Prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of obstructed labor at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Nigeria

Introduction: Obstructed labor is a common cause of feto-maternal morbidity and mortality in Maiduguri, Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, causes, risk factors, and outcome of obstructed labor at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of all cases of obstructed labor managed from January 2012 to December 2014 at the UMTH, Maiduguri, Nigeria. For each case, the next woman who delivered without obstruction was used as a control. Data were analyzed for sociodemographic variables, labor, delivery and postdelivery events using SPSS version 20.0. The Chi-square test and odds ratio (OR) were used and statistical significance set at P < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of obstructed labor was 2.13%. Cephalopelvic disproportion, persistent occipitoposterior position, and malpresentation were seen in 65.37%, 16.58%, and 11.71%, respectively. The risk factors were teenage pregnancy (χ2: 26.96, P < 0.0001, OR: 4.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.45–8.05), nulliparity (χ2: 50.70, P < 0.0001, OR: 4.63, 95% CI: 2.99–7.15), illiteracy (χ2:53.91, P < 0.0001, OR: 5.26, 95% CI: 3.31–8.33), and unbooked status (χ2: 113.26, P < 0.0001 OR: 11.9, 95% CI: 7.24–19.61). Complications were observed in 37.56% of the women with obstructed labor. The common morbidities were wound sepsis, ruptured uterus, and puerperal sepsis, seen in 16.59%, 13.17%, and 7.81%, respectively. The case fatality rate was 0.98% and perinatal mortality was 34.15%. Conclusion: Obstructed labor is common in Maiduguri. We recommend amelioration of the risk factors through advocacy, girl child education, and public enlightenment on the need for antenatal care and hospital delivery, identification, and referral of high-risk patients

Estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor‑2 status of breast cancers in women visiting the Jos University Teaching Hospital

Introduction: Breast cancer remains the most common malignancy in women and the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in this gender. The disease in the indigenous African woman is associated with an inherent aggressive biology and worst clinical outcome. As the malignancy is a heterogeneous entity, each case must be individually categorized for efficient therapy. Current clinical practice employs the use of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), as biomarkers to appropriately select patients that would benefit from targeted therapy against these major molecular pathways of the disease. This study aims at establishing the ER, PR, and HER2 status of breast cancer in women visiting the Jos University Teaching Hospital.Materials and Methods: All histologically confirmed cases of breast cancer at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012, with sufficient clinical records, were subjected to immunohistochemistry for the ER, PR, and HER2 status.Results: A total of 96 cases of female breast cancers were histologically diagnosed during the period of the study. Sixty‑three (65.6%) cases met the inclusion criteria. The predominant histological type was invasive carcinoma (no special type) accounting for 54 (85.7%) cases. Scarf Bloom Richardson Grade 1, 2, and 3 for the cancer cases were: 18 (28.6%), 29 (46.0%), and 16 (25.4%), respectively. The rate of ER, PR, and HER2 positivity were 36.5%, 28.6%, and 33.3%, respectively. There were 26 (41.3%) triple‑negative cases.Conclusion: The study shows a relatively low rate of hormone‑receptor positivity, and higher HER2 positivity of breast cancers in our locality, which may be responsible for poor prognosis in our patients.Keywords: Breast, cancer, estrogen, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, Jos, progesterone, recepto

Représentations Sociales Associées A La Fièvre Typhoïde Dans Les Localités De La Pendjari Au Bénin (Afrique De L’ouest)

