bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Appropriate Sanitation Technology for the Decade in Africa
Authors: Diamant B.Z. 
Published: September 2007

THE INTERNATIONAL Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade, launched by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 November 1980, had been based on the severe findings of the Global Survey on Water Supply and waste water Disposal, carried out by the World Health Organisa tion during 1970-80. These findings revealed that only one out of four rural people living in the developing countries had safe drinking water, and only one out of five had proper sanitation facilities. The U.N. Decade has been launched with the goal of providing "Clean Water and Adequate Sanitation for All by 1990". In order to achieve this goal, of one of the most ambitious U.N. programmes (estimated cost — $300 billion), the involved activities must be based on 4 major principles: The two components of the program me — water supply and sanitation — must be mutually and simultaneously developed; this development has to be carried out according to appropriate technology practices and mass-production techniques; the emph asis must be laid on the rural areas; adequate health education has to be included in all stages of the programme, namely, planning, design, construction, maintenance and surveillance.
Epidemiology of Motor Vehicle Accidents in a Developing Country — A Case of Oyo State of Nigeria
Authors: Jinadu M.K. 
Published: September 2007

IN this paper morbidity and mortality data from motor vehicle accidents (MVA) or road traffic accidents (RTA) as known in the West and other epidemiological variables of the MVA in Oyo State of Nigeria, between 1979 to 1982, were studied. Popula tion exposure to severe MVA during the period was 34/100,000 of which 7.4 per the same population died. Over two-thirds of the MVA occur among children and young adults. More accidents occur during the Christmas and Easter periods of the year and weekends. There were no seasonal variations in the pattern of the accidents. Commercial vehicles were responsible for a significant proportion of the accidents. The primary causes of the MVA were the drivers who lacked proper driving education, who were often impatient on the wheels, inexperienced and drunk.
Stigmatized Illnesses In Africa
Authors: Emeharole P.O. 
Published: September 2007

THIS PAPER is an empirical documentation of an epidemiological approach for detecting stigmatised illness in a rural African community, without at the same time igniting the 'flame' of stigmatisation. A mobile team of public health professionals in Imo State of Nigeria in collaboration with the author, conduced a 'masked' health survey of a pilot area. The goal was to detect new cases of leprosy and tuberculosis which had been confined to their 'shell' on account of stigmatisation syndrome often associated with the two ailments. This goal was camouflaged in a spectrum of screening and other prophylactic measures while the outcome (new cases) was determined by blind assessment. An analysis of the outcome of the screening exercise performed on 7845 and 6468 villagers, screened for leprosy and tuberculosis respectively, resulted in an overall incidence of 2.0 and 2.2 new cases of leprosy and tuberculosis. This predicament was seen as being con founded in two 'mutable' variables, namely complacency on the part of the population at risk and inadequate surveillance on catchment areas by public health agencies. Suggestions advanced for improving control measures include a joint collaborative arrangement by the three-type authorities responsible for the three-sector battle against leprosy namely control measures, treatment of cases and rehabilitation of ex-lepers.
Genital Factors with Tetanus in Nigerian Women
Authors: Unuigbe J.A. 
Published: September 2007

THIS STUDY considers 53 adult females treated for Tetanus infection at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, from 1978 to 1984. A total of 50 patients (94.3%) were in the repro ductive years; 33 (62.3%) were parous women; and a majority of 28 patients (52.8%) were illiterates whose level of hygiene was unacceptably low. A significant proportion of patients (32.1%) had the Tetanus portal of entry clinically traceable to genital sepsis (notably postabortal and puerperal sepsis) while in 10 patients with no evident focus of Tetanus infec tion, 60% presented in the first half of the menstrual cycle. This finding draws attention to the probable aetiological role of the genital tract at menstruation as the source of Tetanus infection in a small but significant number of adult female patients in our community. Improved hygienic habits during menstruation should be emphasised to eliminate Tetanus infection in this group of women.
Juvenile Periodontitis (Periodontosis) in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital
Authors: Kulasekara Bertram 
Published: September 2007

A STUDY OF the pattern of juvenile periodontitis (periodontosis) as observed in the University College Hospital, Ibadan was carried out, through a period of one year. The age group was only confined from 14-25 years, and the patients selected for the study were only those patients in the above age group reporting to the Hospi tal's Dental Centre, immaterial of what the patients' main complaint was. It was revealed that there was a high rate of patients attending this Institution with juvenile periodontitis. Further it is quite alarming to note that all the patients examined on their first visits had a clinically observable and detactable chronic gingivitis, some even transitioned to a chronic periodontitis. Routine investigations further revealed a few cases of undetected diabetes and one case of Papillon-Lefevre Syndrome (hyperkeratosis palmoplantaris).
Infant Feeding in King Khalid University Hospital
Authors: Anokute Charles C. 
Published: September 2007

