An assessment of one-on-one inertial shoulder tackles in rugby league using instrumented mouthguards and qualitative video analysis.

In the recent past, head injuries in rugby union and league have been a cause for concern. Making use of instrumented mouthguards enables the recording of head acceleration events (HAE) experienced by athletes in real time. Increased magnitude and frequency of HAEs increases the risk of head injuries such as concussion. The aim of the study was to examine the effect different tackle types have on peak linear acceleration (PLA), peak angular acceleration (PAA) and peak angular velocity (PAV) during one-on-one inertial shoulder tackle HAE. The study involved the analysis of 80 tackles on male Leeds Rhinos players collected over 27 Super League matches. PLA, PAA and PAV of the head were recorded using the instrumented mouthguards with a 5 g or 500 rad/s2 triggering threshold, which is lower than the recommended threshold of 10 g. Qualitative video analysis was done to classify the tackles based on tackle height, tackler and ball carrier speed, tackler and ball carrier body position, tackle direction and whether the tackle was active or passive. Multiple linear regression was done to assess whether the different tackle types influenced PLA, PAA or PAV. Tackler speed and tackle height were determined to be significant predictors of PAV (p < 0.05). An increase in tackle height (B= 2.1, p < 0.05) and tackler speed (B= 1.08, p< 0.05) led to increased PAV. None of the other independent variables significantly predicted PLA, PAA or PAV. Majority of the impacts were below the recommended triggering threshold of 10 g. In conclusion, this study found that an increase in tackler speed and tackle height led to an increase in PAV. In addition to this, the study highlights the efficacy of using a combination of qualitative video analysis and instrumented mouthguards to quantify and categorise HAE in rugby league

Risk factors for persistent infection of non-typhoidal salmonella in poultry farms, North central Nigeria

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : This work is part of the PhD study of A.O.S. All data associated with this work and other components of the PhD study will be permanently archived with the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, South Africa, and will be made available publicly, including the final thesis.SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL : TABLE S1: Categorization of variables based on selected industry standards and peer-reviewed literature; FILE S1: Sample questionnaire for risk factor data collection in the field.Salmonellosis is a bacterial zoonosis causing an array of health conditions. Non-typhoidal salmonellosis (NTS) has a discrete adaptation to certain animals; in poultry, pullorum and fowl typhoid are its primary disease manifestations. The diseases are prevalent in Nigerian poultry and have been well-studied in Nigeria, but less so in North Central Nigeria (NCN). Using field sampling, laboratory methods and a semi-structured questionnaire for 1000 poultry farms in NCN, we explored the incidence and risk factors for the persistence of NTS infection in poultry. Approximately 41.6% of the farms had experienced NTS over the last 18 months. Farm experience of NTS moderately predicted awareness of salmonellosis. Increasing stock in smallholder farms, self-mixing of concentrate on the farm, usage of stream water, pen odour, non-adherence and partial adherence of farms to recommended poultry vaccination against pullorum and fowl typhoid and lack of and non-adherence to biosecurity were identified risk factors that increased the odds of NTS infection in poultry. Antibiotic use practice may have reduced the isolation rate of NTS, yet NTS continues to challenge poultry farms in Nigeria. Identified risk practices must be mitigated intentionally and biosecurity and hygiene must be improved to reduce the burden of NTS.The APC was covered in the publication costs (F.O.F. and A.O.S.).https://www.mdpi.com/journal/antibioticsam2023Veterinary Tropical Disease

Correlation of EGFR, pEGFR and p16INK4 expressions and high risk HPV infection in HIV/AIDS-related squamous cell carcinoma of conjunctiva

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of conjunctiva has increased tenfold in the era of HIV/AIDS. The disease pattern has also changed in Africa, affecting young persons, with peak age-specific incidence of 30-39 years, similar to that of Kaposi sarcoma, a well known HIV/AIDS defining neoplasm. In addition, the disease has assumed more aggressive clinical course. The contributing role of exposure to high risk HPV in the development of SCCC is still emerging. Objective. The present study aimed to investigate if immunohistochemical expressions of EGFR, pEGFR and p16, could predict infection with high risk HPV in HIV-related SCCC. Methods. FFPE tissue blocks of fifty-eight cases diagnosed on hematoxylin and eosin with SCCC between 2005-2011, and subsequently confirmed from medical records to be HIV positive at the department of human pathology, UoN/KNH, were used for the study. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the expressions of p16INK4A, EGFR and pEGFR. This was followed with semi-nested PCR based detection and sequencing of HPV genotypes. The sequences were compared with the GenBank database, and data analyzed for significant statistical correlations using SPSS 16.0. Ethical approval to conduct the study was obtained from KNH-ERC. Results: Out of the fifty-eight cases of SCCC analyzed, twenty-nine (50%) had well differentiated (grade 1), twenty one (36.2%) moderately differentiated (grade 2) while eight (13.8%) had poorly differentiated (grade 3) tumours. Immunohistochemistry assay was done in all the fifty eight studied cases, of which thirty nine cases (67.2%) were positive for p16INK4A staining, forty eight cases (82.8%) for EGFR and fifty one cases (87.9%) showed positivity for p-EGFR. HPV DNA was detected in 4 out of 40 SCCC cases (10%) in which PCR was performed, with HPV16 being the only HPV sub-type detected. Significant statistical association was found between HPV detection and p16INK4 (p=0.000, at 99% C.I) and EGFR (p=0.028, at 95% C.I) expressions, but not pEGFR. In addition, the expressions of these biomarkers did not show any significant association with tumor grades. Conclusion: This study points to an association of high risk HPV with over expressions of p16INK4A and EGFR proteins in AIDS-associated SCCC. © 2014 Mwololo et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Time-series analysis of ruminant foetal wastage at a slaughterhouse in North Central Nigeria between 2001 and 2012

