A neglected disease of humans: a new focus of visceral leishmaniasis in Bakool, Somalia.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) was observed in children in Bakool region, Somalia, an area where VL has not been reported before. We describe the extent of the problem in this war- and famine-stricken area. A retrospective analysis was done of all cases admitted to a VL treatment centre between July 2000 and August 2001. Patients with longstanding fever, splenomegaly and a positive direct agglutination test (DAT; titre > 1:3200) were treated as suspected VL cases. A rapid epidemiological and entomological assessment was performed in the area. Species identification was attempted from blood samples by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of cysteine proteinase B genes. In 1 year, 230 serologically-positive cases were diagnosed as VL, and response to therapy was good in 91.6% of the 225 treated with sodium stibogluconate. Parasitological confirmation was attempted and obtained in 2 cases. Parasites were found to be most similar to Sudanese and Ethiopian reference strains of the Leishmania donovani complex. In a serological survey of 161 healthy displaced persons, 15% were positive by the leishmanin skin test and 3 (2%) were positive by the DAT. The sandfly captures showed Phlebotomus martini and P. vansomerenae. VL seems to be a longstanding and serious health problem in Bakool region. Food insecurity might have contributed to the emergence and detection of VL in this area

Astrophysical foreground cleanup using non-local means

To create high-fidelity cosmic microwave background maps, current component separation methods rely on availability of information on different foreground components, usually through multi-band frequency coverage of the instrument. Internal linear combination (ILC) methods provide an unbiased estimators for CMB which are easy to implement, but component separation quality crucially depends on the signal to noise ratio of the input maps. In the present paper, we develop an efficient non-linear filter along the lines of non-local means used in digital imaging research which significantly improves signal to noise ratio for astrophysical foreground maps, while having minimal signal attenuation, and evaluate it performance in map and spectral domains. Noise reduction is achieved by averaging ``similar'' pixels in the map. We construct the rotationally-invariant feature vector space and compute the similarity metric on it for the case of non-Gaussian signal contaminated by an additive Gaussian noise. The proposed filter has two tuneable parameters, and with minimal tweaking achieves a factor of two improvement in signal to noise spectral density in Planck dust maps. A particularly desirable feature is that signal loss is extremely small at all scales.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Properties Of Carbon Nanostructures Prepared By Polyaniline Carbonization

Nanometric sponge-like structures have been prepared from the carburization of polyaniline-(emeradine salt) using a rapid immersion in hot-filament system fed with carbon dioxide, ethyl alcohol and argon. Fiber-like fragments of width in the range of 20 - 40 nm have been observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Raman measurements suggested that benzenoid rings and amide were present in the carburized samples. Lowest threshold achieved for field emission was 23.5 V/μm. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.6117174Bonard, J.M., Kind, H., Stöckli, T., Nilsson, L.O., (2001) Sol. State Electron., 45 (6), p. 893Journet, C., Bernier, P., (1998) Appl. Phys., 67 (1), p. 1Morell, G., Gonzlez-Berríos, A., Weiner, B.R., Gupta, S., (2006) J. Mater. Sci: Mater. Electron, 17 (6), p. 443Koeck, F.A.M., Zumer, M., Nemanic, V., Nemanich, R.J., (2006) Diam. Rel. Mater., 15 (4-8), p. 880Andreatta, A., Cao, Y., Chiang, J.C., Heger, A.J., (1988) Synth. Met., 26 (4), p. 383Konyushenko, E.N., Stejskal, J., Trchov, M., Hradil, J., Kovrov, J., Prokes, J., Cieslar, M., Sapurina, I., (2006) PolymerNastase, C., Nastase, F., Vaseashta, A., Stamatin, I., (2006) Prog. Sol. Sta. Chem., 34 (2-4), p. 181Mottaghittalab, V.B., Spinks, G.M., Wallace, G.G., (2006) Synth. Met.Nickels, P., Dittimer, W.U., Beyer, S., Kottahous, J.P., Simmel, F.C., (2004) Nanotech., 15 (11), p. 1524Zhang, M.Y., Kaner, R.B., (2004) J. Am. Chem. Soc., 126 (22), p. 7097Baibarac, M., Baltog, I., Lefrand, S., Mevellec, J.Y., Chauvet, O., (2003) Chem. Mater., 15 (21), p. 4149Quillard, S., Loaurn, G., Lefrant, S., MacDiamird, A.G., (1994) Phys. Rev., 50 (17), p. 12496Mammana, V.P., Santos, T.E.A., Mammana, A., Baranauskas, V., Ceragioli, H.J., Peterlevitz, A.C., (2002) Appl. Phys. Lett., 81 (18), p. 3470Baranauskas, V., Fontana, M., Ceragioli, H.J., Peterlevitz, A.C., (2004) Nanotech., 15 (10), p. 678Kurt Bonard, R.J.M., Karimi, A., (2001) Diam.Rel. Mater., 10 (11), p. 1962Gupta Weiner, S.B.R., Morell, G., (2002) Diam. Rel. Mater., 11 (3-6), p. 799Wu, K., Wang, E.G., Cao, Z.X., Wang, Z.L., Jiang, X., (2000) J. Appl. Phys., 88 (5), p. 2967Proffitt, S.S., Probert, S.J., Whitfield, M.D., Foord, J.S., Jackman, R.B., (1999) Diam. Rel. Mater., 8 (2-5), p. 76

