Endoscopic Resection of a Prominent Median Lobe During TURP: a Simple Technique to Avoid Sub- Trigonal Resection

No AbstractKey Words: Benign prostatic hyperplasia, surgery, Transurethral resection of prostate, Endoscopic resection, prominent median lob

Effects of infrastructural development on residential preoerty values in Minna

No Abstract

An examination of the relationship between provisions of infrastructural facilities and property tax in Ibadan North Local Government

Local councils have responsibilty to provide infrastructurre for the sustenance of  the residents within thier jurisdiction.Thus many local council have resorted to the use of property tax in addition to other sources of revenue. However, there is no correlation between the generation of property tax and the provison of social amenities or key infrastructure that should be sustaining residents. The study adopted secondary data sourced from  Ibadan North Local government, that is the amount of property tax generated and the amount of financial allocation to the provision of social amenities from 1999 till 2010. The result from the regression analysis conducted  indicated that property tax is responsilble for a statistical variation of 74.2% in the financial allocation to Infrastructure in the study area.The recommendation of the study is  that local coucil needs to examine the tax base as well as develop a model that will encourage participation of the residents in property tax administration. Key Words: Property Tax, Infrastructure/Social Amenities, Local Council, Allocation, Users Participation and Public financ

Spatial variations in residential property development in Birnin-Kebbi, Nigeria

No Abstrac

Aetiology of potentially pathogenic bacteria from neonatal feeding tubes

Recently, the incidence of neonatal infections, particularly in those born with low birth weight (< 2000g) has increased due to Enterobacteriaceae including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Serratia spp., and other Gram-positive bacteria such as Enterococcus spp. These are known to be responsible for major neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infections. Mortality among neonates is attributed to infectious causes, preterm birth complications, intrapartum-related complications, sepsis and meningitis. Therefore, this study aimed: (a) to evaluate the potential risk to neonates posed by ingestion of E. coli and Klebsiella spp, E. hormaechei and E. faecalis either through powdered infant formula, contaminated milk, or by medical equipment, (b) to categorise isolates of these organisms into high, medium and low potential pathogenicity to neonates, and (c) to conduct a longitudinal study to determine whether the same strain colonises both the feeding tube and intestine of a premature baby in the NICU over time and to determine their virulence potential and genetic relationships. This study used, 76 K. pneumoniae strains previously isolated from neonatal feeding tubes, from two Jordanian hospitals from May to Dec 2011 and 36 isolates (E. coli n=14 and Klebsiella n=22) from Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital (QMC & NCH, Nottingham), from neonatal enteral feeding tubes and sepsis cases between 2007 and 2015. In addition, 14 isolates (E. faecalis n= 8 and E. hormaechei n= 6) were collected from four samples (two nasogastric feeding tube and two faecal samples) from a single premature baby at age 6 and 8 weeks of life in the NICU at QMC, Nottingham. The isolates were identified by sequence analysis of the rpoB gene, 16S rDNA and genotyped using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (XbaI, Spel and SmaI restriction digestion), subsequently profiled using specific PCR probes for virulence genes (K1, 2, and 5, fimbria type, invasion gene and yersiniabactin). Isolates were examined for potential virulence factors including biofilm, capsule production, serum resistance, siderophores, heat resistance, desiccation tolerance and antibiotic resistance. Potential virulence traits were predicted from whole genome sequences. In addition, in vitro tissue culture assays (attachment, invasion and macrophage survival) were used in a comparative study between representative K. pneumoniae strains isolated from EFT Jordanian hospitals and Nottingham NEFTs isolates and sepsis isolates. The K. pneumoniae Jordanian strains clustered into five pulsotypes, pulsotypes 1 and 2 were rpoB allele profile 4, cluster 3 and 4 were rpoB profile 25 and pulsotype 5 was rpoB profile 21. The curli fimbriae and hypermucoviscous phenotype were observed in 10.7 % and 67.9 % of isolates respectively. Capsular serotypes included K1 (17.9%) and K2 (78.6%). All isolates showed resistance to imipenem, meropenim and ceftriaxone. An extended spectrum betalactamase (ESBL) was identified phenotypically in strains with resistance to cefotaxime + clavulanate and cefpodoxime + clavulanate, and most isolates showed susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. All strains had ɣ-haemolytic activity on sheep blood and most showed ßhaemolytic on horse blood. Most isolates were able to form biofilms on plastic surfaces at 25 oC and 37 oC. Most of the strains were able to survive in pH 3.5 for up to 2 hours and tolerated human serum. For the E. coli (QMC) strains, PFGE showed two E. coli strains 2113 and 2114 clustered together, whereas the other strains were all unique. Thirteen E. coli strains from QMC & NCH belonged to phylogenetic group B2 and strain 2255 was group D. The majority of isolates showed ɣ-haemolytic activity on both horse and sheep blood, capsular type K1 and type 1 fimbria were detected. Almost all of the strains were resistant to augmentin, whereas only 7% of the strains were resistant to ceftazidime. ESBL production was identified phenotypically in 99% of the strains with resistance to cefotaxime + clavulanate (CTX+CV) and cefpodoxime + clavulanate (CPD+CV). Furthermore, 77% of the strains were multidrug resistant. All strains were able to form biofilms at 25oC and 37oC. In addition, Klebsiella spp. (QMC) strains revealed eight different rpoB alleles profiles; 1,2,4,10,13,14,15,40. Using PFGE, strains 498 and 500 were clustered together, whereas the other strains were all unique. Phenotypically, all isolates were able to lyse horse erythrocytes, showing ß-haemolytic activity, and were ɣ-haemolytic on sheep blood. Furthermore, most of the strains possessed plasmids and were able to produce cellulose, hyperviscous capsule and biofilm in TSB and infant formula milk (IF). Most strains were able to form capsular material on XLD and IF agar. Only strain 1444 expressed curli fimbriae and produced high levels of biofilm on both media. The great majority of these K. pneumoniae isolates were able to adhere and invade T24, HMBEC and Caco2 cell lines. Unexpectedly, K. pneumoniae strains isolated from FT from Jordan were significantly better at surviving within macrophage (U937) cells than strains isolated from sepsis blood cultures from QMC, Nottingham. The longitudinal study indicated that the E. hormaechei and E. faecalis strains isolated persisted in the baby’s gut across the whole period of study without genotypic and phenotypic changes. Some isolates from feeding tubes and faeces of the baby over time were found to be the same strain based on their sequence type and genomic analysis. All of these strains were shown to have high pathogenic potential

