Relative Therapeutic Efficacy of the Treadmill and Step Bench in Gait Rehabilitation of Hemiparetic Stroke Patients

The aim of this research is to compare the efficacy of treadmill and step bench exercises in hemiparetic gait rehabilitation. Previous studies have supported the use of treadmill and step bench exercises in gait rehabilitation. Nineteen patients were recruited for an 8-week, 2-group quasi-experimental study which was conducted at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. The patients were randomly distributed into 2 groups: A (step bench exercise) and B (treadmill). Groups A and B had 9 and 10 participants respectively. The mean age of the participants in group A was 47.78 + 8.17 years, while that of participants in group B was 46.9 + 7.11 years. Data collected on cadence, stride length, stride width, step length, stride velocity and foot angle before treatment at the 4th and 8th weeks of treatment were analysed using inferential statistics. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the pre-treatment and post-treatment scores in both groups. Comparison of the post-treatment mean scores of the 2 groups was made and the t-values for cadence, stride length, step length, stride width, stride velocity and foot angle were 1.18, -0.91,-0.86, 0.78,1.19 and 0.01, respectively, after analysis was carried out using the unpaired t test. The results showed no significant difference in the mean scores of the measured gait parameters for the groups (p>0.05). It was concluded that hemiparetic stroke patients will benefit from both rehabilitation protocols, and that neither rehabilitation protocol is superior to the other

Embriogenesi e malformazioni dell’apparato urinario e genitale maschile

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Modeling and Observational Framework for Diagnosing Local Land-Atmosphere Coupling on Diurnal Time Scales

Land-atmosphere interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of both planetary boundary layer (PBL) and land surface temperature and moisture states. The degree of coupling between the land surface and PBL in numerical weather prediction and climate models remains largely unexplored and undiagnosed due to the complex interactions and feedbacks present across a range of scales. Further, uncoupled systems or experiments (e.g., the Project for Intercomparison of Land Parameterization Schemes, PILPS) may lead to inaccurate water and energy cycle process understanding by neglecting feedback processes such as PBL-top entrainment. In this study, a framework for diagnosing local land-atmosphere coupling is presented using a coupled mesoscale model with a suite of PBL and land surface model (LSM) options along with observations during field experiments in the U. S. Southern Great Plains. Specifically, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model has been coupled to the Land Information System (LIS), which provides a flexible and high-resolution representation and initialization of land surface physics and states. Within this framework, the coupling established by each pairing of the available PBL schemes in WRF with the LSMs in LIS is evaluated in terms of the diurnal temperature and humidity evolution in the mixed layer. The co-evolution of these variables and the convective PBL is sensitive to and, in fact, integrative of the dominant processes that govern the PBL budget, which are synthesized through the use of mixing diagrams. Results show how the sensitivity of land-atmosphere interactions to the specific choice of PBL scheme and LSM varies across surface moisture regimes and can be quantified and evaluated against observations. As such, this methodology provides a potential pathway to study factors controlling local land-atmosphere coupling (LoCo) using the LIS-WRF system, which will serve as a testbed for future experiments to evaluate coupling diagnostics within the community

Changes in aroma and sensory profile of food ingredients smoked in the presence of a zeolite filter

During smoking, formation of desirable smoky compounds and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are inextricably linked. We have previously developed a zeolite filter technology (PureSmoke Technology or PST) that reduces the PAH content of a smoke stream, particularly reducing the concentration of benzo[a]pyrene, a known carcinogen, by up to 93%. The aim of this work was to determine whether there were changes in the volatile and sensory profiles of ingredients smoked using PST compared to the traditional smoking process (Trad). Smoked tomato flakes (either PST or Trad) were added to either low-fat or full-fat cream cheese for sensory profiling and consumer preference tests, and volatile analysis was carried out using solid phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The sensory analysis showed a significant decrease (p < 0.01) in bitterness when the PST was employed and a significant decrease in overall smoky aroma and flavor (p < 0.001), which resulted in an increase in the perception of cheesy aroma and flavor. This was consistent with a decrease in many of the smoky aroma compounds, particularly the guaiacols. However, consumer preference tests showed that there was no adverse effect on the flavor of the products, and there was even a tendency for the PST product to be preferred to the Trad product (p = 0.096). The smoke compounds were quantitated and compared in smoked tomato paste. Odor activity values (OAVs) calculated from the literature thresholds suggested that guaiacol and 4-alk(en)yl-substituted guaiacols are likely to be among the most highly odor-active compounds in these smoked ingredients

