The Unknown Risk of Vertical Transmission in Sleeping Sickness—A Literature Review

Children with human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) present with a range of generally non-specific symptoms. Late diagnosis is frequent with often tragic outcomes. Trypanosomes can infect the foetus by crossing the placenta. Unequivocal cases of congenital infection that have been reported include newborn babies of infected mothers who were diagnosed with HAT in the first 5 days of life and children of infected mothers who had never entered an endemic country themselves

A cluster randomised controlled trial of the community effectiveness of two interventions in rural Malawi to improve health care and to reduce maternal, newborn and infant mortality

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The UN Millennium Development Goals call for substantial reductions in maternal and child mortality, to be achieved through reductions in morbidity and mortality during pregnancy, delivery, postpartum and early childhood. The MaiMwana Project aims to test community-based interventions that tackle maternal and child health problems through increasing awareness and local action.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This study uses a two-by-two factorial cluster-randomised controlled trial design to test the impact of two interventions. The impact of a community mobilisation intervention run through women's groups, on home care, health care-seeking behaviours and maternal and infant mortality, will be tested. The impact of a volunteer-led infant feeding and care support intervention, on rates of exclusive breastfeeding, uptake of HIV-prevention services and infant mortality, will also be tested. The women's group intervention will employ local female facilitators to guide women's groups through a four-phase cycle of problem identification and prioritisation, strategy identification, implementation and evaluation. Meetings will be held monthly at village level. The infant feeding intervention will select local volunteers to provide advice and support for breastfeeding, birth preparedness, newborn care and immunisation. They will visit pregnant and new mothers in their homes five times during and after pregnancy.</p> <p>The unit of intervention allocation will be clusters of rural villages of 2500-4000 population. 48 clusters have been defined and randomly allocated to either women's groups only, infant feeding support only, both interventions, or no intervention. Study villages are surrounded by 'buffer areas' of non-study villages to reduce contamination between intervention and control areas. Outcome indicators will be measured through a demographic surveillance system. Primary outcomes will be maternal, infant, neonatal and perinatal mortality for the women's group intervention, and exclusive breastfeeding rates and infant mortality for the infant feeding intervention.</p> <p>Structured interviews will be conducted with mothers one-month and six-months after birth to collect detailed quantitative data on care practices and health-care-seeking. Further qualitative, quantitative and economic data will be collected for process and economic evaluations.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ISRCTN06477126</p

Placental Malaria is associated with reduced early life weight development of affected children independent of low birth weight

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infection with <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>during pregnancy contributes substantially to the disease burden in both mothers and offspring. Placental malaria may lead to intrauterine growth restriction or preterm delivery resulting in low birth weight (LBW), which, in general, is associated with increased infant morbidity and mortality. However, little is known about the possible direct impact of the specific disease processes occurring in PM on longer term outcomes such as subsequent retarded growth development independent of LBW.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In an existing West-African cohort, 783 healthy infants with a birth weight of at least 2,000 g were followed up during their first year of life. The aim of the study was to investigate if <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>infection of the placenta, assessed by placental histology, has an impact on several anthropometric parameters, measured at birth and after three, six and 12 months using generalized estimating equations models adjusting for moderate low birth weight.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Independent of LBW, first to third born infants who were exposed to either past, chronic or acute placental malaria during pregnancy had significantly lower weight-for-age (-0.43, 95% CI: -0.80;-0.07), weight-for-length (-0.47, 95% CI: -0.84; -0.10) and BMI-for-age z-scores (-0.57, 95% CI: -0.84; -0.10) compared to infants born to mothers who were not diagnosed with placental malaria (p = 0.019, 0.013, and 0.012, respectively). Interestingly, the longitudinal data on histology-based diagnosis of PM also document a sharp decline of PM prevalence in the Sukuta cohort from 16.5% in 2002 to 5.4% in 2004.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>It was demonstrated that PM has a negative impact on the infant's subsequent weight development that is independent of LBW, suggesting that the longer term effects of PM have been underestimated, even in areas where malaria transmission is declining.</p

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

Формирование трубчатых оксидов алюминия локальным электрохимическим анодированием в органических электролитах и их антиотражающие свойства

Research has been carried out on the formation of tubular aluminum oxides by local electrochemical anodization in aqueous solutions of organic acids such as formic, citric, tartaric, malic and others. Self-ordered nanostructures formed this way can be used in the manufacture of various optical devices. Tubular aluminum oxides formed by local electrochemical anodization in organic acids have a high concentration of anionic complexes containing carbon atoms over 10 at.%. Studies of reflection spectra showed effective anti-reflection properties of films with a specular reflection coefficient of 0.7–1.4 %.Выполнены исследования по формированию трубчатых оксидов алюминия локальным электрохимическим анодированием в водных растворах органических кислот, таких как муравьиная, лимонная, винная, яблочная и др. Формируемые подобным образом самоупорядоченные наноструктуры могут быть использованы при изготовлении различных оптических устройств. Трубчатые оксиды алюминия, сформированные локальным электрохимическим анодированием в органических кислотах, имеют высокую концентрацию анионных комплексов, содержащих более 10 ат.% атомов углерода. Исследования спектров отражения показали эффективные антиотражающие свойства пленок с коэффициентом зеркального отражения 0,7–1,4 %

Community-based distribution of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy improved coverage but reduced antenatal attendance in southern Malawi

