The Dynamics of Energy Attenuation inHIV/AIDS Patients

In this work, we used the constituted carrier wave (CCW) which we developed in a previous study to determine the dynamics of energy attenuation in HIV/AIDS patients. The CCW is the superposition of two incoherent waves, the ‘parasitic wave’ and the ‘host wave’ and it describes the coexistence of the parasite HIV and the human system which of course is now the host. We also used Fourier transform technique to determine quantitatively the spectrum of energy attenuationconveyed by the CCW. It is established in this study, that the reduced velocity of the CCW causes a delay in the energy transfer mechanism which eventually leads to starvation and weakening of the initial strength of the active cells that make up the human biological system. It is shown that in the absence of specific treatment, the HIV infection degenerates to acquire immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) after about92 months (8 years) and this is indicated by the reduced frequency of the energy spectrum. The energy of the CCW which now describes the new biological system of Man after infection with HIVfinally goes to zero - a phenomenon called death, when the multiplier approaches the critical value of 13070 and the time it takes to attain this value is about 126 months (10 years). Keywords: Energy attenuation, ‘host wave’, ‘parasitic wave’, CCW, HIV/AIDS, ‘third world approximation’.

The Velocity Profiles of HIV/AIDS In The Human Circulating Blood System: With Oscillating Time Dependent Total Phase Agle (E).

The human cyclic heart contraction generates pulsatile blood flow and latent vibration. The latent vibration is sinusoidal and central in character, that is, it flows along the middle of the vascular blood vessels and in the process it orients the active particles of the blood and sets them into oscillating motion with a unified frequency. We assume that it is the vibration of the HIV that interferes with the Human latent vibration. In this work, we utilized the known dynamical characteristics of the vibration of HIV and those of Man from a previous study to determine quantitatively the velocity profiles of HIV/AIDS in the human circulating blood system. We also used Fourier transform technique to determine the subsequent behaviour of the velocity of the constituted carrier wave (CCW) as it propagates away from the source which is the human heart. It is shown that the spectrum of the velocity profiles of the CCW become parasitically monochromatic with slow varying frequency beyond 77 months (6 years) and the velocity of the CCW finally fluctuate to zero after about 126 months (10 years). Keywords: latent vibration, ‘host wave’, ‘parasitic wave’, CCW, HIV/AIDS, ‘third world approximation

Frequency Of Delusional Halitosis In A University Community

Objective: This study reviewed the prevalence of delusional halitosis and analyzed the frequency of this condition within the University Community, over a period of three years. Method: Sixty-eight (68) patients with delusional halitosis were diagnosed over a period of three years (2001 to 2003), at the Dental Hospital, University of Benin, Nigeria. Results: Within the University Community; there were 14 cases (20.1%) and the largest group was within 20 to 29 years, 12 cases (17.7%). Conclusion: The study suggests an increased level of awareness or an increased prevalence of this condition within the same population. A fifth of the patients were within the University Community; mostly male students who suffered social embarrassment and poor academic performance. Key Words: Frequency, Delusional Halitosis, University-Communit

Triglycerides and TG/HDL‑C ratio as surrogate markers for insulin resistance in Nigerian women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Background: Dyslipidemia is one of the most perplexing metabolic consequences in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Obesity, insulin resistance (IR), and hyperandrogenism, the pervasive features of PCOS, play significant pathophysiological roles in the lipidemic aberrations associated with the syndrome.Objective: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of triglyceride (TG) and triglyceride to high‑density lipoprotein‑cholesterol (TG/HDL‑C) ratio as surrogate markers for identifying IR in infertile Nigerian women with PCOS.Materials and Methods: Eighty‑seven infertile women with PCOS were selected according to the Androgen Excess Society criteria and categorized into two groups. After anthropometric measurements, fasting blood samples were assayed for plasma glucose, serum insulin, total cholesterol, TG, HDL‑C while lipoprotein ratios were calculated. Homeostasis model assessment for IR (HOMA‑IR) was used in defining IR. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to compare the power of the serum markers, and to obtain the optimal cutoffs of TG and TG/HDL‑C with HOMA‑IR.Results: TGs correlated significantly with HOMA‑IR in the obese PCOS women. However, the areas under the ROC of potential markers showed no significant marker for HOMA‑IR. The highest area under the curve of ROC for TG belongs to the obese group with a sensitivity of 56% and specificity of 53% (TG ≥ 92.5mg/dL) as a marker of IR in obese PCOS women.Conclusion: TG and TG/HDL‑C would not be reliable markers of IR, and a concerted approach in finding surrogate markers will benefit future  investigations. Key words: Insulin resistance; Nigerian women; polycystic ovary syndrome; surrogate marker; triglyceride

