A comparative study of food safety knowledge among mobile food vendors and canteen food handlers in markets in Kano Metropolis, Northwest Nigeria.

Introduction: foodborne diseases are an emerging public health challenge due to the global increase in vended food. This study aimed to compare food safety knowledge among mobile and canteen food handlers in Kano metropolis.

Methods: a comparative cross-sectional design was used to study 310 mobile food vendors and 310 canteen food handlers selected using a multi-stage sampling technique.

Challenges of consolidating evidence collected during a pandemic and lessons for the future.

Objective: To illustrate the challenges encountered when gathering rapidly synthesized evidence in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods: In this article, we describe the challenges encountered when we performed a systematic literature review (SLR) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the efficacy and safety of treatments for severe COVID-19. The methods of the SLR are described in full, to show the context of our objectives.

Activity and stability studies of H-transfer reduction reactions of aldehydes and ketones over aluminium isopropoxide heterogenised catalysts.

Aluminium isopropoxide Al(OPr) immobilised on various mesoporous supports (SiO, TiO and γ-AlO) was tested for H-transfer reductions of various aldehydes and ketones in the presence of 2-propanol as a sacrificial agent. The heterogenised catalysts were characterised by N physisorption, XRD, SEM-EDX, FTIR and ICP-OES. The characterisation results show a successful grafting of the homogeneous aluminium isopropoxide catalyst, covalently bound to the solid surface, with high dispersion over the mesoporous supports.

The causal nexus between imports and economic growth in China, India and G7 countries: granger causality analysis in the frequency domain.

This research examine the causal nexus between imports and economic growth in China, India and G7 economies. We use BC granger causality analysis in the frequency domain short (temporary) and long term (permanent) causality. Our results suggested that, there is a frequency domain (high and low) proof of the bi-directional causal nexus between imports and economic growth.

Indirect effects of COVID-19 pandemic on reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services in Pakistan.

Background: COVID-19 is having many impacts on health, economy and social life; some due to the indirect effects of closure of health facilities to curb the spread. Closures were implemented in Pakistan from March 2020, affecting provision of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) services.

Aims: To appraise the effects of containment and lockdown policies on RMNCH service utilization in order to develop an early response to avoid the catastrophic impact of COVID-19 on RMNCH in Pakistan.

Novel Chlamydiae and Amoebophilus endosymbionts are prevalent in wild isolates of the model social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum.

Amoebae interact with bacteria in multifaceted ways. Amoeba predation can serve as a selective pressure for the development of bacterial virulence traits. Bacteria may also adapt to life inside amoebae, resulting in symbiotic relationships.

Prevention of Mother-to-child HIV Transmission in Nigeria: Six Years' Experience from a Tertiary Institution.

Background: In line with global standards and progress made in Prevention of Motherto- Child Transmission (PMTCT), an assessment of the outcome of Early Infant Diagnosis in northern Nigeria is necessary to evaluate progress towards zero Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection among children.

Objectives: This study assessed the infection rate and risk factors for mother-to-child HIV transmission among HIV-exposed children in Kano, northwest Nigeria.

Methods: Using a retrospective cohort design, pregnant HIV-positive women and their exposed infants were recruited over a period of six years (2010 to 2016).

Publisher Correction: Eco-friendly 2-Thiobarbituric acid as a corrosion inhibitor for API 5L X60 steel in simulated sweet oilfield environment: Electrochemical and surface analysis studies.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Recent Developments in Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors for Management of Type-2 Diabetes: An Update.

The incidence of diabetes has increased globally in recent years and figures of diabetic patients were estimated to rise up to 642 million by 2040. The disorder is accompanied with various complications if not managed at the early stages, and interlinked high mortality rate and morbidity with time. Different classes of drugs are available for the management of type 2 diabetes but were having certain limitations of their safety.

Non-invasive classification of non-small cell lung cancer: a comparison between random forest models utilising radiomic and semantic features.

Objective: Non-invasive distinction between squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma subtypes of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be beneficial to patients unfit for invasive diagnostic procedures or when tissue is insufficient for diagnosis. The purpose of our study was to compare the performance of random forest algorithms utilizing CT radiomics and/or semantic features in classifying NSCLC.

Methods: Two thoracic radiologists scored 11 semantic features on CT scans of 106 patients with NSCLC.

Measurement of 18F-FDG PET tumor heterogeneity improves early assessment of response to bevacizumab compared with the standard size and uptake metrics in a colorectal cancer model.

Purpose: Treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer frequently includes antiangiogenic agents such as bevacizumab. Size measurements are inadequate to assess treatment response to these agents, and newer response assessment criteria are needed. We aimed to evaluate F-FDG PET-derived texture parameters in a preclinical colorectal cancer model as alternative metrics of response to treatment with bevacizumab.

Eco-friendly 2-Thiobarbituric acid as a corrosion inhibitor for API 5L X60 steel in simulated sweet oilfield environment: Electrochemical and surface analysis studies.

The corrosion inhibition efficiency of 2-Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) for metal substrate (API X60 steel) in 3.5% NaCl solution saturated with CO gas was probed using various techniques namely, LPR (linear polarization resistance), EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), and PDP (potentiodynamic polarization). The effects of TBA concentration (25-100 ppm), solution pH (4 and 6), temperature (25-80 °C), and immersion time (2-72 h) on the inhibition efficiency were examined.

Impact of Ga-68-PSMA PET/CT on management in prostate cancer patients with very early biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy.