Field-emission Properties Of Sulphur Doped Nanocrystalline Diamonds

Nanostructured diamond doped with sulphur has been prepared using a hot-filament assisted chemical vapour deposition system fed with an ethyl alcohol, carbon disulfide, hydrogen, and argon mixture. The reduction of diamond grains to the nanoscale is relevant to create a network of defective grain boundaries which may be n-type doped to facilitate the transport and injection of electrons to the diamond grains located at the vacuum interface, enhancing the electron field-emission properties of the samples. The downsizing was produced by secondary nucleation and defects induced by sulphur and argon atoms in the chemical vapour deposition surface reactions. Sulphur also acts as an n-type dopant of diamond. Raman measurements show that the samples are nanodiamonds embedded in a matrix of graphite and disordered carbon grains and the morphology, revealed by field electron scanning microscopy, shows that the grains are in the range of 10 to 30 nm. The lowest threshold achieved for field emission was 13.20 V/μm. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.6116670Yang, A.T.S., Lay, J.Y., Wong, M.S., Cheng, C.L., (2002) J. Appl. Phys., 92 (4), p. 2133Mammana, V.P., Tea, S., Mammana, A., Baranauskas, V., Ceragioli, H.J., Peterlevitz, A.C., (2002) Appl. Phys. Lett., 81 (18), p. 3470Baranauskas, V., Fontana, M., Ceragioli, H.J., Peterlevitz, A.C., (2004) Nanotech., 15 (10), p. 678Gruen, D.M., (1998) MRS Bull., 9, p. 32Jin, B.M., Kim, C.C., (1997) Appl. Phys. A: Solid Surf., 65 (1), p. 53Himpsel, F.J., Knapp, J.A., Vanvechten, J.A., Eastman, P.E., (1979) Phys. Rev., 20 (2), p. 624Bandis, B., Pate, B.B., (1996) Appl. Phys Lett., 69 (3), p. 366Okano, K., Yamada, T., Suave, A., Koizumi, S., Pate, B.B., (1999) Appl. Surf. Sci., 146 (1-4), p. 274Kurt Bonard, R.J.M., Karimi, A., (2001) Diam. Rel. Mater., 10 (11), p. 1962Bonnot, A.M., Deldem, M., Beaugnon, M., Fournier T.schouler, M.C., Mermoux, M., (1999) Diam. Rel. Mater., 8 (2-5), p. 631Gruen, D.M., Liu, S., Krauss, A.R., Liuy, A., Luo, J., Foster, C.M., (1994) J. Vac. Sci. Technol., 12 (4), p. 1491Gupta Weiner, S.B.R., Morell, G., (2002) Diam. Rel. Mater., 11 (3-6), p. 799Gupta Weiner, S.B.R., Morell, G., (2005) J. Appl. Phys., 97, p. 094307Morell, G., Gonzlez-Berríos, A., Weiner, B.R., Gupta, S., (2006) J. Mater. Sci: Mater. Electron, 17 (6), p. 443Koeck, F.A.M., Zumer, M., Nemanic, V., Nemanich, R.J., (2006) Diam. Rel. Mater., 15 (4-8), p. 880Shroder Nemanich, R.E.R.J., Glass, J.T., (1990) Phys. Rev., 41 (6), p. 3738Birrell, J., Gerbi, J.E., Auciello, O., Gibson, J.M., Johnson, J., Carlisle, J.A., (2005) Diam. Rel. Mater., 14 (1), p. 86Ferrari, A.C., Robertson, J., (2001) Phys. Rev., 63, pp. 121405RWu, K., Wang, E.G., Cao, Z.X., Wang, Z.L., Jiang, X., (2000) J. Appl. Phys., 88 (5), p. 2967Proffitt, S.S., Probert, S.J., Whitfield, M.D., Foord, J.S., Jackman, R.B., (1999) Diam. Rel. Mater., 8 (2-5), p. 76

