Blind fluorescence structured illumination microscopy: A new reconstruction strategy

In this communication, a fast reconstruction algorithm is proposed for fluorescence \textit{blind} structured illumination microscopy (SIM) under the sample positivity constraint. This new algorithm is by far simpler and faster than existing solutions, paving the way to 3D and/or real-time 2D reconstruction.Comment: submitted to IEEE ICIP 201

Cesarean delivery practices in teaching public and non-government/private MCH hospitals, Addis Ababa

Background: Cesarean section is one of the skilled delivery interventions that have proven to be a life-saving procedure. It should be done under appropriate indications owing to the inherent short and long term complications and high cost. In Ethiopia, a study comparing the practice of cesarean sections in government and non-government hospitals has not been undertaken before.Objective: To describe and compare the practices of cesarean delivery in the teaching public and non-governmental MCH hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study using the cesarean section data of 2011 G.C. from three teaching government and three private-MCH hospitals. The data was analyzed and the mean with standard deviation for continuous variables and proportions for categorical variables were used as descriptive statistics. Chi-square test was used to measure the strength of associations where appropriate, with level of significance set at p-value <0.05.Results: The difference in the proportion of cesarean delivery between the two groups was statistically significant, 31.1% and 48.3% (P<0.05) in the teaching government hospitals and the non-governmental hospitals, respectively. Non-government MCH hospitals contributed to one-third of the total deliveries and 40% of the cesarean sections. Non-reassuring fetal heart rate pattern, previous cesarean section scar, and cephalo-pelvic disproportion account for 51.3% and 59.6% of the indications in the teaching hospitals and non-governmental hospitals, respectively. When individual indications were analyzed between the two groups, previous cesarean section was higher in the non-governmental hospitals, 29.3% vs. 14.6%, (P<0.05), and non-reassuring fetal heart rate pattern frequented more in the teaching hospitals 26.3% vs. 17.8%,(P<0.05), contributed significantly. Maternal request per se contributed to 7.5% of the indication in the non-governmental hospitals compared to none in the teaching hospitals. Of the repeat cesarean sections, 70.3% were done merely for reasons of first cesarean section in non-governmental hospitals compared to 16.8% in the teaching (P<0.05). The proportion of low birth weight, post-term pregnancy and unknown date were seen more in the teaching hospitals compared to non-governmental hospital, (P<0.05). Though three dosing was the most frequently practiced prophylaxis in both study groups, there is a great deal of variability in the choice of antibiotics.Conclusion: The higher proportion of maternal morbidities/mortalities and poor peri-natal outcomes in the setting of higher proportion of emergency cesarean delivery in teaching government hospitals need further study to explore for factors that have contributed so as to improve the quality of care. The high rate of repeat cesarean delivery for one previous cesarean section scar and other non medical indications like maternal request in the non-government MCH hospitals elucidates the need to monitor the appropriateness of these indications. We also recommend standardization of prophylactic antibiotic use and expand use of regional anesthesia for cesarean section

