Prevalence and Pattern of Adverse Drug Reactions among HIV Infected Patients on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) in Imo State, Nigeria: A Hospital Based Survey

Introduction:  It is a proven fact that almost all drugs carry the potential to produce undesirable effects in addition to the desired ones. Aim:  The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence, pattern and socio-demographic determinants of adverse drug reactions among patients on HAART attending clinics in hospitals in Imo State Nigeria. Methodology:  This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study carried out among HIV patients attending clinics in hospitals in Imo State.  The 400 participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique.  Data was collected using an interviewer administered, semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using EPI Info version 3:2:1. Chi-square and regression analysis was used to test association between variables. P-value was set at ≤ 0.05. Results: The mean age of the participants was 41.7±3.0 years with a male to female ration of 1:2. The adherence level to HIV treatment was 85.0%. The prevalence of ADRs in the last 1 year preceding the study was 13.7% and the common forms of ADR experienced by patients was Hematological symptoms (34%), GIT symptoms (21.8%) and skin manifestation (20.0%). Socio-demographic determinants of the occurrence of ADR among the participants were: age 50 years and above (OR: 9.28), female gender (OR: 2.55) and living in a rural area (OR: 4.47). Conclusion:  Though the prevalence of ADR reported in this study was low, there is need to increase the depth of knowledge among HIV patients in the State, monitor patients closely by care givers and find possible ways to increase adherence to HIV drugs which was not optimal among participants. Keywords: Prevalence, Pattern, Adverse Drug reactions, HAART, HIV, Patients, Imo State

The importance of formulation in the successful lyophilization of influenza reference materials.

© 2014.Lyophilized Influenza antigen reference reagents are a critical resource in the quality control of influenza vaccines. A standard formulation has been used successfully at NIBSC for many years however, following the unexpected occurrence of a collapsed appearance in a particular batch a study was carried out to establish the impact of the sugar concentration in the formulation using modulated differential scanning calorimetry (mDSC) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR).There was a correlation between the presence and size of the mDSC eutectic temperature events and the freeze dried appearance of the cakes, which became progressively worse with increasing amounts of sugar. NMR spectroscopy could be used to positively identify and quantify the sugars in the formulations. MDSC can rapidly predict if the freeze dried appearance will be acceptable so as to assure the successful lyophilization of influenza reference preparations

Path integral for a relativistic Aharonov-Bohm-Coulomb system

The path integral for the relativistic spinless Aharonov-Bohm-Coulomb system is solved, and the energy spectra are extracted from the resulting amplitude.Comment: 6 pages, Revte

Consequences of long-term consumption of water from Nworie River (Owerri, Nigeria) on haematological, hepatic, and renal functions using rat model

The consequences of long term consumption of water from Nworie River (Owerri, Nigeria) on haematological, hepatic, and renal functions using rat model (Wistar albino strain). Twenty-four rats separated into two groups of twelve rats each were kept as test and control for sixty-four days. The test rats were placed on water from Nworie River while those of the control were placed on Eva water (purified Coca-cola bottled water). The rats were sacrificed in two sets: first set was on thirty-second day while the second set was on the sixty-fourth day. Six rats each from each group were sacrificed at each set. The Results obtained revealed that Hb, PCV, WBC, L, N, and ESR were significantly affected (p<0.05) in test rats against the control rats. The functional parameters of liver adequacy; AST, ALT, and ALP were significantly (p<0.05) affected in test rats against those of the control. Also, urea and electrolyte ions (Potassium ion, chloride and bicarbonate) indicating renal sufficiency were significantly (p<0.05) affected in test rats against those of the control. Creatinine, sodium ion, total bilirubin and conjugated bilirubin were not significantly affected (p>0.05) in test rats when compared to those of the control. The induced changes in the parameters investigated in this study have shown that long-term consumption of water from Nworie River has effect on haematological, hepatic, and renal function.KEYWORDS: Nworie River, haematology, liver function, kidney functio

slq(2)sl_q(2) Realizations for Kepler and Oscillator Potentials and q-Canonical Transformations

The realizations of the Lie algebra corresponding to the dynamical symmetry group SO(2,1) of the Kepler and oscillator potentials are q-deformed. The q-canonical transformation connecting two realizations is given and a general definition for q-canonical transformation is deduced. q-Schr\"{o}dinger equation for a Kepler like potential is obtained from the q-oscillator Schr\"{o}dinger equation. Energy spectrum and the ground state wave function are calculated.Comment: 12 pages, Latex twice, (Comparison with the other approaches and some refs. added. The version which will appear in J. Phys. A

Market Sanitation: A Case Study of Oregbeni Market Benin - City Edo State, Nigeria

