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This study employed a randomized controlled trial to investigate the rate of cervical cancer screening among adult women in Cross River State, Nigeria. For the collection of data, a semi-structured questionnaire was used. The women underwent a health education intervention; they were divided into an experimental group with incentives and one without, as well as a control group. At baseline, only 120 (19.6%) of women had adequate knowledge, 139(22.7%) knew Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) is sexually transmitted, 289(47.1%) knew that HPV causes cervical cancer and 46 (7.6%) had been screened. The intervention yielded a net gain of 14.2 in knowledge and 16.0 points in attitude. There was a 60.3% net gain in uptake screening post intervention. McNemar chi-square yielded a statistically significant difference in knowledge (p<0.05), attitude (p<0.05) and uptake (p<0.05) in the intervention groups compared to the control groups. Recommendations include mobile screening centers and Income-based subsidized tests.
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Infecções por Papillomavirus , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Detecção Precoce de Câncer , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/diagnóstico , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/prevenção & controle , Nigéria , Infecções por Papillomavirus/diagnóstico , Infecções por Papillomavirus/prevenção & controle , Inquéritos e Questionários , Programas de RastreamentoRESUMO
Electrostatic attractions are essential in any complex formation between the nanofibrils of the opposite charge for a specific application, such as microcapsule production. Here, we used cationized cellulose nanofibril (CCNF)-stabilized Pickering emulsions (PEs) as templates, and the electrostatic interactions were induced by adding oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (OCNFs) at the oil-water interface to form microcapsules (MCs). The oppositely charged cellulose nanofibrils enhanced the solidity of interfaces, allowing the encapsulation of Nile red (NR) in sunflower oil droplets. Microcapsules exhibited a low and controlled release of NR at room temperature. Furthermore, membrane emulsification was employed to scale up the preparation of microcapsules with sunflower oil (SFO) encapsulated by CCNF/OCNF complex networks.
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Celulose , Cápsulas , Emulsões , Eletricidade Estática , Óleo de GirassolRESUMO
Patchy and patchy Janus particles composed of poly(dl-lactic acid) (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) regions were produced with a controlled size, patchiness, composition, and shape anisotropy by microfluidic emulsification and solvent evaporation. Isotropic particles composed of PCL patches embedded in the PLA matrix were produced from relatively small drops with a diameter of 14-25 µm because of the fast solvent extraction as a result of high interfacial area of the particles. Anisotropic patchy Janus particles were formed from large drops, 100-250 µm in diameter. A higher degree of polymer separation was achieved using a higher ratio of dichloromethane to ethyl acetate in the organic phase because of the more pronounced patch coarsening via Ostwald ripening. Janus particles with two fully separated polymer compartments were produced by in situ microfluidic mixing of two separate polymer streams within the formed droplets. The advantage of in situ micromixing is that the particle morphology can be changed continuously in a facile manner during drop generation by manipulating the organic stream flow rates. PCL and PLA domains within the particles were visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopy because of the preferential adsorption of rhodamine 6G dye onto PLA domains and higher binding affinity of Nile red toward PCL.
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Microfluídica , Anisotropia , Biopolímeros , Ácido Láctico , SolventesRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Since 2001, Nigeria has collected information on epidemic-prone and other diseases of public health importance through the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system (IDSR). Currently 23 diseases are designated as "notifiable" through IDSR, including human infection with avian influenza (AI). Following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) in Nigerian poultry populations in 2006 and one laboratory confirmed human infection in 2007, a study was carried out to describe knowledge, perceptions, and practices related to infectious disease reporting through the IDSR system, physicians' preferred sources of heath information, and knowledge of AI infection in humans among public sector physicians in Nigeria. METHODS: During November to December 2008, 245 physicians in six Nigerian cities were surveyed through in-person interviews. Survey components included reporting practices for avian influenza and other notifiable diseases, perceived obstacles to disease reporting, methods for obtaining health-related information, and knowledge of avian influenza among participating physicians. RESULTS: All 245 respondents reported that they had heard of AI and that humans could become infected with AI. Two-thirds (163/245) had reported a notifiable disease. The most common perceived obstacles to reporting were lack of infrastructure/logistics or reporting system (76/245, 31%), lack of knowledge among doctors about how to report or to whom to report (64/245, 26%), and that doctors should report certain infectious diseases (60/245, 24%). Almost all participating physicians (>99%) reported having a cell phone that they currently use, and 86% reported using the internet at least weekly. CONCLUSIONS: Although the majority of physicians surveyed were knowledgeable of and had reported notifiable diseases, they identified many perceived obstacles to reporting. In order to effectively identify human AI cases and other infectious diseases through IDSR, reporting system requirements need to be clearly communicated to participating physicians, and perceived obstacles, such as lack of infrastructure, need to be addressed. Future improvements to the reporting system should account for increased utilization of the internet, as well as cell phone and email-based communication.
