Safety of blood transfusion: prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen in blood donors in Zaria, Northern Nigeria

Background: Hepatitis B infection has long been known to be common in the general population and due to its mode of transmission through blood transfusion; it had made provision of safe blood difficult especially in developing countries. Method: A retrospective study aimed at reassessing the current of sero-prevalence of hepatitis B infection in blood donors in a typical developing country was conducted. Results: Six thousand and twenty five regular blood were screened our of which 254 (4.2%) were HBsAg positive with lowest rates being in 2001 (3.5%) and the highest rates occurred in 2002(5.1%).Age of donors ranged from 19-42years with a mean 33 years, 98% were males while only 2% were females. Prevalence of HBsAg was 47.2% in patients' replacement donors, 44.5% in relations of antenatal clinic attendees and 8.3% in voluntary donors. Conclusions: This study has revealed a high prevalence rate of hepatitis B infections in all age groups and categories of blood donors in our setting which makes transfusion of unscreened hazardous. Nigerian Journal of Surgical Research Vol. 7(3&4) 2005: 290-29

Sedimentology and paleoenvironmental studies on the Chad formation of Bornu basin, north-eastern Nigeria

This study deals with sedimentology and Paleoenvironmental studies of the Chad Formation in the Bornu Basin. The sandstones which build up this formation are fine, medium to coarse grained sands which are dominantlypoorly sorted. The skewness ranges from positive to very positive while the kurtosis varies from very platykurtic to very leptokurtic. The bivariate plots of standard deviation vs. mean, standard deviation vs. skewness, standarddeviation vs. first percentile, mean vs. first percentile and log probability plots have conclusively define the depositional environment of the arenaceous samples of the Chad Formation as fluvial in origin. The paleocurrent analysis indicates a trend in the northwestern direction which implies that the sediments forming the Chad Formation were derived from the southwest

Barriers and facilitators to human immunodeficiency virus sero-status disclosure in a tertiary health facility in Kano, Nigeria

Disclosure of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) sero-status to sexual partners, family and friends is essential in preventing HIV transmission. An array of benefits has been associated with disclosure; such as early referral to care and treatment, reduced stigma and increased social support. Objectives: We determined the prevalence, barriers and facilitators to HIV sero-status disclosure among clients attending the Antiretroviral (ARV) clinic in AminuKano-Teaching Hospital, Kano. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 231 HIV positive patients attending ARV clinic at AKTH using a systematic sampling technique. Interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain respondent's socio-demographic characteristics, disclosure status, barriers and facilitators of HIV sero-status disclosure. We conducted univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis using SPSS version 22, and a p- value ≤0.05 was considered as the level of significance. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 35 ± 8.64 years with a male to female sex distribution of 53% to 47 % respectively. Majority were not married (74.0%) and two thirds (67%) were Muslims. This study found that 60% of the respondents had disclosed their HIV sero-status and 97% of them had done so voluntarily. The fear of divorce/neglect (p<0.01, aOR=0.017, 95% CI=0.02-0.15) and fear of stigma (p<0.01, aOR=0.03, 95% CI= 0.00-0.03) were found as barriers to HIV sero-status disclosure. Financial difficulties (p<0.01, aOR=3.03, 95% CI=1.16-5.61) and the need for improved access to necessary medical care (p=0.04, aOR=6.52, 95% CI=1.85-23.15) were found to facilitate HIV sero status disclosure. Conclusion: The study found a low HIV sero-status disclosure in Kano. Disclosure being major recommendation by World Health Organisation and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention requires strengthening during patients counselling and education sessions

