Seroprevalence of IgG anti- T. Gondii antibody among HIV-infected patients in Maiduguri, north eastern Nigeria.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii infection is one of the commonest opportunistic infections in HIV-infected patients, with the fatal consequences of toxoplasmic encephalitis particularly in advanced disease. However, data regarding T.gondii infection in the setting of HIV/AIDS are scant in Nigeria. Objective: To determine the seroprevalence of T.gondii amongst HIV-infected patients as well as to determine the correlation between anti-T.gondii IgG titre and the CD4+ cell count/HIV-1 RNA viral load. Method: A cross sectional study in which a total of 190 subjects were involved i.e. 110 newly diagnosed HAART naïve HIV-positive patients and 80 apparently healthy HIV-negative age- and-sex matched controls that were selected by simple random sampling method. Results: The age range of the study population was 20-64 years. The mean ages of male subjects for both HIV-positives and controls were 37.52 ±8.20 years and 35.79 ±12.31years, respectively, (p= 0.462). On the other hand, the mean ages of female subjects for both HIV-positives and controls were 29.90 ±6.98 years and 32.30 ±10.29 years, respectively, (p=0.149). Twenty one subjects (19.1%) among HIV-positives and 1 (1.25%) HIV-negative tested positive for anti-T.gondii IgG, respectively, (p= 0.000). The prevalence rate ration of anti-T. gondii IgG of HIV positives compared to HIVnegatives was 15.28. Significant proportion of anti-T.gondii positive subjects presented with AIDS defining illnesses compared with their anti-T.gondii negative counterparts. Conclusion:The study has shown that anti-T.gondii IgG is about 15 times more prevalent among HIV positive patients compared to controls. Routine screening for T.gondii IgG anti-body is therefore recommended for all HIV-infected subjects at the facility as well as commencement of chemoprophylaxis against Toxoplasmic encephalitis in HIV-infected patients with CD4+ cell count of <100 cells/ml

Correlation between Leptonic CP Violation and mu-tau Symmetry Breaking

Considering the $\mu$-$\tau$ symmetry, we discuss a direct linkage between phases of flavor neutrino masses and leptonic CP violation by determining three eigenvectors associated with ${\rm\bf M}=M^\dagger_\nu M_\nu$ for a complex flavor neutrino mass matrix $M_\nu$ in the flavor basis. Since the Dirac CP violation is absent in the $\mu$-$\tau$ symmetric limit, leptonic CP violation is sensitive to the $\mu$-$\tau$ symmetry breaking, whose effect can be evaluated by perturbation. It is found that the Dirac phase ($\delta$) arises from the $\mu$-$\tau$ symmetry breaking part of ${\rm\bf M}_{e\mu,e\tau}$ and an additional phase ($\rho$) is associated with the $\mu$-$\tau$ symmetric part of ${\rm\bf M}_{e\mu,e\tau}$, where ${\rm\bf M}_{ij}$ stands for an $ij$ matrix element ($i,j$=$e,\mu,\tau$). The phase $\rho$ is redundant and can be removed but leaves its effect in the Dirac CP violation characterized by $\sin (\delta + \rho)$. The perturbative results suggest the exact formula of mixing parameters including that of $\delta$ and $\rho$, which turns out to be free from the effects of the redundant phases. As a result, it is generally shown that the maximal atmospheric neutrino mixing necessarily accompanies either $\sin\theta_{13}=0$ or $\cos(\delta+\rho)=0$, the latter of which indicates maximal CP violation, where $\theta_{13}$ is the $\nu_e$-$\nu_\tau$ mixing angle.Comment: 16 pages, ReVTeX, references updated, typos corredcted, published version in Physical Reviews

Analysis of 137 obstetric fistula cases seen at three fistula centres in northwest Nigeria

Objectives: To determine the contributory factors to development of obstetric fistula and to determine the knowledge and practice of modern contraception among fistula patients.Design: Descriptive hospital cross-sectional study.Setting: Three fistula centres in north west Nigeria.Subjects: All obstetric fistula patients that met the inclusion criteria.Results: Of 137 cases of obstetric fistula patients that satisfied the inclusion criteria, 88% had only Vesico-vaginal fistula, while 10% and 2% had recto-vaginal fistula, and combined vesico vaginal fistula and recto-vaginal fistula respectively. All the patients had early marriage (before age 20 years) with median ages at first marriage of 15 years and at presentation in hospital of 16 years. Majority (93.4%) of the patients developed fistula during the first delivery. Approximately two-third of the patients had no form of education. Only 42.3% of the patients received antenatal care and 86% delivered at home. Only 28% of the patients was aware of modern contraception and 2% had used modern contraceptive before developing fistula. All the patients expressed willingness to use modern contraception after fistula repair.Conclusion: This study shows that child marriage, low education, unskilled birth attendance and low contraceptive uptake are common among the obstetric fistula patients in north west Nigeria. Public advocacy and formulation of laws and policies to protect girls from early marriage, girl child education to secondary school level be encouraged, public education on the importance of and utilisation of maternity and modern family planning services

