\ud Detection and Monitoring of Insecticide Resistance in Malaria Vectors in Tanzania Mainland\ud

\ud Vector control is a major component of the global strategy for malaria control which aims to prevent parasite transmission mainly through interventions targeting adult Anopheline vectors. Insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) are the cornerstone of malaria vector control programmes. These major interventions in most cases use pyrethroid insecticides which are also used for agricultural purposes. With widespread development of resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in malaria vectors raises concern over the sustainability of insecticide-based interventions for malaria control. Therefore, close monitoring of performance of the insecticides against malaria vectors is essential for early detection and\ud management of resistance. To measure pyrethroid susceptibility in populations of malaria vectors in Tanzania and to test the efficacy of LLINs/ITNs and insecticide residues on sprayed wall substrates in the IRS operation areas. In 2011 the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) in collaboration with National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) conducted large scale surveillance to determine the countrywide susceptibility levels of malaria vectors to insecticides used for both public health and agricultural purposes. Anopheles gambiae Giles s.l. were collected during national surveys and samples of LLINs/ITNs in the 14 sentinel sites and houses from the IRS areas were randomly selected for bioassays to test the efficacy and insecticide residual effects on sprayed wall substrates respectively. Wild adult mosquitoes for susceptibility testing were collected by resting catches indoors. Net traps (outdoors and indoors) were set up to enhance catches. WHO Susceptibility kits were used to test for resistance status using test papers: Lambdacyhalothrin 0.05%, Deltamethrin 0.05%, Permethrin 0.75%, DDT 4%, Propoxur 0.1% and Fenitrothion 1%. The quality of the test paper was checked against a laboratory susceptible An. gambiae Kisumu strain. Knockdown effect and mortality were measured in standard WHO susceptibility tests and cone bio-efficacy tests. Whereas, con bioassays on treated walls and ITNs were conducted using the laboratory susceptible An. gambiae Kisumu strain. The results from the surveillance recorded continued susceptibility of malaria vectors to commonly used insecticides. However, there were some isolated cases of resistance and/or reduced susceptibility to pyrethroid insecticides which may not compromise the current vector control interventions in the country. Anopheles gambiae s.l. showed resistance (15-28%) to each of the pyrethroids and to DDT but not to Organophosphates (Propoxur 0.1%), and Carbamates (Fenitrothion 1%). The information obtained from this surveillance is expected to be used to guide the National Malaria Control Programme on the rational selection of insecticides for malaria vector control and for the national mitigation plans for management and containment of malaria vector resistance in the country. The current observation warrants more vigilant monitoring of the susceptibility of malaria mosquitoes to commonly used insecticides in areas found with resistance and/or reduced levels of susceptibility of malaria vectors to insecticides, particularly in areas with heavy agricultural and/or public health use of insecticides where resistance is likely to develop. The current survey covered malaria vectors only and not the non malaria vectors (nuisance) mosquitoes such as Culex. Similar monitoring of insecticide susceptibility of this non malaria vectors may be needed to ensure public motivation for sustained use of ITNs/LLINs in the country. The surveillance leading to these results received funding from PMI/USAID through RTI International with Sub Agreement Number 33300212555.\u

Interaction of high energy protons in nuclear emulsions loaded with b 10 and LiF

An experiment is proposed to expose nuclear emulsions loaded with B{sup 10} and LiF to high energy protons at 100 GeV, 150 GeV and 200 GeV. The purposes are: (i) to measure the total cross-sections at these incident energies, (ii) to investigate charged multiplicity as a function of energy, (iii) to investigate the angular distribution and development of hadron showers in collisions of protons with nuclei

Luminescent Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles; Their DNA Binding Abilities and Application As Cellular Imaging Agents

The synthesis and photophysical and biological investigation of Ru(II)-polypyridyl stabilized watersoluble, luminescent gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are described. These structures bind to DNA and undergo rapid cellular uptake, being localized within the cell cytoplasm and nucleus within 4 h

Structural Conformers of (1,3-Dithiol-2-ylidene)ethanethioamides: The Balance Between Thioamide Rotation and Preservation of Classical Sulfur-Sulfur Hypervalent Bonds

The reaction of N-(2-phthalimidoethyl)-N-alkylisopropylamines and S2Cl2 gave 4-N-(2-phthalimidoethyl)-N-alkylamino-5-chloro-1,2-dithiol-3-thiones that quantitatively cycloadded to dimethyl or diethyl acetylenedicarboxylate to give stable thioacid chlorides, which in turn reacted with one equivalent of aniline or a thiole to give thioanilides or a dithioester. Several compounds of this series showed atropisomers that were studied by a combination of dynamic NMR, simulation of the signals, conformational analysis by DFT methods, and single crystal X-ray diffraction, showing a good correlation between the theoretical calculations, the experimental values of energies, and the preferred conformations in the solid state. The steric hindering of the crowded substitution at the central amine group was found to be the reason for the presence of permanent atropisomers in this series of compounds and the cause of a unique disposition of the thioxo group at close-to-right angles with respect to the plane defined by the 1,3-dithiole ring in the dithiafulvene derivatives, thus breaking the sulfur–sulfur hypervalent bond that is always found in this kind of compounds.Ministerio de Economıá y Competitividad, Spain (Project CTQ2012- 31611), Junta de Castilla y León, Consejería de Educación y Cultura y Fondo Social Europeo (Project BU246A12-1), and the European Commission, Seventh Framework Programme (Project SNIFFER FP7-SEC-2012-312411

Appearance of dark neurons following anodal polarization in the rat brain.