Purpose: With the availability of ultra-sensitive PSA assays, early biochemical relapse (eBCR) of prostate cancer is increasingly being detected at values much lower than the conventional threshold of 0.2 ng/ml. Accurate localisation of disease in this setting may allow treatment modification and improved outcomes, especially in patients with pelvis-confined or extra-pelvic oligometastasis (defined as up to three pelvic nodal or distant sites).

Diversity of Free-Living Environmental Bacteria and Their Interactions With a Bactivorous Amoeba.

A small subset of bacteria in soil interact directly with eukaryotes. Which ones do so can reveal what is important to a eukaryote and how eukaryote defenses might be breached. Soil amoebae are simple eukaryotic organisms and as such could be particularly good for understanding how eukaryote microbiomes originate and are maintained.

Investigating the histopathologic correlates of 18F-FDG PET heterogeneity in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Despite the growing use of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET texture analysis to measure intratumoural heterogeneity in cancer research, the biologic basis of F-FDG PET-derived texture variables is poorly understood. We aimed to assess correlations between F-FDG PET-derived texture variables and whole-slide image (WSI)-derived metrics of tumour cellularity and spatial heterogeneity.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-two patients with non-small-cell lung cancer prospectively underwent F-FDG PET imaging before tumour resection.

Magnetic Resonance (MR) Imaging of Vascular Malformations.

Vascular malformations pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to the broad differential diagnosis as well as common utilization of inadequate or inaccurate classification systems among healthcare providers. Therapeutic approaches to these lesions vary based on the type, size, and extent of the vascular anomaly, necessitating accurate diagnosis and classification. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (MRI) is an effective modality for classifying vascular anomalies due to its ability to delineate the extent and anatomic relationship of the malformation to adjacent structures.

The impact of rural residence and HIV infection on poor tuberculosis treatment outcomes in a large urban hospital: a retrospective cohort analysis.

Background: Successful tuberculosis (TB) treatment is essential to effective TB control. TB-HIV coinfection, social determinants and access to services influenced by rural residence can affect treatment outcome. We examined the separate and joint effects of rural residence and HIV infection on poor treatment outcome among patients enrolled in a large TB treatment centre in Kano, Nigeria.

The effects of segmentation algorithms on the measurement of F-FDG PET texture parameters in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Measures of tumour heterogeneity derived from 18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) scans are increasingly reported as potential biomarkers of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for classification and prognostication. Several segmentation algorithms have been used to delineate tumours, but their effects on the reproducibility and predictive and prognostic capability of derived parameters have not been evaluated. The purpose of our study was to retrospectively compare various segmentation algorithms in terms of inter-observer reproducibility and prognostic capability of texture parameters derived from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) F-FDG PET/CT images.

Going to scale: design and implementation challenges of a program to increase access to skilled birth attendants in Nigeria.

Background: The lack of availability of skilled providers in low- and middle- income countries is considered to be an important barrier to achieving reductions in maternal and child mortality. However, there is limited research on programs increasing the availability of skilled birth attendants in developing countries. We study the implementation of the Nigeria Midwives Service Scheme, a government program that recruited and deployed nearly 2,500 midwives to rural primary health care facilities across Nigeria in 2010.

The effect of increasing the supply of skilled health providers on pregnancy and birth outcomes: evidence from the midwives service scheme in Nigeria.

Background: Limited availability of skilled health providers in developing countries is thought to be an important barrier to achieving maternal and child health-related MDG goals. Little is known, however, about the extent to which scaling-up supply of health providers will lead to improved pregnancy and birth outcomes. We study the effects of the Midwives Service Scheme (MSS), a public sector program in Nigeria that increased the supply of skilled midwives in rural communities on pregnancy and birth outcomes.

Persistent barriers to care; a qualitative study to understand women's experiences in areas served by the midwives service scheme in Nigeria.

Background: The Nigerian Midwives Service Scheme (MSS) is an ambitious human resources project created in 2009 to address supply side barriers to accessing care. Key features include the recruitment and deployment of newly qualified, unemployed and retired midwives to rural primary healthcare centres (PHCs) to ensure improved access to skilled care. This study aimed to understand, from multiple perspectives, the views and experiences of childbearing women living in areas where it has been implemented.

Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Gastrointestinal Cancers.

As an integrated system, hybrid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) is able to provide simultaneously complementary high-resolution anatomic, molecular, and functional information, allowing comprehensive cancer phenotyping in a single imaging examination. In addition to an improved patient experience by combining 2 separate imaging examinations and streamlining the patient pathway, the superior soft tissue contrast resolution of MRI and the ability to acquire multiparametric MRI data is advantageous over computed tomography. For gastrointestinal cancers, this would improve tumor staging, assessment of neoadjuvant response, and of the likelihood of a complete (R0) resection in comparison with positron emission tomography or computed tomography.

Imaging Heterogeneity in Lung Cancer: Techniques, Applications, and Challenges.

Objective: Texture analysis involves the mathematic processing of medical images to derive sets of numeric quantities that measure heterogeneity. Studies on lung cancer have shown that texture analysis may have a role in characterizing tumors and predicting patient outcome. This article outlines the mathematic basis of and the most recent literature on texture analysis in lung cancer imaging.

PET/MRI in Oncological Imaging: State of the Art.

Positron emission tomography (PET) combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a hybrid technology which has recently gained interest as a potential cancer imaging tool. Compared with CT, MRI is advantageous due to its lack of ionizing radiation, superior soft-tissue contrast resolution, and wider range of acquisition sequences. Several studies have shown PET/MRI to be equivalent to PET/CT in most oncological applications, possibly superior in certain body parts, e.