Prescribers’ Adherence to Treatment Guidelines for Uncomplicated Malaria in Primary Health Centres in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Background: Malaria, though preventable and treatable, remains a disease with unacceptably high mortality in Nigeria. Effective and prompt treatment of uncomplicated cases reduces progression to severe disease, development of drug resistance, and cuts the costs of the disease.Objective: To assess adherence by prescribers to recommended treatment (based on National Treatment Guideline) for uncomplicated malaria in primary health centres (PHCs) in the eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Bayelsa State, Nigeria.Methods: A retrospective review of case notes and prescription sheets for suspected malaria cases treated at 28 PHCs within a year of data collection was done. Relevant data about the prescribers, the patients, and the antimalarial drugs prescribed were collected and analyzed as appropriate.Results: A total of 2,303 case notes of patients attending PHCs were examined over the study period. A high proportion of malaria (1422, 61.7%) was observed among the 2,303 cases. The median age (years) of adults was 28.0 (IQR = 14), and for children of 0-5, 2.0 (IQR = 2.17). Majority of those treated were females (792, 55.7%) and children (967, 68.0%). Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) were the most prescribed antimalarials (961, 67.6%), followed by artemisinin monotherapies in 23.8% of cases. Proportion of treated cases of malaria that could be considered rational across the LGAs was 67.6%.Conclusion: Adherence of prescribers to National Treatment Guidelines of uncomplicated malaria in PHCs in Bayelsa State was below the required standard, with continued usage of obsolete agents, such as artemisinin monotherapies. Training on case management for prescribers at this level of care is urgently needed. Keywords: Antimalarial drugs, Malaria, Primary Health Centres, Community Health Workers, Bayelsa State

Improved corrosion resistance, mechanical and wear behaviors of particulate composite coating of steel pipeline for marine environment

The use of agricultural wastes, which are cost-effective and environmental-friendly materials as composites coating, is growing fast in various engineering fields. This research investigates the possibility of improving corrosion resistance, mechanical, and wear behaviors of particulate composite coating of steel pipeline with zinc alloys reinforced with groundnut shell ash (GSA) for the marine environment. Different weight percentages of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 wt.% GSA of particle size 75 μm were used for the coatings. The groundnut shell ash was characterized by X-ray fluorescent (XRF). The morphology of the steel pipeline before and after coatings was studied using scanning electron microscope/Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). The XRF results revealed that calcium oxides (CaO), silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), and iron oxide (Fe2O3) being the major oxides present. The results showed that average coating thickness and hardness value were 45.50, 98.50, 99.67 μm, and 80.45, 108.60, 118.60 HBV for Zn-10ZnO/0, 20, and 25 wt. % GSA respectively. Their corresponding current corrosion (icorr) were 38.52, 10.56, and 2.98 mA/cm2. The morphologies revealed that reinforcement with GSA protected the surface of the system analyzed. The corrosion rate of the steel pipeline of 38.52 mA/cm2 values decreased to 10.56 mA/cm2 and 1.98 mA/cm2 for 0, 20, and 25 wt. % GSA with the protection efficiency of 72.59% and 81.25%, respectively. The wear rate improvement between 0-25 wt. % GSA was 49.75%. The work established Zn-10ZnO/GSA composite coating on steel pipeline can improve the corrosion resistance, hardness, and wear rate of the studied steel pipeline coated

Polypharmacy in psychiatric outpatient practice in northern Nigeria

Objective:To describe and analyze patterns of polypharmacy among psychiatric outpatients in northern Nigeria and identify predictors of psychotropic polypharmacy.Method:A cross-sectional study, using chart review of new patients at out-patient clinics of two regional psychiatric hospitals in northern Nigeria,measuring rates, patterns and predictors of psychotropic polypharmacy.Results: A total of 278 patients were seen, of whom 92%were given two ormore psychotropic agents.The pattern of psychotropic polypharmacy revealed that total, multi-class and adjunctive polypharmacy rates were high, while augmentation and same class polypharmacy rates were low. Age of respondent and diagnosis were the factors associated with total polypharmacy. Conclusion: The complex interplay of factors influencing physician prescription practices requires that a more pragmatic approach be adopted in efforts to curtail polypharmacy practice, rather than a wholesale, absolute condemnation of the practice.African Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 10 (4) 2007: pp. 215-21

Pile Setup in Cohesive Soil. I: Experimental Investigation

Pile setup in cohesive soils has been a known phenomenon for several decades. However, a systematic field investigation to provide the needed data to develop analytical procedures and integrate pile setup into the design method rarely exists. This paper summarizes a recently completed field investigation on five fully instrumented steel H-piles embedded in cohesive soils, while a companion paper discusses the development of the pile setup method. During the field investigation, detailed soil characterization, monitoring of soil total lateral stress and pore-water pressure, collection of pile dynamic restrike data as a function of time, and vertical static load tests were completed. Restrike measurements confirm that pile setup occurs at a logarithmic rate following the end of driving, and its development correlates well with the rate of dissipation of the measured porewater pressure. Based on the field data collected, it was concluded that the skin friction component, not the end bearing, contributes predominantly to the setup, which can be accurately estimated for practical purposes using soil properties, such as coefficient of consolidation, undrained shear strength, and the standard penetration testN-value

