Antibiotic use in Moshi Urban: A cross-sectional Study of Knowledge and Practices among Caretakers of Children in Kilimanjaro Tanzania

IntroductionAntibiotics are commonly accessed and used for the management of illness in children without a prescription. We investigated the caretaker’s knowledge and practices on antibiotics and antibiotics use to their children.MethodThis was the hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted from April to July 2017 in three facilities located in Moshi Municipality. A convenience sampling was employed to select for caretakers with their sick children at KCMC, Mawenzi hospital, and Longuo dispensary. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 224 caretakers who had visited health facilities with their children seeking health care.ResultsThe majority (87.9%, 197/224) of all interviewed caretakers had good knowledge of the use of antibiotics. Irrespective of knowing that it is not safe to self-medicate a child with any antibiotics (95.1%, 213/224), most (61.6%, 138/224) caretakers practiced self-medication with the medicines. Having two children (aOR = 7.75, 95% CI: 1.89-31.67) and having three children (aOR=7.23, 95%CI: 1.08-48.51) were significantly associated with good knowledge of antibiotics.ConclusionThis study has revealed that caretakers in Moshi had a good knowledge of antibiotic use. However, despite such good knowledge, malpractices were observed. We call upon the use of media campaigns to advocate for the importance of the rational use of antibiotics and its effect on human health and the risk of antimicrobial resistance development.Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2021;4(3):347-35

Biomechanical evaluation of fixation of comminuted olecranon fractures: one-third tubular versus locking compression plating

New concepts in plate fixation have led to an evolution in plate design for olecranon fractures. The purpose of this study was to compare the stiffness and strength of locking compression plate (LCP) fixation to one-third tubular plate fixation in a cadaveric comminuted olecranon fracture model with a standardised osteotomy. Five matched pairs of cadaveric elbows were randomly assigned for fixation by either a contoured LCP combined with an intramedullary screw and unicortical locking screws or a one-third tubular plate combined with bicortical screws. Construct stiffness was measured by subjecting the specimens to cyclic loading while measuring gapping at the osteotomy site. Construct strength was measured by subjecting specimens to ramp load until failure. There was no significant difference in fixation stiffness and strength between the two fixation methods. All failures consisted of failure of the bone and not of the hardware. Contoured LCP and intramedullary screw fixation can be used as an alternative treatment method for comminuted olecranon fractures as its stiffness and strength were not significantly different from a conventional plating techniqu

Machine gun

Drawing of a machine gun that was used to attack villagers in Darfur.https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/darfuri_drawings/1402/thumbnail.jp

Machine gun

Drawing of a machine gun that was used to attack villagers in Darfur.https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/darfuri_drawings/1402/thumbnail.jp

The impact of basic industries on regional economic growth : a case study of Oregon's agricultural sector

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of the agricultural sector's output and trade on the economic growth and development of the State of Oregon. Economic base theory is applied in the analysis of Oregon's Gross State Product (GSP) between 1977 and 1991. The basic sector is defined to include the agricultural sector, the forest products sector, and all other manufacturing sectors. A static Local Quotient method is utilized to define Oregon's exporting sectors. Linear regression analyses are applied to measures of Oregon's exports, as well as the GSP of total output, based on the economic base theory. The results of the Location Quotient method using Oregon's covered employment data for the year 1991, indicate that the agricultural sector is a net exporting sector, a criteria for establishing base industry status. Regression analysis of Oregon's GSP, indicates that the aggregate manufacturing sector (SIC 20-3 9), is significant in explaining changes in GSP as well as changes in the GSP of all non-manufacturing industries. In contrast, the agricultural sector including manufactured food products (SIC 20), is found to be relatively insignificant in explaining variation in the State total GSP over the period 1977-1991. Foreign Direct investment is also found to be a significant variable in explaining variations in state GSP over this time. Conclusions remain guarded, however, due to relatively high collinearity among explanatory variables. Regression results to more directly measure economic growth based on first differences in GSP indicate that the aggregate manufacturing sector is again statistically significant in explaining variations in Oregon's non-basic industries GSP as well as the state total GSP. On the other hand, the agricultural sector is found to be statistically insignificant in explaining variations in the growth of Oregon's non-basic industries GSP, and the state total gross state product over the study's period of time 1977-1991. Data show that the agricultural sector constitutes the largest portion of Oregon's foreign exports and has significant power in explaining the state total foreign exports. However, comprehensive data is not available to establish total out-of-state exports. Results of regression analysis of Oregon's total covered employment show that the agricultural sector is significant in explaining variations in Oregon's total covered employment, while manufacturing industries exhibit relatively low significance and predictability in explaining Oregon's total covered employment. This apparent contradiction in findings of the GSP model are attributed to the fact that employment is not a good proxy for regional economic activity. A regression analysis of an alternative specification of employment data based on payroll indicates that the aggregate manufacturing sector is significant in explaining changes in Oregon's covered employment payroll. In this model specification, the agricultural sector's total covered payroll is found to be of only modest significance and exhibits substantially lower impact on Oregon's total covered payroll

