Difficulties in Manipulating the Female Artificial Urinary Sphincter Pump: Prevalence and Management.

Purpose: While pump manipulation is rarely problematic in male patients with artificial urinary sphincters (AUSs), the situation may differ in female patients due to anatomical or cultural factors. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of difficulties in pump manipulation among female AUS patients, identify associated risk factors, and explore management strategies for this challenging issue.

Methods: Data were collected from all female patients who underwent a robotic AUS implantation at a single academic center between 2014 and 2022.

THE NIGERIAN ATRIAL FIBRILLATION NATIONAL REGISTRY: RATIONALE, DESIGN AND EARLY FINDINGS.

Introduction/background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia. The AF Atrial Fibrillation Registry, which commenced in June 2023, was designed to provide clinical epidemiological data on patients with AF in the country.

Objective(s): The objective is to describe the rationale, design, and early findings from the registry.

Anaemia in Hospitalized Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Study of Two Cohorts before and after the Guideline Update.

Introduction: The incidence of anaemia and its consequences are often underestimated during cancer management. We propose to evaluate the situation before and after the recommendations were updated in order to assess their impact on the day-to-day practice.

Methods: In this single-centre retrospective study, eligible patients were treated for cancer and warranted overnight hospitalization over two periods (n = 206 in 2011, n = 143 in 2018).

16S-Metagenomic data profiling of the bacterial community in ready-to-eat vegetable salads sold in Kampala, Uganda.

This article presents a dataset on bacterial community structure associated with Ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetable salads sold in Kampala City, Uganda. The Illumina Miseq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicon unveiled the bacterial communities and generated a metagenomic library from RTE vegetable salads to understand the diversities and distribution. The metagenome contained a total of 23,805 sequences with 35,420 Taxonomic units (OTUs).

Tobacco use in Haiti: findings from demographic and health survey.

Introduction: Although tobacco has harmful effects on the physical and mental health of individuals, its use remains significant, according to the World Health Organization. To understand this phenomenon, studies have been carried out in many countries around the world, while in Haiti where more than 5,000 people die each year due to tobacco use, little is known about the use of this substance. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and the factors associated with tobacco use in Haiti.

Unit Warm-up: Jump start into tertiary studies.

Background: A high level of preparedness for engagement is essential for a smooth transition into tertiary studies. Regardless, many first-year nursing students appear underprepared, a situation likely exacerbated by today's increasingly diverse student population. Students' preparedness to begin tertiary education can be hampered by factors such as environmental changes, technical issues and paid work demands.

Using geophysics to guide the selection of suitable sites for establishing sustainable earthen fishponds in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria.

Water retention in earthen fishponds throughout a fish farming cycle is challenging due to climate-induced water loss via evapotranspiration, seepages, and lowering of the groundwater table. These processes depend on the soil hydrostratigraphic condition and constitute a major challenge for fish farmers in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria, where seasonal variations cause groundwater levels to fluctuate. This study assesses the use of non-invasive geophysical methods, including electrical resistivity and induced polarization, to guide the selection of sites with appropriate hydrostratigraphic conditions for establishing earthen fishponds.

Advancements in theoretical and experimental investigations on diamane materials.

Technology-driven modern civilization demands new materials as its backbone. Consequently, based on intense research, a promising candidate, diamane, which is a two-dimensional (2D) form of diamond with a bilayer sp carbon nanostructure, has been proposed and recently achieved from bi-layer graphene (BLG) or few-layer graphene (FLG) through high-pressure technology or surface chemical adsorption. This material has been reported to possess a tunable bandgap, excellent heat transfer ability, ultralow friction, and high natural frequency, which can be a potential asset for cutting-edge technological applications, including quantum devices, photonics, nano-electrical devices, and even space technologies.

Lycopene abolishes palmitate-mediated myocardial inflammation in female Wistar rats via modulation of lipid metabolism, NF-κB signalling pathway, and augmenting the antioxidant systems.

Background And Aims: Obesity-related heart failure is exacerbated by excessive intake of saturated fats such as palmitate (PA). Lycopene (LYC) possesses anti-lipidemic, antioxidant, cytoprotective, and anti-inflammatory effects. This study, therefore, evaluated the impact of LYC against PA-invoked cardiotoxicity.

Socio-economic and demographic factors influencing open defecation in Haiti: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Open defecation (OD) remains an important public health challenge in Haiti. The practice poses a significantly high risk of disease transmission. Considering these negative health consequences, this paper aims to identify socio-economic and demographic factors that influence OD practice among households in Haiti.

Insufficient yet improving involvement of the global south in top sustainability science publications.