Premenstrual Symptoms and Dysmenorrhoea among Muslim Women in Zaria, Nigeria

Background/objective:To document the premenstrual and menstrual symptoms of Muslim women, with a view to providing adequate and sensitive care.Methods: Two hundred Muslim women were interviewed at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital and Muslim Specialist Hospital, both in Zaria between August and October 2003. Results: Premenstrual symptoms were present in 23.8% of the women and breast pain was the commonest symptom (50%). Self-medication was practiced by those who needed medication for the premenstrual symptoms (29.8%). Premenstrual symptoms were significantly associated with lower parity (p = 0.02), previous (p = 0.03) and current (p = 0.01) contraceptive use and dysmenorrhoea (p = <0.001). Dysmenorrhoea was present in 36.4% and was significantly associated with lower age (p = 0.03), and lower parity (p = 0.01).Conclusions: Health care workers and the general public need to be aware of premenstrual symptoms and dysmenorrhoea in order to provide adequate care and support that is sensitive to Muslim women's needs. Health care providers should also be aware that premenstrual symptoms are more likely to coexist with dysmenorrhoea and provide therapies that can cater for both problems whenever possible.Introduction/Objectif: Documenter les sympt\uf4mes pr\ue9menstruel et menstruel des femmes musl\ue8mes afin de fournir des soins ad\ue9quats et sensitifs. M\ue9thodes: Deux cents femmes musl\ue8mes ont \ue9t\ue9 sond\ue9es du centre hospitalier universitaire d'Ahmadu Bello et d'H\uf4pital des sp\ue9cialiste des Musl\ue8ms, les deux \ue0 Zaria entre le pr\ue9mier ao\ufbt 2003 et le 31 octobre 2003. R\ue9sultats:Des sympt\uf4mes pr\ue9menstruels \ue9taient pr\ue9sent en 23,8% des femmes et douleur de sein \ue9tait le sympt\uf4me le plus ordinaire (50%). M\ue9dicament de soi-m\ueame \ue9tait mis en action par ceux qui ont besoin des drougues pour des sympt\uf4mes pr\ue9menstruel (29,8%) sympt\uf4mes pr\ue9menstruels \ue9taient principalement li\ue9s \ue0 la parit\ue9 inf\ue9rieure (p = 0,02), auparavant (p =0,03) et actuel (p = 0,01) l'utilisation du contraceptif et de la dysmenorrh\ue9e (p = < 0,0001) La dysmenorrh\ue9e \ue9tait pr\ue9sent en 36,4 % et \ue9tait remarquablement li\ue9e \ue0 l'\ue2ge inf\ue9rieur (p = 0,03), et parit\ue9 inf\ue9rieure (p =0,01). Conclusion:Des m\ue9decins des soins m\ue9dicaux et la publique en g\ue9n\ue9ral sont besoin d'avoir une connaissance sur des sympt\uf4mes pr\ue9menstruel et la dysmenorrh\ue9e afin de fournir des soins ad\ue9quats et de donner des soutients qui sont sensitifs visant aux besoins des femmes musl\ue8mes. Les m\ue9decins des soins m\ue9dicaux devraient \ue9galement avoir connaissance qui souligne que des sympt\uf4mes pr\ue9menstruels sont plus probablement de co-\ue9xister avec la dysmenorrh\ue9e et donner des th\ue9rapies qui peuvent resoudre les deux probl\ue8mes aussi souvent que possible

Qweak: A Precision Measurement of the Proton's Weak Charge

The Qweak experiment at Jefferson Lab aims to make a 4% measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry in elastic scattering at very low $Q^2$ of a longitudinally polarized electron beam on a proton target. The experiment will measure the weak charge of the proton, and thus the weak mixing angle at low energy scale, providing a precision test of the Standard Model. Since the value of the weak mixing angle is approximately 1/4, the weak charge of the proton $Q_w^p = 1-4 \sin^2 \theta_w$ is suppressed in the Standard Model, making it especially sensitive to the value of the mixing angle and also to possible new physics. The experiment is approved to run at JLab, and the construction plan calls for the hardware to be ready to install in Hall C in 2007. The theoretical context of the experiment and the status of its design are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX2e, to be published in CIPANP 2003 proceeding

Measurement of the Transverse Beam Spin Asymmetry in Elastic Electron Proton Scattering and the Inelastic Contribution to the Imaginary Part of the Two-Photon Exchange Amplitude

