Bovine cysticercosis and human taeniosis in South-west Shoa zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted in cattle slaughtered at Sebeta, Tulu Bolo and Weliso abattoirs in southwest shoa zone of Oromia region, Ethiopia to estimate the prevalence of bovine cystiercosis using routine meat inspection method, and questionnaire surveys were undertaken to assess the status of taeniosis and associated risk factors in human in these towns. Accordingly, out of 1216 carcasses examined, 4.6 % were found infected with Cysticercus bovis. Among the positive cases for C. bovis, 39.3 % were viable and 60.7% were non-viable cysts while it was more prevalent in the heart and tongue (39.3% and 30.4%, respectively) than in the diaphragm and liver. Out of 392 respondents, 55.1% had contracted T. saginata at least once in the past years. The prevalence was significantly higher in adults (> 20 years) than youngsters (< 20 years) (P<0.001), in male than females (P=0.046), in Christian than Muslim community (P=0.011), in butchers and abattoir workers than in other occupation (P<0.001), in illiterate than in literate and university graduates (P=0.001) and in raw meat consumers than in others (P<0.01. In conclusion, bovine cysticercosis caused by C. bovis and associated human taeniosis are important problems in the study areas. Improvement in meat inspection procedures and sanitary conditions in the study areas are needed.Key words: Cysticercosis, Cattle, Human, Taeniosis, Ethiopia

Predictors of recovery rate among undernourished HIV-positive adults treated with ready-to-use therapeutic food at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital: A retrospective cohort study

Background Nutritional support is becoming more widely acknowledged as a crucial component of the key package of care for HIV/AIDS patients. This nutritional support is exceptionally important for patients in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia, where HIV/AIDS is very prevalent. However, there is a lack of evidence on the recovery rate and predictors at the study site and at large in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study will give some insight into the recovery rate and its predictors among under-nourished HIV-positive adults treated with Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) attending at Debre Markos referral hospital. Moreover, the findings of this study will be used by both governmental and non-governmental organizations to allocate more resources to mitigate the nutritional problems for people living with HIV. Methods An institution-based retrospective cohort study was conducted among 453 under-nourished HIV positive adults treated with RUTF at Debre Markos referral Hospital from the 1st of July, 2015 to the 31st of December, 2017. The study participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were extracted from patient charts using a standardized data extraction checklist. Data were entered into Epi-Data Version 4.2 and analyzed using Stata Version 14. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to estimate the time to recovery. Log-rank test was used to compare the recovery time between different baseline categorical variables. The bivariable and multivariable Cox-proportional hazard regression models were fitted for potential predictors of recovery time. Adjusted hazard Ratios (AHRs) with 95% CIs were used to measure the strength of association and test statistical significance. Results A total of 453 undernourished HIV-positive adults were included in the final analysis. About 201, 44.4% (95%CI: 38.9, 49.0%) patients participating in the RUTF program were recovered based on predetermined exit criteria with incidence of 10.65 (95% CI: 9.28, 12.23) per 100 person-month observations. Being moderately undernourished (AHR: 11.0, 95% CI: 5.3, 23.1), WHO clinical stage (I or II) (AHR:1.8, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.6), and working functional status at baseline (AHR = 2.34, 95%CI: 1.01,5.45) were predictors of recovery time. Conclusion This study concluded that the overall nutritional recovery rate was below the acceptable minimum requirement which at least 75% of patients should recovered. Mild to moderate undernutrition at baseline, WHO clinical stage I or II at enrolment, and working functional status were found to be predictors of recovery time in HIV/AIDS patients treated with the RUTF. As a result, special attention should be paid to severely malnourished patients, WHO clinical stages III or higher, and patients who are bedridden or ambulatory during treatment

Critical media literacy and Black female identity construction: A conceptual framework for empowerment, equity, and social justice in education

This paper addresses the issues of knowledge production, which interrogate and disrupt dominant narratives that subjugate Black females related to their identity. We contextualize our discussion through the lens of critical consciousness and critical media literacy by exploring the role of popular media in identity development/imposition for Black females. We outline issues of Black female identity politics by framing them through the description of critical media literacy as a 21st century literacy, with Black Feminist Theory as our theoretical lens. Similar discussions have remained centered in the field of Media Studies and there has been inadequate attention to these issues in the education realm, particularly as they relate to Black females and their self-concept and self-empowerment

The Use of Turning and Repositioning Versus Pressure Redistributing Support Surfaces in the Prevention of Pressure Ulcers

Currently, 1.3-3 million adults in the United States are affected by pressure ulcers, costing $37,800 to$70,000 per ulcer (Smith, 2013). This costs the United States 11 billion dollars annually (Smith, 2013). This review’s PICO question is “In hospitalized critically ill patients, how does turning and repositioning every two to four hours compared to the use of pressure redistributing support surfaces prevent the occurrence of pressure ulcers?” For this review, the articles found were rated as excellent (n=7), good (n=2), and fair (n=1). Appendix A shows the critical appraisal of all pertinent articles used. Findings suggest that there is minimal statistically significant evidence that the use of one intervention is more effective than another (pressure redistributing support surfaces versus turning and repositioning every two to four hours) (Bergstrom, 2013; Chou, 2013; Huang, 2013; Manzano, 2013; Manzano, 2014; Rich, 2011b; Smith, 2013). Furthermore, findings indicate that when both interventions are used together, pressure ulcer prevention is increased (Chou, 2013; Rich, 2011a; Smith, 2013)

