Evaluation of new instruments for screening and diagnosis of tics and tic disorders in a well-characterized sample of youth with tics and recruited controls.

Tics and tic disorders can significantly impact children, but limited screening tools and diagnostic challenges may delay access to care. The current study attempted to address these gaps by evaluating sensitivity and specificity of the Motor or Vocal Inventory of Tics (MOVeIT), a tic symptom screener, and the Description of Tic Symptoms (DoTS), a brief diagnostic assessment for tic disorders. Children (n=100, age 6-17 years old) with tic disorders attending a Tourette specialty clinic and a community-recruited sample without tics completed a gold-standard assessment by a tic expert; these evaluations were compared to child self-report and parent and teacher report versions of the MOVeIT, and child and parent versions of the DoTS. The parent and child MOVeIT met or exceeded pre-specified 85% sensitivity and specificity criteria for detecting the presence of tics when compared to a gold-standard tic expert diagnosis. The Teacher MOVeIT had lower sensitivity (71.4%) but good specificity (95.7%) for identifying any tic symptoms compared to gold standard. For determination of the presence or absence of any tic disorder, sensitivity of both parent and child DoTS was 100%; specificity of the parent DoTS was 92.7% and child DoTS specificity was 75.9%. More work may be needed to refine the teacher MOVeIT, but it is also recognized that tic expression may vary by setting. While the MOVeIT and DoTS parent and child questionnaires demonstrated adequate sensitivity and specificity for determining the presence of tics and tic disorders in this well-defined sample, additional testing in a general population is warranted.

Engineered Geomedia Kaolin Clay-Reduced Graphene Oxide-Polymer Composite for the Remediation of Olaquindox from Water.

Globally, there is an upsurge in the use of unregulated veterinary pharmaceuticals with enhanced release into the environment, resulting in water pollution, which is difficult to remediate. To address this issue, we synthesized and characterized highly hydrophobic three-dimensional ordered engineered geomedia with multiple channels. Kaolin clay (K) was functionalized with either graphene oxide (GO) synthesized via Tour's method or reduced GO in situ with covalently linked methoxyether polyethylene glycol (GO-PEG) using a simple and easily scalable amidation reaction. This was done to enhance the adsorption of olaquindox, a veterinary antibiotic. The X-ray diffraction profile confirmed the grafting of GO and GO-PEG to kaolin. Morphological analysis revealed the architecture of thin films of GO/GO-PEG grafted on the kaolin surface with extensive porosity. Energy-dispersive X-ray mapping, infra-red spectra, and elemental analysis confirmed the successful synthesis of the engineered geomedia composite of K, GO/rGO, and PEG (KrGO-PEG). Due to multiple surface functional groups of polyamide and amido-carbonic groups on the KrGO-PEG composite, it was suitable for olaquindox adsorption. In batch sorption studies of 0.5XKrO-PEG, the effect of pH (2-10) was negligible but with fast equilibrium time (2-1440 min) at 30 min, while the kinetics and equilibrium data suited the pseudo-second order and Langmuir models, respectively. The maximum adsorption value obtained for the composite was 59.5 mg/g; the higher the GO content, the higher the adsorption. The sorption mechanism was majorly through hydrophobic and π-π interactions. Regenerated/reused adsorbents after 4 cycles had the same efficacy in remediating olaquindox from simulated/real water.

Prevalence of venous thromboembolism and its associations in a large racially homogenous population of sickle cell disease patients.

