Impact of malaria related messages on insecticide-treated net (ITN) use for malaria prevention in Ghana

Background: Media messages have been used in Ghana to promote insecticide-treated net (ITN)/bed net usage in an effort to impact on malaria prevention. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of such malaria-related messages delivered through electronic/print media and by volunteers/health workers on the use of ITNs by children living in a household. Methods: Data was collected from September to November of 2008 using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire by the Ghana Statistical Service as part of a national demographic and health survey (DHS). Secondary data analysis was performed on the collected data using multivariate logistic regression for both individual messages and a composite (any of) message variable. Results: From the 11,788 households surveyed, 45% had at least one net. Households with male heads were more likely to have a child sleeping under a bed net the previous night (p = 0.0001). Individual Messages delivered by a health worker or a dedicated radio programme, had the highest effect for one or more children sleeping under a net the night before (OR adjusted = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.44 to 1.88 and OR adjusted = 1.26; 95% CI =1.12 to 1.42 respectively) while hearing any of the eight messages (composite score) resulted in the highest odds for one or more children (OR adjusted = 3.06; 95% CI = 2.27 to 4.12) sleeping under a bed net. Conclusion: Efforts to relate ITN messages to the public are very useful in increasing use of bed nets and having multiple ways of reaching the public increases their effect, with the biggest effect seen when health workers and volunteers were used to deliver malaria-related messages to the public

Design and Implementation of Intrusion Detection Systems using RPL and AOVD Protocols-based Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technology has grown in importance in recent years. All WSN implementations need secure data transmission between sensor nodes and base stations. Sensor node attacks introduce new threats to the WSN. As a result, an appropriate Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is required in WSN for defending against security attacks and detecting attacks on sensor nodes. In this study, we use the Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks (RPL) for addressing security services in WSN by identifying IDS with a network size of more or less 20 nodes and introducing 10% malicious nodes. The method described above is used on Cooja in the VMware virtual machine Workstation with the InstantContiki2.7 operating system. To track the movement of nodes, find network attacks, and spot dropped packets during IDS in WSN, an algorithm is implemented in the Network Simulator (NS2) using the Ad-hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) protocol in the Linux operating system.Keywords—Intrusion Detection Systems, wireless sensor networks, Cooja simulator, sensor nodes, NS

Binary balanced codes approaching capacity

Abstract: In this paper, the construction of binary balanced codes is revisited. Binary balanced codes refer to sets of bipolar codewords where the number of “1”s in each codeword equals that of “0”s. The first algorithm for balancing codes was proposed by Knuth in 1986; however, its redundancy is almost two times larger than that of the full set of balanced codewords. We will present an efficient and simple construction with a redundancy approaching the minimal achievable one

Ventilator-associated Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia

We report an outbreak of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in 6 infants with acute lower respiratory tract infection. Non-bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage isolated A. baumannii in all these infants. Environmental microbiological survey of the Pediatric intensive care unit and pediatric wards identified oxygen humidifying chambers as the source of Acinetobacter. Practices of cleaning and changing of the humidifiers were reviewed and the outbreak was controlled with new recommendations

Microbiological and Physicochemical Properties of Drinking Water at Ota, Southwest, Nigeria

Quality drinking water is of basic importance to human physiology and man’s continued existence depends much on its availability. Water samples from different outlets and homes in Ado Odo - Ota Local Government, Ogun state, Nigeria were analyzed for their microbiological and physiochemical properties. Total viable count was assessed by the pour plate technique, while physiochemical evaluations was carried out using Standard Chemical Methods such as pH analysis, physical appearances, Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), as well as tests for chloride, sulphate, calcium, zinc and oxidizable substances. All the water samples were found to harbor coliforms in numbers greater than the required World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) standards for water. The total viable counts for all the water samples were generally high, exceeding the limit of 1.0 × 102 cfu/ml for water, while all the samples tested passed the physicochemical tests except the test for chloride

Design and Implementation of Intrusion Detection Systems using RPL and AOVD Protocols-based Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technology has grown in importance in recent years. All WSN implementations need secure data transmission between sensor nodes and base stations. Sensor node attacks introduce new threats to the WSN. As a result, an appropriate Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is required in WSN for defending against security attacks and detecting attacks on sensor nodes. In this study, we use the Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks (RPL) for addressing security services in WSN by identifying IDS with a network size of more or less 20 nodes and introducing 10% malicious nodes. The method described above is used on Cooja in the VMware virtual machine Workstation with the InstantContiki2.7 operating system. To track the movement of nodes, find network attacks, and spot dropped packets during IDS in WSN, an algorithm is implemented in the Network Simulator (NS2) using the Ad-hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) protocol in the Linux operating system

Accumulation of PCBs and Infections of Parasitic helminthes in Synodontis filamentosus (Boulenger, 1901) and Tilapia zillii (Gervais, 1848) of Epe Lagoon, Lagos, Nigeria

