MICROWAVE PLASMA FOR WOUND TREATMENT

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Comparing the use and content of antenatal care in adolescent and older first-time mothers in 13 countries of west Africa: a cross-sectional analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys

Background West Africa has the highest proportion of married adolescents, and the highest adolescent childbirth rate and maternal death rate in sub-Saharan Africa. However, few studies have focused on the type and quality of health care accessed by pregnant young women in countries in this subregion. Methods We obtained data from Demographic and Health Surveys done between 2010 and 2014, to compare the use, timing, source, and components of antenatal care between adolescent and older first-time mothers in 13 west African countries. The sample included primiparous women who were aged 15–49 years with a livebirth in the 5-year survey recall period, and women were assigned to one of three groups on the basis of age at the time of childbirth: adolescent (10–19 years), young adults (20–24 years), or adults (25 years or older). We calculated the percentage of women who: attended at least one antenatal care visit, completed at least one visit during the first trimester of pregnancy, attended four or more appointments in antenatal care, and received four components of antenatal care (blood pressure measurement, urine tests, blood tests, and information on complications), as well as the sector where the women received care. We primarily report the comparison between adolescents and young adults. Findings In 2016, we acquired data from the Demographic Health Surveys from 13 west African countries between 2010 and 2014 on primiparous women. The study sample was 19 211 women, of whom 10 025 (52%) were adolescents, 6099 (32%) were young adults, and 3087 (16%) were adults. Overall, 17 386 (91%) of 19 211 first-time mothers made use of antenatal care facilities on at least one occasion. 3597 (41%) of 8741 adolescents compared with 8202 (47%) of all 17 386 women began the use of antenatal care during the first trimester. Across west Africa, 5430 (62%) of 8741 adolescents had four or more antenatal care visits compared with 4067 (71%) of 5717 young adults and 2358 (81%) of 2928 adults. Of those who had four or more visits to antenatal care, 2779 (51%) of 5430 adolescents received all the antenatal care components examined compared with 2488 (61%) of 4067 young adults and 1600 (68%) of 2358 adults. Although most women received antenatal care in the public sector, in nine of the 13 countries, the proportion of women that used the private sector was higher in older mothers. Interpretation Although a large percentage of west African adolescents use some antenatal care for their first birth, they seek care later, make fewer visits during pregnancy, and receive fewer components of care than older first-time mothers. Governments must ensure the pregnancy care accessed by adolescent mothers is of high quality and tailored to meet their needs

Early feeding practices and associated factors in Sudan: a cross-sectional analysis from multiple Indicator cluster survey.

BACKGROUND: In efforts to reduce neonatal mortality, the World Health Organization (WHO) has included breastfeeding among its recommended packages of interventions. Early initiation of breastfeeding and avoidance of prelacteal feeding are key contributors to optimal feeding practices. This study aims to assess the prevalence and associated factors of early breastfeeding practices in Sudan. METHODS: This study utilises the cross-sectional nationally-representative Sudan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted in 2014. The sample includes women who had a live birth in the two years before the survey and their self-report on early breastfeeding practices, namely early initiation and prelacteal feeding. Percentages of these early breastfeeding practices indicators were estimated accounting for the complex survey design. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine the factors associated with these outcomes. RESULTS: Of 5622 mothers, 69% initiated breastfeeding within one hour of birth, 72% avoided prelacteal feeding in the first three days after birth, and 51% met the criteria for both (i.e. practised optimal early feeding practice). Optimal early feeding varied across regions of Sudan. Birth by caesarean section (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 0.34; 95% CI 0.25, 0.47) and at a health facility (AOR 0.75; 95% CI 0.60, 0.94) were negatively associated with optimal early feeding practice. Mothers with secondary education (AOR 1.62; 95% CI 1.30, 2.02), those who desired their pregnancy at the time (AOR 1.31; 95% CI 1.08, 1.60), those who were assisted by a skilled birth attendant at birth (AOR 1.48; 95% CI 1.19, 1.83), and those who gave birth to female infants (AOR 1.16; 95% CI 1.02, 1.33) had higher odds of use optimal early feeding practice. Similarly, the odds of optimal early feeding increased with parity and maternal age. CONCLUSIONS: Only half of Sudanese mothers practised optimal early feeding practice, with important differences between regions in the country. Early feeding practices in Sudan are associated with various maternal, child and community level factors. The findings suggest the need to develop breastfeeding promotion programs with consideration of regional variations and healthcare system interventions

Length of Stay After Childbirth in 92 Countries and Associated Factors in 30 Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Compilation of Reported Data and a Cross-sectional Analysis from Nationally Representative Surveys