To determine the prevalence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among adult sickle cell disease (SCD) patients in Nigeria. METHODS: This was a multicentre retrospective study in which the medical records of adult SCD patients were reviewed. Information on demographics, steady-state haemogram, clinical phenotypes, duration of follow-up, history of VTE including risk factors and management was collected. RESULTS: Of the 509 SCD patients with a median (IQR) duration of follow-up of 2 years, 10 (2.0%) had VTE (9 DVT and 1 PE). Their median (IQR) age was 27 (22.8-30.3) years. Identifiable risk factors for VTE included positive family history (2, 20%) surgery, splenectomy, paraplegia and cancer (1, 10% each). No risk factor was identifiable in four persons. VTE had no significant association with age and gender. VTE was significantly associated with the following events: acute chest syndrome [p = .002, odds ratio (OR) 8, 95% CI 2.2-28.9], osteonecrosis [p = .012, OR 5.24, 95% CI, 1.45-18.91] and vaso-occlusive crisis [p = .035]. Also significantly associated with VTE were pulmonary hypertension [p = .001, OR 23.3, 95%CI 5.18-105.06] and stroke [p = .032, OR 9.35, 95%CI 0.87-53.25]. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of VTE among SCD patients in Nigeria is low. It is significantly associated with vaso-occlusive crisis, pulmonary hypertension and stroke.

Geographical and temporal distribution of hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) species in Africa.

BACKGROUND: Hawkmoths consist of species where most adults are nocturnal, but there are some day-flying genera. Hawkmoth species have a wide variety of life-history traits, comprising species with adults (mostly nectarivorous though with some exceptions, honey-feeding), but there are also species that do not feed at all. The nectarivorous species are an important component of tropical ecosystems, with significant roles as major pollinators of both crops and wild flora with the pollination done by the adult stage. Pollinators are in decline world-wide and there is need for baseline data to provide information about their conservation strategies. Species occurrence data from Museum collections have been shown to be of great value as a tool for prioritising conservation actions in Africa. The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) have a large and active entomology collection that is in continuous growth. The NMK's collection of hawkmoths had not been digitised prior to 2017. This moth family Sphingidae includes about 1,602 species and 205 genera worldwide (Kitching et al. 2018) with the majority of these species occurring in Africa. These moth species can also be used as indicators in biodiversity assessments as they can be easily sampled and identified. However, hawkmoths have rarely been surveyed over the long term for this purpose. Long-term datasets are of unquestionable significance for understanding and monitoring temporal changes in biodiversity. These hawkmoth data have addressed one of the most significant challenges to insect conservation, the lack of baseline information concerning species diversity and distribution and have provided key historic hawkmoth species diversity and distribution data that can be used to monitor their populations in the face of climate change and other environmental degradation issues that are facing the world today. The publication of the hawkmoth species occurrence data records in GBIF has enhanced data visibility to a wider audience promoting availability for use. NEW INFORMATION: The hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) collection at the National Museums of Kenya was digitised from 2017 - 2020 and this paper presents details of species occurrence records as in the insect collection at the NMK, Nairobi, Kenya.The collection holds 5,095 voucher specimens consisting of 88 genera and 208 species. The collection covers the period between 1904 and 2020.The geographical distribution of the hawkmoths housed at the NMK covers East Africa at 81.41%, West Africa at 7.20%, Southern Africa at 6.89%, Central Africa at 4.02% and North Africa at 0.2%.

Influence of Lifestyle and Environmental Factors on Semen Quality in Ghanaian Men.

