SOURCE SPECIFIC QUANTIFICATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF SOLID WASTE ALONG A SANDY BEACH IN CAPE COAST, GHANA

Ghana is dealing with extensive urban periphery settlements due to the massive migration of rural inhabitants to the cities, especially to the political and economic capital, Accra and other regional capitals including Cape Coast. This phenomenon has culminated in indiscriminate solid waste disposal. With no effective municipal solid waste collection system in place, heaps of refuse have become ubiquitous in Cape Coast especially along the beaches. The quantity and composition of solid waste at two locations along a sandy beach in the Cape Coast municipality was investigated in this study. Using five permanent 20 x 4 quadrats over seven weeks in each of the two locations, the amount and composition of solid waste were assessed. The results indicated that paper, bottle, wood, leather, textile, metal, plastics, organic matter and styrofoam were the main categories of solid waste found at the sandy beach. The results also indicated that the quantity of solid waste generated at Duakor and West Gate was 514 kgha-1 and 374 kgha-1 respectively. This study suggests that source specific waste quantification and characterisation of solid waste at different scales should be a vital part of planning in municipal solid waste management systems.solid waste characterisation; quantification; sandy beach; Ghana.

Meal fatty acids and postprandial vascular reactivity

With increasing recognition of the pivotal role of vascular dysfunction in the progression of atherosclerosis, the vasculature has emerged as an important target for dietary therapies. Recent studies have indicated that chronic fatty acid manipulation alters vascular reactivity, when measured after an overnight fast. However, individuals spend a large proportion of the day in the postprandial (non-fasted) state. Several studies have shown that high fat meals can impair endothelial function within 3-4 h, a time period often associated with peak postprandial lipaemia. Although the impact of meal fatty acids on the magnitude and duration of the postprandial lipaemic response has been extensively studied, very little is known about their impact on vascular reactivity after a meal

Analisis Faktor Risiko Kejadian Asfiksia pada Bayi Baru Lahir di RSUD Syekh Yusuf Gowa dan Rsup Dr Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar Tahun 2013

Asfiksia pada bayi baru lahir atau asfiksia neonatorum adalah suatu keadaaan bayi baru lahir yang gagal bernafas secara spontan dan teratur segera setelah lahir. Asfiksia dapat mengakibatkan kematian dan diperkirakan satu juta anak yang bertahan setelah men-galami asfiksia saat lahir kini hidup dengan morbiditas jangka panjang seperti cerebral pal-sy, retardasi mental, dan gangguan belajar faktor-faktor risiko terjadinya asfiksia neonato-rum adalah faktor ibu, faktor plasenta, faktor janin, dan faktor persalinan.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat hubungan faktor risiko asfiksia pada kejadian asfiksia bayi baru lahir. Metode penelitian adalah observasional dengan menggunakan teknik pengambilan sampel total sampling, kemudian dianalisis menggunakan spss dengan uji chi-square Sampel dipilih berdasarkan data sekunder dan diperoleh 86 kasus di RSUD Syekh Yusuf Gowa dan 18 kasus di RSUP Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar.Penelitian ini dilakukan pada tanggal 3 Juli sampai 31 Juli 2013. Data dikumpulkan menggunakan lembar checklist.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan dari 104 kasus asfiksia, faktor risiko berdasarkan umur ibu (20-35 tahun) sebanyak 65,39% (p-value>0.05), berdasarkan usia kehamilan (42 minggu) sebanyak 55,76% (p-value>0.05), berdasarkan persalinan lama (>18 jam untuk multipara dan >24 jam untuk primipara) sebanyak 58,65% (p-value>0.05), dan berdasarkan jenis persalinan (persalinan dengan tindakan) sebanyak 56,73% (p-value>0.05).Kesimpulan umur Ibu, usia kehamilan, lama persalinan dan jenis persalinan tidak memiliki hubungan yang signifikan pada kasus asfiksia nenonatorum di RSUD Syekh Yusuf Gowa dan RSUP Wahidin Sudirohusodo

