Introduction: HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, is the etiological agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of the viral load in patients under treatme...Introduction: HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, is the etiological agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of the viral load in patients under treatment. Methodology: This was a study carried out from July 2017 to June 2022 at the Point G University Hospital laboratory. The determination of the viral load of patients was carried out by PCR on the ABOTT M2000sp/rt platform. Results: A total of 129 patients infected with HIV-1, aged 19 to 72 years with a mean age of 40.05 years ± 10.71;all on antiretroviral chemotherapy. The female gender predominated among our patients. The most common treatment regimen was 2INTI + 1INNTI with 72.9% followed by 2INTI + 1INI with 13.2%. As for the combinations of molecules, the combination TDF + 3TC + EFV and TDF + 3TC + DTG predominated, respectively 65.1% and 13.2%. 89.9% of our patients had undetectable viremia after 12 months of treatment (p < 0.005) with an average viral load which had evolved from 681315.65 copies/ml ± 1616908.484 to M0 at 5742.36 copies /ml ± 35756.883 at M12 (p Conclusion: Generally speaking, antiretroviral treatment had contributed to controlling viral loads, however the therapeutic combination TDF + 3TC + DTG had made it possible to obtain more patients with undetectable viremia instead.展开更多
Introduction: Biometrics therefore corresponds to the measurement of the morphological elements of humans. One of the most common ultrasound requests by clinicians is the assessment of liver size. The aim of our study...Introduction: Biometrics therefore corresponds to the measurement of the morphological elements of humans. One of the most common ultrasound requests by clinicians is the assessment of liver size. The aim of our study was to study liver biometry using ultrasound in healthy adult subjects. Material and Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive and analytical study, carried out at CHU Point-G over a period of 7 months. A liver ultrasound was performed on 100 individuals without lesions, by a doctor in his final year of specialization in radiology and medical imaging. For each subject, we determined the height and anteroposterior diameter of the right liver and the left liver. Results: The mean age was 39.05 ± 16.86 years. The body mass index (BMI) 18.5 - 24.9 group was the most represented with 58%. The mean height of the right liver was 138.40 ± 14.85 mm. It was 136.81 ± 14.70 mm in men and 139.92 ± 14.99 mm in women (P = 0.306). That of the left liver was 95.55 ± 14.34 mm, in men, it was 91.79 ± 13.51 mm and 99.16 ± 14.31 mm in women (P = 0.019). We found a significant correlation between right liver height and BMI (P = 0.013). Conclusion: The mean values of liver biometry were established in our series. There was a significant correlation between right liver height and BMI. Liver ultrasound remains a reliable technique for liver biometry.展开更多
The Decision of CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Full Implementation of the Universal Two-child policy and Innovation and Improvement of Family Planning Service Management（Hereinafterreferred to as the ...The Decision of CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Full Implementation of the Universal Two-child policy and Innovation and Improvement of Family Planning Service Management（Hereinafterreferred to as the Decision）was announced on January 5,2016.China will implement a birth registration service system.展开更多
The pKa and the isosbestic point of the universal pH indicator Carlo Ebra 1-11 (catalog number 45712) were determined using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Aqueous buffer solutions with pHs ranging from 3.83 to 10.85 were m...The pKa and the isosbestic point of the universal pH indicator Carlo Ebra 1-11 (catalog number 45712) were determined using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Aqueous buffer solutions with pHs ranging from 3.83 to 10.85 were mixed. Four methods—two graphical and two mathematical— were used to estimate the acid dissociation constant (pKa) and isosbestic point using absorbance measurements. The equation for the dependence of the absorbance on pH at λ = 600 nm was obtained using calibration curves. The resulting average pKa of the four methods was 8.277 with a standard deviation of 0.1728. The results obtained using the mathematical methods were very similar, with a deviation of 0.0014;the average pKa determined using these methods was 8.263 ± 0.001. The literature contains no previous reports of the pKa of this indicator. The isosbestic point occurs at a wavelength of 494 nm, with an absorbance of 0.46.展开更多