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Notificação de Doenças/estatística & dados numéricos , Surtos de Doenças/estatística & dados numéricos , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Influenza Aviária/epidemiologia , Influenza Humana/epidemiologia , Médicos/psicologia , Padrões de Prática Médica , Adulto , Animais , Atitude do Pessoal de Saúde , Aves , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Virus da Influenza A Subtipo H5N1 , Internet , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Nigéria/epidemiologia , Setor Público/estatística & dados numéricos , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Influenza surveillance data from tropical, sub-Saharan African countries are limited. To better understand the epidemiology of influenza, Nigeria initiated influenza surveillance in 2008. METHODS: Outpatients with influenza-like illness (ILI) and inpatients with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) were enrolled at 4 sentinel facilities. Epidemiologic data were obtained, and respiratory specimens were tested for influenza viruses, using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assays. RESULTS: During April 2009-August 2010, 2841 patients were enrolled. Of 2803 specimens tested, 217 (7.7%) were positive for influenza viruses (167 [8%] were from subjects with ILI, 17 [5%] were from subjects with SARI, and 33 were from subjects with an unclassified condition). During the prepandemic period, subtype H3N2 (A[H3N2]) was the dominant circulating influenza A virus subtype; 2009 pandemic influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A[H1N1]pdm09) replaced A(H3N2) as the dominant circulating virus during November 2009. Among persons with ILI, A(H1N1)pdm09 was most frequently found in children aged 5-17 years, whereas among subjects with SARI, it was most frequently found in persons aged ≥ 65 years. The percentage of specimens that tested positive for influenza viruses peaked at 18.9% in February 2010, and the majority were A(H1N1)pdm09. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza viruses cause ILI and SARI in Nigeria. Data from additional years are needed to better understand the epidemiology and seasonality of influenza viruses in Nigeria.
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Vírus da Influenza A/classificação , Vírus da Influenza A/isolamento & purificação , Influenza Humana/epidemiologia , Influenza Humana/virologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Líquidos Corporais/virologia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Nigéria/epidemiologia , Prevalência , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real , Vigilância de Evento Sentinela , Adulto JovemRESUMO
To understand 2009 pandemic influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A[H1N1]pdm09) circulation in West Africa, we collected influenza surveillance data from ministries of health and influenza laboratories in 10 countries, including Cameroon, from 4 May 2009 through 3 April 2010. A total of 10,203 respiratory specimens were tested, of which 25% were positive for influenza virus. Until the end of December 2009, only 14% of all detected strains were A(H1N1)pdm09, but the frequency increased to 89% from January through 3 April 2010. Five West African countries did not report their first A(H1N1)pdm09 case until 6 months after the emergence of the pandemic in North America, in April 2009. The time from first detection of A(H1N1)pdm09 in a country to the time of A(H1N1)pdm09 predominance varied from 0 to 37 weeks. Seven countries did not report A(H1N1)pdm09 predominance until 2010. Introduction and transmission of A(H1N1)pdm09 were delayed in this region.