The Influence of Gestational Age on the Loss of Maternal Measles Antibodies in Newborn Infants in North-Eastern Nigeria: A Call for a Review of Measles Immunization Schedule

Background: Maternal measles antibodies (MMA) are actively transferred in mother-infant pairs during third trimester of pregnancy. Gestational age (GA) affects the levels of MMA such that longer GA may result in infants starting out with high levels of MMA.Objective: To determine the influence of GA on the loss of MMA in newborn infants in North-Eastern Nigeria.Method: A prospective study was conducted on newborn infants at Maiduguri; sera were collected at birth and at six months of age. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure MMA while GA was determined using the last menstrual period, ultrasound scan reports and the Dubowitz criteria.Results: Seventy eight newborn infants were enrolled. Seventeen (89.5 %) preterm, 43 (95.6 %) term and 14 (100 %) postterm had protective levels of MMA at birth. Two (10.5 %) preterm, nine (20.0%) term and two (14.3 %) postterm had protective MMA at six months of age. Comparison of mean MMA at birth and at six months of age was significant (p = 0.005), however, it was independent of GA of the newborn infants.Conclusion: Significant decline of mean MMA levels was seen in these infants at six months of age, which was independent of their GA. These infants may be prone to measles at an earlier age (less than six months). Therefore, the current recommendation of measles immunization to infants at nine months of age may require reconsideration

Prevalence of microalbuminuria in untreated Nigerian hypertensive patients

The burden of cardiovascular disease imposed by hypertension is a result of target organ damage. Microalbuminuria (MA) is the first clinical expression of nephropathy and has become acardiovascular and/or renal disease prognostic indicator for hypertensive subjects. Objectives: To establish the prevalence of MA among newly diagnosed hypertensive patients using thesimple spot urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio (ACR). Method: : One hundred and eighty six newly diagnosed hypertensive patients were enrolled for assessment of MA using spot urine ACR. Those with overt proteinuria, diabetes mellitus, overt kidney disease and other potential causes of albuminuria were excluded. Spot urine was obtained for measurement of albuminand creatinine. Anthropometric variables were measured and body mass index calculated. All patients had echocardiographic assessment. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 11.0 software. Multiple regression analysis was used in determining predictors of MA. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Results of 136 patients comprising of 66(48.53%) males and 70(51.47%) females was considered. The overall prevalence of microalbuminuria was 42.65%. Males had a prevalence of 51.52% compared to 34.27% for the females (p=0.29). Weight, BMI, LVM, LVMI, UAE, and ACR were significantly higher in patients with MA, whereas those without MA had a significantly higher urinary creatinine. Multiple regression analysis identified DBP, MAP, LVM and LVMI as significant predictors of increased urinary albumin excretion Microalbuminuria showed significant positive correlation with LVM and LVMI. Conclusion: The prevalence of microalbuminuria is high among untreated Nigerian hypertensive patients. The spot urine ACR provides a simple, accurate and cost effective way of identifying this high risk group of hypertensive patients, allowing for more aggressive treatment to reduce cardiovascular outcomes

La formation continue des salariés banquiers et son impact sur la performance des agences bancaires, cas de la ville de Guelmim-Maroc

La problématique de la formation est aujourd’hui indispensable non seulement au Maroc, mais aussi dans le monde, surtout les effets de la formation continue sur la performance des entreprises. Pour cela, nous avons tenté d’analyser l’impact de la formation continue, d’une part, sur les banquiers, et d’autre part, sur la performance des agences bancaires. Dans cette perspective, deux questions peuvent être posées : est-ce que les banquiers sont satisfaits des actions formatrices, et quels sont les effets de la formation continue sur la performance. Pour répondre à cette problématique, nous avons essayé, en premier lieu, de collecter les données auprès des agences bancaires, via un questionnaire adressé aux salariés banquiers qui sont en nombre de 51, par la suite, nous avons analysé ces données en utilisant plusieurs méthodes statistiques, tel que : l’ANOVA, l’AFC...Etc. Les résultats constatés ont montré qu’il existe une relation forte entre la formation continue des salariés et la performance, non seulement des agences bancaires, mais aussi des banquiers

