A study of factors related to over-achievers and under-achievers of average ability at the elementary level.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Quality Assessment of Bread Sold in Gombi Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria

The moisture, ash, crude fiber composition, vitamin (B2, B6 and B12) and mineral (Na, K, Ca Mg, Pb, Cd, Mn)contents as well as Sensory properties (color, taste, odour and texture)of ten brands of bread sold in Gombi Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria were determined using standard methods . Fresh loaves of ten most popular brands of bread namely:Trustee, Destiny, Ziranza, Royal and Zango, were randomly collected. Five of these brands were purchased from bakeries (coded: Aa –Ea), while others of the same brands were purchased from different points of sale (coded: Ab-Eb) within Gombi town. The results of the investigation revealed that Cd, Pb and potassium bromate were not detected in all the samples. Potassium and sodium were predominant among all the tested samples. The moisture, ash and crude fiber contents ranged from (20.00 to 34.49% and 13.96 to 19.49%), (0.49 to 1.95% and 0.50 to 2.49%), and (10.91 to 33.13 and 28.32 to 47.30%) of samples from bakeries and points of sales, respectively.  Vitamins B2, B6 and B12 were non-significant differences (p>0.05) in the vitamin content among the bread samples. The concentrations of all the parameters studied were all within the standard specification given by Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) except crude fiber that is higher. This study showed that the bread brands produced in Gombi town could be nutritious, free from pollutants and suitable for human consumption. Keywords: Bread, Gombi, proximate composition, mineral contents, and vitamins DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/85-07 Publication date:March 31st 201

National trends in total hip arthroplasty for traumatic hip fractures: An analysis of a nationwide all-payer database.

BACKGROUND: Hemiarthroplasty (HA) has traditionally been the treatment of choice for elderly patients with displaced femoral neck fractures. Ideal treatment for younger, ambulatory patients is not as clear. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) has been increasingly utilized in this population however the factors associated with undergoing HA or THA have not been fully elucidated. AIM: To examine what patient characteristics are associated with undergoing THA or HA. To determine if outcomes differ between the groups. METHODS: We queried the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for patients that underwent HA or THA for a femoral neck fracture between 2005 and 2014. The NIS comprises a large representative sample of inpatient hospitalizations in the United States. International Classifications of Disease, Ninth Edition (ICD-9) codes were used to identify patients in our sample. Demographic variables, hospital characteristics, payer status, medical comorbidities and mortality rates were compared between the two procedures. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was then performed to identify independent risk factors of treatment utilized. RESULTS: Of the total 502060 patients who were treated for femoral neck fracture, 51568 (10.3%) underwent THA and the incidence of THA rose from 8.3% to 13.7%. Private insurance accounted for a higher percentage of THA than hemiarthroplasty. THA increased most in urban teaching hospitals relative to urban non-teaching hospitals. Mean length of stay (LOS) was longer for HA. The mean charges were less for HA, however charges decreased steadily for both groups. HA had a higher mortality rate, however, after adjusting for age and comorbidities HA was not an independent risk factor for mortality. Interestingly, private insurance was an independent predictor for treatment with THA. CONLUSION: There has been an increase in the use of THA for the treatment of femoral neck fractures in the United States, most notably in urban hospitals. HA and THA are decreasing in total charges and LOS

Evaluation of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Fish and Water from Lake Geriyo in Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria

Pesticides usage in agricultural fields to control pests is extremely toxic to non-target organisms like fish and affects fish health through deterioration of metabolism, and sometimes leading to death. The present study was carried out to determine the level of organochlorine (OC) pesticide residues in, water and fish (Catfish and Tilapia) from Lake Geriyo, in Adamawa State, Nigeria, in order to find out the extent of pesticide contamination and accumulation in the lake. Soxhlet extraction process was used for the extraction of fish using a mixture of hexane and acetone, while water sample was extracted using dichloromethane liquid- liquid extraction method. The extracts were cleaned-up and analyzed using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The result shows that organochlorine pesticides residues such as endrin, aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor were detected in the water and the fish samples of the study area. Dieldrin was the predominant residue in all the fish samples analysed, at the concentration range of 0.36mg/kg to 0.57mg/kg and 0. 051mg/kg to 0.047mg/kg in Tilapia and catfish respectively, while Lindane was of  higher concentration in water samples, (0.33mg/L) in point p1 upstream and 0.27mg/L in point p2 downstream.  The lowest levels of OC pesticides were related to Endrin, Aldrin and Heptachlor in which Endrin and Heptachor were not found in water samples. The result of the investigation shows that matured fish contain higher concentration of the OC pesticide residues than the immature fish. Dieldrin and Lindane were found to be the predominant pesticide residues in all the analysed water and fish samples. Therefore the result indicates that Lake Gariyo is contaminated by pesticide from the nearby vegetable gardens which affects the water quality and non target organisms like fishes thereof. Keywords: Organochlorine, Pesticides, Lake Geriyo, Adamawa State, Fish and Water DOI: 10.7176/CMR/11-2-0

