Peculiarities of Anamnesis and Life Quality in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a common rhythm disturbance. One of the main parameters being crucial for the choice of tactics of treatment and prevention of complications is the life quality of patients.       The objective of our study was to evaluate this indicator in patients with atrial fibrillation depending on different approaches to treatment. The study involved 254 patients with paroxysmal and persistent forms of atrial fibrillation and 42 practically healthy persons. The main features of anamnesis, presence of comorbidities, aggravating risk factors were studied as well as a survey using “AFEQT Questionnaire” was conducted. When studying the anamnesis it was revealed that patients treated by medications only (the first experimental group) had arterial hypertension as a main presumable cause of atrial fibrillation (92.4%); in one third of cases different forms of coronary artery disease and heart failure were diagnosed (38.6% and 33.3%, respectively). In the fourth group (after left ventricular revascularization) a prevailing cause of atrial fibrillation was coronary heart disease (100%). In the second group (after cardioversion) as well as in the third group (after ablation) the largest proportion of patients was also diagnosed with arterial hypertension – 62.0% and 40.9%, respectively. The mean total AFEQT score among the control group was 82.3±3.1 points. Patients of the first group scored the minimum value among interviewed patients -53.4±4.6 - that was significantly less compared to the control group, р<0.05. The total average value of the third group was significantly higher than that in the first group, 69.3±4.6 points against 53.4±4.6 points, respectively, р<0.05.            Thus, it was found that the lowest life quality is typical for patients treated with medications only. The patients after ablation have the highest life quality. Left ventricle revascularization slightly improves life quality, but this trend is not statistically significant

Electric current control of spin helicity in an itinerant helimagnet

Chirality is breaking of mirror symmetry in matter. In the fields of biology and chemistry, this is particularly important because some of the essential molecules in life such as amino acids and DNA have chirality. It is a long-standing mystery how one of the enantiomers was chosen at the beginning stage of life. The understanding of the emergence of homochirality under some conditions is indispensable for the study of the origin of life as well as pharmaceutical science. The chirality is also emergent in magnetic structures. The longitudinal helical magnetic structure is the chiral object composed of magnetic moments, in which the ordered direction of the magnetic moment spatially rotates in the plane perpendicular to the propagation vector (Fig. 1a). Since the sense of rotation, which is denoted as helicity, is reversed by any mirror operation, it is corresponding to the chirality. Here we show that the chirality of a longitudinal helical structure can be controlled by the magnetic field and electric current owing to the spin-transfer torque irrelevant to the spin-orbit interaction and probed by electrical magnetochiral effect, which is sensitive to the chiral symmetry breaking, in an itinerant helimagnet MnP. This phenomenon is distinct from the multiferroicity in transverse-type insulating helical magnets, in which the helical plane is parallel to the propagation vector, because the magnetic structure has polar symmetry not chiral one. While the combination of the magnetic field and electric current satisfies the symmetrical rule of external stimulus for the chirality control, the control with them was not reported for any chiral object previously. The present result may pave a new route to the control of chiralities originating from magnetic and atomical arrangements.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure

The Impact of Insecticide-treated Bednet Use on Malarai and Anaemia in Kassena-Nankana District, Ghana

