La peche artisanale maritime en Cote d'Ivoire: le potentiel de peche

The marine artisanal fishery in Ivory Coast covers all the continental shelf, with high activities around Abidjan and San-Pedro. Four types of fishing tackles are recorded: purse seines, beach seines, gillnets and lines. The first three ones are used by Fanti and Awran, who represent three quarters of total artisanal fishermen; lines are used by Ghan, Aladjan and Nanakrou. Canoe, the only artisanal way of navigation, varies in size and shape according to the different fishing communities

Tunable morphological properties of silver enriched platinum allied nanoparticles and their catalysed reduction of p-nitrophenol

A robust polymer based and polyol mediated procedure to synthesize nanobimetallic particles has been modified to produce core–shell and alloy Ag/Pt nanoparticles with tunable properties. Novel three-dimensional (3D) quasi nanocubes entangled in nanowebs were produced by rapid solution phase transformation with hot addition of absolute ethanol. The optical characterization showed extinction of plasmon resonance band occurring with incremental feeding ratio of Pt source in all cases. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) images revealed that the shape, size and size distribution of asprepared silver platinum nanoparticles depended on the stabilizer or capping agent, mole ratio of metal ion sources, temperature and time of reaction. Meanwhile, catalytic activity was highest in the reduction of p-nitrophenol in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone/diethylene glycol stabilized Ag/Pt nanoparticles

TESTING FOR MULTIPLE UPPER OUTLIERS IN DISTRIBUTION SAMPLES: A STUDY OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE DATA

In this study, the existences of k-upper outliers are investigated in distribution samples of gamma, Normal and exponential by carrying out a simulation of ten thousand at different values of n using algorithm introduced by Tietjen-Moore, test statistics, and critical values were equally estimated from the algorithm. A Normal Q-Q plot was made which aims at distinguishing a data set that follows a normal distribution and one that deviates from normality. The algorithm was applied to Nigeria-US dollars foreign exchange rate, both on raw and logarithmic transformed data. The simulation study reveals the existence of upper outliers more in Gamma and exponential samples than the Normal sample. Empirical analysis shows that there are upper outliers in the raw data set but no upper outliers are found in the transformed data. The result in this paper would help the researcher in business and economics to take time to explore data before use and properly transform accordingly to avoid error in estimation

Engineering New Approaches to Cancer Vaccines

available in PMC 2016 August 01Recently, a number of promising approaches have been developed using synthetic chemistry, materials science, and bioengineering-based strategies to address challenges in the design of more effective cancer vaccines. At the stage of initial priming, potency can be improved by maximizing vaccine delivery to lymph nodes. Because lymphatic uptake from peripheral tissues is strongly size dependent, antigens and adjuvants packaged into optimally sized nanoparticles access the lymph node with much greater efficiency than unformulated vaccines. Once primed, T cells must home to the tumor site. Because T cells acquire the necessary surface receptors in the local lymph node draining the tissue of interest, vaccines must be engineered that reach organs, such as the lung and gut, which are common sites of tumor lesions but inaccessible by traditional vaccination routes. Particulate vaccine carriers can improve antigen exposure in these organs, resulting in greater lymphocyte priming. Immunomodulatory agents can also be injected directly into the tumor site to stimulate a systemic response capable of clearing even distal lesions; materials have been designed that entrap or slowly release immunomodulators at the tumor site, reducing systemic exposure and improving therapeutic efficacy. Finally, lessons learned from the design of biomaterial-based scaffolds in regenerative medicine have led to the development of implantable vaccines that recruit and activate antigen-presenting cells to drive antitumor immunity. Overall, these engineering strategies represent an expanding toolkit to create safe and effective cancer vaccines.United States. National Institutes of Health (CA174795)United States. National Institutes of Health (CA172164

Informing retention in longitudinal cohort studies through a social marketing lens: Raine Study Generation 2 participants' perspectives on benefits and barriers to participation

BACKGROUND: Longitudinal cohort studies have made significant contributions to medical discoveries and provide the impetus for health interventions which reduce the risk of disease. Establishing and maintaining these cohorts is challenging and costly. While some attrition is unavoidable, maintaining a sufficient number of participants ensures that results remain representative and free from bias. Numerous studies have investigated ways to reduce attrition but few studies have sought to understand the experience of participants, and none have examined this through a social marketing framework. This first paper in a two part-series describes participants' experiences according to: benefits, barriers, motivators and influencers. The second paper uses this understanding to address issues relating to the 4Ps (product, price, place, promotion) of social marketing. METHODS: Participants were recruited from the Raine Study, a pregnancy cohort study that has been running in Western Australia since 1989. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 29 active and inactive participants from the Generation 2 cohort, who were originally enrolled in the Raine Study at birth by their parents (Generation 1). 'Active' participants (n = 17) were defined as those who agreed to attend their 27 year follow-up, while 'inactive' (n = 12) participants were defined as those who had not attended either of the past two follow-ups (at 22 and 27 years). RESULTS: There were considerable differences between active and inactive participants, with active participants perceiving far more personal and collective benefits from their participation. Inactive participants described being constrained by structural barriers around work and life, whereas active participants were able to overcome them to attend follow-ups. Inactive participants also described the value of extrinsic incentives which might motivate their attendance, and active participants described the role of their parents as significant influencers in their propensity to remain in the study. CONCLUSIONS: This paper provides rich descriptions of what participation in a long-running study means to participants. Use of a social marketing framework ensured that participants were constructed as 'human consumers' who are influenced by individual and broader social systems. Understanding participants in this way means that differentiated strategies can be tailored to enhance retention