To evaluate the impact of a 2-year programme for community-based delivery of sulfadoxine-pyremethamine (SP) on intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy coverage, antenatal clinic attendance and pregnancy outcome. Fourteen intervention and 12 control villages in the catchment areas of Chikwawa and Ngabu Government Hospitals, southern Malawi, were selected. Village-based community health workers were trained in information, education and counselling on malaria control in pregnancy and the importance of attending antenatal clinics and promoted these messages to pregnant women. In the intervention group community health workers also distributed SP to pregnant women. In the control area, coverage of intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (> 2 doses) was low before (44.1%) and during the intervention (46.1%). In the intervention area, coverage increased from 41.5% to 82.9% (P 2 visits) was maintained in control villages at above 90%, but fell in intervention villages from 87.3% to 51.5% (P 40% did not significantly improve maternal haemoglobin or reduce low birthweight prevalence. Better coverage of community-based intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy can lower attendance at antenatal clinics; thus its effect on pregnancy outcome and antenatal attendance need to be monitored

Crystallization features of YBa2Cu3O7-δ single crystals in 2YBa4Cu3O9-δ + BaCu2O2 + CuO2 system

In this article, a consistent study of phase transformations during the crystallization of YBa2Cu3O7-δ compound was carried out using XRD, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyzes, as well as optical microscopy. When studying the microstructure and elemental composition in the reaction zone in the process of obtaining single crystals by the crucible-less method, the products of chemical reactions were identified depending on the composition of the reacting components and synthesis conditions. It has been established that the use of precursors Y2BaCuO5, YBa4Cu3O9-δ and ВаCu2O2 as initial reagents has made it possible to carry out the direct synthesis of YBa2Cu3O7-δ single crystals without the formation of intermediate phases. The superconductor has been synthesized at 1270 K on single-crystal MgO substrates with the (001) orientation, since their surface is poorly wetted by the melt solution and stimulates the YBa2Cu3O7-δ nucleation process. This ensures the minimum loss of the liquid fraction formed in the sample. The growth conditions for YBa2Cu3O7-δ single crystals have been studied and optimized. It has been experimentally revealed that the use of combined cooling conditions leads to an increase in the size of single crystals and a reduction in the time of their growth without changing the quality and crystal structure. The investigation showed that the largest volume (50 mm3) was achieved for single-phase YBa2Cu3O7-δ single crystals grown at a cooling rate of 0.5 deg/h in the temperature range 1260–1240 K and at a rate of 1.2 deg/h in the range 1240–1210 K. An analysis of the Laue rotation lines obtained in this work indicates the presence of blocks in single crystals cooled in the temperature range 1243–1193 K at a cooling rate of 1.5 deg/h and their absence in crystals cooled at 1.2 deg/h. An assessment of the degree of perfection of the structure by the width of the rocking curves at half-height of the X-ray reflection (006) showed that the width of the rocking curves of 0.36 deg indicates the absence of structural defects, such as twins, blockiness, and shear defects

Characteristic features of the magnetoresistance in the ferrimagnetic (Sr2FeMoO6-δ) – dielectric (SrMoO4) nanocomposite

Magnetic metal-oxide compounds with high values of magnetoresistance (MR) have attracted huge interest for spintronic applications, among which Sr2FeMoO6-δ (SFMO) has been relatively less known compared to the cobaltites and manganites, despite 100% electrons spin-polarization degree and a high Curie temperature. Here, stable fabrication and systematic analysis of nanocomposites based on SFMO with SrMoO4 dielectric sheaths are presented. SFMO-SrMoO4 nanocomposites were fabricated as follows: synthesis of the SFMO single-phase nanopowders by the modified citrate-gel technique; compaction under high pressure; thermal treatment for sheaths formation around grains. The nanocomposite is observed to exhibit a transitional behavior of conductivity from metallic, which is characteristic for the SFMO to semiconductor one in the temperature range 4 – 300K under magnetic fields up to 10T. A negative MR is observed due to the spin-polarized charge carriers tunneling through dielectric sheaths. MR value reaches 43% under 8T at 10κ. The dielectric sheaths thickness was determined to be about 10 nm by electric breakdown voltage value at current-voltage characteristics curves. The breakdown is found to be a reversible process determined by collisional ionization of dielectric atoms in strong electric field depending on knocked-out electrons from the SrMoO4. It was found that MR changes sign in electric breakdown region, revealing the giant magnetoresistive properties

Dielectric barrier formation and tunneling magnetoresistance effect in strontium iron molybdate

A comparative X-ray diffraction study of the initial single-phase metal-oxide compound-strontium iron molybdate Sr2FeMoO6 - delta (SFMO)-and that subjected to additional isothermal annealing shows that this heat treatment leads to the appearance of a SrMoO4 (SMO) phase. Small-angle neutron scattering measurements indicate that the SMO phase forms a dielectric shell surrounding SFMO grains, which has a characteristic thickness of 2-4 nm and extends above 120 nm. The character of the temperature dependence of the electric resistance corresponds to the metal-type conduction in single-phase SFMO and changes to a semiconductor type in the material with SMO dielectric shells, which is evidence of a tunneling mechanism of charge transfer. This conclusion is confirmed by an increase in the absolute value of the negative magnetoresistance of SFMO due to the appearance of a tunneling magnetoresistance component of the same sign

Synthesis and functionalization of rod-like iron oxide nanoparticles

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