Social Capital as a Determinant of Pregnant Mother’s Place of Delivery: Experience from Kongwa District in Central Tanzania

Introduction

Maternal ill health contributes highly to the global burden of diseases in countries South of Sahara including Tanzania. Ensuring that all deliveries take place in health facilities and hence attended by skilled health personnel is one of the strategies advocated by global and national policies, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, the number of women delivered by skilled health personnel has remained low in sub Saharan Africa despite of a number of interventions. We sought to determine the role of social capital in facilitating health facility delivery.

Methods

We randomly selected 744 households with children aged less than five years from two randomly selected wards in a rural area in Tanzania. Mothers were enquired about place of delivery of the last child. Social capital was assessed using a modified questionnaire with both structural and cognitive aspects of social capital, administered in face-to-face interviews. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to develop asocial capital index measure. Uni-variate and multivariable regression models were run using STATA 12.

Results

Majority (85.9%) of the mothers reported to have delivered in a health facility during their last birth. Compared to the lowest social capital quintile, delivering in a health facility increased significantly with increase in social capital level: low (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.9; Confidence Interval (CI): 1.4–6.1, p = 0.004); moderate (AOR = 5.5, CI: 2.3–13.3, p-value<0.001); high (AOR = 4.7; CI: 1.9–11.6, p-value<0.001) and highest (AOR = 5.6, CI: 2.4–13.4, p-value<0.001) and χ²-test for the trend was significant (χ² = 17.21, p<0.001).

Conclusion

Overall, social capital seems to play an important role in enhancing health facility delivery that may lead to improved maternal and child health. Concerted efforts should focus on promoting and supporting effective social capital and in particular cognitive social capital.     

Treatment of fruit waste leachate using microbial fuel cell: Preservation of agricultural environment

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) was conceived to low electric power production in parallel to valorization of industrial wastes and environment preservation. It consisted of two compartments separated by polymer Nafion membrane, platinum grid as cathode catalyst and graphite rod inoculated with fruit leachate as bio-anode. Owing to its bio-compatibity with bacterial inoculum and chemical stability, Graphite Carbon (GC) was tested as carrier of biofilm using fruit waste inoculum. The maximum power density harvested with this electrode was about 20 mW.m^?2 much greater than that obtained previously with a garden compost inoculum (i.e. 7 mW.m^?2). The difference between the two values may be attributed to the bacterial nature of inoculum utilized. Impressively, upon the addition of 6 mL of fuel (sucrose), the soft porous graphite felt GF yielded voltage (260 mV) which was significantly higher than that of the hard smooth solid GC (i.e. 140 mV). This result makes in evidence the effect of adsorption of the electro-active biofilm onto the surface of the electrode. We ascribe therefore the enhanced power density to a more uniform spread out of the electro-active biofilm within the GF matrix, as verified by higher conductivity obtained with four probe method. The results reported herein highlight the importance of assessing the bio-catalytic activity towards the oxidation of the organic substrate to yield renewable low energy. The experimental data and the differences between the bio-anodes GC and GF were discussed in term of electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy and four-probe conductivity. Whatever the nature of the bio-anodes, the overall bacterial colonization still yields low values of clean electric energy compared to highly polluted energy obtained with an alkaline fuel cell.     

Deletion of a malaria invasion gene reduces death and anemia, in model hosts

Malaria parasites induce complex cellular and clinical phenotypes, including anemia, cerebral malaria and death in a wide range of mammalian hosts. Host genes and parasite 'toxins' have been implicated in malarial disease, but the contribution of parasite genes remains to be fully defined. Here we assess disease in BALB/c mice and Wistar rats infected by the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei with a gene knock out for merozoite surface protein (MSP) 7. MSP7 is not essential for infection but in P. falciparum, it enhances erythrocyte invasion by 20%. In vivo, as compared to wild type, the P. berghei Δmsp7 mutant is associated with an abrogation of death and a decrease from 3% to 2% in peak, circulating parasitemia. The Δmsp7 mutant is also associated with less anemia and modest increase in the size of follicles in the spleen. Together these data show that deletion of a single parasite invasion ligand modulates blood stage disease, as measured by death and anemia. This work is the first to assess the contribution of a gene present in all plasmodial species in severe disease.     