Poor market sanitation is an intractable problem in Nigeria and has contributed to the spread of infectious diseases and environmental degradation. This study was undertaken to determine the awareness and practice of solid waste management in market places among market users. It involved 180 store owners and customers recruited from Oregbeni market in Benin City, Nigeria. They were administered questionnaires while an in depth interview was conducted with the waste managers in the market. Checklist was used to carry out observation of the market place sanitation status. The data obtained was then analyzed and compared using SPSS. The results showed that a high proportion of respondents were aware of improper waste management (133; 62.8%) and agreed (174; 96.7%) that it is associated with many risks. Despite this high level of awareness, the practice of open dumping of waste was prevalent (108; 60.0%). Interestingly, 96.1% expressed willingness to pay for an improved waste disposal system while 55.6% rated the existing system as poor. Our findings suggest therefore that there is an urgent needs to improve waste collection, and disposal at market places.Keywords: Market sanitation, Solid Waste Management, Health hazards, Environmental degradation

Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling of a Bose Condensate

We study, by means of a variational method, the stability of a condensate in a magnetically trapped atomic Bose gas with a negative scattering length and find that the condensate is unstable in general. However, for temperatures sufficiently close to the critical temperature the condensate turns out to be metastable. For that case we determine in the usual WKB approximation the decay rate of the condensate due to macroscopic quantum fluctuations. When appropriate, we also calculate the decay rate due to thermal fluctuations. An important feature of our approach is that (nonsingular) phase fluctuations of the condensate are taken into account exactly.Comment: Invited paper for the Journal of Statistical Physic

CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD CHOICE AND COMMODITY SOURCES AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE CURRENTLY USING ANY FORM OF CONTRACEPTION IN COMMUNITIES IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA

Introduction: The choice and use of a particular contraceptive method and their sources varies globally. The common modern contraceptive methods used were; condoms, injectables, pills and Intra Uterine Contraceptive Devices (IUCD). Aim: The aims of this study was to determine the pattern of contraceptive method choice and commodity  sources among women of reproductive age who are currently using any contraception in communities in Imo State, Nigeria. Methodology: This study was a community based cross-sectional study carried out among 1123 women of reproductive age (15-49 years) living in communities in Imo State, Nigeria. Eligible participant were selected using a multistage random sampling technique and data was collected using a pretested, semi structured and interviewed administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using a computer software (EPI-INFO Version 3.3.2). Results: The mean age of the women was 32.0±8.0 years. Out of the 1123 women studied, only 305 (27.2%) were current contraceptive users. About two-third of the users (18.2%) were using any form of modern contraceptive method. The common contraceptive methods used were; condoms, periodic abstinence, injections and pills. Contraceptive choice varies with age, marital status, religion and resident of women. Overall most women sourced their contraceptives from the private sector. Most of the barrier methods and pills were sourced from the chemist while the injections, IUCD tubal ligation and implants were sourced from the hospitals. Conclusion: Use of modern contraceptive method was low and the choice of a particular contraceptive type and source of the commodity varies with socio-demographic characteristics of the women. There is need to make contraceptives available and family services accessible to women in a way that will be culturally acceptable to them. Keyword: Contraceptive method, choice, commodity sources, communities, Imo Stat

Sexual Behavior and Abuse: A Case Study of University Undergraduates in Tertiary Institutions in Imo State, Nigeria

Introduction: In young people including adolescents, risky sexual behavior has been recognized as an important health, social and demographic concern in the developing world. Aim: To assess sexual behaviors and their association with current and life-time occurrence of sexual abuse among female undergraduates in tertiary institutions in Imo State, Nigeria. Methodology: This was a school based cross sectional study involving 600 female students selected from tertiary institutions in Imo State Nigeria, using the multistage sampling technique. Data was collected using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using a data software (EPI-INFO version 3.3.2). Descriptive variables were presented using summary indices, frequency tables/percentages, and graph while associations between variables were done using the Chi-square and binary regression. A p-value of 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the students was 21.73.2 years. About 65.2% of the respondents have initiated sexual intercourse and of this proportion, 75.6% were sexually active in the last one year preceding survey. The mean age at initiation of sexual debut among the students was 18.93.8 years and the commonest form of sexual act practiced was penile/vaginal sex. About 15.2% of the students had been currently abused. Predictors of current sexual abuse were; ever had sexual intercourse (OR.4.63), being within 14-19 years of age at first sexual initiation, (OR: 0.42), had first sexual exposure with a casual partner (OR: 12.38), and being sexually active in the last 1 year preceding study, (OR: 2.16). Conclusion: Risky sexual behaviors were prevalent and were found to influence the occurrence of sexual abuse, among the students. Thus, there is need to institute appropriate prevention strategies to limit risky sexual behaviors and it consequences among adolescents and young adults

DIFFUSION IN ONE DIMENSIONAL RANDOM MEDIUM AND HYPERBOLIC BROWNIAN MOTION

Classical diffusion in a random medium involves an exponential functional of Brownian motion. This functional also appears in the study of Brownian diffusion on a Riemann surface of constant negative curvature. We analyse in detail this relationship and study various distributions using stochastic calculus and functional integration.Comment: 18 page