INTRODUCTION: Male infertility is known to contribute about half of all infertility cases. In Ghana, the prevalence of male infertility is higher (15.8%) than in females (11.8%). Sperm quality is associated with the likelihood of pregnancy and known to be the cause of male fertility problems 90% of the time. Exposure to certain environmental factors reduces semen quality in men. The study examined the effects of environmental and lifestyle factors on semen quality in Ghanaian men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving 80 apparent healthy adult males in their reproductive age. Participants were males referred to the laboratory (Immunology Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital) for semen analysis test and/or culture and sensitivity. Participants were made to fill out a questionnaire which entailed selected environmental factors (accidents or trauma, exposure to chemicals, radiation, and heat) and lifestyle habits (including alcohol consumption, smoking, and whether participants sat more or less than 4 hours per day). Semen samples were then collected by masturbation into sterile containers and analysed in accordance with WHO guidance for semen analysis within 60 minutes after ejaculation and collection. RESULTS: About 69% of participants had semen pH within the normal range compared to 15% whose pH were lower than 7.2. There was a significantly high number of immotile sperm cells (p value = 0.017) in participants who sat for more than 4 hours as compared to those that sat for less than 4 hours in a day. Active sperm motility and viability showed significant increase (p value = 0.002 and 0.009, respectively) in participants who kept their cell phones in their side pockets. Smoking produced a twofold decrease in sperm count as smokers had a significantly lower sperm count (12.28 ± 10.95 × 106/ml) compared to the smoke-free (23.85 ± 22.14 × 106/ml). For exposure to STDs, no significant differences were recorded among study groups concerning semen quality. CONCLUSION: Sperm quality in Ghanaian men is associated with lifestyle habits. Smoking and sitting for long hours influenced sperm motility and count, respectively. Knowledge of the factors that influence sperm quality in this geographical region can contribute to informed decisions on effective management of infertility in Ghanaian men.

Covalently linked graphene oxide/reduced graphene oxide-methoxylether polyethylene glycol functionalised silica for scavenging of estrogen: Adsorption performance and mechanism.

Water pollution by pharmaceuticals is a global issue and its remediation is important. To overcome this, we synthesised super hydrophobic nanoporous 3-dimensional ordered nanomaterials with multi-functional binding chemistry for highly efficient adsorption of estrogen (17ß-estradiol). Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesised via Tours method and methoxylether polyethylene glycol (mPEG) was covalently introduced onto GO surface via facile amidation mild process to give GO-mPEG. GO-mPEG was anchored on nanoporous SBA-15 and homogenously reduced in-situ to SBA-rGO-mPEG. XRD analysis confirmed successful synthesis of SBA-15 and cross-linked GO/rGO-mPEG on SBA-15 surface. Image analysis revealed the architecture of SBA-15 as porous 3-dimensional silica network and presence of interwoven/crosslinked thin-films of GO-mPEG on SBA-15 surface. EDX mapping/elemental analysis showed expected elements were present. FTIR and textural analysis revealed the presence of different functional groups and high surface area as well as porosity, respectively. Optimal molar ratio experiments showed that 0.5SBA-rGO-mPEG had the highest sorption capacity. The relatively large surface area, 3-dimensional nanoprous silica structure and excess of polyamide/amido-carbonic functional groups on nanocomposites were suited for adsorption of 17ß-estradiol. Equilibrium time was 30 min and effect of pH on adsorption was negligible. Sorption kinetic process of SBA-rGO-mPEG suited the pseudo-second-order model and equilibrium data fitted both Freundlich and Langmuir models. Qm values of 57.1, 78.5, 102.6 and 192.3 mg/g was recorded for SBA-GO, 0.1SBA-rGO-mPEG, 0.25SBA-rGO-mPEG and 0.5SBA-rGO-mPEG, respectively. H-bond, hydrophobic and π-π interactions were the sorption mechanism of SBA-rGO-mPEG after detailed analysis of data. Adsorbents was regenerated/re-used after 4 cycles with high remediation from environmental/real water samples.

Clean application of magnetic biomaterial for the removal of As (III) from water.

Magnetite-coated pine cone biomass was successfully synthesized, characterized, and its interaction with As (III) in water evaluated in order to apply it as an efficient adsorbent. Transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, and imaging studies revealed that spherical magnetite particles were evenly distributed over the pine cone surface. Adsorption studies showed that the optimum pH of As (III) adsorption was 8 and that Fe (III) leaching was negligible at this pH. The optimum Fe3O4:pine cone ratio for As (III) removal was 2.0 g Fe3O4:1.5 g pine cone with adsorption capacity of 13.86 mg/g. The pseudo-second-order model best fitted the kinetic data with activation energy of adsorption was calculated to be 23.78 kJ/mol. The Langmuir isotherm described the equilibrium data best while the values of Dubinin-Radushkevich mean free energy suggests anion-exchange process. Increasing ionic strength slightly increased As (III) capacity of MNP-PCP from 13.86 to 17.82 mg/g at optimum solution pH of 8, but As (III) adsorption reduced by [Formula: see text]anions and humic acid due to competition. Adsorption mechanism was confirmed with evidence from FTIR, XPS, pHPZC, and [Formula: see text] replacement by As (III) adsorption onto the [Formula: see text]-loaded composite.