An anodal direct current of 3.0 microA or 30.0 microA was unilaterally applied for 30 min or 3 h to the surface of the sensorimotor cortex of rats, and the effects of polarization on the morphology of brain cells were examined by light microscopy. After five repeated anodal polarization trials, dark neurons appeared mainly in the polarized neocortex regardless of the intensity and duration of the polarizing currents. Such dark neurons were scarce in the control animals or the animals receiving only one trial of polarization. The dark neurons were most abundant in the second to fourth layers of the ipsilateral superior-lateral convexity of the frontal cortex, but a few were present in the contralateral cortex. The dark neurons began to appear 24 h after the last polarization; thereafter almost all of these neurons gradually reverted to their normal morphological profiles through a transitory state within 1 month of the last trial of repeated polarization. No morphological changes were apparent in any of the brain structures other than the cerebral cortex. These findings indicate that repeated anodal polarization has reversible morphological effects on the cortical neurons, suggesting that the appearance of dark neurons after anodal polarization is an important index for evaluation of cortical plastic change induced by polarization.</p

Reactive Electrophilic OI Species Evidenced in High Performance Iridium Oxohydroxide Water Oxidation Electrocatalysts

Although quasi-amorphous Ir-oxohydroxides have repeatedly been identified as superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts, an exact description of the performancerelevant species has so far remained a challenge. In this context, we report on the characterization of hydrothermally prepared Ir^III/IV-oxohydroxides exhibiting exceptional OER-performance. It was found that holes in the O2p states of Ir^III/IV-oxohydroxides result in reactive O^I--species identified by characteristic NEXAFS-features. A prototypical titration reaction based on CO as a probe molecule shows that these O^I--species are highly susceptible to nucleophilic attack at room temperature. Similarly to pre-activated oxygen involved in the biological OER in Photosystem II, the electrophilic O^I--species evidenced in Ir^III/IV-oxohydroxides are suggested to be precursors to species involved in the O-O bond formation during electrocatalytic OER. CO-titration also highlights a link between OER-performance and the surface/sub-surface mobility of O^I--species. The superior electrocatalytic properties of Ir^III/IV-oxohydroxides are thus explained by their ability to accommodate pre-activated electrophilic O^I--species able to migrate within the lattice

Characterization of the Platinum Carbon Interface for Electrochemical Applications

Fuel cell catalysts suffer stability issues that are related to reaction-induced corrosion, catalyst sintering, and detachment. In the case of carbon-supported platinum nanoparticles, the stability can be improved by changing the carbon structure and tuning the metal–support interaction. The large structural and chemical variability of carbon offers a potential for improved electrochemical properties. However, a rational design of the metal–carbon interface requires knowledge about the relation between the carbon structure and the resulting platinum–carbon interaction. Using a variety of complementary analytical methods such as atomic scale imaging and local as well as integral spectroscopic tools in combination with different electrochemical aging protocols, we elaborate a relation between the structure-determined surface properties of the carbon and the resulting platinum–carbon interface. Atomic-scale imaging of the interface combined with electron spectroscopic methods enables distinction between different interaction types and associated bonding state and charge transfer properties. For the investigations, three differently structured industrial carbon support structures have been selected. The reported findings define solid criteria for a rational design of improved carbon supports

Microwave-hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of nanostructured copper substituted ZnM2O4 (M = Al, Ga) spinels as precursors for thermally stable Cu catalysts

Nanostructured CuxZn1-xAl2O4 with a Cu : Zn ratio of 1/4 : 3/4 has been prepared by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis at 150 degrees C and used as a precursor for Cu/ZnO/Al2O3-based catalysts. The spinel nanoparticles exhibit an average size of approximately 5 nm and a high specific surface area (above 250 m(2) g(-1)). Cu nanoparticles of an average size of 3.3 nm can be formed by reduction of the spinel precursor in hydrogen and the accessible metallic Cu(0) surface area of the reduced catalyst was 8 m(2) g(-1). The catalytic performance of the material in CO2 hydrogenation and methanol steam reforming was compared with conventionally prepared Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 reference catalysts. The observed lower performance of the spinel-based samples is attributed to a lack of synergetic interaction of the Cu nanoparticles with ZnO due to the incorporation of Zn2+ in the stable spinel lattice. Despite its lower performance, however, the nanostructured nature of the spinel catalyst was stable after thermal treatment up to 500 degrees C in contrast to other Cu-based catalysts. Furthermore, a large fraction of the re-oxidized copper migrates back into the spinel upon calcination of the reduced catalyst, thereby enabling a regeneration of sintered catalysts after prolonged usage at high temperatures. Similarly prepared samples with Ga instead of Al exhibit a more crystalline catalyst with a spinel particle size around 20 nm. The slightly decreased Cu(0) surface area of 3.2 m(2) g(-1) due to less copper incorporation is not a significant drawback for the methanol steam reforming