Sonographic Dimension of Fetal Nuchal Translucency in Kano Metropolis: A single Center Study

Background: Nuchal Translucency Thickness (NTT) is a hypo-echoic region of subcutaneous fluid accumulation in the posterior neck region at the  level of the cervical spine between the skin and soft tissues and is mostly found at 11–13 weeks of fetal gestation. It is visualised with a mid-sagittal  ultrasound view of the fetus in a neutral position. The NTT provides a risk assessment for chromosomal abnormalities which has been used as a  marker of possible fetal abnormalities. Hence, the justification to conduct the present study. Aim: To establish the mean fetal nuchal translucency thickness with corresponding gestational age (GA) and to assess the correlation between  Crown Rump Length (CRL), GA, and NTT among apparently healthy pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 apparently normal consenting pregnant women in their late first trimester in the  Radiology department of Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital, Kano from February 2021 to May 2021. Ultrasonographic measurements of  the crown-rump length (CRL), gestational age (GA), and NTT were performed on pregnancies within 11 to 13 weeks of gestation. Their 2.5th,  25th, median and 97.5th percentiles of the NTT, GA, and CRL were determined using SPSS version 23 (IBM, 2017). Indicate correlation… as part of  the analysis. Results: Median NTT at 11-13+6 weeks of gestation was found as 3.0±0.10mm. The NT thickness increased with increasing CRL and gestational  week in the first trimester. The correlation coefficient between NTT and CRL as well as GA were 0.472 and 0.451, respectively. Conclusion: The  overall mean NTT in Kano fetuses was determined. These should be useful for first-trimester screening in ruling out potential fetal chromosomal  abnormalities in Kano, Nigeria

Petty corruption in the Ghanaian police sector

Thesis submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University College, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, April 2017Background of the Study According to Tanzi (1998) corruption has been a part of our societies for many centuries, and this has been an issue that many political regimes have either tried to solve or bury. Some political leaders come into power with the intention to fix the economy and eradicate corruption as their primary goal. However, leaders end up making situations worse for the economy because they lack the understanding of how sensitive corruption is as a problem. Corruption has been in existence for many years, embedded in the roots of our economic development, which is why countries that are highly corrupt are most likely to experience slow development. The issue with fighting corruption is that when a leader comes into power with the aim of building a better nation, the next leader may not necessarily share the same vision. Hence, eradicating corruption in a country could take a longer time than it has been in existence because there are several stages to it. The popularly known definition of corruption is the misuse or abuse of power to personally gain from it (Transparency International, n.d.). Corruption cuts across the public and private sectors or institutions in the country from the highest levels to the lowest stages. Corruption in any nation starts from the top, as high as in the presidential political parties known as grand and political corruption, down to the lowest levels in government institutions referred to as petty or bureaucratic corruption (Elaine Byrne, 2009). These forms of corruption are fraud, bribery, extortion, embezzlement and nepotism. A clear example of corruption starting at the highest level of an institution was during the Nkrumah regime of Republic of Ghana. 4 Ghana, once known as the Gold Coast is West African country formerly colonized by British. The country was led to independence by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah on the 6th of March, 1957. Ghana’s highest achievement was becoming the first country in the sub-Saharan Africa to achieve independence from colonial rule (About Ghana, 2004). However, with such great achievement came the root of corruption in the county. Ghana had so much pride in becoming the first African country to escape colonial rule and in obtaining higher living conditions, better educational facilities, and more skilled and experienced workers than most other African countries. Consequently, Ghana was supposed to be the model for the newly independent African states. The country however failed, as Ghanaians were shown to be corrupt and inept (Werlin H. H., 1972). According to Werlin H. H., (1972) corruption in Ghana started long before the country gained its independence, but worsened during Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s regime. Under Nkrumah’s regime, corruption was acted as a requirement to meet certain roles, make a gain or achieve an objective in society, that when not met could result to serious failure on that person’s part. Corruption was not only practiced by politicians alone, but by powerful people in the civil service, in commercial corporations, in political parties and so on. The extent of corruption was severe in Ghana under Nkrumah’s administration that it was documented by more than 40 committees of enquiry. The National Development Corporation was set up in 1958 as a legitimate insurance business. However, to facilitate the collection and handling of bribes, this same corporation became an avenue through which commissions and other cash could be collected. Those resistant were effectively 5 disallowed government contracts, thus it became necessary to bribe many levels of the governing body to carry on a business According to Werlin H. H., (1973) an American political scientist argues that the level of corruption is more extensive and effective in developing countries because of the condition under which the administrations are formed. There are no adequate measures for coordination, criticism and control necessary for meaningful legislation. Thus, legislation tends to be poorly formulated in developing countries. Nkrumah left Ghana with serious balance of payments, starting with a considerable large foreign reserve fund of over $500 million at the time of independence. By 1966, the country had an external public debt of over$800 million. Inflation was high between 1964 – 1965 causing a rise in price level to 30 percent, creating serious unemployment. A great deal of Ghana’s economic trouble based on corruption is difficult to determine. Ultimately, the effect of corruption in Ghana weakened the legitimacy of the regime. Corrupt practices have the capacity to affect not just the country but the lives of millions of people in that country. Corruption can be a voluntarily act or it can be imposed on someone when it becomes a norm practiced in that society, as in the case of Nkrumah’s regime. Corruption distorts labor markets, discourages investment, leads to misallocation of resources and alters the distribution of income. Corruption does not affect everyone equally in the society but has a larger effect on the underprivileged class. When the poor are asked to pay bribes, it takes away a higher percentage of their incomes as compared to similar payments by the high class. In this case, it acts as a regressive tax, when the low 6 income earners carry a relatively larger weight than the high-income earners. Corruption leads to poor delivery of public services such as health care and education. Such deterioration affects the lower class because they may have to pay bribes to receive proper services and because they are more dependent on the public amenities (Gale, 2008).Ashesi University Colleg