The study was carried out on 120 Synodontis filamentosus (11 – 26.5cm, 22 - 88g) and 120 Tilapia zillii (15 - 21cm, 67 – 187g) captured from Epe Lagoon, Lagos State, Nigeria. The aim was to comparatively analyze the bioaccumulation of polybiphenyl chlorides (PCBs) and prevalence of parasitic helminthes in S. filamentosus and T. zillii relative to their respective habits. The comparison was done using indices such as bioaccumulation factors, biota-soil accumulation factors, and parasite prevalence. Profiles of PCB accumulation showed that T. zillii followed by their endoparasites accumulated outstanding concentrations, suggesting that T. zillii might be a greater bioaccumulator of PCBs than S. filamentosus. Significant biota-soil accumulation factors observed in the T. zilliii and their endoparasites were accompanied by significant sorption capacities of PCBs into the soil at impacted locations of the lagoon. This implies that T. zillii accumulated significant PCB from the soil and shared with its endoparasites, justifying host-parasite xenobiotic transfer. S. filamentosus had higher levels of parasitic infections than T. zillii, males of both species were more infected than the females. The intestine and liver tissues of S. filamentosus showed greater alterations than the tissues of T. zillii. Findings showed that S. filamentosus is a better bioindicator in histopathological studies while T. zillii is a better bioaccumulator

Knowledge, Attitude and Preventive Practices about Ebola Viral Disease among Journalists in Osogbo, Southwest Nigeria

The West African subregion presently faces the Ebola viral disease (EVD) epidemic. In order to control this epidemic, journalists need to inform the public. This study assessed their knowledge, attitude and preventive practices. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 93 journalists working in Osun State who completed a self administered questionnaire. Data collected was analysed. Mean (SD) age was 26.4±8.2 years ranging 18 to 49 years. Mean (SD) duration in practising journalism was 7.6±6.7 years (range, 1-20 years). Most had tertiary education (87.1%), were singles (74.2%), Christians (51%) and Yoruba (92.5%).  Despite good knowledge (58.1%) of EVD, most had low risk perception (46.2%). The only statistical significant predictor of good knowledge was religion. In conclusion, most journalists have good knowledge but low risk perception. Efforts to improve the risk

Safety and efficacy of single-dose preoperative intravenous dexamethasone on postoperative nausea and vomiting following breast surgery at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital

Objectives: Dexamethasone has beneficial effects on postoperative nausea and vomiting, however, many clinicians have raised legitimate concerns regarding its effect on blood glucose concentrations. This study determined the safety and efficacy of a single pre-operative dose of dexamethasone for PONV prophylaxis in patients undergoing breast surgery. Design: Prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Setting: Surgical wards of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana Participants: The study was conducted among breast surgery patients. They were consecutively recruited and randomized into two groups: dexamethasone (n = 47) and placebo (n = 47). Interventions: Patients in the dexamethasone group received 8mg (2mls of 4mg/ml) dexamethasone while those in the placebo group received 2mls of saline intravenously. PONV impact scores and blood glucose levels were recorded at 4, 8 and 24 hours postoperatively. Main outcome measures: Incidence of PONV and blood glucose levels Results: The incidence of postoperative nausea (PON) was lower in the dexamethasone group compared with the placebo group (12.8% vs. 29.8%; p-value= 0.044). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative vomiting (POV) and PONV between the two groups. Blood glucose levels were higher in the dexamethasone group throughout the study period and significant at 8 and 24 hours postoperatively (p < 0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of clinically significant hyperglycemia between the groups (p-value = 0.169). Conclusion: A preoperative intravenous dexamethasone 8mg, reduces PON but not POV or PONV in breast surgery without clinically significant postoperative hyperglycemia

Intracellular Calcium Disturbances Induced by Arsenic and Its Methylated Derivatives in Relation to Genomic Damage and Apoptosis Induction

Arsenic and its methylated derivatives are contaminants of air, water, and food and are known as toxicants and carcinogens. Arsenic compounds are also being used as cancer chemotherapeutic agents. In humans, inorganic arsenic is metabolically methylated to mono-, di-, and trimethylated forms. Recent findings suggest that the methylation reactions represent a toxification rather than a detoxification pathway. In recent years, the correlation between arsenic exposure, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, mutagenicity, and tumor promotion has been established, as well as the association of arsenic exposure with perturbation of physiologic processes, generation of reactive oxygen species, DNA damage, and apoptosis induction. Trivalent forms of arsenic have been found to induce apoptosis in several cellular systems with involvement of membrane-bound cell death receptors, activation of caspases, release of calcium stores, and changes of the intracellular glutathione level. It is well known that calcium ion deregulation plays a critical role in apoptotic cell death. A calcium increase in the nuclei might lead to toxic effects in the cell. In this review, we highlight the relationship between induced disturbances of calcium homeostasis, genomic damage, and apoptotic cell death caused by arsenic and its organic derivatives