Flavor Neutrino Masses giving sin\theta_{13}=0

Among neutrino mixings, the reactor mixing angle, \theta_{13}, is observed to be almost vanishing and is consistent with \theta_{13}=0. We discuss how the condition of \theta_{13}=0 constrains models of neutrino mixings and show that, for flavor neutrino masses given by M_{ij} (i,j=e,\mu,\tau), two conditions of M_{e\tau}=-e^{2i\gamma}tan(\theta_{23})M_{e\mu} and M_{\tau\tau}=e^{4i\gamma}M_{\mu\mu}+e^{2i\gamma}[2/tan(2\theta_{23})]M_{\mu\tau} lead to \theta_{13}=0, where \theta_{23} is the atmospheric neutrino mixing angle and \gamma is its associated phase. The rephasing invariance can select two phases provided by \alpha=arg(M_{e\mu}) and \beta=arg(M_{e\tau}), giving \gamma=(\beta-\alpha)/2.Comment: 5 pages, typos corrected and references update

Fermion Mass Hierarchies and Flavour Mixing from a Minimal Discrete Symmetry

We construct a simple model of fermion masses based on a spontaneously broken S3 X Z3 flavour group. At the leading order, in the neutrino sector S3 is broken down to a \nu_\mu-\nu_\tau parity subgroup that enforces a maximal atmospheric mixing angle and a vanishing \theta_{13}. In the charged lepton sector the \nu_\mu-\nu_\tau parity is maximally broken and the resulting mass matrix is nearly diagonal. The charged lepton mass hierarchy is automatically reproduced by the S3 symmetry breaking parameter alone. A careful analysis shows that, after the inclusion of all relevant subleading effects, the model predicts \theta_{23}=\pi/4+O(\lambda_c^2) and \theta_{13}=O(\lambda_c^2), \lambda_c denoting the Cabibbo angle. A simple extension to the quark sector is also illustrated, where the mass spectrum and the mixing angles are naturally reproduced, with the exception of the mixing angle between the first two generations, that requires a small accidental enhancement.Comment: 18 page

Two Categories of Approximately mu-tau Symmetric Neutrino Mass Textures

Our approximately \mu-\tau symmetric neutrino mass textures fall into two different categories, whose behaviors in the \mu-\tau symmetric limit are characterized by either \sin(theta_{13})->0 (referred to as C1)), or \sin(theta_{12})->0 (referred to as C2)). We present ten phenomenologically viable neutrino mass textures: two for the normal mass hierarchy, three for the inverted mass hierarchy, and five for the quasi degenerate mass pattern. Tiny \mu-\tau symmetry breaking ensures that \sin^2(theta_{13}) << 1 for C1), and \Delta m^2_\odot/\Delta m^2_{atm} (\equiv R) << 1 for C2). A correlation among small quantities is provided by \cos 2(theta_{23}) \sim \sin(theta_{13}) for C1), and by either \cos(2theta_{23}) \sim R, or \cos(2theta_{23})\sin(theta_{13}) \sim R for C2). It is further shown that \tan(2theta_{12}) \sim \cos(2theta_{23})/\sin(theta_{13}) is satisfied for C2). We find specific properties for each mass ordering, which are discussed in this article.Comment: 31 pages, 15 figures (High-resolution figures can be downloaded from http://www.sp.u-tokai.ac.jp/~yasue/two_categories_of.pdf.tar.gz

A Generic Diagonalization of the 3X3 Neutrino Mass Matrix and Its Implications on the mu-tau Flavor Symmetry and Maximal CP Violation

In the flavor basis where the mass eigenstates of three charged leptons are identified with their flavor eigenstates, one may diagonalize a 3 X 3 Majorana neutrino mass matrix M_nu by means of the standard parametrization of the 3 X 3 neutrino mixing matrix V. In this treatment the unphysical phases of M_nu have to be carefully factored out, unless a special phase convention for neutrino fields is chosen so as to simplify M_nu to M'_nu without any unphysical phases. We choose this special flavor basis and establish some exact analytical relations between the matrix elements of M'_nu M'_nu^dag and seven physical parameters --- three neutrino masses (m_1, m_2, m_3), three flavor mixing angles (theta_12, theta_13, theta_23) and the Dirac CP-violating phase (delta). Such results allow us to derive the conditions for the mu-tau flavor symmetry with theta_23 = pi/4 and maximal CP violation with delta = +/- pi/2, which should be useful for discussing specific neutrino mass models. In particular, we show that theta_23 = pi/4 and delta = +/- pi/2 keep unchanged when constant matter effects are taken into account for a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment.Comment: 11 pages. More discussions and references added. To appear in PL