Influence of Gender and Leg Dominance on Q-angle Among Young Adult Nigerians

The quadriceps femoris muscle angle (Q-angle) is a known index of knee function and patellofemoral kinetics. This study reports normal values of the Q-angle measured bilaterally in a sample of young adult Nigerians aged 17 - 30 years and the influence of leg dominance and gender on the Q-angle. Four hundred healthy volunteers (200 males and 200 females) with no history of musculoskeletal pathology that could influence the Q-angle participated in the study, using the non-probability sample of convenience. The Q-angle was measured using a universal goniometer with the subject in the erect weight-bearing position. Results showed that in the male subjects, the Q-angles were 12.30 ± 4.0E and 10.38 ± 3.49E for the right and left lower limbs respectively, while in the female subjects, the Q-angles were 17.06 ± 3.64E and 14.84 ± 3.47E for the right and left lower limbs respectively. Analysis revealed a significant contra-lateral difference. Generally, the right Q-angle was significantly higher than the left (p< 0.05) in both the male and female subjects. The females had significantly higher Q-angles than their male counterparts (p< 0.05). Leg dominance did not have a significant influence (p > 0.05), as the right Q-angle was higher than the left in subjects with right leg dominance as well as those with left leg dominance. From these results, the assumption that Q-angles in the right and left limbs are equal is contending, and it is therefore recommended that measures of Q-angles should be documented as either right or left in the clinics as well as in research reports. KEY WORDS: Q-angle, leg dominance, gender influenc

Health – related quality of life of Kuwaiti women with breast cancer: a comparative study using the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Kuwaiti perspective on quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer is important because it adds the contribution from a country where the disease affects women at a relatively younger age and seems to be more aggressive. We used the EORTC QLQ – C30 and its breast-specific module (BR-23) to highlight the health-related QOL of Kuwaiti women with breast cancer, in comparison with the international data, and assessed the socio-demographic and clinical variables that predict the five functional scales and global QOL (GQOL) scale of the QLQ – C30.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Participants were consecutive clinic attendees for chemotherapy, in stable condition, at the Kuwait Cancer Control Center.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The 348 participants were aged 20–81 years (mean 48.3, SD 10.3); 58.7% had stages III and IV disease. Although the mean scores for QLQ – C30 (GQOL, 45.3; and five functional scales, 52.6%–61.2%) indicated that the patients had poor to average functioning, only 5.8% to 11.2% had scores that met the </= 33% criterion for problematic functioning, while 12.0% to 40.0% met the >66% criterion for more severe symptoms. Most (47.8%–70.1%) met the >66% criterion for "good functioning" on the BR-23 functional scales. The mean scores of the QLQ – C30 indicated that, despite institutional supports, Kuwaiti women had clinically significantly poorer global QOL and functional scale scores, and more intense symptom experience, in comparison with the international data (i.e., </= 10% difference between groups). For the BR-23, Kuwaiti women seemed to have clinically significantly better functional scale scores, but more severe symptoms, especially systemic side effects and breast symptoms. Younger women had poorer HRQOL scores. In regression analysis, social functioning accounted for the highest proportion of variance for GQOL.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The relatively high number that met the criterion for good functioning on the functional scales is an evidence base to boost national health education about psychosocial prognosis in cancer. In view of the poor performance on the symptom scales, clinicians treating Kuwaiti women with breast cancer should prepare them for the acute toxicities of treatment and address fatigue. The findings call for the institution of a psycho-oncology service to address psycho-social issues.</p

Endomyocardial Fibrosis: Still a Mystery after 60 Years

The pathologist Jack N. P. Davies identified endomyocardial fibrosis in Uganda in 1947. Since that time, reports of this restrictive cardiomyopathy have come from other parts of tropical Africa, South Asia, and South America. In Kampala, the disease accounts for 20% of heart disease patients referred for echocardiography. We conducted a systematic review of research on the epidemiology and etiology of endomyocardial fibrosis. We relied primarily on articles in the MEDLINE database with either “endomyocardial fibrosis” or “endomyocardial sclerosis” in the title. The volume of publications on endomyocardial fibrosis has declined since the 1980s. Despite several hypotheses regarding cause, no account of the etiology of this disease has yet fully explained its unique geographical distribution

ANTAGONISTIC POTENTIALS OF TALINUM\ud TRIANGULARE EXTRACTS AGAINST IRON II –\ud INDUCED OXIDATIVE STRESS IN TISSUE\ud HOMOGENATES OF WISTAR ALBINO RAT -IN\ud VITRO

This studies show the inhibitory effects of an aqueous and ethanolic\ud extracts of Talinum triangulare (Tt) on tissue homogenates of matured\ud male albino rat (Rattus norvegicus) incubated with iron II (60 µM\ud FeSO4) to induced oxidative stress by thiobarbituric acid reactive\ud species (TBARS). The aqueous extract caused significant (p < 0.05)\ud increase in the inhibition against malondialdehyde (MDA) produced in\ud the brain (with IC50 value = 2.45 ± 0.04 µg/ml) and testes homogenates\ud (with IC50 = 0.75 ± 0.02 µg/ml) but significant (p > 0.05) decreased\ud was observed in the treated liver homogenate in dose-dependent\ud manner (0.33-3.33 µg/ml). However, the level of MDA produced was\ud significantly (p < 0.05) increased in the Talinum triangulare ethanolic\ud extract treated rat’s brain (with IC50 value = 1.63 ± 0.01 µg/ml) but\ud significant (p > 0.05) difference was observed in both the liver and the\ud testes homogenates when incubated with Iron II in the in vitro assay. Therefore, it could be\ud concluded that the plant is potentially active against iron II - induced oxidative stress in the\ud brain and testes as it has been implicated in the assay