2,890 research outputs found
Childhood pneumonia at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin Nigeria
Background/Objectives: Pneumonia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children and thus this study was designed to document the sociodemographic, clinical features as well as the bacterial agents responsible for pneumonia in children seen at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.Methodology: A descriptive cross -sectional study of children aged one month to 14 years with features of pneumonia admitted between July 1st 2010 and June 31st, 2011 was carried out. Sociodemograpic data, clinical features, complications and outcome were obtained. Chest radiographs and blood samples for culture of bacterial organism and full bloodcounts were obtained in all children.Results: Pneumonia accounted for 13.3% (167 out of 1254) of the all admissions during this period. The male: female ratio was 1.5:1, and 101(60.5%) of the children were infants. Bronchopneumonia was identified in 147(88%) children, lobar pneumonia in 15 (9%) while 5(3%) had a combination of both. Cough, fever, difficulty in breathing, tachypnoea andchest wall recessions were recognised as clinical features in the study population. Bacteraemia was present in 46(27%)children and Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism cultured from the blood of children with pneumonia present in 11 (23.9%) out of the 46 (100.0%) isolates. Heart failure was associated complication present in 52 of the 60 children with one or more complications accounting for over 30% of all patients. Eleven out of the 15 children with lobar pneumonia hadpneumonia-related complications which was significantly higher compared to 46 of 157 children with bronchopneumonia, p=0.003. The case fatality was 6.6%. Eight (72.7%) of the children that died were infants while the remaining three (27.3%) were aged between 12 and 60 months. The mean duration of hospitalization among those who survived of 6.5 ±5.0 days was significantly lower than the corresponding value of 10.2 ±12.3 days in those that died, p= 0.042. Conclusion: Pneumonia-related mortality and morbidity is high in under-five children, with the infant age group most affected. Bronchopneumonia is the most prevalent ALRI diagnosis but lobar pneumonia is associated with a higher mortality
Vaccines and immunization: The past, present and future in Nigeria
Vaccines are arguably the most important public health tools available today. Since the successful eradication of smallpox with the use of the vaccine, many vaccines have become available to man. Of great importance to public and child health are the vaccines against the so-called six killer diseases of childhood-measles, pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, tuberculosis and poliomyelitis. In the last 2 decades, effective vaccines against the major causes of pneumonia, another childhood killer, have become available. Data from many parts of the world including African countries have shown the benefits of the pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines. The scientific world is still searching for appropriate candidate vaccines for malaria and HIV infection. Despite the availability and effectiveness of many vaccines, the benefits to a country is highly dependent on a viable and sustainable health system which include adequate financing, dynamic and motivated workforce, strong partnerships and effective community participation. If well deployed, available vaccines as elucidated in this discourse can accelerate the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria and many other developing countries.Key words: Vaccines, Immunizations, Nigeria
Anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia: a case report in a Nigerian child and literature review
This report of Hereditary anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HAED), a genetic disorder characterized by abnormalities of structures of ectodermal origin, was informed by its rarity, and its import for survival in a tropical environment. The five-year old male was first seen on account of inability to cut the front teeth, and a persistent offensive nasal discharge. He had heat intolerance and inability to perspire from early infancy. Pedigree evaluation revealed that both parents are Nigerians and unrelated, but the maternal front dentition was visibly defective. A 19-year old female sibling needed dentures at 10 years of age, while the father was one of two survivors out of 12 children, eight of whom were males. Findings included hypotrichosis; “saddle-nose” deformity and an offensive nasal discharge; the skin was thin, warm and dry; he had no incisors and canines, but had a single erupted premolar on either side and radiographic evidence of unerupted premolars was found. Genetic counseling and parental anticipatory guidance were offered, as was antimicrobial treatment for the co-morbid atrophic rhinitis. Dentures were deferred on the dentist's advice. This case report of HAED in a Nigerian was aimed at raising the local index of clinical suspicion by highlighting the reality of rarities, even with inadequate diagnostic support. The diagnostic parameters, literature review and the management strategies are discussed.Key words: Anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia; hypotrichosis; oligodontia;Nigeri
SWITCHING FROM STATIN MONOTHERAPY TO EZETIMIBE/SIMVASTATIN OR ROSUVASTATIN MODIFIES THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN APOLIPOPROTEIN B, LDL CHOLESTEROL, ANC NON-HDL CHOLETEROL IN PATIENTS AT HIGH RISK OF CORONARY DISEASE
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate relationships between apolipoprotein B (Apo B), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), and non-HDL-C in high-risk patients treated with lipid-lowering therapy.
DESIGN AND METHODS:
This post-hoc analysis calculated LDL-C and non-HDL-C levels corresponding to an Apo B of 0.9 g/L following treatment with 1) statin monotherapy (baseline) and 2) ezetimibe/simvastatin 10/20mg or rosuvastatin 10mg (study end). The percentages of patients reaching LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and Apo B targets were calculated at study end.
RESULTS:
After switching to ezetimibe/simvastatin or rosuvastatin, the LDL-C and non-HDL-C corresponding to Apo B=0.9 g/L were closer to the more aggressive LDL-C and non-HDL-C goals (1.81 and 2.59 mmol/L, respectively). Only slightly >50% of the patients who reached minimum recommended LDL-C or non-HDL-C at study end also had an Apo B level <0.9 g/L with both treatments.