Vitamin D and Disease Severity in Multiple Sclerosis-Baseline Data From the Randomized Controlled Trial (EVIDIMS)

Objective: To investigate the associations between hypovitaminosis D and disease activity in a cohort of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) patients. Methods: In 51 RRMS and 2 CIS patients on stable interferon-β-1b (IFN-β-1b) treatment recruited to the EVIDIMS study (Efficacy of Vitamin D Supplementation in Multiple Sclerosis (NCT01440062) baseline serum vitamin D levels were evaluated. Patients were dichotomized based on the definition of vitamin D deficiency which is reflected by a < 30 vs. ≥ 30 ng/ml level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). Possible associations between vitamin D deficiency and both clinical and MRI features of the disease were analyzed. Results: Median (25, 75% quartiles, Q) 25(OH)D level was 18 ng/ml (12, 24). Forty eight out of 53 (91%) patients had 25(OH)D levels < 30 ng/ml (p < 0.001). Patients with 25(OH)D ≥ 30 ng/ml had lower median (25, 75% Q) T2-weighted lesion counts [25 (24, 33)] compared to patients with 25(OH)D < 30 ng/ml [60 (36, 84), p = 0.03; adjusted for age, gender and disease duration: p < 0.001]. Expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score was negatively associated with serum 25(OH)D levels in a multiple linear regression, including age, sex, and disease duration (adjusted: p < 0.001). Interpretation: Most patients recruited in the EVIDIMS study were vitamin D deficient. Higher 25(OH)D levels were associated with reduced T2 weighted lesion count and lower EDSS scores

Model for quantitative tip-enhanced spectroscopy and the extraction of nanoscale-resolved optical constants

Near-field infrared spectroscopy by elastic scattering of light from a probe tip resolves optical contrasts in materials at dramatically sub-wavelength scales across a broad energy range, with the demonstrated capacity for chemical identification at the nanoscale. However, current models of probe-sample near-field interactions still cannot provide a sufficiently quantitatively interpretation of measured near-field contrasts, especially in the case of materials supporting strong surface phonons. We present a model of near-field spectroscopy derived from basic principles and verified by finite-element simulations, demonstrating superb predictive agreement both with tunable quantum cascade laser near-field spectroscopy of SiO$_2$ thin films and with newly presented nanoscale Fourier transform infrared (nanoFTIR) spectroscopy of crystalline SiC. We discuss the role of probe geometry, field retardation, and surface mode dispersion in shaping the measured near-field response. This treatment enables a route to quantitatively determine nano-resolved optical constants, as we demonstrate by inverting newly presented nanoFTIR spectra of an SiO$_2$ thin film into the frequency dependent dielectric function of its mid-infrared optical phonon. Our formalism further enables tip-enhanced spectroscopy as a potent diagnostic tool for quantitative nano-scale spectroscopy.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figure

