Effect of Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections on Physical Fitness of School Children in Côte d'Ivoire

The burden of parasitic worm infections is considerable, particularly in developing countries. It is acknowledged that parasitic worm infections negatively impact on children's school performance and physical development. A deeper understanding of these linkages is important for updating burden of disease measures. We investigated the relationship between worm infection status and physical fitness of 156 school children from Côte d'Ivoire and controlled for potential confounding of Plasmodium infection (the causative agent of malaria) and environmental parameters (temperature and humidity). Children were diagnosed for parasitic worm and Plasmodium infections, examined by a physician, and participated in a 20 m shuttle run test to assess their maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) as a proxy for physical fitness. Most of the children had parasitic worms and a Plasmodium infection. Nevertheless, their physical fitness was excellent (average VO2 max: 52.7 ml kg−1 min−1). The level of VO2 max was only influenced by sex and age, but not by parasitic worms and Plasmodium infections. In future studies, the dynamics of children's physical performance should be assessed before and after control interventions, including the assessment of blood hemoglobin, hematocrit, and nutritional indicators to determine whether physical fitness in worm- and Plasmodium-infected individuals can be further improved

Phylogenetic and functional marker genes to study ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms (AOM) in the environment

The oxidation of ammonia plays a significant role in the transformation of fixed nitrogen in the global nitrogen cycle. Autotrophic ammonia oxidation is known in three groups of microorganisms. Aerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea convert ammonia into nitrite during nitrification. Anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (anammox) oxidize ammonia using nitrite as electron acceptor and producing atmospheric dinitrogen. The isolation and cultivation of all three groups in the laboratory are quite problematic due to their slow growth rates, poor growth yields, unpredictable lag phases, and sensitivity to certain organic compounds. Culture-independent approaches have contributed importantly to our understanding of the diversity and distribution of these microorganisms in the environment. In this review, we present an overview of approaches that have been used for the molecular study of ammonia oxidizers and discuss their application in different environments

Global lake responses to climate change

Climate change is one of the most severe threats to global lake ecosystems. Lake surface conditions, such as ice cover, surface temperature, evaporation and water level, respond dramatically to this threat, as observed in recent decades. In this Review, we discuss physical lake variables and their responses to climate change. Decreases in winter ice cover and increases in lake surface temperature modify lake mixing regimes and accelerate lake evaporation. Where not balanced by increased mean precipitation or inflow, higher evaporation rates will favour a decrease in lake level and surface water extent. Together with increases in extreme-precipitation events, these lake responses will impact lake ecosystems, changing water quantity and quality, food provisioning, recreational opportunities and transportation. Future research opportunities, including enhanced observation of lake variables from space (particularly for small water bodies), improved in situ lake monitoring and the development of advanced modelling techniques to predict lake processes, will improve our global understanding of lake responses to a changing climate

Factores de riesgo asociados a las conductas compulsivas en el uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC).

Determina la relación que existe entre determinados factores de riesgo y las conductas compulsivas en el uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación – TIC. La investigación se realizó la Escuela de Ciencias Psicológicas de la Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, ubicada en el Centro Universitario Metropolitano –CUM- durante el ciclo 2011. Para seleccionar la muestra se utilizó la técnica de muestreo no aleatoria y estuvo integrada por 102 estudiantes de la jornada matutina, comprendidos entre los 17 a 25 años de edad. Para recopilar información se utilizó un cuestionario de 20 preguntas, que evaluaron en primer lugar la prevalencia de las conductas compulsivas y en segundo la participación de diez factores de riesgo relevantes previamente detectados en otros estudios previos al presente. Analiza los resultados en tablas y gráficas con porcentajes que permitieron concluir, que la prevalencia de las conductas compulsivas hacia las TIC detectadas en la muestra sobrepasa el 22% y que los tres factores más críticos son: la dependencia al chat, correo electrónico y redes sociales, el bajo control parental y el desbalance en el conocimiento de las TIC entre padres e hijos