The Life and Teachings of al-Maghili, With Particular Reference to the Saharan Jewish Community.

The importance of Abu CAbdullah Muhammad b. CAbdulkarim b. Muhammad al-Maghili as a Muslim missionary has been recognised in a general fashion by many an eminent scholar but no comprehensive study on him has yet been undertaken. This thesis attempts to give an account of the life al-Maghili and his teachings in an effort to understand his personality, his behaviour and the degree, of his contribution to the spread of Islam and Islamic culture in the Maghrib, the Sahara and Western Sudan. The primary concern of this study is al-Maghili Islamic teaching in general and, in particular, his teaching concerning the Jews of Tuwat. The thesis falls into six parts. Part one consists of one chapter which gives an introduction and a background. The introduction explains the purpose of the study and the sources upon which it has been based. The background contains an outline history of some of the petty kingdoms of the Maghrib and the situation of the Arabs and the Jews in as and Tuwat during the Marinid period. Part two attempts, in one chapter to give a comprehensive biography of al-Maghili's from his birth to his death. Part three also in one chapter explains briefly the wider context of al-Maghili's teachings, which include religious, political and social teachings. Part four consists of three chapters, a critical edition and a full translation of al-Maghili's treatise concerning the Jews and discusses, in the light of generally accosted Islamic views, the teachings contained in it. It also protrays and discusses in a like manner the controversy centred around the Jewish synagogue. The conclusion seeks to emphasise the personality and behaviour of al-Maghili, the significance of his teachings and actions, his successes and failures, and his influences. Part six is made up of ten appendices which include new editions of two more of al-Maghili's treatises, a list of his works, a tree of his purported pedigree and other items

Hepatocurative Potentials of Camel (Camelus dromedarius) Urine and Milk on Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Hepatotoxicity in Albino Rats

Damage to the liver cells caused by diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis can lead to dysfunction of the liver, which can later result in hepatic or liver failure. The present study was carried out to investigate the hepatocurative effects of camel urine and milk on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats. Three different treatments (camel urine, camel milk and a 1:1 mixture of camel milk and urine) were administered to three different CCl4-induced hepatotoxic rats (Groups A,B and C) and also to three different subgroups (D,E and F) of normal rats for two weeks. A positive control (Group G) was neither induced nor treated while negative control group (H) received no treatment after CCl4-hepatotoxicity induction. Serum Alanine Amino Transferase (ALT), Aspartate Amino Transferase (AST) and Albumin (ALB) and histopathological findings all confirmed liver steatosis forty eight hours after CCl4 hepatotoxicity induction on randomly selected rats. A significant weight gain was recorded for rats that received camel milk and urine mixture in the CCl4 induced hepatotoxic group (P<0.05).A significant decrease in serum AST was observed in all test groups (P<0.05). Groups that received 1:1 urine and milk mixture showed a significant decrease at p<0.05 in serum ALT, AST and ALB than when treatments were administered singly. Camel urine resulted in periportal inflammation; camel milk resulted in vascular congestion while the 1:1 mixture of the two eliminated these side effects. In rats that received no treatment after hepatotoxicity induction, the condition of the liver deteriorated from liver steatosis to fibrosis and onset of cirrhosis. All these indicated that camel urine, camel milk and to a greater extent a mixture of the two, may have hepatocurative effects on CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats. Keywords: Camel, Liver, Toxicity, Safety, Alternative medicine, hepatocurative

Knowledge of hospital waste, and safe management practices among healthcare workers in aminu kano teaching hospital, Northwest Nigeria

Management of healthcare waste (HCW) has continued to generate increasing public health interest due to the health problems associated with exposure of human beings to wastes, arising from healthcare services. Objective: This study assessed knowledge of hospital waste, and safe management practices among healthcare workers in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Northwest Nigeria. Method: Descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to study 152 healthcare workers in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. Data was collected using semistructured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 35.3±6.4 years with about one-half 77(50.7%) within the age range of ≥35 years. Majority 108(71.1%) of the healthcare workers were males and 145(95.4%) had tertiary education. Doctors constituted 44(28.9%) with up to 105(69.1%) respondents employed less than 10 years ago. Majority of the respondents 123(80.9%) versus 120(78.9%) had satisfactory knowledge and safe hospital waste management practices respectively. Statistically significant association was found between attending training on hospital waste management and having satisfactory knowledge of hospital waste management (χ²=11.8, p-value=0.001) with those who had previous training on hospital waste management to been 4 times more likely to have satisfactory knowledge of hospital waste management than those with no previous training on hospital waste management {AOR=3.7, 95%CI=(1.3-10.8)}. Satisfactory knowledge of hospital waste was found to be statistically associated with correct hospital waste management practices (χ²=30.4, p-value<0.001), healthcare workers with satisfactory knowledge had many folds likelihood of safe hospital waste management practice {AOR=9,95%CI= (2.9- 28.4)}.Conclusions:Knowledge of hospital waste and safe waste management practices were encouraging and associated with formal training on hospital waste management. Therefore, Hospital management should ensure regular training and re-training of healthcare workers

