Dynamical Analysis and Control Strategies for Capturing the Spread of COVID-19

In this paper, a study of preventive measures capable of curbing the spread of COVID 19 pandemic to avoid its second wave was carried out. The existence and uniqueness of the proposed mathematical model is assured, the basic reproduction number is established, the local and global stability of the disease free equilibrium are well obtained and the variational iteration method is applied to solve the mathematical model. Numerical simulation of the included control parameters are carried out. The obtained results and outcomes are presented graphically. It was revealed that enlightenment to vaccination awareness should be encouraged as vaccination is a good strategy of capturing the spread of the disease. Keywords: Covid-19, Basic Reproduction Number, Local stability, Global Stability, variational Iteration Metho

May Measurement Month 2018: a pragmatic global screening campaign to raise awareness of blood pressure by the International Society of Hypertension

Aims Raised blood pressure (BP) is the biggest contributor to mortality and disease burden worldwide and fewer than half of those with hypertension are aware of it. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global campaign set up in 2017, to raise awareness of high BP and as a pragmatic solution to a lack of formal screening worldwide. The 2018 campaign was expanded, aiming to include more participants and countries. Methods and results Eighty-nine countries participated in MMM 2018. Volunteers (≥18 years) were recruited through opportunistic sampling at a variety of screening sites. Each participant had three BP measurements and completed a questionnaire on demographic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg, or taking antihypertensive medication. In total, 74.9% of screenees provided three BP readings. Multiple imputation using chained equations was used to impute missing readings. 1 504 963 individuals (mean age 45.3 years; 52.4% female) were screened. After multiple imputation, 502 079 (33.4%) individuals had hypertension, of whom 59.5% were aware of their diagnosis and 55.3% were taking antihypertensive medication. Of those on medication, 60.0% were controlled and of all hypertensives, 33.2% were controlled. We detected 224 285 individuals with untreated hypertension and 111 214 individuals with inadequately treated (systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg) hypertension. Conclusion May Measurement Month expanded significantly compared with 2017, including more participants in more countries. The campaign identified over 335 000 adults with untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. In the absence of systematic screening programmes, MMM was effective at raising awareness at least among these individuals at risk

Ureteric Injuries Arising from Obstetric and Gynaecological Operations at the University College Hospital Ibadan: a 20-year Review

Context: Iatrogenic ureteric injuries occur as a result of inadvertent ligation, transection or crushing of the ureters. A clinical condition with potential significant morbidity and mortality such as this should be a subject of regular reviews. Objective: The objective of the study is to determine the aetiology, the types and the various mode of management of ureteric associated with obstetric and gynaecological surgeries within the study period. Methods: This is a descriptive study of 20 years duration from January 1981 to December 2000, carried out at the University College Hospital, Ibadan Nigeria. The clinical and operative records of all patients who had ureteric injuries during the period under review were retrospectively analysed. Results: The incidence of ureteric injuries during the period of review was 0.4%. The mean age of the patients was 39.4 years and the injury occurs mostly in grand-multiparous women. The commonest surgical procedure leading to ureteric injuries in this study was total abdominal hysterectomy, whereby ligation of the ureter was the commonest mode of injury. Conclusion: The incidence of ureteric injury during the study period is fewer than in that of previous review. This is probably so because less radical pelvic surgeries are performed now than during the period covered by the previous review which was about three decades ago. Also improved surgical skill among gynaecologists coupled with better obstetric care might have contributed to the fever number of ureters that were injured. Key Words: Ureter, Iatrogenic, Injury, Fistula, Urinary Bladder. [Trop J Obstet Gynaecol, 2003, 20: 32-36

Juvenile dermatomyositis in an 11 year old Nigerian-boy: A case report and review of literature

We report the case of an 11‑year‑old boy with proximal myopathy, heliotrope, and Gottron papule‑like rashes. Serum chemistry revealed muscle enzyme elevations, whereas muscle biopsy histology showed necrosis and inflammation, which were in keeping with juvenile dermatomyositis. Plain radiographic examination of the thigh 3 weeks after commencing treatment with prednisolone was normal. The aim of this presentation is to highlight the diagnostic challenges posed by this rare condition in a resource‑limited setting and to underscore the need for prompt diagnosis and appropriate management. We hope that this report will assist physicians practicing in similar settings to make a prompt and accurate diagnosis when confronted with the same disease

A comparative study of the relevance of digital rectal examination, transrectal ultrasound, and prostate-specific antigen in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with advanced carcinoma of the prostate in a resource poor environment

Aims: To compare the diagnostic yield of digital rectal examination (DRE), transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) scan, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in diagnostic evaluation of advanced carcinoma of the prostate (CAP). Subjects and Methods: A comparative study of sensitivity and specificity of DRE, TRUS, and PSA in the evaluation of advanced CAP. This was done over a 3-year period (January 2010 to December 2012) in a tertiary health institution in Sub-Saharan Africa. All patients presenting with symptoms of prostatic enlargement were recruited, DRE, TRUS, and PSA findings were compared to the histological diagnosis. Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS version 16.0. Results: One hundred and eight cases were analyzed. Histological diagnosis revealed that 52 (48.1%) were CAP whereas 56 (51.9%) were benign. All the patients presented with lower urinary tract symptoms. Surprisingly, some patients with advanced CAP had PSA values in the normal range (0-4 ng/ml) while some with the benign disease also had PSA values above 50 ng/ml. PSA was noted to have the highest sensitivity but lowest specificity. Conclusions: Limitations of PSA are not only seen in screening for early disease, but also in the diagnosis of advanced CAP, and no value of PSA can be considered safe to declare a patient CAP free

A 5-year review of darning technique of inguinal hernia repair

Context: The Darning technique of inguinal hernia repair is a tissue-based technique with documented low recurrence rate in some parts of the world. Though practiced in our setting, little is documented on its outcome. Aims: The aim was to review the outcome of Darning technique of inguinal hernia repair in our setting. Study Design: A descriptive retrospective study. Patients and Methods: Clinical records of all patients who had inguinal hernia repair using the Darning technique between January 2007 and December 2011 in our institution were obtained. Details of sociodemographic data, intraoperative findings and postoperative complications were reviewed. Statistical Analysis Used: simple frequencies, proportions and cross-tabulations. Results: A total of 132 patients whose ages ranged from 15 to 84 years (mean = 49.4 years) with a male: female ratio of 12:1 were studied. Majority of the hernias were right sided (68.9%), mostly indirect (81.8%). The procedures were for emergencies in 17 (12.9%) cases whereas the rest (87.1%) were done electively. Most procedures, 110 (83.3%) were performed under local anesthesia. Surgical site infection was the most common complication occurring in six patients (4.5%), while four patients (3%) had chronic groin pain. At a mean follow-up period of 15 months there were two recurrences (1.5%) both occurring in patients with bilateral hernias (P = 0.001). Conclusions: The Darning technique of inguinal hernia repair is a safe and effective method for inguinal hernia repair in our setting

Analysis and simulation of HIV/AIDS transmission dynamics and control strategies

Abstract   HIV/AIDS is a fatal illness that weakens the immune system of the body, making the victim susceptible to several opportunistic infections. The analysis and numerical simulation of the proposed epidemic model of HIV/AIDS with vertical transmission was carried out. The disease free and endemic equilibrium of the model were obtained and the basic reproduction number was established. Numerical simulations using the homotropy perturbation method was employed to demonstrate the efficacy of the key findings. The results of the simulation were graphically presented and interpreted.   Keywords: HIV/AIDS, disease free equilibrium, endemic equilibrium, Laplace Adomian decomposition