A study was conducted in Kassena-Nankana district, Ghana from April 1994 to April 1995 to assess the impact of insecticide-treated bednets on malaria and anaemia in pregnancy. A secondary objective was to assess the impact of insecticide-treated bednets on pregnancy outcome, although it was recognised that the sample size would be relatively small for this purpose. The study took place within a large-scale controlled trial designed to assess the impact of insecticide-treated bednets on child mortality. The study area was divided into 96 clusters of compounds and of these 48 clusters were randomly selected to receive the intervention (treated nets). The endpoints of the study were haemoglobin levels, parasitaemia and parasite density and weight of newborns which were recorded within 7 days of delivery. All pregnant women were included in the study but the target group of main interest was primigravidae and secundigravidae. A total of 2812 pregnant women, of all parities, were enrolled into the study; 1961 (70 percent) women were seen at least once at a study clinic of whom 641 were seen for a second time between 28-40 weeks gestation. At both clinic visits, blood was taken for haemoglobin determination and malaria parasitology. Chloroquine ELISA assays, using dried blood spots on filter paper, were performed for 64 percent of pregnant women at their first clinic visits. Data were obtained on 821 delivery outcomes, including 799 newborn weights recorded within 7 days of delivery. A cross-sectional survey was done to determine the distribution of haemoglobin levels and malaria parasitaemia in non-pregnant adult females. Focus group discussions were conducted to assess study women's attitudes to antenatal care and use of bednets. Bednet use provided no protection against anaemia defined as (HbclOO g/l), severe anaemia (Hb2000 parasitcs/pl or low : >0 parasite/pl) or low birth weight. The characteristics of women in the treated and the no net groups were comparable. Net usage was lower than expected, especially in primigravidae. Effective net use was as follows: primigravidae 42 percent (net coverage: 60 percent, use: 70 percent), secundigravidae 58 percent (net coverage: 80 percent, use: 72 percent), multigravidae 63 percent (net coverage: 86 percent, use: 73 percent). Below 10 percent of chloroquine ELISA assays were positive with no differences by treatment arms, parity or season. Odds ratios (ORs) for the different endpoints for those with nets in comparison to those without nets, based on an intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis did not show a statistically significant protective effect; First clinic visit: Anaemia Severe anaemia Low Parasitaemia High Parasitaemia -0.97 (0.86, 1.10) -0.91 (0.57, 1.43) - 1.13(0.54,2.38) -0.98 (0.85, 1.12) The following results were obtained when data for first and second clinic visits were combined (combined data) and restricted to one record per woman with at least 26 weeks gestation and including all second clinic visit records. Combined data: Anaemia - 0.88 (0.70, 1.09) Severe anaemia - 0.80 (0.55, 1.16) Low Parasitaemia - 0.89 (0.73, 1.08) High Parasitaemia - 1.11 (0.93, 1.33) Low birth weight: Adjusted (<2500g)- 0.87 (0.63, 1.19) Unadjusted - 0.88 (0.61, 1.24) Analysis of protection at individual level showed similar results. Based on the findings of this study, insecticide-treated bednets are not recommended as a primary tool for malaria control in pregnancy in northern Ghana. Further operational research is required to assess the impact of insecticide-treated bednets combined with chemoprophylaxis and behavioural interventions on malaria in pregnancy

ABSENCE OF ORGAN SPECIFIC TOXICITY IN RATS TREATED WITH TONICA, AN AQUEOUS HERBAL HAEMATINIC PREPARATION

The sub-chronic toxicity of Tonica, an aqueous herbal haematinic prepared from the stem barks of Khaya senegalensis, Mitragyna stipulosa and Kigelia africana, was investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats at 28, 280 and 560 mg kg -1 day -1, representing the normal human dose, 10x and 20x that dose, respectively for 6 weeks. The growth rate of animals over the period of treatment and certain serum biochemical and haematological indices as well as urinalysis and weight of selected organs at termination, were determined. Results show that the extract did not affect the weight gain of the animals with time or the mean wet weights of selected organs. Although there were slight but insignificant (p>0.05) elevations in WBC (16-27%) and PLT (8-11%) counts in Tonica-treated animals compared to controls at 10x and 20x the normal dose, most serum biochemical, haematological and urinalysis data indicated no significant differences (p>0.05) between tests and control rats. There were also no changes in the morphology of liver, kidney, lung and heart tissues as a result of Tonica treatment. These findings suggest that Tonica is safe at the dosage regimens administered to the animals in this study, and there appears to be no overt organ specific toxicity associated with it

Assessment of the quality and quantity of naturally induced antibody responses to EBA175RIII-V in Ghanaian children living in two communities with varying malaria transmission patterns

