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Being unvaccinated and having a contact history increased the risk of measles infection during an outbreak: a finding from measles outbreak investigation in rural district of Ethiopia
Get PDF© The Author(s). 2019 This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background: Measles is one of the most contagious diseases caused by an acute viral illness called Morbillivirus that usually occurs as an outbreak in low-income countries. As of May 2016 measles suspected outbreak was reported from Sekota Zuria district. We investigated the outbreak to identify its possible sources and risk factors of acquiring the infection in the district. Method: We conducted a 1:2 unmatched case-control study in May 2016 in Sekota Zuria district, Northern Ethiopia. Cases involved in the study were lab confirmed and epidemiologically linked. Controls were those who had no clinical signs of measles and residing in the same communities where the cases were identified. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were cleaned and entered to Epi-info7 and analyzed using SPSS-20. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors associated with measles infection at a p-value ≤0.05. Results: 29 cases were identified during the outbreak investigation. The probable source of an outbreak was an index case who had a travel history to a district with a measles epidemic. Five samples were collected for confirmation of the diagnosis. No measles-related deaths were reported. The median age of cases and controls was 15 years (SD ± 7.8) and 11 years (SD ± 9.8), respectively. More than 55% of the cases were in age ≥ 15 years. In the multivariable analysis, being previously vaccinated for measles reduced the risk of measles infection by 83% (AOR, 95%CI = 0.17, 0.05–0.53) and having a contact history increased the risk of measles infection by 3.44 times (AOR, 95%CI = 3.44, 1.26–9.38). Conclusion: We confirmed a measles outbreak in Sekota Zuria district. The majority of the cases were in age ≥ 15 years. Being un-vaccinated and having a contact history with confirmed or suspected cases were increased the risk of measles infection. To catch up with missed children at the time of the first dose of measles vaccine and reduce their susceptibility, supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) or immunization campaigns shall be strengthened
Tissue and nitrogen-linked expression profiles of ammonium and nitrate transporters in maize
Get PDF© The Author(s). 2019 This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.BACKGROUND: In order to grow, plants rely on soil nutrients which can vary both spatially and temporally depending on the environment, the soil type or the microbial activity. An essential nutrient is nitrogen, which is mainly accessible as nitrate and ammonium. Many studies have investigated transport genes for these ions in Arabidopsis thaliana and recently in crop species, including Maize, Rice and Barley. However, in most crop species, an understanding of the participants in nitrate and ammonium transport across the soil plant continuum remains undefined. RESULTS: We have mapped a non-exhaustive set of putative nitrate and ammonium transporters in maize. The selected transporters were defined based on previous studies comparing nitrate transport pathways conserved between Arabidopsis and Zea mays (Plett D et. al, PLOS ONE 5:e15289, 2010). We also selected genes from published studies (Gu R et. al, Plant and Cell Physiology, 54:1515-1524, 2013, Garnett T et. al, New Phytol 198:82-94, 2013, Garnett T et. al, Frontiers in Plant Sci 6, 2015, Dechorgnat J et. al, Front Plant Sci 9:531, 2018). To analyse these genes, the plants were grown in a semi-hydroponic system to carefully control nitrogen delivery and then harvested at both vegetative and reproductive stages. The expression patterns of 26 putative nitrogen transporters were then tested. Six putative genes were found not expressed in our conditions. Transcripts of 20 other genes were detected at both the vegetative and reproductive stages of maize development. We observed the expression of nitrogen transporters in all organs tested: roots, young leaves, old leaves, silks, cobs, tassels and husk leaves. We also followed the gene expression response to nitrogen starvation and resupply and uncovered mainly three expression patterns: (i) genes unresponsiveness to nitrogen supply; (ii) genes showing an increase of expression after nitrogen starvation; (iii) genes showing a decrease of expression after nitrogen starvation. CONCLUSIONS: These data allowed the mapping of putative nitrogen transporters in maize at both the vegetative and reproductive stages of development. No growth-dependent expression was seen in our conditions. We found that nitrogen transporter genes were expressed in all the organs tested and in many cases were regulated by the availability of nitrogen supplied to the plant. The gene expression patterns in relation to organ specificity and nitrogen availability denote a speciality of nitrate and ammonium transporter genes and their probable function depending on the plant organ and the environment
Strongyloidiasis in Ethiopia: systematic review on risk factors, diagnosis, prevalence and clinical outcomes
Get PDF© The Author(s). 2019 This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background
Strongyloidiasis is a gastrointestinal infection caused by the parasitic nematode Strongyloides stercoralis. It is estimated to infect up to 370 million people globally and is predominately found in tropical and subtropical areas of socioeconomic disadvantage.