Facile microwave synthesis of pine cone derived C-doped TiO2 for the photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride under visible-LED light.

Pine cone derived carbon was doped into TiO2 via a facile microwave procedure at different powers, different from other conventional synthesis methods. The materials were adequately characterized and applied in the photodegradation of 5 mg/L tetracycline hydrochloride (TA) under visible-LED light. The XRD results showed that all materials exist as both anatase and rutile phase. However, both the microwave power and the carbon content of the composite material inhibited the conversion of anatase into rutile. The composite material synthesized at a microwave power of 800 W (CT800), displayed the highest band gap energy (3.14 eV) but showed the least electron-hole recombination rate. Hence, CT800 exhibited the highest apparent rate constant of 9.9 × 10-3 min-1 and a half-life of 70 min. An inverse relationship between OH• radical scavenger (isopropanol) and the percentage degradation by CT800 suggests that OH• is majorly responsible for the degradation of TA. Recyclability studies revealed that after 4 cycles of photocatalytic degradation reactions, CT800 retained approximately 83% performance confirming its stability and reusability.

Degree of time dependency of kinetic coefficient as a function of adsorbate concentration; new insights from adsorption of tetracycline onto monodispersed starch-stabilized magnetic nanocomposite.

The realization that the observed kinetic coefficient (kobs) varies with time in most real-time adsorption system, as against the constant value conceived in the most widely-applied adsorption kinetic models, have attracted much attention in recent time. Understanding the factors that control the extent/degree of time dependency (otherwise known as fractal-like kinetics), is therefore central in taking manipulative advantage of this phenomenon in critical adsorption applications. This study therefore deployed non-fractal-like and fractal-like kinetic approach to study the adsorption of tetracycline on monodispersed starch-stabilized magnetite nanocomposite (MSM). MSM was synthesized by in-situ coprecipitation of magnetite in the presence of starch, and successfully characterized with classical solid-state techniques. Isotherm studies indicated that MSM has heterogenous surface adsorption sites. Equilibrium and kinetic data indicated the existence of π-cation interaction as the underlying mechanism, while pH study revealed that tetracycline was adsorbed in its zwitterion form. Though the non-fractal kinetic models exhibited some level of relevance in explaining the tetracycline adsorption interactions, the best fitting of the fractal-like pseudo second order model to the adsorption kinetic data, indicated that the real-time adsorption kinetics occurred in fractal-like manner. The study also revealed that the degree of time dependency of kobs had negative correlation with the initial tetracycline concentration. Apart from developing a low-cost strategy for addressing tetracycline water pollution, the result of this study serves a positive step towards gaining manipulative control of adsorption mechanism in potential application of MSM for targeted drug delivery and controlled release of tetracycline antibiotics.

Design of a Multisite Study Assessing the Impact of Tic Disorders on Individuals, Families, and Communities.

