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SUMMARY: Objective: To describe local perceptions of blood transfusion for children with severe anaemia in Uganda. Background: Blood transfusion is a common emergency treatment for children with severe anaemia and saves millions of lives of African children. However, the perceptions of transfusion recipients have not been well studied. A better understanding of the perceived risk may improve transfusion care. Methods: A qualitative study based on 16 in‐depth interviews of caregivers of transfused children, and six focus group discussions with community members was conducted in three regions of Uganda between October and November 2017. Results: Caregivers of children and community members held blood transfusion in high regard and valued it as life‐saving. However, there were widespread perceived transfusion risks, including: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission, too rapid blood infusion and blood incompatibility. Other concerns were: fatality, changes in behaviour, donor blood being 'too strong' and use of animal blood. In contrast, recent transfusion, older age, knowledge of HIV screening of blood for transfusion, faith in God and having a critically ill child were associated with less fear about transfusion. Respondents also emphasised challenges to transfusion services access including distance to hospitals, scarcity of blood and health workers' attitudes. Conclusion: Perceptions of the community and caregivers of transfused children in Uganda about blood transfusion were complex: transfusion is considered life‐saving but there were strong perceived transfusion risks of HIV transmission and blood incompatibility. Addressing community perceptions and facilitating access to blood transfusion represent important strategies to improve paediatric transfusion care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metabolism of malonaldehyde (MA) was investigated in vivo using male Wistar rats and in vitro using rat liver mitochondria. Twelve hr after intubation with [1,3-C] MA, 60-70%, 5-15% and 9-17% of administered radioactivity was recovered in expired CO, feces and urine, respectively. In rats intubated with [1,2-C] acetate, the corresponding values were 68-82%, 1-2% and 2-3%.CO evolution was initially slower afterC-MA administration than afterC-acetate administration and more radioactivity was excreted in the feces and urine. In vitro experiments using [1,3-C] MA showed that MA is metabolized primarily in the mitochondria via reactions involving O utilization andCO production. The apparent K and V were 0.5 mM and 9.3 nmol/min/mg protein for O uptake, respectively, and 2.0 mM and 2.4 nmol/min/mg protein forCO production. Addition of malonic acid to mitochondrial incubates at concentrations inhibitory to succinate dehydrogenase did not affect MA-induced O uptake but enhancedCO production fromC-MA.C-Acetate appeared to be the major accumulating metabolite in rat liver mitochondrial preparations following a 120-min incubation withC-MA. A probable biochemical route for MA metabolism involves oxidation of MA by mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase followed by decarboxylation to produce CO and acetate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine protected area (MPA) networks, with varying degrees of protection and use, can be useful tools to achieve both conservation and fisheries management benefits. Assessing whether MPA networks meet their objectives requires data from Before the establishment of the network to better discern natural spatiotemporal variation and preexisting differences from the response to protection. Here, we use a Progressive‐Change BACIPS approach to assess the ecological effects of a network of five fully and three moderately protected MPAs on fish communities in two coral reef habitats (lagoon and fore reef) based on a time series of data collected five times (over three years) Before and 12 times (over nine years) After the network's establishment on the island of Moorea, French Polynesia. At the network scale, on the fore reef, density and biomass of harvested fishes increased by 19.3% and 24.8%, respectively, in protected areas relative to control fished areas. Fully protected areas provided greater ecological benefits than moderately protected areas. In the lagoon, density and biomass of harvested fishes increased, but only the 31% increase in biomass in fully protected MPAs was significant. Non‐harvested fishes did not respond to protection in any of the habitats. We propose that these responses to protection were small, relative to other MPA assessments, due to limited compliance and weak surveillance, although other factors such as the occurrence of a crown‐of‐thorns starfish outbreak and a cyclone after the network was established may also have impeded the ability of the network to provide benefits. Our results highlight the importance of using fully protected MPAs over moderately protected MPAs to achieve conservation objectives, even in complex social–ecological settings, but also stress the need to monitor effects and adapt management based on ongoing assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to characterize performance of a complementary set of assays to measure antigen-specific immune responses in subjects immunized with a neoantigen. Healthy volunteers (HV) (n = 8) and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (n = 6) were immunized with keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) on days 1 and 29. Serum antibodies were detected using a flow cytometric bead array (CBA) that multiplexed the KLH response alongside pre-existing anti-tetanus antibodies. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were studied by B cell ELISPOT. These assays were built upon precedent assay development in cynomolgus monkeys, which pointed towards their utility in humans. Primary anti-KLH IgG responses rose to a mean of 65-93-fold above baseline for HV and SLE patients, respectively, and secondary responses rose to a mean of 260-170-fold above baseline. High levels of anti-tetanus IgG were detected in pre-immunization samples and their levels did not change over the course of study. Anti-KLH IgG1-4 subclasses were characterized by a predominant IgG1 response, with no significant differences in subclass magnitude or distribution between HV and SLE subjects. Anti-KLH IgM levels were detectable, although the overall response was lower. IgM was not detected in two SLE subjects whodid generate an IgG response. All subjects responded to KLH by B cell ELISPOT, with no significant differences observed between HV and SLE subjects. The CBA and B cell ELISPOT assays reliably measured anti-KLH B cell responses, supporting use of this approach and these assays to assess the pharmacodynamic and potential safety impact of marketed/investigational immune-therapeutics., (© 2013 Amgen, Inc. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology ©2013 The British Pharmacological Society.)