LANGUAGE USE IN CRISIS SITUATIONS: ADISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF ONLINE REACTIONS TO DIGITAL NEWS REPORTS OF THE WASHINGTON NAVY YARD SHOOTING AND THE NAIROBI WESTGATE ATTACK

This study applies critical discourse analysis and the appraisal framework to examine the evaluative structures of feedback comments on news reports of the mass shooting that occurred at a Navy Yard in Washington D.C. and the attack on Nairobi Westgate shopping mall in September, 2013 referred to as 'crisis situations'. The study shows that language use in crisis situations is highly ideological and exhibit features of affect involving the use of flaming, labelling, and some forms of rhetoric that reflect negative evaluation of some perceived social enemies. Negative representations of the attackers are understandably influenced by the emotions of people who are directly or indirectly affected by the crises. The expressions of anger, fear, shock and frustrations in language use occur frequently in the data. Rhetorical elements or tropes like exaggeration, metaphor and irony are also noticeable in the evaluations of the mass shooter and the Somali terrorist group. However, some forms of labelling and negative constructions of Al Shabaab are actually misleading and tend to divert attention to some serious aspects of the crisis in question. Keywords: Crisis situations, language use, mass shooting, terrorism, attacks, online news, feedback comments, Washington D.C., Nairob

Texting and Relationship: Examining Discourse Strategies in Negotiating and Sustaining Relationships Using Mobile Phone

Mobile telephony along with the Internet has enabled and enhanced new forms of human interaction by providing users with easy ways of reaching, and communicating with their loved ones regardless of distance or geographical locations. The medium has also not only become very essential to the society, but indispensable to individuals, families and social groups (Hoffman, et al, 2004). Texting has shown a great deal of promise to remain indispensable to people‟s communication needs across their life span. This paper examines how mobile phones support intimate personal and romantic relationships in digitally emergent places, particularly Nigeria, and argues that texting is an active and effective medium of interpersonal communication for enabling and sustaining social and romantic relationships. Applying the appraisal framework and discourse analysis, the study shows that texting is culturally motivated and provides some of the emotional support needed in personal relationships; texting is also used to express romantic feelings both within and outside of marriage. Especially among dating and married couples, texting is sometimes used in an attempt to resolving conflicts. Data for this study comprise 217 text messages obtained from texters at different levels of heterosexual relationships, namely formal personal friendship, courtship/dating and marriage relationships. Fifty couples were interviewed to identify the specific essential roles of texting in their relationships as they form and develop, and the tendency of such roles to continue across the couples‟ life span. Keywords: texting/text messages, discourse, communication, relationship, friends, couples, courtship, marriage

Communicating Religious Extremism in West Africa

Whereas modern communication strategies have been celebrated for promoting ease of interaction, this chapter highlights that they have been deployed by some terrorist groups in Africa to threaten human security. It defines religious extremism in terms of the expression of extreme or violent actions or jihad on the basis of particular interpretations or understanding of religious teaching or scripture, especially the Quran. The chapter examines the (online) communication behaviours of extremists/terrorist groups in West Africa and Somalia that are often associated with Islam. It also examines religious extremism and its relation to violent conflict and describes the extremist violent activities of some identified African terrorist groups, and how contemporary media and the Internet have provided dynamic platforms for disseminating their message and ideology. Liebman views religious extremism as the desire to expand the scope, details and strictness of religious law, social isolation and the rejection of the surrounding culture

ONLINE DECEPTION: A DISCOURSE STUDY OF EMAIL BUSINESS SCAMS

This chapter examines email business scams - types of phishing that solicit business partnership with email account owners with the aim of defrauding them. In this category are emails that seek assistance to transfer some money or claim some abandoned money in dormant bank accounts overseas. Through a qualitative discourse analysis of 50 samples, the study analyses the textual and genre features of these emails, as well as their narrative structures. Analysis also highlights authorial stance of the email writers. This include rhetoric and persuasive strategies that the con writers apply in their business proposals, such as the negotiation of interpersonal relationship, trust, and confidentiality. The study concludes that contrary to some research speculations, email business scams are not likely to end in the near future, because the writers not only demonstrate a commendable competence in communication, they also take the advantage of information technology to the fullest. In addition, they exploit the human greed for free money

Effectiveness and tolerability of Perindopril plus Amlodipine single pill combination in Nigeria: The 13 City Hypertension Study

Background: There is no large-scale study that has shown the efficacy of single pill combination (SPC) antihypertensive medications in black African population. We therefore evaluated the blood pressure (BP) lowering efficacy and the tolerability of Perindopril plus Amlodipine SPC in black African patients. Methods: It was a multi-centre, prospective, observational programme among hypertensive patients using different doses of Perindopril and Amlodipine. Primary endpoint was assessed as the change in mean sitting systolic and diastolic BPs from baseline to 3 months. Results: 937 patients (55.7% female) were analysed, and the mean age was 56.4 ± 12.7 years. Systolic and diastolic BPs were significantly reduced by 17.3/ 9.4mmHg, 21.1/10.8mmHg mmHg and 24.6/12.7mmHg at 4, 8 and 12 weeks respectively compared to baseline value (p<0.0001). Dry cough was seen in 0.64% and angioedema 0.1% of the patients. Conclusions: Perindopril plus Amlodipine SPC provided clinically meaningful BP reductions and is well tolerated in a black African population. SAHeart 2022;19:6-1

Incidence of and socio-biologic risk factors for spontaneous preterm birth in HIV positive Nigerian women