BACKGROUND: Tic disorders, including Tourette syndrome, are complex, multisymptom diseases, yet the impact of these disorders on affected children, families, and communities is not well understood. METHODS: To improve the understanding of the impacts of Tourette syndrome, two research groups conducted independent cross-sectional studies using qualitative and quantitative measures. They focused on similar themes, but distinct scientific objectives, and the sites collaborated to align methods of independent research proposals with the aim of increasing the analyzable sample size. RESULTS: Site 1 (University of Rochester) was a Pediatric Neurology referral center. Site 2 (University of South Florida) was a Child Psychiatry referral center. A total of 205 children with tic disorders were enrolled from both studies. The University of Rochester also enrolled 100 control children in order to clearly isolate impacts of Tourette syndrome distinct from those occurring in the general population. The majority of children with tic disorders (n = 191, 93.1%) had Tourette syndrome, the primary population targeted for these studies. Children with Tourette syndrome were similar across sites in terms of tic severity and the occurrence of comorbid conditions. The occurrence of psychiatric comorbidities in the control group was comparable with that in the general pediatric population of the United States, making this a well-justified comparison group. CONCLUSIONS: Through collaboration, two sites conducting independent research developed convergent research methods to enable pooling of data, and by extension increased power, for future analyses. This method of collaboration is a novel model for future epidemiological research of tic disorders.

Comparison of glycaemic indices of some local beans (Vigna unguiculata [Linn] Walp varieties) in Nigerians

Background: Beans are recommended for their richness and for their salutary effect on blood glucose. Inter-species differences impact on blood glucose. What appeared unknown is whether varieties of beans of the same species (Vigna unguiculata [Linn] Walp) have differential effects on blood glucose when equal amounts are consumed.Objective: To perform proximate analysis and compare the glycaemic indices on consumption of Vigna unguiculata (Linn) Walp species. Setting and subjects: This was an experimental study and subjects consisted of 12 healthy consenting participants at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Lagos, Nigeria.Outcome measure: Fibre contents and the glycaemic indices of Vigna unguiculata (Linn) Walp varieties 'oloyin', 'drum' and 'Sokoto' white.Results: The mean (±SD) crude fibre content of Vigna unguiculata (Linn) Walp varieties 'oloyin', 'drum' and 'Sokoto white' are 2.75% (± 0.00), 2.64% (± 0.14) and 2.94% (± 0.17) respectively. The median (95% CI) glycaemic index (GI) of Vigna unguiculata (Linn) Walp variety 'oloyin' was 12.10% (6.0­16.31), variety 'drum' 17.64% (9.22­48.93) and variety 'Sokoto white' 12.04% (5.54­28.94) respectively. The GI of the bean meals differed significantly (Friedman's test, χ2 (2) = 6.500, p = 0.039).Conclusion: The fibre content of intra-species beans, together with their GI, differs. 'Drum' bean meal has the lowest fibre content and highest glycaemic response. 'Oloyin' and 'Sokoto white' bean meals are recommended for persons with DM as some beans are more diabetic friendly than others

Evaluation of two injection sclerosants in the treatment of symptomatic haemorrhoids in Nigerians.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of 5% phenol in almond oil with 50% dextrose water as sclerosants in the treatment of first- to third-degree haemorrhoids. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, comparative study conducted on eighty patients with first-, second- and third-degree haemorrhoids who consented to treatment by injection sclerotherapy with either 5% phenol in almond oil or 50% dextrose water. They were randomised equally into two groups. RESULTS: A total of eighty patients including 58 males and 22 females whose age ranged from 19 to 61 years were included in the study. Bleeding was the chief symptom which was present in 78 (97.5%) patients, and there was complete resolution of this in 92.3% and 89.7% in the 5% phenol in almond oil and 50% dextrose water groups, respectively, at 6 months (P = 0.905). Similar degrees of resolution were noted for anal protrusion (89.1% and 85.3% in the 5% phenol in almond oil and 50% dextrose water group, respectively, P = 0.899). The overall complication rate was 3.6% with anal mucosa ulceration being the only complication, occurring in three patients who had 5% phenol in almond oil. Peri-procedure pain, patients satisfaction and acceptability were not significantly different in both groups (P = 0.912, 0.928 and 0.926 respectively). CONCLUSION: Five percent phenol in almond oil and 50% dextrose water are equally effective sclerosants in the treatment of haemorrhoids with very low complication rates.

Thyroid autoimmunity in pregnant Nigerians.

