Sonografski prikaz dimenzija bubrega u bolesnika s esencijalnom hipertenzijom u sveučilišnoj bolnici Abubakar Tafawa Balewa u gradu Bauchi u Nigeriji

Introduction: Hypertension is one of the commonest non-communicable diseases worldwide; it is the second most common cause of end-stage renal disease. Objective: To evaluate the renal dimensions and volume of essential hypertension patients in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi and to compare the dimensions with that of apparently healthy volunteers. Materials and Methods: A total of two hundred and eleven individuals (comprising 121 females and 90 males) with essential hypertension attending an outpatient clinic in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi, and an equal number of healthy volunteers (comprising of 172 females and 49 males) were studied as controls. Both the healthy volunteers and the Hypertensive patients’ renal length, renal width, antero-posterior diameter, and parenchymal thickness were assessed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20.0) was used for data analysis. Results: Study show the mean renal length for hypertensive patients to be 9.1 ± 0.79 cm and 9.1 ± 0.73 cm, the mean renal width of 3.5 ± 0.48 cm and 3.8 ± 0.68 cm, and mean renal volume of 87.22 ± 19.58 cm3 and 95.08 ± 22.93 cm3 for the right and left kidneys respectively. Results equally show statistically significant difference in anteroposterior diameter (p<0.05), parenchymal thickness (p<0.05) and renal volume (p<0.05) between the hypertensive group and the volunteer group for both right and left kidneys. Conclusion: This study has established baseline renal dimensions for hypertensive in our population (Bauchi Metropolis). The hypertensive subjects showed a decrease in renal anteroposterior diameter, parenchymal thickness and volume compared to control group.Uvod: Hipertenzija je jedna od najčešćih nezaraznih bolesti u svijetu; drugi je najčešći uzrok završnog stadija bubrežne bolesti. Cilj: Procijeniti dimenzije bubrega i bubrežni volumen kod hipertenzivnih bolesnika u Sveučilišnoj bolnici Abubakar Tafawa Balewa u gradu Bauchi i usporediti ih s dimenzijama kod naizgled zdravih ispitanika koji su se dobrovoljno javili za sudjelovanje u istraživanju. Materijali i metode: Uzorak se sastojao od dvjesto jedanaest ispitanika (121 žena i 90 muškaraca) koji boluju od esencijalne hipertenzije i na ambulantnom su liječenju u Sveučilišnoj bolnici Abubakar Tafawa Balewa u gradu Bauchi i jednakog broja zdravih ispitanika (172 žene i 49 muškaraca), koji su bili kontrolna skupina. Proučavana je duljina i širina bubrega, anteroposteriorni promjer i debljina parenhima kod ispitanika s hipertenzijom i kod zdravih ispitanika. Za analizu podataka primijenjen je statistički paket za društvene znanosti (SPSS verzija 20.0). Rezultati: Studija pokazuje da je prosječna dužina bubrega kod hipertenzivnih bolesnika 9,1 ± 0,79 cm i 9,1 ± 0,73 cm, prosječna bubrežna širina 3,5 ± 0,48 cm i 3,8 ± 0,68 cm, a prosječni bubrežni volumen 87,22 ± 19,58 cm3 i 95,08 ± 22,93 cm3 za desni i lijevi bubreg pojedinačno. Rezultati također pokazuju statistički značajnu razliku u anteroposteriornom promjeru (p < 0,05), debljini parenhima (p < 0,05) i bubrežnom volumenu (p < 0,05) između hipertenzivne skupine i kontrolne skupine za desni i lijevi bubreg. Zaključak: Ovom su studijom utvrđene osnovne bubrežne dimenzije kod hipertenzivnih bolesnika u populaciji grada Bauchi, glavnog grada Savezne države Bauchi u Nigeriji. Kod ispitanika koji boluju od hipertenzije ustanovljeno je smanjenje anteroposteriornog promjera bubrega, debljine parenhima i bubrežnog volumena u usporedbi s kontrolnom skupinom

