Children's participation in community-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change

As an emerging field, reflection and learning on community-based adaptation to climate change (CBA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) are crucial. However, there is a danger that a focus on ‘the community’ fails to look within and understand the community itself. Children under 18 are often considered the vulnerable, passive victims of disaster events. Yet children have unique perceptions of the world in which they live, and they have the capacity to act as agents of change. In this article, we argue that widening community participation to include children is crucial for successfully tackling development issues in a changing climate. We show how child-friendly participatory methodologies and processes can enable children to take an active role in communicating their perspectives to other members of the community, tackling climate change impacts, and preventing disasters

Population-based prevalence of cervical infection with human papillomavirus genotypes 16 and 18 and other high risk types in Tlaxcala, Mexico

This study was supported by the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico, the Coordinación de Investigación en Salud del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, the Secretaría de Salud Tlaxcala, the Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres, and the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología [FOSISS 2013 202468]. Additional support has been provided by Roche Diagnostics, BD Diagnostics, DICIPA and Arbor Vita Corporation. The study sponsors did not played a role in designing the study, collecting, analyzing or interpreting the data, writing the report, or submitting this paper for publication. UC Berkeley Center for Global Public Health, Schoeneman Grant, Joint Medical Program Thesis Grant, and Cancer Research UK (C569/A10404)

Ibuprofen Recovery from Aqueous Solutions by Supported Liquid Membranes

Pharmaceuticals recently have acquired a big importance because of its growing detection in wastewater. The propionic acid derivatives, such as ibuprofen, are among the most commonly anti-inflammatories used by population. For this reason it is necessary to develop a friendly separation technique with environment, like the Supported Liquid Membranes (SLM). In this work, SLM have been prepared in order to recover ibuprofen from aqueous solutions. Two different organic phases were evaluated (dodecane and Parleam 4), as well as trioctylamine as carrier, and Abil EM 90 as surfactant in the preparation of SLM. The SLM prepared was tested in the IBP transfer process through the membrane, from feed phase to stripping phase. The results showed that it is possible to recover almost 98% of IBP, this using the SLM and a phosphate buffer solution of pH 7 like stripping phase

Partial protection of seasonal trivalent inactivated vaccine against novel pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009: case-control study in Mexico City

Objective To evaluate the association of 2008-9 seasonal trivalent inactivated vaccine with cases of influenza A/H1N1 during the epidemic in Mexico

Relative Efficacy of AS03-Adjuvanted Pandemic Influenza A(H1N1) Vaccine in Children: Results of a Controlled, Randomized Efficacy Trial

Background. the vaccine efficacy (VE) of 1 or 2 doses of AS03-adjuvanted influenza A(H1N1) vaccine relative to that of 2 doses of nonadjuvanted influenza A(H1N1) vaccine in children 6 months to <10 years of age in a multinational study conducted during 2010-2011.Methods. A total of 6145 children were randomly assigned at a ratio of 1: 1: 1 to receive 2 injections 21 days apart of A/California/7/2009(H1N1)-AS03 vaccine at dose 1 and saline placebo at dose 2, 2 doses 21 days apart of A/California/7/2009(H1N1)-AS03 vaccine (the Ad2 group), or 2 doses 21 days apart of nonadjuvanted A/California/7/2009(H1N1) vaccine (the NAd2 group). Active surveillance for influenza-like illnesses continued from days 14 to 385. Nose and throat samples obtained during influenza-like illnesses were tested for A/California/7/2009 (H1N1), using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety were assessed.Results. There were 23 cases of confirmed 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) (A[H1N1]pdm09) infection for the primary relative VE analysis. the VE in the Ad2 group relative to that in the NAd2 group was 76.8% (95% confidence interval, 18.5%-93.4%). the benefit of the AS03 adjuvant was demonstrated in terms of the greater immunogenicity observed in the Ad2 group, compared with the NAd2 group.Conclusion. the 4-8-fold antigen-sparing adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine demonstrated superior and clinically important prevention of A(H1N1)pdm09 infection, compared with nonadjuvanted vaccine, with no observed increase in medically attended or serious adverse events. These data support the use of adjuvanted influenza vaccines during influenza pandemics.GlaxoSmithKline BiologicalsUniv Melbourne, Murdoch Childrens Res Inst, Carlton, Vic 3010, AustraliaUniv Melbourne, Melbourne Sch Populat & Global Hlth, Carlton, Vic 3010, AustraliaGlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, King of Prussia, PA USANovavax, Rockville, MD USAMary Chiles Gen Hosp, Dept Pediat, Manila, PhilippinesDe La Salle Hlth Sci Inst, Dept Pediat, Dasmarinas City, PhilippinesRes Inst Trop Med, Dept Hlth, Muntinlupa, PhilippinesUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Pediat, São Paulo, BrazilFac Ciencias Med Santa Casa São Paulo, Dept Pediat, São Paulo, BrazilAssoc Fundo Incent Pesquisa, São Paulo, BrazilInst Costarricense Invest Clin, San Jose, Costa RicaNatl Inst Publ Hlth Mexico, Cuernavaca, Morelos, MexicoUniv Autonoma Nuevo Leon, Serv Med, Monterrey, MexicoInst Nacl Pediat Mexico, Mexico City, DF, MexicoHosp Gen Durango, Durango, MexicoPhramongkutklao Hosp, Infect Dis Unit, Dept Pediat, Bangkok, ThailandKhon Kaen Univ, Dept Pediat, Fac Med, Khon Kaen, ThailandNatl Healthcare Grp Polyclin, Singapore, SingaporeCtr Estudios Infect Pediat, Cali, ColombiaGlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Wavre, BelgiumGlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Rixensart, BelgiumUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Pediat, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Extended Thromboprophylaxis with Betrixaban in Acutely Ill Medical Patients

