BackgroundWeather variables affect dengue transmission. This study aimed to identify a dengue weather correlation pattern in Kandy, Sri Lanka, compare the results with results of similar studies, and establish ways for better control and prevention of dengue.MethodWe collected data on reported dengue cases in Kandy and mid-year population data from 2003 to 2012, and calculated weekly incidences. We obtained daily weather data from two weather stations and converted it into weekly data. We studied correlation patterns between dengue incidence and weather variables using the wavelet time series analysis, and then calculated cross-correlation coefficients to find magnitudes of correlations.ResultsWe found a positive correlation between dengue incidence and rainfall in millimeters, the number of rainy and wet days, the minimum temperature, and the night and daytime, as well as average, humidity, mostly with a five- to seven-week lag. Additionally, we found correlations between dengue incidence and maximum and average temperatures, hours of sunshine, and wind, with longer lag periods. Dengue incidences showed a negative correlation with wind run.ConclusionOur results showed that rainfall, temperature, humidity, hours of sunshine, and wind are correlated with local dengue incidence. We have suggested ways to improve dengue management routines and to control it in these times of global warming. We also noticed that the results of dengue weather correlation studies can vary depending on the data analysis.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40249-015-0075-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Experiments were conducted in 1989 and 1990 to investigate the influence of 220 g ai ha–1AC 263,222, 840 g ai ha-4glufosinate, 560 g ai ha–1glyphosate, and 840 g ai ha–1paraquat applied at R5, R6, R7, and R8 soybean growth stages as harvest-aid treatments on soybean seed quality. Soybean yield was severely reduced by all herbicides applied at R5. Only paraquat and glufosinate reduced soybean yield when applied at R6, and none of the herbicides reduced yield when applied at R7 or R8. Paraquat and glufosinate reduced seed weight when applied at RS and R6. Glyphosate and AC 263,222 reduced seed germination when applied at RS, R6, and R7 growth stages, and normal seedling percentages were also reduced by glyphosate at these growth stages. Glufosinate and AC 263,222 affected normal seedlings only at R5 and R6. Soybean hypocotyl and primary root lengths were reduced by glyphosate and AC 263,222 applications at R5 and R6, whereas glufosinate and paraquat did not affect these variables. Glyphosate applied at R5 reduced shoot weight in 1-mo-old soybean plants. No effects were observed on soybean yield, seed germination or seedling development when herbicides were applied at R8.

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This study was undertaken to measure the liberation in vitro of ellagic acid [2], a naturally occurring inhibitor of carcinogenesis, from precursor ellagitannins under conditions found in the gut tract. Enzymes, namely beta-glucosidase, esterases, and alpha-amylase, were incubated with raspberry extract. In addition, raspberry extract and casuarictin [1] were treated at different pH's and with the contents of small intestine and cecum from rats fed AIN-76A diet. The esterase activity of the enzyme samples was measured spectrophotometrically using p-nitrophenol acetate as the substrate, and the amount of ellagic acid [2] released from all samples was analyzed by hplc. The hydrolysis of the ellagitannins was not catalyzed by any of the purified enzymes tested, and components of the raspberry extract were found to inhibit the purified esterases noncompetitively. Casuarictin [1] was hydrolyzed to yield high quantities of ellagic acid [2] when placed in buffer at pH 7 and 8, or when incubated with cecal contents for two hours. The release of ellagic acid [2] from the raspberry extract was optimal at pH 8, and maximal release in cecal contents occurred with 1 h. Small intestinal contents had no significant effect on ellagic acid liberation from either casuarictin [1] or raspberry extract.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of high-glucose, high-fructose and high-sucrose diets on weight gain, liver lipid metabolism and gene expression of proteins involved with hepatic fat metabolism. Rats were fed a diet containing either 60% glucose, 60% fructose, 60% sucrose, or a standard chow for 28 days. Results indicated that high-fructose and high-sucrose diets were associated with higher mRNA levels of gene transcripts involved with fat synthesis; ACC, FAS and ChREBP, with no change in SREBP-1C mRNA. The protein level of ChREBP and SREBP1c was similar in liver homogenates from all groups, but were higher in nuclear fractions from the liver of high-fructose and high-sucrose fed rats. The mRNA level of gene transcripts involved with fat oxidation was the same in all three diets, whilst a high-fructose diet was associated with greater amount of mRNA of the fat transporter CD36. Despite the changes in mRNA of lipogenic proteins, the body weight of animals from each group was the same and the livers from rats fed high-fructose and high-sucrose diets did not contain more fat than control diet livers. In conclusion, changing the composition of the principal monosaccharide in the diet to a fructose containing sugar elicits changes in the level of hepatic mRNA of lipogenic and fat transport proteins and protein levels of their transcriptional regulators; however this is not associated with any changes in body weight or liver fat content.