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Biomedical subjects

A Langa

Publications and source records attributed to A Langa.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Heartwater (Cowdria ruminantium infection) as a cause of postrestocking mortality of goats in Mozambique.

A serological survey in Mozambique to detect antibodies to Cowdria ruminantium, the etiologic agent of heartwater, revealed a seroprevalence of 8.1% (n = 332) for goats in the northern province of Tete and of 65.6% (n = 326) for goats in the southern provinces. Translocation of 10 serologically negative goats from Tete to farms in the south resulted in two clinical cases of heartwater that were fatal. In addition, four goats seroconverted within the study period of 5 weeks. One goat showed no symptoms. Two goats died of other causes, whereas the remaining goat went missing after 1 week. Experimental needle infections of goats and sheep were conducted to confirm results and to isolate different strains of C. ruminantium. These data indicate that translocation of goats from the north to the south of Mozambique bears a high risk of C. ruminantium infection, which can cause fatal disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Identifying hazardous or harmful alcohol use in medical admissions: a comparison of audit, cage and brief mast.

Two hundred and forty new medical inpatients received Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), CAGE and brief Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (brief MAST) questionnaires. Sensitivities when identifying weekly drinkers of > 14 units (women) or > 21 units (men) were 93, 79 and 35%, respectively (P < 0.001). Sensitivities to > 21 units (women) or > 28 units (men were 100%, 94% and 47%. Routine screening of medical admissions with the AUDIT (cut-off score 8) is recommended.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Mortality in a hospitalized mentally handicapped population: a 10-year survey.

The mortality experiences of a hospitalized mentally handicapped population between 1981 and 1990 (inclusive) were examined. A continued trend for increasing longevity in both males and females was found, with mean ages at death now approaching those in the general population. The commonest cause of death was non-tubercular respiratory infection, from which patients were particularly at risk during the months of December to February (inclusive). Patients diagnosed as suffering from psychoses other than schizophrenia and mood disorder had an increased mortality and should be thoroughly investigated for the presence of organic pathology. Epilepsy and Down's syndrome were associated with increased risk of earlier death, although in the case of Down's syndrome there has been a marked increase in longevity.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Antibodies to Cowdria ruminantium in Mozambican goats and cattle detected by immunofluorescence using endothelial cell culture antigen.

Endothelial cell cultures, established from bovine umbilical cord arteries and subsequently infected with Cowdria ruminantium, were used as antigen in the indirect fluorescent antibody test. Bovine sera (374) and caprine sera (388) collected in 6 provinces of Mozambique were tested. Overall, 30.4% of goat sera had antibodies to Cowdria, and 43% of sera collected from cattle. North of the River Save, where the tick Amblyomma variegatum is highly prevalent, overall percentages of positive sera were low, 10% in goats and 20% in cattle. However, south of the river where the tick Amblyomma hebraeum is abundant percentages were much higher, 63.5% in goats and 59.4% in cattle. These results are discussed in relation to field observations that clinical disease is rare or absent in the north with enzootic instability in goats and Friesian calves in the south.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of a yellow filter on mesopic contrast perception and differential light sensitivity in the visual field.

PURPOSE: Previous studies on the effects of yellow filters in the visual performance have been carried out, presenting discrepancies among the different investigations. Our study reports the influence of the yellow filter without residual reflections on contrast perception and differential light sensitivity (DLS) under mesopic conditions. METHODS: Contrast sensitivity, low contrast visual acuity and luminance thresholds in the central visual field (30 degrees ) were measured in a group of 38 adult subjects with and without a coated yellow lens (482-nm cut-off) under mesopic conditions. RESULTS: The contrast sensitivity mean was significantly better with the filter at low- and middle-range spatial frequencies (1.5 cycles/degree p = 0.002 and 6 cycles/degree p = 0.02). At 5% contrast, the mesopic low contrast visual acuity improved significantly (p = 0.004) when interposing the yellow filter. The increase in DLS was statistically significant [e.g. all visual fields p = 0.0003 and macular visual field (9.5 degrees ) p = 0.00001] through the yellow filter on the different established areas of the visual field (30 degrees ). CONCLUSIONS: The yellow filter without residual reflections had a positive influence on the brightness and contrast perception of healthy subjects, for which its use would be beneficial under mesopic conditions.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Volatile substance abuse: a brief report.

Volatile substance abuse (VSA) is on the increase: the practice is widespread among young people and concern has often been expressed about its potential dangers. It is estimated that in the United Kingdom between 3.5-10% of current adolescents have at least experimented with solvents, and up to 1% of the secondary school population are currently abusers. Adequate assessment of each individual case is essential as this will lead to appropriate therapeutic interventions and rational management of associated problems.

Administration, Inhalation↗