Neto1 associates with the NMDA receptor/amyloid precursor protein complex

Neuropilin tolloid‐like 1 (Neto1), is a CUB domain‐containing transmembrane protein that was recently identified as a novel component of the NMDA receptor complex. Here, we have investigated the possible association of Neto1 with the amyloid precursor protein (APP)695/GluN1/GluN2A and APP695/GluN1/GluN2B NMDA receptor trafficking complexes that we have previously identified. Neto1^HA was shown to co‐immunoprecipitate with assembled NMDA receptors via GluN2A or GluN2B subunits; Neto1^HA did not co‐immunoprecipitate APP695^FLAG. Co‐immunoprecipitations from mammalian cells co‐transfected with APP695^FLAG, Neto1^HA and GluN1/GluN2A or GluN1/GluN2B revealed that all four proteins co‐exist within one macromolecular complex. Immunoprecipitations from native brain tissue similarly revealed the existence of a GluN1/GluN2A or GluN2B/APP/Neto1 complex. Neto1^HA caused a reduction in the surface expression of both NMDA receptor subtypes, but had no effect on APP695^FLAG‐ or PSD‐95α^c‐Myc enhanced surface receptor expression. The Neto1 binding domain of GluN2A was mapped using GluN1/GluN2A chimeras and GluN2A truncation constructs. The extracellular GluN2A domain does not contribute to association with Neto1^HA but deletion of the intracellular tail resulted in a loss of Neto‐1^HA co‐immunoprecipitation which was paralleled by a loss of association between GluN2A and SAP102. Thus, Neto1 is concluded to be a component of APP/NMDA receptor trafficking complexes.

     

Grouping and Inhibition of Oogenesis in Two Strains of Acanthoscelides obtectus Say (Coleoptera Bruchidae) of Different Geographical Origin-Specificity of This Inhibitory Effect

Summary

Reproduction of A. obtectus females originating from Rubona (Rwanda) was inhibited after grouping (2 females, or 1 male—1 female). Only a few females produced mature oocytes; vitellogenin was synthesized, released into the haemolymph, but not incorporated into the oocytes. When females produced mature oocytes, their ovarian production was lower than in isolated virgin females. After pairing of a male and a female, 38% of the females mated, but mating under these conditions did not stimulate oogenesis.

Oogenesis of females originating from Tours (France) was only slightly inhibited by the presence of males or females of the same origin. “France” males and females inhibited the reproduction of “Rwanda” females under grouping conditions. However, “France” females showed only a slight sensitivity to grouping with “Rwanda” bruchids. In the presence of Phaseolus vulgaris seeds, grouping had no effect and all females, whatever their origin, produced mature oocytes. Inhibition weis relatively specific as cohabitation with bruchids of other genera (Callosobruchus maculatus-Zabrotes subfasciatus) had no effect. Cohabitation with two species of the same genus (Acanthoscelides obvelatus—A. argilaceus) inhibited oogenesis of A. obtectus “Rwanda” strain. The significance of this regulation and its importance in the maintenance of populations in nature are also analyzed.     

Behavioral response of a chimpanzee mother toward her dead infant

The mother-offspring bond is one of the strongest and most essential social bonds. Following is a detailed behavioral report of a female chimpanzee 2 days after her 16-month-old infant died, on the first day that the mother is observed to create distance between her and the corpse. A series of repeated approaches and retreats to and from the body are documented, along with detailed accounts of behaviors directed toward the dead infant by the mother and other group members. The behavior of the mother toward her dead infant not only highlights the maternal contribution to the mother-infant relationship but also elucidates the opportunities chimpanzees have to learn about the sensory cues associated with death, and the implications of death for the social environment.     