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Vírus da Influenza A Subtipo H1N1/isolamento & purificação , Influenza Humana/epidemiologia , Influenza Humana/virologia , Pandemias , Adulto , África Ocidental/epidemiologia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Humanos , Lactente , Orthomyxoviridae , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Monodispersed sirolimus (SRL)-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres with a diameter of 1.8, 3.8, and 8.5 µm were produced by high-throughput microfluidic step emulsificationâsolvent evaporation using single crystal silicon chips consisted of 540-1710 terraced microchannels with a depth of 2, 4, or 5 µm arranged in 10 parallel arrays. Uniform sized droplets were generated over 25 h across all channels. Nearly 15% of the total drug was released by the initial burst release during an accelerated drug release testing performed at 37 °C using a hydrotropic solution containing 5.8 M N,N-diethylnicotinamide. After 24 h, 71% of the drug was still entrapped in the particles. The internal morphology of microspheres was investigated by fluorescence microscopy using Nile red as a selective fluorescent stain with higher binding affinity toward SRL. By increasing the drug loading from 33 to 50 wt %, the particle morphology evolved from homogeneous microspheres, in which the drug and polymer were perfectly mixed, to patchy particles, with amorphous drug patches embedded within a polymer matrix to anisotropic patchy Janus particles. Janus particles with fully segregated drug and polymer regions were achieved by pre-saturating the aqueous phase with the organic solvent, which decreased the rate of solvent evaporation and allowed enough time for complete phase separation. This approach to manufacturing drug-loaded monodisperse microparticles can enable the development of more effective implantable drug-delivery devices and improved methods for subcutaneous drug administration, which can lead to better therapeutic treatments.
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Ácido Láctico , Ácido Poliglicólico , Injeções Subcutâneas , Ácido Láctico/química , Microesferas , Tamanho da Partícula , Preparações Farmacêuticas , Ácido Poliglicólico/química , Copolímero de Ácido Poliláctico e Ácido Poliglicólico , Próteses e Implantes , Sirolimo , Solventes/químicaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD), a common hereditary disease, can be prevented by preparing young people ahead of the conception of an affected foetus. AIM: To assess the knowledge and attitude regarding SCD amongst senior secondary school students in Surulere Local Government Area (LGA), Lagos, Nigeria. SETTING: Senior secondary schools in Surulere LGA. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study amongst 300 senior secondary school students. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analysed using Stata16. The Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to determine the association between categorical variables. The level of significance was predetermined at p 0.05. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 15.2 (±1.3) years, with a male-to-female ratio of about 1:2. The majority (90.0%) of the respondents were aware of SCD, 63.0% had good knowledge, although less than half of them (46.3%) knew SCD to be a blood disorder, whilst about two-thirds (53.1%) knew that it was an inherited condition. About one fifth (24.4%) of them knew about prevention by genetic counselling. The majority (97.0%) of them had a positive attitude towards SCD. Over two-thirds (72.6%) were aware of their genotype. The prevalence of SCD was 2.0%, whilst 18.9% of them were carriers of the sickle cell trait. Knowing their SCD status but not necessarily their genotype was significantly associated with their attitude towards the disease (p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: The prevention of SCD was not known to the majority, and better attitudes were more likely when the SCD status was known. Therefore, routine screening and counselling could potentially aid SCD control.
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Anemia Falciforme , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Adolescente , Anemia Falciforme/epidemiologia , Anemia Falciforme/genética , Anemia Falciforme/prevenção & controle , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Governo Local , Masculino , Nigéria/epidemiologia , Instituições Acadêmicas , Estudantes , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, women are bearing a heavier burden than men in terms of rate of infection and socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS. This study was aimed at assessing gender disparities in the socio-economic burden of HIV/AIDS. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 HIV-positive adult patients attending an HIV clinic in Lagos, Nigeria, selected by multi-stage sampling and interviewed using a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. Bivariate analysis was used to assess how the socioeconomic constructs differed by gender. Results: This study revealed that females suffered more of the socio-economic consequences of having HIV/AIDS than males; cruelty and isolation were significantly higher among the females (p<0.0001), more females (50.0%) were discriminated against at the workplace compared to males (32.1%) (p=0.005), physical abuse (p=0.002) and extortion (p=0.029) were experienced by more of the females than the males. Also, the cost of care outside of antiretroviral therapy was significantly higher among the females (p= 0.002). Conclusion: Quantifying the social and economic disparities between HIV-infected men and women has shown that the burden is by far higher among women than men. Focused interventions are therefore needed to control the spread of the disease and improve the quality of life of HIV-infected women.
