Liquid biopsy in lymphoma: Is it primed for clinical translation?

The simultaneous growth in our understanding of lymphoma biology and the burgeoning therapeutic options has come with a renewed drive for precision-based approaches and how best to incorporate them into contemporary and future patient care. In the hunt for accurate and sensitive biomarkers, liquid biopsies, particularly circulating tumour DNA, have come to the forefront as a promising tool in multiple cancer types including lymphomas, with considerable implications for clinical practice. Liquid biopsy analyses could supplement existing tissue biopsies with distinct advantages including the minimally invasive nature and the ease with which it can be repeated during a patient's clinical journey. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) analyses has been and continues to be evaluated across lymphoma subtypes with potential applications as a diagnostic, disease monitoring and treatment selection tool. To make the leap into the clinic, these assays must demonstrate accuracy, reliability and a quick turnaround to be employed in the real-time clinical management of lymphoma patients. Here, we review the available ctDNA assays and discuss key practical and technical issues around improving sensitivity. We then focus on their potential roles in several lymphoma subtypes exemplified by recent studies and provide a glimpse of different features that can be analysed beyond ctDNA

Transit, walking and cycling infrastructure and sustainable development in Enugu city, Nigeria.

In a predominantly urban world, people's ability to move within cities is a critical driver of sustainability. The transportation system which constitutes a large percentage of the physical urban environment provides mobility and aid economic sector. However, it contributes to several major environmental pressures including pollution, congestion, accidents, waste accumulation, resources depletion and disruption of nature. While urban population growth and increase in economic activities combine to generate higher demand for transportation services and heighten the problem. How to effectively deal with these imposing threats and simultaneously provide optimal mobility for city dwellers is the backbone of this research. Drawing experiences from developed cities, the study used Achara layout in Enugu as a case study. From observation, surveys and published literature data were collected and analysed qualitatively. The primary data include, physical traffic count, existing road character, traffic infrastructure and demographic statistics. Findings show the extensive sterility of Enugu’s urban infrastructure to motorized traffic and lack of provision for walking and cycling. It recommends strategies for planning and managing the urban environment which recognizes and acknowledged the social, environmental and economic realities. The conclusion demonstrates that cities designed for pedestrians and cyclist are cities designed for people and sustainable development

Growth performance, carcass characteristics and organoleptic properties of broiler finisher fed graded levels of ginger root meal (grm) basal diets.

An experiment to compare the effect of varying inclusion levels of ginger root meal (zingiber officianale)on growth performance, carcass and organoleptic qualities of finishing broiler chicken was conducted in the Poultry Unit of the Teaching and Research Farm of Department of Animal Science Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State. 150 ANAK 2000 day old chicks were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments with diet 1 being the control (0%) and diets 2, 3, 4 and 5 contain the inclusion levels of ginger root meal at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% respectively. In a complete randomized design (CRD),50 birds were assigned to each treatments with 10 birds per replicate. Performance parameters, carcass characteristics and organoleptic qualities were assessed. Result on the performance characteristics revealed that average final weight, feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio were significantly (P<0.05) higher in control similar to those on 1.5%GRM. Carcass characteristic study revealed that live weight, slaughtered, defeathered, eviscerated weights and dressing percentages were significantly (P<0.05) higher in birds fed the control similar to those on 1.5%GRM. Weight of shanks, breast muscles, neck and back were significantly influenced (P<0.05) with highest values recorded among birds fed 1.5%GRM. For organoleptic quality, appearance, flavour, juiciness, overall acceptance and calculated overall acceptance were all significantly (P<0.05) affected. It is therefore concluded that the dietary inclusion of ginger root meal in broiler diets at 1.5% inclusion levels had positive effects on the growth performance, carcass characteristics of the birds and organoleptic quality of the chicken meat

Factors Vitiating Against the Effectiveness Of The Nigeria Police In Combating The Criminal Exploitation of Children And Women

It is estimated that each year close to one million persons are trafficked across international borders. Nigeria has been identified as a major source, destination, and transit for the trafficking of persons, particularly women and children. The women are trafficked mostly to Europe and the Middle East, as well as to North America for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Children are trafficked within Africa and other parts of the world for the purposes of adoption, for domestic and agricultural labor, and for sale of human body parts. Efforts by the government of Nigeria (including enacting new laws, strengthening existing laws and other social control mechanisms, and collaborating with other countries) to combat trafficking and the sale of humans have not yielded appreciable results. Several factors (inadequate policing, corruption within the policing system, relative deprivation of freedoms, mounting social injustices, lack of conventional social opportunities, increasing conflicting social values, gender imbalances in the provision of education and economic opportunities, and the breakdown of social institutions) cause this impasse. This study examines the nature, extent, and development of this phenomenon and attempts to delineate the factors vitiating against Nigeria’s law enforcement and government efforts in combating this particularly troubling international crime. Two policies are possible. The short term would introduce mass education about the danger of human trafficking and strengthen the legal instrument and the capability of the law enforcement system to deal with the problem, and the long term would address the social and economic conditions in Nigeria which sustains the phenomenon

