Adherence to the combination of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine and artesunate in the Maheba refugee settlement, Zambia.

Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is one strategy recommended to increase cure rates in malaria and to contain resistance to Plasmodium falciparum. In the Maheba refugee settlement, children aged 5 years or younger with a confirmed diagnosis of uncomplicated falciparum malaria are treated with the combination of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (1 day) and artesunate (3 days). To measure treatment adherence, home visits were carried out the day after the last treatment dose. Patients who had any treatment dose left were considered certainly non-adherent. Other patients' classification was based on the answers to the questionnaire: patients whose caretakers stated the child had received the treatment regimen exactly as prescribed were considered probably adherent; all other patients were considered probably non-adherent. Reasons for non-adherence were assessed. We found 21.2% (95% CI [15.0-28.4]) of the patients to be certainly non-adherent, 39.4% (95% CI [31.6-47.6]) probably non-adherent, and 39.4% (95% CI [31.6-47.6]) probably adherent. Insufficient explanation by the dispenser was identified as an important reason for non-adherence. When considering the use of ACT, the issue of patient adherence remains challenging. However, it should not be used as an argument against the introduction of ACT. For these treatment regimens to remain efficacious on a long-term basis, specific and locally adapted strategies need to be implemented to ensure completion of the treatment

Imaging subsurface damage of grinded fused silica optics by confocal fluorescence microscopy

International audienceWe report an experimental investigation of fluorescence confocal microscopy as a tool to measure subsurface damage on grinded fused silica optics. Confocal fluorescence microscopy was performed with an excitation at the wavelength of 405 nm on fixed abrasive diamond grinded fused silica samples. We detail the measured fluorescence spectrums and compare them to those of oil based coolants and grinding slurries. We evidence that oil based coolant used in diamond grinding induces a fluorescence that marks the subsurface damages and eases its observation. Such residual traces might also be involved in the laser damage process

Death rates from malaria epidemics, Burundi and Ethiopia.

Death rates exceeded emergency thresholds at 4 sites during epidemics of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Burundi (2000-2001) and in Ethiopia (2003-2004). Deaths likely from malaria ranged from 1,000 to 8,900, depending on site, and accounted for 52% to 78% of total deaths. Earlier detection of malaria and better case management are needed

Foci of Schistosomiasis mekongi, Northern Cambodia: II. Distribution of infection and morbidity.

In the province of Kracheh, in Northern Cambodia, a baseline epidemiological survey on Schistosoma mekongi was conducted along the Mekong River between December 1994 and April 1995. The results of household surveys of highly affected villages of the East and the West bank of the river and of school surveys in 20 primary schools are presented. In household surveys 1396 people were examined. An overall prevalence of infection of 49.3% was detected by a single stool examination with the Kato-Katz technique. The overall intensity of infection was 118.2 eggs per gram of stool (epg). There was no difference between the population of the east and west shore of the Mekong for prevalence (P = 0.3) or intensity (P = 0.9) of infection. Severe morbidity was very frequent. Hepatomegaly of the left lobe was detected in 48.7% of the population. Splenomegaly was seen in 26.8% of the study participants. Visible diverted circulation was found in 7.2% of the population, and ascites in 0.1%. Significantly more hepatomegaly (P = 0.001), splenomegaly (P = 0. 001) and patients with diverted circulation (P = 0.001) were present on the west bank of the Mekong. The age group of 10-14 years was most affected. The prevalence of infection in this group was 71.8% and 71.9% in the population of the West and East of the Mekong, respectively. The intensity of infection was 172.4 and 194.2 epg on the West and the East bank, respectively. In the peak age group hepatomegaly reached a prevalence of 88.1% on the west and 82.8% on the east bank. In the 20 schools 2391 children aged 6-16 years were examined. The overall prevalence of infection was 40.0%, ranging from 7.7% to 72.9% per school. The overalls mean intensity of infection was 110.1 epg (range by school: 26.7-187.5 epg). Both prevalence (P = 0.001) and intensity of infection (P = 0.001) were significantly higher in schools on the east side of the Mekong. Hepatomegaly (55.2%), splenomegaly (23.6%), diverted circulation (4. 1%), ascites (0.5%), reported blood (26.7%) and mucus (24.3%) were very frequent. Hepatomegaly (P = 0.001), splenomegaly (P = 0.001), diverted circulation (P = 0.001) and blood in stool (P = 0.001) were significantly more frequent in schools of the east side of the Mekong. Boys suffered more frequently from splenomegaly (P = 0.05), ascites (P = 0.05) and bloody stools (P = 0.004) than girls. No difference in sex was found for the prevalence and intensity of infection and prevalence of hepatomegaly. On the school level prevalence and intensity of infection were highly associated (r = 0. 93, P = 0.0001). The intensity of infection was significantly associated only with the prevalence of hepatomegaly (r = 0.44, P = 0. 05) and blood in stool (r = 0.40, P = 0.02). This comprehensive epidemiological study documents for the first time the public health importance of schistosomiasis mekongi in the Province of Kracheh, Northern Cambodia and points at key epidemiological features of this schistosome species, in particular the high level of morbidity associated with infection

