Hydatid cyst of the orbit in a young Nigerian female: a case report

Objective: To report an unusual case of orbital hydatid cyst successfully managed by surgical excision.Case report: A 33-year-old female presented with gradual protrusion of the left eye associated with poor vision, cosmetic embarrassment and watering. She had excision biopsy of an encapsulated cystic lesion with cheesy tissue and serous content. Orbital hydatid cyst due to echinococcosis was confirmed at histopathological examination of the excised tissue. She subsequently became pregnant hence, could not undergo post-operative antihelminthic treatment, but was managed conservatively with no recurrence after five years of regular follow-up.Conclusion: Orbital hydatid cyst should be considered as a differential in a young patient presenting with unilateral proptosisFunding: NoneKeywords: Echinococcosis, Hydatid cyst, Orbit, Nigerian, Proptosi

Oral amelanotic malignant melanoma: a rare entity with diagnostic challenge

Primary malignant melanomas of the mucosal areas of the head and neck are very rare tumors and they account for less than 1% of all melanomas. A 61-year-old male was referred to our clinic for the management of a palatal lesion that had been diagnosed from the referral center, as a malignant myoepithelial tumor. Intraoral  examination revealed a large variegated, lobulated palatal swelling, which covered the hard and soft palate. A re-biopsy at our center revealed sheets, bundles, and occasional fascicles of atypical elongated epithelioid and spindle shaped cells, exhibiting vesicular and enlarged nuclei with prominent nucleoli. The nucleoli appeared to be ‘cherry red’ in color. Melanin pigment was however not identified in any of the cells, hence the suspicion of an amelanotic melanoma. Immunohistochemical staining was strongly positive for HMB45, S100 and vimentin. Hence we report a case of intra-oral amelanotic  elanoma, which based on the English literature and to the best of our knowledge, is the first case report from West Africa. Key words: oral, amelanotic, malignant melanoma, Running heade

Monetary Compensation of Full-Time Faculty at American Public Regional Universities: The Impact of Geography and the Existence of Collective Bargaining

This paper examines monetary compensation of 127,222 full-time faculty employed by the 390 regional universities in the United States who are members of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Compensation data published by the U.S. Department of Education and organizations concerned with faculty, including the American Association of University Professors and others, typically lump all four-year public university faculty together, ignoring well-known differences in teaching workloads at different types of public four-year universities (four instead of two courses taught each term, etc.). Further, many compensation studies do not examine fringe benefits, which are 30 percent of total monetary compensation. Regional universities serve nearly 4 million students nationwide, and are highly committed to be good stewards of place. They are worthy of study as a separate institutional type on their own. As large numbers of “baby boom” era faculty at regional universities approach retirement, an accurate base-line assessment of total monetary compensation (salaries and fringe benefits) is important. This study examines (1) salaries and fringe benefits, (2) includes the entire universe of U.S. regional universities, (3) examines differences by geographic peer institutional types, and (4) examines if the presence or lack of collective bargaining matters. The 2011 Human Resources Survey from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System is the most recent year for which both salary and fringe benefits data are available. The 390 regional universities were divided into seven sub-types: Rural-Small, Rural-Medium, Rural-Large, Suburban Smaller, Suburban Larger, Urban Smaller, and Urban Larger. Katsinas’ geographically-based classification scheme of regional universities (2016, forthcoming), similar to the geographically-based 2005 and 2010 Carnegie Basic Classification of Associate’s Colleges on which he was lead author, was used. The average total monetary compensation for the 127,222 full-time faculty employed by the 390 regional universities was $97,174, of which$71,348 came in the form of salaries and $25,828 in fringe benefits. The 15,872 full-time faculty employed by the 90 Rural-Medium regional universities received on average$84,720 in salaries and fringe benefits, while the 18,884 faculty employed by the 42 Suburban-Larger regional universities received $101,366. In general, full-time faculty at the 55 Suburban regional faculty were highest paid, closely followed by faculty at the 74 urban regional universities, with faculty at the 261 rural regional universities well behind. The range of monetary compensation across the seven sub-categories of regional universities was large--and this one-year difference of nearly$17,000 is magnified further when considered over an entire 30-plus year teaching career, adjusted for inflation. The differences are even wider when the presence or lack of collective bargaining is considered. Among the 127, 222 full-time faculty at regional universities, 74,468 or 63% worked at the 219 institutions in the 30 states that in 2011 had collective bargaining (as reported in the 2012 Directory of Collective Bargaining published by the National Center for Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions), while 52,754 or 37% were employed at the 171 regional universities in the 20 states that did not. Full-time faculty at rural, suburban, and urban regional universities with collective bargaining received on average $92,407,$116,353, and $108,399 in total monetary compensation in FY2011; this compared to averages of$82,722, $84,813, and$86,594 at rural, suburban, and urban regional universities without. This study revealed that regional universities, currently spread across many subcategories of doctoral, master’s, and baccalaureate universities within the Carnegie Basic Classification universe, deserve analysis in their own right