In the science fiction novel titled The Planet of the Apes （1963）, Pierre Boulle tells a story about a completely reversed world where the apes dominate the humans. Coming from the normal world that is ours, a small...In the science fiction novel titled The Planet of the Apes （1963）, Pierre Boulle tells a story about a completely reversed world where the apes dominate the humans. Coming from the normal world that is ours, a small group of people is totally embarrassed and confused by observing this strange world. On the planet of the apes that they have discovered, it is the apes that are more intelligent than the humans. On the earth, it was the other way around. That observation results in their perplexity. The two communities, human and simian, bear with one another the relationship that corresponds to what Lotman calls ＂enantiomorphic pairings＂. In this context, a series of questions deserves to be raised： Is a ＂common language＂ possible between the two communities in the enantiomorphic pairings？ If the answer is yes, under what conditions could they succeed in opening up a space where they can have something in common？ In rereading The Planet of the Apes with reference to Lotman＇s semiotics of culture, we would like to formulate a response to those questions. Our claim is that the experience of finitude of one＇s own language can make possible an access to the new form of universality requisite for the cross-cultural communication： commonality without common points.展开更多
Background: The term urinary lithiasis (UL) from the Greek “lithos” refers to the disease characterised by the result of abnormal precipitation of normal constituents of the urine within the urinary tract. The aim o...Background: The term urinary lithiasis (UL) from the Greek “lithos” refers to the disease characterised by the result of abnormal precipitation of normal constituents of the urine within the urinary tract. The aim of this work was to determine the frequency of obstructive renal failure (ORF) of lithiasis origin and to describe the therapeutic indications. Methods: This was a retrospective prospective study in patients hospitalised in the nephrology department of Point G University Hospital for ORF of lithiasis origin over a 26-month period from 1 January 2018 to 1 February 2020 inclusive. Results: Among 1898 hospitalized patients, 32 met the inclusion criteria, i.e. a frequency of 1.7%. The male sex was 68.75% with a sex ratio of 2.2. The mean age was 48.38 ± 13.423 years with extremes of 20 and 65 years. Dysuria and urinary bilharzia were the main uro-nephrological antecedents, accounting for 25% of the cases each. Pain syndrome was the main functional sign, accounting for 100%. Ultrasound of the urinary tract (n = 28) showed stones in 92.85%. These stones were bilateral in 22.22% of cases. The dilatation was pyelocalic in 14 cases (51.8%). The uroscanner showed a pyelic location of the stones in both kidneys;42.1% on the right and 33.3% on the left. Hydronephrosis was the most common dilatation: 37.8% on the right and 29.7% on the left. Renal lithiasis was complicated by acute kidney injury (ARI) in 17 cases (53.1%) versus 15 cases (46.9%) of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Urethral catheter was the means of drainage in 24 (75%) followed by nephrostomy in 8 cases (25%). Nephrolithotomy accounted for 9.4% of cases. The case fatality rate was 28.12% (9 cases). Deaths occurred in the context of uraemic coma 6 cases and cardiorespiratory arrest 3 cases. Conclusions: The management of urinary lithiasis complicated by renal failure calls for the correction of hydrolytic disorders, drainage of the excretory tract and treatment of the stone, of which percutaneous nephrolithotomy seems to be the modality of choice.展开更多
Both theory and experiments indicate that the vacuum is not a state of empty space, but is populated by electromagnetic fluctuations at a lowest nonzero level, the Zero Point Energy (ZPE). This debouches into consider...Both theory and experiments indicate that the vacuum is not a state of empty space, but is populated by electromagnetic fluctuations at a lowest nonzero level, the Zero Point Energy (ZPE). This debouches into considerable changes of fundamental physics, as shown by a revised quantum electrodynamic theory (RQED) applied to elementary particles, and by a revised ZPE frequency spectrum applied to the expanding universe. The Standard Model based on a vacuum state of empty space is thus replaced by RQED, thereby resulting in massive elementary particles from the beginning, independently of the theory by Higgs. Also the basic properties of the Higgs-like particle detected at CERN can be reproduced by RQED. It further leads to new fundamental results beyond the theories by Dirac and Higgs, such as to a deduced value of the elementary net charge, magnetic confinement of charged particle configurations, intrinsic local particle charges, photon spin with a very small but nonzero photon rest mass, and needle-like particle-wave properties which contribute to the understanding of the photoelectric effect and two-slit experiments. The real macroscopic pressure due to the revised ZPE frequency distribution further influences the dynamics of the expanding universe, by the ZPE photon pressure gradient acting as dark energy, and the ZPE photon energy density acting as dark matter. This results in a model being consistent with the observed scale, the rate of expansion, and the stability of a flat expanding observable universe.展开更多