Dysbindin-1 in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of schizophrenia cases is reduced in an isoform-specific manner unrelated to altered dysbindin-1 gene expression

DTNBP1 (dystrobrevin binding protein 1) remains one of the top candidate genes in schizophrenia. Reduced expression of this gene and the protein it encodes, dysbindin-1, has been reported in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of schizophrenia cases. It has not been established, however, if all dysbindin-1 isoforms are reduced in the DLPFC or if the reduction is associated with reduced DTNBP1 gene expression. Using Western blotting of whole-tissue lysates of the DLPFC with antibodies differentially sensitive to the three major isoforms of this protein (dysbindin-1A, -1B, and -1C), we found no significant differences between our schizophrenia cases and matched controls in dysbindin-1A or -1B, but did find a mean 46% reduction in dysbindin-1C in 71% of 28 case-control pairs (p = 0.022). This occurred in the absence of the one DTNBP1 risk haplotype for schizophrenia reported in the US and without alteration in levels of dysbindin-1C transcripts. Conversely, the absence of changes in the dysbindin-1A and -1B isoforms was accompanied by increased levels of their transcripts. We thus found no correspondence between alterations in dysbindin-1 gene and protein expression, the latter of which might be due to posttranslational modifications such as ubiquitination. Reduced DLPFC dysbindin-1C in schizophrenia probably occurs in PSDs, where we find dysbindin-1C to be heavily concentrated in the human brain. Given known postsynaptic effects of dysbindin-1 reductions in the rodent homolog of the prefrontal cortex, these findings suggest that reduced dysbindin-1C in the DLPFC may contribute to cognitive deficits of schizophrenia by promoting NMDA receptor hypofunction

Amplitude equations for Rayleigh-Benard convective rolls far from threshold

An extension of the amplitude method is proposed. An iterative algorithm is developed to build an amplitude equation model that is shown to provide precise quantitative results even far from the linear instability threshold. The method is applied to the study of stationary Rayleigh-Benard thermoconvective rolls in the nonlinear regime. In particular, the generation of second and third spatial harmonics is analyzed. Comparison with experimental results and direct numerical calculations is also made and a very good agreement is found.Peer reviewe

On the nonemptiness of approximate cores of large games

We provide a new proof of the nonemptiness of approximate cores of games with many players of a finite number of types. Earlier papers in the literature proceed by showing that, for games with many players, equal-treatment cores of their “balanced cover games,” which are nonempty, can be approximated by equal-treatment \varepsilon ? -cores of the games themselves. Our proof is novel in that we develop a limiting payoff possibilities set and rely on a fixed point theorem

Future climate effects on suitability for growth of oil palms in Malaysia and Indonesia

The production of palm oil (PO) is highly profitable. The economies of the principal producers, Malaysia and Indonesia, and others, benefit considerably. Climate change (CC) will most likely have an impact on the distribution of oil palms (OP) (Elaeis guineensis). Here we present modelled CC projections with respect to the suitability of growing OP, in Malaysia and Indonesia. A process-oriented niche model of OP was developed using CLIMEX to estimate its potential distribution under current and future climate scenarios. Two Global Climate Models (GCMs), CSIRO-Mk3.0 and MIROC-H, were used to explore the impacts of CC under the A1B and A2 scenarios for 2030, 2070 and 2100. Decreases in climatic suitability for OP in the region were gradual by 2030 but became more pronounced by 2100. These projections imply that OP growth will be affected severely by CC, with obvious implications to the economies of (a) Indonesia and Malaysia and (b) the PO industry, but with potential benefits towards reducing CC. A possible remedial action is to concentrate research on development of new varieties of OP that are less vulnerable to CC.The Portuguese-based authors thank the FCT Strategic Project of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, the project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462) and the Project "BioEnv - Biotechnology and Bioengineering for a sustainable world", REF. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000048, co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2 - O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER

Muon-spin-rotation study of the effect of Zn substitution on magnetism in YBa2Cu3Ox

The magnetic properties of YBa2(Cu0.96Zn0.04)3Ox were studied in detail by means of muon spin rotation and relaxation for 6.0≤x≤6.92. The complete magnetic phase diagram was mapped out and a disordered magnetic state was found to persist between x=6.4 and x≃6.7 (metallic transition), in contrast with pure YBa2Cu3Ox. The appearance of this magnetic state is attributed to the effect of Zn on the doped hole dynamics and might be associated with the freezing of local moments due to Zn (6.43≤x≤6.88), which were also detected here, in the paramagnetic state