Effect of Chemical Treatment on Water Absorption Capability of Polyester Composite Reinforced with Particulate Agro-Fibres

This study determined effects of chemical treatment on the degradation of polyester composite reinforced with agro-fibres. The fibres, after being chemically treated with 1M of hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide solution, were sun-dried and pulverized. Screened particulate fibres obtained from 800 µm sieve were mixed with polyester resin in predetermined proportions. Water absorption test was carried out on the samples and it was observed that the treated fibres showed lower water absorption rates (degradation) as compared with the untreated fibres. The overall responses confirmed the chemical treatment adopted as suitable for pre-treatment of agro-fibres to forestall degradation. Keywords: Agro-Fibres, Chemical Treatment, Degradation, Water Absorption, Particulate, Polyester Composite

Tetanus and Diphtheria Seroprotection among Children Younger Than 15 Years in Nigeria, 2018: Who Are the Unprotected Children?

Serological surveys provide an objective biological measure of population immunity, and tetanus serological surveys can also assess vaccination coverage. We undertook a national assessment of immunity to tetanus and diphtheria among Nigerian children aged <15 years using stored specimens collected during the 2018 Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey, a national cross-sectional household-based survey. We used a validated multiplex bead assay to test for tetanus and diphtheria toxoid-antibodies. In total, 31,456 specimens were tested. Overall, 70.9% and 84.3% of children aged <15 years had at least minimal seroprotection (≥0.01 IU/mL) against tetanus and diphtheria, respectively. Seroprotection was lowest in the north west and north east zones. Factors associated with increased tetanus seroprotection included living in the southern geopolitical zones, urban residence, and higher wealth quintiles (p < 0.001). Full seroprotection (≥0.1 IU/mL) was the same for tetanus (42.2%) and diphtheria (41.7%), while long-term seroprotection (≥1 IU/mL) was 15.1% for tetanus and 6.0% for diphtheria. Full- and long-term seroprotection were higher in boys compared to girls (p < 0.001). Achieving high infant vaccination coverage by targeting specific geographic areas and socio-economic groups and introducing tetanus and diphtheria booster doses in childhood and adolescence are needed to achieve lifelong protection against tetanus and diphtheria and prevent maternal and neonatal tetanus

Effectiveness of Non-nucleoside Reverse-Transcriptase Inhibitor-Based Antiretroviral Therapy in Women Previously Exposed to a Single Intrapartum Dose of Nevirapine: A Multi-country, Prospective Cohort Study

In a comparative cohort study, Jeffrey Stringer and colleagues investigate the risk of ART failure in women who received single-dose nevirapine for PMTCT, and assess the duration of increased risk

International recommendations on antiretroviral drugs for treatment of HIV-infected women and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in resource-limited settings: 2006 update

The World Health Organization recommends that countries adopt more effective antiretroviral regimens to increase the effectiveness of the prevention of mother-to-child human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission programs. The 2006 guidelines recommend a tiered approach for the delivery of antiretroviral to pregnant women who are infected with HIV and include triple-drug antiretroviral treatment for those women who are eligible. Those women who are not eligible for antiretroviral treatment should receive a combination prophylaxis antiretroviral regimen, preferably zidovudine from 28 weeks of gestation; zidovudine, lamivudine, and a single dose of nevirapine during delivery; and zidovudine and lamivudine for 7 days after delivery to reduce the development of nevirapine resistance. Newborn infants should receive a single dose of nevirapine and 1-4 weeks of zidovudine, depending on the duration of the regimen received by the mother. Although steps are being taken to provide more effective regimens, the use of single-dose nevirapine alone should still be used in situations in which more effective regimens are not yet feasible or available. HIV transmission through breastfeeding remains a problem, and several interventions are under evaluation that include maternal and/or infant antiretroviral prophylaxis during breastfeeding

Evaluation of Specimen Types for Pima CD4 Point-of-Care Testing: Advantages of Fingerstick Blood Collection into an EDTA Microtube.

INTRODUCTION:Effective point-of-care testing (POCT) is reliant on optimal specimen collection, quality assured testing, and expedited return of results. Many of the POCT are designed to be used with fingerstick capillary blood to simplify the blood collection burden. However, fingerstick blood collection has inherent errors in sampling. An evaluation of the use of capillary and venous blood with CD4 POCT was conducted. METHODS:Three different specimen collection methods were evaluated for compatibility using the Alere Pima CD4 assay at 5 HIV/AIDS healthcare sites in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. At each site, whole blood specimens were collected from enrolled patients by venipuncture and fingerstick. Pima CD4 testing was performed at site of collection on venipuncture specimens (Venous) and fingerstick blood directly applied to a Pima CD4 cartridge (Capillary-Direct) and collected into an EDTA microtube (Capillary-Microtube). Venous blood was also tested at the laboratory by the reference CD4 method and Pima for comparison analysis. RESULTS:All three specimen collection methods were successfully collected by healthcare workers for use with the Pima CD4 assay. When compared to the reference CD4 method, Pima CD4 testing with the Capillary-Microtube method performed similarly to Venous, while Pima CD4 counts with the Capillary-Direct method were slightly more biased (-20 cells/μL) and variable (-229 to +189 cells/μL limit of agreement). Even though all three collection methods had similar invalid Pima testing rates (10.5%, 9.8%, and 8.3% for Capillary-Direct, Capillary-Microtube, and Venous respectively), the ability to perform repeat testing with Capillary-Microtube and Venous specimens increased the likelihood of acquiring a valid CD4 result with the Pima assay. CONCLUSIONS:Capillary blood, either directly applied to Pima CD4 cartridges or collected in an EDTA microtube, and venous blood are suitable specimens for Pima CD4 testing. The advantages of capillary blood collection in an EDTA microtube are that it uses fingerstick collection which mimics venous blood and allows extra testing without additional blood collection