The role of medical-grade maggots in facilitating healing of diabetic foot ulcers in Kano, northern Nigeria: a case series.

Objective: Approximately 13% of people living with diabetes develop one or more ulcers during the course of the disease, and diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is responsible for >60% of lower limb amputations worldwide. This case series aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of medical-grade maggots on DFUs in promoting wound healing and reducing related hospital stays in northern Nigeria.

Method: Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) was applied to the DFUs of patients who consented to this treatment between January-August 2021 at the Orthopaedic Unit of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, Nigeria.

Outcome of percutaneous reconstruction of chronic lateral collateral ligament rupture.

Purpose: Many techniques have been described for the reconstruction of chronic lateral collateral ligament (LCL) rupture with different autograft options. The advantages of percutaneous LCL reconstruction include small incisions, minimal soft tissue disruption, less postoperative pain, and speedy rehabilitation and recovery. The aim of this study was to report the functional outcome of percutaneous LCL reconstruction and overall patient satisfaction in Africans.

Efficiency and productivity analysis of maternal and infant healthcare services in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The paper examines the efficiency and productivity of Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries towards maternal and infant healthcare services between 2015 and 2019. Data envelopment analysis is utilised to evaluate efficiency, and Malmquist-Luenberger's (ML) productivity estimation is employed for productivity analysis. The results indicate inefficiency in SSA maternal and infant healthcare services.

A qualitative analysis of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Lagos, Nigeria: Client and provider perspectives on the plan, the process and the progress.

Mass vaccination has proven useful in the control of COVID-19, though vaccine rollout has met major challenges. The learning curve of this process has been valuable. This qualitative study aimed to assess the plan, the process and the progress of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Lagos, Nigeria.

People's willingness to use COVID-19 self-testing in Nigeria: a cross-sectional survey.

Objectives: Nigeria has been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the poor testing coverage in the country may make controlling the spread of COVID-19 challenging. The aim of this study was to assess the general public's acceptability of SARS-CoV-2 self-testing as an approach which could help to address this gap.

Setting: A household-based survey was conducted in five urban and five rural local government areas in the states of Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Kaduna and Lagos, in mid-2021.

Efficiency and productivity analysis of innovation, human capital, environmental, and economic sustainability nexus: case of MENA countries.

Innovation, human capital, economic, and environmental nexus is essential in sustainable development. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is an emerging market with the potential to transcend the dilemma of attaining economic and environmental sustainability. Data envelopment analysis through the Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index is utilized to estimate MENA country's innovation, human capital, economic, and economic sustainability efficiency and productivity.

Physicochemical analysis and intermediate pyrolysis of Bambara Groundnut Shell (BGS), Sweet Sorghum Stalk (SSS), and Shea Nutshell (SNS).

The current work focused on the intermediate pyrolysis of Bambara Groundnut Shells (BGS-G1), Sweet Sorghum Stalk (SSS), and Shea Nutshells (SNS). These feedstocks are readily available as wastes or by-products from industrial and agricultural activities. The thermo-gravimetric analysis of the biomass samples exhibited decomposition and devolatilization potentials in the temperature range of 110-650°C.

Efficiency Analysis of Syrian Refugees' Healthcare Services in Turkey and Other 3RP States.

Access to healthcare for refugees is often contextually and conceptually diverse. This study set out to evaluate the efficiency of the healthcare services provided for Syrian refugees in Turkey and other refugee response and resilience plan (3RP) states. Data envelopment analysis is utilized for efficiency analysis using primary healthcare system indicators.

Maggot debridement therapy and complementary wound care: a case series from Nigeria.

Objective: Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) is an emerging procedure involving the application of sterile maggots of the Dipteran species (commonly ) to effect debridement, disinfection and promote healing in wounds not responding to antimicrobial therapy. Data on MDT in sub-Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) are scarce. This study aimed to use medicinal grade maggots as a complementary method to debride hard-to-heal necrotic ulcers and thereby promote wound healing.

Early Functional Outcome of Hemiarthroplasty in the Elderly with Neck of Femur Fracture: A Single Centre's Experience.

Introduction: Neck of femur fractures in the elderly population are common and often a devastating condition. The optimal treatment has been a subject of debate. Arthroplasty has been shown to be the most viable treatment option.

Extraskeletal Osteosarcoma: A Case Report.

Extraskeletal osteosarcoma (ESO) is a rare form of osteosarcoma that has no attachment to bone and can be found in the thigh, retroperitoneum, chest, breast, orbit, retropharyngeal space etc. Literature about ESO is still mainly case reports and case series with few reported cases in our environment. We therefore report this 52-year-old with swelling at the left shoulder which progressed over a 3-year period.

Quality of Life Following Hemiarthroplasty in the Elderly.