Perceived Causes of Childhood Illnesses and Herbal Medicine Utilization among Mothers of Child-Patients in Lokoja, Kogi State, North-Central, Nigeria

The joy of ownership of children in Africa either as an “Agro-based” labour pool, social symbol or for physical and security purposes cannot be over-emphasized. As important as children are in Nigeria, their lives are almost always threatened by several problems such as nutritional deficiencies and illnesses, especially malaria, diarrhoea diseases, Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs), Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) and absolute poverty, which accounted significantly for the severe morbidity and mortality rates among children less than age five years. The study, therefore, investigated utilization of herbal medicine among mothers of under-five children in Lokoja, Kogi state, North-central Nigeria. The descriptive cross-sectional research design was used to study 300 mothers of paediatric patients. The questionnaire was designed to elicit the data from the respondents through the systematic and purposive sampling techniques. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 18.0. was used to analyse the data collected while the hypotheses were tested using the spearman rank correlation. The study findings revealed among others that, the respondents considered herbal remedies safe for the treatment of their sick children and so expressed satisfaction with the products used. Similarly, the perception of disease aetiology among the respondents had a significant positive correlation with the utilization of herbal medicine, while religious affiliations and orientations positively influenced the use of the medicine in the study area. The study, therefore, concluded that herbal medicine is an integral aspect of the overall healthcare delivery system and should be promoted for remedial intervention at the outset of diseases. Perception of disease aetiology and religious affiliations are predictors of the respondents’ health seeking behaviour. “Cross-system” referral is recommended for herbal as well as orthodox medical practitioners if the jeopardizing health of the under-five children is to be addressed holistically. Keywords: Disease Aetiology, child-Patients, Herbal Medicine, and Utilizatio

The PREDICT study uncovers three clinical courses of acutely decompensated cirrhosis that have distinct pathophysiology

Background & Aims: Acute decompensation (AD) of cirrhosis is defined as the acute development of ascites, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hepatic encephalopathy, infection or any combination thereof, requiring hospitalization. The presence of organ failure(s) in patients with AD defines acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). The PREDICT study is a European, prospective, observational study, designed to characterize the clinical course of AD and to identify predictors of ACLF. Methods: A total of 1,071 patients with AD were enrolled. We collected detailed pre-specified information on the 3-month period prior to enrollment, and clinical and laboratory data at enrollment. Patients were then closely followed up for 3 months. Outcomes (liver transplantation and death) at 1 year were also recorded. Results: Three groups of patients were identified. Pre-ACLF patients (n = 218) developed ACLF and had 3-month and 1-year mortality rates of 53.7% and 67.4%, respectively. Unstable decompensated cirrhosis (UDC) patients (n = 233) required ≥1 readmission but did not develop ACLF and had mortality rates of 21.0% and 35.6%, respectively. Stable decompensated cirrhosis (SDC) patients (n = 620) were not readmitted, did not develop ACLF and had a 1-year mortality rate of only 9.5%. The 3 groups differed significantly regarding the grade and course of systemic inflammation (high-grade at enrollment with aggravation during follow-up in pre-ACLF; low-grade at enrollment with subsequent steady-course in UDC; and low-grade at enrollment with subsequent improvement in SDC) and the prevalence of surrogates of severe portal hypertension throughout the study (high in UDC vs. low in pre-ACLF and SDC). Conclusions: Acute decompensation without ACLF is a heterogeneous condition with 3 different clinical courses and 2 major pathophysiological mechanisms: systemic inflammation and portal hypertension. Predicting the development of ACLF remains a major future challenge. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT03056612. Lay summary: Herein, we describe, for the first time, 3 different clinical courses of acute decompensation (AD) of cirrhosis after hospital admission. The first clinical course includes patients who develop acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and have a high short-term risk of death – termed pre-ACLF. The second clinical course (unstable decompensated cirrhosis) includes patients requiring frequent hospitalizations unrelated to ACLF and is associated with a lower mortality risk than pre-ACLF. Finally, the third clinical course (stable decompensated cirrhosis), includes two-thirds of all patients admitted to hospital with AD – patients in this group rarely require hospital admission and have a much lower 1-year mortality risk