Oxide-Based Nanocomposites for Food Packaging Application: A Review

Silver nanoparticles and/or nanoclay [particularly montmorillonite] are used in the majority of nanotechnology applications for food packaging. Other nanomaterials, on the other hand, can also be integrated into packaging. Metal oxide nanoparticles have been added to petroleum-based and biopolymers to produce nanocomposites with improved mechanical, barrier, antioxidants and antimicrobial properties. Nanoparticles migration from packaging, on the other hand, is a source of concern due to their potential toxicity in the human body and the environment. The purpose of this article therefore, was to review the available literature on the utilization of metal oxide-based nanoparticles to produce nanocomposites for food packaging application. Advantages of incorporating metal oxide-based nanoparticles into polymers, as well as migration of these nanomaterials from packaging into foods are discussed. Incorporation of metal oxide nanoparticles into polymers allows for the production of nanocomposites with increased mechanical strength, water and oxygen barrier properties, and can also confer other additional functional properties, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial activity and light-blocking properties. According to migration studies, only a small quantity of nanomaterial migrates from packaging into food simulants or foods, implying that consumer exposure to these nanomaterials and the health concerns associated with them are low. Nonetheless, there is a scarcity of information on the migration of nanomaterials from packaging into actual foods, and more research is desperately needed in this area. This manuscript is useful in the food industries as it indicate the applicability and potential of the oxide-based nanocomposites as a promising approach for use in food packaging applications

Evaluation of two red cell inclusion staining methods for assessing spleen function among sickle cell disease patients in North-East Nigeria

Introduction The loss of splenic function is associated with an increased risk of infection in sickle cell disease (SCD); however, spleen function is rarely documented among SCD patients in Africa, due partly to the non-availability of sophisticated techniques such as scintigraphy. Methods of assessing splenic function which may be achievable in resource-poor settings include counting red blood cells (RBC) containing Howell Jolly Bodies (HJB) and RBC containing silver-staining (argyrophilic) inclusions (AI) using a light microscope. We evaluated the presence of HJB - and AI - containing RBC as markers of splenic dysfunction among SCD patients in Nigeria. Methods We prospectively enrolled children and adults with SCD in steady state attending outpatient clinics at a tertiary hospital in North-East Nigeria. The percentages of HJB- and AI-containing red cells were estimated from peripheral blood smears and compared to normal controls. Results There were 182 SCD patients and 102 healthy controls. Both AI- and HJB-containing red cells could be easily identified in the participants blood smears. SCD patients had a significantly higher proportion of red cells containing HJB (1.5%; IQR 0.7% - 3.1%) compared to controls (0.3%; IQR 0.1% - 0.5%) ( P = 0.0001). The AI red cell counts were also higher among the SCD patients (47.4%; IQR 34.5% - 66.0%) than the control group (7.1%; IQR 5.1% - 8.7%) ( P = 0.0001). The intra-observer reliability for assessment of HJB-(R = 0.92; R 2 = 0.86) and AI-containing red cells (R = 0.90; R 2 = 0.82) was high. The estimated intra-observer agreement was better with the HJB count method (95% limits of agreement, −4.5 to 4.3; P = 0.579). Conclusion We have demonstrated the utility of light microscopy in the assessment of red cells containing - HJB and AI inclusions as indices of splenic dysfunction in Nigerian SCD patients. These methods can be easily applied in the routine evaluation and care of patients with SCD to identify those at high risk of infection and initiate appropriate preventive measures

Determinants of splenic preservation among patients with sickle cell disease in North‐Eastern Nigeria

