Determination of some haematological parameters in malaria infected subjects in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) Sokoto, Nigeria

Since malaria parasites are able to attach to receptors on the red blood cell surface, it is expected that  malaria parasites may have effect on some haematological parameters. Haematological parameters are  often needed to assist in the management of malaria infection. The aim of this study is to assess the  effects of malaria parasites on some haematological parameters in Sokoto Nigeria. To investigate the  effects of malaria infection on red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, 100 malaria positive adults  (15-60 years) attending Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria were enrolled  into the study for a period of seven months; April through October 2009. Malaria parasitaemia was  determined microscopically by stained thick film, packed cell volume (PCV) by microhaematocrit  method, while total white blood cell count (TWBC) and platelet count (PLC) by manual methods. The total  of 100 malaria infected patients and 50 apparently healthy malaria non-infected students were compared against PCV, TWBC and PLC values using student’s t-test. The results of PCV and PLC showed statistically significant decrease among malaria infected patients (p<0.05) while for TWBC there was statistically significant increase (p<0.05) among 18% of malaria infected subjects. When PCV, TWBC and PLC values of males and females infected with malaria parasite were compared, the PCV value showed statistically significant decrease in females (p<0.05), while TWBC and PLC values showed no statistically significant difference between males and females (p>0.05). These findings indicate that malaria infection has an impact on some haematological parameters, therefore, malaria infection in this community contributes to the severity of anaemia and thrombocytopenia.Key words: Malaria infection, packed cell volume (PCV), total white blood cell count (TWBC), platelet count (PLC), anaemia

THE EFFECT OF KAOLINITE ON TENSILE AND FLEXURAL BEHAVIOR OF SALACCA FIBER - REINFORCED EPOXY/KAOLINTE HYBRID COMPOSITES

The use of filler in composite materials is emerged as a result of increasing demand for the advancement inmaterial properties to satisfy the market necessities. This study presents the effects of kaolinite inclusion ontensile, flexural and characteristics of Salacca fiber/kaolinite reinforced composite laminates. The laminateswere fabricated by hand layup and moulding. Kaolinite particles having four different weight fractions as 1, 3, 6and 9by volume percentages were used for fabrication of composite laminates. The specimens were preparedaccording to ASTM D638 and D790 standards for tensile and flexural tests, respectively. Results obtained fromspecimens having Kaolinite particles showed the serious improvement on the tensile strength, flexural modulusand flexural strength values compared to specimens without kaolinite inclusion.The use of filler in composite materials is emerged as a result of increasing demand for the advancement inmaterial properties to satisfy the market necessities. This study presents the effects of kaolinite inclusion ontensile, flexural and characteristics of Salacca fiber/kaolinite reinforced composite laminates. The laminateswere fabricated by hand layup and moulding. Kaolinite particles having four different weight fractions as 1, 3, 6and 9by volume percentages were used for fabrication of composite laminates. The specimens were preparedaccording to ASTM D638 and D790 standards for tensile and flexural tests, respectively. Results obtained fromspecimens having Kaolinite particles showed the serious improvement on the tensile strength, flexural modulusand flexural strength values compared to specimens without kaolinite inclusion

PENDIDIK DALAM PERSPEKTIF PENDIDIKAN ISLAM

Pendidik adalah orang yang sangat berperan dalam mencerdaskan anak bangsa, ketika bicara mengenai pendidik maka yang muncul dikepala kita adalah orang dewasa yang membimbing dan memberi kita sesuatu yang belum kita ketahui. Namun sungguh memprihatinkan nasib pendidik kita. Terlebih lagi jika kita melihat nasib pendidik di lembaga pendidikan swasta. Nasib pendidikan di Indonesia memang sungguh menyedihkan, kenyataan ini diperkuat dengan berita yang menyatakan bahwa Indonesia termasuk satu dari tujuh Negara yang dinilai oleh organisasi guru internasional yang tidak mempedulikan bidang pendidikan. Cermin ketidak pedulian itu terlihat dari rendahnya anggaran pendapatan dan belanja nasioanl (APBN) yang dialokasikan untuk pendidikan. Selain, itu, pemerintah Indonesia juga dinilai kurang memberikan perhatian pada kesejahteraan guru, di samping juga bahwa pendidikan di negeri ini juga masih dinilai diskriminati

Pengaruh Kandungan Serbuk Alumina Terhadap Kekerasan Dan Kekuatan Bending Komposit Paduan Al-Si/Alumina

This research aims to investigate physical and mechanical properties of Aluminum-Silicon Alloy Metal Matrix Composites reinforced with alumina powder produced using Powder Metallurgy method. The variation of alumina powder was 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 % weight. Each composition was mixed and blended for 2 hours and then uniaxially pressed using a pressure of 500 MPa to form cylindrical green bodies of 15 mm diameter and rectangular beam green bodies of (50 x 7 x 8) mm3. The green bodies were then pressureless sintered in argon atmosphere for 2 hours. The results show that the relative density decreases with increasing alumina contents. The Vickers hardness and bending strength increase and achieve the maximum of 35 HV and 23 MPa respectively at 6% weight of alumina. The composites contain alumina greater than 6 %weight exhibit decrease in Vickers hardness and bending strength. Keywords: alumina, aluminum, bending strength, composites, Vickers hardnes

Do mutual funds have consistency in their performance?