Background: Following childbirth, women need to stay sufficiently long in health facilities to receive adequate care. Little is known about length of stay following childbirth in low- and middle-income countries or its determinants. Methods and Findings: We described length of stay after facility delivery in 92 countries. We then created a conceptual framework of the main drivers of length of stay, and explored factors associated with length of stay in 30 countries using multivariable linear regression. Finally, we used multivariable logistic regression to examine the factors associated with stays that were “too short” (<24 h for vaginal deliveries and <72 h for cesarean-section deliveries). Across countries, the mean length of stay ranged from 1.3 to 6.6 d: 0.5 to 6.2 d for singleton vaginal deliveries and 2.5 to 9.3 d for cesarean-section deliveries. The percentage of women staying too short ranged from 0.2% to 83% for vaginal deliveries and from 1% to 75% for cesarean-section deliveries. Our conceptual framework identified three broad categories of factors that influenced length of stay: need-related determinants that required an indicated extension of stay, and health-system and woman/family dimensions that were drivers of inappropriately short or long stays. The factors identified as independently important in our regression analyses included cesarean-section delivery, birthweight, multiple birth, and infant survival status. Older women and women whose infants were delivered by doctors had extended lengths of stay, as did poorer women. Reliance on factors captured in secondary data that were self-reported by women up to 5 y after a live birth was the main limitation. Conclusions: Length of stay after childbirth is very variable between countries. Substantial proportions of women stay too short to receive adequate postnatal care. We need to ensure that facilities have skilled birth attendants and effective elements of care, but also that women stay long enough to benefit from these. The challenge is to commit to achieving adequate lengths of stay in low- and middle-income countries, while ensuring any additional time is used to provide high-quality and respectful care

Study on the Effect of Cold Plasma on the Germination and Growth of Durum Wheat Seeds Contaminated with Fusarium Graminearum

Cold plasmais a potentially new method of controlling diseases caused by fungal pathogens. In this investigation the effect of treatment with cold plasma of durum wheat seeds contaminated with Fusarium graminearum on the germination and growth of plants was studied. Plants of 6 durum wheat varieties were pre-contaminated with spore suspension of Fusarium graminearum. The harvested seeds were treated with cold plasma in 4 variants%253A 1ndash%253B direct treatment with Argon plasma torch sustained by travelling electromagnetic wave%253B 2 ndash%253B treatment with the same plasma torch of seeds in 20 ml distilled water%253B 3 ndash%253B underwater diaphragm discharge treatment in the container with applied voltage of 15 kV electrode, denoted by %2B%253B 4 ndash%253B underwater diaphragm discharge treatment in the container with grounded electrode, denoted by ndash%253B. Two control variants were used ndash%253B dry not treated contaminated seeds and wet not treated contaminated seeds. After the treatment the seeds were placed in petri dishes for germination. Sprouted seeds were planted in pots with soil mixture and cultivated to maturity in green house conditions in Field Crops Institute ndash%253BChirpan, Bulgaria in 2017%252F2018 year. The effect of the treatment on the following traits were studied%253A germination rate, days to heading, plant high, parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence during the grain filling, spike length, kernel number per spike, kernel weight per spike, TKW and obtained ill (Fusarium graminearum) and healthy seeds. The results received were processed statistically via two-way ANOVA and Duncans multiple range test. The analysis of variance reveals that the genotype, treatment with cold plasma and the interactions between them have a statistically significant effect on the variation of the germination rate. The best germination rate (means from all genotypes) was obtained by treatment with cold plasma variant 1 - direct treatment with Argon plasma torch sustained by travelling electromagnetic wave and variant 3 - underwater diaphragm discharge treatment in the container with applied voltage of 15 kV electrode, denoted by %2B. After the germination the number of seeds contaminated with Fusarium graminearum was the lowest after variant 4 in the treatment of three of the studied varieties. Stimulating effect of the cold plasma treatment on the plant growth was found in 4 genotypes. Varieties Elbrus, Progres, Deni and Zvezdica were with higher PH during the grain filling. The results from the influence of cold plasma on the other studied traits will be processed after the plant maturation and will be included in the final version of the paper. Acknowledgments%253A This work was supported by Bulgarian National Science Fund under Grant No DH08%252F8, 2016

SURFACE-WAVE-SUSTAINED ARGON PLASMA TORCH FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

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Caesarean Section Provision and Capacity in Health Facilities in Tanzania

The national caesarean rate in Tanzania increased from 2% in 1996 to 6% in 2015-16 (3x increase). Over the same period, the absolute number of caesareans performed increased from 26,000/year to 118,000/year (5x increase). Continuous electricity is widely available in facilities performing caesareans, however availability of trained anaesthesia staff and general anaesthesia equipment is low, compromising the safety of caesarean sections. Several recommendations emerge from our findings to enhance safe caesarean care in Tanzania: (1) improve the availability of anaesthesia equipment and providers, (2) improve the environment for quality surgical services, (3) focus improvement efforts on public and FBO hospitals first, (4) support caesarean providers in low-volume facilities, (5) review the target on surgical provision in health centres, and (6) investigate adherence to infection prevention and control measures

Two decades of antenatal and delivery care in Uganda: a cross-sectional study using Demographic and Health Surveys.

