Prevalence and Associated Factors of Thinness among Adolescent Students in Finote Selam Town, Northwest Ethiopia.

Even if adolescence is a window of opportunity to break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition, adolescents are the neglected age groups. Hence, information regarding the nutritional status of adolescents is lacking, making creating and implementing intervention programs difficult. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of thinness among school adolescents in Finote Selam Town, Northwest Ethiopia. A school-based cross-sectional study among adolescent students aged 10-19 in public primary and secondary schools was carried out in Finote Selam Town from February 05 to March 27, 2018. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select study subjects. A total of 397 adolescent students were included in the study. Pretested structured questionnaires were used to collect the data. Data were entered using Epi Info version 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 20 and WHO AnthroPlus software. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with thinness. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% level significance were used to measure the strength of association, and statistical significance was declared at p value less than 0.05. The prevalence of thinness among adolescents was 14.9%. Early adolescent stage (AOR = 4.81; 95% CI : 1.23, 18.51), being male adolescent students (AOR = 2.33; 95% CI : 1.60, 3.40), having less than 1000 birr family monthly income (AOR = 6.54; 95% CI : 3 : 82, 14.89), having 1000-2000 birr family monthly income (AOR = 3.47; 95% CI : 1.15, 7.45), and using well water (AOR = 3.82; 95% CI : 1.46, 10.04) were significantly associated with thinness at 95% confidence interval. The study revealed that prevalence of thinness was high in the study area. Sex, place of residence, and family monthly income were found to be important factors associated with thinness among the respondents.

Prevalence and associated factors of stunting and thinness among adolescent students in Finote Selam Town, Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Undernutrition among adolescents is a major public health problem in developing nations including Ethiopia. Adolescents need to have good-quantity and good-quality nutrients to cope with this rapid growth and other health risks which increase nutritional demand. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of stunting and thinness among school adolescents in Finote Selam Town, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A school-based cross-sectional study among adolescent students aged 10-19 in public schools was carried out in Finote Selam Town from February 5 to March 27, 2018. A total of 397 school adolescents were included in this study. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select study subjects. Pretested structured questionnaires were used to collect the data. Data were entered using Epi info version 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 20 and WHO AnthroPlus software. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with stunting and thinness. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% level significance were used to measure the strength of association, and statistical significance was declared at a P value less than 0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of stunting and thinness among school adolescents was 21.8% and 16.9%, respectively. About 9.7% of school adolescents experienced both stunting and thinness. Being male (P = 0.031), coming from rural area (P = 0.046), having a family monthly income of less than $28.37 (P = 0.044) and having less than four dietary diversity (P = 0.021) were significantly associated with stunting. Early adolescent stage (P = 0.034), being male adolescent students (P = 0.37), having a family monthly income of less than $28.37 (P = 0.016), having a family monthly income between $28.37 and $56.74 (P = 0.021) (35.25 Birr = 1 USD) and using well water (P = 0.045) were significantly associated with thinness. CONCLUSION: Undernutrition was a predominant problem in the study area. Sex, age, place of residence, dietary diversity, sources of drinking water and family monthly income were important factors associated with stunting and thinness among the respondents. Strategies to improve the nutritional status of adolescent students should be given much attention.