Benson ldahosa University Virtual Library: a case study

This paper e;..z:,il,illeS the usefuin;_:::ss of virtual/digital library; in a university. Literature review shows d '"t the idea has baen on in the last 20 yef!rs, as way of bolstering higher educuL-.;i 1. Various writE:.rs ;':lre agreed that thi~:; kind 'of library services needs ' l to be sought ::.ik;r. Virtual/digital libraries h<we many t~rms associated with it, I including eleci:J·c~ de library, library witl·1out wall, inter1·1et library, library of the future and etc. It ,:;orb·::Jys the present state of the Virtual Lib~ary at Benson ldahosa University, Ber,in City. The paper concludes that new Jniversities should think virtual libraries. Libraries with less t.l'lan 40,000 volumes sh uld think 6f virtual library as it is more :::1dvantageous. Benson ldahosa University irtual library has been I ! commended hy the National University Commission as the only functioning University-based '.Jirtuallibrary

Performance Enhancement of Quality of Service of IP Mobility for Real-Time Traffic

Future Internet traffic will be huge both for real time and non-real time traffic in an IP mobility environment due to proliferation of mobile nodes. MIPv4 is one of IETF defined IP mobility protocols but with QoS issues like end-to-end delay due to triangular routing, jitter and throughput. OPNET Modeler 14.5 was used in this research to simulate MIPv4 based WiMax network combining MPLS and Diffserv to improve upon the service quality of the network. The end-to-end delay for 20 mobile nodes (MN) was reduced considerably to less than 0.09 second for VoIP traffic and 0.7 second for video conferencing. Jitter was virtually eliminated and good improvement on service throughput. With this improvement in MIPv4 network performance, it can be integrated with MIPv6 network for better future Internet service delivery

Psychosocial Stress and Changes in Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Among Adults with Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Psychosocial stress has been hypothesized to impact renal changes, but this hypothesis has not been adequately tested. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between psychosocial stress and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and to examine other predictors of eGFR changes among persons with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: Data from a survey conducted in 2005 by a major health maintenance organization located in the southeastern part of the United States, linked to patients’ clinical and pharmacy records (n ¼ 575) from 2005 to 2008, was used. Study participants were working adults aged 25–59 years, diagnosed with DM but without advanced microvascular or macrovascular complications. eGFR was estimated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. A latent psychosocial stress variable was created from five psychosocial stress subscales. Using a growth factor model in a structural equation framework, we estimated the association between psychosocial stress and eGFR while controlling for important covariates. Results: The psychosocial stress variable was not directly associated with eGFR in the final model. Factors found to be associated with changes in eGFR were age, race, insulin use, and mean arterial pressure. Conclusion: Among fairly healthy DM patients, we did not find any evidence of a direct association between psychosocial stress and eGFR changes after controlling for important covariates. Predictors of eGFR change in our population included age, race, insulin use, and mean arterial pressure

The Performance Characteristics and Economic Evaluation of Weaner Rabbits Fed Varying Levels of Sundried False Yam (Icacina Tricantha) Meal

A seven week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the growth performance characteristics and economics of production of 15 unsexed weaner rabbits fed varying levels of Sundried false yam (Icacina tricantha) meal. Five treatments diets were formulated with diet 1 containing 100% maize as control, while in diet 2, 3, 4 and 5 Sundried false yam meal replaced the percentage proportion of maize in diet 1 at 25, 50, 75 and 100% inclusion level respectively. Rabbits were randomly assigned to the five treatment diets in a complete randomized designed (CRD) with three replicates of one rabbits each. Performance characteristics revealed that final live weight and weekly feed intake were significantly (P&lt;0.05) influenced with highest value (2.12kg/rabbit and 407.33g/rabbit) recorded from rabbits fed 0% SDFYM comparable to (1.98kg/rabbit and 323.33g/rabbits) recorded in those fed 50% SDFYM. Avearage weekly weight gain was also significantly (P&lt;0.05) influenced with highest value (197.00g/rabbit) from those fed 50% SDFYM. Feed conversion was lowest and best (1.28) from rabbits fed 25% SDFYM. Mortality rate was lowest (3.43%) in rabbits fed 50% SDFYM. Cost and return analysis revealed that total cost of feed consumed was least (378.24 N /rabbits) from those fed 50% SDFYM and highest in control, cost of feed per kg weight gain and total cost of production were lowest (30.50 and 2178.24 N /rabbits) from the rabbits that ate 75% SDFYM and highest in control. Income and net profit were highest (5000 and 1763.36 N /rabbits). It is concluded from this study that Sundried false yam meal is a valuable substitution for maize up to 50% in rabbit diets without any adverse effects on the performance characteristics and economic returns of rabbits

Personalised therapy in follicular lymphoma - is the dial turning?

Follicular lymphoma is the most common indolent lymphoma accounting for approximately 20%–25% of all new non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnoses in western countries. Whilst outcomes are mostly favorable, the spectrum of clinical phenotypes includes high-risk groups with significantly inferior outcomes. This review discusses recent updates in risk stratification and treatment approaches from upfront treatment for limited and advanced stage follicular lymphoma to the growing options for relapsed, refractory disease with perspectives on how to approach this from a personalized lens. Notable gaps remain on how one can precisely and prospectively select optimal treatment for patients based on varying risks, with an anticipation that an increased understanding of the biology of these different phenotypes and increasing refinement of imaging- and biomarker-based tools will, in time, allow these gaps to be closed