Formerly known as a hypoendemic malaria country, the Republic of Djibouti declared the goal of pre-eliminating malaria in 2006. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax and mixed infections in the Djiboutian population by using serological tools and to identify potential determinants of the disease and hotspots of malaria transmission within the country. The prevalence of P. falciparum and P. vivax within the districts of the capital city and the rest of the Republic of Djibouti were assessed using 13 and 2 serological markers, respectively. The relationship between the immune humeral response to P. falciparum and P. vivax and variables such as age, gender, wealth status, urbanism, educational level, distance to rivers/lakes, living area, having fever in the last month, and staying in a malaria-endemic country more than one year was estimated and analysed by questionnaires administered to 1910 Djiboutians. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression models of the immune humeral response were obtained for P. falciparum and P. vivax. The P. falciparum and P. vivax seroprevalence rates were 31.5%, CI95% [29.4-33.7] and 17.5%, CI95% [15.8-19.3], respectively. Protective effects against P. falciparum and P. vivax were female gender, educational level, and never having visited a malaria-endemic area for more than one year. For P. falciparum only, a protective effect was observed for not having a fever in the last month, living more than 1.5 km away from lakes and rivers, and younger ages. This is the first study that assessed the seroprevalence of P. vivax in the Republic of Djibouti. It is necessary to improve knowledge of this pathogen in order to create an effective elimination programme. As supported by recent observations on the subject, the Republic of Djibouti has probably demonstrated a real decrease in the transmission of P. falciparum in the past seven years, which should encourage authorities to improve efforts toward elimination. 相似文献
The Distributed Annotation System (DAS) is a network protocol for exchanging biological data. It is frequently used to share
annotations of genomes and protein sequence. 相似文献
The N-glycosylation sites of human Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein from one
healthy male donor have been characterized, based on an approach using
endoproteinase Glu-C (V-8 protease, Staphylococcus aureus ) digestion and a
combination of chromatographic techniques, automated Edman sequencing, and
fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Seven out of the eight potential
N-glycosylation sites, namely, Asn52, Asn56, Asn208, Asn251, Asn298,
Asn372, and Asn489, turned out to be glycosylated, and the potential
glycosylation site at Asn14, being close to the N-terminus, is not used.
The carbohydrate microheterogeneity on three of the glycosylation sites was
studied in more detail by high-pH anion-exchange chromatographic profiling
and 500 MHz1H-NMR spectroscopy. Glycosylation site Asn489 contains mainly
di- and tri-charged oligosaccharides which comprise, among others, the
GalNAc4 S (beta1-4)GlcNAc terminal sequence. Only glycosylation site Asn251
bears oligomannose-type carbohydrate chains ranging from Man5GlcNAc2to
Man8GlcNAc2, in addition to a small amount of complex- type structures.
Profiling of the carbohydrate moieties of Asn208 indicates a large
heterogeneity, similar to that established for native human Tamm-Horsfall
glycoprotein, namely, multiply charged complex-type carbohydrate
structures, terminated by sulfate groups, sialic acid residues, and/or the
Sda-determinant.