Variance in the reproductive success of dominant male mountain gorillas

Using 30 years of demographic data from 15 groups, this study estimates how harem size, female fertility, and offspring survival may contribute to variance in the siring rates of dominant male mountain gorillas throughout the Virunga Volcano Region. As predicted for polygynous species, differences in harem size were the greatest source of variance in the siring rate, whereas differences in female fertility and offspring survival were relatively minor. Harem size was positively correlated with offspring survival, even after removing all known and suspected cases of infanticide, so the correlation does not seem to reflect differences in the ability of males to protect their offspring. Harem size was not significantly correlated with female fertility, which is consistent with the hypothesis that mountain gorillas have minimal feeding competition. Harem size, offspring survival, and siring rates were not significantly correlated with the proportion of dominant tenures that occurred in multimale groups versus one-male groups; even though infanticide is less likely when those tenures end in multimale groups than one-male groups. In contrast with the relatively small contribution of offspring survival to variance in the siring rates of this study, offspring survival is a major source of variance in the male reproductive success of western gorillas, which have greater predation risks and significantly higher rates of infanticide. If differences in offspring protection are less important among male mountain gorillas than western gorillas, then the relative importance of other factors may be greater for mountain gorillas. Thus, our study illustrates how variance in male reproductive success and its components can differ between closely related species.     

A role of IgE and CD23/NO immune pathway in age-related resistance of Lewis rats to Plasmodium berghei Anka?

In contrast to young rats, adult rats given i.p. Plasmodium berghei Anka (PbA) control the parasitaemia and repair their anaemia. Here, we investigated whether IgE and CD23/NO immune pathway could be implicated in this age-related resistance of adult rats to PbA. Eight-week-old rats displayed significantly higher levels of plasma total IgE (p=0.01) and soluble CD23 (p=0.003) during the peak of parasitaemia, compared to 4-week-old rats. IgE Fc-binding antibody or aminoguanidine administration to parasitized 8-week-old rats slightly delayed blood parasite clearance or exacerbated anaemia. These data suggest that IgE and CD23/NO could play an important role in the resistance of adult rats experiencing PbA primary intraerythrocytic development.     

Molecular Epidemiology of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Wild-Living Gorillas