Adult and paediatric mortality patterns in a referral hospital in Liberia 1 year after the end of the war

The aim of this study was to describe and analyse hospital mortality patterns after the Liberian war. Data were collected retrospectively from January to July 2005 in a referral hospital in Monrovia, Liberia. The overall fatality rate was 17.2% (438/2543) of medical admissions. One-third of deaths occurred in the first 24h. The adult fatality rate was 23.3% (241/1034). Non-infectious diseases accounted for 56% of the adult deaths. The main causes of death were meningitis (16%), stroke (14%) and heart failure (10%). Associated fatality rates were 48%, 54% and 31% respectively. The paediatric fatality rate was 13.1% (197/1509). Infectious diseases caused 66% of paediatric deaths. In infants <1 month old, the fatality rate was 18% and main causes of death were neonatal sepsis (47%), respiratory distress (24%) and prematurity (18%). The main causes of death in infants > or =1 month old were respiratory infections (27%), malaria (23%) and severe malnutrition (16%). Associated fatality rates were 12%, 10% and 19%. Fatality rates were similar to those found in other sub-Saharan countries without a previous conflict. Early deaths could decrease through recognition and early referral of severe cases from health centres to the hospital and through assessment and priority treatment of these patients at arrival

Investigation of haptoglobin, serum amyloid A, and some biochemical parameters in calves with omphalitis

Aim: In this study, it was aimed to determine the concentration of some important acute phase proteins (APPs) and some biochemical parameters pre-operative and post-operative in calves with omphalitis. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 calves were used in the study and they consist of 10 clinically healthy calves that were used as a control and 10 calves with omphalitis were used as the treatment group. Blood samples were collected from Vena jugularis of animals to tubes with anticoagulant (sodium citrate) and without anticoagulants, pre-operative (day 0), and post-operative (day 7). Samples were used to determine the concentration of haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA), ceruloplasmin (Cp), fibrinogen, glucose, total protein, albumin, urea, total bilirubin, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) concentrations. Results: While the Hp, SAA, Cp, fibrinogen, urea, creatinine, total bilirubin, ALP, and GGT concentrations were statistically and significantly increasing rather than the control group during the pre-operative period for calves with omphalitis, they decreased to the post-operative period. Moreover, an insignificant increase in the glucose, total protein, and AST concentrations and an insignificant decrease in the albumin, calcium, and phosphorus concentrations were statistically determined. Conclusion: We have the opinion that the assessment of biochemical parameters and especially APP levels in calves with the omphalitis together with the clinical findings may be important in terms of the treatment and prognosis

Changes in Parasite Virulence Induced by the Disruption of a Single Member of the 235 kDa Rhoptry Protein Multigene Family of Plasmodium yoelii

Invasion of the erythrocyte by the merozoites of the malaria parasite is a complex process involving a range of receptor-ligand interactions. Two protein families termed Erythrocyte Binding Like (EBL) proteins and Reticulocyte Binding Protein Homologues (RH) play an important role in host cell recognition by the merozoite. In the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium yoelii, the 235 kDa rhoptry proteins (Py235) are coded for by a multigene family and are members of the RH. In P. yoelii Py235 as well as a single member of EBL have been shown to be key mediators of virulence enabling the parasite to invade a wider range of host erythrocytes. One member of Py235, PY01365 is most abundantly transcribed in parasite populations and the protein specifically binds to erythrocytes and is recognized by the protective monoclonal antibody 25.77, suggesting a key role of this particular member in virulence. Recent studies have indicated that overall levels of Py235 expression are essential for parasite virulence. Here we show that disruption of PY01365 in the virulent YM line directly impacts parasite virulence. Furthermore the disruption of PY01365 leads to a reduction in the number of schizonts that express members of Py235 that react specifically with the mcAb 25.77. Erythrocyte binding assays show reduced binding of Py235 to red blood cells in the PY01365 knockout parasite as compared to YM. While our results identify PY01365 as a mediator of parasite virulence, they also confirm that other members of Py235 are able to substitute for PY01365

