bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The cause of petaloid colouring in ‘Apetalous’ Flowers
Authors: Saunders Edith R. 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
The typical dichlamydeous cyclic Dicotyledon is so organised that the petaloid character of the corolla can be regarded as a function of a certain combination of conditions as regards time and space: time, in so far that the petaloid feature occurs at a definite stage in the series of developmental processes, following, as it does, upon the differentiation of a (usually) uncoloured (i.e. green) calyx; space, in that it is exhibited on the set of radii alternating with the radii of the sepals. Penetrating a little below the surface appearance, we find we can express these same relations in terms of the vascular anatomy as follows. Those floral members (again taking the typical case) which receive as midribs the first set of equidistant bundles to leave the central cylinder show sepaloid characters; those similarly receiving as midrib bundles the outgoing strands on the alternate set of radii exhibit petaloid colouring.
It is found that the marginal veins of the sepals of such Dicotyledon types arise in two different ways, less frequently as true lateral veins from the midribs, more often either through the detachment from the central cylinder on the alternate radii of trunk cords which dissociate in due course into a petal midrib and twin bundles which enter the adjacent side of the sepal to right and left, respectively, and become the marginal vein of that side; or through the departure of pairs of separate strands within the limits of the corresponding alternate sectors.
In typical monochlamydeous cyclic Dicotyledons radial organisation follows the same scheme as in dichlamydeous types, notwithstanding that the perianth here takes the form of a single whorl of structures. Such monochlamydeous types may be divided into two classes. In the one class only the issuing vascular bundles on the corresponding set of radii enter the perianth members. These bundles become the midribs. They may give off lateral veins at any point or may remain unbranched. In either case the individual member is homologous with the individual sepal and is typically green. In the other class each member receives not only the bundle on its own radius but also half the perianth component proper to the alternate radius on each side, either as separate strands or (in gamophyllous types) as undisjoined components of perianth-stamen trunk cords. The first-mentioned bundle becomes the midrib of the tepal, the two others become marginal veins, the one entering the tepal on the right, the other that on the left. In forms belonging to this class the tepals are typically petaloid. Each may be regarded as the counterpart of one sepal of dichlamydeous types + half the neighbouring petal on either side. This equivalence is not infrequently indicated outwardly by the considerable thickness of the tepal members as compared with that of the sepals and petals of the nearest allied dichlamydeous forms.
The accompanying drawings were made by Miss D. F. M. Pertz, to whom I desire to express my grateful thanks.
Upregulation of lipocortin 1 inhibits tumour necrosis factor‐induced apoptosis in human leukaemic cells: a possible mechanism of resistance to immune surveillance
Authors: Wu Yu‐Ling , Jiang Xu‐Rong , Lillington Debra M. , Newland Adrian C. , Kelsey Stephen M. 
Published: August 2010

The signal transduction pathway through which tumour necrosis factor (TNF) induces apoptosis in leukaemic cells may involve activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2). The steroids dexamethasone (Dex) and 1,25(OH)2 D3 both render U937 leukaemic cells resistant to TNF‐induced apoptosis. In this study, we found that Dex inhibited both spontaneous and TNF‐induced activation of cPLA2. Dex had no direct effect on cellular cPLA2 levels, but facilitated cPLA2 degradation upon subsequent stimulation of cells with TNF. In addition, Dex increased synthesis of the endogenous cPLA2 inhibitor lipocortin 1 (LC1). An antisense oligonucleotide to LC1 could completely abrogate Dex‐induced resistance to the cytotoxic action of TNF. Constitutive LC1 levels were relatively higher in myeloid leukaemic blasts showing resistance to TNF than TNF‐sensitive myeloid leukaemic cell lines. Our data suggest that Dex confers the resistance of U937 cells to TNF‐induced apoptosis by upregulating intracellular levels of LC1 and by facilitating a negative‐feedback loop, which is activated upon stimulation with TNF. High constitutive levels of LC1 in leukaemic blasts may protect them against immune‐mediated killing.