CONCLUSION:
The use of Apo B for monitoring the efficacy of lipid-altering therapy would likely lead to more stringent criteria for lipid lowering
Two-temperature relaxation and melting after absorption of femtosecond laser pulse
The theory and experiments concerned with the electron-ion thermal relaxation
and melting of overheated crystal lattice constitute the subject of this paper.
The physical model includes two-temperature equation of state, many-body
interatomic potential, the electron-ion energy exchange, electron thermal
conductivity, and optical properties of solid, liquid, and two phase
solid-liquid mixture. Two-temperature hydrodynamics and molecular dynamics
codes are used. An experimental setup with pump-probe technique is used to
follow evolution of an irradiated target with a short time step 100 fs between
the probe femtosecond laser pulses. Accuracy of measurements of reflection
coefficient and phase of reflected probe light are ~1% and \sim 1\un{nm},
respectively. It is found that,
{\it firstly}, the electron-electron collisions make a minor contribution to
a light absorbtion in solid Al at moderate intensities;
{\it secondly}, the phase shift of a reflected probe results from heating of
ion subsystem and kinetics of melting of Al crystal during 0
where is time delay between the pump and probe pulses measured from the
maximum of the pump;
{\it thirdly} the optical response of Au to a pump shows a marked contrast to
that of Al on account of excitation of \textit{d}-electronsComment: 6th International Conference on Photo-Excited Processes and
Applications 9-12 Sep 2008, Sapporo, Japan, http://www.icpepa6.com, the
contributed paper will be published in Applied Surface Science(2009
Five-beam interference pattern controlled through phases and wave vectors for diamondlike photonic crystals
We demonstrate, for what is believed to be the first time, the design of diamondlike photonic crystals made by holographic lithography based on five-beam interference. All five beams are launched from the same half-space, and the exposure can easily be realized by a single diffractive optical element. The photonic structure can be constructed through the translation of the interference pattern controlled by the phase shift of laser beams. The proposed holographic lithography is capable of creating series photonic crystals with large photonic bandgaps by adjusting the phase and the wave vector of interfering beams. © 2006 Optical Society of America
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma is not a biomarker for Huntington’s disease
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is implicated in the survival of striatal neurons. BDNF
function is reduced in Huntington’s disease (HD), possibly because mutant huntingtin impairs its
cortico-striatal transport, contributing to striatal neurodegeneration. The BDNF trophic pathway
is a therapeutic target, and blood BDNF has been suggested as a potential biomarker for HD, but
BDNF has not been quantified in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in HD. We quantified BDNF in CSF and
plasma in the HD-CSF cohort (20 pre-manifest and 40 manifest HD mutation carriers and 20 age and
gender-matched controls) using conventional ELISAs and an ultra-sensitive immunoassay. BDNF
concentration was below the limit of detection of the conventional ELISAs, raising doubt about
previous CSF reports in neurodegeneration. Using the ultra-sensitive method, BDNF concentration
was quantifiable in all samples but did not differ between controls and HD mutation carriers in CSF or
plasma, was not associated with clinical scores or MRI brain volumetric measures, and had poor ability
to discriminate controls from HD mutation carriers, and premanifest from manifest HD. We conclude
that BDNF in CSF and plasma is unlikely to be a biomarker of HD progression and urge caution in
interpreting studies where conventional ELISA was used to quantify CSF BDNF
Use of mixed methods designs in substance research: a methodological necessity in Nigeria
The utility of mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) is becoming increasingly accepted in health sciences, but substance studies are yet to substantially benefit from such utilities. While there is a growing number of mixed methods alcohol articles concerning developed countries, developing nations are yet to embrace this method. In the Nigerian context, the importance of mixed methods research is yet to be acknowledged. This article therefore, draws on alcohol studies to argue that mixed methods designs will better equip scholars to understand, explore, describe and explain why alcohol consumption and its related problems are increasing in Nigeria. It argues that as motives for consuming alcohol in contemporary Nigeria are multiple, complex and evolving, mixed method approaches that provide multiple pathways for proffering solutions to problems should be embraced
Coupling Superconducting Qubits via a Cavity Bus
Superconducting circuits are promising candidates for constructing quantum
bits (qubits) in a quantum computer; single-qubit operations are now routine,
and several examples of two qubit interactions and gates having been
demonstrated. These experiments show that two nearby qubits can be readily
coupled with local interactions. Performing gates between an arbitrary pair of
distant qubits is highly desirable for any quantum computer architecture, but
has not yet been demonstrated. An efficient way to achieve this goal is to
couple the qubits to a quantum bus, which distributes quantum information among
the qubits. Here we show the implementation of such a quantum bus, using
microwave photons confined in a transmission line cavity, to couple two
superconducting qubits on opposite sides of a chip. The interaction is mediated
by the exchange of virtual rather than real photons, avoiding cavity induced
loss. Using fast control of the qubits to switch the coupling effectively on
and off, we demonstrate coherent transfer of quantum states between the qubits.
The cavity is also used to perform multiplexed control and measurement of the
qubit states. This approach can be expanded to more than two qubits, and is an
attractive architecture for quantum information processing on a chip.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Natur
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