Objective: In patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), the spleen commonly enlarges during early childhood, but undergoes reduction in size and fibrosis from repeated episodes of vaso‐occlusion and infarction. The rate of progression of this process varies markedly among these patients. The aim of current study was to explore clinical and laboratory factors associated with the preservation of the spleen among these patients. Methods: Two hundred four patients with SCD (103 females; age 1–45 years) underwent abdominal ultrasonography at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Nigeria between October 2020 and November 2021 to assess for splenic visualisation and echotexture. Steady‐state clinical parameters and blood samples for full blood count, serum chemistry, high‐performance liquid chromatography and malaria parasitemia were obtained from all the patients. Results: The spleen was visualised in 107 (52.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 46%–59%) patients with SCD on ultrasonography. While the spleen was visualised in all children less than 5 years of age, it was visualised in only 23.5% of those aged 15 years and older. Visualisation of the spleen was significantly associated with low mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and high haemoglobin F (HbF) in those younger than 10 years. The odds of visualisation of the spleen on ultrasonography increased by a factor of 1.17% for every 1% increase in HbF level. Only 32 (15%) patients were on regular hydroxyurea therapy. The HbF level was significantly higher among patients on hydroxyurea (median 12.7 vs. 7.4; p < 0.0001). Conclusion: In patients with SCD, failure to visualise the spleen was not found in children less than 5 years old. Patients with visualised spleens had a higher level of HbF than those with non‐visualised spleens. HbF was significantly associated with visualisation of the spleen before 10 years of age. Since early administration of hydroxyurea will increase HbF level, we expect that it would help to preserve the spleen

Evaluation of two red cell inclusion staining methods for assessing spleen function among sickle cell disease patients in North-East Nigeria

Introduction: The loss of splenic function is associated with an increased risk of infection in sickle cell disease (SCD); however, spleen function is rarely documented among SCD patients in Africa, due partly to the non-availability of sophisticated techniques such as scintigraphy. Methods of assessing splenic function which may be achievable in resource-poor settings include counting red blood cells (RBC) containing Howell Jolly Bodies (HJB) and RBC containing silver-staining (argyrophilic) inclusions (AI) using a light microscope. We evaluated the presence of HJB - and AI - containing RBC as markers of splenic dysfunction among SCD patients in Nigeria. Methods: We prospectively enrolled children and adults with SCD in steady state attending outpatient clinics at a tertiary hospital in North-East Nigeria. The percentages of HJB - and AI-containing red cells were estimated from peripheral blood smears and compared to normal controls. Results: There were 182 SCD patients and 102 healthy controls. Both AI- and HJB-containing red cells could be easily identified in the participants blood smears. SCD patients had a significantly higher proportion of red cells containing HJB (1.5%; IQR 0.7% - 3.1%) compared to controls (0.3%; IQR 0.1% - 0.5%) (P <0.0001). The AI red cell counts were also higher among the SCD patients (47.4%; IQR 34.5% - 66.0%) than the control group (7.1%; IQR 5.1% - 8.7%) (P < 0.0001). The intra-observer reliability for assessment of HJB- (r = 0.92; r2 = 0.86) and AI- containing red cells (r = 0.90; r2 = 0.82) was high. The estimated intra-observer agreement was better with the HJB count method (95% limits of agreement, -4.5% to 4.3%; P = 0.579). Conclusion: We have demonstrated the utility of light microscopy in the assessment of red cells containing - HJB and AI inclusions as indices of splenic dysfunction in Nigerian SCD patients. These methods can be easily applied in the routine evaluation and care of patients with SCD to identify those at high risk of infection and initiate appropriate preventive measures

Clinical and Laboratory Factors Associated with Splenic Dysfunction Among Sickle Cell Disease Patients in a malaria endemic region

Background Although loss of splenic function is the expected natural course for individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD), factors such as high HbF and coexistence of alpha thalassemia may ameliorate this process. We evaluated factors associated with two surrogate markers of spleen dysfunction - Howell-Jolly bodies (HJB) and argyrophilic inclusion (AI) red cell counts among SCD patients. Methods Cross-sectional data of 182 SCD patients (median age 11 years;1- 45 years) and 102 normal controls (median age 12 years;1-32 years) were evaluated. Blood tests including full blood count, serum chemistry and HPLC were performed. The HJB and AI red cell counts were performed on peripheral blood smears. Results The percentages of HJB- and AI- red cells rose significantly with increasing age in the SCD group. On regression analysis, frequency of HJB red cells associated positively with MCH (β = 0.289; P = 0.001) and negatively with HbF (β = -0.259; P = 0.002). The AI red cell counts also associated positively with MCH (β = 0.321; P=0.001) and negatively with HbF (β = -0.242; P = 0.020). Conclusion Data from this study indicates that the negative association of HbF with both markers of splenic dysfunction among our SCD patients residing in a malaria-endemic region is similar to findings elsewhere of its ameliorating effect on splenic dysfunction