CONTEXT: Thyroid autoimmunity is a recognized disorder in pregnancy and is associated with a number of adverse pregnancy outcomes. AIM: This study set out to determine the relationship between pregnancy and thyroid autoimmunity in Nigerian women. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was an analytical cross-sectional study carried out in a tertiary hospital in South Western Nigeria with a total study population of 108 pregnant and 52 nonpregnant women. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Serum thyroid stimulating hormone, free thyroxine and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab) were quantitatively determined using enzyme linked immuno-assays. Pregnant women were grouped into three categories (<14 weeks, 14-28 weeks and > 28 weeks). The relationship between pregnancy and thyroid autoimmunity was determined using Spearman correlation. Analysis of variance was used in comparison of means, Chi-square test used in analyzing proportions while P ≤ 0.05 was considered as significant. RESULTS: The mean age of the pregnant women was 30.4 ± 6.0 years while the mean gestational age of all pregnant women was 20.6 ± 9.6 weeks. The mean TPO-Ab of 11.58 IU/ml in the pregnant was significantly higher than that of the controls of 7.23 IU/ml (P < 0.001). Out of 108 pregnant women, 27 (25%) had elevated TPO-Ab as against about 2% of the nonpregnant women levels P < 0.001. The number of pregnant women with elevated TPO-Ab levels decreased from 33.3% in the first group to 25.6% and 15.2% in the second and third groups. CONCLUSION: Thyroid autoimmunity expressed by the presence of TPO-Ab is high among pregnant Nigerian women and the frequency of autoimmunity appears to decline with advancing gestational age.

Propofol versus traditional sedative methods for colonoscopy in a low-resource setting.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: We set out to determine the safety and efficacy of the use of three sedative regimens, namely propofol alone, propofol with benzodiazepine and/or opioids and benzodiazepine with opioids in Nigerian patients undergoing diagnostic colonoscopy at a Nigerian tertiary hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 120 patients undergoing outpatient colonoscopy were assigned prospectively to one of the three treatment regimens. Patients in Group A (n = 40) received propofol alone (PRO), Group B (n = 40) received propofol with midazolam and/or fentanyl and Group C (n = 40) received opioids and midazolam (fentanyl and midazolam - conscious sedation). Study outcome measures include the level of sedation, length of the procedure, sedation/recovery time, patient satisfaction and adverse events. RESULTS: Patients receiving PRO alone received higher doses of PRO compared with PRO and additives (P = 0.043). The overall procedure and sedation duration were similar in both PRO containing groups but statistically significantly shorter than the conscious sedation group (P < 0.0001, P < 0.006). The recovery time was statistically shorter in the PRO additives group compared to the other two groups (P < 0.0001). While the drop in blood pressure was similar in all the groups (P = 0.227), the occurrence of hypoxaemia was higher in the PRO containing groups (P < 0.0001). Overall physicians and patients pain assessment scores were statistically different in the three groups (both P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that PRO sedation is safe when used for outpatient diagnostic colonoscopy in low-resource settings with better patients and physician satisfaction. The synergistic sedative effect of midazolam and/or opioids combined with PRO help reducing the dose of PRO used with better recovery.