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Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida , Infecções por HIV , Adulto , Masculino , Humanos , Feminino , Qualidade de Vida , Nigéria/epidemiologia , Estudos Transversais , Estresse Financeiro , Infecções por HIV/tratamento farmacológico , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Importance: The global impact of COVID-19 has led to an increased need to continuously assess disease surveillance tools. The utility of SARS-CoV-2 serologic tools in determining immunity levels across different age groups and locations in helping to quickly assess the burden of COVID-19 with significant health policy implications is unknown. Objective: To determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with respect to the age group and sex of participants. Design, Setting, and Participants: A cross-sectional survey of 4904 individuals across 12 states with high and low COVID-19 disease burden in Nigeria was carried out between June 29 and August 21, 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for the detection of specific SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M antibodies, such as the nucleocapsid protein-NCP and spike protein S1. Interviewer-administered questionnaires provided information on participants' history of disease and associated risk factors. Results: A total of 4904 individuals participated in the study (3033 were female [61.8%]; mean [SD] age, 26.7 [6.51] years). A high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 (78.9%) was obtained. Seropositivity was consistent across the states surveyed, ranging from 69.8% in Lagos to 87.7% in Borno. There was no association between sex and seropositivity (female, 2414 [79.6%]; male, 1456 [77.8%]; P = .61); however, an association was noted between age and seropositivity, with the peak prevalence observed in participants aged 15 to 19 years (616 [83.6%]; P = .001). Similarly, loss of appetite (751 [82.3%]; P = .04) and smell (309 [84.4%]; P = .01) were associated with seropositivity. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, a high SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was obtained among the study population during the low level of vaccination at the time of the survey. Thus, there is a need for both an efficacy and antibody neutralization test study to ascertain the efficacy of the antibody detected and the potential for herd immunity in Nigeria.
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COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Adulto , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Efeitos Psicossociais da Doença , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Imunoglobulina G , Imunoglobulina M , Masculino , Nigéria/epidemiologia , Proteínas do Nucleocapsídeo , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Glicoproteína da Espícula de CoronavírusRESUMO
The continuous fabrication via membrane emulsification of stable microcapsules using renewable, biodegradable biopolymer wall materials keratin and chitosan is reported here for the first time. Microcapsule formation was based on opposite charge interactions between keratin and chitosan, which formed polyelectrolyte complexes when solutions were mixed at pH 5.5. Interfacial complexation was induced by transfer of keratin-stabilized primary emulsion droplets to chitosan solution, where the deposition of chitosan around droplets formed a core-shell structure. Capsule formation was demonstrated both in batch and continuous systems, with the latter showing a productivity up to 4.5 million capsules per minute. Keratin-chitosan microcapsules (in the 30-120 µm range) released less encapsulated nile red than the keratin-only emulsion, whereas microcapsules cross-linked with glutaraldehyde were stable for at least 6 months, and a greater amount of cross-linker was associated with enhanced dye release under the application of force due to increased shell brittleness. In light of recent bans involving microplastics in cosmetics, applications may be found in skin-pH formulas for the protection of oils or oil-soluble compounds, with a possible mechanical rupture release mechanism (e.g., rubbing on skin).
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HYPOTHESIS: Core-shell microcapsules and crescent-shaped microparticles can be used as picolitre bioreactors for cell culture and microwells for cell trapping/immobilisation, respectively. RESULTS: Monodisperse polylactic acid (PLA) core-shell microcapsules with a diameter above 200µm, a shell thickness of 10µm, and 96% water entrapment efficiency were produced by solvent evaporation from microfluidically generated W/O/W emulsion drops with core-shell structure, and used to encapsulate Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells in their aqueous cores. The morphological changes of the capsules stained with Nile red were studied over 14days under different osmotic pressure and pH gradients. FINDINGS: The shell retained its integrity under isotonic conditions, but buckling and particle crumbling occurred in a hypertonic solution. When the capsules containing 5wt% aqueous Eudragit® S 100 solution in the core were incubated in 10-4M HCl solution, H+ diffused through the PLA film into the core causing an ionic gelation of the inner phase and its phase separation into polymer-rich and water-rich regions, due to the transition of Eudragit from a hydrophilic to hydrophobic state. Crescent-shaped composite microparticles with Eudragit cores and PLA shells were fabricated by drying core-shell microcapsules with gelled cores, due to the collapse of PLA shells encompassing water-rich crescent regions.
