Even if dermal exposure to metal(loid)s from contaminated soils has received less attention than oral and inhalation exposure, the human health risk can be significant for some contaminants and ...exposure scenarios. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of sebum proportion (1% v/v and 3% v/v) in two synthetic sweat formulations (EN 1811, pH 6.5 (sweat A) and NIHS 96–10, pH 4.7 (sweat B)) on As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn dermal bioaccessibility and on subsequent diffusion through synthetic skin. A Franz cell with a Strat-M® membrane was used to quantify permeation parameters of bioaccessible metal(loid)s. Sebum’s presence in synthetic sweat formulations significantly modified bioaccessibility percentages for As, Cr, and Cu. However, sebum proportion in both sweats did not influence the bioaccessibility of Pb and Zn. Some metal(loid)s, namely As and Cu, permeated the synthetic skin membrane during permeation tests when sebum was added to sweat while no permeation was observed without sebum in sweat formulations. Depending on sweat formulation, the addition of sebum (1% v/v) increased or decreased the Cr permeation coefficients (
K
p
). In all cases, bioaccessible Cr was no longer permeable when extracted with 3% sebum. Ni transdermal permeation was not influenced by the presence of sebum, and no permeation was observed for Pb and Zn. Further studies on the speciation of metal(loid)s in bioaccessible extracts in the presence of sebum are recommended.
Graphical abstract
A better understanding of vector distribution and malaria transmission dynamics at a local scale is essential for implementing and evaluating effectiveness of vector control strategies. Through the ...data gathered in the framework of a cluster randomized controlled trial (CRT) evaluating the In2Care (Wageningen, Netherlands) Eave Tubes strategy, the distribution of the Anopheles vector, their biting behaviour and malaria transmission dynamics were investigated in Gbêkê region, central Côte d'Ivoire.
From May 2017 to April 2019, adult mosquitoes were collected monthly using human landing catches (HLC) in twenty villages in Gbêkê region. Mosquito species wereidentified morphologically. Monthly entomological inoculation rates (EIR) were estimated by combining the HLC data with mosquito sporozoite infection rates measured in a subset of Anopheles vectors using PCR. Finally, biting rate and EIR fluctuations were fit to local rainfall data to investigate the seasonal determinants of mosquito abundance and malaria transmission in this region.
Overall, Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles funestus, and Anopheles nili were the three vector complexes found infected in the Gbêkê region, but there was a variation in Anopheles vector composition between villages. Anopheles gambiae was the predominant malaria vector responsible for 84.8% of Plasmodium parasite transmission in the area. An unprotected individual living in Gbêkê region received an average of 260 222-298, 43.5 35.8-51.29 and 3.02 1.96-4 infected bites per year from An. gambiae, An. funestus and An. nili, respectively. Vector abundance and malaria transmission dynamics varied significantly between seasons and the highest biting rate and EIRs occurred in the months of heavy rainfall. However, mosquitoes infected with malaria parasites remained present in the dry season, despite the low density of mosquito populations.
These results demonstrate that the intensity of malaria transmission is extremely high in Gbêkê region, especially during the rainy season. The study highlights the risk factors of transmission that could negatively impact current interventions that target indoor control, as well as the urgent need for additional vector control tools to target the population of malaria vectors in Gbêkê region and reduce the burden of the disease.
Brachial Plexus' Schwannoma in a Child Mbaye, Papa; Seye, Cheikh; A. Zeng, Florent ...
African journal of paediatric surgery,
07/2022, Letnik:
19, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Children's schwannoma is a rare condition, generally occurring in a sporadic way. Its aetiology is still not fully understood. We report the case of a 10-year old girl who presented a left shoulder ...mass, along motility reduction of the left upper limb for 24 months before presentation at our service. A biopsy resection of the mass gave the diagnosis and 6 months after surgical resection, no complication occurred.
Developing facile approaches to prepare non‐light‐scattering ternary oxide thin film photoelectrodes is an important goal for solar water splitting tandem cells. Herein, a novel synthesis route is ...reported that employs ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to enable compatible water solubility of diverse metal cations, which affords transparent films by solution processing. By using BiVO4 as a model material, a remarkable improvement in transparency is demonstrated, quantified by the direct transmittance at 600 nm of >80 % versus the <10 % observed with state‐of‐the‐art electrodeposited thin films while maintaining reasonable solar‐driven oxidation photocurrents (1.75 mA cm−2 in the presence of a sulfite hole scavenger). Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the synthesis technique can be applied in a general fashion towards the synthesis of diverse n‐ and p‐type metal oxide materials, such as ZnFe2O4 and CuFeO2.
Green & versatile: Employing a chelating agent to enable compatible water solubility of diverse metal cations affords a method to fabricate diverse n‐ and p‐type semiconducting metal oxide photoelectrodes. A remarkable improvement in transparency for BiVO4 photoanodes (important for tandem cell operation) is quantified by the direct transmittance at 600 nm of >80 % versus the <10 % observed with the state‐of‐the‐art material.
