1,722,222 research outputs found
Patterns and determinants of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in urban informal settlements, Nairobi Kenya
No full textBackgroundThe World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life for optimal growth, development and health. Breastfeeding should continue up to two years or more and nutritionally adequate, safe, and appropriately-fed complementary foods should be introduced at the age of six months to meet the evolving needs of the growing infant. Little evidence exists on breastfeeding and infant feeding practices in urban slums in sub-Saharan Africa. Our aim was to assess breastfeeding and infant feeding practices in Nairobi slums with reference to WHO recommendations. MethodsData from a longitudinal study conducted in two Nairobi slums are used. The study used information on the first year of life of 4299 children born between September 2006 and January 2010. All women who gave birth during this period were interviewed on breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices at recruitment and this information was updated twice, at four-monthly intervals. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to determine factors associated with cessation of breastfeeding in infancy and early introduction of complementary foods. ResultsThere was universal breastfeeding with almost all children (99%) having ever been breastfed. However, more than a third (37%) were not breastfed in the first hour following delivery, and 40% were given something to drink other than the mothers' breast milk within 3 days after delivery. About 85% of infants were still breastfeeding by the end of the 11th month. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months was rare as only about 2% of infants were exclusively breastfed for six months. Factors associated with sub-optimal infant breastfeeding and feeding practices in these settings include child's sex; perceived size at birth; mother's marital status, ethnicity; education level; family planning (pregnancy desirability); health seeking behaviour (place of delivery) and; neighbourhood (slum of residence). ConclusionsThe study indicates poor adherence to WHO recommendations for breastfeeding and infant feeding practices. Interventions and further research should pay attention to factors such as cultural practices, access to and utilization of health care facilities, child feeding education, and family planning. <br/
Rosny, Eric de. - Les yeux de ma chèvre. Sur les pas des maîtres de la nuit en pays douala (Cameroun)
No full textDjemo Fotso. Rosny, Eric de. - Les yeux de ma chèvre. Sur les pas des maîtres de la nuit en pays douala (Cameroun). In: Cahiers d'études africaines, vol. 22, n°85-86, 1982. Études épidémiologiques et approches géographiques des maladies en Afrique tropicale. Mélanges pour un dialogue. pp. 203-206
Rosny, Eric de. - Les yeux de ma chèvre. Sur les pas des maîtres de la nuit en pays douala (Cameroun)
No full textDjemo Fotso. Rosny, Eric de. - Les yeux de ma chèvre. Sur les pas des maîtres de la nuit en pays douala (Cameroun). In: Cahiers d'études africaines, vol. 22, n°85-86, 1982. Études épidémiologiques et approches géographiques des maladies en Afrique tropicale. Mélanges pour un dialogue. pp. 203-206
Naturally Occurring Anthracyclines
No full textThe present article gives an overview of the natural occurring anthracyclines and anthracyclinones reported from microorganisms. A general description, discussion of their physicochemical properties, including NMR increments, and their structural classification are reported. In addition to a compilation of their sugar moieties, an exhaustive list of naturally occurring anthracyclines and anthracyclinones has been added
ChemInform Abstract: Marine Bacteria. Part 42. Aqabamycins A-G: Novel Nitro Maleimides from a Marine Vibrio Species. Part 2. Structure Elucidation.
