University of Oklahoma

About: University of Oklahoma is a education organization based out in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Radar. The organization has 25269 authors who have published 52609 publications receiving 1821706 citations. The organization is also known as: OU & Oklahoma University.

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of Anopheles mosquitoes and Plasmodium falciparum transmission along the Kenyan coast

Abstract: The seasonal dynamics and spatial distributions of Anopheles mosquitoes and Plasmodium falciparum parasites were studied for one year at 30 villages in Malindi, Kilifi, and Kwale Districts along the coast of Kenya. Anopheline mosquitoes were sampled inside houses at each site once every two months and malaria parasite prevalence in local school children was determined at the end of the entomologic survey. A total of 5,476 Anopheles gambiae s.l. and 3,461 An. funestus were collected. Species in the An. gambiae complex, identified by a polymerase chain reaction, included 81.9% An. gambiae s.s., 12.8% An. arabiensis, and 5.3% An. merus. Anopheles gambiae s.s. contributed most to the transmission of P. falciparum along the coast as a whole, while An. funestus accounted for more than 50% of all transmission in Kwale District. Large spatial heterogeneity of transmission intensity (< 1 up to 120 infective bites per person per year) resulted in correspondingly large and significantly related variations in parasite prevalence (range = 38-83%). Thirty-two percent of the sites (7 of 22 sites) with malaria prevalences ranging from 38% to 70% had annual entomologic inoculation rates (EIR) less than five infective bites per person per year. Anopheles gambiae s.l. and An. funestus densities in Kwale were not significantly influenced by rainfall. However, both were positively correlated with rainfall one and three months previously in Malindi and Kilifi Districts, respectively. These unexpected variations in the relationship between mosquito populations and rainfall suggest environmental heterogeneity in the predominant aquatic habitats in each district. One important conclusion is that the highly non-linear relationship between EIRs and prevalence indicates that the consistent pattern of high prevalence might be governed by substantial variation in transmission intensity measured by entomologic surveys. The field-based estimate of entomologic parameters on a district level does not provide a sensitive indicator of transmission intensity in this study.

LDL cholesterol as a strong predictor of coronary heart disease in diabetic individuals with insulin resistance and low LDL: The Strong Heart Study.

Abstract: —Diabetes has been shown to increase the risk of coronary heart disease in all populations studied. However, there is a lack of information on the relative importance of diabetes-associated risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially the role of lipid levels, because low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol often is not elevated in diabetic individuals. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate CVD risk factors in a large cohort of diabetic individuals and to compare the importance of dyslipidemia (ie, elevated triglycerides and low levels of high density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol) and LDL cholesterol in determining CVD risk in diabetic individuals. The Strong Heart Study assesses coronary heart disease and its risk factors in American Indians in Arizona, Oklahoma, and South/North Dakota. The baseline clinical examinations (July 1989 to January 1992) consisted of a personal interview, physical examination, and drawing of blood samples for 4549 study participants (2034 with ...

Supply chain process integration: a theoretical framework

Abstract: The current study was undertaken to further understanding of supply chain process integration. It is suggested that supply chain integration, the practice of realigning firms' operating structures, should be understood from an internal-external perspective and a process view. Drawing upon four theories—Strategy-Structure-Performance framework, the resource based view of the firm, transaction cost economics, and social network analysis—and combining industry inputs, a theoretical framework of supply chain process integration is developed. It is argued that a firm's strategic priorities are key factors of supply chain process integration. Superior performance is likely to be achieved when necessary supply chain capabilities are developed through supply chain process integration.