In developing countries, foetal wastage from slaughtered ruminants and the associated economic losses appear to be substantial. However, only a limited number of studies have comprehensively evaluated these trends. In the current study, secondary (retrospective) and primary data were collected and evaluated to estimate the prevalence of foetal wastage from cattle, sheep and goats slaughtered at an abattoir in Minna, Nigeria, over a 12-year period (January 2001 – December 2012). Time-series modelling revealed substantial differences in the rate of foetal wastage amongst the slaughtered species, with more lambs having been wasted than calves or kids. Seasonal effects seem to influence rates of foetal wastage and certain months in the year appear to be associated with higher odds of foetal wastage. Improved management systems are suggested to reduce the risk of foetal losses.http://www.ojvr.org/index.php/ojvrhb201

Estimation of the national disease burden of influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness in Kenya and Guatemala : a novel methodology

Background: Knowing the national disease burden of severe influenza in low-income countries can inform policy decisions around influenza treatment and prevention. We present a novel methodology using locally generated data for estimating this burden. Methods and Findings: This method begins with calculating the hospitalized severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) incidence for children <5 years old and persons ≥5 years old from population-based surveillance in one province. This base rate of SARI is then adjusted for each province based on the prevalence of risk factors and healthcare-seeking behavior. The percentage of SARI with influenza virus detected is determined from provincial-level sentinel surveillance and applied to the adjusted provincial rates of hospitalized SARI. Healthcare-seeking data from healthcare utilization surveys is used to estimate non-hospitalized influenza-associated SARI. Rates of hospitalized and non-hospitalized influenza-associated SARI are applied to census data to calculate the national number of cases. The method was field-tested in Kenya, and validated in Guatemala, using data from August 2009–July 2011. In Kenya (2009 population 38.6 million persons), the annual number of hospitalized influenza-associated SARI cases ranged from 17,129–27,659 for children <5 years old (2.9–4.7 per 1,000 persons) and 6,882–7,836 for persons ≥5 years old (0.21–0.24 per 1,000 persons), depending on year and base rate used. In Guatemala (2011 population 14.7 million persons), the annual number of hospitalized cases of influenza-associated pneumonia ranged from 1,065–2,259 (0.5–1.0 per 1,000 persons) among children <5 years old and 779–2,252 cases (0.1–0.2 per 1,000 persons) for persons ≥5 years old, depending on year and base rate used. In both countries, the number of non-hospitalized influenza-associated cases was several-fold higher than the hospitalized cases. Conclusions: Influenza virus was associated with a substantial amount of severe disease in Kenya and Guatemala. This method can be performed in most low and lower-middle income countries

Twelve tips for integrating podcasts into medical education curricula

Engagement with medical education podcasts among health professions learners has been increasing steadily over the last several years. Prior '12 Tips' publications have focused on helping medical educators create and publish their own podcasts. However, there is a gap in available resources to help educators incorporate an already existing and growing library of medical education podcasts into their curriculum rather than create their own. In this paper, the authors provide medical educators '12 Tips' on how to integrate podcasts into their teaching sessions grounded in fundamental principles of curriculum development, cognitive science, and accessibility

Organic contaminants in the groundwater of the Kerio Valley water basin, Baringo County, Kenya

Currently, groundwater is largely becoming the main source of fresh water in most developing countries. However, various deleterious impacts resulting from anthropogenic activities beneath the earth’s surface have significantly affected groundwater quality, as evidenced in several areas endowed with mineral and hydrocarbon deposits, agricultural activities, and industrial processes. The possible etiological impacts may include cancer and genetic aberrations which result from the toxic effects of organic waterborne contaminants ingested by humans and animals over time. The motivation behind this study was to identify and determine the concentration profiles of various organic pollutants in the wells located along the Kerio Valley water basin near the exploratory wells for hydrocarbons and mining activities. Therefore, this study is necessary in unraveling the level of organic contaminants in the sampled borehole water, which can then be extrapolated to cover other boreholes within the Kerio Valley basin. The study was carried out during the dry season of December 2022. The water samples from the boreholes were extracted using a solid phase extraction procedure and characterized using a gas chromatograph interfaced with a mass selective detector. The findings indicate that benzene derivatives which were mainly xylenes, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, 1-ethyl-3-methylbenzene, 1-methyl-2-propylpentylbenzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, azulene, and pyrene were found in most of the boreholes sampled. Furthermore, long-chain hydrocarbons were present in all groundwater samples with varying concentrations. The concentration of benzene derivatives ranged from 2.84 to 20.47 ppm. However, polycyclic hydrocarbons exhibited the highest concentrations of all organic pollutants, with pyrene giving a concentration of 23.14 ppm, fluoranthene (18.54 ppm), phenanthrene (14.13 ppm) and anthracene (11.06 ppm). According to the findings reported in this study, most of the borehole water in the Kerio Valley basin is contaminated and may be unsafe for drinking. Most of the reported concentration levels were several times higher than the standards of the U.S. Environmental and Protection Agency. However, it is necessary to develop a policy framework on the assessment and monitoring of water quality in the region and propose urgent measures to ensure a clean water supply for the benefit of residents