12 research outputs found
Pattern of domestic violence from 2011 to 2015 in Beira, Mozambique
Background: Violence against women represents a violation of a fundamental human right and is a significant cause of death and disability worldwide. In developing countries, this issue is particularly dramatic and in sub-Saharan Africa were reached 65% of women reporting domestic violence.Objective: In this study, we assessed the burden and pattern of domestic violence registered at Beira Central Hospital, Mozam- bique from 2011 to 2015.Methods: We performed a descriptive analysis of data collected at the CHB Legal Medicine Service.Results: In five years, are recorded a total amount of 1,491 admissions for domestic violence of which 1307 were females. About 80% of all female cases are represented by the 11-40 age range and, in almost 90% the aggressor was the current or past partner. More than 75% were cases of repeated violence and in more than 60% there were minors attending the phenomenon.Conclusion: It is crucial to act immediately and with a multi-disciplinary approach in order to fight domestic violence, especially against women due to its dramatic consequences as isolation, inability to work, loss of wages, lack of participation in regular activities and limited ability to care for themselves and their children.Keywords: Domestic violence, violence against women, sexual violence, physical violence
The vitamin D grey areas in pediatric primary care. Very low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in asymptomatic children living in northeastern Italy
The principal questions about the vitamin D topic are far to be resolved: in which children 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood testing is appropriate and how much cholecalciferol should be given in the absence of the test? Analyzing vitamin D status in a group of children cared by a "family pediatrician" in northeastern Italy we noted a high incidence of deficiency in asymptomatic preschool children without risk factors. As routine vitamin D testing is not recommended in the average risk population the supplementation with cholecalciferol represents a "grey area" mostly in pediatric primary care
Intrinsic time resolution of 3D-trench silicon pixels for charged particle detection
In the last years, high-resolution time tagging has emerged as the tool to
tackle the problem of high-track density in the detectors of the next
generation of experiments at particle colliders. Time resolutions below 50ps
and event average repetition rates of tens of MHz on sensor pixels having a
pitch of 50m are typical minimum requirements. This poses an important
scientific and technological challenge on the development of particle sensors
and processing electronics. The TIMESPOT initiative (which stands for TIME and
SPace real-time Operating Tracker) aims at the development of a full prototype
detection system suitable for the particle trackers of the next-to-come
particle physics experiments. This paper describes the results obtained on the
first batch of TIMESPOT silicon sensors, based on a novel 3D MEMS (micro
electro-mechanical systems) design. Following this approach, the performance of
other ongoing silicon sensor developments has been matched and overcome, while
using a technology which is known to be robust against radiation degradation. A
time resolution of the order of 20ps has been measured at room temperature
suggesting also possible improvements after further optimisations of the
front-end electronics processing stage.Comment: This version was accepted to be published on JINST on 21/07/202
Pattern of domestic violence from 2011 to 2015 in Beira, Mozambique
Background: Violence against women represents a violation of a
fundamental human right and is a significant cause of death and
disability worldwide. In developing countries, this issue is
particularly dramatic and in sub-Saharan Africa were reached 65% of
women reporting domestic violence. Objective: In this study, we
assessed the burden and pattern of domestic violence registered at
Beira Central Hospital, Mozambique from 2011 to 2015. Methods: We
performed a descriptive analysis of data collected at the CHB Legal
Medicine Service. Results: In five years, are recorded a total amount
of 1,491 admissions for domestic violence of which 1307 were females.
About 80% of all female cases are represented by the 11-40 age range
and, in almost 90% the aggressor was the current or past partner. More
than 75% were cases of repeated violence and in more than 60% there
were minors attending the phenomenon. Conclusion: It is crucial to act
immediately and with a multi-disciplinary approach in order to fight
domestic violence, especially against women due to its dramatic
consequences as isolation, inability to work, loss of wages, lack of
participation in regular activities and limited ability to care for
themselves and their children. DOI:
https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.23 Cite as: Cebola BR, Menegazzo
F, Salmaso L, Facchin P, Isidoris V, Figueredo RL, et al. Pattern of
domestic violence from 2011 to 2015 in Beira, Mozambique. Afri Health
Sci. 2019;19(1). 1499-1506. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.2
Paternal transmission of behavioural and metabolic traits induced by postnatal stress to the 5th generation in mice
Life experiences and environmental conditions in childhood can change the physiology and behaviour of exposed individuals and, in some cases, of their offspring. In rodent models, stress/trauma, poor diet, and endocrine disruptors in a parent have been shown to cause phenotypes in the direct progeny, suggesting intergenerational inheritance. A few models also examined transmission to further offspring and suggested transgenerational inheritance, but such multigenerational inheritance is not well characterized. Our previous work on a mouse model of early postnatal stress showed that behaviour and metabolism are altered in the offspring of exposed males up to the 4th generation in the patriline and up to the 2nd generation in the matriline. The present study examined if symptoms can be transmitted beyond the 4th generation in the patriline. Analyses of the 5th and 6th generations of mice revealed that altered risk-taking and glucose regulation caused by postnatal stress are still manifested in the 5th generation but are attenuated in the 6th generation. Some of the symptoms are expressed in both males and females, but some are sex-dependent and sometimes opposite. These results indicate that postnatal trauma can affect behaviour and metabolism over many generations, suggesting epigenetic mechanisms of transmission
Neonatal mitochondrial leukoencephalopathy with brain and spinal involvement and high lactate: expanding the phenotype of ISCA2 gene mutations