Modelos semánticos, metáforas, proyección y fusión conceptual en las portadas del diario "Perú21": perspectivas teóricas y metodológicas

En los últimos años, la prensa en el Perú ha cobrado un papel importante en el desarrollo de la retroalimentación comunicativa en todas sus plataformas y como resultado de ello, los consumidores de información mantienen una relación más estrecha con los medios. Esto quiere decir que, actualmente, los modelos cognitivos de la noticia se han convertido en vitrinas informativas mucho más cercanas y espontáneas, y en este sentido tales contenidos brindan también más opinión que información. Por tanto, hay un incremento de periodismo de opinión desmesurado y ello se trasluce también en la construcción de las primeras planas informativas de algunos periódicos. Por tanto, el objeto de estudio que proponemos se refiere a los diferentes estilos discursivos que una serie de portadas del diario ‘Perú 21’ presenta. Sin embargo, nuestra visión en el desarrollo de esta investigación no es solamente ofrecer argumentos de interpretación sobre esos elementos discursivos sino que además, obedece a una preocupación en cuanto al manejo de lo que pueda ser considerado calidad informativa en contraposición con el impacto noticioso o llámese también tendencia informativa. Por tanto, una de las formas de medición en cuanto a esas tendencias es mediante las herramientas metodológicas que utilizamos..

Co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and manure

The management and valorization of residual organic matter, such as sewage sludge and manure, is gaining interest because of the increasing volume of these residues, their localized generation and the related problems. The anaerobic digestion of mixtures of sewage sludge and manure could be performed due to the similarities between both residues. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of the co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge (SS) and digested manure (DM) as a potential management technology for these residues. Pyrolysis of a sewage sludge/manure blend (50:50%) was performed at 525 °C in a stirred batch reactor under N2 atmosphere. The product yields and some characteristics of the product were analyzed and compared to the results obtained in the pyrolysis of pure residues. Potential synergetic and antagonist effects during the co-pyrolysis process were evaluated. Although sewage sludge and manure seem similar in nature, there are differences in their pyrolysis product properties and distribution due to their distinct ash and organic matter composition. For the co-pyrolysis of SS and DM, the product yields did not show noticeable synergistic effects with the exception of the yields of organic compounds, being slightly higher than the predicted average, and the H2 yield, being lower than expected. Co-pyrolysis of SS and DM could be a feasible management alternative for these residues in locations where both residues are generated, since the benefits and the drawbacks of the co-pyrolysis are similar to those of the pyrolysis of each residue

Resistencia antimicrobiana de Staphylococcus aureus y Streptococcus agalactiae aislados de leche de vacas con mastitis

