HIV and STI Prevalence among Female Sex Workers in Côte d'Ivoire: Why Targeted Prevention Programs Should Be Continued and Strengthened

Objective: To assess condom use and prevalence of STIs and HIV among female sex workers (FSWs), as part of a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan of a nationwide sex worker prevention project in Côte d’Ivoire. Design and Methods: Cross sectional surveys were conducted among FSWs attending five project clinics in Abidjan and San Pedro (2007), and in Yamoussoukro and Gagnoa (2009). A standardized questionnaire was administered in a face-toface interview, which included questions on socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviour and condom use. After the interview, the participants were asked to provide samples for STI and HIV testing. Results: A total of 1110 FSWs participated in the surveys. There were large differences in socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics between FSW coming for the first time as compared to FSW coming on a routine visit. The prevalence of N. gonorrhoeae or C.trachomatis was 9.1%, 11.8 % among first vs. 6.9 % routine attendees (p = 0.004). The overall HIV prevalence was 26.6%, it was lower among first time attendees (17.5 % as compared to 33.9 % for routine attendees, p,0.001). The HIV prevalence among first attendees was also lower than the proportion of HIV positive tests from routine testing and counselling services in the same clinics. Conclusions: The results show a relatively high STI and HIV prevalence among FSWs in different cities in Côte d’Ivoire. In th

Organizational and Supervisory Apology Effectiveness: Apology Giving in Work Settings

We synthesize the interdisciplinary literature into a heuristic for crafting effective organizational and supervisory apologies (the OOPS four-component apology). In the first experiment, we demonstrate how an offense committed by an organization is perceived to be more egregious than an offense committed by a friend or supervisor. Furthermore, results did not support that OOPS apologies are unequally effective if issued by a friend, supervisor, or organization. In the second experiment, we test OOPS apology-training effectiveness. Results indicated that trained participants crafted more effective apologies. Our apology heuristic is an innovation for training business communicators how to apologize effectively.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Eosinophil Morphology Eosinophil granules and degranulation

Endogenous DNA damage is causally associated with the functional decline and transformation of stem cells that characterize aging. DNA lesions that have escaped DNA repair can induce replication stress and genomic breaks that induce senescence and apoptosis. It is not clear how stem and proliferating cells cope with accumulating endogenous DNA lesions and how these ultimately affect the physiology of cells and tissues. Here we have addressed these questions by investigating the hematopoietic system of mice deficient for Rev1, a core factor in DNA translesion synthesis (TLS), the postreplicative bypass of damaged nucleotides. Rev1 hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells displayed compromised proliferation, and replication stress that could be rescued with an antioxidant. The additional disruption of Xpc, essential for global-genome nucleotide excision repair (ggNER) of helix-distorting nucleotide lesions, resulted in the perinatal loss of hematopoietic stem cells, progressive loss of bone marrow, and fatal aplastic anemia between 3 and 4 months of age. This was associated with replication stress, genomic breaks, DNA damage signaling, senescence, and apoptosis in bone marrow. Surprisingly, the collapse of the Rev1Xpc bone marrow was associated with progressive mitochondrial dysfunction and consequent exacerbation of oxidative stress. These data reveal that, to protect its genomic and functional integrity, the hematopoietic system critically depends on the combined activities of repair and replication of helix-distorting oxidative nucleotide lesions by ggNER and Rev1-dependent TLS, respectively. The error-prone nature of TLS may provide mechanistic understanding of the accumulation of mutations in the hematopoietic system upon aging

ENDOTHELIUM-INDEPENDENT AND ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASORELAXATION BY A DICHLOROMETHANE FRACTION FROM ANOGEISSUS LEIOCARPUS (DC) GUILL. ET PERR. (COMBRETACEAE): POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDE PHOSPHODIESTERASE INHIBITION.

