SEROPREVALENCE OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN IgG ANTIBODY RESPONSE TO PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM MEROZOITE ANTIGENS AMONG CHILDREN IN MINNA, NORTH CENTRAL, NIGERIA

Objective: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a representative cohort of children in Minna aged 6 months–17 years to determine the correlation between immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum merozoite antigens. Methods: Plasma samples from 93 children were exposed to Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for the measurement of IgG antibody production against P. falciparum. Results: There was a high seroprevalence of IgG antibody against P. falciparum antigens tested with 74.20%. The seroprevalence for the male category was quite higher as compared with that of the female category, though, analysis using Mann–Whitney U-test revealed IgG antibody response to P. falciparum infection in the male was significantly different as compared to the female category (p<0.05). Furthermore, the prevalence of IgG antibody against P. falciparum antigen increased with age, with the lowest observed in 6 months–5 years 66.66%. Kruskal–Wallis H test showed a non-significant difference in the production of IgG antibody against P. falciparum antigen between different cohorts, and no correlation exists between them (p>0.05). An evidence of more than 50% was found for the production of IgG antibody by sub-microscopic parasite. On the other hand, microscopically positive P. falciparum samples recorded more seroprevalence of 68.81% as against negative samples, though significant difference between the negative and positive P. falciparum infected samples and the production of IgG antibody was not observed (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study has demonstrated a boosting immune responses by sub-microscopic parasite and also suggests a strong relationship between production of IgG antibody and malaria transmission, rather than protective immunity

Transformer condition assessment using Fuzzy C-means clustering techniques

This paper introduces a transformer fleet monitoring solution to help the end user to group transformer assets and react accordingly to monitored situations

Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive properties of hydro-methanol extract of Eremomastax speciosa (Hochst.) cufod leaf

Background: Eremomastax speciosa (Hochst.) Cufod is a perennial herb found in Africa along the rainforest zone and occurs as weed. It is cultivated in Cameroon and Akwa-Ibom in Nigeria due to its medicinal values. This study investigated the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of hydromethanol extract of Eremomastax speciosa (Hochst.) Cufod leaf in rat model.Materials and Methods: The plant material was extracted using cold maceration method in 80% hydromethanol. The acute oral toxicity test was performed using Up and Down method with limit dose of 2000 mg/kg. The in vitro antioxidant property was evaluated with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing antioxidant power photometric assays. The anti-inflammatory potential was investigated in egg-albumin and carrageenan induced paw edema models while the antinociceptive activity was determined using acetic acid induced writhing reflex and tail immersion tests at the doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg. The negative control group (group A) received distilled water (vehicle) at 5 ml/kg while acetyl salicylic acid (200 mg/kg) was used as the reference drug for the anti-inflammatory models and acetic acid induced writhing reflex model while pentazocine (5 mg/kg) was used as the reference drug for tail immersion test.Results: The LD50 of the extract was greater than 2000 mg/kg. The extract (25 to 400 μg/ml) demonstrated potent antioxidant activities in both the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays. The E. speciosa extract caused significant (P < 0.05) anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities in the extract treated groups when compared to rats that received distilled water. The optimal activities of the extract were produced at the dose of 100 mg/kg.Conclusion: The study supports the folkloric use of Eremomastax speciosa leaf in the management of pain and inflammatory conditions in traditional medicine.Keywords: Acetic acid, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antioxidant, carrageenan, Eremomastax specios