No full textBioengineering approach for the reliability assessment and optimal design of artificial urinary sphincters
No full textL'incontinenza urinaria maschile (IU) è un disagio globale, che comporta una scarsa qualità di vita e un importante costo sociale ed economico associato. In particolare, l'incontinenza urinaria da sforzo (SUI) è la più grave e di solito richiede un intervento chirurgico, con l'impianto di uno sfintere urinario artificiale (AUS). Tuttavia, l'AUS, considerato gold standard per il trattamento della SUI, comporta ancora alti tassi di re intervento chirurgico, causati tra l'altro dall'atrofia e dall'erosione del tessuto uretrale, dovute alle azioni non fisiologiche esercitate dal dispositivo. Le eccessive azioni meccaniche applicate all'uretra dagli AUS possono essere spiegate dal fatto che la loro progettazione si basa esclusivamente su dati clinici ed empirici, senza alcuna considerazione del processo meccanico di interazione tra AUS ed uretra. L'obiettivo principale di questa tesi è quello di proporre un metodo ingegneristico affidabile per la progettazione razionale degli AUS, attraverso un approccio accoppiato sperimentale e computazionale. Per raggiungere questo obiettivo, è stata dapprima effettuata una revisione della letteratura scientifica in merito all’anatomia, alla funzionalità ed alle patologie del tratto urinario inferiore maschile, nonché in riferimento alle procedure di trattamento correntemente adottate. Successivamente, è stata condotta un'indagine sul dispositivo AUS di maggior successo tra quelli in commercio, al fine di valutarne le azioni meccaniche indotte sull'uretra e le conseguenze sulla sua funzionalità. In pratica, sono state considerate prove sperimentali condotte sia sull'uretra che sul dispositivo sfinterico, sia a livello di tessuto/materiale che di struttura. I risultati sperimentali inerenti alle prove eseguite a livello di tessuto/materiale hanno permesso di identificare i parametri costitutivi necessari per caratterizzare il comportamento meccanico dei materiali, permettendo la definizione di modelli computazionali agli elementi finiti di uretra ed AUS. Tali modelli sono stati poi messi a punto e convalidati simulando le sperimentazioni eseguite a livello di struttura. Infine, è stato sviluppato un modello computazionale dell'interazione tra il dispositivo AUS e l'uretra per valutare sia la stimolazione meccanica dei tessuti uretrali, sia la pressione sfinterica necessaria per garantire la continenza in funzione della pressione vescicale. La metodica in silico sviluppata permette di conseguire agilmente queste informazioni, altrimenti difficilmente valutabili attraverso i tradizionali metodi in vitro ed in vivo. Nello specifico, nell’analisi dell’interazione tra AUS commerciale e uretra, sono stati osservati valori elevati di stimolazione meccanica, che indicano un rischio significativo di fenomeni di danno tissutale e di ostruzione del flusso sanguigno all'interno dei vasi uretrali. Sfruttando la metodica in silico sviluppata, si è quindi provveduto alla analisi geometrica e alla progettazione del materiale di un nuovo dispositivo AUS, ed è stata quindi eseguita un'indagine computazionale della sua interazione con l'uretra, al fine di confrontare la funzionalità del nuovo dispositivo con quello commerciale. Ne è emerso che il nuovo dispositivo, a parità di pressione sfinterica, comporta minori sollecitazioni meccaniche (tensione di compressione, deformazione di compressione e pressione idrostatica). Nel complesso, il lavoro di tesi dimostra le potenzialità dei metodi bioingegneristici ed in silico nella progettazione ottimale di dispositivi AUS.The male Urinary Incontinence (UI) is a global distress, leading to a poor quality of life and an important associated social and economic cost. In particular, the Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is the most severe and usually requires a surgical intervention, with Artificial Urinary Sphincter (AUS) implantation. However, the AUS considered as gold standard for SUI treatment still involves high surgical revision rates caused among other things by the urethral tissue atrophy and erosion, due to non-physiological actions exerted by the device. Indeed, the excessive mechanical actions applied on the urethra by the AUS can be explained by the fact that their design is based on clinical and empirical data only, without any consideration of urethral tissue mechanics. The main objective of this thesis was to propose a reliable engineering method for the rational design of AUSs, through a coupled experimental and computational approach. To achieve this goal, a literature review was first carried out on the anatomy, the functionalities and diseases of the male lower urinary tract, as well as their actual treatments. Then, an investigation was performed on the most successful AUS device among those in commerce, in order to evaluate its induced actions on the urethra and its functionality. Practically, data from experimental tests on the urethra and on the sphincteric device, both at material and structure levels were analysed and processed. The experimental results at the material level made it possible to determine the constitutive parameters needed to define the finite element models, that were then tuned and validated by simulating the experimentations at the structure level. Finally, a computational model of the interaction between the AUS device and urethra was performed to assess both the mechanical quantities on urethral tissues and the minimum urine pressures needed to open the device under the clinically applied cuff pressures. Such information would be difficult to obtain from in vitro or in vivo measurements. High values of stress and strains were observed, indicating a significant risk of tissue damage phenomena and blood flow obstruction within urethral vessels. A novel AUS device was designed in silico with regards to both geometrical analysis and material design, and the computational investigation of its interaction with urethra was performed to compare the outcomes. It resulted that the novel device, under the same value of cuff pressure, involved lower mechanical quantities (compressive stress, compressive strain and hydrostatic pressure) on urethral tissues, while the urethral lumen opening pressures were almost the same with both the AUSs. This work thus demonstrates the capabilities of bioengineering and in silico methods in the optimal design of AUS devices
ChemInform Abstract: Marine Bacteria. Part 45. 2-Hydroxy-luisol A (I), a New Quinone-Derived Tetraol from a Marine Streptomyces sp. and Oxidation Products of Luisol A.
