| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
- Abbadessa, G, et al.
(författare)
-
Unsung hero Robert C. Gallo
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Science (New York, N.Y.). - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 1095-9203 .- 0036-8075. ; 323:5911, s. 206-207
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
|
|
| 8. |
- Abbo, Catherine
(författare)
-
Profiles and outcome of traditional healing practices for severe mental illnesses in two districts of Eastern Uganda
- 2009
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: The WHO estimates that more than 80% of African populations attend traditional healers for health reasons. However, little is known about the profiles and outcome of this traditional approach to treatment of mental illnesses. Main Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the profiles and outcome of traditional healing practices for severe mental illnesses in Jinja and Iganga districts in the Busoga region of Eastern Uganda. Methods: Four studies were conducted (I-IV). Study I used Focus Group Discussions with Case Vignettes with local community members and traditional healers to explore the lay concepts of psychosis. Studies II and III concerned a cross-sectional survey of patients above 18 years at the traditional healer s shrines and study IV was made on a prospective cohort of patients diagnosed with psychosis in study III. Manual content analysis was used in study I; quantitative data in studies II, III and IV were analyzed at Univariate, Bivariate and Multivariate levels to determine the association between psychological distress and socio-demographic factors; for study IV, factors associated with outcome were analyzed. One-way ANOVA for independent samples was the analysis used in Study IV. Results: The participants differentiated schizophrenia (eddalu, ilalu) from mania (kazoole) and psychotic depression (described as illness from too much thinking), describing the symptomatology and natural course. Clan/family/cultural issues were mentioned as causing schizophrenia and psychotic depression, while physical causes and a failed relationship with God were mentioned for mania. Other causes were witchcraft, genetics and substance misuse. Choice of care depended on what was believed to be the cause of the psychotic symptoms (I).The prevalence of psychological distress was 65.1%. Significant associated factors were having a co-wife, more than four children; debts and lack of food. The distressed group was more likely to need explanations for ill health. Those who visited both the healer and a health unit were less likely to be distressed (II). Of the 387 respondents, 60.2% had diagnosable current mental illness and 16.3% had had one disorder in their lifetime. Of those with diagnosable current mental illnesses, 29.7% had psychosis; 5.4% a major depressive episode; 5.6% anxiety disorders; 3.6% mixed anxiety-depression; and 3.9% suicidality. Symptoms were severe in 37.7%, moderate in 35.1%, and mild in 13.2%. Patients with moderate to severe symptoms were more likely to use both biomedical services and traditional healers (III). All the symptom scales showed a percentage reduction of more than 20% at the three- and six-month follow-ups. The differences between the mean scores of the scales were all significant (P<0.0001). The Turkey HSD test was also consistently significant at P<0.01 except for psychotic depression. Over 80% of the participants used biomedical services for the same symptoms in the study period. Patients who combined treatment were less likely to be cases at the three-month follow-up (P=0.002; OR 0.26[0.15-0.58]), but more likely at the six-month follow-up (P=0.020; OR 2.05 [1.10-3.18]). Being in debt was associated with caseness at both three and six months. Conclusion: The community gave indigenous names to psychoses (Mania, Schizophrenia and Psychotic depression) and had multiple explanatory models for them. Thus multiple solutions for these problems are sought (I). Traditional healers shoulder a large burden of care of patients with mental health problems (II and III). An overwhelming majority of Ugandans with psychosis use both biomedical and traditional healing systems. The combined use of these two systems seems to confer some benefits (IV). Implications: For policy makers, for mental health professionals, for traditional healers, for researchers indeed for all those who share the goal of improving the mental health of individuals there can be no alternative to engaging with traditional healers.
|
|
| 9. |
- Abd, Hadi, et al.
(författare)
-
Ante mortem diagnosis of amoebic encephalitis in a haematopoietic stem cell transplanted patient
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1651-1980 .- 0036-5548. ; 41:8, s. 619-622
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Acanthamoeba species are widely distributed free-living amoebae showing an increased role as human pathogens causing encephalitis, keratitis, pneumonitis and dermatitis. A haematopoietic stem cell transplanted (HSCT) patient developed purulent meningitis while awaiting regrafting. The meningitis was thought to be an endogenous infection arising from the mucous membranes primarily involving the cervicofacial regions, probably due to haematogenous spread facilitated by surgery. We diagnosed a fatal case of granulomatous amoebic encephalitis caused by Acanthamoeba castellanii by direct microscopy of a cerebrospinal fluid sample (CSF), Acanthamoeba cultivation, Giemsa staining, polymerase chain reaction and sequencing.
|
|
| 10. |
- Abd, Hadi
(författare)
-
Interaction between waterborne pathogenic bacteria and Acanthamoeba catellanii
- 2006
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Waterborne bacteria cause global public health problems. Francisella tularensis causes tularemia, which is a fatal disease in humans. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic and nosocomial pathogen of humans. Vibrio cholerae O1 and V. cholerae O139 infect only humans and cause epidemic and pandemic cholera. The principal natural reservoirs of these pathogens are largely unknown. To find their aquatic reservoirs is an important factor in the epidemiology of the infections. Acanthamoebais a genus of free-living amoebae, which are found in the aquatic system and include several species and seem to have an increased role as reservoirs to many pathogenic bacteria. Acanthamoeba castellanii was co-cultured with each of the above mentioned bacteria for more than 2 weeks in order to study the interaction. Growth of the microorganisms, localisation and survival of intracellular bacteria was estimated by cell count, viable count, flow cytometry, PCR, fluorescence as well as electron microscopy. The results showed that F. tularensis localised in A. castellanii, multiplied within vacuoles and survived in intact trophozoites, excreted vesicles and cysts. Co-cultivation enhanced growth of F. tularensis, which grew and survived intracellularly for more than 3 weeks. In contrast, growth of singly cultured bacteria decreased significantly to non-detectable level within 2 weeks confirming the intracellular behaviour of the bacterium. The co-cultivation decreased growth of the amoebae in comparison to growth of singly cultured amoebae. Co-cultivation of A. castellanii with different strains of P. aeruginosa PA103 producing different effector proteins secreted by type III secretion system (TTSS) resulted in the death of the amoeba populations. Different analysis disclosed that the number of co-cultured amoebae decreased over time in comparison to the number of singly cultured cells. The TTSS effector proteins ExoU and ExoS induced necrotic cell death to the most of A. castellanii. The interaction between V. cholerae and A. castellanii resulted in growth and survival of V. cholerae O1 as well as O139 in the cytoplasm of trophozoites and in the cysts of A. castellanii. Co-cultivation enhanced growth of V. cholerae, which grew and survived intracellularly for more than 2 weeks, whereas, singly cultured bacteria decreased significantly to non-detectable level within few days disclosing an intracellular behaviour of V. cholerae. In conclusion, methods used in this project showed predation between A. castellanii and the extracellular P. aeruginosa, symbiosis between A. castellanii and each of the facultative intracellular bacterium F. tularensis as well as V. cholerae.
|
|