Background Patients with acute medical illnesses are at prolonged risk for venous thrombosis. However, the appropriate duration of thromboprophylaxis remains unknown. Methods Patients who were hospitalized for acute medical illnesses were randomly assigned to receive subcutaneous enoxaparin (at a dose of 40 mg once daily) for 10±4 days plus oral betrixaban placebo for 35 to 42 days or subcutaneous enoxaparin placebo for 10±4 days plus oral betrixaban (at a dose of 80 mg once daily) for 35 to 42 days. We performed sequential analyses in three prespecified, progressively inclusive cohorts: patients with an elevated d-dimer level (cohort 1), patients with an elevated d-dimer level or an age of at least 75 years (cohort 2), and all the enrolled patients (overall population cohort). The statistical analysis plan specified that if the between-group difference in any analysis in this sequence was not significant, the other analyses would be considered exploratory. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of asymptomatic proximal deep-vein thrombosis and symptomatic venous thromboembolism. The principal safety outcome was major bleeding. Results A total of 7513 patients underwent randomization. In cohort 1, the primary efficacy outcome occurred in 6.9% of patients receiving betrixaban and 8.5% receiving enoxaparin (relative risk in the betrixaban group, 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65 to 1.00; P=0.054). The rates were 5.6% and 7.1%, respectively (relative risk, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.66 to 0.98; P=0.03) in cohort 2 and 5.3% and 7.0% (relative risk, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.92; P=0.006) in the overall population. (The last two analyses were considered to be exploratory owing to the result in cohort 1.) In the overall population, major bleeding occurred in 0.7% of the betrixaban group and 0.6% of the enoxaparin group (relative risk, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.67 to 2.12; P=0.55). Conclusions Among acutely ill medical patients with an elevated d-dimer level, there was no significant difference between extended-duration betrixaban and a standard regimen of enoxaparin in the prespecified primary efficacy outcome. However, prespecified exploratory analyses provided evidence suggesting a benefit for betrixaban in the two larger cohorts. (Funded by Portola Pharmaceuticals; APEX ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01583218. opens in new tab.

Thermally stimulated luminescence of a natural layered double hydroxide

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and many of the related hydrotalcite-like minerals have been well studied from the chemical and structural point of view; however, their luminescence properties have been scarcely studied. We herein report on the thermoluminescence (TL) behaviour of a natural LDH (Mg6Cr2CO3(OH)16·4H2O), previously characterized by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry, electron probe microanalysis, thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis, that exhibited a very complex green-IR spectral emission. The broad waveband peaked at ~ 640 nm can be mainly linked to the 4T1 → 6A1 (at 570 nm), 4A2g → 2Eg (~ 685 nm), 4T1 → 6A1 (~ 700 nm), and 1T2g → 3A2g (green) and 1T2g → 3T2g (red) transitions due, respectively, to the presence of Mn2+, Cr3+, Fe2+ and Ni2+. The weak red-TL emission can likely be attributed to the quenching effect due to Fe (~ 8–11%) ions substituting for Mg2+.This work was partially supported by the Project CICYT CGL2010-17108.Peer Reviewe