Liver cancer is the malignant transformation of liver cells. It develops in 90% of cases of cirrhosis, more rarely on chronic non-cirrhotic liver disease, and exceptionally in a healthy liver. This study aimed to inve...Liver cancer is the malignant transformation of liver cells. It develops in 90% of cases of cirrhosis, more rarely on chronic non-cirrhotic liver disease, and exceptionally in a healthy liver. This study aimed to investigate the clinical aspects of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). It was a retrospective descriptive study covering 10 years, focusing on HCC cases seen in outpatient and inpatient settings at the Internal Medicine Department. We recorded 153 cases out of 7021 patient records, resulting in a hospital frequency of 2.17%. The male-to-female ratio was 3.5. The mean age was 52.37 ± 14.34 years. The most common presenting complaint was pain in 16.3% of cases. A history of jaundice was found in 25.5% of cases. Alcohol consumption was observed in 15.38% of cases. The main physical sign found was hepatomegaly in 76% of cases. HBsAg was positive in 33.3% of cases. Alpha-fetoprotein levels were above 400 IU/ml in 50.81% of cases. Patients classified as CHILD PUGH A represented 39.72% of cases. Abdominal ultrasound revealed portal thrombosis associated with heterogeneous multinodular hepatomegaly in 11% of cases. Cytology confirmed HCC in four out of six patients who underwent the examination. We recorded 63 deaths out of 111 hospitalized patients. Complications included encephalopathy, hematemesis, and ascites in 48 patients. Hepatocellular carcinoma remains a significant public health issue. Its predominance in men and its occurrence in adults with factors such as viral infections and ethylism mean that prevention of this pathology could greatly reduce its incidence.展开更多
Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity and this burden is borne largely by low and middle-income countries. As part of efforts to combat AMR, the W...Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity and this burden is borne largely by low and middle-income countries. As part of efforts to combat AMR, the World Health Organization has identified Antimicrobial Stewardship as one of the strategic objectives of its global action plan on antimicrobial resistance. This survey aimed to observe antimicrobial prescribing and usage patterns in the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital with the purpose of identifying gaps to inform the specific antimicrobial stewardship interventions necessary to address our specific needs. Methodology: A point prevalence survey was conducted using the protocol and web-based automated data management system designed by the Global Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance, University of Antwerp, Belgium, in November 2021. Results: A total of 69 adult medical and surgical patients were surveyed;27 males and 18 females. Antimicrobial prevalence was 65.2%. Third generation cephalosporins (24.4%;33.3%), fluoroquinolones (17.8%;22.2%) and imidazole derivatives (20%;36.1%) were most prescribed on the medical and surgical wards. Antimicrobial guidelines were completely unavailable, most antimicrobials (93.8%) were prescribed empirically and 64.4% of these remained empirical after 72 hours of commencement. Conclusion: Antimicrobial stewardship interventions are necessary to minimize sub-optimal antimicrobial prescribing practices in our facility. Most critical are education on appropriate use of antimicrobials, support for development of antimicrobial guidelines, diagnostic stewardship, and the drive for improved use of the laboratory to guide antimicrobial prescriptions. The antimicrobial stewardship committee and team must drive this, having the requisite support from the management and prescribers, with the primary outcomes being reduced antimicrobial prevalence and improved antimicrobial prescription patterns.展开更多
文摘Introduction: HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, is the etiological agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of the viral load in patients under treatment. Methodology: This was a study carried out from July 2017 to June 2022 at the Point G University Hospital laboratory. The determination of the viral load of patients was carried out by PCR on the ABOTT M2000sp/rt platform. Results: A total of 129 patients infected with HIV-1, aged 19 to 72 years with a mean age of 40.05 years ± 10.71;all on antiretroviral chemotherapy. The female gender predominated among our patients. The most common treatment regimen was 2INTI + 1INNTI with 72.9% followed by 2INTI + 1INI with 13.2%. As for the combinations of molecules, the combination TDF + 3TC + EFV and TDF + 3TC + DTG predominated, respectively 65.1% and 13.2%. 89.9% of our patients had undetectable viremia after 12 months of treatment (p < 0.005) with an average viral load which had evolved from 681315.65 copies/ml ± 1616908.484 to M0 at 5742.36 copies /ml ± 35756.883 at M12 (p Conclusion: Generally speaking, antiretroviral treatment had contributed to controlling viral loads, however the therapeutic combination TDF + 3TC + DTG had made it possible to obtain more patients with undetectable viremia instead.