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have identified HIV as a leading contributor to preterm delivery and its associated morbidity and mortality. However little or no information exists in our sub-region on this subject. Identifying the factors associated with preterm delivery in HIV positive women in our country and sub-region will not only prevent mother to child transmission of HIV virus but will also reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with prematurity and low birth weight. This study was designed to determine the incidence and risk factors for preterm delivery in HIV positive Nigerians. METHOD: The required data for this retrospective study was extracted from the data base of a cohort study of the outcome of prevention of mother to child transmission at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos. Only data of women that met the eligibility of spontaneous delivery after 20 weeks of gestation were included. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institution’s Ethical Review Board. RESULTS: 181 women out of the 1626 eligible for inclusion into the study had spontaneous preterm delivery (11.1%). The mean birth weight was 3.1 ± 0.4 kg, with 10.3% having LBW. Spontaneous preterm delivery was found to be significantly associated with unmarried status (cOR: 1.7;1.52-2.57), baseline CD4 count <200 cells/mm(3)(cOR: 1.8; 1.16-2.99), presence of opportunistic infection at delivery (cOR: 2.2;1.23-3.57), multiple pregnancy (cOR 10.4; 4.24 – 26.17), use of PI based triple ARV therapy (eOR 10.2; 5.52 – 18.8) in the first trimester (cOR 2.5; 1.77 – 3.52) on univariate analysis. However after multivariate analysis controlling for potential confounding variables including low birth weight, only multiple pregnancy (aOR: 8.6; CI: 6.73 – 12.9), presence of opportunistic infection at delivery (aOR: 1.9; CI: 1.1 – 5.7), and 1st trimester exposure to PI based triple therapy (aOR: 5.4; CI: 3.4 – 7.8) retained their significant association with preterm delivery. CONCLUSION: The spontaneous preterm delivery rate among our cohort was 11.1%. HIV positive women with multiple pregnancies, symptomatic HIV infection at delivery and first trimester fetal exposure to PI based triple therapy were found to be at risk of spontaneous preterm delivery. Early booking and non-use of PI based triple therapy in the first trimester will significantly reduce the risk of preterm delivery

Effect of cytomegalovirus infection on breastfeeding transmission of HIV and on the health of infants born to HIV-infected mothers

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection can be acquired in utero or postnatally through horizontal transmission and breastfeeding. The effect of postnatal CMV infection on postnatal HIV transmission is unknown

Adherence to extended postpartum antiretrovirals is associated with decreased breast milk HIV-1 transmission

Estimate association between postpartum antiretroviral adherence and breastmilk HIV-1 transmissio

Plasma Micronutrient Concentrations Are Altered by Antiretroviral Therapy and Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements in Lactating HIV-Infected Malawian Women

Background: Little is known about the influence of antiretroviral therapy with or without micronutrient supplementation on the micronutrient concentrations of HIV-infected lactating women in resource-constrained settings

Independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene, and improved complementary feeding, on child stunting and anaemia in rural Zimbabwe: a cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Child stunting reduces survival and impairs neurodevelopment. We tested the independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) on stunting and anaemia in in Zimbabwe. METHODS: We did a cluster-randomised, community-based, 2 × 2 factorial trial in two rural districts in Zimbabwe. Clusters were defined as the catchment area of between one and four village health workers employed by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care. Women were eligible for inclusion if they permanently lived in clusters and were confirmed pregnant. Clusters were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to standard of care (52 clusters), IYCF (20 g of a small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement per day from age 6 to 18 months plus complementary feeding counselling; 53 clusters), WASH (construction of a ventilated improved pit latrine, provision of two handwashing stations, liquid soap, chlorine, and play space plus hygiene counselling; 53 clusters), or IYCF plus WASH (53 clusters). A constrained randomisation technique was used to achieve balance across the groups for 14 variables related to geography, demography, water access, and community-level sanitation coverage. Masking of participants and fieldworkers was not possible. The primary outcomes were infant length-for-age Z score and haemoglobin concentrations at 18 months of age among children born to mothers who were HIV negative during pregnancy. These outcomes were analysed in the intention-to-treat population. We estimated the effects of the interventions by comparing the two IYCF groups with the two non-IYCF groups and the two WASH groups with the two non-WASH groups, except for outcomes that had an important statistical interaction between the interventions. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01824940. FINDINGS: Between Nov 22, 2012, and March 27, 2015, 5280 pregnant women were enrolled from 211 clusters. 3686 children born to HIV-negative mothers were assessed at age 18 months (884 in the standard of care group from 52 clusters, 893 in the IYCF group from 53 clusters, 918 in the WASH group from 53 clusters, and 991 in the IYCF plus WASH group from 51 clusters). In the IYCF intervention groups, the mean length-for-age Z score was 0·16 (95% CI 0·08-0·23) higher and the mean haemoglobin concentration was 2·03 g/L (1·28-2·79) higher than those in the non-IYCF intervention groups. The IYCF intervention reduced the number of stunted children from 620 (35%) of 1792 to 514 (27%) of 1879, and the number of children with anaemia from 245 (13·9%) of 1759 to 193 (10·5%) of 1845. The WASH intervention had no effect on either primary outcome. Neither intervention reduced the prevalence of diarrhoea at 12 or 18 months. No trial-related serious adverse events, and only three trial-related adverse events, were reported. INTERPRETATION: Household-level elementary WASH interventions implemented in rural areas in low-income countries are unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia and might not reduce diarrhoea. Implementation of these WASH interventions in combination with IYCF interventions is unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia more than implementation of IYCF alone. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UK Department for International Development, Wellcome Trust, Swiss Development Cooperation, UNICEF, and US National Institutes of Health.The SHINE trial is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1021542 and OPP113707); UK Department for International Development; Wellcome Trust, UK (093768/Z/10/Z, 108065/Z/15/Z and 203905/Z/16/Z); Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; US National Institutes of Health (2R01HD060338-06); and UNICEF (PCA-2017-0002)