SURVEY was carried out in King Khalid University Hospital between January 1985 and May 1986 to study the pattern of infant feeding. It was found that 76% of the respondents favoured breast-feeding while 58% preferred breast feeding only. About 51 % of the mothers started weaning their chil dren between 6-12 months, while 21% weaned between 12-18 months. The most important reason for stopping breast-feeding was in order to have another pregnancy; this reason was more common among mothers who had female babies than males. An association was found between this reason and parity with an odds ratio of 2.9.
Growth Patterns in Saudi Arabian Children
Authors: Wong Simin Saedi , Al-Frayh Abdul Rahman 
Published: September 2007

THE MEASUREMENTS of head and chest circumferences of 6623 Saudi Arabian pre-school children are presented for the first time. The data were collected through a large scale cross-sectional growth study carried out in Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results indicate that the average head and chest circumference measurements of the girls were smaller than the boys in all age groups. The analysis of variance results confirmed that these differences were statisti cally significant. The date indicated that among the average-build (the 50th centile) pre-schoolers, the head circumference measurements of the newborns were larger than the chest circumference measurement by 4.5%. By one year of age, these measurements were equal. After one year, the chest circumference grew larger than the head circumference. However, among the small-build pre- schoolers (the 3rd centile), the chest circumference measurements did not reach the head circumference measurements until nearly 30 months after birth.
Epidemiologic Studies of Diabetes Mellitus in Saudi Arabia - Part I — Screening of 3158 Males in King Saud University
Authors: Anokute Charles C. 
Published: September 2007

A 14%, simple random sample of the King Saud University Community consisting of students, faculty and staff was screened for diabetes mellitus. The screening procedures used consisted of rine testing by means of the urine dipstick and blood glucose estimation in the fasting state by means of the reflomat glucose, a glucose oxidase meter. Participants whose fasting blood glucose (FBG) were 140 mg/dl or more were referred to the diabetes clinic for further evaluation and possible inclusion into the subsequent retrospective study. A period prevalence of 6.0% was observed for FBG > 140 mg/dl and all the referrals were confirmed for adult onset diabetes mellitus. The prevalence was similar to that in the USA and suggested that the rapid socio-economic changes in Saudi Arabia made a minimal contribution to the prevalence of diabetes mellitus.
Some Sociodemographic Factors Influencing the Nutritional Awareness of the Saudi Teens and Adults: Preliminary Observations
Authors: Al-shoshan Ahmed A. 
Published: September 2007

THREE HUNDRED and eleven (311) Saudi visitors (teenagers and adults) participated in a nutritional awareness and anthropometric study in a Health Week Exhibition campaign sponsored by the Ministry of Health in 1408 H (1988). The study revealed that the average adult male and female heights were 167cm and 155cm against the American standard heights of 178cm and 163cm respectively. Adult females weighed more than males (43.2% vs 19.8%), and the married subjects of both sexes were heavier than the unmarried subjects (male: 15.4% vs 4.4%; female: 35.1% vs 8.1%). A good number of subjects consumed a variety of foods from the four food groups daily which reflected a good trend in food and nutrition awareness. However, the study emphasizes the importance of nutrition education and propagation for the improvement of general health and nutritional status of the population.
The Present and Future Handling of the Mentally Disturbed Offender (Part 1)
Authors: Wool Rosemary 
Published: September 2007

POLICY IS firmly set at diverting mentally dis turbed offenders from the Criminal Justice System and into the care of the health or social services. Projects and research are in place designed to facilitate this with improved arrangements for psychia ric assessments. Co-existence of the agencies involved in the treatment of mentally disturbed offenders implies readiness of each to accept patients whose security needs are downgraded. This would be facilitated by a review of medium security and long term provision. Meanwhile, th e Prison Service must seek to do what it can to care for those placed in its charge.
Perceptions and Reactions of The Public to Diarrhoea
Authors: Philipp Robin , Wood Neil , Heaton Kenneth W. , Hughes Anthony O. 
Published: September 2007

A questionnaire about diarrhoea and how people react to it was answered by 400 people aged 16-70 years, most of whom were in employment (77% of respondents). There was wide varia tion in perceptions and reactions. Older persons and people in skilled trades were more likely to consider any increased bowel looseness or frequency of their usual bowel habit as diarrhoea, compared to younger persons and people in professional and managerial positions. Over half the respondents rated a single soft stool as diarrhoea, and almost a third accepted likewise an increased frequency of defaecation. The most unpleasant aspect of diarrhoea was considered to be incontinence with soiling of underclothes. At the onset of diarrhoea, 16% of respondents would not wait even a day or two but would go straight to a pharmacist, and 8% would go direct to a doctor. Persons in professional and managerial positions were less likely to attend their doctor straight away than people in other occupational groups. The findings show that for improved clinical management and public health surveillance, health professionals should not accept the term when it is used by patients, but seek details of their defaecation patterns and the form of their stools. Improved public education is needed as to self-help, appropriate treat ment and when to seek pharmaceutical and medical advice.
Insecticides Against Headlice in Glasgow
Authors: Lindsay Steven W. , Peock Susan 
Published: September 2007