Using a comprehensive data set of 714 Chinese mutual funds from 2004 to 2015, the study investigates these funds’ performance persistence by using the Capital Asset Pricing model, the Fama-French three-factor model and the Carhart Four-factor model. For persistence analysis, we categorize mutual funds into eight octiles based on their one year lagged performance and then observe their performance for the subsequent 12 months. We also apply Cross-Product Ratio technique to assess the performance persistence in these Chinese funds. The study finds no significant evidence of persis- tence in the performance of the mutual funds. Winner (loser) funds do not continue to be winner (loser) funds in the subsequent time period. These findings suggest that future performance of funds cannot be predicted based on their past performance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Contested Compliance Regimes in Global Production Networks: Insights from the Bangladesh Garment Industry

This article reports the findings of a field study on the emergence of collective agreements led by global brands enacting compliance measures to improve safety and working conditions in the Bangladesh garment industry. We explore how key actors in the Bangladesh garment sector who constitute the local production system of the global supply chain experienced the implementation of global agreements on factory safety. We argue that global safety compliance measures through multi-stakeholder initiatives provide legitimacy to multinational corporations and their global brands but do little to address the structural problems arising from exploitative pricing and procurement practices, which are the key reasons for deplorable working conditions in garment factories. Our findings indicate that neoliberal development policies of the state, where local economies are incorporated into global production networks, resulted in differential treatment and regulation of specific populations that comprise garment factory workers. The reconfiguration of state power to meet the demands of global supply chains also involved use of state violence to suppress dissent while undermining labour rights and working conditions. Our article contributes to the politicization of multinational corporations in global production chains by showing how contestations between workers, factory owners, the state, trade unions and multinational corporations create new private forms of governance and new regimes of compliance in the industr

LiPISC: A Lightweight and Flexible Method for Privacy-Aware Intersection Set Computation

Privacy-aware intersection set computation (PISC) can be modeled as secure multi-party computation. The basic idea is to compute the intersection of input sets without leaking privacy. Furthermore, PISC should be sufficiently flexible to recommend approximate intersection items. In this paper, we reveal two previously unpublished attacks against PISC, which can be used to reveal and link one input set to another input set, resulting in privacy leakage. We coin these as Set Linkage Attack and Set Reveal Attack. We then present a lightweight and flexible PISC scheme (LiPISC) and prove its security (including against Set Linkage Attack and Set Reveal Attack)

The association between histamine 2 receptor antagonist use and Clostridium difficile infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major health problem. Epidemiological evidence suggests that there is an association between acid suppression therapy and development of CDI. Purpose We sought to systematically review the literature that examined the association between histamine 2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) and CDI. Data source We searched Medline, Current Contents, Embase, ISI Web of Science and Elsevier Scopus from 1990 to 2012 for all analytical studies that examined the association between H2RAs and CDI. Study selection Two authors independently reviewed the studies for eligibility. Data extraction Data about studies characteristics, adjusted effect estimates and quality were extracted. Data synthesis Thirty-five observations from 33 eligible studies that included 201834 participants were analyzed. Studies were performed in 6 countries and nine of them were multicenter. Most studies did not specify the type or duration of H2RAs therapy. The pooled effect estimate was 1.44, 95% CI (1.22–1.7), I2 = 70.5%. This association was consistent across different subgroups (by study design and country) and there was no evidence of publication bias. The pooled effect estimate for high quality studies was 1.39 (1.15–1.68), I2 = 72.3%. Meta-regression analysis of 10 study-level variables did not identify sources of heterogeneity. In a speculative analysis, the number needed to harm (NNH) with H2RAs at 14 days after hospital admission in patients receiving antibiotics or not was 58, 95% CI (37, 115) and 425, 95% CI (267, 848), respectively. For the general population, the NNH at 1 year was 4549, 95% CI (2860, 9097). Conclusion In this rigorous systematic review and meta-analysis, we observed an association between H2RAs and CDI. The absolute risk of CDI associated with H2RAs is highest in hospitalized patients receiving antibiotics

Inhibition of HCV 3a genotype entry through Host CD81 and HCV E2 antibodies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HCV causes acute and chronic hepatitis which can eventually lead to permanent liver damage hepatocellular carcinoma and death. HCV glycoproteins play an important role in HCV entry by binding with CD81 receptors. Hence inhibition of virus at entry step is an important target to identify antiviral drugs against HCV.</p> <p>Methods and result</p> <p>The present study elaborated the role of CD81 and HCV glycoprotein E2 in HCV entry using retroviral pseudo-particles of 3a local genotype. Our results demonstrated that HCV specific antibody E2 and host antibody CD81 showed dose- dependent inhibition of HCV entry. HCV E2 antibody showed 50% reduction at a concentration of 1.5 ± 1 μg while CD81 exhibited 50% reduction at a concentration of 0.8 ± 1 μg. In addition, data obtained with HCVpp were also confirmed with the infection of whole virus of HCV genotype 3a in liver cells.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data suggest that HCV specific E2 and host CD81 antibodies reduce HCVpp entry and full length viral particle and combination of host and HCV specific antibodies showed synergistic effect in reducing the viral titer.</p