Parturients’ Awareness and Perception of Benefits of Breast Feeding in the Prevention of Infant and Childhood Oral and Dental Diseases

Background: Breastfed babies have a better chance of improved oral and dental health than their counterparts that were artificially-fed. Objective: To assess the knowledge and attitude of postnatal mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding in prevention of oral and dental diseases. Materials and Methods: A cross – sectional descriptive survey of 206 mothers attending the postnatal clinic of theUniversity of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar on the knowledge and attitude of breastfeeding in prevention of oral diseases in infants.Results: Initiation of breastfeeding was early within 3 days of childbirth in 90.3% of mothers. The lack of awareness or knowledge of specific childhood dental/ oral disorders prevented by breastfeeding by majority (89.3%) of the respondents was statistically significant. Actual willingness to breastfeed baby for longer periods after instruction on specific oral health benefits of breastfeeding was elicited in 180 (87.4%) mothers.Conclusion: There is a need to improve the knowledge of specific benefits of breastfeeding in prevention of dental diseases. This calls for education of the health professionals beside the dental practitioners who handle the mothers for themselves to be aware.Funding: The study was funded by the authors.Keywords: Breastfeeding, prevention, oral, dental, disease

Tool kits for the Sustainable Management of Ghana’s Riverine Biodiversity: an Overveiw

The Darwin Initiative funded project Tool kits for the Sustainable Management of Ghana’s Riverine Biodiversity was a collaboration between the Centre for African Wetlands at the University of Ghana, various units of the University of Ghana and the Ghana Wildlife Society. The project also involved collaborators from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Benin. The project aimed to address the impediments that remain for Ghana (and its neighbouring countries) in applying the Ecosystem Approach (EA) to riverine wetland management and the delivery of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). Priority needs were identified as taxonomic capacity building, a contemporary assessment of the status of aquatic biodiversity in Ghana, the development of practical management tools for rivers and increased engagement of stakeholders in decision-making together with an enhanced environmental awareness throughout Ghanaian society. These were addressed in this project by regional and local staff training, reporting on the current status of aquatic communities, the production of educational and taxonomic resources for a range of users, the development of a set of nested indicators of ecosystem health adapted for use at various levels, and the production of a policy document outlining the means of applying the EA in the management of Ghana’s rivers

Healthcare provider perspectives on HIV cure research in Ghana

INTRODUCTION: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has reduced mortality and improved life expectancy among HIV patients but does not provide a cure. Patients must remain on lifelong medications and deal with drug resistance and side effects. This underscores the need for HIV cure research. However, participation in HIV cure research has risks without guaranteed benefits. We determined what HIV healthcare providers know about HIV cure research trials, the risks involved, and what kind of cure interventions they are likely to recommend for their patients. METHODS: We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 39 HIV care providers consisting of 12 physicians, 8 counsellors, 14 nurses, 2 pharmacists, 2 laboratory scientists, and 1 community advocate from three hospitals. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded, and thematic analysis was performed independently by two investigators. RESULTS: Participants were happy about the success of current treatments and hopeful that an HIV cure will be found in the near future, just as ART was discovered through research. They described cure as total eradication of the virus from the body and inability to test positive for HIV or transmit the virus. In terms of risk tolerance, respondents would recommend to their patients\u27 studies with mild to moderate risks like what patients on antiretroviral therapy experience. Participants were reluctant to recommend treatment interruption to patients as part of a cure study and wished trials could be performed without stopping treatment. Healthcare providers categorically rejected death or permanent disability as an acceptable risk. The possibility of finding a cure that will benefit the individual or future generations was strong motivations for providers to recommend cure trials to their patients, as was transparency and adequate information on proposed trials. Overall, the participants were not actively seeking knowledge on cure research and lacked information on the various cure modalities under investigation. CONCLUSION: While hopeful for an HIV cure, healthcare providers in Ghana expect a cure to be definitive and pose minimal risk to their patients

