Urinary incontinence following successful closure of obstetric vesicovaginal fistula repair in Southern Ethiopia.

Background: Urinary incontinence (UI) after successful closure of obstetric vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) repair is a widely recognized public health problem. However, there is insufficient research evaluating the factors associated with UI after successful obstetric VVF repair in Ethiopia.

Objectives: The main aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and associated factors of UI following the successful closure of obstetric VVF repair at the Yirgalem Hamlin Fistula Center in the Sidama region of southern Ethiopia.

Preoperative anxiety and associated factors among women admitted for elective obstetric and gynecologic surgery in public hospitals, Southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Preoperative anxiety is a major mental health problem during the preoperative period. Admission of women to surgery is stressful, and a high level of anxiety was associated with increased perioperative morbidity and mortality, poor treatment satisfaction, and bad obstetric outcomes, including long-term cognitive impairment in children. Despite its negative consequences, little is known on this area, particularly in the study area.

Maternal complications and associated factors among mothers who underwent a cesarean section at Gebretsadik Shewa general hospital: an institution based cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Cesarean sections have played a major role in lowering maternal morbidity and mortality rates, but are a major concern in developing countries. This study aims to assess the magnitude of maternal complication and its associated factors among women who underwent a cesarean section at Gebretsadik Shewa general hospital, Southwest Ethiopia.

Method: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gebretsadik Shewa general hospital.

Antenatal physical exercise level and its associated factors among pregnant women in Hawassa city, Sidama Region, Ethiopia.

Background: Antenatal physical exercise has roles in health maintenance, prevention, and treatment of disease for pregnant women and fetuses. Different organizations and medical institutions prescribe regular physical exercise during the antenatal period. Despite this, the pregnant populations are less active and decrease their exercise levels during pregnancy than in their non-pregnant state.

Multilevel analysis of the predictors of completion of the continuum of maternity care in Ethiopia; using the recent 2019 Ethiopia mini demographic and health survey.

Background: Despite the significant benefit of the continuum of care to avert maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, still the dropout from the continuum of care remains high and continued to become a challenge in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of completion along the continuum of maternity care and its predictors among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia.

Methods: A secondary data analysis was done using the 2019 mini Ethiopian demographic health survey.

Comparative evaluation of H- versus H-based enrichment factor determination on the uncertainty and accuracy of low-level tritium analyses of environmental waters.

Analysis of low-level tritium (H) in environmental waters requires pre-concentration using electrolytic enrichment prior to decay counting. Accurate and precise electrolytic enrichment factors (EF) are required to determine the sample's environmental H concentration. Two methods are used to determine EFs: i) the Spike Proxy Method (SPM) and ii) the Deuterium Method (DM) with each having several modalities.

A laboratory information management system for the analysis of tritium (H) in environmental waters.

Accurate and precise measurements of low levels of tritium (H) in environmental waters are difficult to attain due to complex steps of sample preparation, electrolytic enrichment, liquid scintillation decay counting, and extensive data processing. We present a Microsoft Access™ relational database application, TRIMS (Tritium Information Management System) to assist with sample and data processing of tritium analysis by managing the processes from sample registration and analysis to reporting and archiving. A complete uncertainty propagation algorithm ensures tritium results are reported with robust uncertainty metrics.

A compact tritium enrichment unit for large sample volumes with automated re-filling and higher enrichment factor.

Tritium (H) in natural waters is a powerful tracer of hydrological processes, but its low concentrations require electrolytic enrichment before precise measurements can be made with a liquid scintillation counter. Here, we describe a newly developed, compact tritium enrichment unit which can be used to enrich up to 2L of a water sample. This allows a high enrichment factor (>100) for measuring low H contents of <0.

IAEA Isotope-enabled coupled catchment-lake water balance model, IWBMIso: description and validation.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Water Balance Model with Isotopes (IWBMIso) is a spatially distributed monthly water balance model that considers water fluxes and storages and their associated isotopic compositions. It is composed of a lake water balance model that is tightly coupled with a catchment water balance model. Measured isotope compositions of precipitation, rivers, lakes, and groundwater provide data that can be used to make an improved estimate of the magnitude of the fluxes among the model components.

Measurement of extremely (2) H-enriched water samples by laser spectrometry: application to batch electrolytic concentration of environmental tritium samples.

Rationale: Natural water samples artificially or experimentally enriched in deuterium ((2) H) at concentrations up to 10,000 ppm are required for various medical, environmental and hydrological tracer applications, but are difficult to measure using conventional stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

Methods: Here we demonstrate that off-axis integrated cavity output (OA-ICOS) laser spectrometry, along with (2) H-enriched laboratory calibration standards and appropriate analysis templates, allows for low-cost, fast, and accurate determinations of water samples having δ(2) HVSMOW-SLAP values up to at least 57,000 ‰ (~9000 ppm) at a processing rate of 60 samples per day.

Results: As one practical application, extremely (2) H-enriched samples were measured by laser spectrometry and compared to the traditional (3) H Spike-Proxy method in order to determine tritium enrichment factors in the batch electrolysis of environmental waters.

Oral manifestations of hyperparathyroidism secondary to familial hypophosphatemic rickets.

A 14-year-old male with familial hypophosphatemic rickets, being treated with oral phosphate and calcitriol therapy, presented to the Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa. A panoramic radiograph showed multifocal, multilocular lesions in the mandible leading to surgical exploration and biopsy. Histopathological evaluation of the largest lesion showed features consistent with central giant cell granuloma.

Infantile hypophosphatasia secondary to a novel compound heterozygous mutation presenting with pyridoxine-responsive seizures.

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare metabolic disease with the hallmark finding of deficient serum tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP) activity. TNSALP is primarily known for its role in mineralization; hence, HPP is characterized by defective mineralization of bone and/or teeth. TNSALP is also necessary for proper vitamin B6 metabolism and its participation as a cofactor for neurotransmitters in the central nervous system.

Ankylosing spondylitis in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) represents a chronic inflammatory bone disease of the axial skeleton that manifests as chronic back pain and progressive stiffness of the spine. It characteristically affects young adults with a peak age of onset between 20-30 years. In contrast to Western Europe and North America, the disease is rare in Sub-Saharan Africa where the majority of the population is HLA-B27 negative.