Background: Fracture neck of femur in the elderly population, are common and often a devastating condition leading to morbidity and sometimes even mortality if not treated or appropriately addressed. The optimal treatment has been a subject of debate. Arthroplasty or surgical fixation gives good outcome among others.

Post-Ebola Syndrome Presents With Multiple Overlapping Symptom Clusters: Evidence From an Ongoing Cohort Study in Eastern Sierra Leone.

Background: Following the 2013-2016 West African Ebola outbreak, distinct, persistent health complaints were recognized in Ebola virus disease (EVD) survivors. Here we provide an in-depth characterization of post-Ebola syndrome >2.5 years after resolution of disease.

Integrated analysis of energy-economic development-environmental sustainability nexus: Case study of MENA countries.

The new industrialization necessitates the integration of energy efficiency, economic development, and environmental sustainability. However, quantifying the efficiency of renewable energy towards economic development is an ongoing debate. On this basis, this study presents a multi net-put efficiency and conventional efficiency approach to analyze non-renewable energy and renewable energy efficiency towards economic development and environmental sustainability nexus.

Transnational resource generativity: Efficiency analysis and target setting of water, energy, land, and food nexus for OECD countries.

Depletion of natural resources needs quantification and efficiency analysis of the use of resources to improve sustainability. This paper evaluates the efficiency of Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) countries in terms of Water-Energy-Land-Food (WELF-Nexus) to ensure sustainability and environmental viability for both present and future generations. An input-output index system is built at a transnational level.

Dry Gangrene in Children with Typhoid Intestinal Perforation: A Report of Two Cases.

Intestinal perforation is a life-threatening complication of typhoid fever commonly seen in developing countries, but extraintestinal complications are infrequently reported. We report herein two cases of gangrene seen in children managed for typhoid intestinal perforation, highlighting the challenges faced in their management.

Efficiency Analysis of Healthcare System in Lebanon Using Modified Data Envelopment Analysis.

The inflow of refugees from Syria into Lebanon necessitates a robust and efficient healthcare system in Lebanon to withstand the growing demand for healthcare service. For this purpose, we evaluate the efficiency of healthcare system in Lebanon from 2000 through 2015 by applying a modified data envelopment analysis (DEA) model. We have selected four output variables: life expectancy at birth, maternal mortality ratio, infant mortality rate, and newly infected with HIV and two input variables: total health expenditure (% of GDP) and number of hospital beds.

Estimating efficiency of Directive 2011/24/EU cross-border healthcare in member states.

Directive 2011/24/EU on patients' rights in cross-border healthcare facilitates EU citizens' access to and reimbursement for healthcare provided or prescribed in a member state other than the member state of affiliation. The efficiency of cross-border healthcare policy is evaluated using data envelopment analysis of relevant items in Eurobarometer Survey on Safety and Quality of Care and Patients' Rights in the EU. Our study shows policy inefficiency in 52% of the 25 EU member states included in the analysis.

An Energy-Efficient Spectrum-Aware Reinforcement Learning-Based Clustering Algorithm for Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks.

It is well-known that clustering partitions network into logical groups of nodes in order to achieve energy efficiency and to enhance dynamic channel access in cognitive radio through cooperative sensing. While the topic of energy efficiency has been well investigated in conventional wireless sensor networks, the latter has not been extensively explored. In this paper, we propose a reinforcement learning-based spectrum-aware clustering algorithm that allows a member node to learn the energy and cooperative sensing costs for neighboring clusters to achieve an optimal solution.

Ebola Virus Epidemiology, Transmission, and Evolution during Seven Months in Sierra Leone.

The 2013-2015 Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic is caused by the Makona variant of Ebola virus (EBOV). Early in the epidemic, genome sequencing provided insights into virus evolution and transmission and offered important information for outbreak response. Here, we analyze sequences from 232 patients sampled over 7 months in Sierra Leone, along with 86 previously released genomes from earlier in the epidemic.

Clinical illness and outcomes in patients with Ebola in Sierra Leone.

Background: Limited clinical and laboratory data are available on patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD). The Kenema Government Hospital in Sierra Leone, which had an existing infrastructure for research regarding viral hemorrhagic fever, has received and cared for patients with EVD since the beginning of the outbreak in Sierra Leone in May 2014.

Methods: We reviewed available epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory records of patients in whom EVD was diagnosed between May 25 and June 18, 2014.

Genomic surveillance elucidates Ebola virus origin and transmission during the 2014 outbreak.

In its largest outbreak, Ebola virus disease is spreading through Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. We sequenced 99 Ebola virus genomes from 78 patients in Sierra Leone to ~2000× coverage. We observed a rapid accumulation of interhost and intrahost genetic variation, allowing us to characterize patterns of viral transmission over the initial weeks of the epidemic.