Traditional knowledge and cultural importance of Borassus aethiopum Mart. in Benin: interacting effects of socio-demographic attributes and multi-scale abundance

ResearchBackground: Eliciting factors affecting distribution of traditional knowledge (TK) and cultural importance of plant resources is central in ethnobiology. Socio-demographic attributes and ecological apparency hypothesis (EAH) have been widely documented as drivers of TK distribution, but their synergistic effect is poorly documented. Here, we focused on Borassus aethiopum, a socio-economic important agroforestry palm in Africa, analyzing relationships between the number of use-reports and cultural importance on one hand, and informant socio-demographic attributes (age category and gender) on the other hand, considering the EAH at multi-scale contexts. Our hypothesis is that effects of socio-demographic attributes on use-reports and cultural importance are shaped by both local (village level) and regional (chorological region level) apparency of study species. We expected so because distribution of knowledge on a resource in a community correlates to the versatility in the resource utilization but also connections among communities within a region. Methods: Nine hundred ninety-two face-to-face individual semi-structured interviews were conducted in six villages of low versus high local abundance of B. aethiopum spanning three chorological regions (humid, sub-humid and semiarid) also underlying a gradient of increasing distribution and abundance of B. aethiopum. Number of use-reports and score of importance of uses of B. aethiopum were recorded in six use-categories including medicine, food, handcraft, construction, firewood, and ceremonies and rituals. Data were analyzed using Poisson and ordered logistic modelsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sustainable Polysulfides for Oil Spill Remediation: Repurposing Industrial Waste for Environmental Benefit

Crude oil and hydrocarbon fuel spills are a perennial threat to aquatic environments. Inexpensive and sustainable sorbents are needed to mitigate the ecological harm of this pollution. To address this need, this study features a low-density polysulfide polymer that was prepared by the direct reaction of sulfur and used cooking oils. Because both sulfur and cooking oils are hydrophobic, the polymer has an affinity for hydrocarbons such as crude oil and diesel fuel and can rapidly remove them from seawater. Through simple mechanical compression, the oil can be recovered and the polymer can be re-used in oil spill remediation. The polysulfide is unique because it is prepared entirely from re-purposed waste: sulfur is a by-product of the petroleum industry and used cooking oil can be used as a co-monomer. In this way, sulfur waste from the oil industry is used to make an effective sorbent for combatting pollution from that same sector

Time course and mechanisms of left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension

Although pulmonary hypertension (PH) selectively overloads the right ventricle (RV), neuroendocrine activation and intrinsic myocardial dysfunction have been described in the left ventricle (LV). In order to establish the timing of LV dysfunction development in PH and to clarify underlying molecular changes, Wistar rats were studied 4 and 6 weeks after subcutaneous injection of monocrotaline (MCT) 60 mg/kg (MCT-4, n = 11; MCT-6, n = 11) or vehicle (Ctrl-4, n = 11; Ctrl-6, n = 11). Acute single beat stepwise increases of systolic pressure were performed from baseline to isovolumetric (LVPiso). This hemodynamic stress was used to detect early changes in LV performance. Neurohumoral activation was evaluated by measuring angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) LV mRNA levels. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL assay. Extracellular matrix composition was evaluated by tenascin-C mRNA levels and interstitial collagen content. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition of the LV was studied by protein quantification. MCT treatment increased RV pressures and RV/LV weight ratio, without changing LV end-diastolic pressures or dimensions. Baseline LV dysfunction were present only in MCT-6 rats. Afterload elevations prolonged tau and upward-shifted end-diastolic pressure dimension relations in MCT-4 and even more in MCT-6. MHC-isoform switch, ACE upregulation and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were present in both MCT groups. Rats with severe PH develop LV dysfunction associated with ET-1 and tenascin-C overexpression. Diastolic dysfunction, however, could be elicited at earlier stages in response to hemodynamic stress, when only LV molecular changes, such as MHC isoform switch, ACE upregulation, and myocardial apoptosis were present.Supported by Portuguese grants from FCT (POCI/SAU-FCF/60803/2004 and POCI/SAU-MMO/61547/2004) through Cardiovascular R&D Unit (FCT No. 51/94)

Factors Associated with Tuberculosis Treatment Default in an Endemic Area of the Brazilian Amazon: A Case Control-Study

SETTING: Treatment default is a serious problem in tuberculosis control because it implies persistence of infection source, increased mortality, increased relapse rates and facilitates the development of resistant strains. OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed tuberculosis treatment default determinants in the Amazonas State to contribute in planning appropriate control interventions. DESIGN: Observational study with a retrospective cohort using Brazilian Disease Notification System data from 2005 to 2010. A nested case control study design was used. Patients defaulting from treatment were considered as 'cases' and those completing treatment as 'controls'. In the analysis, 11,312 tuberculosis patients were included, 1,584 cases and 9,728 controls. RESULTS: Treatment default was observed to be associated to previous default (aOR 3.20; p<0.001), HIV positivity (aOR 1.62; p<0.001), alcoholism (aOR 1.51; p<0.001), low education level (aOR 1.35; p<0.001) and other co-morbidities (aOR 1.31; p = 0.05). Older patients (aOR 0.98; p = 0.001) and DOT (aOR 0,72; p<0.01) were considered as protective factor for default. CONCLUSIONS: Associated factors should be considered in addressing care and policy actions to tuberculosis control. Information on disease and treatment should be intensified and appropriate to the level of education of the population, in order to promote adherence to treatment and counter the spread of multidrug resistance to anti-TB drugs

Hepatobiliary and pancreatic imaging in children—techniques and an overview of non-neoplastic disease entities

Imaging plays a major role in the diagnostic work-up of children with hepatobiliary or pancreatic diseases. It consists mainly of US, CT and MRI, with US and MRI being the preferred imaging modalities because of the lack of ionizing radiation. In this review the technique of US, CT and MRI in children will be addressed, followed by a comprehensive overview of the imaging characteristics of several hepatobiliary and pancreatic disease entities most common in the paediatric age group

Genomic Characterization and High Prevalence of Bocaviruses in Swine

Using random PCR amplification followed by plasmid subcloning and DNA sequencing, we detected bocavirus related sequences in 9 out of 17 porcine stool samples. Using primer walking, we sequenced the nearly complete genomes of two highly divergent bocaviruses we provisionally named porcine bocavirus 1 isolate H18 (PBoV1-H18) and porcine bocavirus 2 isolate A6 (PBoV2-A6) which differed by 51.8% in their NS1 protein. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that PBoV1-H18 was very closely related to a ∼2 Kb central region of a porcine bocavirus-like virus (PBo-LikeV) from Sweden described in 2009. PBoV2-A6 was very closely related to the porcine bocavirus genomes PBoV-1 and PBoV2 from China described in 2010. Among 340 fecal samples collected from different age, asymptomatic swine in five Chinese provinces, the prevalence of PBoV1-H18 and PBoV2-A6 related viruses were 45–75% and 55–70% respectively, with 30–47% of pigs co-infected. PBoV1-A6 related strains were highly conserved, while PBoV2-H18 related strains were more diverse, grouping into two genotypes corresponding to the previously described PBoV1 and PBoV2. Together with the recently described partial bocavirus genomes labeled V6 and V7, a total of three major porcine bocavirus clades have therefore been described to date. Further studies will be required to elucidate the possible pathogenic impact of these diverse bocaviruses either alone or in combination with other porcine viruses