An equity analysis of utilization of health services in Afghanistan using a national household survey

Abstract Background Afghanistan has made great strides in the coverage of health services across the country but coverage of key indicators remains low nationally and whether the poorest households are accessing these services is not well understood. Methods We analyzed the Afghanistan Mortality Survey 2010 on utilization of inpatient and outpatient care, institutional delivery and antenatal care by wealth quintiles. Concentration indexes (CIs) were generated to measure the inequality of using the four services. Additional analyses were conducted to examine factors that explain the health inequalities (e.g. age, gender, education and residence). Results Among households reporting utilization of health services, public health facilities were used more often for inpatient care, while they were used less for outpatient care. Overall, the utilization of inpatient and outpatient care, and antenatal care was equally distributed among income groups, with CIs of 0.04, 0.03 and 0.08, respectively. However, the poor used more public facilities while the wealthy used more private facilities. There was a substantial inequality in the use of institutional delivery services, with a CI of 0.31. Poorer women had a lower rate of institutional deliveries overall, in both public and private facilities, compared to the wealthy. Location was an important factor in explaining the inequality in the use of health services. Conclusions The large gap between the rich and poor in access to and utilization of key maternal services, such as institutional delivery, may be a central factor to the high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity and impedes efforts to make progress toward universal health coverage. While poorer households use public health services more often, the use of public facilities for outpatient visits remains half that of private facilities. Pro-poor targeting as well as a better understanding of the private sector’s role in increasing equitable coverage of maternal health services is needed. Equity-oriented approaches in health should be prioritized to promote more inclusive health system reforms

Calcolosi urinaria

VENGONO AFFRONTATI GLI ASPETTI EPIDEMIOLOGICI E LA FISIOPATOLOGIA CHE SOTTENDE LA CALCOLOSI URINARIA. LA CLINICA DELLA LITIASI URINARIA, LE SUE COMPLICANZE E LE DIVERSE STRATEGIE TERAPEUTICHE RICCA L''ICONOGRAFIA E LA PRESENZA DI TABELLE RIASSUNTIVE

Congenital abnormality of the vagina complicated by hemato-pyocolpos in a 1-year bitch