Sero-prevalence of HIV among patients with cervical cancer managed at the Tikur Anbassa Hospital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the world. Globally, according to the 2010 report, 493,243 women diagnosed with cervical cancer and 273, 505 of them died from the disease. It is also the commonest gynecologic cancer in the Ethiopian women. Ethiopia is one of the Sub- Saharan African countries with high HIV prevalence. Studies done in different parts of the world demonstrated clear association between HIV and premalignant cervical lesions but studies on HIV prevalence in invasive cervical cancer are few and showed a wide range of variations. Objective: To determine the sero-prevalence of HIV among patients with histologically confirmed cervical cancer in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Design: A facility based cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting: Tikur Anbassa hospital, Addis Ababa, the only comprehensive cancer treatment center in Ethiopia. Main variables: Prevalence of HIV, mean age, diagnosis of cervical cancer. Materials and methods: All newly diagnosed, and biopsy proven uterine cervical cancer patients who were managed at Tikur Anbassa hospital records were sought. The records were identified perused and those found to fulfil study entry criteria were evaluated and information collected using structured questionnaire. Data required from each study subject included; socio-demographic, reproductive characteristics and clinical information. Data was then pooled, screened and entered in SPSS. The results were computed and presented in the form of; tables and figures, mean with standard deviation and proportion for quantitative and qualitative statistic respectively. T-test for equality, Chi-square test, and logistic regression were used to measure associations. Significance level was set at P value of 0.05.Result: Of the 255 subjects studied, majority has late clinical stage and squamous cell carcinoma histologically, 64.7% and 92.5% respectively. Similarly,34 out of the 255 were positive for HIV, making the overall sero-prevalence rate of 13.3%. The mean age of the total study population was 46 ±10.55 years. Significant difference was observed in the mean age of cervical cancer occurrence for HIV infected cases compared to the non-infected, 37.01 ± 6.7 and 48.23±10.26 years, respectively (p=000). HIV status and CD4 count were not shown to have any association with clinical stage and histologic variants. Having more than one lifetime sex partner and age less than 40 years were independently shown to have significant association with HIV sero-positivity. Mean CD4 count of the HIV positive subjects was 442.2±251.27. Conclusion and recommendation: In this study HIV infected women with cervical cancer were 8 to 14 years younger than HIV- negative women with cervical cancer. The disease stage and histology were not different in both groups, and without evidence of advanced disease in immune compromised state. It is recommending that further larger scale multicenter study, to explore the reasons for the younger age of occurrence of invasive cervical cancer in patients with HIV/AIDS

Assessment of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy on antenatal clients of Addis Ababa

Background: Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) are common symptoms experienced during pregnancy. Both mild and severe symptoms can have significant morbidities and socioeconomic impact. Despite its frequency and associated distress, its exact cause is unknown. No study was done addressing this particular important issue in our country and this study will serve as a bench mark for future work on the topic in the Ethiopian context.Objective: To assess nausea and vomiting of pregnancy on ANC (antenatal care) clients of three hospitals of Addis Ababa.Methods: A descriptive facility based cross-sectional study, done in three teaching hospitals of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to random sample of 384 pregnant women. Descriptive statistic was used to summarize data. P-value and χ² test were used to measure associations.Results: The prevalence of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy was 74.5%, with 4.4% being admitted for severe symptoms. It was found out that 91% had symptoms in the 1st trimester, 2.1% after mid pregnancy, and 85% were triggered by smell and taste. Primigravidity, nulliparity, excessive salivation and food aversion were significantly associated with nausea and vomiting connected with pregnancy. Significant associations were also observed between admission for severity and being unmarried, loss to work, affected relationship, more frequent vomiting, and early onset of symptoms. Severe frequency of vomiting was a major factor associated with admission for severity and loss to work.Conclusion and recommendation: Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy found in this study were similar to other studies. Sensory stimuli were major trigger of symptoms and more frequent vomiting was linked with more admission. Importance of supportive measures, rest, counseling and advice on diet and life style modification needs to be underscored and early treatment of vomiting need to be considered

Medication Non-Adherence among Adult Psychiatric Out-patients in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia

Background: Information on adherence of adult psychiatric patients to biological modes of treatment is scarce in Ethiopia. Knowledge on adherence is essential in terms of future prognosis, quality of life and functionality of such patients. This study was conducted to assess the magnitude and associated factors of non-adherence to medication.Methods: A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted in November 2011 at the psychiatry facility of Jimma University Specialized Hospital, which provides service to more than 10 mill people. A sample of 422 adults with psychiatric illness in the follow-up outpatients was selected consecutively. Data was collected using a pre-tested questionnaire by face-to-face interview and from patient medical records. The four-item Morisky scale was used to assess degree of medication adherence. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 16 and descriptive, chi-square test and logistic regression statistical methods were used. P-Value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant in the final model.Results: Out of the 422 patients, 40.3% were females and 59.7% males. The prevalence rate for nonadherence was 41.2%, non-affective psychoses diagnosis contributing the highest rate (44.5%). From the total non-adherent respondents, 78.2% attributed their non-adherence to forgetting. Irregular follow-up, poor social support and complex drug regimen were independently associated variables with nonadherence.Concluction: The result of the study showed that non-adherence among psychiatric patients in Southwest Ethiopia is high and revealed possible associated factors. Adherence needs integrated efforts in creating a mechanism in enhancing regular follow-up, informal social support system and ongoing awareness creation among professionals.Keywords: mental illness, non-adherence, Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Ethiopi