Closing the prevention of mother-to-child transmission gap in Nigeria: an evaluation of service improvement intervention in Nigeria

Objectives: The objective was to assess improvement, or lack thereof, in the uptake of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) services at selected sites supported sites by the Global HIV/AIDS Initiative Nigeria (GHAIN). Design: The study used aggregated monthly service statistics to evaluate service improvement efforts that were conducted before and after these were undertaken between July 2007-June 2008. Settings and subjects: The service improvement efforts took place in 60 public healthcare facilities. Outcome measures: The study measured changes in the number of pregnant women who attended antenatal clinics for the first time, the number of pregnant women tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the number of HIV-positive women receiving antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis, and the service ratio, an indicator of the relative uptake of ARV prophylaxis. An estimate of MTCT events that were averted through ARV prophylaxis taken by the pregnant women was also calculated. Results: One hundred and twenty thousand, five hundred and thirty-seven women attended an antenatal clinic (ANC) for the first time. There was an average of 167.4 monthly attendances per facility. ANC attendance increased per facility by 11.1 women monthly post-intervention (p-value < 0.01). The uptake of HIV testing was 87%, with a monthly average increase of 17.8 women tested per facility (p-value < 0.01). ARV prophylaxis uptake rose from 3.3-5.4 women per facility per month (p-value < 0.01). The service ratio per facility improved from 5.3 women receiving ARVs to 6.5 for every 10 women who tested positive for HIV (p-value < 0.01). Applying risk reduction estimates of different ARV  regimens, it was estimated that between 88-169 MTCT events were averted pre-intervention, and 143-276 events, post-intervention. Conclusion: Service improvement intervention improved the utilisation of PMTCT services. It should be a key intervention that is used to close the PMTCT gap in Nigeria.Keywords: HIV, PMTCT, evaluation, Nigeria, service improvement, effectivenes

Elevated Plasma D-dimer Levels In Children with Sickle Cell Anemia In Steady State Attending State Specialist Hospital Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

Background: Sickle cell anemia (SCA) has been linked with altered plasma levels of D‑dimer. However, routine assessment of D‑dimer and other coagulation indices in SCA patients are rarely carried out. The aim of this study was to determine the mean plasma levels of D‑dimer and other coagulation indices in children with SCA in a steady state and them with with that of healthy HbAA genotype controls. Materials and Methods: This was a case–control study involving 40 children with SCA in steady state and 40 healthy HbAA genotype controls. Plasma D‑dimer, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and platelet count were determined using appropriate laboratory techniques. Data analysis was by JMP software. Independent t‑test was used to determine the difference in quantitative variables between SCA patients and controls. P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Mean ages of the SCA patients and controls were 13.98 ± 6.71 and 13.85 ± 7.45, respectively. The SCA patients had longer mean PT (20.48 ± 6.51 vs. 13.89 ± 2.13, P = 0.0001) and aPTT (40.91 ± 9.08 vs. 32.63 ± 4.44, P = 0.0001) compared to the controls. Similarly, the SCA patients had higher platelet count (449.70 ± 162.87 vs. 302.58 ± 83.34 × 109 /L, P = 0.0001) and plasma D‑dimer (3.18 ± 2.72 mg/L vs. 0.29 ± 0.52 mg/L, P = 0.0001) compared to the controls. Equally, 98% of the SCA patients had high plasma D‑dimer. Conclusion: The SCA patients had higher plasma D‑dimer and platelet count and longer PT and aPTT compared to controls. Keywords: D‑dimer, Maiduguri, Nigeria, sickle cell anemia, steady state&nbsp

Closing the prevention of mother-to-child transmission gap in Nigeria: an evaluation of service improvement intervention in Nigeria

Daniel Reidpath - ORCID: 0000-0002-8796-0420 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8796-0420Objectives: The objective was to assess improvement, or lack thereof, in the uptake of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) services at selected sites supported sites by the Global HIV/AIDS Initiative Nigeria (GHAIN). Design: The study used aggregated monthly service statistics to evaluate service improvement efforts that were conducted before and after these were undertaken between July 2007-June 2008. Settings and subjects: The service improvement efforts took place in 60 public healthcare facilities. Outcome measures: The study measured changes in the number of pregnant women who attended antenatal clinics for the first time, the number of pregnant women tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the number of HIV-positive women receiving antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis, and the service ratio, an indicator of the relative uptake of ARV prophylaxis. An estimate of MTCT events that were averted through ARV prophylaxis taken by the pregnant women was also calculated. Results: One hundred and twenty thousand, five hundred and thirty-seven women attended an antenatal clinic (ANC) for the first time. There was an average of 167.4 monthly attendances per facility. ANC attendance increased per facility by 11.1 women monthly post-intervention (p-value < 0.01). The uptake of HIV testing was 87%, with a monthly average increase of 17.8 women tested per facility (p-value < 0.01). ARV prophylaxis uptake rose from 3.3–5.4 women per facility per month (p-value < 0.01). The service ratio per facility improved from 5.3 women receiving ARVs to 6.5 for every 10 women who tested positive for HIV (p-value < 0.01). Applying risk reduction estimates of different ARV regimens, it was estimated that between 88–169 MTCT events were averted pre-intervention, and 143–276 events, post-intervention. Conclusion: Service improvement intervention improved the utilisation of PMTCT services. It should be a key intervention that is used to close the PMTCT gap in Nigeria.https://doi.org/10.1080/20786204.2013.1087431055pubpub