Correlation Between Eosinophilia and Nasal Features in Allergic Rhinosinusitis: A Pilot Study

A characteristic feature of nasal allergy is local accumulation of inflammatory cells, particularly mast cells and eosinophils, and their mediators, which have been implicated to be responsible for symptoms and signs of allergies. This prospective study tested the hypothesis that severity of nasal symptoms at presentation was related to the presence of nasal eosinophilia, using consecutive patients with allergic rhinitis attending the outpatient Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, between March and December 2008. Excluded were those who had commenced antihistamine and similar antiallergy drugs. Nasal eosinophilia, skin sensitivity, sinus radiograph, and clinical features were graded using standard classification. The study was composed of 49 subjects (28 males and 21 females). The subjects’ age ranged from 7 to 53 years (mean ± SD: 28 ± 4 years). Nasal eosinophilia and abnormal skin sensitivity response were seen in 41 (83.8%) and 37 (75.5%) subjects, respectively. Rhinorrhoea, sneezing, and nasal obstruction constituted 42 (85.7%), 31 (63.3%), and 21 (42.9%), respectively, while inferior turbinate enlargement and radiological involvement were seen in 29 (59.2%) and 36 (73.5%) patients. The Spearman correlation test revealed a significant association between nasal smear eosinophilia and rhinorrhoea (P = .008) and sneezing (P = .04), although there was no significant association with other variables. The authors conclude that the degree of nasal eosinophilia may be useful in predicting the severity of rhinorrhoea and sneezing among the clinical features of nasal allergy

Fusion of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigen 85A to an Oligomerization Domain Enhances Its Immunogenicity in Both Mice and Non-Human Primates

To prevent important infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and HIV, vaccines inducing greater T cell responses are required. In this study, we investigated whether fusion of the M. tuberculosis antigen 85A to recently described adjuvant IMX313, a hybrid avian C4bp oligomerization domain, could increase T cell responses in pre-clinical vaccine model species. In mice, the fused antigen 85A showed consistent increases in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses after DNA and MVA vaccination. In rhesus macaques, higher IFN-γ responses were observed in animals vaccinated with MVA-Ag85A IMX313 after both primary and secondary immunizations. In both animal models, fusion to IMX313 induced a quantitative enhancement in the response without altering its quality: multifunctional cytokines were uniformly increased and differentiation into effector and memory T cell subsets was augmented rather than skewed. An extensive in vivo characterization suggests that IMX313 improves the initiation of immune responses as an increase in antigen 85A specific cells was observed as early as day 3 after vaccination. This report demonstrates that antigen multimerization using IMX313 is a simple and effective cross-species method to improve vaccine immunogenicity with potentially broad applicability

Immunogenicity of Self-Associated Aggregates and Chemically Cross-Linked Conjugates of the 42 kDa Plasmodium falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein-1

Self-associated protein aggregates or cross-linked protein conjugates are, in general, more immunogenic than oligomeric or monomeric forms. In particular, the immunogenicity in mice of a recombinant malaria transmission blocking vaccine candidate, the ookinete specific Plasmodium falciparum 25 kDa protein (Pfs25), was increased more than 1000-fold when evaluated as a chemical cross-linked protein-protein conjugate as compared to a formulated monomer. Whether alternative approaches using protein complexes improve the immunogenicity of other recombinant malaria vaccine candidates is worth assessing. In this work, the immunogenicity of the recombinant 42 kDa processed form of the P. falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP142) was evaluated as a self-associated, non-covalent aggregate and as a chemical cross-linked protein-protein conjugate to ExoProtein A, which is a recombinant detoxified form of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A. MSP142 conjugates were prepared and characterized biochemically and biophysically to determine their molar mass in solution and stoichiometry, when relevant. The immunogenicity of the MSP142 self-associated aggregates, cross-linked chemical conjugates and monomers were compared in BALB/c mice after adsorption to aluminum hydroxide adjuvant, and in one instance in association with the TLR9 agonist CPG7909 with an aluminum hydroxide formulation. Antibody titers were assessed by ELISA. Unlike observations made for Pfs25, no significant enhancement in MSP142 specific antibody titers was observed for any conjugate as compared to the formulated monomer or dimer, except for the addition of the TLR9 agonist CPG7909. Clearly, enhancing the immunogenicity of a recombinant protein vaccine candidate by the formation of protein complexes must be established on an empirical basis