Reduced prevalence of placental malaria in primiparae with blood group O

Background Blood group O protects African children against severe malaria and has reached high prevalence in malarious regions. However, its role in malaria in pregnancy is ambiguous. In 839 delivering Ghanaian women, associations of ABO blood groups with Plasmodium falciparum infection were examined. Methods Plasmodium falciparum infection was diagnosed in placental blood samples by microscopy and PCR assays. Present or past infection was defined as the detection of parasitaemia or haemozoin by microscopy, or a positive PCR result. Blood groups were inferred from genotyping rs8176719 (indicating the O allele) and rs8176746/rs8176747 (distinguishing the B allele from the A allele). Results The majority of women had blood group O (55.4%); present or past P. falciparum infection was seen in 62.3% of all women. Among multiparae, the blood groups had no influence on P. falciparum infection. In contrast, primiparae with blood group O had significantly less present or past infection than women with non-O blood groups (61.5 vs 76.2%, P = 0.007). In multivariate analysis, the odds of present or past placental P. falciparum infection were reduced by 45% in blood group O primiparae (aOR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.33–0.94]). Conclusions The present study shows a clear protective effect of blood group O against malaria in primiparae. This accords with findings in severe malaria and in vitro results. The data underline the relevance of host genetic protection among primiparae, i.e. the high-risk group for malaria in pregnancy, and contribute to the understanding of high O allele frequencies in Africa

Food variety, dietary diversity, and type 2 diabetes in a multi-center cross-sectional study among Ghanaian migrants in Europe and their compatriots in Ghana: the RODAM study.

PURPOSE: The importance of dietary diversification for type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk remains controversial. We investigated associations of between- and within-food group variety with T2D, and the role of dietary diversification for the relationships between previously identified dietary patterns (DPs) and T2D among Ghanaian adults. METHODS: In the multi-center cross-sectional Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants (RODAM) Study (n = 3810; Ghanaian residence, 56%; mean age, 46.2 years; women, 63%), we constructed the Food Variety Score (FVS; 0-20 points), the Dietary Diversity Score (DDS; 0-7 points), and the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) variety component (0-20 points). The associations of these scores, of a "rice, pasta, meat and fish" DP, of a "mixed" DP, and of a "roots, tubers and plantain" DP with T2D were calculated by logistic regression. RESULTS: The FVS was inversely associated with T2D, adjusted for socio-demographic, lifestyle, and anthropometric factors [odds ratio (OR) for T2D per 1 standard deviation (SD) increase: 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71-0.93]. The DDS and the DQI-I variety component were not associated with T2D. There was no association of the "mixed" DP and the "roots, tubers and plantain" DP with T2D. Yet, the "rice, pasta, meat and fish" DP is inversely associated with T2D (OR for T2D per 1 SD increase: 0.82; 95% CI 0.71-0.95); this effect was slightly attenuated by the FVS. CONCLUSIONS: In this Ghanaian population, between-food group variety may exert beneficial effects on glucose metabolism and partially explains the inverse association of the "rice, pasta, meat and fish" DP with T2D

A cross-sectional study on the co-occurrence of infectious diseases, malnutrition and cardio-metabolic risk factors

In sub-Saharan Africa, infectious diseases and malnutrition constitute the main health problems in children, while adolescents and adults are increasingly facing cardio-metabolic conditions. Among adolescents as the largest population group in this region, we investigated the co-occurrence of infectious diseases, malnutrition and cardio-metabolic risk factors (CRFs), and evaluated demographic, socio-economic and medical risk factors for these entities. In a cross-sectional study among 188 adolescents in rural Ghana, malarial infection, common infectious diseases and Body Mass Index were assessed. We measured ferritin, C-reactive protein, retinol, fasting glucose and blood pressure. Socio-demographic data were documented. We analyzed the proportions (95% confidence interval, CI) and the co-occurrence of infectious diseases (malaria, other common diseases), malnutrition (underweight, stunting, iron deficiency, vitamin A deficiency [VAD]), and CRFs (overweight, obesity, impaired fasting glucose, hypertension). In logistic regression, odds ratios (OR) and 95% CIs were calculated for the associations with socio- demographic factors. In this Ghanaian population (age range, 14.4–15.5 years; males, 50%), the proportions were for infectious diseases 45% (95% CI: 38–52%), for malnutrition 50% (43–57%) and for CRFs 16% (11–21%). Infectious diseases and malnutrition frequently co-existed (28%; 21–34%). Specifically, VAD increased the odds of non-malarial infectious diseases 3-fold (95% CI: 1.03, 10.19). Overlap of CRFs with infectious diseases (6%; 2–9%) or with malnutrition (7%; 3–11%) was also present. Male gender and low socio-economic status increased the odds of infectious diseases and malnutrition, respectively. Malarial infection, chronic malnutrition and VAD remain the predominant health problems among these Ghanaian adolescents. Investigating the relationships with evolving CRFs is warranted