Functional adult outcomes 16 years after childhood diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder:MTA results

Objective To compare educational, occupational, legal, emotional, substance use disorder, and sexual-behavior outcomes in young adults with persistent and desistent attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and a local normative comparison group (LNCG) in the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (MTA). Method Data were collected 12, 14, and 16 years post-baseline (mean age 24.7 years at 16 years post-baseline) from 476 participants with ADHD diagnosed at age 7-9, and 241 age- and sex-matched classmates. Probands were subgrouped on persistence vs. desistence of DSM-5 symptom count. Orthogonal comparisons contrasted ADHD vs. LNCG and Symptom-Persistent (50%) vs. Symptom-Desistent (50%) subgroups. Functional outcomes were measured with standardized and demographic instruments. Results Three patterns of functional outcomes emerged. Post-secondary education, times fired/quit a job, current income, receiving public assistance, and risky sexual behavior showed the most common pattern: the LNCG fared best, Symptom-Persistent ADHD worst, and Symptom-Desistent ADHD between, with largest effect sizes between LNCG and Symptom-Persistent ADHD. In the second pattern, seen with emotional outcomes (emotional lability, neuroticism, anxiety disorder, mood disorder) and substance use outcomes, the LNCG and Symptom-Desistent ADHD did not differ, but both fared better than Symptom-Persistent ADHD. In the third pattern, noted with jail time (rare), alcohol use disorder (common), and number of jobs held, group differences were not significant. The ADHD group had 10 deaths compared to one in the LNCG. Conclusion Adult functioning after childhood ADHD varies by domain and is generally worse when ADHD symptoms persist. It is important to identify factors and interventions that promote better functional outcomes

