Morbidity from falciparum malaria in Natal/KwaZulu

Plasmodium falciparummalaria is endemic in the northern KwaZulu areas of South Africa. The clinical morbidity produced by this parasite has not been studied since the institution of the present malaria control programme. Fifty-nine patients were prospectively studied at a peripheral clinic during the peak malaria season; Symptoms and signs of the infection, parasite loads, haemoglobin values and leucocyte counts were recorded in all patients. Haemoglobin and leucocyte counts were also measured in 37 control subjects without malaria. The commonest symptoms were persistent headache (100%), rigors (98%) and myalgia (93%). None of the patients presented with coma, pulmonary oedema, hypoglycaemia or algid malaria. Splenomegaly was found in 49%, hepatomegaly in 20% and mental confusion in 5% of patients. Mean parasite load was 1,71% and 57% of patients had parasite loads of <1%. Anaemia of < 10 g/dl was significantly more frequent (P < 0,0001) in the patient group than in the control group. Leucopenia (white cell count < 4,0 x 109/l) was present in 12 of 50 patients in whom it was measured compared with 2 controls (P =0,0175). The results show a wide range of morbidity, with- out severe complications as presenting manifestations. Symptomatic infection in the presence of low parasite loads suggests that there may be little or no immunity in this population

Hepatitis C virus infection in chronic liver disease in Natal

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Are anticardiolipin antibodies responsible for some of the complications of severe acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria?

What were first called simply false-positive Wassermann reactions and then lupus anticoagulant are now known as antiphospholipid or anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA). These are known to cause a tendency to thrombosis and are frequently present in many neurological conditions and infections. The pathological significance of these antibodies in acute infections, if any, is unknown. We investigated the presence ofthese antibodies in Plasmodium falciparum malaria in an endemic area in Natal/KwaZulu, and attempted to correlate  the presence of this antibody with cerebral manifestations. Immunoglobulin G-anticardiolipin antibodies measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay occurred significantly more frequently in 62 patients with acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria (33,9%) than in 37 control subjects (2,7%) (P < 0,0001). There was no significant difference in the mean parasite loads in those patients who were positive for ACA (1,75%) and those who were negative (1,59%) (P = 0,83). No correlation was found between parasite load and ACA levels in the patient group, or between the number of cerebral manifestations in patients with and without the antibody. The frequency of  splenomegaly was not significantly different in patients with and without ACA (P =0,06). We conclude that there is a high prevalence of ACA in acute falciparum malaria. The pathological significance of this antibody and its relationship to complications, especially cerebral ones, warrant greater attention and may improve the understanding of cerebral malaria and its management

Measurement of event-shape observables in Z→ℓ+ℓ− events in pp collisions at √ s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Event-shape observables measured using charged particles in inclusive $Z$-boson events are presented, using the electron and muon decay modes of the $Z$ bosons. The measurements are based on an integrated luminosity of $1.1 {\rm fb}^{-1}$ of proton--proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV. Charged-particle distributions, excluding the lepton--antilepton pair from the $Z$-boson decay, are measured in different ranges of transverse momentum of the $Z$ boson. Distributions include multiplicity, scalar sum of transverse momenta, beam thrust, transverse thrust, spherocity, and $\mathcal{F}$-parameter, which are in particular sensitive to properties of the underlying event at small values of the $Z$-boson transverse momentum. The Sherpa event generator shows larger deviations from the measured observables than Pythia8 and Herwig7. Typically, all three Monte Carlo generators provide predictions that are in better agreement with the data at high $Z$-boson transverse momenta than at low $Z$-boson transverse momenta and for the observables that are less sensitive to the number of charged particles in the event.Comment: 36 pages plus author list + cover page (54 pages total), 14 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC, All figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2014-0

Severe and complicated malaria in KwaZulu-Natal

Objective. To describe severe and complicated malaria, including the common  complications. causes of death and predictors of poor outcome.Design. Retrospective case series.Setting. King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban, Natal, a referral centre.Patients. One hundred and forty-three consecutive patients (88 males, 55 females;  median age 25 years, range 2 - 86 years) admitted with a microscopic diagnosis of  Plasmodium falciparum malaria from 1984 to 1991 .Main outcome measures. A univariate analysis comparing survival and death for  categorical and continuous data for various complications was perlormed using the  t-test or x2-test (or Fisher's exact test in the case of small cell sizes). Variables that showed significance on univariat,e analysis (P < 0.1) were used in a  multivariate analysis to determine which contributed independently to survival or death.Results. The case tatality rate was 11.1% (15/135) and the commonest  complications were hyperparasitaemia (30%), renal tailure (17%), acidaemia  (14%), jaundice (10.4%) and cerebral malaria (6%). The commonest complications in patients who died were renal failure (10 patients), cerebral malaria (7),  hyperparasitaemia (6) and severe anaemia (5). Multivariate analysis using a logisticregression model showed a high parasite load and cerebral malaria (relative risks of 11.9 and 51.8 respectively) and high urea levels to be the significant predictors of poor outcome (95% confidence intervals 1.53 - 91 .9, 2.74 - 100.0 and 1.01 - 1.09, respectively).Conclusions. Patients with high parasite densities, cerebral involvement and renal dysfunction need urgent attention with parenteral chemotherapy, intravenous fluidreplacement and early referral to a tertiary hospital with facilities for intensive monitoring and supportive treatment

Influence of Framework Silica to Alumina Ratio on the Sorption Characteristics of Synthetic Large-Port Mordenites

Synthetic large-port mordenite samples with different framework SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ratios (ranging from 10 to 35) obtained by direct hydrothermal crystallization were studied using different probe molecules. The influence of the framework aluminium content on the BET surface area and the micropore void volume in large-port mordenites was examined using low-temperature nitrogen sorption. Sorption uptake using different probe molecules such as water, benzene, n-hexane and cyclohexane was measured on the protonic form of the mordenite samples. The sorption energetics in large-port mordenites as a function of framework SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ratio was discussed on the basis of the isotherms for water sorption over the temperature range 303–403 K. The sorption data were analyzed in terms of different models of sorption isotherm equations. The wide variation in the isosteric heats of sorption of polar but amphoteric water molecules exhibited by mordenite samples with different framework Si/Al ratios demonstrate the heterogeneous character of the surface

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Not AvailableBottom trawling is one of the most important fishing methods across the world. In India about 35,230 trawlers of various sizes are in operation. In the case of trawling, probability of getting catch is directly proportional to swept area and thus to the mouth opening of the trawl. In the present study, we tried to investigate the effect of speed and warp length on the mouth opening of 27 m bottom trawl, operated onboard research vessel Matsyakumari-II, off Cochin. Trials conducted with six acoustic sensors (Make NOTUS, Canada) two each attached to otterboard and wings, and one each to the head rope and foot rope. Horizontal and vertical mouth opening were recorded for three different warp lengths (60, 70 and 80m) at three different towing speeds viz., 2.9, 3.3 and 3.7 kn. At warp length, 70 m, the mouth opening decreased from 60.66 square meters to 44.26 square meters with increase in speed from 2.9 to 3.3 kn and then increased to 59.26 square meters at 3.7 kn speed. Similar trend was observed for 80 m warp length, where values were 48.13, 36.55 and 51.11 square meters at speed 2.9, 3.3 and 3.7 kn respectively. In the case of 60 m warp length, the mouth opening were 44.23 and 45.55 square meters at 2.9 and 3.3 kn respectively, whereas it further decreased to 31.96 square meters at 3.7 kn towing speed. At 3.7 kn towing speed with 70 and 80 m warp length the opening was maximum.Not Availabl