LEVANTAMENTO DE VARIÁVEIS PARA O IMPACTO ORÇAMENTÁRIO DE VACINAS

Introdu&ccedil;&atilde;o e objetivos: A imuniza&ccedil;&atilde;o &eacute; conhecida como uma das interven&ccedil;&otilde;es em sa&uacute;de que mais obtiveram sucesso, estando sempre em crescente desenvolvimento. A incorpora&ccedil;&atilde;o de uma nova vacina afeta os custos, o que justifica a import&acirc;ncia da avalia&ccedil;&atilde;o econ&ocirc;mica dessas vacinas no programa de imuniza&ccedil;&atilde;o, al&eacute;m de auxiliar os gestores na tomada de decis&atilde;o mais consciente1. A an&aacute;lise de impacto or&ccedil;ament&aacute;rio (AIO) &eacute; uma ferramenta importante para os gestores, uma vez que possibilita a predi&ccedil;&atilde;o do impacto financeiro global da incorpora&ccedil;&atilde;o da tecnologia estudada2. Ela sintetiza o conhecimento dispon&iacute;vel e fornece um conjunto de previs&otilde;es espec&iacute;ficas, gerando melhor visualiza&ccedil;&atilde;o por parte do gestor e consequentemente facilitando a tomada de decis&atilde;o3. O objetivo do trabalho foi realizar o levantamento das vari&aacute;veis necess&aacute;rias para a AIO em vacinas, uma vez que n&atilde;o se tem uma padroniza&ccedil;&atilde;o para esse tipo de an&aacute;lise. Metodologia: As vari&aacute;veis propostas pela Diretriz metodol&oacute;gica: an&aacute;lise de impacto or&ccedil;ament&aacute;rio2 e o Principles of Good Practice for Budget Impact Analysis3, foram avaliadas, sendo mantidas ou exclu&iacute;das, e outras foram inclu&iacute;das, sempre levando em conta a aplicabilidade em vacinas. Resultados e discuss&otilde;es: As vari&aacute;veis levantadas, que se mostraram necess&aacute;rias para AIO de vacinas s&atilde;o: popula&ccedil;&atilde;o eleg&iacute;vel; incid&ecirc;ncia da doen&ccedil;a; custo do tratamento; custo da comercializa&ccedil;&atilde;o da vacina; custo de implementa&ccedil;&atilde;o; custos evitados; perda t&eacute;cnica; cobertura vacinal e or&ccedil;amento do Programa Nacional de Imuniza&ccedil;&atilde;o. Conclus&otilde;es: A adapta&ccedil;&atilde;o da AIO para vacinas &eacute; importante, uma vez que as atuais diretrizes para a tal an&aacute;lise n&atilde;o apresentam aplica&ccedil;&atilde;o para esse tipo de tecnologia. A primeira etapa consiste no levantamento das vari&aacute;veis necess&aacute;rias para a an&aacute;lise, realizado nesse trabalho, baseando-se nas diretrizes citadas

Unusual long-term stability of enzymatic bioelectrocatalysis in organic solvents

Organic solvent tolerant enzymes are of tremendous importance for the pharmaceutical industry in search of high added-value chemicals. However, enzymes exhibit usually weak long-term activity and stability in various media. Here, we report a general strategy allowing stabilizing and keeping enzymes active in mixed-solvent systems upon immobilization on an electrode surface. It consists in the combination of an engineered solventtolerant enzyme, combined with fine-tuned osmium-based redox polymers where the concentration of osmium complex has been specifically tuned to minimize its deswelling, associated with the use of porous gold electrodes. This approach is validated with bilirubin oxidase as a model system. This copper enzyme is able to oxidize a wide range of substrates, combined with the reduction of O-2 to water. While all other enzymatic systems irreversibly lose their activity and stability in the presence of 7.5 M methanol or below, this optimized enzymatic system stays functional in 12.5 M methanol with no loss in current density. It exhibits a half-life of more than 8 days, which is unprecedented in the literature. We show that this electrode can also operate in DMSO, dioxane, acetonitrile and acetone, thus opening up a very wide variety of applications in the field of bioelectrocatalysis and bioelectrosynthesis

Infectious diseases co-morbidities among patients attending Kogi State University Teaching Hospital: a ten-year retrospective study