Management of overt upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a low resource setting: a real world report from Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) remains a common medical problem worldwide that has significant associated morbidity, mortality, and health care resource use. This study outlines the aetiology, clinical presentation, and treatment outcomes of patients with UGIB in a Nigerian low resource health facility. METHODS: This was a descriptive study of consecutive patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy for upper GI bleeding in the endoscopy unit of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria from January 2007 to December 2013. RESULTS: During the study period, 287 (12.4%) of 2,320 patients who underwent upper GI endoscopies had UGIB. Of these, 206 (72.0%) patients were males and their ages ranged from 3 to 100 years with a median age of 49 years. The main clinical presentation included passage of melaena stool in 268 (93.4%) of individuals, 173 (60.3%) had haematemesis, 110 (38.3%) had haematochezia, and 161 (56.1%) were dizzy at presentation. Observed in 88 (30.6%) of UGIB patients, duodenal ulcer was the most common cause, followed by varices [52 (18.1%)] and gastritis [51 (17.1%)]. For variceal bleeding, 15 (28.8%) and 21 (40.4%) of patients had injection sclerotherapy and variceal band ligation, respectively. The overall rebleeding rate for endoscopic therapy for varices was 16.7%. For patients with ulcers, only 42 of 55 who had Forrest grade Ia to IIb ulcers were offered endoscopic therapy. Endoscopic therapy was áin 90.5% of the cases. No rebleeding followed endoscopic therapy for the ulcers. The obtained Rockall scores ranged from 2 to 10 and the median was 5.0. Of all patients, 92.7% had medium or high risk scores. An increase in Rockall score was significantly associated with length of hospital stay and mortality (p < 0.001). The overall mortality rate was 5.9% (17 patients). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic therapy for UGIB in a resource-poor setting such as Nigeria is feasible, significantly reduces morbidity and mortality, and is cost effective. Efforts should be made to improve the accessibility of these therapeutic procedure for patients with UGIB in Nigeria.

Improving hybrid seed production in corn with glyphosate-mediated male sterility.

BACKGROUND: Hybrid corn varieties exhibit benefits associated with heterosis and account for most of the corn acreage in the USA. Hybrid seed corn is produced by crossing a female parent which is male-sterile and therefore incapable of self-pollination with a male parent as the pollen donor. The majority of hybrid seed corn is produced by mechanical detasseling which involves physically removing the tassel, a process that is laborious and costly. RESULTS: Glyphosate-resistant corn was developed via expression of a glyphosate insensitive 5-enolpyruvyl-shikimate 3-phosphate synthase enzyme (CP4-EPSPS). Experimentation with molecular expression elements resulted in selective reduction of CP4-EPSPS expression in male reproductive tissues. The resulting plant demonstrated sterile tassel following glyphosate application with little to no injury to the rest of the plant. Using (14)C-glyphosate as a marker, we also examined the translocation of glyphosate to the tassel via spray application in a track sprayer to simulate field application. The results allowed optimization of spray parameters such as dose, spray timing and target to maximize tassel delivery of glyphosate for efficient sterilization. CONCLUSION: The Roundup hybridization system (RHS) is a novel process for hybrid seed production based on glyphosate-mediated male sterility. RHS replaces mechanical detasseling with glyphosate spray and greatly simplifies the process of hybrid seed corn production.

Neo-adjuvant capecitabine chemotherapy in women with newly diagnosed locally advanced breast cancer in a resource-poor setting (Nigeria): efficacy and safety in a phase II feasibility study.

The majority of clinical trials of neo-adjuvant therapy for breast cancer have been conducted in resource-rich countries. We chose Nigeria, a resource-poor country, as the major site for a phase II feasibility open-label multicenter clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of neo-adjuvant capecitabine in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Planned treatment consisted of 24 weeks of capecitabine at a dose of 1,000 mg/m(2) twice daily (2,000 mg/m(2) total per day). The primary endpoints were overall, partial, complete clinical response rate (OCR, PCR, CCR) and complete pathologic response (cPR). A total of 16 patients were recruited from August 2007 to April 2010. The study was terminated early as a result of slow accrual. After the first three cycles of therapy, PCR were seen in five of 16 patients (31%; 95% CI 11-59%). Of the remaining 11 patients, eight had no response (NR) or stable disease (SD), and three had progressive disease (PD). Seven patients proceeded with further therapy of which had SD. OCR at the end of eight cycles was 44% (95% CI 20-70%). Clinical response and radiologic response by ultrasonomammography were highly concordant (spearman correlation 0.70). The most common adverse effect was Grade 1 hand-foot syndrome, which was seen in 75% of patients. Despite several limitations, we successfully carried out this phase II feasibility study of neo-adjuvant capecitabine for LABC in Nigeria. Capecitabine monotherapy showed good overall response rates with minimal toxicity and further studies are warranted.

