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Chia seed, high in dietary-fiber and protein, may have potential to increase satiety. However, previous studies are confounded by differences in energy intake, and none investigated doses CS7 (mean±SEM) (140±9 vs 122±10mm×h, p

Background The preventive and curative strategies of malaria are based on promoting the use of long-lasting insecticidal bed nets (LLINs) and treating confirmed cases with artemisinin-based combination therapies. These strategies have led to a sharp decline in the burden of malaria, which remains a significant public health problem in sub-Saharan countries. The objective of this study was to determine and compare the residual efficacy of LLINs recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Methods The study was conducted in six villages in two sites in Senegal located in the Sahelo-Sudanian area of the Thiès region, 70 km from Dakar and in Mbagame, a semi-urban zone in the Senegal River Valley. A census was conducted of all sleeping places in each household to be covered by LLINs. Five brands of LLIN were distributed, and every six months, retention rates, net use, maintenance, physical integrity, insecticide chemical content, and biological efficacy were examined for each type of LLIN. Results A total of 3012 LLINs were distributed in 1249 households in both sites, with an average coverage rate of 94% (95% CI 92.68–95.3). After 36 months, the average retention rate was 12.5% and this rate was respectively 20.5%, 15.1%, 10%, 7%, and 3% for Olyset Net®, Dawa Plus® 2.0, PermaNet® 2.0, NetProtect® and Life Net®, respectively. The proportion of LLINs with holes and the average number of holes per mosquito net increased significantly during each follow-up, with a large predominance of size 1 (small) holes for all types of LLINs distributed. During the three-year follow-up, bioassay mortality rates of a susceptible strain of insectary reared Anopheles coluzzii decreased in the following net types: in Dawa Plus® 2.0 (100–51.7%), PermaNet® 2.0 (96.6–83%), and Olyset Net® (96.6–33.3%). Mortality rates remained at 100% in Life Net® over the same time period. After 36 months, the average insecticide content per brand of LLIN decreased by 40.9% for Dawa Plus® 2.0, 31% for PermaNet® 2.0, 39.6% for NetProtect® and 51.9% for Olyset Net® and 40.1% for Life Net. Conclusions Although some net types retained sufficient insecticidal activity, based on all durability parameters measured, none of the net types survived past two years.

Despite being largely preventable, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still the leading cause of death globally. Recent studies suggest that the immune system, particularly a form of systemic chronic inflammation (SCI), is involved in the mechanisms leading to CVD; thus, targeting SCI may help prevent or delay the onset of CVD. In a recent placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial, an oat product providing 3 g of β-Glucan improved cholesterol low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and lowered cardiovascular risk in adults with borderline high cholesterol. Here, we conducted a secondary measurement of the serum samples to test whether the oat product has the potential to reduce SCI and improve other clinical outcomes related to healthy aging. We investigated the effects of the oat product on a novel metric for SCI called Inflammatory Age® (iAge®), derived from the Stanford 1000 Immunomes Project. The iAge® predicts multimorbidity, frailty, immune decline, premature cardiovascular aging, and all-cause mortality on a personalized level. A beneficial effect of the oat product was observed in subjects with elevated levels of iAge® at baseline (>49.6 iAge® years) as early as two weeks post-treatment. The rice control group did not show any significant change in iAge®. Interestingly, the effects of the oat product on iAge® were largely driven by a decrease in the Eotaxin-1 protein, an aging-related chemokine, independent of a person’s gender, body mass index, or chronological age. Thus, we describe a novel anti-SCI role for oats that could have a major impact on functional, preventative, and personalized medicine.

Only 1% to 5% of HIV patients who develop a direct complications following. HIV infection can result in stroke via several mechanisms, including opportunistic infection, vasculopathy, cardioembolism, and coagulopathy. It is a rare association, here we report the case of a woman of 69 years immunocompromised who Stroke diagnosed without another etiology found despite an etiologic assessment of the most common causes in our context. The patient had received treatment with an overall favorable evolution. Before a stroke recurrent of unknown etiology should think of HIV as this will allow appropriate treatment. The mechanism can be related with syphilis (Vasculitis) or by direct action of the virus on the central nervous system.

L’algue carraghénophyte Gymnogongrus patens présente une large distribution sur le littoral marocain, sa valorisation et son exploitation ont été précédées par l’étude de sa biologie en milieu naturel. Le site étudié est la plage de Méhdia situé au nord de la côte atlantique marocaine. L’influence des facteurs environnementaux (température, salinité, nitrates et phosphates) sur l’évolution de la croissance a été étudiée par d’analyse en composantes principales (ACP). La croissance de l’espèce présente une variation saisonnière, ainsi deux périodes de croissance ont été déterminées : une période de forte croissance fin printemps et été et une période de faible croissance en automne et en hiver. L’ACP a confirmé cette saisonnalité de la croissance, en précisant que le gain en poids de thalles est principalement lié à l’augmentation de nombre de ramification total. La période active de croissance est caractérisée par l’élévation de la température, de la salinité et de l’intensité lumineuse principalement. L’étude de la capacité reproductive de G. patens a permis de montrer que l’espèce est fertile toute l’année avec une dominance de la génération tétrasporophytiques. Le maximum de fertilité a été obtenu en été.Mots-clés : Gymnogongrus patens, croissance, reproduction, ACP, Maroc.Growth and reproductuive capacity of Gymnogongrus patens (Rhodophyceae, Gigartinale) on the Morccan Atlantic coastGymnogongrus patens represent an important biomass along the Atlantic coast of Morocco, the first step befor exploitation is gather information about the biology and growth of this species in naturel environment. The studied site is the beach of Mehdia located at the north of the Moroccan Atlantic Coast. The influence of environmental parametres (temperature, salinty, nitrates and phosphates) on growth has been studied using Principal Components Analysis (ACP). The monthly survey of its growth did sow seasonal variations. G. Patens has 2 periods of growth: period’s active growth at the ending of spring and summer and period’s weak growth in automn and winter. ACP showed a seaonal variation of the species growth. The active growth periods of G. Patens are characterized by important temperature and salinty and light intensities. The species was fertil almost all along the year and tetrasporophyte pahse predominated. The maximum of fertility was obtained in summer.Keywords : gymnogongrus patens, growth, reproduction, ACP, Morocco.

La province de Sidi Slimane (Maroc) par son climat et sa position dans la plaine du Gharb en tant qu’une zone d’inondation, engendre une grande variété de gîtes larvaires culicidiens. Les autorités sanitaires de la province adoptent la stratégie nationale qui vise essentiellement le maintien de l’élimination des maladies parasitaires à transmission vectorielle et notamment le paludisme autochtone qui repose en grande partie sur la lutte contre le vecteur. Cette lutte ne peut être efficace sans la bonne connaissance de la répartition de ce vecteur dans l’espace et dans le temps. Dans ce travail nous avons suivi l’évolution spatiotemporelle de 06 espèces de la famille de culicidae (1 espèce d’Anophèles, 5 espèces de Culex) dans huit (08) stations au cours d’un cycle hydrologique de l’année 2011 dans la province de Sidi Slimane (Maroc). Les différents peuplements étudiés sont largement dominés par Cx. pepiens aussi bien spatialement que temporellement. C’est une espèce ubiquiste et printano-automnale. CX.hortensis est une espèce printanière. Cx. theileri est une espèce qui enregistre son maximum d’abondance en printemps. CX. laticinctus évolue également dans un gîte permanent presque durant toute l’année, An. labranchiae, CX.medestus, espèces qui ont des exigences quant au type de gîtes à coloniser.Mots-clés : culicidae, spatio-temporel, anophèles, culex, Sidi Slimane, MarocStudy of the population dynamics of stational culicidées in the province of Sidi Slimane (Morocco)The province of Sidi Slimane (Morocco) by its climate and its geographical situation in the plain of Gharb,which is known as a zone of flood, engenders a big variety of mosquitos larvae breeding grounds. The sanitary authorities of the province adopt the national strategy That aims essentially at eliminating the parasitic diseases at vector transmission , particularly, the autochtonous malaria , That takes the largest part in the fight .However The fight against this vector cannot be effective without a good knowledge of distribution in space and time. In this work we followed the spatiotemporelle evolution of 06 culicidae family species (1 species of Anophèles, 5 species of Culex). In eight (08) stations during a hydrological cycle of the year 2011 in the province. The various studied settlements are largely dominated by Cx. pepiens spatially and temporally as well ubiquist and printano-autumnal. CX.hortensis is a spring species. Cx. theileri is a species which records its maximum of abundance in spring. CX.laticinctus also evolves in the permanent of breeding places almost during all the year. An. labranchiae, CX.medestus, is species which have certain requirements as for the type of breeding places with colonize.Keywords : culicidae, spatio-temporel, anophèles, culex, Sidi Slimane, Morocco.

Les pigments du carraghénophyte, Gymnogongrus patens ont été analysés sur des échantillons d’algues récoltées mensuellement pendant un cycle annuel, d’avril 2002 à mars 2003, sur la plage de Méhdia (Nord-Ouest de la côte atlantique marocaine). Les analyses pigmentaires durant cette période d’étude, montrent que les pigments phycobiliprotéiques présentent des variations saisonnières très marquées pour les R-phycocyanines (R-PE) et les Allophycocyanines (A-PC) et nettement moins importantes pour les R-phycoérytrines (R-PC), avec une dominance des R-PE sur les A-PC et les R-PC. Par contre les teneurs en Chlorophylle a (Chl.a) varient peu. Les taux les plus élevés en R-PE sont obtenus en octobre (2,83mg/g de matière fraîche). L’influence des facteurs physico-chimiques (température (T), salinité (S), nitrates (N) et phosphates (P)) sur l’évolution de la composition pigmentaire a été étudiée par des analyses quantitatives en composantes principales (ACP). Cette analyse montre que l’algue est très riche en A-PC, R-PC et R-PE pendant la saison automnale et hivernale alors qu'elle s'atténue au printemps et en été.Mots-clés : gymnogongrus patens, pigments, facteurs physicochimiques, ACP, côte atlantique marocaine.

Background: Screening of blood donors for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is usually performed by the combined detection of specific IgG and IgM antibody. However, in most of the cases of primary infection HCMV IgG seroconversion is observed concomitantly to IgM production and HCMV IgM antibody detection for blood donor screening is subject to a relatively high frequency of false positive results. Objective: In the present study a newly established HCMV IgG ELISA based on recombinant antigens (anti-HCMV recombinant IgG ELISA, Biotest) was evaluated in terms of sensitivity and specificity for blood donor screening. Study design: A total of 442 serum samples including follow-up sera of five patients suffering from primary HCMV infection, selected seropositive and seronegative blood donors and routine specimens were comparatively investigated with three HCMV antibody ELISAs (anti-HCMV recombinant IgG ELISA, Biotest; Enzygnost anti-CMV/IgG+IgM, Dade Behring; and Captia CMV-TA, Centocor). Results: IgG seroconversion was detected with anti-HCMV recombinant IgG ELISA as early as IgM in all five patients suffering from primary infection. The alternative ELISAs were less sensitive, detecting seroconversion one to three bleeds later in 2 (Enzygnost anti-CMV/IgG+IgM) and 4 patients (Captia CMV-TA), respectively. Anti-HCMV recombinant IgG ELISA showed a 99.1% agreement with Enzygnost anti-CMV/IgG+IgM and/or Western blot in the preselected blood donors and routine specimens. Relatively high numbers of false negative (n=20) and positive results (n=7) were obtained with Captia CMV-TA. Conclusions: Our preliminary data suggest that HCMV antibody screening of blood donors can be performed reliably by detection of specific IgG provided that a highly sensitive assay system is used.

In order to reduce the diagnostic window between the time of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and laboratory diagnosis, new screening enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) which permit the simultaneous detection of HIV antigen and antibody have been developed. Two fourth-generation assays, HIV DUO (Biomérieux) and HIV Combi (Boehringer Mannheim), for the combined detection of HIV antigen and antibody, were compared with a third-generation assay (HIV-1/HIV-2 3rd Generation Plus enzyme immunoassay [EIA]; Abbott) and a p24 antigen test (HIV-1 Ag monoclonal; Abbott). A total of 17 seroconversion panels, 15 cell culture supernatants infected with different HIV type 1 (HIV-1) subtypes, and 255 potentially cross-reactive serum samples were tested. Ten seroconversions were detected an average of 8.1 days earlier with HIV DUO and 7.5 days earlier with HIV Combi than with the third-generation ELISA. Overall, in the 17 seroconversion panels tested, HIV DUO detected HIV-1 infection an average of 4.8 days and HIV Combi detected infection an average of 4.4 days earlier than HIV-1/HIV-2 3rd Generation Plus EIA. HIV antigen was detected with HIV DUO and HIV Combi in all of the 15 cell culture supernatants infected with different HIV-1 subtypes, including subtype O. With fourth-generation assays, considerably fewer false-positive results ( n = 4 to 6) were obtained, in comparison with the third-generation EIA ( n = 18). Fourth-generation assays permit an earlier diagnosis of HIV infection than third-generation antibody screening assays through the detection of p24 antigen, which may be present in serum samples from individuals with recent HIV infection prior to seroconversion.

One of the most challenging issues West African countries are facing at the beginning of the 21st Century is their common security. Located in the western most region of the African continent, West Africa includes 16 countries in an area of approximately 6 million square km. During the past twenty years, this region has been subjected to major conflicts, several insurgencies, and five military coups or attempted coups. While this regional turmoil has more or less been successfully handled, either by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) or the United Nations Organization (UN), West Africa is far from being out of trouble. Indeed, due to the political, economic and security weaknesses of many countries, new pernicious and opportunistic threats are emerging throughout the region. The purpose of this paper is to study the specificity of these new threats, the strategic implication for West African Countries, what responses have so far been brought and their effectiveness and how policies might be explored or improved to address them.