Definition and characterization of localised meningitis epidemics in Burkina Faso: a longitudinal retrospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The epidemiology of meningococcal meningitis in the African meningitis belt is characterised by seasonality, localised epidemics and epidemic waves. To facilitate research and surveillance, we aimed to develop a definition for localised epidemics to be used in real-time surveillance based on weekly case reports at the health centre level.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used national routine surveillance data on suspected meningitis from January 2004 to December 2008 in six health districts in western and central Burkina Faso. We evaluated eight thresholds composed of weekly incidence rates at health centre level for their performance in predicting annual incidences of 0.4%and 0.8% in health centre areas. The eventually chosen definition was used to describe the spatiotemporal epidemiology and size of localised meningitis epidemics during the included district years.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among eight weekly thresholds evaluated, a weekly incidence rate of 75 cases per 100,000 inhabitants during at least two consecutive weeks with at least 5 cases per week had 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity for predicting an annual incidence of at least 0.8% in health centres. Using this definition, localised epidemics were identified in all but one years during 2004-2008, concerned less than 10% of the districts' population and often were geographically dispersed. Where sufficient laboratory data were available, localised epidemics were exclusively due to meningococci.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This definition of localised epidemics a the health centre level will be useful for risk factor and modelling studies to understand the meningitis belt phenomenon and help documenting vaccine impact against epidemic meningitis where no widespread laboratory surveillance exists for quantifying disease reduction after vaccination.</p

The conservation value of human-modified landscapes for the world's primates

Land-use change pushes biodiversity into human-modified landscapes, where native ecosystems are surrounded by anthropic land covers (ALCs). Yet, the ability of species to use these emerging covers remains poorly understood. We quantified the use of ALCs by primates worldwide, and analyzed species' attributes that predict such use. Most species use secondary forests and tree plantations, while only few use human settlements. ALCs are used for foraging by at least 86 species with an important conservation outcome: those that tolerate heavily modified ALCs are 26% more likely to have stable or increasing populations than the global average for all primates. There is no phylogenetic signal in ALCs use. Compared to all primates on Earth, species using ALCs are less often threatened with extinction, but more often diurnal, medium or large-bodied, not strictly arboreal, and habitat generalists. These findings provide valuable quantitative information for improving management practices for primate conservation worldwide

Inventaire des sources possibles d'erreurs d'origine lexicale ou syntaxique dans les problèmes de Chimie, élaboration et évaluation d'exercices de langue destinés à pallier les faiblesses observées

p. 8.02.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

La chimie parle français: Vocabulaire et articulations logiques du français courant utilisé dans le domaine de la chimie. Méthode d'exercices

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Élaboration d'une méthode de remédiation aux faiblesses de compréhension de langue relevées chez les élèves de la fin de l'enseignement secondaire et du début de l'université: application à la biologie, la chimie et la physique ;informatisation de la 30 méthode (sur le système G de M. Meurrens)

Rapport intermédiaire. Éditeur :ULB Bruxellesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Inventaire des sources possibles d'erreurs d'origine lexicale ou syntaxique dans les problèmes de Chimie, élaboration et évaluation d'exercices de langue destinés à pallier les faiblesses observées

Rapport final. Éditeur :U.L.B. 2 vol. vol. I :46 p. vol. II :210 p.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Substitution électrophile aromatique. IV. Effets stériques dans la réaction d'iodo‐démétallation de dérivés organostanniques aromatiques

Aromatic organo‐tin compounds ArSnR3 have been synthesized with R = n‐butyl and R = i‐propyl. Increased bulk of the leaving group results in lower reactivity towards iodine, showing appreciable interactions between the incoming and leaving groups. A peri hydrogen atom induces a secondary steric acceleration, suggesting that the ground state for large R3Sn substituents in 1‐naphthyl systems is strained. This agrees with previous reports by EABORN et coll. [14] relating to the corresponding silicon and germanium compounds. Copyright © 1964 Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, WeinheimSCOPUS: ar.jFLWNAinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe