Confidential genetic testing and electronic health records: A survey of current practices among Huntington disease testing centers

BACKGROUND: Clinical care teams providing presymptomatic genetic testing often employ advanced confidentiality practices for documentation and result storage. However, patient requests for increased confidentiality may be in conflict with the legal obligations of medical providers to document patient care activities in the electronic health record (EHR). Huntington disease presents a representative case study for investigating the ways centers currently balance the requirements of EHRs with the privacy demands of patients seeking presymptomatic genetic testing. METHODS: We surveyed 23 HD centers (53% response rate) regarding their use of the EHR for presymptomatic HD testing. RESULTS: Our survey revealed that clinical care teams and laboratories have each developed their own practices, which are cumbersome and often include EHR avoidance. We found that a majority of HD care teams record appointments in the EHR (91%), often using vague notes. Approximately half of the care teams (52%) keep presymptomatic results of out of the EHR. CONCLUSION: As genetic knowledge grows, linking more genes to late-onset conditions, institutions will benefit from having professional recommendations to guide development of policies for EHR documentation of presymptomatic genetic results. Policies must be sensitive to the ethical differences and patient demands for presymptomatic genetic testing compared to those undergoing confirmatory genetic testing

Value of Conventional Skull X-Rays Examination in the Evaluation of Patients with Space Occupying Lesions against Computed Tomography in Nigeria

Background: Today, patients would like to know about their diseases and diagnostic/treatment choices available to aid their medical care. Purpose: To assess the value of conventional skull x-ray examination in the evaluation of patients with intracranial space occupying lesion (SOL) in comparison with Computed Tomography brain scan. Materials and Methods: A total of three hundred and forty four (344) radiographs and seventy two (72) scanograms were used. Radiographs of the skull which queried intra-cranial space occupying lesions, with good contrast and well demonstrated structures as well as an accompanying radiologists report were assessed for contribution to diagnosis, views for detailed information, cost-effectiveness and patient care/management. Findings were compared to computed tomography images of patients with the same conditions. Results: The result showed that the contribution of skull x-ray for patients with suspected (SOL) was 48.55% as against 68.06% for CT scan. Lateral view had 51.50% as a better view against postero- anterior (PA) and other views showing 28.14% and 20.36% respectively. Conclusion: This study showed that conventional skull x-ray should be supplemented by CT scan and other imaging modalities especially in developing countries like Nigeria. This is due to their non- availability and may be affordability by a large number of the populaces

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE MECHANISM AND ACCOUNTING CONSERVATION OF LISTED MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN NIGERIA

This study assessed the relationship between Corporate Governance Mechanism (CGM) and Accounting conservation of selected listed companies in Nigeria. The study adopted an expo-facto research design. The population of the study was 57 companies listed on the Nigeria Exchange group. The sample was determined using Taro Yamane formula which gave a sample size of 25 companies. The study covered the period 2007 to 2021 financial year. The study used secondary data. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis. The result of the analysis shows that the effect of Board Size on the accounting conservatism of listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria is statistically significant. Board independence has a significant influence on the accounting conservatism of listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria. It was recommended that companies should avoid small board sizes and target maintaining the optimal number of members on their boards consistent with governance codes of practice. Evidence from this study shows that large board size has significant positive trade-off on accounting quality and conservatism.JEL: M14, M40, M41, M42, M49  Article visualizations

Factors associated with substance use among secondary school adolescents in Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria

Background: Adolescents use substances for various reasons such as for pleasure, stress and anger management. Many factors have been reported to influence adolescent substance use. However, there is paucity of reports from this part of Nigeria.Aim/Objectives: To identify the socio-demographic factors associated with substance use among secondary school adolescents in Gwagwalada Area Council.Materials and methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, questionnaire-based, study was carried out in secondary schools among adolescents aged 10 years to 18 years who met the inclusion criteria and after appropriate ethical approval had been obtained.Results: One thousand, one hundred and ninety-six student-filled questionnaires were analysed. The mean age of the students was 14.54 years ± SD 2.28. The students' religion, family structure, residence and type of school were associated with licit substance use while their religion, family structure and residence were associated with illicit substance use (P =<0.05). There was also statistically significant relationships between frequency in participation in religious activities and tobacco use (P = <0.01) and birth order and cocaine and hallucinogen use at P = 0.014 and P = 0.018, respectively.Conclusion and recommendation: Several factors were associated with adolescent substance use in this study. It is recommended that more in-depth studies be done to determine causality.Kewords: Factors, substance use, adolescent, Abuj

Effects of oxygen on the optical properties of phenyl-based scintillators during irradiation and recovery