Comparison of indirect fungal diagnostic tests in patients with proven histoplasmosis

BACKGROUND: Histoplasmosis is a common cause of invasive fungal infection in endemic regions and accurate diagnosis is difficult without direct tissue culture or pathology. Indirect fungal antigen testing for various fungal pathogens are typically performed to assist with diagnostic workup, though cross-reaction can lead to difficulty in interpreting results. We aimed to compare indirect fungal diagnostic tests and evaluate prevalence of positive antigen testing for non- METHODS: We performed a single-center retrospective review of adult patients with proven histoplasmosis diagnosed by fungal culture and/or cytology from January 2010 to March 2018. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and results of fungal antigen testing for RESULTS: Fifty-seven of 182 (31.3%) patients reviewed had proven histoplasmosis and presented with acute pulmonary (n = 10), chronic pulmonary (n = 7), and disseminated (n = 40) disease. Forty-one (72%) of these patients were immunosuppressed. Urine CONCLUSIONS: Noninvasive fungal antigen assays are helpful diagnostic tools; however, given their low specificity, clinicians must be aware of the various clinical presentations of invasive fungal infections and be aware of the limitations of these tests

Nursing students doing gender: Implications for higher education and the nursing profession

The average age of women nursing students in Australia is rising. With this comes the likelihood that more now begin university with family responsibilities, and with their lives structured by the roles of mother and partner. Women with more traditionally gendered ideas of these roles, such as nurturing others and self-sacrifice, are known to be attracted to nursing as a profession; once at university, however, these students can be vulnerable to gender role stress from the competing demands of study. A qualitative research design, guided by Gadamer\u27s hermeneutic philosophy, explored the gendered behaviours and experiences of 22 women nursing students, all of whom had children and began university in a heterosexual intimate relationship. The findings reveal traditional ideas of gender were almost universal among participants, and these ideas had a significant influence on the nursing degree experience. Participants commonly prioritised family over the university and practiced maternal gatekeeping (prevention of male partner involvement in domestic work). These traditionally gendered behaviours, coupled with experiences of gender role stress, had a detrimental impact on participants\u27 capacity to study and their personal wellbeing. The importance of these findings to the burgeoning nursing workforce shortage nursing is considered in terms of student retention and the supply of graduates into the profession. The implications to the nursing profession are also explored against the evidence that nursing students with traditional gender beliefs are less likely to develop as autonomous, critical thinking nurses compared to their gender-egalitarian peers. The introduction of gender theory via critical pedagogy in the undergraduate nursing degree curriculum is recommended to enlighten and empower women nursing students and promote the competence, agility, and sustainability of the nursing profession

Green Synthesized Optically Active Organically Capped Silver Nanoparticles using Stem Extract of African Cucumber(Momordica charantia)

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were synthesized by a rapid facile plant-mediated green route. Sustainable and renewable stem extract of locally sourced African cucumber acted as reducing/capping agent, an alternative to toxic chemicals. The phytochemical screening indicated the existence of saponins and alkaloids in the stem extract of M. charantia. Unprecedented nucleation and growth of Ag NPs commenced within 5 minutes of the reaction. The mechanism of reaction was considered to be diffusion controlled Ostwald ripening process. Optical property of the as prepared Ag NPs was characterized by high intensity of absorption, revealed by narrow intense peaks, stipulating confinement of excitons.Surface Plasmon Band (SPB) of Ag NPs appeared at 400 - 460 nm. Photoluminescence (PL)excitation of the Ag NPs at 329 nm exhibited excitonic emission at 440 nm. The Ag NPs portrayed quasi-spherical shapes, with a mean size of 27.81 ± 1.64 nm from Transmission Electron Micrograph (TEM) measurement. XRD measurement showed peaks indexed to fcc Ag with a particle diameter of 25 nm, which corroborated TEM measurement. Elemental mapping of the nanoparticles showed an orientation of the Ag NPs, an evidence of capping by the biomolecules which stabilized the newly formed Ag NPs. Fourier Transformed Infra-red (FTIR) analysis showed the presence of hydroxyl groups (−OH) stretching, (−CH) stretching,C=C stretching and C−N group (in the phytochemicals) at 3237, 2913, 1620 and 1021 cm-1 respectively. It can be inferred that the as prepared Ag NPs is an optically active material

The health of older Western Australians: The role of age, gender, geographic location, psychological distress, perceived health, tobacco and alcohol

Purpose: Rates of drinking- and alcohol-related harms among older adults are increasing in most developed nations. The purpose of this paper was to explore the relationship among at-risk alcohol use, smoking, gender, geographical location, self-reported health and psychological well-being among Western Australians aged 65 years and older. Design/methodology/approach: A secondary analysis was conducted of a cross-sectional survey that collected data from 7,804 West Australians aged 65 years and older between 2013 and 2015. Participants were categorised according to the following age groups: young-old (aged 65–74 years), older-old (aged 75–84 years) and oldest-old (aged 85+ years). Findings: Results from a multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that at-risk drinking decreased with increasing age. Current smokers, males and those males and females who perceived their health to be “excellent” were more likely to report at-risk drinking, as were the oldest-old males who lived in remote communities. Psychological well-being was not a predictor of at-risk drinking. Originality/value: This paper examines drinking behaviour among a diverse population of older Western Australians. The way in which the age groups were segmented is unique, as most studies of older Australian drinking patterns aggregate the older adult population. Some of the authors’ findings support existing literature, whereas the remainder provides unique data about the relationship among at-risk drinking, geographic location and psychological well-being