Cephalometric Assessment of the Fourth Ventricles Using Computerized Tomography: A Five Year Study in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, North-Western Nigeria

The fourth ventricle is usually affected in posterior cranial fossa tumours and other intracranial and ventricular disorders. Therefore, accurate measurement of the fourth ventricle will go a long way in evaluating braindisorders and decision making prior to neurosurgical procedures. This, therefore, places high premium on the accuracy in the technique and equipment used in obtaining a good Computerised Tomography (CT) Scan of the brain. To provide baseline data for measurements of normal fourth ventricle using computed tomographic Scan. Measurement was made with Dragon V3.1.1. A total of 652 scan examinations of subjects were analyzed in this study. 434 (65.79%) of the subjects were males while 217 (34.21%) were females. (M: F ratio = 2:1).The mean length of the fourth ventricles was 9.55mm and mean width was 12.86mm. Maximum length was 13.95mm and minimum length was 5.1mm. Least width was 2.65mm and greatest width was 17.28mm. Thus, the difference between the lengths of the fourth ventricles was not statistically significant (p.0.05), so also there was no statistically significant difference (p> 0.05) between the width of the fourth ventricles in males and females. In conclusion, this study has provided reference ranges for the normal values of the length and width of the fourth ventricle in male and female Nigerians.Keywords: Cephalometry, assessment, fourth ventricles, CT, Nigeria

Smart waste bin monitoring using IoT for sustainable biomedical waste management.

Suboptimal management of healthcare waste poses a significant concern that can be effectively tackled by implementing Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to enhance trash monitoring and disposal processes. The potential utilisation of the Internet of Things (IoT) in addressing the requirements associated with biomedical waste management within the Kaduna area was examined. The study included a selection of ten hospitals, chosen based on the criterion of having access to wireless Internet connectivity. The issue of biomedical waste is significant within the healthcare sector since it accounts for a considerable amount of overall waste generation, with estimates ranging from 43.62 to 52.47% across various facilities. Utilisation of (IoT) sensors resulted in the activation of alarms and messages to facilitate the prompt collection of waste. Data collected from these sensors was subjected to analysis to discover patterns and enhance the overall efficiency of waste management practices. The study revealed a positive correlation between the quantity of hospital beds and the daily garbage generated. Notably, hospitals with a higher number of beds were observed to generate a much greater amount of waste per bed. Hazardous waste generated varies by hospital, with one hospital leading in sharps waste (10.98 kgd-1) and chemical waste (21.06 kgd-1). Other hospitals generate considerable amounts of radioactive waste (0.60 kgd-1 and 0.50 kgd-1), pharmaceuticals, and genotoxic waste (16.19 kgd-1), indicating the need for specialised waste management approaches. The study sheds light on the significance of IoT in efficient waste collection and the need for tailored management of hazardous waste

Evaluation of traditional and machine learning approaches for modeling volatile fatty acid concentrations in anaerobic digestion of sludge: potential and challenges

This study evaluates models for predicting volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations in sludge processing, ranging from classical statistical methods (Gaussian and Surge) to diverse machine learning algorithms (MLAs) such as Decision Tree, XGBoost, CatBoost, LightGBM, Multiple linear regression (MLR), Support vector regression (SVR), AdaBoost, and GradientBoosting. Anaerobic bio-methane potential tests were carried out using domestic wastewater treatment primary and secondary sludge. The tests were monitored over 40 days for variations in pH and VFA concentrations under different experimental conditions. The data observed was compared to predictions from the Gaussian and Surge models, and the MLAs. Based on correlation analysis using basic statistics and regression, the Gaussian model appears to be a consistent performer, with high R2 values and low RMSE, favoring precision in forecasting VFA concentrations. The Surge model, on the other hand, albeit having a high R2, has high prediction errors, especially in dynamic VFA concentration settings. Among the MLAs, Decision Tree and XGBoost excel at predicting complicated patterns, albeit with overfitting issues. This study provides insights underlining the need for context-specific considerations when selecting models for accurate VFA forecasts. Real-time data monitoring and collaborative data sharing are required to improve the reliability of VFA prediction models in AD processes, opening the way for breakthroughs in environmental sustainability and bioprocessing applications

Monocytes regulate the mechanism of T-cell death by inducing Fas-mediated apoptosis during bacterial infection.