Hyper-reactive Malarial Splenomegaly (HMS) in a patient with β thalassaemia syndrome

This report describes a case of hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly in a patient with a thalassaemia syndrome. Increased haemoglobin A2 is valuable for the diagnosis of common forms of β-thalassemia, while haemoglobin F (HbF) helps in diagnosis of the rarer δβ- forms. Thalassemia is characterised by splenomegaly and is common in malaria endemic areas. Hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly is also a common cause of massive splenomegaly in malaria endemic areas. Splenic enlargement regresses with prolonged antimalarial therapy

But I Am Computer Literate: I Passed The Test

Generic terms such as “computer literacy,” “computer competency” and “technology literacy” have been used for decades as measures of one’s aptitude with computer and information technology.  Many disregarded the ambiguity of these terms while erratic exposure to ever-changing computer technology rendered itself as computer literacy.   With an increasing focus on organizations now administering technology literacy tests, educators need to be more cognizant of the computer and information literacy assessments and the implications of these assessments for the core information systems course in business schools

Cause of death coding in asthma

BackgroundWhile clinical coding is intended to be an objective and standardized practice, it is important to recognize that it is not entirely the case. The clinical and bureaucratic practices from event of death to a case being entered into a research dataset are important context for analysing and interpreting this data. Variation in practices can influence the accuracy of the final coded record in two different stages: the reporting of the death certificate, and the International Classification of Diseases (Version 10; ICD-10) coding of that certificate.MethodsThis study investigated 91,022 deaths recorded in the Scottish Asthma Learning Healthcare System dataset between 2000 and 2017. Asthma-related deaths were identified by the presence of any of ICD-10 codes J45 or J46, in any position. These codes were categorized either as relating to asthma attacks specifically (status asthmatic; J46) or generally to asthma diagnosis (J45).ResultsWe found that one in every 200 deaths in this were coded as being asthma related. Less than 1% of asthma-related mortality records used both J45 and J46 ICD-10 codes as causes. Infection (predominantly pneumonia) was more commonly reported as a contributing cause of death when J45 was the primary coded cause, compared to J46, which specifically denotes asthma attacks.ConclusionFurther inspection of patient history can be essential to validate deaths recorded as caused by asthma, and to identify potentially mis-recorded non-asthma deaths, particularly in those with complex comorbidities

[5,10,15,20-Tetra­kis(4-meth­oxy­phen­yl)porphyrinato-κ4 N,N′,N′′,N′′′](trifluoro­methane­sulfonato-κO)­iron(III)

The title compound, [Fe(CF3O3S)(C48H36N4O4)], is a five-coordinate iron(III) porphyrin complex with a trifluoro­methane­sulfonate anion as an axial ligand. The FeIII atom is displaced by 0.40 (1) Å towards the trifluoro­methane­sulfonate anion from the 24-atom mean plane of the porphyrin. The average Fe—Np distance is 2.044 (2) Å and the Fe—O distance is 2.001 (2) Å

(2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-Octa­ethyl­por­phin­ato)(trifluoro­methane­sulfonato)iron(III)

The title compound, [Fe(CF3O3S)(C36H44N4)], is an iron(III) porphyrin complex with the trifluoro­methane­sulfonate anion as an axial ligand. The Fe atom is displaced by 0.219 (2) Å toward the trifluoro­methane­sulfonate anion from the 24-atom mean plane of the porphyrin, resulting in a distorted FeN4O square-based pyramidal geometry. One ethyl­ene group is disordered over two orientations in a 0.502 (6):0.498 (6) ratio

Adult Height, Nutrition and Population Health:A Review

In this review, the potential causes and consequences of adult height, a measure of cumulative net nutrition, in modern populations are summarized. The mechanisms linking adult height and health are examined, with a focus on the role of potential confounders. Evidence across studies indicates that short adult height (reflecting growth retardation) in low- and middle-income countries is driven by environmental conditions, especially net nutrition during early years. Some of the associations of height with health and social outcomes potentially reflect the association between these environmental factors and such outcomes. These conditions are manifested in the substantial differences in adult height that exist between and within countries and over time. This review suggests that adult height is a useful marker of variation in cumulative net nutrition, biological deprivation, and standard of living between and within populations and should be routinely measured. Linkages between adult height and health, within and across generations, suggest that adult height may be a potential tool for monitoring health conditions and that programs focused on offspring outcomes may consider maternal height as a potentially important influence