Clinical case. A 1-year-old female Labrador Retriever was referred with a few days history of hematic-like vulvar discharge, an occasional episode of vomiting, overall good appetite, but slight general dullness. Physical examination did not reveal any anomaly other than the vulvar discharge. A vaginal swab was performed for microbiological evaluation. Vaginal inspection and palpation did not reveal any remarkable finding. Transabdominal ultrasound showed echogenic fluid accumulation in the vagina suggesting hemato-pyocolpos. Vaginal smear revealed a late proestrous/early estrous phase with a high number of RBC and superficial epithelial cells. Hematology and biochemistry profiles were within the normal range. An exploratory laparotomy was performed: a well-delimited ectasic vagina was identified. Adhesions on the bladder and on the ureters were present. A free-hand fine-needle aspiration of the lesion was performed with a 21G needle to collect 5 mL of fluid for microbiological evaluation. Ovariohysterectomy (OVH) and partial vaginectomy and vaginoplasty were performed to spay the bitch and to remove the ectasic vagina. Postoperative recovery was uneventful and the dog was discharged with a prescription of cephalexin (30 mg/kg BID), tranexamic acid (15 mg/kg SID) and the elizabethan collar. The microbiological examination revealed a severe presence (>103 CFU) of Pasteurella multocida both in pre-surgical vaginal swabs and in the fluid collected intraoperatively. Upon antibiotic sensitivity test, marbofloxacin (2 mg/kg SID for 6 days) was administered. Vaginal discharge disappeared few days after the surgery. Ten days later, wound healing was satisfactory and 1 month after surgery cranial vaginal swab was sterile. The genital tract was evaluated grossly and histologically. The vaginal ectasia was characterized by an irregular muscular wall mixed with edematous connective tissue. The mucosal epithelium was multifocally ulcerated, characterized by vascular damage (thrombi) and an active chronic purulent inflammation. Discussion. Clinical, morphological and histological findings were consistent with a congenital abnormality of the muscular layer of the vagina complicated by hemato-pyocolpos. During organogenesis both the paramesonephric ducts and the urogenital sinus fuse and participate in the formation of the vagina with the mucosal epithelium deriving from the utero-vaginal tract, and the muscular layers from the mesenchymal sheath (1). Congenital defects, as septa, strictures, segmental aplasia, presence of the hymen, are linked to disorders occurring in this process (2). In human medicine these congenital disorders complicated by hydro/hemato/pyocolpos have been described in newborn babies or during puberty (3,4,5). In the bitch pyocolpos caused by the presence of segmental aplasia or imperforate hymen have been reported (6,7). In the present case the only finding was the disorganization of the vaginal tunica muscolaris that may have been locus minoris resistentiae in the vaginal wall. The organ was dilated and atonic due to the gradual collection of physiological fluids complicated by an overgrowth of genital bacteria. A delayed diagnosis of pyocolpos may result in uterine disorders, pelvic infection and adhesions. Surgery is the gold standard treatment; OVH and vaginoplasty should be performed before further complications arise. This congenital disorder have to be taken into account as differential diagnosis of hemato-pyocolpos with vaginal discharge in young bitches. References. 1) Schatten and Costantinescu. Comparative Reproductive Biology, 2007, Blackwell Publishing. 2) Johnston et al. Canine and Feline Theriogenology, 2001, WB Saunders, Philadelphia. 3) Brevetti et al. J Pediatr Surg, 1997;32:110-1. 4) Tran et al. Am J Dis Child, 2007;141:632-4. 5) Tseng et al. J Chin Med Assoc, 2008;71:325-8. 6) Wadsworth et al. Lab Anim, 1978;12:165-6. 7) Marinho et al. J Morphol Sci, 2013;30:206-8

Full Length Research Article - Ten-Year (1993 – 2002) Retrospective Evaluation of Vaccination of Dogs against Rabies at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Record books in form of one thousand, four hundred and seventy eight (1478) registers, case notes and vaccination certificates of registered dogs were assessed for rabies vaccination and its booster coverage. The dogs which consisted of 850 males and 628 females were presented at the Small Animal and Preventive Veterinary Medicine Clinics, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Ibadan between January 1993 and December 2002. Among the registered dogs, 155 (10.5%) with annual mean of 9.1 ± 9.1% were vaccinated. Although more females (83 or 13.2%) were vaccinated than male dogs (72 or 8.5%), the difference was not significant (p>0.05). Most vaccinated dogs (121 or 78.1%), were at the initial vaccination age of 3 months and had the highest vaccination coverage (51 dogs (males and females) or 44.3%) while 53 (males and females) dogs (43.8%) were adequately vaccinated. Also, 12 (35.3%) among 34 dogs with booster vaccination were adequately protected against rabies. The current study showed increase in registration of dogs and the cost of vaccination in the clinics. However declined vaccination and booster coverages were observed compared to the previous 5 - year observations of 36.5% vaccination and 59.5% booster coverages. These observations were far below the recommendation of WHO (1989, 1990, 2001) to prevent urban rabies epizootics and epidemics in the area. Since rabies is zoonotic, the study indicated increase danger of contracting rabies by veterinarians, their assistants, dog owners, their family members and the general public