Main body
This systematic literature review identified studies published in the last ten years on the risk factors, diagnosis, prevalence and/or clinical outcomes of strongyloidiasis in Ethiopia. The prevalence of S. stercoralis ranged from 0.2 to 11.1% in adults, 0.3% to 20.7% in children, 1.5% to 17.3% in HIV positive adults and 5% in HIV positive children. The identified studies primarily used microscopy based techniques that potentially underestimated the prevalence four fold compared with serology and PCR. Strongyloidiasis in children presents a particularly significant issue in Ethiopia as children often presented with anemia, which is associated with impaired mental and cognitive development. The most significant risk factor for strongyloidiasis was HIV status and although other risk factors were identified for helminth infections, none were statistically significant for S. stercoralis specifically. Several studies detected S. stercoralis in dogs and non-biting cyclorrhaphan flies. However, future research is needed to explore the role of these reservoirs in disease transmission.
Conclusions
This review demonstrated that strongyloidiasis is an overlooked and neglected disease in Ethiopia. There is a need for a systematic approach using a combination of molecular and serology based diagnostic methods to ascertain the true incidence and burden of strongyloidiasis in Ethiopia. Further research is also needed to break the cycle of transmission by identifying environmental reservoirs, risk factors and exploring the potential for zoonotic transfer
Philoponus, Kant, and Russell on the Beginning of Time
Get PDF© 2019 the author.Bertrand Russell presented an influential critique of Philoponus’s traversal argument for a beginning of time in its Kantian form. I consider his criticisms and point out that they rely on metaphysical claims about the nature of time, causation, and the scope of non-contradiction. They are not merely logical criticisms. Russell relies on a Platonic atomist metaphysics to defend those claims. Yet, as I also point out, that metaphysics is not obviously true and Russell’s arguments for it are weak. Russell often talks as if his metaphysics arises out of merely logical considerations. However, his metaphysics cannot be justified by logic alone. I conclude that the traversal argument survives Russellian criticism
Plato and Hurka and the place of reason in the good life
Get PDF© 2019 the authorThis paper looks at the argument of one of the proponents of the Objective List Theory of Well-being, Thomas Hurka, in his book The Best Things in Life, and contrasts it with Plato’s arguments from several of his dialogues; in particular the Philebus. Hurka makes two claims: that there isn’t one ultimate good (as he says Socrates, Plato and Aristotle supposed); and there isn’t a single best human life that’s right for all human beings. I will show that there is much agreement between Hurka and Plato, but that Hurka’s account of Plato’s argument that virtue (being rational) is necessary and sufficient for the good life, obscures Plato’s contribution to the continuing arguments in this area
Greasy spoon dagoes: Sydney's Greek food-catering phenomenon, 1870s-1952
Get PDF© 2019 the authorsOver the first-half of the twentieth century, Sydney’s Greeks became numerically prominent as food caterers and radically transformed the character of the city’s popular eating-houses. They introduced new American commercial food-catering ideas, technology and products and influenced the development of cinema, architectural style, and popular music along American lines. Greek-run oyster saloons, soda/sundae parlours, cafés and milk bars became powerful vehicles for socio-cultural change. Initially radiating out from within the city’s central business district to the east and south, by the early 1920s, Greek food-catering establishments were operating in the western suburbs, including Parramatta, and as far north as Hornsby. The profound changes that Sydney’s Greek food caterers engendered are explored, together with the personal vicissitudes of the food caterer’s themselves. Despite their commercial food-catering popularity, Sydney’s Greeks experienced racist attitudes that perhaps reinforced the safety of transferring aspects of modern American culture, rather than their own traditional cultural elements
Lost in translation? Investigating the linguistic and conceptual understanding of translated text for older adults of Greek background.