A postal questionnaire for describing current practices of insecticide usage for the prevention and treatment ofpediculosis was sent to 53 pharmacists in Glasgow. 91% returned completed questionnaires. Between 19,000 to 36,000 bottles of insecticide against headlice were bought by the public in Glasgow in 1991. Most of these were sold in small volumes (less than 100 ml) and sales were highest during the autumn. Although pharmacists sold a range of different classes of insecticide, the most popular were those that contained malathion, the treatment for pediculosis recommended by the Health Board. Choice of treatment was probably influenced by advice given to the public by pharma cists and general practitioners. Clients preferred shampoo formulations. There was evidence that treatments were used prophylactically against headlice. However, there was little indication of large scale resistance to insecticides in the louse population. The results indicate that headlice remain a persist ent problem in Glasgow, despite the public adhering to the advice of health professionals.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards AIDS among civil servants in Nigeria
Authors: Okojie O.H. , Ogbeide O. , Nwulia A. 
Published: September 2007

A study about knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards AIDS was carried out amongst 340 randomly selected workers in Benin City in Nigeria using self-administered questionnaires. Three hundred and thirty (97.1%) of the workers were aware of the existence of AIDS but only 50 (14.7%) had the correct knowledge of the aetiology of AIDS, and of these 29 (8.5%) had tertiary education. Generally there was a good knowledge of the different routes of transmission except for the erroneous belief by a high number, 125 (36.8%) and 129 (37.9%) that it could be transmitted through sharing of utensils and casual kissing respectively. The attitude to AIDS sufferers is poor and 156 (45.9%) actually think they should be ostracized. Twenty-one (6.2%) of the respondents still keep multiple sexual partners while 142 (41.8%) would willingly use the condom for safer sex. There is therefore the need for an intensive and effective health education campaign to combat this deadly disease in the country.
Raising food hygiene standards- could customer power and the new laws hold the key?
Authors: Leach J.C. 
Published: September 2007

In September 1995 new general food hygiene regulations came into force. The new law, quite rightly, requires proprietors of food businesses to focus their thoughts and actions on risks to food safety. Proprietors are required to identify and assess risks and ensure that adequate management procedures are put into place to ensure food safety. This is a welcome move as contributing factors in most cases of food poisoning involve poor food hygiene practices. At the same time there has been a large increase in the amount of advice and guidance to local authority enforcement officers, particularly to assess risks to food safety when considering what action to take in any situation - the lower the risk the less appropriate it is to take legal action. However, there are many conditions found in food premises which present little or no risk to health, such as routine cleanliness in non-high risk areas, but lower standards on these might be viewed by the public as inappropriate for food businesses. With an increasing amount of choice available to customers, proprietors and managers of food businesses need to be more aware than ever of the complex pattern of consumer demands including that of supplying a clean and safe product in its broadest sense. The notion of consumer sovereignty is not a new concept. Combined with the new laws could it hold the key to genuine improved standards in food hygiene? This article reviews the subject and draws attention to a research programme being undertaken at the University of Brighton to identify, compare and contrast factors which the public perceive as important in terms of food hygiene in public eating places with those considered important by professionals with an interest in the subject. The results could bring benefits to the catering industry and customers.
Exercise by prescription
Authors: Browne Derek 
Published: September 2007

General Practitioners (GPs) see over 90% of their practice population in three years. Over 50% of the adult population is below the perceived level of physical activity as recognised by the Allied Dunbar Physical Activity score (Allied Dunbar, Health Education Authority and Sports Council, 1992). Physical fitness levels in adolescents and children are declining, while the incidence of obesity is increasing. GPs, with their Primary Health Care Team, are in a unique position to be able to discuss the health benefits of regular physical activity with their patients during the consultation and offer, if appropriate, a prescription for a course of physical activity to a local leisure centre or community activity centre. Many communities have facilities for physical activity. These include leisure centres, schools, village and church halls, the home and the general practice surgery. A directory of resources for physical activity for all age groups should be available in the surgery waiting room area. A community co-ordinator can network community facilities and resources to meet individual need. The co-ordinator can be funded by the general practice surgery, Health Authority, Local Authority, Parish or District Council. An agreed protocol for exercise prescription referrals to suitable community facilities can benefit patient health care for a variety of medical, surgical, social and mental conditions. Auditing exercise prescriptions shows a health benefit, with improved quality of living and reduced prescription medicines.
Home visits to elderly patients in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al Shammari S.A. 
Published: September 2007