文摘Introduction: Biometrics therefore corresponds to the measurement of the morphological elements of humans. One of the most common ultrasound requests by clinicians is the assessment of liver size. The aim of our study was to study liver biometry using ultrasound in healthy adult subjects. Material and Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive and analytical study, carried out at CHU Point-G over a period of 7 months. A liver ultrasound was performed on 100 individuals without lesions, by a doctor in his final year of specialization in radiology and medical imaging. For each subject, we determined the height and anteroposterior diameter of the right liver and the left liver. Results: The mean age was 39.05 ± 16.86 years. The body mass index (BMI) 18.5 - 24.9 group was the most represented with 58%. The mean height of the right liver was 138.40 ± 14.85 mm. It was 136.81 ± 14.70 mm in men and 139.92 ± 14.99 mm in women (P = 0.306). That of the left liver was 95.55 ± 14.34 mm, in men, it was 91.79 ± 13.51 mm and 99.16 ± 14.31 mm in women (P = 0.019). We found a significant correlation between right liver height and BMI (P = 0.013). Conclusion: The mean values of liver biometry were established in our series. There was a significant correlation between right liver height and BMI. Liver ultrasound remains a reliable technique for liver biometry.
文摘The Decision of CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Full Implementation of the Universal Two-child policy and Innovation and Improvement of Family Planning Service Management（Hereinafterreferred to as the Decision）was announced on January 5,2016.China will implement a birth registration service system.
文摘The pKa and the isosbestic point of the universal pH indicator Carlo Ebra 1-11 (catalog number 45712) were determined using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Aqueous buffer solutions with pHs ranging from 3.83 to 10.85 were mixed. Four methods—two graphical and two mathematical— were used to estimate the acid dissociation constant (pKa) and isosbestic point using absorbance measurements. The equation for the dependence of the absorbance on pH at λ = 600 nm was obtained using calibration curves. The resulting average pKa of the four methods was 8.277 with a standard deviation of 0.1728. The results obtained using the mathematical methods were very similar, with a deviation of 0.0014;the average pKa determined using these methods was 8.263 ± 0.001. The literature contains no previous reports of the pKa of this indicator. The isosbestic point occurs at a wavelength of 494 nm, with an absorbance of 0.46.
文摘In the science fiction novel titled The Planet of the Apes （1963）, Pierre Boulle tells a story about a completely reversed world where the apes dominate the humans. Coming from the normal world that is ours, a small group of people is totally embarrassed and confused by observing this strange world. On the planet of the apes that they have discovered, it is the apes that are more intelligent than the humans. On the earth, it was the other way around. That observation results in their perplexity. The two communities, human and simian, bear with one another the relationship that corresponds to what Lotman calls ＂enantiomorphic pairings＂. In this context, a series of questions deserves to be raised： Is a ＂common language＂ possible between the two communities in the enantiomorphic pairings？ If the answer is yes, under what conditions could they succeed in opening up a space where they can have something in common？ In rereading The Planet of the Apes with reference to Lotman＇s semiotics of culture, we would like to formulate a response to those questions. Our claim is that the experience of finitude of one＇s own language can make possible an access to the new form of universality requisite for the cross-cultural communication： commonality without common points.
文摘Background: The term urinary lithiasis (UL) from the Greek “lithos” refers to the disease characterised by the result of abnormal precipitation of normal constituents of the urine within the urinary tract. The aim of this work was to determine the frequency of obstructive renal failure (ORF) of lithiasis origin and to describe the therapeutic indications. Methods: This was a retrospective prospective study in patients hospitalised in the nephrology department of Point G University Hospital for ORF of lithiasis origin over a 26-month period from 1 January 2018 to 1 February 2020 inclusive. Results: Among 1898 hospitalized patients, 32 met the inclusion criteria, i.e. a frequency of 1.7%. The male sex was 68.75% with a sex ratio of 2.2. The mean age was 48.38 ± 13.423 years with extremes of 20 and 65 years. Dysuria and urinary bilharzia were the main uro-nephrological antecedents, accounting for 25% of the cases each. Pain syndrome was the main functional sign, accounting for 100%. Ultrasound of the urinary tract (n = 28) showed stones in 92.85%. These stones were bilateral in 22.22% of cases. The dilatation was pyelocalic in 14 cases (51.8%). The uroscanner showed a pyelic location of the stones in both kidneys;42.1% on the right and 33.3% on the left. Hydronephrosis was the most common dilatation: 37.8% on the right and 29.7% on the left. Renal lithiasis was complicated by acute kidney injury (ARI) in 17 cases (53.1%) versus 15 cases (46.9%) of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Urethral catheter was the means of drainage in 24 (75%) followed by nephrostomy in 8 cases (25%). Nephrolithotomy accounted for 9.4% of cases. The case fatality rate was 28.12% (9 cases). Deaths occurred in the context of uraemic coma 6 cases and cardiorespiratory arrest 3 cases. Conclusions: The management of urinary lithiasis complicated by renal failure calls for the correction of hydrolytic disorders, drainage of the excretory tract and treatment of the stone, of which percutaneous nephrolithotomy seems to be the modality of choice.