Abstract Background Recent global reports on malaria suggest significant decrease in disease severity and an increase in control interventions in many malaria endemic countries, including Ghana. However, a major driving force sustaining malaria transmission in recent times is the asymptomatic carriage of malaria parasites, which can enhance immune responses against parasite antigens. This study determined the prevalence and relative avidities of naturally induced antibodies to EBA175RIII–VLl in asymptomatic children living in two communities with varying malaria transmission patterns. Methods An asexual stage Plasmodium falciparum antigen, EBA175RIII–VLl was expressed in Lactococcus lactis, purified and used in indirect ELISA to measure total and cytophilic IgG concentrations and avidities in children aged between 6 and 12 years. The children were selected from Obom and Abura, communities with perennial and seasonal malaria transmission, respectively. Venous blood samples were collected in July and October 2015 and again in January 2016. The multiplicity of infection and the genetic diversity of EBA175RIII circulating in both sites were also assessed using polymerase chain reaction. Results Asymptomatic parasite carriage in the children from Obom decreased from July (peak season), through October and January, however parasite carriage in children from Abura was bimodal, with the lowest prevalence estimated in October. Antibody concentrations over the course of the study remained stable within each study site however, children living in Obom had significantly higher EBA175RIII–VLl antibody concentrations than children living in Abura (P < 0.05, Mann–Whitney test). Over the course of the study, the relative antibody avidities of EBA175RIII–VLl IgG antibodies were similar within and between the sites. Conclusion Naturally acquired IgG concentrations but not relative antibody avidities to EBA175RIII–V were significantly higher in Obom where malaria transmission is perennial than in Abura, where malaria transmission is seasonal

Prevention through design: conceptual models for the assessment of a principal designer’s skills, knowledge and experience

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Emerald in Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, available online at: https://doi.org/10.1108/JEDT-07-2020-0278 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Purpose - The prevention through design (PtD) initiative places a duty on designers to originate designs that are inherently safe for construction, maintenance, occupation and demolition. In the UK, legislation has been introduced creating a new statutory role called the Principal Designer (PD) to ensure that PtD occurs during the design process. In order to realize this objective, Principal Designers under the Regulations must have appropriate skills, knowledge and experience (SKE) of occupational safety and health (OSH) risks as they relate to construction products. However, there is a paucity of knowledge, in the extant literature and in practice, regarding what specifically constitutes Principal Designers’ skills, knowledge and experience of PtD as well as how to measure same. Design/Methodology/Approach – The study undertook a systematic review of meanings of skills, knowledge and experience, and carried out content analyses to provide robust conceptualizations of the constructs skill, knowledge and experience. This underpinned the development of nomological networks to operationalize the constructs skills, knowledge and experience in respect of Principal Designers’ ability to ensure PtD. Results – Principal Designers’ skills, knowledge and experience of PtD are presented as multi-dimensional constructs that can be operationalized at different levels of specificity in three theoretical models. Practical implications – The models indicated in this study can assist project clients to clarify the PtD skills, knowledge and experience of prospective Principal Designers in the procurement process. Correspondingly, Principal Designers can look to these frameworks to identify their skills, knowledge and experience gaps and take steps to address them. Originality/Value – This study contributes to the PtD literature by providing theoretical frameworks to clarify the PtD skills, knowledge and experience of Principal Designers. The study provides a basis for future research to empirically test the attributes of these as they relate to Principal Designers’ competence to ensure PtD

On the Degree of Team Cooperation in CD Grammar Systems.

In this paper, we introduce a dynamical complexity measure, namely the degree of team cooperation, in the aim of investigating "how much" the components of a grammar system cooperate when forming a team in the process of generating terminal words. We present several results which strongly suggest that this measure is trivial in the sense that the degree of team cooperation of any language is bounded by a constant. Finally, we prove that the degree of team cooperation of a given cooperating/distributed grammar system cannot be algorithmically computed and discuss a decision problem