Superficial location of the brachial plexus and axillary artery in relation to pectoralis minor: a case report

Knowledge of the anatomy of the infraclavicular fossa is important as this region is a target site for anaesthesia of the upper limb during infraclavicular approaches to brachial plexus blocks and in central venous cannulation of the axillary or subclavian veins. The cords of the brachial plexus and the axillary artery and vein are classically described as being located deep to the pectoralis minor and major muscles in the infraclavicular fossa. A rare variation was observed on one side of an individual, out of a total of 170 dissections, in which the brachial plexus and axillary artery were located between the pectoralis minor and major muscles. This variation was observed on the right-hand side of a male cadaver, and resulted in a more superficial position of the cords of the brachial plexus and axillary artery in relation to the skin. This superficial position of these vital structures may lead to an increased risk of complications during clinical procedures, such as infraclavicular brachial plexus blocks, central venous cannulation or surgery. Ultrasound should be used whenever possible to visualise variant positions of arteries, veins, nerves or muscles during these and other procedures.Keywords: anatomical variation, axillary artery, brachial plexus, infraclavicular region, pectoralis mino

Biomechanical factors associated with the risk of knee injury when landing from a jump

Objectives. To systematically assess the literature investigating biomechanical knee injury risk factors when an individual lands from a jump. Data sources. Four electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed English journals containing landing biomechanical studies published over 14 years (1990 - 2003). Study selection. Publications describing research into knee joint kinetics and/or kinematics when landing from a jump were included. A total of 26 eligible articles met the inclusion criteria. Data extraction. A review of the 26 eligible studies was undertaken to describe the key study components including the study aims, sample populations, measurement tools, measurement procedures and knee risk factors. Methodological quality was scored using the Crombie Checklist and PEDro Scale. Data synthesis. The methodological quality of the studies reviewed was fair. Information on risk factors was variable. One proposed risk factor, landing with the knee in a relatively more extended position, may increase injury risk. Validity was compromised when the landing action was isolated by studying drop-jumping instead of the whole landing task. Results of reviewed studies were potentially confounded by a number of factors. Conclusion. High-level evidence for biomechanical knee injury risk factors when landing from a jump is lacking and it is difficult to draw conclusions regarding knee injury risk factors when landing. However, the published research reviewed provides important information on injury causality and theories to direct future studies. Further research should be directed towards younger populations using valid testing protocols applicable to real life scenarios. South African Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 18 (1) 2006: pp. 18-2

The prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in a multiracial group of urban adolescent schoolchildren in the Cape Metropole area of Cape Town

Objective: The objective was to determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in high school learners in the Cape Town area.Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted.Setting: High schools in the Cape Metropole Area of the Western Cape.Subjects: A complex cluster sampling procedure was followed. Thirty-six students per school were selected from each randomly selected school. Thirteen- to 18-year-old pupils were eligible for inclusion.Outcome measures: Height and weight measurements.Results: The sample comprised 689 students. There were considerably  more underweight adolescent boys than adolescent girls (17.3% boys to 9.9% girls), and double the frequency of overweight adolescent girls than adolescent boys (7.7% girls to 3.5% boys). The 14-year-old boys had the highest prevalence of underweight (55.2%), and the 17-year-old girls the highest prevalence of overweight (22%). The highest prevalence of obesity was found in 15-year-old boys (11.1%), who also demonstrated a relatively high prevalence of underweight (30.2%).Conclusion: This study reported on a substantial percentage of underweight adolescents (27.1%). Noteworthy levels of overweight and obesity in  adolescent girls added to the substantial prevalence of underweight in adolescent boys. Africa has enough to contend with in respect of transmissible diseases, without additional lifestyle-based health burdens

Investigating Educators’ Views of Sexuality, HIV and AIDS Education in Working with Students with Disabilities in South African Schools

The misconception that persons with disabilities are asexual and sexually inactive often relegates teaching sexuality education in special needs schools to a priority of low importance. The access, or lack thereof, to such information causes students lvith disabilities to be at an increased risk of HIV infection; therefore, providing them with sexuality education is imperative. The purpose of the present study was to examine the teachers\u27 and childcare providers\u27 views of teaching sexuality, HIV, and AIDS programs in special needs schools. A survey questionnaire was employed to collect the data. The results showed that among the four major study constructs, teaching practices had the highest mean scores (M = 4.2). A correlation matrix among the 10 study variables indicates the strongest positive associations for teaching practices with cure for HIV (r = .37, P \u3c .01) and the seriousness of the AIDS problem (r = .35, P \u3c .05) with programs related to HIV and AIDS. The study confirmed the teachers\u27 high levels of knowledge regarding HIV and AIDS and that they were taking the teaching of sexuality education to students with disabilities seriously. The teachers, however, questioned who should be held responsible for teaching this sexuality education, which may have an impact on their attitudes and beliefs as well as their teaching practices of the topic