Track E Implementation Science, Health Systems and Economics

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138412/1/jia218443.pd

Epidemiologic Burden Of Traumatic Brain Injuries: Effects of Health Insurance Coverage and Race/Ethnicity on Trauma Mortality

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)-related public health burden disproportionately affects those ≥65 years of age and the growing burden of trauma-related mortality may be influenced by access to health insurance coverage and demographic characteristics such as race and ethnicity. This project investigated the epidemiologic burden of TBIs in three papers. First, a systematic review of 34 published epidemiologic studies that provides an overview of TBI rate estimates in the U.S. The second paper used the Texas inpatient hospital discharge data to describe the TBI-related hospitalizations and investigated factors associated with in-hospital mortality among the elderly patients hospitalized with a TBI in Texas. While the third paper used trauma registry records to investigate the burden of race/ethnicity and health insurance coverage on the risk of mortality among trauma patients in Texas. From the systematic review, we found high variability in the methodology and data sources used by studies reporting TBI estimates contributing to the differences among the reported TBI rate estimates in the U.S. From the Texas inpatient hospitalization records, the overall 3-year TBI-related hospitalization rate was 64.68 (95% CI: 63.71 – 66.50). Males accounted for 57.83% of the patients hospitalized with a TBI and the elderly (≥65 years) had higher hospitalization rates. There were racial disparities in TBI outcomes; the adjusted odds of TBI-related in-hospital mortality for Hispanics was 1.18 times that of Whites [OR = 1.18: 95% CI (1.01 – 1.40)]. From the trauma registry, we found further outcome disparities where Hispanics of any race and Non-Hispanic Blacks had higher adjusted odds of trauma mortality compared to Whites [ORHispanics= 1.25: 95% CI (1.16 – 1.36)] [ORBlacks= 2.11: 95% CI (1.87 – 2.37)]. Similarly, compared to privately insured, uninsured patients had 86% higher odds of trauma-related death [OR= 1.86: 95% CI (1.66 – 2.05)]. The effects of lack of health insurance on trauma mortality varied across race/ethnicity of the victims; uninsured Non-Hispanic Blacks had disproportionately higher adjusted odds of trauma mortality than uninsured Whites. Using two different-statewide administrative datasets, we identified significant demographic and health insurance-related inequalities in trauma burden and outcomes. This identification could inform the design and implementation of future public health interventions

Epidemiologic Burden Of Traumatic Brain Injuries: Effects of Health Insurance Coverage and Race/Ethnicity on Trauma Mortality

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)-related public health burden disproportionately affects those ≥65 years of age and the growing burden of trauma-related mortality may be influenced by access to health insurance coverage and demographic characteristics such as race and ethnicity. This project investigated the epidemiologic burden of TBIs in three papers. First, a systematic review of 34 published epidemiologic studies that provides an overview of TBI rate estimates in the U.S. The second paper used the Texas inpatient hospital discharge data to describe the TBI-related hospitalizations and investigated factors associated with in-hospital mortality among the elderly patients hospitalized with a TBI in Texas. While the third paper used trauma registry records to investigate the burden of race/ethnicity and health insurance coverage on the risk of mortality among trauma patients in Texas. From the systematic review, we found high variability in the methodology and data sources used by studies reporting TBI estimates contributing to the differences among the reported TBI rate estimates in the U.S. From the Texas inpatient hospitalization records, the overall 3-year TBI-related hospitalization rate was 64.68 (95% CI: 63.71 – 66.50). Males accounted for 57.83% of the patients hospitalized with a TBI and the elderly (≥65 years) had higher hospitalization rates. There were racial disparities in TBI outcomes; the adjusted odds of TBI-related in-hospital mortality for Hispanics was 1.18 times that of Whites [OR = 1.18: 95% CI (1.01 – 1.40)]. From the trauma registry, we found further outcome disparities where Hispanics of any race and Non-Hispanic Blacks had higher adjusted odds of trauma mortality compared to Whites [ORHispanics= 1.25: 95% CI (1.16 – 1.36)] [ORBlacks= 2.11: 95% CI (1.87 – 2.37)]. Similarly, compared to privately insured, uninsured patients had 86% higher odds of trauma-related death [OR= 1.86: 95% CI (1.66 – 2.05)]. The effects of lack of health insurance on trauma mortality varied across race/ethnicity of the victims; uninsured Non-Hispanic Blacks had disproportionately higher adjusted odds of trauma mortality than uninsured Whites. Using two different-statewide administrative datasets, we identified significant demographic and health insurance-related inequalities in trauma burden and outcomes. This identification could inform the design and implementation of future public health interventions