Self-reported Mental Disorders Negatively Influence Surgical Outcomes After Arthroscopic Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement.

Background:Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is responsible for hip pain and dysfunction, and surgical outcomes depend on multiple factors. The presence of mental disorders negatively influences outcomes of multiple orthopaedic conditions, although the impact on FAI surgery is unclear. Hypothesis:The authors hypothesized that a preoperative self-reported history of mental disorders would negatively influence patient-reported outcome measures after FAI surgery. Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods:A matched-cohort study was performed by reviewing a prospectively collected database of cases of arthroscopic management of FAI with a single surgeon over a 2-year period. Demographics and radiographic parameters were recorded for all patients. Patients completed the Hip Outcome Score-Activity of Daily Living Subscale (HOS-ADL), Hip Outcome Score-Sport-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS), and modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) prior to surgery and 2 years after surgery. Unpaired and paired t tests were used to compare results between and within cohorts at baseline and follow-up. Statistical significance was defined as P < .05. Results:The cohort included 301 patients, with 75 and 226 patients reporting and not reporting a history of mental disorders, respectively. Before treatment, all patient-reported outcome measures were significantly lower among patients reporting a history of mental disorders (P < .01 for HOS-ADL, HOS-SSS, and mHHS). Patients in both groups demonstrated significant improvements (P < .0001) in HOS-ADL, HOS-SSS, and mHHS when preoperative outcome measures were compared with follow-up. Patients with reported mental disorders had significantly lower scores after surgery as compared with patients without mental disorders (P < .0001 for HOS-ADL, HOS-SSS, and mHHS). Conclusion:The presence of a reported mental disorder is associated with lower patient-reported outcomes before and after surgical management of FAI. Statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements were observed for patients who reported mental disorders. The magnitude of these improvements was not as large as that for an age- and sex-matched control group without a self-reported mental disorder

Neutralizing Boko Haram Resurgency: Power of Targeted Holistic Education Policies

Boko Haram (BH) insurgency is driven by Islamist ideology and hegemony, nurtured mainly on failed education and sociopolitical policies and less by economic realities in Nigeria. Military counterinsurgency (hard COIN) successes are necessary but not sufficient to neutralize resurgence. The framework for this study was behavior modification by targeted holistic education policy (THEP) over ruminated frustration-aggression of drive theory. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to conduct a survey of educated participants (N = 95), randomly selected from education campuses in Nigeria, to estimate the power (relationship) of THEP over time to neutralize BH resurgence (NBHR). The data from a survey developed for this study were analyzed with descriptive, ANOVA, ANCOVA, and MANCOVA statistics. The powers of THEP applied from nursery through college (age 21) to NBHR or reduce the foot soldiers\u27 recruitment pools (FSRP) and correlations were evaluated. All 7 regression models rejected the null hypotheses. THEP and covariables including illiteracy (IL), political conspiracy (PC) or Islamic hegemony (IH), religious extremism (RE), and economic realities (ER) were related to NBHR. PC correlated inversely with THEP and IL inversely with reducing FSRP. ER had the least impetus (power) to drive resurgence. The results of this study can be used to promote positive social change by providing information on the prospects (estimated power) of THEP, acting with other COIN measures, to NBHR. The study may contribute to a better understanding of the impetus and solution to BH resurgence, but calls for further investigation into the power of nonmilitary COIN, particularly THEP, in Nigeria

Isolation, Partial Purification and Median Lethal Dose of Antipyretic Agent from Khaya senegalensis Leaf Extracts

This research was designed to evaluate the antipyretic activity of K. senegalensis leaf extract with the view of isolating and identifying the active components. The K. senegalensis leaf was extracted using 90% methanol and further fractionated with hexane, ethylacetate, n-butanol and distilled water.The qualitative phytochemical screening was carried out using standard methods.The crude extract and the fractions were screened for antipyretic activity using 15%w/v brewer’s yeast induced pyrexia on Albino rats. The components of the most active fraction were further separated using column and thin layer chromatographic techniques on silica gel. LD50 of the most active fraction was determined using probit analysis. The results of the phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, phenols, steroids and cardiac glycosides in both the crude extract and its fractions. The crude extract at 400 mg/kg b.w. showed the highest antipyretic activity compared to the other doses tested. Hexane fraction showed the highest antipyretic activity among the other fractionated extracts. The LD50 of the hexane fraction was found to be 831.76 mg/kg b.w. The column chromatographic separation of the hexane extract yielded 60 fractions (F1 to F60). After TLC separation, fractions with similar profile were pooled together yielding eleven (11) pooled fractions (PF1 to PF11). Antipyretic activities of the pooled fractions showed that PF8 exhibited the highest activity. These findings suggested that, K. senegalensis leaf has significant antipyretic activity which can be considered for the development of antipyretic agent from natural resources

