Recent Articles

In contrast to previous years which consistently had an influenza “season” our clinical virology laboratory has made only a strikingly small number of identifications of influenza during the early weeks of this respiratory virus season. This experience is similar to its decreased activity in the Southern Hemisphere during their winter, April to July 2020. We report the same experience with RSV. These results are likely attributable to measures employed for control of COVID-19, including social distancing and the use of face masks.

The classical Fisher exact test [1], which is unconditionally the uniformly most powerful unbiased (UMPU) test, requires randomization at the critical value(s) to be of size α. Obviously, one needs a non-randomized version of this. Rejecting the null only if the test-statistic’s outcome is more extreme than the critical values, reduces the actual size considerably. The modified Fisher exact test introduced in [2] additionally rejects the null when the test attains the critical value c(t) and the randomization probability γ(t) (that depend on the total number of successes T) exceeds a threshold γ0, which is determined such that, for all values of the nuisance parameter, the size of the unconditional modified test is smaller, but as close as possible to α. This greatly improves the size and power of the test as compared to, for example, the conservative nonrandomized Fisher exact test, while controlling the Type 1 error rate.

The victims of intimate partner violence are subjected to emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse. The physical abuse often includes episodes of mechanical asphyxia and its most frequent mechanisms: throttling and strangulation. Non-fatal asphyxia situations have signs, symptoms and short-term or long-term consequences whose severity varies according to the intensity, duration and number of episodes.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants raises increasing concerns about the efficacy of currently available vaccines [1]. mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2, Pfizer-BioNTech; mRNA-1273, Moderna) are developed based on one specific part of the viral genome to elicit immune response. Therefore, they might be susceptible to immune escape mutations, such as the ones in the viral Spike protein [2].

Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is a rare infectious disorder of the nervous system caused by Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes. Different neurological conditions were reported in the disease.

Cassava processing is a year-round activity in Nigeria, especially in southern part and Ibadan city. The wastes generated by the various processing industries are enormous. Cassava peels are a major residue of processing to prepare various food products. The cassava peels have high concentration of cyanide which has toxic and polluting effects. It is therefore important that the peels are properly processed or pre-treated to reduce the cyanide content before using them as livestock feed which is a common practice among livestock rearers.

Various interventions have been investigated for the purpose of regaining the limited ADL of chronic stroke hemiplegia. However the application of intervention depending on motor function is still unclear.

To apply fertilizer rationally during promotion of Zhongjiao No.9 being a fusarium wilt resistant new variety, dry matter (DM) and NPK in four organs of the banana were tested. Average fresh and dry weight (FW and DW) of No.9 were 145.35±6.42 and 18.18± 0.70 kg plant-1.

WLAN (wireless local area network) is used as an important worldwide communication-technique. By this, always there is an electromagnetic field exposure. In contrast to the ICNIRP-safety guidelines, whereby no bioeffect is possible by these low-energetic electromagnetic fields, we found artificial signals in the nervous system in dependence on WLAN- exposure.

Dynamic adsorption kinetics results indicated that monoethanolamine-carbon dioxide (MEA-CO2) reaction in fixed bed column packed with MEA-impregnated activated carbon (AC) particles is pseudo first order reaction.

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), mainly those who live under poor sanitary and socioeconomic conditions, are often diagnosed with Gastrointestinal (GI) tract diseases. The lowest CD4+ T-cell counts are not found in the plasma, but in the GI tract, the biggest HIV source, thus allowing opportunistic infections. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify the epidemiological factors of GI infections and the prevalent pathogens in HIV patients from Porto Velho City, Rondônia State.

Infertility is a menace with untoward emotional, financial and sometimes traumatic consequences. This is a retrospective observational study with some interest concerning the epidemiology of tubal infertility in Nigeria. It is the experience of a single center that evaluates the outcome of HSG examination with the main objective of identifying tuberous occlusions at a private Imaging Centre in Makurdi.

Morocco applied the Goals testing model, projecting alternative testing scale-up scenarios, varying coverage targets for 13 adult populations. The model was calibrated using program service delivery, spending and surveillance data (2015-2019), integrated bio-behavioural surveys, and national HIV estimates. It projects annual diagnoses by target group from undiagnosed prevalence and testing coverage, allowing for HIV-infected people self-selecting for testing, retesting and transitions between groups. Scenarios were evaluated for knowledge status improvement and cost, focusing on 2023-2025.

Electrophysiological recording has revolutionized the understanding of visual perception. We review our studies with multielectrode recordings describing topographically organized visual maps in several cortical areas and electrophysiological recording revealing perceptual completion of borders and filling in of color and texture. In addition, we analyzed the existing literature to upgrade the knowledge about serial hierarchical, parallel processing and remapping on a dynamic network of cortical visual areas.

Criminals have an aim, to not leave any evidence behind at the scene of crime. Some offenders assume that objects recovered from aquatic environment have no forensic value therefore; they attempt to wipe out the evidences by throwing them (traces like murder weapon) in water.

Despite intravenous (IV) catheters being among the most common invasive clinical devices used in a hospital setting, they are associated with complication rates up to 50% in large medical centers. High patient burden combined with enormous costs to the healthcare system necessitates improvement in IV catheter safety and utilization.

It was a cross-sectional study including 434 apparently healthy subjects (194 males) divided into two groups: i) obese (BMI ≥ 30 Kg/m²) and ii) non-obese (BMI < 30 Kg/m²). Exclusion criteria were: current smokers, asthma, medicine intake interfering with FeNO levels, and abnormal lung function tests. The FeNO measurements were performed before spirometry. Student t test was performed to compare between the two groups. The Spearman correlation between BMI and FeNO levels was evaluated. The Piecewise linear regression with breakpoint was assessed to define the breakpoint of inflammation related to obesity.

Prominent among animal proteins, Eggs are one of the only foods that naturally contain vitamin D and Choline, that are essential for normal physiology, psychology reasoning and functioning of all children cells, but particularly important during pregnancy to support healthy brain development of the foetus and it is liking to a Mothers ‘breast milk.

Distraction Osteogenesis (DO) is an established method for correction of developmental anomaly of the facial skeleton. The early beginning of urgent surgical corrections are allowed in smaller age as even small children suffering from bilateral severe mandibular deficiency who are often associated with breathing and swallowing disorder caused by glossoptosis.