文摘Both theory and experiments indicate that the vacuum is not a state of empty space, but is populated by electromagnetic fluctuations at a lowest nonzero level, the Zero Point Energy (ZPE). This debouches into considerable changes of fundamental physics, as shown by a revised quantum electrodynamic theory (RQED) applied to elementary particles, and by a revised ZPE frequency spectrum applied to the expanding universe. The Standard Model based on a vacuum state of empty space is thus replaced by RQED, thereby resulting in massive elementary particles from the beginning, independently of the theory by Higgs. Also the basic properties of the Higgs-like particle detected at CERN can be reproduced by RQED. It further leads to new fundamental results beyond the theories by Dirac and Higgs, such as to a deduced value of the elementary net charge, magnetic confinement of charged particle configurations, intrinsic local particle charges, photon spin with a very small but nonzero photon rest mass, and needle-like particle-wave properties which contribute to the understanding of the photoelectric effect and two-slit experiments. The real macroscopic pressure due to the revised ZPE frequency distribution further influences the dynamics of the expanding universe, by the ZPE photon pressure gradient acting as dark energy, and the ZPE photon energy density acting as dark matter. This results in a model being consistent with the observed scale, the rate of expansion, and the stability of a flat expanding observable universe.
文摘Liver cancer is the malignant transformation of liver cells. It develops in 90% of cases of cirrhosis, more rarely on chronic non-cirrhotic liver disease, and exceptionally in a healthy liver. This study aimed to investigate the clinical aspects of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). It was a retrospective descriptive study covering 10 years, focusing on HCC cases seen in outpatient and inpatient settings at the Internal Medicine Department. We recorded 153 cases out of 7021 patient records, resulting in a hospital frequency of 2.17%. The male-to-female ratio was 3.5. The mean age was 52.37 ± 14.34 years. The most common presenting complaint was pain in 16.3% of cases. A history of jaundice was found in 25.5% of cases. Alcohol consumption was observed in 15.38% of cases. The main physical sign found was hepatomegaly in 76% of cases. HBsAg was positive in 33.3% of cases. Alpha-fetoprotein levels were above 400 IU/ml in 50.81% of cases. Patients classified as CHILD PUGH A represented 39.72% of cases. Abdominal ultrasound revealed portal thrombosis associated with heterogeneous multinodular hepatomegaly in 11% of cases. Cytology confirmed HCC in four out of six patients who underwent the examination. We recorded 63 deaths out of 111 hospitalized patients. Complications included encephalopathy, hematemesis, and ascites in 48 patients. Hepatocellular carcinoma remains a significant public health issue. Its predominance in men and its occurrence in adults with factors such as viral infections and ethylism mean that prevention of this pathology could greatly reduce its incidence.
文摘Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity and this burden is borne largely by low and middle-income countries. As part of efforts to combat AMR, the World Health Organization has identified Antimicrobial Stewardship as one of the strategic objectives of its global action plan on antimicrobial resistance. This survey aimed to observe antimicrobial prescribing and usage patterns in the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital with the purpose of identifying gaps to inform the specific antimicrobial stewardship interventions necessary to address our specific needs. Methodology: A point prevalence survey was conducted using the protocol and web-based automated data management system designed by the Global Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance, University of Antwerp, Belgium, in November 2021. Results: A total of 69 adult medical and surgical patients were surveyed;27 males and 18 females. Antimicrobial prevalence was 65.2%. Third generation cephalosporins (24.4%;33.3%), fluoroquinolones (17.8%;22.2%) and imidazole derivatives (20%;36.1%) were most prescribed on the medical and surgical wards. Antimicrobial guidelines were completely unavailable, most antimicrobials (93.8%) were prescribed empirically and 64.4% of these remained empirical after 72 hours of commencement. Conclusion: Antimicrobial stewardship interventions are necessary to minimize sub-optimal antimicrobial prescribing practices in our facility. Most critical are education on appropriate use of antimicrobials, support for development of antimicrobial guidelines, diagnostic stewardship, and the drive for improved use of the laboratory to guide antimicrobial prescriptions. The antimicrobial stewardship committee and team must drive this, having the requisite support from the management and prescribers, with the primary outcomes being reduced antimicrobial prevalence and improved antimicrobial prescription patterns.
