How can detection of infectious tuberculosis be improved? Experience in the Somali region of Ethiopia.

In early 1999, 48% of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) cases detected in the Somali region of Ethiopia were smear-positive. Actions at the laboratory level and peer-review of smear-negative PTB diagnoses were proposed. Clinicians knew, but did not adhere to, the algorithm recommended by the National Tuberculosis Programme for these diagnoses, partly due to the costs involved to patients. Challenging clinicians, in a non-threatening way, to become more clinically rigorous proved successful, and the proportion of smear-positive PTB increased to 65%. Operational research is needed to assess the feasibility of these widely-recommended smear-negative PTB diagnosis guidelines.     

Investigation on Control Burned of Bagasse Ash on the Properties of Bagasse Ash-Blended Mortars

In recent years, partial replacement of cement with bagasse ash has been given attention for construction application due to its pozzolanic characteristics. Sugarcane bagasse ash and fine bagasse particles are abundant byproducts of the sugar industries and are disposed of in landfills. Our study presents the effect of burning bagasse at different temperatures (300 °C and 600 °C) on the compressive strength and physical properties of bagasse ash-blended mortars. Experimental results have revealed that bagasse produced more amorphous silica with very low carbon contents when it was burned at 600 °C/2 h. The compressive strength of mortar was improved when 5% bagasse ash replaced ordinary portland cement (OPC) at early curing ages. The addition of 10% bagasse ash cement also increased the compressive strength of mortars at 14 and 28 days of curing. However, none of the bagasse ash-blended portland pozzolana cement (PPC) mortars have shown improvement on compressive strength with the addition of bagasse ash. Characterization of bagasse ash was done using XRD, DTA-TGA, SEM, and atomic absorption spectrometry. Moreover, durability of mortars was checked by measuring water absorption and apparent porosity for bagasse ash-blended mortars.     

Factors Affecting Contraceptive Use in Ethiopian: A Generalized Linear Mixed Effect Model

BackgroundEthiopia is the second most populous nations in Africa. Family planning is a viable solution to control such fast-growing population. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of contraceptive use and its predictors in Ethiopia.MethodsAbout 4,563 women were drawn randomly by Central Statistics Agency from its master sampling frame. The survey was conducted from January, 2014 to March, 2016 within six months'' interval for the study period. The study was conducted using secondary data collected by PMA2020/Ethiopia project. Negative Binomial regression model was employed for data analysis. The model was selected using information criterion.ResultsPredictors like easy access of health service, residence area, level of health institutions, regions, availability of community health volunteers, experience sharing, support from husbands, level of education and employment status of women as well as residence area significantly affected the performance of contraceptive use in Ethiopia. From the interaction effects of health centers with region and health post with number of opening days per a week were significant predictors of the contraceptive use.ConclusionThe performance of contraceptive use was different from one individual to another because of their experience sharing, support from their husbands, employment status and education level. A woman who got encouragement to use birth control from her husband had good performance to be effective for her contraceptive use. There should be an experience sharing/orientation, about use of birth control to protect women from unwanted pregnancy. Hence, rural women should get experience from urban women.     

Total Mesorectal Excision for Rectal Cancer: Difference in Outcome for Low and High Rectal Cancer

PURPOSE This prospective study was designed to assess the outcome through the first five years after the introduction of total mesorectal excision in 1993 in a Norwegian central hospital, with special regard to the difference between low (≤6 cm from anal verge) and high (>6 cm) rectal cancers. METHODS A total of 140 patients (81 males; median age, 64 (range, 29–87) years) underwent surgery for rectal cancer under curative intention. RESULTS Local recurrence rates were 8 of 44 (18 percent) for the low cancers and 5 of 96 (5 percent) for the high, a statistically significant difference (P = 0.0014). Corresponding numbers when the R1 resections are excluded were 5 of 36 (13 percent) for the low and 4 of 92 (4 percent) for the high cancers (P = 0.002). The five-year survival after R0 resections of cancers <6 cm was significantly reduced compared with those >6 cm. The five-year overall survival for the whole material was 72 percent. CONCLUSIONS Surgery alone for rectal cancer can achieve overall good results, with five-year overall survival of 72 percent. The prognosis of the cancers of the lower rectum seems to be inherently different from the tumors of the higher level, both concerning local recurrence and five-year survival, suggesting different biologic behavior of the two cancers. Presented at the meeting of the Norwegian Surgical Society, Oslo, Norway, October 18 to 22, 2004.     