A homoallelic missense founder mutation of the iron-sulfur cluster assembly 2 (ISCA2) gene has been recently reported in six cases affected by an autosomal recessive infantile neurodegenerative mitochondrial disorder. We documented a case of a 2-month-old girl presenting with severe hypotonia and nystagmus, who rapidly deteriorated and died at the age of three months. Increased cerebral spinal fluid level of lactate, documented also at the brain spectroscopy, involvement of the cortex, restricted diffusion of white and gray matter abnormalities, sparing of the corpus callosum and extensive involvement of the spinal cord were observed. Her clinical presenting features and course as well as some neuroradiological findings mimicked those of early-onset leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and high brain lactate (LBSL). The analysis of the mitochondrial respiratory chain function showed a reduced activity of complexes II and IV. The girl harboured two heterozygous mutations in the ISCA2 gene. A comprehensive review of the literature and a comparison with the cases of early onset LBSL enabled us to highlight significant differences in the clinical, biochemical and neuroradiological phenotype between the two conditions, which also emerged from the comparison with the other 6 reported cases of ISCA2 gene mutation previously reported. In summary, this represents the second report ever published associating ISCA2 gene mutation with a mitochondrial leukoencephalopathy, with a different genetic mechanism to the previous cases. Molecular analysis of ISCA2 should be included in the genetic panel for the diagnosis of early onset mitochondrial leukoencephalopathies
Prune belly syndrome: Case report of a failed management in a low-income country
Prune Belly Syndrome (PBS) is a rare congenital syndrome characterized by three main features: abdominal wall flaccidity, bilateral intra-abdominal cryptorchidism, and urologic abnormalities. In this study we describe the case of a 2,600 gr baby, born at the Central Hospital of Beira, Mozambique. Our study confirms that in a low-income country only conservative management can be delivered, and therefore prognosis is worse and less effective than high-income countries
HIV and surgery: An issue only for developed country? an overview from Mozambique
The high incidence of HIV, especially in sub-Saharan African countries, and the increase of life expectancy due to effectiveness antiretroviral therapies, have led to an increase of patients undergoing surgery interventions. To date there is still no definitive data on role, outcome and management of HIV positive surgical subjects. This paper reviews the more recent literature about HIV infection, highlighting the main pathologies treated by thoracic, abdominal and orthopedic surgery, without forgetting about other surgery branches. Particular attention was paid to Mozambique, a developing country with one of the highest levels of HIV incidence
Teenage pregnancies in Mozambique: the experience of “Servicios Amigos dos Adolescentes” clinics in Beira
The purpose of this article is to provide insights into the demand for pregnancy-related health services by adolescent girls and young women in Mozambique. We analysed the patient registers for the first year of operation (2014) of the Servicios Amigos dos Adolescentes (SAAJ) [Friendly Services for Adolescents] clinics in Beira, Mozambique. These registers provide details of the service demands of, and services provided to the 8 290 adolescent girls and young women who accessed the 6 SAAJ clinics in 2014. Analysis of that record, with disaggregation of the patients according to age (9 years or less; 10â\u80\u9314; 15â\u80\u9319; 20â\u80\u9324; 25 and older), show that 3 021 (36%) were pregnant or had previously been pregnant; most being girls in the 15â\u80\u9319 age band (59%). Being pregnant or having been pregnant previously was associated with dropping out of school. Of all the girls and women, 60% agreed to HIV testing and counselling; the HIV prevalence rate amongst this group was 4â\u80\u935% amongst adolescents and 25% amongst women 25 years and older. A minority of the girls and women who were pregnant or had been pregnant previously agreed to HIV testing and counselling. Notwithstanding the limitations for analysis, the results were alarming: substantially high HIV prevalence rates were indicated (2% amongst 10â\u80\u9314 year old girls; 8% amongst 15â\u80\u9319 year olds; 10% amongst 20â\u80\u9324 year olds; and 28% amongst >24 year olds). The data from the SAAJ clinics and results pertain only to conditions in Beira. However, as the first empirical assessment of pregnancy-related service demand amongst adolescent girls and young women in the country and involving a relatively large sample, we contend that this study affirms the need for expansion of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, including HIV services, for adolescent girls and young women in Mozambique
A Novel Hybrid Microdosimeter for Radiation Field Characterization Based on the Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter Detector and Low Gain Avalanche Detectors Tracker: A Feasibility Study
In microdosimetry, lineal energies y are calculated from energy depositions ϵ inside the microdosimeter divided by the mean chord length, whose value is based on geometrical assumptions on both the detector and the radiation field. This work presents an innovative two-stages hybrid detector (HDM: hybrid detector for microdosimetry) composed by a tissue equivalent proportional counter and a silicon tracker made of 4 low gain avalanche diode. This design provides a direct measurement of energy deposition in tissue as well as particles tracking with a submillimeter lateral spatial resolution. The data collected by the detector allow to obtain the real track length traversed by each particle in the tissue equivalent proportional counter and thus estimates microdosimetry spectra without the mean chord length approximation. Using Geant4 toolkit, we investigated HDM performances in terms of detection and tracking efficiencies when placed in water and exposed to protons and carbon ions in the therapeutic energy range. The results indicate that the mean chord length approximation underestimate particles with short track, which often are characterized by a high energy deposition and thus can be biologically relevant. Tracking efficiency depends on the low gain avalanche diode configurations: 34 strips sensors have a higher detection efficiency but lower spatial resolution than 71 strips sensors. Further studies will be performed both with Geant4 and experimentally to optimize the detector design on the bases of the radiation field of interest.The main purpose of HDM is to improve the assessment of the radiation biological effectiveness via microdosimetric measurements, exploiting a new definition of the lineal energy (yT), defined as the energy deposition ϵ inside the microdosimeter divided by the real track length of the particle