Background: Co-existence of more than one acute or chronic infectious diseases in a person either concurrently or sequentially with consequent economic burden varies differently from one part of the world to another, with regional and population specific patterns. This study aims to provide co-morbid patho-epidemiological pattern of six infectious diseases; HIV, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, syphilis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections. Methodology: This research is a ten-year retrospective review of records of patients admitted at various wards of Kogi State University Teaching hospital and referred to the Laboratory Department of the hospital for investigations between June 2012 and July 2021. HIV was screened using the national serial algorithm, TB was diagnosed with the GeneXpert MTB, malaria parasite was identified by blood film microscopy, and syphilis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses were screened using rapid diagnostic kits. Data were analysed with SPSS version 23.0 and association of variables with respect to gender and age group was determined using Chi square, with p&lt; 0.05 considered to be statistically significant. Results: A total of 223 patients were retrospectively reviewed with 102 (45.7%) males and 121 (54.3%) females. Co-morbidities occurred most frequently among age groups 21-30 years (34.1%), 31-40 years (39.0%) and 41-50 years (16.6%). The most frequent co-morbidity pattern was HIV/TB (81.6%) followed by HBV/MP (4.5%), HIV/HBV (4.0%), HIV/MP (3.1%), TB/MP (2.7%), HBV/HCV (2.2%) while HCV/MP, TB/HCV, HCV/syphilis, and TB/HBV were (0.4%) each. There was no significant difference in the frequency of co-morbidity with respect to gender and age groups of patients (p&gt;0.05). Conclusion: Co-existence of chronic infectious disease in a person increases the risk of morbidities and mortalities. Therefore, diagnosis, and concurrent treatment and management of co-morbid infectious diseases should be incorporated into our routine healthcare system and appropriate resources should be allotted for this in health plans. &nbsp; Frebch title: Co-morbidités des maladies infectieuses chez les patients fréquentant l'hôpital universitaire de l'État de Kogi: une étude rétrospective sur dix ans Contexte: La coexistence de plusieurs maladies infectieuses aiguës ou chroniques chez une personne, simultanément ou séquentiellement, avec un fardeau économique conséquent, varie différemment d'une partie du monde à l'autre, avec des schémas régionaux et spécifiques à la population. Cette étude vise à fournir le schéma patho-épidémiologique comorbide de six maladies infectieuses; VIH, tuberculose (TB), paludisme, syphilis, infections par le virus de l'hépatite B et de l'hépatite C. Méthodologie: Cette recherche est un examen rétrospectif sur dix ans des dossiers de patients admis dans divers services de l'hôpital universitaire de l'État de Kogi et référés au département de laboratoire de l'hôpital pour des enquêtes entre juin 2012 et juillet 2021. Le VIH a été dépisté à l'aide de la série nationale algorithme, la tuberculose a été diagnostiquée avec le GeneXpert MTB, le parasite du paludisme a été identifié par microscopie de frottis sanguin et les virus de la syphilis, de l'hépatite B et de l'hépatite C ont été dépistés à l'aide de kits de diagnostic rapide. Les données ont été analysées avec SPSS version 23.0 et l'association des variables par rapport au sexe et au groupe d'âge a été déterminée à l'aide du Chi carré, avec p&lt;0,05 considéré comme statistiquement significatif. Résultats: Un total de 223 patients ont été revus rétrospectivement avec 102 (45,7%) hommes et 121 (54,3%) femmes. Les comorbidités sont survenues le plus fréquemment dans les groupes d'âge 21-30 ans (34,1 %), 31-40 ans (39,0%) et 41-50 ans (16,6%). Le schéma de comorbidité le plus fréquent était le VIH/TB (81,6%), suivi du VHB/MP (4,5%), du VIH/VHB (4,0%), du VIH/MP (3,1%), de la TB/MP (2,7%), du VHB/VHC (2,2%) tandis que VHC/MP, TB/VHC, VHC/syphilis et TB/VHB étaient (0,4%) chacun. Il n'y avait pas de différence significative dans la fréquence des comorbidités en fonction du sexe et des tranches d'âge des patients (p&gt;0,05). Conclusion: La coexistence de maladies infectieuses chroniques chez une personne augmente le risque de morbidité et de mortalité. Par conséquent, le diagnostic, le traitement et la gestion concomitants des maladies infectieuses comorbides doivent être intégrés à notre système de soins de santé de routine et des ressources appropriées doivent être allouées à cet effet dans les plans de santé

The impact of histopathology and NAB2-STAT6 fusion subtype in classification and grading of meningeal solitary fibrous tumor/hemangiopericytoma.

Meningeal solitary fibrous tumor (SFT)/hemangiopericytoma (HPC) is a rare tumor with propensity for recurrence and metastasis. Although multiple classification schemes have been proposed, optimal risk stratification remains unclear, and the prognostic impact of fusion status is uncertain. We compared the 2016 WHO CNS tumor grading scheme (CNS-G), a three-tier system based on histopathologic phenotype and mitotic count, to the 2013 WHO soft-tissue counterpart (ST-G), a two-tier system based on mitotic count alone, in a cohort of 133 patients [59 female, 74 male; mean age 54&nbsp;years (range 20-87)] with meningeal SFT/HPC. Tumors were pathologically confirmed through review of the first tumor resection (n = 97), local recurrence (n = 35), or distant metastasis (n = 1). A STAT6 immunostain showed nuclear expression in 132 cases. NAB2-STAT6 fusion was detected in 99 of 111 successfully tested tumors (89%) including the single STAT6 immunonegative tumor. Tumors were classified by CNS-G as grade 1 (n = 43), 2 (n = 41), or 3 (n = 49), and by ST-G as SFT (n = 84) or malignant SFT (n = 49). Necrosis was present in 16 cases (12%). On follow-up, 42 patients had at least one subsequent recurrence or metastasis (7 metastasis only, 33 recurrence only, 2 patients had both). Twenty-nine patients died. On univariate analysis, necrosis (p = 0.002), CNS-G (p = 0.01), and ST-G (p = 0.004) were associated with recurrence-free (RFS) but not overall survival (OS). NAB2-STAT6 fusion type was not significantly associated with RFS or OS, but was associated with phenotype. A modified ST-G incorporating necrosis showed higher correlation with RFS (p = 0.0006) and remained significant (p = 0.02) when considering only the primary tumors. From our data, mitotic rate and necrosis appear to stratify this family of tumors most accurately and could be incorporated in a future grading scheme