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INTRODUCTION: Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world as well as high perinatal mortality. Unfortunately, the country does not have the resources to assess this critical indicator with the conventional health information system and measuring its progress toward the goal of ending preventable maternal deaths is almost impossible. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) conducted a cross-sectional study to assess maternal and perinatal mortality in Makoko Riverine and Badia East, two of the most vulnerable slums of Lagos. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional, community-based household survey. Nearly 4,000 households were surveyed. The sisterhood method was utilized to estimate maternal mortality and the preceding births technique was used to estimate newborn and child mortality. Questions regarding health seeking behavior were posed to female interviewees and self-reported data were collected. RESULTS: Data was collected from 3963 respondents for a total of 7018 sisters ever married. The maternal mortality ratio was calculated at 1,050/100,000 live births (95% CI: 894-1215), and the lifetime risk of maternal death at 1:18. The neonatal mortality rate was extracted from 1967 pregnancies reported and was estimated at 28.4/1,000; infant mortality at 43.8/1,000 and under-five mortality at 103/1,000. Living in Badia, giving birth at home and belonging to the Egun ethnic group were associated with higher perinatal mortality. Half of the last pregnancies were reportedly delivered in private health facilities. Proximity to home was the main influencing factor (32.4%) associated with delivery at the health facility. DISCUSSION: The maternal mortality ratio found in these urban slum populations within Lagos is extremely high, compared to the figure estimated for Lagos State of 545 per 100,000 live births. Urgent attention is required to address these neglected and vulnerable neighborhoods. Efforts should be invested in obtaining data from poor, marginalized, and hard-to-reach populations in order to identify pockets of marginalization needing additional resources and tailored approaches to guarantee equitable treatment and timely access to quality health services for vulnerable groups. This study demonstrates the importance of sub-regional, disaggregated data to identify and redress inequities that exist among poor, remote, vulnerable populations-as in the urban slums of Lagos.
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Mortalidade da Criança , Mortalidade Infantil , Mortalidade Materna , Áreas de Pobreza , Adolescente , Adulto , Criança , Estudos Transversais , Parto Obstétrico , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Nigéria , Mortalidade Perinatal , Gravidez , Fatores Socioeconômicos , População Urbana , Adulto JovemRESUMO
A cross sectional, community-based, descriptive study among women of reproductive age group (15-49 years) in Nigeria to explore the possible reasons for contraceptive non-use despite reported high awareness was carried out. Data were obtained using a standard questionnaire instrument and applied on 2001 respondents. Contraceptive prevalence among sexually active respondents was 14.8% for all methods, 10.1% for modern methods and only 0.8% for emergency contraceptives. The most frequently stated reasons for non-use of contraceptives, among those who had never used any contraceptives but who did not want more children were: "did not think about it", "against religious belief" and "fear of side effects." Prior counseling significantly improved the continuation rate of contraception. Multivariate analysis showed that older, married and more educated women tended to use contraceptives more. Health-care providers should be trained to offer counseling services to all clients in general, and young, unmarried and uneducated women in particular in order to improve their acceptance of contraceptives.
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Comportamento Contraceptivo/estatística & dados numéricos , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Adolescente , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Estudos Transversais , Escolaridade , Feminino , Humanos , Estado Civil , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Nigéria , Religião , Serviços de Saúde Reprodutiva/organização & administração , Saúde da MulherRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Understanding the sources of contraceptive commodities is an important aspect of the delivery of family planning services and is required by planning programme managers for strategic planning purposes. Findings from the 2003 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey have previously showed that the private sector was the most frequently reported source of contraceptive supply, providing contraception to two and a half times as many women as the public sector. We conducted a community-based study to examine further the sources of contraceptive commodity for users in Nigeria with a view to identifying their preferences for distribution centres. This information would be useful to improve commodity distribution and to build the necessary capacity for satisfactory delivery of contraceptives. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A multi-stage random sampling technique was used. A state was randomly selected to represent each of the four health zones in Nigeria. Two local government areas (LGAs) were then selected representing both urban and rural areas. Ten enumeration areas were subsequently selected from each LGA. Of the 2,001 respondents aged 15-49 years, 1,647 (82.3%) were sexually active, out of which 244 were found to be using contraceptive methods at the time of the study, giving a contraceptive prevalence of 14.8%. The commonest source of information on contraceptives was through friends (34%), followed by the radio (11.5%) and husbands (10.2%). Most respondents procured their contraceptives from chemist/patent medicine shops (19.7%), while only 0.8% obtained them from designated family planning clinics. The younger groups in this study (15-24 years), single people, Catholics, and Muslims, showed a greater preference for chemist/patent medicine shops for their sources of contraceptives. The older groups and married respondents, however, made use of government and private hospitals to obtain their contraceptives. CONCLUSION: Strategies to increase contraceptive use must take into consideration these identified sources of contraceptives with a view to enhancing the quality, quantity, and variety of methods available, and to building capacity for effective service delivery. There is also a need to encourage the establishment of adolescent-friendly clinics where young people can go for counselling and obtain contraceptives of their choice, including emergency contraceptive pills.