Plastic scintillators are a versatile and inexpensive option for particle detection, which is why the largest particle physics experiments, CMS and ATLAS, use them extensively in their calorimeters. One of their challenging aspects, however, is their relatively low radiation hardness, which might be inadequate for very high luminosity future projects like the FCC-hh. In this study, results on the effects of ionizing radiation on the optical properties of plastic scintillator samples are presented. The samples are made from two different matrix materials, polystyrene and polyvinyltoluene, and have been irradiated at dose rates ranging from $2.2\,$Gy/h up to $3.4\,$kGy/h at room temperature. An internal boundary that separates two regions of different indices of refraction is visible in the samples depending on the dose rate, and it is compatible with the expected oxygen penetration depth during irradiation. The dose rate dependence of the oxygen penetration depth for the two matrix materials suggests that the oxygen penetration coefficient differs for PS and PVT. The values of the refractive index for the internal regions are elevated compared to those of the outer regions, which are compatible with the indices of unirradiated samples.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal DOI. 30 pages, 15 figures. Published in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section

From sick kids to SicKids!

This report outlines the varied activities undertaken by SicKids in Cambodia up to and including the April 2017 visit by Dr Joan Livesley and Professor Andrew Rowland. Both the November 2016 and April 2017 visits were part-funded by a Humanitarian Grant from the British Medical Association. SicKids is a children’s health charity currently working in the North West of England and Cambodia. It believes every child deserves the right to grow up healthy, and safe from abuse, exploitation and trafficking. The charity raises funds and work on projects to support children and young people

Reduction of light output of plastic scintillator tiles during irradiation at cold temperatures and in low-oxygen environments

The advent of the silicon photomultiplier has allowed the development of highly segmented calorimeters using plastic scintillator as the active media, with photodetectors embedded in the calorimeter, in dimples in the plastic. To reduce the photodetector's dark current and radiation damage, the high granularity calorimeter designed for the high luminosity upgrade of the CMS detector at CERN's Large Hadron Collider will be operated at a temperature of about -30$^\circ$C. Due to flammability considerations, a low oxygen environment is being considered. However, the radiation damage to the plastic scintillator during irradiation in this operating environment needs to be considered. In this paper, we present measurements of the relative decrease of light output during irradiation of small plastic scintillator tiles read out by silicon photomultipliers. The irradiations were performed using a $^{60}\mathrm{Co}$ source both to produce the tiles' light and as a source of ionizing irradiation at dose rates of 0.3, 1.3, and $1.6\,$Gy/hr, temperatures of -30, -15, -5, and 0$^\circ$C, and with several different oxygen concentrations in the surrounding atmosphere. The effect of the material used to wrap the tile was also studied. Substantial temporary damage, which annealed when the sample was warmed, was seen during the low-temperature irradiations, regardless of the oxygen concentration and wrapping material. The relative light loss was largest with 3M$^{\tiny \textrm{TM}}$ Enhanced Specular Reflector Film wrapping and smallest with no wrapping, although due to the substantially higher light yield with wrapping, the final light output is largest with wrapping. The light loss was less at warmer temperatures. Damage with $3\%$ oxygen was similar to that in standard atmosphere. Evidence of a plateau in the radical density was seen for the 0$^\circ$C data

Speed of capillary blood flow and d-dimer levels in sickle cell anaemia patients in Calabar, cross river state

Background: The experience of painful episodes of ill health caused by sequelae of erythrocytes sickling, impaired blood flow, hypercoagulation and vaso-occlusion is one of the hallmarks of sickle cell disease. Preventing painful episodes and promoting the physical wellbeing of persons with sickle cell disease is usually a major objective in the management of the condition. The purpose of this study is to investigate capillary blood flow and D-Dimer activities in people with sickle cell anaemia.Methods: A total of 90 subjects (27 males and 63 females) participated in the study, the study comprised of 34 HbSS patients, three were in crisis and thirty-one in steady state, 9 sickle cell carriers (HbAS) and 47 HbAA were control subjects. The haemoglobin phenotype was determined using haemoglobin electrophoresis at alkaline pH (8.6), speed of capillary blood flow was estimated using vascular Doppler ultrasonographic technique and D-Dimer was determined using ELISA method.Results: Results obtained showed that there was a significant variation (p=0.042) in the mean levels D-Dimer among the groups. There was however no significant variations (p>0.05) in the other parameters among the groups. A post hoc analysis of mean D-Dimer in sickle cell patients, sickle cell carriers and controls showed that the sickle cell patients had significantly higher D-Dimer levels compared with controls.Conclusions: Sickle cells patients in steady state had higher D-Dimer levels compared with controls and sickle cell patients in crisis had lower speed of capillary blood flow when compared to sickle cell patients in steady state and controls

Summary of the Very Large Hadron Collider Physics and Detector Workshop

One of the options for an accelerator beyond the LHC is a hadron collider with higher energy. Work is going on to explore accelerator technologies that would make such a machine feasible. This workshop concentrated on the physics and detector issues associated with a hadron collider with an energy in the center of mass of the order of 100 to 200 TeV