相似文献
Despite their remoteness from sources of atmospheric pollutant emissions, the Afromontane tarns in the Maloti-Drakensberg region are perfect candidates to study the negative effects of acidifying atmospheric pollution, because mountain lakes are widely recognised as sentinel ecosystems, unimpacted by direct human disturbance within their catchments. Thirty-four tarns were sampled in the Maloti-Drakensberg region and most were found to be extremely sensitive to acidic deposition, as indicated by their low acid neutralising capacity. There are very few studies of freshwater critical loads for any region within South Africa. The steady-state water chemistry model (SSWC) was adapted and used to determine critical loads, whereas exceedance was estimated relative to modelled regional deposition data, in order to understand the risk of harmful effects to aquatic ecosystems. Seventy-six percent of sampled sites across the Maloti-Drakensberg would exceed critical loads even at the lowest modelled deposition levels, but there are no current measured deposition data for the region. The sensitivity of the Maloti-Drakensberg tarns needs to be considered in future policy formulation regarding acceptable levels of acidifying atmospheric pollution from South Africa’s energy sector and indicates the need for assessing aquatic ecosystem impacts in other regions of South Africa. 相似文献
Reproductive effort, factors affecting reproductive output and costs of reproduction were studied in primiparous yearling
compared to multiparous older female European ground squirrels (Spermophilus citellus). Yearling females weaned smaller litters than older ones. Litter size increased with posthibernation body mass at the expense
of slightly lighter young for yearling but not for older mothers. In older females, on the other hand, emergence body mass
influenced offspring mass, whereas litter size was affected by oestrus date. High reproductive effort entailed reproductive
costs in terms of reduced subsequent fecundity but not subsequent survival for both yearling and older females. The production
of large litters and long duration of lactation delayed subsequent oestrus, which, in turn, correlated negatively with litter
size. During the second half of lactation, oestradiol levels were significantly elevated, indicating the initiation of follicular
maturation processes. Oestradiol levels during that time correlated negatively with current, but positively with subsequent
litter size. We therefore assume that inhibitory effects of lactation on gonadal development may mediate the negative relationship
between reproductive effort and subsequent reproductive timing in adults. This effect is absent in yearlings because they
are reproducing for the first time. Reproductive output in yearlings was influenced by interactions between structural growth
and puberty.
Received: 22 March 1999 / Accepted: 7 June 1999 相似文献
The effect of repair techniques on the biomechanics of the aorta is poorly understood, resulting in significant levels of postoperative complications for patients worldwide. This study presents a computational analysis of the influence of Nitinol-based devices on the biomechanical performance of a healthy patient-specific human aorta. Simulations reveal that Nitinol stent-grafts stretch the artery wall so that collagen is stretched to a straightened high-stiffness configuration. The high-compliance regime (HCR) associated with low diastolic lumen pressure is eliminated, and the artery operates in a low-compliance regime (LCR) throughout the entire cardiac cycle. The slope of the lumen pressure–area curve for the LCR post-implantation is almost identical to that of the native vessel during systole. This negligible change from the native LCR slope occurs because the stent-graft increases its diameter from the crimped configuration during deployment so that it reaches a low-stiffness unloading plateau. The effective radial stiffness of the implant along this unloading plateau is negligible compared to the stiffness of the artery wall. Provided the Nitinol device unloads sufficiently during deployment to the unloading plateau, the degree of oversizing has a negligible effect on the pressure–area response of the vessel, as each device exerts approximately the same radial force, the slope of which is negligible compared to the LCR slope of the native artery. We show that 10% oversizing based on the observed diastolic diameter in the mid descending thoracic aorta results in a complete loss of contact between the device and the wall during systole, which could lead to an endoleak and stent migration. 20% oversizing reaches the Dacron enforced area limit (DEAL) during the pulse pressure and results in an effective zero-compliance in the later portion of systole.
In cooperatively breeding pied kingfishers (Ceryle rudis) blood plasma levels of LH and testosterone (T) were compared among three types of males: breeders, primary (= related) helpers and secondary (= unrelated) helpers. These categories did not differ in LH, but primary helpers had significantly lower T titers than breeders and secondary helpers. The low levels were paralleled by small gonad sizes and no sperm production, suggesting that primary helpers were not able to fertilize eggs. The differences in T levels could neither be attributed to stochastic variation nor to differences in age, stress, molt, or reproductive activities. The most likely explanation arises from the observation that primary helpers are behaviorally dominated by breeders, whereas secondary helpers are not. The adaptive significance of low T titers and reduced fertility as a result from being dominated is discussed on the basis of empirical data and theoretical models. We argue that primary helpers in the pied kingfisher, and subordinate helpers in many other cooperative breeders, apparently are not “unwillingly” suppressed in their sexual development; they rather “choose” delayed reproduction when the costs from sexual competition with breeders exceed the benefits from cooperative breeding. In contrast, helpers that benefit more from competition than from cooperation, as secondary helpers do, cannot be expected to show reduced fertility. 相似文献