634 research outputs found
Нацистські окупаційні порядки в українському селі крізь призму народнопісенної сатири
Une étude parasitologique du paludisme a été réalisée dans deux quartiers centraux de la ville de Yaoundé pendant un an. Le quartier Essos borde un bas-fond marécageux et le quartier Obili présente des bassins de pisciculture. Les enquêtes, trimestrielles, ont été réalisées sur un échantillon de 22 et 16 familles à Essos et Obili respectivement. 960 prélèvements sanguins ont été examinés dans les deux quartiers. La prévalence plasmodiale est de 25,4 plus ou moins 2,7%, l'indice gamétocytique de 1,7 plus ou moins 0,8% et la charge parasitaire moyenne de 310 parasites/microlitre de sang. L'indice plasmodique est significativement plus élevé à Essos qu'à Obili : 28,7 plus ou moins 3,6% (n=592) et 20,1 plus ou moins 4,1% (n=368) respectivement (p<0,02). C'est chez les enfants de 6 à 15 ans que l'indice plasmodique est le plus élevé (37,5%) mais ce sont les enfants de 0 à 5 ans qui présentent les charges parasitaires moyennes les plus élevées (1100 parasites/microlitre de sang). La prévalence parasitaire présente des fluctuations saisonnières avec un maximum pendant la petite saison sèche. (Résumé d'auteur
Внесок професора В. І. Дейча у розвиток меліоративної справи XIX століття
У статті висвітлюється наукова і педагогічна діяльність забутої постаті інженера-гідротехніка, професора В. І. Дейча та його внесок у розвиток меліораційної справи XIX століття.В статье освещается научная и педагогическая деятельность забытой личности инженера-гидротехника, профессора В. И. Дейча и его вклад в развитие мелиорации XIX века.The article highlights the scientific and pedagogical activity
forgotten individual hydraulic engineer, Professor V. Deutsch and his contribution to the amelioration of the XIX century
Relation between Plasmodium falciparum asymptomatic infection and malaria attacks in a cohort of Senegalese children
© 2008 Le Port et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens
Is chloroquine chemoprophylaxis still effective to prevent low birth weight? Results of a study in Benin
BACKGROUND: In areas of stable transmission, malaria during pregnancy is associated with severe maternal and foetal outcomes, especially low birth weight (LBW). To prevent these complications, weekly chloroquine (CQ) chemoprophylaxis is now being replaced by intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in West Africa. The prevalence of placental malaria and its burden on LBW were assessed in Benin to evaluate the efficacy of weekly CQ chemoprophylaxis, prior to its replacement by intermittent preventive treatment. METHODS: In two maternity clinics in Ouidah, an observational study was conducted between April 2004 and April 2005. At each delivery, placental blood smears were examined for malaria infection and women were interviewed on their pregnancy history including CQ intake and dosage. CQ was measured in the urine of a sub-sample (n = 166). Multiple logistic and linear regression were used to assess factors associated with LBW and placental malaria. RESULTS: Among 1090 singleton live births, prevalence of placental malaria and LBW were 16% and 17% respectively. After adjustment, there was a non-significant association between placental malaria and LBW (adjusted OR = 1.43; P = 0.10). Multiple linear regression showed a positive association between placental malaria and decreased birth weight in primigravidae. More than 98% of the women reported regular chemoprophylaxis and CQ was detectable in 99% of urine samples. Protection from LBW was high in women reporting regular CQ prophylaxis, with a strong duration-effect relationship (test for linear trend: P < 0,001). CONCLUSION: Despite high parasite resistance and limited effect on placental malaria, a CQ chemoprophylaxis taken at adequate doses showed to be still effective in reducing LBW in Benin
Intermittent preventive treatment for the prevention of malaria during pregnancy in high transmission areas
Malaria in pregnancy is one of the major causes of maternal morbidity and adverse birth outcomes. In high transmission areas, its prevention has recently changed, moving from a weekly or bimonthly chemoprophylaxis to intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp). IPTp consists in the administration of a single curative dose of an efficacious anti-malarial drug at least twice during pregnancy – regardless of whether the woman is infected or not. The drug is administered under supervision during antenatal care visits. Sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is the drug currently recommended by the WHO. While SP-IPTp seems an adequate strategy, there are many issues still to be explored to optimize it. This paper reviewed data on IPTp efficacy and discussed how to improve it. In particular, the determination of both the optimal number of doses and time of administration of the drug is essential, and this has not yet been done. As both foetal growth and deleterious effects of malaria are maximum in late pregnancy women should particularly be protected during this period. Monitoring of IPTp efficacy should be applied to all women, and not only to primi- and secondigravidae, as it has not been definitively established that multigravidae are not at risk for malaria morbidity and mortality. In HIV-positive women, there is an urgent need for specific information on drug administration patterns (need for higher doses, possible interference with sulpha-based prophylaxis of opportunistic infections). Because of the growing level of resistance of parasites to SP, alternative drugs for IPTp are urgently needed. Mefloquine is presently one of the most attractive options because of its long half life, high efficacy in sub-Saharan Africa and safety during pregnancy. Also, efforts should be made to increase IPTp coverage by improving the practices of health care workers, the motivation of women and their perception of malaria complications in pregnancy. Because IPTp is not applicable in early pregnancy, which is a period when malaria may also be deleterious for women and their offspring, there is a necessity to integrate this strategy with other preventive measures which can be applied earlier in pregnancy such as insecticide-treated nets