Insecticide‐treated bednets reduce mortality and severe morbidity from malaria among children on the Kenyan coast
Authors: Nevill C. G. , Some E. S. , Mung'ala V. O. , Muterni W. , New L. , Marsh K. , Lengeler C. , Snow R. W. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryNew tools to prevent malaria morbidity and mortality are needed to improve child survival in sub‐Saharan Africa. Insecticide treated bednets (ITBN) have been shown, in one setting (The Gambia, West Africa), to reduce childhood mortality. To assess the impact of ITBN on child survival under different epidemiological and cultural conditions we conducted a community randomized, controlled trial of permethrin treated bednets (0.5 g/m2) among a rural population on the Kenyan Coast.Between 1991 and 1993 continuous community‐based demographic surveillance linked to hospital‐based in‐patient surveillance identified all mortality and severe malaria morbidity events during a 2‐year period among a population of over 11 000 children under 5 years of age. In July 1993, 28 randomly selected communities were issued ITBN, instructed in their use and the nets re‐impregnated every 6 months. The remaining 28 communities served as contemporaneous controls for the following 2 years, during which continuous demographic and hospital surveillance was maintained until the end of July 1995.The introduction of ITBN led to significant reductions in childhood mortality (PE 33%, CI 7–51%) and severe, life‐threatening malaria among children aged 1–59 months (PE 44%, CI 19–62). These findings confirm the value of ITBN in improving child survival and provide the first evidence of their specific role in reducing severe morbidity from malaria.
Health seeking behaviour for child illness in rural Guatemala
Authors: van der Stuyft Patrick , Sorensen Soren C. , Delgado Eugenia , Bocaletti Elizabeth 
Published: August 2010

SummaryConsiderable efforts were made in Guatemala to cover rural areas with health centres, and health programmes have been launched to treat and prevent the most important childhood diseases. Despite this, the utilization rate of public health services has reportedly been low throughout the past two decades. How, and how effectively, do mothers resolve the health problems of their children? To gain better insight into health care behaviour, we conducted a health services utilization survey in two highland communities in the department of Sacatepequez in 1992–1993.We asked 324 mothers in two villages whether, and where, they had sought help the last time their children under 5 years of age had suffered from diarrhoea, fever, cough symptoms or worms. Mothers relied on home care in 63–83% of reported episodes and the use of health services—Western or traditional—was consistently low. Although Western health care was easily accessible, it was used in only 8–15% of cases. The only identifiable significant independent determinants of utilization were occupational status of the mother (RR=1.5 if employed) and overall level of socioeconomic development of the community (RR=1.7).Inquiry into treatments used revealed that except for worms, which were frequently treated with herbs (31%) or external remedies (20%) alone, modern pharmaceuticals predominated. Antibiotics were the remedy of choice against diarrhoea (63%), antipyretics in case of fever (83%) and cough syrups with expectorants or antitussives against cough (65%). One hundred and twenty‐one of the children born after 1975 died; in only 64 cases (53%) was a Western health service consulted between onset of disease and death.No relation was found between attendance and socioeconomic characteristics of the parents, but a positive linear association between duration of the fatal illness episode and age of the child could be identified. Independent sources report a drop in infant mortality of 53 and 35% respectively in the two communities between 1977 and 1991. Our findings seem to indicate that this reduction was achieved despite under‐utilization of Western health services.
Recent developments in hygiene behaviour research: an emphasis on methods and meaning
Authors: Almedom Astier M. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryThis paper discusses some of the recent developments in hygiene behaviour research, focusing on operational research. A series of ‘rapid’ assessments of hygiene behaviour were carried out in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia with a view to preparing a field handbook entitled Hygiene Evaluation Procedures (HEP). The HEP handbook is intended primarily for field personnel in water supply, sanitation and health/hygiene education projects who want to design and conduct their own systematic assessments of hygiene behaviour in their localities. The short studies provided useful practical insights into the concerns and needs of project staff for whom research allowances (human, material and time resources) are often very limited. In this paper emphasis is placed on both methodological and heuristic developments as the two are inseparable. It is suggested that in the domestic sphere, hygiene behaviour with respect to the disposal of children's faeces and domestic water use are two of the key areas that remain of universal relevance to water/sanitation related interventions. These can be assessed rapidly and effectively by using two indicators: means of disposal of children's faeces and handwashing at ‘critical’ times—after defaecation, after handling and/or disposing of children's faeces, before handling food and before feeding young children and eating. Appropriate combinations of anthropological methods and participatory tools for measuring these indicators are described. The practical relevance of the resulting data for project design and implementation is highlighted.