Synchronous primary carcinoid tumor and primary adenocarcinoma arising within mature cystic teratoma of horseshoe kidney: a unique case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malignant transformation of mature cystic teratoma is a rare complication. While any of the constituent tissues of a teratoma has the potential to undergo malignant transformation, squamous cell carcinoma is the most commonly associated malignancy. Renal carcinoid tumors are rare and frequently associated with horseshoe kidney and renal teratoma. Renal teratoma rarely presents together with carcinoid tumor or adenocarcinoma. To the best of our knowledge, there has never been a report of renal teratoma coexisting with both carcinoid tumor and adenocarcinoma.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Here, we present a unique and first case of synchronous primary carcinoid tumor and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma arising within mature cystic teratoma of horseshoe kidney in a 50-year-old female. Lumbar spine X-ray, done for her complaint of progressive chronic low back pain, accidentally found a large calcification overlying the lower pole of the right kidney. Further radiologic studies revealed horseshoe kidney and a large multiseptated cystic lesion immediately anterior to the right renal pelvis with central calcification and peripheral enhancement. She underwent right partial nephrectomy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Macroscopically, the encapsulated complex solid and multiloculated cystic tumor with large calcification, focal thickened walls and filled with yellow-tan gelatinous material. Microscopically, the tumor showed coexistent mature cystic teratoma, moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma and carcinoid tumor. Immunohistochemically, alpha-methylacyl-coenzyme A-racemase, calretinin, CD10 and thyroid transcription factor-1 were negative in all the three components of the tumor. The teratomatous cysts lined by ciliated epithelium showed strong staining for cytokeratin 7 and pancytokeratin, and those lined by colonic-like epithelium showed strong staining for CDX2, cytokeratin 20 and pancytokeratin, but both were negative for calretinin. Additionally, the teratomatous cyst wall showed strong staining for smooth muscle actin, and weak staining for carbonic anhydrase IX, CD99, chromogranin and synaptophysin. The adenocarcinoma component was strongly positive for cytokeratin 7 and pancytokeratin, weakly positive for synaptophysin and CD56, and negative for carbonic anhydrase IX, CD99, CDX2, chromogranin, cytokeratin 20 and smooth muscle actin. The carcinoid tumor component was strongly positive for CD56, chromogranin and synaptophysin, weakly positive for pancytokeratin, and negative for carbonic anhydrase IX, CD99, CDX2, cytokeratin 7, cytokeratin 20 and smooth muscle actin. She received no adjuvant therapy and is alive without evidence of disease six months after diagnosis and surgery.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This unique and first case herein presented with synchronous primary carcinoid tumor and primary adenocarcinoma arising within mature cystic teratoma of horseshoe kidney emphasizes the need for thorough sectioning and entire submission for histologic evaluation of mature cystic teratomas, in order to avoid missing multiple additional histogenetically distinct neoplasms.</p

Tubular adenoma with high-grade dysplasia in the ileal segment 34 years after augmentation ileocystoplasty: report of a first case

Neoplasms of the urinary bladder following augmentation ileocystoplasty are rare. We present the case of a 39-year-old male with a tubular adenoma with high-grade dysplasia in the ileal segment 34 years after augmentation ileocystoplasty to enlarge a post-chemoradiation-induced shrunken bladder. He presented with gross hematuria. Cystoscopy revealed a papillary tumor at the site of ileovesical anastomosis, and transurethral resection was performed. Histologic examination revealed a tubular adenoma with high-grade dysplasia. There are only two previous reports of tubulovillous adenoma in ileal segment after ileocystoplasty, both without high-grade dysplasia. Our observation supports the hypothesis that an ileal neobladder may undergo all the morphologic and molecular changes observed in the development of gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma. Therefore, patients who had an ileal neobladder created should be closely followed

Cost-effectiveness of community-based screening and treatment of moderate acute malnutrition in Mali.

