Search

AimsImmunological and biochemical parameters are gaining more and more importance in the prognosis of diabetes and its complications. Here, we assessed the predictive power of immune cells correlated with biochemical parameters in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Materials and MethodsImmune cells and serum biochemical parameters were determined in women with GDM and pregnant controls. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses were conducted to assess the optimal cutoff and value of ratios of immune cells to biochemical parameters for predicting GDM.ResultsBlood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly increased whereas HDL-cholesterol decreased in women with GDM compared to pregnant controls. Glycated hemoglobin, creatinine, transaminase activities did not significantly differ between both groups. Total leukocyte, lymphocyte and platelet numbers were significantly high in women with GDM. Correlation tests showed that ratios of lymphocyte/HDL-C, monocyte/HDL-C and granulocyte/HDL-C were significantly higher in women with GDM than in pregnant controls (p = 0.001; p = 0.009 and p = 0.004 respectively). Women with a lymphocyte/HDL-C ratio greater than 3.66 had a 4-fold increased risk of developing GDM than those with lower ratios (odds ratio 4.00; 95% CI: 1.094 – 14.630; p=0.041).ConclusionOur study showed that ratios of lymphocyte, monocyte and granulocyte to HDL-C might represent valuable biomarkers for GDM and in particular, lymphocyte/HDL-C ratio exhibited a strong predictive power for GDM risk.

There is growing interest in research and policy to provide alternatives for developing and supporting sustainable business models in the agricultural sector. Agri-environment–climate measures (AECMs) were devised with the intention of compensating land users for potential income losses generated from the uptake of more appropriate, less intensive management practices in areas considered environmentally sensitive. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of these public initiatives is influenced by farmers’ decision to participate, which in turn is influenced by the level of transaction costs (TC) they must bear when engaging in these programs. Most studies have approached this topic from a quantitative perspective, trying to measure and estimate transaction costs; however, there is a lack of qualitative studies exploring the perceptions of farmers around these costs and analyzing how such perceptions influence their attitude toward AECM participation. This study presents the results of thirty semi-structured interviews conducted among farmers involved in different AECMs across seven European countries, in which their perceptions about transaction costs were explored through the assessment of the time required to perform certain activities. The objective was to gain deeper insights into the way in which the perceived level of TC can affect farmers’ attitudes and decisions toward the implementation of environment-friendly management practices through AECMs. Results showed that such perceptions are influenced by several factors, such as the presence or absence of intermediaries helping farmers to carry out some of the most time-consuming activities, the organizational structure of the contract, and the experience farmers acquire through repeated participation.

Monitoring the trend of insecticide resistance and understanding associated genetic mechanisms is important for designing efficient malaria vector control strategies. This study was conducted to provide temporal data on insecticide resistance status and mechanisms in the major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.l. from Ebolowa, Southern Cameroon. Methods: Larvae of An. gambiae s.l. were collected from typical breeding sites throughout the city and reared to adulthood. Emerging adults were morphologically identified and WHO tube assays were performed to determine their susceptibility to carbamate, organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides at diagnostic doses. When resistance was observed, its intensity was determined by performing WHO tube tests using 5 and 10 times the concentration of the diagnostic dose. Metabolic resistance mechanisms were investigated using insecticide-synergist assays. Sibling species of the An. gambiae complex were identified using SINE-PCR protocol. TaqMan assay was used to genotype the L1014F and L1014S kdr mutations, and the N1575Y mutation, an amplifier of the resistance conferred by the L1014F mutation. Results: Anopheles coluzzii was by far the dominant (99%) member of the An. gambiae s.l. complex in Ebolowa. The species was fully susceptible to carbamates and organophosphates, but resistant to all pyrethroid insecticides tested. Resistance was of moderate intensity for deltamethrin (mortality: 37%, 70% and 99% for 1×, 5× and 10× insecticide concentration, respectively) but rather of high intensity for permethrin (5% for 1×; 62% for 5× and 75% for 10×) and for alphacypermethrin (4.4% for 1×; 57% for 5× and 80% for 10×). Pre-exposure to the synergist PBO resulted in a full recovery of the susceptibility to delthametrin, but this was not observed for the other two pyrethroids tested. L1014S (kdr-East) and the N1575Y mutations were absent, whereas the L1014F (kdr-West) mutation was present at a high frequency (75%), showing a significant association with resistance to permethrin (OR = 3.8; 95%; CI [1.9–7.4]; p < 0.0001) and alphacypermethrin (OR = 3; 95%; CI [1.6–5.4]; p = 0.0002). Conclusion: The increased resistance of An. gambiae s.l. to pyrethroid insecticides as observed in Ebolowa poses a threat to the efficacy of LLINs used to protect populations from the bites of Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria parasites. The present study further highlights the urgent need to implement resistance management strategies in order to maintain the effectiveness of insecticide-based vector control interventions and prevent a rebound in malaria-related mortality.