Influence of neutropenia on the course of serotype 8 pneumococcal pneumonia in mice

Polymorphoneutrophils (PMNs) are important effector cells in host defense against pneumonia. However, PMNs can also induce inflammation and tissue damage. To investigate the contribution of PMNs to host defense against pneumococcal pneumonia, we determined the effect of the PMN-depleting rat monoclonal antibody RB6-8C5 (RB6) on survival and inflammatory and cellular response in the lungs to a lethal intranasal infection with a serotype 8 pneumococcus in BALB/c mice. Control mice received rat immunoglobulin G (rIgG). Strikingly, the survival of RB6-treated mice was significantly prolonged compared to that of rIgG-treated mice. Although the numbers of CFU in the lungs were statistically similar in both groups 4, 24, and 32 h after infection, rIgG-treated mice developed higher levels of bacteremia, and histopathological examination of the lungs of infected mice revealed marked differences between RB6- and rIgG-treated mice. RB6-treated mice had focal, perivascular lesions without accompanying parenchymal inflammation, and rIgG-treated mice had diffuse, interstitial parenchymal inflammation. Lung homogenates from the rIgG-treated mice had more leukocytes and significantly more total and apoptotic PMNs as determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis with Annexin V and terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling staining of lung tissue samples. Studies with a pneumolysin-deficient mutant of the serotype 8 strain we used also demonstrated the prolonged survival of RB6- compared to rIgG-treated mice. Taken together, our findings suggest that PMNs enhance the likelihood of early death and alter the pathological response to pneumococcal lung infection in BALB/c mice with serotype 8 pneumonia without significantly affecting bacterial clearance or the cytokine response.     

Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Vegetables Grown Using Paper Mill Wastewater in Wonji Gefersa,Ethiopia

Heavy metals are among the major contaminants of vegetables. A study was conducted at Wonji Gefersa farms where paper wastewater is used for cultivation of vegetable crops. Four vegetable samples, namely Swiss chard, carrot, tomato, green pepper, as well as paper wastewater were examined for heavy metal [Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Cadmium (Cd), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr) and Cobalt (Co)] contamination using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The levels of Pb, Cd and Cr in paper wastewater were all above the safe limit for FAO standards for wastewater quality for irrigation. The concentration of Pb in Swiss chard and Green peeper was exceeded the permissible limits. The study reveals that Pb metal contamination in the study area which poses health risk with time unless an urgent step is taken by relevant agencies to address this issue.     

D1 dopamine receptor regulates alcohol-motivated behaviors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in alcohol-preferring (P) rats

Recent studies have implicated the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) as a potential brain substrate for mediating drug-related behaviors. Neuroanatomical studies have demonstrated that reciprocal projections exist from the BST to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a dopamine reward substrate proposed to play a role in alcohol abuse. In the present study, we evaluated the role of the D(1) and D(2) dopamine receptors of the BST in regulating alcohol and sucrose-motivated behaviors. Alcohol-preferring (P) rats were trained under an FR4 operant schedule to self-administer either EtOH (10% v/v) or sucrose (2% w/v). Following training, we evaluated the capacity of a competitive D(1) (SCH 23390; 0.5-20.0 microg) and a D(2) (eticlopride; 0.5-20.0 microg) dopamine antagonist to selectively reduce EtOH-maintained responding. Naltrexone, (5-30.0 microg), the nonselective opioid antagonist, was used as a reference agent. The results showed that SCH 23390 dose-dependently reduced alcohol-motivated responding. Responding was reduced with the 20.0 microg dose to about 97% of control levels. SCH 23390 also reduced sucrose responding; however, the magnitude of effects was substantially lower with the highest doses (2.5, 20.0 microg) (68-79% of control levels). In contrast, eticlopride failed to significantly alter alcohol responding and reduced sucrose responding only with the 10.0 microg dose. Unlike the dopamine antagonists, all naltrexone doses failed to alter EtOH or sucrose-maintained responding. The results suggest a salient role for the D(1), but not the D(2) and opioid receptors in selectively modulating EtOH-motivated behaviors in the BST.