IntroductionModerate acute malnutrition (MAM) causes substantial child morbidity and mortality, accounting for 4.4% of deaths and 6.0% of disability-adjusted life years (DALY) lost among children under 5 each year. There is growing consensus on the need to provide appropriate treatment of MAM, both to reduce associated morbidity and mortality and to halt its progression to severe acute malnutrition. We estimated health outcomes, costs and cost-effectiveness of four dietary supplements for MAM treatment in children 6-35 months of age in Mali.MethodsWe conducted a cluster-randomised MAM treatment trial to describe nutritional outcomes of four dietary supplements for the management of MAM: ready-to-use supplementary foods (RUSF; PlumpySup); a specially formulated corn-soy blend (CSB) containing dehulled soybean flour, maize flour, dried skimmed milk, soy oil and a micronutrient pre-mix (CSB++; Super Cereal Plus); Misola, a locally produced, micronutrient-fortified, cereal-legume blend (MI); and locally milled flour (LMF), a mixture of millet, beans, oil and sugar, with a separate micronutrient powder. We used a decision tree model to estimate long-term outcomes and calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) comparing the health and economic outcomes of each strategy.ResultsCompared to no MAM treatment, MAM treatment with RUSF, CSB++, MI and LMF reduced the risk of death by 15.4%, 12.7%, 11.9% and 10.3%, respectively. The ICER was US$9821 per death averted (2015 USD) and US$347 per DALY averted for RUSF compared with no MAM treatment.ConclusionMAM treatment with RUSF is cost-effective across a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds.Trial registrationNCT01015950

Percent Fat Mass Increases with Recovery, But Does Not Vary According to Dietary Therapy in Young Malian Children Treated for Moderate Acute Malnutrition.

BackgroundModerate acute malnutrition (MAM) affects 34.1 million children globally. Treatment effectiveness is generally determined by the amount and rate of weight gain. Body composition (BC) assessment provides more detailed information on nutritional stores and the type of tissue accrual than traditional weight measurements alone.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to compare the change in percentage fat mass (%FM) and other BC parameters among young Malian children with MAM according to receipt of 1 of 4 dietary supplements, and recovery status at the end of the 12-wk intervention period.MethodsBC was assessed using the deuterium oxide dilution method in a subgroup of 286 children aged 6-35 mo who participated in a 12-wk community-based, cluster-randomized effectiveness trial of 4 dietary supplements for the treatment of MAM: 1) lipid-based, ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF); 2) special corn-soy blend "plus plus" (CSB++); 3) locally processed, fortified flour (MI); or 4) locally milled flours plus oil, sugar, and micronutrient powder (LMF). Multivariate linear regression modeling was used to evaluate change in BC parameters by treatment group and recovery status.ResultsMean&nbsp;±&nbsp;SD %FM at baseline was 28.6%&nbsp;±&nbsp;5.32%. Change in %FM did not vary between groups. Children who received RUSF vs. MI gained more (mean; 95% CI) weight (1.43; 1.13, 1.74 kg compared with 0.84; 0.66, 1.03 kg; P&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.02), FM (0.70; 0.45, 0.96 kg compared with 0.20; 0.05, 0.36 kg; P&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.01), and weight-for-length z score (1.23; 0.79, 1.54 compared with 0.49; 0.34, 0.71; P&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.03). Children who recovered from MAM exhibited greater increases in all BC parameters, including %FM, than children who did not recover.ConclusionsIn this study population, children had higher than expected %FM at baseline. There were no differences in %FM change between groups. International BC reference data are needed to assess the utility of BC assessment in community-based management of acute malnutrition programs. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01015950

Chemical abundances of Seyfert 2 AGNs – III. Reducing the oxygen abundance discrepancy

We investigate the discrepancy between oxygen abundance estimations for narrow-line regions (NLRs) of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) type Seyfert 2 derived by using direct estimations of the electron temperature (Te-method) and those derived by using photoionization models. In view of this, observational emission-line ratios in the optical range (3000 < \lambda(\AA) < 7000) of Seyfert 2 nuclei compiled from the literature were reproduced by detailed photoionization models built with the Cloudy code. We find that the derived discrepancies are mainly due to the inappropriate use of the relations between temperatures of the low (t2) and high (t3) ionization gas zones derived for H II regions in AGN chemical abundance studies. Using a photoionization model grid, we derived a new expression for t2 as a function of t3 valid for Seyfert 2 nuclei. The use of this new expression in the AGN estimation of the O/H abundances based on Te-method produces O/H abundances slightly lower (about 0.2 dex) than those derived from detailed photoionization models. We also find that the new formalism for the Te-method reduces by about 0.4 dex the O/H discrepancies between the abundances obtained from strong emission-line calibrations and those derived from direct estimations.ERC STF

Impacto de las actividades de construcción de puertos en la estructura, composición y diversidad de la población de peces: estudio de caso de Tema, Ghana