No full textAqabamycins A–G: novel nitro maleimides from a marine Vibrio species: II. Structure elucidation*
No full textThe structures of secondary metabolites with antibacterial and cytotoxic activities produced by a marine Vibrio strain from the Red Sea were elucidated. Aqabamycin A (1a) and seven further nitro-substituted maleimide derivates named aqabamycins B-G (1b-f and 2) were obtained together with 12 known metabolites, 3-nitro-1H-indazole (3), indazole-3-carbaldehyde (4), 3-nitro-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, 3-nitro-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, phenyl-2-bis-indolylmethane (5a), turbomycin B (5b), vibrindole A (6), phenylacetic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, benzoic acid and 1,4-dithiane (7). Some of the known metabolites (for example, 3, 4 and 7) are described in this study for the first time as natural products. Their structures were elucidated based on 1D and 2D NMR, MS spectra and by comparison with synthetic material. The Journal of Antibiotics (2010) 63, 303-308; doi:10.1038/ja.2010.35; published online 30 April 2010German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) [03F0348A
2-Hydroxy-luisol A, a New Quinone-derived Tetraol from a Marine Streptomyces sp and Oxidation Products of Luisol A
No full textIn addition to luisol A (1a), luisol B (2), and aloesaponarin II, the marine streptomycete B7617 produced a new derivative of la, 2-hydroxy-luisol A (1b). In an attempt to increase the biological activity, luisol A (1a) was oxidized and delivered with Jones reagent or by Swern oxidation the derivatives 3a/3b and 4a/4b, respectively, but none of these compounds showed antimicrobial or cytotoxic activities. All structure elucidations are based on 2D NMR analyses or were derived by comparison with published data.Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) [03FO233A
Modelling, control, and optimization for tropical agriculture
Full text linkInternational audienceAgriculture plays a major role in the economy of many developing countries, providing export revenues, food and employment. As pests are responsible for severe crop losses every year, their control is a major issue. It often relies on chemical pesticides, which are often costly and detrimental to the environment, so alternative solutions are sought. In this talk, we tackle this issue by designing ecologically friendly controls for two pathosystems: the phytophagous plantain nematode, which attacks plant roots, and the coffee berry borer, which feeds and reproduce in the berries. In both cases, the yield is maximized in order to be economically viable. An efficient method to reduce the nematode population in the soil consists in having fallow periods between cropping seasons. We developed an ODE/hybrid seasonal model for the nematode--root dynamics [1] and we exploit it in the present work to globally optimize the duration of the fallow periods, which potentially vary from one year to the other. For the coffee berry borer, we study how the persistent effect of entomopathogenic fungi can impact the optimal yield, compared to non-persistent controls obtained on a single season ODE model of the berry--borer dynamics [2]. Moreover, we extend our results to a seasonal framework, as for the plantain--nematode pathosystem.[1] I. Tankam Chedjou, S. Touzeau, F. Grognard, L. Mailleret, J.-J. Tewa. An agricultural control of Radopholus similis in banana plantations, 11th ECMTB, Lisbon, Portugal, 2018.[2] Y. Fotso Fotso, S. Touzeau, S. Bowong, F. Grognard, L. Mailleret, B. Tsanou. Modelling and control of coffee berry borer infestation, 11th ECMTB, Lisbon, Portugal, 2018
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