Pathogenetic factors of acute schistosomiasis mansoni: correlation of worm burden, IgE, blood eosinophilia and intensity of clinical manifestations
Authors: Rocha M. O. C. , Pedroso E. R. P. , Greco D. B. , Lambertucci J. R. , Katz N. , Rocha R. L. , Rocha R. S. , Rezende D. F. , Neves J. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryA clinical study of 34 previously healthy young patients simultaneously infected in an endemic area of schistosomiasis mansoni is presented, emphasizing the initial phase of the infection. Its intensity was established according to the occurrence, intensity, and duration of the signs and symptoms in order to investigate the possible correlations between the worm burden (estimated by the number of eggs in faeces), the blood eosinophilia and specific levels of IgE (estimated by the area of immediate intradermal reaction), with the clinical manifestations. A significant but low‐level association was found between the worm burden and morbidity, suggesting that multiple factors, besides worm burden itself, may contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease.
Leishmania tropica in Egypt: an undesirable import
Authors: Mohareb Emad W. , Mikhail Elen M. , Youssef Fouad G. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryCutaneous as well as visceral leishmaniasis has been previously reported in Egypt. The former clinical manifestation is attributed to Leishmania major, the latter to L. infantum. In this study, L. tropica was isolated from an Egyptian labourer returning from Saudi Arabia. Amastigotes were detected by both Giemsa staining and indirect immunofluorescence using rabbit anti‐gp63. Promastigotes from Schneider's medium were typed isoenzymatically as L. tropica. In view of the emerging threat of visceralization of L. tropica, the potential risk for its transmission in Egypt is discussed.
Treatment practices for degedege, a locally recognized febrile illness, and implications for strategies to decrease mortality from severe malaria in Bagamoyo District, Tanzania
Authors: Makemba A. M. , Winch P. J. , Makame V. M. , Mehl G. L. , Premji Z. , Minjas J. N. , Sniff C. J. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryMalaria remains one of the chief causes of mortality among young children in sub‐Saharan Africa. Verbal autopsies for cases of childhood mortality in Bagamoyo District, Tanzania demonstrated that degedege, a locally defined illness of children characterized by fever and convulsions, is frequently treated by traditional healers. To investigate this further, an ethnographic study was carried out in one village that included in‐depth interviews with 14 traditional healers and 3 focus groups with parents. Parents and traditional healers were unanimous in their conviction that degedege requires traditional treatments, at least initially, and that these treatments are effective. While traditional healers do refer cases that are not improving to the District Hospital, this frequently occurs late in the course of the illness, after one or more stages of traditional treatments. The prognosis will thus be poor for those children who are suffering from severe malaria. Consideration should be given to enlisting the support of traditional healers in efforts to improve treatment for severe malaria, including teaching them how to distinguish febrile convulsions from cases of severe malaria.
Viability and fertility of adult Onchocerca volvulus after 6 years of treatment with ivermectin
Authors: Kläger S. L. , Whitworth J. A. G. , Downham M. D. 
Published: August 2010

Summary Onchocerca volvulus nodules were removed from 77 fully compliant patients in a longitudinal study of ivermectin treatment in Sierra Leone. The patients had participated in a randomized controlled trial and received either 4 annual doses of ivermectin or 10 6‐monthly doses over 6 years. Worms were examined 9 months after the last treatment for evidence of changes in morphology, viability and reproductivity. The findings were compared with results for the 2 groups obtained at earlier surveys of the same study population. Repeated treatment at 6 and 12‐month intervals has resulted in a marked ageing of the male worm population profile and a significant reduction in the proportion of live female worms found in the nodules. In addition, there has been a reduction in reproductivity of 90% or more. However, most of the worms found were still alive and potentially fertile, underlining the need for the continuation of regular ivermectin treatment to maintain the benefits achieved.