Impact of public expenditure on poverty: role of governance

The paper investigated the role of governance in the impacts of government expenditure on poverty. We used a system-Generalised Methods Moments econometric technique with unbalanced panel data of 46 countries in the Sub-Saharan African region covering the period from 1996 to 2019. Good governance plays a vital role in enhancing growth and development, especially, in reducing poverty. The paper ascertains that the problems of governance (corruption and political instability) and public expenditure aggravate poverty. As shown by the results of the marginal effect, governance – corruption and political instability – at both medium and minimum levels aggravates poverty. However, governance is insignificant at the maximum levels. This result suggests that corruption and political instability have a momentous role in mediating the consequences of government expenditure on poverty in the sample countries. Hence, combating corruption and enhancing political stability are crucial obligations of the government for it to witness not only straight progress in its economic performance but also an indirect impacts via poverty reduction

Association Between BDNF Gene Variant Rs6265 and the Severity of Depression in Antidepressant Treatment-Free Depressed Patients

Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in neuronal plasticity, and its dysregulation has been associated with the pathogenesis of mood and anxiety disorders. Prolactin (PRL) is a pituitary hormone which is also produced as a cytokine by immune cells and could be a neurotrophic factor regulating the functional activity of stress-related mechanisms. / Aim: To investigate the possible relationship between depressive state and BDNF and PRL genotypes or levels with special reference to severity of depression. / Methods: Participants of 18–70 years with a clinical diagnosis of depressive disorder of at least moderate severity were included. These patients had not been treated with antidepressant drugs before admission to hospital during the preceding period of the last 6 months, and 54.5% had never been treated with antidepressant drugs during their entire life. The DNA was genotyped for rs1341239 within the prolactin and for rs6265, rs7124442, and rs11030104 within the BDNF gene. Rs11030104 violated the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium distribution and was excluded from further analyses. BDNF and prolactin concentration was measured in serum by MAGPIX multiplex analyzer (Luminex, USA) using MILLIPLEX® MAP kit (Merck, Germany). Genetic associations were determined by sequentially regressing prolactin, BDNF, 17-items Hamilton's Depression (HAMD-17) and Clinical Global Impression scale, Severity (CGI-S) ratings, and depression (absent/present) on the available SNPs. Genetic associations were evaluated assuming an additive model. / Results: A total of 186 depressed patients (of which 169 were women) and 94 healthy controls (67 women) were genotyped. After excluding subjects without genetic information on all three study SNPs, 217 remained of whom 138 suffered from depression. Within depressed patients we observed an association of rs6265 with HAMD-17: mean difference (MD) 2.33 (95%CI 0.49; 4.16; p = 0.014) and CGI-S: MD 0.38 (95%CI 0.09; 0.66; p = 0.011). No significant association was observed between the prolactin SNP rs1341239 and prolactin levels. Similarly the mean differences of BDNF SNPs did not show an association with BDNF: rs6265 −0.042 ln(pg/ml) (95%CI −0.198; 0.113), and rs7124442 0.006 ln(pg/ml) (95%CI −0.117; 0.130). No other association reached statistical significance. / Conclusion: We observed a significant association between BDNF gene variant rs6265 and the severity of depression in newly admitted, antidepressant treatment-free, depressed patients. Actual PRL and BDNF levels were not elevated sufficiently in depressed patients to reach statistical significance and were not associated with the studied genotypes

Lubrication analysis of the viscous micro/nano pump with slip

Miccal T. Matthews, James M. Hil