Many traditional medicinal herbs from Burkina Faso are used to treat arterial hypertension (HTA). Among them, Anogeissus leiocarpus (A. Leiocarpus) which is well known and widely used in Burkina traditional medicine. Herein we assess the effects of dichloromethane fraction from A. leiocarpus stem bark (ALF), selected as the most active on cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) and characterized its specificity towards purified vascular PDE1 to PDE5 isoenzymes and study its effects on a vascular model. ALF potently and preferentially inhibits (IC50=1.6 ± 0.6 µg/mL) the calmodulin-dependent phosphodiesterase PDE1, being mainly present in vascular smooth muscle and preferentially hydrolyses cGMP. In the same range (IC50 =2.8 ±0.2 µg/ml) ALF inhibits PDE2, a cGMP-activated enzyme that is only present in endothelial cells and hydrolyses both cAMP and cGMP. PDE5, which specifically hydrolyses cGMP and which mainly contributes to cGMP hydrolysis is also potently inhibited by ALF (IC50=7.6±3.5 µg/ml). The potencies of ALF on cAMP hydrolyzing isoenzymes was lesser, being more effective on PDE4 (IC50= 17.6±3.5 µg/ml) than on PDE3 (60.9 ± 1.8 µg/ml). Since the major effect of ALF were against cGMP hydrolysis and since cGMP is implicated in endothelium-dependent relaxation, the endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation was studied on isolated porcine coronary arteries rings pre-contracted with U46619. The endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation is significantly inhibited by Nω-nitro-L-arginine (LNA 300 µmol/L, an inhibitor of endothelial NO synthase), but not affected by charybdotoxin (CTX, 100nM) plus apamin (APA, 100nM) (two inhibitors of EDHF-mediated responses). The combination of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP, 1 mmol/L, inhibitor of voltage-dependent potassium channels, Kv) plus baryum (Ba2+, 30 µmol/L, inhibitor of the potassium channels with entering correction, Kir) plus ouabain (3 µmol/L, inhibitor of ATPase Na+/K+ channels) partially inhibits endothelium-independent vasorelaxant effect. This endothelium-independent relaxant effect was also sensitive to combination of 1H-[1,2,4]-oxadiazole-[4,3-α]-quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 10 µM, soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor) and N-[2-(p-Bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinoline sulfonamide dihydrochloride (H89, 100 nM, Protein Kinase A inhibitor). Taken together, these results indicate that ALF is a powerful vasodilator modulated by the formation of NO from endothelium, but also act by directly relaxing the vascular smooth muscle cells, by inhibiting cGMP hydrolyzing PDEs (PDE1, PDE2 and PDE5) and to a lesser extend on cAMP degradation (PDE3 and PDE4), cAMP and cGMP being second messengers involved in vascular relaxation

An instrumental perspective on apologizing in bargaining: the importance of forgiveness to apologize

Although very little research in bargaining has addressed how perpetrators should deal with the aftermath of unfair allocations, it has been proposed that an apology may help the reconciliation process. Prior research, however, only focused on whether apologies can reveal positive effects on the reconciliation process but did not focus yet on whether perpetrators are actually willing to apologize. In this paper we investigate perpetrator’s willingness to apologize for a trust violation in a bargaining setting. We hypothesized that perpetrators willingness to apologize would be a function of the extent to which the victim of the trust violation is willing to forgive. This effect, however, was expected to emerge only among those perpetrators who are low in dispositional trust. The results from a laboratory study with actual transgressions and actual apologetic behavior supported our predictions and thus emphasize an instrumental view on apologizing in bargaining situations

Addressing Corporate Ties to Slavery: Corporate Apologia in a Discourse of Reconciliation

Pressured by activists to take responsibility, American corporations recently found themselves in the spotlight for their past ties to slavery. Responding to the issue, they stepped into a complex discourse of reconciliation. Taking a rhetorical approach, this article analyzes the response of Aetna Inc. It explores how corporate rhetoric functions within present discourses about historical injustices and illustrates that Aetna\u27s response informed by common strategies of corporate apologia inhibited meaningful reconciliation. The article thus furthers criticisms of (corporate) apologia in the context of historical injustice and raises questions about the potentialities and limitations of corporate rhetoric for reconciliation

The apology mismatch: asymmetries between victim's need for apologies and perpetrator's willingness to apologize

Although previous research on apologies has shown that apologies can have many beneficial effects on victims’ responses, the dyadic nature of the apology process has largely been ignored. As a consequence, very little is known about the congruence between perpetrators’ willingness to apologize and victims’ willingness to receive an apology. In three experimental studies we showed that victims mainly want to receive an apology after an intentional transgression, whereas perpetrators want to offer an apology particularly after an unintentional transgression. As expected, these divergent apologetic needs among victims and perpetrators were mediated by unique emotions: guilt among perpetrators and anger among victims. These results suggest that an apology serves very different goals among victims and perpetrators, thus pointing at an apology mismatch

Pharmacological study of trunk bark of Acacia nilotica var adansonii (Guill et Perr).o Ktze (Mimosaceae): Assays, antioxidant and antispasmodic activities

Aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro polyphenols content, antioxidant and antispasmodic properties of the aqueous extract and fractions of the trunk bark of Acacia nilotica. According to a survey conducted in rural Burkina Faso, Acacia nilotica var. adansonii (Guill and Perr). Ktze reported to be widely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal diarrhoea and parasitosis. A maceration of the powder of the trunk bark of the plant was carried out. Then the aqueous macerate obtain, was fractionated with dichloromethane, butanol and ethyl acetate successively. The phenolic compounds of the aqueous extract, butanol and ethyl acetate fractions was determinated. The antioxidant activity of aqueous extract and fractions was evaluated by the DPPH, ABTS and FRAP tests. The contractility test on smooth muscle was realized according to Magnus method. Assay of the extracts revealed a high content of polyphenols, tannins and flavonoids. The aqueous extract, the butanol fraction and the ethyl acetate fraction demonstrated a high antioxidant capacity. Aqueous extract showed a better antispasmodic effect of acetylcholine contraction induction at 1 μM (IC50 = 13.02 μg / mL) and for BaCl2 at 160 μg / mL (IC50 = 117.2 μg / mL). The aqueous extract of Acacia nilotica and his fractions had antioxidant properties. Only aqueous extract proven better antispasmodic property. Hence its use in traditional medicine in the treatment of diarrhoea. Keywords: Acacia nilotica, Antioxidant, Antispasmodi

Targeting Antibody Responses to the Membrane Proximal External Region of the Envelope Glycoprotein of Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Although human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) infection induces strong antibody responses to the viral envelope glycoprotein (Env) only a few of these antibodies possess the capacity to neutralize a broad range of strains. The induction of such antibodies represents an important goal in the development of a preventive vaccine against the infection. Among the broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies discovered so far, three (2F5, Z13 and 4E10) target the short and hidden membrane proximal external region (MPER) of the gp41 transmembrane protein. Antibody responses to MPER are rarely observed in HIV-infected individuals or after immunization with Env immunogens. To initiate antibody responses to MPER in its membrane-embedded native conformation, we generated expression plasmids encoding the membrane-anchored ectodomain of gp41 with N-terminal deletions of various sizes. Following transfection of these plasmids, the MPER domains are displayed on the cell surface and incorporated into HIV virus like particles (VLP). Transfected cells displaying MPER mutants bound as efficiently to both 2F5 and 4E10 as cells transfected with a plasmid encoding full-length Env. Mice immunized with VLPs containing the MPER mutants produced MPER-specific antibodies, the levels of which could be increased by the trimerization of the displayed proteins as well as by a DNA prime-VLP boost immunization strategy. Although 2F5 competed for binding to MPER with antibodies in sera of some of the immunized mice, neutralizing activity could not be detected. Whether this is due to inefficient binding of the induced antibodies to MPER in the context of wild type Env or whether the overall MPER-specific antibody response induced by the MPER display mutants is too low to reveal neutralizing activity, remains to be determined