Estudio de potenciales parasitoides (Hymenoptera) de Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) en la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is a pest that affects a great variety of fruit crops. The objective of this work was to learn about the diversity of parasitoids (Hymenoptera) that might be associated with SWD in fruit crops located in northeastern Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Species were identified as Euxestophaga argentinensis Gallardo, Ganaspis pelleranoi (Brethes), Leptopilina boulardi (Barbotin, Carton & Kelner-Pillault), Hexacola bonaerensis Reche (Cynipoidea, Figitidae), Trichopria anastrephae (Costa Lima) (Diaprioidea, Diapriidae) and Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Rondani) (Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae). Leptopilina boulardi, E. argentinensis and T. anastrephae were reported for the first time in the Buenos Aires province.Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) es una plaga que afecta a una gran variedad de cultivos frutales. El objetivo de este trabajo fue conocer la diversidad de parasitoides (Hymenoptera) que podrían estar asociados con la SWD en cultivos frutales ubicados en el noreste de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Las especies fueron identificadas como Euxestophaga argentinensis Gallardo, Ganaspis pelleranoi (Brethes), Leptopilina boulardi (Barbotin, Carton & Kelner-Pillault), Hexacola bonaerensis Reche (Cynipoidea, Figitidae), Trichopria anastrephae (Costa Lima) (Diaprioidea, Diapriidae) y Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae ( Rondani) (Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae). Leptopilina boulardi, E. argentinensis y T. anastrephae fueron reportadas por primera vez en la provincia de Buenos Aires.Fil: Gallardo, Fabiana Edith. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Entomología; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Reche, Vanina Anadina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Entomología; ArgentinaFil: Margaría, Cecilia B.. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.agrarias y Forestales. Centro de Investigacion En Sanidad Vegetal.; ArgentinaFil: Aquino, Daniel Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Entomología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.agrarias y Forestales. Centro de Investigacion En Sanidad Vegetal.; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; ArgentinaFil: Ansa, María Agustina. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Departamento de Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable; ArgentinaFil: Dettler, Maria Antonela. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Departamento de Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable; ArgentinaFil: Vazquez, Florencia. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Departamento de Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Barrientos, Gualterio Nicolás. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Departamento de Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable; ArgentinaFil: Santadino, Marina Vilma. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Departamento de Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, Emilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable; ArgentinaFil: Riquelme Virgala, María Begoña. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Departamento de Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable; Argentin

Evolution of vaccination rates after the implementation of a free systematic pneumococcal vaccination in Catalonian older adults: 4-years follow-up

BACKGROUND: The systematic vaccination with 23-valent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine (PPV) was introduced as a strategic objective of health for all the people over 65 in Catalonia in 1999. We analysed the evolution of the pneumococcal vaccination rates from 2000 to 2003. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective population-based study including all the individuals 65 years or older assigned to 8 Primary Care Centres (PCCs) in Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain), who figured in the administrative population databases on 31 December 2003 (n = 10,410 persons). We assessed whether every person had received PPV during the last four years (2000 to 2003) or whether they had received it before January 2000. Data sources were the computerised clinical records of the 8 participating PCCs, which included adult vaccination registries and diagnoses coded of International Classification of Diseases 9(th )Review RESULTS: The overall vaccination uptake increased to 38.6% at the end of 2000. Global accumulated coverages increased more slowly the following years: 44.4% in 2001, 50.9% in 2002, and 53.1% at the end of 2003. Vaccine uptake varied significantly according to age (46.7% in people 65–74 years-old, 60.9% in people 75 years or more; p < 0.001) and number of diseases or risk factors (DRFs) for pneumonia (47.1% vaccinated in people without DRFs, 56.8% in patients with one DRF, and 62.2% in patients with two or more DRFs; p < 0.001). The highest coverages were observed among those patients with: diabetes (65.9%), active neoplasia (64.8%), history of stroke (63.7%), and chronic lung disease (63.5%). The lowest uptake was observed among smokers (48.7%). DISCUSSION: The pneumococcal vaccination coverage increased quickly after the introduction of the recommendation for free vaccination in all the elderly people (with and without risk factors), but two years after the improvement the coverage became stable and increased slowly

Swim-Training Changes the Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Skeletogenesis in Zebrafish Larvae (Danio rerio)

Fish larvae experience many environmental challenges during development such as variation in water velocity, food availability and predation. The rapid development of structures involved in feeding, respiration and swimming increases the chance of survival. It has been hypothesized that mechanical loading induced by muscle forces plays a role in prioritizing the development of these structures. Mechanical loading by muscle forces has been shown to affect larval and embryonic bone development in vertebrates, but these investigations were limited to the appendicular skeleton. To explore the role of mechanical load during chondrogenesis and osteogenesis of the cranial, axial and appendicular skeleton, we subjected zebrafish larvae to swim-training, which increases physical exercise levels and presumably also mechanical loads, from 5 until 14 days post fertilization. Here we show that an increased swimming activity accelerated growth, chondrogenesis and osteogenesis during larval development in zebrafish. Interestingly, swim-training accelerated both perichondral and intramembranous ossification. Furthermore, swim-training prioritized the formation of cartilage and bone structures in the head and tail region as well as the formation of elements in the anal and dorsal fins. This suggests that an increased swimming activity prioritized the development of structures which play an important role in swimming and thereby increasing the chance of survival in an environment where water velocity increases. Our study is the first to show that already during early zebrafish larval development, skeletal tissue in the cranial, axial and appendicular skeleton is competent to respond to swim-training due to increased water velocities. It demonstrates that changes in water flow conditions can result into significant spatio-temporal changes in skeletogenesis

