Blood Chemistry, Hematology and Tryptophan Level in Cerebral Malaria Children

Background: Cerebral malaria is a deadly complication of P. falciparum infection, yet its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood.Objective: The blood chemistry, hematology, protein and tryptophan levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of cerebral malaria children were investigated. Methods: Fifteen children (2.44 ± 0.25yr) diagnosed withcerebral malaria were used for this study. The control subjects consist of healthy and malaria-free children (2.50 ± 0.16yr). Two ml of blood were collected from each child between 0830h and 0930h. Blood chemistry and hematological parameters were analyzed using 2ml each of Synchron CX5 auto-analyzer. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was collected from the children using the lumbar puncture method, by inserting a sterile needle between the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae collected into sterile tubes. The CSF tryptophan, plasma and CSF protein concentrations and CSF protein concentration were determined.Results: There were no significant (p>0.01) differences in the plasma protein, glucose and CSF glucose levels of the cerebral malaria children as compared with the control. The packed cell volume (PCV) of the cerebral malaria children hemoglobin (Hb) levels were significantly (

Retention of inherited Ar by alkali fedspar xenocrysts in a magma: Kinetic constraints from Ba zoning profiles

40Ar/39Ar dating of volcanic alkali feldspars provides critical age constraints on many geological phenomena. A key assumption is that alkali feldspar phenocrysts in magmas contain no initial radiogenic 40Ar (40Ar*), and begin to accumulate 40Ar* only after eruption. This assumption is shown to fail dramatically in the case of a phonolitic lava from southern Tanzania that contains partially resorbed xenocrystic cores which host inherited 40Ar manifest in 40Ar/39Ar age spectra. Magmatic overgrowths on the xenocrysts display variable oscillatory zoning with pisodic pulses of Ba enrichment and intervals of resorption. Ba concentration profiles across contrasting compositional zones are interpreted as diffusion couples. Inferred temperature time histories recorded by these profiles reveal significant variations between phenocrysts. Combined with Ar diffusion kinetics for alkali feldspars and magma temperature inferred from two feldspar thermometry, the results indicate that >1% inherited 40Ar can be retained in such xenocrysts despite immersion in magma at ~900°C for tens to >100 years. In cases where the age contrast between inherited and magmatic feldspars is less pronounced, the age biasing effect of incompletely degassed xenocrysts may easily go undetected