Abstract
In low-income countries, the incidence of burns is high and severe burns are frequently managed at peripheral facilities. Outcome after burn care is poorly studied although it might help ...identify risk-group and improve treatment strategies. This study aimed to study factors associated with in-hospital outcomes in a burn cohort in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In this retrospective study, we included burn patients admitted to the surgical department at the Hôpital Provincial Général de Référence de Bukavu between January 2013 and December 2018. Differences between groups were tested using χ 2 test or Fisher's exact tests or Wilcoxon rank sum test, as appropriate. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the effect of patients and of burn characteristics on in-hospital mortality, prolongated length of stay (=LOS ≥ 25 days), and occurrence of complications. The study population consisted of 100 patients, mainly young males with the rural origin, moderate-sized but deep burns. Of them, 46 developed complications, 12 died. Median LOS was 25 days (IQR: 15–42). In-hospital death was independently associated with Total Burn Surface Area percentage “TBSA%” (OR = 3.96; 95% CI = 1.67–9.40) and Full-thickness Burns (FTB) (10.68; 1.34–84.74); prolongated LOS with FTB (3.35; 1.07–10.49), and complication with rural origin (5.84; 1.51–22.53), TBSA% (3.96; 1.67–9.40), FTB (4.08; 1.19–14.00), and burns on multiple sites (4.38; 1.38–13.86). In-hospital death was associated with TBSA% and FTB, prolongated LOS with FTB, and complications with burns characteristics and rural origin of the patients. Additional studies are necessary to investigate the effect of provided burn care on outcomes.
There is evidence that the knockdown resistance gene (Kdr) L1014F and acetylcholinesterase-1 gene (Ace-1
) G119S mutations involved in pyrethroid and carbamate resistance in Anopheles gambiae ...influence malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. This is likely due to changes in the behaviour, life history and vector competence and capacity of An. gambiae. In the present study, performed as part of a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of household screening plus a novel insecticide delivery system (In2Care Eave Tubes), we investigated the distribution of insecticide target site mutations and their association with infection status in wild An. gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) populations.
Mosquitoes were captured in 40 villages around Bouaké by human landing catch from May 2017 to April 2019. Randomly selected samples of An. gambiae s.l. that were infected or not infected with Plasmodium sp. were identified to species and then genotyped for Kdr L1014F and Ace-1
G119S mutations using quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays. The frequencies of the two alleles were compared between Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles gambiae and then between infected and uninfected groups for each species.
The presence of An. gambiae (49%) and An. coluzzii (51%) was confirmed in Bouaké. Individuals of both species infected with Plasmodium parasites were found. Over the study period, the average frequency of the Kdr L1014F and Ace-1
G119S mutations did not vary significantly between study arms. However, the frequencies of the Kdr L1014F and Ace-1
G119S resistance alleles were significantly higher in An. gambiae than in An. coluzzii odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 59.64 (30.81-131.63) for Kdr, and 2.79 (2.17-3.60) for Ace-1
. For both species, there were no significant differences in Kdr L1014F or Ace-1
G119S genotypic and allelic frequency distributions between infected and uninfected specimens (P > 0.05).
Either alone or in combination, Kdr L1014F and Ace-1
G119S showed no significant association with Plasmodium infection in wild An. gambiae and An. coluzzii, demonstrating the similar competence of these species for Plasmodium transmission in Bouaké. Additional factors including behavioural and environmental ones that influence vector competence in natural populations, and those other than allele measurements (metabolic resistance factors) that contribute to resistance, should be considered when establishing the existence of a link between insecticide resistance and vector competence.
Background
Congenital malformations are the third cause of mortality in children under five. We aimed to report sociodemographic and diagnostic aspects of gastrointestinal ones and their outcomes.
...Methods
We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of patients admitted from January 2018 to January 2021 to our department at Albert Royer National Children’s Hospital Center in Dakar, Senegal. A total of 230 were included.
Results
The frequency of these malformations was 6.18%. The mean age was 1.9 years, with neonates representing 43.48% and males 59.56%. 64.35% of patients came from the Dakar area. Parental consanguinity was reported in 11.73%, prenatal diagnosis in 5.56% of 36 cases, and prematurity in 28.84% of 52 patients. The most typical reasons for referral or symptoms were constipation (23.91%), imperforated anus (23.91%), and vomiting (23.48%). In 93.91%, the malformation was isolated, of which Hirschsprung’s disease accounted for 30.56% and anorectal malformation for 30.09%. Esophageal atresia and anorectal malformations had more associated anomalies with 28.57% each. The VACTER-L association represented 21.42% of associated anomalies. Mortality was 27.83%, and lethality was 100% for intestinal atresia, 87.5% for esophageal atresia, and 85.71% for polymalformation. Causes of mortality were reported in 21%, with septic shock and respiratory distress in all esophageal atresia patients (Manama, Contribution à l’étude des malformations congénitales : à propos de 188 cas du service de néonatologie de l’Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec de Dakar, 1983) and hypovolemic shock in all patients with duodenal atresia (Wright et al., Lancet 398:325–39, 2021).
Conclusion
Congenital malformations of the gastrointestinal tract are still lately diagnosed in our environment, resulting in higher mortality. Further studies should analyze delayed presentation and mortality, and their risk factors in our settings.
Background
Urethral prolapse is a rare disease, mainly occurring in African prepubertal girls. Its etiology remains unclear; however, some risk factors have been reported. The diagnosis is made ...clinically. The treatment can be conservative or surgical.
Methods
We report our experience in the service of pediatric surgery at Albert Royer National Children’s Hospital Centre. We conducted a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study, on which considered patients were managed for urethral prolapse in our service from 2014 to 2019.
Results
Our study has included 15 girls whose mean age was 4.08 years (1.17–10). Two risk factors (chronic cough and constipation) were found in 20%. Genital hemorrhage was the main symptom (73.3%), and suspicion of sexual abuse was documented in 13.3%. The clinical finding was classical (donut-shaped vulvar mass) in all patients. All patients underwent conservative management, which was successful in 73.3%. Patients with failed conservative management were treated surgically by resection of the prolapsed mucosa on a Foley catheter. No complication was reported after surgical treatment, and after a 13-month mean follow-up, no recurrence was reported in all patients.
Conclusions
Conservative management is an efficient option for urethral prolapse. It has the advantage of avoiding general anesthesia with its potential complications and restricted availability in sub-Saharan Africa. Surgical management should be reserved for failed conservative management.
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