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Comércio , Anticoncepcionais/economia , Anticoncepcionais/uso terapêutico , Acessibilidade aos Serviços de Saúde , Adolescente , Adulto , Publicidade , Instituições de Assistência Ambulatorial , Feminino , Inquéritos Epidemiológicos , Hospitais Privados , Hospitais Públicos , Humanos , Relações Interpessoais , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , NigériaRESUMO
Biodegradable poly(DL-lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles with tunable size, shape, internal structure and surface morphology were produced by counter-current flow focusing in axisymmetric (3D) glass capillary devices. The dispersed phase was composed of 0.5-2 wt % polymer solution in a volatile organic solvent (ethyl acetate or dichloromethane) and the continuous phase was 5 wt % aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution. The droplets with a coefficient of variation in dripping regime below 2.5% were evaporated to form polymeric particles with uniform sizes ranging between 4 and 30 µm. The particle microstructure and surface roughness were modified by adding nanofiller (montmorillonite nanoclay) or porogen (2-methylpentane) in the dispersed phase to form less porous polymer matrix or porous particles with golf-ball-like dimpled surface, respectively. The presence of 2-4 wt % nanoclay in the host polymer significantly reduced the release rate of paracetamol and prevented the early burst release, as a result of reduced polymer porosity and tortuous path for the diffusing drug molecules. Numerical modeling results using the volume of fluid-continuum surface force model agreed well with experimental behavior and revealed trapping of nanoclay particles in the dispersed phase upstream of the orifice at low dispersed phase flow rates and for 4 wt % nanoclay content, due to vortex formation. Janus PLA/PCL (polycaprolactone) particles were produced by solvent evaporation-induced phase separation within organic phase droplets containing 3% (v/v) PLA/PCL (30/70 or 70/30) mixture in dichloromethane. A strong preferential adsorption of Rhodamine 6G dye onto PLA was utilized to identify PLA portions of the Janus particles by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Uniform hemispherical PCL particles were produced by dissolution of PLA domes with acetone.
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Sistemas de Liberação de Medicamentos , Ácido Láctico/química , Técnicas Analíticas Microfluídicas/instrumentação , Microesferas , Ácido Poliglicólico/química , Polímeros/química , Reologia , Acetaminofen/farmacologia , Liberação Controlada de Fármacos , Emulsões/química , Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura , Nanopartículas/química , Nanopartículas/ultraestrutura , Tamanho da Partícula , Poliésteres , Copolímero de Ácido Poliláctico e Ácido Poliglicólico , Difração de Raios XRESUMO
Pinch-off of a compound jet in 3D glass capillary microfluidic device, which combines co-flowing and countercurrent flow focusing geometries, was investigated using an incompressible three-phase axisymmetric Volume of Fluid-Continuum Surface Force (VOF-CSF) numerical model. The model showed good agreement with the experimental drop generation and was capable of predicting formation of core/shell droplets in dripping, narrowing jetting and widening jetting regimes. In dripping and widening jetting regimes, the presence of a vortex flow around the upstream end of the necking thread facilitates the jet break-up. No vortex flow was observed in narrowing jetting regime and pinch-off occurred due to higher velocity at the downstream end of the coaxial thread compared to that at the upstream end. In all regimes, the inner jet ruptured before the outer jet, preventing a leakage of the inner drop into the outer fluid. The necking region moves at the maximum speed in the narrowing jetting regime, due to the highest level of shear at the outer surface of the thread. However, in widening jetting regime, the neck travels the longest distance downstream before it breaks.
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Unwanted pregnancy, and consequently unsafe abortion, remains major reproductive health problems in Nigeria that needs to be tackled. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of information on this problem at the community level. This study therefore examined the prevalence of unwanted pregnancy in the community as well as associated factors including the views, perceptions and attitudes of community members towards unwanted pregnancy and the pattern of help-seeking behaviour on unwanted pregnancy. Information was obtained from 3,743 women in urban and rural communities in two Nigerian states of Lagos and Edo. At some point in life, 26.6% of the respondents had had unwanted Pregnancy while abortion prevalence was 21.7%. Short birth intervals (21.1%), high cost of raising children (20.1%), interruption of education (20.1%) and being unmarried (17.3%) were the most common reasons for not wanting pregnancies. Most of the respondents (91.3%) were aware of some form of contraception but ever-use rate was only 36.6% while current use rate was 23.4%. Both abortion and contraceptive use were significantly associated with increasing levels of education. Unwanted pregnancy constitutes a problem even at the community level and more research is needed to understand the persistent disparity between contraceptive knowledge and usage, as increased usage will reduce unwanted pregnancy and induced abortion.
