous detection and differential diagnosis of the diseases induced by these viruses is essential.In this study,three pairs of specific primers and Taq-man probes were designed from highly conserved genomic regions of CSFV(5’ UTR),African swine fever virus(ASFV)(B646L),and APPV(5’ UTR),followed by the optimization of reaction conditions to establish a multiplex real-time PCR detection assay.The results showed that the method did not cross-react with other swine pathogens(porcine circovirus type 2(PCV2),porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus(PRRSV),foot-and-mouth disease virus(FMDV),pseudorabies virus(PRV),porcine parvovirus(PPV),and bovine viral diarrhea virus BVDV).The sensitivity results showed that CSFV,ASFV,and APPV could be detected as low as 1 copy μL–1;the repeatability results showed that the intra-assay and interassay coefficient of variation of ASFV,CSFV,and APPV was less than 1%.Twenty-two virus samples were detected by the multiplex real-time PCR,compared with national standard diagnostic and patented method assay for CSF(GB/T 27540–2011),ASF(GB/T 18648–2020),and APPV(CN108611442A),respectively.The sensitivity of this triple real-time PCR for CSFV,ASFV,and APPV was almost the same,and the compliance results were the same(100%).A total of 451 clinical samples were detected,and the results showed that the positive rates of CSFV,ASFV,and APPV were 0.22% (1/451),1.3%(6/451),and 0%(0/451),respectively.This assay provides a valuale tool for rapid detection and accurate diagnosis of CSFV,ASFV,and APPV.

Identification of two novel linear epitopes on the p30 protein of African swine fever virus

African swine fever(ASF) is a hemorrhagic disease caused by African swine fever virus(ASFV), which belongs to the Asfarviridae family. ASF has become prevalent in Africa since it was first reported in Kenya in 1921(Rowlands et al. 2008;Costard et al. 2009). In 1957, it was introduced to Portugal in Europe, after which ASFV rapidly spread to other European countries and has already been eradicated in several countries except Sardinia(Mur et al. 2016). In 2007, ASF was introduced to Georgia and has continued its spread to other countries in Europe(Smietanka et al. 2016;Kolbasov et al. 2018;Garigliany et al. 2019;Linden et al. 2019). In China, an ASF outbreak was first reported on August 3, 2018 in a pig farm in Shenyang, Liaoning Province(Zhou et al. 2018). Since then, the dramatic spread of ASF throughout China has caused huge economic losses to the swine industry(Jiang et al. 2021).

Signatures of positive selection for local adaptation of African native cattle populations:A review

Cattle are central to the lives and diverse cultures of African people.It has played a crucial role in providing valuable protein for billions of households and sources of income and employment for producers and other actors in the livestock value chains.The long-term natural selection of African cattle typically signals signatures in the genome,contributes to high genetic differentiations across breeds.This has enabled them to develop unique adaptive traits to cope with inadequate feed supply,high temperatures,high internal and external parasites,and diseases.However,these unique cattle genetic resources are threatened by indiscriminate cross-breeding,breed replacements with exotic cosmopolitan breeds,and climate change pressures.Although there are no functional genomics studies,recent advancements in genotyping and sequencing technologies have identified and annotated limited functional genes and causal variants associated with unique adaptive and economical traits of African cattle populations.These genome-wide variants serve as candidates for breed improvement and support conservation efforts for endangered cattle breeds against future climate changes.Therefore,this review plans to collate comprehensive information on the identified selection footprints to support genomic studies in African cattle to confirm the validity of the results and provide a framework for further genetic association and QTL fine mapping studies.

Optimal design of culling compensation policy under the African swine fever——Based on simulations of typical pig farms in China

This paper aims to optimize the culling compensation policy from a micro perspective through scenario simulation.Based on an investigation of 273 pig farms in eight regions,four typical pig farms were constructed according to farm size and breeding mode,representing the swine producers in China.Besides,a decision objective function of pig farms facing suspected African swine fever(ASF)outbreaks was constructed.This study used a mathematical programming model to design and simulate scenarios based on compensation standards and local implementation levels,aiming to incentivize pig farms to report epidemics.The results show that the optimal decisions on epidemic reports differed among typical farms and by herd daily age.The results suggest the following adjustments for optimizing culling compensation policies:(1)to set culling compensation standards based on the market value and(2)to maintain a high level of epidemic surveillance capability in the animal husbandry and veterinary sector.

Fault Coverage-Based Test Case Prioritization and Selection Using African Buffalo Optimization

Software needs modifications and requires revisions regularly.Owing to these revisions,retesting software becomes essential to ensure that the enhancements made,have not affected its bug-free functioning.The time and cost incurred in this process,need to be reduced by the method of test case selection and prioritization.It is observed that many nature-inspired techniques are applied in this area.African Buffalo Optimization is one such approach,applied to regression test selection and prioritization.In this paper,the proposed work explains and proves the applicability of the African Buffalo Optimization approach to test case selection and prioritization.The proposed algorithm converges in polynomial time(O(n^(2))).In this paper,the empirical evaluation of applying African Buffalo Optimization for test case prioritization is done on sample data set with multiple iterations.An astounding 62.5%drop in size and a 48.57%drop in the runtime of the original test suite were recorded.The obtained results are compared with Ant Colony Optimization.The comparative analysis indicates that African Buffalo Optimization and Ant Colony Optimization exhibit similar fault detection capabilities(80%),and a reduction in the overall execution time and size of the resultant test suite.The results and analysis,hence,advocate and encourages the use of African Buffalo Optimization in the area of test case selection and prioritization.

Use of Polyclonal Antibody for the Diagnosis of Human African Trypanosomiasis

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness is one of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which is fatal if left untreated. Its diagnosis is a challenge since the signs and symptoms of the primary phase are not specific, the existing diagnostic methods have low sensitivity and specificity, and the available drugs have some toxicity. New, robust, and cost-effective techniques are needed for the early identification of parasites. This study aimed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of two different types of polyclonal antibodies against T. b. gambiense using antigen detection ELISA. Polyclonal antibodies against the expressed proteins Tbg I2 and Tbg I17 were produced using New Zealand white rabbits. The antibody titer measured was greater than 32 g/L after the 3rd immunization for the expressed protein Tbg I2. For the expressed protein Tbg I17, the antibody titer measured was greater than 32 g/L after the 4th immunization. The sensitivity and specificity of the Tbg I2 polyclonal antibody confirmed with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) as gold standard were respectively 89.5% and 80.6%, while for the Tbg I17 polyclonal antibody, the sensitivity and specificity were respectively 92.1% and 88.9%. The area under the curve for the Tbg I2 polyclonal antibody was 0.90 ± 0.032, while for the Tbg I17 polyclonal antibody, the area under the curve was 0.92 ± 0.0. The Tbg I17 polyclonal antibody produced in New Zealand white rabbits has good sensitivity and good specificity;it can be successfully used in the diagnosis of HAT.