Determination of 24 primary aromatic amines in aqueous food simulants by combining solid phase extraction and salting-out assisted liquid?liquid extraction with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Carcinogenic primary aromatic amines (PAAs) can be released from improperly manufactured food packaging materials. The limit for the sum of PAAs is set to 10 ?gkg- 1 in Commission Regulation No. 10/2011 (FCM Regulation). However, a lower individual limit, 2 ?gkg- 1 has been recently introduced for the carcinogenic PAAs in Commission Regulation No. 2020/1245. As the majority of the previously published methods are no longer compliant with the current regulation, a UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed to enable food packaging compliance testing for PAAs not only from 3% (w/v) acetic acid, but also from 10% (v/v) ethanol food simulant. Since the latest amendment of the FCM Regulation refers to the list of the 22 restricted PAAs of EU Regulation No. 1907/2006, these PAAs were selected as target compounds along with aniline and p-toluidine, the most common impurities of azo colorants and isocyanates. An enrichment factor of 20 could be achieved combining solid phase extraction with salting-out assisted liquid?liquid extraction. The method was successfully validated and applied on real samples. Limit of quantitation (LOQ) and limit of detection (LOD) values were 0.15 ?gL-1 and 0.05 ?gL-1 for both food simulants, respectively; except for 2,4-diaminotoluene, aniline and 4,4?-oxydianiline. However, even these compounds had lower LOD values than the new individual limit of 2 ?gkg- 1. Cumulative LOD values for both food simulants (1.6 ?gL-1 and 1.5 ?gL-1 for 3% (w/v) acetic acid and 10% (v/v) ethanol, respectively) were lower than the 10 ?gkg- 1 specified in the FCM Regulation. Accuracy values were between 70 and 118% for both food simulants for the majority of PAAs. Both within-day and between-day precision values were below 20%. This method proved to be suitable for daily routine analysis enabling compliance testing of food packaging materials according to the latest regulations. The method was successfully applied for the analysis of plastic kitchenware samples

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF TRICHOMONAS VAGINALIS AMONG YEAR 5 STUDENTS TAKING PARASITOLOGY AT THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, MINNA, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Aim and Objective: The aim of this study was to see how popular Trichomonas vaginalis was among year 5 parasitology students at the Federal University of Technology in Minna, Niger State. Methods: A total of 239 high vaginal swabs and urine specimens were collected aseptically from male and female students, respectively, using a sterile swab stick and clean containers, for the evaluation of T. vaginalis occurrence under the microscope. Results: A total of 96 (40.17%) of the 239 students examined were found to have T. vaginalis infection, with female students having the highest prevalence 67 (50.0%), and male students having the lowest prevalence 29 (27.62%). The department of biology education had the most infections with 25 (41.67%), followed by the department of biology with 41 (41.41%), and the department of microbiology with 30 (37.50%). The highest infection rate was 34 (50.75%) in the age group of 21–25 years, followed by 17 (44.74%) in the age group of 31–35 years, and 5 (25.0%) in the age group of 46–50 years. There was no statistically significant difference in infection rates depending on age of the students. Conclusion: Vaginal trichomoniasis is very common among female students in year 5 at the Federal University of Technology in Minna, and it often goes unnoticed

Wind data modeling and energy mapping of the wind potential in the city of Douala (Cameroun)

This work helps in the implementation of wind energy projects in the city of Douala. Wind data used (speed and direction) were collected from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, at a height of 10m. The use of wind speed distribution laws allowed us to obtain predictions of the available wind energy on-site at different altitudes. Then, the wind direction is established for the orientation of the wind turbines and the turbulence analysis is done to highlight the exploitable wind periods. The results show that harnessing wind energy is possible on site from 10 AM to 06 PM. The wind potential at 138 m height has an average speed of 8.15 m/s for an overall energy density of 749.78 W/m2 for roughness class 0, and an average speed of 3.7 m/s for an overall energy density of 69.118 W/m2 for roughness class 4. The wind turbines will be installed in front of the north-north-east direction between 15 and 25°. Finally, the energy mapping of the city's wind resources allows us to estimate the total energy available at a reference height

Hybrid DGA method for power transformer faults diagnosis based on evolutionary k-means clustering and dissolved gas subsets analysis