Résumé Les représentations sociales constituent une forme de connaissance, socialement élaborée et partagée, ayant une visée pratique et concourante à la construction d’une réalité commune à un ensemble social. La présente recherche vise à appréhender les représentations sociales associées à la fièvre typhoïde dans les localités de la pendjari. L’approche méthodologique est fondée sur la recherche documentaire et les enquêtes socio- anthropologiques sur 253 personnes dont les cibles sont les chefs ménages, les agents de santé et d’hygiène les tradipraticiens et les autorités locales). Le traitement des données est basé sur les statistiques descriptives avec test de khi-deux. Les résultats issus des analyses montrent que 10% des enquêtés connaissent l’hygiène des mains suivi de 20,95% pour l’hygiène alimentaire et 22,86% pour l’hygiène de l’eau. Concernant l’attitude des populations face à la fièvre typhoïde, plus de 60% des enquêtés ont une attitude légère, 30% ont une attitude acceptable et 12% ayant une bonne attitude. Pour l’hygiène de l’eau de boisson, 57% des enquêtés ont des pratiques à faible risque mais 27% d’entre eux ont des pratiques à risque élevé. Il existe une liaison entre le niveau de risque des pratiques adoptées et la profession exercée. Il en ressort que les fonctionnaires n’adoptent presque aucune pratique à risque élevé de contracter la fièvre typhoïde tandis que pour les enquêtés exerçant les autres professions (agriculture, commerce, artisanat), les habitudes globales en matière d’hygiène se répartissent entre pratiques à moyen et à risque élevé. Mots clés : Connaissances, Attitudes, Pratiques, Fièvre typhoïde, Localités pendjariAbstractSocial representations constitute a form of knowledge, socially elaborated and shared, having a practical aim and contributing to the construction of a reality common to a social whole. The present research aims at apprehending the social representations associated with typhoid fever in the localities of the pendjari. The methodological approach is based on documentary research and socio-anthropological surveys on 253 people whose targets are heads of households, health and hygiene agents, traditional practitioners and local authorities.) Data processing is based on descriptive statistics with chi-square test. Results from the analyses show that 10% of the respondents know about hand hygiene, followed by 20.95% for food hygiene and 22.86% for water hygiene. Regarding the attitude of the population towards typhoid fever, more than 60% of the respondents had a light attitude, 30% had an acceptable attitude and 12% had a good attitude. For drinking water hygiene, 57% of the respondents have low-risk practices but 27% of them have high-risk practices. There is a link between the level of risk of the practices adopted and the profession practiced. The results show that civil servants do not adopt any high-risk practices for contracting typhoid fever, while for respondents in other professions (agriculture, commerce, crafts), overall hygiene habits are divided between medium and high-risk practices. Keywords : Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, Typhoid fever, Pendjari localitie

Limited impact of abiotic stress on surfactin production in planta and on disease resistance induced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens S499 in tomato and bean

Understanding how temperature and water stress affect protocooperation between plants and beneficial rhizobacteria may enhance the efficacy of biocontrol agents in reducing plant diseases. However, little is known about the impact of these factors on biocontrol mechanisms and effectiveness, especially when provided by beneficial Bacillus spp. This work aimed to evaluate the influence of low/high temperature combined with a normal and reduced water regime on the interaction between Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain S499 and plants, resulting in the induction of systemic resistance (ISR). A reduction in ISR level was observed when plants were subjected to stress before bacterization; however, root treatment with S499 prior to stress exposure attenuated this negative effect. Colonization of S499 during exposure to temperature/water stress allowed the three crops to conserve their overall ability to mount defense lines to a similar degree at all the temperatures tested. Further investigation revealed that relative production of surfactin by S499 was clearly enhanced at low temperature, making it possible to counter-balance the negative effect on traits associated with rhizosphere fitness (colonization, motility, and biofilm formation) observed in vitro in cold conditions. This work thus represents a first step in deciphering the effect of high/low temperatures and/or drought on key plant-microorganism interactions culminating in ISR. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies

Fate and effects of metal-based nanoparticles in two marine invertebrates, the bivalve mollusc Scrobicularia plana and the annelid polychaete Hediste diversicolor

The objective of this paper is to synthesize results from seven published research papers employing different experimental approaches to evaluate the fate of metal-based nanoparticles (Ag NPs, Au NPs, CuO NPs, CdS NPs, ZnO NPs) in the marine environment and their effects on two marine endobenthic species, the bivalve Scrobicularia plana and the ragworm Hediste diversicolor. The experiments were carried out under laboratory (microcosms) conditions or under environmentally realistic conditions in outdoor mesocosms. Based on results from these seven papers, we addressed the following research questions: (1) How did the environment into which nanoparticles were released affect their physicochemical properties?, (2) How did the route of exposure (seawater, food, sediment) influence bioaccumulation and effects?, (3) Which biomarkers were the most responsive? and (4) Which tools were the most efficient to evaluate the fate and effects of NPs in the marine environment? The obtained results showed that metal-based NPs in general were highly agglomerated/aggregated in seawater. DGT tools could be used to estimate the bioavailability of metals released from NPs under soluble form in the aquatic environment. Both metal forms (nanoparticulate, soluble) were generally bioaccumulated in both species. Among biochemical tools, GST and CAT were the most sensitive revealing the enhancement of anti-oxidant defenses in both species exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of metal-based NPs. Apoptosis and genotoxicity were frequently observed.</p