SINTESIS DAN KARAKTERISASI CAIRAN IONIK BERBASIS GARAM BENZOTRIAZOLIUM SEBAGAI ELEKTROLIT REDOKS PADA SEL SURYA TERSENSITISASIZAT WARNA (DSSC)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan elektrolit redoks pada sel surya tersensitisasi zat warna (DSSC) menggunakan cairan ionik karena dikenal memiliki kestabilan termal dan elektrokimia yang tinggi. Tiga cairan ionik berhasil disintesis, yaitu cairan ionik l-metil-3-oktil benzotriazolium bromida (lM30kBzt-Br), l-metil-3-oktil benzotriazolium tiosianat (lM30kBzt-SCN) dan l-metil-3-oktil benzotriazolium ditiosianatoargentat (lM30kBzt-[Ag(SCN]2]tt>). Cairan ionik lM30kBzt-Br disintesis melalui dua tahap reaksi yakni reaksi metilasi menggunakan dimetilsulfat dan alkilasi-kuartenerisasi menggunakan oktilbromida pada suhu refluks 75-85°C. Cairan ionik lM30kBzt-SCN dan lM30kBzt-[Ag(SCN]2]oo disintesis melalui reaksi metatesis antara lM30kBzt-Br dengan AgSCN masing-masing dalam pelarut metanol dan asetonitril dengan perbandingan mol tertentu. Analisis FTIR digunakan untuk menentukan struktur yakni gugus fungsi dari cairan ionik sekaligus menentukan keberhasilan sintesis. Analisis menggunakan Electrochemical Impedance Spectrometry (EIS) menunjukkan bahwa lM30kBzt-SCN merupakan cairan ionik yang memiliki daya hantar ion yang paling baik dengan nilai hambatan 0,345 k£lcm2, sedangkan lM30kBzt-Br memiliki nilai hambatan 2,148 kflcm2 dan lM30kBzt- [Ag(SCN)2]oo 7,366 kft.cm Analisis Cyclic Voltammetry menunjukkan bahwa lM30kBzt-SCN merupakan cairan ionik yang memiliki kestabilan elektrokimia yang paling tinggi dengan nilai electrochemical window sekitar 2,5 V, sedangkan lM30kBzt -Br memiliki electrochemical window sekitar 2 V dan lM30kBzt - [Ag(SCN]2Joo 1,5 V. Terbentuknya struktur polimer pada anion [Ag(SCN]2]co ternyata tidak meningkatkan kestabilan elektrokimia dari cairan ionik tersebut

Prediction of COVID-19 Hospital Length of Stay and Risk of Death Using Artificial Intelligence-Based Modeling

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly infectious virus with overwhelming demand on healthcare systems, which require advanced predictive analytics to strategize COVID-19 management in a more effective and efficient manner. We analyzed clinical data of 2017 COVID-19 cases reported in the Dubai health authority and developed predictive models to predict the patient's length of hospital stay and risk of death. A decision tree (DT) model to predict COVID-19 length of stay was developed based on patient clinical information. The model showed very good performance with a coefficient of determination R2 of 49.8% and a median absolute deviation of 2.85 days. Furthermore, another DT-based model was constructed to predict COVID-19 risk of death. The model showed excellent performance with sensitivity and specificity of 96.5 and 87.8%, respectively, and overall prediction accuracy of 96%. Further validation using unsupervised learning methods showed similar separation patterns, and a receiver operator characteristic approach suggested stable and robust DT model performance. The results show that a high risk of death of 78.2% is indicated for intubated COVID-19 patients who have not used anticoagulant medications. Fortunately, intubated patients who are using anticoagulant and dexamethasone medications with an international normalized ratio of <1.69 have zero risk of death from COVID-19. In conclusion, we constructed artificial intelligence–based models to accurately predict the length of hospital stay and risk of death in COVID-19 cases. These smart models will arm physicians on the front line to enhance management strategies to save lives

Operációkutatás példatár

Az Operációkutatási példatár az Operációkutatás jegyzet témáihoz kapcsolódó feladatok rendszerezett gyűjteménye. A feladatok legtöbbjéhez segítség vagy megoldás is tartozik, a feladatok közti kapcsolatok megértését pedig tárgymutató és hiperhivatkozások segítik. A példatár célja kettős: egyrészt elősegíti a diákok számára a tananyag elsajátítását, másrészt kitér olyan, a tananyagon túlmutató kérdésekre is, amik a legjobb diákok érdeklődését hivatottak felkelteni. A példatár a következő témakörökből tartalmaz feladatokat: Bevezető kombinatorikai feladatok, Optimális utak, Párosítások, Áramok és folyamok, Lineáris algebra és poliéderek, Lineáris programozás és alkalmazásai, Teljesen unimoduláris mátrixok és alkalmazásaik, Egészértékű programozás, Konvex programozás