Recovery time and associated factors of severe acute malnutrition among children in Bahir Dar city, Northwest Ethiopia: an institution based retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition commonly affects all groups in a community, but infants and young children are the most vulnerable. Worldwide, nearly 24 million under five children experience severe acute malnutrition (SAM) which contributes to one million child deaths yearly and 19 million severely wasted children are living in developing countries. While the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is well established, achieving desired outcomes has proven to be challenging. There is limited evidence showing the success of treatments in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to determine recovery time from severe acute malnutrition and identify predictors among children of 6-59 months of age. METHODS: Facility based retrospective cohort study was conducted among 401 children 6-59 months of age who have been treated for SAM. Both descriptive and analytic analyses were executed. The results were determined using Kaplan-Meier procedure, log-rank test and Cox-regression. Variables having P-value ≤0.2 during binary analysis were entered into multivariate analysis. P value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: The recovery rate was 51.9% and the median recovery time was 16 days (95%CI: 14.233-17.767). Controlling for other factors; having anemia at admission, no plumpy nut provision, failing to enter in to phase 2 on day 10 and a weight gain of more than 8 g/kg/day were significant predictors of recovery time. CONCLUSIONS: Nutritional recovery rate was far outside of the accepted minimum international standard while median recovery time ranged in the accepted minimum international standard. Children had a lower chance of recovering early when they had anemia at admission, not provided plumpy nut, failed to enter phase 2 on day 10 and failed to gain more than 8 g/kg/day. Therefore, efforts should be strengthened to facilitate early recovery of children by considering the identified predictors of recovery time.

Lipid profiles among fish-consuming coastal and non-fish-consuming inland populations.

Serum lipid profiles were examined in 100 individuals of fish-consuming coastal and 109 individuals of non-fish-consuming inland populations. The fish-consuming population showed lower mean serum cholesterol, triacylglycerols and significantly higher levels of HDL cholesterol and phospholipids. The bleeding time and clotting time were significantly prolonged in the fish-eating population. Thus the fish-consuming population showed lower risk factors of coronary heart disease when compared to the non-fish-consuming population.

Blood pressure in relation to skinfold thickness in the population of Andhra Pradesh.

The blood pressure of 1275 subjects of both sexes in relation to four skinfolds at biceps, triceps, subscapular and supra-iliac was studied. A positive relationship is observed between these two variables. The mean systolic and diastolic pressures increase from lower to higher skinfold thickness groups in both sexes for all the four skinfolds. The sex difference is conspicuous and significant for systolic pressure. However only a few groups show significant sex difference for diastolic pressure. In males the correlations between blood pressure and skinfolds were significant, while in females it is significant between diastolic blood pressure and biceps and triceps skin thicknesses only.

Blood pressure in relation to smoking.

The present study of blood pressure among 1275 smokers and non-smokers from Andhra Pradesh reveals slightly higher mean blood pressures among smokers in most of the age groups. This is in contrast to most of the studies. The variation of blood pressure among smokers and non-smokers is significant.

Fatty acid profile and the atherogenic risk in fish consuming and non fish consuming people.

Epidemiological studies have indicated a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease in populations with a high habitual intake of marine fish and fish oils, and this apparent protection may be due to the presence of n-3 fatty acids in the dietary fish. Two populations, a rish consuming one from coastal area and an inland one with non fish consuming from Nellore district or South India were selected for the present study. A total of one thousand healthy subjects were randomly chosen (500 in each population) from both sexes, aged from 20 to 70 years. The concentration of serum cholesterol, triacylglycerol and LDL-cholesterol were significantly lower in fish consumers, whereas HDL-cholesterol was higher in fish consumers than in non fish consumers. The difference between the percent quantities of the three n-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids) was highly significant (p < 0.001) with a greater value in fish consumers.

The electrocardiogram in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.

Diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction as early in the course of its evolution as possible is an important requirement for successful coronary reperfusion. In spite of the availability of many newer diagnostic methods, electrocardiography retains its preeminent place in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. The value and limitations of the electrocardiogram in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction are reviewed.

Management of cardiac arrhythmias in acute coronary syndromes.

A variety of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias are encountered in patients with acute coronary syndromes. These include both brady and tachyarrhythmias of supraventricular and ventricular origin. Sinus bradycardia and atrial fibrillation are the most common of supraventricular origin. Ventricular arrhythmias that merit consideration include premature ventricular complexes, accelerated idioventricular rhythm, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. Intraventricular and atrioventricular conduction blocks associated with acute coronary syndromes include bundle branch blocks, fascicular blocks, and various degrees of atrioventricular block. A review of management of these arrhythmias is presented.