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Gravidez não Planejada , Adulto , Comportamento Contraceptivo/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Inquéritos Epidemiológicos , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Nigéria , Gravidez , Gravidez não Planejada/psicologia , População Rural/estatística & dados numéricos , População Urbana/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
HYPOTHESIS: Droplet size in microfluidic devices is affected by wettability of the microfluidic channels. Three-dimensional countercurrent flow focusing using assemblies of chemically inert glass capillaries is expected to minimize wetting of the channel walls by the organic solvent. EXPERIMENTS: Monodispersed polycaprolactone and poly(lactic acid) particles with a diameter of 18-150 µm were produced by evaporation of solvent (dichloromethane or 1:2 mixture of chloroform and toluene) from oil-in-water or water-in-oil-in-water emulsions produced in three-dimensional flow focusing glass capillary devices. The drop generation behaviour was simulated numerically using the volume of fluid method. FINDINGS: The numerical results showed good agreement with high-speed video recordings. Monodispersed droplets were produced in the dripping regime when the ratio of the continuous phase flow rate to dispersed phase flow rate was 5-20 and the Weber number of the dispersed phase was less than 0.01. The porosity of polycaprolactone particles increased from 8 to 62% when 30 wt% of the water phase was incorporated in the organic phase prior to emulsification. The inner water phase was loaded with 0.156 wt% lidocaine hydrochloride to achieve a sustained drug release. 26% of lidocaine was released after 1 h and more than 93% of the drug was released after 130 h.
Assuntos
Ácido Láctico/química , Técnicas Analíticas Microfluídicas/instrumentação , Poliésteres/química , Polímeros/química , Reologia/instrumentação , Clorofórmio/química , Simulação por Computador , Composição de Medicamentos , Vidro , Cinética , Lidocaína/química , Cloreto de Metileno/química , Microesferas , Modelos Estatísticos , Porosidade , Reologia/estatística & dados numéricos , Tolueno/química , Gravação em Vídeo , Volatilização , Água/química , MolhabilidadeRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Colon injury has been associated with a high risk of septic complications and mortality. We prospectively studied the pattern, management, outcome, and prognostic factors in patients who sustained penetrating colon injuries. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty patients who presented to our hospital with penetrating colon injuries over a ten-year period (1992 to 2001) were studied. RESULTS: Colon wounds were caused by gunshots in 55 (91.7 percent) patients and knife stabs in 5 (8.3 percent). There was a delay of more than 12 hours before laparotomy in 30 (50 percent) patients. Moderate or major fecal contamination of the peritoneal cavity occurred in 58 (96.7 percent) patients. The average penetrating abdominal trauma index score was 25.9 and 20 (33.3 percent) patients sustained Flint Grade 3 colon injury. Associated intra-abdominal injuries occurred in the small bowel (73.3 percent), liver (25 percent), stomach (23.3 percent), and mesentery (16.7 percent). Right colon wounds (35) were managed by primary repair in 24 (68.6 percent) patients and proximal diverting colostomy in 11 (31.4 percent), whereas left colon wounds (25) were managed by diverting colostomy in 22 (88.0 percent) patients and primary repair in 3 (12.0 percent) patients. Common complications included wound infection (56.7 percent), septicemia (31.7 percent), and enterocutaneous fistula (16.7 percent). The overall mortality rate was 33.3 percent and colon injury-related mortality was 21.7 percent. Presence of destructive colon injury was associated with a greater than fourfold increased incidence of death. Other significant risk factors included shock on admission, major fecal contamination, duration of operation more than four hours, penetrating abdominal trauma index score >25, and more than two postoperative complications. There was no difference in outcome between patients who had primary repair and those undergoing diverting colostomy. Colostomy closure-related morbidity was 21 percent and mortality was 5.3 percent. CONCLUSION: A more liberal use of primary repair is required in our patients with penetrating injuries of the colon.