Chimpanzees and gorillas are the only nonhuman primates known to harbor viruses closely related to HIV-1. Phylogenetic analyses showed that gorillas acquired the simian immunodeficiency virus SIVgor from chimpanzees, and viruses from the SIVcpz/SIVgor lineage have been transmitted to humans on at least four occasions, leading to HIV-1 groups M, N, O, and P. To determine the geographic distribution, prevalence, and species association of SIVgor, we conducted a comprehensive molecular epidemiological survey of wild gorillas in Central Africa. Gorilla fecal samples were collected in the range of western lowland gorillas (n = 2,367) and eastern Grauer gorillas (n = 183) and tested for SIVgor antibodies and nucleic acids. SIVgor antibody-positive samples were identified at 2 sites in Cameroon, with no evidence of infection at 19 other sites, including 3 in the range of the Eastern gorillas. In Cameroon, based on DNA and microsatellite analyses of a subset of samples, we estimated the prevalence of SIVgor to be 1.6% (range, 0% to 4.6%), which is significantly lower than the prevalence of SIVcpzPtt in chimpanzees (5.9%; range, 0% to 32%). All newly identified SIVgor strains formed a monophyletic lineage within the SIVcpz radiation, closely related to HIV-1 groups O and P, and clustered according to their field site of origin. At one site, there was evidence for intergroup transmission and a high intragroup prevalence. These isolated hot spots of SIVgor-infected gorilla communities could serve as a source for human infection. The overall low prevalence and sporadic distribution of SIVgor could suggest a decline of SIVgor in wild populations, but it cannot be excluded that SIVgor is still more prevalent in other parts of the geographical range of gorillas.Simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) have been identified in approximately 40 African primate species, but chimpanzees and gorillas are the only nonhuman primates known to harbor viruses closely related to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) (38). These viruses have been transmitted to humans on at least four occasions, leading to four different HIV-1 groups, M to P (14, 26). West central African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) in southern Cameroon are recognized as the reservoir of the ancestors of HIV-1 group M, which resulted in the AIDS pandemic, and of HIV-1 group N, which has been identified in only a few individuals in Cameroon (15). Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are infected with SIVgor, which is closely related to the two other HIV-1 lineages, termed group O, which represents 1% of HIV-1 infections in west central Africa, and group P, recently described from a single Cameroonian patient residing in France (26, 36).The phylogenetic relationships between SIVcpz, SIVgor, and HIV-1 show that chimpanzees are the original reservoir of SIVs found in gorillas and humans (31, 36). Pan troglodytes troglodytes apes were most likely the original source of SIVgor, because SIVgor is significantly more closely related to SIVcpzPtt, from Pan troglodytes troglodytes in west central Africa, than to SIVcpzPts, from Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii in east Africa. In addition, an ancestral SIVcpzPtt lineage from which SIVgor and HIV-1 group O viruses are derived has been identified in the form of mosaic pol fragments in present-day SIVcpzPtt recombinants (2, 31). However, the ways of transmission and the exact origin of SIVgor infection in gorillas are not yet resolved. Because of the extensive overlap in habitat and diet (6, 23, 29, 33, 40), direct encounters between gorillas and chimpanzees seem inevitable, but they have rarely been observed and have been described as primarily nonaggressive (17, 28). The primate source of HIV-1 groups O and P also remains unclear, since current data do not allow one to differentiate between a chimpanzee and a gorilla reservoir, especially for HIV-1 group O (26, 31, 36).To determine the geographic distribution, prevalence, and species association of SIVgor, we performed a comprehensive survey of wild gorilla populations in west central (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and east (Gorilla beringei graueri) Africa. We found an overall prevalence of SIVgor of 1.6%, with infection confirmed at only three field sites. At two of these sites, however, the prevalence of SIVgor was 4.6%, indicating efficient virus spread within and between different communities. The geographic distribution of SIVgor is thus far limited to only a few sites in Cameroon. However, isolated hot spots of infection do exist, which could serve as a source of human infection.     

The Association between HIV Infection,Antiretroviral Therapy and Cervical Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions in South Western Nigerian Women

Introduction

Findings from studies that evaluated the effect of antiretroviral drug use on the development of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion differed in their conclusions. This study investigated the association between HIV infection, antiretroviral drug use and cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion in a high HIV and cervical cancer burden setting- Nigeria.

Methods

A cross sectional study among 1140 women of known HIV status enrolled in a randomised study to determine the test characteristics of visual inspection in detecting cytology diagnosed squamous intraepithelial lesion. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the association between HIV infection, antiretroviral drug use and the twin outcome variables of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) and High grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) while controlling for confounders.

Results

Prevalence of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion was 8.5%, with a higher prevalence of 14.3% in HIV positive compared to 3.3% in HIV negative women (aOR: 5.4; 95% CI: 2.9–8.8). Not using antiretroviral drugs was found to be associated with an increased risk of SIL (aOR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.4–3.5) and HSIL (aOR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.1–6.4). Participants who had a CD4 cell count <200 cells/mm³, were also found to be at increased risk for SIL (aOR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.1–5.9) and HSIL (aOR: 5.7; 95% CI: 1.1–7.2).

Conclusion

HIV infection and severe immunosuppression were found to be associated with increased risk of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion but not viral load. For the first time, in the West African sub-region with specific HIV type and strains, we established the protective effect of antiretroviral drug use against the development of SIL. Integration of cervical cancer screening programme into HIV services and early initiation of antiretroviral drug in HIV positive women especially those with severe immune-suppression could therefore prove to be useful in preventing and controlling cervical cancer development in HIV positive women.