Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites among Sickle Cell Patients in Delta State, Nigeria

Sickle cell anemia crisis and death in the under-developed nations constitute one of the most challenging global public health problems. It is estimated that each year out of the three hundred thousand babies born worldwide with severe forms of hemoglobin disorders, sickle cell disease constitute more than half of this figure. Sickle cell disorder is an abnormal hemoglobin condition caused by the inheritance of abnormal hemoglobin (Hbs) genes from both parents. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites among sickle cell subjects in Delta State. Stool samples were collected from a total of 320 subjects, 160 each from Delta South (Warri) and Delta North (Agbor). Questionnaires and informed consent forms were given to the subjects that are of age and to the parents of the minors before sample collection. The stool samples were examined both macroscopically and microscopically for gastrointestinal parasites .InWarri, 40% (64/160) of SCA subjects infected with either gastrointestinal heamoparisites were male, while 48.1% were females. In Agbor, 47.5% were males, while 43.8% were females. This was statistically significant (p&lt; 0.05). The greatest frequency of infection was observed in SCA subjects within the age bracket of 1-10. (42.5%) in warri and 56.2%atAgbor. In Warri A.lumbricoides, hookworm, T.trichuria, E coliand malaria parasites were observed, 18.1%, 5.6%, 2.5%, 1.3% and 60.6% respectively among sickle cell subjects infected with either gastrointestinal haemoparasites. No microfilaria was isolated among subjects in warri, but was isolated at Agbor (0.6%).Also at Agbor, A. lumbricoides, hookworm, T.trichuria, E. coli,and malaria parasites had prevalence of16.8%, 2.5%, 1.3%, 1.9% and 68.1%respectively. In Warri, SCA subjects without parasitic infection have a mean PCV of 23.27% as against those with parasitic infection having a mean PCV of 12.88%. At Agbor, those without infection have a mean PCV of 22.84% as against 19.72% among those with parasitic infection. Among SCA subjects with either gastrointestinal or haemoparasites in warri, 24.4%, 50.0% 13.7% resides in rural, urban and riverine Communities respectively. At Agbor 60%, 31.3% resides in rural &amp; urban communities respectively. The prevalence of infection among those who deworm always, occasionally only and those who never deworm were 32.5%, 53.1% and 2.5% respectively in Warri and, 10%, 60% &amp; 21.3% respectively in Agbor. All sampled SCA subjects received blood transfusion always or occasionally as 70.6% and 17.8% respectively in Warri, as 85.0% and 6.3% respectively in Agbor. Prevalence of infection among subjects who use water closet and latrine were 18.7% and 6.9% respectively. Subjects who never wash their hands before and after eating have prevalence of 7.2% while those who wash their hands before and after eating always were 18.4%. The prevalence of malaria parasites 60.6% and 66.8%, Warri and Agbor respectively. Overall, the prevalence of parasitic infections among SCA subjects in Warri was 88.1%. Of this 48.1% were females.SCA subjects between the ages of 1-10 were mostly infected. A. lumbricoides (18.1%) was the gastrointestinal parasite mostly isolated. This study concludes that prevalence of gastrointestinal and haemoparasite among sickle cell subjects is very high in Delta State. Therefore, the need for all sickle cell anemic subjects to strictly use insecticide treated nets is highly advocated.</jats:p

Seismic Performance of Steel Frames with Inverted V-Braces for North Cyprus

Cyprus Island is located in a high-risk zone, in which the buildings should have lateral load-resistance systems to resist the lateral imposed loads. Bracings play a vital role in the structural behavior of buildings during an earthquake. There are many bracing systems that can be found thorough searching in the literature. However, there are insufficient studies regarding the inverted-V bracing system in accordance with the Northern Cyprus seismic code of NCSC-2015. In this study, the seismic performance of steel structures equipped with various types of inverted-V bracing systems is investigated for mid-rise and high-rise buildings in accordance with NCSC-2015 code. Several steel structure buildings having different lateral load-resistance systems are analyzed under different loading patterns applying ETABS2016 software. For this purpose, linear static equivalent lateral force method (ELFM), nonlinear static (Pushover) and nonlinear dynamic time-history (TH) analyses were adopted. The obtained results in this research indicate that the inverted-V bracing systems dramatically enhance the performance of the steel structures more particularly when the earthquake is applied perpendicular to the weak axis of the columns. This indicates that the inverted-V bracing system is an effective solution to resist the applied lateral loads while maintaining the functionality of the building. By applying the regression analysis some practical equations were submitted for the stiffness factor to be employed in similar cases as a guideline.</jats:p

