Investigating hair zinc concentrations in children with and without atopic dermatitis

Background. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition that disproportionately affects children and is associated with reduced quality of life. Zinc deficiency may contribute to the pathogenesis of AD because zinc plays a role in epidermal barrier integrity and the immune system. Systematic review evidence suggests that low zinc is associated with AD, but limitations of included studies support further investigation.Objectives. To investigate hair zinc concentrations in children with AD v. healthy controls in a low- to middle-income country setting.Methods. One hundred and five children aged 1 - 12 yea­rs participated in a frequency-matched for age case-control study. The outcome variable, AD, was confirmed by a clinician and corroborated using the UK Working Party criteria. The primary predictor, long-term average zinc concentration, was determined by measuring hair zinc using inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Baseline demographic characteristics, anthropometry and measures of socioeconomic status were included in our logistic regression analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed where interaction terms suggested effect modification.Results. Using data from the overall sample, population median hair zinc was not significantly different between children with AD and healthy controls. However, subgroup analysis suggested a clinically and statistically significant difference in median zinc between children with AD (175.35 µg/g) and healthy controls (206.4 µg/g) in the older age group (5 - 12 years) (p=0.01). In this age group, multivariable logistic regression analysis also found significantly decreased hair zinc concentrations in AD (odds ratio 0.83; 95% confidence interval 0.66 - 0.96; p=0.046).Conclusions. The inverse association between zinc status and AD in children aged 5 - 12 years in our setting is consistent with the international literature. The clinical importance of decreased zinc levels in AD is not yet known. Further investigation into relevant underlying mechanisms seems warranted given the global reach of AD, its effect on quality of life, and the low cost of potential zinc-based interventions.

First observation of the coexistence of multiple chiral doublet bands and pseudospin doublet bands in the A ≈ 80 mass region

Two nearly degenerate positive-parity bands with the π g2 9/2 ⊗ ν g−1 9/2 configuration and three nearly degenerate negative-parity bands with the π g9/2(p3/2, f5/2) ⊗ ν g−1 9/2 configuration have been identified in 81Kr. They are interpreted as chiral doublet bands and pseudospin-chiral triplet bands, which is supported by the constrained covariant density functional theory and the multiparticle plus rotor model calculations. The present work reports two new chiral configurations π g2 9/2 ⊗ ν g−1 9/2 and π g9/2(p3/2, f5/2) ⊗ ν g−1 9/2, and the first example of pseudospin-chiral triplet bands involving the π (p3/2, f5/2) pseudospin doublet

Primary cutaneous malignancies in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa: A retrospective histopathological review

Background. Excessive sun exposure and a high prevalence of HIV increase skin cancer risk in South Africa (SA).Objective. To describe the nature and extent of skin cancers presenting in the public and private health sectors of the Northern Cape Province of SA.Methods. A retrospective analysis of histologically confirmed new primary cutaneous malignancies from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2012 was conducted using public and private health sector databases. Types, quantity and distribution of common invasive malignancies by population group, age, gender, anatomical site and health sector were explored. One-year cumulative incidence was calculated and logistic regression models were used to analyse incidence and melanoma thickness trends.Results. A total of 4 270 biopsies (13 cutaneous malignancies) were identified. The commonest was squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), followed by basal cell carcinoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) and basosquamous carcinoma, in descending order. The odds of a white male developing SCC increased by 8% each year (odds ratio (OR) 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01 - 1.15; p=0.022), while the odds of a black male developing SCC and KS decreased by 9% (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84 - 0.99; p=0.033) and 18% (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.70 - 0.97; p=0.022), respectively, each year. SCC and CMM were diagnosed at more advanced stages in the public than in the private healthcare sector. CMM is being detected earlier, as indicated by low-stage depth increasing by 72% annually (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.04 - 3.01; p=0.042).Conclusions. Results suggest that reported skin cancer patterns are changing. There is a need for further research and equitable appropriation of financial resources and effort towards developing primary skin cancer prevention initiatives in SA

Gamma ray production cross sections in proton induced reactions on natural Mg, Si and Fe targets over the proton energy range 30 up to 66 MeV

Gamma-ray excitation functions have been measured for 30, 42, 54 and 66 MeV proton beams accelerated onto C + O (Mylar), Mg, Si, and Fe targets of astrophysical interest at the separate-sector cyclotron of iThemba LABS in Somerset West (Cape Town, South Africa). A large solid angle, high energy resolution detection system of the Eurogam type was used to record Gamma-ray energy spectra. Derived preliminary results of Gamma-ray line production cross sections for the Mg, Si and Fe target nuclei are reported and discussed. The current cross section data for known, intense Gamma-ray lines from these nuclei consistently extend to higher proton energies previous experimental data measured up to Ep ~ 25 MeV at the Orsay and Washington tandem accelerators. Data for new Gamma-ray lines observed for the first time in this work are also reported.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. IOP Institute of Physics Conference Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics VII, 28th EPF Nuclear Physics Divisional Conference, May 18-22 2015, York, U

Primary cutaneous malignancies in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa: A retrospective histopathological review

Background. Excessive sun exposure and a high prevalence of HIV increase skin cancer risk in South Africa (SA).Objective. To describe the nature and extent of skin cancers presenting in the public and private health sectors of the Northern Cape Province of SA.Methods. A retrospective analysis of histologically confirmed new primary cutaneous malignancies from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2012 was conducted using public and private health sector databases. Types, quantity and distribution of common invasive malignancies by population group, age, gender, anatomical site and health sector were explored. One-year cumulative incidence was calculated and logistic regression models were used to analyse incidence and melanoma thickness trends.Results. A total of 4 270 biopsies (13 cutaneous malignancies) were identified. The commonest was squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), followed by basal cell carcinoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) and basosquamous carcinoma, in descending order. The odds of a white male developing SCC increased by 8% each year (odds ratio (OR) 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01 - 1.15; p=0.022), while the odds of a black male developing SCC and KS decreased by 9% (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84 - 0.99; p=0.033) and 18% (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.70 - 0.97; p=0.022), respectively, each year. SCC and CMM were diagnosed at more advanced stages in the public than in the private healthcare sector. CMM is being detected earlier, as indicated by low-stage depth increasing by 72% annually (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.04 - 3.01; p=0.042).Conclusions. Results suggest that reported skin cancer patterns are changing. There is a need for further research and equitable appropriation of financial resources and effort towards developing primary skin cancer prevention initiatives in SA

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN AFRICA: NEW EVIDENCE AND POLICIES FROM SWAZILAND

Drawing on the 2007 and 2010 Swaziland Labor Force Surveys, this paper provides first systematic evidence on recent youth employment challenges in Swaziland, a small, land-locked, middle-income country with one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Africa. The paper first documents the various labor market disadvantages faced by the Swazi youth, such as high unemployment and discouragement, and how they changed from 2007 to 2010. A multinomial logit regression analysis is then carried out to analyze the socio-economic drivers of the unfavorable youth labor market outcomes on the supply side. Since many of the factors that can unlock the employment potential of the Swazi youth are on the demand side of the labor market, the paper examines the barriers to job creation and youth entrepreneurship. It concludes with experiences of other countries that could inform design of more effective interventions for youth employment in Swaziland.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/133071/1/wp1052.pd

Fine structure of the isoscalar giant monopole resonance in 58^{58}Ni, 90^{90}Zr, 120^{120}Sn and 208^{208}Pb

Over the past two decades high energy-resolution inelastic proton scattering studies were used to gain an understanding of the origin of fine structure observed in the isoscalar giant quadrupole resonance (ISGQR) and the isovector giant dipole resonance (IVGDR). Recently, the isoscalar giant monopole resonance (ISGMR) in $^{58}$Ni, $^{90}$Zr, $^{120}$Sn and $^{208}$Pb was studied at the iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator Based Sciences (iThemba LABS) by means of inelastic $\alpha$-particle scattering at very forward scattering angles (including $0\circ$). The good energy resolution of the measurement revealed significant fine structure of the ISGMR.~To extract scales by means of wavelet analysis characterizing the observed fine structure of the ISGMR in order to investigate the role of different mechanisms contributing to its decay width. Characteristic energy scales are extracted from the fine structure using continuous wavelet transforms. The experimental energy scales are compared to different theoretical approaches performed in the framework of quasiparticle random phase approximation (QRPA) and beyond-QRPA including complex configurations using both non-relativistic and relativistic density functional theory. All models highlight the role of Landau fragmentation for the damping of the ISGMR especially in the medium-mass region. Models which include the coupling between one particle-one hole (1p-1h) and two particle-two hole (2p-2h) configurations modify the strength distributions and wavelet scales indicating the importance of the spreading width. The effect becomes more pronounced with increasing mass number. Wavelet scales remain a sensitive measure of the interplay between Landau fragmentation and the spreading width in the description of the fine structure of giant resonances.Comment: 13 pages,7 figures, regular articl