Monocytes and T-cells are critical to the host response to acute bacterial infection but monocytes are primarily viewed as amplifying the inflammatory signal. The mechanisms of cell death regulating T-cell numbers at sites of infection are incompletely characterized. T-cell death in cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) showed 'classic' features of apoptosis following exposure to pneumococci. Conversely, purified CD3(+) T-cells cultured with pneumococci demonstrated necrosis with membrane permeabilization. The death of purified CD3(+) T-cells was not inhibited by necrostatin, but required the bacterial toxin pneumolysin. Apoptosis of CD3(+) T-cells in PBMC cultures required 'classical' CD14(+) monocytes, which enhanced T-cell activation. CD3(+) T-cell death was enhanced in HIV-seropositive individuals. Monocyte-mediated CD3(+) T-cell apoptotic death was Fas-dependent both in vitro and in vivo. In the early stages of the T-cell dependent host response to pneumococci reduced Fas ligand mediated T-cell apoptosis was associated with decreased bacterial clearance in the lung and increased bacteremia. In summary monocytes converted pathogen-associated necrosis into Fas-dependent apoptosis and regulated levels of activated T-cells at sites of acute bacterial infection. These changes were associated with enhanced bacterial clearance in the lung and reduced levels of invasive pneumococcal disease

Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

SummaryBackground The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 provides an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence for risk factor exposure and the attributable burden of disease. By providing national and subnational assessments spanning the past 25 years, this study can inform debates on the importance of addressing risks in context. Methods We used the comparative risk assessment framework developed for previous iterations of the Global Burden of Disease Study to estimate attributable deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and trends in exposure by age group, sex, year, and geography for 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks from 1990 to 2015. This study included 388 risk-outcome pairs that met World Cancer Research Fund-defined criteria for convincing or probable evidence. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from randomised controlled trials, cohorts, pooled cohorts, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. We developed a metric that allows comparisons of exposure across risk factors—the summary exposure value. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk level, we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We decomposed trends in attributable burden into contributions from population growth, population age structure, risk exposure, and risk-deleted cause-specific DALY rates. We characterised risk exposure in relation to a Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Findings Between 1990 and 2015, global exposure to unsafe sanitation, household air pollution, childhood underweight, childhood stunting, and smoking each decreased by more than 25%. Global exposure for several occupational risks, high body-mass index (BMI), and drug use increased by more than 25% over the same period. All risks jointly evaluated in 2015 accounted for 57·8% (95% CI 56·6–58·8) of global deaths and 41·2% (39·8–42·8) of DALYs. In 2015, the ten largest contributors to global DALYs among Level 3 risks were high systolic blood pressure (211·8 million [192·7 million to 231·1 million] global DALYs), smoking (148·6 million [134·2 million to 163·1 million]), high fasting plasma glucose (143·1 million [125·1 million to 163·5 million]), high BMI (120·1 million [83·8 million to 158·4 million]), childhood undernutrition (113·3 million [103·9 million to 123·4 million]), ambient particulate matter (103·1 million [90·8 million to 115·1 million]), high total cholesterol (88·7 million [74·6 million to 105·7 million]), household air pollution (85·6 million [66·7 million to 106·1 million]), alcohol use (85·0 million [77·2 million to 93·0 million]), and diets high in sodium (83·0 million [49·3 million to 127·5 million]). From 1990 to 2015, attributable DALYs declined for micronutrient deficiencies, childhood undernutrition, unsafe sanitation and water, and household air pollution; reductions in risk-deleted DALY rates rather than reductions in exposure drove these declines. Rising exposure contributed to notable increases in attributable DALYs from high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, occupational carcinogens, and drug use. Environmental risks and childhood undernutrition declined steadily with SDI; low physical activity, high BMI, and high fasting plasma glucose increased with SDI. In 119 countries, metabolic risks, such as high BMI and fasting plasma glucose, contributed the most attributable DALYs in 2015. Regionally, smoking still ranked among the leading five risk factors for attributable DALYs in 109 countries; childhood underweight and unsafe sex remained primary drivers of early death and disability in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Interpretation Declines in some key environmental risks have contributed to declines in critical infectious diseases. Some risks appear to be invariant to SDI. Increasing risks, including high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, drug use, and some occupational exposures, contribute to rising burden from some conditions, but also provide opportunities for intervention. Some highly preventable risks, such as smoking, remain major causes of attributable DALYs, even as exposure is declining. Public policy makers need to pay attention to the risks that are increasingly major contributors to global burden. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

The Feasibility and Impact of Delivering a Mind-Body Intervention in a Virtual World

Introduction: Mind-body medical approaches may ameliorate chronic disease. Stress reduction is particularly helpful, but face-to-face delivery systems cannot reach all those who might benefit. An online, 3-dimensional virtual world may be able to support the rich interpersonal interactions required of this approach. In this pilot study, we explore the feasibility of translating a face-to-face stress reduction program into an online virtual setting and estimate the effect size of the intervention. Methods and Findings: Domain experts in virtual world technology joined with mind body practitioners to translate an existing 8 week relaxation response-based resiliency program into an 8-week virtual world-based program in Second Life™ (SL). Twenty-four healthy volunteers with at least one month's experience in SL completed the program. Each subject filled out the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Symptom Checklist 90- Revised (SCL-90-R) before and after taking part. Participants took part in one of 3 groups of about 10 subjects. The participants found the program to be helpful and enjoyable. Many reported that the virtual environment was an excellent substitute for the preferred face-to-face approach. On quantitative measures, there was a general trend toward decreased perceived stress, (15.7 to 15.0), symptoms of depression, (57.6 to 57.0) and anxiety (56.8 to 54.8). There was a significant decrease of 2.8 points on the SCL-90-R Global Severity Index (p<0.05). Conclusions: This pilot project showed that it is feasible to deliver a typical mind-body medical intervention through a virtual environment and that it is well received. Moreover, the small reduction in psychological distress suggests further research is warranted. Based on the data collected for this project, a randomized trial with less than 50 subjects would be appropriately powered if perceived stress is the primary outcome

The role of pneumolysin in mediating lung damage in a lethal pneumococcal pneumonia murine model

BACKGROUND: Intranasal inoculation of Streptococcus pneumoniae D39 serotype 2 causes fatal pneumonia in mice. The cytotoxic and inflammatory properties of pneumolysin (PLY) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of pneumococcal pneumonia. METHODS: To examine the role of PLY in this experimental model we performed ELISA assays for PLY quantification. The distribution patterns of PLY and apoptosis were established by immunohistochemical detection of PLY, caspase-9 activity and TUNEL assay on tissue sections from mice lungs at various times, and the results were quantified with image analysis. Inflammatory and apoptotic cells were also quantified on lung tissue sections from antibody treated mice. RESULTS: In bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL), total PLY was found at sublytic concentrations which were located in alveolar macrophages and leukocytes. The bronchoalveolar epithelium was PLY-positive, while the vascular endothelium was not PLY reactive. The pattern and extension of cellular apoptosis was similar. Anti-PLY antibody treatment decreased the lung damage and the number of apoptotic and inflammatory cells in lung tissues. CONCLUSION: The data strongly suggest that in vivo lung injury could be due to the pro-apoptotic and pro-inflammatory activity of PLY, rather than its cytotoxic activity. PLY at sublytic concentrations induces lethal inflammation in lung tissues and is involved in host cell apoptosis, whose effects are important to pathogen survival