The present study was conducted to examine the perception of participating physicians in hospital and primary health care (PHC) on the nature of illness that requires home visits, type and job description of health personnel that should make home visits and other prerequisites needed for successful home visits. A predesigned questionnaire consisting of demographic and professional characteristics of doctors was sent confidentially to randomly selected PHC and hospital doctors during the period January to June 1994. The respondents were asked to give their opinion on the categories of health problems that necessitate home visits, job descriptions of various professionals needed and the prerequisites for the successful running of home visits. Three hundred and ninety-six PHC and 238 hospital doctors participated in the study. PHC doctors were younger, having more females and less qualified than hospital doctors. Both PHC doctors and hospital doctors gave priority to bed-ridden patients and lowest priority to mobile chronically ill patients. PHC doctors were more keen on home visits than hospital doctors. More PHC doctors than their hospital counterparts would like nurses and health visitors to be involved in nursing procedures performed at home except when it comes to notifying doctors about patients' problems. In case of stroke more hospital doctors would like physiotherapists to be involved than PHC doctors and vice versa in the case of osteoarthritis. Most PHC doctors preferred occupational therapists involve ment in training patients and the modification of their environment to lead independent lives. More hospital doctors than their PHC counterparts preferred afternoon sessions for home visits. The respondents' views in the present study can be made use of in establishing a home visit programme to the Saudi elderly in need of such services. In addition, the number, qualifications and responsibilities of the various professionals involved in the visit should be re-evaluated after adequate implementation.
CXCL10-CXCR3 interactions play an important role in the pathogenesis of acute graft-versus-host disease in the skin following allogeneic stem-cell transplantation
Authors: Piper Karen P. , Horlock Claire , Curnow S. John , Arrazi Julie , Nicholls Sarah , Mahendra Premini , Craddock Charles , Moss Paul A. H. 
Published: September 2007

Abstract
Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) remains a serious complication following allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (SCT), and is mediated by infiltration of alloreactive donor T cells into recipient tissue. Chemokines and their receptors play a central role in controlling the recruitment of T cells into discrete tissue sites, and determine the clinical features of GVHD in murine models. In this study, we have analyzed the serum concentration of molecules that control leukocyte migration in serial samples from 34 patients following allogeneic SCT. The chemokine CXCL10 (IP-10) was significantly elevated (> 2-fold) in serum at the time of aGVHD. Because the ligand for CXCL10 is CXCR3, the number of CXCR3+ T cells was determined in peripheral blood, but was not increased during episodes of GVHD. To investigate the role of chemokines in the recruitment of T cells to the anatomic site of GVHD, skin biopsies were stained for CXCL10 and CXCR3 expression. CXCL10 expression was observed in the basal keratinocytes of the epidermis in patients with GVHD together with positive staining for CXCR3 on cells in dermal infiltrates. These findings indicate that CXCL10 plays a central role in the pathogenesis of skin aGVHD by the recruitment of CXCR3+ T cells to the sites of inflammation.
Lactobacillli expressing llama VHH fragments neutralise Lactococcusphages
Authors: Hultberg Anna , Tremblay Denise M , de Haard Hans , Verrips Theo , Moineau Sylvain , Hammarström Lennart , Marcotte Harold 
Published: September 2007

Abstract

Background
Bacteriophages infecting lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely acknowledged as the main cause of milk fermentation failures. In this study, we describe the surface-expression as well as the secretion of two functional llama heavy-chain antibody fragments, one binding to the major capsid protein (MCP) and the other to the receptor-binding proteins (RBP) of the lactococcal bacteriophage p2, by lactobacilli in order to neutralise lactococcal phages.

Results
The antibody fragment VHH5 that is directed against the RBP, was fused to a c-myc tag and expressed in a secreted form by a Lactobacillus strain. The fragment VHH2 that is binding to the MCP, was fused to an E-tag and anchored on the surface of the lactobacilli. Surface expression of VHH2 was confirmed by flow cytometry using an anti-E-tag antibody. Efficient binding of both the VHH2 and the secreted VHH5 fragment to the phage antigens was shown in ELISA. Scanning electron microscopy showed that lactobacilli expressing VHH2 anchored at their surface were able to bind lactococcal phages. A neutralisation assay also confirmed that the secreted VHH5 and the anchored VHH2 fragments prevented the adsorption of lactococcal phages to their host cells.

Conclusion
Lactobacilli were able to express functional VHH fragments in both a secreted and a cell surface form and reduced phage infection of lactococcal cells. Lactobacilli expressing llama heavy-chain antibody fragments represent a novel way to limit phage infection.