199 research outputs found
A cross-sectional study of vascular risk factors in a rural South African population : data from the Southern African Stroke Prevention Initiative (SASPI)
Background: Rural sub-Saharan Africa is at an early stage of economic and health transition. It is
predicted that the 21st century will see a serious added economic burden from non-communicable disease
including vascular disease in low-income countries as they progress through the transition. The stage of
vascular disease in a population is thought to result from the prevalence of vascular risk factors. Already
hypertension and stroke are common in adults in sub-Saharan Africa. Using a multidisciplinary approach
we aimed to assess the prevalence of several vascular risk factors in Agincourt, a rural demographic
surveillance site in South Africa.
Methods: We performed a cross sectional random sample survey of adults aged over 35 in Agincourt
(population ≈ 70 000). Participants were visited at home by a trained nurse who administered a
questionnaire, carried out clinical measurements and took a blood sample. From this we assessed
participants' history of vascular risk, blood pressure using an OMRON 705 CP monitor, waist
circumference, body mass index (BMI), ankle brachial index (ABI), and total and HDL cholesterol.
Results: 402 people (24% men) participated. There was a high prevalence of smoking in men, but the
number of cigarettes smoked was small. There was a striking difference in mean BMI between men and
women (22.8 kg/m2 versus 27.2 kg/m2), but levels of blood pressure were very similar. 43% of participants
had a blood pressure greater than 140/90 or were on anti-hypertensive treatment and 37% of participants
identified with measured high blood pressure were on pharmacological treatment. 12% of participants had
an ABI of < 0.9, sugesting the presence of sub-clinical atheroma. 25.6% of participants had a total
cholesterol level > 5 mmol/l.
Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of hypertension, obesity in women, and a suggestion of
subclinical atheroma despite relatively favourable cholesterol levels in a rural South African population.
South Africa is facing the challenge of an emerging epidemic of vascular disease. Research to establish the
social determinates of these risk factors and interventions to reduce both individual and population risk
are required
Environmental Costs of Government-Sponsored Agrarian Settlements in Brazilian Amazonia
Brazil has presided over the most comprehensive agrarian reform frontier colonization program on Earth, in which ~1.2 million settlers have been translocated by successive governments since the 1970's, mostly into forested hinterlands of Brazilian Amazonia. These settlements encompass 5.3% of this ~5 million km2 region, but have contributed with 13.5% of all land conversion into agropastoral land uses. The Brazilian Federal Agrarian Agency (INCRA) has repeatedly claimed that deforestation in these areas largely predates the sanctioned arrival of new settlers. Here, we quantify rates of natural vegetation conversion across 1911 agrarian settlements allocated to 568 Amazonian counties and compare fire incidence and deforestation rates before and after the official occupation of settlements by migrant farmers. The timing and spatial distribution of deforestation and fires in our analysis provides irrefutable chronological and spatially explicit evidence of agropastoral conversion both inside and immediately outside agrarian settlements over the last decade. Deforestation rates are strongly related to local human population density and road access to regional markets. Agrarian settlements consistently accelerated rates of deforestation and fires, compared to neighboring areas outside settlements, but within the same counties. Relocated smallholders allocated to forest areas undoubtedly operate as pivotal agents of deforestation, and most of the forest clearance occurs in the aftermath of government-induced migration
Relevance of Dynamic Strain Aging under Quasi-Static Tension on AISI 304 Stainless Steel
Toxin-Based Models to Investigate Demyelination and Remyelination.
Clinical myelin diseases, and our best experimental approximations, are complex entities in which demyelination and remyelination proceed unpredictably and concurrently. These features can make it difficult to identify mechanistic details. Toxin-based models offer lesions with predictable spatiotemporal patterns and relatively discrete phases of damage and repair: a simpler system to study the relevant biology and how this can be manipulated. Here, we discuss the most widely used toxin-based models, with a focus on lysolecithin, ethidium bromide, and cuprizone. This includes an overview of their respective mechanisms, strengths, and limitations and step-by-step protocols for their use
Stages of change and factors associated with misperceived eating behavior in obese individuals
Aggregation and settling in aqueous polydisperse alumina nanoparticle suspensions
Nanoparticle suspensions (also called nanofluids) are often polydisperse and
tend to settle with time. Settling kinetics in these systems are known to be
complex and hence challenging to understand. In this work, polydisperse
spherical alumina (Al2O3) nanoparticles in the size range of ~10-100nm were
dispersed in water and examined for aggregation and settling behaviour near its
isoelectric point (IEP). A series of settling experiments were conducted and
the results were analysed by photography and by Small Angle X-ray Scattering
(SAXS). The settling curve obtained from standard bed height measurement
experiments indicated two different types of behaviour, both of which were also
seen in the SAXS data. But the SAXS data were remarkably able to pick out the
rapid settling regime as a result of the high temporal resolution (10s) used.