An evaluation of the sociodemographic determinants of dental anxiety in patients scheduled for intra-alveolar extraction

Background: Studies on anxiety in patients having intra-alveolar extraction as well as the effect of patient's sociodemographic characteristics influencing level of associated anxiety are few in our environment. The aim of this study was to statistically analyze the sociodemographic determinants of dental anxiety in patients scheduled for intra-alveolar extraction. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 93 consecutive patients attending the outpatient clinic of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Benin Teaching Hospital for intra-alveolar extraction in the months of November and December 2013. An interview-based questionnaire, Corah Dental Anxiety Scale Revised (DAS-R), was administered to evaluate levels of dental anxiety. Sociodemographic characteristics of the subjects were recorded. Descriptive statistics and regression models were done with the independent variables (sociodemographic factors) and the dependent variable being the DAS-R. A P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The internal consistency of the scale used as determined by Cronbach alpha was 0.76. Mean DAS score was 8.12±2.58. Dental anxiety and age of subjects showed significant inverse relationship. Females had a higher mean DAS score (8.76) than the males (7.37) (P=0.006). Residence (urban/rural) was not statistically significant. Singles reported the highest DAS score (9.41) (P=0.006). The educational level attained was significantly related to dental anxiety (P=0.005). Those with secondary school education had the highest DAS score (9.26). Class V social status had the highest mean anxiety score (P=0.012). Stepwise linear regression showed that the best predictors for dental anxiety were sex (P=0.008) and marital status (P=0.026). Conclusion: This present study demonstrates that sex and marital status are the predictive factors for dental anxiety in the overall management of patients indicated for intra-alveolar extraction

Evaluation of Oral and Extra-Oral Factors Predisposing to Delusional Halitosis

Objective: This study evaluated the role of patients’ associated oral and extra-oral factors, as well as previous dental treatment, as possible predisposing (triggering) factors in the development delusional halitosis. Method: Forty-six patients diagnosed of delusional halitosis, over a consecutive period of 2 years (2003- 2004) were selected for this study. Diagnosis was based on: use of standard halitosis questionnaire (to confirm the presence of psychological component)modified to obtain data on oral and extra-oral factors, as well as previous dental treatment linked by patients as cause of oral malodour; clinical assessment without objective evidence of oral malodour; absence of reliable third party to confirm patients’ claim of oralmalodour; and screening with sulphur monitor (RH-17 Series Halimeter, Interscan, Chatsworth, CA) that was within normal range (80-140ppb).Results: All the 46 patients studied had normal halimeter measurement and no reliable third party to confirm the patients’ claim of oral  malodour. Twenty-four (52.2%) patients had associated possible predisposing factors. The most common associated factors were bittertaste (25.0%), oral deposits (20.8%), carious tooth (16.7%) and previous tooth extraction (16.7%). Associated factors were divided into oral, extra-oral and dental treatment. Patients’ associated oral factors were significantly correlated as predisposing factors for delusionalhalitosis (