Nursing students motivation toward their studies – a survey study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study focuses on Swedish nursing students' motivation toward their studies during their three year academic studies. Earlier studies show the importance of motivation for study commitment and result. The aim was to analyze nursing students' estimation of their degree of motivation during different semester during their education and to identify reasons for the degree of motivation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A questionnaire asking for scoring motivation and what influenced the degree of motivation was distributed to students enrolled in a nursing programme. 315 students who studied at different semesters participated. Analyzes were made by statistical calculation and content analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean motivation score over all semesters was 6.3 (ranked between 0–10) and differed significantly during the semesters with a tendency to lower score during the 5th semester. Students (73/315) with motivation score <4 reported explanations such as negative opinion about the organisation of the programme, attitude towards the studies, life situation and degree of difficulty/demand on studies. Students (234/315) with motivation score >6 reported positive opinions to becoming a nurse (125/234), organization of the programme and attitude to the studies. The mean score value for the motivation ranking differed significantly between male (5.8) and female (6.8) students.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Conclusions to be drawn are that nursing students mainly grade their motivation positive distributed different throughout their entire education. The main motivation factor was becoming a nurse. This study result highlights the need of understanding the students' situation and their need of tutorial support.</p
The MHD nature of ionospheric wave packets excited by the solar terminator
We obtained the first experimental evidence for the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)
nature of ionospheric medium-scale travelling wave packets (MSTWP). We used
data on total electron content (TEC) measurements obtained at the dense
Japanese network GPS/GEONET (1220 stations) in 2008-2009. We found that the
diurnal, seasonal and spectral MSTWP characteristics are specified by the solar
terminator (ST) dynamics. MSTWPs are the chains of narrow-band TEC oscillations
with single packet's duration of about 1-2 hours and oscillation periods of
10-20 minutes. Their total duration is about 4--6 hours. The MSTWP spatial
structure is characterized by a high degree of anisotropy and coherence at the
distance of more than 10 wavelengths. The MSTWP direction of travelling is
characterized by a high directivity regardless of seasons. Occurrence rate of
daytime MSTWPs is high in winter and during equinoxes. Occurrence rate of
nighttime MSTIDs has its peak in summer. These features are consistent with
previous MS travelling ionosphere disturbance (TID) statistics obtained from
630-nm airglow imaging observations in Japan. In winter, MSTWPs in the northern
hemisphere are observed 3-4 hours after the morning ST passage. In summer,
MSTWPs are detected 1.5-2 hours before the evening ST occurrence at the point
of observations, at the moment of the evening ST passage in the
magneto-conjugate point. Both the high Q-factor of oscillatory system and
synchronization of MSTWP occurrence with the solar terminator passage at the
point of observations and in the magneto-conjugate area testify the MHD nature
of ST-excited MSTWP generation. The obtained results are the first experimental
evidence for the hypothesis of the ST-generated ion sound waves.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure
Presynaptic Nicotinic α7 and Non-α7 Receptors Stimulate Endogenous GABA Release from Rat Hippocampal Synaptosomes through Two Mechanisms of Action
BACKGROUND: Although converging evidence has suggested that nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) play a role in the modulation of GABA release in rat hippocampus, the specific involvement of different nAChR subtypes at presynaptic level is still a matter of debate. In the present work we investigated, using selective α7 and α4β2 nAChR agonists, the presence of different nAChR subtypes on hippocampal GABA nerve endings to assess to what extent and through which mechanisms they stimulate endogenous GABA release. METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS: All agonists elicited GABA overflow. Choline (Ch)-evoked GABA overflow was dependent to external Ca(2+), but unaltered in the presence of Cd(2+), tetrodotoxin (TTX), dihydro-β-erythroidine (DHβE) and 1-(4,4-Diphenyl-3-butenyl)-3-piperidinecarboxylic acid hydrochloride SKF 89976A. The effect of Ch was blocked by methyllycaconitine (MLA), α-bungarotoxin (α-BTX), dantrolene, thapsigargin and xestospongin C, suggesting that GABA release might be triggered by Ca(2+) entry into synaptosomes through the α7 nAChR channel with the involvement of calcium from intracellular stores. Additionally, 5-Iodo-A-85380 dihydrochloride (5IA85380) elicited GABA overflow, which was Ca(2+) dependent, blocked by Cd(2+), and significantly inhibited by TTX and DHβE, but unaffected by MLA, SKF 89976A, thapsigargin and xestospongin C and dantrolene. These findings confirm the involvement of α4β2 nAChR in 5IA85380-induced GABA release that seems to occur following membrane depolarization and opening calcium channels. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Rat hippocampal synaptosomes possess both α7 and α4β2 nAChR subtypes, which can modulate GABA release via two distinct mechanisms of action. The finding that GABA release evoked by the mixture of sub-maximal concentration of 5IA85380 plus sub-threshold concentrations of Ch was significantly larger than that elicited by the sum of the effects of the two agonists is compatible with the possibility that they coexist on the same nerve terminals. These findings would provide the basis for possible selective pharmacological strategies to treat neuronal disorders that involve the dysfunction of hippocampal cholinergic system
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