Metagenomic analysis of the bacterial microbiota associated with cultured oysters (Crassostrea sp.) in estuarine environments

In this work, we identified the bacterial microbiota associated with farmed oystersin estuarine regions of four states in the north eastern region of Brazil. During the drought and rainy seasons, for eight months, twenty oysters were sampled seasonally from seven different marine farms. In the laboratory, DNA extraction, amplification, and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene were performed to establish the taxonomic units. We identified 106 genera of bacteria belonging to 103 families, 70 orders, 39 classes, and 21 phyla. Out of the total, 40 of the genera represented bacteria potentially pathogenic to humans; of these, nine are known to cause foodborne diseases and six are potentially pathogenic to oysters. The most prevalent genera were Mycoplasma, Propionigenium, Psychrilyobacter, and Arcobacter. The results indicate the need for more systematic monitoring of bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma in oyster farming operations in the Brazilian north eastern region. Currently, Mycoplasma is not one of the microorganisms analysed and monitored by order of Brazilian legislation during the oyster production and/or commercialization process, even though this genus was the most prevalent at all sampling points and presents pathogenic potential both for oysters and for consumers

Defining Chlorophyll-a Reference Conditions in European Lakes

The concept of “reference conditions” describes the benchmark against which current conditions are compared when assessing the status of water bodies. In this paper we focus on the establishment of reference conditions for European lakes according to a phytoplankton biomass indicator—the concentration of chlorophyll-a. A mostly spatial approach (selection of existing lakes with no or minor human impact) was used to set the reference conditions for chlorophyll-a values, supplemented by historical data, paleolimnological investigations and modelling. The work resulted in definition of reference conditions and the boundary between “high” and “good” status for 15 main lake types and five ecoregions of Europe: Alpine, Atlantic, Central/Baltic, Mediterranean, and Northern. Additionally, empirical models were developed for estimating site-specific reference chlorophyll-a concentrations from a set of potential predictor variables. The results were recently formulated into the EU legislation, marking the first attempt in international water policy to move from chemical quality standards to ecological quality targets

Factors affecting viral suppression or rebound in people living with HIV and receiving antiretroviral therapy in Ghana

IntroductionRegular viral load (VL) testing for people living with HIV (PLWH) is key to attaining the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Fast-Track 95–95-95 target to end the HIV epidemic by 2030. However, VL testing remains sporadic in routine HIV care in the majority of resource-limited settings, including Ghana, except when provided through research initiatives. In this study, we measured VL among PLWH in Ghana at regular intervals and investigated factors affecting viral suppression (VS) and rebound.MethodsWe analyzed data from a hospital-based cohort enrolled in our HIV cure research. Participants were recruited from three hospitals in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Demographic characteristics were obtained from participants’ folders, while CD4+ T cell counts and VLs were measured from blood samples collected at baseline, 6 months, and 18 months.ResultsThe study participants were predominantly women (68%) with a median age of 45 years (IQR: 21–76 years). A total of 52% of participants had been on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for more than 6 years, and 74% were following dolutegravir-based regimens. At baseline, 74% of participants had a VL of &lt;50 copies/mL, which increased to 88% at 18 months, with 80% having a CD4+ T cell count of &gt;350 cells/μl. Age group [&lt;40 vs. &gt; 40 years] (OR 2.35, 95% CI; 1.21–4.58, p = 0.012), CD4+ T cell count [&gt;350 vs. &lt; 350 cells/μl] (OR 4.35, 95% CI; 2.32–8.18, p &lt; 0.001), and ART regimen [NVP based vs. DTG based] (OR 7.00, 95% CI; 1.15–42.57, p = 0.034) were associated with VS of &lt;50 copies/mL. The overall viral rebound rate was estimated at 13.61 per 1,000 person-months (95% CI 10.52–17.74), with decreasing rates over time. Lower educational levels (up to Junior High School) were significantly associated with viral rebound (p = 0.011).ConclusionA key feature of our study was measuring VL at three time points over 2 years, which may explain the high VS levels observed. Viral rebound was linked to low education levels, highlighting the need for targeted education for PLWH with junior high school (JHS) education or less. Regular VL monitoring and the implementation of measures to prevent viral rebound, particularly among PLWH with lower education levels, will help Ghana move closer to attaining the third “95” of the UNAIDS 95–95-95 target by 2030