Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Investigation of Girardinia diversifolia (Link) Friis (Urticaceae)

Root and stem extracts of Girardinia diversifolia exhibited varying degrees of activity against Bacillus pumilus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Three compounds namely β-sitosterol, 7-hydroxysitosterol and 3-hydroxystigmast-5-en-7-one, were isolated from the petroleum ether root extract. The present study gives scientific credence to the traditional use of Girardinia diversifolia in the management of microbial infections.Keywords: Girardinia diversifolia, phytochemical, antimicrobialEast and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 14 (2011) 89-9

Self-harm in young people with perinatal HIV and HIV negative young people in England: cross sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: Self-harm in adolescents is of growing concern internationally but limited evidence exists on the prevalence of self-harm in those living with HIV, who may be at higher risk of poor mental health outcomes. Therefore our aim was to determine the prevalence and predictors of self-harm among young people with perinatally-acquired HIV (PHIV) and HIV negative (with sibling or mother living with HIV) young people living in England. METHODS: 303 PHIV and 100 HIV negative young people (aged 12-23 years) participating in the Adolescents and Adults Living with Perinatal HIV cohort study completed an anonymous self-harm questionnaire, as well as a number of standardised mental-health assessments. Logistic regression investigated predictors of self-harm. RESULTS: The median age was 16.7 years in both groups, and 40.9% of the PHIV and 31.0% of the HIV negative groups were male. In total 13.9% (56/403) reported having ever self-harmed, with no difference by HIV status (p = 0.089). Multivariable predictors of self-harm were female sex (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 5.3, (95% confidence interval 1.9, 14.1), p = 0.001), lower self-esteem (AOR 0.9 (0.8, 0.9) per 1 point increase, p < 0.001) and having ever used alcohol (AOR 3.8 (1.8, 7.8), p < 0.001). Self-esteem z-scores for both PHIV and HIV negative participants were 1.9 standard deviations below the mean for population norms. CONCLUSIONS: Self-harm is common among PHIV and HIV negative adolescents in England. Reassuringly however, they do not appear to be at an increased risk compared to the general adolescent population (15-19% lifetime prevalence). The low level of self-esteem (compared to available normative data) in both groups is worrying and warrants further attention

Location of the CD8 T Cell Epitope within the Antigenic Precursor Determines Immunogenicity and Protection against the Toxoplasma gondii Parasite

CD8 T cells protect the host from disease caused by intracellular pathogens, such as the Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) protozoan parasite. Despite the complexity of the T. gondii proteome, CD8 T cell responses are restricted to only a small number of peptide epitopes derived from a limited set of antigenic precursors. This phenomenon is known as immunodominance and is key to effective vaccine design. However, the mechanisms that determine the immunogenicity and immunodominance hierarchy of parasite antigens are not well understood.Here, using genetically modified parasites, we show that parasite burden is controlled by the immunodominant GRA6-specific CD8 T cell response but not by responses to the subdominant GRA4- and ROP7-derived epitopes. Remarkably, optimal processing and immunodominance were determined by the location of the peptide epitope at the C-terminus of the GRA6 antigenic precursor. In contrast, immunodominance could not be explained by the peptide affinity for the MHC I molecule or the frequency of T cell precursors in the naive animals. Our results reveal the molecular requirements for optimal presentation of an intracellular parasite antigen and for eliciting protective CD8 T cells. © 2013 Feliu et al

The 4Cs of adaptation tracking: consistency, comparability, comprehensiveness, coherency

Adaptation tracking seeks to characterize, monitor, and compare general trends in climate change adaptation over time and across nations. Recognized as essential for evaluating adaptation progress, there have been few attempts to develop systematic approaches for tracking adaptation. This is reflected in polarized opinions, contradictory findings, and lack of understanding on the state of adaptation globally. In this paper, we outline key methodological considerations necessary for adaptation tracking research to produce systematic, rigorous, comparable, and usable insights that can capture the current state of adaptation globally, provide the basis for characterizing and evaluating adaptations taking place, facilitate examination of what conditions explain differences in adaptation action across jurisdictions, and can underpin the monitoring of change in adaptation over time. Specifically, we argue that approaches to adaptation tracking need to (i) utilize a consistent and operational conceptualization of adaptation, (ii) focus on comparable units of analysis, (iii) use and develop comprehensive datasets on adaptation action, and (iv) be coherent with our understanding of what constitutes real adaptation. Collectively, these form the 4Cs of adaptation tracking (consistency, comparability, comprehensiveness, and coherency)

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary school children in Nairobi province, Kenya

The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide and has implications for a variety of diseases. This has been due to various causes such as poor nutrition, inactivity or both. The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary school children aged 10-15 years in Nairobi province, Kenya. The study was carried out in two phases. A cross-sectional design was used in the first phase to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity using BMI. The subjects in this phase included 2,620 males and 2,705 females aged 10-15 years in both private and public schools. A classic experimental design which involved an experimental group (48 pupils) and a control group (21 pupils) was then used for the second phase of the study, which involved further assessment of overweight and obesity using bioelectrical impedance analysis and skin fold measures. Data were analysed using percentiles, correlations, paired sample t-tests, independent sample t-tests and one way analysis of variance at 0.05 level of significance. Post hoc tests using Tukey HSD were applied to determine inter-group differences upon obtaining significant F ratios. The results indicated that out of the 1,479 pupils in private schools 103 (6.9%) were obese while 245 (16.7%) were overweight. On the other hand, out of the 3,846 pupils in public schools 62 (1.6%) were obese, while 220 (5.7%) were overweight. Among the 2,620 male subjects, 170 (6.5%) were overweight while 67 (2.6%) of them were obese. The results also showed that out of the total 2,760 female pupils, 295 (10.9%) were overweight while 98 (3.6%) were obese. These results showed that overweight and obesity are prevalent among primary school children aged 10-15 years in Nairobi, Kenya. The results further showed significant differences in body composition between boys and girls (p.0.05) with female pupils being more susceptible to overweight and obesity as indicated by higher mean BMI scores compared to their male counterparts. The study therefore recommended that similar assessments in other cities of Kenya as well as among the older individuals above 15 years and younger population below 10 years be conducted so as to indicate the big picture of overweight and obesity in Kenya. Additionally the study recommended that studies focusing on the major factors influencing overweight and obesity amongst children in Nairobi province be assessed. This will help in forming the basis for prevention and management of overweight and obesity

Erratum: Whole genome analysis of local Kenyan and global sequences unravels the epidemiological and molecular evolutionary dynamics of RSV genotype ON1 strains.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/ve/vey027.][This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/ve/vey027.].status: Published onlin