Response of childhood malaria to chloroquine and Fansidar in an area of intermediate chloroquine resistance in Côte d'Ivoire
Authors: Henry M.‐C. , Eggelte T. A. , Watson P. , van Leeuwen B. Docters , Bakker D. A. , Kluin J. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryThe parasitological, clinical and haematological responses to chloroquine treatment were studied in children during a 28‐day follow‐up in an area of Côte d'Ivoire with intermediate chloroquine resistance. The parasitological, clinical and haematological responses to Fansidar were also investigated in patients who returned to the health centre within 28 days with symptoms of malaria. Of 82 children aged 0–9 years who completed the study, only 67% were parasite‐negative on thick blood film on day 7, which decreased to 21% by day 28. While chloroquine treatment still produced clinical remission at day 7 in 95% of the children, 35% had recurrent fever with concomitant parasitaemia before day 28. All fever cases subsequently treated with Fansidar remained parasite‐negative over a period of 28 days. On day 28 the haematocrit levels were higher in those children who responded successfully to treatment with either chloroquine or Fansidar than in the children who were still parasite‐positive but without fever (two‐tailed t‐test, P=0.02). The rate of resistance to chloroquine was most pronounced among the younger children (< 5 years), 18% of whom showed clinical failure by day 14. This study underlines the importance of monitoring the durability of response to chloroquine treatment for at least 14 days in young children in Côte d'Ivoire.
Evaluation of IgG4 response in ascariasis by ELISA for serodiagnosis
Authors: Chatterjee B. P. , Santra A. , Karmakar P. Roy , Mazumder D. N. Guha 
Published: August 2010

SummaryThe excretory/secretory (ES) antigen(s) of Ascaris lumbricoides was fractionated into 10 fractions by gel chromatography on a Suparose 12 column in FPLC. Of these, the third fraction (Al III), showing binding activity with both IgE and IgG antibodies of A. lumbricoides infected patients' sera, was further resolved into 2 fractions (Al IIIa and Al IIIb) on passage through a Mono Q column. Al IIIb was found to be the most potent antigen due to its high binding affinity with IgE and IgG antibodies of Ascaris infected patients as evidenced by ELISA inhibition. Although a two to five‐fold increase of serum IgE level was observed in all helminthic parasite infected patients studied compared to control subjects, Al IIIb specific IgE was detected in sera of all Ascaris infected and only 40% of hookworm infected patients. When Al IIIb was tested by ELISA with sera of control subjects, Ascaris, hookworm, Strongyloides and Trichuris infected patients, strong binding was observed with the IgE and also IgG of all the Ascaris infected patients; however, it cross‐reacted with IgG in 50% of hookworm, 28.6% of Trichuris trichura and 22.2% of Strongyloides infected patients' sera; but with IgE only in 40% of hookworm infected patients' sera. Further study showed specific detection of IgG4 in all the serum samples of 65 Ascaris infected patients when Al IIIb antigen was allowed to react with different subclasses of IgG by ELISA, giving a sensitivity of 100%. Reactivities of Al IIIb with IgG1, and IgG3, were only 47.6 and 11.8% respectively and there was no reactivity with IgG2, subclass. No IgG4 reactivity against Al IIIb was observed in the sera of hookworm, Trichuris or Strongyloides infected patients and was similar to that observed with control subjects showing the 100% specificity of the test system. This study may therefore be regarded as a novel technique for serodiagnosis of ascariasis by measuring Ascaris specific IgG4.
Ascaris suum: molecular cloning of an intermediate filament*
Authors: Bisoffi Marco , Betschart Bruno 
Published: August 2010

SummaryIt has been proposed that intermediate filament proteins are involved in force transduction from the muscle cells through the hypodermis to the cuticle of nematodes. An additional role of intermediate filaments as excretory/secretory components of parasitic nematodes is under discussion. We report on the molecular characterization of the cDNA clone AsIF of the intestinal nematode parasite Ascaris suum, encoding a member of the intermediate filament protein family by sequence comparison with intermediate filaments of other nematodes. We also show the precise location of the product encoded by AsIF within the organism by immunoelectron microscopy.
Community‐based investigation of an outbreak of acute viral conjunctivitis in urban slums
Authors: Nayak N. , Gupta Sanjeev K. , Murthy G. V. S. , Satpathy G. , Mohanty S. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryNine hundred and sixteen people from 143 randomly selected households were included in this community‐based investigation of an outbreak of acute viral conjunctivitis in urban slum communities of Delhi in 1994. During the 2‐weeks recall period, 456 (49.8%) had conjunctivitis and 229 (25%) were symptomatic at the time of this investigation. Overall, females had a higher attack rate than males (P<0.05). The attack rate increased with age (P<0.001). A total of 61.6% of the conjunctival swabs were antigen positive as evidenced by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Viruses could be isolated from 30.3% of the samples processed. Out of these, 70% were identified as Coxsackie A 24 and 30% as EV 70.
The study of hygiene behaviour in Botswana: a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods
Authors: Kaltenthaler E. C. , Drašar B. S. 
Published: August 2010

SummaryThis paper describes a study from northern Botswana which explored the relationship between hygiene behaviour and diarrhoeal diseases in young children. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were used. The qualitative methods included observations, key informant interviews, in‐depth interviews and focus groups. The quantitative methods included spot check observations, anthropometric measurements, the monitoring of diarrhoea morbidity and the administration of a socioeconomic questionnaire. A profile of hygiene behaviours was developed for this community and traditional beliefs related to diarrhoea were identified. The methods described provided considerable information in a short period of time. They were also relatively inexpensive and easy to implement, thus providing a model for further studies dealing with hygiene behaviour in developing countries. The information gathered enabled the identification of areas needing further research, the development of health education programmes and provided the basis for larger epidemiological studies.
Control strategies for sleeping sickness in Central Africa: a model‐based approach
Authors: Artzrouni Marc , Gouteux Jean‐Paul 
Published: August 2010

SummaryVector control and the detection (followed by treatment) of infected individuals are the two methods currently available for the control of sleeping sickness. The basic reproduction rate of a compartmental model is used to analyse and compare the two strategies. The efficiency of each strategy will depend on two epidemiologic parameters; the intrinsic contamination rate Q (closely related to the index of new contaminations) that captures the potential spread of the disease, and the intrinsic removal rate from the first stage (intrinsic to the particular trypanosome strain and to the population's susceptibility). The model shows that when the intrinsic removal rate is low (that is, when there is a long first stage characteristic of an endemic situation) the detection of sick individuals is more efficient than vector control. The situation is reversed when the removal rate is high (in an epidemic situation). The conclusions of the analysis are shown to be in general agreement with results obtained in two different sleeping sickness foci of Central Africa.
In vitro antitrypanosomal activity of African plants used in traditional medicine in Uganda to treat sleeping sickness
Authors: Freiburghaus Franziska , Ogwal Elizabeth N. , Nkunya Mayunga H. H. , Kaminsky Ronald , Brun Reto 
Published: August 2010

SummaryIn Uganda, as in many other African countries, herbal treatment of various diseases is still common. In the present study, 9 plant species collected from Tanzania and Uganda and used by traditional healers in southern‐eastern Uganda for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) were extracted and screened for their in vitro activity against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, one of the two causative agents of sleeping sickness. Eight lipophilic extracts of 5 plants revealed very promising antitrypanosomal activity with IC50 values below 1 µg/ml; among them were extracts prepared from Albizia gummifera (2), Ehretia amoena (1), Entada abyssinica (2), Securinega virosa (1) and Vernonia subuligera (2). Activity with IC50 values between 1 and to µg/ml was determined for 15 further extracts. Cytotoxicity of active extracts, tested on a human fibroblast cell line (WI‐38), was found to be high, and therefore selectivity indices resulted in less favourable ranges than those for the few commercially available drugs. Nevertheless, the results confirm the potential of ethnobotanically selected plants as remedies against sleeping sickness and call for phytochemical studies.