The creation of global research partnerships is critical to produce shared knowledge for the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Sustainability science promotes the coproduction of inter- and transdisciplinary knowledge, with the expectation that studies will be carried out through groups and truly collaborative networks. As a consequence, sustainability research, in particular that published in high impact journals, should lead the way in terms of ethical partnership in scientific collaboration.

Effectiveness of an electronic clinical decision support system in improving the management of childhood illness in primary care in rural Nigeria: an observational study.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of ALgorithm for the MANAgement of CHildhood illness ('ALMANACH'), a digital clinical decision support system (CDSS) based on the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness, on health and quality of care outcomes for sick children attending primary healthcare (PHC) facilities.

Design: Observational study, comparing outcomes of children attending facilities implementing ALMANACH with control facilities not yet implementing ALMANACH.

Setting: PHC facilities in Adamawa State, North-Eastern Nigeria.

Assessment of the Quality of COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Testing in the Testing Sites of Ekiti State, Nigeria: A Quality Improvement Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Antigen rapid diagnostic testing (Ag-RDT) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an important testing technique used for the control and containment of COVID-19. This study aims to assess the quality of COVID-19 Ag-RDT in the testing sites in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Methods A validated World Health Organization (WHO) questionnaire was used to collect data from 138 testing sites located in 138 health facilities in Ekiti State.

Isometric Handgrip Exercise Training Improves Spirometric Parameters and Pulmonary Capacity.

Decline in normal physiological pulmonary function has been attributed to premorbid conditions such as prehypertension. Research evidence suggests that physical activity reduces age-related decline in pulmonary function and improves the efficiency of the lungs in prehypertensive patients. However, there is a scarcity of data evidence relating to isometric exercise and pulmonary function.

The Need for Adult Pneumococcal Vaccination in Nigeria.

Despite universal immunization coverage on a global scale among children, the vast majority of immunocompromised adults, and particularly the elderly, remain unvaccinated. Considering that a significant proportion of mortality from pneumococcal disease occurs among the elderly, preventive measures through pneumococcal vaccination in adults, especially the elderly with co-morbidities, needs to be urgently explored and implemented in Africa, and particularly in Nigeria, to stem the tide of deaths resulting from pneumococcal disease among this population. This article looks at the pneumococcal epidemiology and burden of disease in Nigeria, as well as the vaccines available and the rationale for adult pneumococcal vaccination.

Recently Emerging Nanotechnological Advancements in Polymer Nanocomposite Coatings for Anti-corrosion, Anti-fouling and Self-healing.

Recent nanotechnological advancements have enabled novel innovations in protective polymer nanocomposites (PNC) coatings for anti-corrosion, anti-fouling and self-healing services on material surfaces. Nanotechnology encompases research, manufacturing, and application of nanoparticulate architectures, tubular structures, sheets or plates exhibiting sizes below 100 nanometers (nm) in at least a single dimension. Inclusions of nanoparticles into organic entities have demonstrated enhanced properties essential for attainiment of aesthetics, anti-corrosion, thermal stability for high-temperature performances, mechanical strength essential for resisting coating deterioration in harsh environments, nano-architectural cross-linking capable of hindering penetration of corrosive, and biofouling entities.

High Lead Exposure Associated With Higher Blood Pressure in Haiti: a Warning Sign for Low-Income Countries.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in lower-income countries including Haiti. Environmental lead exposure is associated with high blood pressure and cardiovascular mortality in high-income countries but has not been systematically measured and evaluated as a potential modifiable cardiovascular risk factor in lower-income countries where 6.5 billion people reside.

Lycopene alleviates Western diet-induced elevations in anthropometrical indices of obesity, adipose lipids, and other nutritional parameters.

Given the unrelenting surge in the prevalence of obesity and the intensified efforts aimed at elucidating underlying mechanisms and proffering effective treatments, this study investigated the effects of lycopene on various anthropometrical indices of obesity. Thirty female Wistar rats were equally divided into two groups and fed either control diet or Western diet. After eight weeks, obese rats (fed Western diet) were divided into three groups (n=5); obese control received the vehicle, while the other two received lycopene (0.

Molecular detection and characterization of var using skin scrapings and skin biopsies.

Canine sarcopticosis is a highly infectious and debilitating parasitic skin disease of dogs. Its diagnosis stands challenging as the golden standard of diagnosis; skin scraping microscopy is characterized by several diagnostic variations. Study thus employed several alternate diagnostic approaches using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) on skin scrapings and skin biopsies.

Malrotation of the midgut associated with horseshoe kidney presenting as gastric outlet obstruction in a 15-year-old boy.

Malrotation occurs in approximately 1 in 500 live births. However, the true incidence of malrotation is unknown since many asymptomatic patients fail to present. Approximately 90% of patients with malrotation are diagnosed within the 1 year of life.