Breast cancer: detection markers, prognosis, and prevention

Breast cancer is the common invasive cancer with high mortality worldwide. High incidence of breast cancer in South and central America, Southren, Northren, Westren Europe, Ocenia and North America. Lowest breast cancer incidence in Africa and Asia. Risk factors includes: female sex old age, lifestyle, oralcontraceptive, hormone replacement therapy, mutations in the breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1orBRCA2.alcohol intake, hereditary factors, and exposure to chemicals. Breast cancer occurs because of an interaction between external factor and genetically susceptible host. Frequent symptoms of breast cancer is typically a lump and lumps found in the lymph node in the armpits. Diagnosis by physical examination of the breast and mammography. Further tests include histopathological examination, breast cells grading by TNM systeme.g., Zero stage a precancerous or marker condition, stage 1- 3 within the breast and regional nodes, and stage four is metastatic stage. Management of breast cancer depends on the stage of the cancer and age of the patient. Usually treated with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy or both. A multidisciplinary approach is preferable. Metastatic cancer has less favorable prognosis. Prognosis is usually the probability of progression-free survival(PFS) or disease free survival(DFS).Prevention include change in life style, maintaining healthy weight, less alcohol consumption, and intake of marine omega-3 and soy-based foods Prophylactic mastectomy(removal of both breasts) helps in people with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Early detection of breast cancer has better prognosis

A study of cleft lip/palate in a community in the South East of Ghana

The previous study in Wudoaba villages suggested that cleft lip and cleft palate (CL/CP) may be endemic in the Wudoaba cluster of villages in the Ketu South District of the Volta Region in South East Ghana. The study was to detect the prevalence of CL/CP in the Wudoaba communities and to investigate the factors associated with the causes of this malformation in the area. Two different interview-based questionnaires were designed to collect data over a period of 3 days from March 27 to 29, 2006. A purposive and accidental random sampling technique was used in the administering of the various questionnaires to the respondents. Data collected were recorded and analyzed with SPSS version 17.0. A total 99 respondents, with a mean age of 55.0 years, were interviewed. Out of it, 57.6% (n = 57) were related to their spouses: 54 first cousins and three other family relations. The prevalence of CL/CP is at least 6.3 per 1,000 people (i.e., 25/4,000). Majority (56.0%, n = 14) of the cleft cases were unilateral. Interviews revealed that genetic homogeneity and vitamin deficiencies in this community may be a causal factor for the high prevalence of CL/CP. This community provides clues suggesting that the magnitude of CL/CP may be larger than other studies and identifies the Wudoaba population as one that could be further studied to explore the underlying factors causing this congenital malformation

Salicylic acid functionalized silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles for solid phase extraction and preconcentration of some heavy metal ions from various real samples

A method for the preconcentration of trace heavy metal ions in environmental samples has been reported. The presented method is based on the sorption of Cu(II), Cd(II), Ni(II) and Cr(III) ions with salicylic acid as respective chelate on silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles. Prepared adsorbent was characterized by XRD, SEM, BET and FT-IR measurements. The metals content of the sorbed complexes are eluted using 4.0 mL of 1.0 mol L-1 nitric acid. The influences of the analytical parameters including pH, amount of solid phase and condition of eluting solution, the effects of matrix ions on the retention of the analytes were examined. The accuracy and precision of suggested method were tested by analyzing of certified reference materials. The detection limits (3Sb/m, N = 8) for Cu(II), Cd(II), Ni(II) and Cr(III) ions are 0.22, 0.11, 0.27 and 0.15 μg L-1, respectively, and the maximum preconcentration factor is 200. The method was successfully applied to the evaluation of these trace and toxic metals in various waters, foods and other samples

Rationale and design of a proof-of-concept trial investigating the effect of uninterrupted perioperative (par)enteral nutrition on amino acid profile, cardiomyocytes structure, and cardiac perfusion and metabolism of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malnutrition is very common in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Malnutrition can change myocardial substrate utilization which can induce adverse effects on myocardial metabolism and function. We aim to investigate the hypothesis that there is a disturbed amino acids profile in the cardiac surgical patient which can be normalized by (par)enteral nutrition before, during and after surgery, subsequently improving cardiomyocyte structure, cardiac perfusion and glucose metabolism.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This randomized controlled intervention study investigates the effect of uninterrupted perioperative (par)enteral nutrition on cardiac function in 48 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Patients are given enteral nutrition (n = 16) or parenteral nutrition (n = 16), at least two days before, during, and two days after coronary artery bypass grafting, or are treated according to the standard guidelines (control) (n = 16). We will illustrate the effect of (par)enteral nutrition on differences in concentrations of amino acids and asymmetric dimethylarginine and in activity of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase and arginase in cardiac tissue and blood plasma. In addition, cardiomyocyte structure by histological, immuno-histochemical and ultrastructural analysis will be compared between the (par)enteral and control group. Furthermore, differences in cardiac perfusion and global left ventricular function and glucose metabolism, and their changes after coronary artery bypass grafting are evaluated by electrocardiography-gated myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxy-glucose positron emission tomography respectively. Finally, fat free mass is measured before and after intervention with bioelectrical impedance spectrometry in order to evaluate nutritional status.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): <a href="http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2183">NTR2183</a></p

Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury and Pregnancy Initiate Time-Dependent and Robust Signs of Up-Regulation of Cardiac Progenitor Cells

To explore how cardiac regeneration and cell turnover adapts to disease, different forms of stress were studied for their effects on the cardiac progenitor cell markers c-Kit and Isl1, the early cardiomyocyte marker Nkx2.5, and mast cells. Adult female rats were examined during pregnancy, after myocardial infarction and ischemia-reperfusion injury with/out insulin like growth factor-1(IGF-1) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Different cardiac sub-domains were analyzed at one and two weeks post-intervention, both at the mRNA and protein levels. While pregnancy and myocardial infarction up-regulated Nkx2.5 and c-Kit (adjusted for mast cell activation), ischemia-reperfusion injury induced the strongest up-regulation which occurred globally throughout the entire heart and not just around the site of injury. This response seems to be partly mediated by increased endogenous production of IGF-1 and HGF. Contrary to c-Kit, Isl1 was not up-regulated by pregnancy or myocardial infarction while ischemia-reperfusion injury induced not a global but a focal up-regulation in the outflow tract and also in the peri-ischemic region, correlating with the up-regulation of endogenous IGF-1. The addition of IGF-1 and HGF did boost the endogenous expression of IGF and HGF correlating to focal up-regulation of Isl1. c-Kit expression was not further influenced by the exogenous growth factors. This indicates that there is a spatial mismatch between on one hand c-Kit and Nkx2.5 expression and on the other hand Isl1 expression. In conclusion, ischemia-reperfusion injury was the strongest stimulus with both global and focal cardiomyocyte progenitor cell marker up-regulations, correlating to the endogenous up-regulation of the growth factors IGF-1 and HGF. Also pregnancy induced a general up-regulation of c-Kit and early Nkx2.5+ cardiomyocytes throughout the heart. Utilization of these pathways could provide new strategies for the treatment of cardiac disease

Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality. Methods Prospective cohort study in 109 institutions in 41 countries. Inclusion criteria: children &lt;18 years who were newly diagnosed with or undergoing active treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumour, glioma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma. Of 2327 cases, 2118 patients were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality at 30 days, 90 days and 12 months. Results All-cause mortality was 3.4% (n=71/2084) at 30-day follow-up, 5.7% (n=113/1969) at 90-day follow-up and 13.0% (n=206/1581) at 12-month follow-up. The median time from diagnosis to multidisciplinary team (MDT) plan was longest in low-income countries (7 days, IQR 3-11). Multivariable analysis revealed several factors associated with 12-month mortality, including low-income (OR 6.99 (95% CI 2.49 to 19.68); p&lt;0.001), lower middle income (OR 3.32 (95% CI 1.96 to 5.61); p&lt;0.001) and upper middle income (OR 3.49 (95% CI 2.02 to 6.03); p&lt;0.001) country status and chemotherapy (OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.86); p=0.008) and immunotherapy (OR 0.27 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.91); p=0.035) within 30 days from MDT plan. Multivariable analysis revealed laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 5.33 (95% CI 1.19 to 23.84); p=0.029) was associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusions Children with cancer are more likely to die within 30 days if infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, timely treatment reduced odds of death. This report provides crucial information to balance the benefits of providing anticancer therapy against the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with cancer