By monitoring the SAXS intensity, it was further possible to record the
particle aggregation process for the first time. Optical microscopy images were
produced on drying and dried droplets extracted from the suspension at various
times. Dried deposits showed the rapid decrease in the number of very large
particles with time which qualitatively validates the SAXS prediction, and
therefore its suitability as a tool to study unstable polydisperse colloids.
Keywords: Nanoparticles, nanofluids, polydisperse, aggregation, settling,
alumina, microscopy, SAX
Angular and Current-Target Correlations in Deep Inelastic Scattering at HERA
Correlations between charged particles in deep inelastic ep scattering have
been studied in the Breit frame with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an
integrated luminosity of 6.4 pb-1. Short-range correlations are analysed in
terms of the angular separation between current-region particles within a cone
centred around the virtual photon axis. Long-range correlations between the
current and target regions have also been measured. The data support
predictions for the scaling behaviour of the angular correlations at high Q2
and for anti-correlations between the current and target regions over a large
range in Q2 and in the Bjorken scaling variable x. Analytic QCD calculations
and Monte Carlo models correctly describe the trends of the data at high Q2,
but show quantitative discrepancies. The data show differences between the
correlations in deep inelastic scattering and e+e- annihilation.Comment: 26 pages including 10 figures (submitted to Eur. J. Phys. C
Plastisol Foaming Process. Decomposition of the Foaming Agent, Polymer Behavior in the Corresponding Temperature Range and Resulting Foam Properties
The decomposition of azodicarbonamide, used as foaming agent in PVC - plasticizer (1/1) plastisols was studied by DSC. Nineteen different plasticizers, all belonging to the ester family, two being polymeric (polyadipates), were compared. The temperature of maximum decomposition rate (in anisothermal regime at 5 K min-1 scanning rate), ranges between 434 and 452 K. The heat of decomposition ranges between 8.7 and 12.5 J g -1. Some trends of variation of these parameters appear significant and are discussed in terms of solvent (matrix) and viscosity effects on the decomposition reactions. The shear modulus at 1 Hz frequency was determined at the temperature of maximum rate of foaming agent decomposition, and differs significantly from a sample to another. The foam density was determined at ambient temperature and the volume fraction of bubbles was used as criterion to judge the efficiency of the foaming process. The results reveal the existence of an optimal shear modulus of the order of 2 kPa that corresponds roughly to plasticizer molar masses of the order of 450 ± 50 g mol-1. Heavier plasticizers, especially polymeric ones are too difficult to deform. Lighter plasticizers such as diethyl phthalate (DEP) deform too easily and presumably facilitate bubble collapse
Structure and Behavior of Human α-Thrombin upon Ligand Recognition: Thermodynamic and Molecular Dynamics Studies
Thrombin is a serine proteinase that plays a fundamental role in coagulation. In this study, we address the effects of ligand site recognition by alpha-thrombin on conformation and energetics in solution. Active site occupation induces large changes in secondary structure content in thrombin as shown by circular dichroism. Thrombin-D-Phe-Pro-Arg-chloromethyl ketone (PPACK) exhibits enhanced equilibrium and kinetic stability compared to free thrombin, whose difference is rooted in the unfolding step. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements in solution reveal an overall similarity in the molecular envelope of thrombin and thrombin-PPACK, which differs from the crystal structure of thrombin. Molecular dynamics simulations performed with thrombin lead to different conformations than the one observed in the crystal structure. These data shed light on the diversity of thrombin conformers not previously observed in crystal structures with distinguished catalytic and conformational behaviors, which might have direct implications on novel strategies to design direct thrombin inhibitors
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