BACKGROUND: Uganda halved its maternal mortality to 343/100,000 live births between 1990 and 2015, but did not meet the Millennium Development Goal 5. Skilled, timely and good quality antenatal (ANC) and delivery care can prevent the majority of maternal/newborn deaths and stillbirths. We examine coverage, equity, sector of provision and content of ANC and delivery care between 1991 and 2011. METHODS: We conducted a repeated cross-sectional study using four Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys (1995, 2000, 2006 and 2011).Using the most recent live birth and adjusting for survey sampling, we estimated percentage and absolute number of births with ANC (any and 4+ visits), facility delivery, caesarean sections and complete maternal care. We assessed socio-economic differentials in these indicators by wealth, education, urban/rural residence, and geographic zone on the 1995 and 2011 surveys. We estimated the proportions of ANC and delivery care provided by the public and private (for-profit and not-for-profit) sectors, and compared content of ANC and delivery care between sectors. Statistical significance of differences were evaluated using chi-square tests. RESULTS: Coverage with any ANC remained high over the study period (> 90% since 2001) but was of insufficient frequency; < 50% of women who received any ANC reported 4+ visits. Facility-based delivery care increased slowly, reaching 58% in 2011. While significant inequalities in coverage by wealth, education, residence and geographic zone remained, coverage improved for all indicators among the lowest socio-economic groups of women over time. The private sector market share declined over time to 14% of ANC and 25% of delivery care in 2011. Only 10% of women with 4+ ANC visits and 13% of women delivering in facilities received all measured care components. CONCLUSIONS: The Ugandan health system had to cope with more than 30,000 additional births annually between 1991 and 2011. The majority of women in Uganda accessed ANC, but this contact did not result in care of sufficient frequency, content, and continuum of care (facility delivery). Providers in both sectors require quality improvements. Achieving universal health coverage and maternal/newborn SDGs in Uganda requires prioritising poor, less educated and rural women despite competing priorities for financial and human resources

Травмирование зерна при низкоскоростном соударении с поверхностями рабочих органов подъемно-­транспортных машин

To reduce the damage level of wheat grains during its post-harvest processing, it is proposed to replace steel working parts in lifting and transporting machines with polymer ones.(Research purpose) Experimentally determine the dependence of the degree of wheat grain damage on the number of collisions, the incidence angle and the hoisting-and-transport machines working parts surface material when the grain moves at a speed of up to 3.5 meters per second.(Materials and methods) Experiments were carried out on a unit that reproduced the low-speed collision conditions of wheat grains with a smooth steel or plastic surface plate at various angles of incidence and the number of impacts.(Results and discussion) The authors identified a significant reduction in grain damage in a collision with a plastic plate compared to a steel plate – by 8-10 percentage points – is observed only at incidence angles of 60-90 degrees and the number of strokes from 5 to 10. It was found that at incidence angle up to 60 degrees, the specified difference didn’t exceed 4 percentage points and reached zero at an angle of 45 degrees. The low efficiency of replacing steel working parts with plastic ones to reduce grain damage when driving at low speed was explained by the weak manifestation of the decrease effect in the potential energy of grain deformation upon impact on a plastic surface at a collision low speed.(Conclusions) The authors determined that when grains moved at a speed of less than 3.5 meters per second in a rarefied stream without interaction between them, when individual grains collided with the hoisting-and-transport machines working parts, replacing steel working parts with plastic ones was impractical.Для снижения уровня травмирования зерна пшеницы при его послеуборочной обработке предлагают заменять стальные рабочие органы в подъемно-транспортных машинах на полимерные.(Цель исследования) Экспериментально определить зависимость степени травмирования зерна пшеницы от количества соударений, угла падения и материала поверхности рабочих органов подъемно-транспортных машин при движении зерна со скоростью до 3,5 метра в секунду.(Материалы и методы) Провели эксперименты на установке, воспроизводящей условия низкоскоростного соударения зерен пшеницы с гладкой поверхностью пластины из стали или пластика при различных углах падения и количестве ударов.(Результаты и обсуждение) Установили, что существенное снижение травмирования зерна при столкновении с пластиковой пластиной по сравнению со стальной – на 8-10 процентных пунктов – наблюдается лишь при углах падения 60-90 градусов и количестве ударов от 5 до 10. Выявили, что при угле падения до 60 градусов указанная разница не превышает 4 процентных пунктов и достигает нуля при угле 45 градусов. Низкую эффективность замены стальных рабочих органов на пластиковые для снижения травмирования зерна при движении с низкой скоростью объяснили слабым проявлением эффекта уменьшения потенциальной энергии деформации зерна при ударе о пластиковую поверхность при малой скорости их соударения.(Выводы) Определили, что при движения зерен со скоростью менее 3,5 метра в секунду в разреженном потоке без взаимодействия между ними, когда происходит соударение отдельных зерен с рабочими органами подъемно-транспортных машин, замена стальных рабочих органов на пластиковые нецелесообразна