Human immunodeficiency virus infection and cerebral malaria in children in Uganda: a case-control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection increases the burden of malaria by increasing susceptibility to infection and decreasing the response to malarial treatment. HIV-1 has also been found to suppress the immune system and predispose to severe forms of malaria in adults. There is still a paucity of data on the association between HIV-1 infection and cerebral malaria in children. The aim of this study was to determine whether HIV-1 infection is a risk factor for cerebral malaria in children.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>We conducted an unmatched case-control study, in which 100 children with cerebral malaria were compared with 132 with uncomplicated malaria and 120 with no malaria. In stratified analyses we estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) adjusted for age.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HIV-1 infection was present in 9% of children with cerebral malaria compared to 2.3% in uncomplicated malaria (age-adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 5.94 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36-25.94, p = 0.012); and 2.5% in children with no malaria (aOR 3.85 (95% CI0.99-14.93, p = 0.037). The age-adjusted odds of being HIV-positive among children with cerebral malaria compared to the control groups (children with uncomplicated malaria and no malaria) was 4.98 (95% CI 1.54-16.07), p-value = 0.003.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>HIV-1 infection is associated with clinical presentation of cerebral malaria in children. Clinicians should ensure that children diagnosed with HIV infection are initiated on cotrimoxazole prophylaxis as soon as the diagnosis is made and caretakers counselled on the importance of adherence to the cotrimoxazole towards reducing the risk of acquiring <it>P.falciparum </it>malaria and associated complications such as cerebral malaria. Other malaria preventive measures such as use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets should also be emphasized during counselling sessions.</p

Impact of removable partial denture prosthesis on chewing efficiency

Removable partial denture prostheses are still being used for anatomic, medical and economic reasons. However, the impact on chewing parameters is poorly described. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to estimate the impact of removable partial denture prosthesis on masticatory parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nineteen removable partial denture prosthesis (RPDP) wearers participated in the study. Among them, 10 subjects were Kennedy Class III partially edentulous and 9 with posterior edentulism (Class I). All presented a complete and full dentate opposing arch. The subjects chewed samples of carrots and peanuts with and without their prosthesis. The granulometry of the expectorated boluses from carrot and peanuts was characterized by median particle size (D50), determined at the natural point of swallowing. Number of chewing cycles (CC), chewing time (CT) and chewing frequency (CF=CC/CT) were video recorded. RESULTS: With RPDP, the mean D50 values for carrot and peanuts were lower [Repeated Model Procedures (RMP), F=15, p<0.001] regardless of the type of Kennedy Class. For each food, mean CC, CT and CF values recorded decreased (RMP, F=18, F=9, and F=20 respectively, p<0.01). With or without RPD, the boluses' granulometry values were above the masticatory normative index (MNI) determined as 4,000 µm. CONCLUSION: RPDP rehabilitation improves the ability to reduce the bolus particle size, but does not reestablish fully the masticatory function. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study encourages the clinical improvement of oral rehabilitation procedure

Early immunological development and mortality from infectious disease in later life.

In rural Gambia the risk of mainly infection-related mortality is 10-fold higher for adults born in the nutritionally-debilitating 'hungry' season, suggesting that immune function may be compromised by events early in life. The current programme of research focuses on the biological mechanisms underlying this hypothesis, exploring early-life environmental influences on immune development and the long-term functional consequences these influences may have. Results obtained to date show that thymus development during infancy is critically sensitive to environmental exposures, with smaller thymuses observed in the hungry season. Measurement of the frequency of T-cell receptor excision circles indicate that thymus function is also sensitive to seasonal influences, with further studies implicating variations in breast-milk IL-7 as a possible mediator of these effects. Studies in adults have shown that size at birth is positively correlated with antibody responses to vaccination with polysaccharide antigens, thus providing evidence for long-term functional deficits. The present paper will review progress made to date within this field of research

Construction of Gaussian and Isotropic Channels Based on Electrically small dipole Arrays

International audienc

ManQala: game-inspired strategies for quantum state engineering

Theoretical Physic

Statistics of the European and associated purse seine and baitboat fleets, in the Atlantic Ocean (1991-2017)

The document presents an overall summary of the fishing activities of the European and assimilated purse seine and bait boat fleets operating in the eastern Atlantic Ocean over the period 1991-2017. We describe the annual changes in fleet technical characteristics (carrying capacity, size), fishing effort (fishing and searching days), extent of fishing grounds, catches and nominal Catch per Unit Effort by species, as well as the average individual weight by species. Maps are also presented indicating the fishing effort distribution in the Atlantic, as well as the spatio-temporal distribution of European and assimilated purse seine catches in 2017 compared to previous years (2010-2016).Ce document présente un résumé général des activités de pêche de la flottille de senneurs et de canneurs européens et assimilés qui opérait dans l'océan Atlantique Est au cours de la période 1991-2017. Ce document décrit les changements annuels survenus dans les caractéristiques techniques de la flottille (capacité de transport, taille), l'effort de pêche (jours de pêche et jours de recherche), l’étendue des zones de pêche, les prises et la capture nominale par unité d'effort par espèce, ainsi que le poids individuel moyen par espèce. Des cartes sont également présentées indiquant la distribution de l'effort de pêche dans l'Atlantique, ainsi que la distribution spatio-temporelle des prises des senneurs européens et assimilés en 2017 par rapport aux années antérieures (2010-2016).Este documento presenta un resumen global de las actividades pesqueras de la flota de cerco y cebo vivo europea y asociada que operó en el Atlántico oriental durante el periodo 1991-2017. Se describen los cambios anuales en las características técnicas de la flota (capacidad de transporte, tamaño), el esfuerzo pesquero (días de búsqueda y de pesca), la magnitud de los caladeros, las capturas y la captura por unidad de esfuerzo nominal por especies, así como el peso medio individual por especies. También se presentan mapas de pesca que indican la distribución del esfuerzo pesquero en el Atlántico, así como la distribución espacial y temporal de las capturas de cerco de la flota europea y asimilada en 2017, en comparación con años previos (2010-2016)

Plasma RNA viral load predicts the rate of CD4 T cell decline and death in HIV-2-infected patients in West Africa

To examine whether the levels of plasma RNA and DNA provirus predict the rate of CD4 cell decline and patient death. Retrospective analysis of HIV-2 cohort subjects. Fifty-two subjects were recruited between January 1991 and December 1992. HIV-2 RNA levels in plasma and DNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were measured using in-house quantitative PCR assays. The annual rate of CD4 cell decline was calculated using the least-squares method. The survival data on 31 December 1997 were used. The mean percentage of CD4 cells at baseline was 30.7 (SD, 9.5). In a linear regression model, the annual rate of CD4 cell decline was 1.76 CD4% faster for every increase in one log10 RNA copies/ml [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.81-2.7; P = 0.0006; r = 0.46; n = 52] and 1.76 CD4% faster for every increase in log10 DNA copies/10(5) PBMC (95% CI 0.46-3.1; P = 0.01; r = 0.33; n = 42). In a multiple linear regression model, RNA load was related to CD4 decline independently of DNA load (P = 0.02). The overall mortality rate was 7.29/100 person-years. In a Cox regression model, the hazard rate increased by 2.12 for each log10 increase in RNA load (95% CI, 1.3-3.5; P = 0.0023) but only by 1.09 for each log10 increase in DNA load (95% CI, 0.64-1.87; P = 0.8). This longitudinal study shows for the first time that a baseline HIV-2 RNA load predicts the rate of disease progression. HIV-2-infected patients with a high viral load may need to be treated as vigorously as HIV-1 patient