Stringing Spins and Spinning Strings

We apply recently developed integrable spin chain and dilatation operator techniques in order to compute the planar one-loop anomalous dimensions for certain operators containing a large number of scalar fields in N =4 Super Yang-Mills. The first set of operators, belonging to the SO(6) representations [J,L-2J,J], interpolate smoothly between the BMN case of two impurities (J=2) and the extreme case where the number of impurities equals half the total number of fields (J=L/2). The result for this particular [J,0,J] operator is smaller than the anomalous dimension derived by Frolov and Tseytlin [hep-th/0304255] for a semiclassical string configuration which is the dual of a gauge invariant operator in the same representation. We then identify a second set of operators which also belong to [J,L-2J,J] representations, but which do not have a BMN limit. In this case the anomalous dimension of the [J,0,J] operator does match the Frolov-Tseytlin prediction. We also show that the fluctuation spectra for this [J,0,J] operator is consistent with the string prediction.Comment: 27 pages, 4 figures, LaTex; v2 reference added, typos fixe

On the selection of AGN neutrino source candidates for a source stacking analysis with neutrino telescopes

The sensitivity of a search for sources of TeV neutrinos can be improved by grouping potential sources together into generic classes in a procedure that is known as source stacking. In this paper, we define catalogs of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and use them to perform a source stacking analysis. The grouping of AGN into classes is done in two steps: first, AGN classes are defined, then, sources to be stacked are selected assuming that a potential neutrino flux is linearly correlated with the photon luminosity in a certain energy band (radio, IR, optical, keV, GeV, TeV). Lacking any secure detailed knowledge on neutrino production in AGN, this correlation is motivated by hadronic AGN models, as briefly reviewed in this paper. The source stacking search for neutrinos from generic AGN classes is illustrated using the data collected by the AMANDA-II high energy neutrino detector during the year 2000. No significant excess for any of the suggested groups was found.Comment: 43 pages, 12 figures, accepted by Astroparticle Physic

Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4 (62.3 (55.1�70.8) million) to 6.4 (58.3 (47.6�70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization�s Global Nutrition Target of <5 in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2 (30 (22.8�38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0 (55.5 (44.8�67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic. © 2020, The Author(s)

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010–19: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

BACKGROUND: Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. METHODS: The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk–outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. FINDINGS: Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4·45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4·01–4·94) deaths and 105 million (95·0–116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44·4% (41·3–48·4) of all cancer deaths and 42·0% (39·1–45·6) of all DALYs. There were 2·88 million (2·60–3·18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50·6% [47·8–54·1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1·58 million (1·36–1·84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36·3% [32·5–41·3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20·4% (12·6–28·4) and DALYs by 16·8% (8·8–25·0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34·7% [27·9–42·8] and 33·3% [25·8–42·0]). INTERPRETATION: The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden

Author Correction: Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017 (Nature Medicine, (2020), 26, 5, (750-759), 10.1038/s41591-020-0807-6)

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. © 2020, The Author(s)

Author Correction: Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017 (Nature Medicine, (2020), 26, 5, (750-759), 10.1038/s41591-020-0807-6)

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. © 2020, The Author(s)

FORMAL CREDITS ACCESS AND FARMERS WELFARE IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

This is an analysis of the impact of credits from formal financial institutions on the welfare of farmers in Plateau state Nigeria. The study used survey research design and the instrument of questionnaire to capture input variables, output data and welfare data. Data was partly fitted into the Cobb-Douglas production function for analysis to ascertain the impact of credit on productivity, and welfare data were analyzed through descriptive statistics. It was found that credit available to farmers in Plateau state is inadequate to significantly raise farm productivity and hence the welfare conditions of farmers. It was further found that profitability, Net farm Income and welfare status of borrowers were slightly higher than that of non-borrowers. The study therefore recommends a renewed commitment of both government and formal financial institutions towards improved quality and quantity of credit to farmers so as to boost output and welfare conditions of the farmers in the state. Keywords: Credit, Welfare, Farmer