Role of the catheter in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

During the last decade, there has been a remarkable shift away from drug therapy toward catheter-based treatment of many tachyarrhythmias. Catheter ablation using radiofrequency energy has been shown to provide a cure for many supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias with excellent safety and has now become the first line of treatment. A review of biophysics and biology of radiofrequency energy, the technique of catheter ablation, and its application in the treatment of specific tachycardias encountered in clinical practice is presented.

Mitral valve prolapse. A common cardiac diagnosis in women.

Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) is the most frequently diagnosed cardiac valvular abnormality. It is a primary disorder with familial occurrence. MVP is a disease of the young with a significantly higher incidence in women compared to men. The most characteristic clinical finding is a midsystolic click and late systolic murmur detected on cardiac auscultation. Two-dimensional echocardiography is the diagnostic tool of choice. 2D echo also helps in stratification of MVP patients at risk of developing serious complications. Although MVP runs a benign course in the majority of patients, significant complications may occur. These include progressive mitral regurgitation with heart failure, infective endocarditis, systemic emboli, cardiac arrhythmias, and rarely sudden death. The focus of therapy is reassurance and symptom relief when possible. It is important to recognize those patients that are at risk of developing significant complications, follow them closely, and intervene appropriately when complications occur.

Ventricular tachycardia and sudden cardiac death.

As we approach the new millennium, treatment of survivors of cardiac arrest and prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD) are the two most important problems confronting contemporary cardiology practice. Sudden cardiac death occurs as a result of ventricular tachycardia (VT) degenerating into ventricular fibrillation (VF). Several major arrhythmia treatment trials completed during the last decade have significantly changed the way we treat patients with ventricular arrhythmias. In patients with sustained VT and aborted SCD, only treatment with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) has been shown to significantly increase survival. Amiodarone and sotalol, though very useful in the treatment of VT and VF, do not improve survival as significantly as ICD therapy. Use of Class I antiarrhythmics may adversely affect survival. Primary prevention of SCD in patients with a recent myocardial infarction (MI) and in patients with cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure (CHF) is limited by our inability to accurately identify patients at risk of SCD. Among the many tests available to identify patients at risk of SCD, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and presence of non-sustained VT appear to be most useful. To date, only beta adrenoceptor blockers have been shown to improve survival in post-MI patients as well as in patients with cardiomyopathy and CHF. Use of amiodarone is controversial in these patients. Treatment with ICD of post-MI patients with decreased LVEF and inducible sustained VT at electrophysiology study improves survival.

Age and sex variation of blood pressure in the population of Andhra Pradesh.

The blood pressure investigation was carried out on 530 males and 745 females of the general population including ages from 10 to 80 years. The increase of blood pressure with advancing age was evident both in males and females. The mean systolic pressures were greater in males upto 40 to 49 years and thereafter females showed greater mean values. However, diastolic pressure values were greater in males although. This is in agreement with the studies from India. Sex difference was evident in younger ages only.

Genome-wide screening reveals the emergence and divergence of RTK homologues in basal Metazoan Hydra magnipapillata.

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are key components of cell-cell signalling required for growth and development of multicellular organisms. It is therefore likely that the divergence of RTKs and associated components played a significant role in the evolution of multicellular organisms. We have carried out the present study in hydra, a diploblast, to investigate the divergence of RTKs after parazoa and before emergence of triploblast phyla. The domain-based screening using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) for RTKs in Genomescan predicted gene models of the Hydra magnipapillata genome resulted in identification of 15 RTKs. These RTKs have been classified into eight families based on domain architecture and homology. Only 5 of these RTKs have been previously reported and a few of these have been partially characterized. A phylogeny-based analysis of these predicted RTKs revealed that seven subtype duplications occurred between 'parazoan-eumetazoan split' and 'diploblast-triploblast split' in animal phyla. These results suggest that most of the RTKs evolved before the radiata-bilateria divergence during animal evolution.