We report on a measurement of the asymmetry in the scattering of transversely polarized electrons off unpolarized protons, A$_\perp$, at two Q$^2$ values of \qsquaredaveragedlow (GeV/c)$^2$ and \qsquaredaveragedhighII (GeV/c)$^2$ and a scattering angle of $30^\circ < \theta_e < 40^\circ$. The measured transverse asymmetries are A$_{\perp}$(Q$^2$ = \qsquaredaveragedlow (GeV/c)$^2$) = (\experimentalasymmetry alulowcorr $\pm$ \statisticalerrorlow$_{\rm stat}$ $\pm$ \combinedsyspolerrorlowalucor$_{\rm sys}$) $\times$ 10$^{-6}$ and A$_{\perp}$(Q$^2$ = \qsquaredaveragedhighII (GeV/c)$^2$) = (\experimentalasymme tryaluhighcorr $\pm$ \statisticalerrorhigh$_{\rm stat}$ $\pm$ \combinedsyspolerrorhighalucor$_{\rm sys}$) $\times$ 10$^{-6}$. The first errors denotes the statistical error and the second the systematic uncertainties. A$_\perp$ arises from the imaginary part of the two-photon exchange amplitude and is zero in the one-photon exchange approximation. From comparison with theoretical estimates of A$_\perp$ we conclude that $\pi$N-intermediate states give a substantial contribution to the imaginary part of the two-photon amplitude. The contribution from the ground state proton to the imaginary part of the two-photon exchange can be neglected. There is no obvious reason why this should be different for the real part of the two-photon amplitude, which enters into the radiative corrections for the Rosenbluth separation measurements of the electric form factor of the proton.Comment: 4 figures, submitted to PRL on Oct.

Characterization of soluble bromide measurements and a case study of BrO observations during ARCTAS

A focus of the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) mission was examination of bromine photochemistry in the spring time high latitude troposphere based on aircraft and satellite measurements of bromine oxide (BrO) and related species. The NASA DC-8 aircraft utilized a chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) to measure BrO and a mist chamber (MC) to measure soluble bromide. We have determined that the MC detection efficiency to molecular bromine (Br2), hypobromous acid (HOBr), bromine oxide (BrO), and hydrogen bromide (HBr) as soluble bromide (Br−) was 0.9±0.1, 1.06+0.30/−0.35, 0.4±0.1, and 0.95±0.1, respectively. These efficiency factors were used to estimate soluble bromide levels along the DC-8 flight track of 17 April 2008 from photochemical calculations constrained to in situ BrO measured by CIMS. During this flight, the highest levels of soluble bromide and BrO were observed and atmospheric conditions were ideal for the space-borne observation of BrO. The good agreement (R2 = 0.76; slope = 0.95; intercept = −3.4 pmol mol−1) between modeled and observed soluble bromide, when BrO was above detection limit (\u3e2 pmol mol−1) under unpolluted conditions (NOmol−1), indicates that the CIMS BrO measurements were consistent with the MC soluble bromide and that a well characterized MC can be used to derive mixing ratios of some reactive bromine compounds. Tropospheric BrO vertical column densities (BrOVCD) derived from CIMS BrO observations compare well with BrOTROPVCD from OMI on 17 April 2008

Strange Quark Contributions to Parity-Violating Asymmetries in the Backward Angle G0 Electron Scattering Experiment

We have measured parity-violating asymmetries in elastic electron-proton and quasi-elastic electron-deuteron scattering at Q^2 = 0.22 and 0.63 GeV^2. They are sensitive to strange quark contributions to currents in the nucleon, and to the nucleon axial current. The results indicate strange quark contributions of < 10% of the charge and magnetic nucleon form factors at these four-momentum transfers. We also present the first measurement of anapole moment effects in the axial current at these four-momentum transfers.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, changed references, typo, and conten

Evidence for Strange Quark Contributions to the Nucleon's Form Factors at Q2Q^2 = 0.108 (GeV/c)2^2

We report on a measurement of the parity violating asymmetry in the elastic scattering of polarized electrons off unpolarized protons with the A4 apparatus at MAMI in Mainz at a four momentum transfer value of $Q^2$ = \Qsquare (GeV/c)$^2$ and at a forward electron scattering angle of 30$^\circ < \theta_e < 40^\circ$. The measured asymmetry is $A_{LR}(\vec{e}p)$ = (\Aphys $\pm$ \Deltastat$_{stat}$ $\pm$ \Deltasyst$_{syst}$) $\times$ 10$^{-6}$. The expectation from the Standard Model assuming no strangeness contribution to the vector current is A$_0$ = (\Azero $\pm$ \DeltaAzero) $\times$ 10$^{-6}$. We have improved the statistical accuracy by a factor of 3 as compared to our previous measurements at a higher $Q^2$. We have extracted the strangeness contribution to the electromagnetic form factors from our data to be $G_E^s$ + \FakGMs $G_M^s$ = \GEsGMs $\pm$ \DeltaGEsGMs at $Q^2$ = \Qsquare (GeV/c)$^2$. As in our previous measurement at higher momentum transfer for $G_E^s$ + 0.230 $G_M^s$, we again find the value for $G_E^s$ + \FakGMs $G_M^s$ to be positive, this time at an improved significance level of 2 $\sigma$.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure