Density of sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) in domestic and wild animal shelters in an area of visceral leishmaniasis in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

XIMENES, Maria de Fátima Freire de Melo; SOUZA, Maria de Fátima de; CASTELLON, Eloy Guilhermo. Density of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in domestic and wild animal shelters in an area of visceral Leishmaniasis in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, v.94, n.4, p.427-432, jul./ago. 1999. Disponivel em: Acesso em: 4 out. 2010.

Educational sciences in the Netherlands: state of affairs and challenges

This paper reports on the state of affairs of the „Erziehungswissenschaften“ in the Netherlands. For this description of the educational sciences we primarily rely on a report written in 2014 by a committee that prepared a discipline plan educational sciences (CSO 2014). This report was commissioned by the association of universities in the Netherlands (VSNU ...), the umbrella association of research universities. Such reports regularly are prepared to describe the state of affairs of a discipline and advice on policies for the future development of a discipline. For the educational sciences, the committee was composed of representatives of most universities at the level of university executive boards, faculty deans and department chairs. (DIPF/Orig.)

Map of the Thousand Island Park on Wellesley Island, River S't Lawrence : property of the Thousand Island Camp Meeting Association /

Cadastral map with lot lines and numbers.

Association between ferritin, high sensitivity c-reactive protein (hsCRP) and relative abundance of Hepcidin mRNA with the risk of type 2 diabetes in obese subjects

Obesity and Type 2 diabetes mellitus share a strong pro-inflammatory profile. It has been observed that iron is a risk factor in the development of type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between iron nutritional status and inflammation with the risk of type 2 diabetes development in obese subjects. We studied 30 obese men with type 2 diabetes (OBDM); 30 obese subjects without diabetes (OB) and 30 healthy subjects (Cn). We isolated peripheral mononuclear cells (PMCs) and challenged them with high Fe concentrations. Total mRNA was isolated and relative abundance of TNF-αIL-6 and hepcidin were determined by qPCR. Iron status, biochemical, inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters were also characterized. OBDM and OB patients showed increased hsCRP levels compared to the Cn group. OBDM subjects showed higher levels of ferritin than the Cn group. TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA relative abundances were increased in OBDM PMCs treated with high/Fe. Hepcidin mRNA was increased with basal and high iron concentration. We found that the highest quartile of ferritin was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes when it was adjusted to BMI and HOMA-IR; this association was independent of the inflammatory status. The highest level of hepcidin gene expression also showed a trend of increased risk of diabetes, however it was not significant. Levels of hsCRP over 2 mg/L showed a significant trend of increasing the risk of diabetes. In conclusion, iron may stimulate the expression of pro-inflammatory genes (TNF-α and IL-6), and both hepcidin and ferritin gene expression levels could be a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. Subjects that have an increased cardiovascular risk also have a major risk to develop type 2 diabetes, which is independent of the BMI and insulin resistance state.

Risk perception and correlates of alcohol use among out-of-school youth in motor parks in Lagos State, Nigeria

Background and Aim: The prevalence of alcohol use has increased globally. Out-of-school youth are a vulnerable group who might have missed opportunities for learning healthy behaviours in a formal school environment. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk perception, pattern of use, and correlates of alcohol use among out-of-school youth in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 380 out-of-school youth in motor parks in Lagos State, Nigeria, using interviewer administered questionnaires. Results: The lifetime prevalence of alcohol use was 61.1%, while 55.5% were current drinkers. Beer (57.3%) was the most consumed type of alcohol, followed by distilled spirits (29.8%). Using the CAGE scoring system, more than half (57.8%) of the current drinkers had a drinking problem. Almost three quarters (70.1%) had experienced at least one episode of alcohol intoxication within the past month. A considerable number of current drinkers (63.5%) desired to reduce their alcohol intake or stop drinking, while 45.5% had made unsuccessful attempts to do so within the past year. Only 28.9% had received assistance to quit or reduce their drinking and of these less than half (39.3%) received assistance from a professional or healthcare worker. Males were more likely to be current drinkers and to have experienced episodes of alcohol intoxication. Parental and peer drinking were associated with alcohol use but not with intoxication. Conclusions: It is important to design specific programmes to reduce alcohol use among out-of-school youth in these settings.

Perception of HIV among pregnant women in the public health system in two municipalities of the state of São Paulo

Aim: To verify the knowledge of pregnant women on mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, the availability of HIV tests in the public health system and counseling on the disease in two cities, Birigui and Piacatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. Methods: This is a descriptive and exploratory research using as samples, the files of 141 pregnant women attending the Basic Health Unit. Data were collected by survey, followed by a semi-structured questionnaire with open and closedend questions. Data were analyzed on Epi Info™ 7.1.4, by the Chi-square and Exact Fisher tests. Results: From all the 141 pregnant women, 119 were interviewed and 92.4% reported to have been informed about the need of taking the HIV test during prenatal exams. However, only 5.9% were counseled and 20.2% reported to be aware of how to prevent MTCT of HIV, usually mentioning lactation suppression and prescribed medication. The association between the knowledge about how to prevent MTCT of HIV and some social, demographic and economic variables like ethnics, educational level, home location, occupation, age and parenting was not verified. Conclusions: It is necessary to advise pregnant women on the importance of taking the HIV test regardless of the examination outcome, which was not observed in the cities where the research was conducted.

The Proceedings of the South Carolina Historical Association

Annually, the association publishes a journal, The Proceedings, which consists of papers presented at the annual meeting. The Bryan-Chamorro Treaty by Rebecca M. Anderson – Greenwood High School Notes on the History of Public Health in South Carolina, 1670-1800 by St. Julien Ravenel Childs – The Citadel Samuel Slater, Father of American Manufactures by D.H. Gilpatrick – Furman University William Prynne, A Portrait by Laura Ellen Howard – Coker College Some Observations of Travelers on South Carolina, 1820-1860 by J. Rion McKissick – University of South Carolina