Epistasis between 5-HTTLPR and ADRA2B polymorphisms influences attentional bias for emotional information in healthy volunteers

Individual differences in emotional processing are likely to contribute to vulnerability and resilience to emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety. Genetic variation is known to contribute to these differences but they remain incompletely understood. The serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and alpha(2B)-adrenergic autoreceptor (ADRA2B) insertion/deletion polymorphisms impact on two separate but interacting monaminergic signalling mechanisms that have been implicated in both emotional processing and emotional disorders. Recent studies suggest that the 5-HTTLPR s allele is associated with a negative attentional bias and an increased risk of emotional disorders. However, such complex behavioural traits are likely to exhibit polygenicity, including epistasis. This study examined the contribution of the 5-HTTLPR and ADRA2B insertion/deletion polymorphisms to attentional biases for aversive information in 94 healthy male volunteers and found evidence of a significant epistatic effect (p < 0.001). Specifically, in the presence of the 5-HTTLPR s allele, the attentional bias for aversive information was attenuated by possession of the ADRA2B deletion variant whereas in the absence of the s allele, the bias was enhanced. These data identify a cognitive mechanism linking genotype-dependent serotonergic and noradrenergic signalling that is likely to have implications for the development of cognitive markers for depression/anxiety as well as therapeutic drug effects and personalized approaches to treatment

Factors supporting substance use improvement for Black Americans: A population health observational study

BACKGROUND: Black clients in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment are associated with the lowest successful completion and substance use reductions. More work is needed to identify specific factors that support successful recovery of Black clients. METHODS: Data from U.S. outpatient SUD treatment facilities receiving public funding from 2015 to 2019 were analyzed (N = 2239, 197). Primary analyses consisted of Black clients (n = 277, 726) reporting admission and discharge substance use frequency. Multiple logistic regression was used to predict substance use frequency improvement from Black client demographic, recovery capital, treatment characteristics, and state. Disparities were compared between Black and non-Black clients. RESULTS: The overall Black client improvement percentage was 46.95%. Mutual-help group attendance and Length of Stay demonstrated clinically meaningful effect sizes controlling for all other variables and state. Attending mutual-help groups 8-30 times per month (State aOR = 2.54, 95% CI = 2.43, 2.64) and outpatient treatment stays of 4 months or more (State aOR = 2.50, 95% CI = 2.44, 2.56) were factors supporting Black client improvement. Importantly, states are associated with disparate Black client risk differences and only South Dakota had greater Black improvement (RD = 6.35, 95% CI = 1.00, 11.71). CONCLUSIONS: Black client factors supporting substance use improvement include ancillary mutual-help group attendance and increased treatment retention. These factors may be more critical in states with larger Black improvement disparities. In general, treatment providers increasing access to mutual-help groups, and adjusting program inclusiveness and motivational factors for retention, would make strides in increasing improvement outcomes for Black clients

Anomalous Polarization Reversal in Strained Thin Films of CuInP2_2S6_6

Strain-induced transitions of polarization reversal in thin films of a ferrielectric CuInP$_2$S$_6$ (CIPS) with ideally-conductive electrodes is explored using the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) approach with an eighth-order free energy expansion in polarization powers. Due to multiple potential wells, the height and position of which are temperature- and strain-dependent, the energy profiles of CIPS can flatten in the vicinity of the non-zero polarization states. This behavior differentiates these materials from classical ferroelectrics with the first or second order ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition, for which potential energy profiles can be shallow or flat near the transition point only, corresponding to zero spontaneous polarization. Thereby we reveal an unusually strong effect of the mismatch strain on the out-of-plane polarization reversal, hysteresis loops shape, dielectric susceptibility, and piezoelectric response of CIPS films. In particular, by varying the sign of the mismatch strain and its magnitude in a narrow range, quasi-static hysteresis-less paraelectric curves can transform into double, triple, and other types of pinched and single hysteresis loops. The strain effect on the polarization reversal is opposite, i.e., "anomalous", in comparison with many other ferroelectric films in that the out-of-plane remanent polarization and coercive field increases strongly for tensile strains, meanwhile the polarization decreases or vanish for compressive strains. We explain the effect by "inverted" signs of linear and nonlinear electrostriction coupling coefficients of CIPS and their strong temperature dependence. For definite values of temperature and mismatch strain, the low-frequency hysteresis loops of polarization may exhibit negative slope in the relatively narrow range of external field amplitude and frequency.Comment: 26 pages, including 8 figures and 1 Appendi

Fear of the human ‘super predator’ reduces feeding time in large carnivores

Large carnivores’ fear of the human ‘super predator’ has the potential to alter their feeding behaviour and result in human-induced trophic cascades. However, it has yet to be experimentally tested if large carnivores perceive humans as predators and react strongly enough to have cascading effects on their prey. We conducted a predator playback experiment exposing pumas to predator (human) and non-predator control (frog) sounds at puma feeding sites to measure immediate fear responses to humans and the subsequent impacts on feeding. We found that pumas fled more frequently, took longer to return, and reduced their overall feeding time by more than half in response to hearing the human ‘super predator’. Combined with our previous work showing higher kill rates of deer in more urbanized landscapes, this study reveals that fear is the mechanism driving an ecological cascade from humans to increased puma predation on deer. By demonstrating that the fear of humans can cause a strong reduction in feeding by pumas, our results support that non-consumptive forms of human disturbance may alter the ecological role of large carnivores