Diversity and divergence among the tribal populations of India.

Tribal populations of the Indian subcontinent have been of longstanding interest to anthropologists and human geneticists. To investigate the relationship of Indian tribes to Indian castes and continental populations, we analyzed 45 unlinked autosomal STR loci in 9 tribal groups, 8 castes, and 18 populations from Africa, Europe and East Asia. South Indian tribal populations demonstrate low within-population heterozygosity (range: 0.54 - 0.69), while tribal populations sampled further north and east have higher heterozygosity (range: 0.69 - 0.74). Genetic distance estimates show that tribal Indians are more closely related to caste Indians than to other major groups. Between-tribe differentiation is high and exceeds that for eight sub-Saharan African populations (4.8% vs. 3.7%). Telugu-speaking populations are less differentiated than non-Telugu speakers (F(ST): 0.029 vs. 0.079), but geographic distance was not predictive of genetic affinity between tribes. South Indian tribes show significant population structure, and individuals can be clustered statistically into groups that correspond with their tribal affiliation. These results are consistent with high levels of genetic drift and isolation in Indian tribal populations, particularly those of South India, and they imply that these populations may be potential candidates for linkage disequilibrium and association mapping.

Consanguinity and inbreeding effects on fertility, mortality and morbidity in the Malas of Chittoor district.

PIP: Of a total 885 marriages studied in the Mala population of the Chittoor district, 321 were consanguineous (36.37%), a figure higher than that reported previously by Sanghvi (1966) for the Harijans of Andhra Pradesh and Mukherjee (1974) for the Malas of Chandragiri taluk in the Chittoor district. The temporal trend of consanguineous marriages through the generations shows a decreasing trend towards the present generation. The inbreeding coefficient for autosomal loci is 0.0242, which is lower than that of the Harijans (0.029) in Sanghvi. The effects of inbreeding on fertility, mortality, and morbidity in this population are not consistent nor are they in agreement with the results of some studies reported earlier. In genetic load, the negative values of inbreeding load for total fetal loss, congenital malformations, and so on show the decreasing effect of inbreeding and sampling fluctuations. (author's modified)^ieng

Distribution, endogamy, and isolation of Malas of Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

PIP: This study investigates the distribution of Malas, a scheduled caste population of Andhra Pradesh, their isolates in different eco-cultural zones, and their endogamy and isolation by marriage district. The Malas, formerly "untouchables," occupy the lowest status in the Hindu hierarchy. The sample consists of 10% of Malas from 10% of the villages in 2 taluks of Chitoor district of Andhra Pradesh. 6 Mala populations--Tangala, Maladasari, Pakanati, Rampala, Murikinati, and Bommanati--live in the area. These populations show a regionality in their distribution, with very little overlapping even when 2 populations inhabit the same village. Of 885 marriages in the 6 endogamous populations, all but 3 have been contracted between individuals belonging to the same Mala group. The 3 exogamous marriages took place between Mala men and women from another caste. Such small exceptions to the general rule do not mean that the Mala populations are not breeding isolates; these 6 populations satisfy Wright's island model. The high incidence of matings between closely related populations also contributes to their genetic and breeding isolation. Consanguineous marriages range from 26.76 to 38.75%. The distance between the birth place of spouses in miles, called marriage distance, shows a range from 7.72 to 15.71 miles. Lower values mean higher population densities. Groups within each population are isolated by distance and form small overlapping Mendelian populations, approaching a stepping stone model with continuous variation of genetic traits between adjacent groups of people.^ieng

Substoichiometric radiochemical determination of silver with potassium ethyl xanthate in photofilm washings.

An accurate and rapid radiochemical method has been developed for the determination of microgram amount of silver employing potassium ethyl xanthate as a substoichiometric radiochemical reagent. The light yellow coloured silver ethyl xanthate formed was extracted into nitrobenzene from sulphuric acid media. The effect of foreign ions on the extraction was studied. The method was applied to the determination of silver content in photofilm washings.