Considered as the heart of electrical power transmission and distribution networks, power transformers are essential part of the electricity transmission grid. Among the condition monitoring and fault diagnosis tools for these machines, dissolved gas analysis (DGA) has proven its effectiveness in their early detection and classification of faults. Up to date, many methods have been proposed in the literature for the interpretation of DGA data, classified into traditional and intelligent methods. This paper proposes a two-steps hybrid method, which uses the strengths of both methods. The approach uses the evolutionary k-means clustering algorithm based on the genetic algorithm for subset formation and subset analysis by human expertise. In the diagnostic procedure, to determine the condition of a sample, the subset to which it belongs is first identified and then the corresponding diagnostic sub-model is applied. The proposed method has been implemented with 595 DGA data, tested on 254 DGA data and validated on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) TC10 database. Their performances were evaluated and compared with existing traditional, intelligent and hybrid methods. From the results obtained with the IEC TC10 database, the newly proposed approach depicts the best overall diagnosis accuracies. Indeed, the best performance is achieved with the proposed method compared to other models in the literature, with diagnostic accuracy of 98.29% compared to 88.89% of the Gouda triangle method, to 88.03% of the Hyosun Corporation gas ratio method or to 86.32% of the three ratios technique

ANTIOXIDANT, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTI-NOCICEPTIVE PROPERTIES OF HYDRO-METHANOL EXTRACT OF EREMOMASTAX SPECIOSA (HOCHST.) CUFOD LEAF

Background: Eremomastax speciosa (Hochst.) Cufod is a perennial herb found in Africa along the rainforest zone and occurs as weed. It is cultivated in Cameroon and Akwa-Ibom in Nigeria due to its medicinal values. This study investigated the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of hydromethanol extract of Eremomastax speciosa (Hochst.) Cufod leaf in rat model. Materials and Methods: The plant material was extracted using cold maceration method in 80% hydromethanol. The acute oral toxicity test was performed using Up and Down method with limit dose of 2000 mg/kg. The in vitro antioxidant property was evaluated with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing antioxidant power photometric assays. The anti-inflammatory potential was investigated in egg-albumin and carrageenan induced paw edema models while the antinociceptive activity was determined using acetic acid induced writhing reflex and tail immersion tests at the doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg. The negative control group (group A) received distilled water (vehicle) at 5 ml/kg while acetyl salicylic acid (200 mg/kg) was used as the reference drug for the anti-inflammatory models and acetic acid induced writhing reflex model while pentazocine (5 mg/kg) was used as the reference drug for tail immersion test. Results: The LD50 of the extract was greater than 2000 mg/kg. The extract (25 to 400 μg/ml) demonstrated potent antioxidant activities in both the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays. The E. speciosa extract caused significant (P < 0.05) anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities in the extract treated groups when compared to rats that received distilled water. The optimal activities of the extract were produced at the dose of 100 mg/kg. Conclusion: The study supports the folkloric use of Eremomastax speciosa leaf in the management of pain and inflammatory conditions in traditional medicine

A clustered randomized control trial to assess feasibility, acceptability, and impact of implementing the birth companion intervention package in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria: study protocol

BACKGROUND: A birth companion is a simple and low-cost intervention that can improve both maternal and newborn health outcomes. The evidence that birth companionship improves labor outcomes and experiences of care has been available for many years. Global and national policies exist in support of birth companions. Many countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria have not yet incorporated birth companions into routine practice in health facilities. This paper presents the protocol for a trial that aims to assess if a package of interventions that addresses known barriers can increase the coverage of birth companions. METHODS: This two parallel arm cluster randomized controlled trial will evaluate the impact of a targeted intervention package on scale-up of birth companionship at public sector health facilities in Ethiopia (five study sites encompassing 12 facilities), Kenya (two sites encompassing 12 facilities in Murang'a and 12 facilities in Machakos counties), and Nigeria (two sites encompassing 12 facilities in Kano and 12 facilities in Nasarawa states). Baseline and endline assessments at each site will include 744 women who have recently given birth in the quantitative component. We will interview a maximum of 16 birth companions, 48 health care providers, and eight unit managers quarterly for the qualitative component in each country. DISCUSSION: Ample evidence supports the contribution of birth companions to positive health outcomes for mothers and newborns. However, limited data are available on effective strategies to improve birth companion coverage and inform scale-up efforts. This trial tests a birth companion intervention package in diverse clinical settings and cultures to identify possible barriers and considerations to increasing uptake of birth companions. Findings from this study may provide valuable evidence for scaling up birth companionship in similar settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov with identifier: NCT05565196, first posted 04/10/ 2022

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10&nbsp;years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37&nbsp;years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020