Ports offer economic progress to many coastal developing countries. In view of the economic importance, the rising demand for maritime benefits requires the expansion of existing ports. However, marine ecosystems may become vulnerable to negative impact from the construction of these maritime structures. Therefore, the aim of the study was to establish the impact of Tema port expansion on the diversity and population structure of fish species. Data were collected quarterly from June 2018 to November 2021 through trawling fishing activities off the coast of Greater Accra, Ghana, and subsequently analysed using Primer 6 software. Sampling locations along the coast of Greater Accra included Vernon Bank (VNB), Disposal area (DSA) and Offshore Sakumono (OSK). The increased and reduced number of species at VNB and DSA, respectively, could be alluded to dredging and disposal of dredged spoils. Diversity indices at OSK site was higher than those observed in disturbed areas due to the absence of impact in this control area. Thus, it is recommended to conduct further studies on the assemblage of invasive species that migrated to the VNB during dredging activities, since these species can have severe economic impact on fishing activities of artisanal fishermen, especially at the local level.Los puertos ofrecen progreso económico a muchos países costeros en desarrollo. En vista de la importancia económica, la creciente demanda de beneficios marítimos requiere la ampliación de los puertos existentes. Sin embargo, los ecosistemas marinos pueden volverse vulnerables al impacto negativo de la construcción de estas estructuras marítimas. Por lo tanto, el objetivo del estudio fue establecer el impacto de la expansión del puerto de Tema sobre la diversidad y estructura de la población de peces. Los datos se recopilaron trimestralmente desde junio de 2018 hasta noviembre de 2021 mediante actividades de pesca de arrastre fren-te a la costa del Gran Accra, Ghana. Los mismos se analizaron utilizando el software Primer 6. Los lugares de muestreo a lo largo de la costa del Gran Accra incluyeron Vernon Bank (VNB), Disposal area (DSA) y Offshore Sakumono (OSK). El mayor y menor número de especies en VNB y DSA, respectivamente, podría deberse al dragado y disposición de los escombros removidos. Los índices de diversidad en el sitio OSK fueron más altos que los observados en áreas perturbadas debido a la ausencia de impacto en esta área de control. Por lo tanto, se recomienda realizar más estudios sobre las asociaciones de especies invasoras que migraron al VNB durante las actividades de dragado, ya que estas especies pueden tener severos impactos económicos en la actividad pesquera de los pescadores artesanales, especialmente a nivel local

Insomnia as an Independent Predictor of Incident Cardiovascular Disease in HIV: Data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study

Background: Insomnia is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in the general population and is highly prevalent in people with HIV. The CVD risk conferred by insomnia in the HIV population is unknown. Methods: Using the Veterans Aging Cohort Study-Survey Cohort, insomnia symptoms were measured and dummy coded with the item, “Difficulty falling or staying asleep?” (5-point scale from no difficulty to bothers a lot). Incident CVD event ICD-9 codes (acute myocardial infarction, stroke, or coronary artery revascularization) were identified with VA and Medicare administrative data and VA fee-for-service data. Those with baseline CVD were excluded. Results: HIV-infected (N=3,108) veterans had a median follow-up time of 10.8 years, during which 267 CVD events occurred. Compared to HIV-infected veterans with no difficulty falling or staying asleep, HIV-infected veterans bothered a lot by insomnia symptoms had an increased risk of incident CVD after adjusting for demographics (HR=1.64, 95%CI=1.16-2.31, p=.005), CVD risk factors (HR=1.62, 95%CI=1.14-2.30, p=.007), additional potential confounders (hepatitis C infection, renal disease, anemia, alcohol use, cocaine use; HR=1.70, 95%CI=1.19-2.43, p=.003), and HIV-specific factors (HIV-1 RNA, CD4+ T-cell count, ART; HR=1.66, 95%CI=1.16-2.37, p=.005). Additional adjustment for non-benzodiazepine sleep medication (HR=1.62, 95%CI=1.13-2.32, p=.009) did not attenuate the association; however, it fell short of significance at p < .01 after adjustment for depressive symptoms (HR=1.51, 95%CI=0.98-2.32, p=.060) or antidepressant medication (HR=1.51, 95%CI=1.04-2.19, p=.031). Conclusion: Highly bothersome insomnia symptoms were significantly associated with incident CVD in HIV-infected veterans, suggesting that insomnia may be a novel, modifiable risk factor for CVD in HIV