In-Vitro antidiabetic potential of Piliostigma thonningii leaf column chromatographic fractions

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar that profoundly affects human health and economy. Although there are a plethora of antidiabetic drugs in the market, the efficacy shown by some medicinal plants sometimes outperforms that of synthetic drugs while being more affordable and less toxic. This study was conducted to evaluate the anti-diabetic potential of column-chromatographic fractions of Piliostigma thonningii leaf. Phytochemical screening, column, and thin layer chromatography were respectively conducted following standard laboratory protocols. The in-vitro antidiabetic activity of the extracts was assessed using alpha-glucosidase and hemoglobin glycosylation inhibitory methods. A total of 175 column fractions (CF1-CF175) were eluted respectively. Thin layer chromatography protocols employed pooled a total of 11 (A-J) fractions. The result showed significant (P>0.05) inhibition of alpha-glucosidase in only fraction J2, which was significantly greater when compared to standard drug (Voglibose) and crude extract. Also, there was no significant hemoglobin glycosylation inhibitory effect in all fractions compared with crude extract and standard drugs (Voglibose). In conclusion, P. thonningii leaf exhibited alpha-glucosidase and hemoglobin glycosylation inhibitory potentials that further support its usage as a hypoglycemic agent

A Low Cost Solar Still for Pure Water Production.

This study involves the design and development of a triangular solar still (TSS) for providing pure water from saline and contaminated water. The TSS was fabricated with cheap, lightweight and locally acquired but durable materials for easy maintenance. The TSS consists of a trough made of Perspex, main frame, polythene cover and support structure. A few field experiments were carried out using seawater, pond water and synthesized salt water of varying salt percentages. The variations of temperatures, relative humidity and solar radiation were monitored along with the hourly water production. A new relationship was obtained between the temperature difference (cover-water) and daily production. The water quality analysis was performed before and after the experiments. The values of total dissolved solids were reduced to 1.2 from 57.7 ppm and to 440.4 from 9999 ppm. The electrical conductivities prior to the experiment were 114.5 and 17.1µS/cm which reduced to 104.41 and 2.52 µS/cm, respectively, after the experiment. The salinity values were reduced to 40 from 60 ppm and to 30 from 1003 ppm as well. These values fall within the accepted ranges for drinking water guidelines of the World Health Organization. Therefore, it is concluded that the TSS is able to provide pure water from saline and contaminated water for drinking purpose

Factors influencing feeding practices of extreme poor infants and young children in families of working mothers in Dhaka slums: A qualitative study

BackgroundNutritional status differs between infants and young children living in slum and non-slum conditions—infants and young children living in City Corporation slums are likely to have worse nutritional status compared to those from non-slums. Furthermore, families in slums tend to engage female labor in cash-earning activities as a survival strategy; hence, a higher percentage of mothers stay at work. However, little is known about feeding practices for infants and young children in families with working mothers in slums. This study aims to understand the factors that determine feeding practices for infants and young children living in families with working mothers in Dhaka slums.MethodsThis study adopted a qualitative approach. Sixteen In-depth Interviews, five Key Informant Interviews, and Focused Group Discussions were conducted with family members, community leaders, and program staff. Method triangulation and thematic analyses were conducted.ResultsFeeding practices for infants and young children in families with working mothers are broadly determined by mothers’ occupation, basis civic facilities, and limited family buying capacity. Although mothers have good nutritional knowledge, they negotiate between work and feeding their infants and young children. Household composition, access to cooking facilities, and poverty level were also found to be significant determining factors.ConclusionThe results suggest a trade-off between mothers’ work and childcare. The absence of alternative care support in homes and/or work places along with societal factors outweighs full benefits of project interventions. Improving alternative childcare support could reduce the burden of feeding practice experienced by working mothers and may improve nutritional outcomes

Childbearing and Economic Work: The Health Balance of Women in Accra, Ghana

Objectives: This study aims to investigate (1) whether the health of working women with young children differs from that of working women without young children, and (2) which social factors mediate the relationship between economic and maternal role performance and health among mothers with young children. Methods: The analyses uses panel data from 697 women present in both waves of the Women's Health Study for Accra (WHSA-I and WHSA-II); a community based study of women aged 18 years and older in the Accra Metropolitan Area of Ghana conducted in 2003 and 2008-2009. Change in physical and mental health between the survey waves is compared between women with a biological child alive at WHSA-II and born since WHSA-I and women without a living biological child at WHSA-II born in the interval. To account for attrition between the two survey waves selection models were used with unconditional change score models being used as the outcome model. Results: We found in our sample of working women that those who had a child born between WHSA-I and WHSA-II who was still alive at WHSA-II did not experience a change in mental or physical health different from other women. Among working women with young children, educational status, relationship to the household head and household demography were associated with change in mental health at the 5 % level, whilst migration status and household demography was associated with change in physical health scores. Conclusion: The results suggest there are no health penalties of combining work and childbearing among women with young children in Accra, Ghana

Boys are more stunted than girls in Sub-Saharan Africa: a meta-analysis of 16 demographic and health surveys

BACKGROUND: Many studies in sub-Saharan Africa have occasionally reported a higher prevalence of stunting in male children compared to female children. This study examined whether there are systematic sex differences in stunting rates in children under-five years of age, and how the sex differences in stunting rates vary with household socio-economic status. METHODS: Data from the most recent 16 demographic and health surveys (DHS) in 10 sub-Saharan countries were analysed. Two separate variables for household socio-economic status (SES) were created for each country based on asset ownership and mothers' education. Quintiles of SES were constructed using principal component analysis. Sex differentials with stunting were assessed using Student's t-test, chi square test and binary logistic regressions. RESULTS: The prevalence and the mean z-scores of stunting were consistently lower amongst females than amongst males in all studies, with differences statistically significant in 11 and 12, respectively, out of the 16 studies. The pooled estimates for mean z-scores were -1.59 for boys and -1.46 for girls with the difference statistically significant (p < 0.001). The stunting prevalence was also higher in boys (40%) than in girls (36%) in pooled data analysis; crude odds ratio 1.16 (95% CI 1.12–1.20); child age and individual survey adjusted odds ratio 1.18 (95% CI 1.14–1.22). Male children in households of the poorest 40% were more likely to be stunted compared to females in the same group, but the pattern was not consistent in all studies, and evaluation of the SES/sex interaction term in relation to stunting was not significant for the surveys. CONCLUSION: In sub-Saharan Africa, male children under five years of age are more likely to become stunted than females, which might suggest that boys are more vulnerable to health inequalities than their female counterparts in the same age groups. In several of the surveys, sex differences in stunting were more pronounced in the lowest SES groups

Mothers' education but not fathers' education, household assets or land ownership is the best predictor of child health inequalities in rural Uganda

BACKGROUND: Health and nutrition inequality is a result of a complex web of factors that include socio-economic inequalities. Various socio-economic indicators exist however some do not accurately predict inequalities in children. Others are not intervention feasible. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of four socio-economic indicators namely: mothers' education, fathers' education, household asset index, and land ownership with growth stunting, which is used as a proxy for health and nutrition inequalities among infants and young children. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey conducted in the rural district of Hoima, Uganda. Two-stage cluster sampling design was used to obtain 720 child/mother pairs. Information on indicators of household socio-economic status and child anthropometry was gathered by administering a structured questionnaire to mothers in their home settings. Regression modelling was used to determine the association of socio-economic indicators with stunting. RESULTS: One hundred seventy two (25%) of the studied children were stunted, of which 105 (61%) were boys (p < 0.001). Bivariate analysis indicated a higher prevalence of stunting among children of: non-educated mothers compared to mothers educated above primary school (odds ratio (OR) 2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–4.4); non-educated fathers compared to fathers educated above secondary school (OR 1.7, 95% CI 0.8–3.5); households belonging in the "poorest" quintile for the asset index compared to the "least poor" quintile (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2–3.7); Land ownership exhibited no differentials with stunting. Simultaneously adjusting all socio-economic indicators in conditional regression analysis left mothers' education as the only independent predictor of stunting with children of non-educated mothers significantly more likely to be stunted compared to those of mothers educated above primary school (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1–3.9). More boys than girls were significantly stunted in poorer than wealthier socio-economic strata. CONCLUSIONS: Of four socio-economic indicators, mothers' education is the best predictor for health and nutrition inequalities among infants and young children in rural Uganda. This suggests a need for appropriate formal education of the girl child aimed at promoting child health and nutrition. The finding that boys are adversely affected by poverty more than their female counterparts corroborates evidence from previous studies