Browsing by Subject "Senegal"

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    Erythrocyte invasion profiles are associated with a common invasion ligand polymorphism in Senegalese isolates of Plasmodium falciparum.
    (Parasitology, 2009-01) Lantos, PM; Ahouidi, AD; Bei, AK; Jennings, CV; Sarr, O; Ndir, O; Wirth, DF; Mboup, S; Duraisingh, MT
    Plasmodium falciparum parasites use multiple ligand-receptor interactions to invade human erythrocytes. Variant expression levels of members of the PfRh and PfEBA ligand families are associated with the use of different erythrocyte receptors, defining invasion pathways. Here we analyse a major polymorphism, a large sequence deletion in the PfRh2b ligand, and erythrocyte invasion profiles in uncultured Senegalese isolates. Parasites vary considerably in their use of sialic acid-containing and protease-sensitive erythrocyte receptors for invasion. The erythrocyte selectivity index was not related to invasion pathway usage, while parasite multiplication rate was associated with enhanced use of a trypsin-resistant invasion pathway. PfRh2b protein was expressed in all parasite isolates, although the PfRh2b deletion was present in a subset (approximately 68%). Parasites with the PfRh2b deletion were found to preferentially utilize protease-resistant pathways for erythrocyte invasion. Sialic acid-independent invasion is reduced in parasites with the PfRh2b deletion, but only in isolates derived from blood group O patients. Our results suggest a significant role for PfRh2b sequence polymorphism in discriminating between alternative erythrocyte receptors for invasion and as a possible determinant of virulence.
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    Power Plays: The Use of Forum Theatre in Senegal and Kenya to Perform Participation and Rehearse Change
    (2013-06-07) Sorrenson, Claire Allegra
    This thesis examines the possibilities and limitations of theatre as a development intervention by exploring its contested execution on the ground. Ethnographic investigations compare NGO-directed “Theatre for Development” initiatives in Senegal to community-directed theatre projects in Kenya. In Senegal, a theatre troupe’s implementation of top-down theatre fails to align with the ideals of the participatory “forum theatre” approach on which the troupe models itself. In Kenya, the process of creating forum theatre uncovers problematic moral attitudes and replicates pre-existing power dynamics. Ultimately, the thesis finds that successful theatre work is premised on strong relationships between facilitators and participants and the ability to facilitate stories that contest and challenge hegemonic versions of reality. Theory and practice align in the final chapter, which provides actionable insights for hopeful and questioning practitioners and practitioners-to-be.