Poverty is the Most Urgent Social Problem in Albania 2020

Poverty is a worldwide social problem. Other social consequences come from poverty. Its importance is quite great, where the state as the main actor and other actors such as business and NGOs with all their contribution have not managed to eradicate it. This phenomenon. The purpose of this study conducted on May 25, 2020 by Msc.Mateus Habili with a sample of 935 respondents (representative for all of Albania) is to create an overview if poverty is the most urgent issue in Albania that needs to be corrected. The collected data showed that the citizens think that the public opinion is unified in the opinion that poverty is the most urgent social problem in Albania 2020, to this problem should be oriented immediately all the contribution of the state, business, NGOs. Citizens think that the role of the state in correcting this problem has been low, this is an indication for both business and NGOs that their contribution to have more Another impact of the study is that citizens do not trust the assistance provided voluntarily by businesses, this shows that there is a problem in the image of businesses in terms of assistance provided voluntarily. Citizens think that business provides more many advantages of the product and its safety, this shows that citizens still do not have a guarantee on the products they receive.</jats:p

The grim realities of a ship hijacking in the Gulf of Guinea

This article is a distillation of the dissertation submitted for the author’s MSc in Maritime Operations and Management at City, University of London, submitted in 2019. In the summer of 2019, a Bulk Carrier of 22,000GT with a complement of 21 crew members was at anchor within the territorial waters of a Gulf of Guinea coastal state, 2.5 n.m. from the breakwater entrance to the port, awaiting daylight so the ship could enter the port and commence the discharge of its cargo. At midnight with all the regular security measures in force for the anchorage area, a group of armed men boarded the ship and proceeded to kidnap nine seamen. The kidnappers abducted the nine-crew comprising the ship’s Master, Chief Engineer, Third Officer, Third Engineer, Chief Cook, and four ratings, all of them Filipinos. It was later proven the kidnappers came from a neighbouring state, and during their captivity, the nine men were held on a small island off the borders of the two states. All parties concerned were informed of the incident, and a company specialised in negotiating was appointed. The nine hostages were finally released after 41 days in captivity. Piracy affects shipping for centuries, with some periods of peace. It has returned more robust and aggressive, profoundly affecting shipping in specific geographical areas, exposing maritime trade and the seafarers’ lives in danger. From 2008 to 2012, piracy off the coast of East Africa drew the attention of the global community. The measures taken have suppressed piracy, and the incidents have dramatically reduced. On the other hand, piracy and kidnapping incidents in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa have risen over the past years. The global community seems to tolerate the insecurity in the area, and only a few measures by the European Union and the United States have been introduced. The regional countries have announced measures, so did the continental African Union organisation and some local states individually, but all these efforts seem to be un-synchronised, and the actions of one party disorientate the others. The causation of piracy is not at sea: it is ashore. The spotlights of the initiatives should focus on the mainland. The global community has the expertise, experience, and mechanisms to fight this ancient crime. Both the academic and maritime communities have numerous papers about countering piracy, but none that the author has found is based on the details of one incident; they tend to focus on theoretical aspects. The author, being a permanent member of the Crisis Management Team of a shipping company, endured the hijacking of a vessel under its management in the Gulf of Guinea, and part of the vessel’s crew was taken hostage and moved ashore into the criminals’ hideout. It then became a race against time involving specialised negotiators, the P&amp;I Club of the ship, and a PMSC to negotiate the ransom and its delivery and release of the crew as quickly as possible. Apart from the first-hand experience of being part of the Crisis Management Team for more than 40-days and nights of a ship hijacking and hostage negotiation process, the author has researched the background widely to piracy and specifically its impact in West Africa. He interviewed members of the crew held hostage and spoken with experts in the field. The principal reason for writing the dissertation and this article was to share the experiences and insights of a hijacking in the Gulf of Guinea, from the perspective of a shipping company with ships visiting the Gulf of Guinea on a regular basis, so that others may learn from the experiences and hopefully prepare seafarers more effectively for this maritime peril.</jats:p