Get PDF© 2019 the authorsSouth Australia is home to a significant cohort of post-World War II migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds. These migrants now constitute a sizeable portion of those 65 years and older in the state. It has been well-documented that migrants often revert to their first language as they age. The quality and efficacy of interpreting and translating services are therefore significant to the wellbeing of this group. Consequently, this chapter investigates the experience of older adults of Greek background with translated text distributed by local government. It concludes by suggesting that education plays an important role in migrant settlement and that language policy cannot be separated from the wider cultural, social and political norms within which it operates
Charitable food systems’ capacity to address food Insecurity: an Australian capital city audit
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article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution
(CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Australian efforts to address food insecurity are delivered by a charitable food system
(CFS) which fails to meet demand. The scope and nature of the CFS is unknown. This study
audits the organisational capacity of the CFS within the 10.9 square kilometres of inner-city Perth,
Western Australia. A desktop analysis of services and 12 face-to-face interviews with representatives
from CFS organisations was conducted. All CFS organisations were not-for–profit and guided by
humanitarian or faith-based values. The CFS comprised three indirect services (IS) sourcing, banking
and/or distributing food to 15 direct services (DS) providing food to recipients. DS offered 30
different food services at 34 locations feeding over 5670 people/week via 16 models including mobile
and seated meals, food parcels, supermarket vouchers, and food pantries. Volunteer to paid staff
ratios were 33:1 (DS) and 19:1 (IS). System-wide, food was mainly donated and most funding was
philanthropic. Only three organisations received government funds. No organisation had a nutrition
policy. The organisational capacity of the CFS was precarious due to unreliable, insufficient and
inappropriate financial, human and food resources and structures. System-wide reforms are needed
to ensure adequate and appropriate food relief for Australians experiencing food insecurity.This work was funded by Healthway, the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation,
who funded Curtin University to undertake this Special Research Initiative entitled “Charitable Food Services
and the Needs of Homeless and Disadvantaged People” (Grant number 24266). We wish to acknowledge the partner organisations (The Salvation Army,
United Care West, Noongar Patrol Services, Australian Red Cross, Foodbank, Western Australian Council of
Social Services WACOSS—Emergency Relief Forum, Vincentcare, Perth City Council) who formed the research
advisory group
Dietary Protein Intake, Breast Feeding and Growth in Human Milk Fed Preterm Infants
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article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution
(CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Protein intakes of preterm infants are frequently below recommendations, but few studies report accurate intakes due to the difficulty of analysing human milk clinically. This observational analysis from a randomised trial of infants born <31 weeks’ gestation, investigating two levels of protein fortification, reports protein intakes compared with requirements and determines the association of direct breastfeeding on growth. Ninety-two infants (median gestational age 28 weeks, Interquartile range (IQR) 26–29; mean birth weight 1040 g, SD 300 g) were studied. Infants born weighing <1000 g were underfed protein compared with recommendations (median (IQR) intake of 3.0 (2.0–3.7) g/kg/day in week 2 versus recommendation of 4–4.5 g/kg/day), while those born weighing ≥1000 g met recommended protein intakes after the first week of life (median (IQR) intake of 3.7 (3.0–4.0) g/kg/day in week 2 versus recommendation of 3.5–4.5 g/kg/day). A moderate, negative correlation between the mean number of breast feeds and change in rate of weight gain (r = −0.37, p = 0.001) was found. Protein intakes of infants <1000 g did not meet recommendations and all infants were underfed protein and energy in the first week of life. Current protein fortification is inadequate for infants born <1000 g. Exploratory analysis showed faltering rate weight gain associated with increasing number of breast feeds and these results warrant confirmationThe original study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid from Denis Harwood, and the current
study was supported by theWomen’s and Children’s Health Research Institute. The trial human milk fortifiers
for the original study were made and donated by Nestle Product Technology Centre, Konolfingen, Switzerland.
Doctoral scholarships were provided by The University of Adelaide (JM) and the Women’s and Children’s
Hospital Foundation MS McLeod Research Fund (JM). Research fellowships were provided by the National
Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (MM Principal Research Fellow APP1061704 and RAG Senior
Principal Research Fellow APP1046207), The University of Adelaide, Faculty of Health Sciences, Early Career
Research Fellowship (CTC) and the MS McLeod Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, MS McLeod Research Fund,
Women’s and Children’s Hospital Research Foundation (CTC)
Life goes on: Archaeobotanical investigations of diet and ritual at Angkor Thom, Cambodia (14th–15th centuries CE)
Get PDFThis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.This is the first time an archaeobotanical analysis based on macroremains, both charred and desiccated, from Cambodia is reported. The archaeobotanical
samples are rich and provide evidence of rice processing, consumption of non-indigenous pulses, and the use of economic crops. The evidence is
supported by data from inscriptions, texts and historical ethnography. This study demonstrates that the city of Angkor in the 14th and 15th centuries CE,
despite its decline, was still occupied. Angkor’s inhabitants continued their everyday lives cultivating and consuming their staple food, rice, with a suite of
pulses, and also used the harvests in the performance of rituals.This research was funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant (DP110101968) and the National Geographic Society/Waitt Grants Program (#W122-10). The archaeobotanical research was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Grant # NE/N010957/1. Funding for the 14C accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) analysis was provided by the École française d’Extrême-Orient. Project collaborators included The University of Sydney; University College London (UCL), Institute of Archaeology; the APSARA National Authority; the École française d’Extrême-Orient; the National Museum of Cambodia; the Freer and Sackler Galleries; Smithsonian Institution; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France; and the Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives