Expectant management of early onset of severe pre-eclampsia in Durban

Fifty patients with severe pre-eclampsia who presented before 32 weeks' gestation were managed conservatively (sedation, bed rest, antihypertensive therapy and intensive fetal and maternal monitoring) until intervention was indicated. Twelve patients presented before 26 weeks ofpregnancy and there were no fetal survivors in this group; 23 presented between 26 and 29 weeks and 8(34,8%) of the babies in this group survived. The rate of perinatal loss in those presenting between 30 and 32 weeks was 26,6% (N =4). Patients who had a history of a hypertensive disorder in their previous pregnancy(ies) had a higher perinatal mortality rate; 23 such mothers experienced 16 perinatal losses compared with 27 mothers who had no such history and who had only 8 perinatal losses. There was 1 maternal death, there were 2 cases of eclampsia, 3 of pulmonary oedema, 4 of abruptio placentae and 1 case of renal failure; 2 patients had disseminated intravascular coagulation. The local indigent and underprivileged black population have a more aggressive form of early onset of severe pre-eclampsia than that reported for other population groups. The high maternal complication rate of 30,8% and the low fetal survival rate before 26 weeks indicate that there is no place in our setting for expectant management of severe pre-eclampsia in patients presenting before 26 weeks. This applies particularly to those with a previous history ofhypertension in pregnancy

Pesticides Bioconcentration Potential of Aquatic Plants in the Volta Lake

The Volta Lake is known for the proliferation of numerous aquatic plants in its shallow waters. A major cause for the presence of the luxuriant vegetation is the intensive agricultural activities along the banks. These activities are heavily dependent on agrochemicals including fertilizers, which eventually get into the aquatic ecosystem via water ways. In this study, two aquatic plants; Ceratophyllum demersum and Nymphaea lotus were investigated in a pilot study to determine their bioconcentration of pesticides. Levels of organochlorine (OCs) and synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) were analysed using gas chromatograghy equipped with electron capture detector while gas chromatography equipped with pulse flame photometric detector was used for the organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) determination in the plant tissues. The ambient concentrations of these pesticides in the aqueous medium were also determined and the ratios of pesticide concentration in the plant and water samples estimate bioconcentration potential of the plants. Out of 38 detected pesticides, 22 (representing 58%) were bioconcentrated by the aquatic weeds. The Bioconcentration Factor (BCF) range for Ceratophyllum demersum was 1.06 – 4,470 and that for Nymphaea lotus was 1.27 – 800. By the standard of the European Union regulation for registration of chemicals, levels of diazinon and chlorpyrifos in Ceratophyllum demersum fulfilled the ‘bioaccumulation’ criterion (i.e BCF > 2000) while fenitrothion, with BFC of 5500 in the same plant fulfilled ‘very bioaccumulation’ criterion (BCF ≥ 5000). This study shows that aquatic weeds in their natural ecosystem have the remediation potential, though to varying degrees and hence play a role in the improvement of water quality

PREVALENCE OF PLANT-PARASITIC NEMATODES IN RICE FIELDS IN GHANA

Rice ( Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most cultivated crops worldwide whose production in sub-Saharan Africa is extensively affected by root nematodes. The objective of this study was to identify and establish the distribution of plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs), in rice growing fields within different regions of Ghana. Soil and root samples were taken from rice fields, namely fourteen from Volta Region, eleven from the Soil and Irrigation Research Centre (SIREC), Kpong (Eastern Region); and five from Dawhenya (Greater Accra Region). The soil samples were taken from 0-30 cm depths, together with root samples. A total of twenty-four nematode genera were identified in soil and root samples from the three regions. These included: Aphelenchus spp., Belonolaimus spp., Ditylenchus spp., Dolichodorus spp., Helicotylenchus spp., Hemicriconemoides spp. Hemicycliophora spp. Heterodera spp., Hirschmaniella spp., Hoplolaimus spp., Longidorus spp., Meloidogyne spp., Paralongidorous spp., Paratylenchus spp., Pratylenchus spp., Radopholus spp., Rhabditida spp., Rotylenchulus spp., Scutellonema spp., Trichodorus spp., Tylenchornchus spp., Tylenchulus spp., Tylenchus spp. and Xiphinema spp. In the Volta Region, Tylenchus spp. was the most abundant (29.01%) in the soil; while Meloidogyne spp. was most the abundant (36.86%) in the roots. In Dawhenya regions, Meloidogyne spp. was the most abundant (26.96%) in the soil; while Tylenchus spp. was the most abundant (25.94%) in the roots. In the Eastern Region, Meloidogyne spp. was the most abundant (41.7%) in the soil; while Pratylenchus spp. was the most abundant (36.1%) in the roots. These nematodes threaten rice production in Ghana, if not managed well in farmer\u2019s fields.Le riz ( Oryza sativa L.) est l\u2019une des cultures les plus cultiv\ue9es au monde dont la production en Afrique subsaharienne est largement affect\ue9e par les n\ue9matodes des racines. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019identifier et d\u2019\ue9tablir la r\ue9partition des n\ue9matodes phytoparasites (NPP) dans les rizi\ue8res de diff\ue9rentes r\ue9gions du Ghana. Des \ue9chantillons de sol et de racines ont \ue9t\ue9 pr\ue9lev\ue9s dans les rizi\ue8res, \ue0 savoir quatorze de la r\ue9gion de la Volta, onze du Centre de Recherche sur les Sols et l\u2019Irrigation (SIREC), Kpong (r\ue9gion de l\u2019Est)\ua0; et cinq de Dawhenya (r\ue9gion du Grand Accra). Les \ue9chantillons de sol ont \ue9t\ue9 pr\ue9lev\ue9s \ue0 des profondeurs de 0 \ue0 30 cm, ainsi que des \ue9chantillons de racines. Au total, vingt-quatre genres de n\ue9matodes ont \ue9t\ue9 identifi\ue9s dans des \ue9chantillons de sol et de racines des trois r\ue9gions. Ceux-ci comprenaient : Aphelenchus spp., Belonolaimus spp., Ditylenchus spp., Dolichodorus spp., Helicotylenchus spp., Hemicriconemoides spp. Hemicycliophora spp. Heterodera spp., Hirschmaniella spp., Hoplolaimus spp., Longidorus spp., Meloidogyne spp., Paralongidorous spp., Paratylenchus spp., Pratylenchus spp., Radopholus spp., Rhabditida spp., T. ., Tylenchornchus spp., Tylenchulus spp., Tylenchus spp. et Xiphinema spp. Dans la r\ue9gion de la Volta, Tylenchus spp. \ue9tait le plus abondant (29,01 %) dans le sol; tandis que Meloidogyne spp. \ue9tait le plus abondant (36,86%) dans les racines. Dans les r\ue9gions de Dawhenya, Meloidogyne spp. \ue9tait le plus abondant (26,96 %) dans le sol; tandis que Tylenchus spp. \ue9tait le plus abondant (25,94 %) dans les racines. Dans la r\ue9gion orientale, Meloidogyne spp. \ue9tait le plus abondant (41,7%) dans le sol; tandis que Pratylenchus spp. \ue9tait le plus abondant (36,1 %) dans les racines. Ces n\ue9matodes menacent la production de riz au Ghana, s\u2019ils ne sont pas bien g\ue9r\ue9s dans les champs des agriculteurs

Optimism/pessimism and health-related quality of life during pregnancy across three continents: a matched cohort study in China, Ghana, and the United States

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Little is known about how optimism/pessimism and health-related quality of life compare across cultures.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three samples of pregnant women in their final trimester were recruited from China, Ghana, and the United States (U.S.). Participants completed a survey that included the Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R, an optimism/pessimism measure), the Short Form 12 (SF-12, a quality of life measure), and questions addressing health and demographic factors. A three-country set was created for analysis by matching women on age, gestational age at enrollment, and number of previous pregnancies. Anovas with post-hoc pairwise comparisons were used to compare results across the cohorts. Multivariate regression analysis was used to create a model to identify those variables most strongly associated with optimism/pessimism.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>LOT-R scores varied significantly across cultures in these samples, with Ghanaian pregnant women being the most optimistic and least pessimistic and Chinese pregnant women being the least optimistic overall and the least pessimistic in subscale analysis. Four key variables predicted approximately 20% of the variance in overall optimism scores: country of origin (p = .006), working for money (p = .05); level of education (p = .002), and ever being treated for emotional issues with medication (p < .001). Quality of life scores also varied by country in these samples, with the most pronounced difference occurring in the vitality measure. U.S. pregnant women reported far lower vitality scores than both Chinese and Ghanaian pregnant women in our sample.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This research raises important questions regarding what it is about country of origin that so strongly influences optimism/pessimism among pregnant women. Further research is warranted exploring underlying conceptualization of optimism/pessimism and health related quality of life across countries.</p

Effects of cigarette smoke on degranulation and NO production by mast cells and epithelial cells

Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is decreased by cigarette smoking. The hypothesis that oxides of nitrogen (NO(X)) in cigarette smoke solution (CSS) may exert a negative feedback mechanism upon NO release from epithelial (AEC, A549, and NHTBE) and basophilic cells (RBL-2H3) was tested in vitro. CSS inhibited both NO production and degranulation (measured as release of beta-hexosaminidase) in a dose-dependent manner from RBL-2H3 cells. Inhibition of NO production by CSS in AEC, A549, and NHTBE cells was also dose-dependent. In addition, CSS decreased expression of NOS mRNA and protein expression. The addition of NO inhibitors and scavengers did not, however, reverse the effects of CSS, nor did a NO donor (SNP) or nicotine mimic CSS. N-acetyl-cysteine, partially reversed the inhibition of beta-hexosaminidase release suggesting CSS may act via oxidative free radicals. Thus, some of the inhibitory effects of CSS appear to be via oxidative free radicals rather than a NO(X )-related negative feedback

The global burden of injury: Incidence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years and time trends from the global burden of disease study 2013

Background The Global Burden of Diseases (GBD), Injuries, and Risk Factors study used the disabilityadjusted life year (DALY) to quantify the burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors. This paper provides an overview of injury estimates from the 2013 update of GBD, with detailed information on incidence, mortality, DALYs and rates of change from 1990 to 2013 for 26 causes of injury, globally, by region and by country. Methods Injury mortality was estimated using the extensive GBD mortality database, corrections for illdefined cause of death and the cause of death ensemble modelling tool. Morbidity estimation was based on inpatient and outpatient data sets, 26 cause-of-injury and 47 nature-of-injury categories, and seven follow-up studies with patient-reported long-term outcome measures. Results In 2013, 973 million (uncertainty interval (UI) 942 to 993) people sustained injuries that warranted some type of healthcare and 4.8 million (UI 4.5 to 5.1) people died from injuries. Between 1990 and 2013 the global age-standardised injury DALY rate decreased by 31% (UI 26% to 35%). The rate of decline in DALY rates was significant for 22 cause-of-injury categories, including all the major injuries. Conclusions Injuries continue to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed and developing world. The decline in rates for almost all injuries is so prominent that it warrants a general statement that the world is becoming a safer place to live in. However, the patterns vary widely by cause, age, sex, region and time and there are still large improvements that need to be made

Does trust play a role when it comes to donations? A comparison of Italian and US higher education institutions

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have experienced severe cutbacks in funding over the past few years, with universities examining options for alternative funding streams, such as alumni funding. Identifying the factors influencing their alumni's intentions to invest in their alma mater can be of significant importance when establishing a sustainable revenue stream. Within this context, empirical research on the potential role of trust is scarce. This paper aims to deepen the analysis of the relationship between alumni trust and engagement as well as three outcomes, namely support, commitment, and attitude toward donation. A structural equation model was tested on two samples of US (  = 318) and Italian (  = 314) alumni. Although both countries are affluent and developed countries, the USA has an established tradition of alumni donations, which is not such a developed practice in Italy. For both countries, results confirm that engagement is an antecedent of trust, which in turn leads to the three investigated outcomes (support, commitment, and attitude toward donations). In contrast, the effect of commitment on attitude toward donations is significant only for the USA universities. The paper has interesting theoretical and managerial implications. From a theoretical point of view, the study aims to address a gap concerning the role of trust in the HE context. Managerially, the study has significant implications for universities that want to change alumni attitude toward donations. [Abstract copyright: © Springer Nature B.V. 2020.

Skin temperature variability is an independent predictor of survival in patients with cirrhosis

BACKGROUND: Cirrhosis is a disease with multisystem involvement. It has been documented that patients with cirrhosis exhibit abnormal patterns of fluctuation in their body temperature. However, the clinical significance of this phenomenon is not well understood. The aim of this study was to determine if temperature variability analysis can predict survival in patients with cirrhosis. METHODS: Thirty eight inpatients with cirrhosis were enrolled in the study. Wireless temperature sensors were used to record patients’ proximal skin temperature for 24 hr. The pattern of proximal temperature fluctuation was assessed using the extended Poincaré plot to measure short‐term and long‐term proximal temperature variability (PTV). Patients were followed up for 12 months, and information was collected on the occurrence of death/liver transplantation. RESULTS: During the follow‐up period, 15 patients (39%) died or underwent transplantation for hepatic decompensation. Basal proximal skin temperature absolute values were comparable in survivors and nonsurvivors. However, nonsurvivors showed a significant reduction in both short‐term and long‐term HRV indices. Cox regression analysis showed that both short‐term and long‐term PTV indices could predict survival in these patients. However, only measures of short‐term PTV were shown to be independent of the severity of hepatic failure in predicting survival. Finally, the prognostic value of short‐term PTV was also independent of heart rate variability, that is, a measure of autonomic dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Changes in the pattern of patients’ temperature fluctuations, rather than their absolute values, hold key prognostic information, suggesting that impaired thermoregulation may play an important role in the pathophysiology of cirrhosis