Type 2 diabetes control and complications in specialised diabetes care centres of six sub-Saharan African countries: the Diabcare Africa study.

AIM: The Diabcare Africa project was carried out across six sub-Saharan African countries to collect standardised and comparable information for the evaluation of diabetes control, management and late complications in diabetic populations at specialist clinics. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive study of 2352 type-2 diabetes patients who were treated at specialist clinics for at least 12 months prior to the study. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 53.0±16.0 years and had 8.0±6.0 years known duration of diabetes. 47% had their HbA1c assessed in the past year (mean 8.2±2.4%) with 29% achieving a level <6.5%. 21% had BP within 130/80 mmHg and 65% were treated for hypertension. Fasting lipids were assessed in 45% of the patients with mean cholesterol level of 4.9±1.2 mmol/L, HDL-cholesterol of 1.3±0.7 mmol/L and triglycerides of 1.2±0.7 mmol/L. 13% of the patients were treated for hyperlipidaemia, mostly with statins. Background retinopathy (18%) and cataract (14%) were the most common eye complications. Macrovascular disease was rare, and 48% had neuropathy. CONCLUSIONS: Half of the patients benefitted from standard care, and a third had appropriate glycaemic control - attributed to access to, rather than quality of care. This study provided evidence to support appropriate interventions to diabetic populations of sub-Saharan origin.

Quantitative telemedicine ratings in Batten disease: implications for rare disease research.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if remote administration of the Unified Batten Disease Rating Scale (UBDRS) Physical Impairment subscale by telemedicine is reliable and feasible across a broad range of disease severity. METHODS: For the majority (n = 10) of subjects, the examination was performed by a nonphysician who had been trained to perform the examination but not to score the subjects. A trained rater scored the subjects via live video; a second trained rater performed a separate examination in person and scored that examination. For 3 telemedicine evaluations, examinations were performed and scored by a trained rater while a second trained rater simultaneously scored the subjects via live video. Reliability was determined by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: Subjects (n = 13) represented a wide range of disease severity. Remote administration of the UBDRS Physical Impairment subscale had high interrater reliability across all subjects (ICC = 0.94). When only the subjects (n = 10) who had been examined by the nonphysician and scored remotely were included in the analysis, the reliability was unchanged (ICC = 0.95). CONCLUSIONS: The UBDRS Physical Impairment subscale is reliable and feasible for remote administration. Telemedicine has the potential to be a useful tool in rare neurologic disease research and clinical assessment.

Quantifying physical decline in juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (Batten disease).

OBJECTIVE: To use the Unified Batten Disease Rating Scale (UBDRS) to measure the rate of decline in physical and functional capability domains in patients with juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) or Batten disease, a neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder. We have evaluated the UBDRS in subjects with JNCL since 2002; during that time, the scale has been refined to improve reliability and validity. Now that therapies are being proposed to prevent, slow, or reverse the course of JNCL, the UBDRS will play an important role in quantitatively assessing clinical outcomes in research trials. METHODS: We administered the UBDRS to 82 subjects with JNCL genetically confirmed by CLN3 mutational analysis. Forty-four subjects were seen for more than one annual visit. From these data, the rate of physical impairment over time was quantified using multivariate linear regression and repeated-measures analysis. RESULTS: The UBDRS Physical Impairment subscale shows worsening over time that proceeds at a quantifiable linear rate in the years following initial onset of clinical symptoms. This deterioration correlates with functional capability and is not influenced by CLN3 genotype. CONCLUSION: The UBDRS is a reliable and valid instrument that measures clinical progression in JNCL. Our data support the use of the UBDRS to quantify the rate of progression of physical impairment in subjects with JNCL in clinical trials.