The indiscriminate use of antibiotics without prior in vitro sensitivity test is the main cause of failure for the treatment of mastitis in the Ayacucho region. In order to assess the antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae causing bovine mastitis, the isolation, identification and antibiogram of the bacteria under study were carried out to find the resistance against five antibiotics. Samples were collected at the Allpachaca farm that belongs to the National University of San Cristobal de Huamanga (Ayacucho, Perú), located at coordinates 13°23’30.79 “S; 74° 15’56.48 “W, at an altitude of 3528 meters above sea level. In the field, 94 dairy cows were studied using the California Mastitis Test (CMT), which resulted in 35 cows with subclinical mastitis. In the laboratory, the isolation and the identification of S. aureus and S. agalactiae were carried out, later the antibiogram was carried out using the method of Bauer et al. (1966). Then 35.2% of S. aureus and 12.7% S. agalactiae were isolated. The results of the antibiogram show that S. agalactiae was 22% resistant to penicillin, 22% to cephalexin and 33.3% sulfatrimethoprim, whereas tetracycline, amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid were 100% sensitive. On the other hand, .S. aureus was 52% resistant to penicillin and amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid 28%, while cephalexin, tetracycline and sulfatrimethoprim were 100% sensitive.El uso indiscriminado de los antibióticos sin previa prueba de sensibilidad in vitro es la principal causa del fracaso para el tratamiento de la mastitis en la región de Ayacucho. Con el objetivo de evaluar la resistencia antimicrobiana de Staphylococcus aureus y Streptococcus agalactiae -causantes de la mastitis bovina- se realizó el aislamiento, identificación y el antibiograma de las bacterias en estudio para determinar la resistencia frente a cinco antibióticos. Las muestras fueron recolectadas en el fundo Allpachaca de la Universidad Nacional de San Cristóbal de Huamanga (Ayacucho, Perú), ubicado en las coordenadas 13°23´30.79” S; 74°15´56.48” O, con una altitud de 3528 msnm. En el campo se evaluaron 94 vacas lecheras utilizando la prueba del California Mastitis Test (CMT) de las cuales resultaron 35 bovinos con mastitis subclínica. En el laboratorio se realizó el aislamiento e identificación de S. aureus (35,2%) y S. agalactiae (12,7%) y posteriormente un antibiograma utilizando el método de Bauer et al. (1966). Los resultados indicaron que S. agalactiae resultó resistente a la penicilina en 22%, a la cefalexina en 22% y a la sulfatrimetoprima en 33,3%, mientras que para la tetraciclina y para la amoxicilina más ácido clavulánico fueron sensibles al 100%. Por su parte, Staphylococcus aureus resultó resistente a la penicilina en 52% y la amoxicilina más ácido clavulánico en 28%, mientras que para la cefalexina, tetraciclina y sulfatrimetoprima fueron sensibles al 100%

Characterization Of Boron Doped Nanocrystalline Diamonds

Nanostructured diamond doped with boron was prepared using a hot-filament assisted chemical vapour deposition system fed with an ethyl alcohol, hydrogen and argon mixture. The reduction of the diamond grains to the nanoscale was produced by secondary nucleation and defects induced by argon and boron atoms via surface reactions during chemical vapour deposition. Raman measurements show that the samples are nanodiamonds embedded in a matrix of graphite and disordered carbon grains, while morphological investigations using field electron scanning microscopy show that the size of the grains ranges from 20 to 100 nm. The lowest threshold fields achieved were in the 1.6 to 2.4 V/μm range. © 2008 IOP Publishing Ltd.100PART 5Himpsel, F.J., Knapp, J.A., VanVechten, J.A., Eastman, P.E., (1979) Phys. Rev., 20 B, p. 624Bandis, B., Pate, B.B., (1996) Appl. Phys Lett., 69, p. 366Mammana, V.P., Santos, T.E.A., Mammana, A., Baranauskas, V., Ceragioli, H.J., Peterlevitz, A.C., (2002) Appl. Phys. Lett., 81, p. 3470Baranauskas, V., Fontana, M., Ceragioli, H.J., Peterlevitz, A.C., (2004) Nanotech., 15 (10), pp. S678Shroder, R.E., Nemanich, R.J., Glass, J.T., (1990) Phys. Rev., 41 B, p. 3738Ferrari, A.C., Robertson, J., (2001) Phys. Rev., 63 B. , 121405(R)Jiang, X., Frederick, C.K.Au., Lee, S.T., (2002) J. Appl. Phys., 92 (5), p. 2880Lee, Y.C., Lin, S.J., Lin, I.N., Cheng, H.F., (2005) J. Appl. Phys., 97, p. 05431