Open Source Software for Economically Developing Countries: A Free IT Solution for Success

The cost of licensing proprietary or Closed Source Software (CSS) can be prohibitively high for Economically Developing Countries (EDCs). In contrast, Open Source Software (OSS), which is free of charge, is often touted as a panacea for bridging the digital divide between EDCs and industrialized nations. This paper reviews the literature to identify determinant factors for OSS adoption in industrialized nations and identifies OSS adoption differences between EDCs and industrialized nations using three case studies from Ethiopia. The paper concludes that while the OSS movement holds potential for EDCs, the determinant factors for its adoption are different from those in industrialized nations; if the potential of OSS is to be realized for EDCs, further study is needed to understand the full extent of these differences

Fluorescence blind structured illumination microscopy: a new reconstruction strategy

International audienceIn this communication, a fast reconstruction algorithm is proposed for fluorescence blind structured illumination mi-croscopy (SIM) under the sample positivity constraint. This new algorithm is by far simpler and faster than existing solutions , paving the way to 3D and real-time 2D reconstruction

A Novel Low-Cost, Recyclable, Easy-to-Build Robot Blimp For Transporting Supplies in Hard-to-Reach Locations

Rural communities in remote areas often encounter significant challenges when it comes to accessing emergency healthcare services and essential supplies due to a lack of adequate transportation infrastructure. The situation is further exacerbated by poorly maintained, damaged, or flooded roads, making it arduous for rural residents to obtain the necessary aid in critical situations. Limited budgets and technological constraints pose additional obstacles, hindering the prompt response of local rescue teams during emergencies. The transportation of crucial resources, such as medical supplies and food, plays a vital role in saving lives in these situations. In light of these obstacles, our objective is to improve accessibility and alleviate the suffering of vulnerable populations by automating transportation tasks using low-cost robotic systems. We propose a low-cost, easy-to-build blimp robot (UAVs), that can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of local emergency responses.Comment: IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC 2023

Phosphorylation via PKC Regulates the Function of the Drosophila Odorant Co-Receptor

Insect odorant receptors (ORs) have a unique design of heterodimers formed by an olfactory receptor protein and the ion channel Orco. Heterologously expressed insect ORs are activated via an ionotropic and a metabotropic pathway that leads to cAMP production and activates the Orco channel. The contribution of metabotropic signaling to the insect odor response remains to be elucidated. Disruption of the Gq protein signaling cascade reduces the odor response (Kain et al., 2008). We investigated this phenomenon in HEK293 cells expressing Drosophila Orco and found that phospholipase C (PLC) inhibition reduced the sensitivity of Orco to cAMP. A similar effect was seen upon inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC), whereas PKC stimulation activated Orco even in the absence of cAMP. Mutation of the five PKC phosphorylation sites in Orco almost completely eliminated sensitivity to cAMP. To test the impact of PKC activity in vivo we combined single sensillum electrophysiological recordings with microinjection of agents affecting PLC and PKC function and observed an altered response of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) to odorant stimulation. Injection of the PLC inhibitor U73122 or the PKC inhibitor Gö6976 into sensilla reduced the OSN response to odor pulses. Conversely, injection of the PKC activators OAG, a diacylglycerol analog, or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) enhanced the odor response. We conclude that metabotropic pathways affecting the phosphorylation state of Orco regulate OR function and thereby shape the OSN odor response