Examining the impact of HIV&AIDS on South African educators

Our aim in this study was to examine the impact of HIV&AIDS on South African educators. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in public schools combining HIV testing and a face-to-face interview with participants from a nationally representative sample of public educators. The results show that HIV is highly prevalent among South African public educators (12.7%) and the educators who are absent from school for longer periods (20 days or more) compared with those who are absent for less than four days have higher HIV prevalence (16.8% vs 11.95%). Educators also spend time away from teaching while they attend funerals for colleagues who have died (6.7%), for family members (13.4%) and for members of their communities (47.6%). This makes them feel depressed (71%). These results suggest that HIV&AIDS has an impact on the quality of education. There is a need to prevent new HIV infections and reduce morbidity through the implementation of comprehensive integrated prevention and treatment programmes targeted at educators. There is also a need to support educators in coping with the problem of HIV&AIDS at work and in the community

Polyamine uptake in the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is dependent on the parasite's membrane potential

Polyamines are present at high levels in proliferating cells, including cancerous cells and protozoan parasites and the inhibition of their synthesis has been exploited in antiproliferative strategies. Inhibition of the malaria parasite’s polyamine biosynthetic pathway causes cytostatic arrest in the trophozoite stage but does not cure in vivo infections in the murine model of malaria. This is possibly due to exogenous polyamine salvage from the host, which replenishes the intracellular polyamine pool. This implies that disruption of polyamine metabolism as an antimalarial chemotherapy strategy may require targeting both polyamine biosynthesis and transport simultaneously

Development, initial content validation and reliability of Nigerian Composite Lifestyle CVD risk factors questionnaire for adolescents

Background: Cardiovascular disease risk (CVD) factors affect every age category including adolescents in developing nations. Prevention strategies are effective only when there are epidemiological data for the targeted populations. The collection of such data is only made easy with composite lifestyle CVD risk factors measures that are culturally sensitive and acceptable among the target populations.Objective: The objective of the study was to develop a culturally sensitive and friendly composite lifestyle CVD risk factors questionnaire for adolescents in NigeriaMethods: A systematic review was conducted to identify existing, published questionnaires from which items could be selected. Content and face validation were conducted using an expert panel and a sub-sample of the target population. Data was analyzed qualitatively and reliability was assessed using intra-class correlation and Kappa statistic.Results: Based on the comments received from experts, the questions were restructured, simplified, clarified, formatted, some questions were added and expert reached a consensus. Kappa showed fair to moderate agreement in 65% of the questions and perfect agreement in one question.Conclusion: The CVD risk factors questionnaire has acceptable content validity and reliability and should be used to assess CVD risk factors among adolescents in NigeriaKey words: Cardiovascular disease, risk factors, questionnaire, adolescent

The use of African music in the church

After my short experience of work amongst African people in Nyasaland—because I admit that 14 years is not a very long period—I am becoming more and more convinced that the foreignness of the music we use in worship is a very important contributant factor in making the Christian religion to be something Western in the mind of many an African. There is, as far as I can judge, a translation of the Bible in the Nyanja language, which is, in many ways, a very admirable translation. So much of the life of the people we meet in the Bible is more like that of the people of the Country of the Lake than like that of modern Westerners that the Bible speaks to the Nyanja reader and makes its own appeal to his mind and heart. Some attempts have been made recently to bring our forms of worship closer to the life of the people, though much more may need to be done. But in this most important field of music very nearly nothing has been done with regard to the hymnbook used at present

African music in Christian worship

In “African Music”, volume 1, No. 3, I wrote, “When one true African Christian musician is brought to disregard any form of church music that he may have known in the past and breaks forth praising God in the musical medium that lies closest to his heart, half the battle will have been won. This is not impossible.” I maintained that very much of what was found in the Nyanja hymnbook I was familiar with was completely foreign to the African Christians who were using the book, and that it was not only not too late to start using African Music through the instrumentality of African musicians, but that it was “essential that a start should be made, and that as soon as possible.” Can it be done? This, after all, is the crux of the matter, and unless it is possible to get down to some practical scheme in which Africans will play their part and African artists themselves satisfy the need, it is little use discussing the matter. I believe it is possible to get down to such a scheme provided the necessary staff and financial assistance for an African Music Centre, could be found. How such a Centre should be run is a matter for further investigation and experimentation. There are, however, some practical suggestions I should like to make, which, I think, can lead to very useful results