Strategic Environmental Planning for Deep Seabed Mining in the Area

Discussions approximately an environmental control method for deep seabed mining in the Area had been underway for some the years. Both states and scientists have known for such an environmental control method. In 2018, the International Seabed Authority has followed its first 5-year strategic plan, masking all elements of its mandate. This article examines the brand-new strategic plan integrates factors of an environmental control method and what is probably missing. It demonstrates that even as a few overlaps exist, there are numerous key gaps left via way of means of the modern strategic plan which will be stuffed via the way of means of an environmental control method. To operationalize those desires and objectives, development ought to be measurable; thus, objectives are set, reviews are assessed, and suitable responses are awarded. Many control equipment and toots are relevant for accomplishing environmental desires. To date, the ISA has taken into consideration marine spatial making plans in large part across the modern exploration settlement blocks. Other factors of environmental control, which include the necessities for baseline studies, effect assessment, post-effect tracking, and the remedy of dangerous consequences and extreme damage want to be carried out to assist well-described environmental desires and objectives. We advocate that this making plans be done for scales largethan man or woman blocks, through a Strategic Environmental Management Plan, to make certain sustainable use of ocean assets throughout the Area

Gender Differences in Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms During the First Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Latin America and the Caribbean

"Background: Previous studies have suggested that the pandemic impact on mental health could vary according to gender. We aimed to evaluate the gender influence in the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries in the first stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis employing the Facebook–COVID-19 Symptom Survey developed by the University of Maryland. We categorized gender as men, women, and non-binary. The outcomes were the presence of anxiety or depressive symptoms, measured with two adapted questions extracted from the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). We used generalized linear models from the Poisson family, considering the survey’s complex sampling. We calculated crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) and explored interactions with gender using the adjusted Wald test. Results: We included 1,338,320 adults from LAC countries; 48.0, 50.6, and 1.4% were men, women, and non-binary participants, respectively. The overall prevalence of anxiety or depressive symptoms was 44.8 and 46.6%, respectively. We found interactions between gender and the rest of the independent variables. In the non-binary group, the association between age and anxiety symptomatology was lost after an age of 55 years. Furthermore, whereas living in a town was associated with a lower prevalence of anxiety and depression symptomatology in men and women, this did not happen among non-binary individuals. Compliance with physical distancing was associated with a lower prevalence of anxiety and depression symptomatology among women (anxiety: PRa = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.97–0.99; p < 0.001, depression: PRa = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.95–0.97; p < 0.001) and only anxiety in non-binary participants (anxiety: PRa = 0.92; 95% CI = 0.88–0.98; p = 0.005). This was not evidenced among men participants (anxiety: PRa = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.96–1.01; p = 0.199, depression: PRa = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.96–1.00; p = 0.084). In addition, compliance with handwashing was associated with a higher prevalence of anxiety symptomatology among men (PRa = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.05–1.11; p < 0.001) and women participants (PRa = 1.03; 95% CI = 1.01–1.05; p = 0.016). Conclusion: Approximately 4 out of 10 participants had anxiety or depressive symptoms. Women and non-binary gender people had more symptoms of anxiety or depression. The factors associated with these symptoms varied according to gender. It is essential to evaluate gender-related strategies to improve mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.